description stringlengths 2.98k 3.35M | abstract stringlengths 94 10.6k | cpc int64 0 8 |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Light valve liquid crystal display systems have been developed to provide for projection of video and data images. For the projection of color images these display systems have utilized passive or active matrix liquid crystal displays which use a color filter system to produce three distinct primary colors, which generates a single colored image that is projected with a lens onto a viewing screen.
Existing light valve projection systems use low resolution displays and are often housed in systems that are too bulky for portable applications. These light valve systems use liquid crystal displays in which transistors are fabricated in polycrystalline silicon that has been deposited on glass. Attempts to fabricate small area high resolution displays using circuits fabricated on glass have met with limited success. Existing liquid crystal displays with a 640×480 pixel geometry, for example, have required displays with active areas in excess of 500 mm 2 .
Existing systems also use light sources which have power and cooling requirements that limits the size and light output of the source that will fit within a desirably compact housing. These various constraints also tend to increase the cost and difficulty of manufacturing of portable projector systems.
A continuing need exists, therefore, for smaller more portable projection display systems which have high resolution and full color capabilities, and at the same time are readily and inexpensively manufactured.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a compact projector system contained within a portable housing. One or more detachable speaker units can nest or dock with the projector housing. The projector uses a small high resolution light valve transmission display to generate images that are projected onto a viewing surface. A preferred embodiment utilizes a light source, a high resolution liquid crystal display and a projection lens aligned along a common axis. A central base portion of the housing is used to house the power supply and a fan that provides active cooling to the power supply and maintains the temperature of the display within desired operational limits. The central base portion can also include connectors for the detachable speakers as well as connectors for external power and an external video source.
The central base of the projector can include stabilizing elements or arms that can be manually extended or rotated into positions to support the unit during use. This provides for a more portable system in which the projection lens is elevated above the table or support surface on which the unit is positioned, while at the same time accommodating the detachable speakers. Alternatively, the central base can be mounted on a support stand that rests on the floor, table or other flat surface.
A preferred embodiment uses audio speakers mounted in two separate units. Each speaker housing has an external shape such that when both are connected to the central base portion of the projector, the system has a generally rectangular shape.
Another preferred embodiment of the invention provides a housing in which the optical system is positioned along the center axis of the housing. This embodiment can employ audio speakers or transducers mounted within the housing or detachable from a section of the housing. The same electrical components used in the upright embodiment are positioned within the housing of this horizontal embodiment with the weight distributed in a substantially equal way on both centers of the central optical axis.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a compact projector system of the invention.
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a projector system in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2B is a rear view of a preferred embodiment of a projector system in accordance with the invention illustrating the rear mount position of a remote control unit for the projector.
FIG. 2C is a front view of a preferred embodiment of a projector system in accordance with the invention illustrating the front grill air intake and projector lens.
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a preferred embodiment of a projector system in accordance with the invention with the supports extended.
FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view of a display panel used in conjunction with the invention.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a light valve display for a preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the use of the projector system with a support stand.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the optical system for a preferred embodiment of the projector.
FIG. 8 is a schematic of the electrical system of the projector.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of a projector system in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 10A is an exploded perspective view of the components of the system shown in connection with FIG. 9.
FIG. 10B is a partial front perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 10.
FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 is an exploded front perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 13.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A projector system in accordance with a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the perspective view of FIG. 1 and the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2. The system is contained within a housing 10 having a generally rectangular shape when detachable speaker units 12, 14 are mounted. The housing 10 has an upper portion in an upright embodiment in which the optical elements are positioned along a common axis 15. A light source 32 which can be a halogen or an arc lamp is positioned within the rear of upper portion of housing 10. The lamp 32 and its reflector directs light along the common axis 15 through a first lens 42 which directs the light through the active area of light valve display 36. The image generated by the display 36 is than directed through the projection lens 40 onto an external viewing surface. The upper portion can also serve to house the circuit board 38 that drives the display, a fan used to cool the display 36, and the power switch 34.
A base portion 1 houses the power source 18, the electrical connectors 22 used to deliver power and video signals to the system, and coupling elements to mount the speaker units onto the base portion 16.
FIG. 2B is a rear view of the system with the speaker detached to expose the power and video connector port 22, the speaker mounting connectors 46 and the speaker connector 48. The power switch 34 is located above the mounting plate for the detachable remote 25.
FIG. 2C shows mounting connector 46 for the second detached speaker and openings or vents 50 through which air can pass into the housing 10 for cooling purposes. The output aperture for the projection lens 40 is centered along the optical axis 15.
A bottom perspective view of the projector is illustrated in FIG. 3. The base portion 16 has stabilizer or support elements 17 that extend radially outward from the base bottom to provide greater stability to the projector housing when the speakers have been detached. A preferred embodiment uses two stabilizers extending towards the rear of the projector. A vertical adjustment knob 52 located on the front end of the base bottom permits the user to elevate the front end of the projector and thereby direct the projected image as needed. In a preferred embodiment the stabilizer elements rotate from the closed position, in which they are nested in slots 19 on the bottom surface of the base section, to the open or extended position. Manual adjustment of the projection lens 40 can be done through opening 29.
A preferred embodiment of a panel display used in conjunction with the invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. The basic components of the display include a first polarizing filter 212, a circuit panel 214, a filter plate 216 and a second polarizing filter 217, which are secured in a layered structure. A liquid crystal material (not shown) is placed in a volume between the circuit panel 214 and the filter plate 216. An array of pixels 222 on the circuit panel 214 are individually actuated by a drive circuit having first 218 and second 220 circuit components that are positioned adjacent the array such that each pixel can produce an electric field in the liquid crystal material lying between the pixel and a counterelectrode secured to the color filter plate 216. The electric field causes a rotation of the polarization of light being transmitted across the liquid crystal material that results in an adjacent color filter element being illuminated. The color filters of filter plate system 216 are arranged into groups of four filter elements such as blue 240, green 250, red 270, and white 290. The pixels or light valves associated with filter elements 240, 250, 270, 290 can be selectively actuated to provide any desired color for that pixel group.
The present invention employs any transmissive material to form each pixel of the display panel. To that end, some preferred embodiments employ the use of a liquid, such as the aforementioned liquid crystal material, to form a transmissive light valve for each pixel.
Referring to FIG. 5, a cross-sectional view of the display device utilizing another preferred color filter system is shown. Additional details regarding the formation of such a color filter system and optical shielding can be found in U.S. Ser. No. 08/304,095 filed on Sep. 9, 1994, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. Each pixel electrode 326 and counterelectrode 350 are spaced from each other. Each pixel element 327 will have a transistor 328, an optical shield 336 on one or both sides of the pixel circuitry, a pixel electrode 1026 and an adjacent color filter element 334 associated therewith. Polarizing elements 352, 344 are positioned on opposite sides of the structure which also includes the bonding element or adhesive 340 and the optically transmissive substrate 342, such as glass or plastic. The structure is completed by positioning light source 346 adjacent to the polarizing element 344. Thus, light from the source is directed through the color filter element 334 that is positioned between the adhesive layer 340 and the pixel electrode 326 that is actuated by the pixel transistor 328. Note that the light shield can be formed on both sides of each pixel transistors circuit. The pixel electrode 326 can be made of silicon, indium tin oxide or other suitable transparent conductor that is electrically connected to the respective pixel circuit. The electrode 326 can be fabricated on either side of insulator 322.
FIG. 6 shows the projector 10 with speakers 12, 14 detached and mounted on a separate stand 60. The stand 60 has a stabilizing base 64 at one end and a coupling mechanism 62 to securely fasten the projector 10 to the stand 60.
The stand 60 can be extended vertically to operate on the floor or can be lowered for use on a table or other support surface.
FIG. 7 is a top sectional view of the projector along the optical axis 15 showing the dimensions of the lamp housing 70, which can easily be removed and replaced, as well as the length of the optical system in this preferred embodiment. A motorized unit 72 can also be positioned in the housing to permit remote actuation of a zoom projection lens 40.
FIG. 8 schematically illustrates the electrical components and basic circuit board for the projector. The main circuit board 80, which is located at 38 in the embodiment of FIG. 1, includes inputs for user controls audio, video and power, as well as outputs for speakers, display drive signals and power to the lamp and lens system. The audio can come from any video or television signal source 98. A video scan converter 95 can be included with the housing and can include a PCMCIA or other memory card which can be wireless in a preferred embodiment. Video can also be from any computer 82. An AC power source 84 can be converted at 18 to a DC power source for the projector. User controls 96 can be mounted on the external surface of the projector housing and/or on a remote 25. The audio signal can be output to speakers 12,14 or headphones 94. The display 92 is driven by an integrated driver circuit 90, which is connected to board 80.
FIG. 9 illustrates another preferred embodiment of a light valve projector 100 having two detachable audio speaker units 102 and 104 mounted on opposite ends of the central housing. FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrates speaker units 102 and 104 detached with cable recesses 114. Removal of speaker 102 exposes air vent 106 as well as power switch 108 and connectors 110 and 112. FIG. 10B shows the opposite end of projector 100 with speaker 104 detached to expose air inlet 116 and lens 40 output.
FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrates another preferred embodiment of a light valve projector 120 with the optical axis through the center with air inlets 126, vertical adjustment knob 124, air outlet 122 and speakers 128 contained within the housing. FIG. 12 shows the rear view of the optical system where cap 130 can be removed for replacement of the lamp. Power switch 134 and connectors 132 and 136 are also located on the back panels.
