description stringlengths 2.98k 3.35M | abstract stringlengths 94 10.6k | cpc int64 0 8 |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrostriction effect element utilizing a known longitudinal electrostriction effect, and to an improved structure for particularly facilitating electrical connections between a pair of external electrodes of a multilayer piezoelectric actuator element and a pair of lead wires.
Such an actuator element is regarded as a substantial element in the field of mechatronic equipment as well as sensor elements. The actuator is a kind of transducer whereby electric energy is transduced into mechanical energy such as displacement or force. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,121 issued on June 11, 1985, a novel multilayer actuator element is proposed by the present applicant to improve a defect of short repetitional life prevailing on a prior art stacked type actuator, wherein a multiplicity of sintered piezoelectric plates were stacked on one another by using adhesive material.
In a newly proposed multilayer actuator, a plurality of green sheets of piezoelectric material with a conductive paste for an internal electrode formed on one side of the green sheet are laminated and sintered to form an integrated laminated structure. A first group of insulator belts are formed on every other end of the internal electrodes exposed to one of opposing side surfaces of the laminated structure, and a first external electrode layer is formed on exposed ends of the internal electrodes which are not covered by the first group of insulator belts, thus forming a first electrode group. A second group of insulator belts are also formed on the exposed ends of the internal electrodes which are not electrically connected to the first external electrode layer on the other of opposing side surfaces, and a second external electrode is formed thereon, thus forming a second electrode group. Then, a pair of lead wires are connected to the external electrodes on both sides. In such an electrostriction effect element, when a voltage is applied between the external electrodes through the lead wires, the applied voltage is provided on both ends of all the electrostriction sheets through the internal electrodes, and thus electrostriction is generated in the direction of lamination as the whole element.
Connecting portions between the lead wires and the external electrode layers are arbitrary. However, a general connection means such as solder or the like may involve the following problem. When the connecting portions are chosen at the upper end or the lower end of the external electrode layers in the direction of lamination, care should be taken such that since a metallic cap is mounted on both upper and lower portions of the actuator in many cases, solder may be applied erroneously on the metallic cap if a soldering position of the lead wire comes on the upper end or the lower end of the adtuator. As a result, excessive attention must be paid to the soldering process.
It is therefore preferable that the lead wire be soldered at the central portion of the external electrode layer. However, if each electrostriction layer is thinned, for example, to 250 μm or below, then there no longer will be sufficient space for the soldering process. Over soldering of the external electrode layer and rupture of the insulator due to a strain suppression effect of the solder may cause problems in reliability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide an electrostriction effect element to facilitate the connection between an external electrode provided on the element and lead wires.
The present invention is featured by an intermediate layer disposed in the pillar of a plurality of stacked electrostriction layers and internal electrodes inserted therebetween. The pillar is divided into two by the intermediate layer and a pair of external electrodes connected to the internal electrodes are extended to the exposed side surface of the intermediate layer where lead wires are bonded to the external electrode layers. The intermediate layer should have a thickness greater than each electrostriction layer so as to provide an area large enough for the lead wires to be bonded.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an electrostriction effect element according to a first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line A--A shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an electrostriction effect element according to a second embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an electrostriction effect element according to a third embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an electrostriction effect element 1 according to a first embodiment of this invention comprises a rectangular pillar of an electrostriction material. The pillar has an axis and a pair of pillar or axial ends. First and second internal electrodes 21 and 22 are alternatingly disposed in the pillar to divide the pillar into first and second actuator portions 11 and 12 of electrostriction layers stacked on one another along the axis, an intermediate connection layer 30 of the electrostriction material between said first and second actuator portions 11 and 12, and first and second protection or dummy layers 31 and 32 made of the electrostriction material and positioned between the respective actuator portions 11 and 12 and the respective axial ends. Each electrostriction layer of the actuator portions 11 and 12 is indicated at 10. Each internal electrode 21 or 22 has an area which is substantially equal to a cross-sectional area which the pillar or the respective actuator portions 11 and 12 has perpendicularly of the axis. The internal electrodes 21 and 22 have ends which are exposed onto said surfaces of the pillar or of the respective actuator portions 11 and 12. The intermediate connection layer 30 has a thickness larger than other electrostriction layers 10. The pillar therefore comprises the internal electrodes 21 and 22, a pair of protection layers 31 and 32, and an intermediate connection layer 30.
Belt-shaped insulating layers 61 and 62 are coated on each of those ends of the internal electrodes 21 and 22, respectively, which are exposed on opposing side surfaces of the pillar. First and second conductive layers 41 and 42 are formed on the opposing side surfaces to commonly cover the belt-shaped insulating layers 62 and 61 and exposed ends of the first and second internal electrodes 21 and 22. The first and second conductive layers 41 and 42 serve as the first and the second external electrodes. First and second lead wires 51 and 52 are connected to the first and second conductive layers 41 and 42, respectively, at the positions located on the side surfaces of the connection layer 30 by using a solder material 71 and 72.
In order to facilitate the soldering process, the thickness of the intermediate connection layer 30 should be larger than the diameter of the provided soldering material 71 and 72. The diameter of the soldering material 71 and 72 depends on the diameter of the wire leads 51 and 52, that is, in general, the diameter of the soldering material is two to three times of that of the each lead wire. Accordingly, it is preferable to choose the thickness of the intermediate connection layer 30 to be at least two times of the diameter of the lead wires to be employed.
When a voltage is supplied between the external electrodes 41 and 42, electric field are produced in the respective electrostriction layers 10 parallel to the axis of the pillar. The electric fields make the respective electrostriction layers 10 exhibit the longitudinal electrostriction effect of the electrostriction material. As a results, the electrostriction layers 10 are subjected to elongation strains, which are summed up into an axial elongation E of the pillar as depicted by arrows at each of the protection layers 31 and 32.
The pillar is manufactured in the manner known in the art except for selection of the thicker connection layer 30. More specifically, a slurry is prepared at first by dispersing a mixture of presintered powder of an electrostriction material and an organic binder in an organic solvent. A typical example of the electrostriction material is lead nickel-niobate Pb (Ni 1/3 Nb 2/3 ) O 3 . By using a film or layer forming technique such as a tape casting method generally used in manufacturing maltilayer ceramic capacitors, the slurry is formed into a green sheet about 250 μm thick for the electrostriction layers. The internal electrodes 21 and 22 are formed by using a screen printing technique. A conductor paste with a mixture of silver powder and palladium powder is screen printed to a thickness of about 10 μm on one principal surface of the green sheet for each of the electrostriction layers. After being cut into desired dimensions, a predetermined number of the green sheets with the conductor paste are stacked or laminated. A single green sheet without conductor paste is used to provide the top protection layer 31 without the conductor paste. The thick connection layer 30 is formed by laminating a desired number of the green sheets without conductor paste and the conductor paste is formed on the top surface of the laminated green sheets. The stacked green sheets in the order shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, are hot pressed, and then sintered at a temperature of about 1,000° C. for two hours, and then the side is cut to keep end surfaces of the internal electrodes 21 and 22 exposed externally. After forming the belt-shaped insulating layers 61 and 62 made of glass or the like, silver paste for the first and second external electrodes 41 and 42 is provided by using a screen printing technique.
Turning to FIG. 3, a second embodiment of the invention represents the case where the pillar has a cylindrical cross-section. Since the basic structure and manufacturing process are same as the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the same portions are designated by the same reference number and further description is omitted.
In the aforementioned embodiments, the actuator element is a so called contact type. Therefore, the actuator should be attached to a certain body, such as load mass and base body, in practical use. An adhesive layer between the actuator and the certain body sometimes has a mechanical rupture while being driven. It is assumed that the rupture is caused by the stresses induced through a piezoelectric unstiffened effect. To this end, an improved actuator structure is proposed by the same applicant of the present invention is U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,120 issued on Dec. 30, 1986. In this improved electrostriction transducer or actuator element comprising first and second protection layers in which no electric fields are produced during operation, each of end electrostriction layers which are contiguous to the respective protection layers with pertinent ones of internal electrodes interposed, is given a greater thickness as compared with other or intermediate electrostriction layers to make the transducer have a long life and a high reliability owing to the buffer function of the inserted end electrostriction layers.
Referring to FIG. 4, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in which the principle of the present invention is applied to the above described improved structure. The structure shown has first and second active portions 110 and 120 which are sandwiched between first and second protection layers 301 and 302 and a connection layer 300, respectively. The first active portion 110 comprises a first actuator portion 111 sandwiched between first and second buffer portions 113 and 115. The second active portion 121 comprises a second actuator portion 121 sandwiched between third and fourth buffer portions 123 and 125. Structural difference between the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and the third embodiment is nothing but the existence of four buffer portions. Each buffer portion comprises two electrostriction layers each of which is sandwiched between first and second internal electrodes 211 and 222. Each of two electrostriction layers for the buffer portions has a larger thickness than that of each electrostriction layer used for the actuator portions, thus causing a small electrostriction effect and thereby functioning as a buffer layer between the actuator portions and inactive portions such as the protection portions 301 and 302 and connection portion 300. The typical thickness of each electrostriction layer for the actuator portions 111 and 121 is 0.1 mm, and the thickness of each electrostriction layer for the buffer portions is 0.2 mm. The connection portion 300 has a thickness of 3 mm and thus causes little electrostriction effect even in the case that the connection portion 300 is sandwiched between the first and second internal electrodes 211 and 222. Each protection portion has the thickness of 0.5 mm or more, and is inactive piezoelectrically as the electric field cannot be applied thereto.
In the case of the actuator element 100 shown in FIG. 4 having the length or height of 20 mm, each of the first and second actuator portions 111 and 121 comprises 59 sheets of 0.1 mm thick electrostriction layer with an internal electrode, and each buffer portion comprises two sheets of 0.2 mm thick electrostriction layer with an internal electrode. When the connection portion 300 has the thickness of the 3 mm, each of protection portions 301 and 302 has the thickness of 1.8 mm. The desired thickness of each portion other than the first and second actuator portions 111 and 121 can be obtained by laminating the necessary number of common or uniform sheets without conductor paste, each of which may have a thickness of 0.1 mm.
A cross sectional size of the actuator element according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is 5 mm×5 mm. A pair of external electrodes are provided on first and second opposing side surface of the actuator element, respectively. A first external electrode 401 is connected to exposed ends of the first internal electrodes on the first side surface 101. Needless to say, ends of the second internal electrodes are covered by insulating material (not shown) on the first side surface as in the case of the first and second embodiments. Similarly, the second external electrode (not shown) is provided on the second side surface 102. A first lead wire 501 is soldered to the first external electrode 401 at the position located on the connection portion 300. In the same manner, a second lead wire 502 is soldered to the second external electrode at the position located on the connection portion 300. In the embodiment, since the connection portion 300 is sufficiently thick, a soldering work can be greatly facilitated to effect a construction ready for mass production.
The thickness of the connection portion is not to exert an influence on a necessary function of the actuator element. In view of the purpose of the present invention, it is preferable that the thickness of the connection portion be larger than a diameter of the soldering portion. Since the diameter of the lead wire varies from 0.2 mm to 0.9 mm, in general, the thickness of the connection portion or layer should be selected to be two times that to three times of the wire diameter. When the lead wire of 0.2 mm diameter is used, and the diameter of the soldering material is about 0.5 mm, thus the thickness of the connection portion or layer should be 0.5 mm or more.
In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 4, when 100 to 150 volts are applied between the first and second internal electrodes 211 and 222, the connection portion 300 itself does not show the electrostriction effect even if the the connection portion 300 is made of electrostriction material and is sandwiched between the first and second internal electrodes 211 and 222. When the thickness of the electrostriction material of the connection portion 300 is five times or more of that of each electrostriction layer of actuator portion 111 and 121, the connection portion 300 becomes an inactive layer due to weak electric field, thus the connection portion 300 is not needed to be sandwiched between the first and second internal electrodes 211 and 222, but may be sandwiched by either pair of first or second internal electrodes. When the connection portion 300 is an inactive layer, the reliability of hard connection such as soldering becomes high.
The above-described embodiments refer to a case where the intermediate connection portion or layer is provided at the center of the actuator element. However, placement of the connection portion is not necessarily limited to the center, and thus the connection portion may be provided anywhere between the actuator portions. Further, in case the lead wires are mounted at positions varying on sides opposite each other, or, for example, downward on one side and upward on the other side, two connection portions will be inserted at different level in a axial direction in the actuator portions.
As described above, according to the invention, a sufficient space for soldering can be easily provided by merely providing an inactive portion or layer at any selected position in the electrostriction effect element, and thus an oversoldering on the external electrodes does not become a significant problem. Furthermore, the rupture of the insulating layers due to strain suppression effect of a solder and other defects can be removed reasonably, thus providing a remarkable effect in enhancing reliability. | An electrostriction effect element having a simplified construction through the provision of a relatively thick connection portion disposed between two actuator portions. The connection portion preferably has a thickness greater than that of the solder or lead wires which are provided to connect the overall element. As a result, soldering is considerably simplified. Additionally, protection portions may be added at opposite ends of the pillar of electrostrictive material, sandwiching the actuator portions and the connection portion. The protection portions also preferably have a thickness greater than that of any of the electrostrictive layers in the pillar. Still further, buffer layers may be provided between the connection portion and each of the actuator portions, and also between the actuator portions and the protection portions. These buffer layers also preferably have a thickness greater than that of any of the electrostrictive layers in the pillar material. The overall element may be rectangular or cylindrical in cross-section. | 7 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
A painter's belt-mounted paint and brush holder especially adapted for stability relative to the painter, decreasing retention of paint in undesired regions, optionally providing for ready exchange of colors without requiring cleanup of the holder, releasably holding the paint applicator, and ready closure of the holder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Painters working on large elevated areas customarily utilize long-handled tools which obtain their paint from trays or buckets placed on the floor or on a scaffold, or receive them through hoses. These are suitable and accepted techniques for painting large areas. Similarly, at or near ground or floor levels, these techniques are widely used.
On smaller jobs, and especially at higher elevations where access to a floor level supply is not convenient, the painter takes the bucket up the ladder with him and places it on a platform of some kind. This, of course limits the range of the painter's efforts and when he needs to work on a more distant area, he must dismount the ladder, move it and the bucket, and start again.
These procedures are useful for larger, mostly rather plain, painting. However, they make it needlessly difficult for paint jobs of more artistic nature. Examples of such more complicated jobs are treatment of areas in which patterns of various colors, texture, or composition are needed, such as walls to be textured to appear as a cloudy sky, or which are to have an image such as a face or other physical objects.
For these jobs, which generally are smaller in size but which require greater skill and artistry, it is known for painters to hang a pail of paint from a tool belt, with the pail dangling freely from the belt. The painter dips the applicator into the pail. The term “applicator” is used herein to denote a handled tool for applying paint, of which brushes and rollers are the most commonly encountered examples. It is used to denote both kinds.
While this bucket is available to the painter on the ladder, it calls for considerable care in its use because the applicator and pail are independently supported. When he climbs the ladder, he must attend to both the bucket and the applicator, holding the applicator with one hand, holding on to the ladder with the other, and caring for the dangling pail. This is not only clumsy and potentially dangerous, but distracting to an artist. This invention frees a hand which otherwise would be holding the applicator.
In the most ordinary usage, care must be exerted to control drip from both the applicator and from the bucket, especially from and around the groove in the rim of the bucket. Otherwise the bucket and its surroundings can become messy, and control over the color is reduced. The absence of bucket stability in the sense of a close coupling of the painter's body and the bucket is a considerable disadvantage.
Further, known buckets do not provide specific means for wiping the applicator while it is being removed from the bucket with paint to be applied to a surface. This can result in excessive paint on the applicator, and dripping of paint from the applicator.
Another disadvantage of the known art is the need either to use a large number of buckets, or to clean up a single bucket when a different color is to be applied. For large walls this is no problem. However, for small jobs, and especially for multi-color jobs, this is a serious disadvantage.
It is an object of this invention to provide a paint holder (frequently called a “bucket”), with an integral stabilizer which abuts the painter's body over a substantial area to establish the location of the bucket relative to the painter.
It is another object of this invention to provide a drain from the rim groove of the bucket which will drain paint from the groove back into the bucket.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a shaped liner with an outer wall complementary to the rim groove and preferably also with some of the inner wall of the bucket. This liner is removable, so it can protect the bucket from undesired paint, and also so as to be removable and replaceable to present paints of different colors.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a liner with multiple cavities so as to carry a plurality of colors in one liner.
It is still another object of this invention to provide in this holder an applicator mount arranged so the painter can easily store and access the applicator. When stored, it is in a position to drain into the bucket. When the painter climbs the ladder, or otherwise does not need the applicator, it is held in a proper place, with its handle held by the mount, and with the applicator portion below a covering lid through which the handle passes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A belt-mounted paint holder according to this invention includes a bucket portion having an outer wall and an inner wall, a bottom, and an upper rim to form a cavity. It further includes a stabilizer portion integral with the bucket portion which extends above the rim. It includes a substantial area shaped to contact a substantial area of the painter himself (through his clothing), with apertures to pass a tool belt in order to hold the holder against the painter (or his clothing).
The rim includes a peripheral groove and drain grooves which drain from the peripheral groove into the cavity. The bucket portion has a suitable dimension of depth to contain a desired amount of paint, and an open top to give proper access to the cavity. While the illustrated embodiments are in a shape generally regarded as a bucket the term “bucket” is intended also to include wider and shallower structures which more nearly resemble a tray.
According to an optional feature of the invention, an applicator mount is mounted to the stabilizer portion above the cavity so the applicator can be reliably held, bristles or roller down, in the cavity. Preferably it will formed as a removable clip.
A liner has an outer wall with a rim complementary to the peripheral rim of the bucket portion, into which it can fit, and which preferably includes drain grooves that drain into the liner. The liner fits in the cavity of the holder, and is removable from it. A lid has a depending flange adapted to close the bucket and a slot to pass the handle of an applicator with the head of the applicator in the bucket.
Optional ladder-like applicator wiper ribs are formed on the inner wall of the holder, and preferably also in the liner. They are shaped to remove excess paint from the applicator and drain it back into the bucket portion.
The above and other features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the presently-preferred embodiment of the invention, held on a user's belt;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the holder of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 3 is a top view of the bucket, taken at line 3 — 3 in FIG. 2 ;
FIG. 4 is a front view of the bucket taken at line 4 — 4 in FIG. 2 ;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross section taken at line 5 — 5 in FIG. 2 , also showing the lid closing the bucket;
FIG. 6 is a top view of a liner taken at line 6 — 6 in FIG. 2 ;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross section taken at line 5 — 5 in FIG. 1 also showing a liner in the bucket;
FIG. 8 is a front view of the liner of FIG. 6 ; and
FIG. 9 is a top view of a modified liner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A belt-mounted paint holder 10 according to this invention is shown in FIG. 1 . Its principal components are a bucket portion 11 and a stabilizer portion 12 . The holder is rigid, although it, and especially the stabilizer portion, may be stiffly flexible but still essentially shape-retaining.
The stabilizer portion has a plate-like surface 15 preferably with a pair of wings 16 , 17 , through which apertures 18 and 19 are formed to pass a belt 18 . Fastening the belt will bring the stabilizer portion against the clothing of the painter and will pull the holder into a stabilizing condition, where it will move closely with the painter. The painter will always know precisely where the bucket portion, its contents and its surfaces, are located relative to himself.
Bucket portion 11 has a sidewall 20 with an outer surface 21 and an inner surface 22 . A bottom 23 , along with the sidewall form an internal cavity 24 which receives paint (not shown).
An upper rim 25 is formed at the top on the sidewall. It extends between intersections with the stabilizer portion. The rim includes an upwardly-facing groove 26 with an outer wall 27 and an inner wall 28 , similar to the groove on a conventional paint cans. A plurality of drain grooves 29 pass through inner wall 28 and drain into the cavity. While the drain grooves will not reliably drain away all of the paint that may have entered groove 26 , they will drain away enough so that a lid can be applied without substantial spill-over to the outside of the container, and the bucket portion topped somewhat without spilling.
As an optional feature, a ladder-like pattern of ribs 30 is formed on the inside wall of the bucket. The painter may use these to wipe excess paint from his applicator after dipping it in the paint. These ribs will preferably project into the cavity below the stabilizer portion when they will conveniently be contacted by the applicator and drain the paint back into the bucket portion.
A lid 32 may be separable from the bucket (and preferably will be) or instead may be attached to it by a hinge (not shown). The hinge may be a self-hinge when the bucket portion and lid are made of a suitably flexible organic plastic such as polyethylene, sufficiently thin. The lid has a slot 33 from its edge next to the stabilizer portion to pass the handle of applicator. A mount 34 , referred herein as a “clip” is separately mounted to the stabilizer portion by being passed through a slot 35 in the stabilizer portion. The lid has a depending flange 36 ( FIG. 5 ) that surrounds the rim when applied. It abuts the stabilizer portion to close the bucket. The clip may be provided as an integral part of the support, but preferably will be removable for storage when not needed.
A liner 40 is shown in detail in FIGS. 6 , 8 and 9 . This liner is intended to fit into the cavity of the bucket portion, preferably in contact with the inner wall of the bucket portion, and with complementary inside surfaces so as to provide the same advantages as the bucket portion itself. It may be a semi-rigid structure preformed with most of the complementary shapes, or be made as a more flexible structure which is flexible enough to conform and become complementary to the bucket portion.
One part of the liner which must be relatively rigid is an upper rim 41 with lower face 42 that fit over the top of the bucket groove. This will protect the upper rim of the bucket portion from paint from the liner. In turn, the liner's rim also includes a peripheral groove 43 with drain grooves 44 that drain back into the liner.
The liner is completed with a peripheral sidewall 45 depending from the rim, and a bottom 46 . These form a cavity 47 in the liner.
As stated above, the liner may have a pattern of wiper ribs 48 formed in it, or if the liner is flexible enough, they will be formed by contact of the liner with the ribs of the bucket portion.
An optional tongue 49 ( FIG. 7 ) on the bottom of the liner's rib can extend into groove 26 on the bucket.
The bucket portion can be used without a liner. Then it can enjoy the convenience and reliability of the stabilized constructions but without the convenience of the liner. The liner may be used, always or occasionally as desired. In jobs requiring multiple colors, liners with paints of different color can readily be removed and replaced. This can be a significant advantage, especially for jobs with substantial artistry.
If desired, a bucket portion 60 (or a liner), ( FIG. 9 ) may be divided into more than one cavity by a rib 61 to form cavities 62 , 63 so that more than one color can be carried at a time.
While the central part of the illustrated stabilizer portion is shown against the user with the belt pressing against the outside, the reversal is also within the meaning of the statement that the stabilizer portion is brought against the wearer. In that event, the belt itself would be against the user at the center, and the outer portions of the stabilizer portion are against him. Both arrangements are within the intended scope of the claims.
This invention thereby provides a convenient, stable and reliable and safe means for a painter to carry his paint and applicators.
This invention is not to be limited by the embodiments shown in the drawings and described in the description, which are given by way of example and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims. | A painter's belt-mounted paint and brush holder especially adapted for stability relative to the painter. It includes an open topped bucket with a rim that drains into the bucket cavity, and a stabilizer integral with the wall of the bucket that rises above the bucket with a substantial area that is drawn against the body of the painter. | 0 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to parlor type games, and in particular to a game simulating football.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many parlor games simulating the American game of football have been proposed, as for example those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,003,580 and 3,869,122. These and other games have a playing board surface with grid lines simulating the football field. They also have sliding markers to indicate ball placement and the yardage required to make the first down. Usually the games are played with dice or cards, or both, to indicate ball movement. In some of the games, the rules are devised to allow strategy and skill to be involved. In all cases, the rules of the game seek to reproduce "live" football as much as possible.
One area in which they fail is in the area of penalties. Procedual penalties occur quite often during live football games due to inadvertent errors. As far is as known, the games proposed do not have any provisions wherein a player may inadvertently err, and be penalized for it.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly a general object of this invention to provide an improved simulated football game apparatus.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved simulated football game apparatus in which penalties may be assessed against a player for procedual errors.
It is a further object to provide an improved simulated football game in which certain of the penalties assessed are due to actual player error and not due to chance.
In accordance with these objects, a simulated football game apparatus is provided that includes a game board surface with grid lines to simulate a football playing field. Markers to indicate ball placement and the yardage required for first down are slidably located in longitudinal grooves. A pair of selector cups are located in apertures in the board surface. These cups have an indicator and can be rotated. Various areas marked around the cup have indicia to indicate the down and play. The cups are fairly shallow and adapted to receive thrown dice. If the player inadvertently fails to rotate the selector cup to the proper position, a penalty may be assessed. If a die bounces out of the cup, a penalty is also assessed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a football game constructed in accordance with this invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the football game of FIG. 1, taken along the line II-II.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 1, the football simulating game apparatus includes a playing board 11 mounted to a rectangular frame 13. The surface of board 11 has markings thereon to simulate a football field, including eleven lateral lines 15 indicating 10-yard intervals and the goals at the ends.
As shown also in FIG. 2, two longitudinal grooves 17 and 19 formed in the board 11 extend the length of the field, intersecting the yard and goal lines 15. A ball marker 21 is slidably carried in grooves 17. Its position indicates the precise location of the football. A first down yardage marker 23 is slidably carried in groove 19. It has lines formed thereon 10 yards apart.
As shown also in FIG. 2, the board 11 has two apertures 25 formed therethrough at the longitudinal center, or on the 50-yard line. The apertures 25 are on opposite sides of grooves 17 and 19. A cup 27 is rotatably carried in each aperture 25. Cup 27 has a shallow generally cylindrical portion 29 and an outwardly protruding lip 31 at its mouth. The cylindrical portion 29 is of lesser diameter than aperture 25, while the lip 31 is larger. The height of cup 27 is less than the height of frame 13, allowing the lip 31 to support the cup. The diameter of the cup 27 is selected to accommodate an average size pair of dice 33.
Referring to FIG. 1, a series of markings 35 are formed on the surface of board 11 about each cup. These markings comprise radially extending lines located within a portion of a circle. The individual areas within these lines have indicia indicating plays and downs, as shown. The indicia around each cup are identical and include the words: "Special Defense;" "Runback;" "On-Side Kick;" "Kick-off;" "1;" "2;" "3;" "4;" "Field Goal;" "Punt;" "Extra Point;" and "Defense". Each cup has indicator means, preferably a line 37 formed on cup lip 31, to indicate which area has been selected by the rotation of the cup.
Additional markings 39 extend from the area marked "Field Goal" to the goal. This distance is 40 yards. Markings 39 comprise a straight strip divided into three zones marked "Zone 1," "Zone 2," and "Zone 3." Zone 1 extends from the goal to the 20-yard line. Zone 2 extends from the 20-yard line to the 30-yard line. Zone 3 extends from the 30-yard line to the 40-yard line.
Timer means for displaying elapsed time in reverse for simulating the time duration of the halves is mounted to one end of the board 11. The timer includes a clock 41 with a digital display that is preferably electrically powered and counts 15 minute intervals in reverse. The timer has a button switch 43 for starting the clock 41, a button switch 45 for stopping the clock, and a reset button 47 to reset to 15 minutes.
As shown in FIG. 2, the board 11 is preferably cardboard and rests in a depression formed in the frame 13. The frame 13 is preferably vacuum-formed plastic with depressions below apertures 25 and grooves 17 and 19.
In operation, the game is played with a pair of dice 33, one of which is white and the other colored a different color. For kick-off, the ball marker 21 is placed on the kicking team's 35-yard line. The selector cup 27 is rotated to indicate "Kick-Off." The clock 41 is set to 15 minutes and initiated. The kicking player rolls the dice, throwing them into his cup 27. The colored die is the lead die, and its reading is multiplied by ten and added to the exact value shown on the white die to determine the total yardage. For example if the color die shows five and the white die shows four, the ball is moved 54 yards, or to the 11-yard line. However, if the lead die shows a one or a two, a procedual penalty of five yards with a maximum of two successive penalties is incurred. After two such penalties, the kicking team rolls until a legitimate kick-off is executed. The ball marker 21 is moved to the position kicked.
The opposing player, for a runback, must have his selector on "Runback." He rolls both dice, and the ball is moved forward the exact yardage shown unless doubles are rolled. If doubles are rolled, the number is multiplied by 10. For example if double three's, the yardage is 30. Each and every time doubles are rolled, another roll is merited. A double six is considered a complete return for a touchdown.
After the runback, the first down yard marker 23 is positioned to indicate the distance required to make another first down. The player has four downs to make the ten yards. The offense player must rotate the selector cup 27 to the first down, which is the area 35 marked "1," while the defense must place his on "Defense." Either pass or running plays may be executed. If the offense player desires to make a running play, he rolls one die. A roll of one through five on this die merits the exact yardage shown, unless stopped by the defense as explained later. A roll of six merits a bonus roll each and every time a six is rolled. The offense must elect to keep the six, or go for more. Five straight sixes is a complete run to touchdown.
To defend the offensive running plays, the defender rolls both dice. He must roll a duplicate on the same color of the offense to stop for no gain. If the offense had rolled a six and had elected to roll more, then the defense can stop all of the yardage gained by the offense roll of six only by rolling a six himself, but of either color. For example if the offense rolled a six, elected to go for more, and rolls a four, the defense would need a six and a four to stop all yardage. A six and a two would stop the six, but not the four. A four and a three would stop the four but not the six. A double of an offense roll is a fumble recovery after yardage gain.
If the offense elected to make a pass play, again his selector cup must be on the correct down. He rolls both dice, and the yardage is that shown on the dice, unless doubles are rolled, then he may use multiples of ten. On doubles, the offense may elect to roll again or to keep the yardage that he has gained. A subsequent roll, however, increases the risk of incompletion, as explained hereinafter. A roll of double six by the offense is a touchdown play, unless the defense stops the play by an incompletion or interception as explained below.
To defend the passing plays, the defense must place his selector cup on "Defense." He rolls both dice. A duplicate of either offensive die stops the pass for an incompletion. An exact duplicate of both dice of the same color by defense is a quarterback sack, minus the number of yards shown. If the offense player had rolled doubles and elected to go for more, a duplicate of any dice rolled by the offense stops the pass as incomplete. Also a double of any dice rolled by the offense is an interception at the end of the yardage the play would have gained. A runback is then rolled by the intercepting player.
For field goal attempts, the offense must be within forty yards of the goal. He rotates the selector cup 27 to "Field Goal", and then rolls one die. If he is in "Zone 1," the point is good unless the defense duplicates the offense roll using the same color of die. If he is in "Zone 2," the offense must roll a two, three, four, or five to qualify. If he is in "Zone 3," the offense must roll a one or a six to qualify. A duplicate roll by the defense on the same color of die means that the field goal is missed, regardless of the zone. The defensive player always rolls one die to defense a field goal unless he is trying to block a field goal. This procedure is explained in the next paragraph under "Special Defense." There is a penalty procedure unless the defense rolls the same color of die.
For a punt, the selector must be placed on "Punt." Both dice are rolled and the lead die is multiplied by ten. If the colored die is a one or two, there is a procedual penalty of five yards against the kicking team with a maximum of two successive penalties. After two such penalty rolls in succession, the kicking team rolls until a legitimate kick-off is executed.
The defense may roll for a runback, under the rules previously discussed. Or in the case of punts and field goals, the defense may elect to attempt to block the kick. If so, he places the selector cup on "Special Defense." He rolls both dice, and if a double one or a double six is successfully rolled, the punt is blocked at the line of scrimmage and the defense may then roll a runback. If a block attempt fails, there is a 10-yard roughing the kicker penalty with an automatic first down.
In the case of a touchdown, the offense team has the opportunity for an extra point. The selector cup must be on "Extra Point," and one die is rolled. The point is good unless the defense duplicates the offense roll. Again the defense must be careful to roll the same color die as rolled by offense or there are penalties which apply.
For a kick-off, a player may elect to attempt an on-side kick. If so, the selector cup must be place on "On-Side Kick." The kicking team rolls both dice. A double one or a double six must be rolled, and if so, the kicking team has successfully recovered the kicked ball at the yardage down field the kick has traveled. For example, if a double one is rolled, the kick is recovered ten yards down field. If a double six is rolled, the kick is recovered twelve yards down field. If the on-side attempt fails, then the receiving team recovers the ball with no runback the exact number of yards shown on the kicking team dice, with no multiples of ten on the lead die.
Various penalties may be incurred for failing to have the selector cup in the correct position and failing to retain the dice in the cup. All penalties are subject to the election of the offended team. After the penalty is called, the offended team rolls and then either accepts the outcome of the play with loss of down or the penalty with resumption of down. For the offense, if it is a run or pass play and if the defense catches the offense with the selector cup out of the correct position, the penalty is 5-yards. It must be caught before the defense rolls. In any offense play, if a die bounces out of the cup, there is a procedual penalty of 5-yards.
For the defense, the same penalties apply for failing to have the cup on the right selector position. If the defense rolls the dice out of the cup on a pass play, it is considered a pass interference against the defense with an automatic first down with the yardage gained by the roll. For a run play, or kick-offs and punts, dice out of the cup is a 5-yard penalty. On a runback, dice out of the cup is a 15-yard clipping penalty from the point the runback starts.
The clock 41 controls the game, with it being reset at each half through reset 41. The ball is kicked off at the beginning of the second half. The clock is stopped and started by switches 43 and 45 for a certain number of time-outs.
It should be apparent that an invention having significant improvements has been provided. The football game accurately simulates live football in terms of scoring and ball movement. By penalizing a player for failing to rotate the selector cup and for failing to retain thrown dice in the cup, penalties are accurately simulated. The penalties are assessed for errors actually incurred by the players, not incurred by chance.
While the invention has been shown in only one of its forms, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof. | A football game apparatus for simulating football. The game has a playing board surface with grid lines marked to define a playing field. Sliding markers indicate ball placement and the yardage required for first down. The game is played with dice to determine by chance the ball movement. A pair of cups are rotatably carried on the board surface. Each cup has an indicator to indicate various areas marked on the board surface. These areas indicate the next down and the play and must be selected by the players. The cups also receive the thrown dice, penalties being assessed if the dice bounce out, or if a player neglects to properly select his next play by rotating the cup. | 0 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to synchronous IMT-2000 wireless packet communication networks; and, more particularly, to a method for performing a fast inter-packet data service node (PDSN) hard handoff without data loss via a mobile switching center (MSC) so as to provide high-speed/high-quality real-time data services without data loss in an active packet mode.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0002] In conjunction with current integrated Internet protocol (IP) networks, an Internet protocol based wireless packet data network is standardized so as to provide Internet services and real-time VoIP services in a third generation synchronous IMT-2000 wireless access network.
[0003] In particular, there exist technical problems of header compression and a handoff in implementing the current Internet protocol based wireless packet network and these problems should be solved to obtain satisfactory QoS.
[0004] According to a standardization document IS-835 related to the third generation IMT-2000 synchronous wireless packet data network, as components constructing the wireless packet data network, there are a base station controller (BSC), a packet control function (PCF) unit, a packet data service node (PDSN), a mobile Internet protocol (IP) home agent (HA) and an authentication/authorization/accounting (AAA) unit.
[0005] Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a call-processing flow diagram showing an Inter-PDSN hard handoff procedure defined in the IS-835 and IOS V4.x.
[0006] When a message showing that a signal strength of a mobile station (MS) 101 became over a given signal strength threshold defined in a network and the MS 101 will convert to another access network identifier (ANID) is transmitted from the MS 101 to a source-BSC (S-BSC) 103 , the S-BSC 103 sends a Handoff Required message including a cell list within a domain of a target-BSC (T-BSC) 107 to an MSC 111 in step S 101 and actuates a T7 timer. The Handoff Required message contains a previous ANID (PANID).
[0007] The MSC 111 selects the T-BSC 107 having an available wireless channel from the cell list, adds the PANID and a hard handoff indicator to a Handoff Request message and transmits the Handoff Request message to the T-BSC 107 in step S 103 . Herein, the hard handoff indicator means a handoff type component representing a hard handoff. After receiving the Handoff Request message, the T-BSC 107 allocates appropriate idle wireless resources and transmits null traffic channel data on a forward traffic channel.
[0008] To set up an A8-Connection, the T-BSC 107 provides an A9-Setup-A8 message to a target-PCF (T-PCF) 109 and actuates a TA8-Setup timer in step S 105 . Herein, the A8 is a user traffic path for BSC-PCF packet data services defined in the standardization document. The A9 represents a signal path for the BSC-PCF packet data services defined in the standardization document. In step S 105 , a hard handoff indicator field in the A9-Setup-A8 message is set to 1.
[0009] After receiving the A9-Setup-A8 message, the T-PCF 109 sets up the A8-Connection, transmits an A9-Connect-A8 message to the T-BSC 107 and actuates a Twaitho9 timer in step S 107 . At this time, the T-BSC 107 and the T-PCF 109 do not receive packet data from a source-PDSN (S-PDSN) 121 and the PDSN 121 continuously sends forward packet data to the S-BSC 103 through an S-PCF 105 . Meanwhile, after receiving the A9-Connect-A8 message, the T-BSC 107 stops an operation of the TA8-Setup timer.
[0010] Since the hard handoff indicator field in the A9-Setup-A8 message was set to 1, an A10/A11 Connection is not established yet. The A10 and A11 represent traffic and signal paths for PCF-PDSN packet data services defined in the standardization document, respectively.
[0011] Then, in step S 109 , the T-BSC 107 allows the MS 101 to be tuned to a corresponding wireless channel by transmitting a Handoff Request Ack message including appropriate wireless channel information to the MSC 111 and actuates a T9 timer so as to wait for the signal receiving from the MS 101 through the corresponding wireless channel.
[0012] The MSC 111 prepares a call switching from the S-BSC 103 to the T-BSC 107 and delivers a Handoff Command message including the wireless channel information provided from the T-BSC 107 to the S-BSC 103 in step S 111 . The S-BSC 103 terminates an operation of the T7 timer.
[0013] The S-PCF 105 receives an A9-Air Link (AL) Disconnected message from the S-BSC 103 and, then, stops packet data transmission to the S-BSC 103 in step S 113 . After transmitting the A9-AL Disconnected message, the S-BSC 103 actuates a Tald9 timer.
[0014] In step S 115 , the S-PCF 105 sends an A9-AL Disconnected Ack message to the S-BSC 103 and the S-BSC 103 terminates an operation of the Tald9 timer.
[0015] In step S 117 , the S-BSC 103 transmits a general handoff direction message (GHDM) or a universal handoff direction message (UHDM) to the MS 101 and actuates a Twaitho timer so as to allow the MS 101 to return to the S-BSC 103 .
[0016] The MS 101 provides the S-BSC 103 with an MS Ack Order message as a response to the GHDM or UHDM in step S 119 .
[0017] In step S 121 , the S-BSC 103 transmits a Handoff Commenced message to the MSC 111 so as to notify that the MS 101 is instructed to move to a channel of the T-BSC 107 and actuates a T306 timer to wait for transmission of a Clear Command message from the MSC 111 . The Handoff Commenced message is transmitted after an operation of the Twaitho timer is terminated.
[0018] If the MS 101 completes the hard handoff procedure by obtaining synchronization through the use of a backward communication channel frame or preamble data, the MS 101 transmits a Handoff Completion message to the T-BSC 107 in step S 123 and the T-BSC 107 which received the Handoff Completion message transmits a BSC Ack Order message to the MS 101 in step S 125 .
[0019] Further, in step S 127 , the T-BSC 107 , which received the Handoff Completion message from the MS 101 , provides the T-PCF 109 with an A9-AL Connected message including the PANID. The T-BSC 107 terminates an operation of the Twaitho9 timer and the T-PCF 109 actuates a Talc9 timer.
[0020] In step S 128 , the T-PCF 109 selects a target-PDSN (T-PDSN) 123 for a corresponding call and sends an All-Registration Request message with a mobility event indicator included in a vendor/organization specific extension to the T-PDSN 123 .
[0021] If the All-Registration Request message is verified, the T-PDSN 123 accepts a connection by transmitting an All-Registration Reply message including an Accept indication to the T-PCF 109 in step S 129 . At this time, A10 Connection Binding information is updated to the T-PCF 109 in the T-PDSN 123 .
[0022] Then, the T-PCF 109 transmits an A9-AL Connected Ack message to the T-BSC 107 as a response to the A9-AL Connected message and terminates an operation of the Talc9 timer in step S 131 .
[0023] After the T-BSC 107 detects that the MS 101 is connected to the T-BSC 107 , the T-BSC 107 transmits a Handoff Complete message to the MSC 111 so as to notify that the hard handoff is successfully performed for the MS 101 and terminates an operation of the T9 timer in step S 133 .
[0024] After then, in step S 134 , a point-to-point (PPP) link layer connection is established between the MS 101 and the T-PDSN 123 and there is performed a mobile Internet protocol (MIP) registration procedure between the wireless packet network and the MS 101 . If the registration is completed, user packet data are exchanged through the A10 Connection between the MS 101 and an opposite MS.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 2, there will be explained the PPP establishment and MIP registration procedure.
[0026] In step S 135 , the MSC 111 , which received the Handoff Complete message, transmits a Clear Command message to the S-BSC 105 . The S-BSC 105 terminates an operation of the T306 timer and the MSC 111 actuates a T315 timer.
[0027] In step S 137 , the S-BSC 103 sends an A9-Release-A8 message to the S-PCF 105 so as to release the A8-Connection and actuates a Trel9 timer.
[0028] The S-PCF 105 releases the A8/A10/A11-Connection in steps S 138 and S 140 and sends an A9-Release-A8 Complete message to the S-BSC 103 in step S 139 . The S-BSC 103 terminates an operation of the Trel9 timer.
[0029] Then, the S-BSC 103 transmits a Clear Complete message to the MSC 111 in step S 141 .
[0030] In step S 143 , the S-PDSN 121 initializes the closure of the A10 Connection with the S-PCF 105 by sending an All-Registration Update message to the S-PCF 105 .
[0031] The S-PCF 105 provides the S-PDSN 121 with an All-Registration Ack message as a response in step S 145 . Further, the S-PCF 105 sets a lifetime to 0 and transmits an All-Registration Request message and accounting related information to the S-PDSN 121 in step S 147 .
[0032] The S-PDSN 121 stores the received accounting related information for a subsequent process and sends an All-Registration Reply message to the S-PCF 105 in step S 149 . Meanwhile, the S-PCF 105 closes the A10 Connection for the MS 101 .
[0033] In step S 151 , the T-PCF 109 provides an All-Registration Request message to the T-PDSN 123 so as to update the registration of the A 10 Connection to the T-PDSN 123 . The All-Registration Request message is used in transmitting the accounting related information and other information and the accounting related information and the other information are transmitted at a system defined trigger point.
[0034] For the verified All-Registration Request message, the T-PDSN 123 transmits the All-Registration Reply message together with the accept indication and the determined lifetime in step S 153 .
[0035] Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a flow diagram depicting a PPP re-establishment and MIP re-registration procedure described in FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the T-PDSN 123 establishes a PPP session with the MS 101 and a PPP authentication is not used for an MIP service. After initializing the PPP, the T-PDSN 123 transmits an Agent Advertisement message to the MS 101 and the MS 101 also sends an Agent Solicitation message to the T-PDSN 123 .
[0036] The MS 101 generates an MIP Registration Request message to the packet network. The T-PDSN 123 packetizes the Registration Request message provided from the MS 101 by using an AAA protocol to thereby produce an AA-Mobile-Node Request (AMR) message to a local AAA RADIUS server (AAA-L). The local AAA server uses a network access ID (NAI) so as to transmit the AMR message to an appropriate home AAA server (AAA-H). The AMR message is totally transmitted by using a security association (SA) between a visiting network and a home network.
[0037] The AAA-H verifies a location of a home agent (HA) by using an HA IP address of a mobile node and re-packetizes the AMR message to produce a Home-Agent-MIP-Request (HAR) message. The HA processes the MIP registration procedure of the MS 101 and generates a Home-Agent-MIP-Registration-Answer (HAA) to the AAA-H.
[0038] The AAA-H packetizes the HAA message to produce an AA-Mobile-Node-Answer (AMA) to the local AAA server (AAA-L).
[0039] The local AAA server transmits the AMA to the T-PDSN 123 .
[0040] The T-PDSN 123 generates an MIP Registration Reply message to the MS 101 .
[0041] If user data are actuated between the MS 101 and the PDSN by using the PPP session, it is possible to transmit AAA interim accounting records to the local AAA server (AAA-L) and proxy them to the home AAA server (AAA-H).
[0042] As described above, according to the inter-PDSN hard handoff procedure of the prior art, during the steps S 111 to S 134 being performed, the data transmitted from the S-PDSN 121 are not delivered to users, i.e., the MS 101 . Moreover, since there exist an A8 and A10 connection time between nodes and a PPP re-establishing and MIP re-registering time between the MS 101 and the T-PDSN 123 , there occurs a substantially large time delay.
[0043] Therefore, in order to prevent data loss due to the time delay, there need regular doses of buffers in a node. However, although there are prepared the buffers, in case a size of data stored in the buffers exceeds the capacity of the buffers, there inevitably occurs a severe problem of causing the data loss.
[0044] That is, there is a problem that the existing inter-PDSN hard handoff performing method employed in the third generation IMT-2000 synchronous packet data network is improper to processing the packet data requiring fast transmission without data loss, i.e., real-time services.
[0045] Specifically, since the hard handoff performing method defined in the third generation synchronous IMT-2000 wireless packet network cannot provide fast and seamless real-time services since there is the time delay when the handoff is performed in the active mode, it is difficult to provide real-time audio/video packet data services such as VoIP.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0046] It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an inter-PDSN hard handoff performing method capable of providing a fast inter-packet data service without data loss by establishing a link between BSCs via an MSC in case of an active packet session mode in a third generation synchronous IMT-2000 wireless packet communication network.
[0047] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for performing an inter-packet data service node (PDSN) hard handoff, comprising the steps of: setting up a channel link passing through a target base station controller (T-BSC), a source base station controller (S-BSC), a source packet control function (S-PCF) and a source-PDSN (S-PDSN) by establishing a channel link between the S-BSC and the T-BSC via a mobile station center (MSC) in an active packet session mode; performing the hard handoff between the S-BSC, the T-BSC and a mobile station (MS); and transmitting or receiving user packet data exchanged between the MS and the T-BSC through the established channel link to or from the S-PDSN in case the hard handoff is completed.
[0048] In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to perform a packet hard handoff without packet data loss by reducing a time delay caused in a handoff procedure performed during a packet data session of an active mode in an inter-PDSN.
[0049] In particular, in case it is impossible to directly establish a link between a T-BSC and an S-BSC measuring a power strength of a wireless signal transmitted from an MS in the active mode, the hard handoff is performed by establishing a link between the S-BSC and an MSC by transmitting a circuit identification code (CIC) of the S-BSC when the S-BSC sends a Handoff Required message to the MSC and, meanwhile, establishing a link between the T-BSC and the MSC by transmitting a CIC of the MSC when the MSC sends a Handoff Request message to the T-BSC.
[0050] Therefore, during performing the hard handoff procedure in the active mode, the S-BSC can continuously maintain a link with an S-PCF as an anchor and transmit packets to the MS.
[0051] Furthermore, when the inventive hard handoff procedure is completed, by establishing a link between the T-BSC, a T-PCF and the T-PDSN after being converted to a dormant mode, it is possible to provide packet data services in a next active mode without data loss and time delay due to the link establishment and the PPP/MIP re-establishment/re-registration.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0052] The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0053] [0053]FIG. 1 provides a call-processing flow diagram showing an inter-PDSN hard handoff procedure defined in IS-835 and IOS V4.x;
[0054] [0054]FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram representing a PPP re-establishment and MIP re-registration procedure described in FIG. 1;
[0055] [0055]FIG. 3 describes a call-processing flow diagram representing an inter-PDSN hard handoff procedure in accordance with the present invention;
[0056] [0056]FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram depicting a link established between BSCs via an MSC when performing an inter-PDSN hard handoff in an active mode in accordance with the present invention; and
[0057] [0057]FIG. 5 illustrates a conceptual diagram showing a flow of packet data transmitted through a link established between an S-BSC and a T-BSC via an MSC when performing an inter-PDSN hard handoff in an active mode in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0058] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, some preferred embodiments of the present invention would be explained in detail. Hereinafter, when assigning reference numerals to components constructing each drawing, same components are represented by an identical reference numeral although they are shown in different drawings.
[0059] Referring to FIG. 3, there is illustrated a procedure rapidly supporting an inter-PDSN hard handoff without data loss by establishing a link between BSCs via an MSC in an active mode of a synchronous IMT-2000 wireless packet network. FIG. 3 describes a call-processing flow diagram representing the inter-PDSN hard handoff procedure in accordance with the present invention.
[0060] When a message showing that a signal strength of a mobile station (MS) 101 became over a given signal strength threshold defined in a network and the MS 101 will convert to another access network identifier (ANID) is transmitted from the MS 101 to a S-BSC 103 , the S-BSC 103 sends a Handoff Required message including a cell list within a domain of a T-BSC 107 to an MSC 111 in step S 201 and actuates a T7 timer. The Handoff Required message contains a previous ANID (PANID).
[0061] Further, the Handoff Required message includes a circuit identification code (CIC) value delivering call resources of the S-BSC 103 as an extender.
[0062] The MSC 111 selects the T-BSC 107 having an available wireless channel from the cell list, adds the PANID and a hard handoff indicator to a Handoff Request message and transmits the Handoff Request message to the T-BSC 107 in step S 203 . The Handoff Request message contains a CIC value therein.
[0063] In step S 205 , the T-BSC 107 establishes an ATM-based link channel via the MSC 111 between the S-BSC 103 and the T-BSC 107 by allocating appropriate idle wireless resources as receiving the Handoff Request message. Meanwhile, a S-PDSN 121 continuously transmits forward packet data to the S-BSC 103 through an S-PCF 105 .
[0064] Moreover, the T-BSC 107 transfers null traffic channel data to the MS 101 through a forward traffic channel.
[0065] Then, in step S 207 , the T-BSC 107 allows the MS 101 to be tuned to a corresponding wireless channel by transmitting a Handoff Request Ack message including appropriate wireless channel information to the MSC 111 and actuates a T9 timer so as to wait for the signal receiving from the MS 101 through the corresponding wireless channel.
[0066] In accordance with the present invention, although the hard handoff is performed in the active mode, there are not performed an A8/A9 Connection process and a PPP/MIP re-establishing/re-registering process between the T-BSC 107 and a T-PCF 109 and the A8/A9 Connection and PPP/MIP re-establishing/re-registering process will be executed in a dormant mode as described herein below.
[0067] The MSC 111 , which received the Handoff Request Ack message, prepares a call switching from the S-BSC 105 to the T-BSC 107 and sends a Handoff Command message including the wireless channel information provided from the T-BSC 107 to the S-BSC 103 in step S 209 . Then, the S-BSC 103 terminates an operation of the T7 timer.
[0068] In step S 211 , the S-BSC 103 transmits a general handoff direction message (GHDM) or a universal handoff direction message (UHDM) to the MS 101 and actuates a Twaitho timer so as to allow the MS 101 to return to the S-BSC 103 .
[0069] The MS 101 provides the S-BSC 103 with an MS Ack Order message as a response to the GHDM or UHDM in step S 213 .
[0070] In step S 215 , the S-BSC 103 sends a Handoff Commenced message to the MSC 111 so as to notify that the MS 101 is instructed to move to a channel of the T-BSC 107 . The Handoff Commenced message is transmitted after an operation of the Twaitho timer is terminated.
[0071] If the MS 101 completes the hard handoff procedure by obtaining synchronization through the use of a backward communication channel frame or preamble data, the MS 101 transmits a Handoff Completion message to the T-BSC 107 in step S 217 and the T-BSC 107 which received the Handoff Completion message transmits a BSC Ack Order message to the MS 101 in step S 219 .
[0072] In step S 221 , after the T-BSC 107 , which received the Handoff Completion message, detects that the MS 101 is connected to the T-BSC 107 , the T-BSC 107 transmits a Handoff Complete message to the MSC 111 so as to notify that the hard handoff is successfully performed for the MS 101 and terminates an operation of the T9 timer.
[0073] After then, user packet data transmitted from the MS 101 are delivered to the S-BSC 103 via the T-BSC 107 and the MSC 111 . At this time, the S-BSC 103 exists as an anchor and continuously transmits packet data to the other node of the wireless packet data network through the S-PCF 105 and the S-PDSN 121 until the active mode is converted to the dormant mode. Likewise, the packet data arrived at the MS 101 from the other node are delivered in an order of the S-PDSN 121 , the S-PCF 105 , the S-BSC 103 , the MSC 111 and the T-BSC 107 .
[0074] Therefore, since the S-BSC 103 plays a role of the anchor, there is no need to re-establish the A8/A9 Connection between the T-BSC 107 and the T-PCF 109 and the A10/A11 Connection between the T-PCF 109 and the T-PDSN 123 , respectively.
[0075] Further, the PPP/MIP re-establishing/re-registering process is omitted. As a result, it is possible to prevent a time delay required in establishing a link and performing the PPP/MIP re-establishing/re-registering process in the conventional handoff scheme.
[0076] Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a conceptual diagram depicting a link established between BSCs via an MSC when performing the inter-PDSN hard handoff in the active mode in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 5 illustrates a conceptual diagram showing a flow of packet data transmitted through a link established between an S-BSC and a T-BSC via an MSC when performing the inter-PDSN hard handoff in the active mode in accordance with the present invention. In FIG. 5, reference numerals 1 to 9 represent a flow of data packets before the handoff and reference numerals 10 and 11 describe a flow of data packets after the handoff.
[0077] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5 , since there is already established a channel link between the S-BSC 103 and the T-BSC 107 via the MSC 111 and the S-BSC 103 is determined as an anchor although the hard handoff of the inter-PDSN is executed in the active mode by performing the above handoff procedure in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to transmit the packet data to the wireless packet data network through the S-PCF 105 and the PDSN 121 by the channel link to the S-BSC 103 established via the MSC 111 even though packet data are exchanged through a wireless link established between the MS 101 and the T-BSC 107 by executing the hard handoff.
[0078] Accordingly, since the process for establishing the A8/A9/A10/A11 Connection between the T-BSC 107 , the T-PCF 109 and the T-PDSN 123 and the PPP/MIP re-establishing/re-registering process are omitted, the time delay due to the hard handoff is substantially reduced and, thus, it is possible to provide seamless fast packet data services.
[0079] The process for setting up the A8/A9/A10/A11 Connection between the T-BSC 107 , the T-PCF 109 and the T-PDSN 123 and the PPP/MIP re-establishing/re-registering process are performed in the dormant mode described herein below.
[0080] As depicted in FIG. 3, after the T-BSC 107 detects that there is no packet data provided from the MS 101 or the S-BSC 103 anymore by actuating a timer, the active mode is converted to the dormant mode. Then, in order to set up the A8-Connection with the T-PCF 109 , an A9-Setup-A8 message is transmitted to the T-PCF 109 and a TA8-Setup timer is actuated in step S 105 .
[0081] The T-PCF 109 , which received the A9-Setup-A8 message, sets up the A8-Connection and, then, provides an A9-Connect-A8 message to the T-BSC 107 in step S 107 . Meanwhile, the T-BSC 107 , which received the A9-Connect-A8 message, stops an operation of the TA8-Setup timer.
[0082] Furthermore, there is established an A10/A11 Connection between the T-PCF 109 and the PDSN 121 in step S 225 . As a result, the A8/A9/A10/A11 Connection is set up between the MS 101 , the T-BSC 107 , the T-PCF 109 and the T-PDSN 123 .
[0083] Then, as shown in FIG. 2, a PPP link layer connection is set up between the MS 101 and the T-PDSN 123 and the MIP registering procedure is performed between the wireless packet network and the MS 101 in step S 229 . If the registration is completed, the user packet data are exchanged between the MS 101 and an opposite MS through the A10 Connection.
[0084] In step S 135 , the MSC 111 supplies a Clear Command message to the S-BSC 105 and the MSC 111 actuates a T315 timer.
[0085] The S-BSC 103 transmits an A9-Release-A8 message to the S-PCF 105 so as to release the A8-Connection with the S-PCF 105 and actuates a Trel9 timer in step S 137 .
[0086] The S-PCF 105 releases the A8-Connection and generates an A9-Release-A8 Complete message as a response in step S 139 . The S-BSC 103 terminates an operation of the Trel9 timer.
[0087] Then, the A10 Connection between the S-PCF 105 and the S-PDSN 121 is released and its state is updated in step S 227 .
[0088] Finally, the S-BSC 103 provides the MSC 111 with a Clear Complete message to thereby terminate the inter-PDSN hard handoff procedure in step S 141 .
[0089] According to the hard handoff procedure in accordance with the present invention, a CIC is used as an extender when the S-BSC 103 transmits the Handoff Required message to the MSC 111 in the active mode and transmitted when the MSC 111 sends the Handoff Request message to the T-BSC 107 to thereby establish a link between BSCs via the MSC 111 , so that the hard handoff procedure can support the hard handoff by using the communication between the BSCs.
[0090] When the handoff occurs, packet data transmitted from the MS 101 to the T-BSC 107 are provided to the S-BSC 103 through a channel link established by the CIC and transmitted to the wireless packet data network through the S-PCF 105 and the S-PDSN 121 .
[0091] Herein, the S-BSC 103 plays a role of the anchor in the active mode to thereby allow the packet data passing through the T-BSC 107 to go through not the T-PCF 109 but the S-BSC 103 although the handoff occurs, so that the time delay due to the A8/A9/A10/A11 Connection and the PPP/MIP re-establishing/re-registering process between the MS 101 , the T-BSC 107 , the T-PCF 109 and the T-PDSN 123 is reduced.
[0092] After executing the handoff, the anchor state of the S-BSC 103 is released in the dormant mode.
[0093] After the handoff, when the MS 101 existing at the cell domain of the T-BSC 107 is converted to the dormant mode, by setting up the A8/A9 Connection between the T-BSC 107 and the T-PCF 109 and the A10/A11 Connection between the T-PCF 109 and the T-PDSN 123 and performing the PPP/MIP re-establishing/reregistering process, there is no need to newly establish the A8/A9/A10/A11 Connection and to perform the PPP/MIP re-establishing/re-registering process when the dormant mode is converted to the active mode again. As a result, it is possible to reduce the time delay caused by the link establishment.
[0094] Accordingly, compared to the prior art, the present invention can provide the packet data services without a break and data loss.
[0095] As described above, the inventive handoff performing method can support the handoff without a break by performing the fast hard handoff in the packet wireless communication network.
[0096] Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. | There is provided a method for performing an inter-packet data service node (PDSN) hard handoff. The method is implemented by setting up a channel link passing through a target base station controller (T-BSC), a source base station controller (S-BSC), a source packet control function (S-PCF) and a source-PDSN (S-PDSN) by establishing a channel link between the S-BSC and the T-BSC via a mobile station center (MSC) in an active packet session mode, performing the hard handoff between the S-BSC, the T-BSC and a mobile station (MS) and transmitting or receiving user packet data exchanged between the MS and the T-BSC through the established channel link to or from the S-PDSN in case the hard handoff is completed. | 7 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to the papermaking arts. More specifically, the present invention relates to on-machine-seamable fabrics for the press section of a paper machine.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] During the papermaking process, a cellulosic fibrous web is formed by depositing a fibrous slurry, that is, an aqueous dispersion of cellulose fibers, onto a moving forming fabric in the forming section of a paper machine. A large amount of water is drained from the slurry through the forming fabric, leaving the cellulosic fibrous web on the surface of the forming fabric.
[0005] The newly formed cellulosic fibrous web proceeds from the forming section to a press section, which includes a series of press nips. The cellulosic fibrous web passes through the press nips supported by a press fabric, or, as is often the case, between two such press fabrics. In the press nips, the cellulosic fibrous web is subjected to compressive forces which squeeze water therefrom, and which adhere the cellulosic fibers in the web to one another to turn the cellulosic fibrous web into a paper sheet. The water is accepted by the press fabric or fabrics and, ideally, does not return to the paper sheet.
[0006] The paper sheet finally proceeds to a dryer section, which includes at least one series of rotatable dryer drums or cylinders, which are internally heated by steam. The newly formed paper sheet is directed in a serpentine path sequentially around each in the series of drums by a dryer fabric, which holds the paper sheet closely against the surfaces of the drums. The heated drums reduce the water content of the paper sheet to a desirable level through evaporation.
[0007] It should be appreciated that the forming, press and dryer fabrics all take the form of endless loops on the paper machine and function in the manner of conveyors. It should further be appreciated that paper manufacture is a continuous process which proceeds at considerable speeds. That is to say, the fibrous slurry is continuously deposited onto the forming fabric in the forming section, while a newly manufactured paper sheet is continuously wound onto rolls after it exits from the dryer section.
[0008] The present invention relates primarily to the fabrics used in the press section, generally known as press fabrics, but it may also find application in the fabrics used in the forming and dryer sections, as well as in those used as bases for polymer-coated paper industry process belts, such as, for example, long nip press belts.
[0009] Press fabrics play a critical role during the paper manufacturing process. One of their functions, as implied above, is to support and to carry the paper product being manufactured through the press nips.
[0010] Press fabrics also participate in the finishing of the surface of the paper sheet. That is, press fabrics are designed to have smooth surfaces and uniformly resilient structures, so that, in the course of passing through the press nips, a smooth, mark-free surface is imparted to the paper.
[0011] Perhaps most importantly, the press fabrics accept the large quantities of water extracted from the wet paper in the press nip. In order to fill this function, there literally must be space, commonly referred to as void volume, within the press fabric for the water to go, and the fabric must have adequate permeability to water for its entire useful life. Finally, press fabrics must be able to prevent the water accepted from the wet paper from returning to and rewetting the paper upon exit from the press nip.
[0012] Contemporary press fabrics are used in a wide variety of styles designed to meet the requirements of the paper machines on which they are installed for the paper grades being manufactured. Generally, they comprise a woven base fabric into which has been needled a batting of fine, non-woven fibrous material. The base fabrics may be woven from monofilament, plied monofilament, multifilament or plied multifilament yarns, and may be single-layered, multi-layered or laminated. The yarns are typically extruded from any one of several synthetic polymeric resins, such as polyamide and polyester resins, used for this purpose by those of ordinary skill in the paper machine clothing arts.
[0013] Woven fabrics take many different forms. For example, they may be woven endless, or flat woven and subsequently rendered into endless form with a seam. Alternatively, they may be produced by a process commonly known as modified endless weaving, wherein the widthwise edges of the base fabric are provided with seaming loops using the machine-direction (MD) yarns thereof. In this process, the MD yarns weave continuously back and forth between the widthwise edges of the fabric, at each edge turning back and forming a seaming loop. A base fabric produced in this fashion is placed into endless form during installation on a paper machine, and for this reason is referred to as an on-machine-seamable fabric. To place such a fabric into endless form, the two widthwise edges are seamed together. To facilitate seaming, many current fabrics have seaming loops on the crosswise edges of the two ends of the fabric. The seaming loops themselves are often formed by the machine-direction (MD) yarns of the fabric. The seam is typically formed by bringing the two ends of the fabric press together, by interdigitating the seaming loops at the two ends of the fabric, and by directing a so-called pin, or pintle, through the passage defined by the interdigitated seaming loops to lock the two ends of the fabric together.
[0014] Further, the woven base fabrics may be laminated by placing one or more base fabrics on top of another base fabric in the endless loop form and needling a staple fiber batting through the base fabrics, thereby joining them to one another. Either base fabric may be of the on-machine-seamable type.
[0015] In any event, the woven base fabrics are in the form of endless loops, or are seamable into such forms, having a specific length, measured longitudinally therearound, and a specific width, measured transversely thereacross. Because paper machine configurations vary widely, paper machine fabric manufacturers are required to produce press fabrics, and other paper machine fabrics, to the dimensions required to fit particular positions in the paper machines of their customers. Needless to say, this requirement makes it difficult to streamline the manufacturing process, as each press fabric must typically be made to order.
[0016] Fabrics in modern papermaking machines may have a width of from 5 to over 33 feet, a length of from 40 to over 400 feet and weigh from approximately 100 to over 3,000 pounds. These fabrics wear out and require replacement. Replacement of fabrics often involves taking the machine out of service, removing the worn fabric, setting up to install a fabric and installing the new fabric. While many fabrics are endless, about half of those used in press sections of the paper machines today are of the on-machine-seamable type. Installation of the fabric includes pulling the fabric body onto a machine and joining the fabric ends to form an endless belt.
[0017] A seam is generally a critical part of a seamed fabric, since uniform paper quality, low marking and excellent runnability of the fabric require a seam which is as similar as possible to the rest of the fabric in respect of properties such as thickness, structure, strength, permeability, etc. It is important that the seam region of any workable fabric behave under load and have the same permeability to water and to air as the rest of the fabric, thereby preventing periodic marking of the paper product being manufactured by the seam region. Despite the considerable technical obstacles presented by these seaming requirements, it is highly desirable to develop seamable fabrics, because of the comparative ease and safety with which they can be installed.
[0018] For example, changing a non-seamable press fabric in the press section of a papermaking machine typically requires a cantilevered machine design and movable rolls in order to slide the fabric into position through the side of the machine, whereas an on-machine-seamable fabric can be fed through the end of the machine. Hence, one advantage of using a seamable press fabric is a simplified fabric-change procedure which results in shorter standstill periods and thus higher production for the machine. In newly-produced machines the press-section construction can be simplified, which means cost savings when new press sections are to be installed. In addition, the press section may be made more compact and the space required around the press section may be considerably reduced.
[0019] Generally, the manufacture of an on-machine-seamable press fabric includes the attachment of a staple fiber batt (i.e. felt) to one or both sides of a woven base. The woven base preferably consists of at least two layers of interwoven machine-direction (MD) yarns and cross-machine direction (CD) yarns. The attachment of the batting may be effected by a process called needling (fiber locking) while the fabric is seamed in an endless loop form. Once the desired amount of staple fiber batt has been attached, the loop forming pin or pintle is removed from the seam to place the fabric into flat form for shipment and eventual installation on a paper machine. At this time, the staple fiber batt must be cut in the vicinity of the seam to completely separate the two ends of the press fabric from one another. Often, the staple fiber batt is cut in a manner that enables it to form a flap over the seaming loops when the press fabric is rejoined into endless form. In this way, the seam region is visibly similar to the rest of the paper-supporting side of the press fabric. This type of press fabric is taught in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,785 to Lilja et al. which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0020] [0020]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional illustration which is obviously not drawn to scale, but rather is an enlargement of a typical multi-layer press fabric 1 , as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,785, showing a flap of batting material over the seam area. The press fabric 1 typically has a woven fabric base 7 . The fabric is given an endless form by providing its ends with loops 8 and 9 which in a manner known to those skilled in the art are arranged in an intermeshing relationship and locked in position by means of a pintle wire or connector 10 inserted through the loops 8 , 9 . On top of the base 7 an upper batt layer 11 and a bottom batt layer 12 are then attached by a needling operation. Behind the seam loops 8 , 9 , as seen in the intended direction of travel of the fabric in the machine, the upper batt 11 is cut through in the manner indicated in the figure and a piece 11 a thereof is loosened in the area, across the seam and somewhat beyond the seam itself. It should be understood that for those fabrics also having a bottom batt layer 12 , a corresponding cutting operation must be performed on the bottom batt. The pintle wire 10 may then be removed and the fabric placed in a flat form.
[0021] A press fabric prepared in this manner can then be carried around the rolls of the press section in the same manner as dryer fabrics in the dryer section and consequently it is no longer necessary to install the fabric through the side of the papermaking machine. When thee press fabric has been fed through its path of travel in the press section, the loops are rejoined together with the aid of the pintle wire or connector. The installation of press fabrics in this manner is quicker, the operational stoppages briefer, and the work involved is significantly easier.
[0022] However, one problem with this type of press fabric is that some staple fiber batting must be removed from the seaming loops to facilitate the later passage of a pintle therethrough. The removal of this batting material changes the air and water permeability of the seam region in relation to the rest of the press fabric. This difference in water permeability, or flow resistance, is enough to cause sheet marking. Furthermore, the anchorage of the fibers with the batt in the seam area to the base is weakened.
[0023] Several approaches have been tried to address this problem. For example, in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,331 to Elkins, a multi-layer base fabric is used wherein inner and outer base layers of the press fabric have separate offset seams each including additional flow-resistant material. Of course, this approach requires the use of two separate sets of seam loops which must be seamed.
[0024] Another approach is to have a multi-layer press fabric wherein the bottom layer is seamed and the MD yarns in the top layer continue over the seam and essentially become part of the seam flap. However, CD yarns cannot typically be woven in the seam area of this top layer. This makes it difficult to produce a fabric having a seam area with the same properties as the fabric body.
[0025] Accordingly, despite these efforts, a need still exists for an on-machine-seamable press fabric having a seam area which is uniform with the remainder of the fabric in order to prevent sheet marking in the produced paper products. The present invention uses another approach to solve this problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0026] The present invention is a multi-layer on-machine-seamable press fabric having a single or double layer weave over the seam loops where the warp ends are not normally woven. The present invention provides a solution to the problem of press fabric non-uniformity in the seam area, which often results in sheet marking.
[0027] It is therefore an object of the invention to overcome the above mentioned problem in an on-machine-seamable press fabric.
[0028] The present invention is an on-machine-seamable fabric for use in the press section of a papermaking machine. The fabric has a multi-layer fabric base wherein each layer comprises interwoven machine direction (MD) yarns and cross-machine direction (CD) yarns. This multi-layer fabric base includes at least one top layer having both MD and CD yarns throughout and at least one seam layer beneath the top layer having seaming loops for seaming the fabric on the papermaking machine. The seaming loops allow the fabric to be on-machine-seamable. A staple fiber batt is attached to at least the top layer of the multi-layer fabric base. The staple fiber batt and top layer provide the fabric with substantially similar characteristics in the seam area above the seaming loops when seamed as the remainder of the fabric. These substantially similar characteristics include caliper and water permeability of the fabric, thereby reducing sheet marking from the seam area.
[0029] Other aspects of the present invention include that the fabric is preferably a triple layer fabric having a single top layer weave or a four layer fabric having a double top layer weave. Or, it can be a three layer weave wherein the top two layers of MD yarns form the seam loops. The seaming loops may be formed from the MD yarns of the at least one seam layer. The seaming loops are accessible through a flap cut through the staple fiber batt and top layer. The fabric is seamed into an endless loop by interdigitating the seaming loops and inserting a pintle therein. The CD yarns over the seam area of the top layer may be textured yarns or what is sometimes referred to as Circumflex yarns (yams interwoven with loops in the seam area, see e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,476,123 and 5,531,251) selected to impart desired characteristics to the seam area of the fabric. The staple fiber batt may be attached to the top layer by needling. A second staple fiber batt may be attached to the seam layer of the fabric base. At least some of the yarns may be one of polyamide, polyester, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) yarns. Any of the yarns may have a circular cross-sectional shape, a rectangular cross-sectional shape or a non-round cross-sectional shape.
[0030] The present invention will now be described in more complete detail with frequent reference being made to the drawing figures, which are identified below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:
[0032] [0032]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional illustration of a typical multi-layer press fabric in the seam area;
[0033] [0033]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a multi-layer fabric base for a press fabric in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;
[0034] [0034]FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-layer fabric base for a press fabric in accordance with the teachings of the present invention showing: a) a single layer weave and b) a double layer weave over the seam area;
[0035] [0035]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an example multi-layer fabric in accordance with the teachings of the present invention FIG. 5 is a top view of the fabric shown in FIG. 4;
[0036] [0036]FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the fabric shown in FIG. 4; and
[0037] [0037]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional illustration of a typical multi-layer press fabric showing a flap of batting for access to the seam area.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0038] [0038]FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional illustration of the seam area 100 for a typical multi layer press fabric. As shown, the MD ends of the two bottom layers have seaming loops which come together and form a seam 110 to place the fabric into an endless loop form. Note that the top layer comprising at least MD yarns 120 and CD yarns 130 has no CD yarns interwoven in the seam area 100 above the seam 110 . In part, this is due to the difficulties in weaving CD yarns in this area. In addition, three and four layer seamed press fabrics often have denser top MD layer(s) with a higher number of yarns in the MD. This makes it difficult to produce a fabric having a seam area with the same properties as the fabric body. This lack of CD yarns typically results in a reduced caliper in this seam area when the fabric is under pressure in a press nip. Additionally, this region provides less batt anchorage which results in the flap area wearing out more quickly than the rest of the fabric and producing seam marking.
[0039] In other words, because there are normally no CD yarns woven with the MD yarns in the flap/seam area of the top layer(s), the fabric will have a slightly different caliper due to compaction and different air and water permeability. Differences in these characteristics often results in marking on the paper sheets being produced.
[0040] The present invention is a multi-layer press fabric (preferably 3 or 4 layers) having a single or double layer weave over the seam area where normally the warp ends are not woven. The press fabric consists of a woven fabric base having a batt needled thereto on one or both sides. The woven base preferably consists of at least two layers of machine-direction (MD) yarns and a system of cross-machine direction (CD) yarns interconnecting the MD yarns. The machine-direction ends of the woven base are joined together by a seam of a kind known in the art and that a flap of the needled-on batt(s) is arranged to cover the seam zone after the woven base ends have been joined together.
[0041] The invention involves weaving CD yarns in the flap area of the seam where ordinary warp yarns cannot be woven. One of the advantages inherent in the subject invention is that the seam, owing to the complete layer above the seam, imparts more uniform characteristics to the fabric across the seam area.
[0042] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by reference to the Figures. FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a multi-layer fabric base for a press fabric in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. As shown, the top layer is a plain weave pattern, although the invention is not limited as such. The lighter shaded CD yarns 200 are located directly above the seaming loops of the lower layers of the base. Note that these CD yarns 200 , which are omitted during the weaving of typical fabrics, complete the top layer pattern in the seam area.
[0043] Also note, this fabric base is preferably woven such that the CD yarns are warp yarns and the MD yarns are weft yarns. Hence, CD yarns 200 represent extra warp yarns which together with the MD yarn, weave a single layer weave over the seam area, where the ordinary warp ends cannot be woven.
[0044] [0044]FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-layer fabric (which may be the same as that shown in FIG. 2) in accordance with the teachings of the present invention showing: a) a single layer weave and b) a double layer weave over the seam area. As discussed in the context of this invention, the seam area extends laterally to at least each side of the seam 300 . Note that in FIG. 3 a the lighter shaded CD yarns 200 only weave with the single top layer, while the ordinary CD warp yarns weave in all three layers except over the seam. As indicated, FIG. 3 b is an example of a 4-layer fabric having a double layer weave on top of the seam loops. Note, a modification to this embodiment is to have two (2) single layer weaves on top of the seam loops. Another embodiment is a double layer weave over a single layer weave wherein the top two layers of MD yarns (weft yarns) form the seam loops.
[0045] [0045]FIGS. 4-6 show various views of an exemplary multi-layer fabric base fabricated for a press fabric in accordance with the teachings of the present invention without the staple fiber batt attached. In this example, the top layer has been woven with two texturized CD yarns inserted above the seam loops. These CD yarns provide a more uniform weave for the needled batting to bind to when cutting through the top layer to form the flap. These CD yarns also result in a better pressure distribution over the seam area. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary multi-layer fabric base in the area of the seam. Note the interdigitated seam loops, shown without a pintle inserted, connecting the MD ends of the lower two layers together. FIG. 5 is a top view and FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the fabric shown in FIG. 4. This exemplary fabric is ready for a pintle to be inserted into the interdigitated seam loops at which point the staple fiber batting may be attached.
[0046] If necessary, additional CD yarns can be inserted in the seam area to produce any desired fabric properties or required caliper. For example, it may be desirable to insert another yarn as a Circumflex yarn as aforementioned to further reduce seam wear, marking and noise. This Circumflex yarn is optional, but would be inserted or woven in the same manner to further improve the seamed product. Any weave pattern to add in additional CD yarns can be employed including weaves like those taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,566, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0047] Furthermore, it is envisioned that the weave pattern in the seam area of the top fabric, whether it be single layer or double layer, can be different from that of the main body of the topside fabric weave in order to accomplish the desired effect of weaving in additional CD yarns. A concept for this is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,278, which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0048] The present fabric base may be woven from monofilament, plied monofilament or multifilament yarns preferably of polyester, polyamide, or other polymer such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN). The yarns which form the seaming loops are preferably monofilament yarns which may be single or ply/twisted. Multifilament threads and spun yarns may also be used but when they are they may be made rigid through chemical treatment. Any combination of polymers for any of the yarns can be used as identified by one of ordinary skill in the art. The CD and MD yarns may have a circular cross-sectional shape with one or more different diameters. Further, in addition to a circular cross-sectional shape, one or more of the yarns may have other cross-sectional shapes such as a rectangular cross-sectional shape or a non-round cross-sectional shape.
[0049] Modifications to the above would be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art, but would not bring the invention so modified beyond the scope of the present invention. The claims to follow should be construed to cover such situations. | A multi-layer on-machine-seamable press fabric having a single or double layer weave over the seam loops where the warp ends are not normally woven with CD yarns. The CD yarns woven into the layer(s) over the seam loops provide the fabric with substantially similar characteristics—including caliper and water permeability—in the seam area as in the remainder of the fabric. Hence, the press fabric provides a solution to the problem of non-uniformity in the seam area, which often results in sheet marking. | 3 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to carburizing methods and apparatus, and more particularly, to a control system for a multi-zone carburizing furnace of the push type that is capable of normal and suspend carburizing and capable of carburizing utilizing either an endothermic gas process or a nitrogen methanol process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Multi-zone push type carburizing furnaces of are known. In such furnaces, trays of parts, typically fabricated from ferrous metals, are placed in a tray and "pushed" into a first zone of the carburizing furnace. The trays are kept in the first zone for a predetermined time, during which time a predetermined amount of carburizing takes place. After the expiration of the predetermined length of time, a second tray is pushed into the first zone, thereby advancing the first tray. The process is repeated until the first tray, and the trays subsequently pushed in are advanced through the various zones of the carburizing furnace and discharged at the opposite end. In such carburizing furnaces, the temperatures and the atmospheres of the various zones must be carefully controlled to maintain the desired temperature and carbon potential required for the particular carburizing being done.
In one type of prior art carburizing furnace, the temperature in each of the zones is controlled thermostatically with the thermostat which is either manually set or remotely set by means of some sort of control system. In such a furnace, the atmosphere is generally an endothermic gas atmosphere, which is generated by an endothermic gas generator. The endothermic gas is usually enriched by the addition of methane (CH 4 ) or natural gas. In a typical endothermic gas generator, the endothermic gas is made by cracking methane with air to provide an endothermic gas composition of approximately 40% nitrogen, 40% hydrogen, 20% carbon monoxide, 0.1 to 0.5% carbon dioxide and 0.1 to 0.5 water vapor.
In an alternative method of generating the carburizing carrier gas, nitrogen is reacted with methanol to provide the carrier gas in the following equation:
2N.sub.2 +CH.sub.3 OH→CO+2H.sub.2 +2N.sub.2
The above reaction provides a gas having a composition of approximately 40% nitrogen, 40% hydrogen and 20% carbon monoxide. This gas is also enriched by the addition of methane (CH 4 ) or natural gas to provide the carburizing atmosphere.
However, push type carburizing furnaces operating in the normal carburizing mode have a basic disadvantage. This disadvantage relates to the length of time required for each tray to pass through the furnace, and results in a long start up time and a long shut down time for the carburizing furnace. For example, it may take on the order of four hours for a tray of parts to pass completely through the furnace from the first zone through the last. Consequently, when the carburizing operation is to be shut down for a period of time, such as a holiday period or a weekend, the operator cannot load any parts into the carburizing furnace for the last four hours of the shift prior to the shut down. Instead, empty trays are loaded into the carburizing furnace in order to push the last of the parts through the furnace before shut down. Production is lost during that four hour period. In addition, because of the large thermal mass of the furnace, several hours are required to bring the furnace up to temperature following the end of the weekend or the holiday period. Moreover, once the furnace has reached operating temperature, because of the time required for the parts to pass through the furnace, another four hours or so must elapse before the first parts are expelled from the furnace. Consequently, full production is obtained only during Tuesday through Thursday of a normal work week.
In an effort to overcome the disadvantages of the normal carburizing operation, a suspend carburizing operation has been developed. In a suspend carburizing operation, full trays are pushed through the furnace until just shortly before the end of the last shift prior to the weekend or holiday period, and the furnace is switched into a suspend mode of operation for the weekend. In the suspend mode of operation, the temperature of the furnace is reduced, typically from a normal carburizing temperature of on the order of 1700° F. to a suspend carburizing temperature of on the order of approximately 1200° F. to 1300° F. During the suspend carburizing cycle, the carburizing gases are expelled, and the furnace is filled with an inert atmosphere, usually nitrogen. During this suspended mode of operation, the carburizing process is suspended; however, carburizing may readily be resumed by replacing the inert gas atmosphere with a carburizing atmosphere and raising the temperature to the normal carburizing temperature. The advantage of suspend carburizing over normal carburizing is that production can continue until almost the end of the last shift prior to the suspension. In addition, since the furnace is not completely cooled, the time required to bring the furnace up to temperature is substantially shorter, and more importantly, since the furnace is now full of parts that have been carburized to various degrees, the output of the carburized parts begins almost immediately after normal carburizing temperature has been reached.
However, one of the disadvantages of suspend carburizing is that during the transition from the carburizing to the suspend mode, the composition of the carburizing atmosphere must be changed to reflect the change in the carbon potential as a function of temperature during the ramp down of temperature to the suspend mode. Moreover, the amount of carburizing that results during the ramp down of temperature, as well as the carburizing that occurs during the ramp up in temperature following the suspend period must be calculated, and the remainder of the carburizing process must be adjusted to account for this carburizing that took place during the ramp up cycle and ramp down cycle. Thus, in addition to accurate temperature control, the flow as well as the composition of the carburizing atmosphere must be accurately controlled. These requirements make it advantageous to utilize a computer controlled control system to control the carburizing process particularly during the transition from normal to suspend carburizing and vice versa.
Although it is possible to control the temperatures of the various zones in a carburizing furnace by means of a microprocessor and appropriate temperature sensing equipment, the control of the carburizing atmosphere is much more difficult, particularly when an endothermic gas generator is used. One reason for the difficulty in controlling the composition of the atmosphere is that an endothermic gas generator is a device that generates the endothermic gas in a process that operates at a substantially constant volume, temperature and input gas flow, and serves to provide an endothermic gas having substantially constant properties. Any attempt to change the characteristics of the endothermic output gas requires a change in the reaction occurring in the endothermic gas generator. Unfortunately, such changes are not made readily, and the results of such changes are unpredictable.
The problems associated with the control of the carburizing atmosphere are largely alleviated by utilizing the nitrogen-methanol method of generating the carrier gas. In the nitrogen-methanol method of generating the carrier gas, the reaction that forms the carrier gas occurs inside the carburizing furnace, rather than in an external generator. Consequently, the composition of the carrier gas can be readily controlled by simply controlling the amount of nitrogen (in gas form) and methanol (in liquid form) that is injected into the furnace. Unfortunately, a drawback of the nitrogen-methanol process is cost, and the increased cost of generating the carrier gas by the nitrogen-methanol process nullifies much of the cost advantages obtained from the substantially continuous production that can be obtained from a suspend carburizing process.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved carburizing method and apparatus that overcomes many of the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new carburizing method and apparatus that substantially reduces the cost of carburizing.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved carburizing method and apparatus that is capable of doing both normal and suspend carburizing which generates the carrier gas with either an endothermic gas generator or by the nitrogen-methanol process in order to optimize carburizing efficiency.
It is still another object of the present invention to reduce the cost of producing carrier gas by the nitrogen-methanol process through the use of high and low carrier gas flow rates during various stages of the carburizing process.
It is yet another object of the present invention to improve the control of the composition of the carrier gas produced by the nitrogen-methanol method, particularly during low flow rates, by using a multi-stage cascaded valving system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and attached drawing, wherein:
The single FIGURE is a schematic diagram of the system according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the FIG. 1, there is shown a top view of a typical carburizing furnace, generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The furnace 10 includes a charge vestibule 12 having two sets of doors 14 and 16 that is used to receive the trays of parts prior to their being pushed into the furnace itself. The illustrated furnace 10 also includes four zones 18, 20, 22 and 24, also captioned Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3 and Zone 4. Although four zones are illustrated, any number of zones may be used depending on the complexity of the particular carburizing being done. In addition, the furnace 10 has a discharge vestibule 26 having two pairs of doors 28 and 30 that receives the carburized parts ejected from the furnace. A holding chamber 32 having a pair of doors 34 serves as a fifth zone in order to provide further carburizing or quenching of parts in processes requiring more processing than can be provided by the normal four zones. Three effluent discharge pipes 35, 36 and 38 are provided at the discharge vestibule 26, the holding chamber 32 and the charge vestibule 12, respectively, are coupled to an exhaust system (not shown) and serve to remove waste gases from the furnace. Since it is important to maintain a positive pressure within the furnace 10, each of the discharge pipes 34, 36 and 38 has a resiliently biased valve which may be, for example, a flapper plate such as one of the flapper plates 40, 42 and 44 which opens varying amounts as a function of the carrier gas flow and pressure in the furnace 10 in order to assure that a positive pressure is always maintained within the furnace 10 even at low flow rates of the carrier gas. Five inlet pipes 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54 are provided in the respective zones 18, 20, 22, 24 and the holding chamber which serve to introduce the various gases (or liquid methanol) required to produce the desired atmosphere into the four zones 18, 20, 22, 24 and the holding chamber 32.
An endothermic gas generator 55 provides endothermic gas to the four zones 18, 20, 22, 24 and the holding chamber 32 via five gas lines 56, five flow meters 58, and five flow control valves 60 which are coupled to the inlet pipes 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54 via the gas lines 56. A source of natural gas 62, which may be, for example, a public utility main, is also coupled to the inlet pipes 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54 via five gas lines 64, five flow meters 66 and five flow control valves 68. The endothermic gas generator 55 and the natural gas source 62 provide the atmosphere for the furnace 10 when normal carburizing is being performed.
In addition to the endothermic gas generator 55 and natural gas source 62 used in the normal carburization mode of operation, a source of methanol 70, which may be a tank or the like, and a nitrogen source 72, which may be a gas cylinder or the like, provide the atmosphere for the nitrogen-methanol system. The nitrogen-methanol system includes a first stage valving system 92 having a pair of nitrogen flow control valves 74 and 76 as well as a pair of nitrogen flow meters 78 and 80. The valves 74 and 76 and the flow meters 78 and 80 control the total flow of nitrogen through the system. In addition, the valving system 92 has a pair of valves 82 and 84 cooperating with a pair of flow meters 86 and 88 to control the flow of the methanol through the system. The valves 74 and 82 as well as the flow meters 78 and 86 comprise a high flow rate control system, while the valves 76 and 84 and flow meters 80 and 88 comprise a low flow rate control system. Since the methanol in the methanol source 70 is in liquid form, it must be pumped or otherwise fed, for example by gravity, to the valves 82 and 84; however, it has been found convenient to pressurize the methanol tank 70 in order to force the methanol out of the methanol tank without the need for a pump or gravity feed system. The pressurization is accomplished by a pressure regulator 90 which regulates the pressure of the nitrogen from the nitrogen source 72 to a level of, for example, approximately 40 pounds per square inch in order to cause the methanol from the methanol tank 70 to flow at the desired rate. The nitrogen and methanol output from the valves 74, 76, 82 and 84 of the first control panel 92 is applied to a second stage control panel 94 which operates as a second stage valve system for distributing the flow from the first valve system 92 to the various zones. The second stage system 94, in the present embodiment, comprises twenty valves and twenty flow meters, that is one valve and one flow meter for each of the five zones (including holding chamber) of the furnace 10 for each of the high flow rate and low flow rate nitrogen and methanol valves 74, 76, 82 and 84.
In the illustrated system, the high flow rate nitrogen distribution system comprises five flow meters 96 and five flow control valves 98 that are connected to the output of the nitrogen control valves 74 and channel the output of the high flow rate control valve 74 to appropriate ones of the five zones 18, 20, 22, 24 and 32 via five nitrogen distribution pipes 100 which are coupled to the inlet pipes 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54. A similar set of flow meters 102 and flow control valves 104 serves to apply nitrogen from the low flow rate control valve 76 to the zones 18, 20, 22, 24 and 32 via the nitrogen inlet pipes 100.
A similar system is used to control the application of methanol to the various zones 18, 20, 22, 24 and 32. A high flow rate control system utilizing five flow meters 106 and five flow control valves 108 supplies liquid methanol to the various zones 18, 20, 22, 24 and 32 via five methanol lines 110 in accordance with the setting of the various ones of the five flow control valves 108. The five methanol supply pipes 110 are also coupled to the inlet pipes 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54 to inject methanol into the various zones 18, 20, 22, 24 and 32. A similar system including five flow meters 112, five flow control valves 114 is utilized to apply methanol from the low flow rate control valve 84 to the five zones via the methanol lines 110.
Control for the nitrogen-methanol system may be provided manually or by a control system, preferably a microcomputer control system 116, that controls the operation of the various flow control valves 74, 76, 82, 84, 98, 104, 108 and 114 in accordance with input data received from a data terminal 118 and the outputs of the various flow meters 78, 80, 86, 88, 96, 102, 106, 112 and the outputs of one or more sensors such as sensors 121, 123 and 125 that sense the condition of the atmosphere in the various zones. For example, the sensors 121, 123, 125 sense the amount of oxygen in zones 20, 22 and 24, the amount of oxygen being an indication of the carbon potential of the atmosphere within those zones. Since the carbon potential is determined not only by oxygen content, but also by temperature, the oxygen sensors 121, 123 and 125 cooperate with temperature sensors (not shown) in each of the zones to enable the microprocessor control system 116 to calculate the carbon potential for various operating conditions and to readjust the flow of the natural gas or methanol to obtain the required carbon potential that was previously programmed into the system.
In accordance with several important aspects of the present invention, the carburizing furnace 10 is capable of being operated as a normal carburizing furnace operating from an endothermic gas generator such as the generator 55. In this mode, the various valves controlling the flow of methanol and nitrogen from the methanol and nitrogen tanks 70 and 72, respectively, are closed. In the normal carburizing mode utilizing endothermic gas and natural gas, the valves 60, which control the control of endothermic gas and the valves 68, which control the flow of natural gas are set, for example, manually or by the control system, to provide predetermined rates of flow, as indicated by the flow meters 58 and 66. The various flow rates are adjusted as required to generate the desired atmospheres in the various zones in the carburizing furnace 10. Typical flow rates for endothermic gas operation are, for example, 150 standard cubic feet per hour (s.c.f.h.) for Zone 1, 200 s.c.f.h. for Zone 2, 250 s.c.f.h. for Zone 3, 800 s.c.f.h. for Zone 4 and 300 s.c.f.h. for the holding chamber.
In the nitrogen-methanol mode of operation, the valves 74 and 82 control the flow rate of nitrogen and methanol to the various zones. The flow rates provided to the flow control valves 98 by the flow control valves 74 and 82 are approximately the same as the flow rates provided by the endothermic gas generator 55 and natural gas source 62. This is consistent with prior art flow rates for nitrogen-methanol systems, and provides satisfactory carburizing both in the normal carburizing mode and the suspend carburizing mode. However, because of the quantities of methanol and nitrogen used in such carburizing, the cost of carburizing utilizing the nitrogen-methanol system at such flow rates is relatively expensive compared to the cost of endothermic gas carburizing. Accordingly, in accordance with another important aspect of the present invention, it has been found that the flow rate of the carrier gas when the nitrogen-methanol system is being used can be reduced to between 40% to 60% of the flow rate of the flow typically used in an endothermic gas generator system. This is particularly true during the transition from normal to suspend carburizing, during the transition from suspend to normal carburizing and during normal carburizing when the doors 16, 28 and 30 are closed. Such a reduction in flow rate substantially reduces the cost of generating the carburizing atmosphere by the nitrogen-methanol method, and makes the use of suspend carburizing during holiday and weekend periods particularly advantageous.
In order to take advantage of the advantages provided by the high flow rate and low flow rate control system, the position of the doors 14, 30 and 34 is sensed by three door position sensing switches 117, 118 and 120. These door position sensing switches 117, 118 and 120 are coupled to the microprocessor control system via 122, 124 and 126 and indicate to the microprocessor control system 116 whether the doors 14, 30 and 34 are open or closed. In the system according to the present invention, the position of the doors sensed by the sensors 117, 118 and 120 is used to determine whether the nitrogen and methanol are applied to the various zones at the high flow rate or at the low flow rate. For example, whenever a "push" occurs and a new tray is pushed into Zone 1 and another tray exits Zone 4, the doors are opened and permit a substantial amount of the carburizing atmosphere to escape from the various zones, particularly Zones 1 and 4. Therefore, in order to avoid a disruption in the carbon potential of the carburizing atmosphere, the low flow rate valves 70 and 76 are closed, and the high flow rate valves 74 and 82 are opened to assure that any carrier gas that escaped during the "push" is rapidly replenished. The high flow rate is then continued for a predetermined amount of time, for example, five minutes, until equilibrium in the various zones has been established, at which time the valves 74 and 82 are closed and the low flow rate valves 76 and 84 are opened. The low flow rate is continued until the next "push" occurs.
However, it has been determined that while at the high flow rates, satisfactory carburizing has been achieved, at low flow rates, carburizing was less than satisfactory. An investigation indicated that at the low flow rates, the pressure of the atmosphere in the furnace was low and there was insufficient driving force for the gases to move in any particular direction. This resulted in an intermixing of the gases between the zones, particularly between Zones 2 and 3 a condition that did not occur at the high flow rates. Accordingly, the cascaded two stage valve control system was developed to channel the gases from the first stage valving system 92 to the appropriate zones precisely, in order to prevent the mixing of gases between zones thereby maintaining the proper carbon potential within each zone, regardless of the flow rate. The microprocessor maintains the proper carbon potential in each zone by sensing the temperature in the various zones as well as the amount of oxygen present, as sensed by the oxygen sensors 121, 123 and 125. The measured oxygen potential is then compared with an oxygen set point, which varies as a function of temperature, and the position of the valves 68 is automatically adjusted by the microprocessor to obtain the desired oxygen set point, and hence the desired carbon potential.
Although the use of reduced flow rates at various times in the carburizing cycle when the nitrogen-methanol method is used results in a substantial savings in the cost of carburizing compared to systems using the normal nitrogen-methanol flow rates, the cost of carburizing when the nitrogen-methanol method is used is still higher than when the normal endothermic gas process is used. Accordingly, in accordance with another important aspect of the present invention, the nitrogen-methanol system is utilized only when absolutely necessary, that is, only during suspend carburizing and during the transition between normal and suspend carburizing. In normal carburizing, the endothermic gas generator is used to provide the carburizing atmosphere.
Since the use of the nitrogen-methanol system of generating the carrier gas is only necessary during the transition between normal and suspend carburizing which occurs before and after the weekend or holiday period, in a normal work week, nitrogen-methanol need only be used on Mondays and Fridays. Consequently, in a typical week, the system according to the invention is designed to utilize gas from the endothermic gas generator 55 on Tuesdays through Thursdays and nitrogen-methanol on Mondays and Fridays. Thus, in a typical week, the system would be operated from the endothermic gas generator 55 and normal carburizing would occur during the middle of the week. On Friday, the system would be switched to operate as a nitrogen-methanol system under computer control, with the system switching from high flow rates to low flow rates as required, depending on the position of the doors 14, 30, and possibly 34. Near the end of the shift on Friday, the temperature of the furnace 10 is ramped down and the necessary corrections to the carbon potential in the various zones are made by the first stage control system 92 and the various valves in the second stage control system 94. Once the temperature is reduced sufficiently to suspend the carburizing process, the methanol valves 82 and 84 are closed, and the furnace is filled with a nitrogen atmosphere via one of the nitrogen control valves, typically valves 74 and the other valves 98 cooperating therewith.
Following the suspension of carburizing, typically the following Monday, the temperature of the oven 10 is gradually increased and methanol as well as nitrogen is introduced into the furnace in varying quantities in order to obtain the desired carbon potential in each zone. Once normal carburizing is attained, the nitrogen and methanol valves are closed and the endothermic gas valves 60 are opened to permit normal carburizing to proceed.
Obviously modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Thus, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described above. | An automatic control for a multi-zone push type carburizing furnace capable of controlling the flow of either an endothermic gas atmosphere or a nitrogen methanol atmosphere at both high and low flow rates and during normal and suspend carburizing utilizes cascaded multi-stage valving to assure good separation of the atmospheres in adjacent zones. The first stage of the cascaded multi-stage valving controls the total gas flow, and the second stage routes the gas to individual zones of the furnace. | 2 |
BACKGROUND
1. Field the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a case for a personal portable audio cassette player or radio unit. More particularly, the present invention relates to a decorative and protective cover for enhancing the environment of the personal cassette player or radio unit such that mechanical and electrical reliability of the audio equipment is enhanced and preserved.
2. Brief Description of the Background Art
In recent years, the proliferation of personal stereo cassette players and radios has been explosive. The use of these devices, which provide for either tape or radio audio reproduction, has been prompted by a desire for musical accompaniment during jogging, bicycling, skiing or aerobics, when carrying a larger portable audio unit would be inconvenient, while commuting on public transportation, when listening to a larger portable audio unit would be illegal, or while at the beach, when a larger portable audio unit could not be properly stored and would most likely be stolen.
These uses, for which personal audio units were specifically intended, bring these audio units into environments hostile to their longevity. At the beach, extreme heat and sunlight attacks and warps plastic parts, and sand particulates tend to abrade and jam high-tolerence micro-fitted cassette drive mechanisms. Cold conditions, as encountered when skiing or skating, inhibit battery performance, gel lubricants and make delicate plastic pieces and cassette tape media brittle. Moisture is imparted during various forms of exercise due to both inclement weather and perspiration, the latter of which particularly encourages both rust and control jamming of audio units because of dissolved salts. Additionally, personal audio units are suceptible to shock impact during virtually any activity due to their extraordinary portable nature.
Heretofore available prior art protective devices for audio units have not taken these adversities into account. Analogous art carrying devices have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,081,807 to Lightburn; U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,017 to Pimsleur; U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,956 to Berger and U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,078 to Belt, et al.
Lightburn relates to a foldable carrying case for a radio with openings for controls, but the case provides for no impact-distributing material, does not utilize moisture-proof materials and is only intended to accomodate one particular radio.
Pimsleur and Belt each disclose conventional enclosures, neither of which provide the combination of benefits yielded by the present invention.
Berger teaches a holder and harness assembly for an auditory training device of a specific size which is designed to be worn against the chest of the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a temperature-insulating protective covering for a personal audio unit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a protective holder which is capable of accomodating personal audio units of various sizes.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a holder for a personal audio unit that permits ready accessiblity to controls for the audio unit, as well as means to cover the controls after all proper settings of the audio unit have been established.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an impact-resistant holder for a personal audio unit.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a dust and moisture-resistant personal audio unit holder.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a personal audio unit holder that floats upon immersion in water.
In a broad embodiment of the present invention, these objects and others are provided by a novel personal audio unit protective cover and holder. This audio unit holder comprises a flexible sheet having adjustable flaps and provided with hook and loop type closure devices to provide a selectively accessible envelope for the audio unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of one side of an unfolded embodiment of the audio unit holder comprising the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the reverse side of the invention shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3. is a partially cut away perspective view of the present invention in an initial state of assembly;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the present invention in an intermediate state of assembly;
FIG. 5 is a front view of the present invention fully assembled;
FIG. 6 is a rear view of the invention shown in FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 is a side view of the invention shown in FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention, generally designated by the numeral 10 is designed to conveniently contain and protect a variety of personal portable audio units (not shown) of the type which are in common use today. Usually, these audio units comprise controls along one or more of the sides of the unit. Device 10 includes flexible inner skin material 12 and outer skin material 14 containing any suitable shock-absorbing, impact-dispersing floatation material 16 (FIG. 3). Material 16 can be made of fabrics, plastic or the like. Edges of device 10 where inner skin 12 and outer skin 14 abut may be seamed by any appropriate method, including but not limited to heat welding, sonic soldering, gluing or conventional stitching. At least one of inner and outer skins 12, 14 is selected of a water-resistant or water-proof material, and outer skin 14 is preferentially a high-visibilty luminescent or reflective color for enhanced daytime and evening conspicuity.
Device 10 includes a rectangular back panel section 18, the lower end of which includes a substantially square panel section 20, which functions in part as the bottom panel 22 of device 10. Left and right front panels 24, 26 are provided which attach to back 18 by left and right lower side panels 28, 30, respectively. Attached to the upper edges 32, 34 of left and right lower side panels 28, 30 are left and right upper side panels, or flaps, 36, 38, respectively. Each of left and right upper side panels or flaps 36, 38, contains a top section extending above the upper edge of back 18. An elongated closure tab 40 is provided at the top of back 18 to secure the individual sections and panels in an assembled configuration, as will be explained hereinbelow.
To assemble the present invention, a portable audio unit is placed against back 18 (FIG. 1). Square section 20 is then bent, first around the bottom rearward edge of the audio unit, and then around the bottom forward edge of the unit. It is seen that a first part of a hook and loop type fastener 42 (FIG. 2) is attached to the surface of square 20 now facing forward. Although other fastening devices with similar functions may be used, hook and loop type fasteners allow a large degree of adjustability in the fit of the device 10, and are conveniently releaseable without tools or fuss while providing secure adhesion for whichever panels are so secured. Left lower section 28 is then folded around the left rearward edge of the audio unit and then left front section 24 is folded around the left forward edge of the unit. The inner surface of left front section 24 is provided with a complimentary part of a hook and loop type fastener 44 (FIG. 1), and left front section 24 is then attached to square panel 20. It is seen that a first part of a hook and loop type fastener 46 is attached to the now forward-facing surface of left front section 24. This is the stage of the assembly as seen in FIG. 3.
Right lower section 30 is then folded around the right rearward edge of the audio unit and then right front section 26 is folded around the right forward edge of the unit. The inner surface of right front section 26 is provided with a complimentary part of a hook and loop type fastener 48, and right front section 26 is then attached to left front section 24.
At this point, right upper side panel 38 is folded over the right top edge of the audio unit (FIG. 4). It is seen that a first part of a hook and loop type fastener 50 is attached to the now upwardly-facing surface of right upper side panel 38. Left upper side panel 36 is then folded around the left top edge of the audio unit. The inner suface of left upper side panel 36 is provided with a complimentary part of a hook and loop type fastener 52, and left upper side panel 36 is then attached to right upper side panel 38. Finally, closure tab 40 is brought forward around the top rear and top front edges of the audio unit, and secured to right front panel 26 by both a first part and a complimentary part of a hook and loop type fastener 54, 56, located on the outer surface of right front panel 26 and adjacent the end of closure tab 40, respectively, each part facing the other.
It is now seen how a device providing the various benefits and objects from the summary of this invention has been provided. Audio units of varying lengths may be accomodated by appropriate adjustment of square panel 20, while extremely long units may be accomodated by appropriate adjustments both at the bottom of device 10 by square panel 20, and at the top of device 10 by the left and right upper side panels 36, 38. Similarly, required adjustments for depth and width are made simultaneously be reclosing the left and right front panels 24, 26. The widths of each mating pair of hook and loop type fasteners is sufficient to allow fastening and closure of the corresponding parts at varying positions of the corresponding panels. In this manner, most personal audio units may be contained snugly so as to preclude accidental displacement and yet loosely enough to afford a measure of shock dissipation upon impact. The multi-layer protective holder thus formed protects the audio unit from temperature variations and direct sunlight. The buoyancy imparted to the unit by the cover allows many such units to float upon accidental immersion in water, and the precision fit of the cover around the audio unit protects the unit from dust, sand and moisture. It is seen that conventional earphones or headphones can be plugged into the audio unit while the holder is closed by threading their connecting wires between appropriate holder panels. Additionally, by leaving one of left or right upper side panels 36, 38 unattached, any controls located on the top, and upper left or right, respectively, of the unit may be left accessible to the user. Any such unattached panel may be left free, or folded underneath the appropriate lower side panel 28, 30. For additional user convenience, loop 60 is provided on the outside of back 18. Loop 60 may be used as a handle, or threaded through a user's belt or suspenders, or if elaticized, may be slipped over a user's arm.
It should be understood that various modifications can be made to the preferred embodiments disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or without the loss of its attendant advantages. Thus, other examples applying the principles decribed herein are intended to fall within the scope of the invention provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivilant of such be employed. | A novel cover for a portable personal audio unit is disclosed. The cover is produced of a unitary flexible piece which is folded around an audio unit. Flexible construction and non-specifically located hook and loop type fasteners allow the cover to be adapted to fit a variety of units. Releasable flaps completely enclose the audio unit or leave its controls accessible as desired. | 7 |
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. provisional application 61/318,093, now pending, filed Mar. 26, 2010, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD
[0002] The subject relates to materials, methods, and apparatus for extracting water vapor from a gas. Particularly it includes methods and devices related to extracting water from atmospheric air via a hygroscopic material dispersed within an absorbent sheet material of effective form factor for sorption and for regeneration.
BACKGROUND
[0003] There are many materials identified as desiccants and many known configurations and systems employing desiccants to dry a gas. Systems include those using a solid desiccant and those using a liquid desiccant. In the case of systems based upon liquid desiccants, many existing concepts increase the exposed surface area of desiccant by spraying the desiccant in a mist. Besides the mechanism and energy required for such schemes the resulting chemical mist might, undesirably, be present in the output gas and output water. Solid forms of desiccant avoid these problems but generally do so at the cost of a relatively small exposed surface area per unit of mass leading to inefficiencies. Solid desiccants can also have relatively long regeneration times.
[0004] There is a need for a form of desiccant that provides a high ratio of surface area to mass in a convenient to deploy form factor. Also needed are systems employing such a material to dry a gas, preferably using low-grade energy in an efficient manner.
SUMMARY
[0005] Deficiencies in previous desiccant and air-to-water systems can be solved by a desiccant subsystem that can include a stack of spaced-apart thin sorbent sheets of a composite desiccant. The composite desiccant can be a sheet of a porous material with small pores for retaining moisture and larger pores allowing the flow of moist gas within its structure. The composite desiccant material is made up of a substrate of the sorbent sheet that contains dispersed particles of a hygroscopic chemical.
[0006] To enhance water retention capacity, the stack can be mounted perpendicular to the direction of gravity or acceleration. This can engender a more even distribution of held water with no low spot for water to collect and drip from.
[0007] A system of efficiently extracting water from air can be constructed with the desiccant stack attracting and retaining moisture in air fed to it and through it by fans. A control system can chose to operate the fans when conditions of humidity and the remaining capacity of the desiccant stack are conducive to efficient charging operation. A control system can further initiate a regeneration cycle when the availability of low-grade heat energy and the fullness of the desiccant stack are conducive to efficient regeneration operation. Further, a control system can initiate a condensing mode when the degree of moisture in a regeneration chamber is high enough relative to the temperature of an available cold source for efficient condensing operation. The condensing operation can involve a filter or membrane to differentially engender the passage of water molecules to be condensed versus other warm gases.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1A shows a photomicrograph at a magnification of 400× of a PVA foam dry;
[0009] FIG. 1B shows a photomicrograph at a magnification of 400× of the PVA foam of FIG. 1A damp;
[0010] FIG. 1C shows a photomicrograph at a magnification of 400× of the PVA foam of FIG. 1A saturated with water;
[0011] FIG. 2 shows a photomicrograph at a magnification of 400× of a human hair;
[0012] FIG. 3A shows a photomicrograph at a magnification of 400× of a PVA foam with CaCl dispersed within its pores, dry;
[0013] FIG. 3B shows a photomicrograph at a magnification of 400× of the PVA foam with CaCl of FIG. 3A , damp;
[0014] FIG. 3C shows a photomicrograph at a magnification of 400× of a non-woven rayon fabric, dry;
[0015] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a sheet of a composite desiccant formed from a PVA foam with disbursed CaCl;
[0016] FIG. 5 schematically shows a stack of desiccant sheets in perspective and an airflow direction;
[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates, in elevation, a stack of desiccant sheets mounted together by spacers with openings; the stack viewed from the front, air input side;
[0018] FIG. 7 shows a side view of the desiccant stack of FIG. 6 ;
[0019] FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative stack of desiccant sheets mounted together by solid spacers that extend partially over the width of the stack viewed from the front, which is the air input side;
[0020] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the stack of FIG. 8 seen with the uppermost sheet removed;
[0021] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a system for extracting water from air showing the air circulation patterns in three distinct modes;
[0022] FIG. 11 is a block diagram view of a control system for an air-to-water system;
[0023] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a condenser portion of the system of FIG. 10 with a filter;
[0024] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an alternate condenser portion of the system of FIG. 10 with a membrane;
[0025] FIG. 14 is a state diagram of the states of the control system of FIG. 11 ;
[0026] FIG. 15 is a table showing criteria for transitioning states;
[0027] FIG. 16 is a flow chart of the actions of the system of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 in the charging mode;
[0028] FIG. 17 is a flow chart of the actions of the system of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 in the regeneration mode;
[0029] FIG. 18 is a flow chart of the actions of the system of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 in the condensing mode;
[0030] FIG. 19 is a flow chart of the actions of the system of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 in the quiescent mode;
[0031] FIG. 20 illustrates an embodiment of a split system air-to-water system;
[0032] FIGS. 21-23 illustrate a compact embodiment of an air-to-water system with a membrane.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] In conjunction with the included drawings, this detailed description is intended to impart an understanding of the teachings herein and not to define their metes and bounds.
Introduction
[0034] One aspect of the present invention is a composite desiccant material in an effective form factor. Another aspect is a desiccant subsystem based upon that composite desiccant material, and a third aspect includes systems and methods of extracting water from air employing the subsystem.
Structure
Desiccant Material and Subsystem
[0035] The desiccant composition includes a porous support material and a hydroscopic absorbent dispersed within the porous support material. The porous support material has pores or pore-like small random gaps of a wide range of sizes. Small pores include pores of about 70 microns to large pores of about 1000 micrometers. This porous support material can include a material such as PVA foam or a non-woven fabric such as rayon. The desiccant composition disbursed with the support material includes a hygroscopic absorbent such as CaCl.
[0036] Another aspect of these teachings is directed to a method for producing a desiccant composition comprising the steps of: (a) providing a porous support material having a range of pores from 70 micros to 1000 microns; (b) contacting the porous support material with a flowable medium comprising a hygroscopic absorbent, for a time sufficient to substantially fill porosity in the porous support material and then drying the porous support material to remove liquid from the flowable medium and form a desiccant composition comprising the absorbent dispersed on the porous support. A supporting PVA sheet 10 , seen in photomicrographs in FIGS. 1A , 1 B, and 1 C, is a preferred support material. That material then has embedded, but not positionally captivated, particles of a chemically active desiccant.
[0037] Appropriate soaking of the porous support material in a liquid solution of a chemical such as CaCl, Ethyl Glycol, and Lithium Bromide followed by drying the material can be an effective manner of producing such a composite. This is generally taught in Type “Salt-in-a-Porous-Matrix” Sorbents in Hydrocarbon Processing, by E. A. Buluchevskii. This article is found in the Russian Journal of General Chemistry 2007, Vol. 77, pp. 2284-2291. Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2007. Other related teachings are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,559,096, May 6, 2003, of Smith et. al. In contrast with these and other “salt in a porous matrix” materials, herein is taught a non-captive entrainment of the adsorbent salt in the absorbent material. The desiccant salt particles and brine can migrate within the absorbent substrate due to the larger pores and can be mechanically removed from the substrate.
[0038] FIG. 1A is a 400× microphotograph of PVA foam in a dry state. The PVA foam used in this example was purchased from Ninbo Goldtime Household Necessaries CO LTD, item SP703-1 called PVA towel 66*43*0.2 cm, dark gray. The pore structure is seen to include both relatively small pores 5 and relatively larger pores 6 . In FIG. 1B the same material is shown damp, but not saturated. Generally smaller pores are filled with water, held by surface tension while relatively larger pores are open, allowing the passage of moist air from the environment. The same material is seen in FIG. 1C in a saturated state. Substantially all pores contain brine. For size comparison purposes, FIG. 2 shows a human hair.
[0039] The same PVA foam, after the disbursement of CaCl by soaking in a solution and then drying, is seen in a dry state in FIG. 3A , and a damp state in FIG. 3B .
[0040] FIG. 3C shows a non-woven rayon fabric in a dry state. It has air gaps that effectively act as pores. It has a range of gap sizes formed by the random pattern of threads 8 . The particular material tested and shown in FIG. 3C was purchased from Hefei Telijie Sanitary Material Co., Ltd. Their designation is: Nonwoven Cleaning Cloth. Material: Dipping nonwoven fabric; Size: 110 cm width; Length: 50M; Thickness: Around 3.4 mm; Packing: 50M/Roll; G.W.: 69 KGs. Not pictured is another material tested which is: TSV-5, purchased from ShopMicrofiber.com.
[0041] The amount of fluid retained in the absorbent material increases as the desiccant absorbs water. It is possible for the amount of fluid to exceed the holding capacity of the absorbent material that can result in dripping of the brine out of the absorbent. The amount of fluid can be maximized if the absorbent is composed in a sheet 12 form as depicted in FIG. 4 and, in use, is oriented with its major plane perpendicular to the vector of gravity. The sheets are generally flexible and should be held in a frame to minimize sagging or the fluid will drip out of the low points. For this composite material to provide a high ratio of H 2 O holding capacity to mass, the support material should have particular properties including a rapid rate of absorbing H20, a high capacity for absorbing H20, a rapid wicking of H20, and a rapid drying of absorbed H20. Some materials that have been tested include a PVA foam, a loose weave Rayon fabric, a microfiber fabric, an unwoven fabric, cellulose foams, and various other foams including M11.
[0042] Some of these substrate materials as tested by the inventor, have been seen to have the following properties: Total absorption of liquid water into dry media held in horizontal plane ranges from 400% to 1,000% of the weight of the dry 170 media's weight. The media can hold more water when oriented in thin sheets held on a horizontal plane that ranges from 200% to 700% of the amount of water retained when the absorbent sheet is held on the vertical plane.
[0043] Thinner sheets with wider gaps present more effective airflow, but yield lower total absorption capacity at higher labor assembly costs. The effective 175 thickness will range from 0.4 mm through 12 mm. Testing has shown that thickness over 12 mm will not regenerate in effective times and also experience an increased incidence of the desiccant collecting in the lower portion of the sheet and dripping out even when the sheet is maintained in the horizontal plane.
[0044] Because the absorbent media is not rigid when desiccant is in the fluid state, the airflow rate should be low enough to prevent flapping which would fatigue and eventually destroy the media. Higher airflows can be tolerated by using thicker media and by adding more supports. In general, the maximum airflow effective in embodiments will not exceed 30 MPH gas flow across the media surface.
[0045] Chemical Hygroscopic Desiccant
[0046] Most testing has been done with CaCl as the prime hygroscopic desiccant. Other compounds with hygroscopic properties such as glycol might be used with success. A combination of CaCl and glycol has been seen to be advantageous. Lithium bromide, magnesium chloride, and lithium chloride have also been demonstrated as effective desiccants.
[0047] Composite Desiccant Element
[0048] Soaking the support material in a solution of CaCl and then drying the support material can disburse the chemical in the pores and structure of the support material. Other methods to produce the composite are possible. Since a goal of the composite is to maximally expose the surface area of the hygroscopic desiccant to any gaseous H 2 O in its environment, the sheets shown are relatively thin. One manner to produce a composite can be to soak a mounted sheet or sheets of a suitable support material in a ridged framework in a solution of CaCl and water with an equal weight of water to CaCl. The maximum CaCl that can be absorbed by water is dependent on the temperature of the solution. One way to obtain an effective mixture is to create a solution wherein some CaCl settles to the bottom at 65 degrees-F., but at 75 degrees-F. has all the CaCl in solution. In addition, it can be desirable to achieve a ratio in a composite of between 5%-300% CaCl to the total of CaCl plus substrate by weight. The total amount of CaCl that is recommended varies upon the conditions of operation. In general, environments that are more humid will require less CaCl to reach the point where they have absorbed all of the water possible without excessive dripping.
[0049] In dry locations, more CaCl can increase absorption. As known to those skilled in the art, and according to Dow Chemical, a supplier of industrial CaCl, the trend is that at lower humidity CaCl will absorb less than it will at higher humidity. Temperature also has an effect on the maximum absorption of CaCl. As a result, the CaCl loading density can be adjusted for local conditions to improve operations. In less humid locations the CaCl loading density might be higher and in sufficiently dry locations CaCl may remain in its solid form even though it is absorbing water and the process continues to work.
[0050] Desiccant Sub-System
[0051] As seen in FIG. 5 in a schematic manner, one way to deploy the composite material is as parallel sheets 12 with each sheet parallel to the flow direction 16 of a gas. This configuration exposes both sides of each sheet to the gas. The spacing and other details provided by a supporting structure can be such as to have a higher or lower air resistance to the flow. Thinner gaps between the sheets can increase total absorption per unit volume but may do so at the expense of increased airflow resistance. The gap between sheets might range from 2 mm to 40 mm in some embodiments. The configuration may also be such that a particular degree of turbulence is achieved, affecting the interaction of gaseous H 2 O and the desiccant composite sheet. FIGS. 6 and 7 depict an example structure for mounting stacked sheets. In FIG. 6 , an end spacer 20 , with significant area occupied by openings 21 , is used to separate and support the multiple sheets. This might be constructed from a corrugated plastic. The back of this stack is identical to the front. While holes shown in the spacer are circular, they may be any shape. While the spacers are shown on the ends there may in fact be multiple spacers placed periodically along the length of the sheet to prevent sagging of the supported media. There are also one or more similar corrugated strips within the stack to provide intermediate supports. The side supporting spacers 23 are solid on each of the sides of the stack as seen in the side view of FIG. 7 . An alternate way to construct the stack is by sandwiching a single spacer sheet with teeth extruded on both sides between each desiccant sheet.
[0052] In some versions, as seen in the front view of FIG. 8 and the plan view of FIG. 9 (the top sheet is removed), one or more baffles 24 can be used to create a turbulence-enhancing air path between the sheets. Those skilled in the art will recognize many alternate structures for supporting the parallel sheets and engendering a desired trade-off between pressure drop and a desired turbulent interaction. Material thickness of the desiccant substrate is predominantly limited by the material's moisture holding characteristics when oriented in a horizontal plane. Another factor for thickness determination is the rate of absorption.
[0053] A thicker sheet might be appropriate for a material with faster wicking and absorption. If the material is too thick it may then accumulate a saturating degree of fluid in its lower portions leaving the upper portions drier and can result in dripping. Overly thick sheets would also make inefficient use of the desiccant by weight and by volume. In general, the thickness of the material is chosen to allow the maximum absorption in a given environment consistent with the average 250 charging time. For an overnight charging system, a thickness from 2 mm through 10 mm can be effective. For a system delivering multiple batches per day, a material thickness as thin as 0.5 mm may be more effective. In systems for continuous drying of a gas, a sheet thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm and a spacing of between ½ and 1 times the thickness may be advantageous. Sheet spacing in embodiments with longer airflow channels may generally have wider gaps to maintain a particular flow at a desired low degree of pressure. Shorter channel systems can have lower gaps and maintain a comparable pressure drop. In practice, a spacing of between 1/64″ and 2″ would cover many applications. A narrower practical range, taking material sag and volume constraints into consideration, can be 1/16″ to ½″. A smaller gap can be advantageous in allowing more sheets and therefore more desiccant mass in a given volume.
[0054] Those skilled in the art will understand that various mountings and stiffening schemes are available with different tradeoffs. Sheets used in a subsystem may be pre-dried and tested for dripping to a desired specification. A system could take advantage of that to cease operating in an absorption mode with a desired margin before dripping was likely to occur. In some cases, it may be advantageous to construct a stack of the substrate material and then soak the subsystem. In other cases the composite sheets might be created and then assembled into a stack. Systems can be manufactured over-saturated with desiccant that is then removed by operation on-site to allow for environmental differences at various sites. One implementation approach is to assemble the subsystem with untreated absorbent media and then soak the subsystem in the desiccant solution. The desiccant charge would then likely be substantially over-charged. The subsystem can then be conditioned in an environment that approximated the humidity and temperature 275 expected to occur in a target deployment location. This conditioning step allows the desiccant charge to absorb the maximum water it is likely to absorb in the field and allows excess solution to drip out to be re-used. The unit is then dried.
Operation
Desiccant Subsystem
[0055] The H 2 O holding capacity of the subsystem is affected by various factors 280 including the support material, the chemical desiccant, the sheet thickness, and the number of sheets. In addition, as the amount of H 2 O nears the capacity of the material, the liquid will appear at the surface and may drip. By keeping the sheet-stack parallel to the ground, the capacity before dripping that occurs is increased. Some mounting arrangements may provide a leveling indication and some may provide a leveling adjustment for the subsystem while others may provide a leveling indication and adjustment at the system level. In alternate inertial environments, the mounting orientation could be dynamically altered in order to maintain a perpendicular relationship with the vector of gravity/acceleration.
Structure
Air-to-Water System
[0056] A schematic view of an example air-to-water system is shown in FIG. 10 . Its structure includes a main chamber 100 containing a desiccant subsystem 101 . It also includes a heat exchanger 102 to provide energy in the regeneration phase and a condensing chamber 103 to harvest water freed during regeneration. There are three primary airflow paths (1) ambient in, dried air out 117 (2) recirculation hot air for regeneration 115 , and (3) recirculation of moist air through a condenser 116 . Fans engender the flows. Flaps (not shown in FIG. 10 ) associated with each of the three airflow patterns, respectively, prevent undesired flow. The system shown includes both temperature and moisture sensors in various locations.
[0057] An intake fan 105 can direct ambient air into the desiccant chamber and an exhaust fan 106 removes the dried air. Temperature T 1 T 2 and moisture M 1 M 2 sensors allow for measurement of the intake and exhaust air respective properties.
[0058] A source of heat 107 that might be hot water from a solar panel, or might be from a low-grade waste heat source is connected to the heat exchanger 102 to allow heating of recirculating airflow 105 through the desiccant subsystem 101 in the main chamber 100 . In applications that produce drinking water, the metallic components of the heat exchanger 102 can be constructed from stainless steel. A pump 108 is shown in the hot water path. A regeneration flow fan 109 is in the recirculation airflow path that goes through the heat exchanger and the desiccant chamber.
[0059] Condensing occurs in a condensing chamber 103 that is coupled to the main chamber via two fans in the system of FIG. 10 . One fan 111 is pulling air from the desiccant chamber while the second, exit fan 112 , is pulling air through the condensing chamber and back into the main chamber and through the desiccant subsystem 101 . A source of cooling 113 is provided to the condensing chamber coupled by a heat exchanger 126 and water is produced at a drain outlet 121 .
[0060] A control system 200 is shown schematically in FIG. 11 . The temperature and moisture sensors seen in FIG. 10 provide inputs to the control system. Another input is the state of charge 114 of the battery 201 . The control system's various outputs signal the various phases of operation, enabling fans and pumps.
Operation
Air-to-Water System
[0061] A goal of many embodiments of these teachings is to produce drinking water from ambient air under a variety of conditions with a minimal expenditure of energy. In a typical operation cycle, photovoltaic panels 202 charge a bank of batteries 201 during the day.
[0062] At night, the system might start out in a quiescent state, neither charging, regenerating, nor condensing. From past operation, the control system has a stored value representative of the extent of H 2 O held in the desiccant subsystem. The stored electrical energy in the battery is used conservatively. The control system makes decisions based upon the degree of moisture in the ambient air measured by sensor M 1 , the temperature of the ambient air measured by sensor T 1 , the extent of H20 presently held in the desiccant subsystem 101 , and the state-of-charge 114 of the batteries. The intake 105 and exhaust fans 106 are energized to further charge the desiccant only when “it is worth it”. That is, if a modeling of the system by the control logic indicates that there will be an adequate addition to the held H20 by taking in ambient air, the CHARGE signal will be activated. This will engage both the intake fan 105 and the exhaust fan 106 . This mode will stay in operation so long as the control systems models, according to predetermined rules, that further operation meets a criterion of efficiency. The other flow patterns are inactive and blocked by closed flaps.
[0063] When the held H 2 O in the desiccant subsystem 101 is at the maximum or if the ambient conditions are such that no charging or an ineffective degree of charging would take place, the charge mode ceases. In a system using solar water heating as its regeneration energy source, the temperature of the hot water source as measured by the sensor T 5 will increase as the day goes on and the sun rises. To conserve battery power, the control system will not initiate regeneration mode until the hot water has achieved a temperature level that can efficiently cause regeneration of the desiccant. This computation is based on the present state of the desiccant chamber. When the criteria are met, the control system will energize the REGEN signal.
[0064] In regeneration mode the hot water source pump 108 is engaged as well as the fan that engenders the regenerating flow pattern 115 . That pattern is through the heat exchanger 102 and through the desiccant subsystem 101 in a closed-circuit manner. In this mode the other patterns of flow are inactive and blocked by flaps. The regeneration mode's function is to release held H 2 O out of the desiccant and into the atmosphere of the main chamber. This mode is continued as long as the heat provided through the heat exchanger is continuing to effectively release additional H 2 O. One parameter involved with this calculation is the humidity or moisture content of the atmosphere within the main chamber 100 . While this may be measured directly, the harsh conditions in this system have proven to be destructive to the useful life of many conventional sensors. In the system of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 , only a temperature sensor T 4 is located in the main chamber. In that example system, the moisture level within the closed chamber is determined by modeling the system, starting with the known state of the amount of H 2 O held in the desiccant and taking into account the input ambient air, output air and the degree of heat energy injected via the regenerative flow and amount of moisture condensed.
[0065] The condensing mode is entered when the atmosphere within the main chamber 100 is sufficiently saturated as to be effectively condensable given the temperature delta between that of the main chamber and that of the cold source 113 whose temperature is measured by a temperate sensor T 6 . When the criteria are met, the control system will activate the CONDENSE signal. If a criteria set according to predetermined rules is met, the control system will enter the condensing mode. In this mode, energizing the condensing flow fans 111 112 will engender the condensing air pattern. Closed flaps prevent the other airflow patterns.
[0066] This condensing airflow pattern 116 is a recirculation flow through the desiccant subsystem 101 and the condensing chamber 103 . Due to the temperature drop provided by the cold source, water condenses and is available to exit the chamber at a drain point 121 . This mode is continued as long as the moisture level on the main chamber and the temperature difference between the main chamber and the cold source 113 provide for effective continued production of water.
[0067] FIG. 12 shows a more detailed schematic of the condensing chamber 103 and its entrance and exhaust fans of this first example system. Air is pulled from one end of the main chamber by an entrance fan 111 and pushed back into the other end of the desiccant chamber by the exit fan 112 . Within the condensing chamber 103 the hot moist air first enters a separation area 138 and then a portion of the moist air passes through a filter 124 . In this example system it is a HEPA filter. One purpose of the filter 124 is to prevent particulate contamination of the water being produced. The H 2 O is condensed in the condensing region 132 from the air via a heat exchanger 126 connected to a cold source. This might be a fluid pumped through a ground loop, ambient air, or other source of relative coldness. The condensed water is available at a drain point 121 .
Alternative System Embodiments
[0068] Alternative Condensing Chamber—With Membrane
[0069] FIG. 13 shows a schematic view of an alternative condensing chamber 103 ′. In this version a membrane 130 separates an initial separation region 138 from the actual cold condensing region 132 ′. Rather than direct the recirculating air pattern through the condensing region itself, the recirculation is done in the separation sub-chamber with the path having a sidewall 141 comprising an H 2 O permeable membrane 130 . The recirculation flow 116 ′ is parallel with the length of the membrane rather than being directed to the membrane.
[0070] On the opposite side of the membrane 130 is a sweep region 133 . On the side of the membrane opposite to that abutting recirculating flow, two sweep fans 134 135 direct airflow 140 in parallel to the membrane. The sweep region is a plenum defined by the membrane and a plenum wall 142 . H 2 O molecules will permeate the membrane assisted by the turbulent flows on both sides. However, the other components of the hot moist air will not substantially permeate the membrane. This provides multiple benefits. One is that there is a minimum of mass heat transfer from the hot side of the membrane to the condensing side of the membrane. While it is necessary to cool the H 2 O water vapor to condense it to liquid water, it is desirable that the bulk of the recirculating flow 116 ′ not be cooled since it is being fed back into the main chamber 100 . The main chamber must be kept hot in order to keep the H 2 O in its atmosphere rather than in the desiccant.
[0071] A second benefit of the membrane version is that a partial vacuum is created as the H 2 O expands on the sweep region 133 side of the membrane. This pressure differential further enhances the flow of H 2 O molecules through the membrane. Several materials can be used in the composition of a suitable membrane. One is Nafion. An alternate material that has been successfully tested is a monolithic urethane material, part number PT1700S by Deerfield Urethane. The sweep flow circulates through the sweep region 133 and back through the actual condensing region 132 . There the flow is in communication with the cold source via the heat exchanger 126 ′.
Method of Operation
[0072] FIGS. 14-19 show states, criteria, and steps involved in the operation of the system of FIGS. 10-13 . In FIG. 14 a state diagram illustrates the four major states of the system: Quiescent 260 , Charging 261 , Regenerating 263 and Condensing 262 .
[0073] While in the Quiescent 260 state:
(a) Detection of high moisture content in the ambient air with a remaining water holding capacity of the desiccant subsystem 101 is a condition that will cause a transition 250 to the Charge state 261 . (b) Detection of significant held water in the desiccant subsystem in conjunction with a sufficient source of low-grade heat is a condition that will cause a transition 255 to the Regen state 263 .
[0076] When in the Charge state 261 :
(a) Detection of low moisture content in the ambient air OR a low remaining water holding capacity of the desiccant subsystem is a condition that will cause a transition 251 to the Quiescent state 260 .
[0078] When in Regen state 263 :
(a) Detection of insufficient low-grade energy to efficiently release moisture from the desiccant subsystem will cause a transition 254 to the Quiescent state 260 . (b) Detection of significant held water in the desiccant subsystem in conjunction with a sufficient source of low-grade heat is a condition that will cause a transition 252 to the Condense state 262 .
[0081] When in Condense state 262 :
(a) Detection of insufficient moisture in the main chamber 100 will cause a transition 253 to the Regen state 263 .
[0083] State Transition
[0084] Various conditions detected by logic and system state modeling in the control system 200 cause state transitions. The state transition logic is shown in the state table FIG. 15 .
[0085] The box for the criteria for moving from regeneration to condensing mode 299 requires additional explanation. When using waste heat or split collectors then rather than measuring light sensor for heating conditions this simply measures input of heating fluid.
[0086] Calculated dew point of humidity in the chamber, Z, is based on the calculated dew point, humidity, and temperature of the highest 2-hour average humidity as measured in input air during prior charge period. This is used to calculate a minimum temperature delta between the ambient temperature and the condensing dew point. This is used as the minimum condensing delta. Minimum condensing Delta is increased by a set constant such as 10-degrees F. for each hour regeneration is run, to allow for reduced humidity available in desiccant because of water reclaimed. The adjustment per hour is tuned for local conditions and known over-sizing of desiccant stack. Larger oversized desiccant stack will allow a lower increase per hour while smaller desiccant stacks will require a higher increase per hour.
[0087] Charge Mode
[0088] In FIG. 16 the steps of Charge mode are seen. First, the main intake and exhaust airflow fans or blowers are energized and engaged S 100 S 101 . Then a loop is entered where the temperature sensors and moisture sensors are monitored and the information used to continually update a model of the state of the desiccant subsystem and the relative humidity of the chambers S 102 . Within this loop, the criteria described above regarding causes of state transitions is reevaluated S 103 . If the conditions are such as to cause a transition to the Quiescent state, the main intake and exhaust fans are dis-engaged and the Quiescent state is entered S 104 . If no transition is called for by the conditions, the loop continues.
[0089] Condense Mode
[0090] In FIG. 17 the steps of Condense mode are seen. First the condensing entrance 111 and exit fans 112 are engaged S 120 , and the coolant flow pump 135 to cause cold water to flow through the heat exchanger 126 is engaged S 121 . Then a loop is entered where the temperature sensors and moisture sensors are monitored and the information used to continually update a model of the state of the desiccant subsystem and the relative humidity of the chambers S 122 . Within this loop, the criteria described above regarding causes of state transitions is reevaluated S 123 . If conditions dictate a transition to the Regen state, condensing entrance and exit fans and coolant flow pump are dis-engaged, and the Regen state is entered S 125 . If no transition is called for by the conditions, the loop continues.
[0091] Quiescent Mode
[0092] In FIG. 18 the steps of Quiescent mode are seen. First the all pumps and fans are disengaged S 130 . Any flaps are closed. Then a loop is entered where the temperature sensors and moisture sensors are monitored and the information used to continually update a model of the state of the desiccant subsystem and the relative humidity of the chambers S 131 . Within this loop the criteria described above regarding causes of state transitions is reevaluated S 132 . If the conditions are such as to cause a transition to the Charge state, that state is entered S 133 . If conditions dictate a transition to the Regen state, that state is entered S 134 . If no transition is called for by the conditions, the loop continues.
[0093] Regen Mode
[0094] In FIG. 19 the steps of Regen mode are seen. First, the regeneration, recirculation fan 109 is energized and engaged S 110 . In this same step, the pump 108 is engaged. Then a loop is entered where the temperature sensors and moisture sensors are monitored and the information used to continually update a model of the state of the desiccant subsystem and the relative humidity of the chambers S 112 . Within this loop the criteria described above regarding causes of state transitions is reevaluated S 113 . If the conditions are such as to cause a transition to the Quiescent state, the regeneration fan and hot water pump are dis-engaged and the Quiescent state is entered S 114 . However if conditions dictate a transition to the Condense state, the regeneration fan and hot water pump are dis-engaged and the Condense state is entered S 116 . If no transition is called for by the conditions, the loop continues S 115 .
Further, More Detailed Embodiments
[0095] Although those skilled in the art will understand the materials and techniques used in the design and construction of systems according to these teachings, two specific implementations are described below.
[0096] Split System
[0097] The version diagramed in FIG. 20 is a “split system” in that the subcomponents of the system may be located other than immediately adjacent to each other. Because of this flexibility a wide range of physical embodiments are possible by one skilled in the field. This specific version gets much of its energy input from solar and wind power.
[0098] Solar collectors 275 , possibly located on a roof, are used to create a heated fluid 276 which a circulating pump 277 can bring to a heat exchanger 278 in a chamber with the desiccant stack 279 in a charging mode. Air is pushed in a charging flow 291 by the charge blower 290 from an inlet charge port 280 , through the heat exchanger 278 , and then through the stack out to a roof-mounted passive exhaust fan 281 . A controlled damper 282 opens this path in a charge mode.
[0099] For regeneration, a fan 283 forces airflow 292 through the desiccant stack 279 in a continued loop. As detailed above, regeneration continues until a desired set of conditions causes a mode transition to a condensing mode. In the condensing mode, the regeneration flow path is diverted through a filter 294 into a condensing airflow path 284 . This condensing airflow is caused by the condensing fan 293 . The condensed water goes to a drain 285 and out an outlet 286 . The condensation is promoted by a primary condenser 287 being cooled by a fan 288 . That primary condenser provides a flow of a cold fluid to the heat reclaiming condenser 289 .
[0100] Small Unit with Membrane
[0101] One compact embodiment using a thermoelectric semiconductor 310 is shown in simplified two-dimensional form in FIGS. 21 , 22 , and 23 . Referencing FIG. 21 its structure includes an outer enclosure 314 with several sub-chambers and air conduits 320 . The major sub component with the enclosure include a desiccant stack 309 and a membrane 308 that allows water vapor but not other molecules of the air to pass. In this example, the heating for regeneration and the cooling for condensing are both caused, literally, by two-sides of the same semiconductor. When an electric current flows through the thermoelectric device 310 the by the Peltier effect, one side becomes hot 313 while the opposite side becomes cold 312 . To achieve the compact design an air conduit 320 provides a path from one side of the desiccant stack 309 to the other side of the stack for the regeneration recirculating flow 318 . In these two-dimensional views the conduit appears to bifurcate the stack into two regions. This is not the case. The conduit does not extend across the whole width in the third dimension. Therefore, it does not bifurcate the desiccant stack nor does it block the condensing pathway 315 . The three fans shown include one fan for charging airflow 304 at the exhaust port 322 , a second regeneration-recirculating fan 302 and a condensing mixing fan 303 . A tray 307 at the base of the condensing area 315 provides for the collection of condensed water that can exit the unit out of the water outlet 306 .
[0102] Small Unit Operation
[0103] The charging state is seen in FIG. 21 . The charging exhaust fan 304 is energized. That pulls external air into the inlet, pushing open both the inlet flap 300 and the outlet flap 301 . The charging flow 317 is shown coming in the inlet, flowing through the desiccant stack 309 , around the side of the membrane 308 and past the condensing area. Finally, the charging air flow exits via the exhaust port. Charging leaves the desiccant stack in a water-holding state. The heat pipe does not block the exit flow since it does not extend to fill the space in the third dimension.
[0104] In FIG. 22 , the regeneration flow is diagramed. In this recirculation flow 318 the inlet and outlet flaps 300 301 are closed since the exhaust fan 304 is not energized. However, the recirculating fan 302 is energized. The recirculating flow goes through the desiccant stack 309 , around the membrane and back up a recirculation channel to the air conduit 320 . During this mode the thermoelectric device 310 is energized to heat the recirculating air to pull the stored moisture out of the desiccant stack.
[0105] In FIG. 23 , the condensing flow 319 is shown. In this mode the only energized fan is the condensing mixing fan 303 . Hot, moist air is drawn from the area of the desiccant stack 309 towards one face of the membrane 308 by a partial vacuum initiated by the pump 305 . The water vapor penetrates the membrane but the bulk of the air (and heat) does not. This allows the hot air to remain hot to continue regeneration, while the water proceeds to the condensing area. As the water vapor emerges from the opposite side of the membrane, the partial vacuum is reinforced, further enhancing the “pull” of moisture through the membrane and reducing the work required by the pump. The hot water vapor first passes through an area that provides initial cooling in a passive manner via a heat pipe 311 . The heat pipe extends to the outside of the enclosure 314 . Then the partially cooled water vapor is actively cooled by the cold side 312 of the thermoelectric device 310 . As mentioned above, a shelf 307 holds the condensed water until it is brought out of the unit by action of the pump 305 .
[0106] Those skilled in the art will be aware of materials, techniques and equipment suitable to produce the example embodiments presented as well as variations on the those examples. Alternate materials that can be used for the sheet substrate include: microfiber, woven or nonwoven bamboo, or cotton, or hemp, woven or nonwoven stainless, woven or nonwoven propylene. This teaching is presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting to the forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiments and versions help to explain the principles of the invention, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand it. Various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular application contemplated are expected.
[0107] In the following claims, the words “a” and “an” should be taken to mean “at least one” in all cases, even if the wording “at least one” appears in one or more claims explicitly. The scope of the invention is set out in the claims below. | A composite desiccant material is formed by a porous, absorbent substrate of PVA foam or non-woven fibrous sheet is soaked in a solution of a hygroscopic desiccant such as CaCl. The desiccant is held in pores or fibrous entraining areas sized ranging from 50 microns to 1000 microns. Thin sheets are arranged in a stack in a multi-chamber system, while in an absorption state, uses this stack in a main chamber to absorb H 2 O from atmospheric gas flowing through that chamber. In a regeneration state atmospheric flow is stopped and low-grade energy releases the H 2 O from the desiccant into that chamber. Fans circulate moist air through the main chamber and into an adjacent chamber for H 2 O transfer through or past a partially permeable barrier into a cooling/condensing area. Both H 2 O and dry gas may be produced. | 1 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of medical catheters. In particular, the present invention relates to the field of catheters of the type used for mapping electrical activity within the heart and for ablating cardiac tissue.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are a number of conditions in the heart which necessitate monitoring the cardiac tissue for sources of abnormal electrical activity within the heart and/or which require ablation of tissue within the heart where such sources of electrical activity are located.
Two such conditions are atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Atrial fibrillation is a condition in the heart in which abnormal electrical signals are generated in the endocardial tissue to cause irregular beating of the heart. One method used to treat atrial fibrillation involves creating several long (i.e. approximately 2-10 cm) lesions on the endocardium within the atria. These lesions are intended to stop the irregular beating of the heart by creating barriers between regions of the atria. These barriers halt the passage through the heart of the abnormal currents generated by the endocardium. This procedure is commonly referred to as the "maze procedure" because it creates a maze of lesions design to block the passage of abnormal currents through the heart.
Existing procedures for forming such linear lesions include the highly invasive technique of opening the patient's chest and heart and forming linear incisions inside the atria. Naturally, the highly invasive nature of this procedure makes it a particularly high risk to the patient and necessitates extraordinarily long recovery time.
Other attempts have been made to form the linear lesions using ablation catheters fed into the heart via the patient's vessels (i.e., the arteries or veins). For example, one such procedure involves inserting into the atria a 7 French catheter having an ablation tip. Radio frequency (RF) energy is supplied to the tip as the tip is dragged across the endocardium, thereby burning linear lesions into the endocardium.
While often successful for forming linear lesions, the ablation tip of the catheter can sometimes lift off of the surface of the endocardium as it is dragged across the endocardium, creating one or more breaks in the lesion. Such breaks minimize the success of the ablation procedure by leaving a path through which current may travel during atrial fibrillation episodes.
Ventricular tachycardia is another condition which generates abnormal electrical activity in the heart and which can require ablation of cardiac tissue associated with the abnormal electrical activity. Ablation of tissue for ventricular tachycardia may be performed using RF energy delivered by an electrode positioned at the tip of an ablation catheter. Typically, the lesions formed by the ablation tip must extend deeply into the tissue and so good contact between the tip electrode and the tissue is important.
In patients experiencing atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia, it is often desirable to map the electrical activity of the cardiac tissue in order to determine the location of the irregular electrical activity so that ablation procedures may be carried out at the appropriate location. One type of mapping catheter utilizes an expandable basket, plaque, helix, coil, or other structure positioned at the distal end of a catheter and a plurality of electrodes carried by the expandable structure.
The expandable structure is initially in a collapsed condition and is fed via the patient's vessels into the chamber of the heart which is to be mapped. Once inside the chamber, the expandable structure is released or moved into its expanded condition and it is positioned such that the electrodes are in contact with the cardiac tissue within the chamber. The electrical activity at each electrode site is monitored and maps showing the electrical activity at various points within the chamber may be produced.
As with ablation procedures, better results are achieved during endocardial mapping procedures if the mapping electrodes are securely supported against the endocardial tissue. If insufficient contact is made between the electrodes and the tissue, the electrical activity of the tissue beneath those electrodes will not be properly recorded.
Procedures and devices for ablating and/or mapping endocardial tissue are therefore desired which utilize catheters having sufficient flexibility and maneuverability to allow introduction of the electrodes into the cardiac chamber with minimal tissue trauma, but which hold the mapping and/or ablation electrodes securely against the target tissue which is to be mapped and/or ablated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a shapable catheter device which may be used for mapping and/or ablating endocardial tissue or other body tissue or for other medical procedures. The apparatus includes an elongate catheter having a lumen extending longitudinally through it. A core wire is insertable into the catheter via the lumen. The core wire includes a pre-shaped region which is formed of a superelastic material and which is bent into a predetermined shape.
The catheter includes a proximal section which is sufficiently rigid to straighten the core wire when the core wire is disposed within the proximal section. The catheter also includes a distal section which has significantly greater flexibility than the proximal section.
During use, the catheter is introduced into a body cavity such as a cardiac chamber, and the core wire is inserted into the catheter lumen. As the pre-shaped section of the core wire passes through the proximal section of the catheter, the rigidity of the proximal section causes the pre-shaped region of the core wire to straighten. When the pre-shaped region of the core wire enters the flexible distal section of the catheter, the pre-shaped region of the core wire deforms the distal section of the catheter into the predetermined shape.
In the preferred embodiment, electrodes are carried by the distal section of the catheter. During use, these electrodes are positioned in contact with tissue lining the body cavity and are used to ablate the tissue and/or to map the electrical activity of the tissue.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a shapable catheter according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the catheter of FIG. 1, taken along the plane designated 1--1 in FIG. 1.
FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4 and 5A are side elevation views of four embodiments of core wires according to the present invention.
FIG. 5B is an end view of the spiral core wire of FIG. 5A.
FIG. 5C is an end view of the catheter of FIG. 1 following insertion of the spiral core wire of FIGS. 5A and 5B into the catheter.
FIGS. 6-7 are a series of side elevation views showing insertion of a core wire according to the present invention into the shapable catheter of FIG. 1.
FIG. 8A is a side elevation view showing the catheter of FIGS. 6 and 7 following insertion of the core wire into the catheter.
FIG. 8B is a side elevation view showing the catheter of FIGS. 6 and 7 following insertion of the core wire of FIG. 4 into the catheter.
FIG. 9 is a side elevation of an alternative embodiment of a shapable catheter according the present invention, in which an electrolytic solution is used to create a conductive path between the electrodes and the endocardial tissue.
FIG. 10 is a cross-section view of the catheter shaft of the embodiment of FIG. 9, taken along the plane designated 10--10 in FIG. 9.
FIG. 11 is a cross-section view of the proximal section of the embodiment of FIG. 9, taken along the plane designated 11--11 in FIG. 9.
FIG. 12 is a cross-section view of the proximal section of the embodiment of FIG. 9, taken along the plane designated 12--12 in FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 is a representation of the interior of the heart illustrating the catheter of the present invention when positioned to create a lesion from the inferior vena-cava to the tricuspid valve anulus.
FIG. 14 is a representation of the interior of the heart illustrating the catheter of the present invention when positioned to create a lesion from the superior vena-cava to the tricuspid valve anulus.
FIG. 15 is a representation of the interior of the heart illustrating the catheter of the present invention when positioned to create a lesion from the inferior vena-cava to the superior vena-cava.
FIG. 16 is a representation of the interior of the heart illustrating the catheter of the present invention when positioned transseptally to create a lesion from the atrial septum to the mitral valve anulus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
The present invention is comprised generally of a catheter 10 and a pre-shaped core wire 12 which is receivable within the catheter to cause the catheter to form into the shape of the core wire 12.
Referring to FIG. 1, the catheter 10 is an elongate shaft having a distal section 14 and a proximal section 16. A plurality of electrodes 18 are mounted to the distal section 14. Electrodes 18 may be conventional ring-type electrodes, or spaced conductive strips or bands formed on the surface of the catheter 10. Alternatively, the electrodes may be provided in combination with a electrolytic solution delivery system as will be described with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 9-12.
Catheter 10 includes a tip 20 at its distal end. An additional electrode may be mounted to the tip 20.
Referring to FIG. 2, a plurality of lumens 22 extend longitudinally from the distal section 14 of the catheter 10 to the proximal section 16. Lead wires 24, which are electrically coupled to the electrodes 18, extend through the lumens 22 and terminate at an electrical connector 26 (FIG. 1) located at the distal section 14. Connector 26 is attachable to an energy source, such as Model 8002 RF Generator which is available from Cardiac Pathways Corporation, Sunnyvale, Calif., for delivering energy to the electrodes. Connector 26 may alternatively or additionally be connectable to an endocardial mapping system such as Model 8100 Arrhythmia Mapping System available from Cardiac Pathways Corp., Sunnyvale, Calif.
A center lumen 28 also extends longitudinally through the catheter 10, preferably along the central axis of the catheter. During use, the core wire 12 is passed through the center lumen 28 as will be described in detail below. At the catheter's proximal end, center lumen 28 opens into a port 30 through which the core wire 12 is inserted during use.
The center lumen 28 may have a circular crosssection as shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, both the center lumen 28 and the core wire 12 may have oblong cross-sections (see, for example, core wire 12c and lumen 28a in FIG. 10) to prevent rotation of the core wire within the lumen 28 during use. Such elongate cross-sections are further useful in that they allow for preferential bending of the catheter. In other words, referring to FIG. 10, the oblong cross-section of the catheter 10a allows bending of the catheter to be effectively limited to be across a preferential bending plane, i.e., across long sides 48 of the catheter 10a.
Catheter 10 is preferably constructed of a thermoplastic polymer, polyamid ether, polyurethane or other material having similar properties. A stainless steel braid (not shown) is preferably embedded in the wall of the main shaft by means conventionally known in the art. The inclusion of the braid improves the torque characteristics of the catheter 10 and thus makes the catheter easier to maneuver through a patient's vessels and heart.
The material forming the distal section 14 of the catheter 10 is selected to have a sufficiently low durometer or hardness (e.g., approximately 25-50 Shore D) to permit the distal section 14 to be highly flexible. In contrast, the proximal section 16 is formed of a higher durometer material (e.g., approximately 55-80 Shore D) and thus is fairly rigid.
Referring to FIG. 3A, core wire 12 is an elongate wire formed of a superelastic material such as Nitinol. Core wire 12 includes a pre-shaped section 32, preferably at its distal end. The pre-shaped section 32 may have the C-curve shown in FIG. 3A, or it may have one of numerous other shapes including the Z- or S-curve of the core wire 12a of FIG. 4, the spiral shape of the core wire 12b of FIGS. 5A and 5B, or the J-curve of the core wire 12d of FIG. 3B.
When a core wire such as core wire 12 is introduced into the catheter 10 via port 30 as shown in FIG. 6, core wire 12 is initially straightened by the rigidity of proximal section 16 as illustrated in FIG. 7. As the core wire 12 passes into distal section 14, it is unrestricted by the flexible material of the distal section 14. The characteristics of the superelastic core wire material thus cause the unrestricted core wire to return to its pre-formed shape and to cause the distal section 14 of the catheter 10 to take the shape of the core wire. See, e.g., FIGS. 8A and 5C.
Thus, the shape of the core wire is selected based on its suitability for the procedure for which the catheter 10 is to be used. During use, core wires 12 and 12a (FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4, 8A, and 8B) can cause the catheter 10 to lay along the atrial wall of the heart to create a linear lesion. Spiral core wire 12b (FIGS. 5A and 5B) forms the catheter into a planar mapping plaque (FIG. 5C) which may be positioned into contact with the endocardium for mapping. Innumerable planar or non-planar core wire shapes may be used without exceeding the scope of the present invention.
Use of the shapable catheter 10 according to the present invention will next be described.
First, catheter 10 is inserted through a patient's vasculature to position distal section 14 within the cardiac chamber in which mapping or ablation is to be performed. Introduction of the catheter through the vasculature may be facilitated by first introducing a superelastic guiding core wire, such as core 112 shown in FIG. 6A, into the catheter 10. Guiding core 112 preferably has a small hook 132 at its distal end. This causes the distal portion 14 of the catheter 10 to substantially conform to the shape of the guiding core 112, thereby placing a small bend in the distal end of the catheter. This small bend is useful in preventing the catheter from passing into small side vessels and from catching on structures within the heart during its introduction into the heart.
Once the distal portion 14 of the catheter is situated within the desired chamber of the heart, guiding core 112 is withdrawn. Next, a core wire such as core wire 12 is selected, with the selected core wire shape depending on the region of the heart to be mapped or treated. The selected core wire 12 is inserted into center lumen 28, causing the distal section 14 to assume the pre-formed shape of the core wire 12.
The distal section 14 is positioned, preferably under fluoroscopy, against the tissue so that the electrodes 18 make contact with the target cardiac tissue. FIGS. 13-16 illustrate examples of catheter positions within the heart which may be achieved after a selected core wire has been inserted into the catheter and the catheter positioned against the target cardiac tissue. For example, a hook-shaped or J-shaped core wire such as core wire 12d of FIG. 3B may be inserted partially (FIG. 13) or fully (FIG. 14) into the catheter to give the catheter a shape that is useful for forming lesions from the inferior vena-cava to the tricuspid valve anulus (FIG. 13) or from the superior vena-cava to the tricuspid valve anulus (FIG. 14). Alternatively, the core wire 12a of FIG. 4 may be utilized as shown in FIG. 15 to shape the catheter for forming lesions from the inferior vena-cava to the superior vena-cava, or a core having an approximately 90° bend may be utilized as shown in FIG. 16 for creating a lesion from the atrial septum to the mitral valve anulus.
An RF generator and/or a mapping system is connected to the catheter 10 via connector 26, and a mapping and/or ablation procedure is performed.
Once the procedure is completed, the core wire 12 is removed from the catheter 10. The rigid proximal section 16 of the catheter 10 temporarily straightens the core wire 12 into the condition shown in FIG. 7 as the core wire is withdrawn, thus facilitating removal of the core wire.
One significant advantage of the subject invention is that multiple core wires of differing shapes may be used during a single procedure. This allows the physician the ability to change the geometry of the catheter 10 without having to remove the catheter from the heart and to re-insert a new catheter through the patient's vasculature. Instead, the physician may remove first core wire 12 from the catheter 10, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 8A., following an ablation and/or mapping procedure, and then replace it with a second core wire, such as core wire 12a, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 8B, to re-shape the catheter 10. The re-shaped catheter 10 is positioned into contact with the endocardium and a second mapping and/or ablation procedure is performed.
Alternative Embodiment
FIGS. 9-12 show an alternative catheter 10a according to the present invention which utilizes an electrode configuration in which an electrolytic solution is used to create a conductive path between the electrodes and the endocardial tissue. This configuration is particularly useful for creating transmural linear lesions during the "maze procedure." Catheters utilizing electrode configurations of this type are described and claimed in pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/611,656, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LINEAR LESION ABLATION, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Referring to FIG. 9, catheter 10a includes distal and proximal sections 14a, 16a which are made of materials similar to those used for the catheter 10 of the embodiment of FIG. 1. Lumens 22a and core wire lumen 28a (FIGS. 10 and 11) extend longitudinally through catheter shaft 11a. The lumen 22a are fluidly coupled to fluid ports 36 (FIG. 9) located at proximal section 16a. A core wire 12c is insertable into the core wire lumen 28a as described with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 1.
Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, a deformable member (or "foam layer") 38 is formed in an eccentric configuration at the distal section of catheter 11a such that it is thicker on one side of the catheter 10a than it is on the other side. During use, the side of the distal section having the thick region of foam is positioned against the target tissue which is to be ablated. Foam layer 38 is formed of open cell polyurethane, cotton-like material, open-cell sponge, hydrogels, or other foam-like materials or materials which are permeable by conductive fluids and which exhibit some compressibility. The foam layer need not be segmented but it has been found that RF energy is more effectively channeled to the cardiac tissue by providing the foam in segments rather than in a continuous piece.
Foam layer 38 is enclosed within a fluid impermeable covering 40 which includes a plurality of tiny holes 42. Covering 40 is preferably formed of heat shrink polyethylene, silicone, or other polymeric materials and is preferably held in place by heating its ends to cause the heat shrink material to melt onto the catheter shaft. Covering 40 may also be a dip coating formed on the foam surface.
Holes 42 in the covering 40 may be formed only in the side of the covering at which the foam 38 is thickest. This helps to focus the RF energy onto the target tissue within the heart.
Holes 44 extend from fluid lumen 22a through the catheter shaft 11a to the foam layer 38. The holes 44 are located at the side of the catheter 10a at which the thickened foam region is located to permit the flow of conductive fluid from the fluid lumen 22a to the foam 38 and then through the holes 40 in the covering.
Rather than utilizing ring electrodes of the type described above, the alternative embodiment utilizes conductive wires 24a or flat conductive ribbons, each of which is covered by an insulated coating. Exposed electrode regions 18a (FIG. 12) that are stripped of insulative material are spaced along the portion of the wires 24a that is located within the distal section 14a.
During use, the distal section of the catheter 10a is positioned adjacent to the body tissue which is to be ablated. RF energy is delivered to the electrodes while saline or other conductive fluid is simultaneously delivered through the lumen 22a. The conductive fluid passes the electrodes 18a within the lumen 22a. It further flows via holes 44 through the foam 38 and through the holes 42 in the covering into contact with the body tissue, thereby improving the coupling of the RF energy from the electrodes to the tissue and improving the efficiency of the ablation of the tissue. Use of the shapable aspects of the catheter 10a is the same as that described with respect to the catheter 10a of FIG. 1 and need not be repeated.
Two embodiments of shapable catheters and three embodiments of shapable catheter core wires have been described herein. It should be appreciated, however, that these embodiments have been given by way as example and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although mapping and ablation have been given as exemplary applications of the present invention, the scope of the present invention is not limited to those applications, as the shapable catheter described herein is suitable for use in other medical applications as well. | In a shapable catheter and method for positioning a shapable catheter within a body cavity, a core wire is provided which includes a pre-shaped region bent into a predetermined shape. A catheter is provided which includes a lumen proportioned to slidably receive the core wire. The catheter includes a rigid proximal section and a flexible distal section. During use, the distal end of the catheter is inserted through a patient's vasculature and is passed into a body cavity. The pre-shaped region of the core wire is passed into the lumen and is straightened by the rigid proximal section of the catheter. The pre-shaped region is passed further into the catheter until it reaches the flexible distal region, in which the pre-shaped section re-assumes its predetermined shape and causes the core wire to form the distal section of the catheter into the predetermined shape. The distal section of the catheter is positioned in contact with tissue in the body cavity, and electrodes carried by the distal end are used to map and/or ablate the tissue. | 0 |
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The subject matter of this application relates to the subject matter set forth in pending U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 07/547,060, entitled "Graphic Animation System and Method," filed on Jun. 29, 1990 by Pierre-Alain Cotte, et al.; Ser. No. 07/546,916, entitled "Methods and Means for Manipulating Pixel Data," filed on Jun. 29, 1990 by Pierre-Alain Cotte, et al.; Ser. No. 07/546,712, entitled "Memory Structure and Method for Managing Pixel Data," filed on Jun. 29, 1990 by Pierre-Alain Cotte et al.; Ser. No. 07/546,915, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Binary Value Modification by a Percentage," filed on Jun. 29, 1990 by Thierry Mantopoulos; Ser. No. 07/547,023 entitled "Phase Locked Loop," filed on Jun. 29, 1990 by Thierry Mantopoulos and Fabrice Quinard; Ser. No. 07/547,026, entitled "Video Synchronization Generator and Method," filed on Jun. 29, 1990 by Fabrice Quinard; and Ser. No. 07/547,024, entitled "Bus Structure and Method for Compiling Pixel Data with Priorities," filed on Jun. 29, 1990 by Thierry Mantopoulos and Fabrice Quinard, incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND AND FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to video displays and more particularly to a video buffer system and method for selectively altering the pixels in memory that are displayed.
Traditionally, pixel data stored in a memory such as a Video Random Access Memory (VRAM) is scanned out of memory on a line-by-line basis for display on a raster-type display screen on a corresponding line-by-line basis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, each line of pixel data that is accessed from a VRAM is selectively stored in a First-In, First-Out (FIFO) buffer memory under selective write controls. In addition, the pixel data stored in the FIFO Buffer may be selectively read out for display under selective control in order to alter the display of the stored data.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram illustrating video data compression through the FIFO, in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a timing diagram illustrating video data expansion through the FIFO, in accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a block schematic diagram of one embodiment of the present invention in which a standard VRAM 9 is coupled to a standard FIFO buffer 11 for accessing lines of pixel data from the VRAM 9 to store in the FIFO buffer 11. Devices of this type are commercially available as devices which operate in response to clock input signals (not shown). In addition, the FIFO buffer 11 also responds to read and write signals 10, 12 applied thereto from Random Access Memory (RAM) 13 that also receives an input signal 15 indicative of the pixel number being accessed either from the VRAM 9 for selective writing into the FIFO buffer, or from the FIFO buffer 11 for selective reading to the output converter circuit 17. The FIFO buffer 11 may be as wide as a line of bytes of displayable pixel data (typically, 640 to 768 bytes), and one line deep. Thus, as successive lines of pixel data (each pixel containing, for example, 8 bits of color information) are accessed from successive addressed locations in the VRAM 9, a write signal 12 may be applied to the FIFO buffer 11 under control from RAM 13 to enable (or not enable) the particular pixel data to be written into the FIFO 11. As illustrated in the graph of FIG. 2, the alternate numbered blocks of pixel data 19 may be selected for storage in FIFO 11 in response to write signals 21, 23, 25, thereby resulting in horizontal compression of the image to be displayed. Of course, other ones of successive blocks of pixel data accessed from the VRAM 9 may also be selected, including aperiodic block selections, each third block, a burst of successive blocks, and the like. The intermediate storage operation of FIFO buffer 11 delays the display of the selected pixel data until the time interval of the next display line, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In the graph, a read signal is illustrated as occurring at each interval corresponding to a block of pixel data in the FIFO buffer 11. In this operating mode, each block of pixel data from the VRAM 9 that was selected to be written into the FIFO buffer 11 is thus read out 27 of the buffer 11 into the output converter 17 which may, for example, include a Digital-to-Analog (D/A) converter for producing the display-driving signal 20 in conventional manner.
With reference to the graph of FIG. 3, there is shown an alternate operating mode in which each successive block of pixel data that is accessed from the VRAM 9 is written 29 into the FIFO buffer 11. In addition, and independently of the write mode, the read mode may be operated at a slower rate to duplicate selected blocks of pixel date and thereby create an expanded image on the display. As shown, each block of pixel data may be read out twice 31 from the FIFO buffer to create a `zoom` effect on the displayed image by a factor of two. Similarly, each block of pixel data may be read out three or four or M times to produce corresponding zoom effects by factors of three, four, and M, respectively. Of course, an active line of pixel data stored in the VRAM may also be accessed repeatedly a corresponding number of times to create uniform `zoom` effect both horizontally (by repeated pixels) and vertically (by repeated lines). The read and write control signals 10, 12 for selecting which blocks of accessed pixel data are stored in the FIFO buffer 11, and the number of times each stored block is read out from the FIFO buffer 11 is controlled by data stored in RAM 13 which may be updated by a microprocessor 33 and controlled by an address generator 34 that also supplies addresses 35 to the VRAM 9 to control which lines of pixel data are accessed.
Therefore, the system and method of the present invention selectively alters pixel data per line of raster-type display, and selectively modifies the displayable data to create zoom effects under control of intermediate buffer memory. | The system and method of forming a display from a sequence of blocks of pixel data includes intermediate storage of selected blocks of pixel data in sequence for subsequent selective access in the stored sequence. One or more accesses to a given block of pixel data from intermediate storage provides zoom expansion or compression of displayable images represented by the blocks of pixel data. | 6 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to techniques for testing soils, and particularly, to techniques for preparing the surface of a region of soil for further testing.
2. Background Art
It is often important to determine, for example, at least by estimate, the resistance of a soil to liquefaction, the degradation characteristics of a soil, the dynamic shear modulus of a soil at low levels of shear deformation, and the variation in the dynamic shear modulus of a soil with shear deformation. Liquefaction is the total loss of the stiffness and strength of a saturated soil caused by increased pore water pressure which can result from cyclic loading. Degradation is the reduction in stiffness also due to the buildup of pore water pressure caused by cyclic loading. Degradation may or may not lead to liquefaction depending upon the type and state of the soil. Generally, the shear modulus of a soil is a function of shearing deformation. For example, most soils show reduced stiffness with increasing deformation under monotonically increasing loading.
Commonly, these properties, as well as others, are necessary for analysis which predicts the response of a site or foundation structure system to dynamic loading caused by earthquakes, ocean waves or mechanical vibrations. Conventionally, these properties have been determined by conducting laboratory tests on samples recovered from a site or by in situ field tests.
Laboratory testing of soil samples suffers from a number of problems. Particularly, the acts of recovering a sample, transporting it to a laboratory, and preparing the sample for a test, can so disturb a sample from its original state as to render questionable any test results obtained therefrom. In addition, it is often difficult to reproduce the original field environment (state of stress) of the sample because it is often difficult and costly to define the environment and because typical laboratory test apparatus are limited in their ability to reproduce environmental conditions. Therefore, laboratory tests are subject to error due to their failure to precisely account for environmental considerations. Safely accounting for the affects of these disturbances and the inability to maintain or reproduce existing environmental conditions in the laboratory may lead to excessively costly structures.
There are a variety of devices and means that are used to collect data, such as that referenced above, from a given soil sample during in situ testing. For example, a closed ended probe may be (1) penetrated into the ground at a controlled slow rate, thus simulating static noncyclic loading, but at the same time introducing severe failure into the local soil, or (2) driven into the ground by violent impacts, thereby causing severe and immediate failure of the soil adjacent to the cylinder. Also, as disclosed in one embodiment of applicants' U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,899, an open ended cylindrical device, with an inner cylinder that is rotated by an impulse or by an oscillatory motion, can also be used to collect the above referenced data. However, irrespective of the devices used to derive the sample to be tested, the test results may be affected by the disturbance of the soil due to the initial drilling of the borehole. The influence of the disturbance of the soil due to initial drilling of the borehole could have a significant impact on any measured data obtained.
The accuracy and consistency of the results of soil testing can be improved through the use of the present method and apparatus for preparing the surface of the soil prior to testing. In particular, the present invention, by lessening the soil disturbance in the area adjacent the soil sample, reduces uncertainties present with prior data accumulation methods and devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of preparing the surface of a region of soil that is to undergo further soil testing includes the initial step of drilling a borehole with an auger, or like device, having a removable nose cone section. The method further includes the steps of inserting a soil removal apparatus into the auger body which is then used to gradually trim and remove the soil at the bottom of the borehole in a controlled manner as it is gradually advanced in a downward direction. This gradual and controlled trimming of the soil results in a substantially smooth surface that is essentially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the auger body. That surface is thereby adapted to receive a variety of testing instruments to measure desired soil parameters or sampling instruments to recover samples for further laboratory testing.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a soil removal apparatus is provided to prepare the surface of a sample. A trimming tool removes the soil existing at the bottom of the initial borehole in a controlled manner as it is gradually advanced in a downward direction by a hydraulic cylinder. This device provides a controllable and gradual means for removing the soil that has been disturbed due to the initial drilling. Furthermore, when the device is used, it can provide a substantially flat and level surface for further testing and enables the testing to be performed on a sample that has suffered very minimal disturbance. By providing such a sample, the test data will be more representative of actual soil conditions.
The method and apparatus of the present invention is directed towards improving the accuracy of measurements of various soil properties by reducing the effects of the localized disturbance of the soil caused by the initial drilling process. By use of the method and apparatus of this invention, more accurate and more consistent data can be obtained, thereby resulting in better structural designs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of the drilling of an initial borehole by means of an auger with a removable nose cone;
FIG. 1B is a partial, cross-sectional view of the auger with one embodiment of the soil removal device of the present invention installed therein;
FIG. 1C is a partial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention extended into the ground during trimming operations;
FIG. 1D is a partial cross-sectional view of a casing after trimming operations have been completed, the soil removal device has been removed from the hole, and a probe has been penetrated into the soil below the casing.
FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the components of one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a coupling useful with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the trimming tool of the present invention; and
FIGS. 5A and 5B are cut away views of the lower portion of the trimming tool, shown in FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters are used for like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 2 depicts a soil removal apparatus 5 that comprises a hydraulic cylinder 7, a coupling 9, a trimming tool 11, and a casing 13.
As shown in FIG. 3, the shaft 39 from the hydraulic cylinder 7 may be connected to the motor housing 19 of trimming tool 11 by means of a coupling 9. The shaft 39 is connected to coupling 9 by threaded connection 70. In particular, the coupling 9 consists of upper flange 44 having rod extension 48 formed thereon, said rod extension 48 connected to ball 50 by means of threaded connection 52. The ball 50 is secured to motor housing 19 by means of a retaining ring 54 which is connected to motor housing 19 by threaded connections 56. A plurality of springs 47 and a flexible dust boot 49 are disposed around the circumference of the coupling 9 and the motor housing 19. In operation, the trimming tool 11 is free to rotate on the ball 50, thereby providing a means of accommodating misalignment between shaft 39 and vertical axis of trimming tool 11. Other commonly available coupling mean for connecting a shaft to another object may be used in place of the illustrated coupling.
Referring to FIG. 4, the trimming tool 11 comprises a variable speed motor 21 disposed in a motor housing 19 having shaft 23 with hole 24 drilled therethrough. The motor 21 can be an electric or hydraulic motor. The motor 21 is mounted in motor housing 19 by means of a plurality of threaded connectors 26. A rotary seal 51 is provided between shaft 23 and motor housing 19. Additionally, a stationary seal 53 is provided between the motor 21 and the motor housing in the area adjacent the threaded connections 26. The motor housing 19 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed external vanes 28 that are disposed within grooves 30 in casing 13. The vanes provide a means for preventing rotation of casing 13 when the motor 21 is actuated and causes movement of tool housing 25. Additionally, or alternatively, vanes and grooving could be provided on the motor and auger housing to rotationally secure the motor housing to the auger.
Additionally, wear bands 61 and wiper seals 63 are attached to tool housing 25. The wear bands 61 and wiper seals 63 provide for a friction fit between casing 13 and tool housing 25. This friction fit is sufficient to hold casing 13 to the tool housing 25 as the soil removal apparatus 5 is lowered into the auger body 1 during the initial steps of trimming the soil as provided for by this invention. Additionally, or alternatively, hydraulically actuated latches or clamps could be used to hold casing 13 to the tool housing 25 or motor housing 19.
The motor housing 19 has several connections for various utilities. In particular, there is a water inlet 35, an inlet for electrical or hydraulic power supply to the motor 21, and a water outlet 34 for pumping excess water from the area adjacent the trimming operations to the surface for disposal thereof. The water or fluid introduced into circulating fluid hose assembly 27 from the surface, flows through water inlet 35, channel 46 formed in motor housing 19, and through the opening 24 in motor shaft 23.
As will be apparent from observation of the drawings, the tool housing 25 is attached to the lower end of shaft 23 by means of a nut 29. The tool housing 25 is disposed within casing 13. The circulating fluid hose assembly 27 is connected to shaft 23 by means of a fitting 31. Additionally, a water passage 35 is extended and disposed adjacent shaft 23. The tool casing 25 also contains a plurality of openings 38 which allow excess ground water, or the like, in the lower compartment 40 to escape via means of water passage 35. There is also provided a plurality of openings 42 in casing 13 to avoid fluid pressure buildup or to allow fluid, such as ground water, or the like, to flood the annular space between tool housing 25 and casing 13, thus ensuring that the area adjacent trimming blade 39 remains flooded. The tool housing 25 is also provided with a lower plate 45 through which the various components of the circulating fluid hose assembly 27 penetrate. There is also a bottom plate 41 formed in tool housing 25 having a trimming blade 39 attached thereto. Immediately above plate 41 is collection head 43 to which circulating fluid hose assembly 27 is connected. It should be noted that, in lieu of said trimming blade 39, a roller or other like attachment could be affixed to tool housing 25, thus providing a very slow and controlled rate of removal of the soil immediately above the sample to be tested.
The trimming blade 39, attached to plate 41, extends across approximately one half of the diameter of the tool housing 25. The angle of the blade 39 relative to the soil surface is dependent upon the existing soil conditions of each particular application. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the blade is dispose 45 degrees relative to the surface of the soil to be sampled. However, the present invention is not considered to be limited to any particular angulation of the trimming blade. The trimming blade 39 may be made integral with plate 41 or it may be attached by bolting or the like.
As will be apparent, when electrical or hydraulic power is supplied to motor 21, shaft 23 will rotate thus causing tool housing 25 and trimming blade 39, to rotate in the same direction.
The controlled rotation of trimming blade 39, coupled with the gradual advance of the casing 13 and tool housing 25 provided by the hydraulic cylinder 7, provides a readily controllable means for gradual removal of the soil that is in contact with trimming blade 39. As trimming blade 39 rotates, the particles of soil removed thereby are carried away by the water or drilling fluids circulating through circulating fluid hose assembly 27. In operation, some of the removed soil will remain entrained in the water within the lower compartment 40. However, most of the soil particles will collect on the upper surface of plate 45 in tool housing 25.
It is envisioned that a trimming tool 11 with circulating fluid hose assembly 27, which is used to remove particles resulting from the trimming operations, will be used in environments in which the soil to be sampled is very wet or even below the existing water table. For dry environments, such as would be encountered in the desert regions of Arizona or the like, a slight modification to the present invention is shown in FIG. 5B, wherein the soil that is dislodge as a result of the trimming operations is removed by means of a vacuum system. In particular, as shown in FIG. 5B, a vacuum hose 65 is used in lieu of the circulating fluid hose assembly 27 shown in FIG. 5. The vacuum hose assembly in turn is connected to shaft 23 and collection head 43. It will be apparent that in operation the vacuum system accomplishes the same purpose as the circulating fluid and hose assembly 27, i.e., it removes the particles resulting from the trimming operations. The source of the vacuum can be a vacuum pump (not shown), or like device, located on the surface.
One method for using the soil removal apparatus 5 is shown in FIGS. 1A through 1D. In particular, as shown in FIG. 1A, a borehole is drilled using an auger 1 having a wireline retrievable nose cone 3 which is removed upon drilling the initial borehole to a desired depth. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1B, the soil removal apparatus 5 is inserted into the auger body 1, and secured thereto via hydraulic clamps 2 that attach to the hydraulic cylinder 7. The hydraulic clamps 2 are disposed within, and attached to, auger body 1. After the soil removal apparatus 5 is lowered to the proper position within the auger body, the hydraulic clamps 2 are actuated from the surface so as to engage soil removal apparatus 5, thus securing the apparatus for further operations. In normal operation, the auger body may remain in place after the initial drilling of the borehole. However, the auger may also be removed from the borehole and reinserted, or a separate cylinder may be inserted into the borehole after the initial drilling operations.
As shown in FIG. 1C and 4, the hydraulic cylinder 7 is actuated so as to gradually push the trimming tool 11 and casing 13 downwardly as the motor 21, within trimming tool 11, causes rotation of trimming blade 39 about the axis of the hole. This operation gradually trims or scrapes the top layer of soil as the trimming tool is advanced downwardly. The soil dislodged by the trimming operation is removed through the circulating fluid hose assembly 27. The fluid circulating through the circulating fluid hose assembly 27 may be water or any commonly used drilling fluid or mud. The fluid may be introduced from the surface through water inlet 35. This operation is continued until the desired depth is reached. As shown in FIG. 2, the cable and hoses 4, that are used to provide the necessary utilities for operation of the device, are loosely coiled around hydraulic cylinder 7, thereby allowing the downward movement of trimming tool 11.
Thereafter, the soil removal apparatus 5 may be removed from the auger body 1 while the casing 13 remains in place, resulting in the configuration shown in FIG. 1D. FIG. 1D also shows a sensing tool 14, such as that previously described by the applicants in their U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,899, which patent is hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not to be limited by the particular sensing tool or device that is used after the testing surface has been prepared.
It should also be understood that the hydraulic cylinder 7, as shown in FIG. 2, is not the only means of gradually pushing the trimming tool 11 downwardly. Rather, the downward force could be provided by devices such as a pneumatic cylinder or an electric motor with an advancing screw actuated, by use of a gear connected to the shaft of said motor. The downward force could also be provided by a device anchored on the surface of the ground with an appropriate rod extension to contact coupling 9 of the present invention. | A method and apparatus for preparing the surface of a region of soil for further testing involves the gradual removal of soil disturbed during the drilling of a borehole. An initial hole may be bored with an auger having a removable nose cone, then a trimming tool may be pushed into the borehole and rotated so as to gradually and controllably remove the soil as the tool is advanced. This removal of the soil portion disturbed during drilling results in the preparation for testing of a soil sample which is less affected by the drilling operation itself and therefore more representative of the actual soil conditions. | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an arrangement for stretching thermoplastic fibers of synthetic polymers, especially polypropylene, polyester or polyamide, for producing high strength yarns.
It is known that for obtaining the desired mechanical properties of synthetic fibers, a stretching is required. The optimal stretching must be performed with as high as possible stretching ratio in a narrowly limited temperature interval. By the stretching, energy is supplied to the fibers. The magnitude of the energy depends on the stretching ratio and the stretching force. The fibers are heated due to the supplied energy. The stretching ratio must be limited to a value at which the heating produces no temperature increase which can lead to a reduction of the strength of the fibers and thereby to fiber breakage.
For providing higher stretching ratios, stretching arrangements have been developed in which the fibers passes several successive stretching zones. In the stretching zone which is adjacent to the stretching mechanism the stretching force acting in the fiber reaches its maximal value. In direction to the delivery mechanism, or in other words in direction which is opposite to the fiber running direction, the stretching force reduces in a stepped manner. Thus, the stretching is performed, with the exception of the last stretching zone, with reducing stretching force. Thereby with the same stretching ratio, less energy is introduced. This means that the higher stretching ratios are possible without tearing off the fibers.
In the German document DE-AS No. 1,950,743 additional rollers are arranged between the delivery mechanism and the stretching mechanism. They act as separating members between the successive stretching zones. Each roller is provided with a drive and has a peripheral speed at which a slippage is produced between the roller and the fiber. When the peripheral speed of the roller is slower than the fiber speed at the contact point or when it is opposite to the fiber speed, the friction force acts between the roller and the fiber so as to reduce the stretching force. In other words, the stretching force upstream of the roller is smaller than downstream of the same. The value of the stretching force depends on the relative speed between the fiber and the roller and on the surface property of the roller. The roller can serve as a heating or cooling element as well. In this known arrangement it is very difficult to adjust the desired sliding friction force and to maintain it permanently during the operation. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that during the sliding friction the fiber is loaded mechanically. A further disadvantage is the unavoidable friction heat which leads to a temperature increase and to reduction of the strength of the fiber.
The German document DE-OS No. 3,540,181 discloses a stretching arrangement in a heated water bath with three axes-parallel deviating bars which preferably are not rotatable. The fibers surround the deviating bars at alternating sides in a zig-zag shape. Due to the grouped support of the bars, the number of the effective deviating bars and the angle of wrap can be changed. In this manner, the number of the stretching zones and the stepping of the stretching force is varied. In this arrangement also it is difficult to maintain the sliding friction force permanent in the operation. A disadvantage of this arrangement is also that the available temperature region is limited here by the dew point of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,192 describes a stretching arrangement with three rotatable rotation bodies arranged at short distances near one another and formed as deviating elements. They also can be heated. The axes of the rotation elements can be slightly inclined relative to one another. At least one of both rotation element is conical while the increase of its radius is performed in the axial direction in form of small steps. The second rotation element can also be conical, and also it can be composed of a series of rollers which are located near one another and loosely sit on an axle. The fiber surrounds both rotation elements in several helical-like convolutions and moves in direction of the increased radius of the cone. The fiber lies without slippage on the conical surface and is stretched at each revolution to a predetermined value corresponding to the increase of the radius. Therefore, a uniform stepped stretching without the sliding friction is insured. What is not insured, however, is an optimal stepping of the stretching force.
The Swiss Pat. No. 284,352 describes a stretching arrangement with at least one deviating element located between the delivery mechanism and the stretching mechanism and formed for example as a heated roller so as to deviate the fiber by at least 90° from the straight line. Due to the deviation the structure of the treatment product is loosened so that the flow takes place immediately afterwards. In this manner it must be ensured that the stretching is performed always at the same place, namely on the deviating element. A subdivision of the stretching process into several stretching zones with different stretching force is not provided and cannot provided in this arrangement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for stretching thermoplastic fibers of synthetic polymers which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of the above mentioned type in which, while avoiding sliding friction, an exact stepping of the stretching force along the fiber path between the delivery mechanism and the stretching mechanism can be obtained with high stretching ratio.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in an arrangement for stretching thermoplastic fibers of synthetic polymers, particularly of polypropylene, polyester or polyamide for producing high strength yarns, which has a delivery mechanism, a stretching mechanism, a plurality of heated rollers arranged between these mechanism for deviating the fiber and applying to the fiber a force opposite to a fiber movement, wherein the rollers are not driven but are provided with a brake.
In contrast to the arrangement disclosed in the above mentioned German reference DE-AS 1,950,743, the braking is here achieved not by the sliding friction (i.e. Kenatic friction) between the thread and the roller, but instead the fiber is held by adhesive slippage-free friction (i.e., static friction) on a roller engaging with the brake. Thereby the disadvantages of the sliding friction are eliminated. A great advantage of the invention is that the braking force is exactly adjustable and, when compared with the sliding friction between the thread and the roller, is variable in a considerably wider region. From above it is limited by the requirement that no slippage must take place between the fiber and the roller.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention three or six rollers can be provided with the brakes. This insures a multi-stage reduction of the stretching force, and the provision of the six rollers is preferable.
Still another feature of the present invention is that there are additional non-braked rollers in the inventive arrangement. The additional non-braked rollers provide for the possibility of influencing the fiber temperature inside the individual stretching zones. The rollers can be arranged so that a non-braked roller can be located between two rollers provided with brakes.
At least one roller provided with the brake can be coupled with at least another roller, and the roller arranged downstream can have the same or almost insignificantly higher surface speed than that of the other roller. In this case the fiber passes between two rollers through a zone without elongation.
The rollers can have parallel axes or can be arranged in a zig-zag manner. This provides for a simplicity and good accessibility of the individual rollers.
The arrangement can be provided with two axles inclined relative to one another and carrying at least two rollers on each of them. Such arrangement is especially space economical.
The brake can be formed as an eddy current-hysteresis or as a fluid whirl brake. Also, the rollers can be provided with any suitable brakes.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of an arrangement for stretching fibers of synthetic polymers in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a side view, partially sectioned, of a part of another arrangement for stretching thermoplastic fibers in accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The arrangement shown in FIG. 1 includes a delivery mechanism and a stretching mechanism 2, as well as a plurality of several non-driven independently rotatable rollers 4 and 5 arranged in a housing 3. The housing 3 is filled with air, steam or another gaseous medium. An inlet double unit 6 is provided before the delivery mechanism 1 and includes an inlet roller 7 and a separating roller 8. The delivery mechanism 1 and the stretching mechanism 2 are each composed of two substantially axes-parallel rollers 9, 10 and 11, 12. The delivery mechanism 1 and the stretching mechanism 2 are coupled with a not shown drive. The drive operates for maintaining a constant ratio of the number of revolutions, in accordance with which the peripheral speed of the rollers 11, 12 of the stretching mechanism 2 corresponding to the desired stretching ratio is higher than the peripheral speed of the rollers 9, 10 of the delivery mechanism 1.
The rollers 4 are arranged near the bottom of the housing 3 so that their axes lie parallel to one another in a horizontal plane. The axial distance between the neighboring rollers 4 is substantially equal to the double diameter of the rollers. The rollers 5 are correspondingly arranged near the top of the housing 3. They are offset relative to the rollers 4 by respective distances so that the connecting line of the axes of all rollers 4 and 5 have a zig-zag shaped course. The rollers 4 and 5 are heated. Each roller can be provided for example with an individual heating device in its interior in a conventional manner. The rollers can be also heated indirectly so that a heated gas passes through the interior of the housing 3 or the housing 3 is provided with not shown heating members.
The rollers 4 can be supported in a low friction manner for example by roller bearings. The rollers 5 can also be supported in a friction-free manner and moreover each provided with a brake 13. Suitable brakes in this case can be for example eddy current-hysteresis brakes or fluid whirl brakes available on the market with an adjustable braking moment.
A fiber 15 supplied in direction of the arrow 14 surrounds the inlet double unit 6 in several convolutions and then the heating rollers 9 and 10 of the delivery mechanism 1. Then it runs over the zig-zag shaped path without slippage around the rollers 4, 5 which accept a peripheral speed corresponding to the speed of the fibers. The angle of wrap of the individual rollers 4, 5 amounts in the above described example of the rollers to 180°, with the exception to the rollers located immediately near the delivery mechanism 1 and the drawing mechanism 2. At these both rollers the angle of wrap amounts to 90°. After leaving the housing 3, the fiber is supplied to the stretching mechanism 2. The angle of wrap of the rollers 11, 12 is substantially higher, for example from four to eight times higher than at the rollers 9, 10. Thereby a stretching force is produced in the fiber between the delivery mechanism 1 and the stretching mechanism 2, and it reaches its highest value at the running-in of the stretching mechanism 2. The stretching force is reduced in a stepped manner by the rollers 5 provided with the brakes, in direction of the movement of the fiber. The output of the delivery mechanism 1 is substantially lower than the maximum stretching force. The ratio of the maximal to minimal stretching force lies at least at 1-2, preferably 6-10 or even higher. The maximal stretching force amounts for example to 3-3.5 cN/dtex, while the minimal stretching force amounts to 0.2-0.5 cN/dtex. The reduction of the stretching force can be achieved, depending on the adjustment of the braking moment, in uniform or non-uniform steps. It can be for example advantageous to provide greater steps at the side of the inlet than at the side of the outlet. The measurement and regulation of the stretching force can be performed for example with the help of not shown force measuring devices which advantageously can be mounted on the bearings of the non-braked rollers 4. The freely rotatable and non-braked rollers 4, due to their insignificantly small bearing friction, have insignificant influence upon the stretching force. They however contribute to holding the fiber temperature at the desired level, in that they withdraw excessive heat supplied to the fibers in form of mechanical work carried out during stretching.
The stretching is performed in several steps, whose relative values depend on the stepping of the stretching force. The total stretching corresponds to the speed ratio between the stretching mechanism 2 and the delivery mechanism 1.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, an axle 40 is mounted one-sidedly at the rear wall of a housing 30 close to the bottom. Rollers 41-47 are supported on the axle 40. Each rollers has two adjacently located peripheral flat ring grooves provided for two parallel running fibers on the outer surface. A small gap is produced between two facing end surfaces of each two neighboring rollers 41-47. It is covered on the periphery by a corresponding collar 31 which is mounted on one of the two neighboring rollers. A gap formed between the individual rollers 41-47 enables a free rotation of the rollers relative to one another. Some of the rollers 41-47 are provided with brakes 33 such as for example the roller 44 shown in section. Other rollers, such as for example the rollers 46 also shown in section are not braked.
Rollers 51-56 are similarly supported on an axle 50 which is located near the top of the housing but somewhat inclined relative to the axis 40. At least the roller 45 of these rollers is provided with a brake. The roller 55 is fixed with the neighboring roller 56 by a pin 35 for joint rotation therewith.
All rollers 41-47 and 51-57 are supported in a low-friction manner, they are not driven, with the exception of both rollers 55 and 56 and they are rotatable independently from one another.
Two threads 15 run from a delivery mechanism which is not shown in FIG. 2 to the roller 41 and surround the roller arrangement similarly to a double-thread screw in several convolutions. The angle of wrap of each roller amount to approximately 180°. The fibers run from roller 47 to a not shown stretching mechanism.
The operation of this device, with the exception of the different sequence in the braked and non-braked rollers along the fiber path, is analogous to the operation of the device of FIG. 1. The exception is that the fiber from the path of the roller 5 runs through the non-braked, freely-rotatable roller 46 to the roller 56 without elongation.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an arrangement for stretching thermoplastic fibers of synthetic polymers, particularly polypropylene, polyester or polyamide, for producing of high strength yarns, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims. | An arrangement for stretching thermoplastic fibers of synthetic polymers, particularly polypropylene, polyester or polyamide, for producing high strength yarns,
comprises a delivery mechanism for delivering fibers, a stretching mechanism for stretching fibers, and a plurality of heated rollers arranged between the delivery mechanism and the stretching mechanism for deviating the fibers and means for applying to the fibers a force which is opposite to a direction of movement of the fibers, none of the rollers being driven and at least one of said rollers is provided with a brake, the fibers passing around the rollers without slippage. | 3 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Files are often shared on the Internet with little regard for copyright holder rights. This sharing may be via the World Wide Web (WWW), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), peer-to-peer file sharing, and other means. Currently the only recourse a copyright rights holder has is to apply for court injunctions to prevent unlicensed distribution of their property. It is very difficult and costly to obtain such injunctions against an individual user who downloads a movie, image, song or other copyrighted material. At the time of filing this application, the copyright holders are directing their infringement charges to the intermediary software providers that facilitate the distribution of the material. Such intermediary providers would not only be those that provide services such as KaZaA, Morpheus and Napster but also the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that support such services.
[0002] In addition to dealing with copyright issues, rights holders may also wish to modify the material as it is distributed for a variety of reasons. For example, a rights holder may wish to add advertising material to the file to help them recover the costs of distribution. They may wish to add targeting information to the material to aid them in tracking the material for marketing analysis or other statistical uses. Further, a rights holder may wish to add Digital Rights Management (DRM) information to the material.
[0003] Thus there is a need for a system to dynamically modify files transferred within a network for a variety of reasons. The present invention addresses this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention is directed to a file modification device for dynamically modifying content as the content transfers through a network.
[0005] The present invention is further directed to a method of dynamically modifying content as the content transfers through a network, the method having the steps of:
[0006] a) examining the content;
[0007] b) determining if a modification to the content is required;
[0008] c) if a modification is required, selecting the type of modification and performing the modification selected to create modified content;
[0009] d) outputting the content or the modified content.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it can be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0011] [0011]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of data flow within a network;
[0012] [0012]FIG. 2 is a logical flowchart of the overall process of the present invention;
[0013] [0013]FIG. 3 is a logical flowchart illustrating insertion of an advertisement in an audio file;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 4 is a logical flowchart illustrating audio quality reduction;
[0015] [0015]FIG. 5 is a logical flowchart illustrating insertion of digital rights management; and
[0016] [0016]FIG. 6 is a logical flowchart illustrating insertion of tracking information.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The present invention does not block the sharing of files, but rather modifies the files as they cross the network. One method of modification is to provide advertising, thus providing the content of the file with advertising support much like radio or television transmissions. Another method of modification would be to provide digital rights management, so that a fee would have to be paid so that the downloaded file may be used fully. Other modification mechanisms may include personalizing a file as it is downloaded in order to track it as it is redistributed. Such tracking information may be useful beyond the legal issues, for example to monitor use for marketing efforts.
[0018] In a peer-to-peer network, a device installed in the network may monitor file exchanges. An example of such a device is disclosed in the applicant's co-pending application titled “Path Optimizer For Peer To Peer Networks”, application Ser. No. 10/138,336, filed on May 6, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Such a device, might instead of blocking a known stolen file, modify the contents of the file to lower the quality, thus rendering it less desirable.
[0019] This content modification may be reversible by paying a fee for the file, thus providing digital rights management and monetary flow back to the rights holder. In a web-based model, this network-based device would be similar to a web-cache.
[0020] Referring now to FIG. 1 a block diagram of data flow within a network is shown generally as 10 . File Sharer 12 , for example a computer executing a peer-to-peer file sharing application, sends a requested file via link 16 to network router 14 . Router 14 transfers the file to file modification device 18 via link 20 . File modification device 18 makes the appropriate changes to the file, and passes it back to network router 14 via link 22 . Network router 14 then forwards the file via link 24 to file downloader 26 where the file is received by the original requester. It is not the intent of the inventor to restrict the present invention to the network topography shown in FIG. 1; this is simply one example of how the present invention may be utilized.
[0021] Referring now to FIG. 2 a logical flowchart of the overall process of the present invention is shown generally as 30 . Process 30 would be utilized in file modification device 18 of FIG. 1. Content is received at step 32 . Content may be any form of material that the rights holder may wish to protect. Examples include, but are not limited to: single images or streaming video, sound files, and text files. At step 34 a test is made to determine if a modification to the content is required. Determining if a modification is required requires the recognizing of content. This may be done by file name, matching patterns in the content, computing content signatures, by associated metadata such as Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME), computing a signature or hash over the contents, or other means. If no modification is required, processing moves to step 46 where the content is forwarded to the appropriate device or process. In the present example this would be router 14 of FIG. 1.
[0022] If at step 34 it has been determined a modification is required, processing moves to step 36 where the type of modification is selected. Process 30 illustrates four possible types of modification namely:
[0023] 1) The insertion of advertising as shown at step 38 ;
[0024] 2) The reduction of quality as shown at step 40 ;
[0025] 3) The addition of Digital Rights Management (DRM) information as shown at step 42 ; and
[0026] 4) The addition of tracking information as show at step 44 . Steps 38 , 40 , 42 and 44 modify the content provided at step 32 and then provide that modified content to step 46 for distribution.
[0027] It is not the intent of the inventor to restrict the types of modification to those illustrated by steps 38 , 40 , 42 and 44 , they serve only as examples.
[0028] We will now discuss the functionality provided by steps 38 , 40 , 42 and 44 with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 3 a logical flowchart illustrating insertion of an advertisement in an audio file is shown generally as process 50 . Although this example is directed to inserting advertisements in mp3 files, a similar technique may be applied to other forms of content, such as video or electronic books.
[0030] By way of example, advertising content could be added to the ID3 textual description flag in mp3 audio. Alternatively advertising content could be pre-pended to the audio, or overlay the audio. This advertising space could be sold to pay the royalty associated with the media that is transferred, and targeted to the end-user or receiver of the content.
[0031] At step 52 the audio content is received and passed to step 54 where it is decoded. At step 56 one or more advertisements are extracted from database 58 and added to the content. The merged advertisements and content are then encoded at step 60 . Once encoded the modified content is output at step 46 , which is the same step 46 as shown in FIG. 2.
[0032] Referring now to FIG. 4 a logical flowchart illustrating audio quality reduction is shown generally as process 70 . Although process 70 is directed to reducing the quality content of mp3 audio, a similar technique may be applied to other forms of content. In process 70 the audio amplitude (volume) could be truncated in precision, e.g. reduced from 16 bits to 12 bits, so that the audio sounded more “grainy” or slightly distorted. It would still be possible for a listener to determine if they liked the content, but the listener would be less inclined to record it onto a CD and listen to it later, they would be more inclined to buy the licensed and higher quality version. This may be viewed as a try-before-you buy mechanism.
[0033] Beginning at step 72 the content is received and at step 74 the amplitude of the signal is extracted. At step 76 the value of the amplitude is then shifted right 4 logical bits and passed to step 78 where the original amplitude is replaced with the modified amplitude. The resulting modified content is then output at step 46 , which is the same step 46 of FIG. 2.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 5 a logical flowchart illustrating insertion of digital rights management is shown generally as process 80 . Continuing with our example of content being an audio file, to add digital rights management to an mp3 file, a technique could be employed where a pseudorandom number is generated. For each file transferred, each time it is transferred, a different pseudorandom number would be chosen. A mathematical function is then used to generate a modifying sequence of numbers based on the initial seed. This could be used, for example, to add audible artifacts to the amplitude as discussed early with regard to process 70 . Thus, the song would still be usable, but of lower quality. For a price, the user downloading the content could obtain the random number and the inverse modifying sequence, and the already-downloaded file could be returned to its original state.
[0035] Beginning at step 82 the audio content is received and at step 74 the amplitude of the signal is extracted. This is the same step 74 of process 70 (see FIG. 4). At step 84 a random number is generated and at step 86 the random number is XORed with the amplitude. The result of step 86 is then used to replace the original amplitude in the content. This is the same step 78 of process 70 (see FIG. 4). The modified content is then output at step 46 , which is the same step 46 of FIG. 2.
[0036] As one skilled in the art will recognize, a more sophisticated algorithm than a simple XOR with a generated modification value could be employed at steps 84 and 86 . It is not the intent of the inventors to restrict the present invention to any specific algorithm. Process 80 is reversible by supplying the modification values to the end user to decode the content.
[0037] Referring now to FIG. 6 a logical flowchart illustrating insertion of tracking information is shown generally as process 90 . Content is received at step 92 and passed to step 94 where the type of content is determined. As discussed herein, content may take many forms, including by not limited to: audio, video, electronic books or other material. Depending upon the type of content a decision is made at step 96 to determine what form of tracking should be introduced into the content. For example, in an mp3 file the tracking would involve the use of an ID3 tag. For mpeg files, a private PID may be utilized. Further, the tracking to be added would be application dependent and configurable. Tracking information could include: the IP addresses of the provider of the content, the time of day the content was sent out, and other data. The tracking information may be inserted in a number of content specific ways, including the use of digital watermarking techniques. At step 98 the content is modified based upon the information from steps 94 and 96 and then output at step 46 that is the same step 46 of FIG. 2.
[0038] Configuration of file modification device 18 (FIG. 1) would permit the recognition of content by numerous means, including but not limited to: name, patterns within the content, or a digital signature or computed content signatures, for example MD5 or SHA-1 hash. Configuration of device 18 would also allow making the appropriate decision for the appropriate end-user transparently and without the end-user being able to circumvent the device.
[0039] Although the present invention has been described as being a process to be implemented in software, one skilled in the art will recognize that it may be implemented in hardware as well. Further, it is the intent of the inventors to include computer readable forms of the invention. Computer readable forms meaning any stored format that may be read by a computing device.
[0040] Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the claims appended hereto. | The invention discloses a method and system for dynamically modifying files in a shared file network, such as Peer to Peer network. Files may be modified by inserting advertising into the file before passing it on to the end user. Files may be modified to create audible artifacts thus making them less likely to be copied by an end user. The audible artifacts may be removed should the user pay a licensing fee for the file. Files may also be modified to add digital rights management information so that the file may not be utilized without the appropriate key. Files may also be modified by inserting tracking information to include such information as the date of download and the IP address of the site providing the file. | 6 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for minimizing accelerations during impacts such as those encountered in motor vehicle accidents, airplane crashes, explosions, and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In situations such as vehicle collisions and explosions due to mines and IEDs, a chief cause of injury is the extreme impulses experienced; the human body has limited range of endurance for accelerations over durations of time. (See FIG. 9 for a chart of injury levels as function of acceleration in g (y-axis) vs. time (x-axis), [Eiband A. et al, 1959]). To lower the maximum impulse experienced, the distance through which the body travels when changing its initial to final velocity must be increased, or equivalently, the time during which the acceleration is experienced must be increased. For example, in a head-on collision of a vehicle with a rigid wall, the occupant's body will undergo a change from the car's initial speed to zero speed within a certain distance. The acceleration undergone is determined by the initial velocity and this distance. If this distance can be increased, the acceleration will be decreased. Care must be taken that the passengers will experience the maximum possible acceptable impulse or less, which can be accomplished by use of energy-absorbing elements of suitable design, devices to increase the travel available to the occupant, or both. The ideal energy absorber connecting a passenger to the rest of a vehicle transmits the maximum acceptable stress to the occupant or less, reaching this level after a minimum of travel. It would transmit this level of stress and no more, no matter the level of stress imparted to it. Solutions known from the prior art provide shock absorbing seats based on different types of elastic or plastic deformation or breakage of metallic components, collapsible bar mounts or columns made of metals and/or composite materials, crushable honeycomb, etc. Some available solutions present a full system including both an original seat and a built-in integrated absorbing mechanism.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,659 provides an energy absorber consisting of a conventional shock absorber in series with a rupturing diaphragm. However the stress-strain profile provided is specified to comprise an initial high peak, followed by a low valley, followed by a constant intermediate force level plateau [column 1 line 53]. It will be found that this profile is in fact suboptimal, as the ideal energy absorber reaches the maximum acceptable stress quickly and remains at this level for the total available travel. Furthermore the design relies on a conventional shock absorber and additional elements, which is a more complex design than needed for this application.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,470 discloses a single-event energy absorber designed for use with a so-called perforating gun in well bores. This energy absorber is designed to be deformed elastically when stressed past a certain amount, and to thereby absorb mechanical energy. Unlike a spring, the mechanical energy absorbed by such an element is released as heat and is not stored. It will be appreciated that such an energy absorber may be of use in systems designed for example to absorb shock in motor vehicle accidents. The energy absorber disclosed in '470 takes the form either of a cylinder coiled in helical fashion or a honeycomb matrix, both of which are intended to absorb energy in compression. It is the object of the current invention to absorb energy in tension, allowing for different configurations than possible for an element that absorbs energy in compression only. Furthermore the absorbers of '470 provide a certain fixed stress-strain profile which can be changed only by manufacturing elements of different parameters. It is an object of the current invention to provide a unit whose parameters are determined by a single cut introduced into the body of the device. This allows the unit to be produced in a single form in mass, and tailored to specific applications as needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,243 provides a coiled device intended for long-stroke plastic deformation and subsequent energy absorption. The device allows for a large deformation in comparison to the size of the device, e.g. the deformation may be 20 times the length of the device. It consists of a planar coiled element that stretches when subjected to a stress greater than a certain amount. However the device provides a certain fixed stress-strain profile which can be changed only by manufacturing elements of different parameters such as the planar thickness of the coil, the thickness of each turn, and the coil's outer diameter. In the applications mentioned for the device, namely the connection of electrical towers in such a way as to prevent the fall of one tower from pulling adjacent towers down, the exact stress-strain profile is more or less irrelevant, the main requirement being high deformation capability. In the case of a device intended to protect human beings in the case of crash or explosion, it is clear that the exact stress-strain curve is of paramount importance since the human body can withstand only a certain maximum stress without injury. To increase travel while still providing the same reaction force, the length of the spiral must be increased. This will therefore increase the outer diameter of the device. This increased outer diameter will increase the volume of the device. In applications where volume, height, and/or weight are limited the described patent will be at a disadvantage as compared to a device whose volume and weight does not increase to give increase travel. In the described application of strain relief for electrical towers the volume and weight of the device are largely irrelevant, but it will be appreciated that in aircraft or vehicles the allowable weight and volume of such a device will be limited.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,535 discloses a shock absorbing pad comprising a series of interconnected fluid reservoirs in the form of spheres partially filled with liquid. This device is designed to absorb a certain level of impact by forcing fluid from one sphere to the adjacent spheres, and for impact greater than this level to allow the spheres to rupture, thereby absorbing the shock. However it will be seen that the tunability of the stress-strain curve in this device is limited, when one considers that the ultimate stress the pad can provide is dependent upon the viscosity of the liquid within the spheres, which must take a value within a range generally far below that provided by solid materials. It is clear from the force-velocity curves provided [e.g. FIG. 5 of '535] that the ideal profile of rapidly reaching a plateau value just below the maximum acceptable force has not been attained. The device is designed to absorb energy in compression, preventing its use in applications where a tension member is necessary. Finally the planar nature of the device limits the maximum allowable travel, which in turn will limit the degree to which the device can reduce the accelerations experienced.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,547,280 provides alternating front and rear projections, which absorb impact by plastic deformation such that the curve of stress to strain shows a plateau for example at a level of stress which does not break bone. However it will be seen that the tunability of the stress-strain curve in this device is limited, requiring manufacture of a sheet of different material or density of projections to change its stress-strain characteristics. The device is designed to absorb energy in compression, preventing its use in applications where a tension member is desired. Finally, the planar nature of the device limits the maximum allowable travel, which in turn will limit the degree to which the device can reduce the accelerations experienced.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,128 provides alternating ‘gamma’ and ‘delta’ structures, which absorb impact by some combination of elastic and plastic deformation. However it will be seen that the tunability of the stress-strain curve in this device is limited, requiring manufacture of a sheet of different material or depth of recess, depth of channels, inter-recess spacing, wall inclination, inter-module inclination, and/or recess shape to change its stress-strain characteristics. Furthermore the device is designed to absorb energy in compression, preventing its use in applications where a tension member is desired.
Hence it is the object of the current invention to fulfill the long felt need for a single-event energy absorber which absorbs energy in tension, which can provide a large ratio of deformation to initial size, and whose stress-strain characteristics can be tuned to those required for optimum safety performance by introduction of a single cut made into a mass-producible device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A , B, C, D, E are various views of two embodiments of the energy absorbing component of the current invention. FIGS. 1A , B are sample embodiments of a helix of varying section. FIGS. 1C , D, E are samples embodiments of a helix of uniform section.
FIGS. 2 A,B are a photograph and simulation of the stress field, respectively, of one embodiment of the energy absorbing component of the current invention, after it has been stressed sufficiently to reach its ultimate travel. The scale of stress in FIG. 2B is MPa.
FIG. 3 is an exemplary graph of the force (y-axis, in Newton) vs. travel (x-axis, in mm) of one embodiment of the energy absorbing component of the current invention.
FIG. 4A is an exemplary graph of the necessary force vs. travel required of an energy absorbing component to cause an output acceleration within the allowable parameters given by the human body endurance graph, for an occupant of average weight, when installed in a standard four-bar mechanism.
FIG. 4B superimposes the curves of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A for purposes of comparison.
FIG. 4C superimposes desired and actual accelerations for purposes of comparison.
FIG. 5A is a schematic top view of an exemplary configuration of the energy absorbing components of the current invention installed in a seat support, with the top plate removed for ease of viewing.
FIGS. 5B , C are isometric views of an exemplary configuration of the energy absorbing components of the current invention installed in a seat support before and after experiencing a sudden acceleration above a predetermined design value, respectively.
FIG. 6A is an isometric representation of a vehicle and/or aircraft seat incorporating the shock absorbing mechanism of the current invention before a shock is applied, installed with a foot-protection mechanism that is designed to lift the occupant's feet upwards when the mechanism is activated.
FIGS. 6B , C are representations of a vehicle and/or aircraft seat incorporating the shock absorbing mechanism of the current invention before and after a shock is applied, respectively.
FIG. 7A is a schematic rear view of a horizontal embodiment for longitudinal restraint of a vehicle and/or aircraft seat incorporating the energy absorbing mechanism of the current invention.
FIGS. 7B , C are schematic side views of a horizontal embodiment for longitudinal restraint of a vehicle and/or aircraft seat incorporating the energy absorbing mechanism of the current invention, before and after a shock is applied, respectively.
FIGS. 8A , B are schematic representations of a further embodiment of a vehicle and/or aircraft seat incorporating the energy absorbing mechanism of the current invention which incorporates an additional bumper.
FIG. 9 presents a human injury graph, depicting ranges of acceleration and duration for which human subjects will experience severe injury, mild injury, or no injury. [Eiband A, 1959, et al]).
FIG. 10A-D are schematic representations of a further embodiment of a vehicle seat incorporating the energy absorbing mechanism of the current invention adapted for attachment to the side of a vehicle.
FIG. 11 is a graph risk of foot/ankle fracture as a function of axial force on the tibia.
FIG. 12 is a representation of the mechanical model used to define the DRI index.
FIGS. 13A , B, C are front, side, and isometric views of an embodiment of the current invention.
FIG. 14 is a detail of the floor mounting of the current invention.
FIG. 15 is a detail of the wall mounting of the current invention.
FIG. 16 presents a graph of the input and output accelerations of the current energy absorbing system for a shock-and-slam down event.
FIG. 17 presents a graph of the input and out put accelerations of the current energy absorbing system for a multi shock event.
FIG. 18A presents a graph of the different desired load-displacement curves for different weights.
FIG. 18B presents a graph of the actual load-displacement curve for a prior art variable-load energy absorbing element.
FIG. 19 presents a graph of different desired force-displacement curves for different weights along with the actual qualitative force-displacement curve of the present invention.
FIG. 20 presents results of a vibration analysis of the present invention with acceleration [in g] on the y-axis vs. vibration frequency [in Hz] on the x-axis.
FIG. 21A-D presents a time sequence of a deceleration event using the energy absorbing system of the current invention.
FIG. 22A-B presents side views of the energy absorbing system of a floor-mounted embodiment of the current invention with a deployable leg support.
FIG. 23 A-B present side views of a wall-mounted embodiment of the current invention with collapsible seat and back.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is within the core of the present invention to provide an energy absorbing mechanism comprising:
a. a cylinder with a helical cut along its axis forming a helical ribbon, said helical ribbon adapted for plastic deformation in response to stresses greater than a predetermined threshold stress along said axis of said helical ribbon and b. attachment means at the ends of said helical ribbon, wherein the force-displacement curve of said helical ribbon is characterized by a plateau in applied force for displacements up to said ultimate displacement and further wherein there is a large ratio of the plastic regime length to the elastic regime length.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an energy absorbing mechanism as described above where said ratio of the plastic regime length to the elastic regime length lies within the range of 4-70.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an energy absorbing mechanism as described above where the material of said cylinder is chosen from a group consisting of: metal, carbon fiber, composite material, elastomer, plastic.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an energy absorbing mechanism as described above where said cross section is selected from a group consisting of rectangular, square, ellipsoidal, triangular, and circular.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an energy absorbing mechanism as described above where said attachment means are selected from a group consisting of: holes bored in the ends of said helical cylinder, threads, and pressure clamps or any other connection method known in the art.
It is an object of the invention to provide a device for protecting a seat occupant against vertical impacts, comprising:
a. a mechanical linkage mechanism configured so as to transfer said vertical impacts into vertical collapse and horizontal expansion of said mechanism; b. one or more helical ribbons connecting points of said mechanical linkage undergoing horizontal expansion; c. attachment means for attaching the top of said mechanical linkage to a vehicle seat, and attachment means for attaching the bottom of said mechanical linkage to the vehicle body; wherein impacts cause vertical collapse and horizontal expansion of said mechanical linkage, causing stress to be applied to said helical ribbon, which undergoes plastic deformation to an extent and at a stress level controllable by the length, pitch, cross section, and material of said at least one helical ribbon.
It is a further object of the current invention to provide an energy absorbing mechanism as described above further comprising a foot protection mechanism in communication with said mechanical linkage adapted for raising the occupant's leg from the floor when the system reacts to impact, thereby forcing the legs upward around the thigh-pelvis axis.
It is an object of the current invention to provide a method for minimizing the acceleration of a body due to impact comprising steps of:
a. providing a cylinder; b. cutting said cylinder along a helical path, forming said cylinder into a helical ribbon, said helical ribbon being adapted for plastic deformation in response to stresses greater than a predetermined threshold stress along the axis of said helical ribbon, and the force-displacement curve of said helical ribbon being characterized by a largely flat region followed by a steep incline in applied force for displacements up to the ultimate displacement; c. providing attachment means at the ends of said helical ribbon, d. controlling the ultimate displacement of said plastic deformation by varying the length and helicity of said helical ribbon; e. controlling the predetermined threshold stress by varying the cross section and material of said ribbon; f. Limiting the stress transferred by said impact by interposing said helical ribbon between the body undergoing said impact and the body to be protected from said impact by means of said attachment means.
It is an object of the current invention to provide a method for protecting a seat occupant against vertical impacts, comprising steps of:
a. providing a mechanical linkage configured so as to transfer said vertical impacts into vertical collapse and horizontal expansion of said mechanism; b. providing one or more helical ribbons; c. connecting points of said mechanical linkage undergoing relative horizontal expansion with said one or more helical ribbons; d. providing upper attachment means for attaching the top of said mechanical linkage to a vehicle seat; e. attaching said mechanical linkage to said vehicle seat with said upper attachment means; f. providing lower attachment means for attaching the bottom of said mechanical linkage to the vehicle body; g. attaching said mechanical linkage to said vehicle body with said lower attachment means; h. absorbing impacts by means of vertical collapse and horizontal expansion of said mechanical linkage, the force of said impact transferred to said upper attachment means being determined by the force-displacement curve of said helical ribbons; wherein said helical ribbons undergo plastic deformation to an extent and at a stress level controllable by the length, pitch, cross section, and material of said helical ribbons.
It is an object of the present invention to provide the aforementioned method, where said attachment means are selected from a group consisting of: holes bored in the ends of said helical cylinder, threads, and pressure clamps.
It is an object of the present invention to provide the aforementioned method, further provided with strain relief provision at the ends of said helical cut selected from a group consisting of: holes, or/and additional revolutions of increased stiffness.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an energy absorbing mechanism as described above incorporating a foot protection means in communication with said mechanical linkage, said foot protection means adapted for raising the occupant's leg from the floor when said mechanical linkage undergoes vertical collapse, thereby forcing the legs upward around the thigh-pelvis axis.
It is an object of the current invention to provide a method for protecting a seat occupant against horizontal impacts, comprising steps of
a. providing one or more helical ribbons; b. providing a mechanism configured so as to transfer said horizontal impacts into expansion of said helical ribbons; c. providing front attachment means for attaching said helical ribbons to a vehicle seat; d. attaching said helical ribbons to said vehicle seat with said front attachment means; e. providing back attachment means for attaching the back of said helical ribbons to the vehicle body; f. attaching said helical ribbons to said vehicle body with said back attachment means; g. absorbing impacts by means of horizontal expansion of said helical ribbons, the force of said impact transferred to said vehicle seat being determined by the force-displacement curve of said helical ribbons; wherein said helical ribbons undergo plastic deformation to an extent and at a stress level controllable by the length, helicity, cross section, and material of said helical ribbons.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
When an object undergoes impact, it experiences a large acceleration which for human beings can often be injurious or fatal. The acceleration experienced depends upon the difference between initial and final velocities and the distance over which the acceleration occurs,
a
=
Δ
v
2
2
d
Equation
1
Where Δv is the change in velocity, d is the distance over which the acceleration occurs, and a is the acceleration experienced. It will be seen that for a given Δv (which in many cases cannot be controlled, as in a crash where a car goes from cruising speed to zero) the acceleration experienced will be decreased by increasing d. Thus allowing the passenger of a vehicle as large a degree of travel within the vehicle body as possible may decrease the accelerations experienced to a less-injurious level. Similarly if the energy of the impacting object can be reduced, its velocity will be reduced and Δv will be decreased. In a seat intended to minimize injury from mines, the available travel d is limited. Thus given some initial and final velocities, the acceleration transmitted over the distance d should be the maximum level acceptable without causing injury, to minimize the required travel and therefore volume of the system. By designing the system this way one decreases the probability of a sudden injurious acceleration when the device reaches the end of its travel. In ‘The Evolution of Energy Absorption Systems for Crashworthy Helicopter Seats’, Stanley Desjardins writes:
The evolutionary process of energy absorbers for crashworthy seating has passed through several generations of development and sophistication. The first generation was the Fixed Load Energy Absorber (FLEA) that provided a constant load with stroke. The second generation consisted of two separate types both developed to achieve increased efficiency. The first was the Variable Load Energy Absorber (VLEA) developed to allow the limit load of the device to be varied to match the weight of the specific occupant and to thus provide equal protection to all occupants regardless of weight. The second was the Fixed Profile Energy Absorber (FPEA) which was developed to increase the seat's stroking efficiency, and specifically, to use less stroke. This option of course was attractive, especially to civil helicopter operators as it used less of the available space in the cabin of the helicopter. The third generation, the Advanced Energy Absorber, or AEA attempted to combine all of the desirable features of the first two generations. It combined the advantages of the Variable Load Energy Absorber with that of the Fixed Profile. It goes further in that it eliminates the possibility of human error in setting the device for the appropriate occupant weight by performing the weighing function and the adjustment function automatically. Conceptually it is the ultimate energy absorbing system providing the optimum protection to all occupants regardless of their weight. It is rather complex which may discourage its use, at least in the immediate future, until a more detailed producibility design effort has been performed on the concept as applied to a specific seat system. When the complexity has been reduced to warrant the benefit to be derived on a cost benefit-basis, it will provide the best protection that can be achieved in these types of crashworthy seats.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an AEA, in the sense explained in the preceding paragraph, of simplified design. The ultimate aim of such devices is to reduce insofar as possible the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
In FIG. 9 , injury levels are presented as a function of acceleration [y-axis, in g's] and duration [x-axis, seconds]. One may appreciate from this chart that injury is a result of a certain minimum acceleration experienced over certain duration. Injury is avoided if the accelerations are low enough and/or the durations are small enough that the ‘injury zones’ of FIG. 9 are avoided. It will be understood by one familiar with the field that this is a representative graph, and different regions may become evident with different research.
The Abbreviated Injury Scale or AIS has been developed to quantitatively assess severity of injury, as shown in the following table [AIS, 1990]:
TABLE 1
AIS level
Injury description
1
Minor
2
Moderate
3
Serious
4
Severe
5
Critical
6
Maximum (currently untreatable)
9
Unknown
As an example of the use of this scale, the NATO Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Final Report of HFM-090 Task Group 25 indicates that it has been decided that a 10% risk of AIS 2+ (AIS 2 or more) injuries will be accepted as pass/fail criterion for the armored vehicle (AV) mine strike tests. FIG. 11 presents Foot/Ankle Injury Risk Curves for 25, 45 and 65 year old subjects—[Yoganandan, N., et al, Dynamic Axial Tolerance of the Human Foot - Ankle Complex, 962426, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, Pa., USA. 1996] Based on the curves shown in FIG. 11 , the maximum allowable force value (in the sense defined above) for 25, 45 and 65 year old subjects are respectively 7.0, 5.4 and 3.8 kN, representing 10% risk of foot/ankle fracture (AIS 2+). To protect most of the population in military vehicles (having an estimated age range of 20 to 45 years old), a final pass/fail value of 5.4 kN (for 45 years old) was chosen by the TG-25.
Another useful quantitative measure for studies of injury abatement is called the dynamic response index or DRI. This index is based on the physical system shown in FIG. 12 . This system comprises a mass m connected to a base by means of a spring of spring constant k and a dashpot of constant c. An acceleration in the z direction of {umlaut over (z)} will result in a motion described by,
{umlaut over (z)}={umlaut over (δ)}+ 2ζω{dot over (δ)}+ω 2 δ Equation 2
where δ is the relative displacement of the system (δ=ξ 1 −ξ 2 —see FIG. 11 ), ζ is a damping coefficient where
ϛ = c 2 m ω ,
and ω is the natural frequency
ω = k m .
The DRI is calculated by means of the formula,
DRIz
=
ω
2
δ
max
g
Equation
3
The DRI can also be used to quantify acceptable levels of injury. For example the NATO task group mentioned above specifies a maximum DRI of 17.7 (corresponding to 10% risk of AIS level 2 or above).
It is one aim of the following invention to present a system and method for injury abatement based on a novel energy-absorbing seat.
The preferred embodiment of the current invention consists of a coiled member similar in form to a spring, as shown in FIGS. 1A-E . The retaining holes 101 are used to install the member 100 . In the embodiment of FIGS. 1A , 1 B a varying cross section 103 is employed. The member 100 is designed for use in tension, and will deform plastically when a high enough force is applied to it. (The “plastic” regime refers to a range of stress for which deformation without subsequent retraction will occur, as opposed to the spring-like “elastic” regime of stress wherein a body will generally return to its original configuration.) When this stress level is met or exceeded, a deformation of the member will occur as shown in FIGS. 2A , B. This deformation consists of an ‘unwinding’ of the device along the helical cut 105 . To relieve the twist undergone by the device as well as relieving the stress concentration at the end of the helical cut, strain relief slots 102 ( FIGS. 1A , 1 C) are employed in the preferred embodiments. Other forms of provision for stress relief will be obvious to one skilled in the art. Furthermore it is within provision of the invention that rotation of the energy absorbing member either be prevented or allowed to a predetermined degree, therefore allowing control over the force-vs.-travel curve of the device.
It should be understood that the plastic deformation region is only reached when the force applied to the energy absorbing element is greater than a certain threshold. When the applied force exceeds this threshold, only the threshold force is transmitted by the device to the rest of the system it is protecting. This threshold force can be fixed by varying the cross section of the device, or after a given wall thickness has been produced, by varying the pitch of the helical cut 105 . The helical cut 105 can be carried out after mass production of the mechanisms, allowing parameters of the device such as ultimate travel length and threshold reaction force to be varied according to need, after mass production of the energy-absorbing element. Another advantage of the current invention over the prior art is that the rest of the system is reusable. The energy absorbing device is the only part to experience plastic deformation; this device can be replaced.
With reference to FIG. 3 , one can appreciate the different regimes of the force vs. travel curve of the energy-absorbing member of the current invention. In the elastic regime 301 the device behaves in a spring-like fashion, with a linear relation between applied force and travel, and with return of the element to its original configuration after removal of the applied force. In the plastic regime 302 , which is reached rather quickly [after little travel], the force one can apply to the element remains largely constant, rising only slightly with continuing deformation of the energy-absorbing member. In the end regime 303 the force increases more and more rapidly with continuing displacement. The characteristic of a short elastic regime and a plastic regime lasting the maximum length of travel allowable is desirable in this system, since this way almost no travel is ‘wasted’ without providing a reaction to the applied force. Furthermore nearly the entire travel provides the almost the exact required reaction force, as calculated in the theoretical design, as shown in the graph ( FIG. 4B ). Obviously this graph is appropriate to a particular embodiment and other graphs will be desirable in different situations (such as different mounting points—wall or floor, different expected acceleration range, and the like). The plateau region of the graph has the desirable effect of transmitting the force of the impact without causing injury, while absorbing as much impact energy as theoretically possible, decreasing the probability of a sudden injurious acceleration when the device reaches the end of its travel. This sudden acceleration would occur if not enough impact energy was absorbed; it is for this reason that the maximum allowable acceleration should be transmitted, without exceeding this amount. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the relation depicted in FIG. 3 is non-trivial and quantitatively different from the force-displacement curve one would obtain with a simple metallic rod, spring, or the like. It should also be appreciated that the exact form of the curve, including the maximum travel, and the value of the applied force during the plastic regime, can both be tuned easily by changing the length of the energy-absorbing device, the pitch of the helical cut, the cross section size and shape, material, installation method, and design of the mechanical system into which the energy-absorbing element is placed.
The absorbing component is made of a plastic-deformable material such as but not limited to low carbon steels, stainless steels, composite materials, etc. The preferred embodiment of the energy absorption component takes a helical spring-like form, designed to experience plastic deformation over a desired deformation length, under a desired impact load threshold. The operating characteristics [namely the stress-strain curve, and thus the deformation length impact load threshold and acceptable load range for the system to be protected] of the mechanism can be controlled by the following parameters:
1. Element cross section shape and thickness; 2. Winding pitch [number of revolutions per length]; 3. Length; and 4. Material
A device incorporating one or more of the energy absorbing components of the current invention will also be tunable by changing the number of energy absorbing components used and the mechanical design of the system into which the energy absorbing component(s) is/are placed.
One advantage of the invention is that it can be installed as part of an add-on component to an existing, original vehicle seat. The solution can be tailored to fit several different types of seats and vehicles, and as described above, different impact load behaviors can be easily arranged. The device parameters are affected by several factors including: platform structure and weight; available clearance from the floor; and maximum expected charge size, etc.
When placed in a four-bar assembly such as that of FIGS. 5 and 6 , the force-displacement curve of the energy-absorbing element required to produce the desired force-displacement curve on the seat and occupant will take the form shown in FIG. 4A . A comparison of the desired profile of FIG. 4A with the actual (measured) profile is shown in FIG. 4B . One sees that the profile provided is nearly exactly the theoretically desired curve. This verifies the correct operation of the device as can be determined by simulation.
For ‘real’ proof of correct operation, the device must be tested under actual impact. The device is placed into a test fixture that impacts the device with a predetermined load. The test fixture measures input and output accelerations and records them. The correct operation of the device under actual impact is shown clearly in the experimentally measured curves of FIG. 4C . Here both the measured input acceleration 401 (e.g. that the vehicle body experiences) and the measured output acceleration (of the seat and passenger) 402 are shown vs. time, with the design output acceleration vs. time 403 also shown for reference. The y-axis is acceleration in g's while the x-axis is time in seconds. It is clear from this figure that the enormous acceleration experienced by the vehicle (a half-sine of approximately 205 g's and 0.005 s duration) is decreased by more than an order of magnitude, to the non-injurious level of approximately 22 g over 4 mSec dropping to a steady 17 g over the subsequent 0.03 s (likewise a non-injurious combination of acceleration and duration). It is also clear that the system performs rather close to design, which was accomplished by careful simulation using commercial and custom finite-element codes. The particular embodiment of the system shown is able to deal with occupant weights between 116 lbs. and 240 lbs., which is a range of weights that includes more than 90% of the entire population (from greater than the 5th percentile woman to lower than the 95th percentile man.)
A subtle effect of the force-displacement curves of FIGS. 3 and 4 A-C is now discussed. It will be noted that in the ‘plateau’ section of the curve, e.g. section 302 of FIG. 3 , has a slight rise. This has the effect of tailoring the response of the system to accommodate occupants of different weights, in the following way. A heavy person and a light person sitting on the same attenuating device will experience different behaviors. We take the example of a system that has been designed for a nominal weight of 105 Kg (231 lbs, occupant and equipment). We assume that the damped reaction of system delivers an acceleration to the 105 Kg occupant of 17 g over the entire reaction travel of 100 mm. A heavier person in the same chair arriving at a final weight (occupant and equipment) of 128 kg for example would experience 14 g for 121 mm and a lighter person could experience 20 g for 85 mm, as can be determined from Equation 1. Another way to express this capability of the system is that the dynamic response changes with the dynamic force; in practice, both heavy and light passengers are well protected by the system. This is by no means an obvious or naturally-occurring capability of such a system, since generally if the system is designed for heavy occupants, light occupants will be too-highly accelerated, and if the system is designed for light occupants, heavy occupants will be not be accelerated sufficiently and will run out of travel before reaching final velocity, resulting in a sudden impulse (shock) at the end of travel.
Therefore, a system which becomes somewhat stiffer with increase in travel is advantageous since only the heavier occupants experience the end of the travel. These heavier occupants are the ones who must undergo a larger change in momentum in order that their velocity reaches its final value. Therefore delivering greater force to heavier occupants at the end of the travel has the effect of reducing the ultimate travel difference between heavier and lighter occupants, in essence allowing the same system to better accommodate both heavy and light occupants. Variation of load profile is in fact known in the literature, and is referred to as Variable Load Energy Absorption or VLEA. However such systems are generally tuned, either beforehand or automatically, to a particular occupant weight, and will be found to be considerably more complex than the solution of the present invention. The Fixed Load Energy Absorber or FLEA, on the other hand, provides no such control and therefore suffers from the problem described above, namely that it is adequate for a small occupant weight range and inadequate for occupant weights outside this range. By providing a load profile as in FIG. 3 that increases load with travel, the current invention in fact provides an advanced energy absorber (AEA) with a minimum of mechanical complexity.
Another useful aspect of the system lies in the fact that due to the plastic deformation of the energy absorbing element(s), rebound is minimized (unlike the case for example if using a spring, which after being compressed/extended will tend to return to its initial state). Rebound energy is absorbed by further distortion of the energy absorbing element, generally into an S-shape. This is a very useful characteristic since the added acceleration of any rebound forces will increase the danger to the occupant. In fact the energy absorbing device of the invention has a tendency to absorb any rebound due to the rest of the system since even after being stretched to its maximum extent, it tends to resist being pushed back to a less-stretched position. In practice it becomes bent into an ‘S’ shape that will resist compression to some degree and absorb the rebound forces of the system.
Reference is now made to FIGS. 5A , B, C. In this figure the energy-absorbing element is implemented as a component of a seat base. A top view is shown in FIG. 5A , without the top plate. In 5 B, C the full system is seen in perspective. The seat base 500 supports a seat [not shown] upon the seat plate 501 and is attached to the floor with floor plate 502 . The vertical range of motion of the device allows the occupant to experience a lower acceleration than that experienced by the vehicle. This vertical displacement is converted into a linear motion of the energy absorbing elements of the current invention 504 , preferably using four-bar assemblies 503 . The absorbing component is integrated into the mechanism leading axes 505 , or aligned between any two points of the assembly that are apart from each other when the system is loaded. As described above the absorbing component is forced into a plastic axial deformation under a hazard impact threshold.
In order to deal with side loads, the preferred embodiment is to install at least two collapsible mechanisms with integrated absorbing components in a non-parallel orientation (as in FIGS. 5A , B, C). Other embodiment can also be applied with only one absorption component integrated into a mechanism structure that is designed to stand multi-directional loads, as known in the art.
The seat mechanism may be installed either directly on the vehicle floor by means of bottom plate 502 or an additional bracket (not shown), or connected to preferable positions on the platform, e.g. side walls. This embodiment is common amongst crash protection mechanisms for military and aircraft applications since in those situations (vertical impact from crash landing or mine) the floor of the vehicle will experience the greatest loads. The sides of the vehicle will experience a lesser load due to energy absorption of the vehicle floor which will act to dampen the impact and reduce the impulse delivered to the rest of the vehicle. Thus from the standpoint of energy delivery, it is advantageous to attach the seats to the side or even roof of the vehicle, these being points as far as possible from the point of impact. On the other hand from the standpoint of installation practicality, it may be advantageous to install the seat on the floor of the vehicle. It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the present invention allows for all of these installation options. In particular the large degree of energy absorption of the current invention allows for installation on the floor while still delivering allowable accelerations to the seat occupant. An advantage of the current invention for floor installation is that it uses the same volume that normal floor installation for a chair uses, according to human engineering standards.
In one embodiment of the seat mechanism, the mechanism includes a foot protection device 600 (refer to FIGS. 6A , B, C): The device is a construction upon which to lay the feet, that raises the feet away from the floor when the seat-protection device 601 is activated [when subjected to accelerations greater than the threshold], as shown in FIG. 6C . The foot support axes are preferably connected to top of the mechanism to minimize shock waves transference to the occupant's body. Unlike several instances in the prior art (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,440 B1), the preferred embodiment of the foot support mechanism causes a natural motion of the legs upwards around the thigh-pelvis axis, rather than extending the shin forward. This is desirable since the space in front of the seat within most common vehicles is limited. Since many mine injuries such as broken/shattered bones in the foot and lower leg are due to the fact the passengers' feet rest on the floor during travel (and impact), this system will serve to greatly reduce the number and severity of these types of injuries.
Explosions will produce a range of vibrations and shock waves onto the seat and absorption mechanism. In order to dampen high frequency vibrations and shock waves, it is preferable, but not mandatory, to isolate the joints and connections between mechanism parts with absorbing elastomers (that usually convert mechanical energy to heat) as known in the art. The energy absorbing component of the current invention can also be utilized to protect against mainly horizontal impacts, by installing it in a horizontal mechanism that allows horizontal travel of the seat while loading the absorption component when experiencing a horizontal (longitudinal or lateral) impact. FIG. 7 demonstrates such an application for horizontal restraining, based on a support rail 702 . The absorption component 701 is installed between two support bars, each allowing only horizontal motion and preventing motion in the perpendicular directions. Any longitudinal impact would force one of the bars to pull the absorption component against the other. This is an exemplary embodiment of the use of the energy-absorbing component of the current invention. A variety of different implementations of the same absorption component will be obvious to one versed in the art. Restraint in any direction can be achieved by installing such energy absorbing components in appropriate directions, with auxiliary mechanisms as described here or as known in the art. In order to extend the safe range of applicable loads, elastic bumpers 801 can be installed as demonstrated in FIGS. 8A , B. These are not mandatory for the operation of the mechanism. The bumpers will come into play only at the end of the range of travel, and will modify the final section of the force-displacement curve, tending to further increase the load as a function of travel. This will tend to minimize the ‘jerk’ otherwise experienced at the end of the travel, where for instance two metal members finally meet, sending the load up dramatically and in effect causing a huge increase in acceleration.
In FIGS. 10A-D an embodiment of the invention is shown wherein the seat is attached to the side wall of a vehicle. The device is attached to the vehicle wall at attachment points 1003 means of screws, bolts, clamps, or other methods as will be obvious to one skilled in the art. FIG. 10A shows the device from the back before impact while FIG. 10B shows the device from the side before impact. The attachment points 1004 attach the device to the seat, by way of the energy absorbing elements 1001 . Brackets 1002 allow the seat to slide vertically when the energy absorbing elements 1001 stretch, as shown in FIG. 10C (side) and FIG. 10D (back).
In the wall mounted embodiment it will be found useful to use a self-aligning bearing in the brackets 1002 , to center the rods held by the brackets while allowing some degree of ‘give’. Since the spiral itself can be extended even if the forces are not completely tensional, the best embodiment of the wall mounted system should be assembled in a self aligning base of any kind, as known in the art. Other advantages of using a bracket of this sort are that it's simple, does not require accurate bearings or bases, and is cheap. The technique can be implemented in various ways; flexible components of any sort including rubber, silicone, Belleville springs and the like are suitable for such brackets.
Design advantages of seating systems incorporating the current invention include:
Simplicity (a single energy-absorbing component is used with no internal structure or moving parts) Low cost Add-on solution for various seats and vehicles Low weight Minimal installation time and effort (may be field modified). Bi-directional restraint (both initial peak, and rebound). Integrated feet protection. Multi-directional protection (both horizontal and vertical dampening possible).
One should contrast the simplicity of the energy absorbing device of the current invention with (for example) a piston and cylinder system often used for shock absorbing systems. The piston and cylinder must remain coaxial for optimum performance of such a design; if due to explosion or other massive acceleration the piston and cylinder lose concentricity, the damping effectiveness will be decreased or lost entirely. In contrast the energy absorbing element of the current invention cannot become ‘misaligned’. Any stresses not along the longitudinal axis of the element (such as a shear stress) will be largely absorbed by deformation of the element, and in any case will not impair the energy-absorbing and acceleration-limiting ability of the device.
It is a further provision of the invention that the seat upon which a vehicle occupant sits is provided with a level of cushioning that will tend to reduce vibration coming from vehicle motion (bumpy roads, tire imbalances, etc.) The four-bar mechanisms e.g. 601 of FIG. 6 have a certain degree, of ‘give’ due to the use of elastic retaining members (grommets, etc). This give has a tendency to absorb small accelerations such as those experienced by bumpy travel, unlike most other heavy-impact systems, which are indifferent to small accelerations and do not ameliorate them.
With reference to FIGS. A, B, C a floor-mounted embodiment of the present invention is shown. In FIG. A a front view is shown while in b a side view of the device is shown, and in FIG. C an isometric view is shown. The chairs are provided with a degree of cushioning foam 01 tending to further absorb small-amplitude accelerations and vibrations.
The floor mounting mechanism is more fully shown in FIG. 13 , where floor mounting plate 1401 , seat mounting plate 1403 , and energy absorbing member 1402 are visible. A rubber stop 1404 is provided to deal with the case that the device reaches the end of travel. The rubber stop will increase the reaction force of the device gradually with travel, decreasing the likelihood that the device will reach the utmost end of travel or beyond (which would result in metal-on-metal contact e.g. between top and bottom plates, and a sudden increase in reaction force.)
The wall mounting mechanism is more fully shown in FIG. The wall-mount plates 1501 , 1503 attach the device to the wall of the vehicle. The chair-mount plate 1505 holds the chair in place. The energy absorbing member 1502 couples these two mounting points. The plates 1501 , 1503 can slide on the cylinders 1504 during extension of the energy absorbing member 1502 . A shear pin 1506 can be used to provide an initial spike in the load-travel profile, as in FIG. 16B . By causing a short but high-amplitude spike in acceleration, an extra degree of incoming momentum can be absorbed than would otherwise be possible, and if the duration is short enough (which may be judged for instance by reference to FIG. 9 ) an acceptably small injury risk is posed to the seat occupant.
The graph of FIG. 14 shows the system reaction in a “double-hit” scenario. The initial peak 1601 shows the acceleration from the blast and the second peak 1602 represents the slam down (i.e. where the vehicle hits the ground after being blown into the air by a mine). As you can see, the initial maximum acceleration reached almost 400 g for a period of 5.5 mSec and the DRI level 1603 is well below the allowed limit of 17.7.
The graph of FIG. 15 shows a “multi-hit” scenario. This test was performed in an unrestrained drop tower. The initial peak is 210 g's for a period of 5.5 mSec with consequent peaks 1702 of 80-100 g's. As one can see, the DRI level 1701 is very low.
One of the main challenges in designing a shock absorbing system is to be able to deal with various occupant weights. It is well known that occupants with different weights require different reaction from the system. It is also known that light occupants will suffer from high accelerations for a short stroke and heavy occupants will experience low accelerations for a long stroke. This is illustrated by the typical load-displacement curves of FIG. 16A , where the desired load (y-axis) vs. displacement (x-axis) is shown for three different occupant weights. It is desirable that heavier occupants be driven with a larger force by the shock attenuation system than lighter occupants. The greater mass of the heavier occupant will offset the greater force resulting in the same acceleration for heavy and light occupants. To achieve such results one approach is to provide a load-displacement curve that varies with displacement along the elastic regime, as in FIG. 16B . Here after an initial peak 1801 , the load attains an initial plateau value 1802 . After a certain amount of displacement the load increases to a second higher value 1803 . The initial peak is useful since short accelerations of high amplitude are survivable (see FIG. 9 ) and will absorb some fraction of the impact energy.
Current advanced systems attempt to deal with this requirement by designing a system with variable load-stroke profile as in FIG. 16B . Such systems are characterized by low force in the beginning of the stroke and high force in the end. Generally these so-called ‘Advanced EA’ systems are quite complex and expensive to manufacture. To accomplish such variable force curves the systems generally comprise intricate assemblies of several subsystems each having a different stroke-force characteristic. Obviously the complexity of such systems is a major disadvantage.
The Advanced system of the instant invention is based on the single energy-absorbing member already described. The load increases with the stroke as a natural result of the coiled or spring-like geometry of the device and the deformation characteristics of the material used. Thus, the system delivers acceptable accelerations to a wide range of occupants regardless of weight.
Since the system is based on a single component, it is highly reliable and repeatable. Environmental conditions have no affect on the system behavior. Dust, mud, oil, etc. do not influence it. The system will always react as planned and as manufactured. Other systems that involve the interactions between two or more parts generally are affected by frictional or viscous forces and are thus inevitably affected by environmental conditions such as temperature and infiltration of mud, sand, oil, high temperature gas, etc. that may clog, heat, or otherwise change the system before or during an explosion or other impact.
The load-displacement curve of the instant invention shows the type of behavior discussed above. In FIG. 17 the load-displacement (aka force-travel) curve of the energy-absorbing element of the current invention is shown. The reaction force 1901 provided by the system of the current invention is around 4500N at the start of travel (after initial elastic deformation) and increases gradually to around 6500N after about 175 mm of travel. This change is gradual rather than sudden, eliminating ‘jerk’ (d 3 z/dt 3 ). It should be pointed out that a wide range of load-displacement curves can be achieved by changing the system parameters (cross section, length, pitch, material).
In FIG. 18 a vibration analysis is shown. The x-axis is vibration frequency (in Hz or l/s) and the y-axis is the vibration amplitude (in g, note logarithmic scale). The input acceleration 1802 is through most of the frequency range much larger than the transmitted acceleration 2001 , and from the range of about 100 Hz-500 Hz the acceleration is damped by a factor of 10-100. This vibration damping is a consequence of a degree of ‘give’ built into the system and in general will not be provided by other impact protection systems unless special care has been taken. Such vibration damping will find use in long trips on bad roads (such as the Iraq countryside) in land vehicles or other vehicles such as combat helicopters, where continuous vibration may lead to fatigue and wear on passengers. Such analyses were carried out for various axes of vibration with similar results in all directions.
When installed in a seat-supporting mechanism as described above, the device prevents rebound that occurs naturally in some other systems, since after extending, the helix or spiral element of the current invention opposes not only tension but also compression forces, thus preventing the mechanism from bouncing back. An example of this in practice is shown in FIG. A-D. The white line 2101 has been superimposed upon the helical member of the invention for easier viewing of its deformation during impact. The first frame (a) shows the system before impact. The second frame (b) shows the system after initial impact and maximal stretching of the energy-absorbing element. The third frame (c) shows the system after rebound, where the energy absorbing element has been deformed by rebound from a straight line into a more-or-less s-shaped curve. The fourth frame (d) shows the subsequent shape of the energy absorbing element. Just as deforming the element from initial to fully-extended configuration [from frame (a) to frame (b)] absorbs energy and limits the transmitted acceleration, deforming the element on rebound [from frame (b) to frames (c)-(d)] will likewise absorb energy and limit the transmitted rebound accelerations. The spiral element of the invention can repeat this scenario numerous times.
A further provision of the invention is a foot rest that keeps the occupant's feet off the floor. It is known that many nonlethal injuries such as broken or shattered foot and lower leg bones occur due to contact between feet and floor during vertical explosions. By simply removing the feet from contact with the floor one already avoids many such injuries. Further protection is provided by the current system by means of a retraction mechanism as shown in FIG. 19 ; in normal operation the mechanism 2201 is extended as in FIG. 19A . During impact, the mechanism is retracted as in 19 B, further raising the feet away from possible floor deformation or rupture. This position has been found by NATO studies [NATO Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Final Report of HFM-090 Task Group 25] to be the optimal one for dealing with vertical impact to the feet and legs.
It is further within provision of the invention that the seat provided be foldable. Such folded configurations are shown in FIGS. A, B. The headrest may be folded from its deployed position 01 to a folded position 03 and the seat rest may be folded from an upright position 02 to a deployed position 04 .
It is within provision of the current invention to converts hazardous vertical and longitudinal impact energy into a plastic deformation of a solid component, which is designed to react within a predefined impact load threshold.
It is within provision of the invention to provide a minimal safe range of motion, to allow the occupants to experience acceleration independent of the vehicle.
It is within provision of one embodiment of the current invention to dampen both vertical and horizontal accelerations, restricting accelerations transferred to the occupant to within safe limits.
It is within provision of another embodiment of the current invention to provide a foot protection mechanism that raises the occupant's leg from the floor when the system reacts to impact, forcing the legs upward around the thigh-pelvis axis.
It is within provision of another embodiment of the current invention to provide an absorption component that can be installed for mainly horizontal impacts, such as those experienced in head-on collisions.
In tests of the system (at the US Army Research Laboratory, MGA Michigan, Federal laboratories, and at the Israel Military Industries) and elsewhere it was found that performance criteria of the NATO Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Task Group 25, namely maximum DRI of 17.7, was met by an embodiment of the current system.
In fact performance was in most cases better than strictly required as seen in the following table:
Description
Max. Velocity [m/sec]
Max DRI
5 th percentile woman
9.1
17.6
50 th percentile male
8.7
15.8
95 th percentile male
8.6
13.1 | The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for minimizing accelerations during impacts such as those encountered in motor vehicle accidents, helicopter and airplane crashes, explosions, and the like. The preferred embodiment takes the form of a helical spring-like member ( 100 ), designed to experience plastic deformation over a desired deformation length, under a given impact load threshold. The spring-like member is preferably installed in a mechanical linkage that is flattened under impact, straining the spring-like member in a predictable fashion. The operating characteristics of this system [namely the stress-strain curve, and thus the deformation length, impact load threshold, and acceptable load range for the system to be protected] can be easily controlled by varying the device dimensions and installation configuration. | 1 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a U.S. national phase under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2011/056173, entitled “Double Stacked Projection” and filed Apr. 18, 2011, which claims benefit of priority under PCT Article 8 of Danish Application No. PA 201000320 filed Apr. 18, 2010, Danish Application No. PA 201000321 filed Apr. 18, 2010, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/356,980 filed Jun. 21, 2010. Each and every application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Modern super high resolution 4K digital cinema projectors designed for normal sized cinema screens have a resolution ideal also for very large screens but lack the brightness needed for these. Double stacking projectors are an effective way of increasing brightness, but traditional double stacking is difficult at such high resolutions because the tolerance in the alignment of projected images becomes very small and is hard to meet during presentations due to thermal induced movements in the mechanical and optical parts and vibrations from the audio system. In other applications like temporary projection set-ups, home cinemas etc., alignment of double stacked projectors may be difficult to maintain even when working at much lower resolutions.
“Double stacking” of projectors, i.e. overlaying the images of two projectors projecting the same image, is a well known way to increase brightness. However, it is also well known that traditional double stacking requires high maintenance of the alignment of the projectors to maintain image quality.
In 4K projection, traditional double stacking is not considered an option, because it would be impossible to keep the sharpness and detail on par with that of a single 4K projector throughout a presentation. This is unfortunate for giant screen theatres, because while 4K projectors lend themselves well to giant screens in terms of resolution, available projectors generally do not have enough light for giant screens, so stacking would seem desirable to double the light output.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to present a double stacking system that overcomes the above mentioned difficulty and presents other advantages. Exemplary applications may be giant screen cinemas, simulators, conference presentations, staging, exhibits, outdoor projection, traditional cinemas, home cinemas, and other applications where brightness of a projected image is a consideration.
An object of the present invention is also to present a novel image processing system for double stacked projector configurations that overcomes the above mentioned maintenance difficulties and provides for a high quality, low-maintenance double stacking system even for 4K projection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An image processing circuit comprising thresholding limiters and constrained smoothing filters splits a source image into two images, which, when projected overlaid on a projection surface by a pair of double-stacked projectors, together form an image essentially identical to the source image, but where one image has significantly less high frequency components. The invention presents advantages over traditional double stacking in aspects of projector alignment, content copy protection, banding artefacts and equipment costs.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The above objects are according to a first aspect of the present invention met by a method for producing a first output image and a second output image for being projected by a first projector and a second projector, respectively, the method comprising:
(a) providing a source image comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel having an source value,
(b) providing a threshold value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, in a first alternative
(d) generating a temporary image comprising a temporary value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, the temporary value being generated in a process equivalent to: (i.i) determining a first maximum value as the maximum of the source value and its corresponding threshold value for each pixel, (i.ii) determining an intermediate value by subtracting the corresponding threshold value from the first maximum value for each pixel, (i.iii) generating the temporary value from the intermediate value for each pixel;
or in a second alternative
(c) providing an inverted threshold value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, each inverted threshold value being an inversion of its corresponding threshold value,
(d) generating a temporary image comprising a temporary value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, the temporary value being generated in a process equivalent to: (i.i) determining an intermediate value as the minimum of the source value and its corresponding inverted threshold value for each pixel, (i.ii) generating the temporary value from the intermediate value for each pixel;
or in a third alternative
(c) providing an inverted threshold value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, each inverted threshold value being an inversion of its corresponding threshold value,
(d) generating a temporary image comprising a temporary value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, the temporary value being generated in a process equivalent to: (i.i) determining a first maximum value as the maximum of the source value and its corresponding threshold value for each pixel, (i.ii) determining a first difference value by subtracting the corresponding threshold value from the first maximum value for each pixel, (i.iii) determining a first minimum value as the minimum of the source value and its corresponding inverted threshold value for each pixel, (i.iv) determining an intermediate value as the minimum of the first difference value and the first minimum value for each pixel, (i.v) generating the temporary value from the intermediate value for each pixel;
or in a fourth alternative
(c) providing an inverted threshold value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, each inverted threshold value being an inversion of its corresponding threshold value,
(d) generating a temporary image comprising a temporary value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, the temporary value being generated in a process equivalent to: (i.i) determining a first maximum value as the maximum of the source value and its corresponding threshold value for each pixel, (i.ii) determining a first difference value by subtracting the corresponding threshold value from the first maximum value for each pixel, (i.iii) determining a first minimum value as the minimum of the source value and its corresponding inverted threshold value for each pixel, (i.iv) determining an intermediate value from a first range of values comprising values between the first difference value and the first minimum value for each pixel, (i.v) generating the temporary value from the intermediate value for each pixel; and in all alternatives
(e) generating the first output image comprising a first output value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, the first output value being generated from the temporary value and the source value for each pixel, and
(f) generating the second output image comprising a second output value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, the second output value being generated from the temporary value.
The method according to the first aspect of the present invention may further comprise in the first alternative:
(c) providing an inverted threshold values for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, each inverted threshold value being an inversion of its corresponding threshold value.
The threshold value for each pixel of said plurality of pixels may be limited to be within an interval having a maximum threshold value and a minimum threshold value for each pixel. Each inverted threshold value being an inversion of its corresponding threshold value may be understood as equivalent to the inverted threshold value being equal to or approximately equal to the maximum threshold value minus the threshold value for each pixel.
The process of generating the temporary value may further comprise in all alternatives: (i.vi) smoothing the intermediate value for each pixel; and in the third and fourth alternatives: (i.vi) smoothing the first difference value and/or the first minimum value.
Smoothing the intermediate value of a pixel is here understood to involve the intermediate value of at least one other pixel, for example a neighbouring pixel. Smoothing the first difference value of a pixel is here understood to involve the first difference value of at least one other pixel, for example a neighbouring pixel. Smoothing the first minimum value of a pixel is here understood to involve the first minimum value of at least one other pixel, for example a neighbouring pixel. The smoothing may comprise a spline filter, a membrane filter, and/or an envelope filter.
The smoothing may be adapted for limiting the intermediate value to a value from the first range of values subsequent to the smoothing. The smoothing may comprise a first dilation operation comprising a first dilation radius. The first dilation radius may be 4 pixels, or approximately 0.3% of the width of the temporary image. The smoothing may comprise a first blur operation. The first dilation operation may be performed prior to the first blur operation. The first blur operation may comprise a first blur radius approximately equal to or smaller than the first dilation radius. The first blur operation may comprise a first Gaussian blur operation. The first Gaussian blur operation may have a standard deviation approximately equal to a third of the first blur radius, or approximately equal to or smaller than 4/3 pixels, or approximately 0.1% of the width of the temporary image. The first blur operation may comprise a first mean filtering operation.
The process generating the temporary value may further comprise: (i.vii) determining a second minimum value as the minimum of the intermediate value and the inverted threshold value for each pixel, (i.viii) generating a second smoothed value by smoothing the second minimum value for each pixel, and (i.ix) generating the temporary value from the second smoothed value for each pixel.
Smoothing the second minimum value of a pixel is here understood to involve the second minimum value of at least one other pixel, for example a neighbouring pixel. The smoothing of the second minimum value may comprise a spline filter, a membrane filter, and/or an envelope filter.
The smoothing of the second minimum value may comprise a second dilation operation comprising a second dilation radius. The second dilation radius may be 2 pixels, or approximately 0.17% of the width of the temporary image. The second dilation radius may be variable. The second dilation radius may be variable in a second range of values including zero. The smoothing of the second minimum value may comprise a second blur operation. The second dilation operation may be performed prior to the second blur operation. The second blur operation may comprise a second blur radius approximately equal to or smaller than the second dilation radius. The second blur radius may be variable. The second blur radius may be variable in a third range of values including zero. The second blur radius and the second dilation radius may be coupled such that one changes as a function of the other.
The second blur operation may comprise a second Gaussian blur operation. The second Gaussian blur operation may have a standard deviation approximately equal to a third of the first blur radius, or approximately equal to or smaller than ⅔ pixels, or approximately 0.055% of the width of the temporary image.
The second blur operation may comprise a second mean filtering operation.
Providing the source image may comprise: (ii.i) providing a gamma encoded source image encoded by a first gamma encoding, (ii.ii) generating a gamma decoded source image by performing a first gamma decoding of the gamma encoded source image, the gamma decoding corresponding to the first gamma encoding, and (ii.iii) outputting the gamma decoded source image as the source image.
The method according to the first aspect of the present invention may further comprise:
(g) performing a second gamma encoding of the first output image, the second gamma encoding corresponding to a second gamma decoding of the first projector.
The method according to the first aspect of the present invention may further comprise:
(h) performing a third gamma encoding of the second output image, the third gamma encoding corresponding to a third gamma decoding of the second projector.
The process of generating the temporary value may further comprise in all alternatives: (i.x) performing a first colour correction of the intermediate value for each pixel, and in the third and fourth alternatives: (i.x) performing a first colour correction of the intermediate and/or the first difference value for each pixel.
In all alternatives the first colour correction may be adapted for correcting the intermediate value to obtain approximately the same first hue as the corresponding source value and in the third and fourth alternative the first colour correction being adapted for correcting the first difference value and/or the intermediate value to obtain approximately the same first hue as the corresponding source value. The first colour correction may comprise a process equivalent to: (iii.i) calculating a constant K for each pixel, K being equal to the maximum of R11/R6, G11/G6, and B11/B6; R6, G6, and B6 are the pixel colours of the source image; and R11, G11, and B11 are the pixel colour values subsequent to determining the first intermediate value for each pixel, (iii.ii) correcting the intermediate value by replacing it with the source value multiplied with the constant K for each pixel.
The method according to the first aspect of the present invention may further comprise: (i) lowering the spatial resolution of the second output image and/or performing a blur operation on the second output image. The method according to the first aspect of the present invention may further comprise: (j) encrypting the first output image. The method according to the first aspect of the present invention may further comprise: (k) recording the first output image on a first recording medium. The method according to the first aspect of the present invention may further comprise: (l) extracting the first output image from the first recording medium. The method according to the first aspect of the present invention may further comprise: (m) recording the second output image on a second recording medium. The method according to the first aspect of the present invention may further comprise: (n) extracting the second output image from the second recording medium.
The method according to the first aspect of the present invention may further comprise: (o) performing a geometric correction of the second output image, the geometric correction being adapted for aligning an image projected by the second projector with an image projected by the first projector.
The process of generating the temporary value may further comprise: (i.xi) performing an erosion operation, preferably a grey scale erosion operation having a radius a half pixel, a full pixel, 0.04% of the width of temporary image, or 0.08% of the width of temporary image, on the intermediate value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels.
In the fourth alternative, the source value may be excluded from the first range of values for each pixel. In the fourth alternative, the first range of values may further comprise the first difference value and the first minimum value.
The first output value may be generated for each pixel in a process equivalent to: (iv.i) determining a second difference value by subtracting the temporary value from the source value for each pixel, and (iv.ii) generating the first output value from the second difference value.
The first output value may be generated for each pixel in a process equivalent to: (iv.i) determining a second difference value by subtracting the temporary value from the source value for each pixel, (iv.ii) generating a first ratio by dividing the second difference value by the threshold value for each pixel, and (iv.iii) generating the first output value from the first ratio for each pixel.
The second output value may further be generated from the inverted threshold value. The second output value may be generated for each pixel in a process equivalent to: (v.i) generating a second ratio by dividing the temporary value by the inverted threshold value for each pixel, and (v.ii) generating the second output value from the second ratio for each pixel.
The threshold value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels may represent the fraction of the total illumination intensity which the first projector contributes to at the corresponding position on the projection surface in a projection of a uniform and maximum intensity image from the first projector and the second projector, or in a projection of a uniform and maximum intensity image from each the first projector and the second projector, or in a projection of a uniform and maximum intensity image from the first projector, or in a projection of a uniform and maximum intensity image from the second projector.
The threshold value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels may be derived by dividing the total illumination intensity, which the first projector contributes to at the corresponding position on the projection surface by the combined total illumination intensity from each of the first projector and the second projector at the corresponding position in a projection of a uniform and maximum intensity image.
The method according to the first aspect of the present invention may further comprise:
(p) adjusting the temporary image to include an alignment pattern.
The method according to the first aspect of the present invention may further comprise:
(q) providing the alignment pattern,
(r) adjusting the temporary image by adding the alignment pattern to the temporary image,
(s) adjusting the temporary image by a process equivalent to: (vi.i) determining a fourth minimum value as the minimum of the temporary value and its corresponding source value for each pixel, and (vi.ii) adjusting the temporary value to the fourth minimum value for each pixel.
The alignment pattern may comprise a grid, a mesh, a barcode, and/or a semacode, and alternatively or additionally the alignment pattern comprising a regular pattern of elements, and/or an irregular pattern of elements, and alternatively or additionally the alignment pattern comprising a regular pattern of dots and/or cross hairs, and/or an irregular pattern of elements of dots and/or cross hairs.
The above objects are according to a second aspect of the present invention met by a method for double stacking a first output image and a second output image on a projection surface by a first projector and a second projector, the method comprising:
(aa) positioning and orienting the first projector and the second projector for overlaying the first output image and the second output image on the projection surface,
(ab) producing the first output image and the second output image by the method according to the first aspect of the present invention,
(ac) supplying the first output image and the second output image to the first projector and the second projector, respectively, and
(ad) projecting the first output image and the second output image by the first projector and the second projector, respectively.
The first projector and the second projector may generate a superimposed image on the projection surface. The method according to the second aspect of the present invention may further comprise:
(ae) recording a first captured image of the superimposed image,
(af) determining a first contribution of the first projector to the first captured image,
(ag) generating a first feedback image from the first contribution,
(ah) generating a first set of misalignment vectors from the first feedback image and the first output image by a feature tracking and/or feature matching,
(ai) generating a first warped image of the first captured image by a first warping comprising the first set of misalignment vectors,
(aj) generating a second feedback image by subtracting the first output image from the first warped image,
(ak) generating a second set of misalignment vectors from the second feedback image and the second output image by a feature tracking and/or feature matching,
(al) generating a third set of misalignment vectors from the first set of misalignment vectors and the second set of misalignment vectors, and
(am) deriving a first geometric correction of the first output image and/or the second output image from the third set of misalignment vectors.
Determining the first contribution of the first projector may comprise a high pass filtering of the first captured image.
The above objects are according to a third aspect of the present invention met by a method for deriving a correction of a double stacking of a first output image and a second output image on a projection surface by a first projector and a second projector, the method comprising:
(ba) positioning and orienting the first projector and the second projector for overlaying the first output image and the second output image on the projection surface,
(bb) producing a first output for a first source image, the first output comprising the first output image and the second output image produced by the method according to an example of the first aspect of the present invention including an alignment pattern for the first source image,
(bc) supplying the first output image and the second output image of the first output to the first projector and the second projector, respectively, and
(bd) projecting the first output image and the second output image of the first output by the first projector and the second projector, respectively, on the projection surface,
(be) recording a first captured image comprising the first output image and the second output image of the first output projected on the projection surface,
(bf) detecting a contribution of the misalignment pattern of the first output in the first captured image
(bg) deriving a geometric correction for the second output image from the detected contribution of the misalignment pattern of the first output.
The method according the second aspect of the present invention may further comprise:
(bh) producing a second output for a second source image for being displayed subsequent to the first source image, the second output comprising the first output image and the second output image produced by the method according to an example of the first aspect of the present invention including an alignment pattern for the second source image,
(bi) supplying the second output image and the second output image of the second output to the first projector and the second projector, respectively, and
(bj) projecting the second output image and the second output image of the second output by the first projector and the second projector, respectively, on the projection surface,
(bk) recording a second captured image comprising the first output image and the second output image of the second output projected on the projection surface,
(bl) detecting a contribution of the misalignment pattern of the second output in the second captured image,
(bm) deriving a geometric correction for the second output image from the detected contribution of the misalignment pattern of the second output.
The method according the second aspect of the present invention may further comprise:
(bh) producing a second output for a second source image for being displayed subsequent to the first source image, the second output comprising the first output image and the second output image produced by the method according to an example of the first aspect of the present invention including an alignment pattern for the second source image,
(bi) supplying the second output image and the second output image of the second output to the first projector and the second projector, respectively, and
(bj) projecting the second output image and the second output image of the second output by the first projector and the second projector, respectively, on the projection surface,
(bk) recording the first captured image comprising the first output image and the second output image of the second output projected on the projection surface,
(bl) detecting a contribution of the misalignment pattern of the first output in the first captured image further comprising detecting a contribution of the misalignment pattern of the second output in the first captured image,
(bm) deriving a geometric correction for the second output image from the detected contribution of the misalignment pattern of the first output and the second output.
Detecting a contribution of the misalignment pattern of the first output in the first captured image and detecting the contribution of the misalignment pattern of the second output in the second captured image may further comprise a time averaging of the first captured image and the second captured image. Detecting of a contribution of the misalignment pattern of the first output and the second output may comprise high pass filtering.
The misalignment pattern of the first output and the misalignment pattern of the second output may be the same. The misalignment pattern of the first output and the misalignment pattern of the second output may be different. The misalignment pattern of the second output may be generated from the misalignment pattern of the first output. The misalignment pattern of the second output and the misalignment pattern of the first output may be generated by a cyclic function, the cyclic function being periodic as a function of time.
The above objects are according to a fourth aspect of the present invention met by a method for producing a first output image and a second output image of a first colour for being projected by a first projector and a second projector, and for producing a first output image and a second output image of a second colour for being projected by the first projector and the second projector, the method comprising:
(ca) producing the first output image and the second output image of the first colour by the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, and
(cb) producing the first output image and the second output image of the second colour by the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.
The above objects are according to a fifth aspect of the present invention met by a method for producing a first output image and a second output image of a first colour for being projected by a first projector and a second projector for projecting the first colour, and for producing and a first output image and a second output image of a second colour for being projected by a first projector and a second projector for projecting the second colour, the method comprising:
(ca) producing the first output image and the second output image of the first colour by the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, and
(cb) producing the first output image and the second output image of the second colour by the method according to an example of the first aspect of the present invention including an alignment pattern.
The first colour and the second colour may represent the left and right colours of stereoscopic image. The first colour and the second colour may represent two colours of a colour model, for example the RGB colour model.
In the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention, the producing of the first output image and the second output image of the first colour may be performed by the method according to an example of the first aspect of the present invention including an alignment pattern. The first colour may represent shorter light wavelengths than the second colour. The first colour may represent blue and the second colour may represent green, yellow, or red.
The producing of the first output image and the second output image of the second colour may be performed by the method according to an example of the first aspect of the present invention including an alignment pattern the alignment pattern in producing the first output image and the second output image of the first colour and the alignment pattern in producing the first output image and the second output image of the second colour may have the same or approximately the same shape. The alignment pattern in producing the first output image and the second output image of the first colour and the alignment pattern in producing the first output image and the second output image of the second colour may have the same or approximately the same dimensions.
The method according to the fourth aspect of the present invention may further be adapted for producing a first output image and a second output image of a third colour for being projected by the first projector and the second projector, the method may further comprise:
(cc) producing the first output image and the second output image of the third colour by the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.
The first colour, the second colour, and the third colour may represent three colours of a colour model, for example the RGB colour model.
The method according to the fourth and fifth aspect of the present invention may further be adapted for producing a first output image and a second output image of a third colour for being projected by a first projector and a second projector for projecting the third colour, the method may further comprise:
(cc) producing the first output image and the second output image of the third colour by the method according to the first aspect of the present invention.
A first source value of a first pixel of the source image may represent the first colour, a second source value of a second pixel of the source image may represent the second colour, and a third source value of a third pixel of the source image may represent the third colour, the colours of the first, second and third pixels may define a second hue; a first intermediate value may be the intermediate value of the first pixel, a second intermediate value may be the intermediate value of the second pixel, and a third intermediate value may be the intermediate value of the third pixel defining a third hue, the method may further comprise:
(cd) subjecting the first, second, and third intermediate values to a colour adjustment.
The colour adjustment may be adapted for adjusting the first, second, and third intermediate values to define the third hue being equal to or approximately equal to the second hue. The colour adjustment may be equivalent to: (vii.i) calculating a first fraction as the first intermediate value divided by the first source value, (vii.ii) calculating a second fraction as the second intermediate value divided by the second source value, (vii.iii) calculating a third fraction as the third intermediate value divided by the third source value, (vii.iv) calculating a second maximum value as the maximum of the first, second, and third fractions, (vii.v) replacing the first intermediate value by the first source value multiplied by the second maximum value, (vii.vi) replacing the second intermediate value by the second source value multiplied by the second maximum value, and (vii.vii) replacing the third intermediate value by the third source value multiplied by the second maximum value.
The above objects are according to a sixth aspect of the present invention met by a system for producing a first output image and a second output image for being projected by a first projector and a second projector, respectively, the system comprising a computer and/or one or more circuits for performing the method according to the first aspect of the present invention. The system according to the sixth aspect of the present invention may further comprise an image source for providing the source image according to the first aspect of the present invention.
The above objects are according to a seventh aspect of the present invention met by a system for double stacking a first output image and a second output image, the system comprising a first projector, a second projector, and a computer and/or one or more circuits for performing the method according to the second aspect of the present invention. The system according to the seventh aspect of the present invention may further comprise an image source for providing the source image according to the second aspect of the present invention. The system according to the seventh aspect of the present invention may further comprise a camera for recording the first captured image of the superimposed image the second aspect of the present invention.
The above objects are according to an eighth aspect of the present invention met by a system for deriving a correction of a double stacking of a first output image and a second output image, the system comprising a first projector, a second projector, and a computer and/or one or more circuits for performing the method according to the third aspect of the present invention, the system further comprising a camera for recording the second captured image of the superimposed image.
The above objects are according to an ninth aspect of the present invention met by a system for producing a first output image and a second output image of a first colour for being projected by a first projector and a second projector and a first output image and a second output image of a second colour for being projected by the first projector and the second projector, the system comprising a computer and/or one or more circuits for performing the method according to the fifth and/or the sixth aspect of the present invention.
The above objects are according to a tenth aspect of the present invention met by a system for producing a first output image and a second output image of a first colour for being projected by a first projector and a second projector for projecting the first colour and a first output image and a second output image of a second colour for being projected by a first projector and a second projector for projecting the second colour, the system comprising a computer and/or one or more circuits for performing the method according to the fifth aspect of the present invention.
The above objects are according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention met by a projection system comprising a first projector and a second projector, the first projector comprising: a first lamp, a first integrating rod having an input end and an output end, the first integrating rod being configured for receiving light from the first lamp through the input end and generate a uniform illumination at the output end, a first projector filter configured to filter the uniform illumination at the output end of the integrating rod, a first spatial light modulator chip, a first illumination system for imaging the first projector filter on the light modulator chip, a first exit pupil through which light from the a first spatial light modulator chip exits the first projector; the second projector comprising: a second integrating rod having an input end and an output end, the second integrating rod being configured for receiving light from the second lamp through the input end and generate a uniform illumination at the output end, a second projector filter configured to filter the uniform illumination at the output end of the integrating rod, a second spatial light modulator chip, a second illumination system for imaging the second projector filter on the light modulator chip, a second exit pupil through which light from the a second spatial light modulator chip exits the second projector, the first projector filter being configured to wavelength shift the light exiting through the first exit pupil, and the second projector filter being configured to wavelength shift the light exiting the through the second exit pupil.
The first projector filter may define a first pass band and a first guard band, and the second projector filter may define a second pass band not overlapping the first pass band, and a second guard band may overlap the first guard band.
The first projector filter may define a first band stop and the first projector may further comprise: a first auxiliary filter configured to filter the uniform illumination from the output end of the first integrating and defining a first pass band and a first guard band, and the first band stop may match or approximately match the first guard band; and the second projector filter may define a second pass band not overlapping the first pass band and a second guard band overlapping the first guard band.
The first projector filter may define a first band stop and the first projector may further comprise: a first auxiliary filter configured to filter the uniform illumination from the output end of the first integrating and defining a first pass band and a first guard band, and the first band stop may match or approximately match the first guard band, and the second projector filter may define a second band stop; and the second projector may further comprise: a second auxiliary filter configured to filter the uniform illumination from the output end of the second integrating and defining a second pass band not overlapping the first pass band and a second guard band overlapping the first guard band, and the second band stop may match or approximately match the second guard band.
The second auxiliary filter may be flat and may have a second uniform thickness. The first auxiliary filter may be flat and may have a first uniform thickness.
The first projector filter may define a first uniform thickness and/or the second projector filter may define a second uniform thickness. The first projector filter may have a first varying thickness and/or the second projector filter may have a second varying thickness. The first projector filter may define a first curvature and/or the second projector filter may define a second curvature. The first projector filter may define a first flat area in a first central portion of the first projector filter, and/or the second projector filter may define a second flat area in a second central portion of the second projector filter. The first projector filter may define a first curved shape in a first peripheral portion of the first projector filter, and/or the second projector filter may define a second curved shape in a second peripheral portion of the second projector filter. The first projector filter may rest on a first transparent substrate, preferably a first glass substrate, and/or the second projector filter may rest on a second transparent substrate, preferably a second glass substrate. The first projector filter may be dichroic, and/or the second projector filter may be dichroic.
The first projector filter may be located at the output end of the first integrating rod and/or the second projector filter may be located at the output end of the second integrating rod. The first integrating rod may defining a first aperture having a first width at the output end and the first projector filter may define a first spherical surface having a first radius equal to or approximately equal to the first width, and/or the second integrating rod may define a second aperture having a second width at the output end and the second projector filter may define a second spherical surface having a second radius equal to or approximately equal to the second width.
The above objects are according to an twelfth aspect of the present invention met by a system for producing a series of three-dimensional images comprising: a computer and/or one or more circuits for producing left output comprising first output images and second output images by repeatedly applying the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, and the computer and/or the one or more circuits further being adapted for producing right output comprising first output images and second output images by repeatedly applying the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, the left output representing left perspective images of the series three-dimensional images and the right output representing corresponding right perspective images of the series three-dimensional images; a projection screen; a left perspective first projector coupled to the computer and/or one or more circuits and configured for projecting the first output images of the left output on the projection screen; a right perspective first projector coupled to the computer and/or one or more circuits and configured for projecting the first output images of the right output on the projection screen; and a left/right perspective second projector coupled to the computer and/or one or more circuits and configured for alternatingly projecting the second output images of the left output and the second output images of the right output on the projection screen.
The above objects are according to an twelfth aspect of the present invention met by a system for producing a series of three-dimensional images comprising: a computer and/or one or more circuits for producing left output comprising first output images and second output images by repeatedly applying the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, and the computer and/or the one or more circuits further being adapted for producing right output comprising first output images and second output images by repeatedly applying the method according to the first aspect of the present invention, the left output representing left perspective images of the series three-dimensional images and the right output representing corresponding right perspective images of the series three-dimensional images; a projection screen; a left perspective first projector coupled to the computer and/or one or more circuits and configured for projecting the first output images of the left output on the projection screen; a right perspective first projector coupled to the computer and/or one or more circuits and configured for projecting the first output images of the right output on the projection screen; a left perspective second projector coupled to the computer and/or one or more circuits and configured for projecting the second output images of the left output the projection screen; and a right perspective second projector coupled to the computer and/or one or more circuits and configured for projecting the second output images of the right output on the projection screen.
In the twelfth aspect and/or thirteenth aspect the left perspective first projector may comprise a left polarization filter for polarizing light projected by the left perspective first projector and the right perspective first projector may comprise a right polarization filter for polarizing light projected by the right perspective first projector.
The left polarization filter and the right polarization filter may have orthogonal or approximately orthogonal polarization directions. The left polarization filter and the right polarization filter may have opposite circular polarization directions. The projection screen may be being non-depolarizing. The systems according the twelfth aspect and/or thirteenth aspect may further comprise a temporal varying polarization unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
A multitude of embodiments of the different aspects of the present invention are depicted in the figures, where:
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the prior art,
FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 3 illustrates details of the preferred embodiment,
FIGS. 4-7 illustrate different pixel values generated in the preferred embodiment.
FIGS. 8-9 illustrate examples of different outputs of the preferred embodiment,
FIGS. 10-12 illustrate alternative embodiments of the present invention,
FIG. 13 illustrates an immersive stereoscopic projection configuration,
FIGS. 14-17 illustrate a preferred embodiment of a projection system according to the present invention,
FIG. 18 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention, and
FIG. 19 illustrates the processing and output of the alternative embodiment described in relation to FIG. 18 .
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is described below in terms of exemplary configurations but is not intended to be regarded as limited to those. For the sake of explanation, greyscale projection systems are used to describe the present invention, whereas the configurations described may as well be applied to each of the colour planes of a tri-stimulus (for example RGB) colour projection system, and, using standard colour space conversion techniques, further be used for projection systems using other colour spaces (for example YPbPr). Further, colour correction circuits for adapting for example hue adjustment, black points and white points etc. between source image signals and projectors may obviously be included. Still, image projection systems are used in several descriptions, whereas the described configurations may as well operate on a sequence of still images constituting a moving image. Monoscopic projection systems are used in the description, but the invention may as well apply to a set of projection systems used for stereoscopic applications or to active stereoscopic projectors with separate left eye and right eye inputs or with double frame rate inputs. Pixel values are described as being in the range from 0 to 1, whereas in practical implementations other ranges will likely be chosen. Operations are described as being performed by separate circuits, whereas in practical implementation they will likely be implemented as software algorithms, lookup tables etc. in computer memory or graphics card memory. Further modifications, additions and alternative configurations obvious to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included in the scope of the invention.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a configuration of prior art, a traditional double stacking comprising essentially identical projectors, a first projector 1 and a second projector 2 , each projecting an image onto a projection surface 3 and each having a decoding gamma function corresponding to the encoding gamma of an image generator 4 , which is outputting a source image signal comprising an array of pixel values. The connecting lines in the schematic view illustrate image signal paths. The output of the image generator is supplied to the input of the first projector 1 and to the input of a warping circuit 5 . The output of the warping circuit 5 is supplied to the input of the second projector 2 . The warping circuit 5 performs a geometrical correction of the image projected by the second projector 2 to align it with the image projected by projector 1 and compensate for mechanical misalignment between projected images. Repeated re-calibrations may be needed to compensate for movements in mechanical and optical parts due to thermal variations etc.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a first embodiment of the invention. To the configuration of FIG. 1 has been added an image splitting function comprising a gamma decoding circuit 6 , a first gamma encoding circuit 7 , a second gamma encoding circuit 8 , an image buffer 9 , a lightening image limiter 10 , a first image subtraction circuit 11 , a darkening image limiter 12 , a second image subtraction circuit 13 , a first constrained smoothing filter 14 , a second constrained smoothing filter 15 , an image inversion circuit 16 , a first image division circuit 101 and a second image division circuit 102 , all connected as shown in the figure.
The gamma decoding circuit 6 is matched to the encoding gamma of the image generator 4 , the first gamma encoding circuit 7 is matched to the decoding gamma of the second projector 2 and the second gamma encoding circuit 8 is matched to the decoding gamma of the first projector 1 . Thus, all operations in the circuit between the output of gamma decoding circuit 6 , the first gamma encoding circuit 7 and the second gamma encoding circuit 8 are performed at a gamma of unity, meaning that pixel values represent linear intensities, and the resulting superimposed illumination intensity in a point of the projection surface 3 is a function of the sum of the corresponding pixel values in the images being input to the first gamma encoding circuit 7 and to the second gamma encoding circuit 8 .
The image buffer 9 stores a threshold image T which holds for each pixel value a representation of the fraction of illumination intensity which the first projector 1 is contributing to the corresponding position on the projection surface 3 when both projectors are supplied uniform, maximum intensity images to their inputs. Since in this embodiment the first projector 1 and the second projector 2 are essentially identical, the first projector 1 contributes half the illumination intensity in all positions, and all pixel values in T are 0.5. In an alternative configuration of this embodiment, the projectors are not identical but have different spatial distribution of their maximum illumination intensities; hence T is an image having pixels with varying values between 0 and 1.
The content T of the image buffer 9 and the output of the gamma decoding circuit 6 are supplied to the lightening limiter 10 . The lightening image limiter 10 calculates an image that in every pixel position is the higher of the two inputs and it outputs the result to the first image subtraction circuit 11 , which subtracts T and supplies the result to a lower bound image input LB of the constrained smoothing filter 14 . The pixel values of this image represents the amount of intensity that the first projector 1 is not capable of reproducing alone, hence the minimum intensity the second projector 2 should contribute in the corresponding pixel position.
The content T of the image buffer 9 is supplied to the image inversion circuit 16 and the output of the image inversion circuit 16 is supplied to the darkening image limiter 12 . Further, the output of the gamma decoding circuit 6 is supplied to the darkening image limiter 12 . The darkening image limiter 12 calculates an image that in every pixel position is the lower of the two inputs and outputs the result to an upper bound image input UB of the constrained smoothing filter 14 . This image represents the maximum intensity the second projector 2 should contribute, i.e. the desired resulting pixel intensities limited by the maximum intensity the second projector is able to contribute in the corresponding pixel position.
The first constrained smoothing filter 14 calculates a generally smooth, blurry output image with only few high frequency components and where the output image is essentially constrained in any pixel position to have a pixel value in the range from the corresponding pixel value in the lower bound image LB and the corresponding pixel value in the upper bound image. FIG. 3 shows a process flowchart of an exemplary configuration of the constrained smoothing filter 14 . The constrained smoothing filter 14 performs a greyscale dilation operation with a dilation radius r 1 on the lower bound input image LB followed by a blur operation with a blur radius r 1 ′ smaller than or equal to r 1 on the result of the greyscale dilation operation, followed by a darkening image limiting operation with the upper bound input image UB on the result of the blur operation, limiting pixel values in the result of the blur operation to be smaller than or equal to the corresponding pixel values in the upper bound input image UB and the result of the darkening image limiting operation is the output of the first constrained smoothing filter. Alternatively, the darkening image limiting operation may be omitted and the result of the blur operation may be the output of the first constrained smoothing filter. The dilation radius r 1 may be 4 pixels and the blur radius r 1 ′ may be equal to r 1 . Alternatively, the dilation radius r 1 may be 1/300 th of the width of the lower bound input image LB and the blur radius r 1 ′ may be equal to r 1 . The blur operation may be a Gaussian blur operation which may have a standard deviation of ⅓*r 1 ′ or the blur operation may be a mean filtering operation. In alternative configurations, the first constrained smoothing filter 14 may comprise a spline based or membrane based envelope filter or a glow effect filter.
The output of the first constrained smoothing filter 14 is supplied to a lower bound input of a second constrained smoothing filter 15 and the output of the image inversion circuit 16 is supplied to an upper bound input of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 . The second constrained smoothing filter 15 may perform an operation similar to that of the first constrained smoothing filter 14 with a dilation radius r 2 and a blur radius r 2 ′. The dilation radius r 2 may be 2 pixels and the blur radius r 2 ′ may be equal to r 2 . Alternatively the dilation radius r 2 may be 1/600 th of the width of the lower bound input image of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 and the blur radius r 2 ′ may be equal to r 2 . In an alternative configuration the second constrained smoothing filter 15 may be substituted by a blur filter. The dilation radius r 2 of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 may be adjustable and the blur radius r 2 ′ may be set to follow r 2 when adjusted. It is noted that when r 2 =0 and r 2 ′=0, the output of the second constrained smoothening filter 15 is equal to the lower bound input, i.e. equal to the output of the first constrained smoothing filter 14 .
The output of the gamma decoding circuit 6 and the output of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 are supplied to an image subtraction circuit 13 which calculates an image by subtracting the output of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 from the output of the gamma decoding circuit 6 . The result of the subtraction is supplied to a first input of the first image division circuit 101 . The output image T from the image buffer 9 is supplied to a second input of the first image division circuit 101 . The first image division circuit 101 divides the first input by the second input and the result of the division is supplied to the input of the second gamma encoding circuit 8 . Hence, the first image division circuit 101 scales pixel values in the output image of the second image subtraction circuit 13 , which will be in the range from 0 to the corresponding pixel values of T, by dividing with the pixel values in T, so the resulting output pixel values are scaled to be in the range 0 to 1.
The output image of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 is further supplied to a first input of the second image division circuit 102 and the output of the image inversion circuit 16 is supplied to a second input of the second image division circuit 102 . The second image division circuit 102 divides the first input by the second input and the result of the division is supplied to the input of the first gamma encoding circuit 7 . Hence, the second image division circuit 102 scales pixel values in the output image of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 , which will be in the range from 0 to the inverse of the corresponding pixel values of T, by dividing with the inverse of the pixel values in T, so the resulting output pixel values are scaled to be in the range 0 to 1.
The output of the first gamma encoding circuit 7 is supplied to the input of the warping circuit 5 and the output of the warping circuit 5 is supplied to the input of the second projector 2 . The output of the second gamma encoding circuit 8 is supplied to the input of the first projector 1 .
In an alternative, simplified configuration of the first embodiment, the darkening image limiter 12 may be omitted and a uniform, maximum intensity image may be supplied to the upper bound input of the first constrained smoothing filter 14 .
FIG. 4 shows graphs of values in an example section of a row of pixels at different stages of the processing, the first graph in FIG. 4 shows the output of the gamma decoding circuit 6 , the second graph shows the output of the darkening limiter 12 and the third graph shows the output of the first image subtraction circuit 11 .
FIG. 5 shows three graphs of values in the example section of a row of pixels at different stages of an operation of the constrained smoothing filter 14 with a dilation radius r 1 of 3 pixels and a blur radius r 1 ′ essentially equal to r 1 . In the first graph in FIG. 5 the result of the dilation operation is indicated as a black line with the lower bound input indicated in dark gray and the upper bound input indicated in light gray. The second graph shows in a similar manner the result of the blur operation and the third graph shows the result of the darkening operation.
FIG. 6 shows 3 example graphs of the values in a row of pixels, the first graph in FIG. 6 shows the output of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 when r 1 =3 pixels and r 2 =0 and r 1 ′ is essentially equal to r 1 and r 2 ′ is essentially equal to r 2 . The second graph shows the output of the image subtraction circuit 13 and the third graph shows summed values of the output of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 and the image subtraction circuit 13 , which summed values, as noted above, trans-late directly to the resulting illumination intensity in the corresponding row of pixels on the projection surface 3 when alignment of the projected images is essentially perfect, because the operations are performed in a gamma of unity. When r 2 =0 as in this example, summation of the input images to the gamma encoding circuits is equal to the output of the gamma decoding circuit 6 , which is the gamma decoded source image, hence, with perfect alignment of the projected images, the resulting image on the projection surface 3 corresponds essentially perfectly to the output of the image generator 4 , a condition that can be referred to as a “perfect reconstruction”. In an alternative configuration of this embodiment working in the “perfect reconstruction” condition only, the second constrained smoothing filter 15 may be omitted.
As the first graph in FIG. 6 shows, the amount of high spatial frequencies in the output of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 is significantly less than in the output image of the gamma decoding circuit 6 , resulting in a generally smoother, blurred image being projected by the second projector 2 than in a traditional double stacking configuration.
A first advantage of the invention is that the smoother image of the second projector 2 reduces the visible artefacts introduced by a smaller misalignment of the projected images. In many cases, a misalignment of a full pixel or more is not noticeable, which in a traditional double stacking configuration would have introduced highly visible artefacts.
However, as can be seen on the first graph in FIG. 6 , the output of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 is not completely eliminated high frequency components. At high contrast edges in the source image where the contrast is close to or above the contrast reproduction capability of the first projector 1 , the upper bound and lower bound inputs to the first constrained smoothing filter 14 get so close, so it may not always be possible to create a smooth “curve” (or rather: surface) between them, and these areas of the projected image will be the most sensitive to misalignment. Setting r 2 to a value higher than 0 will enforce a smoothing also in these areas, reducing spatial frequency components further and increase the misalignment tolerance. The cost of this increased misalignment tolerance is losing the ability of achieving “perfect reconstruction” and introducing small artefacts even at perfect alignment of the projected images, in the form of faint haloes around edges in the source image with a contrast higher than the first projector 1 is capable of reproducing. Hence, adjusting r 2 defines a compromise between “perfect reconstruction” and “high misalignment tolerance”.
FIG. 7 is equivalent to FIG. 6 , except that the dilation radius r 2 is 2 pixels here and the blur radius r 2 ′ is essentially equal to r 2 . The dilation radius r 1 is still 3 pixels and the blur radius r 1 ′ is still essentially equal to r 1 . The faint halo artefact is visible in the summed graph at the bottom just to the left of the highest peak. Fortunately, these artefacts may be unrecognizable for the Human Visual System in a projected image due to lateral inhibition in the neural response system on the retina (lateral masking), when r 2 is below a limit determined by the overall projection system on-screen contrast, hence theoretical “perfect reconstruction” is not necessarily needed. Determining a good value for r 2 for a given type of projection system may be performed by having a critical group of observers located in the front rows look at a test pattern containing maximum contrast edges and switch between random values of r 2 and ask the group members to rate the images in terms of edge sharpness and then selecting the value of r 2 where nobody notices the reduction of edge sharpness. It is noted that the reason for selecting the second constrained smoothing filter 15 also for the second filtering pass, as opposed to for example selecting a standard lowpass filter, is that this configuration preserves illumination intensity in small areas of highlights like reflections in water or leafs, which may be important visual clues that are not subject to suppression by lateral inhibition.
FIG. 8 shows printed images of an output of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 together with the output of the image subtraction circuit 13 and a simulation of the resulting projected overlaid image calculated by adding the output of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 and the output of the image subtraction circuit 13 . (The images have here been applied a gamma so they are watchable on print).
FIG. 9 shows similar simulations of an enlarged section of an image projected with a 2 pixel misalignment. The upper image is a simulation of a projection with traditional double stacking and the lower image is a simulation of a projection with the first embodiment of the invention.
A second advantage of the invention is that the output image of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 will generally not be watchable and not hold enough detail information to be manipulated into a watchable image without additional information being supplied, meaning, that in copy-protected projection systems, where signal paths and image storages are subject to encryption and physical anti-tampering requirements, the whole signal path from the output of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 including the warping circuit 5 and the second projector 2 may not need to be encrypted or physically secured. FIG. 10 shows an example of including the first embodiment in a digital cinema server. An anti-tampering protective housing 18 encompasses the indicated components. The output of the second gamma encoding circuit 8 is supplied to an encryption circuit 17 and the first projector 1 is a digital cinema projector capable of decrypting the input image signal. FIG. 11 shows an example of including the first embodiment in a digital cinema projector. The image generator 4 may be a digital cinema server outputting an encrypted image signal, a decryption circuit 19 decrypts the signal and the anti-tampering housing 18 encompasses the indicated components. FIG. 12 shows an example of the first embodiment included in a stand-alone unit with an image decryption circuit 18 decrypting the encrypted output of the image generator 4 which may be a digital cinema server and an image encryption circuit 17 encrypting the image signal and outputting the encrypted signal to a digital cinema server capable of decrypting the image signal and the anti-tampering housing encompassing the indicated components. In the configurations of FIGS. 9 , 10 and 11 , the first gamma encoding circuit 7 , the warping circuit 5 and the second projector 2 are outside the anti-tampering housing and process unencrypted signals, making the practical implementation relatively uncomplicated.
In an alternative configuration of the first embodiment, a resampling circuit may be included, which resamples the output image from the first gamma encoding circuit 7 to a lower spatial resolution and supplies the resulting resampled image to the warping circuit 5 and where the warping circuit and the second projector 2 have lower spatial resolution than the first projector 1 . Since the output of the first gamma encoding circuit 7 contains little high frequency components, this may have only little or no effect on the resulting image quality.
Hence, a third advantage of the invention is that upgrade costs may be reduced and investments in existing equipment protected, for example in a theatre with a single 2K projector wishing to upgrade to 4K and increased brightness. In general, the relaxed requirements to the second projector 2 opens up possibilities for asymmetric configurations where the second projector 2 may be a completely different projection system than the first projector 1 , having limitations that would not make it useful for traditional double stacking but are less significant in a configuration of the first embodiment, like lower resolution, slightly visible blending edges or brightness differences of a tiled system, not supporting encryption etc., but having other relevant advantages, such as good black level, being already installed or being optimised to serve specialized applications when not used as part of the first embodiment, such as conference presentations, planetarium star field projection etc.
In yet an alternative configuration of the first embodiment, an image erosion circuit is inserted between the output of the first constrained smoothing filter 14 and the lower bound input of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 , where said image erosion circuit performs a greyscale erosion operation on the image signal received from the first constrained smoothing circuit 14 . The radius R 3 of the greyscale erosion operation may be 0.5 pixel or 1 pixel. This configuration presents the advantage that errors in actual on-screen pixel intensities due to misalignment may be shifted into brighter regions, where the same linear intensities will be less noticeable to the human eye due to the non-linear nature of the human visual system.
In yet an alternative configuration of the first embodiment, a colour correction circuit is inserted between the output of the first image subtraction circuit 11 and the lower bound input of the first constrained smoothing filter 14 . Said colour correction circuit is further connected to the output of the gamma decoding circuit 6 and it adds to the pixel values in the image received from the first image subtraction circuit 11 in a way so that the pixels in the output to the first constrained smoothing filter 14 have essentially the same hue as the corresponding pixels in the image signal received from the gamma decoding circuit 6 . This operation may be performed by, for each pixel calculating a constant K=Max(R11/R6, G11/G6, B11/B6), where (R6,G6,B6) is the pixel colour value of the output of the gamma decoding circuit 6 and (R11,G11,B11) is the pixel colour value of the output of the first image subtraction circuit 11 and where Max(x,y,z) denotes a function returning the highest of the values x, y and z, and by calculating the output pixel colour values R′=K*R6, G′=K*G6 and B′=K*B6, and outputting (R′,G′,B′) to the lower bound input of the first constrained smoothing filter 14 . In this configuration, pixel hues in the images projected from both projectors will be the same, which may in some images reduce the visibility of misalignment artefacts further.
In yet an alternative configuration of the first embodiment, the output signal from the first gamma encoding circuit 7 or from the resampling circuit is recorded on a first medium and the output of the second gamma encoding circuit 8 is encrypted and recorded on a second medium, and the first medium and the second medium are played back synchronously with the output of the first recording medium being supplied to the warping circuit 5 which is calibrated for alignment of the images and supplies the warped output to the second projector 2 and the output of the second medium being supplied to projector 1 .
A fourth advantage of the invention is that it may reduce banding artefacts introduced by a traditional double stacking configuration, because it may have higher dynamic contrast resolution compared to that of a traditional double stacking system, since more different resulting intensities on said projection surface 3 is possible. In a traditional double stacking configuration where each projector has discrete intensity steps matched to the Just Noticeable Differences of the Human Visual System, the resulting overlaid image on the projection surface 3 may have discrete intensity steps exceeding the Just Noticeable Differences, which may result in visible banding.
A fifth advantage of the invention is that an automatic re-alignment system based on a digital image capturing system taking pictures of resulting superimposed image projected on the projection surface 3 may separate a captured image into components originating from each projector and perform recalibration of the warping circuit without the need for iterations over a sequence of frames in a public presentation or using special iterating training sequences. For example, a high frequency filtering of a captured image may create an image that is related only to the image being projected by the first projector 1 making it possible to do feature matching or tracking, identify a first set of misalignment vectors from the captured image with respect to the input image to the first projector 1 and warp the captured image so it is aligned with the first projector 1 , and then subtract a gamma decoded version of the image being input to the first projector 1 from a gamma corrected and gain-corrected version of the captured image, resulting in an image that is related only to the image being projected by the second projector 2 , so feature matching or tracking is possible and a second set of misalignment vectors between the captured image and the image being projected by the second projector 2 can be calculated, and from the first and second set of misalignment vectors calculate a third set of misalignment vectors, which is the misalignment vectors between the image being projected by the first projector 1 and the image being projected by the second projector 2 and from the third set of misalignment vectors perform a re-calibration of the warping circuit 5 . Alternatively, in an RGB projection system, a single alignment image may be constructed which in one colour plane contains a geometric pattern, for example a grid, which has only pixel values above the values in the threshold image T and where another colour plane contains the same geometric pattern but with pixel values below the values in the threshold image T, thus for each pixel position it is possible to obtain relative misalignment vectors between the projectors and perform a re-calibration of the warping circuit 5 .
Additionally, the first embodiment may be switchable to a single projector mode, in which one of the projectors is simply being supplied the source image. This single projector mode may act as fall-back operation in case of a projector failure and may be activated automatically by a detection system capable of detecting a projector failure, where the detection circuit may be an integrated part of the projector or where the detection circuit may be based on a digital image capture system taking pictures of the resulting superimposed image being projected on the projection surface 3 , resulting in a degree of redundancy, where, for example in the case that a lamp blows, the system will continue to project correct images albeit with less brightness.
FIG. 18 shows yet an alternative configuration of the first embodiment, supporting an especially advantageous re-alignment procedure, where an image buffer 103 holding an alignment pattern, an image addition circuit 104 and a darkening limiter 105 are added. The output of the image buffer 103 is supplied to one input of the image addition circuit 104 and the output of the constrained smoothing filter 15 is supplied to another input the image addition circuit 104 , and the output of the image addition circuit 104 is supplied to one input of the darkening limiter 105 and the output of the gamma correction circuit 6 is supplied to another input of the darkening limiter 105 and the output of the darkening limiter is supplied to one input of the image division circuit 102 and to one input of the image subtraction circuit 13 , as shown in the figure. The output of the image buffer 103 may be switchable between a black picture and the alignment pattern, so the alignment pattern can effectively be switched off, when alignment detection is not requested. The effects of these added circuit elements on the projected images are that the image projected by projector 2 will be added a constrained alignment pattern, which is the output of the image buffer 103 being constrained, so that the result of the addition in each pixel position is still equal to or lower than the intensities of the corresponding pixel values in the source image, and the image projected by projector 1 will be subtracted the constrained alignment image, so when the two images are superimposed on the projection surface 3 with perfect alignment, the alignment pattern will be cancelled out and become invisible, so only the source image is visible. However, when a misalignment is introduced, the alignment pattern becomes visible as pattern sections of lower and higher intensities than the surrounding pixels. This enables easy and precise visual detection of any present misalignment. The position of lower and higher intensities indicates in which direction the misalignment is oriented. For example, if a section of an alignment pattern is visible as lighter pixel values compared to the surroundings, i.e. a lighter pattern imprint, and the same section of the alignment pattern is visible as darker pixel values compared to the surroundings, i.e. a darker pattern imprint, and the dark imprint is located to the right and below the light imprint, this indicates that projector 1 is displaced to the right and towards the lower edge relative to the position in which perfect alignment occurs. In this way, detection of misalignment can be executed during operation of the projection system, and even correction may be performed by adjusting the warping circuit 5 . The alignment pattern may be designed, so it is not very noticeable to a general audience, though still useful for a projectionist, for example by comprising small graphic elements with regular spacing.
The alignment pattern may be a grid, a mesh or any regular or irregular pattern of elements which may be dots, cross hairs or other graphic elements and it may contain barcodes, semacodes or other identifiers.
FIG. 19 shows example signals of the configuration of FIG. 18 , where the first image is the output the darkening limiter 105 with the added alignment pattern visible, the second image is the output of image subtraction circuit 13 with the subtracted alignment pattern visible, the third image is the resulting superimposed image on the projection surface 3 with perfect alignment and the fourth image is an example of a resulting superimposed image on the projection surface 3 when misalignment is present.
In a colour image projection system comprising multiple configurations of the first embodiment each projecting a colour plane of the image, a first colour plane may be projected with an alignment pattern by the configuration shown in FIG. 18 and the other colour planes may be projected without alignment patterns. When the colour planes are projected by the same physical projectors, the mechanical misalignment of projectors and projection optics will affect the colour planes essentially identical, so the misalignment information observed from the first colour plane can be used to detect and correct the misalignment of all colour planes. This will further reduce the visibility of the alignment pattern to a general audience, especially if the colour plane with the alignment pattern is the blue colour plane, whereas the projectionist can observe the image through an optical filter having essentially the same colour as the colour plane with alignment image, thereby increasing the visibility of the alignment image to the projectionist.
Alternatively to having a projectionist observing the image manually, a camera may record the image on the projection surface 3 and an image processing system may detect and correct misalignment. The image processing system may perform feature matching or feature tracking, for example scale invariant feature tracking, to perform recognition of the alignment pattern or alignment pattern sections. Further, the camera may have a long exposure time, so that several different projected images, for example subsequent frames of a moving picture, are integrated in the image capturing element over one exposure, thereby blurring all non-static picture elements, but preserving the static alignment pattern for easier recognition of alignment pattern or alignment pattern sections. For example, the alignment pattern or alignment pattern sections may be separated from the integrated and blurred image by a high pass filtering. A sequence of images to be projected may be pre-processed, to increase the blurring of other elements than the alignment pattern when later integrated in the camera's image capturing element, for example a slow, cyclic motion may be introduced to static scenes of a sequence of a moving picture, or one of the colour planes, for example the blue colour plane, may be blurred in one or more or all of the frames of the moving picture.
In a colour image projection system comprising multiple configurations of the first embodiment each projecting a colour plane of the image, an additional colour correction circuit may be comprised, which adds to the pixel values in the colour channels of the outputs of the first constrained smoothing filters 14 in a way so that the hue of the pixels in the output of the first constrained smoothing filters 14 are essentially identical to the hues of the corresponding pixels in the output of the gamma decoding circuit 6 . The additional colour correction circuit may perform an operation, where it for each pixel calculates a fraction value, which is the pixel value of the output of the first constrained smoothing filter 14 divided by the corresponding pixel value of the output of the gamma decoding circuit 6 , then the additional colour correaction circuit identifies the greatest of the fraction values for each of the colour planes, i.e. for each of the multiple configurations of the first embodiments, and for each of the colour planes, a new pixel value is calculated by multiplying the output of the gamma decoding circuit 6 with the fraction value for the colour plane, and the resulting pixel value is supplied to the input of the second constrained smoothing filter 15 . The advantage of this colour projection system is that the hues projected from the first projector 1 and from the second projector 2 will for each pixel be essentially identical, which may further decrease visible artefacts resulting from misalignment.
In a specially advantageous configuration, a 3D system is comprising two image processing circuits according to the first embodiment, a first image processing circuit according to the first embodiment being supplied a left perspective image of a 3D image and a second image processing circuit according to the first embodiment being supplied a left perspective image of said 3D image and three projectors, two stationary polarization filters, a temporal varying polarization unit, such as the RealD ZScreen or the RealD XL polarizing beam splitter arrangement with ZScreens, a non-depolarizing projection screen and eyewear with polarizers. A first projector is supplied the output of the second gamma encoding circuit 8 of said first image processing system and has a first polarization filter inserted in the optical path between the light source of said first projector and said projection screen, a second projector is supplied the output of the second gamma encoding circuit 8 of said second image processing system and has a second polarization filter inserted in the optical path between the light source of said second projector and said projection screen, said first polarization filter and said second polarization filter having essentially orthogonal polarization directions or opposite circular polarization direction, and where a third projector is projecting alternately the output of the first gamma encoding circuit or the resampling circuit of said first image processing system and the output of the first gamma encoding circuit or the resampling circuit of said second image processing system. In other words, two separate projection systems, one for a left eye image and one for a right eye image, use each one projector for the high frequency image and share a time multiplexed projector for the low frequency image.
The advantage of this configuration is that the third projector projects alternately the overlay images of the left and right perspective images that have low amounts of high frequency components, therefore the requirements to the performance of this projector in terms of resolution are relaxed, again allowing to optimize the projector for brightness on the cost of some resolution or image sharpness, for example utilizing a polarizing beam splitter with image combiner, such as for example the RealD XL adapter, which essentially doubles the light output of the projector, but at the cost of limiting the maximum obtainable resolution in practical implementations. This way, the same amount of light reaching the screen as with four projectors can be achieved using just three projectors. For example, a 3D projection system comprising three projectors with a 7 KW Xenon lamp each could result in the same brightness as that of a system comprising four projectors with 7 KW lamps each, which could be adequate for illuminating 3D giant screens. Such a system could rival existing filmbased 3D projection systems for giant screens in both image resolution, brightness, image stability, contrast, dynamic range and frame rate.
FIG. 13 shows an immersive, stereoscopic projection configuration with a total of four overlaid projectors, a first left projector 121 , a second left projector 122 , a first right projector 123 and a second right projector 124 , where the first left projector 121 and the second left projector 122 are parts of a configuration according to the first embodiment and are projecting a left view of a stereoscopic image and where the first right projector 123 and the second right projector 124 are parts of a configuration according to the first embodiment and are projecting a right view in an immersive giant screen theatre where the projection surface 3 may be a domed screen or a big flat screen located close to the audience so a large portion of the field of view of the members of the audience located in the theatre seats 125 is filled with image and where the audience members are wearing stereoscopic eyewear. The projectors may be located off-axis close to the edge of the domed screen and may comprise wide angle or fisheye projection optics. The projection optics may be constructed so that pixel density is higher in an area, a “sweet spot”, in front of the audience, as is well known in the art of immersive projection. The projection optics may further comprise anamorphic adaptors, which stretch the image in the vertical direction to fill a larger area of the dome. Additional warping circuits may be comprised, which performs a geometrical correction of the left eye source image and the right eye source image. The warping circuits may operate individually on each of the colour planes of the source images so they can be calibrated to further compensate for chromatic aberration in the projection optics. Alternatively to including image splitting circuits according to the first embodiment in the configuration, a playback system may be included, capable of synchronously reproducing previously recorded outputs from an image splitting circuit according to the first embodiment stored on at least one storage medium and supplying the reproduced outputs to the projectors. The storage medium may comprise at least one hard disk containing a first set of assets comprising a first signal for the first left projector 1 , where the first signal is the recorded output of the second gamma encoding circuit 8 when the left source image was supplied to the input of the gamma decoding circuit 6 and a second signal for the first right projector 1 , where the second signal is the recorded output of the second gamma encoding circuit 8 when the right source image was supplied to the input of the gamma decoding circuit 6 , and further containing a second set of assets comprising a third signal for the second left projector, where the third signal is the recorded output of the first gamma encoding circuit 7 when the left source image was supplied to the input of the gamma decoding circuit 6 , and a fourth signal for the second right projector, where the fourth signal is the recorded output of the first gamma encoding circuit 7 when the right source image was supplied to the input of the gamma decoding circuit 6 . The first set of assets may be stored on the hard disk in the format of a stereoscopic Digital Cinema Package and the second set of assets may be stored on the hard disk in the format of a stereoscopic Digital Cinema Package. The first set of assets may be stored in an encrypted form and the playback system may be able to supply an encrypted signal to the input of the first left projector and an encrypted signal to the input of the first right projector. Further, a first warping circuit may be comprised located in the signal path from the playback system to the second left projector and a second warping circuit may be comprised located in the signal path from the playback system and the second right projector where the first warping circuit and the second warping circuit are calibrated for alignment of the images.
The projectors in the configuration of FIG. 12 may use spectral separation for separating the left and right eye views, where members of the audience wear eyewear with dichroic spectral separation filters and where the projectors comprise dichroic spectral separation filters. The separation filters of the first left projector 121 and the second left projector 122 may be essentially identical and the left eye separation filter in the eyewear may be matched to the separation filters of the first left projector 121 and the second left projector 122 and the separation filters of the first right projector 123 and the second right projector 124 may be essentially identical and the right eye separation filter in the eyewear may be matched to the separation filters of the first right projector 123 and the second right projector 124 . Spectral separation stereoscopic projection has the advantage of not requiring a special projection surface which is attractive in many immersive cinema applications, and it has very good image quality and stereoscopic reproduction in a central part of the field of vision, but it has the disadvantage of introducing artefacts outside of the central part of the field of vision, because the filters in the eyewear differ from their nominal performance for incident light with angles not normal (perpendicular) to the filters, a phenomenon which is inherent in the nature of dichroic filters. For these reasons, an improved system for spectral separation stereoscopic projection shall be proposed below.
FIG. 14 shows an example of prior art. A lamp 20 in a first projector emits light into an integrating rod 21 which creates a uniform illumination at the output end. A first projector filter 23 , being a dichroic spectral separation filter resting on a glass substrate 22 , is located adjacent to the output of the integrating rod 21 , essentially in a focal plane of the illumination system 24 , so an image of the first projector filter 23 is essentially focused on the spatial light modulator chips 25 of the projector. A second projector (not shown) is configured equivalently but with a second projector filter (not shown), which is mutually exclusive to the first projector filter 23 . The first projector filter 23 and the second projector filter have mutually exclusive pass bands and in between there are spectral ranges called guard bands where both the first projector filter 23 and the second projector filter have little transmittance. The left eye separation filter in the eyewear may be a dichroic filter having a set of pass bands encompassing the pass bands in the first projector filter 23 and the right eye separation filter in the eyewear may be a dichroic filter having a set of pass bands encompassing the pass bands in the second projector filter. The separation filters in the eyewear may be slightly curved to partly compensate for the non-normal (non-perpendicular) angle of incident light from pixels in the peripheral areas of the image as observed by a member of the audience positioned with her head directed essentially straight forward with her nose towards the screen, because light with a non-orthogonal angle of incidence travels a longer distance between the dichroic layers of the separation filters, hence is subject to a filtering where the pass bands have been spectrally shifted compared to the filtering of light from pixels in the middle area of the image with essentially normal (perpendicular) angle of incidence, which would otherwise cause the match with the projector filters to be reduced beyond the tolerances provided by the guard bands in the projector filters, giving rise to colour artefacts and artefacts of crosstalk between left and right projection systems (“ghosting”) in the peripheral parts of the image. It is normally not practical to use separation filters that are curved enough to completely compensate for the angles of incident light from different parts of the image for aesthetic reasons regarding the eyewear design and because the distance between eyes varies significantly in a population of different ages. The experience of the remaining artefacts in the peripheral parts of the image may be described as having a sheet of slightly coloured, semi-transparent, semi-reflective material with two fuzzy holes in front of your eyes attached to your head, the holes not completely covering the image, resulting in a sense of “tunnel vision”. Therefore, further means to reduce the artefacts in the peripheral parts of the image are usually adopted comprising pre-wavelength shifting the projector filters, increasing the width of the guard bands at the cost of reduced brightness and further comprising reducing the size of the eye openings in the eyewear limiting the range of possible angles of incident light, thereby introducing a sharp and psychologically better accepted border of your field of view but obviously at the cost of a restricted field of view. However, for an immersive cinema application, artefacts in the peripheral field of vision will not be completely eliminated.
FIG. 15 shows an alternative configuration of the system in FIG. 14 where the colour and ghosting artefacts in peripheral parts of the image are compensated by modifying the first projector filter 23 and the second projector filter so the spectrally filtered light at the exit pupils of the projectors becomes wavelength shifted as a function of the angle of emission. The first projector filter 23 and the second projector filter are curved with essentially identical curves, so that light focused on pixels in the peripheral parts of the light modulator chips traverse longer distances between the dichroic layers than light focused on the central parts of the light modulator chips, hence light focused on the peripheral parts of the light modulator chips is wavelength shifted with respect to light focused on the central parts of the light modulator chips and therefore light emitted from pixels in the peripheral parts of the projected image is wavelength shifted with respect to light emitted from pixels in the central parts of the projected image, resulting in a better match of the filtering by the projector filters and the filtering of the eye filters for pixels in the peripheral parts of the image, and in more pixels in the peripheral parts of the image being filtered by the eye filters so that the pass bands of the eye filters encompass the pass bands of the projector filters when observed by a member of the audience in a target observation position. Other members of the audience located at other positions may observe a slightly undercompensated or overcompensated image, but still observe a better image than without compensation. The curve of the first projector filter 23 and the second projector filter may be spherical with radii equal to the width of the aperture of the integrating rod 21 . An electronic colour correction is normally applied to the source image to compensate for a slight hue changes as perceived by the Human Visual System in the filters, which cannot be avoided completely for manufacturing reasons. This colour correction is normally spatially uniform over the image area. In the case of using curved filter, this colour correction may instead be spatially nonuniform, so as to achieve projected images that are perceived as uniform in hue to the Human Visual System. Alternatively to comprising curved filters, dichroic filters with varying thickness of the dielectric layers may be comprised.
The experience of watching an image compensated with curved filter is hard to describe, but appears somewhat more pleasing than the “uncompensated experience”. It can be described as enlargening the fuzzy holes in the slightly coloured, semi-transparent, semi-reflective sheet so the full image can be seen through them when your face is oriented forwards towards the screen, but the sheet is now detached from your head, though still close, so when you move your head away from the straight looking forward orientation, the edges of the fuzzy holes enter your field of vision, like gazing through a pair of holes in thin drapes.
FIG. 16 shows an alternative configuration, where the first projector filter 23 and the second projector filter may each have a flat area in a central region and only have a curved shape in the peripheral areas of the image where the tolerance by above the mentioned other means of reducing the artefacts in peripheral areas of the image do not suffice. The optimal curve of the projector filters is a function of the distance from the member of the audience to the screen, the curve of the eye filters, the focal length of the relay lenses of the illumination system of the projectors, subjective aesthetic preferences and other factors. A compromise between the “tunnel vision” and “gazing through a pair of holes” may be desirable.
FIG. 17 shows yet an alternative configuration equivalent to the configuration of FIG. 14 , but where a first curved notch filter 27 resting on a first glass substrate 26 is added located in front of the first projector filter 23 in the left projector and a second curved notch filter resting on a second glass substrate are added correspondingly in the second projector, and where the notch filters have notches essentially matching the guard bands, so the width of the guard bands are being widened as a function of the emission angle of light exiting the exit pupils of the projectors, hence reducing artefacts in the peripheral field of vision and eliminating ghosting artefacts in the central field of vision in the case where the observer turns her head to a large angle that may occur in the configurations according to FIGS. 14 , 15 and 16 , although at the cost of reducing the brightness in the peripheral parts of the projected images. The notch filters may have a flat area in a central part of the image.
The invention is additionally or alternatively characterized by an image processing circuit separating an input image into a first image, being the input image clamped to a threshold, and a second image, being the remainder. The second image is smoothened by moving fractions of pixel values from the first image to the darker areas around edges, reducing the content of high-frequency components in the second image, keeping the sum of the two images identical to the input image. Scaling and gamma corrections are performed at the input and outputs, ensuring that actual luminance superposition applies to the calculations. With perfect alignment, the projected overlaid image will correspond exactly to the input image, whilst the second image will have less high frequency components than the first image.
A first advantage is that the system significantly reduces the perceived artefacts arising from minor misalignment, since the human visual system is less sensitive to errors in low frequency components than in high frequencies. Only where there are edges having a contrast higher than one projector can “drive” alone, the second image will contain high frequency components. However, the human visual system exhibits a lower spatial resolution close to edges of contrasts of 150:1 and above, due to the so called spatial masking effect, so misalignment artefacts at high contrast edges will also be reduced in visibility. A low-pass filtering of the second image, moderate enough to be invisible due to the masking effect of the first image's high frequency components, may help masking misalignment artefacts at high contrast edges further.
A second advantage is that a camera-based automatic alignment system can periodically perform realignment throughout a film projection, based on the images in the film, with no need for special calibration sequence runs. Because the projectors do not project identical images, it is possible to separate the first and the second image from the recorded on-screen image, and from those calculate misalignment information, which in turn may be used for electronic re-alignment by geometric correction (warping).
A third advantage is that a single-projector 2K system can be upgraded to increased brightness and 4K resolution, by adding a 4K projector. Since an invisible moderate low pass filtering of the second image is possible, it results in that it is possible to use a lower resolution projector for the second image, maintaining the appearance of the full high resolution of the first projector (only brighter). A fourth advantage is that the resulting luminance resolution of the system is higher than that of a single projector, which could be of significance to high dynamic range projection systems.
The invention is additionally or alternatively characterized by the points:
1. An image projection system comprising two image projectors, a first projector and a second projector, where said first projector and said second projector project overlaid images onto a projection surface, resulting in a superimposed image, further comprising a first image processing circuit, which separates an input image into two images: a first projector image being input to said first projector and a second projector image being input to said second projector, so that when said first projector is projecting said first projector image and said second projector is projecting said second projector image, the overlaid image formed on the projection surface essentially corresponds to said input image, and where the amount of high spatial frequencies is lower in said second projector image than in said first projector image.
2. An image projection system according to point 1, where colour correction circuits are added to both of said projector's inputs, calibrated so that the resulting projector transfer functions between pixel values and projected colour plane luminances become essentially linear and identical, so that the resulting projected colour plane luminances at a point on the display surface is essentially a function of the sum of the corresponding pixel values of said first projector image and the corresponding pixel values of said second projector image, when said corresponding pixel values of said first projector image is within the range 0 to B1 and said corresponding pixel values of said second projector image is within the range 0 to B2, where B1 is the pixel value corresponding to the maximum colour plane luminance of said first projector and B2 is the pixel value corresponding to the maximum colour plane luminance of said second projector, and where the calculation of said second projector image comprises, for each pixel value of essentially all pixels in the input image, calculating the value that exceeds B1, and where said first projector image is calculated by subtracting said second projector image from said input image, and where the pixel values of said input image is within the range 0 to B, where B=B1+B2 is the pixel value corresponding to maximum colour plane luminance of the resulting superimposed image.
3. An image projection system according to point 2, where said calculation of said second projector image further comprises a smoothing process, adding amounts to pixel values in said second projector image in a way, so that high frequency components in said second projector image are reduced, and where said amounts are limited to be within zero and the corresponding pixel values in said first projector image.
4. An image projection system according to point 3, where said smoothing process comprises adding halos to edges in said second projector image, where the halos extend into the darker side of the edges gradually fading with increasing distance from the edges.
5. An image projection system according to point 3 or 4, where said smoothing process comprises a weighted greyscale dilation applied to each of the colour planes of said second projector image, where said weighted greyscale dilation is defined as a greyscale dilation with a structuring element D and where the input pixels are first multiplied by the elements of a filtering kernel F.
6. An image projection system according to points 1-5, further comprising a low-pass filter with a convolution kernel L or other smoothening filter inserted between said first image processing circuit and said second projector.
7. An image projection system according to points 1-6, where said second projector has a lower spatial resolution than said first projector.
8. An image projection system according to points 5-7, where the greyscale dilation structuring element D is a disc shaped element with a radius of 0.2% of the image width, the filtering kernel F is a distance function with a radius of 0.2% of the image width and the convolution kernel L is a Gaussian kernel with a radius of 0.1% of the image width.
9. An image projection system according to points 1-8, further comprising an automatic alignment system comprising at least one camera capable of recording images of said resulting projected image on said projection surface and a second image processing circuit, capable of isolating a first set of features originating from said first projector image in an image recorded by said camera(s) and isolating a second set of features originating from said second projector image in said image recorded by said camera(s) and capable of spatially correlating said first set of features and said second set of features to features of said input image and from said correlations calculating spatial misalignment information, further comprising a third image processing circuit, capable of geometrically correcting at least one of said first projector image and said second projector image, based on said misalignment information, so said first projected image and said second projected image become geometrically aligned.
10. An image projection system according to point 9, where said second image processing circuit comprises a colour correction circuit, producing from said recorded image a conformed recorded image, calibrated so that the transfer function between pixel values and colour plane luminances of the overlaid image on said display surface is essentially identical to said projector transfer functions, and where said second image processing circuit seeks to identify at least one low-luminance area(s) in which all pixel values of said conformed recorded image are below a threshold T, where T is less than or equal to B1, and performs a first set of feature matching operations with said first projector image in at least one feature matching area(s) within said low-luminance area(s) resulting in a first set of offset vectors, and where said second image processing circuit can perform a geometrical correction of said conformed recorded image based on said first set of offset vectors, so that the geometrically corrected, conformed recorded image is aligned with said input image and where said second image processing circuit subtracts said first projector image from said geometrically corrected, conformed recorded image and on the resulting image performs a second set of feature matching operations in at least one area(s) with said second projector image resulting in a second set of offset vectors, and where said third image processing circuit is capable of geometrically correcting at least one of said second projector image and said second projector image based on said first set and said second set of offset vectors, so said first projected image and said second projected image become essentially geometrically aligned, and where said feature matching operations may be template matching operations, scale invariant feature tracking operations or any other feature tracking operations known in the art.
11. An image projection system according to points 9 and 10, where said automatic alignment system perform repeated cycles during presentation of a moving picture, a live transmission, a still image or other content, to reduce geometric misalignment arising during projection.
12. An image projection system according to points 1-11, where more than two projectors are projecting overlaid images, said first image processing circuit outputting more than two images, each having different amounts of spatial frequencies and where said second image processing circuit is capable of isolating features in said recorded image originating from each of said projectors.
13. An image projection system according to points 1-12, further comprising any modifications and configurations included in the technical description or evident to a person skilled in the art.
The invention is additionally or alternatively characterized by the additional points:
1. An image projection system comprising an essentially hemispheric, dome shaped projection surface and at least one image projector located near the edge of said domed shaped projection surface, where said image projector projects an image onto the inside of said dome shaped projection surface and where the projected image covers at least 70% of said dome shaped projection surface, comprising a wide angle projection objective, a fish-eye projection objective, a wide-angle conversion lens, a wide-angle conversion mirror, an inverse afocal optical system or a retrofocus optical system or a combination of any of these, further comprising a first image processing circuit which performs a geometrical correction of an input image and sends a corrected output image to the input of said projector.
2. An image projection system according to the additional point 1 further comprising an anamorphic adaptor comprising at least one prism located in the light path between the image forming element and the screen, where said anamorphic adaptor is stretching said image in one direction.
3. An image projection system according to additional points 1 or 2, where said first image processing circuit is calibrated, so that said projected image essentially has the same geometry as a projected image from a fish-eye projector located essentially at the center of said hemispheric, dome shaped projection surface, when said input image is being input to said fish-eye projector.
4. An image projection system according to additional points 1-3, where said first image processing circuit is able to perform separate geometrical corrections of each of the colorplanes of said input image, and where said first image processing circuit is calibrated so that said geometrical corrections compensates for chromatic aberrations in the optical elements of said image projection system.
5. An image projection system according to additional points 1-4, where at least one area located in said dome shaped projection surface has a higher spatial resolution than the average spatial resolution of said projected image, and where said input image has a higher spatial resolution than said corrected output image, and where said image processing circuit essentially preserves as much spatial resolution from said input image to said output image as possible.
6. An image projection system according to additional points 1-5, further comprising a second image processing circuit able to calculate from said corrected output image a reflection-error image, where said reflection-error image is an estimate of the total reflected light that will be received at each position on the display surface from other parts of the display surface by scattering, if said input image were to be projected onto the display surface by said projector, where said reflection-error image may be calculated based on a set of screen measurements and where said reflection-error image may be calculated by radiosity calculations, and where said image processing circuit essentially subtracts said reflection error image from said input image (negative values being set to zero) resulting in a compensated image, which may be sent to the input of said projector.
7. An image projection system according to additional point 6, where local contrast enhancement is applied to areas of said compensated image, where full cancellation of reflected light is not achieved by the subtraction of said reflection-error image.
8. An image projection system according to the additional point 7, where a remainder-error image is calculated as the difference between said reflection-error image and the result of a subtraction of said compensated image from said corrected output image, and where a contrast enhanced compensated image is calculated from said compensated image by local contrast enhancement and where said remainder-error image is low-pass filtered and then used as a key in a keying operation between said compensated image and said contrast enhanced compensated image, and where the resulting image of the keying operation is sent to the input of said projector.
9. An image projection system according to additional points 7 or 8, where said local contrast enhancement is an unsharp mask operation or a local tone mapping operation.
10. An image projection system according to additional points 1-9, further comprising any modifications and configurations included in the technical description or evident to a person skilled in the art. | A method for producing a first output image and a second output image for being projected by a first projector and a second projector, respectively, is disclosed. The method comprises: providing a source image comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a source value, providing an inverted threshold value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, and generating thereof a temporary image comprising a temporary value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels. The method further comprises: generating the first output image comprising a first output value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, the first output value being generated from the temporary value and the source value for each pixel, and generating the second output image comprising a second output value for each pixel of the plurality of pixels, the second output value being generated from the temporary value. | 7 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a press-type cosmetic container with an anti-press means, more particularly to a container preventing the leakage of cosmetic liquid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While a woman or girl is on make-up, a cosmetic pencil is playing an important role at the moment. Turning the cosmetic pencil for make-up is the present way, and if a mirror is another tool for make-up, how to handle the cosmetic pencil and the mirror is a trouble for the woman or girl. Hence, a press-type cosmetic container is then developed for marketing. And a problem accompanied simultaneously, that is, cosmetic liquid in the container may be leaked out while pressing. Therefore, to develop a cosmetic container with anti-press means is an important issue for the persons skilled in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a press-type cosmetic container with an anti-press means comprising: a tube member having a sleeve at the one end thereof, the outer edge of the sleeve being disposed a collar base; a rotating tube member being disposed a female ringing slot at the inner edge of the one end thereof, the rotating tube member being female-connected to the outer edge of the sleeve and the collar base of the tube member being slid on the female ringing slot so as to make the rotating tube member be turned around on the sleeve, wherein two axial extending ribs are disposed at the inner wall of the another end of the rotating tube member, a block is disposed between the two ribs, and a resisting member is disposed beside the two ribs; a press cover having two wedging member being extended outwardly and disposed on the two side edges thereof respectively, the one end of the press cover located at the wedging member being embedded at the inner edge of the free end of the rotating tube member, and the one wedging member being disposed beyond the two ribs; wherein the block stops pressing the press cover in order to stop outputting material in the cosmetic container and then achieve the function of preventing improper pressing, and the rotating tube member is then turned around, the two wedging members are moved to locations beside the resisting member so as to output the material.
Other and further features, advantages and benefits of the invention will become apparent in the following description taken in conjunction with the following drawings. It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory but are not to be restrictive of the invention. The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention in general terms. Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The objects, spirits, and advantages of the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be readily understood by the accompanying drawings and detailed descriptions, wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic 3-D view of the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic 3-D exploded view of the present invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic sectional view of the present invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates another schematic sectional view of the present invention;
FIG. 5A illustrates a schematic sectional view of the motions of pressing and outputting of the present invention; and
FIG. 5B illustrates a schematic view of not moving a press cover of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With references to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 , the present invention provides a press-type cosmetic container with an anti-press means comprising: a tube member 10 , which is an axially hollow member and has an accommodation 11 for containing cosmetic liquid, the one end of the tube member 10 having an output means 20 , the one end of the tube member 10 being disposed a press means 30 , wherein the tube member 10 is disposed the outer edge of the one end of the output means 20 and female-connected to a hollow lid 21 ;
the output means 20 , which includes a fixing member 22 embedded at an opening of the one end of the accommodation 1 , and an output tube 23 being disposed at the axial center of the fixing member in order to discharge cosmetic liquid in the accommodation 1 ;
the press means 30 including: a platen 31 disposed at the one end of the tube member 10 without the output tube 23 in a sliding manner and around the opening of the accommodation 11 in order to press the cosmetic liquid moving toward the output tube 23 of the tube member 10 , as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , wherein a slot hole 311 is disposed at the center of the top end surface of the platen 31 for embedding the rod member; a positioning kit 32 , which comprises a flange disk 321 , so that the positioning kit 32 is disposed at the top surface of the platen 31 , a trepanning 322 is disposed at the center of the free end surface of the flange disk 321 , and another ringer portion 323 is outwardly extended at the outer edge of the trepanning 322 on the flange disk 321 ; a claw socket member 33 , which comprises a connecting socket portion 331 for female-connecting to the outer edge of the ringer portion 323 of the positioning kit 32 , the connecting socket portion 331 being then embedded at the opening of the accommodation 11 of the tube member 10 , the other end of the connecting socket portion 331 being outwardly extended a plurality of claw portions 332 , a plurality of claw blocks 333 being formed at the end portions of the plurality of claw portions 332 and wider than the width formed by the claw portions 332 ; a thrust tube member 34 , the one end surface of the one end of the thrust tube member 34 having a plurality of cone slots so as to form a plurality of sharp cone surfaces 342 , a plurality of wedging blocks 341 being disposed at the outer edges of the ends of the sharp cone surfaces 342 and extended toward the other end of the thrust tube member 34 , each interval of the wedging blocks 341 being equal to another, therefore the end of the thrust tube member 34 with cone slots being penetrated through the claw socket member 33 , and the one end surface of each sharp cone surface 342 being against the one end surface of each claw block 333 ; a turning tube member 35 , an extending flange 351 being disposed around the one end of the turning tube member 35 , an embedding block 352 being extended toward the other end of the turning tube member 35 and connected to the outer edge of the turning tube member 35 , the free end surface of the embedding block 352 being an embedding surface 353 , the other end of the turning tube member 35 being penetrated through the thrust tube member 34 so as to make the embedding surface 353 match with the one side surface of the sharp cone surfaces 342 ; a flexible element 354 , the one end of the flexible element 354 being against the end edge of the free end surface of the ringer portion 323 of the positioning kit 32 , and the other end of the flexible element 354 being against the free end surface of the extending flange 351 ; a rod member 36 , the one end of the rod member 36 being penetrating through the turning tube member 35 for embedding in the slot hole 311 of the platen 31 , so that the rod member 36 and the turning tube member 35 are firmly fastened each other; a hollow bushing member 37 , which is female-connected to the outer edge of the claw portion 332 and matched with the end surfaces of the claw blocks 333 , a collar base 371 being disposed at the outer edge of the hollow bushing member 37 ; a hollow rotating tube member 38 , the inner edge of the one end of the hollow rotating tube member 38 having a concave ring slot 384 , and the hollow rotating tube member 38 being female-connected to the outer edges of the claw portions 332 and the hollow bushing member 37 , and the concave ring slot 384 and the collar base 371 of the tube member 37 being matched each other in a sliding manner so as to make the rotating tube member 38 rotate on the tube member 37 ; wherein two axial extending ribs 381 are disposed at the inner wall of the another end of the rotating tube member 38 , as shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B , a block 382 is disposed between the two ribs 381 , and a resisting member 383 is disposed beside the two ribs 381 ; and a press cover 39 , which has two wedging members 391 extended outwardly and disposed on the two side edges thereof respectively, the center of the end surface of the wedging member 391 having a containing slot 392 on the press cover 39 , the one end of the press cover 39 with the wedging member 391 being embedded in the inner edge of the free end of the rotating tube member 38 , the other end of the rod member 36 being then penetrated through and fixed in the containing slot 392 , and the wedging member 391 is then disposed beyond the two ribs 381 , as shown in FIG. 5B .
With references to FIG. 3 , FIG. 4 , FIG. 5A , and FIG. 5B , turning the rotating tube member 38 is to let the wedging members 391 be right beside the resisting member 383 , as shown in FIG. 5B . Pressing the press cover 39 makes the wedging members 391 move toward the rod member 36 along the resisting member 383 . Continuously the press cover 39 pushes the rod member 36 , and the rod member 36 drives the thrust tube member 34 , as shown in FIG. 4 , so that the thrust tube member 34 is moved toward the turning tube member 35 . The sharp cone surfaces 342 and the embedding surface 353 urge the turning tube member 35 to rotate so as to make the extending flange 351 press the flexible element 354 . Then the rod member 36 thrusts the platen 31 to press the cosmetic liquid moving toward the output tube 23 .
In case of stopping discharging the cosmetic liquid, releasing the press cover 39 will recover the turning tube member 35 by means of the flexible element 354 , and the press cover 39 is back to an original position as well.
With reference to FIG. 5B , while not using the cosmetic liquid, turning the rotating tube member 38 will make the wedging member 391 be in the interval of the two axial extending ribs 381 in order to let the block 382 stop that of pressing the press cover 39 down, and the turning tube member 35 can not be moved.
The present invention discloses the press-type cosmetic container, which has an anti-press means. So that the cosmetic liquid is not leaked so as to be very convenient for traveling.
Although this invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, the principles involved are susceptible for use in numerous other embodiments that will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. This invention is, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims. | The present invention is related to a press-type cosmetic container with an anti-press means. That is, a cosmetic container adopts the way of pressing to output the material therein. More particularly, the press cover of the cosmetic container is stopped by a block to prevent discharging or leaking the material in the cosmetic container. | 0 |
The present invention relates to methods of and apparatus for dispensing cryogenic fluids.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Liquid cryogens are used in a number of industrial processes. For example, liquid nitrogen droplet dispensers are currently used to provide an inert head space when packaging oxygen sensitive products such as coffee and peanuts. Liquid nitrogen dispensers are also used in the packaging of carbonated beers and soft drinks in cans to provide both an inert head space and for increasing the rigidity of the cans.
Each application of a liquid cryogen usually requires a particular droplet size and, when installed on a production line, for example, a canning line, it is important that the size of the droplet being dispensed is constant since a varying droplet size will lead to a great variation in can pressure.
European Patent Publication No. 0331287 discloses an apparatus for dispensing a cryogenic liquid which includes a reservoir having an electrically heated dispensing tube connected to the bottom of the reservoir. Liquid cryogen contained within the reservoir is metered by an electrically controlled solenoid valve which, when activated, closes off the dispensing tube. The dispensing tube is electrically heated so that liquid cryogen within the dispensing tube undergoes film boiling. The film boiled liquid cryogen within the dispensing tube acts to lubricate slugs of liquid cryogen that are dispensed from the dispensing tube when the solenoid valve is raised.
Cryogenic liquid dispensers incorporating a solenoid valve and a heater are relatively cumbersome and expensive. Furthermore, they cannot achieve the mass flow and dosing rates often required by industry.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide an apparatus for dispensing a liquid cryogen which does not incorporate a separate solenoid valve and heater.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for dispensing a cryogenic liquid comprises a vessel for containing the liquid cryogen, an outlet from the vessel for the passage therethrough of the liquid cryogen and means for focusing a beam of energy on the liquid cryogen as it passes through the outlet.
The beam of energy may be a beam of laser light emanating, for example, from a CO 2 laser. Alternatively, it may be a beam of microwaves or a beam of ultrasonic waves.
Preferably, the outlet comprises a passage and the focusing means is arranged to focus the beam of energy immediately adjacent the distal end of the passage.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method of dispensing a cryogenic liquid comprises the steps of allowing the cryogenic liquid to flow along a predetermined path and focusing a beam of energy at the cryogenic liquid as it flows along the path so that the cryogenic liquid undergoes localised vaporisation.
The beam of energy can be applied intermittently to the cryogenic liquid thereby to create discrete droplets of liquid cryogen along said path.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic sketch of an apparatus for dispensing a liquid cryogen;
FIG. 2 is a detail of the apparatus of FIG. 1 illustrating a continuous stream of liquid cryogen leaving the apparatus; and
FIG. 3 is a detail similar to FIG. 2 illustrating droplets of liquid cryogen leaving the apparatus of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, reference being made to the Figures of the accompanying diagrammatic drawing.
As shown, an apparatus 1 for dispensing a liquid cryogen, for example, liquid nitrogen, comprises a vessel 2 for containing the liquid nitrogen. The vessel 2 has an outlet in the form of a passage 4 which defines a path for the liquid nitrogen as it leaves the vessel 2.
Adjacent the vessel 2 there is located a source 6 of intermittent radiant energy, for example, a CO2 laser. The laser light emanating from the source 6 is focused as a beam of light on the liquid nitrogen at a point immediately adjacent the distal end of the passage 4 by focusing means 8 in the form of a lens.
Although not shown, a timing circuit can be provided which will operate the source 6 at preselected intervals.
In use, when a continuous stream of liquid nitrogen is required, then the source 6 of laser light will be inoperative and as illustrated in FIG. 2 a continuous stream of the liquid nitrogen will pass along the path defined by the passage 4. However, when it is desired to dispense the liquid nitrogen in droplet form then the laser light is intermittently applied to the liquid nitrogen stream adjacent the distal end of the passage 4 such that there is localised heating and sufficient energy is supplied to the liquid nitrogen that localised boiling/evaporation of the liquid nitrogen is achieved thereby creating droplets of a predetermined size dependent upon the preselected interval of time in which the source 6 is activated and then shut down.
The laser light is used as a direct method of energy transfer between the light and the liquid nitrogen.
When the laser light is applied to the liquid nitrogen for a long period of time, the vaporisation of the liquid nitrogen at the distal end of the passage 4 causes the passage to block. This effectively stops the flow of liquid nitrogen along the passage 4.
On a canning line, for example, the timing circuit will be set to cause the source 6 to assume a cyclical operation and any increase in the off time of the source 6 will increase the droplet size of the liquid cryogen and vice versa. This allows a particularly accurate droplet size to be dispensed into a moving line of, for example, food or beer cans.
It has been found, that the use of a laser source can provide a mass flow and dosing rate which is superior to the current techniques used for dispensing liquid cryogens.
Although reference has been made in the above described embodiment to a beam of energy in the form of a beam of laser light from a CO 2 laser; alternative beams of energy can be employed, for example, a beam of microwaves or a beam of ultrasonic waves. | An apparatus for dispensing a cryogenic liquid includes means for focusing a beam of energy, eg. laser energy from a source onto the liquid cryogen as it passes through an outlet from a cryogenic liquid container. | 8 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to DE 10 2005 058 343.1, filed Dec. 6, 2005 and PCT/EP2006/011001, filed Nov. 16, 2006.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a seat belt for motor vehicles, comprising a restraining element for a seat belt tongue slidable along seat belt webbing, the element protruding from one side surface of the seatbelt.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
From the state of the art seat belts are known, wherein a restraining element, a so-called a strap button, is provided in order to hold a seat belt tongue in a predefined position in a parking position of a belt system (while the belt is not fastened). This strap button is made of two or more parts which are pierced or pushed on both sides through the belt webbing of the seat belt and are held together by means of a clip or pin connection. The strap button prevents the seat belt tongue from resting on the seat cushion in the inoperative position and allows the seat belt tongue to be positioned in the desired position to be conveniently accessed by a user. A strap button of this type is known from US 2004/0250387 A1.
The strap button protruding from the seat belt on both side surfaces of belt webbing in accordance with the prior art creates an aesthetic impairment and makes it necessary to configure the seat belt tongue on the side facing away from the seat cushion such that the seat belt tongue can be suspended in a flat manner in the inoperative position and rest against the seat belt.
Penetration of the seat belt webbing entirely through its thickness when the strap button elements are joined results in weakening of the webbing material. In addition, if inflatable seat belts are used, it is difficult to guarantee sufficient gas flow in the region of the strap button since the prior art connection approach prevents the webbing from being easily inflated and provides clearance for the flow of gas through its interior.
DE 103 27 753 A1 describes a sensor arrangement to be attached to a belt, particularly to a seat belt of a motor vehicle, wherein a sensor is attached to the belt on the upper side of the belt facing away from the passenger. The sensors determine the heart rate, for example, or the body temperature, or they can be configured as microphones.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a seat belt which is comfortable to use, provides occupant safety, and is visually appealing.
This object of the invention is achieved according to the invention by a seat belt having the characteristics described herein. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of invention are also disclosed.
The seat belt for motor vehicles according to the invention, includes a restraining element for a seat belt tongue, the element protruding from the seat belt, provides for a one-sided arrangement of the restraining element on the seat belt such that one side of the seat belt, preferably the side facing the user of the belt, has no projecting or protruding restraining element or a belt buckle latch stopper. In the parking position, the buckle latch rests flat against the seat belt since the restraining element visibly and effectively projects only on the seat belt back surface. In this way, in the parking position, protrusion of the belt front surface in the direction of the vehicle interior is eliminated. The invention further provides that the seat belt may be configured as a multi-layer seat belt comprising a hollow space, wherein the belt can be filled with an appropriate gas via a gas generator. This hollow space is formed by a plurality of seat belt layers and is used for inflatable seat belt systems.
In order to be able to also use seat belt tongues that have a wider belt slot, it is provided that the restraining element of this invention is at least 4 mm thick in order to be able to guarantee secure fastening of the seat belt tongue in the desired position.
Likewise, it is possible that the restraining element extends at least across half the width of the seat belt, preferably across nearly the entire width of the belt webbing, in order to cover corresponding slot cross-sections and thus guarantee secure association of the seat belt tongue with the seat belt. On the correspondingly large restraining elements, a label with informational content may be applied, which provides information, for example, about the design features or the properties of the seat belt, or warnings required by regulations. In this case, the restraining element is preferably disposed on the visible side surface of the belt webbing such that the informational content of the label can be identified by the belt user. Furthermore, arranging the restraining element on the visible side surface has the advantage that, particularly in the case of belt systems integrated in the seat, the restraining element does not negatively influence the storage position, thus producing an orderly appearance overall.
It is provided that the restraining element is fastened in the conventional manner to the seat belt layer, which is to say it is positively fastened by a mechanical fastener to the inside of the seat belt to a layer of the seat belt in order to fix the seat belt tongue in place. A basic alternative to the positive mechanical attachment is to glue or weld it on as a non-positive or bonded connection of the restraining element to one side of the seat belt or one side surface of a seat belt layer.
In all cases this ensures that the inflation behavior of an inflatable seat belt is not changed and that using comfort is not impaired by the fact that part of the restraining element is disposed on the side surface facing the belt user in the operating or usage position. To this end, the restraining element is preferably disposed on the side surface of the seat belt fading the backrest cushion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to the attached figures, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic, perspective illustration of a belt system;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment; and
FIG. 4 is a variant of FIG. 3 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a belt system 1 comprising a seat belt 2 and a seat belt tongue 3 . The seat belt tongue 3 threaded into in a belt buckle and positively locked when the seat belt 2 is attached. The seat belt tongue 3 is attached displaceably on the seat belt 2 . FIG. 1 shows the seat belt 2 in the inoperative position (i.e. the belt system is not fastened around the user), in which it is guided substantially vertically from an upper belt deflection point to a lower anchorage. In this position, the seat belt tongue 3 rests on the restraining element 4 , which extends substantially across the entire width of the seat belt 2 , wherein the restraining element 4 , on the surface of which lettering 7 or another symbol may be provided, is located on the back surface of the seat belt 2 , which is to say on the side surface facing away from the belt user. The seat belt tongue 3 , on the other hand, protrudes with the seat belt tongue end that can be inserted in the belt buckle in the direction of the belt user such that the user can easily grasp the seat belt tongue 3 . The restraining element 4 prevents the seat belt tongue 3 from sliding down to the seat belt anchorage and holds the seat belt tongue 3 at grip height for the belt user.
FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of the seat belt from FIG. 1 in a cross-sectional view. In the example of the invention shown in FIG. 2 the seat belt 2 is made of two belt layers 21 , 22 , between which a hollow space 5 is formed, through which gas from a gas generator can be introduced into the seat belt 2 . In the event of an accident, the seat belt 2 inflates and provides improved restraining action. In order to enable gas passage through the seat belt tongue 3 without difficulty, a relatively wide belt slot is configured within the seat belt tongue 3 . Accordingly, the restraining element 4 is slightly thicker than the width of the belt slot.
It is apparent from FIG. 2 that the restraining element 4 is disposed only on the outside of a seat belt layer 22 . The seat belt webbing is not penetrated, rather an adhesive region 6 is provided between the restraining element 4 and the seat belt layer 22 . Alternatively, the restraining element 4 can also be welded to the seat belt 2 or welded to the seat belt layer 22 . Likewise, in the case of a two-layer configuration of the seat belt 2 , it is possible to penetrate one layer 21 , 22 and fix the restraining element 4 to the one layer 22 in a conventional manner. A corresponding counter-piece for the restraining element 4 is then accommodated on the inside in the hollow space 5 .
FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment, wherein the restraining element 4 is positively fastened through a mechanical fastening connection to a layer 22 of the seat belt 2 . Positively locking elements 41 , which are fastened to or configured on the restraining element 4 , penetrate the top layer 22 of the seat belt 2 and engage a counter-piece 14 there. The counter-piece 14 is introduced in the hollow space 5 formed by the two seat belt layers 21 , 22 and/or is fastened to the top layer 22 , while the bottom layer 21 is fixed to the top layer 22 , for example is glued or welded thereto. The counter-piece 14 comprises tapered inserts 16 , by means of which the arrow-shaped positively locking elements 41 can be introduced into corresponding recesses 15 where they engage and lock together. Laterally, adjacent to the recesses 15 and/or the tapered inserts 16 , relief recesses 17 are provided, which enable springback of the sides of the recess 15 that are provided with an undercut which facilitates snap-fit attachment of locking elements 41 into recesses 15 .
Between the two layers 21 , 22 of the seat belt, a seal 23 or an intermediate layer may be disposed.
Alternatively to the illustrated, solely two-ply configuration of the seat belt 2 , it is possible to provide an expanding inflatable body made of an elastic, preferably gastight material, within the free space 5 formed between the top layer 22 and the bottom layer 21 , wherein the gas of the gas generator is introduced into the expanding body. The two layers 21 , 22 then serve as a casing for the expanding body, which preferably has a tube-shaped and single-piece configuration, in order to avoid or minimize leaks. In this way, gas is prevented from escaping from the hollow space 5 through the holes of the positively locking elements 41 within the seat belt layer 22 . Likewise, fabric that feels comfortable and has sufficiently high tensile strength can be used for the seat belt layers 21 , 22 , without having to ensure increased gas tightness at the same time as protection against accidental leakage of the gas through the seat belt in the direction of the belt user.
Such a variant of the seat belt is shown in FIG. 4 , wherein the two seat belt layers 21 , 22 are shown unconnected to one another. The expanding body 24 is disposed within the free space 5 between the seat belt layers 21 , 22 and is in a flat, compressed state beneath the counter-piece 14 and between the counter-piece 14 and the bottom seat belt layer 21 . On the seat belt layer 21 , 22 outer ends, which are not shown, a weld connection, glued connection, or sewn connection can be provided, and optionally the seat belt can also be configured as one piece and receive both the counter-element 14 and the expanding body 24 , which is connected to the gas generator by a fluidic connection.
In the applied position (i.e. when the seat belt 2 is worn by the user), the restraining element 4 is located on the top surface of the seat belt 2 , that is on the side of the lap belt facing away from the belt user, and does not impair the usage and sliding behavior. The provided adhesive technique simplifies the assembly process and furthermore does not weaken the fabric of the seat belt 2 . As a result of the one-sided application and/or one-sided attachment of restraining element 4 , it is possible not to impair the function of the seat belt 2 , particularly also when configured as an inflatable seat belt. In the case of a double-layered configuration, the restraining element 4 can also be press-fitted with a fabric layer.
While the above description constitutes the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope and fair meaning of the accompanying claims. | A seat belt ( 2 ) for motor vehicles, has a restraining element ( 4 ) for a seat belt tongue ( 3 ). The restraining element protrudes from the seat belt ( 2 ), from only on one side thereof and the seat belt ( 2 ) may be configured as a multi-layer seat belt ( 2 ) forming a hollow space ( 5 ) between the seat belt layers ( 21, 22 ). | 8 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is filed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §371 and claims the priority of International Patent Application No. PCT/DE00/03665 filed Oct. 18, 2000, which in turn claims priority of German Patent Application No. 100 33 406.7 filed Jul. 8, 2000.
The invention relates to a device and procedure for safely conveying and handling a cellulose solution suitable for manufacturing solvent-spun cellulose molded parts, in particular for manufacturing fibers, films and membranes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Procedures for spinning cellulose solutions are known in the art. In this case, a cellulose solution comprising pretreated cellulose, a non-solvent for cellulose, such as water, along with a solvent for cellulose, such as tertiary amine oxide, in particular N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide, in addition to other spinning aids that might be necessary, are prepared to yield a spinnable solution, hereinafter referred to as spinning solution, wherein this mixture only retains its spinnability if kept at a temperature ranging from about 70° C. to 120° C. Spinnability is here the property of spinning the solution into molded parts in a dry-wet extrusion process. EP-A 0 574 870 describes the manufacture of cellulose molded parts out of such solutions, for example.
The above procedures offer clear advantages relative to other procedures for the manufacture of fibers, films and membranes. For example, they enable the manufacture of molded parts superior to conventional molded parts in many respects, such as viscose. The procedure also permits a continuous manufacture of molded parts. In addition, ecological advantages must be highlighted, since essentially no chemicals detrimental to the health or environment are used or precipitated in this procedure for manufacturing solvent-spun cellulose molded parts.
There are also disadvantages to the known procedures and devices for manufacturing solvent-spun cellulose molded parts. The mixtures consisting of cellulose, tertiary amine oxides and water tend to undergo vigorous decomposition reactions at high temperatures, so-called runaways. In addition, decomposition generally sets in after a variable induction period, so that the time and temperature of the runaway reaction are difficult to forecast in practice.
In general, the adiabatic induction period becomes shorter as the temperature of the mixture goes up. The correct selection of temperature and time parameters is pivotal for a safe manufacturing process.
On a production scale, an explosive runaway reaction in the mixture can be expected after about 16 hours for mixtures of cellulose, tertiary amine oxide and water if the mixture is kept at a temperature of about 115° C.
To maintain the spinning solution temperature at a level necessary for spinning in the conveying and handling equipment, e.g., spinning device, mixing container, supply container, lines and other equipment, the individual equipment components are provided with heaters. In this case, subdivision into sectors encompassing individual or several of the above components is a common practice.
Known in the art are various types of heaters that can be attached primarily, but not exclusively, to the outside of the above components. Electric heaters are known, for example. Also known are hot water heaters, in which the necessary warmth is imparted to the spinning solution via hot water streaming through pipes or double walls in the components.
Without wishing to be limited to a single theory, indications are made of an autocatalytic mechanism for the decomposition reaction. Small amounts of Fe(III) ions lead to a noticeable reduction in thermal stability. However, the idea of removing iron ions from the production mixture must be rejected for economic considerations.
The problem involving the spontaneous and explosive decomposition of the mixture requires that special protective measures be taken to prevent serious accidents, and to protect both the equipment for conveying and handling the spinnable cellulose solution, hereinafter called conveying equipment, and personnel, or safeguard them against serious damage or injury.
In prior art, the conveying equipment or its assemblies are provided with conventional and cost-intensive safety devices. These safety devices involve bursting devices that are incorporated at selected locations. Expansion rooms or expansion containers are also used to hold the expanding spinning solution. Such conventional safety devices are not only cost-intensive, but also restricted exclusively in their action to limiting the effects of the spinnable cellulose solution as it passes through so that the conveying equipment is not destroyed. At the same time, the safety of operating personnel is also ensured.
A process for the manufacture of solvent spun cellulose fibres is known from the U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,304, involving transport of the cellulose solution through pipes, whereby an exothermic runaway of the cellulose solution essentially is controlled through regulation of the temperature of the transported solution in dependence of the diameter of the pipe.
The Temperature of the Cellulose solution ist controlled by equipping the pipe with a hollow jacket, containing a circulating heat transfer fluid. At exceeding a limit temperature of the solution to be transported the flow rate is increased or the temperature of the heat transfer fluid is lowered. The temperature of the heat transfer fluid is regulated by a heat exchanger.
Therefore, the disadvantage to the safety devices in prior art is that their action is restricted to limiting the effects of the spinning solution as it passes through, and not limiting the passage of the spinning solution itself.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention is to overcome the disadvantages to prior art and provide a safety device and procedure that prevents the production mixture from passing through.
Another object of this invention is to provide a safety device and procedure for manufacturing solvent-spun cellulose molded parts that prevents the spinnable cellulose solution from passing through, without having any disruptive influence on the conveying, handling and production process, e.g., unnecessarily having to interrupt the production process.
The objects are achieved via the technical features set fort in the independent claims. The subclaims describe preferred embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a production system for manufacturing solvent-spun cellulose molded parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the knowledge that a localized overheating of a limited quantity of spinning solution does not directly result in the entire system being passed through. In addition, it is based on the knowledge that a uniformly high temperature level in the entire system, or at least in a sufficiently large volume, is necessary for the substances or mixture to pass through.
Based on known production equipment for manufacturing solvent-spun cellulose molded parts with hot water heating equipment as the tempering system, this invention prevents the spinning solution from passing through by continuously monitoring the temperature of the spinning solution in the individual sectors or assemblies of the devices and, depending on preset parameters, decreasing the temperature of the hot water of the heating equipment and/or feeding cooling water into the heating equipment.
This trick of the trade drops the temperature of the spinning solution to a point where the spinning solution can no longer pass through. In a preferred embodiment, the temperature of the spinning solution is kept at a point where it does not dip below the minimum temperature necessary for the spinning process, thereby advantageously both preventing the danger of the spinning solution passing through while simultaneously not interrupting the production process.
Furthermore according to the invention, the temperature of the hot water in the heating equipment is reduced and cooling water is supplied to the heating equipment distribution system in stages.
In the first stage, the temperature of the hot water in the heating equipment is continuously decreased when a first preset limiting temperature of the spinning solution is exceeded, wherein the temperature of the hot water dips below the temperature of the spinning solution to achieve a relative cooling, i.e., temperature drop, of the spinning solution with the associated heat transfer from the spinning solution to the hot water. The temperature of the hot water can be reduced with basically known measures, such as by using heat exchangers. The hot water in the heating system can also be partially supplied with cooling water. However, the latter step does not enable the recovery of process warmth.
If the measures taken in the first stage are successful and the temperature of the spinning solution returns to the preset, desired temperature range for the spinning process, the safety process has ended, and the companion heating system is operated in its normal technological regime.
If the measures in the first stage fail to bring the temperature of the spinning solution to the specified desired temperature range and the temperature of the spinning solution exceeds a second preset limiting temperature exceeding the first preset limiting temperature, the measures of the second stage of the safety procedure according to the invention are initiated.
The measures of the second stage in the safety procedure are also initiated if the temperature in the spinning solution rises so fast as to exceed the second preset limiting temperature before the measures in the first stage can be introduced or take effect.
In the second stage of the procedure, the introduction of hot water into the heating system is essentially interrupted, and cooling water is fed into the distribution system of the heating system. The cooling water has a temperature lying clearly below the temperature of the hot water, even in as far as the hot water temperature was modified through the measures taken in the first stage.
While no significant limitations are placed on the selection of cooling water temperature, it must be remembered that the cooling water temperature should be low enough to enable as much heat dissipation from the spinning solution as possible, and hence prevent the spinning solution from passing through, and that the cooling water temperature must be high enough to prevent the thermal stress of the production equipment and/or distribution system from rising above a level that would damage the distribution system or other parts of the production equipment. Such damages can include stress cracks owing to the temperature change, for example.
The expert can, based on his or her specialized knowledge, or through simple commonly and reasonably known from technical practice, determine the temperature of the cooling water at which its introduction will not damage the production equipment, while simultaneously ensuring a sufficient heat dissipation from the spinning solution. A suitable cooling water temperature measures 20° C.
The above measures can be introduced in such a way as to have the procedure according to the invention affect either the entire production facility or just individual groups, i.e., spinning device, mixing container, storage tanks, supply lines and other parts.
In the following, the invention will be described in greater detail based on an example.
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a conventional production system 100 for manufacturing solvent-spun cellulose molded parts out of a cellulose consisting of pretreated cellulose, a non-solvent for cellulose and a solvent for cellulose, equipped with a hot water heating system 102 was provided with temperature sensors 104 , 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 and 114 for measuring the spinning solution temperature. In this case, the system is divided into individual sectors, e.g., pipe sections 116 , mixing vessels 118 , extruders 120 and other parts 122 and 124 , which each receive quantities of spinning solution sufficient cause the spinning solution to pass through. At least one temperature sensor is arranged in each of the sectors set up in this way.
To increase safety, several sensors 110 , 112 can be arranged in a sector 122 . Preferably, the temperature sensors consist of so-called dual sensors. Dual sensors comprise two temperature sensors that measure the temperature of the spending solution at nearly the same location, and relay a temperature signal to the system controller 124 , wherein the temperature sensors of this sensor pair additionally compare the measuring results, and issue a separate signal given deviations in the measuring results. The separate signal, also called a defect signal, alerts the system controller to the failure of a temperature sensor. In this embodiment, the system controller 124 is connected by a safety circuit (not shown) with the individual companion heating systems 130 , 132 , 134 , 136 and 138 , which can be automatically deactivated by the system controller 124 in response to a defect signal. The embodiment of this invention with dual temperature sensors further enhances safety. Suitable temperature sensors are commercially available under the designation PT-100.
Measuring sensors detect a localized overheating of the spinning solution in at least one of the sectors, and the temperature values are relayed to the safety circuit 170 . The preset parameters of the first limiting temperature and the second limiting temperature are provided as switching points in the safety circuit. The cited parameters are variable, and set as a function of the used spinning solution.
In the present example, a first limiting temperature of 98° C. was sent as the first switching point. When the spinning solution temperature exceeded the first switching point, the heat exchanger power was increased by switching the flow rate of cooling water through the heat exchanger to maximum.
As a result, the hot water temperature of the companion heater 136 was reduced, and the cooled quantity of water in the companion heater triggered a heat transfer between the locally overheated spinning solution and the now cooler hot water. After the preset and desired temperature profile of the spinning solution has been established, this safety setting could be acknowledged, both automatically and manually, and the companion heater 136 was adapted to the normal technological regime.
A second limiting temperature of 100° C. was provided as the second switching point. This switching point is reached when the measure do not take hold after reaching the first switching point.
Once the second switching point was reached or exceeded, the supply of hot water to the tempering system was terminated, while the hot water was discharged and cooling water was fed in.
In the present example, the second switching point triggered an automatic switching of two three-way valves V 1 and V 2 . A separate emergency cooling water system 140 was incorporated into the affected heating system via the altered ball valve setting. The emergency cooling water system consists of a cooling water tank 152 , a pressure-controlled conveyor pump 154 and the distribution system 156 . In a normal state, the emergency cooling water system was under a prescribed system pressure. The conveyer pump was switched via a pressure membrane to keep the set system temperature constant.
Switching the three-way ball valves triggered a pressure drop in the cooling water system 140 , as a result of which the conveyor pump 154 of the cooling water system was switched. The cooling water supplied via the conveyer pump 154 forced the warm water into the hot water system, wherein the supply of cold water (20° C.) cooled the temperature of the spinning solution in the affected sectors.
After the technological standard values were reached, the safety setting of the three-way ball valves and hot water heating system was again enabled. This can be done both manually and automatically.
In the FIG. 1 system, the hot water is fed to the individual sectors by a manifold line 180 having the three-way ball valve V 1 therein, and recirculated hot water is returned to the hot water heating system by a manifold line 182 , as illustrated. The cooling water tank 152 is joined to the cooling water pump 154 by a line containing a three-way valve V 2 therein. | Device and procedure for safely conveying and handling a cellulose solution suitable for manufacturing solvent-spun cellulose molded parts, in particular for manufacturing fibers, films and membranes, in devices for conveying and handling the spinnable cellulose solution, provided with a tempering device, wherein the temperature in the tempering system is reduced once the temperature in the cellulose solution has exceeded at least a first limiting temperature, as a result of which the temperature of the spinning solution drops and the reaction mixture is prevented from passing through. A procedure and device with two switching stages is also disclosed. | 3 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to portable carrying devices useful for storing, conveying and serving food and beverages, and in particular to soft-sided insulated coolers capable of such use.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Simple portable coolers formed of hard-walled metal or plastic and designed solely to maintain food and beverages at low temperatures are well known in the art. For example, hard-sided insulated containers, such as coolers and jugs, are manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes by The Coleman Company of Wichita, Kans. Lightweight soft-sided devices which serve similar as well as additional functions such as serving food, holding beverage containers and holding a mobile or cellular telephone for easy retrieval would be desirable.
Such devices would make more convenient the conveyance of food, beverage and utensils to outdoor events such as beach outings, barbecues, picnics and football games, and at the same time would provide a convenient dining surface for serving the food and beverage. Another desired feature would be securing such a device to the seat of a car, van or truck to permit transport of the carrying device in a vehicle without danger of spillage or overturning of the contents in routine driving maneuvers.
For example, a portable carrying device modified by an attached tray would be capable of serving food by providing a table surface, thereby enhancing the utility of simple portable coolers. If further modified by a beverage holder, the cooler would then be capable of concurrently serving a beverage by securely holding a can or cup for ready consumption with the user's meal.
Such a tray and beverage holder combination could conveniently hold snacks or a sandwich while simultaneously serving drinks such as a carbonated beverage or juice, and would thus obviate the need for additional carriers and devices such as a ground cover or tarpaulin on which the food and beverage would ordinarily rest while eating and drinking. Moreover, such additional features would also maintain food and beverage well above ground level and thereby diminish the possibility of sand, dirt, crawling insects and the like contaminating the food and beverage. Therefore, such a multi-functional portable carrying device would improve the user's enjoyable and sanitary consumption of food and beverage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable carrying device which is capable of both storing, conveying and serving food and/or beverage. Thus, the present invention provides such a portable device having, for example, a base, a lid and four sidewalls including an insulative material and a liner shaped to fit the interior so as to form a food storage compartment, and also having at least one tray hingedly secured to the exterior of the food storage compartment. Optionally, in another embodiment of the present invention a beverage holder also can be hingedly secured to the exterior of the food storage compartment.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a portable device for storing, carrying and serving food which also can hold a cellular phone in a convenient manner. An embodiment of the present invention therefore provides a portable device as above described and also including a gusseted cell-phone holder which is fixedly secured to the exterior of the food storage compartment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable device that is suited for steady, safe transport in an automotive vehicle. Yet another embodiment of the present invention thus provides a portable device as above described but also including a seat-belt strap for securing the device to a vehicle seat including, for example, a tether portion which is secured to the exterior of a sidewall or the base of the device, and which when held by a seat-belt can maintain the device securely on the vehicle seat.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable device that is suited for comfortable carriage by hand or shoulder. Thus, an embodiment of the present invention provides a single handle portion which allows for ease of conveyance by hand and ready conversion of the handle into a shoulder strap to free the user's hands for other purposes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The drawings will first briefly be described.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary portable carrying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, including a view of a seat-belt strap in a closed position and a tray in a closed position;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary portable carrying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, including a view of a tray in an open position, and cut-away-views of the tray and of a gusseted pocket;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary portable carrying device according to an embodiment of the present invention, including a view of a tray in an open position, a view of a gussetted pocket for holding additional foodstuffs, and a view of a beverage holder in an open position with a portion thereof cut away;
FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the exemplary portable device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and cut-away-views of the beverage holder and of a front wall;
FIG. 5 is a front view of an exemplary portable carrying device according an embodiment of the present invention including an adjustable carrying strap in a hand bag position;
FIG. 6 is a front view of an exemplary portable carrying device according an embodiment of the present invention including an adjustable carrying strap in a shoulder strap position; and
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary portable carrying device according an embodiment of the present invention including an adjustable carrying strap in an intermediate position.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the exemplary embodiments thereof, and from the claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIGS. 1, 2 , 3 and 4 , illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a portable carrying device 10 capable of, for example, storing, conveying and serving food and beverages. Portable carrying device 10 includes, for example, a base 11 , a lid 12 and four sidewalls 13 - 16 , including front wall 13 and back wall 14 . The base, lid and sidewalls each have, for example, an exterior and interior surface, such as a nylon (e.g., wipe clean surface 210 denier nylon) or flexible plastic material. Accordingly, the device 10 can be easily deformed (e.g., folded or flattened) for convenient storage. A thermally insulative material 70 is disposed adjacent the interior surface and joined together, for example, by an attachment at their respective adjacent edges. A liner 17 (see FIG.4) shaped to fit interiorly within the base, lid and four sidewalls and over the thermally insulated material is fixedly attached to, for example, the interior surface, e.g., at the upper edge of the four sidewalls, so as to cover the interior surface of the sidewalls, base and lid, and thereby to form an insulated food storage compartment 18 . The lid 12 is, for example, hingedly mounted to one sidewall, and is moveable between an open position and a closed position. The lid 12 covers the food storage compartment when in the closed position, for example making a sealing connection with the four sidewalls.
The portable device 10 further includes, for example, at least one tray 19 hingedly secured to the exterior surface of at least one the sidewalls and adapted to pivot between a stably closed and a stably open position. The tray 19 may include, for example, a stiff flat sheet 20 (see FIG.5) disposed between fabric material, such as the same material used for the exterior surface of the sidewalls, means 21 for fixedly securing the stiff flat sheet in the stably open position, such as fabric strips or other suitable connection material connected between tray 19 and exterior surface of wall 13 , and means 22 for fixedly securing the tray in the stably closed position such as VELCRO tabs. Means 22 also may include a clasp, button, snap, zipper or other suitable fastening means. As in FIG. 1, the stiff flat sheet 20 is positioned vertically in the stably closed position so as to substantially flush with the sidewall, and, as in FIG. 2, is positioned horizontally in the stably open position so as to be substantially perpendicular to the sidewall. The tray 19 , when in the horizontal stably open position, may be used, for example, to support plates, beverages, food containers, etc.
As described above, the tray 19 includes, for example, a flat sheet of a stiff material 20 . The stiff material 20 is selected from, for example, a variety of materials suited to the purpose, and preferably is a sheet of cardboard or thermoplastic. The flat sheet 20 is optionally covered by a fabric, plastic coating or film which is selected from, for example, plasticized cloth, vinyl, leather or leatherette material, and the like.
The tray 19 is, for example, fixedly attached to the exterior sidewall of the portable carrying device 10 in a manner so as to be movable between open and closed positions by any effective means known in the art. Such attachment may be made, for example, by sewn stitching, riveting or welding along the edge of the tray 19 adjacent to the sidewall.
The portable carrying device 10 also includes, for example, at least one beverage holder 23 hingedly secured to a sidewall and adapted to move between a stably closed position and a stably open position. The beverage holder 23 includes, for example, at least one stiff flat sheet 24 (see FIGS. 3 , 4 ), a means 26 for fixedly securing the stiff flat sheet in the stably open position and a second means 25 for fixedly securing the stiff flat sheet in the stably closed position (see FIG. 4 ). The stiff flat sheet 24 may be disposed, for example, between fabric material such as the same material used for the exterior surface of the sidewalls and includes, for example, at least one cut-out ring 27 having a diameter sized to stably hold a pre-selected beverage container 28 .
The flat sheet 24 of beverage holder 23 is positioned vertically in the stably closed position so as to be, for example, substantially flush with the sidewall, and is positioned horizontally in the stably open position so as to be, for example, substantially perpendicular to the sidewall. Means 26 for fixedly securing the flat sheets in a stably open position may include, for example, a nylon, leather, vinyl, or leatherette cord or other suitable material. Means 25 may include for example, VELCRO tabs, button, snaps or other suitable fastening means. The beverage holder 23 may include one or more parallel flat sheets of stiff material. For example, when only one flat sheet is employed, the can or cup fits in the cut-out ring 27 , hanging stably therefrom. Alternatively, two flat sheets may be employed and thus the can or cup fits in the cut-out ring 27 of the upper flat sheet and the bottom of the can or cup rests on the lower flat sheet.
The portable storage device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include, for example, means 29 for holding or carrying the portable device 10 . For example, means 29 can include carrying handles 29 ′ on opposing ends of portable device 10 and/or a shoulder strap 29 ″, as shown in FIG. 1 . Carrying handles 29 ′ may be integrally formed with the sidewalls of device 10 or separately attached thereto. Alternatively, means 29 could include the adjustable handle illustrated in FIGS. 5-7 and described below.
In an exemplary embodiment of the portable device 10 , the base, lid and sidewalls are soft and deformable. Accordingly, when the device 10 is not in use, it can be folded or otherwise minimized for ease of storage. Similarly, when in use, the device 10 can be easily manipulated (e.g., mildly deformed as needed). For example, the base, lid and sidewalls may be exteriorly covered by a material or fabric such as a waterproof textile, plasticized cloth, 210 denier nylon, vinyl, leather or leatherette, or a combination thereof. The covering also may be nylon with a vinyl trim. The insulative material may include sheets fabricated from any polymer with suitable insulative and tactile properties such as plastic foam sheet of types well known in the art. One specific material is polyurethane foam. The liner material may include, for example, a conventional plastic liner suitable for use with food products.
In an exemplary embodiment of the portable device 10 , the lid further comprises at least one fastening means 30 , shown partially in FIG. 3 . The lid 12 is maintained in the stably closed position by fastening means 30 , either semi-permanently so as to require an unlocking step or transiently so as to require a simple displacement to open the lid. Preferably, fastening means 30 includes a velcro-type closure having a suitably sized and shaped fastener portion 31 and complementary fastener portion 32 , one being fixedly attached interiorly to the lid and the other being fixedly attached exteriorly to the upper portion of the sidewall opposite the hinged mounting of the lid. This design serves to maintain the lid transiently in the stably closed position. The fastener portion 31 may include a velcro-type hook segment and the complementary fastener 32 portion may include a velcro-type loop segment. The fastener portion and complementary fastener portion may be attached to the lid or sidewall by any method known in the art, but preferably using plastic or metal rivets, stitching or adhesive.
Alternatively, the fastening means 30 can include a zipper assembly positioned substantially along the upper perimeter of the sidewalls so as to maintain the lid semi-permanently in a stably closed position. In an exemplary embodiment, the zipper assembly is of the parallel double-zipper type, wherein two zippers ride along two parallel zipper tracks running on opposite sides of the lid, thereby allowing rapid single-motion zipping and unzipping.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lid has a handle 33 positioned on the exterior surface thereof opposite to the hinged mount of the lid. The handle is preferably a loop of material or fabric attached to the lid. The fabric or material is any suited to the purpose known in the art, and preferably, is nylon, leather or plastic cord, or a metal piece. Similarly, the tray 19 and the beverage holder 23 each have a handle 34 and 35 , respectively, of like construction.
The sidewalls of portable device 10 are arranged, for example, in a substantially rectilinear array. Other orientations also are encompassed by the present invention. The attachment of the base, lid and sidewalls may be by any means known in the art suited for the purpose, such as sewn stitching or stapling or integral construction.
The stiff flat sheet 20 or stiff flat sheet 24 may be fabricated from a variety of suitable materials all well known in the art, such as high-density plastic sheeting or cardboard, and is preferably made from polyethylene or polypropylene board.
In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the beverage holder 23 includes two cut-out rings 27 . The cut-out rings may be sized, for example, to fit commercially available bottle, cup or can sizes, and have commonly a diameter of about 2 inches to about 4 inches. Preferably, the cut-out rings have a diameter of about 2.5 inches.
In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention may also include at least one gusseted pocket 36 suitable for holding foodstuffs, such as an individual bag of french fries or onion rings. The pocket 36 is, for example, fixedly attached to the exterior surface of a sidewall and adapted to open a sufficient amount to receive and support foodstuffs between the exterior surface and the pocket material. The pocket 36 includes, for example, a suitably shaped flat sheet 37 positioned vertically so as to be substantially flush with the sidewall and capable of being positioned angularly so as to be oblique to the sidewall via the gussets on the side of the pocket 36 when the pocket is in use.
The gusseted pocket 36 may be positioned anywhere desired on a sidewall, such as substantially centrally on a sidewall if on a sidewall lacking a tray 19 . When not in use, the pocket 36 could be covered by tray 19 in the closed position. The suitably shaped flat sheet 37 may include various materials known in the art such as used for the lid, base and sidewalls, but is preferably nylon or plasticized cloth.
In another exemplary embodiment, the portable carrying device 10 further includes a gusseted cell-phone holder 50 , which is attached, for example, to the exterior of one sidewall. Similar to the pocket 36 , the cell-phone holder includes, for example, a suitably dimensioned gussetted pocket fixedly secured to the exterior of a sidewall.
The portable carrying device 10 may further include, for example, a seat-belt strap 55 for securing the device 10 to a vehicle seat. The seat-belt strap 55 includes, for example, a tether portion 56 which is attached to the exterior of a sidewall or to the base and is adapted to open and close with respect to the exterior surface to receive a seat belt. The seat-belt strap further includes, for example, means 57 for securing the tether portion in the closed position, such as VELCRO, hooks, snaps, buttons or other suitable fastening means. Means 57 for fixedly securing the tether portion in the closed position may include, for example, a fastener portion and a complementary fastener portion, which are attached respectively to the tether portion and the sidewall. The fastener portion preferably includes a velcro-type hook segment and the complementary fastener portion preferably includes a velcro-type loop segment, located on the sidewall adjacent to the fixed securement of the tether portion such that the tether portion is flush with the sidewall in the closed position. The tether portion, the fastener portion and the complementary fastener portion are each attached to the sidewall or base by means known in the art, such as with plastic or metal rivets, stitching or adhesive. The tether portion 56 is suitably dimensioned so as to maintain the device 10 securely on the automotive vehicle seat.
As illustrated in FIGS. 5-7, a telescoping handle 39 may be connected to a portable device 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. For example, adjustable straps 40 permit the handle 39 to move between a handbag position (see FIG. 5) and a shoulder bag position (see FIG. 7) or anywhere in between these positions (see FIG. 6 ). Such an adjustable strap avoids the need to have two separate handle systems as is common in the prior art (e.g., one lifting handle(s) and a separate shoulder strap).
The adjustable straps 40 are, for example, fixedly or removably attached to opposite sidewalls of the device 10 . In an alternative embodiment, a continuous strap could be used. The adjustable shoulder straps 40 removably attach to handle 39 by, for example, ladder lock clips 41 or other suitable adjustable clips, as are known in the art. Another portion of ladder clip 41 attaches to an end of handle 39 . For example, one end of the straps 40 may be permanently affixed to a sidewall while the other end of the strap 40 is adjustable with respect to an end of handle 39 via clip 41 . Suitable materials for the adjustable straps 40 and handle 39 may include leather, vinyl, waterproof cloth or leatherette. An optional handle covering may be provided on handle 39 for comfort of the user.
In a further exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7, a sidewall of the carrying device 10 may include a harness 60 , such as a bungee cord or other extensible cord-like material, to permit additional articles to be secured against the exterior surface of the sidewall(s). The supplemental carrier 60 can provide, for example, increased transporting capacity for items which do not require temperature control. | A multi-functional lightweight carrying device features one or more storable serving trays and beverage holders, an adjustable handle convertible to a shoulder strap, and a specialized pocket holder for a cellular phone. The device is further capable of being secured to the seat of a vehicle via a seat-belt holder. | 0 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to data transmission systems, which include a plurality of equipment able to send and receive data frames using CSMA/CD media access control, and plural terminals having data frame sending and receiving functions, connected to the ports of the 5 hub units in a star shape in the data transmission systems. The invention further relates to control methods and multiplexing methods for such data transmission systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ISO 88802/3 Standard (IEEE8802/3 Standard) system represented by the Ethernet which is the mainstream of the current LAN performs a media access control method of CSMA/CD or Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection. The CSMA/CD method monitors signals on the shared transmission media for all terminals (all equipment stations) and if there are no signals, the CSMA/CD method permits a data frame to be sent out on the media and if there are signals, on the trasmission media delays the sending of the data frame. Further, during the sending of a data frame , the CSMA/CD method detects if there is a collision with other terminals and when a collision has taken place, the CSMA/CD method suspends the sending the data frame, and after a prescribed time has elapsed, the CSMA/CD method resumes the sending the data frame. When the traffic load of the transmission media is increased, because of such operation of the CSMA/CD method, the collisions take place more frequently and the data frames cannot be transmitted for an indefinite time. The CSMA/CD method is therefore not suited for use in time-critical control systems.
In order to achieve the time-critical processing capable of exchanging certain information within a prescribed time window, the applicant previously proposed a CSMA/CD enhanced data transmission system, in which plural terminals which function to send and receive data frames are connected to ports of the hubs in the star shape (The Specification of Patent Application No. 51984/1996).
Shown in FIG. 10 is a system diagram illustrating the brief configuration of the previously applied data transmission system in which the main stay is a hub unit (described as a realtime hub unit) able to mutually exchange information within a certain prescribed time period by giving the right to use the transmission line to each terminal by adding new functions to the hub units which conform with the ISO8802/3 Standard.
That is, the star-shaped data transmission system shown in FIG. 10 is comprised of realtime hub units (hereinafter, simply referred to as hub units) 100 , a plurality of terminals 50 having transmission circuits adapted to the ISO8802/3 Standard and transmission cables 40 . The terminals 50 are connected to ports 1 , 2 , 3 . . . of each hub unit 100 by transmission cables 40 . In the star-shaped data transmission system, the transmission approval with the priority to use the transmission cable is repetitively given to each terminal 50 conforming to the ISO8802/3 Standard, which is arranged in a star shape and connected to one of the ports of the hub units 100 , by the transmission approval control function of the hub units 100 . That is, transmission approval is given repetitively to each of the terminals 50 , for instance, each station at a particular time or according to a predetermined order, some terminal 50 is given several times or some terminal 50 is skipped or some terminal 50 is given transmission approval once per several times. The transmission approval given to each terminal controls the number of frames that can be sent out at a transmission time, and the time that frames can be transmitted and thus, the transmission right can be obtained within a specified time period.
FIG. 11 illustrates the transmission approval control timings in the hub unit 100 . In the transmission approval control of the hub unit, a preamble signal containing no data information (a dummy frame and PRE shown in FIG. 11) from the hub unit 100 is transmitted to all terminals 50 except one specific terminal and the transmission of a data frame (DT in FIG. 11) is made impossible for all terminals except the one specific terminal. The idle time between the preamble signal PRE and the data frame DT is the idle time between frames specified in the ISO8802/3 Standard (e.g, a value less than 9.8 μsec. of ISO8802/3 Standard at 10 Mbps) so that a terminal does not move to the data frame sending operation by simply detecting no signal on the transmission line. When the data frame sending of a specific terminal is completed, the preamble signal PRE is sent to all terminals except another specific terminal and the right to use the transmission line is transferred to this specific terminal. This operation is repeated for every terminal in turn one at a time, in order according to a predetermined sequence, by jumping, or at a rate of once per several times and thus, all terminals are able to get the transmission right at regular intervals.
Further, by supervising a time in which each of the terminals 50 are able to send data at one time, an approved sending time is computed from a difference between the sending start time of the last time and the sending start time of a current sending time and an actual circulating time of the transmission right, the circulating time of the transmission right is made nearly constant by transferring the transmission right to a next terminal at the end point of the data frame DT sending time exceeding the approved sending time.
In the prior applied hub units 100 described above, to increase the number of terminals 50 or to distribute the terminals 50 in a wide range, it becomes necessary to make the hub unit 100 itself larger, the transmission cable 40 between the terminals 50 distributed in a wide range and the ports of the hub units 100 becomes long and signal attenuation must be compensated or wiring costs of the transmission cables 40 for eliminating noise effect to the transmission cables 40 will increase. In particular, when terminals are installed in each train car, signal lines must be wired extending over train cars, it is not desirable to concentrate signal lines to the hub units from the viewpoint of actual use.
That is, train cars may be separated when required and coupled to other train cars to compromise one train. It is therefore difficult to make the wiring of signal lines from train cars to concentrated hub units which correspond to the to flexibility of a train composition.
It is therefore desirable to provide a data transmission unit which functions like a single hub unit by dispersing plural hub units at required locations in a train car and consolidating them into one unit by connecting each to one another with the ports of the hub units and terminals connected by short signal lines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a data transmission system comprising a plurality of hub units connected to each other, capable of performing the realtime transmission of right control as one unit even when the hub units of the prior applied star-shaped data transmission unit are arranged dispersedly.
In order to achieve the above object, the data transmission system according to the present invention is equipped with plural sending and receiving control systems with plural terminals having the data frame sending and receiving means connected to the ports of the hub units in a star-shape,
the hub units of the plural sending and receiving control systems are connected by the signal transmission lines, and
at a certain point of time, one in the plural hub units controls transmission approval by enabling the data trasmission system to send data from the corresponding terminal to the ports in the specified sequence.
Further, the data transmission system according to the present invention is equipped with plural sending and receiving control systems with plural terminals having the data frame sending and receiving means connected to hub unit ports in the star-shape and the hub units of the sending and receiving control systems connected together by signal transmission lines,
a data frame sent out from a desired terminal can be sent to any signal transmission lines other than the signal transmission line applicable to the sent out data frame, the data frame received from the signal transmission line can be relayed to another signal transmission line via the hub unit port and one of the hub units provided with a relay control means that enables the hub unit to send a data frame from the said terminal to the ports at one time in a specified sequence.
In the data transmission system described above, the present invention is characterized in that each of the hub units is further provided with means to receive the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal showing the transmission-line-control-right for starting the transmission approval control and at the point of time when completing the transmission approval control, the hub unit is able to send out the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal to other signal transmission lines downstream and to confirm the delivery of the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal with a preceding downstream hub unit and to confirm the transfer of the transmission-line-control-right from the upper stream hub unit to the downstream hub unit or vice versa.
Further, in the data transmission system described above, the present invention is equipped with means to supervise the confirmation of the delivery of the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal from the downstream side hub unit for a specified time period after sending the signal to the downstream signal transmission line and if there is no response, stop sending of the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal, and when the hub unit abandons the transmission-line-control-right, the state without the transmission-line-control-right is generated tentatively and then, the transmission-line-control-right is again transferred from the upper stream side hub unit to the downstream side hub unit.
Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the data transmission system described above, the terminals have sending and receiving means which function as specified in the ISO8802/3 Standard, the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal is a significantly long no signal state time following the preamble signal specified in the Standard, the confirmation of the response of the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal sent from a succeeding downstream hub unit is made by the preamble signal or data frame specified in the said Standard.
Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the data transmission system described above, in the hub unit which received the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal, the transmission-line-control-right transfer-signal is not relayed to the port of the hub unit and the downstream side signal line but instead, the preamble signal specified in the ISO8802/3 Standard is sent to the port of the hub unit and also sent to the both sides of upper stream and down stream signal transmission lines, the transmission approval control starts, a data frame of the ISO8802/3 Standard from the port is sent to the upper stream or the downstream or the upper and downstream side after changing the data frame to the preamble signal and even when there is a signal input from the upper stream or the downstream side, the signal is not relayed to the port.
Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the data transmission system described above, in the hub unit having no transmission-line-control-right , a signal train of the ISO8802/3 Standard received from the upper stream or the downstream is relayed to the reverse side signal transmission line, a frame signal of the ISO8802/3 Standard is relayed to all ports and a preamble signal is inserted into all ports so that no signal state longer than the no signal period specified in the ISO8802/3 Standard is generated.
In order to achieve the object described above, the data transmission system control method according to the present invention is characterized in that the data transmission system is equipped with at least 3 sending and receiving control systems of which plural terminals having the data frame sending and receiving means are connected to the ports of the hub units in a star-shape and the hub units of the sending and receiving control systems are connected to each other with signal transmission lines,
a relay control means to enable the data transmission system to send a data frame sent out from a desired terminal to any signal transmission lines other than the signal transmission line applicable to the sent data frame, relay the data frame received from the signal transmission line to other signal transmission lines via the port of the hub unit and at a certain point in time, enable one of the hub units to send a data frame from the corresponding terminal to the ports in a prescribed sequence,
a means to confirm that each of the hub units is able to send a transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal to another signal transmission line at the downstream or the upper stream when receiving the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal showing the transmission-line-control-right to start the transmission approval control and when completing the transmission approval control, confirm the delivery of the transmission line control transfer signal with a preceding downstream or upper stream hub unit and confirm that the transmission-line-control-right is transferred from the upper stream side hub unit to the downstream side hub unit or vice versa,
a means to supervise the delivery of the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal from the downstream side or the upper stream side for a specified time after sending out the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal to the downstream or the upper stream signal transmission line and if there is no response, stops to sending the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal,
the hub unit supervises the no signal state on the signal transmission line and the significant signal on the signal state transmission line ceases and a no signal continuing time specified in advance is elapsed, acquires the, transmission-line-control-right , sends a significantly long time transmission-line-control-right retaining signal to the upper stream and the downstream, and even if a significant signal is input from the downstream side when sending the transmission-line-control-right retaining signal, disregards the transmission-line-control-right retaining signal and when a significant signal is input from the upper stream side, stops to send the transmission-line-control-right retaining signal, abandons the transmission-line-control-right and the uppermost stream hub unit acquires the transmission-line-control-right by starting the control of the transmission approval after sending a significant long time transmission-line-control-right retaining signal.
In the data transmission system control method described above, a preamble signal may be used as the transmission-line-control-right retaining signal.
Further, the data transmission system control method according to the present invention is characterized in that the data transmission system is equipped with at least 3 sending and receiving control systems of which plural terminals having data frame sending and receiving means connected to ports of the hubs in a star-shape, the hubs of the sending and receiving control systems are connected with signal transmission lines,
a relay control means to enable the data transmission system to send a data frame sent from a desired terminal to any signal transmission lines other than the signal transmission line applicable to the sent out data frame, relay the data frame received from the signal transmission line to other signal transmission lines via the port of the hub unit and at a certain point in time, enable one of the hub units to send a data frame from the corresponding terminal to the ports in a prescribed sequence,
a means to confirm that each of the hub units is able to send out a transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal to another signal transmission line at the downstream side or the upper stream side when receiving the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal showing the transmission-line-control-right to start the transmission approval control and when completing the transmission approval control, confirm the delivery of the. transmission line control transfer signal with a preceding downstream or upper stream hub unit and confirm that the transmission-line-control-right is transferred from the upper stream side hub unit to the downstream side hub unit or vice versa,
a means to supervise the delivery of the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal from the downstream side or the upper stream side for a specified time after sending the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal to the downstream or the upper stream signal transmission line and if there is no response, stop sending the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal,
when a new sending and receiving control system is added to the uppermost or the most downstream of the sending and receiving control system, the hub unit cuts signals off to the upper stream and the downstream at the initial starting by the power ON, after the preset waiting time has passed, supervises significant signals on the signal transmission lines at the upper stream side and the downstream side and when there is a significant signal input from the upper stream side or the downstream side, releases the cut of signal sending to the upper stream and down stream side, relays input signals to all ports and the reverse side signal transmission line, when receiving the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal from the upper stream as the most downstream, performs the transmission approval control and when there are significant signals only from the downstream side, acquires the transmission-line-control-right as being positioned at the uppermost stream side and adds a new sending and receiving control system to the uppermost or the most downstream side of the sending and receiving control system by starting a new transmission cycle.
In order to achieve the above object, the data transmission system multiplexing method according to the present invention is characterized in that the data transmission system is composed of two data transmission systems each of which is equipped with plural sending and receiving control systems with plural terminals having the data frame sending and receiving means connected to ports of each hub unit in star-shape and the hub units of the plural sending and receiving control systems connected by signal transmission lines, and the transmission approval control is performed so that at a certain point in time, one of the plural hub units is enabled to send a data frame from a corresponding terminal to the ports in a prescribed sequence,
the data sending to the downstream side signal transmission line and the signal relay from the downstream side are cut off for the most downstream side hub unit of one of the plural data transmission systems, the upper stream side signal transmission line of the hub unit located at the uppermost stream side of the other data transmission system is connected to the downstream side signal transmission line of the hub unit and upon receiving the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal and after performing the transmission approval control by the hub unit, the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal to the downstream side is generated, the data sending cut off to the downstream side and the signal relay cut off from the downstream side are released and significant signals from the downstream side data transmission system are relayed to the ports that are connected to all the upper stream side hub units and thus, two separate data transmission systems are incorporated into a single functional system.
Further, the data transmission system multiplexing method according to the present invention is characterized in that the data transmission system is comprised of two sets of data transmission systems: a current use data transmission system and a standby data transmission system,
each of the data transmission systems is equipped with plural sending and receiving control systems,
plural terminals of the sending and receiving control systems have data frame sending and receiving means and are connected to ports of hub units in a star-shape,
the hub units of the sending and receiving control systems are connected to each other by signal transmission lines and
at a certain point in time, one of the plural hub units is enabled through the transmission approval control to send data frames from a corresponding terminal to the ports in a prescribed sequence,
the hub units have two sets of current use and bypass signal input and current use and bypass signal output as the upper stream and downstream side signal transmission lines,
the current use data transmission system is usually used and if the current use data transmission system becomes abnormal from disconnection of some of the hub units of the current use system or the signal transmission line, the system is changed over to the standby data transmission system and further, if some of the hub units of the standby data transmission system or the signal transmission line becomes abnormal, normal hub units and signal transmission lines of the current use and standby data transmission systems are connected to each other using the bypass signal input and bypass signal output of the hub unit and thus, two sets of the data transmission systems are united into one system and the data transmission function is maintained.
According to the present invention described above, the following actions and effects are obtained:
(1) It is possible to give a time certainty by the realtime hub units to the ISO8802/3 Standard data transmission system that has no time certainty and further, disperse the functions of the realtime hub units and achieve the geographical dispersed arrangement.
(2) As the collision specified in the ISO8-2.3 Standard is avoidable, the transmission efficiency is enhanced and the extension of distance between terminals and a turn around time of the transmission-line-control-right including a circulation time in the hub units are easily programmable.
(3) In order to achieve the dispersed arrangement of the hub units, a timing to control the transmission approval of the hub unit ports is given as the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal. Further, it is so controlled that the signal can be given repetitively. Signals specified in the ISO8802/3 Standard are usable for these signals. In addition, as the dispersed arrangement of the hub units can be realized as comprised with the ISO8802/3 Standard, the disfused arrangement can be realized simply as a system adaptable to the connection with terminals and equipment and diversion of components specified in the ISO8802/3 Standard and therefore, the hardware can be set at a cheap cost and the data transmission system can be finely managed by providing terminal functions in the hub units and filling up microcomputer software as described in the embodiments of the present invention.
(4) Although the hub units are described as concentrators of plural terminals, this system can be realized in a compact size using general use cheap components and programmable gate arrays that enable the integration of hardware logic. In this case, it becomes possible to realize a hub unit to a single terminal (it is no longer meaningless as a hub unit as a concentrator) and a physical layer in the bus structure specified in the ISO8802/3 Standard can be substituted for a realtime bus physical layer.
(5) When a system is composed in multiplexed structure, for instance, as a dual data system, as the managing function of the data transmission system, it is possible to realize a system extremely pursuing the continuous workability.
(6) As it is possible basically to incorporate two separate data transmission systems into one system by coupling them physically through one transmission cycle processing, it becomes possible to manage partially proper portions and by flexibly and properly combining and coupling them and operate continuously as a new data transmission system through the corresponding control programs in a microcomputer that are incorporated in the hub units.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a system diagram for explaining the first embodiment of the data transmission system of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining hardware showing one example of the hub unit illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the delivery and acquisition of the transmission-line-control-right of the data transmission system shown in FIG. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the delivery and transfer of the transmission-line-control-right of the data transmission system shown in FIG. 1 and 2;
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the delivery of the transmission-line-control-right and the most downstream hub unit of the data transmission system shown in FIG. 1 and 2;
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the transfer of the transmission-line-control-right to the uppermost stream hub unit and contention avoidance of the data transfer system shown in FIG. 1 and 2;
FIG. 7 is a system diagram for explaining the second embodiment of the data transmission system of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the mutual signal connection among the hub units shown in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the reconstruction example avoiding abnormal points in the dual data transmission system shown in FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is a system diagram illustrating one example of a conventional star-shaped data transmission system; and
FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the transmission timing example of the star-shaped data transmission system shown in FIG. 10 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention, that is, the data transmission system equipped with plural sending and receiving control systems, for instance, 4 star-shaped data transmission units shown in FIG. 10, which are of CSMA/CD type media access control systems of which plural (2 or 3 units in the figure) terminals 50 having the data frame sending and receiving functions are connected to ports of the hub units 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , which are connected by a pair of signal transmission lines 3 , 4 which are mutually in the reverse direction and at a certain point of time, one of the hub units 101 - 104 controls the transmission approval enabling it to send data frame from the corresponding terminal to the ports in the specified sequence.
Here, for the convenience of explanation, the hub unit 101 is regarded as the upper stream side and the hub unit 104 as the downstream side.
In the data transmission system in such the structure, it has a relay control means which is able to send data frames sent out from the terminals 50 connected to the hub units 101 - 104 to the upper stream side hub or the downstream side hub or the upper stream and downstream signal transmission lines, enable to relay data frames received from the upper stream or downstream signal transmission lines 3 , 4 to the terminals via the ports, data frames received from the upper stream signal transmission lines or those received from the downstream signal transmission lines to the downstream and the upper stream signal transmission lines, respectively and at a certain point in time, plural hub units are connected in turn when one of plural hub units controls the transmission approval so that data can be exchanged between the terminals connected to plural hub units as if plural hub units are one hub unit.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the hardware of the hub unit 102 out of the hub units 101 - 104 shown in FIG. 1 . Other hub units 101 , 103 , 104 are all in the same structure as the hub unit 102 and their explanations will be omitted.
As described below, the hub unit 102 is composed of gate circuits A 1 , A 2 , A 3 . A 4 , A 5 , and A 6 which compose a relay control means, a confirmation means comprising a timer circuit (Token-Det Timer) 8 and a hub state control circuit (Hub-State-CON) 12 and a sending stopping means comprising a timer circuit (Token-Ack Timer) 10 and the hub state control circuit 12 .
A transceiver circuit (TECV-L) 1 is connected to signal transmission lines 3 L, 4 L at the upper stream side, a transceiver circuit (TECV-R) 2 is connected to signal transmission lines 3 R, 4 R at the downstream side, a hub common bus 5 is connected between the transceiver circuits 1 and 2 , the gate circuits A 1 , A 2 , A 3 of which outputs to input signals are controlled by control signals S 1 , S 2 , S 3 are connected between the hub common bus 5 and the transceiver circuit 1 and further, the gate circuits A 4 , A 5 , A 6 of which outputs to input signals are controlled by control signals S 4 , S 5 , S 6 are connected between the hub common bus 5 and the transceiver circuit 2 .
Here, when the control signal S 1 of the gate circuit A 1 is made active, significant signals that are received from the upper stream side can be led to the hub common bus 5 and when the control signal S 4 of the gate circuit A 4 is made active, significant signals that are received from the downstream side can be led to the hub common bus 5 . In this case, either the control signals S 5 , S 6 and S 2 , S 3 of the gate circuits A 5 , A 6 and A 2 , A 3 are active or both are non-active. When the control signals S 2 , S 5 of the gate circuits A 2 , A 5 are made active, it becomes possible to output signals on the hub common bus 5 to the upper stream or downstream signal transmission lines 3 L, 4 L or 3 R, 4 R. Further, when the control signals S 3 , S 6 of the gate circuits A 3 , A 6 are active, it is possible to relay signals from the downstream side to the upper stream side or vice versa.
A significant signal detecting circuit (RCVDET 1 ) 6 outputs a significant signal detecting signal Rcd 1 when detecting a significant signal from the upper stream side of the transceiver circuit 1 and a significant signal directing circuit (RCVDET 2 ) 7 outputs a significant signal detecting signal Rcd 2 when detecting a significant signal from the downstream side of the transceiver circuit 2 .
The timer circuit 8 is to measure the length of the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal received from the upper stream side and outputs a timing signal Tkd after passing its significant time measurement.
A timer circuit (Tif-Trunk Timer) 9 is to measure a no-signal present time of the significant signal detecting signal Rcd 1 of the upper stream side significant signal detecting circuit 6 and a no-signal present time of the significant signal detecting signal Rcd 2 of the downstream side significant signal detecting circuit 7 , and when the said no-signal present time is measured, outputs a timing signal TifT that is a shorter elapse time than the no-signal time of the ISO8802/3 Standard.
The timer circuit (Token Ack Timer) 10 is to supervise an acknowledgement of response after sending the transmission control right transfer signal to the downstream and outputs a timing signal TAK 1 to acknowledge a response received from the downstream side and outputs a detection waiting time elapsed signal TAK 2 when no answer is received from the downstream.
A timer circuit (No-Signal Timer) 11 measures a no-signal detecting time on the upper stream and downstream side signal transmission lines and when the no-signal state is generated on the signal transmission lines as a result of abandonment of the transmission-line-control-right by the most downstream hub unit and after the elapsing of a prescribed time Tns 1 , the hub unit acquires the transmission-line-control-right as there is no significant signal input and outputs a timing signal ns 1 to start the sending of a transmission right retaining signal. Further, regarding that there is no significant signal input, a timing signal ns 2 is output as a count value of a prescribed time Tns 2 . The uppermost stream hub unit outputs a transmission right retaining signal for the said prescribed time Tns 2 .
To the input sides of the timer circuits 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 signals RT 1 , RT 2 , RT 3 , RT 4 that function as a reset signal or input change-over signal are input from the hub state control circuit (Hub-State-CON) 12 .
Transceiver circuits (TRCV 1 . . . TRCVj) 131 . . . 13 j are the circuits specified in the ISO8802/3 Standard and are corresponding to the hub unit ports Port- 1 . . . Port-j. The terminals 50 are connected to the ends of Port- 1 . . . Port-j, respectively. Output signals from these terminals 50 are Port- 1 In . . . Port-j In and output signals from Port- 1 . . . Port-j will become Port- 1 Out . . . Port-j Out. From the transceiver circuits 131 . . . 13 j, output signals PI 1 . . . PIj are obtained based on the output signals Port- 1 In . . . Port-j In from the terminals 50 . The output signals PI 1 . . . PIj of the transceiver circuits 131 . . . 13 j are input to a significant signal detecting circuit (RCVDETC 10 ) 22 , the input signals from the transceiver circuit 131 . . . 13 j are selected by an input signal selecting signal SEL from the hub state control circuit 12 , a port input signal RIN is output which is then input to the hub state control circuit 12 .
Further, the port input signal RIN is led to a timer circuit (Tif-Timer) 19 which is to measure a no-signal present period between data frames. The timer circuit 19 outputs a timing signal Tifh of a shorter elapse time than no-signal time and this timing signal Tifh is input to the hub state control circuit 12 .
When control signals SB 1 . . . SBj of gage circuits B 1 . . . Bj are made active, the output signals PI 1 . . . PIj of the transceiver circuits 131 . . . 13 j are led to the hub common bus 5 via the gate circuits B 1 . . . Bj and when control signals SC 1 . . . SCj of gate circuits C 1 . . . Cj are made active, signals from the hub common bus 5 are input to the transceiver circuits 131 . . . 13 j via the gate circuits C 1 . . . Cj from which the output signals PI 1 . . . PIj of the transceiver circuits 131 . . . 13 j are output and controlled and output from port- 1 . . . Port-j and sent to applicable terminals 50 .
A preamble generator (Preamble-GEN) 20 generates a preamble signal when the control signal Pag from the hub state control circuit 12 becomes active and outputs the preamble signal to the hub common bus 5 via the gate circuit A 7 when the control signal S 7 becomes active.
A clock signal generator (Clock-GEN) 21 generates clock signals that are used in the hub units.
A transceiver circuit (TRCV-kT) 14 , conforming to the ISO8802/3 Standard, is connected to a microcomputer bus 23 via a LAN transmission control circuit (LANC) 15 . The hub units are able to communicate with all terminals connected to the data transmission system and other hub units conforming to the ISO8802/3 Standard frame by the LAN transmission control circuit 15 and the transceiver circuit 14 .
A register (REGS) 16 retains control parameters of the hub units and the data transmission system. A microcomputer (μPU Timer+RAM/ROM) 17 is composed of a microprocessor and a timer as its peripheral circuit, RAM and ROM which stores control program.
An I/O register circuit (I/O-REG) 18 of the microcomputer 17 is used for input of hardware component state, timer values of the timer circuits and for output for direct control of hardware but the details are omitted here.
The LAN transmission control circuit 15 , the register 16 , the I/O register circuit 18 , the hub state control circuit 12 and the microcomputer 17 are connected to a microcomputer common bus 23 .
The timing of the hub units is controlled by the hub state control circuit 12 . This timing control will be explained referring to FIG. 3 . FIG. 3 shows the transfer of the transmission-line-control-right and the transmission-line-control-right acquiring timing. The no-signal state exceeding the time of timing signal TAK 1 is detected following data frame from the upper stream side hub unit. This detection is performed as a timing signal Tkd from the timer circuit 8 by the significant signal detecting circuit 6 .
On the other hand, the no-signal state of the timing signal TifT is detected by the timer circuit 9 and the timing signal TifT is output. The control signal pag from the hub state control circuit 12 is made active by the timing signal TifT so as not to exceed the no-signal time of the ISO8802/3 Standard, a preamble signal is generated from a preamble signal generator 20 , the control signal S 7 of the gate circuit A 7 is made active and output to the hub common bus 5 , the control signal SCj of the gate circuit Cj and the control signal S 5 of the gate circuit A 5 are made active and output to the ports by the TRCV-j and to the downstream side by the transceiver circuit 2 .
While retaining the transmission-line-control-right a flag becomes active as the timing signal TAK 1 . From this point of time, the preamble signal is returned to the upper stream side hub unit as a response signal of receiving the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal. When the control signal S 2 of the gate circuit A 2 becomes active, the preamble signal on the hub common bus 5 is output to the upper stream side signal transmission line 3 L by the transceiver circuit 1 .
When the transmission control right retaining flag becomes active, the transmission approval control starts. The preamble signal output to Port- 1 is cut when the control signal SC 1 of the gate circuit C 1 is made non-active. The ISO8802/3 Standard terminal 50 connected to Port- 1 detects a no-signal state on the signal line and is able to output a data frame.
In FIG. 3, when one data frame is received through the Port- 1 and using this data frame as PI 1 , detects the input of RIN via the transceiver circuit 22 , and when the control signal S 7 of the gate circuit A 7 is made non-active and the control signal SB 1 of the gate circuit B 1 is made active a, data frame is output on the hub common bus 5 from Port- 1 changing to the preamble signal and the data frame is relayed to all ports, the upper stream and the downstream sides. By the transmission approval control, the transmission approval is given to Port- 1 , Port- 2 , . . . and data frames are relayed repetitively.
FIG. 4 illustrates the delivery and transfer timings of the transmission-line-control-right . When completing the transmission line approval control, the hub unit retaining the transmission right puts the upper stream side and the downstream side signal transmission lines in the no-signal state by making the control signal S 2 of the gate circuit A 2 and the control signal S 5 of the gate circuit A 5 non-active.
On the other hand, the preamble signal is output to the ports when the preamble is output to the hub common bus 5 . According to the transmission-line-control-right acquiring sequence described above, data frames following the preamble signal are received after the timing signal TAK 1 from the downstream side+control delay+propagation delay time. When the control signal S 7 of the gate circuit A 7 is made non-active and the control signal S 4 of the gate circuit A 4 is made active by detecting the receipt of data frames by the significant signal detecting circuit 7 , data frames received from the downstream are output to the hub common bus 5 and relayed to the ports. Further, when the control signal S 3 of the gate circuit A 3 becomes active, signals from the downstream side are relayed to the upper stream side.
FIG. 5 illustrates the timings for the transmission-line-control-right transfer in the most downstream side hub unit and no-signal detection in each hub unit. When the transmission approval control is completed, no-signal is output to the downstream side. The transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal delivery response from the downstream side is supervised by the timing signal TAK 2 . Using the timing signal TAK 2 from the timer circuit 10 , the transmission-line-control-right retaining flag is made non-active.
On the other hand, the preamble is output on the hub common bus 5 . The timer circuit 11 detects that there is no signal on the upper stream and downstream side signal transmission lines and the transmission-line-control-right is acquired at the timing of the signal ns 1 .
FIG. 6 illustrates the transmission right transfer timing from the most downstream side hub unit to the uppermost stream side hub unit for the transfer of the transmission control right to the uppermost stream side hub unit and avoidance of contention. After the Tns 1 hour, the hub units 101 - 104 output the preamble signals to the upper stream and the downstream over the Tns 2 hour to inform that the transmission right is acquired. If the preamble signal is received as the significant signal from the upper stream while outputting the preamble signal, the transmission-line-control-right retaining flag is made non-active and sending of the preamble signal is stopped and the signal input from the upper stream side is relayed. Thus, the contention between the hub units is avoided during the Tns 2 hour and data frames following the preamble from the uppermost stream side hub unit are received by each of the hub units.
When incorporating two separate data transmission systems into one unit, the sending of signals to the downstream side signal transmission lines 3 R, 4 R and relay of signals from the downstream side are cut off by making the control signal S 5 of the gate circuit A 5 and the control signal S 3 of the gate circuit A 3 non-active for the most downstream side hub unit of one of the data transmission equipment and the upper stream side signal transmission line of the hub unit located at the uppermost stream of the other data transmission equipment are connected to the downstream side signal transmission line of that hub unit. When the most downstream side hub unit received the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal and after performing the transmission approval control, generates the transmission-line-control-right-transfer-signal to the downstream side and makes the control signal S 5 of the gate circuit A 5 and the control signal S 3 of the gate circuit A 3 active, the signal sending cut to the downstream side and the relay cut of signals from the downstream side are released and significant signal from the downstream side transmission system are led to the upper stream side.
FIG. 7 is a system diagram illustrating the construction of data transmission systems which are dual systems of the first data transmission system, FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the connecting state of mutual signals between the hub units of the said data transmission systems and FIG. 9 illustrates an example of the data transmission systems reconstructed to avoid abnormal points in the systems. In this case, one example of the state of the data transmission systems reconstructed using normal component elements of the data transmission equipment partially containing abnormal points is shown.
In FIG. 9, # 11 -# 15 hub units comprise the current use system and # 21 -# 25 hub units comprise the standby system. In FIG. 9 ( a ), when, for instance, # 11 hub unit of the current use system becomes abnormal, a new data transmission system is composed by # 12 -# 15 hub units. Thus, the standby system is used when the current use system becomes abnormal. Further, if any abnormality occurs on # 23 hub unit of the standby system or on the signal transmission line between # 23 and # 22 hub units and # 21 and # 22 hub units are separated, two systems of the # 12 through # 15 hub units and the # 21 and # 22 hub units system are incorporated in one unit according to the sequence described above.
Shown in FIG. 9 ( b ) is an example when the # 11 and # 12 system were incorporated in one unit with the # 22 , # 23 , # 24 and # 25 system as an abnormality occurred on # 13 hub unit of the current use system or in the signal transmission line between # 12 and # 13 hub units and # 21 of the standby system was separated as an abnormality. In the example shown in FIG. 9 ( a ), the # 21 and # 22 system is the upper stream side system and in the example shown in FIG. 9 ( b ), the # 11 and # 12 system is the upper stream side system.
FIG. 9 ( c ) illustrates a case when # 25 of the system in the state shown in FIG. 9 ( b ) further became abnormal. Under this state, as # 14 and # 15 hub units were in the operating state as the separated data transmission system, the data transmission system comprising # 11 , # 12 , # 22 , # 23 and # 24 hub units and the data transmission system comprising # 14 and # 15 hub units are equivalent to the state where they were further incorporated in one unit. In these cases, two sets of hub units of the data transmission system are mutually connected.
To construct such dual data transmission systems, it is only required to add a construction in which two sets of the signal transmission lines 3 , 4 are selectable by control signals SL 1 , SL 2 through switches SW 1 and SW 2 as shown in FIG. 8 to the example of the hub unit hardware configuration shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 8 shows this state, for instance, by regarding the upper side as the current use system and the lower side as the standby system. The control signals SL 1 , SL 2 are output from the I/O register circuit 18 . Under the state using two sets of data transmission systems as the current use system and the standby system, points that become abnormal or separated hub units or signal transmission lines are managed. It becomes possible to commonly retain these information by mutually exchanging messages by the transceiver circuit 14 of the hub unit, the LAN control circuit 15 and the microcomputer 17 . To maintain the entire system operation even when part of the hub units or the signal transmission lines of the current use system and the standby system become abnormal using remaining normal component elements, it is possible to achieve entire system operation in the sequence to unify the two data transmission systems into one system using two sets of current use and bypass signal input lines and two sets of current use and bypass signal output lines by changing over them with the switch SW 1 or SW 2 of the hub units as the upper stream and the down stream side signal transmission lines.
In FIG. 9 ( a ), transmitters 115 , 117 and 112 , 114 shown in FIG. 8 are selected in the # 12 hub unit. Further, signal transmission lines 111 , 113 , 116 , 118 are selected in the hub unit # 22 . In the example shown in FIG. 9 ( b ), the signal transmission lines 111 , 113 , 116 , 118 are selected in the hub unit # 12 on the contrary to FIG. 9 ( a ). Also, the transmitters 115 , 117 , 112 , 114 are selected in the hub unit # 22 . In case of FIG. 9 ( c ), the input/output signal transmission lines are similarly selected but the explanation will be omitted.
The present invention is not restricted to the embodiments described above but is applicable not only to a radio communication system but also applicable to both a wired communication system and an optical communication system as to signal transmission lines between hub units.
Although the hub units are described as concentrators of plural terminals in the above embodiments, it is possible to divert general use cheap products or to use programmable gate arrays, etc. that enable it to integrate hardware logic as described above.
According to the present invention described above, it becomes possible to perform the realtime transmission right control as a single system even when hub units of star-shaped data transmission system are arranged at dispersed locations. | A data transmission system, including a first sending and receiving control system and a second sending and receiving control system, which may be a media access control system of a CSMA/CD type system including plural terminals having data frame sending and receiving mechanisms connected to the ports of hub units in a star shape configuration, and wherein the hub units of both sending and receiving control systems are connected to each other with signal transmission lines, such that at a certain point in time, one of the plurality of hub units performs a control of the transmission approval function which enables a data frame from a corresponding terminal to be sent to the ports of the hub units in a prescribed sequence. The object of the invention is to achieve a data transmission system, including mutually connected plural hub units, capable of performing a realtime transmission right control function as a single united body even when the hub units of a star-shaped data transmission system are arranged at dispersed locations. | 7 |
BACKGROUND, BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to creels or bobbin carriers for supporting a plurality of yarn packages.
There are many types of creels for supporting yarn packages in different configurations for supplying yarns to various machines, for example, as disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,596,851 and 1,833,591. In many conventional creels, uniformity of yarn feed varies due to misalignment of the yarn bobbins, unequal spacing of the bobbins from a machine utilizing the yarns, variable ballooning of the yarns, numerous and variable changes in yarn direction, etc.
The present invention is directed to a new and improved creel particularly adapted for use with circular knitting machines. The creel permits the use of large yarn packages which are adjustably positioned substantially equidistant from a knitting machine cylinder centerline, thus facilitating uniformity of yarn feed. The apparatus includes a square or rectangular frame which has vertically disposed, adjustable support shafts at the corners thereof. A series of horizontally extending brackets, each adapted to support at least one pair of yarn bobbin support rods, are adjustably mounted upon the support shafts. Each pair of bobbin support rods is adapted to support a first bobbin from which yarn is being fed to a knitting machine, and a full, standby second yarn bobbin. The tail end of the yarn on the feeding bobbin is tied to the leading end of the full bobbin, in a conventional manner, to avoid interruption in yarn feed during operation of the machine. The yarn bobbin support rods are adjustably mounted relative to their respective support brackets to accommodate yarn packages of various sizes and to permit alignment of the bobbins toward a common guide and the center line of the knitting machine cylinder. A series of vertically spaced and adjustably positioned guide members, each having a plurality of yarn guide eyelets, are generally centrally located with respect to the square frame and aligned with a knitting machine cylinder.
Positioning of the yarn bobbins adjacent to the corners of the frame and above the knitting machine provides efficient utilization of floor space. This invention permits the use of yarn bobbins of large diameter and extended length since they are supported adjacent the corners of the frame and since bobbins can be removed from the creel or mounted upon the creel by readily slideably retracting the bobbin support rods, relative to the support brackets, to out-of-the-way positions, rather than displacing the bobbins and holders axially of the support rods, when replacement is necessary.
The generally horizontally disposed yarn bobbins are selectively aligned in desired positions by vertical and/or angular adjustment of the support shafts, adjustment of the brackets vertically and/or horizontally, and selective positioning of the bobbin support rods relative to the brackets.
One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of a new and improved yarn creel.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a yarn creel having means for adjustably aligning and fixedly positioning yarn bobbins at selected locations.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of a yarn creel capable of locating and aligning yarn bobbins of various sizes in the most advantageous positions and for guiding the yarns to a yarn manufacturing operation with minimum changes in yarn direction.
A further object of the invention is the provision of a creel which efficiently utilizes floor space, and permits the use of longer yarn packages of large diameter by supporting the packages upon readily displaceable support rods.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent when considered in view of the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a schematic, perspective view of one embodiment of the yarn carrier of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic, top plan view of the rectangular frame illustrating the positioning of the yarn bobbins thereon;
FIG. 3 is a schematic, enlarged, top plan view of a bracket mounted upon a support shaft;
FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an end elevational view, partly in section, of the apparatus of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a schematic, enlarged view of means for securing the support shafts upon the rectangular frame;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged, top plan view, partly in section, of an end portion of a bracket;
FIG. 8 is a schematic, enlarged view of a yarn guide member;
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a modified embodiment of a support rod bracket mounted upon a support shaft; and
FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the bracket of FIG. 9 and illustrating the positioning of a bobbin support rod therein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawing, and particularly to FIG. 1, the bobbin carrier 20 is shown mounted upon a conventional circular knitting machine 22 in a manner to guide yarns with minimum change of direction from large yarn packages positioned substantially equal distances from and generally aligned with the centerline of the cylinder of a knitting machine.
The carrier 26 includes a pair of vertically disposed uprights 24, 24 supporting a frame 26 above the machine 22. In the embodiment illustrated by FIG. 1, the uprights 24, 24 are mounted upon the machine 22 by suitable fasteners, not shown. However, it is to be understood that the uprights 24, 24 could support the carrier 20 from the floor or other base structure independent of the machine 22.
The frame 26 in the illustrated embodiment is generally rectangular comprising pairs of parallel, interconnected members 28, 28 and 30, 30 which may be of tubular construction. The members, 28, 28 and 30, 30 may be secured together by welding or other suitable means. A bracket 32 is secure to each member 28 approximately midway of the length, and the brackets extend inwardly for attachment to the uprights 24, 24. A cross member 34 interconnects the brackets 32, 32.
A vertically extending support shaft 36 is positioned at each corner of the rectangular frame 26, as shown by FIGS. 1 and 2. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, the members 28, 28 are formed of rectangular tubing having openings adjacent each end for slideably and rotatably receiving the support shafts 36. The shafts 36 may be vertically and rotatably adjustably positioned within the openings of tubular members 28 and releasably secured by a set screw, not shown, passing through a side wall of a tubular member 28, or by collars 38 and set screws 40, FIGS. 6, secured on one or both sides of the tubular members 28. The collars 38 may be fixedly secured to the tubular members 28.
Each support shaft 36 carries one or more horizontally disposed brackets 42 formed of tubular stock material. A bushing 46 is welded to each bracket 42 for receiving a support shaft 36, and a pair of set screws 44 fasten the bushing 46 and bracket 42 to the shaft 36. The set screws are tightened after adjusting the bracket 42 vertically and angularly relative to the shaft 36 to a selected position. In the embodiment illustrated, four brackets 42 are selectively positioned by set screws 44 upon each shaft 36.
As shown most clearly by FIGS. 3-5 and 7, the front 41 and rear 43 walls of each tubular bracket 43 are provided with openings for receiving yarn package support rods 48. Each rod is cylindrical and has a plastic tip 50 attached to each end. Referring particularly to FIGS. 3, 4 and 7, each end portion of each of the brackets 42 is provided with three openings drilled therein, a first opening having an axis extending at an angle A of approximately 67.5 degrees relative to the elongated bracket, a second opening having an angle B of approximately 70 degrees, and a third opening having an angle C of approximately 72.5 degrees. However, the openings may be drilled at various selected angles depending upon yarn package sizes, etc. The diameters of the openings are slightly greater than the diameter of the support rods permitting the rods to be freely slidably displaced relative to the brackets. Also, it is to be noted that the openings are inclined upwardly at an angle D, which may be approximately 6 degrees with respect to the horizontal, as shown by FIG. 5. Normally, one support rod 48 is positioned within a selected bracket opening on each side of a support shaft 36, as shown by FIGS. 1 and 2, with a substantial portion of the length of each support rod 48 extending inwardly of the brackets 42 and frame 26 and inclined upwardly at a small angle. The plastic tips 50 prevent inadvertent removal of the rods from the brackets 42. When a yarn package or bobbin is placed over a rod 48, the package or bobbin weight acting on the rod tends to lock the rod in position due to the frictional engagement of the rod with the front and rear walls 41, 43. Yarn packages may be positioned on selected support rods 48, as required, depending upon the number and type of yarns utilized in forming the fabric.
Positioning the yarn package support shafts 36 and brackets 42 at the corners of frame 26 results in efficient utilization of floor space as well as permitting the use of larger diameter and longer length yarn packages. The packages are generally horizontally disposed and extend toward the center line of the knitting machine cylinder. It is to be noted that the yarn package carrier of the present invention positions all packages approximately the same distance from the machine center line. All packages upon a support shaft 36 may be angularly adjusted to desired positions by means of the set screws 40 and the collars 38. The brackets 42 may be independently adjustably positioned relative to the support shaft 36 by set screws 44, and the angle of each support rod 48 may be varied by inserting the rod in a selected one of the plural openings provided through the bracket 42 and different angles.
A vertically disposed shaft 52 is attached to the cross member 34, intermediate the ends thereof, for supporting a plurality of guide members 54 axially spaced along the shaft and axially aligned with the cylinder of the knitting machine. The guide members 54 are adjustably secured along the shaft 52 by set screws 56 for proper horizontal alignment with the yarn packages supported upon the rods 48. As shown by FIG. 8, each guide member includes a disk portion 58, a peripheral flange 60, and the hub portion 62 for receiving the shaft 52. Each of the portions 58 and 60 has a series of openings having guide eyelets 64 formed of ceramic or other suitable materials. As shown by FIG. 2, yarns withdrawn for the packages generally axially of the package bobbin or support and is directed generally horizontally towards a guide member 54 where it is guided first through an eyelet 64 and the flange 60 and then vertically downwardly through an eyelet 64 and the disk portion 58 where it is aligned with an outer peripheral portion of the machine cylinder.
In the present invention all yarn bobbins are positioned a substantially uniform distance from the guide members 54 and each package bobbin is actually directed generally horizontally toward the center line of the machine cylinder. The yarns also are directed to the knitting cylinder with a minimum number of changes of yarn direction as they are fed to the machine.
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate another apparatus for adjustably mounting the support rods 58 to align the packages supported thereon with a line passing axially of the machine cylinder.
The bobbin support rods 48 may be adjustably positioned for proper package alignment by means of the support structure illustrated by FIGS. 9 and 10. Rather than utilizing the tubular brackets 42 having a plurality of angled openings therein, the rods 48 may be supported by brackets 70 which are adjustably, fixedly positioned upon the support shafts 36 by suitable fasteners 72. Each bracket 70 includes a U-shaped angle member 74 having a length generally corresponding to the length of brackets 42, a flange 75 integral with member 74, and plates 76 are adjustably secured to the ends of flange 75 by suitable fasteners 78.
A plurality of openings 80, each having a diameter sufficiently large to slideably receive a support rod 48, are provided in the U-shaped member 74. A plurality of openings 82, adapted to be generally aligned with openings 80, are provided in each of the plates 76. The flange 75 is provided with openings 84, FIG. 10, and the plates are provided with elongated openings 86 for receiving fasteners 78.
A support rod 48 normally extends through a generally aligned pair of openings 80 and 82 in the members 74 and 75, respectively, and that portion of the rod projecting from bracket 70 may be selectedly positioned by shifting the plate 76 horizontally and/or vertically relative to flange 75 and fastener 78 tightened to secure the rod in a desired position.
As with the bracket 42 of FIGS. 1-8, the rod 48, having a bobbin or package positioned thereon is urged into frictional engagement with members 74 and 75 to prevent sliding of the rod relative to the bracket 70.
When it is necessary to provide an elongated or large diameter yarn package upon a support rod 48, an operator grasps the rod and/or cap 50 to slide the rod away from the guide members 54, thus withdrawing the rod from a package or bobbin or support. A new yarn package is properly positioned by an operator and the rod 48 is inserted with the package support or bobbin. | A bobbin carrier includes a rectangular frame having adjustable support shafts mounted at the corners thereof which, in turn, individually adjustably support brackets, each of which includes means for adjustably and slidably positioning thereon a pair of support rods adapted to receive large yarn bobbins. Yarn bobbins supported upon the carrier are selectively aligned, and spaced uniform distances from generally centrally located first guide means resulting in uniformity of feed of yarns to a machine which utilizes the yarns. Bobbins may be replaced by slidably retracting the support rods relative to the bobbin and the brackets. | 3 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to an actively Q-switched laser system using a quasi-phase-matched (QPM) nonlinear optical material as an electro-optic (EO) laser Q-switch. The QPM EO laser Q-switch functions as a laser polarization rotator to control the laser cavity loss during laser Q-switching. The present invention is also related to an actively Q-switched laser system using a quasi-phase-matched electro-optic (QPM EO) laser Q-switch integrated with a QPM laser wavelength converter. The present invention belongs to the technical fields of coherent light sources, solid-state laser, EO laser Q-switch, and QPM nonlinear wavelength conversion. The present invention can also be categorized into the technical fields of actively Q-switched laser, intra-cavity laser frequency conversion, and QPM nonlinear optics.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the rapid advancement of laser technology, various kinds of lasers and laser devices have been extensively employed in numerous application fields. In particular, important progresses in material science have produced efficient coherent light sources with compactness, robustness and low cost. For instance, diode laser is a popular laser source because of its small volume, reduced power consumption, ease of mass production, and low manufacturing cost. To further expand the laser spectral and temporal quality, for instance, diode-laser pumped solid-state (DPSS) lasers are also playing key roles among coherent light sources. A DPSS laser employs one or plural diode lasers as its optical pump source, comprising laser gain medium that absorbs the pump diode laser energy and a laser resonant cavity that resonates the emission wavelength from the laser gain medium. In such a scheme, lasers with various wavelengths can be produced as desired by the choices of proper laser gain media.
Nonlinear optics allows optical frequency mixing to generate optical wavelengths not limited by atomic or molecular energy transitions in a laser host material. Therefore, wavelength-tunable coherent light sources can be built with the installation of an additional nonlinear crystal inside or outside a laser cavity. Usually, the size of a solid-state laser gain medium or a nonlinear optical material varies from millimeters to centimeters and thus the physical size of a DPSS laser with or without a nonlinear wavelength converter can be in the range of several centimeters. Furthermore, the beam quality, output power, and power stability of a DPSS laser are also greatly improved from those of a diode laser.
The research-and-development (R&D) progress of nonlinear-optics technology has provided unprecedented improvement to coherent light sources. To perform nonlinear wavelength conversion, intra-cavity and extra-cavity installations of the nonlinear optical material in a solid-state laser are the most common two schemes. In nonlinear wavelength conversion, phase-matching or wave-vector matching among mixing waves is often required, which is usually achieved in a birefringence crystal with the mixing waves polarized and incident in certain directions with respect to the crystal axes. Such a stringent phase-matching requirement usually leads to a fairly limited energy-conversion efficiency due to, for example, Poynting walk-off in a birefringence crystal or a non-ideal nonlinear coefficient at the phase-matching angle. In recent years, the so-called quasi-phase matching (QPM) technique has mostly lifted the above constraints by compensating the phase mismatch of mixing waves with a nonlinear optical material having a spatially modulated nonlinear coefficient. Such a QPM method allows a nonlinear-wavelength conversion process to access the maximum nonlinear coefficient of a nonlinear optical material, providing a better nonlinear conversion efficiency.
Generally speaking, the power of a continuous wave (CW) laser varies from several milliwatts to several watts. However, many important laser applications require high peak laser power within a certain laser pulse width. In particular, a high peak laser power favors nonlinear wavelength conversion. Second-order nonlinear wavelength conversion utilizes the second-order nonlinear susceptibility and in general an easier technique compared to a third-order nonlinear wavelength conversion. Among second-order nonlinear wavelength-conversion processes, an optical parametric process allows wavelength tuning but usually a much higher pump power than that for, say, second harmonic generation. Laser Q-switching is a common way of obtaining a high peak laser power from a laser source.
The working principle of a Q-switched laser is based on a technique in which the laser energy is accumulated in a time period comparable to the laser upper level lifetime and is released in an extremely short period of time to generate a high-power laser pulse. Thus, a high-quality laser Q-switch is crucial for a Q-switched laser source. Among miscellaneous laser Q-switching techniques, the EO laser Q-switching technique has a shortest switching time (on the order of tens of nanoseconds), a high timing accuracy, good stability, and excellent repeatability. However, the EO Q-switch in a typical Q-switched laser system is costly, bulky, and requires a nanosecond high-voltage pulse generator producing a few hundred to several thousand volts.
The present invention adopts a novel EO QPM nonlinear optical material as a laser Q-switch that has a much lower Q-switch voltage than a conventional EO Q-switch crystal such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP), potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP), lithium niobate (LN), etc., and thus allows a compact and low-cost design for a Q-switched laser system. When the QPM EO Q-switch is cascaded to a nonlinear wavelength converter, the intracavity Q-switched nonlinear wavelength conversion generates efficiency coherent optical radiations at desirable wavelengths. The laser system is particularly simple, if the QPM EO Q-switch is integrated into a QPM nonlinear wavelength converter in a monolithic nonlinear optical material. Such a system takes the full advantage of the lithographical-fabrication flexibility for a QPM nonlinear optical material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary objective of the present invention is to disclose an actively Q-switched laser system in which the laser Q-switch is based on a QPM EO crystal. The fabrication of the QPM EO crystal used in the present invention is similar to that of a nonlinear QPM crystal for wavelength conversion. However, their working principles are fundamentally different. The QPM EO crystal used in the present invention utilizes the birefringence wave-retardation effect to rotate the polarization of an incident laser beam. Taking a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal as an example, the named EO PPLN crystal consists of a stack of half-wave lithium-niobate plates with their crystal axes periodically rotated about the crystallographic x axis under an electric field in the y direction. Therefore, an EO PPLN crystal is governed by a birefringence QPM condition in which each domain of the PPLN structure behaves like a rotated half-wave phase retarder. The EO PPLN crystal has a QPM grating period Λ given by
Λ
=
2
ml
c
=
m
λ
0
n
o
-
n
e
,
(
1
)
where m is an odd integer for 50%-duty-cycle domain modulation, λ 0 is the laser wavelength in vacuum, l c =λ 0 /2(n o −n e ) is the half-wave retardation length or the coherence length of an EO PPLN crystal, and n o and n e are the refractive indices of the ordinary wave and the extraordinary wave in lithium niobate, respectively. When an electric field Ey is applied along the y direction of the PPLN crystal, the crystal axes, y and z, rotate an angle about the x axis, given by
θ
≈
r
51
E
y
1
/
n
e
2
-
1
/
n
o
2
s
(
x
)
,
(
2
)
where r 51 is the relevant Pockels coefficient and the sign function s(x)=+1 (−1) along x for +z (−z) domain orientation in the PPLN crystal. As a result, a z-polarized input light rotates its polarization by an angle of 4Nθ at the output after traversing N domain periods in an EO PPLN crystal. The half-wave voltage of such an EO PPLN crystal is defined to be the one that rotates the laser input polarization by 90°, given by
V 90 ° = π 4 λ 0 2 n o n e r 51 n e 2 n o 2 d L e ( 3 )
for a 50% duty-cycle, first-order (m=1) EO PPLN crystal, where d is the electrode separation in y, and L e is the electrode length in x. Compared to the half-wave voltage of a conventional lithium niobate transverse amplitude modulator between crossed polarizers, given by
V π , LN = λ 0 r 33 n e 3 - r 13 n o 3 d L , ( 4 )
V π,PPLN is only about half of V π,LN for a given λ 0 d/L, if we choose n o =2.286, n e =2.200, r 13 =9.6, r 33 =30.9, and r 33 =32.6 pm/V at 633 nm wavelength.
The actively Q-switched laser system according to the present invention at least includes a laser resonator, an optical pump source, a laser gain medium, and a QPM EO crystal. The optical pump source emits optical wavelengths that are absorbed by the laser gain medium. Laser oscillation occurs when a certain optical pumping threshold is reached. The laser Q-switching according to the present invention is implemented by using a QPM EO crystal for rotating the polarization of the resonant wave between a high-loss polarization mode and low-loss polarization mode in a polarization-dependent laser cavity. This polarization-dependent cavity loss can be achieved by using a polarization-sensitive laser gain medium such as an a-cut Nd:YVO 4 laser crystal, or by installing an intracavity Brewster plate. The polarization direction of the resonant laser wave is then controlled by applying a specific modulation voltage to the QPM EO crystal, such that the laser cavity is operated in a high-loss state for accumulation of the photon energy via a given pump rate within a specific period and then rapidly switched to a cavity low-loss state for a relatively much short period for dumping the accumulated laser energy in the cavity to accomplish the laser Q-switching.
Another significant objective of the present invention is to disclose an actively Q-switched wavelength-conversion and wavelength-tunable laser system. This system adopts a QPM EO crystal as the laser Q-switch and a nonlinear crystal including but not limited to a nonlinear QPM crystal as an intra-cavity wavelength converter. The operating principle and design configuration of the QPM EO crystal used in the actively Q-switched wavelength-conversion and wavelength-tunable laser system according to the present invention is the same as the aforementioned QPM EO crystal used in the actively Q-switched laser system. The length of each QPM domain of the adopted nonlinear QPM crystal is equal to the coherence length of the mixing waves in nonlinear wavelength conversion.
An actively Q-switched wavelength-conversion and wavelength-tunable laser system at least includes a laser resonator, an optical pump source, a laser gain medium, a QPM EO crystal, and a nonlinear crystal which particularly includes but not limited to a QPM nonlinear optical material. The optical pump source emits optical wavelengths that are absorbed by the laser gain medium. Laser oscillation occurs when a certain laser pumping threshold is reached. The laser Q-switching according to the present invention is implemented by using a QPM EO crystal for rotating the polarization of the resonant wave between a high-loss polarization mode and low-loss polarization mode in a polarization-dependent laser cavity. This polarization-dependent cavity loss can be achieved by using a polarization-sensitive laser gain medium such as an a-cut Nd:YVO 4 laser crystal, or by installing an intracavity Brewster plate. Upon laser Q-switching, a giant intracavity laser pulse energy is generated for pumping the intracavity nonlinear crystal to perform the wavelength conversion. Therefore, the wavelength converted laser is generated with very high efficiency due to the use of high intracavity pump power and then radiated through the output of this actively Q-switched wavelength-conversion and wavelength-tunable laser system.
In brief, the present invention discloses an EO Q-switched laser employing a QPM EO crystal as the laser Q-switch. This QPM EO crystal is remarkable in its reduced switching voltage compared to that of a conventional EO Q-switch. When installed with an intracavity nonlinear wavelength converter, the Q-switched laser system can efficiently generate laser wavelengths other than that fixed by the laser gain medium. Preferably, the nonlinear wavelength converter is a QPM nonlinear optical crystal of the same material as the QPM EO crystal, monolithically integrated with the QPM EO crystal in a single crystal.
The other objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will become more apparent through the following descriptions with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1(A) schematically shows an actively Q-switched laser system adopting a QPM EO laser Q-switch according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1(B) schematically shows an actively Q-switched laser system adopting a QPM EO laser Q-switch according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1(C) schematically shows an actively Q-switched laser system adopting a QPM EO laser Q-switch according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1(D) schematically shows an actively Q-switched laser system adopting a QPM EO laser Q-switch according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2(A) illustrates the top view of a possible electrode configuration of the Q-switched laser system of the present invention;
FIG. 2(B) is a cross-sectional view taken from line A-A in FIG. 2(A) ;
FIG. 3(A) illustrates the top view of another possible electrode configuration of the Q-switched laser system of the present invention;
FIG. 3(B) is a cross-sectional view taken from line A-A in FIG. 3(A) ;
FIG. 4(A) schematically shows a wavelength conversion laser system adopting a QPM EO laser Q-switch and a nonlinear optical material according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4(B) schematically shows a wavelength conversion laser system adopting a QPM EO laser Q-switch and a nonlinear optical material according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4(C) schematically shows a wavelength conversion laser system adopting a QPM EO laser Q-switch and a nonlinear optical material according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4(D) schematically shows a wavelength conversion laser system adopting a QPM EO laser Q-switch and a nonlinear optical material according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5(A) illustrates a possible way of implementing a cascaded QPM crystal in a monolithic nonlinear optical crystal to achieve laser Q-switch, wavelength conversion, and wavelength tuning simultaneously; and
FIG. 5(B) illustrates another possible way of implementing a cascaded QPM crystal in a monolithic nonlinear optical crystal to achieve laser Q-switch, wavelength conversion, and wavelength tuning simultaneously.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The actively Q-switched laser system adopting a QPM EO laser Q-switch according to the present invention at least includes an optical pump source, a laser gain medium, and a QPM EO crystal. A mode-matching lens can be used in this laser system to couple the optical pump source to the laser gain medium. A pair of laser cavity mirrors can also be used in this laser system to resonate the laser at the emission wavelength. The first preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in FIGS. 1(A) through 1(D) . The detailed descriptions of these preferred embodiments of the present invention will be addressed in the following with reference to FIGS. 1(A-D) .
The optical pump source 2 , 202 , 38 , 56 can be a laser source or any kind of light source that can emit certain wavelengths in the absorption spectrum of a laser gain medium 10 , 28 , 46 , 64 . Laser oscillation occurs when a certain laser pumping threshold is reached. The mode-matching lens 4 , 22 , 40 , 58 may be coated with an anti-reflection layer at the optical pump wavelength, and has an appropriate focal length so as to receive and couple the energy of the optical pump source 2 , 20 , 38 , 56 into the laser cavity for pumping the laser gain medium 10 , 28 , 46 , 64 . The laser cavity comprises of either a pair of cavity mirrors either a pair of cavity mirrors 6 , 42 , 60 and 8 , 44 , 62 or a pair of optical dielectric mirrors 24 and 26 . The cavity mirrors 6 , 42 , 60 and 8 , 44 , 62 can be coated with optical coatings that transmit the optical pump energy and resonate the laser energy, and thereby achieving a good laser efficiency. The optical dielectric mirrors 24 and 26 can be optical dielectric multi-layers respectively coated on the end surface of the laser gain medium 28 facing the optical pump source 20 and the end surface of the quarter-wave retardar retarder 32 for laser output, having high transmission for the optical pump source 20 and adequate reflection at the resonant laser wavelengths, so as to achieve a good laser efficiency. In FIGS. 1(C) and 1(D) , the cavity mirrors 42 , 60 and 44 , 62 can be replaced with the dielectric mirrors 24 and 26 shown in FIG. 2(B) . in these preferred embodiments, laser Q-switching is accomplished in a polarization-dependent laser resonator system. A polarization-dependent resonant cavity can be implemented by dielectric coatings having polarization-dependent loss on the cavity mirrors 6 , 42 , 60 and 8 , 44 , 62 or the dielectric mirrors 24 , 26 ; the polarization-dependent cavity can also be implanted by using a laser gain medium 10 , 28 , 46 , 64 with a polarization-dependent laser gain (for instance, an a-cut Nd:YV0 4 crystal) or using a QPM EO crystal 12 , 30 , 48 , 66 with a Brewster cutting angle; or the polarization-dependent cavity can also be preferably implemented by insertion of an intracavity polarization-dependent component such as a Brewster plate (or a polarization late) 68 to the laser cavity.
The laser Q-switch used in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B) is an EO crystal comprising two sections, wherein the first section is a QPM EO crystal 12 , 30 , and the second section is a quarter-wave retarder 14 , 32 . The polarization direction of the resonant laser beam is rotated by preferably 45° when passing through the first crystal section under a quarter-wave voltage. The 45° polarization-rotated laser beam goes through a quarter-wave retarder 14 , 32 in the second crystal section, is partially reflected by the cavity mirror 8 , 26 , goes through a quarter-wave retarder 14 , 32 again, and traverses back the QPM EO crystal 12 , 30 . Upon the completion of a round-trip propagation, the laser polarization is rotated 90° and the laser sees a high resonator loss, if a quarter-wave voltage is applied to the QPM EO crystal 12 , 30 . For the case of no voltage applied to the QPM EO crystal 12 , 30 , the polarization direction of the resonating laser signal does not rotate and sees a much less resonator loss so that the laser can be built up in the laser gain medium 10 , 28 . This condition corresponds to the low-loss state of the laser cavity. The switching between a high resonator loss state and a low loss state is usually called Q-switching. In this manner, effective laser Q-switching can be accomplished by modulating the voltage applied to the QPM EO crystal 12 , 30 via the electrodes 16 , 34 . In practice, the switching voltage can be less than the quarter-wave voltage, depending on the resonator design. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B) , the QPM EO crystal 12 , 30 and the quarter-wave retarder 14 , 32 can be monolithically integrated in a single crystal substrate or be separately implemented as two discrete components.
The laser Q-switch shown in FIGS. 1(C) and 1(D) according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a QPM EO crystal 48 with a Brewster cutting angle 50 or a QPM EO crystal 66 cooperated with an additional Brewster plate (or polarization-dependent plate) 68 . The QPM EO crystal 48 , 66 , when applied with a half-wave voltage, rotates the polarization direction of the laser signal going through it by 90°, and a significant part of the 90° rotated laser signal is reflected out of the laser cavity via the Brewster surface 50 (See FIG. 1 (C)), which corresponds to a high-loss state of the Q-switched laser cavity. When no voltage is applied to the QPM EO crystal 48 , the polarization direction of the resonating laser is not affected so that all the laser signal can pass through the Brewster surface 50 and thereby the laser oscillation can occur, which corresponds to the low-loss state of the Q-switched laser cavity. As a consequence, effective laser Q-switching can be accomplished by appropriately modulating the voltage applied to the QPM EO crystal 48 via the electrodes 52 , 70 . In practice, the switching voltage can be less than the half-wave voltage, depending on the resonator design. The aforementioned QPM EO crystal 48 with a Brewster surface 50 can be alternatively replaced by the combination of a QPM EO crystal 66 and a discrete Brewster plate (or a polarization-dependent loss plate) 68 (See FIG. 1(D) ).
The Q-switched laser system of the present invention may employ a temperature control unit 18 , 36 , 54 , 72 to control the temperature of the QPM EO crystal 12 , 30 , 48 , 66 so as to fine tune performance of the QPM EO crystal 12 , 30 , 48 , 66 .
FIGS. 2(A) to 2(B) and FIGS. 3(A) to 3(B) illustrate a preferred embodiment of the arrangement of electrodes in the laser Q-switch 74 , 75 , 92 , 93 of the Q-switched laser system. A detailed description of such preferred embodiment of the present invention is given below with reference to FIGS. 2(A) to 2(B) and FIGS. 3(A) to 3(B) .
As shown from FIGS. 2(A) to 2(B) , conducting electrodes 78 , 80 , 82 , . . . , 84 , 86 , 88 and 79 , 81 , 83 , . . . , 85 , 87 , 89 are arranged in parallel along the direction perpendicular to the incident laser beam on the QPM EO crystals 76 and 77 . The voltages applied to the electrodes 78 , 80 , 82 , . . . , 84 , 86 , 88 and 79 , 81 , 83 , . . . , 85 , 87 , 89 are periodic in values; for example, the arrangement of the voltages of these electrodes can be +,−,+, . . . ,+,−,+ or −,+, . . . ,−,+,−, wherein “+” indicates an electric potential and “−” indicates a relative low electric potential. The electrode 90 can have a relative low electric potential. In practical operation, laser polarization is rotated in the QPM EO crystals 76 , 77 when the laser signal passes through one of the areas beneath the surface between electrodes 78 , 80 , 82 , . . . , 84 , 86 , 88 and 79 , 81 , 83 , . . . , 85 , 87 , 89 . Referring to FIGS. 3(A) and 3(B) , trench-shaped electrodes 96 , 98 , 100 , . . . , 102 , 104 , 106 and 97 , 99 , 101 , . . . , 103 , 105 , 107 are arranged in parallel along the direction perpendicular to the incident laser beam on the QPM EO crystals 94 and 95 . The voltages applied to the electrodes 96 , 98 , 100 , . . . , 102 , 104 , 106 and 97 , 99 , 101 , . . . , 103 , 105 , 107 are periodic in values, for example, the arrangement of the voltages of these electrodes can be +,−,+, . . . ,+,−,+ or −,+,− . . . ,−,+,−, wherein “+” indicates an electric potential and indicates a relative low electric potential. In practical operation, laser polarization is rotated in the QPM EO crystals 94 , 95 when the laser signal goes through one of the areas between the electrodes 96 , 98 , 100 , . . . , 102 , 104 , 106 and 97 , 99 , 101 , . . . , 103 , 105 , 107 .
Another alternative configuration of the present invention reveals an actively Q-switched wavelength-conversion and wavelength-tunable laser system containing an intracavity nonlinear optical material in the actively Q-switched laser system adopting a QPM EO laser Q-switch. A detailed description to the preferred embodiments of the actively Q-switched wavelength-conversion and wavelength-tunable laser system is given below with reference to FIGS. 4(A) to 4(D) .
The components of the actively Q-switched wavelength-conversion and wavelength-tunable laser system of the present invention are depicted in FIGS. 4(A) to 4(D) . Those components include optical pump source 108 , 128 , 148 , 168 , mode-matching lens 110 , 130 , 150 , 170 , laser gain medium 116 , 136 , 156 , 176 , QPM EO crystal 120 , 140 , 160 , 180 , quarter-wave retardar 122 , 142 , electrodes 124 , 144 , 164 , 184 , Brewster-cut surface 162 , Brewster plate (or polarization-dependent loss plate) 182 , laser cavity mirrors 112 , 152 , 172 and 114 , 154 , 174 , dielectric mirrors 132 and 134 , and temperature control unit 126 , 146 , 166 , 186 , which, in functions, are identical to the optical pump source 2 , 20 , 38 , 56 , mode-matching lens 4 , 22 , 40 , 58 , laser gain medium 10 , 28 , 46 , 64 , QPM EO crystal 12 , 30 , 48 , 66 , quarter-wave retardar 14 , 32 , electrodes 16 , 34 , 52 , 70 , Brewster-cut surface 50 , Brewster plate (or polarization-dependent loss plate) 68 , laser cavity mirrors 6 , 42 , 60 and 8 , 44 , 62 , dielectric mirrors 24 and 26 , and temperature control unit 18 , 36 , 54 , 72 of the aforementioned Q-switched laser system adopting a QPM EO laser Q-switch. The QPM EO Q-switch, the Q-switch voltage, and the physical arrangement of the Q-switch electrodes are also identical to those labeled with the reference numerals 74 , 75 , 92 , 93 for the aforementioned Q-switched laser system.
However, in these preferred embodiments, the additional nonlinear crystal 118 , 138 , 158 , 178 can be a QPM nonlinear optical crystal cascaded to the QPM EO crystal 120 , 140 , 160 , 180 of the same material in a monolithic crystal substrate. FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B) illustrate two possible ways of implementing the monolithically cascaded QPM crystals 188 and 202 , respectively. According to the present invention, the Q-switched laser systems shown in FIGS. 4(A) to 4(D) are used for performing the desired intracavity wavelength conversions, including, but not limited to, second harmonic generation, sum frequency generation, difference frequency generation, optical parametric generation, amplification, and oscillation, etc. The laser cavity mirrors 112 , 152 , 172 and 114 , 154 , 174 and dielectric mirrors 132 and 134 all have the appropriate spectral characteristics of supporting laser oscillation at the emission wavelength of the laser gain medium and optimizing the intracavity wavelength conversion. By using a monolithically cascaded QPM crystal for laser Q-switching and wavelength conversion, the actively Q-switched wavelength-conversion and wavelength-tunable laser system of the present invention can achieve continuous wavelength tuning either by transversely selecting a grating period of the QPM nonlinear optical crystal 190 , 204 with a fan-out grating with a micrometer actuator 200 , 214 or by varying the temperature of the QPM nonlinear optical crystal 190 , 204 with a temperature control unit 198 , 212 .
The most significant feature of the present invention is that the laser Q-switch and wavelength conversion device can be integrated in a monolithic crystal substrate. Alternatively, they can be separately implemented as two discrete components from the same or two different materials. For example, the laser Q-switch can be implemented with a PPLN crystal, whereas the wavelength converter can be implemented with a KTP, a Beta Barium Borate crystal (BBO), a Lithium Triborate crystal (LBO), a PPLN crystal, a periodically poled Potassium Titanyl Phosphate crystal (PPKTP), or a periodically poled Lithium Tantalite crystal (PPLT), etc.
The distinct characteristics of the actively Q-switched laser system according to the present invention have become clear from the descriptions of the preferred embodiments hereinbefore, which are summarized as follows:
1. A lower switching voltage can be achieved by using a QPM EO crystal as a laser Q-switch rather than using a conventional EO laser Q-switch in prior arts. In a transverse amplitude modulator, the half-wave voltage of an EO PPLN crystal is only one half that of a conventional EO LN crystal, and is only 40% that of a KTP crystal, and is even only one tenth of that of a KDP crystal under the same electrode configuration.
2. By using a QPM EO crystal as an EO laser Q-switch, one can at least have the following different laser system configurations:
In the case of selecting a laser gain medium with a polarization-sensitive gain to accomplish a polarization-dependent laser cavity, the EO Q-switch may consist of a QPM EO crystal and a quarter-wave retarder. When no voltage is applied to the QPM EO crystal, the laser cavity is in a low-loss state. In operation, the EO Q-switch is applied with a quarter-waver voltage to reach a cavity high-loss state. The QPM EO crystal and the quarter wave retarder may be either cascaded on a monolithic crystal or separated as two discrete components.
The electro-optic Q-switch can also be a QPM EO crystal with a Brewster cutting angle, or alternatively, simply a QPM EO crystal cascaded to a separated intracavity Brewster plate. When no voltage is applied to the QPM EO crystal, the laser cavity again is in a low-loss state. In operation, the EO Q-switch is applied with a half-wave voltage to reach a cavity high-loss state. With the above schemes, laser Q-switching can be achieved effectively by an appropriate modulation voltage.
3. The ability of the QPM EO crystal in rotating the polarization direction of the incident laser beam is restricted to a certain acceptance bandwidth of laser frequency (wavelength) and crystal temperature, which resembles the operation conditions in a QPM crystal for nonlinear frequency conversion. The acceptance bandwidth for laser frequency and crystal temperature is determined by the dimension and the property of the material.
In addition to the aforementioned features of the actively Q-switched wavelength-conversion and wavelength-tunable laser system, the laser system according to the present invention further has the following unique characteristics:
1. Both the laser Q-switch and nonlinear wavelength converter adopt a QPM crystal of the same material, so that the Q-switch and the wavelength converter can be integrated onto the same material substrate. Monolithic integration of multifunctional QPM devices for laser Q-switching and wavelength conversion in a monolithic crystal substrate is a major advantage of the present invention.
2. Compared with the prior art that uses an external-cavity pump configuration for a nonlinear crystal, using the higher intracavity power for a nonlinear crystal according to the present invention is superior in easing the system requirements for the wall-plug power and therefore increasing the overall conversion efficiency.
3. The use of a QPM nonlinear optical crystal cascaded to the QPM EO crystal as a nonlinear wavelength converter has the advantage of maximizing the wavelength conversion efficiency without having the walk-off problem generally encountered in a conventional birefringence crystal.
While the present invention has been described in terms of what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention need not be restricted to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures. Therefore, the above description and illustration should not be taken as limiting the scope of the present invention which is defined by the appended claims. | A Q-switched laser system is disclosed. The laser system employs a quasi-phase-matched electro-optic (QPM EO) crystal as the laser Q-switch. When applied with a certain modulating electric field, the QPM EO crystal can function as a polarization rotator to rotate the polarization direction of the resonant laser beam in a polarization-dependent laser resonator, thereby switching the laser resonator between high-loss and low-loss cavity states to achieve laser Q-switching. Compared with traditional electro-optic Q-switched laser system, the disclosed laser system is characterized by a low switching-voltage, reduced cost, and compactness. A quasi-phase-matched electro-optically Q-switched wavelength-conversion and wavelength-tunable laser system is also disclosed. The disclosed laser system integrates a QPM electro-optic Q-switch and a QPM nonlinear wavelength converter in a single crystal substrate to perform a high-efficiency intracavity wavelength conversion. The disclosed laser system is therefore simple and compact and has lower system requirements on wall-plug power and higher overall conversion efficiency. | 7 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to machines for forming containers from flat paperboard blanks, and more particularly, to a subsystem in such a machine for forming the body of a multiple-panel container from a flat blank including adhering together two panels of the blank while ensuring that the leading and trailing edges of the blank are properly aligned.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] In the packaging industry, it has been found most efficient and otherwise effective to employ paperboard containers (“boxes” or “cases”) for the packing, shipment and storage of commodities such as fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and meat, pre-packaged goods (e.g. cans of soup, bottles of beverages, jars of jelly, bags of rice, cartons of cereal, etc. (“cartons”)) as well as a wide assortment of other products. Paperboard containers are comparatively inexpensive, light in weight, sufficiently strong for the prescribed usage and disposable at the ultimate destination.
[0005] Numerous paperboard containers and designs have been developed over the years along with machines for forming containers from such materials. These containers are typically constructed of a corrugated material which may be single face corrugated, single wall (double-faced) corrugated, double wall corrugated, triple wall corrugated, etc. Containers may also be made of other paperboard products including, without limitation, container board, boxboard, linerboard, and cardboard. Containers made from these materials can be produced in a variety of shapes and sizes suited to the specific prescribed uses intended. Such containers are unusually strong and durable for their cost and weight and thus are excellently suited to serving a multitude of uses. Typically, the manufacturers of such containers produce them in flattened, blank type configurations. These are sold in bulk to users that employ container forming machines to form, or erect, the containers for use. Such users may, for example, be companies that pack and sell, or distribute, any of the aforementioned commodities.
[0006] A conventional container forming machine typically receives the container blanks in bulk in a hopper, or magazine. During operation, the machine feeds each blank in succession along a path of travel, applies adhesive at pre-selected locations thereon, folds the container blank along preformed score lines and into designed container configurations, compresses portions of the container so that the adhesive adheres to retain the container in the designed configuration and finally discharges the container for use in packing the commodities involved. Such packing is normally also performed on an entirely automated basis by other equipment. It is essential in such container forming machines that the containers be formed and discharged at a high rate of speed to produce the volume of containers required during the packing operation. However, it is also required that the containers, so formed, be dependably of the design configuration required and without variation from container to container so that, for example, the packing equipment is capable of handling, packing and sealing the containers. Variation in these regards from container to container may well render such containers unsatisfactory for use because such mechanized packing equipment is dependent for proper operation in numerous respects on receiving containers only of the designated design configuration and dimensions.
[0007] Many different container styles and types have been developed over the years, each being optimally suited for one or more particular products or industries. As the designs containers have advanced, the designs of container forming machines have also become increasingly more sophisticated. As a consequence, there are increasing demands and requirements of the users of such containers for the production of containers of more complex designs better suited to particular uses.
[0008] One of the uses for such containers is for holding large flexible bags filled with fluid, such as oil or syrup. The weight of such bags, when filled with fluid, is significant, calling for uniquely shaped paperboard containers to hold the bags during storage and shipping. It has been determined that a paperboard container having more than four sides provides an optimal design for holding a large fluid-filled bag. This is because pressure from the fluid inside the bag is transmitted to the walls of the container. In three-sided or four-sided containers, significant internal gaps develop inside between the edges of the fluid-filled bags and the corners of such containers. These gaps do not provide adequate support for the fluid-filled bag, especially if the container is improperly stored or stacked, that can lead to weakening and potential rupture of the bag and spillage of its contents.
[0009] Containers (“cases”) filled with products are frequently arranged in tall stacks for convenience in storage and shipping. It is therefore desirable to provide strong cases that can be arranged into tall stacks. To obtain a stronger case typically involves providing additional side or end panels, reinforced corners, and the like. These things typically increase the size, complexity and cost of the blanks used to make the cases, and the machines needed to erect them. As a result, it has become prevalent in the packaging industry to rely on the strength of the cartons or packages that are loaded into the cases to provide stacking strength for the case. For example, a case filled with 2-liter beverage bottles may well rely on the strength of the bottles loaded inside the case to provide stacking strength for the case. Stacks of such cases are in a very real sense simply stacks of the bottles upon themselves, separated by the panels of the cases.
[0010] Unfortunately, the ever increasing cost of manufacturing product cartons and packages has resulted in the use of less material in the production of cartons, packages and bottles resulting in weaker packages with thinner walls and less stacking strength. In addition, certain product packages (e.g. disposable ketchup packets) cannot be relied upon for any stacking support. Thus, it is no longer appropriate to rely on the strength of the cartons or packages that are loaded into the cases to provide stacking strength to the cases. In the fruit and commodity industries, this has never been an acceptable practice. Thus, there is a need for cases that have reliable stacking strength independent of the products or packaging loaded into them, without unduly increasing the cost or complexity of the blanks or machines used to form them.
[0011] A preferred solution is to provide a multiple-sided container (i.e., one having four or more sides, such as 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, and the like) with angled corners. Containers having more than four sides are preferred for holding fluid-filled bags because their shape tends to minimize corner gaps and resist bulging, and the angled corners of such containers provide greater all-around support and stacking strength. Unfortunately, because of the complexities in forming such containers from a flat blank, many conventional machines designed to form 4-sided containers are not suitable for use in forming containers with more than four sides. In particular, folding a flat blank into a container having more than four sides presents unusual challenges in maintaining alignment of the multiple panels of the container body during formation, and in adhering the first and last of such panels together—especially if none of the corners of the container to be formed will be right angles (90 degrees).
[0012] Containers having more than four sides, such as hexagonal and octagonal containers, are preferred because the multiple body panels of such containers provide improved stacking strength, better product stability, resistance to panel bulging that may be caused by heavy product loads, more available space for graphics and advertising, and resistance to damage from stretch wrapping.
[0013] A group of container blanks known generally as regular slotted cases (RSCs) are partially pre-formed upon manufacture, and include half slotted cases (HSCs), side load RSCs, end load RSCs, RSCs with extended manufacturers joint, and the like. RSCs are generally described as container blanks in which the leading and trailing panels of the container body have already been overlapped and adhered together by the blank manufacturer before shipment. The body panels and end flaps of RSCs are pre-scored so that forming the case involves simply opening up the body, and then folding and adhering the end panels into place. Because of the overlapping of the pre-adhered panels, “flat” RSC blanks generally have three times the thickness of a single-sheet blank resulting from the two overlapping adhered panels, and the opposite side panel of the pre-formed body. However, RSC blanks are only about half as wide as a corresponding single-sheet blank used for making the same sized container. As a result, RSC blanks are about ⅓ less efficient to store and ship than corresponding single-sheet blanks used to form like containers. When hundreds of thousands of blanks are to be stored and shipped, the inefficiency of RSCs over single-sheet blanks becomes readily apparent, making it desirable to avoid the use of RSCs if possible.
[0014] A traditional method of assembling a four-sided paperboard container from a flat blank is to first crease the blank along its fold lines to form the general container shape. The two end flaps are then folded onto the two opposite corresponding side panels so that the edges of the side panels rest snugly against the flap fold line creases. This flush position ensures a sturdy and properly formed container. The end flaps are then secured to the opposite side panels using an adhesive.
[0015] Some polygonal container forming machines have been developed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,932,930 and 5,147,271 disclose machines that utilize a mandrel to assemble the container. The exterior shape of the mandrel corresponds to the internal shape of the container to be formed, and one or more arms are used to wrap the flat carton blank around the mandrel. These devices are not capable of rapid production of large number of containers, and require a different mandrel for each different container type to be formed. Moreover, neither device provides adequate alignment safeguards.
[0016] U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,715 discloses a device utilizing the shape of the products (i.e. bottles) inserted into the container to form the top portion of the container, in a manner similar to that of a mandrel. A series of plows and guides fold first and second sides down over the products (i.e. bottle tops). This invention requires that the products be placed into the container blank prior to the formation process which makes the device unusable in many applications, or severely limits its usefulness, such as where the products to be packaged are in a different location than the machine forming the containers, or where the products have special handling or temperature requirements that cannot be provided in conjunction with the container forming machine. This device also has an alignment shortcoming in that it relies upon the proper initial formation of the open top container, as well as the proper placement of the goods within it for proper alignment. Errors in either area will cause the subsequent creases to be made in improper locations.
[0017] It is therefore desirable to provide a machine or sub-assembly that is capable of rapidly forming the body of a multiple-panel container from a flat blank by adhering together first and last panels of the blank while ensuring that the leading and trailing edges of the blank are properly aligned. It is also desirable to eliminate the use of a container-shaping mandrel so as to speed up the formation process, and to avoid reliance upon insertion and proper placement of the products themselves into the container as part of the container formation process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] The present invention is an apparatus for forming multi-sided containers from flat single-sheet paperboard blanks without the use of a mandrel or inserted products, and which assures proper alignment of the leading and trailing edges of the container blank before adhering the first and last body panels of the blank together. The apparatus may be incorporated into any container assembly device as an alternative to a mandrel or analogous component. The apparatus is generally designed for use with containers having more than fours sides, but may be adapted for use in forming 4-sided as well as RSC containers.
[0019] The present invention generally comprises a plurality of various plows and guides disposed along a lateral track defined by one or more conveyor belts along which a pre-scored container blank is taken. The plows and guides are situated in specific locations along the track to form the various panels of the container blank by folding it along the pre-scored lines. As the blank travels down the track, the panels are wrapped around or “funneled” in a circular fashion to form the body of the container. The invention may be easily configured to handle any of a wide range of different numbers of panels, such that containers with virtually any number of panels (sides) may be formed. Eventually, the circular wrapping causes the last panel of the blank to come into the proximity of the first panel. Then, as described more fully hereinbelow, these two panels are adhered together to form the container body. However, before such adhesion takes place, special devices are employed to assure that all of the panels of the container are in alignment. This is because the friction between the panels of the blank and the various plows and guides may cause some of the panels to lag behind others. A unique apparatus is used to line up yet maintain separation between the first and last panels upon which adhesive has been applied while the alignment takes place. Once alignment is accomplished, the panels are pressed together and bonded by the adhesive.
[0020] In particular, one or more continuous primary conveyors are provided along the path to carry blank after blank through the machine where they encounter various guides and plows that perform several initial folds on each container blank. These primary conveyors may be provided in any appropriate form such as one or more continuous pinch belts with rollers, one or more continuous chains or belts with cleats adjustably attached thereto, or the like. Each of the primary conveyors moves at the same speed, and if cleats are used, they are deployed at regular and synchronous intervals according to the size and shape of the particular container blanks being used.
[0021] After the initial folds have been accomplished, the primary conveyors may continue moving the partially-folded container blanks forward, or may hand off the blanks to a set of one or more secondary conveyors. Alignment of the body panels then takes place followed by adhesion of the first and last panels to form a wrap. A separation bar is then provided along the path of formation, and the first and last panels of the container blank are guided into positions above and below this bar. One or more adhesive applicators are provided near the separation bar to spray or otherwise apply adhesive onto the first or last panel (or both) of the container blank after it has passed through the majority of the plows and guides, but before alignment or bonding has taken place. If used, the secondary conveyors may be provided in any appropriate form such as one or more continuous chains with cleats adjustably attached thereto, one or more continuous belts with cleats adjustably attached thereto, or the like. The secondary conveyors take over movement of the blank from the primary conveyors. Then a unique alignment apparatus is used to “catch up” the trailing edges of the container blank panels bringing them into alignment as the blank continues through the machine. Once alignment is accomplished, the separation bar terminates and the first and last panels are pressed together and bonded by the adhesive.
[0022] Accordingly, the present invention results in containers having fewer alignment defects. The unique system allows the invention to align the container side panels and back edges before applying pressure to the adhesive. Unlike the prior art disclosed above, such alignment is not dependent upon the proper initial placement of the carton underneath a mandrel or analogous component, or upon the proper placement of goods within the container.
[0023] It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a machine or sub-assembly that is capable of rapidly forming the body of a multiple-panel container from a flat blank by adhering together first and last panels of the blank after ensuring that the leading and trailing edges of the blank are properly aligned.
[0024] It is also a primary object of the present invention to provide a machine or sub-assembly that is capable of rapidly forming the body of a multiple-panel container from a flat blank without the use of a container-shaping mandrel so as to speed up the formation process.
[0025] It is also a primary object of the present invention to provide a machine or sub-assembly that is capable of rapidly forming the body of a multiple-panel container from a flat blank that avoids reliance upon insertion and proper placement of the products themselves into the container as part of the container formation process.
[0026] It is also an important object of the present invention to provide a means for assembling containers that does not reply upon the proper placement of the carton blank in relation to a mandrel or other foreign object.
[0027] It is also an important object of the present invention to provide a means for assembling containers which ensures that the edges of the container are aligned properly prior to adhesion of the first and last panels of the body of the container together, thereby reducing the number of defective containers.
[0028] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a machine or sub-assembly for rapidly forming and sealing the body of a multiple-panel container from a flat or single-sheet blank having a mechanism for aligning the first and last panels of the blank before these panels are adhered together.
[0029] It is also an object of the present invention to reduce material costs and improve freight economy by providing a machine or sub-assembly for rapidly forming the body of a multiple-panel container from a flat or single-sheet blank.
[0030] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a machine or sub-assembly for rapidly forming the body of a multiple-panel container from an RSC blank.
[0031] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a machine or sub-assembly for rapidly forming multiple-panel containers having improved stacking strength, better product stability, resistance to panel bulging that may be caused by heavy product loads, more available space for graphics and advertising, an optional display window, and resistance to damage from stretch wrapping.
[0032] Additional objects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description and the claims herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] FIG. 1 is a left side perspective top view of the present invention, depicting a container blank passing through the alignment and adhesion sections of the invention, as well as a portion of the formation section.
[0034] FIG. 2 is a right side perspective top view of the invention shown in FIG. 1 .
[0035] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of an embodiment of the alignment and adhesion apparatus of the present invention.
[0036] FIG. 4 is a left side perspective view of the container formation path and apparatus showing a blank passing through the formation, alignment and adhesion sections of the invention.
[0037] FIG. 5 is a set of sequences of views of a container blank showing its formation stages using the present invention from perspective, top and end views.
[0038] FIG. 6 is a set of sequences of views of a container blank showing additional formation stages from perspective, top and end views.
[0039] FIG. 7 is perspective view of the container formation path and apparatus showing the formation, alignment and adhesion sections of the invention.
[0040] FIG. 8 is a view of a representative container containing products.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0041] Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and referring particularly to FIG. 1 it is seen that the apparatus of the present invention includes a series of plows and guides which bend, fold and wrap the plurality of panels of a container blank 10 to form the body of a container as the blank 10 is fed laterally through the machine. It is to be appreciated that the blank 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 and 4 - 6 has eight panels such that it forms an octagonal container body, but that a blank 10 having any number of panels (e.g., 4-12, or more) could also be formed in a similar manner with minor adjustments to the plows and guides of the machine.
[0042] In the example illustrated in FIG. 4 , blank 10 is urged forward laterally through the machine by the primary conveyors 22 . The exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 7 illustrates primary conveyors 22 as a pair of pinch belts 22 and 23 , however it is to be appreciated that any appropriate conveyance means may be used including without limitation, belts or chains having adjustably removable cleats located at appropriate intervals thereon. Pinch belts are preferred over cleats as the primary conveyors 22 because pinch belts avoid damaging the blank as it encounters frictional resistance from the forming plows and guides. Such frictional resistance could cause cleats to impart dents or deformities to the blank, whereas pinch belts allow some slippage of the blank 10 without damaging it, while maintaining throughput of blanks through the machine. This slippage is compensated for in the alignment section of the invention, as discussed more fully below. As it is moved through the machine, the container blank 10 encounters a series of inner and outer plows and guides (A-D) which bend, fold and wrap the various panels of the blank in a circular or funnel fashion.
[0043] The various stages of folding experienced by this exemplary blank are illustrated in FIG. 5 . First, side panel 12 including attached top panel 14 is initially bent upward to a generally vertical position by side plow bar A. At about the same time, second side panel 13 is also bent into a generally vertical position by side plow bar B. See FIG. 4 , and Stage 1 I of FIG. 5 . Next, plow bar C folds top panel 14 down to an angled position. See FIG. 4 . At about the same time, an intermediate end panel 15 attached to side panel 13 is bent from vertical to horizontal by plow bar D. These two folds are shown at Stage III of FIG. 5 . These major folds are preferably accomplished while blank 10 is being propelled only by the primary pinch belt conveyors 22 so as to avoid any potential damage to blank 10 that may result from cleats pressing against blank 10 during the frictional resistance imparted by plows A-D.
[0044] In the illustrated embodiment, as blank 10 continues moving forward it is handed off to a set of one or more secondary conveyors 32 . In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 and 7 , it is seen that these secondary conveyors 32 are provided on either side of the path of the blank 10 defined by the primary conveyors 22 . Secondary conveyors 32 are provided with adjustably positionable cleats 42 for engagement with the now up-folded side panels 12 and 13 of blank 10 . The positions of cleats 42 on conveyors 32 may be adjusted according to the size, spacing and style of the particular container blanks 10 introduced into the invention. If multiple secondary conveyors 32 are used, each of cleats 42 is synchronized on its respective conveyor 32 so that each cleat 42 engages the back edge of its respective panel on the same plane so as to maintain all of panels 11 - 13 in alignment with each other.
[0045] Top panel 14 (with attached intermediate panel 19 ) is next folded to a generally horizontal position as shown at Stage 1 V of FIG. 5 . This activity results in the position of intermediate panel 19 attached to top panel 14 being located in a spaced relationship above intermediate end panel 15 of panel 13 . These two intermediate panels ( 19 and 15 ) will eventually be adhered together to form a continuous body or wrap of the formed container. It is to be appreciated that blank 10 may have any number of panels (in the illustrated example, there are eight such panels), and that plows and guides may be added, removed and/or adjusted according to the given number of panels so that the first and last panels (in the illustrated example, intermediate panels 15 and 19 ) are positioned above each other in a spaced relationship prior to adhesion. It is also to be appreciated that the primary and secondary conveyors, and any cleats located thereon, may also be adjusted according to the size, style and spacing of the particular container blanks 10 introduced into the machine.
[0046] Between stages I-IV, the friction between plow bars A, B, C and D against respective panels 12 , 13 , 14 and 15 may cause panels 14 and 19 to drag slightly such that they lag behind side panels 12 and 13 which are being propelled forward by cleats 42 on secondary side conveyors 32 . The larger the container blank, the larger the panels, the greater the surface area and distance from the first panel to the last panel, and the more pronounced the potential frictional lag of the most remote panels (e.g. 14 and 19 ) from the panels closest (e.g. 12 and 13 ) to the conveyors 22 and 32 . For some container blanks, this lag may be as much as two inches. Because of this friction, it is important to assure that main panels 11 - 14 , and particularly the intermediate panels 15 & 19 are properly aligned before they are adhered to each other. The position of panel 11 is not of concern in the illustrated embodiment since it is located between panels 12 and 13 which are being moved synchronously by aligned cleats 42 on secondary conveyors 32 . However, this may not necessarily be the case in a different embodiment with different conveyors contacting different panels.
[0047] The adhesion and alignment is accomplished by first applying longitudinal beads or strips of adhesive to the top of lower panel 15 (or the bottom of upper panel 19 , or both) while keeping lower panel 15 spatially separated from upper panel 19 until alignment occurs. This separation is accomplished using a separating member such as a bar or rod 25 positioned between panels 15 and 19 that extends for a short distance along the path through the machine, after plow D has bent panel 14 down. Over this critical span that includes but extends beyond member 25 , one or more additional alignment devices 31 are provided to engage the trailing edge(s) of one or more of the now bent panels (e.g. 12 , 13 and/or 14 in the illustrated embodiment) of blank 10 to bring them into alignment with the back edge of the remaining panels (e.g. bottom panel 11 ).
[0048] In the illustrated embodiment, one or more alignment conveyors 31 are provided along the critical span of the longitudinal path of the container blank 10 through the machine including and extending beyond separating member 25 . Each alignment conveyor 31 is a continuous motor-operated belt that is provided with a plurality of adjustably positionable cleats 41 located thereon at spaced intervals. These intervals may be the same as, or different from those of cleats 42 on secondary conveyors 32 . In the illustrated embodiment, alignment conveyor 31 is mounted above the path of the container blank so that each cleat 41 engages the trailing edge of a top panel 14 . Additional conveyors 31 may also be provided along the same critical section of the longitudinal path, each additional alignment conveyor 31 having, respectively, a plurality of cleats 41 located thereon at the same spaced intervals. It is to be appreciated that one or more alignment conveyors 32 may be provided at any suitable location along the path of blank 10 in order to engage any panels of the blank 10 that may potentially be trailing as a result of frictional resistance discussed above.
[0049] Each alignment conveyor 31 is independently operable from the primary 22 and, if used, secondary conveyors 32 . When multiple alignment conveyors 31 are used, they are synchronized with each other. Alignment conveyors 31 do not always operate at the same speed as primary and secondary conveyors 22 and 32 . In the illustrated embodiment, a single alignment conveyor 31 is provided in a preferred location above the path of container blank 10 . After blank 10 has been folded as described in stage IV, after adhesive has been applied, and while panels 15 and 19 are being held apart by member 25 , the alignment conveyor(s) 31 come into use.
[0050] Alignment conveyors 31 pause briefly while the trailing edges of panels 12 and 13 are moved forward by secondary conveyors 32 to a position where those trailing edges (and cleats 42 ) have moved a short distance past the beginnings of the alignment conveyors 31 . This delay is provided to compensate for the possible lag of panel 14 caused by the frictional resistance described previously, and allows potentially lagging panel 14 to also move past the beginnings of the alignment conveyors 31 . Once this position is reached (i.e., cleats 42 have traveled a short distance past the beginnings of alignment conveyors 31 ), alignment conveyors 31 are activated and initially move more quickly than primary and secondary conveyors 22 and 32 in order to “catch up” with them. Servo or other similar motors may be used to accomplish this movement. This quick movement causes cleat(s) 41 to engage the trailing edge(s) of any potentially lagging panel(s) (e.g., panel 14 ) and bring them into alignment with the remaining panels of the blank 10 . Once alignment cleats 41 have caught up with and are in alignment with secondary conveyor cleats 42 , the lagging panel(s) are in alignment with the other major panels of the blank 10 , and the speed of alignment conveyors 31 is reduced to match that of secondary conveyors 32 . In the illustrated embodiment, panels 15 and 19 are now directly above/below each other.
[0051] Once alignment has been achieved, panels 15 and 19 move forward past the termination of separation member 25 , and encounter a compression mechanism on the path. This compression mechanism may take any appropriate form (such as rollers 49 in the illustrated embodiment) which compresses intermediate panel 19 against intermediate panel 15 so that the adhesive between these panels joins them firmly together. This adhesion does not occur until all major panels of the container blank are in alignment, transforming the container blank into a large open sleeve or wrap made up of multiple adjoining panels.
[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, first and last panels 15 and 19 are maintained in a parallel, generally horizontal position during the alignment and compression operations so as to assure proper and complete adhesion. However, the invention may be set up such that the first and last panels are maintained in some other position (vertical, angled, etc.) during alignment and compression operations, so long as they are parallel to each other. After adhesion, and during later formation processes these panels may then be bent at any appropriate angle.
[0053] The positions of alignment conveyors 31 and pressure rollers 49 are adjustable so as to accommodate different sized container blanks 10 . In the illustrated embodiment, the carriage assembly supporting conveyor 31 and rollers 49 may be adjusted upward or downward by rotating adjustment screw 44 , and it may be rotated forward or backward using adjustment screw 45 . The amount of adjustment will depend upon the size and shape of the container blank 10 to be used.
[0054] It is important to recognize that there is a critical point along the formation path through the machine at and after which the one or more alignment devices 31 should make contact with panels of the container blank 10 . The major folds of the container blank 10 should be accomplished before this point, and sufficient space allowed for any lagging panels to also pass the point before alignment devices 31 are activated. Alignment devices 31 must first wait until all of the panels of blank 10 , including any that may lag behind because of the friction of the formation process, have moved beyond the crucial point. This generally means waiting longer than the time necessary for the panels immediately adjacent to the secondary conveyors 32 to reach the critical point, the amount of delay (space) depending upon the size and shape of the particular container. The remote panels of larger container blanks with larger panels and more surface area (i.e., generating more frictional resistance) are likely to have a more pronounced lag than those of smaller containers with smaller panels and less surface area. When sufficient time or movement has occurred to assure that all panels have passed the crucial point, the alignment devices 31 are activated and quickly “catch up” with the secondary conveyors 32 , and in the process they bring the lagging panels of the container blank 10 into alignment with the other panels of the blank.
[0055] It is to be appreciated that the “catch up” process of the alignment conveyors may be accomplished using a variety of different devices, and that one or more of such devices may be deployed at any suitable position or location along the path of formation, including without limitation, above, below, at one or more corners, or along one or more sides of said path. In one alternative embodiment, one or more pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders may be utilized in conjunction with one or more conveyors. In this embodiment, once all panels of the blank 10 have passed the critical point, the cylinder is activated which causes an associated contact element to be quickly extended out in parallel with the path of blank 10 such that the element pushes against a frictionally trailing panel of the blank 10 . This movement causes the trailing panel to catch up with the remaining panels of the blank, at which point an additional conveyor engages this panel to keep it in alignment.
[0056] The “catch up” alignment device may alternatively take the form of one of numerous other embodiments that cause the necessary lurch which brings the remote panel into phase/alignment with the remaining panels, such as: a timing belt, a pulsing servo motor attached to a conveyor, a powered wheel and rail system, pinch belts, bottom rollers with tabs, adjustably cleated chains or belts (as illustrated), suction cups along the path, a drum system, or the like.
[0057] It is to be understood that variations and modifications of the present invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof. It is also to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited by the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but only in accordance with the appended claims when read in light of the foregoing specification. | The present invention is an apparatus for forming multi-sided containers from flat paperboard blanks without the use of a mandrel or inserted products, and which assures proper alignment of the leading and trailing edges of the container blank before adhering the first and last body panels of the blank together. The apparatus may be incorporated into any container assembly device as an alternative to a mandrel or analogous component. The interaction of numerous plows and guides eventually causes a wrapping action to occur bringing the last panel of the blank into the proximity of the first panel, but friction may cause the last panel to lag behind the first panel. A unique apparatus is provided which maintains separation between the first and last panels upon which adhesive has been applied that includes a mechanism to “catch up” any straggling panels to bring them into proper alignment. Once alignment is accomplished, the panels are pressed together and bonded by the adhesive. | 1 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional patent application of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/724,411, filed Dec. 21, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference. The present application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/578,505 filed Dec. 21, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to folding cartons used for product packaging. More specifically, the invention is to a folding carton that makes the literature insertion process more efficient and less prone to assembly line down time.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Folded cartons supplied to the public typically have, on their outer surfaces, printed information—product usage instructions, warnings, indications, directions for use and other types of information. This printed information on the outside of the carton suffers from the limited surface area that can be provided on the outer surface of a carton which is inadequate in those situations where detailed instructions, federal, state or locally required information, or in the case of pharmaceuticals, patient directions for use, drug facts or other important information, must be provided. In these situations additional literature is often added to the inside of the carton by the manufacturer on their packaging line.
[0004] The typical carton and literature insertion process is as follows: Cartons are glued and folded by the folding carton manufacturer with the carton end flaps left unglued. They are shipped to the manufacturer of the product to be packaged, erected by this manufacturer, filled with the product and then the literature is placed into the package just before the carton end flaps are glued and closed. Arrangement of the literature inside the carton is important to the manufacturer filling the carton with product. The literature must be placed inside the carton in a position that allows for easy removal of the product and the literature. The current process of filling a carton with both literature and product is a complex packaging operation. During insertion of the literature and product into the carton they collide and interfere with each other causing line stoppages.
[0005] There are various methods for increasing copy space on or in a carton. One alternative is to include a loosely folded sheet of literature inside of the carton. This method can provide adequate information space. However, the literature is likely to be disposed of after opening of the package. Pharmaceutical packages in particular require that the important information be available to the patients when they take their medication.
[0006] In addition, this normally supplied literature inside the carton must be inserted into the package either by hand or by automated equipment in the carton filling production or packaging line during the manufacture of the product. This literature insertion step by the product manufacturer is a known cause of line downtime, increased waste and a loss of revenue. The literature insertion equipment is costly to install and maintain, and is often a limiting factor in productivity on a filling or packaging line.
[0007] Another known method for increasing copy space on or in a carton is to attach folded literature to the outside of the carton. This makes the literature susceptible to damage, accidental removal during handling and transport and detracts from the aesthetics of the outer canon.
[0008] Still another method is a carton with a fifth and/or sixth panel which wraps around the typical exterior of the carton providing additional information space. The disadvantages of a fifth/sixth panel carton include: higher material costs, limited space compared to folded literature, additional complexity for senior citizens, and they can be difficult to open for people with limited use of their hands such as the elderly or those with arthritis.
[0009] Another method would include the customer attaching literature to the inside of a carton on their filling and/or packaging lines. This is problematic since the literature attached to the inside of the carton, prior to the carton being filled with product, must be folded down to very small dimensions and is typically bulky and protrudes into the inside of the carton causing interference and making automated high speed product insertion difficult or impossible.
[0010] A primary objective of this invention is to provide a carton with attached literature that simplifies the step of enclosing the literature from the product manufacturer or packager. Another primary objective is to provide a carton with attached literature inside that allows the product manufacturer or packager to achieve high-speed, automated filling of products into the carton without the attached literature interfering with insertion of the product during the carton filling, closure and gluing process.
[0011] The invention describes methods of forming folding carton styles that protect literature attached by the carton manufacturer from interfering with the high speed automatic insertion of product into the folding carton.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a layout view showing cut and fold locations of a flat that can be folded to form a fifth panel carton with a location to attach literature;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a projection view of the carton containing literature attached to the fifth panel area formed from the layout of FIG. 1 ;
[0014] FIG. 3 is an isometric side view of the literature attached inside of the fifth panel from the layout of FIG. 1 ;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a side section view of the attached literature enclosed inside the fifth panel from the layout of FIG. 1 ;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a layout view of a flat that has been cut and that can be folded to form an internal partition intended to hold attached literature away from product contact and interference during product filling;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a projection view of the carton containing literature attached to the internal partition area formed from the layout of FIG. 5 ;
[0018] FIG. 7 is an isometric side view of the literature attached inside of the internal partition from the layout of FIG. 5 ;
[0019] FIG. 8 is a side section view of the literature enclosed inside the internal partition from the layout of FIG. 5 ;
[0020] FIG. 9 is a layout view of a flat that has been cut and that can be folded to form an internal ramp intended to direct the product being inserted away from the attached literature and preventing the literature from interfering with the product insertion;
[0021] FIG. 10 is a projection view of the carton containing literature attached to the inside of the carton before the internal ramp is folded into its functioning position formed from the layout of FIG. 9 ;
[0022] FIG. 11 is a projection view of the of the carton containing literature attached to the inside of the carton with the internal ramp folded into its functioning position formed from the layout of FIG. 9 ;
[0023] FIG. 12 is an isometric side view of the literature attached inside of the carton with the internal ramp with the ramp covering the attached literature from the layout of FIG. 9 ;
[0024] FIG. 13 is a side section view of the literature enclosed inside of the carton with the internal ramp from the layout of FIG. 9 ;
[0025] FIG. 14 is a layout view showing cut and fold locations of a flat carton that can be folded to form a carton with a location to attach literature;
[0026] FIG. 15 is a projection view of the carton containing literature attached to the panel area formed from the layout of FIG. 14 showing the applied label partially overlapping the edge of the literature;
[0027] FIG. 16 is an isometric side view of the literature attached inside of the carton from the layout of FIG. 14 with the applied label partially overlapping the edge of the literature;
[0028] FIG. 17 is a layout view of a flat that has been cut and that can be folded to form an internal partition intended to hold attached literature away from product contact and interference during product filling; and
[0029] FIG. 18 is an isometric side view of the literature attached inside of the carton from the layout of FIG. 17 with the internal partition covering a portion of the literature but allowing a portion of the literature to present itself above the top of the formed carton so as to make it easier for the consumer to remove from the package.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] Various embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments. However, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense.
[0031] Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Furthermore, the phrase “in another embodiment” does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment, although it may. Thus, as described below, various embodiments of the invention may be readily combined without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
[0032] In addition, as used herein, the term “or” is an inclusive “or” operator, and is equivalent to the term “and/or,” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “based on” is not exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not described, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, throughout the specification, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references. The meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.”
[0033] In the following description, the same numbers are used to describe parts having corresponding functions in different embodiments. The parts with the same numbers are not and need not be identical, although in some instances they may be identical in some aspects.
[0034] The present invention discloses several methods of enclosing literature within a carton formed from a folded blank such that the literature does not interfere with the insertion of customer product. As used herein, the term “literature” means any type of regulatory materials, marketing materials, coupons, membership cards, product promotions, medical usage literature, instructions or other written materials that may accompany products that are sold to consumers. The term “customer product” means any type of product that is shipped, sold or otherwise delivered to a consumer and that is shipped within a box container or carton. A square shape for sides or ends of a carton is intended to fall within the definition of rectangular.
Embodiment #1
[0035] A first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 . FIG. 1 shows six panel carton 1 in the unfolded state. The configuration of six panel carton 1 may be created from a blank or flat by die cutting and creasing and/or marking or any other suitable method. The blank or flat may be comprised of paperboard, plastic, cardboard, cardboard laminate, or similar materials.
[0036] Six panel carton 1 is typically a single piece of material hat is partitioned into four side panels 10 , 30 , 50 , 70 , fifth panel 90 and sixth panel 100 . The panels are respectively formed in the blank or flat by creasing and/or marking for folding, pre-folding and/or folding along pre-defined fold lines. Fold line 32 separates side panel 10 from 30 , fold line 42 separates side panel 30 from 50 , fold line 62 separates side panel 50 from 70 , fold line 82 separates side panel 70 from fifth panel 90 and fold line 92 separates fifth panel 90 from sixth panel 100 .
[0037] Side panel 10 is formed with end panels 12 , 16 by fold lines 14 and 18 , and side panel 50 is formed with end panels 52 , 56 by fold lines 54 , 58 , respectively. Side panel 30 is formed with flaps 34 , 38 formed by fold lines 36 , 40 , and side panel 70 is formed with flaps 72 , 76 by fold lines 74 , 78 , again respectively. Side panel 10 also is separated from side flap 22 by fold line 24 .
[0038] In forming six panel carton 1 into its assembled state, side flap 22 is folded along fold line 24 so that side flap 22 is perpendicular to side panel 10 . Side panel 30 is folded along fold line 32 so that side panel 30 is perpendicular to side panel 10 and parallel to side flap 22 . Next, side panel 50 is folded along fold line 42 so that it is perpendicular to side panel 30 and parallel to side panel 10 . Finally, side panel 70 is folded along fold line 62 so that side panel 70 is perpendicular to side panel 50 , parallel to side panel 30 and co-planarly adjacent to side flap 22 . Adhesive may be placed in region 28 of side flap 22 to fixedly hold side flap 22 against side panel 70 . The adhesive or glue used in constructing the carton is typically a cold liquid glue. However, a hot melt glue can also be used. One end of six panel carton 1 may be sealed by closing the end panels and flaps at that end of the carton. For example, flaps 34 , 72 and end panels 12 , 52 may be folded along the fold lines that connect the flaps and end panels to the respective carton side panels to close off one end of the carton, leaving the other end of the carton open so that it can be filled during assembly of the final product.
[0039] In attaching side flap 22 to side panel 70 , panel extension 84 extends beyond the plane formed by side panel 10 as it intersects with side panel 70 . Fifth panel 90 is then disposed separated from but coplanar with side panel 10 by a right angle fold along fold line 80 . Sixth panel 100 then extends back toward side panel 10 by a right angle fold along fold line 92 , so that sixth panel 100 is adjacent to and coplanar with side panel 30 , leaving a distance equal to panel extension 94 between side panel 90 and side panel 10 . The space between the side panels 10 and 90 form a compartment within which literature, such as information on a medication, instructions, or other literature may be placed. Adhesive may be placed in regions 102 and 104 (on the back side of the six panel carton 1 as shown in FIG. 1 ) to connect together sixth panel 100 and side panel 30 .
[0040] As apparent, two separate compartments, one entirely enclosed and the other open at the ends, are formed by six panel carton 1 . First compartment 110 ( FIG. 3 ) is formed by side panels 10 , 30 , 50 and 70 on the sides and enclosed by end panels 16 , 56 on one end and end panels 12 , 52 on the other end. Second compartment 112 is formed by sixth panel 100 , side panel 10 , panel extension 84 and panel extension 94 on the sides, with openings at the opposite ends. Second compartment 112 may contain literature insert 114 , which may be held in place by an adhesive. The adhesive used in attaching the literature is preferably a glue or adhesive that has the property of preventing fiber-tear of the insert on removal by the end user. For example, the adhesive may be a peel-away adhesive that enable the literature to be removed without damage.
[0041] The illustrated carton has features enabling the product manufacturer to fill the carton with a product while avoiding interference with the literature. For example, the end panels 16 and 56 and the end flaps 38 and 76 are left open when the carton is to be filled. A product, such as medication or other product, may be inserted into the interior space of the carton regardless of whether the literature is present in the separate literature space 112 defined by the sixth panel 100 and side panel 10 or not. The separate literature compartment 112 can be filled with the literature before insertion of the product into the compartment 110 or the separate literature compartment can be filled with the literature after the product has been inserted into the compartment 110 . In either instance, the insertion of the product does not have interference from the literature and the insertion of the literature does not have interference from the product. In a preferred embodiment, the literature is inserted first and adhered in place during assembly of the carton. The product is inserted thereafter.
[0042] The carton ends 16 and 56 are provided with cuts 20 and 60 , respectively, that are out of line with the fold lines 18 and 58 . These cuts facilitate folding of the carton ends by automated box filing and closing machines. The flaps 38 and 6 are of course closed prior to closing the carton ends 16 and 56 .
[0043] The present carton provides easy opening features for the end user. For instance, the tab 106 on the sixth panel 100 may be grasped by the user and pulled away from the side 30 . The adhesive at the regions 102 and 104 cause the corners of the panel 100 to remain attached to the side 30 and the center portion of the panel 100 to tear loose along the diagonal perforations that extend from the ends of the tab 106 to the ends of the line 96 . The result is that the panel 90 may be pivoted open away from the side 10 to provide access to the literature by the user. The user may remove the literature such as by peeling the literature from the panel or side that it is adhered to by the peel-away adhesive.
[0044] The separate literature compartment can be reclosed by positioning the panel 100 at the side 30 and inserting cut-out tab 108 of the panel 100 into slit 41 of the side 30 . To facilitate insertion of the tab 108 into the slit 41 , the tab 106 may be pivoted or folded along the fold line extending from the ends of the tab 108 to cause the tab 108 to extend from the plane of the panel 100 and into the slit 41 .
[0045] The user may also open the carton to remove the product using the tear-away tab 106 . For example, after the tab 106 is pulled from the side 30 and the literature compartment has been opened, the panel 90 can be pulled to cause the fold 24 between the side 10 and the flap 22 to tear so that the carton interior is accessible. The cut 26 that extends along a majority of the fold line 24 facilitates tearing along the fold line 24 by decreasing the length of the tear. The tearing along the fold line 24 is a result of the adhesion between the flap 22 and the side 70 caused by the adhesive patch 28 . Tearing of the flap 22 may be facilitated by grasping the tab formed by cut 26 . It is foreseeable that the adhesive patch 28 may separate prior to tearing of the fold 24 . In this case, the flap 22 may be lifted to access the interior of the carton. The flap 22 may also be torn loose along fold 24 after separation of the adhesive patch 28 , if desired.