FIGS. 13 and 14 show front and rear perspective views of a horizontally configured projector 140 with detachable speakers 12 and 14 which can be mounted on opposite sides of the projector lens 143 with speakers pointed to both sides 142. The speakers are detached to expose the end of projection lens 143 which can be manually focused. If a focusing motor is used with this or any of the other embodiments, a remote can be used to control focussing.
EQUIVALENTS
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention a defined by the appended claims. | A compact light valve projection system in which a high resolution monochrome or color active matrix light valve display is housed within a projector housing along with a light source, a projection lens and detachable speakers. The light source, light valve and projection optics are aligned along a single optical axis to provide a highly compact configuration. | 6 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a CIP application of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/700,471 to Michael Fuquan Lee, filed on Jun. 8, 2011, and titled “Intelligent Control Wave Energy Power Generating System”, which is a 371 of PCT/US11/39532 filed Jun. 8, 2011, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/397,257 to Michael Fuquan Lee, filed on Jun. 9, 2010, and titled “Wave Energy Power Plant”. The contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
[0003] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO AN APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON COMPACT DISC
[0004] Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention generally relates to a power generating system utilizing wave energy. More particularly, the vertical motion of a buoy on waving water is translated into the rotational motion of a crank gear, and the rotational motion is intelligently controlled within a predetermined desirable region. As a result, irregular and variable total or partial vertical motion of the buoy can be successively translated into stable rotational motion in a practical and efficient manner.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Waves are generated by wind passing over the surface of water such as sea. As long as the waves propagate slower than the wind speed just above the waves, there is an energy transfer from the wind to the waves. Waves in oceans and lakes have great potential as an alternative energy source. Wave energy is clean, renewable, and vastly available. The estimated amount of wave energy available in U.S. alone is 2,100 terawatt-hours per year, about one fourth of annual U.S. energy imports. To make wave energy useful, wave energy is transformed into other energy forms, usually electric energy.
[0007] A wave farm, either offshore or nearshore, is a collection of machines in the same location and used for the generation of wave power electricity. Prior inventions for generating power from waves have provided apparatuses that often include a floating device, a gearing assembly, and an electric generating assembly. The floating device is connected to the gearing assembly such that when waves push the floating device the vertical motion of waves is converted into rotational motion of the gearing assembly. The gearing assembly is connected to the electric generating assembly such that the rotation of the gearing assembly drives the electric generating assembly to generate electric energy.
[0008] However, these apparatuses usually have three limitations. First, they are too fragile to use in real wave conditions. Wave directions are usually unpredictable. Variations of wave direction will cause unpredictable motion of the gearing assembly, which will result in extra wear and even breakage of the gearing assembly. Second, these apparatuses are inefficient in converting wave energy into electric energy. A substantial energy loss occurs each time the entire floating assembly is uplifted by wave action, leaving less energy for driving the gearing assembly and eventually being converted into electric energy. Also, these apparatuses are designed under the assumption of a fixed wave height and water level, resulting in inefficiency during the times when these assumptions are inevitably incorrect. Third, these apparatuses are prone to damage under severe wave and weather conditions from lack of protective means. Since the floating device is mechanically coupled with the gearing assembly, huge waves may damage the whole apparatus by causing the floating device to collide with the gearing assembly.
[0009] Therefore, there exists a need for new wave energy power generating system capable of overcoming the aforementioned limitations. Advantageously, the present invention provides a solution that can meet such a need. The intelligent control wave energy power generating system according to the present invention comprises a set of novel devices, assemblies, and an intelligent control system to convert wave energy into electric energy. It provides a method to convert wave energy into electric energy efficiently, safely, and practically under various wave and weather conditions. It also includes a mechanism to protect itself under severe wave and weather conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] One aspect of the present invention provides a system for wave energy generation for use above a body of waving water. The system can be powered by irregular, unpredictable, and variable wave actions from all directions. The system comprises:
[0011] a platform assembly above the waving water;
[0012] a buoy for floating on the waving water;
[0013] a motion translating assembly coupled with said buoy for translating vertical motion into rotational motion, comprising (i) at least one power input shaft coupled with said buoy at a first coupling position on said power input shaft and (ii) a gear transmission assembly having at least one crank gear coupled with said power input shaft by coupling a second coupling position on said power input shaft to a third coupling position on said crank gear; wherein said third coupling position on the crank gear is driven to rotate reciprocally within an angle θ of less than 180 degrees as the buoy is moved up and down by the waving water;
[0014] an adjustor that can be activated to vary the distance between the first coupling position and the second coupling position when the angle δ between the bisector of angle θ and the horizontal plane is not zero so that the absolute value of angle δ is decreased (for example, δ may be close to zero or equal to zero); and
[0015] a plurality of generators coupled with said gear transmission assembly and stationed on said platform assembly such that rotational motion within said gear transmission assembly results in said generators generating electric energy.
[0016] In exemplary embodiments, the system further comprises an intelligent control system connected with said motion translating assembly, said adjustor, and said plurality of generators for collecting and processing information of environmental and said system's conditions from a plurality of sensors and meters, determining directives, and transmitting directives. For example, when the angle δ between the bisector of angle θ and the horizontal plane is measured as not being zero, the intelligent control system may automatically activate the adjustor to vary the distance between the first coupling position and the second coupling position, and therefore to decrease the absolute value of angle δ to a lower value including near-zero or zero.
[0017] The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements. All the figures are schematic and generally only show parts which are necessary in order to elucidate the invention. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures and discussed below have not necessarily been drawn to scale. Well-known structures and devices are shown in simplified form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Other parts may be omitted or merely suggested.
[0019] FIG. 1A schematically depicts a wave energy power generating system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 1B schematically depicts a control mechanism of the rotational motion of a crank gear within a predetermined desirable region in the system of FIG. 1A in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 1C depicts an embodiment of an intelligent control wave energy power generating system without its cover in accordance with the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a side schematic section view of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system in FIG. 1C ;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a top schematic view of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system in FIG. 1C ;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic section view of an embodiment of a threaded rod adjustment device in accordance with the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a schematic section view of an embodiment of a flexible pivot device in accordance with the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a generator assembly of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system in FIG. 1C ;
[0027] FIG. 7A is a schematic view of an embodiment of a counterbalancing and maintenance device in accordance with the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 7B is another schematic view of an embodiment of a counterbalancing and maintenance device in accordance with the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a power plant with ten intelligent control wave energy power generating systems in accordance with the present invention;
[0030] FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of a control mechanism of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system in FIG. 1C ;
[0031] FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration demonstrating the operations of a power input shaft, a threaded rod adjustment device, and a crank gear, of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system in FIG. 1C ; and
[0032] FIG. 11 is a schematic view depicting the operations of an intelligent control system of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system in FIG. 1C in severe wave and weather conditions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0033] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It is apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. Embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to illustrations of idealized embodiments. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. There is no intent to limit the principles of the present invention to the particular disclosed embodiments. For example, in the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. In addition, embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, a region illustrated as a rectangle may have rounded or curved features. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region of a device or of topography and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
[0034] Where a numerical range is disclosed herein, unless otherwise specified, such range is continuous, inclusive of both the minimum and maximum values of the range as well as every value between such minimum and maximum values. Still further, where a range refers to integers, only the integers from the minimum value to and including the maximum value of such range are included. In addition, where multiple ranges are provided to describe a feature or characteristic, such ranges can be combined. That is to say that, unless otherwise indicated, all ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass any and all subranges subsumed therein. For example, a stated range of from “1 to 10” should be considered to include any and all subranges between the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10. Exemplary subranges of the range 1 to 10 include, but are not limited to, 1 to 6.1, 3.5 to 7.8, and 5.5 to 10. Further, where an integer range of from “0 to 12” is provided, it will also be considered to include any and all subranges as described above.
[0035] Referring the system for wave energy generation in FIG. 1A , a platform assembly 1100 is built above a body of waving water 1000 such as ocean, lake and river. A buoy 1200 is floating on the waving water, and is moved up and down (i.e. vertical motion) by the wave actions. A motion translating assembly 1300 is coupled with buoy 1200 for translating a vertical motion into a rotational motion. Assembly 1300 includes at least one power input shaft 1310 (typically rigid) coupled with buoy 1200 at a first coupling position labeled as x on shaft 1310 . Assembly 1300 also includes a gear transmission assembly 1350 having at least one crank gear 1351 . Crank gear 1351 is coupled with power input shaft 1310 for translating a vertical motion into a rotational motion. Specifically, a second coupling position labeled as y on shaft 1310 can be coupled in any manner with a third coupling position labeled as C on crank gear 1351 . The spatial relationship between point y and point C may be variable or invariable. Positions y and C may be two separate positions, or they may be merged into one position. While position C is fixed on, or invariable relative to, crank gear 1351 , position x and/or y are/is not fixed on shaft 1310 , and may keep changing along shaft 1310 , resulting in the variation of the distance between x and y in a controlled manner. As buoy 1200 is moved up and down by the waving water, it drives shaft 1310 up and down as well. As a result, third coupling position C on crank gear 1351 is driven to rotate around the rotational axis O of crank gear 1351 .