[0046] Once the carton is opened, either by tearing the fold 24 or separation of the adhesive 28 , the side 70 may be pivoted to an open position to provide access to the carton interior. Pivoting movement of the side 70 away from the carton structure is facilitated by the curved edges of the flaps 72 and 76 , which enable the flaps 72 and 76 to slide in an arc in the end of the opening of the carton without binding as would be the case with rectangular flaps.
[0047] Even after opening of the carton by tearing the fold or separating the adhesive, the carton can be reclosed, such as by folding the panel 90 back over the side 10 and inserting the tab 108 into the slit 41 .
[0048] Thus, the carton provides for interference-free filing of the product into the carton without the literature being in the way. The user may easily open the carton and reclose it after opening. The user may open just the literature compartment without opening the product compartment, or the user may open both compartments. The carton may be reclosed by the user and secured in the closed position regardless of whether the user has opened one or both compartments.
[0049] Of course, the end flaps and possibly other portions of the carton may receive adhesive as well to hold the carton closed. These commonly known adhesive locations, for the present embodiment as well as for the following embodiment, are not shown but will be understood by those of skill in this field.
Embodiment #2
[0050] FIGS. 5 through 8 illustrate a six panel carton forming an internal partition for literature according to a second embodiment of the invention. The configuration and assembly of side panels 10 , 30 , 50 and 70 are in many ways similar to that shown and described in embodiment 1 above. The differences are highlighted below.
[0051] On assembly, internal fifth panel 120 is folded along fold line 80 so that the panel 120 extends at a right angle to side panel 70 whereby when the carton is assembled the panel 120 is disposed adjacent to and parallel to the plane formed by side panel 10 . Adhesive is placed in region 124 to bond internal fifth panel 120 to side panel 10 . Internal sixth panel 130 is folded along fold line 122 so that internal sixth panel 130 is perpendicular to internal fifth panel 120 and parallel but spaced apart from side panel 30 . Side flap 134 is folded along fold line 132 and bonded through adhesive placed in region 136 to side panel 50 . The distance from the fold 80 to the fold 122 is less than the fold lines that define the sides 10 and 50 . As a result, the fifth panel 120 forms an internal partition within the carton. The internal fifth panel 120 includes curved cut-outs at two opposite ends that provide clearance for access to literature placed within a literature area of the carton.
[0052] Two sections, both internal, are formed in this embodiment. First compartment 140 ( FIG. 7 ) is formed by side panels 50 , 70 , internal fifth panel 120 and internal sixth panel 130 , with end panels 35 , 77 on one end and end panels 37 , 72 on the other end. Second compartment 142 is formed by side panels 10 , 30 , 50 and internal sixth panel 130 , with end panels 38 , 77 on one end and end panels 37 , 72 on the other end. Literature 114 may be placed, with or without adhesive, within the enclosed carton within section 142 . As can be seen in FIG. 7 , a product may be readily inserted into the carton without interference from the literature, even if the literature is already provided in the carton prior to insertion of the product. As noted earlier, the literature may be inserted prior to insertion of the product into the carton or after insertion of the product into the carton. The internal fifth panel 120 which divides the literature compartment from the product compartment may have the curved cut-outs on one end or on both ends (as shown in FIG. 5 ) or may have no curved cut-outs (as shown in FIG. 7 ). The ends of the fifth panel may be set back from the ends of the carton. The user may thereby grasp and remove the literature that has been placed into the literature compartment.
Embodiment #3
[0053] FIGS. 9 to 13 illustrate another embodiment of a carton forming an internal partition for literature. The configuration and assembly of side panels 10 , 30 , 50 and 70 are in many ways similar to those of embodiments 1 and 2 above. Side flap 134 is attached through adhesive in region 136 to side panel 10 , and the ends of the carton are closed by flaps 12 , 16 , 52 , 56 and end panels 34 , 38 , 72 , 77 ,
[0054] In this embodiment, end panel 38 is connected to internal partition 150 by fold line 154 . Internal partition 150 may contain sections 152 and 156 separated by fold lines 158 and 160 . Internal partition 150 may have cutout 162 at the fold line 154 and second curved cutout 164 at the end of the end panel 150 for ease of handling during assembly and filling of the carton. On assembly, while the end of the carton having end panel 38 is in the open position, internal partition 150 is folded back along fold line 154 so that section 156 is disposed within the internal cavity of the carton as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 . Literature 114 may be placed or secured within the cavity on the inside of side panel 30 . Internal partition 150 forms a ramp over literature 114 so that literature 114 is prevented from interfering with the carton filling process. The product being introduced into the carton slides along the ramp and the edge of the literature does not catch on the product during insertion.
[0055] Once the carton is filled, end panel 38 and the other end flaps on that end of the carton may be moved to their closed positions to close the carton. For example, the portion of the panel 38 attached at the fold to the side panel 30 is folded to approximately a right angle to the side panel 30 to close the end of the carton. The section 152 is initially nearly parallel with the portion 38 while serving as a ramp and remains nearly parallel with the portion 38 during and after the folding process. The section 156 lies against the literature 114 during filling of the product and remains against the literature during and following folding of the portion 38 . The double folds 158 and 160 accommodate the presence of the literature in the carton and help prevent binding as the portion 38 is folded over. For instance, the fold 158 when the portion 38 is folded closed is adjacent the fold between the side panel 30 and the portion 38 and lying against or nearly against the side panel 30 . The narrow portion between the folds 158 and 160 extends from the side panel 30 to the surface of the literature between the literature and the product. In a preferred embodiment, the narrow portion is at least as wide as the literature is thick. The end portion 156 lies between the literature and the product. The curved cut-out 164 facilitates the user's finger reaching and pulling the literature-covering flap open to remove the literature.
[0056] Once the carton is closed with the product inside, the user will seek to open the carton. The other end flaps are of single thickness and will deform readily during opening, but the end flap 38 is essentially of double thickness and so is not at easily deformed and moved to an open position. To accommodate easier opening of the end flap 38 , the opening 162 provides a space for the user's finger to engage the end of the closed flap and lift an open position.
[0057] When and if the literature is removed from the carton, the panel 38 can be folded into the carton. The panel 38 and the portion 152 lie against the interior surface of the side panel 30 and the end portion 156 is disposed against the inside of the opposite end of the carton, against the end formed by the closed flaps 12 , 34 , 52 and 72 .
Embodiment #4
[0058] FIGS. 14 through 16 illustrate another embodiment of a carton that simplifies the filling process by segregating the literature from the product, or more exactly shielding the product from the edge of the literature during product insertion. The configuration and assembly of side panels 10 , 30 , 50 and 70 are in many was similar to those shown and described in embodiments 1, 2 and 3 above. Side flap 134 is attached through adhesive in region 136 to side panel 10 , and the ends of the carton are closed by flaps 12 , 16 , 52 , 56 and end panels 34 , 38 , 72 , 77 . In these aspects, the carton of this embodiment is the same as many known cartons. However, in embodiment 4, flap or label 160 is placed on side panel 30 and affixed to the side panel with a pressure-sensitive adhesive in region 162 so that the flap or label has a secured edge and a free edge, the free edge extending over the edge of the literature. Alternatively, full label adhesive may be deadened at the free edge portion to achieve a similar effect. Label or flap 160 may be made of paper, plastic or any other suitable material. Label or flap 160 acts as a ramp or separator for literature contained within the carton when product is inserted into the carton. The product that is placed in the carton will not catch or hit the literature during the filling procedure because label 160 prevents the product from contacting the edge of the literature.
[0059] Access to the literature by the user is facilitated by the user removing the label or flap 160 from the interior of the carton such as by pulling loose the adhesive 162 or by merely folding the free edge of the label or flap 160 upward to release the literature. The label or flap can be folded back once again to secure the literature when the user has finished with it.
Embodiment #5
[0060] FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate yet another embodiment of a carton that simplifies the filling process. The configuration and assembly of side panels 10 , 30 , 50 and 70 are similar to those described with regard to embodiments 1, 2, 3 and 4 above. Side flap 134 is attached through adhesive in region 136 to side panel 10 . In this embodiment, additional side panel 170 is disposed on assembly parallel and next to side panel 10 to cover the literature 114 which is positioned against the side panel 10 . Flaps 12 , 16 , 52 , 56 are similar to embodiment #1 through #4 above. However, end panels 38 and 72 contain extensions 172 and 174 , and there is no opposing end panel on the other side of each of side panels 30 and 70 . Extensions 172 and 174 are folded inwardly at fold lines 176 and 178 to form a right angle between end panel 38 and extension 172 and between end panel 72 and extension 174 and the extensions 172 and 174 are tucked into the ends of the carton, in a manner that is well known. In particular, in closing the end of the carton having end panel 38 , first flaps 16 and 56 are folded inwardly so that they are perpendicular to the side panels, next end panel 38 is folded inwardly into a position perpendicular to the side panels while sliding extension 172 into the space between side panel 70 and additional side panel 170 . Fold lines in this embodiment are provided with pre-break folds at 160 degrees and 120 degrees at two opposite corners to facilitate forming of the carton.
[0061] Next, literature 114 is inserted between the side panel 10 and the extra flap 170 so that it partially extends out of the carton as shown in FIG. 17 . Literature 114 may be held in place with hot-melt non-fiber tearing glue such that when the customer opens the carton and grasps the end of the insert, the hot melt glue releases from the carton giving the user access to the literature. The literature extends up and onto flap 12 of the carton. This design allows for a bar code on the literature to be easily scanned by the customer/product manufacturer on their packaging lines since it is exposed on the outside of the carton, thereby assuring that the proper literature accompanies the product. Automated filing machines can insert the product, for example, by pushing the product against the side of the extended portion of the literature and pressing the literature sideways to move the literature out of the way prior to insertion of the product into the carton. After insertion of the customer product, the flaps are folded in as per the usual carton erection process and the attached literature becomes folded over the product. To finally close the carton, end panel 72 is folded inwardly over the end of the carton and extension 174 is folded into the interior of the carton adjacent to side panel 30 .
[0062] The user has ready access to the literature without the literature being loose and in the way during insertion of the product into the carton. In each of the embodiments, the literature is held out of the way of automated product insertion.
[0063] The dimensions shown in the above embodiments are a matter of design choice depending on the ultimate size and shape of the carton required for the specific product that is ultimately going to be placed within the folded carton. Cutouts, relief sections, shoulder cutouts and the like may be chosen to facilitate the erection or closure of the cartons and various shapes and dimensions may be utilized to carry out the invention. Additionally, all of the above embodiments may be used with conventional carton filling machines. In these embodiments, the literature may be attached prior to the filling process.
[0064] Thus, there has been shown and described several alternative embodiments for placement of literature within a carton that aides in the automatic insertion process for customers' products. Although other modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventor to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of his contribution to the art. | A product container formed from a continuous blank that permits the inclusion of literature from the product manufacturer or packager. The container contains structures that prevent the included literature from interfering with high-speed, automated filling of products into the container. | 1 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an information retrieval system. More particularly, it relates to a user interface method for retrieving information from an electronic collection of records or objects.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Information retrieval deals with the representation, storage, organization of, and access to information items. Ideally, the representation and organization of the information items should provide a user with easy access to the information of interest. To that end, knowledge management systems play a important role in retrieving information, especially in instances where dispersed business enterprises require a systematic process of acquiring, finding, selecting, storing, sharing, organizing and presenting information. Thus, knowledge management systems provide the ability to manage increasingly complex information and also allow users to search for, and to receive relevant information using familiar computing devices from enterprise-wide databases.
[0003] Generally, interaction with the databases is afforded by information retrieval user interfaces on the devices. These information retrieval user interfaces typically fall into three main categories: keyword text search interfaces, hierarchical tree interfaces, and multi-criteria Boolean search interfaces. Keyword text search interfaces often return answer sets to the user that contain many irrelevant answers. This results in significant amounts of time searching for items that may or may not be catalogued in the information system. For example, given a fill description of the desired information, a user must first translate this information into a query which can be processed by the system. In its most common form, this translation yields a set of keywords which summarizes the description of the user information needs. Given the user query, the key goal of an information retrieval system is to retrieve information which might be useful or relevant to the user while consuming the minimum amount of time that is acceptable to that user.
[0004] Hierarchical tree interfaces are an attempt to provide a more efficient way for the user to locate the desired results substantially faster than keyword text search interfaces. However, two drawbacks exist with this approach, the first being that stored items often do not fall into only a single category nor do stored items always fit well in any of the categories. This often means that the user does not know which branch of the tree to search within, and often, the branches chosen must be searched down several levels before it becomes obvious that the desired item is not stored within that particular branch. Once again, this may result in a significant amount of time. The second drawback is inherent in the method of hierarchical storage, that is, if the number of stored items is substantially large, the system must either have a potentially overwhelming number of branching categories or the number of items at the end of a branch must be substantially large. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, the greater the number of branching categories, the greater the time required to search to reach the terminal branch, and the items stored within that branch. Similarly, if there is a substantial number of items stored at the terminal branch of a more simple set of branches, then the user is forced to scan through the substantial number of items to determine whether the search actually returned a desired answer.
[0005] Another attempt to better classify items is exemplified by Boolean search interfaces. These interfaces use fields reserved for specific characteristics, such as height, price, material, and although this approach functions considerably well for single criteria searches, multi- criteria searches become appreciably difficult for the average user. For example, a single criteria search (Price=$1000) is considerably more simple than a complex search (Price=$1000, Material=Metal, Material=Glass and Country of Origin is not China). One of the drawbacks of this approach is that most people find it difficult to understand the Boolean logic behind a multi-criteria search using multiple ANDs and ORs. Often times, the results returned do not contain matching answers, so that the user does not receive feedback as to which part of the search criteria was too stringent. Also, the results returned might contain too many answers such that the user does not know how to better refine the search. As with the two search interfaces described above, Boolean searches may require a considerable amount of time in order to yield the desired results.
[0006] Multi-criteria single step query execution, such as a Boolean search, may be difficult to master for an average user and does not provide feedback since the answer set is displayed only after all criteria are applied.
[0007] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to mitigate at least one of the above disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In one of its aspects, the present invention provides an information retrieval user interface method for searching electronic collections of records or objects, thus facilitating multi-criteria search capabilities. The method includes the steps of: associating each record or object with at least one attribute and a corresponding value and defining a search criteria associated with the record or object. Other steps include executing a plurality of search actions in accordance with a search criteria, in which search actions are executed progressively to produce a corresponding answer set subsequent to each search action. Preferably each search has a different search criteria in order to refine the previous answer set. The method also includes the steps of displaying the answer set upon completion of a search action and recording the plurality of search actions associated with each answer set.
[0009] In the preferred embodiment multiple step single criteria query execution is facilitated with user input and feedback upon completion of a step. Typically, the result of the culmination of all single step criteria is potentially the same as what would have achieved via one multi-criteria step.
[0010] In another of its aspects, the present invention includes a user interface having a selectable list of attributes, an area to enter a value or a range of values, a selector to select one of a plurality of search actions, a viewer to view a resulting answer set of records or objects and a display to view the current sequence of search steps applied to achieve a current answer set.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] These and other features of the preferred embodiments of the invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein:
[0012] [0012]FIG. 1 shows a system for retrieving information for searching electronic collections of records or objects, in a preferred embodiment;
[0013] [0013]FIG. 2 shows a screen shot of a user interface for implementation of the present invention, in a preferred embodiment;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 3 shows a flowchart corresponding to a start action;
[0015] [0015]FIG. 4 shows a flowchart corresponding to an add action;
[0016] [0016]FIG. 5 shows a flowchart corresponding to a select action;
[0017] [0017]FIG. 6 shows a flowchart corresponding to a remove action;
[0018] [0018]FIG. 7 shows a flowchart corresponding to an undo action;
[0019] [0019]FIG. 8 shows a screen shot of a web browser user interface displaying a general search screen;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 9 shows a screen shot of a web browser user interface displaying a result from a search action; and
[0021] [0021]FIG. 10 shows a screen shot of a web browser user interface displaying a history of the search actions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] The preferred embodiment illustrated facilitates the ability to breakdown complex searches into, single criteria search steps, in which an answer set is displayed upon completion of a step. In the preferred embodiment, a user retrieves information through use of the interim feedback provided upon completion of a step and allows the user to better navigate through the search by narrowing or expanding the criteria so that the answer set matches the targeted result. For a non-technical user, the user interface enables the targeted result to be achieved without formulation of complex instruction sets.
[0023] Reference is first made to FIG. 1, which shows an overview of a system for retrieving information, shown generally by numeral 100 , in a preferred embodiment. A computer 102 includes a processor 104 , a computer readable medium 106 including ROM, flash memory, non-volatile RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, IC memory card, magnetic tape. The computer also includes input and output devices such as a mouse 108 , a keyboard 110 and a display 112 . The computer 102 executes a conventional operating system 114 , such as Microsoft Windows 200 ® or UNIX. Alternatively, the computer 102 may be a handheld computing device with a handheld operating system such as EPOC, Palm®OS or Pocket PC®OS. Such handheld devices may include personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, cellphones and other wireless information devices.
[0024] The computer readable medium 106 includes a computer readable product having a database management system 116 coupled to a database 118 , and a user interface module 120 . The computer readable medium 106 stores sequences of instructions or executable programs for effecting the plurality of search actions and other processes. The user interface module 120 may be implemented as part of a variety of different software products executable by computer 102 , such as database management system 116 , a spreadsheet, word processor, scientific analysis tools, or the like.
[0025] The user interface module 120 is given access to a plurality of records 122 , which are associated with a plurality of attributes and each attribute has a corresponding value. The records 122 are stored in the database 118 via the database management system 116 . The user interface module 120 interfaces with the database management system 116 to receive user queries, to retrieve records 122 in database 118 and to display results to such queries on display 112 .
[0026] In order to describe the preferred embodiment in operation reference is now made to FIG. 2, which shows a screenshot of a user interface 124 for use in retrieving information. Typically, the user interface 124 generated by the module 120 is implemented via the display 112 , and includes a set of control buttons that facilitates the search and retrieval of information by imparting a plurality of search actions to the database 118 . The control buttons include a new search button 126 for starting a new search, an add button 128 for adding matching records or objects to an existing answer set, a select button 130 for selecting matching records or objects from an existing answer set. Also included within the set of control buttons is a remove button 132 for removing matching records or objects from an existing answer set and an undo button 134 for reversing the last search action performed by the user. These buttons are selectively enabled depending upon the state of the refine operation. As a way of interacting with the system 100 for input and control, the user typically uses the mouse 108 and the keyboard 110 . However, other inputs and controls such as pointing devices, touch sensitive display screens and voice activation schemes including a voice recognition engine may be employed.
[0027] Queries are constructed via a search criteria area 136 in which an object 138 , an attribute 140 and a corresponding attribute value 142 are chosen. Preferably, the system 100 may employ an attribute grouping criteria to identify a plurality of attributes with a common name or title 144 . Also, the system 100 may optionally use a single entry field 142 for the user to specify single values or value ranges in their search value criteria or it may use two fields, one is used for single value criteria and the second when a range is specified. Attributes may include any of the following types but not limited to text, integers, real numbers, Boolean values, currency, dates, hyperlinks, images, sound, video, and the like. Similarly, the answer set may contain text, video, audio or any form of multimedia information or links to such information.
[0028] As each search action is executed, the action and search criteria may be recorded by the system 100 for later review by the user or for later execution. The sequence of search steps may be optionally saved by the user for future recall and execution. The sequential step list is displayed in an area 146 , while the results from each step or multiple steps are displayed in a results area 148 . In order to refine the search, operators such as “IS”, “IS NOT”, “IS SPECIFIED”, “WAS EVER” and “IS NOT SPECIFIED” may be specified by selecting an operator from a drop down list in an operator field 150 .
[0029] A sequence of steps for using a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the flow charts in FIG. 3, 4, 5 , 6 and and 7 . In FIG. 3, the sequence starts with step 160 in which the user enters an attribute and a value of the object to be searched in fields 140 , 142 respectively. This action may be facilitated by selecting an attribute or value from the respective pull down list. In step 162 , a determination is made whether an attribute has been selected, if an attribute has not been selected then the user is instructed to do so in step 164 and is subsequently returned to step 166 , the state prior to selecting the start action. However, if the attribute has been selected, the sequence proceeds to step 168 and another determination is made whether a value has been selected, and if no values are entered the user is returned to step 166 . The attribute and value having been selected, the system 100 deletes any previous answer sets and any previously recorded search steps in step 172 and proceeds to step 174 .
[0030] In step 174 , the search action is then executed which adds to the empty answer set all corresponding records or objects 122 from the database 118 containing the assigned attribute and value as entered by the user. A new answer set is created in accordance with the search criteria specified by selected attribute and value. The search action, that is, the start action, and the search criteria, including the selected attribute and value, are recorded in the sequential list of steps as the first step of the new search, in step 176 . The next step 178 displays the answer set or a portion of it in the search results area 148 , and awaits the user's next action, For example, suppose the search criteria is as follows: Attribute=Condition and Value=Excellent, then the answer includes all records or objects where the Condition is equal to Excellent.
[0031] In FIG. 4, which shows a flow chart a sequence of steps for an add search action, this search action adds matching records or objects to the existing answer set for the user. The sequence starts with step 180 with the input of an attribute and a value or a value range by the user, and the add button 128 is enabled to effect the add action. Following step 180 , a determination is made whenever an attribute has been selected in step 182 . If an attribute has not been selected, the user is informed in step 184 and returned to a state prior to selecting the add action in step 186 . However, if the attribute has been selected, the sequence proceeds to step 188 and a determination whether a corresponding attribute value has been selected. If a value corresponding to the attribute has not been selected, then the user is informed in step 190 and subsequently returned to step 186 . However, the attribute and the value having been selected and valid, the search action is then executed which adds to the current answer set all corresponding records or objects containing the assigned attribute and value as entered by the user, in step 192 . As described above in FIG. 3, the add search action, attributed value are recorded in step 194 and a new answer set is displayed in step 196 .
[0032] The search action and search criteria are recorded in the sequential list of steps. For example, suppose the search criteria is as follows: Attribute=Condition and Value=Good and the Add action is selected, then the answer set includes all previous records or objects in addition to all records or objects where the Condition is equal to Good.
[0033] [0033]FIG. 5 shows a sequence of steps for a select search action, this search action selects matching records or objects from the existing answer set for the user. The sequence starts with step 200 , in which the user enters an attribute and a value and selects the select action via the select button 136 . Following step 200 , a determination is made whenever an attribute has been selected in step 202 . If an attribute has not been selected, the user is informed in step 204 and returned to a state prior to selecting the add action in step 206 . However, if the attribute has been selected, the sequence proceeds to step 208 and a determination whether a corresponding attribute value has been selected. If a value corresponding to the attribute has not been selected, then the user is informed in step 210 and subsequently returned to step 206 . However, the attribute and the value having been selected and valid, the search action is then executed which selects from the current answer set all corresponding records or objects containing the assigned attribute and value as entered by the user, in step 212 . As described above in FIG. 3, the select search action, attributed value are recorded in step 214 and a new answer set is displayed in step 216 . For example, suppose the search criteria is as follows: Attribute=Price and value=$500 to $800 and the Select action is chosen, then the answer set includes all records or objects found in the current answer set where the Price is between $500 and $800.
[0034] [0034]FIG. 6 shows a sequence of steps for a remove search action, His search action removes matching records or objects from the existing answer set for the user. The sequence starts with step 220 , in which the user enters an attribute and a value and enables the remove button 132 . Following step 220 , a determination is made whenever an attribute has been selected in step 222 . If an attribute has not been selected, the user is informed in step 224 and returned to a state prior to selecting the add action in step 226 . However, if the attribute has been selected, the sequence proceeds to step 228 and a determination whether a corresponding attribute value has been selected. If a value corresponding to the attribute has not been selected, then the user is informed in step 230 and subsequently returned to step 226 . However, the attribute and the value having been selected and valid, the search action is then executed which removes from the current answer set all corresponding records or objects containing the assigned attribute and value as entered by the user, in step 232 . As described above in FIG. 3, the remove search action, attributed value are recorded in step 234 and a new answer set is displayed in step 236 . For example, suppose the search criteria is as follows: Attribute=Material and Value=Silver and selects Remove action is chosen, then the answer set includes all records or objects found in the current answer set where the Material is not Silver.
[0035] [0035]FIG. 7 shows a sequence of steps from an undo action, this search action undoes the previous search action. The sequence starts with step 240 , in which the user selects the undo action via the undo button 134 . In the next step 242 , a determination is made by the system 100 whether there is a previously recorded action for the current user. If no previous actions exist, the user is informed in step 244 and returned to the state prior to selecting the undo action in step 246 . However, should there be a previously recorded action step for the current user, the most recent action step in the user's history of steps is removed in step 248 . The answer set prior to the execution of the most recent action step is restored in step 250 . The last step 252 displays the answer set or a partial answer set and the system 100 awaits the users next action. For example, suppose the search criteria is as follows: User Selects Undo, then the answer set (following the logic of all previous examples listed herein) displays all records or objects found in the current answer set where the Condition is Good or Excellent and the Price is between $500 and $800.
[0036] The preferred embodiment of the present invention may be implemented with a number of variations. For example, the displayed answer set upon completion of a search action may be a portion of the actual answer set, as is the case where displaying the entire answer set would not be practical. Also, the list of records or objects displayed in the answer set may display complete or partial records or objects. The answer set may also provide a reference to the record or object or other information related to the record or object.
[0037] Another variation is that values may be entered exactly as they are to be searched, or using a range, for example, a search for ‘Date Sold’ where ‘Date Sold’ is between Jun. 1 1998 and Oct. 10 1999, or by using wild cards such as ‘Plane*’ which would return ‘Planer’, ‘Planet’, ‘Planetary’, and so forth, whereas ‘Plane?’ might returns ‘planet’, ‘planer’, and so forth.
[0038] In yet another variation, the undo search action may be unlimited in the number of steps that may be undone (until there are none remaining) or the system 100 may only be capable of undoing the previous step, but no further.
[0039] In yet another variation the step of validating the values entered, as described in the flowcharts 3 , 4 , 5 or 6 , may include validation rules that extend beyond simple data type checking. For example, if an attribute is selected corresponding to a data type for the storage and retrieval of dates, then if the user wishes to enter a value for this attribute, the system 100 can check if the value entered is a valid date. Also, attributes may have validation rules that are specific to the attribute, for example the Price attribute may be limited to values between $10 and $100,000. In these cases, the system 100 would validate the user's values prior to permitting a search action. The selectable pulldown lists may also be defined where there exists a limited set of potential values for the selected attribute. In these cases the interface 124 can provide to the user the list of all available values for the selected attribute prior to the user selecting the value.
[0040] The interface 124 may be created for one of many software platforms including but not limited to Internet browser software, Windows software, Apple software, UNIX software, portable handheld software, and so forth. For example, FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 show an example of search actions and answer set displays using a web browser user interface. The same user interface 124 may be used to search multiple electronic collections by providing the user with a way of selecting a collection of records to conduct the search upon.
[0041] In yet another variation, each user of the system 100 is assigned a unique identifier and challenge response for accessing system 100 . In such a variation, depending on the user's access level, the user may add attributes and corresponding attribute values to the system 100 records, such users would typically have administrative rights for the system 100 .
[0042] Generally, all the actions taken by user during a search session may be logged and stored in a user session report. For example, the session report may include the administrative user's actions, such as, the attributes and values assigned to the objects and a time stamp marking the occurrence of such an event. For example, a user may optionally specify as additional criteria in a search step associated with an administrative user who assigned a particular attribute and value. For instance, a search criteria may be the following: Show all organizations where the Status is set to Active as entered by administrative user uniquely identified as John Doe or employee number: 123-456. Alternatively, the user may specify the date and time when the attribute and value were assigned, for instance: Show all organizations where the Status is set to Active as entered by John Doe between Jan. 15, 1999 and May 31, 2001 or between 1300 hours and 2100 hours.
[0043] The user may optionally specify as the only criteria in a search step the user who assigned any attribute and value and/or the date and time when the attribute was assigned. An example of such a search criteria may be: Show all organizations where any attribute was assigned by John between Jan. 1, 2000 and Feb. 1, 2001 and between 1300 hours and 2100 hours.
[0044] Also, as a further variation, the search criteria may include another operator, such as, a ‘WAS EVER’ operator which may be applied to the search step's criteria to not only the current state of the search objects, but also all historical states of the object. For example, such a search criteria may be: Find a company named ABC Co. that was initially assigned the attribute value combination City=Dallas but then had the attribute value combination changed to City=New York. The search step {City IS Dallas} would not return ABC Co., however, the search step {City WAS EVER Dallas} would return ABC Co.
[0045] The above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to be examples of the IS present invention and alterations and modifications may be effected thereto, by those of skill in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined solely by the claims appended hereto. | This invention provides an information retrieval user interface wherein the method provided to the user for searching electronic collections of records or objects that are identified via the assignment of attributes and corresponding values is both powerful in its multi-criteria search capabilities and easy to learn and use relative to existing interfaces. The user is provided with the ability to enter search criteria by selecting from the list of available attributes and entering a corresponding value for the selected attribute. The resulting answer set corresponds to the records returned based on the sequence of all previous user executed actions. The user can continue selecting attribute and value criteria and performing actions thereby altering the answer set until the desired result is achieved. | 6 |
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] The present application claims benefit for all purposes co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/767,430 filed on 21 Feb. 2013: The present application is based on and claims priority from this application, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention relates to novelty items, specifically novelty fishing lures.
[0003] Fishing, or angling, is a multi-billion dollar industry supported by weekend recreationalist, to full-time professional fishermen. Sales of fishing lures contribute a substantial percentage of this multi-billion dollar industry. Despite the seriousness that many fishermen or anglers bring to the sport and business, an element of whimsy or fun is most often well appreciated. Novelty fish items lure the gift-buying public who wish to amuse their angler friends.
[0004] Examples of novelty fish lures include the device of Malouf et al. described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,037 issued on 2000 Jul. 4. Therein Malouf et al. teaches a novelty fishing-lure made from a plurality of coins forming the body of the lure.
[0005] Returning to the more serious business and sport of angling, non-novelty fish lures are designed to attract fish and incorporating sound is one common known way to make an artificial lure more likely to bait a fish. One such lure includes an artificial fishing lure described by Parker in U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,350 issued on 1975 Jul. 15. Parker teaches a generally fish-shaped artificial lure having a pellet captured within a noise chamber. An acoustic chamber amplifies sound through a passageway interconnecting the noise and amplification chambers.
[0006] Another example of a non-novelty fishing lure includes a fishing lure having a controlled rattle described by Jensen et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 7,827,730 issued on 2010 Nov. 09. Therein Jensen et al teach an adjustable rattle having a rattling mode and a muted mode encapsulated in a fish-shaped body having an interior rattle chamber and a muted chamber with a channel connecting the two chambers.
[0007] Despite these known novelty and non-novelty fishing lures, there remains a need for a novelty fishing lure that includes sound.
DRAWING
[0008] FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a photograph showing the front view of another embodiment of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a cut-away photograph showing the inside of the device of FIG. 2 .
[0011] FIG. 4 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Possible embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings and those skilled in the art will understand that alternative configurations and combinations of components may be substituted without subtracting from the invention. Also, in some figures certain components are omitted to more clearly illustrate the invention.
[0013] In one contemplated embodiment, the present invention consists of a novelty fish lure having an exterior body that appears as realistic looking fish body. And, as any fishing lure, at least one hook-like device suspends from the body. However, unlike traditional fishing lures, in one possible embodiment the present invention includes a water-impervious inner chamber that is adapted to contain an audio speaker. In a preferred embodiment, the body is made from a more rigid plastic and is not necessarily waterproof as it is not intended to function as a fishing lure, but rather to be a novelty item. In either embodiment, the audio speaker is in communication with a circuit board assembly having a pre-recorded sound. An activation button is in communication with the board and the activation button can be activated or depressed through the body.
[0014] One contemplated body material is silicone, as would be commonly understood by those skilled in the art. This material is very pliable and soft and can be shaped as required. Because this material is so pliable, the activation button can easily be depressed, while still remaining under this skin.
[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the body is made from a more rigid plastic, such as ABS. In this embodiment, the activation button protrudes through the skin, as would be conventionally understood in the art.
[0016] In either contemplated embodiment, the exterior of the body 11 is molded or shaped to appear as a real fish skin and then painted or dyed to appear to have scales, color, and sheen. The skin can be thick enough so to provide enough stability to the device so an internal skeleton frame is not required. Further, the skin can be molded in two parts and then an adhesive can be used to seal the two halves once the interior components are installed. The interior components can be adhered to an inside wall of one half of the body.
[0017] FIGS. 1-3 illustrate one contemplated embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 details the interior components of one preferred embodiment of the present invention. As such, a novelty fish lure 10 includes a body 12 having one or more hooks 24 suspended from the body. The body surrounds an interior chamber 14 . The chamber encapsulates and holds an activation button 16 , which is in communication with a sound circuit board 18 having a power source 20 , such as a lithium-ion battery, for example. An audio speaker 22 is in communication with the board so that when the activation button is depressed, a pre-recorded sound plays through the speaker.
[0018] Part of the gag or novelty affect of the present invention is for the device 10 to appear like a conventional fishing lure that would be used by anglers to bait fish. However, unlike non-novelty fishing lures, the novelty aspect is that the pre-recorded sounds are not natural bait-fish sounds that would naturally attract a fish, but rather a human voice making humorous or sarcastic sounds, words, or short phrases.
[0019] Pre-recorded sounds, specifically a human voice, are conventionally recorded on a memory chip included on the circuit board. For novelty effect, a sultry human female voice can be used and contemplated recordings include:
[0020] “Here fishy, fishy. Here I am. Come and get me. Here fishy, fishy: You know you want me. Come on: Just give me a little bite. Here fishy, fishy. Here fishy, fishy.” Or,
[0021] “Here fishy, fishy, fishy. Here fishy, fishy, fishy. You can't get me; Na,na,na,na,na,na Na,na,na,na,na,na. You can't get me; Na,na,na,na,na,na Na,na,na,na,na,na.”
[0022] Other contemplated embodiments include a device having a microphone and a record button whereby the user could be record their own message on the device. For example, a wife may purchase the novelty device and then record a funny or sincere message, such as “Darling Husband, if you go fishing one more time don't bother to come home.”
[0023] Although the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. | The present invention contemplates a novelty fish lure having a life-like fish-shaped body member defining at least one interior chamber. The interior chamber adapts to receive an activation button in communication with a pre-recorded sound board in communication with an audio speaker. The pre-recorded sound consists of a human voice recording of short, humorous phrases. | 0 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rotary hook (in execution with bobbin case) for a lockstitch sewing machine (with one needle thread and one bobbin thread), both for home and industrial use, which comprises means to reduce the noise thereof caused by the plays between the bobbin case and the basket of the hook.
The invention relates further to a lockstitch sewing machine comprising such a rotary hook comprising means to reduce its noise caused by the plays between bobbin case and basket of the hook.
The rotary hook can be of the type with a horizontal axis of rotation or of the type with a vertical axis of rotation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Lockstitch sewing machines and the associated rotary hooks are well known and therefore will not be described herein, where it will be merely recalled that the rotary hook, in execution with bobbin case, comprises at least one hook body, which is connected to a shaft from which it receives motion and which comprises a cylindrical cavity of the hook body, a basket free to rotate inside the cylindrical cavity of the hook body and which in turn comprises a well of the basket, a gib which helps to constrain the basket to the hook body and a bobbin case which is placed inside the well of the basket and that helps to constrain the bobbin to the basket.
The shaft can be integral with the hook body, or housed in a hole present in the center of the cylindrical cavity of the hook body.
The bobbin case, containing the bobbin with the bobbin thread, is mounted and removed by the sewing machine operator at each change of the bobbin, through an axial translation, where the external diameter of the bobbin case is inserted with radial play inside the inner diameter of the well of the basket and the post of the basket, if present, is inserted with radial play into the center hole of the shaft of the bobbin case (in fact there are some embodiments in which the bobbin case and the basket do not have the central shaft and the post respectively in order to allow the use of bobbins without center hole).
The angular reference for the correct mounting of the bobbin case in the basket is given by the coupling with angular play between a projection on the inner diameter of the well of the basket and a guide, parallel to the axis of the hook, provided on the external diameter of the bobbin case. The axial constraint of the bobbin case on the basket, to prevent accidental disassembly during sewing, is secured by the latch slide of the bobbin case, which engages on the basket with an axial play. The linkage created by the latch lever on the latch slide allows the operator to release the latch slide, and then the bobbin case, from the axial constraint on the basket, in order to remove the bobbin case.
The basket is constrained to the hook body by a rib, formed on the outer surface thereof, which engages in a race, formed in the inner wall of the cylindrical cavity of the hook body, which prevents the axial and radial translation of the basket with respect to the hook body, but not the rotation thereof.
The race of the hook body and the rib of the basket must be interrupted for a certain angular sector to allow the needle thread to pass and the stitch to be formed: these interruptions prevent the use of bearings, making necessary a coupling of the sliding type (that is with a sliding friction) between the race of the hook body and the rib of the basket, originating also, during the rotation of the hook body, a source of noise due to the play existing between the rib of the basket and the race of the hook body and to the fact that habitually they are made of metal materials.
Said source of noise, well known, and possible means to reduce it have been already subject of studies (see for example Italian patent no. 1.392.162; EPO no. 09176587.5).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,636 Patent deals with the problem of reducing the coefficient of friction between the basket and the hook body without taking absolutely into consideration the problem of the noise generated by the hook. In addition the play between the bobbin case and the basket are not even taken into consideration, as it does not contribute to the friction between the basket and the body hook. For this reason the noise generated by the play between the bobbin case and the basket is not considered nor affected by said patent.
The Italian patent 1.392.162 (or EPO 09176587.5 or U.S. Pat. No. 8,342,110) describes a rotary hook comprising means to reduce the noise caused by the plays between the basket and the hook body. This object is achieved by means apt to apply on the basket an axial stress that forces the rib of the basket to lean on one of the two flat surfaces of the race present in the circular cavity of the hook body, instead of vibrating freely in said race due to the always present play between said rib and said race. This axial stress has the effect of stabilizing the basket, preventing the vibration and the resonance. This patent, however, does not concern in any way the noise generated by the plays between the bobbin case and the basket of the hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,171,914 (or EP 1640490) Patent describes a hook with a vertical axis in which the basket and the hook body are made of synthetic material (synthetic resins) and the basket is constrained to the hook body by magnetic means inserted in the bottom wall of the basket and on the bottom of the cylindrical cavity of the hook body, allowing the structure of the hook to be simplified (for example, the gib and C-shaped race formed in the inner wall of the cylindrical cavity of the hook body are not provided) and the production costs thereof to be reduced. The magnets described thus serve to constrain to the hook body a basket made of synthetic material, which otherwise would be free to fluctuate, due to the simplification of the hook's structure (“L” shaped race instead of the “C” shaped race and the consequent absence of the gib). This invention does not deal with the problem of the noise issue between basket (inner rotary hook) and bobbin case as in this execution of rotary hook, the bobbin case is not present and the bobbin is housed directly inside the basket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,649 Patent discloses a hook for home sewing machines where the basket (called “bobbin case holder”) is constrained by a rib, provided on the outer surface of the basket, which engages in a “L” shaped race, provided in the inner wall of the cylindrical cavity of the hook body and delimited by only one plane surface and by a cylindrical surface perpendicular to the plane one, suitable to prevent merely the radial translation of the basket in the cylindrical cavity. Said basket is free to fluctuate in axial direction and a magnet positioned at the bottom of the cylindrical cavity of the hook body provides to adjust the tension of the lower thread. Also this patent, as the previously cited U.S. Pat. No. 7,171,914, refers to a rotary hook in execution without bobbin case.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to another source of noise, which is here discovered, mentioned and treated for the first time and the means to reduce the noise generated thereof. This further source of noise is due to the plays (radial, angular and axial) present between the bobbin case and the basket of the hook and to their usual constitution in metallic materials. Such plays, necessary for mounting and removing the bobbin case at each bobbin change, enable, however, also the bobbin case, once mounted, to move itself slightly inside the basket during the rotation of the hook body, such causing an additional noise. Both these noises are enhanced by vibration and resonance phenomena and are worsened by the passage of the needle thread during sewing, which pulls and tends to move the basket from its natural position. In fact such noises are considerably reduced during idling (running without thread) of the sewing machine.
The present invention deals exclusively with the means to reduce the noise caused by this second source of noise, identified and described for the first time in the present text, namely that due to the plays existing between the bobbin case and the basket of the hook. Merit of the present invention is, therefore, to have identified and separated conceptually this source of noise from other noise sources present in the hook and in the sewing machine, even before having found ways to reduce the noise generated by this source.
At the current state of the art it is not possible to eliminate such pays that allow easy mounting of the bobbin case in the basket and the causes of noise cannot be eliminated by adopting appropriate geometric shapes and/or imposing more stringent dimensional tolerances, which would increase anyway the manufacturing cost of the rotary hook.
Purpose of the present invention is therefore to provide a rotary hook comprising means suitable to reduce the noise caused by the plays between the bobbin case and the basket, within the negligible noise limits compared to the noise of the sewing machine
This purpose has been achieved by means of the rotary hook object of the independent claim 1 .
Further advantageous features are the subject of the dependent claims . . .
Substantially, the rotary hook according to the invention comprises at least one means, integral with the basket or integral with the bobbin case, that creates a sufficient friction between the bobbin case and the basket to prevent the bobbin case to move and to vibrate freely within the plays always present between said bobbin case and said basket, when mounted, but allowing an easy mounting/removing of the bobbin case, respectively with a slight additional axial pressure/traction compared to the normal mounting/removing operation (pressure to be obviously exercised after having disengaged the slide, as done with the rotary hooks of the prior art).
This friction, in a preferred embodiment, is exerted by an elastic means, which is deformed during the mounting of the bobbin case and has the effect of stabilizing the bobbin case, preventing its movement, vibration and resonance. To achieve this effect, the elastic means at rest (i.e. with the bobbin case removed) should occupy a volume such as to create a coupling with interference between the bobbin case and the basket. The mounting of the bobbin case deforms the elastic means just to obtain a correct coupling. Moreover, the presence of the elastic means, irrespective of its deformation, also creates an effect of shock absorber, absorbing the vibrations and reducing the residual noise.
For each embodiment is it preferable to have the means that create the friction, on the larger diameters (i.e. on the outer diameter of the bobbin case or the inner diameter of well of the basket, rather than on the diameter of the post of the basket or the diameter of the hole in the shaft of the bobbin case), as not only the friction force is important, but also the torque resulting therefrom and which is determined by said force and the arm between the axis of the bobbin case and the point of application of said force. Because of the moment of inertia of the bobbin case containing the bobbin full of thread, and the fact that the bobbin case is linked with play on the post of the basket and/or on inner diameter of the well of the basket, which acts as a pivot, the bobbin case also tends to rotate and vibrate around its own axis, besides having axial and radial movements. For this, a friction force applied near the axis of the bobbin case, even if it may be adequate to eliminate axial movements of the bobbin case, allowing always an easy mounting/removing of the bobbin case, is not suited to create instead a sufficient torque to prevent the movements and vibrations of the bobbin case around its axis; therefore it would improve only very partially the problem of the noise.
An advantage of the rotary hook object of the present invention consists in the fact that it can be applied to all existing sewing machines without having to modify their stitching members and without requiring any modification to a sewing machine available on the market.
Furthermore, a rotary hook made according to the invention is completely interchangeable with a rotary hook of the prior art, does not require any modification of the areas destined for the passage of the thread and in itself contains all the constructional features necessary to implement the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described with reference to some embodiments, which are examples, but not limits thereof, which are described in the appended figures, where:
FIG. 1 shows schematically an exploded view of a rotary hook complete with bobbin case, of the prior art;
FIG. 2 shows schematically the rotary hook of FIG. 1 assembled and sectioned with a plane passing through its axis of rotation;
FIGS. 3-7 show schematically different embodiments of the basket of a rotary hook according to the invention, in which elastic means are provided which, when deformed by the mounting of the bobbin case, create a friction on the bobbin case to reduce the noise caused by the plays between the bobbin case and the basket;
FIG. 8 shows schematically the bobbin case and the basket of the rotary hook of FIG. 1 , of the prior art, disassembled and sectioned with a plane passing through the axis of rotation of the hook;
FIG. 9 shows schematically another embodiment of the bobbin case and the basket of the rotary hook of FIG. 1 for bobbins without central hole, of the prior art, disassembled and sectioned with a plane passing through the axis of rotation of the hook;
FIG. 10 shows schematically a different embodiment of the bobbin cases of FIGS. 8 and 9 according to the invention, wherein there is provided a chamfer to facilitate the deformation of the elastic means during the mounting of the bobbin case in the basket, when this means is in correspondence with the inner diameter of the well of the basket;
FIG. 11 shows schematically a different embodiment of the bobbin case capsule of FIG. 8 according to the invention, wherein there is provided a chamfer to facilitate the deformation of the elastic means during the mounting of the bobbin case in the basket, when this means is in correspondence with the post of the basket;
FIG. 12 shows schematically a different embodiment of the bobbin case of FIGS. 8 and 9 according to the invention, wherein there is provided a chamfer to facilitate the deformation of the elastic means during the mounting of the bobbin case in the basket, when this means is constituted by the projection on the inner diameter of the well of the basket, which cooperates with the guide, parallel to the axis of the hook, formed on the outer diameter of the bobbin case, for the correct angular reference for the mounting of the bobbin case in the basket;
FIG. 13 a )- e ) shows in top view some possible embodiments of the elastic means represented in section in FIG. 3 ;
The pairs of FIGS. 14-15, 16-17 and 18-19 respectively show in section and in side view various other embodiments of the bobbin case and the basket of a rotary hook according to the invention, in which are used elastic means that, when deformed during the mounting process of the bobbin case, create a friction on the bobbin case to reduce the noise caused by the plays between the bobbin case and the basket; In particular: FIGS. 14 a , 16 a , 18 a are sectional views of the basket with bobbin case; FIGS. 14 b , 16 b , 18 b are enlargements of details enclosed in a circle in the respective previous Figures, and FIGS. 15, 17, 19 are side views of the bobbin case alone taken in the direction of the arrows B, C, D in FIGS. 14 a , 16 a , 18 a respectively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the appended figures, corresponding elements will be identified by the same numeral references.
FIG. 1 shows schematically an exploded view of a rotary hook 1 with a horizontal axis “α” of rotation, of the prior art in which only the elements relevant to the present description have been identified by numeral references:
a hook body 2 , comprising a cylindrical cavity 11 which, in the example shown, has a central hole 17 ( FIG. 2 ) suitable to receive a shaft (omitted for the sake of simplicity of the graphic representation) from which the hook 1 receives motion; in a different embodiment (of which the graphical representation is omitted), the shaft is integral with the hook 1 ; a basket 6 , free to rotate within the cylindrical cavity 11 to which it is constrained by a rib 14 , formed on the outer surface of the basket 6 and comprising: a well 18 of the basket 6 in which is housed the bobbin case 8 complete with bobbin 4 , an inner diameter 19 delimiting said well 18 of the basket 6 in which fits the external diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 , a projection 21 on the inner diameter 19 of said well 18 of the basket 6 , that coupling with the guide 22 (in the figures are indicated with 22 the edges of said guide) on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 allows the angular reference of the bobbin case for the correct mounting of the bobbin case 8 in the basket 6 , a possible post 23 into which the hole 24 of the shaft 25 ( FIG. 2 ) of the bobbin case 8 is inserted; a race 10 , formed in the inside wall of the cylindrical cavity 11 of the hook body 2 and delimited by two plane surfaces parallel with each other and by a cylindrical surface perpendicular to the plane ones, in which the rib 14 of the basket 6 engages to prevent the axial and radial translation of the basket 6 in the cylindrical cavity 11 , but leaving it free to rotate; a bobbin case 8 housed in the well 18 of the basket 6 , complete with latch slide 15 for the axial constraint of the bobbin case 8 on the basket 6 to prevent accidental disassembly during sewing, latch lever 16 that with the leverage created on latch slide 15 allows the operator to release the latch slide 15 , and herewith the bobbin case 8 , from its axial constraint on the basket 6 , allowing the removal of the bobbin case 8 , and with a tension spring 9 to give tension to the bobbin thread (of which the graphical representation is omitted) wound on the bobbin 4 housed inside the bobbin case 8 . There is present also the guide 22 on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 and parallel to the axis “α”, which coupling with the projection 21 on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 allows the angular reference for the correct mounting of the bobbin case 8 in the basket 6 . The mounting of the bobbin case 8 in the basket 6 occurs trough a free translation along the axis “α” of the bobbin case 8 , at a coupling with play and after that guide 22 on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 and parallel to the axis “α”, has been rotated until the angular correspondence with the projection 21 on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 ; accidental disassembly is prevented by the axial constraint created by the latch slide 15 that engages on the basket 6 ; a bobbin 4 , on which is wound the bobbin thread (not shown), is housed in the bobbin case 8 and is constrained inside the basket 6 by the mounting of the bobbin case 8 in the basket 6 .
FIG. 2 shows schematically the rotary hook 1 of FIG. 1 , of the prior art, assembled and sectioned through a plane passing through its axis of rotation “α”; visible in FIG. 2 are the hook body 2 comprising the cylindrical cavity 11 , the rib 14 of the basket 6 , the race 10 of the hook body in which the rib 14 of the basket 6 is engaged, and the central hole 17 of the cylindrical cavity 11 able to accommodate a shaft (omitted for the sake of simplicity of the graphic representation) from which the hook 1 receives motion; in a different embodiment, (not shown), on the other hand, the shaft can be also integral with the hook 1 , further are also shown the bobbin case 8 and the bobbin 4 . The same section used for FIG. 2 , is also used for the other Figures, with the exception of FIGS. 7, 16 and 18 , which are perpendicular and are made according to the section line A-A of FIG. 2 . Finally, FIG. 15 is made on a section which in horizontal plan is slightly counter-clockwise rotated with respect to the section A-A, to show the elastic means in correspondence with the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 , where said diameter 19 is developed for its entire height, up to the top edge of the basket.
The rotary hook 1 object of the present invention comprises means suitable to create a friction between the bobbin case 8 and the basket 6 , such as to annul the plays between bobbin case 8 and basket 6 , preventing the consequent vibration and noisiness.
In a preferred embodiment of a rotary hook 1 according to the invention, schematically described in FIGS. 3-7 and 13 , the means able to create such friction comprise at least one elastic means integral with the basket 6 of the hook 1 , which can:
A) Be constituted by an annular elastic means 30 (in its most simple embodiment it is an O-ring) housed in a circular groove 31 formed in the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 ( FIG. 3 ), which is deformed while mounting the bobbin case 8 by the outer diameter 20 of said bobbin case 8 . That elastic means 30 may have different shapes and be made from different materials. Such variations fall within the modifications of detail within the reach of competence of a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention itself. By way of non-limiting example, some examples of realization of said elastic means are depicted in top view ( FIG. 13 ), where the first ( 30 a ) can also be constituted by a well-known O-ring made of rubber, while the followings ( 30 b, 30 c, 30 d, 30 e ) are possible alternative configurations of an elastic metal wire (preferably made of spring steel). Through appropriate form of said elastic means is also possible to realize protrusions ( 32 ) towards the outside , which, matching with appropriate niches on the diameter of the circular groove 31 on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 , are constraining angularly said elastic means and prevent it from rotating inside said circular groove 31 .
B) Be constituted by an annular elastic means 40 (in its most simple embodiment it is an O-ring) housed in a circular groove 41 formed in the post of the basket ( FIG. 4 ) which is deformed while mounting the bobbin case 8 by the inner diameter of the hole 24 of the shaft 25 of said bobbin case 8 .
C) Be constituted by two or more annular elastic means 50 (in the simplest realization they are O-rings) housed in respective circular grooves 52 formed in the post 23 of the basket 6 ( FIG. 5 ) which are deformed while mounting the bobbin case 8 by the inner diameter of the hole 24 of the shaft 25 of said bobbin case 8 .
D) Be constituted by one or more means 60 , 61 of material that is elastic to compression and fixed (for example, stuck or glued or affixed as coating) on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 , which are deformed while mounting the bobbin case 8 by the outer diameter 20 of said bobbin case. In FIG. 6 are represented, by way of example, but not limiting, respectively two cylindrical means 60 embedded in respective seats formed on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 and two means of elastic material of rectangular shape 61 glued on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 .
E) Be constituted by one or more means 70 of material that is elastic to compression and which go to constitute a projection 21 on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 for the angular coupling with the guide 22 on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 , which are deformed while mounting the bobbin case 8 by the edges of said guide 22 on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 . FIG. 7 represents a section A-A (see FIG. 2 ) perpendicular to that used for all other FIGS. 2-6 and 8-13 .
In another preferred embodiment of a rotary hook 1 according to the invention, the means for creating such friction comprise at least one elastic means integral with the bobbin case 8 of the hook 1 . Said at least one elastic means integral with the bobbin case 8 can be constituted by one or more means 60 of material that is elastic to compression and fixed (for example, stuck or glued or affixed as coating) on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 , which are deformed while mounting the basket 6 by the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 . In FIG. 6 is represented, by way of example, but not limiting, a means of elastic material of rectangular shape 61 glued on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 (it is the same graphical representation as already previously used, for the fact that the same means can either be glued on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 or on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 ). In another preferred embodiment of a rotary hook 1 according to the invention, said at least one elastic means integral with the bobbin case 8 can be constituted by a coating of non-metallic material of the entire bobbin case 8 or only the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 for its entire circumference and throughout its development in height , or even of only a portion of the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 , formed by the development for the whole circumference of only a portion of the height, preferably comprising the lower edge 80 ( FIG. 8 ). This latter embodiment can be easily obtained by partial immersion of the bobbin case in the coating bath and also brings with it the advantage of covering also part of the inner diameter of the bobbin case 8 in the area where it is coupled with the bobbin 4 , thereby reducing the noise generated also by the play between bobbin case 8 and bobbin 4 .
In other embodiments FIGS. 14-19 , said at least one elastic means integral with the bobbin case 8 can be constituted by one or more elastic means protruding from the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 , which are deformed while mounting the bobbin case 8 by the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 or by a niche formed in said inner diameter 19 .
FIG. 14 shows in section, by way of example, but not limiting, an elastic means 130 (for example of metal sheet) that is fixed to the bobbin case 8 (for example by a screw 133 ) and protrudes from the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 and creates a pressure on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 or on a niche 131 formed in said inner diameter 19 , and which is facilitated during the mounting operation by a chamfer 132 realized on the top edge of the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 . FIG. 15 shows the sole bobbin case 8 (without basket 6 ) in the same embodiment in a side view from B, as shown in FIG. 14 .
In other embodiments, said at least one elastic means integral with the bobbin case 8 can be constituted by one or more elastic means made of a single piece on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case, which are possibly equipped with a protrusion from said outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case and which are deformed while mounting the bobbin case 8 by the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 or by a niche formed in said inner diameter 19 .
FIG. 16 shows in section, by way of example, but not limiting, an elastic means 140 made of a single piece on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 , 8 b, which comprises a protrusion 143 from the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 , which creates a pressure on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 or on a niche 141 that is formed in said inner diameter 19 and is facilitated in the mounting by a chamfer 142 made on the protrusion 143 on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 . FIG. 17 shows the sole bobbin case 8 (without basket 6 ) in the same embodiment in a side view from C, as indicated in FIG. 16 .
FIG. 18 shows in section, by way of examples, but not limiting, more elastic means 150 made in a single piece on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 , which create a pressure on a protrusion 151 formed on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 and which are facilitated in the mounting by a chamfer 152 made on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 and similar to that of FIG. 10 . For simplicity of construction it is possible to realize the protrusion 151 on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 in circular form (i.e. for the entire development of the diameter 19 ) and make an relief 153 on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 for the whole arc of circumference where the elastic means 150 are not present. FIG. 19 shows the sole bobbin case 8 (without basket 6 ) in the same embodiment in a side view from D, as shown in FIG. 18 .
FIG. 8 shows schematically the only sub-assembly 5 of the rotary hook 1 of FIG. 1 , of the prior art, sectioned on the same plane passing through the axis of rotation “α” as in FIG. 2 . There are visible:
the basket 6 comprising a well 18 of the basket 6 suited to accommodate the bobbin case 8 complete with bobbin 4 , an inner diameter 19 defining said well 18 of the basket 6 in which fits the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 , a projection 21 on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 , which coupling with the guide 22 on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 , allows the reference angle of the bobbin case 8 for the correct mounting of the bobbin case 8 in the basket 6 , a post 23 onto which the hole 24 of the shaft 25 of the bobbin case 8 is inserted; a bobbin case 8 , complete with latch slide 15 and latch lever 16 and comprising an outer diameter 20 with a lower edge 80 , a guide 22 on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 and parallel to the axis “α”, that coupling with the projection 21 on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 allows the angular reference for the correct mounting of the bobbin case 8 in the basket 6 , two radiuses 82 on the corner between the edges of the guide 22 and the lower edge 80 of the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 to facilitate the angular coupling, a shaft 25 with a coaxial hole 24 and a lower edge 81 of said hole 24 ; a bobbin 4 , on which is wound the bobbin thread 7 , that must be housed in the bobbin case 8 and is then constrained inside the basket 6 by the mounting of the bobbin case 8 in the basket 6 .
FIG. 9 , like the previous FIG. 8 , schematically shows only the sub-assembly 5 of the rotary hook 1 of FIG. 1 , but this time in execution, also of the prior art, for bobbins 4 b without central hole, sectioned on the same plane passing through the axis of rotation “α” as in FIG. 2 . These bobbins 4 b of the prior art, are generally composed of only pre-wound and compacted bobbin thread 7 , thus not needing a metallic or synthetic core. The exiting of the bobbin thread 7 from the bobbin 4 b occurs in general axially, rather than tangentially as for traditional bobbins 4 .
In FIG. 9 are visible:
The basket 6 b comprising a well 18 of the basket 6 b suited to house the bobbin case 8 b complete with bobbin 4 b, an inner diameter 19 delimiting said well 18 of the basket 6 b in which fits the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 b, a projection 21 on the inner diameter 19 of said well 18 of the basket 6 b, which coupling with the guide 22 on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 b allows the angular reference of the bobbin case 8 b for the correct mounting of the bobbin case 8 b in the basket 6 b; a bobbin case 8 b, complete with latch slide 15 and latch lever 16 and comprising an outer diameter 20 with a lower edge 80 , a guide 22 on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 b and parallel to the axis “α”, that coupling with the projection 21 on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 b allows the angular reference for the correct mounting of the bobbin case 8 b on the basket 6 b, two radiuses 82 on the corner between the edges of the guide 22 and the lower edge 80 of the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 b to facilitate the angular coupling; a bobbin 4 b, consisting of pre-wound and compacted bobbin thread 7 , thus not needing a metal or synthetic core, which must be housed in the bobbin case 8 b and is then constrained inside the basket 6 b by the mounting of the bobbin case 8 b in the basket 6 b.
In the case of baskets 6 b and bobbin cases 8 b of the prior art without post 23 and shaft 25 respectively, used to accommodate bobbins 4 b without central hole, the embodiments of the invention described above, which include elastic means placed on the post 23 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 ), which is missing in the basket 6 b, are clearly excluded, but all other embodiments remain valid and applicable, including those of FIGS. 14-19 .
To facilitate mounting the bobbin case 8 , 8 b in the presence of elastic means ( 30 , 40 , 50 , 51 , 60 , 61 , 70 , 130 , 140 , 150 ) and to facilitate the gradual deformation of said elastic means, different preferred embodiments of a bobbin case 8 , 8 b of a rotary hook 1 according to the invention, schematically described in FIGS. 10-12 and 14-19 , comprise at least one chamfer 100 - 110 - 120 and respectively 142 - 152 (already described):
in FIG. 10 , the chamfer 100 is realized on the lower edge 80 of the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 for the deformation of the elastic means ( 30 , 60 , 61 ) located on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 ; in a preferred embodiment, said chamfer is formed by a bevel characterized by an angle β with respect to the generatrix of the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 and by a cathetus B perpendicular to the generatrix of the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 . In a preferred embodiment, said angle β of the bevel is between 5° and 20°. In a preferred embodiment, said cathetus B of the bevel is at least greater than 0.2 mm; in FIG. 11 the chamfer 110 is realized on the lower edge 81 of the hole 24 of the shaft 25 of the bobbin case 8 for the deformation of the elastic means ( 40 , 50 , 51 ) located on the post 23 of the basket 6 ; in a form of preferred embodiment, said chamfer is made by a bevel characterized by an angle y with respect to the generatrix of the hole 24 of the bobbin case 8 and a cathetus C perpendicular to the generatrix of the hole 24 of the bobbin case 8 . In a preferred embodiment, said angle y of the bevel is between 5° and 20°. In a preferred embodiment, said cathetus C of the bevel is at least greater than 0.2 mm; In FIG. 12 the chamfer 120 is realized at the place of the radiuses 82 on the corner between the edges of the guide 22 and the lower edge 80 of the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 for the deformation of the elastic means ( 70 ) of the basket 6 that goes to constitute a projection 21 on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 ; in a preferred embodiment, said chamfer is constituted by a bevel or by a bevel rounded at the ends, characterized by an angle g with respect to the edges of the guide 22 of the bobbin case 8 and by a cathetus E perpendicular to the edges of the guide 22 . In a preferred embodiment, said angle g of the bevel is between 5° and 20°. In a preferred embodiment, said cathetus E perpendicular to the edges of the guide is at least greater than 0.5 mm.
In the case of baskets 6 b and bobbin cases 8 b of the prior art without post 23 and shaft 25 respectively, used to accommodate bobbins 4 b without central hole, the embodiments of the invention described above, which include elastic means placed on the post 23 , which is missing in the basket 6 b, and the relative chamfers on the shaft 25 , which is missing in the bobbin case 8 b, are clearly excluded. In the case of baskets 6 b and bobbin cases 8 b, of the prior art without post 23 and shaft 25 respectively, the preferred embodiments are therefore respectively the one with the chamfer 100 realized on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 b for the deformation of the elastic means ( 30 , 60 , 61 ) placed on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 b ( FIG. 10 ), the one with the chamfer 120 realized on the corner between the edges of the guide 22 and the lower edge 80 of the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 b for the deformation of the elastic means ( 70 ) of the basket 6 b which constitute the projection 21 on the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 b ( FIG. 12 ), the one with the chamfer 132 realized on the top edge of the inner diameter 19 of the well 18 of the basket 6 (or 6 b ) for the deformation of the elastic means ( 130 ) realized on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 (or 8 b ) ( FIGS. 14-15 ), the one with the chamfer 142 made on the protrusion 143 on the outer diameter 20 of the capsule 8 (or 8 b ) for the deformation of the elastic means ( 140 ) realized on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 (or 8 b ) ( FIGS. 16-17 ) and the one with the chamfer 152 realized on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 (or 8 b ) for the deformation of the elastic means ( 150 ) realized on the outer diameter 20 of the bobbin case 8 (or 8 b ) ( FIGS. 18-19 ).
Naturally, the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments previously described and illustrated in the accompanying figures, but it can be subject to numerous modifications of detail within the reach of a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention itself, as defined in the appended claims. | A rotary hook ( 1 ) of a lockstitch sewing machine composed of at least one hook body ( 2 ) includes a cylindrical cavity ( 11 ) and a basket ( 6, 6 b ) free to rotate in the cylindrical cavity ( 11 ), a bobbin case ( 8, 8 b ) housed in the basket ( 6, 6 b ) and a bobbin ( 4, 4 b ) housed in the bobbin case ( 8, 8 b ), elements ( 30, 40, 50, 60, 61, 70, ) suited to create a friction between the bobbin case ( 8, 8 b ) and the basket ( 6, 6 b ), so as to prevent the bobbin case ( 8, 8 b ) to move freely and to vibrate within the plays present between the bobbin case ( 8, 8 b ) and the basket ( 6, 6 b ) and to consequently reduce the noisiness created during the sewing operation. | 3 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] None.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a turbocharger system including not only a turbocharger, but also a mounting pedestal configured with internal utilities needed to operate and position the turbocharger.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] Turbocharging has been used for a number of years with internal combustion engines. Although early turbochargers were often cooled primarily by air, as well as by the flow of oil through the turbocharger's bearings, later model turbochargers, especially larger turbochargers and those installed in heavy duty engines, generally utilize coolant circulating from the engine's cooling system through the turbo, and then back to the engine's main cooling system. Of course, turbochargers also require an oil supply and drain utilities to lubricate the bearings associated with the turbocharger. Needless to say, the provision of a source of coolant and a source of oil, with both being under pressure, as well as draining the oil and coolant from the turbocharger and returning these fluids separately to the engine, has necessitated a good deal of external plumbing. Unfortunately, external fluid connections and associated pipes and hoses cause problems because hoses and fittings are known to leak and are subject to damage which may be accelerated by the high temperatures prevailing within engine compartments. Moreover, aside from durability issues, the need for external plumbing for turbochargers increases the space required by the turbocharger in an already crowded underhood environment. U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,799 discloses a turbocharger mounting arrangement using a bulky mix of internal and external utility plumbing to mount twin turbochargers upon the extreme ends of an engine.
[0006] Turbochargers mounted on engines typically consume a good deal of space for another reason. Because known mounting arrangements are not susceptible to locating the turbocharger close to the engine block, turbochargers must be spaced away from the engine to permit the insertion and removal of the turbochargers' fasteners. Moreover, known turbocharger mounting systems increase radiated noise because of a lack of rigidity and because of the dimensional problems associated with their usage.
[0007] It would be desirable to provide a turbocharger, including a mounting system having a pedestal with internal and integral supply and return passages for coolant and lubricating oil.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] According to an aspect of the present invention a turbocharger system for an internal combustion engine having a cylinder block includes a turbocharger and a utility pedestal extending between the turbocharger and a hard point associated with the cylinder block. The utility pedestal includes a mounting pad for the pedestal and an oil supply passage for conveying lubricating oil under pressure from the cylinder block to the turbocharger. A return oil passage conveys lubricating oil from the turbocharger to a lubrication system incorporated within the engine. A coolant supply passage conveys coolant under pressure to the turbocharger, and a coolant return passage, configured at least in part within the utility pedestal, conveys coolant from the turbocharger to a cooling system incorporated within the engine. According to another aspect of the present invention, the coolant return passage may include a passage configured, at least in part, within the engine's cylinder block, as well as within the utility pedestal.
[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention a coolant return passage from the turbocharger may be configured so as to convey the coolant to a mixing chamber within which the coolant from the turbocharger is mixed with coolant flowing from at least one cylinder head.
[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, a return oil passage from the turbocharger conveys waste oil from the turbocharger to a crankcase sump without allowing the waste oil to contact moving parts within the engine.
[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, a hard point associated with the cylinder block for mounting the turbocharger includes a generally planar mounting pad configured on a portion of the cylinder block, with the mounting pad of the utility pedestal having a lower mating surface matched to the generally planar mounting pad. The cylinder block's mounting pad is configured with lubricating oil and coolant utilities.
[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, a turbocharger's generally planar mounting pad may be configured upon a cylinder block within a valley defined by the cylinder banks of a V-block engine.
[0013] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the turbocharger pedestal mounting pad of the utility pedestal comprises a number of mounting bosses having fastener bores extending therethrough at an acute angle with respect to horizontal plane such that fasteners inserted within the bores pass inboard to threaded bores formed in the hard point associated with the cylinder block.
[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, the return, or waste, oil passage extending from the turbocharger and through the utility pedestal is designed to prevent foamed or frothed oil flowing from the turbocharger from impairing engine lubrication. This is accomplished by preventing the waste oil from contacting moving parts within the engine as the oil flows back to the crankcase sump.
[0015] It is an advantage of the present turbocharger system that the turbocharger and pedestal may be assembled at one geographic location and installed upon an engine as a single unit at a second geographic location without the need for making external utility connections for lubricating oil and water feeds and drains.
[0016] It is another advantage of a turbocharging system according to the present invention that the turbocharger system, including the turbocharger and the utility pedestal, with its oil and coolant utilities, is compact and ideally suited for mounting in the valley of a V-block internal combustion engine.
[0017] It is yet another advantage of a turbocharging system according to the present invention that the noise signature of the turbocharger will be reduced because of the stiffness inherent with the close mounted utility pedestal featured in the present invention.
[0018] It is yet another advantage of the present invention that the lubricating oil and coolant supply and drain passages required for a turbocharger are routed internally within the present utility pedestal.
[0019] Other advantages, as well as features of the present invention, will become apparent to the reader of this specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an engine having a turbocharger system according to the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 2 is an end view, partially cut away, of a portion of an engine having a turbocharger system according to the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a plan view of an engine block showing a turbocharger pedestal mounting pad and utility passages for lubricating oil and coolant according to an aspect of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 4 is a side elevation, partially cut away, of an engine having a turbocharger system according to the present invention and showing the routing for several of the utility passages for oil and water according to the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 5 is a side perspective view, partially cut away, of an engine having a turbocharger system according to the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a turbocharger mounting hard point configured as a plate suitable for bolting or welding to an engine cylinder block.
[0026] FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 5 , but shows a one-piece utility pedestal and turbocharger combination.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] As shown in FIG. 1 , turbocharger system 10 includes a turbocharger, 14 , and a utility pedestal, 18 . Turbocharger 14 is preferably mounted to utility pedestal 18 before turbocharger 14 is mounted upon an engine. FIG. 1 also shows an engine cylinder block, 30 , having a valley, 20 , into which turbocharger system 10 is placed upon a hard point, which is illustrated as generally planar mounting pad 22 . Utility pedestal 18 provides rigid structural support for turbocharger 14 ; this helps to reduce unwanted engine noise emissions, as well as reducing unwanted vibration associated with the turbocharger. Those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure that the term “hard point”, as used herein means either a structurally rigid mounting location such as block pad machined into the parent metal of a cylinder block, or a separate pad, such as that illustrated at 100 in FIG. 6 . Mounting pad 100 is intended to be attached to an engine by bolting, or welding, or by some other suitable process.
[0028] Utility pedestal 18 has a mounting pad, 48 , at its lower extremity. Mounting pad 48 includes mounting bosses 50 , which have fastener bores 52 . Fastener bores 52 extend through mounting bosses 50 and make an acute angle, α, with a horizontal plane, H ( FIG. 1 ). Fastener bores 52 allow the passage of a number of threaded fasteners, 56 , which pass through fastener bores 52 and into threaded bores, 28 , formed in generally planar mounting pad 22 of cylinder block 30 . Two of threaded bores 28 are shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 further shows that mounting bosses 50 are angled so that threaded fasteners or bolts 56 extend inboard into bolt holes 28 formed in mounting pad 22 of cylinder block 30 . This geometry is also shown in FIG. 2 . In the event that a separate mounting pad is employed, such as that illustrated at 100 in FIG. 6 , a number of fastener bores, 108 , will be provided in the same manner as bores 52 . Pad 100 also contains fluid passages 26 ′, 42 ′, and 46 ′, which perform the functions ascribed below to passages 26 , 42 , and 46 , respectively. Pad 100 may be fastened to an engine by means of threaded fasteners extending through bores 104 , or, as noted above, by welding, brazing, or other known methods.
[0029] As seen in FIG. 2 , the width, A, of utility pedestal mounting pad 48 is less than the overall width, B, of turbocharger 14 . This is an added benefit stemming from the angular orientation of fastener bores 52 , which fortuitously permit turbocharger 14 and utility pedestal 18 to be disassembled as one unit from the engine without removing portions of the turbocharger assembly. The angles of fastener bores 52 also allow turbocharger 14 to be mounted closer to cylinder block 30 , in a vertical direction closer to crankshaft 16 . FIG. 2 shows turbocharger 14 nestled in valley 20 between cylinder heads 38 and cylinder block 30 .
[0030] FIG. 3 shows generally planar mounting pad 22 as being located in the mid-portion of the valley of cylinder block 30 . Several of threaded mounting bolt holes 28 are shown. FIG. 3 further illustrates several utilities for turbocharger 14 . The first such utility, oil supply passage 26 , is shown as terminating in a port formed within the planar surface of mounting pad 22 . Coolant supply passage 42 also communicates with this surface, as does coolant return 46 . In other words, portions of oil supply passage 26 , coolant supply passage 42 , and coolant return passage 46 are all co-planar with the uppermost surface of mounting pad 22 . As a result, all of these utilities may be sealed to utility pedestal 18 with a single gasket 24 , which is shown in FIG. 1 . Gasket 24 is illustrated as a unitary carrier incorporating a number of integral o-rings for sealing passages 26 , 42 , and 46 .
[0031] Only the uppermost part of return oil isolation passage 34 within cylinder block 30 is shown in FIG. 3 ; for more definition, one must look to FIG. 4 , wherein return oil passage 34 is shown as leading to one end of engine block 30 and down into crankcase sump 98 through a region in which there are no rotating or moving parts. As noted above, the drainback of waste oil from turbocharger 14 to crankcase sump 98 through areas of the engine devoid of moving parts prevents galling or overheating of such moving parts by preventing contact between temporarily aerated oil and parts needing lubrication.
[0032] FIGS. 4 and 5 show oil supply internal passage 26 extending up into utility pedestal 18 from within cylinder block 30 . Further, FIG. 5 shows coolant supply internal passage 42 , which extends into utility pedestal 18 from an engine water jacket, 32 . Water leaving turbocharger 14 flows through coolant return internal passage 46 down through utility pedestal 18 and out to the front of engine block 30 , wherein the flow is joined with coolant flow from one or more cylinder heads at a combination point 36 . Coolant return passage 46 may advantageously be configured as a cored passage within cylinder block 30 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure that combination point 36 could be configured as a water outlet or coolant surge tank or other device for combining coolant flows from more than one source, such as one or more of the engine's cylinder heads. This combination of flows offers the advantage of mitigating coolant temperature excursions which could otherwise result from the very warm coolant leaving turbocharger 14 .
[0033] According to another aspect of the present invention, an inventive method avoids the costly process of connecting external plumbing to a turbocharger within the confines of an engine production line. Rather, turbocharger 14 is pre-assembled to utility pedestal 18 at a location which is separated from the production line. Then, the assembly including the turbocharger and the pedestal may be easily mounted upon the engine without the necessity of connecting any external cooling or lubrication plumbing.
[0034] In contrast with FIGS. 4 and 5 , which show turbocharger 14 as being attached to a separate pedestal, 18 , FIG. 7 shows turbocharger 14 as being one piece with pedestal 18 ′. For certain high production volume applications of a turbocharging system according to the present invention it may be advantageous to integrate pedestal 18 with turbocharger 14 in the manner of FIG. 7 . However, for applications of the present invention for which lower production volumes are the rule, it is probably equally advantageous to provide a separate, more easily modifiable, separate pedestal having the characteristics of FIGS. 4 and 5 .
[0035] The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with the relevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly the scope of legal protection afforded this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims. | A turbocharger system for an internal combustion engine includes a turbocharger with a utility pedestal extending between the turbocharger and a mounting surface associated with the engine. The utility pedestal includes a mounting pad for attaching the combined turbocharger and pedestal assembly to the engine, as well as internal oil and coolant supply passages for supplying the turbocharger with coolant and lubricating oil under pressure. | 5 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to sediment control and bio-degradable perimeter guards to minimize the sediment leakage from a dangerous or polluted ground site or for filtration of a sediment-laden water flow, and is based upon Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/936,603, filed 21 Jun. 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0003] 2. Prior Art
[0004] Erosion has an enormous impact on our environment, our water sources and supply and agriculture resources and upon wildlife. Such effects have cost billions of dollars each year trying to manage or correct for those effects. Channels and waterways become filed with sediment, shorelines may be lost, and fertilizers may collect in water supplies to poison such water. Much of this may be irreversible.
[0005] Methods of trying to control such flow of sediment have included flexible hose-like logs filled with sand or other heavy material, plastic type silt fences around stockpiles of sand/fertilizers/salt etc, to minimize erosion therefrom, and inlet filters which are weighted filament members which may surround a water outlet or the like.
[0006] Some of these devices do not adequately control or trap the flow of sediment or provide adequate means for its collection or prevention. Current state of the art methods and products also severely restrict fluid flow, present safety concerns and require subsequent removal from the site upon completion of construction activities.
[0007] It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
[0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a silt wall sediment control arrangement which is readily deployable and very effective.
[0009] It is still yet a further object of the present invention to provide a sediment control wall which is easy to install and in which the costs to manufacture and control sediment flow are kept to a minimum.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The construction arrangement of the present invention which is a biodegradable sediment control device comprises a series of adjacent, material-process-assembly stations leading to the final product to be packaged and delivered to the ultimate user. The assembly process begins with a roll of flexible mesh or geo-textile material having a width of about for example, several feet wide. That roll of material, as it is unwound, is pulled over a first horizontal platform. That first horizontal platform has a fiber reservoir/matrix feeder distributor suspended thereover.
[0011] The fiber reservoir/matrix feeder distributes a spray of fiber which typically comprises excelsior wood fiber or coconut, straw, synthetics or a blend thereof across most of the mesh and geo-textile material being passed thereunder, except for a “tail” portion, described hereinbelow. A further operation may take place on that first platform which may include a fiber-spreading brush arrangement utilized to evenly spread out any fibrous material distributed across the web traveling thereunder.
[0012] The “downstream” movement of the web of mesh and geo-textile material, is now coated with a generally even layer of fibrous excelsior, except for a one elongated side portion thereof, which is characterized as the “tail”, which will remain uncovered during this process.
[0013] The web of material both the covered portion and the uncovered (tail or side) portion is driven into a second operating station. The second operating station is comprised of a first folding roller section which takes the “covered” portion of the traveling web and folds it “once-over” upon itself as it moves downstream leaving the tail or uncovered portion untouched and uncovered traveling along with that now once-folded portion. Preferably, the folded web of material and the tail, at the second station, are moved to a second series of rollers which again folds the previously folded portion a second time, without effecting the tail or uncovered portion of the web of material. A further preferred embodiment may be comprised of web materials with only a single overlapping fold.
[0014] The web of material, including the uncovered tail portion may be driven or drawn down to a continuing series of folding rollers, for folding again, for a number of compounding folds such that the final product is folded for example, one to ten times with the current number of folded portion passing down from the previous set of rollers. Throughout the folding process, the tail portion still remains unaffected, moving downstream along with the thrice folded section.
[0015] The folded web of material and its associated uncovered tail portion now pass through a fourth set of rollers which flips the entire traveling web over 180 degrees about its longitudinal axis.
[0016] The uncovered tail section is now hanging from the opposite side of the horizontally disposed folded member as it travels downstream to a third processing station which applies an elongated roll of pocket netting onto the now upwardly facing side of the folded web. That elongated roll of pocket netting goes to a yet further station which includes a sewing head which stitches or otherwise adheres the pocket netting to the web material. Alternatively, fastener hardware or a stake may be directly secured to the folded member.
[0017] A final rolling station flips the exposed uncovered tail portion inwardly and all is wound on a receiving roll with the tail portion radially inwardly of its adjacent fiber filled web portion.
[0018] In the present web matrix, the pocket netting or securing hardware is utilized to receive a stake, which pockets/hardware are spaced longitudinally apart on the matrix of web material. The uncovered tail is lain on the ground, the tail and filled matrix portion being of generally “L” shape in cross-section. The tail portion is secured to the ground by landscape staples, in rough lateral proximity to the stakes which are received in the pockets of the fabric stitched against the folded excelsior matrix.
[0019] The invention thus comprises a system for the assembly of an elongated biodegradable sediment control device comprising: a series of operating stations arranged to receive an elongated web of flexible material from a source roll, the series including a first station for depositing a supply of excelsior treatment material on the elongated web, a second station for folding the web onto itself; and a third station for attaching an elongated web with pockets thereon from a web and pocket supply roll. The second station may comprise a plurality of web folding guides for repeatedly folding the web onto itself. The first station supply of excelsior or other fiber/filler material is preferably applied to the web across only a portion of the width of the web moving therebeneath. The first station may includes a treatment material spreader member to ensure proper distribution of treatment material on the moving web. The web preferably has an elongated side or “tail” portion which is treatment free. The tail portion preferably extends the full length of the elongated biodegradable sediment control device. The second station preferably comprises a series of folding guides for folding the web onto itself for example, three times, during its travel of its assembly. The assembly preferably includes a fourth station having a set of guides for flipping the traveling web over in a 180 degree flip around its longitudinal axis to permit the tail to be subsequently folded under the elongated biodegradable sediment control device.
[0020] The invention also comprises an elongated biodegradable sediment control device comprised of an elongated excelsior or other fiber/filler material treatment-material coated portion and an elongated treatment-material free portion, wherein the elongated treatment-material coated portion of the elongated web is folded onto itself, for example, from one to ten times. The elongated treatment-material coated portion preferably has a second flexible web attached to a radially outer portion thereof. The the second flexible web attached to the radially outer portion thereof preferably has a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart pockets thereon. The spaced-apart pockets are arranged to receive ground web-supporting stakes therein. The second flexible web is preferably stitched to only the elongated treatment-material portion of the elongated biodegradable sediment control device. The second flexible web may be adhesively attached to the elongate treatment material portion of the elongated biodegradable sediment control device.
[0021] The invention also comprises an elongated biodegradable sediment control device comprised of an elongated excelsior or other fiber or filler treatment-material coated portion and an elongated treatment-material free portion, wherein the elongated treatment-material coated portion of the elongated web is folded onto itself one to ten times, wherein treatment portion and the treatment-free portion are of “L” shape when applied to a ground location and the treatment portion of the web has an arrangement of stake receiving pockets/hardware thereattached for receipt of ground engaging stakes therein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings in which:
[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the assembly process showing the stations and methodology in the manufacture of the present invention;
[0024] FIGS. 2 A, B, C, D, E and F are cross-sectional views representing the rollers folding the matrix portion of the web as it travels downstream;
[0025] FIGS. 3A , B and C are plan views representing a roller arrangement flipping the web over 180 degrees about its longitudinal axis as it moves downstream;
[0026] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional representation of the web matrix as its pocket fabric is attached;
[0027] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional representation of the web matrix as its tail portion is folded under the matrix portion of the web;
[0028] FIG. 6 is an edge view of the web matrix and tail portion properly secured to a ground surface;
[0029] FIG. 7 is an elevational view taken along the lines 7 - 7 in FIG. 6 ; and
[0030] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the web matrix represented in FIG. 6 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to FIG. 1 , there is shown the present invention which comprises an assembly process comprising a series of process stations 10 leading to production of the final biodegradable sediment control device matrix product 12 to be packaged and delivered to the ultimate user.
[0032] The assembly process begins with a roll of biodegradable, flexible mesh or geo-textile material 14 having a width of about, for example, 2 to about 3 feet wide. That roll of material 14 , as it is unwound, is drawn or pulled over a first horizontal platform 16 . That first horizontal platform 16 has a transversely depositing fiber reservoir/matrix feeder distributor 18 suspended thereover. The fiber reservoir/matrix feeder 18 gravitationally or pressurizably controlled distribution, by a controlled pressurized system 19 of a transversely extending layer of fiber/excelsior 20 across at least most of the mesh and geo-textile material 14 being passed thereunder, except for an elongated, fiber/excelsior-free “tail” portion 22 , shown in FIG. 2 A et seq., and described hereinbelow.
[0033] A further operation preferably takes place on that first (or subsequent) platform 16 which includes a cylindrically shaped fiber-spreading brush arrangement 24 , rotatable about its longitudinal axis 25 , and utilized to evenly spread out any irregularly-disposed fibrous material 20 distributed across the web 14 traveling thereunder.
[0034] The “downstream” movement of the web 14 of mesh and geo-textile material, indicated by the arrow “D”, is now coated with a generally even layer of fiber matrix 20 , except for a one elongated side-portion thereof, which is characterized as the “tail” 22 , which will remain uncovered by fiber 20 during this process, and is shown in sequence in FIGS. 2A , 2 B, 2 C, 2 D, 2 E and 2 F.
[0035] The web of material 14 , now also both the covered portion 20 and the uncovered (tail or side) portion 22 is driven into a second operating station 26 . The second operating station 26 , represented in FIGS. 1 and 2 A, 2 B and 2 C, is comprised of a first folding roller section 28 which takes the fiber “covered” portion of the traveling web and folds it “once-over” upon itself as it moves downstream, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , leaving the tail or uncovered portion 22 untouched and uncovered traveling along with that now once-folded portion. The first “roller” section 28 comprises a set of oblique to non-oblique guides 27 and a web creaser-roll 29 which forms the moving web 14 into an initial “L” shape in cross-section in FIG. 2A , then completes the transition to a first fold-over of the web 14 , as represented in cross-section in FIG. 2B .
[0036] The folded web of material 14 including the tail 22 , at the second station 26 are moved to a second series of “guide rollers” 30 , shown in FIGS. 2C and 2D , which again moves through oblique to non-oblique guides 27 ′ and creaser-roll 29 ′ to fold the previously folded portion 14 a second time, without effecting the tail or uncovered portion 22 of the web of material, as shown in FIGS. 2C and 2D .
[0037] The web of material 14 , including the uncovered tail portion 22 is driven down to a third set of folding “guide rollers” 32 , shown in FIGS. 2E and 2F , folding again, for a third time that previously folded web portion passing down through oblique to non-oblique guides 27 ″ and creaser 29 ″ comprising the third set of guide rollers 32 . The tail portion 22 still remaining unaffected and moves downstream with the thrice folded section.
[0038] The thrice folded web of material 14 and its associated uncovered tail portion 22 now pass through a fourth set of guides or rollers 34 which flips the entire traveling web over 180 degrees about its longitudinal axis, as represented in FIGS. 3A , 3 B and 3 C.
[0039] The uncovered tail section 22 is now hanging from the opposite side of the horizontally disposed folded member 14 as it travels downstream to a third processing station 36 which applies an elongated roll of netting 38 having a plurality of spaced apart pockets 39 onto the now upwardly facing side 40 of the multiply folded web 14 . That elongated roll of pocket netting 38 goes to a yet further station 40 which includes an adhesive nozzle arrangement or sewing head 42 which glues or stitches the elongated pocket netting 38 and hence the pockets 39 , to the elongated web material 14 , as represented in FIG. 4 .
[0040] A final rolling station 44 shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 , has a guide 45 which channels and guides and flips the exposed uncovered tail portion 22 inwardly and all is wound on a receiving roll 48 , shown in FIG. 1 , with the tail portion 22 moving radially inwardly of its adjacent fiber filled web portion 14 , as represented in cross-section in FIG. 5 .
[0041] In utilization of the present product, the pocket 39 on the netting 38 attached to the elongated treated web 14 is utilized to receive a stake 52 , which pockets 39 are spaced longitudinally apart on the matrix of the attached web material 38 . The uncovered tail 22 is lain on the ground “G”, the tail 22 and filled matrix portion being of generally “L” shape in cross-section, as is shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 . The tail portion 22 is secured to the ground “G” by landscape staples 54 , in rough lateral proximity to the stakes 52 which are received in the pockets of the fabric stitched against the folded excelsior matrix represented in FIGS. 6 , 7 and 8 . | An elongated web of flexible material having a covering of excelsior across a portion thereof has an elongated edge portion uncovered. The elongated covered portion is folded over upon itself a number of times, and the elongated uncovered side portion (a tail) are wound upon a roll for utilization after unrolling, as a sediment barrier, properly staked into the ground. | 4 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention is related to operating a four-stroke internal combustion engine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The automotive industry is continually researching new ways of improving the combustion process of the internal combustion engine in an effort to improve fuel economy, meet or exceed emission regulatory targets, and to meet or exceed consumer expectations regarding emissions, fuel economy and product differentiation.
Most modern conventional internal combustion engines attempt to operate around stoichiometric conditions. That is to say providing an optimal air/fuel ratio of substantially 14.6 to 1 that results in substantially complete consumption of the fuel and oxygen delivered to the engine. Such operation allows for exhaust gas aftertreatment by 3-way catalysts which clean up any unconsumed fuel (HC) and combustion byproducts such as NOx and CO. Most modern engines are fuel injected having either throttle body injection (TBI) or multi-port fuel injection (MPFI) wherein each of a plurality of injectors is located proximate an intake port at each cylinder of a multi-cylinder engine. Better air/fuel ratio control is achieved with a MPFI arrangement; however, conditions such as wall wetting and intake runner dynamics limit the precision with which such control is achieved. Fuel delivery precision can be improved by direct in-cylinder injection (DI). So called linear oxygen sensors provide a higher degree of control capability and, when coupled with DI, suggest an attractive system with improved cylinder-to-cylinder air/fuel ratio control capability. However, in-cylinder combustion dynamics then become more important and combustion quality plays an increasingly important role in controlling emissions. As such, engine manufacturers have concentrated on such things as injector spray patterns, intake swirl, and piston geometry to effect improved in-cylinder air/fuel mixing and homogeneity.
While stoichiometric gasoline four-stroke engine and 3-way catalyst systems have the potential to meet ultra-low emission targets, efficiency of such systems lags behind so-called lean-burn systems. Lean-burn systems also show promise in meeting emission targets for NOx through combustion controls, including high exhaust gas dilution and emerging NOx aftertreatment technologies. However, lean-burn systems still face other hurdles, for example, combustion quality and combustion stability particularly at part load operating points and high exhaust gas dilution.
Lean-burn engines, at a most basic level, include all internal combustion engines operated with air in excess of that required for the combustion of the fuel charge provided. A variety of fueling and ignition methodologies differentiate lean-burn topologies. Spark ignited systems (SI) initiate combustion by providing an electrical discharge in the combustion chamber. Compression ignition systems (CI) initiate combustion with combustion chamber conditions including combinations of air/fuel ratio, temperature and pressure among others. Fueling methods may include TBI, MPFI and DI. Homogeneous charge systems are characterized by very consistent and well vaporized fuel distribution within the air/fuel mixture as may be achieved by MPFI or direct injection early in the intake cycle. Stratified charge systems are characterized by less well vaporized and distributed fuel within the air/fuel mixture and are typically associated with direct injection of fuel late in the compression cycle.
Known gasoline DI engines may selectively be operated under homogeneous spark ignition or stratified spark ignition modes. A homogeneous spark ignited mode is generally selected for higher load conditions while a stratified spark ignition mode is generally selected for lower load conditions.
Certain DI compression ignition engines utilize a substantially homogeneous mixture of preheated air and fuel and establish pressure and temperature conditions during engine compression cycles that cause ignition without the necessity for additional spark energy. This process is sometimes called controlled auto-ignition. Controlled auto-ignition is a predictable process and thus differs from undesirable pre-ignition events sometimes associated with spark-ignition engines. Controlled auto-ignition also differs from well-known compression ignition in diesel engines wherein fuel ignites substantially immediately upon injection into a highly pre-compressed, high temperature charge of air, whereas in the controlled auto-ignition process the preheated air and fuel are mixed together prior to combustion during intake events and generally at compression profiles consistent with conventional spark ignited four-stroke engine systems.
Four-stroke internal combustion engines have been proposed which provide for auto-ignition by controlling the motion of the intake and exhaust valves associated with a combustion chamber to ensure that a air/fuel charge is mixed with combusted gases to generate conditions suitable for auto-ignition without the necessity for externally pre-heating intake air or cylinder charge or for high compression profiles. In this regard, certain engines have been proposed having a cam-actuated exhaust valve that is closed significantly later in the four-stroke cycle than is conventional in a spark-ignited four-stroke engine to allow for substantial overlap of the open exhaust valve with an open intake valve whereby previously expelled combusted gases are drawn back into the combustion chamber early during the intake cycle. Certain other engines have been proposed that have an exhaust valve that is closed significantly earlier in the exhaust cycle thereby trapping combusted gases for subsequent mixing with fuel and air during the intake cycle. In both such engines the exhaust and intake valves are opened only once in each four-stroke cycle. Certain other engines have been proposed having a hydraulically controlled exhaust valve that is opened twice during each four-stroke cycle—once to expel combusted gases from the combustion chamber into the exhaust passage during the exhaust cycle and once to draw back combusted gases from the exhaust passage into the combustion chamber late during the intake cycle. These engines variously utilize throttle body, port or direct combustion chamber fuel injection.
However advantageous such lean-bum engine systems appear to be, certain shortfalls with respect to combustion quality and combustion stability, particularly at part load operating points and high exhaust gas dilution, continue to exist. Such shortfalls lead to undesirable compromises including limitations on how much a fuel charge can effectively be reduced during part load operating points while still maintaining acceptable combustion quality and stability characteristics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is recognized that homogeneous air/fuel charges within a combustion chamber are generally desirable in a variety of internal combustion engines, including engines employing strategies such as TBI, MPFI, DI, SI, CI, controlled auto-ignition, stoichiometric, lean-bum and combinations and variants thereof. A lean-bum, four-stroke, internal combustion engine is generally desirable. Furthermore, such an engine exhibiting high combustion stability at part load operating points is desirable. Moreover, such an engine capable of extended lean operation into heretofore unattained part load operating point regions is desirable.
The present invention provides these and other desirable aspects in a method of operating a four-stroke internal combustion engine with extended capability at low engine loads while maintaining or improving combustion quality, combustion stability and engine out emissions.
In accordance with one aspect the present invention, during part load engine operation negative exhaust and intake valve overlap is controlled to trap and compress combusted gases within the combustion chamber prior to the intake event intake valve opening to effect higher chamber pressures at lower engine loads. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a split-injection strategy is employed at intermediate part load engine operation whereby a first fraction of fuel is injected late during the exhaust cycle into the trapped and compressed combusted gases within the combustion chamber and the remaining fuel of the total fuel charge for the cycle is injected early during the intake cycle. In accordance with other fuel control aspect of the present invention, low part load fueling is accomplished with a split-injection having a first fraction of fuel injected late during the exhaust cycle into the trapped and compressed combusted gases within the combustion chamber and the remaining fuel of the total fuel charge for the cycle injected late during the compression cycle. And, high part load fueling is accomplished with a single-injection during the negative valve overlap. Optimum fueling is achieved through fuel timing control whereby fuel injections are advanced or retarded as a function of engine load. Additional optimizations for effecting emission objectives enrich the fuel charge at higher part load operating regions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a single cylinder, direct-injection, four-stroke internal combustion engine in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates valve lift versus crank angle curves corresponding to related art exhaust and intake valve phasing of a conventional spark-ignited, internal combustion engine;
FIG. 3 illustrates various exhaust and intake valve phase and lift versus crank angle curves and preferred correspondence to engine load corresponding to the single cylinder engine of FIG. 1 with fully flexible valve actuation for effecting desired in cylinder conditions in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates part-load operating regions and exemplary fuel injection timing schedules corresponding thereto in accordance with exhaust gas trapping/re-compression aspects of the present invention;
FIG. 5 illustrates exemplary valve timing effected by fully flexible valve actuation, fuel injection strategies and combustion modes versus part load regions of engine operation in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 6 illustrates exemplary combustion stability versus cylinder net mean effective pressure curves demonstrative of part load stability benefits of the fully flexible valve actuation and fueling control aspects in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 7 illustrates net-specific fuel consumption versus cylinder net mean effective pressure curves demonstrative of part load fuel consumption benefits of the fully flexible valve actuation and fueling control aspects in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 8 illustrates various exhaust and intake valve phase and lift versus crank angle curves and preferred correspondence to engine load corresponding to the single cylinder engine of FIG. 1 with phase controlled valve actuation for effecting desired in cylinder conditions in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 9 illustrates exemplary valve timing effected by phase controlled valve actuation, fuel injection strategies and combustion modes versus part load regions of engine operation in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 10 illustrates exemplary combustion stability versus cylinder net mean effective pressure curves demonstrative of part load stability benefits of the phase controlled valve actuation and fueling control aspects in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 11 illustrates net-specific fuel consumption versus cylinder net mean effective pressure curves demonstrative of part load fuel consumption benefits of the phase controlled valve actuation and fueling control aspects in accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference first to FIG. 1 , an exemplary single cylinder four-stroke internal combustion engine system (engine) 10 suited for implementation of the present invention is schematically illustrated. It is to be appreciated that the present invention is equally applicable to a multi-cylinder four-stroke internal combustion engine. The present exemplary engine 10 is shown configured for direct combustion chamber injection (direct injection) of fuel vis-à-vis fuel injector 41 . Alternative fueling strategies including port fuel injection or throttle body fuel injection may also be used in conjunction with certain aspects of the present invention; however, the preferred approach is direct injection. Similarly, while widely available grades of gasoline and light ethanol blends thereof are preferred fuels, alternative liquid and gaseous fuels such as higher ethanol blends (e.g. E80, E85), neat ethanol (E99), neat methanol (M100), natural gas, hydrogen, biogas, various reformates, syngases etc. may also be used in the implementation of the present invention.
With respect to the base engine, a piston 11 is movable in a cylinder 13 and defines therein a variable volume combustion chamber 15 . Piston 11 is connected to crankshaft 35 through connecting rod 33 and reciprocally drives or is reciprocally driven by crankshaft 35 . Engine 10 also includes valve train 16 illustrated with a single intake valve 21 and a single exhaust valve 23 , though multiple intake and exhaust valve variations are equally applicable for utilization with the present invention. Valve train 16 also includes valve actuation means 25 which may take any of a variety of forms including, preferably, electrically controlled hydraulic or electromechanical actuation (a.k.a. fully flexible valve actuation, FFVA). Alternative valve actuation means adaptable for implementation in conjunction with the present invention include multi-profile cams (a.k.a. multi-lobe, multi-step) and selection mechanisms, cam phasers and other mechanically variable valve actuation technologies implemented individually or in combination. Intake passage 17 supplies air into the combustion chamber 15 . The flow of the air into the combustion chamber 15 is controlled by intake valve 21 during intake events. Combusted gases are expelled from the combustion chamber 15 through exhaust passage 19 with flow controlled by exhaust valve 23 during exhaust events.
Engine control is provided by computer based control 27 which may take the form of conventional hardware configurations and combinations including powertrain controllers, engine controllers and digital signal processors in integrated or distributed architectures. In general, control 27 includes at least one microprocessor, ROM, RAM, and various I/O devices including A/D and D/A converters and power drive circuitry. Control 27 also specifically includes controls for valve actuation means 25 and fuel injector 41 . Controller 27 includes the monitoring of a plurality of engine related inputs from a plurality of transduced sources including engine coolant temperature, outside air temperature, manifold air temperature, operator torque requests, ambient pressure, manifold pressure in throttled applications, displacement and position sensors such as for valve train and engine crankshaft quantities, and further includes the generation of control commands for a variety of actuators as well as the performance of general diagnostic functions. While illustrated and described as integral with controller 27 , the control and power electronics associated with valve actuation means 25 and fuel injector 41 may be incorporated as part of distributed smart actuation scheme wherein certain monitoring and control functionality related to respective subsystems are implemented by programmable distributed controllers associated with such respective valve and fuel control subsystems.
Having thus described the environment and certain application hardware suitable for implementing the present invention, attention is now directed toward FIGS. 2–12 . In FIG. 2 , conventional or baseline spark-ignited internal combustion engine valve lifts of the intake and exhaust valves are plotted against a complete four-stroke combustion cycle. In this and subsequent figures, exhaust valve schedules (EV) are illustrated with narrow lines whereas intake valve schedules (IV) are illustrated with thick lines. A full 720 degrees or two revolutions of the crankshaft are plotted against the horizontal axis beginning at 0 degrees corresponding to top dead center (TDC) combustion (i.e. position of the piston at the beginning of the expansion stroke (end of the compression stroke), and ending at 720 degrees corresponding to the same top dead center position at the end of the compression stroke (beginning of the expansion stroke). By convention and as followed herein, the crankshaft angular positions 0 through 720 refer to degrees of crankshaft rotation ATDC combustion. The sequentially repeated cycles are delineated across the top of the figure within double-ended arrows labeled EXPANSION, EXHAUST, INTAKE and COMPRESSION. Each of these cycles correspond to the piston motion between respective ones of top dead and bottom dead center positions and covers a full 180 degrees of crankshaft rotation or one-quarter of the complete four-stroke cycle.
In the present exemplary exposition of the invention, a four-stroke, single cylinder, 0.55 liter, controlled auto-ignition, gasoline direct injection fueled internal combustion engine was utilized in implementing the valve and fueling controls and acquisition of the various data embodied herein. Unless specifically discussed otherwise, all such implementations and acquisitions are assumed to be carried out under standard conditions as understood by one having ordinary skill in the art.
In accordance with certain valve control aspects of the present invention, during part load operation of the engine a high pressure event is established within the combustion chamber, preferably by means of FFVA advancing the closure of the exhaust valve and, preferably, retarding the opening of the intake valve. The advance of the exhaust valve closure creates a negative valve overlap during which both of the exhaust and intake valves are closed. The advanced closure of the exhaust valve also effects an internal recirculation of combusted gases by retaining or trapping a portion thereof within the combustion chamber. This trapped exhaust gas is then re-compressed for the remainder of the piston stroke during the exhaust cycle. As used herein, part load operation corresponds to engine load below mid-load of about 450 kPa net mean effective pressure. Low part load as used herein corresponds to engine load below about 125 kPa net mean effective pressure. Intermediate part load as used herein corresponds to engine load from about 125 to about 200 kPa net mean effective pressure. And, high part load as used herein corresponds to engine load from about 200 to about 450 kPa net mean effective pressure. In the present example illustrated in FIG. 3 , it is assumed that an exhaust event is caused to occur wherein the exhaust valve is opened for at least a portion of the exhaust stroke from 180 to 360 degrees. The actual opening and closing angles of the exhaust valve during an exhaust event will vary in accordance with such factors as engine speed or load and exhaust runner geometries as well as other desired engine tuning characteristics. In the present illustrated example the exhaust valve opening is assumed to correspond substantially just after 120 degrees ATDC combustion as illustrated in each of the individual curves comprising the exhaust schedule 43 . The closing timing of the exhaust valve is seen to vary, however, as a function of the engine load as indicated by the decreasing load arrow central in the figure. During part load operation, the lower the engine load goes, the more advanced is the exhaust valve closing timing. Thus, it is generally true that decreasing loads will result in increased combusted gas trapping and higher compressions thereof. The higher pressures and temperatures effected by the valve control provides an in-cylinder environment that conducive to partial reformation of fuel injected therein, which reformation and subsequent dispersal of reformate within the combustion chamber enables controlled auto-ignition. The desired trending of increases in trapped combusted gases and increases in pressures and temperatures with decreases in engine operating loads provides for optimal auto-ignition combustion phasing throughout the part load region of engine operation. A generally symmetrical and directionally opposite phasing of the intake valve opening timing is effected also as illustrated in each of the individual curves comprising the intake schedule 45 . Relaxation of the high pressure within the combustion chamber is effected thereby and returns the stored energy of the compressed gas back to the piston and engine crankshaft.
The FFVA control of intake and exhaust valves to establish trapped combusted gas and pressure conditions within the combustion chamber are carried out to establish in-cylinder gas, pressure and temperature trends as a function of engine load which are not found in conventional known four-stroke operation.
The preferred fueling methodology for an engine operated as set forth herein above will now be described. Liquid and gaseous injections are candidates for DI. Additionally, it is contemplated that air assisted and other types of delivery may be employed. Also, the type of ignition system employable is variable—generally in accordance with engine load and knock considerations—and includes such non-limiting examples as SI, CI, and controlled auto-ignition.
In accordance with the fueling control aspects of the present invention, three general load regions within the part load operating region of the engine are delineated. With reference to FIG. 4 , low part load region is labeled L-PL, intermediate part load region is labeled I-PL and high part load region is labeled H-PL. These regions are plotted against a complete four-stroke combustion cycle delineated variously by crank angle ATDC combustion at the bottom and corresponding sequentially repeated combustion cycle regions at the top. Generally, in the low and intermediate part load regions, split-injection of the total fuel charge is caused to occur whereas in the high part load region a single-injection of the total fuel charge is caused to occur. There are illustrated in the figure transition regions 42 and 54 which may significantly overlap one or both respectively adjacent part load regions effectively extending part load regions for corresponding fuel controls.
With split-injection, the total fuel requirement for the cycle is divided into two injection events. In the low part load operating region, one of the injection events is carried out late in the exhaust cycle while the other injection event is carried out late in the compression cycle. Generally, the first fueling event injects about 10 to about 50 percent of the total fuel requirement for the cycle. Generally, the cylinder charge established by this first fraction of fuel is insufficient for auto-ignition within the combustion chamber. The remainder of the fuel requirement for the cycle is injected during the second fueling event. This second fraction of fuel enriches the cylinder charge during a compression stroke of the piston sufficient to cause auto-ignition at low part loads.
Penetration and dispersion of the second fuel spray are suppressed due to higher in-cylinder charge temperature and density. A localized rich mixture region is formed in the combustion chamber. The mixture of air, trapped combusted gas, and fuel from first fuel injection works in conjunction with the localized rich mixture formed by the second fuel injection to accomplish the auto-ignition of gasoline under a relatively low compression ratio without any help of spark as compared to a relatively high compression ratio used in the auto-ignition of diesel fuel.
In the intermediate part load operating region, one of the injection events is similarly carried out late in the exhaust cycle. However, the other injection event is carried out early in the intake cycle. Generally, the first fueling event injects about 10 to about 50 percent of the total fuel requirement for the cycle. Generally, the cylinder charge established by this first fraction of fuel is insufficient for auto-ignition within the combustion chamber but provides the seed charge of fuel and reformate critical to auto-ignition. The remainder of the fuel requirement for the cycle is injected during the second fueling event. This second fraction of fuel enriches the cylinder charge during the intake stroke of the piston sufficient to cause auto-ignition at intermediate part loads.
Penetration and dispersion of the second fuel spray are initially suppressed due to higher in-cylinder charge temperature, density and first injected fuel. However, the relaxing in-cylinder pressure and subsequent fresh air ingestion and turbulence provide conditions for substantial dispersal and homogeneity of the cylinder mixture. This homogeneous mixture of air, retained combusted gas, and fuel work in conjunction to accomplish the auto-ignition of gasoline under a relatively low compression ratio without any help of spark as compared to a relatively high compression ratio used in the auto-ignition of diesel fuel.
The total fueling requirement (i.e. the combined first and second fuel fractions) for both low part load and intermediate part load split-injection strategies is significantly less than the fueling requirement of a similar conventionally operated internal combustion engine as determined against such common metrics as combustion stability as will be demonstrated later with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7 .
With the single-injection, the total fuel requirement for the cycle is consolidated in one injection event carried out early in the intake cycle.
FIG. 4 is also demonstrative of certain preferences regarding injection timing. The region delimited by the solid lines labeled 44 and 46 correspond to preferred angular regions within the exhaust and compression cycles for delivery of the first fueling event and second fueling event, respectively, for the low part load operating region. Preferably, the first fraction of fuel is injected about 300 to about 350 degrees ATDC combustion. The injection timing for the first injection also preferably retards in a continuous manner as the engine load increases as shown in the figure. And the second fraction of fuel is injected about 640 to about 695 degrees ATDC combustion (25 to 80 degrees before top dead center combustion). This injection timing is chosen to ensure smoke-free operation and is affected by the injector spray cone angle and the amount of fuel injected. The injection timing for the second injection also preferably advances in a continuous manner as the engine load increases. Other angular regions for the split-injection injection may be utilized but may not yield as substantial an advantage as the preferred regions.
The region delimited by the solid lines labeled 47 and 48 correspond to preferred angular regions within the exhaust and intake cycles for delivery of the first fueling event and second fueling event, respectively, for the intermediate part load operating region. Preferably, the first fraction of fuel is injected about 300 to about 360 degrees ATDC combustion. The injection timing for the first injection also preferably retards in a continuous manner as the engine load increases as shown in the figure. This injection timing is chosen to ensure smoke-free operation (e.g. avoidance of fuel spray on rising piston), provide sufficient fuel quantity and resident time for adequate reformation, and is affected by the injector spray cone angle and the amount of fuel injected. The second fraction of fuel is injected about 30 to about 60 degrees after the end of the first injection. The injection timing for the second injection also preferably retards in a continuous manner as the engine load increases. Both intermediate injections are accomplished within the negative overlap region of the exhaust and intake valves. Other angular regions for the split-injection injection may be utilized but may not yield as substantial an advantage as the preferred regions.
The region delimited by the solid line labeled 49 corresponds to a preferred angular region for delivery of the fuel for the high part load operating region. Preferably, this fuel is injected about 340 to about 490 degrees ATDC combustion. The injection timing for the single-injection also preferably retards in a continuous manner as the engine load increases as shown in the figure. Other angular regions for the single-injection may be utilized but may not yield as substantial an advantage as the preferred regions.
Transition from one injection strategy to another during load change is regulated by both engine performance and emissions. For example, during operation with low part load, split-injection with first injection during the negative valve overlap period and second injection during compression stroke is the only injection strategy capable of generating stable controlled auto-ignition combustion. The injection timing for the second injection is advanced continuously with increasing engine load to promote dispersion of fuel within the combustion chamber and to keep the air/fuel ratio of the localized mixture within an acceptable range to avoid unacceptable levels of NOx and smoke emissions. However, even with the advanced injection timing, formation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) can still rise to unacceptable level during operation with intermediate part load. Thus, the injection strategy is switched from split-injection with second compression cycle injection to split-injection with second intake cycle injection. Experiments confirm that both split-injection strategies result in similar engine performance during intermediate part load engine operation. Comparative NOx emissions may be significantly less with split-injections using a second injection during the intake stroke than with split-injections using a second injection during the compression stroke. Comparative hydrocarbon (HC) emissions, however, are greater with split-injections using a second injection during the intake stroke due to increases in crevice-trapped fuel that escapes combustion than with split-injections using a second injection during the compression stroke. Therefore, the exact load where the low part load split-injection and intermediate part load split-injection transition takes place will be determined by NOx-HC emissions tradeoff. Similar considerations define criteria used to establish transition from the intermediate part load split-injection strategy to the high part load single-injection strategy (e.g. NOx-HC emissions tradeoff).
FIG. 5 shows exemplary opening and closing valve timings as a function of engine load for the exhaust and intake valves of a four-stroke internal combustion engine operating in accordance with the present invention using a FFVA system. Therein, the following labeling is used: intake valve opening (IVO); intake valve closing (IVC); exhaust valve opening (EVO); exhaust valve closing (EVC). Also shown in FIG. 5 are the load dependent injection strategies and various combustion modes as a function of engine load in accordance with the present invention. In particular, the engine is operated in controlled auto-ignition combustion mode with lean air/fuel mixture (CAI-L) below about 400 kPa NMEP. During this combustion mode, the NOx emission index increases with increasing engine load. At about 400 kPa NMEP, the NOx emission index is around 1 g/kg fuel. Between about 400 and about 480 kPa NMEP, the engine is operated in controlled auto-ignition combustion mode with stoichiometric air/fuel ratio (CAI-S) to allow the use of traditional 3-way catalyst after treatment for NOx control. Between about 480 and about 620 kPa NMEP, the engine is operated in spark-ignition, non-throttled combustion mode with stoichiometric air/fuel mixture (NT-S) using early intake valve closing for load control. Beyond about 620 kPa NMEP, the engine is operated in traditional spark-ignition, throttled combustion mode with stoichiometric air/fuel mixture (T-S) until reaching full load.
FIGS. 6 and 7 show the measured combustion stability (COV of IMEP) and net specific fuel consumption (NSFC) as a function of engine load (NMEP) for a single cylinder direct-injection gasoline four-stroke internal combustion engine operating under controlled auto-ignition combustion mode using a FFVA system to effect the cylinder conditions described herein above.
Without using the valve and fuel controls of the current invention, the low part load limit of the exemplary—and most typical—four-stroke direct-injection auto-ignition gasoline engine is around 240 kPa Net Mean Effective Pressure (NMEP) with a generally accepted 5% Coefficient of Variation of Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (COV of IMEP) as an indicator. It can be seen from FIG. 6 that with the combination of the FFVA valve and fueling aspects of the present invention optimal combustion phasing for controlled auto-ignition combustion is obtained throughout the part load range down to about 70 kPa NMEP with less than 5% COV IMEP according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is demonstrative of the net specific fuel consumption obtained in practicing the FFVA valve and fuel aspects of the present invention.
FIGS. 8–11 illustrate an alternative valve topology implementation of the present invention to effect the combusted gas retention and compression aspects thereof. Therein, 2-step hydraulically controlled valve lift mechanisms together with cam phaser mechanisms, both of well known varieties, provide intake valve and exhaust valve phase shifting to effect the desired combustion chamber conditions in accordance with the present invention. The intake valve schedule is illustrated with an exemplary duration of substantially 165 degrees illustrated in each of the individual curves comprising the intake schedule 74 from more advanced to more retarded phasing as engine load decreases. The exhaust valve schedule is similarly illustrated with an exemplary duration of substantially 165 degrees illustrated in each of the individual curves comprising the exhaust schedule 72 from more retarded to more advanced phasing as engine load decreases.
The closing timing of the exhaust valve is seen to vary as a function of the engine load as indicated by the decreasing load arrow central in the figure. During part load operation, the lower the engine load goes, the more advanced is the exhaust valve closing timing (and the more advanced is the opening timing as well due to the phaser implementation). Thus, it is generally true that decreasing loads will result in increased combusted gas trapping and higher compression temperature and pressure thereof. This results in the same desired in-cylinder conditions as described with respect to a FFVA implementation. Therefore, the desired trending of increases in trapped combusted gases and increases in pressures and temperatures with decreases in engine operating loads is accomplished with the phase control of the exhaust valve lift mechanism. A generally symmetrical and directionally opposite phasing of the intake valve timing is effected also as illustrated in each of the individual curves comprising the intake schedule 74 to provide the relaxation benefits described herein above with respect to a FFVA implementation.
The fueling strategy previously described in detail is equally, desirably applicable to the immediately preceding described alternative valve control implementation. The considerations respecting load regions, split and single injections, timings, advances, retards, transitions, emissions, and lean and stoichiometric fuel ratios all presently apply as previously described.
FIG. 9 shows exemplary opening and closing valve timings as a function of engine load for the exhaust and intake valves of a four-stroke internal combustion engine operating in accordance with the present invention using 2-step/phaser variable valve actuation hardware. Therein, the labeling convention follows that previously described in relation to FIG. 5 . Also shown in FIG. 9 are the load dependent injection strategies and various combustion modes as a function of engine load in accordance with the present invention.
FIGS. 10 and 11 show the measured combustion stability (COV of IMEP) and net specific fuel consumption (NSFC) as a function of engine load (NMEP) for a single cylinder direct-injection gasoline four-stroke internal combustion engine operating under controlled auto-ignition combustion mode using 2-step/phaser hardware.
It can be seen from FIG. 10 that with the combination of the 2-step/phaser valve and fueling aspects of the present invention optimal combustion phasing for controlled auto-ignition combustion is obtained throughout the part load range below 70 kPa NMEP with less than 5% COV IMEP according to the present invention. FIG. 11 is demonstrative of the net specific fuel consumption obtained in practicing the 2-step/phaser valve and fuel aspects of the present invention.
The present invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments and variations herein. Other alternative embodiments, variations ad implementations may be implemented and practiced without departing from the scope of the invention which is to be limited only by the claims as follow: | Part load operating point for a controlled auto-ignition four-stroke internal combustion engine is reduced without compromising combustion stability through negative valve overlap control operative to retain and compress combusted gases within the combustion chamber into which fuel is introduced. Combustion chamber pressures and temperatures are increased as engine load decreases. Various split-injection fuel controls are implemented during low and intermediate part load operation whereas a single-injection fuel control is implemented during high part load operation. Split-injections are characterized by lean fuel/air ratios and single-injections are characterized by either lean or stoichiometric fuel/air ratios. Controlled autoignition is thereby enabled through an extended range of engine loads while maintaining acceptable combustion stability and emissions. | 5 |
SYSTEM FOR DISCHARGING WASTES
The present invention is directed to a discharge system that discharges mass (wastes) from a unit producing such discharge mass (wastes). In particular, the present invention can be used for discharging wastes from a toilet basin in a vehicle. The present invention includes a device for creating a partial vacuum, an intermediate container and a collecting basin that are joined together by pipelines and valves.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a known discharge system of this type (DE-OS 39 32 893), air or gases are removed from the collecting basin and the intermediate container and fed into a pressure vessel. Furthermore, the pressure vessel, along with the vacuum in the intermediate container and collecting basin, ensures that the discharge mass makes it way into the collecting basin. However, the vacuum generator and the pressure vessel cannot be sized large enough to achieve this, such that there are doubts as to whether this known system even functions. Since the collecting basin has a relatively large volume, the vacuum pump would also have to be designed fairly large. In any case, because of this large volume, the unit producing the discharge mass would only be able to be used--if at all--at relatively long periods of time.
In the known system, there are also a number of devices necessary that make the entire system not only awkward and prone to trouble, but also quite costly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a discharge system having a simplified design when compared to that discussed above and which has reduced costs of manufacture and operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a diagram of the discharge system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the discharge system of the present invention housed in the unit located on producing the discharge mass or wastes (i.e. a toilet).
FIG. 3 shows a diagram of the discharge system of the present invention contained in a separate disposable block and attached to the unit producing the discharge mass or wastes.
FIG. 4 show a diagram of the discharge system of the present invention contained in the seat of a toilet basin.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
First of all, a significant advantage of the present invention is that a relatively small vacuum-creating device can be used. This is due to the fact that the intermediate container can have a relatively small volume, a matter of a few liters, and thus only a small volume needs to be evacuated. When the intermediate container is placed under sufficient vacuum, the discharge mass is sucked into the intermediate container, and thereafter by introducing compressed air into the intermediate container, the discharge mass or wastes contained in the intermediate container are pushed into the collecting basin. In this way the discharge system of the present invention can be manufactured at lower cost due in part to the use of a smaller vacuum pump. In addition, the discharge system of the present invention enables the unit producing the discharge mass to be operated at relatively short intervals of time.
The present invention will now be described by referring to FIG. 1 where a toilet basin 1 equipped with a known flushing system (not described in detail) is used as the unit for producing a discharge mass. At the discharge end of the toilet bowl 1 there is a valve 5 that leads via a pipe 7 to an intermediate container 17 in which a vacuum device, such as a vacuum pump, is arranged either in the immediate vicinity of the immediate container 17 or connected thereto by a short pipe with valve. The vacuum device 6 is designed in such a way that the interior of the intermediate container 17 can be evacuated quickly. Any gases sucked off or removed by the action of the vacuum device can also be fed into the collecting basin 9. An ejector can be used as the vacuum device that is activated via the already existing compressed air installation. Further, a pipe 15 leads into the collecting basin 17 via a valve 20, and this pipe is connected to the compressed air network or a compressed air generating means 13.
FIG. 1 shows in diagram form: control pipes for the valves as well as measuring and command pipes (in solid lines) that lead to a control (not shown). A typical operation of the discharge system of the present invention for removal of wastes from a toilet bowl will now be described by reference to FIG. 1. First, the actual flushing step is initiated, during which the valve 5 is closed. At this point in time the vacuum pump 6 has already evacuated the interior of the intermediate container 17 and valves 20 and 8 are closed. Next, valve 5 is opened in such a way that the discharge mass or wastes makes its way as a result of the partial vacuum (i.e. negative pressure) via the pipe 7 into the intermediate container 17. Then, the valve 5 is closed and valves 8 and 20 are opened in such a way that the compressed air pushes the discharge mass or wastes out of the intermediate container 17 into the collecting basin.
The collecting basin 9 can have a volume of 100 liters or more. On the other hand, the intermediate container 17 can have a content of a few liters, for example, 1-5 liters. Only a fraction of a liter of flush water (i.e., 0.1 to 0.9 liters) is needed for the flushing step itself in the discharge system according to the present invention.
FIGS. 2-4 show alternative arrangements for the discharge system of the present invention, where some or all of the pipes, all of the valves, the intermediate container and the vacuum device are arranged in the immediate vicinity of the toilet basin, i.e., either in the seat area (FIG. 4) or below the bowl in, for example, a housing 11 (FIG. 2). FIG. 3 show an arrangement where the discharge system of the present invention is contained within a disposable block or housing 12 secured to, for example, a toilet bowl. In the arrangements of FIGS. 2-4, the collecting bin 9 and the pipe 10 leading thereto can be located a distance from discharge system of the present invention. These arrangements are particularly significant when considering installations in vehicles in which space problems already occur. For example, the present invention is particularly useful for rail-bound vehicles and for overland buses.
In a preferred application of the present invention, the compressed air system already existing in rail vehicles can be use to provide the compressed air to pipe 15, where a pump with mechanically moving parts is not required, but rather an ejector can be used. This means that instead of mechanical pumps, only valves are needed. In addition, the on-board electrical system of rail-bound vehicles provides a relatively high pressure in such a way that on the one hand, the desired high vacuum output is possible and, on the other hand, the conveying step of the produced discharge mass from the Intermediate container into the discharge container can be carried out reliably. Finally, the fact that relatively little flushing water is needed in the discharge system of the present invention is particularly significant in the case of frost-endangered places. | A discharge system for discharging wastes from a unit producing such wastes, such as a toilet, is disclosed. The system includes a device for creating a partial vacuum, an intermediate container and a collecting basin connected together by pipelines and valves in an arrangement which permits the use of an immediate container having a relatively small volume thereby permitting the use of a smaller vacuum pump. The discharge system is particularly useful for rail-bound vehicles and overland buses. | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to resealable containers such as those used for the storage of food stuffs.
Containers for the storage of food in household refrigerators or freezers are well known to the prior art. Ideally such containers are inexpensive, easy to fill and to seal, and of a shape which makes efficient use of the space in the refrigerator or freezer in question. The least expensive containers are plastic bags which may be sealed by any of a number of methods. Although these containers are inexpensive, they are difficult to fill without an additional supporting apparatus. In addition, due to their non-rigid shape they are difficult to stack in the refrigerator or freezer; hence they are inefficient in their space utilization.
Numerous reusable rigid wall plastic containers are also known to the prior art. These containers are expensive, but reusable. They are easy to fill and seal and stack well in the refrigerator or freezer. However, they tend to loose their shape after several washings in modern dishwashers. As a result, they begin seal poorly and must be discarded. Ideally, one would like to have an inexpensive disposable or semi-disposable container which is rigid and rectangular in shape for efficient use of storage space. Unfortunately, the cost of shipping such rigid containers places a lower limit on their cost.
Many foodstuffs come in containers which must be discarded after use. Ideally, these containers could be used at least once for food storage after they are emptied of their original contents. For example, milk and other liquids are sold in leakproof paper containers of a standard size. Unfortunately, when emptied, these containers are of little use. The opening provided for dispensing milk or other material from these containers is usually too small to allow easy refilling, and more importantly no way is provided for reestablishing a substantially airtight seal. Various forms of sealing materials can be used to seal these containers such as aluminum foil; however, containers covered with a flexible sealing material are difficult to stack on top of each other and obtaining and maintaining a good seal is not easy.
Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive, easily resealable container which can also be easily stacked on top of one another in a refrigerator or like space.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means for recycling containers of the type used for packaging milk or other liquids.
These and other objects of the present invention will become evident from the following detailed description of the invention and accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention consists of a unique resealable container, a method for converting a standard container of the type commonly used for packaging milk or other liquids into the resealable container of the present invention, and an apparatus for carrying out this method. By starting with a container which is already present in the consumer's home, the present invention avoids the costs of shipping which would otherwise determine the minimum cost of such a rigid wall food storage container. The resealable container consists of a rectangular box having four flaps and a closing band for sealing the box. The closing band holds the flaps in their closed position. The container may be produced by making six cuts in a standard container of the type normally used to package milk or the like. The cuts are made with the apparatus of the present invention using an ordinary kitchen knife. The apparatus of the present invention supports the container during the cutting process and guides the knife to assure that the cuts are made in the correct locations.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a resealable container according to the present invention in a closed configuration.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a resealable container according to the present invention in an open configuration.
FIG. 3(a) is a first view of a container which can be used as a starting container for constructing the container of the present invention.
FIG. 3(b) is a side view of the container shown in FIG. 3(a).
FIG. 4 illustrates the conversion of a standard container of the type used to package milk into a resealable container according to the method of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention which is used in making the conversion shown in FIG. 4.
FIGS. 6(a), (b), and (c) are top, side and front views, respectively, of the apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 7(a) is a cross-sectional view of the starting container shown in FIG. 3 illustrating the insertion of the apparatus of FIG. 5 into said container.
FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view of the starting container illustrating the use of the apparatus of FIG. 5 to remove the top of the starting container.
FIG. 7(c) is a cross-sectional view of the starting container illustrating the use of the apparatus of the present invention to make the cut for forming the closing band of the resealable container.
FIG. 7(d) is a cross-sectional view of the starting container illustrating the use of the apparatus of the present invention for making the last four cuts needed to convert the starting container into a resealable container according to the present invention.
FIG. 7(e) is a top plan view of the starting container and apparatus as shown in FIG. 7(d).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The resealable container of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 at 10 in its sealed configuration and at 12 FIG. 2 in its open configuration. Referring to FIG. 2, the resealable container 10 has a rectangular bottom 14 having front and back edges, which are of length w and left and right edges, which are of length d. The front edge is shown at 16. The right edge is shown at 20. The container 10 has four vertical sides, a front side 24, a right side 26, a back side 28 and a left side 30. Each vertical side is joined to said bottom and to the vertical sides adjacent to said vertical side.
Each vertical side is also joined to a flap which is hingedly connected to said vertical side along the top edge of said vertical side. The front flap 32 is joined to the upper edge 31 of the front side. It has a width of w and a length of d or less. Similarly, the left flap 36 and right flap 34 are joined respectively to the left side 30 and the right side 26 at the upper edge of the side in question. The left flap 36 and right flap 34 each have widths of d and lengths of w or less. The back flap 38 is joined to the back side 28 at the upper edge of said back flap. Back flap 38 has a width of w and a length of d.
A closing band 40 is attached to the upper end of the back flap 38 such that the upper edge of the closing band 41 and the upper edge of the back flap 46 lie in the same plane. The circumference of the closing band 40 is equal to twice the height h of the container plus twice the width w of the container. In the preferred embodiment, the closing band 40 is a rectangular band having a height t, a right side 42 and a left side 44 each of length h and a front side of length w and a back side of width w. In the preferred embodiment, the closing band 40 is formed as an integral part of the back flap 38. Embodiments in which the closing band 40 is formed separately and then attached to said back flap will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
The resealable container is sealed by bending the left and right flaps 34, 36 inward so as to cover the opening 50 in the top of the container. The front flap 32 is then likewise bent inward. Finally the back flap 38 is bend toward the front side 24. The closing band 40 encircles right side 26, the bottom 14 and the left side 30 thus securing the back flap 38 on top of flaps 32, 34 and 36. The closing band 40 must be made of a material which is sufficiently flexible to allow the closing band to slide over the front edge 16. Similarly, the height, t, of the closing band must be sufficiently small to allow the closing band to slide over the front edge 16, while also being sufficiently large to provide structural strength to the closing band. In the preferred embodiment, the entire resealable container 10 is made from leakproof paper, and the height of the closing band is chosen to be approximately 25% of the length d of the container 10.
The resealable container 10 of the present invention may be constructed from any starting container made of an appropriate material which has a rectangular base having a width, w, and a depth, d, and vertical rectangular sides having a length, L, greater than h plus d, where h is the height of the resealable container as described above. Where the resealable container is constructed from a starting container as hereinafter described, the height of the resealable container, h, must equal the depth, d, of the starting container to enable closing band 40 to function properly. In the preferred embodiment, a leakproof paper starting container of the type commonly used to package milk or other liquids is used. Such a container is shown in FIG. 3.
Referring to FIG. 4, the starting container 60 is converted into the resealable container 10 of the present invention by making six (6) cuts in the starting container. Referring to FIG. 4, the first cut removes the top of the starting container 60 leaving an open topped container of height h plus d, or 2×d. This cut is made in a plane 62 parallel to the bottom 64 of the starting container at a height of h plus d above said bottom.
The second cut is made in a plane 66 parallel to the bottom 64 of the starting container. This plane is at a height of h plus d minus t above said bottom, where t is the thickness of the closing band 40 as defined above. Only the front side, left side, and right side of the starting container 60 are cut in this second cut. The back side 68 of the starting container 60 is not cut. This second cut forms the closing band 40 and defines the top edges of flanges 32, 34 and 36.
The next four cuts complete the formation of flaps 32, 34, and 36 and also back flap 38. The third cut is made along the line 70 formed by the intersection of the of the front side 72 and the right side 74 of the starting container. The cut is made from the point 75 at which this line intersects the plane 66 and a point 76 which is at a distance h above the bottom 64 of said starting container.
Similarly, the fourth cut is made along the line formed by the intersection of the front side 72 of the starting container and the left side of the starting container which is not visible in FIG. 4. The cut is made from the point at which this line intersects the plane 66 and the point on said line which is at a distance h above the bottom 64 of said starting container.
Likewise, the fifth cut is made along the line formed by the intersection of the back side 68 of the starting container and the left side of the starting container which is not visible in FIG. 3. The cut is made from the point at which this line intersects the plane 66 and the point on said line which is at a distance h above the bottom 64 of said starting container.
Finally, the sixth cut is made along the line 80 formed by the intersection of the back side 68 and the right side 74 of the starting container. The cut is made from the point 84 at which this line intersects the plane 66 and a point 82 which is at a distance h above the bottom 64 of said starting container.
The apparatus of the preferred embodiment of the present invention for facilitating the making of the above cuts using a cutting tool, such as a kitchen knife, is shown in FIG. 5. The apparatus consists of a rigid module 90 which is inserted into the starting container. Module 90 may be constructed out of rigid plastic formed using conventional molding techniques or constructed in other ways well known in the art. Transparent plastic may be used in constructing module 90. As seen in FIG. 5, module 90 has four sides 96, 97, 98, and 99. A slot 94 is formed through sides 96, 97, and 99. Sides 97 and 98, which are referred to as the long sides, are of a height equal to h plus d. Sides 96 and 99 which are referred to as the short sides, are of a height h. The module 90 is shown in in top, side, and front views in FIGS. 6(a), 6(b), and 6(c), respectively.
The module 90 supports the starting container during the cutting operations and provides six surfaces for guiding the cutting tool during the six cutting operations described above. The first cut is made by guiding the cutting tool along the surface 92. The second cut is made by guiding the cutting tool through the slot 94. Cuts three through six are made by guiding the cutting tool along the edges 101, 102, 103, and 104 of the module 90, once the position of module 90 has been reversed in the starting container, as described below.
More specifically with reference to FIG. 7(a), the module 90 is first inserted into a starting container whose top has been fully opened, shown at 112, with the surface 92 of module 90 being nearest the top of the starting container 112. Preferrably, module 90 is sized to create a snug fit when it is inserted into the starting container 112. The top of the starting container is then removed by cutting the starting container 112 using a cutting tool guided by the surface 92 as shown at 116 as shown in FIG. 7(b). The closing band is then formed as an integrated part of the back flap 38 by cutting the starting container 112 with the cutting tool guided by slot 94 as shown at 118 in FIG. 7(c). The back side 98 of the module shown, in FIG. 5, prevents the cutting tool from completely cutting through the starting container during this second cut.
The module 90 is then removed from the starting container, inverted, and re-inserted in the starting container 112 as shown in FIG. 7(d). The closing band is bent out of the way so as not to interfere with the remaining 4 cuts. The closing band is not shown in FIG. 7. The two long sides of the module 96 and 99 support the starting container and provide surfaces for guiding the cutting tool during cuts three through 6. Each cut is made by guiding the cutting tool 124 along the appropriate long side of the module 90 as shown in FIG. 7(e) until it is stopped by the edge of the short side of the module. For example, the third cut described above is made by guiding the cutting tool along the edge of the module side 99 until it reaches the edge of the short side 97 at point 130. After cuts three through six are completed, the module is removed from the starting container, and the resealable container of the present invention is then useable.
To assist in cutting, chamfers or beveled edges may be formed in module 90 as at 200 in FIG. 5. A chamfer surface of 45° is typical. Such beveled edges enable the cutting knife to be easily guided into the slot initially and thereafter guided down the cutting edge during cutting.
Various modifications of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention as claimed. | A unique resealable container is described together with a method for converting a standard container of the type commonly used for packaging milk or other liquids into said container. An apparatus for carrying out this method is also described. The resealable container consists of a rectangular box having four flaps and a closing band for sealing the box. The closing band holds the flaps in their closed position. The container may be produced by making six cuts in a standard container of the type normally used to package milk or the like. The cuts are made with the apparatus of the present invention using an ordinary kitchen knife. The apparatus of the present invention supports the container during the cutting process and guides the knife to assure that the cuts are made in the correct locations. | 1 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a steerable drill bit arrangement, in particular for the use in drilling boreholes for oil and gas extraction.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] To extract oil and gas from underground reserves, it is necessary to drill a borehole into the reserve. Traditionally, the drilling rig would be located above the reserve (or the location of a suspected reserve) and the borehole drilled vertically (or substantially vertically) into the reserve. The reference to substantially vertically covers the typical situation in which the drill bit deviates from a linear path because of discontinuities in the earth or rock through which the borehole is being drilled.
[0003] Later, steerable drilling systems were developed which allowed the determination of a path for the drill bit to follow which was non-linear, i.e. it became possible to drill to a chosen depth and then to steer the drill bit along a curve until the drill was travelling at a desired angle, and perhaps horizontally. Steerable drill bits therefore allow the recovery of oil and gas from reserves which were located underneath areas in which a drilling rig could not be located.
[0004] To facilitate drilling operations, a drilling fluid (called “mud”) is pumped into the borehole. The mud is pumped from the drilling rig through the hollow drill string, the drill string being made up of pipe sections connecting the drill bit to the drilling rig. The mud exits the drill string at the drill bit and serves to lubricate and cool the drill bit, as well as flushing away the drill cuttings. The mud and the entrained drill cuttings flow to the surface around the outside of the drill string, specifically within the annular region between the drill string and the borehole wall.
[0005] To allow the mud to return to the surface, the drill string is of smaller cross-sectional diameter than the borehole. In a 6 inch (approx. 15 cm) borehole, for example, the outer diameter of the bottom hole assembly will typically be 4.75 inches (approx. 12 cm), with the majority of the drill string comprising drill pipe sections of smaller diameter.
[0006] It is necessary to stabilise such a drill string, i.e. during drilling (when the drill string rotates) the gap between the drill string and the borehole wall allows the drill string to move transversely relative to the borehole, possibly causing directional errors in the borehole, damage to the drill string, and/or lack of uniformity in the cross-section of the borehole. To avoid this, stabilizers are included at spaced locations along the length of the drill string, the stabilizers having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the borehole (e.g. a diameter of 5 31/32 inches (15.16 cm) for a 6 inch (15.24 cm) borehole, or 1/32 of an inch (0.08 cm) less than the diameter of the borehole). The stabilizers substantially prevent the unwanted transverse movement of the drill string. To allow the passage of mud the stabilizers necessarily include channels, which are usually helical.
[0007] Stabilizers such as those described above are available for example from Darron Oil Tools Limited, of Canklow Meadows, West Bawtry Road, Rotherham, S60 2XL, England (GB).
[0008] An early steering arrangement employed a downhole mud motor and a bent housing, in which only the drill bit would rotate (driven by the mud motor for which the motive force is the flow of the drilling fluid). Such arrangements have the disadvantage that the non-rotating drill string incurs greater frictional resistance to movement along the borehole, which limits the horizontal reach of the system.
[0009] Another early system utilised the effect of gravity upon the drill string to “steer” the drill bit towards and away from the vertical. However, this system had the major shortcoming of not allowing steering of the drill bit in the horizontal direction.
[0010] More recent systems employ a steering component having actuators which are controlled from the surface, and which act directly or indirectly upon the borehole wall to push the drill string transversely relative to the borehole. The drill bit is also be pushed transversely, and can therefore be forced to deviate from a linear path, in any direction, (i.e. upwards, downwards and sidewards).
[0011] In some of these systems the outer part of the steering component (i.e. that part which can engage the borehole wall) is arranged to rotate with the drill string, and in others the outer part of the steering component does not rotate with the drill string.
[0012] A steering component with a non-rotating outer part is described in EP-A-1 024 245. This system has a pipe through which mud can flow towards the drill bit, and a sleeve surrounding the pipe. The sleeve carries actuators which act upon the pipe within the sleeve to decentralise the drill string.
[0013] Such systems are generally known as “push the bit” systems, since the steering component pushes the drill bit sideways relative to the borehole.
[0014] A disadvantage of the “push the bit” systems is that the drill bit is designed to work most efficiently when it is urged longitudinally against the earth or rock, and “push the bit” systems force the drill bit to move transversely, so that a transverse cutting action is required in addition to the longitudinal cutting action. The result is that the borehole wall becomes roughened and/or striated, which can affect the drilling operation by impairing the passage of the stabilizers, and can also detrimentally affect the operation of downhole measuring tools which are required to contact the borehole wall.
[0015] To overcome this disadvantage, systems known as “point the bit” have been developed, in which a stabilizer is added between the steering component and the drill bit, the stabilizer acting as a fulcrum and reducing or eliminating the transverse force component acting upon the drill bit, so ensuring that the drill bit would always be cutting longitudinally. Thus, in “point the bit” systems, the axis of the drill bit is substantially aligned with the axis of the borehole whether a steering force is being applied or not.
[0016] “Point the bit” steering arrangements have been used successfully in many drilling operations. However, as with other steering arrangements they have the disadvantage that the degree of curvature they are able to provide is dependent to large extent upon the structure of the rock through which the borehole is being drilled. Thus, in softer rock there is a significant tendency for the hole to be made oversize, in particular by the undesirable cutting action of the stabilizers, and an oversize borehole will affect the steering force which can be applied at the bit.
[0017] Also, if the borehole is required to pass from softer rock into harder rock with the border between the two rock types being at a shallow angle to the longitudinal axis of the drill bit, the drill bit will tend to deviate from the desired curvature as it moves more easily in the softer rock and tends to move along the border rather than through it. It is rare for a borehole to be drilled through rock of consistent hardness, so that the variable conditions present a significant disadvantage to users of the known steering arrangements and reduce the drilling accuracy (both in terms of direction and size of the borehole) which can be obtained from such systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0018] The present inventors have realised that in “point the bit” arrangements the positions of the steering component and stabilizer in relation to the drill bit has a significant effect upon the drilling performance in each type of rock encountered, and that different relative positions can be used in different types of rock to achieve a greater accuracy in the direction and size of the borehole.
[0019] It is therefore the object of the present invention to reduce or avoid the above-stated disadvantage with the known drill steering systems, and in particular the known “point the bit” steering systems.
[0020] According to the invention, therefore, there is provided a steerable drill bit arrangement comprising a drill bit, a steering component and a stabilizer, the steering component comprising means to drive the drill bit along a non-linear path, the stabilizer being located between the drill bit and the steering component and providing a fulcrum for steering forces provided by the steering component, characterised in that the position of the fulcrum provided by the stabilizer is adjustable relative to the drill bit and the steering component.
[0021] Adjustment of the position of the fulcrum relative to the drill bit and the steering component alters the mechanical advantage and therefore the performance of the steering arrangement. Specifically, the present inventors have realised that if the fulcrum is closer to the steering component and further from the drill bit the deviation rate or curvature of the borehole is large but the lateral force upon the drill bit is small, whereas if the stabilizer is closer to the drill bit and further from the steering component the deviation rate is small but the lateral force upon the drill bit is large, and the drill bit can for example be forced to deviate from softer rock into harder rock.
[0022] The stabilizer preferably comprises a pipe through which drilling mud can flow towards the drill bit and a number of blades which can engage the surface of a borehole being drilled. Preferably, the blades are located at one end of the stabilizer and the orientation of the stabilizer can be reversed to alter the position of the blades relative to the drill bit and the steering component. Since it is the blades which engage the borehole which act as the fulcrum for the drill string, reversing such a stabilizer will alter the relative position of the fulcrum. The steerable drill bit arrangement allows the stabilizer to be located between the drill bit and the steering component in either of two orientations, the relative position of the fulcrum being determined upon assembly of the bottom hole assembly at the surface.
[0023] Alternatively, the position of the fulcrum can be adjusted remotely, for example downhole, perhaps by allowing the blades of the stabilizer to move relative to the pipe. Such movement can be longitudinal, i.e. the blades comprising the fulcrum can be arranged to slide along the pipe (towards/away from the drill bit and away from/towards the steering component respectively) between one of two (or more) positions of use. Alternatively, such movement can be radial, i.e. the stabilizer can have two (or more) sets of blades which are selectively retracted or expanded so that only a chosen set of blades, at a chosen position relative to the drill bit and steering component, engage the surface of the borehole.
[0024] Preferably, the leading and trailing edges of the blades of the stabilizer are tapered or curved to match the maximum design curvature of the borehole. Thus, the corners present at the leading and trailing edges of the blades are removed, avoiding the tendency of these corners to cut into the borehole and inadvertently increase the diameter of the borehole. It has been discovered that such shaping of the blades is required in the present arrangement since the deviation rate of the borehole is far greater than with prior arrangements, increasing the likelihood that the leading and trailing edges of the blades would otherwise cut into the surface of the borehole.
[0025] With the present arrangement it is therefore possible to set the position of the stabilizer (or more properly the fulcrum point provided by the stabilizer) to suit the rock type being drilled and the deviation rate required. The rock type being drilled can readily be determined by examination of the drill cuttings or from conventional downhole analysis.
[0026] In test drilling through a block of concrete, a deviation rate of up to 300 per hundred feet has been achieved with the present arrangement, which is at least three times greater than could normally be achieved with prior art systems.
[0027] There is also provided a stabilizer for use in a steerable drill bit arrangement, the stabilizer having a first end part comprising a pipe through which drilling mud can flow towards the drill bit and a second end part having a number of blades which can engage the surface of a borehole being drilled, the stabilizer having a first end connector adapted for connection to a drill bit and a second end connector adapted for connection to the steering component, the first end connector and the second end connector being similarly-formed so that alternatively the first end connector can be connected to the steering component and the second end connector connected to the drill bit. Providing similarly-formed connectors at both ends of the stabilizer allow the stabilizer to be reversible, and this provides an easy and effective way to adjust the position of the fulcrum provided by the stabilizer when used between a steering component and a drill bit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0029] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the arrangement according to the invention, in a first orientation;
[0030] FIG. 2 shows a representation as FIG. 1 , in a second orientation;
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a side view of a stabilizer used in the arrangement, and shows a side view of the stabilizer body prior to machining of the blades.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] The steerable drill bit arrangement 10 according to the invention comprises a drill bit 12 , a stabilizer 14 and a steering component 16 . The drill bit 12 can be of any known design suited to drilling through the rock type to be encountered.
[0033] The steering component 16 comprises a pipe 20 and a sleeve 22 , and serves to decentralise the pipe 20 within the sleeve (and therefore also the borehole (not shown)), so that the drill bit 12 is forced to deviate from a linear path. For example, if the steering component 16 is used to force the pipe 20 downwardly in the orientation shown, then the drill bit 12 will be forced upwardly, the stabilizer 14 acting as the fulcrum.
[0034] In known fashion, the pipe 20 , the stabilizer 14 , and the other pipe sections which make up the drill string, are hollow so as to allow the passage of mud from the surface to the drill bit 12 . Also, the steering component 16 and the stabilizer 14 include channels 24 which permit the passage of mud (and entrained drill cuttings) from the drill bit 12 back to the surface.
[0035] In preferred embodiments the steering component 16 is constructed as described in EP-A-1 024 245, which document is incorporated by reference herein, and which steering component will not be described further.
[0036] As in all “point the bit” drilling arrangements, the stabilizer 14 is located between the drill bit 12 and the steering component 16 , and so acts as a fulcrum for the drill string, causing the drill bit 12 to be urged to deviate from a linear path when the steering component 16 moves the pipe 20 relative to the sleeve 22 .
[0037] In this embodiment, the stabilizer 14 comprises a pipe section 26 , only one end of which carries blades 30 . As with other stabilizers, the maximum diameter of the blades 30 is designed to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the borehole drilled by the drill bit 12 . Both ends 32 and 34 of the stabilizer 14 are correspondingly formed (preferably with a tapered female threaded opening as commonly used in drill strings) so as to connect to both of the drill bit 12 and to the steering component 16 , so that the stabilizer 14 can be fitted into the drill string in one of two orientations. In the first orientation shown in FIG. 1 the blades are close to the drill bit 12 , whilst in the second orientation shown in FIG. 2 they are further from the drill bit 12 (and correspondingly closer to the steering component 16 ).
[0038] The operation of the steerable drill bit arrangement according to the invention can be represented by a simple geometrical model. Using FIGS. 1 and 2 , the force applied by the steering component 16 acts at its approximate centre-line B, the fulcrum is provided at the approximate centre-line of the stabilizer 14 at plane F, and the resultant force on the drill bit 20 acts approximately at plane A. The distance between planes A and F in the orientation of FIG. 1 is x 1 , and the distance between planes B and F is y.
[0039] The mechanical advantage (M) of such an arrangement is given by:
[0000] M=y 1 /x 1 ,
[0000] so that the transverse force applied to the drill bit 12 is y 1 /x 1 times the transverse force applied by the steering component 16 .
[0040] Also, the ratio of the resultant transverse deflection at the drill bit (ΔA) to the applied transverse deflection at the steering component (ΔB) is:
[0000] Δ A/ΔB=x 1 /y 1
[0041] In the orientation of FIG. 2 , on the other hand, the distance between planes A and F is x 2 and the distance between planes B and F is y 2 .
[0042] The mechanical advantage (M) of the arrangement in this orientation is given by:
[0000] M=y 2 /x 2 ,
[0000] so that the transverse force applied to the drill bit is y/x times the transverse force applied by the steering component, and the ratio of the resultant transverse deflection at the drill bit (ΔA) to the applied transverse deflection at the steering component (ΔB) is:
[0000] Δ A/ΔB=x 2 /y 2
[0043] It will be understood that the greater the (steering) force which can be applied at the drill bit 12 the smaller will be the resulting deflection at the drill bit, and therefore the smaller the deviation rate or curvature of the drilled borehole.
[0044] In the orientation of FIG. 1 therefore, the mechanical advantage, and the transverse force which can be applied to the drill bit, is large. This orientation is therefore suitable for ensuring that the drill bit most closely follows the desired path through rock types of varying hardness, the arrangement being particularly suitable for driving the drill bit through an angled interface from softer rock into harder rock. In the orientation of FIG. 2 on the other hand the mechanical advantage is lower but the applied deflection is greater so that the deviation rate or curvature of the borehole is also larger.
[0045] In one practical embodiment the dimension x 1 is approximately 12 inches (30.5 cm), the dimension y 1 is approximately 36 inches (91.4 cm), the dimension x 2 is approximately 20 inches (50.8 cm), the dimension y 2 is approximately 28 inches (71.1 cm), giving two possible mechanical advantages for such an embodiment of approximately 3 and 1.4.
[0046] It has been determined that arrangements in which the mechanical advantage can be altered from around 1 to around 4 will enable the arrangement to satisfy the requirements of borehole accuracy and deviation rate for most rock types, but clearly mechanical advantages outside this range could be used if this is determined to be appropriate for particular applications.
[0047] Also, it is expected that the arrangement requires only two different mechanical advantages, i.e. two different relative positions for the fulcrum, and an arrangement such as that of FIGS. 1 and 2 provides only two possible adjustment positions. However, more than two adjustment positions can be provided by the use of spacers between the drill bit and stabilizer and/or between the stabilizer and the steering component, the spacers being movable between these two positions.
[0048] In the above-described arrangements, the distance between the drill bit 12 and the steering component 16 remains the same and this reduces the complexity of the calculations of mechanical advantage which are undertaken. However, if spacers are used the addition or removal of a spacer from the drill string can vary that distance and affect the resulting mechanical advantage.
[0049] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the blades 30 are fixed upon the pipe section 26 , and so adjustment of the mechanical advantage can only be undertaken at the surface. This will be acceptable in many applications where the rock type being drilled is not too variable.
[0050] In other embodiments it is arranged that the stabilizer can be adjusted downhole. One suitable embodiment would have the blades carried by a sleeve which can be driven along the pipe section, the sleeve having two (or more) designated positions in which it can be secured relative to the pipe section during drilling operations. Another suitable embodiment would utilise two (or more) sets of blades which can be moved radially between an extended position in which they can engage the borehole and a retracted condition in which they cannot engage the borehole, the stabilizer being controlled to cause a selected one of the sets of blades to engage the borehole at a given time.
[0051] The form of the preferred embodiment of the blades of the stabilizer 14 are shown in FIG. 3 . Thus, whilst for simplicity the blades 30 (and channels 24 ) in FIGS. 1 and 2 are shown to be linear, in most practical embodiments the blades (and therefore also the channels therebetween) will be helical in common with most conventional stabilizers. Importantly, in the present arrangement the leading and trailing ends of the blades are tapered rather then ending at a 90° corner. The taper is relatively shallow, and designed to match the maximum curvature of the borehole (e.g. 30° per hundred feet). In practice, this will result in the removal of material to a depth of up to around ten thousandths of an inch (around one quarter of a millimetre), but the removal of even this small amount of material will avoid the tendency of the corners of the leading and trailing edges of the blades to cut into the borehole and inadvertently increase the diameter of the borehole.
[0052] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the stabilizer body prior to machining of the blades 30 , for the purpose of showing the taper applied to the blades (though it will be understood that in some cases the blades are machined before the taper). Ideally, the edge of the blades 30 should be curved with a radius of curvature corresponding to the maximum curvature of the drilled hole, such curvature reducing the likelihood that the leading or trailing edges 36 will cut into the borehole. In practice, however, it is easier to taper the edges of the blades, and it has been found that a central non-tapered section 40 , a first tapered section 42 to either side thereof, and a second tapered section 44 at the ends of the blades 30 provides sufficient curvature.
[0053] The length of the sections 40 , 42 and 44 along the longitudinal axis A-A of the stabilizer 14 can be varied, as can the relative angles between neighbouring sections, to suit the particular application and degree of curvature required. Typically, the smaller the borehole diameter the greater the curvature desired, so that the relative angles between the neighbouring sections would typically be greater in a smaller diameter stabilizer.
[0054] In one stabilizer 14 , the diameter of the central section 40 is nominally 5.974 inches (15.174 cm), the diameter at the junction between the sections 42 and 44 is nominally 5.946 inches (15.103 cm), and the diameter at the leading and trailing edges 36 is nominally 5.912 inches (15.016 cm).
[0055] It will be understood that the drilling of an oversize borehole has a direct effect upon the deviation rate which can be achieved at the drill bit 12 ; with an oversize borehole the predetermined deflection of the pipe 20 within the sleeve 22 of the steering component 16 will result in a smaller than expected deflection at the drill bit 12 both because the sleeve 22 must first be moved laterally to engage the oversize borehole, and also because the stabilizer 14 will move laterally before it begins to act as a fulcrum.
[0056] Tests conducted prior to filing the patent application have demonstrated that orientations such as that of FIG. 2 (having a lower mechanical advantage) are less likely to drill an oversize borehole in most of the rock types likely to be encountered. An oversize borehole arises not only because of the cutting effect of the stabilizer blades, but also because of unwanted vibrations induced into the drill bit and stabilizer during drilling.
[0057] The type of drill bit used, and the rock type being drilled, will also both affect the likelihood of drilling an oversize borehole. In a test drilling on concrete a 6⅛ inch (15.56 cm) hole was drilled with the arrangement in the orientation of FIG. 2 which was measured at only approximately 15 thousandths of an inch (0.038 cm) oversize.
[0058] Because of the accuracy of the sizing of the borehole which is achievable with use of the present invention, and in particular by matching the mechanical advantage of the steering arrangement to the rock type being drilled, certain other modifications to the bottom hole assembly can be made. For example, a tricone drill bit was used to which lug pads were added. Lug pads are known to be used to add stability to such drill bits, but generally it is understood that the addition of lug pads will reduce the deviation rate achievable. With the present invention, however, by matching the mechanical advantage of the steering arrangement to the rock type being drilled, the deviation rate was increased by the addition of lug pads (it is understood because of the improved accuracy of sizing of the borehole and the consequent effect that had upon the deviation rate at the drill bit).
[0059] When using a stabilizer adjacent to the drill bit as in the present invention, it is desired that the stabilizer does not cut into the surface of the borehole, since that would reduce its effectiveness as a fulcrum for steering the drill bit. The removal of material from the leading and trailing edges of the stabilizer blades, and the detailed profiling of the stabilizer blades, is designed to enable the stabilizer blades to provide bearing surfaces rather than cutting surfaces. Alternatively or additionally, the stabilizer can incorporate a rotatable sleeve so that the blades can rotate relative to the pipe and can remain (substantially) stationary relative to the surface of the borehole.
[0060] Also, it is desirable that the stabilizer acts to stabilise the drill bit against unwanted vibrations or other movements during drilling, and (particularly when in the orientation of FIG. 1 ) the stabilizer blades provide a means to dampen out bit oscillations and enable a variety of drill bit designs to be used. Furthermore, if the drill bit is cutting an undersized hole, and notwithstanding that the blades are profiled not to cut, the movement of the stabilizer along the undersized hole will act to ream (increase the diameter of) the borehole, and will ensure that the steering component acts within a more correctly dimensioned borehole.
[0061] It can be arranged that the stabilizer 14 provides a greater, lesser, or equal flow restriction to the mud and entrained drill cuttings than the steering component 24 . For example, the channels 24 in the stabilizer 14 can be of different or similar cross-sectional area to the channels 24 in the steering component 16 , as desired. It may for example be desirable to ensure that the stabilizer is the greatest restriction to the flow of mud and entrained drill cuttings as this will reduce the pressure drop across the steering component 16 and reduce the likelihood of damage to that component. | This invention relates to a steerable drill bit arrangement, in particular for the use in drilling boreholes for oil and gas extraction. According to the invention there is provided a steerable drill bit arrangement comprising a drill bit, a steering component and a stabilizer, the steering component being adapted to provide a steering force which in use can drive the drill bit along a non-linear path, the stabilizer being located between the drill bit and the steering component and in use providing a fulcrum for the steering force provided by the steering component, the position of the fulcrum provided by the stabilizer being adjustable relative to the drill bit and the steering component. In use, the position of the fulcrum can be adjusted to vary the maximum curvature of the borehole and to suit the rock type(s) being drilled. | 4 |
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/703,269, filed Dec. 10, 2012, and claims priority to PCT Application PCT/US2011/039974, filed Jun. 10, 2011, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/353,489, filed Jun. 10, 2010, each of which applications are incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a method of manufacturing pulp and more particularly to a method of manufacturing pulp to be used for making corrugated medium.
[0003] A wide range of methods exist for manufacturing semi-chemical pulp to be used for making a corrugated medium. For example, the high yield hardwood pulps used in manufacturing corrugating medium may be produced using semi-chemical pulping processes including soda/caustic pulping, neutral sulfite semi-chemical (NSSC) pulping, and green liquor pulping. Depending on the manufacturing method used, the pulp yield generally varies from 75 percent(%) to 82% for NSSC pulping and up to 85% to 86% for green liquor and soda/caustic pulping. Typically low yields pulps result from treatment with sulfur containing cooking chemicals, which provide better pulp quality than high yield pulps.
[0004] Standard soda/caustic (SC) pulping is a popular method for puling. SC pulp manufacturing is attractive due to inexpensive cooking chemicals and a relatively easy and simple chemical recovery process. The pulp quality from standard soda/caustic pulping tends to be inferior to the pulp quality generated by NSSC pulping. The pulp quality is a major disadvantage for soda/caustic pulping, especially for paper grades requiring high results for the ring crush test and corrugated medium test (CMT).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A new method and system for soda/caustic pulping has been developed that provides high quality pulp, e.g., higher ring crush and CMT values than typically obtained with the standard soda/caustic pulping. The new method and system may also have the same easy and simple chemical recovery of standard soda/caustic pulping and thereby minimize the environment pollution.
[0006] A method has been conceived to make pulp comprising: cooking chips, e.g., wood chips, in cooking vessel using a soda, caustic or green cooking liquor injected into the cooking vessel; fiberizing the chips discharged from cooking vessel to form a pulp, and removing lignin from the pulp or oxidizing lignin in the pulp by injecting oxygen (O 2 ) into the fiberized chips (pulp). The fiberized chips may be washed to form the pulp adapted to form, for example, a corrugated medium. The method may use cooking liquor that includes one or more of soda (NaOH) and soda ash (Na 2 CO 3 ). The method may also include a mechanical fiberizing process. The pulp may be refined after removing or oxidizing the lignin and used to form corrugated medium. The step of removing or oxidizing the lignin may be performed at a temperature in a range of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (deg. F.) to 300 deg. F. and for a period in a range of 5 minutes to 120 minutes.
[0007] A method has been conceived to make pulp comprising: cooking chips in a cooking vessel using a caustic carbonated pulping cooking liquor injected into the cooking vessel; fiberizing the chips discharged from the cooking vessel to form a fiberized pulp; removing lignin from the pulp or oxidizing lignin in the pulp by injecting oxygen (O 2 ) into the fiberized pulp, and washing the fiberized pulp to form the pulp. The cooking liquor may include at least one of a soda, caustic or green cooking liquor. Further, the cooking liquor may include one or more of soda (NaOH), soda ash (Na 2 CO 3 ) and sodium sulfide (Na 2 S).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method to manufacture pulp.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a table of Pulp Physical Properties resulting from various pulping processes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method 10 to manufacture pulp. The new method comprises soda or soda ash (or both) cooking followed by multistage delignification, for manufacturing corrugated medium from wood chips.
[0011] Wood chips 12 (or other comminuted cellulosic fibrous material—collectively referred to as “chips”) may be a mixed-blend of wood from various species of hardwood, deciduous trees including, but not limited to, ash, aspen, beech, basswood, birch, black cherry, black walnut, butternut, buckeye, chestnut, cottonwood, dogwood, elm, eucalyptus, gmelina, hackberry, hickory, holly, locust, magnolia, maple, oak, poplar, red alder, redbud, royal paulownia, sassafras, sweetgum, sycamore, tupelo, willow, yellow-poplar, and combinations thereof. The wood chips may also comprise wood from various varieties within the species of trees. It is contemplated that other species of hardwood, deciduous trees may be used. It is also contemplated that a single species of hardwood, deciduous trees may be used. Bagasse, straw, kenaf, hemp, and combinations thereof may also be used to form the chips. It is contemplated that the chips may include wood from hardwood, deciduous trees in combination with non-wood fibers including those discussed above. The chips may be supplied from a wood yard or a wood room in a pulping mill.
[0012] The chips are fed using a conventional chip feed system 14 to a cooking vessel 16 , such as a batch digester, a continuous digester, and a Pandia type digester. The chip feed system 14 may add steam 18 and liquor 15 , e.g., water, to the chips being transported through the chip feed system to the cooking vessel.
[0013] The chips are treated in cooking vessel 16 with, for example, regular soda ash (Na 2 CO 3 ) which is added in amount approximately 10% of the bone dry weight (bdw) of the chips added to the vessel 16 . The regular soda ash is added from a liquor supply 20 that injects the soda ash, with the cooking liquor, into the vessel of the cooking system 16 or into the chip feed system 14 upstream of the vessel.
[0014] The chips and cooking liquor are heated in the vessel 16 , such as with steam 18 injected to the vessel to a temperature in a range of 330 degrees (deg.) Fahrenheit (F) to 380 deg. F., or in a range 360 deg. F. to 370 F. The chips are retained in the vessel for a period such as two (2) to fifteen (15) minutes, or 4 to 10 minutes. The chips are mechanically fiberized in a chip fiberizing vessel 17 , such as defiberator or refiner vessel, to a shines content of, for example, 10% to 50%, or 30% to 45%.
[0015] The fiberized chips are discharged from the fiberizing vessel 17 and directed to one or more stages 22 of delignification, such as a continuous or batch chemical reactor(s) 24 . The delignification stages may remove or oxidize the lignin in the fiberized chips using oxidizing agents 26 such as one or more of oxygen, hydrogen peroxide and ozone.
[0016] The fiberized chips from the vessel 17 may be optionally washed 25 using a wash liquid, e.g., water, before entering the delignification stage(s) 22 and washed between each of the individual delignification stages 24 . FIG. 1 shows by the branch “or” in the flow path that the washing or pressing stages 25 are optional, and may precede the delignification stage(s) 22 and be between the individual delignification stages 24 . In particular, FIG. 1 shows alternative flow paths branching at the “or”. The delignification stages 22 may be the same in both braches of the flow path. In particular, each of the delignification stages 22 may add one or more of oxygen (O 2 ) 26 , steam 18 and alkaline solutions 23 to one or more of the individual delignification stages 24 .
[0017] Each of the delignification stages(s) 24 may treat the fiberized chips with oxygen (O 2 ) and maintain the chips at a temperature of, for example, 120 deg. F. to 300 deg. F. or 200 deg. F. to 230 deg. F. These stage(s) 24 may maintain the chips under pressures of 60 pounds per square inch (psig) to 110 psig for a period of 5 to 120 minutes or 20 minutes to 40 minutes at 5% to 45% (or even 10% to 30%) consistency of pulp to liquor.
[0018] The fiberized chips 17 may have a shines content of 35% to 45% after treatment with oxygen (O 2 ) 26 in the delignification stage(s) 22 . The pH level in each of the delignification stages 24 may be alkaline pH. The target pH of the chips being discharged from the delignification stages may be in a range of 7 pH to 12 pH or 8 pH to 10 pH. Downstream of the delignification stages 22 , the oxygen delignified pulp, which may have a shines content of 35% to 45%, is washed 28 and refined 30 before entering a paper machine 32 that forms the pulp into corrugated paper or other corrugated medium.
[0019] Preliminary results have been obtained using the pulping process described above. These results are shown in the table of FIG. 2 . The results indicate a significant improvement in pulp quality using the novel SC pulping process described above. Major physical pulp properties such as Ring Crush, CMT, Mullen, Tensile, and Tear strength were improved by 25% to 40% as compared to standard one stage carbonate pulp for final pulp yields of 75% to 80%. There is a strong correlation between pulp quality improvement and the final yield as well as pulp consistency and degree of pulp washing prior oxygen treatment.
[0020] The oxygen delignification process is described above in the context of a soda, caustic or green (soda/caustic/green) liquor cooking process. This oxygen delignification process is not limited to soda/caustic/green cooking. The oxygen delignification described above may also be applied to all other cooking processes to produce pulp, such as for a corrugated medium.
[0021] While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. | A method to make pulp adapted for forming a corrugated medium, the method includes: cooking chips in a cooking vessel using a caustic carbonated pulping soda/caustic (SC) cooking liquor injected into the cooking vessel; fiberizing the chips discharged from the cooking vessel to form a pulp, and removing lignin from the pulp or oxidizing lignin in the pulp by injecting oxygen (O 2 ) into the fiberized pulp. | 3 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Certain well-known narcotic analgesics belong to the class of 4,5α-epoxymorphinan compounds which have the following basic ring system in which the atoms are numbered as indicated: ##STR2##
The two most familiar compounds of this class are morphine and its 3-methyl ether, codeine, with the structures indicated below: ##STR3##
When the 6-hydroxyl group of each of these compounds is oxidized to an oxo group, the compounds conveniently are referred to as morphinone and codeinone, respectively. When the N-methyl groups of the latter compounds are replaced by other substituent groups they may be referred to as N-substituted normorphinones and norcodeinones, respectively. There are two types of nomenclature commonly used for describing compounds herein. The trivial names, such as morphine or morphinone, are widely accepted and used for the sake of brevity and clarity. The Chemical Abstracts nomenclature is preferred and is used wherever precision is needed.
Compounds having the basic morphine or morphinan nucleus, either with or without the 4,5α-epoxy bridge, are of interest because they may act as strong analgesics, and research into this class of compounds continues in laboratories throughout the world.
Bentley and Hardy disclose in Journal of the American Chemical Society, 89:13, Pp. 3267-73, certain Diels-Alder adducts of thebaine having the formula: ##STR4## where R is methyl or phenyl. It is stated that these compounds possess analgesic activity. This 6,14-endoethenotetrahydrothebaine (oripavine) series of analgesics, as disclosed by Bentley and his coworkers, differs from the compounds of the present invention by the presence of the 6,14-etheno bridge in the oripavines which alters the stereochemistry of the molecules. Furthermore, while both are substituted at the 7-position, the oripavines contain a methyl ether of a tertiary alcohol at C-6 whereas the present compounds are unsubstituted at the 6-position and contain a double bond at C 6 -C 7 .
U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,361 (issued Aug. 31, 1982) discloses 4,5α-epoxy-3-methoxy-7-(1-hydroxyalkyl)-morphinan-6-one compounds of the formula: ##STR5## where R 1 is H or methyl, R 2 is straight or branched chain alkyl of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, aryl, substituted aryl or arylalkyl and R 3 is a straight chain alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms. These compounds differ from those claimed herein in several respects including the presence of a 1-tertiary alcohol rather than a 1-secondary alcohol at the 7-position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Disclosed are 6,7-didehydro-7-(1-hydroxy-pentyl)-3-methoxy-17-methyl-14α-morphinans of the formula: ##STR6## In this formula the OH group can be in the alpha position (projecting below the plane of the molecule) or in the beta position (projecting above the plane of the molecule).
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The method of preparing the compounds disclosed and claimed herein is set out in the following scheme I. According to scheme I, the known 3-methoxy-17-methyl-14α-morphinan-6-one (1) described by Sawa, et al in Tetrahedron, 21, 1133 (1965) is converted to the α,β-unsaturated aldehyde (4). The ketone (1) was heated with dimethylformamide dimethylacetal under the conditions disclosed by Abdulla, et al. in J. Org. Chem., 43, 4248 (1978) to give the dimethylaminomethylene ketone (2). Without purification, compound (2) was treated with butanethiol and p-toluenesulfonic acid in refluxing benzene [Martin, et al., Tet. Lett., 4459 (1976)] to give the corresponding n-butylthiomethylene ketone (3). Reduction of crude (3) with sodium borohydride in methanolic sodium hydroxide solution, followed by acid hydrolysis, as described by Bernstein, in Tet. Lett., 1015 (1979) and Church, et al., J. Org. Chem., 27, 1118 (1962) afforded the α,β-unsaturated aldehyde (4) which was purified by column chromatography. Treatment with n-butyllithium in tetrahydrofuran at -68° C. gave (5), a mixture of diastereomers which were separated by column chromatography.
The synthesis of these compounds is further illustrated by the following examples:
EXAMPLE I
A. Trans-B/C-7-formyl-3-methoxy-17-methyl-6,7-didehydromorphinan (4).
A solution of 3-methoxy-17-methyl-14-α-morphinan-6-one (1) (5.8 g, 0.02 mol) in dimethylformamide dimethylacetal (31 g, 0.26 mol) was heated at 130° C. for 20 hours, then it was cooled and concentrated in vacuo to give (2). NMR δ2.38 (s, ˜3H, N--CH 3 ), 3.17 (s, ˜6H, N (CH 3 ) 2 ), 3.78 (s, 3H, OCH 3 ), 6.8-7.2 (m, 3H, aryl), 7.67 (s, 1H,=CH˜N). A solution of the crude residue in benzene (100 ml) was heated at 80° C. with butanethiol (4.5 ml, 0.04 mol) and p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate (20 mg) for 27 hours. The cooled solution was washed with aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution, dried (Na 2 SO 4 ) and concentrated. A methanol (200 ml) solution of the crude butylthiomethylene derivative (3) was treated with sodium borohydride (5 g) in 0.25 N sodium hydroxide (40 ml). After 3 hours the solution was acidified with 10% sulfuric acid and heated at reflux for 1.5 hours. After basification with ammonium hydroxide, extraction with chloroform, drying (Na 2 SO 4 ), and concentration, a brown oil was obtained. Chromatography (silica gel, chloroform methanol mixtures) of that oil afforded pure (4) (3.4 g, 56% yield). NMR δ0.9-1.3 (m, 1H,), 1.7-3.4 (m's), 2.33 (s, ˜3H, N-CH 3 ), 3.80 (s, 3H, OCH 3 ), 6.7-7.2 (m, 4H, aryl and vinyl), 9.57 (s, 1H, CHO); ir 1675 cm -1 ; ms 297 (32,M + ), 268 (7, M + --CHO), 59 (49), 43 (100). Hydrochloride (ethanol) mp 210° C. (decomp.)
Anal. (C 19 H 23 NO 2 .HCl.0.5 H 2 O.0.5 C 2 H 5 OH), C, H, N, Cl. Calcd: C, 65.64; H, 7.73; N, 3.83; Cl, 9.69. Found: C, 65.96; H, 7.61; N, 3.87; Cl, 9.76.
B. Trans-B/C-7-(1-hydroxypentyl)-3-methoxy-17-methyl-6,7-didehydromorphinan (5).
A solution of (4) (500 mg, 1.7 mmol) in THF (70 ml) was treated with n-butylithium (5 mmol) at -68° C. After 1 hour the mixture was quenched with aqueous ammonium chloride solution, diluted with water, and extracted with chloroform. The organic layers were dried and concentrated. The product was chromatographed (silica gel, chloroform-methanol mixtures) to afford diastereomers (5a) (MLS-5678) OH in the alpha position (35% yield) and (5b) (MLS-5679) OH in the beta position (30% yield).
The assignment of the OH group to the β-position in 5b and to the α-position in 5a is based on the following reasoning: Both diastereomeric alcohols, 5a and 5b, are oxidized to the same ketone 6. Reduction of 6 with sodium borohydride in methanol provides the same mixture of alcohols in unequal amounts. The major product was found to be 5b. From inspection of the model of 6, it appears that the cisoid rotamer would be more stable than the transoid rotamer because of the proximity of the vinyl proton to the α-protons in the latter. In the cisoid rotamer, approach of H - from the β-side is hindered by the C-8 axial proton and is, therefore, unfavored. Approach of H - from the α-side is more likely, and leads to an alcohol with OH in the β-position. In the transoid form of 6, there is no preference for attack at one side or the other. The major product 5b from reduction of 6 should, therefore, be the diastereomer in which the hydroxyl group is in the β-configuration.
5a: NMR δ0.8-3.1 (m's), 2.37 (s, ˜3H, NCH 3 ), 3.78 (s, 3H, OCH 3 ), 4.1 (br t, 1H, >CHOH), 5.7 (m, 1H, vinyl), 6.6-7.1 (m, 3H, aryl); ir (film) 3400 cm -1 ; MS 355 (100,M + ), 340 (18,M + --CH 3 ), 338 (25, M + --OH), 337 (15, M + --H 2 O), 298 (77, M + --C 4 H 9 ), and 268 (40, M + --CH(OH)C 4 H 9 ).
Anal. (C 23 H 34 NO 2 .5), C, H, N. Calcd: C, 75.77; H, 9.42; N, 3.54. Found: C, 73.55; H, 9.42; N, 3.45.
5b: NMR δ0.8-3.4 (m's), 2.47 (s, ˜3H, NCH 3 ), 3.82 (s, 3H, OCH 3 ), 4.1 (br t, 1H, >CHOH), 5.7 (m, 1H, vinyl), 6.7-7.2 (m, 3H, aryl); ir (film) 3400(br)cm -1 ; MS 355, (100, M + ), 340 (18, M + --CH 3 ), 338 (26, M + --OH), 337 (12, M + --OH), 298 (66, M + --C 4 H 9 ), 268 (36, M + --CH(OH)C 4 H 9 ).
Anal. (C 23 H 35 NO 3 ), C, H, N. Calcd: C, 73.94; H, 9.46; N, 3.75. Found: C, 73.55; H, 9.42; N, 3.45.
The IR spectra of 5a and 5b were almost identical. The NMR spectra showed different shapes in the methylene multiplets.
PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION
The present compounds were found to possess particularly potent analgesic effects upon mice in the acetic acid writhing test which was carried out in the following manner:
ACETIC ACID MOUSE WRITHING TEST
The analgesic effects of test compounds were determined in mice by use of the acetic acid writhing test described by B. A. Whittle, Brit. J. Pharmacol., 22: 246 (1964). In this test at least 3 groups of 5 male CD-1 mice each were given subcutaneous doses of the test drug dissolved in either distilled water or distilled water acidified with HCl depending on the solubility of the compound. Fifteen (15) minutes post drug, 0.4 milliliter of a 0.75% or 1.0% or 0.6 milliliter of a 1.0% V/V acetic acid in distilled water solution was administered intraperitoneally. The number of writhes in a 20 minute interval begining 5 minutes after the acetic acid injection was determined and compared with the number of writhes in control groups which had received only acetic acid.
Percent inhibition of writhing was calculated as: ##EQU1##
The ED 50 dose, i.e., the dose required to reduce the number of writhes by 50%, was determined graphically from a plot of % inhibition as a probit versus log dose. Confidence limits of 95% were calculated on the basis of those results falling in the range 16-84% inhibition. See Lichtfield, J. T. and Wilcoxon, F., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 96:99, (1949).
Using this procedure, MLS-5678 was found to have an ED 50 of 0.0058 mg/kg and MLS-5679 was determined to have an ED 50 of 0.0062 mg/kg.
The rat tail flick test for analgesia was also carried out with these compounds. This test was carried out as follows:
At least 3 groups of 5 male Wistar rats (100-120 g) were used for this study. Two control reaction times were determined 30 minutes apart by exposing the rat's tail to a focused source of light, connected to a timer. Removal of the tail away from the source of light activates a cut off switch which records the reaction time on a digital readout. The test drug was administered subcutaneously and 20 minutes later the reaction time was redetermined. A 10 second cut off time was used.
The percent response was calculated from the following formula: ##EQU2## The ED 50 dose, i.e., the dose required to increase the control reaction time to 50% of the difference between the control reaction time and 10 seconds, was determined graphically from a plot of % effect as a probit versus log dose. Confidence limits of 95% were calculated on the basis of those results falling in the range 16-84% inhibition. See Lichtfield, J. T. and Wilcoxon, F., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., 96, 99 (1949).
Using this procedure, MLS-5678 was found to have an ED 50 of 0.3 mg/kg and MLS-5679 was determined to have an ED 50 of 1.8 mg/kg.
The analgesic potency of these compounds is compared to morphine which exhibits an ED 50 of 0.79 mg/kg in the mouse writhing test and ED 50 of 7.32 mg/kg in the rat tail flick test.
The compounds of the present invention form pharmacologically acceptable addition salts with organic and inorganic acids. Typical acid addition salts are the tartrate, hydrobromide, hydrochloride, and maleate. The hydrochloride is preferred. These compounds are useful in relieving moderate to severe pain in an individual for whom such therapy is indicated. The term individual means a human being or an experimental animal that is a model for a human being. The dose to be administered to achieve the desired result, i.e., the effective dose, may vary from individual to individual but is readily determined by one skilled in the art without undue experimentation. These compounds may be administered by known methods of therapeutic administration such as intravenous, parenteral, buctal, rectal, and oral. Dosage forms for the administration of these compounds can be prepared by methods recognized in the pharmaceutical sciences. | Disclosed are trans-B/C-7-(1-hydroxypentyl)-3-methoxy-17-methyl-6,7-didehydromorphinans of the formula: ##STR1## These compounds have been found to possess potent analgesic activity. | 2 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is the U.S. National Phase Application of PCT/EP2012/065259, filed Aug. 3, 2012, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2011 109 204.1, filed Aug. 3, 2011, the contents of such applications being incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a method for stopping a motor vehicle which has an electronic surroundings control unit for evaluating the data from one or more surroundings sensors and which has an electronic brake control unit for activating a brake system, which electronics surroundings control unit and electronic brake control unit exchange information and/or commands via a data connection, in particular a vehicle data bus, toan electronic control unit of a brake system for a motor vehicle, comprising an interface to a vehicle data bus, an interface to at least one wheel rotational speed sensor, and means for driver-independent activation of at least one brake actuator, and to a motor vehicle equipped with a corresponding control unit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Modern motor vehicles are increasingly being equipped with functions such as Adaptive Cruise Control (hereinafter referred to as ACC) which make it possible for the speed of the vehicle to be regulated to a target speed predefined by the vehicle driver and/or adapted to the speed of the vehicle traveling ahead. Corresponding regulation systems are known for example from EP 1245428 A2, which is incorporated by reference. Said functions or regulation systems are realized by virtue of vehicles being equipped with at least one long-range sensor, such as a radar or lidar sensor, in order to measure the separation distance to a vehicle traveling ahead or to a nearby obstruction and automatically regulate said separation distance to a predefined, preferably speed-dependent target separation distance. Owing to the configuration of the regulation systems, the automatic separation-distance regulation can usually be activated only above a certain minimum vehicle speed.
[0004] Extended functionality is afforded by ACC systems with a stop-and-go function which, when required, automatically brake the vehicle to a standstill, or stop the vehicle, within a predefined time, for example in order to prevent a collision with the vehicle traveling ahead when arriving at the tail end of a traffic jam. Automatic restarting is also possible when there is an adequate separation distance to the vehicle traveling ahead and, expediently, further preconditions are met such as the exceedance of a minimum standstill time or the confirmation of a starting request by the vehicle driver. A confirmation by actuation of the accelerator pedal is disclosed for example in EP 1442917 A2, which is incorporated by reference. In the case of the stop-and-go function, the one or more long-range sensors are combined with one or more short-range sensors, preferably with multiple ultrasound sensors, in order to measure the remote and close regions in front of the vehicle.
[0005] For example, EP 2152538 B1, which is incorporated by reference, discloses a device and a method for controlling the following separation distance. The vehicle speed and a following separation distance between a vehicle traveling ahead and the subject vehicle are measured. A demanded acceleration is thereupon calculated and transmitted to a control device which controls the following separation distance to the vehicle traveling ahead on the basis of the demanded acceleration. If the vehicle traveling ahead stops, a stopping controller is activated. Here, a standstill state of the subject vehicle is identified on the basis of the demanded acceleration and a real vehicle speed which, using conventional sensors, can no longer be distinguished from zero; this ensures a smooth stopping process.
[0006] In the case of the known ACC systems with stop-and-go function, the automatic braking of the vehicle to a standstill takes place within a defined time period, wherein, for safety reasons, the stopping process is completed with a predetermined safe separation distance of typically 5 m to the vehicle in front. This has the advantage that the restart requires only relatively low dynamics. Said systems are suitable in particular for journeys on a highway or freeway, because on these roads, maintaining a large separation distance to the vehicle traveling ahead is mandatory. By contrast, in the case of inner-city journeys or for example in traffic jam situations on highways, the maintained safe separation distance to the vehicle in front constitutes a potential hazard because other vehicles from the adjacent lanes may cut into the gap.
[0007] EP 2176109 B1, which is incorporated by reference, discloses a separation-distance regulation system with automatic stopping and/or starting function for motor vehicles, having a separation-distance-measuring long-range sensor, a separation-distance-measuring ultrasound sensor, and a control unit which is designed to intervene in the longitudinal control of the subject vehicle as a function of the separation distance, measured by the long-range sensor, to a vehicle traveling ahead. If the measured separation distance is less than the range of the ultrasound sensor, the functionality of the ultrasound sensor is verified, whereupon separation-distance regulation is performed, within the context of the stopping and/or starting function, on the basis of the signal of the ultrasound sensor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An aspect of the present invention permits safe and comfortable stopping of a vehicle with a predefined short separation distance to an obstruction situated ahead.
[0009] What is provided, therefore, is a method for stopping a motor vehicle which has an electronic surroundings control unit for evaluating the data from one or more surroundings sensors and which has an electronic brake control unit for activating a brake system, which electronics surroundings control unit and electronic brake control unit exchange information and/or commands via a data connection, in particular a vehicle data bus. Within the context of the method according to the invention, the separation distance to an obstruction, in particular to a vehicle traveling ahead, is measured and the traveling speed of the motor vehicle is determined. Here, regulation of the separation distance to the obstruction is performed by means of the surroundings control unit if the traveling speed exceeds a handover threshold value, and stopping of the motor vehicle is performed by means of the brake control unit if the traveling speed is less than or equal to the handover threshold value. As a function of the measured separation distance, the surroundings control unit predefines for the brake control unit a target distance at the end of which the vehicle should be stationary.
[0010] The stopping of a vehicle equipped with an ACC system within a predefined target distance or on a predefined target trajectory, or by a predefined distance point in the low speed range, that is to say from a low initial speed down to standstill, is thus realized in a targeted and comfortable manner. Owing to the predefined target distance, the method according to the invention makes it possible for the limited available in a traffic jam situation to be well utilized and for the traffic flow in city traffic, which is influenced by the length of the green phases of traffic signals, to be improved by virtue of the separation distance, when stopped, to the vehicle in front being shortened in standstill traffic. By virtue of the fact that, in the stopping distance regulation, the distance covered by the motor vehicle before it reaches a standstill and not the separation distance to the adjacent vehicle or obstruction is regulated and stopping within a target time period is dispensed with, it is possible for particularly comfortable regulation to be provided. Here, use is made of the sensor means and actuator means that are required in any case for an ACC system with stop-and-go function.
[0011] It is expedient for the brake control unit, during the stopping process, to regulate the deceleration and/or the traveling speed of the vehicle as a function of the traveling distance covered. It is particularly expediently provided that the brake control unit is connected to at least one wheel rotational speed sensor, and that, as a measure of the traveling distance covered, pulse-like signals from the at least one wheel rotational speed sensor are counted. Since, advantageously, the regulation is performed only by means of braking interventions and the drive torque is kept at a constant value of zero, this results in conceptually simple regulation with high regulation accuracy.
[0012] It is preferable for the relationship between deceleration and/or traveling speed and the traveling distance covered to be regulated on the basis of a predefined mathematical function, in particular a third-order to eighth-order polynomial. A main concept of the invention thus consists in realizing the stopping or the stopping process on the basis of the target distance, and ensuring the comfort—even upon the transition from the separation-distance regulation by the surroundings control unit to the stopping regulation by the brake control unit—with the aid of a distance-dependent mathematical function.
[0013] It is particularly preferable for the predefined mathematical function to be selected as a function of the traveling speed and a predefined target distance at the time of the handover from the first control unit to the second control unit. A suitable stopping trajectory, or one or more parameters of the stopping distance regulator and/or of the pilot controller, can be determined and/or adapted on the basis of these boundary conditions.
[0014] Is very particularly preferable for the predefined mathematical function to be selected such that the relationship 2v 2 +3xa≧0 between traveling speed v and traveling distance covered x is satisfied, wherein a represents the deceleration, that is to say the change in the vehicle speed with respect to time.
[0015] It is advantageous if, during the stopping of the motor vehicle by means of the brake control unit, a measurement of the separation distance to the obstruction is performed by the surroundings control unit, in particular at predefined time intervals, wherein the predefined target distance is adapted as a function of the measured separation distance. By virtue of the fact that the surroundings control unit constantly or periodically transmits updated values for the target distance to the brake control unit during the stopping process, the stopping trajectory can be adapted to the behavior of the vehicle traveling ahead. It is thus possible, with regard to the vehicle in front, to identify if, for example, said vehicle rolls forward slightly at a traffic signal. Furthermore, it is expedient for the target distance to be defined and/or adapted as a function of the present driving situation (such as, for example, heavy inner-city traffic at rush hour) and prevailing environmental conditions (such as, for example, rain).
[0016] It is particularly advantageous for the stopping process to be terminated if a restart of the vehicle traveling ahead is identified, in particular if the separation distance has increased by more than a predefined minimum separation distance in a time interval, and for separation-distance regulation to be performed in this case by the surroundings control unit. If the speed of the vehicle traveling ahead exceeds a restart threshold value and/or if it can be inferred from other information that, for example, a traffic signal is green, a smooth resumption of separation-distance and/or speed regulation is possible.
[0017] If the motor vehicle has a hydraulic service brake system and an electrically actuable parking brake system, it is expediently provided that a handover from the service brake system to the parking brake system is performed if predefined conditions are met, in particular if a predefined stoppage duration is exceeded. This conserves the service brake system and furthermore secures the vehicle so as to prevent it from inadvertently rolling away.
[0018] The invention also relates to an electronic control unit of a brake system for a motor vehicle, comprising an interface to a vehicle data bus, an interface to at least one wheel rotational speed sensor, and means for driver-independent activation of at least one brake actuator. According to the invention, the brake control unit comprises a stopping distance regulator which adjusts the deceleration and/or the speed of the motor vehicle as a function of the traveling distance covered in order to stop the motor vehicle within a predefined target distance.
[0019] The stopping distance regulator preferably comprises a pilot controller, a main regulator and in particular an extended regulator, wherein at least one parameter of the stopping distance regulator is predefined as a function of the present speed of the vehicle and the predefined target distance. It is thus possible for the pilot controller and/or the main regulator to be adapted in order to permit a particular a high level of comfort in the prevailing travel situation.
[0020] The at least one parameter is expediently predefined on the basis of a predefined mathematical function that describes the target relationship between deceleration and/or vehicle speed and the traveling distance covered.
[0021] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle, comprising an electronic brake control unit according to the invention, comprising a hydraulic and/or electromechanical brake system which is connected to the brake control unit and which permits a build-up of braking force independently of a driver, and comprising an electronic surroundings control unit which is equipped with at least one forward-facing surroundings sensor. By virtue of the fact that the brake control unit and the surroundings control unit are connected to one another via a vehicle data bus, said control units are capable of braking the vehicle in accordance with the method according to the invention.
[0022] It is advantageous if the brake control unit is connected to at least one rotation-direction-detecting wheel rotational speed sensor which is assigned in particular to a non-driven wheel. Conventional methods for detecting the direction of travel can be unreliable at low speeds.
[0023] Is particular advantageous for the motor vehicle to also have an electronic parking control unit which is equipped in each case with at least one forward-facing and at least one rearward-facing surroundings sensor, wherein the parking control unit is connected to the brake control unit and preferably to the surroundings control unit via a vehicle data bus, and wherein the parking control unit and/or the surroundings control unit can predefine for the brake control unit a target distance for the stopping of the vehicle. The stopping distance regulation according to the invention thus permits comfortable stopping even during parking of the motor vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] Further preferred embodiments will emerge from the subclaims and from the following description of an exemplary embodiment on the basis of figures, in which:
[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle in a corresponding driving situation,
[0026] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary diagram of the control unit,
[0027] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of the regulator structure,
[0028] FIG. 4 shows a jerk diagram,
[0029] FIG. 5 shows a diagram of the comfort range, and
[0030] FIG. 6 shows a profile with respect to time of an exemplary stopping process.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] The method according to the invention realizes comfortable and targeted regulation of the stopping process of a vehicle within a predefined target distance or by a predefined distance point in the range of low vehicle speeds. The method is preferably used not only as an enhancement of the separation-distance regulation system but also to supplement or support the parking steering assistance system (referred to hereinafter as PLA).
[0032] Here, an ACC system with stop-and-go function or stopping option is enhanced or designed such that, in the low speed range, that is to say below a handover threshold value of for example 30 km/h, the ACC function does not initiate stopping within a defined time period but rather predefines a target distance for the stopping process, which makes it possible to realize a shorter separation distance, when stopped, to the directly adjacent vehicle or obstruction.
[0033] The automatic stopping, while adhering to the target distance predefined by the ACC function, is implemented by a stopping distance regulation system or by Stopping Distance Control (hereinafter referred to as SDC function). The range of application of said SDC function is limited to speeds below a predefined vehicle speed, wherein there is an overlap between the speed ranges in which the ACC function and the SDC function respectively are, in principle, functional, and the selection of the respectively active function is performed on the basis of a handover threshold value of the measured vehicle speed.
[0034] It is also expedient for the speed range of the SDC function to be defined such that it also extends the functionality of a parking steering assistance system (referred to hereinafter as PLA) which brakes the vehicle to a standstill along a predefined path and which is known for example from EP 1908656 A1. Comfortable, jerk-free parking is made possible by means of the method according to the invention.
[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a motor vehicle 1 which has the sensors required for the method according to the invention or for the realization of the SDC function. Here, the surroundings sensor means comprises a long-range sensor 3 which measures the remote region 6 ahead of the vehicle and which is used for example for an ACC function. Furthermore, the vehicle 1 has multiple short-range sensors 2 which both detect obstructions 7 situated in the close region 8 ahead of the vehicle, and also other vehicles or obstructions 7 ′ situated in the close region 8 ′ to the rear, and determine the respective separation distance to the vehicle. Furthermore, the motor vehicle 1 has rotation-direction-detecting (wheel rotational-speed) sensors 4 which are preferably installed at the wheels of the free-rolling axle or at all of the wheels. By means of the rotation-direction-detecting sensors 4 , the direction of the vehicle movement is identified unequivocally, whereby the regulation rules of the SDC function—in particular with regard to comfort and safety—can be adapted, and optimum regulation is performed both in the ACC mode and also in the PLA mode.
[0036] In the prior art, ACC systems utilize both the drive, typically an internal combustion engine, and the brake system as actuator means for regulating the separation distance to the vehicle traveling ahead. Here, the control unit that provides the ACC function transmits a control demand via a data bus. Since the two actuators, engine and brakes, are operated by the two different control units, two separate commands are thus output here. Since a constantly alternating activation of the two actuators (which is possible in principle) has an adverse effect on comfort, it is preferable for only one actuator to be used to realize the SDC function. Here, only the brake system is activated in order to bring the motor vehicle to a standstill from a moving state (non-zero initial speed).
[0037] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary diagram of a control unit, that is to say a schematic illustration of the architecture between the control units (hereinafter referred to as ECUs) for the realization of the SDC function.
[0038] The separation-distance regulation or ACC function is provided by the surroundings control unit ACC-ECU which, via a vehicle data bus, transmits information and/or commands, in particular a deceleration or braking torque demand, to the brake control unit SDC-ECU. The ACC-ECU is connected to at least one long-range surroundings sensor.
[0039] The brake control unit preferably comprises a special ACC module which realizes the communication with the ACC-ECU and the engine control unit. The stopping distance regulator is realized in the SDC module of the brake control unit SDC-ECU. Said stopping distance regulator outputs a braking demand which, in the case of a hydraulic brake system, is implemented in the form of a driver-independent build-up of pressure for example by means of a hydraulic pump, and thus an increased brake pressure in the wheel brakes. The implementation of the braking demand may correspondingly also be realized by means of electromechanical friction brakes. It is advantageously provided that, even in the case of a vehicle with at least intermittently electric drive, a braking demand of the SDC module is always implemented by means of friction brakes. This prevents inadvertent rolling of the vehicle owing to a diminishing braking action of a generator at low speed. It is advantageous for a standstill manager SSM to be realized as a module in the brake control unit, which standstill manager firstly suitably implements the braking demand and secondly secures the vehicle, so as to prevent it from rolling away, after the stopping process. Here, a handover to an electric parking brake may also be performed.
[0040] The PLA system is expediently realized in a separate PLA-ECU which is connected to multiple surroundings sensors for measuring the close region ahead of and behind the motor vehicle. The PLA-ECU can transmit information and/or commands via a vehicle data bus to the SDC-ECU and preferably also to the ACC-ECU. In principle, it is also conceivable to use one control unit both for the ACC function and for the PLA function.
[0041] The SDC function regulates the stopping trajectory such that the vehicle comes to a standstill (that is to say reaches a speed of 0 km/h) precisely at the end of the target distance and the stopping process is comfortable for the vehicle driver and the occupants, that is to say sudden, jerk-inducing brake pressure changes in the wheel brakes are avoided. To ensure this, a regulation structure is defined which makes it possible to simultaneously pursue two goals, specifically both the reference variable regulation or target distance regulation and also the setting of the comfort.
[0042] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of the regulator structure, which comprises three regulator components which are used for the reference variable regulation. The pilot controller realizes primarily the handover from the previously active ACC regulation function to the stopping distance regulation SDC. The main regulator thereafter performs the actual task of reference variable regulation and disturbance variable suppression. An extended regulator is also provided in order to ensure robustness with respect to parameter variations such as, for example, changes in vehicle mass, operation with a trailer, or road gradients. The setting of the comfort is performed with the aid of a “comfort envelope”, which will be described in more detail below. It is expedient for all three regulator components to be connected to outputs of the “comfort envelope”, and/or for at least one parameter of the respective regulator component to be adapted as a function of information from the “comfort envelope”. Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the regulator of the SDC function has connected upstream thereof a “comfort envelope” which, as a function of the traveling speed and the target distance for the stopping process, outputs information as regards how comfortable stopping distance regulation can be realized.
[0043] For the subjective perception of the driver and of any further vehicle occupants, the comfort of a stopping process is assessed in terms of whether they feel jerk effects of the implementation. It is thus desirable for changes to take place as slowly, uniformly and continuously as possible. A braking operation implies a considerable change in the kinetic energy of the vehicle, which is converted into heat or preferably recuperated. Here, it must thus be ensured that, during the stopping process, the change in the kinetic energy does not exceed a value comfortable for the driver. Therefore, the comfort set during the stopping process is a function of jerk, which, as the change in the vehicle acceleration with respect to time, is the significant physical variable. The degree of comfort can thus be derived from the profile of the acceleration.
[0044] FIG. 4 shows a jerk diagram with a number of examples of time-dependent acceleration profiles, that is to say in which the braking acceleration or deceleration a(t) is plotted versus the time t. A constant acceleration a — 0 represents the most expedient profile 401 from a comfort aspect because, in this case, a jerk of zero, or no jerk whatsoever, is generated. All the other acceleration profiles exhibit non-zero jerk. The jerk is greater the further the corresponding profile is from the line of constant acceleration. Thus, the jerk is considerably greater in the case of profile 403 than that in the case of profile 402 .
[0045] Since, as part of the stopping distance regulation or the SDC function, the vehicle is braked proceeding from a non-zero initial speed, a non-zero braking deceleration is required, which must be decreased to zero during the stopping process. Thus, for the stopping distance regulation, an optimum acceleration profile is required which has a finite initial value that decreases to zero toward the end of the regulation. With regard to comfort, this solution entails an acceleration profile with non-zero jerk which remains either at or below the comfort limit and which is decreased continuously, so as to maintain comfort, during the regulation.
[0046] If a fixed time period T_End is predefined, such as is the case with a stop-and-go function according to the prior art, then constant jerk can be realized exactly with an acceleration profile 406 from a — 0 to zero. However, not all real stopping processes can be covered by said acceleration profile, such that in most cases, there is a considerable step change in acceleration at the end of the stopping process. Such abrupt changes in acceleration, such as arise for example in the profiles 404 and 405 , are very uncomfortable.
[0047] In accordance with the explanations above, in the region below the line 401 of constant deceleration a — 0, there are an infinite number of acceleration profiles with the initial value a — 0 and constant jerk. Said different profiles, of which two examples are illustrated as line 407 (low jerk) and line 408 (high jerk), differ substantially with regard to the time at which an acceleration of zero is attained. This means that, to achieve a comfortable stopping process which does not exceed a predefined jerk, it is not possible to predefine a fixed time period. Said region can therefore be taken into consideration for the realization of the SDC function because it is not a fixed time period but rather a target distance that is predefined for the ending of the stopping process. By combining the comfort-oriented demand for the least possible jerk with the demands on the vehicle speed and the stopping distance or the target distance, a suitable selection can be made from the multiplicity of possible acceleration profiles.
[0048] FIG. 5 shows a diagram of the comfort region, also referred to as “comfort envelope”. In this normalized speed-distance diagram, the stopping distance x in relation to the predefined target distance c M x is plotted on the abscissa, and the traveling speed v in relation to the traveling speed c M v at the time of the handover or at the beginning of the stopping process is plotted on the ordinate. The normalized diagram thus has two highlighted points as centers of the variety, because the speed c M v at the beginning and the stopping distance c M x at the end of the stopping process are the same for all possible stopping processes. The above-described region for a comfortable stopping process corresponds to the region, denoted by A, of the “comfort envelope”, which is defined by the following mathematical inequation:
[0000] 2 v 2 +3 xa ≧0
[0049] The stopping trajectory of the SDC regulation should be situated in said comfort region A; the inequation thus specifies the relationship between speed v, stopping distance x, and change with respect to time of the speed or (braking) acceleration a.
[0050] The region denoted as quasi-comfortable region B contains stopping trajectories that permit a certain degree of comfort even for a predefined stopping time. The combined regions A and B can be described by the following mathematical inequation:
[0000] v 2 +2 xa ≧0
[0051] The transition to the region A lies in the direction of long fixed target time periods.
[0052] If it is necessary to achieve a short stopping distance in the case of a high traveling speed, then a considerable braking action and consequently also high jerk must be accepted. Such a braking process lies in the region C, in which the predefined comfort cannot be achieved.
[0053] In accordance with the defined regulation structure, the region of the “comfort envelope” in which the vehicle is situated is determined at all times during the stopping distance regulation. The result is evaluated and a suitable stopping trajectory and the necessary measures are determined such that, at all times, the stopping distance regulation takes place within the comfortable region A. The evaluation or the determined stopping trajectory is supplied to the components of the regulation structure, whereupon said components adapt parameters, for example.
[0054] FIG. 6 shows exemplary profiles with respect to time of the kinematic characteristic variables stopping distance x, speed v and the vehicle longitudinal acceleration a x during a comfortable stopping process. With the aid of the “comfort envelope”, a suitable stopping trajectory is determined and the proximity to the region B or C is evaluated, and if appropriate, parameters of the regulator components are adjusted in order to maintain the comfort. The pilot controller, main regulator and extended regulator ensure that a standstill state is achieved at the end of the target distance.
[0055] By means of the invention, it is possible for considerably shorter separation distances to the vehicle traveling directly ahead or to a stationary object (including stationary vehicles) to be predefined in the stopping process and also during parking and to be realized down to a standstill. The implementation is performed automatically and is comfortable for all vehicle occupants. This firstly reduces the potential hazard posed by the large gap to the directly adjacent vehicle. Secondly, the inner-city traffic flow is positively influenced, and parking is made simpler, more precise and, above all, more comfortable. | A method for stopping a motor vehicle, having an electronic environmental control device for evaluating the data of one or more environmental sensors, and an electronic braking control device for actuating a braking system, these exchanging information and/or instructions via a data bus. The method comprises: acquiring a distance to a vehicle travelling ahead; determining the motor vehicle travel speed; controlling the distance to the obstacle using the environmental control device if the travel speed exceeds a transfer threshold value; and stopping the motor vehicle using the braking control device if the travel speed is less than or equal to said transfer threshold value. Depending on the acquired distance, the environmental control device determines a target path for the braking control device at the end of which the motor vehicle should be stationary. The invention also relates to an electronic control device for a braking system, and a motor vehicle. | 1 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of copending International Application No. PCT/EP00/00713, filed Jan. 29, 2000, which designated the United States and was not published in English.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a system and a method for determining the effectiveness (overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)) of production installations, fault events and the causes of the fault events significantly contributing to losses in productivity.
[0003] Effectiveness is understood here as the concept of “Overall Equipment Effectiveness, OEE”, which is described for example in the reference by Robert Hansen, titled “Learning the Power of Overall Equipment Effectiveness”, and in the 1999 conference report Machinery Reliability Conference and Exposition, titled “The Meeting of Machinery Reliability Minds”, April 12-14, Cincinnati, Ohio, pages 19 to 30, published by Industrial Communications, Inc., 1704 by Natalie Nehs Dr., Knoxville, Tenn. 37931.
[0004] OEE is accordingly a method for determining a percentage that indicates to what extent the actual productivity in each case reaches a planned, that is prescribed, productivity. OEE is also referred to as the multiplication of synergistic parameters, which define the “health” of a process, to be specific OEE =availability x processing speed x quality.
[0005] For commercial reasons, and to safeguard product quality, operators of production installations have an interest in determining a desired effectiveness, which can be achieved in an undisturbed operation, and comparing the effectiveness at a given time with it. If the effectiveness at a given time deviates from the desired value, this indicates losses in productivity. It must then be determined which fault events exist and what is causing them. The causes may have their roots in physical, human or organizational areas.
[0006] Various methods and techniques can be used for the analysis of faults (in the sense of losses in productivity). The most important of these are failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), fault tree analysis, or methods of statistical evaluation, such as for example the Pareto analysis [by John Moubray, RCM2, Butterworth-Heinemann, Second Edition 1997].
[0007] In the implementation of an FMEA, the following steps are taken:
[0008] a) functional breakdown of the installation;
[0009] b) description of main function and secondary function;
[0010] c) description and listing of functional fault statuses;
[0011] d) determination of all causes for each fault status;
[0012] e) determination of the effects on production objectives; and
[0013] f) quantitative assessment of the effects.
[0014] Fault tree analysis starts from an undesired TOP state. For this starting event, all the event situations that lead to this state are determined.
[0015] Statistical methods presuppose a suitable base of data from production. For example, with a Pareto analysis, those causes of faults that are responsible for the main production faults can be determined. FMEA and fault tree analysis can be supported by tools. Such tools guide the user step by step through the method, provide support in data acquisition and document the results.
[0016] The statistical methods presuppose, however, a suitable database, which is often not present. Either no data at all from production are recorded or else the information that would be necessary for a fault analysis is not acquired.
[0017] The methods mentioned above have their roots in engineering design, i.e. they are used for configuring a product or an installation to be as fail-safe as possible. The high standard of quality of the product reached justifies the considerable expenditure in terms of time and work for such analyses.
[0018] The ‘post-mortem’ analysis of losses and faults in a production installation is often time-critical, since the sustained loss in productivity entails considerable costs. A further disadvantage is that the methods do not support any procedure focusing on the cause of the fault at a given time.
[0019] It is known from the literature that there may be up to 7 cause levels between the fault events and the actual cause of the fault [John Moubray, RCM2, Butterworth-Heinemann, Second Edition 1997]. None of the known methods can indicate when the suitable level, which ensures lasting elimination of the cause of the fault, has been found.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0020] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a system and a method for determining the effectiveness of production installations, fault events and the causes of faults which overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices and methods of this general type, which make possible an automated determination of the effectiveness at a given time, fault events and the causes of faults.
[0021] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a system for determining an effectiveness of production installations of various types, significant fault events which bring about deviations from a prescribed desired effectiveness, and causes of the significant fault events. The system contains a data acquisition device to be connected to a respective production installation and set up for continuous acquisition and ready-to-call-up storage of data including installation-related data and production-related data. A service device is connected to the data acquisition device. The service device includes an input device for inputting additional descriptive data including installation-related descriptive data and production-related descriptive data that cannot be called up from the data acquisition device, and a display device for displaying the effectiveness determined, the significant fault events and the causes of the significant fault events. An online system part is connected to and set up for calling up the installation-related data and the production-related data from the data acquisition device. The online system part has a fault event detector detecting the significant fault events on a basis of the data, the additional descriptive data input by the input device, and on an overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) script. The online system part determines the significant fault events by fault event evaluation using a configured assessment model, determines in each case the causes of the significant fault events using a configured fault model, and calculates the effectiveness. An offline system part is connected to the online system part. The offline system part contains or has access to a number of models including generic fault models and assessment models. The offline system part is set up for searching for the models on a basis of at least of called-up and/or input descriptive data. The offline system part configures the models and stores the models locally or in a locally distributed form. The offline system part is configured for storing the models in the online system part as the configured assessment model or the configured fault model.
[0022] The system according to the invention includes a service device, which is preferably configured as a mobile device and can be connected in each case to a data server in the master control system of a production installation. Both the method used and the implementation as a system are based on the use of pre-configured solution models. Such solution models can be established by an offline system part and be used in an online system part.
[0023] The service device can be used in an advantageous way for the analysis of causes in different production installations, for example both for the analysis of the causes of drops in productivity or inferior product quality in the making of paper and in filling installations for the filling of liquids in the food industry. This universal applicability is achieved by a series of generic models and by pre-configured assessment and fault models.
[0024] In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the respective production installation is a single machine or an installation having a number of machines.
[0025] In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the data acquisition device is part of a master control system or a programmable controller.
[0026] In accordance with another feature of the invention, the service device is set up for using a web browser to access models which are a stored on a web server and for storing configured models there.
[0027] In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the online system part has an OEE calculator set up for calculating the effectiveness by using a stored OEE calculation formula.
[0028] In accordance with a further added feature of the invention, the fault event detector is set up for detecting the significant fault events by limit value monitoring the OEE script.
[0029] In accordance with a further additional feature of the invention, the online system part is set up for determining the significant fault events using a Pareto analysis and the configured assessment model. The online system part includes a cause determiner set up for determining causes of the significant event faults by using fault event data and the configured fault model or an expert system.
[0030] In accordance with another further feature of the invention, the service device is set up for determining recommendations for eliminating the significant faults events, visually presenting the significant fault events and/or outputting the significant fault events for further transmission.
[0031] In accordance with another added feature of the invention, the offline system part has a model searcher and a library storing the generic fault models for finding a best model. The best model is a fault model of which a fault event description is most similar to a respective search inquiry. The offline system part includes a model configurer and a model editor connected to the model configurer for configuring the generic fault models. The offline system part further includes a model generalizer for generalizing configured models and for storing the configured models in the library for reuse.
[0032] In accordance with another additional feature of the invention, the offline system part includes a model editor and with the aid of the model editor a search inquiry can be formulated for the model searcher.
[0033] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for automatically determining an effectiveness of a production installation, significant fault events, and causes of the effectiveness deviating from a prescribed desired state. The method includes calling up productivity-relevant historical data acquired and stored by a data acquisition device connected to the production installation using a fault event detector, inputting additional data including installation-related data and production-related data, carrying out a continuous calculation of the effectiveness using an OEE calculator and a suitable method, performing an investigation of the data with regard to fault event patterns using a fault event detector, storing detected fault events as time series in a fault database, and identifying the significant fault events from the detected fault events using a fault event evaluation and a stored configured assessment model. The causes of faults are determined using a cause determiner with respect to a respective significant fault event, taking into account additionally input data containing a description of specific environmental conditions. The causes of faults determined and the effectiveness determined are presented visually and/or as a data output.
[0034] In accordance with an added mode of the invention, there is the step of carrying out the continuous calculation of the effectiveness using the OEE calculator and by accessing the fault events stored in the fault database.
[0035] In accordance with an additional mode of the invention, there is the step of editing additional fault events, which cannot be detected by the fault event detector using a configured OEE calculation script, using a fault event input.
[0036] In accordance with another mode of the invention, there are the steps of determining significant fault events using a fault event evaluator, and presenting visually the significant fault events in a Pareto diagram.
[0037] In accordance with a further mode of the invention, there are the steps of using a model searcher for searching by use of descriptive data stored in a model library for that generic model which best matches a specific fault event and the production installation, and feeding the generic model to a model editor and to a model configurer for forming configured models. The configured models are used for an evaluation of fault events and for a cause analysis.
[0038] In accordance with a further added mode of the invention, for determining the causes of faults by the cause determiner, cause hypotheses of a configured error model which contains cause-effect diagrams extending over a number of model levels are verified by the cause determiner using the descriptive data. The configured error model is worked step by step from one level to the next until an actual cause is found.
[0039] In accordance with a further additional mode of the invention, there is the step of using a fault model, which has a recommendation model added to it and with the aid of which recommendations for eliminating faults are determined and output.
[0040] In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, there are the steps of generalizing models configured in a course of the method by a model generalizer for later reuse resulting in generalized models, and storing the generalized models in a model library, elements of a respective model being one of generalized and removed.
[0041] Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
[0042] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a system and a method for determining the effectiveness of production installations, fault events and the causes of faults, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
[0043] The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0044] [0044]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system according to the invention for determining effectiveness, fault events and causes of faults;
[0045] [0045]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the components of online and offline system parts of the system according to FIG. 1;
[0046] [0046]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the operating mode of the system;
[0047] [0047]FIG. 4 is a graph showing a typical OEE display, including the forming of an alarm;
[0048] [0048]FIG. 5 shows an OEE script for the verification of fault hypotheses;
[0049] [0049]FIG. 6 is a table showing an example of data that can be called up from a control system or master control system;
[0050] [0050]FIG. 7 is a table showing an example of a structure of a fault database;
[0051] [0051]FIG. 8 is a table showing event categories by way of example;
[0052] [0052]FIG. 9 is a table showing an example of an assessment model;
[0053] [0053]FIG. 10 is a graph showing a result of a Pareto analysis by way of example;
[0054] [0054]FIG. 11 is a table showing description data for an error model;
[0055] [0055]FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an error model for an “oil pump off” fault event; and
[0056] [0056]FIG. 13 shows a typical OEE calculation formula.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0057] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a block diagram having a production installation 1 , which is connected to a data acquisition device 2 . The production installation 1 may be a single machine or complex installation with a multiplicity of production devices. Production installations of various types may be, for example a papermaking machine, a brewery, or the filling installation thereof, or a production installation in the area of motor vehicle production.
[0058] The data acquisition device 2 includes a data server 30 (see FIG. 2), which provides data required for analysis purposes, for example data from a master control system or control system, a production planning system or a maintenance system. For effectiveness determination, fault analysis and cause analysis, a service device 3 can be temporarily connected or is permanently connected to the data server 30 of the data acquisition device 2 .
[0059] The service device 3 includes an online system part 4 and an offline system part 5 , the online system part 4 being connected to the data acquisition device 2 and to the offline system part 5 . There is also an input device 6 and a display device 7 , which are respectively connected to the system parts 4 , 5 . A description of the components of the service device is given below on the basis of FIG. 2.
[0060] [0060]FIG. 2 shows the online system part 4 and the offline system part 5 of the service device 3 .
[0061] The online system part 4 makes it possible for the OEE, relevant fault events and the causes of faults to be determined in an automated manner. For this purpose, it includes an OEE calculator 21 , which is set up for accessing data that are provided in a fault database 31 . Results of the OEE calculation can be displayed on an OEE display 11 .
[0062] A fault event detector 22 is set up for calling up data from the data server 30 and for accessing an OEE script 34 , which contains the criteria for the fault events, and for taking into account additional information, which can be input by a data input 12 , for the detection of a fault event. Determined fault events can be stored by the fault event detector 22 in the fault database 31 as a time series.
[0063] A fault event evaluator 23 is set up for accessing the fault event time series in the fault database 31 , for assessing the individual fault events using a configured assessment model 32 , and for displaying results by a statistics display 13 .
[0064] A fault cause determiner 24 accesses the fault database 31 and a configured fault and recommendation model 33 and displays determined causes of faults and possibly also recommendations for fault elimination in a cause-of-fault display 14 .
[0065] The offline system part 5 is set up for finding and adapting the best-suited model from a supply of generic models 36 by a model editor 15 and a model searcher 27 .
[0066] Models 35 configured by a model configurer 25 can be stored locally in the service device 3 . They can also be stored externally in a locally distributed form via a suitable interface. By a model generator 26 , configured models 35 can be stored. Configured models 35 devised in the offline system part 5 and in offline mode are made available to the online system part 4 as configured assessment model 32 or fault model 33 .
[0067] The mode of operation of the system is explained below with reference to FIG. 3 in conjunction with the representations in FIGS. 4 to 12 .
[0068] [0068]FIG. 3 shows the individual steps of the method for the automated determination of the effectiveness of a production installation, significant fault events and the causes of an effectiveness deviating from a prescribed desired state.
[0069] In step 200 , data are accessed from the master control system or control system, that is the data server 30 (see. FIG. 2), and a detection of fault events stored in the fault database 31 takes place (see FIG. 2).
[0070] [0070]FIG. 6 shows a typical data record which can be called up. In the simplest case, it contains an identifier (ID) for the signal and its value. Depending on the system, additional information, such as data type, descriptive data and system time, is accessible. For calculating the OEE, often signals concerning the status of the machine, counter readings and motor speeds are inquired. For the documentation of faults, measured values of physical variables and fault-status signals are additionally helpful.
[0071] In step 100 , a calculation of the OEE number takes place on the basis of the called-up data and fault events, and on the basis of an implemented OEE formula.
[0072] [0072]FIG. 13 shows a typical calculation formula for the OEE. The OEE formula can be configured for a specific installation. In the example, the first line in the formula represents the availability component, the second and third lines represent the performance component and the fourth line represents the quality component of the OEE. The overall OEE is obtained from the product of the individual components. The OEE is typically given in percents.
[0073] The calculation result is displayed on the OEE display 11 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 4 shows an example of an OEE display, the OEE being calculated in percents and displayed as a trend for a week. The forming of an alarm is also represented. The OEE alarm limit is set at 40%. If it drops below the limit value, the OEE trend for example changes color, for the purpose of giving a visual alarm.
[0074] In step 200 , the data from the control system or master control system are searched for fault events in a way corresponding to the criteria in an OEE script. FIG. 5 shows an example of such an OEE script for the verification of fault hypotheses of a papermaking machine. Detected fault events are stored in the fault database 31 (FIG. 2).
[0075] Additional fault events, input by a user, can be stored in the fault database 31 .
[0076] [0076]FIG. 7 shows by way of example information stored in the fault database 31 . The data records are stored chronologically as histories. A data record contains a so-called time stamp (date and time of day), the production area in which the fault event occurred, the description of the fault event and the corresponding event category and also the duration of the event.
[0077] [0077]FIG. 8 shows examples of event categories. The ST Operational identifies a planned stop in production for operative actions, such as re-equipping of machines or standard tests.
[0078] ST Induced identifies unplanned stops due to external influences (not due to the technical installation), such as insufficient material, insufficient personnel, unplanned meetings.
[0079] DT Technical identifies all unplanned stops due to equipment faults or maintenance errors.
[0080] DT Operational identifies unplanned stops owing to raw materials and/or auxiliaries of inadequate quality and owing to unplanned tests or dirt, caused by the process or the product.
[0081] If an alarm is displayed on the OEE display and an alarm message is triggered, a cause analysis begins with step 300 . In this analysis, the significant fault events are identified by accessing the fault database 31 and the configured assessment model 32 (FIG. 2). Fault events lying within a chosen time interval are statistically evaluated with regard to the costs caused, by a Pareto analysis with the assistance of the assessment model 32 .
[0082] [0082]FIG. 9 shows an example of an assessment model 32 . The assessment model indicates which costs per unit of time are caused by the stoppages of certain production areas/machines.
[0083] In the assessment model given by way of example, the costs are also determined by the event category.
[0084] [0084]FIG. 10 shows by way of example the result of a conducted Pareto analysis. The Pareto analysis summates the various fault events and carries out an assessment with regard to the costs caused. As a result, the significant fault events are identified. One possible form in which this can be visually presented, as shown in the example, is by a bar diagram. In the example, the fault event “oil pump off” causes the highest costs.
[0085] For a certain fault event, the cause of which is to be analyzed, the necessary data are acquired in step 400 .
[0086] In step 500 , an error model in the library is accessed by data that describe the fault event. In the online mode, running in an automated manner, the previously configured fault model 33 (FIG. 2) is used. In the offline mode, a search can be conducted for the best-matching fault model and it can be visually presented to the user. The user can then edit the model.
[0087] [0087]FIG. 11 shows by way of example descriptive data for a fault model concerning the fault event “oil pump off”. The descriptive data serve the purpose of storing the fault model in a structured form in a library. If the models are needed again, the fault models can be accessed by a search inquiry. Typical description data for a fault model are obtained from the designation of the fault event, its category and the technical environment, such as the type of production installation, production area and, further refined, the machine and equipment and their type classification.
[0088] [0088]FIG. 12 shows a fault model concerning the fault event “oil pump off”. The model is based on a logical tree structure. The box on the uppermost level represents the fault event. A number of levels of cause/effect relationships then follow. Causes may be classified as physical, human and organizational. The example shows the path from the fault event to the actual cause: oil pump off, oil cooler, filter contaminated, inferior-quality oil, quality standard not maintained. Moreover, the fault model can cooperate with a recommendation model. In the example, the recommendation of prescribing quality standards with binding effect on purchasing is given for the cause.
[0089] In step 600 , the fault model is worked from the top down. The fault hypotheses of the various levels are verified on the basis of the descriptive data available. Once the actual cause of the fault has been found, a recommendation for eliminating the cause is output in addition to the description of the cause.
[0090] In step 700 , the results of the conducted cause analysis are assessed with regard to reusability. The fault model may have causes added to it or taken away from it as a result of these processes. The model is subsequently stored in the library. | A method and a system are described for determining the effectiveness of production installations, significant fault events that bring about deviations from a desired effectiveness and the causes of fault events. The production installation is connected to a data acquisition device, which is set up for continuous acquisition and ready-to-call-up storage of installation and production-related data. A service device is connected to the data acquisition device and has an input device for the input of additional installation and production-related descriptive data that cannot be called up from the data acquisition device. An online system part is set up for calling up installation and production-related data from the data acquisition device, calculating the effectiveness, detecting fault events, determining significant fault events by fault event evaluation, and determining in each case the causes of faults. An offline system part is provided and contains a number of generic fault models and assessment models. | 8 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present invention claims priority to Provisional Application No. 60/570,911 filed May 12, 2004 and incorporates it by reference for all purposes. The present invention also incorporates by reference, for all purposes application Ser. No. 11/102,570 filed Apr. 7, 2005, titled: Methods and Apparatus for Targeting Communications Using Social Network Metrics.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to social networks. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for providing high-performance relationship reporting between users in a social network.
Conventional methods for determining the relationships between a user and other users in a network of users have included the use of a relational database to store, determine and provide the relationships.
The primary difficulty with such approaches is the exponential growth of size of a social network. For example, if a first user knows “n” (e.g. 100) second users on the social network, and each of the “n” (e.g. 100) second users knows “n” (e.g. 100) unique third users, etc., the first user may have n^2 (e.g. 100^2=1,000) users in their social network that are within two “degrees of separation” away. Additionally, the first user may have n^3 (e.g. 100^3=100,000) users in their social network that are within three “degrees of separation” away. Accordingly, when a social network has a large number of users, the number of computations required to determine a social map increases dramatically (e.g. exponentially). As a result, performing social network calculations on large social networks cannot be done in real-time, as such a system would take too long to compute whenever there is a change in the social network.
The inventors of the present invention believe that relational databases alone are not well-suited to perform social network calculations because of this exponential growth in size of a user's social map when a small number of first degree (direct) relationships are added to the whole social network.
One attempt to address this exponential computation growth has been to perform such computations at night time, at off-peak hours, or other specified batch time. The computations of users' social map would then be stored in memory for use at a later time, until the next batch time. Between computations, the cached computation data would then provided to the user when requested. Drawbacks to this approach included that when the user requested their social map, the user network, the user would be provided with a copy of the data previously cached at batch time. Further, any changes initiated by the user before the next batch process, would not be visible until the next batch time. Additional drawbacks included that caching the relationship data for a large number of users would be prohibitively hardware expensive.
In light of the above, what is required are improved methods and apparatus that address the issues above.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for dynamically determining relationships in a social network. In various embodiments, determination of these relationships are typically performed in real time. In some embodiments of the present invention, the relationships are determined for a user when the user logs into the social network, accordingly, the relationship data are virtually always up-to-date.
Additional embodiments of the present invention determine the relationship data more efficiently and quickly than using conventional methods. Further, other embodiments allow users to query and receive relationship data between a user and a target user dynamically. In embodiments of the present invention, relationship data for a user is computed at user log-in time and cached. Accordingly, the social map of the user is virtually up-to-date each user session. Additionally, in various embodiments, one or more “dirty” bits may indicate whether the cached copy of the social map is stale and should be recomputed or not. In various embodiments the relationship data for a user may be recomputed and cached during a particular session, typically when the user has an expectation of a change. For example, if the user modifies her relationships with another user, or the like, the user would expect that modification to be reflected in her relationship data. In other embodiments, the relationships data for a user can be performed on demand, and in real-time.
According to one aspect of the invention, a method for a computer system is described. On technique may include receiving an identifier from a user, initiating a user session in response to the identifier, and determining a social map for the user in response to the identifier and in response to a plurality of social network relationships. Additional processes may include receiving a first change to the plurality of social network relationships from the user, and receiving a second change to the plurality of network relationships from another user. Various methods may include determining a revised social map for the user during the user session in response to receiving the first change, but not in response to receiving the second change, wherein the revised social map for the user reflects the first change and the second change, and storing the revised social map for the user during the user session in a cache.
According to another aspect of the invention, a computer system is disclosed. The system may include a memory configured to store a plurality of social network relationships. The apparatus may also include at least one processing unit coupled to the memory, wherein the processing unit is configured to receive an identifier from a user, wherein the processing unit is configured to initiate a user session in response to the identifier, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a social map for the user in response to the identifier and in response to the plurality of social network relationships, wherein the processing unit is configured to receive a first change to the plurality of social network relationships from the user during the user session, wherein the processing unit is configured to receive a second change to the plurality of network relationships from another user during the user session, wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a revised social map for the user during the user session in response to receiving the first change, wherein the revised social map for the user reflects the first change and the second change, wherein the processing unit does not determine the revised social map in response to receiving the second change. Various devices include a cache configured to store the revised social map for the user during the user session. In various systems the memory is configured to store the first change to the plurality of social network relationships and to store the second change to the plurality of social network relationships.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a computer program product for a computer system including a processor and a memory including a plurality of social network relationships is disclosed. The computer program product includes code that directs the processor to initiate a session for a user, code that directs the processor to determine a social map for the user in response to the plurality of social network relationships, and code that directs the processor to determine a first change to the plurality of social network relationships for the user. The computer program product may also include code that directs the processor to determine a second change to the plurality of network relationships for another user, code that directs the processor to determine a revised social map for the user during the session in response to determining the first change, but not in response to determining the second change, wherein the revised social map for the user reflects both the first change to the plurality of network relationships and to the second change to the plurality of social network relationships, and code that directs the processor to cache the revised social map for the user during the session. The codes reside on a tangible media such as a semiconductor-based media, optical media, magnetic media, organic media, or the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order to more fully understand the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings are not to be considered limitations in the scope of the invention, the presently described embodiments and the presently understood best mode of the invention are described with additional detail through use of the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of typical computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates another block diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 4A-B illustrate a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention; and
FIGS. 5A-D illustrate another block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following definitions are used in the present application:
Degrees of Social Separation—A value defined as immediate friends (or acquaintances) of a user being a first degree; friends of the user's immediate friends being a second degree; etc. Degrees of Social Separation may also refer to affinity groups, with members of the same affinity group being a first degree; members of directly related affinity groups being a second degree; etc. Degrees of social separation may also refer to a combination of ties between friends and ties between members of affinity groups. In various embodiments, degree of social separation between different users may be different depending upon which of the above separation distances are used, and based upon the context in which the degree is to be used.
In various embodiments, the degree of social separation between different users may be different depending upon which metric for separation distances are used, and depending upon the context in which the separation distance is to be used. Additionally, users may have different social separations for different user profiles. For example, two users may have a large social separation when considering personal profiles, but a small social separation when considering membership profiles in affinity groups.
Social distance—A numeric value associated with the Degrees of Social Separation between a first user and a second user. In embodiments of the present invention, a smaller social distance between users represents a higher “trust” level between the users. For example, in many cases, a user will trust her immediate friends (social distance=1); however, a user will trust a friend of her immediate friend (social distance=2) to a smaller degree; and a user will trust a friend of a friend of her immediate friend (social distance=3) even less; and so on. In various embodiments, social distance need not be an integral value and may be a floating point number, for example social distance=4.2, social distance=1.5, etc. In such embodiments, other weighting factors other than mere degree of social separation are considered, such as “importance” of the relationships between the users, the frequency of communications between the users, the frequency and/or quality of business relationship between the users, and the like. Other types of “fuzzy” weighting factors may include frequency of communication between users, common posts to similar forums, and the like.
In embodiments of the present invention, social distance may be symmetric or asymmetric. As an example of this, a social distance between user A and user B may be the same (e.g. 1.4), when both user A and user B value their relationship the same. However, if user A values the relationship more than user B, the social distance from user B to user A may be smaller (e.g. 1.3) than from user A to user B (e.g. 1.8). Some of the factors described above may be used to determine weighting of the relationships, including user satisfaction of a transaction, responsiveness to correspondences or queries, performance, common interests, common posting forum, and the like. In various embodiments, a link weight may be affected by the symmetry or asymmetry of the links between participants. As an example, a bi-directional link may be or more value if both parties have confirmed the relationship. In embodiments of the present invention, the social distance between two users may be computed in real time.
In various embodiments, the relationship weighting factors may be manually determined by the user. For example, user A rates a concluded transaction between user A and user B; user B rates the timeliness of user A payment speed; and the like. In alternative embodiments, the relationship weighting factors may automatically be determined. For example, the frequency of communications between users may indicate a more valued relationship between the users, accordingly, the social distance between users may be shortened. In other examples, the more frequently two users post messages to an affinity group forum or post messages on the same thread in the forum, the higher their weighting factor relative to each other. In such embodiments automatically increasing weighting factors between the users is useful because it infers that users have shared interests. Other types of inferences based on user behavior are contemplated in other embodiments.
In other embodiments, users can decrease their social distance to other users by their own actions. Actions may include quickly responding to e-mail messages, or other communications are replied-to, responsiveness weighting factor of a user may be increased; as another example, frequency of checking e-mail messages or logging into the social network, or the like. As an example, if a user runs a business in the social network, by increasing her quality of service, and client satisfaction, her reputation factor may increase. Accordingly, social distances computed to users coupled to the business in the social network may automatically decrease, because of her increased reputation. As another example, establishing a two-way confirmed link is another example. In various embodiments, two-way link confirmation may use techniques taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,831.
Tribe—An affinity group. One example is similar to a Usenet group, having a user moderator, user participants, discussion forums, etc; whereas in other examples, an affinity group need not have a moderator, leader, or the like. In embodiments of the present invention, two users may be connected in the social network by being members of the same affinity group, even though the two users may otherwise have a large social distance between them.
In various embodiments of the present invention, Tribe membership may be explicitly defined or implicitly defined. Accordingly, Implied Tribes may be determined. These tribes are groupings of users based on a common interest, common activity, or any other type of trait held by two or more users, without an explicit definition. Examples of implied tribes may include users who list a common interest, such as “skiing,” users who view a particular classified listing, restaurant review, or the like.
In some embodiments of the present invention, members of affinity groups or groups of users are logically organized as one user (super node). In such embodiments, relationships of members are collapsed and imputed to the affinity group. For example, a clique of three close friends may be considered a super node, for sake of simplicity when performing relationship computations. The relationships of the super node may include the relationships of its underlying users. For example, a ski Utah affinity group may have users A, B, and C, thus the ski Utah affinity group super node will have the affinity relationships of its users A, B, and C. Accordingly, affinity groups can have social distances from other affinity groups. In another example, the ski Utah affinity group will combine the personal relationships of its users A, B, and C. In various embodiments, for this example, the ski Utah affinity group will list both the ski Utah affinity group relationships and the ski Utah affinity group personal relationships side-by-side. These relationships may be represented by a graph, or as desired. In other embodiments, the relationships of the affinity group are expanded and imputed back to the members of the affinity group.
Tribe Mapping—A process of determining a bottom-up taxonomy for related tribes based on common user membership overlap. These maps may be computed based upon explicit tribe membership data, or implicit tribe membership, as described above. For example, if 75% of the users in a bird-watching tribe also view communications on spotting scopes, a tribe mapping may closely associate the bird-watching tribe with an implied spotting-scope tribe. As another example, a “San Francisco Wine Drinker” tribe will most likely have a significant overlap with a “San Francisco” tribe, and a “Wine Drinker” tribe. This mapping can be performed automatically through algorithms that compute similarity, or manually by moderators of the tribes, who explicitly state their relationship. Additionally, determining a Tribe Map may be performed on demand. Accordingly, overlap of affinity groups may be explicit or implicit. The relationship between tribes can then be used as part of a social network filter or affinity filter criteria, described further below.
User Network—A subset of all users on the social network. In embodiments of the present invention, a User Network may be socially limited to a specified social distance from the user and/or by affinity groups which the user is a member of. For example, a user network may include all users within a social distance (or affinity distance) of 3.5. A user network may also be termed a “social network” for the user or a “social map” for the user.
In other embodiments, the user network may constrain the type of information available to the user. As examples, users may be constrained to searching for information (e.g. job posts) from users only within their user network; users may be limited to sending e-mails or invitations, or chatting only with other users in their user network. Many other restrictions can be envisioned to be placed on users based upon their relationships in the social network.
In various embodiments, users may explicitly state that certain users, groups of users, and the like are detrimental and should not be included in the user network. For example, an individual may wish to exclude their membership in a drug-abuse counseling group, from the individual's other friends. In such embodiments, the system 100 , described below, treats such nodes as “stop nodes.” Accordingly, when system 100 computes the user network, when these nodes are encountered, no link is returned and no further social distance computations are performed. This can be used inductively to also exclude other links to such nodes (e.g. other members of the drug-abuse counseling group.
Social Map—A map of connections from one specific user to other users on the system. It can be collection of User Networks at various relevance thresholds such as 1, 2, 3, 4 and typically includes a shortest path between two users, either via friendship, affinity group, or the like. In some embodiments, a social map for a user is typically socially limited to a specified social distance from the user. In embodiments of the present invention, the limited distance may be specified by an administrator, the user, or the like.
Social Network—A network of relationships between users (via friendship, affinity, or the like).
People Web—A unified collection of social networks into a complete social map. Unifying identities across social networks allows one to traverse the social map in a way similar to DNS for network traffic.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of typical computer system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In the present embodiment, computer system 100 typically includes a monitor 110 , computer 120 , a keyboard 130 , a user input device 140 , a network interface 150 , and the like.
In the present embodiment, user input device 140 is typically embodied as a computer mouse, a trackball, a track pad, wireless remote, and the like. User input device 140 typically allows a user to select objects, icons, text and the like that appear on the monitor 110 .
Embodiments of network interface 150 typically include an Ethernet card, a modem (telephone, satellite, cable, ISDN), (asynchronous) digital subscriber line (DSL) unit, and the like. Network interface 150 are typically coupled to a computer network as shown. In other embodiments, network interface 150 may be physically integrated on the motherboard of computer 120 , may be a software program, such as soft DSL, or the like.
Computer 120 typically includes familiar computer components such as a processor 160 , and memory storage devices, such as a random access memory (RAM) 170 , disk drives 180 , and system bus 190 interconnecting the above components.
In one embodiment, computer 120 is a PC compatible computer having one or more microprocessors from Intel Corporation, or the like. Further, in the present embodiment, computer 120 typically includes a UNIX-based operating system.
RAM 170 and disk drive 180 are examples of tangible media for storage of data, audio/video files, computer programs, user profile card data, user social network-related data, social distance computation programs, hierarchal posting data, social network filtering criteria, other embodiments of the present invention and the like. Other types of tangible media include magnetic storage media such as floppy disks, hard disks, removable hard disks; optical storage media such as CD-ROMS, DVDs, bar codes, holographic; semiconductor memories such as flash memories, read-only-memories (ROMS), volatile memories; networked storage devices; and the like.
In the present embodiment, computer system 100 may also include software that enables communications over a network such as the HTTP, TCP/IP, RTP/RTSP protocols, and the like. In alternative embodiments of the present invention, other communications software and transfer protocols may also be used, for example IPX, UDP or the like.
FIG. 1 is representative of computer rendering systems capable of embodying the present invention. It will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many other hardware and software configurations are suitable for use with the present invention. For example, the use of other micro processors are contemplated, such as Pentium™ or Itanium™ microprocessors; AthlonXP™ microprocessors from Advanced Micro Devices, Inc; PowerPC G4™, G5™ microprocessors from Motorola, Inc.; and the like. Further, other types of operating systems are contemplated, such as Windows® operating systems (e.g. WindowsXP®, WindowsNT®, or the like) from Microsoft Corporation, Solaris from Sun Microsystems, LINUX, UNIX, MAC OS from Apple Computer Corporation, and the like.
FIG. 2 illustrates another block diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 includes a server 200 coupled to a database 210 and coupled to a graphing system 220 . A plurality of users 230 are coupled to server 200 via a network 240 , such as the Internet.
In the present embodiments, users 230 may be any conventional access device, such as a computer, a web-enabled telephone, a personal digital assistant, or the like. In operation, users 230 log into server 200 and then makes one or more requests for data. The data that is returned is typically displayed back to user.
In various embodiments, server 200 may be embodied, as described above, and include one or more application servers (e.g. server cluster) that respond to requests from users 230 . For example, server 200 may be an web server. Additionally, multiple servers may be used in embodiments where server performance is important, e.g. East Coast server for client requests from Boston, Midwest server for client requests from Chicago, and the like. Server 200 may be configured as illustrated in FIG. 1 , above.
Database 210 may be any conventional database such as powered by MySQL, Oracle, Sybase, or the like. In other embodiments, database 210 may be any other data source such as an LDAP server, or the like. In the present embodiment, database 210 is configured to store and maintain user data, to store and maintain relationship data between the users, and configured to make changes to relationship data between users, among other functions. As illustrated, database 210 may be coupled to server 200 and to graphing system 220 to send and receive respective data, as will be described below.
In various embodiments, graphing system 220 is a stand-alone computer system configured to receive data from server 200 , and configured to store and maintain relationship data between the users. Additionally, in various embodiments, graphing system 220 is configured to determine and provide requested relationship data to server 200 . In various embodiments, graphing system 220 may be integrated as a part of server 200 , or the like.
In various embodiments, graphing system 220 may be a conventional computer system, as described above. In one embodiment, graphing system 220 maintains in the relationship data of users (including adjacency information and/or associated weights) in RAM. In other embodiments of the present invention, graphing system 220 may store a portion of the relationship data of users in RAM. The other portions of the relationship data of users may be stored on magnetic disk or other media, on database 210 , or the like. In such embodiments, elements of the relationship data of users can be loaded into a most recently used (MRU) queue.
In the present embodiment, graphing system 220 computes social relationships in real time by minimizing lookup time of required information. For example, lookup operations such as: who are the direct friends of person A?, who are the members of tribe B?, what is the social map for person A, what is the shortest social distance between person A and person B, what are the shortest paths between person A and person B, what is the shortest path between person A and person B, etc, are preformed in constant or near constant time. In additional embodiments, graphing system 220 may determined updated social maps for a user when the user adds a link to another user, deletes a link to another user, confirms an addition or deletion of a link to another user, and the like. In various embodiments, graphing system 220 stores relationship data for users in RAM in a way that allows explicit control over memory allocation. In some embodiments of the present invention, it is expected that graphing system 220 will be able to compute social distance computations on a social network of up to 20 million users, within 20 milliseconds or less. In other embodiments, it is expected that graphing system 220 will be able to compute a user's social map across a social network of 10 million users within 20 milliseconds and/or will be able to determine all shortest paths between two users on a similar sized network also within a similar amount of time, e.g. 20 milliseconds.
In embodiments of the present invention, graphing system 220 may include a number (e.g. cluster) of individual systems. In various embodiments, the individual systems may store unique portions of the relationship data of users; the individual systems may store in parallel the same portions (or the entire) relationship data of users; or the like. Any traditional data clustering technique may be used to implement graphing system 220 in embodiments of the present invention.
Additionally, in embodiments, graphing system 220 determines the specific relationships (e.g. social distance queries) primarily in RAM. With such a configuration, the performance of graphing system 220 has proven superior than disk-based computation systems such as conventional databases.
In various embodiments, graphing system 220 includes four software components including two C++ components, and two Java components. In other embodiments, other architectures are envisioned. The C++ components includes a portion that solves social distance queries using the RAM, utilizing a memory efficient graph implementation, as will be discussed below. Additionally, the C++ components includes a daemon process that reads commands and write results to a socket (or other transport medium). By having graphing system 220 respond to relationship queries via a socket, different implementations of the server interface, may be easily used, without touching the C++ components.
In various embodiments, the server interface, i.e. java components, includes a java class that provides APIs to requesting servers, such as server 200 . The API's serve as the interface layer to the C++ components. Additionally, the java components includes an interface layer that sends requests to the socket and waits for relationship data on the socket. Since this communication is performed via a socket, any language that supports HTTP can be used. Furthermore, the communication need not be HTTP (or IP) based. In various embodiments, other protocols may be used, such as COM, RCP, REST, SOAP, or the like, which may or may not use the IP layer.
In implementation, graphing system 220 may be multithreaded and thus can support simultaneous requests from server 200 . Additionally, in cases where server 200 includes one or more servers for increasing scale, standard clustering techniques such as data replication can be used to support simultaneous requests from one or more servers. Locks and/or semaphores can be used to enable multi-threaded access to the data, without clients waiting for update of the respective data.
In various embodiments, many different types of relationship data can be determined by database 210 and graphing system 220 including, a shortest path between user A and user B (e.g. SOCIAL_DISTANCE (A,B)), typically a floating point value reflecting the distance from user A to B; shortest paths between user A and user B, for example through user C and user D, or through user E and user F (returned as an array of paths); what users are within or less than N degrees from user A (less than a N social distance); who is the most connected user in the social network, and the like. Many other types of information are reportable within other embodiments of the present invention. In embodiments of the present invention, database 210 and graphing system 220 may communicate with each other via custom function calls from database 210 .
The relationship determined may be filtered and sorted in any number of conventional ways based upon various parameters. Additionally, database 210 and graphing system 220 are enabled to received up-dated relationship data, such as adding a new user/friendship relationship or removing a friendship relationship, and to recompute the relationship data, and the like.
FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 3 illustrates functions provided by one embodiment of the present invention.
In one embodiment, each user has an associated (e.g. 32-bit) bit vector or array representing other users connected to the user, i.e. other users at a social distance of one. Additionally, in various embodiments, the bit vector may be stored in either a sparse or dense representation scheme. The density of bit vector is computing by comparing the number of bits in the on state vs. the size of the entire vector. When a sufficient number are on the dense representation is preferred to the sparse. The inventors of the present invention believe such a representation scheme is memory efficient. For example, in a case where 10 million users are each connected to one hundred users, the memory requirement to store first degree social relationships for all users is only about 8 gigabytes. This direct, or first-degree, social network distance can easily fit within RAM of graphing system 220 and can be stored in database 210 .
FIGS. 4A-B illustrate a flow diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Initially, user relationship data is stored in database 210 , step 300 . Next, graphing system 220 is initiated and portions of the relationship data between users is copied to graphing system 220 memory, step 310 . As described above, the user data is typically stored in graphing system 220 RAM.
In various embodiments, graphing system 220 does not “touch” database 210 again after receiving the relationship data between users. In other embodiments, graphing system 220 may synchronize its data with database 210 periodically, for example, once a week, every midnight, every 1000th user, or the like. In other embodiments, synchronization may occur only in cases of error recovery such as when the entire graph exceeds the amount of available RAM, or the like. In which case, paging of the most recently used data can be performed.
Later, a user interfaces with server 200 and logs in using any conventional method, step 315 . In response to the user logging in, web server 200 requests graphing system 220 to determine user relationship data for the user, step 320 . In various embodiments, the types of operations automatically requested includes determining users within a predetermined number of degrees from the user or within a predetermined social distance away from the user, and the like.
In some embodiments, the relationship data is a collection of masking (filtering) bit vectors across all other users on the system. The bit vectors may be returned for a requested social distance, for example, the relationship data for a user may include a collection of bit vectors in which a bit is on if the corresponding user is within 1.5, 3, or 4 degrees of social separation away or less. This vector can be stored in a sparse or dense representation depending on which approach is most storage or time efficient.
In response, graphing system 220 performs the relationship computations, and returns the relationship data to server 200 . In various embodiments, graphing server 220 caches the relationship data in RAM, step 330 . In this embodiment, as this operation is performed at user log-in time, the data represents a view of the social map of the user at log-in time.
In FIGS. 4A-B , the user subsequently requests to view their social map, or initiates a query for data drawn from the social network, step 340 , and receives the copy from server 200 , step 350 . The social map need not be provided to the user immediately at log-in, but may be provided when requested by the user, after the user logs-in. In embodiments of the present invention, because the relationship data is computed and cached at log-in time, the user typically receives a response to their request from server 200 very quickly. Accordingly, the user experience is believed to be superior to other systems relying upon real-time database querying and wait-for-response.
In other embodiments of the present invention, the social map of the user may be computed in real-time in response to a user's request. The caching of the relationship data for the user at log-in time and retrieval of the cached data is therefore merely an design choice. As described below, because users' often expect data to be static during their session, caching of the data maintains their expectations.
In still other embodiments, alternative to steps 240 and 250 may be performed. For example, in some cases, the user may submit a query that requires data from both database 210 and from graphing system 220 to be combined. In other cases, a social distance calculation can be embedded in the database itself (using a linkable binary such as a dll, or the like.). Such embodiments will be discussed further below.
In the present embodiment, during the user session, the user may enter a new relationship, step 360 . The new relationship may include, adding a friend, joining an affinity group, conducting a transaction with another user, rating another user, deleting a friend, quitting an affinity group, and the like. In response, server 200 sends a copy of the new relationship to database 210 and to graphing system 220 , step 370 . The relationship data is used to update data in database 210 and to update the relationship data stored in RAM in graphing system 220 . In other embodiments, the new relationship may be daisy-chained from server 200 to graphing system 220 , then from graphing system 220 to database 210 ; or from server to database 210 , then from database 210 to graphing system 220 .
In various embodiments, as shown above, modifications to the user data is typically passed to both database 210 and to graphing system 220 . Accordingly, the data respectively stored in each system should theoretically both be up to date. In some cases, graphing system 220 may periodically synchronize its data with database 210 to ensure graphing system 220 is up-to-date. In some embodiments, it is contemplated that synchronization is only needed for error recovery purposes. For error recovery purposes, in some embodiments, the data should not be out of synchronization by design. In addition, a trigger could be used such that the database notifies the graph system directly, instead of the application notifying both the database and the graph system.
In the present embodiment, in response to the new relationship, graphing system 220 recomputes a new social map for the user, step 380 . The new social map may be cached in RAM of graphing system 220 and/or application server 200 , step 390 . The new social map may also be provided to the user.
In various embodiments of the present invention, it is contemplated that many other users may make relationship changes that may or may not directly affect a user's social map. Accordingly, the inventors have determined that it is desirable that a user's relationships, social map, and the like are not recomputed during a user session unless the user requests a change, as in step 360 , or when the user expects a change. In that way, the user's social map will be “stable” during a user session. When the user makes a relationship change, as describe above, the user expects that change to affect their social network. Alternatively, when the user is made aware of a relationship being added from a third party to the user, the user expects that change to show up and affect their social network, for example, if a user confirms a relationship proposed by another user, if the user confirms a deleted relationship proposed by another user, or the like. Accordingly, when the user has that expectation of a change, the social network is recomputed or updated, as described in step 380 , above. Because of the real time nature of embodiments of this system, the social map presented to a user can change throughout the user session.
In embodiments of the present invention, when the user logs-out, the cached relationship data for the user may be marked as delete-able from graphing server 220 and/or application server 200 step 390 . In other embodiments, time-out conditions or other conditions may also be used to delete or invalidate the cached social map from the memory of graphing system 220 and/or server 200 .
FIGS. 5A-D illustrate flow diagrams according to additional embodiments of the present invention. In particular, FIGS. 5A-D illustrate embodiments when a user submits a query that requires data from both database 210 (a database query) and graphing system 220 (a social distance computation), in contrast to steps 340 and 350 , above. A typical example is a request for all users within 25 miles (database query) that are within a specified social distance (social distance computation).
In the embodiment in FIG. 5A , the user sends the query to server 200 , step 400 . Next, server 200 sends the query to database 210 for processing, step 410 . In turn, database 210 processes the entire query, step 420 , returns the combined query result to server 200 , step 430 , and server 200 provides the results to the user, step 440 . In operation, this embodiment provides sufficient performance when the data set is small. In other words, when a user has a low number of relationships, database 210 can perform the social distance calculation within an acceptable amount of time.
In the embodiment in FIG. 5B , the user sends the query to server 200 , step 460 . In response, server 200 determines from the cached data whether the user has greater than a threshold number of “close” users, step 470 . For instance, server 200 may determine whether the user has less than 1000 users within a predetermined distance away. In other embodiments, the threshold number of users may vary depending upon design considerations. Other thresholds include if the user belongs to a certain number of affinity groups or tribes (both implied or explicit).
In the present embodiment, if the number of “close” users is above a threshold, server 200 removes the social distance calculation from the query, step 480 , and sends the remaining database query to database 210 , step 490 . Next, database 210 processes the database query, step 500 , and returns the database query result to server 200 , step 510 .
In this embodiment, at approximately the same time, or afterwards, server 200 performs the social distance computation requested by the user by the query, step 520 . In various embodiments, sever 200 may request graphing server 220 to perform the computation, or server 200 may perform the calculation based upon the previously cached data.
Finally, server 200 combines the social distance computation results and the query results, step 530 , and provides the combined results to the user, step 540 . Using the example above, in this embodiment, database 210 computes all users that are within 25 miles of the user; and server 200 or graphing system 220 determines the users that are within the specified social distance. With this example, server 200 then performs an intersection function on both of the results to determine the users that are within 25 miles of the user and within the specified social distance. Of course other combinations can be performed depending upon the requested query. For example, the user may request a list of all users with 2 miles and a list of all users within a specified social distance regardless of distance. In such a case the function would be a union function.
In this embodiment, if the number of “close” users is below the threshold, server 200 may send the entire query to database 210 , as disclosed in FIG. 4A , above.
In the embodiment in FIG. 5C , the user sends the query to server 200 , step 600 . Next, server 200 sends the entire query to database 210 for processing, step 610 . In this embodiment, database 210 performs the database query portion of the query, step 620 and makes one or more function calls directly to graphing system 220 , step 630 . In this embodiment, database 210 requests graphing system 220 to perform the social distance computations. In response, graphing system 220 performs the calculation, step 640 , and provides the social distance results to database 210 , step 650 . Database 210 then combines the social distance results with the database query result, step 660 and provides the combined result to server 200 , step 670 . In various embodiments, the computation can be embedded into database 210 via a linkable binary, such as a dll or the like. As illustrated in FIG. 4C , server 200 then provides the combined result to the user, step 680 .
In the embodiment in FIG. 5D , the user sends the query to server 200 , step 700 . Next, server 200 sends the query to database 210 and graphing system 220 , step 710 . In this embodiment, social distance data is represented as one or more temporary tables in database 210 . The social distance tables are populated by graphing server 220 in response to the query. In the present embodiment, graphing system 220 performs the social distance computations and caches the results, step 720 , and then graphing system 220 populates the social distance tables in database 210 with the cached results, step 730 . Database 210 then processes the query, relying upon the social distance tables, step 740 , and determines results, step 750 . In various embodiments, database 210 performs a JOIN with the temporary social distance tables. The returns are then sent to server 200 , step 760 , which in turn provides the result to the user, step 770 . In various embodiments, the social distance tables are populated by graphing server 220 in response to the query, or have been cached in advance of the query. The caching can be done in anticipation of such a query, for example, when the user logs into a session in the system, the computation can be performed and the results may be cached for that session.
In still other embodiments of the present invention, additional methods for integrating social distance calculations and database queries are contemplated. For example, another method is through use of a “custom storage engine.” In such embodiments, by intercepting the way database 210 appears to write to data to storage, graphing system 220 can act as a first class database object like any other relational table.
In yet another embodiment, graphing system 220 is directly or indirectly sent the social distance query (e.g. from server 200 or database 210 ). In response, a string representing users who satisfy the social distance query is sent to database 210 . The string is then put in the form of an IN clause. For example, if user 1 , user 4 , and user 5 were identified, the IN clause to database 210 would be similar to IN( 1 , 4 , 5 ). By doing this, the results of the query in database 210 would be restricted to the users identified in the IN clause. In various embodiments, server 200 may send the social distance query to graphing system 220 , in response, graphing system 220 returns the users satisfying the social distance calculation, next, server 200 forms an SQL query or the like to database 210 including the IN clause specifying the identified users, as was described above. In another embodiment, server 200 may directly determine results for the social distance query based on cached data in server 200 . As above, server 200 may then form the IN portion of an SQL query that is sent to database 210 .
In various embodiments, because social relationship data, group affiliations, interests, and other data of users are available within the graphing system, collaborative filtering operations can easily be performed in real-time. Such operations may include: determining connected tribes to a user—tribes that are similar to a tribe the user is a member of (based upon membership overlap); determining connected people to a user—people that have similar interests as a user, similar tribe membership, or the like; determine suggested tribes to a user—tribes that may be of interest to a user based upon the memberships of a user's friends, co-workers, and the like; determine suggested listings to the user—classified listings, job posts, and the like that may be of interest to the user based upon viewership of the listing by the user's friends, people having similar interests as the user, and the like. More generally, any individual, tribe, implied tribe, or the like, may use decisions made by other persons, tribes, or the like, to help identify classified listings, web-sites, or the like, that are more likely to satisfy a user's needs via the above collaborative filtering. The system described above makes such collaborative data available in real-time.
In one embodiment, collaborative filtering may be implemented in conjunction with search engines such as Yahoo, Google, MSN search, and the like. In such embodiments, clicks on specific links by previous users may be combined with social network collaborative filtering, described above, to determine a priority for search results. For example, a first user is a member of an affinity group such as an “toy airplane affinity group,” and a second user is a member of a “fashion affinity group.” If the first user searches for the terms “model” and “photography,” the search engine may initially identify a number of search result links. Subsequently, based upon selected search result links of other members in the same “toy airplane affinity group,” the search engine will promote links about “hobby supplies,” “macro photography,” “aviation” and the like, for the first user. In contrast, if the second user searches for the same terms “model” and “photography,” the search engine may again identify the same number of search result links. However, based upon selected search result links of other members in the “fashion affinity group,” the search engine may promote links about “photographic supplies,” “fashion models,” “weight loss supplements” and the like, for the second user.
As another example, a search engine may prioritize results based upon prior searches performed by users closer than a determined distance away from the user. For example, a college student may search for “airlines” and “hotels.” In such embodiments, the search engine may identify potential links to return to the student, then, based upon searches performed by users less than a social distance of, for example, two away from the user, the college student's results may be prioritized. If many of the student's friends are planning trips to Ft. Lauderdale, the search results for “airlines” and “hotels” may prioritize links describing “Spring Break packages to Florida,” “Miami nightlife guides,” “tanning salons” and the like. In contrast, a retiree searching on the same terms “airlines” and “hotels” may have links such as “term life insurance,” “time-share condominiums,” “prescription drugs” prioritized, based upon prior searches of close friends of the retiree.
Additionally, in various embodiments, the similarity function used for the collaborative filter may be based upon any combination of overlap between groups, individuals, and/or interest groups of the user. Additionally, different weights may be set for the different relationships for a user. For example, the importance of friends, the importance of the user's interests, the importance of similarly view items, and the like may be different. Further, the weights may be different for different users.
In still other embodiments of the present invention, server 200 may be used to unify two or more social networks into one complete network, termed a “People Web.” In various embodiments, a user may establish identities in two separate social networks. In such embodiments, importing data from other social networks or other sites into embodiments of the present invention to determine overlapping identities can be performed with little, if any modification. In such embodiments, server 200 , for example, graphing system 220 may be used to unify the identity of the user in the user network and the social map.
In one example, Paul is a member of social network A and a frequent forum poster on site B; Paul is a friend of Sue in social network A (i.e. Sue is a social distance of one away); and Paul and Mark often reply to each-other's posts on the forums on site B (i.e. they are members of an implied tribe, thus Mark is a social distance of 1.5 away). Thus, by linking Paul from network A to Paul on site B, depending on the weights on the links, Mark may be within Sue's social map (e.g. Mark is a social distance of 2.5 away). In contrast, without linking Paul from network A to Paul on site B, Mark and Sue may have an extremely large social distance. In other embodiments, social distances or other trust-metrics may be computed based upon any of the above-described relationships, such as, amount of communication between the parties, the importance or weight of relationships, the amount of affinity group overlap, the common interests, and the like.
In various embodiments of the present invention, the term social map and social network may also refer to the entire set of first degree relationships of all users. Similarly, the term user social map or user social network, or social map for a user or social network for a user may also refer a group of other users who are connected to the user who are within a specific social distance from the user. In embodiments of the invention, the terms may be interchanged, and depend more upon context of the usage.
Further embodiments can be envisioned to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this disclosure. In other embodiments, combinations or sub-combinations of the above disclosed invention can be advantageously made. The specification, accordingly, is to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims. | A method for a computer system includes receiving an identifier from a user, initiating a user session in response to the identifier, determining a social map for the user in response to the identifier and in response to a plurality of social network relationships, receiving a first change to the plurality of social network relationships from the user, receiving a second change to the plurality of network relationships from another user, determining a revised social map for the user during the user session in response to receiving the first change, but not in response to receiving the second change, wherein the revised social map for the user reflects the first change and the second change, and storing the revised social map for the user during the user session in a cache. | 6 |
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] This disclosure relates generally to laundry treating appliances, and, more particularly, to laundry treating appliances and methods of controlling the same to determine an end-of-cycle condition.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Laundry treating appliances, such as a clothes washer, a clothes dryer, a combination washer-dryer, a refresher and a non-aqueous system, may have a configuration based on a rotating drum that defines a treating chamber in which laundry items are placed for treating according to a cycle of operation. A dispensing system may be provided for dispensing a treating chemistry as part of the cycle of operation. A controller may be operably connected with the dispensing system and may have various components of the laundry treating appliance to execute the cycle of operation. The cycle of operation may be selected manually by the user or automatically based on one or more conditions determined by the controller.
SUMMARY
[0003] A disclosed example method of operating a laundry treating appliance having a treating chamber in which laundry is received for treatment, and a heated air system having a supply conduit coupled to the treating chamber and an exhaust conduit coupled to the treating chamber includes supplying heated air to the treating chamber via the supply conduit, exhausting air from the treating chamber via the exhaust conduit, repeatedly determining exhaust air temperatures of the air exhausted from the exhaust conduit, determining a windowed derivative of the exhaust air temperature values, determining a zero crossing of the windowed derivative, and initiating the termination of the supplying of heated air in response to the determination of the zero crossing.
[0004] A disclosed example laundry treating appliance includes a treating chamber in which laundry is to be received for treatment, a heated air system having a supply conduit to supply heated air to the treating chamber, and an exhaust conduit to exhaust air from the treating chamber, a sensor to determine exhaust air temperatures of the air exhausted via the exhaust conduit, and a controller programmed to determine a windowed derivative of the exhaust air temperature values, determine a zero crossing of the windowed derivative, and initiate the termination of the supplying of heated air in response to the determination of the zero crossing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a graph depicting example exhaust air temperature profiles.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an example laundry treating appliance in the form of a clothes dryer.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an example manner of implementing the example controller of FIG. 2 .
[0008] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of determining an end of cycle condition.
[0009] FIG. 5 is a graph depicting example slope curves corresponding to the example exhaust temperature profiles of FIG. 1 .
[0010] FIG. 6 is a graph depicting example slope derivative curves corresponding to the example slope curves of FIG. 5 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] The state or point in a drying cycle when substantially all moisture has evaporated from the surface of the fabric in a laundry load, and the input heat energy primarily raises the temperature of the fabric, is known as critical moisture content state or point. As shown in FIG. 1 , the slope of the temperature profile undergoes a significant increase past this critical moisture content point 100 compared to the preceding period when there is moisture present on the fabric surface. In FIG. 1 , three temperature profiles 105 , 110 , 115 are shown corresponding to a 1 kilogram (kg) load, a 4 kg load and an 8 kg load, respectively. After determining the change in slope, remaining time needed for the drying process to finish can be determined using a load mass determined using load sensing or some other method. Also, after determining the critical moisture content state or point, the end of cycle behavior can be adjusted by, for example, lowering input power/usage of main actuators such as drum (speed), blower fan (speed), heater (temperature, duty cycle, electric power) to save energy and prevent overheating and/or over drying of the fabric. By more accurately determining the critical moisture content state or point, the examples disclosed herein may achieve greater energy savings, reduce the over drying of fabrics, provide better fabric care through cycle termination at a lower temperature, and/or can display a more accurate indication of the remaining cycle time. Because the examples disclosed herein can determine the critical moisture content state or point using only drum exhaust air temperature, the disclosed examples may be implemented without the complexity and cost of moisture sensing strips, inlet air temperature sensors, and/or humidity sensors. As used herein, “determining” means any manner, direct or indirect, by any actor, human or machine, by which a parameter or condition may be decided, which includes, without limitation sensing, calculating, estimating, experimenting, empirically, theoretically, mathematically, identifying, detecting, computing, measuring, reading an output of a sensor, and reading a sensor output from a memory.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an example laundry treating appliance 10 in the form of a clothes dryer 10 . The clothes dryer 10 described herein shares many features of a traditional automatic clothes dryer, which will not be described in detail except as necessary for a complete understanding of this disclosure. While examples are described in the context of a clothes dryer 10 , the examples disclosed herein may be used with any type of laundry treating appliance, non-limiting examples of which include a washing machine, a combination washing and drying machine, a non-aqueous system, and a refreshing/revitalizing machine.
[0013] As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the clothes dryer 10 may include a cabinet 12 in which is provided a controller 14 that may receive input from a user through a user interface 16 for selecting a cycle of operation and controlling the operation of the clothes dryer 10 to implement the selected cycle of operation. As discussed in more detail below, the controller 14 may be programmed and/or configured to determine an end-of-cycle condition based on drum exhaust air temperatures, and to terminate and/or adjust drying based on the determined end-of-cycle condition.
[0014] The cabinet 12 may be defined by a front wall 18 , a rear wall 20 , and a pair of side walls 22 supporting a top wall 24 . A chassis may be provided with the walls being panels mounted to the chassis. A door 26 may be hingedly mounted to the front wall 18 and may be selectively movable between opened and closed positions to close an opening in the front wall 18 , which provides access to the interior of the cabinet 12 .
[0015] A rotatable drum 28 may be disposed within the interior of the cabinet 12 between opposing stationary front and rear bulkheads 30 , 32 , which, along with the door 26 , collectively define a treating chamber 34 for treating laundry. As illustrated, and as is the case with most clothes dryers, the treating chamber 34 is not fluidly coupled to a drain. Thus, any liquid introduced into the treating chamber 34 may not be removed merely by draining.
[0016] Non-limiting examples of laundry that may be treated according to a cycle of operation include, a hat, a scarf, a glove, a sweater, a blouse, a shirt, a pair of shorts, a dress, a sock, a pair of pants, a shoe, an undergarment, and a jacket. Furthermore, textile fabrics in other products, such as draperies, sheets, towels, pillows, and stuffed fabric articles (e.g., toys), may be treated in the clothes dryer 10 .
[0017] The drum 28 may include at least one lifter 29 . In most dryers, there may be multiple lifters. The lifters may be located along an inner surface of the drum 28 defining an interior circumference of the drum 28 . The lifters may facilitate movement of the laundry 36 within the drum 28 as the drum 28 rotates.
[0018] The drum 28 may be operably coupled with a motor 54 to selectively rotate the drum 28 during a cycle of operation. The coupling of the motor 54 to the drum 28 may be direct or indirect. As illustrated, an indirect coupling may include a belt 56 coupling an output shaft of the motor 54 to a wheel/pulley on the drum 28 . A direct coupling may include the output shaft of the motor 54 coupled to a hub of the drum 28 .
[0019] An air system may be provided to the clothes dryer 10 . The air system supplies air to the treating chamber 34 and exhausts air from the treating chamber 34 . The supplied air may be heated or not. The air system may have an air supply portion that may form, in part, a supply conduit 38 , which has one end open to ambient air via a rear vent 37 and another end fluidly coupled to an inlet grill 40 , which may be in fluid communication with the treating chamber 34 . A heating element 42 may lie within the supply conduit 38 and may be operably coupled to and controlled by the controller 14 . If the heating element 42 is turned on, the supplied air will be heated prior to entering the drum 28 .
[0020] The air system may further include an air exhaust portion that may be formed in part by an exhaust conduit 44 . A lint trap 45 may be provided as the inlet from the treating chamber 34 to the exhaust conduit 44 . A blower 46 may be fluidly coupled to the exhaust conduit 44 . The blower 46 may be operably coupled to and controlled by the controller 14 . Operation of the blower 46 draws air into the treating chamber 34 as well as exhausts air from the treating chamber 34 through the exhaust conduit 44 . The exhaust conduit 44 may be fluidly coupled with a household exhaust duct (not shown) for exhausting the air from the treating chamber 34 to the outside of the clothes dryer 10 .
[0021] The air system may further include various sensors and other components, such as a thermistor 47 and a thermostat 48 , which may be coupled to the supply conduit 38 in which the heating element 42 may be positioned. The thermistor 47 and the thermostat 48 may be operably coupled to each other. Alternatively, the thermistor 47 may be coupled to the supply conduit 38 at or near to the inlet grill 40 . Regardless of its location, the thermistor 47 may be used to aid in determining an inlet temperature. A thermistor 51 and a thermal fuse 49 may be coupled to the exhaust conduit 44 . The thermistor 51 may be used to determine an outlet or exhaust air temperature.
[0022] A moisture sensor 50 may be positioned in the interior of the treating chamber 34 to monitor the amount of moisture of the laundry in the treating chamber 34 . One example of a moisture sensor 50 is a conductivity strip. The moisture sensor 50 may be operably coupled to the controller 14 such that the controller 14 receives output from the moisture sensor 50 . The moisture sensor 50 may be mounted at any location in the interior of the dispensing dryer 10 such that the moisture sensor 50 may be able to accurately sense the moisture content of the laundry. For example, the moisture sensor 50 may be coupled to one of the bulkheads 30 , 32 of the drying chamber 34 by any suitable means.
[0023] A dispensing system 57 may be provided to the clothes dryer 10 to dispense one or more treating chemistries to the treating chamber 34 according to a cycle of operation. As illustrated, the dispensing system 57 may be located in the interior of the cabinet 12 although other locations are also possible. The dispensing system 57 may be fluidly coupled to a water supply 68 . The dispensing system 57 may be further coupled to the treating chamber 34 through one or more nozzles 69 . As illustrated, nozzles 69 are provided to the front and rear of the treating chamber 34 to provide the treating chemistry or liquid to the interior of the treating chamber 34 , although other configurations are also possible. The number, type and placement of the nozzles 69 are not germane to this disclosure.
[0024] As illustrated, the dispensing system 57 may include a reservoir 60 , which may be a cartridge, for a treating chemistry that is releasably coupled to the dispensing system 57 , which dispenses the treating chemistry from the reservoir 60 to the treating chamber 34 . The reservoir 60 may include one or more cartridges configured to store one or more treating chemistries in the interior of cartridges. A suitable cartridge system may be found in U.S. Pub. No. 2010/0000022 to Hendrickson et al., filed Jul. 1, 2008, entitled “Household Cleaning Appliance with a Dispensing System Operable Between a Single Use Dispensing System and a Bulk Dispensing System,” which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0025] A mixing chamber 62 may be provided to couple the reservoir 60 to the treating chamber 34 through a supply conduit 63 . Pumps such as a metering pump 64 and delivery pump 66 may be provided to the dispensing system 57 to selectively supply a treating chemistry and/or liquid to the treating chamber 34 according to a cycle of operation. The water supply 68 may be fluidly coupled to the mixing chamber 62 to provide water from the water source to the mixing chamber 62 . The water supply 68 may include an inlet valve 70 and a water supply conduit 72 . It is noted that, instead of water, a different treating chemistry may be provided from the exterior of the clothes dryer 10 to the mixing chamber 62 .
[0026] The treating chemistry may be any type of aid for treating laundry, non-limiting examples of which include, but are not limited to, water, fabric softeners, sanitizing agents, de-wrinkling or anti-wrinkling agents, and chemicals for imparting desired properties to the laundry, including stain resistance, fragrance (e.g., perfumes), insect repellency, and UV protection.
[0027] The dryer 10 may also be provided with a steam generating system 80 that may be separate from the dispensing system 57 or integrated with portions of the dispensing system 57 for dispensing steam and/or liquid to the treating chamber 34 according to a cycle of operation. The steam generating system 80 may include a steam generator 82 fluidly coupled with the water supply 68 through a steam inlet conduit 84 . A fluid control valve 85 may be used to control the flow of water from the water supply conduit 72 between the steam generating system 80 and the dispensing system 57 . The steam generator 82 may further be fluidly coupled with the one or more supply conduits 63 through a steam supply conduit 86 to deliver steam to the treating chamber 34 through the nozzles 69 . Alternatively, the steam generator 82 may be coupled with the treating chamber 34 through one or more conduits and nozzles independently of the dispensing system 57 .
[0028] The steam generator 82 may be any type of device that converts the supplied liquid to steam. For example, the steam generator 82 may be a tank-type steam generator that stores a volume of liquid and heats the volume of liquid to convert the liquid to steam. Alternatively, the steam generator 82 may be an in-line steam generator that converts the liquid to steam as the liquid flows through the steam generator 82 .
[0029] It will be understood that the details of the dispensing system 57 and steam generating system 80 are not germane to this disclosure and that any suitable dispensing system and/or steam generating system may be used with the dryer 10 . It is also within the scope of this disclosure for the dryer 10 to not include a dispensing system or a steam generating system.
[0030] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an example manner of implementing the example controller 14 of FIG. 2 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the controller 14 is coupled to various components of the dryer 10 . The controller 14 may be communicably coupled to components of the clothes dryer 10 such as the heating element 42 , the blower 46 , the thermistor 47 , the thermostat 48 , the thermal fuse 49 , the thermistor 51 , the moisture sensor 50 , the motor 54 , the inlet valve 70 , the pumps 64 , 66 , the steam generator 82 and the fluid control valve 85 to either control these components and/or receive their input for use in controlling the components. The controller 14 is also operably coupled to the user interface 16 to receive input from the user through the user interface 16 for the implementation of the drying cycle and provide the user with information regarding the drying cycle. An example method that may be carried out by the controller 14 to determine an end-of-cycle condition, and to terminate and/or adjust a drying processed based on the end-of-cycle condition is described below in connection with FIG. 4 .
[0031] The user interface 16 may be provided having operational controls such as dials, lights, knobs, levers, buttons, switches, and displays enabling the user to input commands to a controller 14 and receive information about a treatment cycle from components in the clothes dryer 10 or via input by the user through the user interface 16 . The user may enter many different types of information, including, without limitation, cycle selection and cycle parameters, such as cycle options. Any suitable cycle may be used. Non-limiting examples include, Casual, Delicate, Super Delicate, Heavy Duty, Normal Dry, Damp Dry, Sanitize, Quick Dry, Timed Dry, and Jeans.
[0032] The controller 14 may implement a treatment cycle selected by the user according to any options selected by the user and provide related information to the user. The controller 14 may also comprise a central processing unit (CPU) 74 and an associated memory 76 where various treatment cycles and associated data, such as look-up tables, may be stored. One or more software applications, such as an arrangement of executable machine-readable commands/instructions may be stored in the memory and executed by the CPU 74 to implement, perform and/or otherwise carry-out the one or more treatment cycles. Example machine-readable instructions that may be executed by the CPU 74 to determine an end-of-cycle condition, and to terminate and/or adjust a drying process based on the end-of-cycle condition are discussed below in connection with FIG. 4 .
[0033] In general, the controller 14 will effect a cycle of operation to effect a treating of the laundry in the treating chamber 34 , which may or may not include drying. The controller 14 may actuate the blower 46 to draw an inlet air flow 58 into the supply conduit 38 through the rear vent 37 when air flow is needed for a selected treating cycle. The controller 14 may activate the heating element 42 to heat the inlet air flow 58 as it passes over the heating element 42 , with the heated air 59 being supplied to the treating chamber 34 . The heated air 59 may be in contact with a laundry load 36 as it passes through the treating chamber 34 on its way to the exhaust conduit 44 to effect a moisture removal of the laundry. The heated air 59 may exit the treating chamber 34 , and flow through the blower 46 and the exhaust conduit 44 to the outside of the clothes dryer 10 . The controller 14 continues the cycle of operation until completed. If the cycle of operation includes drying, the controller 14 determines when the laundry is dry. FIGS. 4-6 illustrate an example method of determining when laundry is dry.
[0034] During a cycle of operation, one or more treating chemistries may be provided to the treating chamber 34 by the dispensing system 57 as actuated by the controller 14 . To dispense the treating chemistry, the metering pump 64 is actuated by the controller 14 to pump a predetermined quantity of the treating chemistry stored in the cartridge 60 to the mixing chamber 62 , which may be provided as a single charge, multiple charges, or at a predetermined rate, for example. The treating chemistry may be in the form of a gas, liquid, solid, gel or any combination thereof, and may have any chemical composition enabling refreshment, disinfection, whitening, brightening, increased softness, reduced odor, reduced wrinkling, stain repellency or any other desired treatment of the laundry. The treating chemistry may be composed of a single chemical, a mixture of chemicals, or a solution of a solvent, such as water, and one or more chemicals.
[0035] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an example method to determine an end-of-cycle condition and terminate and/or adjust drying of laundry based on the determined end-of-cycle condition. A processor, a controller and/or any other suitable processing device such as the example CPU 74 may be used, configured and/or programmed to execute and/or carry out the example method of FIG. 4 . For example, the example method of FIG. 4 may be embodied in program code and/or machine-readable instructions stored on a tangible computer-readable medium such as the memory 76 . Many other methods of implementing the example method of FIG. 4 may be employed. For example, the order of execution may be changed, and/or one or more of the blocks and/or interactions described may be changed, eliminated, sub-divided, or combined. Additionally, any or all of the example method of FIG. 4 may be carried out sequentially and/or carried out in parallel by, for example, separate processing threads, processors, devices, discrete logic, circuits, etc.
[0036] As used herein, the term “tangible computer-readable medium” is expressly defined to include any type of computer-readable medium and to expressly exclude propagating signals. As used herein, the term “non-transitory computer-readable medium” is expressly defined to include any type of computer-readable medium and to exclude propagating signals. Example tangible and/or non-transitory computer-readable medium include a volatile and/or non-volatile memory, a volatile and/or non-volatile memory device, a flash memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an electronically-programmable ROM (EPROM), and/or an electronically-erasable PROM (EEPROM).
[0037] The method of FIG. 4 starts with the controller 14 waiting a pre-determined amount of time t start to allow the clothes dryer 10 to reach an initial equilibrium (block 405 ). The controller 14 determines at time t start a reference temperature T o such as an ambient temperature (block 410 ), and begins periodically determining (e.g., measuring) exhaust air temperatures using, for example, the example thermistor 51 (block 415 ). Example exhaust air temperatures 105 , 110 and 115 are shown in FIG. 1 for 1 kg, 4 kg and 8 kg laundry masses, respectively.
[0038] The controller 14 determines (e.g., computes) a slope of the exhaust air temperatures by computing a difference between a current exhaust air temperature T e and the reference temperature T o , and computing a product of the difference and an inverse of the time t at which the exhaust air temperature T e was determined (block 420 ). The slope of the exhaust air temperatures can be expressed mathematically as
[0000]
s
(
t
)
=
T
e
-
T
o
t
.
EQN
(
1
)
[0000] Because the slope expressed in EQN (1) is computed with reference to the reference temperature T o determined at t start and with a denominator of t, the slope of EQN (1) does not represent a conventional piecewise derivative of the exhaust air temperatures. Example slopes 505 , 510 and 515 corresponding to the example exhaust air temperature profiles 105 , 110 and 115 of FIG. 1 are shown in FIG. 5 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the slopes 505 , 510 and 515 have a local minima corresponding to the critical moisture content points 100 of FIG. 1 . In some examples, a slope value is determined as each exhaust air temperature is determined.
[0039] Returning to FIG. 4 , to determine (e.g., identifies) the local minima of the slope, the example controller 14 determines (e.g., computes) a derivative of the slope values. A zero-crossing of the slope derivative corresponds to a local minima of the slope. Because the exhaust air temperatures are typically noisy, the slope values will be noisy. To substantially mitigate false determination of a zero-crossing, the derivative of the slope is determined using slope values spaced apart by a window t w . Accordingly, the controller 14 waits until enough initial slope values have been determined before beginning to determine derivatives of the slope (block 425 ).
[0040] Once enough slope values have been determined, the controller 14 begins determining slope derivative values (block 430 ). In some examples, a new slope derivative value is determined as each slope value is determined. The controller 14 determines (e.g., computes) a slope derivative value by computing a difference between two slope values that are spaced apart by the window t w , which is selected to reduce the occurrence of false zero-crossings, and computing a product of the difference and the inverse of the window t w . The slope derivative can be expressed mathematically as
[0000]
derivative
=
s
(
t
)
-
s
(
t
-
t
w
)
t
w
.
EQN
(
2
)
[0041] An example value of the window t w is 250 seconds. Because the example derivative of EQN (2) uses slope values spaced apart by the window t w , the derivative of EQN (2) is referred to herein as a “windowed derivative.” In contrast, a conventional derivative is mathematically expressed as
[0000]
s
′
(
t
)
=
s
(
t
)
-
s
(
t
-
Δ
t
)
Δ
t
,
EQN
(
3
)
[0000] where Δt is a small value that is substantially smaller than the window t w . The use of a conventional derivative would lead to infrequent false zero-crossing determinations. Example slope derivatives 605 , 610 and 615 corresponding to the example slopes 505 , 510 and 515 of FIG. 5 are shown in FIG. 6 . As shown in FIG. 6 , the slope derivatives 606 , 610 and 615 have a zero-crossing corresponding to the critical moisture content points 100 of FIG. 1 .
[0042] Returning to FIG. 4 , when the slope derivative of EQN (2) is substantially equal to zero (block 435 ), the controller 14 determines (e.g., estimates) the mass of the laundry in the laundry drying appliance 14 using, for example, a weight and/or volume sensor (block 440 ). Based on the determined load mass, the controller 14 determines an additional amount of time and/or parameters to complete the current drying cycle (block 445 ). For example, a large load (e.g., approximately 8 kg) will be dried for an additional 10 minutes, while a small load (e.g., approximately 1 kg) will be dried for an additional 3 minutes. The controller 14 completes the drying cycle based on the determined time and/or parameters (block 450 ), and control exits from the example method of FIG. 4 .
[0043] Returning to block 435 , if the derivative slope is not substantially equal to zero (block 435 ), control returns to block 415 to determine another outlet air temperature.
[0044] Returning to block 425 , if not enough slope values have been determined to enable the determination of derivative slope values (block 425 ), control returns to block 415 to determine another air temperature and determine another slope value.
[0045] To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various embodiments may be used in combination with each other as desired. That one feature may not be illustrated in all of the embodiments is not meant to be construed that it cannot be, but is done for brevity of description. Thus, the various features of the different embodiments may be mixed and matched as desired to form new embodiments, whether or not the new embodiments are expressly described.
[0046] Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the claims of this patent. | Laundry treating appliances and methods of controlling the same to determine an end-of-cycle condition are disclosed. An example method of operating a laundry treating appliance having a treating chamber in which laundry is received for treatment, and a heated air system having a supply conduit coupled to the treating chamber and an exhaust conduit coupled to the treating chamber includes supplying heated air to the treating chamber via the supply conduit, exhausting air from the treating chamber via the exhaust conduit, repeatedly determining exhaust air temperatures of the air exhausted from the exhaust conduit, determining a windowed derivative of the exhaust air temperature values, determining a zero crossing of the windowed derivative, and initiating the termination of the supplying of heated air in response to the determination of the zero crossing. | 3 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. The Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an improved dryer vent. More specifically, the present invention relates to a dryer vent which reduces or eliminates the space between the dryer and the wall, and which reduces the chance of a kink in the flexible dryer vent hose.
[0003] 2. State of the Art
[0004] Clothes dryers are typically vented to the outside of a house. Such an arrangement is advantageous as the exhaust air from the dryer, which typically carries a fair amount of lint, is expelled from the house. The dryer exhaust vent exits from the back of the dryer, and is typically connected to a section of flexible hose, which is in turn connected to a vent pipe in the house wall. The vent pipe extends to a point outside of the house.
[0005] One of the disadvantages of such an arrangement is that the dryer can not be pushed back against the wall. The flexible vent hose necessitates a space between the dryer and the wall. If the dryer is pushed back too far, the vent hose can kink or partially collapse, impeding the functioning of the dryer. The space between the dryer and the wall is often six or eight inches. Many persons find such a space objectionable, as it reduces space in the room and is visually less appealing.
[0006] There is thus a need for a dryer vent which overcomes the limitations of available methods of venting a dryer. Specifically, there is a need for a dryer vent which eliminates the need for a large space between the dryer and the wall, and which reduces the risk of kinking or partially blocking the dryer vent hose.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved dryer vent.
[0008] According to one aspect of the invention, a pedestal dryer vent is provided. The exhaust air from the dryer is directed out of the bottom of the dryer and into the pedestal. Such an arrangement does not require a substantial space between the dryer and the wall. Such an arrangement also reduces the chance of blocking the dryer vent.
[0009] These and other aspects of the present invention are realized in an improved pedestal dryer vent as shown and described in the following figure and related description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Various embodiments of the present invention are shown and described in reference to the numbered drawings wherein:
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a side view of dryer and vent known in the prior art; and
[0012] FIG. 2 shows a side view of a dryer and pedestal vent of the present invention.
[0013] It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The embodiments shown accomplish various aspects and objects of the invention. It is appreciated that it is not possible to clearly show each element and aspect of the invention in a single figure, and as such, multiple figures are presented to separately illustrate the various details of the invention in greater clarity.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] The invention and accompanying drawings will now be discussed in reference to the numerals provided therein so as to enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention. The drawings and descriptions are exemplary of various aspects of the invention and are not intended to narrow the scope of the appended claims.
[0015] Turning now to FIG. 1 , a side view of a dryer and vent known in the prior art is shown. The clothes dryer 10 is fitted with an exhaust outlet 14 . The exhaust outlet 14 is typically found in the back of the dryer 10 somewhat near the bottom of the dryer. Houses typically include a dryer vent pipe 18 which is built into a wall 22 of the house. The dryer vent pipe 18 extends to the outside of the house, carrying the exhaust air from the dryer outside of the house. The dryer exhaust outlet 14 is typically connected to the dryer vent pipe 18 with a flexible hose 26 . The flexible hose 26 is often constructed with a thin metal foil or metalized plastic film forming the hose and a metal spiral formed in the hose wall to support the hose and prevent collapse of the hose.
[0016] It is desirable to remove the dryer exhaust from the house for several reasons. The dryer exhaust air is hot and humid, and would often make a house or room too hot or humid. Additionally, the exhaust air contains an amount of lint which is not caught by the dryer lint trap. It is undesirable that the lint is vented into the room.
[0017] In connecting the dryer exhaust outlet 14 to the dryer vent pipe 18 , the dryer is positioned a few feet away from the wall so as to allow a person to connect the flexible hose 26 to the exhaust outlet and vent pipe. Thus, a few feet of flexible hose 26 is needed. The dryer 10 is then moved back towards the wall 22 . In positioning the dryer 10 , some space 30 must be maintained between the dryer 10 and the wall 22 . This space is typically about six inches or more. Such an amount of space is necessary to provide proper positioning of the flexible hose 26 .
[0018] The exhaust outlet 14 and vent pipe 18 are typically not aligned. Thus, sufficient space 30 must be left to allow for bends in the flexible hose 26 , as well as for the length of the exhaust outlet 14 and vent pipe 18 protruding from the dryer 10 and wall 22 , respectively. Even if the exhaust outlet 14 and vent pipe 18 were perfectly aligned, sufficient space 30 would be necessary to accommodate the lengths of the exhaust outlet and vent pipe and the collapsed length of the few feet of flexible hose 26 .
[0019] If the dryer 10 is pushed too close to the wall 22 , the flexible hose 26 may be partially or completely collapsed. An obstruction in the flexible hose 26 impedes the flow of exhaust air from the dryer 10 , reducing the efficiency of the dryer and causing premature failure of the dryer. Worse still, an obstruction in the flexible hose 26 causes increased accumulation of lint at the obstruction. Accumulated lint further impedes the flow of air and presents a fire hazard.
[0020] Turning now to FIG. 2 , a side view of a dryer and pedestal dryer vent according to the present invention is shown. The dryer 10 has been placed on a pedestal 34 . The pedestal 34 may be made to match the finish and appearance of the dryer 10 so as to present an attractive appearance. The pedestal 34 may be open on the top and back so as to provide access to the dryer 10 and wall 22 . It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that a prior art dryer can be configured to include pedestal features without the necessity of a separate pedestal component. This would be accomplished by elongating the body of the dryer 10 to provide pedestal-type space to a prior art configuration. These modified dryer configurations are contemplated in the invention disclosed herein.
[0021] The dryer exhaust outlet 14 has been directed out of the bottom of the dryer 10 . Many dryers are capable of directing the exhaust vent out of the bottom of the dryer, but are vented out of the back as the dryer sits directly on the floor. The exhaust outlet 14 is connected to the vent pipe 18 with a flexible hose 26 , and possibly utilizing an elbow fitting 38 . An elbow fitting 38 is not necessary, but may be desirable as it helps ensure that the flexible hose 26 remains properly oriented towards the vent pipe 18 to the outside of the home when moving the dryer during installation. Ordinarily, the vent pipe 18 is located behind the dryer 10 , but may also be located to either side or to the front of the dryer 10 . The invention disclosed herein contemplates orienting the flexible hose 26 in any direction.
[0022] Sufficient space is provided between the elbow 38 or exhaust outlet 14 and the vent pipe 18 to accommodate the retracted length of the few feet of flexible hose 26 necessary to connect the exhaust outlet to the vent pipe. The flexible hose 26 is installed by positioning the dryer 10 far enough from the wall 22 to allow a person to connect the hose; typically a foot or two. After the flexible hose 26 is attached to the vent pipe 18 and to the exhaust outlet 14 or elbow 38 , the dryer 10 is moved closer to the wall 22 as desired.
[0023] The configuration shown is advantageous for several reasons. The configuration shown is safer as it virtually eliminates the risk of a kinked or collapsed flexible hose 26 . The distance between the vent pipe 18 and the elbow 38 or exhaust outlet 14 and the improved alignment between the same is such that the severity of the bends necessary in the flexible hose 26 is greatly reduced. Thus, the present invention reduces the risk that the flexible hose 26 is at least partially collapsed, with the resulting reduction in efficiency and accumulation of lint. Additionally, the present invention results in a more aesthetically pleasing dryer position, as the space 30 necessary between the dryer 10 and the wall 22 is virtually eliminated.
[0024] There are some situations where a dryer can not be vented to the outside of the house or building, such as in an apartment or house not fitted with a vent pipe. In such a situation, a compartment may be installed inside of the pedestal. Water is placed into the compartment, and the dryer exhaust air is directed into the compartment, either by blowing it at, across, or through the water. The water acts to both trap the lint and is evaporated by the warm air. When the water is gone, the compartment may be removed to clean out the lint and add new water. The compartment may be formed in or as part of a drawer so as to be easily removable for cleaning and servicing. The drawer could be removed or opened so as to provide easy access to the exhaust outlet 14 during installation, thus not requiring the dryer 10 to be positioned away from the wall 22 .
[0025] There is thus disclosed an improved pedestal dryer vent. It will be appreciated that numerous changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the claims. | A pedestal dryer vent passes the dryer vent hose through the pedestal, allowing the dryer to be placed close to a wall and reducing the opportunity for kinks or obstructions in the vent hose. | 3 |
PRIORITY CLAIM
This application is a U.S. National Phase Patent Application based on International Application No. PCT/US2013/051550 filed Jul. 22, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Nos. 61/674,367, filed on Jul. 22, 2012; 61/675,116, filed on Jul. 24, 2012; and 61/748,652, filed on Jan. 3, 2013, the entire disclosures of which are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT RIGHTS
This invention was made with government support under AG018379 and RR025761 awarded by the National Institutes of Health. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Aspects of this disclosure relate to modulating the serum levels of proteins selected from the group consisting of: secreted amyloid precursor protein (sAPP); sAPPα; brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by the use of compounds such as acamprosate to treat patients diagnosed with specific developmental disorders selected from the group consisting of Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), FXS-related autistic spectrum disorder, and idiopathic autistic spectrum disorder (ASDs, autism).
BACKGROUND
The neurodevelopmental disorders autism spectrum disorders (ASDs: autism) and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) are childhood lifelong disorders that may result in marked impairment in social behavior, communication skills, and cognitive function. The severity of the symptoms exhibited by individual identified with these neurodevelopmental disorders vary widely. Unfortunately, many individual afflicted with these disorders exhibit profound symptoms some are unable to care for themselves while other exhibit greatly diminished capacity to function in society. While the cause of FXS is known the various neuronal pathways afflicted by this condition is unknown as are the levels of specific neuroactive compounds in the brains of these individual. With regard of idiopathic autistic disorder even the root cause of the disorder remains unknown. Because of the impact that these disorders have on those diagnosed with the disorder there is an intense amount of pre-clinical and clinical research devoted to developing treatments for these conditions. Despite the work devoted to diagnosing and treating there remains a pressing need for new therapies to help individuals afflicted with these disorders lead more comfortable and independent lives. The materials, methods, and systems disclosed herein are intended to address these vital needs.
Autism spectrum disorders are lifelong childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorders causing marked impairment in social behavior and communication. According to the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), the rising prevalence of ASDs, currently estimated at 1 in 110 children, warrants ASDs being considered a national health emergency. Persons with ASD also frequently exhibit additional interfering symptoms such as aggression, self-injury, compulsions, inattention, hyperactivity, and anxiety among others. The costs of ASDs (estimated at $95 billion annually in the United States) to society is large and ever increasing. The presentation of autism is heterogeneous. For example, persons with autism may or may not have intellectual disability, seizures, or functional speech. This heterogeneity has made both research into the cause and effective treatment of ASDs challenging. An understanding of the cause of autism remains elusive with only approximately 10% of cases being associated with known genetic abnormalities. Regarding treatment, to date no drugs have been shown effective in large-scale trials to treat the core social and communication impairments of ASDs. The heterogeneity of autism has led to many promising drug treatments failing large-scale trials due to difficulty identifying appropriate subgroups for testing. Given such variable presentation, rationale drug development in autism will need to focus on defining appropriate subgroups where drug benefit is maximized. Biomarker development in autism presents a unique opportunity to address these challenges of therapeutic development. The 2011 Strategic Plan of the Department of Health & Human Services Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee strongly emphasized the need for autism biomarker development given the potential of biomarkers to provide early disease detection, assessment of illness severity, indicators of pharmacological response, and the ability to utilize biomarkers to identify subgroups within autism for targeted treatment development.
Given the heterogeneity of autism, known causes of autism provide the best foundation for pharmacotherapy and biomarker development. Among these known causes, recent research findings in Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) combined with the status of FXS as the most common single gene cause of autism make this disorder a prime candidate upon which to develop an autism therapeutics development strategy. FXS is the most common inherited form of developmental delay impacting 1 in 4,000 persons. Two in three persons with FXS also suffer from autism and overall FXS accounts for 5-7% of all autism cases.
To date, no drug has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for reducing the core social impairment of autistic disorder. Many pharmacotherapy trials in autism targeting social impairment have yielded uniformly negative results. Accordingly, there is need for materials and methods for treating these conditions, Some aspects of the instant disclosure provide materials and methods for the study, diagnoses, and treatment of idiopathic and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) linked Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first embodiment includes methods for treating a patient, comprising the steps of: contacting a first sample of plasma from a patient diagnosed with ASD or FXS with a first reagent that selectively binds to BDNF, a second reagent that selectively binds to sAPP, and a reagent that binds to sAPPα, determining the levels of BDNF, sAPP, and sAPPα in the sample of plasma; administering at least one compound to the patient; binding a second sample of plasma from the patient with the first reagent that selectively binds to BDNF, the second reagent that selectively binds to sAPP, and the reagent that binds to sAPPα; determining if there is a change in the levels of BDNF, sAPP, and sAPPα in the patient's plasma; and adjusting the amount of the compound administered to the patient in response to the change in BDNF, sAPP, and sAPPα levels determined in the patient's plasma samples.
A second embodiment includes methods according to the first embodiment, wherein the first reagent is an antibody that selectively binds to BDNF. A third embodiment includes methods according to the first embodiment, wherein the second reagent is an antibody that selectively binds to sAPP. A fourth embodiment includes methods according to the first embodiment, wherein the reagent is an antibody that selectively binds to sAPPα.
A fifth embodiment include methods according to the first embodiment, including the steps of: elevating the level of BDNF in response to the administering step; and lowering the levels of sAPP, and sAPPα in response to the administering step.
A sixth embodiment includes methods according to the first through the fifth embodiments, wherein the compound is acamprosate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of acamprosate. A seventh embodiment includes methods according to the sixth embodiment wherein acamprosate is administered to the patient at a dose in the range of about 500 mg/day to about 1,500 mg/day.
An eighth embodiment includes systems for monitoring a patient, comprising: at least one first antibody that selectively binds to BDNF; at least one second antibody that selectively binds to sAPP; and at least one antibody that selectively binds to sAPPα.
A ninth embodiments includes systems according to the eighth embodiment, further including: at least one reagent selected from the group consisting of: a buffer, a chelator; a bacteriacide, a fungicide, and a blocking agent.
A tenth embodiment includes methods for screening for a compound useful in the treatment of idiopathic or FXS linked ASD; comprising the steps of: contacting a first sample of plasma from a patient diagnosed with ASD or FXS with a first reagent that selectively binds to BDNF, a second reagent that selectively binds to sAPP, and a reagent that binds to sAPPα; determining the levels of BDNF, sAPP, and sAPPα in the sample of plasma; administering at least one compound to the patient; binding a second sample of plasma from the patient with the first reagent that selectively binds to BDNF, the second reagent that selectively binds to sAPP, and the reagent that binds to sAPPα; determining if there is a change in the levels of BDNF, sAPP, and sAPPα in the patient's plasma; and selecting the compound if that compound causes a change in the levels of BDNF, sAPP, and sAPPα in the patient's plasma.
An eleventh embodiment includes the methods according to the tenth embodiment, wherein the first reagent is an antibody that selectively binds to BDNF. The twelfth embodiment includes the method according to the tenth embodiment, wherein the second reagent is an antibody that selectively binds to sAPP. The thirtenth embodiment includes the method according to the tenth embodiment, wherein the reagent is an antibody that selectively binds to sAPPα.
A twelfth embodiment includes the methods according to the tenth embodiment, including the steps of: accessing if the change caused by the compound is an increase in the level of BDNF, a decrease in the levels of sAPP, and sAPPα. The thirteenth embodiment includes the methods according to the tenth embodiment further including the step of: altering the amount of the compound administered to the patient.
A fourteenth embodiment includes methods of treating a patient, comprising the steps of: administering a therapeutically effective amount of acamprosate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof to a patient; monitoring the patient's peripheral blood for a change in BDNF, sAPP, and sAPPα, levels in the patient's peripheral blood; and adjusting the therapeutically effective amount of the acamprosate or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof such that the level of BDNF and sAPP, and sAPPα, in the patient's peripheral blood changes. A fifteenth embodiment includes methods according to the tenth embodiment including the step of altering the amount of compound.
A sixteenth embodiment includes methods of treating a patient, comprising the steps of: administering a therapeutically effective amount of acamprosate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof to a patient; monitoring the patient's peripheral blood for a change in BDNF, sAPP, and sAPPα, levels in the patient's peripheral blood; and adjusting the therapeutically effective amount of the acamprosate or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof such that the level of BDNF and sAPP, and sAPPα, in the patient's peripheral blood changes.
A seventh embodiment includes the methods according to the sixteenth embodiment, wherein the monitoring step includes: contacting a sample of the patient's peripheral blood with an antibody that selectively binds to BDNF. An eighteenth embodiment includes the methods according to the sixteenth embodiment, wherein the monitoring step includes: incubating a sample of the patient's peripheral blood with an antibody that selectively binds to sAPP. A nineteenth embodiment includes the methods according to the sixteenth embodiment, wherein the monitoring step includes: probing a sample of the patient's peripheral blood with an antibody that selectively binds to sAPPα.
A twentieth embodiments includes the methods according to the sixteenth through the seventeenths embodiments, wherein the adjusting step includes the step of: increasing the amount of acamprosate such that the level of BDNF in the patient's peripheral blood increases and the levels of sAPP, and sAPPα in the patient's peripheral blood decreases. A twenty-first embodiment includes methods according to the twentieth embodiment, wherein acamprosate is administered to the patient at a dose in the range of about 500 mg/day to about 1,500 mg/day.
Some embodiments include methods of treating a patient, comprising the steps of: elevating the serum level of BDNF in a patient, wherein said patient has been diagnosed with FXS. In some embodiments, the elevating step includes dosing the patient with a therapeutically effective level of acamprosate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of acamprosate.
Some embodiments include methods of treating a patient, comprising the steps of: contacting a sample of plasma with a reagent that selectively binds to BDNF, wherein said sample of plasma is collected from a patient; determining the level of BDNF in the sample of plasma; and administering at least one compound to said patient such that the compound elevates the level of BDNF in the patient's plasma, wherein said patient has been diagnosed with FXS. In some embodiments, reagent is an antibody that selectively or at least preferentially binds to BDNF. In some embodiments, the compound that elevates the level of BDNF in the patient's serum is acamprosate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of acamprosate.
Some embodiments include methods of monitoring a patient, comprising the steps of: contacting a sample of plasma from a patient with at least one reagent that selectively binds to BDNF. In some embodiments these methods further include the steps of: administering at least one therapeutically effective dose of a compound to the patient; and testing plasma from the patient after the administering step by contacting serum collected from the patient with a reagent that selectively binds to BDNF. Still other embodiments may include the step of adjusting the dose of the compound to alter the level of BDNF that is present in patient's plasma. In some of these embodiments wherein the reagent that binds to BDNF is an antibody that specifically or at least preferentially binds to BDNF. In some embodiment the compound that alters the level of BDNF is acamprosate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof
Some embodiments include methods for diagnosing autism disorders comprising the step of measuring the levels of secreted beta amyloid precursor (sAPP) protein in peripheral bodily fluids including the blood. Elevated levels of sAPP measured in youths are indicative of autism disorders, values in the range of greater than about 19 ng/mL are diagnostic for an increase in behavioral symptoms such as those employed in the Clinical Global Impression Improvement (CGI-I) scale.
Some embodiment include methods of treating patients diagnosed with autism disorder comprising the steps of measuring the levels of total sAPP and/or sAPPα before, during, and if necessary after treatment with a therapeutic dose or dosing regimen of a compound thought to reduce the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. In some embodiments the compound is acamprosate and the therapeutic dose used to treat youths is proportional to the body weight of the patient and maybe in the range of 600-1998 mg/day). During treatment doses may be started a lower levels and are gradually increased to the noted ranges. Levels of sAPP and/or sAPPα measured in the patient's peripheral blood trigger and increase or decrease in the level of the therapeutic compound administered to the patient.
Some embodiments include method of predicting treatment options for patient with idiopathic or FXS linked ASD, theses method include the steps of measuring the plasma levels of BDNF, sAPP, and sAPPα in specific patients and treating patient that have lower than normal BDNF and higher than normal levels of sAPP and/or sAPPα in with compounds such as acamprosate that elevate BDNF and lower sApp levels in some patient diagnosed with ASD.
Some embodiments include an analysis of fractional change from baseline to endpoint, mean sAPP total levels reduced from 34.7 (ng/mL) at baseline to 19.3 at endpoint (p=0.02) and mean sAPPα levels reduced from 7.8 (ng/mL) at baseline to 4.2 at endpoint (p=0.03).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 . Graph illustrating the relationship between the fractional change in sAPPα-CP levels measured in the blood of patients diagnosed with ASD and treated for 10 weeks with acamprosate.
FIG. 2 . Graph illustrating the relationship between the fractional change in sAPP(total)-CP levels measured in the blood of patients diagnosed with ASD and treated for 10 weeks with acamprosate.
DESCRIPTION
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the novel technology, reference will now be made to the preferred embodiments thereof, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the novel technology is thereby intended, such alterations, modifications, and further applications of the principles of the novel technology being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the novel technology relates are within the scope of this disclosure and the claims.
Acamprosate has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of alcohol dependence in adults. Acamprosate is a novel molecule potentially impacting both glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission. Acamprosate is hypothesized to act as an antagonist at NMDA and metabotropic type 5 (mGluR5) glutamate receptors and as an agonist at GABA type A (GABA(A)) receptors. Excessive glutamatergic and deficient GABA(A) neurotransmission have been implicated in the pathophysiology of autistic disorder. The potential pharmacodynamic mechanisms of acamprosate are well matched to pathophysiology of autism. Additional information on the compound can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/201,014 filed on Aug. 11, 2011, this patent application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Acamprosate is a unique drug which likely directly or indirectly impacts a number of neuro-receptors. Assessment of acamprosate's effect on biomarkers of potential significance in FXS holds promise to demonstrate the engagement of acamprosate with the pathophysiology of the disorder despite incomplete understanding of the proximal pharmacodynamic mechanisms of such action. Additionally, the social skills improvement noted in this report is consistent with findings described in our initial use of acamprosate in youth with idiopathic ASD (Erickson, Early et al. 2011). Given the overlap between FXS and ASD, it will be important in the future to assess the efficacy of acamprosate targeting the core social impairment associated with idiopathic ASD.
As used herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise or clearly implied otherwise, the term ‘about’ refers to a range of values plus or minus 10 percent, e.g. about 1.0 encompasses values from 0.9 to 1.1.
As used herein, unless explicitly stated otherwise or clearly implied otherwise the terms ‘therapeutically effective dose,’ ‘therapeutically effective amounts,’ and the like, refers to a portion of a compound that has a net positive effect on the health and well being of a human or other animal. Therapeutic effects may include an improvement in longevity, quality of life and the like. These effects also may also include a reduced susceptibility to developing disease or deteriorating health or well being. The effects may be immediate realized after a single dose and/or treatment or they may be cumulative realized after a series of doses and/or treatments.
Pharmaceutically acceptable salts include salts of compounds of the invention that are safe and effective for use in mammals and that possess a desired therapeutic activity. Pharmaceutically acceptable salts include salts of acidic or basic groups present in compounds of the invention. Pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts include, but are not limited to, hydrochloride, hydrobromide, hydroiodide, nitrate, sulfate, bisulfate, phosphate, acid phosphate, isonicotinate, acetate, lactate, salicylate, citrate, tartrate, pantothenate, bitartrate, ascorbate, succinate, maleate, gentisinate, fumarate, gluconate, glucaronate, saccharate, formate, benzoate, glutamate, methanesulfonate, ethanesulfonate, benzensulfonate, p-toluenesulfonate and pamoate (i.e., 1,1′-methylene-bis-(2-hydroxy-3-naphthoate)) salts. Certain compounds of the invention may form pharmaceutically acceptable salts with various amino acids. Suitable base salts include, but are not limited to, aluminum, calcium, lithium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, and diethanolamine salts. For addition information on some pharmaceutically acceptable salts that can be used to practice the invention please reviews such as Berge, et al., 66 J. PHARM. SCI. 1-19 (1977), Haynes, et al., J. Pharma. Sci., Vol. 94, No. 10, October 2005, pgs. 2111-2120 and the like.
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited form of developmental disability. The genetic mutation responsible for FXS is an unstable cysteine-guanine-guanine (CGG) trinucelotide repeat expansion (greater than 200 repeats) within the fragile X mental retardation 1 gene (FMR1). FXS is inherited via triplet expansion from a carrier (55-200 CGG repeats) parent, most commonly the mother. As an X-linked syndrome, FXS is more common in males, and the symptoms associated with the disorder are more marked in males. FXS is also a common single gene cause of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is estimated that 2 in 3 males with FXS have a co-occurring ASD diagnosis. There are very few treatments available for this devastating condition accordingly there is a need for additional therapies to treat this disease. Aspects of this invention seek to provide such therapies and tools for monitoring and implementing the same.
The triplet repeat expansion associated with FXS results in transcriptional silencing on the FMR1 gene resulting in absent fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). FMRP is a mRNA binding protein important to dendritic maturity and synaptic plasticity. In mouse brain, FMRP has been demonstrated to bind to hundreds of mRNA transcripts important to pre- and post-synaptic function.
In some animal studies, the lack of FMRP has been associated with dysregulated neurotransmission marked by excessive glutamatergic and deficient gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) signaling. Specifically, excessive metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) activity is the best characterized element of dysregulated neurotransmission in FXS. In the fmr 1 knockout mouse model, excess hippocampal and cerebellar long term depression (LTD), excess AMPA receptor internalization, abnormal dendritic morphology, and reduced seizure threshold are all consistent with excessive group 1, specifically mGLuR5, metabotropic glutamate receptor activation. The treatment implications of excessive mGluR activation in FXS have been thoroughly tested in FXS animal models and initially explored in human study. In the mouse model, mGluR5 down regulation by treatment with MPEP (2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine) and other mGluR5 antagonists has been shown to reverse phenotypic characteristics, including audiogenic seizures, altered pre-pulse inhibition (PPI), and open field hyperactivity. Additionally, down regulation of mGluR5 executed by crossing a FMR1 knockout mouse with a mGluR5 heterozygous knockout resulted in reversal of several FMR1 knockout characteristics, including dendritic spine changes and excess protein synthesis.
Two human studies have reported on the use of selective mGluR5 antagonists in FXS. In a single dose pilot study involving 12 adults with FXS (6 males, 6 females; mean age=23.9 years), the mGluR5 antagonist fenobam showed variable pharmacokinetics and good tolerability marked by 3 subjects (25%) experiencing mild sedation. Clinically, 9 subjects (75%) reportedly experienced clinical benefit from single dose fenobam including reductions in hyperactivity and anxiety.
Interestingly, the use of the selective mGluR5 antagonist AFQ056 was not associated with significant group treatment effect in a double-blind, placebo-controlled two period crossover study in 30 males with FXS aged 18 to 35 years. In a 7 subject subset marked by full FMR1 gene methylation, significant response to AFQ056 compared to placebo was noted on several measures including the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) Stereotypy, Hyperactivity, and Inappropriate Speech subscales and total ABC score, Clinical Global Impressions Improvement (CGI-I) scale, the Visual Analogue Scale, and the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised. The authors hypothesized that AFQ056 may hold promise for treatment of interfering behaviors associated with FXS in a subgroup of persons with full FMR1 gene methylation. AFQ056 is currently the subject of large-scale Phase III clinical trials in FXS.
Aberrant ionotropic N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) glutamate receptor signaling has been implicated in FXS. Upregulation of NMDA receptors at 2 weeks of life with the difference resolving by 6-7 weeks of age in fmr1 knockout mice has been reported. Use of the uncompetitive NMDA antagonist memantine was associated with correction of dendritic spine development and synapse formation in cultured cerebellar granule cells from FMR1 knockout mice. Modest effect of memantine use in 6 persons (mean age=18.3±3.8 years; range 13-22 years) with FXS and comorbid ASD were reported. In this study, four subjects (67%) showed clinical response as determined by a CGI-I score of “very much improved” or “much improved.” Two subjects developed treatment limiting irritability during memantine treatment.
Deficiency of both GABA type A (GABA(A)) and GABA type B (GABA(B)) neurotransmission has been noted in FXS animal studies. FMRP has been shown to transcriptionally regulate GABA(A) receptor subunit RNA expression with reductions in GABA(A) receptor mRNA noted in FXS KO mice lacking FMRP. GABA(A) receptor expression has been shown to be significantly down regulated in a number of brain regions in fmr1 KO mice. In animal models of FXS, GABA(A) agonism has shown significant promise as a pharmacotherapy target. The GABA(A) agonist alphaxalone was associated with reductions in anxiety and rescue of audiogenic seizures in fmr1KO mice. Also in FXS KO mice, the GABA(A) agonist gaboxadol restored neuron excitability deficits in the amygdala, reduced hyperactivity, and reduced PPI deficits. Improvements in memory acquisition and retention have been noted in FXS KO mice receiving taurine, a GABA(A) agonist. We are unaware of any trials of selective GABA(A) agonists that have been published involving persons with FXS.
Use of the selective GABA(B) agonist STX209 (arbaclofen, R-baclofen; a single enantiomer of baclofen) has been studied in both humans with FXS and in FMR1 knockout mice. In knockout mice, STX209 was associated with correction of aberrant protein synthesis and dendritic spine abnormalities. STX209 has been the subject of the largest published double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in FXS. In a crossover study adding STX209 to stable dosing of concomitant psychotropic drugs in 63 subjects aged 6 to 40 years with FXS, STX209 use was not associated with improvement on the primary outcome measure, the ABC Irritability (ABC-I) subscale. Group-wide effects were also not noted on global measures, including the CGI-I and CGI Severity (CGI-S) scales, other traditional subscales of the ABC (Social Withdrawal, Stereotypy, Hyperactivity, Inappropriate Speech), or the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Overall, STX209 was well tolerated with only 8% of subjects reporting sedation. In post-hoc analysis, significant group-wide improvement with use of STX209 was noted on the Social Avoidance scale (ABC-SA), a newly developed 4-item subscale of the ABC specifically developed for potential use in persons with FXS. Also in post-hoc analysis, a 27 subject subset of persons with FXS and a baseline score of ≧8 on the ABC Social Withdrawal (ABC-SW) subscale significant STX209-associated improvement on the ABC-SW and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) Socialization measure of adaptive function. This study concluded that the drug holds promise targeting social deficits in persons with FXS. A large-scale Phase III study of STX209 in FXS is ongoing.
Acamprosate, (Calcium Acetylhomotaurine) is a drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the maintenance of abstinence from alcohol. It is prescribed for use in adults with alcohol dependence. FDA approved dosing in adults is 666 mg three times daily (two pills three times daily). In humans with alcohol dependence: lowers levels of several hormones: leptin, beta endorphin, cortisol.
The scientific literature includes reports that this molecule may be a potential antagonist a mGluR receptors. That it may act as an agonist at GABA(A) receptors in animal models Anti-oxidant effect in chronically alcohol ingesting rats. In rats this drug, elevates extracellular dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens (dependent on glycine receptor activation). Acamprosate's potential effects include spermidine-sensitive NMDA receptors, enhanced activation at low glutamate concentrations and inhibition at high glutamate concentrations.
Some hypothesize that acamprosate blocks neurotoxic effects of mGluR agonist trans-ACPD. Reportedly, both 3-((2-Methyl-4-thiazolyl)ethynyl)pyridine (MTEP and acamprosate both reduced alcohol intake in the drinking-in-the-dark mouse model. MTEP and acamprosate both reported to reduce alcohol withdrawal associated anxiety effects in animals. Similar effects of 3-((2-Methyl-4-thiazolyl)ethynyl)pyridine (MTEP with increased sedative effects of alcohol withdrawal in mice have also been reported. It has also been reported that acamprosate and MPEP blocked in mGluR5 in knockout mice.
Acamprosate, an FDA approved drug used for the maintenance of abstinence from alcohol use in adults, is a bioactive agent with potential pleiotropic effects impacting at least glutamate and GABA neurotransmission. In animal studies, acamprosate has been demonstrated to bind and act as an antagonist at the NMDA glutamate receptor. A potential mGluR5 antagonist effect of acamprosate has been demonstrated in both animal models of alcoholism and depression. Additionally, acamprosate exhibits GABA(A) agonism in animal studies. Still, the exact mechanism of action of acamprosate in humans remain unknown particularly given findings in a xenopus oocyte model noting no direct binding between acamprosate and glutamate or GABA receptors subtypes at clinically relevant concentrations.
A study with acamprosate and the pathophysiology of FXS, reported an initial clinical experience (Erickson, Mullett et al. 2010). In this study, 3 adult males (mean age=20.9 years) diagnosed with FXS were treated with acamprosate (mean dose=1,221 mg/day; mean duration=21.3 weeks). In this study, all 3 subjects showed significant positive clinical response as measured by the CGI-I with improvement noted primarily in social impairment and communication deficits. Two subjects experienced non-treatment limiting gastrointestinal distress (emesis and/or nausea). A first systematic prospective trial of acamprosate in youth with FXS was then conducted.
Blood biomarker development in FXS research holds potential promise to predict treatment response, define pharmacodynamic drug mechanisms including potential engagement of drug mechanism with underlying pathophysiologic features, and serve potentially as quantitative outcome measures. The value of these benefits are ever increasing given recent FXS clinical trial reports noting positive response in subgroups of subjects and the inherent subjective nature of relying on parent reported behavioral inventories or clinician rated outcome measures in FXS clinical research. Such markers once linked to efficacious treatment regimes are especially use in populations that are otherwise difficult to monitor and evaluate.
Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that supports the survival of existing neurons and growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses. In animal studies, BDNF has been shown to regulate expression of FMRP. Application of BDNF to hippocampal slices from FMR1 knockout mice has been demonstrated to rescue long-term potentiation (LTP) defects. BDNF expression has been shown to be reduced in FMR1 knockout mice compared to wild type littermates. Peripheral levels of BDNF have not been reported in humans with FXS and the impact of acamprosate use on BDNF levels is unknown.
As reported herein, each area of improvement, social behavior or inattention/hyperactivity, was captured utilizing multiple independent outcome measures thus strengthening each result. During the trial, families frequently commented on improvement in communication skills, a finding potentially supported by improvement noted during exploratory use of the VABS pre- and post-treatment. It remains unclear if acamprosate affected multiple areas of impairment independently or if improvement in one area, for example inattention/hyperactivity, led to associated improvement in other areas such as social behavior and communication. Aside from clearly measured improvements in the patients' behaviors and the newly identified biomarker for improvement the mechanistic results of the study were complicated by allowing some patient in the study the concomitant use of psychoactive drugs. Accordingly, it is possible that in some patients drug-drug interactions between acamprosate and concomitantly administered drugs may have impacted their treatment response and/or tolerability in ways that are not readily apparent given the relatively small number of patients enrolled in the study.
Regarding tolerability, limited gastrointestinal distress despite subjects at times chewing the enteric coated acamprosate tablets was noted. The low rate of gastrointestinal adverse effects was surprising given that adverse GI effects are the most common adverse effects noted with acamprosate use in alcoholism human study and in our first report on acamprosate use in FXS. Given the novelty of this trial, we did not have any historical data on which to base dosing other than data from the alcoholism literature where the drug has been dosed down to age 16 years (Niederhofer and Staffen 2003). Mild irritability noted in 4 subjects appeared to be dose-dependent on dose reduction in each case led to quick resolution of this adverse effect. It may be that in youth, once a threshold drug exposure is exceeded, mild irritability may occur in some participants with FXS. Overall, the final mean dose was about half of the dose that is FDA approved for use treating alcohol dependence in adults.
The BDNF findings showed consistent increases with use of acamprosate. This overall change in BDNF finding is potentially important in FXS given reports in FMR1 knockout mice of rescue of LTP deficits with BDNF application in hippocampus brain slices. This BDNF finding also may potentially provide some additional explanation for recent anti-depressant qualities of acamprosate noted in an animal study (Louhivuori, Vicario et al. 2011) given cellular and behavioral models linking peripheral BDNF to the production of antidepressant-like effects (Uutela, Lindholm et al. 2012). BDNF may hold potential as both a possible predictor and measure of treatment response.
The lack of correlation between change in BDNF and treatment response noted with post-hoc analysis may be due to the small sample size and the fact that only one treatment non-responder had available pre- and post-treatment BDNF data. Use of concomitant medications renders BDNF interpretation more difficult. It is known that concomitant selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) used in this trial likely increased BDNF (Balu, Hoshaw et al. 2008). Concomitant drug use dosing was kept stable throughout this trial to try and lessen variability introduced by concomitant drugs.
The Effect of Acamprosate on the Levels of BDNF in Patients Diagnosed with FXS Participants
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at an academic medical center approved this study. Thirteen outpatient males and females aged 5 to 17 years with body weight 15 kg were recruited for this study. Written informed consent was obtained from each participant's legal guardian (parent for all children in this report), and subjects provided assent when able. Diagnosis of FXS was confirmed by Southern Blot and PCR results consistent with a greater than 200 CGG repeat expansion in the FMR1 gene with at least partial gene methylation. Subjects had to be free of other significant medical conditions. The concomitant use of psychotropic drugs that are not thought to impact glutamate neurotransmission were allowed so long as the patients experienced stable dosing at least 4 weeks prior to baseline. Subjects were required to have a mental age of greater than 18 months as determined by the Stanford-Binet 5th Edition. Additional inclusion criteria included a CGI-S(Guy 1976) score of at least 4 (“Moderately Ill”). Subjects with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, or substance use disorder were excluded from the study. Additionally, subjects with a positive urine pregnancy test, creatinine clearance of <30, active seizure disorder, or other significant medical condition were excluded.
Study Design
A 10-week, prospective, open-label study design was chosen to gather pilot data for potential future larger-scale, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in this population.
Procedure
All subjects underwent a screening and baseline visit followed by follow-up visits every 2 weeks during the 10-week open-label trial period. At the end of weeks 1, 3, and 5 the investigators called the parent to assess drug tolerability and to make dose adjustments as indicated. All subjects received 333 mg/day of acamprosate during the first week of the study. The investigators then increased the dosage to a maximum of 1,998 mg/day (weight>50 kg) or 1,332 mg/day (weight<50 kg) over the first six weeks of the study, if optimal clinical response (CGI-I equal to 1 “very much improved”) had not occurred and intolerable adverse effects had not emerged. The dose maintenance phase lasted 4 weeks at the optimal dosage.
Assessments
The CGI-S assessment was administered at screen and at baseline as part of the eligibility criteria described above. In this study, the rater scored the CGI-S in regard to severity of symptoms commonly noted in FXS including, but not limited to, inattention/hyperactivity, social impairment, communication impairment, repetitive behavior, irritability, and anxiety. The CGI-S is rated on a scale from 1 to 7 (1=normal, not ill at all; 2=borderline ill; 3=mildly ill; 4=moderately ill; 5=markedly ill; 6=severely ill; 7=among the most extremely ill patients with FXS). The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) (Lord, Rutter et al. 1989) was administered at baseline to characterize potential concomitant ASD diagnosis.
The primary outcome measure was the CGI-I. The CGI-I is a scale designed to assess global change from baseline. The CGI-I scores range from 1 to 7 (1=very much improved; 2=much improved; 3=minimally improved; 4=no change; 5=minimally worse; 6=much worse; 7=very much worse). Treatment response was defined by a CGI-I score of 1 “very much improved” or 2 “much improved.” In this study, the CGI-I was utilized as a general global primary outcome measure given the uncertainty as to what specific symptoms/behaviors associated with FXS may be expected to improve or worsen with use of acamprosate. The CGI-I was administered at all visits after baseline.
Secondary outcome measures included all subscales of the ABC (Irritability, Social Withdrawal, Stereotypy, Hyperactivity, and Inappropriate Speech). The ABC is an informant-rated (primary caregiver) measure with confirmed reliability and validity with regard to factor structure, distribution of scores, and sensitivity to change in persons with developmental disability (Aman, Singh et al. 1985). Additionally, the ABC has shown good reliability and reproducibility in FXS-specific clinical research. Additional secondary outcome measures included the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) (Constantino, Davis et al. 2003), Compulsion Subscale of the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Modified for Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs) (CY-BOCS-PDD) (Scahill, McDougle et al. 2006), CGI-S, and the ADHD Rating Scale 4th Edition (ADHD-RS) (Zhang, Faries et al. 2005). The SRS is a 65-item, parent-completed scale that assesses several aspects of reciprocal social behavior. The SRS gives a total score that is proportional to the level of impairment in reciprocal social behavior. The CY—BOCS-PDD uses the 5 compulsion severity items from the CY-BOCS using slightly modified anchor points that are more fitting for persons with ASD. The ADHD-RS is a standard clinician scored rating scale widely utilized in ADHD drug trials. All secondary outcome measures were administered at all study visits.
Additional exploratory outcome measures administered at baseline and Week 10 included the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) (Sparrow and Cicchetti 1985), and Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, 4 th Edition (CELF) (Muma 1984). The VABS was utilized to detect potential change in adaptive behavior with treatment. The PPVT and CELF were included to capture potential change in communication/language.
Safety assessment and monitoring began at screen when all subjects underwent a medical history, physical examination, and full psychiatric interview. A physical examination was also completed at end point. Vital signs, including height and weight, were obtained at each study visit. At screen, genetic testing for FXS was obtained if record of molecular testing utilizing Southern Blot and PCR was not available. At screen, week 6, and endpoint, laboratory tests of blood and urine, including CBC with differential and platelets, electrolyte panel, liver associated enzymes, lipid panel, and urine pregnancy test (in females) were obtained. An electrocardiogram was also obtained at screen and endpoint.
Biomarker Assessment
Blood samples for BDNF were drawn at Screen and at Week 10 of the study. BDNF analysis was done blind to patient assignment (pre- or post-treatment). Approximately 4 ml of blood was collected in EDTA containing tubes. Within 30 minutes of collection, the blood was centrifuged at 1000 g at 2-8° C. for 15 minutes. Plasma was collected and an additional centrifugation of the collected plasma at 1000 g at 2-8° C. for 10 minutes was done to completely remove platelets from the samples. All plasma samples were stored at −80° C. BDNF assays were done at the same time with all samples in triplicate. To determine plasma BDNF, a sensitive ELISA based method was used using human BDNF ELISA kit from R&D systems (Minneapolis, Minn.; USA) that is validated for detection of BDNF present in human plasma (Grassi-Oliveira et al., 2008). The amount (pg/ml) of BDNF present in the plasma samples was determined from the pg value obtained in the standard curve using a known amount of pure human BDNF, which was run at the same time with subjects' samples.
Data Analysis
All data were recorded in IBM SPSS Statistics Professional for statistical analysis. Potential differences in pre- and post-treatment mean values of all outcome measures employed were calculated using paired t-tests. In cases where data failed the normality assumption, Wilcoxan signed-rank tests were utilized to assess potential change in pre- and post-treatment mean values. Effect sizes were calculated by taking the mean change from baseline to endpoint divided by the standard deviation at baseline.
Of 13 subjects screened, 12 (92%) met eligibility criteria and were enrolled. The recruited sample consisted of 10 males and 2 females (age range, 6-17 years; mean 11.9 years). Ten subjects (83%) met ADOS criteria for an additional diagnosis of autistic disorder and two (17%) met criteria for pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Full scale intelligence quotient ranged from 36-61, with a mean score of 45. Subjects received a mean final dose of acamprosate of 1054 mg/day (range, 666-1,998 mg/day). Ten subjects used concomitant psychotropic drugs during the study (mean 2.3 concomitant psychotropic drugs), including most commonly atypical antipsychotics (n=7; Table 1) and stimulants (n=4).
TABLE 1
Concomitant Psychotropic Drug Use in
Participants in BDNF Study
Number of
Drug
Subjects
Risperidone
4
Aripiprazole
2
Fluoxetine
2
Methylphenidate ER
2
Mirtazapine
2
Sertraline
2
Clonidine
2
Dexedrine
1
Guanfacine
1
Lisdexamphetamine
1
Lorazepam
1
Oxcarbazepine
1
All subjects completed the entire study. Nine (75%) of twelve subjects were considered treatment responders based on a CGI-I score of 1 “very much improved” (n=5) or 2 “much improved” (n=4). The mean CGI-I at endpoint was 1.9.
Among additional outcome measures, significant improvements were noted in social behavior and inattention/hyperactivity. Regarding social behavior, mean scores on the ABC-SW subscale declined 53% from 8.8 at baseline to 4.1 at endpoint (p=0.04; effect size=0.81). Mean scores on the ABC-SA declined 51% from 3.3 at baseline to 1.6 at endpoint (p=0.01; effect size=0.64).
In addition to ABC findings consistent with change in social behavior, the SRS changes noted with treatment were consistent with reductions in social impairment. Mean total SRS raw scores declined 16% from 91.3 at baseline to 76.4 at endpoint (p=0.005; effect size 0.54). Among treatment subscales of the SRS, improvement was noted in Social Cognition (19% decline; p=0.01), Social Communication (14% decline; p=0.01), and Social Motivation (28% decline; p=0.003). Improvement was not noted on the SRS Social Awareness and Autistic Mannerisms subscales.
Improvement in hyperactivity was noted on the ABC Hyperactivity subscale (ABC-H) where mean scores declined 35% from 16.8 at baseline to 11.0 at endpoint (p=0.01; effect size=0.64). Consistent with the ABC-H subscale finding, mean scores on the ADHD-RS declined 29% from 23.6 at baseline to 16.7 at endpoint (p=<0.0001; effect size=0.65).
Global severity of illness improved as exhibited by a mean CGI-S change from 4.25 (between moderately and severely ill) to 3.33 (between mildly and moderately ill) at endpoint (p=<0.0001; effect size=2.0). Other subscales of the ABC and the CY—BOCS-PDD did not change significantly during treatment (Table 2).
Among exploratory outcomes measures, PPVT scores did not significantly change with treatment. The CELF proved difficult to administer with only 3 subjects obtaining valid pre- and post-treatment scores. Among domains of the VABS, mean Communication Domain standard scores improved 5% from 63.4 at baseline to 66.6 at endpoint (p=0.03; effect size=0.3). Within VABS sub-domains, Expressive Communication mean scores improved 13% from 69.7 at baseline to 78.9 at endpoint (p=0.003; effect size=0.4). No other changes with treatment were noted on the VABS.
TABLE 2
Outcome Measures in Subject Treated with Acamprosate
Degrees
Baseline
End point
Effect
of
Measure
(mean ± SD)
(mean ± SD)
P value
Size a
T value
Freedom
Aberrant Behavior Checklist-
9.9 ± 7.8
7.0 ± 8.9
0.11
—
1.76
11
Irritability (ABC-I)
Aberrant Behavior Checklist-
8.8 ± 5.8
4.1 ± 6.5
0.04
0.81
2.35
11
Social Withdrawal (ABC-SW)
Aberrant Behavior Checklist-
6.8 ± 6.8
6.0 ± 6.3
0.09
—
1.89
11
Stereotypy (ABC-S)
Aberrant Behavior Checklist-
16.8 ± 9.1
11.0 ± 8.6
0.009
0.64
3.19
11
Hyperactivity (ABC-H)
Aberrant Behavior Checklist-
5.2 ± 3.5
4.8 ± 3.4
0.61
—
0.53
11
Inappropriate Speech (ABC-IS)
Aberrant Behavior Checklist-
3.3 ± 2.6
1.6 ± 2.7
0.01
0.64
2.93
11
Social Avoidance (ABC-SA)
Clinical Global Impressions-
4.25 ± 0.45
3.33 ± 0.5
<0.0001
2.0
6.17
11
Severity (CGI-S)
Children's Yale-Brown
11.1 ± 2.6
9.8 ± 4.1
0.15
—
1.53
11
Obsessive Compulsive Scale
Modified for PDD (CY-BOCS-
PDD)
Social Responsiveness Scale
91.3 ± 27.4
76.4 ± 26.8
0.005
0.54
3.52
11
total score (SRS)
ADHD Rating Scale 4th
23.6 ± 10.6
16.7 ± 8.0
<0.0001
0.65
5.14
11
Edition (ADHD-RS)
Peabody Picture Vocabulary
85.2 ± 32.0
83.3 ± 32.0
0.53
—
0.65
10
Test (PPVT)
Vineland Adaptive Behavior
63.4 ± 10.1
66.6 ± 11.2
0.03
0.32
−2.45
11
Scale (VABS) Communication
Domain
VABS Expressive
69.8 ± 23.0
78.9 ± 21.2
0.003
0.4
−3.72
11
Communication Subdomain
a Effect Size only computed for corrected p values ≦0.05; Computed as mean change from baseline to endpoint divided by SD at baseline.
SD = Standard Deviation.
Ten subjects (83%) participated in screen and Week 10 plasma BDNF sampling. Two subjects failed to have sufficient blood at Week 10 drawn for biomarker sampling (priority was given to safe laboratory measures). All BDNF data was analyzed used Wilcoxan signed-rank tests. All subjects experienced an increase in plasma BDNF from screen to Week 10. Mean subject plasma BDNF increased with treatment from 790.4±1350.4 pg/mL to 1007.6±1493.2 pg/mL (p=0.01). Post-hoc analysis of potential correlation of BDNF change and Wekk 10 CGI-I score were carried out. In our 10 subjects with available BDNF data, 9 of which were treatment responders, there was no correlation between change in BDNF level and treatment response (P=0.2; sign test).
Safety Measures and Adverse Effects
No clinically significant changes in weight, pulse, or blood pressure were noted. No clinically significant changes were noted on ECG, including no change in the QTc interval. Regarding laboratory measures, no clinically significant or mean changes were noted in lipids, electrolytes, liver function tests, or blood counts.
Acamprosate was well tolerated overall, with no severe or serious adverse effects recorded during the study. Nine subjects (75%) experienced a mild adverse event during the study. The most common mild adverse effects as reported by caregivers included irritability (n=4) and increased repetitive behavior (n=2). All cases of irritability appeared dose-dependent with irritability abating in each case with a 333 mg dose reduction. No cases of mild irritability remained by the Week 10 visit. Gastrointestinal adverse effects included mild diarrhea (n=1) and mild constipation (n=1).
TABLE 3 Caregiver Reported Adverse Effects of Acamprosate Treatment. Adverse Event Mild (n) Irritability 4 Increased Repetitive Behavior 2 Constipation 1 Diarrhea 1 Increased Anxiety 1 Insomnia 1 Nightmares 1 Rhinitis 1 Urinary Urgency 1
Effect of Acamprosate on sAPP, sAPPα Levels in Patients Diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Overview
Beta amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a protein likely important for synapse formation. The amyloidogenic pathway of APP cleavage leads to the production of amyloid beta peptide (Aβ), the main component of plaques associated with Alzheimer disease. The non-amyloidogenic pathway yields the neurotrophic product secreted APPα (sAPPα). In youth with autism, potential increased activity of the non-amyloidogenic pathway marked by increased serum total sAPP and sAPPα has been noted. It does appear as though sAPP has been studied as a potential marker and predictor of treatment response in clinical trials involving persons with autistic spectrum disorder.
Acamprosate is a novel molecule potentially impacting both glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission. APP is important to synapse formation. The amyloidogenic pathway of APP cleavage leads to the production of amyloid beta peptide (Aβ), the main component of plaques associated with Alzheimer disease. The non-amyloidogenic pathway yields the neurotrophic product secreted APPα (sAPPα). Total plasma APP (sAPP total) and plasma sAPPα have been found in multiple studies to be elevated in youth with ASD compared to neurotypical control subjects2,3. These findings, combined with evidence of brain overgrowth contributing to the pathophysiology of idiopathic ASD, has led to the hypothesis that excessive sAPPα activity may play a role in the pathogenesis of ASD2. Specifically in FXS, fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is known to regulate APP translation with resultant APP elevation noted in FXS given absent FMRP4. Overall, there is evidence in idiopathic and FXS-associated ASD warranting exploration of APP, specifically sAPPα, modulation as a potential pharmacodynamic mechanism of importance.
In an initial clinical experience with acamprosate treatment in youths symptomatic for an autistic disorder five of six youths (mean age=9.5 years) treated with acamprosate were judged treatment responders to acamprosate (mean dose=1,110 mg/day) over 10 to 30 weeks (mean duration=20 weeks) of treatment. Beta amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a protein likely important for synapse formation. The amyloidogenic pathway of APP cleavage leads to the production of amyloid beta peptide (Aβ), the main component of plaques associated with Alzheimer disease. The non-amyloidogenic pathway yields the neurotrophic product secreted APPα (sAPPα). In youth with autism, potential increased activity of the non-amyloidogenic pathway marked by increased serum total sAPP and sAPPα has been noted. It appears as though sAPP is a potential marker and predictor of treatment response in clinical trials involving persons with autistic spectrum disorder. As disclosed herein, sAPP found in the blood has been found to be an unexpectedly accurate bio-marker for autism spectrum disorder.
Assays for sAPP and sAPPα
Test plasma samples are measured soon after collection. When necessary test samples of plasma were frozen but not subjected to repeated freeze/thaw cycles. The test samples were thawed just before use at a low temperature and mixed them completely. If necessary, the plasma samples can be diluted appropriately with the EIA buffer, and assay may be performed in duplicate measurements for the test samples and standards. Test samples in neutral pH range were used, and steps were taken to avoid the contamination with of organic solvents. Regarding the standard to quantify the sAPPα levels, a series of sAPPα standards in EIA buffer by serial dilutions, from 0.78 ng/mL to 50 ng/mL were prepared.
The ELISA plates were pre-coated with anti-human sAPPα(2B3) mouse IgG-monoclonal affinity purified (IBL). First, the wells for the reagent blank were determined, and 100 μL each of “EIA buffer” or 10 mM NaHCO 3 (pH9.5) buffer was placed into each of the wells. Likewise, wells were assigned for test sample blanks, test samples and diluted standards. Next, 100 μL each of test sample blank, test sample and dilutions of standard was added to into the appropriate wells. The test sample included the plasma sample from each subject, which may vary from 5-25 μl, made up to 100 μL with the EIA buffer. The pre-coated plate was incubated overnight at 4° C. after covering it tightly with a plate lid. The plate was kept onto a rocker with gentle shaking Next day, each well of the pre-coated plate was vigorously washed with wash buffer containing 0.05% Tween 20 in phosphate buffer. This was done by filling each well with the wash buffer, leaving the pre-coated plate laid for 15-30 seconds and removing wash buffer completely from the plate by snapping. This procedure was repeated five times. After removing the remaining liquid from all wells completely by snapping the plate onto paper towel, 100 μL of labeled antibody solution was added into the wells of test samples, diluted standard and test sample blank. HRP-conjugated and labeled anti-Human APP (R101A4) mouse IgG from IBL was used. Each plate was incubated for 30 minutes at 4° C. after covering it with plate lid, and then washed the plate 5 times in the same manner as described before. To develop the color, 100 μL of the Chromogen (TMB solution) was added to into the wells, and the plate was incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature in the dark. When the liquid started turning blue (by addition of the Chromogen), 100 μL of the Stop solution (1N H 2 SO 4 ) was added into the wells. The liquid was mixed by tapping the side of plate, and the liquid turned yellow by addition of the Stop solution. Care was taken to exclude any dirt or drops of water on the bottom of the plate and it was ensured there was no bubble on the surface of the liquid. A plate reader was used and measurements were conducted measurement at 450 nm against a reagent blank. The measurement was generally done within 30 minutes after addition of the Stop solution. Chromogen is stored in the dark due and kept free of metals.
ELISA of sAPP:
For sAPP levels, the Test plasma samples should be measured soon after collection. For the storage of test samples, we stored the plasma samples them frozen and did not repeat freeze/thaw cycles. Just before assay, we thawed the test samples at a low temperature and mixed them completely. The plasma samples should be diluted appropriately with the EIA buffer, if needed. Duplicate measurement of test samples and standard are recommended. We used test samples in neutral pH range, and avoided the contaminations of organic solvent that may affect the measurement. Regarding the standard to quantify levels of sAPP, we prepared a series of sAPP standards in EIA buffer by serial dilutions, from 0.39 ng/mL to 25 ng/mL.
The ELISA plate was pre-coated with anti-human APP (R12A1) mouse IgG (IBL). First, the wells for reagent blank was determined, and 100 μL each of “EIA buffer” or 10 mM NaHCO 3 buffer was added into the wells. Likewise, wells were assigned for test sample blank, test sample and diluted standard. Then 100 μL each of test sample blank, test sample and dilutions of standard was added into the appropriate wells. The test sample included the plasma sample from each subject, which may vary from 5-25 μl, made up to 100 μL with the EIA buffer. Each pre-coated plates was incubated overnight at 4° C. after covering it tightly with a plate lid. The plate was kept onto a rocker with gentle shaking. The next day, each well of the pre-coated plate was vigorously washed with wash buffer containing 0.05% Tween20 in phosphate buffer. This was performed by filling each well with wash buffer, leaving the pre-coated plate laid for 15-30 seconds and removing wash buffer completely from the plate by snapping. This procedure was repeated five times. After removing the remaining liquid from all wells completely by snapping the plate onto paper towel, we added 100 μL of labeled antibody solution into the wells of test samples, diluted standard and test sample blank. HRP labeled anti-Human APP (R101A4) mouse IgG from IBL was used. The plate was incubated for 30 minutes at 4° C. after covering it with plate lid, and then washed the plate 5 times in the same manner as described before. To develop the color, 100 μL of the Chromogen (TMB solution) was adding into the wells, and the plate was incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature in the dark.
When the liquid started turning blue (by addition of the Chromogen), 100 μL of the Stop solution (1N H 2 SO 4 ) was added into the wells. The liquid was mixed by tapping the side of plate, and the liquid turned yellow by addition of the Stop solution. Any dirt or drop of water on the bottom of the plate was removed and all plates were checked to ensure that there were no bubbles on the surface of the liquid. A plate reader was used and measurements were conducted at 450 nm against a reagent blank. The measurement was generally done within 30 minutes after addition of the Stop solution.
Summary of Clinical Trials
Clinical trials of acamprosate in youth with ASD were carried out. One study enrolled 12 youth with idiopathic ASD. Still another study enrolled 12 youth with fragile X syndrome (FXS)-associated ASD. Pre- and post-acamprosate sAPP total and sAPPα levels were available from 15 participants (9 with FXS, 6 with idiopathic ASD). The subjects mean IQ was 56 (range 36 to 96). The subjects final acamprosate dosing was 1,054 mg/day. Overall, sAPP total reduced with use of acamprosate from a mean 32.6±38.3 ng/mL pre-treatment to 21.4±32.3 ng/mL post-treatment (p=0.01). sAPPα reduced with use of acamprosate from a mean 8.4±7.9 ng/mL pre-treatment to 5.5±7.2 ng/mL post-treatment (p=0.003). Reduction of peripheral sAPP total and sAPPα induced by treatment with acamprosate points towards a mechanism for targeting the pathophysiology of ASD.
One study was a 12-week single-blind, placebo-controlled trial of acamprosate in 12 youths with autistic disorder was conducted. The primary outcome measured was the Clinical Global Impression Improvement (CGI-I) scale with several additional behavioral secondary outcome measures employed. In this study, secreted amyloid precursor protein (sAPP) was measured pre- and post acamprosate treatment as blood biomarker assay Result: Twelve subjects (mean age=10.4 yrs.) entered the study and nine subjects completed a two week placebo lead-in and entered active treatment (mean final dose=1,073 mg/day). Six of nine (67%) subjects receiving acamprosate were judged treatment responders with a CGI-I score of 1 “very much improved” or 2 “much improved”. Overall acamprosate use was well tolerated with no adverse effects leading to drug discontinuation or laboratory/vital sign abnormalities noted. Among secondary outcome measures analyzed, significant acamprosate-associated improvement was noted on measures of social behavior and hyperactivity. Acamprosate use was also associated with reductions in sAPP levels. These results demonstrate that Acamprosate can reduce social deficits associated with autism in some patients that that sAPP measured in the blood is a useful biomarker for diagnosing the disease and for monitoring the efficacy of pharmacological treatments for the disorder.
In total, twenty-four youth (mean age 11.1 years; range 5-17 years) participated in these two pilot clinical trials. Fifteen subjects had available pre- and post-acamprosate sAPP total and sAPPα assay data available. Post-treatment blood samples were not available from 3 subjects with FXS, 3 subjects with ASD were deemed placebo lead-in responders and did not receive acamprosate, and 3 subjects receiving acamprosate in the idiopathic ASD study were lost to follow-up during active acamprosate treatment and did not complete post-treatment blood analysis. Using pre-specified indicators of clinical response, 9 of 12 youth with FXS and 6 of 9 youth with idiopathic ASD were judged responders to acamprosate. Generally, clinical improvement was noted in social behavior and inattention/hyperactivity. Pooled subject mean IQ was 56 (range 36 to 96). Pooled subjects final acamprosate dosing was 1,054 mg/day. Overall, sAPP total reduced with use of acamprosate from a mean 32.6±38.3 ng/mL pre-treatment to 21.4±32.3 ng/mL post-treatment (p=0.01). sAPPα reduced with use of acamprosate from a mean 8.4±7.9 ng/mL pre-treatment to 5.5±7.2 ng/mL post-treatment (p=0.003). Levels of both sAPP total and sAPPα reduced with treatment in every sample tested except in one subject with idiopathic ASD where sAPPα was unchanged following treatment. No significant correlations between percent change in sAPP total or sAPPα and percent change in scores on the ABC-SW were noted in the pooled 15 subject sample. Within the 9 subject subset of those with FXS, a significant correlation was noted between change in sAPP total and ABC-SW scores meaning that more reduction in sAPP total correlated with greater improvement in ABC-SW scores (Spearman Correlation Coefficient=0.853; p=0.003).
The first project enrolled 12 youth aged 5 to 17 years with fragile X syndrome and comorbid ASD in a 10-week open-label trial of acamprosate. The second project enrolled 12 youth aged 5 to 17 years diagnosed with idiopathic ASD in a 12-week single-blind placebo lead-in study of acamprosate. In both projects, concomitant dosing of psychotropic drugs remained stable throughout study. In each project, pre- and post-acamprosate treatment plasma levels of sAPP total and sAPPα were obtained. All APP assay samples were collected, chilled, and walked within 2 hours of blood draw to the lab for analysis. Plasma sAPP total and sAPPα were determined in serum using the ELISA kit obtained from Immuno Biological Laboratories (IBL, Gumma, Japan). The ELISA kit is validated to measure levels of sAPPα in human samples and able to detect as low as 0.09 ng/ml of sAPPα in a typical sample, with only 0.3% cross-reactivity to sAPPβ. Levels of sAPP total and sAPPα in plasma were reported in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). Statistical analysis of pre- and post-acamprosate sAPP total and sAPPα levels were conducted using paired T-tests. Finally an exploratory post-hoc analysis of potential correlation between percent change in sAPP total or sAPPα and percent change in scores on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist Social Withdrawal/Lethargy subscale (ABC-SW) was conducted. The ABC-SW measures social impairment which is a core symptom domain of ASD. Post-hoc analysis was done with Spearman correlation calculations. All data was analyzed in IBM SPSS Version 20.
Twelve youth (mean age 10.4 years; range 5-15 years) participated in this study. Subjects' mean IQ was 67 (range 25-96). Nine subjects entered the active treatment phase (beyond week 2 visit). One subject was deemed a placebo responder, one subject developed significant irritability during placebo treatment and exited the study, and one subject experienced significant emesis and diarrhea on placebo and exited the study. Among nine patients who received acamprosate, the mean final drug dose was 1,073 mg/day (range 600-1,998 mg/day). Overall acamprosate was well tolerated with no adverse effects leading to drug discontinuation and no vital sign or safety laboratory changes noted. Adverse effects during acamprosate treatment included: mild transient diarrhea (n=3), dose related transient irritability that abated with dose reduction (n=2), mild transient headaches (n=2), mild transient tiredness (n=2), mild transient insomnia (n=2), mild transient excessive laughter (n=1), and mild transient increased hyperactivity (n=1). Regarding behavioral outcome measures, to date we have analyzed data from the CGI-I, CGI-S, all subscales of the ABC, the SRS, and the ADHD-RS. All analyses are made using last observation carried forward as three subjects were lost to follow up prior to week 12 (one each lost after weeks 6, 8, and 10 respectively). Six of nine subjects (67%) entering the active treatment phase were judged acamprosate responders with a CGI-I score of 1 or 2 (mean CGI-I at last visit=2).
Among secondary outcome measure data analyzed to date (paired t-tests), improvement with acamprosate use was noted on the SRS total raw score (mean change from 107+/−28 at baseline to 91.4+/−30 at endpoint; p=0.002), ABC Lethargy/Social Withdrawal subscale (ABC-SW; 14.1+/−8.5 to 10.0+/−8.4; p=0.019), the ADHD-RS (29.5+/−10.4 to 20.75+/−9.7; p=0.002), the ABC Hyperactivity subscale (25.4+/−12.6 to 16.6+/−12.4; p=0.005), and the CGI-S (4.22+/−0.4 to 3.7+/−0.5; p=0.013). Regarding sAPP blood biomarker data, by study conclusion six subjects has pre- and post-acamprosate sAPP total and sAPPα levels available. In analysis of fractional change from baseline to endpoint, mean sAPP total levels reduced from 34.7 (ng/mL) at baseline to 19.3 at endpoint (p=0.02) and mean sAPPα levels reduced from 7.8 (ng/mL) at baseline to 4.2 at endpoint (p=0.03).
This initial pilot placebo-controlled trial of acamprosate targeting social impairment in youth with autism, demonstrated that the drug to be well tolerated with potential signs of efficacy noted specific to reductions in social deficits and hyperactivity. This study demonstrates that acamprosate use was associated with significant and uniform reductions in sAPP total and sAPPα pointing to a potential pharmacodynamics marker of treatment effect in autism.
A 12-week single-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the effect of acamprosate in the treatment of 12 youths with autistic disorder aged 5 to 17 years was carried out. In order to pilot test use of acamprosate in youth with autism targeting core social impairment, was conducted. All subjects and their family members were blinded to treatment status. All subjects participated in a 2 week placebo-lead-in phase prior to 10 weeks of treatment with acamprosate. For this project, enteric coated commercially available 333 mg acamprosate pills were over-encapsulated and identical matching placebo manufactured for the project. Placebo-responders, defined by a Clinical Global Impressions Improvement scale (CGI-I) score of 1 “very much improved” or 2 “much improved” (ratings anchored to core social deficits) at week 2 were asked to exit the study. During active treatment with acamprosate, dosing was increased in 333 mg increments per week over the first six weeks of active treatment to a maximum dose of 1,332 mg/day (weight<5 60 kg) or 1,998 mg/day (weight>60 kg). During the final four weeks of active drug treatment, subjects were maintained on a stable highest tolerated (optimal) dose. The primary outcome measure was the clinician-rated CGI-I anchored to symptoms of social impairment. Secondary outcome measures included the CGI-Severity scale, the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), Children's Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Modified for Pervasive Developmental Disorders (CY-BOCS PDD), ADHD Rating Scale 4th Edition (ADHD-RS), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Vineland Communication Subscale, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), the Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and expressive language sampling. Each subject completed IQ testing utilizing the Stanford Binet 5th Edition at screen. Additionally, sAPP samples were drawn at baseline and at study conclusion. Safety laboratory studies were drawn at screen, week 6 and week 12. A physical exam was done at screen and week 12 and vital signs were obtained at all study visits. Potential acamprosate adverse effects were elicited at all study visits and interval study physician phone calls utilizing an adverse effect log.
Effect of Acamprosate on sAPP, sAPPα in Patients Diagnosed with FXS-Linked ASD.
Twelve youths aged 5-17 were enrolled in an open label study. All 12 subjects were confirmed by Southern Blot and/or PCR Analysis to have full FXS mutations. The subjects were further screened for IQ (SB5 or Leiter) ADI-R, ADOS Vineland.
The pilot study ran for 10 weeks. Safety lab screens were carried out at weeks 6 and 10. Physiologic parameters measured during the safety screens were as follows: vital signs, LFTs, electrolyte panels, CBC with diff/plts, lipid panel, glucose, urinalysis and ECG.
In-person clinical visits were scheduled for every two weeks. Telephonic evaluations were carried out at weeks 1, 3, and 5. Each subject was evaluated for side effects at every interaction with the practitioner.
A flexible dosing regime was used. Enteric coated acamprosate tablets in 333 mg. amounts were used. Dosing was increased in 333 mg. increments weekly for the first 6 weeks of the study. For subjects with a body weight of less than 50 kg., maximum dose was 1332 mg. (divided BID or TID). For subjects with a body weight of greater than 50 kg., maximum dose was 1998 mg. (divided BID or TID). The mean final dose was 1054+/−422 mg. per day.
Thirteen subjects were screened for this study. One of the subjects could not swallow pills and was excluded from this study. The remaining subjects included 10 males and 2 females. Their mean age was 11.9 years, ranging from 6.25 to 17.75 years. The mean IQ of the 12 subjects was 44.6, ranging from 36 to 61. Ten of the subjects were diagnosed with autistic disorder and two were diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder NOS.
By study's end 75% of the subjects (9/12) were deemed to be responders. These 9 subjects had CGI-I scores of 1 (very much improved) or 2 (much improved). The mean CGI-I values for the responders at week 10 was 1.92.
TABLE 4
Parameters measured in patients diagnosed with FXS-linked
ASD and treated with acamprosate.
Secondary Outcome
Secondary Outcome
Measures Reviewed
Measures to be Analyzed
Aberrant Behavior Checklist
Childrens Yale-Brown Obsessive
(ABC)
Compulsive Scale Modified for
PDDSs (CYBOCS PDD)
Social Responsiveness Scale
Vineland Communication
(SRS)
Clinical Global Impressions-
Clinical Evaluation of Language
Severity Scale (CGI-S)
Fundamentals (CELF-4)
Peabody Picture Vocabulary
Expressive Language Sampling
Test (PPVT)
Among secondary outcomes measured data was analyzed to date (paired t-tests), improvement with acamprosate use was noted on the SRS total raw score (mean change from 107+/−28 at baseline to 91.4+/−30 at endpoint; p=0.002), ABC Lethargy/Social Withdrawal subscale (ABC-SW; 14.1+/−8.5 to 10.0+/−8.4; p=0.019), the ADHD-RS (29.5+/−10.4 to 20.75+/−9.7; p=0.002), the ABC Hyperactivity subscale (25.4+/−12.6 to 16.6+/−12.4; p=0.005), and the CGI-S (4.22+/−0.4 to 3.7+/−0.5; p=0.013). Regarding sAPP blood biomarker data, by study conclusion six subjects has pre- and post-acamprosate sAPP total and sAPPa levels available. In analysis of fractional change from baseline to endpoint, mean sAPP total levels reduced from 34.7 (ng/mL) at baseline to 19.3 at endpoint (p=0.02) and mean sAPPa levels reduced from 7.8 (ng/mL) at baseline to 4.2 at endpoint (p=0.03).
TABLE 5
Effects of Acamprosate on Youths Diagnosed with
FXS linked ASD.
Baseline Group
Endpoint Group
Measure
Mean ± SD
Mean ± SD
P value
CGI-S
4.25 ± 0.45
3.33 ± 0.49
<0.0001
ABC Irritability
9.9 ± 7.8
7.0 ± 8.9
0.106
ABC Social Withdrawal
7.33 ± 5.2
4.1 ± 6.5
0.014
ABC Stereotypy
6.8 ± 6.8
6 ± 6.3
0.085
ABC Hyperactivity
16.8 ± 9.1
11.0 ± 8.6
0.009
ABC Inappropriate Speech
5.2 ± 3.5
4.8 ± 3.4
0.605
Social Responsiveness
91.3 ± 27.4
76.42 ± 26.8
0.005
Scale (total raw score)
ADHD Rating Scale, 4 th
23.6 ± 10.6
16.7 ± 8
<0.0001
Edition
PPVT
85.2 ± 32
83.3 ± 32
0.53
TABLE 6
Summary of adverse effects observed in youths diagnosed
with FXS linked ASD and treated with acamprosate.
Number of
Adverse Effect
Patients
Irritability (mild)
4
Increased repetitive behavior (mild)
2
Increased anxiety (mild)
1
Diarrhea (mild)
1
Constipation (mild)
1
Insomnia (mild)
1
Urinary urgency (mild)
1
Rhinitis (mild)
1
Nightmares (mild)
1
Increased body rocking (mild)
1
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 . Graphes of the data in Tables 7 and 8, collected from 6 subjects with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) who participated in the open label acamprosate trial. Peripheral blood sample were collected from 6 individual human patients. All 6 patients were diagnosed with FXS. Samples were drawn and analyzed before treatment with acamprosate and after treatment with acamprosate in order to measure the level of both sAPP total)—CP and sAPPα-CP in the samples. Levels of the specific proteins in the samples were determined by ELISA using the appropriate antibody.
The data presented in these graphs illustrate that treatment of patients with FXS with acamprosate is associated with normalizing (lowering) APP levels. This data shows that acamprosate may directly engage aberrant neuronal activity associated with FXS (in this case elevated APP). The level of APP in patents with FXS is a good clinical predictor of treatment response. Patients with the highest APP levels should be treated with acamprosate. Those patients who exhibit a reduction in APP during or after treatment with acamprosate should continue to be treated with the compound. APP levels can also be used as a screen for other compounds that may effective for the treatment of FXS. Compounds that lower APP levels may be useful for the treatment of FXS.
TABLE 7
Levels of sAPP (total)-CP measured in patients diagnosed with
FXS before and after treatment with Acamprosate.
Patient
Lab#
Baseline
Lab# (Wk 12)
Week 12
1
37
12.97575
46
12.84334
−0.0102
2
39
9.003579
49
8.07674
−0.10294
3
45
100.893
50
56.80199
−0.43701
4
47
16.5507
51
7.547117
−0.544
5
48
32.30696
53
5.561034
−0.82787
6
52
36.27913
54
25.15706
−0.30657
TABLE 8
Levels of sAPPα-CP measured in patients diagnosed with
FXS before and after treatment with Acamprosate.
Patient
Lab#
Baseline
Lab# (Wk 12)
Week 12
1
37
2.763889
46
2.763889
0
2
39
4.916667
49
4.777778
−0.02825
3
45
18.38889
50
7.416667
−0.59668
4
47
4.986111
51
2.694444
−0.45961
5
48
8.597222
53
2.486111
−0.71082
6
52
7.416667
54
5.055556
−0.31835
This initial pilot placebo-controlled trial of acamprosate targeting social impairment in patients with FXS, demonstrated that the drug to be well tolerated with potential signs of efficacy noted specific to reductions in social deficits and hyperactivity. This study demonstrates that acamprosate use was associated with significant and uniform reductions in sAPP total and sAPPα pointing to a potential pharmacodynamics marker for the treatment of FXS.
In total, twenty-four youth (mean age 11.1 years; range 5-17 years) participated in these two pilot clinical trials. Fifteen subjects had available pre- and post-acamprosate sAPP total and sAPPα assay data available. Post-treatment blood samples were not available from 3 subjects with FXS, 3 subjects with ASD were deemed placebo lead-in responders and did not receive acamprosate, and 3 subjects receiving acamprosate in the idiopathic ASD study were lost to follow-up during active acamprosate treatment and did not complete post-treatment blood analysis. Using pre-specified indicators of clinical response, 9 of 12 youth with FXS and 6 of 9 youth with idiopathic ASD were judged responders to acamprosate. Generally, clinical improvement was noted in social behavior and inattention/hyperactivity. Pooled subject mean IQ was 56 (range 36 to 96). Pooled subject final acamprosate dosing was 1,054 mg/day. Overall, sAPP total reduced with use of acamprosate from a mean 32.6±38.3 ng/mL pre-treatment to 21.4±32.3 ng/mL post-treatment (p=0.01). sAPPα reduced with use of acamprosate from a mean 8.4±7.9 ng/mL pre-treatment to 5.5±7.2 ng/mL post-treatment (p=0.003). Levels of both sAPP total and sAPPα reduced with treatment in every sample tested except in one subject with idiopathic ASD where sAPPα was unchanged following treatment. No significant correlations between percent change in sAPP total or sAPPα and percent change in scores on the ABC-SW were noted in the pooled 15 subject sample. Within the 9 subject subset of those with FXS, a significant correlation was noted between change in sAPP total and ABC-SW scores meaning that more reduction in sAPP total correlated with greater improvement in ABC-SW scores (Spearman Correlation Coefficient=0.853; p=0.003).
While the novel technology has been illustrated and described in detail in the figures and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the novel technology are desired to be protected. As well, while the novel technology was illustrated using specific examples, theoretical arguments, accounts, and illustrations, these illustrations and the accompanying discussion should by no means be interpreted as limiting the technology. All patents, patent applications, and references to texts, scientific treatises, publications, and the like referenced in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. | A method of treating and monitoring patient diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum disorder or Fragile X syndrome comprising measuring plasma biomarker levels of BDNF, sAPP, and sAPP alpha and adjusting the amount of a therapeutic compound according to the plasma levels of BDNF, sAPP and sAPPs. In one embodiment, the therapeutic compound is acamprosate. | 6 |
U.S. GOVERNMENT RIGHTS
[0001] The invention was made with U.S. Government support under contract F33615-95-C-2503 awarded by the US Air Force. The U.S. Government has certain rights in the invention.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to engines, and more particularly to hybrid pulse combustion turbine engines.
[0003] In a conventional gas turbine engine, combustion occurs in a continuous, near constant pressure (Brayton cycle), mode. Although present gas turbine engine combustors are relatively efficient, the thermodynamic benefit to cycle efficiency associated with performing the combustion operation at a higher time-averaged pressure has led to many efforts to improve combustion.
[0004] It has been proposed to improve thermodynamic efficiency by applying the more efficient combustion of near constant volume combustion pulse detonation engines (PDEs) to turbine engine combustors. In a generalized PDE, fuel and oxidizer (e.g., oxygen-containing gas such as air) are admitted to an elongate combustion chamber at an upstream inlet end, typically through an inlet valve as a mixture. Upon introduction of this charge, the valve is closed and an igniter is utilized to detonate the charge (either directly or through a deflagration to detonation transition). A detonation wave propagates toward the outlet at supersonic speed causing substantial combustion of the fuel/air mixture before the mixture can be substantially driven from the outlet. The result of the combustion is to rapidly elevate pressure within the chamber before substantial gas can escape inertially through the outlet. The effect of this inertial confinement is to produce near constant volume combustion.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,930, for example, suggests combustor use of PDE technology in addition to use as a thrust augmentor in engines with conventional combustors. Other pulsed combustors are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,886,325 and 6,901,738.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] One aspect of the invention involves a turbine engine having a case with an axis. A fan is mounted for rotation about the axis. A turbine is mechanically coupled to the fan to drive rotation of the fan about the axis. A number of compressor/turbine units are downstream of the fan and upstream of the turbine along a core flowpath. A number of compressors are coupled to the compressor/turbine units to receive air and deliver combustion gas to drive the turbine.
[0007] In various implementations, the compressor/turbine units may be centrifugal compressor/radial turbine units, with the turbine coaxially driving the impeller by means of a connecting shaft. There may be a circumferential array of the compressor/turbine units and a circumferential array of the combustors. Each of the compressor/turbine units may be uniquely associated with a single one of the combustors and vice versa. The compressor/turbine units may be coupled to the combustor so that: the compressor of the compressor/turbine unit delivers air to the associated combustor; and the turbine of the compressor/turbine unit receives the combustion gas from the associated combustor. The turbine may be an axial turbine receiving the combustion gas from all of the compressor/turbine units. The axial turbine may be co-spooled with the fan. There may be at least eight of the compressor/turbine units and at least eight of the combustors. The combustors may be non-rotating.
[0008] Another aspect of the invention involves a method for operating a turbine engine. Air is directed from a fan to a number of compressor/turbine units. The air is compressed in the compressor/turbine units. The air is directed to a number of combustors. The air is combusted with fuel in the combustors to produce combustion gas. Work is extracted from the combustion gas in the compressor/turbine units to drive the compression. The combustion gas is directed from the compressor/turbine units to a turbine. Work is extracted from the combustion gas in the turbine to drive rotation of the fan.
[0009] In various implementations, the combustion gas may be directed from the turbine to join a bypass flow of air from the fan. A mass flow ratio of the flow of the air delivered to the combustors to the bypass flow may be between 1.1 and 1:3. The combusting may be a pulse combusting. The combusting may comprise detonation. The combusting may comprise operating respective ones of the combustors out of phase with each other. The method may be used in aircraft propulsion.
[0010] The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic partial longitudinal sectional view of a turbofan engine.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of the engine of FIG. 1 .
[0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic partial longitudinal sectional view of an alternative engine.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a front schematic view of a second alternative engine.
[0015] Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a turbofan engine 20 having central longitudinal axis 500 , a case 22 , and a core 24 . The case 22 defines a duct 26 extending from an upstream inlet 28 to a downstream outlet 30 . Of an inlet airflow 510 entering the duct, a fan 32 drives a bypass portion 512 and a core portion 514 along respective bypass and core flowpaths through the duct. The exemplary fan 32 has two blade stages and two interspersed vane stages. The blade stages may be supported on a shaft 34 .
[0017] As is described in further detail below, the exemplary engine 20 also includes a circumferential array of compressor/turbine units 38 , a combustor section 40 (e.g., circumferential array of combustors 41 ), and a turbine section 42 . Other components (e.g., an augmentor and an exhaust nozzle) may also be present. FIG. 2 shows further details of exemplary positions of the exemplary compressor/turbine units 38 and combustors 41 .
[0018] The core airflow 514 is divided by ducts 44 into branching portions directed to the compressor sections 50 (e.g., centrifugal compressors) of each of the units 38 . Rotation of the impeller of the section 50 is driven by the turbine of the turbine section 52 (e.g., a radial turbine) of the associated unit 38 . The units 38 thus compress the flow 514 into compressed flows 516 directed to the combustor section 40 . In the combustor section 40 , the compressed air is mixed with a fuel flow 518 and combusted to form combustion gas 520 . The gas 520 is directed to the turbine of the turbine section 52 where it is partially expanded to extract the work to compress the flow 514 .
[0019] From the unit 38 , the partially expanded combustion gas flow 522 is directed to the turbine section 42 . For example, the turbine sections 52 of the various units 38 may be coupled to a common discharge manifold 60 feeding an upstream/inlet end of the turbine section 42 . As the flow 522 passes through the turbine section 42 it is further expanded and discharged as a flow 524 . The exemplary flow 524 is directed via a manifold duct 62 to merge with the bypass flow 512 and form a combined flow 526 . This combined flow may ultimately be discharged from the outlet 30 .
[0020] In the exemplary engine of FIG. 1 , the blade stages of the turbine section 42 are co-spooled with the fan on the shaft 34 . The positioning of the turbine section 42 forward of the combustor section 40 , along with the generally forward flow through the turbine section 42 facilitates a short shaft 34 and a longitudinally compact engine. The configuration also hides the moving/hot surfaces of the turbine section 42 from line-of-sight exposure through the outlet. This may be advantageous for low observability properties including radar return and infrared signature.
[0021] FIG. 1 shows further details of the exemplary combustor section 40 . FIG. 1 shows an inner member 80 within an outer member 82 . The airflow 516 is received through an associated conduit 84 to a volume or space 86 between the inner and outer members. There may be a circumferential array of the inner members 80 (one for each combustor 41 ). In some variations, the outer member 82 may be a single outer member containing all or more than one of the inner members (e.g., an annular outer member). In other variations, there may be a circumferential array of the outer members 82 , each containing an associated one of the inner members 80 .
[0022] The exemplary inner member 80 has an aft end 90 and a fore end 92 . The exemplary inner member 80 has a first frustoconical wall portion 94 diverging forward from the aft end 90 . The wall portion 94 is foraminate allowing the inflow of air. In the exemplary combustor, a fuel injector 100 may be positioned at the aft end to introduce the fuel flow 518 . An igniter 102 (e.g., a sparkplug) may be positioned to ignite the fuel air mixture to cause combustion. The divergence of the wall portion 94 helps facilitate a deflagration-to-detonation transition.
[0023] The exemplary inner member 80 has a second wall portion 110 forward of the portion 94 . A convergent wall portion 112 is downstream of the portion 110 . An outlet conduit 114 connects the inner member 80 to the associated turbine section 52 . Individual coupling of the combustors to at least the turbine section 52 prevents crosstalk between the discharge ends of the combustors. This is relevant where the combustors are operated out-of-phase so that the combustion gas discharged by one combustor is not ingested by another.
[0024] Inlet decoupling is less critical. Thus, there may be a common outer member 82 defining a common inlet plenum. In yet other embodiments, each combustor may be coupled to receive air from the compressor section 50 of one unit 38 while discharging gases to the turbine section 52 of another unit.
[0025] FIG. 3 shows an alternative configuration with a long shaft 34 ′ connecting a turbine section 42 ′ to the fan. The exemplary turbine section 42 ′ is aft of the combustor section and receives combustion gases from the compressor/turbine unit array through a manifold 160 ′ directing the combustion gases generally aftward and radially inboard of the combustors. The discharged combustion gases and bypass air mix relatively downstream.
[0026] The effects of the pressure pulses from the individual combustors is minimized by operation out-of-phase with each other. Exemplary firing frequency may be in the vicinity of 50-300 Hz and may vary considerably depending on the scale/size of the engine and resulting impact on combustor section geometry and volume. Various phase combinations are possible, including firing in opposed pairs to limit wobble. Exemplary fan spool speeds are 2000-20000 revolutions per minute (RPM), more narrowly 6000-12000 RPM. Exemplary speeds for the units 38 are 5000-50000 RPM, more narrowly 20000-35000 RPM as an approximation for the 6000-12000 RPM fan spool speeds under steady-state conditions.
[0027] Many variations are possible. For example, the combustors take a variety of forms, including shapes, positions, and orientations. FIG. 4 shows an exemplary configuration wherein eight combustors are grouped in two groups concentrated on respective left and right sides of the engine. This creates a wide but small height package which may be advantageous for integration into the airframe of an aircraft (e.g., a fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicle, or missile).
[0028] One or more embodiments of the present 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, the details of any particular application will influence the configuration of the combustor. Various features of the combustor may be fully or partially integrated with features of the turbine or the compressor. If applied in a redesign of an existing turbine engine, details of the existing engine may implement details of the implementation. The rotating combustor may alternatively be used in applications beyond turbine engines. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. | A turbine engine has a case with an axis. A fan is mounted for rotation about the axis. A turbine is mechanically coupled to the fan to drive rotation of the fan about the axis. A number of compressor/turbine units are downstream of the fan and upstream of the turbine along a core flowpath. A number of compressors are coupled to the compressor/turbine units to receive air and deliver combustion gas to drive the turbine. | 5 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aircraft cargo loader, and more particularly, to an aircraft cargo loader which is completely self-contained and capable of being installed in the aircraft fuselage and deployed from the aircraft.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Apparatus for loading cargo into, and unloading cargo from, the aircraft are well known in the art. Aircraft cargo loaders transfer containers into and out of an aircraft through a cargo opening. Because the cargo opening is generally several feet above the ground level, aircraft cargo loaders generally have a lifting apparatus for lifting the cargo from ground level to the aircraft floor line. Many designs for such aircraft cargo loaders have been used in the airline industry. Many of the cargo loader designs require a large structure which is incapable of being loaded into the airplane itself. The requirement for an on-board cargo loader has been in existence for many years, for the commercial and military markets. However, a satisfactory design embracing all the required features of weight, size, handling, deployment, safety, reliability, speed of set up and operation, and operation of the loader has not been provided.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an airborne cargo loader which is a one piece, completely self-contained unit which is extremely compact and light weight (approximately 3,000 pounds for the present invention in comparison with 15,000-30,000 pounds for conventional loaders). The airborne cargo loader can be rapidly deployed from the aircraft requiring a minimum of personnel and set up. The operating power can be supplied from compressed air bottles or nitrogen bottles stored in the lower cargo hold of the aircraft and permanently connected to the loader. An extremely rapid cycle of raising and lowering maximum loads is available and controllable by the operator. A unique method of maintaining stability is also provided. During transition of the cargo onto the loader bed in the raised position, the telescopic air jacks are fully extended, i.e. bottomed out against the abutment faces under high pre-load ensuring adequate stability of the load bed. If the cargo loader is used for intermediate heights, an intermediate position can be obtained by adjusting telescoping tension ties, located inside some or all of the jacks. This permits the operator to check the level indicator fore, aft, and lateral, then if necessary to move the load until the indicators show that the loader platform is balanced within an acceptable range. The positioning of the load on the loader bed can also be automated. An operator has complete control of loading, positioning, lowering/raising and off-loading throughout the entire cycle.
The present invention provides an aircraft cargo loader comprising: a platform including a plurality of rollers for supporting cargo thereon; a base member disposed below said platform; a plurality of telescoping jacks disposed between said platform and said base member for lifting said platform; a supply of pressurized gas connected to said plurality of telescoping jacks; and means for driving said rollers to position said cargo in a balanced condition on said platform.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood however that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating the aircraft cargo loader of the present invention including a plurality of telescoping jacks for lifting the cargo platform;
FIG. 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view illustrating the engagement of the mating cylinder portions of the telescoping jacks;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating the roller bed and the pressurized gas supply system according to the principles of the present invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention which includes side-sway stabilization actuators;
FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the control system for balancing the cargo on the platform;
FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating the roller bed having automatic control of the rollers by mercury switches;
FIG. 7 illustrates a tension tie rod arrangement for limiting the movement of the telescoping jacks to an intermediate position; and
FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating the loading of the aircraft cargo loader into the fuselage of an aircraft and rapid deployment of the loader from the aircraft.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to FIGS. 1-7, the aircraft cargo loader 10 will be described. The aircraft cargo loader 10 includes a platform 12 having a roller bed 14 including a plurality of lateral positioning electrically controlled rollers 16 and a plurality of longitudinally positioning electrical rollers 18. Electrical rollers 16, 18 are conventional cargo handling-type rollers. Roller bed 14 is utilized for balancing the cargo 20 which is placed on platform 12. The method of controlling the bed 14 will be described in detail later.
Platform 12 is supported by a plurality of telescoping jacks 22. Telescoping jacks 22 include a plurality of mating cylinder portions 22a-22g. A first mating cylinder portion 22a is attached at an upper surface thereof to the platform 12, and a second mating cylinder portion 22g has a lower portion 26 attached to a loader base 28. The intermediate mating cylinder portions 22b-22f are each provided with a radially inwardly extending rim portion 30 defining an abutment face 34 for engaging a corresponding abutment face 36 of a radially outwardly extending rim portion 38 of a mating cylinder portion received within the inwardly extending rim 30. The mating cylinders 22a-22g define a pressure chamber 40 which is expandable upon introduction of pressurized gas which causes the platform 12 to be lifted and the mating cylinder portions 22a-22g of telescoping jacks 22 to extend in a vertical direction. The inwardly extending rim 30 and outwardly extending rim 38 are each provided with o'ring seals 42 for sealing the pressure chamber 40 of the telescoping jacks 22. Each of the telescoping jacks 22 are provided with compressed gas through supply lines 44. Supply lines 44 are attached to a source of compressed gas such as a gas bottle 46 containing compressed nitrogen or air. Supply line 44 is provided with a control valve 48 for opening and closing the supply of compressed gas to supply lines 44.
When it is desired to utilize the aircraft cargo loader at an intermediate level 49 below the full extension of the telescoping jacks 22, a tension tie rod 50 can be utilized at each corner jack 22 for limiting the height at which the telescoping jacks 22 can extend, as shown in FIG. 7. The travel limiting tension ties 50 operate as a telescopic unit mounted within the corner air jacks 22. Each end of the tension tie 50 is attached to the respective platform 12 and base 28 to which the air jacks 22 are attached. The upper attachment is provided with accurate adjustment for travel height capability of the platform 12. This adjustment is accomplished by a nut 52 and thread assembly 54, which may be preset before pressurization or at partial pressure, in the required elevated position, but below the loaded operating pressure. The operator can make the adjustment at the upper surface by inserting a tool into an upper end 56 of threaded member 54. Other known means of adjustment can also be utilized.
The balancing of cargo 20 on platform 12 can be performed either manually by controlling the electrical roller bed 14 or by an automatic control system. The manual control of roller bed 14 may include a joy stick 60 for controlling the rotation of lateral positioning rollers 16 and longitudinal positioning rollers 18. The operator can determine the imbalance of the platform 12 by reference to fore and aft bed level indicator 62 and lateral bed level indicator 64 and make the determination of which direction the cargo 20 should be moved in order to balance the platform 12. By operating the joy stick 60, electrical signals will be delivered to each of the lateral and longitudinal positioning rollers 16, 18, respectively in accordance with the operator's movement of joy stick 60.
The balancing of the load can also be performed automatically as illustrated in FIG. 5. In the automatic control system, deflection sensors 70A, 70B are provided at the front and rear of the platform, respectively, and deflection sensors 70C, 70D are provided on each side of the platform 12. Each of the deflection sensors 70A-70D provide a signal (A, B, C, D) representative of the deflection on the respective sides of the platform 12. In operation, the cargo is loaded on the platform 12 (S1). The signals (A, B, C, D) from the deflection sensors 70A-70D are read (S2). The controller then determines if the signal A is within a predetermined tolerance of signal B (S3). If no, the controller determines if the signal A is greater than the signal B(S4). If yes, the longitudinal positioning rollers 18 are activated to move the cargo toward the rear (side B) of the platform 12 at a predetermined increment, such as one inch (S5). If in step S4, the signal A is not determined to be greater than the signal B, the longitudinal positioning rollers 18 are activated to move the cargo from the rear to the front (side A) of the platform 12 at a predetermined increment (S6). After each of steps S5 and S6, the controller returns to step S2 so that the process can be repeated in order to determine if the adjusted cargo position has properly balanced the load on the platform 12.
If in step S3, the controller determines that the signal A is within the tolerance of signal B, then the controller proceeds to step S7 where the controller determines if the signal C is within the tolerance range of signal D. If no, the controller determines if signal C is greater than signal D (S8). If yes, the lateral positioning rollers 16 are activated to move the cargo toward side D at a predetermined increment (S9), and the control returns to step S2 to determine if the adjustment of the cargo has balanced the load on platform 12. If in step S8 the signal C is not determined to be greater than signal D, the lateral positioning rollers are activated to move the cargo toward side C of the platform 12 (S10). The control then returns to step S2 and the process continues until the signal A is within the predetermined tolerance of signal B and signal C is within the predetermined tolerance of signal D.
Alternatively, the load on platform 12 can be balanced by the automatic load positioning circuit 72 shown in FIG. 6. Load positioning circuit 72 includes a power supply 74 connected via a plurality of electrically conductive wires 76 to four mercury level switches 78a-78d. Switches 78a and 78b are longitudinal switches which are connected to fore and aft rollers 80 via electrically conductive wires 82 for adjusting the longitudinal position of the cargo. Switches 78c and 78d are lateral switches which are connected to lateral rollers 87 via electrically conductive wires 86 for adjusting the lateral position of the cargo. Switches 78a-78d each activate the rollers 80, 84 to move the cargo in the direction of arrows A-D, respectively. The mercury level switches 78a-78d energize the rollers until the loader bed 14 is level under the weight of the cargo or pallets. The mercury level switches are commercially available.
The aircraft cargo loader can be provided with side-sway stability by using inclined telescopic air jacks 90 which are connected to platform 12 by pin joint 92 and to base 94 by pin joint 96, and provide stability through the full range of movement of the platform 12, as shown in FIG. 4.
With reference to FIG. 8, the method of loading the aircraft cargo loader 10 into the aircraft fuselage 98 is shown. The aircraft fuselage 98 is provided with a cargo bay door 100 which opens in an upward direction to allow the loading of cargo into the aircraft fuselage 98. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a gantry 102 is provided for supporting a beam extension 104 having a power winch mechanism 106 including a cable 108 which can be attached to the aircraft cargo loader 10. The aircraft cargo loader 10 is lifted by the power winch 106 and the beam extension 104 is retracted into and out of the air craft fuselage 98 so that the aircraft cargo loader 10 is received in the aircraft fuselage 98 and can be easily unloaded.
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 intended to be included within the scope of the following claims. | An aircraft cargo loader is provided including a platform having a plurality of rollers for supporting cargo thereon. A base member is disposed below the platform and a plurality of telescoping jacks are disposed between the platform and the base member for lifting the platform. A supply of pressurized gas is connected to the plurality of telescoping jacks. An automatic load balancing system is provided for balancing the load on the platform. The cargo loader is designed to be lightweight and portable so that it can be loaded onto the aircraft and transported therewith. | 1 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 449,385, filed Mar. 8, 1974 in the name of Harry O. Moore and entitled APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING ARTICLES SUCH AS NEWSPAPERS AND THE LIKE, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,160.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As is well known, most conventional coin-operated newspaper vending machines in general use today are of a type having a normally locked door hingedly mounted along its lower edge which is unlocked and released by inserting in an associated coin mechanism a coin or coins sufficient to pay for a single newspaper. When the door is released by the coin mechanism, the customer swings the door downwardly to open same and thus gains access to a stack of newspapers in the machine. Generally, the customer will take a single newspaper from the stack and thereafter permit the door to return under spring pressure to its closed and locked position. It has been determined, however, that some customers will insert a sufficient amount into the coin mechanism to pay for a single newspaper, but will then remove more than the one newspaper from the stack in the machine. In fact, occasionally a customer will remove all remaining newspapers from a vending machine once the door has been opened, even though only a single newspaper may have been purchased.
Another drawback of such conventional types of newspaper vending machines reside in the fact that, as indicated above, the door is normally urged toward closed position by a spring means. A considerable force is applied to the door, and is present in progressive amounts as the door is moved toward its fully open position. Accordingly, after a customer removes a newspaper from the vending machine and releases the open door of the machine, the spring means causes the door to return rapidly to its closed position under relatively high pressure. The door thus closes in a violent manner and hence produces considerable noise. Not only can such closing noise irritate the customer or some other person who may be nearby, such violent closing of the door could also cause injury in the event that an arm or hand is in the path of travel of the door during its return to the closed position. Moreover, continued physical impact of the door during closing could cause damage to the dispensing unit, per se.
Prior attempts have been made to provide a dispensing apparatus that overcomes the aforementioned problems. Certain of these improved units have met with some success such as the type described in the aforementioned parent application. Further improvements are, however, still possible. The dispensing apparatus of the present invention affords such improvements in providing a device that will dispense single articles; is simple to operate; and will enjoy a long, maintenance-free life under normal operating conditions. No known prior art anticipates the apparatus of the present invention. Exemplary of the known prior art are U.S. Pat. Nos. 378,945 to Katz; 517,412 to Martel; 895,899 to Schenck; 1,744,112 to Frey; 2,099,344 to Mills; 2,351,779 to Niewoehner, and 3,425,596 to Marczak et al.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for dispensing newspapers and the like, which is of simple and economical construction, and has the required operating mechanisms and the newspaper supporting means thereof so arranged therein that there is no need for a customer to open a door to obtain a newspaper from the apparatus, and also wherein, upon insertion of a coin or coins into a coin mechanism thereof sufficient only to pay for a single newspaper, only a single newspaper may be dispensed while other newspapers remain inaccessible to the customer.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for dispensing newspapers from one and of a compartmentalized stack of newspapers, wherein a pliable restraining means is incrementally moved in a dispensing direction, away from the article to be dispensed, after which a single article moves, by gravity, from its compartment and into a dispensing slot where it can be removed.
According to yet a further object of the invention, a pliable restraining means is removeably positioned in front of dispensing compartments and is then incrementally moved in a desired direction to uncover the front end of the next compartment whereby an article therein falls by gravity to a dispensing chute for removal by a customer.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing apparatus where pliable restraining means are removeably positioned along opposite edges of the front of a plurality of dispensing compartments and are incrementally wound onto a stationary, rotatable shaft to uncover the front ends of the compartments one at a time, and permit dispensing therefrom.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide pliable restraining means in front of a dispensing compartment and forming a part of a closed loop, and incrementally moving the restraining means around the closed loop, exposing one dispensing compartment at a time.
Generally speaking, the dispensing apparatus of the present invention comprises a housing; support means received in said housing for separately receiving and holding articles to be dispensed, said articles being maintained at a downwardly inclined angle to permit gravitational dispensing when unrestrained; pliable restraining means located adjacent a dispensing end of said support means and being in engagement with said articles to be dispensed; and a stationary, rotatable shaft located adjacent one end of said article supporting means and being drivingly associated with said pliable restraining means, said shaft being rotatable upon actuation of said apparatus to drive said restraining means by a predetermined amount whereby one article only becomes unrestrained and is dispensed.
More specifically, inclined dispensing compartments are covered in part at a lower, dispensing end by a pliable restraining means removeably positioned thereat. The pliable restraining means, preferably positioned along both edges of the compartments, have elongated connector means secured thereto to hold the ends of the restraining means while not interfering with dispensing when presented in front of the dispensing compartments. In general therefore, the elongated connector means are not as wide as the restraining means.
Restraining means according to the present invention may be any material that will withstand the pressure of the articles thereon and will negotiate sufficient curves to be incrementally moved away from the front of the dispensing compartments. Suitable examples include chains, steel tapes, plastic tapes, wires secured together along a rear side, and the like. In one embodiment, the restraining means is wound onto a stationary, rotatable shaft during dispensing with an opposite end being secured to a cable means which also is wound onto a shaft, preferably the same one, such that a winding of either the restraining means or the cable means causes a like opposite operation of the other. A further embodiment finds the cable means secured to both ends of the restraining means and passing around the article support means, being appropriately guided by a plurality of guides, at least one of which is in driving engagement with either the restraining means or the cable means.
As will be described in detail hereinafter, the restraining means are moved by incremental amounts, exposing one dispensing compartment at a time, including means for achieving the incremental movement, actuation means, and the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a frontal perspective view of dispensing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of dispensing apparatus according to the teachings of the present invention, with a rear access service door thereof shown in an open position.
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view through a coin-operated newspaper dispensing apparatus according to the present invention illustrating newspaper supporting means filled with newspapers with restraining means being shown thereagainst, holding the newspapers in their respective compartments.
FIG. 4 is an isometric view of support and restraining means of an embodiment of the present dispensing apparatus, illustrating a relationship therebetween.
FIGS. 5-8 are fragmentary views of one embodiment of a locking and releasing mechanism associated with a rotatable shaft for incrementally moving the pliable restraining means along the dispensing compartments upon operation of a manually operable actuator, showing successive stages during operation of the locking and releasing mechanism.
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side cross sectional view of the dispensing apparatus as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, illustrating a further embodiment of the restraining means.
FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a portion of the article support means illustrating restraining means guide slots therein.
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view of a crank means for resetting the restraining means of the present invention to close the dispensing compartments.
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary plan view, partially in section, taken substantially along a line XII--XII in FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring more specifically to the drawings, the article dispensing apparatus of the present invention will now be described in detail. The apparatus comprises a cabinet or housing 20 having front and rear walls 21 and 22, opposing side walls 23 and 24, a top wall 25 and a bottom wall 26, all secured to a suitable frame broadly designated as 30. Only pertinent parts of the frame 30 will be mentioned hereinafter. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, bottom wall 26 may be spaced from the lower portion of frame 30 so that corner frame members of frame 30 form supporting legs 31 for housing 20. Rear wall 22 of housing 20 is hingedly connected, as at 22a along one longitudinal or vertical edge thereof, to a rear edge of side wall 23 and serves as a door for gaining access to the interior of housing 20 for loading articles such as newspapers, magazines and the like, into an article supporting means or compartmented storage unit broadly designated at 40 which will be further described hereinafter. Rear wall 22 may be releasably secured in a closed position by a suitable lock means 22b. A glass 28 received in front wall 21 of housing 20 permits observation therethrough of article support means 40 to ascertain whether any newspapers are therein. Since the present apparatus is particularly devised for dispensing newspapers, the articles to be dispensed will be termed as newspapers hereinafter, though again, it is to be understood that other articles may be dispensed therefrom, particularly magazines.
The front upper portion of housing 20 has a relatively small enclosure or auxiliary housing 50 suitably secured thereon which contains a coin receiving mechanism generally designated as 51. Coin receiving mechanism 51 may be conventional and is illustrated as being a type substantially as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,174,608 and 3,265,177 to Knickerbocker dated Mar. 23, 1965 and Aug. 9, 1966, respectively, and to which reference is made for a more detailed disclosure thereof. A detailed description of the coin mechanism 51 will thus not be given herein, it being deemed sufficient to state that the lower portion of the coin mechanism 51 is capable of receiving coins through one or more slots 52 properly positioned in the upper portion of the coin mechanism 51. As illustrated in FIG. 3, a coin C is restrained from upward movement by a moveable retainer 53 and is operably to cam a pivoted latch plate 54 into an operative position. Latch plate 54 may then be pulled forwardly relative to auxiliary housing 50 a sufficient distance to effect a dispensing operation. Since the coin operation feature is conventional and is more particularly described in the parent application, no further description of same will be afforded at this point. Suffice it to say that the dispensing mechanism of the present invention remains inoperative until receipt of the required coin or coins in the coin receiving mechanism 51.
A locking and releasing mechanism of the type shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5-8 generally indicated as 110 may be utilized for controlling the dispensing operations. Such a locking and releasing mechanism requires that the hand-operated actuator 58 be pulled outwardly a predetermined distance and then returned to substantially its original illustrated rest position in order to effect a complete dispensing operation. This operation will be fully described hereinafter. Other types of locking and releasing mechanisms may, however, be employed with the present apparatus as described in the parent application.
Making reference to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the article supporting means generally indicated as 40 is a generally self-contained storage unit comprising a plurality of vertically arranged, forwardly and downwardly inclined article-receiving compartments 40'. Dispensing compartments 40' are defined by vertically spaced, substantially parallel, forwardly and downwardly inclined walls or shelves each being adapted to support thereon an article to be dispensed. The inclined walls of storage unit 40 may be of any desired construction; e.g., they may be formed from spaced strips of material, spaced rods, or solid or perforated sheets of rigid material, as desired. As shown, the compartments are defined by an inclined main or bottom wall 41 and a plurality of superposed inclined auxiliary walls 42 spaced above the bottom wall 41. A top forwardly and downwardly inclined plate member 43 is spaced above the uppermost auxiliary wall 42 and constitutes the top wall of the article storage unit 40. Opposite side edges of all of the article storage walls 41, 42 and top wall 43 are suitably secured to opposing side wall members 44.
The front edges of all the inclined walls 41, 42 and 43 are preferably substantially flush with the vertically extending front edges of the opposing side wall members 44. Bottom inclined wall 41, top inclined wall 43 and opposing side wall members 44, however, preferably extend rearwardly beyond the rear edges of the auxiliary supporting walls 42 so that the rear edges of auxiliary walls 42 are spaced forwardly of the rearmost wall or door means 22 of main housing 20 when the article storage unit 40 is properly installed in main housing 20 of the present dispensing apparatus.
Preferably, article storage unit 40 is removeably secured in housing 20 so that storage unit 40 may be readily removed and replaced with a similar, loaded article storage unit 40, not shown, in the event it is desirable to load storage units with newspapers at a location remote from the dispensing apparatus, such as at a printing establishment. It also is preferred that each of the auxiliary supporting walls 42 is provided with a substantially centrally located recess or cutaway 42a in its central rear edge portion (FIG. 10). Insertion and removal of newspapers A from article receiving compartments 40' through the rear opening of housing 20 is thus facilitated. As heretofore described, the rear opening in housing 20 is closed by the rear wall or door means 22 when the dispensing apparatus is conditioned for the customers' use. To facilitate the installation and removal of the article storage unit 40 with respect to housing 20, opposite side wall members 44 of the article storage unit 40 may be secured, as by screws 46 (FIG. 3) or suitable quick release fixtures, to an appropriate member 31 of housing frame 30.
Positioned in front of dispensing compartments 40' is a pliable article restraining means 70 which is incrementally moveable in either direction to uncover dispensing compartments 40', one at a time, and permit gravity dispensing of the newspapers or other articles therefrom. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, restraining means 70 is preferably a tape which may be constructed of any material which will withstand the pressures produced thereon by a full complement of newspapers and still be incrementally moveable to facilitate dispensing from the individual compartments 40'. The tape or other type restraining means 70 is preferably several inches wide, and extends inwardly along compartment 40' a sufficient distance to thwart dispensing of the particular article therefrom. Excessive contact between the restraining means and the article would provide too great a combined frictional and pressure force against the restraining means and should be avoided. Note that restraining tape 70 is maintained at the dispensing end of compartments 40' by a series of spaced guides 47 secured to support 40 along the height thereof. As further shown in FIG. 10, walls 41, 42 and 43 that define the lower and upper extremities of compartments 40' may have guide slots 48 provided therein. In either embodiment, the guiding contact surfaces are preferably covered with a material having a low frictional resistance such as a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material. Guides 47 of FIGS. 3 and 4 could be produced from PTFE while in FIG. 10, strips 48' may be provided in guide slots 48.
Restraining means 70, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, is secured to a shaft 113 which is appropriately journaled for rotation in bearings 114. Shaft 113 is thus stationary with respect to support means 40 and through rotation produces a corresponding linear movement of restraining means 70 in front of dispensing compartments 40'. Shaft 113, as will be described in more detail hereinafter is loaded for rotary movement as exemplified by a weight 82 suspended from an elongated element 84 that is wrapped around a portion of shaft 113, and continuously applies a torque against shaft 113 so long as element 84 remains wound onto shaft 113. A prestressed spring around shaft 113, or some other similar arrangement could also provide a rotary bias on shaft 113. A shaft brake means such as the locking and releasing mechanism generally indicated as 110 should be provided to permit limited rotation of shaft 113 only when dispensing is desired. Restraining means 70 should thus have an association with a suitable drive means which is preloaded, for rotary motion, but braked, and released only for limited rotation to permit incremental movement of restraining means, or with a drive means that is actuatable only during a dispensing cycle. The drive means may accordingly be positioned above or below compartments 40' whereby dispensing may occur from top to bottom or vice versa.
In the particular embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, restraining tape 70 is secured around rotatable shaft 113 to be wound thereon and permit dispensing from compartments 40', starting at the bottom and moving up. An opposite end of tape 70 has a cable 72 secured thereto. Cable 72 passes around a guide roller 74 that is received on a shaft 75 and upwardly to a pulley 115 on shaft 113, where it is secured adjacent tape 70. Cable 72 has a spring 73 therealong at shaft 113 to withdraw cable 72 during resetting of the dispensing apparatus. Alternatively, cable pulley 115 may be spring loaded to apply continued tension on cable 72 during the dispensing operation. Actuation of the one way clutch locking and releasing mechanism 110 temporarily releases shaft 113, permitting weight 82 to fall a preset distance and impart rotation (clockwise in FIGS. 3 and 4) to shaft 113 to wind up a proportionate length of tape 70. As soon as weight 82 stops its descent, rotation of shaft 113 ceases, being held by the locking and releasing mechanism 110. During upward movement of tape 70, the next lowermost compartment 40' is uncovered, whereby the newspaper A therein is no longer restrained, and slides off wall 42 into dispensing chute 27 for removal by the customer. A newspaper A is shown falling from its compartment 40' in FIG. 4. In this fashion, tape 70 moves upwardly so long as compartments 40' are loaded with a newspaper.
As shown in the Figures, it is preferred that the forward edges of storage walls 41, 42 are positioned closely adjacent the substantially vertical path of travel of the rear edges of restraining means 70 to insure that the folded leading or lower edges of corresponding newspapers A will not bend downwardly and become wedged between restraining means 70 and the front edges of the adjacent inclined walls during the course of successive stepwise movements of restraining means 70.
After completion of dispensing at which point all compartments 40' are empty or whenever remaining newspapers are removed and the next edition loaded therein, tape 70 may be returned to its original position where all of the compartments 40' are blocked and a newspaper A will remain therein. Any convenient method for resetting the apparatus is acceptable. One technique is illustrated in FIG. 11. Shaft 113 has a socket 142 at an end thereof, with access to socket 142 being available through reset opening 23' in side wall 23 of housing 20 (FIG. 1). A handle 140 is provided having a lug 141 thereon that is receivable in socket 142. By turning handle 140 in a counter clockwise direction shaft 113 is reversed and tape 70 unwound therefrom due to spring tension on cable 72.
A preferred embodiment of the locking and releasing mechanism 110 is illustrated in FIGS. 5-8. The relationship of the diameter of the wind up portion 113' of shaft 113, with respect to the distance between the upper surfaces of the front edges of adjacent supporting walls or shelves 41, 42 is such that shaft 113 rotates one-half a revolution in order for restraining means 70 to move such a distance to permit egress of a newspaper A from its compartment 40'. It will be observed in FIGS. 3 and 5-8 that a medial portion off shaft 113 has a rotor means 120 secured thereon which is provided with a substantially diametrically opposed pair of radially extending latch engaging surfaces a and b, which are successively engaged by a first latch means 121 and a second latch means 122, and which are interconnected by suitable guide surfaces or cam surfaces c and d.
The two latch means 121 and 122 extend upwardly and are pivotally connected, as at e and f to a stationary support plate 124. The front end of support plate 124 is suitably secured to the inner surface of the front wall 21 of main housing 20 and the rear portion of plate 124 is suitably secured to a transverse frame member 125 which extends between and is suitably secured to housing side walls 23 and 24.
Medial portions of latch means 121 and 122 have respective outwardly projecting pins or followers g and h thereon which loosely penetrate respective longitudinally extending slots i and j in a control arm 126. As shown in FIG. 1, the front portion of control arm 126 is pivotally connected to the upper portion of a lever 127 pivotally mounted on a lower depending portion of support plate 124. Lever 127 has the rear end of a link or cable 130 connected thereto whose front end is suitably connected to a yoke 131. Yoke 131 (FIG. 12) is connected to hand-operated actuator 58 by means of a pair of forwardly and rearwardly extending and laterally spaced roes 132 guided for forward and rearward movement in suitable slides or bearings carried by the front wall of auxiliary housing 50. The inner or rear portions of guide rods 132 are surrounded by compression springs 134 arranged to normally urge yoke 131, and thus the hand-operated actuator 58, rearwardly to the normally inactive position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. It should be noted that, when actuator 58 occupies the normally inactive or rest position, the reel restraining means, embodied in first match means 121, is in a normally active state; i.e., latch means 121 is engaging one of the surfaces a or b of rotor 120.
Control arm 126 is normally biased rearwardly or to the right by a tension spring m. The lower portion of first latch means 121 is urged rearwardly or from left to right in FIGS. 3 and 5-8 by a compression spring n which bears against a stationary abutment p carried by support plate 124. The lower portion of second latch means 122, however, is urged forwardly or from right to left in FIGS. 3 and 5-8 by a compression spring q which bears against a moveable abutment r carried by the rear portion of and moveable with control arm 126.
The slots i and j are different lengths with respect to each other and are so located that, while the locking and releasing mechanism 110 is active and at rest as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, pin g of first latch means 121 occupies an intermediate position with respect to the opposing ends of the slot i, but pin [h of second latch means 122 occupies a position in engagement with the left-hand end of slot j, with the result that latch means 121 is in latching engagement with the latch engaging surface a, but latch means 122 is disposed rearwardly of the latch engaging surface b. Thus, the locking and releasing mechanism thus described serves as a normally operative restraining means against rotation of shaft 113.
FIG. 9 illustrates yet another embodiment of the dispensing apparatus of the present invention. A pliable restraining means 270 is removeably positioned immediately in front of a plurality of article compartments 240' of a support means 240, and behind a guide member 247. While guides 47 of FIGS. 3 and 4 are illustrated as individual spaced apart members, guide 247 is solid during the height of support 240, holding restraining means 270 against the dispensing end of compartments 240'. Obviously guide 247 must not extend over into the path of an article being dispensed, whereby restraining means 270 will necessarily be the wider of the two.
Also in FIG. 9, restraining means 270 has a cable or other elongated element 272 secured to opposite ends thereof with the two passing around a plurality of rolls or pulleys 273, one or more of which may be drive rolls with the remainder being for guiding purposes only. For example, the driving relationship could be based on a frictional engagement between cable 272 and one of the rear pulleys 273; could be based on a sprocket arrangement where a plurality of holes are provided in the restraining tape, or the like. Likewise, while a manual operation has been described hereinabove, an electric motor drive could be provided for one of the pulleys 273. In the tape-cable arrangement of FIG. 9, no spring loading is necessary for applying tension on the system and insuring proper return of the tape and cable to a loaded position. Instead, each move of tape 270 or cable 272 is followed by a like move of the other. Reloading could be accomplished as described with respect to FIG. 11 or otherwise. Restraining tape 270 could thus be driven in a clockwise direction as illustrated in FIG. 9 whereby the lower compartments 240' would dispense first or in a counter clockwise direction, whereby the top compartments 240' would dispense first.
The remaining mechanisms such as the drive source for the pulleys, a locking and releasing mechanism, the coin mechanism, and the like will certainly be necessary for a dispensing unit utilizing the closed loop restraining system of FIG. 9. These items could be as described with respect to the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4 and are not further described at this point.
The pliable restraining means hereunder have been defined as including chains. The chain structure as defined in the parent application would suffice, though the rotational direction of the stationary, rotatable shaft would be reversed to accommodate the one way bend of the chain. Likewise, a flexible steel tape is suitable and generally would be about 3 inches in width. Plastic tapes could also be suitable if the tape can negotiate the curves while returning the requisite strength to hold the articles and be incrementally moveable thereby. Frictional engagement between the articles and the tape is important. Less surface area contact with the articles is thus a preference. The steel tapes, for example, could be perforated. Likewise, as illustrated in cross section in FIG. 10 a tape could be employed where a plurality of spaced elements make contact with the articles being held for dispensing. Such a structure could involve a plurality of wires secured to a suitable backing. Still further, other pliable restraining means may be suitable so long as the requisite qualities for same are met.
In operation, therefore, assuming that a coin C is properly positioned in coin mechanism 51 as indicted in FIG. 3, it follows, that a customer may pull the hand-operated actuator 58 outwardly, or from right to left, in FIG. 3. With movement of actuator 58 from right to left control arm 126 is also moved from right to left from the position of FIGS. 3 and 5 to the position of FIG. 6. Pin h is permitted to move forwardly in engagement with the front surface of the slot j of control arm 126 whereby spring q may move second latch means 122 into the circular plane or path of second latch engaging surface b.
With further forward movement of control arm 126, the pin g of latch means 121 is engaged by the rear surface of slot i to move first latch means 121 out of engagement with the corresponding latch engaging surface a. Thereupon, weight 82 moves downwardy imparting a clockwise rotary motion to shaft 113, caused by unwinding of element 84. Such movement of rotor 120 is relatively short, only a small fraction of a half revolution of rotor 120. In the course of rearward movement of the actuator 58, following a predetermined forward movement thereof to the extent required in order to withdraw first latch means 121 out of engagement with the corresponding latch engaging surface a of rotor 120, spring m then will pull the control arm 126 rearwardly to such extent that the front surface of the rear slot j in control arm 126 will engage and impart rearward movement to second latch means 122, as shown in FIG. 8. Latch means 122 is thus moved out of engagement with the latch engaging surface b and rotor 120 resumes rotation until the latch engaging surface b thereon subsequently moves back into engagement with the first latch means 121. The parts again occupy the active or rest position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. Of course, as the surface b approaches latch means 121, the remaining movement of restraining means 70 coincident with rotation of shaft 113 occurs to clear the next lower dispensing compartment 40' and permit the newspaper A therein to slide out and into dispensing chute 27 where it can be removed by the customer.
It is apparent that the locking and releasing mechanism is then in condition for a repeat operation with the parts occupying substantially the same rest position as described earlier herein with the exception that the latch engaging surface b of the rotor 120 then will be in engagement with the first latch means 121. It will be noted that, when the last newspaper A is dispensed from the apparatus, it becomes necessary to reload the unit. An attendant then may return pliable restraining means 70 to the position shown in FIG. 3 by inserting a lug 141 of a hand crank 140 into a correspondingly shaped cavity 142 provided in the outer end of shaft 113 (FIG. 11) and turning in a counter clockwise direction. Thereafter, further newspapers or the like may be placed in compartments 40' for later dispensing. A like operation may be appropriate for the restrainer means embodiment of FIG. 9.
It is thus seen that I have provided an improved apparatus for dispensing newspapers and the like, which apparatus can normally be operated, by operation of the locking and releasing mechanism heretofore described, only when a coin having been properly positioned in the coin mechanism 51. It is seen further that the apparatus comrises a housing in which article supporting means is positioned for supporting a stack or group of the newspapers to be dispensed therein with each such newspaper being inclined downwardly and forwardly at an angle, and wherein, upon each successive newspaper being dispensed, it is readily available to the customer without any need for the customer to open any doors or the like to gain access to the dispensed newspaper. On the other hand, the customer will not have access to the newspapers still in the storage unit compartments when a newspaper is dispensed into the chute 27. It can also be seen that article restraining means is moved incrementally in response to each cycle-effecting operation of the hand-operated actuator so as to move away a predetermined distance out of engagement with the front edge of the next adjacent newspaper then in the article supporting means 40 and to permit such newspaper to gravitate forwardly out of its compartment 40' and fall to chute 27 where it may be manually removed by the customer.
Having described the present invention in detail, it is obvious that one skilled in the art will be able to make variations and modifications thereto without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be determined only by the claims appended hereto. | An improved apparatus for dispensing articles such as newspapers, magazines and the like is disclosed and claimed herein. The dispensing apparatus includes a housing in which the articles are separately supported in superposed fashion, being downwardly inclined in compartments therefor, awaiting dispensing one by one. Pliable restraining means are in engagement with the article and moveable out of engagement with the article to permit gravitational dispensing of same. Movement of the pliable restraining means is incrementally provided by an amount sufficient to permit dispensing of a single article. Actuation is accomplished by a predetermined coin deposit, or the like. Suitable pliable restraining means may include, without limitation, chains, steel tapes, wires, plastic strips and the like. | 6 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a United States national stage application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of international patent application number PCT/EP2015/081228, filed Dec. 24, 2015, which claims priority to French patent application no. 1463354, filed Dec. 26, 2014, the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a compressed air motor comprising a piston and a housing, the piston being received in the housing and dividing the housing into two primary chambers of variable volume.
[0003] Compressed air motors are frequently used to drive alternating movement pumps. Such pumps are in particular used to pumps viscous products, such as putty, or liquid products, such as paint. Document FR 2,695,965 A1 describes one such pump comprising a compressed air motor.
[0004] Compressed air motors generally comprise a housing containing a piston. The piston divides the housing into two chambers, commonly called “upper chamber” and “lower chamber”, which are alternately supplied with compressed air. The alternating injection of compressed air into each of the chambers generates the alternating movement of the piston.
[0005] Compressed air motors are frequently equipped with a distributor, which alternately supplies the upper chamber and the lower chamber. The distributor is generally controlled by external control members, of the switch type. Such motors are very reliable, but expensive. Furthermore, the use of distribution and external control members makes the assembly and maintenance of an installation comprising such a motor more complex.
[0006] Other types of motors are equipped with an integrated inverter block including a rotary spring. These motors have a simple design, but have reliability problems.
[0007] Other types of compressed air motors do not require an inverter or distributors. A compressed air motor is for example known from document FR 484,199 A comprising two distributors supplying the upper and lower chambers supported by a same stem. The stem is moved by the piston between two positions to control the supply of the chambers.
[0008] Document DE 19 92 789 U describes a compressed air motor in which two seals supported by a stem control the supply of the upper and lower chambers.
[0009] Several examples of compressed air motors in which the supply of the upper and lower chambers is controlled by two valves mounted on a same stem are known from document EP 0,414,268 A1, DE 28 16 617 A1, DE 28 23 667 A1 and EP 0,319,341 A2.
[0010] Another type of compressed air motor in which the alternating supply of the chambers is obtained by the movement of a stem is described in document WO 2003/058072 A2.
[0011] However, these known compressed air motors often have reliability problems, since in a case where the control stem is stopped in an intermediate position, the two chambers could be supplied at the same time and the motor would then remain blocked. Mechanisms making it possible to keep the stem in its extreme positions exist, but make the structure of the motor more complex.
[0012] Other mechanisms for controlling the supply of the upper and lower chambers of a motor cylinder are known. For example, a valve actuator in which a moving sleeve commands the supply of the upper and lower chambers of a cylinder is known from document U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,495 A.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The aim of the invention is to propose a reliable compressed air motor having a simple structure, and not requiring an external control member for the supply of its chambers with compressed air.
[0014] To that end, the invention relates to a compressed air motor of the aforementioned type, which comprises a first direct supply valve for supplying a first primary chamber of the two primary chambers and a second direct supply valve for supplying the other primary chamber, these two valves each being movable relative to at least one respective seat. The first valve and the second valve are mounted on a same stem movable relative to the housing in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the piston. The stem is configured to be moved between a first position and a second position by moving means activated by the piston.
[0015] According to other advantageous aspects of the invention, the motor comprises one or more of the following features, considered alone or according to all technically possible combinations:
the moving means are activated by the piston when it reaches the upper neutral position or the lower neutral position of its trajectory; the moving means are elastic means; the elastic means comprise at least one spring. the stem bears at least one pin, the spring being wound around the stem and able to exert a force on the pin moving the stem from its second position toward its first position, or vice versa. the moving means comprise at least a first moving magnet and a second moving magnet exerting a magnetic repulsion force on one another. the piston is movable relative to the housing along a primary direction and the stem extends in the primary direction through a first primary chamber, the piston and a second primary chamber. the motor further comprises means for keeping the stem in at least one of its first and second positions. the first and second valves are made at least partially from a ferromagnetic material, and in that the maintaining means comprise at least a first maintaining magnet able to exert a first retaining force on the first valve, a second maintaining magnet able to exert a second retaining force on the first valve, a third maintaining magnet able to exert a third retaining force on the second valve and a fourth maintaining magnet able to exert a fourth retaining force on the second valve. the housing comprises a first secondary chamber having a first intake seat and a first discharge seat and a second secondary chamber having a second intake seat and a second discharge seat, the first valve being received in the first secondary chamber and the second valve being received in the second secondary chamber, the first valve bears on the first discharge seat and the second valve bears on the second intake seat, when the stem is in its first position and the first valve is bearing on the first intake seat and the second valve is bearing on the second discharge seat, when the stem is in its second position. the housing includes at least one cylinder head, and the stem includes at least one bearing sliding sealably in the cylinder head.
[0026] The invention also relates to a pump with alternating movement comprising a motor as previously described.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] The features and advantages of the invention will appear upon reading the following description, provided solely as a non-limiting example, and done in reference to the appended drawings, in which:
[0028] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a compressed air motor according to the invention;
[0029] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of detail II in FIG. 1 ;
[0030] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a stem of the motor of FIGS. 1 and 2 and members that equip it;
[0031] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of detail IV in FIG. 1 ;
[0032] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of detail V in FIG. 1 ;
[0033] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of detail VI in FIG. 1 , in a first operating configuration of the compressed air motor of FIGS. 1 to 5 ; and
[0034] FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 when the compressed air motor is in a second operating configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0035] A pump 6 with alternating movement includes a pumping stage 8 and a compressed air motor 10 .
[0036] The pumping stage 8 is able to drive a fluid, such as a coating product, a putty or a glue. The pumping stage 8 is actuated by the motor 10 .
[0037] A first example pump 6 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 .
[0038] The compressed air motor 10 includes a housing 15 , a piston 20 secured to a force transmitting shaft 25 , a reversing stem 30 , a supply tube 35 and two silencers 40 .
[0039] The housing 15 comprises a side wall 45 , a first cylinder head 50 and a second cylinder head 55 .
[0040] The side wall 45 is cylindrical and centered on a first axis A 1 , for example with a circular base.
[0041] The first axis A 1 is oriented along a primary direction Z of the motor 10 .
[0042] The side wall 45 is made from a metal material. For example, the side wall 45 is made from aluminum. Alternatively, the side wall 45 is made from a composite or synthetic material.
[0043] The first cylinder head 50 and the second cylinder head 55 are provided to be fastened to the side wall 55 to form the housing 15 .
[0044] The first cylinder head 50 comprises a first supply duct 70 , a first internal opening for the putty, a first cavity 80 , a first external opening 85 , a first connecting duct 90 and a first tapping 95 for screwing a threaded stop 100 . The first cylinder head 50 also bears a first end block 102 defining a first secondary chamber 103 .
[0045] The first cylinder head 50 is cylindrical with a circular base and centered around a second axis A 2 . The second axis A 2 is combined with the first axis A 1 .
[0046] Along the primary direction Z, the first cylinder head 50 is defined by a first outer face 60 and a first inner face 65 . The first inner face 65 is oriented toward the second cylinder head 55 . The first cylinder head 50 further has a first side face 67 .
[0047] The second cylinder head 55 is cylindrical with a circular base and centered around a third axis A 3 . Preferably, the third axis A 3 is combined with the first axis A 1 .
[0048] Along the primary direction Z, the second cylinder head 55 is defined by a second inner face 105 and a second outer face 110 . The second inner face 105 is oriented toward the first cylinder head 50 . The second cylinder head 55 further has a second side face 115 .
[0049] The first and second cylinder heads 50 and 55 are made from a metal material, for example aluminum.
[0050] The second cylinder head 55 comprises a second supply duct 120 , a second internal opening 125 , a second cavity 130 , a second external opening 135 , a second connecting duct 140 and a second threaded receiving hole 145 , for receiving a second screwed stop 150 . The second cylinder head 55 also bears a second end block 152 defining a second secondary chamber 153 .
[0051] The second cylinder head 55 further comprises a first through hole 155 for receiving the shaft 25 and a first primary bearing 160 positioned around the shaft 25 and in which this shaft 25 slides when the motor 10 is operating.
[0052] The piston 20 is cylindrical and centered on a fourth axis A 4 . The fourth axis A 4 is preferably combined with the first axis A 1 .
[0053] Preferably, the piston 20 is cylindrical with a circular base.
[0054] The piston 20 is able to separate the housing 15 into an upper primary chamber 165 , or first primary chamber, and a lower primary chamber 170 , or second primary chamber.
[0055] The piston 20 is translatable relative to the housing 15 , along the direction Z, between an upper neutral position and a lower neutral position. The piston 20 is translatable along the primary direction Z.
[0056] The piston 20 is made from a metal material, preferably aluminum.
[0057] The piston 20 includes a peripheral receiving groove 180 for receiving a piston seal 175 , a passage opening 185 for the stem 30 and sealing means 190 for the opening 185 .
[0058] The piston 20 is fastened to the shaft 25 using a screw 252 engaged in an axial tapping 254 of the shaft 25 . The screw 252 traverses a screw orifice 202 arranged at the center of the piston and centered on the axis A 4 . Two washers 256 and 258 , respectively positioned in the first primary chamber 165 and in the second primary chamber 170 , are axially tightened around the orifice 202 by the screw 252 and the shaft 25 .
[0059] One end of the shaft 25 , opposite the piston 20 , is coupled to the pumping stage 8 .
[0060] The shaft 25 is cylindrical and centered on a fifth axis A 5 , combined with the first axis A 1 . The shaft 25 is received in the primary bearing 160 . The shaft 25 is translatable, with the piston 20 , along the primary direction Z. The reversing stem 30 has a first end part 192 , a central part 193 and a second end part 194 opposite the first end part 192 .
[0061] The reversing stem 30 bears a first valve 195 , a second valve 200 , first movement means 205 , second movement means 210 , a first bearing 212 (sometimes called “coil”) and a second bearing 213 .
[0062] The reversing stem 30 has a cylindrical symmetry around a sixth axis A 6 , parallel to the first axis A 1 and radially offset relative thereto. The reversing stem 30 is made from a metal material, preferably steel.
[0063] The reversing stem 30 extends, along the primary direction Z, through the first secondary chamber 103 , the first external opening 85 , the first internal opening 75 , the upper primary chamber 165 , the piston 20 , the lower primary chamber 170 , the second internal opening 125 , the second outer opening 135 and the second secondary chamber 153 .
[0064] The reversing stem 30 is translatable, along a secondary direction Z′, relative to the housing 15 . The secondary direction Z′ is parallel to the primary direction Z.
[0065] The reversing stem 30 is movable between a first position, in which the first valve 195 closes off the first external opening 85 , and a second position, in which the second valve 200 closes off the second external opening 135 .
[0066] The supply tube 35 is able to guide a stream of compressed air F 1 arriving from a compressor, not shown, and to deliver this pressurized stream of air F 1 simultaneously to the first supply duct 70 and the second supply duct 120 .
[0067] The supply tube 35 is for example made from a composite material. Alternatively, the supply tube 35 is made from a metal, for example aluminum.
[0068] The first supply duct 70 is able to receive the compressed air stream F 1 from the supply tube 35 , and to deliver the compressed air stream to the first internal opening 75 .
[0069] The first supply duct 70 has a cylindrical symmetry around a seventh axis A 7 , perpendicular to the first axis A 1 . Along the seventh axis A 7 , the first supply duct 70 is defined by the first side face 67 and by the first internal opening 75 .
[0070] The first internal opening 75 is cylindrical with a circular base. The central axis of the first internal opening 75 is the sixth axis A 6 .
[0071] Along the primary direction Z, the first internal opening 75 is defined by the first inner face 65 and by a first frustoconical wall 215 .
[0072] The first cavity 80 is arranged in the first outer face 60 . The first cavity 80 is cylindrical with a circular base. The central axis of the first cavity 80 is the sixth axis A 6 . A first intake seat 220 , traversed by the first external opening 85 , and first maintaining means 225 are positioned in the first cavity 80 .
[0073] The first cavity 80 is closed off by the first end block 102 , which is fastened on the first external face 60 , for example by screws. The first end block 102 is preferably made from metal, for example aluminum. The first end block 102 further bears a silencer 40 . The first cavity 80 and the first end block 102 together define the first secondary chamber 103 .
[0074] The first external opening 85 extends between the first frustoconical wall 215 and the first cavity 80 .
[0075] The first external opening 85 has a cylindrical symmetry around the sixth axis A 6 . For example, the first external opening 85 is cylindrical with a circular base.
[0076] The first connecting duct 90 extends between the first cavity 80 and the first inner face 65 .
[0077] The first connecting duct 90 is cylindrical with a circular base and centered around an eighth axis A 8 , parallel to the first axis A 1 and radially offset relative thereto. The first connecting duct 90 is able to allow the passage of compressed air between the first secondary chamber 103 and the upper primary chamber 165 , and vice versa.
[0078] The first stop 100 is configured so that the piston 20 bears on this stop, when the piston 20 is in the upper neutral position of its trajectory. The stop 100 is for example made from a synthetic material.
[0079] The first end block 102 comprises a first discharge opening 235 and a first discharge seat 240 surrounding the first discharge opening 235 . The first end block 102 further comprises second maintaining means 242 .
[0080] The second supply duct 120 is able to receive the compressed air stream F 1 from the supply tube 35 , and to deliver the compressed air stream to the second internal opening 125 .
[0081] The second supply duct 120 has a cylindrical symmetry around a ninth axis A 9 . The ninth axis A 9 is perpendicular to the first axis A 1 . Along the ninth axis A 9 , the second supply duct 120 is defined by the second side face 115 and by the second internal opening 125 .
[0082] The second internal opening 125 is cylindrical with a circular base. The central axis of the second internal opening 125 is the sixth axis A 6 .
[0083] Along the primary direction Z, the second internal opening 125 is defined by the second inner face 105 and by a second frustoconical wall 245 .
[0084] The second cavity 130 is arranged in the second outer face 110 .
[0085] The second cavity 130 is cylindrical with a circular base. The central axis of the second cavity 130 is the sixth axis A 6 .
[0086] A second intake seat 250 , traversed by the second external opening 135 , and third maintaining means 255 are positioned in the second cavity 130 .
[0087] The second cavity 130 is closed off by the second end block 152 , which is fastened on the second external face 110 , for example by screws. The second end block 152 is preferably made from metal, for example aluminum. The second end block 152 further bears a silencer 40 . The second cavity 130 and the second end block 152 together define a second secondary chamber 153 .
[0088] The second external opening 135 extends between the second frustoconical wall 245 and the second cavity 130 .
[0089] The second cavity 130 has a cylindrical symmetry around the sixth axis A 6 . For example, the second cavity 130 is cylindrical with a circular base.
[0090] The second connecting duct 140 extends between the second cavity 130 and the second inner face 105 .
[0091] For example, the second connecting duct 140 is cylindrical with a circular base and centered around a tenth axis A 10 , parallel to the first axis A 1 . The tenth axis A 10 is combined with the eighth axis A 8 . The second connecting duct 140 is able to allow the passage of compressed air between the first secondary chamber 153 and the lower primary chamber 170 , and vice versa.
[0092] The second stop 150 is configured so that the piston 20 bears on this stop, when the piston 20 is in the lower neutral position of its trajectory. The second stop screw 150 is for example made from a synthetic material.
[0093] The second end block 152 comprises a second discharge opening 265 and a second discharge seat 270 surrounding the second discharge opening 265 . The second end block 152 further comprises fourth maintaining means 272 .
[0094] The first through hole 155 extends between the second inner face 105 and the second outer face 110 .
[0095] The first through hole 155 is cylindrical with a circular base. The central axis of the first through hole 155 is the first axis A 1 .
[0096] The first through hole 155 receives the first primary bearing 160 able to allow the shaft 25 to translate along the primary direction Z. The first primary bearing 160 is further capable of preventing the passage of compressed air between the second primary chamber 170 and the outside of the housing 15 .
[0097] The piston seal 175 is capable of preventing the passage of compressed air between the upper primary chamber 165 and the lower primary chamber 170 at the side wall 45 . The piston seal 175 is for example an O-ring made from a synthetic material.
[0098] The passage opening 185 receives the central part 193 of the reversing stem 30 . The passage opening 185 of the reversing stem 30 is cylindrical with a circular base. The central axis of the passage opening 185 is the sixth axis A 6 . The sealing means 190 are able to prevent the passage of pressurized air through the passage opening 185 when the central part 193 is received in the passage opening 185 .
[0099] The sealing means 190 are able to allow the central part 193 to translate along the primary direction Z relative to the piston 20 .
[0100] The sealing means 190 comprise a ring 230 , two stem seals 232 and two covers 233 . The ring 230 is able to guide the reversing stem 30 in translation along the secondary direction Z′. The ring 230 is made from a synthetic material, such as a polyacetal. The stem seals 232 are able to prevent the passage of compressed air between the upper primary chamber 165 and the lower primary chamber 170 when the central part 193 is received in the passage opening 185 .
[0101] The stem seals 232 are O-rings, for example made from plastic. The two covers 233 are configured to keep the stem seals 232 and the ring 230 in position. The two covers 233 are fastened to the piston 20 . For example, the two covers 233 are screwed to the piston. The two covers 233 are for example made from metal, such as aluminum.
[0102] The central part 193 is cylindrical, preferably with a circular base, and its central axis is the sixth axis A 6 . The central part 193 traverses the piston 20 .
[0103] The first valve 195 is able to prevent the passage of compressed air from the first secondary chamber 103 toward the first external opening 85 , when the first valve 195 is bearing on the first intake seat 220 .
[0104] The first valve 195 is able to prevent the passage of compressed air between the upper primary chamber 165 and the first discharge opening 235 , when the first valve 195 is bearing on the first discharge seat 240 .
[0105] The first valve 195 is housed in the first secondary chamber 103 . The first valve 195 is fastened, for example by screwing, to the first end part 192 . The first valve 195 is at least partially made from a ferromagnetic material. For example, the first valve 195 comprises a core made from steel. Preferably, the first valve 195 is at least partially covered with a thermoplastic material. For example, the thermoplastic material is polyurethane.
[0106] The second valve 200 is able to prevent the passage of compressed air from the second secondary chamber 153 toward the second external opening 135 , when the second valve 200 is bearing on the second intake seat 250 .
[0107] The second valve 200 is able to prevent the passage of compressed air between the lower primary chamber 170 and the second discharge opening 265 , when the second valve 200 is bearing on the second discharge seat 270 .
[0108] The second valve 200 is housed in the second secondary chamber 153 . The second valve 200 is fastened, for example by screwing, to the second end part 194 . The second valve 200 is at least partially made from a ferromagnetic material. For example, the second valve 200 comprises a core made from steel. Preferably, the second valve 200 is at least partially covered with a thermoplastic material. For example, the thermoplastic material is polyurethane.
[0109] The first moving means 205 are able to cooperate with the piston 20 to move the reversing stem 30 between its second position shown in FIG. 7 and its first position shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 .
[0110] The first moving means 205 are for example elastic means. The first elastic moving means 205 include a spring 275 , a nut 280 , a pin 285 and a molders' pin 290 .
[0111] In an alternative that is not shown, the first elastic moving means 205 comprise a deformable block, in particular made from elastomer.
[0112] The second moving means 210 are able to cooperate with the piston 20 to move the reversing stem 30 between its first position and its second position.
[0113] The second moving means 210 are for example elastic means. The second elastic moving means 210 are identical to the first elastic moving means 205 .
[0114] In an alternative that is not shown, the second elastic moving means 205 comprise an elastic block made from elastomer.
[0115] The first bearing 212 guides the reversing stem 30 in translation in the internal opening 75 , along the sixth axis A 6 . The first bearing 212 is received in the first internal opening 75 . The first bearing 212 is further able to prevent the passage of compressed air between the upper primary chamber 165 and the first supply duct 70 . This means that the first bearing 212 slides sealably in the first internal opening 75 .
[0116] The second bearing 213 guides the reversing stem 30 in translation in the internal opening 125 , along the sixth axis A 6 . The second bearing 213 is received in the second internal opening 125 . The second bearing 213 is further able to prevent the passage of compressed air between the lower primary chamber 170 and the second supply duct 120 . This means that the second bearing 213 slides sealably in the second internal opening 125 .
[0117] The first and second bearings 212 and 213 each bear a bearing seal 295 .
[0118] The first intake seat 220 is arranged in the first cavity 80 .
[0119] The first intake seat 220 is in the form of a cylindrical crown with a circular base. The axis of the first intake seat 220 is the sixth axis A 6 .
[0120] The first maintaining means 225 are able to exert a first retaining force E 1 on the first valve 195 . The first maintaining means 225 are able to keep the reversing stem 30 in its second position.
[0121] The first retaining force E 1 is an attraction force. The first retaining force E 1 for example has a value comprised between 2 and 4 decaNewtons (dN).
[0122] In practice, the first maintaining means 225 are formed by a first maintaining magnet 225 . The first maintaining magnet 225 is made in the form of a cylindrical crown with a circular base. The axis of the first maintaining magnet 225 is the sixth axis A 6 . The first maintaining magnet 225 surrounds the first intake seat 220 around the sixth axis A 6 .
[0123] The first discharge opening 235 has a cylindrical symmetry around the sixth axis A 6 . The first discharge seat 240 is arranged in the first end block 102 . The first discharge seat 240 is made in the form of a cylindrical crown with a circular base. The axis of the first discharge seat 240 is the sixth axis A 6 .
[0124] The second maintaining means 242 are able to exert a second retaining force E 2 on the first valve 195 . The second maintaining means 242 are able to keep the reversing stem 30 in its first position.
[0125] The second retaining force E 2 is an attraction force. The second retaining force E 2 for example has a value comprised between 2 and 4 dN.
[0126] In practice, the second maintaining means 242 are formed by a second maintaining magnet 242 . The second maintaining magnet 242 is made in the form of a cylindrical crown with a circular base. The axis of the second maintaining magnet 242 is the sixth axis A 6 . The second maintaining magnet 242 is preferably identical to the first maintaining magnet 225 . The second maintaining magnet 242 surrounds the first discharge seat 240 around the sixth axis A 6 .
[0127] The second intake seat 250 is arranged in the second cavity 130 . The second intake seat 250 is made in the form of a cylindrical crown with a circular base.
[0128] The third maintaining means 255 are able to exert a third retaining force E 3 on the second valve 200 . The third maintaining means 255 are able to keep the reversing stem 30 in its first position.
[0129] The third retaining force E 3 is an attraction force. The third retaining force E 3 for example has a value comprised between 2 and 4 dN.
[0130] For example, the third maintaining means 255 are formed by a third maintaining magnet 255 . The third maintaining magnet 255 is made in the form of a cylindrical crown with a circular base. The axis of the third maintaining magnet 255 is the sixth axis A 6 . The third maintaining magnet 255 is preferably identical to the first maintaining magnet 225 . The third maintaining magnet 255 surrounds the second intake seat 250 around the sixth axis A 6 .
[0131] The second discharge opening 265 has a cylindrical symmetry around the sixth axis A 6 .
[0132] The second discharge seat 270 is made in the form of a cylindrical crown with a circular base. The axis of the second discharge seat 270 is the sixth axis A 6 .
[0133] The fourth maintaining means 272 are able to exert a fourth retaining force E 4 on the second valve 200 . The fourth maintaining means 272 are able to keep the reversing stem 30 in its second position.
[0134] The fourth retaining force E 4 is an attraction force. The fourth retaining force E 4 for example has a value comprised between 2 and 4 dN.
[0135] In practice, the fourth maintaining means 272 are formed by a fourth maintaining magnet 272 .
[0136] The fourth maintaining magnet 272 is made in the form of a cylindrical crown with a circular base. The axis of the fourth maintaining magnet 272 is the sixth axis A 6 . The fourth maintaining magnet 272 is preferably identical to the first maintaining magnet 225 . The fourth maintaining magnet 272 surrounds the second discharge seat 270 around the sixth axis A 6 .
[0137] The spring 275 is wound around the reversing stem 30 . The spring 275 bears on the nut 280 . The nut 280 bears on the pin 285 .
[0138] The pin 285 is received in a corresponding opening 302 of the reversing stem 30 . The pin 285 is configured to serve as a stop for the nut 280 along the reversing stem 30 .
[0139] The molders' pin 290 traverses the pin 285 . The molders' pin 290 prevents the pin 285 from being removed from the corresponding opening of the reversing stem 30 .
[0140] The operation of the motor 10 will now be described. In FIG. 6 , the reversing stem 30 is in its first position.
[0141] The first valve 195 is bearing on the first discharge seat 240 . The first valve 195 is therefore not bearing on the first intake seat 220 .
[0142] The second valve 200 is bearing on the second intake seat 250 . The second valve 200 is therefore not bearing on the second discharge seat 270 .
[0143] The compressed air present in the second internal opening 125 exerts a first pressure force Ep 1 on the second bearing. The compressed air present in the second chamber exerts a second pressure force Ep 2 on the second valve 200 .
[0144] The compressed air stream F 1 , coming from the supply tube 35 , traverses the first supply duct 70 and penetrates the first secondary chamber 103 via the first outer opening 85 in the form of a secondary air stream F 1 ′, which is possible because the first valve 195 is separated from the intake seat 220 . The secondary compressed air stream F 1 ′ next traverses the first connecting duct 90 to penetrate the upper primary chamber 165 .
[0145] The compressed air therefore causes the piston 20 to move toward the lower neutral position. The air contained in the lower primary chamber 170 is expelled through the second connecting duct 140 , the second secondary chamber 153 , the second discharge opening 265 and the silencer 40 , in the form of a discharge air stream F 2 ′.
[0146] The piston 20 next bears on the second moving means 210 . In particular, the piston 20 compresses the spring 275 . The spring 275 exerts a first moving force D 1 on the reversing stem 30 tending to move the reversing stem 30 toward its second position. When the piston 20 has not yet reached the lower neutral position, the first moving force D 1 is lower than the sum of the second retaining force E 2 , the third retaining force E 3 , and the first and second pressure forces Ep 1 and Ep 2 . The reversing stem 30 therefore remains in its first position.
[0147] When the piston 20 has reached the lower neutral position, the first moving force D 1 due to the spring 275 is higher than the sum of the second and third retaining forces E 2 and E 3 and first and second pressure forces Ep 1 and Ep 2 . The reversing stem 30 is then moved from its first position toward its second position to reach the configuration of FIG. 7 .
[0148] In FIG. 7 , the first valve 195 is bearing on the first intake seat 220 . The second valve 200 is therefore bearing on the second discharge seat 270 .
[0149] The compressed air stream F 1 then no longer penetrates the upper primary chamber 165 , but the lower primary chamber 170 in the form of a secondary air stream F 1 ″. The piston 20 is then set in motion from the low neutral position toward the high neutral position. The air contained in the upper primary chamber 165 escapes through the first connecting duct 90 , the first secondary chamber 103 , and the first discharge opening 235 , in the form of a discharge air stream F 2 ″.
[0150] When the piston 20 reaches the upper neutral position, the reversing stem 30 is moved from its second position toward its first position, according to a sequence opposite that described above.
[0151] The motor 10 is able to command the alternating power supply of the upper primary chamber 165 and the lower primary chamber 170 , without using an external device. Furthermore, the motor 10 is highly reliable.
[0152] According to a second embodiment that is not shown, the pump 6 includes two pumping stages 8 .
[0153] The first cylinder head 50 then includes a second through hole for receiving the shaft 25 and a second primary bearing positioned around the shaft 25 and in which this shaft 25 slides when the motor 10 is operating.
[0154] The second through hole extends between the first inner face 65 and the first outer face 60 .
[0155] The second through hole is cylindrical with a circular base. The central axis of the second through hole is the first axis A 1 .
[0156] The second through hole receives the first primary bearing able to allow the shaft 25 to translate along the primary direction Z. The second primary bearing is further capable of preventing the passage of compressed air between the first primary chamber 165 and the outside of the housing 15 .
[0157] The shaft 25 traverses the first cylinder head 50 and the second cylinder head 55 .
[0158] Each end of the shaft 25 is coupled to a pumping stage 8 .
[0159] The operation of the second example is identical to the operation of the first example.
[0160] The flow rate of the pump 6 is then increased.
[0161] According to a third example embodiment that is not shown, the pump 6 includes a first motor 10 including a first housing 15 , a first piston 20 , a first valve 195 and a second valve 200 , and a second motor 10 including a second housing 15 , a second piston 20 , a third valve and a fourth valve.
[0162] The reversing stem 30 is shared by the first motor 10 and the second motor 10 .
[0163] The first housing 15 includes a first cylinder head 50 and a second cylinder head 55 . The first housing 15 is identical to the housing 15 described in the second example.
[0164] The first piston 20 divides the first housing 15 into a first primary chamber 165 and a second primary chamber 170 .
[0165] The second housing 15 includes a third cylinder head and a fourth cylinder head.
[0166] The second piston 20 divides the second housing 15 into a third primary chamber and a fourth primary chamber. The second piston 20 is identical to the first piston 20 .
[0167] The third cylinder head is identical to the first cylinder head described in the first example.
[0168] The fourth cylinder head is identical to the second cylinder head described in the first example. The fourth cylinder head is across from the first cylinder head 165 .
[0169] The stem 30 extends in the primary direction Z through the second primary chamber 165 , the first piston 20 , the second primary chamber 170 , the first cylinder head 50 , the fourth cylinder head, the fourth primary chamber, the second piston, the third primary chamber and the third cylinder head.
[0170] The stem 30 bears the first valve 195 , the second valve 200 , the third valve and the fourth valve.
[0171] The stem 30 is movable between a first position and a second position.
[0172] The pistons 20 are both mounted on a same shaft 25 .
[0173] The operation of this third example will now be described.
[0174] When the stem 30 is in the first position, the first primary chamber and the third primary chamber are supplied with compressed air. When the stem 30 is in the second position, the second primary chamber and the fourth primary chamber are supplied with compressed air.
[0175] The two pistons 20 are actuated simultaneously, and both drive the shaft 25 .
[0176] The pump 6 is therefore more powerful.
[0177] According to a fourth example embodiment, the first moving means 205 and the second moving means 210 are magnetic means.
[0178] The first moving means include at least a first moving magnet and a second moving magnet.
[0179] The first moving magnet is for example supported by the stem 30 . The second moving magnet is for example supported by the piston 20 . The first and second moving magnet are able to exert a repulsive magnetic force on one another.
[0180] The second moving means include at least a third moving magnet and a fourth moving magnet.
[0181] The third moving magnet is for example supported by the stem 30 . The fourth moving magnet is for example supported by the piston 20 . The third and fourth moving magnet are able to exert a repulsive magnetic force on one another.
[0182] The operation of the fourth example is identical to the operation of the first example.
[0183] The fabrication of the motor 10 is then simpler.
[0184] The features of the embodiments and alternatives described above may be combined to generate new embodiments of the invention. | The present invention concerns an air motor comprising a piston and a housing, the piston being received in the housing and dividing the housing into two primary chambers of variable volume. Said motor comprises a first direct supply valve for supplying a first primary chamber of the two primary chambers and a second direct supply valve for supplying the other primary chamber, said two valves each being movable relative to at least one respective seat. The first valve and the second valve are mounted on a same stem movable relative to the housing in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of the piston, and the stem is configured to be moved between a first position and a second position by moving means activated by the piston. | 5 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 2004-67487 filed on Aug. 26, 2004. The content of the application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a printed circuit board (PCB) including embedded capacitors and a method of fabricating the same and, more particularly, to a PCB including embedded capacitors, in which a dielectric layer is formed using a ceramic material having a high capacitance, thereby assuring that the capacitors each have a high dielectric constant corresponding to the capacitance of a decoupling chip capacitor, and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typically, discrete chip resistors or discrete chip capacitors have been frequently mounted on most printed circuit boards (PCB), but, recently, PCBs are developing in which passive components, such as resistors or capacitors, are embedded.
A technology for fabricating the PCBs including the passive components embedded therein, achieves substitution of conventional chip resistors or chip capacitors by mounting the passive components, such as the resistors or capacitors, on an external surface of a PCB or in an internal layer of the PCB according to a novel process employing a novel material (substance). In other words, the PCB including the passive component embedded therein has a structure in which the passive component, for example, the capacitor, is embedded in the internal layer of the PCB or mounted on the external surface of the PCB, and if the capacitor as the passive component is integrated with the PCB to act as one part of the PCB regardless of the size of a substrate, the capacitor is called an “embedded capacitor” and the resulting PCB is called “PCB including embedded capacitor”. One of the most important features of the PCB including the capacitor embedded therein is that since the capacitor is already mounted as part of the PCB in the PCB, it is not necessary to mount the capacitor on a surface of the PCB.
On the whole, the technology of fabricating a PCB including a capacitor embedded therein may be classified into three methods, and a description will be given of the three methods, below.
Firstly, there is a method of fabricating a polymer thick film type of capacitor, in which application of a polymer capacitor paste and thermal hardening, that is, drying, are conducted to fabricate a capacitor. In the above method, after the polymer capacitor paste is applied on an internal layer of a PCB and dried, a copper paste is printed on the resulting PCB and dried so that electrodes are formed, thereby making an embedded capacitor.
A second method is to apply a ceramic filled photosensitive resin on a PCB to fabricate a discrete type of embedded capacitor, and Motorola Inc. in USA holds a patent for related technologies. In detail, the photosensitive resin containing ceramic powder is applied on the PCB, a copper foil is laminated on the resulting PCB to form upper and lower electrodes, a circuit pattern is formed, and the photosensitive resin is etched to fabricate the discrete type of capacitor.
A third method is to insert an additional dielectric layer having a capacitance characteristic in an internal layer of a PCB so as to substitute for a decoupling capacitor conventionally mounted on a surface of a PCB, thereby fabricating a capacitor, and Sanmina Corp. in USA holds a patent for related technologies. According to the third method, the dielectric layer including a power supply electrode and a grounded electrode is inserted into the internal layer of the PCB to fabricate a power distribution type of decoupling capacitor.
The above three methods have been achieved through various processes, and each process is realized in a different manner. However, a market for PCBs including embedded capacitors is not yet activated. Accordingly, standardization of the above methods has not been achieved yet, but commercialization of the methods is under development.
Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given of a conventional PCB including an embedded capacitor and a method of fabricating the same, referring to the drawings.
Firstly, a conventional technology of FIGS. 1 a to 1 e will be described, below.
FIGS. 1 a to 1 e illustrate the production of the conventional PCB including the polymer thick film type of embedded capacitors. A polymer capacitor paste is applied and heat-dried (or hardened) to create the PCB including the polymer thick film type of embedded capacitors.
In a first step, a dry film is applied on copper foils of an internal layer 42 , made of FR-4, of the PCB, exposed and developed, and the resulting copper foils are etched to form copper foils 44 a, 44 b for a positive electrode (+), copper foils 43 a, 43 b for a negative electrode (−), and clearances (refer to FIG. 1 a ).
In a second step, capacitor pastes 45 a, 45 b, which are made of a polymer containing ceramic powder having a high dielectric constant, are applied on the copper foils 43 a, 43 b for the negative electrode (−) using a screen printing technology, and then dried or hardened (refer to FIG. 1 b ). In this regard, the screen printing technology is a method of passing a medium, such as an ink, through a stencil screen using a squeeze to transcribe a pattern to the surface of a substrate.
At this time, the capacitor pastes 45 a, 45 b are packed into the clearances between the copper foils 44 a, 44 b for the positive electrode (+) and the copper foils 43 a, 43 b for the negative electrode (−).
In a third step, positive electrodes (+) 46 a, 46 b are formed using a conductive paste, such as silver or copper, according to a screen printing technology, dried and hardened (refer to FIG. 1 c ).
In a fourth step, capacitor layers formed on the internal layer 42 of the PCB according to the first to third steps are interposed between insulating layers 47 a, 47 b, and subjected to a lamination process (refer to FIG. 1 d ).
In a fifth step, capacitors on the internal layer of the PCB are connected to positive terminals (+) 51 a, 51 b and negative terminals (−) 50 a, 50 b of integrated circuit chips (IC chip) 52 a, 52 b, mounted on an external side of the substrate, through THs (through holes) and LBVHs (laser blind via holes) 49 a, 49 b, thereby acting as the embedded capacitors (refer to FIG. 1 e ).
A description will be given of a conventional second technology, referring to FIGS. 2 a to 2 f.
FIGS. 2 a to 2 f illustrate the production of a conventional PCB including a discrete type of embedded capacitors which are formed by application of a photosensitive resin. The discrete type of embedded capacitors are formed by applying a ceramic filled photosensitive resin on the PCB as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,456 which is granted to Motorola Inc.
In a first step, a photosensitive dielectric resin 14 containing ceramic powder is applied on a PCB 10 , on which a conductive layer 12 is already formed, exposed and heat-dried (refer to FIG. 2 a ).
In a second step, a copper foil 16 is laminated on the dried photosensitive dielectric resin 14 (refer to FIG. 2 b ). In this respect, reference numeral 18 denotes a sacrificial layer which is formed by plating tin on an upper side of the copper foil 16 to be used as a copper etching resist.
In a third step, the dry film is laminated on an upper side of the sacrificial layer 18 , exposed and developed to etch a portion of the sacrificial layer 18 and the copper foil 16 , thereby forming upper electrodes 20 (refer to FIG. 2 c ).
In a fourth step, the photosensitive dielectric resin 14 positioned below the upper electrodes 20 is exposed and then etched. At this time, the upper copper electrodes 20 are used as a photomask of the photosensitive dielectric resin 14 (refer to FIG. 2 d ).
In a fifth step, the conductive layer 12 below the etched photosensitive dielectric resin 22 is etched to form lower electrodes 24 (refer to FIG. 2 e ).
In a sixth step, capacitor layers 32 of an internal layer of the PCB 10 formed through the first to fifth steps are interposed between insulating layers 26 , and metal layers 30 are laminated on the resulting structure (refer to FIG. 2 f ).
Capacitors 32 in an internal layer of the PCB are connected to power supply terminals and grounded terminals of integrated circuit chips, mounted on an external side of the PCB through THs (through holes) and LBVHs (laser blind via holes), thereby creating the PCB including the discrete type of embedded capacitors.
A third conventional technology will be described, referring to FIGS. 3 a to 3 c.
FIGS. 3 a to 3 c illustrate the production of a conventional PCB including embedded capacitors which are formed by insertion of an additional dielectric layer having a capacitance characteristic. The additional dielectric layer having the capacitance characteristic is inserted into an internal layer of the PCB to create an embedded capacitor as a substitute of a decoupling capacitor mounted on a surface of the PCB as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,079,069, 5,261,153, and 5,800,575 which are granted to Sanmina Corp in the USA.
In a first step, a copper coated laminate 61 , which has a high dielectric constant and is interposed between copper foils 63 a, 63 b, is coated with a dry film, exposed and developed to etch the copper foils 63 a, 63 b, thereby forming power supply electrodes of capacitors and clearances (refer to FIG. 3 a ).
In a second step, an internal layer 61 of the PCB subjected to the first step is interposed between insulating layers 64 a, 64 b and subjected to a lamination process, and external copper foils 65 a, 65 b are laminated on the resulting PCB (refer to FIG. 3 b ).
In a third step, the capacitors in the internal layer of the PCB are connected to power supply terminals and grounded terminals of integrated circuit chips 68 a, 68 b , mounted on an external side of the PCB, through THs (through holes) and LBVHs (laser blind via holes), thereby acting as a power distribution type of decoupling capacitor (refer to FIG. 3 c ). In this regard, reference numerals 67 a, 67 b denote clearances between the grounded and power supply electrodes. The clearances each have a predetermined width so that the copper foils do not meet with the through holes or the via holes when the through holes or the via holes are formed through the PCB.
Meanwhile, since the embedded capacitors have a structure in which the capacitors are embedded in the PCB, an area which is occupied by the chip capacitors may be reduced. Thus, the embedded capacitors are advantageous in that a mounting density of chips may increase and it is unnecessary to mount the chip capacitors on a surface of the PCB.
In conventional technologies, a long connection length between devices at a high frequency brings about occurrence of an electric parasitic load, thereby reducing the electric performances of goods. Additionally, the number of connections increases due to a solder, causing poor reliability of goods. However, a conventional embedded capacitor is advantageous in that the connection length between the devices is reduced, resulting in suppressed occurrence of the electric parasitic element. Thus, the electric performance is improved.
However, a material of the conventional embedded capacitor is, for example, a polymer or a photosensitive resin filled with ceramic. Thus, it is usefully applied to a PCB process, but has a dielectric constant too low to be used as a substitute for a chip capacitor.
Generally, capacitance depends on the area and thickness of a capacitor, and is calculated according to the following Equation 1.
C
=
ɛ
r
ɛ
0
(
A
D
)
Equation
1
Wherein, ε r is the dielectric constant of a dielectric, ε 0 is a constant having a value of 8.855×10 −8 , A is the surface area of the dielectric, and D is the thickness of the dielectric. The dielectric constant of the dielectric must be high in order to assure a capacitor having a high capacitance, and a smaller thickness and a larger surface area of the dielectric bring about higher capacitance of the capacitor.
A conventional bimodal polymer ceramic complex has a capacitance of 5-7 nF/cm 2 if the thickness is 10 μm.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,224 granted to 3M Co. employs a thin film type composite having a thickness of 8-10 μm which includes BaTiO 3 ceramic powder and a thermosetting plastic epoxy or polyimide mixed with each other between copper foils used as power supply and grounded electrodes. At this time, capacitance per unit area is 10 nF/in 2 .
Furthermore, in the third conventional technology, capacitance is low due to a low dielectric constant of an embedded capacitor layer. For instance, in a thin film type capacitor having a thickness of 10-50 μm as shown in FIG. 3 a, a material employed by Sanmina Corp. is made of an FR-4 dielectric substance having a thickness of 25 μm or 50 μm between copper foils used as power supply and grounded electrodes. At this time, since the dielectric constant of FR-4 is 4-5, the capacitance per unit area is 0.5-1 nF/in 2 in practice.
As described above, the capacitance per unit area of the conventional embedded capacitor is 0.5-1 nF/in 2 or 10 nF/in 2 , which is significantly lower than that of a traditional decoupling discrete chip capacitor, that is, 100 nF/in 2 . Accordingly, there are many limits to the realization of the conventional embedded capacitor.
Furthermore, in the conventional technologies, a dielectric layer is laminated on a whole side of a substrate and electrodes are formed during a circuit forming process, or patterning is conducted using a photosensitive insulating layer through an exposure process. However, these procedures result in increased production costs because the formation of upper and lower electrodes, and exposure and etching processes for patterning the insulating layer are additionally carried out.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above disadvantages occurring in the prior arts, and an object of the present invention is to provide a PCB including embedded capacitors, in which a dielectric layer is formed using a ceramic material having a high capacitance, thereby providing capacitors each having a high dielectric constant corresponding to the capacitance of a decoupling chip capacitor, and a method of fabricating the same.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant and a method of fabricating the same, in which only a desired part is made of a ceramic material to form a dielectric thin film (or thick film), thereby creating the embedded capacitors. Accordingly, a loss of costly raw materials is reduced and unnecessary processes, such as a process of etching a dielectric, may be omitted, consequently, material costs are reduced and ease of production is assured.
The above objects can be accomplished by providing a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant, which comprises a first insulating layer made of an insulating material to electrically insulate upper and lower parts from each other. The PCB also comprises a circuit layer made of a first conductive material, which is laminated on one side of the first insulating layer and in which circuit patterns including a plurality of lower electrodes of the embedded capacitors are formed. A plurality of second insulating layers are laminated on the lower electrodes of the circuit layer, and made of a ceramic material. A plurality of upper electrodes are laminated on the second insulating layers, and made of a second conductive material. A third insulating layer is laminated on the circuit layer and upper electrodes, and includes through holes for electrically connecting the upper electrodes to external elements.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant, which comprises a first insulating layer made of a first insulating material to electrically insulate upper and lower parts from each other. The PCB also comprises a first circuit layer made of a first conductive material, which is laminated on one side of the first insulating layer, and in which first circuit patterns including a plurality of lower electrodes of the embedded capacitors are formed and a second insulating material is packed between the first circuit patterns. A second insulating layer is laminated on the first circuit layer, and made of a ceramic material. A second circuit layer made of a second conductive material is laminated on the second insulating layer. At this time, second circuit patterns, including a plurality of upper electrodes corresponding to the lower electrodes, are formed on the second circuit layer. A third insulating layer is laminated on the second circuit layer, and includes through holes for electrically connecting the upper electrodes to external elements.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a method of fabricating a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant, which comprises a first step of forming circuit patterns including a plurality of lower electrodes of the embedded capacitors on a copper foil on one side of a copper clad laminate; a second step of laminating a mask, in which portions corresponding to the lower electrodes are opened, on the copper clad laminate to form insulating layers of the embedded capacitors, and spraying a ceramic dielectric through a thermal spray process to form ceramic films; a third step of forming upper electrodes on the ceramic films formed in the second step and subsequently removing the mask; and a fourth step of laminating the insulating layers on the copper clad laminate, on which the embedded capacitors are formed, and forming through holes for electrically connecting the upper electrodes to external elements.
Additionally, the present invention provides a method of fabricating a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant, which comprises a first step of forming first circuit patterns including a plurality of lower electrodes of the embedded capacitors on a copper foil on one side of a copper clad laminate, and packing an insulating material between the first circuit patterns; a second step of spraying a ceramic dielectric on the copper clad laminate through a thermal spray process to form ceramic films; a third step of forming second circuit patterns including upper electrodes on a portion of the ceramic films, which correspond to the lower electrodes, formed in the second step; and a fourth step of laminating insulating layers on the second circuit patterns formed in the third step, and forming through holes for electrically connecting the upper electrodes to external elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1 a to 1 e illustrate the production of a conventional PCB including the polymer thick film type of embedded capacitors;
FIGS. 2 a to 2 f illustrate the production of a conventional PCB including the discrete type of embedded capacitors which are formed by application of a photosensitive resin;
FIGS. 3 a to 3 c illustrate the production of a conventional PCB including embedded capacitors, which are formed by insertion of an additional dielectric layer having a capacitance characteristic;
FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are sectional views of PCBs including embedded capacitors having high dielectric constants according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention, respectively;
FIGS. 5 a to 5 e illustrate the production of a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant according to the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 6 a and 6 b illustrate a thermal spray process adopted in the present invention;
FIGS. 7 a to 7 f illustrate the production of a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant according to the second embodiment of the present invention; and
FIGS. 8 a to 8 f illustrate the production of a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a description will be given of a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant and a method of fabricating the same according to the present invention, referring to the drawings.
FIG. 4 a is a sectional view of a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 4 a, circuit layers 112 a, 112 b including patterned copper foils are formed on both sides of an insulating layer 111 constituting a core layer 110 .
At this time, lower electrodes 121 a, 121 b, 121 c, 121 d of the embedded capacitors 120 a, 120 b, 120 c, 120 d are formed in the circuit layers 112 a, 112 b.
The embedded capacitors 120 a, 120 b, 120 c, 120 d include the lower electrodes 121 a, 121 b, 121 c, 121 d formed in the circuit layers 112 a , 112 b , insulating layers 122 a , 122 b , 122 c , 122 d made of ceramic materials and laminated on the lower electrodes 121 a , 121 b , 121 c , 121 d , and upper electrodes 123 a , 123 b , 123 c , 123 d laminated on the insulating layers 122 a , 122 b , 122 c , 122 d.
The embedded capacitors 120 a , 120 b , 120 c , 120 d may also include an adhesive metal layer, which consists of an adhesive metal such as Cr, Pt, or Ta, between the lower electrodes 121 a , 121 b , 121 c , 121 d , formed in the circuit layers 112 a , 112 b , and the insulating layers 122 a , 122 b , 122 c , 122 d so as to increase interfacial adhesion between the lower electrodes and the insulating layers. Furthermore, the embedded capacitors 120 a , 120 b , 120 c , 120 d may also include an adhesive metal layer, which consists of an adhesive metal such as Cr, Pt, Ta, between the insulating layers 122 a , 122 b , 122 c , 122 d and the upper electrodes 123 a , 123 b , 123 c , 123 d so as to increase interfacial adhesion between the insulating layers and the upper electrodes.
Insulating layers 131 a , 131 b are formed on the circuit layers 112 a , 112 b and the embedded capacitors 120 a , 120 b , 120 c , 120 d , and blind via holes 134 a , 134 b , 134 c , 134 d , for providing electrical connection between the upper electrodes 123 a , 123 b , 123 c , 123 d and external elements, are formed through the insulating layers 131 a , 131 b.
Resins 133 a , 133 b , 133 c , 133 d are packed into the blind via holes 134 a , 134 b , 134 c , 134 d , and nickel-gold plating layers 136 a , 136 b , 136 c , 136 d and photoresists 135 a , 135 b are formed outside the blind via holes 134 a , 134 b , 134 c , 134 d.
FIG. 4 b is a sectional view of a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
Referring to FIG. 4 b , circuit layers 112 a , 112 b including patterned copper foils are formed on both sides of an insulating layer 111 constituting a core layer 110 . Insulators 113 a , 113 b such as resins are packed into a portion of the circuit layers 112 a , 112 b on which circuit patterns are not formed.
At this time, lower electrodes 121 a , 121 b , 121 c , 121 d of the embedded capacitors 120 a , 120 b , 120 c , 120 d are formed in the circuit layers 112 a , 112 b.
Insulating layers 122 a , 122 b made of ceramic materials are laminated on the circuit layers 112 a , 112 b.
Circuit layers 125 a , 125 b on which circuit patterns are formed are formed on the insulating layers 122 a , 122 b , and upper electrodes 123 a , 123 b , 123 c , 123 d that correspond to the lower electrodes 121 a , 121 b , 121 c , 121 d are formed on the circuit layers 125 a , 125 b.
Embedded capacitors 120 a , 120 b , 120 c , 120 d comprise the lower electrodes 121 a , 121 b , 121 c , 121 d formed in the circuit layers 112 a , 112 b , the insulating layers 122 a , 122 b made of ceramic materials and laminated on the circuit layers 112 a , 112 b , and the upper electrodes 123 a , 123 b , 123 c , 123 d formed in the circuit layers 125 a , 125 b laminated on the insulating layers 122 a , 122 b. Additionally, the embedded capacitors may also include an adhesive metal layer consisting of an adhesive metal between the lower electrodes and insulating layers, and between the insulating layers and upper electrodes so as to increase interfacial adhesion between the lower electrodes and insulating layers, and between the insulating layers and upper electrodes.
Insulating layers 131 a , 131 b are formed on the circuit layers 112 a , 112 b and embedded capacitors 120 a , 120 b , 120 c , 120 d , and blind via holes 134 a , 134 b , 134 c , 134 d , for providing electrical connection between the upper electrodes 123 a , 123 b , 123 c , 123 d and external elements, are formed through the insulating layers 131 a , 131 b.
Resins 133 a , 133 b , 133 c , 133 d are packed into the blind via holes 134 a , 134 b , 134 c , 134 d , and nickel-gold plating layers 136 a , 136 b , 136 c , 136 d and photoresists 135 a , 135 b are formed outside the blind via holes 134 a , 134 b , 134 c , 134 d.
FIGS. 5 a to 5 e illustrate the production of a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 5 a , a copper clad laminate 210 , which includes an insulating layer 211 and copper foils 212 a , 212 b formed on both sides of the insulating layer 211 , is provided to fabricate a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The insulating layer 211 of the copper clad laminate 210 is made of a resin. Even though the resin has excellent electrical properties, it has poor mechanical strength and its dimensional variation depending on temperature is undesirably ten times as great as metal. To avoid the disadvantages, papers, glass fibers, glass non-woven fabrics and the like are used as a reinforcing material. Use of the reinforcing material serves to increase longitudinal and transversal strengths of the resin and to reduce the dimensional variation depending on the temperature.
Generally, an electrolytic copper foil is used for the copper foils 212 a , 212 b. The copper foils 212 a , 212 b are formed in such a way that the copper foils 212 a , 212 b chemically react with the resin to partially penetrate into the resin in order to increase interfacial adhesion to the resin.
As shown in FIG. 5 b , a wiring pattern is formed on the copper foils 212 a , 212 b according to a photolithography process. At this time, lower electrodes 221 a - 221 d of embedded capacitors 220 a - 220 d are formed simultaneously.
The photolithography process is conducted in the order of lamination for application of a photosensitive material, exposure, and development. The photolithography process may be classified into a photograph process and a screen printing process.
The wiring pattern is transferred onto the copper foils 212 a , 212 b using a photosensitizer such as D/F according to the photolithography process, and the copper foils 212 a , 212 b are patterned using the wiring pattern employing the photosensitizer as an etching resist. In other words, the photolithography process is conducted to form the pattern of the etching resist employing the photosensitizer on a substrate, and an etchant is sprayed on the resulting substrate to remove the copper foils other than a portion of the copper foils which is protected by the etching resist (i.e. a portion which forms the wiring pattern). The used etching resist is then stripped, thereby creating the patterned copper foils 212 a , 212 b.
As shown in FIG. 5 c , capacitor patterning masks 215 a , 215 b are laminated on both sides of the copper clad laminate 210 (it is possible to conduct the lamination on one side as well as on both sides) to pattern the capacitors 220 a - 220 d. At this time, the capacitor patterning masks 215 a , 215 b may be made of metals, glasses, plastics or the like.
Additionally, dielectric ceramic powder is melted and sprayed onto the capacitor patterning masks 215 a , 215 b through a thermal spray process to form dielectric thin films (or thick films) 222 a - 222 d of the embedded capacitors 220 a - 220 d.
The thermal spray process is a process which includes melting nano-sized spraying material powder using a high temperature heat source, and subsequently spraying the molten powder onto a mother material in a high speed to form a thin film on the mother material.
FIGS. 6 a and 6 b illustrate the thermal spray process adopted in the present invention.
With reference to FIG. 6 a , molten nano-sized powder is sprayed using a thermal spray gun 310 to a mother material 320 , in which capacitor patterning masks 322 a , 322 b are applied on a copper clad laminate 321 , to form a thin film.
At this time, cleaning, blasting, and bond coating processes are conducted as a pretreatment process. In this regard, an adhesive metal such as Cr, Pt, or Ta may be used as a raw material in the bond coating process.
Furthermore, the spray process is conducted using the thermal spray gun 310 . At this time, a distance between the gun 310 and mother material 320 , and a moving speed of the gun or mother material are controlled in the spray process so as to adjust a thickness of the film. Particularly, the distance between the nozzle of the gun 310 and the mother material 320 is very important during the spray process, and depends on the type of device, the level of power, the type of spraying material, and the like.
As well, interfacial adhesion between the mother material 320 and dielectric thin film depends on the cleaning process, roughness, and chemical affinity between a surface of the mother material 320 and fused thin film.
For example, it is preferable that the distance between the gun 310 and mother material 320 be 3-4 inches, the moving speed of the gun 310 or mother material 320 be 1-2 m/sec, an air filter be used for the cleaning process, and the roughness be about ⅕ of a size of the nano-sized powder.
A description will be given of transformation of the nano-sized powder (ceramic powder having a high dielectric constant in the present invention) caused by the spraying of molten nano-sized powder onto the mother material 320 using the thermal spray gun 310 , referring to FIG. 6 b.
Dielectric particles from a few μm to a few μm (ceramic powder) are melted in the thermal spray gun 310 , and then sprayed onto the mother material 320 at high temperature and pressure.
The molten dielectric particles adhere to the mother material 320 , and are exposed to room temperature, resulting in sintered crystalline dielectric thin films 222 a - 222 d.
At this time, examples of material for the dielectric ceramic powder include SrTiO 3 , BaTiO 3 , (Ba, Sr)TiO 3 , Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3 , (Pb, La) (Zr, Ti)O 3 , Pb(Ti 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 , Ta 2 O 5 , and Al 2 O 3 .
Meanwhile, after the dielectric thin films 222 a - 222 d are formed on the lower electrodes 221 a - 221 d according to the thermal spray process, upper electrodes 223 a - 223 d are formed according to the thermal spray process.
At this time, the cleaning, blasting, and bond coating processes are conducted as a pretreatment process so as to improve an interfacial adhesion between the dielectric thin films 222 a - 222 d and upper electrodes 223 a - 223 d. In this regard, an adhesive metal such as Cr, Pt, and Ta may be used as a raw material in the bond coating process.
At this time, the upper electrodes 223 a - 223 d may be formed through electroless and electrolytic copper plating processes instead of the thermal spray process.
An electroless plating process is the only plating process that provides conductivity to the surface of an insulator such as resins, ceramics, and glasses.
Since the electroless copper plating process is a process of plating an insulator, it is difficult to expect a reaction caused by ions with electricity. The electroless copper plating process is achieved by a deposition reaction, and the deposition reaction is promoted by a catalyst.
After the electroless copper plating process is conducted to provide the conductivity, the electrolytic copper plating process is carried out using electrolysis. The electrolytic copper plating process is advantageous in that it is easy to form a thick plating film and physical properties of an electrolytic copper-plating layer are superior to those of an electroless copper-plating layer.
Referring to FIG. 5 d , after the embedded capacitors 220 a - 220 d are formed on the copper clad laminate 210 , the masks 215 a , 215 b are removed.
Furthermore, RCCs 230 a , 230 b , in which copper foils 232 a , 232 b are each formed on one side of each insulating layer 231 a , 231 b , are laminated on both sides of the resulting copper clad laminate.
Referring to FIG. 5 e, via holes 233 a - 233 d and copper plating layers 234 a - 234 d are formed to provide conductivity to the upper electrodes 223 a - 223 d.
Additionally, circuit patterns are formed on the copper foils 232 a , 232 b , solder resists 235 a , 235 b are formed, and nickel-gold plating layers 236 a - 236 d are formed to increase the conductivity of the via holes 233 a - 233 d.
FIGS. 7 a to 7 f illustrate the production of a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 7 a , a copper clad laminate 410 , which includes an insulating layer 411 and copper foils 412 a , 412 b formed on both sides of the insulating layer 411 , is provided to fabricate the PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 7 b , a wiring pattern is formed on the copper foils 412 a , 412 b according to a photolithography process. At this time, lower electrodes 421 a - 421 d of embedded capacitors 420 a - 420 d are formed simultaneously.
As shown in FIG. 7 c , capacitor patterning masks 415 a , 415 b are laminated on both sides of the copper clad laminate 410 (it is possible to conduct the lamination on one side as well as on both sides) to pattern the capacitors 420 a - 420 d. At this time, the capacitor patterning masks 415 a , 415 b may be made of metals, glasses, plastics or the like.
Additionally, dielectric ceramic powder is melted and sprayed onto the capacitor patterning masks 415 a , 415 b through a thermal spray process to form dielectric thin films (or thick films) 422 a - 422 d of the embedded capacitors 420 a - 420 d.
At this time, cleaning, blasting, and bond coating processes are conducted as pretreatment processes. In this regard, an adhesive metal such as Cr, Pt, and Ta may be used as a raw material in the bond coating process.
Furthermore, examples of material for the dielectric ceramic powder include SrTiO 3 , BaTiO 3 , (Ba, Sr)TiO 3 , Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3 , (Pb, La) (Zr, Ti)O 3 , Pb(Ti 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 , Ta 2 O 5 , and Al 2 O 3 .
Meanwhile, after the dielectric thin films 422 a - 422 d are formed on the lower electrodes 421 a - 421 d by the thermal spray process, upper electrodes 423 a - 423 d are formed according to the thermal spray process.
At this time, the cleaning, blasting, and bond coating processes are conducted as a pretreatment process so as to improve an interfacial adhesion between the dielectric thin films 422 a - 422 d and upper electrodes 423 a - 423 d. In this regard, an adhesive metal such as Cr, Pt, or Ta may be used as a raw material in the bond coating process.
At this time, the upper electrodes 423 a - 423 d may be formed through electroless and electrolytic copper plating processes instead of the thermal spray process.
Referring to FIG. 7 d , after the embedded capacitors 420 a - 420 d are formed on the copper clad laminate 410 , the masks 415 a , 415 b are removed.
Furthermore, resins 425 a , 425 b are uniformly applied on the copper clad laminate using a vacuum printing process unlike the first embodiment. This functions to prevent some problems that occur in the first embodiment, that is to say, generation of cracks caused by a bias of forces applied to the embedded capacitors 420 a - 420 d due to a stress partially occurring in the lamination of the RCCs, or generation of pore defects or voids caused by the lamination of the B-stage RCCs disturbing the packing of the resin into edge portions of corners of the embedded capacitors 420 a - 420 d.
Referring to FIG. 7 e, RCCs 430 a , 430 b , in which copper foils 432 a , 432 b are each formed on one side of each insulating layer 431 a , 431 b , are laminated on both sides of the resulting copper clad laminate.
Referring to FIG. 7 f, via holes 433 a - 433 d and copper plating layers 434 a - 434 d are formed to provide conductivity to the upper electrodes 423 a - 423 d.
Additionally, circuit patterns are formed on the copper foils 432 a , 432 b , solder resists 435 a , 435 b are formed, and nickel-gold plating layers 436 a - 436 d are formed to increase the conductivity of the via holes 433 a - 433 d.
FIGS. 8 a to 8 f illustrate the production of a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 8 a , a copper clad laminate 510 , which includes an insulating layer 511 and copper foils 512 a , 512 b formed on both sides of the insulating layer 511 , is provided to fabricate a PCB including embedded capacitors each having a high dielectric constant according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 8 b , a wiring pattern is formed on the copper foils 512 a , 512 b according to a photolithography process. At this time, lower electrodes 521 a - 521 d of embedded capacitors 520 a - 520 d are formed simultaneously.
As shown in FIG. 8 c , resins 515 a , 515 b are formed on the copper clad laminate 510 , on which circuits are formed, according to a vacuum printing process. Flattening the resins 515 a , 515 b increases their interfacial adhesion to a ceramic material.
Referring to FIG. 8 d , dielectric ceramic powder is melted and sprayed onto the copper clad laminate 510 as a mother material through a thermal spray process without using a mask to form dielectric thin films (or thick films) 522 a , 522 b of the embedded capacitors 520 a - 520 d , unlike the first and second embodiments of the present invention.
At this time, cleaning, blasting, and bond coating processes are conducted as pretreatment processes. In this regard, an adhesive metal such as Cr, Pt, or Ta may be used as a raw material in the bond coating process.
Furthermore, examples of material for the dielectric ceramic powder include SrTiO 3 , BaTiO 3 , (Ba, Sr)TiO 3 , Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3 , (Pb, La) (Zr, Ti)O 3 , Pb(Ti 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 , Ta 2 O 5 , and Al 2 O 3 .
Meanwhile, after the dielectric thin films 522 a , 522 b are formed on the lower electrodes 521 a - 521 d according to the thermal spray process, circuit layers 525 a , 525 b are formed using the thermal spray process and then patterned to form upper electrodes 523 a - 523 d.
At this time, the cleaning, blasting, and bond coating processes are conducted as a pretreatment process so as to improve interfacial adhesion between the dielectric thin films 522 a , 522 b and upper electrodes 523 a - 523 d. In this regard, an adhesive metal such as Cr, Pt, and Ta may be used as a raw material in the bond coating process.
At this time, the upper electrodes 523 a - 523 d may be formed through electroless and electrolytic copper plating processes instead of the thermal spray process.
Referring to FIG. 8 f, RCCs 530 a , 530 b , in which copper foils 532 a , 532 b are each formed on one side of each insulating layer 531 a , 531 b , are laminated on both sides of the resulting copper clad laminate.
Furthermore, via holes 533 a - 533 d and copper plating layers 534 a - 534 d are formed to provide conductivity to the upper electrodes 523 a - 523 d.
Additionally, circuit patterns are formed on the copper foils 532 a , 532 b , solder resists 535 a , 535 b are formed, and nickel-gold plating layers 536 a - 536 d are formed to increase the conductivity of the via holes 533 a - 533 d.
As described above, the present invention provides a PCB including embedded capacitors and a method of fabricating the same, in which a paste is packed only in a desired part to create the embedded capacitors. Accordingly, a loss of costly raw materials is reduced and unnecessary processes, such as an etching process of a dielectric, may be omitted, and thus, material costs are reduced and ease of production is assured.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a PCB including embedded capacitors and a method of fabricating the same, in which precise capacitances of capacitors having a consistent height and area are assured by use of via holes formed through a FR-4 copper clad laminate.
Additionally, the present invention provides a PCB including embedded capacitors and a method of fabricating the same, in which the circuits and embedded capacitors can be simultaneously formed in a commonly used PCB layer without the use of additional PCB layers for forming capacitors. | A printed circuit board (PCB) having at least one embedded capacitor and a method of fabricating the same is provided. A dielectric layer is formed using a ceramic material having a high capacitance, thereby assuring that the capacitors each have a high dielectric constant corresponding to the capacitance of a decoupling chip capacitor. | 7 |
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a gas preconcentrator, and more particularly to a micro gas preconcentrator manufactured by MEMS technology.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Arts
[0004] It is needed for a gas sensor with high sensitivity, high selectivity, fast response, low power and portability to detect the trace level of industrial pollution, high explosives, drugs, and chemical and biological toxic agents for field analysis. However, it is difficult to meet the above mentioned requirements relying solely on the gas sensor itself. Therefore, it is compulsorily for a micro-preconcentrator to be introduced in the front end of the gas sensor for improving the sensitivity, a micro-chromatography to be incorporated for improving the selectivity. As a result, a plurality of components is combined into an integrated gas detector.
[0005] The preconcentrator has been widely used for many years in analytical chemistry. It collects and accumulates one or more chemical species of interest by passing the low concentration vapor stream through the sorptive material for a period of time. The sorptive layer is subsequently heated and the thermally released analyte provides narrow desorption peaks with relatively high concentration. The preconcentrator can improve not only the sensitivity of the detector for 1-3 orders of magnitude, but also the selectivity of the detector to the special target by the chemoselective sorptive film.
[0006] Besides the intrinsic characteristics of the sorptive film, the concentration factor of the preconcentrator is predominatedly determined by flow rate, heating rate and the area of the sorptive film. For a given amount of gas molecules collected on the sorptive film, the faster the heating rate, the higher the gas desorption peak intensity and the narrower the full width at half maximum (FWHM). To realize rapid heating, the preconcentrator with low heat capacity is preferred, and in principle fabricated by MEMS technology. The literature of “Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 2008, 27(4):327-343” systematically summarizes the research status of the MEMS gas preconcentrator in recent years.
[0007] In all micro-preconcentrators, the two-dimensional diaphragm preconcentrator disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,378 (as shown in FIG. 1A ) has the smallest heat capacity. For the SiN diaphragm with the thickness of 0.5 μm, it can be heated up to 200° C. under the power of 100 mW for 10 ms and the FWHM of the gas desorption peak is only 200 ms. However, the above mentioned planar preconcentrator has prominent drawbacks. Firstly, the sorptive film has small area. Secondly, the flow rate is too low while preconcentrating.
[0008] As a result, the preconcentration factor of the 2D planar preconcentrator is far lower than that of the conventionally tubular preconcentrator (which can refer to FIG. 4 b in the literature of IEEE Sensor Journal, 2006, 6(3): 784-795).
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 7,118,712 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,306,649 disclosed 3D preconcentrators. A plurality of perforations acting as gas flow channels are formed on a three-dimensional material with a substantial thickness, and the sorptive film is coated on the inner walls of the gas flow channels. Compared with the 2D diaphragm preconcentrator, the surface area of the sorptive film of the 3D preconcentrator can be increased by tens of times, and the gas flow rate thereof can also be enhanced greatly. The clamshell preconcentrator (as shown in FIG. 1B ) is a typical representative of the 3D preconcentrators. It uses the fin-shaped parallel grooves as the sorption support structure for increasing the area of the sorptive film, resulting in equal preconcentration factor with respect to the tubular preconcentrator. The clamshell preconcentrator also has suspended membranes. The thin-film heater and the fin-shaped sorption support structure are respectively disposed on two sides of each membrane. In spite of the above mentioned heat insulation design, the heat capacity of the clamshell preconcentrator increases remarkably due to the fin-shaped bulk structure. Consequently, the FWHM of the gas desorption peak is extended to 2.3 s (which can refer to FIG. 4 b of the literature IEEE Sensor Journal, 2006, 6(3):784-795).
[0010] In an integrated gas detector, a micro-chromatography is needed to be incorporated at the downstream end of a micro-preconcentrator. In such a case, the preconcentrator must also act as an injector of a conventional chromatograph. The preconcentrator is required to desorb the accumulated chemical molecules as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the GC peaks will be broadened, thereby reducing the performance of the chromatography. Obviously, the 3D preconcentrators elevate their preconcentration factor at the expense of rapid heating capability, thus can not meet the demands of an integrated gas detector.
[0011] The diaphragm of the 2D preconcentrator tends to break during rapid heating since the inlet/outlet holes provided on the glass lid is too small. The perforated structure of the 3D preconcentrators greatly increases the sectional area of the flow channel, thereby improving the flow rate. However, in the various embodiments disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 7,118,712 (as shown in FIG. 1B ), the three-dimensional sorption support structures are suspended on a layer of thin diaphragm. Hence, the diaphragm is subject to a large static stress and at the risk of rupture.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0012] The present invention directly addresses the problems describe above, aiming at a higher preconcentration factor by enlarging the effective area of the sorptive film at the same device size, while keeping the low heat capacity, fast heating speed, and low power consumption features of the 2D diaphragm preconcentrator.
[0013] Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator, comprising two silicon substrates, wherein at least one suspended membrane is disposed on each silicon substrate; a thin-film heater is prepared on every suspended membrane; at least one micro-gas chamber is formed by aligning and bonding the two silicon substrates; a sorptive film is coated on the innerside wall of every suspended membrane; and gas holes are provided at sidewalls of the micro-gas chamber for forming airflow channels among a plurality of micro-gas chambers, or an air inlet or air outlet of the whole preconcentrator.
[0014] The double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator provided by the present invention is characterized in that the suspended membrane is a silicon nitride film or silicon oxynitride film or SiO 2 film or SiN/SiO 2 multilayer film with a thickness of 0.5-2 μm.
[0015] The double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator provided by the present invention is characterized in that the thin-film heater is a serpentine metal thin film or a heavily doped polysilicon thin film, and the metal thin film is made of platinum or palladium or tungsten or molybdenum or tantalum.
[0016] The double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator provided by the present invention is characterized in that the sorptive film is made of polymer or carbon black/polymer composite materials or sol-gel inorganic oxides.
[0017] The present invention is an improvement on the prior 2D membrane preconcentrator. In the present invention, the suspended membranes are respectively disposed on the upper and lower sides of the micro-gas chamber, whereon the sorptive film is coated, thus, the area of the sorptive film is doubled without changing the size of the preconcentrator, thereby obtaining a micro gas-preconcentrator with higher preconcentration factor.
[0018] These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1A is the 2D single diaphragm preconcentrator of prior art.
[0020] FIG. 1B is the 3D clamshell-shaped preconcentrator of prior art.
[0021] FIG. 2A shows a stereogram of a double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 2B is a top view of the double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator according to the above first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 2C is a sectional view along A-A direction of FIG. 2B .
[0024] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the MEMS preparation process of the double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator according to the above first preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 5A is a top view of a double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator array according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0027] FIG. 5B is a sectional view along a direction of A-A of FIG. 5A .
[0028] FIG. 6 shows the heating performance of a preconcentrator of the present invention.
[0029] FIG. 7 shows the desorption curve of the preconcentrators of the present invention.
[0030] wherein, 1 : silicon base; 2 : silicon cover; 3 : suspended membrane; 4 : thin-film heater; 5 : sorptive film; 6 : air inlet; 7 : air outlet; 8 : silicon substrate; 9 : SiN film; 10 : cavity; 11 : adhesive layer; 12 : micro-gas chamber; 13 : airflow through-hole; 14 : airflow distribution network.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0031] The double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator of the present invention has two types, namely, the preconcentrator and the preconcentrator array. The feature is that the suspended membranes prepared on two silicon substrates are aligned with each other and then bonded together for forming a micro-gas chamber, Hence, the upper and lower inner walls of the gas chamber are coated with the sorptive film. The present invention is further explained in detail with the accompanying drawings.
[0032] Embodiment 1
[0033] FIGS. 2A to 2C are schematic views of a double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator comprises a silicon base 1 , a silicon cover 2 , two suspended membranes 3 , two thin-film heaters 4 , two sorptive films 5 , an air inlet 6 and an air outlet 7 . The preparation process of the preconcentrator is shown in FIG. 3 as follows. A silicon base 1 and a silicon cover 2 are respectively prepared on two silicon substrates 8 with thicknesses of about 500 μm. The silicon base 1 and the silicon cover 2 have the same size and micro-structure. Accordingly, the preparation process of the silicon base 1 is described as an example. Firstly, a low stress SiN film 9 (can also be silicon oxynitride film) with a thickness of about 700 nm is deposited on the front side of the silicon substrate 8 by PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition). Then, a serpentine thin-film heater 4 . 1 with an external size of 2 mm×2 mm and a line width of about 100 μm is prepared on the SiN film by lift-off process. The sputtered thin-film heater comprises a NiCr film of about 20 nm and a Pt film of about 300 nm in sequence. Then the silicon substrate 8 under the thin-film heater 4 . 1 is etched away from the back side by DRIE (Deep Reactive Ion Etching) for forming a suspended membrane 3 . 1 , an air inlet 6 . 1 and an air outlet 7 . 1 . The DRIE etching comprises two steps. The air inlet 6 . 1 and the air outlet 7 . 1 , with a depth of about 250 μm, a width of about 500 μm and a length of about 3 mm, are formed by the first etching step. And then the second etching step through the whole thickness of the silicon substrate 8 is carried out to form the cavity 10 . 1 with a size of 2.2 mm×2.2 mm, wherein the air inlet 6 . 1 and the air outlet 7 . 1 are respectively located at two sides of the cavity 10 . 1 and connect with each other. A sorptive film 5 is deposited on the back side of the suspended membrane 3 . 1 (where no thin-film heater is disposed) by mask spraying, ink-jet printing, or drop-coating method. The sorptive film can be made of various polymers. In this embodiment, the sorptive film is made of a strong hydrogen bond acidic polymer named poly methyl-{3-[2-hydroxyl-4,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)]phenyl}-propylsiloxane (abbreviated as DKAP) which can selectively adsorb the organophosphorous agents. The sorptive film can also be made of carbon black/polymer composite materials or sol-gel inorganic oxides. By the above mentioned process, the silicon base 1 is accomplished. And then the silicon cover 2 is manufactured by the same approach. Finally, the silicon cover 2 is turned upside down with respect to the silicon base 1 (back-to-back configuration), and the two parts are aligned with each other and bonded together as a whole, forming the final double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator. In the final step, the polymer adhesive layer 11 is adapted for all kinds of the sorptive films 5 , whereas the Au-Si or Al-Si bonding techniques can also be applied when the sorptive film 5 is made of high temperature materials, such as inorganic oxides. After bonding, the cavity 10 . 1 and 10 . 2 combine to the whole micro-gas chamber 12 , and the sorptive film 5 is located at two inner surfaces of the micro-gas chamber, the air inlets 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 form a total air inlet 6 , the air outlets 7 . 1 and 7 . 2 form a total air outlet 7 . Therefore, the air inlet 6 and the air outlet 7 , each having a cross section of 500 μm×500 μm, enable a large enough gas flow to pass through with an external micro air pump.
[0034] Embodiment 2
[0035] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. Compared with Embodiment 1, the micro-structure and micro-fabrication process of the Embodiment 2 are roughly the same, wherein the differences between them are as follows. Firstly, the silicon cover 2 is stacked on the silicon base 1 (back-on-face configuration) during bonding, so that the micro-gas chamber 12 is only made up of the cavity 10 . 2 , and the cavity 10 . 1 is open. Secondly, no air inlet 6 . 1 and air outlet 7 . 1 are manufactured on the silicon base 1 , and the total air inlet 6 and the total air outlet 7 are respectively made up of the air inlet 6 . 2 and the air outlet 7 . 2 on the silicon cover 2 . Thirdly, the sorptive film 5 on the silicon base 1 is deposited on the thin film heater in the front side of the suspended membrane 3 . 1 .
[0036] Embodiment 3—preconcentrator array
[0037] FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams of a double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator array according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention. Based on the first embodiment of the preconcentrator having a single micro-gas chamber shown in FIG. 2 , the micro-gas chambers of the preconcentrator array in the present embodiment are expanded to sixteen. As shown in FIG. 5A , sixteen suspended membranes are provided on each of the silicon base 1 and the silicon cover 2 . The thin-film heaters on the sixteen suspended membranes are connected with each other and a heater network is formed. A silicon framework with a width of about 500 μm is provided between every two suspended membranes for supporting the suspended membranes. The sixteen suspended membranes are arranged in four rows, each row comprises four suspended membranes. After bonding the silicon base 1 with silicon cover 2 , sixteen micro-gas chambers are formed, the chambers of every row are connected with its adjacent parters in series by the airflow through-holes 13 . Between the four row of the micro-gas chambers and the air inlet 6 or the air outlet 7 , two air distribution networks 14 are disposed, so that the gas path is firstly divided into two, and then divided into four for equalizing the airflow of the four flow paths. During DRIE etching, the air distribution networks 14 and the airflow through-holes 13 are firstly etched, and then a portion of the silicon substrate 8 where the suspended membranes are located is etched away completely.
[0038] FIG. 6 shows the heating performance of a single diaphragm, wherein the single diaphragm has a size of 2.2 mm×2.2 mm, a thickness of 1 μm, and a platinum film heater 4 and a polymer sorptive film 5 are provided on the single diaphragm. At the heating power of about 120 mW, it only needs about 15 ms for the diaphragm to increase its temperature thereof from room temperature to 200° C. Obviously, the heating performance of the preconcentrator of the present invention is similar to that of the 2D diaphragm preconcentrator disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,378.
[0039] FIG. 7 shows the typical desorption curve of the preconcentrator of the present invention. The performance of the preconcentrator is tested by a flame ionization detector (FID) after preconcentrating 0.01 ppm DMMP for 30 s and then heating for 1 s. It can be seen that the FWHM of the desorption peak of the preconcentrator (embodiment 1) is 260 ms, which is similar to that of the 2D diaphragm preconcentrator disclosed by
[0040] U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,378. The FWHM of the desorption peak of the preconcentrator array (embodiment 3) is also shown in FIG. 7 , although somewhat larger (405 ms), it is far superior to that of the 3D non-planar MEMS preconcentrator. The preconcentration factor of the preconcentrator array increases about 15 times with regard to the single chamber preconcentrator as shown in embodiment 1.
[0041] One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting.
[0042] It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. Its embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims. | A double-sided diaphragm micro gas-preconcentrator has a micro-gas chamber which is formed by bonding an upper silicon substrate with a lower silicon substrate. One or more suspended membranes are provided on every silicon substrate. The silicon where the suspended membrane is provided is completely removed for forming a cavity. A thin-film heater is deposited on every suspended membrane. A sorptive film is coated on an inner wall of every suspended membrane. Thus, the upper and lower sides of the preconcentrator in the present invention are suspended membranes, which improve the area of the sorptive film on the diaphragm. As a result, the preconcentrating factor is improved while keeping the small heat capacity, fast heating rate, and low power consumption features of the planar diaphragm preconcentrator. | 1 |
This application is a National Stage completion of PCT/EP2011/062729 filed Jul. 25, 2011, which claims priority from German patent application serial no. 10 2010 040 419.5 filed Sep. 8, 2010.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a clamping joint on a strut element for the coupling connection of assemblies or components, for example of chassis parts. The clamping joint comprises the end area of a tubular strut of a strut element, and a threaded bolt.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Strut elements, by which various components or assemblies are connected to one another, are known from the prior art. These can be fixed struts such as frame struts or base supports, which are arranged essentially unmovably between components and thereby prevent relative movement of the components in relation to one another.
Also known from the prior art are movable strut elements such as coupling struts, hinged supports, chassis struts and steering or track rods, which in most cases are connected movably or articulated to the corresponding components or assemblies to be joined, for example in order to couple the joined components to one another with a degree of freedom of movement, or in order to control the position or the angular position of assemblies—such as wheel carriers on a motor vehicle.
Particularly in vehicle engineering severe demands are made on such strut elements, including in particular load-bearing capacity and fatigue strength, high security against failure and good corrosion resistance. At the same time such strut elements should take up as little space as possible in order to, as much as possible, avoid colliding with adjacent assemblies and so as not to restrict the freedom of movement of other components and assemblies, particularly in the chassis area. A general requirement for such strut elements is usually also length adjustability, which is usually achieved by making the strut in two parts with a threaded joint between them.
From the prior art steering and track rods, or in general strut elements are known, in which a usually tubular strut has an internal thread at one or both ends, which serves to receive a threaded bolt. In turn, the threaded bolt can be connected to components to be joined, for example to the ball head of a ball joint. To set the desired length of the strut element, for example to be able to adjust the wheel geometry or the steering angle in the motor vehicle, the threaded bolt is screwed into the thread of the tubular strut until the desired strut length is produced. To prevent play or autonomous displacement of the strut element, it is then necessary to fix the threaded bolt in the internal thread of the strut firmly and without any play.
In the prior art, this requirement is usually fulfilled by providing an axial slot in the end area of the strut that has the internal thread, and at the same time arranging on the outside of the strut in the area of the internal thread or the axial slot of the strut a clamping collar. By tightening the clamping collar/with the threaded bolt screwed in to the desired depth the strut, in the area of its internal thread, is compressed radially so that it firmly clamps the threaded bolt.
However, this method known from the prior art for fixing the threaded bolt of a strut element in the desired axial position has disadvantages. Thus, the necessary axial slotting of the threaded zone of the strut is, first of all, associated with considerable weakening of the end of the strut in relation to torsion, bending and buckling resistance. Furthermore, by virtue of the axial slot in the threaded zone, surfaces are created that are prone to corrosion, in that water or other corrosive media can make their way into the thread of the strut or the threaded bolt, or even penetrate to the inside of the strut. This can result in further weakening of the strut, or the internal strut thread and the threaded bolt can bind together due to corrosion, which can make it more difficult, later, to adjust or dismantle the strut element.
Moreover, the clamping collar needed for compressed the end of the strut in the threaded zone usually takes up considerable installation space, whereby the space required by the strut element in this area is often almost doubled. This can result in contact with adjacent components or assemblies, particularly since the angular position of the clamping collar in the threaded zone of the strut is usually not exactly defined or fixed. In principle, therefore, the clamping collar can extend out from the strut in any direction, and in turn this has to be taken into account during the design and interference checking of the surrounding package of assemblies.
Finally, for the secure and correct assembly of such struts it is usually necessary to provide an all-round annular groove on the end of the strut in the threaded area, so as to ensure a defined axial position of the clamping collar when it is fitted. The formation of both the axial slot and the annular groove not only weaken the end of the strut, but also require additional working steps for their production, and therefore incur corresponding machining costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Against that background, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a clamping assembly for a strut element, which overcomes the limitations and disadvantages that exist in the prior art. The clamping assembly according to the invention should connect the strut and the threaded bolt of the strut element securely and firmly, without weakening the strut structure or creating areas prone to corrosion attack. Furthermore, the clamping assembly according to the invention should occupy minimum structural space, it should be easy to assemble, and should be able to be produced with low production costs.
Firstly, in a manner known per se the clamping assembly is part of a strut element for the coupling connection of assemblies or components, and comprises an end zone of a substantially tubular strut and a threaded bolt for connection to the tubular strut.
According to the invention, however, the clamping assembly is distinguished by a threaded sleeve arranged in the end zone of the tubular strut, in a radial annular gap between the threaded bolt and the inside cross-section of the strut. The threaded sleeve has a conical external thread and an internal thread that fits the thread of the threaded bolt, and is designed to be radially elastic at least in the area of its end that extends into the strut. The end of the strut has a conical internal thread that fits the external thread of the threaded sleeve.
Thus, the clamping assembly according to the invention enables the strut and the threaded bolt to be assembled together by virtue of a conical internal thread arranged at the end of the strut and, arranged therein, a threaded sleeve with a conical external contour. For this, by virtue of its internal thread, the threaded sleeve receives the threaded bolt of the strut element. The threaded bolt can then still first be screwed in the usual manner into the end of the strut—or into the threaded sleeve therein—up to the desired depth, so as in this way to adjust to the desired length of the strut element.
When the desired screw-in depth or the desired effective length of the strut element has been reached, the threaded sleeve arranged in the conical internal thread at the end of the strut is tightened. By virtue of the at least partial, radially elastic construction of the threaded sleeve at its strut-side end, and by virtue of the conical threads of the strut and the threaded sleeve, this produces a radial compression of the threaded sleeve and hence a frictional fixing of the threaded bolt relative to the tubular strut.
In other words, this means that thanks to the invention a firm connection between the strut and the threaded bolt can be formed, without the need for a slot at the end of the strut or for the use of a clamping collar. Thus, the weakening of the strut connected with the slot, and the corrosion-prone area created, are eliminated just as is the previously usual all-round groove at the end of the strut for fixing the clamping collar. With the elimination of the clamping collar, the fitting space required in the area of the strut's end is also substantially reduced and there is no longer any risk of collision with nearby components or assemblies, as there was with the previously usual clamping collars.