[0036] Referring to FIG. 1B for more details, point C rotates between radial line Op and radial line Oq. When position C reaches radial line Op and becomes a point thereof, C cannot move up (or move clockwise) any further, and can only move back (or move counterclockwise) toward radial line Oq. When C reaches radial line Oq and becomes a point thereof, C cannot move down (or move counterclockwise) anymore, and must move back (or move clockwise) toward radial line Op. Angle θ is defined as the angle ∠pOq, wherein O is the vertex of the angle, and Op and Oq are two sides of the angle. We say the third coupling position C on crank gear 1351 rotates reciprocally within an angle θ, which may be less than 180 degrees (180°), for example less than 170°, less than 160°, less than 150°, less than 140°, less than 130°, less than 120°, and so on and on. However, it should be appreciated that when θ=0, the water is completely calm, there is no wave action at all, and both the buoy and then crank gear are still or stationary. When θ is too close to 180°, the risk of damage the system is high. However, when θ is too close to zero, the energy output may not be as high as desired.
[0037] Radial line Or is the interior or internal bisector of angle θ, and it passes through the apex O of angle θ and divides it into two angles with equal measures θ/2. Angle δ is defined as the angle between the bisector Or and the horizontal plane (denoted as HP). A plane is said to be horizontal at the location where the buoy 1200 sits if it is perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field at that location. Pick the horizontal plane that contains point O, or at the height of O. The normal vector of the HP that passes through O and the line Or together define a plane perpendicular to the HP within which the angle δ is formed between the bisector Or and the HP. The angle δ is further defined as negative when the bisector Or is below the horizontal plane as shown in FIG. 1B , and δ may range in theory from 0 down to −90°, but preferably it ranges from 0 to −85°, and more preferably from 0 to −80°. Angle δ is defined as positive when the bisector Or is above the horizontal plane (opposite to what is shown in FIG. 1B ), and δ may range in theory from 0 down to 90°, but preferably it ranges from 0 to 85°, and more preferably from 0 to 80°.
[0038] Referring back to FIG. 1A , an adjustor 1400 can be activated to vary the distance between the first coupling position x and the second coupling position y on shaft 1310 (hereinafter “distance xy”), when angle δ is measured as not being zero. One purpose of varying distance xy is to decrease the absolute value of angle δ. For example, when angle δ is measured as being −10°, adjustor 1400 can be activated to increase distance xy so that angle δ is decreased to a lower absolute value such as −9°, −8°, −7°, −6°, −5°, −4°, −3°, −2°, −1°, 0°, 1°, 2°, 3°, 4°, 5°, 6°, 7°, 8°, and 9°. Preferably, angle δ is decreased to a value with the same positive/negative sign as δ initially had before it started to decrease, such as −9°, −8°, −7°, −6°, −5°, −4°, −3°, −2°, −1°, and 0°. When angle δ is measured as being +10°, adjustor 1400 can be activated to decrease distance xy so that angle δ is decreased to a lower absolute value such as 9°, 8°, 7°, 6°, 5°, 4°, 3°, 2°, 1°, 0°, −1°, −2°, −3°, −4°, −5°, −6°, −7°, −8°, and −9°. Preferably, angle δ is decreased to a value with same positive/negative sign in a similar manner as described above, such as +9°, +8°, +7°, +6°, +5°, +4°, +3°, +2°, +1°, and 0°. In preferred embodiments, the absolute value of angle δ should be deceased as close to zero as possible. The smaller the absolute value of angle δ, the better. Varying distance xy can be accomplished by changing the first coupling position x on shaft 1310 , and/or changing the second coupling position y on shaft 1310 . In a preferred embodiment, varying distance xy is accomplished by changing the second coupling position y on shaft 1310 only.
[0039] In various embodiments, adjustor 1400 may be activated to vary the distance between the first coupling position and the second coupling position (distance xy) when the angle δ between the bisector of angle θ and the horizontal plane is greater than 5°, greater than 10°, or greater than 15°, for example.
[0040] Angle δ may be detected at a frequency of F1, and distance xy can be adjusted accordingly at a frequency of F2. F 1 may be for example once every one minute, once every two minutes, once every three minutes, once every four minutes, once every five minutes, and so on and on. Depending on the value of angle δ detected, F2 may be controlled to be same as F1 (F2=F1) or different than F1 (F2≠F1). In an embodiment, F2=αF1, and α is in the range of from 0.2 to 0.5. For example, F2=F½ (half), F2=F⅓ (one third), F2=F¼ (one fourth), and so on and so forth. F2=F½ means that, for example, F1 is once every one minute, and F2 is once every two minutes.
[0041] Referring back to FIG. 1A , a plurality of generators 1500 are stationed on platform assembly 1100 , and coupled with gear transmission assembly 1300 . The rotational motion within gear transmission assembly 1300 can drive the generators 1500 to generate electric energy. As a result, the system can be powered by irregular, unpredictable, and variable wave actions from all directions.
[0042] In preferred embodiments, the power generating system of the invention further comprises an intelligent control system 1600 that is connected to motion translating assembly 1300 , adjustor 1400 , and plurality of generators 1500 for collecting and processing information of environmental and said system's conditions from a plurality of sensors and meters (not shown), determining directives, and transmitting directives.
[0043] The present invention provides an intelligent control wave energy power generating system for converting wave energy into electric energy. In accordance with one embodiment, the intelligent control wave energy power generating system comprises (1) a buoy, (2) a platform assembly, (3) a motion translating assembly, (4) a threaded rod adjustment device, as an example of adjustor 1400 , (5) a generator assembly, (6) a counterbalancing and maintenance device, (7) an intelligent control system, and (8) an openable cover.
[0044] The buoy floats on the water surface, and is coupled with a power input shaft in the motion translating assembly. The motion translating assembly also includes a gear transmission assembly coupled with the power input shaft to convert the vertical motion of the buoy via the power input shaft into the rotational motion of gears and a driveshaft. When the buoy reciprocates vertically in response to wave action, the driveshaft rotates and drives generators in the generator assembly to produce electric energy. The platform assembly is piled into the ocean or lake floor to support the rest of the system.
[0045] The threaded rod adjustment device raises or lowers a threaded rod, which constitutes the top part of the power input shaft, so that the buoy's vertical movement is within a predetermined range that allows the motion translating assembly to work properly and efficiently. When the water level rises due to daily tides, the threaded rod adjustment device, controlled by the intelligent control system, raises the threaded rod. Similarly, when the water level falls, the threaded rod adjustment device lowers the threaded rod, Because of the irregularity of wave directions, the waves may push the buoy in any horizontal direction, impacting the power input shaft coupled therewith. The motion translating assembly may also include a flexible pivot device connecting the power input shaft and the gear transmission assembly. The flexible pivot device absorbs any impact caused by wave-motion irregularity. This prevents the power input shaft from breaking and the gears in the gear transmission assembly from disengaging.
[0046] The counterbalancing and maintenance device is coupled with the buoy via a cable to improve the energy conversion efficiency and provide system protection under severe wave and weather conditions. It includes a counterweight that reciprocates vertically in the opposite direction of the buoy. When the waves uplift the buoy, they only need to overcome the weight difference between the buoy and the counterweight. Since the weight of the counterweight is slightly less than that of the buoy, energy lost in raising the buoy can be substantially reduced and more wave energy will be utilized for producing electric energy. The counterbalancing and maintenance device also includes an electric winch assembly and a counterweight lock. Under severe wave and weather conditions, the counterweight lock secures the counterweight and the electric winch assembly pulls the buoy up to a predetermined safe position.
[0047] The intelligent control system includes a plurality of sensors and meters and a control center. The sensors and meters collect operational information of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system (including e.g. angle δ) and the environmental condition, and send that information to the control center. The control center continuously monitors the condition of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system (including e.g. angle δ) and adjusts the system if necessary, for example, varying distance xy as described above.
[0048] In the following description, FIGS. 1C-11 show more specific, but still exemplary, embodiments of the invention in light of the concepts as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B . Reference numerals appeared in FIGS. 1C-11 represent the following components: 10 intelligent control wave energy power generating system; 21 buoy; 30 motion translating assembly; 31 power input shaft; 311 threaded rod; 312 coupling; 313 connecting rod; 32 flexible pivot device; 321 flexible joint; 321 A first flexible joint; 321 B second flexible joint; 322 flexible joint housing; 323 bushing; 324 cover plate; 325 bearing; 326 washer; 327 pivot pin; 33 gear transmission assembly; 331 crank gear; 332 ratchet gear; 333 driveshaft; 334 pulley; 335 flywheel; 34 crank gear pedestal; 35 driveshaft pedestal; 40 threaded rod adjustment device; 41 motor; 42 adjustment device housing; 43 gear shaft; 44 drive gear; 45 threaded driven gear; 46 thrust bearing; 50 generator assembly; 51 generator; 52 clutch pulley; 521 clutch; 53 belt; 60 counterbalancing and maintenance device; 61 cable; 62 counterweight; 63 counterweight lock; 64 electric winch assembly; 641 winch motor; 642 gearbox; 643 winch spool; 644 movable pulley; 645 fixed pulley; 65 counterweight pedestal; 70 intelligent control system; 71 unit control center; 72 group control center; 73 anemoscope; 74 speed sensor; 75 position sensor; 76 wattmeter; 80 platform assembly; 81 rack; 82 mounting bracket; 83 base column; 84 mounting platform; 85 connecting rod insulating cover; 86 cable insulating cover; and 90 openable cover.
[0049] The present invention provides an intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 which generates electric energy from waves. One embodiment of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 comprises a buoy or float 21 , a motion translating assembly 30 , a threaded rod adjustment device 40 , a generator assembly 50 , a counterbalancing and maintenance device 60 , an intelligent control system 70 , a platform assembly 80 , and an openable cover 90 .
[0050] FIG. 1C shows the intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 without the openable cover 90 . The buoy or float 21 floats on water surface. The buoy 21 is connected to the motion translating assembly 30 . The motion translating assembly 30 includes a driveshaft 333 coupled with the generator assembly 50 . When the buoy 21 reciprocates vertically in response to wave actions, the motion translating assembly 30 converts the vertical motion of the buoy 21 into the rotational motion of the driveshaft 333 , driving the generator assembly 50 to generate electric energy.
[0051] The counterbalancing and maintenance device 60 is coupled to the buoy 21 . In normal operation, the counterbalancing and maintenance device 60 reduces the weight the waves have to uplift, so more wave energy is used for generating electric energy. Under severe wave and weather conditions, the counterbalancing and maintenance device 60 pulls the buoy 21 up to a safe position.
[0052] FIG. 2 shows the buoy 21 , the platform assembly 80 , and the motion translating assembly 30 . The platform assembly 80 comprises a rack 81 , a mounting bracket 82 , a base column 83 , a mounting platform 84 , a connecting rod insulation cover 85 , and a cable insulation cover 86 . The buoy 21 is connected to the base column 83 through the rack 81 and the mounting bracket 82 . The base column 83 is permanently moored into the seabed or lakebed. The connection between the rack 81 and the mounting bracket 82 should be such that the buoy 21 can move up and down with the waves, for example, a double row sealed ball bearing. The mounting platform 84 is fastened to the base column 83 through the mounting bracket 82 .
[0053] The motion translating assembly 30 comprises a gear transmission assembly 33 and a plurality of power input shafts 31 , flexible pivot assemblies 32 , crank gear pedestals 34 , and driveshaft pedestals 35 .
[0054] The buoy 21 is coupled with the power input shaft 31 through the rack 81 , and the coupling position on the shaft 31 is an example of position x as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B . In this example, position x on shaft 31 is fixed, but it can be adjustable on shaft as well. When the buoy 21 reciprocates vertically in response to wave actions, the power input shaft 31 moves vertically with the buoy 21 . The power input shaft drives the gear transmission assembly 33 through the flexible pivot device 32 .
[0055] As shown in FIG. 2 , the power input shaft 31 comprises a threaded rod 311 , a coupling 312 , and a connecting rod 313 . The threaded rod 311 is connected to the connecting rod 313 through the coupling 312 , and the connecting rod 313 is coupled with the rack 81 to establish the connection between the buoy 21 and the threaded rod 311 . The connection between the power input shaft 31 and the rack 81 is also shown in FIG. 1C .
[0056] As shown in FIG. 2 , the gear transmission assembly 33 comprises a driveshaft 333 and a plurality of crank gears 331 , ratchet gears 332 , pulleys 334 , and flywheels 335 . The flexible pivot device 32 connects the threaded rod 311 and the crank gear 331 . In this embodiment, flexible pivot device 32 connects to the threaded rod 311 at position y (see FIG. 4 ) on shaft 31 , and it connects to the crank gear 331 at position C (see FIG. 5 ) on crank gear 331 , y and C being shown and explained in FIGS. 1A and 1B . The crank gear 331 is engaged with the ratchet gear 332 . The ratchet gear 332 , the flywheel 335 , and the pulley 334 are mounted on the driveshaft 333 . The pulley 334 is coupled with the generator assembly 50 . The vertical motion of the power input shaft 31 rotates the crank gear 331 , which drives the ratchet gear 332 to eventually turn the driveshaft 333 . The ratchet gear 332 ensures that the driveshaft 333 rotates in one direction. The flywheel 335 keeps the driveshaft 333 rotating smoothly and uniformly. The driveshaft 333 then rotates the pulley 334 , driving the generator assembly 50 to generate electric energy.
[0057] The crank gear 331 is moored to the mounting platform 84 through the crank gear pedestal 34 . The driveshaft 333 is moored to the mounting platform 84 through the driveshaft pedestal 35 .
[0058] As shown in FIG. 1C , the mounting platform 84 supports the motion translating assembly 30 , the generator assembly 50 , the counterbalancing and maintenance mechanism 60 , and the intelligent control system 70 , which are all mounted on the mounting platform 84 . All parts are above water except the buoy 21 that floats on water surface.
[0059] FIG. 3 shows one possible embodiment of the motion translating assembly 30 , which comprises two power input shafts 31 , two flexible pivot assemblies 32 , two crank gear pedestals 34 , six driveshaft pedestals 35 , and the gear transmission assembly 33 , which comprises two crank gears 331 , two ratchet gears 332 , two pulleys 334 , three flywheels 335 , and the driveshaft 333 .
[0060] One power input shaft 31 , one flexible pivot device 32 , one crank gear 331 , one ratchet gear 332 , and one crank gear pedestal 34 are disposed on each side of the balance and maintenance mechanism 60 , which is in the middle of the mounting platform 84 . On each side, the power input shaft 31 is connected to the crank gear 331 through the flexible pivot device 32 . The crank gear 331 is coupled with the ratchet gear 332 , and moored to the mounting platform 84 through the crank gear pedestal 34 . The flywheels 335 , the ratchet gears 332 , and the pulleys 334 are mounted on the driveshaft 333 , which is moored to the mounting platform 84 through the six driveshaft pedestals 35 . One flywheel 335 is placed in the middle of the driveshaft 333 and between the two ratchet gears 332 . The other two flywheels 335 are placed equidistantly from the middle flywheel 335 , one in each half of the driveshaft 333 . One pulley 334 is placed on each end of the driveshaft 333 . This placement keeps the load balanced for the driveshaft 333 and the mounting platform 84 . Other embodiments are possible, for example, with one or two flywheels 335 , or with two or four driveshaft pedestals 35 .
[0061] FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of the threaded rod adjustment device 40 , as an example of adjustor 1400 in FIG. 1A . The threaded rod adjustment device 40 is mounted on the threaded rod 311 . The threaded rod adjustment device 40 comprises a motor 41 , an adjustment device housing 42 , a gear shaft 43 , a drive gear 44 , a threaded driven gear 45 , and a thrust bearing 46 . The gear shaft 43 , the drive gear 44 , the threaded driven gear 45 , and the thrust bearing 46 are housed inside the adjustment device housing 42 . Although any point on the fragment of shaft 31 or rod 311 that is housed within the housing 42 can be viewed as position y, the point on the upper terminal point of the fragment P 1 , middle point of the fragment P 2 , or the lower terminal point of the fragment P 3 can be conveniently defined or viewed as position y, for the purpose of defining distance xy. Because it is the amount of distance xy variation that determines the amount of angle δ variation, viewing/defining P 1 , P 2 , P 3 or any other suitable point as position y is not critical for purpose of calculating the change of distance xy. The motor 41 is mounted on top of the adjustment device housing 42 . The motor 41 is coupled with the gear shaft 43 . The drive gear 44 is mounted on the gear shaft 43 and is meshed with the threaded driven gear 45 . The threaded driven gear 45 is meshed with the threaded rod 311 . The threaded driven gear 45 is connected to the thrust bearing 46 . The motor 41 drives the gear shaft 43 , rotating the drive gear 44 , and thus rotating the threaded driven gear 45 . The rotation of threaded driven gear 45 then raises or lowers the threaded rod 311 , and thereby varies the position y on the shaft 31 or rod 311 , and increases or decreases distance xy as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B . The thrust bearing 46 maintain the position of the threaded driven gear 45 .
[0062] FIG. 5 shows the flexible pivot device 32 . The flexible pivot device 32 comprises two flexible joints 321 A, 321 B and a flexible joint housing 322 . The first flexible joint 321 A is housed in the flexible joint housing 322 and mounted on the crank gear 331 at position Pc of crack gear 331 (position Pc being an example of position C on crank gear 1351 in FIGS. 1A and 1B ). Position Pc can be defined as the central point of the open space (a hole) in the crank gear 331 that accommodates or receives pivot pin 327 of joint 321 A. The first flexible joint 321 A translates the vertical motion of the threaded rod 311 into rotary motion of the crank gear 331 . The second flexible joint 321 B is mounted on the flexible joint housing 322 , and is housed in the adjustment device housing 42 , thus connecting to the threaded rod adjustment device 40 . The second flexible joint 321 B is connected to the threaded rod 311 through the threaded rod adjustment device 40 .
[0063] Each flexible joint 321 comprises a bushing 323 , a cover plate 324 , a bearing 325 , a washer 326 , and a pivot pin 327 . The bushing 323 , the cover plate 324 , the bearing 325 , and the washer 326 are centered through the pivot pin 327 . The pivot pin 327 of the flexible joint 321 A is fastened on the crank gear 331 . The pivot pin 327 of the flexible joint 321 B is fastened on the flexible joint housing 322 . The first flexible joint 321 A can rotate relative to the crank gear 331 . The second flexible joint 321 B can rotate relative to the flexible joint housing 322 . The two flexible joints 321 A, 321 B may be perpendicular to each other.
[0064] The flexible pivot device 32 connects the threaded rod 311 to the crank gear 331 . The threaded rod 311 turns the crank gear 331 through the flexible pivot device 32 . Since the two flexible joints 321 A, 321 B are perpendicular to each other, the threaded rod 311 can turn at any angle along x-axis and y-axis without damaging the flexible pivot device 32 or the crank gear 331 .