In this case the internal thread of the strut and the external thread of the threaded sleeve are preferably shaped as cone sections with the same cone angle. This allows the threads to be produced inexpensively and the threaded sleeve can first be screwed easily into the internal thread at the end of the strut, after which the threaded bolt is screwed into the threaded sleeve to the desired depth. Then, the radial deformation of the threaded sleeve takes place by tightening the threaded sleeve against the strut.
However, depending on the design and wall thicknesses or radial rigidity of the threaded sleeve and/or the strut, the cone angles of the strut's internal thread and of the sleeve's external thread can be designed to be slightly different. In this way it is possible, for example, to reduce or avoid a possible radial expansion of the strut's diameter at the extreme outer end of the strut, produced if the threaded sleeve is no longer radially elastic there—and any difficulty in tightening the threaded sleeve against the strut that results from this.
For the same reason a thread shape design that deviates slightly from the conical shape can be chosen for the external thread of the threaded sleeve and/or the internal thread of the strut. For example, the internal thread of the strut can be made conical and the external sleeve thread conical with a superimposed camber, in particular so as to avoid stress peaks when the threaded sleeve is tightened against the strut.
Moreover, the invention is realized regardless of the manner in which the radial elasticity of the threaded sleeve is produced, at least in the area of its end on the strut side. Preferably, however, for that purpose the threaded sleeve has at least one radial slot in the area of its strut-side end. Particularly preferably, in the area of its end on the strut side the threaded sleeve has a plurality of radial slots positioned uniformly around the circumference of the threaded sleeve. This does not interfere with the function of the external thread nor with that of the internal thread of the sleeve, while at the same time providing the radial compliance of the threaded sleeve required for the form-locked fixing of the threaded bolt into the end of the strut.
The axial length of the at least one radial slot in the threaded sleeve—or the length of the several radial slots distributed around the sleeve's circumference—is preferably more than half, and particularly preferably more than two-thirds of the overall axial length of the threaded sleeve. Since the radial slot or slots in the threaded sleeve cover(s) the greatest possible part of its length, the radial elasticity of the sleeve required for effective clamping of the threaded bolt in the end of the strut is ensured in an optimum manner.
According to further preferred embodiments of the invention the threaded sleeve has a flange area with at least one key face and the strut has a key zone with at least one key face. This facilitates the assembly of the clamping assembly and the tightening of the threaded sleeve against the strut, since the torque required for this can be applied by way of corresponding key faces on the threaded sleeve and/or on the strut.
In a further, particularly preferred embodiment of the invention a reinforcing ring is arranged on the outer circumference of the strut in its connection zone with the threaded sleeve. The purpose of the reinforcing ring positioned in the area of the conical internal thread at or near the end of the strut—particularly in the case of thin-walled struts—is to strengthen the strut end in the radial direction. Since when the threaded sleeve is tightened against the strut, owing to the conical threads of the strut and the threaded sleeve, a radial pressure is built up inwardly against the threaded bolt and outwardly against the wall of the strut, in the case of thin-walled struts, that pressure could otherwise result in undesired expansion of the strut's end, leading ultimately to loosening of the clamping assembly, whereas this is prevented by the reinforcing ring.
Against that background a further, preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the at least one key surface on the strut side is formed on the reinforcing ring. In this way—and again especially with thin-walled struts—any possible weakening of the strut by the formation of key surfaces is avoided since the key surfaces are not formed directly on the strut, but rather, on the reinforcing ring positioned on the strut, whose wall thickness is sufficient for this. To ensure the reliable transfer of torque from the reinforcing ring to the strut, the reinforcing ring can even, if necessary, be fixed on with material cohesion, for example by spot welds or the like.
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the thread pitches of the external and internal threads of the threaded sleeve are the same size. In this way, during the assembly of the clamping assembly the final tightening of the threaded sleeve against the strut can take place without, for this, changing the axial position of the threaded bolt relative to the strut. The prerequisite for this embodiment (but not for realizing the invention) is that the external and internal threads of the threaded sleeve must have the same thread pitch direction, namely both the external and internal threads of the threaded sleeve are right-hand threads or both are left-hand threads.
In a further embodiment of the invention the external thread and/or the internal thread of the threaded sleeve is/are provided with material-continuous screw retention means. Such means, which can in particular consist of a thread bonding adhesive, are applied between the threads of the strut and the threaded sleeve or between the threads of the threaded bolt and the threaded sleeve, and once hardened or polymerized, additionally prevents any undesired loosening of the threaded connection between the strut and the threaded sleeve and between the threaded bolt and the threaded sleeve.
In principle, the invention does not depend on the design and intended purpose of the strut element. However, it is particularly preferable for the threaded bolt to be part of a mounting component which is a constituent of the strut element. The mounting component, which serves to transfer force into the strut element or to connect the strut element to a component to be connected, can be in particular an elastomeric mounting or a ball joint. Thus, in such an embodiment the threaded bolt can be in particular an integrally attached part of a joint cup or a joint housing for a ball joint or an elastomeric joint.
In a further, particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the clamping assembly is part of a chassis strut, for example a steering or track rod designed in particular for the coupling connection of chassis components. The basis for this embodiment is that the clamping assembly according to the invention can be used with particular advantage in the chassis area or the wheel suspension of motor vehicles, since there the decisive advantages of the invention, in particular the considerable saving of space, the improved corrosion resistance and the greatly reduced risk of colliding with nearby components, can be brought to bear particularly effectively.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Below, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to drawings which illustrate only example embodiments, and which show:
FIG. 1 : A schematic, partially sectioned representation of the end area of a strut element with an embodiment of the clamping assembly according to the invention;
FIG. 2 : A longitudinal section through the strut end and clamping assembly of the strut element shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 3 : An exploded view of the clamping assembly of the strut element shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 ;
FIG. 4 : An isometric representation of the threaded sleeve of the clamping assembly in FIGS. 1 to 3 ; and
FIG. 5 : The threaded sleeve of FIG. 4 , viewed from the rear in relation to FIG. 4 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows the end area of a strut element in which an embodiment of the clamping assembly according to the invention is fitted. As parts of the strut element, the figure shows in particular the tubular strut 1 and the threaded bolt 2 , which may be tubular and is fit into the end zone 5 thereof. In the embodiment illustrated, the threaded bolt 2 is an integrally attached part of the joint housing 3 of a ball joint 4 .
In a radial annular gap between the end zone 5 of the strut 1 and the threaded bolt 2 , according to the invention there is fitted a threaded sleeve 6 with an internal thread 12 and an external thread 8 . For the sake of greater clarity, the representations in FIGS. 1 and 5 do not specifically show the threads on the threaded bolt 2 , the strut 1 and the threaded sleeve 6 , and the representation in FIG. 4 diagrammatically shows the external threads 8 and the internal threads 12 of the threaded sleeve 6 .
FIG. 1 also shows that a reinforcing ring 7 is located on the end zone 5 of the strut 1 . In the embodiment of the clamping assembly illustrated, the reinforcing ring 7 serves, on the one hand, to strengthen radially the wall of the tubular strut 1 in its end zone 5 since in the joint area 5 , by virtue of the conical external thread 8 on the threaded sleeve 6 , when the clamping assembly 2 , 5 , 6 is tightened the wall of the strut is expanded or stressed outward, and in addition, in the area the wall thickness decreases toward the end of the strut. Another purpose of the reinforcing ring 7 in the embodiment illustrated is to provide the key surfaces 9 on the strut side, by virtue of which, during the tightening of the threaded sleeve 6 , the strut 1 can be held steady relative to the key surfaces 10 of the sleeve.
FIG. 2 shows the clamping assembly of FIG. 1 , again viewed in longitudinal section. The figure shows the strut 1 with the reinforcing ring 7 on it, the threaded bolt 2 of the ball joint 4 and the threaded sleeve 6 arranged in the annular gap between the threaded bolt 2 and the tubular strut 1 . On its outer circumference the threaded sleeve 6 has a conically shaped external thread 8 , which in the connection area 5 is screwed into a matching, also conical internal thread 11 of the strut 1 .
On its inner circumference, the threaded sleeve 6 has an internal thread 12 , which is designed to match the cylindrical thread of the threaded bolt 2 . To assemble the strut element, the threaded sleeve 6 is first screwed loosely into the conical internal thread 11 of the strut 1 . Then, by means of the threaded bolt 2 , the ball joint 4 can be screwed into the threaded sleeve 6 and thus also into the end of the strut 1 , as far as the desired screw-in depth or until the required strut length has been reached. In this way, for example, in the case when the strut element is a steering or track rod, the track angle of an axle of a motor vehicle can be adjusted. The external thread 8 of the conical sleeve 6 then extends over the entire (conical) connection zone 5 of the threaded sleeve 6 , while the internal thread 12 extends over the full length of the threaded sleeve 6 .
Once the length of the strut element has been fixed in this way, the strut 1 and the threaded sleeve 6 are tightened against one another. For this, the strut 1 has the key surfaces (flat or linear segments) 9 formed on the reinforcing ring 7 and the threaded sleeve 6 has a collar with other key surfaces (flat or linear segments) 10 . By tightening the strut 1 and the threaded sleeve 6 , due to the conical design of the external thread 8 of the threaded sleeve 6 and of the internal thread 11 of the strut 1 , the threaded sleeve 6 is radially compressed within the strut 1 —particularly in the area of its end 14 on the strut side—whereby the internal thread 11 of the strut 1 , the external thread 8 and the internal thread 12 of the threaded sleeve 6 and the thread on the threaded bolt 2 are all pressed radially against one another. This produces a firm, axially form-locked and, in the circumferential direction, friction-force locked connection between the threaded bolt 2 or bolt joint 4 and the strut 1 .
FIG. 3 again shows the clamping assembly represented as an assembly in FIGS. 1 and 2 , but this time in an exploded view. This shows particularly clearly the slotting of the threaded sleeve 6 by virtue of which, in its connection zone 5 with the strut 1 , the threaded sleeve 6 acquires the radial elasticity it needs in order to clamp the threaded bolt 2 , the radial elasticity of the threaded sleeve 6 being most pronounced in the area of its end 14 on the strut side. The external thread 8 and/or the internal thread 12 of the threaded sleeve 6 may be provided with material-continuous screw retention means 15 , which is only diagrammatically shown in FIG. 3 .
In FIGS. 4 and 5 , the threaded sleeve 6 is again shown, but on an enlarged scale. In FIGS. 4 and 5 , again for the sake of greater simplicity the external thread 8 and the internal thread 12 of the threaded sleeve 6 are not represented explicitly in the drawing. One can see the radial slots 13 that extend over most of the length of the threaded sleeve 6 . To illustrate the conical geometry of the threaded sleeve 6 more clearly, the rear end face 14 of the threaded sleeve 6 is shown, lightly shaded, in FIG. 5 .
The clear result is that the invention provides a clamping assembly with which the strut and the threaded bolt of a strut element can be securely and lastingly connected firmly to one another, without any consequent weakening of the strut's structure due to the clamping assembly. Compared with the basic “strut” and “threaded bolt” components, the clamping assembly according to the invention needs almost no additional installation space, there is no need to form slots and/or grooves at the end of the strut that weaken the strut and create surfaces that are prone to corrosion, and the risk that exists in the prior art, of collision between a clamping collar in the area of the strut's end and adjacent components or assemblies is eliminated.
LIST OF INDEXES
1 Strut
2 Threaded blot
3 Joint housing
4 Ball joint
5 Connection zone
6 Threaded sleeve
7 Reinforcing ring
8 External thread of the sleeve
9 , 10 Key faces
11 Internal thread of the strut
12 Internal thread of the sleeve
13 Radial slots
14 End face of the sleeve, end area of the sleeve | A clamping assembly for a strut element. The clamping assembly connects one end of the substantially tubular strut to a threaded bolt. The clamping assembly comprises a threaded sleeve that is arranged in the tubular strut in a radial annular gap between the threaded bolt and the inside cross-section of the strut, in a conical internal thread of the strut. The threaded sleeve has a conical external thread and an internal thread that receives the threaded bolt. The end of the sleeve, that is received by the strut, is radially elastic. | 5 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is concerned with a method for the control of fouling by marine and fresh water mollusks through the use of ionene polymers.
Particularly, this invention relates to the control of mollusks which foul underground irrigation systems; municipal water treatment facilities; river sand and gravel operations; and industrial facilities utilizing raw water, particularly for cooling and fire protection systems. More particularly, this invention relates to the control of fouling by fresh water mollusks in fresh water systems, especially by species of Asiatic clams of the genus Corbicula, the most common of which is Corbicula fluminea (hereafter, "C. fluminea").
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,914 discloses a method of controlling Corbicula in aqueous systems comprising treating said systems with a cationic polymer. This patent, however, does not teach the use of ionene polymers as in the instant invention. For example, the preferred compound [DMDAAX.sup.⊖ ] of this reference has the structure: ##STR1## and does not, as such, contain nitrogen cations in the backbone of the polymer as do the ionene polymers of the instant invention. Ionene polymers have been employed in the control of simple microorganisms--such as bacteria and algae--but these organisms, unlike mollusks, are not complex macroinvertebrates.
Problems of fouling are caused by the attachment and growth of juvenile mollusks in service and cooling water systems, and the settlement of young adults in condenser tubes of condenser water systems, causing deleterious effects to the operation and safety of these systems. In fossil-fueled systems, problems have been related to plugging of condenser tubes, surface water heat exchangers, and fire protection systems. In nuclear power plants, additional problems of blockage may occur, including the shutdown of service water and emergency reactor cooling systems.
Among the most serious threats posed by C. fluminea is its macrofouling of nuclear and fossil-fueled power generating stations. In power plants, the shells of living and dead clams foul steam condensers and service water systems. Clams enter these systems as juveniles or adults carried on water currents and settle, grow, reproduce and accumulate in numbers that reduce water flow to levels that seriously compromise or prevent operation. (Goss et al., Control studies for Corbicula on steam electric generating plants, J. C. Britton (Ed.), Proceedings, First International Corbicula Symposium, Texas Christian University Research Foundation, Fort Worth, Tex., pp. 139-151 (1979)).
C. fluminea is a particularly dangerous macrofouling species in nuclear power plants because it simultaneously fouls primary and secondary (backup) systems, thus compromising fail-safe operation (Henegar et al., Bivalve Fouling of Nuclear Plant Service-Water Systems. Factors that may Intensify the Safety Consequences of Biofouling, NRC FIN B2463, NUREG/CR-4070, PNL-5300, Vol. 3 Div. Radiation Programs and Earth Sciences, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C., 51 pp. (1985)). Major biofouling incidents have been reported at nuclear power stations in Arkansas (Arkansas Nuclear I), Brown's Ferry, Ala., and Baldwin, Ill. (Henegar et al., above). Such incidents have led to the issuance of a bulletin by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Agency (U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Agency (USNRC), Flow Blockage of Cooling Water to Safety Components, Bulletin No. 81-03, Office of Inspection and Enforcement, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 6 pp. (1981)) requiring all nuclear power stations in the U.S. to inspect for and report the presence of this species in their operations and raw water sources. Analysis of this and other data has indicated that of the 32 nuclear power stations within the known geographic range of C. fluminea in the U.S., 19 already report infestations of varying severity and 11 others are in close proximity to known populations (Counts, Distribution of Corbicula fluminea at Nuclear Facilities, NRC FIN B8675, NUREG/CR-4233, Div. Engineering, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 79 pp. (1985)). Thus, macrofouling by C. fluminea presently poses a dangerous and costly problem in the nuclear industry.
Within the known geographic range of C. fluminea in the United States lie hundreds of fossil-fueled electric power stations whose raw water systems are also subject to macrofouling by this species. As in nuclear plants, such macrofouling requires expensive shut-downs for repair and replacement of damaged equipment, as well as expensive and often futile retrofitting of anti-fouling equipment that has generally proved ineffective in controlling clam impingement.
While a number of control methodologies have been developed to reduce the macrofouling of industrial and power station service water systems by C. fluminea, none has proved completely effective.
Control of C. fluminea macrofouling in power station and industrial service and auxilliary water systems has primarily been through chlorination. Recommended residuals of chlorine are 0.5-1.0μg per liter for continuous application or 500 μg per liter for periods of 100-500 hrs. to kill juvenile clams borne on intake currents into these systems (Cherry et al., Corbicul fouling and control measures at the Celco Plant, Virginia, Am. Malacol. Bull. Special Ed. No. 2, pp. 69-81 (1986); Mattice, Freshwater macrofouling and control with emphasis on Corbicula, Symposium on Condenser Macrofouling Control Technologies: The State of the Art, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, Calif., pp. 4-1-4-30 (1983); and Sinclair et al., Further Studies on the Introduced Asiatic Clam (Corbicula) in Tennessee, Tennessee Stream Pollution Control Board, Tennessee Department of Public Health, Nashville, 76 pp. (1963)).
As chlorination is generally only allowed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations for 2 of every 24 hrs. in systems returning service water to source (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Effluent limitations guidelines, pretreatment standards and new source performance standards under Clean Water Act; steam electric power generating point source catecory, 40 CFR, Parts 125 and 423, Fed. Regist. 45(200):68328-68337 (1980)), it has proved to be generally ineffective in controlling C. fluminea macrofouling (Page et al., Biofouling of power plant service water systems by Corbicula, Am. Malacol. Bull. Special Edition No. 2: 41-45 (1986)). Heavier chlorination may also exacerbate corrosion of pipes, and when C. fluminea burrows into accumulations of corrosion products and silt in the low flow areas of these systems it effectively becomes insulated from the toxic effects of chlorination (Johnson et al., Engineering factors influencing Corbicula fouling in nuclear service water systems, Am. Malacol. Bull. Special Ed. No. 2: 47-52 (1986)).
Mattice, above, reports a number of molluscicides other than chlorine that have been tested for efficacy in control of C. fluminea, but have proved ineffective or impractical. Antifouling paints, coverings and slow release toxic pellets appear effective in killing clams (Mattice, above), but their relatively short half-lives, and difficulties in application, make their utilization in existing service water systems neither feasible nor cost effective.
Therefore, there is a major incentive for the development of an environmentally safe, cost effective, highly potent molluscicide to control macrofouling by C. fluminea in industrial and power generation raw water systems. To date no molluscicide of those described above has proved to be completely satisfactory for the control of C. fluminea macrofouling in the raw water systems of power stations or other industrial operations.
The biology of bivalve mollusks, including such species as C. fluminea (Asiatic clam), is especially suited for their establishment and growth in the water systems of power plants. The Asiatic clam occurs in great abundance in fresh water systems. McMahon and Williams (McMahon et al., A reassessment of growth rate, life span, life cycles and population dynamics in a natural population and field caged individuals of Corbicula fluminea (Muller) (Bivalvia: Corbiculacea), Am. Malacol. Bull. Special Ed. No. 2, pp. 151-166 (1986)) measured a population of 1000 clams per square meter in the Trinity River and Benbrook Lake area in Texas. Since power generating stations require a large quantity of service water, they are located on major streams or lakes. The water is drawn from the supply source through a canal. Clams find these canals to be favorable for the production of their larval offspring which may be many thousands per clam. The larval stages and small adults are small enough to pass through the screens used to retard the passage of detritus into the plant. The larvae will then attach themselves to surfaces by their suctorial foot and the elaboration of mucilaginous byssal attachment threads.
Once attached, the juveniles mature into adults. In one to three months, the juveniles and small adults can grow in size so that when carried by currents into the condenser tubes, they can lodge in the tubes and cause the accumulation of small particles of material behind them, thereby completely plugging the tube. If enough tubes become plugged in this manner, the flow of water through the condenser is reduced to levels which seriously affect its efficiency, thereby forcing unit shut-down and manual removal of accumulated shells and other debris.
Clams do not grow in the condenser tubes, but are carried there by the currents from the water supply, particularly the embayment following screening. Juvenile clams carried into service water systems will mature in situ. and such systems will be plugged both by the adults produced in place and by those which are brought in by currents. Therefore, the control of fouling may be accomplished by killing the adult clams, the juvenile clams, or by preventing the attachment of the juveniles to surfaces.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The ionene polymers of the instant invention may be defined as polyelectrolytes with positively charged nitrogen atoms located in the backbone of polymeric chains. Examples of methods of preparation of such polymers include the polycondensation of diamines (for example, α,ω-ditertiary amines) with dihalides (for example, α,ω-dihalocompounds), the polycondensation of halo amines, or by reacting secondary amines such as dimethylamine with epichlorohydrin. Such methods produce polyammonium salts with positive nitrogens in the backbone. (See, for example, Rembaum, Biological Activity of Ionene Polymers, 22 Applied Polymer Symposium 299-317 (1973)).
Exemplary ionene polymers which may be employed in the process of the instant invention include those ionene polymers disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,771,989, 4,018,592, 4,054,542, 4,581,058 and 4,140,798, all incorporated herein by reference.
Both straight- and branched-chain ionene polymers have been found to be molluscicidal to adult mollusks. In addition, it has been found that straight-chain ionene polymers are especially useful in killing juvenile mollusks, and in preventing their attachment to surfaces. Branched-chain ionene polymers may also be employed in the control of juveniles, but may require higher treatment levels than straight-chain ionene polymers.
Some crosslinking may be present in the ionene polymers employed in the instant invention. However, noncrosslinked polymers are preferred, since crosslinking may tend to reduce the effectiveness of ionene polymers in the control of mollusks.
The effective amount of ionene polymer needed to control fouling by mollusks may readily be determined by one skilled in the art. Amounts ranging from 0.5 to 500 parts of the polymer to one million parts of water are preferred.
A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises the addition of a straight-chain ionene polymer to the incoming canal or embayment water in an amount effective to kill the larval forms before they settle and mature into adult mollusks. Such addition thereby provides inhibition of mollusk infestation with its subsequent blockage of the structural parts of internal water systems. An added feature is the reduction in the number of larvae which become attached to the internal surfaces of the water system, avoiding their consequent growth into adults. By extension of the treatment rate, the destruction of adult mollusks is accomplished, eradicating problems of fouling by the adults.
The addition of a branched-chain ionene polymer in an effective amount to the incoming water will kill adult mollusks. Preferably, the amount will range from 0.5 parts to 500 parts of the polymer to one million parts of water.
Ionene polymers are suited for treatment of aqueous systems, such as those found in power generating facilities, because they ma be used in low concentrations and are dissipated in the treatment process by adsorption to suspended matter. It is therefore unlikely that use of the polymers in water systems will cause contamination of the receiving body of water.
The following examples illustrate certain embodiments of the invention and should not be regarded as limiting the scope and spirit of the invention.
EXAMPLE 1
Discussion
The efficacy of a straight-chain ionene polymer was documented in laboratory experiments using juvenile and adult forms of the Asiatic clam, C. fluminea. Poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene dichloride] was prepared by the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,989 and tested as a 60% solution in water, hereinafter referred to as BULAB® 6002 polymer.
Juveniles: Materials and Methods
For static tests of toxicity of BULAB® 6002 polymer to juvenile C. fluminea, gravid adults were collected from the Clear Fork of the Trinity River near Arlington, Tex., and returned immediately to the laboratory. On return, selected adults were placed in one liter of dechlorinated tap water in glass culture dishes and held overnight in an incubator adjusted to field water temperature. The following morning, adults were removed from the culture dishes, and all spawned, viable juvenile clams (shell length approximately 2 mm) were collected individually and transferred to glass petri dishes containing 20 mL of dechlorinated city of Arlington tap water. Twenty-five juveniles were placed in each of three replicate dishes for each concentration of the product tested. Three control dishes containing twenty-five juveniles, and no molluscicide, were also set up. For test purposes, BULAB® 6002 polymer was diluted with dechlorinated tap water so that when 20 mL of the dilution were added to the petri dishes containing the juveniles, final concentrations of 2, 4 and 8 ppm of BULAB® 6002 polymer were achieved in the 40 mL of fluid. The control dishes received another 20 mL aliquot of Lake Arlington tap water. All the dishes were adjusted to pH 7 when necessary. The dishes were covered and held at 24° C. in a constant temperature room. Observations were made on the viability of the juveniles every two hours during the first 24 hours, at 6 hour intervals during the next 48 hours, and every 12 hours thereafter until either 100% mortality had been achieved, or for 7 days. Viability was determined under a 30× microscope by observation of heartbeat, gill ciliary activity, and by the maintenance of high levels of foot activity. Juveniles not displaying these characteristics, and which were unresponsive to touch by a fine camel hair brush, were removed from the dishes and counted as dead. Mortality figures were recorded at intervals based on seventy-five exposed juveniles.
Adults: Materials and Methods
Adult clams were collected from the Clear Fork of the Trinity River in Texas and transported immediately to the laboratory. The adults were habituated to dechlorinated city of Arlington, Tex. tap water for 2 days before experimentation. For each concentration of BULAB® 6002 polymer tested, and for the controls with no BULAB® 6002 polymer, three sets of twenty-five adults each were placed in 18 liters of solution in plastic holding tanks and held at 24° C. The experimental adults were selected to provide the size range of C. fluminea found in their natural habitat (5-35 mm in shell length). The tanks were maintained under constant aeration for the duration of the experiment, and the solutions were changed every 4 days. Periodically, all clams were checked for viability by noting the resistance to the entry of a blunted needle between the valves and, if needed, by examination of heartbeat after forcing the valves open. In the cases where adults closed their valves tightly when exposed to the several concentrations of the test chemicals, provision was made to artificially keep their valves open by inserting a plastic tab between the valves to insure continuous contact of the mollusk body with the products. Such organisms were termed "gaping adults". A total of seventy-five adults were exposed to each of the concentrations of BULAB® 6002 polymer, and to the untreated control tanks.
Experimental Results
The following is a summary of the results obtained from toxicity tests of BULAB® 6002 polymer to the Asiatic clam, C. fluminea.
______________________________________ Mean Treatment Time level to Death Mean PercentGroup (ppm) (hr) LT50 LT100 Not Attached______________________________________Juve- 2 129.0 85.5 275 86.3niles 4 87.9 48.6 204 92.5 8 74.4 45.6 168 88.0Control (48.1% dead after 96 hour exposure)Normal 2 64.0 54.3 113 --Adults 4 58.2 49.5 101 -- 8 59.5 44.8 101 --Control (0% dead after 113 hour exposure)Gaping 2 77.7 48.1 118 --Adults 4 84.8 51.3 143 -- 8 83.8 49.5 143 --______________________________________Control (3.0% dead after 143 hour exposure)______________________________________
Discussion of Results
The juveniles were less susceptible to treatment than the adults, but did exhibit more of a response to increased levels of BULAB® 6002 polymer. Over 85% of the juveniles were prevented from attaching to the surface of the experimental dishes.
The adults were killed in a relatively short time and did not exhibit a dose response. The similar times to death of the normal as compared to the gaping adults indicates that BULAB® 6002 polymer is not an irritant which causes the clam to tightly close its valves to avoid exposure.
The data clearly demonstrates that BULAB® 6002 polymer will kill the Asiatic clam Corbicula in a reasonable time in both the larval and adult stages.
EXAMPLE 2
Discussion
The efficacy of a second straight-chain ionene polymer was demonstrated in similar laboratory experiments. Poly[2-hydroxyethylene(dimethyliminio)-2-hydroxypropylene(dimethyliminio) methylene dichloride], prepared as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,798, was tested as a 60% aqueous solution, hereinafter referred to as BULAB® 6024 polymer.
Materials and Methods
The same materials and methods as in Example 1 were used except that the juveniles were obtained from clams being held in an experimental tank in the water system of a power station. Also, no experiments were done with gaping adults.
Experimental Results
The following is a summary of the results obtained from tests of BULAB® 6024 polymer with the Asiatic clam, C. fluminea.
______________________________________ Mean Treatment Time level to Death Mean PercentGroup (ppm) (hr) LT50 LT100 Not Attached______________________________________Juve- 2 215.8 161.8 352 93.0niles 4 181.3 132.4 304 86.4 8 140.2 82.3 257 70.3Control (21.5% dead after 352 hour exposure)Normal 2 114.3 97.4 167 --Adults 4 122.8 101.8 192 -- 8 129.3 113.9 192 --Control (1.3% dead after 192 hour exposure)______________________________________
Discussion of Results
The juveniles were less susceptible to treatment than the adults, but did exhibit more of a response to increased levels of BULAB® 6024 polymer. At 2 ppm, over 90% of the juveniles were prevented from attaching to the surface of the experimental dishes.
Adults were killed by the treatment with BULAB® 6024 polymer, but did not exhibit a dose response. The data demonstrate that BULAB® 6024 polymer will kill the Asiatic clam Corbicula in a reasonable time in both the larval and adult stages.
EXAMPLE 3
Discussion
A branched-chain ionene polymer was tested against adult C. fluminea. The polymer tested was prepared from N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine and epichlorohydrin as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,592. It was tested as a 25% aqueous solution in water, herinafter referred to as BULAB® 5001 polymer.
Materials and Methods
The experimental design was essentially the same as that described in Example 1, except that only adults were used and only in normal condition, i.e., not gaping.
Experimental Results
The following is a summary of the results obtained from tests of BULAB® 5001 polymer against adult Asiatic clams, C. fluminea.
______________________________________ Mean Treatment Time level to Death Mean PercentGroup (ppm) (hr) LT50 LT100 Not Attached______________________________________Normal 2 >383 1042.7 >383 --Adults 4 >383 305.1 >383 -- 8 186.3 160.1 311 --Control (1.3% dead after 383 hour exposure)______________________________________
Discussion of Results
The adult clams were killed by BULAB® 5001 polymer at a level of 8 ppm with evidence of a dose response. This indicates that while BULAB® 5001 polymer is not as good as the straight-chain ionene polymers tested in Examples 1 and 2, branched-chain ionene polymers will also control the Asiatic clam C. fluminea at a relatively low treatment level.
While this invention has been described with respect to particular embodiments thereof, other forms or modifications of this invention will be evident to those skilled in the art. The appended claims, as well as the invention generally, should be construed to cover all such forms or modifications which are within the scope of the present invention. | A method for the control of fouling by marine and fresh water mollusks through the use of an ionene polymer. The disclosed method is particularly useful in controlling fouling by species of fresh water Asiatic clams of the genus Corbicula, the most common of which is C. fluminea. | 0 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention generally relates to methods for recovering alkali metal carbonates such as sodium carbonate and bicarbonate from minerals containing those carbonates in combination with clays and shales. The invention further relates to precipitating alkaline earth carbonates from caustic slurries of those carbonates and to clarifying the resulting supernatant liquids.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Trona is an ore which contains sodium carbonates and sodium bicarbonates, collectively referred to as sodium sesquicarbonates. In Trona, sodium sesquicarbonates typically are found with clays, shales, and the like. Separation and removal of clays, shales and the like is necessary to provide the sought after sodium sesquicarbonates.
Flocculating clays and shales from Trona typically has been performed in the prior art by either the monohydrate slurry method or the sesquicarbonate method. The monohydrate slurry method entails calcining Trona at 200°-400° F. to convert the sodium sesquicarbonates to sodium carbonates. Lower calcining temperatures may be employed when lower concentrations of sodium sesquicarbonate are present in the Trona. The calcined Trona containing the sodium carbonates is then dissolved in water at 25°-100° C. within a pH range of 9-11, depending on the concentration of sodium sesquicarbonates in the Trona, to provide the monohydrate slurry. The resulting monohydrate slurry is treated with a flocculating agent to flocculate solids such as clays, shales and the like from the slurry to provide a supernatant solution of sodium carbonate. The sodium carbonates then are precipitated from the supernatant solution and heated to yield dry sodium carbonate.
In the sesquicarbonate process, Trona typically is dissolved in water at a temperature of about 200° F. and at a pH of 9-11. A flocculating agent is added to precipitate solids such as clays and shales to yield a clarified supernatant liquid of sodium sesquicarbonate. The supernatant solution of sodium sesquicarbonates is cooled to precipitate sodium sesquicarbonates which are calcined to yield sodium carbonates.
Various flocculating agents have been employed to flocculate clays, shales, etc. from slurries of Trona. Synthetic polymers such as acrylamide polymers typically have been used as flocculating agents. Saccharides such as guar gum also have been used to flocculate clays and shales. Flocculating agents such as guar gum, however, tend to provide low rates of flocculation. Guar gum, moreover, is expensive.
A need therefore exists for an inexpensive method of providing high rates of settling of solids such as clays and shales from mineral slurries such as Trona slurries.
Conventional flocculating agents such as copolymers of acrylamides and acrylates also have been employed to flocculate alkaline earth carbonates from caustic slurries such as slurries containing slaked lime and sodium carbonate. These copolymers, however, tend to produce low rates of precipitation of alkaline earth carbonates. Also, the clarities of supernatant liquids that result from precipitation of the alkaline earth carbonates tend to be low, indicating that substantial quantities of alkaline earth carbonates remain in the supernatant solution. The supernatant liquid that results from flocculation of the alkaline earth carbonates, moreover, often includes coloration impurities such as iron, humic acid and organic materials. Elimination of these coloration impurities is desirable because these impurities reduce the quality of the alkaline earth carbonates precipitated from the supernatant solution.
A need therefore exists for methods to efficiently and effectively precipitate alkaline earth carbonates from caustic solutions. A further need exists for methods of reducing the levels of coloration impurities in supernatant solutions of alkaline earth carbonates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a process for recovering alkali metal carbonates such as sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate from slurries of minerals such as Trona which contain those carbonates in admixture with solids such as clays and shales. The invention further provides a method for precipitating alkaline earth carbonates from caustic slurries of those carbonates, as well as to clarifying the supernatant liquids which result from precipitating the alkaline earth carbonates.
In accordance with the invention, a method of employing hydroxamated acrylamide polymers (hereinafter called "HXPAMS") to recover alkali metal carbonates such as sodium carbonates from aqueous slurries of minerals such as Trona which contain solids such as clays, shales and the like, and alkali sesquicarbonates, is provided. The method entails adding HXPAMS to an aqueous slurry of Trona in an amount sufficient to flocculate the solids from the slurry to provide a supernatant liquid containing alkali sesquicarbonates. The alkali sesquicarbonates are precipitated from the supernatant liquid by known methods such as cooling. The precipitated sesquicarbonates then are heated to a temperature sufficient to convert the sodium sesquicarbonates to sodium carbonates. The amount of HXPAMS added to the slurry ranges from about 1-10,000 ppm per ton of Trona slurry, preferably from about 1-1,000 ppm of HXPAMS per ton of Trona slurry. HXPAMS may be employed in admixture with an additional flocculant, preferably polydiallyldimethyl ammonium chloride ("polyDADM"). The additional flocculant is employed in a sufficient amount to provide a ratio of the additional flocculant to HXPAMS of from about 10:1 to 1:10, preferably a ratio of about 5:1 to 1:5. Other flocculants which may be used in place of the polyDADM include polyamines such as those produced by reacting alkylamines with epichlorohydrin, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,248,353; cationics such as those containing Mannich groups, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,348, quaternaries such as those produced from monomers having the formula CH 2 =C(R)CONR 1 NR 2 R 3 wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, R 1 is a straight or branched chain C 2 -C 8 alkylene group and R 2 and R 3 are independently C 1-4 alkyl radicals, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,874, etc.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of employing HXPAMS to precipitate alkaline earth metal carbonates from caustic slurries containing those carbonates is provided. The method comprises adding HXPAMS to a caustic slurry comprising the alkaline earth metal carbonates in an amount sufficient to precipitate alkaline earth metal carbonates from the slurry and to yield a supernatant liquid containing those carbonates. Alkaline earth metal carbonates which may be precipitated include magnesium carbonate, beryllium carbonate, strontium carbonate, barium carbonate, and radium carbonate, mixtures thereof. Preferably calcium carbonate is precipitated from a caustic slurry having an alkali concentration of about 3-25%, preferably about, 8-15%, by weight.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, HXPAMS can be added to an aqueous Trona slurry over a broad range of temperatures and pH levels. The amount of HXPAMS added depends on the amount of solids such as clays, shales and the like in the Trona slurry, as well as the temperature and pH of the slurry. HXPAMS having a hydroxamation level of about 10-40 mole percent are particularly useful in the invention. These HXPAMS are taught in and can be made by processes disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,540 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,751, the teachings of which are incorporated in their entirety by reference. Generally, homopolymers of an acrylamide or copolymers of an acrylamide and such monomers as acrylic acid, sodium acrylate etc. may be hydroxamated to produce the hydroxamated polymers employed in the instant invention.
Generally, about 1-10,000 ppm of HXPAMS per ton of Trona slurry will effectively flocculate substantially all of the clays, shales and the like from the Trona slurry. Typically about 1-1,000 ppm of HXPAMS per ton of Trona slurry can be used. The slurries generally comprise from about 1 to about 50% solids, preferably from about 5 to about 35%, by weight.
The invention will now be described by reference to the following non-limiting examples. All percentages are by weight unless otherwise noted.
The effectiveness of HXPAMS for flocculating solids such as clays, shales and the like from aqueous Trona slurries is gauged by measuring the rate of sedimentation of solids from a given volume of Trona slurry by the cylinder settling test. The effectiveness of HXPAMS as a flocculant also can be evaluated by gauging the clarity of the supernatant liquid resulting from flocculation of solids, i.e., greater clarities in the supernatant liquid indicate a greater efficiency of flocculation of solids.
EXAMPLES 1-3
500 ml samples of aqueous monohydrate Trona slurry at 140° F. are each placed into a graduated vessel. The vessel is inverted three times to uniformly mix the slurry. An HXPAM is added to the slurry whereupon the vessel is inverted three times to uniformly mix and condition the slurry with the HXPAM. The rate of settling of solids is monitored by periodically marking the mud line on the side of the vessel. The clarity of the resulting supernatant liquid is measured by visual comparison with samples of aqueous Trona slurry which have not been treated with flocculant.
Addition of the HXPAM, as shown in TABLE 1, provides surprisingly high rates of settling of solids even when employed in very low dosages.
As shown in Table 1, when the HXPAM is added in very small dosages of 4.0-9.4 ppm on an active basis of the HXPAM, high settling rates of 1.5-3.9 inch/minute are achieved. A wide range of dosages of HXPAMS other than those of Table 1, however, may be employed depending upon the specific types of clays, shales and the like in the Trona slurry, the temperature of the slurry, as well as the pH off the slurry. Specific dosage amounts of the HXPAM therefore readily may be determined by those skilled in the art.
For comparison of the settling rates provided by the HXPAM to commercially available flocculants, the rate of settling of solids generated by addition of commercially available guar gum is measured. The rate of settling of solids from aqueous Trona slurties provided by guar gurn is measured by adding 40 ppm doses of guar gum to the aqueous monohydrate Trona slurry. The rate of settling achieved by 40 ppm dose of guar gum is 0.7-1.0 inch/minute. By comparison, dosages of the HXPAM of as little as 4.0 ppm provide a much higher settling rate of 1.5 inch/minute.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in Examples 4-6, an HXPAM is combined with an additional flocculant to further increase the extent of settling of solids as well as to yield supernatant liquids with further improved levels of clarity. Accordingly, the additional flocculant is combined with the HXPAM prior to adding to the aqueous Trona slurry.
EXAMPLES 4-6
An HXPAM is admixed with an additional flocculant by well known procedures. The relative proportions of the additional flocculant, poly(DADM), and the HXPAM in the combined flocculant are shown in Table 1. The resulting, combined flocculant is added to the slurry as described in Example 3. The results are shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1__________________________________________________________________________ Dose Setting RateExample Flocculant(s) (ppm) (inch/minute) Clarity__________________________________________________________________________1 HXPAM.sup.1 4.0 1.5 Fair2 HXPAM.sup.1 * 5.4 2.7 Fair3 HXPAM.sup.1 * 9.4 3.9 Fair4 HXPAM.sup.1 /DADM** 9.4/20.0 3.9 Excellent5 DADM/HXPAM1.sup.1 *.sup.,2 20.0/5.4 1.7 Good6 DADM/HXPAM.sup.1 *.sup.,2 40.0/5.4 0.2 Excellent__________________________________________________________________________ .sup.1 Molecular weight = 10-15 million % hydroxamation = 45% *Inverted cylinder five times instead of three times **Reflocculated the slurry of Example 3 with DADM. .sup.2 Poly(DADM)-M.W. about 500,000
As indicated, an admixture of the HXPAM and additional flocculant can be added to the Trona slurry. Alternatively, the additional flocculant may be added either prior to or subsequent to addition of the HXPAM. The ratio of the additional flocculant to the HXPAM can vary over a wide range, typically from 10:1 to 1:10, preferably 5:1 to 1:5.
In another aspect of the invention, an HXPAM is used to flocculate alkaline earth metal carbonates from caustic aqueous solutions of those carbonates. Alkaline earth metal carbonates which may be flocculated by the HXPAMS include magnesium, beryllium, strontium, barium, and radium carbonates, as well as mixtures thereof, preferably, calcium carbonate. Caustic slurries of the alkaline earth metal carbonate are made by known methods. For example, aqueous caustic slurries of calcium carbonate can be produced by reacting calcium hydroxide with sodium carbonate to yield sodium hydroxide, calcium carbonate and water.
After the alkaline earth metal carbonate solids have been flocculated from the caustic slurry, the residual supernatant liquid can be treated by known processes such as polish clarification to improve further the clarity of the supernatant. The alkaline earth metal carbonates which are flocculated from caustic slurries by the HXPAM can be recovered by known processes such. as counter current decantation, filtration processes, centrifugation, screw presses, etc.
EXAMPLES 7-15
Polymeric flocculant is added to a caustic slurry of CaCO 3 by adding a dose of polymer to 950 ml of the caustic slurry of CaCO 3 contained in a graduated cylinder. Prior to addition, a 6.0 ml dose of polymer, at 0.1% concentration on an active polymer basis, is diluted by distilled water to yield a total volume of diluted polymer solution of 50 ml. The 50 ml volume of the diluted polymer is added in two 25 ml portions. Just prior to adding the first 25 ml portion of the diluted polymer to the caustic slurry, the 950 ml volume of the caustic slurry in the graduated cylinder is agitated by inverting the cylinder and returning it to its upright position five times. The first 25 ml portion of the diluted polymer then is added to the caustic slurry. The cylinder again is inverted and returned to its upright position three times to thoroughly mix the 25 ml portion of polymer with the slurry. The remaining 25 ml of diluted polymer then is added to the slurry. The cylinder again is inverted and returned to its upright position three times. The rate at which the calcium carbonate is flocculated is monitored by recording the mudline of the flocculated CaCO 3 . The results are shown in Table 2.
To illustrate the surprising ability of an HXPAM to flocculate alkaline earth carbonates such as calcium carbonates from caustic solutions, the rate of settling of calcium carbonate from a caustic slurry containing calcium carbonates having a total solids of 10.1% and total alkalinity of 11.4% NaOH+0.33% Na 2 CO 3 , by addition of the HXPAM is compared with the rate of settling achieved by known copolymers of polyacrylamides and acrylates.
Polymer A is used to flocculate calcium carbonate from caustic slurties having 8-15% caustic concentrations. Polymer A is diluted as described above for the HXPAM. The diluted flocculants are added to the caustic slurry as described above for the HXPAM. The results are shown in Table 3.
TABLE 2__________________________________________________________________________ Settling Flocculant Flocculant Rate Dose Std viscosity HXPAM % (inches/ Clarity/FlocculationExampleFlocculant (ml) in mPa · s Hydroxamation min) Response__________________________________________________________________________ 7* Polymer A 6 -- -- 3.9 Poor/Suspended Solids8 HXPAM 6 10-11 20 3.4 Very Good/Large Floccs 9* Polymer A 6 -- -- 4.6 Good but with Suspended Fine Solids10* Polymer C 6 10 0 4.1 Poor/Indistinct Mud Line11* Polymer A 6 -- -- 3.9 Fair to Good12* Polymer D 6 9.5 0 2.9 Poor/Indistinct Mud Line13* Polymer B 6 -- 3.8 Good14* Polymer A 6 -- -- 3.6 Poor to Fair15 HXPAM 6 10-11 10 4.7 Very Good/Large Floccs__________________________________________________________________________ Polymer A = Commercial polyacrylate Polymer B = Commercial high molecular weight ammonium polyacrylate polyme Polymer C = Acrylamide: sodium acrylate copolymer 60% charge Polymer D = Acrylamide: sodium acrylate copolymer 30% charge * = Comparative
The clarities of the supernatant liquids which result from treatment of caustic slurries of calcium carbonate having a low percent alkalinity also are highly surprising. This is illustrated in Examples 16-22.
EXAMPLES 16-18
Using the caustic slurry and mixing procedures of Example 8, an HXPAM is added to flocculate CaCO 3 solids. The clarities of the resulting supernatant liquid are shown in Table 3. In comparison, the clarity of the supernatant that results from treatment of that caustic CaCO 3 slurry with conventional high ionic charged acrylamide/acrylate copolymers such as Polymer A, as performed in accordance with Example 7, is poor.
EXAMPLES 19-22
Using the mixing procedure of Example 7, an HXPAM is added to a caustic slurry of calcium carbonate having total solids of 10.6%, and total alkalinity of 1.68% Na 2 CO 3 +11.23% NaOH. The results are shown in Table 4.
In comparison, conventional high ionic charged flocculants such as Polymer B do not yield as good results. This is illustrated in Example 22 wherein Polymer B is added in accordance with the mixing procedures of Example 7 to the above caustic slurry. The result is shown in Table 4.
TABLE 3__________________________________________________________________________ Settling Flocculant Flocculant Rate Supernatant Dose Std HXPAM % (inches/ Clarity/FlocculationExampleFlocculant (ml) viscosity Hydroxamation min) Response__________________________________________________________________________16 HXPAM 4 10-11 10 4.4 Clear Supernatant and Large Floccs17 HXPAM 4 10-11 20 3.0 Clear Supernatant and Large Floccs 18* Polymer A 4 -- -- 3.6 Fair-Good Clarity and Medium Floccs__________________________________________________________________________ * = Comparative
TABLE 4__________________________________________________________________________ Settling Supernatant Flocculant Flocculant Rate Clarity and Dose Std HXPAM % (inches/ FlocculationExampleFlocculant (ml) viscosity Hydroxamation min) Response__________________________________________________________________________19 HXPAM 8 10-11 20 3.6 Clear Supernatant and Large Floccs20 HXPAM 8 10-11 10 4.6 Clear Supernatant and Large Floccs21* Polymer A 8 -- -- 4.0 Good and Medium Floccs22* Polymer B 8 -- -- 3.9 Moderate Supernatant Clarity and Medium Floccs__________________________________________________________________________ * = Comparative
In accordance with another aspect of the invention as illustrated in Examples 23-27, it is found that the HXPAMS can remove residual iron and other coloring constituents remaining in the supernatant liquids which result from flocculation of the alkaline earth carbonates. Use of an HXPAM to remove the coloring constituents is beneficial since coloring constituents such as dissolved iron, humic acid and the like tend to degrade the alkaline earth carbonates precipitated from supernatant liquid.
EXAMPLES 23-27
200 ml samples of 50% caustic solutions of calcium carbonate are mixed in a beaker with a magnetic stirrer. The caustic solutions are maintained at 140° F. while the solutions are stirred for three minutes. An HXPAM is added to precipitate calcium carbonate solids. The resulting supernatant solution is filtrated on a Buchner funnel. The filtered solutions are allowed to stand and cool for several hours.
The resulting coloration of the supernatant liquid is determined on filtered solutions by quantitative comparison to color standards. The concentration of impurities such as iron in the treated supernatant liquid are analyzed by known methods. Quantitative coloration results are inversely related to color, i.e., lower color number shows improved color. The coloration of the treated supernatant liquids, as shown in Table 5, demonstrate the effectiveness of HXPAM for removing coloration agents.
TABLE 5__________________________________________________________________________ HXPAM Iron Flocculant HXPAM HXPAM % Concentra- Addition Conc (%) Molecular Hydroxama- Color tionExampleFlocculant ml of HXPAM Weight tion Reading ppm__________________________________________________________________________None -- -- -- -- 17 7.923 HXPAM .5 100 100-200K 40 12 7.824 HXPAM .5 100 100-200K 30 12 7.525 HXPAM 50 1.0 100-200K 20 30+ 2.726 HXPAM 50 1.0 100-200K 60 30+/19* 1.227 HXPAM 50 1.0 100-200K 30 30+/20** 1.0__________________________________________________________________________ *Carbon treated first filtrate (1st reading) refiltered to obtain second reading. **Treated first filtrate with 3 ml of 2% polydiallyldimethyl ammonium chloride and refiltered to get second reading. Post floccule formation after sample was allowed to stand and was filtered away, and the filtrate analyzed for iron content.
From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions. | The present invention provides a process for recovering alkali carbonates such as alkali sesquicarbonates from slurries of minerals such as Trona which contain those carbonates as well as clays and shales. The invention further provides a method for recovering alkaline earth carbonates from caustic slurries of those carbonates, as well as to clarifying the supernatant liquids which result from recovery of the alkaline earth carbonates. | 1 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the provision of a containment structure for the blades of a turbine wheel in the event they become disassociated from the hub during rotation of the wheel. More specifically, the invention relates to the provision of radial containment structure that provides a measure of axial containment as well.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Prior art of possible relevance includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,407 issued Nov. 2, 1976 to Cunningham and, conceivably, U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,848 issued Nov. 29, 1983 to Dembeck.
As is well known, turbine wheels utilized in turbines of various sorts frequently operate at extremely high rotational speeds. Any of a variety of occurrences can cause the breakage of turbine blades forming part of the turbine wheels. For example, ingestion of foreign material into the turbine can cause such breakage. Similarly, fatigue of the turbine blades, frequently introduced by thermal forces may, cause breakage of one or more turbine blades. In a like vein, excessive wear on bearings journalling the turbine wheel may lead to interference between fixed and rotating components of the turbine which in turn can cause breakage of blades.
Because of the high rotational velocities at which such wheels frequently turn, the blades contain considerable stored energy which is released upon breakage of one or more of the blades. The centrifugal force will cause the blade fragment to travel radially outwardly at high velocity which is sufficient to pierce the relatively thin housing for the turbine and exit the same while still at very high velocity. Not infrequently, in the course of movement, the separated fragment of a blade will be deflected by other turbine components such that its path of travel will have an axially directed component as well as a radially directed one. In any event, such fragments, whether traveling purely radially, or purely axially, or both radially and axially, have the capacity to severely damage other objects in the vicinity of the turbine.
To avoid this problem, various so-called "containment" proposals have evolved. The object of such proposals is to prevent the escape of separated turbine blade fragments at high velocity from the turbine in the radial, or axial, or both directions.
Radial confinement is frequently effected by a so-called containment ring. Typically, a containment ring is a relatively thick ring of material capable of withstanding high impact loads. The same is disposed about the turbine blades just radially outwardly of the peripheries thereof and in axial alignment therewith. A radially inwardly opening groove is located on the inner periphery of the ring in facing relation to the ends of the turbine blades. Radially traveling separated blade fragments move radially outwardly to impact against the ring at the bottom of the groove and the walls of the groove prevent substantial axial deflection of the separated fragments.
Heretofore, many proposals for containment rings utilize bolts for securing the ring in axial alignment with the blades. In many instances, particularly where weight is of concern as in aircraft applications, to save weight, the components are made as small and as compact as possible. Thus, in systems such as shown in the previously identified Cunningham patent, locating bolts may be in fairly close proximity axially speaking to the blades such that a blade fragment traveling principally in the radial direction but having an axial component of movement can impact against the bolts to shear the same. Additionally, the ring location housings may deform and separate. In either event, the containment ring can no longer be positively located in axial alignment with the blades. If the ring then becomes misaligned, it can no longer provide radial containment. Moreover, such constructions as are known in the prior art universally require provision of separate means to provide axial containment.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the above problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved turbine assembly that provides for radial containment of separated turbine blades. It is also an object of the invention to provide such a containment structure that additionally provides a measure of axial containment as well.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention achieves the foregoing objects in a turbine assembly including a turbine wheel journalled for rotation about an axis and having a plurality of turbine blades which generally radially extend away from the axis in at least one stage. A containment ring having a central opening surrounds the blades and is spaced radially outwardly thereof in axial alignment therewith. The radially inner surface of the ring includes a radially inwardly opening groove facing the blades. First and second, generally axially extending, deformable housings are provided for the turbine wheel. The housings are located radially outwardly of the blades and radially inwardly of the ring and sandwich the ring to maintain the ring in axial alignment with the blades. The housings have portions overlapping each other and enclosing the groove without substantially entering the same.
As a consequence of this construction, when turbine blades separate from the hub of the turbine wheel and move radially outwardly, they impact upon the overlapping portions of the housings to deform the same into the groove thereby also forming a groove in the overlapping portions which act to confine the turbine blade fragments in the same manner as in the prior art. Additionally, the driving of the overlapping portions into the groove prevents the ring from shifting axially because it is restrained in the axial direction by the portion of the housings now disposed within the groove in the ring.
Furthermore, because the portions of the housings driven into the groove move radially outwardly, portions of such housings axially remote from the groove tend to move radially inwardly thereby providing an enhanced measure of axial containment.
In a preferred embodiment, each of the housings oppositely of the turbine structure has a radially outwardly directed shoulder. The shoulders respectively abut an adjacent side of the ring to normally restrain axial movement thereof.
A highly preferred embodiment further contemplates that the first housing, at a location axially in advance of the turbine wheel, and the second housing, at a location axially behind the turbine wheel, each mount radially inwardly directed struts or blades which extend inwardly of the overlapping portions toward the turbine rotational axis to at least partially flank the blades on both sides thereof. Thus, when the overlapping portions are driven outwardly by broken fragments of a turbine blade, the radially inwardly directed struts or blades are moved radially inwardly to provide the aforementioned measure of axial containment.
In a highly preferred embodiment, the structure is further characterized by the absence of axially extending bolts interconnecting the shoulders on the housings.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, sectional view of a turbine embodying containment means made according to the invention; and
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view illustrating the operation of the containment means of the present invention upon the breakage of a turbine blade.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
An exemplary embodiment of a turbine including a containment means made according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 in the form of a single stage turbine which may be used, for example, in starting a jet engine. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be employed with efficacy in turbines used for other purposes as well as turbines having a greater number of stages.
Referring now to FIG. 1, the turbine includes a shaft 10 journalled as by bearings 12 in any suitable form of fixed structure 14. One end of the shaft 10 terminates in a hub 16 which in turn mounts a plurality of generally radially extending turbine blades 18.
To one side of the blades 18 is an inlet housing 20 and to the opposite side of the blades 18 is an exhaust housing 22. The inlet housing 20 includes a suitable inlet port 24 for receiving gas under pressure. The incoming gas is directed axially toward the blades 18 as by a conventional nozzle structure or blades 26 mounted on the housing 20 to extend radially inwardly thereof in close axial proximity to the blades 18.
On the downstream side of the blades 18, the housing 22 may mount radially inwardly directed struts or diffuser blades 28 which may likewise be of conventional construction.
A containment ring 30 is located in axial alignment with the blades 18 and radially outwardly thereof. The containment ring 30 may be made of materials conventionally employed for the purpose and includes opposed sides 32 and 34 as well as an inner side 36. The inner side 36 is provided with a radially inwardly opening, annular groove 38 of arcuate cross section. In normal operation of the turbine, the ring 30 is maintained in the located illustrated in FIG. 1 by peripheral shoulders 39 and 40 on the outer sides of the housings 20 and 22, respectively. The shoulders 39 and 40 respectively abut the sides 32 and 34 of the containment ring 30. Unlike prior art constructions, no bolts interconnecting the shoulders 39 and 40 are required.
The housings 20 and 22 are formed of conventional metal materials used for the purpose and as a consequence are deformable. This characteristic is employed as will become apparent.
The housing 20 includes an axially extending, continous, annular sleeve 42 which overlaps and extends completely across the groove 38 in the containment ring 30. As can be seen from the drawing, the sleeve 42 is in abutment with the inner side 36 of the containment ring 30.
The housing 22 includes an oppositely directed axial by extending, continuous, annular sleeve 44 which likewise overlaps and extends completely across the groove 38. The sleeve 44 extends into the sleeve 42 and both are located radially outwardly of the blades 18 and, of course, radially inwardly of the ring 30. Consequently the housings 20 and 22 provide continous circumferential attachment with the ring 30.
Conventionally, and forming no part of the invention, the structure may include, at locations radially inwardly of the blades 18, axial containment structure as, for example, at the locations designated 46, 48 and 50.
For normal operation of the turbine, the components will asume the condition illustrated in FIG. 1. However, upon breakage of one or more turbine blades, the components will assume the configuration illustrated in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, a break of one of the blades is shown at 52, which is at a location corresponding to a typical design break point in a blade. As a consequence, the blade 28 has moved radially outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force to impact against the sleeve 44 on the housing 22. The force is sufficient to drive the sleeve 44 as well as the sleeve 42, which abuts the sleeve 44, into the groove 38 in the containment ring 30. Consequently, a groove is formed in the sleeve 44 which now acts as the containment groove and performs the functions conventionally expected of the same. In short, the newly formed groove 54 provides for radial containment of the fragment of the blade 18 shown at 18' in FIG. 2.
The newly formed groove 54 provides an additional function. Because the groove 54 will be formed generally around the entirety of the inner surface 36 of the ring 30, it will be appreciated that the ring 30 is now axially restrained by the deformed portion of the sleeves 44 and 42 within the groove 38, thereby eliminating the possibility of axial movement of the ring 30 found in prior art constructions wherein bolts which may be sheared are employed.
At the same time, the sides 56 and 58 of the groove 38 act as fulcrum points. The radially outward movement of the sleeves 42 and 44 caused by the force imparted thereto by the blade fragments 18 causes radially inward movement of the axially outer portions of the housings 20 and 22 by pivotal movement on the edges 56 and 58 in a direction axially toward the blades 18. This in turn may cause some movement of the blades 26 and 28 inwardly as shown in FIG. 2 so that they may serve as labyrinths to provide a measure of axial containment for fragments 60 of the blades 18. Furthermore, portions 62 and 64 of the housings 20 and 22 have moved radially inwardly away from the surface 36 of the containment ring 30 to also provide such containment.
It will therefore be appreciated that a turbine made according to the invention provides enhanced radial containment of turbine blade fragments. The ability to locate the containment ring 30 without the need of bolts, in normal operation by the shoulders 39 and 40, and after fragmentation of the blades 18' by the deformation of the sleeves 42 and 44 into the groove 38, assures that the axial position of the containment ring 30 cannot shift during fragmentation of a blade to prevent it from performing its containment function. At the same time, the deformation of the sleeves 42 and 44 occurring upon fragmentation drives parts of the housings 20 and 22 radially inwardly at locations on both sides of the blades to provide a measure of axial containment as well which cannot be achieved with prior art structures. | Axial dislocation of a containment ring for a turbine is avoided through the use of housings having portions overlapping and extending across a radially inwardly opening containment groove in a containment ring. Upon separation of a blade from a turbine wheel, the sleeves are deformed into the groove thereby locking the ring in the desired axial location. | 5 |
This application claims priority to International Application No. PCT/GB99/02441 filed Jul. 26, 1999. The International Application was published in the English language on Feb. 17, 2000 as International Publication No. WO 00/08338 and itself claims the benefit of United Kingdom Application No. 9817155.6 filed Aug. 6, 1998 and United Kingdom Application No. 9821795.3 filed Oct. 6, 1998.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to motor driven pumps.
2. Description of Related Art
The usual arrangement when a motor drives a pump is to have the pump inline with the motor unit, as detailed, for example in DE-A-4 123 384. Unfortunately this means that the total length of the unit is at least equal to the length of the motor plus the length of the pump, and the combination may often be too long to use in confined spaces. Also the amount of materials and components needed are no less than for manufacturing the two items separately.
In order to reduce the length of pump-motor combinations two types of solution have been devised. The first is to use the rotor of the motor as the rotor of the pump, for example by threading the rotor with machined helical feed channels as in DE-A-3-937 345. This reduces the size of the pump and is a simple design requiring few components, but the pressures achieved by this pump will be very low, merely one or two bar gauge, and there is no possibility of using a more complex design of pump, for example a multiple rotor screw pump, where a driven power rotor acts in combination with one or more ancillary rotors. The design of a multiple rotor screw pump is detailed in EP-A-0 736 667.
The second previously proposed design overcomes this problem to some extent. The arrangement uses a screw pump where the central pump rotor does not turn while the ancillary screws or rotors turn with the motor rotor. This type of pump is illustrated in DE-A-3 701 586. This type of pump enables high pressures to be reached, but still contains some significant disadvantages. Two housings are required—one for the pump unit and a second for the stator assembly, which increases the bulk and the cost of the unit. The unit is also disproportionately elongate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to reduce the size and components of the motor driven pump. The invention provides a motor driven pump comprising: a stator; a rotor, coaxial with the stator, operable to rotate around the outside of the stator and a pump mechanism driven by the rotor and disposed at least partly inside the stator.
This invention provides a number of advantages compared to the prior art. In particular the stator may form part of the pump housing, reducing the number of components and the time consuming assembly required. The pumped fluid passes inside the stator and so the fluid flow through the pump may be used to cool the stator thus increasing the efficiency of the motor driven pump. This may be most effectively done when the pump housing abuts the stator, leading to efficient conduction of heat to the fluid flowing through the pump. The integration of the pump within the motor means that the mechanical and hydraulic components of the pump are acoustically shielded leading to low levels of pump audible noise. The unit can also be made to be more compact than an equivalent motor inline with a pump which means that it has many applications in confined spaces, for example under a car bonnet as part of the power steering system.
Furthermore it is possible to use the power rotor or the ancillary rotors of the pump as a hydraulic bearing for the rotor. This reduces the number of components necessary, reducing the cost and assembly time of the unit. One further bearing may function as the main bearing for both the motor rotor and the pump to ensure that there is no clash with the stator and no audible noise is caused by the vibration of the rotor. This provides an inherent advantage over the previous designs where the motor rotor was an integral part of the pump.
Lastly the system housing may contain the reservoir of fluid necessary for the running of the pump, further reducing the noise and vibration of the unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which parts are referred to by like references and in which:
FIG. 1 schematically shows an external rotor motor driven pump;
FIG. 2 schematically gives further detail of a screw pump mechanism in the pump of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 outlines schematically the fluid flow through the entire pump;
FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross section of the motor driven pump;
FIG. 5 schematically shows the pump in use; and
FIG. 6 shows schematic details of an alternative embodiment where the pump is entirely enclosed by the stator of the motor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a motor driven pump comprising an external rotor 10 , a stator 30 and a screw pump housing 50 . Permanent magnets 20 are affixed to the rotor 10 and a position sensor 60 detects the rotational position of the rotor 10 . This information is relayed to control electronics 65 which may thus deduce the relative positions and speeds of the stator and rotor and so switch on winding sets in the stator which relate to the various phases of the motor. The electronic control of d.c. brushless motors is well established and so will not be described here in detail.
A significant feature of the motor driven pump is that the rotor 10 , is an external rotor: i.e. it rotates around the outside of the stator 30 . The heat conducting pump housing 50 abuts the stator, which means cooling of the stator may take place as fluid flows through the screw pump, see FIG. 3 below. The power rotor 40 of the pump, shown in further detail in FIG. 2, is driven from the rotor of the motor and acts as the central shaft for the motor rotor.
It can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 that in this embodiment the central shaft of the pump acts as the power rotor 40 . However it is easy to envisage an alternative embodiment where the central shaft remains stationary and the external rotor 10 drives ancillary pump rotors 70 and 80 . A manifold 90 and an endcap 100 complete the pump unit.
The fluid flow through the pump is shown in further detail in FIG. 3 . Low pressure fluid enters the pump from an external system through an inlet 110 in an reservoir 120 . It then is fed to the manifold 90 through a tube 130 which maybe incorporated into the external casing of the pump. Fluid then flows through manifold inlet tubes 140 until it is next to the endcap 100 where it enters the pump. As the central rotor 40 of the pump rotates the ancillary rotors 70 and 80 rotate likewise forming chambers between the threads of the screw which force the fluid down the screw pump to the high pressure outlet 150 .
The endcap contains a seal 160 and has a seal 170 around it, which stop fluid escaping into the stator 30 or the part of the motor which contains the magnets 20 . The manifold 90 has two seals 180 and 190 between it and the housing assembly 200 . The seal 190 provides a seal between the low pressure fluid and the stator 30 . The seal 180 provides a seal between the low pressure and the high pressure fluid. The endcap 100 also contains a bearing 210 which acts as the bearing for the motor and the screw pump so that there is no clash with the stator and no audible noise caused by the vibration of the rotor. The manifold 90 contains the high pressure outlet 150 , the low pressure inlets 220 and also a space 230 for the control electronics. The control electronics are protected by a cover 240 .
The motor components are the stator 30 around which the rotor 10 rotates. Attached axially around the rotor are permanent magnets 20 , shown in cross section in FIG. 4 . The windings of the stator are wound around T-sections 250 . The magnetic flux is directed down one T section and up an adjacent one; when combined with the current in the windings it causes a torque which turns the rotor 10 .
The pump is shown in use in a sample application, a car steering system, in FIG. 5 . The pump continually runs on idle—about 1000 rpm. A position sensor 260 detects when the steering wheel 290 is turned and the pump electronics rapidly ramp up the pump to its working speed of 5000-6000 rpm. The hydraulic fluid is delivered to the steering system 270 at high pressure and returns to the pump 280 at low pressure. After completion of the steering movement the pump motor returns to its idle speed.
This embodiment is only one of many possible embodiments of this invention. An alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 6 where the pump is contained entirely within the stator 30 . Other types of pumps and types of motor are also possible. Many other applications are also possible; the pump would prove useful as an oil or fuel pump in a confined space.
The skilled person will appreciate that it is possible to combine many different types of motors and pumps, for example brushed d.c. motors, induction motors or switched reluctance motors with any of a roller vane pump, a geared pump or an internal gear pump in the manner described, even though the particular example detailed above relates to a screw type of pump and a brushless d.c. motor. | A motor driven pump comprises a motor stator ( 30 ), a motor rotor ( 10 ) operable to rotate around the outside of the stator ( 30 ) and a pump mechanism ( 40, 50 ) driven by the motor rotor ( 10 ) and disposed at least partly inside the motor stator ( 30 ). | 7 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a urinal mat of the type that is placed into a urinal.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Male urinals typically comprise a receptacle made from ceramics or metal. The urinal typically has a generally vertical wall that extends down to a floor region of the urinal. The floor is fitted with an opening so that urine and flush water can be removed from the urinal. In use of such urinals, a stream of urine impacts on to the wall and/or floor of the urinal and pools in the lower part of the urinal as it drains from the urinal. Flush water may be used to flush out any residual urine. Flush water may be provided by a user manually operating a flush button or by way of periodic automatic flushing.
[0003] In order to address issues of odour and hygiene in male urinals, it has been common practice to place cakes of chemicals in the urinal. Such cakes typically include antiseptic agents and fragrances. The cakes slowly dissolve when they are contacted with urine or flush water. Such cakes typically have a very strong and somewhat unpleasant odour.
[0004] More recent developments have seen the introduction of urinal mats into urinals. Urinal mats typically comprise a plastic mat having a number of holes or apertures therethrough. Such mats may also include upstanding fingers or bristles to reduce or minimise splashing of urine streams that are directed onto the mat. The plastic may be impregnated with a fragrance or perfume that is released when the urinal mat is wetted. In this manner, the fragrance or perfume is released to thereby mask odours.
[0005] Other efforts to address odour and hygiene in male urinals involve the use of blocks containing bacterial products that consume or react with compounds in urine. These bacterial blocks are typically made by mixing bacterial culture(s) with a powdered surfactant and water and pressing the blocks to shape. The blocks are placed into the urinal and when they are wetted by urine or flush water, they start to dissolve to thereby release bacteria into the urinal and the piping associated with the urinal. The bacteria then consume or react with some of the compounds in the urine to thereby improve hygiene. In practice, these bacterial blocks can be rapidly consumed and require frequent replacement.
[0006] It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0007] The present invention is directed to an improved urinal mat, which may at least partially overcome at least one of the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.
[0008] With the foregoing in view, the present invention in one form, resides broadly in a urinal mat comprising a mat of plastics material, a block containing bacterial material, a housing or cover having an upper portion surrounding an upper part of the block, and a lower surface extending below the block containing bacterial material, the lower surface having one or more openings therein.
[0009] In one embodiment, the upper portion of the housing or cover comprises a closed surface that encloses the upper surface and the sides of the block containing bacterial material. The upper portion of the housing or cover may be made from a water impermeable material.
[0010] In one embodiment, the lower surface extending below the block of bacterial material and/or a lower surface of the mat is provided with feet or legs to space the lower surface from a floor or wall of the urinal. The feet or legs may have a length that falls within the range of from 2 mm to 5 mm, or suitably from 2 mm to 3 mm.
[0011] In some embodiments, the block containing bacterial material is located within a block housing. The block housing may comprise a lower part comprising the lower surface and an upper part comprising one or more closed side walls and a closed upper surface. The upper part and the lower part of the housing may be adapted to be joined together to form the block housing. The block containing bacterial material may be located in the upper part of the block housing and the upper part and the lower part of the block housing subsequently joined together to thereby retaining the block containing bacterial material within the housing. The upper part may comprise the upper portion of the housing or cover.
[0012] In one embodiment, the mat of plastics material is formed with an opening therein that is of complimentary size to a periphery of the lower part of the housing. The lower part of the housing can then be fitted into that opening and thereby connected to or joined to the mat of plastics material. The upper part of the housing may then be joined to the lower part of housing. It will also be appreciated that the upper part and the lower part of the housing may be joined together and then the housing placed into the opening into the plastics that to thereby join the housing to the plastic mat.
[0013] In another aspect, the present invention provides a urinal mat comprising a mat of plastics material and a block containing bacterial material, the block being held in a fixed position relative to the mat of plastics material, a water impermeable cover extending over sides and an upper surface of the block containing bacterial material, the urinal mat further having a lower surface below the block containing bacterial material, the lower surface having one or more apertures therein.
[0014] In some embodiments, the mat of plastics material is impregnated with a fragrance. The fragrance is released when the mat is wetted by urine or flush water. Desirably, the fragrance is present in the plastic mat in an amount of up to 30% by volume. The fragrance may comprise any commercially available fragrance known to be used in urinal mats.
[0015] The mat of plastics material is desirably made from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). Using EVA as the sole material from which the plastic mat is made at allows for a high concentration of fragrance to be incorporated into the mat. For example, as indicated above, the fragrance may be incorporated into the EVA mat in an amount of up to 30% by volume. However, it will also be appreciated that the mat of plastic material may be made from any other plastic material known to be suitable for use in the manufacture of urinal mats.
[0016] The block containing bacterial material may comprise any bacteria known to be suitable for the degradation of urine by-products. The block many include aerobic bacteria. Bacillus bacteria may be used. The bacteria may include those that produce one or more of the following enzymes: protease, lipase, amylase, cellulose and uriase. They bacteria produce these enzymes to help break down the urine into chemicals which they and other bacteria can digest. The final outcome is that the bacteria reduce the urine to harmless substances such as carbon dioxide and water.
[0017] In some embodiments, the block containing bacterial material may also include one or more enzymes that can help break down urine into chemicals which the bacteria can digest. This allows the urine to rapidly break down and the bacteria to rapidly digest the compounds produced by the enzymatic action. This, in turn, allows for rapid odour reduction.
[0018] The block containing bacterial material also suitably comprises one or more surfactants. When the block is contacted by urine or water, surfactant is released from the block along with bacteria and this assists in having the bacteria coat the entire inner surface of pipes connected to the urinal. In this regard, the surfactant may have a foaming action and the foam may assist in distributing the released bacteria around the inner surface of the pipes.
[0019] The surfactant is suitably a water soluble surfactant.
[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the block containing bacterial material includes a solid surfactant. The solid surfactant may comprise a surfactant that is in the solid state at temperatures ranging from −15° C. to +50° C. The surfactant should suitably dissolve at a steady rate in the presence of water or urine to allow for dispersal of the bacteria and the surfactant.
[0021] The block containing bacterial material may be produced by melting the solid surfactant and mixing bacteria into the solid surfactant. This allows the bacteria to be well dispersed through the solid surfactant. Other ingredients, such as fragrances, may also be added to the block. The molten mixture may then be poured into a mould and allowed to cool so that it hardens into a solid block. In some embodiments, the mould may comprise the upper part of the housing or the cover. This is advantageous in that the block containing bacterial material does not need to be ejected from a mould and then positioned in the housing. Suitably, the solid surfactant becomes molten at a temperature that is low enough so that it is not harmful to the bacteria.
[0022] The block containing bacterial material may have bacteria present in an amount that is suitable to achieve the bacterial effects to reduce odours in urinals. In one embodiment, the block may have a bacterial count of from 1×10 7 to 1×10 9 counts per gram, suitably from 1×10 8 to 1×10 9 counts per gram, more suitably from 5×10 8 to 7.5×10 8 counts per gram. It will be appreciated that the present invention encompasses any suitable bacterial concentration in the block.
[0023] In the urinal mat of the present invention, the lower surface beneath the block containing bacterial material has one or more openings therein. In preferred embodiments of the invention, urine and water can only contact the block containing bacterial material through the one or more openings in the lower surface beneath the block. The total area of the openings in the lower surface below is the block may be up to approximately 10% of the area of the lower surface beneath the block, or from approximately 5% to 10% of the area of the lower surface beneath the block.
[0024] Any of the features described herein can be combined in any combination with any one or more of the other features described herein within the scope of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0025] Various embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which:
[0026] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view from above of a urinal mat in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 2 shows a top view of the urinal mat shown in FIG. 1 ;
[0028] FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the urinal mat shown in FIG. 1 ;
[0029] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the urinal mat shown in FIG. 1 ;
[0030] FIG. 5 shows a top view of the plastic mat used in the urinal mat shown in FIG. 1 .
[0031] In FIG. 5 , the central housing that holds the block containing bacterial material has not yet been attached to the mat;
[0032] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the lower part of the housing that holds the block containing bacterial material; and
[0033] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the housing that holds the block containing bacterial material. In FIG. 7 , the upper part of the housing has been joined to the lower part of the housing that was shown in FIG. 6 .
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0034] It will be appreciated that the drawings have been provided for the purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, it will be understood that the present invention should not be considered to be limited solely to the features as shown in the drawings.
[0035] FIGS. 1 to 4 show a completed urinal mat in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The urinal mat 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 comprises a plastic mat 12 . The plastic mat 12 may be made from EVA or other suitable plastic. The mat 12 is flexible, which means it is able to largely conform to the shape of the bottom of the urinal when the urinal mat 10 is placed in the urinal.
[0036] The plastic mat 12 is suitably made from plastic material that is impregnated with a fragrance. The fragrance may be present in the mat in an amount of up to 30% by volume. Using EVA as the plastic allows for such high fragrance concentrations to be attained. The fragrance may be any suitable fragrance known to be used in urinal mats. Examples of suitable fragrances include spiced apple, kiwi grapefruit, cucumber melon and mango. The person skilled in the art will understand that the fragrances are able to volatilise out of the plastic over a period of time. The rate at which the fragrances leave the plastic may increase when the plastic is wetted by urine or flush water.
[0037] The urinal mat 10 also includes a number of projections 14 on its upper surface. These projections extend upwardly and act to reduce splashing when a stream of urine is directed onto the projections. The projections 14 also act to increase the surface area of the plastic mat 12 , which allows for a larger amount of fragrance to be released from the surface of the plastic mat 12 .
[0038] The urinal mat 10 also includes a number of circular openings 16 . Circular openings 16 allow urine that impinges on the top of the urinal mat 10 to flow therethrough, thereby providing for an enhanced drainage of urine from the upper surface of the urinal mat 10 . The urinal mat 10 also includes a number of elongate slots 18 . Slots 18 not only allow for drainage of urine therethrough, they also provide regions at which novelty or promotional items, such as football goalposts or the like, can be mounted to the urinal mat 10 .
[0039] The urinal mat 10 also includes a central housing 25 that holds a block containing bacterial material. As can be seen from FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 , the central housing 25 extends upwardly from the plastic mat 12 .
[0040] The plastic mat 12 may be made by moulding. The plastic mat 12 is shown in its' as-formed state in FIG. 5 . As can be seen from FIG. 5 , the plastic mat 12 has a large central opening 20 . The central opening 20 allows the housing 25 that holds a block containing bacterial material to be mounted to the plastic mat 12 .
[0041] The housing 25 that is mounted via central opening 20 to the plastic mat 12 is shown in FIG. 7 . The housing comprises an upper part 22 and a lower part 24 . Lower part 24 is shown in FIG. 6 separated from the upper part 22 . The upper part 22 of the housing comprises a top surface 26 and a downwardly extending sidewall 28 . An outwardly extending flange 30 extends from the lower part of sidewall 28 .
[0042] The lower part 24 of the housing comprises a base plate 32 having an upwardly extending wall 34 . Upwardly extending wall 34 is spaced inwardly from an outer periphery of base plate 32 . An outwardly extending flange or lip 36 extends from the upper edge of wall 34 .
[0043] The base plate 32 is dimensioned so that it is larger than the opening of central opening 20 in the plastic mat 12 . The upper flange 36 of lower part 24 of the housing is dimensioned such that it can fit through the aperture 20 , although this may require that the opening 20 is slightly stretched as the flange 36 passes therethrough. The upwardly extending wall 34 of the lower part 22 of the housing is dimensioned such that it has an outer diameter that is substantially the same as the diameter of the central opening 20 of the plastic mat 12 .
[0044] The upper part 22 and the lower part 24 may be joined to form the housing 25 by pressing the upper part 22 onto the lower part 24 . In one embodiment, the flange 36 of the lower part 24 engages with the upper part 22 to thereby hold the upper part and the lower part together to form the completed housing. In one embodiment, in order to assemble the urinal mat 10 , the upwardly extending wall 34 of the lower part 24 is pushed through the central opening 20 of the plastic mat 12 . The upper part 22 of the housing is then press fitted onto the lower part 24 of the housing to form the completed housing. The plastic mat 12 is also provided with four openings 38 that receive upwardly extending legs (one of which is shown at 40 in FIG. 7 ) that extend from the base plate 32 of the lower part 24 of the housing. This positions the base plate 32 relative to the plastic mat 12 and also assists in retaining the lower part 24 of the housing in position. The legs may also be shaped to fit into corresponding apertures in the lower edge of the flange 30 of the upper part 22 of the housing to hold the upper part and lower part together.
[0045] The upper part 22 and the lower part 24 of the housing are press fitted together. This acts to sandwich the part of the mat between the flange 30 and the portion of the base plate 32 that is located directly beneath the flange 30 . This, combined with the legs 40 passing through the openings 38 , securely positions the housing relative to the plastic mat 12 in the completed urinal mat 10 .
[0046] The top surface 26 and sidewall 28 of the upper part 24 of the housing present a closed surface. In one embodiment, the upper part of the housing is made from polypropylene or from another plastic material. As a result, the upper part of the housing (for example, the part of the housing that is visible in FIG. 1 ) presents a water impermeable surface that does not allow the passage of urine or water therethrough. Urine and water can flow through the circular openings 16 and elongate slots 18 in the plastic mat 12 . However, urine and water cannot flow through the upper part of the central housing of the urinal mat 10 .
[0047] The housing of the urinal mat 10 holds a block containing bacterial material. The bacterial material may comprise aerobic bacteria that can digest compounds in urine and other bacteria that produce enzymes that break down compounds in urine into by-products that can be utilised by the aerobic bacteria. Alternatively, or additionally, the block containing bacterial material may also comprise enzymes. The block containing bacterial material also comprises one or more surfactants. One or more fragrances may also be present. The block containing bacterial material is suitably formed by melting a solid surfactants and mixing in bacterial material, fragrances and enzymes. When the mixture is fully mixed, the mixture is poured into an upturned upper part 22 of the housing and allowed to cool and solidify. Once it has solidified, the upper part 22 of the housing may then be joined to the lower part 24 of the housing, as described above, to form the completed urinal mat 10 .
[0048] The surfactant used in the block containing bacterial material is suitably a solid surfactant that is solid from −15° C. to 50° C. The surfactant may comprise a nonylphenol polyoxyethylene ether, a polyol ester polyoxyethylene ether, an alkyl polyglucoside or mixtures of two or more thereof. The block preferably consists of surfactants, fragrances, bacteria and enzymes only. Suitably, no fillers are used in the block. The surfactant is suitably water-soluble so that it slowly dissolves when it is wetted by urine or flush water. In preferred embodiments, the block contains around 5.9×10 8 counts bacteria per gram. The block may have a weight of approximately 50 g with approximately 2 g of bacterial compound per block. Fragrances may be present in the block in amount of from 5% to 10% by volume.
[0049] As best shown in FIG. 3 , the base plate 32 of the housing 25 is provided with a plurality of apertures 42 . In particular, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , base plate 32 is provided with seven apertures 42 . The apertures 42 provide openings through which urine and flush water can pass and come into contact with the block containing bacterial material that is housed within the housing 25 . In this manner, when the urinal is being used, some of the block containing bacterial material dissolves when it is contacted by urine and/or flush water that travels through the apertures 42 . This releases the bacterial material, the fragrances, and the surfactants from the housing 25 . In order to provide for an appropriate release rate of material from the block containing bacterial material, the openings 42 in the base plate 32 may have a total area that is between 5 and 10% of the area of the base of the block of material. The present inventor has found that using this ratio of open area in the base plate to area of the base of the block of material allows for a suitable rate of release of material from the block containing bacterial material whilst also ensuring that the rate of release is not so high that the usable lifetime of the urinal mat 10 is shortened. In some instances, humid air passing through the apertures in coming into contact with the block containing bacterial material may be sufficient to dissolve or release some of the bacterial containing material.
[0050] The urinal mat 10 also includes feet or legs 44 that extend downwardly from a lower surface of the plastic mat 12 . These are clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 . The feet or legs may have a height of from 2 to 5 mm, preferably from 2 to 3 mm. The feet or legs 44 space the lower surface of the plastic mat 12 from the floor of the urinal, thereby allowing urine and flush water to flow underneath the urinal mat 10 . Urine and/or flush water flowing underneath the urinal mat 10 can also splash up or flow up through holes 42 to thereby contact the block containing bacterial material in the housing 25 .
[0051] The urinal mat in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a blend of non-pathogenic microorganisms and free enzymes that produces an enzymatic activity to degrade organic matter, whilst filling the washroom with odour masking fragrances. The blend of microorganisms contains strains producing protease, lipase, amylase, cellulase and uriase. These enzymes attack the compounds present in urine to break them down to a state where they can be easily digested by aerobic bacteria present in the block. The solid-state form of surfactant then acts in combination, flushing away the remnants of the urine and helping to clean the outlet pipes.
[0052] Combining an aerobic bacterial/enzyme blend with the solid-state surfactants and masking fragrances gives rise to a three tier approach to managing washroom odours, most of which are a direct result of urine breakdown by anaerobic bacteria in piping. In standard urinals that use a single fragrant masking agent, urine coats the outlet pipes, which results in the formation of uric acid crystals. These crystals harbour anaerobic bacteria, which are the main culprits in causing unpleasant odours in washrooms. Even when the urinal is not being used, the crystals in the pipes attract moisture and continue to produce many of the odours found offensive, such as ammonia, mercaptans, amines, indioles and skatoles.
[0053] The urinal mat in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention includes bacteria producing the enzyme urease which breaks down urea, a product of urine. The urinal mat in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention also includes surfactants that are released during urination and flushing. The surfactants assisting cleaning the urinal and the pipes. The surfactants also tend to form a foam as they travel through the pipes with flush water, which results in bacteria that are released from the bacterial block at the same time coating all of the inside of the pipes. Therefore, the bacterial activity takes place across the full periphery of the pipes. The plastic mat and the bacterial block of the urinal mat in accordance with preferred embodiment of the present invention also contain fragrances to mask any undesirable odours.
[0054] The urinal mat may be made from materials that are 100% recyclable. The urinal mat may be packed in a bag with a disposable glove. The urinal mat may be packed in a barrier film which means that the fragrance does not dissipate to any meaningful extent during storage.
[0055] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the urinal mat may have a diameter of approximately 180 mm. The central housing that holds the block of bacterial material may have a diameter of about 60 to 65 mm and a height of about 20 to 25 mm. The bristles may have a height of about 5 mm. The feet and legs may have a height of about 2 to 3 mm. It will be appreciated that the mat may have other dimensions. Furthermore, the dimensions of the mat and the shape of the mat may be somewhat driven by the size and shape of the urinal in which the mat is to be used.
[0056] In the present specification and claims (if any), the word ‘comprising’ and its derivatives including ‘comprises’ and ‘comprise’ include each of the stated integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers.
[0057] Reference throughout this specification to ‘one embodiment’ or ‘an embodiment’ means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases ‘in one embodiment’ or ‘in an embodiment’ in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more combinations.
[0058] In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims (if any) appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art. | A urinal mat ( 10 ) comprises a mat of plastics material ( 12 ) and a block containing bacterial material, the block being held in a fixed position relative to the mat of plastics material, a water impermeable cover ( 26, 28 ) extending over sides and an upper surface of the block containing bacterial material, the urinal mat further having a lower surface below the block containing bacterial material, the lower surface having one or more apertures ( 42 ) therein. | 4 |
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/812,093 filed Apr. 15, 2013, the entire content of which application is herein incorporated by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates, in general, to human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and, in particular, to a polyvalent vaccine for HIV-1 and to methods of making and using same
BACKGROUND
[0003] Development of a safe, practical and effective HIV-1 vaccine is one of the highest priorities of the global scientific community (Klausner et al, Science 5628:2036-2039 (2003); Esparza et al, Science Strategic Plan, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmec10020025, Policy Forum Vol. 2, February 2005). While anti-retroviral treatment (ART) has dramatically prolonged the lives of HIV-1 infected patients, anti-retroviral therapy is not yet routinely available in developing countries, and the global rate of spread of HIV-1 continues at unacceptably high levels.
[0004] A recent efficacy trial the RV 144 vaccine demonstrated an estimated 31.2% vaccine efficacy (Rerks-Ngarm et al, N. Eng. J. Med. 361: 2209-20 (2009). The RV144 vaccine is comprised of the following: ALVAC-HIV (vCP1521) is a recombinant canarypox vaccine developed by Virogenetics Corporation (Troy, N.Y.) and manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur (Marcy-l'Etoille, France). The recombinant canarypox was genetically engineered to express HIV-1 Gag and Pro (subtype B LAI strain) and CRF01_AE (subtype E) HIV-I gp120 (92TH023) linked to the transmembrane anchoring portion of gp41 (LAI), AL V AC Placebo (Sanofi Pasteur) was a sterile, lyophilized product consisting of virus stabilizer and freeze-drying medium reconstituted in 1 ml of 0.4% sodium chloride.
[0005] AIDSV AX B/E (Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases, South San Francisco, Calif.) is a bivalent HIV gp120 envelope glycoprotein vaccine containing a subtype E envelope from the HIV-1 strain A244 (CM244) and a subtype B envelope from the HIV-1 MN produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The envelope glycoproteins, 300 μg of each, originally manufactured by Genentech, Inc., and further developed by VaxGen, Inc., are co-formulated with 600 μg of alum adjuvant. AIDSVAX placebo (VaxGen, Inc.) was 600 μg alum adjuvant. The RV144 vaccine was administered as two primes with ALVAC-HIV (vPC 1521) followed by two boosts with a combination of ALV AC-HIV and AIDSV AX B/E (Rerks-Ngarm et al, N. Eng. J. Med. 361: 2209-20 (2009).
[0006] In 2012 an immune correlates study of the RV 144 trial revealed that antibodies against the envelope (Env) gp120 V1/V2 region presented on a gp70-15 VI/V2 fusion protein (Pinter et al, Vaccine 16:1803 (1998) were associated with lower risk of infection (Haynes et al., New Engl. J. Med. 366:1275-1286 (2012). Epitope mapping of plasma VI IV2 antibody responses showed that within V2, vaccine-induced antibodies targeted a region of HIV-1 Env, amino acid (aa) residues at positions 163-178 (Liao et al, Immunity 38: 1 76 (2013); Karasavvas et al, AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, doi: 10.1089/aid.20 12.0103 (2012), Zolla-Pazner et al, AIDS Vaccine, Bangkok, Thailand Abstract No.: OA09.03, 77 (2011). There is considerable sequence variability in V1V2, ˜75% of the residues are conserved or demonstrated to be only conservative changes (ZollaPazner & Cardozo, Nat Rev Immunol 10,527-535 (2010). While the demonstration that of V1V2 antibody responses directly correlated with decreased infection risk was suggestive of their protective role in the trial, this association was not sufficient for proving causation of protection (Plotkin & Gilbert, Clinical infectious diseases: an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 54: 1615-1617 doi: 10,1093/cid/cis238 (2012). Indeed further studies are needed to evaluate the ability of such responses to mediate immune pressure on HIV-1, Viral genetic (sieve) analyses, isolation of VI IV2 antibodies and understanding their effector function in vitro and in vivo, and validation of correlates of infection risk in future vaccine trials are some potential studies.
[0007] A genetic or sieve analysis of sequences of viruses that caused breakthrough infections in a vaccine trial can demonstrate vaccine effects (Rolland et al, Nature Medicine 17:366-371 (2011). By comparing sequences of breakthrough infections that occur in vaccinees versus placebo recipients, sites of vaccine-induced immune pressure can be identified (Rolland et al, Nature Medicine 17:366-371 (2011). A recent genetic analysis of breakthrough HIV-1 infections in the RVI44 trial demonstrated 48% (CI: 18 to 68%, p=O,0036) vaccine efficacy against viruses matching the CRF_01 AE vaccine immunogens with a lysine (K) at position 169 (Rolland et al, Nature 490:417-420 (2012). Thus, it is critical to determine the binding site and effector functions of RV 144-induced V1/V2 antibodies. Effector functions considered for antibody mediated protection from HIV-1 transmission include the ability of V1/V2 antibodies to neutralize those virus strains involved in HIY-1 transmission (i.e. transmitted/founder viruses) (Keele et al, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:7552-7557 (2008), and/or to mediate other antibody effector functions such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) (Haynes et al, New Engl. J. Med, 366:1275-1286 (2012).
[0008] The present invention results, at least in part, from studies designed to identify an envelope(s) (Env(s)) that can be used in combination with the original RV144 vaccine ((Rerks-Ngarm et al, N, Eng, J. Med. 361: 2209-20 (2009)) to improve the coverage by a new vaccine formulation of the epitope diversity in the V2 region in the Thai population. The present invention provides, at least in part, new vaccine immunogens that induce high titers of V1V2 (and other CRF_01AE gp120 regions) vaccine responses to HIV-1 envelope gp120.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In certain aspects the invention provides a composition comprising an HIV-1 envelope AA104.0 ( FIG. 6 , SEQ ID NO: 1), AA107.0 ( FIG. 6 , SEQ ID NO: 2), AA058.1 ( FIG. 6 , SEQ ID NO: 3), or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the composition comprises AA104.0 (SEQ ID NO: 1), AA107.0 (SEQ ID NO: 2) and AA058.1 (SEQ ID NO: 3). In certain embodiments, the envelope is a gp120Delta N-terminus polypeptide from SEQ ID NOs: 1, 2 or 3 (See paragraph [0038] infra). In certain embodiment, the gp120Delta N-terminus polypeptide is gp120 delta12 based on SEQ ID NOs: 1, 2, and 3. In certain embodiments the compositions of the invention further comprises HIV-1 envelopes used in the RV144 trial, or modified versions thereof, for example but not limited to gp120delta N terminus polypeptides. In certain embodiments, the composition comprise envelopes B.6240 gp120D11, Env B. 63521 delta 11 gp120, A244 gp120 D11, or a combination thereof.
[0010] In certain embodiments the envelopes are recombinant proteins.
[0011] In certain aspects, the invention provides compositions comprising a nucleic acid encoding any one of the envelopes described herein. In certain embodiments, the nucleic acids are optimized for expression in any suitable expression system.
[0012] In certain embodiments, the compositions of the invention further comprise an adjuvant. In certain embodiments the adjuvant is Toll-like receptor 4 agonist glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant (GLA). In certain embodiments, the adjuvant is a Toll-like receptor 4 agonist glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant-stable emulsion (GLA/SE). In certain embodiments the compositions of the invention is immunogenic.
[0013] In certain aspects, the invention provides methods of inducing and/or boosting an immune response in a subject comprising administering to the subject any one of the inventive compositions. In certain embodiments, the composition is administered as a boost. In certain embodiments, the compositions are administered as multiple boosts.
[0014] In certain aspects the invention provides an immunogen comprising AA104.0, AA107.0, AA058.1, AA072.1, AA009.1, or AA015.1 envelope. In certain aspects the invention provides a method of inducing an immune response in a subject comprising administering to the subject an amount of the immunogen described here sufficient to effect the induction. In certain embodiments of the inventive methods of the subject is a human.
[0015] The present invention relates generally to HIV-1. More specifically, the invention relates to a polyvalent vaccine for HIV•1 and to methods of making and using same. Objects and advantages of the present invention will be clear from the description that follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 . AA 1 04 provides the best complementary coverage used in conjunction with A244, for covering the full RV144 data set. The coverage is indicated in blue for A244 at the top, and the improved coverage by using 3 at the bottom.
[0017] FIG. 2 . Second vaccine selection, based on RV 144 vaccine breakthrough cases.
[0018] FIG. 3 . Distribution of amino acids in CRF_01AE in the RV 144 trial in Thailand, compared with a global CRF_01 AE set in the Los Alamos HIV Sequence Database (at LANL.gov).
[0019] FIG. 4 . Logos showing the subtype variation in this region in the HIV database. The glycosylation sites are well preserved but there are some differences in 169-173 and 181. Subtype B is not as positively charged in 169-171, and 173 Y most variable in CRF01. The glycosylation sites at 156 and 160 are preserved in all subtypes.
[0020] FIG. 5 . An alignment of the V2 region, HXB2 positions 154-184, of RV144 placebo (0.0) and vaccine (0.1) sequences, best coverage sequences, relative to A244.
[0021] FIG. 6 . Full sequences of candidate vaccines. In one embodiment, a gp120Delta N-terminus polypeptide design includes a deletion of the amino acids tween the signal peptide (ending with CS in AA104.0 and AA058.1 and ending with CR in AA107.0) and the sequence “VPV”.
[0022] FIG. 7 shows new AE Envs to be added to RV144 B/E boost.
[0023] FIGS. 8A and 8B show Mean Plasma Binding to NHP#64 gp120 Immunogens by ELISA.
[0024] FIG. 9 shows Mean Plasma Binding to NHP#64 gp120 Immunogens by ELISA At Week 49 After 6 Months Rest
[0025] FIGS. 10A and 10B show Mean Plasma Binding to V2 171 Peptides by ELISA
[0026] FIG. 11 shows Mean Plasma Binding to NHP#64 V2 Peptides by ELISA At Week 49 After 6 Months Rest
[0027] FIG. 12 shows Neutralization in the TZMbl Assay NHP#64—Week 23 (red), Week 49 (black)—group 4 (B/E) vs. group 5 (B/E/E/E/E)
[0028] FIG. 13 shows NHP#64 TZM-bl, Aggregate Responses
[0029] FIG. 14 shows Neutralization in the A3R5 Assay NHP#64—Week 23 (red), Week 49 (black)—group 4 (B/E) vs. group 5 (B/E/E/E/E)
[0030] FIG. 15 shows ADCC with AE.A244 gp120-coated CD4 T cell targets NHP#64—Week 23—group 4 (B/E) vs. group 5 (B/E/E/E/E)
[0031] FIG. 16 shows ADCC with tier 2 CM235 virus-infected CD4 T cell targets—NHP 64 Group 4 vs 5 at dilution=1:100 Week 23 with Week 0 subtracted. Statistical comparisons are two-tailed Exact Wilcoxon tests.
[0032] FIG. 17 shows Planned Passive Protection Challenges.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0033] The RV 144 vaccine is described in detail above, as is the administration regimen. (See also Rerks-Ngarm et al, N. Eng. J. Med. 361: 2209-20 (2009).) The present invention results, at least in part, from studies designed to identify an envelope(s) (Env(s) that can be used in combination with the original RV 144 vaccine to improve the coverage by a new vaccine formulation of the epitope diversity in the V2 region in the Thai population.
[0034] An approach taken in accordance with the present invention is to substitute the A244 gp120 Delta11 Env (Alam et al, J. Virol. 87:1554 (2013) incorporated by reference) for the A244 gD+gp120 that was used in RV144 and to substitute for the MN gp120 in AIDSVAX B/E, the transmitted founder Env B. 63521 delta 1 gp120 ((Alam et al, J. Virol. 87:1554-68 (2013), e.g. Materials and Methods, incorporated by reference; Liao et al, J. Virol 87:4185 (2013) incorporated by reference), and then to the A244 gp120 delta 11 and B.63521 gp120 delta 11 Envs to add three additional Envs from CRF_01AE breakthrough infections in the RV144 trial.
[0035] In certain embodiments, a vaccine in accordance with the invention would have ALVAC-HIV vPC1521 prime X2 then ALVAX vPC1521 boost X2 with A244 gp 120 Delta 11+B.63521 Delta 11 gp120+AA104.0 delta11 or 7 gp120 + AA107.0 delta11 or 7gp 120+AA058.1 delta 11 or 7 gp120. An alternate set of Envs is AA072.1, AA009.1, and AA015.1 from the list of Envs in the Example below.
[0036] Immunogens of the invention are suitable for use in generating an immune response in a patient (e.g., a human patient) to HIV. The mode of administration of the HIV-1 protein/polypeptide/peptide, or encoding sequence, can vary with the immunogen, the patient and the effect sought, similarly, the dose administered. Typically, the administration route will be intramuscular or subcutaneous injection (intravenous and intraperitoneal can also be used). Most advantageously, the route and interval of administration are the same as used in the original RV144 trial (Rerks-Ngarm et al, N. Eng. J. Med. 361: 2209-20 (2009). Optimum dosing regimens can be readily determined by one skilled in the art. The immunogens are preferred for use prophylactically, however, their administration to infected individuals may reduce viral load.
[0037] Certain aspects of the present invention are described in greater detail in the non-limiting Example that follows. (See also PCT/US2012/000570 and PCT/US20131029164.)
[0038] In certain embodiments, the envelope design in accordance with the present invention involves deletion of residues (e.g., 5-11, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 amino acids) at the N-terminus. For delta N-terminal design, amino acid residues ranging from 4 residues or even fewer to 14 residues or even more are deleted. These residues are between the maturation (signal peptide, usually ending with CX, X can be any amino acid) and “VPVXXXX . . . ”. In certain embodiments, the invention relates generally to an immunogen, gp160, gp120 or gp140, without an N-terminal Herpes Simplex gD tag substituted for amino acids of the N-terminus of gp120, with an HIV leader sequence (or other leader sequence), and without the original about 4 to about 25, for example 11, amino acids of the N-terminus of the envelope (e.g. gp120). See WO2013/006688, e.g. at pages 10-12, the contents of which publication is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Various cell lines and methods for making recombinant proteins are known in the art.
[0039] The compositions can be formulated with appropriate carriers and adjuvants using techniques to yield compositions suitable for immunization. The compositions can include an adjuvant, such as, for example but not limited to, alum, poly IC, MF-59 or other squalene-based adjuvant, ASOIB, or other liposomal based adjuvant suitable for protein or nucleic acid immunization, GSK AS01E adjuvant containing MPL and QS21. This adjuvant has been shown by GSK to be as potent as the similar adjuvant AS01B but to be less reactogenic using HBsAg as vaccine antigen [Leroux-Roels et al., IABS Conference, April 2013,9]. In certain embodiments, TLR agonists are used as adjuvants. In other embodiment, adjuvants which break immune tolerance are included in the immunogenic compositions.
[0040] Dosing of proteins and nucleic acids can be readily determined by a skilled artisan. A single dose of nucleic acid can range from a few nanograms (ng) to a few micrograms (μg) or milligram of a single immunogenic nucleic acid. Recombinant protein dose can range from a few μg micrograms to a few hundred micrograms, or milligrams of a single immunogenic polypeptide. See also Rerks-Ngarm et al. NEJM 361: 2209-20 (2009) which content is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
EXAMPLE 1
[0041] The study described below involves the selection of an Env or Envs that can be used in combination with the original RV144 vaccine to improve coverage of the epitope diversity in the V2 region in the Thai population. Selections were made from the RV144 vaccine breakthrough cases and also from the full RV144 set of breakthrough vaccinee and placebo HIV infections. The RV 144 placebos and the vaccinees were very similar as regards the frequencies of amino acids in the V2 region (and both were also highly similar to the database set of CRF01s; the degree of overlap even in the Rolland signature sites is quite high (Rolland et al, Nature 490:417-420 (2012). By using both the vaccine and placebo, rather than just vaccine, there are more sequences from which to select for optimization.
[0042] Consideration was given only the regions between the hypervariable loops in V1 and V2 (following McLellan et al, Nature 480:336˜343 (2011) and Liao et al, Immunity 38: 176 (2013), HXB2 positions 154-184). It was possible to identify either the one best single complement to A244, or set of 3 that best complement A244 and cover the CRF_01AE virus diversity in Thailand. The region spans the PG9-like epitope region, as well as the region of the virus implicated in RV144 protection (Haynes et al, New Engl. J. Med. 366:1275-1286 (2012); Liao et al, Immunity 38: 176 (2013). The best natural strains for population coverage were selected, using the mosaic tool to select the natural strains, with a contiguous fragment length of 8. It was then confirmed that the selected Envs did not have long V1 and V2 hypervariable loops proximal to the V2 region, as the long loops may mask the epitopes in the region—the selected loops had modest loop lengths.
[0043] Use was made of the consensus sequence from each person to represent the population diversity of Envs; Rolland provided this set initially (Rolland et al, Nature 490:417-420 (2012) but a few subjects were remarkably diverse for early time point sequence sets, and so sometimes the Rolland set of by-subject-consensus sequences had frame shifts due to the alignment—these frameshifts are alignment artifacts that were not found among the natural strains. As a result, the original alignments were returned to and these issues addressed, to have intact Envs with viable loops to use for immunogen design. (The frameshift issue would not have impacted the Rolland signature analysis, as Rolland looked at a small set of sites that were translated correctly).
[0044] The two CFR01 vaccines used in RV144, A244 and 92TH023 (Rerks-Ngarm et al, N. Eng. J. Med. 361: 2209-20 (2009), are completely identical in the V2 region 154˜184 and they are highly similar throughout Env, because they were both early isolates from Thailand epidemic, and so both are close to the ancestral state of the CRF01 founder in Thailand. With respect to V2, their shared sequence in this region happens to provide the best CRF01 population diversity coverage in VI V2 for a single sequence, because A244/92TH023 were both so close to the ancestral state, and so the shared sequence is central to modern strains. Although both of these early isolates are identical in the V2 region, the V2 region itself is highly diverse in Thailand and globally, which is to be expected, as this seems to be a good immune target so it is under immune pressure. RV144 used essentially the most central sequence possible in Thailand by using something very close to the ancestor.
[0045] A single vaccine strain that can be used to complement A244 (and 92TH023) in V2 is AA104.0 (“0.0” means it was from the placebo-infected group,“0.1” refers to the infected individuals who were vaccinated). Alternatively, AA104.0, AA107.0 and/or AA058.1 can be used with A244 and B.63521 Env gp120s.
[0000]
Compared to:
RV144all
RVvac
Preferred is a vaccine based on all RV144:
ENV_CM244
VRNCTFNM|TTELRDKKQKVHALFYKLDIVPI
AA104.0
VRNCTFNMTTEIRDKKQKAYALFYKLDLVQL*
.32
.33
AA107.0
VKNCTFNVTTELKDKKQKVYALFYKLDIVQM
AA058.1
VKNCTFNMTTELRDKQQKVHALFYRLDIVQI
.44
.43
If a selection ism ade frmo only the vaccine breakthroughs, the
following are preferred:
ENV_CM244
VRNCSFNMTTELRDKKQKVHALFYKLDIVPI
AA072.1
VRNCTFNMTTEIRDKKQKVQALFYRLDIVPI*
.31
.34
AA009.1
VKNCSFKITTELRDKQQKVYALFYKLDIVQM
AA015.1
VKNCTFNMTTELKDKKKKVHALFYKLDIVQI
.41
.45
*(single best)
[0046] The coverage of ENV_CM244+AA 104.0 and ENV_CM244+AA072.1are nearly comparable percent coverage if expressed as percent i.e., 0.31 is 31 percent. However, AA 104.0 may have additional advantages: it has the 173Y that increases a PG9 susceptibility (Doria-Rose et al, J. Virol. 86:8319-8323 (2012), and the set of 3 retains the sequence at 156 and 160 (McLellan et al, Nature 480:336-343 (2011). It also has the IL toggle at 181 (Rolland et al, Nature 490:417-420 (2012)).
[0047] The forgoing information is depicted in the Figures as follows:
[0048] FIG. 1 . A LOGO plot of the variation in V2 in the RV144 whole set, with coverage indicated for A244, and then and compared to coverage provided by the best 3 complementary strains in the whole set from RV144.
[0049] FIG. 2 . Same as above but using a set selected to cover the RV144 vaccine breakthrough group from RV 144.
[0050] FIG. 3 . Logos comparing the RV144 vaccine group, the RV144 placebo group and the database CRF01 cases, showing their similarity. The frequencies of the Rolland signatures at 169 and 181 are shown.
[0051] FIG. 4 . LOGOS showing region diversity of clades A and G plots.
[0052] FIG. 5 . An alignment of the V2 region, HXB2 positions 154-184, of RV144 placebo (0.0) and vaccine (0.1) sequences, best coverage sequences, relative to A244
[0053] FIG. 6 . Full sequences of candidate vaccines.
EXAMPLE 2
[0054] Improving the immunogenicity of “RV144” HIV-1 vaccine trial
[0055] Sieve analysis has shown that there is vaccine immune pressure at K169 in the HIV-1 envelopes. There is 48% vaccine efficacy if there is virus matched vaccine.
[0056] The RV144 virus set was computationally analyzed and three Env sequences were chosen to be added to the B/E boost used in RV144 (See FIG. 1, 7 .)
EXAMPLE 3
[0057] NHP study (NHP#64) to compare bivalent (RV144) and pentavalent boost (9 rhesus macaques per group)
Group 4 (bivalent boost)—ALVAC vPC1521 prime ×2, then ALVAC VPC1521+B/E boost X2 (B.6240 gp120D11+A244 gp120 D11 in GLA/SE) Group 5 (pentavalent boost)—ALVAC vPC1521 prime X2, then ALVAC VPC1521+B/E boost X2 (B.6240 gp120D11+A244 gp120 D11+new three valent AE gp120s in GLA/SE)
[0060] Both groups were boosted again after 6 months (February, 2014) and then will be boosted one more time (like RV305). The animals will be challenged with heterologous AE SHIV low dose rectal challenge—the AE SHIV could be either SHIV AE16 or SHIV 1157 tier 2 Y173H, and the challenge is planned for June, 2014.
[0061] FIGS. 8-11 show data from NHP #64 Group 4 (B/E) and Group 5 (B/E/E/E/E/) animals in plasma binding to gp120 Immunogens.
[0062] FIGS. 12-14 show data from NHP #64 Group 4 (B/E) and Group 5 (B/E/E/E/E/) animals in TZMbl and A3R5 Assays Neutralization Assays
[0063] FIG. 15 show data from NHP #64 Group 4 (B/E) and Group 5 (B/E/E/E/E/) animals in ADCC with gp120-coated CD4 T cell targets, which measures killing of A244 go120-cated CD4 T cell targets. The data show a trend for group 5 (B/E/E/E/E+ALVAC boost) to give greater ADCC than group 4 (B/E+ALVAC boost) (Not statistically significant).
[0064] FIG. 16 show data from NHP #64 Group 4 (B/E) and Group 5 (B/E/E/E/E/) animals in ADCC with AE.CM235 tier 2 primary virus infected CD4 T cell targets, which measures killing of AE.CM235-infected CD4 T cell targets. The data show significantly greater ADCC mediated by plasma from group 5 (B/E/E/E/E+ALVAC boost) than plasma from group 4 (B/E+ALVAC boost) (p=0.008).
[0065] In summary, there is: a trend in better binding to gp120s with plasma from pentavalent Envs regimen; no difference yet in neutralizations between the B/E and B/E/E/E/E groups; a trend for improved ADCC with gp120 coated CD4 T cell targets; significantly better ADCC with most biologically relevant ADCC assay: that using primary virus infected AE.CM235-infected CD4 T cells as targets.
[0066] Further plans for this NHP study include a boost the animals again before virus challenge (˜May-June 2014) and then challenge with a relevant SHIV. There is a mutated SHIV 1157 tier 2 challenge virus to allow for CH58 and CH59 (the RV144 V2 putative protective Abs that target K169 in V2) to bind. Another virus, AE16 SHIV, is being titered IR, and would be available for challenge. Further experiments include: Challenge animals in NHP#64 study with AE/AE-like SHIV; Finish challenges with CH90 (ADCC, C1 that synergizes with CH58, V2, ADCC); Finish evaluation if CH58 UCA compared with V1V2 bnAb CH01 UCA mice; Finish evaluation of RV305. (See FIG. 17 ).
[0067] The contents of various publications and information referenced throughout the application are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. | The present invention relates, in general, to human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) particular, to a polyvalent vaccine for HIV-1 and to methods of making and using same. | 0 |
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Retractable awnings for mobile dwellings have been used for several years. Currently, however, when such awnings are of long span, the roller tube sags between its end supports. Therefore, with the awning pulled out from around the roller tube and extended away from the side of a mobile dwelling, the awning also sags, reflecting the initial sag of the roller tube, throughout the central portions of the extended awning.
Moreover, in the past there have been some retractable awnings which seem to involve too many component parts and/or which also seem to involve latches and other adjustable mechanisms which are not too conveniently manipulated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Retractable awnings for mobile dwellings are improved by the convenient endwise slide-in insertion into the awning roller tube of an interior, partial length, centered, stiffener, having a complementary cross section, which avoids any binding or inteference during insertion with the interior structure of the roller tube. With the stiffener centered in place when the awning is then unrolled and extended, there is no noticeable sag in the awning. The roller tube with its centered stiffener continues to maintain its straight or near straight appearance, so no substantial reflective sag is created in the fabric of the awning.
Also in regard to extending and retracting these awnings, the overall subassembly of each rafter bar has been simplified and equipped with a more convenient automatic latch, which is easily released by pushing a very accessible button.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An improved retractable awning for mobile dwellings, such as for use with a motor home is illustrated in the drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1, is a perspective view of a motor home with this installed improved retractable awning, the solid lines indicating the retracted position and the dotted lines indicating the extended position, when the uprights are still supported on the side of the motor home, rather than being vertically positioned in the optional patio arrangement;
FIG. 2, is an exploded perspective view of one corner arrangement of the metal components, and other metal components, which, with others not shown in this view, are used to secure the awning to the side of a mobile dwelling or elsewhere, and thereafter conveniently and safely, extend and retract the completed awning assembly;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial section of one rafter bar to illustrate some of the improvements directed to utilization of fewer components and providing a more convenient and simpler latch assembly;
FIG. 4 is a partial view, with portions broken away, to illustrate the centered position of the interior partial length stiffener installed in the roller tube of the awning;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the interior, partial length, centered stiffener, in its installed position within the interior of the roller tube of the awning; and
FIG. 6, is an enlarged cross sectional view of another embodiment of the interior, partial length, centered stiffener, in its installed position within the interior of the roller tube of the awning.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
General Conventional Configuration of the Awning in Respective Positions
In FIGS. 1 through 5, an overall preferred embodiment is illustrated of an improved retractable awning assembly 20 for mobile dwellings which is also useful for other installations. In FIG. 1, a motor home 22 is shown equipped with a retractable awning assembly 20. The solid lines used in FIG. 1, indicate the retracted position, and the dotted lines indicate one of the extended positions, wherein the designated upright supports 24 are secured to the motor home 22 at their lower ends 26. In the other extended position, which is not shown, the upright supports 24 become vertically positioned while resting on the ground, boards, bricks, gravel, and/or pavement.
Improved Rafter Bars
The overall essential metallic components which hold and control the awning 28, per se, are indicated in FIG. 2 in a perspective exploded view of one corner arrangement. The awning 28, per se, is not illustrated in FIG. 2. The upright supports 24 are essentially conventional. The rafter bars 30, however, are improved. Fewer components are used in the subassemblies of these rafter bars 30, and their locking and release is undertaken in an improved way by using a locking button 32 and a spaced adjacent release button 34, which are both spring biased and positioned by the same bar spring 36, and move through holes 35 to be observed at all times to insure their proper functioning.
The improved rafter bars 30, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, comprise a box channel 38, an I beam 40, and an inside partially inserted U shaped channel 42, with the pivotal interconnection pin 44 between the box channel 38 and the U shaped channel 42. A compression spring 46 is mounted within the U shaped channel 42 and abuts against the I beam 40. Pin 47 secures and positions the spring 46, and pin 48 secures and positions the I beam 40 with respect to the box channel 38, and slot 43 in I beam 40.
One end of the improved rafter bar 30 is removably secured to the side of the motor home 22 by the slide end securement assembly 49. The other end of the rafter bar 30 is connected to a shaft 50 of a roller tube end sub assembly 52, using spaced holes located respectively in the upstanding flanges 31 of the U-shaped channel 42 so the center of rotation of rafter bar 30 is on the centerline of the roller tube 54. By having this rotation of the rafter bar 30 about the centerline of the roller tube 54 there is no tendency to create a stretching force in the awning 28, when the upright supports 24 are rotated with respect to the rafter bars 30 in changing the support positions of the lower ends of the upright supports 24 from the ground to the side of the motor home 22, where the latch slide in assembly 56 is secured to the motor home 22.
Conventional Upright Support
In reference to these two alternately selected support positions, generally the upright supports 24 are telescopically lengthened in the ground support position. The telescoping sections 58, 60, are secured in selected extended positions by the securement assembly 62. The top telescoping section 58 has an insertable top housing 64 to receive the shaft 50 of the roller tube end subassembly 52 and also the end of the rafter bar 30. Fastener assembly 66 secures the top housing 64 to the top telescoping section 58 of the upright support 24. At the bottom of the bottom telescoping section 60 a combination support subassembly 68 is inserted and held by fastener 70. It provides a pin 72 for removable securement to the latch slide-in assembly 56, when the upright support 24 is held against the motor home 22, and also this combination support subassembly 68 provides spaced recessed structures 74, i.e. holes, to receive respective ground stakes 76 when they are used to position the upright supports 24 in their vertical support positions. When the roller tube end subassembly 52, the rafter bar 30, and the upright supports 24 are finally assembled, they are collectively encompassed by the end cover 78.
During the locking button 32 and release button 34 spring action, a tapered inner top edge 41 of the U shaped channel 42 serves to provide an excellent entry camming function.
Conventional Roller Tube for Awning
Conventional roller tubes for awnings, as illustrated in FIG. 1, are widely used. The way in which the awnings are attached to the roller tubes is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,510 of 1975 as shown in FIG. 11 of this 1975 patent, and also as illustrated in FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,778 of 1981, and moreover as illustrated in FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,145 of 1971. Also in FIG. 8 of this U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,145 the conventional way the awning is attached to the side of a motor home or other dwelling is illustrated. At both the side of a motor home and at a roller tube, as especially shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,145, the awning fabric is sewn to form a lengthwise pocket or hem to receive and enclose a nylon rope or cord. This resulting enlarged end of the awning is then slidably entered lengthwise into the roller tube using a substantially circular groove having a restricted slot communicating with the groove to accommodate the awning fabric, per se.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, and in part in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, and 6, a conventional roller tube 54, via its respective roller tube end subassemblies 52, inclusive of shafts 50, is rotatably supported between the tops of the upright supports 24, where the ends of the rafter bars 30, are likewise rotatably supported. Their conventional roller tube end subassemblies 52, include a retaining split ring 80, a lever operated locking subassembly 82, bearings 84, a cylindrical housing 86, a shaft 50, a return force coiled spring 88 surrounding the shaft 50, to which one end of the spring 88 is secured, and a spring load transfer gear 90 inserted in the roller tube and around the shaft 50 to receive the other end of the coiled spring 88. The spring load transfer gear 90 about its periphery has recessed structures, not shown, which surround the restrictive entry slide in longitudinal receiving structures 92. These conventional restrictive entry slide in longitudinal receiving structures 92, also called awning end receivers 92, are like the circular grooves having their respective restricted slots communicating with the circular grooves of the rollers shown, for example, in the prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,612,145 of 1971 and 4,258,778. They are integrally formed in the roller tube 54 at three spaced radial locations, to selectively receive the longitudinal end of the awning 28, inclusive of its wrapped lengthwise cord, not shown, but as shown in FIG. 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,145 of 1971. When the awning 28 is pulled out to one or more of its selective positions, the coiled spring 88 is thereby loaded creating a return force, which remains until the lever operated locking subassembly 82 is released, when the awning is retracted.
The Interior, Partial Length, Centered Stiffener for Insertion Into the Awning Roller Tube
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a retractable awning assembly 20 is often installed alongside a motor home 22 over a long span. As a consequence, the conventional roller tube 54 does sag and this sagging is reflected in the awning 28. Therefore, to substantially eliminate such sagging on long span retractable awning assemblies 20, now already installed on many mobile dwellings and elsewhere, and those to be installed in the future, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, and 6, an interior, partial length, centered stiffener 94 is inserted into the respective roller tubes 54.
One embodiment is shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, and another embodiment is shown in FIG. 6, and both embodiments of this interior, partial length, centered stiffener 94 are positioned as illustrated in FIG. 4. In FIGS. 2 and 5, this stiffener 94 is essentially cylindrical in cross section having an outside diameter, which is enough smaller than the inside diameter of the roller tube 54, so no binding will occur during its endwise installation into the roller tube 54. Also at three complementing radial locations there are wide recessed structures 96, or lengthwise grooves, integrally formed in this stiffener 94 to provide oversize clearances in accommodating the awning end receivers 92, also called the restrictive entry slide in long receiving structures 92, on the roller tube 54 used in securing the prepared end of the awning 28 to the roller tube 54. The formation of these wide recessed structures, during extrusion, in addition to providing clearances, also tends to improve the bending resistance capabilities of this stiffener 94.
The lengths of respective interior, partial length, centered stiffeners, will always be short enough to provide clearance for the coiled springs 88 and their related components. The stiffeners will always, otherwise, be long enough, to substantially eliminate any appreciable sagging of the long span roller tube 54. By way of example, in a sixteen foot long roller tube 54, a ten foot long stiffener 94 has been installed, and in a twenty one foot long roller tube 54, a fourteen foot long stiffener 94 has been installed. Their centered position is maintained by using fasteners, not shown, which interconnect the roller tube 54 and a stiffener 94 along a common radius without interfering with the roll up of the awning 28. During such initial securement of this stiffener 94 to the roller tube 54, the roller tube 54 optionally is prestressed in respect to bending, creating an overall advantageous prestressing, in respect to resisting bending, in the completed assembly of the roller tube 54 and its interior, partial length centered stiffener 94.
In FIG. 6, another embodiment is illustrated of an interior, partial length centered stiffener 98. It has an offset X cross section having at one radial location an internal receiving channel 100, which, upon the endwise insertion of this stiffener 98, is positioned about one of the restrictive entry slide in long receiving structures 92 on the interior of the roller tube 54. At the three remaining radial locations respective integral foot supports 102 are formed to alternately contact, as necessary, the interior of the roller tube 54. The overall diameter of this stiffener embodiment 98 is always less than the interior diameter of the roller tube 54, so the endwise insertion of this stiffener 98 never results in any binding within the roller tube 54.
When either stiffener 94 or 98, or an interior, partial length, centered, stiffener of similar specifications is installed within a roller tube, any possible noticeable sagging then or thereafter is eliminated, and the supported awnings, without the reflection of any sag, appear neat and trim and do not tend to collect rain water and/or debris. | An improved retractable awning for mobile dwellings and for other installation places, has an interior, partial length, centered, stiffener inserted into an awning roller tube to substantially eliminate any unreasonable sag across a long span of an awning, and also has simplified rafter bars, each with a more convenient automatic latch, which is easily released by pushing a button. | 4 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This continuation-in-part application is related to non-provisional application Ser. No. 13/208,383 filed on Aug. 12, 2011 and provisional application Ser. No. 61/434,870 filed Oct. 21, 2011 both hereby incorporated in full by reference.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is in the technical field of insulated wall systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to insulated wall systems using PVC channels for support of horizontal insulated panels on a wall.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Finished or “club” basements are a common part of residential structures. Conventional wood framing has been widely used to achieve a finished wall surface. Recently the developments of other innovative wall finishing systems have emerged. These systems are comprised of “shape-molded” insulation panels such as: In-So-Fast™; R-Retro™; Re-Fit and BuildLock™. There is a need for a system that addresses the need for full length synthetic wall channels that can easily accept readily available insulation materials. This approach will allow the unskilled novice to now easily install a finished wall system. Moreover, the locally available sourced insulation material will reduce the need to ship product long distances resulting in a reduction of “carbon footprint”. An earlier embodiment of the insulated wall system described herein used “vertical floor to ceiling panels. While this embodiment satisfied many of the advantages of a needed wall system, there was a need for less expensive and easier to install system. This earlier embodiment is describe in US Patent Publication 2012-0186178, from patent application Ser. No. 13/208,383 filed on Aug. 12, 2011 by the instant inventor and entitled “Wall Insulation System And A Method Of Installing The Same” and hereby incorporated fully herein by reference.
[0004] The presently available systems all require specially shape molded foam insulation elements, they do not create an air space for moisture protection, and/or lack electrical wire chases.
SUMMARY
[0005] The new multi-purpose design was developed to better value engineer the part while enhancing the installation process. This new design provides an approximate material savings 38% which will result in a more economical part as well as more efficient shipping.
[0006] The new design was created to allow the system to be installed in a horizontal position and to eliminate several timely steps that were present with the previous design approach which showed a vertical installation of the system. A horizontal installation eliminates the timely corner assembly that is required in a vertically installed application; it also eliminates the need for the “foam filler” in the corner. The channel profiles in a horizontal installation simply “butt-together” perpendicular at the corners. Moreover, the horizontal installation allows the foam to be removed or inserted after the channel is attached to wall surface. This feature is particularly important when addressing the need to install electrical wiring, the foam panel(s) may simply be “popped-out” to install electrical wiring and then “popped” back into place after the electrical wiring is installed. The new channel profile is designed with a “short-lip” that allows the foam panels to snap in and out of place with little effort. Also, the channel profile that was shown in the vertical assemble as a “corner channel” is now used as a “multi-purpose channel” off the concrete floor and is also used to “cap” the system at the top of the wall. More importantly, the “cap” feature of installation process creates a “thermal stop” as well as a “fire-stop” at the top edge of the last panel. The design of the “stud channel” is such that the longer base flange is where a mechanical fastener will secure the channel to the wall. If the installer tries to install the “stud channel” in an incorrect way he/she will know immediately to correct the positioning as they will not have a flange to secure a fastener through. This design feature will drastically mitigate the likelihood of subsequent channel being improperly positioned (mistake caught in the very beginning instead of the very end).
[0007] The embodiments of the invention include a system retrofitting for the insulation of existing interior walls such as basements; a system for retrofitting for the insulation of exterior walls of a structure such as a home or commercial structure needing further insulation without a convenient or an economical method to do so within a system for the inclusion of insulation. The insulated wall systems of these embodiments provide an economical and efficient method of providing the installation of insulation panels to each of the walls described. The horizontally positioned insulation panels are generally of a foam structure supported by connecting and/or horizontal multi-purpose channels.
[0008] The horizontal connecting channels and horizontal multi-purpose channels are of a unique design that are easily fastened to an existing interior or exterior wall. In addition to supporting the insulation panels, the channels are structured to provide a moisture gap between the insulation and the existing wall to which they are mounted. The horizontal connecting channel and horizontal multi-purpose channels also provide for wire chase areas for power distribution within a wall system.
[0009] Since the insulation panels are commercially available throughout the world, the major elements of the system, the connecting channels and the multi-purpose channels are made available as kits to be combined with the Insulation panels that are locally available. This makes is possible for the system to be available to home owners by purchasing the kits and combining them with the locally available Insulation panels. The installation of insulated wall system onto an existing basement interior wall or an exterior home or commercial structure wall requires no special tools and can be done by individuals with minimum construction skills.
[0010] The embodiments described below include details of the horizontal connecting channels and the horizontal multi-purpose channels and their relationship with the insulation panels; and the details of an interior wall installation.
[0011] While the horizontal connecting channels and horizontal multi-purpose channels have been designed for the embodiments described above there are likely embodiments beyond those described herein where this unique design would be applicable.
[0012] For the purpose of clarity, it will understand that all instances of the use of the terms, connecting channel, multi-purpose channel and rigid insulated foam panel will mean horizontal or vertical connecting channel, horizontal or vertical multi-purpose channel and horizontal or vertical rigid insulated foam panel unless otherwise indicated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, accompanying drawings where:
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates elements of the system mounted on a three walls with: an inside corner and an outside corner; a window in a wall and door in another wall;
[0015] FIGS. 2( a ) and 2 ( b ) illustrate details of the shape and the dimensions of a connecting channel;
[0016] FIGS. 3( a ) and 3 ( b ) illustrate details of the shape and the dimensions of a connecting channel;
[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates the placement of the elements of an Insulated Wall System in the most basic configuration, one portion of a wall without and any end corners, windows or doors.
[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates the details of a connecting channel and a multi-purpose channel mounted to a wall;
[0019] FIG. 6 illustrates the placement of a first layer of multi-purpose channels as part of first step of the installation of an insulated wall system;
[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates the placement of a first layer of insulated foam panels as a second step of the installation of the insulated wall system;
[0021] FIG. 8 illustrates the placement of a first layer of connecting channels as a third step of the installation of an insulated wall system;
[0022] FIG. 9 illustrates the placement of the remaining layers of connecting channels and the corresponding layers of insulated panels as a fourth step of the installation of an insulated wall system;
[0023] FIG. 10 illustrates that the last layer of horizontal insulation panels is “capped” using a layer of multi-purpose channels which are positioned flush with the top of wall as a final step of the installation wall system;
[0024] FIGS. 11-15 illustrate the installation of a wall system insulated on a wall layout having: an inside corner, an outside corner; a window; and a door.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] This disclosure discloses an improved insulated wall system. The system in the parent application, Ser. No. 13/106,819 ('819) entitled “Wall Insulation System and a Method Of Installing The Same” is and remains a viable option for an insulated wall system, a tilt up system and a “cast” system. Even though the '819 application may use either horizontal or vertical channel(s) for an insulated wall system a uniquely horizontal system is described herein. The '819 application is hereby is fully incorporated herein by reference. The instant application discloses an insulated wall system with a new channel/stud design that was developed to better value engineer the part while enhancing the installation process. This new design provides an approximate material savings of 38% which will result in a more economical part as well as more efficient shipping.
[0026] The instant design was created to allow the system to be installed with its primary elements to be installed in a horizontal position and to eliminate several timely steps that were present with the previous design approach which created a vertical installation of the system. A horizontal installation format eliminates the time consuming corner assembly that is required in a vertically installed application. It also eliminates the need for the “foam filler” in the corner used in the parent application design. The channel profiles in a horizontal installation simply “butt-together” perpendicularly at the corners. Moreover, the horizontal installation allows the insulating foam to be removed or inserted after the channel is attached to wall surface. This feature is particularly important when addressing the need to install electrical wiring, the insulating foam panel(s) may simply be “popped-out” to install electrical wiring and then “popped” back into place after the electrical wiring is installed. The improved channel profile is designed with a “short-lip” that allows the insulating foam panels to snap in and out of place with little effort. Also, the channel profile that was shown in the vertical assembly as a “corner channel” of the parent design is now used as a “multi-purpose channel” at the floor level and is also used to “cap” the system at the top of the wall. More importantly, the “cap” feature of the installation process creates a “thermal stop” as well as a “fire-stop” at the top edge of the last panel. The design of the “stud channel” is such that the longer base flange is where a mechanical fastener will secure the channel to the wall. If the installer tries to install the “channel/stud” in an incorrect way he/she will know immediately to correct the positioning as they will not have a flange to secure a fastener through. This design feature will drastically mitigate the likelihood of subsequent channel being improperly positioned (mistake caught in the very beginning instead of the very end).
[0027] The details of the elements of the system and installation description are described below.
[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a wall system 100 with: three walls 102 , 104 and 106 ; an inside corner 108 and an outside corner 110 with an insulated wall system only installed on a first wall 102 of the three connecting walls 102 , 104 and 106 . The second wall 104 illustrates the installation of the insulated wall system 100 around a window 112 . The third wall 106 illustrates the installation of the insulated wall system 100 around a door 114 . The Insulated Wall system 100 includes a plurality of connecting channels (CC) 116 , a plurality of multi-purpose channels (MPC) 118 and a plurality of rigid insulation foam panels (RIFP) 120 . Details of the installation process will be discussed below.
[0029] FIG. 2( a ) illustrates the profile of a connecting channel 116 . The functions of the connecting channel are: provide support for a pair of insulating foam panels 120 ; provide for a CC wire chase area 122 ; and provide for moisture protection of the rigid insulation foam panels 116 . The elements of a connecting channel 116 include: a CC base flange 124 ; a CC supporting leg 126 coupled on a first end to the connecting channel base flange 124 ; a pair of CC interior insulation foam panels support flanges 128 and 130 , each coupled to an opposite side of the support leg 126 and near the CC base flange 124 ; a CC exterior insulation foam panel support element 132 coupled to the support leg 126 having a first portion 134 parallel to the connecting channel base flange 124 and having a second portion extending past the support leg 126 being a “short lip” 136 ; and a rectangular shaped CC wire chase area 122 made up of: a first portion of the base flange 138 , a bottom portion of the supporting leg 140 , a portion of the second (right hand) 130 CC interior insulating panel element that is parallel to the base flange 124 ; and a fourth element 144 coupled on a first end to an end of the second 142 (right handed) portion of the interior insulating team support element parallel to the base flange 124 .
[0030] The shape and some of the dimensions of the connecting channel 116 are dependent upon the thickness of the rigid insulation foam panels 120 . The dimensions discussed below are based upon an insulating foam panel 120 that is 2.00 inches thick and are approximate. FIG. 2( b ) illustrates exemplary dimensions for the connecting channel 116 . The CC base flange 124 is 1.74 inches. The CC support leg 126 is 3.00 inches. Of those 3.00 inches, the area supporting a CC rigid insulated foam panel 120 is 2.00 inches. The two CC interior rigid insulation foam panel support elements are a total of 1.55 inches of which 0.80 inch is for the first portion 134 and 0.75 inch for the second portion 136 . The CC exterior rigid insulated foam panel support flange 126 and its “short lip portion 138 is a total of 1.55 inches of which 0.13 inch represents the “short lip” portion 138 . The CC wire chase area 122 is 0.24 inch wide and 0.91 inch high. The thickness of the elements of the connecting channel 116 is 0.09 inch.
[0031] FIG. 3( a ) illustrates the profile of a multi-purpose channel (MPC) 118 . The functions of the multi-purpose channel 116 are: provide support for a rigid insulation foam panel 118 ; provide for a MPC wire chase area 146 ; and provide for moisture protection of the plurality of rigid insulation foam panels 118 . The elements of a multi-purpose channel 116 include a MPC base flange 148 ; a MPC support leg 150 ; a MPC interior insulating foam panel support element 152 fixed to the support leg 150 and near and parallel to the MPC base flange 148 ; a MPC exterior insulating foam panel support element 154 coupled to the MPC supporting leg 150 and parallel to the MPC base flange 148 ; and a rectangular MPC wire chase area 146 made up of a portion 158 of the MPC base flange 148 ; a lower portion of the MPC supporting leg 156 ; the interior rigid insulation panel element 152 and a fourth element 160 coupled on a first end to an end of the MPC interior insulating foam support element 152 and on the second end to the MPC base flange 148 . The shape and some of the dimensions of the multi-purpose channel 114 are dependent upon the thickness of insulating foam panels 116 . The shape of multi-purpose channel and the dimensions discussed below are based upon an insulating foam panel that is 2.00 inches thick. The principal difference between the connector channel and the multi-purpose channel is that the elements of the connector channel on the side opposite the wire chase area do not exist in the multi-purpose channel. This feature difference permits the multi-purpose channel to be used on the borders such as the top and the bottom of insulated panel system and with interfaces with a window or a door.
[0032] The shape and some of the dimensions of the multi-purpose channel (MPC) 116 are dependent upon the thickness of insulating foam panels 118 . The dimensions discussed below are based upon an insulating foam panel 116 that is 2.00 inches thick and are approximate. FIG. 3( b ) illustrates exemplary dimensions for the multi-purpose channel 116 . The MPC base flange 148 is 1.72 inches. The MPC support leg 150 is 3.00 inches. Of the 3.00 inches, the area supporting an insulated foam panel 118 is 2.00 inches. The MPC interior rigid insulation foam panel support element 152 is 1.00 inches. The MPC exterior insulated foam panel support flange 154 is 1.25 inches. The wire chase area is 0.63 inch wide and 0.0.84 inch high. The thickness of the elements of connecting channel is 0.09 inch.
[0033] FIG. 4 illustrates the placement of the elements of an Insulated Wall System in the most basic configuration, one portion of a wall without and any end corners, windows or doors. The order of placement will be discussed further Installation Description portion below. A typical installation as illustrated in FIG. 4 has two multipurpose channels 116 and a plurality of connecting channels 116 . A first multi-purpose channel 118 is located at the floor level (bottom of the wall) and supports a first layer of insulated foam panels 120 . At this floor level multi-purpose channel 118 has the MPC base flange 148 of the multi-purpose channel 118 facing the wall with the MPC wire chase area 146 facing downward and butting against the floor. The second multi-purpose channel 118 is located at the ceiling level (top of the wall). With this ceiling level multi-purpose channel 118 , the MPC base flange 148 of the channel is facing the wall with the MPC wire chase area 146 is facing upward and is butting against the ceiling.
[0034] The plurality of connecting channels 116 provide support for most of the plurality of layers of rigid insulation foam panels 120 between the two multi-purpose channels 116 . These connecting channels 116 always have the base channel always facing the wall with the CC wire chase area 122 being in a lower part of the mounted connecting channel 116 . The upward side of the CC supporting leg has the larger portion 134 of the exterior insulating panel support element and an upper portion of the interior rigid insulating panel support element 128 providing support for an upper insulating support panel. The lower side of the exterior rigid insulating foam panel support element 136 contains the “short lip” portion The lower portion of the interior rigid insulation foam panel support element 130 and the “short lip” 136 provides the snap ability of installing a rigid insulating foam panel. The installation discussion below will illustrate the reasons for these differences between the differences between the connecting channels and the multi-purpose channels.
Installation Description
[0035] Installation of an Insulated Wall System 100 is straight forward and economical if done in a systematic fashion. The tools and hardware need for such system include: Safety goggles; a plurality of 3/16″×1.00 masonry screws; construction adhesive; a plastic pipe saw or similar saw; a hammer drill; a level and square; a tape measure; a chalk-box; a utility knife; a plurality of rigid insulation panels; a plurality of connecting channels; and a plurality of multi-purpose channels. The first step of installing an Insulated Wall System (System) to an (concrete or CMU) existing wall is to remove all dust, dirt, and loose debris from the existing wall to which the System 100 will be applied. The skill level required is the skill by a competent home repair individual.
[0036] FIG. 5 illustrates the first step in the installation of an insulated wall system on a pair of walls 162 and 164 with an inside corner 166 between them. The installation is started by positioning a first multi-purpose channel 116 at the base of a first wall 162 . The multi-purpose channel 116 is positioned up-against the bottom of the first wall 162 and starts by being held tight into the interior corner with the second wall 164 . A second multi-purpose channel 1146 is positioned similarly on the adjacent wall (second wall) 164 and is allowed to “butt” into first multi-purpose channel 114 . A plurality of multi-purpose channels(s) 114 are installed end-to-end around the perimeter of the wells. Adhesive is used to hold each horizontal multi-purpose channel against wall surfaces and on onto floor surface 168 . Mechanical fasteners such as Tap-Con screws and masonry nails may also be used to secure the multi-purpose channels to the first and second walls 162 and 164 . A plurality of multi-purpose channel(s) 118 are placed around the perimeter of walls 162 and 164 end-to-end to create a continuous application of multi-purpose channels that are fastened to the floor 166 using the described methods. This completes a first and bottom multi-purpose layer of multi-purpose channels 118 .
[0037] FIG. 6 illustrates one or more rigid insulation panel(s) 120 being set into the plurality of multi-purpose channel(s) to begin the first layer of insulation. A plurality of rigid insulation foam panels 116 are placed around the perimeter of walls 162 and 164 end-to-end to create a continuous application of rigid insulation.
[0038] Next, as illustrated in FIG. 7 , the plurality of connecting channels(s) 116 are now installed onto the top edge of the first layer of installed rigid insulation panel(s) 120 . A first connector channel 116 is held tightly into the interior corner just as the first multi-purpose channel 116 was installed on the first wall 162 . A second connector channel 118 is installed on the adjacent wall (second wall) 164 and is “butted” into the first installed connector channel 116 . A plurality of connector channels 116 are subsequently installed end-to-end around the perimeter of each wall 162 and 164 and. The connector channels 116 may only be installed in one position. Due to its unique shape: a connector channel 116 has a single “base flange” 124 that mechanical fasteners must pass through in order to secure the horizontal connector stud to the wall. Therefore, the installer is sure to install it correctly. As illustrated in FIG. 8 the steps as described in FIG. 7 will continue until the last layer of rigid insulation foam panels 120 of the system is at top of wall height.
[0039] FIG. 9 illustrates that the last layer of rigid installation foam panels 116 is “capped” using a layer of a plurality of multi-purpose channels 118 which are positioned flush with the top of the walls 160 and 162 with the MPC base flange 148 fastened to the walls and the MPC wire chase area 146 facing downward. Adhesives and mechanical fasteners are also used to secure the top of wall multi-purpose channel to the wall. While standard sizes of the rigid insulation panels and standard length of connecting channels and multi-purpose channels, due dimensional limitation of the wall(s) to which an insulated wall system, cutting to fit may be required.
[0040] With the completion with the installation of the insulated wall system 100 as described above, a layer of finish board materials such as sheet rock can be installed over the insulated wall system.
[0041] FIGS. 10 through 15 illustrate the procedures for installing an Insulated Wall System 200 : around an outside corner 202 ; around a window opening 204 ; around an inside corner; 206 ; and around a door opening 208 on three walls 210 , 212 , and 214 .
[0042] Installation of the insulated wall system 200 around an outside corner 202 follows a procedure that is described in the parent application with regard to vertical channels used there. FIG. 10 illustrates the first step in the installation of an insulated wall system on a pair of walls 210 and 212 with an outside corner 202 between them. The installation is started by positioning a first multi-purpose channel 118 at the outside corner 202 of the second wall 214 . The base flange 124 of the multi-purpose channel 118 is fastened to the outside corner 202 end of wall 2 212 with the MPC wire chase 146 end of the MPC base flange 148 flush with end outside corner of wall 2 212 . The MPC base flange 148 of a second multi-purpose channel 118 is positioned up-against the MPC base flange 148 of the first multi-purpose channel with the two base flanges coincident, but the wire chase area not coincident. This arrangement provides a corner support for a plurality of rigid foam panels 120 to be installed later.
[0043] The installation of an insulated wall system around windows and doors follows similar steps as above and in the parent application. FIG. 10 illustrates the first steps for installing an insulated wall system 200 around window openings and door openings.
[0044] FIG. 10 illustrates an existing window opening 204 on wall 2 212 . The first steps are to prepare the upper and lower horizontal edges of the window opening 204 with the installation of a pair multi-purpose channels 118 . The upper horizontal edge of the window opening 204 has a first multi-purpose channel 118 installed sued that its MPC base flange 148 is positioned against wall 2 212 such that an open side of the MPC support leg 150 is facing downward and the MPC exterior rigid insulation support flange 154 and the interior rigid insulation support flange 152 are facing upward to support a rigid insulation foam panel 120 .
[0045] The lower horizontal edge of the window opening has a second multi-purpose channel 118 installed such that its base flange MPC base flange 148 is positioned such that an open side of the MPC support leg 150 is facing upward and the exterior rigid insulation support flange 150 and the interior rigid insulation support flange 152 are facing downward to support a rigid insulation panel 120 .
[0046] The left vertical edge of window opening has a third multi-purpose channel 118 installed such that its MPC base flange 148 is positioned such that an open side of the support leg 150 is facing rightward and the exterior rigid insulation support element 154 and the MPC interior rigid insulation support element 152 are facing leftward to support a rigid insulation panel 120 . This is an example of a multi-purpose channel being mounted in a vertical direction.
[0047] The right vertical edge has a fourth multi-purpose channel 118 installed such that its MPC base flange 148 is positioned such that an open side of the MPC support leg 150 is facing rightward and the exterior rigid insulation support element 154 and the MPC interior rigid insulation support flange 152 are facing leftward to support a rigid insulation panel 120 . This is a second example of a multi-purpose channel being mounted in a vertical direction.
[0048] FIG. 10 illustrates an existing door opening 208 on wall 3 214 . The first step is to prepare the upper horizontal edge of the door opening 208 with the installation of a multi-purpose channel 118 .
[0049] The upper horizontal edge of the door opening 208 has a first multi-purpose channel 118 installed such that its MPC base flange 148 is positioned such that an open side of the MPC support leg 150 is facing downward and the MPC exterior rigid insulation support flange 154 and the MPC interior rigid insulation support flange 124 are facing upward to support a rigid insulation panel 120 .
[0050] The left vertical edge of the door opening 208 has a second multi-purpose channel 118 installed such that its MPC base flange 148 is positioned such that an open side of the support leg 150 is facing rightward and the MPC exterior rigid insulation support flange 154 and the MPC interior rigid insulation support flange 152 are facing leftward to support a rigid insulation panel 120 . This is a third example of a multi-purpose channel being mounted in a vertical direction.
[0051] The light vertical edge of the door opening 208 has a third multi-purpose channel 118 installed such that its MPC base flange 148 is positioned such that an open side of the MPC support leg 150 is facing rightward and the MPC exterior rigid insulation support flange 154 and the MPC interior rigid insulation support flange 152 are facing leftward to support a rigid insulation panel 120 . This is a fourth example of a multi-purpose channel being mounted in a vertical direction.
[0052] An additional preparatory step illustrated in FIG. 10 is the installation of multi-purpose channel 118 at the end of wall 3 214 . The MPC base flange 148 of the multi-purpose channel is attached to wall 214 such that its MPC support leg 150 is flush with end of wall 2 214 . In this way the multi-purpose channel 118 supports the plurality of rigid foam insulation panels 120 to be installed at the end of wall 3 214 . This is a fifth example of a multi-purpose channel being mounted in a vertical direction.
[0053] FIG. 11 illustrates the use of multi-purpose channels 118 as a starter channel on Walls 1 , 2 , and 3 210 , 212 and 214 at the floor level as was illustrated in FIG. 7 .
[0054] In the case of wall 1 , a first multi-purpose channel 118 is attached to the wall and is butted against the wall 1 210 side of the outside corner 202 multi-channel channels described above. The next step is the installation of a multi-purpose channel 118 between the (vertical) multi-purpose channel mounted on the left side of door opening on Wall 3 214 and the inside corner 206 between walls 2 212 and 3 214 . The multi-purpose channel butt against the vertical multi-purpose channel and wall 2 212 at the inside corner 206 . With regard to wall 2 212 , a multi-purpose channel 118 on Wall 2 212 it is placed butt against the outside corner 202 multi-channel on the wall 1 side and placed butt against the multi-purpose channel 118 previously installed the wall 3 side.
[0055] The remaining step illustrated in FIG. 11 is the installation of a multi-purpose channel 118 between the vertically mounted multi-purpose channel 118 on the right hand side of the door opening 208 and the vertically mounted multi-purpose channel mounted at the end of wall 3 214 .
[0056] FIG. 12 illustrates the installation of a first layer of rigid foam insulation panels 120 into the various multi-purpose channels 118 installed as described above. Each rigid foam insulation panel 120 is “snapped in” place with panel in place within the multi-purpose channels 118 .
[0057] FIG. 13 illustrates the installation of connecting channels 116 to support the first layer of rigid insulation foam panels 120 installed as part of FIG. 12 .
[0058] In the case of wall 1 , a connecting channel 116 is attached to the wall and is butted against the wall 1 210 side of the outside corner 202 multi-purpose channels described above. The next step is the installation of a connector channel 116 between the (vertical) multi-purpose channel mounted on the left side of door opening on Wall 3 214 and the inside corner 206 between walls 2 212 and 3 214 . The connector channel butted against the vertical multi-purpose channel and wall 2 212 at the inside corner 206 . With regard to wall 2 212 , a connector channel 116 on Wall 2 212 it is placed butt against the outside corner 202 multi-channel on the wall 1 side and placed butt against the multi-purpose channel 118 previously installed the wall 3 side.
[0059] The remaining step illustrated in FIG. 13 is the installation of a multi-purpose channel 118 between the vertically mounted multi-purpose channel 118 on the right hand side of the door opening 208 and the vertically mounted multi-purpose channel mounted at the end of wall 3 214 .
[0060] FIG. 14 illustrates adding additional layers of connecting channels 116 and additional layers of rigid insulating foam panels 120 . This procedure is complicated by the presence of the window opening 204 and the door opening 208 .
[0061] With regard to wall 1 210 , the installation the second layer of ridged insulated foam panel involves pushing the right vertical ends of the panels into the vertical multipurpose channel at the end of wall 210 and inserting in to first layer of connecting channels 116 . The remaining portions of that wall require installation of the remaining layers of connecting channels 116 and the remaining layers of rigid insulation foam panels 120 .
[0062] Wall 2 212 has the complication of the window opening 204 . The first two layers of channels and panels as described above. The second layer of insulation panel area in the under the window multi-purpose channel 118 is inserted into the under the window multi-purpose channel 118 . On both sides of the under window multi-purpose channel two connecting channels 116 are installed butting up to the under window multi-purpose channel 118 and also butt up to the multi-purpose channel on wall 212 at the outer corner 202 on the left. On the right side of the window, a connecting channel 116 is trimmed so that it butt up against a connecting channel to be installed on wall 3 214 .
[0063] The next two layers of insulation panels and connecting channels 116 are inserted between the vertical multi-purpose channels on both sides of the window opening 204 and the left side vertical multi-purpose channel and the connecting channels 116 to be installed later as described above.
[0064] The next layer of may be a single or a combination of rigid insulation foam channels 120 shaped to wrap around be installed into: the left hand side connecting channel 116 ; the multi-purpose channel 118 on the left side of the window opening 204 ; the multi-purpose channel 118 on the top of the window opening; the multi-purpose channel 118 on the right side of the window opening 204 ; and the right hand side connecting channel 116 .
[0065] With regard to wall 3 214 with its door opening 206 , some of the complications of the door opening are present here.
[0066] At this point, wall 3 214 has a first layer of rigid insulated foam panels 120 and a first layer of connecting channels 116 . The same procedures used for these layers is used for the plurality of layers up to the potential layer at the top of the door opening 208 . This layer of rigid insulated foam panel at the top of the door opening 208 of may be a single or a combination of rigid insulation foam channels 120 shaped to wrap around be installed into: the left hand side connecting channel 116 ; the multi-purpose channel 118 on the left side of the door opening 208 ; the multi-purpose channel 118 on the top of the door opening 208 ; the multi-purpose channel 118 on the right side of the door opening 208 ; and the right hand side connecting channel 116 .
[0067] The remaining layer of connecting channel on wall 3 is mounted onto the layer of insulated foam that was wrapped around the door opening 208 . This is followed by the installation of a top layer of rigid insulated foam channel mounted on the last connecting channel on wall 3 214 .
[0068] As in FIG. 9 , FIG. 15 illustrates that the last layer of rigid installation foam panels 116 is “capped” using a layer of a plurality of multi-purpose channels 118 which are positioned flush with the top of the walls 210 , 212 , and 214 with the MPC base flange 148 fastened to the walls and the MPC wire chase area 146 facing downward.
[0069] Adhesives and mechanical fasteners are also used to secure the top of wall multi-purpose channel to the wall. While standard sizes of the rigid insulation panels and standard length of connecting channels and multi-purpose channels, due dimensional limitation of the wall(s) to which an insulated wall system, cutting to fit may be required.
[0070] With the completion with the installation of the insulated wall system 200 as described above, a layer of finish board materials such as sheet rock can be installed over the insulated wall system.
[0071] Various modifications to the embodiments of the resent invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Accordingly, the present invention is to be limited solely by the scope of the following claims. | The embodiments of the invention includes a retrofitting system for the insulation of existing interior walls such as basements; a retrofitting system for the insulation of exterior walls of a structure such as a home needing further insulation without a convenient or economical method to do so within the interior walls. The insulated wall systems of those embodiments provide an economical and efficient method of providing the installation of insulation panels to each of the walls described. The insulation panels are generally of a foam structure supported by horizontal connecting and/or horizontal multi-purpose channels. The horizontal connecting channels and horizontal multi-purpose channels are of a unique design that are easily fastened to an existing wall. In addition to supporting the insulation panels, the channels are structured to provide a moisture gap between the insulation and the existing wall to which they are mounted. The horizontal connecting channels and horizontal multi-purpose channels also provide for wire chase areas for power distribution with a wall system. | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known in the art to fabricate modular units of concrete for assembly into arrays as in Patent Application Ser. No. 828312 wherein load distributing plates of hardened substance are comolded with the concrete to dissipate point stresses on the abutting surfaces.
The present invention likewise utilizes load distributing surfaces which are comolded with the concrete of the modular unit.
In the present invention, however, the points of contact of the load distributing surfaces of adjacent units are three in number. These three points of contact form a plane of contact which exhibits exceptional stability with a reduced cost over extensive metal contact surfaces.
Also in the present invention by virtue of the geometric placement of the holes through which the stressing rods are passed, there is created an increased ease of fastening of the modular units at those points where one planar array of the units meets another array as in the formation of the corner of a building.
Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 shows the left edge of module A.
FIG. 2 shows a side view of module A.
FIG. 3 shows the right edge of module A.
FIG. 4 shows the left edge of module B.
FIG. 5 shows a side view of module B.
FIG. 6 shows the right edge of module B.
FIG. 7 shows an assembled array of modular units.
FIG. 8 is a section along lines 8--8 of FIG. 7.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In FIGS. 1 thru 3 are presented three different views of a module A. FIG. 1 shows in frontal view the left edge 91 of module A. FIG. 2 shows a side view of module A. FIG. 3 shows in frontal view the right edge 92 of a module A.
In FIG. 1 can be seen washers 11, 12, and 13 which are attached to the surface of edge, 91, as by comolding or by other means. In FIG. 1 there can also be seen threaded nuts 21, 22, and 23 which are similarly attached but recessed so that they do not protrude as far above the surface of edge 91 as washers 11, 12, and 13.
In FIG. 3 can be seen washers 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, and 56 which are attached to the surface of the right hand edge 92, of module A by comolding or by other means so as to form a smooth even interface between the metal surfaces and the concrete.
In FIG. 2 there is shown by dotted lines openings 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 passing through module A. Opening 30 is situated such that it passes between or connects washer 51 and washer 11. Similarly, opening 31 connects nut, 21, and washer 56; opening 32 connects nut 22 and washer 55; opening 33 connects washer 12 and washer 55; opening 34 connects washer 13 and washer 53; opening 35 connects nut 23 and washer 54.
In FIGS. 4 through 6 are presented three different views of a module B. FIG. 4 shows in frontal view the left edge, 96, of module B. FIG. 5 shows a side view of module B. FIG. 6 depicts in frontal view the right edge 97 of a module B.
In FIG. 4 can be seen washers 14, 15, and 16 which are attached to the surface of edge, 96, as by comolding or by other means. In FIG. 4 there can also be seen threaded nuts 24, 25, and 26 which are similarly attached, but recessed so that they do not protrude as far above the surface of edge 96 as washers 14, 15, and 16.
In FIG. 6 can be seen washers 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76 which are attached to the surface of the right hand edge, 97, of module B as by comolding or by other means.
In FIG. 5 there is shown by dotted lines openings 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 and 65 which pass through a module B. Opening 60 is situated such that it passes between or connects washer 71 and nut 24. Similarly, opening 61 connects washer 76 and washer, 14; opening 62 connects washer 72 and washer 15; opening 63 connects washer 75 and nut 25; opening 64 connects washer 73 and nut 26; opening 65 connects washer 16 and washer 74.
FIG. 7 depicts an assembled array of modular units whereby said array is assembled from a number of modules of type A and also a number of modules of type B. There is also shown a module of type C which joins a one dimensional array composed of modules A and modules B to another one dimensional array composed of modules A and B as in, but not limited to, the joining of one wall of a building to another wall of a building at a corner.
The assembly of the total array of FIG. 7 will now be described to demonstrate one of the many possible modes of constructions made possible with the use of modules A and B and variations thereof.
Module B1 is first placed vertically. Module A1 is then positioned adjacent to module B1 so that edge 91 of module A1 is placed in abuttment with edge 97 of module B1. In this position washer 71, of module B1 is directly opposite and in contact with washer 11 of module A1 so that opening 60 of module B1 and opening 30 of module A1 are aligned and form one continuous passage; washer, 76, of module B1 is directly opposite but not in contact with nut 21 of module A1 by virtue of the recess of nut 21 into the surface of edge, 91, so that opening 61 of module B1 and opening 31 of module A1 are aligned and form one continuous passage; washer 72 of module B1 is directly opposite but not in contact with nut 22 of module A1 by virtue of the recess of nut 22 below the surface of edge 91 and opening 32 of module A1 forms a continuous passage with opening 62 of module B2; washer 12 of module A1 is directly opposite and in contact with washer 75 of module B1 so that passage 33 of module A1 and passage 63 of module B1 form a continuous passage; washer 73 of module B1 is directly opposite and in contact with washer 13 of module A1 so that opening 34 of module A1 forms a continuous passage with opening 61 of module B1 by virtue of alignment; and also washer 74 is directly opposite but not in contact with nut 23 of module A1 by virtue of the recess of nut 23 into the surface, 91, of module A1 and thereby passage 35 of module A1 and passage 65 of module B1 form a continuous passage. There are therefore three points of contact between module A1 and module B1.
A threaded bolt, 5, is then inserted thru module A1 and module B1 by means of openings 30 and 60 and threadably fastened to nut, 24, of module B1 so that the head of said bolt, 5, rests against washer, 51, of module A.
A second bolt, 5, is then inserted through module A1 and module B1 by means of openings 33 in module A1 and opening 63 of module B1 and thereby said bolt, 5, is threadably connected to nut, 25, of module B1. The head of said bolt, 5, thereby rests against washer 55 of module A1.
A third bolt, 5, is then inserted thru passage, 34, of module A1 and passage, 64, of module B1 and threadably connected to nut 26 of module B1.
A module B2, which is like in kind to module B1, is then positioned adjacent to module A1 so that edge 96 of module B2 is placed in abuttment with edge 92 of module A1. In this position nut 24 of module, B2, is directly opposite but not in contact with the head of the bolt, 5, which rests against washer 51 of module A1, and passage 30 of module A1 is aligned with passage 60 of module B2; washer 14 of module B2 is directly opposite and in contact with washer 56 of module A1 so that passage 31 of module A1 and passage 61 of module B2 are aligned and form a continuous passage; washer 15 of module B2 is directly opposite and in contact with washer 52 of module A1 so that passage 32 of module A1 is aligned with passage 62 of module B2 and thereby forms a continuous passage; nut 25 of module B2 is directly opposite but not in contact with the head of the bolt, 5, which rests against washer 55 of module A1 by virtue of the recess of nut 25 below the surface of module B2; nut 26 of module B2 is directly opposite but not in contact with the head of the bolt, 5, which rests against the washer 53 of module A1, by virtue of the recess of nut 26 below the surface, 96, of module B2; washer 16, of module B2 is directly opposite and in contact with washer 54 of module A1 so that opening 35 of module A1 and opening 65 of module B2 are aligned and form a continuous passage.
A threaded bolt, 5, is then inserted thru module B2 and module A1 by means of opening 61 in module B2 and opening 31 in module A1 and threadably connected to nut, 21, of module A1, and the head of the bolt, 5, rests against washer 76 of module B2.
A second threaded bolt, 5, is then inseted in turn thru module B2 and module A1 by means of opening 62 in module B2 and opening 32 in module A1 and threadably connected to nut 22 of module A1 so that the head of the bolt, 5, rests against washer 72, of module B2.
A third threaded bolt, 5, is then inserted in turn thru module B2 and module A1 by means of opening 65 in module B2 and opening 35 of module A1, whereby said bolt, 5, is threadably connected to nut 23 of module A1 so that the head of the bolt, 5, rests against washer 74 of module B2.
There is thereby formed an array of three modular units which are cojoined such that each modular unit meets its neighbors at only three points in a plane of contact and at these three points the contact is metal to metal.
To this array of modular units can be fastened an additional modular unit A2. This is accomplished by the attachment of module A2 to module B2 in the manner in which A1 was attached to module B1.
To explain the attachment of unit C to the assembled array of modular units composed of units A2, B2, A1, and B1 reference is made to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a section along line 8--8 of FIG. 7 taken along a horizontal plane which passes thru the openings 30 of the A type modular units and openings 60 of the B type modular units. The outline of the openings 31 in the A type modular units is also shown in broken dotted lines in FIG. 8 (although these openings are not in the same horizontal plane as the openings 30 in the A type modular units as shown in FIG. 7). This is done in order to facilitate explanation of the manner in which module C is attached to the array composed of modules A2, B2, A1, and B1, and also the way in which module A3 is attached to module C.
It can be seen in FIG. 8 that a bolt, 5, is inserted through an opening 100 in module C and the opening 31 in module A2. This threaded bolt is threadably fastened to nut 21 (not shown in FIG. 8) of module A2.
There is also shown in FIG. 8 that after a modular unit A3 has been placed adjacent to module C that a bolt, 5, is inserted thru opening 30 in module A3 and thru an opening in module C, 103, which is aligned with opening 30 of module A3. The head of the said bolt, 5, rests against the washer 51 of unit A3 (not shown in FIG. 8)
There are depicted in FIG. 8 also washers 105 which are comolded with unit C at the time of its manufacture. There are also shown metal spacers, 106, which are compressed in turn between a washer 105 and a washer 11 of module A3 and also between a washer 105 and a washer 56 of module A2.
A horizontal plane in FIG. 7 through the openings 32 of the A type modules and 62 of the B type modules could be used to construct a figure similar to FIG. 8.
This figure (not shown) would show bolts 5 through the openings corresponding to openings 101 and 102 of FIG. 8. The bolt, 5, passing through an opening corresponding to opening 101 would also pass through opening 33 of modular unit A3, whereby the head of said bolt, 5, would rest against washer 55 of unit A3 when the bolt was threadably connected to a nut in the manner of nut 108 in FIG. 8. Between the washer 105 of module C and washer 12 of unit A3 would be positioned a metal spacer 106. The bolt, 5, passing through the opening corresponding to opening 102 would also pass through opening 32 of modular unit A2 and be threadably connected to nut 22 of module A2. Between the washer 52 of modular unit A2 and the washer 105 of unit C would be positioned a metal spacer 106. In this drawing there would be no bolts, 5, through the openings corresponding to opening 103 and 100 in FIG. 8.
A horizontal plane in FIG. 7 through the openings 34 of the type A modules and openings 64 of the type B modules could used to construct a figure similar to FIG. 8.
This figure (also not shown) would show bolts, 5, through the openings corresponding to openings 103 and 100 of FIG. 8. The bolt passing through the opening corresponding to opening 103 would also pass through opening 34 of modular unit A3, whereby the head of said bolt 5 would rest against washer 53 of unit A3 when the bolt, 5, was threadably connected to a nut corresponding to nut 108 in FIG. 8. Between the washer 13 of module A3 and the washer 105 of module C would be placed a metal spacer 106. The bolt passing through the opening corresponding to opening 100 of FIG. 8 would also pass through the opening 35 of module A2 and be threadably fastened to nut, 23, of module A2. Between the washer 54 of module A2 and the washer 105 of module C would be positioned a spacer 106. In this drawing there would be no bolts, 5, through the openings corresponding to openings 101 and 102 just as there were no bolts, 5, through these openings in FIG. 8.
To complete the array shown in FIG. 7, module B3 would then be attached to module A3 in the manner in which modular unit B2 was attached to module A1. In turn module A4 would be attached to module B3 in the manner in which module A1 was attached to module B1.
It should be noted that a module B can be created from a module A by rotation about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1 whereby the said axis is represented by point D in FIG. 1.
It should also be noted that there exist other modular units which can be configured by the reflection through mirror planes placed adjacent to or passing through the units depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 which can utilize equally as well the principles contained in this invention.
It should also be noted that the principles contained in this invention can be utilized in the construction of arrays propagated in two and three directions at the same time. This configuration of two and three dimensional arrays can be accomplished by providing openings in a modular unit A (or B) which would be in either of the two mutually perpendicular planes which are perpendicular to the vertical plane containing openings 51, 52, and 53. It could be provided that none of the additional openings intersect one another or any of the openings shown in FIG. 1.
It is, in addition, noted that in the case of the adjoining of a module A to a module B, the three points of contact between adjacent modular units may in fact be washer, 76, of a module B with nut 21 of a module A, washer 72 of a module B with nut ww of a module A, and washer 74 with nut 23. Consistent with this mode of contact in the method of adjoining a module A to a module B in the case of the adjoining of a module B to a module A, the three points of contact between adjacent modular units would be nut 24 of a module B with washer 51 of a module A, nut 25 of a module B with washer 55 of a module A, and nut 26 of a module B with a washer, 53, of a module A. | A method has previously been disclosed in the application with Ser. No. 828,312, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,037, filed on Aug. 29, 1977 for the construction and assembly of concrete modular units.
The present application presents improvements over the methods and embodiments of application Ser. No. 828,312 and the other existing art in its gretaer ease of assembly and reduced cost by virtue of its improved design. | 4 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to a pivot mechanism and more particularly to a pivot mechanism allowing for the quick installation of aircraft stowage bins or similar rotating items.
BACKGROUND
Industrial design considerations must consider a wide range of manufacturing and assembly concerns. Not the least of which involves the final assembly of individual components into a final product assembly. Complex designs may, in turn, result in complex assembly procedures. Complex procedures may lead to undesirably high cost increases due to labor costs. Complex assembly procedures may also decrease the precision of part assembly with a resultant decrease in fit-and-finish.
Thus, the nature of industrial design is often that it favors simplicity over complex assemblies. Such is the case in aircraft interiors. Aircraft interiors must withstand considerable use and abuse from consumers throughout the lifespan of the aircraft. Active functioning items must remain functioning in a safe and reliable fashion and must be easily removed and replaced when such functioning is impaired. All this should be accomplished with a requisite minimum of time and effort to fully realize cost savings.
In particular, one region of an aircraft interior known to pose challenges to such desired efficiencies are the overhead storage bins. This bins are heavily used and often abused during flights. Often passengers considerably overload them. This abuse in combination with their position within the aircraft often leads to complex fastener assemblies requiring tools to facilitate installation or removal. An installation assembly with reduced complexity and one that alleviated the need for tooling would simplify assembly, reduce assembly costs, allow for simplified replacement of damaged storage bins, and would reduce assembly timelines.
It would therefore be highly desirable to have a pivot mechanism that allowed for the quick installation of aircraft storage bins. It would also be highly desirable for such a pivot mechanism to allow for simplified bin removal for repair or replacement.
SUMMARY
A pivot assembly with quick installation characteristics is provided. Further, an aircraft bin assembly that can be even more inexpensively and more efficiently installed and removed without complex tooling procedures is provided.
A pivot assembly is provided including a first pivot boss having an engagement extension and a first race element having a central race socket. A central engagement bushing is rotatably secured within the central race socket and includes an engagement chamber adapted to removably engage the engagement extension. The central engagement bushing allows the first race element to rotate relative to the first pivot boss while remaining longitudinally engaged to the first fixed pivot boss.
Other features of the present disclosure will become apparent when viewed in light of the detailed description and preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an illustration of an aircraft interior illustrating an aircraft bin assembly in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a detailed illustration of an aircraft bin assembly as illustrated in FIG. 1 , the aircraft bin assembly illustrated in the range of operating positions.
FIG. 3 is an illustration of the aircraft bin assembly as illustrated in FIG. 1 , the aircraft bin assembly illustrated in both the installation position and the bin open position.
FIG. 4 is an illustration aircraft bin assembly illustrated in FIG. 3 , the bin assembly illustrated in the pre-install position.
FIG. 5 is a detail illustration of the pivot assembly for use in the aircraft bin assembly illustrated in FIGS. 1–5 .
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional illustration of the pivot assembly illustrated in FIG. 5 .
FIG. 7 is an exploded view illustration of the pivot assembly illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to FIG. 1 which is an illustration of an aircraft interior 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. The aircraft interior 10 includes an aircraft bin assembly 12 wherein passengers may store carry-on baggage and airline crew may store blankets and other sundries. The aircraft bin assembly 12 is comprised of an airline interior overhead structure 14 and a plurality of overhead bin elements 16 . The overhead bin elements 16 are rotatably mounted to the aircraft interior overhead structure 14 such that they can be rotated between a bin closed position 18 and a bin open position 20 (see FIG. 3 ).
The present disclosure provides not only a unique and novel approach to such rotatable mounting, but provides improvements to installation and removal of an overhead bin element 16 from the aircraft interior overhead structure 14 . This is accomplished through the use of a unique pivot assembly 22 as shown in FIGS. 2–7 . A pair of such pivot assemblies 22 may be utilized on each bin element 16 and overhead structure 14 interface. Alternately, a single pivot assembly 22 may be used in combination with an alternate rotational mount to reduce complexity.
Each pivot assembly 22 is comprised of a first pivot boss 24 having a fixed boss mounting base 26 . An engagement extension 28 protrudes from the fixed boss mounting base 26 or from the interior overhead structure 14 . The fixed pivot boss 24 may, in fact, be simply formed as a portion of the interior overhead structure 14 . The fixed boss mounting base 26 includes a plurality of boss mounting bores 30 by which the first pivot boss 24 may be fixedly mounted to the aircraft interior overhead structure 14 or alternately the overhead bin element 16 . Although the engagement extension 28 may be formed in a variety of shapes, it is contemplated that it is shaped to fixedly engage an engagement chamber 32 formed within a central engagement bushing 34 such that upon insertion into the engagement chamber 32 , the engagement extension 28 is restrained from axial separation. One particular embodiment illustrated contemplates a t-shaped cross-sectional engagement extension 28 matched with a t-shaped cross-sectional gap 36 .
The central engagement bushing 34 is rotatably engaged to a first race element 38 . The first race element 38 includes a fixed race mounting base 40 suitable for fixed mounting to the overhead bin element 16 or alternately the overhead structure 14 by way of a plurality of race mounting bores 39 . The first race element 38 includes a circular wall 42 extending from the fixed race mounting base 39 and forming a central race socket 44 . The central engagement bushing 34 is rotatably secured within the central race socket 44 . This is preferably accomplished by inserting the central engagement bushing 34 through an assembly opening 46 formed in the rear surface 48 of the first race element 38 . An upper flange 50 formed on the circular wall 42 and flanged inwardly traps the central engagement bushing 34 within the central race socket 44 once the fixed race mounting base 39 is mounted. An upper extension notch 51 may be formed on the engagement extension 28 to prevent interference with the upper flange 50 . A lower bushing flange 52 maybe additionally formed on the central engagement bushing 34 and adapted to correspond to an outward chamfer 54 formed at the assembly opening 46 to provide a dual rotational guide.
In order for the engagement extension 28 to be insertable and removable from the engagement chamber 32 when the central engagement bushing 34 is positioned within the central race socket 44 , the circular wall 42 preferably includes an entry gap 56 through which the engagement extension 28 may pass. An outwardly flanged entrance guide 58 may be formed as an extension of the circular wall 42 to provide a guide for inserting the engagement extension 28 into the central race socket 44 and there into the engagement chamber 32 . As the engagement chamber 32 does not pass entirely through the central engagement bushing 34 , the engagement extension 28 is only insertable or removable from a single orientation when the engagement chamber 32 is aligned with the entry gap 56 (referred to as the installation position 60 —see FIG. 4 ). The central engagement bushing 34 is preferably biased into the installation position 60 to facilitate easy assembly. This may be accomplished through a variety of known methods such as weights, springs, or similar biasing methodologies.
After mounting of the first pivot boss 24 to the aircraft interior overhead structure 14 and the fixed race element 38 to the overhead bin element 16 , the overhead bin element 16 is raised into a pre-install position 62 positioned directly above the engagement extension 28 (see FIG. 4 ). It is lowered along arrow 62 into the installation position ( FIG. 3 ) wherein the engagement extension 28 is guided into the engagement chamber 32 . The overhead bin element 16 can then be rotated into a range of operating positions 66 (see FIG. 2 ). As the engagement extension 28 can only be removed in the installation position 60 , the pivot assembly 22 becomes rotationally secured as an assembly throughout the range of operating positions 66 . The overhead bin element 16 can be raised, therefore, into the bin open position 20 and prevented from unintentional movement back into the installation position 60 by way of at least one stop element 68 formed on the overhead bin element 16 and engaging the aircraft interior overhead structure 14 . Although a particular stop element 68 has been described, a wide variety of stop elements 68 and relative positioning thereof would be obvious in light of the present disclosure. Similarly, a variety of latch assemblies 70 may be used to secure the overhead bin element 16 into the bin closed position 18 .
The present disclosure, thereby, provides a unique pivot assembly 22 that allows assembly of the aircraft bin assembly 12 without the need for tooling or complex procedures. Similarly, the overhead bin elements 16 may be removed simply by forcing the stop elements 68 past the bin open position 20 . The present invention therefore simplifies and improves bin assembly design and assembly.
While the present disclosure has been described in connection with one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that the specific mechanisms and techniques which have been described are merely illustrative of the principles of the disclosure, numerous modifications may be made to the methods and apparatus described without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. | A pivot assembly is provided including a first pivot boss having an engagement extension and a first race element having a central race socket. A central engagement bushing is rotatably secured within the central race socket and includes an engagement chamber adapted to removably engage the engagement extension. The central engagement bushing allows the first race element to rotate relative to the first pivot boss while remaining longitudinally engaged to the first fixed pivot boss. | 5 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention is directed generally to bed coverings for a mattress and, more particularly, to a fitted (or semi-fitted) top sheet that may be attached at one end to the mattress and which may be placed between a user and other bedding such as blankets, quilts, comforters, or the like. Additionally, the present invention is directed to a fitted blanket, fitted quilt, fitted comforter and fitted bedspread for a mattress. The invention is also directed to a pattern for making these fitted bed coverings.
BACKGROUND ART
[0004] Conventional bed sheets are presently available in two basic varieties; namely, a fitted bottom sheet, and a flat top sheet. Likewise, conventional blankets, quilts, comforters and bedspreads are created as a flat cloth that is draped over the mattress and tucked in if desired. These bed coverings are manufactured in a multitude of sizes to accommodate the various mattress sizes, such as twin, full, queen, king, “California King”, mattress depths, including standard and “pillow top”, and various mattress types, such as those used in beds at home, or those used in hotels, hospitals, barracks, and other commercial or governmental settings requiring beds. Custom bed coverings size can also exist, such as, for example those customized to fit specialized mattresses such as mattresses utilized in trucks, campers, recreational vehicles, sofa beds, children's beds, cribs, bassinets, irregularly-shaped mattresses or the like. Although many mattress sizes are standardized, the precise dimensions of a standardized mattress may vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer.
[0005] The changing of bed coverings is often regarded as a “chore” by those desiring to, e.g., change the sheets on their beds at home, or by those employed to change bed linens, such as, in hotels and hospitals. As such, improvements are sought to make life easier when it comes to changing a bed—at home this can translate to more time for other activities, and in a commercial setting, can translate to the saving of time and money spent in servicing the bed linens.
[0006] It has also been stated previously that after making a bed in the usual manner certain difficulties are encountered. The most annoying difficulty is that often the bottom portion of the top bed sheet will be kicked loose from the mattress by a restless sleeper at a time that is not conducive to remaking the bed, thereby causing chill and discomfort to the sleeper(s).
[0007] A great deal of time is expended by an individual who must remake the entire bed due to the loosening of the top sheet only. For as the top sheet is kicked free, so too are the bed coverlets above it loosened. Depending upon the number of coverlets above the sheet, (an average of three in the winter, two blankets and a spread), it will take a minimum of ten minutes per day to remake an entire queen-sized bed. That means one (1) hour and ten (10) minutes per week, or sixty-one (61) hours per year to make just one bed. For a family of four members, daily bed making could take as much time as two hundred forty four (244) hours per year. In settings other than the home, such as a hotel, the collective time to make such beds, or change such beds can be significant.
[0008] The most common sheet configuration in use on beds today is the use of a fitted sheet to cover the mattress, with a flat sheet used as an upper sheet. Fitted sheets usually have an elastic strip at each corner or a single continuous strip surrounding the open edge of the sheet.
[0009] Typically, a top or flat sheet is placed over the fitted bottom sheet between the user and other bedding such as blankets, quilts, comforters, and the like. The top sheet may be tucked beneath the foot end of the mattress when the bed is made. However, top sheets frequently become loose from under the mattress during use, and are inconvenient to tuck in and refold when the bed is again made. Known to the art are bed clothes, made for use with waterbeds, which include a top sheet having a portion of the lower edge attached to a lower end of the fitted sheet. This method of attaching the top sheet to the fitted sheet eliminates many of the problems associated with loose top sheets. However, it fails to address the inconvenience of refolding the top sheet at the lower corner to provide a finished appearance should the waterbed sheet be utilized with a conventional mattress.
[0010] Fitted bottom sheets are known including an overhang which overhangs the sides of a mattress and is drawn inwardly under the mattress by elastic strips so that the bottom sheet is tightly spread over the top of the mattress and held securely in place. When a separate flat top sheet is used with the fitted bottom sheet, it must be carefully adjusted and tucked in with hospital corners, and even then the top sheet comes untucked readily. This makes making up the bed an unnecessarily complicated procedure for everyone, and a potentially difficult procedure for those with vision problems or other physical difficulties.
[0011] Fitted top sheets are also known having the same type of fitting at the bottom as the fitted bottom sheets, particularly with satin sheets, but this construction leaves little room at the bottom for the sleeper's feet.
[0012] It is even known to have a combination of a fitted bottom sheet with an attached top sheet. However, the known constructions for such combinations either provide too little space for the sleeper's feet and/or require complicated constructions that are relatively expensive and difficult to handle when making up the bed.
[0013] For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,836 to Keene, III, describes bed clothes having a fitted bottom sheet and an attached top sheet. The bottom sheet may form head and foot end pockets which envelop, respectively, the head and foot ends of the mattress, wherein the head end pocket extends along the bottom surface of the mattress from the head end for a length less than or equal to the thickness of the mattress (as measured between the top surface and the bottom surface of the mattress) and the foot end pocket extends along the bottom surface from the foot end for a length at least as great as one and one half times this thickness. The top sheet is attached to the foot end pocket of the bottom sheet so that a user's feet may extend past the foot end of the mattress without substantially displacing the top sheet in a direction generally from the head end to the foot end of the mattress.
[0014] Fitted sheets are preferred over flat sheets because they may be quickly and neatly placed on a mattress without tedious folding and manipulation of the sheet's corners. Further, fitted sheets provide a convenient means for retaining the sheet on the mattress during use. Typically, prior art fitted sheets may be categorized as one of three types.
[0015] Perhaps the most commonly used type of fitted sheet comprises an elastic band attached along the ends of the sheet to draw the sheet closed about the sides of a mattress. These elastic bands may, however, be subject to wear after repeated use and may allow the sheet to come loose from the mattress as a user lying thereon changes positions.
[0016] A second type of fitted sheet employs generally triangular shaped panels sewn to each corner of the sheet to form corner pockets which hold the corners of the mattress. This type of sheet is most commonly utilized with waterbed mattresses, wherein the corner of the waterbed mattress may be lifted slightly to permit its insertion within the corner pocket. However, such corner pockets typically do not fit well on conventional mattresses and thus may also allow the sheet to come loose from the mattress.
[0017] U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,274 to Cuneo discloses a third type of fitted sheet. This sheet utilizes head and foot end pockets which hold, respectively, the head and foot ends of the mattress. However, both the head and foot end pockets of the Cuneo bottom sheet have a depth at least as great as the thickness of the mattress in order to securely retain the sheet on the mattress. Consequently, if the depth of the pockets is too great, the sheet may be somewhat difficult to place on or remove from the mattress especially if the mattress is utilized in confined areas such as a truck cabin, camper, or recreational vehicle, or, alternatively, if the depth of the pockets is too shallow, the sheet may slip off the mattress during use.
[0018] Cuneo, supra, also teaches bed clothes for a mattress wherein the top sheet is attached to the bottom sheet. However, because the top sheet of the Cuneo bed clothes is attached to the bottom sheet along the top surface of the mattress, users may find that they cannot extend their feet past the end of the mattress without substantially displacing the top sheet in a direction generally from the head end to the foot end of the mattress. This limitation may prove uncomfortable to many persons who prefer sleeping with their feet extending over the end of the mattress.
[0019] Furthermore, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,831 to Clark, there is described a bed sheet which can be used both as a bottom and top sheet. The bed sheet has a fabric panel sized to fit the mattress with which it is to be used. Open pockets at each end of the bed sheet serve to enclose the head and foot portions of a mattress when used as a bottom sheet. When used as a top sheet, one pocket is used to enclose the foot portion of a mattress while the second pocket is used to hold the edge of a blanket from contact with a person while sleeping.
[0020] U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,821 to Kawtoski describes a bed sheet combination, including a fitted bed sheet that is a rectangular interlocked cotton knitted fabric, wherein each corner of the rectangle is rounded and an elastic member is sewn around the periphery of the sheet to bunch up the corners, and a top sheet made of the same material, cut at the corners of one transverse side and an elastic member is attached to the transverse side and up a portion of the longitudinal sides extending therefrom, thus creating a billowy area at the bottom of the sheet to loosely receive feet.
[0021] U.S. Patent Application No. 20040200000 A1 to Harbin et al. discloses a top sheet having a fitted foot end and method of assembling a fitted sheet to a mattress are disclosed. The foot pocket has a foot end face panel that extends over a foot end of the mattress and a foot tuck panel that is tucked beneath the bottom surface of the mattress. The foot pocket further comprises right and left side corner panels that adjoin to both the foot end face panel and a top portion of the sheet to define a three sided corner that locates the sheet on the foot end of the mattress. According to the method, the top sheet is spread over the mattress with the right and left side corners located on the right and left top corners of the foot end of the mattress and a foot tuck panel is tucked under the mattress to secure the sheet to the mattress.
[0022] U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,477 to Ciaglia et al. describes a fitted sheets combination that includes a fitted bottom sheet and a top sheet. The bottom corners of the top sheet are formed of a widthwise cut edge and a lengthwise cut edge meeting at an angle of more than 90 degrees, and being attached to each other along respective lengths. The bottom corners of the top sheet are attached to the bottom corners of the bottom sheet to form a foot pocket at a bottom area of the combination. These sheets are commercially available from Bedmaid Corporation under the Double Dreams brand as offered on the worldwide web through the website of Sheets2Love.com.
[0023] U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,626 to Weiss describes a fitted top sheet that includes a construction which provides a foot accommodating space when placed in position on a mattress. The sheet has a one piece construction wherein the fitted bottom corners and foot accommodating space are formed by sewing the cut edges of two cut-outs in each side of a generally rectangular piece of material.
[0024] Honig, U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,128, describes a fitted top sheet of a generally rectangular blank of fabric material having two bottom corners, each corner cut away by three curved lines to form a junction having an angle of substantially 90 degrees, to each of which a band of stretchable material is sewn, in stretched condition, to the outside edge of the cut corners and along the entire edge portion of the bottom of the blank, which cut corners are then joined by stitching at each corner and bottom edges thereof, thereby forming two expandable pockets for engaging the bottom corners and bottom portion of a mattress.
[0025] The previous art has laid claim to simplicity. Most, however, have complicated the process by adding snaps, zippers, buttons, hooks and eyes, Velcro® fasteners, stretchable materials not commercially available, or by the use of complicated fabric cutting processes. The latter require expensive manufacturing details as well as time consuming fussing for the bed-maker. The focus has remained on providing sufficient excess fabric material in the sheet for covering the feet without solving the problem of easing the burden of the daily task of remaking the bed for the bed-maker.
[0026] Manufacturers have provided us with fitted bottom sheets, but they have not taken the next step in providing a simple, yet effective, fitted top bed sheet, which enables the bed-makers to complete their tasks in a faster, easier manner, while also providing the sleeper with a zone of expansion at the foot end to provide the sleeper with more foot room. What is desired is to have a fitted top sheet that can readily be placed on the mattress (e.g., over the bottom sheet) while also allowing the top sheet to maintain a square-cornered look and allow for a desired overhang, or drape, along the entire length of the mattress that is even on both sides. It would also be desired that such fitted top sheet provide the user with a comfortable, expandable area for the user's feet. These characteristics would likewise be desirable on a blanket, comforter, quilt, and/or bedspread used on the bed. It is to this issue that this invention is directed.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0027] To address the forgoing problems, the present invention teaches a partially fitted bed covering comprising a fabric sheet having a head end (at the end of a bed where the sleeper's head typically resides) and a foot end (where the sleeper's feet are normally located) opposing the head end. The sheet also has a right side edge and a left side edge opposite the right side edge. The head end is separated from the foot end by a desired length (L); the left side edge is separated from the right side edge by a desired overall width (W). The fitted sheet includes an expandable, five-sided pocket fixably attached and centered along a portion of the width (W) of the underside of the foot end of the fabric sheet. The pocket contains an opening facing toward the head end of the sheet and is sized to be capable of receiving the foot end of a desired mattress. The pocket opening has a bottom edge, opposed side edges and a top edge. The width (W) of the sheet, when placed on the mattress, is sufficient to substantially cover the sides of the mattress and to cover the opposed side edges of pocket opening. The sheet also has a zone of expansion created in said foot end of said sheet by increasing the size of said opening relative to the size of said foot end of said mattress. In a preferred embodiment, the partially fitted bed covering is constructed from a single piece of fabric. In another preferred embodiment, the partially fitted bed covering further comprises an elastic material around the opening of said pocket. The partially fitted bed covering may be a top sheet, blanket, quilt, bed spread, comforter or other bed covering.
[0028] In another preferred embodiment, the partially fitted bed covering pocket opening is defined by two opposed side panels, an underside panel, a back panel and a top panel. In one preferred embodiment, the opposed side panels are preferably in the shape of a rectangle, while in another preferred embodiment, the opposed side panels are in the shape of a trapezoid, while in yet another preferred embodiment, the opposed side panels are in the shape of a parallelogram.
[0029] In another preferred embodiment, there is described a fitted bed covering comprising a fabric sheet having a head end and a foot end opposing the head end, a right side edge and a left side edge opposite the right side edge. The head end is preferably separated from the foot end by a desired length (L); the left side edge is separated from the right side edge by a desired overall width (W). The sheet includes an expandable, five-sided pocket located on the underside of the foot end of the fabric sheet. The pocket preferably comprises a back face, an underside flap, a right side expansion flap, a left side expansion flap, and a portion of the underside of said fabric sheet. In a preferred embodiment, the back face has a foot end top edge centered and contiguous with a portion (W′) of the width (W) of the fabric sheet foot end; a foot end bottom edge substantially parallel to, opposite and separated by depth (D′) from the foot end top edge; a back face right edge of depth (D′) and a back face left edge of depth (D′) opposite and parallel to the back face right edge; the back face existing in a plane substantially perpendicular to the fabric sheet. In this embodiment, the depth (D′) represents the depth of a mattress to be covered with the fitted bed covering.
[0030] Preferably, the right side expansion flap has a top edge fixably attached to the underside of the fabric sheet parallel to and disposed from the right side edge; a bottom edge opposite the top edge, a left edge that is contiguous with the back face right edge, and a right side outer edge opposite the left edge. The left side expansion flap preferably has a top edge fixably attached to the underside of the fabric sheet parallel to and disposed from the left side edge; a bottom edge opposite the top edge, a right edge that is contiguous with the back face left edge, and a left side outer edge opposite the right edge. The underside flap preferably has a foot end edge contiguous with the back face foot end bottom edge; a head end edge opposite the foot end edge; a right side edge contiguous with the right side expansion flap bottom edge; and a left side edge contiguous with the left side expansion flap bottom edge.
[0031] The pocket preferably has an opening capable of receiving the foot end of a mattress defined by the right side expansion flap right side outer edge, the left side expansion flap left side outer edge, the underside flap head end edge, and the underside of the fabric sheet. The width (W) of the sheet, when placed on said mattress, preferably is sufficient to substantially cover the sides of the mattress and to substantially cover the right side expansion flap and the left side expansion flap. The sheet also employs a zone of expansion created in the foot end of the sheet by increasing the size of the opening relative to the size of the foot end of said mattress.
[0032] In this embodiment, the fitted bed covering preferably is constructed from a single piece of fabric. Further, the fitted bed covering comprises an elastic material around the opening of the pocket. This embodiment can likewise be employed as a top sheet, blanket, quilt, bed spread or comforter. In one preferred embodiment, the right side expansion flap and the left side expansion flap are in the shape of a rectangle; in another, the right side expansion flap and the left side expansion flap are in the shape of a trapezoid; in yet another, the right side expansion flap and the left side expansion flap are in the shape of a parallelogram. In one preferred embodiment, the right side expansion flap left edge meets the right side expansion flap bottom edge at an angle greater than or equal to 90 degrees, and the left side expansion flap right edge meets the left side expansion flap bottom edge at an angle greater than or equal to 90 degrees. In yet another preferred embodiment, the length of the right side expansion flap right edge and the left side expansion flap left edge are equal to 1.25×(D′).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] FIG. 1 a shows a plan view of a patterned cloth ready for construction into a fitted top bed sheet according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The outlined area illustrates the zone or area of patterning in the upper right corner which is preferably a mirror image of the patterning in the upper left corner.
[0034] FIG. 1 b shows a plan view of an alternative patterning to the cloth in the outlined area in FIG. 1 a used for making a fitted top bed sheet according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0035] FIG. 1 c shows a plan view of an alternative patterning to the cloth in the outlined area in FIG. 1 a used for making a fitted top bed sheet according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0036] FIG. 1 d shows a plan view of an alternative patterning to the cloth in the outlined area in FIG. 1 a used for making a fitted top bed sheet according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0037] FIG. 1 e shows a plan view of an alternative patterning to the cloth in the outlined area in FIG. 1 a used for making a fitted top bed sheet according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0038] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a fitted top sheet according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0039] FIG. 3 shows a right side view, partially revealed, of a fitted top sheet covering a person on a mattress according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0040] Reference is now made to the drawings which depict preferred embodiments of the present invention, but are not drawn to scale. Referring now to FIGS. 1 a , 1 b , 1 c , 1 d and 1 e , there are shown, from top view, a blank or patterned cloth 100 from which a fitted bed covering can be sewn according to preferred embodiments of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the fitted (or partially fitted) bed covering is a fitted top sheet. A partially fitted top sheet as disclosed can be made to fit any bed or mattress size such as a twin, full, queen or king size mattress and may be used with a mattress and box spring set or platform bed. This unique design for a top sheet may be strategically cut from flat material and simply sewn. The unique design can be manufactured from the same size fabric blank as a conventional flat top sheet and can be manufactured from a commercially available standard flat top sheet. Only a minimum additional amount of labor is required to manufacture the unique partially fitted top sheet of the present invention when compared to the labor required to manufacture a conventional flat top sheet.
[0041] According to one aspect of the present invention, a partially fitted top sheet for a mattress is provided. As such, the following illustrations will describe a partially fitted top sheet, but could be adapted for use in constructing other partially fitted bed coverings, such as, a fitted blanket, fitted quilt, fitted comforter and fitted bedspread. As used herein, the terms right and left refer to the sides of the bed when viewed from the foot of the bed. Additionally, it is preferred that the fitted top sheet be substantially symmetrical between its right and left sides so that the left side is substantially the mirror image of the right side and visa versa.
[0042] FIG. 1 a depicts a top sheet pattern (or patterned cloth) 100 that can be employed in creating preferred partially fitted bed clothes of the present invention. Similarly, FIGS. 1 b - 1 e depict additional top sheet patterns 100 that can be employed in creating other preferred partially fitted bed clothes of the present invention. As will be seen, each of these embodiments ( FIGS. 1 a - 1 e ) share some attributes and as such, will employ the same numbering system except in the area of the pattern master zone 108 a shown in FIG. 1 a . The different features of the other embodiments ( FIGS. 1 b - 1 e ) occur within the pattern master zone 108 a , and will be described and numbered separately, it being understood that the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 b - 1 e preferably include the attributes shown on FIG. 1 a outside of the area of pattern master zone 108 a even though such attributes are not shown in FIGS. 1 b - 1 e.
[0043] Referring again to FIG. 1 a (also considered with respect to FIGS. 1 b - 1 e ), the top sheet pattern 100 has a top side face 102 which, when the sheet is constructed, would fit substantially on the top face of a desired mattress (M) having a length (L) (i.e., measured head end to foot end), a width (W) (measured left to right) and a depth (D). The top side face 102 , in this embodiment, is substantially rectangular in shape (to correspond with a substantially rectangular-shaped mattress), and is defined generally by head end edge 180 ; foot end top edge 142 parallel to the top side face 102 and separated from the top side face by length (L′); right and left side fold lines 176 , 178 , which are parallel to each other and separated by width (W′); where width (W′) and length (L′) correspond with the approximate top face dimensions of the desired mattress (M) to be used with a fitted top sheet of the present invention. It will be appreciated that the measurements of length (L), width (W), and depth (D) will depend on the particular mattress configuration, be it standard-sized or custom-sized. Additionally, it is preferred that the top sheet pattern be substantially symmetrical between its right and left sides so that the left side of the pattern is substantially the mirror image of the right side of the pattern and visa versa.
[0044] The patterned cloth 100 has a left side flap 105 , a right side flap 109 , both of width (W f ) and length (L′), the width (W f ) being the desired overhang of the top sheet over the side of the mattress (M) from fold lines 176 , 178 ; the length (L′) being a desired length relative to the length (L) of the mattress (M). In a preferred embodiment, length (L′) of the pattern is at least as long as the mattress length (L), and in another preferred embodiment, contains sufficient length to allow the top sheet to be folded back a desired amount over, e.g., other bed coverings, such as a blanket. Some standard mattress dimensions are reported as follows:
TABLE 1 Standard Mattress Dimensions (Inches) Width Length Depth Size (W) (L) (D) Twin 38 75 6-8 Full 54 75 6-8 Queen 60 80 6-8 King 76 80 6-8 California King 72 84 6-8
[0045] The left side flap 105 shares at the head end of the bed the left-most portion (of width (W f )) of head end edge 180 , and has at the foot end of the bed opposite this portion of the head end edge 180 a left side flap bottom edge 156 also of length (W f ) extending axially outward from the foot end top edge 142 from foot end left side flap right corner 152 to foot end left side flap left corner 160 . The left side flap 105 has as its outer edge left side flap edge 164 having length (L′) as defined by the distance between foot end left side flap left corner 160 and left head end corner 188 . The left side flap 105 also shares with sheet top side face 102 left fold line 176 also of length (L′) indicating where the sheet, once formed, would begin draping over the edge of the mattress (M). Left fold line 176 is parallel to and separated by width (W f ) from left side flap edge 164 . Left side flap 105 is substantially rectangular in shape in this embodiment.
[0046] Similarly, the right side flap 109 shares at the head end of the bed the right-most portion (of width (W f )) of head end edge 180 , and has at the foot end of the bed opposite this portion of the head end edge 180 , a right side flap bottom edge 158 also of length (W f ) extending axially outward from the foot end top edge 142 from foot end right side flap left corner 154 to foot end right side flap right corner 162 . The right side flap 109 has as its outer edge right side flap edge 166 having length (L′) as defined by the distance between foot end right side flap right corner 162 and foot end right side flap left corner 154 . The right side flap 109 also shares with sheet top side face 102 right fold line 178 also of length (L′) indicating where the sheet, once formed, would begin draping over the edge of the mattress (M). Right fold line 178 is parallel to and separated by width (W f ) from right side flap edge 166 . Right side flap 109 is substantially rectangular in shape in this embodiment.
[0047] The pattern 100 has a head end edge 180 (with indications of the location of a finishing hem 182 ) and left and right corners 188 , 190 , respectively. The pattern also has a foot end top edge 142 defining where the top sheet, when constructed, would meet the foot end top edge of the mattress (M), and a foot end bottom edge 140 defining where the top sheet, when constructed, would meet the foot end bottom edge of the mattress (M). The spacing or depth (D′) between the foot end bottom edge 140 and the foot end top edge 142 is preferably the depth (D) of the desired mattress (M). The spacing (W′) between left and right fold lines 176 , 178 is preferably the width (W) of the desired mattress (M). The total width of the patterned cloth (and hence the fitted top sheet made therefrom) equals 2(W f )+(W′).
[0048] The patterned sheet 100 also has a back face 104 having depth (D′) and width (W′), substantially corresponding in size with the foot end edge of the mattress (M) (not shown), and having substantially a rectangular shape. Back face depth (D′) preferably is about the same depth as mattress depth (D). The back face 104 has a top left corner 144 , a bottom left corner 120 , a top right corner 146 , and a bottom right corner 122 . The distance between corners 144 and 120 is preferably equal to D′. The distance between corners 146 and 122 is preferably equal to D′. The distance between corners 146 and 144 is preferably equal to W′. The distance between corners 122 and 120 is preferably equal to W′.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 1 a , the patterned cloth 100 includes a pattern master zone 108 a containing an exemplary pattern for creating a fitted top sheet according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As will be understood, the pattern master zone 108 a is shown illustrating the left side, foot end of the patterned cloth. The pattern master zone 108 a contains various desired patterning that can be used in transferring the pattern onto a flat piece of cloth or existing flat sheet used in creating a fitted flat sheet of the present invention. A pattern (not shown) can be created bearing the markings contained in pattern master zone 108 a with conventional pattern paper (or other suitable material) so that the pattern, for each desired sheet size, can be used to mark the starting cloth material prior to sewing. The pattern itself could be designed so that, e.g., one needs only to line up the underside edge 110 a and the left flap edge 164 of the pattern with the corresponding edges of the starting cloth (not shown) so that the pattern can then be transferred onto the starter cloth, such as, by tracing, marking with pattern pen, pinning, etc. It will also be understood that the same pattern, flipped over in mirror image fashion, could be used for transferring the pattern to the mirror image edges on the right side, foot end corner area of the starter cloth. Additionally, separate patterns could be created for the right and left side of the starter cloth. Although not as practical, a pattern covering both the right and left side portions of the starter cloth, or even the entire cloth could be employed. With knowledge of the teachings depicted herein, those of ordinary skill in the art could create and employ patterns for use in creating the various embodiments of fitted bed clothing of this invention.
[0050] In the construction of a preferred embodiment of the fitted top sheet of the present invention, the patterned sheet 100 contains left and right side expansion flaps 103 a , 107 a ( FIG. 1 a ), respectively. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 a , the side expansion flaps 103 a , 107 a are of a substantially trapezoidal shape. Left side expansion flap 103 a has a left side expansion flap outer edge 132 a (i.e., the base of the trapezoid) of a length (L m ) that is substantially axially aligned with pattern left flap edge 164 (however, the outer edge 132 a could vary in its proximity to flap edge 164 ). The head end side of the left side expansion flap 103 a has a left side expansion flap top edge 148 a (which, in a preferred embodiment can be of width (W f ) or less to accommodate adjustments in the pocket size, such as differing lengths of L f ) which is substantially parallel to left side flap bottom edge 156 . Left side expansion flap top left corner 136 a forms a substantially 90 degree angle at the intersection of left side expansion flap outer edge 132 a with left side expansion flap top edge 148 a . In a preferred embodiment, the width of left side expansion flap top edge 148 a is equal to (W f ), the distance between left side expansion flap top left corner 136 a and left side expansion flap top right corner 144 a (the same point also referred to earlier as back face top left corner 144 ) or less than (W f ) to accommodate adjustments in the pocket size, such as differing lengths of L f . The length (L m ) of left side expansion flap outer edge 132 a extends between left side expansion flap top left corner 136 a and left side expansion flap cut point 128 a . Opposite left side expansion flap top edge 148 a is left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 a . Left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 a has a length defined as the distance between left side expansion flap cut point 128 a and left side expansion flap bottom right corner 120 a (the same point also referred to earlier as back face bottom left corner 120 ). The distance of left side expansion flap fold line (or back face left side edge) 175 a between left side expansion top right corner 144 a and left side expansion flap bottom right corner 120 a along fold line 176 is distance (D′).
[0051] Similarly, in mirror image fashion, right side expansion flap 107 a has a right side expansion flap outer edge 134 a (i.e., the base of the trapezoid) of a length (L m ) that is substantially axial with pattern right flap edge 166 . The head end side of the right side expansion flap 107 a has a right side expansion flap top edge 150 a (which, in a preferred embodiment can be of width (W f ) or less to accommodate adjustments in the pocket size, such as differing lengths of L f ), which is substantially parallel to right side flap bottom edge 158 . Right side expansion flap top right corner 138 a forms a substantially 90 degree angle at the intersection of right side expansion flap outer edge 134 a with right side expansion flap top edge 150 a . In a preferred embodiment, the width of right side expansion flap top edge 150 a can be equal to (W f ), the distance between right side expansion flap top right corner 138 a and right side expansion flap top left corner 146 a (the same point also referred to earlier as back face top right corner 146 ), or can be less than W f to accommodate adjustments in the pocket size, such as differing lengths of L f . The length (L m ) of right side expansion flap outer edge 134 a extends between right side expansion flap top right corner 138 a and right side expansion flap cut point 130 a . Opposite right side expansion flap top edge 150 a is right side expansion flap bottom edge 126 a . Right side expansion flap bottom edge 126 a has a length defined as the distance between right side expansion flap cut point 130 a and right side expansion flap bottom left corner 122 a (the same point also referred to earlier as back face bottom right corner 122 ). The distance of right side expansion flap fold line (or back face right side edge) 177 a between right side expansion top left corner 146 a and right side expansion flap bottom left corner 122 a along fold line 178 is distance (D′).
[0052] Referring still to FIG. 1 a , there is shown an underside flap 106 a having an underside flap bottom edge 110 a of width (W″) (located opposite the head end edge 180 ) and parallel with foot end bottom edge 140 . The underside flap 106 a contains right and left underside edges 116 a , 118 a , respectively which are opposite and substantially parallel to each other. Forming the intersection of right and left underside edges 116 a , 118 a , with the respective right and left ends of underside flap bottom edge 110 a at substantially 90 degree underside flap bottom edge angles ( 111 a , 113 a ) are right and left corners, 112 a , 114 a , respectively. Underside flap bottom edge 110 a is substantially parallel to and separated by length (L f ) from foot end bottom edge 140 . Underside flap 106 a has a length (L f ) that is defined as the desired length of top sheet to be tucked under the back edge of the mattress M. The total length of the pattern, and hence the fabric used to make the fitted bottom sheet is (L′)+(D′)+(L f ). In the preferred embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 a , underside flap 106 a is a substantially rectangular shape defined by edges 110 a , 140 , 116 a , and 118 a . In this embodiment, underside flap left edge 116 a has length equal to (L f ) as defined by the distance between underside edge left corner 112 a and back face bottom left corner 120 . In the embodiment of FIG. 1 a , width (W″)=width (W′). At the intersection of left and right underside edges 116 a and 118 a , respectively, with left and right side expansion flap bottom edges 124 a and 126 a , respectively, there are formed left and right expansion angles, 170 a , 168 a , respectively. In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 a , left and right expansion angles are substantially equal and are both less than 90 degrees. In a preferred embodiment, length (L m ) of right and left side expansion flap outer edges 134 a , 132 a , respectively, is calculated to result in the lengths of right and left underside edges 116 a , 118 a and right and left side expansion flap bottom edges 126 a , 124 a being substantially equal. When the fitted top sheet is constructed from this pattern 100 , the underside flap 106 a will lay beneath the foot end of the mattress (M).
[0053] Additionally, with reference to FIG. 1 a , there are shown left and right side seam lines 172 , 174 , respectively, indicating where, in the case of FIGS. 1 a - 1 d , the respective left and right side expansion flap top edges will be sewn in creating preferred fitted bed clothes according to the present invention.
[0054] Also, as discussed later in conjunction with FIGS. 1 a - 1 e and FIGS. 2-3 , there is shown a zone for receiving an elastic material 302 a - e.
[0055] As described above, the patterned cloth 100 could have originated with a flat, rectangular piece of cloth having a length equal to L′+D′+L f and a width equal to 2(W f )+(W′). As such, when transferring the template to the cloth, the foot end left and right corners of the starting cloth will have excess material 184 a - e , 186 a - e (and in the case of FIGS. 1 d - 1 e , also excess material 185 d - e , respectively) that will be cut away. The shape of the excess cut-away material can be substantially triangular, trapezoidal, or rectangular depending on the embodiment depicted. Although the numerous embodiments are depicted herein with substantially straight (linear) sides (e.g., 116 , 118 , 124 , 126 ), non-linear sides could be employed, such as, curvilinear sides. In the case of FIGS. 1 a , 1 c , and 1 e , the excess material 184 a , 186 a is substantially trapezoidal in shape. In FIGS. 1 b and 1 e , excess material 184 b , 185 e is substantially rectangular in shape. It will be understood to those of ordinary skill in the art that many variations on the precise fabric cuts can be employed to achieve the desired effect of having a partially fitted top sheet as in the present invention.
[0056] In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 b , the left side expansion flap 103 b , is of a substantially rectangular shape. Left side expansion flap 103 b has a left side expansion flap outer edge 132 b of length (L m ) that is substantially axial with pattern left flap edge 164 . The head end side of the left side expansion flap 103 b has a left side expansion flap top edge 148 b of width (W f ) which is substantially parallel to left side flap bottom edge 156 . Left side expansion flap top left corner 136 b forms a substantially 90 degree angle at the intersection of left side expansion flap outer edge 132 b with left side expansion flap top edge 148 b . The width of left side expansion flap top edge 148 b is equal to (W f ), the distance between left side expansion flap top left corner 136 b and left side expansion flap top right corner 144 b (the same point also referred to earlier as back face top left corner 144 ). The length (L m ) of left side expansion flap outer edge 132 b extends between left side expansion flap top left corner 136 b and left side expansion flap cut point 128 b . Opposite left side expansion flap top edge 148 b is left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 b . Left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 b has a length defined as the distance between left side expansion flap cut point 128 b and left side expansion flap bottom right corner 120 b (the same point also referred to earlier as back face bottom left corner 120 ). The distance of left side expansion flap fold line (or back face left side edge) 175 b between left side expansion top right corner 144 b and left side expansion flap bottom right corner 120 b along fold line 176 is distance (D′).
[0057] Referring still to FIG. 1 b and similar to FIG. 1 a , there is shown an underside flap 106 b having an underside flap bottom edge 110 b of width (W″) (located opposite the head end edge 180 ) and parallel with foot end bottom edge 140 . The underside flap 106 b likewise contains left underside edge 116 b . Forming the intersection of left underside edge 116 b with the left end of underside flap bottom edge 110 b at a substantially 90 degree underside flap bottom edge angle 111 b is left corner 112 a . Underside flap bottom edge 110 b is substantially parallel to and separated by length (L f ) from foot end bottom edge 140 . In the preferred embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 b , underside flap 106 b is a substantially rectangular shape and includes edges 110 b , 140 , and 116 b . In this embodiment, underside flap left edge 116 b has length equal to (L f ) as defined by the distance between underside edge left corner 112 b and back face bottom left corner 120 . In the embodiment of FIG. 1 b , width (W″)=width (W′). At the intersection of left underside edge 116 b with left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 b there is formed left expansion angle 170 b . In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 b , the left expansion angle is approximately 90 degrees. In a preferred embodiment, length (L m ) of left side expansion flap outer edge 132 b is calculated to result in the length of left underside edge 116 b and left side expansion flap bottom edges 124 b being substantially equal. When the fitted top sheet is constructed from this pattern 100 , the underside flap 106 b will lay beneath the foot end of the mattress (M).
[0058] Similarly with FIG. 1 b , in the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 c , the left side expansion flap 103 c is of a substantially rectangular shape. Left side expansion flap 103 c has a left side expansion flap outer edge 132 c of length (L m ) that is substantially axial with pattern left flap edge 164 . The head end side of the left side expansion flap 103 c has a left side expansion flap top edge 148 c of width (W f ) which is substantially parallel to left side flap bottom edge 156 . Left side expansion flap top left corner 136 c forms a substantially 90 degree angle at the intersection of left side expansion flap outer edge 132 c with left side expansion flap top edge 148 c . The width of left side expansion flap top edge 148 c is equal to (W f ), the distance between left side expansion flap top left corner 136 c and left side expansion flap top right corner 144 c (the same point also referred to earlier as back face top left corner 144 ). The length (L m ) of left side expansion flap outer edge 132 c extends between left side expansion flap top left corner 136 c and left side expansion flap cut point 12 &. Opposite left side expansion flap top edge 148 c is left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 c . Left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 c has a length defined as the distance between left side expansion flap cut point 128 c and left side expansion flap bottom right corner 120 c (the same point also referred to earlier as back face bottom left corner 120 ). The distance of left side expansion flap fold line 175 c between left side expansion top right corner 144 c and left side expansion flap bottom right corner 120 c along fold line 176 is distance (D′).
[0059] As a variation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 c , referring to FIG. 1 d there is shown another preferred embodiment of the pattern master 108 d wherein the left side expansion flap 103 d is of a substantially quadrilateral shape. In one preferred embodiment, the expansion flap 103 d has the shape of a parallelogram, in another preferred embodiment, it has the shape of a trapezoid. Left side expansion flap 103 d has a left side expansion flap outer edge 132 d of length (L m ) that is substantially axial with pattern left flap edge 164 . The head end side of the left side expansion flap 103 d has a left side expansion flap top edge 148 d of width (W d ) which is not parallel with left side flap bottom edge 156 . Left side expansion flap top right corner 144 d forms left side expansion flap top angle at the intersection of left side expansion flap seam line 175 d with left side expansion flap top edge 148 d . The length of left side expansion flap top edge 148 d is equal to (W d ), the distance between left side expansion flap top left corner 136 d and left side expansion flap top right corner 144 d (the same point also referred to earlier as back face top left corner 144 ). The length (L m ) of left side expansion flap outer edge 132 d extends between left side expansion flap top left corner 136 d and left side expansion flap cut point 128 d . Opposite left side expansion flap top edge 148 d is left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 d . Left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 d has a length defined as the distance between left side expansion flap cut point 128 d and left side expansion flap bottom right corner 120 d (the same point also referred to earlier as back face bottom left corner 120 ). The distance between left side expansion top right corner 144 d and left side expansion flap bottom right corner 120 d along fold line 176 is distance (D′). Left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 d forms a left side expansion flap top edge angle 173 d of greater than 90 degrees relative to left side expansion flap fold line 175 d.
[0060] Referring now to the preferred embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1 c - 1 e , the respective underside flap 106 c - 106 e is substantially in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid with the underside flap bottom edge 110 c - 110 e being parallel to and having a width greater than the width of the foot end bottom edge 140 , i.e., greater than width W′. The underside flap 106 c - 106 e has an underside flap bottom edge 110 c - 110 e of length (W″) (located opposite the head end edge 180 ) and parallel with foot end bottom edge 140 . The underside flap 106 c - 106 e likewise contains left underside edge 116 c - 116 e respectively. Forming the intersection of left underside edge 116 c - 116 e with the left end of underside flap bottom edge 110 c - 110 e at an underside flap bottom edge angle 111 c - 111 e greater than 90 degrees is left corner 112 c - 112 e . Underside flap bottom edge 110 c - 110 e is substantially parallel to and separated by length (L f ) from foot end bottom edge 140 . In these embodiments, underside flap left edge 116 c - 116 e has length equal to the distance between underside edge left corner 112 c - 112 e and back face bottom left corner 120 . At the intersection of left underside edge 116 c - 116 e with left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 b there is formed left expansion angle 170 c - 170 d , respectively.
[0061] In the preferred embodiments of FIGS. 1 c and 1 d , the left expansion angle 170 c - 170 d is less than 90 degrees. Also, in the embodiment of FIG. 1 d , the left side expansion flap bottom angle 173 d formed by the intersection of left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 d and left side expansion flap fold line 175 d is greater than 90 degrees. In a preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 d , the sum of the angles 170 d and 173 d is greater than 90 degrees. Also, in the embodiment of FIG. 1 d , the left side expansion flap top angle 171 d formed by the intersection of left side expansion flap top edge 148 d and left side flap bottom edge 156 is greater than 90 degrees. In the preferred embodiments of FIG. 1 e , the left expansion angle 170 e is greater than 90 degrees. In a preferred embodiment, length (L m ) of left side expansion flap outer edge 132 c - 132 d is calculated to result in the length of left underside edge 116 c - 116 d and left side expansion flap top edges 124 c - 124 d being substantially equal. When the fitted top sheet is constructed from this pattern 100 , the underside flap 106 c - 106 e will lay beneath the foot end of the mattress (M).
[0062] In FIG. 1 e , there is no expansion flap 103 as in the other preferred embodiments. The left side flap 105 e is of desired width (W f ) and contains a length 157 e on its left side flap bottom edge 156 e preferably corresponding in length to at least the length of the left edge 175 e of back face 104 .
[0063] In a preferred embodiment, the lengths of left side expansion flap bottom edges 124 a ( FIG. 1 a ), 124 b ( FIG. 1 b ), 124 c ( FIG. 1 c ), and 124 d ( FIG. 1 d ) are substantially equal to their respective corresponding underside flap left edges 116 a ( FIG. 1 a ), 116 b ( FIG. 1 b ), 116 c ( FIG. 1 c ), and 116 d ( FIG. 1 d ), respectively. In a preferred embodiment, the lengths of right side expansion flap top edges 126 a ( FIG. 1 a ), 126 b ( FIG. 1 b ), 126 c ( FIG. 1 c ), and 126 d ( FIG. 1 d ) are substantially equal to their respective corresponding underside flap right edges 118 a ( FIG. 1 a ), 118 b ( FIG. 1 b ), 118 c ( FIG. 1 c ), and 118 d ( FIG. 1 d ), respectively. As will be appreciated from the drawings and disclosure herein, the angles 170 a - e and 168 a can be varied, as can the edge lengths 116 a - e , 124 a - e , 118 a and 126 a to create the desired pattern for the foot end of the fitted top sheet. For example, where the length of edge 124 a remains constant, the angle 170 a could be varied along with the length of edge 116 a until preferably, the length of edge 116 a was equal to the length of edge 124 a.
[0064] In a preferred embodiment, the angle 170 a , 168 a ( FIG. 1 a ) remaining between left side expansion flap top edge 124 a and underside flap left edge 116 a is between 0-90 degrees, more preferably, between about 45-90 degrees. In another preferred embodiment, the angle 170 b ( FIG. 1 b ) remaining between left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 b and underside flap left edge 116 b is about 90 degrees. In another preferred embodiment, the angle 170 c ( FIG. 1 c ) remaining between left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 c and underside flap left edge 116 c is between 0-90 degrees more preferably, between about 45-90 degrees. In still another preferred embodiment, the angle 170 d ( FIG. 1 d ) remaining between left side expansion flap bottom edge 124 d and underside flap left edge 116 d is between 0-90 degrees more preferably, between about 45-90 degrees. The angle 171 d ( FIG. 1 d ) remaining between left side expansion flap top edge 148 d and left side flap bottom edge 156 is between 0-45 degrees. In another preferred embodiment with respect to FIG. 1 d , the angles 170 d and 171 d are set so that expansion flap edge 132 d has the desired length L m . As can be seen, other variations are possible. For example, the expansion flap edge 132 , 134 length L m can be varied by varying the angles 170 a - d , 111 a - e , and/or 171 d . Additionally, the expansion achieved in the embodiment of FIG. 1 e can likewise be varied by adjusting the angles 170 e and/or 111 e . In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, expansion flap edge 132 , 134 length L m ≧(D′)×(1.25), where D′ is the depth of the mattress (M). In a preferred embodiment, L m =(D′)×(1.25).
[0065] The fitted top sheets of the present invention can be constructed by transferring a pattern, such as that depicted in FIGS. 1 a - 1 e to a single flat piece of fabric or to an existing flat top sheet to create a patterned sheet such as that shown in FIG. 2 . Very few fabric cuts are required, and the sewing required is not complicated. As mentioned earlier, the pattern master zone 108 a (as depicted in FIGS. 1 a - 1 e ) contains the pattern to be transferred, and such transfer can take place by using a pattern that has been created to depict one of the preferred patterns reflected in the pattern master zone of FIGS. 1 a - 1 e.
[0066] A cut is made substantially perpendicular to the left flap edge 164 along left side cut line 141 a - d between foot end left side flap left corner 160 and foot end left side flap right corner 152 along left side flap bottom edge 156 thereby separating the left side expansion flap 103 a - 103 d from the left side flap 105 (and also in the case of FIG. 1 d - 1 e , creating one of the cuts needed to remove excess material 185 e - 185 e ). In a preferred embodiment, left side cut line 141 a - e has a length equal to the width (W f ) of left side flap 105 . Similarly, in mirror image fashion to the treatment of the left side of the starting cloth, a cut is made substantially perpendicular to the right flap edge 166 cut along right side cut line 143 a , etc. In a preferred embodiment, right side cut line 143 a has a length equal to the width (W f ) of right side flap 109 .
[0067] In the case of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 a , additional cuts between points 112 a and 120 a (on the left side) and corresponding points 114 a and 122 a on the right side, as well as between points 128 a and 120 a on the left side (and the corresponding points 130 a and 122 a on the right side) complete the removal of excess material 184 a , 186 a . Similarly, in the case of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 b , additional cuts between points 112 b and 120 b (on the left side) and the corresponding points on the right side, as well as between points 128 b and 120 b on the left side (and the corresponding points on the right side) complete the removal of excess material 184 b . Likewise, in the case of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 c , additional cuts between points 112 c and 120 c (on the left side) and the corresponding points on the right side, as well as between points 128 c and 120 c on the left side (and the corresponding points on the right side) complete the removal of excess material 184 c . In the case of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 d , an additional cut, between points 136 b and 144 d (and their mirror image on the right side) completes the removal of excess material 185 d , and cuts between points 128 d and 120 d , as well as between points 112 d and 120 d (and their respective mirror images on the right side) completes the removal of excess material 184 d . In the case of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 e , additional cuts between points 112 e and 120 e , as well as, 120 e and 144 e (and the corresponding points on the right side) complete the removal of excess material 184 e - 185 e.
[0068] Referring now to FIG. 2 in connection with FIGS. 1 a - d , there is shown a preferred embodiment of fitted top sheet 200 constructed according to the present invention for creating a desired pattern for the foot end of the fitted top sheet. The numbering in FIG. 2 follows that of FIGS. 1 a - 1 d but without reference to the letters, a, b, c or d. Referring again to FIGS. 1 a - d , once the desired fabric has been patterned, the fitted top sheet can be constructed by sewing right side expansion flap top edge 150 a to the underside of the fabric sheet along right side seam line 174 using conventional sewing techniques to create pocket right side upper seam 210 . In a preferred embodiment, right side seam line 174 runs axially with the right side fold line 178 (but could deviate radially outward from right side fold line 178 (such rotation being pivoted about corner point 152 ). Additionally, the underside flap right edges 118 a - d are sewn to their respective right side expansion flap bottom edges 126 a - d to create pocket right side lower seam 220 . If either of these edges does not match in length with the other, the length of the longer edge could be shortened by, e.g., folding in the corresponding outer edge. For example, if edge 126 a is slightly longer than edge 118 a then when sewing these two edges together, the extra length of edge 126 a can be reduced by folding/tucking under outer edge 134 a . Similarly, the left side expansion flap top edge 148 is sewn to the underside of the fabric sheet along left side seam line 172 using conventional sewing techniques to create pocket left side upper seam 230 . In a preferred embodiment, left side seam line 172 runs axially with the left side fold line 176 . Additionally, the underside flap left edges 116 a - d are sewn to their respective left side expansion flap bottom edges 124 a - d to create pocket left side lower seam 240 . As will be apparent, the mirror images on the right side of the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1 a - e can be constructed as was done with the left side.
[0069] Referring now to FIG. 1 e , once the desired fabric has been patterned, the fitted top sheet can be constructed by sewing the left edge 175 e of back face 104 to length 157 e on its left side flap bottom edge 156 e using conventional sewing techniques. Additionally, the underside flap left edge 116 e is sewn to the underside of the fabric sheet along left side seam line 172 e using conventional sewing techniques.
[0070] During the sewing phase, in a preferred embodiment, an elastic-type material is sewn into the elastic zone 302 a - e . The elastic can be sewn in using conventional techniques, such as by folding over the outer edges 132 , 110 to create a seam pocket to hold (and hide from view) the elastic material without restricting the elastic's movement within the seam pocket. In another embodiment, the elastic material could be sewn directly onto or into the elastic zone 302 a - e . Although the use of elastic is preferred, it is not required. As constructed, the fitted top sheet is now ready for use on the mattress size for which it was constructed. Referring still to FIG. 2 , it will be understood that the left and right side flaps 105 , 109 , respectively, are shown in an undraped fashion for purposes of illustration. The fitted top sheet 200 when so constructed now has at its foot end, a five-sided, fitted expandable pocket 250 formed by left and right side expansion flaps 103 , 107 , back face 104 , underside flap 106 , and the foot end portion of the underside of top side face 102 . The pocket 250 so created has a fitted end opening 300 capable of receiving the foot end of a mattress (M).
[0071] Although not as preferred as cutting and assembling the fitted top sheet 200 from a single piece of fabric or flat sheet, it would be possible to remove the left and right side expansion flaps 103 a - d , 107 a - d from the pattern and replace them with a separate piece of fabric, including for example, a stretchable, expandable fabric, such as spandex and the like. It would also be possible, but not as preferred, to construct the fitted top sheet out of a series of pieces that when sewn together comprises the present invention.
[0072] Referring now to FIG. 3 , there is shown a person lying on a mattress employing a fitted top sheet 200 made from a pattern according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention (e.g., FIGS. 1 a - 1 d ). In this FIG. 3 , the right side flap 109 of the partially fitted top sheet 200 is in its draped position being draped over the side of the mattress from corner 146 to the head end of the mattress. In FIG. 3 , right side flap 109 is shown in a partially cut-away view so that the expandable pocket 250 at the foot end of the mattress can be seen. The fitted top sheet 200 may be placed on a mattress (e.g., over the bottom sheet) by pulling the fitted end opening 300 over the foot end of the mattress (M). Once installed on a mattress (M), the fitted top sheet 200 will fit snugly over the foot end of the mattress with a tidy, square-cornered fit, and flaps 109 , 105 that extend along the entire length of the mattress, will hang evenly on both sides of the mattress. In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 a - 1 d , the fitted top sheet preferably contains an elastic zone 302 that enables to the fitted sheet to expand upward in the zone of expansion 304 in the location of the feet of the person allowing additional room for the feet without causing the sheet to become dislodged from under the mattress. The area where a sleeper's feet might lie is indicated by foot zone or zone of expansion 304 . When feet are in the zone of expansion 304 , the nature of the construction of the foot end of the fitted sheet 200 is such that the top face 102 of the sheet 200 has room to expand due to the various configurations of the expansion flap 107 . The top face is permitted to move upwards proximate to the fitted end opening 300 . Where elastic 302 is used, the elastic tension will assist in maintaining the sheet 200 in a flat position when feet are not in the zone of expansion 304 .
[0073] As will be appreciated, for a rectangular-shaped mattress (M), the configuration of the pattern 100 along its left edge will be substantially the mirror image of the configuration of the pattern 100 along its right edge. As such, a pattern can easily be created to cut fabric for making a fitted top sheet according to preferred embodiments of the present invention. For example, in a preferred embodiment, a pattern master is created by isolating only one of the foot-end corners (pattern master zone 108 a ) and creating a generic pattern that can be used to identify the appropriate cuts to make, length of cuts, etc. This pattern master 108 can be placed onto one of the foot-end corners of the fabric to be cut, and then used in its mirror image on the opposite foot-end corner.
[0074] Although it is preferred to practice this invention by using a pattern to pattern a starting cloth or existing flat sheet, it will be apparent that one could create a fitted sheet having a pouch by separately creating a pouch and then attaching same to a flat cloth. However, this would add to the complexity of the sewing and add a larger number of sewn seams that could be subject to wear and tear—as such, it is preferred that the fitted top sheet of the present invention be constructed out of a unitary piece of fabric with a minimal amount of sewing.
[0075] The sheet 200 can be made from any of the conventional bed sheeting materials, for example, cotton, cotton percale, muslin, linen, silk, satin, etc. The sheet 200 is preferably sized in length to cover the upper surface of a mattress (M), and preferably made wide enough to overlap the edges of a mattress (M) so that the edge portions of the sheet can be tucked under a mattress, if desired, to hold the edge portions of the sheet in place. The inventive fitted sheet of the present invention can be easily made using automatic cutting, folding, and sewing equipment of the types conventionally used.
[0076] In use, the fitted sheet is typically used on top of the bottom sheets and since the fitted top sheet is preferably dimensioned in length to fit the associated mattress, the foot edges help the person making a bed to align and proportion the sheet to the mattress, thereby facilitating the making of the bed. With the use of the fitted blanket of the present invention, it will be possible to change or otherwise make a bed in a quick, time efficient manner while ending up with a finished look that is pleasing to the eye. In reference to the fitted top sheet displayed in FIG. 3 , once the user has finished sleeping, making the bed is quite simple. One merely needs to pull the top sheet back toward the head end, adjust the head end of the flaps 105 , 109 (adjusting one should automatically adjust the other), and fold back the head end at the hem 102 , if desired. The flaps 105 , 109 provide a nice finished look over the entire length of the side of bed while the use of the expandable pocket 250 eliminates the need to use special corner folding to create such finished look. Putting a fitted sheet of the present invention onto a mattress (e.g., over a bottom sheet) is equally straightforward and time saving by pulling the pocket 250 over the foot end of the mattress, and then pulling the remaining portion of the sheet toward the head end, adjusting the head end of the flaps 105 , 109 (adjusting one should automatically adjust the other), and folding back the head end at the hem 102 , if desired. The process can be repeated if other fitted bedclothes of the present invention are used, such as, a partially fitted blanket or comforter.
REFERENCES
[0077] The following represents an exemplary list of references.
U.S. Patent References
[0000]
1. U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,836 to Keene, III
2. U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,274 to Cuneo
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,831 to Clark
4. U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,821 to Kawtoski
5. U.S. Pat. No. 6,725,477 to Ciaglia et al.
6. U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,626 to Weiss
7. U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,128 to Honig
8. U.S. Patent Application No 20040200000 A1 to Harbin et al.
Other References
[0000]
9. Double Dream® brand of bed sheets offered by Bedmaid Corporation the worldwide web through the website of Sheets2Love.com.
[0087] All references referred to herein are incorporated herein by reference. While the apparatus and methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the process and system described herein without departing from the concept and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the scope and concept of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the method and apparatus of the present invention has many applications, and that the present invention is not limited to the representative examples disclosed herein. Moreover, the scope of the present invention covers conventionally known variations and modifications to the system components described herein, as would be known by those skilled in the art. While the apparatus and methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred or illustrative embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the process described herein without departing from the concept and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the scope and concept of the invention as it is set out in the following claims. | The present invention is directed generally to bed coverings for a mattress and, more particularly, to a fitted (or semi-fitted) top sheet that may be attached at one end to the mattress and which may be placed between a user and other bedding such as blankets, quilts, comforters, or the like. The fitted sheet provides for ease in changing or making the bed. The fitted bed sheet of the present invention includes a zone of expansion to provide extra room for a sleepers feet, and provides overhanging side flaps to provide and end-to-end finished look. Additionally, the present invention is directed to a fitted blanket, fitted quilt, fitted comforter and fitted bedspread for a mattress. The invention is also directed to a pattern for making these fitted bed coverings from an existing flat sheet or a starting flat cloth. | 0 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the cell regulation factor TTO 20 and DNA therefor, and its preparation and use for screening purposes for the discovery of modulators for TTO 20 activity.
BACKGROUND
The many biological effects of interleukin-1 (IL-1) include the action of IL-1 on the metabolism of many types of cells from the connective tissue. An example of cells of this type is articular chondrocytes. IL-1 inhibits the synthesis of proteoglycans (PG) by chondrocytes and stimulates the production of prostaglandin E 2 and metalloproteinases, which are capable of degrading molecules of the extracellular matrix.
On the basis of experimental results, and the discovery of IL-1, PG fragments, and proteolytic enzymes in inflammation-modified joints, it was concluded that IL-1 plays a part in cartilage degradation in osteoarthrosis and rheumatoid arthritis (Beuton H P & Tyler J A, 1988 , Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm . 154:421-428; Aydelotte M B et al., Comm. Tiss. Res . 28:143-159; Wood D D et al., Arthritis Rheum . 26:975-983; Lohmander L S et al., Trans. Orthop. Res. Soc . 17:273). Matrix metalloproteases are potential candidates for starting points for a therapy with active compounds that interact with these enzymes. Until now, no actual molecular starting points have been identified that relate to early steps in the complex process that leads to cartilage degradation. For this reason, various approaches have been chosen in order to obtain molecular starting points of this type for a medicinal therapy of osteoarthrosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Such an approach is described in European Patent Application EP 0 705 842 A2. The question was whether it would be possible to obtain potential molecular starting points for a medicinal therapy of IL-1β-induced cartilage degradation on the RNA plane in human, articular chondrocytes from osteoarthritic cartilage.
For this purpose, genes were identified that are expressed differentially in diseased cartilage. Total RNA from IL-1β stimulated and nonstimulated human chondrocytes was subjected to a differential display of mRNA by reverse transcription and the polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR). This method can be used for the identification and isolation of genes that are expressed differentially in two cell populations (Liang P & Gardee A B (1992), Science 257: 967-971; Liang P et al., A B (1993), Nucl. Acids Res . 21: 3269-3275; Bauer D et al. (1993), Nucl. Acids Res . 21:4272-4280). The key element of this technology is the use of a set of oligonucleotide primers, one of which binds to the polyadenylated tail of the mRNA, and the others are random decamers that bind to various other sites of the mRNA. Such mRNA subpopulations, which are defined by a specific set of primers, are amplified after reverse transcription and separated on DNA sequencing gels. Band patterns are seen that are characteristic for one of each of the cell lines studied. Thus, for example, 100 different primer combinations should afford 10,000 different PCR products, which represent at least approximately half of all the genes expressed in a cell line. A comparison of the band patterns of two different cell lines indicates those bands that correspond to differentially expressed genes. On the basis of this information, it is now possible to extract, to reamplify, to subclone, and to sequence bands of differentially expressed gene products from the gel.
However, this is to be qualified by saying that this method has a number of difficulties:
1. As a result of the high sensitivity of the DDRT-PCR, slightly artificial bands can result.
2. The analysis of complex gene expression patterns is difficult.
3. Only tiny amounts of RNA are available as starting material.
These difficulties cause uncertainty in the results obtained.
In European Patent Application EP 0 705 842 A2, a number of short DNA sequences are disclosed that have been identified in the manner described above. An analysis of these sequences showed that some are complete or have very great identity with the sequences of already known genes. Thus, a cDNA fragment having 100% identity with human osteopontin, another cDNA fragment having 97.2% identity with human calnexin, and a further fragment having 99.5% identity with human TNF-30 stimulated gene 6 (TSG-6) were found. Most of the fragments found, however, could not be assigned to any known gene based on the sequence corresponding to the fragment. This group of cDNA fragments also included the 400 bp-long clone TTO 20/2(2), 152 bp of which has been deciphered.
In the context of the present invention, the clone TTO 20/2 has now been investigated more closely. An antisense experiment is one method for investigating the functional meaning of the corresponding gene or gene product.
The expression of antisense RNA in human chondrosarcoma cells, which are regarded as model cells for cartilage differentiation, yielded indications of a role of TTO 20/2. The antisense approach is based on transforming the cultured cells with a vector that expresses antisense mRNA to TTO 20, but at the same time, the vector also expresses an indicator protein whose activity indicates whether antisense RNA was formed. Vectors of this type are called bicistronic or dicistronic vectors. The starting vector for the present constructs was pED4, whose construction has been described by Kaufmann et al. (Kaufmann et al., (1991), Nucl. Acids Res . 19: 4485-4490).
In antisense technology, the formation of a functional protein is restricted or even prevented via the expression of a complementary RNA (antisense RNA) that binds to the protein-encoding mRNA (sense RNA). In particular, as the present examples confirm, antisense RNA can be employed for subregions of the encoding mRNA, and for the 3′ or 5′ untranslated region, in order to prevent the formation of the target protein. With the aid of the vector, EST fragments that have no defined open reading frame can thus be used in order to work out the action of the protein that is finally encoded by the associated gene because the “antisense-expressed” EST switches off or decreases the reading of the encoding sense mRNA. If the synthesis of the target protein that is blocked in this way plays an important role in the cell, this has direct or indirect effects on cell division, cell growth, synthesis of regulated and expressed proteins etc. If the antisense expression prevents, for example, the formation of a factor that plays a role in signal cascades, then that cascade is disturbed.
If the factor is a transcription factor, the expression of a number of genes is disturbed. This can be recognized, for example, from morphologically visible changes that can be attributed to altered expression of secreted proteins, particularly proteases.
The genes, or products thereof, identified in this way can be employed as therapeutic targets for the search for pharmacologically active substances. Likewise, cells transformed in this way can be used in screening systems attempting to block the action of the antisense RNA.
DNA chip technology allows the direct analysis of such changes because the transcript profiles of transformed cells can be compared with untransformed or mock-transformed cells. The comparison then allows conclusions to be drawn as to whether an EST plays a crucial role in the context of a clinical picture and is thus suitable as a screening target. The use of the vector is thus also suitable for the discovery of novel targets and for the profiling of novel medicaments. The vector is particularly suitable for the synthesis of HTS systems for target validation. Expediently, EST clones are cultured in HTS formats, such as 96-well microtiter plates, and the insert DNA is amplified by means of PCR using suitable PCR primers that, for example, generate a PST cleavage site on the 3′ side and an Eco RI cleavage site on the 5′ side for cloning in one of the pED4 derivatives described. In a second step, the PCR fragments generated in this way are cleaved using Pstl and Eco RI and ligated into the dicistronic EGFP vector. The screening format here is retained. The ligated construct containing a PCR fragment is pipetted onto previously prepared eukaryotic cells, using commercially obtainable pipetting robots, along with suitable transfection agents, such as CaPO 4 , Fugene 6 (manufacturer: Boehringer, Mannheim; lipofectamine, Life Technologies, Eggenstein) or others, and the cells are transformed according to customary processes. Here too, the screening format is retained. The cells are incubated in the presence of CO 2 according to customary processes and tested for fluorescence emission after 24-72 hours under automated conditions in a fluorescence scanner. Wells with transformed, fluorescent cells are then evaluated for changes in growth and changes in cell morphology, etc., as compared with transformed control cells that were transfected with the vector lacking a Pstl-Eco RI insert. If changes of this type occur, this indicates an essential action of the expressed antisense RNA. The isolation of the cloned DNA and the subsequent sequence analysis give an indication of the nucleotide sequence and thus the gene or the coded protein involved. In this way, the first functional indications of gene activities can be found whose function cannot itself be derived by means of the EST.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention therefore relates to the TTO 20 polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence according to Table 1, SEQ. ID. NO.:10.
A further object of the invention is a substantially purified TTO 20 polypeptide, wherein said polypeptide is encoded by a polynucleotide comprising the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO. 9 or degenerate variants thereof.
A further object of the invention is a substantially purified TTO 20 polypeptide, wherein said polypeptide is encoded by a polynucleotide that is at least 80% identical to the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO. 9 or degenerate variants thereof, preferably 85% identical to the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO. 9, more preferably 90% identical to the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO. 9 , and most preferably 95% identical to the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO. 9.
Another object of the invention is an isolated polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO.: 9, preferably base pair 1 to base pair 1305.
A further object of the invention is a polynucleotide having a nucleic acid that is at least 80% identical to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ. ID. NO. 9 or degenerate variants thereof, preferably 85% identical to the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO. 9, more preferably 90% identical to the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO. 9, and most preferably 95% identical to the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ. ID. NO. 9.
Another object of the invention is an antibody that recognizes the polypeptide of TTO20 comprising the amino acid sequence according to Table 1, SEQ. ID. NO.:10.
Another object of the invention is an expression vector construct comprising the polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO 9 and a host cell transfected or transformed with the expression vector construct.
Another object of the invention is a process for the preparation of the TTO 20 polypeptide comprising the steps of:
(a) culturing a host cell under conditions that result in the expression of said TTO 020 polypeptide; and
(b) isolation of said TTO 20 polypeptide from said host cell or culture medium.
A further object of the invention is a TTO 20 polypeptide prepared by this process.
Another object of the invention is a process for the identification of cell lines, cells, or tissues that express the TTO 20 polypeptide, wherein a nucleic acid probe is used to hybridize an RNA fragment derived from SEQ ID NO 9 in a biological sample.
A further object of the invention is a method for determining the complete polynucleotide sequence of the TTO20 polypeptide comprising the use of hybridization and/or PCR processes.
A further object of the invention is a method comprising the determination of the three-dimensional structure of the TTO 20 polypeptide and using said three-dimensional structure to design inhibitors or activators of said TTO 20 polypeptide.
A further object of the invention is a method for determining substances that influence the activity of TTO20 comprising an assay that measures the amount of TTO 20 polypeptide.
Another object of the invention is a diagnostic kit for the diagnosis of inflammatory disorders, preferably rheumatoid arthritis, comprising an antibody.
Another object of the invention is a diagnostic kit for the diagnosis of inflammatory disorders, preferably rheumatoid arthritis, comprising a polynucleotide of SEQ ID NO 9.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 depicts the schematic representation of clones 283071, 43508, 47831, and 36563, as well as the open reading frame (“ORF”) of KiAA0282 and TTO20 (Klon means Clone and “Homologie-Region zu” means “Region of homology to”).
FIG. 2 depicts the schematic representation of the plasmid pED4, abbreviations: SV40=SV40 enhancer and origin of replication; MLP=adenovirus “Major Late” promotor; TPL=leader sequence “Adenovirus Major Late” mRNA; IVS=selection marker dihydrofolate reductase; polyA=SV40 polyadenylation signal; VA I=adenovirus VA I RNA gene. (“Ursprung der Replikation von E. coli” means “Origin of replication of E. coli”).
FIG. 3 depicts the schematic representation of the plasmid T 782, abbreviations: SV40=SV40 enhancer and origin of replication; MLP=adenovirus “Major Late” promotor; TPL=leader sequence “Adenovirus Major Late” mRNA; IVS=intron hybrid with splice site; EMC-L=encephalomyocarditis leader sequence; EGFP=enhanced green fluorescent protein; polyA=SV40 polyadenylation signal; VA=adenovirus VA RNA gene.
FIG. 4 depicts the schematic representation of plasmid T 814, for abbreviations see FIG. 3 description.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
EXAMPLE 1
Identification of cDNAs Using the TTO20/2 Sequence
The partial sequence of 152 bp designated by TTO20/2 is disclosed in European Patent Application EP 0 705 842 A2. In order to obtain information about the complete cloned sequence, the entire DNA of TTO 20/2 was sequenced with the aid of the SP 6 primer. The sequencing reactions were carried out according to the chain termination DNA sequencing method as described in Sanger et al. (Sanger, F. et al. (1977), Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74:5463-5467). From the sequencing, a total length for the cloned insert of 272 bp resulted. Using this sequence, a homology search was carried out in the gene bank (NCBI) and the EMBL database. To do this, the BLAST and FASTA algorithms were used, which are part of the GCG DNA analysis package of the Genetics Computer Group, Madison, USA.
The homology search showed significant similarities to two EST clones in the public database having the gene bank accession number M 51303 (sequence ID: g192469) and the accession number H 05077 (sequence ID: g868629). The corresponding clones having clone ID 283071 or 43508 were ordered from Genome Systems, St. Louis, USA, and completely sequenced. The clone having clone ID 283071 showed the largest insert of about 2580 bp, the clone having clone ID 43508 is markedly smaller with an insert size of 2200 bp, but has 100% sequence homology with clone 283071. The complete sequence of clone 283071 is shown in Table 1 and begins at nucleotide 706.
EXAMPLE 2
Identification of an Open Reading Frame
With the aid of the Translate program from the GCG analysis package, the sequenced DNA of clone 283071 was investigated for the occurrence of open reading frames (ORF). Accordingly, an open reading frame that codes for 200 amino acids is found at the 5′ end of the sequence. Following the stop codon TAA, an untranslated region of about 1950 bp long is found, followed by a polyadenylation signal, and ending with a Poly A tail. The sequence corresponds to the sequence indicated in Table 1 from nucleotide 706 to nucleotide 3262.
A homology search was carried out in public databases using the 5′ DNA sequence and using the protein sequence that encompasses the open reading frame. This showed that the open reading frame is perfectly homologous with a sequence encoding 184 amino acids, which is localized on a cDNA by the name of KIAA0282 (gene bank accession number: g87458). The homology to KIAA0282 ends abruptly after the amino acid sequence LQTSEG and is restricted to the nucleotide level at 552 bp. The reading frame in clone 283071 continues for 15 amino acids and is then ended with a TAA stop codon.
However, the reading frame in the KIAA0282 ORF continues for 123 amino acids. This region and the complete 3′ untranslated region of about 2000 bp of the KIAA0282 sequence are different from the sequence of clone 283071. For illustration, see FIG. 1 .
EXAMPLE 3
Verification of the Binding of the 3′ Region of TTO20 to the 5′ Region of Kiaa0282
In order to confirm that the 5′-coding region of the ORF of KIAA0282 is linked to the 3′ region of TTO20, further publicly accessible EST clones were sequenced. In addition to the above mentioned clone 43508, these also include clone 47831 and clone 36563, which are obtainable from Genome Systems. The sequences clearly confirm the correctness of the sequence determined for TTO20.
In order to make clear the connection between the 5′ region of KIAA and the 3′region of TTO20 using an independent process, the following PCR strategy was chosen. Two forward primers were derived from the 5′ region of KIAA0282; Primer 1: 5′-CAACTCC TGTAT CACC-3′ (SEQ ID NO.:1), and Primer 2: 5′-AGTGCGATGTCTTCTACTG-3′ (SEQ ID NO.: 2). The backward primers 3 and 4 were derived from the 3′ region of clone 283071. Primer 3: 5′-TCTAAAGGCAG GAGAGGAAC-3′ (SEQ ID NO.: 3). Primer 4: 5′-TTCATGTGTCTTGCTTACTC-3′ (SEQ ID NO.: 4). In a connected region, a fragment of size 2097 bp would have to be amplifiable using the primers 1 and 4, and a fragment 1211 bp in size using the primer pair 2 and 3. These DNAs were used as matrices for the polymerase chain reaction: brain cDNA from the Multiple Tissue cDNA Panel Human 1 (order number: K1420-1, Clontech, Heidelberg, Germany) and fetal brain cDNA from the Human Fetal cDNA Panel (order number: K1425-1, Clontech, Heidelberg, Germany). 0.5-1 μl aliquots were introduced into a PCR reaction with the primer pair 1 and 4. The PCR reaction was carried out as follows using the buffer recommended by the manufacturer of the enzymes: polymerase mixture: 19 parts of AmpliTaq DNA polymerase (Perkin-Elmer, Weiterstadt, Germany) and 1 part of pfu polymerase (Stratagen, La Jolla, USA). Primer concentration: 10 pM. DNA Cycler (Perkin Elmer, Model 480). PCR conditions for one cycle: 94° C., 2 min.; 94° C., 30 sec.; 59° C., 30 sec.; 72° C., 30 sec.; 72° C., 7 min, reaction volume: 50 μl. After 25-50 cycles the reaction was cooled to 4° C. and the reaction mixture was analysed in a 1.2% strength agarose gel. It was possible to amplify the corresponding PCR fragment of the size of about 2100 bp both from the brain cDNA and from the fetal brain cDNA. If 0.5-1 μl aliquots of these samples are employed in a further, “nested” PCR reaction using identical conditions, but with the primers 2 and 3, a PCR fragment of a size of 1200 bp results. This clearly indicates the presence of a cDNA having a homologous 5′ region of KIAA0282 and the 3′ region of TTO20.