[0065] FIG. 6 shows the generator assembly 50 . The generator assembly 50 comprises a plurality of generators 51 , clutch pulleys 52 , and belts 53 . The clutch pulley 52 includes a clutch 521 . The generator 51 is connected to the clutch pulley 52 which is coupled with the pulley 334 through the belt 53 . The generator can be activated or deactivated by engaging or disengaging the clutch 521 in the clutch pulley 52 . The power ratings of the generators 51 are predetermined such that their various combinations span a wide range of power output for various wave conditions.
[0066] One embodiment of the generator assembly 50 is shown in FIG. 3 . The generator assembly 50 comprises four generators 51 , four clutch pulleys 52 , and four belts 53 . Two generators 51 , two clutch pulleys 52 , and two belts 53 are coupled with the pulley 334 at each end of the driveshaft 333 . Other embodiments are possible, e.g., using two generators 51 , two clutch pulleys 52 , and two belts 53 .
[0067] FIGS. 7A and 7B show one embodiment of the counterbalancing and maintenance device 60 . As shown in FIG. 7A , the counterbalancing and maintenance device 60 comprises a cable 61 , a counterweight 62 , a counterweight lock 63 , an electric winch assembly 64 , and a counterweight pedestal 65 . As shown in FIG. 7B , the electric winch assembly 64 comprises a winch motor 641 , a gearbox 642 , a winch spool 643 , a movable pulley 644 , and a plurality of fixed pulleys 645 . The cable 61 is connected to the buoy 21 on one end and tied to the winch spool 643 on the other end. The cable 61 winds through the fixed pulleys 645 and the movable pulley 644 . The counterweight 62 is fastened to the movable pulley 644 . The counterweight lock 63 and the electric winch assembly 64 are mounted on the counterweight pedestal 65 . The winch motor 641 is coupled with the gearbox 642 which is coupled with the winch spool 643 . The winch motor 641 drives the gearbox 642 to spin the winch spool 643 . The winch spool 643 spins to tighten or loosen the cable 61 , moving up or down the buoy 21 , respectively.
[0068] FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of the intelligent control system 70 . The intelligent control system 70 comprises a unit control center 71 , a group control center 72 , an anemoscope 73 , a speed sensor 74 , two position sensors 75 , and four wattmeters 76 . The anemoscope 73 is mounted on the mounting bracket 82 . The speed sensor 74 is disposed next to the middle flying wheel 335 . The position sensors 75 are disposed next to the crank gears 331 and one position sensor 75 is used for one crank gear 331 . The wattmeters 76 are linked to the generators 51 , and one wattmeter 76 is used for one generator 51 . The sensors and meters, comprising of the anemoscope 73 , the speed sensor 74 , the two position sensors 75 , and the four wattmeters 76 , are linked to the unit control center 71 . The unit control center 71 is linked to the group control center 72 . The intelligent control system 70 is mounted on the mounting platform 84 . The link between the wattmeters 76 and the generators 51 , the links between the sensors and meters and unit control center 71 , and the link between the unit control center 71 and the group control center 72 are not shown in FIG. 3 .
[0069] As shown in FIG. 2 , the part of the connecting rod 313 below the mounting platform 84 is protected by an anti-corrosion connecting rod insulating cover 85 . The part of the cable 61 , which is not shown in FIG. 2 , below the mounting platform 84 is also protected by an anti-corrosion cable insulating cover 86 . The buoy 21 , the connecting rod 313 , the rack 81 , the mounting bracket 82 , and the bottom side of the mounting platform 84 are made of anti-corrosion materials, or their surfaces have been subject to anti-corrosion treatment.
[0070] The intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 can be multiplied and assembled to form a power plant. The power plant may comprise one or multiple independent intelligent control wave energy power generating systems 10 . The number of the intelligent control wave energy power generating systems 10 in the power plant is dependent on the wave condition and expected power output.
[0071] FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the power plant with ten intelligent control wave energy power generating systems 10 . Other embodiments are possible, for example, with one or one hundred intelligent control wave energy power generating systems 10 . As shown in FIG. 8 , each intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 has an openable anti-corrosion cover 90 .
[0072] The control mechanism of the power plant is illustrated in FIG. 9 . The group control center 72 coordinates and controls the unit control center 71 . The unit control center 71 controls the anemoscope 73 , the speed sensor 74 , the position sensor 75 (for e.g. measuring angle θ and angle δ), the wattmeters 76 , the motor 41 (for e.g. varying distance xy), the clutches 521 , the winch motor 641 , and the counterweight lock 63 . When there is only one intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 in the power plant, the group control center 72 may be removed. When there are two or more intelligent control wave energy power generating systems 10 in the power plant, the group control centers 72 of the intelligent control wave energy power generating systems 10 are connected.
[0073] Normal Operation: As shown in FIG. 1 , in the normal operation of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 , the motion translating assembly 30 converts the vertical motion of the buoy 21 , produced in response to wave actions, into the rotational motion of the driveshaft 333 . The driveshaft 333 drives the generator 51 to generate electric energy, which is sent ashore.
[0074] Motion Translation:
[0075] As shown in FIG. 2 , when the waves rise, uplifting the buoy 21 and the threaded rod 311 , the threaded rod 311 turns the crank gear 331 upward through the flexible pivot device 32 such that the vertical motion of the threaded rod 311 is converted into the rotary motion of the crank gear 331 . The crank gear 331 rotates the ratchet gear 332 , which drives the driveshaft 333 . The driveshaft 333 rotates the pulley 334 and the flywheel 335 . As shown in FIG. 6 , the pulley 334 drives the clutch pulley 52 through the belt 53 . The clutch pulley 52 drives the generator 51 to generate electric energy.
[0076] As shown in FIG. 2 , when the waves recede, dropping the buoy 21 and the threaded rod 311 , the flexible pivot device 32 again converts the vertical motion of the threaded rod 311 into the rotary motion of the crank gear 331 , turning the crank gear 331 downward. However, the ratchet gear 332 is not engaged and does not rotate with the crank gear 331 . Therefore, when the waves recede, the driveshaft 333 continues to rotate in the same direction, because of momentum and the torque of the flywheel 335 . In other words, the driveshaft 333 always rotates in one direction and keeps driving the generator assembly 50 to continuously produce electric energy.
[0077] In summary, the rise and fall of the waves causes the buoy 21 and the threaded rod 311 to move up and down, resulting in the rotary reciprocation of the crank gear 331 . The ratchet gear 332 converts the rotary reciprocation of the crank gear 331 into the rotational motion of the driveshaft 333 , which drives the generator 51 to generate electric energy.
[0078] As shown in FIG. 2 , when the waves rise, the threaded rod 311 rotates the crank gear 331 clockwise through the flexible pivot device 32 . The crank gear 331 drives the ratchet gear 332 to rotate counterclockwise. The ratchet gear 332 drives the driveshaft 333 and the flywheel 335 to rotate in the same direction, that is, counterclockwise. When the waves recede, dropping the buoy 21 and the threaded rod 311 , the threaded rod 311 rotates the crank gear 331 counterclockwise. However, the ratchet gear 332 prevents the driveshaft 333 from rotating with the crank gear 331 . The driveshaft 333 continues to rotate counterclockwise because of its momentum and the torque of the flywheel 335 . Therefore, the driveshaft 333 always rotates counterclockwise.
[0079] As shown in FIG. 10 , in normal operation, the crank gear 331 rotates reciprocally between two positions: a high position A and a low position B. The angle formed between A and B around the rotational axis o of crank gear 331 is an example of angle θ or ∠pOq in FIG. 1B . The crank gear 331 reaches the high position A at the peak of the waves. The crank gear 331 reaches the low position B at the trough of the waves. The position of the crank gear 331 can be defined by the position Pc on crank gear 331 as shown in FIG. 5 . If nine o'clock and three o'clock are viewed as parallel to horizontal plane (HP) as shown in FIG. 1B , the high position A in FIG. 10 shows the position Pc at eleven thirty o'clock, and the low position B shows the position Pc at six thirty o'clock. There is also a middle position M where the position Pc is at nine o'clock when the buoy 21 is at the water level. In this case, θ=150° with a bisector parallel to horizontal plane (HP), therefore δ=0, representing an optimized operational condition. In the remaining part of the detailed description, we will use the position Pc to indicate the position of the crank gear 331 . For example, when we say the crank gear 331 is at nine o'clock, it means that the position Pc thereon is at nine o'clock.
[0080] As shown in FIG. 5 , in addition to converting the vertical motion of the threaded rod 311 into the rotary reciprocation of the crank gear 331 , the flexible pivot device 32 also converts the horizontal motion of the threaded rod 311 into the rotational motion of the flexible joints 321 A, 321 B. The first flexible joint 321 A can rotate relative to the crank gear 331 . The second flexible joint 321 B can rotate relative to the first flexible joint 321 A. The two flexible joints 321 A and 321 B are perpendicular to each other. Together they allow the threaded rod 311 to turn at any angle along x-axis and y-axis without damaging the flexible pivot device 32 or the crank gear 331 . Since the wave directions are unpredictable, they can cause the threaded rod 311 to turn at an arbitrary angle along x-axis and y-axis. The flexible pivot device 32 accommodates such horizontal motion of the threaded rod 311 .