For further confirmation, the DNA fragment 2100 bp in size was excised from the agarose gel and the DNA was eluted electrophoretically (Ausubel et al.). The eluted DNA was taken up in 10 μl of sterile water and cloned into the vector pCR2.1 according to the recommendations of the manufacturer (Invitrogen BV, Groningen, Holland). The cloning of the PCR fragments was carried out with the aid of the TA cloning kit of the same manufacturer using the procedure specified by the manufacturer.
The sequencing of the cloned DNA fragment was carried out by the chain termination method according to Sanger et al. with the aid of the dye terminators and a model 377 sequencer (Perkin Elmer, Langen, Germany). The sequencing exactly confirms the finding obtained by PCR analysis. Accordingly, the sequence indicated in Table 1 (nucleotides 685 to 3262) can be extended on the 5′ side by the DNA sequence specified by KIAA0282. The complete sequence is shown in Table 1 (nucleotides 1 to 3262).
EXAMPLE 4
Indications of Function
The origin of the ESTs from various tissues indicate an involvement of the expressed gene in inflammatory processes. The RNA analyses (see EP-A 0 705 842) confirm a more than four-fold induction of the expression of the gene in interleukin 1β-stimulated chondrocytes. On the basis of the bioinformatic analyses, the discoverers of the cDNA for KIAA0282 propose a homology of the encoded protein with a zinc finger protein. Zinc finger proteins can act as transcription factors, i.e., play an essential role in the regulation of the cell process. In order to obtain immediate information about a possible function of TTO20, an antisense expression set with a subregion of the sequence (nucleotide 705-nucleotide 3198 of Table 1) was selected. This range includes both part of the coding and the non-coding 3′ region of the cDNA.
4.1. Construction of the Antisense Expression Vector
The starting vector chosen was the dicistronic vector pED 4 (FIG. 2; Kaufman et al., Nucleic Acids Research 19:448-4490 (1991)). For this vector, whose construction is described in detail in Kaufman et al. and whose precursor plasmid pMT2 is obtainable under the No. ATCC 67122 at the ATCC, it has already been shown that antisense RNA can be expressed via the first cistron. The vector contains the following structural elements: replication origin for replication in eukaryotic cells, the SV40 expression enhancer, the adenovirus Major Late Promotor, the leader sequence of the Adenovirus Major Late Messenger RNA, a hybrid intron with a splice site, the encephalomyocarditis virus leader sequence, the selection marker dihydrofolate reductase, the SV40 polyadenelation signal, the adenovirus V1 RNA gene, a replication origin and a selection marker for the replication of the vector in recombinant E. coli . In a first step, the selection marker dihydrofolate reductase should then be exchanged for the gene for the green fluorescent protein (GFP). The expression of the GFPs via the second cistron thus serves in transient expression experiments as a visible measure of the expression of the antisense construct.
Isolated plasmid DNA from pED4 was cleaved using the restriction endonucleases Cla1 and Xho1. For the isolation of the gene for GFP, DNA of the commercially obtainable vector pEGFP (Clontech, Heidelberg, Germany) was cleaved using the restriction enzymes Sal1 and Not1. The DNA fragments were separated by gel electrophoresis. Because a single Cla1 cleavage site lies about 350 bp downstream of the coding dihydrofolate reductase sequence in the VA gene, a third fragment is needed for the restoration of the PolyA region and of the VA gene section. By means of PCR, a DNA fragment from the vector pED4 was amplified, which contained an Not1 cleavage site at the 5′ end and a Cla1 cleavage site at the 3′ end and which comprised the still missing sequence of the PolyA region and of the VA gene.
Primers used:
Forward primer Not L:
5′-ATAAGAATGCGGCCGCTAAACTATCAGGAAGATGCTTTCAAGTTC-3′ (SEQ ID NO.: 5)
Backward primer Cla R:
5′-ACAGGCTCTCCTTTTGCAC-3′ (SEQ ID NO.: 6)
The PCR product was digested with Notl and CIa1, separated from nucleotides by gel electrophoresis and isolated. The three fragments were pipetted together in equimolar ratio, mixed with buffer, ATP and T4 ligase and ligated. The ligation mixture was transformed in E. coli DH5 α cells and plated out on ampicillin selection plates. After isolation of the plasmid DNA from transformants, the DNAs were checked for their fragment size by means of a BamH1 restriction digestion. The original vector pED4 has three BamH1 cleavage sites, which afford three DNA fragments of sizes of about 2950 bp, 2190 bp and 220 bp. As a result of the gene exchange, the novel vector T782 has four BamH1 cleavage sites that when digested with BamH1 lead to four DNA fragments of about 2950 bp, 1315 bp, 1075 bp and 220 bp. The correct sequence of the newly integrated indicator gene was confirmed by sequencing. The plasmid map of the vector T782 is shown in FIG. 3 .
For the antisense expression of the RNA of TTO20, the TTO20 sequence was amplified with the aid of PCR and appropriate primers and cloned into the GFP vector T782 via the Eco R1 cleavage site.
Primers used:
Forward primer:
5′-GGAATTCGATCAGATCTCTCACTGCAC-3′ (SEQ ID NO.: 7)
Backward primer:
5′-GGAATTCACTTCTGTGCAGTAACAGAG-3′ (SEQ ID NO.: 8)
The resulting fragment of size about 2500 bp was completely digested using the restriction enzyme Eco R1, separated by gel electrophoresis and isolated. The isolated fragment was cloned into the GFP vector, which was likewise cleaved with Eco R1. In order to ensure that the fragment cloned was in the antisense direction, various recombinant clones were cleaved using the restriction enzyme Pst1 after transformation of E.coli DH5 α and the fragments were analyzed by gel electrophoresis. Owing to the fact that a single Pst1 cleavage site is made available for the Eco R1 cloning site by means of the vector, a Pst1 fragment about 310 bp in size additionally results with the correct orientation of the DNA fragment in the vector, while a fragment about 810 bp in size is missing in the pattern of the Pst fragments. The plasmid map of the bicistronic antisense vector T814 is shown in FIG. 4 .
4.2. Transfection of Human Chondrosarcoma Cells using the Antisense Vector
Chondrosarcoma cells are therefore of particular interest, because they can serve as a model for joint disorders. The adherently growing chondrosarcoma cells were grown in culture flasks (75 cm 2 ) containing 20 ml of Dulbecco's MOD Eagle Medium (DMEM with 4.5 g of glucose/L) and the following additives: 10% fetal calf serum, 200 mM L-glutamine, 5 mM sodium pyruvate, 20 mM Hepes buffer pH 7.2, 0.02 μg/ml of hydrocortisone, 0.1 μg/ml of insulin, 0.025 mg/ml of ascorbic acid and 0.05 mg/ml of gentamycin. Every 3-4 days, the cells were detached from the culture flasks by trypsinization, taken up in 10 ml of fresh culture medium, freed from the trypsin by centrifugation, diluted in the ratio 1:5-1:10 and reinoculated. For trypsinization, trypsin/EDTA was used in a concentration of 0.25% trypsin and 1 mM EDTA. 1 ml of this solution remained on the cells for 2-5 minutes at 37° C. The stock culture of chondrosarcoma cells was stored at −80° C. in 10% DMSO and 90% of the culture medium.
For the transfection of DNA in chondrosarcoma cells, various methods were tested, among them the calcium phosphate method, the DEAE-dextran method, liposome-mediated transfection methods, use of activated dendrimers, and electroporation. The best transfection rates were achieved when the transfection agent used was Fugene 6 (Boehringer Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany).
Between 2×10 5 and 4×10 5 cells were inoculated into 1 well each of a 6-well cell culture plate (Becton & Dickinson, Heidelberg, Germany). The cells were in about 2 ml of nutrient solution. 0.5-2 μg each of DNA that was isolated and purified with the aid of the Qiafilter Plasmid Midikit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) were employed for the transfection. For this, the cells were first incubated with 5% CO 2 for 18-24 h at 37° C. in an incubator. The cells should be grown to 50-80% confluence. Best transfection rates are achieved when 4×10 5 cells/well are inoculated, and 2 μg of DNA and 6 μl of Fugene/100 μl of serum-free medium are used. The transfection was carried out according to the instructions of the manufacturer.
4.3. Antisense Expression in Chondrosarcoma Cells
The transformed chondrosarcoma cells were first tested over a period of 16∝48 hours after transfection for the appearance of the green fluorescence that takes place due to the expression of the green fluorescent protein GFP. Even after 16 hours, green fluorescent cells can be detected after fluorescence excitation, which markedly increased over a period of 20 h.
For the detection of the antisense RNA formed, cells from two wells in each case of a 6-well plate were used. For the isolation of the RNA, an RNeasy Miniprep Kit from Qiagen (Hilden, Germany) was used according to the instructions of the manufacturer. The RNA samples were taken up in 30 μl of RNase-free water and stored at −20° C. The RNA was analyzed with the aid of Northern blots (Ausubel, F. M. et al. Current Protocols in Molecularbiology, Vol. 1-3, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1997) using digoxygenin-labeled DNA sample. The labeling of the DNA was carried out in a PCR reaction by means of the DIG Probe Synthesis Kits from Boehringer (Mannheim, Germany). The matrix used was the previously purified PCR fragment containing the TTO20 portion about 2.5 kb in size, which was freed from the nucleotides. On hybridization with this probe, the expression of the antisense RNA in the transfected chondrosarcoma cells becomes clearly visible in a time-dependent manner.
Compared with non-transformed chondrosarcoma cells, the cell form of the transformed cells is not markedly changed. However, an unequal distribution of the GFP fluorescence is visible compared with the control transfection. The control was carried out using a corresponding vector, which instead of TTO20 antisense contained the antisense RNA of cofilin, a cytoskeleton-regulating protein. The spotty fluorescence distribution suggests that the cytoskeleton of the cells is modified compared with the controls. This indicates a direct function of the expressed antisense RNA on the suppression of the protein formed from TTO20.
TABLE 1
TTO 20-2 gene from 1 to 3262
1
GCCCTGGCCCCGGTGCCCCGCAACTCCTGTATCACCTGCCCCCAGTGTCACCGCAGCCTC
1
A L A P V P R N S C I T C P Q C R R S L -
61
ATCCTGGATGACCGGGGGCTCCGCGGCTTCCCCAAGAATCGCGTACTGGAAGGGGTAATT
21
I L D D R G L R G F P K N R V L E G V I -
121
GACCGCTACCAGCAGAGCAAAGCCGCGGCCCTCAAGTGCCAGCTCTGCGAGAAGGCGCCC
41
D R Y Q Q S K A A A L K C Q L C E K A P -
181
AAGGAAGCCACCGTCATGTGCGAACAGTGCGATGTCTTCTACTGCGATCCGTGCCGCCTG
61
K E A T V M C E Q C D V F Y C D P C R L -
241
CGCTGCCACCCGCCCCGGGGGCCCCTAGCCAAGCACCGCCTGGTGCCCCCGGCCCAGGGT
81
R C H P P R G P L A K H R L V P P A Q G -
301
CGTGTGAGCCGGAGGCTGAGCCCACGCAAGGTCTCCACCTGCACAGACCACGAGCTGGAG
101
R V S R R L S P R K V S T C T D H E L E -
361
AACCACAGCATGTACTGCGTGCAATGCAAGATGCCCGTGTGCTACCAGTGCTTGGAGGAG
121
N H S M Y C V Q C K M P V C Y Q C L E E -
421
GGCAAACACTCCAGCCACGAAGTCAAGGCTCTGGGGGCCATGTGGAAACTACATAAGAGC
141
G K H S S H E V K A L G A M W K L H K S -
481
CAGCTCTCCCAGGCGCTGAACGGACTGTCAGACAGGGCCAAAGAAGCCAAGGAGTTTCTG
161
Q L S Q A L N G L S D R A K E A K E F L -
541
GTACAGCTGCGCAACATGGTCCAGCAGATCCAGGAGAACAGTGTGGAGTTTGAAGCCTGT
181
V Q L R N M V Q Q I Q E N S V E F E A C -
601
CTGGTGGCCCAATGTGATGCCCTCATCGATGCCCTCAACAGAAGAAAAGCCCAGCTGCTG
201
L V A Q C D A L I D A L N R R K A Q L L -
661
GCCCGCGTCAACAAGGAGCATGAGCACAAGCTGAAGGTGGTTCGAGATCAGATCTCTCAC
221
A R V N K E H E H K L K V V R D Q I S R -
721
TGCACAGTGAAATTGCGCCAGACCACAGGT6TCkTGGAGTACTGCTTGGAGGTGATTAAG
241
C T V K L R Q T T G L M E Y C L E V I K -
781
GAAAATGATCCTAGTGGTTTTTTGCAGATTTCTGACGCCCTCATAAGAAGAGTGCACCTG
261
E N D P S G F L Q I S D A L I R R V H L -
841
ACTGAGGATCAGTGGGGTAAAGGCACACTCACTCCAAGGATGACCACGGACTTTGACTTG
281
T E D Q W G K G T L T P R M T T D F D L -
901
AGTCTGGACAACAGCCCTCTGCTGCAATCCATCCACCAGCTGGATTTCGTGCAAGTGAAA
301
S L D N S P L L Q S I H Q L D F V Q V K -
961
GCTTCCTCTCCAGTCCCAGCAACCCCTATCCTACAGCTGGAGGAATGTTGTACCCACAAC
321
A S S P V P A T P I L Q L E E C C T H N -
1021
AACAGCGCTACGTTGTCCTGGAAACAGCCACCTCTGTCCACGGTGCCCGCCGATGGATAC
341
N S A T L S W K Q P P L S T V P A D G Y -
1081
ATTCTGGAGCTGGATGATGGCAACGGTGGTCAATTCCGGGAGGTGTATGTGGGGAAGGAG
361
I L E L D D G N G G Q F R E V Y V G K E -
1141
ACAATGTGCACTGTGGATGGTCTTCACTTCAACAGCACATACAACGCTCGGGTCAAGGCC
381
T M C T V D G L H F N S T Y N A R V K A -
1201
TTCAACAAAACAGGAGTCAGCCCGTACAGCAAGACCCTGGTCCTCCAAACGTCTGAGGGT
401
F N K T G V S P Y S K T L V L Q T S E G -
1261
AAGGCCCTTCAGCAGTATCCCTCAGAGCGAGAACTGCGTGGCATCTAAAGTGGCTGGCAA
421
K A L Q Q Y P S E R E L R G I * (SEQ ID NO.: 10)
1321
GCCCGGAGGTAACCCCACCACTGCCCACATTCCTGAAGTGTTTCCATGACTTGCTCTGCA
1381
TTCTGCACAGAGCCGCTGTTCCTCTCCTGCCTTTAGAGAGCCTATGGTATGTGGATGTGA
1441
TCAAACCAAAGATTCCACATCGGCAGTTCCAATGGCTTGGGCCGGCGGCTTCCTTTGATA
1501
ACAATCTAAATAAGCTGCAGTTGAAGAAGCTGAAAAATGAAGGCCTGAATGTGCCCCTGG
1561
TGTGTAAGACAAATGTATCTAGGCTCTAGAGCAGGCTCCCATTCTCCACCGATACACATC
1621
ATGTGCCAGTTTTGCCCAGATGATTCTAAATTACTCTGTAGTACTTGCTTGTTCTGAGGG
1681
TGGGACCTAGGTTCTTTCCAGTCGTGGATTTGTATGACTGAATGTGTTTCAAATGGGTGG
1741
TGGGGTGCTAGAGCTGTTTAGAGAGGGCCTGTTGGCTGCTCCTGGCTTACCCACTTAGAC
1801
TGCCTCCGTTTCATACCCAAAGCGGAGGCCGTCAGCACCAGGATTGAGACTTCCTGTGGG
1861
CACCAAACAGGAAGAGACCAGCAACTTCGCATTACCCGCCATTTTCATCTTTGCCAGTCC
1921
CTTCAGTCTTGGCTAGGCTACCGAGAGCCACCATACAAGGTTCATCTCTAGAGAATTTTT
1981
GCTTCTTAGCTATACTTTAAATATTTTGGTCATCAAAGACAAGTAATGTGTCTCAGATGA
2041
GAGGCTTGAATTTGATGGCCAGATATAACCTCTGAGGCTTTTAACATTTTCATTTTAAGA
2101
GTAAGCAAGACACATGAAATTAAACCTACAAGGAGGTATTTGTGGCTGGTGCCAAAGCAT
2161
TCTGACACTTTGGGGTGTCATTTTAATCAAAGAAATCACCCCCCCACCTCACCGGGATTC
2221
TCCATAACTTCCCTCTGCAGAACTAATTATGTTGATTTTGTTCAAGTTCAAGATGTTAGC
2281
TAAAAGAACTATGGTGGTGTTTTTTTTCCCACTTCCCACAAACCTCAACATGTGCCAGTC
2341
ACCCTAAAATGCTTCACATGGTTAAAAACAAGCACAATTTTGAATCCTACAGCAAGGATG
2401
AAAGGCCCCTAGCCGTGAAAACAGTGCTTTGGGGAGCAGTTGTCAGTCTAAGTGATGCTA
2461
TTCCAAGAGAAGGATATGCTGAGGGAAAATGCCCACATGACCTGTTCCCATTTGGAGTAC
2521
AGTGATGTGGTAGCTACAGCTTCCCCCAGAATTATCATTTTAGCACCTTCTCTCAGGGAT
2581
GACCTATCAGTTTGAGAGCAGTTGCCTCTTTTCTCAAAATACCATACTAACTGCTAAAGC
2641
CCTCCAAGAGTCTTTCCTAGATGCAACGCAGAAGGCCCTTGCTGGTGATGGCCTCATTTC
2701
CCATGTGTGTACAAGGTGGTTTGATTGAAGAGTGAAGTGCATGCCTGCAGAGCAGAGAGA
2761
AATTTGTAGCAATGTTGCTAATATGTGTTATCAGATCTGCGGGAAAACTATTTCTATTCA
2821
TAATACATCATGGGAATCATACTATTCTGGTAAAAATCAGTTATTAGCATAACAGCCTGA
2881
GCACTTATGTCTCTCGTTTCATCCTGCAGGAGGATGTAGCGCCTCAGTTTATTTTAATGT
2941
TCATAAGATTATGGTGTCTAATTTAATAAATTACAGGATTGGAACTGCGATCCTTGGTAC
3001
CACAGTCACAGAACTGGGGGTCATTTTCTAGATGAAACAAACGGAACAAGTTCTCTTCCA
3061
ACAAAGAAACTGTACTGTAGAAATTAATTTCCTCCATGAATTTTATATATTGTGTACAAA
3121
TATAAGGTATGTATCTGAATACAAAGAAAAGCCTATCATCATATAGATATCAGTATTCTC
3181
TGTTACTGCACAGAAGTAATTTTCTCATGATGAAATAAAGTTCACACACATACTTTCTCC
3241
ATAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 3262 (SEQ ID NO. : 9) | The invention relates to the cell regulation factor TTO 20, DNA coding therefor, its preparation and use, antibodies binding to TTO 20 and the use of DNA coding for TTO 20 and an antibody binding to TTO 20 for use in a diagnostic kit for the detection of inflammatory disorders, in particular rheumatoid arthritis. | 8 |
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/133,699, titled “SEMICONDUCTOR ARRANGEMENT AND FORMATION THEREOF” and filed on Dec. 19, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
Three dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (IC) structures have multiple layers. Communication between the multiple layers is typically performed by “pins” comprising one of interlayer vias or through silicon vias.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 2 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 3 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 4 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 5 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 6 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 7 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 8 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 9 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 10 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 11 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 12 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 13 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 14 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 15 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 16 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 17 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 18 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 19 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 20 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 21 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 22 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 23 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 24 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 25 is an illustration of a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
FIG. 26 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of forming a semiconductor arrangement, according to some embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The claimed subject matter is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are generally used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of the claimed subject matter. It is evident, however, that the claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, structures and devices are illustrated in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the claimed subject matter.
According to some embodiments, a semiconductor arrangement comprises a three dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) structure comprising a first layer comprising a first optical transmitter and a second layer comprising a second optical transmitter, the second layer over the first layer. In some embodiments, the first optical transmitter is configured to transmit data from the first layer to the second layer and the second optical transmitter is configured to transmit data from the second layer to the first layer. In some embodiments, the first layer comprises at least one of a first optical receiver or a first optical transceiver, the first optical transceiver comprising the first optical transmitter and the first optical receiver. In some embodiments, the second layer comprises at least one of a second optical receiver or a second optical transceiver, the second optical transceiver comprising the second optical transmitter and the second optical receiver. In some embodiments, the first layer comprises at least one of a first serializer connected to the first optical transmitter or a first deserializer connected to the first optical receiver. In some embodiments, the second layer comprises at least one of a second serializer connected to the second optical transmitter or a second deserializer connected to the second optical receiver. In some embodiments, transmitted signals are in a serialized format comprising a first serial data output and a second serial data output, such as through the use of the first serializer or the second serializer. In some embodiment, a first serializer/deserializer (SerDes) comprising the first serializer and the first deserializer is connected to the first optical transceiver, which converts electrical signals, such as the first serial data output, into modulated light signals at an optical wavelength between 0.9˜6.0 μm. In some embodiments, optical wavelengths between 0.9˜6.0 μm are transparent or semi-transparent on a silicon substrate. In some embodiments, a number of pins required for the semiconductor arrangement to function is reduced compared to an arraignment without an optical transmitter and an optical receiver, or a serializer and a deserializer. In some embodiments, communication in a 3D IC structure is achieved through coupling optical signals to transmit data from at least one of the first layer of the 3D IC structure to the second layer of the 3D IC structure or the second layer of the 3D IC structure to the first layer of the 3D IC structure. In some embodiments, the semiconductor arrangement comprising the 3D IC structure does not require an interlayer via (ILV) or through silicon via (TSV) to facilitate communication between the first layer of the 3D IC structure and the second layer of the 3D IC structure. In some embodiments, a semiconductor arrangement without an optical transmitter and an optical receiver, or a serializer and a deserializer has ILV misalignment between a first layer and a second layer, due to the ILV having a small size between about 1 μm to about 10 μm. In some embodiments, a semiconductor arrangement without an optical transmitter and an optical receiver, or a serializer and a deserializer has a TSV. In some embodiments, the TSV has a size between about 75 μm to about 150 μm, which is a greater size than the ILV and thus has a greater area penalty than the ILV. In some embodiments, the semiconductor arrangement comprising the first optical transmitter connected to the first serializer on the first layer and the second optical receiver connected to the second deserializer on the second layer, has a smaller area than the TSV and achieves alignment through aligning the data transmission, comprising an alignment signal, of the first optical transmitter to the second optical receiver, and thus lacks the misalignment of the ILV.
FIG. 1 illustrates a semiconductor arrangement 100 , according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the semiconductor arrangement 100 comprises a three dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) structure 103 comprising a first layer 102 a and a second layer 102 b. In some embodiments, the first layer 102 a comprises first memory macros 122 a connected to a first serializer/deserializer (SerDes) 112 a. In some embodiments, the first SerDes 112 a comprises a first serializer 116 a and a first deserializer 114 a. In some embodiments, the first SerDes 112 a is connected to a first optical transceiver 106 a. In some embodiments, the first optical transceiver 106 a comprises a first optical receiver 110 a and a first optical transmitter 108 a. In some embodiments, the first serializer 116 a converts a first parallel data input 126 a from the first memory macros 122 a into a first serial data output 118 a. In some embodiments, the first deserializer 114 a converts a first serial data input 120 a from the first optical receiver 110 a into a first parallel data output 128 a. In some embodiments, the first deserializer 114 a sends the first parallel data output 128 a to the first memory macros 122 a. In some embodiments, the first serializer 116 a sends the first serial data output 118 a to the first optical transmitter 108 a. In some embodiments, the first optical transmitter 108 a transmits data 124 a from the first layer 102 a to the second optical transceiver 106 b on the second layer 102 b. In some embodiments, at least one of the first serial data input 120 a , the first serial data output 118 a, the first parallel data input 126 a, the first parallel data output 128 a or the data 124 a comprise a clock signal. In some embodiments, the second optical transceiver 106 b is connected to a second SerDes 112 b. In some embodiments, the second SerDes 112 b comprises a second serializer 116 b and a second deserializer 114 b. In some embodiments, the second optical transceiver 106 b comprises a second optical transmitter 108 b and a second optical receiver 110 b. In some embodiments, the second optical receiver 110 b is connected to the second deserializer 114 b. In some embodiments, the second optical receiver 110 b sends a second serial data input 120 b to the second deserializer 114 b. In some embodiments, the second deserializer 114 b converts the second serial data input 120 b to a second parallel data output 128 b. In some embodiments, the second deserializer 114 b is connected to second memory macros 122 b . In some embodiments, the second deserializer 114 b sends the second parallel data output 128 b to the second memory macros 122 b on the second layer 102 b. In some embodiments, the second memory macros 122 b is connected to the second serializer 116 b. In some embodiments, the second memory macros 122 b sends a second parallel data input 126 b to the second serializer 116 b. In some embodiments, the second serializer 116 b converts the second parallel data input 126 b into a second serial data output 118 b. In some embodiments, the second serializer 116 b is connected to the second optical transmitter 108 b. In some embodiments, the second serializer 116 b sends a second serial data output 118 b to the second optical transmitter 108 b. In some embodiments, the second optical transmitter 108 b transmits data 124 b from the second layer 102 b to the first optical transceiver 106 a on the first layer 102 a. In some embodiments, at least one of the second serial data input 120 b, the second serial data output 118 b, the second parallel data input 126 b, the second parallel data output 128 b or the data 124 b comprise a clock signal. Although two layers are shown, multiple layers with multiple optical transceivers connected to multiple SerDes are contemplated. Although optical transmitters and optical receivers that are part of optical transceivers are shown, separate components are contemplated such that a layer has at least one of an optical transmitter or an optical receiver that is or is not part of an optical transceiver.
According to some embodiments, the first optical transmitter 108 a comprises at least one of a first internal optical source or a first external optical source. According to some embodiments, the second optical transmitter 108 b comprises at least one of a second internal optical source or a second external optical source. According to some embodiments, a first optical transmitter 108 a with the first internal optical source or the second optical transmitter 108 b with the second internal optical source are illustrated in FIGS. 2-7 . According to some embodiments, the first optical transmitter 108 a with the first external optical source or the second optical transmitter 108 b with the second external optical source are illustrated in FIGS. 8-13 .
Turning to FIG. 2 , a passivation layer 310 is illustrated over a substrate 302 , where the substrate 302 comprises a first active area 304 and a second active area 306 , and a first doped area 308 , according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the substrate 302 comprises at least one of silicon, polysilicon, or germanium. In some embodiments, the substrate 302 comprises a compound group of at least one of group 3 elements, such as aluminum, indium, or gallium, or group 5 elements, such as arsenic, phosphorous, antimony. According to some embodiments, the substrate 302 comprises at least one of an epitaxial layer, a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure, a wafer, or a die formed from a wafer. In some embodiments, the first active area 304 , the second active area 306 and the first doped area 308 are formed by implantation of a first dopant, such as boron. In some embodiments, the first active area 304 and the second active area 306 comprise at least one of a source or a drain. In some embodiments, the first doped area 308 comprises a seed layer. In some embodiments, the passivation layer 310 comprises at least one of SiO 2 or silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ). In some embodiments, the passivation layer 310 comprises a thickness of between about 2 μm to about 50 μm.
Turning to FIG. 3 , a gate 312 is illustrated between the first active area 304 and the second active area 306 and an optical transmitter 108 is illustrated in the passivation layer 310 , according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the gate 312 is formed by forming a first opening in the passivation layer 310 between the first active area 304 and the second active area 306 , and forming the gate 312 , such that the gate 312 , the first active area 304 and the second active area 306 comprise a transistor. In some embodiments, the gate 312 comprises at least one of a polysilicon or a metal. In some embodiments, the gate 312 comprises a high dielectric constant material in contact with the substrate 302 . In some embodiments, the first optical transmitter 108 a as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a first internal optical source and the second optical transmitter 108 b shown in FIG. 1 comprises a second internal optical source. In some embodiments, the first internal optical source comprises a first vertical cavity laser 317 . In some embodiments, the first vertical cavity laser 317 comprises a top mirror 314 , a gain region 318 and a bottom mirror 316 , such that the gain region 318 is between the top mirror 314 and the bottom mirror 316 . In some embodiments, the top mirror 314 and the bottom mirror 316 comprise alternating mirror layers, such that even mirror layers have the same composition and odd mirror layers have the same composition, such that a first mirror layer has the same composition as a third mirror layer, and a second mirror layer has the same composition as a fourth mirror layer. In some embodiments, the first vertical cavity laser 317 is grown, such as by epitaxial growth. In some embodiments, the first vertical cavity laser 317 is formed by high vacuum chemical vapor deposition (HVCVD). In some embodiments, at least one of the top mirror 314 or the bottom mirror 316 are formed by alternating different gasses in a chamber during HVCVD. In some embodiments, the even mirror layers comprise at least one of a first optical material or a second optical material, such that the first optical material has different optical properties than the second optical material. In some embodiments, the odd mirror layers comprise a first optical material or a second optical material, such that the odd mirror layers comprise the first optical material when the even mirror layer comprise the second optical material and the odd mirror layers comprise the second optical material when the even layers comprise the first optical material. In some embodiments, the first vertical cavity laser 317 comprises at least one of silicon, germanium, tin, or at least one of group 3 elements, such as aluminum, indium, or gallium, or group 5 elements, such as arsenic, phosphorous, antimony. In some embodiments, the gain region 318 comprises at least one of quantum wells, quantum dots, or nano-crystals.
Turning to FIG. 4 , a first connect 322 connected to the first active area 304 , a second connect 320 connected to the second active area 306 , and a third connect 311 connected to the first doped area 308 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the first connect 322 , the second connect 320 , and the third connect 311 comprise a conductive material, such as metal. In some embodiments at least one of the first connect 322 , the second connect 320 , or the third connect 311 comprise different conductive materials. In some embodiments, the transistor acts as switch to activate the first vertical cavity laser 317 . In some embodiments, the serializer 116 sends a serial data output 118 to the first vertical cavity laser 317 comprising the data 124 . In some embodiments, the first connect 322 supplies a current to the first active area 304 and the second connect 320 supplies an activation current to the first vertical cavity laser 317 . In some embodiments, the third connect 311 is connected to ground, such that the current flowing through the first vertical cavity laser 317 goes to ground. In some embodiments, the first vertical cavity laser 317 transmits modulated light signals 324 , where the arrows indicate the propagation direction of the data transmitted as modulated light signals 324 . In some embodiments, the data 124 is converted into modulated light signals 324 that transmit the data 124 to an optical receiver on a different layer than the layer that the first vertical cavity laser 317 occupies. In some embodiments, the first optical transmitter 108 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises the first vertical cavity laser 317 on the first layer 102 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 4 . In some embodiments, the second optical transmitter 108 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a second vertical cavity laser on the second layer 102 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 4 .
Turning to FIG. 5 , the substrate 302 , the first active area 304 , the second active area 306 , the first doped area 308 and the passivation layer 310 are illustrated, which are formed as described above with regards to FIG. 2 , according to some embodiments.
In FIG. 6 , a gate 312 between the first active area 304 and the second active area 306 in the passivation layer 310 , which forms a transistor, and an optical transmitter 108 in the passivation layer 310 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the gate 312 is formed as described above with regards to the gate 312 , as illustrated in FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, the optical transmitter 108 comprises an internal optical source. In some embodiments, the internal optical source comprises a first laser 417 , where the first laser 417 comprises at least one of a SiGe laser or a hybrid laser. In some embodiments, the first laser 417 comprises at least one of quantum wells, quantum dots, or nano-crystals. In some embodiments, the first laser 417 comprises at least one of silicon, germanium, tin, or at least one of group 3 elements, such as aluminum, indium, or gallium, or group 5 elements, such as arsenic, phosphorous, antimony. In some embodiments, the first laser 417 is formed by at least one of epitaxial growth or wafer-level bonding. In some embodiments, the first laser 417 is formed in a second opening in the passivation layer 310 . In some embodiments, the first laser 417 has a first junction 414 , a second junction 418 and a first contact 416 . In some embodiments, the first junction 414 is at least one of a positive type junction or a negative type junction. In some embodiments, the second junction 418 is a positive type junction when the first junction 414 is a negative type junction. In some embodiments, the second junction 418 is a negative type junction when the first junction 414 is a positive type junction. In some embodiments, the first contact 416 is a low resistance contact, such as a metal.
In FIG. 7 , the first laser 417 in contact with a waveguide 420 and a grating coupler 440 in contact with the waveguide 420 is illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 are formed as described above with regard to the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 as illustrated in FIG. 4 . In some embodiments, the second connect 320 is connected to the second active area 306 and the first contact 416 of the first laser 417 . In some embodiments, the waveguide 420 comprises an SOI waveguide, a dielectric waveguide, or a plasmonic waveguide. In some embodiments, the dielectric waveguide comprises at least one of patterned silicon nitride, amorphous silicon, or high dielectric material surrounded by a low dielectric constant material, such as silicon oxide. In some embodiments, the plasmonic waveguide comprises patterned metal nano-wires surrounded by a dielectric material. In some embodiments, the grating coupler 440 comprises one of a metal or a high dielectric material. In some embodiments, the grating coupler 440 comprises several segments with a distance between each segment. In some embodiments, the first laser 417 generates a laser signal comprising data 124 , such as a serial data output 118 from the serializer 116 , which passes through the waveguide 420 to the grating coupler 440 . In some embodiments, the grating coupler 440 transforms the laser signal into the modulated light signal 324 . In some embodiment, the grating coupler 440 transmits the modulated the light signals 324 , where the arrows indicate the propagation direction of the data 124 transmitted as the modulated light signal 324 . In some embodiments, the first optical transmitter 108 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises the first laser 417 in contact with the first waveguide 420 and the first grating coupler 440 on the first layer 102 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 7 . In some embodiments, the second optical transmitter 108 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a second laser 417 in contact with the second waveguide 420 and the second grating coupler 440 on the second layer 102 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 7 .
Turning to FIG. 8 , the substrate 302 , the first active area 304 , the second active area 306 , the first doped area 308 and the passivation layer 310 are illustrated, which are formed as described above with regards to FIG. 2 , according to some embodiments.
In FIG. 9 , a gate 312 between the first active area 304 and the second active area 306 in the passivation layer, which forms a transistor, and an optical transmitter 108 comprising an external laser 530 and an electro-absorption modulator 517 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the gate 312 is formed as described above with regards to the gate 312 , as illustrated in FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, the external laser 530 comprises a laser, such as a vertical cavity laser or a fiber array with lens coupler. In some embodiments, the electro-absorption modulator 517 is formed in a third opening in the passivation layer over the first doped area 308 . In some embodiments, the electro-absorption modulator 517 comprises even modulator layers 516 and odd modulator layers 514 , where the even modulator layers 516 have a different composition having different optical properties than the odd modulator layers 514 . In some embodiments, the electro-absorption modulator 517 comprises at least one of silicon, germanium, tin, or at least one of group 3 elements, such as aluminum, indium, or gallium, or group 5 elements, such as arsenic, phosphorous, antimony. In some embodiments, the electro-absorption modulator 517 is formed by at least one of epitaxial growth or wafer-level bonding.
In FIG. 10 , the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 are formed as described above with regard to the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 as illustrated in FIG. 4 . In some embodiments, the second connect 320 is in connected to the second active area 306 and the electro-absorption modulator 517 . According to some embodiments, the external laser 530 generates a laser signal 524 , where the arrows indicate the propagation direction of the laser signal 524 . In some embodiments, the laser signal 524 is applied to the electro-absorption modulator 517 . In some embodiments, the serializer 116 sends a serial data output 118 to the electro-absorption modulator 517 comprising the data 124 . In some embodiments, the laser signal 524 activates the electro-absorption modulator 517 to transform the laser signal 524 into a modulated light signal 324 comprising the serial data output 118 , where the arrows indicate the propagation direction of the data 124 transmitted as the modulated light signal 324 . In some embodiments, the first optical transmitter 108 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises the first external laser 530 in contact with the electro-absorption modulator 517 on the first layer 102 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 10 . In some embodiments, the first optical transmitter 108 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a first external optical source, the first external optical source comprising a first vertical cavity laser array or a first fiber array with a lens coupler. In some embodiments, the second optical transmitter 108 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a second external laser 530 in contact with the electro-absorption modulator 517 on the second layer 102 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 10 . In some embodiments, the second optical transmitter 108 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a second external optical source, the second external optical source comprising a second vertical cavity laser array or a second fiber array with a lens coupler.
Turning to FIG. 11 , the substrate 302 , the first active area 304 , the second active area 306 , the passivation layer 310 and a waveguide modulator 620 in the passivation layer 310 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the substrate 302 , the first active area 304 , the second active area 306 and the passivation layer 310 , are formed as described above with regards to FIG. 2 . In some embodiments, the waveguide modulator 620 comprises a first waveguide grating coupler 621 a and a second waveguide grating coupler 621 b. In some embodiments, the first waveguide grating coupler 621 a comprises several segments with a distance between each segment. In some embodiments, the second waveguide grating coupler 621 b comprises several segments with a distance between each segment. In some embodiments, the waveguide modulator 620 comprises at least one of silicon, germanium, tin, or at least one of group 3 elements, such as aluminum, indium, or gallium, or group 5 elements, such as arsenic, phosphorous, antimony. In some embodiments, the waveguide modulator 620 is formed by at least one of epitaxial growth or wafer-level bonding. In some embodiments, the waveguide modulator 620 comprises a first waveguide contact 608 a and a second waveguide contact 608 b, where at least one of the first waveguide contact 608 a or the second waveguide contact 608 b is a low resistance contact, such as a metal.
In FIG. 12 , a gate 312 between the first active area 304 and the second active area 306 in the passivation layer, which forms a transistor, and an optical transmitter 108 comprising the external laser 530 and the waveguide modulator 620 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the gate 312 is formed as described above with regards to the gate 312 , as illustrated in FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, the external laser 530 comprises a laser, such as a vertical cavity laser or a fiber array with lens coupler.
In FIG. 13 , the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 are formed as described above with regard to the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 as illustrated in FIG. 4 . In some embodiments, the second connect 320 is connected to the second active area 306 and the first waveguide contact 608 a, and the third connect 311 is connected to the second waveguide contact 608 b. According to some embodiments, the external laser 530 generates a laser signal 524 , where the arrows indicate the propagation direction of the laser signal 524 . In some embodiments, the serializer 116 sends a serial data output 118 to the waveguide modulator 620 comprising the data 124 . In some embodiments, the laser signal 524 is applied to the first waveguide grating coupler 621 a. In some embodiments, the laser signal 524 activates the waveguide modulator 620 to transform the laser signal 524 into a modulated light signal 324 comprising the serial data output 118 . In some embodiments, the modulated light signal 324 is transmitted from the second waveguide grating coupler 621 b, where the arrows indicate the propagation direction of the data 124 transmitted as the modulated light signal 324 . In some embodiments, the first optical transmitter 108 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises the first external laser 530 in contact with the waveguide modulator 620 on the first layer 102 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 13 . In some embodiments, the first optical transmitter 108 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a first external optical source, the first external optical source comprising a first vertical cavity laser array or a first fiber array with a lens coupler. In some embodiments, the second optical transmitter 108 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a second external laser 530 in contact with the waveguide modulator 620 on the second layer 102 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 13 . In some embodiments, the second optical transmitter 108 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a second external optical source, the second external optical source comprising a second vertical cavity laser array or a second fiber array with a lens coupler.
According to some embodiments, the first optical receiver 110 a comprises at least one of a first photodiode or a first photo-transistor. According to some embodiments, the second optical receiver 110 b comprises at least one of a second photodiode or a second photo-transistor. According to some embodiments, the first optical receiver 110 a comprising the first photodiode or the second optical receiver 110 b comprising the second photodiode is illustrated in FIGS. 14-19 . According to some embodiments, the first optical receiver 110 a comprising the first photo-transistor or the second optical receiver 110 b comprising the second photo-transistor is illustrated in FIGS. 20-25 .
Turning to FIG. 14 , the substrate 302 , the first active area 304 , the second active area 306 , the first doped area 308 and the passivation layer 310 , which are formed as described above with regards to FIG. 2 are illustrated, according to some embodiments.
In FIG. 15 , a gate 312 between the first active area 304 and the second active area 306 in the passivation layer, which forms a transistor, and a photodiode 717 in the passivation layer 310 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the gate 312 is formed as described above with regards to the gate 312 , as illustrated in FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, the optical receiver 110 comprises the photodiode 717 . In some embodiments, the photodiode 717 comprises a p-i-n junction comprising a first photodiode junction 716 , a second photodiode junction 714 and an intrinsic area 718 . In some embodiments, the first photodiode junction 716 comprises at least one of a positive type junction or negative type junction. In some embodiments, the second photodiode junction 714 comprises a positive type junction when the first photodiode junction 716 comprises a negative type junction. In some embodiments, the second photodiode junction 714 comprises a negative type junction when the first photodiode junction 716 comprises a positive type junction. In some embodiments, the photodiode 717 comprises at least one of silicon, germanium, tin, or at least one of group 3 elements, such as aluminum, indium, or gallium, or group 5 elements, such as arsenic, phosphorous, antimony. In some embodiments, the photodiode 717 is formed by at least one of epitaxial growth or wafer-level bonding.
In FIG. 16 , the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 are formed as described above with regard to the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 as illustrated in FIG. 4 . In some embodiments, the second metal connect is connected to the second active area 306 and the photodiode 717 . In some embodiments, the transistor acts a switch to activate conduction from the photodiode 717 to the memory macros 122 . In some embodiments, the photodiode 717 receives modulated light signals 324 , where the arrows indicate the propagation direction of the data 124 received as modulated light signals 324 . In some embodiments, the data 124 is converted from modulated light signals 324 that transmit the data 124 , to an electrical data signal that comprises a serial data input 120 . In some embodiments, the deserializer 114 converts the serial data input 120 received from the optical receiver 110 into a parallel data output 128 . In some embodiments, the first optical receiver 110 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a first photodiode 717 on the first layer 102 a, as illustrated in FIG. 16 . In some embodiments, the second optical receiver 110 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a second photodiode 717 on the second layer 102 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 16 .
Turning to FIG. 17 , the substrate 302 , the first active area 304 , the second active area 306 , the first doped area 308 and the passivation layer 310 are illustrated, which are formed as described above with regards to FIG. 2 , according to some embodiments.
In FIG. 18 , a gate 312 is illustrated between the first active area 304 and the second active area 306 in the passivation layer, which forms a transistor, and a photodiode 717 in the passivation layer 310 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the gate 312 is formed as described above with regards to the gate 312 , as illustrated in FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, the photodiode is formed as described above with regards to the photodiode 717 , as illustrated in FIG. 15 .
In FIG. 19 , the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 , the third metal connect 311 , a plasmonic waveguide 820 and a grating coupler 440 connected to the photodiode 717 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 are formed as described above with regard to the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 as illustrated in FIG. 16 . In some embodiments, the plasmonic waveguide 820 comprises patterned metal nano-wires surrounded by a dielectric material. In some embodiments, the grating coupler 440 comprises one of a metal or a high dielectric material. In some embodiments, the grating coupler 440 comprises several segments with a distance between each segment. In some embodiments, the modulated light signals 324 are input into the grating coupler 440 . In some embodiments, the modulated light signal 324 passes though the grating coupler 440 and the plasmonic waveguide 820 and are applied onto the photodiode 717 . In some embodiments, the photodiode 717 transforms the modulated light signal 324 into electrical data signals comprising a serial data input 120 . In some embodiments, the serial data input 120 is sent to the deserializer 114 . In some embodiments, the first optical receiver 110 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a first photodiode 717 connected to a first plasmonic waveguide 820 and a first grating coupler 440 on the first layer 102 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 19 . In some embodiments, the second optical receiver 110 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a second photodiode 717 connected to a second plasmonic waveguide 820 and a second grating coupler 440 on the second layer 102 b, as illustrated in FIG. 19 .
Turning to FIG. 20 , the substrate 302 , the first active area 304 , the second active area 306 , the first doped area 308 and the passivation layer 310 are illustrated, which are formed as described above with regards to FIG. 2 , according to some embodiments.
In FIG. 21 , a gate 312 between the first active area 304 and the second active area 306 in the passivation layer, which forms a transistor and an optical receiver 110 comprising a photo-transistor 917 in the passivation layer 310 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the gate 312 is formed as described above with regards to the gate 312 , as illustrated in FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, the photo-transistor 917 comprises a first transistor layer 914 , a second transistor layer 918 , and a third transistor layer 916 . In some embodiments, the first transistor layer 914 and the third transistor layer 916 comprise at least one of a positive type junction or a negative type junction. In some embodiments, the second transistor layer 918 comprises a positive type junction if the first transistor layer 914 and the third transistor layer 916 comprise a negative type junction. In some embodiments, the second transistor layer 918 comprises a negative type junction if the first transistor layer 914 and the third transistor layer 916 comprise a positive type junction. In some embodiments, the photo-transistor 917 comprises at least one of silicon, germanium, tin, or at least one of group 3 elements, such as aluminum, indium, or gallium, or group 5 elements, such as arsenic, phosphorous, antimony. In some embodiments, the photo-transistor 917 is formed by at least one of epitaxial growth or wafer-level bonding.
In FIG. 22 , the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 are formed as described above with regard to the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 as illustrated in FIG. 4 . In some embodiments, the second metal connect 320 is connected to the second active area 306 and the third transistor layer 916 . In some embodiments, the third metal connect 311 is connected to the first transistor layer 914 . In some embodiments, the transistor acts as a switch to activate conduction from the photo-transistor 917 to the memory macros 122 . In some embodiments, the photo-transistor 917 receives modulated light signals 324 , where the arrows indicate the propagation direction of the data 124 received as modulated light signals 324 . In some embodiments, the data 124 is converted from the modulated light signals 324 that transmit the data 124 , to an electrical data signal that comprises a serial data input 120 . In some embodiments, the deserializer 114 converts the serial data input 120 received from the optical receiver 110 into a parallel data output 128 . In some embodiments, the first optical receiver 110 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a photo-transistor 917 on the first layer 102 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 22 . In some embodiments, the second optical receiver 110 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a second photo-transistor 917 on the second layer 102 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 22 .
Turning to FIG. 23 , the substrate 302 , the first active area 304 , the second active area 306 , the first doped area 308 and the passivation layer 310 are illustrated, which are formed as described above with regards to FIG. 2 , according to some embodiments.
In FIG. 24 , a gate 312 is between the first active area 304 and the second active area 306 in the passivation layer, which forms a transistor, and the photo-transistor 917 in the passivation layer 310 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the gate 312 is formed as described above with regards to the gate 312 , as illustrated in FIG. 3 . In some embodiments, the photo-transistor 917 is formed as described above with regards to the photo-transistor 917 , as illustrated in FIG. 21 .
In FIG. 25 , the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 , the third metal connect 311 and a plasmonic waveguide 1020 and a grating coupler 440 are illustrated, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 are formed as described above with regard to the first metal connect 322 , the second metal connect 320 and the third metal connect 311 as illustrated in FIG. 22 . In some embodiments, the transistor acts as a switch to activate conduction from the photo-transistor 917 to the memory macros 122 . In some embodiments, the modulated light signal 324 is input into the grating coupler 440 where the arrows indicate the propagation direction of the data 124 received as modulated light signals 324 . In some embodiments, the modulated light signal 324 passes though the plasmonic waveguide 1020 and is applied onto the photo-transistor 917 . In some embodiments, the photo-transistor 917 transforms the modulated light signal 324 into electrical data signals that comprise a serial data input 120 . In some embodiments, the deserializer 114 converts the serial data input 120 received from the optical receiver 110 into a parallel data output 128 . In some embodiments, the first optical receiver 110 a, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a first photo-transistor 917 connected to a first plasmonic waveguide 1020 and a first grating coupler 440 on the first layer 102 a, as illustrated in FIG. 25 . In some embodiments, the second optical receiver 110 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 1 , comprises a second photo-transistor 917 connected to a second plasmonic waveguide 1020 and a second grating coupler 440 on the second layer 102 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 25 .
An example method 1100 of forming a semiconductor arrangement, such as semiconductor arrangement 100 according to some embodiments, is illustrated in FIG. 26 .
At 1102 , according to some embodiments, a first layer 102 a comprising at least one of a first optical transmitter 108 a, a first optical receiver 110 a or a first optical transceiver 106 a is formed, as illustrated in FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the first optical transceiver 106 a comprises at least one of the first optical transmitter 108 a or the first optical receiver 110 a.
At 1104 , according to some embodiments, a second layer 102 b comprising at least one of a second optical transmitter 108 b, a second optical receiver or a second optical transceiver 106 b is formed, as illustrated in FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the second optical transceiver 106 b comprises at least one of the second optical transmitter 108 b or the second optical receiver 110 b.
At 1106 , according to some embodiments, at least one of a first serializer 116 a connected to the first optical transmitter 108 a, a first deserializer 114 a connected to the first optical receiver 110 a, a second serializer 116 b connected to the second optical transmitter 108 b, or a second deserializer 114 b connected to the second optical receiver 110 b are formed, as illustrated in FIG. 1 .
At 1108 , the first optical transmitter 108 a is aligned with the second optical receiver 110 b, such that the first optical transmitter 108 a transmits data 124 a to the second optical receiver 110 b. In some embodiment, the first optical transmitter 108 a transmits alignment data to the second optical receiver 110 a to determine an amount of alignment data received. In some embodiments, the first layer 102 a position or the second layer 102 b position is adjusted until the amount of alignment data received by the second optical receiver 110 b meets an alignment threshold. In some embodiments, the alignment threshold is met when the second optical receiver 110 b receives greater than 50% of the alignment signal transmitted by the first optical transmitter 108 a.
According to some embodiments, a semiconductor arrangement comprises a three dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) structure. In some embodiments, the 3D IC structure comprises a first layer comprising a first optical transmitter and a second layer comprising a second optical transmitter over the first layer. In some embodiments, the first optical transmitter is configured to transmit data from the first layer to the second layer and the second optical transmitter is configured to transmit data from the second layer to the first layer.
According to some embodiments, a method of making a semiconductor arrangement comprises forming a three dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) structure. The forming the 3D IC structure comprising forming a first layer comprising a first optical transmitter, forming a second layer comprising a second optical receiver and aligning the first optical transmitter with the a second optical receiver, such that the first optical transmitter transmits data to the first optical receiver.
According to some embodiments, a semiconductor arrangement comprises a three dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) structure. In some embodiments, the 3D IC structure comprises a first layer comprising a first optical transmitter and a second layer comprising a second optical receiver. In some embodiments, the second layer is over the first layer. In some embodiments, the first optical transmitter is configured to transmit data to the second optical receiver, the data comprising a clock signal.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter of the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as embodiment forms of implementing at least some of the claims.
Various operations of embodiments are provided herein. The order in which some or all of the operations are described should not be construed to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. Alternative ordering will be appreciated having the benefit of this description. Further, it will be understood that not all operations are necessarily present in each embodiment provided herein. Also, it will be understood that not all operations are necessary in some embodiments.
It will be appreciated that layers, features, elements, etc. depicted herein are illustrated with particular dimensions relative to one another, such as structural dimensions or orientations, for example, for purposes of simplicity and ease of understanding and that actual dimensions of the same differ substantially from that illustrated herein, in some embodiments. Additionally, a variety of techniques exist for forming the layers features, elements, etc. mentioned herein, such as etching techniques, implanting techniques, doping techniques, spin-on techniques, sputtering techniques such as magnetron or ion beam sputtering, growth techniques, such as thermal growth or deposition techniques such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), or atomic layer deposition (ALD), for example.
Moreover, “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, illustration, etc., and not necessarily as advantageous. As used in this application, “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. In addition, “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims are generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. Also, at least one of A and B and/or the like generally means A or B or both A and B. Furthermore, to the extent that “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variants thereof are used, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising”. Also, unless specified otherwise, “first,” “second,” or the like are not intended to imply a temporal aspect, a spatial aspect, an ordering, etc. Rather, such terms are merely used as identifiers, names, etc. for features, elements, items, etc. For example, a first element and a second element generally correspond to element A and element B or two different or two identical elements or the same element.
Also, although the disclosure has been shown and described with respect to one or more implementations, equivalent alterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art based upon a reading and understanding of this specification and the annexed drawings. The disclosure comprises all such modifications and alterations and is limited only by the scope of the following claims. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (e.g., elements, resources, etc.), the terms used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (e.g., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure. In addition, while a particular feature of the disclosure may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. | A semiconductor arrangement and a method of forming the same are described. A semiconductor arrangement includes a first layer including a first optical transceiver and a second layer including a second optical transceiver. A first serializer/deserializer (SerDes) is connected to the first optical transceiver and a second SerDes is connected to the second optical transceiver. The SerDes converts parallel data input into serial data output including a clock signal that the first transceiver transmits to the second transceiver. The semiconductor arrangement has a lower area penalty than traditional intra-layer communication arrangements that do not use optics for alignment, and mitigates alignment issues associated with conventional techniques. | 7 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a toy building set with elements for providing positional information by detection of radiated, reflected energy, such as light.
Associated toy elements are known in the form of a light source and a light detector, respectively, said light detector being adapted to detect the light transmitted from the light source. This prior art provides an information signal by insertion of light absorbing means in the path of the light beam.
The object of the invention is to provide a toy building set with improved means with respect to the prior art for providing positional information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This object is achieved in that the toy building set comprises an element of the type defined in the characterizing portion of claim 1. Thus, the invention comprises the use of an integrated electric circuit known per se which both contains a source and a detector, preferably for light, and the special advantages of the invention are obtained by using a detector of this type in a housing which is partly connectible with other elements belonging to the building set and is partly adapted for coupling with various forms of energy reflecting means. Preferably, the circuit is of the type where the transmitted light intensity is automatically increased if the received light signal weakens, which entails that it is sufficient with two leads to the circuit as the circuit will draw a supply current which is dependent upon the light reflection conditions (see e.g. Electronic Design, March 1982, p. 255). It is observed that the energy radiating source and energy receiving detector defined in claim 1 were stated as being a light source and a light receiver above, which is a preferred embodiment and does not prevent the use of something else than ordinary light, such as microwaves.
Claim 2 provides an example of an energy reflecting means for cooperation with the building element of claim 1. The disc may e.g. be a tachometer disc as stated in claim 3. As stated in claim 4, the disc may be provided with wind cups and thus serve as an anemometer.
Claim 5 provides another example of an energy reflecting means in the form of a light conductor which may be coupled mechanically with the building element, so that the region sensitive to detection may be moved away from the immediate vicinity of the building element.
Claim 6 provides another expedient element for the building set of the invention, said element comprising a line code for cooperation with the light detecting element, either directly or indirectly via light conducting means for the type mentioned in claim 4.
The light source may be laser, cf. claim 7, thus making it possible to perform a highly sensitive detection. For example, the oscillations of a membrane can be registered by means of coherent light, and in particular in such a detection it is important that the structure is mechanically stable and geometrically well-defined. When coherent light is used, the variations in the reflective power of the energy reflecting means may be obtained as stated in claim 8.
The mentioned examples, which will be described more fully later, indicate various situations where special advantages are obtained by positioning both the light source and the light receiver in a housing having mechanical coupling means, which involve pre-determined positioning of both the transmitter and the receiver with respect to other energy reflecting building elements of the toy building set.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be explained more fully by the following description of some embodiments with reference to the drawing, in which
FIG. 1 shows a known element from a toy building set,
FIGS. 2 and 3 schematically show the essential parts of an embodiment of the toy building set of the invention,
FIGS. 4-7 show various embodiments of energy reflecting means,
FIG. 8 schematically shows a use of the toy building set of the invention,
FIG. 9 schematically shows another use of the toy building set of the invention,
FIGS. 10-12 show in more detail an embodiment of the building, set, seen from below, from the side and from the top, respectively, while
FIG. 13 is a section along the line XI--XI in FIG. 11.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows a known building element comprising a hollow body 1 having on its upper side a plurality of coupling studs 2 and on its underside complementary coupling means for connection with the coupling studs on an adjacent element (cf. FIG. 10). The embodiments of the building element of the invention described below are adapted to cooperate with the building element in FIG. 1, but it will be appreciated that the building element of the invention may be arranged to cooperate with other known forms of interconnectible toy elements.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show the main components of an embodiment of the building element of the invention. Thus, FIG. 2 shows a hollow box 3 having four coupling studs 2 on its upper side, two of the coupling studs from FIG. 1 being replaced by a pair of through holes 4 for reception of an electric plug for providing power to the building element of the present invention. Further the housing 3 has two holes, partly a large hole 5 and a small hole 6. FIG. 3 shows an insert generally designated by 7 and comprising a plate 8 whose base is formed with the complementary coupling means mentioned in connection with FIG. 1 (see also FIGS. 10 and 13). The plate 8 is contiguous partly with a bushing 9 and a holder 10 adapted to retain an electric circuit board 11, which, in addition to electronic circuits, comprises a combined light source and light detector 12 as well as two electric coupling bushings 13 for cooperation with the plug pins which can extend through the holes 4 in FIG. 2.
It will be appreciated that the insert 7 may be received in the housing 3 so that the through hole in the bushing 9 is flush with the hole 5 (and an aligned hole in the opposite side of the housing 3), and so that the light element 12 is flush with the hole 6.
The bushing 9 is adapted to serve as a bearing for a shaft 14 with a disc 15, which is provided with reflecting and non-reflecting sections, respectively, preferably on both sides. Thus, the disc 15 may serve as a tachometer disc so that the rotary speed of the shaft 14 can be detected by means of the light element 12. The element may serve as an ordinary switch by rotation of the disc between two positions in which the reflection properties differ. As shown in FIG. 5, the disc 15 may also be provided with wind cups 16 so that the disc and the cups in combination serve as an anemometer.
FIG. 6 shows another element for the building set of the invention, said element consisting of a light conductor rod 17, whose one end 18 is adapted to be received and retained in the hole 6 (FIG. 2). In FIG. 6, the light conductor rod 17 is shown in connection with a liquid vessel 19, the reflection conditions at the other end of the light conductor rod being highly dependent upon whether the liquid surrounds the end of the light conductor or is present at a lower level. The liquid level in the vessel 19 may thus be detected by means of the building element of the invention.
FIG. 7 shows an additional reflecting building element for the building set of the invention. The building element in FIG. 7 consists of an element corresponding to FIG. 1, but with line codes 20 on one side of the element. An example of the use of the latter element is schematically shown in FIG. 8, which shows an oblong beam 21 on which three elements 22-24 of the type shown in FIG. 7 are placed. Further, two elements of the invention 25 and 26 are shown, which are optically coupled to the line codes on the blocks 22-24 via light conductor cables 27 and 28, respectively, the optical cables being secured by respective holders 29 and 30, respectively. It is noted that, as previously mentioned, the line codes might consist of depressions in the element if laser light means are used.
The building elements shown in FIG. 8 might conceivably be incorporated e.g. in a model of a car with automatic steering gear comprising the beam 21. The beam 21 may thus be movable in its longitudinal direction with respect to the chassis of the car, while the holders 29 and 30 are stationary with respect to the chassis. The detector elements 25 and 26 may be placed on a stationary or on a movable part of the car because of the flexible light conductor cables 27 and 28. It will thus be appreciated that, through the electric information from the detector elements 25 and 26, positional information may be generated for the steering gear by scanning the line codes present on the building elements 22-24. It will be sufficient with a single detector element 25 which may be connected to a control computer coded to interpret the line code information, but the information may be made more selective by using several detector elements 25, 26. The associated computer may optionally be coded to respond to a pre-determined code pattern, and by mechanically changing the shown line code elements 22-24 or by changing the position of the elements various control characteristics for the constructed model may be provided with the predetermined interpretation in the computer.
FIG. 9 shows another use of the building set of the invention, and this use may be related to the steering gear for a car model as explained in connection with FIG. 8. The element 31 represents the detector element described previously which is turned so that the light is transmitted downwardly toward a path 32 provided on a line and consisting of a solid line and a broken line closely spaced from each other. Since the element 31 is firmly mounted on the car, it may be detected by means of generally known electronic equipment how the vehicle is positioned with respect to the path 32 on the lane. This information may be used for generating a steering signal to the steering gear, which may be designed as explained in connection with FIG. 8. The code lines 33 across the direction of travel may be placed in order for the steering system to receive information on how far the car as reached along the distance determined by the path 32. Optionally, the code lines 33 may also inform the steering system to steer along another path 34.
It has almost been presupposed in the above explanations that digital signals are generated from the detector element. However, it should be noted that nothing prevents detection of an analog signal, since this is just a matter of the design of the electric circuit detecting the current consumption of the light source.
FIGS. 10-13 show some other representations of an embodiment of the detector element of the invention, the figures showing an element seen from below, from the side, from above and in section along the line XI--XI in FIG. 11, respectively. The reference numerals used in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3 are also used in FIGS. 10-13, and it will thus be seen from FIG. 10 that the base of the plate 8 is provided with a pair of coupling tubes 35, 36 which constitute the previously mentioned complementary coupling means for coupling studs on an adjacent alement. FIG. 13 shows some details for the position of the insert 7 in the housing 3, it being seen how the bushing 9 at the top engages some stops within the housing 3. It will be appreciated that the shown embodiment just serves as an example. | A toy construction set may utilize blocks with electrical connections, this block receives electrical power, outputs energy in the electromagnetic spectrum, receives reflected energy and outputs a result to be utilized elsewhere in the toy assembly. Though it has connectors to attach it to other like blocks, it has a bearing shaft to enable an anemometer (FIG. 5) or a tachometer. It may sense bar codes and enable an assembled vehicle to accept trackway commands. | 6 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/GB00/02167, filed Jun. 15, 2000, which was published in the English language on Dec. 21, 2001, under International Publication No. WO 00/77310, and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to improvements in or relating to containers, and in particular containers for cleaning and deodorizing products which are hung over the rim of a toilet bowl.
[0003] A very large number of such containers are already known for compositions containing constituents such as anti-microbial agents, perfumes, bleaching agents, colorants, and/or surface active agents for use in treating the water in toilet bowls. Ordinarily, the compositions are located in cage-like containers, suspended near the rim of a toilet bowl in a position where, on each occasion the bowl is flushed, the flushing water enters the container and contacts the composition to entrain some of the composition before flowing into the lower part of the bowl. Thus, the water remaining in the bowl, after flushing, includes some of the composition which disinfects or otherwise treats the water and the surfaces of the bowl.
[0004] Conventionally, such compositions have been in the form of coherent self-supporting blocks. Such a device is described in French published patent application FR-A-2579647, in which a self-supporting block of disinfectant material is supported on a grid. As the disinfectant material is colored, to prevent leakage of colored solution into the toilet bowl between flushes, a solid block of decolorizing product is located in a channel beneath the grid. Between flushes, colored solution drips onto the decolorizing block and is decolored to prevent it staining the toilet bowl in case it does leak out.
[0005] However, more recently, compositions in the form of gels and liquids have been proposed. In containers for such gels and liquids, measures have to be taken to ensure that the gel or liquid does not leak from the container between flushing operations. Such a device is described in EP-A-0 446 795, which provides a container divided into two adjacent sections. In one section there is located a porous material, into which the cleaning composition has been absorbed. Water enters the device and entrains some of the disinfecting liquid from the porous material, before being washed out.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a container for a liquid or gel type water treating composition where these problems are minimized.
[0007] According to the invention, there is provided a container for a water treatment composition in liquid or gel form for use in a toilet bowl comprising an outer container having a lower section and an upper section, said upper section being provided with a plurality of apertures for the ingress and egress of flushing water, and further comprising an inner composition container having an open mouth, the inner container being positioned within the outer container, such that the mouth is directed toward the apertures, wherein the inner container is removable and contains a water treatment composition in liquid or gel form, and wherein the inner container has a substantially constant cross-section.
[0008] Preferably, the two parts of the outer container are connected together to enable the outer container to be opened. Preferably, the two container parts comprise the upper and lower sections connected by a horizontal hinge. Alternatively, the two container parts comprise side sections which are connected together vertically by a clip or snap-fit arrangement and separable from each other.
[0009] The lower section may be provided with baffles for supporting the inner container. Furthermore, at least one drainage port may be provided in the lower section of the outer container and provided in the base of the inner container.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment a hook shaped handle is provided for supporting the container on a rim of a toilet bowl.
[0011] Moreover, a locking mechanism may be provided for securing the container parts of the outer container in a closed position.
[0012] The present invention is thus advantageous in that a known type of container for a solid block can easily be adapted for use with a gel or liquid so that the consumer has a choice of form of cleaning composition.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawing. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawing an embodiment which is presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawing:
[0014] [0014]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art outer container and an inner container (disassembled) according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] [0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art container 10 for a solid block (not shown) of water soluble water treatment composition. The container 10 has a lid 11 , which is pivotally hinged at one edge, by means of hinges 13 , to a base section 12 . A hook shaped handle 14 is attached to the base section 12 . The handle 14 enables the container 10 to be suspended from the rim of a toilet bowl in the path of the flushing water. The handle 14 is provided with a locking mechanism formed by detent means 15 , which can be secured within catch 16 located on the top of the lid 11 to hold the container 10 closed. This locking mechanism 15 , 16 enables the container to be opened to replace a used up block with a new one.
[0016] Alternatively, the container may comprise two parts, preferably in the form of cups or shells, which are connected together vertically, by a clip or snap-fit arrangement. Such an arrangement may have the mouth of one container part snap fitting inside the mouth of the other part. Alternatively, one part may be provided with clips which enable both parts to be held together. The two container parts may be wholly separated. Any references in the following pages to container lid should be considered to include references to an upper section 11 of the container.
[0017] The container lid 11 is provided with a series of apertures 17 , and the base section 12 is provided with one or more drainage ports 19 and block-supporting baffles 18 .
[0018] In use, the container 10 is opened by releasing the detent means 15 from the catch 16 . A block of water-treating composition is placed within the container 10 on the baffles 18 , and the lid is closed and secured in position by means of the locking mechanism. The container 10 is suspended in position in a toilet bowl from the rim of the bowl. During flushing, water will flood into the container 10 through the apertures 17 . As the water comes into contact with the block it dissolves a quantity thereof. As the flushing action continues, the water, with the dissolved part of the block floods back out of the apertures 17 and is carried down into the toilet bowl where it carries out a cleaning and disinfecting action. The ingress and egress of the water through the apertures 17 causes surfactants in the composition to foam. Foaming is seen to be an indicator of efficacy and therefore preferred by the user. Any water remaining in the base section 12 of the container 10 after flushing is completed drains out through the drainage port(s) 19 . As the block is supported on the baffles 18 , this helps to minimize contact with the water while it is waiting to drain.
[0019] In the move towards liquid and gel water treatment compositions, it has been found that, while this prior art container 10 can be used for such compositions, a surprising effect has been found in the present invention by providing an inner container 20 to hold the liquid or gel. The inner container 20 may sit on baffles 18 , or the baffles 18 may be eliminated altogether. Thus, as the water flushes in through the apertures 17 , a lower proportion enters the inner container 20 to dissolve a small quantity of the gel or liquid before being flushed back out of the apertures 17 . One or more drainage ports may be provided in the outer container 10 for draining water as described above. Drainage ports may also or alternatively be provided in the bottom of the inner container 20 , to allow the drainage of any remaining flushing water from the inner container 20 into the outer container.
[0020] In tests of containers having such inner containers and identical containers without inner containers it has been found that the life span of the liquid or gel increases significantly, perhaps by as much as 50%. It is thought that the reasons for this are a smaller surface area of gel exposed with the flush water, a reduction in the turbulence of flush water contacting the gel or liquid, and less leakage of the gel or liquid via the top apertures 17 in the outer container.
[0021] The inner container 20 preferably has vertical sides to give a constant cross-section. This is advantageous in that during usage a constant surface area of liquid or gel is exposed which means that the fragrancing diffusion is constant. Furthermore, the cleaning action is constant.
[0022] The present invention has a further advantage in applications including so called “blue” formulations, which tint the water in the toilet bowl blue. The containers for these formulations generally include a siphon in the base or side of the container, which allows the drainage of flush water during the flush action but has a delaying action to stop the flow of residual water, which has been stained blue on contact with the gel or liquid between flushes. This is the water which has been left behind after the main flush and, if allowed to drip or drain between flushes, could cause a blue staining on the toilet bowl. In the case of the present invention, the drainage ports 19 in the outer container 10 are eliminated for blue liquid or gel applications, while the drainage ports in the base of the inner container 20 are retained. Thus, any residual water remaining in inner container 20 will drain into the base section 12 of the container after flushing and will remain there until the next flush. There is thus no leakage of the blue formulation out of the outer container for staining the toilet bowl. When the toilet is next flushed, the new flush water which enters the outer container will carry away the residual blue stained water with that flush.
[0023] The container 10 may be opened and the inner container 20 refreshed with a quantity of gel or liquid from a bottle or other appropriate storage means. Alternatively, a small filling nozzle may be affixed to the container lid 11 , so that the container may be filled without opening the lid 11 . In such an embodiment, the container 10 may be provided as a single enclosure without a separate lid and base hinged together. The use of a separate inner container, however, advantageously provides a further convenient filling solution, in that new pre-filled inner containers 20 with a removable top, say of foil or plastic, can be sold with which users can simply replace old empty containers 20 . Alternatively, a new cartridge of gel can be placed in the inner container.
[0024] The inner container may be supplied in different colors to the external container 10 which may provide an aesthetic contrasting effect.
[0025] The containers 10 , 20 may be manufactured from any suitable waterproof material. Plastics are preferred and more preferably polypropylenes.
[0026] Any known or other suitable gel or liquid composition may be used.
[0027] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. | Containers, in particular containers for cleaning and deodorizing products which are hung over the rim of a toilet bowl, have an outer container having an upper and a lower section. The upper section has a number of apertures, which enable flushing water to enter the container. Located within the outer container is an inner container for holding the composition in liquid or gel form. The flushing water dissolves a portion of the liquid or gel and washes back out of the apertures. | 4 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority of the Swiss Patent Application CH1260/99.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a high-pressure freezing system in accordance with the characterizing clause of claim 1 . In the sense of the invention, a high-pressure freezing system is understood to be a freezing device for the rapid freezing (vitrification) of aqueous samples under high pressure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Information on the physics of such a freezing process can be found in the German Patent DE-PS-1806741 and the European Patent Application EP-A-0 853238.
In professional circles, for example, such a known system of the applicant is employed, which is successfully marketed under the name “Leica EM HPF”™ and described in the publication “LEICA EM HPF, High Pressure Freezer, 1 .K.-LEICA EM HPF-E-6/94, Jun. 1994”.
The “Leica EM HPF”™ allows the vitrification of conventional samples under a pressure of ca. 2000 bar at a cooling rate of 10 3 -10 5 K/s. For the said appliance, the crucial cooling phase from ambient temperature to −100° C. takes ca. 10 ms (cooling rate 10 4 K/s) at the surface of the sample. Consequently, all samples with a thickness of ca. 200μm are cooled to -100° C. in ca. 50 ms.
The known cooling technology and the physical processes show clearly: Applying an infinitely high cooling rate to the surface of a biological sample only partially determines the rate of cooling in its centre. A sample of thickness 200 μm, for example, exhibits a cooling rate in its centre of ca. 6000 K/s, regardless of whether an infinite cooling rate is employed at the surface or a cooling rate of ca. 10,000 K/s. The cooling rate is not determined by the pressure. By increasing the pressure, a lower cooling rate is sufficient for vitrification. Therefore, the cooling rate for the vitrification of biological samples is under standard pressure ca. 10 5 - 10 6 K/s, tinder 2000 bar, however, the cooling rate is only 10 3- 10 4 K/s, i.e., it is still possible to vitrify biological samples under high pressure using cooling rates a hundredfold lower.
The inventor referred in the article “A NEW CONCEPT AND MACHINE FOR HIGH PRESSURE FREEZING” from 15.3.1999, published in the internet under the address “www-mem.unibe.ch/˜ danis/abstract HPF”, to these and further aspects of high-pressure freezing. He proposed increasing the pressure from 1 bar to 2000 bar within 10 ms by employing a compressed-air cylinder in place of the well-known very bulky and heavy equipment.
Pneumatic cylinders are already employed in a wide variety of applications. Using them to quickly build up high pressures, however, necessitates the use of large and heavy pumps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Consequently, the first problem to be solved in the invention is the construction of a high-pressure freezing system, which is lighter than the hitherto known systems but which nevertheless allows a rapid build-up of pressure.
The above problem is solved by the features of independent claim 1 and claim 11 which is a reduction in the constructional size and yet an accelerated pressure build-up.
The dependent claims 2 to 6 and 12 to 18 refer to improved solutions with extensive integration and extensive advantages over the state of the art.
However, the invention is based on a further problem: The aim is a simple pressure adjustment in the range of ca. 1500-2000 bar. The reason for this being that it is known from technical literature that biological samples exposed to pressures exceeding 1600 bar can exhibit irreversible damages. In accordance with the invention, this is possible by merely varying the pneumatic pressure at the prestressed pneumatic cylinder; i.e., altering the input pneumatic pressure at the pneumatic cylinder during the prestressing phase can result in a different driving power at the output end leading to a different or adjustable pressure build-up in the high-pressure cylinder.
In addition, as, in accordance with the invention, pressure build-up and cooling are separated, it is possible to cool the sample using liquid nitrogen to 196° C. In boundary ranges of 200μm, in particular, the cell structure remains undamaged using the procedure of the present invention, which can be allowed for with no difficulty in the selection of the sample dimensions.
During vitrification, very low cooling temperatures, as acquired using liquid and undercooled nitrogen, for example, are of course advantageous, provided that the nitrogen itself —as indicated sporadically in the state of the art —is not exposed to these high pressures. If the undercooled nitrogen were to be used as pressure carrier, this would constitute a potential source of danger at the high pressures and it would not be possible to attain a temperature of -196° C. as the nitrogen is already solid at -196° C. under pressures exceeding 1500 bar.
The dependent claims 7 to 10 and 19 to 24 relate to improvements which can be applied independently to advantage other known high-pressure freezing systems or those still to be designed. This concerns in particular a novel and improved holding device for a sample container in accordance with the European Patent Application EP-A-0 853 238 of the inventor. A new holding device should facilitate the handling of the known sample container and accelerate the changing of sample containers or samples. In particular, this should accelerate the throughput of samples through a vitrification plant and thus achieve an improvement in economic efficiency.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The subject matter of the invention is described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a symbolic drawing of a complete high-pressure freezing system in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a graph of the course of a high-pressure freezing process for a system in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 3 discloses an oblique view of a new type of arm log holder for a sample container;
FIG. 4 discloses a sectional view of the arm log holder of FIG. 3 and
FIG. 5 shows a holder for the arm log holder of FIG. 3 as view, top view and left-hand and right-hand side views.
FIG. 1 shows a symbolic drawing of the arrangement in accordance with the invention. A high-pressure freezing system is used to attain an amorphous state during rapid freezing of aqueous samples, in particular biological samples 33 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The exceptional feature of the depicted pneumatic cylinder 1 is the ability to stop the piston by means of the locking devicc 3 . In the locked state, the locking device 3 interacts with a thrust bearing 11 . This new arrangement allows a prestressing of the pneumatic cylinder 1 by fully pressurizing the latter in a locked state. After the locking device 3 is released as abruptly as possible, the piston 12 of the pneumatic cylinder accelerates explosively to impinge on a high-pressure piston 13 of a high-pressure cylinder 2 .
The high-pressure cylinder 2 comprises a special pressure liquid 34 for building up a pressure exceeding 2000 bar. The pressure liquid 34 does not solidify at low temperatures. It is pressed under pressure onto the sample which is held in a sample holder 4 . A practical example of such a liquid is methylcyclohexane as proposed in the European Patent Application EP-A-0853238.
The pressure liquid is topped-up from a refill container 5 . A manometer 6 is used to measure the pressure. The sample holder 4 is cooled externally by spraying the cooling medium 15 under pressure from a second pneumatic cylinder 7 via a piston 9 through nozzles 8 against the sample holder 4 . In accordance with the invention, the resulting cooling should synchronize exactly with the pressure build-up in the sample holder 4 . In the present embodiment, this timing is accomplished by means of a control cylinder 10 which controls the timed sequence of the pressure build-up and the spray cooling.
In accordance with the invention, firstly, the locking device 3 is released abruptly and after a —preferably mechanically — adjustable time interval (ca. 5 ms) the nozzles 8 are opened by means of the annulus gate valve 14 and the cooling medium 15 is simultaneously pressurized by piston 9 , propelled by the second pneumatic cylinder 7 . The annulus gate valve 14 should be formed such that the area around the nozzles 8 is permanently cooled to prevent as far as possible any heating of the cooling medium 15 prior to its extrusion from the nozzles 8 . Liquid nitrogen usually serves as cooling medium 15 although the design is not restricted to its sole use. Other types of cooling media are also possible.
FIG. 2 depicts the preferred pressure rise required for certain samples—and attained for the first time with the arrangement of the present invention.
FIG. 3 illustrates a new type of arm log 16 which accommodates the sample holder 4 and holds it during high-pressure freezing. The sample holder 4 is tubular in order to build up the pressure. In the drawing, the tube 17 is not depicted from end to end as it is very thin. A sample 33 is placed inside the tube. One end of the tube 17 (FIG. 3) is connected to the high-pressure connection of the high-pressure cylinder 2 (FIG. 1) by a conical metal/metal-connection.
The other end of the tube is pressure-sealed by a taper plug 18 (FIG. 4 ). Consequently, the sample holder 4 is held under tension between the two connections. A spring 19 in the arm log 16 presses the taper plug 18 against the sample holder 4 . Attached to the sample holder 4 is a bossed flange 20 with which it is held in the locked state by a spring grab 21 , as is shown. On releasing the arm log 16 , the spring grab 21 opens allowing the sample holder 4 to drop out. To this end, a pressure head 22 is pushed forwards relative to the housing 23 of the arm log 16 and against the tension of the spring 19 . This also results in a relative displacement of the taper plug 18 which is arranged on a rod 24 .
In practice, this release process occurs after the vitrification of the sample 33 . During this process, the arm log 16 is held in a holder 25 in an approximately horizontal position, as illustrated in FIG. 5 . The holder 25 has a bed at its disposal 26 which accommodates the arm log 16 . The wall of the holder 25 comprises two guide notches 27 which accommodate a bearing axle 28 of the arm log 16 . The bearing axle 28 is rigidly connected to the rod 24 and is supported loosely in a longitudinal slot 29 (in the housing 23 of the arm log 16 ). Thus, the rod 24 can be drawn backwards on the bearing axle 28 relative to the housing 23 to free the other opening of the tube of the sample container 4 , which can be effected by the pressure head 22 .
Consequently, the present invention allows the sample container to be released from the arm log 16 by one operator with a single movement or by pressing the pressure head. This is simplified further by the arrangement and effect in accordance with the invention, described in the following:
After releasing one end of the tube 17 by the high-pressure connection of the high-pressure cylinder 2 , the arm log 16 tilts downwards around the bearing axle 28 as the holder 25 possesses no bottom in the bearing area and thus no support for the arm log 16 . After the downward swivel, the operator simply presses the pressure head 22 to release the sample holder 4 . This is of particular advantage as the invention shows that a container with liquid cooling medium is positioned beneath the sample holder 4 so that after vitrification, it is possible, within seconds, to immerse or lay the sample holder 4 in the cooling medium in to maintain the cooling temperature.
In accordance with a specific embodiment, all parts in the area around the sample holder 4 and this itself are in addition electrically conductive. It is thus possible by performing a resistance test between the high-pressure cylinder 2 and the holder 25 to measure whether the tube (sample holder 4 ) is correctly restrained between its two ends. This electrical contact is callipered via a connection 31 on the holder 25 . The holder 25 is attached to the device on helical bores 32 , which is not described in greater detail.
The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments hereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention. | The invention relates to a high-pressure freezing system in which the pressure build-up ensues from a prestressed pneumatic cylinder. This results in a particularly rapid pressure rise in the sample holder. | 5 |
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 07/960,314, filed Oct. 13, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,895 which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/361,132, filed Jun. 5, 1989, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to devices suitable for use in dispensing a measured amount of liquid material from a container. The invention particularly relates to a hypodermic syringe having the same general appearance as a pen which is specifically adapted to provide for multiple measured injections of materials such as insulin or human growth hormone.
Diabetics and others frequently find themselves in situations where the assistance of a health professional to administer the subcutaneous or intra muscular injection of measured amount of a liquid agent is generally not available. In such situations such persons need to have a low cost syringe which does not require the assistance of a health professional to achieve the desired measure of accuracy. It is often the case that such persons require more than one dose per day, each dose being of a somewhat different volume. Dispensers of this general type are known which have the general appearance of a pen or mechanical pencil The dispenser is typically large enough to hold several such doses, yet it is small enough to fit conveniently in one's pocket or purse. Examples of such devices are to be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,413,760; 4,498,904; and 4,592,745. Additional examples are shown in PCT International Publications WO 87/02895 and WO 88/07874.
In devices of this class, a container of the liquid is provided having a closed first end adapted to be penetrated by a needle assembly so as to permit the liquid in the container to pass out the closed first end for subcutaneous or intra muscular injection. The second end of the container is generally closed by a piston. To prevent tampering or reuse of the liquid container, the piston is generally designed such that a pushing force can be applied to the piston to reduce the liquid-holding volume of the container, but no feature is presented which would be suitable for pulling on the piston so as to enlarge the liquid-holding volume of the container.
An elongated member in the nature of a plunger rod is received within the housing for exerting a force on the piston closing the second end of the container. A means is provided for measuring the distance which the plunger rod travels to determine the decrease in volume of the liquid container which causes the dispensing of the liquid within the container. It has generally been recognized that the dispenser should have some feature which would allow the rod to only travel in a single direction toward the piston thereby preventing any action on the part of the rod which might permit an enhancement of the volume of the liquid container. A safety cover is generally provided over a needle assembly attached to the closed end of the container.
While the prior art pen-style syringes have met with some success, certain shortcomings have also been observed. In some prior art pens, the adjustment of the dose to be injected, once made, cannot be accurately diminished to a smaller value. This results in an unnecessary waste of the medicating liquid within the syringe. In some prior art pens, the indication of dose is difficult to read. Prior art pens have sometimes required the patient to read two scales and/or to do some computations in order to determine the dosage delivered. Further, most prior art devices are specifically intended for repeated use generally by substitution of containers within the syringe which can contribute to the unethical use of the syringe in connection with non-prescribed substances.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to overcome these and other shortcomings of the prior art, a syringe constructed in accordance with the present invention includes a housing for holding a container of liquid similar to that known in the prior art. A plunger rod is received within the housing for exerting a force on a piston closing a second end of the container. The plunger rod has a non-cylindrical cross-section with a first surface including threads and a second surface which can, optionally, include a line of ratchet teeth. A collar is received within the housing adjacent to the container second end for permanently retaining the container of liquid within the housing. The collar has a non-cylindrical opening corresponding generally to the cross-section of the plunger rod. The plunger rod passes through the non-cylindrical opening and is prevented from rotating with respect to the housing by the collar. A means on the collar engages the second surface of the plunger rod for restricting movement of the plunger rod away from the container of liquid.
A hollow cap envelops the plunger rod end opposite the container of liquid. A skirt of the hollow cap extends inside the housing. The cap includes a threaded interior surface which movably engages the plunger rod for calibrated adjustment relative thereto. The calibrated adjustment permits one to both increase and decrease the amount of liquid sought to be injected from the pen. A stop is Provided within the housing and a distal facing surface is provided on the hollow cap for contacting the stop upon linear movement of the cap and plunger rod as a unit toward the container to dispense liquid therefrom.
The apparatus as a whole is constructed from inexpensive materials and is adapted for machine assembly which contributes directly to a very low manufacturing cost thereby permitting the apparatus as a whole to be disposable. As indicated previously, the adjustment of the dose can be increased and decreased thereby diminishing any waste of the medicating liquid. The dose indication feature is simply and directly read thereby providing for a more accurate and cost effective use of the medicating liquid dispensed from the apparatus. Additional features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed discussion of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived. The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a syringe in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional detail view of the syringe shown in FIG. 1 showing the dosage adjustment features.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment for a portion of the hollow cap including a maximum dosage restriction feature.
FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 3 partially assembled.
FIGS. 5-9 are elevation views partially broken away of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 in five different positions to illustrate the dose restriction features of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A syringe 10 in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to include a housing 12 which is adapted to receive a container 14 of liquid within a distal region 15 situated between the distal end 18 and a first shoulder 17. A proximal region 13 between the first shoulder 17 and proximal end 16 is adapted to receive the adjustment apparatus hereinafter described. The proximal region 13 includes a ribbed portion 19 which aids in the calibration and delivery of an accurate dose from the syringe. The distal end 18 of the housing 12 is adapted to receive a needle assembly 20 including a double-ended needle 22 having a distal end 24 which is adapted to permit subcutaneous or intra muscular injection and a proximal end 23 adapted to penetrate the rubber tip cover 26 of container 14. The container 14 is secured within the housing 12 by collar 28 which has an outer diameter providing an interference fit with the inside wall of the proximal portion 13 of housing 12 and forward face 30 intended to abut the proximal end 32 of container 14 adjacent first shoulder 17. The container 14 is shown to generally comprise a cylindrical envelope 34 including a piston 36 initially positioned near the proximal end 32 of the container 14 but movable with respect to the cylindrical wall 34 so as to define a variable liquid-containing volume for the container 14.
After the container 14 is situated within the housing 12 and retained in position by collar 28, the needle assembly 20 can be engaged on the distal end 18 of housing 12 by an appropriate securing means such as threads 38 on an inner surface of the needle assembly 20 engaging threads 40 on an outer distal surface of housing 12. Upon full engagement of the needle assembly 20 to the housing 12, a proximal end 23 of needle 22 penetrates the rubber portion 26 of the end cap 42 of container 14 thereby providing a pathway for liquid within the container 14 to be dispensed through needle 22.
A safety shield 44 including a sheath portion 46 and an engagement portion 48 is frictionally engaged on the needle assembly 20 to safely shield the needle from improper use. A covering element 52 including a clip 54 is used to enclose the distal end of the housing 12, needle assembly 20, and safety shield 44. The clip 54 cooperates with the sidewall of housing 12 to provide a convenient means for holding the syringe 10 in a pocket.
The syringe also includes a plunger rod 56 having a distal end 58 for contacting piston 36 of container 14. The plunger rod 56 has a noncylindrical cross-section with a first surface 60 of larger radial dimension which includes threads 62, and a second surface 64 of smaller radial dimension. The plunger rod 56 is received within the non-cylindrical opening 68 of collar 28. The interference relationship between the noncylindrical opening 68 of collar 28 and the noncylindrical cross-section of plunger rod 56 prevents rotation of the plunger rod 56 within the housing 12.
An inner surface 70 of collar 28 can include prongs 71 as shown in FIG. 1 which engage and dig into surface 64 of the plunger rod 56 to restrict movement of the plunger rod toward the proximal end 16 of housing 12. The prongs 71 on the inner surfaces 70 of collar 28 permit movement of the plunger rod 56 toward the distal end of the syringe 10 so as to cause the piston 36 to move within container 14 so as to diminish the volume of the container. Alternatively, the second surface 64 can include a line of ratchet teeth 66 as shown in FIG. 2. The ratchet teeth 66 can interact with the inner surfaces 70 of collar 28 even in the absence of prongs to restrict rearward movement of the plunger rod 56.
A hollow two-piece cap 72 is provided which envelopes substantially all of plunger rod 56 including proximal end 50. The cap 72 includes a distal portion 74 and a proximal portion 86 which can be manufactured separately for simplicity. The distal portion 74 comprises a generally cylindrical tube 76 having a threaded inner surface 78 at a distal end 80 thereof. The proximal portion 86 is of slightly greater outside diameter than distal portion 74. A proximal end 82 of distal portion 74 is fixed to a distal end 84 of the proximal portion 86 of cap 72 thereby forming a perimeteral distal end facing surface. A proximal end 88 of the proximal portion 86 protrudes from housing 12 at all times and can include ribs or serrations 90 adapted to permit easy adjustment of the volume to be injected using the syringe 10. The cap 72 includes indicia 92 providing a visual indication of the measured amount of liquid to be injected and includes a radially projecting tang 94 which interacts with a grooved interior 19 of housing 12. The tang 94 functions to provide an audible and tactile indication of the amount or degree of rotational movement of cap 72 with respect to housing 12. The tang 94 also aids linear movement of cap 72 with respect to housing 12 under the application of a force normal to the proximal end 98 of cap 72.
In operation, one desiring to inject a measured amount of liquid would first grasp the housing 12 in one hand and the ribbed portion 90 of cap 72 in the other. One would then rotate cap 72 in a counter-clockwise direction causing the threads 78 of cap 72 to travel along the threaded portion 62 of rod 56. This rotation would not cause displacement of the rod 56 with respect to the housing 12, but would back the distal end 84 of the proximal cap portion 86 away from stop shoulder 48 on the inside of housing 12. The counter-clockwise rotation of the cap 72 would also expose an increasing amount of indicia 92 above the proximal end 16 of the housing 12.
When used in connection with the dispensing of insulin, the indicia 92 is preferably denominated in international units. Other direct calibration scales can be used with other medications so that no computations are necessary to specify the desired dosage to be delivered The dose scale provided by the indicia 92 is read directly at the end of the proximal end 16 of the housing 12. The dose corresponds to the number corresponding to the last exposed step in the stepped line 93. In order that the indicia 92 can be calibrated in international units or equivalent direct measures of the medication in the container 14, the solutions or suspensions contained in the container 14 are preferably concentrated or diluted to optimize the potency of the medication so as to produce the desired physiological response in coordination with the scale adopted for in indicia 92. In the event that one would turn the cap 72 too far, it can also be rotated clockwise to diminish the dosage to be delivered without effecting any change in position of the rod 56 relative to the housing 12.
When the cap 72 has been positioned to the desired dosage as measured by the indicia 92, the safety shield 44 and cover 52 are removed, and the syringe 10 is positioned for injection. A Pressure is applied to end 98 of cap 72 causing it to move linearly toward the distal end 18 of housing 12 until a shoulder defined by a radially exposed portion of distal end 84 contacts stop 48. The movement of the cap 72 causes an identical movement of plunger rod 56 past collar 28, and movement of piston 36 within container 14 so as to dispense the liquid therefrom. The needle 22 can then be withdrawn and the safety shield 44 and cover 52 replaced.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a modified distal portion 100 of cap 72 as well as a follower 104 which is adjustable with respect to the threaded outer surface 106 of the distal cap portion 100 and a barrier element 108 which is secured within an upper portion of housing 12. The distal end 110 of the distal portion 100 has a diameter substantially equivalent to that of distal portion 74 and has internal threads 112 identical with threads 78 of distal portion 74.
During the assembly from the relative position shown in FIG. 4, the follower 104 is threaded on threads 106 of cap distal portion 100. The barrier element 108 is then slipped over the distal cap portion 100, and the plunger rod 56 is inserted within the distal portion 100 sufficiently far to permit engagement between the plunger rod 56 and the collar 28 when the apparatus is fully assembled. The distal end 84 of the proximal portion of the cap 86 is then joined to the Proximal end 114 of distal portion 100. The two cap portions 86 and 100 can be bonded by a conventional means such as ultrasonic welding or solvents or the like. The assembly is then pushed inside housing 12 until barrier element 108 is situated at the location 116 shown in phantom. The barrier element 108 is then fixed to housing 12 again using solvents, ultrasonic welding, or other conventional techniques. It will be noted that housing 12 now includes a side opening 118 which was not present in FIG. 2, which side opening provides access to follower 104 so as to permit adjustment of the follower 104 along threads 106.
The operation of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 can best be understood by considering FIGS. 5 through 9. FIG. 5 illustrates a syringe 10 in accordance with the present invention in its initial assembled position. The distal end 58 of the plunger rod 56 is shown projecting slightly beyond collar 28. While the end 58 would normally be seated against a rear surface of a piston 36 as shown in FIG. 2, the container of liquid 14 and piston 36 have been omitted for the sake of clarity in illustrating the motion of plunger rod 56. It will be appreciated that the position of the plunger rod shown in FIG. 5 is substantially identical with that shown in FIG. 2, that is, the plunger rod extends within cap 72 throughout substantially the whole length of the cap.
Comparing FIGS. 5 to FIG. 9, it will be noted that follower 104 has been threaded on threaded portion 106 until contacting the distal end 110 of the distal cap portion 100. Barrier element 108 is fixed within housing 12 so that a distal edge 120 of barrier element 108 is substantially flush with the proximal edge of window 118. The proximal edge 122 of barrier element 108 forms a stop against which the distal end 84 of the proximal portion 86 of cap 72 abuts.
In order to dispense a measured amount of liquid, the serrated portion 88 of cap 72 is grasped and rotated in the direction of arrow cap R from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position shown in FIG. 6. This rotation has the effect of causing the distal facing surface 84 to move rearward through a distance D. The rotating motion of the cap causes tang 94 to traverse linear markings 96 thereby giving an audible and tactile sensation of the rotation which can be correlated with the number of units of the particular medicament being dispensed. This rearward motion also exposes a greater portion of the indicia 92 which can include numbers also indicative of the dosage being prepared for delivery As previously indicated with respect to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, if cap 72 has been rotated too far, it can be rotated in the opposite direction to diminish the required dose.
A special feature present in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 through 9 which is not present in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the presence of follower 104 which can be adjusted to any position along threads 106. The principle function of follower 104 is to set a maximum allowable dose where the syringe is going to be used by persons who may have difficulty remembering the proper dosage, or may have some other physical disability which does not permit them to appreciate fully the meaning of the indicia 92. In such a circumstance, the cap 72 can first be rotated to the desired maximum measured value illustrated as an arbitrary position in FIG. 6. Next, the follower 104 is rotated through distance X from the position shown in FIG. 6 to the position shown in FIG. 7. In this position, the upper edge 124 of follower 104 abuts distal edge 120 of barrier element 108. Preferably the engagement between follower 104 and threads 106 is sufficiently tight such that follower 104 is moved only with some difficulty, or at least, the follower 104 is not likely to move merely under the influence of vibration or the like.
With the follower 104 set in the position shown in FIG. 7, the cap 72 can be rotated back to its original position. This rotation back to the starting position, or zero, will not cause any movement of the plunger rod 56 with respect to the collar 28 and hence no dispensing of liquid will take place. Alternatively, a force can be applied to the proximal end 98, as shown by arrow F. thereby moving the cap 72 and plunger rod 56 from the position shown in FIG. 7 until edge 84 once again contacts edge 122 of barrier element 108 thereby assuming the position shown in FIG. 8. It will be noted that with the force F applied to proximal end 98, the cap 72 and plunger rod 56 have both moved linearly through a distance L which is identical to the distance D shown in FIG. 6. The motion of the plunger rod 56 causes a forward motion of plunger 36 as shown in FIG. 2 to dispense the liquid within container 14 as previously discussed.
The syringe 10 may then be stored in the position shown in FIG. 8 until it is next needed for use. The edges 70 of collar 28 prevent any relative movement between the housing 12 and plunger rod 56 merely due to vibration or shock. When it is necessary to again use the syringe one again rotates cap 72 in the direction R from the position shown in FIG. 8 toward the position shown in FIG. 9. The follower 104 now limits the motion which can take place to something significantly less than that which could have been achieved before the follower 104 was moved from the position shown in FIG. 6. The rotating motion of cap 72 relative to housing 12 does not cause any relative motion between housing 12 and plunger rod 56. It will be appreciated that while follower 104, set in the position shown in FIGS. 7 through 9, limits the maximum dose which might be delivered, a smaller dose could be delivered if the cap 72 were not rotated to the position where follower 104 abutts barrier element 108.
Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to the illustrated preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention as described and as defined in the following claims | The present invention relates to a hypodermic syringe having the same general appearance as a pen which is specifically adapted to provide for multiple measure injections of materials such as insulin or human growth hormone. | 0 |
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CH99/00140, filed Apr. 6, 1999 and designating the United States of America.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of manufacturing colored, patterned, areal textile structures, to a system for carrying out the method, and to a flat textile structure manufactured in accordance with the method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For the manufacturing of fabric using weaving technology with a pair of warp threads and a plurality of weft threads, a method is known in which first of all a basic weft and subsequently one or more embroidery wefts of different color are inserted in a selectable sequence into an embroidery weft line, i.e. are inserted into the weaving shed with the apparatus for the cloth take-off switched off and are interlaced by a warp thread. For the design of the loom this signifies that the apparatus for the cloth take-off must be switched off for the insertion of the embroidery weft or wefts, so that the switched transmission required for this is subject to a high dynamic loading and an electronically controlled device, for example with a servomotor, does not satisfy the requirements, and so that weft thread spools must be made available at the loom in dependence on the number of colors provided in the fabric. The restriction of the speed of rotation of the loom proves disadvantageous in addition to the technical cost and complexity and the high number of weft spools with threads of different color. In order to reduce the number of weft threads a further method has become known for the manufacture of such fabrics in which for example a basic weft F and three embroidery wefts with the colors blue, green and red are likewise inserted in an embroidery weft line and are interlaced by a warp thread and form a color cell (FIG. 1 ). It is pointed out that the number of embroidery wefts is not restricted. In this arrangement the embroidery wefts are inserted with the apparatus for the cloth take-off switched off. This method has the disadvantage that the fabric becomes voluminous. The disadvantages named above likewise result for the loom.
The above mentioned methods have moreover the common disadvantage that, depending on the fabric pattern, weft threads float at the rear side of the fabric, and as rule the length of the floating weft threads increases with the number of the colored weft threads.
If, in the known method, label tapes are manufactured from a broad web, then a large number of weft threads, and accordingly a large thread mass, must be cut through for the edge formation. This has the disadvantages that a high and thick brew of differing color mixture is produced at the edge of the label and a higher cutting performance is required.
A method of Jaquard weaving of a colored material is known from DE-A44 38 535. This method relates to a use of the grid methods known from printing technology with a return of the colors of the pattern to the basic colors. The representation to be woven is split up into grid points of the colors yellow, red, and blue, and also into black and white, and the material is woven from weavable points of these colors and brightness.
It has been found that on weaving with weft threads in the colors yellow, red and blue, it is not possible to achieve a color mixture as in color printing and, moreover, the number of colors is restricted. In color printing the colors are printed one after the other, whereas in weaving color cells are formed by the weft threads and the weave.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is an improved method of manufacturing of colored, patterned areal textile structures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the method of the invention the weaving technology is used with warp threads and at least four weft threads. Weft threads are used in the basic colors red, blue and yellow and in an additional color, in particular green. A color cell is formed in which four weft threads in the elementary colors red, green, blue and yellow are inserted in a specific constant sequence and are interlaced by one of the warp threads. A color impression is produced in the cell depending on the selection of the warp threads with respect to color, and depending on the interlacing of the weft threads by the warp threads. The insertion of four weft threads with different colors in the same sequence signifies for the weaving machine an advantageous and significant simplification such that, on the one hand, only four weft thread cones are required and, on the other hand, a switching off of the apparatus for the cloth take-off is avoided, so that the loom can be operated at a high speed of rotation, for example 2000 revolutions/minute. Through the respective interlacing of the weft threads, a specific color impression is produced in the color cell. The color intensity is determined by the combination of the float length of the weft thread over the warp threads and via the respective color of the warp thread which reaches the visible surface. In combination with a warp thread of a specific color, cells can be produced with fourteen different colors. It is of advantage when two warp threads of different color and a weft thread float of up to seven cells are used per cell, because in this way an areal textile structure with up to one hundred and ninety six color impressions can be produced. The color impressions are provided with a code and stored in a color scale so that the user can select the desired color impression in an advantageous and simple manner without technical interlacing manipulations. The number of color impressions can be increased by using a higher number of weft threads. Whereas the one warp thread interlaces the weft threads in accordance with the color impression to be produced, other warp threads can be interlaced at the rear side of the fabric. This has the advantage that the floating of the weft thread is eliminated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show:
FIG. 1 a cross-section through a fabric manufactured in accordance with a known method,
FIG. 2 a legend for the symbols used in the subsequent Figures,
FIG. 3 a schematic representation of the construction of a color cell with a light red color impression formed from weft threads with four colors;
FIG. 3 a a schematic representation of the construction of a color cell with a light red color impression formed from weft threads with six colors;
FIG. 4 a section along the warp line of the cell of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 a schematic representation of the construction of a color cell with a dark red color impression;
FIG. 5 a a schematic representation of the construction of a color cell with a dark red color impression formed from weft threads with six colors;
FIG. 6 a section along the warp line of the cell of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 a representation of the smallest weave repeat for a color cell with a light red color impression formed from weft threads with four colors;
FIG. 7 a a representation of the smallest weave repeat for a color cell with a light red color impression formed from weft threads with six colors;
FIG. 8 a weave repeat for a color cell with a light red color impression and with a dark red color impression formed from weft threads with four colors;
FIG. 8 a a weave repeat for a color cell with a light red color impression and with a dark red color impression formed from weft threads with six colors;
FIG. 9 a view onto the front side of a section of cloth;
FIG. 10 sections along a warp thread line with differently interlaced weft threads;
FIG. 11 a/b a coded color scale of the colors which can be produced with weft threads in four colors;
FIG. 12 a/b a coded color scale of the colors which can be produced with weft threads in six colors;
FIG. 13 a list of the color impressions of the colors which can be produced with weft threads in four colors; and
FIG. 14 a list of the color impressions of the colors which can be produced with weft threads in six colors.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 2 shows the symbols or synonyms used for the characterization of the warp threads and weft threads. For a white warp thread, the symbol W and a bounded white surface is used and, for a black warp thread, the symbol BL and a bounded shaded surface is used. For a red weft thread, the symbol R and crossed hatching is used, for a green weft thread the symbol G and hatching inclined to the left is used, for a blue weft thread the symbol B and hatching inclined to the right is used, for a yellow weft thread the symbol Y and vertical hatching is used, for a black weft thread the symbol BL and a horizontal hatching is used and for a white weft thread the symbol W and hatching with circles is used. In the Figures, the warp threads extend in the vertical direction and the weft threads in the horizontal direction or perpendicular to the sheet of Figures.
Reference is made to FIGS. 3 to 6 . In these Figures a warp line is shown with a black or white warp thread and also four weft threads.
With the method under discussion here a red weft thread R is inserted when the weft threads are lying downwardly, thereafter the white warp thread is lifted into the upper shed and subsequently a green G, a blue B and a yellow Y weft thread are inserted, so that a constant cell is formed together with the white warp thread, with the white warp thread covering over the green weft thread, the blue weft thread and the yellow weft thread and tying these in (FIGS. 3 and 4 ). If tying in takes place with the warp thread, then a color cell is formed with a color impression which is produced by the exposed red thread and the white warp thread and appears light red at the viewing side. As FIGS. 5 and 6 show, provision is likewise made in these methods for inserting a red weft thread R when the warp threads are lying low, to then lift the black warp thread into the upper shed and subsequently to insert a green weft thread G, a blue weft thread B and a yellow weft thread Y, so that a constant cell is formed together with the black weft thread, with the black weft thread floating above the green, the blue and the yellow weft thread and covering these over. If interlacing takes place with the warp thread then a color cell with a color impression is formed which is produced by the freely exposed red weft thread and the black warp thread and which appears dark red at the viewing side.
The method is carried out on the basis of the weave repeats. FIG. 7 shows an example of the smallest weave repeat with a float length of the weft thread over a warp thread which corresponds to taffeta. The smallest weave repeat comprises two cells lying alongside one another in the weft direction and two cells lying after one another in the warp direction. FIG. 7 shows an example of a smallest weave repeat. The weave repeat comprises a first cell in accordance with FIG. 3 in the warp thread line 1 and subsequently, in the warp direction, a second cell with an upwardly lying white warp thread which covers over and ties in the weft threads red R, green G, blue B and yellow Y and in the second warp thread line a second cell with an upwardly disposed white warp thread which covers over and ties in the weft threads red R, green G, blue B and yellow Y, and subsequently, in the warp direction, a first cell in accordance with FIG. 3 . With this weave repeat a bright red color impression is produced. It is self-evident for the person skilled in the art that like and dissimilar weave repeats can be assembled and repeated as desired.
Reference is made to FIG. 8 . FIG. 8 shows two weave repeats I, II with a float length of the weft thread over three warp threads which correspond to the ( 3 - 1 ) body. The repeat I applies for a light red color impression and the repeat II for a dark red color impression. In the following only the repeat I will be considered. The repeat comprises four warp thread lines 1 to 4 and sixteen weft threads. In accordance with this repeat, a red weft thread R is inserted in a first step with downwardly lying warp threads of the warp thread lines 1 to 3 and with the white warp thread of the warp thread line 4 raised into the upper shed. In a second step the white warp threads of the warp thread lines 1 to 3 are raised into the upper shed. In a third step a green weft thread G, a blue weft thread B and a yellow weft thread Y are inserted one after the other into the shed. In a fourth step a red weft thread R is inserted with the warp threads in the warp thread line 1 raised into the upper shed and with downwardly lying warp threads in the warp thread lines 2 to 4 . In a fifth step, the white warp threads of the warp thread lines 2 to 4 are raised into the upper shed. In a sixth step, a green weft thread G, a blue weft thread B and a yellow weft thread Y are inserted into the shed. In a seventh step, with warp threads in the warp thread line 2 raised into the upper shed and with warp threads in the warp thread lines 1 , 3 and 4 lying downwardly, a red weft thread R is inserted. In an eighth step the white warp threads of the warp thread lines 1 , 3 and 4 are raised into the upper shed. In a ninth step, a green weft thread G, a blue weft thread B, and a yellow weft thread Y are inserted into the shed. In a tenth step, with warp threads in the warp thread lines 3 raised into the upper shed and with warp threads in the warp thread lines 1 , 2 and 4 lying downwardly, a red weft thread R is inserted. In an eleventh step the white warp threads of the warp thread lines 1 , 2 and 4 are raised into the upper shed. In a twelfth step a green weft thread G, a blue weft thread B and a yellow weft thread G are inserted into the shed. The repeat II is distinguished solely in that in each case the black weft threads are raised into the upper shed in place of the white weft threads.
FIG. 9 shows the front side of a section of fabric which was woven in accordance with the above described repeats.
FIG. 10 shows sections along a warp thread line with different interlacings of the warp threads. The representations are self explanatory and will thus not be described.
With the method of the invention twenty eight color impressions can be produced in the cells by corresponding interlacing of the weft threads with a white warp thread (FIG. 11 a ) or a black warp thread (FIG. 11 b ). These color impressions are provided with a code. The FIGS. 11 a and 11 b show a coded color scale.
These colors result with a float length of the weft thread over one warp thread. The float length of the weft thread can jointly extend over up to seven warp thread lines. The intensity of the color impression is determined by the float length and by the color of the warp threads, i.e. with two warp threads twenty eight intensities result. From this there results in total one hundred and ninety six color impressions, and indeed from the product of the number of colors multiplied by the number of intensities and the number of the warp threads (14×7×2=196).
With the above described method a material is woven with a specific color pattern. For the manufacture of materials with a different color pattern the sequence of the warp threads to be inserted must be correspondingly selected. In another embodiment of the method, six weft threads in the colors red, R, green G, blue B, yellow Y, black BL and white W are inserted. For this purpose the weft threads black BL and white are selectively inserted in order to produce a light or dark color impression of the color cell. This method has the advantage that the number of color impressions is further increased.
The FIGS. 12 a and 12 b show a coded color scale. | A method of manufacturing of colored, patterned areal textile structures according to which at least four weft threads of different base color are inserted in a specific constant sequence, and a constant cell is formed together with at least one warp thread, and wherein the weft threads are tied off in the cell with the warp thread so that a color cell with a specific color impression is produced. | 3 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to shield type tunnel boring machines and, more particularly, to improvements in shield type hydraulic tunnel boring machines which are capable of accurately detecting occurrences, shapes, scales and the like of any excess excavation due to accidental tunnel face collapses of soft and unstable ground.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hitherto, in shield tunnel boring machines for boring tunnels through soft and unstable ground in which a inner space of the shield body is partitioned by a bulkhead at a position behind a rotary cutter head on the forward end of the shield body for boring the tunnel face, it has been practically impossible to directly observe or accurately reliably realize the actual state of any accidental collapses of tunnel face ground in excess of the actual amount being excavated (which shall be referred to as "excess excavation" hereinafter). Such collapses frequently occur during the tunnel boring operation through soft and unstable ground. Specifically in the case of the hydraulic type boring machines utilizing generally muddy water as a liquid for hydraulic boring of the ground, such muddy water is completely opaque when excavated ground formations are mixed therewith so that direct observation of the tunnel face state can never be achieved even if an observing window is provided in the bulkhead. For this reason, there have been suggested certain measures of determining the occurrence of the excess excavation based on rapid change or increase in excavated ground formations which are drained out of the tunnel face together with the muddy water fed to the face. However, even with these measures, still it has been impossible to promptly determine the occurrence of the excess excavation since the measurements of the amount of drained ground formation involve an inherent time lag due to existing distance between the tunnel face and actual measuring position of the drained ground formation amount. Moreover, it is practically impossible to detect or measure the location, shape and the like of the excess excavation only by measuring the varying amount of the drained ground formations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a shield type hydraulic tunnel boring machine which is capable of promptly detecting an occurrence of the excess excavation without substantial delay.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a shield type hydraulic tunnel boring machine capable of measuring accurately the location, shape and scale of the excess excavation as soon as it occurs during the tunnel boring work.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a shield type hydraulic tunnel boring machine that allows a continuous monitoring of the actual state of the tunnel face ground to be performed during the boring operation so that any occurrence of the excess excavation can be immediately detected as well as its actual location, shape and scale whereby the boring operation can be continued while performing proper measures against such detected excess excavation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects and advantages of the present invention shall be made clear from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical section of an embodiment of the shield type hydraulic tunnel boring machine in use according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a vertically sectioned view of an embodiment of an excess excavation detecting and measuring means employed in the machine according to the present invention of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a vertically sectioned view of another embodiment of the excess excavation detecting and measuring means of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an embodiment of the present invention, in which a shield type tunnel boring machine 1 comprises a substantially cylindrical shield body 2. An axial end of the body 2 is partitioned by a bulkhead 8 forming a boring head of the machine and carrying centrally therein a rotary shaft of a substantially disk-shaped rotary cutter head 10 driven by a proper driving means not shown but generally installed behind the bulkhead. While not specifically shown here for the purpose of simplicity, the machine is also provided with a hydraulic medium feeding pipe opened at the axial end of the shield body behind the cutter head 10 and a medium and formation mixture draining pipe likewise opened behind the cutter head. This enables a hydraulic medium under pressure for resisting tunnel face ground or underground water pressure to be fed to the boring head and tunnel face while the cutter head is rotated to cut and bore the ground. A mixture of the medium and excavated ground formations will be drained out of the boring head and tunnel being bored. The machine is advanced toward the tunnel face depending on the amount of excavation by means of jacks or the like and reinforcing segments are installed behind the advanced machine.
According to this embodiment, there are provided in the shield body 2 a through hole in an area adjacent the boring head, preferably at a plurality of positions on the upper side of the body as spaced from one another. An excess excavation detecting means 3 is provided having a movable member which can be extended and retracted through the through hole in the upward direction. Since the excess excavation occurs mainly in the upper part of the tunnel face, it is important to detect such occurrence in the upper part of the tunnel face for maintaining both the tunnel being bored and environmental ground stable. The extended distance of the movable member of the detecting means 3 until it reaches the tunnel face ground wall or ground surface of a cavity caused by the excess excavation is measured by a measuring means 4, preferably electrically. This measured value is delivered preferably to a recorder 7 through a synchronous signal transmitter 5 and a synchronous signal receiver 6, so that a presence or absence, position, shape, scale and the like of the excess excavation will be determined.
Conveniently, the detecting means 3 is disposed at a position of the shield body 2 immediately behind the bulkhead 8. However, in order to perform the detection with respect to a region on the upper side of the forward end of the shield body, it is preferable to provide a recessed chamber 9 in the hydraulic chamber defined by the bulkhead 8 behind the cutter head 10 and communicated with working space inside the shield body and to dispose in this chamber 9 a detecting means 3' so as to extend its movable member in diagonally upward direction.
A practical example of the detecting means 3 or 3' in the above embodiment is shown in FIG. 2, in which a skin-plate 21 of the shield body is provided with a through hole 22 at the position adjacent the bulkhead. A detecting rod 23 is disposed in the hole 22 so as to be extended out of the shield body and retracted into the same. The rod 23 shown with the solid line is in its position retracted and a chain line shows its extended state, in the drawing. Around the rod 23 in the retracted position, a tubular member 24 is mounted to the inner surface of the skin-plate 21 so as to enclose the rod 23 therein. Inside the tubular member 24, a partition 25 is formed at a position close to the skin-plate and a water-tight packing 26 is housed between the partition 25 and the skin-plate 21 so that, when the detecting rod 23 is extruded and retracted, any underground water outside the shield body will be prevented from entering into the shield body through the hole 22. At the bottom of the tubular member 24, a bottom plate 27 having a central hole is secured. A threaded rod 28 is passed through the hole so as to be movable along the axial line of the rod. This threaded rod 28 is screwed into a threaded hole 29 in the detecting rod 23 along its axial line. Further in the tubular member 24, there is provided an axially extending slot 30, through which an actuating lever 31 projects. This lever 31 is fixed at one end to the detecting rod 23 for actuating at the other end a potentiometer 32. The threaded rod 28 has at its end extended out of the bottom plate 27 a pulley 36 fixed thereto, so that the rod 28 will be rotated about its axis by a motor 33 through a belt 35 hung between the pulley 36 and a drive shaft pulley 34 of the motor 33.
Referring to the operation of the excess excavation detecting means with reference to the embodiment of FIG. 2 according to the present invention, the motor 33 is rotated preferably at scheduled time periods, whereby the threaded rod 28 is axially rotated. Depending on the direction of the rotation, the detecting rod 23 is caused to axially shift so as to be extended out of the shield body until its outer end abuts the ground wall surface surrounding the shield body and its boring head. Accompanying such shift of the rod 23, the actuating lever 31 also shifts so that the lever will actuate a movable element of the potentiometer 32 in response to the amount of the shift of the lever 31. It is thus possible to periodically measure the shifting distance of the actuating lever 31 as well as the detecting rod 23 by means of variations in the electric resistance value of the potentiometer 32. In this manner distances between the periphery of the shield body and the ground wall surface can be determined and, if the distance value becomes large, it means that an excess excavation has occurred. Accordingly, if a plurality of the detecting means are disposed so as to be spaced along the axial line of the shield body and, optimumly, further along a line intersecting the axial line of the shield body, the shape, scale and the like of any cavity resulting from the excess excavation can be precisely determined depending on the distribution of the detecting means and their measured distances.
For the motor 33, it is preferable to employ one which stops or reverses its rotation in response to an increment of load sensed through the detecting rod. Upon the reversed rotation of the motor or the threaded rod 28, the detecting rod 23 is retracted into the tubular member 24.
Another practical example of the detecting means is shown in FIG. 3, in which a through hole 42 is made in a skin-plate 41 of the shield body and a detecting rod 43 is disposed in the hole 42 so as to be extended and retracted therethrough. A tubular member 44 is secured at an axial end to the inner surface of the skin-plate 41 so as to axially enclose therein the rod 43. The tubular member 44 has a partition 45 at a position adjacent the inner surface of the skin-plate and, between this partition 45 and the skin-plate 41, a water-tight packing means 46 is accommodated around the rod 43 so as to prevent any underground water or the like from entering into the shield body when the detecting rod 43 is extended and retracted. On the side of the other end of the tubular member 44, there is provided, for example, an oil pressure jack 47 which is controllably driven electrically through a differential transformer. This jack 47 is supported in the position preferably by means of a pair of supporting rods 48 and 48' secured to the skin-plate. A plunger 49 of the jack 47 is coupled to an inner end of the detecting rod 43 by means of a pivot pin 50. The plunger 49 of the jack, or its piston, is connected through any proper means to a movable contact of an electric variable resistance member 51 forming a potentiometer so that electric resistance of the member 51 will vary in response to shifting positions or amounts of the detecting rod 43 due to operations of the jack 47. In this manner, the extended amount of the rod 43 is determined in view of the variations in the electric resistance of the resistance member 51. The operation of the jack 47 is performed by varying the oil pressure inside the cylinder thereof.
In the case of the embodiment of FIG. 1, it is also possible to determine or measure the height of the excess excavation cavity caused above the shield body or the boring head by converting the measured distance of the diagonally extruded detecting means 3' on the basis of the diagonal angle of the means with respect to the axis of the shield body.
According to the present invention, as has been described, the occurrence of the excess excavation in the tunnel face ground being bored can be promptly detected without substantial delay, even though the tunnel boring work has to be performed in blinding conditions for operators of the boring machine with respect to the state of the ground, since the machine is provided with such detecting means as described. Since the measurements of such detecting means can be utilized even for visually indicating the shape, scale, location and so on of the occurred excess excavation, the operators can realize the state of the excess excavation immediately so that any proper measure against the occurred excess excavation can be promptly taken. As the measurements can be further utilized as signals for controlling the hydraulic tunnel boring system in response to the detected state of any excess excavation in the tunnel face ground, the system can be operated automatically while continuously watching the state of the tunnel face ground being bored and performing any proper measure againt the excess excavation.
While the invention has been referred to principally with reference to the embodiments illustrated, it should be appreciated that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments but is to rather include all alterations, modifications and equivalent arrangements possible within the scope of appended claims.
For example, in the respective embodiments, the detecting means may be of a type that can be rotated about a pivot on the skin-plate as the center so as to be extended out of the shield body by a properly associated and disposed driving means. In this manner the distance from the shield body to the cavity wall due to the excess excavation will be determined from the rotating angle of such rotated detecting means which is rotated until it reaches the cavity wall. Further, the driving of the detecting rod by means of the axial rotations of the threaded rod in mesh with the threaded axial hole in the detecting rod may be achieved by a worm gear in engagement with peripheral threads on the detecting rod. In this case, the maximum extended amount of such detecting rod will not be limited to an engaging distance of the rod with the threaded rod so that a longer extension or shifting amount can be obtained. However, it should be appreciated that the illustrated embodiments have been suggested as the most advantageous ones in respect of the structure, the manner in which the shifting amount of the detecting means is detected and so on.
It should be also appreciated that the shifting amount of the detecting rod should not be necessarily "larger" so as to be most advantageous, but it is likewise advantageous to properly repeat the detecting operations even with a smaller shifting amount or to provide a proper number of the detecting rods at a proper number of positions on the machine so that the occurrence and actual state of the excess excavation can be determined at an earlier stage of such occurrence. | A shield type hydraulic tunnel boring machine having means for detecting an occurrence of excess excavation due to accidental collapse in tunnel face ground apt to occur during tunnel boring through soft and unstable ground and for further determining the location, shape, scale and the like of such excess excavation occurred is provided. The means comprises optimumly a plurality of rod-shaped members capable of being extended out of and retracted into the machine. Amounts by which these members are paid out until they reach ground wall of any cavity due to the occurred excess excavation are measured to determine the actual state of such cavity. The means is provided preferably at a plurality of proper positions on a shield body of the machine and respective values of the measured amounts at these positions are recorded and displayed, whereby the location, shape, scale and the like of the occurred excess excavation can be confirmed. | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to the field of tube type heat exchangers wherein a heat transfer medium passes through heat exchanger passages in a spiraling manner.
Tube type heat exchangers utilizing means for imparting a spiraling motion to a heat transfer medium, such as water, brine, or the like, are known. The advantage of imparting a spiraling motion to a heat transfer medium is to reduce the formation of heat insulation boundaries developing at the inner surface of the conduit or passage, and the rotation and turbulence of the medium assures high efficiency heat transfer between the medium and heat exchanger. However, known heat exchangers utilizing a spiraling medium flow produce such spiraling action by means of guides, vanes, restrictions and other apparatus which impedes the flow of the medium through the exchanger creating a resistance which must be overcome by employing relatively large pumps, complicated distribution apparatus and other equipment which increases the size of the heat exchanger and associated equipment.
While relatively small heat exchangers are known, such as hot water or steam boilers, such devices have not enjoyed high efficiencies with respect to heat transfer and high heat transfer efficiency heretofore has often been sacrificed in heat exchangers of a concise configuration. In this present age of fuel shortages low efficiency heat exchangers cannot be tolerated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a heat exchanger of a concise configuration which is capable of operating at high efficiencies of heat transfer.
Another object of the invention is to provide a concise heat exchanger through which a liquid heat transfer medium may flow wherein a minimum of resistance to flow is produced, yet high efficiencies are achieved by a spiraling movement of the liquid through core passages.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger utilizing a spiraling heat transfer medium flow through passages wherein the spiraling of the medium is accomplished without restrictions or impeding structure within the passages.
A further object of the invention is to provide a furnace embodiment of a heat exchanger constructed in accord with the invention wherein a wave trap and baffles are used in the combustion chamber to effectively transfer heat from the chamber to the exchanger core, and wherein a complete combustion is obtained very low in polluting emissions.
In the practice of the invention the heat exchanger includes an elongated core having a plurality of cylindrical passages defined therein. The passages have an inlet end and an outlet end, and the heat exchanging medium is introduced into the inlet end of the passages in a direction substantially tangential to the passages wherein the medium has a spiraling action within the passages creating a flow path and turbulence highly conducive to high efficiency heat transfer. No restrictions exist within the passages and the medium is also preferably ejected from the passages in a tangential manner to provide optimum flow characteristics.
The heat transfer medium is introduced into a chamber adjacent the inlet end of the passages and vanes within the chamber impart an initial spiraling action to the medium which further augments the spiraling action of the medium as it directly enters the heat exchanging passages. In the disclosed furnace embodiment a combustion chamber is disclosed as being centrally formed within the core, and wave trap and transfer means within the combustion chamber effectively transfers the heat therein directly to the core.
A heat exchanger in accord with the invention may be effectively used with combination heating and air conditioning units exteriorly located of the dwelling, and the efficiency of a heat exchanger in accord with the invention permits a furnace, for instance, to be concisely housed within a relatively small housing for location adjacent the space being heated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The aforementioned objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a diametrical, elevational, sectional view of a heat exchanger in accord with the invention as taken along section I--I of FIG. 2,
FIG. 2 is a plan, transverse, sectional view taken along section II--II of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a plan, transverse, cross-sectional view as taken along section III-III of FIG. 1, and
FIG. 4 is a plan, transverse, cross-sectional view as taken along section IV-IV of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the drawings the heat exchanger in accord with the invention is illustrated as a furnace, and the inventive concept is used to particular advantage in a furnace embodiment. However, it is to be appreciated that the principles and concept of the invention may also be used in other heat exchangers utilizing fluid heat transfer mediums. For instance, the core and passages of the invention could be used with refrigeration means to cool water or brine.
In the disclosed embodiment a typical relationship of components used to practice the invention as a furnace are disclosed, and it will be appreciated that the concepts of the invention may be employed in a wide variety of structural variations.
The disclosed heat exchanger includes a generally cylindrical core 10 formed of a material having high heat transfer characteristics, for instance, aluminum or copper. The core may be formed as an extrusion, for purposes of economical manufacture, or may be constructed of tubular stock in which the heat transfer medium passages are drilled.
The interior of the core 10 is provided with a longitudinally extending cylindrical bore 12 intersecting the core's upper end 14, and the lower end 16. A plurality of longitudinally extending heat transfer medium receiving passages 18 of a cylindrical configuration are concentrically spaced about the axis of the core and radially spaced relatively close to the bore 12. The upper end of the core is recessed at 20 to form an annular chamber 22, and the adjacent end regions of the passages 18 are intersected by tangentially disposed inlet ports 24 having an axial length equal to the depth of the chamber 22. The ports 24 are tangentially disposed to the associated passage 18, FIG. 2, and the ports of the passages are related in a common direction to the passages.
The lower end of the core is machined to a reduced diameter defining an annular recess 26 forming chamber 28. Throughout the axial length of the chamber 28 the core is machined to define tangential outlet ports 30, FIG. 4, which intersect the passages 18 and the chamber 28, and are disposed in a tangential direction with respect to its associated passage opposite in direction to the inlet port 24, FIG. 2.
An inner head 32 is mounted to the upper end of the core and is of a dished configuration defining a cylindrical chamber 34 corresponding in diameter to the chamber 22 wherein these two chambers define a large inlet chamber. The inner head 32 is provided with a central opening 36, and a plurality of vanes 38, FIG. 2, are affixed to the head adjacent the opening 36 obliquely disposed outwardly in a direction similar to the tangential orientation of the inlet ports 24.
An outer head 40 is attached to the inner head 32 by screws 42 and the outer head also defines a circular chamber 44 and includes vanes 46 similar in configuration and orientation to the vanes 38. The outer head 40 is provided with a flue receiving opening 48, and a threaded hole 50 receives the heat exchanging medium inlet conduit fitting 52.
The lower end of the core is enclosed by lower head 54 engaging the core lower end 16. The lower head 54, and the inner head 32 are disclosed as being related to the core by a cylindrical casing 56 whose ends are welded to the inner head and lower head. The casing includes a heat transfer medium outlet fitting 58 communicating with the chamber 28.
The core 10 is heated by a combustion chamber generally indicated at 60. The combustion chamber apparatus includes a burner nozzle 62 mounted in the lower head 54 which will burn natural or liquified gas. The ignition of the fuel is accomplished by the electrical spark device 64, of conventional construction. Air ports 66 are defined in the head 54, and may be obliquely disposed wherein air entering the ports spirals within the combustion chamber about the nozzle to produce a turbulence for effectively transmitting heat to the core.
An axially extending wave trap 68 is located within the combustion chamber 60, and the wave trap is defined by stacked segments which form annular concave recesses 70. The wave trap 68 reduces the combustion noise and produces a turbulence of the heated gases by creating a spinning action within the recesses 70 which aids in transmitting heat to the core.
Air ports 72 are defined in the lower region of the wave trap and also extend through the lower head 54. The air ports 72 are obliquely disposed with respect to the axis of the combustion chamber to produce a swirling action within the combustion chamber, and the air passing through ports 66 augments this action.
Additional turbulence of the heat gases, noise reduction and heat transfer is produced by the disks 74 mounted in the combustion chamber each including arcuate semicircular openings 76 as will be apparent from FIGS. 2 and 3. The disks 74 are in firm engagement with the walls of the core bore 12 and further aid in effectively transferring heat to the core.
The lower region of the flue 78 is of a diameter directly engaging the bore 12 so as to further effectively transfer heat to the core, and the upper portion of the flue of a reduced diameter to be closely received in a sealing relationship with the outer head central opening 48.
In operation, the heat transfer medium, such as water, or a solution of water and antifreeze, is forced into the chamber 44 through the fitting 52. The fitting 52 may be tangentially disposed to the chamber 44 to facilitate the spiraling action, but regardless of the fitting orientation, the presence of the vanes 46 will impart a counterclockwise rotation to the fluid medium as it flows through the central opening 36 adjacent the flue 78. The counterclockwise spiraling of the medium, FIG. 2, as it enters the chambers 22 and 34, is further augmented by the presence of the vanes 38, and thus it will be appreciated that the medium will be rotating in a counterclockwise direction within the chamber adjacent the inlet ports 24.
As the direction of the rotation of the heat transfer medium within the chamber 22 is in the direction most effectively received by the inlet ports 24 the fluid medium entering the passages 18 will have a high rotative force imposed thereon due to the orientation of the ports, and the direction of rotation of the medium as it enters the ports.
The medium flows downwardly through the passages 18 counterflow to the direction of heat passing upwardly through the combustion chamber 60 and flue 78. The fluid path of the medium through the passages is counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 2-4, and this strong spiraling effect eliminates any boundary layer within the passages adjacent the core and a most effective transfer of heat from the core to the medium takes place.
The fluid medium is discharged from the passages 18 through the outlet ports 30 into the annular lower chamber 28, and is removed from the heat exchanger through the outlet conduit fitting 58. As the outlet ports 30 are disposed in that tangential direction to most effectively discharge the fluid medium from the passages without creating a restriction or back pressure, the fluid flow through the passages adjacent the lower region of the core continues to be in a spiral manner and the medium is effectively discharged from the passages with little resistance.
The heat transfer fluid medium flow through the heat exchanger in accord with the invention occurs with little resistance as no restrictions exist within the passages 18. The spiraling motion of the fluid medium is accomplished solely by the tangential injection of the medium into the passages and thus restrictions such as produced by passage guides, vanes and other flow control devices commonly used within heat exchanging tubes are eliminated.
The core 10 functions as a direct heat sink as the core is in direct engagement with the combustion chamber and thus a high efficiency of heat exchanging is achieved. This fact, in conjunction with the spiraling action of the medium flowing through the passages, the high heat transfer characteristics of the core material, and the construction of the combustion chamber, wave traps and baffle discs, permit a furnace of approximately one foot in length to provide sufficient heat to heat a conventional sized dwelling. For instance, heat exchangers of this type may be mounted within combination heating and air conditioning housings exteriorly located of the dwelling wherein the heated heat transfer medium is pumped through finned heat exchangers located within the dwelling air circulation system. Also, it will be appreciated that this type of heat exchanger may directly function as a boiler in a hot water heating system.
If the heat exchanger in accord with the invention is located within a space to be heated, the casing 56 may be provided with fins on its exterior surface to increase surface area such that the casing itself may contribute to the ambient heating.
The concise configuration of the heat exchanger, and its quiet operation, permit this type of heat exchanger to be used at the place of need, rather than requiring long conduits or ductwork, and the elimination of a pilot light conserves fuel.
It is appreciated that variations in construction will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, pluralities of sets of passages 18 could be formed in the core 10, the combustion chamber 60 could be replaced by an expansion chamber of a refrigeration system if the heat exchanger was to be used for cooling, rather than heating, purposes. Further, the casing 56 could be eliminated by making slight modifications to the configuration of the core, wherein the core heads are directly attached to the core by head screws. | A heat exchanger which includes a core of heat transmitting metal having a plurality of cylindrical passages directed therein. Heat supply means, such as a combustion chamber, is associated with the core and a heat transfer medium, such as water, is introduced into the passages in a spiral manner wherein the medium rotates within the passages to reduce boundary effects improving heat transfer characteristics. The heat exchange is characterized by its ability to efficiently transfer heat in a concise configuration. | 5 |
This application is a provisional of No. 60/049,006 filed Jun. 9, 1997.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The following patent applications disclose related subject matter Serial No. 08/678,847, filed Jul. 12, 1996 (TI-20565). These applications have a common assignee with the present application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to electronic semiconductor devices, and, more particularly, to antireflective structures and fabrication methods for such structures.
Semiconductor integrated circuits with high device density require minimal size structures such as short gates for field effect transistors, small area emitters for bipolar transistors, and narrow interconnects between devices. The formation of such polysilicon or metal (or a stack of metals or a metal silicide on polysilicon) structures typically involves definition of the locations of such structures in a layer of photoresist on a layer of polysilicon or metal by exposure of the photoresist with radiation passing through a reticle containing the desired structure pattern. During the exposure, radiation reflected from the underlying material (e.g., polysilicon, metal, . . . ) can degrade the pattern developed in the photoresist, so include an antireflective coating or layer on the polysilicon or metal. Commercial antireflective coatings include organic materials and TiN which strongly absorb at the radiation wavelength, such as polymers with dye-groups for absorption.
After exposure and development of the photoresist, the underlying layers of antireflective coating plus material (polysilicon, metal, . . . ) are anisotropically etched using the patterned photoresist as the etch mask (or the antireflective coating may first be wet developed and then the underlying material anisotropically etched). Thus the minimal structural linewidth equals the minimal linewidth that can be developed in the photoresist.
One approach to overcome the linewidth limitation patterns photoresist and then isotropically etches the patterned photoresist to shrink its size and thereby emulate a smaller original linewidth. However, this approach has a problem of the isotropic etch of the patterned photoresist also etches the antireflective coating. Ogawa et al, 2197 Proc. SPIE 722 (1994) describes the use of silicon oxynitride as an antireflective coating on a oxide coated tungsten silicide layer and on an aluminum layer for i-line and deep ultraviolet radiation by quarter-wavelength thickness for reflective interference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides integrated circuit fabrication with a silicon oxynitride antireflective layer for gate location plus patterned photoresist linewidth reduction for gate length definition followed by interconnect definition without patterned photoresist linewidth reduction.
This has the advantages of an antireflective layer compatible with linewidth reduction and polysilicon etching.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The drawings are heuristic for clarity.
FIGS. 1 a-m are cross sectional elevation views of a preferred embodiment integrated circuit fabrication method steps.
FIG. 2 illustrates the optical constant variation with composition.
FIG. 3 shows net reflection.
FIG. 4 illustrates linewidth reduction.
FIGS. 5 a-d are cross sectional elevation views of another preferred embodiment.
FIG. 6 shows a damascene preferred embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Overview
The preferred embodiments use a silicon oxynitride (Si x O y N z ) as an antireflective layer for patterning of photoresist on polysilicon followed by an isotropic etching of the patterned photoresist to reduce linewidth and then an anisotropic etcing of the oxynitride plus polysilicon to form gates and gate level interconnects; and lastly, overlying metal interconnects are formed using patterned photoresist without linewidth reduction but using a differing composition silicon oxynitride as antireflective layer due to the differing underlying material reflectivity.
The index of refraction and the extinction coefficient (real and imaginary parts of the square root of the dielectric constant) of silicon oxynitride vary with the composition (see FIG. 2 ). Thus, essentially select the composition to have optical constants that adjust the reflected waves amplitudes according to the underlying material reflectivity and select the oxynitride layer thickness to provide quarter-wave interference so the reflected waves cancel.
The resultant integrated circuit may include residual silicon oxynitride on the gates or interconnects or both or neither.
First Preferred Embodiment
FIGS. 1 a-m illustrate in cross sectional elevation views the steps of a first preferred embodiment fabrication methods for integrated circuits including field effect transistors (e.g., CMOS or BiCMOS). The example is of lithography which has 0.25 μm minimal linewidth and a circuit with 0.25 μm minimal metal interconnect width together with 0.18 μm minimal (silicided) polysilicon linewidth (gate length). The preferred embodiment includes the following steps:
(1) Start with a silicon (or silicon on insulator) wafer 102 with LOCOS or shallow trench isolation and twin wells for CMOS devices (optionally, plus memory cell array wells and bipolar device buried layers). Perform threshold adjustment implants (which may differ for cell transistors and various peripheral transistors), and form gate dielectric. Deposit layer 104 of polysilicon gate material of thickness 300 nm; see FIG. 1 a.
(2) Deposit a 29 nm thick conformal layer 110 of (hydrogenated) silicon oxynitride by PECVD from a flow of silane and nitrous oxide; see FIG. 1 b . The composition of the oxynitride and thickness are selected according to the reflectivity of the underlying material; in particular, for polysilicon 104 take the composition to have a ratio of silicon to oxygen to nitrogen equal 53 to 38 to 9; the oxynitride also contains roughly 10% bound hydrogen, but the exact hydrogen fraction is difficult to measure. This composition gives measured optical constants of n=2.11 and k=0.55 (theoretical n=2.15 and k=0.60) and thus a layer thickness of 29 nm provides a quarter wavelength at 248 nm. See the following section on oxynitride composition.
(3) Spin on 900 nm average thickness layer 112 of photoresist which is sensitive to 248 nm radiation (deep ultraviolet); see FIG. 1 c.
(4) Expose photoresist 112 with 248 nm wavelength radiation through a reticle for gates and gate level interconnects; the exposed minimal linewidth may be about 250 nm. Silicon oxynitride 110 acts as an interference antireflective layerduring exposure of photoresist 112 . Develop photoresist 112 ; see FIG. 1 d which shows the differing heights of the patterned photoresist possible with LOCOS isolation.
(5) Shrink the patterned photoresist (reduce linewidth) with an isotropic etch which may be an oxygen-nitrogen plasma in a high density plasma reactor with small bias to limit ion bombardment for isotropy. The final minimal linewidth is 180 nm (although reduction to 60 nm may be achieved with good linewidth control). Thus the minimal linewidth photoresist shrinks from a 900 nm by 250 nm to roughly 850 nm by 180 nm; see FIGS. 1 d-e which shows (exaggerated) original patterned photoresist line 114 reduced to photoresist line 116 .
(6) Remove the exposed portion of silicon oxynitride 110 with an anisotropic plasma etch using CF 4 or some other fluorine source; this etch also acts as the breakthrough etch (to eliminate surface oxides) for polysilicon 104 in the next step and may be performed immediately before and in the same chamber as the polysilicon etch. This etch also reduces the photoresist height to very roughly 700 nm; see FIG. 1 f.
(7) Use the remaining silicon oxynitride 110 plus photoresist as an etch mask for the anisotropic plasma etch of polysilicon 104 to form gates 106 and gate level interconnects 108 . The etch may be a HBr plus oxygen plasma which is very selective to oxide and oxynitride. Thus even if the polysilicon etch strips the photoresist, the oxynitride antireflective layer remains and provides sufficient etch masking because of the etch selectivity. FIG. 1 g shows oxynitride-topped gates 106 plus gate level interconnects 108 . The gate material could also provide a polysilicon emitter for bipolar devices which would require a prior base implant. Gates 106 are 300 nm high and 180 nm long ( FIG. 1 g is a cross section along the gate length, and gates typically have widths much greater than their lengths).
(8) Perform lightly doped drain implants with the gate, oxynitride, and any residual resist as the implant mask; this also requires non-critical photolithographic masking for CMOS or BiCMOS circuitry which will also remove any residual resist. See FIG. 1 h.
(9) Form sidewall dielectric spacers 120 on the gates (and gate level interconnects) by conformal deposition of a dielectric layer followed by anisotropic etching. The sidewall dielectric may be silicon nitride and the anisotropic etch a plasma of fluorine plus an inert gas. This sidewall spacer etch will also remove some (or all) of the oxynitride on the tops of the gates and gate level interconnects. Introduce dopants to form sources and drains; see FIG. 1 i . A variation would be a self-aligned silicidation to create a silicide on both the gate top and the source/drains. This silicidation may be by stripping any remaining oxynitride from the gate tops and oxide from the source/drain surfaces, blanket metal (Ti or Co or Ni) deposition followed by reaction with underlying silicon, and then removal of unreacted metal (or TiN for the case of Ti silicidation in an nitrogen atmosphere). Figure 1 j shows the resulting silicide.
(10) Form a planarized premetal dielectric layer 130 (such as reflowed BPSG or a stack of conformal and planarized layers, and the planarization may be by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) or resist etch back). Then photolithographically define and etch vias through dielectric layer 120 for contact to the source/drains and the gate/interconnects; see FIG. 1 j . The antireflective layer for this lithography may also be silicon oxynitride, but the transparency of underlying oxide makes the deeper reflections significant.
(11) For a structure with an embedded memory cell array using one-transistor one-capacitor memory cells, the bitlines and cell capacitors may be formed next. For clarity such steps are not illustrated and attendant additional dielectric layers deposited on dielectric 130 will just be considered part of dielectric 130 in the Figures.
(12). Blanket deposit (including filling vias) a metal stack such as 50 nm of Ti, 50 nm of TiN, 300 nm of W or Al (doped with Cu and Si), and 50 nm of TiN; the bottom Ti and TiN form a diffusion barrier and the top TiN forms an antireflective coating for lithography. Prior to the W or Al deposition the bottom Ti may be reacted with the source/drain to form a silicide to stabilize the metal-to-silicon contact. The Ti and TiN may be deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) (e.g., TiCl4+NH 3 →>TiN+HCl); the aluminum may be deposited by PCD and then forced into the vias under high pressure or by CVD; and W may be deposited by CVD. Alternatively the vias may be filled with W by a CVD blanket deposition followed by an etchback to leave W only in the vias, and then an Al blanket deposition.
(13) Apply silicon oxynitride antireflection layer 150 on blanket metal 140 ; see FIG. 1 k . Again, select the oxynitride composition to give optical constants according to the reflectivity of the metal and take the oxynitride layer thickness to yield a quarter-wavelength. For example, with underlying aluminum and deep ultraviolet (248 nm) exposure, take n=2.16 and k=0.83; this implies a thickness of 248 nm/4*2.16=29 nm. Note that the extinction coefficient is much larger than that of the oxynitride for the polysilicon; this is due to the greater reflectivity of the aluminum.
(14) Spin on photoresist and pattern it to define the first level metal interconnects; see FIG. 1 l with patterned resist 152 illustrating minimal linewidth of 250 nm. Again, a brief fluorine based plasma etch strips the exposed oxynitride without removing much patterned resist. Because the interconnects are wider than the gates, no resist linewidth reduction is needed.
(15) Use the patterned resist and oxynitride as the etch mask to anisotropically plasma etch the metal and thereby form interconnects 142 ; chlorine-based plasmas with some fluorine for copper-doped aluminum and TiN, and fluorine-based plasmas for tungsten.
(16) Deposit a 50 nm thick conformal oxide liner 150 on interconnects 142 by plasma-enhanced decomposition of TEOS with oxygen or ozone. Liner 150 passivates the metal surfaces and prevents diffusion of metal atoms into the intermetal level dielectric, which may be a low dielectric constant material such as porous silica or fluorinated parylene. Then deposit the intermetal level dielectric over the liner-coated interconnects; the intermetal level dielectric may be a stack of two or more materials, such as porous silica between the first level interconnects and fluorinated silicon dioxide over the porous silica and interconnects.
(17) Form vias in the intermetal level dielectric analogous to the via formation of step (10). Then form second level interconnects on this intermetal level dielectric by a repetition of the foregoing steps (12)-(16). Similar repetitions may be used to form third, fourth, fifth, . . . level interconnects.
Silicon Oxynitride Composition
Silicon oxynitride has an index of refraction and extinction coefficient depending upon composition as illustrated in FIG. 2 with increasing nitrogen content increasing n and k. Thus silicon oxynitride as an antireflective layer provides two parameters (layer thickness and composition) to adapt to the underlying material reflectivity to yield a net zero reflectivity from the antireflectivity layer. In particular, consider the simplified situation of single reflections: radiation of intensity 1 passing through the photoresist impinges on the antireflective layer and a fraction r (typically about 5-10%) reflects (with a phase shift of π) back into the photoresist and 1−r passes through the antireflective layer with attenuation by a factor e −kt where k is the extinction coefficient and t is the thickness of the antireflective layer. At the interface with the underlying material, a fraction R reflects (plus phase shifts by π) and the remainder transmits through and/or absorbs in the underlying material. The reflected fraction R is also attenuated by e −kt as it passes back through the antireflective layer and reenters the photoresist. Thus the portion reflected from the underlying material is R(1−r)e −2kt and this is to cancel the initially reflected portion r. To cancel, the amplitudes must equal (r=R(1−r)e −2kt ) and the phases must differ by 7 which implies the thickness t must be a quarter wavelength. The wavelength in antireflective layer is the radiation's in vacuo wavelength λ divided by the index of refraction n of the antireflective layer. Thus take t=λ/4n, and select the composition of the oxynitride to have the ratio kin satisfying:
r=R (1 −r ) e −kλ/4n
k/n =4/λ[log( R )+log((1 31 r )/ r )]
Of course, the reflectivity r depends upon n and k and the optical constants of the photoresist, but is relatively constant over a range n and k. Similarly, once the underlying material is known, R is approximately known (it also depends upon n and k), and the composition to give the desired k/n can be selected.
FIG. 3 shows the computed net reflection back into resist as a function of the optical constants of the oxynitride with more precise modeling of reflections at the interfaces of resist-oxynitride and oxynitride-polysilicon for an oxynitride layer thickness of 29 nm. Inside the central contour shows the less than 1% net reflection into the resist. Also, FIG. 3 shows the n-k relation curve of silicon oxynitride as in FIG. 2 superimposed on the computed net reflections; the curve passes through the center of the region of less than 1% net reflection which indicates that targeting the composition at the center will give robust oxynitride parameters.
Linewidth Reduction
FIG. 4 shows the robustness of the patterned resist linewidth reduction using oxynitride antireflective layer with a fixed oxygen resist etch (which removes 80 nm of resist) for various initial resist linewidths. FIG. 4 indicates the standard deviation observed in the reduced linewidth by the three sigma curves in FIG. 4 . Thus a reduction from 220 nm to 60 nm has a standard deviation of roughly 2-3 nm. This robust large linewidth reduction using the silicon oxynitride antireflective layer permits the original resist linewidth to be patterned in a range where the lithography is well controlled.
Disposable Gate Preferred Embodiment
FIGS. 5 a-d illustrate a disposable gate method of integrated circuit fabrication which uses the silicon oxynitride antireflective layer. In particular, follow the foregoing steps (1)-(9) to have a polysilicon dummy gate with sidewall spacers and source/drains formed in the substrate. Use the patterned resist reduction to make the dummy gate length only 60 nm; this can be achieved by an original dummy gate length of 220 nm followed by 80 nm resist etch (see FIG. 4 ). The resulting structure is analogous to that of FIG. 1 i.
Deposit 500 nm thick dielectric, such as TEOS oxide, and planarize, such as by CMP, to expose the top of the polysilicon dummy gate. FIG. 5 a shows dummy gate 505 and dielectric 530 ; dummy gate 505 may be about 200 nm high and 60 nm long.
Etch out dummy gate 505 with an HBr+O2 plasma. Optionally, strip the gate oxide and thermally grow a new gate oxide at the bottom of the groove left by the removal of dummy gate 505 . Next, blanket deposit gate material, such as TiN or a stack of different metals, to fill the groove plus cover dielectric 530 ; see FIG. 5 b showing 200 nm thick metal gate material 507 .
Deposited 29 nm thick silicon oxynitride with composition (optical constants) adapted to the gate material, followed by spin on of photoresist sensitive to 248 nm radiation. Pattern the photoresist to define a gate top of length 250 nm, and use the patterned photoresist (without linewidth reduction) to etch gate material 507 to form T-shaped gate 506 ; see FIG. 5 c.
Continue as in foregoing step (10)-(17) by dielectric deposition, via formation, first level metal interconnect formation, and so forth. See FIG. 5 d.
Damascene Preferred Embodiment
The metal interconnect structure of the foregoing preferred embodiments can be replaced with a damascene interconnect structure because the photoresist linewidth reduction is only used in the gate level. In particular, repeat the foregoing steps (1)-(12) with the variation in step (12) of first fill the vias, then deposit a second dielectric level, photolithographically define locations for grooves in the dielectric, next etch the dielectric to form the grooves, and then blanket metal with CMP or etchback to leave metal only in the grooves and thereby form the interconnects. FIG. 6 illustrates the damascene structure for one metal level with gate 606 , premetal level dielectric 630 , filled via 644 , and first metal level dielectric 650 .
Modifications
The preferred embodiments can be modified in various ways while retaining the features of silicon oxynitride antireflective layer for resist linewidth reduction and linewidth reduction for gates together with no linewidth reduction for interconnects.
For example, the photoresist may be exposed at different radiation wavelengths, such as 193 nm, with corresponding adjustment in antireflective layer thickness. | The present invention provides integrated circuit fabrication with a silicon oxynitride antireflective layer for gate location plus patterned photoresist linewidth reduction for gate length definition followed by interconnect definition without patterned photoresist linewidth reduction. This has the advantages of an antireflective layer compatible with linewidth reduction and polysilicon etching. | 8 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to spray heads or nozzle assemblies for airless spray guns, or the like, and is more particularly concerned with improvements in spray tip mountings which facilitate cleaning and replacement of the spray tip and associated elements and which minimize the risk of possible damage to the tip mounting as a result of operation under pressure.
Spray heads have heretofore been employed in which a tip member for controlling the spray pattern is mounted in a holder which is in turn rotatably mounted in a chamber at the discharge end of the bore in a barrel-like nozzle body, or housing, with associated means for manually turning the tip holder to a position to reverse the direction of the flow of the product or other fluid through the spray tip for cleaning or for clearing a jammed passageway in the spray tip. In some previous designs provision has been made for turning the tip holder to a predetermined position which will permit removal and replacement of the tip through an auxiliary opening in the chamber wall. In previously developed arrangements it has been found that excessive pressure can and does occur, particularly when pluggage of the tip occurs or the holder is moved to a position which blocks the flow of the product, with the results that damage often occurs to the holder and/or associated parts such as the sealing elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved nozzle arrangement which will simplify the mounting of a rotatable tip holder assembly and minimize the pressure on the holder assembly so as to reduce the risk of damage to the assembly when clogging of the spray orifice occurs and cleaning is required.
A more specific object of the invention is to provide a nozzle arrangement in a spray head which includes a generally spherical spray tip holder rotatably mounted in a chamber at the discharge end of the nozzle body and confined therein by a removable cap at the discharge end of the chamber which cap has an inside face mating in bearing forming relation with the curved surface of the tip holder and held in engagement therewith by a bearing and seal forming assembly at the opposite end of the chamber.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved spray nozzle arrangement wherein a spray tip is mounted in a generally spherical holder seated in a chamber provided at the discharge end of a tubular nozzle body and held in frictional engagement against the inside face of an apertured end cap by a bearing and seal forming assembly mounted at the product receiving end of the chamber which is constructed and mounted therein so as to result in a minimum build up of pressure on the tip holder.
A further object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement for mounting a tip holder in a spray head which will effectively seal between the tip holder and the openings in the chamber in which the tip holder is confined with associated means for rotating the tip holder between spraying and cleaning positions and with the mounting means being constructed and positioned so as to avoid the application of excessive pressure on the tip holder by the flow of the product.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a spray head which includes a nozzle body having a chamber in which a generally spherical tip holder is rotatably mounted with provision for sealing between the tip holder and opposite ends of the chamber while permitting rotation of the tip holder between spraying and cleaning positions and with a relief opening in the chamber to permit escape of spraying material in the event there is leakage due to failure of the sealing elements.
To this end the invention which is disclosed and claimed herein comprises a spray head having a spray tip mounted in a rotatable tip holder which is disposed in a chamber at the discharge end of a tubular housing forming the body of the spray head, the tip holder being rotatably supported between the product discharge and the product receiving ends of the chamber by bearing formations with the bearing formation at the product receiving end of the chamber forming a seal against escape of the product into the chamber and being constructed and arranged so that there is minimum pressure exerted on the tip holder by the product.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The aforesaid objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent when reference is made to the accompanying detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention which is set forth therein, by way of example, and shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a spray head which incorporates therein the principal features of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the discharge end of the spray head of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2 to an enlarged scale; and
FIGS. 4 to 7 are fragmentary sectional views showing modified forms of an inner seating ring arrangement for the tip holder.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings there is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 a spray head 10 which is adapted to be attached to a spray gun, a supply conduit, or other source of supply for a liquid product which is to be applied to an object to be treated with the product, which spray head embodies the principal features of the invention. The spray head 10 comprises a nozzle assembly 11 having a coupling 12 at the one end for attaching the nozzle 11 to a source of product supply (not shown). The nozzle assembly 11 comprises a barrel-like housing 13 (FIG. 3) with an axial bore which is divided into axially spaced sections 14, 15, 16 and 17 of different diameter. At the end of the housing 13 which bears the coupling 12 the end section 14 of the bore is of a diameter sufficient to receive in threaded engagement therein a coupling nut adapter 18 and an associated coupling nut 20 with a sealing washer 21 seated on the outer abutment shoulder forming face 22 of an internal flange formation 23 of relatively small axial dimension which extends between sections 14 and 16 in the bore and defines the section 15 of the axial bore which constitutes the smallest diameter section of the bore. A sealing washer or gasket 24 is positioned in the nut 20. The coupling adapter 18, of course, has an axial bore 25 of sufficient diameter to insure free passage of an adequate supply of the product to the opening of the passageway defined by bore section 15 in the flange formation 23. The passageway 15 is of substantially smaller diameter than the bore 25 in the adapter 18. The section 16 of the bore is of larger cross sectional diameter than the passageway 15 while the section 17 of the bore, which is at the discharge end of the body member 13, is of still larger diameter, the cross sectional dimension being sufficiently large to form a chamber for receiving therein, in rotatable rotation, a generally spherical spray tip holder 26 and an associated bearing and seal forming assembly 27 for rotatably supporting the inner end of the holder member 26.
The spherical tip holder 26 has a diametrical bore 28 of relatively small cross sectional diameter with an enlarged diameter portion at one end forming a recess 30 in which the spray tip 32 is adapted to be seated with its discharge passage in communication with the bore 28. In the normal working position the tip holder 26 is disposed as shown in FIG. 3 with the discharge face of the spray tip 32 extending into a larger diameter opening 37 in a cap member 38 at the outer end of the section 17 of the bore in the body 13. The cap member 38 is secured by a set of four machine screws 40, as shown, and may be readily removed to permit removal of the tip holder 26 and associated elements for repair or replacement. The opening 37 in the cap 38 is of somewhat larger diameter than the diameter at 30 in the tip recess in the holder 26 so as to insure that there is no interference with the spray pattern formed. The cap 38 has a relatively narrow internal surface or face 42 extending around the opening 37 which mates with and forms an annular bearing for seating thereon the curved spherical surface 43 on the tip holder 26.
At the inner end of the chamber defined by bore section 17, the bearing and sealing assembly 27, which forms a seat for the holder 26, comprises a metal member 44 with a cup-shaped bearing end 45 formed by a peripheral flange formation providing a relatively narrow annular bearing surface 46 on which the bearing surface 43 of the tip holder 26 rides with a plastic gasket 47, such as, Delrin or Teflon in the cup formation 45 within the confines of the peripheral flange formation. The tip holder surface 43 mates with the annular bearing surface 46 on the cup-like member 45. The member 44 includes a stem portion 48 of substantially lesser diameter than the cup portion 45. The stem portion 48 is received in the section 16 of the bore which has an inside diameter slightly larger than the outside diameter of the stem portion 48. The axial end face 49 of the stem portion 48 is seated on a rubber grommet or O-ring 50 which is compressed upon assembly so that it doubles as a seal and as a spring to hold the sealing gasket 47 against the curved surface 43 of the tip holder 26 and the tip holder surface 43 in engagement with the cap surface 42, even when there is no product pressure in the head. The cup-shaped end 45 of the member 44 has a peripheral or outside diameter which is somewhat less than the inside diameter of the bore section 17, and the stem portion 48 has an outside diameter which is somewhat less than the inside diameter of the bore section 16 while the bore 51 in the stem portion 48 is equal to or smaller than the bore section 15 in the housing and bore section 15 is equal to or greater than the diameter of the bore 28 in the holder 26. The grommet 50 is adapted to prevent material from entering into the chamber 16 while the gasket 47 is adapted to seal against the tip holder surface 43.
The spray tip holder 26 is rotated between spraying and tip cleaning positions by turning a handle 52. The handle 52 has a stem or shaft portion 53 secured in the head 54 of the handle by a nut 55 with the stem 53 extending through the bore of a retaining nut 56 which is in threaded engagement with an opening 57 in a boss 58 on the housing 13 with its end seated in a radial recess 60, of square diameter, in the tip holder 26. The arrangement includes a shaft seal at 61. The boss 58 has a pair of radially projecting, circumferentially spaced, abutment stop members 62 on the outer surface so as to engage cooperating spaced abutment surfaces 63 on the handle head 54 for indexing the tip holder 26 to insure proper positioning for discharge and cleaning operations.
In order to reduce the force placed on the spray tip holder 26 and holder engaging surfaces 42 of the cap 38 at the discharge station or end of chamber 17 it is necessary that the major recess diameter 30 in tip holder 26 be smaller than the major outside diameter of gasket 47 so that leakage does not occur between gasket 47 and the sealing diameter 43 of tip holder 26 when the tip holder 26 is in the clean out position.
In operation the liquid spray material or product passes from the supply source through the relatively large diameter bore 25 in the coupling member 18 and through the small diameter bore section 15 into the small diameter bore 51 in the inner bearing and sealing assembly 27 for the tip holder 26. The rubber grommet 50 prevents the product from entering the bore section 16 while limiting to a minimum the pressure exerted on the stem portion 48 in the axial direction. At the same time the grommet 50 which is compressed in assembly provides sufficient pressure on the bearing assembly 27 to maintain bearing contact between the spherical surface 43 of the tip holder member 26 and the mating surfaces of the inner and outer seating or bearing elements, that is, the outer bearing surface 42, on the inside face of the cap 38, and the inner bearing surface provided by the cup formation 45 in the inner bearing assembly 27. The member 47 functions as a seal for preventing the spray product from escaping into the chamber 17 and confines any pressure on the tip holder 26 due to the spray material to a relatively small amount. The fluid will not flow past the gasket 47 due to the pressure resulting from compression of the gasekt 50 upon assembly and the force difference resulting from the diameter variations of the inside diameter of the gasket 47 and the diameter of the section 16 of the bore of the body member 13, the former being always smaller than the latter.
The inside face forming the bearing surface 42 on the cap need not have a finish surface capable of sealing since liquid should not escape into the chamber 17 unless there is a failure of the sealing element 50 or the sealing element 47 in which event the leakage past these seals will escape through a bleed port 65 provided in the wall of the chamber 17, and exit in the same direction as the spray in normal spraying operation. No pressure will build up in chamber 17 while the port 65 serves also as a safety signal if there is leakage past the sealing elements 47 and 50.
In FIG. 4 of the drawings the tip holder 66 is seated in a modified sealing and bearing arrangement 67. The tip holder 26 which may have a somewhat smaller bore 68 is seated on a sealing and bearing assembly 67, which is of the same general configuration, has somewhat different proportions relative to the bearing assembly 27 in FIG. 3 while the holder accommodating chamber 70 in which it is disposed may be the same proportions as chamber 17 in FIG. 3. The adjoining bore section 71 in which the stem portion 72 of the bearing member 73 is received is of smaller diameter than the bore section 16 of FIG. 3. The stem portion 72 is of smaller outside diameter with a small diameter axial bore 74 for alignment with a bore 75 of substantially the same diameter in the nozzle body at the product receiving end thereof. A rubber grommet 76 is seated on the shoulder 78 confronting the end face of the stem portion 72 and a plastic sealing gasket 79 is seated in the inner cup portion of the assembly 67. Other elements of the assembly correspond to those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The grommet 76 is compressed in assembling the elements so as to function as a seal and a spring for holding the mating tip holder and seating surfaces in engagement. The arrangement functions in the same manner as described with respect to the arrangement in FIGS. 1 to 3.
In a further modification shown in FIG. 5 the inner sealing arrangement in which the tip holder 80 is seated may include an all plastic bearing member 81 with an inner cup portion 82 which is provided with a bearing surface 82 mating with the spherical surface 83 of the tip holder 80. The cup portion 84 is disposed in a chamber 85 corresponding to 17 in FIG. 3 while the stem portion 86 of the bearing member 81 is disposed in an adjoining bore section 87 corresponding to bore section 16 of FIG. 3 with a rubber O-ring sealing element 88 serving to hold the surface 82 of the bearing member 81 in engagement with the tip holder surface 83. This arrangement eliminates the need for a secondary gasket in the bearing cup portion 81. The fluid pressure on the assembly is limited to the small amount resulting from fluid engagement with the small area at the end face of the stem portion 86 and the relatively small inside diameter of the O-ring 88.
In the arrangement shown in FIG. 6 the tip holder 90 is seated on a bearing and sealing assembly 91 quite like the corresponding assembly in FIG. 3 while the holder accommodating chamber 92 and adjoining bore section 93 correspond to 17 and 16 in FIG. 3. The assembly 91 has a cup shaped top portion 94, as viewed in FIG. 6, and a stem portion 95 disposed in chambers 92 and 93, respectively. The cup portion 94 has a sealing gasket 96 corresponding to gasket 47 in FIG. 3 while a peripheral O-ring seal 97 prevents leakage of the product around the stem portion 95 and a larger O-ring seal member 98 functions as a spring for holding the sealing surface of the tip holder 90 in engagement with the inner and outer bearing surfaces in the same manner as heretofore described with respect to the other forms of the device which are shown.
In the further modification which is shown in FIG. 7 the tip holder 100 is seated in engagement with a bearing and sealing assembly 101 which differs from the arrangement in FIG. 6 in the axial dimension of the stem portion 102 which is somewhat greater than the stem portion 95 in FIG. 6 and extends into the bore of a coupling member 103 which is engaged in the threaded relation in the end section 104 of the bore in the nozzle housing, the latter being of simplified construction but corresponding basically to the construction in FIG. 3. | A spray head which is characterized by a tubular body with an axial bore divided into axially spaced sections of different diameter with the forward section, which is at the discharge end of the head, being of the largest diameter and constituting a chamber in which a spherical spray tip holder is mounted so as to be rotatably seated on the mating inner face of a removably mounted end cap, which holder has a radial socket aligned with a cross bore in the body for receiving a turning member enabling rotation of the tip holder between an operative position for direction of spray material through a discharge aperture in the end cap and a cleaning position for reverse flow of material through the spray tip and a bearing and sealing assembly engaging the tip holder surface opposite its engagement with the end cap which assembly is arranged to minimize the pressure exerted on the tip holder by the spray material and possibly leakage of the product into the tip holder chambers, the latter being provided with a relief opening in the event there is a sealing failure. | 1 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed generally to computerized trading systems and more particularly is directed to a computerized trading system which supplies video input signals to video screens at different work stations under console control.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the rapid growth of information sources now available to financial analysts and traders who must apply this information to a high volume of trades each day, it has become important to provide each trader with powerful computational facilities which can rapidly perform analysis, illustrate trending and provide decision information as required for profitable trading. The communications intensive needs for financial trading businesses continue to grow, as more and more different sources of information must be accessed for the trader to make an informed decision in his business activities.
However, merely multiplying the number of conventional computer-provided sources without providing the necessary communications between each trader out of a large group of traders and each source out of a large group of sources is highly impractical. Such multiplication of known systems requires a high installation expense and is cable intensive. It is also disadvantageous to depend upon large host computers, which are very expensive both to install and to operate.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus within a computerized trading system which avoids the above-described difficulties of the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a computerized trading system which emphasizes user interaction and user friendliness with each of a large number of work stations.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a computerized trading system which provides for the selected display of information received from any of a number of wire services or from within the trading group.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a computerized trading system which permits initial implementation of a few trader stations, yet permits the system to grow and expand as additional services, facilities or stations are required.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a computerized trading system which is not cable intensive and uses distributed processing and modular architecture to avoid dependence upon large host computers.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a video scan operation is provided by an apparatus for switching video signals from one of a plurality of input lines to one of a plurality of output lines. The apparatus comprises console display means for displaying a chart showing connections between the input lines and the output lines and for displaying a cursor, cursor control means for selectively positioning the cursor in the chart and switching means, responsive to the cursor control means, for connecting a selected one of the input lines to a selected one of the output lines.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a channel forcing operation is provided by an apparatus for switching video signals from one of a plurality of input lines to a plurality of output lines. The apparatus comprises means for selecting a particular input line, means for disconnecting all input lines from all output lines, and means for connecting the particular input line to all output lines.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a set system configuration operation is provided by an apparatus for switching video signals from input lines to output lines, the output lines being connected to video monitors and a plurality of video monitors being associated with each of a plurality of remote control stations. The apparatus comprises console display means for displaying a chart showing assignments of the video monitors to the remote control stations and for displaying a cursor, cursor control means for selectively positioning the cursor in the chart, control means for selectively assigning a particular video monitor to a particular control station, wherein the control means is responsive to the cursor control means when selecting the particular video monitor and the particular control station, and switching means, responsive to the control means, for switching input lines to output lines, thereby connecting input lines to video monitors.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a set groups operation is provided by apparatus for switching video signals from input lines to output lines, the output lines being connected to video monitors, the video monitors being associated with remote control stations, and the remote control stations being arranged in groups, each group having a leader station and at least one slave station. The apparatus comprises console display means for displaying a chart showing assignments of leaders and members to groups and for displaying a cursor, cursor control means for selectively positioning the cursor in the chart, control means for selectively assigning a first remote control station as a leader station for a given group and for selectively assigning a second remote control station as a slave station for the given group, wherein the control means is responsive to the cursor control means when assigning the remote control stations, and switching means, responsive to the control means, for switching input lines to output lines.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a blackout operation is achieved by an apparatus for switching video signals from input lines to output lines, the apparatus comprising control means for selectively setting a blackout start time and for selectively setting a blackout stop time, first comparing means for comparing the blackout start time with actual time, second comparing means for comparing the blackout stop time with actual time, and switching means for connecting the input lines to the output lines and for disconnecting the input lines from the output lines, the switching means being responsive to the comparing means to disconnect all input lines from all output lines when the actual time equals the blackout start time, the switching means being responsive to the second comparing means to reconnect the input lines to the output lines when the actual time equals the blackout stop time.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a monitor operation is provided by an apparatus for switching video signals from input lines to output lines, the output lines being connected to video monitors, the video monitors being associated with remote control stations. The apparatus comprises switching means, responsive to the remote control stations, for connecting selected input lines to selected output lines, means, responsive to the switching means, for determining which input lines are connected to which output lines and console display means, responsive to the means for determining, for displaying a chart showing the connections between the input lines and the output lines and for showing changes in the connections.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a management information system operation is provided by an apparatus for switching video signals from input lines to output lines, the output lines being connected to video monitors, and the video monitors being associated with remote control stations. The apparatus comprises switching means, responsive to the remote control stations, for connecting selected input lines to selected output lines, sensing means, responsive to said switching means, for sensing changes in connections between the input lines and the output lines, memory means, responsive to the sensing means, for storing and recalling information representative of the changes in the connections between the input lines and the output lines, and display means, responsive to the memory means, for selectively producing a chart showing the information representative of the changes in the connections.
These and other objects, aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference numerals denote like elements and parts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is a flow chart of a video scan operation in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 1B is a schematic illustration of a computer screen produced by the video scan operation of FIG. 1A;
FIG. 2A is a flow chart of a channel forcing operation in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2B is a schematic illustration of a computer screen produced by the forced channel operation of FIG. 2A;
FIG. 3A is a first portion of a flow chart of a set system default operation in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3B is a second portion of the flow chart of FIG. 3A;
FIG. 3C is a schematic illustration of a computer screen produced by the set system configuration operation of FIGS. 3A and 3B;
FIG. 4A is a first portion of a flow chart of a set groups operations in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 4B is a second portion of the flow chart of FIG. 4A;
FIG. 4C is a schematic illustration of a first computer screen produced by the set groups operation of FIGS. 4A and 4B;
FIG. 4D is a schematic illustration of a second computer screen produced by the set groups operation of FIGS. 4A and 4B;
FIG. 5A is a flow chart of a blackout operation in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 5B is a schematic illustration of a computer screen produced by the blackout operation of FIG. 5A;
FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a blackout management operation in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 7A is a flow chart of a monitor operation in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 7B is a schematic illustration of a computer screen produced by the monitor operation of FIG. 7A;
FIG. 8A is a flow chart of a management information system operation in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 8B is a schematic illustration of a computer screen produced by the management information system operation of FIG. 8A;
FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic illustration of a preferred embodiment of a system with a video switch exchange in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a video buffer circuit in the system of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a cross switch matrix in the system of FIG. 9;
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a video driver circuit in the system of FIG. 8; and
FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration of a main menu computer screen produced in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings and initially FIGS. 1A-8B thereof, it will be seen that the present invention provides a number of advantageous operations within a computerized trading system which enable the individual traders at individual work stations as well as a control operator at a centralized control console to receive and process a large amount of information from a number of different video sources. The underlying system is comprised of a number of trader work stations which communicate with centralized equipment and information services through a modular video switching system employing a number of advantageous cross switch matrices. The work stations may be associated in clusters or groups, and all communications between the switching system and the work station groups occur over a single cable, advantageously a fiber optic cable, which loops from the switching system to each work station and back to the switching system. Additional matrices may be added to the system as required. All matrices are interconnected and are configured to share common communication channels with the centralized equipment.
Centralized equipment consists of communications modems, dedicated computers and interface equipment which provide access to both broadcast and interactive wire services. The centralized equipment further includes local equipment such as printers, storage facilities and dedicated computers which are used to monitor trading activity, perform services such as electronic mail and to provide the connection to external host computers, other non-trading work stations and communication networks. It further includes the central telephone equipment, intercom equipment and foreign exchange voice channels.
In accordance with the present invention, the information displays which are supplied in video form are distributed via the switching system which permits each trader to view any of the supplied video channels. Although such switching systems are known in telephone network switching systems, the use of video signals at video signal frequencies in a switching system in accordance with the present invention requires adaptation of the switching system structure. In accordance with the present invention, an advantageous video buffer board is provided in an input module of the present system to provide the correct video levels to the system independent of the source levels. This compensates for source cable capacitance and thereby improves the high frequency response of the channels.
Each trader cluster may comprise from one to eight trader work stations which communicate via the single looped fiber optic cable. The communications data transmitted over the fiber loop includes wire service data, trader interactive data, trader status data, electronic mail and other data services, along with digitized voice communications, including telephone communications, intercom and foreign exchange voice channels.
The information services which can be handled by the system may include broadcast "view only" services, such as Reuters News, Garban, Dow Jones and the like, or interactive services such as Telerate, Quotron, FBI and others. Interactive services will typically be handled by a dedicated communications processor which will act to accept requests from the channels, via the cross switch matrices, allocate available channels and/or page data, and perform protocol translation which may be required for each service.
In addition, internal data services are used to monitor trader activity or to provide additional information or services to the traders. The video distribution equipment permits the traders to view data which is only provided in analog video form from certain suppliers.
The system according to the present invention may be expanded either by adding additional work station clusters and associated communications switching matrices, or by adding additional communication channels or voice channels to each switching matrix, which may require the transmission rate to be increased within the fiber loops to the work stations.
Turning now to FIG. 9, the basic configuration of the system 10 in accordance with the present invention includes a plurality of work stations 12A, 12B, 12C, a control console 14 and a serial interface 16 between control console 14 and work stations 12A-12C. Interface 16 uses conventional telephone switching equipment and further receives information from data services over a telephone network 18. System 10 further comprises a video switch exchange 20 connected between the work stations 12A-12C, control console 14 and a plurality of video data networks 22A-22D, each of which may supply up to eight video data sources. Video switch exchange 20 is operative in response to requests from work stations 12A-12C and control signals from control console 14 to provide selective ones of the video data sources to selected ones of the work stations. Video switch exchange 20 therefore includes a plurality of video buffer circuits 24A-24D connected to respective ones of the video data networks 22A-22D for adjusting the level of the video data signals to the appropriate video levels used in system 10, and further includes a plurality of cross switch matrices 26A-26H. The cross switch matrices 26A-26H operate as a switching circuit for connecting a selected one of an input line from one of the video buffers 24A-24D to a selected output line directed to one of work stations 12A-12C. More particularly, as described in greater detail below, each work station 12A-12C includes a plurality of monitors 28A-28I. Each output line is connected to a particular monitor 28A-28I within the work stations 12A-12C. Each cross switch matrix 26A-26H provides eight lines through a respective driver circuit 30A-30H to a respective connection module 32A-32H. The output lines from the connection modules 32A-32H are assigned to individual ones of the monitors 28. As shown, work station 12A includes four monitors 28A-28D. Therefore, communication module 32A provides four output lines connected to respective ones of monitors 28A-28D. Correspondingly, work stations respectively 12B and 12C include three monitors 28E-G and 28H-I, so that communication modules 32D and 32F three lines and two lines to work stations 12B, 12C, respectively.
System 10 further includes a management information system (MIS) computer 34, which may be a personal computer used to sample and store the daily video activity.
In addition to the monitors 28, each work station 12A-12C includes a turret and intercom module 36A-36C which receives respective input lines through interface 16 from interface 18. Each turret/intercom module 36 includes a keyboard 38A-38C for entering user requests by the operator at the work station. Correspondingly, control module 14 includes a PC having a keyboard 40 and MIS computer 34 includes a keyboard 42 for entering commands by the operator.
FIG. 10 illustrates an advantageous embodiment of video buffer 24A. All of video buffers 24A-24D are of identical construction and differ only in the particular input video data lines supplied thereto, and so only video buffer 24 will be described. Video buffer 24A has two functions, to match the impedance between the video source and the input to the video matrix circuitry and to amplify the input video signals to appropriate levels to compensate for the capacitive loses in the input cables.
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a cross switch matrix 26A. Again, all cross switch matrices 26A-26D are of identical construction and differ only in the connections to which the respective input and output lines are connected. As illustrated in FIG. 11, cross switch matrix 26A receives all eight video lines from each of the 4 video buffers 24A-24D. Thus, four sets of eight channels are provided and each set is supplied to the inputs of four 8×8 analog switches U1-U4. In addition, control module 14 provides command signals through 16 control lines. Under this control, a connection can be made through any of switches U1-U4 from any video source to any or all user output ports. Addressing is decoded via switch U5 and sets the chip enable for the addressed monitor 28.
FIG. 12 illustrates driver circuit 30A, and once again it is noted that driver circuits 30A-30H are of identical construction.
System 10 enables a number of highly advantageous operating routines which facilitate the flow of desired information to each work station 12A-12C and the coordination of the various work stations by the control console 14. These routines include a video scan routine, a channel forcing routine, a set system configuration routine, a set groups routine, a blackout routine, a blackout management routine, a monitor routine and an MIS routine. The flow charts and computer screens produced in accordance with these routines are illustrated in FIGS. 1A-7B, respectively and will now be described.
Each of these routines, with the exception of the MIS routine, is controlled by the operation of keyboard 40 at control console 14, while the MIS operation is controlled by keyboard 42 at MIS computer 34.
Each of these operations is accessed through a Main Menu screen, which is the default screen presented at control console 14. The main menu is illustrated in FIG. 13, and the selection of operation through keyboard 40 uses both cursor control and the entry of selection numbers. For example, when the main menu is displayed, the video scan operation is accessed by entering the number "1". The main menu may be accessed at any time by hitting the letter "Q" for "Quit" either once or twice, depending upon the level within the operation under performance.
Turning now to FIG. 1A, the video scan operation is the operation in which any video source may be switched to any monitor 28 from control console 14. The presentation screen, illustrated in FIG. 1B, presents a chart in the form of a matrix of information, in which the channels, that is the video sources, are displayed in the rows and the monitors, herein termed users, are displayed in columns. By moving the cursor, a selected source may be connected to a selected user. The cursor appears as an illuminated rectangle with the underlying data in reverse illumination. As the cursor moves from one position to another within the matrix, the connection represented by the old cursor location is broken and the connection represented by the new cursor location is made. This breaking/making of connections is achieved by cross switch matrices 26A-26H, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 11.
Referring back to FIG. 1A, the video scan operation is performed under the control of a program 100, which is entered in step 101 when the selection number "1" is entered on the main menu. Upon entry to program 100, it will be understood that a set of old user/channel connections already exists This set of user/channel connections may be empty if the system has been initialized, or may represent a present condition of the system which it is desired to change. Therefore, only one user/channel connection is altered in each loop through program 100. This is achieved first in step 107, in which the zero connection is made while storing the old user/channel connections. These user/channel connections are left undisturbed until steps 14 and 15. When a valid entry at step 109 indicates a new connection, the old connection is broken by disconnecting the selected user from its previous channel and by reconnecting that user to the new selected channel. The remaining users and channels remain undisturbed. It will be understood, of course, that the same channel may be supplied to two or more users at the same time.
At step 102, the operator is requested to enter the channel number and user number. It is to be remembered that the user number identifies not the particular work station, but rather a particular monitor At step 103 it is checked whether the numerical entry of channel and user number is valid, and if it is invalid an appropriate error signal is displayed in step 104 and program 100 returns to step 102. However, if the entry is valid, any stored error indications are cleared in step 105, the previous screen and display matrix is cleared in step 106 and in step 107 the cursor is placed at the origin, as illustrated in FIG. 1B. This is effective to make the zero connection of channel number 0 to user number 0. At step 108, program 100 checks whether the operator wishes to quit the video scan operation, which will occur when the entry is Q. If Q has been entered, then in step 109 the old user/channel connections, which here would be those pending before step 107, are restored, in 110 the main menu is restored and in step 111 the control console exits the video scan routine.
However, if a quit command was not entered, at step 109 it is checked whether a new user/channel connection has been requested. That is, control console 14 determines whether the cursor has been moved from the origin to indicate a new connection. If the entry is invalid, the errors are displayed in step 112 and program 100 returns to step 108. However, if the entry was valid, any errors are cleared in step 113, the old user/channel connection is broken in step 114, the new user/channel connection is made in step 115 and a report on the updated user/channel connection is provided to control console 14 in step 116. these charged connections are sensed by the change in configuration of switches U1-U4 When the control program 100 then returns to step 108, the user/channel connection made in step 115 is now an old user/channel connection with the remaining connections and will be restored in step 109 upon quitting the video scan routine.
Using this routine, the only valid entries are "8" to move the cursor up, "2" to move the cursor down, "4" to move the cursor left, "6" to move the cursor right and "Q" to quit. The presentation screen of FIG. 1B indicates this control information at the bottom of the displayed matrix of users vs. channels. The other presentations screens similarly display the valid possibilities for entry. Therefore, at step 103, or at step 109 defined below, any entry created by hitting any other key on keyboard 40 will be detected as an invalid entry.
FIG. 2A illustrates a channel forcing operation in which the operator may force one source channel to all users at once. This is primarily a maintenance operation to check that the source is adjusted properly for display at any or all of the monitors 28 of the users.
The presentation screen is illustrated in FIG. 2B, and it prompts for the channel identification of the channel to be forced. Once a channel is forced, it may be disabled by any other menu entry, or it may be left active. A status report capability will display the last forced channel and when it was forced. As indicated in FIG. 2B, the only valid inputs are 1-5 for the channel forcing operation.
A flow chart of program 200 is illustrated in FIG. 1A. Program 200 is entered at step 201 by the entry of 2 in the main menu, in step 202 the previous screen is cleared and the presentation menu of FIG. 2B is illustrated. In step 203 it is checked whether the entry is valid, and if it is not, an error display is presented in step 204 and control returns to step 203. If the entry is valid, any stored errors are cleared in step 204 and then the nature of the valid entry is determined in the following steps. Thus, if the entry was "1" to select a channel, this is determined in step 205 and in step 206 the operator is prompted to entry the channel number. If the entry was "2" to activate the channel, this is determined in step 206, and in step 207 it is determined whether a channel has already been activated. If so, then a new channel cannot be selected and forced unless the old channel is disabled, and therefore in step 208 an error display of "ACTIVE SINCE", the time and the channel number will be displayed and then control will return to step 203. However, if at step 207, it is determined that no channel has already been activated, then the time of activation is recorded in step 208, the previous user/channel connections are disconnected in step 209, and the selected channel is connected to all users in step 210, and then control returns to step 203.
If at step 206, the entry was determined not to be an activate request, then in step 211 it is determined whether a "3" has been entered to disable the forced channel. If so, in step 212 it is determined whether a blackout routine is in operation. This routine is described below in connection with FIGS. 5A and 5B. If the blackout routine is in effect, control returns to step 203. Otherwise, in step 213 the previously selected and forced channel is disconnected from all the users, in step 214 the previous user/channel connections are restored, and then control is returned to step 203.
If at step 211 it was determined that a disabled request was not entered, then in step 215 it is determined whether "4" has been entered as a status request. If so, in step 216 it is determined whether the channel forcing operation has been activated. If it has, the channel number in activation time are displayed in step 217. If it has not, the words "NOT ACTIVE" are displayed in step 218, and in both cases the control returns to step 203.
Finally, in step 219, it is determined whether the valid entry, if no other entry, is "5" to quit. If for any error it is determined that this entry is not 5, control returns to step 203 to await a new entry. However, since "5" is the only remaining valid entry, in step 220 the main menu is restored and then in step 221 program 200 ends.
System 10 has three power on or reset defaults. The first is the host system command length. Some turret systems, such as Positron, vary in their communication protocols with the video switch exchange 20. To accommodate this, system 10 provides a software switch for either a two or three digit command length code, the default being a three digit code. Secondly, there is a default channel for screen zero. This allows at least one screen to be programmed as an active channel for every user. In the present embodiment this channel is selected as channel zero. Thirdly, there is the system configuration. System 10 allows in the illustrated embodiment up to four monitor screens 28 to be logically associated in any one work station 12A-12C with a turret/keyboard module 38A-38C. This logical assignment is achieved using the set system default presentation menu, illustrated in FIG. 3C, and is stored in non-volatile memory to remain active indefinitely. As in video scan program 100, changes are made using the cursor key and are prompted by a display at the bottom of the presentation screen.
Initially, the set system default menu is entered from the main menu by entry of 7. This menu merely offers a choice of setting the turret command by entering 1, setting the default channel by entering 2, or entering the set system configuration program by entering 3. This will result in the display of the presentation screen of FIG. 3C.
A flow chart of the entire set system defaults program 300 is illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Upon entry of 7 from the main menu, program 300 is entered at step 301, the previous screen is erased and the system defaults menu is presented. At step 303 errors are cleared and at step 304 the entry in the set systems default menu is checked. If the entry is 1, in step 305 the operator is prompted to enter the width information, in step 306 the information is stored for use by the system, and the control returns to step 304 through steps 302 and 303. If a command width request was not entered, then at step 337 it is determined whether the single user request has been entered by entry of 2. If so, in step 308 the operator is prompted to enter the channel number, in step 309 the entered channel number is stored for a power-on default and control returns to step 304. If a step 307 a single user request was not received, then at step 310 it is determined whether a system configuration request was received. If not, in step 311 it is determined whether a quit request was received and if so program 300 ends at step 312. If at step 311 it is determined that a quit request was not received then the entry was invalid, an error message is displayed at step 312 and control returns to step 302.
If at step 310 a system configuration request is recognized, then at step 313 the screen is cleared and the presentation screen illustrated in FIG. 3C is displayed.
Referring now to FIG. 3B, upon an entry at step 313, the entry is checked at step 314, and if the entry is invalid an error message is displayed at step 315 and control returns to step 314. If the entry is valid, the errors are cleared at step 316 and the type of entry is determined in step 317. That is, if it is a cursor command entry, then in step 318 the cursor is moved to the selected new location and control returns to step 314. If it is not a cursor command entry then at step 319 it is determined whether it is a change command to change the system configuration. If not, at step 320 it is determined whether the entry was a quit command. If so, program 300 ends at step 321. If not, which would be an error condition, control returns to step 314.
If at step 319 a change commend is detected, then in step 322 there is a check for an invalid entry (question whether this was done 314). In step 323 the words "CHANGE MADE" are displayed.
As shown in FIG. 3C, each of workstations 12A-12C (or more generally turrets 0-16) receives a default assignment of four users. A change in the user assigned to a particular default may be made by moving the cursor to the desired position within the chart and changing the number of the user identified therein. The current position of the cursor is displayed below the chart as "Turret=-, CRT=-."
In step 324, the operator is prompted to enter the change information. In step 325 it is checked whether the entry is valid, and if not an error is displayed in step 326 and control is returned to step 324. If the entry is valid, errors are cleared in step 326, the stored system data is revised with the new information in step 327 and in step 328 the new information is displayed and the cursor is restored to its initial position at the origin. Control then returns to step 314. Entry of a quit command at this point returns the program to step 302 and the previous set systems default menu. A second quit command then returns control to the main menu.
Another operation of system 10 according to the present invention is the set groups operation. Following Trader's Floor tradition, system 10 allows groups of traders headed by a leader to be considered a logical entity, and as such the lead trader has control of one monitor in each of his group's members' work stations. The member work stations are also termed slave work stations. For example, if the leader at work station 12A considers the display on channel 5 to be important to all of its group's members, then with a single command he can connect channel 5 to monitor (or user) number 0. This display will remain active until the group leader removes it from his screen. The partition of the work stations into group members and leaders in accomplished using the set groups menu. Using the cursor keys, any group member can be assigned to any group leader, and a list of the active groups and their leaders may also be obtained.
The presentation screen for the list display is illustrated in FIG. 4C and the presentation menu for setting the leaders and their groups is illustrated in FIG. 4D.
A set groups program 400 is illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B. Program 400 begins when 8 is entered on the main menu, and begins at step 401. At step 402, the previous screen is cleared and a first menu permitting entry of a request for a leader display or a listing is provided. At step 403, the entry is checked for validity, and if the entry is invalid and error display is provided at step 404 and control returns to step 402. If the entry is valid, the errors are cleared at step 405 and at step 406 it is determined whether a leader's array has been requested. If so, the presentation screen of FIG. 4C is displayed in step 407, illustrating the leaders assigned &o the different groups, and control returns to step 402. If a leader's array has not been requested at step 406, then in step 408 it is determined whether a listing has been requested. If not, then in step 409 it is determined whether a quit request has been entered and if so program 400 exits at step 410. If not, in an error condition, control returns to step 402. If, however, at step 408 a listing request is recognized, then in step 411 the previous screen is cleared and a chart is displayed showing the group numbers, leaders and members. This chart is illustrated in FIG. 4D.
Referring now to FIG. 4B, at step 412 the entry into the chart displayed at step 411 is checked. If the entry is invalid, an error display is provided at step 413 and control returns to step 41 to await a new entry. If the entry is valid, the errors are cleared at step 414, and step 415 determines whether the entry was a cursor command. If it was, then the cursor is moved to the new location in step 416 and control returns to step 412. If it was not a cursor command, then in step 417 it is determined whether a change command was entered. If not , then in step 418 it is determined whether a quick command was entered and if so, program 400 exits at step 419. If a quit command was not entered, then in an error condition, control returns to step 412.
However, if at step 417 a change command is recognized, then in step 420 it is determined whether the change command is a change of leader or change in member command. If it is a change in leader command, then the operator is prompted for a new leader number in step 421, while if it is a change of member command the operator is prompted for a new member number in step 422. In either case, in step 423 it is checked whether the entry was valid, and if it was invalid an error display is provided at step 424 and control returns to step 423 to await the entry of a new leader/member number.
If the leader/number entry was valid, then in step 425 the errors are cleared, in step 426 the stored group data is revised with the new information, and in step 427 the new information is displayed and the cursor is restored to its zero condition. Control then r<turns to step 412 to determine if a further change in group membership is desired.
The present invention provides an advantageous blackout routine. The CRT screens of the monitors 28, if left on for an extended period of time with any particular display, will begin to present the marks of burns in their phosphorescent surfaces produced by the constant excitation of the scanning electron beam. This causes loss in both the focus and luminosity of the displayed images, so that the life expectancy of the CRT is dramatically reduced. Furthermore, experience has shown that the majority of the video displays present on the trader floor remain on overnight. To reduce the risk of these burns, system 10 according to the present invention provides a programmable time interval, called the "blackout" interval, during which all video sources are disconnected from all users. While this is not the equivalent of a total power down, it has the practical effect of blanking out all of the screens. Consequently, the CRT screens of the monitors 28 will be protected from burns during the nightly period of no activity on the floor.
The blackout routine provides a presentation screen, illustrated in FIG. 5B, which is similar in structure and operation to the channel forcing screen illustrated in FIG. 2B. A flowchart of the program 500 for the blackout routine is illustrated in FIG. 5A.
More particularly, the blackout routine is entered when 9 is entered in the main menu screen illustrated in FIG. 12. Program 500 begins at step 50[and in step 502 the previous screen is cleared and the menu of the presentation screen illustrated in FIG. 5B is displayed. In step 503 the entry is checked for validity, and if it is invalid, an error display is provided in step 504 and control returns to step 503 to await the next entry. If the entry is valid, the errors are cleared at step 505 and then the identification of the valid entry is determined. At step 506, it is determined whether the entry is a set entry. If it is, the operator is prompted at step 507 to enter the start time. Step 508 checks whether the entered start time is valid, and if it is not, at step 509, an error display is provided and control returns to step 507. If the start time is valid, errors are cleared at step 51(, the start time is stored in step 511 and in step 512 the operator is prompted to enter the blackout stop time. In step 513, the entered stop time is checked for validity, and if it is invalid, an error display is provided in step 514 and control returns to step 512. If the stop time is valid, errors are cleared in step 515 and the blackout stop time is stored in step 516 and control is returned to step 503.
If at step 506 the entry is not a set request, at step 517 it is determined whether it is a now request, that is, to determine whether the blackout should begin immediately. If so, all the screens are cleared at step 518 and control returns to step 503. If the request is not a now request, then at 519 it is determined whether the request is a restore request. If so, the blackout is ended and in step 520 all the screens are turned on to the last channel selected. If the request was not a restore request, then in step 520 when it is determined whether the request was an activate request. If so, then the "blackout" flag is set in step 522 and control is returned to step 503. If the request was not an activated request, then in step 523 it is determined whether it was a disabled request. If so, the "blackout" flag is reset in step 524 and control is returned to step 503. If the request was not a risable request, then in step 525 it is determined whether the request was a status request. If so, then step 526 determines whether the blackout flag has been set or reset. If it was set, then the word "active" in the start and stop times are displayed in step 527, while if the blackout flag was reset the word "disabled" is displayed in step 528, and in either case control returns to step 503. Finally, in step 529 it is determined whether a quit request was received. If so, then program 500 ends at step 530. If not, then, in an air condition, control returns to step 503.
FIG. 6 illustrates a blackout routine through which control console 14 is responsive to the start and stop times and the "blackout" flags set during the blackout operation. Blackout management program 600 begins at step 601 and then in step 602 the hardware timer output is disabled. This may occur, for example, under the control of the console operator at the end of the trading day. In step 603, it is determined whether the blackout flag is set or reset. If it is reset, then no blackout operation is to occur, and control goes to step 604 in which the hardware timer output is enabled and then the program ends at step 605. If, however, the blackout flag has been set, then it is determined in 606 whether the "now" flag has been set. If the "now" flag is reset, then in step 607 it is determined whether the real time is equal to the start time. If not, then control proceeds to step 604. If the real time is equal to the start time, then in 608 all cross point switches are opened to disconnect all users from their channels, and in 609 the "now" flag is set. If in step 606 the "now" flag is set, then it is determined whether, in step 610, the real time is equal to the stop time. If not, control proceeds to step 604, while if the real time is equal to the stop time, in step 611 the cross point switches are reconnected in their previous configuration to restore the video signals and the "now" flag is reset in step 612. Console 14 repeatedly calls step 600 to determine and control the blackout of monitors 28.
A monitor menu and routine are provided to show the floor video activity in real time. The menu is illustrated FIG. 7B. When this menu is activated, every video request is shown on the screen as a chart in a matrix form, one matrix form per user, and the cursor moves over the last change. When the cursor moves to another location on the screen, it leaves behind the last change of the previous user request. No operator intervention is required in this mode and the only action permitted is the exit to the main menu.
Thus, a flowchart for monitor program 700 is illustrated in FIG. 7A. This program begins at step 701 and in 702 the previous screen is cleared and a display of a chart showing the users and channels is displayed (FIG. 7B). In step 703, it is determined whether a change cursor command has occurred and if not, in step 704 it is determined whether a quit request has been received, so that the program ends at step 705. If, however, at step 703, a change cursor command has been received, then at step 706, the cursor is repositioned in the channel field for the user who just changed the channels, and in step 707 the presentation screen is changed to display the new channel number, and then control proceeds to step 704.
System 10 has a management information system port in control console 14. Through this port, a separate computer, such as MIS computer 16, can sample and store the daily video activity. This function is enabled by an "activate" command, and once activated, all video commands are prepared in a special form and presented to the MIS port. A status report command will return to the terminal the status of the MIS function (active or disabled) and the time when it was last activated. The flowchart for the MIS operation is illustrated in FIG. 8A, and the presentation screen therefor is illustrated in FIG. 8B.
Program 800 for the MIS operation begins at step 801 and then in step 802 the previous screen is cleated and the menu illustrated in FIG. 8B is displayed. If the command entry is invalid in step 803, then in system 804 an error display is presented and control returns to step 803. If the entry is valid, then in step 805 it is determined whether this is an activate request. If yes, then the "MIS active" flag is set in step 806 and control returns to step 803. If the entry is not an activate request, then in step 807 it is determined whether it is a disabled request, and if so the "MIS active" flag is reset in step 808 and control is returned to step 803. If the entry is not a disable request, then in step 809 it is determined whether it is a status request. If so, then in step 810 it is determined whether the "MIS active" flag is set or reset. If it is set, then the words "MIS active" and the activation time are displayed in step 811, while if it is reset the words "MIS disabled" are displayed in step 812, and in either case control returns to step 803 If instep 809 it is determined that the entry was not a status request, then in step 810, it is determined whether the entry was a quit request, and if so the program ends at step 814. If not, then, in an air condition, control returns to step 803.
Although the present invention has been described in connection with a single preferred embodiment, it will be apparent that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is to be determined by reference to the appended claims. | An apparatus and method for switching video signals from input lines to output lines. A control device selectively sets a blackout start time and a blackout stop time. A first comparator compares the blackout start time with actual time and a second comparator compares the blackout stop time with actual time. A switch is provided for connecting the input lines to output lines and for disconnecting the input lines from the output lines. The switch is responsive to the first comparator to disconnect all input lines from all output lines when the actual time equals the blackout start time. The switch is also responsive to the second comparator to reconnect the input lines to the output lines when the actual time equals the blackout stop time. | 7 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a collapsible seamless aluminum container of the type used for beer, soft drinks, or the like, and more particularly to such a container which can be manually axially collapsed in a predetermined pattern to a smaller size when its contents are exhausted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Metal containers of the prior art have been provided with ribs in the container lateral surface extending both horizontally and longitudinally. However, such ribs have been positioned, constructed and arranged to effect a strengthening function in the lateral surface or sidewall of the metal container. Similarly, metal container sidewalls have also been provided with embossments of varying shapes, but these deformations are generally again for the purpose of increasing the strength of the container sidewall. Applicant is not aware of any prior seamless aluminum can or container for accommodating beverages or other goods which is formed of sufficient strength for its intended purpose, and yet can be axially collapsed by manual pressure when exhausted of its contents so that the container will occupy a minimum of space.
In the patent prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,826 shows a packaging system in which vertical corrugations, horizontal corrugations and diamond-shaped embossing is used to strengthen the sidewalls of a package or container to be formed. The patent discloses light-gauge material which is initially formed in the shape of a flattened tube for shipping purposes, and then containers formed from the tube are expanded, provided with a bottom closure member, filled with the desired contents, and provided with an appropriate cover or lid. No structure is provided in the sidewalls to facilitate axial collapsibility of the container after the contents of the container are removed; in fact, the deformations in the sidewall of the container are stated to be for strengthening the sidewalls.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,418 shows annular corrugations in the sidewall of a large drum, which corrugations again are for strengthening the sidewalls.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,089,533 relates primarily to an apparatus for beading thin metal cylinders by passing a ribbed mandrel over the lateral surface of the cylindrical body. Both horizontal and vertical ribs are shown in the lateral surface of the container and the purpose of the ribs is to strengthen the lateral surface of the cylindrical body. The lateral surface is not intended to be axially collapsible.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 2,139,143 discloses expressor mechanisms or collapsing devices for dispensing liquids and semi-liquids from sealed containers by applying mechanical screw pressure or pneumatic pressure endwise of the sealed containers to squeeze the container into a collapsed condition so as to empty the contents of the container. In two of the devices which apply rotative screw pressure, the opposite ends of the container being collapsed are rotated relative to each other so that the container walls are collapsed in a spiral fashion. The pneumatic pressure device has a cylinder within which a piston reciprocates to squeeze a container in the cylinder against a stationary head. The container disclosed by the patent is provided with spaced creases which extend intermittently and diagonally or spirally around the lateral surface of the container. Intermittent horizontal creases spaced axially of the container are also diagrammatically shown.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Billions of aluminum cans or containers are manufactured and used in the United States each year, and their use is increasing for beverages and other goods for human consumption. Particularly with beverages, cans made from aluminum provide greater palatability than other metal containers.
The common practice is simply to throw the cans away after use which is wasteful of valuable aluminum materials. A large portion of our aluminum ore (bauxite) is imported which adversely affects our foreign monetary balance of payments. More importantly, the conversion of aluminum ore to aluminum metal requires large amounts of electrical energy, the industry being extremely energy oriented and energy intensive. Aluminum metal which is saved, recycled and reused thus conserves both valuable materials and increasingly valuable supplies of energy. Therefore, consumers purchasing goods in aluminum cans must be encouraged to save the cans, to store the cans, and to transport the cans to a central collection agency, which in turn will store and have the cans transported to a recycling center.
One of the principal deterrents in establishing an effective recycling operation is the inconvenience of storing and transporting the space-consuming cans in their cylindrical condition. Space is consumed within the chambers of the cans and between adjacent cans, again both in storage and in transport.
The present invention enables a consumer to manually axially collapse an aluminum can to about one-fifth its normal size, substantially obviating the deterent referred to above. Conservationists advocating aluminum recycling are also advocating some small payment for each can returned for recycling. The present invention will give added impetus to this needed conservation measure by encouraging the consumer to participate in the recycling operation and by facilitating the handling of the cans by all persons involved in the recycling operation.
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a seamless aluminum container for beverages, edible goods, or the like, which is adapted to be axially collapsed by manual pressure in a predetermined pattern without using any guiding surfaces adjacent the peripheral sidewalls of the container.
Another object of the invention is to provide a readily collapsible can or container which can be collapsed by applying manual pressure from the foot of an individual with the can resting on a supporting surface.
A further object of the invention is to encourage the conservation of aluminum, and its concomitant energy processing requirements, by facilitating aluminum recycling.
A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible can for beverages or the like having alternate annular rows of embossments and ribs formed in the lateral surface thereof to strengthen the sidewall of the can in a direction transverse of the axis of the can whereby the can can be formed with a thinner aluminum sidewall.
Still another object of the invention is to provide embossments in the lateral surface of the collapsible can to facilitate the grasping of the can by the hand of an individual utilizing the contents of the can, and to increase the available sidewall surface area for cooling purposes.
It is estimated that about one aluminum can in four or five is now being returned for a recycling operation, even though many manufacturers of products utilizing aluminum cans encourage the consumer by stating on each can "All aluminum Please recycle". It is an important purpose of the present invention to provide an easily and readily collapsible aluminum can which will encourage the recycling of aluminum cans by economizing on storage and transporting space required from the consumer to the aluminum recycling station.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a seamless aluminum container is provided which is adapted to be axially collapsed in a predetermined pattern after the contents of the container have been removed. The container has a seamless sidewall of thin bendable metal which provides an outer lateral surface shaped generally in the form of a right circular cylinder. The container is closed at the bottom and is provided with a top closure member which may be provided with a manually removable tab as currently in common use on beverage cans or with some similar access means to the inner chamber of the can. A plurality of circumferential adjacent rows of similarly shaped embossments are impressed into the lateral surface of the can which embossments afford with the lateral surface of the can an outwardly directed circumferential rib between adjacent embossment rows. The embossments of each row are elongated and each embossment in a row is spaced from adjacent embossments of that row to afford an increment of the lateral surface sidewall between adjacent embossments.
Each row of embossments is also angularly offset in a circumferential direction from an adjacent row of embossments. This angular offset positions the increment of the lateral surface in axial alignment with the mid-portion of the embossment of an adjacent row.
When an empty can is placed uprightly on a supporting surface, axial pressure on the can by the foot of an individual will collapse the sidewall in a predetermined pattern. The sidewall folds circumferentially at each annular rib and the resultant of forces on each embossment bends each embossment in a row inwardly to form in each embossment row an annular series of chord-like plates or segments. Each segment of a series extends between adjacent increments of the lateral surface in an embossment row; and the segments of each embossment row are each angularly offset in a circumferential direction from the segment formed in an adjacent embossment row.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The details of construction and operation of the invention are more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is an upright perspective view of a seamless aluminum can, with the top removed, exemplifying the type of prior art can currently available in the market-place;
FIG. 2 is an upright perspective view of a seamless aluminum can, with the top closure member broken away, showing embossments in the lateral surface of the sidewall of the can, it being understood that the rows of embossments extend annularly about the can and in like manner in the space between the upper and lower rows of embossments shown;
FIG. 3 is a developed view, for illustrative purposes only, showing a portion of the embossed sidewall of the container as the sidewall would appear in plan view if vertically out and placed in a planar position;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken as indicated on line 4--4 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken as indicated on line 5--5 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated on line 6--6 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated on line 7--7 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken as indicated on line 8--8 of FIG. 2 and illustrating the initial folding action of an embossment between adjacent annular ribs, the embossment beginning to be deformed inwardly by the forces at opposite ends of the sidewall, as indicated by the opposing arrows;
FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 and showing continued application of opposing forces, as indicated by the arrows, to form a chord-like plate or segment in one embossment of a row of embossments;
FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken as indicated on line 10--10 of FIG. 9 and showing the general shape of the bottom portion of a chord-like plate or segment in fully folded position;
FIG. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inside of the container of FIG. 2 showing the general configuration of the chord-like plates or segments being formed when the can of FIG. 2 is collapsed to one-half the height shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the can in FIG. 2 in fully collapsed position, the height being about one-fifth the height of the can in FIG. 2;
FIG. 13 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated on line 13--13 of FIG. 12 to illustrate two series of adjacent chord-like plates and the annular offset between them; and
FIG. 14 is a diagrammatic showing of a pair of cooperating dies, each in mandrel form, for forming the rows of embossments in the lateral surface of a seamless aluminum can.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Conservation of energy and conservation of raw materials are increasingly important objectives in today's economy. Current television advertisements emphasize the need for recycling aluminum cans and show prior art cans as in FIG. 1, generally designated 10, being carried by the truckload toward a recycling station.
The collapsible can of the present invention will utilize and require less than one-fifth the space of the can of FIG. 1. The collapsible container is constructed and arranged to easily be placed in collapsed condition, as in FIG. 12, by a consumer after the contents are extracted from the container. Manual foot pressure of a consumer applied axially of the can of FIG. 2 will collapse the peripheral sidewalls in a predetermined pattern, as shown in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13, without the need of any apparatus for guiding the sidewall collapse and without the aid of a mechanical or fluid pressure device.
Can 10 is generally formed by an extrusion process from aluminum, a popular size having a height of about 4.75 inches and a diameter of about 2.50 inches. The annular sidewall is generally formed to a thickness of 0.0050 inches to 0.0065 inches. In extruding, the sidewall and the bottom closure member are integrally formed. In FIG. 14, the can 10 of FIG. 1 (absent the neck portion 11) is shown being formed into the structure of FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 2, a seamless aluminum container, generally designated 20, is provided with a peripheral sidewall 21 formed in seamless fashion of thin sheet aluminum. The endless peripheral sidewall 21 affords an outer lateral surface 22 which is preferably generally shaped in the form of a right circular cylinder forming an inner chamber 23, the chamber enclosed by a bottom closure member 24 and a top closure member 25. The top closure member is secured to the upper part of the endless sidewall in a conventional manner and the top closure member may be provided with a removable tab or other access means, not shown, to provide access to the inner chamber 23 and to the contents of the container. While the container 20 shown herein is in the shape of a right circular cylinder, it is understood that other forms of cylinder of annular cross section may be used within the scope of the present invention.
Means are provided in the lateral surface 22 for stiffening said surface against pressures transverse to the axis of the container 20, while at the same time affording a sidewall 21 which is readily collapsible under manual axial pressure when the contents of the can is exhausted. The stiffening means enables the use of thinner aluminum material, e.g. 0.0040 inches, thus effecting a savings in valuable material. Generally, the contents filling the container 20 supplements the integrity of the sidewall 21 during storage and prior to use by the consumer. To this end, and as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lateral surface of the sidewall is provided with a plurality of circumferential or peripherally extending rows 26 of inwardly directed embossments 27. Each embossment 27 is similarly shaped and is elongated in a direction extending circumferentially of the container. The embossments 27 of each row are spaced from each other about the periphery of the container 20 to provide an increment 28 whose locus lies in the lateral surface 22 of the sidewall 21 between adjacent embossments 27 of each row 26.
As best seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, each embossment is formed to afford a major portion 27a each of which is provided at opposite ends with an end minor portion 27b. Each major portion extends arcuately inwardly of the lateral surface 22 and in cross section (FIG. 6) preferably is formed in the shape of an arc of a circle with the largest depth being approximately 0.060 inches, the circle radius being approximately 0.150 inches. In peripheral cross section, each major portion 27a is preferably arcuate and, as shown in FIG. 7, is in the shape of an arc of a circle having a common center with the radius of the lateral surface of the can 20. Each end minor portion 27b is gently curved outwardly to blend with and join the adjacent increments 28 of an embossment row, as shown in FIG. 7.
Thus, the major portion 27a of each embossment 27 preferably extends at a uniform depth into the lateral surface between end minor portions 27b, and the deepest portion of each embossment extends preferably on the arc of a circle of lesser radius than the radius of the lateral surface of the can.
Each row of embossments 27 preferably extends about the lateral surface 22 in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the can 20. Adjacent rows are formed closely together, as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3, to provide annular rib means 30 therebetween which contribute to the stiffening of the sidewall 21 of the can 20 against forces directed transversely of the axis of the can. The rib means 30 extend peripherally of the container 20 between adjacent rows of embossments. Preferably adjacent rib means are spaced approximately 0.250 inches when the diameter of can 20 is approximately 2.50 inches. Preferably also, in such can dimensions, six embossments are provided in each row to afford a hexagonal folding action as shown in FIG. 13. The number of embossments in each row and the spacing between adjacent rib means 30 may be increased or decreased to accommodate cans of varying diameters. Likewise, the depth of each embossment and its shape in longitudinal section and in cross section may be varied as long as the folding action by axial pressure is accomplished as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. An acceptable folding action is attained with a 2.50 inch diameter can when the rib means are spaced vertically a distance ranging from 3/16 inches to 3/8 inches with the embossments of the contour as pointed out herein.
Referring to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, each row 26 of embossments is angularly offset in a peripheral or circumferential direction from an adjacent row of embossments. As indicated in FIG. 4 and in FIG. 5, the rows of embossments are preferably angularly offset in a circumferential direction approximately 30°. By angularly offsetting adjacent rows of embossments, the lateral surface increments 28 may be placed in axial alignment with the center portion of the major embossment portion of alternate rows of embossments. The positioning of the increments 28 of the lateral surface 22 is important in predetermining the pattern of collapse of the container.
When collapsing a can, it is preferred that the can be placed upon a surface which will allow the air pressure within the can to readily escape when axial pressure, e.g., from an individual's foot, is applied. Also, during initial collapse, the row of embossments near the center of the can will generally be the first row to show a folding or collapsing action, which is to be expected since reactive pressure from the supporting surface as well as pressure upon the exposed end of the can is being applied to the container sidewall.
The initial folding action of the major portion 27a of each embossment in a row results from the application of opposing forces through the increments 28 in the rows above and below each major portion being folded or collapsed. Vector forces from the increments 28 in adjacent rows are applied to the major portions 27a of the embossments of a row being collapsed in the direction of the arrows 40, 41 in FIG. 8 to provide a resultant force directed inwardly of the can 20 in the direction of arrow 42.
Actually in FIG. 8, an initial row of one of the rows of embossments is shown partially folded from the application of the vector forces referred to above. Since the embossments are concave in cross section and arcuate in longitudinal section, adjacent embossments in a row during folding tend to exert opposed forces upon each interposed increment 28 of that row urging each increment in a direction outwardly of the lateral surface 22. In other words, each arcuately convex, longitudinal section, during folding, tends to move inwardly of the can 20 from the position shown in FIG. 7 to the chordal position shown in FIG. 10 which movement exerts forces endwise of the embossment upon adjacent increments 28 of the row being folded. This action and these forces destroy the structural integrity of each increment in a row and assist in collapsing the increments 28 of the row. As the folding or bending action continues toward the position shown in FIG. 9, the embossment walls of each major portion 27a and minor portion 27b of a row are gradually folded to form a series of similar chord-like plates or segments 50.
The embossments 27 of each row and the increments 28 between adjacent embossments of a row predetermine the pattern of fold of the row because the embossments 27 are less resistant to axial folding pressure than are the increments 28. In other words, axial force applied to increments 28 centrally of the embossments 27 initiate the folding of the embossments in a row. Thus with six embossments in the initially collapsing row, the collapsed embossments or segments 50 tend to form a hexagonal type structure with the apex 51 of each of the interior angles of the hexagon being located substantially at the increments 28, as shown in FIG. 13. Since the increments 28 of each row of embossments are offset peripherally from the increments of an adjacent row, the collapsed increments of adjacent rows are offset from each other as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13. FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 show twelve axially extending rows of collapsed increments 28. Clearly, the increments of each row of embossments can be varied in their peripheral offset so that the positions of the collapsed increments can be made to vary from the positions shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13.
Generally, before the initial row of embossments is folded, adjacent rows above and below the initial row commence their folding action in the manner described above, each embossment of said rows folding inwardly about the annular, outwardly directed, sharply-angled rib means, as shown in FIG. 9. Each rib means, though extending intermittently about the can because of increments 28, serves as sort of an annular line of weakening about which embossments of adjacent rows are folded under axial pressure.
After the annular series of chord-like plates or segments 50 of the initial collapsing row of embossments is formed (FIG. 9), the upper and the lower rows of embossments are sequentially collapsed or folded starting with the upper and lower row immediately adjacent the initial collapsed segments 50. The collapsing action is increasingly facilitated with each row that is collapsed because an increasingly stable annular depth of plates or segments is built up against which the opposed axial forces in the sidewall can bear or act.
Referring to FIG. 14, a diagrammatic illustration is shown for forming the sidewall 21 of the can 20 of the present invention. A pair of cooperating embossing dies 60, 61, each in mandrel form, may be provided for gripping and forming the lateral surface 21 of the can therebetween. Die 60 is the male die, and is shown with rows of spaced peripheral projections 62, the exposed surface of each projection being shaped to form an embossment 27. As shown here, die 60 has six projections in each annular row so that one rotation of the die will completely form the rows of embossments in the lateral surface of the can.
Die 61 is the female die and has a number of rows of cavities 63 in its annular surface, each cavity being shaped to closely receive a projection of die 60 as the dies are turned in timed relation by rotatable shafts 64 and 65. Die 61 is provided with three cavities in each annular row of cavities, and thus die 61 rotates twice to complete the embossing of the lateral surface of the can. Die 61 is made smaller than the diameter of the can to permit its retraction from the lateral surface of the can upon completion of an embossing operation.
The embossing dies 60, 61 are shaped to provide a shallow and gradual drawing operation on the thin aluminum material to form embossments 27 which have no appreciable change in material thickness whereby fracturing problems caused by plastic flow of aluminum are avoided.
It is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the embossments 27 shown herein may be impressed outwardly of the sidewall 21 of can 20 so that each of the annular rib means 30 is directed inwardly of the container. In other words, the positions of the embossments and rib means are reversed. In such an arrangement, the longitudinal section of each embossment would appear as the mirror image of the embossment of FIG. 7, while each increment 28 would be positioned as heretofore disclosed. Since each longitudinal section of an embossment 27 in a row would be arcuately concave outwardly from the lateral surface of the sidewall 21, axial forces through the increments 28 above and below an embossment would fold the major and minor portions of the embossment outwardly to form a plate or segment with an arcuate free end, rather than a chord-like free end as heretofore described. However, in this case, the structural integrity of adjacent increments 28 is impaired principally by the folding of the minor end portions to cause collapse of the increments 28, rather than the folding action heretofore described in respect to FIG. 7 through FIG. 10. | A seamless aluminum container of the type used for beer, soft drinks, edible goods or the like is provided which container is adapted to be manually axially collapsed in a predetermined pattern to a smaller size when its contents are exhausted, the container collapse being accomplished without the need of any apparatus for guiding the container sidewall collapse and without the aid of any mechanical or fluid pressure device. The container sidewall is embossed with a number of adjacent rows of similar, shallow, elongate embossments, adjacent embossments of a row being separated by narrow increments of the lateral surface. Rows of sharply angled rib means separate the rows of embossments. Increments in a row of embossments are each offset peripherally from increments of an adjacent row. Manual axial forces collapse adjacent rows of embossments about an interposed rib means to form a collapsed container approximately one-fifth the size of the original container. The device encourages consumers to recycle aluminum, facilitates the storage and transport of aluminum cans to a recycling station, strengthens aluminum cans in a transverse direction permitting thinner aluminum stock to be used, and conserves aluminum and the energy needed to produce aluminum. | 1 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/392,933, filed Jul. 2, 2002, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] In one of its aspects, the present invention relates to a composite structure. In another of its aspects, the present invention relates to a process for production of a composite structure.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] In recent years, automotive manufacturers have relied more on non-metal components for finishing of vehicle interiors and exteriors. Thus, it is now conventional to use material such as plastics, foam and the like as interior trim parts in vehicles. Further, reaction injection molded (RIM) and reinforced reaction injected molded (RRIM) parts are used in exterior components (e.g., bumper covers) of vehicles.
[0006] The advantages of these alternate materials include relatively low cost production, reduced weight (leading to improved fuel efficiency for the vehicle) and the like.
[0007] One area which has received some attention is the use of alternate materials for structural and/or non-resilient components of the vehicle. Such components include exterior body panels (e.g., TONNEAU covers), door panels, beds for pickup trucks and the like.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,897 [Staneluis et al. (Staneluis)] teaches a high strength reinforced composite comprising an outer polymeric skin and an inner polymeric foam core chemically and mechanically bonded together at a high modulus, three dimensional interface. The interface comprises transverse or vertical orientation of fibers purportedly to improve compressive strength and to obviate delamination. Unfortunately, by orienting the fibers in this manner resistance to flexure is compromised.
[0009] There is an ongoing need for innovation in this area. Specifically, there is a need for alternate materials which have equal or improved strength properties, are relatively simple to produce, are relatively easy to finish (e.g., paint) and/or are lighter in weight than the products they are replacing. Further, it would be desirable to have an improved composite structure which provides a useful combination of resistance to flexure, compressive strength and resistance to delamination thereby improving the Staneluis composite.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel composite structure which obviates or mitigates at least one of the above-identified disadvantages of the prior art.
[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel process for producing such a composite structure.
[0012] Accordingly, in one of its aspects, the present invention provides a composite structure comprising:
a core portion comprising a pair of generally opposed surfaces; a first fibrous layer disposed on a first surface of the core portion, the first fibrous layer comprising a plurality of fibres disposed substantially parallel to the first surface; a second fibrous layer disposed on a second surface of the core portion, the second fibrous layer comprising a plurality of fibres disposed substantially parallel to the second surface; and a first polymer layer disposed over the first fibrous layer and a second polymer layer disposed over the second fibrous layer;
[0017] wherein: (i) the first fibrous layer is partially embedded in both the core portion and the first polymer layer, and (ii) the second fibrous layer is partially embedded in the core portion and the second polymer layer.
[0018] In another of its aspects, the present invention provides process for producing a composite structure in a mold comprising a first mold half having a first surface and a second mold half having a second surface, the first mold half and the second mold half engagable to define a mold cavity, the process comprising the steps of:
(i) placing a first polymer layer in the first mold half; (ii) placing a second polymer layer in the second mold half; (iii) partially embedding a first fibrous layer in the first polymer layer, the first fibrous layer comprising a plurality of fibres disposed substantially parallel to the first surface; (iv) partially embedding a second fibrous layer in the second polymer layer, the second fibrous layer comprising a plurality of fibres disposed substantially parallel to the second surface; (v) placing a core portion in the mold cavity; (vi) closing the first mold half and the second mold half; and (vii) partially embedding each of the first fibrous layer and the second fibrous layer in the core portion.
[0026] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a process for producing a composite structure in a mold comprising a first mold half having a first surface and a second mold half having a second surface, the first mold half and the second mold half engagable to define a mold cavity, the process comprising the steps of:
(i) placing a first fibrous layer in the first mold half; (ii) placing a second fibrous layer in the second mold half; (iii) partially embedding the first fibrous layer and the second fibrous layer in a core portion to cause the first fibrous layer to be oriented substantially parallel to the first surface and the second fibrous layer to be oriented substantially parallel to the second surface; (iv) placing the core portion in the a mold cavity; (v) dispensing a first liquid polymeric composition between the first surface the first fibrous layer and a second liquid polymeric composition between the second surface the second fibrous layer; and (vi) causing the first liquid polymeric composition to form a first polymer layer which is partially embedded in the first fibrous layer and the second liquid polymeric composition to form a second polymer layer which is partially embedded in the second fibrous layer.
[0033] Thus, the present inventors have surprisingly and unexpectedly discovered a novel composite structure having improved balance of compressive strength and flexural modulus, and having an integrated decorative surface (the polymers layers) that is ready for finishing. The present composite structure preferably comprises a generally planar surface. Within the structure, there is provided a core portion. Preferably, the core portion also comprises a pair of opposed generally planar surfaces. A pair of fibrous layers is disposed on each of the opposed, preferably generally planar, surfaces. Each fibrous layer comprises a plurality of fibres disposed substantially parallel to the plane of the fibrous layer. A pair of the polymer layers is disposed on each fibrous layer, respectively. These layers are arranged in a manner such that, for each fibrous layer, a portion thereof is embedded in the core portion and the polymer layer. Typically, this will occur in the interstices of the fibrous layer. Preferably, the core portion and the polymer layer will contact each other in the interstices in the fibrous layer. More preferably, the core portion and the polymer layer will be chemically bonded to one another in the interstices of the fibrous layer. By having the polymer layer and the core portion effectively each encapsulate a portion of the fibrous layer, a desirable balance of compressive strength, flexural modulus, impact resistance and resistance to delamination (i.e., improved inter-layer adhesion) is conferred to the composite structure.
[0034] The present composite structure will find utility in a wide variety of applications. For example, the present composite structure will find use in a number of automotive applications as an alternate material for structural and other components (resilient and non-resilient) of the vehicle. Such components include exterior body panels (e.g., TONNEAU covers), door panels, beds for pickup trucks and the like. Further, the present composite structure will find use in a number non-automotive applications such as marine, construction, personal protection devices (e.g., helmets) and the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0035] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate like elements, and in which:
[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates, in schematic, an initial step in the present process;
[0037] FIG. 2 illustrates a two-part mold useful to produce the present composite structure;
[0038] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a fibrous layer useful in the present composite panel and process;
[0039] FIG. 4 illustrates an intermediate step in the present process;
[0040] FIG. 5 illustrates an enlarged section along line IV-IV in FIG. 4 ;
[0041] FIGS. 6-8 illustrate further steps in the present process; and
[0042] FIG. 9 illustrates an enlarged section along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 8 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0043] With reference to FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a two-part mold 100 comprising an upper mold 102 and a lower mold 104 . Upper mold 102 and lower mold 104 pivot about a pair of cooperating hinges 106 , 108 . Upper mold 102 further comprises a port 110 whose function will described in more detail hereinbelow.
[0044] An initial step in the preferred embodiment of the present process involves spraying a liquid polymer composition (described below) on the interior surface of upper mold 102 to produce a polymer (elastomer) layer 115 and on lower mold 104 to produce a polymer (elastomer) layer 113 . This step is accomplished using a conventional sprayer 112 which is moved between the lower mold 104 and the upper mold 102 (sprayer 112 is shown ghosted in the latter position).
[0045] With reference to FIG. 2 , mold 100 is shown in a fully open state after the spraying step illustrated in FIG. 1 .
[0046] In FIG. 3 there is illustrated a fibrous layer 114 . Fibrous layer 114 comprises a plurality of fibres 116 which are aligned in a common plane of fibrous layer 114 . As shown, substantially all of the plurality of fibres 116 are aligned in the common plane of fibrous layer 114 (i.e., there is little or no presence of fibres oriented out the common plane of fibrous layer 114 ).
[0047] With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 , it will be seen that fibrous layer 114 is placed upper mold 104 and another fibrous layer 114 a modified to have an aperture 118 is placed in upper mold 102 such that aperture 118 of fibrous layer 114 a is in substantial alignment with port 110 in upper mold 102 .
[0048] With reference to FIG. 5 , fibrous layer 114 is placed in lower mold 104 in a manner such that at least a portion of fibres 116 of fibrous layer 114 are embedded in elastomer layer 113 . Thus, it is preferred to conduct the step illustrated in FIG. 4 prior to complete curing of polymer layer 113 . While not specifically illustrated, fibrous layer 114 a is placed in upper mold 102 to have a similar embedding of individual fibres with polymer layer 115 in upper mold 102 .
[0049] With reference to FIG. 6 , mold 100 is shown in a closed state, namely mold 102 is swung about hinges 106 , 108 so that is closed with respect to lower mold 104 to define a mold cavity 117 .
[0050] Next, a dispenser 118 is generally aligned with port 110 of upper mold 102 . A foamable composition is then dispensed from dispenser 118 in the direction of arrow A such that the foamable composition enters mold cavity 117 via port 102 . The foamable composition expands to fill mold cavity 117 to define a foam core portion 120 .
[0051] With reference to FIG. 8 , upper mold 102 and lower mold 104 are opened and a finished composite structure 122 is demolded therefrom.
[0052] With reference to FIG. 9 , it can be seen that foam core portion 120 of composition 122 is partially embedded into fibrous layers 114 , 114 a . Further, elastomeric layers 113 , 115 are similarly partially embedded in fibrous layers 114 a , 114 , respectively. Further, a chemical bond is formed at the interface of foam core portion 120 and elastomeric layers 113 , 115 . This chemical bond confers enhanced strength to composite structure 122 without the need to have transverse alignment of individual fibres with respect to a planar orientation of the fibrous layer.
[0053] Preferably, the core portion of the composite comprises a cellular material such as a foam. Alternatively, the core portion of the present composite may comprise a porous material such as gel-blown horsehair and the like. It is also possible to utilize non-cellular materials such as wood, polymers, metal, paper products, SRIM products and the like. When non-cellular materials are used in as the core portion, it may be desirable to dispose an adhesive, a polymerizable composition (e.g., like the one used to produces polymer layers 113 , 115 described and the like), etc. to provide a supplementary layer which would be received by and partially embedded in the fibrous layers.
[0054] The preferred foam for use in the core portion of the present composite is a foamed isocyanate-based polymer. Preferably, the isocyanate-based polymer is selected from the group comprising polyurethane, polyurea, polyisocyanurate, urea-modified polyurethane, urethane-modified polyurea, urethane-modified polyisocyanurate and urea-modified polyisocyanurate. As is known in the art, the term “modified”, when used in conjunction with a polyurethane, polyurea or polyisocyanurate means that up to 50% of the polymer backbone forming linkages have been substituted.
[0055] Typically, the foamed isocyanate-based polymer is produced from a reaction mixture which comprises an isocyanate and an active hydrogen-containing compound.
[0056] The isocyanate suitable for use in the reaction mixture is not particularly restricted and the choice thereof is within the purview of a person skilled in the art. Generally, the isocyanate compound suitable for use may be represented by the general formula:
[0000] Q(NCO) i
[0000] wherein i is an integer of two or more and Q is an organic radical having the valence of i. Q may be a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group (e.g., an alkylene or arylene group). Moreover, Q may be represented by the general formula:
[0000] Q 1 -Z-Q 1
[0000] wherein Q 1 is an alkylene or arylene group and Z is chosen from the group comprising —O—, —O-Q 1 -, —CO—, —S—, —S-Q 1 -S— and —SO 2 —. Examples of isocyanate compounds which fall within the scope of this definition include hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,8-diisocyanato-p-methane, xylyl diisocyanate, (OCNCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 O) 2 , 1-methyl-2,4-diisocyanatocyclohexane, phenylene diisocyanates, tolylene diisocyanates, chlorophenylene diisocyanates, diphenylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate, naphthalene-1,5-diisocyanate, triphenylmethane-4,4′,4″-triisocyanate and isopropylbenzene-alpha-4-diisocyanate.
[0057] In another embodiment, Q may also represent a polyurethane radical having a valence of i. In this case Q(NCO) i is a compound which is commonly referred to in the art as a prepolymer. Generally, a prepolymer may be prepared by reacting a stoichiometric excess of an isocyanate compound (as defined hereinabove) with an active hydrogen-containing compound (as defined hereinafter), preferably the polyhydroxyl-containing materials or polyols described below. In this embodiment, the polyisocyanate may be, for example, used in proportions of from about 30 percent to about 200 percent stoichiometric excess with respect to the proportion of hydroxyl in the polyol. Since the process of the present invention may relate to the production of polyurea foams, it will be appreciated that in this embodiment, the prepolymer could be used to prepare a polyurethane modified polyurea.
[0058] In another embodiment, the isocyanate compound suitable for use in the process of the present invention may be selected from dimers and trimers of isocyanates and diisocyanates, and from polymeric diisocyanates having the general formula:
[0000] [Q′(NCO) i ] j
[0000] wherein both i and j are integers having a value of 2 or more, and Q′ is a polyfunctional organic radical, and/or, as additional components in the reaction mixture, compounds having the general formula:
[0000] L(NCO) i
[0000] wherein i is an integer having a value of 1 or more and L is a monofunctional or polyfunctional atom or radical. Examples of isocyanate compounds which fall with the scope of this definition include ethylphosphonic diisocyanate, phenylphosphonic diisocyanate, compounds which contain a ═Si—NCO group, isocyanate compounds derived from sulphonamides (QSO 2 NCO), cyanic acid and thiocyanic acid.
[0059] See also for example, British patent No. 1,453,258, for a discussion of suitable isocyanates.
[0060] Non-limiting examples of suitable isocyanates include: 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,4-butylene diisocyanate, furfurylidene diisocyanate, 2,4-toluene diisocyanate, 2,6-toluene diisocyanate, 2,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 4,4′-diphenylpropane diisocyanate, 4,4′-diphenyl-3,3′-dimethyl methane diisocyanate, 1,5-naphthalene diisocyanate, 1-methyl-2,4-diisocyanate-5-chlorobenzene, 2,4-diisocyanato-s-triazine, 1-methyl-2,4-diisocyanato cyclohexane, p-phenylene diisocyanate, m-phenylene diisocyanate, 1,4-naphthalene diisocyanate, dianisidine diisocyanate, bitolylene diisocyanate, 1,4-xylylene diisocyanate, 1,3-xylylene diisocyanate, bis-(4-isocyanatophenyl)methane, bis-(3-methyl-4-isocyanatophenyl)methane, polymethylene polyphenyl polyisocyanates and mixtures thereof. A more preferred isocyanate is selected from the group comprising 2,4-toluene diisocyanate, 2,6-toluene diisocyanate and mixtures thereof, for example, a mixture comprising from about 75 to about 85 percent by weight 2,4-toluene diisocyanate and from about 15 to about 25 percent by weight 2,6-toluene diisocyanate. Another more preferred isocyanate is selected from the group comprising 2,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and mixtures thereof The most preferred isocyanate is a mixture comprising from about 15 to about 25 percent by weight 2,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and from about 75 to about 85 percent by weight 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate.
[0061] If the process is utilized to produce a polyurethane foam, the active hydrogen-containing compound is typically a polyol. The choice of polyol is not particularly restricted and is within the purview of a person skilled in the art. For example, the polyol may be a hydroxyl-terminated backbone of a member selected from the group comprising polyether, polyester, polycarbonate, polydiene and polycaprolactone. Preferably, the polyol is selected from the group comprising hydroxyl-terminated polyhydrocarbons, hydroxyl-terminated polyformals, fatty acid triglycerides, hydroxyl-terminated polyesters, hydroxymethyl-terminated polyesters, hydroxymethyl-terminated perfluoromethylenes, polyalkyleneether glycols, polyalkylenearyleneether glycols and polyalkyleneether triols. More preferred polyols are selected from the group comprising adipic acid-ethylene glycol polyester, poly(butylene glycol), poly(propylene glycol) and hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene—see, for example, British patent No. 1,482,213, for a discussion of suitable polyols. Preferably, such a polyether polyol has a molecular weight in the range of from about 200 to about 10,000, more preferably from about 2,000 to about 7,000, most preferably from about 2,000 to about 6,000.
[0062] If the core portion is to comprise a polyurea foam, the active hydrogen-containing compound comprises compounds wherein hydrogen is bonded to nitrogen. Preferably such compounds are selected from the group comprising polyamines, polyamides, polyimines and polyolamines, more preferably polyamines. Non-limiting examples of such compounds include primary and secondary amine terminated polyethers. Preferably such polyethers have a molecular weight of greater than about 230 and a functionality of from 2 to 6. Such amine terminated polyethers are typically made from an appropriate initiator to which a lower alkylene oxide is added with the resulting hydroxyl terminated polyol being subsequently aminated. If two or more alkylene oxides are used, they may be present either as random mixtures or as blocks of one or the other polyether. For ease of amination, it is especially preferred that the hydroxyl groups of the polyol be essentially all secondary hydroxyl groups. Typically, the amination step replaces the majority but not all of the hydroxyl groups of the polyol.
[0063] The reaction mixture used to produce the foamed isocyanate-based polymer core portion typically will further comprise a blowing agent. As is known in the art, water can be used as an indirect or reactive blowing agent in the production of foamed isocyanate-based polymers. Specifically, water reacts with the isocyanate forming carbon dioxide which acts as the effective blowing agent in the final foamed polymer product. Alternatively, the carbon dioxide may be produced by other means such as unstable compounds which yield carbon dioxide (e.g., carbamates and the like). Optionally, direct organic blowing agents may be used in conjunction with water although the use of such blowing agents is generally being curtailed for environmental considerations. The preferred blowing agent for use in the production of the present foamed isocyanate-based polymer comprises water.
[0064] It is known in the art that the amount of water used as an indirect blowing agent in the preparation of a foamed isocyanate-based polymer is conventionally in the range of from about 0.5 to as high as about 40 or more parts by weight, preferably from about 1.0 to about 10 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the total active hydrogen-containing compound content in the reaction mixture. As is known in the art, the amount of water used in the production of a foamed isocyanate-based polymer typically is limited by the fixed properties expected in the foamed polymer and by the tolerance of the expanding foam towards self structure formation.
[0065] To produce the core portion made from a foamed isocyanate-based polymer, a catalyst is usually incorporated in the reaction mixture. The catalyst used in the reaction mixture is a compound capable of catalyzing the polymerization reaction. Such catalysts are known, and the choice and concentration thereof in the reaction mixture is within the purview of a person skilled in the art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,296,213 and 4,518,778 for a discussion of suitable catalyst compounds. Non-limiting examples of suitable catalysts include tertiary amines and/or organometallic compounds. Additionally, as is known in the art, when the objective is to produce an isocyanurate, a Lewis acid must be used as the catalyst, either alone or in conjunction with other catalysts. Of course it will be understood by those skilled in the art that a combination of two or more catalysts may be suitably used.
[0066] The present composite further comprises a first fibrous layer and a second fibrous layer disposed on opposed surfaces of the core portion. These two layers may be the same or different. Preferably, the a first fibrous layer and a second fibrous layer are the same. Non-limiting examples of fibrous layers useful in the present composite may be selected from the group comprising glass fibres (e.g., in the form of a cloth or a mat, chopped or unchopped, such as Nico 754 1 oz/ft 2 ), polyester fibres, polyolefin fibres (e.g., polyethylene and polypropylene), Kevlar™ fibres, polyamides fibres (e.g. nylon), cellulose fibres (e.g., burlap), carbon fibres, cloth materials such spun bound polyesters (e.g., Lutravil™ 1DH7210B/LDVT222 and Freudenberg™ PTLD585G/PTLD600B) and paper (e.g., Kraft #60). It will be appreciated that the fibrous layer may be woven or non-woven.
[0067] The preferred fibrous layer for use in the present composite comprises 10 oz. 0-90 woven S-glass™ fibrous mat commercially available from Owens Corning.
[0068] As described above, a pair of the polymer layers is disposed on each fibrous layer, respectively. These layers are arranged in a manner such that, for each fibrous layer, a portion thereof is embedded in the core portion and the polymer layer. Typically, this will occur in the interstices of the fibrous layer. Preferably, the core portion and the polymer layer will contact each other in the interstices in the fibrous layer. More preferably, the core portion and the polymer layer will be chemically bonded to one another in the interstices of the fibrous layer. By having the polymer layer and the core portion effectively each encapsulate a portion of the fibrous layer, a desirable balance of compressive strength, flexural modulus and impact resistance is conferred to the composite structure.
[0069] Preferably, each of the polymer layers comprises an elastomer layer. The elastomer layer may be used in the form of a sheet, a film or the like. Non-limiting examples of suitable thermoplastic elastomer layers may be selected from the group comprising polyacrylate, polyvinylflouride, polycarbonate, acrylic ester modified styrene acrylonitrile terpolymer (ASA), AES, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer (ABS) and the like.
[0070] Thermoplastics are materials which soften and flow upon the application of heat. Upon cooling, the thermoplastic will be substantially chemically unchanged and my assume a different physical shape. With reference to the specific embodiment of the present process described above, it is possible to modify the specific process to take advantage of this feature of thermoplastic materials. Thus, integration and embedding of each fibrous layer into the thermoplastic exterior layer is achievable the heating of the inner-surface of the thermoplastic beyond the melt temperature and thereafter pressing the fibrous layer into the heat surface of the thermoplastic exterior layer. Flame lamination is one such method. In flame lamination, a flame is applied to one contact point of the thermoplastic, with the fibrous layer being applied in close proximity and pressure. The fibrous layer in held-in-place upon cooling. The a pair of the resulting laminates of thermoplastic material and fibrous layer may then be placed in the mold described above followed by subsequent production of the foam core. Preferably, the foam core will then be embedded in each fibrous layer and contacts the exterior thermoplastic layer.
[0071] While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments and examples, the description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Thus, various modifications of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments.
[0072] All publications, patents and patent applications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference in its entirety. | A composite structure comprising a core portion having a pair of generally opposed surfaces. A first fibrous layer is disposed on a first surface of the core portion and has a plurality of fibres disposed substantially parallel to the first surface. A second fibrous layer disposed on a second surface of the core portion and has a plurality of fibres disposed substantially parallel to the second surface. A first polymer layer is disposed over the first fibrous layer and a second polymer layer is disposed over the second fibrous layer. The first fibrous layer is partially embedded in both the core portion and the first polymer layer. The second fibrous layer is partially embedded in the core portion and the second polymer layer. The present composite structure may be used in structural and/or non-resilient components of the vehicle. Such components include exterior body panels (e.g., TONNEAU covers), door panels, beds for pickup trucks and the like. A process for producing the present composite structure is also described. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for holding coins.
Devices of the above mentioned general type are known in the art. A known device usually is formed as a box in which coins can be arranged in certain locations and closed by a cover. The known devices have substantial disadvantages and can be further improved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a holding device which is a further improvement of existing devices.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of present invention resides, briefly stated, in a device for holding coins which has two outer sheets including one sheet which is transparent, and an intermediate sheet provided with a plurality of throughgoing openings for insertion of coins, wherein the intermediate sheet is somewhat elastic so that a coin can be inserted in each opening with slightly spreading the opening and therefore the material of the intermediate sheet springs back to tightly hold the coin in the opening.
When the device is designed in accordance with the present invention, it is easy to manufacture, convenient for use, and provides a display of coins arranged on the holding device.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of the device for holding coins in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a view showing a cross-section of the inventive device in the region of one of its edges;
FIG. 3 is a view showing a device supported by an additional support;
FIG. 4 is a view illustrating one of the attachment pieces identifying a year of the corresponding coin;
FIG. 5 is a view showing one of the labels identifying a corresponding events associated with the coin year;
FIGS. 6a and 6b are views showing corners of elements of the device.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A device for holding coins in accordance with the present invention includes two outer sheets which are identified with reference numerals 1 and 2. At least one of the sheets can be transparent, for example composed of transparent plastic. It is to be understood that both outer sheets can be composed of a transparent material. The sheet can have a hole 10 for suspension on a nail and the like. The rear surface of the sheet 1 can be mirrored.
The device further has an intermediate sheet which is identified as a whole with reference numeral 3. The intermediate sheet is composed of a substantially elastic material, for example an elastic plastic. The intermediate sheet can be also made transparent. The intermediate sheet is provided with a plurality of throughgoing openings which are identified with reference numeral 4.
The thusly assembled three-sheet structure is held together by edge strips identified with reference numeral 5. Each edge strip can have an inverted U-shaped cross-section and can be composed of a springy material. Therefore each strip can be fitted on a corresponding one of the edges of the three-sheet structure 1, 2, 3 and slightly squeezed inwardly to hold the sheets in the region of the corresponding edge.
A plurality of coins can be inserted in the openings 4. The coins are identified with reference numeral 6. The size of the openings 4 is selected so that it is insignificantly smaller than the outer diameter of the coin 6. Therefore the coin is pushed into the opening 4 with a slight resistance, and thereafter the elastic material of the intermediate sheet 3 springs back and reliably holds the coin in the corresponding opening 4 as shown in FIG. 2.
In order to assemble the device the coins 6 are inserted in the throughgoing openings 4, the sheet 1 and 2 are placed at opposite sides of the intermediate sheet 3, and the strips 5 are fitted over the corresponding edges. The thusly assembled device can be supported on a support 9 as shown in FIG. 3. When all three sheets 1, 2 and 3 are transparent, the coins are clearly visible since all areas around the coins are transparent.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention a plurality of attachment pieces 7 are provided. The attachment pieces 7 bear for example the symbols of years in which the corresponding coins were produced. The attachment pieces 7 can be provided with a rear adhesive layer, with which each attachment piece 7 is attached to the front sheet 2 in an area coinciding with a corresponding throughgoing opening 4 and therefore with a corresponding coin 6. Therefore the corresponding coin is identified by the attachment sheet.
In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, a plurality of labels 8 are provided. Each label carries a name of a corresponding event which occurred in corresponding year, for example birthdays, wedding anniversaries, graduations, etc. Each label can have a rear adhesive layer with which it is attached to the front sheet 2 in the area corresponding to a coin of the corresponding year. Also, labels 8 can carry identification of years of issue of the coins.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the device has exactly 100 throughgoing openings, and each throughgoing opening can have one cent produced in the corresponding year, so that the whole device contains 100 cents or in other words one dollar. Also, the cents are selected starting from the year 1901 to the year 2000, to symbolize the whole twentieth century.
The corners of elements 1, 2, 3 can be rounded or chamfers as shown in FIGS. 6a, 6b.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in device for holding coins, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention. | A device for holding a plurality of coins has outer sheets including at least one outer layer composed of transparent material, an intermediate layer arranged between the two outer sheets provided with a plurality of throughgoing openings for insertion of coins, and a unit for connecting the sheets with one another long edges of the sheets. | 0 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is concerned with an arrangement in for fastening two members in a releasable manner as well as a heald rod with such an arrangement and a loom having a heald rod of that kind.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the Japanese Utility Model No. 22294/91 an arrangement is disclosed for connecting a heald rod to a heald drive. The heald rod comprises a square tube connected to the bellcrank and a rod arranged in the square tube, which is fastened to the square tube by means of two screws and a clamp body. The rod lies between one inner face of the square tube and one surface of the clamp body and is fastened frictionally by means of the clamping action generated by the screws.
The aim of the invention is to create an arrangement for the detachable fastening of a first member to a second member which admits the first member, by means of a fastener provided in the second member, in which because of the inherent elasticity of the first member a higher frictional force is achieved, whereas this arrangement shows a simple construction and application.
The advantage achievable by the invention is to be seen essentially in that the connection generated exhibits at least three areas of contact.
The advantage of this heald rod consists in that because of the rod being elastic in bending a connection arises having five areas of contact, so that the force of friction is further increased.
The advantage thereby achievable is essentially to be seen in that a simple and secure connection is achieved between the heald rod and the heald drive or respectively the heald. The heald rod my be separated and connected in a very simple way, and the length of the heald rod is very simply adjustable. The connection is low in mass, very narrow in the form of its execution and easily accessible for work of adjustment. Because of the elastic properties of the heald rods in bending, relative movements between the heald drive and the heald my be taken into account without additional hinged connections being necessary.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention is explained below with the aid of the attached drawings. There is shown in:
FIG. 1--a section through an embodiment of an arrangement in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2--a perspective of one part of an embodiment of a heald rod in accordance with the invention with the arrangement in accordance with FIG. 1;
FIG. 3--a perspective of a modified embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2;
FIG. 4--a perspective of one part of a first embodiment of a loom having the arrangement in accordance with FIG. 1; and
FIG. 5--a perspective of a second embodiment of a loom with arrangements in accordance with FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 shows an arrangement for the detachable fastening of a first member 1 made in the present embodiment as a rod 1b, for example, as a cylindrical rod 1b, to a second member 2. The rod 1b may also exhibit other shapes of cross section such, for example, as oval or polygonal, in particular square. A first recess 4a forms in the second member 2 a cavity 4 with a contour from the group: spherical, cylindrical, cubical or polyhedral or portions of these. For admitting the rod 1b the second member 2 exhibits a second recess 4b which opens into the cavity 4 at opposite places, the second recess 4b exhibiting a cross-sectional shape from the group: round, oval or polygonal, and the cross-sectional shape of the recess 4b usually corresponding with the cross-sectional shape of the first member 1 or respectively the rod 1b. In the present embodiment the first recess 4a and the second recess 4b are made in the form of hollow cylinders and so arranged that their axes cross and run centrally The recesses 4a and 4b are arranged running mutually centrally, though they naturally may also be arranged running mutually offcentre.
In the loosened state the rod 1b may be moved to and fro in the second member 2 in the direction of motion 11 though between the recess 4b and the rod 1b, that is to say, transversely to the direction of motion 11, there exists little play. A further recess 4c running perpendicular to the recess 4b is let into the second member 2) for a detachable fastener 3 directed at right angles to the rod 1b, which may be made, for example, as a screw 3a. The fastener 3 comes via the bearing point 5 into operative connection with the rod 1b so that a force 6 from the fastener 3 is introduced against the rod 1b. With a rigid rod 1b the force 6 introduced is transmitted via the forces 6a and 6b essentially via two contact areas to the second member 2. In the case of a rod 1b elastic in bending the force 6 introduced causes essentially four forces 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, which are transmitted to the second member 2. Hence a connection arises between the rod 1b, the second member 2 and the fastener 3 having at least three or respectively five contact areas, which brings about a high frictional force in the direction of motion 11.
The force 6 may naturally also be introduced into the first member 1 acting in the opposite direction, by the fastener 3 exhibiting, for example, in the region of the cavity 4, a recess which surrounds the first member 1. In that case the fastener 3 effects a tension upon the first member 1. Fastener 3 bends first member 1 so that first member 1 is resiliently deflected into cavity 4. In this embodiment the fastener 3 consists of at least two parts, for example, one part with a recess for admitting the member 1 and having a thread, as well as the second part, a nut which, resting against the surface of the second member 2, makes the tension possible.
FIG. 2 shows a heald rod 1c for the up and down movement of a heald 7 of a loom with an arrangement for fastening the cylindrical rod 1a detachably to a second member 2 by means of a screw 3a. Two coupling members 10 are connected to the second member 2, the coupling members 10 being connected at their opposite ends to a heald drive 9 by means of detachable means 10a of connection so as to be pivotable via a bearing part which is not visible. The rod 1a, the second member 2 with the screw 3a as well as the pair of coupling members 10 are component parts of the heald rod 1c. The employment of a rod 1a elastic in bending makes possible a heald rod 1c by which relatively large forces may be transmitted to the heald 7 in the direction of motion 11.
FIG. 3 shows a further embodiment of a heald rod 1c with a rectangular rod 1a, where the width of the rod 1a corresponds approximately with the width of the second member, so that the second member is divided into two spaced part members 2a, 2b which are connected firmly together through the pair of coupling members 10. The pair of coupling members are again connected to a heald drive 9 by means of detachable means 10a of connection so as to be pivotable via a bearing part which is not visible.
FIG. 4 shows the heald 7 of a loom, having a lower frame part 7a and an upper frame part 7b. The rod 1a forming one component part of the heald rod 1c is connected via a coupling part 8 to the lower frame part 7a. The coupling part 8 may be executed in very different styles. In the embodiment represented the coupling part 8 consists also of a second member 2 with a screw 3a as fastener. By the members 2 with fastener 3 lying at one or both ends of the heald rod 1c the heald 7 is detachable in a simple way from the heald drive 9 The absolute length of the heald rod 1c and hence the position of a heald 7 may be altered in an equally simple way by the members 2 with fastener 3. The elastic properties of the rod 1a allow mutual relative movements of the two second members 2, or respectively relative movements between the heald drive 9 and the heald 7, so that even in the case of quite large relative movements hinged parts may be waived.
FIG. 5 shows a further heald 7 from a loom. The rod 1a forming one component part of the heald rod 1c is prolonged beyond the upper frame part 7b. Two coupling parts 8 are arranged on the rod 1a in such a way that the heald 7 comes to lie between the two coupling parts 8 and is in operative connection with them. Each coupling part 8 is again executed as a second member 2 with a screw 3a as fastener 3. The coupling parts 8 may be firmly connected to the lower frame part 7a or to the upper frame part 7b or even act only in a loose operative connection upon the heald 7. Thus, for example, the coupling part 8 in operative connection with the lower frame part 7a serves in an advantageous embodiment to establish the height of the heald 7 with respect to the rod 1a. In that case no direct connection exists between this coupling part 8 and the lower frame part 7a. In this embodiment a coupling part 8 is connected directly to the upper frame part 7b. Upon exchanging a heald 7 only the coupling part 8 connected to the upper frame part 7b has to be loosened from the rod 1a. The coupling part 8 acting upon the lower frame part 7a remains connected firmly to the rod 1a and defines the height of the newly inserted heald 7 with respect to the rod 1a. | An arrangement for releasably fastening an elongate first member (1), such as a heald rod in a loom, within a second member (2), such as a coupling element between the heald rod and a shaft drive. The second member includes a first recess (4a) forming a cavity (4) and a second recess (4b) for receiving the first member. A fastener (3) is threadably coupled to the second member within a third recess (4c). The fastener engages the first member at a bearing point (5) within the cavity to fix the first and second members together. This engagement bends the first member within the cavity so that relative movement between the two members is reduced or eliminated. | 3 |
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 from U.S. application Ser. No. 11/821,721 filed Jun. 25, 2007 for “Water Spray Development of Planographic Plates”, which claims priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 11/493,183 filed Jul. 26, 2006 for “Imageable Printing Plate for On-Press Development”, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/704,140 filed Jul. 29, 2005, for “Imageable Printing Plate for On-Press Development”.
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to the development of imaged lithographic plates, and especially to such plates as used for printing.
Plates of this type have a radiation-sensitive, oleophilic polymer resin coating on a hydrophilic substrate. Imaging at ultraviolet, visible, or infrared wavelengths produces regions of differential solubility. The plates are developed to remove the more soluble regions of the coating, thereby producing a substantially planographic pattern of oleophilic and hydrophilic regions. The developed plates are then ready for mounting on a cylinder of a printing press, where the plates are subjected to fountain fluid and ink for transfer of ink to a target surface according to the pattern of oleophilic and hydrophilic regions on the plate. Historically, the processing of plates involves immersion of the plate in a sump of developer as the plate passes through a plate processor. The plate then exits the sump, and is typically subjected to a rotating brush or molleton and a nip roll set prior to being rinsed. This method of development relies entirely on chemical dissolution. In an ideal imaged plate, the relatively insoluble regions experience little dissolution over a wide range of immersion dwell time in the developer solution, whereas over the same wide range of dwell time the relatively soluble regions quickly and completely dissolve.
In practice, this ideal is not achievable, because the developer solution chemistry, temperature, and dwell time must be traded off to optimize cleanout of background while retaining the small dots of coating that provide good highlights in the printed product. Such optimization typically requires that the developer solution be strongly reactive and the dwell time be of long enough duration, to dissolve all the background, while conditioning agents in the developer solution, such as surfactants, help protect the relatively insoluble regions of the coating from reacting with the reactive ingredient of the developer solution.
Solubility differences associated with developing latitude correlate with differences in cohesion (the degree to which coating material “sticks” to itself) and adhesion (the degree to which coating material “sticks” to the substrate).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
We have discovered that excellent development can be achieved by exposing the entire imaged coating to a high pressure stream of essentially untreated tap water, whereby the liquid completely removes only the less cohesive and adhesive regions from the substrate, thereby directly producing a printing plate having an image pattern of highly cohesive and adhesive, oleophilic regions of the coating and hydrophilic regions of the substrate.
In general, the highly cohesive and adhesive coating regions are highly polymerized and the less cohesive and adhesive coating regions are significantly less (relatively partially) polymerized. The high pressure liquid completely removes only the unimaged, partially polymerized regions from the substrate, directly producing a printing plate having an image pattern of highly polymerized, oleophilic regions of the coating and hydrophilic regions of the substrate.
The coating removal mechanism appears to be due entirely to ablation.
This ablative removal is rendered even more effective by the use of water at elevated temperature, i.e., above 80 deg. F., preferably above about 90 deg. F. and most preferably in the range of about 90-115 deg. F. It is believed that the temperature increase renders the non-image coating more pliable or mobile relative to the substrate, and thus more susceptible to penetration and undercutting of this coating material by the water spray. Increasing the water temperature can be traded off against decreasing the spray pressure and/or spray exposure period, to maintain satisfactory development while optimizing process variables such as capacity and cost of purchased equipment, energy consumption, throughout, maintenance and repair schedule, etc. For example, similar if not better plate quality as measured by a standard screen test can be obtained by increasing the water temperature from 70 deg. F. to 90 deg. F. while reducing water spray pressure from 1800 psi to 1200 psi.
At least one nozzle discharges the developer liquid at a discharge pressure and the discharged liquid impinges the plate at a contact pressure that is commensurate with the discharge pressure. With the nozzle spaced above the plate at a working distance, the plate and/or nozzle translate relative to each other in a process direction at a substantially constant average speed. The discharge pressure, nozzle spacing, and average speed are selected such that the high pressure stream of liquid has impinged and developed the entire plate surface with a throughput speed in the range of 3-6 ft/min.
Each nozzle preferably has a spray pattern that impinges the plate over a substantially rectangular area (subarea) of the plate, with relative movement between the nozzle and the plate until the entire area of the plate has been developed. The nozzle can reciprocate across the width of a longitudinally transported plate, thereby contacting successive subareas of the plate in a rastering fashion.
The method is especially effective with negative working plates having a solvent soluble, photopolymerizable coating. In these plates, the adhesion and cohesion of the regions exposed to radiation imaging is much stronger that the adhesion and cohesion in the unexposed regions. This difference renders the unexposed regions much more susceptible to essentially pure mechanical removal, i.e., via ablation. Although the unexposed coating could readily be solubilized by a conventional solvent based developer solution, highly pressurized, heated tap water according to the present disclosure provides no solvent, so coating dissolution cannot even be an initiating mechanism for coating removal.
We have found that as one optimization, negative working newspaper plates can be developed within a commercially acceptable time interval using tap water heated to a temperature in the range of about 90-115 deg. F., with nozzle discharge pressure in the range of about 1000-1500 psi.
Another embodiment is directed to a processor comprising a rigid surface for supporting a plate to be developed, a water heater, a pump having an inlet fluidly connectable to a source of tap water and operable to discharge the heated water through an outlet at a pressure of at least about 800 psi, a delivery line connectable to the outlet, and at least one nozzle fluidly connected to the delivery line. A wand or the like is connected to the nozzle, by which the nozzle can be aimed at a plate when supported by the rigid surface and deliver a high pressure stream of liquid onto the coating of the plate.
In one variation, the wand is a rod for manually aiming a single nozzle. Such wand can be a rigid pipe or tube connected between the delivery line and the nozzle, or a solid rod or handle projecting from the nozzle body or a tube upstream of the nozzle body.
In another variation, the wand is fixed in a frame located above the rigid support. The wand can include a track or other means for reciprocating the nozzle transversely to a continually (intermittent or continuously) conveyed plate, preferably in a rastering fashion.
A significant advantage of the invention is that there is little or no chemical treatment required of the waste stream associated with developing the plate. Another significant advantage is that because dissolution of the polymer resin is not relied upon for processing the plate, higher molecular weight resins can be used in the coating, thereby producing more durable oleophilic regions and longer plate life on press. Yet another advantage is that with the preferred rastering motion of the nozzle, the removed coating is carried away off the sides of the plates, thereby avoiding redeposition on the substrate.
Use of water at elevated temperature increases the advantage of avoiding redeposition or other fouling of equipment such as brushes and rollers. The high pressure water breaks up the non-image regions of the coating into small bits of material, and use of water at elevated temperature produces even smaller bits than water at ambient temperature.
Another advantage is that excess dwell time (time a given point on the coating is subjected to the development fluid) is of little or no consequence. The regions of low cohesion and adhesion in a given area of the coating clean out completely within a few seconds, whereas the regions of high cohesion and adhesion in that same given area can tolerate the high pressure for much a longer time, e.g., minutes. This difference means that careful determination and control of nozzle flow rate and dwell time windows are not needed. This differs from one of our previous inventions, in which a spray of chemically reactive developer solution is applied as a continual flow of fresh developer solution onto each unit area of the coated plate for a local dwell time of less than about 10 seconds, and then immediately removed to avoid excess developer solution dwell time on the highly polymerized but still slightly soluble image regions.
Yet another advantage of the ablative removal is that the edge of each imaged dot remains sharp. In conventional development, the chemical reaction for removing the relatively soluble non-image regions produces a reaction gradient which results in a radiused shoulder at the base of the image dots. The ablative removal, especially with heated water, produces a sharp break off between the highly polymerized, cohesive coating regions, which are highly adhered to the substrate, and the relatively nonpolymerized, only mildly adhesive coating regions, which are removed. This effect facilitates equipment set up that can produce plates exhibiting consistent gradations of shadow screen values in the range of 95 to 99%.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of equipment for implementing a basic embodiment of the invention with a manually directed spray nozzle;
FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a processor according to another embodiment, having an automatic spray nozzle situated above and movable transversely with respect to a conveyed plate;
FIG. 3 is a schematic end view of the processor shown in FIG. 2 ;
FIG. 4 is a schematic showing the movement path of a single nozzle perpendicularly to the conveying or process direction of the plate, in an embodiment wherein the plate is conveyed intermittently at intervals corresponding to the time required for the nozzle to make a complete pass across the width of the plate; and
FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of another embodiment wherein the nozzle reciprocates continuously across the width of the plate and the plate is continuously conveyed beneath the nozzle, thereby producing an oblique, “zigzag” pattern of spray contact on the plate.
FIGS. 6A-F show test results of measured dot values against standard screen values for various water spray temperatures, at six different spray pressures at the spray nozzle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 represents the basic elements of the present invention, comprising a workstation 12 and a fluid delivery system 14 . The workstation 12 is shown with a pedestal or legs 16 , which support a basin or tub 18 . A worktable 20 is supported within and rises above the basin such that fluid deposited on and overflowing from worktable is captured by the basin. The table 20 provides a flat, rigid support surface for receiving and supporting an imaged plate 22 . In this embodiment, the operator manually places the plate 22 on the table 20 , develops the plate as will be described below, manually removes the plate, and then wipes or otherwise dries the plate.
The fluid delivery system 14 comprises an hydraulic pump 24 having an inlet 24 a connectable to a source S of heated tap water H, and an outlet 24 b that discharges pressurized water to delivery line 26 . In this context, “water” means tap water or other water sources that have not been modified with compounds for chemically reacting with the plate coating. Tap water is typically supplied under municipal water pressure of about 15 psi. However, the pump 24 can alternatively draw water at S from a sump of standing or recirculating water. The pump should be capable of increasing the pressure to at least in the range of about 200-1000 psi for a simple, hand-operated system, and preferably to a pressure in the range of about 1000-1800 psi for an automated processor.
The delivery line 26 can be a hose or similar flexible line, with a manually maneuverable wand 28 , such as a pipe or the like. The wand 28 terminates in a nozzle 30 , which the operator directs obliquely downwardly at the plate 22 . For convenience in handling the line 26 and wand 28 , the line may be routed over a roller 32 or pivoted support adjacent to and above the table 20 . The high pressure fluid preferably emerges as a dense spray 50 , which at a given moment, impinges on a sub area of the plate smaller than the total area of the plate. While the plate 22 is stationary on table 20 , the operator moves the wand across the plate to remove the regions of low cohesion and adhesion from the substrate, while the regions of high cohesion and adhesion remain intact.
Preferably, a pressure gauge 34 is connected to the wand 28 , delivery line 26 , or pump outlet 24 b (each of which is commensurate with a particular discharge pressure for a given nozzle) whereby the operator can through trial and error, correlate satisfactory development with the variables of discharge pressure, nozzle spray pattern, distance of the nozzle from the plate, and nozzle translation rate.
With water as the developing fluid, a suspension of coating particles in water overflows into the basin 18 and is directed to a particle filter 36 . The filtrate contains no solvents or resinous material, so it can be discharged via drainpipe 38 through the floor without treatment, as municipal wastewater. Preferably, the drained, filtered liquid is recycled or recirculated as source fluid S, and indicated by the dashed line 38 ′.
A series of tests was performed with equipment substantially as shown in FIG. 1 . A non-diazo based, photopolymerizable, solvent soluble, negative working, UV and IR sensitive coating was applied in a conventional manner to a grained and anodized aluminum substrate. The plate is available from Anocoil Corporation, Rockville, Conn., as Type N-100. The coating weight was 100 mg/ft 2 , drawn down with a wire wound stainless steel rod, and dried for two minutes at 90° C. All plates had a topcoat of PVOH at 140 mg/ft 2 . A first set of newspaper plates were imaged at 100 mj/cm 2 at IR wavelength and sprayed with tap water. A second set of identical newspaper plates were imaged with UV radiation at each of 200, 100, and 50 mj/cm 2 . Each plate was subjected to a nozzle spray of unheated tap water having a 30-40 deg. fan shape producing a narrow rectangular impact pattern that was about 3 to 4 inches in length and less then about ½ inch wide, at a distance of about 1 to 4 inches from the nozzle discharge orifice. Pressure in the delivery line was varied between about 200 psi up to about 1000 psi.
These tests confirmed that, with both IR and UV imaging at 1200 dpi in the commercially typical range of 75 to 150 mj/cm 2 , tap water developer at a pressure in line 26 above 200 psi, and with the nozzle maneuvered at about 1 to 4 inches from the plate for a total development time of under one minute, excellent results were obtained.
The following table contains descriptions of representative coating constituents for UV and IR sensitive plates similar to the N-100 plates on which preliminary tests were performed and which are expected to be developed satisfactorily with the present invention.
TABLE
Representative Coating Constituents
#1
#2
#3
#4
Meth. Prop (a)
92.39%
91.99%
92.27%
92.40%
Sartomer 399 (b)
2.31%
2.31%
2.31%
1.84%
Clariant Poly
0.46%
0.46%
0.46%
0.92%
123 (c)
Triazine AC (d)
0.45%
0.45%
0.45%
0.45%
DTTDA (e)
0.00%
0.40%
0.00%
0.00%
4-HBSA (f)
0.00%
0.00%
0.12%
0.00%
KF-1151 (g)
0.05%
0.05%
0.05%
0.05%
Pigment Disp (h)
4.34%
4.34%
4.34%
4.34%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
100.0%
(a) Solvent (1-Methoxy-2-Propanol, Propylene Glycol Methyl Ether available from Arco Chemical Company)
(b) Monomer (Dipentaerythritol Monohydroxypentaacrylate available from Sartomer Company, West Chester, Penn.)
(c) Polymer
(d) Initiator
(e) Solvent soluble, partially water soluble compound
(f) Release Agent
(g) Dye
(h) Pigment
In general, the preferred composition comprises a non-aqueous solution of (a) a polymer, and one or both of an oligomer and monomer, capable of radically cross-linking with each other when the coating is exposed to imaging radiation, and (b) a non-polymerizable organic compound, wherein the non-polymerizable organic compound is also partially soluble in water such that after imaging of the dried coating as deposited on a substrate, the non-imaged areas are removable from the substrate surface by penetration of water through the non-imaged coating without dissolution of the cross linked polymer, monomer, and/or oligomer of the coating. Preferably, the polymer is selected from the group consisting of acrylates, siloxanes, and styrene maleic anhydrides; the monomer is selected from the group consisting of multifunctional acrylates; and the non-polymerizable organic compound is a substituted aromatic compound, such as DTTDA (an allyl amide derived from tartaric acid) or tetra methyl tartaramide. The non-polymerizable organic compound should have a measurable solubility in water greater than zero and less than 15%.
With reference now to FIGS. 2-5 , more automated embodiments will be described. In such a system, a frame 40 or the like is situated above the plate 22 to be processed, and a spray nozzle 42 is mounted in a wand 44 that extends transversely to the plate longitudinal dimension. The plate 22 has a width W and a length L, and is continually translated longitudinally in a process direction 46 . The nozzle is reciprocable transversely to the process direction between limit positions 42 A and 42 B, as indicated at 48 , for discharging a moving spray 50 . Pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric actuators or motors can readily be employed for this purpose. The plates are translated either intermittently or continuously, as by nip rolls 52 , 54 , at a substantially constant average speed. Distance H 1 between the discharge orifice of nozzle 42 and the surface of plate 22 is an important process parameter, and for a known plate thickness can be derived from the height H 2 between the nozzle orifice and the table 20 .
In the variation shown in FIG. 4 , the nozzle deposits a rectangular strip 56 of water across the entire plate width while the plate is momentarily at rest, with the strip dimension 58 in the process direction of preferably 2-6 inches. The plate is then advanced an increment, and the nozzle makes an overlapping return pass, with the sequence continued until the entire plate surface 60 has been impacted by the spray. In essence, a sub area of the entire coated area 60 of the plate is continuously subjected to the instantaneous impact pattern 62 of the spray pattern 50 , with such impacted area 62 appearing to move along the plate surface until the entire plate surface 60 has been developed. The impact pattern 62 would generally be 2-6 inches along the length dimension L of the plate, and less then one inch along the width dimension W of the plate.
It can be appreciated that with an alternative embodiment, a plurality of stationary nozzles 42 are arranged side-by-side in the frame 40 along the width dimension W of the plate, such that all of strip 56 is impacted simultaneously, i.e., the high pressure water impact area 62 is over the entire strip 56 , which in FIG. 4 has an impacted area of length 58 and width W. The plate moves continually, with the full-width strip 56 appearing to move along length direction L.
In the variation shown in FIG. 5 , the plate is conveyed continuously in direction 46 , while the instantaneous spray impact pattern 62 is continuously reciprocated 48 across the width of the plate, thereby producing a zigzag of deposited strips over the plate 64 which successively overlap (as represented at 66 ) and which in the aggregate impact the entire surface 60 of the plate.
A test was performed with a prototype automated processor as represented in FIGS. 2-5 , on 14 inch wide, thermally imaged (IR at about 90-100 mj/cm 2 ) newspaper plates having a coating of a type represented in the foregoing Table. The plates were conveyed at a rate of 4 ft/min. The topcoat was removed by prewashing to minimize the time required for the high pressure water stream to ablate the regions of low adhesion and cohesion. Unheated tap water at a line pressure of 1300 psi from a 5 hp pump was discharged through a nozzle at a distance H 1 of about one inch above the plate, producing an impact zone length of about 2-3 inches along the conveying direction. The nozzle cycled back and forth across the width of the plate every 1.5 seconds, producing overlapping strips of spray that covered the entire plate. Development ranged from excellent in the background and highlights to good in the deepest shadows. Optimization of nozzle distance, line pressure, spray pattern, nozzle raster speed, and plate conveying speed is expected to provide excellent results from background to shadows.
Another test was performed to determine image loss as between conventional and the inventive high pressure spray process. The conventional method used a common sump type processor with brushes employing a compounded developer containing an organic solvent and surfactants.
Procedure:
1) Obtain three of the Anocoil N-100 IR and UV sensitive negative plates. 2) Use one of these plates to determine the basecoat weight prior to exposure and development. 3) Using a UV exposure frame, blanket expose (full image) the other two plates to 250 mj/cm 2 of UV energy. 4) After these plates have been exposed, develop one through the sump type processor using Anocoil Type S type developer (benzyl alcohol and surfactants) and the other using a prototype high pressure water spray processor. 5) After these plates have been developed determine what the remaining basecoat weight is using the same test employed in step #2. 6) Subtract the coat weight results from step #5 from the result of step #2 in order to determine the amount of image loss related to each of the development processes.
Results:
a) Basecoat weight of unexposed/undeveloped plate—100 mg/ft 2 b) Image remaining after exposure and development in sump processor—91 mg/ft 2 c) Image remaining after exposure and development in spray processor—99 mg/ft 2 d) Image loss due to sump type development—9% e) Image loss due to spray type development—1%
This test demonstrates that the image regions of a typically imaged coating should experience almost no material loss during high pressure water spray development. In a production environment, this means that the image (oleophilic) regions of the developed plate should retain substantially more of the original coating thickness and thus will achieve a greater useful life on-press relative to conventionally developed plates.
Practitioners in the relevant field can readily appreciate that more than one nozzle can be employed to develop a given plate. For example, two nozzles can reciprocate collinearly under a single frame, each covering approximately one half the width W of a plate. Alternatively, two frames spaced apart in the process direction, each with one reciprocating nozzle, can span the width of the plate.
Similarly, one or both of the nozzle size and line pressure can be modified according to the type of plates to be processed. In general, the main operative factor is impact force of the water on the imaged coating. At relatively lower nozzle discharge pressures, the conveying speed should be low (e.g., about 3 ft/min) and the nozzle should be relatively close to the plate (e.g., 1 to 2 inches) such that the impact force is high but over a relatively small impact area on the plate. At a relatively higher nozzle discharge pressures, the nozzle can be farther from the plate (e.g., 2 to 4 inches) while maintaining a high impact force over a relatively larger area of the plate. At higher conveying speeds (e.g., 5 or 6 ft/min) the pressure could be up to about 1800 psi or more. As will be described below, a tradeoff can be achieved according to which pressure can be reduced if water temperature is increased.
At low pressures, the impingement zone on the plate will generally be within ¼ to 2 in 2 , with the nozzle less than about 4 inches from the plate, and an effective plate conveyance speed of at least 2 ft/min. At intermediate pressures, the impingement zone on the plate would be ½ to 2 in 2 , with the nozzle less then about 3 inches from the plate, and an effective plate conveyance speed of 3-5 ft/min. in a high pressure implementation, the impingement zone on the plate would be up to about one square inch, with the nozzle less then about 2 inches from the plate, and an effective plate conveyance speed up to about 6 ft/min.
FIGS. 6A-F present the results of tests performed with the same equipment as the previously described tests, on similarly coated plates subjected to varying magnitudes of water spray pressure and water temperature, but with a 2 hp pressurizing pump. The standard screen values are shown in the left most columns, and the measured screen values over a representative range of temperatures (70, 90, 115, and 130 deg. F.) at a specified spray pressure are shown in the data columns. Good plate development can match the standard screen within +/−1% over the range from 99% shadow dot down to 2% highlight dot.
The two tests (70 deg. F.) near ambient temperature were at pressures of 1600 and 1800 psi. These produced good results over the full screen value range of 2% to 99%. Similar good results were produced at the substantially reduced pressure of 1200 psi, when the water temperature was raised to 90 deg. F. This relationship between pressure and temperature effects provides a technique for optimizing a processor system for particular production requirements.
The data table for the seemingly best condition (1200 psi@90 deg. F., holding 2% target highlights at 1.7% and 99% target shadows at 99.4%) shows that as the temperature increases at constant pressure, the measured highlights and shadow dots both generally decrease. The data tables for constant temperature of 115 deg. F. show that as pressure increase from 800 psi to 1800 psi, the measured highlight dots for the 2% target and the 99% shadows both decrease. The tables support a suitable design window defined by water temperature in the range of about 80-115 deg. F. and spray discharge pressure in the range of about 800-1400 psi, with the preferred window defined by a pressure in the range of about 1000-1200 psi and a temperature in the range of about 90-115 deg. F.
A comparison of the tests performed with tap water and heated water show that satisfactory results can be obtained with tap water, but using heated water offers tradeoffs that can be advantageous. For example, with almost the same equipment on the same type of plates, satisfactory results can be obtained at 1200 psi with both tap water (about 55-60 deg. F.) and water heated to about 95 deg. F. However, the latter results can be achieved with a 2 hp pump vs. a 5 hp pump, i.e., with less than half the power and a commensurate reduction in the flow rate.
It should be appreciated that other hardware and process steps can be employed for generating a high pressure spray pattern of sufficient impact force, aiming the spray onto a plate, and moving one or both of the spray and plate until the entire plate surface has been covered. Not all coatings that can be developed with only high pressure water, have as yet been identified. Accordingly, the accompanying claims should not be limited to the preferred and other representative embodiments described herein. | Excellent development of planographic printing plates can be achieved by exposing an imaged, negative working, photopolymerizable coating to a high pressure stream of essentially heated but otherwise untreated tap water, whereby the water completely removes only the less cohesive and adhesive (e.g., partially polymerized) regions to the substrate, thereby directly producing a printing plate having an image pattern of highly cohesive and adhesive, oleophilic regions of the coating and hydrophilic regions of the substrate. The coating removal mechanism appears to be due entirely to ablation. The process variables of spray pressure, spray volumetric flow rate, and water temperature can be traded off to achieve one or more targets for plate quality, energy conservation, production rate, and equipment availability. | 6 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to map-based browsers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The news today is projected as a product of either local, state or national importance. As recognized herein, a user-driven news selection currently is not incorporated for geographic context onto a map. No visual information can be gathered by the viewer other than where the event of importance is occurring or has occurred in that specific county, state or region. With news presented in such a manner, the viewer is channeled towards a specific area and facet of the news. The viewer is not presented with any options and the content of any specific regions is not be covered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A display assembly includes a video monitor and a processor that associates data with a related geographic location. The processor displays a map on the monitor and superimposes content related to the data over the geographic location on the map.
[0004] The assembly can be embodied by, e.g., a computer or a TV. The data, which can be, e.g., a news story, can be received from a broadcaster or from the Internet, and the content can includes video or a still photo. Or, the data can be personal, such as a user video. If desired, the user can define a time period and only content representing data associated with the user-defined time period is displayed on the map.
[0005] In another aspect, a method for indicating to a user a location of a news event includes determining, using metadata accompanying data representing the news event, a geographic location related to the news event. The method also includes superimposing content representing the news event on a map on a monitor, with the content being superimposed on the map at the geographic location.
[0006] In yet another aspect, a system includes a processor and a monitor communicating with the processor. Logic is executable by the processor for superimposing content on a map that is displayed on the monitor, with the content being superimposed at locations corresponding to the content.
[0007] The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system in accordance with present principles;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a screen shot of a map presentation on the display of FIG. 1 ;
[0010] FIG. 3 is a screen shot of another map presentation on the display of FIG. 1 ; and
[0011] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of non-limiting logic for linking content to locations on the maps shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0012] Referring initially to FIG. 1 , a system is shown that includes a computer 2 with a processor 4 connected to a display screen or monitor 6 . An additional form of input, such as a keyboard 8 , may be a part of the system. It is to be understood that the present system is not limited to computers per se but rather may be implemented by any display device having a processor, such as a television.
[0013] Regardless of whether the system is implemented by a computer or a television, it can be connected to an external source of data, e.g., to an Internet connection 10 . Other non-limiting forms of connection to an outside source of information may be cable, satellite, telco, etc.
[0014] Moving to FIG. 2 , the monitor 6 displays a content browser in the form of a world map 14 that may be projected flat (Mercator) as a default screen. If the user chooses to view news-related data, content representing a world news event is superimposed over the geographic area 16 of the world map 14 that corresponds to the news event. At any one time, there may be more than one area 16 of the map 14 that corresponds to a news event, as FIG. 2 illustrates. The content displayed in the areas 16 on the world map may be, but are not necessarily limited to, a small window of streaming live video. The content alternatively may be thumbnails of still images, video, text, etc.
[0015] In any case, the user may select an option in which some or all content that is keyed to a geographic area 16 of the map 14 is related to a user-chosen topic, or person, rather than to the news. The content displayed on the map, in this case, is related directly to the chosen topic. Furthermore, the user may specify a time window for news or events, e.g., only news events in the last 24 hours are to be represented by associated content on the map 14 .
[0016] Any of the content in the areas 16 may be selected (by means of, e.g., a pointing and clicking device) and viewed on a larger scale. Alternatively, a region of the map 14 may be selected and viewed in higher resolution, which potentially could result in additional content being superimposed onto related geographic regions, now shown in larger scale.
[0017] Specifically and now referring to FIG. 3 , the monitor 6 can show a magnified, higher resolution map 20 of an area 16 selected from the world map 14 shown in FIG. 2 . On the display screen or monitor 6 , some areas 22 may display primary news video related to the geographic areas over which the content is superimposed. The areas 22 in turn may be selected and viewed on a still larger scale or other regions of the map 20 may in turn be selected and viewed in higher resolution.
[0018] In addition to the above, the user may choose to view pre-stored content that does not involve the news transmitted via the Internet or any other connection methods. The content pre-stored on a local device may be on-demand content including Internet-based content, content from blogs, etc. The user may also view locally stored personal content, such as pictures or movies taken by family or friends. This personal content may be viewed simultaneously to the news content. Like news content, personal content is superimposed over geographic regions on the map to which the personal content pertains.
[0019] Now referring to FIG. 4 to understand how content is keyed to geographic areas, starting at block 24 , data is gathered in order to be displayed on the map. The type of data, as defined by its original source, is determined as shown by decision diamond 26 . If the data is being received from an external source, represented by block 28 , the corresponding location of the data must be decided upon, as in decision diamond 30 . Moving to block 32 , the location information may be explicitly found in metadata in the data either in terms of location name (city, state, country) or in terms of Global Positioning System or other terrestrial coordinates.
[0020] Or, at block 34 location information pertaining to the data may be inferred. One way of inferring the location is from the name of the content provider, which may be associated with a specific geographic region. Another way to infer which geographic area corresponds to the data is by voice-to-text recognition. Specifically, the audio of the data can be converted to text which can be examined for location information. Still another mode of inferring location is through image recognition, in which the image of the video carries information that is keyed to a geographic location. Regardless of whether it is explicitly located in metadata or inferred, once the location corresponding to the data is determined, content derived from the data is then superimposed on the location on the map, discovered as disclosed above, in the browser window at block 36 in accordance with previous disclosure.
[0021] If, on the other hand, the data that is to be displayed on the map does not originate from an external source, but from personal content taken, e.g., in the form of still pictures or video, the logic branches from decision diamond 26 to block 38 , which represents the personal data. Moving to block 40 , location information is obtained as above, and in addition or alternatively, the device, such as a camera, that recorded the personal data may record the location, as well as time, of the recording or picture at the time of recording. This may be done by using Global Positioning System coordinates that are gathered by a GPS device on the camera. Also, the user of the recording device may textually or verbally identify the location at the time of recording. Once the location information is pre-stored, content representing the data is superimposed over the corresponding area of the map at block 36 .
[0022] As stated above, the user may decide to view all content associated with a specific event, e.g., “earthquake”, or a specific person, e.g., Kofi Annan. Using pre-stored information regarding Kofi Annan, either using identification data delivered by an Internet web site or a broadcaster, or with training assistance from the user together with pattern recognition algorithms operating on face/body/gait and including audio context information if available (with audio context being speech recognized as being spoken by Kofi Annan, or audio in which the words “Kofi Annan” are mentioned), the television browser presents content related to Kofi Annan superimposed on regions of the world map that are appropriate for the related story.
[0023] In addition to the geographic representation of content, event times may be represented. For example, the viewer may request content for “Kofi Annan” in May 2005. In this case, the map of the world is shown in the background, while in a comer the time can increment in hourly or daily increments while events in which Kofi Annan appears at that same corresponding time are shown at appropriate locations on the map. This technique may also be used to view personal content.
[0024] Time information may be obtained using the timestamp of the original recorded content from, e.g., the filename, information associated with the filename, or metadata associated with the content. These timestamps are normally recorded with the contents by the recording equipment (e.g. digital still camera, video camera, etc.) Alternative methods include: the timestamp of delivery of content to the user may be used as a backup, or image recognition of dates that may appear in the video can be obtained, or voice-to-text conversions of spoken dates and times can be used.
[0025] While the particular MAP-BASED BROWSER is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims. | A map is presented by a browser, and breaking news content such as still photos, videos, etc. is placed on areas of the map to which the news pertains. A user can click on an area of the map for additional information, and can zoom in to a finer granularity. Personal content can also be displayed over map areas related to the personal content. The browser discovers locations to which content pertains in several ways, including by recognizing the name of a place in a story, through metadata, etc. | 6 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a novel Ni-based alloy member, a method of producing the alloy member, and a turbine engine part using the alloy member. Also, the present invention relates to a welding material and a method of producing the welding material.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Because high-temperature parts of a gas turbine are exposed to high-temperature gas at 1000° C. or more, those parts are susceptible to cracks caused by thermal fatigue and thinning caused by oxidation, erosion, etc. A Ni-based superalloy used in the high-temperature parts of the gas turbine is superior in high-temperature strength, but it is poor in weldability. In particular, a rotor blade having very high strength has been regarded as impossible to make repair by welding. However, even such a rotor blade has recently become possible to repair with progress of the welding technology and development of welding materials disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2 and 3 (JP,A 2001-123237, JP,A 2001-158929, and JP,A 2004-136301).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] A portion of a gas turbine rotor blade, which requires repair, is exposed to severe environments. Unless a welding metal has characteristics comparable or superior to those of a base material, the life of the repaired portion is very short. In general, however, the high-temperature strength of the welding metal is lower than that of a precision casting material. The inventors have conducted detailed researches regarding the metal structure of a welding material made of a high-strength N-based alloy, and have gained the findings as follows.
[0006] The welding metal is solidified at a higher speed than a rotor blade material produced by precision casting and therefore has a different structure from the rotor blade material. In the precision casting material with a low solidification speed, C, Ta, Nb, Ti, etc. are segregated in the dendrite boundary and the crystal boundary. In the segregated portion, γ′ phases (Ni 3 (Al, Ti)) and MC carbides (Ta, Ti)C stabilized by Ti are precipitated to serve as resistance against the progress of cracks caused by boundary fracture. Further, under the condition exposed to high temperatures, the precipitates formed in the crystal boundary also serve to resist against shift of the crystal boundary and to maintain the dendrite crystal boundary formed during the solidification.
[0007] Comparing with the linear crystal boundary, the dendrite crystal boundary exhibits higher resistance against cracks, i.e., boundary fracture. On the other hand, in the welding material, the solidification speed is high and the solidification segregation is less caused. Therefore, stable precipitates are hard to precipitate in the crystal boundary and no resistance against the boundary fracture is developed. In addition, because the crystal boundary tends to easily shift and to become linear under exposure to high temperatures, cracks caused by the boundary fracture are much easier to progress in the welding material than in the precision casting material.
[0008] For those reasons, the welding metal is easier to cause boundary cracks and has lower fatigue strength at high temperatures than the precision casting material. Also, because the precision casting material is produced through smelting and casting steps in a vacuum, the oxygen content can be easily held not more than 10 ppm. In the welding metal, however, it is difficult to hold the oxygen content not more than 10 ppm even though the welding metal is protected by inert gas during the welding. The higher oxygen content reduces the oxidation resistance and hence increases the amount of oxidation thinning of the welding material at high temperatures in comparison with that of the precision casting material.
[0009] Patent Documents 1 and 2 are intended to maintain the dendrite structure during solidification by adding high-melting-point metals, e.g., W, Mo and Ta, in large amount such that compounds with the added high-melting-point metals are precipitated in the crystal boundary or crystal grains and diffusion of elements are suppressed with addition of the high-melting-point metals. As a result, relatively superior high-temperature strength can be obtained in the welding material. However, the oxidation resistance has to be further increased when the welding material is used at temperatures near 1000° C. or higher.
[0010] Further, in Patent Document 1, characteristics are improved by adding the high-melting-point metals in large amount, and the amounts by which the high-melting-point metals require to be added are expressed as a total amount of the high-melting-point metals added. However, the influences of W, Ta and Mo upon the solidification structure and the oxidation resistance differ to a large extent for each of the elements. In order to obtain more superior characteristics at high temperatures, therefore, the amounts of the high-melting-point metals added have to be made optimum for each element. In Patent Document 2, Ta tending to deteriorate the oxidation resistance is added in large amount. This means that an improvement of the oxidation resistance is required when the welding material is used at temperatures near 1000° C. or higher.
[0011] In Patent Documents 1 and 2, the alloy components are selected based on the results of experiments using a unidirectionally solidified material. However, the welding metal differs in the solidified form and the oxygen content from the unidirectionally solidified material. This means the necessity of extracting a sample from a weld and evaluating it.
[0012] In Patent Documents 1 and 2, an upper limit of the amount of added Al is specified respectively to 1.3% and 0.7%, and a rotor blade is repaired at room temperature. Certainly, weldability is deteriorated if the amount of added Al exceeds those upper limits.
[0013] In Patent Document 3, Co is added in large amount of not less than 18%, and a welding material is produced in the form of powder because of a difficulty in forming it as a wire. Accordingly, the oxygen content is increased in a buildup-welded portion and the oxidation resistance is low.
[0014] An object of the present invention is to provide a Ni-based alloy member, a method of producing the alloy member, a turbine engine part using the alloy member, a welding material, and a method of producing the welding material, which are capable of increasing resistance of a welding material against grain boundary fracture, fatigue strength, and oxidation resistance at high temperatures of not lower than 1000° C.
[0015] The present invention resides in a Ni-based alloy member including a non-repaired region made of a Ni-based alloy base and a region repaired by welding, which is formed on the non-repaired region and made of a buildup-welded layer, the buildup-welded layer being made of a Ni-based alloy containing, by weight, 15% or less of Co, 18-22% of Cr, 0.8-2.0% of Al, 5.0% or less of Ta, 0.5% or less of Mo, 0.5% or less of Ti, 13-18% of W, 0.05-0.13% of C, 0.06% or less of Zr, 0.015% or less of B, 0.4-1.2% of Mn, and 0.1-0.3% of Si, the balance of the alloy being preferably essentially made of Ni.
[0016] Preferably, the buildup-welded layer has any of a layer having oxidation resistance, a layer having fatigue resistance, and a layer having oxidation resistance and formed on the layer having fatigue resistance. In particular, the buildup-welded layer is a layer having oxidation resistance and made of a Ni-based alloy containing, by weight, 1-15% of Co, 18-22% of Cr, 0.8-2.0% of Al, 0.5% or less of Ta, 13-18% of W, 0.05-0.13% of C, 0.015% or less of B, 0.4-1.2% of Mn, and 0.1-0.3% of Si. As an alternative, the buildup-welded layer is a layer having fatigue strength and made of a Ni-based alloy containing, by weight, 1-15% of Co, 18-22% of Cr, 0.8-2.0% of Al, 2.5-5.0% of Ta, 0.5% or less of Mo, 0.5% or less of Ti, 13-18% of W, 0.05-0.13% of C, 0.06% or less of Zr, 0.015% or less of B, 0.4-1.2% of Mn, and 0.1-0.3% of Si. The balance of the alloy is preferably essentially made of Ni.
[0017] The buildup-welded layer has an oxygen content of 30 ppm or less, preferably 1-25 ppm. The non-repaired region preferably contains, by weight, 14-18% of Cr, 2.5-4.5% of Al, 7-11% of Co, 1.0-2.5% of Mo, 2.5-6.0% of Ti, 1.0-4.0% of Ta, 0.005-0.003% of B, and 0.05-0.15% of C, and contains Ni as a main component.
[0018] Also, the present invention resides in a method of producing a Ni-based alloy member, the method comprising the step of forming a region repaired by welding, which is made of a buildup-welded layer of a Ni-based alloy, on a non-repaired region made of a Ni-based alloy base in an enclosed vessel containing a non-oxidizing atmosphere.
[0019] Further, the present invention resides in a method of producing a Ni-based alloy member, the method comprising the step of forming a region repaired by welding, which is made of a buildup-welded layer, on a non-repaired region made of a Ni-based alloy base, the buildup-welded layer being made of a Ni-based alloy containing, by weight, 15% or less of Co, 18-22% of Cr, 0.8-2.0% of Al, 5.0% or less of Ta, 0.5% or less of Mo, 0.5% or less of Ti, 13-18% of W, 0.05-0.13% of C, 0.06% or less of Zr, 0.015% or less of B, 0.4-1.2% of Mn, and 0.1-0.3% of Si.
[0020] Preferably, the producing method includes the step of, after forming the buildup-welded layer, performing aging treatment by holding the buildup-welded layer in a state heated to 1100-1150° C., and thereafter holding the buildup-welded layer in a state heated to 825-875° C. Also, the buildup-welded layer is preferably formed by any of TIG welding, plasma arc welding, and laser welding.
[0021] A turbine engine part according to the present invention is formed using the Ni-based alloy member. In the turbine engine part, the Ni-based alloy member is preferably a blade of a gas turbine for power generation, the blade comprising an airfoil portion and a root portion, and the repaired region is included in the airfoil portion. Further, the Ni-based alloy member preferably has a columnar crystal that is unidirectionally solidified and ranges from the airfoil portion to the root portion.
[0022] Still further, the present invention resides in a welding material made of a Ni-based alloy containing, by weight, 15% or less of Co, 18-22% of Cr, 0.8-2.0% of Al, 5.0% or less of Ta, 0.5% or less of Mo, 0.5% or less of Ti, 13-18% of W, 0.05-0.13% of C, 0.06% or less of Zr, 0.02% or less of B, 0.4-1.2% of Mn, and 0.1-0.3% of Si. Also, the welding material is preferably made of any of the Ni-base alloy having the above-mentioned compositions.
[0023] Still further, the present invention resides in a method of producing a welding material, the method comprising the steps of forming a Ni-based alloy ingot containing, by weight, 15% or less of Co, 18-22% of Cr, 0.8-2.0% of Al, 1.5-5.0% of Ta, 0.5% or less of Mo, 0.5% or less of Ti, 13-18% of W, 0.05-0.13% of C, 0.06% or less of Zr, 0.02% or less of B, 0.4-1.2% of Mn, 0.1-0.3% of Si, and the balance being essentially made of Ni through vacuum smelting and casting, and forming the ingot into a bar or wire material through hot plastic working and cold plastic working. In particular, after hot-forging of the ingot, a welding wire is preferably formed through cold drawing. The welding material has an oxygen content of 20 ppm or less, preferably 1-15 ppm.
[0024] The following is a description regarding the reasons why the contents of ingredient elements are limited to the above-described ranges in the Ni-based alloy member, the method of producing the alloy member, the turbine engine part, the welding material, and the method of producing the welding material.
[0025] The inventors have conducted researches on the influences of high-melting-point metals, i.e., Ta, Mo, W and Nb, upon the solidification structure and the oxidation resistance. Ta, Mo and Nb have a strong tendency to be segregated into the dendrite boundary and the crystal boundary during solidification. On the other hand, a tendency of W to be segregated into the dendrite boundary and the crystal boundary is very weak. Accordingly, adding Ta and Mo is advantageous for the purpose of increasing the amount of the high-melting-point metals in the crystal boundary and strengthening the crystal boundary. In the case of using W, W requires to be added in larger amount than that when the above elements Ta and Mo are added.
[0026] However, other elements than W, i.e., Ta, Mo and Nb, tend to reduce the oxidation resistance. From the viewpoint of the oxidation resistance, therefore, it is desired to reduce the amounts of added Ta and Mo to a level as low as possible, and to increase the amount of W. However, if W is added in excess of 18%, there occur not only a reduction of ductility due to excessive precipitation of W carbide, but also precipitation of the detrimental a phase and excessive precipitation of the μ phase, whereby the creep strength and the fatigue strength are reduced. Accordingly, W should be added in amount of 13-18%, preferably 15-18%.
[0027] Mo is similar to W in point of the effect upon the high-temperature strength. Hence Mo can be replaced with W within the range of the W content, but Mo deteriorates the oxidation resistance. To obtain superior oxidation resistance, therefore, it is preferable to add only W without adding Mo. For that reason, when Mo is added, its amount should be 0.5% or less, preferably 0.05-0.2%.
[0028] Ta deteriorates the oxidation resistance, but it increases the fatigue strength to a large extent. In the case of welding a portion that requires high fatigue strength, therefore, Ta requires to be added in appropriate amount of 2.5-5.0%. By adding Ta in the range of 2.5-5.0%, the fatigue strength can be obtained at a level comparable to that of a general unidirectionally-solidified rotor blade material. If Ta is added in excess of 5.0%, the oxidation resistance becomes inferior to the general unidirectionally-solidified material, and cold workability is so deteriorated that the welding material cannot be produced in the form of a wire. For those reasons, the amount of added Ta is preferably 5.0% at maximum, but not less than 2.5% to obtain a sufficient level of the fatigue strength. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of obtaining superior oxidation resistance, it is important that Ta be added in amount of 0.5% or less, preferably 0.05-0.3%.
[0029] Cr is an important element forming an oxidation resistant film and requires to be added in amount of 18% or more. However, if the amount exceeds 22%, the detrimental phases, such as the σ phase, are precipitated. Hence Cr is added in amount of 18-22%, preferably 19-21%.
[0030] Al is an important element in point of increasing the oxidation resistance because it forms an oxidation film giving superior protection at, in particular, high temperatures. Al is therefore added 0.8% or more. However, if Al is added beyond 2.0%, the amount of precipitated Ni 3 Al is increased and cracks are more apt to occur during the welding. Also, the precipitation of Ni 3 Al deteriorates workability and causes a difficulty in producing the welding material in the form of a wire. In spite of such a tendency, it is not desired to limit the amount of added Al from the viewpoints of weldability and workability because weldability and workability depend on the welding technology and the working technology. The present invention makes much account of repairing a rotor blade, particularly, at room temperature. In such a condition, weldability is certainly deteriorated if the amount of added Al exceeds the above-mentioned upper limit.
[0031] By optimizing the amount of incoming heat for the welding or heating a welded portion, however, the welding can be performed to further increase the oxidation resistance without causing weld cracks even when the amount of added Al exceeds the above-mentioned upper limit. Nevertheless, adding Al in amount beyond 2.0% forms Al nitrides at high temperatures and deteriorates ductility of a surface layer. For that reason, the amount of added Al is usually limited to the range of 0.8-2.0% in which no Al nitrides are formed in the surface layer. A preferable range of the amount of added Al is 1.0-1.5%.
[0032] Al and W are correlated with each other. An (Al/W) ratio is preferably 0.06-0.15. By setting the (Al/W) ratio to fall in that range, the high-temperature strength and the oxidation resistance can be ensured at a high level. A more preferable range of the (Al/W) ratio is 0.07-0.10.
[0033] Co slightly contributes to increasing the strength as a result of solid solution strengthening. However, if Co is added in excessive amount, precipitation of the μ phase, the σ phase, etc. is promoted. Accordingly, the amount of added Co should be 15% or less. In particular, a preferable range is 2-13%.
[0034] Mn and Si act to increase the oxidation resistance at high temperatures. Mn is added in the range of 0.4-1.2%, and Si is added in the range of 0.1-0.3%.
[0035] Because the oxygen content considerably affects the oxidation resistance, as described above, the oxygen content is preferably held at 20 ppm or less. To that end, it is important to reduce the oxygen content of the welding metallic material. Addition of Mg is effective in reducing the oxygen content. An appropriate Mg content is 0.001-0.01%.
[0036] Ti is an element forming the η phase [Ni 3 (Ti.Ta)] or carbide (such as TiC), similarly to Ta, in such a way that produced layers are formed at the grain boundary, to thereby suppress the progress of grain boundary cracks. But the effect of Ti is smaller than that of Ta. Ti is rather effective in increasing the corrosion resistance of the alloy at high temperatures, and hence it is added in amount of 0.5% or less. However, if Ti is added in excess of 0.5%, castability and weldability are deteriorated. For that reason, an upper limit is 0.5%. A preferable range of the Ti content is 0.05-0.2%.
[0037] C and B are elements used for strengthening the grain boundary in common cast alloys and unidirectionally-solidified columnar alloys that have hitherto been employed. In the single-crystalline alloy, these grain-boundary strengthening elements are not required and rather become detrimental elements in production of the single-crystalline alloy. However, C and B are effective in a subsequent surface coating process. In addition, inclusion of these elements is unavoidable. For those reasons, C and B are contained in very small amount.
[0038] C forms carbides (such as TiC and TaC) in the welding metal, which are precipitated as masses. Because those carbides have lower melting points than the alloy of the present invention and are locally melted in solid solution treatment that is performed at a temperature just below the melting point of the alloy, the temperature of the solid solution treatment cannot be raised and a temperature range of the solid solution treatment is narrowed. Further, C forms carbide with Ta as a solid solution strengthening element, whereby the apparent content of Ta used for the solid solution strengthening is reduced and the creep strength at high temperatures is deteriorated. For those reasons, C is added in amount of 0.05-0.13%. In particular, a preferable range is 0.04-0.1%.
[0039] B forms borides [(Cr, Ni, Ti, Mo) 3 B 2 ] which are precipitated at the grain boundary of the alloy. Like the carbides, those borides also have lower melting points than the alloy, thus lowering the temperature of the solid solution treatment and narrowing the temperature range of the solid solution treatment. Therefore, an upper limit of the B content is set to 0.02%. In particular, a preferable range is 0.005-0.015%.
[0040] Zr is an element forming carbide (such as ZrC), similarly to Ta, in such a way that a produced layer is formed at the grain boundary, to thereby suppress the progress of grain boundary cracks. But the effect of Zr is smaller than that of Ta. Zr is rather effective in increasing the corrosion resistance of the alloy at high temperatures, and hence it is added in amount of 0.06% or less. However, if Zr is added in excess of 0.06%, castability and weldability are deteriorated. For that reason, an upper limit is 0.06%. A preferable range of the Zr content is 0.01-0.03%.
[0041] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a Ni-based alloy member, a method of producing the alloy member, and a turbine engine part using the alloy member, as well as a welding material and a method of producing the welding material, which are capable of increasing resistance of a welding material against grain boundary fracture, fatigue strength, and oxidation resistance at high temperatures of not lower than 1000° C.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042] FIG. 1 is a graph showing the results of creep rupture tests of specimens;
[0043] FIGS. 2A and 2B are illustrations showing the results of observing a section of the specimens subjected to the creep rupture test;
[0044] FIG. 3 is a graph showing the results of repeated oxidation tests of the specimens;
[0045] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between amount of Ta added and amount of oxidation thinning;
[0046] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between amount of Ta added and fatigue strength;
[0047] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a rotor blade actually used in a gas turbine for power generation, which was repaired by welding according to the present invention; and
[0048] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another rotor blade actually used in a gas turbine for power generation, which was repaired by welding according to the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0049] The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in connection with Examples.
Example 1
[0050] Table 1, given below, lists chemical compositions (weight %) of samples. The samples were each prepared as a welding wire with a diameter of about 2 mm through the steps of vacuum smelting, hot forging, and cold drawing. The oxygen content of the welding wire was 5-15 ppm. By employing the welding wire as a welding material, a buildup welded layer was formed on a rotor blade material by the TIG welding process. The rotor blade material was a unidirectionally-solidified columnar Ni-based alloy that contained, by weight, 13.5% of Al, 9.0% of Co, 16.0% of Cr, 1.7% of Mo, 1.4% of Ta, 2.0% of W, 0.10% of C, 0.012% of B, 3.5% of Ti, and 1.0% of Nb. The welding was performed in the lengthwise direction of the columnar crystal. To avoid welding cracks, a welded portion was heated to about 800-950° C. by high frequency heating. Also, to suppress mixing of oxygen into the welded portion during the welding, the welding operation was performed in an enclosed vessel. An atmosphere in the enclosed vessel was sufficiently replaced with high-purity Ar gas prior to start of the operation. A weld metal formed after the welding had the oxygen content of 8-25 ppm. For comparison, a sample HO was prepared by using, as the welding material, vacuum atomized powder of the Ni-based alloy. The oxygen content of a welded portion in the case of using the vacuum atomized powder was 50-60 ppm. After the welding, aging treatment was performed in two stages of heating at 1125° C. for 2 hours and heating at 850° C. for 24 hours. Then, a plate-like specimen was taken from the welded portion and subjected to a creep rupture test.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Main
Comparative Material
Material of invention
Element
HA
HW
G1
G2
HO
T0
T2
T3
T4
T5
Al
3.5
1.2
0.3
0.6
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.5
1.5
Co
2
2
2
12
2
2
10
13
10
10
Mn
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.7
0.6
0.7
0.6
0.7
Si
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
Cr
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Total of
18
22
20
20.8
18
17
17
18
19
20
high-melting-
point metals
Mo
0
0
0
1.8
0
0
0
0
0
0
Ta
0
0
0
4
0
0
2
3
4
5
W
18
22
20
15
18
17
15
15
15
15
C
0.09
0.09
0.04
0.04
0.09
0.09
0.06
0.07
0.06
0.07
B
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.02
0.01
0.02
0.01
Ti
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
O (ppm)
15
15
15
25
55
15
18
10
8
8
[0051] FIG. 1 is a graph showing the results of creep rupture tests of specimens at 1050° C., the graph being plotted using a parameter {P=T(20+log t)×10 −3 } in accordance with the Larson-Miller method. T represents the test temperature expressed by absolute temperature, and t represents the rupture time (h). As seen from FIG. 1 , a comparative material G 1 having a relatively large W content and a comparative material HA having a relatively large Al content had lower creep rupture than a material T 0 of the invention. A comparative material G 2 containing Al in relatively small amount of 0.6% and Mo in relatively large amount of 1.8% corresponds to the alloy disclosed in Patent Document 1. Comparing with the disclosed alloy, the material T 0 of the invention exhibited equivalent or superior creep rupture strength. It is hence apparent that the material T 0 of the invention has higher strength when the test is continued for a longer time.
[0052] FIGS. 2A and 2B are illustrations showing the results of observing a section of the specimens subjected to the creep rupture test. More specifically, FIG. 2A shows the result of observing a section of each material of the invention after being subjected to the creep rupture test (under temperature of 1050° C. and stress of 19.6 MPa), and FIG. 2B shows the result of observing a section of the comparative material HA when the test was aborted at the time of creep rupture. As shown, in the comparative material HA, Al nitrides were formed at an inner end of a creep secondary crack and on an outer surface. In any of the materials T 0 -T 5 of the invention, such Al nitrides were not formed and an Al-oxide coating was formed on an outer surface.
[0053] FIG. 3 is a graph showing the results of repeated oxidation tests of the specimens of the welding materials. The temperature at which each specimen was held in the repeated oxidation test was 1092° C. The weight of the specimen was measured while repeating cycles of heating the specimen to the holding temperature, air-cooling it to room temperature, and reheating it per 10 hours. Comparing with a comparative material G 1 containing W in relatively large amount of 20% and disclosed in Patent Document 2 and with a comparative material G 2 containing Mo in relatively large amount of 1.8% and disclosed in Patent Document 1, the material T 0 of the invention exhibited superior oxidation resistance. The oxidation resistance of the material T 4 of the invention containing Co in larger amount than the material T 0 of the invention was slightly inferior to that of the comparative material G 1 .
[0054] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between amount of Ta added and amount of oxidation thinning after oxidation tests under the same conditions as those in the case of FIG. 3 , i.e., 1092° C. and 500 hours. It is apparent from FIG. 4 that, also in the materials of the invention, the larger the amount of Ta added, the larger is the amount of oxidation thinning. However, the amount of oxidation thinning is larger in the comparative materials G 1 and G 2 than materials of the invention even at the same amount of Ta added.
[0055] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between amount of Ta added and fatigue strength (number of times of ruptures in the strain range of 0.5%) at 900° C. It is apparent from FIG. 5 that, in both of the comparative materials and the materials of the invention, the fatigue strength is increased with an increase in the amount of Ta added. However, the oxidation resistance is deteriorated with an increase in the amount of Ta added as shown FIG. 4 . Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , the material T 4 of the invention exhibits the fatigue strength comparable to that the comparative material G 2 , while it exhibits superior oxidation resistance to the comparative material G 2 . This result is attributable to the effect resulting from that Mo impairing the oxidation resistance is not added and Al improving the oxidation resistance is added in larger amount in the material of the invention.
[0056] From the results described above, it is apparent that the materials of the invention are superior in the creep rupture strength, the fatigue strength, and the oxidation resistance.
Example 2
[0057] In this Example 2, rotor blades in the initial stage used in two plants (A and B) were repaired by welding.
[0058] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the case where a corner at a tip of the rotor blade actually used in a gas turbine for power generation (plant A), which had been subjected to a relatively small amount of oxidation thinning, was repaired by using the material of the present invention. In the plant A, the operation had been shut down several times per year, and the rotor blade in the initial stage of the plant A was slightly damaged. In consideration of that a longer service life would be expected by using the welding material superior in the oxidation resistance rather than the fatigue strength in such a case, the material T 0 of the invention containing no Ta was employed. With oxidation, a corner at a tip of an airfoil portion 8 was subjected to thinning. After cutting that corner by, e.g., grinding or electrical discharge machining, the blade was preheated to 800° C. or higher, buildup welding was performed in plural layers on the cut corner of the airfoil portion 8 with the TIG welding process by using, as the welding material, a welding wire having a diameter of about 2 mm and obtained in Example 1. Prior to start of the welding, a surface treatment layer formed on an entire surface of the airfoil portion 8 by thermal spraying of MCrAlY was removed.
[0059] The rotor blade material used in this Example 2 was made of the alloy mentioned above in Example 1 and had a columnar crystal unidirectionally solidified from the airfoil portion 8 toward a dovetail 10 . To avoid welding cracks, a welded portion was heated to about 800-950° C. by high frequency heating. Also, to suppress mixing of oxygen into the welded portion during the welding, the welding operation was performed in an enclosed vessel. An atmosphere in the enclosed vessel was sufficiently replaced with high-purity Ar gas prior to start of the operation. A weld metal formed after the welding had an oxygen content of 8-25 ppm. As a result of the welding, several buildup-welded layers were unidirectionally solidified.
[0060] After the welding, aging treatment was performed in two stages of heating at 1125° C. for 2 hours, and subsequent heating at 850° C. for 24 hours. Then, the buildup-welded layers were cut into a predetermined shape. Then, a surface treatment layer was formed on the entire surface of the airfoil portion 8 by thermal spraying of MCrAlY. Moreover, the rotor blade in the gas turbine for power generation, used in this Example 2, had four air cooling bores formed therein in an M-shape to extend in the lengthwise direction from the dovetail to the airfoil portion such that cooling air is introduced to the airfoil portion through the dovetail and is returned to the dovetail in a closed system.
[0061] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the case where a corner at a tip of the rotor blade actually used in a gas turbine for power generation (plant B), which had been subjected to a relatively large amount of oxidation thinning, was repaired by using the material of the present invention. As with the rotor blade in the plant A, the rotor blade in the plant B had a columnar crystal unidirectionally solidified from an airfoil portion 8 toward a dovetail 10 . However, the operation in the plant B had been shut down substantially once per day and a corner at a tip of the airfoil portion 8 was subjected to deep thinning with oxidation. In consideration of the necessity of both the fatigue strength and the oxidation resistance to prolong a longer service life after the repair in such a case, the material T 4 of the invention was employed for a portion exposed to large thermal stress and being more apt to cause cracks, and the material T 0 of the invention was employed for a portion exposed to small thermal stress, as shown in FIG. 7 . After cutting those portions by, e.g., grinding or electrical discharge machining, the blade was preheated in a similar manner in the above case, buildup welding was performed in plural layers with the TIG welding process by using, as the welding material, welding wires each having a diameter of about 2 mm and obtained in Example 1. At the boundary between the welded portions using the materials T 4 and T 0 of the invention, the amount of Ta was continuously changed from about 4% to 0% due to dilution caused during the welding. After the welding, aging treatment was performed in two stages of heating at 1125° C. for 2 hours, and subsequent heating at 850° C. for 24 hours. Then, the buildup-welded layers were cut into a predetermined shape. Then, a surface treatment layer was formed on the entire surface of the airfoil portion 8 by thermal spraying of MCrAlY. Additionally, the rotor blade in the gas turbine for power generation in this case also had the same cooling structure as that in the above-described case.
[0062] In any of the rotor blades shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the temperature of the portion subjected to the oxidation thinning is very high, and similar thinning occurs again if the buildup-welded layers formed by using the material(s) of the invention are left as they are. For the purpose of lowering the temperature to which the welded portion is exposed, therefore, the welded portion is preferably covered with a ceramic heat-shield coating by plasma electrical spraying of ZrO 2 -based powder.
[0063] Thus, it is understood from Examples that a longer-life rotor blade used in the gas turbine for power generation can be obtained by repairing the blade with welding to form the buildup-welded layers using one or more materials superior in the creep rupture strength, the fatigue strength and the oxidation resistance, thereby prolonging the part life and improving reliability. | A Ni-based alloy member has resistance against grain boundary fracture, fatigue strength, and oxidation resistance at temperatures near 1000° C. or higher. The Ni-based alloy member includes a non-repaired region made of a Ni-based alloy base and a region repaired by welding, which is formed on the non-repaired region and which is made of a buildup-welded layer, the buildup-welded layer being made of a Ni-based alloy containing, by weight, 15% or less of Co, 18-22% of Cr, 0.8-2.0% of Al, 5.0% or less of Ta, 0.5% or less of Mo, 0.5% or less of Ti, 13-18% of W, 0.05-0.13% of C, 0.06% or less of Zr, 0.015% or less of B, 0.4-1.2% of Mn, and 0.1-0.3% of Si, the balance of the alloy being preferably essentially made of Ni. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the construction of reinforced concrete works, such as underground galleries, road tunnels, tunnels for underground railways, et cetera, employing prefabricated elements.
The construction of these works using prefabricated elements gives rise to a difficulty, because, in general, on the one hand, the weight of the elements is considerable, and on the other hand, the bulk of these elements renders their transport by road convoy difficult if not impossible.
It is a first aim of the present invention to overcome this difficulty, to lighten these prefabricated elements as much as possible and to reduce their external dimensions while retaining an internal finish as close as possible to the final finish, and thus to permit the performance of the method under particularly economical conditions.
A second aim of the invention is to achieve a continuity of the work by a second stage concreting executed on site astride the joints between the prefabricated elements. This continuity is fundamental, both from the standpoint of the mechanical strength and of the differential subsidences caused by traffic and from the standpoint of fluid-tightness. In order to achieve these aims, the method which is the subject of the invention is substantially characterized in that an open trench is first excavated, that hollow prefabricated concrete elements are then placed therein, consecutively and contiguously, each consisting of a frame, the external faces of which comprise reinforcements, that a filler concrete is poured covering the joints between elements and cooperating with the reinforced concrete of the elements and with the reinforcements so as to construct, in consecutive stages and rapidly, a monolithic work, the strength of which is appreciably greater than the respective strength of the prefabricated elements intially placed and of the filler concrete; and that a filling is finally executed.
In the performance of the method, the external reinforcements are fixed to the prefabricated element ("preframe") before the prefabricated element is placed.
An essential feature of the invention is the prefabricated reinforced concrete element itself, called "preframe", comprising the above-described characteristics.
In the case of a tunnel of prefabricated elements of very large dimensions, the preframes exhibit sizes which exceed the official road transport height limits.
In this case, the preframes are constructed in two or more complementary elements, which will be assembled on site afterwards.
The installation of the elements is effected either in an open trench excavated dry, or in consecutive transverse trenches excavated in thixotropic mud, particularly when the work has to be constructed on a dense urban site in streets or main roads near existing buildings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
These prefabricated elements, and the embodiments of the method, dry and in thixotropic mud, will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1, 2 are perspective views showing different embodiments of the so-called preframe element;
FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 relate to preframes constructed of two or more complementary elements;
FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 are construction and assembly details of the preframes;
FIGS. 9 and 10 are views illustrating the placing of the elements in a trench excavated dry;
FIGS. 11 to 15 relate to the installation of the prefabricated elements in a trench excavated in thixotropic mud;
FIG. 11 is a horizonatl view of the installation site near buildings;
FIG. 12 shows vertical cross-section illustrating the essential characteristics of the installation method;
FIG. 13 shows a vertical longitudinal section relating to the same method during the installation of a preframe element.
FIG. 14 shows another vertical section relating to this same method during the excavation of a fresh traverse trench against the prefabricated element just placed.
FIG. 15 shows a horizontal section through the vertical side walls of two adjacent elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
(A) Description of the Preframe
As illustrated FIGS. 1 and 2, the preframe element is a hollow block 4 produced with reinforced concrete bottom, side and upper walls as thin as possible, that is to say in practice from 5 to 15 cm thick. The floor or bottom wall is designated 16.
The internal face 2 of the preframe 4 is generally cast smooth round a mould, presenting an appearance as close as possible to the required finished appearance.
On the other hand, the external face is produced either in rough concrete 53 without external shuttering, or with a shuttering comprising irregularities or indentations 120 with the effect of creating by moulding a surface comprising asperities (as best seen in FIG. 2).
FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of a preframe 4 comprising internal finishing elements 19, specifically platform elements for an underground railway station, the safety handrails and the finishing coverings on the floors, walls and ceilings.
The preframe illustrated in FIG. 2 comprising a stiffening rib 8, the thickness of which corresponds to the total and final thickness of the walls after production of the filler or added concrete. This rib 8 is essential in the case of installation in thixotropic mud, as shown later on by referring to the method.
The ribs 8 extend towards the exterior and in the center of the two vertical walls, and on the roof of the element.
These reinforced concrete ribs 8 are either prefabricated in the factory at the same time as the preframe 4, or else constructed on site at the same time as an apron or raft complement 206, to be described hereinafter if appropriate, particularly if the official road transport size limit does not premit their prefabrication at the factory. The preframe illustrated in FIG. 2 further comprises an apron or raft 13.
Since these elements are intended to be placed on the levelled ground 61, on the surface of the ground or in a trench 62 (FIG. 9), the apron 13 of the preframe may be produced in its final thickness, whereas the other walls are produced with a small thickness as explained above.
The apron 13 comprises excrescences or wings 14 on the exterior of the vertical walls with vertical reinforcements 15 anchored in these same excrescences or wings.
As shown in FIG. 10, this makes it possible to avoid subsequent concreting between the lower horizontal part or bottom 16 of the preframe and the ground level 61, concreting which may possibly be made rather difficult if the complementary thickness to be concreted is small.
On the other hand, a preframe 4 constructed as shown in FIG. 2 will be heavier and will be bulkier than a similar element according to FIG. 1.
Ultimately, it is considerations of weight, facility of concreting and installation which will guide the choice between the two types of "preframes".
Where the span of the roof or the vertical side walls of the preframe becomes too great to be crossed by a slab 5 to 15 cm thick for example, vertical or horizontal temporary stays 30 may be provided to reduce this span (FIGS. 1-2-9-12).
These stays 30 will be maintained in position during the production of the external filler concrete 18 (FIG. 6) and will be removed only after this same concrete has set and has attained sufficient strength.
In the case of a tunnel to be constructed with large-dimension preframes, the official road transport height limits are generally exceeded.
In this case, the preframes comprise two or more complementary partial elements 99, 100 and 101 (FIG. 3) which will subsequently be assembled on site. In the case of two complementary partial elements 100 and 101, they nest mutually, thus reducing their height 108 during transport (FIG. 4). The joint 102 between two half-preframes is located approximately at mid-height of each vertical side wall. The advantage of such a joint position lies in the fact that the ultimate moments which will stress the tunnel in its final stage generate tractions on the exterior of the filler concrete, and therefore in the complementary reinforcements which are added round the preframe.
The right hand part of FIG. 3 shows a preframe 4 consisting of two half-preframes 100 and 101. The height 110 of this preframe exceeds the official road transport limit. The lower half-preframe 100 may comprise a prefabricated apron 13, as previously explained (FIG. 2).
The two half-preframes 100 and 101 also comprise a stiffening rib 8 at mid-width.
FIG. 4 shows a low-load trailer 104 towed by a tractor 105. The half-preframe 101 is placed on the trailer astride the half-preframe 100, chocks 106 being interposed.
The height dimension on the low-load trailer thus remains below the official height limit 108 for road transport.
FIG. 5 shows a horizontal section AA through the upper half-preframe illustrated in FIG. 3. The width 109 of the preframe is likewise smaller than the official road transport limit. The assembly of the two half-preframes 100 and 101 on site may likewise be effected by a steel rod 140 comprising a nut at each end, which is placed in a tubular housing 141 left in the ribs 8 of the vertical side walls (FIG. 3).
After assembly on site, it is only necessary to tighten the bolts with a dynamometer wrench to effect a vertical post-stressing in the vertical side walls. This post-stressing may be calculated to prevent the joints 102 inside the preframe from opening by the effect of the lateral thrusts upon the vertical side walls due to the ground, to water and to the overloads above the tunnel.
An injection of cement grout may optionally be provided in the joint 102 to produce fluid-tightness on the one hand and the continuity of the concrete on the other hand to take up the compressive forces resulting from the external stresses. In calculating the dimensioning of the total thickness of concrete in the vertical walls, in the roof and in the apron of the preframe 4 with its filler concrete, values will preferably be chose such that the stresses do not generate traction forces upon the internal face of the side wall at the position of the joint 102 between the two half-preframes 100 and 101. This will make is possible to avoid the need to apply a post-stressing as explained above.
In the case where the preframe consists of more than two partial elements, the above-stated principles of assembly are likewise applied. (See the left hand part of FIG. 3).
The external face of the preframe also comprises (FIG. 6) temporary reinforcements 54 and/or anchorage sockets 55 with screwthreaded rods 59 and/or metal plates 56 with dogs 57 and staples 60 which permits, after the concrete has set and the prefabricated concrete has been deshuttered, the placing of peripheral reinforcements 5 which will be attached to the temporary reinforcements 54, to the screwthreaded rods 59 or to the staples 60.
This last operation is executed in the prefabrication factory or on site, before the installation of the elements.
(B) Description of the Assembly of Preframes
In order to achieve fluid-tightness if required and continuity between the elements, it is provided according to the invention to execute the second stage concreting 18 astride the joint 88 between two preframes with an overlap reinforcement 89 as shown in FIG. 7.
The fluid-tightness possibly required between these elements is achieved by peripheral joints 160 of compressible material placed between the preframes (FIGS. 2 and 7). Generally speaking, this type of compressible joint withstands the lateral water pressure only if the joint is compressed along the longitudinal axis of the tunnel. Before the second stage concreting 18, the assembly and the compression in the joint between the juxtaposed elements is then effected by bolts 94 connecting metal angle pieces 95 anchored in each of the juxtaposed elements generally inside the latter (FIG. 7). After the concrete 18 has set, the bolts 94 and the angle pieces 95 can be dismantled and recovered for the assembly of other preframes.
FIG. 8 shows a device for adjusting the preframes when being placed on site. They will be described later on in connection with the preframe assembly method.
(C) Method of Positioning in a Trench Excavated Dry
FIGS. 9 and 10 refer to the placement and assembling of preframes in a trench excavated dry.
FIG. 9 shows a preframe 4 according to FIG. 2 placed at the bottom of a trench 62 comprising a fairly steep bank 72 and another bank 75 with a gentle slope.
Where the bank 72 is steep, or even vertical (69, FIG. 10), the second stage concrete 18 will be installed between this bank and the preframe 4.
On the side of the gently sloping bank 75, to avoid installing excessive quantities of concrete, a vertical shuttering 76 (FIG. 9) is placed with optional supports 71 on the bank. This shuttering 76 may likewise be bolted into the ribs 8 (FIG. 2) when they are provided. This shuttering 76 is recoverable after the concrete has set. It may likewise be replaced by a non-recoverable shuttering of profiled sheet steel for example.
FIG. 10 shows how a preframe provided with peripheral reinforcements can be installed in a trench 62 excavated dry, comprising a vertical wall 69 armoured by sheet piles 71 for example, and another wall 72 with a fairly steep bank taking into consideration the cohesion of the ground.
In such an operation, using a crane with a beam 73, the preframe 4 is installed in the bottom 61 of the trench 62. It is adjusted on four jacks 74 placed on the bottom of the trench, which permit the preframe to be positioned with the required degree of accuracy.
As soon as the preframe is correctly adjusted, timber, concrete or steel chocks are placed and wedged between the preframe and the foundation level on the ground, thus permitting the adjusting jacks to be removed and recovered. Fluid-tightness between adjacent preframes if provided as described above in connection with FIG. 7.
The second stage concreting 18 is then performed, embedding the chocking and reinforcement elements in the concrete mass.
The temporary jack 74 may be replaced by non-recoverable bag jacks, which are injected with a cement grout to effect the correct adjustment of the preframe; these jacks no longer require chocking devices and are embedded in the concrete mass cast on side on the outside of the preframe.
The temporary jacks 74 may likewise be replaced by small prefabricated concrete slabs 74 which are adjusted to the required level beforehand.
If the apron 13 is prefabricated (FIG. 9), the space 121 between the small slabs 74 is brought flush with the laying level by fresh stabilized sand at the time of laying, or filled afterwards by a highly fluid lean concrete.
According to FIG. 10, the second stage or filler concrete 18 is poured beneath the preframe, on both sides of the latter and above the latter.
The filler concrete is a conventional concrete consisting of sand, gravel, cement and water, but is may also comprise traction-resistant fibres of steel, glass, asbestos or other material.
(D) Method Using Thixotropic Mud
Where the underground gallery is required to be constructed in an urban site, in streets or main roads for example, and therefore near existing buildings, it is not generally possible to excavate a trench with a bank, since the width of the main road does not permit this.
It is rarely possible to excavate a trench armoured with sheet piles, for example, because the driving of these sheet piles constitutes a nuisance for the population residing in this district. On the other hand, this driving generally causes considerable and inadmissible subsidences of the buildings in the immediate vicinity of the treanch excavated.
The technique currently known is to excavate armoured trenches or longitudinal concrete walls moulded in the ground in thixotropic mud. These two techniques necessitate the consecutive construction of the walls, then of the roof and of the apron which connect the longitudinal walls. The execution of such works is protracted and therefore interferes considerably with the local population for a long period, which is difficult for them to accept.
The present invention proposes an original method of rapid installation of prefabricated elements of the future gallery without causing the above-mentioned disadvantages.
The method is substantially characterized in that consecutive trenches, which are substantially rectangular and contiguous, are excavated with their longest dimension extending traversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the future tunnel, thixotropic mud is poured into each trench, at least one preframe such as defined in FIG. 2 is lowered into each trench consecutively, positioning it so that it is juxtaposed with the gallery element previously produced; the exterior, between the ribs of the two half-preframes, is then concreted, and the remaining space of the trench is filled with a filling material such as gravel, sand or soil.
A description of this will be given by way of example, not implying a limitation, with reference to FIGS. 11 to 15.
One particular advantage is that the proposed technique permits the levelling of the longitudinal walls to be eliminated.
From the initial ground level 211, a reinforced concrete guide wall 201 is first constructed to a depth of approximately one to two meters on each side of the trench to be excavated. This guide wall is generally complemented by a reinforced concrete slab 202 intended to act as a travelling track for a gantry 203 which will be installed subsequently. If necessary, this guide wall 201 will incorporate a duct 235 (FIG. 12) for the urban service pipes.
As illustrated in FIG. 11, the site will progress in the direction of the arrow 78.
The preframes 4 have been prefabricated in the factory as stated above. They preferably have a stiffening rib as shown in FIG. 2. They are then transported to the installation site, where they are stored in sufficient number (FIG. 11).
As stated above, peripheral or complementary reinforcements 5 are attached to this preframe in the factory or on site. These reinforcements 5 are arranged on the upstream side of the preframe 4 relative to the rib 8 so as to overlap an upstream preframe element already placed up to the rib of said upstream element (FIG. 13).
These complementary reinforcements 5 will therefore cover the joints between the elements 4 installed, thus achieving continuity of the future gallery after the complementary of second phase concreting.
The thickness of the apron or raft is optionally increased by a filler concrete incorporating the complementary reinforcements 5, thus constructing an apron complement 206 of reinforced concrete poured on site.
The apron 13 (FIG. 2) may likewise be entirely prefabricated in the factory as previously explained.
To reduce the consumption of bentonite and to avoid the subsequent cleaning of the interior of the gallery, the preframes 4 also comprise to flexible closure walls 207 attached to the upstream and downstream periphery of the preframe. These walls 207 consist of a material substantially permeable to water but impermeable to substances in suspension in water. A non-woven polyester material may be used, for example. This flexible walls 207 may be maintained in position between two sufficiently rigid metal lattices 31 which are attached to the periphery of the preframe 4 and to the temporary stays 30, if appropriate, and/or comprise high tensile internal fibre reinforcements.
Some preframe elements 32 also comprise an impermeable rigid wall 33 generally made of concrete. This will permit a section of a plurality of elements 4 to be isolated subsequently upstream of another element 32.
The ribs 8 permit the lateral attachment of rigid steel hangers 9 consisting either of a metal beam, or preferably of a U shaped steel element intended to be used as steel foundation piles. Each hanger 9 has an end provided with an assembly plate 45 for a purpose described hereafter. Inside the U of the hanger, a tubular element 225 of flexible and permeable cloth is fixed along the total length. This "sausage" 225 is blocked at its lower part and is intended to be filled with concrete as shown in FIG. 15.
The hangers 9 are attached to the preframe and have sufficient length to be able to be hooked to and suspended from the installation gantry 203 by cooperation of the gantry hooks 48 with hanger extension origifice 49. When large-dimension preframes are cited as shown in FIGS. 3-5, the hanger 9 with its assembly plate 45 can create a connection between a half-preframe 100 and a half-preframe 101 through the intermediary of a series of anchorage slabs or anchorage bolts 103 (FIGS. 3 and 5). As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the ribs 8 of the roof of each preframe 4 comprise rectangular notches which will permit the base of a coffer-dam 80, to be discussed below, to be placed therein. Metal sheets 210 (FIGS. 12 and 15) perforated with small-diameter circular holes, are attached to the reinforcements 5 with spacing devices to form the future non-recoverable shuttering wall of the vertical side wall of the tunnel to be constructed, thus avoiding the pollution of the filler concrete by possible caving in of earth. This sheet 210 may optionally be profiled and cooperative. These sheets 210 have sufficient length to reach at least the top level 22 of the elements 4 installed. The preframes thus prepared are ready to be installed in the trench excavated in thixotropic mud.
An important characteristic of the invention is that this trench in thixotropic mud is excavated by transverse sections 81 (FIG. 11) at right angles to the axis of the tunnel to be constructed, by means of a crane 79 equipped with a hydraulic clutch or with a special hopper 70 such as those used for the construction of moulded concrete walls in the ground in thixotropic mud.
In the present method, this hopper 70 will generally have considerably larger dimensions than those of the hoppers currently used, this being due to the size of each consecutive trench.
The trench may likewise be excavated by means of an excavator working backwards, in the consecutive passes 122 (FIG. 14).
In case the special hopper 70 is used, a detachable transverse guide wall 85, generally of steel, is placed in notches 86 provided in the guide walls 201.
In fact, the trenches or cuts have a width corresponding to the distance between two guide walls 201 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the future tunnel. In practice, this width will vary from approximately five to fifteen meters.
On the other hand, the length of these consecutive trenches along the axis of the future tunnel to be constructed will be fairly short. In practice, this length will be approximately two to three meters. This short length should permit the transverse trench to be excavated with no risk of subsidence for the adjacent buildings 214, the foundations 215 of which may be extremely close to the trench thus excavated (FIGS. 11 and 12).
To prevent this subsidence and the danger of the ground 215 in situ collapsing, the trench is permanently filled with thixotropic mud, generally consisting of bentonite mud, namely up to the level 25, which is higher than the ground water level 36.
A positioning and adjusting chassis 40 is then placed over the trench excavated in thixotropic mud and resting upon the guide walls 201 (FIGS. 12 and 13).
This chassis 40, generally made of steel, substantially comprises two girders 41 mutually spaced at a horizontal distance greater than the distance between the longitudinal bulk 42 of the preframe 4 and the reinforcements.
Double crosmembers 43 are provided so as to frame an extension 44 bolted to the hanger 9 through the intermediary of connecting plates 45 respectively welded to the top of the hanger 9 and to the bottom of the extension 44.
A carriage 46 or a horizontal positioning device can move horizontally on the double crossmembers 43 after the preframe 4, suspended by two hangers 9 on each side of the trench, has been placed.
Jacks 47 permit the accurate height adjustment of the preframe 4 to be effected in accordance with the instructions to be given by a surveyor before or during the installation of each element 4.
The chassis 40 may be replaced by a carriage 126 (FIG. 12) comprising at least four steel wheels 125 of the railway or grooved type which travel on two longitudinal rails 123 resting upon the guide walls 201.
These rails 123 are adjusted laterally and vertically to accurate positions as instructed by the surveyor, by placing chocks 124 beneath the rails so that the preframe 4 (FIG. 13) being placed comes to be positioned accurately and in the correct position against the preframe 32 previously placed.
A transverse trench being completed to the bottom level 24 and the positioning chassis 40 or carriage 126 being prepared, a preframe 4 with all its equipment already described is lifted by the gantry 203 and brought above the trench, which is still full of thixotropic mud.
The preframe 4 is lowered until it penetrates partly into the thixotropic mud.
In order to balance the instantaneous pressure between the mud and the flexible and permeable wall 207 of the preframe 4, the latter is partly filled with water. The lowering of the preframe 4 can then be continued down to a fresh depth below the height of the preframe 4, which is once more filled with water to balance the instantaneous pressure on each side of the flexible and permeable wall 207. This procedure is continued until the preframe 4 is totally filled with water. The preframe 4 can then be lowered down to the specified level, but at a certain horizontal distance from the element 32 already placed upstream (FIG. 13).
The two hangers 9 equipped with their respective extensions 44 are then supported by the positioning carriage 126 or chassis 40.
The two hooks 48 of the gantry 203 can then be disconnected from the suspension orifices 49 of the two extensions 44.
If necessary, the preframe 4 is also adjusted in height by the jacks 47, then moved horizontally toward the element 4, already placed, by means of the positioning carriage 126 or device 46. This precise operation is carried out in accordance with a surveyor's instructions.
The juxtaposition of the new preframe 4 against the element 4 already installed involves an accurate and predetermined horizontal adjustment to enable the production and installation tolerances of the preframes 4 to be corrected.
FIG. 8 shows the device generally provided for this adjustment at three points of the preframe 4 installed.
The preframe 4 already installed comprises this device on its edge, at three points, generally in the center of the apron and at the two top angles between the rood and the vertical walls of the element. This device consists of a small steel plate 50 firmly anchored in the concrete by dogs 51 or other anchorage devices. At the same corresponding positions of the edge of the new preframe 4 to be placed, this device consists of an adjusting screw 52 which can rotate in a screw-threaded socket 63 fixed to dogs or other anchorage device 64.
A similar device 66 permits the accurate vertical adjustment and the taking up of the negative pressure due to the filling beneath the apron.
A generally cylindrical cup 65 is provided to house totally the head of the screw 52 when it is screwed to its extreme. The three adjusting screws 52 of each new preframe 4 installed are adjusted as instructed by the surveyor as a function of the actual position of the element 4 immediately adjacent upstream.
The new preframe 4 being thus correctly adjusted on the bottom (FIG. 14) of the trench against the previous element 4, a vertical coffer-dam 23 constructed of sheet piles or of girders with prefabricated concrete panels, or by any other system, is then installed downstream of the preframe 4 which has just been installed and against the latter (FIGS. 14 and 15). This coffer-dam 23 has a height which extends from the bottom 24 of the trench to slightly above the natural level 211 of the ground, and in any case above the level 25 of the bentonite mud.
The space between the coffer-dam 23 and the vertical wall of the ground 216 is then filled with gravel 224 immersed in the bentonite mud. This filling with gravel is effected up to at least the level 22 corresponding to the top level of the element 4 placed.
This gravel 224 exerts a powerful horizontal thrust upon the coffer-dam 23 and upon the element 4 which has just been placed, thus pressing it firmly against the previous element 4 upstream (FIG. 14) and crushing the fluid-tight joint 160 of compressible material (FIG. 7).
In practice, however, it is difficult to evaluate correctly the value of this horizontal thrust of the gravel, whereas the join 160 must be compressed accurately to be effective.
The coffer-dam 23 (FIG. 14) will generally comprise jacks 110 (FIG. 15) which will permit a constant, accurate and adequate horizontal force to be exerted to crush the joint 160 correctly.
The "sausage" 225 is then filled with concrete 26 so as to block the space between the hangers 9 and the ground 216 (FIG. 15).
A material 275, such as fluid lean concrete, is then poured beneath the apron 206 of the element 4 (FIG. 14). This material 275 is poured under the thixotropic mud through the intermediary of concreting tubes 27 which may optionally be housed in the thickness of the coffer-dam 23 (FIG. 15).
Immediately after this material 275 has set, concrete 18 is poured through a concreting tube between the vertical walls of the two contiguous preframes 4 and the sheets 210 of the non-recoverable perforated shuttering. Progressively as this fresh concrete rises, it overflows partly through the holes in the shuttering, thus filling the space between the ground 216, the non-recoverable shuttering 210 formed by the steel sheets, and the "sausage" 225 filled with concrete 26. The concrete 18 incorporates the reinforcements 5 attached to the elements 4.
This concreting is continued to pour the concrete 18 (FIGS. 13 and 14) covering the roofs of the two contiguous preframes 4.
A second coffer-dam 80 comprising a girder 81 at its summit is placed in the notch 34 located in the shoulder 8 of the element 4 previously placed.
Gravel 83 (FIG. 14) is then deposited upstream of this coffer-dam 80, while progressively removing an identical coffer-dam 84 which was placed above the antepenultimate element.
The cycle of operations can be recommenced at this point.
The hopper 70 excavates the next trench 87 in thixotropic mud between the coffer-dam 23 and a removable guide wall 85. This hopper will discharge the gravel 224 at the same time as the earth 216 in situ. The cycle of operations is then resumed as previously described.
The same would apply if the special hopper 70 were replaced by a hydraulic grab or a backacter, but in these cases the removable guide wall 85 is not used.
FIG. 12 likewise shows a novel device acting in the case of large-span preframe elements 4.
Oblique metal hangers 90 are attached to metal plates 91 anchored in the roof of the preframe 4.
This device makes is possible to reduce considerably the thickness 93 of the concrete and the corresponding reinforcements of the roof of the preframe element 4, by creating intermediate supports which reduce the span.
These oblique hangers 90 may be either attached to the two vertical hangers 9 by means of assembly plates 45, or anchored in the future filling.
The upper part of the trench may be filled with gravel injected with concrete, or with lean concrete 92 which entirely embeds the metallic hangers 9 and 90.
FIGS. 1, 2, 9, 10 and 12 show preframes of rectangular shape. It is however to be understood that these preframes may be generally of any shape, particularly comprising rounded parts. | In a method of constructing a reinforced concrete work such as a road tunnel, an underground gallery or a tunnel for an underground railway, there is first excavated an open trench 62 in which there are then placed, consecutively and contiguously, prefabricated hollow concrete frame element 4, the external faces of which have reinforcements 5. A filler concrete 18 is then poured so as to cover the joints between elements and to cooperate with the reinforced concrete of the frame elements and with the reinforcements so as to construct, by consecutive stages and rapidly, a monolithic work. The strength of this monolithic work is appreciably greater than the respective strengths of the prefabricated elements initially placed and of the filler concrete. Finally the trench is filled. Preferably the external reinforcements 5 of the frame elements are such as to cooperate with the filler concrete which is subsequently placed round the elements. | 4 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention generally relates to a nonwoven fabric, and more specifically to a nonwoven fabric comprised of at least one foreground region and at least one background region, wherein the foreground region is an extension of the background region in the z-direction and imparted with an enhanced physical and/or aesthetic performance which is dissimilar to a performance that may be imparted within the background region. The foreground region is further characterized in that such region may extend away from the background region so that a continuous or discontinuous path is described.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The production of conventional textile fabrics is known to be a complex, multi-step process. The production of fabrics from staple fibers begins with the carding process whereby the fibers are opened and aligned into a feedstock referred to in the art as a sliver. Several strands of sliver are then drawn multiple times on a drawing frames to; further align the fibers, blend, improve uniformity and reduce the slivers diameter. The drawn sliver is then fed into a roving frame to produce roving by further reducing its diameter as well as imparting a slight false twist. The roving is then fed into the spinning frame where it is spun into yarn. The yarns are next placed onto a winder where they are transferred into larger packages. The yarn is then ready to be used to create a fabric.
[0003] For a woven fabric, the yarns are designated for specific use as warp or fill yarns. The fill yarns (which run on the y-axis and are known as picks) are taken straight to the loom for weaving. The warp yarns (which run on the x-axis and are known as ends) must be further processed. The large packages of yarns are placed onto a warper frame and are wound onto a section beam were they are aligned parallel to each other. The section beam is then fed into a slasher where a size is applied to the yarns to make them stiffer and more abrasion resistant, which is required to withstand the weaving process. The yarns are wound onto a loom beam as they exit the slasher, which is then mounted onto the back of the loom. The warp yarns are threaded through the needles of the loom, which raises and lowers the individual yarns as the filling yarns are interested perpendicular in an interlacing pattern thus weaving the yarns into a fabric. Once the fabric has been woven, it is necessary for it to go through a scouring process to remove the size from the warp yarns before it can be dyed or finished. Currently, commercial high-speed looms operate at a speed of 1000 to 1500 picks per minute, where a pick is the insertion of the filling yarn across the entire width of the fabric. Sheeting and bedding fabrics are typically counts of 80×80 to 200×200, being the ends per inch and picks per inch, respectively. The speed of weaving is determined by how quickly the filling yarns are interlaced into the warp yarns, therefore looms creating bedding fabrics are generally capable of production speeds of 5 inches to 18.75 inches per minute.
[0004] In contrast, the production of nonwoven fabrics from staple fibers is known to be more efficient than traditional textile processes, as the fabrics are produced directly from the carding process.
[0005] Nonwoven fabrics are suitable for use in a wide variety of applications where the efficiency with which the fabrics can be manufactured provides a significant economic advantage for these fabrics versus traditional textiles. However, nonwoven fabrics have commonly been disadvantaged when fabric properties are compared to conventional textiles, particularly in terms of resistance to elongation, in applications where both transverse and co-linear stresses are encountered. Hydroentangled fabrics have been developed with improved properties, by the formation of complex composite structures in order to provide a necessary level of fabric integrity. Subsequent to entanglement, fabric durability has been further enhanced by the application of binder compositions and/or by thermal stabilization of the entangled fibrous matrix.
[0006] Nonwoven composite structures typically improve physical properties, such as elongation, by way of incorporation of a support layer or scrim. The support layer material can comprise an array of polymers, such as polyolefins, polyesters, polyurethanes, polyamides, and combinations thereof, and take the form of a film, fibrous sheeting, or grid-like meshes. Metal screens, fiberglass, and vegetable fibers are also utilized as support layers. The support layer is commonly incorporated either by mechanical or chemical means to provide reinforcement to the composite fabric. Reinforcement layers, also referred to as a “scrim” material, are described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,419, which is hereby incorporated by reference. The use of scrim material, more particularly, a spunbond scrim material is known to those skilled in the art.
[0007] Spunbond material comprises continuous filaments typically formed by extrusion of thermoplastic resins through a spinneret assembly, creating a plurality of continuous thermoplastic filaments. The filaments are then quenched and drawn, and collected to form a nonwoven web. Spunbond materials have relatively high resistance to elongation and perform well as a reinforcing layer or scrim. U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,706 to Evans, et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a continuous filament web with an initial random staple fiber batt mechanically attached via hydroentanglement, then a second random staple fiber batt is attached to the continuous filament web, again, by hydroentanglement. A continuous filament web is also utilized in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,144,729; 5,187,005; and 4,190,695. These patents include a continuous filament web for reinforcement purposes or to reduce elongation properties of the composite.
[0008] More recently, hydroentanglement techniques have been developed which impart images or patterns to the entangled fabric by effecting hydroentanglement on three-dimensional image transfer devices. Such three-dimensional image transfer devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,764, which is hereby incorporated by reference; with the use of such image transfer devices being desirable for providing a fabric with enhanced physical properties as well as an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
[0009] For specific applications, a three-dimensionally imaged nonwoven fabric may exhibit a combination of specific performance attributes that are regionally imprinted depending on the end-use application. For example, a hard surface wipe may comprise a tackifier so as to enhance the ability of the wipe to pick up particulates, as well as a disinfectant to remove any contaminates from a given surface. Further, three-dimensionally imaged nonwoven fabrics may be used in home, medical, and hygiene applications wherein it is advantageous to have multiple performance enhancement additives within a wipe.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention is directed to a nonwoven fabric, and more specifically to a nonwoven fabric comprised of at least one foreground region and at least one background region, wherein the foreground region of the fabric is an extension of the background region of the fabric in the z-direction and imparted with an enhanced physical and/or aesthetic performance which is dissimilar to a performance that may be imparted within the background region. The foreground region is further characterized in that such region may extend away from the background region so that a continuous or discontinuous path is described. Further still, the foreground and background regions may be of similar or dissimilar basis weights.
[0011] The nonwoven fabric of the present invention may be either a single or multi-layer fabric comprised of at least one foreground region and at least one background region. The nonwoven fabric is comprised of one or more raised portions that extend out from the plane of the fabric so as to create a foreground region and a background region within the fabric. In a first embodiment, the raised portions or foreground region of the fabric may have a different basis weight than that of the background region of the fabric. Further, the foreground of the fabric is imprinted with a performance enhancing additive, while the background of the fabric comprises a dissimilar performance enhancing additive or completely lacking an additive.
[0012] Optionally, the foreground region of the fabric may be comprised of more than one performance enhancing additives. For example, half of the raised portion extending from the plane of the fabric may be imprinted with a hydrophilic additive, while the other half of the raised portions may be coated with a hydrophobic additive. Depending on the end-use application, additives may include, but are not limited to wetting agents, cleaning agents, emollients, astringents, disinfectants, and latherants.
[0013] In a second embodiment, the nonwoven fabric is comprised of one or more raised portions, wherein the fabric is the same basis weight throughout. The raised portions of the fabric may be formed on a variety of foraminous surfaces, such as on a belt, a wire or mesh screen, or a three-dimensional image transfer device during the hydroentanglement process. The regionally imprinted nonwoven fabric of the present invention is suitable for a variety of hygiene, medical, and industrial applications.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, hereinafter are described presently preferred embodiments of the invention, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as exemplifications of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.
[0015] With reference to FIG. 1, therein is illustrated an apparatus for practicing the present method for forming a nonwoven fabric. The fabric is formed from a fibrous matrix, which typically comprises staple length fibers, but may comprise substantially continuous filaments. The fibrous matrix is preferably carded and cross-lapped to form a fibrous batt, designated F. In a current embodiment, the fibrous batt comprises 100% cross-lap fibers, that is, all of the fibers of the web have been formed by cross-lapping a carded web so that the fibers are oriented at an angle relative to the machine direction of the resultant web. U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,903, hereby incorporated by reference, illustrates a web drafting apparatus.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 1 illustrates a hydroentangling apparatus for forming the compound imaged nonwoven fabrics in accordance with the present invention. The apparatus includes a first foraminous-forming surface in the form of belt 10 upon which the precursor web P is positioned for pre-entangling by entangling manifold 12 so as to impart the initial three-dimensional image. Pre-entangling of the precursor web, which hereby imparts a first image, is subsequently effected by movement of the web P sequentially over a second image transfer device, such as drum 14 having a foraminous-forming surface, with entangling manifold 16 effecting entanglement and imparting a second three-dimensional image into the web. Further entanglement of the web is effected on the foraminous forming surface of a drum 18 by entanglement manifold 20 , with the web subsequently passed over successive foraminous drums 20 , for successive entangling treatment by entangling manifolds 24 , 24 ′.
[0017] The entangling apparatus of FIG. 1 further includes a three-dimensional imaging drum 24 comprising a three-dimensional image transfer device for effecting imaging of the now-entangled precursor web which is comprised of at least one three-dimensional image. The image transfer device includes a moveable imaging surface which moves relative to a plurality of entangling manifolds 26 which act in cooperation with three-dimensional elements defined by the imaging surface of the image transfer device to affect additional imaging and patterning of the fabric being formed.
[0018] Optionally, a support layer or scrim may be placed in face to face juxtaposition with the fibrous web and hydroentangled on a foraminous surface to form a precursor web P with a first three-dimensional image imparted therein. The fibrous web is hydroentangled on a first foraminous surface to form precursor web P and impart a first three-dimensional image. The present invention contemplates that the optional support layer or scrim be any such suitable material, including, but not limited to, wovens, knits, open mesh scrims, and/or nonwoven fabrics, which exhibit low elongation performance. Two particular nonwoven fabrics of particular benefit are spunbond fabrics, as represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,338,992; 3,341,394; 3,276,944; 3,502,538; 3,502,763; 3,509,009; 3,542,615; and Canadian Patent No. 803,714, these patents are incorporated by reference, and nanofiber fabrics as represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,678,379 and 6,114,017, both incorporated herein by reference.
[0019] Manufacture of the regionally imprinted nonwoven fabrics embodying the principles of the present invention is initiated by providing the fibrous matrix, which can include the use of staple length fibers, continuous filaments, and the blends of fibers and/or filaments having the same or different composition. Fibers and/or filaments are selected from natural or synthetic composition, of homogeneous or mixed fiber length. Suitable natural fibers include, but are not limited to, cotton, wood pulp and viscose rayon. Synthetic fibers, which may be blended in whole or part, include thermoplastic and thermoset polymers. Thermoplastic polymers suitable for blending with dispersant thermoplastic resins include polyolefins, polyamides and polyesters. The thermoplastic polymers may be further selected from homopolymers; copolymers, conjugates and other derivatives including those thermoplastic polymers having incorporated melt additives or surface-active agents. Staple lengths are selected in the range of 0.25 inch to 10 inches, the range of 1 to 3 inches being preferred and the fiber denier selected in the range of 1 to 22, the range of 2.0 to 8 denier being preferred for general applications. The profile of the fiber and/or filament is not a limitation to the applicability of the present invention.
[0020] In a first embodiment, the raised portions or foreground region of the fabric may have a different basis weight than that of the background region of the fabric. Further, the foreground of the fabric is imprinted with a performance and/or aesthetic enhancing additive, while the background of the fabric may be comprised of a different performance and/or aesthetic enhancing additive or completely lacking an additive. In accordance with the present invention, the performance enhancing additives may be imparted utilizing various techniques known in the art, including, but not limited to impregnating, padding, spray coating, or kiss coating.
[0021] In a second embodiment, the nonwoven fabric is comprised of one or more raised portions, wherein the fabric is the same basis weight throughout. The raised portions of the fabric may be formed on a variety of foraminous surfaces, such as on a belt, a wire or mesh screen, or a three-dimensional image transfer device during the hydroentanglement process. Further, the raised portions of the foreground region are further characterized in that such a region may extend away from the background region so that a continuous path is described, such that fibers of the foreground region and the fibers of the background region are interconnected by fibers orientated in the z-direction or in a discontinuous path, such that the foreground region is connected to the background region by means of fibrous transition areas.
[0022] It is also within the purview of the present invention that the nonwoven fabrics comprise additional nonwoven or woven fabric layers or film layers so as to form a laminate construct. Various film layers may include, cast films, extruded films, and reticulated films. Extruded films can be formed in accordance with the following representative direct extrusion film process. Blending and dosing storage comprising at least two hopper loaders, feed into two variable speed augers. The variable speed augers transfer predetermined amounts of polymer chip into a mixing hopper. The mixing hopper contains a mixing propeller to further the homogeneity of the polymer or a polymer mixture. The polymer chip feeds into a multi-zone extruder. Upon mixing and extrusion from multi-zone extruder, the polymer compound is conveyed via heated polymer piping through screen changer, wherein breaker plates having different screen meshes are employed to retain solid or semi-molten polymer chips and other macroscopic debris. The polymer is then fed into a melt pump, and then to a combining block. The combining block allows for multiple film layers to be extruded, the film layers being of either the same composition or fed from different systems as described above. The combining block is connected to an extrusion die, which is positioned in an overhead orientation such that molten film extrusion is deposited at a nip between a nip roll and a cast roll.
[0023] When the nonwoven fabric of the present invention is to receive a film layer extrusion, a substrate material source is provided in roll form to a tension-controlled unwinder. The base layer is unwound and moves over the nip roll. The molten film extrusion from the extrusion die is deposited onto the substrate material at the nip point between the nip roll and the cast roll. The newly formed base layer and film composite is then removed from the cast roll by a stripper roll and wound onto a new roll.
[0024] Breathable films, such as monolithic and microporous films, or reticulated films, can also be used within the laminate filtration structure. Monolithic films, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,211, and microporous films, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,864, both patents herein incorporated by reference, represent the mechanisms of forming such breathable barrier films. Reticulated films, such as those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,381,326 and 4,329,309, are representative of macroporous films.
[0025] Optionally, continuous filament fabrics, including micro-denier and nano-denier fabrics, may be incorporated into a laminate structure. In general, continuous filament nonwoven fabric formation involves the practice of the spunbond process. A spunbond process involves supplying a molten polymer, which is then extruded under pressure through a large number of orifices in a plate known as a spinneret or die. The resulting continuous filaments are quenched and drawn by any of a number of methods, such as slot draw systems, attenuator guns, or Godet rolls. The continuous filaments are collected as a loose web upon a moving foraminous surface, such as a wire mesh conveyor belt. When more than one spinneret is used in line for the purpose of forming a multi-layered fabric, the subsequent webs are collected upon the uppermost surface of the previously formed web. The web is then at least temporarily consolidated, usually by means involving heat and pressure, such as by thermal point bonding. Using this means, the web or layers of webs are passed between two hot metal rolls, one of which has an embossed pattern to impart and achieve the desired degree of point bonding, usually on the order of 10 to 40 percent of the overall surface area being so bonded.
[0026] Suitable nano-denier continuous filament layers can be formed by either direct spinning of nano-denier filaments or by formation of a multi-component filament that is divided into nano-denier filaments prior to deposition on a substrate layer. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,678,379 and 6,114,017, both incorporated herein by reference, exemplify direct spinning processes practicable in support of the present invention. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,678,379 and 6,114,017, both incorporated herein by reference, exemplify direct spinning processes practicable in support of the present invention.
[0027] The fabric of the present invention may be utilized in a variety of hygienic, medical, and industrial applications. Suitable hygiene applications include, but are not limited to disposable baby changing pads, wherein the foreground of the fabric can be treated with various different surfactants so as to control the absorption of liquid insults. Further, the fabric is suitable for use as a hygienic wipe, such as a facial or other cleansing wipe.
[0028] From the foregoing, numerous modifications and variations can be effected without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concept of the present invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover, by the appended claims, all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims. | The present invention is directed to a nonwoven fabric, and more specifically to a nonwoven fabric comprised of at least one foreground region and at least one background region, wherein the foreground region of the fabric is an extension of the background region of the fabric in the z-direction and imparted with an enhanced physical and/or aesthetic performance which is dissimilar to a performance that may be imparted within the background region. The foreground region is further characterized in that such region may extend away from the background region so that a continuous or discontinuous path is described. Further still, the foreground and background regions may be of similar or dissimilar basis weights. | 3 |
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/373,485, filed Aug. 12, 1999, which has now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,409 on Feb. 5, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to clamping devices, and more particularly to a simple, efficient clip device to fasten a plastic trash bag to a rigid container.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Virtually all human activity results in the generation of some refuse or waste. The sanitary storage and collection of waste is a hallmark of a civilized society. People generally store waste, or trash, in relatively small containers ranging anywhere from one to 55 gallons in size. Plastic or paper liners, or bags, are frequently used in an effort to keep these containers clean, and to facilitate easy removal of the trash. These liners are placed inside the rigid trash container and frequently are attempted to be secured to the container by folding the upper section of the bag over the lip of the container.
Several disadvantages exist with this arrangement. When garbage is placed in the bag, the bag often detaches from the lip of the container and falls to the bottom of the container, where it becomes another trash item. Attempts to remedy this by closely matching the bag opening with the container opening frequently result in bags that split or tear when folded over the container lip. And a bag that splits, or otherwise detaches from the container fails to perform its primary task of holding the refuse placed within it, and protecting the container from soiling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves the problem of pliable bags becoming detached from containers. Broadly, the present invention provides for the secure removable fastening of bags to containers.
More specifically, one embodiment of the invention attaches a pliable bag to a container by locating a clip over a portion of the bag and container so that a gripping section of the clip secures the bag against the container. The clip is positioned over the bag and container by applying pressure to the upwardly projecting grip, which causes the arms of the clip to separate sufficiently to be placed over the bag which is layed over the rim of the container. The clip secures the bag and container once pressure is removed from the grip.
The invention affords its users with a number of distinct advantages. First, trash bags no longer need to be folded over container lips, thus avoiding the possibility of tearing bags. Second, the bag remains securely attached to the container lip at all times and thus can perform its intended functions of containing refuse and protecting the container from being soiled by the refuse. Additionally, the clip of this invention has a low profile so that when it is in use it does not interfere with use of the container cover to close the top of the container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following detailed description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention showing the gripping unit positioned over a container lip and bag with a clasping unit shown in phantom and also shown partially installed over the gripping unit;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gripping unit shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the clasping unit shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a top view of the gripping unit shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an end elevation view of the gripping unit and a phantom elevation view of the clasping unit shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the gripping unit of the invention;
FIG. 7 is a top view of the gripping unit shown in FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the clasping unit for use with the gripping unit of FIG. 6;
FIG. 9 is an elevation view of a clasping unit of FIG. 6 shown in phantom and a gripping unit showing the arms in closed gripping position and in spread position in phantom;
FIG. 10 is a top view of an alternative unitary clip embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 11 is a side view of clip shown in FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is an end sectional view taken along cutting plane 12 — 12 in FIG. 10; and
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the FIG. 10 embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Throughout this description, the preferred embodiment and examples shown should be considered as exemplars, rather than as limitations on the present invention. In the following paragraphs, the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the attached drawings.
The clip assembly according to the present invention provides a quick and reliable way to secure or fasten a pliable bag to a container by using two gripping arms and a clasp that forces the gripping arms to removably hold the bag against the container. The clip assembly also has a low profile that permits container lids to fit over the container without interfering with the clip assembly. The clip assembly is also easy to use and inexpensive.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a clip assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is illustrated and designated generally by the numeral 10 . The clip assembly has a gripping or clamping unit 15 having two arms or wings 2 that are generally rectangular in shape and may be slightly curved. Each arm has a ribbed inner surface 3 for positively gripping flexible bag 4 and lip 8 of container or vessel 5 . Alternatively, the inner surface can consist of projections, ridges, grooves, cross-hatching or any other suitable configuration. Other embodiments of the gripping unit may have arms split into two or more separate parts. As shown in FIG. 4, this embodiment of gripping unit 15 can have slightly curved arms 2 that approximate the curvature of the container 5 .
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, arms 2 are connected by bridge or connector 6 . The bridge has two positioning or locking tabs 7 that engage with clasping unit 20 , shown in FIG. 3 . Channeled outer section 9 on each arm 2 is located beneath the locking tabs. The channeled section may be formed with ridges, grooves, or any suitable configuration for engaging with the clasping unit.
Now referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, an alternative embodiment gripping unit 15 is illustrated. Bridge 6 is narrow to accommodate narrow container lips which might be found on metal garbage cans. In this embodiment, arms 2 are much closer together and can be curved or straight, to accommodate curved containers. In a similar manner, bridge and arm proportions can be individualized to suit distinct containers.
Clasping or clinching unit 20 is illustrated in FIG. 3 and is shown in position and in phantom in FIG. 1 . The clasping unit is generally U-shaped with an upper surface 11 and two arms or sides 12 . In a preferred embodiment, the distal end of each arm terminates in a curled segment 13 that extends the entire width of the arm. Alternatively, the curled section may reside at only one or more sections of each arm 12 . Curled section 14 is located at the upper end of each arm 12 and, in some embodiments, may only reside at one or more sections of the arm.
FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of clasping unit 20 . Upper surface 11 is narrow to match the narrow bridge gripping unit shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Arms 12 are now much closer together to engage channel section 9 .
As shown in FIG. 1, container 5 , having a relatively wide, reverse curved lip or rim, is engaged by arms 2 near container lip 8 . In one embodiment of gripping unit 15 arms 2 are splayed or spread, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, to permit easy positioning of the gripping unit over a container. Clasping unit 20 then closes the clip over the bag and the container lips as seen in FIG. 9, the narrow gripping unit is illustrated with the arms shown in the gripping position and in the spread position in phantom. The arms pivot about living hinges 16 that do not fatigue, and thus the arms can be repeatably cycled from the disengaged, or spread position, to the gripping position many times without failure. If desired, arms 2 may be normally biased to the spread position for ease of positioning over the container lip.
Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 9, clasping unit 20 is positioned over bridge 6 and curled segments 13 are positioned to engage the gripping unit. The clasping unit, which is preferably made of spring steel, forces arms 2 into the gripping position to firmly trap or secure bag 4 against container 5 when forced downwardly to the final position with curled segments 13 seated in bottom depressions 9 . Upper curled section 14 provides gripping projections to enable the clasping unit to be pulled upwardly to disengage the clip assembly from the bag and container. In a preferred embodiment, the clasping unit is muti-positionable along the channeled outer section. This allows for variable clamping force against the container and for quick and easy removal of clip assembly 10 from the container.
The gripping unit and the clasping unit can be formed of plastics, spring steels, fiberglass, rubber, polyurethane or other suitable materials.
With reference now to FIGS. 10, 12 and 13 , another embodiment of the clip of the invention is shown. Clip 30 is a unitary device having bridge 29 which is generally rectangular in shape, and elongated arms 31 , 32 . This configuration can be used with straight arms, or curved arms as shown in FIG. 10 . Grip elements 33 , 34 are formed to have sufficient height to allow manual deformation so that arms 31 , 32 can be spread slightly as needed to be placed over the bag and container lid. However, the height of the grip elements is such that it does not interfere with the use of a lid on the container. Inwardly projections 35 , 36 are staggered along a horizontal axis on the inner surfaces 37 , 38 of arms 31 , 32 , respectively. The projections are preferably rounded so as to prevent tearing of the bag. Alternatively, arms 31 , 32 can consist of a ribbed inner surface, such as shown in FIG. 2, for securing a flexible bag to the rim of a container or vessel. It is also contemplated herein that inner surfaces 37 , 38 can have projections, ridges, grooves, cross-hatching or any other suitable configuration known to those skilled in the art to be able to provide sufficient retention while causing no unacceptable tearing of the bag.
The relative height of the arm 31 and grip element 33 are shown in FIG. 11 . The relative placement of bridge 29 is shown clearly in FIGS. 11 and 12. In a particularly preferred embodiment the height of grip 33 is about 0.28 inch above bridge 29 , the bridge is about 0.075 inch thick and arms 31 , 32 extend about 0.662 inch below bridge 29 .
In a preferred embodiment the clip 30 is unitary and may be formed as a single piece of suitable plastic. The plastic material should be relatively rigid but also slightly deformable to enable arms 31 , 32 to be spread slightly by applying pressure to opposed grip elements 33 , 34 , and return to their original relative positions when the pressure on the grip elements is released. An example of a plastic that will satisfy the requirements of the invention is a copolymer polypropylene.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 10-13, the unitary clip consists of semi rigid bridge 29 , which will temporarily deform when pressure is applied on grip elements 33 , 34 , thereby slightly separating arms 31 , 32 for attachment to a bag and container. Material 41 , at the junction of the bridge and arms creates the requisite compromise between rigidity and elasticity such that the bridge serves the function of the hinge and lock as in the FIGS. 1 and 6 embodiments. Once pressure is removed from the grip elements, the clip immediately returns to its original shape, thus providing sufficient pressure to secure the bag to the container.
Certain preferred embodiments have been described above. It is to be understood that a latitude of modification and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and that these modifications and substitutions are within the literal scope, or are equivalent to the claims that follow. Accordingly, the following claims should be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the intent and scope of the invention herein described. | A one piece clamp for affixing a pliable bag to a container. The device can be deformed to an open position and normally assumes a closed position. While in the closed position, the clamp is in condition to secure a bag to a container. The clamp may be deformed to place it in position on the lid of a container, and to allow release of the bag from the container. | 8 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a continuous layer of material, and more specifically, a layer of material such as paper, carton or cardboard.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to employ cleaning tools in machines that produce a continuous layer of material, particularly in equipment to produce paper. These tools are used for cleaning the surfaces of rollers and cylinders, such as dryer cylinders and/or rollers, and guiding rollers. Such tools incorporate scrapers which act on the surfaces of the rollers and/or cylinders in order to remove dirt and deposits. In order to wear on the surfaces of these rollers and/or cylinders as evenly as possible, the cleaning tools and their scrapers, respectively, are designed so that they work in an oscillating manner. This sort of oscillation implies a relative movement between the cleaning tool and the surface that is being cleaned. These scrapers exert a compressive force upon the surface that is being cleaned that should not be underestimated. The scraper and the beam to which they are attached should possess a considerable stiffness in order to keep the deflection of the tool to a minimum. Thus, the pushing force can act as evenly as possible along the length of the roller/cylinder. This requirement usually leads to relatively complex and rather expensive constructions which tend to occupy very large amounts of space.
What is needed in the art is an apparatus for manufacturing a continuous layer of material which does not have the above mentioned disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a cylinder and/or roller, respectively, that is cleaned by the cleaning tool, and mounted so that it can be moved in an oscillating fashion in the direction of its respective axis of rotation. By providing the possibility of relative movement in this direction one prevents furrows or grooves from forming in the surface of the cylinder and/or roller that requires cleaning. By the same token, the relative movement is also devised to prevent localized wearing at the cleaning surface of the scraper of the cleaning tool.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a driving mechanism, which is to facilitate the axial movement of the roller and/or cylinder, is located on one end of this roller and/or cylinder. The spatial requirements of such a driving mechanism are relatively small. Furthermore, this arrangement does not excessively constrain the access to the apparatus for producing material layers, which would be required for example for cleaning, maintenance or for process control.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a spring system is attached at the end of the roller and/or cylinder which is opposite to the side where the driving mechanism is mounted. The spring force acts counter to the direction of the driving mechanism. This arrangement avoids the necessity of having the driving mechanism move the roller and/or cylinder in both directions. The spring system facilitates the movement of the roller and/or cylinder in the opposite direction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross section of a side view of a roller belonging to an apparatus for producing layers of material; and
FIG. 2 is a schematic end view of a cylinder acting in conjunction with a cleaning tool.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates one preferred embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus for producing layers of material described hereinafter is particularly suited for producing paper. The apparatus includes a number of cylinders, e.g., dryer cylinders and rollers. Rollers may include, e.g., guiding rollers which guide and support a dryer sieve, which is sometimes also referred to as a conveyer band, and carrier rollers and implements of that sort. It is to be understood that the term "roller", "rollers" or the like, as used herein, refers to both cylinders such as dryer cylinders as well as to rollers such as guiding rollers.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a side view of the end sections of roller 1 which is held in two bearings 3 and 5. The two bearings 3 and 5 are set up as movable bearings, preferably as so-called, CARB--bearings, which allow axial movement of roller 1. Axial movement is movement in the direction of axis of rotation 7. For example, bearings 3, 5 can be set up so that they permit movement along axis of rotation 7 of between approximately 25 mm and 35 mm.
A driving mechanism 9 is mounted to end face 2 of roller 1 or to an axle journal 17. In order to keep the schematic simple and understandable, driving mechanism 9 is only shown as a hydraulic cylinder 11 with a piston rod 12 attached to its end. Piston rod 12 can be moved along the direction of axis of rotation 7. Piston rod 12 is shown as penetrating housing 13 of bearing 3. Hydraulic cylinder 11 on housing 13 of bearing 3 (FIG. 1) is to be positioned such that cylinder rod 12 is in alignment with axis of rotation 7 of roller 1. This configuration furthermore facilitates that drive mechanism 9 moves piston rod 12 of hydraulic cylinder 11 from left to right, a movement which is simultaneously forced upon roller 1.
Left bearing 3 is built so that axle journal 17, which constitutes part of roller 1, is allowed to move along the direction of axis of rotation 7 relative to a fixed frame or to an outer ring 15 which is connected to a so-called seating.
Right bearing 5 is built identically. It also contains an outer ring 15' which enables axial movement of an axle journal 17'. Bearing 5 is contained in a housing 13'. In contrast to bearing 3, housing 13' of bearing 5 contains a spring system 19, for example a spring box. This is built so that a spring force is acting from right to left upon axle journal 17, thus acting against the movement of hydraulic cylinder 11 and piston rod 12, respectively.
Bearing 5 is also mounted on a rigid support or, for example, on the seating of the apparatus that produces material layers. Both bearings 3 and 5 are mounted so that movement of housing 13 and 13' along axis of rotation 7 is not possible. Because of the internal construction of bearings 3 and 5, movement of axle journals 17 and 17' is made possible relative to outer rings 15 and 15' or to bearings 3 and 5, respectively. It is explicitly stated that axle journals 17 and 17' are to be linked directly or through appropriate connecting pieces to roller 1.
Driving mechanism 9 is constructed and employed such that it can move roller 1, as roller 1 is in the process of handling material layers, back and forth in an oscillating fashion. In other words, as mechanism 9 is activating hydraulic cylinder 11 to extend, roller 1 moves from left to right, and as mechanism 9 is deactivating hydraulic cylinder 11, spring system 19 forces roller 1 back from right to left. As mentioned before, the stroke of the motion can be, for example, between approximately 20 mm and 25 mm. Hydraulic cylinder 11 and spring system 19 clamp firmly around the outer ends of roller 1 so that they can limit the axial movement of roller 1 to a regime that can be easily controlled and adjusted. Hydraulic cylinder 11 and piston rod 12 take on the role of an axial bearing, while spring system 19 counteracts, thus playing the role as a counter bearing.
It is also possible to replace hydraulic cylinder 11 with a double action cylinder to connect its piston rod, by use of a jointed link for example, with axle journal 17. It would then be possible to let the double action cylinder take on the role of spring system 19 and thus eliminate the spring system altogether. This substitution would free space at the side of axle journal 17' so that, for example, supply tubing and ducts could be installed.
FIG. 2 depicts a schematic side view of an apparatus to produce a continuous layer of material, or, as an example, an apparatus 10 to produce a continuous paper layer 21 with a roller 1 around which continuous layer 21 is guided along with a conveyer band. A directional arrow on roller 1 indicates that as the apparatus 10 to produce continuous material layer 21 is operating, roller 1 is turning in a counter-clockwise direction. Roller 1 is at its ends equipped with bearings 3, 5 (FIG. 1). Roller 1 is set into an oscillating motion by a driving mechanism that is not depicted in FIG. 2.
Cleaning tool 23, which is mounted in a fixed position into apparatus 10, is working surface 29 of roller 1. Roller 1 is therefore making small oscillating movements relative to cleaning tool 23. Cleaning tool 23 includes a scraper 25 which is pressing with a set force and under an acute angle onto surface 29 of roller 1. Scraper 25 is, with the end opposite to surface 29 of roller 1, attached to a suitable fixture, for example to housing 27 of cleaning tool 23. Scraper 25 is removing substances from surface 29 of roller 1. These substances include sediment or additives that have a tendency to attach themselves to surface 29 of roller 1. The particles that are removed by scraper 25 are caught in a collector channel 31 that is part of cleaning tool 23. The particles are transported away and handled in familiar ways.
The schematic display of FIG. 2 shows without a doubt that neither cleaning tool 23 nor scraper 25 has a so-called scraper beam, which is usually a massive construction with complex bearings and housings that altogether require an enormous amount of space. Cleaning tool 23 does not require a heavy or complicated construction either since the force with which scraper 25 presses against surface 29 of roller 1 can be easily generated, for example, with compressed air or by use of a spring system.
Another reason that cleaning tool 23 can be built lightly and relatively small is due to the fact that cleaning tool 23 is fixed stationary within the apparatus 10 to produce continuous material layer 21. Bearings 3, 5 for roller 1 are built as free carrying bearings. Bearings 3, 5 require the same amount of space as common bearings. Since there is only to be a driving mechanism 9 (FIG. 1) at one side of these rollers, the overall complexity is simple and spatial requirements are rather small for apparatus 10 to produce continuous material layer 21 equipped in ways shown by this invention. Furthermore, since driving mechanism 9 is only at one side of roller 1, apparatus 10 is very accessible for maintenance and cleaning work.
All the above mentioned factors show that an oscillating roller makes the cleaning of roller 1 simple and without requiring a heavy or spacious structure for cleaning tool 23. Commonly required scraper beams and the associated bearings and housings are eliminated. In view of the fact that apparatus 10 to produce the continuous layer of material 21 contains a huge number of cylinders and rollers, many of which are commonly equipped with scrapers, oscillating rollers associated with cleaning tools such as made possible by this invention will result in a lot of space savings at a significantly reduced cost compared to conventional machines.
In addition to the last set of implications, it is also possible to apply the advantages that come with the oscillating roller also to an apparatus to produce continuous material layers that is equipped with spreading devices that contain raking elements, by combining the raking motion of the spreading device with the oscillation of the roller and/or cylinder. This sort of arrangement would help to prevent non-uniform wear of the spreading blade of the raking element. This in turn will help to ensure that coatings which are applied onto moving layers of material are of uniform thickness across the entire width of the layer of material.
It becomes apparent that oscillating rollers or cylinders can be best applied where there is contact between a functional device and the surface of a rotating cylinder or roller.
While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims. | The invention relates to an apparatus to produce a layer of material, such as paper, carton or cardboard. A number of cylinders and rollers carry the continuous layer of material along a meandering path. A stationary cleaning tool acts upon the surface of at least one of the rollers and/or cylinders. The cylinder or roller whose surface the cleaning tool is affecting is mounted so that it is allowed to move in an oscillating fashion relative to the stationary cleaning tool in the direction of the axis of rotation of the cylinder or roller. | 3 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims a priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §118(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/890,817, filed Jun. 1, 2007, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to devices, systems, and methods for preparing emulsions, including emulsions useful in biological reaction processes, such as, for example, amplification processes.
INTRODUCTION
[0003] A number of biological sample analysis methods rely on sample preparation steps as a precursor to carrying out the analysis methods. For example, a precursor to performing many biological sequencing techniques (e.g., sequencing of nucleic acid) includes amplification of nucleic acid templates in order to obtain a large number of copies (e.g., millions of copies) of the same template.
[0004] One amplification method includes encapsulating a plurality of biological samples (e.g., nucleic acid samples) individually in a microcapsule of an emulsion and performing amplification on each of the plurality of encapsulated nucleic acid samples simultaneously. Such microcapsules are often referred to as “microreactors” since the amplification reaction occurs within the microcapsule.
[0005] In some cases, the microcapsule is a capture bead and the amplification process is referred to as bead emulsion amplification. In such a technique, beads containing DNA templates are suspended in an aqueous reaction mixture and then encapsulated in a water-in-oil emulsion. The template DNA may be either bound to the bead prior to emulsification or may be included in solution in the amplification reaction mixture. For further details regarding techniques for bead emulsion amplification, reference is made to PCT publication WO 2005/073410 A2, entitled “NUCLEIC ACID AMPLIFICATION WITH CONTINUOUS FLOW EMULSION,” which published internationally on Aug. 11, 2005, and is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
[0006] Performing bead emulsion amplification requires the formation of an emulsion containing the beads encapsulating the template DNA and a reagent mixture for supporting the amplification reaction. As noted above, the emulsion typically comprises a water-in-oil emulsion with the aqueous phase (e.g., dispersed phase) including the reagent mixture and the beads, and the continuous phase including oil.
[0007] Various emulsion preparation techniques have been used. For example, WO 2005/073410 A2, incorporated by reference herein, teaches a cross-flow emulsification system in which emulsion oil is pumped into one of a plurality of tees having a tapered area that is in flow communication with a syringe configured to inject a plurality of microreactors into the emulsion oil to form the emulsion. This system may generate droplets of 80 to 120 μm with the dispense channel diameter of 120 μm. Therefore, the droplet size is generally comparable to the dispense channel size. Using such a system one may encounter difficulties in employing the described cross-flow system to generate smaller droplets for example below 10 um (including in the range of 4 to 9 μ) in diameter. Considerations in this regard is that manufacture of tees with channels smaller than 10 μm may be expensive and the emulsification may take an long time due to a generally low flow rate that can be achieved through the such dispense channel in addition, the process may require application of high pressure to push the PCR mixture with the beads through the narrow opening, and may in turn limit the choice of materials capable to withstand the applied pressure. As a simplified example, to achieve the same flow rate though the opening of 6 μm as through 120 μm, having the channel length the same, one might be required to increase pressure substantially 400-fold or more. Such systems may also be prone to clogging and beads sedimentation.
[0008] An emulsification system based on agitation of the continuous phase may address some of the aforementioned issues and allow for various methods of the dispersed phase addition. One technique (Dressman et al, PNAS, Jul. 22, 2003, vol. 100, no. 15, 8817-8822) describes a technique for emulsion preparation using a magnetic stirrer and a magnet bar agitating the continuous oil phase while aqueous phase (PGR mixture with beads) is being added dropwise to it using a manual pipettor. A drawback of this system is a necessity to agitate an open tube with the emulsion, which makes it prone to splashing of oil and emulsion, leading to sample losses and possible contamination of the stirrer, pipettor and the bench with DNA. Furthermore, addition of the aqueous phase is done manually, which can be tedious and can result in poor uniformity and reproducibility of the emulsion due to inconsistency of the droplet size and position of the pipet tip during dispense. Finally, in this system, magnetic beads may become oriented in the strong magnetic field of the stirrer, thus resulting in a non-random beads distribution in the emulsion.
[0009] Another technique involves pipetting controlled amounts of the dispersed aqueous phase (including the microreactors which may be in the form of beads) into a test tube containing oil and then placing the test tube on a vortex mixer to form the emulsion. This technique, however, may be relatively time-consuming since the emulsion formation may require iterative steps of adding the dispersed phase followed by vortexing until the desired emulsion is obtained. Moreover, typically the test tube in which the emulsion is formed is moved between a location at which the dispersed aqueous phase is pipetted or otherwise added into the continuous phase in the test tube and a location at which the vortexing occurs. During the vortexing step, a user often places a bottom, closed end of the test tube onto a mounting piece of the vortex mixer, while holding an upper portion of the test tube as the vortex mixer imparts motion to the test tube.
[0010] In another method of emulsification, a more complex approach was taken (Diehl et al., PNAS, Nov. 8, 2005, vol. 102, no. 45, 16368-16373 ). Initially, both aqueous and oil phases were mixed together (no dispensing) and briefly vortexed followed by quick emulsification using an overhead homogenizer. This process involves multiple steps and at least two transfers of emulsion from one vessel into another, which can lead to sample losses. Furthermore, there is also a concern that existing disposable emulsion generators may not be effective in making uniform emulsions with the optimum droplet size on the scale larger than 1 ml.
[0011] Thus, conventional emulsion preparation techniques relying on vortexing may be relatively time-consuming. In addition, such conventional techniques are relatively user-intensive, requiring the user to perform iterative pipetting, or other dispersion phase adding steps and vortexing steps and/or to hold the test tube in position as it is being vortexed. Further, the iterative process of the dispersion phase adding steps and the vortexing steps may be labor intensive under conventional methods since the user typically removes the test tube from the vortex mixer during the dispersion phase adding step. Using magnetic forces to agitate the emulsion may be detrimental to the emulsion quality. Overhead homogenizers with disposable generators require multiple transfers of the emulsion and may not be suitable for making emulsions on the scale larger than 1 ml.
[0012] It may be desirable to provide a more automated emulsion preparation technique, for example, one that reduces the activity required by a user during formation of the emulsion. It also may be desirable to provide an emulsion preparation technique that facilitates increasing the throughput of biological sample analysis processes by Increasing the efficiency of sample preparation.
[0013] Moreover, it may be desirable to provide an emulsion preparation technique that yields substantially consistent bead emulsions, for example, emulsions containing no more than 1 bead per aqueous droplet. It may also be desirable to provide a vortexing technique that yields substantially consistent vortexing rates. In other words, it may be desirable to provide a technique that achieves constant velocity vortexing irrespective of factors such as the amount of solution in a tube that is being vortexed and/or the amount of force on the tube during vortexing, such as, for example, a force on the tube due to supporting the tube during vortexing.
SUMMARY
[0014] The present invention may satisfy one or more of the above-mentioned desirable features. Other features may become apparent from the description which follows.
[0015] In accordance with the invention and in one embodiment the apparatus may comprise a vortex mixer further comprising: at least one base plate defining at least one first opening configured to receive a first closed end portion of at least one mixing tube and to permit the at least one mixing tube to pivot about the first closed end thereof; at least one motor configured to impart a substantially orbital movement to the base plate; and at least one support member disposed at a distance from the at least one base plate, the at least one support member being configured to receive a second end portion of the at least one mixing tube and to permit the at least one mixing tube to substantially freely pivot about the first closed end portion during orbital movement of the at least one base plate.
[0016] In another embodiment, a system is described for forming an emulsion, the system comprising: a mixing tube defining a reservoir configured to contain a continuous emulsion phase, the mixing tube defining an open end portion; a cap configured to engage with the open end portion of the mixing tube; and a dispensing tube having a first end positioned within the reservoir and a second end configured to be placed in flow communication with a supply of an aqueous phase, the dispensing tube being configured to flow the aqueous phase from the supply to the reservoir.
[0017] In still another embodiment, a method is described for forming a bead emulsion for amplifying nucleic acid, the method comprising: supplying a mixing tube with a continuous emulsion phase; imparting motion to the mixing tube via a vortex mixer so as to form vortexes in the continuous emulsion phase; and dispensing an aqueous phase comprising beads containing nucleic acid into the mixing tube while imparting the motion to the mixing tube.
[0018] These and other features of the present teachings are set forth herein. In the following description, certain aspects and embodiments will become evident. It should be understood that the invention, in its broadest sense, could be practiced without having one or more features of these aspects and embodiments. It should be understood that these aspects and embodiments are merely exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments and together with the description, serve to explain various principles. The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings, described below, are for illustration purposes only. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present teachings in any way. In the drawings,
[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a vortex mixer according to aspects of the present teachings;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the vortex mixer of FIG. 1 holding mixing tubes and syringes according to aspects of the present teachings;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a base plate of a vortex mixer according to aspects of the present teachings;
[0023] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a support member and clamping plate of the vortex mixer of FIG. 1 ;
[0024] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a support member and clamping plate;
[0025] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an emulsion preparation system according to aspects of the present teachings;
[0026] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the system of FIG. 6 placed in flow communication with a syringe; and
[0027] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of an emulsion preparation system according to aspects of the present teachings.
DESCRIPTION
[0028] Reference will now be made in detail to various exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
[0029] An exemplary embodiment of a vortex mixer 100 in accordance with aspects of the present teachings is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The vortex mixer 100 comprises a housing 110 that includes a base portion 112 and an upright portion 114 . The base portion 112 of the housing 110 may be configured to house two motors (not shown), with each motor corresponding to a respective base plate 120 to impart motion thereto. The motors may be connected to the base plates 120 so as to impart a generally orbital motion. Such connection may be the same connection that is typically used to impart motion to mounting cups and the like in conventional vortex mixers. Those skilled in the art would understand various motor configurations and how those motors may be coupled to base plates 120 to provide a generally orbital motion to the base plates 120 .
[0030] In various exemplary embodiments, the speed of the motors may be Individually controlled by respective control panels 190 , which may include both speed increasing/decreasing controls and on/off switches. Further, the motors may be connected to a data bus line or the like (not shown) such that a user may program a speed of operation of the motors, including a speed versus time protocol. A user may input a speed protocol directly into a data input system integrated with the vortex mixer, for example, as part of a control panel 195 or 190 on the vortex mixer 100 , or via a remotely located data input system (e.g., computer) configured to be placed in data communication with the vortex mixer 100 .
[0031] As shown in the close-up, lop view in FIG. 3 , each base plate 120 (only one of which is depleted in FIG. 3 ) may be connected to a drive shaft 116 of the respective motor configured to impart motion to the base plate 120 . The base plates 120 may be made of plastic or other material that has relatively low friction with a surface of mixing tubes that may be received by the base plates 120 . The material of the base plates 120 may be selected to permit relatively free pivotal movement of a mixing tube end portion received by the base plate 120 , as will be explained below.
[0032] The base plates 120 may define at least one opening 122 in a face of the base plate 120 that faces away from the base portion 112 of the vortex mixer 100 . in the exemplary embodiment, three openings 122 are depicted. However, any number of openings may be provided depending on the number of mixing tubes it may be desired to vortex on each base plate 120 . The number of openings may be selected based, for example, on the size of each mixing tube to be vortexed using a base plate 120 , the power of the motor, and other factors. The openings 122 may extend at least partially or entirely through a thickness of the base plate 120 and have a substantially tapered configuration. More specifically, the openings 122 may taper inwardly in a direction from the face of the base plate 122 that faces upward and away from the base portion 112 toward a face of the base plate 122 that faces downward and toward the base portion 112 . The openings 122 also may be provided with a radius 123 at an edge surrounding the opening 122 at the surface of the base plate 120 that faces away from the base portion 112 , as illustrated in FIG. 3 . The radius 123 may be sufficient to permit a mixing tube received in the respective opening 122 to substantially freely pivot (e.g., rotate) around the opening 122 to permit a substantially orbital movement of the tube.
[0033] In various exemplary embodiments, the size of the openings 122 may be configured to be compatible with various tube sizes and configurations. For example, the openings 122 may be configured to accommodate containers/tubes such as microtubes of approximately 1-5 mL, as well as larger containers/tubes of approximately 5-50 mL and even larger container/tubes as appropriate to the desired application. Such flexibility desirably allows smaller or larger volume emulsions to be prepared.
[0034] According to various exemplary embodiments, and as illustrated in FIG. 2 , the openings 122 may be configured to receive a closed end portion of a mixing tube 50 during vortexing of the mixing tube 50 . As mentioned above, the openings 122 may be configured to permit the mixing tubes 50 received therein to substantially freely pivot about the closed end portions of the mixing tubes 50 received in the openings 122 . In other words, the relative size and configuration of the openings 122 and of the closed end portion of the mixing tubes 50 may be selected so as to permit the mixing tubes 50 to substantially freely rotate in an approximately orbital path when received by the base plate 120 and vortexed. To achieve the substantially free pivotal movement, the tapered configuration of the openings 122 may correspond to a tapered closed end portion of the mixing tubes 50 . By way of nonlimiting example only, the openings 122 may be configured to receive the closed end portions of 50 ml conical mixing tubes. Of course, mixing tubes having other sizes and shapes may also be used. Those skilled in the art would understand how to select a size and configuration, including, for example, a degree of taper, diameter, and radius, of an opening 122 in order to achieve substantially free pivotal movement of a mixing tube received in the opening 122 .
[0035] With reference again to FIGS. 1 and 2 , spaced from the base plates 120 are support brackets 135 that are disposed substantially parallel to the base plates 120 . Each of the support brackets 135 may comprise a substantially planar plate that is configured to hold a support member 130 . in various exemplary embodiments, the support member 130 is a substantially planar member formed of rubber or other elastic material configured to stabilize a top end portion of a mixing tube 50 during vortexing, as will be described in more detail below, in nonlimiting exemplary embodiments, the support member 130 may be made of rubber and have a thickness of about ⅛ th inch. As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 , the support bracket 135 may define an opening 137 and the support member 130 may be coupled to the support plate 135 such that one or more openings 132 provided in the support member 130 are substantially aligned with the opening 137 , as illustrated.
[0036] In various exemplary embodiments, the support member 130 may define the same number of openings 132 that are defined by the corresponding base plate 120 . Each opening 132 may be substantially in alignment with an opening 122 , and the openings 132 may be configured to support a top end portion of a mixing tube 50 of which the closed end portion is received in a corresponding opening 122 of a base plate 120 , as depicted in FIG. 2 for example. According to various exemplary embodiments, the openings 132 may be configured to permit the passage therethrough of a fitting 68 secured to a cap (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ) of a mixing tube 50 . Further details regarding the fitting 68 and various other elements of the mixing tube 50 are provided below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 . The openings 132 may thus be configured to provide support to an upper end portion of the mixing tube 50 in a manner that permits the closed end portion of the tube 60 to substantially freely pivot (e.g., rotate about the opening 122 ) and move in a substantially orbital path, as caused by movement of the base plate 120 , thereby forming vortexes in a liquid contained in the mixing tube 50 . By providing a support member 130 made of an elastic material, such as, for example, rubber, the support member 130 may be configured to provide a sufficient amount of support to an upper end portion of a mixing tube 50 while still permitting sufficient movement of the upper end portion of the mixing tube 50 such that the free pivotal movement of the closed end portion of the mixing tube 50 is substantially unhindered.
[0037] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , and in the close up view in FIG. 4 , the latter showing a portion of the support plate 135 and the support member 130 from a direction facing the base portion 112 of the vortex mixer 100 (e.g., the bottom of those components in the orientation of FIGS. 1 and 2 ), a clamping plate 138 defining an opening 139 is positioned on an opposite side of the support member 130 so as to sandwich the support member 130 between the clamping plate 138 and the support bracket 135 . The damping plate 138 may be positioned such that the opening 139 is substantially aligned with the opening 137 and with the openings 132 provided in the support member 130 . The clamping plate 138 may be configured to engage with an upper portion of the mixing tube 50 (for example, with a cap provided on the upper portions of the mixing tube) to exert a downward force on the mixing tube 50 during vortexing.
[0038] With reference to FIG. 4 , the opening 139 may have a substantially elongated shape so as to surround the openings 132 of the support member 130 . In addition, the opening 139 may have indented regions 130 a such that various portions 139 b of the opening 139 can mate individually with corresponding mixing tubes 50 supported in openings 132 in alignment with those portions 139 b. In various exemplary embodiments, the portions 139 b of the opening may be configured to engage with caps, described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 , that close the individual mixing tubes 50 .
[0039] The clamping plate 138 may be coupled to the support bracket 135 in a manner that sandwiches the support member 135 between the clamping plate 138 and the support bracket 135 . In various exemplary embodiments, the clamping plate 138 may be coupled to the support bracket 135 via bolts. However, any suitable coupling mechanisms may be used and are considered within the scope of the invention.
[0040] As noted above, the support bracket 135 , and thus the clamping plate 138 and support member 130 , are configured to move so that a distance between the support bracket 135 and the base plate 120 may be adjusted. In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 , the support bracket 135 may be provided with openings, for example, at each of its four corners, and may be movable in a substantially vertical direction along threaded posts 145 . Adjustable nuts 148 that are configured to engage with the threading on the posts 145 may be provided above and below the support bracket 135 to adjust a position of the support bracket 135 along the threaded posts 145 . It should be noted that only the nuts 148 positioned above the support bracket 135 are visible in FIGS. 1 and 2 . The posts 145 may be coupled to the base portion of the vortex mixer 100 either directly (not shown) or via side brackets 149 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The use of side brackets 149 to support the posts 145 may improve stability of the support bracket 135 during vortexing by dampening motion due to the motors from transferring from the base portion 112 to the posts 145 .
[0041] FIG. 5 depicts another exemplary embodiment of a support member 530 that may be used in lieu of the support member 130 described with reference to FIGS. 1 , 2 and 4 . As with FIG. 4 , the view in FIG. 5 is from a direction of the support bracket 135 , clamping plate 139 , and support member 530 facing the base portion 112 of the vortex mixer 100 (e.g., from the bottom in the orientation of FIGS. 1 and 2 ). In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5 , the support member 530 defines a single, substantially elongated opening 532 instead of a plurality of openings 132 of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4 . The opening 532 may thus have a size sufficient to support the upper end portions of a plurality (e.g., three in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5 ) of mixing tubes simultaneously. By way of the example, the opening 532 of the support member 530 may permit passage therethrough of three respective fittings 68 of three mixing tubes 60 , with the clamping plate 139 being configured to engage with the respective caps of the three mixing tubes 50 to provide a downward, clamping force thereon. The opening 532 may have an approximately oval shape, as shown in FIG. 5 , or any other suitable size and shape to support a plurality of tubes held by a corresponding base plate to support the tubes while permitting vortexing of the same.
[0042] Although the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1-5 illustrate base plate/support member pairs that are configured to hold up to three mixing tubes at a time during vortexing, those having skill in the art would understand that the base plate and corresponding support member may be configured so as to support any number of mixing tubes ranging from one to more than three. Moreover, as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 , during use, each base plate/support member pair (of which there are two in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 ) may bold less than three, for example, one or two, mixing tubes simultaneously during a vortexing operation.
[0043] The vortex mixer 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2 also may include a syringe pump 150 supported by the upright portion 114 . The syringe pump 150 may have a configuration that is substantially similar to conventional syringe pumps. The syringe pump may further be positioned vertically, permitting an air gap in the syringe to stay at the top of the syringe barrel during dispensing. Further, such a configuration allows substantially all of the aqueous phase to be dispensed in a manner akin to that of a manual pipettor. The syringe pump 150 may thus include an upper syringe support bracket 154 and a lower syringe support bracket 156 . Each of the syringe support brackets 154 and 156 may define one or more recesses 155 and 157 respectively, with the upper and lower recesses of each bracket 154 and 156 being substantially aligned with each other. As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the upper recesses 155 are configured to engage with the lip 82 of a syringe 80 that is typically grasped by a user's fingers during manual actuation of the syringe 80 . More specifically, the surface of the upper bracket 154 may provide a reactive force on the syringe lip 82 that acts against a force on a plunger 85 of the syringe 80 as the plunger 85 is being depressed by the syringe pump 150 to expel substance from the syringe 80 . The lower recesses 157 may be configured to receive the hollow body 88 of the syringe 80 to support the syringe 80 in a substantially fixed position during actuation (e.g., depression and/or retraction of the plunger 85 ).
[0044] The syringe pump 150 also includes a movable bracket 158 that is configured to move along rails 160 . The movable bracket 168 is configured to engage with the free end of the plunger 85 that remains external from the syringe hollow body 88 . The movable bracket 158 is configured to exert a force on the plunger 86 to move the plunger 85 relative to the hollow body 88 in response to and in the same direction as the movable bracket 158 moving along the rails 160 , e.g., up and down in FIG. 2 .
[0045] The syringe pump 150 may be programmable to modulate a rate at which the movable bracket 158 pushes down on the plunger 85 . In addition to controlling the rate of motion of the movable bracket 158 , the syringe pump 100 may be programmed to move in response to a time-rate protocol. By way of example, a keypad or other data input mechanism 195 may be provided on the vortex mixer 100 to select and/or program a rate and/or rate/time protocol at which the movable bracket 158 moves downward to actuate syringes 80 held in the syringe pump 150 . The keypad or other data input mechanism in various alternate exemplary embodiments may be provided via a computer or other data input portal situated remotely from the vortex mixer 100 and connected thereto via a wireless or wired data interface mechanism.
[0046] Placing the syringe pump 150 in the orientation depicted in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 may minimize air bubbles from getting trapped in the flow tubes 75 that lead from the syringes 80 to the mixing tubes 50 . Having the syringes 80 held in the substantially upright and vertical position shown and the flow of the aqueous phase from a syringe 80 into a corresponding mixing tube 50 situated beneath the syringe 80 permits air and/or other trapped gas to naturally rise upwardly away and out of the flow tubes 75 into a top portion of the reservoirs 86 defined by the syringe bodies 88 .
[0047] FIGS. 8 and 7 show exemplary embodiments of systems that may be useful for forming emulsions in accordance with aspects of the present teachings. In various exemplary embodiments, the embodiments of FIGS. 6 and 7 may be used in conjunction with the vortex mixer 100 described above to provide a technique for emulsion formation (e.g., bead emulsion formation) that may be automated and produce consistent and/or predictable emulsion formation.
[0048] With reference to FIG. 6 , an exemplary embodiment of a system useful for emulsion preparation, such as, for example, bead emulsion preparation, is depicted. The embodiment comprises a mixing tube 50 (e.g., test tube) that defines a reservoir 55 . The reservoir 55 is configured to contain a continuous emulsion phase, which in various exemplary embodiments may be light mineral oil with one or more oil-soluble surfactants (emulsion stabilizers). In general, higher viscosity oils (e.g., so called “heavy” mineral oil) are not a good choice for creating an uniform water-in-oil emulsion. According to various exemplary embodiments, the reservoir 55 may have a volume ranging from 5 to 100 milliliters, for example, the reservoir 55 may have a volume of about 50 milliliters. In various embodiments, using different tubes for agitation (for example, 5 mL, 15 mL, 50 mL, etc.) allows for different volumes of oil and aqueous phase to be used. In certain embodiments, given the vortex that is generated, it may be anticipated that approximately ½ of the tube that is used is filled with the solution. For example, if a 50 mL conical is used, a volume of 25 mL may be used to accommodate the vortex.
[0049] The mixing tube 50 may define an opening at one end portion thereof (e.g., the top end portion in the orientation shown in FIG. 6 ) and a closed end portion 58 opposite the opening (e.g., the bottom end portion in the orientation shown in FIG. 6 ). In various exemplary embodiments, the configuration of the closed end portion of a mixing tube 50 may be such that it substantially mates with openings in a base plate of a vortex mixer so as to allow the mixing tube to substantially freely pivot about the closed end portion during orbital motion of the base plate. By way of nonlimiting example, the closed end portion 58 of the mixing tube 50 may taper inwardly in a direction toward the bottom of the mixing tube 50 . As shown in FIG. 6 , the closed end portion 58 may be substantially conically-shaped and configured to substantially mate with the tapered opening 122 of the base plate 120 of the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1-3 to facilitate the tube 50 to freely pivot about the closed end portion 58 (e.g., substantially freely rotate about the opening 122 ) during vortexing.
[0050] The system of FIG. 6 also includes a cap 60 configured to engage with a top end portion of the mixing tube 50 to close the opening of the mixing tube 50 . The cap 80 may be made of plastic and configured to be removably mounted on the tube using screw-on or twist-lock engagements or any other known methods of engagement providing a tight seal between the tube and the cap.
[0051] The cap 60 may be configured to permit the passage of a dispensing tube 65 that is held in place via a fitting 68 disposed externally to the cap 60 . The dispensing tube 65 may be open at both ends and hollow so as to be placed in flow communication with a supply of a substance and to deliver that substance into the reservoir 55 of the mixing tube 50 . In various exemplary embodiments, the dispensing tube 65 may be made of stainless steel, PEEK or other known plastics compatible with DNA, PCR reagents, DNA beads and oil phase.
[0052] The dispensing tube 65 may be fixedly mounted to the cap 60 , and the end of the dispensing tube 65 that supplies a substance to the reservoir 55 may be disposed at a distance ranging from about 1 mm to 15 mm, preferably 2 mm to 10 mm, from the bottom of the mixing tube 50 . In an alternative embodiment, the dispensing tube 65 may be movable relative to the mixing tube 50 so that the distance of the end of the dispensing tube 65 that supplies substance to the mixing tube 50 to the bottom of the mixing tube 50 may be adjusted. In various embodiments the end of the tube 65 is immersed into the oil phase while dispensing the aqueous phase. Depending on the emulsification scale, one skilled in art may adjust the position of the tube 65 so that its end will be within the 1 to 15 mm from the bottom of the tube 50 .
[0053] According to various exemplary embodiments, the dispending tube 65 may have a substantially circular cross-sectional configuration with a diameter ranging from about 0.3 to 1.0 mm, preferably 0.4 to 0.6 mm, most preferably 0.4 mm. The diameter of the dispensing tube 65 may be selected to permit dispensing of an aqueous emulsion phase (e.g., dispersion phase) comprising beads containing template, as has been described above. Dispensing tube 65 diameter may be selected based on anticipated dispense rate, desirable droplet size and related pressure buildup during dispensing. The higher dispense rate, the larger tube 65 diameter needs to be to allow aqueous phase to flow. On the other hand, if the diameter of the dispensing tube 65 is too large, it may result in formation larger than anticipated droplets. In various preferred exemplary embodiments, the dispensing tube diameter was 0.4 mm. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, based on the relationship between tube circumference, rpm and solution volume, one may empirically evaluate and/or calculate the effect that the diameter of the dispensing tube has on the forming of the emulsion and the appropriate diameter to optimize emulsion formation for a particular application.
[0054] In various exemplary embodiments, the dispensing tube 65 may be configured to be placed in flow communication with a supply of a substance, such as, for example, an aqueous phase (e.g., dispersion phase) of an emulsion, to be dispensed into the reservoir 55 of the mixing tube 50 . As illustrated in the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 7 , the dispensing tube 65 may be placed in flow communication with a syringe 80 via the fitting 68 .
[0055] Thus, the exemplary system of FIG. 6 may be readily placed in and out of flow communication with one or more supplies of a substance, for example, to introduce differing desired substances into the mixing tube 50 . For example, as depicted in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2 , the dispensing tubes 65 of the mixing tubes 50 may be placed in respective flow communication with each of the syringes 80 held by the syringe pump 150 .
[0056] The dispensing tube 65 may be used to deliver an aqueous phase from a syringe 80 with which it is placed in flow communication and into the mixing tube reservoir 55 , which may. In various exemplary embodiments, be filled with an oil, in various exemplary embodiments, the dispensing tube 65 may be placed in flow communication with a supply of an aqueous phase comprising microreactor beads carrying nucleic acid template. The supply of the aqueous phase also may contain a reagent and/or other constituents configured to support a biological reaction, such as, for example, PCR, for introducing with the beads into reservoir 55 .
[0057] In various exemplary embodiments, one or more separate supplies of an aqueous phase may be placed in flow communication with the dispensing tube 65 . For example, as schematically represented in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 8 , a supply 882 of reagent and a separate supply 884 of microreactor beads, may be supplied and mixed into a common feed tube 875 that ultimately is placed in flow communication with the dispensing tube 65 to deliver the aqueous phase mixture to the mixing tube 50 . The common feed tube 875 may have a Y-junction at an upper portion thereof with each branch 872 and 874 of the Y respectively connecting to a separate supply 882 and 884 , and the end portion 876 of the Y connecting ultimately to the dispensing tube 65 , as shown in FIG. 8 , or to a syringe (not shown) that is ultimately connected to the dispensing tube 65 . In yet various other exemplary embodiments, the dispensing tube 65 may be in the form of concentric dispensing tubes each connected to a different supply of an aqueous phase
[0058] According to various exemplary embodiments, the components of the system shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 may be disposable and configured to be thrown away after use for forming an emulsion. Alternatively, the various components may be configured to be reused more than once.
[0059] Those having ordinary skill in the art would recognize a variety of ways to place the dispensing tube 65 in flow communication with one or more supplies of one or more aqueous phases (e.g., dispersion phases) to dispense such phases into the mixing tube reservoir 55 . Although many exemplary embodiments described herein utilize a syringe as the supply of substance in flow communication with the dispensing tube, it should be understood that various other supply mechanisms may be used, such as, for example, a reservoir with a positive displacement pump to supply fluid into the dispensing tube.
[0060] In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, a method for forming an emulsion, such as, for example, a bead emulsion as described above, may include placing one or more mixing tubes 50 filled with oil to less than ½ of its capacity, preferably to less than ⅓ of its capacity and most preferably to between ¼ to ⅙ of its capacity. For a non-limiting example, in a preferred embodiment, a 9-ml aliquot of the continuous oil phase is placed into a 50-ml mixing tube 50 . Oil phase may be introduced Into the mixing tube by dispensing using a serological pipette, a syringe or any other known measuring device. Oil phase can also be poured from a pre-measured container or may be pumped in using a peristaltic pump or any other means, it will be appreciated that the actual oil amount may depend on the selected tube/application. The emulsion may be formed, such as, for example, a bead emulsion as described above, by placing one or more mixing tubes 50 filled with oil in position in the vortex mixer 100 , as shown in FIG. 2 , for example, with the closed end portion of the tube 50 being received in an opening 122 of a base plate 120 and the upper end portion of the tube 50 being supported by the support member 130 . The dispensing tube 65 may be placed in flow communication with a respective syringe 80 held by the syringe pump 150 and connection tubing 75 . An aqueous phase containing beads carrying nucleic acid template and/or one or more reagents and other constituents may be contained in the syringe 80 .
[0061] The vortex mixer 100 may be turned on to provide an orbital movement to the base plate 120 via the motors, which in turn can impart a substantially orbital movement to the closed end portion of the mixing tube 50 . The speed of the base plate movement may be adjusted, either programmably or manually, until vortexes are formed in the oil contained in the mixing tube reservoir 55 . After vortexes are formed in the oil, the syringe pump 150 may be activated, for example, via a programmed protocol or manually, to depress the syringe plunger 85 at a controlled rate. An aqueous dispersion phase may thus be displaced from the syringe reservoir 86 at a predetermined and controlled rate based on the rate of the syringe pump 150 . In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, the rate at which the syringe pump 150 bears down on the syringe piston 85 may range from about 0.1 to about 1.5 ml/min. Addition of aqueous phase to the oil phase can continue until the desired bead emulsion is formed.
[0062] In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present teachings, the vortex mixer 100 may be configured such that the vortexing rate is substantially constant, irrespective of such factors as the amount of substance contained in the mixing tubes 50 , the addition of the aqueous phase to the continuous oil phase, and/or the clamping force exerted on the tubes by the clamping plates 138 , for example. The ability to maintain a predictable and substantially constant vortexing rate provides a technique that facilitates consistent emulsion formation.
[0063] In one exemplary embodiment, oil phase is prepared by dissolution of approximately 7.5% volume/volume SPAN80 and 0.4% volume/volume Tween80 in light mineral oil. Then a dispensing tube 50 is filled with approximately 9 ml oil phase, a cap 60 with mounted dispense tube 65 is screwed-in, and the tube 50 is placed in the vortex mixer 100 . PCR reagent mixture is mixed with the approximately 1-μm beads, then aspirated into a syringe installed in the syringe pump 150 . The syringe is connected to the dispensing tube 65 via adapter 72 . Vortex mixer 100 is turned on and set at approximately 2000 rpm for approximately 9 min 53 sec. Total volume of the PCR mix (2.8 ml) is dispensed into oil after the vortex mixer 100 is stabilized at the set speed. Dispense rate is approximately 0.8 ml/min. Total dispense time is about 4.5 min. After dispensing is finished, the emulsion is vortexed for about 5 more minutes at the set speed until the preset time elapsed. In the described embodiment, about 1.7 Billion beads are emulsified in a single mixing tube 50 . Droplet size is in the range of approximately 4 to 7 μm (33-180 fl volume). These reactors (droplets) provide sufficient amount of PCR reagents to amplify a single template molecule if it is present in the droplet.
[0064] Although FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a vortex mixer 100 having two operating platforms (i.e., two base plates, two motors, two support plates, etc.), it should be understood that vortex mixers in accordance with the present teachings may have a single operating platform or more than two operating platforms. Those having skill in the art would understand how to achieve such modifications as desired. Moreover, although various embodiments shown and described include base plates and corresponding support members configured to receive up to three mixing tubes, those having skill in the art would understand that the base plates and support members could be configured to hold any number of mixing tubes simultaneously.
[0065] For the purposes of this specification and appended claims, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, percentages or proportions, and other numerical values used in the specification and claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.
[0066] Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Moreover, all ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass any and all subranges subsumed therein. For example, a range of “less than 10” includes any and all subranges between (and including) the minimum value of zero and the maximum value of 10, that is, any and all subranges having a minimum value of equal to or greater than zero and a maximum value of equal to or less than 10, e.g., 1 to 5.
[0067] It is noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the,” include plural referents unless expressly and unequivocally limited to one referent. As used herein, the term “include” and its grammatical variants are intended to be non-limiting, such that recitation of items in a list is not to the exclusion of other like items that can be substituted or added to the listed items.
[0068] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure without departing from the scope its teachings. Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the teachings disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered exemplary only. | A vortex mixer and method for forming an emulsion wherein the mixer is adapted to form an emulsion with a desired droplet size and having a desired volume. The vortex mixer provides improved uniformity in emulsion preparation and may be used to create multiple emulsions simultaneously. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to surgery and the medical field. In particular, this invention relates to ophthalmology and, more particularly, to an eye drape for covering body surfaces surrounding the eyeball and for protecting the eyeball during eye examination and surgery.
It is well known that drapes can be useful during examination or surgery on various parts of the body. The drapes give the health care provider access for examination. In the case of surgery, the drapes give the surgeon access to the surgical field while generally isolating that part of the body from other body parts. Thus, drapes usually help reduce the chances of infection occurring after examination or surgery.
Due in part to the small size and intricate structure of the human eye, draping it is particularly difficult. Laying a drape sheet over the eye and providing an access opening therein still leaves the eyelids in the surgical field. Generally it is desirable to retract the eyelids to provide the surgeon greater access to the eyeball. It is also desirable to remove the eyelids and eyelashes from the surgical field.
The ophthalmologic drape disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,114, which issued May 25, 1993 to Bailey, attempts to isolate the eyelids from the eyeball and the surgical field. However, that drape lacks means for effectively sealing off the eyelids from the eyeball. Furthermore, the drape disclosed in the Bailey patent is difficult to install and keep in place.
The present devices and methods for draping the eye during ophthalmic surgery are cumbersome, do not consistently isolate the surgical field from the lids and lashes, and may interfere with surgical equipment or maneuvers. Existing drapes fail to isolate the surgical field by providing a waterproof barrier between the conjunctival surface of the eye and the lids. Additional retractors of the lids such as a speculum are typically required. Existing drapes fail to provide a suitably large palpebral aperture for surgical maneuvers.
There is a need for an eye drape which is easy to install and yet will remain securely in place during the examination and/or surgery.
Therefore an object of the present invention is the provision of barrier eye drape for covering the anterior and interior surfaces of the eyelids to protect the eyeball during examination and surgery.
A further object of this invention is the provision of an improved method of draping a patient's eye or surgical area.
A further object of this invention is the provision of a barrier eye drape which will consistently isolate the surgical field from the eyelids, eyelashes, or other body parts adjacent the surgical area, without interfering with surgical equipment or maneuvers.
A further object of this invention is the provision of an inflatable, waterproof barrier drape insertable between the conjunctival surface of the eye and the eyelids.
A further object of this invention is the provision of an eye drape which provides a large palpebral aperture for surgical maneuvers and eliminates the need for additional retractors.
A further object of this invention is the provision of an eye drape that is quick and simple to install.
A further object of this invention is the provision of an eye drape that can be disposable.
A further object of this invention is the provision of an eye drape that is comfortable for the patient, even under topical anesthesia.
A further object of this invention is the provision of an eye drape which is inexpensive and simple to manufacture.
A further object of this invention is the provision of a surgical drape having a pair of concentric inflatable tubes interconnected with a flexible membrane.
These and other objects of the present invention will be understood from the drawings, description and claims which follow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a surgical drape for isolatating an incision or particular body part. The present invention is particularly well adapted to be used as a barrier eye drape during ophthalmic surgery or examination. The surgical drape includes an inner tube, a larger diameter outer tube, a flexible drape of sheet material extending between the inner and outer tubes, and means for pumping fluid into the inner and outer tubes so as to draw the drape into substantial planar contact with the interior and anterior portions of the incision or body part.
As a barrier eye drape, the surgical drape of this invention has an inner tube adapted for inserting underneath the eyelids and extending around the eyeball. When the inner tube is placed against the eyeball and inflated, it becomes securely retained in the cul-de-sac of the eye. Then when the outer tube is inflated, the drape of sheet material attached thereto is drawn into substantial planar contact with the interior and anterior portions of the eyelids. Thus, the barrier eye drape provides retraction of the eyelids and establishes a large aperture around the eyeball for surgery or examination.
A tool for holding the barrier eye drape and inserting it into the eye is also provided. With or without such a tool, the basic method of inserting the barrier eye drape is quick, simple, and easy to execute. First, the surgeon inserts the inner tube underneath the eyelids and extends it around the eyeball. Fluid is then pumped into the inner tube, inflating it into engagement with the eyelids and retaining it there. The surgeon then deposits the outer tube on the outer surface of the eyelids before pumping fluid into it. Inflation of the outer tube draws the drape material into substantial planar contact with the interior and anterior portions of the eyelids, thereby retracting them outwardly and enlarging an opening between them. Thus, the barrier eye drape provides access to the eye for surgical procedures and creates a waterproof seal between the surgical field and the surrounding area of the body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the eye drape of the present invention.
FIG. 1A is an enlarged cross sectional view of the eye drape of this invention taken along line 1A--1A in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1B is an enlarged view of the area designated 1B--1B in FIG. 1A.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the eye drape of this invention which shows a means for inflating the tubular members.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the eye drape of this invention as initially inserted into the patient's eye. Cross-hatching has been omitted to improve readability.
FIG. 3A is an enlarged frontal view of the eye and eye drape shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the eye and eye drape of this invention following the inflation of the inner tubular member. Cross-hatching has been omitted to improve readability.
FIG. 4A is an enlarged frontal view of the eye and eye drape shown in FIG. 4.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the eye drape of the present invention installed in the patient's eye and shows both the inner and outer tubular members inflated. Cross-hatching has been omitted to improve readability.
FIG. 5A is an enlarged frontal view of the eye and eye drape shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the eye area which depicts a tool and method for installing the eye drape of the present invention into the eye. Some cross-hatching has been omitted to improve readability.
FIG. 6A is an enlarged frontal view corresponding to FIG. 6.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the eye area which depicts the inflation of the inner tubular member and the initial removal of the insertion tool. Some cross-hatching has been omitted to improve readability.
FIG. 7A is an enlarged frontal view corresponding to FIG. 7.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the installed position of the eye drape (following the inflation of the outer tubular member). Cross-hatching has been omitted to improve readability.
FIG. 8A is an enlarged frontal view corresponding to FIG. 8.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an insertion tool for installing the eye drape according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the drawings and the description which follows, the barrier eye drape of the present invention is generally denoted by the reference numeral 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the eye drape 10 includes an inner, hollow tubular member 12 and an outer, hollow tubular member 14 interconnected by a thin, elastic membrane-like member 16. The inner and outer tubular members 12, 14 and the interconnecting web 16 are constructed of a flexible latex material which is not only elastic but allows the eye drape to be sterilized or come pre-sterilized.
A filling tube 18 has one end fluidly connected to the inner tubular member 12 and another end which terminates in a self-sealing plug 20. Similarly, a filling tube 22 has one end fluidly connected to the outer tubular member 14 and another end which terminates in a self-sealing plug 24. The self-sealing plugs 20, 24 are well known in the medical field.
When filled with a suitable non-toxic fluid including but not limited to a gas (such as air) or a liquid (such as water or a sterile balanced salt solution), the inner and outer members 12, 14 inflate into concentric rings as shown in FIGS. 1, 1A and 1B. The inner tubular member 12 includes an inner diameter 26 which defines an aperture through the drape 10. The inner member 12 may have a tapered, flattened shape or a thicker wall at its inner diameter 26 to provide rigidity prior to inflation. In elastic fibers within the inner tube 12 could be used to limit its expansion during inflation. The inner tubular member 12 also includes an outer diameter 28. Of course, it is contemplated that other shapes may be used without detracting from the invention. For instance, an elliptical shape may also provide a good fit on the patient's eye. Likewise, the outer tubular member 14 includes an inner diameter 30 and an outer diameter 32.
As seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, striations in the form of ribs, ridges or other surface irregularities are provided on the outer surface 13 of the inner tubular member 12. Preferably the striations 34 comprise a plurality of ridges extending circumferentially around the outer diameter 28 of the toroidal inner member 12. The striations 34 help grip the tissue around the eye.
Referring to FIG. 2, a conventional syringe 36 having a needle 37 is provided for inflating the tubular members 12, 14 with fluid through the self-sealing plugs 20, 24 on the filling tubes 18, 22. Alternatively, one can use a small conventional air pump with a bulb squeezable by hand to inflate the tubes 12, 14.
The drape membrane 16 joins the inner and outer tubular members 12, 14 along airtight and waterproof seams 38, 40 respectively. The drape membrane 16 itself comprises a thin sheet of airtight, waterproof material. Thus, the drape member 16 and the inner and outer tubular members 12, 14 together form an airtight and waterproof barrier for isolating a surgical field around the eyeball.
In use, the eye drape 10 of the present invention is inserted into the patient's eye as shown in FIGS. 3-5A. The relevant features of the patient's eye 42 appear in FIG. 3. The eyeball 44 includes upper and lower eyelids 46, 48 respectively therearound. Both of the upper and lower eyelids 46, 48 include conjunctival tissue which forms a cul-de-sac 50. Upper eyelashes 52 extend from the upper eyelid 46 and lower eyelashes 54 extend from the lower eyelid 48.
After the application of a topical anesthesia to the conjunctiva, the inner tubular member 12 can be compressed, and inserted between the eyelids 46, 48 and the anterior portion of the eyeball 44. In the uninflated state, the tubular member 12 is very flexible and easily compressed thereby allowing it to pass between the eyelids 46, 48 so that it comes to lie on surface of the globe or eyeball 44 concentric with the limbus 56. The drape membrane 16 and the uninflated outer tubular member 14 extend forwardly from the inner tubular member 12. Care should be taken to ensure that the fill tubes 18, 22 extend away from the inner and outer tubular members 12, 14 and the eyeball 44, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 4A. The fill tube 18 will naturally tend to exit at the outer can thus 49.
The inner tubular member 12 is inflated with fluid so that it expands into the cul-de-sac 50. In its inflated or expanded state, the inner member 12, with the aid of the striations 34, firmly engages the walls of the cul-de-sac 50. Thus, both pressure from the overlying portion of the eyelids 46, 48 and the internal fluid pressure within the tubular member 12 prevent movement of the drape 10 relative to the cul-de-sac 50. The inner tubular member 12 effectively seals off the eyelids 46, 48 from the eyeball 44 with an airtight, waterproof barrier. It is also contemplated that the inner tubular member 12 could fill the cul-de-sac 50 so completely that it limits voluntary movement of the globe or eyeball by creating uniform traction on the bulbar conjunctiva.
Referring to FIG. 5, the next step is to inflate the outer tubular member 14 through the fill tube 22. As the outer tubular member 14 expands, the drape membrane 16 moves with it, thereby pulling or drawing back the eyelids 46, 48. Meanwhile, the inner tubular member 12 remains fixed in the cul-de-sac 50. As best seen in FIG. 5A, a large palpebral aperture 58 is provided for surgery or examination. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the eyelids 46, 48 and the eyelashes 52, 54 are effectively isolated from the surgical field by the drape 10. Furthermore, the eye drape 10 of this invention is self-retaining and even provides adjustable retraction.
The present invention also includes a tool 60 for inserting the eye drape 10 into the eye of the patient. As best seen in FIG. 9, the tool 60 includes a handle portion 62 attached to a tubular portion 64. The tubular portion 64 includes a generally circular rim 66 which extends upwardly from a horizontal annular ledge 68. A hollow, cylindrical or conical tube 70 extends downwardly from the ledge 68. As best seen in FIG. 6, the hollow tube 70 receives the drape membrane 16, while the ledge 68 and rim 66 receive the outer tubular member 14. The length of the tube 70 is sized so as to allow the inner tubular member 12 to hang just below it.
Referring again to FIG. 9, receptacles 72, 74 receive the plugs 20, 24 of the fill tubes 18, 22. An access hole 76 extends through the handle portion 62 and intersects the receptacle 72 so as to allow insertion of the needle 37 into the plug 20. Receptacle 74 is merely a blind hole for storing the plug 24.
FIGS. 6-8A illustrate the method of using the insertion tool 60. The same basic steps described earlier with respect to installing the drape are followed with the aid of the tool 60. First, as seen in FIG. 6 and 6A, the inflatable eye drape 10 of the present invention can be attached to the insertion tool in a separate operation or can be delivered pre-packaged in its assembled state. The outer tubular member 14 rests on the ledge 68 adjacent the rim 66, the membrane 16 extends into the tube 70 of the tool 60, while the inner tubular member 12 is held to the bottom and outside surfaces of the dispensing portion 70.
It is contemplated that the bottom of the dispensing portion 70 of the tool 60 can be flared outwardly (see FIG. 6) for better placement of the inner tube 12 against the eyeball 44. It is also contemplated that a plurality of radially extending slots (not shown) can be formed through the dispensing portion 70 of the tool 60 adjacent its bottom. The flaccid inner tube 12 could be folder inwardly into these slots from the outside to take up any slack. The tube 12 would naturally exit the slots as the tube 12 was inflated.
The eyelids 46, 48 are spread manually and the dispensing portion 70 of the insertion tool 60 is applied to the surface of the eyeball 44 surrounding the cornea. This brings the inner tubular member 12 into contact with the eyeball 44 just beneath the plane of the eyelids 46, 48 and adjacent to the cul-de-sac 50. Then the needle 37 is inserted into the plug 20 through the access hole 76, as shown in FIG. 6A.
Referring to FIG. 7, the pumping means 36 fills or inflates the inner tube 12 with fluid, which causes the tube 12 to expand outwardly into the cul-de-sac 50. When the inner tube 12 is securely retained in the cul-de-sac 50, the syringe 36 can be withdrawn from the self-sealing plug 20. Then one removes the plug 20 from the receptacle 72 of the tool 60 (see FIG. 7A).
Next, the tool 60 is slowly pulled away from the eyeball 44, as shown in FIG. 7. The flaccid outer tube 14 is drawn into the tube 70 of the tool 60. The surgeon continues to pull the tool 60 away from the eyeball 44 until the outer tube 14 clears the bottom of the dispensing portion 70. The plug 24 is removed from the receptacle 24 whenever it is most convenient for the surgeon and least likely to fall into the patient's eye.
Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the surgeon uses the pumping means 36 to fill or inflate the outer tube 14. As the outer tube 14 expands, it retracts or draws back the eyelids 46, 48 due to the tension induced on the drape membrane 16 which extends between the inner and outer tubes 12, 14. Thus, an adjustably retractable aperture 58 provides access for examination or surgical procedures while the membrane 16 isolates the lids 46, 48 and eyelashes 52, 54.
To remove the drape 10 at the end of the examination or surgical procedure, the filling tube 18 of at least the inner tubular member 12 is cut, allowing the member 12 to deflate. The flaccid inner tubular member 12 is then withdrawn from the cul-de-sac 50, and the drape 10 is discarded.
It should be noted that the drape 10 can dwell in a flat plane, or can assume the shape of a frusto-conical cone, depending on the radial width of the drape material between tubes 12 and 14. For example, for a planar shape, the fully inflated diameter of the inner and outer tubes 12 and 14 will be approximately 35 and 65 mm., respectively, and the distance therebetween would be approximately 15 mm. By increasing the distance to 25 mm., for example, the drape 10 would assume a frusto-conical shape. One skilled in the art can determine whether the planar or non-planar shape is best suited for a given procedure.
One skilled in the art will appreciate that the size, shape, and location of the surgical drape of this invention can be varied to suit the particular surgical need without detracting from the invention. This invention is also applicable to surgery on animals other than humans. For instance, eye surgery on various canine and feline breeds is not uncommon. The true essence and spirit of this invention are defined in the appended claims, and it is not intended that the embodiment of the invention presented herein should limit the scope thereof. | A surgical drape includes inner and outer flexible tubular members having a flexible drape of sheet material extending between them and a pumping device for pumping fluid into the inner and outer members. Also disclosed is a tool for depositing the surgical drape around the eye of a patient. A method of using the surgical drape as a barrier eye drape includes the steps of inserting the inner tube underneath the eyelids and around the eyeball of the patient, pumping fluid into the inner tube so as to inflate it into engagement with the eyelids and create retaining pressure, depositing the outer tube on the outer surface of the eyelids, pumping fluid into the outer tube so as to inflate it and draw the drape material into substantial planar contact with the interior and anterior portions of the eyelids, thereby retracting the eyelids outwardly and enlarging an opening between them to allow access to the eye for surgical procedures and provide a waterproof seal. | 0 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to multimode optical fiber having controlled mode coupling and/or selective mode attenuation, and to methods of making the fiber.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Multimode optical fibers may have either a step index refractive profile or a graded-index refractive profile. In fibers with either type of index profile, the intermodal dispersion of an optical pulse propagating in the fiber typically contributes significantly to the spreading of the pulse, thereby limiting the bandwidth of the fiber for information transfer. Although graded-index structures are designed to minimize intermodal dispersion, practical limitations on industrially applicable manufacturing techniques often result in fibers with significant deviations from an optical index profile, and thus, fiber bandwidths well below that obtainable in an optimal fiber. This problem is especially pronounced in regard to plastic optical fiber.
It is well known that optical scattering in a multimode fiber not only increases optical attenuation, but can also decrease the intermodal dispersion of the fiber, either by producing coupling between the various propagating modes of the fiber, or by preferentially attenuating the modes primarily responsible for dispersion. However, because it is difficult to introduce mode coupling and differential mode attenuation in a controlled fashion, these remedies have not received significant commercial exploitation as methods for increasing the bandwidth of multimode optical fibers and communications systems using such fibers. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,705B1 of Kalish et al., issued Oct. 16, 2001, there is disclosed an optical energy transmission system having improved mode coupling. In that system, an optical fiber includes a plurality of particles formed in one or more coating layers surrounding the cladding layer of the fiber, and one or more buffer layers, but not in the core or cladding of the fiber. The particles cause perturbations, i.e., microbending, in the optical fiber which, in turn, enhance mode coupling, which produces a reduction in modal dispersion which, in turn, improves the bandwidth characteristic of fiber. The particles or bubbles in the outer coatings are not encountered by the light propagating through the core and cladding, but create stresses that alter the optical characteristics of the fiber. However, some instability may occur because of relaxation of the stresses within, for example, the buffer layer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to multimode optical fibers with novel structures, and their use in optical communications systems. In one embodiment, the invention comprises a multimode optical fiber with controllable mode coupling, which may be optimized to produce a desired level of mode coupling with minimal added optical attenuation. In another embodiment of the invention, the multimode fibers thereof controllably increase optical attenuation of certain modes with respect to that of other modes. The modes attenuated are those which must heavily contribute to dispersion. The fabrication processes of the invention produce these novel structures and are readily compatible with existing manufacturing techniques for either graded-index or step-index multimode fiber. They may also be optimized for a variety of optical fiber material systems, including silica glasses, as well as polymeric materials composed of either hydrocarbon polymers (e.g., polymethylmethacrylate or polycarbonate) or flourinated polymers such as poly(perfluoro-butenyl vinyl ether).
According to the invention, a communication system may be implemented by using an optical source and an optical detector, connected by a multimode optical fiber which contains particles within the core and/or the cladding layer whose refractive index is different from that of the surrounding fiber material. The refractive index structure introduced by the included particles may be imposed on a background refractive index structure of either a step-index or graded-index type of fiber. As optical pulses propagate through the fiber, they encounter the included particles and undergo scattering (and optionally absorption) thereby introducing mode coupling in the fiber. The size distribution, location, and refractive index of the particles may be chosen to produce a desired level of mode coupling, while suitably adjusting other parameters (e.g. by minimizing optical attenuation or by increasing differential attenuation of certain high-dispersion propagating modes with respect to other low-dispersion propagating modes). With the particles being contained in the core and cladding itself rather than in exterior coatings, greater mode coupling and greater stability results, inasmuch as there is no relaxation of the particle effect. The particles themselves operate directly on the light energy and not through the mechanism of microbending.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the multimode fiber is comprised of a polymer material with imbedded particles in the core thereof which are comprised, for example, of spherical beads composed of either silica glass, another polymer, or an electrically conductive material, or bubbles to control mode coupling with a minimum of optical attenuation. Such a fiber can be manufactured by dispersing the spherical scattering particles in a glassy polymer, and then using either a preform process or a co-extrusion process to produce from the glassy polymer step-index or graded-index optical fiber with imbedded particles.
In a second embodiment of the invention, fabricated by means of the co-extrusion process, scattering particles are added to the polymer material which forms the cladding layer of the fiber, thereby controlling the differential attenuation between the higher and lower order modes propagating within the fiber. Optionally, dispersal of the scattering spheres in the polymer material may be enhanced by appropriate chemical functionalization of the surfaces of the scattering particles. For example, silica spheres might be prepared with an organic surface treatment that enhances the solubility of the silica spheres in either an appropriate solvent or in the glassy polymer that forms the optical fiber. Such functionalized spheres can then be readily dispersed into a solvent and/or polymer solution to prevent the spheres from aggregating upon being mixed into the polymer.
In another embodiment of the invention, the multimode optical fiber is comprised of a silica glass, with imbedded particles comprised of an inorganic material. Optionally, such a fiber could be manufactured by dispersing the inorganic scatterers in a solution that is cast into a solid silica-based preform body using a sol-gel process. The resulting preform may then be drawn into an optical fiber using well-known methods. Optionally, chemical functionalization of the particle surfaces may be employed to promote dispersion.
The structures and techniques of the invention overcome problems inherent in prior art. For example, prior art structures and fabrication methods for multimode communications fiber often display reduced manufacturing yields associated with intermodal dispersion, resulting in higher manufacturing costs. Also, since the intermodal dispersion observed under conditions of restricted launch typically varies with the modal power distribution of pulses launched into the fiber, prior art communication systems often require relatively stringent conditions to benefit from restricted launch techniques. By introducing optical fibers with reduced intramodal dispersion and/or increased attenuation of certain optical modes, the invention offers the possibility for communications systems using simplified forms of restricted launch. The invention by allowing greater control over the mode coupling and differential mode attenuation of the multimode fiber in an optical communication system, enhances the ability of silica and polymer multimode fibers to serve as optical communication media.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 ( a ) is a schematic diagram of a communication system using the optical fiber of the present invention;
FIG. 1 ( b ) is an enlarged view of fiber of one embodiment of the invention as used in the system of FIG. 1 ( a );
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the fiber of the invention illustrating the effect upon light rays passing therethrough;
FIGS. 3 and 4 are graphics illustrating the scattering intensity versus scattering angle for light rays within the fiber of the invention for various values of certain parameters of the fiber of the invention; and
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the co-extrusion process for making certain embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
According to the invention, it is possible to improve the characteristics of multimode optical communications systems by constructing these systems with multimode optical fibers containing imbedded particles in the core, or in the core and cladding, or in the cladding. In such systems, the imbedded particles serve to control the coupling between the various guided modes of the fiber (mode coupling) or to control the relative attenuation experienced by various propagating modes of the fiber (differential mode attenuation), by directly affecting the light waves, and not by microbending, as defined heretofore.
A schematic diagram of such a communication system 11 is shown in FIG. 1 ( a ). As illustrated in this figure, an optical source 12 launches optical pulses in a multimode optical fiber 13 in a manner such that a significant portion of the power in these pulses is guided by the optical fiber. In general, the optical power launched into the fiber will be distributed among numerous electromagnetic modes of the fiber. As an optical pulse propagates through the fiber, the portion of the optical power that is distributed into a given propagating mode experiences a longitudinal propagation velocity and an optical attenuation that is characteristic of that mode. In the absence of intermodal coupling or differential attenuation between modes, the optical pulse received at the detector 14 is just the superposition of signals associated with the optical pulse traveling in the various guided modes of the fiber. Since the various guided modes typically have somewhat differing propagation velocities along the fiber axis, the pulse signal arriving at the detector is undesirably broadened by this intermodal dispersion. FIG. 1 ( b ) is an enlarged detail of a short length of fiber 13 at point 15 .
According to the invention, scattering particles 16 may be introduced into the multimode fiber 13 , as shown in FIGS. 1 ( b ) and 2 , to produce coupling between or among the guided modes. The fiber 13 , as shown in FIG. 1 ( b ) comprises a core 17 , a cladding 18 , and scattering particles 16 . FIG. 2 demonstrates diagrammatically the effect of a scattering particle 16 on an incident guided light ray 19 . Particle 16 scatters the ray 19 into a non-guided ray 21 which is lost, thereby attenuating the light ray 19 , and into a guided (mode coupling ray) ray 22 . If the coupling between modes is sufficiently strong, the optical power coupled into a given mode at the launch will subsequently be scattered into numerous different modes during its transit through the fiber. As a result, the constituent photons of the pulse will each sample numerous propagating modes of the fiber. Thus, their average propagation delay will reflect a weighted average of the various modal propagation velocities, and their distribution of propagation delays will be narrower than it would be in the absence of mode coupling.
Also, if the particles 16 , which may be beads of silica glass or another polymer, or an electrically conductive material, or an inorganic material, all of which have a different index of refraction than the fiber material, scatter power out of the fiber from certain guided modes, they will also serve to increase the optical attenuation of those modes. Since the higher order modes of the fiber often contribute disproportionately to intermodal dispersion, it is possible to narrow the width of received pulses by increasing the optical attenuation of these modes. Since only the higher order modes carry optical power near the periphery of the fiber core 17 , an increase in the attenuation of higher order modes may be had by an increase in the number density (or scattering cross section) of the scattering particles 16 near the core periphery.
In the case that the scattering particles are spheres with a diameter comparable to the wavelength of the incident light, the scattering of the incident optical power may be estimated by use of Mie scattering theory. According to the Mie scattering theory, a sphere of radius a, and index n s , imbedded in a uniform medium of refractive index n f , will scatter a polarized, plane-wave incident light beam according to the formulae I ⊥ ( θ ) = λ 2 n f 2 4 π 2 r 2 ∑ k = 1 ∞ ( - i ) k [ B k e · P k ( 1 ) ( cos θ ) sin θ B k m · P k ( 1 ) ′ ( cos θ ) · sin θ ] 2 I 11 ( θ ) = λ 2 n f 2 4 π 2 r 2 ∑ k = 1 ∞ ( - i ) k [ B k e · P k ( 1 ) ′ ( cos θ ) · sin θ - B k m · P k ( 1 ) ( cos θ ) sin θ ] 2 ( 1 )
Here I⊥ θ is the dependence of the scattering intensity (in arbitrary units) as a function of scattering angle θ, for a beam polarized perpendicular to the scattering plane. I ll (θ) is the equivalent scattering intensity function for an incident beam polarized parallel to the scattering plane. λ is the vacuum wavelength of the incident photons, and n s may be complex, but is purely real in the case of a dielectric particle. The P k (1) (cos θ) are the associated Legendre functions of the first kind defined with regard to the Legendre polynomials P k (cos θ). Accordingly,
P k (1) (cos θ)=sin (θ) · dP k (cos θ) /d (cos θ).
Finally, the coefficients e B k and m B k are given by B k e = i k + 1 · 2 k + 1 k ( k + 1 ) · n ~ ψ k , ( ρ ) ψ k ( n ~ ρ ) - ψ k ( ρ ) ψ k , ( n ~ ρ ) n ξ k ( 1 ) , ( ρ ) ψ k ( n ~ ρ ) - ξ k ( 1 ) ( ρ ) ψ k , ( n ~ ρ ) B k m = i k + 1 · 2 k + 1 k ( k + 1 ) · n ~ ψ k ( ρ ) ψ k , ( n ~ ρ ) - ψ k , ( ρ ) ψ k ( n ~ ρ ) n ξ k ( 1 ) ( ρ ) ψ k , ( n ~ ρ ) - ξ k ( 1 ) , ( ρ ) ψ k ( n ~ ρ ) ( 2 )
Here, n=n s /n f λ is the relative scattering index,
P=2πa/n f λ is the normalized radius of the scattering sphere,
Ψ k (ρ)=(πρ/2) 1/2· J k =1/2 (ρ), where the J k+1/2 (ρ) are the Bessel functions of the first kind, and
ξ k (ρ)=(πρ/2) 1/2· H (1) k+1/2 (ρ), where the H (1) k+1/2 (ρ) are the Neumann functions.
For an unpolarized incident beam, the scattered intensity will be described by
I s (θ)=[ I⊥ (θ)=I ll (θ)]/2
By comparing the scattered intensity integrated over all angles with the incident intensity integrated over the surface of the scattering particle, it is possible to calculate the scattering efficiency, Q sca of the particle 16 . Q sca is defined as the ratio of total scattered power to total incident power. In turn, we may also calculate the effective cross sectional area, A x , of the scattering particle, defined as Q sca multiplied by πa 2 , the geometric cross sectional area of the particle.
FIG. 3 shows I s (θ), Q sca , and A x as calculated for a particle 16 with a=0.25 μm, n s =1.45, and n f =1.34. If many such particles are randomly distributed in the medium, and are separated by a distance large compared to λ, coherent scattering effects may be neglected. In this case, the total scattered intensity will just be the sum of the scattering intensity from each of the particles.
For sufficiently large optical fiber core diameters, a ray approximation may be used to describe the light propagating through the optical fiber. In this case, the Mie scattering calculation may readily be adapted to estimate the mode coupling and attenuation produced by imbedded particles. For each particle 16 , the incident optical power may be represented as a collection of rays, each propagating at a different angle Φ with respect to the axis of the optical fiber. After impinging upon the particle, some fraction of the power in each of these rays will be scattered into a distribution of new rays, each propagating at a different angle Φ′ (Φ, θ, r) with respect to the axis of the optical fiber. Here, r, is a vector quantity describing the location of the scattering particle. In those cases where the scattered rays have Φ′ less than some critical angle Φ c , the scattered ray will be guided by the optical fiber, and the scattering ray will represent intermodal coupling between guided modes. In those cases where Φ′>Φ c , the scattered ray will not be guided, and the scattered ray will represent power lost to optical attenuation. In a step-index optical fiber, n f and Φ c will be constant throughout the fiber core, and Φ c will be defined by the condition sin (Φ c )=n A , where n A , is the numerical aperture of the fiber. In a graded-index optical fiber, the refractive index n f , as well as the critical angle Φ c will vary with the radial location of the imbedded particle. In either case, the intermodal coupling strength and particulate contribution to attenuation may be calculated by using the Mie estimate for scattering cross section, performing a weighted sum over incident angles appropriate to a given modal power distribution, and performing an average over the possible locations of scattering particles. In such fashion, it is possible to estimate the evaluation of the modal power distribution as a signal propagates through a fiber containing a known, cylindrically symmetric distribution of randomly located scattering particles.
Some useful guidelines may be deduced from the above discussion without detailed calculation. To design a fiber which increases mode coupling with a minimal increase in attenuation, the size and refractive index of the imbedded particles should be chosen to permit multiple scattering events with minimal coupling to non-guided modes. Since the non-guided modes are characterized by Φ>Φ c , this implies that the particles should be chosen so that the width of the forward scattering (low θ) peak in I s (θ) is much less than Φ c . (In the case of a graded-index fiber, the relevant value of Φ c is the maximum value of Φ c ) Also, the number density of the particles should be chosen from the scattering cross section so that each ray will be scattered several times on average in the course of propagating through a typical length of a communications link. For the multimode fiber types discussed in the invention, the link lengths of interest are typically of order 100 meters.
In accordance with the invention, it is also possible to use the imbedded particles for the primary purpose of differentially attenuating certain modes. In this case, very different design criteria apply. Here, the function of the particles is to maximize attenuation of the detrimental modes of coupling rays associated with those modes into non-guided rays, or by absorbing incident rays. If dielectric particles are used to produce scattering, the size and refractive index of the imbedded dielectric particles should be chosen so that the width of the forward scattering peak in I s (θ) is comparable to or even greater than Φ c . Also, the location of the particles within the fiber should be chosen so to maximize their spatial overlap with detrimental modes, compared to their overlap with desired modes. For instance, if the higher order modes in a graded-index fiber contribute disproportionately to intermodal dispersion, one may improve the performance of the fiber by preferentially attenuating those modes. According to the invention, the scattering particles in this case would be placed near the periphery of the fiber core, since the higher order modes have a much higher optical power density near the core periphery than do the lower order modes. Conversely, a fiber design that is intended to preferentially attenuate lower order modes would incorporate particles primarily near the core center.
In a polymer optical fiber, it is possible to incorporate either organic or inorganic particles, since the maximum fabrication temperatures encountered in a polymer fiber particles, since the maximum fabrication temperatures encountered in a polymer fiber fabrication process typically do not exceed 300° C. According to the invention, the scattering particles may be incorporated into bulk polymer material, and the resulting polymer particle composite may then be processed into an optical fiber by either a preform or an extrusion method. In cases where the particles are only desired in a portion of the fiber, the polymer composite material would be confined to a given layer(s) of the preform or to a given material stream in a co-extrusion process.
In principle, scattering particles may be introduced directly into the polymer melt in an aerosol or powder form. In practice however, the high viscosity and limited chemical stability of most polymer melts considerably complicate such a process. A more practical approach is to introduce the scattering particles as into a low viscosity monomer solution or polymer/solvent solution to promote dispersion. The resulting mixture may then be either polymerized and/or dried of solvent by evaporation. Depending on the composition and number density of the scattering particles, the particles may require a surface treatment to prevent them from aggregating in the solution and/or in polymer. Many such techniques are well known, including that of chemically attached polymer chain ends to the particle surfaces, or otherwise chemically functionalizing the surfaces. When particles with attached polymer chains are introduced in a solution that is a good solvent for the attached chains, those chains must be compressed to allow the particles to approach each other. Thus, the attached chains produce a repulsive force between particles, thereby stabilizing the dispersion against aggregation.
For a silica fiber, the fiber fabrication process almost always involves very high temperatures, so that only inorganic scattering particles are likely to be suitable. According to the invention, the scatterers may be introduced into a silica-based preform in an aerosol or precipitated vapor form, or by dispersing the scatterers in a solution that is cast into a solid silica preform body using a sol-gel process. The resulting preform may then be drawn into an optical fiber using well-known methods. Optionally, chemical treatment of the particle surfaces may be employed to promote dispersion.
According to the invention, therefore, an improved or simplified communication connected by a multimode optical fiber which contains particles whose refractive index is different from that of the surrounding fiber material. The imbedded scattering particles may be used to produce coupling of propagating modes, to selectively attenuate detrimental modes, or to perform both functions within the same fiber. As a result, the information carrying capacity of the fiber may be improved, its manufacturing cost may be reduced, and its application in a restricted launch communications may be simplified.
The invention will be further clarified with the following examples, which are intended to be exemplary, and not restrictive:
EXAMPLE 1
A step-index silica fiber may be made by a preform process, in accordance with the prior art. In this process, the preform consists of a silica core layer, surrounded by cladding layer consisting of flourine-doped silica. After this preform is drawn into an optical fiber, the resulting fiber demonstrates a large degree of intermodal dispersion, due to the step index nature of the fiber. According to the invention, the bandwidth of the resulting fiber is improved by incorporating scattering particles in the preform prior to drawing the fiber.
The core for the preform may be formed by a silica sol-gel process, and scattering particles having a glass transition temperature or melting temperature considerably higher than the glass transition temperature of silica may be added before gelation. After the core is formed, a surrounding flourinated doped silica layer may be added by standard methods, including vapor deposition or a rod-in-tube overcladding process. In this case, the imbedding medium will have a refractive index of 1.45, and the particles may be chosen to have a refractive index of approximately 1.465. FIG. 4 shows the Mie theory calculation of the angle dependent scattering intensity expected for these parameters, assuming that the particle radius of 5.0 μm is chosen. Since fibers of this type typically have a numerical aperture of roughly 0.22 Φ c for this fiber will be about 12.7°. As shown in FIG. 4, the vast majority of the scattering light from the particles is directed at much smaller angles, so that for most incident guided rays, many scattering events may occur before the scattered rays are no longer guided by the fiber. FIG. 4 also indicates the calculated effective cross section for each particle, A x =45.1 μm 2 .
A suitable number density, N, of particles may be chosen from the criterion that a typical photon should be scattered many times during a transit of ˜100 meters of fiber. If the core radius of the fiber is denoted by R, the total number of scattering particles contained in a length L will be NπR 2 L. On average, each photon may be expected to undergo a single scattering event over a scattering length L s such that the sum of effective cross sectional areas of the included particles is approximately equal to the cross sectional area of the fiber. Hence, the scattering length L s may be approximated as
NπR 2 L s A x =πR 2 →L s =1/( NA x )
Thus, to obtain a scattering length L s =5 meters, one would choose a particle number density of N=4435 cm −3 . This number density corresponds to a volume fraction of 2.32×10 6 of scattering particles.
EXAMPLE 2
A graded-index polymer fiber may be produced by a co-extrusion process, in accordance with prior art methods. As illustrated in FIG. 5, a suitable polymer and dopant from source 26 is extruded by extruder 27 into a core stream 28 of relatively high refractive index which is joined into a coaxial flow with a polymer melt stream (“Clad stream”) 29 of relatively low refractive index from source 31 and extruder 32 . After joining into a coaxial flow 33 in crosshead 37 , both streams flow through a heated tube, wherein the dopant material diffuses in to the material in the clad stream, thereby forming a graded refractive index and then pass through an extrusion die 40 .
Since dopant diffuses outward from the core stream during this fabrication process, the diameter of the core increases compared to the diameter of the cladding during the diffusion step as shown by the detail cross-sections A and B. After exiting a die, the resulting melt stream is cooled and drawn into a graded-index optical fiber. Since the graded index profile formed in this process typically contains long diffuse tails, the higher order modes in such a fiber contribute disproportionately to the intermodal dispersion of the fiber. Thus, the bandwidth of this fiber may be improved by differential particles to the clad stream polymer material 29 results in increased scattering at the periphery of the core, producing the desired differential mode attenuation.
If polymer fiber in this example is poly(perfluoro-butenyl vinyl ether), the refractive index n f of the imbedding polymer medium is approximately 1.34 at the edge of the core at 850 nm wavelength. If the core stream is composed of the same polymer mixed with 10% (by weight) of chlorotriflouroethylene heptamer, then the refractive index will increase to approximately 1.356 near the center of the core. If the imbedded particles are composed of silica glass, their refractive index is 1.45. Accordingly, if the particles have radius a=0.25 μm, the angle dependent scattering intensity from each particle near the core periphery will behave as shown in FIG. 3 . As this figure shows, a large fraction of the light scattered in this example is scattered at angles that considerably exceed the maximum value of Φ c ˜12.0°. Thus, almost all of the scattered light will not be guided by the fiber, and the imbedded particles will serve primarily to attenuate the higher order modes.
As in the previous example, a suitable number density of particles, N, may be chosen from the criterion that the photons that enter the particle-containing region should be scattered every few meters. Hence, to obtain L s ˜5 meters, given the calculated value of effective cross section A x =0.01289 μm 2 , one should chose N=1/A x L s ˜1.55×10 7 /cm 3 . This number density corresponds to a volume fraction 1.01×10 −6 of scattering particles in the cladding polymer.
The principles and features of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing. It is to be understood, however, that the various features of the present invention might be incorporated into other optical fibers and that other modifications or adaptations might occur to workers in the art. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included herein as being within the scope of the present invention as set forth. Further, in the claims hereinafter, the corresponding structures, materials, acts and equivalents of all means or step-plus-function elements are intended to include any structure, materials or acts for performing the functions in combination with the elements as specifically claimed. | An optical fiber for use in optical energy transmission system has improved mode coupling in one embodiment thereof and both improved mode coupling and selective attenuation of unwanted modes in another embodiment. The optical fiber includes a plurality of particles of refractive index differing from that of the fiber core, in which the particles are distributed, and from that of the fiber cladding in which, in one embodiment, particles are distributed.
In fabricating the fiber, the particles are introduced into the preform from which the fiber is drawn, and, in a co-extrusion process, they are also introduced into the polymer prior to its being extruded with the core material. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to flexible composites formed by coating a flexible substrate with a polymer material. Flexible composites made according to this invention can be formed into belts, processed into pressure sensitive tapes, or converted into rolled goods. Conveyor belts made from such composites can be used, for example, in the food processing industry for dough pressing applications and for transporting food through cooking applications. Pressure sensitive tapes and converted fabrics made from such composites can be used, for example, in the packaging industry for processing plastic bags as a release material.
Fluoropolymers have been used to create non-stick, flexible composites for over 50 years for use in the food cooking industries and the textile industries. Fluoropolymers are desirable as they provide high temperature stability, low surface energies that provide non-stick surfaces, and good flexibility. Belts composed of such composites are used, for example, in food processing facilities, where the food is conveyed through an oven or series of ovens on a fluoropolymer/fiberglass belt.
Typically, these flexible composites are manufactured in multiple layers, with the initial layers being used to impregnate a flexible base substrate. These impregnation layers are typically applied in a coating operation that involves one or more passes through a coating tower, with the impregnation passes occurring until the substrate is sufficiently closed, or free of voids or porosity. Once closed, subsequent coating layers are applied to the impregnated substrate to build film thickness on top of the flexible substrate and to build smoother surfaces with enhanced non-stick properties. Multiple thin layers, from multiple passes through the coating operation, are generally required in order to prevent mudcracking the coating surface.
The use of non-stick coating systems for metallic cookware has been known for over twenty years. As with flexible substrates, these coatings are applied in multiple layers consisting, typically, of a primer and a topcoat, but also can incorporate one or more midcoats. The primers used in these systems typically contain a heat resistant thermoplastic plastic binder, one or more fluoropolymer resins, pigments and fillers. In the primer, the thermoplastic and fluoropolymer are attached to each other via a mechanical bond, while the midcoats and/or topcoats are attached to one another via the fusing of fluoropolymer resins from each layer. An early such system is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,863 to Vassiliou.
In the development of both flexible substrate and metallic cookware coatings, it is generally known that hard fillers can be used to increase the abrasion resistance and significantly reduce the cold-flow of the fluoropolymers. For examples see U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,863, U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,356 to Batzer, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,991 to Tannenbaurm. Typically, these hard fillers are inorganic and consist of hard metals, metal ceramics, ceramics, mica, and/or carbon-based materials. These materials continue to be the hard fillers generally used for both flexible substrate and cookware coatings.
Although significant research and use of thermoplastics have been prevalent in the cookware industry, heat resistant thermoplastics have not been widely used in flexible substrate coatings.
Flexible substrate based fluoropolymer materials tend to have a much shorter life than their cookware counterparts. This shorter lifecycle can be attributed significantly to the fragile nature of the substrate being coated. In cookware, the substrate of choice is typically aluminum. In flexible composites, it is typically woven fiberglass fabric. Fiberglass/fluoropolymer flexible composites typically have two methods of failure: mechanical failure and coating failure. Mechanical failure occurs when the fabric is torn or punctured, and is typically caused by human or equipment error or substrate degradation. Coating failure occurs when the substance contacting the fluoropolymer surface begins to stick, and is typically caused by the wearing or cracking of the fluoropolymer coating.
This faster rate of coating failure of flexible composite generally occurs because the fragile nature of the substrate prevents the addition of hard fillers at the high loading levels seen cookware coatings. Flexible composite fillers must be added in the midcoats and typically can only be added up to 10% by weight, while in cookware, hard filler loadings can be applied directly to the substrate and can have loading levels as high as 35% by weight. These hard fillers limit the cold-flow of the fluoropolymer coating and strengthen the fluoropolymer matrix.
Further, because of the fragile nature of fiberglass substrates, certain precautions typically must be taken in order to prevent the loss of tensile strength, tear strength, flexibility, and adhesion to the fabric. Typically, flexible substrates must be first impregnated (initially coated) with pure fluoropolymer resins in order to lubricate and protect the fiberglass filaments and yarns from abrading against each other. Although lubricating materials such as silicone fluids, waxes, and fluorosilicone-based materials can be incorporated into the initial impregnation coating(s), the majority of the coating, typically over 95%, is often fluoropolymer resin in order to maintain adhesion to the fiberglass.
It is generally known that the inclusion of fillers and pigments in the impregnation coating layers has a detrimental effect on the fiberglass tear strength and adhesion. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,610,918 and 4,654,235 to Effenberger and U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0123282 to McCarthy disclose that woven fabrics are to be initially coated with fluoropolymer materials before the addition of fillers. To be effective, filler materials must be introduced in the overcoat layers of the coating, once the material has been fully impregnated (closed) by the fluoropolymer coating. If introduced before the flexible substrate has been closed, the fillers, which are typically abrasive materials, contact the glass surface and begin to degrade the properties of the substrate.
Although the use of non-fluorinated, heat resistant plastics (e.g., thermoplastics and thermosets) are well known to the cookware industry, these materials have had limited use in the coated flexible substrate industry. Although their use as fiberglass coatings has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,570 to Leech, the coating, as disclosed, would not be viable due to the inclusion of high levels of ceramic fillers and pigments during the impregnation layers of the coating. As described by U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,570, the hard ceramics and pigments would create inter-filament abrasion that prevents the lateral movement of the glass filaments in a yarn and will result in substantially reduced tear strength and adhesion. Reduced tear and adhesion is a well-known and documented effect of these hard, abrasive materials against fiberglass. To be flexible and tear resistant, each filament in a fiberglass yarn must be free to move laterally in order to absorb the stresses of flexing. If this free movement is inhibited in any way, or if an abrasive material is incorporated in between filaments, the material significantly looses tear strength.
Due to the fragile nature of flexible substrates, the use of heat resistant plastics and thermosets has not been prevalent in the flexible composite industry. In fact, the use of such materials, to date, has been as a binder in the “overcoat” (midcoat) layers of the coating, after the substrate has been impregnated with fluoropolymer, and not as a primer layer, as in the cookware industry. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,610,918 and 4,654,235 to Effenberger and U.S. Patent Application 2002/0123282 by McCarthy et al., disclose the use of thermoplastic/thermoset additives in the overcoat (i.e., midcoats) layers of non-stick, flexible substrate coatings. The “overcoat” layers, as disclosed by Effenberger are the layers of coatings applied after the woven substrate has been initially coated (impregnated) with fluoropolymer resins. Further, Effenberger states that these impregnation coatings are applied in two passes, minimally, and that these initial coatings are needed in order to minimize the stiffness of the composite and to facilitate adhesion to the substrate. McCarthy states that the initial coats constitute passes 1-3 through the coating oven and discloses that incorporating a high modulus thermoplastic or filler into the base pass on a woven fiberglass substrate may lead to a brittle product (low tear strength).
There is a need for a composite material that can be applied directly to flexible substrates and provide a hard, yet flexible, coating that will protect the flexible substrate from puncture, tear, and abrasion. There is also a need for an additive that, when added to fluoropolymer materials, prevents the fluoropolymer from cold-flowing and thus holds the coating in place even during periods of intense pressure on the substrate. There is further a need for a hard, flexible coating that would protect the flexible substrate and enable the application of overcoats that contain significantly higher percentage of fillers, thus enabling the coating to better withstand wear and abrasion. There is also a need for a flexible, conformable composite that retains its properties after folding and creasing. There is still yet a further need for a cost-effective, flexible composite material that possesses excellent dielectric properties and can be utilized in the manufacture of flexible circuitry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A general object of the invention is to provide an improved flexible composite that incorporates non-fluoropolymer thermoplastic or thermoset materials.
A more specific objective of the invention is to overcome one or more of the problems described above.
The general object of the invention can be attained, at least in part, through a method for forming a flexible composite. The method includes providing a flexible substrate and applying a high temperature resistant polymer to the flexible substrate. The polymer is a thermoplastic or thermoset polymer and not a fluoropolymer. The flexible substrate is dried to coat the flexible substrate with the polymer.
The invention further comprehends a method for forming a flexible composite from a provided flexible substrate. The method includes forming a first polymer coating on the flexible substrate by applying a polymer mixture to the flexible substrate and drying the flexible substrate. The polymer mixture includes a first polymer that is not a fluoropolymer and a second polymer that is a fluoropolymer. The method also includes forming a second polymer coating on the flexible substrate by applying a fluoropolymer dispersion to the flexible substrate and drying the flexible substrate.
The invention further comprehends a method for forming a flexible composite from a provided flexible substrate. The method includes applying a dissolved polyamide imide polymer to the flexible substrate and drying the flexible substrate to coat the flexible substrate with the polyamide imide polymer.
It has been discovered that thermoplastic and/or thermoset materials can be applied directly to a flexible substrate in the impregnation passes, but their incorporation method and addition are generally dependent on their affinity to adhere to the substrate. For thermoplastics and thermosets that do not adhere to the flexible substrate, it was found that these materials can be added at any level without decreasing the tear strength of the substrate; as long as the thermoplastic or thermoset did not mechanically bond to the individual filaments and prevent the lateral movement of the filaments in the yarns of the flexible substrate. Any mechanical bonding can be overcome by adding a very small amount of a lubricant, such as silicone fluid, to the coating mixture. However, the amount of silicone fluid is desirably limited, as although silicone fluid has the positive affect of preventing the mechanical bonding of filaments, it can have an undesirable affect of decreasing the adhesion of the coating to the substrate.
For thermoplastics and thermosets that do adhere to the substrate, it has been found that these materials could be incorporated under particular conditions. The thermoplastic or thermoset material is desirably sufficiently small in size when used, such that, when the material melts, it desirably does not have enough bond strength to lock multiple filaments in a yarn together. Additionally, these small particles are desirably added at sufficiently low levels, to prevent the thermoplastic or thermoset material from attaching to itself and bonding multiple filaments together in a yarn. Examples of suitably small particles for use in this invention include dissolved thermoplastic and/or thermoset materials. It has been discovered, however, that larger particles and higher loading levels of small particles can be incorporated into the coating without decreasing tear strength of the substrate by adding a lubricant to the coating mixture. The lubricant, desirably silicone fluid, prevents the attachment of the thermoplastic or thermoset material to the filaments, but can have a generally undesirable effect of decreasing adhesion of the coating to the substrate, as stated above.
The present invention provides a flexible composite containing very fine, high temperature thermoplastic and/or thermoset materials that are not fluoropolymers, such as, for example, polyethersulfone (PES), polyarylsulfone (PAS), polyamide imide (PAI), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyetherimide (PEI), polyphenylene sulfone (PPSU), polyarylate, and polyphenylenesulfide (PPS). These polymers are desirably applied directly to the flexible substrate as an initial coating layer using one or more coating passes to obtain the desired layer thickness. The flexible composite of this invention can include one or more high-temperature fluoropolymers in the initial coating layers and/or in subsequent additional midcoat and/or topcoat layers. Examples of desirable fluoropolymers include, without limitation, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkyl (PFA or MFA) and fluorinated ethylenepropylene (FEP). One or more additives, fillers, and/or pigments can also be added in one or more of the coating layers.
It has been discovered that although larger particle size thermoplastics (10 micron and up) can be incorporated into fluoropolymer containing composites, their addition generally has a significantly negative impact on flexibility and tear strength of the substrate, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,610,918 and 4,654,235 to Effenberger and as shown in Example VIII below. It has been discovered, however, that by reducing the particle size of the thermoplastic or thermoset materials and/or incorporating a lubricant, such as silicone fluid, with the polymer coating material, it is possible to achieve a composite with flexibility and excellent tear strength.
It has been found that, by reducing the particle size of the thermoplastic or thermoset material below, for example, the size of the smallest filaments in the flexible substrate's yarn, one is able to avoid the tear and adhesion issues previously discovered. Reducing the thermoplastic or thermoset particle size below 1 micron and then introducing the material into a fluoropolymer resin provides flexible composites having improved wear, puncture, creep, tear, and crease resistance characteristics. This invention relates to impregnations that impart the wear and cold-flow resistance of the thermoplastic or thermoset polymers to the fluoropolymer composite being manufactured without sacrificing adhesion. The flexible composite of this invention has good adhesion to the substrate; excellent tear and puncture resistance; outstanding crease resistance and flexibility; low coefficient of friction and excellent release; excellent resistance to cold flow; excellent dielectric properties; and, at certain thermoplastic/thermoset loading levels, increased tensile strength.
Without wanting to be limited by theory, the larger particle size thermoplastics generally lock the filaments of a flexible substrate together, thus preventing each filament from independently moving and flexing upon strain, and thereby reducing tear strength and flexibility. By reducing the particle size of the thermoplastic to be less than the diameter of the smallest filament diameter in a yarn according to this invention, the thermoplastic or thermoset material attaches to an individual filament and does not prevent the independent moving of filaments in a yarn. Generally, the smaller the particle size, the more tear strength and flexibility of the substrate.
Unlike the prior art, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,610,918 and 4,654,235 to Effenberger and U.S. Patent Application 20020123282 to McCarthy, the method of this invention applies the non-fluoropolymer thermoplastic and thermoset resins directly to the flexible substrate. In one embodiment of this invention, these initial layers (which can also include a fluoropolymer) do not require an overcoat layer. The flexible composite has utility with as little as one coating pass through the coating process.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention provides a flexible composite including a flexible substrate coated with a thermoplastic and/or thermoset material and a fluoropolymer material. The coating materials of this invention provide durable, non-stick materials for impregnating and coating flexible substrates. The coating materials of this invention may include one or more fluoropolymer resins; one or more heat resistant thermoplastic or thermoset resins; and one or more additives, fillers or pigments such as, silicones and silanes.
The coating materials are applied in one or more layers to a flexible substrate to provide a flexible composite with desirable tear and puncture resistance, crease resistance, and flexibility; a low coefficient of friction and good release; desirable resistance to cold flow; desirable dielectric properties; and, at particular thermoplastic loading levels, improved tensile strength. The method of this invention allows for application of the thermoplastic and/or thermoset materials directly to a flexible substrate without pre-coating the substrate, thereby imparting the preferential properties of the thermoplastic or thermoset directly to the substrate and not just to the coating as disclosed in prior art.
The flexible composites formed by the method of this invention include a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate can be any flexible substrate available for use in forming polymer coated flexible materials. In one embodiment of this invention, the flexible substrate desirably includes a fibrous material. Flexible substrates may include a yarn, filament, monofilament or other fibrous material either as such or assembled as, for example, a textile or any woven, non-woven, knitted, matted, or felted material. Examples of materials useful for forming flexible substrates include, glass, fiberglass, ceramics, graphite (carbon), polybenzimidazole (PBI), PTFE, polyaramides, such as KEVLAR and NOMEX, metals including metal wire or mesh, polyolefins such as TYVEK, polyesters such as REEMAY, polyamides, polyimides, thermoplastics such as KYNAR and TEFZEL, polyether sulfones, polyether imide, polyether ketones, polyetherether keytones, liquid crystal polymers, polysulfones, polysulfides, novoloid phenolic fibers such as KYNOL, cotton, asbestos and other natural as well as synthetic fibers.
In one embodiment of this invention, the method for forming a flexible composite begins with providing a flexible substrate to be coated. A high temperature resistant polymer is applied to the flexible substrate. As used herein, a “high temperature resistant polymer” refers to a polymer material that, alone or in combination with other polymers and/or materials, can withstand a normal operating temperature of at least about 300° F. (about 149° C.), and more desirably about 400-500° F. (about 204-260° C.). The high temperature resistant polymer of one embodiment of this invention is able to be processed at up to about 800° F. (about 427° C.) for a short time without degradation of properties. The high temperature resistant polymer of this invention is a thermoplastic or thermoset polymer that is not a fluoropolymer (although fluoropolymers are generally resistant to high temperatures and used in the coating materials of this invention).
The high temperature resistant polymer can be applied to the flexible substrate using any coating technique known to those skilled in the art for coating, impregnating, or otherwise saturating the flexible substrate. Examples of such coating techniques include, without limitation, dip coating, spray coating, or roll coating. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art following the teachings herein provided, such coating techniques are also used for any additional polymer coating layers applied to the flexible substrate according to this invention.
In one preferred embodiment, the polymer is applied in a thin layer by dipping the flexible substrate into a tank containing the polymer in, for example, a solution or dispersion. Excess material is desirably metered off, with, for example, rods or wires. After the polymer is applied, the flexible substrate is placed in an oven where the carrier solvent is dried or evaporated off and a film of the polymer is left on the flexible substrate. The polymer film can be left in its unsintered state while awaiting further processing or the polymer film can be sintered (fused) onto the flexible substrate according to techniques known to though of ordinary skill in the art, such as using hot air. Each time the flexible substrate/composite goes through this coating process is considered a “coating pass.” In one embodiment of this invention, the flexible substrate goes through more than one coating pass to build layers of the polymer until the desired amount of polymer is impregnated or coated on the flexible substrate. Preferably, the flexible substrate undergoes enough coating passes to fully close the flexible substrate such that substantially no air flow can get through the coating. The flexible substrate is considered “closed” when air flow through the coated flexible substrate is substantially blocked.
In one embodiment of this invention, once the flexible substrate is closed by applying one or more layers including the high temperature resistant polymer, at least one additional polymer coating is applied to overcoat the coated flexible substrate. These one or more overcoat layers desirably include a fluoropolymer and can also include one or more additives. In one embodiment of this invention the fluoropolymer dispersion forming the additional polymer coating is free of the non-fluoropolymer thermoplastic and/or thermoset polymer(s) of the first impregnating layer(s). These overcoat layers can also be applied in one or more coating passes using the techniques discussed above. The overcoat layers can desirably provide a highly durable fluoropolymer-based matrix that acts as a barrier to contaminants such as, greases and oils, and provides a wear resistant coating that prevents the degradation of the fluoropolymer under abrasion stresses. Overcoating or “midcoating” components are commonly known and available to those skilled in the art. A topcoat layer, as is also known in the art, is desirably and typically applied to provide non-stick release typical to fluoropolymer composites.
In one embodiment of this invention, the high temperature resistant polymer is a dissolved polymer. As used herein a “dissolved polymer” is a thermoplastic or thermoset polymer that has been dissolved in a solvent to form a solution. The dissolved polymer, which is not a fluoropolymer, is applied to the flexible substrate in one or more coating passes to coat the flexible substrate. The dissolved polymer can be applied to the flexible substrate alone or in combination as a polymer mixture with a fluoropolymer. In one embodiment of this invention, the dissolved polymer is blended with a dispersion or latex that includes a fluoropolymer. In such an embodiment, the initial coating on the flexible substrate includes both a high temperature resistant polymer which is not a fluoropolymer and a fluoropolymer.
As an alternative to applying as dissolved polymers, the high temperature resistant polymer can be applied to the flexible substrate in a particulate suspension, dispersion, or latex form, either alone or in a polymer mixture with a fluoropolymer. In such an embodiment, a lubricant is used and applied to the substrate with the polymer. As used herein, “lubricant” refers to a material that facilitates the movement of filaments in the flexible substrate and does not bond to the other polymers in the coating mixture. Preferred lubricants are those that can withstand the processing temperatures (up to about 800° F.) and normal operating temperatures (about 400-500° F.), such as, without limitation, silicone fluids or fluorosilicone fluids. It has been discovered that applying, for example, silicone fluid in or with the coating material allows the flexible substrate, and thus the flexible composite, to maintain more flexibility, even when relatively larger polymer particles (i.e., not dissolved) are present in the coating material. The silicone fluid prevents the polymer particles from “locking on” to and between the fibers of the flexible substrate. The locking together of substrate fibers by the polymer particles generally reduces flexibility and results in a more brittle composite. Silicone fluids can also be used in to coating materials including a dissolved polymer discussed above to improve or maintain flexibility. In one embodiment of this invention, the liquid coating materials applied to the flexible substrate include up to about 1.5% by weight silicone fluid, more desirably up to about 1% by weight silicone fluid, and preferably up to about 0.25% by weight silicone fluid.
Examples of high temperature resistant thermoplastic polymers useful for the polymer coatings of this invention include polyethersulfone (PES), polyarylsulfone (PAS), polyamide imide (PAI), polyamide, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherimide (PEI), polyimide, polyarylene ketone, polyphenylenesulfide (PPS), polyphenylenesulfone, polyorganosiloxanes, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethyloxazoline, ethyl-vinyl alcohol and combinations thereof. Examples of high temperature resistant thermoset polymers useful for the dissolved polymer of this invention include polyester, polyimide, acrylic, bismaleimide, epoxy, phenolic, and silicone. Thermoplastic and thermoset polymers can be present in the coating materials of this invention in amounts from about 0.25% to about 90% by weight, desirably from about 0.50% to about 50% by weight, and more desirably from about 1% to about 30% by weight. The size of the thermoplastic and thermoset particles are desirably smaller than the smallest filament in the yarns of the flexible substrate and, preferably, are smaller than about 1 micron and more preferably in a solution where the particle size is less than about 500 nanometers.
As discussed above, the base coat and/or subsequent additional coating layers of this invention can and desirably include fluoropolymers. A fluoropolymer is a polymer that contains atoms of fluorine. Fluoropolymers are generally characterized by resistance to solvents, acids, and bases. Fluoropolymers known to those skilled in the art for use in substrate coating materials are available for coating the flexible substrate according to this invention. Examples of fluoropolymers include, without limitation, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), perfluoroalkyl (PFA or MFA) and fluorinated ethylenepropylene (FEP). Fluoropolymer resins may comprise approximately 0% to about 99.5% by weight of the solid content of the flexible composite of this invention, and more desirably from about 50% to about 95% by weight.
The coating materials of this invention can also include one or more additives, such as high-temperature additives, fillers, or pigments, depending on need and the polymers used. Additives such as saturants, lubricants, adhesion promoters, film-formers, thickeners, processing aids, and fillers can be added to the composite to provide certain desired properties. Suitable saturants and lubricants include boron nitride, silicone fluids, fluorosilicone fluids, perfluoroelastomers, fluoroelastomers, silanes and processing aids. Suitable adhesion promoters include materials such as silanes that are either compatible with PTFE or the thermoplastic or thermoset resins. Pigments can be added to the composite to obtain the desired composite color. Suitable pigments include mica, graphite, and carbon black. Suitable fillers include glass beads and alumina. Additives, fillers and pigments, as described above, are well known and can be blended into the composite such that they comprise from about 0.25% to about 50% by weight, and more desirably from about 0.50% to 20% by weight.
EXAMPLES
In the following Examples, the tensile strength was measured according to ASTM D902: Standard Test Methods for Flexible Resin-Coated Glass Fabrics. The tear strength was measured according to ASTM D1424: Standard Test Method for Tearing Strength of Fabrics by Falling-Pendulum Type (Elmendorf) Apparatus. The coating adhesion was tested according to ASTM D-4851-97: Standard Test Methods for Coated and Laminated Fabrics for Architectural Use.
Example I
Style 7628 glass fabric was treated with an aqueous PTFE dispersion (D1122—from Daikin America, Orangeburg, N.Y.). The fabric was initially impregnated with a 35% solids PTFE dispersion and then coated with a 50% solids PTFE dispersion at until it reached a thickness of 0.010 inch. Each impregnation and coating pass was dried at approximately 500° F. and then fused at approximately 750° F. The results are summarized in Table 1.
TABLE 1
Tensile Strength (lbs/in) - Warp
286.5
lbs/in
Tear Strength - (grams) - Warp
2,720
grams
Tear Strength - (grams) - Fill
2,399
grams
Coating Adhesion - Splice Peel (lbs/in)
3.0
lbs/in
Example II
Style 7628 glass fabric was impregnated with an aqueous PTFE D1122 dispersion containing 99.5% by weight of solids PTFE and 0.5% by weight of solids polyamide-imide (from Solvay Advanced Polymers, Alpharetta, Ga.). The impregnation coatings were applied in three coating passes, until the material was closed to air flow, with the impregnating composite at 30% solids. Overcoat passes were applied with an aqueous PTFE dispersion of D1122 at 50% solids until the material reached a thickness of 0.010 inch. Each impregnation and coating pass was dried at approximately 500° F. and then fused at approximately 750° F. The results are summarized in Table 2.
TABLE 2
Tensile Strength (lbs/in) - Warp
276
lbs/in
Tear Strength - (grams) - Warp
4,480
grams
Tear Strength - (grams) - Fill
2,807
grams
Coating Adhesion - Splice Peel (lbs/in)
3.05
lbs/in
Example III
Style 7628 glass fabric was impregnated with an aqueous solution containing 7% by weight of solids polyamide imide and run for one coating pass. This impregnated coating was then overcoated with an aqueous PTFE AD1070 dispersion at 50% solids until the material reached a thickness of 0.010 inch. Each impregnation and coating pass was dried at approximately 500° F. and then fused at approximately 750° F. During coating adhesion testing, the PTFE overcoat delaminated from the polyamide imide impregnated coating. Table 3 summarizes the testing results.
TABLE 3
Tensile Strength (lbs/in) - Warp
346 lbs/in
Tear Strength - (grams) - Warp
3,649 grams
Tear Strength - (grams) - Fill
3,040 grams
Coating Adhesion - Splice Peel (lbs/in)
Delamination
Example IV
Style 7628 glass fabric was impregnated with an aqueous dispersion containing 90% by weight of solids polyamide-imide (Solvay Advanced Polymers) and 10% by weight of solids silicone fluid ET 4327 (Dow Corning). This impregnated coating was then overcoated with an aqueous dispersion at approximately 40% solids with the solids content consisting of 40% by weight PTFE AD1070 dispersion and 60% by weight polyamide-imide. This overcoating was run for three coating passes. After that, the material was overcoated with an aqueous dispersion at approximately 40% solids with the solids content consisting of 60% by weight PTFE AD1070 dispersion and 40% by weight polyamide-imide. This overcoating was run for three coating passes. Finally, the material was topcoated with an aqueous dispersion of PTFE AD1070 at 50% solids until the material reached a thickness of 0.010 inch. Each impregnation and coating pass was dried at approximately 500° F. and then fused at approximately 750° F. Table 4 summarizes the testing results.
TABLE 4
Tensile Strength (lbs/in) - Warp
364 lbs/in
Tear Strength - (grams) - Warp
2,112 grams
Tear Strength - (grams) - Fill
1,792 grams
Coating Adhesion - Splice Peel (lbs/in)
Delamination
Example V
Style 7628 glass fabric was impregnated with an aqueous PTFE AD1070 dispersion containing 59% by weight of solids PTFE, 39% by weight of solids polyamide-imide (Solvay Advanced Polymers), 1% by weight of solids silicone fluid ET 4327, and 1% by weight of solids aminosilane Z-6020 (Dow Corning). The initial impregnation coatings were applied in three passes, until the material was closed to air flow, with the impregnating composite at 30% solids. Subsequent overcoat passes were applied with an aqueous PTFE dispersion of AD1070 at 50% solids until the material reached a thickness of 0.010 inch. Each impregnation and coating pass was dried at approximately 500° F. and then fused at approximately 750° F. Table 5 summarizes the testing results.
TABLE 5
Tensile Strength (lbs/in) - Warp
329.9
lbs/in
Tear Strength - (grams) - Warp
5,184
grams
Tear Strength - (grams) - Fill
5,504
grams
Coating Adhesion - Splice Peel (lbs/in)
2.40
lbs/in
Example VI
Style 7628 glass fabric was impregnated with an aqueous PTFE AD1070 dispersion containing 82% by weight of solids PTFE, 10% by weight of solids polyamide-imide (Solvay Advanced Polymers), 7% by weight of solids polyvinyl alcohol Elvanol® 70-06 (Dupont Corporation, Wilmington, Del.), and 1% by weight of solids silicone fluid ET 4327. The initial impregnation coatings were applied in three coating passes, until the flexible composite was closed to air flow, with the impregnating composite at 30% solids. Subsequent overcoat passes were applied with an aqueous PTFE dispersion of AD1070 at 50% solids until the material reached a thickness of 0.010 inch. Each impregnation and coating pass was dried at approximately 500° F. and then fused at approximately 750° F. Table 6 summarizes the testing results.
TABLE 6
Tensile Strength (lbs/in) - Warp
279.5
lbs/in
Tear Strength - (grams) - Warp
5,936
grams
Tear Strength - (grams) - Fill
5,056
grams
Coating Adhesion - Splice Peel (lbs/in)
2.90
lbs/in
Example VII
Style 7628 glass fabric was impregnated with an aqueous PTFE D1122 dispersion containing 97% by weight of solids PTFE and 3% by weight of solids 3600RP polyethersulfone (PES) (Gharda Chemicals Limited, Newton, Pa.). The initial impregnation coatings were applied in three coating passes, until the material was closed to air flow, with the impregnating coating material at 30% solids. Subsequent overcoat passes were applied with an aqueous PTFE dispersion of D1122 at 50% solids until the material reached a thickness of 0.007 inch. Each impregnation and coating pass was dried at approximately 500° F. and then fused at approximately 750° F. Table 7 summarizes the testing results.
TABLE 7
Tensile Strength (lbs/in) - Warp
Not Tested
Tensile Strength (lbs/in) - Fill
Not Tested
Tear Strength - (grams) - Warp
>6,800 grams
Tear Strength - (grams) - Fill
>6,800 grams
Coating Adhesion - Splice Peel (lbs/in)
Not Tested
Example VIII
The following samples were made using PPS (average particle size of 12 microns) and/or PES (average particle size of 10 microns) dispersions obtained from Whitford Corporation, Westchester, Pa., and a PEEK powder (average particle size of 10 microns) from Gharda Chemical Corporation. The PPS was a 40% solids solution, the PES was a 20% solids solution, and the PEEK was a 20% solids solution. The dispersions were added to PTFE (AD1070 (60% solids) from ACG Fluoropolymers) to create a 40% solids solution. Of the solids in the solution, 20% was PPS, PES, or PEEK, and the remainder was PTFE. The appropriate amount of water was added to each sample to achieve 40% solids.
PPS @ 20% Solids in 40% Solids Mix
Sample #
Tear (Warp)
Tear (Fill)
Sample 1
2,304 grams
2,049 grams
Sample 2
2,881 grams
2,558 grams
Sample 3
2,558 grams
2,304 grams
PES @ 20% Solids in 40% Solids Mix
Sample #
Tear (Warp)
Tear (Fill)
Sample 1
2,240 grams
2,431 grams
Sample 2
2,240 grams
2,431 grams
Sample 3
2,163 grams
2,431 grams
PPS @ 10% and PES @ 10% Solids in 40% Solids Mix
Sample #
Tear (Warp)
Tear (Fill)
Sample 1
1,922 grams
2,240 grams
Sample 2
1,922 grams
2,240 grams
PEEK @ 20% Solids in 40% Solids Mix
Sample #
Tear (Warp)
Tear (Fill)
Sample 1
1,345 grams
2,240 grams
Sample 2
1,345 grams
2,113 grams
Adhesion Testing
Material
Average (lbs/in)
Peak Force (lbs/in)
PPS
3.5-4.0
5
PES
3.0-3.5
5
PPS/PES
Not Tested
Not Tested
PEEK
Not Tested
Not Tested
Thus, this invention provides flexible composites that have excellent tear and puncture resistance; outstanding crease resistance and flexibility; low coefficient of friction and excellent release; excellent resistance to cold flow; excellent dielectric properties; and increased tensile strength. This invention uses a coating material that has good adhesion to the flexible substrate, and that imparts the wear and cold-flow resistance of the thermoplastic/thermoset polymers to the fluoropolymer composite being manufactured, without sacrificing adhesion.
It will be appreciated that details of the foregoing embodiments, given for purposes of illustration, are not to be construed as limiting the scope of this invention. Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention, which is defined in the following claims and all equivalents thereto. Further, it is recognized that many embodiments may be conceived that do not achieve all of the advantages of some embodiments, particularly of the preferred embodiments, yet the absence of a particular advantage shall not be construed to necessarily mean that such an embodiment is outside the scope of the present invention. | A method for forming a flexible composite useful for forming belts that are processed into pressure sensitive tapes or converted into rolled goods. The method impregnates a flexible substrate with a polymer coating that includes a thermoplastic or thermoset resin that is not a fluoropolymer. The impregnating coating layer may also include a fluoropolymer. Additional fluoropolymer polymer overcoating layers are applied to the impregnating layer to form the flexible composite. The coating layers are applied as a liquid and dried. | 3 |
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the U.S. provisional application 60/462,575 filed Apr. 11, 2003 entitled “Vehicle Conversion Assembly and Method of Converting a Vehicle” which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to a conversion assembly and method for a vehicle, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a conversion assembly and method for a front-wheel-drive vehicle for enabling or improving wheelchair accessibility to the vehicle.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] It has been previously proposed to modify a standard production motor vehicle to enable access to the vehicle by a person in a wheelchair. The converted vehicle must have an interior with sufficient distance between the floor and the roof to provide for headroom for the occupant of the wheelchair, and a sufficient width to accommodate the width of the wheelchair. Owing to such limitations of internal space and the necessity for a large door (usually in the form of a rear tailgate or a side sliding door), motor vehicles of the kind known as “people movers” or “vans” are popular for such conversions.
[0006] It is usually necessary to rearrange the interior of the vehicle to provide access for the wheelchair, for example by altering the standard seating arrangement of the vehicle to provide a space in the vehicle in which the wheelchair is able to be located during driving of the vehicle, and by lowering the floorpan of the vehicle in conjunction with raising the roof of the vehicle to provide sufficient headroom for an occupant of the wheelchair. The lowered portion of the floorpan provides a surface on which the wheelchair can roll from an entry means (typically in the form of a ramp or a lift) to the space in which the wheelchair is located during driving.
[0007] Conversions of this type have been performed on a motor vehicle in which the conventional suspension existing in the vehicle is of the kind having a rear beam axle configuration. In this conversion the floor is lowered in part, however as the ability to lower the floor is limited by the presence of the rear beam axle, previously proposed conversions profile the floorpan to accommodate the rear beam axle. This results in a hump or raised portion of the floorpan over the rear beam axle. As this previously proposed conversion is a rear-access conversion in which the wheelchair with occupant is loaded into the vehicle through a rear tailgate of the vehicle and is wheeled forwardly into the space in which the wheelchair is located during driving of the vehicle, the presence of the hump is problematic as it must be traversed during entry and exit to/from the vehicle. Furthermore, the presence of the hump also results in the headroom available for the wheelchair occupant being limited. In some cases, a wheelchair occupant in a converted vehicle of this kind has been known to hit his or her head on the roof of the vehicle when traversing the hump. The roof of the vehicle may be raised to improve headroom available to the occupant of the wheelchair, however this is typically undesirable for a number of reasons including that it results in the modifications to the vehicle being conspicuous.
[0008] One type of previously proposed conversion of a vehicle for enabling or improving wheelchair accessibility to the vehicle enables an occupant of a wheelchair to be seated as a passenger of the vehicle. Another type of previously proposed conversion of a vehicle enables an occupant of a wheelchair to drive the vehicle by providing a driver's seat which is movable to a position adjacent the wheelchair. The occupant of the wheelchair is able to transfer from the wheelchair to the driver's seat from where he or she is able to drive the vehicle. However, such a conversion is disadvantageous as it can be difficult, awkward, inconvenient and time-consuming for the occupant of the wheelchair to have to transfer from the wheelchair to the driver's seat to drive the vehicle and then to transfer back again to the wheelchair when he or she is to exit the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome or at least alleviate one or more of the above disadvantages associated with previous conversions of vehicles for enabling or improving wheelchair accessibility.
[0010] Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to provide a conversion assembly for a front-wheel-drive motor vehicle for enabling or improving wheelchair access to the vehicle, wherein the conversion assembly enables a portion of a floorpan of the vehicle to be lowered, the lowered portion of the floorpan being sufficiently lowered to provide sufficient interior height to accommodate a wheelchair with occupant therein, the lowered portion of the floorpan being sufficiently wide to accommodate the width of a wheelchair, and the lowered portion being substantially flat to facilitate rolling of the wheelchair along said portion of the floorpan.
[0011] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a conversion assembly for enabling or improving wheelchair accessibility to a front-wheel-drive vehicle, wherein said assembly comprises rear suspension mountings for fixing to the structure of the vehicle in place of an existing rear suspension such that a portion of a floorpan of the vehicle of sufficient width to accommodate the width of a wheelchair can be lowered between said rear suspension mountings.
[0012] In one embodiment of the invention, the occupant of the wheelchair is a passenger of the vehicle. In one particular form of the invention, the space in which the wheelchair is to be located during driving of the vehicle is in a second row and/or a rear row of seats of the vehicle. Preferably, at least one of the standard passenger seats of the vehicle is retained next to said space, said at least one of the standard passenger seats being narrowed to accommodate the wheelchair.
[0013] In another embodiment of the invention, the vehicle is a self-drive vehicle wherein the occupant of the wheelchair is the driver of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the space in which the wheelchair is to be located during driving of the vehicle is in a second row and/or a rear row (of seats) of the vehicle, and a movable carriage is provided, the movable carriage being movable between a rear position in which the movable carriage is adjacent to said space such that the occupant can transfer between the wheelchair and the carriage and a front position in which the occupant on the carriage is in a driver's position for driving the vehicle.
[0014] Preferably, the conversion assembly is such that the lowered portion of the floorpan can extend forwardly from a rear entrance of the vehicle such that a wheelchair is able to be driven from the rear entrance to a driver's position to enable the occupant of the wheelchair to drive the vehicle from the wheelchair.
[0015] Alternatively, the conversion assembly is such that the lowered portion of the floorpan can extend forwardly from a rear entrance of the vehicle such that a wheelchair is able to be driven from the rear entrance to a front row passenger position of the vehicle where the wheelchair is restrained during driving of the vehicle to enable the occupant of the wheelchair to occupy the wheelchair in the front row passenger position during driving of the vehicle.
[0016] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a front-wheel-drive vehicle when converted for enabling or improving wheelchair accessibility to the vehicle using one of the above conversion assemblies.
[0017] Preferably, the lowered portion of the floorpan extends forwardly from the rear entrance of the vehicle to include the driver's position of the vehicle.
[0018] Preferably, the conversion assembly is for enabling or improving wheelchair accessibility to the vehicle from the rear of the vehicle through a doorway at the rear of the vehicle. More preferably, the conversion assembly is for enabling or improving wheelchair accessibility to the vehicle from the rear of the vehicle through a tailgate of the vehicle.
[0019] Preferably, the pair of rear suspension mountings is a pair of independent rear suspension mountings.
[0020] In embodiments in which the vehicle is provided with a chassis, the independent rear suspension mountings are preferably fixed to opposite sides of the chassis. Preferably, an additional chassis frame is fastened to an existing chassis of the vehicle, the additional chassis frame being adapted for mounting said rear suspension mountings thereon.
[0021] Typically, the existing rear suspension is in the form of a rear beam axle configuration. However, the present invention is equally applicable to vehicles having existing rear suspension of other kinds. For example, the invention is also applicable to vehicles having existing rear suspension of the kind which extends inwardly of the vehicle and inhibit the floorpan from being lowered to a width sufficient to accommodate a wheelchair.
[0022] Preferably, the lowered portion of the floorpan is at least 760 mm wide. More preferably, the lowered portion of the floorpan is at least 840 mm wide. In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the lowered portion of the floorpan is 850 mm wide. Preferably, the lowered portion of the floorpan is substantially flat. In a preferred embodiment, the lowered portion of the floorpan is substantially level.
[0023] Preferably, each of the rear suspension mountings includes an independent rear trailing arm suspension component comprising an elongated arm having a pivotal coupling at a front end thereof for enabling the elongated arm to pivot with respect to the structure of the vehicle about an axis substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the elongated arm, a wheel mounting for mounting a wheel of the vehicle longitudinally spaced from the axis of rotation of the elongated arm, a spring mounting for mounting a spring between the elongated arm and the structure of the vehicle, and a shock absorber mounting for mounting a shock absorber between the elongated arm and the structure of the vehicle.
[0024] Preferably, the pivotal coupling is a bearing arrangement at the front end of the elongated arm. Preferably, the shock absorber mounting is a shock absorber mounting bracket at a rear end of the elongated arm. Preferably, the spring is a coil spring or an air spring, and the spring mounting is a seating in an upper surface of the elongated arm for receiving a lower end of the coil spring or air spring. Preferably, the wheel mounting is a wheel mounting bracket mounted to an outer side of the elongated arm.
[0025] Preferably, the vehicle is provided with a restraining belt, the restraining belt being anchored to the vehicle at either side of a space in which the wheelchair is to be located during driving of the vehicle, for restraining the occupant of the wheelchair. Preferably, the belt is anchored to the vehicle on one side of the space in which the wheelchair is to be located during driving of the vehicle, by way of a belt mounting frame fixed to the structure of the vehicle.
[0026] Preferably, the vehicle is provided with locking restraints for locking the wheelchair in place during driving of the vehicle.
[0027] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of converting a front-wheel-drive vehicle to enable or improve wheelchair accessibility to the vehicle, the method including the steps of:
[0028] removing an existing rear suspension from the vehicle;
[0029] installing rear suspension mountings to the vehicle, one at each side of the structure of the vehicle; and
[0030] lowering a portion of the floorpan of the vehicle between said rear suspension mountings.
[0031] Preferably, the lowered portion of the floorpan extends forwardly from a rear entrance of the vehicle such that a wheelchair is able to be driven from the rear entrance to a driver's position where the wheelchair is restrained during driving of the vehicle to enable the occupant of the wheelchair to drive the vehicle from the wheelchair.