[0081] Counterbalancing:
[0082] As shown in FIG. 11 , the counterweight 62 moves up and down in the opposite direction of the buoy 21 . The counterweight 62 is slightly lighter than the lifting load, which comprises the parts the waves have to uplift, including the buoy 21 , the power input shaft 31 , the threaded rod adjustment device 40 , and the flexible pivot device 32 . When the waves push the lifting load up, the counterweight 62 moves down, thus reducing the weight the waves have to uplift. With the counterweight 62 , the waves can push the buoy 21 and the power input shaft 31 higher, turning the crank gear 331 a larger angle, and rotating the driveshaft 333 faster. Therefore, less wave energy is used for uplifting the lifting load, and more wave energy is used for rotating the driveshaft 333 and generating electric energy. When the waves recede, the gravity drags the buoy 21 down because the lifting load is heavier than the counterweight 62 .
[0083] For example, suppose the total weight of lifting load, including the buoy 21 , the power input shafts 31 , the threaded rod adjustment devices 40 , and the flexible pivot assemblies 32 , is 500 kg, the counterweight is 400 kg, and the uplifting capacity of the waves is 1000 kg. Without the counterweight 62 , the waves have to spend 500 kg to uplift the lifting load, leaving 500 kg for driving the driveshaft 333 to generate electric energy. With the counterweight 62 , the waves need to spend just 100 kg (500 kg-400 kg) to uplift the lifting load, leaving 900 kg for driving the driveshaft 333 to generate electric energy.
[0084] Therefore, the counterbalancing and maintenance device 60 increases the wave energy used to drive the driveshaft 333 and the generator assembly 50 to generate electric energy. The counterbalancing and maintenance device 60 improves the energy conversion efficiency of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 .
[0085] Adjustment, Maintenance, and Safety: The intelligent control system 70 monitors the state of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 through the sensors and meters, including the anemoscope 73 , the speed sensor 74 , the position sensor 75 , and the wattmeter 76 . Based on the feedback of the sensors and meters (including e.g. angle δ), the unit control center 71 can raise or lower the threaded rod 311 (i.e. increase or decrease distance xy) through the threaded rod adjustment device 40 and activate or deactivate the generator 51 , to improve the energy conversion efficiency. The intelligent control system 70 can also uplift the buoy 21 and shut down the intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 in severe wave and weather conditions.
[0086] Threaded Rod Adjustment:
[0087] FIG. 10 illustrates the rotary reciprocation of the crank gear 331 . As described above, the crank gear 331 rotates reciprocally in a region between the high position A and the low position B, which is the rotating region of the crank gear 331 . As shown in FIG. 10 , when the waves rise from their troughs to their peaks, uplifting the buoy 21 , the crank gear 331 turns from the low position B at six thirty o'clock, passing the middle position M at nine o'clock, to the high position A at eleven thirty o'clock. When the waves recede from their peaks to their troughs, dropping the buoy 21 , the crank gear 331 turns from eleven thirty o'clock, passing nine o'clock, to six thirty o'clock.
[0088] The high position A and the low position B, and hence the rotating region of the crank gear 331 and angle θ, are determined by the wave height, the water level, and the distance between the flexible pivot device 32 and the buoy 21 . The crank gear 331 should be at nine o'clock when the buoy 21 is at the water level (δ=0), which means its rotating region should be centered at nine o'clock. For any given wave height, such rotating region maximizes wave energy output. Furthermore, such rotating region maximally excludes the two positions the crank gear 331 must avoid, i.e., the twelve o'clock and the six o'clock. The crank gear 331 would be stuck at these two positions and the waves would move the buoy 21 to crush the flexible pivot device 32 . For a specific wave height, the desirable rotating region is centered at nine o'clock (δ=0).
[0089] However, due to fluctuations of the water level, the crank gear 331 may not rotate reciprocally in the desirable rotating region. The actual rotating region may be different from the desirable rotating region (δ≠0). The intelligent control system 70 monitors the rotating region of the crank gear 331 through the position sensor 75 . Based on the feedback of the position sensor 75 , the intelligent control system 70 determines the difference between the desirable rotating region and the actual rotating region (current δ value). If the intelligent control system 70 decides that the difference is big enough, it requests the threaded rod adjustment device 40 to raise or lower the threaded rod 311 to change the distance xy, or the distance between the flexible pivot device 32 and the buoy 21 , so that the actual rotating region will match the desirable rotating region (making δ=0 or close to 0). A longer distance between the flexible pivot device 32 and the buoy 21 turns the rotating region clockwise. A shorter distance between the flexible pivot device 32 and the buoy 21 turn the rotating region counterclockwise.
[0090] For example, if the desirable rotating region of the crank gear 331 is between ten o'clock and eight o'clock (θ=60° and δ=0°), and the actual rotating region is between nine o'clock and seven o'clock (θ=60° and δ=−30°), the threaded rod 311 is raised to increase the distance xy, or the distance between the flexible pivot device 32 and the buoy 21 , thus turning the rotating region of the crank gear 331 clockwise to be between ten o'clock and eight o'clock. With the threaded rod adjustment device 40 , the intelligent control system 70 can accommodate the fluctuations in the water level caused by tidal or seasonal changes, and keep the rotating region of the crank gear 331 close to the desirable rotating region (any θ<180° value with δ=0°).
[0091] The operations of the threaded rod adjustment device 40 can be described using FIG. 4 . The threaded rod adjustment device 40 rotates the threaded rod 311 to adjust the distance xy, or the distance between the flexible pivot device 32 and the buoy 21 which are not shown in FIG. 4 . The motor 41 drives the gear shaft 43 . The gear shaft 43 rotates the drive gear 44 , driving the threaded driven gear 45 . Since the thrust bearing 46 is fastened to the adjustment device housing 42 , the vertical motion of the threaded driven gear 45 is restrained by the thrust bearing 46 . The threaded driven gear 45 does not move vertically as it rotates, but causes the threaded rod 311 to move up or down. The motor 41 can drive the gear shaft 43 , the drive gear 44 , and the threaded driven gear 45 to rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise, raising or lowering the threaded rod 311 , increasing or decreasing distance xy.
[0092] Generator Activation: The power ratings of the generators 51 are predetermined such that when the power ratings of the generators 51 are sorted in increasing order, the power rating of a later generator 51 exceeds the total power rating of the previous generators 51 . One embodiment of the generator assembly 50 is shown in FIG. 3 with four generators 51 . We denote the four generators 51 as generators G 1 , G 2 , G 3 , and G 4 , in increasing order of their power ratings. In other words, the power rating of the generator G 4 is larger than the total power rating of the generators G 1 , G 2 , and G 3 ; the power rating of the generator G 3 is larger than the total power rating of the generators G 1 and G 2 ; and the power rating of the generator G 2 is larger than the power rating of the generator G 1 .
[0093] Based on historical wave data, wave energies are divided into fifteen levels. When wave energies exceed level fifteen, the wave conditions are deemed severe and the intelligent control system 70 will shut down all generators 51 . The four generators G 1 , G 2 , G 3 , and G 4 , are activated based on the level of wave energy. Table 1 shows the relationship between the generator activation and the wave energy level.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Relationship between wave energy level and generator activation
Wave Energy up to Level
Generator(s) Activated
1
G1
2
G2
3
G2 + G1
4
G3
5
G3 + G1
6
G3 + G2
7
G3 + G2 + G1
8
G4
9
G4 + G1
10
G4 + G2
11
G4 + G2 + G1
12
G4 + G3
13
G4 + G3 + G1
14
G4 + G3 + G2
15
G4 + G3 + G2 + G1
[0094] The combination of the generators 51 allows the generator assembly 50 work in a wider range of wave energy than a single generator. With a single generator, it will be damaged if the waves are too strong, or will not run if the waves are too weak. The combination of the generators 51 allows the intelligent control system 70 achieve appropriate power rating for the current wave energy level. Based on the feedback of the speed sensor 74 and the wattmeters 75 , the intelligent control system 70 decides how many generators 51 to activate. The intelligent control system 70 may activate one, two, three, or four generators 51 .
[0095] As shown in FIG. 6 , the generator 51 is activated by engaging the clutch 521 of the clutch pulley 52 connected to the generator 51 . To deactivate the generator 51 , the clutch 521 of the clutch pulley 52 connected to the generator 51 is disengaged.
[0096] Maintenance and Safety: The intelligent control system 70 analyzes the feedback from the anemoscope 73 , the speed sensor 74 , and the wattmeters 76 to determine if the intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 is working properly or is able to work properly under current wave and weather condition. If the intelligent control system 70 determines that the intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 should be shut down due to its condition or the wave or weather condition, the intelligent control system 70 coordinates the counterbalancing and maintenance device 60 and the threaded rod adjustment device 40 to pull the buoy 21 up to a predetermined safe position. The intelligent control system 70 also stops the generators 51 to shut down the intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 .
[0097] During the maintenance of the intelligent control wave energy power generating system 10 , the buoy 21 is uplifted to a predetermined position for cleaning, repairing, and so on.
[0098] As shown in FIG. 11 , to uplift the buoy 21 , the intelligent control system 70 locks the counterweight 62 to the mounting platform 84 using the counterweight lock 63 . The intelligent control system 70 then coordinates the electric winch assembly 64 and the threaded rod adjustment device 40 to uplift the buoy 21 to a predetermined position for maintenance or safety.
[0099] Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the various embodiments. For example, another embodiment of the gear transmission assembly 33 may include a crank gear and a ratchet gear connected by belts or chains.