[0032] Alternatively, the lowered portion of the floorpan extends forwardly from a rear entrance of the vehicle such that a wheelchair is able to be driven from the rear entrance to a front row passenger position of the vehicle where the wheelchair is restrained during driving of the vehicle to enable the occupant of the wheelchair to occupy the wheelchair in the front row passenger position during driving of the vehicle.
[0033] Preferably, the method includes the step of lowering the portion of the floorpan of the vehicle between said rear suspension mountings such that the lowered portion of the floorpan extends forwardly from the rear entrance of the vehicle to include the driver's position of the vehicle.
[0034] Preferably, the rear suspension mountings are independent rear suspension mountings.
[0035] Preferably, the method further includes the step of attaching an additional chassis frame to an existing chassis of the vehicle, the additional chassis frame being adapted for mounting said independent rear suspension mountings thereon.
[0036] Preferably, the step of lowering the portion of the floorpan of the vehicle includes lowering the portion of the floorpan such that the lowered portion of the floorpan is at least 760 mm wide. In one preferred embodiment, the step of lowering the portion of the floorpan of the vehicle includes lowering the portion of the floorpan such that the lowered portion of the floorpan is at least 840 mm wide. In one particular embodiment, the step of lowering the portion of the floorpan of the vehicle includes lowering the portion of the floorpan such that the lowered portion of the floorpan is 850 mm wide. Preferably, the step of lowering the portion of the floorpan of the vehicle includes lowering the portion of the floorpan such that the lowered portion of the floorpan is substantially flat. In a preferred embodiment, the step of lowering the portion of the floorpan of the vehicle includes lowering the portion of the floorpan such that the lowered portion of the floorpan is substantially level.
[0037] Preferably, the method further includes the step of installing a restraining belt, the restraining belt being anchored to the vehicle at either side of a space in which the wheelchair is to be located during driving of the vehicle, for restraining the occupant of the wheelchair. Preferably, the method further includes the step of fixing a belt mounting frame to the structure of the vehicle on one side of said space, the belt mounting frame being for mounting the restraining belt.
[0038] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a front-wheel-drive vehicle when converted for enabling or improving wheelchair accessibility to the vehicle using the method described above.
[0039] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a front-wheel-drive vehicle converted to enable or improve wheelchair accessibility to the vehicle, wherein said vehicle includes rear suspension mountings fixed to the structure of the vehicle, a portion of a floorpan of the vehicle of sufficient width to accommodate the width of a wheelchair, said portion being located between said rear suspension mountings and extending forwardly from a rear entrance of the vehicle such that a wheelchair is able to be driven from the rear entrance to a driver's position where the wheelchair is restrained during driving of the vehicle to enable the occupant of the wheelchair to drive the vehicle from the wheelchair.
[0040] In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a front-wheel-drive vehicle converted to enable or improve wheelchair accessibility to the vehicle, wherein said vehicle includes rear suspension mountings fixed to the structure of the vehicle, a portion of a floorpan of the vehicle of sufficient width to accommodate the width of a wheelchair, said portion being located between said rear suspension mountings and extending forwardly from a rear entrance of the vehicle such that a wheelchair is able to be driven from the rear entrance to a front row passenger position where the wheelchair is restrained during driving of the vehicle to enable the occupant of the wheelchair to occupy the wheelchair in the front row passenger position during driving of the vehicle.
[0041] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided an independent rear trailing arm suspension component for a front-wheel-drive vehicle requiring wheelchair access comprising an elongated arm having a pivotal coupling at a front end thereof for enabling the elongated arm to pivot with respect to a structure of the vehicle about an axis substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the elongated arm, a wheel mounting for mounting a wheel of the vehicle longitudinally spaced from the axis of rotation of the elongated arm, a spring mounting for mounting a spring between the elongated arm and the structure of the vehicle, and a shock absorber mounting for mounting a shock absorber between the elongated arm and the structure of the vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042] The invention is described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0043] FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an independent rear trailing arm suspension component;
[0044] FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the independent rear trailing arm suspension component of FIG. 1 ;
[0045] FIG. 3 is a detailed side perspective view of a front portion of the independent rear trailing arm suspension component of FIG. 1 , also showing separate elements used in the manufacture of the independent rear trailing arm suspension component;
[0046] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a left-hand independent rear trailing arm suspension component similar to that shown in FIG. 1 , the left-hand independent rear trailing arm suspension component being fitted to a vehicle;
[0047] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the undercarriage of the vehicle shown in FIG. 4 , showing both left-hand and right-hand independent rear trailing arm suspension components fitted to the vehicle;
[0048] FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the right-hand independent rear trailing arm suspension component shown in FIG. 5 ;
[0049] FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a rear portion of a lowered floorpan of a vehicle partially converted for self-drive rear-entry wheelchair access;
[0050] FIG. 8 is a right side perspective view of a centre portion of the lowered floorpan shown in FIG. 7 ;
[0051] FIG. 9 is a right side perspective view of a front portion of the lowered floorpan shown in FIG. 7 ;
[0052] FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of the lowered floorpan shown in FIGS. 7 , 8 and 9 ;
[0053] FIG. 10 a is a rear perspective view of the lowered floorpan shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 ;
[0054] FIG. 10 b is a seating diagram of a vehicle using the floorpan shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 a;
[0055] FIG. 11 is a left side perspective view of a wheelchair with occupant in the vehicle shown in FIGS. 7 to 10 a , the wheelchair being located at the driver's position of the vehicle such that the occupant is able to drive the vehicle from the wheelchair;
[0056] FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of a restraining belt anchored to a vehicle, for restraining an occupant of a wheelchair during driving of the vehicle;
[0057] FIG. 13 is a rear perspective view of the restraining belt shown in FIG. 12 ;
[0058] FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of a rear, right-hand corner of the vehicle shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 ;
[0059] FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of a seat of the vehicle shown in FIGS. 12 to 14 , the seat being narrowed to accommodate the wheelchair;
[0060] FIG. 16 is a rear perspective view of a spare wheel of the vehicle shown in FIGS. 12 to 15 , the spare wheel being a “space-saving” spare wheel mounted to one side of the lowered portion of the floorpan;
[0061] FIG. 17 is a rear view of the vehicle shown in FIGS. 12 to 16 , the vehicle being shown with a ramp of the vehicle in a stowed configuration and with a tailgate of the vehicle in an open configuration;
[0062] FIG. 18 is a rear view of the vehicle shown in FIGS. 12 to 17 , the vehicle being shown with the tailgate in a closed configuration;
[0063] FIG. 19 is a rear view of a vehicle, the vehicle being shown with a ramp of the vehicle in a deployed configuration;
[0064] FIG. 20 is a side view of the vehicle shown in FIG. 19 , the vehicle being shown with the ramp in the deployed configuration;
[0065] FIG. 21 is a general seating diagram of the vehicles shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 and in FIGS. 12 to 20 ;
[0066] FIG. 22 is a rear perspective view of a front portion of a lowered portion of a floorpan of the vehicle shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 ;
[0067] FIG. 23 is a front perspective view of a rear portion of the lowered portion of the floorpan of the vehicle shown in FIG. 22 , the ramp of the vehicle being shown in a stowed configuration;
[0068] FIG. 24 is a front perspective view of a movable carriage of a vehicle, the movable carriage being in the form of a seat on rails; and
[0069] FIG. 25 is a view of an underside of an additional chassis frame prior to mounting of same to an existing chassis of a vehicle for converting the vehicle for wheelchair access.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0070] A left-hand independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , and comprises an elongated arm 12 having a pivotal chassis coupling in the form of a bearing arrangement 14 at a front end thereof. The rear trailing arm suspension component 10 also comprises a wheel mounting bracket 16 mounted to an outer side of the elongated arm 12 , and longitudinally spaced from the bearing arrangement 14 . A shock absorber mounting bracket 18 is mounted at a rear end of the elongated arm 12 . Intermediate the bearing arrangement 14 and the shock absorber mounting bracket 18 , a spring mounting in the form of a coil spring seating 20 is formed in an upper surface of the elongated arm 12 . The independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 shown in the accompanying drawings is manufactured by welding and machining processes. The independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 is reinforced internally of its outer surfaces by additional struts and ties (not shown) to ensure that the component 10 is able to withstand forces, such as torsional and axial forces, to which it may be subjected during its working life.
[0071] FIG. 3 shows detail of bearing arrangement 14 at the front end of the independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 , together with separated elements 22 , 24 from which the independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 is manufactured. In particular, FIG. 3 shows a housing 22 of the bearing arrangement 14 , and an inner core shaft 24 of the bearing arrangement 14 . As can be seen from the side view of the formed bearing arrangement 14 in this Figure, bearings 26 are inserted between the inner core shaft 24 and the housing 22 to enable rotation of the inner core shaft 24 within the housing 22 . In use, independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 is mounted to a vehicle requiring wheelchair access by bolting the inner core shaft 24 at either end thereof to a chassis 38 of the vehicle (and more particularly to an additional chassis frame 38 a of the vehicle), as can be seen in FIGS. 4 to 6 .
[0072] FIG. 4 shows the left-hand independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 mounted to a motor vehicle requiring wheelchair access. A left-hand rear wheel 30 is mounted to the wheel mounting bracket 16 by way of a drum brake 32 of the left-hand rear wheel 30 being bolted to the wheel mounting bracket 16 . An original standard shock absorber 34 and original standard coil spring 36 from the original rear beam axle configuration of the standard production vehicle as it existed prior to being modified for wheelchair access are retained in the conversion. A lower end of the shock absorber 34 is bolted to the shock absorber mounting bracket 18 , and the coil spring 36 is mounted between the independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 and the structure of the vehicle such that a lower end of the coil spring 36 sits in the seating 20 formed in the upper surface of the elongated arm 12 of the independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 . The suspension operates by the independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 being able to pivot about the inner core shaft 24 which forms an axis, substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the elongated arm 12 , for such pivotal movement. The coil spring 36 operates resiliently to oppose upward movement of the independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 toward the chassis 38 of the vehicle 28 , and the shock absorber 34 acts to dampen pivotal movement of the independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 with respect to the chassis 38 of the vehicle 28 . A deformable stopper 39 is provided, mounted on the additional chassis frame 38 a , to inhibit excessive upward movement of the independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 with respect to the chassis 38 by bearing against a rear plate 41 of the independent rear trailing arm suspension component 10 . The standard braking system from the original standard production vehicle is retained in the conversion.
[0073] In alternative embodiments, other forms of spring may be used in place of the coil spring 36 . In one particular alternative embodiment (not shown), an air spring is used in place of the coil spring 36 .
[0074] As can be seen in FIG. 5 , the rear beam axle configuration rear suspension which was present in the original standard production vehicle prior to conversion for wheel chair access has been removed, and in its place independent rear trailing arm suspension components 10 have been mounted to either side of the chassis 38 of the vehicle 28 . A portion of the floorpan 40 between the independent rear trailing arm suspension components 10 has been lowered to facilitate the wheelchair access to the cabin of the vehicle 28 . To enable this portion of the floorpan 40 to be lowered, an additional chassis frame 38 a is fastened to an existing chassis 38 b of the vehicle by conventional chassis-forming techniques such as welding, fastening with bolts and/or adhesives. The relative narrowness of the independent rear trailing arm suspension components 10 enables the floorpan to be lowered by approximately 0.45 m from its original height, and in a sufficient width to accommodate the width of a wheelchair. The floorpan is lowered by cutting out the original floorpan with angle grinders or the like and by installing the replacement lowered floorpan on the additional chassis frame 38 a . Owing to the lowering of the floorpan taking up space which was previously used for a fuel tank and a spare wheel a replacement fuel tank 42 is installed toward the front of the vehicle 28 and a “space-saver” spare wheel 44 is installed inside the cabin of the vehicle 28 , as shown in FIG. 16 .
[0075] FIG. 25 shows a separate chassis frame 38 a shown prior to mounting of same to an existing chassis of a vehicle for conversion of that vehicle for wheelchair access.
[0076] The vehicle 28 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 is configured such that a space 46 in which a wheelchair is located during driving of the vehicle 28 is in a centre row 48 of seats 50 of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 21 . In this diagram, the lowered portion of the floorpan is indicated by the broken line 52 . The rear of the vehicle is indicated by reference numeral 54 .
[0077] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 wherein the occupant of the wheelchair remains seated in the wheelchair (the wheelchair being locked into the space 46 ) during driving of the vehicle, a restraining belt 62 (see FIGS. 12 and 13 ) is provided in order to provide upper body support to the occupant in case of an accident or abrupt deceleration. The restraining belt 62 is anchored securely to a belt mounting frame 64 fixed to the structure of the vehicle such that the belt 62 is able to provide high restraining forces if the need arises. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the belt mounting frame 64 is made from metal bars fixed to the structure of the vehicle on one side of the space 46 in which the wheelchair is to be located during driving of the vehicle. In use, the belt extends about the front of the upper body of the occupant of the wheelchair and a buckle of the belt is fastened to a buckle receptacle on the opposite side of said space. A safety belt system of this kind is of great benefit, as a conventional belt mounted to the wheelchair is known to fail in accidents, particularly as in previously proposed wheelchair access vehicles the wheelchair itself is prone to breaking free of its lockings to the vehicle when excessive forces are experienced.
[0078] The actual method of entry to the vehicle 28 by a wheelchair and occupant is best seen with reference to FIGS. 17 to 23 . With particular regard to FIGS. 19 and 20 , a rear tailgate 66 of the vehicle 28 is opened such that a rear folding aluminium ramp 68 is able to be moved from its stowed configuration in which it resides substantially upright at the rear of the vehicle (see FIG. 17 ) to its deployed configuration in which it extends downwardly from the rear of the vehicle to the ground (see FIGS. 19 and 20 ). The ramp 68 is provided with a non-slip coating 70 to provide grip such that the wheelchair is able to drive up the ramp 68 (or be pushed up the ramp in the case of a non-motorized wheelchair) and onto the lowered portion of the floorpan 40 . Once on the lowered portion of the floorpan 40 , the wheelchair is driven or pushed to the space 46 where it is to be located during driving of the vehicle 28 . The ramp 68 is then returned to its stowed configuration as shown in FIGS. 17 and 23 . In its stowed configuration, the ramp 68 is arranged so as not to interfere with vision from the cabin, and in particular, with the driver's rear vision through a rear window 70 of the tailgate 66 when the tailgate 66 is closed (as seen in FIG. 18 ). Moreover, the ramp 68 is arranged in its stowed configuration to be as discreet as possible when viewed from outside the vehicle 28 with the tailgate 66 closed, so that the vehicle is able to blend into traffic and does not attract unwanted attention. For example, the external appearance of the vehicle may particularly be of importance where the occupant of the wheelchair is a child being dropped off at school and does not want to draw attention to his or her own self.
[0079] To accommodate the wheelchair in the space 46 in which it is to be located during driving of the vehicle 28 , in the embodiment shown in FIG. 15 the neighbouring passenger seat 72 has been narrowed slightly and reupholstered. A neighbouring passenger seat on the opposite side of space 46 may also be narrowed to accommodate the wheelchair. Also, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 13 , it is possible to accommodate two wheelchairs in the lowered portion of the floorpan by removing the central seat 74 , such that one wheelchair is able to be accommodated in space 46 , and by locating a second wheelchair in a space 76 behind space 46 . The vehicle is provided with locking restraints for locking each of the wheelchairs in place during driving of the vehicle, and these locking restraints may be in automatic, electric form or manual form. When the vehicle is to be used without a wheelchair in space 46 , the central seat 74 is able to be mounted in space 46 for seating a passenger.
[0080] With reference to FIGS. 14 and 21 , when a wheelchair is to be moved between the outside of the vehicle and space 46 , or when a wheelchair is to be located in space 76 behind space 46 , a rear passenger bench seat 78 is able to be folded to its stowed configuration (see FIG. 14 ) in which it rests substantially upright against a side wall of the vehicle 28 .
[0081] Although in the above-discussed conversions the occupant of the wheelchair is a passenger of the vehicle, sitting in the wheelchair during driving of the vehicle, the wheelchair being suitably locked into the space 46 (or 76 ) by way of electric restraints or the like, an alternative conversion provides a self-drive version of the vehicle in which the wheelchair is locked into the same space 46 during driving of the vehicle. Such a conversion uses a movable carriage in the form of a movable driver's seat 60 on rails (see FIG. 24 ) which is movable between a rear position (as seen in FIG. 24 ) in which the driver's seat 60 is adjacent to the space 46 such that the occupant of the wheelchair can transfer from the wheelchair to the driver's seat 60 by simply sliding across laterally, to a front position in which the occupant is able to reach the driving controls of the vehicle from the driver's seat 60 . The occupant is able to control the position of the driver's seat 60 between the front and rear positions, for example by way of electric controls or the like. In order to return to the wheelchair from the driver's seat, for example after parking the vehicle, the occupant moves the driver's seat to the rear position and slides across laterally to the wheelchair.
[0082] FIGS. 7 to 11 show another form of self-drive vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment depicted in these Figures, there is provided a vehicle 28 partially converted to enable access to the vehicle 28 by a wheelchair, and more particularly to enable rear-entry self-drive wheelchair access to the vehicle, wherein the lowered portion 40 of the floorpan extends to a front row drivers position 80 of the vehicle 28 such that an occupant 56 of the wheelchair 58 is able to drive the vehicle 28 from being seated in the wheelchair 58 . Although in the embodiment depicted the lowered portion 40 of the floorpan extends forwardly from the rear entrance of the vehicle to include the front row drivers position 80 of the vehicle 28 , it is foreseen that in an alternative embodiment, in a vehicle already having a portion of floorpan at the driver's position which is sufficiently low in relation to driving controls and a ceiling of the vehicle prior to conversion, it would not be necessary for that portion of floorpan to be lowered further. Accordingly, in such an embodiment, the lowered portion of the floorpan would only need to extend far enough to enable the wheelchair with occupant to drive from the rear entrance to the driver's position.
[0083] In order to accommodate the lowered portion 40 of the floorpan, a fuel tank of the standard vehicle is removed and is replaced by a customised fuel tank located under the floorpan opposite the side of the vehicle to which the lowered portion of the floorpan extends. Similarly, the standard exhaust system from the vehicle post catalytic converter is removed and is replaced with a custom exhaust routed along the same side of the vehicle to which the lowered portion of the floorpan extends. The lowered floorpan is formed by a network of cross-members forming framework to which sheet metal is bonded. The network of cross-members enhances rigidity in the lowered portion of the floorpan to inhibit unwanted flexure during use.
[0084] The specific controls provided to enable the occupant to drive the vehicle may differ from case to case, depending on the ability of the occupant to use his or her arms and legs. Such controls are already well-established and will not be described in detail herein. This vehicle uses a similar configuration of the independent rear trailing arm suspension components 10 as is used in the vehicle shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 , however instead of the lowered portion 40 of the floorpan extending from the rear 54 of the vehicle to just behind the front row of seats as shown in FIG. 21 , the lowered portion 40 of the floorpan of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 11 extends from the rear 54 of the vehicle to the driver's position 80 . Similarly to the previously-described embodiment, the wheelchair 58 is
[0085] The above embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention. In particular, although in the embodiments described the original suspension removed from the vehicle to be replaced by the independent rear trailing arm components is of the type having a rear beam axle configuration, it is also foreseen that other suspension systems which do not enable sufficient wheelchair access to a vehicle may be successfully converted in accordance with the present invention.
[0086] Although the vehicle depicted in the drawings is a right-hand drive vehicle, the invention is of course also applicable to left-hand drive vehicles, in which case the general layout of the lowered portion of the floorpan is mirrored from right to left to suit. | A conversion assembly for enabling or improving wheelchair accessibility to a front-wheel-drive vehicle, wherein said assembly comprises rear suspension mountings for fixing to the structure of the vehicle in place of an existing rear suspension such that a portion of a floorpan of the vehicle of sufficient width to accommodate the width of a wheelchair can be lowered between said rear suspension mountings. A method of converting a front-wheel-drive vehicle to enable or improve wheelchair accessibility to the vehicle, the method including the steps of removing an existing rear suspension from the vehicle, installing rear suspension mountings to the vehicle, one at each side of the structure of the vehicle, and lowering a portion of the floorpan of the vehicle between said rear suspension mountings. | 1 |
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/185,664, filed Jan. 21, 1994, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bicycle wheels and other devices are often mounted with a quick release skewer, sometimes also referred to as a quick release clamping assembly.
In the bicycle wheel example, the quick release skewer is essentially a tie rod at the center of the bicycle wheel hub, with a lever actuated cam at one end of the rod and a retaining nut at the other. When the wheel is mounted on the fork of a bicycle frame, the cam lever is pivoted to its clamping position, narrowing the gap between cam and retaining nut to clamp the fork, thereby holding the wheel securely in place on the fork. By pivoting the cam lever to its open position, the gap between the cam and the nut is enlarged, thereby releasing clamping pressure on the fork and allowing the wheel to drop out of the fork, e.g. for replacement or repair. Unfortunately, cam levers sometimes accidently flip open while the bicycle is being ridden, allowing the wheel to drop out of the fork accidentally, causing mishaps and injuries.
Various approaches for eliminating this hazard have been adopted by manufacturers. One approach is the addition of a safety lip or flange at the bottom edge of the bicycle frame fork "dropout" (the slotted portion at the end of the fork that actually receives the wheel axle) so that when the quick release cam lever is flipped to the open position, the gap between cam lever and retaining nut is not quite wide enough to clear the lip/flange, so the wheel will not drop out of the fork without also loosening the retaining nut.
Another closely related approach is to provide a depression or seat for the retaining nut in the bicycle fork dropout. Here again, the mere act of opening the cam lever does not expand the cam/nut gap quite enough for the retaining nut to clear the seat. Thus, to actually remove the wheel from the dropout, not only must the cam lever be opened, but the retaining nut must also be loosened.
Because these safety features require the added step of loosening the retaining nut, they make wheel release more inconvenient. Moreover, when the wheel is re-mounted to the bicycle fork, the retaining nut must be re-tightened with some precision, lest the safety feature be defeated and/or the wheel be improperly re-mounted on the fork.
A similar problem exists in mounting such bicycles to cartop bicycle racks and wind trainers. Certain racks/trainers include a quick release skewer for fastening the bike to the rack/trainer. In operation, after removing the bicycle wheel, the rider fits the frame fork onto the rack/trainer's quick release skewer and closes the cam lever to attach the bicycle securely on the rack/trainer. Just as the safety lip/seat safety devices will not allow the bicycle wheel to be removed and properly remounted without also adjusting the nut, these safety devices will not allow the bike to be mounted and removed from the rack/trainer without also adjusting the retaining nut.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved quick release skewer system for mounting bicycle wheels, car racks, wind trainers and the like to bicycle frame forks.
In the quick release skewer system of the present invention the conventional retaining nut is replaced with an expandable retaining nut. The expandable retaining nut consists primarily of two pieces: a T-nut and a collar. The barrel of the T-nut is rotatably seated in the collar. The collar includes a pair of 90 degree opposed transverse notches, one deep and one shallow. The arms of the T-nut typically locate in one notch or the other, at which time the collar is locked against rotation. When the wheel is properly secured on the fork in a condition for the bicycle to be ridden, the T-nut arms locate in the shallow notch, so that the retaining nut dimension is large and the gap between cam and retaining nut is thereby minimized.
To remove the wheel from the fork, the operator first flips open the cam lever, expanding the gap between the cam and retaining nut. Next, the operator slides the collar axially along the skewer rod toward the cam, away from the T-nut, until the T-nut arms are clear of the shallow collar notch. The operator then rotates the collar one quarter turn and slides the collar back in the opposite axial direction, away from the cam, so that the T-nut arms slide into the deeper collar notch. This reduces the axial dimension of the nut which, in turn, enlarges the gap between cam and retaining nut, and provides the added clearance necessary to slide the wheel out of the fork past the safety lip.
To replace the wheel on the fork, the operation is reversed. The original cam/retaining nut gap is restored with precision by simply restoring the collar to its original position, with the T-nut arms located in the shallow collar notch, and closing the cam lever.
Preferably, the internal threaded channel of the T-nut is fitted with a nylon insert designed to tightly grip the skewer and prevent the T-nut from accidentally unscrewing when the retaining nut is being expanded or contracted.
Preferably, the collar is further provided with an external sleeve and dust cap, to prevent dirt from entering into the notches, which could interfere with proper operation of the expandable retaining nut.
Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiments have been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a frontal elevation, with parts broken away and shown in phantom, of a bicycle wheel axle embodying the improved quick release skewer system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the system of FIG. 1 taken along lines 2--2.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged exploded view of the expandable retaining nut 4 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the expandable retaining nut 4, from FIGS. 1-3, shown in its expanded configuration.
FIG. 5 is the expandable retaining nut of FIG. 4 shown in its contracted position.
FIG. 6 is a frontal elevation, with parts shown in phantom, of an alternate embodiment of the improved quick release skewer system for bicycle forks.
FIG. 6A is a side elevation of a portion of the bicycle fork 48 shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 7 is and enlarged view, with parts broken away and shown in section, of the expandable retaining nut 44 shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged side elevation, with parts broken away, of the expandable retaining nut shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 9 is an alternate application for the improved quick release skewer system for bicycle forks, showing the connecting rod 2 and tubular shaft 5 of the system installed on a mounting bracket for automobile roof racks and/or wind trainers.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 illustrates a bicycle axle/quick release skewer system 1 consisting of a central connecting rod 2, a lever actuated cam assembly 3 at one end of the connecting rod, and an expandable retaining nut 4 at the opposite end of the rod 2. The mid-section of retaining rod 2 is encased in a hollow center tubular shaft 5, which includes lock nuts 6a and cone nuts 6b at either end. The tubular shaft 5 is shorter than the connecting rod 2, so that both ends of the connecting rod 2 protrude from the ends of the tubular shaft 5.
One end of the protruding connecting rod 2 is threaded for adjustable screw engagement with the expandable retaining nut 4. The other protruding end of the connecting rod 2 is integrally formed with the lever actuated cam assembly 3.
The lever actuated cam assembly 3 is of conventional design, comprised of an enlarged cylindrical cap 9 with a transverse aperture 10 housing a cam shaft 11 connected at right angle to a cam lever arm 12. That part of the cam shaft 11 located within the transverse aperture 10 is eccentric relative to the pivotal axis of the aperture 10, so that when the lever arm 12 is pivoted back and forth between positions 12a and 12b, the cap 9 reciprocates axially back and forth between positions 13a and 13b, respectively. The cam assembly is provided with an enlarged presser seat 16 at its base.
The tubular shaft 5, including lock nuts 6 and cone nuts 7, is shorter than the distance between the cam assembly 3 and expandable retaining nut 4, so that there are gaps 7a and 7b between the left lock nut 6a and retaining nut 4, and between the right lock nut 6a and cam assembly 3, respectively. The gaps 7a and 7b are designed to receive a pair of bicycle fork ends 8. Each fork end 8 is slotted to receive the tubular shaft 5. Slotted bicycle fork ends 8 are sometimes also referred to as "dropouts".
As would be readily understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, the tubular shaft 5 is designed to carry a bicycle wheel (not shown), with the hub of the wheel rotatably, coaxially surrounding that portion of the tubular shaft 5 in the space between the right and left cone nuts 6b. The ball race of each wheel bearing (also not shown) rides in the concave curvature of each cone nut 6b. In operation, the bicycle wheel hub rotates relative to the shaft 5 about their common axis.
In such application, the quick release skewer assembly 1 (as well as the bicycle wheel) is removed from the bicycle fork by pivoting the cam lever handle to position 12b, causing the cap 9 to move to position 13b. This in turn enlarges the gaps 7a and 7b, releasing clamping pressure on the dropouts 8. In this respect, note that the connecting rod 2 is free to slide axially within the tubular shaft 5, so that when gap 7b between the cam assembly 3 and spacer nuts 6b is enlarged, the tubular shaft 5 is permitted to slide toward the cam assembly 3 and enlarge the gap 7a between the expandable retaining nut 4 and lock nut 6a. Normally, once the gaps 7a and 7b are enlarged enough to relieve friction force between the lock nut 6a and retaining nut 4, on the one hand, and between the cam assembly 3 and lock nuts 6a, on the other hand, this permits the bicycle wheel to slide out of the fork dropout 8.
For safety, to prevent bicycle wheels from accidentally sliding out of the dropout 8 if the cam lever opens unexpectedly, some bicycle manufacturers have provided the dropouts 8 with anti-dropout safety devices. One such device is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein the dropout 8 is provided with an axially extending safety rim 14a which partially encircles the retaining nut 4. The retaining nut 4 has an enlarged presser base 17. As long as the presser base 17 of nut 4 is seated in the depression formed by the safety rim 14a, the quick release skewer 1 will not slip out of the dropout slot unless the gap 7a is enlarged enough to clear the safety rim 14a. Since corresponding safety rims 14a and 14b are formed on each dropout 8, the same is true of the cam assembly 3 i.e as long as the presser base 16 of the cam assembly 3 is seated in the depression formed by the safety rim 14b, the axle/quick release skewer 1 will not slip out of the dropout slot unless the gap 7b is enlarged enough to clear the safety rim 14b. In bicycles formed with anti-dropout safety devices of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the dimensions of the system are intentionally selected so that when the cam assembly lever 12 is pivoted to open position 12b, gaps 7a and 7b are not enlarged enough to clear the safety rims 14a and 14b. Thus, the axle/quick release skewer 1 will not drop out of the dropouts 8 unless the retaining nut 4 is also loosened, further enlarging gaps 7a and 7b to the point where the retaining nut 4 and cam assembly 3 can clear the safety rims.
As best illustrated in FIGS. 3-5, the retaining nut 4 is expandable in the axial direction. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the expandable retaining nut 4 of the present invention includes a T-nut member 20 and an annular collar member 21. The T-nut member 20 is comprised of a cylindrical body portion 22 and opposed radially extending arms 23. The cylindrical body portion 22 includes an internal threaded channel 24 designed to threadably receive the protruding threaded end of the connecting rod 2. Preferably, the internal threaded channel 24 is fitted with a rotation resistant device, such as a nylon insert of the type sold under the trademark "Nylock" (not shown). With such rotation resistant devices, while the T-nut can be screwed on and off the threaded connecting rod 2, the Nylock insert prevents accidental rotation of the T-nut, such as is sometimes caused during the expansion or contraction of the retaining nut 4.
The annular collar member 21 has an enlarged cylindrical presser base 17, and a central axial cylindrical channel 24 for slidably, rotationally receiving the cylindrical body portion of the T-nut 20. The collar member 21 is further provided with an identical pair of opposed, concentric raceway-defining portions 25a and 25b ("race portions") integrally formed in the collar 21. Since the Nylock insert of the T-nut is designed to secure the T-nut essentially stationary against rotation on the connecting rod 2, the race portions 25 and arms 23 guide axial and rotational movement of the annular collar 21 relative to the combined T-nut 20 and connecting rod 2.
The race portions 25 each have three radial surfaces or landings 26, 27 and 28 and an elongate boundary portion 29. The boundary portions 29 protrude axially the furthest distance from the enlarged presser base 17. Each boundary portion 29 is situated 180 degrees opposite from the other. The boundary portions 29 prevent the arms 23 of the T-nut from travelling through the two quadrants occupied by the boundary portions 29, so that radial movement of the T-nut is limited to the two unoccupied quadrants. This, in turn, limits the T-nut to a ninety degree radial range of movement. Landing 28 is the deepest of all three landings, formed on the axially outermost surface of presser base 17. Landing 27 is the shallowest of all three landings, formed approximately 3/8 inch higher than landing 28. Landing 26 is approximately 1/32 inch lower than landing 27.
In operation, when the T-nut 20 is rotated in the annular collar 21, the arms 23 of the T-nut 20 interact with the race portions 25 of the collar 21 to control the radial and axial movement or the collar 21 relative to the T-nut 20. For example, starting with the retaining nut 4 in its so-called "expanded" configuration, as shown in FIG. 4, the T-nut arms locate on the lands. Because the lands 26 are deeper than the adjoining lands 27 and the boundary portion 29, the arms 23 are held securely against radial movement. Compression spring 30 encircles connecting rod 2 and urges annular collar member 21 axially against T-nut 20, to prevent the arms 23 from slipping by accident.
In the expanded configuration shown in FIG. 4, the retaining nut 4 has a relatively large axial dimension overall. To convert the retaining nut 4 to its contracted configuration, as shown in FIG. 5, the annular collar 21 is manually drawn axially away from the T-nut 20, against the urging of the spring 30, to permit the arms 23 of the T-nut 20 to clear the surface of the adjacent relatively high lands 27. The operator then rotates the collar 21 clockwise one quarter turn so that the arms 23 rotate through the sectors occupied by the lands 27 into the sectors occupied by the deepest lands 28. Once the arms reach the sectors occupied by the deep lands 28, the operator releases the annular collar 21 permitting the spring 30 to urge the arms 23 of the T-nut 20 to slide into contact with the deep lands 28, as shown in FIG. 5. In the configuration shown in FIG. 5, the expandable retaining nut 4 is in its contracted configuration.
With the cam assembly 3 in its open position 13b and the retaining nut 4 in the contracted configuration shown in FIG. 5, the gaps 7a and 7b are large enough to clear safety lips 14a and 14b so that the axle/quick release skewer assembly 1 can be removed from the bicycle fork dropouts 8 without disturbing the screw setting of the T-nut 20 on the connecting rod 2.
To return quick release skewer 1 to the bicycle fork dropouts 8, the foregoing steps are reversed. First, the operator reinstalls the axle/skewer 1 on the dropouts 8. To do this, the operator slides the axle/skewer 1 into the slots of the dropouts so that the gaps 7a and 7b rest in the dropout slots. Next, the retaining nut 4 must be restored to its expanded configuration shown in FIG. 4. To do this, the operator manually pulls the annular collar 21 axially away from the T-nut 20, against the urging of the compression spring 30, by a distance sufficient for the arms 23 to clear the lands 27. The operator then rotates the annular collar 21 counterclockwise one quarter turn, until the arms 23 register with the shallow lands 26. The operator then releases the collar 21, whereupon the compression spring 30 urges the arms 23 into seating engagement with the shallow lands 26. This restores the retaining nut 4 to its expanded configuration as shown in FIG. 4. Finally, the axle/skewer 1 must be clamped tightly and securely on the bicycle fork dropouts 8. To do this, the operator simply pivots the cam lever 12 from position 12b to 12a, which returns the cap 9 from position 13b to 13a. With the cam assembly 3 in this position, the gaps 7a and 7b are returned to their original widths, causing the bicycle fork dropouts 8 to be tightly clamped between the retaining nut 4 and spacer nuts 6a, on the one hand, and between the cam assembly 3 and spacer nut 6a on the other hand.
It will be appreciated that the foregoing removal and replacement of the axle/skewer 1 from the dropouts 8 has been accomplished without disturbing the screw setting of the T-nut 20 on the connector rod 2. Thus, the original clamping pressure between axle/skewer 1 and dropout 8 will be restored despite removal and replacement of the skewer.
FIG. 6 illustrates a modified quick release skewer system 41 according to the present invention. The modified system includes the same cam assembly 3, with cap 9 and cam lever 12; the same connecting rod 2 and compression springs 30; and the same tubular shaft 5 enclosing the mid section of the connecting rod 2; and the same lock nuts 6a and cone nuts 6b, as shown in the system of FIGS. 1-5. The differences are in the expandable retaining nut 44 mounted on the opposite end of the connecting rod 2 from the cam assembly 3. In addition, FIGS. 6 and 6A illustrate the skewer system of the present invention in conjunction with a different style safety bicycle fork dropout 48.
The modified dropout 48 of FIGS. 6 and 6A is essentially the same as the dropout 8 shown in FIGS. 1-5, except that, rather than circular rims 14a,b partially surrounding the presser portions 17 and 16 of the retaining nut 4 and cam assembly 3, respectively, the circular rims 14a,b are replaced with a pair of lips or flanges 49a,b projecting axially from the ends of the dropouts 48, one of each such flanges (e.g. 49a 1 and 49a 2 ) being located on either side of the dropout slot, as shown in FIG. 6A. This modified safety dropout 48 serves the same purpose as safety dropout 8--to prevent the axle/quick release skewer 1, 41 from dropping out of the bicycle fork dropout 8, 48 if the cam lever 12 is opened accidentally. As with the safety rim 14, the safety flange 49 interferes with removal of the skewer 41 unless the gaps 7a and 7b are enlarged more than can be accomplished by merely releasing the cam lever 12. The safety dropout of FIGS. 6 and 6A will operate the same with the skewer system of FIGS. 1-5, as with the modified skewer system of FIGS. 6-8.
The modified retaining nut 44 of FIGS. 6-8 is essentially the same as the retaining nut 4 shown in FIGS. 1-5, except that a tubular outer sleeve 51 encloses the T-nut 52 and the race portions 53 of the annular collar 54. This sleeve 51 is fixedly attached to or integrally formed with the annular collar member 54, and its inner diameter is wide enough to permit the arms 56 of the T-nut to rotate freely throughout the desired range of rotation. The outer end of the tubular outer sleeve 51 serves as a seat for a disk-shaped cap 59. The tubular outer sleeve 51 and cap 59 cooperate to keep dirt and other unwanted materials from entering the working region of the nut 44. They also guard the sharp outer edges of the T-nut 52 and prevent the T-nut from accidentally falling out when the unit 44 is removed from rod 2.
While the details of the present invention have been described above in connection with its application to the removal and replacement of a bicycle wheel from and to a bicycle frame, there are other applications. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the quick release skewer system of the present invention is suitable for use in connection with automobile racks for carrying bicycles. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the connecting rod 2 and tubular shaft 5 are fixedly mounted on a pair of arms 60 extending vertically upward from a base 61. The base 61 is mounted on a car rack, wind trainer or other structure upon which the bicycle (sans wheel) is to be attached. As shown, the bicycle fork dropout 8 slides down over the tubular shaft 5. A cam assembly (as shown at 3 in FIGS. 1, 6) is mounted (not shown here) on one end of the connecting rod 2, and an expandable retaining nut (as shown at 4 in FIGS. 1-5, or as at 44 in FIGS. 6-8) is mounted on the other end of the rod 2. The structure and operation of the quick release skewer of FIG. 9 is the same as described in connection with FIGS. 1-8, except that when the cam assembly 3 is clamped down in FIG. 9, the cam assembly 3 and retaining nut 4 clamp the fork dropouts 8 between the cam 3/nut 4 and the vertical arms 60, rather than between the cam 3/nut 4 and lock nuts 6a (as in FIGS. 1-8).
Other modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the subject of the invention as defined in the following claims. | An improved quick release skewer system consisting of a connecting rod with a cam-actuated cap on one end and an expandable retaining nut on the other end. The device is specifically designed for application in mounting quick-release-skewer-hub bicycle wheels on bicycle forks having safety flanges which are intended to prevent the wheel from falling off the fork if the cam-actuated cap is accidentally loosened. Prior to the invention, to remove the wheel from the fork, the retaining nut had to be unscrewed. With the invention, once the cam-actuated cap is loosened, the expandable retaining nut is collapsed to further loosen compression forces on the bicycle fork and permit the wheel to be removed from the fork without unscrewing the nut. The expandable retaining nut prevents mishap in the event the operator fails to screw the nut back to its original position. The expandable retaining nut consists of a T-nut having a pair of arms projecting axially from a cylindrical body and a collar rotatably surrounding the cylindrical body with first and second landings for the arms at different levels from one another so that when the T-nut arms rest on one pair of landings, the nut is expanded and when they rest on another landing the nut is contracted. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fluid couplings and more particularly to a push-pull or breakaway type coupling usable for example between a tractor and an implement towed therebehind, in which disconnection of the coupling can be made by a mere pulling action.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is commonplace to employ the breakaway type coupling between, for example, a tractor and an implement towed thereby for automatic disconnection in the event of either intentional or accidental mechanical disconnection of the towed implement. It is further well known in the art to provide internal valves in the male and female interfitting elements of the breakaway connector so as to prevent spillage or loss of fluids or the like. Prior art devices have been successful in this regard, however with the need for larger coupling devices in association with larger towed implements and in order to provide adequate levels of fluid or material flow it has become necessary to provide a relatively simple mechanism for effecting the connect and disconnect function without unduly increasing its size. Further, because of the high mass of hose which typically is joined to the halves of the coupler device, much higher levels of disconnect forces are being encountered, in other than the breakaway situation.
In couplers which are sized for one and one quarter inch hose, the weight of the hose and the associated hose inertia and the like have resulted in a requirement for preventing disconnections for forces on the order of up to one hundred pounds. In most conventional couplers, connecting and disconnecting forces are approximately on the same level, thus imposing a burden on coupling which is often difficult to achieve. It would be preferable to tailor the levels of connect and disconnect forces for the particular needs and to have a simplified coupling structure, than to have some accomodation therebetween in an effort to reduce the overall size of the coupling elements.
Similar push-pull and breakaway type couplings are known in the art, none of which provide a desired advantageous configuration for large size coupling devices.
Thus, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,255 there is shown a breakaway coupling having an interior valving for preventing loss of fluid upon uncoupling. Locking and unlocking forces are provided by an annular overcenter spring, however, there is no teaching of reduction of coupling force in a mechanism which provides a desired high level of uncoupling force.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,051 there is described a coupler using plural compression springs which are selectively utilized during coupling and uncoupling operations. This coupler however is especially suited for actuation when pressure is existent in the system. It relies on the use of springs having different spring rates in conjunction with a relatively complex mechanism including plural detent devices, a structure which is inordinately complex and bulky in the large size range of couplers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,771 describes a push-pull connector which provides different levels of coupling and uncoupling force, this being accomplished by way of a radially compressible annular spring and cooperating ramp surfaces, a structure likely not well suited in the rugged high force level environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a push-pull type coupling especially suited for the transfer of anhydrous ammonia in the agricultural application and is particularly designed for the larger size hoses, in this instance, on the order of one and one quarter inches in diameter. The male coupling may be connected by means of a hose to a nurse tank or the like which is towed on a trailer by a tractor while the female portion of the coupler is suited for mounting by means of an outer sleeve to the framework of an implement such as a cultivator or the like which is also towed by the tractor. A hose connected to the female coupler portion supplies fluid to a metering or distribution tank which in turn is connected to a plurality of tubes for directing the anhydrous ammonia toward the ground, typically behind the tines of the cultivator implement.
While the sleeve of the female coupler is rigidly bolted to the implement the body portion therein is relatively movable under the urging of the male coupler and this relative movement is utilized to operate a ball detent retaining mechanism for securing or releasing the male coupler. Each of the male and female body elements carries a spring actuated flow shut-off valve therein to provide automatic shut-off at the time of disconnection, which valves are moved to the open position upon the elements being completely coupled.
A dual spring arrangement between the female body member and the outer sleeve provides the desired dual levels of coupling and uncoupling force, both of the springs being subject to compression to provide a high level of force to resist the uncoupling action of the male element of the connector while only one of the springs is compressed upon movement of the male coupler in the opposite direction during coupling to provide a lower level of coupling force. Bleed valves and appropriate shut-off valves are provided either in conjunction with the connector or with other elements of a fluid transmission system to avoid the requirement of coupling or uncoupling under pressure. Slight losses of fluid during coupling or uncoupling are considered relatively inconsequential.
Thus, what is provided is a relatively large size coupling suited especially for high flow transfer of anhydrous ammonia by way of heavy hoses or other devices which impose high transitory force levels on the coupler, and yet a device which provides coupling force requirements in a conveniently sized non-complex structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevational view partly in cross section of the female and male coupler elements shown in aligned but slightly separated relation.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the coupler showing the male and female couplers in completely interfitted relation.
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the relationship of the male and female coupler elements during the coupling sequence when only one spring is compressed.
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the relationship of the male and female coupler elements during the uncoupling sequence when both springs are compressed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings there is shown in FIG. 1 a disconnected view of the fluid coupling 10 comprising a male coupler 11 and a female coupler 12, the latter having a socket 14 at the right hand end thereof for receipt of the male coupler 11. An angle clamp 15 supports the female coupler, being secured thereto by means of a retaining ring 16. The clamp 15 may be secured by bolt 17, to an implement to which anhydrous ammonia is to be delivered.
Male coupler element 16 comprises a generally tubular body element 18 having a reduced nose portion 20 and an internally threaded rear portion 21 adapted for coupling to hose or the like for the receipt of fluids, such as anhydrous ammonia, from a nurse tank or other reservoir. Typically, a shut-off valve (not shown) is included in the hose connection between such reservoir and the male coupler 11 so that fluid pressure in such conduit can be reduced to facilitate coupling and uncoupling of the fluid connector. Located rearwardly of the nose portion 20 of the male coupler 11 is a detent receiving recess 22 forming a part of a detent locking connection between the male and female coupler elements. As may be seen as well in englarged views in FIGS. 2-4 the detent receiving recess 22 consists of an annular groove 24 located adjacent a forward ridge 25 and a rearward ridge 26. The walls forming the ridges 25, 26 are sloped, thereby providing also sloped walls for the annular groove 24 to assist in the movement of locking balls received in the detent receiving recess 22, and is well understood in the art.
A valve assembly 30 is provided within the male coupler 11 consisting of a generally tubular body member 31 and a solid cylindrical nose portion 32, the latter normally positioned centrally within the nose portion 20 of the male coupler 11. The valve body member 31 supports at its periphery an annular resilient sealing element 34 which is positioned to engage an inclined interior wall surface of the body member 18 to close the fluid passageway therethrough. The valve body member 31 is supported for axial movement relative to the body of the male coupler 11 on a tubular perch 35, the latter supported by flange 36 or spider portion and retaining ring 37 in an internal peripheral groove of the body member 18. Flange 36 is not circumferentially continuous but comprises several circumferentially spaced radially extending legs with openings therebetween to provide a flow path through body 18 when valve body member 31 is inserted. A valve spring 39 is compressively supported within the valve body member 31 and the tubular perch 35 and biases the body member to the left and thus the sealing element 34 into sealing engagement with the internal wall of the male coupler body element 18 while allowing rearward movement of same relative to the body to a valve open position.
A female coupler 12 of the fluid coupling 10 comprises generally a sleeve 40 and a tubular body element 41 supported within the sleeve for relative axial movement. As indicated the sleeve 40, by means of external peripheral grooves, is supported by angle clamp 15 and fixed in relation to an implement such as a cultivator to which the fluid or other material is to be delivered.
Opposite the socket 14 of the female body element 41 is an internally threaded end 42 adapted for connection to a hose or the like to deliver fluid to a metering device or other form of distributor or other utilization device. A bleed valve 44 is provided at the threaded end 42 and communicates with the interior of the body element 41 for release of fluid pressure therein to facilitate the coupling and uncoupling movements of the fluid connector.
Socket portion 14 of the female coupler 12 further comprises a plurality of circumferentially distributed balls 45 supported in conical sockets in the body element 41 for axial movement with such body element and for radial movement relative thereto into and out of engagement with the detent receiving recess 22 for securing or releasing the male coupler 11, comprising a detent mechanism well understood in the art.
At the socket portion 14 and further inward of the ball detents 45, situated in internal annular recesses of the body element 41 are a pair of O-ring seals 48 to provide fluid tight engagement with the nose portion 20 of the male coupler 11 when the latter is interfitted into the female element 12. A valve assembly 40, similar to that in the male coupler 11 is provided in the interior of the female body element 41 to close or open the fluid passageway therethrough. Such assembly 49 comprises a generally tubular valve body member 50 having a cylindrical nose portion 51 and peripheral annular seal 52 adapted to engage and seal the interior wall of female body member 41. Valve body member 50 is slidably supported by tubular perch 54 having circumferentially spaced radially extending flange portions 57 secured by retaining ring 56, for axial movement relative to the body member 41. Spaces between flange portions 57 provide for flow through body element 41 when valve element 50 is inserted. A valve spring 55 located between the perch 54 and the valve body member 50 urges the latter to the right as viewed in FIG. 1 and thus the seal 52 into engagement with the wall of the body member 41 to close the passage therethrough.
As seen most clearly in the enlarged views of FIGS. 2-4 female body element 41 is supported within sleeve 40 by means of radially inwardly protruding detent ridge 60 at one end of the sleeve 40 and first, second and third annular washers 61, 62, 63 at the other end of the sleeve disposed in an annular space 65 between the sleeve 40 and the body element 41.
First and second springs 68, 69 surround the body element 41 being coaxially located adjacent one another in the annular space 65, the first spring 68 being disposed between the first and second washers 61, 62 and the second spring 69 being disposed between the third washer 63 and the radially extending wall 70 of the sleeve 40, forming one end of the annular space 65. A first annular retaining ring 71 forms an end wall for the annular space 65 and is disposed in an internal groove in the sleeve 40 at one end thereof opposite a stop ridge 72 on the body element 41 when the sleeve and body element are in the relative rest position depicted in FIG. 2. The first washer 61 thus bears against both the retaining ring 71 and the stop ridge 72 under influence of the first spring 68. Located between the second and third washers 62, 63 and in annular grooves opposite one another in the sleeve 40 and the body element 41 when the elements are in the rest position depicted in FIG. 2, are outer 74 and inner 75 retaining rings fixed respectively for movement with the sleeve 40 and female body element 41, the rings 74, 75 thereby forming a separable wall section.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention first and second coupler springs 68, 69 are alike in characteristics and the retaining rings 74, 75 are located midway of the axial extent of the annular space 65 between the first retaining ring 71 and the radial wall 70. With such selected parameters and referring more particularly to FIG. 3 depicting the coupling mode of operation, it is seen that the nose 20 of the male coupler while interfitting sufficiently with the tubular body element 41 to engage the O-ring seals 48 is prevented from further entry by interference of the detent balls 45, maintained radially inwardly by the detent ridge 60 of the sleeve 40. Continued movement of the male coupler 11 toward the left as viewed in FIG. 3 will cause axial movement also of body element 41 against the bias of the first spring 68 due to the intermediacy of first retaining ring 71, first washer 61, second washer 62 and inner retaining ring 75. Such coupling movement will continue against the bias of spring 68 until detent balls 45 pass the sloped inner wall 78 of detent ridge 60 to allow radial outward movement of the balls 45. Upon such movement, clearance is provided for forward ridge 25 of the male coupler 11 to pass under the balls 45, allowing the latter to be deposited in the annular groove 24 whereupon clearance is again provided between the detent balls 45 and the detent ridge 60 so that the female body element 41 together with the now coupled male element 11 may move back to the rest position depicted in FIG. 2 under urging of the first spring 68. During this operation it is noted that second spring 69 has been retained between the outer retaining ring 74 and the radial wall 70, both fixed relative to the sleeve 40, and has contributed no action. Thus the coupling force encountered in the joining of the male and female couplers is solely a function of the spring rate of the first spring 68.
During the coupling mode of operation it will be apparant that the nose portions 32, 51 of the male and female body elements 31, 41 respectively have engaged one another and thus have moved the body elements and thus the respective seals 34, 52 away from the interior walls to open the fluid passageway through the coupling 10. Upon disengagement of the coupling, valve closing in both the male and female couplers will automatically occur under the influence of the valve springs 39, 55. Valve springs 39, 55 are sufficiently light so as to contribute no substantial effect upon the coupling and uncoupling forces provided by the coupler springs 68, 69.
In the uncoupling mode of operation, however, as depicted in FIG. 4 it is seen that both the first and second springs 68, 69 cooperate to resist outward or uncoupling movement of the male and female body members. Thus initial movement to the right of male coupler 11 in an uncoupling action results in engagement of the forward ridge 25 with the detent balls 45 forcing the body element 41 to move with the male coupler 11 until a position is reached, as depicted in FIG. 4, wherein the balls 45 pass the outer wall 79 of the detent ridge 60, providing release of the male coupler 11. During this operation springs 68, 69 while situated in tandem are operative in unison to resist the rightward movement of the body element 41, the first spring 68 being compressively actuated through the intermediacy of the outer retaining ring 74 fixed to the sleeve 40 and the second washer 62, with the first washer 61 being carried to the right by the stop ridge 72 on the body element 41. Simultaneously second spring 69 is placed in compression through the intermediacy of the radial extending wall 70, the third washer 63 and the inner retaining ring 75, the latter fixed for movement with the body element 41. Again upon radial outward movement of the detent balls 45 and release of the male coupler 11, clearance is again provided between the balls 45 and the detent ridge 60 and the body member 41 will be returned to the rest position of FIG. 2 under the urging now of both springs 68 and 69.
While in the preferred embodiment of the invention identical springs 68, 69 are desired it is apparent that some modification can be made to the spring rates, size of springs or location of retaining rings 71, 74, 75 to achieve variations in operation. Thus, for example, since only the first spring 68 is operative during the coupling mode of operation it may have a relatively low rate so as to provide a low level of coupling force, while spring 69 may have a high rate so as to provide the major influence to prevent disconnection of the coupling, with a relatively minor contribution from the first spring 68. Since, however, relative movement between the body member 41 and sleeve 40 does occur while the body members are coupled due to vibrations and other external influences, the spring rates of both such springs 68, 69 are desirably relatively high to tend to maintain the body members in the "rest" position of FIG. 2 and to prevent undue wear upon the relatively moving elements of the coupling. | A push-pull type fluid coupling having interfitting male and female bodies. The female body carries radially movable ball detents to lock the male body in position, the detents being held inwardly by a rigidly mounted sleeve which supports the female body for relative axial movement. Both bodies have spring biased fluid retaining valves which are opened when the bodies interfit but close when they are disconnected. Two axially disposed springs surround the female body member and coact with the sleeve to resist movement of the body members in one direction, thus providing one level of required uncoupling force while only one of the springs is operative to resist movement of the body members in the other direction, thus providing a reduced force requirement for coupling. | 8 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to extreme pressure lubricating oils, particularly alkali metal borate-containing lubricants.
Alkali metal borate-containing lubricants are well known in the art for their usefulness as extreme pressure lubricating oils. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,313,727, 3,565,802, 3,819,521, 3,846,313, 3,853,772, 3,907,691, 3,912,639, 3,912,643, 3,912,644, 3,997,454, and 4,089,790.
The borate-containing oils, described in these patents, have a serious deficiency in service. If water is introduced into the system containing the borate lubricant, the borate crystallizes out of the oil and forms hard granules. It has been found that water contamination of the borate lubricant can lead to seal leakage. It is believed that the crystallization is caused by water contamination which leads to the formation of deposits on shafts at or near the seals. The turning motion of the shafts then slowly abrades the seals, thereby allowing loss of the lubricant.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,454 claims a hydrated potassium borate with a boron-to-potassium ratio of 2.5 to 3.5 as being superior to other alkali metal borates in resisting the adverse effects of water contamination.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,521 claims a hydrated sodium borate and C 3 -C 6 polyol containing lubricant having superior extreme pressure and water tolerance properties.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an alkali metal borate-containing lubricant having improved resistance to the adverse effects of water contamination.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has been found that the addition of an effective amount of a sulfur-containing polyhydroxy compound to a lubricating oil containing an alkali metal borate prevents the accumulation of seal damaging deposits caused by water contamination of the lubricant.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The lubricant composition comprises an oil of lubricating viscosity, particulate hydrated alkali metal borate and an effective amount of a sulfur-containing polyhydroxy compound.
THE ALKALI-METAL BORATES
The hydrated particulate alkali-metal borates are well known in the art and are available commercially. Representative patents disclosing suitable borates and methods of manufacture include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,727; 3,819,521; 3,853,772; 3,997,601; 3,997,454; and 4,089,790, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The hydrated alkali-metal borates can be represented by the following formula:
M.sub.2 O.mB.sub.2 O.sub.3.nH.sub.2 O
where M is an alkali metal of atomic number in the range 11 to 19, i.e., sodium and potassium, m is a number from 2.5 to 4.5 (both whole and fractional), and n is a number from 1.0 to 4.8. Preferred are the hydrated potassium borates, particularly the hydrated potassium triborates microparticles having a boron-to-potassium ratio of about 2.5 to 4.5. The hydrated borate particles generally have a mean particle size of less than 1 micron.
The alkali-metal borate will generally comprise 0.1 to 60 weight percent of the lubricant, preferably 0.5 to 15 weight percent.
THE SULFUR-CONTAINING POLYHYDROXY COMPOUNDS
The lubricant composition contains an effective amount of a sulfur-containing polyhydroxy compound to prevent the accumulation of seal damaging borate deposits caused by water contamination of the lubricant. Generally the lubricant will contain 0.01 to 5.0 weight percent of the sulfur-containing polyhydroxy compound and preferably 0.1 to 2.0 weight percent.
Representative sulfur-containing polyhydroxy compounds include:
3,4-dihydroxy-2-thiabutanol;
4,4-dimethylol-2-thiapentanol;
2,2-dimethylol-3-thiahexanol;
5-thiadodecane-1,2-diol;
3,4,5,6-tetrahydroxy-2-thiaheptanol;
6-thiatetradecane-1,2-diol;
4-thiapentadecane-1,2-diol;
3-thiahexadecane-1,2-diol;
4-thiahexadecane-1,2-diol;
4,4-dimethyl-3-thiaoctadecane-1,2-diol;
1,1,1-trimethylol-2-thiapropane monooleate;
3,6-oxathiaoctane-1,8-diol;
6,6,6-trimethylol-2,5-oxathiahexane;
3-(phenylthio)-1,2-propanediol;
4-thiadocosane-1,2-diol
4-thiaoctane-1,2-diol
4-thiaeicosane-1,2,6-triol.
One class of preferred sulfur-containing polyhydroxy compounds may be represented by the following formula:
(C.sub.n H.sub.x S)(OH).sub.2
wherein:
n is 7 to 30; x is n to 2n.
Particularly preferred are the sulfur-containing polyhydroxy compounds where n is 9 to 21 and x is 2n. Another class of preferred compounds are those containing one phenyl ring. Most preferred are thioethers containing at least 2 hydroxy groups, particularly when two of the hydroxy groups are on adjacent carbon atoms. Mixtures of several carbon number sulfur-containing polyhydroxy compounds are also effective.
The lubricating oil to which the borates and the sulfur-containing polyhydroxy compound are added, can be any hydrocarbon-based lubricating oil or a synthetic base oil stock. The hydrocarbon lubricating oils may be derived from synthetic or natural sources and may be paraffinic, naphthenic or asphaltic base, or mixtures thereof. A variety of other additives can be present in lubricating oils of the present invention. These additives include antioxidants, viscosity index improvers, dispersants, rust inhibitors, foam inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors, other antiwear agents, and a variety of other well-known additives. Particularly preferred additional additives are the oil-soluble succinimides and oil-soluble alkali or alkaline earth metal sulfonates.
EXAMPLES
To 100 ml samples of a base oil containing 8.7 weight percent of a potassium triborate dispersion, 1.0 weight percent of a diparaffin polysulfide, 0.5 weight percent zincdialkyldithiophosphate, and 0.5 weight percent of a phenolic antioxidant were added various amounts of sulfur-containing polyhydroxy compounds. Each sample was tested in a seal leakage apparatus comprising a sealed motor driven metal shaft passing through a reservoir of test oil. The seal comprised a Chicago Rawhide 10700 lip seal. Provisions were made for collecting any oil leakage. The shaft was rotated at 3600 revolutions per minute in each test. Each experiment was four hours long, started at room temperature, and test oil temperature rose to 70° C. (158° F.) in the first 60 minutes. New Chicago Rawhide 10700 lip seals were used for each test. After each experiment was complete, the amount of oil leakage, the seal wear, the shaft deposit weight, and the presence of ridges at the seal shaft contact line were recorded. Shaft ridges were evaluated visually and tactilely and rated as none, light, moderate, or heavy. Formulations showing none or light ridges are considered satisfactory. The results are reported in Table I.
TABLE I______________________________________PROPERTIES OFBORATE DISPERSION CONTAINING WATER Seal Water Wear, Deposit Level, 10.sup.-3 Weight, Leakage, ShaftAdditive % In. mg ml Ridges______________________________________None 0 14 0 0 noneNone 0 13 0 0 noneNone 1 24 30 20 heavy0.5% glycerol 1 14 9 0 light0.5% glycerol 1 10 11 0 light0.5% 2-ethyl-1,3-hexanediol 1 15 10 0 light0.5% 4-thiahexa-decane-1,2-diol 1 8 5 0 none0.25% 3-(phenyl-thio)-1,2-propanediol 1 8 5 0 none0.5% 3-(phenyl-thio)-1,2-propanediol 1 13 4 0 none0.5% 4-thiaoctane-1,2-diol 1 14 7 0 none0.5% 4-thia-docosane-1,2-diol 1 7 5 0 none0.5% 6-C.sub.13-16alkyl-4-thiahexane-1,2,6-triol 1 7 24 0 none______________________________________
The above data demonstrates that water contamination of a borate-containing lubricant causes substantial seal deterioration due to deposits formed in ridges at the seal shaft contact line which eventually leads to seal leakage whereas the sulfur-containing polyhydroxy compounds of the present invention are effective in substantially improving the water contamination resistance of an alkali-metal borate-containing lubricant. Furthermore, the data indicates that the sulfur-containing polhydroxy compounds are superior to polyhydroxy compounds that do not contain sulfur. | Disclosed is a lubricant composition containing an oil of lubricating viscosity having dispersed therein a particulate hydrated alkali-metal borate and an effective amount of a sulfur-containing polyhydroxy compound which stabilizes the composition against the adverse effects of water contamination. | 2 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a method of forming a dental coping for use in the preparation of a dental restoration.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A metal coping is used in dentistry in the construction of a dental crown and/or a bridge. The metal coping functions as the under structure of the crown and is usually covered, for reasons of aesthetics, with a fired-on coating of a ceramic porcelain composition or a polymer based veneering material. The metal coping supports the coating and provides the required structural strength and rigidity for the restored tooth to resist the forces of mastication.
[0003] A metal coping may be cast from an investment of a wax or plastic pattern of the tooth to be restored. An alternative procedure for forming a precious metal coping which does not require waxing, investing or casting has currently been gaining wide acceptance in the dental profession by both dentists and dental laboratories. This alternative procedure requires the use of a moldable material composition formed from a base material composed of a mixture of high and low fusing temperature metal particles and a binder preferably of dental wax as is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 5,234,343, 5,593,305 and 5,730,600 respectively, each disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. The dental material is molded over a die into the shape of the tooth to be restored and heat treated at an elevated temperature above the melting temperature of the low fusing temperature metal particles and below the melting temperature of the high fusing temperature metal particles. Heat treatment transforms the molded structure into a porous metallic shell having the same shape as before heat treatment without suffering any significant shrinkage. The dental wax in the molded material vaporizes during heat treatment leaving the porous metallic shell with a high void volume of preferably above at least 20%. A filler material of metal or ceramic is melted into the porous shell to densify and solidify the shell into a dental coping having the identical shape of the die and in the tooth preparation as prepared by the dentist or dental laboratory. The filler material may be added either in a secondary heat treatment operation or during the primary heat treatment of the dental material.
[0004] The base material of high and low fusing temperature metal particles and wax binder may be configured into any geometrical shape for use by the dental laboratory such as, for example, in the form of a thin compacted strip of rectangular geometry. Likewise the filler material which is preferably of a precious metal such as gold or a gold alloy and wax binder may be configured into any geometrical shape preferably corresponding to the shape of the base material.
[0005] The method currently employed to form a coping from separate strips of base material and filler material is a labor intensive hand molding procedure in which the base material is cut into pieces each of which is applied by hand to the die. Thereafter the base material is adapted to the die by hand alone or in combination with a hand burnishing tool. An automated mechanism may also be used to adapt the base and filler materials to the die and to mold them over the die. These steps to adapt and mold the material to the die may be accomplished with the help of air pressure, water pressure, mechanical pressure or vacuum. The molded structure of base material is then heat treated to transform the molded structure into a porous metallic shell. Filler material is then melted into the porous shell in a heat treatment operation which may be performed independent of the heat treatment of the base material or alternatively by heat treating both the base and filler materials sequentially in a single heat treatment operation.
[0006] The hand molding operation is time consuming and labor intensive. Since the base material is a composition of precious metals and/or alloys the adaptation procedure is carried out in a way to minimize the loss of base material into waste. Moreover, once the base material is placed into contact against the die it may be contaminated and, if so, cannot be readily recycled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] An automated method has been discovered in accordance with the present invention to form a dental coping from a sheet of metallic material and preferably from a first sheet of a base composition of high and low fusing temperature metal particles and a binder and a second sheet of a filler material or a laminate of a base material and filler material with the method resulting in reducing the need for human intervention. The first and second sheets of material may be placed on top of one another to form an single sheet of two layers and/or the base and filler may themselves be represented by multiple layers. The filler material should be of precious metal or ceramic and the base material composition should preferably be relatively soft and malleable and of metal(s) or metal alloys which are compatible for use by the dental profession to restore teeth. The base material and filler material composition taught in the aforementioned patents are the preferred materials.
[0008] The automated method of the present invention for forming a dental coping comprises: scanning a three dimensional image of the die of the tooth or teeth to be restored; digitizing the scanned three dimensional image into digital information, storing the digital information in a computer; feeding the digital information from the computer into a computerized numerical control cutting machine; cutting out a section of material of metallic composition into a two dimensional configuration representing a two dimensional lay out of the scanned three dimensional image, adapting the cut out section of material over the die so that the material covers the die surface in close engagement therewith to form a single three dimensional structure having the shape of the die and heat treating the structure into a coping conforming in shape to the die.
[0009] In accordance with the present invention when two separate sheets of base and filler material are used a section of each sheet is cut out to form a two dimensional lay out of of the scanned three dimensional image of the die with the cut out section of filler material placed over the molded structure of base material before or after heat treatment. The cut out section of filler material should be equal or different in dimension so that the surface area of the cut out section will fill the porous structure of base material after heat treatment leaving slightly less filler material around the rim which forms the margin.
[0010] In a preferred alternative embodiment of the method of the present invention the die of the tooth or teeth to be restored may be formed having at least one reference marker such that the two dimensional lay out of base material will have a complementary reference marker to assist in providing a starting location or for establishing alignment when wrapping the cut out section of base material over the die. In this way the reference marker may be used to facilitate the adaptation of the two dimensional cut out section to the die. An additional reference marker may be formed in the two dimensional cut out section either manually or automatically to provide accuracy during placement and proper alignment in the adaptation of the cut out section of base material to the die.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Additional advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
[0012] [0012]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an arrangement for scanning a three dimensional image of a die prepared from an impression of a tooth for forming a coping in accordance with the present invention;
[0013] [0013]FIG. 2( a ) is a typical die configuration for a prepared premolar tooth shown from the buccal side of the tooth;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 2( b ) is a similar view of the prepared die for the premolar tooth of FIG. 2( a ) shown from the distall or mesial side of the tooth;
[0015] [0015]FIG. 3( a ) is a typical die configuration for a prepared central tooth shown from the buccal side of the tooth;
[0016] [0016]FIG. 3( b ) is a similar view of the prepared die for the central tooth of FIG. 3( a ) shown from the distal or mesial side of the tooth;
[0017] [0017]FIG. 4( a ) is a typical die configuration for a prepared canine tooth shown from the buccal side of the tooth;
[0018] [0018]FIG. 4( b ) is a similar view of the prepared die for the canine tooth of FIG. 4( a ) shown from the distal or mesial side of the tooth;
[0019] [0019]FIG. 5( a ) is a typical die configuration for a prepared molar tooth shown from the buccal side of the tooth;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 5( b ) is a similar view of the prepared die for the molar tooth of FIG. 5( a ) shown from the distal or mesial side of the tooth;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 6( a ) is a plan view of a two dimensional layout of the surface configuration for a typical premolar tooth in accordance with the present invention;
[0022] [0022]FIG. 6( b ) is plan view of another two dimensional layout of the surface configuration for a typical premolar tooth in accordance with the present invention;
[0023] [0023]FIG. 6( c ) is yet another plan view of another two dimensional layout of the surface configuration for a typical premolar tooth in accordance with the present invention;
[0024] [0024]FIG. 7( a ) is a plan view of a two dimensional layout of the surface configuration for a typical central tooth in accordance with the present invention;
[0025] [0025]FIG. 7( b ) is a view similar to that of FIG. 7( a ) showing the two dimensional layout with its outer edge beveled and showing a reference projection in accordance with the present invention;
[0026] [0026]FIG. 7( c ) is plan view of another two dimensional layout of the surface configuration for a typical central tooth in accordance with the present invention;
[0027] [0027]FIG. 8( a ) is a plan view of a two dimensional layout of the surface configuration for a typical canine tooth in accordance with the present invention;
[0028] [0028]FIG. 8( b ) is plan view of another two dimensional layout of the surface configuration for a typical canine tooth in accordance with the present invention;
[0029] [0029]FIG. 9( a ) is a plan view of a two dimensional layout of the surface configuration for a typical molar tooth in accordance with the present invention;
[0030] [0030]FIG. 9( b ) is a plan view of another two dimensional layout of the surface configuration for a typical molar tooth in accordance with the present invention;
[0031] [0031]FIG. 9( c ) is yet another plan view of a two dimensional layout of the surface configuration for a typical canine tooth in accordance with the present invention;
[0032] [0032]FIG. 9( d ) is a view substantially similar to that of FIG. 9( c ) showing the two dimensional layout with its outer edge beveled and showing two reference projections in accordance with the present invention; and
[0033] [0033]FIG. 10( a ), ( b ) and ( c ) show a number of different configurations for the mating ends of the cut out sections so as to form seams either in an abutting relationship as in FIG. 10( a ) or in an overlapping relationship as in FIGS. 10 ( b ) and 10 ( c ) respectively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0034] A schematic diagram of a preferred arrangement for scanning a three dimensional image of a stone or refractory die 10 prepared from an impression of a tooth to be restored is shown in FIG. 1. The die 10 is positioned in juxtaposition relative to three CCD cameras or diode lasers 12 , 14 and 16 and is spatially separated 90° or more apart from one another along three coordinate axes x, y and z respectively so that the cameras or lasers 12 , 14 and 16 face opposite surfaces surrounding the die 10 . The diode lasers 12 , 14 and 16 are moved relative to the die 10 or vice versa to scan the surface of the die 10 on all sides thereof to generate coordinate data representative of the three dimensional image of the die. The coordinate data corresponding to the three dimensional image of the die 10 is stored in digital form in the memory of a computer 18 . As an alternative to the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 a single laser beam may be arranged in a plane lying preferably at an angle such as 45° to the die while the die is rotated a complete 360°. The latter is equivalent to the operation of an electromechanical stylus placed in physical contact with the die as the die is rotated. Another alternative is to form a shadow of the die by a projection from a light source and to scan the projection while rotating the die. It is to be understood that many alternatives are conventionally known to form a three dimensional image of an object such as a die and to convert the coordinates into digital information. Moreover, although FIG. 1 shows the use of three cameras or three lasers it is to be understood the subject invention is not limited to any specific number of cameras or lasers and that an electromechanical scanning device may equally be used. Moreover any conventional method may be used to scan the die to form a three dimensional image and any conventional method may be used for converting the three dimensional image into digital data for storage in a computer.
[0035] In accordance with the present invention the digital data corresponding to the three dimensional image of the die 10 is used to form a two dimensional rendering of the surface topography of the die 10 hereafter referred to as a two dimensional lay out which is automatically cut out from a sheet of material using a conventional computer controlled CC mill or conventional CC lathe (not shown) or other such conventional computer controlled cutting device hereafter referred to as a numerical controlled cutting machine.
[0036] The material used to form a cut out of the three dimensional image may be a single sheet of dental material representing a laminate of a base material and filler material as taught earlier or may be cut out from separate sheets of base and filler material as taught in the aforementioned patents. The base and filler materials may each be divided into two or more layers to form multilayers of the base and filler materials. The preferred base material is composed of high and low fusing temperature metal particles selected from one or more metal or metal alloys, preferably of precious metals such as platinum and palladium in any desired proportion relative to one another from zero to one hundred percent in addition to a binder preferably of wax. Additional constituents may be added such as gold, silver, copper, magnesium, aluminum, zinc, gallium, indium and other metals selected from the third, fourth or fifth group of elements of the periodic table. The total weight percent of the metallic elements other than gold, silver, and the platinum group metals should not exceed ten percent. The filler material is composed primarily or entirely of low fusing temperature metal particles preferably of gold or a gold alloy and the wax binder may vary widely although preferably between about twenty percent by volume and up to eighty percent by volume of the base material composition. Any wax may be used which is relatively soft and tacky to form the binder and may be selected from any natural wax, mineral wax, or organic wax composition.
[0037] As indicated above the base and filler materials may constitute separate sheets of material or a dual laminate. When two sheets are used a cut out of each is formed in accordance with the present invention with the cut out of filler metal placed over the cut out of base material after the base material cut out is heat treated or before it is heat treated. In the latter case both may be heat treated in sequence in a dental furnace. When the base and filler material are separate sheets the cut out sections may be identical in dimension or different in dimension. When a dual sheet of base and filler material is used only one cut out is necessary.
[0038] The coordinate data corresponding to the three dimensional image of the die 10 is fed from the computer 18 to the numerical controlled cutting machine (not shown) for performing a conventional CAD-CAM routine so that the numerical controlled cutting machine will cut out a section from a thin sheet of material having a geometry with a surface area resulting in a two-dimensional rendering of the topography of the die 10 .
[0039] Typical die configurations for different typical tooth preparations for a premolar, central, canine and molar tooth is shown in FIGS. 2 - 5 respectively with FIGS. 6 - 9 representing a plan view of different two-dimensional renderings of the surface configuration corresponding to the different die configurations of FIGS. 2 - 5 . Each plan view shows a cut out section which is cut out by the numerically controlled cutting machine from the base and filler materials respectively. Accordingly, FIG. 6( a ) shows one configuration of a cut out section 20 representing a two dimensional layout of the surface configuration for a typical premolar tooth which is intended to be adapted to the die 10 by placing the center 21 of the cut out section 20 over the occlusal surface of the die and folding back the flap portions 22 . Alternatively, the cut out section 20 for the same premolar tooth of FIG. 6( a ) may be configured as shown in FIG. 6( b ) and 6 ( c ) so that the cut out section 20 may be wrapped about the circumference of the die 10 before folding over the cut out section flaps 23 or 24 over the occlusal surface of the die 10 .
[0040] The configuration of the cut out section 20 will depend on the surface geometry of the tooth preparation which is determined by the dentist before the die 10 of the tooth is taken. The configuration which will result in causing the least number of seams needed to adapt the cut out section 20 to the die 10 and with minimal pleats is preferred. The selection of the configuration can be determined by mathematical calculation and/or after repeated experimentation and experience and written into the software for controlling the numerical cutting machine.
[0041] The cut out sections 20 of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are plan views for a typical central, canine and molar tooth respectively and although of different shape and surface configuration from that of FIG. 6 they all represent two-dimensional renderings in accordance with the present invention of the surface configuration corresponding to the different die configurations. Once again the cut out section 20 may be configured to form sectors 25 and 26 which as shown in FIG. 7( a ) will readily fold over the occlusal surface of the die 10 or wrapped as one section about the circumference of the die 10 as shown in FIG. 7( c ) with the cut out section 20 having flaps 27 and 28 which fold over the occlusal surface of the die 10 .
[0042] A cut out section 20 may be cut out to form a beveled edge 29 around the outer rim as shown in FIG. 7( b ). Moreover, the die 10 may be formed with a reference/alignment marker (not shown) to identify the proper placement for the cut out section 20 when adapting it to the die 10 . The reference/alignment marker (not shown) can be of any shape and in any form representing, for example, a slit or groove located on the die 10 preferably at a position extending from the margin of the die 10 . When the die 10 is formed with a reference marker the cut out section 20 will automatically form a corresponding marker 30 which may appear as a projection extending from the cut out section 20 . The marker 30 may also be used for alignment. However to provide both reference and alignment two markers 30 and 32 are preferred with the different markers having different shapes as shown in FIG. 9( d ). In this way no error can be made in alignment particularly if the cut out section 20 is adapted to the die 10 by use of a robot.
[0043] The two dimensional cut out section(s) 20 of all of the different configurations shown in FIGS. 2 - 9 have mating ends 35 which form one or more seams when the cut out section 20 is placed or wrapped over the die 10 . The seams are formed by abutting the mating ends 35 together as shown in FIG. 10( a ). In many instances an overlap of the mating ends is preferred and the thickness of the seam formed at the overlapping mating ends may be reduced by mechanical or automatic means. To minimize the thickness formed by an overlapping seam the mating ends 35 can be beveled as shown in FIGS. 10 ( b ) or otherwise contoured as for example as shown in FIG. 10( c ) to form an interlock at the mating ends 35 . Where the tooth preparation results in a cut out section 20 having a complicated surface configuration and/or where many seams will be necessary the mating ends 35 should be beveled to accommodate an overlap. Moreover, by overlapping the mating ends 35 the thickness of the seam can be controlled. The mating ends 35 may abut one another in which case there is no difference in thickness at the abutting seam.
[0044] To control the formation of seams at the mating ends 35 and to control the thickness of the seams a burnishing tool may be used. The burnishing tool may be applied after placement of the cut out section 20 over the die. Alternatively, the thickness can be smoothed out with the use of fingers or a swedger may be used. The burnishing tool or hand may be used in conjunction with the application of hot air and/or vacuum. One edge of the seam may be beveled with the mating edge placed over it and unified using a mechanical burnisher.
[0045] The cut out section of base material may be more easily fitted over the die by applying heat to the cut out section. Heat may be applied from a hot air applicator or from a lamp or from any other applicator which will provide a source of heat at a temperature within a temperature range of e.g. 25° C.-60° C. Sufficient to soften the cut out section and render more pliable and tacky without causing it to become too soft and limp. In this way the warmed cut out section will easily adapt to the geometry of the die and will simplify any reduction in seam thickness, if necessary. Thereafter the molded cut out section is allowed to reharden upon the die. The molded cut out section can be removed from the die, particularly if hard waxes were used in the base composition, and heat treated as a self supporting structure at an elevated temperature for forming a coping or for forming a porous shell depending upon whether the cut out section is a dual layer of base and filler material or only a base material. Alternatively the cut out section may be heat treated on a refractory die. If the cut out section is composed only of base material a cut out of filler material may also be formed from the three dimensional information of the die and adapted to the die over the base cut out. Alternatively, the cut out of base material after it is heat treated can be dipped into a molten filler material bath. | An automated method for forming a dental coping which comprises: scanning a three dimensional image of the die of the tooth or teeth to be restored; digitizing the scanned three dimensional image into digital information, storing the digital information in a computer; feeding the digital information from the computer into a computerized numerical control cutting machine; cutting out a section of material of metallic composition into a two dimensional configuration representing a two dimensional lay out of the scanned three dimensional image, adapting the cut out section of material over the die so that the material covers the die surface in close engagement therewith to form a single three dimensional structure having the shape of the die and heat treating the structure, into a coping conforming in shape to the die. | 0 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a card connector for use in electric and electronic appliances in instruments and for use in printers and card readers, and more particularly to a card connector adapted to accommodate a plurality of cards by means of the same contacts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] There have been many different kinds of cards as media for a wide variety of information. It has been a common practice to acquire or store various information from or onto a card inserted into a card connector connected to an information appliance.
[0003] In prior art card connectors, contacts are arranged correspondingly to cards which are able to be inserted into the card connector, respectively, in one-to-one relationship, and the contacts each at least comprise a contact portion adapted to contact the card, a holding portion held in a housing, and a connection portion to be connected to a substrate. Such card connectors are disclosed in the following Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-31,861) and Patent Literature 2 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-161,293).
[0004] Patent Literature 1
[0005] According to the Abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-31,861, this invention has an object to provide a card connector for IC cards having a push-in and push-out mechanism common to plural kinds of cards to achieve the miniaturization in overall shape of the connector. In a card connector for IC cards including a housing having an inserting opening common to plural kinds of IC cards, into which an IC card is inserted to bring the electrode of the IC card into connection with the contacts in the inserting opening, the housing includes therein a slider adapted to advance or retract in conjunction with push-in and push-out operations of the IC card in the housing, and a locking mechanism for locking the slider and the IC card when the push-in is effected and for releasing the locking when the push-out is effected, whereby a shape and a position are set in the slider depending upon the width, length and front shape of the IC card, positions of electrodes of the IC card, and positions of the contacts relative to the housing, thereby enabling the slider to engage the IC card in compliance with shapes of the plural kinds of IC cards. FIGS. 1 and 2 of the Patent Literature 1 illustrate contacts each corresponding to respective card in one-to-one relationship.
[0006] Patent Literature 2
[0007] According to the Abstract of the Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-161,293 filed by the applicant of the present case, the invention has an object to provide a card connector which, after one card has been inserted, is capable of preventing a further card from being inserted and easy to design its housing and easy to remove a card and achieves its miniaturization without any limitation in circuit design of substrates and without any obstruction to the high density of conductors. In a card connector including a required number of contacts adapted to contact connection portions of a plurality of memory cards and a housing having a plurality of inserting openings for receiving a plurality of memory cards, respectively, and arranging and holding the contacts therein, the card connector comprises at least one locking member located at a predetermined position on the housing and pivotable or movable when one kind of card is inserted, and at least one spring member displaceable when one kind of card is inserted, thereby permitting only one kind of card to be inserted with the aid of the locking member and the spring member. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the Patent Literature 2 show contacts each correspond to respective card in one-to-one relationship.
[0008] In recent years, miniaturizations have proceeded in the information appliances as well as substrates or boards used therein so that areas occupied by the substrates have become narrower. Such a limitation of areas occupied by the substrates leads to the use of a plurality of substrates. Moreover, if a plurality of connectors is required for exchanging a plurality of memory cards, information appliances would become bulky which would be inconvenient for carrying them. Consequently, card connectors for receiving a plurality of cards have been proposed as in the Patent Literatures 1 and 2.
[0009] The card connectors disclosed in the Patent Literatures 1 and 2 suffer several disadvantages from plural kinds of contacts necessarily required correspondingly to a plurality of cards to be inserted, complicated arrangement of connection portions of the contacts, and difficulties in assembling operationality and mounting operation by a customer. Moreover, as the plural kinds of contacts are required corresponding to the number of cards, areas occupied by the substrates will increase, resulting in limitation of freedom for design of the substrate and connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] It is an object of the invention to provide a card connector which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art described above and which has a high degree of freedom for design of substrate and connector without complicating the arrangement of connection portions of contacts and is easy to assemble and easy to mount connection portions onto a substrate by a customer or consumer.
[0011] The above object can be achieved by a card connector 10 into and from which a plurality of cards are inserted and removed, including a required number of contacts 14 each having a contact portion adapted to contact the card, and a housing 12 arranging and holding the contacts 14 and having one or plural fitting openings each into which the card is inserted, wherein according to the invention the contacts 14 each comprise contact portions 22 and 24 to contact at least two cards 50 and 60 so that the same contact 14 can be brought into contact with at least two cards 50 and 60 .
[0012] In the case that two cards 50 and 60 are inserted into upper and lower fitting openings arranged one above the other, the above object can be achieved by a card connector 10 into and from which two cards 50 and 60 are inserted and removed one above the other, including a required number of contacts 14 each having a contact portion adapted to contact the card 50 , 60 , and a housing 12 arranging and holding the contacts 14 and having two fitting openings 26 and 28 into which the cards 50 and 60 are inserted, respectively, wherein according to the invention the contacts 14 each comprise contact portions 22 and 24 to contact the two cards 50 and 60 , respectively, so that the same contact 14 can be brought into contact with the two cards 50 and 60 .
[0013] The housing 12 includes an upper wall 30 , a lower wall 32 , two side walls 34 for connecting the upper and lower walls 30 and 32 , and a rear wall 36 , and these upper 30 , lower 32 , two side 34 and rear 36 walls form the one or plural fitting openings 26 and 28 , and the two side walls 34 are each provided at the inside with guide means 38 for guiding the card to the contact portions 22 and 24 of the contacts when the card 50 , 60 is inserted.
[0014] The contacts 14 each comprise a connection portion 16 at one end adapted to be connected to a substrate or the like, a holding portion 18 provided contiguously to the connection portion 16 for fixing the contact to the housing 12 , and contact pieces 20 at the other end, which are formed by dividing the portion adjacent to and extending from the holding portion 18 toward the other end into a plurality of pieces each having a contact portion 22 , 24 adapted to contact the corresponding card.
[0015] The contact pieces 20 of the contacts 14 adapted to contact a card 60 to be inserted into the fitting opening 28 upper than the lowermost fitting opening 26 are bent such that the bent contact pieces 20 of the contacts 14 do not extend into the lower fitting opening 26 . Moreover, the contacts 14 are inserted into the housing 12 from the side of the fitting opening and held in the housing.
[0016] As can be seen from the above description, the card connector according to the invention can bring about the following significant function and effect. According to the invention, the connector 10 into and from which a plurality of cards are inserted and removed, including a required number of contacts 14 each having a contact portion adapted to contact the card, and a housing 12 arranging and holding the contacts 14 and having one or plural fitting openings each into which the card is inserted, wherein the contacts 14 each comprise contact portions 22 and 24 to contact at least two cards 50 and 60 so that the same contact 14 can be brought into contact with at least two cards 50 and 60 . Therefore, the card connector 10 according to the invention has a high degree of freedom for design of substrate and connector without complicating the arrangement of connection portions 16 of contacts 14 and without any limitation of areas occupied by substrates, and is easy to assemble and easy to mount connection portions onto a substrate by a customer or consumer.
[0017] According to the invention, the card connector 10 into and from which two cards 50 and 60 are inserted and removed one above the other, including a required number of contacts 14 each having a contact portion adapted to contact the card 50 , 60 , and a housing 12 arranging and holding the contacts 14 and having two fitting openings 26 and 28 into which the cards 50 and 60 are inserted, respectively, wherein the contacts 14 each comprise contact portions 22 and 24 to contact the two cards 50 and 60 , respectively, so that the same contact 14 can be brought into contact with the two cards 50 and 60 . Consequently, the card connector 10 according to the invention has a high degree of freedom for design of substrate and connector without complicating the arrangement of connection portions 16 of contacts 14 and without any limitation of areas occupied by substrates, and is easy to assemble and easy to mount connection portions onto a substrate by a customer or consumer.
[0018] According to the invention, the housing 12 includes an upper wall 30 , a lower wall 32 , two side walls 34 for connecting the upper and lower walls 30 and 32 , and a rear wall 36 , and these upper 30 , lower 32 , two side 34 and rear 36 walls form the one or plural fitting openings 26 and 28 , and the two side walls 34 are each provided at the inside with guide means 38 for guiding the card to the contact portions 22 and 24 of the contacts when the card 50 , 60 is inserted. Therefore, the cards 50 and 60 can be reliably conducted to the contact portions 22 and 24 of the contacts 14 .
[0019] According to the invention, the contacts 14 each comprise a connection portion 16 at one end adapted to be connected to a substrate or the like, a holding portion 18 provided contiguously to the connection portion 16 for fixing the contact to the housing 12 , and contact pieces 20 at the other end, which are formed by dividing the portion adjacent to and extending from the holding portion 18 toward the other end into a plurality of pieces each having a contact portion 22 , 24 adapted to contact the corresponding card. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a card connector 10 which is able to be connected to a plurality of cards 50 and 60 by the use of the same contacts 14 .
[0020] According to the invention, the contact pieces 20 of the contacts 14 adapted to contact a card 60 to be inserted into the fitting opening 28 upper than the lowermost fitting opening 26 are bent such that the bent contact pieces 20 of the contacts 14 do not extend into the lower fitting opening 26 . Therefore, the same contacts 14 can be securely brought into contact with a plurality of cards 50 and 60 and there is no card to which the contacts could not be connected.
[0021] According to the invention, the contacts 14 are inserted into the housing 12 from the side of the fitting opening and held in the housing. Therefore, the contacts 14 having a plurality of contact pieces 20 can be easily inserted into the housing 12 , and unintentional deformation of the contacts 14 is easy to confirm.
[0022] The invention will be more fully understood by referring to the following detailed specification and claims taken in connection with the appended drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a card connector viewed from the above on the fitting opening side;
[0024] FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the card connector similar to that shown in FIG. 1A , with the upper wall of the housing removed;
[0025] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the card connector with a card inserted into the upper fitting opening;
[0026] FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the card connector with a card inserted into the lower fitting opening;
[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a contact used in the card connector; and
[0028] FIG. 4 is a front view of the card connector.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0029] One embodiment of the invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1A to 4 . FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the card connector viewed from above on the side of its fitting opening, while FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the card connector similar to that shown in FIG. 1 with the upper wall of its housing removed. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the card connector with a card inserted in the upper fitting opening, while FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the card connector with a card inserted in the lower fitting opening. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a contact used in the card connector according to the invention. FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the card connector.
[0030] The card connector 10 according to the invention mainly comprises contacts 14 and a housing 12 .
[0031] Before explaining the components of the card connector, the cards will be explained. The cards are used for printers, card readers and the like. The cards each mainly comprise contact portions adapted to contact the contact portions 22 and 24 of the contacts 14 , patterns connecting from the contact portions of the card to circuits, and connection portions adapted to be connected to integrated circuits and central processing units mounted on the patterns. Cards to be used for the card connector 10 according to the invention include Multimedia card (registered trademark), SD card (Secure Digital memory card) (registered trademark), Memory-Stick (registered trademark), SmartMedia (registered trademark), CompactFlash (registered trademark), xD card (registered trademark), Memory-Stick Duo (registered trademark), and the like, these being IC cards having built-in CPU or IC for memory.
[0032] With the card connector 10 in the illustrated embodiment, the Memory-Stick 60 is inserted into the upper fitting opening, and the Memory-Stick Duo 50 is inserted into the lower fitting opening.
[0033] First, the contact 14 will be explained which is a subject matter of the invention. The contacts 14 are made of a metal and formed by means of the press-working of the known technique. Preferred metals from which to form the contacts 14 include brass, beryllium copper, phosphor bronze and the like which comply with the requirements such as electric conductivity, springiness, workability, and the like.
[0034] The contact 14 comprises at least contact portions 22 and 24 adapted to contact the plurality of cards 50 and 60 , respectively, a holding portion 18 to be fixed to the housing 12 , and a connection portion 16 to be connected to a substrate.
[0035] An important aspect of the contact 14 according to the invention lies in the feature capable of contacting a plurality of cards. For example, the contact 14 can contact both the Memory-Stick 60 inserted in the upper fitting opening and the Memory-Stick Duo 50 inserted in the lower fitting opening of the card connector. While the contact can contact the two cards 50 and 60 as shown in FIG. 3 , it will be apparent that it is possible to design the contact to be able to contact more than two cards.
[0036] While the connection portion 16 of the contact 14 is of a surface mounting type (SMT) in the illustrated embodiment, it may be of a dip type. The connection portion 16 of the contact 14 may be suitably designed according to a specification of the substrate to which the connection portion 16 is connected. In the illustrated embodiment, the connection portion 16 extends onto the side of the insertion of the cards 50 and 60 (on the side of the fitting openings 26 and 28 for the cards), although the connection portion 16 may extend onto the opposite side of the fitting openings. The extending direction of the connection portion may be suitably designed in consideration of the specification of the substrate, positions of the contact portions of the cards 50 and 60 and positions of insertion of the cards into the upper and lower fitting openings. It is preferable to insert and hold the contact 14 into the housing from the side of the fitting opening (from the side of the insertion of the cards) in view of easier insertion of the contact and easier ascertainment of deformation of the contact.
[0037] The holding portion 18 of the contact 14 serves to fix the contact 14 to the housing 12 by press-fitting arrow-head members into the housing 12 , the arrow-head members being previously provided at the holding portion 18 to extend in width directions. Other than the press-fitting, it may be fixed to the housing 12 by hooking, welding, or the like. The size of the holding portion 18 may be suitably designed in consideration of the fact that the forwardly extending portion from the holding portion 18 is divided into a plurality of contact pieces 20 as described below, and the strength of the housing 12 , miniaturization of the card connector 10 and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the holding portion 18 is approximately 25 mm in width.
[0038] As described above, in order to bring the contact 14 (a single contact) into a plurality of cards (two cards in the illustrated embodiment), the forwardly extending portion from the holding portion 18 is divided into two contact pieces 20 extending in the longitudinal direction in the illustrated embodiment. The contact pieces 20 are each provided at its tip with a contact portion 22 , 24 adapted to contact the respective card 50 , 60 . Positions of the contact portions 22 and 24 are suitably designed so that they extend into the respective fitting openings 26 and 28 to obtain predetermined contact pressures as shown in FIG. 1B , and further in consideration of positions of the contact portions of the cards 50 and 60 to be inserted and recognition of the cards to be inserted into the upper and lower fitting openings. As the Memory-Stick 60 is to be inserted into the upper fitting opening and the Memory-Stick Duo 50 is to be inserted into the lower fitting opening in the illustrated embodiment, the contact portion 24 to contact the Memory-Stick 60 in the upper fitting opening is longer and arranged at a higher position, and the contact portion 22 to contact the Memory-Stick Duo 50 in the lower fitting opening is shorter and arranged at a lower position. In order to locate the contact portion 24 for the Memory-Stick at the higher position to extend into the fitting opening 28 for the Memory-Stick, the contact piece 20 of the contact 14 is bent at its mid portion. The mid portion of the contact piece 20 at which it is bent is designed so as to avoid the bent portion of the contact piece 20 from extending into the lower fitting opening 26 for the Memory-Stick Duo 50 . In other words, the contact piece 20 of the contact 14 adapted to contact the card 60 to be inserted into the upper fitting opening 28 is bent so as not to extend into the lower fitting opening 26 below the upper fitting opening 28 . Widths of the contact pieces 20 are about one half of the width of the holding portion 18 .
[0039] The housing 12 will then be explained. The housing 12 is formed from an electrically insulating plastic material by means of the injection molding of the known technique. The materials suitable for the housing 12 include polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyamide (66PA or 46PA), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polycarbonate (PC) and the like and combination thereof in consideration of dimensional stability, workability, manufacturing cost and the like. The housing 12 may be provided with a required number of fitting openings into which a plurality of cards is inserted, respectively. The housing 12 is provided with two fitting openings 26 and 28 arranged one above the other in the illustrated embodiment. Sizes of the fitting openings 26 and 28 are suitably designed so that the cards 50 and 60 can be inserted into the fitting openings, respectively, and on insertion of the cards 50 and 60 , they can be brought into contact with the contacts 14 .
[0040] The housing 12 comprises at least an upper wall 30 , a lower wall 32 , two side walls 34 and a rear wall 36 . A required number of intermediate walls may be provided depending upon the number of cards to be inserted, as the case may be. The upper wall 30 , the lower wall 32 , the two side walls 34 and the rear wall 36 form the upper fitting opening 28 for the Memory-Stick 60 and the lower fitting opening 26 for the Memory-Stick Duo 50 .
[0041] The side walls 34 are each provided on the inside with guides 38 for the purpose of facilitating conducting the inserted cards to the respective contact portions 22 and 24 of the contacts. Sizes of the guides 38 may be determined to enable the cards 50 and 60 to be guided to the respective contact portions 22 and 24 of the contacts and may be suitably designed in consideration of the sizes of the cards 50 and 60 and the strength of the housing 12 .
[0042] Although the card connector having two fitting openings for the cards 50 and 60 arranged one above the other is shown in the illustrated embodiment, it is to be understood that a card connector may be constructed to bring a plurality of cards into contact with the same contacts irrespective of the number of cards.
[0043] Examples of applications of the present invention are card connectors 10 for use in electric and electronic appliances in instruments and for use in printers and card readers and particularly card connectors capable of accommodating a plurality of cards with the same contacts 14 .
[0044] While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. | A card connector into and from which a plurality of cards are inserted and removed, includes a required number of contacts, and a housing arranging and holding the contacts and having one or plural fitting openings each into which the card is inserted. The contacts each includes contact portions to contact at least two cards so that the same contact can be brought into contact with at least two cards. The card connector has a high degree of freedom for design of substrate and connector without complicating the arrangement of connection portions of contacts and is easy to assemble and easy to mount connection portions onto a substrate by a customer or consumer. | 7 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for preparing diaryl iodonium salts.
Diaryl iodonium salts containing as a pair ion a halogenated metal represented by the general formula
[Ar--I.sup.⊕ --Ar']MX.sub.n.sup.⊖
wherein Ar and Ar' are an aryl group, respectively, X is a halogen and n is an integer of 1 or more have drawn an attention in the art as an initiator for the photo polymerization of cation polymerizable monomers. Such compounds are prepared from a diaryl iodonium halide or a diaryl iodonium bisulfate.
Methods for preparing the halide heretofore proposed are such methods as
(A) coupling of an aromatic hydrocarbon with an aryl iodide by the use of an oxidizing agent such as a persulfate;
(B) the coupling of an aromatic hydrocarbon by the use of a periodate, iodyl sulfate [(IO) 2 SO 4 ] or iodine acrylate [I(OCOR) 3 ];
(C) coupling of the oxidized product of an aryl iodide with an aromatic hydrocarbon; and
(D) the method by the use of an aryl lithium.
The method (A) above is described by Beringer et al. in J. Am. Chem. Soc. 81, 342 (1959). According to the method of Beringer et al., a coupling reaction of the iodine-substituted product such as nitrobenzene or benzoic acid with benzene is carried out in the presence of concentrated sulfuric acid and a persulfate, and an unsymmetric diaryl iodonium salt is recovered.
It was demonstrated by us, however, that when concentrated sulfuric acid was employed as in the above-mentioned method of Beringer et al. for a coupling reaction of an aromatic hydrocarbon substited with allyl or alkoxy group with an iodine-substituted derivative thereof, such reactions as sulfonation predominate to lower the yield of the diaryl iodonium salt. Also, the purity of diaryl iodonium salt thus obtained is very low and the purification is quite difficult. We have unexpectedly found that the reaction in a sulfuric acid solution diluted to a predetermined concentration is not accomplished by such reactions as sulfonation thereby improving the selectivity and giving a diaryl iodonium salt in a higher yield.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method for preparing diaryl iodonium salts.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method for carrying out a coupling reaction of an aromatic hydrocarbon, which may be substituted by the specified group, with an iodine-substituted derivative thereof at a high selectivity.
According to the present invention, there is produced diaryl iodonium salts represented by the general formula (I) below:
[Ar.sub.1 --I.sup.⊕ --Ar.sub.2 ]HSO.sub.4.sup.⊖(I)
wherein Ar 1 and Ar 2 respectively are an aryl group which may be substituted with an electron donor group and which may be the same or different by subjecting an aromatic hydrocarbon, which may be substituted by an electron donor group, Ar 1 --H and an iodine-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon, which may be substituted by an electron donor group, Ar 2 --I to a coupling reaction in a sulfuric acid solution containing an oxidizing agent and diluted with a diluent to a concentration of 85% by weight or less at a reaction temperature in the range from -20° to +35° C.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The aromatic hydrocarbons or electron donor group-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons used in the invention are aromatic hydrocarbons having a condensed or non-condensed aromatic nucleus, for example, benzene, indane and naphthalene and derivatives of these aromatic hydrocarbons substituted on the aromatic nucleus with an electron donor group. The electron donor group includes C 1 -C 12 alkyl groups such as methyl, ethyl, iso-propyl, n-propyl, iso-butyl, t-butyl and sec-butyl, cycloalkyl groups such as cyclohexyl, aryl groups such as phenyl, tolyl and naphthyl, alkoxy groups such as methoxy and ethoxy, N-substituted amino groups such as N,N-acetamino and succinamido and the like.
Taking benzene or its derivatives as an example, the aromatic hydrocarbon is represented by the following formula (II): ##STR1## wherein n is an integer of 0 to 3, and each R 1 is hydrogen atom or an electron donor group as defined above.
Illustrative of the aromatic hydrocarbons or derivatives thereof of the formula (II) are benzene, alkylbenzenes such as toluene, ethylbenzene, isopropylbenzene, n-propylbenzene, iso-butylbenzene and t-butylbenzene, cyclohexylbenzene, biphenyl, alkoxybenzenes such as anisole and ethoxybenzene, N-substituted acylanilines such as acetanilide, N-phenylsuccinimide, N-phenylphthalimide and the like.
The iodine-substituted derivatives to be coupled with the aromatic hydrocarbons or derivatives thereof as mentioned above are those in which the aromatic nucleus of these aromatic hydrocarbons is substituted with iodine.
Also taking benzene or its derivatives as an example, it follows that they are represented by the formula (III) below: ##STR2## wherein m is an integer of 0 to 3, and each R 2 is a hydrogen atom or an electron donor group as defined above.
Illustrative of the iodine-substituted derivatives (III) are thus iodine-substituted derivatives of the hydrocarbons represented by the general formula (II).
Such iodine-substituted derivatives to be used as one of the starting materials in the present invention may be easily prepared by iodination of the corresponding aromatic hydrocarbons. Also, iodoaryls, which are by-products produced when diaryl iodonium salts mentioned below are reacted with unsaturated compounds in the presence of transition metal catalysts, may be used.
The aromatic hydrocarbons are coupled with the iodine-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons through an iodine atom.
The diaryl iodonium salts produced by the coupling are, therefore represented by the above-mentioned formula (I). Taking benzene or its derivatives as an example again, they are represented by the formula (IV): ##STR3## wherein R 1 , R 2 , m and n are as defined for the above-mentioned formulae (II) and (III).
Illustrative of the diaryl iodonium salts are salts of symmetric diaryl iodonium in which the two aryl groups are identical such as diphenyl iodonium, ditolyl iodonium, dixylyl iodonium, bis(iso-propylphenyl)iodonium as well as non-symmetric phenyl tolyl iodonium and phenyl xylyl iodonium.
The coupling reaction is accomplished in a sulfuric acid solution at a specified concentration. The sulfuric acid solution is prepared by diluting concentrated sulfuric acid or fuming sulfuric acid with a diluting agent to a predetermined concentration.
The diluting agent to be used may be any of liquids which are in nature miscible with concentrated sulfuric acid or fuming sulfuric acid and do not participate in the reaction. For example, it may be water, a fatty acid such as acetic acid, a fatty acid anhydride such as acetic acid anhydride or a mixture thereof.
It is critical in the present invention to employ a sulfuric acid diluted with a diluting agent such as mentioned above to a concentration of 85% by weight or lower. If the concentration of sulfuric acid exceeds the above-mentioned one, side reactions such as sulfonation will predominate with a result that the yield of the iodonium and the purity of the iodonium salts obtained will be reduced. Although no lower limit is set for the concentration, a concentration lower than 1% is undesirable because the reaction per se will hardly proceed. Dilution may be made to an appropriate concentration within the above-set scope depending upon the nature of the substituent. For example, where an aromatic hydrocarbon which is substituted with a substituent with a carbon atom directly bonded with the aromatic nucleus, the concentration is in the range from 40 to 85% by weight, preferably from 70 to 80% by weight. As such substituents are mentioned alkyl groups such as methyl, ethyl, iso-propyl, n-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, sec-butyl and t-butyl, cycloalkyl groups such as cyclohexyl, phenyl group and the like. Where an aromatic hydrocarbon is substituted with a substituent with an atom having a lone pair electron such as oxygen atom or nitrogen atom directly bonded with the aromatic nucleus, sulfuric acid is used at a concentration in the range from 1 to 35% by weight, preferably from 2 to 20% by weight. Such substituents include alkoxy groups such as methoxy and ethoxy, N-substituted amide groups such as acetamido and succinimido and the like.
A variety of oxidizing agents may be employed. For example, salts of persulfuric acid with alkali metals such as potassium and sodium, its ammonium salt, peroxides of alkali earth metals such as barium peroxide and the like are used. They are used usually in an amount of about 1-3 moles per mole of aromatic hydrocarbons.
A mixture of a benzene, an iodine-substituted derivative and an oxidizing agent in a diluted sulfuric acid solution is reacted at a temperature in the range from -20° to +35° C. A reaction temperature higher than 35° C. will induce side reactions, and the reaction will not proceed at a temperature below -20° C. Preferred reaction temperatures are in the range from -15° to +25° C. The reaction time may be appropriately selected and usually is several hours or longer.
The order of the components added in the present reaction is not critical. The reaction proceeds after addition in any order and mixing.
This reaction is highly para-oriented. For example, the reaction of toluene and p-iodotoluene selectively produces di(p-tolyl)iodonium salt.
The process of the invention carried out as described above affords a diaryl iodonium salt in a very high yield. The counter ion of the salt is bisulfate ion as shown in the formula below:
[Ar.sub.1 --I.sup.⊕ --Ar.sub.2 ]HSO.sub.4.sup.⊖
wherein Ar 1 and Ar 2 are defined above.
The counter ion can be exchanged with any anion. For convenience of separation, purification and use of the resulting diaryl iodonium salt for a further reaction, it is desirable to convert the bisulfate salt to a halogen salt.
The conversion is effected readily by subjecting an inorganic halide forming a halogen ion and the diaryl iodonium bisulfate obtained above.
The ion exchange may be easily conducted by adding an aqueous solution of inorganic halide or inorganic halogenated metal salt which produces anions such as halogenide or halogenated metal ion as mentioned below into an aqueous solution of diaryl iodonium bisulfate obtained.
The amount of the inorganic salt added is usually equivalent or more to the bisulfate, preferably 1.1 to 1.3 equivalent.
As the inorganic salt are mentioned alkali metal halides such as sodium chloride, potassium bromide and potassium iodide, ammonium halides such as ammonium chloride, ammonium bromide and ammonium iodide and the like.
As the halogenated metal salts are mentioned salts producing tetrahalogenated metal ions such as sodium tetrafluoroborate, ammonium tetrachlorozincate and potassium tetrachloropalladate, and salts producing hexahalogenated metal ions such as magnesium hexafluorosilicate and potassium hexafluorostanate.
The diaryl iodonium salts obtained in the present invention are industrially useful as photopolymerization catalysts and the like. Also, the present reaction can be used as economical synthetic means. If the present reaction is applied to a reaction in which iodine is by-produced and separated as an iodoaryl, expensive iodine can be used repeatedly. One of these reactions is a reaction of a diaryl iodonium salt in the presence of a transition metal catalyst. If styrene, carbon monoxide or acrylic acid is added in this reaction system, such as unsaturated compound bonds to the aromatic hydrocarbon residue in the iodonium salt. Also, in this case, iodine is separated from the iodonium salt as an iodoaryl. Therefore, the iodoaryl produced may be used as a starting material to produce a diaryl iodonium salt in a recycled manner without being lost, and consequently the above reaction becomes more economical.
The invention will be described in more details by means of examples. All parts in the examples are part by weight.
EXAMPLE 1
To a mixture of iodobenzene (40.8 parts), benzene (35 parts) and an aqueous sulfuric acid in an amount and at a concentration shown in Table 1 was added 82 parts of ammonium persulfate. The resulting mixture was stirred at -10° C. for 20 hours. To the reaction mixture was then added 400 parts of distilled water, followed by addition of a solution of 30 parts of potassium bromide in 200 parts of distilled water. Stirring of the mixture for 30 minutes produced precipitates of the product, which were filtered, washed with water and then with ether and dried under reduced pressure at 50° C. There was obtained a solid product. Analyses were done by NMR spectrum, IR spectrum and liquid chromatography, and the yield was determined in terms of diphenyl iodonium bromide. Results are also shown in Table 1.
All of the products were pale yellow solids except for the product in Run No. 1 which was deep black. In Run No. 5, there was formed no precipitate with unreacted iodobenzene and benzene recovered. The yield in Run No. 6 represented the one from the reaction conducted at 5° C.
In this and subsequent examples the yield was determined by analysis for a bromide or iodate product formed by ion exchange of the whole of the diaryl iodonium bisulfate initially formed with potassium bromide or potassium iodide. The diaryl iodonium salt itself underwent no change in the ion exchange.
TABLE 1______________________________________Concentration ofRun Sulfuric acid Aqueous sulfuric YieldNo. (% by weight) acid (Part) (%)______________________________________1 (Concentrated 250 5sulfuric acid)2 80 312 943 73.5 325 964 65 385 165 38 658 --6 73.5 325 79______________________________________
The same procedures as mentioned above were repeated except that m-iodobenzoic acid or m-iodonitrobenzene was used in place of iodobenzene. In those cases the reaction of the present invention scarcely proceeded, and sulfonation reaction preferentially proceeded instead except that a concentrated sulfuric acid was used.
EXAMPLE 2
The procedures were the same as in Example 1 except that a sulfuric acid solution diluted with acetic anhydride to a concentration of 70% by weight was employed in place of the 73.5% aqueous sulfuric acid used in Example 1 (Run No. 3). There was obtained diphenyl iodonium bromide in a yield of 85%.
EXAMPLE 3
The procedures were the same as in Example 1 except that a sulfuric acid solution diluted with glacial acetic acid to a concentration of 55% by weight was employed in place of the 73.5% aqueous sulfuric acid used in Example 1 (Run No. 3). There was obtained diphenyl iodonium bromide in a yield of 90%.
EXAMPLE 4
To a mixture of p-iodotoluene (10.85 parts) and toluene (18.4 parts) in 83.5 parts of a 73.5% by weight aqueous sulfuric acid was 20.5 parts of ammonium persulfate. The resulting mixture was treated in the same way as in Example 1. There was obtained 20.5 parts of di(p-tolyl)iodonium bromide (yield 99.7%).
EXAMPLE 5
To a mixture of iodoanisole (47 parts), anisole (43 parts) and an acetic acid solution of sulfuric acid in an amount and at a concentration shown in Table 2 was added 82 parts of ammonium persulfate. The resulting mixture was stirred at 20° C. for 50 hours. The reaction mixture was treated in the way as in Example 1 except that the potassium bromide used therein was replaced by potassium iodide. There was produced a solid product which was confirmed to be bis(p-methoxyphenyl)iodonium iodide.
All of the products were yellow powders except for the product in Run No. 7 which was deep black. There was formed no precipitate formed with unreacted iodoanisole and anisole recovered.
TABLE 2______________________________________Concentration ofRun sulfuric acid Acetic acid solution YieldNo. (% by weight) of sulfuric acid (part) (%)______________________________________ 7 40 660 3 8 30 830 16 9 10 940 5110 5 1000 7511 1 1000 --______________________________________
EXAMPLE 6
Aromatic hydrocarbons (1.0 mole) and iodine-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons (2.2 mole parts each) shown in Table 3 were mixed with sulfuric acid (12 mole) and solvents or ion exchanged water to dilute to the concentrations shown in Table 3, and ammonium persulfate (1.8 mole each) was mixed therewith and reaction was allowed to proceed for predetermined period of time. After completion of reaction, a solution of potassium bromide was added into the reaction system in the same manner as in Example 1 and diaryl iodonium bromide was recovered. The results are shown in Table 3.
TABLE 3______________________________________ Aromatic iodine-substitutedRun No. hydrocarbons compound______________________________________12 Example Comparative Example ##STR4## ##STR5##13 Example Comparative Example ##STR6## ##STR7##14 Example Comparative Example ##STR8## ##STR9##15 Example Comparative Example ##STR10## ##STR11##16 Example Comparative Example ##STR12## ##STR13##______________________________________ State or Melting Concentra- Temper- Point (°C.) tion of sul- ature of Diaryl furic acid Reaction Yield iodoniumRun No. (Solvent) Time (%) bromide______________________________________12 Example 80% -5° C. 89 pale yellow (acetic 20 hrs. paste anhydride) Comparative 95% 35 blackish Example (acetic brown anhydride) sludge13 Example 75% 5° C. 93 pale yellow (water) 20 hrs. powder Comparative 90% 33 blackish Example (water) brown powder14 Example 70% 0° C. 85 pale yellow (acetic acid) 15 hrs. powder Comparative 95% 0 -- Example (acetic acid)15 Example 10% 15° C. 65 yellow (acetic acid) 50 hrs. powder Comparative 90% 0 -- Example (acetic acid)16 Example 75% 5° C. 93 pale yellow (water) 20 hrs. powder Comparative conc. sulfur- 10 black Example ic acid powder______________________________________ | Provided is a method for preparing diaryl iodonium salts represented by the formula:
[Ar.sub.1 --I.sup.⊕ --Ar.sub.2 ]HSO.sub.4.sup.⊖
wherein Ar 1 and Ar 2 respectively are an aryl group which may be substituted with an electron donor group and which may be the same or different which comprises subjecting a compound represented by the formula Ar 1 --H wherein Ar 1 is as defined above and a compound Ar 2 --I wherein Ar 2 is as defined above to a coupling reaction in a sulfuric acid solution containing an oxidizing agent and diluted with a diluting agent to a concentration of 85% by weight or less at a reaction temperature in the range from -20° to +35° C. | 2 |
This is a division of Ser. No. 660,008, filed Feb. 23, 1976 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,582.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the marbleization of materials, and more particularly, to the marbleization of materials extruded from injection machines of the screw type.
Marbleization is often desired in molded parts for esthetic reasons. The marbleization is in the form of irregular streaks and striations, of varying intensity and color, in the finished article.
In the case of molded articles the desired marbleization has been achieved by using injection machines of the plunger type. Colorant pellets are added to the regular feed pellets at the feed hopper of the machine. After being melted, the colorant and feed materials are driven by a plunger into the associated mold. Since there is little or no mixing in a plunger machine, the colorant and feed materials tend to remain separate. This separation is carried into the mold and the desired marbleization is easily achieved.
By contrast, in an injection machine of the screw type, the addition of colorant pellets to the regular feed pellets merely modifies the coloration of the output product. The reason is that there is invariable mixing in screw machines and the output melt is relatively homogeneous.
As a result, successful commercial marbleization of molded products has been achieved only with plunger machines. The latter, however, do not produce uniform marbleization and cannot be used with unbalanced molds. In addition, they are slower and less efficient than screw machines. As a result, a number of attempts have been made to produce marbleized products with screw machines.
One such attempt was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,817,675 which issued June 18, 1974. In this patent a colorant hopper is positioned to apply feed pellets at the melt interface between a special "adiabatic" screw and a mixer. It is apparent that the provision of mixing stages beyond the place of introduction of colorant materials tends to mix the colorant with the base material. Moreover, although it is contended that a mottled or marbleized effect can be achieved, it is acknowledged that this requires minimization of the number of mixing stages.
Attempts also have been made to achieve the desired marbleization by injecting colorants into the nozzle cavities of screw machines. The nozzle pressures are so great that injection of the colorant is difficult. In addition, when the colorant does manage to enter the nozzle cavity it produces a void that causes undesirable delamination in the molded parts.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to enhance the efficiency and rate of marbleization of molded parts. A related object is to achieve marbleization with injection machines of the screw type.
Another object is to eliminate the need for reliance on plunger machines and special screw machines to achieve marbleization. A related object is to avoid the requirement for using a adiabatic screw. Another related object is to achieve marbleization with standard screw injection machines.
Still another object is to achieve marbleization in both balanced and unbalanced molds. A further object is to achieve relatively uniform marbleization in both balanced and unbalanced molds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accomplishing the foregoing and related objects, the invention provides for injecting a liquid colorant into the melt of a screw injection machine between the screw and its housing to achieve controlled marbleization of machine molded parts.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the injection is made into any region of the machine where the feed is completely molten, with degree of striation being governed by the location of the colorant injection.
The striations became wider to the extent that the injection of colorant takes place as close to the output end of the machine as possible, as long as the injection is into a region where the screw is positioned opposite the point of injection.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the color injection takes place through one or more injector fittings mounted in the housing of the machine. The use of a plurality of injectors permits the realization of multicolor marbleization.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the injection is made of liquid colorant which has substantially the same viscosity as the melt and the injector orifices have a diameter in the range from about 0.018 inch to about 0.025 inch.
In accordance with a yet further aspect of the invention the injection capacity per injection stroke is in the range from about 0.001 inch 3 to about 0.008 inch 3 , and the injection pressure is over about 3000 lbs. per square inch, preferably over about 3600 lbs. per square inch.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, the injection screw is of the reciprocating type, with the injector unit advantageously positioned in the vicinity of the non-return valve near the output end of the machine when maximum width streaking is desired of the marbleized part. The injection can be made while the reciprocating screw is at rest; in its most forward position; in its most rearward position; during reciprocation; and during injection.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, the colorant injection can be made into a wide variety of thermoplastic melts including, for example, styrene and nylon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent after considering several illustrative embodiments, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a screw injection molding machine, which has been modified in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 1B is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the machine of FIG. 1A;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are cross sectional views of the barrel of the machines of FIG. 1A;
FIG. 2C is a cross sectional view of a barrel of an alternative machine;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the injector units and fittings used in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Turning to the drawings, a screw injection molding machine 10, which has been modified in accordance with the invention is shown in FIG. 1A.
The machine 10 has a longitudinal barrel 11, shown partially in section, in which an extrusion screw 12 is mounted for operation by a motor 20. Where the screw 12 is of the reciprocating type, the motor 20 provides rotation within the barrel 11 and the action of the screw against the melt provides reciprocation along the axis of the barrel.
The screw 12 is of the standard type employed in injection molding and includes a feed section 13f, a transition section 13t and a metering section 13m.
Feed for the machine is in the form of pellets placed in a hopper 14 in the feed section 13f. In this portion of the machine the screw 12 has a comparatively small root diameter and conveys the pellets in the direction of the screw rotation towards the transition section 13t. Because of the shear forces exerted against the pellets, they begin to melt during the course of their travel.
In the transition section 13t, the root diameter of the screw gradually increases towards the metering section 13m. This is because an increasing percentage of the feed becomes molten and a shallower depth of the screw thread will suffice.
By the time the feed reaches the end of the transition section 13t, it is substantially molten. It then enters the metering section 13m, which has a relatively shallow depth of screw thread, to permit a suitable build up of pressure to take place.
The output end of the machine is coupled to a mold 30, into which molten plastic material is injected to produce the desired product.
It will be understood that the machine 10 includes heating coils to maintain the fluidity of the melt in the metering section in accordance with conventional practice, as well as other standard accessories. An illustrative injection molding machine is the New Britain Model 175 manufactured by the New Britain Machine Works of New Britain, Connecticut.
In accordance with the invention, and as indicated in FIG. 1, the metering section includes dye injector fittings 41-1 and 41-2, which are operated from injector units 40-1 and 40-2. It is the operation of the injector units and the fittings that achieves the desired marbleization of plastic parts being formed in the mold 30.
The number of injectors depends upon the number of different color effects desired. In the embodiment of FIG. 1A, a two-color marbleization of the base material is realized, with a different color variation provided by each of the injectors 41-1 and 41-2.
In further accordance with the invention, the injection of the dye takes place in a completely molten portion of the feed material between the screw 12 and its housing 15. Consequently, the injection may be made in any location of the barrel 11 where the screw is present and the feed is completely molten. Accordingly, injection can be made in qualifying portions of the transition section 13t, but it cannot be made where the feed material is only partially molten, or where the screw is absent, for example, at the output reservoir byong the end of the screw.
The precise location of the injectors 41 along the axis of the barrel depends upon the extent to which the marbleization is desired to show some color mixing. In the forward position of injector 41-1, near the output end of the barrel 11, there is no appreciable color mixing and the striations of the marbleization are of maximum width. In the down feed position of the second injector 41-2, there is a tendency for more mixing to take place before the dye reaches the extruder nozzle, and the striations of the marbleization tend to have lesser width.
In any event, the injection cannot take place where the screw is not present. Thus, as indicated in FIG. 1B, the most forward position of an injector is at the location of the first injector 41-1, which for a reciprocating screw of the kind illustrated, is just beyond the most rearwards position of the shut-off 12v. In conventional operation of a reciprocating screw, it moves between the phantom position 12' and the retracted position 12. Of course, if dye injection is desired only with the screw completely forward, the first injector 41-1 can be moved, correspondingly, to a more forward position. In any event, the injection cannot take place in the nozzle cavity 12n, because it not only fails to achieve the desired marbleization, but it also has an adverse effect on the parts being molded.
The effect of dye injection in accordance with the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B.
It is believed that when the dye D is injected into the melt M under high pressure it is repelled by heat from both the screw surface 12S and the barrel surface 11S and reaches equilibrium at an intermediate level between the two surfaces.
Injection samples taken from apparatus used in practicing the invention have indicated that the dye tends to form a ring as shown in FIG. 2B, with the band of the ring being densest near the point of injection of the dye. In FIG. 2B the injection is of two different colors, on opposite sides of the barrel, and the bands from the colors tend to form a complete ring.
It appears that the ring formation in FIG. 2B accounts for the fact that marbleization in accordance with the invention can be achieved regardless of whether the mold 30 is balanced or unbalanced.
In a balanced mold, the distance that the melt travels from the nozzle is the same for each cavity. The opposite situation exists in an unbalanced mold. When the prior art plunger technique is used to achieve marbleization, it is necessary for the mold to be balanced if the marbleization is to be relatively uniform. The reason is indicated by FIG. 2C, which shows that the colorant is in random pockets P1 through P3. Unless the mold is completely balanced there will be asymmetry in the distribution of pigment. This is by contrast with the invention as illustrated in FIG. 2B. Because the pigment tends to form rings, there will be little or no asymmetry in the distribution of molten material in the mold cavities.
A block diagram of an illustrative injector machine 40 for practicing the invention is shown in FIG. 3.
The injector mechanism 40 is formed by a pump 42 that forces dye from a reservoir 42r over a feed line 44, through a check valve 45 to a volume control unit 46 to an injector 41. The pump 42 includes a plunger 42p which is operated by a cylinder 42c that acts in conjunction with a solenoid operated valve 42e.
The guage 48 in the line 44 gives an indication of the injection pressure. The dye material is a liquid pigment with a viscosity similar to that of the melt.
The cylinder 42c and the plunger 42p operate in conventional fashion. As air fluid from the valve 42e is forced into the head inlet 42h of the cylinder 42c, the plunger 42p forces dye along the line 44. Conversely, as air fluid is forced into the rod inlet 42d of the cylinder 42c, the plunger 42p is retracted
Suitable apparatus for operating the injectors 41-1 and 41-2 is the model 82653 or the Model 82716 CENTRO-MATIC units manufactured by the Lincoln Company of St. Louis, Missouri.
As shown in FIG. 3, the injector is a high pressure metering unit 41m imbedded in an adapter 41a. The metering unit 41m includes a housing 41h and a check ball 41b that is loaded by a spring 41s. The housing 41h is pressed into the adapter 41a which has an outlet orifice 41o that is properly proportioned to achieve the desired injections.
In a tested embodiment of the invention using fluids and a melt having a viscosity between about SAE 80 or 90, the outlet orifice had a diameter ranging between 0.018 inch and 0.025 inch.
It has been discovered experimentally that under these conditions an orifice less than about 0.018 inch produces clogging and that an orifice greater than about 0.025 inch permitted feedback of the melt. A typical test orifice had a diameter of about 0.023 inch.
The volume control unit 46 controls the volume of injection per stroke of the pump unit 42. The volume of dye injected per stroke can range between 0.001 to 0.008 cubic inches. An injection of 0.008 cubic inch per stroke is suitable for light color pigment, while 0.001 cubic inch per stroke is suitable for dark pigment.
A volume control unit which provides 0.001 cubic inch per stroke is the Series SL-1 of the Lincoln Manufacturing Company of St. Louis. The Lincoln Series SL-32 provides 0.008 cubic inches per stroke.
For screw extruders of conventional type, an injection pressure of about 3600 psi has been found adequate to achieve suitable injection in accordance with FIGS. 2A and 2B.
The invention is further illustrated by the following non-limiting examples:
EXAMPLE I
White pellets are fed into the hopper 14 of FIG. 1. If no colorant is added, the molded product will be white. Black dye is applied in a single shot to injector 41-1 which has a capacity of 0.001 cubic inch per shot, during the forward stroke of a reciprocating screw extruder. Green dye is applied in a single shot to the second injector 41-2, which has a capacity of 0.008 cubic inch per shot, during rotation of the reciprocating screw. After rotation of the screw ceases, another shot of black dye is injected at the forward injector 41-1. The foregoing procedure is repeated during each cycle of the reciprocating screw. The result is a deep green marbleization of the molded part. In addition, the marbleization pattern is similar from part to part.
EXAMPLE II
White colored pellets are fed into the hopper 14 of FIG. 1. Black dye is injected through injector 41-1 during each cycle of a reciprocating screw, with one shot when the screw is in its forward position and one shot at the end of the screw rotation. The amount injected on each shot is about 0.001 cubic inch. The result is a black marbleization of the molded parts.
EXAMPLE III
White colored pellets are fed into the hopper 41 of FIG. 1. Red dye is applied through the forward injector 41-1, which provides 0.008 cubic inch per shot. Blue dye is applied through the rearward injector 41-2 which provides 0.001 cubic inch per shot. After a reciprocating screw has traveled about 3/16 inch, both color injectors are operated. They are operated again with the reciprocating screw in its most rearward position. The result is a blue-red marbleization of the molded product.
It will be apparent that the dye may be injected during any of a number of different operating conditions in a reciprocating screw machine. When the screw is in its forward position, injection can be made of one or more colors. As the screw begins to return to its initial position, optional injection can be made of one or more colors while the screw is swirling. When the screw is at rest and the nozzle chamber is being loaded, injection can again be made of one or more colors. Subsequently, as the screw begins to go forward, injection again can be made of one or more colors. Time of injection determines the position of the color effect on the molded object and is determined experimentally.
While various aspects of the invention have been illustrated by the foregoing detailed embodiments, it will be understood that various substitutions of equivalents may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. | Methods and apparatus for marbleizing molded parts produced by screw extruder machines. Liquid colorant is advantageously injected at a comparatively high pressure into a melt containing portion of the machine between the screw and its housing, where the melt is either completely molten or more than fifty percent molten. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a retractable suspension system for an amphibious vehicle, the suspension system being able to be raised when the vehicle is floating in water and lowered again prior to the vehicle being beached.
2. Related Art
Amphibious vehicles having retractable suspension systems are known, for example, from WO93/15923. In prior art suspension systems the suspension is held in the lowered or retracted positions by means of either a hydraulic ram, for example, or by utilisation of the weight of the suspension system itself. However, hydraulic cylinders can fail and using the weight of the suspension system itself can be problematic especially when the vehicle is in the water and being subjected to rough weather pounding.
Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a suspension system which may be locked in the lowered or retracted positions without having to rely upon hydraulic cylinders or inertia forces due to the suspension mass.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a suspension system for an amphibious vehicle, the suspension system being able to be locked in either a lowered or in a retracted position according to whether the vehicle is on land or in water, respectively, the suspension system comprising: a main suspension arm pivoted to a vehicle hull at one end thereof, the arm having a rotatably mounted road wheel thereon at an opposite end thereof. A moving mechanism is operably attached to the pivoted main suspension arm to enable the arm and the road wheel to be retracted relative to said hull. An upper suspension link is operably and pivotably connected to the road wheel end of the main suspension arm and has a pivoted joint intermediate its ends. The upper suspension link is pivoted on the hull at an axis remote from the pivoted joint. The upper suspension link is operably engagable with a suspension position locking mechanism in both the lowered and retracted positions.
In this specification the term “hull” is used to denote any part of the body of the vehicle on which the suspension system according to the present invention is mounted or interacts with. The suspension arms and links may not be directly pivotally mounted onto the hull but may be mounted on sub-frame or bracket means, for example, which sub-frame means are mounted on the hull. In this way whole suspension units may be attached to a hull rather than in piecemeal fashion. The term “hull” thus includes suspension units or components fixed either directly to the vehicle hull or indirectly to the vehicle hull by sub-frames, brackets and the like.
The term “suspension system” as used herein in its broadest sense denotes the running gear which is retractable and lowerable and on which the vehicle rests and travels when on land. Thus, in its broadest sense the term “suspension system” need not include suspension springs and shock absorbing means.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the suspension system according to the present invention further includes spring and shock absorbing devices.
The spring device may be any suitable device such as coil springs and/or torsion bars for example. The shock absorbing device may also be any type suitable for the application such as telescopic dampers or lever arm shock absorbers or any known system which is suitable, for example.
The moving mechanism may be selected from any that is suitable for the application such as hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, ball-screw type actuators, chain or belt drives, for example.
The suspension raising and lowering mechanism may alternatively be in the form of a torsion bar rotating about the axis where the main suspension arm, or the axis where any other suspension arm, is pivoted to the hull. In such cases, the torsion bar may also act as the road-going suspension spring.
The suspension system according to the present invention is suitable for a rear, non-steering suspension or, with the addition of a swivel hub at the road wheel to main suspension arm junction, a steerable suspension system may be provided.
A drive mechanism may also be provided to the road wheel by any suitable means such as by articulated drive shaft to the road wheel or by belt or chain drive means to the road wheel.
The suspension position locking mechanism may comprise mechanical means which operably engage with the upper suspension link to prevent further movement of this component when in either of two extreme positions resulting from the suspension system being lowered or retracted.
When being lowered or raised, the wheel of the suspension system generally moves in the plane of the wheel, i.e. normal to the axis of rotation thereof.
THE DRAWINGS
In order that the present invention may be more fully understood, examples will now be described by way of illustration only with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of part of a mechanism in a suspension system according to the present invention for raising and lowering a road wheel;
FIG. 2 shows part of the mechanism of FIG. 1 connected to the remaining suspension components and a locking mechanism according to a first embodiment according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 shows the locking mechanism of FIG. 2 in greater detail;
FIG. 4 shows a perspective schematic view of a second embodiment of a suspension system according to the present invention in lowered and locked position; and
FIG. 5 which shows a side view of the suspension system of FIG. 4 in alternative retracted, intermediate and lowered positions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 3 and where the same features are denoted by common reference numerals.
FIG. 1 shows a road wheel 12 raising and lowering mechanism which is depicted generally at 10 . The raising and lowering mechanism comprises a main suspension arm 14 having the wheel 12 mounted thereon via a hub 16 which locates the wheel and incorporates bearings (not shown) and a drive chain or shaft (both not shown) to deliver driving power to the wheel 12 . The suspension arm 14 is pivotally mounted to the vehicle hull at a strong point 18 such as a bracket or sub-frame as shown in FIG. 1, the pivot 20 being marked with reference to its axis. Drive may be provided to the wheel 12 via a chain (not shown) within the suspension arm 14 which is in the form of a hollow casing which may be filled with lubricant, the drive being provided via a shaft (not shown) rotating about the axis 20 . At the hub 16 end of the suspension arm 14 is a mounting 22 for a suspension coil spring and concentric shock absorber (not shown) unit 24 as is known to those people skilled in the suspension art. The other end of the coil spring shock absorber unit 24 is fixed to one end 25 of a second suspension arm 26 which is also pivoted about the axis 20 and mounted on the hull strong point 18 . Thus, the arms 14 and 26 may rotate relative to each other about the axis or pivot point 20 depending on the degree of compression or extension of the coil spring 24 and damper unit. The arms 14 and 26 , and coil spring damper unit 24 may be considered to be a suspension unit and may be raised or lowered as a unit by means of a cylinder and piston unit 30 which is fixed to the vehicle hull at one end via a pivot 32 and at the other end to the second suspension arm 26 via a bracket 34 and pivot 36 . The suspension unit and wheel 12 depicted at 10 is shown in two positions in FIG. 1, a first lowered position, indicated generally by the arrow “I” and, in a second, raised position, indicated generally by an arrow “II”. As will be appreciated, the suspension unit 10 is lowered and retracted by pivoting around the axis 20 on the hull 18 . In the raised position II, the wheel is retracted into a wheel/suspension receiving well 40 in the vehicle hull and the wheel 12 and suspension unit 10 are thus raised out of the water when the vehicle is afloat.
The lowered position I corresponds to a road going position and the retracted position II corresponds to a water-borne situation of the vehicle. Clearly, when the vehicle is about to leave the water and be driven onto land, the suspension system will be lowered whilst the vehicle is still afloat.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the load bearing or suspension position locking mechanism which ensures that the suspension unit 10 of FIG. 1 does not rely solely upon the cylinder and ram 30 to support the weight of the vehicle when in road use nor the weight of the retracted suspension when the vehicle is water borne. The suspension position locking mechanism comprises a strong fixed pivot bracket 50 fixed to the vehicle hull, the pivot bracket 50 having a stub shaft 52 on which is pivotally mounted an upper suspension locking link 54 which comprises a first generally U-shaped bracket member 56 and a pair of extension arms 58 which are pivoted at 60 to the open ends of the U-shaped bracket 56 at one end and pivoted at 64 to the outer swinging end 25 of the second suspension arm 26 at a bracket 65 which also receives the top end of the spring damper unit 24 . The suspension unit 10 is locked in the lowered or retracted positions by a rod 70 which is attached to the open end of the U-shaped bracket 56 by means of a yoke 68 (not shown in FIG. 2 for the sake of clarity) which is also pivoted at the pivot 60 and connected at the middle to one end of the rod 70 (see FIG. 3) at a pivot 71 . The rod 70 comprises a rigid strut member 72 having a roller 74 at its upper extremity and which bears upon a locking device 80 which will be described in greater detail with reference to FIG. 3 . The strut 72 is constrained to slide in a trunnion member 76 which is itself pivotally mounted at 77 and held in a bracket 78 . In the absence of the locking device 80 , the wheel may be lowered or retracted as desired.
FIG. 2 shows the suspension link 54 of the suspension unit 10 in three positions. Position I shows the link 54 when the wheel is in the fully lowered position; position II shows the suspension link 54 when the wheel is in the fully retracted position; and, position III shows suspension link 54 when the wheel is in an intermediate position between positions I and II either being raised or lowered. In the fully lowered position (I) the U-shaped upper suspension link member 56 and the extension arms 58 are linearly disposed with respect to each other. In position II the link 54 and extension arms are folded back on each other such that the faces 82 , 84 meet. Position III shows the link member 56 and arms 58 in a mid-position between the extremes of positions I and II.
In order to lock the suspension in position I in the road-going position, the locking device 80 which is in the form of a tapered wedge 100 , which is moveable on rollers 102 in a strong rectangular section tube 104 fixed to the hull, is moved to a position where the roller 74 bears upon the underside of the wedge member 100 . Thus, the roller 74 on the strut 72 bears against the wedge member 100 preventing the suspension from collapsing. It should be remembered that the piston cylinder unit 30 is also present as a secondary locking facility. When the suspension is to be raised, the wedge member 100 is withdrawn by means of a second hydraulic cylinder (not shown) or other comparable means connected to the eye 106 allowing the suspension unit 10 to be raised into position II. When this happens the strut 72 passes initially through the aperture 110 in an upper face of the tube 104 whilst the link 54 and arms 58 are folding together. In the latter half of the suspension retraction cycle the strut 72 begins to be retracted until eventually at the end of the folding and retraction cycle it is again in the same position as when the suspension is in the fully lowered position and the wedge member 100 may be repositioned to close the aperture 110 and lock the strut 72 in position with the suspension in position II. In FIG. 2 the strut 72 is shown passing through the wedge 100 when in position II, however, the wedge 100 is not present during the raising or lowering cycles and is only inserted into its locking position when the suspension unit 10 is either fully retracted or fully lowered. It should be understood that the suspension system is both raised and lowered whilst the vehicle is afloat thus, only the weight of the suspension system, not that of the whole vehicle, is initially borne by the ram and cylinder 30 .
An advantage of the first embodiment of the suspension system according to the present invention is that it cannot jam in either the locked up or locked down positions. The locking member 100 moves on rollers 102 and the suspension strut 72 has a roller at the locking end thereof thus, the locking mechanism of the suspension system according to the present invention does not rely on pins and the like fitting into tight holes which a liable to jamming. Furthermore, the loads imposed on the individual components of the suspension system are relatively low which provides for reliable operation and relatively light weight.
A second locking mechanism according to the present invention is shown schematically in FIGS. 4 and 5. The main suspension unit is analogous to unit 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and is essentially the same in that it possesses the same basic elements of main suspension arm 14 , second suspension arm 26 , spring damper unit 24 , actuating piston and cylinder unit 30 and upper suspension link member and extension arms 58 . However, in this second embodiment, the upper U-shaped link member is denoted by numeral 120 in this case and has an elongated finger 122 having a roller 124 pivotally mounted thereto at the outer end thereof. The link 120 is still pivotally mounted on a stub shaft 52 fixed to hull strong point 50 (the U-shaped nature of the link 56 may be more easily appreciated from FIG. 4 and is essentially similar in the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 except that the first embodiment does not possess the extension finger 122 ).
When the suspension is in the lowered, road going configuration at position I, the arms 58 and upper link 120 are generally linearly disposed relative to each other. At this point the extended finger 122 and roller 124 engage with the jaw 130 of a swinging claw member 132 which is pivoted at 126 on a bracket 128 fixed ultimately to the hull 18 . The claw 132 is biased towards the finger 122 by a spring 136 acting between the hull and the claw 132 . The claw is also connected to a second hydraulic cylinder (not shown) or other actuating means by a rod 138 so as to enable the claw to be retracted away from the finger 122 and roller 124 . When the suspension is to be retracted into the wheel well 40 in the hull from the lowered position I, the claw is withdrawn from the roller 124 by the rod 138 allowing the piston cylinder unit 30 to retract and begin to raise the suspension unit 10 . As the link 120 and arms 58 begin to fold about the pivot axis 60 (shown in position III in FIG. 5 ), the finger descends to a lowest position (about commensurate with that shown in FIG. 5 when in position III) after which, in the second half of the raising cycle the finger and roller begin to rise again. Eventually the roller 124 engages the curved face 140 of the claw 132 and pushes the claw to the right as seen in FIG. 5 whereupon the roller eventually reaches the jaw 130 into which it snaps by virtue of the biasing of the claw to the left by the spring 136 .
Thus, the suspension unit may be locked in either the retracted or lowered positions by mechanisms which are independent of the piston cylinder unit 30 thus ensuring the safe operation and dependability of the suspension system in both the road-going and water-borne modes.
The two embodiments shown with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 are non-steering, driven wheel suspension systems. However, by the introduction of a suitable swivel hub at 16 , a steering system may be introduced. When the wheels are steered they may not need to be driven and comments relating to drive means may be disregarded in this case. Furthermore, even when the wheels 12 are not steering road wheels, they may not be driven and may be passive.
Although actuating means utilising hydraulic cylinders have been described any suitable means such as pneumatic cylinders, electric motors and the like may be employed.
Although suspension arms 14 and 26 are shown as having a common pivot axis this need not necessarily be the case. The pivot axis of the inner end of the upper link 26 may be raised above that of arm 14 and the pivot axes, arms 14 and 26 and the spring unit 24 may, for example, form a parallelogram action such that the spring unit 24 is raised and lowered in a generally vertical direction. In this case suspension raising and lowering mechanism may alternatively be by, for example, a torsion bar rotating about the axis of the second suspension arm 26 , irrespective of whether the road wheel 12 is driven or passive. Such a torsion bar may also provide, when locked in the down position, the road-going spring suspension mechanism. | A suspension system for an amphibious vehicle is able to be locked in either a lowered or in a retracted position according to whether the vehicle is on land or in water, respectively. The suspension system includes a main suspension arm pivoted to a vehicle hull at one end thereof and has a rotably mounted road wheel thereon at an opposite end thereof. A moving mechanism operably attached to the pivoted main suspension arm enables the arm and the road wheel to be retracted relative to the hull. An upper suspension link is operably and pivotally connected to the road wheel end of said main suspension arm and has a pivoted joint intermediate its ends. The upper suspension link is operably engagable with a suspension position locking mechanism in both the lowered and retracted positions. | 1 |
This invention relates to a fluid reservoir device with fill means and level indicator means, and incorporates means for pressure relief.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A fluid reservoir device, according to the invention herein, is designated for attachment to sealed fluid-filled cavities or pressurized fluid systems. Helicopter blade dampers, which are filled with a low viscosity oil, represent one type of such fluid systems. When mounted on a helicopter blade damper, the fluid reservoir device provides replacement of fluid lost therefrom through small leaks or seepage. The fluid reservoir device includes means for showing the level of fluid contained therein, which is indicative of the amount of extra fluid which has been supplied from the fluid reservoir device to maintain the fluid system in a "full" condition. Of course, a steady drop in the level of fluid in the fluid reservoir device is also indicative of possible leaks in the fluid system, and would warrant thorough inspection of the fluid system.
The fluid reservoir device, according to the invention herein, also provides for expansion of the fluid in the fluid system due to thermal effects and further accommodates surges of fluid from whatever source, such as those caused by operation of the fluid system or by inward deformation of the walls of the fluid system. The fluid reservoir device also includes means for bleeding fluid from the fluid system to relieve excessive pressure therein and prevent damage to the fluid system. The fluid reservoir device, according to the invention herein, is light weight and rugged, and is therefore suitable for use in a helicopter or similar environment.
The fluid reservoir with fill means, level indicator means, and expansion relief means, according to the invention herein, comprises three pistons closing a chamber in fluid communication with a fluid system. A large outer piston is manually upwardly displaceable to fill the chamber and to thereby provide a reservoir of fluid, and the large outer piston is spring-biased downward to reduce the volume of the reservoir and provide fluid to the fluid system to maintain the fluid system in a full condition. A second piston forms a portion of the working area of the large outer piston, and is upwardly displaceable with the large piston. When the reservoir is full and the pressure of the system increases due to whatever cause, the second piston is further upwardly displaced against a biasing spring to accommodate extra fluid in the reservoir and thereby to relieve the excessive pressure condition. If the pressure in the system rises to a level which may damage the system, a third piston located near the opening to the chamber rises to expose a fluid excape port, thereby bleeding fluid from the system until its pressure has been reduced to a satisfactory level. An outer cover connected to the large piston moves relative to the outer wall of the chamber, and provides visual indication of the fluid level in the reservoir. Alternatively, the large piston itself may serve as the fluid level indicating means.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a fluid reservoir device for supplying additional fluid to fluid systems in order to maintain the fluid systems in a full condition.
It is another object of the invention to provide a fluid reservoir device for use with a fluid system wherein the fluid reservoir device accommodates expansion or surges of the fluid in the fluid system.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a fluid reservoir device for use with a fluid system wherein the fluid reservoir device incorporates means for relieving pressure in the fluid system by bleeding fluid therefrom in the event that the pressure in the fluid system becomes excessively high.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a fluid reservoir device incorporating a positive manual fill means.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a fluid reservoir device which provides visual indication of the level of the fluid contained therein.
Other and more specific objects of the invention will be part obvious and will in part appear from the perusal of the following description of the preferred embodiment and the claims, taken together with the drawings.
DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a fluid reservoir device, according to the invention herein, in its empty condition;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along lines 2--2 of FIG. 1 of the fluid reservoir device of FIG. 1 in its empty condition;
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the fluid reservoir device of FIG. 1 in its full condition
FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3 of the fluid reservoir device of FIG. 1 in its full condition;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4 of the fluid reservoir device of FIG. 1 and showing provision for accommodating additional fluid therein; and
FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 3 of the fluid reservoir device of FIG. 1 showing means for relieving excessive pressure therein.
The same reference numbers refer to the same elements throughout the various Figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The invention herein relates to a fluid reservoir device for use in conjunction with a fluid-filled system. The fluid reservoir device including fill means, level indicator means and means for accommodating expansion of fluid in the system and relief of the excessive pressure in the system.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a fluid reservoir device 10 according to the invention herein. The fluid reservoir 10 comprises a threaded shank 11 having a hexagonal portion 12 for mounting the fluid reservoir device to a fluid-filled system. The shank 11 includes an integral lower collar 13 to which is secured a cylindrical chamber wall 14 seen in FIG. 1 through an opening 15 in a cylindrical cover 16. The cover 16 is slideably positioned over the chamber wall 14. A handle 20 is attached to a handle shank 21 having an enlarged base portion 22 which is secured to the cover 16 as will be more fully described hereinafter.
In FIG. 1, the fluid reservoir is shown empty, and the opening 15 in the cover 16 reveals an anodized band 23 which may be red, placed on the outer chamber wall 14 for visually alerting observers that the reservoir is empty.
The fluid reservoir 10 is shown in section in FIG. 2. It can be seen that the lower collar 13 comprising a portion of the mounting shank 11 is threaded into an inwardly protruding bottom flange 25 integral with the cylindrical chamber wall 14. An O-ring 26 is provided to seal the connection therebetween. An upper annular collar 27 is threaded into the upper opening of the cylindrical chamber wall 14. A first large outer piston 30 of the fluid reservoir device 10 comprises a cylindrical portion 31 slidingly received in the upper annular collar 27. An O-seal 32 is provided in an annular flange in the top collar to seal the interface between the top collar and the cylindrical portion 31. The piston 30 further comprises an annular bottom "working surface" portion 33 having an upturned outer peripheral flange 34 integrally formed therewith. The flange 34 mates with the interior of the cylindrical chamber wall 14, and an O-seal 35 carried in an annular groove in the flange 34 provides sealing between the flange 34 and the chamber wall 14.
The cover 16 has an opening in the top thereof, and the cover engages the top of the cylinder 31 about the periphery of the opening as indicated at 18. The interior of cylindrical portion 31 of piston 30 is threaded to receive the threaded base 22 of the handle shank 21. A seal 36 is provided between the cover 16 and the base 22 of handle shank 21. The handle 20 is secured to the handle shank 21 by means of a bolt 37 with lockwasher 38 provided between the handle 20 and the handle shank 21. The handle 20, the handle shank 21 and its base 22, the cover 16 and the piston 30 are thereby secured together in a subassembly which is moveable up and down with respect to the chamber wall 14.
A coil spring 40 is provided to bias piston 30 (and the associated subassembly comprising the handle, handle shank and cover) downwardly within the cylindrical chamber wall 14. The coil spring 40 is seated at its lower end in a V-shaped annular recess 41 formed between the outer peripheral flange 34 and the cylindrical portion 31 of piston 30, wherein the coil spring 40 bears on the top of the annular bottom portion 33 of piston 30. The upper end of coil spring 40 is seated in a V-shaped annular recess 42 formed in the upper collar 27. The coil spring 40 loosely surrounds the cylindrical portion 31 of piston 30, which provides support in case the spring should buckle.
The fluid reservoir device 10 further comprises a second inner piston 50, which is concentric with the first piston 30 in the embodiment shown. The piston 50 comprises a cylindrical portion 51 which is slidingly received within the cylindrical portion 31 of piston 30, and an O-seal 58 is provided for sealing between piston 50 and piston 30. The piston 50 further comprises a bottom "working surface" 52. A coil spring 54 extending between an annular groove 55 opening downwardly from the base portion 22 of handle 21 and an annular groove 56 in piston 50 biases the piston 50 downwardly, wherein the peripheral edge of the bottom "working surface" 52 rests against an inwardly protruding annular flange 57 comprising a portion of the annular bottom portion 33 of piston 30. Spring 54 has a higher spring load than spring 40, i.e. taking into account the respective working surfaces of pistons 30 and 50, springs 40 and 54 are chosen such that piston 30 will be driven to its uppermost position before piston 50 is driven relative to piston 30.
When piston 50 is in its lower position, as is shown in FIG. 2, the bottom "working surface" 52 of piston 50 closes the circular opening in the annular bottom surface 33 of piston 30, and the piston 30 and piston 50 thereby together close the area defined by the cylindrical chamber wall 14. Referring now to FIG. 6, which is a fragmentary sectional view of the lower portion of the fluid reservoir device 10, a collar 62 is shown threadedly mounted into the lower collar 13 of the mounting shank 11. Collar 62 together with collar 25 close the bottom area defined by the cylindrical chamber wall 14 except for an inlet passage 64. A chamber 80 is thereby formed, the chamber 80 being defined by the collars 25 and 62, the cylindrical chamber wall 14 and the pistons 30 and 50. The chamber 80 has a variable volume which depends on the positions of pistons 30 and 50, as best seen in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5.
Referring again to FIG. 6, a third piston 60 of the fluid reservoir device 10 is shown. Piston 60 is mounted in a chamber which is defined by the lower surface of the collar 62 and by the interior surface 73 of the mounting shank 11 in the vicinity of the hex portion 12. As noted above, the shank 11 has a passage 17 formed therethrough, and the piston 60 has a passage 63 aligned with the passage 17 and with the passage 64 formed through the upper collar 62, wherein the aligned passages admit fluid to the chamber 80.
The piston 60 has an inverted T-shaped cross section, and accordingly has a top surface 65 which is smaller than its bottom surface 66. An annular O-seal 67 is positioned between the top surface 65 of piston 60 and the collar 62. The portion of the top surface 65 within the annular O-seal 67 is the top "working surface" of piston 60. An O-seal 68 is carried in an annular groove 79 in the bottom surface of piston 60, and the portion of the bottom surface 66 within the O-seal 68 defines the bottom "working surface" of piston 60. The O-seal provides a seal between the bottom surface 66 of piston 60 and the adjacent surface of mounting shank 11. Inasmuch as the bottom working surface of piston 60 is larger than the top working surface of piston 60, piston 60 has a net working surface which tends to move piston 60 upward upon application of pressure in the fluid surrounding the piston. A coil spring 69 surrounds piston 60 and seats against collar 62 to bias the piston 60 downwardly against such pressure. The spring load of spring 69 is higher than the spring load of either spring 40 or spring 54, i.e. both pistons 30 and 50 move prior to piston 60. An opening 70 is provided through the mounting shank 11 to the piston 60 near the bottom surface 66 thereof. A second opening 71 having a filter 72, is formed through the mounting shank 11 to the chamber in which piston 60 is positioned to prevent build-up of back pressure.
The fluid reservoir device 10 may be attached to a fluid-filled system by screwing shank 11 into a threaded opening in the housing of such a system. When the fluid system is filled with fluid, the handle 20 of the fluid reservoir device 10 is pulled upwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 3 to fill chamber 80. It is preferable to fill the fluid reservoir device while a supply of fluid is still attached to the fluid system so that the fluid drawn into the fluid reservoir device can be replaced in the system. A "Full" mark may be placed on the outer surface of the cylindrical chamber wall as shown in FIG. 3, and the "Full" mark will be exposed when the cover 16 is up to provide a visual indication that chamber 80 is full. Alternatively, the cover 16 can be omitted and a "Full mark" can be placed on the outer surface of cylindrical portion 31 of piston 30, wherein the "Full" mark would be exposed above upper collar 27.
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a sectional view of the fluid reservoir device 10 in its "Full" condition. The subassembly comprising the handle 20 and handle shank 21, the cover 16, the piston 30 and the piston 50 is in its up position, wherein the volume of chamber 80 is enlarged. Of course, as the pistons 30 and 50 are moved upwardly by pulling the handle 20, fluid is drawn into the chamber 80.
It will also be noted that spring 40 is compressed during the fill operation and remains compressed so long as chamber 80 of the fluid reservoir device is full. Therefore, if the fluid-filled system to which the fluid reservoir device 10 is attached should lose some of its fluid, or if the volume of the fluid should decrease, as for instance by contraction in cold environments, the spring 40 biases the piston 30 downwardly to provide additional fluid from chamber 80 into the fluid-filled system. Piston 50 also moves downwardly with piston 30. The cover 16 also moves downwardly with piston 30, providing visual indication that a portion of the fluid in the fluid reservoir device has been delivered to the fluid-filled systems. If most or all of the fluid has been forced from the fluid reservoir device 10, the band 23 is exposed through window 15 in cover 16 to alert observers of the low fluid condition. If no cover is provided, a green band can be placed on the outer surface of cylindrical portion 31 of piston 30, and visual indication that all or most of the fluid in the reservoir is in use is provided when the green band is obscured by the upper collar 27.
Referring now to FIG. 5, if the pressure of the fluid in the fluid-filled system should increase, such as by expansion of the fluid or by a reduction in volume of the fluid-filled system due to inward deflection of the system housing, the second piston 50 will be driven upwardly against spring 54 to accommodate fluid forced from the fluid-filled system because of the high pressure condition. Upon a return to a normal fluid pressure in the fluid-filled system, the piston 50 will be forced downwardly by spring 54 to the position shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the fluid reservoir device 10 provides for variations in pressure and/or volume of the fluid-filled system to which it is attached.
It should be noted that if some of the fluid in chamber 80 has been supplied to the fluid-filled system and if the pressure of the fluid in the fluid-filled system thereafter increases, the first piston 30 will be driven upwardly until the chamber 80 is "Full" prior to the second piston 50 being driven upward to accommodate additional fluid. The resultant indication that the fluid reservoir device is full is not a false indication, because the fluid reservoir device is, in fact, full, notwithstanding the fact that the full condition was cauded by a change in the parameters of the fluid-filled system.
When the fluid reservoir device 10 has assumed the configuration shown in FIG. 5, i.e. when both piston 30 and piston 50 are in their uppermost positions, no extra fluid can be accommodated in the chamber 80 to alleviate a high pressure condition within the fluid-filled system. If the high pressure condition persists and is sufficiently strong, it will cause piston 60 to rise against spring 69, establishing fluid communication between passageway 17 and opening 70 to permit fluid to escape from the fluid-filled system and thereby relieve the high pressure condition. The release of fluid will not occur until both pistons 30 and 50 have been driven upwardly against their respective springs 40 and 54 because spring 69 has a higher spring load than either springs 40 or 54. In addition, the spring rte of spring 69 is preferably chosen such that release of fluid will occur only at high pressures which might impair the effective operability of the fluid-filled system or damage either the fluid-filled system or the fluid reservoir device itself.
In the preferred embodiment of the fluid reservoir device 10 for use with the helicopter blade damper, the spring rate of the first spring 40 is chosen to provide a minimum of 5 PSIG charge pressure in its most extended condition, i.e. when chamber 80 contains a minimum volume of fluid, and to provide approximately 7 PSIG charge pressure in its most compressed condition, i.e. when chamber 80 contains a full volume of fluid. The spring 54 has a spring rate chosen to provide additional volume within the chamber 80 when the pressure of the fluid reaches approximately 30 to 50 PSIG. The spring rate of spring 69 is chosen to provide pressure relief when the fluid pressure reaches approximately 100 PSIG. The spring rates of the various springs are, of course, selected according to the desired application of the fluid reservoir device; however, the springs 40, 54 and 69 should respectively increase in spring load to provide the operation of the fluid reservoir device 10 as described above.
The fluid reservoir device 10, according to the invention herein, has several advantages. First, because it is manually filled by an upward stroke of handle 20, filling the fluid reservoir device is a positive and simple operation. The fluid reservoir device accomplishes a positive feed of additional fluid to the fluid-filled system should the system require additional fluid because of small leaks, seepage, temperature changes, or the like. The fluid reservoir device 10 provides a desired visual indication of the fluid level therein, and readily admits provision of visual aids such as the anodized red band 23 and the "Full" marking. The fluid reservoir device accommodates small fluctuations of high pressure in the fluid-filled system to which it is attached without loss of fluid, and further provides relief of excessively high pressure by bleeding fluid from the system to prevent damage to the system or to the fluid reservoir device itself.
Accordingly, the fluid reservoir device described above efficiently accomplished the objects of the invention herein. It should be understood, however, that the foregoing description is directed to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and variour changes from the preferred embodiment shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims. | A fluid reservoir device for use in conjunction with fluid-filled systems, such as helicopter blade dampers, comprises a cylindrical chamber wall closed across its bottom by a mounting shank having a fluid inlet opening formed therethrough. A first piston is slideably mounted within the cylindrical chamber wall and spring biased downwardly therein, and a second piston is slideably mounted in the first piston, and is spring biased downwardly therein, the combined work surfaces of the first and second pistons closing the cylindrical chamber wall wherein a chamber is defined having a volume which varies according to the positions of the first and second pistons. The chamber is filled by moving the first piston (and the second piston mounted therein) upwardly, and the first piston is spring biased downward to force fluid from the chamber to the fluid-filled system as required. If additional fluid is forced from the fluid-filled system into the chamber, it is accommodated by driving the second piston upwardly to increase the volume of the chamber. Fluid escape means comprises a fluid escape passage normally blocked by a spring biased piston which lifts under excessive pressure to bleed fluid from the chamber, thereby relieving the excessive pressure condition. | 5 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present application is a Continuation of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/062,005, filed on Apr. 3, 2008, entitled LONG LENGTH ELECTRODE, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/922,519, filed on Apr. 9, 2007, also entitled LONG LENGTH ELECTRODES which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present application relates to graphite articles, and a process for preparing the graphite articles. More particularly, the invention concerns articles such as graphite electrodes.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] Graphite electrodes are used in the steel industry to melt the metals and other ingredients used to form steel in electrothermal furnaces. The heat needed to melt metals is generated by passing current through a plurality of electrodes, usually three, and forming an arc between the electrodes and the metal. Electrical currents in excess of 50,000 amperes are often used. The resulting high temperature melts the metals and other ingredients. Generally, the electrodes used in steel furnaces each consist of electrode columns, that is, a series of individual electrodes joined to form a single column. In this way, as electrodes are depleted during the thermal process, replacement electrodes can be joined to the column to maintain the length of the column extending into the furnace.
[0004] Generally, electrodes are joined into columns via a pin (sometimes referred to as a nipple) that functions to join the ends of adjoining electrodes. Typically, the pin takes the form of opposed male threaded sections, with at least one end of the electrodes comprising female threaded sections capable of mating with the male threaded section of the pin. Thus, when each of the opposing male threaded sections of a pin are threaded into female threaded sections in the ends of two electrodes, those electrodes become joined into an electrode column. Commonly, the joined ends of the adjoining electrodes and the pin there between, is referred to in the art as a pin joint.
[0005] Given the extreme thermal stress that the electrode and the joint (and indeed the electrode column as a whole) undergoes, mechanical/thermal factors such as strength, thermal expansion, and crack resistance must be carefully balanced to avoid damage or destruction of the electrode column or individual electrodes. For instance, longitudinal (i.e., along the length of the electrode/electrode column) thermal expansion of the electrodes, especially at a rate different than that of the pin, can force the joint apart, reducing effectiveness of the electrode column in conducting the electrical current. Typically, the across grain coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the pin is higher than the across the grain CTE of the electrode. Therefore transverse (i.e., across the diameter of the electrode/electrode column) thermal expansion of the pin being somewhat greater than that of the electrode may be used to form a firm connection between pin and electrode; however, if the transverse thermal expansion of the pin greatly exceeds that of the electrode, damage to the electrode or separation of the joint may result. Again, this can result in reduced effectiveness of the electrode column or even destruction of the column if the damage is so severe that the electrode column fails at the joint section.
[0006] As a consequence of the above, the pin joint is a point of concern in an electrode column. To improve the reliability of pin joints, pins are often made from graphite of higher density and strength than the electrode itself. However, increasing the strength and density of graphite pins also increases the manufacturing time and cost of the pin, and hence the cost of the electrode column formed using pin joints. There have been other efforts to improve the reliability of the pin joint. For example, an electrode pin joint may include a reservoir to hold a quantity of pitch binder as a curable binder. While on the furnace, the pitch will reach its softening point and will flow between the threads. Upon more intense heating, the pitch will carbonize in between the threads and hold the adjacent threads together. Variations on this concept include the pin having one or more flow channels and/or the pin joint including more than one pitch reservoir or the location of the reservoir being varied.
[0007] In the past, efforts have also been taken to eliminate the pin from the joint in order to improve the performance of the electrode column system. Prior attempts to eliminate the pin, which have been attempted, include a threaded electrode end or other electrode mating means being employed. For example electrodes have been made which include an integral threaded tang at one end of the electrode, also known as a pinless joint. Industry acceptance of a pinless joint has lagged, however, since the strength of the graphite in the electrode is viewed by some as not sufficient to maintain the integrity of the electrode column. For the above reasons and others, the joint between two adjacent electrodes in an electrode column is an area of concern for an operator of an electric arc furnace.
[0008] A Soderberg Paste electrode is an example of a prior attempt to produce a pinless electrode. The Soderberg electrode is a continuously formed electrode used in an electric arc furnace, in which a mixture of petroleum coke and coal-tar pitch is continuously added to a steel casing and is baked as it passes through the heated casing, such that the baked electrode emerging into the furnace continuously replaces the electrode being consumed. Since these electrodes are baked and not graphitized, their performance is not suitable for use in electric arc steelmaking. The paste electrodes are typically used in arc furnaces for manufacturing ferroalloys, aluminum, nickel, copper and other non-ferrous applications.
[0009] In light of the above issues, electrode joint designs have been standardized over the years. These standards specify the height and diameter designs for pins along with the parameters for the threads of the socket of an electrode. In addition to standards regarding the electrode joint, standards have also been drafted and approved regarding the length and diameter of the electrode. Examples of one such standard are IEC 60239 and JIS R7201. In each one of these standards the length of the electrode varies from no more than 2900 mm to about 825 mm and the diameter of the electrode may vary from between 765 mm to 352 mm for an electrode of 2900 mm to 2275 mm in length.
[0010] Another issue for a steel manufacturer is downtime and other problems associated with electrode additions to the arc furnace. Each time another electrode is to be added to an electrode column or a new column is to be added to the furnace, the furnace must be shut down while the electrode or electrode column is added. Typically, for a furnace where three electrode columns are in simultaneous operation, the equivalent of one electrode will be consumed over the course of about one eight (8) hour shift. Thus, to add an electrode to a column, or to exchange a shortened column with one of longer length, the furnace must be shut down about three times during every twenty-four (24) hour period.
[0011] An example of how electrode columns are installed on a furnace is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 . FIG. 3 is a top view of the electric arc furnace depicted in FIG. 4 . As illustrated, the three electrode columns 104 , 120 , and 130 are installed in furnace 102 . Typically a furnace operated on alternating electric current will have three such columns, where a furnace operating on direct electrical current will use larger diameter electrodes in a single electrode column.
[0012] When a particular electrode column is consumed, typically the electrical current to create the arc to reclaim the steel is turned off and the remainder of the consumed column is removed from the furnace. The power is then turned on and the current is transmitted through one or more of the remaining electrode columns and/or replacement column. Depicted in FIG. 4 is a view of electrical arc furnace 102 which shows two (2) electrode columns 104 and 120 . Column 104 includes three (3) electrodes 106 , 108 , and 110 . The joints between the electrodes of column 104 are represented as reference numerals 112 and 114 .
[0013] Electrode column 120 includes two electrodes 122 and 124 . In the depicted example, an electrode, such as electrode 110 may be added to electrode column 104 by the use of an electrode robot 126 . As shown robot 126 is used to add a third electrode to a column already comprising more than one electrode. Robot 126 may be used to align and rotate the electrode being added to the column to engage a threaded portion of the top joint element of the electrode directly below the electrode being added. Robot 126 may travel along rails 128 , shown in FIG. 4 or may be positioned over the column by the use of an overhead crane.
[0014] Similar to what was previously discussed, when an electrode is being added to a column, the electrical current being passed through a column of the electrodes in furnace 102 is turned off and the significant production time is lost due to this change.
[0015] One method of reducing electrode additions at the furnace is to join two relatively shorter electrodes together prior to delivery to the steelmaker, as described in published U.S. patent application 2006/0140244. However, this approach has the disadvantage that each of the shorter electrodes must be machined to have its own threaded tang and socket portions prior to assembly, requiring the machining of four threaded sections instead of two for a single electrode. The need to machine four threaded sections requires additional labor and time, and wastes the high value graphite material that is machined away to make the threaded section. Thus, there is a need for a monolithic electrode, that is, an electrode without an added joint that can also provide the user with a longer period of productivity between electrode additions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0016] The present invention seeks to provide a monolithic graphite electrode having advantages over known such electrodes.
[0017] According to the present invention there is provided a monolithic graphite electrode comprising a main body having a length of more than 3050 mm.
[0018] Advantageously, the electrode of the present invention overcomes problems with standard type electrodes such as furnace downtime.
[0019] Preferably, the electrode main body includes a pair of end faces, each face includes a socket.
[0020] Preferably, the length of the main body comprises more than 3330 mm. Preferably still, the length of the main body comprises more than 3430 mm. More preferably, the length of the main body comprises more than 3680 mm.
[0021] Preferably, a diameter of the electrode comprises from about 500 mm to about 900 mm. More preferably, the diameter of the electrode comprises from about 500 mm to 860 mm, even more preferably no more than 850 mm.
[0022] Preferably, in one embodiment, the threads per inch (‘TPI”) of the tang comprises less then four (4), e.g., three (3) or two (2) and a TPI of the socket comprises two. Preferably a taper of the tang comprises 9° or greater.
[0023] Another embodiment disclosed herein includes an electrode column comprising a plurality of monolithic graphite electrodes. The column has a length of more than 3050 mm of electrode per joint and more preferably 3300 mm or more per electrode joint.
[0024] Preferably, the column has an overall length of at least 6350 mm and less than two joints.
[0025] A further embodiment discussed herein is the practice of increasing the length of the electrode to minimize the occurrence of an electrode joint in the electrode column for a given length. This practice will improve efficiencies for both electrode manufacturers as well as electric arc furnace operators.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The present invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a view of a pin-socket electrode;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a view of a pinless joint electrode;
[0029] FIG. 3 is a top schematic view of furnace shown in FIG. 4 ; and
[0030] FIG. 4 is a front view of an electrode column on an electric arc furnace.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] As noted above, graphite articles (graphite articles is used herein to include at least graphite electrodes) could be fabricated by first combining a particulate fraction comprising calcined coke (when the graphite article to be produced is graphite electrode), pitch and mesosphere pitch or PAN-based carbon fibers into a stock blend. More specifically, crushed, sized and milled calcined petroleum coke is mixed with a coal-tar pitch binder to form the blend. The particle size of the calcined coke is selected according to the end use of the article, and is within the skill in the art. Generally, in graphite electrodes for use in processing steel, particles up to about 25 millimeters (mm) in average diameter are employed in the blend. The particulate fraction preferably includes a small particle size filler comprising coke powder. Other additives that may be incorporated into the small particle size filler include iron oxides to inhibit puffing (caused by release of sulfur from its bond with carbon inside the coke particles), coke powder and oils or other lubricants to facilitate extrusion of the blend.
[0032] The blend may also include mesophase pitch-based carbon fibers or fibers derived from PAN (polyacrylonitrile), added after mixing of the stock has already begun. The fibers used should advantageously have a Young's modulus (after carbonization) of about 100 GPa to about 275 GPa or higher (Cytec's Thornel T-300 PAN fibers have a tensile modulus of 231 GPa http://www.cytec.com/business/engineeredmaterials/CFInternet/cfThornelT-300PAN.shtm). The fibers preferably have an average diameter of about 6 to about 15 microns (T-300 is 7 micron), a tensile strength of about 1.4 GPa to about 2.8 GPa. In certain embodiments, the tensile strength of the fibers may be as high as up to 5 GPa, (The tensile strength of T-300 is 3.75 GPa). Preferably the length of the fibers is about 4 mm to about 32 mm in length on average. Suitable lengths of fiber include an average length of about 6 mm or less, about 12 mm or less, about 18 mm or less, or about 25 mm or less. It is also preferred that the carbon fibers are not longer than the biggest coke particle. Most advantageously, the fibers are added to the blend as bundles containing between about 2000 and about 20,000 fibers per bundle, compacted with the use of a sizing (U.S. Pat. No. 6,916,435).
[0033] As noted, the carbon fibers to be included in the blend are based on mesophase pitch or PAN. Mesophase pitch fibers are produced from pitch that has been at least partially transformed to a liquid crystal, or so-called mesophase, state. Mesophase pitch can be prepared from feedstocks such as heavy aromatic petroleum streams, ethylene cracker tars, coal derivatives, petroleum thermal tars, fluid cracker residues and pressure treated aromatic distillates having a boiling range from 340° C. to about 525° C. The production of mesophase pitch is described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,327 to Lewis et al. Typically, mesophase pitch is formed by heating the feedstock in a chemically inert atmosphere (such as nitrogen, argon, helium or the like) to a temperature of about 350° C. to 500 ° C. A chemically inert gas can be bubbled through the feedstock during heating to facilitate the formation of mesophase pitch. For preparation of carbon fibers, the mesophase pitch should have a softening point, that is, the point at which the mesophase pitch begins to deform, of less than about 400° C. and usually less than about 350° C. If the pitch has a higher softening point, formation of carbon fibers having the desired physical properties is difficult.
[0034] Once the mesophase pitch is prepared, it is spun into filaments of the desired diameter, by known processes such as by melt spinning, centrifugal spinning, blow spinning or other processes which will be familiar to the skilled artisan. Spinning produces carbon fibers suitable for use in preparing the electrode of the present invention. The filaments are then thermoset at a temperature no higher than the softening point of the pitch (but usually above 250° C.) for about 5 to 60 minutes, then further treated at extremely high temperatures, on the order of up to about 1000° C. and higher, and in some cases as high as about 3000° C., more typically about 1500° C. to 1700° C., to carbonize the fibers. The carbonization process takes place in an inert atmosphere, such as argon gas, for at least about 0.5 minutes. Most commonly, carbonization uses residence times of between about 1 and 25 minutes. The fibers are then cut to length and formed into bundles. Such fibers, bundled as described, are commercially available from, for instance, Cytec Industries Inc. of West Paterson, N.J. and Mitsubishi Chemical Functional Products Inc. of Tokyo, Japan.
[0035] One method of making the PAN fibers comprises spinning the fibers from a solution of polyacrylonitrile. The fibers are then stabilized in the same manner as are the mesophase pitch-based fibers. The production of PAN fibers is described, for instance, by Dan D. Edie and John J. McHugh in High Performance Carbon Fibers at pages 119-138 of Carbon Materials for Advanced Technologies, 1st Ed., Elsevier Science Ltd. 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
[0036] The carbon fibers are preferably included in the stock blend at a level of about 0.5 to about 6 parts by weight of carbon fibers per 100 parts by weight of calcined coke. Most preferably, the fibers are present at a level of about 1.25 to about 6 parts by weight fibers per 100 parts by weight of coke. In terms of the blend as a whole (excluding binder), the carbon fibers are incorporated at a level of about 1% to about 5.5% by weight, more preferably about 1.5% to up to about 5.5%, even more preferably, about 5.0% or less.
[0037] After the blend of particulate fraction, pitch binder, carbon fibers, etc. is prepared, the body is formed (or shaped) by extrusion though a die or molded in conventional forming molds to form what is referred to as a green stock. The forming, whether through extrusion or molding, is conducted at a temperature close to the softening point of the pitch, usually about 100° C. or higher. Although the die or mold can form the article in substantially final form and size, machining of the finished article is usually needed, at the very least to provide structure such as threads. The size of the green stock can vary; for electrodes the diameter can vary between about 220 mm and 850 mm.
[0038] After extrusion, the green stock is heat treated by baking at a temperature of between about 700° C. and about 1100° C., more preferably between about 800° C. and about 1000° C., to carbonize the pitch binder to solid pitch coke, to give the article permanency of form, high mechanical strength, good thermal conductivity, and comparatively low electrical resistance, and thus form a carbonized stock. The green stock is baked in the relative absence of air to avoid oxidation. Baking should be carried out at a rate of about 1° C. to about 5° C. rise per hour to the final temperature. After baking, the carbonized stock may be impregnated one or more times with coal tar or petroleum pitch, or other types of pitches or resins known in the industry, to deposit additional coke in any open pores of the stock. Each impregnation is then followed by an additional baking step.
[0039] After baking, the carbonized stock is then graphitized. Graphitization is by heat treatment at a final temperature of between about 2500° C. to about 3400° C. for a time sufficient to cause the carbon atoms in the coke and pitch coke binder to transform from a poorly ordered state into the crystalline structure of graphite. Advantageously, graphitization is performed by maintaining the carbonized stock at a temperature of at least about 2700° C., and more advantageously at a temperature of between about 2700 ° C. and about 3200° C. At these high temperatures, elements other than carbon are volatilized and escape as vapors. The time required for maintenance at the graphitization temperature using the process of the present invention is no more than about 18 hours, indeed, no more than about 12 hours. Preferably, graphitization is for about 1.5 to about 8 hours.
[0040] As noted, once graphitization is completed; the finished article can be cut to size and then machined or otherwise formed into its final configuration. The finished article may be machined into a pin-socket electrode as illustrated in FIG. 1 , depicted as 10 . As shown, electrode 10 includes a main body (extending from end face to end face of electrode 10 ) 12 , and pair of end faces 14 at each longitudinal end of body 12 . A socket 16 may be machined into each end face 14 , preferably socket 16 includes threads 18 . Preferably main body 12 of electrode 10 has a length of more than 3050 mm (120 inches), more preferably 3300 mm (130 inches) or more, even more preferably 3550 mm (140 inches) or more, and most preferably 3680 mm (145 inches) or more. In one particular example, main body 12 has a length of greater than 3800 mm (about 150 inches). Due to the green stock losing some length during the graphitization and machining steps, electrode 10 is preferably formed from a green body having an electrode length of 3200 mm (126 inches) or more, more preferably 3430 mm (135 inches) or more, and even more preferably 3810 mm (150 inches) or more.
[0041] Shown in FIG. 2 is an electrode 20 which includes pinless joint technology. Electrode 20 also includes a main body (end face to end of tang) 22 and further includes a socket 26 in an end face 24 at one longitudinal end of body 22 . Electrode 20 may also include a threaded tang 28 at or about a second longitudinal end of body 22 . Body 22 of electrode 20 may have a length of at least 2920 mm (115 inches). In one particular embodiment, body 22 has a length of at least 3175 (125 inches), preferably at least 3300 mm (130 inches), more preferably at least 3425 mm (135 inches), and even more preferably at least 3550 mm (140 inches), and most preferably at least 3680 mm (145 inches). In one certain embodiment, the length of body 22 is at least about 3800 mm (about 150 inches). One way to measure the overall length of electrode 20 is from the exterior surface of end face 24 to the tip of tang 28 . Examples of typical lengths of tang 28 are about 500 mm (20 inches) to about 630 mm (25 inches), measured from the tip of the tang to a base of the tang, illustrated by line “L” on FIG. 2 . Preferably tang 28 extends from body 12 at a taper angle of “α” In one preferred embodiment, α is about 9° or greater. In another embodiment α is about 15° or greater. Optionally, electrode 20 may include a seal around tang 28 , not shown.
[0042] The diameter of the above described electrodes 10 and 20 may vary as desired by the end user. The diameter of electrode 10 or 20 may vary from about 350 mm (14 inches) to about 860 mm (34 inches) as selected by the end user. Also the thread pitch in sockets 16 as well as socket 26 may vary as selected by the end user. The thread pitch or threads per inch (TPI) may vary from two (2) to eight (8) TPI for any socket of electrode 10 or 20 . The threads 40 on tang 28 may have the same, or if desired different, pitch as the threads of socket 26 . Similarly it is typical that both sockets 16 have the same TPI, however, if desired sockets 16 may have different TPI. The same is true for socket 26 and tang 28 in that typically socket 26 will have the same TPI as tang 28 or vice versa. However, the TPI may vary between socket 26 and tang 28 if desired by the end user.
[0043] Preferably, the above electrode may be included in the electrode column such that the column will include more than 3050 mm of length of monolithic electrode per joint between adjacent electrodes in the electrode column; more preferably, the length comprises more than 3300 mm. In one particular embodiment, the electrode column may comprise over 6300 mm and less than two joints between the electrodes, which make up the column.
[0044] An advantage of the disclosed embodiments is that they reduce the frequency of the occurrence of the joint in the electrode column, thus increasing the maximum length of electrode per joint. To the furnace operator, the disclosed subject matter will offer the advantage of increased yield of steel, less downtime per ton of steel reclaimed, and decreased labor requirements associated with electrode consumption per ton of steel reclaimed. For the electrode manufacturer, this is an opportunity to tailor electrodes to the specific requirements of individual steel manufacturers.
[0045] The various described embodiments may be practiced separately or in any combination thereof. | An embodiment disclosed herein includes a monolithic graphite electrode. The electrode has a main body having a length of more than 3050 mm. Another embodiment disclosed herein includes an electrode column comprising a plurality of monolithic graphite electrodes. The column has a length of more than 3050 mm of electrode per joint. A further embodiment discussed herein is the practice of increasing the length of the electrode to minimize the occurrence of an electrode joint in the electrode column for a given length. This practice will improve efficiencies for both electrode manufacturers as well as electric arc furnace operators. | 8 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns an opening or separating roll for an open end spinning apparatus. From the current state of technology, opening rolls for open end spinning apparatuses are common knowledge, which, for the purpose of replacement of the tooth-set, are built in multicomponent fashion. The set can be comprised of teeth or needles, which are installed on a tooth-set carrier. The said carrier is designed in the shape of a cylindrical ring, which is installed on a core piece of the opening roll and is held by a holder on said core piece.
During the operation of the open end spinning apparatus, the opening roll rotates in an opening roll housing. In this housing, bunched fibers are introduced and the individual fibers which are opened or separated out are removed through a fiber feed duct. For the function of the open end spinning apparatus, the condition of the air in the opening roll housing plays a decisive role. For this purpose, it is necessary that the opening between the opening roll and the housing is held very precisely to a specified value. The relationships within the separating roll must not be changed by means of the regularly required exchange of the toothed set, which, as is known, is subject to wear.
The patent DE-A 25 28 485 shows an opening roll in which the ring shaped tooth-set carrier is secured by force locking by a flexible element in connection with a holder for the tooth-set carrier on the core piece. The flexible element, by being subjected to a force in a radial direction, moves so that it impacts against the ring shaped tooth-set carrier from within and affixes this against the opening roll. In this way, the holder forms, at least partly, the front side of the opening roll. The width of the opening roll is thereby adjusted in such a way that the holder is made controllable as to axial direction. This is accomplished, for instance, through a threading on the core piece to which the holder itself is directly screwed, or is held by fastening means, such as screws.
The flexible element enables that the holder, even after the contact with the flexible element, still remains axially adjustable up to the desired width of the opening roll. The determination of the opening roll width is redone from start as a new operation by measurement and adjustment of the insertion depth of the holder each time there is a change in the tooth-set by the maintenance person. Subsequently, the holder, so that it will not on its own change position, must be secured by a safety element on the core piece of the opening roll. The adjustment of the width of the opening roll can, indeed, be carried out very precisely by the method taught in the patent DE-A 25 28 485, wherein the width is independent of the axial extension of the tooth-set carrier. The adjustment of the opening roll width is very time consuming and dependent for quality on the individual maintenance person.
The patent DE-A 37 30 296 discloses an opening roll in which the tooth-set carrier is designed in the shape of a ring and is secured to the opening roll by means of a holder. The axial width of the opening roll is determined by the width of the tooth-set carrier, since this lies with its front side on the core piece of the opening roll, while on the other side, the cover, that is the holder, supports itself axially on the tooth-set carrier.
From the patent DE-A 195 20 345 is known an opening roll in which the holder and the tooth-set carrier are made integrally as one piece, wherein the tooth-set carrier supports itself axially on the core piece of the opening roll, and thereby the width of the opening roll is determined.
The known opening rolls, in which the tooth-set is changeable, have the disadvantage that either the installation of the opening roll is time and money consuming and the width of the opening roll must be reset anew every time, or that the tooth-set carriers, since they determine the width of the opening rolls, must be produced with great precision and thus expensively. Never-the-less, the problem arises in these embodiments that the width of the opening roll, in spite of more exact manufacture, is still not precisely determined, since the tooth-set, following manufacture, in many instances must be coated, the result being that by material accumulation the width of said tooth-set when so coated varies from that before coating. Thus, the width of the opening roll varies, even with the most exact manufacturing procedures.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One purpose of the present invention is to propose an opening roll which avoids the deficiencies of the present state of the technology and which can be equipped with differently shaped, coated, and untreated tooth-set carriers. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In accordance with the objects of the invention, the core piece possesses an axial detent for the holder, the axial width of the opening roll thus defines itself independently from that of the tooth-set carrier. The width of the tooth-set carrier plays no role then, being indifferent as to whether a tooth-set carrier is coated or not. In particular, different coatings, or different base materials out of which the tooth-set carrier may be made, have no influence on the final dimensioning of the opening roll. The achievement is made at the same time that the installation of the opening roll, that is, not only the first installation, but also replacement after exchange of the tooth-set, is substantially simplified, since no measurements must be undertaken because the correct position of the holder is automatically established. Influence on the width of the opening roll by the securement of the holder by means of axial working screws is no longer important. It is also unimportant what axial force the screws bring to bear on the opening roll. The same benefit arises upon the advantageous formation of the opening roll, in which the holder is built as one piece with the tooth-set carrier.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the core piece and/or the holder possess a flange, into which the tooth-set carrier radially penetrates. This allows the parting plane between the flange and the tooth-set carrier to be designed as the outer surface of a cylinder, whereby the danger is minimized that fibers agglomerate in the opening between flange and tooth-set carrier.
In a particularly good embodiment, the flange possesses additionally a ring shaped, axial groove, with which it is simultaneously possible to guide the tooth-set carrier radially either on its outer or inner diameter.
The radial placement guidance of the tooth-set carrier by means of the outside diameter of its side provides, besides the usual required guidance, a minimal opening between the flange and the tooth-set carrier. Thereby, flange and tooth-set carrier lie practically against one another without play. This further restricts the infiltration of fibers.
It is especially advantageous if the tooth-set carrier possesses at least on one of its sides an increase of its diameter, with which said carrier can interact with the flange. By this, it is achieved that the parting plane between the tooth-set carrier and the flange then extends radially outwardly away from the outer surface where less opportunity is given for fibers to collect, assuring that set up of fibers in the opening between the tooth-set carrier and the flange is prevented. It is also of advantage if a circumferential groove is machined into the outer side of the tooth-set carrier from the teeth all the way to the flange, which groove lies radially deeper than the outer surface of the tooth-set carrier, whereby the parting plane between the tooth-set carrier and the flange extend radially outward, thus away from the said outer surface. Especially in combination with a diameter increase of the side of the tooth-set holder, it is advantageously achieved that the opening between said tooth-set holder and the flange is extended radially outward where fewer fibers collect.
Particularly favorable is an embodiment with a groove on the tooth-set carrier in which the teeth are made by grinding from solid material. By means of the manufacturing process, an increase in the diameter at the side of the tooth-set carrier is only possible under certain conditions. By means of the embodiment with a groove, however, even in this case the parting plane between the exposed surface of the tooth-set carrier can be brought radially outward, so that advantageously even in this design, the accumulation of fibers in the tooth-set carrier can be avoided.
Another favorable arrangement is the construction of the tooth-set carrier as a ring, since this enables a much simpler exchange of the tooth-set of the opening roll. In doing this, it will be advantageous to design the axial extension of the sides of the rings in a "right-way-only" manner, whereby the maintenance person, upon exchange, receives an indication as to how the ring is to be correctly mounted on the opening roll.
This can also be advantageously attained in that the inner and/or outer diameter of the rings close to the side can be made differently. Then, in connection with the determining of the diameter of the flange, that is to say, the groove of the flange of the opening roll, a faulty mounting can be more surely prevented.
The tooth-set carrier can advantageously be constructed as a steel ring, since this design is favorable in cost, durable, and in multiple ways workable and installable. In doing this, advantage would lie in the steel ring being also shaped in one piece with a tooth-set which could be constructed favorably by grinding in grooves axially and radially in the circumferential direction.
In another favored arrangement of the invention, the tooth-set carrier is a ring, which is produced by a pressure casting method. Thereby, what it achieved, is that the ring is economical and can be produced in large piece numbers. For this method, the ring would be advantageously made of an aluminum alloy.
A particularly advantageous securement of the tooth-set carrier, when this is built separate from the holder, is done in accord with the invention with a flexible element which is set radially on the inside diameter of the tooth-set carrier for the affixing of said carrier. Advantageously, for this purpose, said element acts against the holder with an appropriate force, which the deformation of the flexible element engenders. Favorably, the holder possesses a projection running in an axial direction, which, when viewed from the axial direction, exhibits an inclined plane surface. Upon the mounting thereof, that is upon axial placement in the direction of the core piece, the flexible element is radially extended and pressed against the inner contour of the tooth-set carrier. By this means, the said carrier is securely affixed by a forced closure.
In further especially advantageous embodiments of the invention, the opening roll possesses a core piece, which is not only provided with a fastening means for a one-piece holder incorporating the tooth-set carrier, but also a fastening means for the securement of the tooth-set carrier when this is designed as a ring.
It is favorably achieved thereby, that with only one integral core piece and one tooth-set carrier, which is made ring shaped, this can be attached to the same core piece as can those which are made as one piece units. This is particularly valuable in that many variants of tooth-set carriers can be affixed to the same core piece, whereby an especially user-friendly, multiple sided, and economical separating roll can be produced, which, in exchange operations, can be provided with practically all possible tooth-sets.
In accord with a further advantageous, inventive embodiment, a generic opening roll for an open end spinning apparatus is provided wherein the core piece possesses one or more openings which extend from the front side to the interior of the said core piece. Further, the core piece has a boring in which a bearing sleeve for the support of the separating shaft is located and the said boring diametrically enlarges itself in the interior of the core piece extending axially into the opening thereof. This creates a communicating connection therein for the purpose of cleaning the interior. Thus, contamination in the openings can be removed by the blowing in of compressed air. In this way, impurities which penetrate into the openings of the core piece, the bearing sleeve, and on into the interior of the core piece can thus advantageously be removed in a simple manner. Following the release of the tooth-set carrier, the openings are accessible and dirt accumulations can be easily removed. Particularly favorable is the addition of several openings equally distributed about the turning axis of the opening roll. By means of the advantageous (especially for contamination) communicating connection between the interior and the openings, assurance is given that contamination, for instance agglomerated fibers, can be simply and positively removed.
Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are given by the subordinate claims as well as the description and the drawings which present the invention. In the following, with the aid of the drawings, example embodiments will be described.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partial sectional presentation of an opening roll in accord with the invention in which the holder and the tooth-set carrier are constructed in one piece,
FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of an opening roll formed in accord with the invention in three parts,
FIG. 3 is a side view of a core piece of an opening roll in accord with the invention with the tooth-set carrier shown in section,
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of an opening roll in accord with the invention shown in two part embodiment with axial openings in the front side of the core piece, and
FIG. 5 is a partial plan view of the core piece of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield still a third embodiment. It is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations as come within the scope and spirit of the invention.
The opening roll 1, in accord with the invention, possesses a core piece 11 which fastens said roll on a shaft 2. In this, the core piece 11 is affixed to the shaft 2 by a press fit. The shaft 2 is rotatably confined in bearings 21. The bearing 21 runs in a bearing sleeve (210), which extends by means of the boring 70 into the interior of the core piece 11 and forms an intervening space 71 therewith (See FIG. 4). For the drive of the opening roll 1, the shaft 2 is equipped with a sheave 220 which, together with the shaft 2, is set into rotary motion by means of a drive belt (the belt is not shown). The opening roll 1 exhibits a tooth-set carrier 12, which is coordinated with the core piece. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the tooth-set carrier 12 is made as one piece with the holder 13. By means of the flange 111, the tooth-set carrier 12 is caused to rotate. The holder 13 and the core piece 11 are provided with appropriate fastening means 112, 121, with the help of which the tooth-set carrier 12, the holder 13, and the core piece 11 are affixed to one another. The fastening means 121 of the holder 13 is designed as a threaded boring into which a screw 113 is threadedly inserted in the assembled condition of the holder 13. The opening roll 1 possesses three fastening means 121, 112 axially parallel and disposed at equal angular circular locations.
The fastening means 112 of the core piece 11 is constructed as a boring, through which a screw 113 passes until it is within the fastening means 121 of the holder 13.
In a known manner, a spiral formed groove 125 is machined into the exposed surface 124 of the tooth-set holder 12. In said groove 125, a tooth-set wire is run which carries the teeth of the tooth-set 3 of the opening roll 1. The tooth-set 3 of the separating roll 1 is so constructed that the tooth-set carrier 12 in the area of the flange 111 has a side surface 127, since the tooth-set does not extend so far as the flange 111. On the corresponding side 128, the exposed surface of the tooth-set carrier runs without interruption into the flange 126, since the tooth-set carrier 12 and the holder 13 are of one piece.
The holder 13 possesses in its center area a recess 129 which is closed with a cover 22. The recess 129 is advantageous when the tooth-set is to be coated. Then, several holders 13 with their tooth-set carriers 12 can be picked up by a hook through the opening 129 with the help of which they can be hung in a known procedure in a coating bath. After the coating, the cover 22 can be replaced and closes the opening 129. As a rule, the cover 22 need not be removed again from the tooth-set carrier 12.
For the mounting of the tooth-set carrier 12 by means of the holder 13 on the core piece 11, the said holder and core piece have a coordinating apparatus for an aligned positioning of the fastening means 121 of said holder 13 to its corresponding fastening means 112 of the core piece 11. On the tooth-set carrier 12 or the holder 13 are, for this purpose, one or several radial cross pins 141 which operate in conjunction with detents 114. In a circumferential zone, the core piece 11 has a recess 115, on the one side of which a detent 131 is installed. Upon axially pushing the holder 13 onto the core piece 11, the cross pin 141 protrudes into the said recess 115 which is placed in an axial direction thereto. In order to find the exact alignment of the fastening means 112 and 121 in respect to one another, the tooth-set carrier is rotated until the cross pin 141 strikes the detent 114. Striking the detent can only occur in a rotational direction. Upon turning the other way, the cross pin 141 slides in an inclined plane 116 which acts in an axial direction all along the recess 115. This pushes the holder 13 in a direction away from the core piece 11, so that any mounting of the holder 13 is made impossible (see FIG. 2 and 3).
So that the turning in the proper direction does not continue too far until the detent 114 is found, the opening roll 1, in particular its core piece 11, possesses several detents 114 disposed circumferentially at equal spacing and the tooth-set carrier has advantageously a corresponding plurality of cross pins 141. It is particularly favorable to have at any given time three cross pins 141 and three detents 114. Obviously, the core piece 11 can be outfitted with cross pieces and the holder 13 with detents. A similarly operating embodiment is made manifest by the patent DE-A 195 20 345. In this case, the inclined surface lies in a radial direction, so that clamping occurs upon turning the holder in the wrong direction. An advantageous axial removal of the holder from the core piece does not happen.
In accord with the invention, the core piece 11 is provided with a stop, such as detent 131, upon which the holder 13 rests axially. Thereby, the axial position of the tooth-set carrier 12 is determined independently of the axial extension of core piece 11. Between the flange 111 and the tooth-set carrier 12, is provided an axial play space. At this place, the tooth-set carrier 13 does not need to be manufactured with close tolerances, since the positioning of the tooth-set carrier is effected by means of the detent 131 in relation to the holder 13. This is independent thereof as to whether the tooth-set carrier 12 is coated or whether the holder 13 and the tooth-set carrier 12 are made as one piece (see FIG. 2). The width of the opening roll 1 is thus determined only by the core piece 11 and the holder 13. It is particularly advantageous, as shown in FIG. 1, to make the detent 131 in such a manner that it also forms a radial guide 135 for the holder 13. The radial guide 135 operates advantageously with the surface formed by the opening 129.
Another embodiment of the opening roll 1 is shown in FIG. 2. Holder 13 and tooth-set carrier 12 form two separate components, which, with the core piece 11, make the opening roll 1. Screws 113 operate in conjunction with the fastening means 112 of the core piece 11 and with 121 of the holder 13. Upon the detent 131 of the core piece 11, the holder 13 strikes axially in such a manner, that the width of the opening roll 1 is determined independently of the axial extension of the tooth-set carrier 12. By means of the radial guide 135, the holder 13 is centered.
The tooth-set carrier 12 in the presently discussed embodiment, is designed as the tooth-set ring which possesses a spiral shaped groove 125 within which, in a conventional manner, a tooth-set wire is laid. The tooth-set carrier 12 is allowed play against flange 111 of the core piece 11 and flange 126 of the holder. Thereby, its axial extension has no influence on the width of the opening roll 1. In the present embodiment, the ring of the tooth-set carrier 12 is centered radially by its inside diameter on the core piece 11.
The ring shaped tooth-set carrier 12 (ring) is held in place and especially secured against slip rotation by means of a clamping element 4 which expands itself axially when the holder 13 is mounted and lies against the inner circumference of the tooth-set ring. The ring shaped clamping element 4, which is made of a flexible material, is inserted into a ring shaped recess 41 of the core piece 11. The clamping element 4 possesses an inclined side 42, which operates together with projections 132 of the holder. Upon the installation of the holder 13, the said projections 132 penetrate into the clamping element 4 in such a manner that it is expanded radially and lies against the inner circumference of the tooth-set ring 12, thus fixing ring 12 in relation to the core piece 11 and further in such a way that a slip rotation of the tooth-set ring 12 is prevented. The projections 132 have even a beveling for this purpose, so that they can more easily press into the clamping element. These can also be so formed that they are not comprised of several single projections, but are connected with one another in a circumferential manner, so that they form a cup shaped, continuous rim on the holder 13.
Thus, the fastening means 112 serves the ring shaped recess 41 for the purpose of binding together the core piece 11 of the opening roll 1 with the exchangeable tooth-set carrier 12. The core piece 11 possesses also favorably, fastening means 112 (which is designed as a boring) and a further fastener 41 (designed as a recess), so that with the same core piece 11 can work together with either a ring shaped tooth-set carrier 12 or a tooth-set carrier built integrally as one piece with the holder 13. Should the core piece be changed over to work in conjunction with a tooth-set ring, this requires only the insertion of a clamping element 4 to be inserted into the recess 41.
The opening roll 1 possesses thus a multifaceted core piece 11 which can accept a multiplicity of different tooth-set carriers by means of differently functioning fastening devices. Besides the axial acting fastening means 112 and 121, the core piece 11 has additionally an independently operating fastening means, the recess 41.
The tooth-set carrier 12 of FIG. 2 exhibits in the area of its side 128, which works in conjunction with the flange 126 of the holder 13, a smaller outside diameter than it has in the area of the flange 111 of the core piece 11. Correspondingly, the groove of the flange 126 is shaped differently than the groove 51 of the flange 111. The transition of the outside diameters of the tooth-set carrier 12 is brought about smoothly without steps from the tooth-set 3 to the flange 126. It could be done very easily by stages. The smaller outside diameter of the side 128 of the tooth-set carrier 12 has, when this is fashioned as a ring, the advantage that upon the installation of the tooth-set carrier 12, this cannot be incorrectly fastened onto the opening roll 1. Particularly, when the diameter change in the area of the flange 126 of the holder 13 takes place, the installation becomes very simple. In the case of a new mounting of the tooth-set ring, this is done in such a manner that the holder 13 with its flat front side is laid on a support base, and then the tooth-set carrier 12 is inserted into the groove 5 of said holder 13. This is possible only in the correct arrangement, since groove 5 of the holder 13 is so shaped, that only the smaller outside diameter of the tooth-set ring allows a mounting of the tooth-set carrier 12 on the holder 13. An incorrect insertion of the tooth-set carrier 12 would then be immediately noticed, even before the core piece 11, which is much more unwieldy, is installed. Obviously, the same result can be reached wherein, close to the flange 126, the outside diameter of the side 128 of the tooth-set carrier 12 is not diminished, but instead the other side 127 near flange 111 has a greater outside diameter. The flange 111, which encompasses the exposed surface 124 in the area of the larger diameter, possesses in this case a correspondingly formed groove 51.
During the operation of the opening roll 1, bunched fibers enter into the tooth-set 3 in a conventional manner and are then separated into individual fibers by the teeth 32 of the tooth-set wire.
The fibers are suspended in the air brought into motion by the rotation of the opening roll 1 in the region of the tooth-set 3 between the teeth before they exit from the separation roll housing at a specific point. These entrained individual fibers can accumulate and set up solidly in fissures and surface irregularities of the said opening roll 1. These packed fibers, after a short time, leave their said locations and then become fiber agglomerations which make themselves noticeable as faults in the eventual threads. In order to prevent that the fibers become trapped in the opening between the core piece 11 and the tooth-set carrier 12, provision can be made that the outer surface 124 in the area between the tooth-set 3 and the flange 111 possesses a circumferential groove 6. This allows that within the said groove 6, the outer surface 124 is depressed in the direction of the rotational axis of the opening roll 1, while the opening between the tooth-set carrier 12 and flange 111 is arranged in an area of the normal diameter of said outer surface. This is presented in FIG. 3. Thus, the opening between tooth-set carrier 12 and the holder 13 is thereby less endangered from the trapping of fibers. The same effect may be achieved in such a way that, instead of a circumferential groove 6, the side of the tooth-set carrier 12 can be increased in diameter where it fits into the flange.
FIG. 3 shows additionally in an enlarged presentation the cross pin 141 on the holder 13 in the position where it lies against the detent 114 of the core piece 11. Since the holder 13 exhibits three cross pins 141, the core piece accordingly possesses three detents 114. The detent 114 shown in the upper half of the FIG. 3 has a such a cross pin 141, which is shown by dotted lines since it would not otherwise be recognizable in the format of FIG. 3. Three of these cross pins 141 are installed in the inner circumference of the holder 13. By the manual rotation of the holder 13 with its cross pins 141 away from the detents 114, each cross pin 141 slides on its respective inclined plane surface 116 which is sloped in relation to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. By this arrangement, the holder 13 is distanced from the core piece 11 in an axial direction. This sends a signal to the person doing the installation of a new tooth-set carrier 12, that the turning direction of the holder 13 in relation to the core piece 11 is incorrect.
When the rotation direction is correct, then the cross pin 141 slides along the inclined surface 116 and can, upon further turning, impact against the detent 114. As soon as the detent 114 comes into contact with the cross pin 141, the fastening means 112 and 121 find themselves aligned with one another, so that, for instance, the screw 113 can be inserted into the fastening means (see FIG. 1). The advantageous formation of the opening roll 1 is independent of other features of said roll.
FIG. 4 depicts a particularly advantageously designed separation roll 1 with the core piece 11. The holder 13 is constructed as one piece with the tooth-set carrier 12. In the axial direction, the interior space 72 links up with the opening 71 between the core piece 11 and the bearing sleeve 210, which is provided for the acceptance of contamination which penetrates through the opening 71. The boring 70 forms, through the increasing of its diameter in connection with opening 71, the inner space 72. The interior space 72 is connected with the opening 7. The transition between the interior space 72 and the opening 7 forms such a large annular opening, that particles of contamination certainly come out of the interior space 72 into the opening 7. By removing the holder 13, the openings arranged in the front side of the core piece 11 are exposed. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, there are six openings 7 provided (see also FIG. 5), which communicate with one another through the interior space 72. In principle, even one opening would suffice, if it were large enough and was designed for the entry of, for instance, cleaning means or compressed air and at the same time suitable for the removal of contamination. The core piece 11 is advantageously made as a precision pressure casting, which means comprised of aluminum or magnesium, so that the openings can be formed even during the casting. In the present case, with connection between the interior space 72 and the opening 7 is achieved by a diametrical increase in the boring. This is also possible, through a diminution of the outside diameter of the bearing sleeve 210 in the transition zone between interior space 72 and the opening 7. It is important for the invention, that the interior space 72 be connected with the opening 7 by a sufficiently large free space.
The core piece 11 is provided with three detents 114. Cross pin 141 of the holder 13 is shown in FIG. 4 in a right angle section. The section course is made plain by FIG. 5 by means of the dotted line. The holder 13 is arrested by its cross pin 141 against the detent 114, again see FIG. 5. Thus, the correct position of the holder 13 is made recognizable for the mounting operation. The detent of the holder 13 on the right side of the presentation of FIG. 4 is not visible. FIG. 4 shows in the right half of the presentation of the core piece 11, the start of the inclined plane surface 116, which moves the holder 13 in a direction away from the core piece 11 when the holder 13 is turned in the wrong direction. FIG. 5 shows two of the visible inclined surfaces 116. The core piece 11 is provided with three detents 114, which are equally circumferentially spaced. Accordingly, the holder 13 possesses three cross pins 141. | A multicomponent opening roll for an open end spinning apparatus includes a core piece, upon which a holder for a tooth-set carrier is fastened. The tooth-set carrier (12) must be exchangeable as is determined by operational wear. In order that the axial width of the opening roll (1) is made independent of the axial width of the tooth-set carrier (12), the core piece (11) possess an axial detent (131) for the holder (13). | 3 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to repair of water damaged balsa wood cores of fiberglass boat hulls.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Fiberglass boats are typically constructed using an inner and outer fiberglass skin separated by a balsa wood core. The balsa wood core is in the form of small separate blocks preattached to a fabric or fabric like material mesh on one side only. This allows the separate blocks to tilt in two directions relative to each other to readily follow the convex contours of a boat. The spaces between the separate blocks are called veins.
[0003] While the balsa wood is very light weight and offers adequate crush resistance (on end grain), it is quite vulnerable to water infiltration between the fiberglass skins of a boat which in time may cause the core to decay and then eventually to rot. Typically when this happens, the boat owner puts off repair until the damage is extensive or structural integrity is compromised since the current method of repair is drastic. This expensive procedure involves de-skinning of entire outer fiberglass covering, replacement of the damaged balsa core, and then replacement of the outer skin. This entails hundreds of person-hours of effort and can take a boat out of service for an entire season.
[0004] Examination of the prior art reveals several patents related to localized repair of non-metallic structures or objects. U.S. Pat. No. 2,307,958 of Hellier relates to a method of repairing rubber vehicle tires by using air pressure to locate and dry ply separations, by injecting the dry air through a hole with a hollow needle. A cement is then injected to reattach the separated plies.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,951 of Krchma et al. relates to a method of treating blisters in asphaltic membrane covered roofs. A selected liquid hydrocarbon miscible with the asphalt of the membrane is introduced through a flexible hose with a puncture output nozzle, and the liquid hydrocarbon is used to heal the localized blistering of the asphalt.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,439 of Speer is related to an apparatus and method of plastic repair such as of vinyl seat covers. It involves the use of a tool with a narrow jet of heated air to cure a heat curable repair compound.
[0007] Clearly these patents do not teach techniques which can be applied to the repair of fiberglass boat hulls. However, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,661 of Cederstrom is a method of localized repair of surface blisters of laminated plastic objects including fiberglass boat hulls. Cederstrom '661 is primarily involved with osmosis type damage to the exterior boat hull skin. Using a combination of controlled heat or cooling with mechanical action of a strong compressed air jet, in Cederstrom '661 the damaged area is cleaned and dried in a single operation using a HYAB-osmosis tool. Damaged material below the skin is not removed; instead it is reinforced with a penetrating epoxy.
[0008] A similar system is noted in the website of Star Distributing Corporation of Mystic CT in their excerpt entitled “Cost Effective Restoration of Decay in Wooden Core Fiberglass Boats©”. Star Distributing describes a time-consuming method for repairing wood damaged boat hulls by tapping the boat with a mallet to estimate wood damaged areas by listening for hollow echo sounds, drilling holes in those estimated areas, letting the wood damaged areas dry by ambient air and heat, and then pouring Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (CPES) into the estimated damaged portions of a hull. The method of Star Distributing does not physically remove damaged core; it just treats it with poured CPES. The method of Star Distributing dries out areas with rudimentary ventilation and heat, but not with a system of vacuum plates and sources to facilitate controlled drying and removal of moisture. The only mention of vacuuming in Star Distributing is to a usual domestic vacuum cleaner, but Star Distributing uses a vacuum to remove drill waste, airborne fiberglass particles and water leaking from the lowest drilled hole.
[0009] In addition, the method of Star Distributing does not physically remove damaged wood core areas; it only treats drill-exposed areas with poured-in CMES, leaving unexposed, damaged wood core areas which may not be in contact with the CPES, and which may cause further wood rot damage in the future.
[0010] Initially, tapping the surface is used by both Star Distributing and optionally by the present invention. But the present invention goes much further. After initial tapping, then the present invention uses the moisture meter/infrared camera, which can accurately predict not just hollow areas, but non-hollow, moisture-ridden areas. The present invention uses an analytical grid pattern, dries wood-infested areas with heat and vacuum, then re-tests the dried areas with the moisture meter/infrared camera, after using the vacuum plate sub-system.
[0011] Star Distributing does not remove damaged areas; it only treats them with CMES. In contrast, the present invention uses augers and bits to remove out rotted core; Star Distributing only dries it.
[0012] The present invention uses moisture meters to locate water. The present invention uses grids to make moisture location more accurately, and to take notes for future moisture testing. But Star Distributing just pokes holes to examine wood thereat.
[0013] If there is water present, Star Distributing uses a vacuum cleaner to remove water at lowest point. The present invention uses vacuum to pull in air from upper holes and leaves it on for days, to facilitate drying. The present invention's continuous vacuuming facilitates fast drying of the core. Star Distributing dries by allowing approximately 1 week drying. But the present invention uses multiple measuring and monitoring with moisture meters and similar devices to ascertain proper drying.
[0014] Both Star Distributing's and the present invention's techniques are minimally invasive. But the present invention removes rotted sections of wood core and dries out non-rotted wet areas. Unlike Star Distributing, the present invention uses flexible cable tools and bits to remove rotted wood. The present invention preferably uses chopped fiberglass and epoxy to replace wood core. Star Distributing physically fills bare areas where the present invention removes rotted wood. But Star Distributing, after drying the wood core (whether bad or good) doesn't teach removing wood rot. Additionally, Star Distributing relies heavily by using the mallet tapping to locate holes representing separation of wood from fiberglass (de-lamination). Such a reliance does not rise to the level of sophistication of the present invention, which can detect moisture infested areas even if there is no separation of the fiberglass skin from the adjacent water infested wood core areas.
[0015] After drying by ambient air over time (one week), Star Distributing uses liquid CPES that is soaked up by wood that takes a long time to dry. After ambient drying, Star Distributing adds another CPES in-filling. The CPES coat is poured in to replace wood lignum lost to bacterial consumption. In contrast, the present invention is removing and replacing the damaged wood.
[0016] Unlike Star Distributing, the present invention also has optional preventive maintenance. Star Distributing does not remove damaged wood, but fills drilled plug holes with Fill It and Layup and Laminating Epoxy (LLE). Star Distributing's main emphasis is use of poring in CPES to the damaged wood.
[0017] Clearly, the repair methods of Cederstrom '661 and Star Distributing are different from the present invention. Cederstrom '661 and Star Distributing do not extend the method to a systematic analysis of a fiberglass boat hull having a balsa wood core, by using moisture meter techniques to locate damaged areas not visible to the tapping or to the naked eye, and to heat and remove the damaged wood core with accurately measured minimal incisions of the fiberglass boat outer skin.
[0018] The invention of U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,143 of Franguela, Ship Hull Repair Apparatus, describes a device that can be rapidly deployed to repair a breach in the hull of a boat. It acts to plug the hole in the hull and is designed to be installed by a diver from the exterior in an emergency to stem the flow of water into the boat if the breach is below the water line. This apparatus will seal a hole in the hull of any type of construction (eg.—metal, fiberglass, wood) as long as it is sized to be compatible with the damage.
[0019] FIG. 1 of Franguela '143 shows the method of installation by a diver. FIG. 1A of Franguela '143 shows a perspective view of the apparatus showing the mounting plate (sealing disk) 15 with two pneumatic storage cylinders 39 and 40 which contain compressed air or other gas to operate the apparatus. The crossectional side view of FIG. 4 permits one to quickly grasp the operational features of the apparatus. In this view, the configuration is as stored and prior to installation. It will be appreciated that four legs (see FIG. 2 ) 20 through 23 would be pushed through the hull breach protruding into the inside of the boat hull. Pneumatic piston 34 within cylinder 16 is poised to pull on cables 37 which will pivot legs 20 through 23 into the configuration shown in FIG. 7 upon pressure released from pneumatic storage cylinder 44 . This action locks the apparatus to the side of the hull aided by distal hooks such as 27 and 28 .
[0020] At this time, compressed gas is released from cylinder 39 to inflate annular sealing bladder 38 to form a water tight seal against the boat hull.
[0021] Although the repair is complete, there will be some hydrodynamic drag from the apparatus extending somewhat from the hull surface if below the water line. If above the water line or close to it, the repair also imposed aesthetic problems. Also, the repair may lose viability after long term use due to possible permeation of compressed gas through the flexible sealing bladder. For these reasons, the invention of Franguela '143 is considered to be an emergency and temporary repair apparatus.
[0022] In contrast to Franguela '143, the present invention is a repair system and method for fiberglass boats. The present invention is a system for locating core damage in fiberglass boat hulls while in dry dock, removing damaged wood core and repairing water intrusion damage to the damaged wood core areas. Further, drying apparatus involving the use of vacuum pumps and heaters are used to prepare the damaged areas for permanent repair. The method of the present invention is not designed to repair a hull breach which transverses both the outer and inner skins of a fiberglass boat, nor is the repair method applicable to wood or metal hull construction. Both the method and apparatus of the present invention bear no relation to the repair apparatus of Franguela '143.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0023] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for repair of water damaged balsa wood cores within fiberglass boat hulls.
[0024] It is also an object of the present invention to provide for such a system, which minimizes surgical incision, and wholesale removal of large sections of the outer fiberglass skin of a boat hull.
[0025] Other objects will become apparent from the following description of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0026] In keeping with these objects and others, which may become apparent the system and method of the present invention replaces only those sections of rotted balsa core of a boat hull as needed while minimizing the damage to the outer fiberglass skin. In early stages of moisture attack, only sporadic regions and spots on the boat are damaged. The boat hull repair method of the present invention locates the damaged areas, dries out the damaged areas, repairs the damaged core, and prevents further damage by closing any leaks in the boat hull skins.
[0027] Early attention to these areas using methods of this invention greatly limits the labor content of the repair. Then, as part of the repair, analysis of the moisture entry paths and their repair would prevent further deterioration. The rotted balsa is removed by using rotary cutting tools, and alternatively the chips can be vacuumed out. A preferred embodiment entails the chips, foreign matter, or sediment to be blown out of the boat hull with a tool such as an air chuck or the like. The access to the bad areas is through relatively small holes in the outer fiberglass skin. The cavities thus formed are not refilled by balsa; instead a filled epoxy is used.
[0028] Suspected rotted areas are initially spotted by visual inspection, sounding, and “tug” tests. At this point, a moisture meter is used to verify the presence of water-saturated or moist wood; this is done through the outer skin. It is not a highly invasive procedure.
[0029] Once a region is identified as having water infiltration, a grid pattern is drawn on the outer fiberglass. A few core samples are taken with a hole saw. Rectangular openings below areas of wet core or wood are cut in the outer skin. Gasketed vacuum plates are attached to the side over these openings and a vacuum pump is attached using a manifold. Now a systematic moisture map of each grid location is made whereby the moisture content of the core is recorded along with the date. More core samples are taken where indicated by moisture readings.
[0030] As time goes on, moisture readings will decrease as the vacuum draws in heated dry air. Dry heated air under pressure can also be forced in above the wet core or wood regions. When the moisture reading is very dry (about 5%) The repair of the rotted areas can start.
[0031] Using commonly available tools and equipment, the wet core or wood areas of balsa are removed through small openings in the fiberglass shell. Both pneumatic and electrically driven hand tools can be used. Typically, straight and right-angle grinder drivers are used with butterfly cutters, de-burring bits, and other types of de-veining tool bits. Using a drive motor with a tool at the end of a flexible shaft enables one to reach wet core or wood areas far from the edge of a core hole. Thus deep cavities can be made with minimal exterior damage. Wood chips and debris are usually removed by using a tool such as an air chuck or a powerful vacuum at the end of a hose attached to a commercial vacuum cleaner, alternatively any tool which can accomplish the same purpose commonly known to persons skilled in the art may be utilized.
[0032] However, the vacuum system attached to the vacuum plates is only used for the drying process. Large attached sections of damaged core are physically removed using a routing procedure with rotary tools and bits. Debris and smaller particles are vacuumed out using a vacuum cleaner.
[0033] Once the cavities are made, and after drying, epoxy is mixed with chopped glass mill fiber and the mixture is applied to fill the cavities using a manual or pneumatically driven caulking gun. The skin repair is made by sanding the repair flush with the outer boat contour, applying a seal coat, a gel coat and finally a barrier water proofing.
[0034] Instead of taking three months to cut open large sections of a boat hull, the selective incisions and treatment of a core damaged boat hull can be done in less than three weeks duration, with significant labor and material savings.
[0035] Therefore, the present invention provides a method for boat repair, which includes detecting troubled areas of the boat, such as water infested wood core areas. The repair procedure further includes boring relatively small cavities within the boat in relation to the troubled areas. Heat is applied to the troubled areas and water damaged particles are blown out and/or vacuumed from the boat through the holes.
[0036] Detecting troubled areas is accomplished by utilizing a moisture meter or a heat sensing thermal or infra-red camera to detect the presence of moisture damaged wood core between the inner and outer skins of the boat, or beneath the deck or roof areas of the boat.
[0037] Once the moisture-ridden areas are located, areas of the boat are in a grid marked to clearly identify the troubled areas. Typical markings associated with the grid include recording the date and amount of moisture in each grid square if deemed necessary.
[0038] Additionally, the method for boat hull repair includes a search in finding the trough of the boat where water accumulates.
[0039] Once the areas are identified, the holes are drilled, at suspected damaged areas, and an auger removes particles from within the boat.
[0040] While straight augers can be used near the drilled holes for relatively inaccessible areas away from the drilled hole, a flexible auger removes particles from within the boat.
[0041] An auger can also be utilized to aid in facilitating the airflow within the boat.
[0042] As part of the repair process, heat is applied with a heater, such as a gas driven heater, an electric heater, an infrared heater, a convection heater or by placing the boat within a temperature control room. The heat dries out the moisture, allowing the water damaged particles to be removed and replaced. Heat may be selectively applied to damaged areas, or to the entire boat.
METHOD OF OPERATION
[0043] The methods of this invention are intended to identify and repair all wet core hull areas and to perform preventive maintenance on dry hull areas to restore the integrity of a fiberglass boat hull and to prevent new water infiltration damage beyond the level of a new hull.
[0044] The wet area repair guidelines using a surface moisture meter such as a model GRP33 use the following criteria. Any balsa cored area reading 15% or above is considered a wet area. Any wood cored area reading 20% or above is considered a wet area. In addition, any balsa/wood cored area with a relative difference of 5% or more than the average moisture reading of the surrounding area is considered wet and must be repaired.
[0045] An overview of the repair steps involves removing all through-hull fittings or hardware. Wet core areas are then dried out using heat lamps, lights or heaters, hot-vac systems, or octopus vacuum with grid system. If necessary, any area not drying out is de-cored and repaired accordingly. After repairs are finished, all through-hull fillings or hardware is reinstalled using new sealant. The recommended sealants are 3m 4200 Marine Grade Sealant/Adhesive for both below the waterline and above the waterline.
[0046] The preferred methods of repair are well described in the above sections of the invention relating to a minimally invasive procedure requiring the drying out of wet core areas. These methods offer great benefits in reduced labor costs; they are described in the text above and FIGS. 1 through 9 A. In cases where the core is not responding to drying attempts, the areas are de-cored. This can be accomplished either from the interior, as detailed in the discussion of FIG. 11 , or from the exterior in a similar procedure. If performed from the interior, clear access must be provided to the repair area. All equipment, sole plates, insulation, and all other items that may prevent clear access must be removed prior to the repair.
[0047] Obviously, all removed items must be replaced after the repair. If the de-coring is performed from the exterior of the hull, access is more easy. The procedure is similar to that in FIG. 11 , but it is the outer laminate instead of the inner laminate that is penetrated. Also, It is the schedule and finish of the outer laminate that must be matched in the final steps.
[0048] The general preventive maintenance guidelines call for three different approaches applicable to three different regions of a hull. First, all dry areas below the waterline are to be disassembled, de-cored and reassembled with new sealant. The steps in this procedure are detailed in the discussion of FIG. 12 . Secondly, all dry areas above the waterline will be cleaned of all old sealant around the outside edge of the hardware; then the hardware is resealed from the exterior with a new bead of sealant. Third, all gunnel/stainless is removed and inspected. The steps for preventive maintenance of this region are described in the text for the maintenance chart of FIG. 10B .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0049] 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:
[0050] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art boat hull repair method, wherein a portion of boat hull with a major part of the fiberglass skin is peeled away, revealing the damaged areas of the core;
[0051] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a moisture meter used in diagnosing a moisture damaged core of a fiberglass boat hull requiring treatment according to the system and method of the present invention;
[0052] FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a collection of fabric backed balsa wood core blocks inside a boat hull, shown with the outer fiberglass skin layer removed;
[0053] FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a portion of a boat hull being treated in accordance with the system and method of the present invention;
[0054] FIG. 2A and 2B are side elevational views of grid systems shown depicted upon respective left and right sides of a boat hull, showing sources of water intrusion, such as port hole windows and motor vent holes;
[0055] FIG. 3 is a close-up perspective detail view of a vacuum draw plate used in connection with vacuum cleaning of moisture and damaged wood core debris of a boat hull being treated in accordance with the system and method of the present invention;
[0056] FIG. 4 is a close-up perspective view of the vacuum system of the present invention;
[0057] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the vacuum and pressure systems shown in place at a boat hull to be repaired;
[0058] FIG. 5 is a close-up detail view of saw equipment used for introducing incision holes of the system and method of the present invention;
[0059] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a straight oriented hand-held drilling and routing tool of the system and method of the present invention;
[0060] FIG. 7 is a is a perspective view of a bent, right angle oriented hand-held drilling and routing tool of the system and method of the present invention;
[0061] FIG. 8 is a is a perspective view of a flexible oriented hand-held drilling and routing tool of the system and method of the present invention;
[0062] FIG. 9 is a close-up elevational view of a portion of a boat hull being treated in accordance with the system and method of the present invention;
[0063] FIG. 9A is a close-up elevational view of a flexible auger used on a portion of a boat hull being treated with the system and method of the present invention;
[0064] FIG. 10A is a chart showing the relation between the different repair techniques of this invention for repair of wet core damaged areas in fiberglass boat hulls;
[0065] FIG. 10B is a chart showing the preventive maintenance techniques of this invention for different areas of a fiberglass boat hull. FIGS. 10A and 10B together constitute a combined chart entitled, “Repair and Maintenance for Fiberglass Hulls”;
[0066] FIG. 11 is a cutaway side view, taken as shown in the dashed line ellipse “11” shown in FIG. 9 , showing a damaged area of the hull with a wet core section, further showing the outer skin removed and showing various layers progressively downward and inward through the hull with a section of the inner laminate (skin) removed and the wet core area cut out with a bevel to effect a de-core procedure from the interior of the boat; and,
[0067] FIG. 12 is a close-up exploded view 12 of a hull detail with through-hull hardware shown as being just removed for preventive maintenance below the waterline taken as shown in the dashed line ellipse designated as “12” in the region of the porthole shown at the front end of boat hull 2 shown in FIG. 9 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0068] FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art method of boat repair which involves peeling back of the fiberglass skin to locate and repair the damaged areas. Boat hull 1 is shown with part of the fiberglass skin peeled back 3 from its normal attached position 2 to reveal damaged areas 5 in the exposed balsa block core 4 . This analogous to “major surgery” as compared with the “laparascopic surgery” approach of this invention.
[0069] FIG. 1A shows an analog moisture meter 8 . Digital meters as well as moisture probes attached to PDA's or laptop computers are also available. Infrared cameras, or other remote moisture detectors, may also be used for thermal imaging of moisture presence.
[0070] FIG. 1B is a hull detail showing compound curve contour 20 , balsa blocks 23 , mesh 22 to which blocks 23 are preattached, and the inner fiberglass to which mesh 22 is loosely attached. Note that blocks 23 can adjust to hull contour 20 ; in so doing spaces or veins 24 are formed between the balsa blocks. These veins 24 often act as conduits for infiltrated water which is then conducted to damage larger regions.
[0071] FIG. 2 is an exterior hull section 1 with skin intact. Grid region 10 is drawn on the surface for a systematic moisture survey of the surface to locate damaged areas. Vacuum plates 14 are attached over openings in the hull to extract moisture from damaged areas via vacuum hoses 11 . Tape 12 is used to attach plates 14 to the hull.
[0072] FIGS. 2A and 2B show two different sides of boat 1 hull respectively. They show the location of port hole windows 6 and motor vents 7 .
[0073] FIG. 3 is a close-up of vacuum plate 14 . It preferably includes a preferably transparent plate 30 such as of polycarbonate, gasket 31 , such as of a flexible sealing material such as closed cell foam, which forms an airtight seal against the hull, and hose barb 32 for attachment to vacuum hose.
[0074] FIG. 4 shows a stand-alone vacuum system 35 . Commercial vacuum pump 36 is attached via large vacuum hose 37 to vacuum manifold 38 . Vacuum gauge 39 indicates vacuum. A number of hose barbs 42 are used for attachment of vacuum hoses 11 . Those barbs 42 not used are capped by seal caps 41 to prevent vacuum leakage.
[0075] FIG. 4A shows a combined vacuum and pressure center 45 . Vacuum pump 36 is powered by motor 46 which is plugged into outlet 53 . Intake line 48 from manifold to vacuum pump attaches to vacuum manifold 38 ; drain spigot 47 is to drain out accumulated water from the air drawn in by vacuum pump 36 . Vacuum hoses 11 are attached to vacuum plates 14 . The pressure supply side obtains compressed air from an external source via compressed air line 56 which is attached to air inlet filter 49 on air tank 50 . Electric heater 54 attached to outlet 53 heats the compressed air in tank 50 before it is distributed via compressed air manifold 55 and hoses 51 to line filters 52 . These lead to input openings in the fiberglass hull skin to aid in drying damaged areas. Compressed air gauge 40 indicates pressure at manifold 55 .
[0076] FIG. 5 shows hole saw equipment including electric drill driver 60 , mandrel 61 , and two sizes of hole saw 62 . A cordless version can be used as well.
[0077] FIG. 6 shows a straight pneumatic tool 66 powered by compressed air hose 68 with control valve 67 and veining bit 69 .
[0078] FIG. 7 shows right angle pneumatic driver 72 with control valve 73 , chuck 74 and butterfly bit 75 .
[0079] A flexible shaft driver 78 with flexible shaft 79 , guidepiece 82 , collet 81 and deburring tool 80 is shown in FIG. 8 . It can be electrically or pneumatically driven.
[0080] A section of attached fiberglass skin 2 is shown in FIG. 9 . It has core access hole 85 which enabled the removal of damaged core region 86 .
[0081] FIG. 9A illustrates the use of a modified flexible shaft auger 90 in removing damaged core creating cavity 98 through access hole 85 . Here adjustable stand 94 with hook 93 supports motor 91 via hanger loop 92 . Flexible shaft 95 feeds through a bendable semi-rigid outer covering 96 (like that of a gooseneck lamp) to emerge at guidepiece 82 . Collet 81 retains cutting tool bit 80 . The modification is the addition of sleeve 96 which permits tool 80 to be oriented in any direction to gouge out cavity 98 .
[0082] The repair and maintenance charts of FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate the relationships between the different techniques of this invention in renewing the integrity of fiberglass boat hulls. In the repair chart of FIG. 10A , the first step is to locate the wet core areas as discussed above with the use of a moisture meter and possibly drawing a grid system on the exterior hull surface for accurate data collection of moisture content over time. While the preferred method of repair is the minimally invasive method discussed above (shown as the leftmost branch), in some cases, stubborn wet areas are found which do not respond to the drying techniques already discussed in detail. In these cases, either the inner or outer laminates or skins are actually removed over the entire wet area. This can be done from the interior whereby no repair is required on the highly visible exterior surface. In some cases, the wet area cannot be reached from the interior and the repair must be made from the exterior surface. This method of repair is called de-coring whereby the wet core section is actually cut out. Then, new core material is added, and the repair area is finished to blend in with the rest of the inner or outer laminate in the vicinity. This process is commonly done when the core is rotted. Alternatively, the outer skin is surgically cut in the vicinity of the water damage to facilitate drying of the cores which have no rot.
[0083] The dry areas of the hull are treated to three basically different preventive maintenance techniques as described by chart 10 B. Above the waterline, old sealant is cleaned or removed from around any hardware. Then a bead of new sealant is used to seal the exterior of the hardware.
[0084] All gunnel/stainless is removed and inspected. All broken or bent screws are removed, and misdrilled holes or deck-to-hull seams are repaired and/or sealed with sealant. The gunnel/stainless is then reinstalled with a new bead of sealant. Finally, drain holes are drilled in the gunnel molding on the underpart.
[0085] Below the waterline, all through-hull hardware is removed. Core material is carefully removed to a predetermined depth such as, between one to two inches from the edge of the cutout. The de-cored areas are then filled with epoxy before the hardware is reinstalled with new sealant.
[0086] FIG. 11 is a side cutaway view, taken as shown in the dashed line ellipse “11” shown in FIG. 9 , of an example of a wet area repair from the interior of the hull, illustrating the progressive steps encountered in the repair. In the cutaway view of FIG. 11 , the uppermost item shown is the vacuum suction cup 138 , which is placed above and having a connection through plastic bag 137 , under which is bleeder fabric layer 136 , then strip ply/peel layer 134 and the lowest layer, which is fiberglass level 121 . FIG. 11 also shows the affected region after inner laminate 122 is ground back until all damaged areas are removed. Inner laminate 122 is tapered back at region 128 to a suitable taper, such as, for example, a 20:1 taper ratio and the wet core is removed with a tool, such as a sharp bevel. This area is further prepared by grinding or filling any voids with a filler, such as, for example, polyester putty. All dust and loose debris is blown out and/or vacuumed out of the area to be laminated. The next step is to apply the first layer of fiberglass. This involves solvent-wiping the prepared laminate area and then applying, for example, 2 oz/sq.ft. chopped strand mat (CSM) or other suitable material, to the repair area with a appropriate overlap, such as a two inch overlap, at the perimeter. This new laminate layer is then allowed to cure. The opposite skin and laminated perimeter 130 is prepared for replacement of the core by grinding to a near white condition and insuring the overlaps are smooth. The next step is to prep the new core. The new core is pattern cut and pre-fit to the repair area. The edges are machined to closely fit the beveled perimeter. All dust and foreign debris is again blown out and/or vacuumed out from the repair area. The next step is bedding of the new core material. Bagging of the core involves first placing a seal, such as tacky tape, around the perimeter of the prep area. The bedded surface of the balsa core is then primed with a primer, such as, for example, catalyzed V/E resin, before bedding. Next, using the V/E resin, chopped strand mat material, such as at least 2 oz/sq.ft. of the chopped strand mat (CSM) materials, are applied and catalyzed. Vacuum bag 137 is carefully sealed around the periphery using a seal, such as for example, tacky tape 132 . Vacuum is then applied through vacuum port suction cup 138 . After cure, bag 137 is removed. The core is ground and detailed, cleaned, and then primed with catalyzed resin. When resin is cured, any voids are filled with a filler, such as for example, polyester putty. All excess putty or resin/fiberglass are cleaned from the core. Repair area is then prepared for the replacement laminate by grinding the perimeter to a near white condition. The core is feather ground to eliminate any excess portion of excess putty. The area to be laminated is again vacuumed and cleaned. The final step is the step of installing the new surface laminate. The repair area to be laminated is solvent wiped, and then the original inside laminate schedule is applied. This involves installing the first laminate ply to overlap the existing laminate by an appropriate dimension, such as, for example, a minimum of two inches. Each successive ply should overlap the previous by a minimum dimension, such as, for example, of one inch. After curing, a light grinding of between each set of laminates is performed. Finally the exposed surface finish should replicate the original interior surface and be equal in finish to the existing production standard.
[0087] FIG. 12 illustrates dry area preventive maintenance procedures used below the waterline. FIG. 12 is a close-up exploded detail view of the region surrounding any through-hull hardware feature, taken as shown in the dashed line ellipse designated as “12” in the region of the porthole shown at the front end of boat hull 2 shown in FIG. 9 . In FIG. 12 , removed hardware 150 is shown removed from the porthole. Outer fiberglass laminate 121 , dry undamaged core 123 and inner laminate 122 are shown. The next step of the procedure includes the step where one appropriate sections 151 , such as for example, one inch deep sections, of core 123 are removed from between laminates 121 and 122 . After the cutout is cleaned out, de-cored regions 151 are filled with an epoxy 155 , such as, for example, West Systems Marine Epoxy. After epoxy 155 is set, it is sanded smooth. Then the true-hull hardware 150 is reinstalled with new sealant, such as for example, as 3M 5200 Marine Grade Sealant/Adhesive.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0088] The present invention has broad applications to many technical fields for a variety of articles. For illustrative purposes only, a preferred mode for carrying out the invention is described herein, wherein a repair system for treating boat hulls with rotted balsa wood cores utilizes a minimally invasive incision and treatment technique of the fiberglass boat hull.
[0089] As shown in FIG. 1 , in a prior art boat hull repair method, a major portion of boat hull 1 with a large part of the fiberglass skin 3 is peeled away from fiberglass skin 2 , revealing the damaged areas 5 of the balsa wood core of hull portion 4 to be treated and removed.
[0090] In contrast, in the present invention, general areas 5 of moisture damage to a boat hull 1 are determined by exposing the exterior surface of a boat hull 1 to a moisture detector 8 , such as a moisture meter as shown in FIG. 1A , or by other moisture sensing equipment, such as a thermal or infra-red camera. A typical moisture meter 8 has either a digital or analog output, showing moisture readings of from zero to about thirty percent moisture content on a relative scale extending from a very dry condition to a most condition and finally to a wet condition.
[0091] FIG. 1B shows a collection of fabric backed balsa wood core blocks 23 inside a boat hull 1 , shown with the outer fiberglass skin layer removed. The balsa wood blocks are shown slightly fanning outward along a rear curved inner fiberglass reinforced fabric mesh backing 22 attached to an inner fiberglass skin 21 , following a curve contour 20 of the boat hull 1 . The triangular area gaps located between adjacent balsa wood blocks 23 are defined as veins 24 , through which water intrusions flow, thereby damaging adjacent balsa wood blocks 23 . When water intrudes into the area between the inner fiberglass layer 21 and outer fiberglass boat hull skin layer 3 , these balsa wood blocks 23 are susceptible to moisture damage and rot, thereby interfering with the structural integrity of the inner buoyant core of the boat hull 1 .
[0092] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 , the boat hull repair system and method of the present invention removes the aforementioned moisture and water damaged wood core from within the fiberglass skin layers 3 and 21 of a boat hull 1 .
[0093] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a front view of a side of a boat hull 1 , typically comprising an exterior fiberglass skin 3 and an interior fiberglass skin layer 21 shown in FIG. 1B , both separated by a core of a plurality of small, flat edged balsa wood core blocks 23 connected by a flexible fiberglass reinforced textile mesh strips 22 , as shown in FIG. 1B , which allows the incremental placement of the individual, generally linear based, blocks 23 over one or more complex curves 20 of the boat hull. Typically the blocks 23 are one to two inches in length, with thickness' varying in a range of from about one quarter (¼) inch in thickness to about three quarters (¾) inch in thickness. Often the balsa wood blocks 23 are either three eighth (⅜) inch to about one half (½) inch in thickness.
[0094] Although the blocks 23 are positioned adjacent to each other, as shown in FIG. 1B , they are spaced apart from each other by a small distance, to allow the incremental bending of the strip of flat blocks 23 over a complex curve contour 20 of the boat hull 1 . However, these spaces, referred to in the maritime trade as “veins” 24 are vulnerable to exposure to water running therethrough, from cracks or damaged seals in the boat hull 1 or its accessory structures, such as port holes, gunnel molding, weep holes in the anchor area or ventilation holes. Other areas of water intrusion include the motor compartments of the boat. Water further collects in the trough areas of the boat hull 1 , where the complex curves 20 are of such configuration that they cannot be filled by balsa wood blocks 23 .
[0095] The balsa wood cores shown in FIG. 1B before moisture damage thereto, are susceptible to water induced rot, eventually pulverizing and leaving areas having a lack of structural integrity in the areas of damaged and pulverized balsa wood core blocks 23 .
[0096] The prior art generally includes macro cutting of large sections of the damaged balsa wood core areas of blocks 23 underneath the outer fiberglass skin 3 of the boat hull 1 , and surgically removing wholesale sections of balsa wood block aggregates.
[0097] In contrast, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 , the present invention uses selectively placed microsurgical incisions, to make minor incisions in the outer fiberglass skin 3 of the boat hull 1 , and selectively targeting the moisture ridden areas of the balsa wood core blocks 23 shown in FIG. 1B before moisture damage thereto between the inner and outer fiberglass layers 3 and 21 of the boat hull 1 .
[0098] First, the boat hull 1 is examined with moisture meters 8 , shown in FIG. 1A , to ascertain the general area of moisture infestation before any cuts are made into the outer boat hull skin 3 . Thermal imaging cameras can also be used.
[0099] Then, as shown in FIG. 2 , a grid region 10 is laid out over the general areas of moisture infestation, and selective cuts are made to identify the exact locations of the moisture ridden core areas of balsa core blocks 23 . As shown in FIG. 5 , holes may be cut, for example, by a hand-held hole drill 60 having a mandrel 61 holding cylindrical serrated, barbed hole saws 62 . Typically the grid region 10 is graphed out by using a grease pencil or other marker and a straight edge, such as a ruler or yardstick. Additionally, the grid pattern can be implemented by optical projections or other similar temporary marking means. The grid region 10 is broken down into discernable sections, labeled by section labels, such as, for example, “A”, “B”, “C”, etc.
[0100] Normally the grid region 10 shown in FIG. 2 is not marked all the way up to the top of the boat hull 1 , because the top portion of a boat hull 1 is normally not infested with water permeation.
[0101] The grid region 10 is dated at locations of significant moisture readings every two or three days during treatment. Moisture readings are repeated during treatment, to ascertain whether moisture content has decreased from wet readings of between twenty and thirty percent concentration, to a relatively dry concentration of less than ten percent moisture content, during treatment of the boat hull 1 with the heating and vacuum system and method of the present invention, whereby vacuum plates 14 are attached with fastening means, such as tape 12 , over openings in the hull 1 to extract moisture from damaged areas via vacuum hoses 11 . As shown in FIG. 3 , vacuum plates 14 include transparent plate portion 30 , such as of polycarbonate, and at least one vacuum hose barb 32 , to which is attached a respective vacuum hose 11 shown in FIG. 2 . An elastomeric seal 31 , such as a closed cell foam gasket, seals vacuum plate 14 upon boat hull 1 .
[0102] Stand-alone vacuum system 35 , shown in FIG. 4 , includes vacuum pump 36 having large vacuum hose 37 attached to vacuum manifold 38 , wherein vacuum gauge 39 indicates vacuum. Vacuum manifold 38 has a plurality of hose barbs 42 , to which are attached vacuum hoses 11 . Unused barbs 42 are capped by seal caps 41 to prevent vacuum leakage through vacuum manifold 38 .
[0103] An overall vacuum and pressure center 45 with vacuum pump 36 , being powered by motor 46 plugged into outlet 53 , is shown in FIG. 4A . Intake line 48 from manifold to vacuum pump attaches to vacuum manifold 38 and drain spigot 47 drains out accumulated water from the air drawn in by vacuum pump 36 . At the boat hull 1 , vacuum hoses 11 are attached to vacuum plates 14 . The pressure supply side obtains compressed air from an external source via compressed air line 56 which is attached to air inlet filter 49 on air tank 50 . Electric heater 54 attached to an electrical power source, such as, for example, outlet 53 , heats the compressed air in tank 50 before it is distributed via compressed air manifold 55 and hoses 51 to line filters 52 . These lead to input openings in the fiberglass hull skin, in the regions of vacuum plates 14 , to aid in drying damaged areas. Compressed air gauge 40 indicates pressure at manifold 55 .
[0104] FIG. 9 shows a typical hole 85 cut through an exterior fiberglass skin of the side of a boat with the hole saw tool shown in FIG. 5 , in the region of a rotted wood core portion 86 of the wood core 20 , shown in FIG. 1B before moisture damage thereto, beneath the exterior fiberglass skin of the boat hull.
[0105] Core samples are taken through the exterior boat hull fiberglass skin, in the vicinity of the sawed holes shown in FIG. 9 . Visual observations are made to see the condition and color of the damaged core sample, to ascertain pulverization and/or rotting of the moisture infested wood blocks, shown in FIG. 1B before moisture damage thereto.
[0106] As shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 , various straight oriented routing tools ( FIG. 6 ), right angle bent oriented routing tools ( FIG. 7 ) and flexible multidirectional oriented routing tools ( FIG. 8 ) are used to rout out and remove significant chunks and portions of water rooted debris from the damaged wood core portions beneath the exterior fiberglass skin of the boat hull shown in FIGS. 2, 2A , 2 B and 9 .
[0107] FIG. 9A shows a flexible auger including a motor suspended by a hook and hanger loop. The motor rotates a cutting tool by producing power through a flexible shaft, similar to those of tools of Dremel Corporation. The flexible shaft is guided through a stiffening sleeve, such as a high durometer elastomeric tubing slipped at the shaft and handpiece remotely inserted through a hole to an inaccessible area beneath the boat hull skin. The stiffening sleeve assists in guiding the normally too flexible shaft. By adding the stiffening sleeve, the collett holding the cutting tool can be remotely manipulated in place for cutting. Alternatively, a bendable outer covering such as used with a gooseneck lamp can be used over the flexible shaft.
[0108] Heat is applied from propane fired hot air heaters through small incisions, similar to incisions for applying vacuum therethrough (as in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 ) typically in the top of the damaged area, to dry out the moisture ridden damaged balsa wood core areas 86 of the wood core areas 20 , shown in FIG. 1A , similar to the moisture damaged areas 5 of wood core area 4 of prior art FIG. 1 , before moisture damage thereto.
[0109] As also shown in FIG. 2 , during the selective boat hull drying process, vacuum is selectively applied from below, also through small incisions, to promote drying by facilitating circulation of air within the boat hull.
[0110] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 4 A, vacuum force is selective applied under sealed vacuum draw plates 14 having a preferably centrally located vacuum hose barb 32 connectable to a vacuum hose 11 and vacuum power source 36 . The vacuum draw plates 14 are preferably made of transparent but strong materials, such as polycarbonate, and are sealed at respective edges thereof by a gasket 31 , such as, for example, a closed cell foam gasket.
[0111] As shown in FIGS. 2, 2A , 2 B, 4 , 4 A and 5 , vacuum can be selectively applied in a number of moisture ridden areas by a plurality of vacuum draw plates 14 attached by respective vacuum hoses 11 to a vacuum gauge-controlled manifold 38 connected by a further vacuum hose 48 to a vacuum power source 36 , such as a commercial electrically powered vacuum pump having an AC power plug and electrical cord.
[0112] While direct cleaning out can be done of the moisture infested balsa wood core areas 86 , with straight or bent electrically or pneumatically powered routing tools operating within the boundaries of the incisions, it is alternatively known that damaged and/or wet balsa wood material can also be removed remotely from beneath the exterior fiberglass skin of the boat hull, by using routing tools shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 A, having flexible neck portion conduits 79 or 95 connecting a routing head to a power supply, wherein the flexible conduits 79 or 95 are used to direct the location of routing tool heads 80 at selected locations beneath uncut portions of the exterior fiberglass skin 2 of the boat hull.
[0113] Veining bits are used in straight, angled or flexible necked routing grinder tools (shown in FIGS. 6, 7 , 8 and 9 A respectively) to remove the damaged balsa wood core blocks shown in FIG. 1B before moisture damage thereto. Butterfly bits and other de-burring bits are used with drills for de-veining and removing damaged core areas.
[0114] After the removal of the damaged core, the dry cleaned cavities are filled and re-packed with a re-sealing epoxy resin having a high density filler, such as chopped glass mill fibers. The resin is applied from a dispenser, such as, for example, a manually operable caulking gun, which injects the epoxy resin into the cavities. Alternatively, the caulking gun may be powered by an air pump.
[0115] The treated areas are sealed first with ferring compound, then a sealant, such as epoxy, vinyl ester, etc.,then covered by a gel coat and finally covered by a waterproof barrier coat such as a creamy gel coat and color of finish gel coat. This sealing process is repeated. For cosmetic finishing of the repaired areas, the areas are wet sanded then treated areas are treated with a surface finishing compound, and finished by sanding and wax compounding of the surface, to restore the treated areas to be as smooth and blemish-free as before treatment.
[0116] As noted herein, preventive steps can also be done in accordance with the present invention, to prevent water intrusion and future moisture damage to the boat hull.
[0117] In the foregoing description, certain terms and visual depictions are used to illustrate the preferred embodiment. 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.
[0118] It is further known that other modifications may be made to the present invention, without departing the scope of the invention, as noted in the appended Claims. | A method to repair moisture damaged wood core boat hulls remotely identifies and repairs all wet core hull areas and optionally performs preventive maintenance on dry hull areas to restore the integrity of a fiberglass boat hull and prevent new water infiltration damage to a boat hull. The wet area repair guidelines using a surface moisture mete Any balsa cored area reading 15% or above is considered a wet area. Any wood cored area reading 20% or above is considered a wet area. The repair steps involves removing all through-hull fittings or hardware. Wet core areas are then dried out using heat lamps, lights or heaters, hot-vac systems, or octopus vacuum with grid system. If necessary, any area not drying out is de-cored and repaired accordingly. After repairs are finished, all through-hull fillings or hardware is reinstalled using new sealant. | 1 |
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