[0100] In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to numerous specific details that may vary from implementation to implementation. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The sole and exclusive indicator of the scope of the invention, and what is intended by the applicant to be the scope of the invention, is the literal and equivalent scope of the set of claims that issue from this application, in the specific form in which such claims issue, including any subsequent correction. | The present invention provides a system and method for converting wave energy into electric energy in an intelligent, practical, and efficient manner. The system utilizes a power input shaft coupled with a vertically reciprocating buoy to rotate a crank gear and a ratchet gear meshing therewith. An intelligent control system is included to monitor, control, and optimize the operations of the system. The length of the power input shaft is adjusted in response to water level fluctuations so that the rotational motion of the crank gear is intelligently controlled within a predetermined desirable region for maximum efficiency. | 5 |
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/167,509 filed on Dec. 15, 1993 now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to stator wound resolvers. More particularly, the invention relates to reducing harmonic distortion in the output signals of stator wound resolvers.
Stator wound resolvers are commonly used in applications where it is desired to avoid the use of rotor windings, slip rings, limited rotor rotation or rotary transformers. A typical stator wound resolver includes a ferromagnetic stator made of a plurality of stacked laminations. The stator is usually cylindrical in shape, and the laminations are cut to provide a plurality of stator teeth that project inwardly from the back iron or yoke along radial lines towards the axial center of the stator. Each stator tooth carries one or more windings including input windings and output windings.
Depending on the resolver design, including the number of teeth, some of the teeth may be empty (i.e. no windings).
As is known, each winding exhibits a self-inductance characteristic, and also a mutual inductance characteristic with each other winding to which it is magnetically coupled.
These inductances are a function of the rotational position or movement of the rotor. A stator wound resolver rotor does not have windings. Typically, the rotor contour is selected so as to vary the mutual coupling between windings in a sinusoidal manner. The resolver output is basically derived by using an input excitation signal to an input winding on the stator, and detecting the output signals from one or more output windings, also on the stator, which output signals vary with the rotor position in a manner defined by the shape of the rotor. Movement of the rotor causes the mutual inductances between the input and output windings to vary in a predictable manner such that the output signals are indicative of the rotational displacement of the rotor.
The rotor is typically a solid contoured ferromagnetic structure made up of a series of stacked and cut ferromagnetic laminations or a solid ferrite core. The rotor is concentrically disposed within the stator on the central rotational axis. The rotor can be attached to a rotational drive member, such as for example, a motor, rotary actuator and so on, such that the resolver produces an output related to the rotational position of the rotor and hence the drive member.
Failure to strictly control the rotor and stator contours, as well as to control the precise placement of the winding wires on the stator poles, results in non-sinusoidal mutual inductance functions. Such non-sinusoidal coupling results in harmonic distortions that limit the overall accuracy of the resolver.
Prior attempts to improve stator wound resolver accuracy have focussed on optimizing the rotor contour. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,866,913 issued to Kronacher, although the problem of non-sinusoidal mutual coupling is recognized, the Kronacher design attempts to improve accuracy by incorporating a skew into the rotor, rather than careful contouring of the rotor. Although the rotor skew technique can improve resolver performance by reducing harmonic distortion caused by non-sinusoidal mutual coupling, the technique is limited because the rotor skew causes magnetic flux to flow out of the plane that is perpendicular to the rotor axis. This axially flowing flux reduces the extent to which harmonic cancellation can be achieved. Also, the method does not address the fact that stator shape can effect the mutual coupling harmonics. Also, a precise non-linear skew is difficult to manufacture.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,641,467, issue to Ringland, a different input excitation approach is used with phase modulation as distinguished from amplitude modulated resolvers such as the Kronacher patent. In essence, Ringland attempts to reduce harmonic distortion by reducing mutual coupling effects between the sine and cosine input phases. This is accomplished by using two independently wound stators one energized with sine and the other with cosine. While this may achieve improved results, the same result could have been achieved by using input current sources rather than voltage sources to drive the input phases. Also, choosing an amplitude modulated mode of operation rather than a phase modulated mode would have also eliminated the sine/cosine coupling effects. The Ringland design also does not solve the problems caused by non-sinusoidal mutual inductance coupling.
Other attempts at improving the sinusoidal mutual inductance have focussed on the rotor contour. These approaches are less than optimal, however, because they fail to take into account the fact that an optimum rotor contour is a function of the stator slot width, winding positions, fringing effects and the minimum/maximum air gap widths between the rotor and stator.
The objectives exist, therefore, for a stator wound resolver design that exhibits substantially reduced harmonic distortion resulting in a high accuracy resolver.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to the aforementioned problems and objectives, the invention contemplates in one embodiment a stator wound resolver comprising: a stator and a rotor aligned on an axis; the stator having a plurality of teeth with input and output windings disposed on some or all of the teeth, the input and output windings exhibiting a mutual inductance characteristic that varies as a function of position of the rotor about the axis; the input winding being connectable to a drive signal and the output windings being disposed on the teeth such that output signals induced in the output windings correspond to position of the rotor; the rotor being attachable to a position changing means, the rotor comprising at least two axially spaced rotor pieces that are offset from each other by a stagger angle such that a portion of harmonic distortion produced by one of the rotor pieces is reduced by complementary harmonic distortion produced by another of the rotor pieces.
The invention also contemplates methods for reducing harmonic distortion in the output signals of a stator wound resolver comprising the steps of:
a. using a first rotor that has a radius that varies in a sinusoidal manner to vary mutual inductance between input and output windings on the stator as a function of the rotor position; and
b. using a second rotor that is axially spaced from the first rotor and offset by a stagger angle to produce complementary harmonic signals that reduce harmonic components in the resolver output signals.
These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention in view of the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a simplified end plan view of -a conventional stator wound resolver;
FIG. 2 is a representative graph based on empirical data of mutual coupling between the input and output windings of a resolver of the shape depicted in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a representative graph of resolver error magnitude in electrical degrees versus rotor angle due to harmonic distortion, typical for a resolver such as shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a simplified end plan view of a stator wound resolver that embodies the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the resolver of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a representative graph of resolver error magnitude in electrical degrees versus stagger angle due to a third harmonic in the mutual coupling functions;
FIG. 7 is a representative graph of resolver error magnitude in electrical degrees versus stagger angle due to a fifth mutual coupling harmonic; and
FIG. 8 is a representative graph of resolver error magnitude in electrical degrees versus stagger angle due to a third and a fifth mutual coupling harmonic error.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference to FIG. 1, a typical stator wound resolver 10 includes a cylindrical body having a back iron or yoke 12 and a plurality of stator teeth 14. In this case there are eight stator teeth 14, projecting radially inward from the back iron towards the longitudinal axis 16 of the resolver. In FIG. 1, the longitudinal axis extends vertically through the plane of the drawing. The longitudinal axis 16 is also the rotational axis of a concentrically disposed rotor 18. The rotor 18 is mounted on a shaft 20 that is supported on bearings (not shown). The shaft 20 can be coupled or connected to another shaft or drive means that rotates the rotor. By rotation is meant any degree of rotation from 0° through 360° in either a step-wise, continuous, clockwise and/or counter-clockwise fashion. Resolvers can also be used, of course, for rotational speed determination.
The conventional stator wound resolver illustrated in FIG. 1 further includes a plurality of windings disposed on the stator teeth 14. In this case, there are three windings which are identified in the drawings as windings #1, #2 and #3 (in addition, each winding has a corresponding electrical phase associated with it, and for convenience the phases are given corresponding phase numbers, i.e. phase #1, phase #2 and phase #3). Each winding consists of a plurality of coils disposed on one or more of the stator teeth or poles 14. For convenience of reference and ease of explanation, each stator tooth in FIG. 1 is assigned a number 1 through 8, with tooth eight corresponding to the twelve o'clock position for the representation of FIG. 1.
Winding #1, for example, has a coil disposed on each stator tooth 14. Each side of a coil is designated with a "+" or "-" sign with its associated winding number (#) to indicate the direction of current flow. For example, winding #1 has a coil wound onto tooth #8 such that current flows up from the right side of tooth eight, across the top of the tooth and down the left side of tooth 8 (as viewed in FIG. 1). Thus the "+" designates current flow up out of the plane of the drawing and "-" designates current flow down into the plane of the drawing. The winding and current flow representations are provided simply as an example, and correspond with the flux directions indicated by the arrows 22 with the associated winding number. These representations are provided to show one embodiment for a resolver such that the magnetic flux linkage between the various coils and windings produce the desired resolver output phases. These winding arrangements will vary depending on the particular resolver design, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
A basic resolver has three phases, with each phase being associated with one of the windings disposed on the stator. Each of the phases can be an input or an output depending on whether the resolver is being operated in a phase modulation mode or an amplitude modulation mode.
Each resolver phase has a resistance characteristic, a self-inductance characteristic, and a mutual inductance characteristic with the other phases. The self-inductance and mutual inductance characteristics of each phase are a function of the rotor position. The waveform or waveshape of the self-inductance and mutual inductance characteristics (in relation to rotor position, for example) are in part a function of the stator shape, the rotor shape, the air gap length and the winding configurations.
The basic resolver concept is to produce two electrical output phases that are mutually coupled to the input phase in a sinusoidal manner, and preferably ninety degrees out of phase with each other, such that one output phase corresponds to a sine function and the other output phase corresponds to a cosine function. The sine and cosine output functions (phases #2 and #3 herein) are derived, in the described example herein, from amplitude modulation of an excitation signal applied to the input phase winding (#1 in this case). By varying the mutual inductance between the input and output phases in a sinusoidal manner as a function of rotor position or rotor angular displacement, the output phases represent sine and cosine functions that can be processed in a conventional manner to determine the rotor angle with respect to a reference position.
For the standard two lobe rotor resolver illustrated in FIG. 1, several parameters can be specified so that standard resolver characteristics result, i.e. the resolver outputs will be fully modulated sine and cosine signals. For the two lobe rotor 18, define A to be the number of rotor lobes (in this case A=2). A will also be understood as the number of electrical degrees per mechanical degree, with an electrical cycle being defined as one rotor lobe cycle. A resolver rotor can have more than two lobes, with the upper limit being determined in part by manufacturing difficulty and cost. A one lobe resolver is also possible to construct; however, a counter balance weight may be needed for high-speed operation.
The rotor 18 outer radius at an angle "α" is equal to the rotor radius at "-α", or in other words, the rotor 18 is symmetric about the center of the rotor lobes. The angle α is defined as the angle from the peak of a lobe to some other point on the rotor periphery.
The stator slots 26 and poles 14 (of which there are eight each in this case) are substantially identical and the overall stator shape is symmetrical. In the simplest form of a resolver, the number of stator slots, defined as K, is four times the number of rotor lobes, or K=4A. In general, K=4JA, where J is some integer greater than or equal to 1. Other combinations are possible if more than two output phases spaced by 90° is desired. For example, if three output phases spaced by 120° is desired then, in general, K=6JA.
The stator winding #1 has two north/south pole pairs per rotor lobe, and the width of each north pole is the same as each south pole. The number of turns of wire for each north pole is the same as for each south pole. Thus, phase #1 creates a pole pattern of N-S-N-S which spans one rotor lobe cycle.
The stator winding #2 has one north/south pole pair per rotor lobe. The center of each north pole is displaced by 180°/A electrical degrees from the neighboring south poles; and the pole widths are equal. Thus, phase #2 creates a pole pattern of N-O-S-O where "O" represents a span which is neither a north or south pole. The width of the "O" region can be anything from zero stator poles to ((K/A)-2)/2, provided that such a number is an integer. In the case where J=1, however, it is desirable that the "O" region be equal in size to the north and south pole sizes.
The stator winding #3 is identical to winding #2, except that this winding is shifted in position on the stator by 90°/A electrical degrees from winding #2.
For purposes of the following analysis, given the aforementioned design characteristics of the conventional resolver 10, the rotor angle will be assumed to be zero when a rotor lobe is aligned such that the mutual inductance between phase #1 and phase #2 is zero; and the mutual coupling between phase #1 and phase #3 is a positive maximum coupling. This convention is chosen for convenience and ease of explanation to simplify the mathematical analysis; any other reference could be selected, but the relevant transfer functions will include corresponding phase shifts. In FIG. 1, the rotor reference position is taken (and shown) for θ=0°.
Under the design criteria set forth above for the conventional resolver of FIG. 1, the self-inductance and mutual inductance characteristics of each phase can be mathematically defined as set forth below. For this analysis, the rotor shape is such that the rotor radius equals a constant plus a sine term R=C+Xsin(Aθ)!. The general characteristic equations for the phase inductances and mutual inductances can be rationalized by assuming the functions are mirror symmetric about their maximum or minimum points. However, a finite element analysis or empirical data can be used to verify the equations' form.
The characteristic equations are generalized--specific coefficients will depend on the particular dimensions of the resolver components. This analysis is provided as background for an understanding of how the invention improves resolver accuracy, therefore, specific coefficients derived are not critical to an understanding of and practice of the invention. It is noted, however, that conventional finite element analysis techniques known to those skilled in the art can be conveniently used.
Because the rotor contour is defined by a mirror symmetrical shape function, the self-inductance of phase #1 can be defined as follows:
L.sub.1 (θ)=L.sub.1.sup.0th +L.sub.1.sup.2nd cos(2κAθ)+L.sub.1.sup.4th cos(4κAθ)+L.sub.1.sup.6th cos(6κAθ)+Eq. (1)
in which the self-inductance includes a D.C. level, L 1 0th , and Fourier series even harmonics.
Note for the various equations herein that:
TABLE I
L n is the inductance of phase n. Note: L 2 0th =L 3 0th , L 2 2nd =L 3 2nd
M nm is the mutual coupling between phase n and m. Note: M 12 0th =L 13 0th , M 12 1st =M 13 1st
A is the number of rotor lobes on the resolver.
θ is the relative mechanical angle between the rotor and the stator.
θ=0 for the rotor position in FIG. 1.
κ is the number of north/south pole pairs per lobe; for phase #1, K=2.
The L and M superscripts are the harmonic numbers.
The L and M subscripts are the phase numbers.
The self-inductances of phases #2 and #3 can similarly be defined as follows: ##EQU1##
The mutual inductance coupling between phases #1 and #2 (M 12 ), and the mutual coupling between phases #1 and #3 (M 13 ), have Fourier series higher harmonics are the odd harmonics only. In general, the mutual coupling between the primaries and secondaries should not contain a constant DC level. However, such characteristics as a non-concentric rotor, out of round stator, or non-uniform winding placement can cause a constant mutual coupling term. This constant term will contribute to the overall resolver error. The mutual inductances can be defined generally as follows: ##EQU2## Note that, as expected, M 12 and M 13 are out of phase by 90°/A electrical degrees. The even harmonics are not present given the assumption that the mutual coupling functions are mirror symmetric.
FIG. 2 shows representative plots of the values of M 12 and M 13 versus rotor position. This plot was derived from empirical data obtained from a resolver of the shape given in FIG. 1. Note that if we assume that the M 12 and M 13 functions are sine and cosine, a calculation of the arc tangent of the ratio will provide a value for the rotor angle θ.
If one assumes that the input winding is winding #1 and an excitation signal V 1 =V in sin(ωt) is applied thereto, then the open circuit (no load) output voltages of the output windings #2 and #3 can be predicted using simple circuit analysis:
V.sub.2 =ωM.sub.12 i.sub.in cos(ωt+k) Eq. 6
V.sub.3 =ωM.sub.13 i.sub.in cos(ωt+k) Eq. 7
In the resolver amplitude modulation mode the rotor position is determined by performing an inverse tangent function on the quotient of the demodulated amplitude of the two output signals, V 2 and V 3 :
θ.sub.c =tan.sup.-1 (M.sub.12 /M.sub.13) Eq. 8
The parameter θ c will be defined as the calculated angle of the rotor, as opposed to the actual rotor position θ. The difference between the calculated and the actual rotor position will be called the resolver error (Er) as shown in equations (9).
Er=θ.sub.c -Aθ Eq. 9
Equations 4 and 5 are the general representation of the mutual coupling of the output phases #2 and #3 with the input phase #1 (for the described embodiment). Because these mutual couplings contain higher harmonics, the rotor angle calculated by the inverse tangent function will not be a true angle measurement. There will exist a periodic error that is a function of the higher harmonic content of these mutual coupling functions. FIG. 3 shows in a representative manner the periodic nature of this error, in relation to rotor position, for a 1% third harmonic in the mutual coupling. If the mutual coupling were a pure sinusoid (i.e. no higher harmonics, only sin(Aθ) terms), then the inverse tangent function would simply be "Aθ". Such pure sinusoidal couplings, however, are difficult to achieve (as discussed with respect to the efforts of others). The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for reducing these harmonic contributions in the mutual couplings.
In many cases, the principal component of error in the resolver readings can be attributed to a specific harmonic contribution. For example, for the resolver illustrated in FIG. 1, the most common and substantial error is a fourth electrical harmonic position error, which is caused by the third and fifth harmonics in the mutual coupling. For example, a 1% third harmonic can cause a 0.57 electrical degree error in the calculated rotor position (this is the phenomenon represented in FIG. 3). However, a 1% fifth harmonic also causes a 0.57 electrical degrees error that is in phase with the error induced by the third harmonic. These error magnitudes can be verified by evaluation of equations 8 and 9 while using the appropriate values for the higher harmonics in equations 4 and 5.
With reference now to FIG. 4, there is illustrated in a manner similar to FIG. 1, a resolver that embodies the present invention. While the invention is described herein with specific reference to use of a stator wound resolver to determine discrete angular displacement, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the invention can be used in stator wound resolvers for other applications as well. Furthermore, while the invention is described herein with respect to a resolver operating in an amplitude modulation mode, such description is exemplary and should not be construed in a limiting sense. The present invention can conveniently be used with amplitude or phase modulation resolvers. The invention is also not limited to the use of one input phase and two output windings type resolvers, as described herein. Additional windings can be used as is known. The present invention is more directed to the method and apparatus associated with harmonic reduction by use of a rotor stagger concept, rather than the particulars of this exemplary resolver design, application and use, and especially the particulars of the structural characteristics of the described rotor, stator and associated windings.
According to an important aspect of the invention, a staggered rotor design is used to cause cancellation or substantial reduction in the fourth harmonic position error, for example. According to another important aspect of the invention, the staggered rotor design can be used with generally any rotor contour.
In FIG. 4, the components and basic design of the stator, including the back iron, teeth, windings and so forth, can be the same as the stator of FIG. 1 (assuming the same design criteria--the stator design is determined by the particular application in combination with the rotor). Therefore, except as otherwise noted herein, the description of the stator will not be repeated herein, and like reference numerals are used for the various elements.
The rotor 50, however, has significant differences from the rotor depicted in FIG. 1. The staggered rotor 50 in FIG. 4 is an isolated stagger design. An isolated stagger is realized, for example, by dividing the contoured ferromagnetic portion of the rotor in a direction perpendicular to the rotational axis into two equal thickness pieces, 50a and 50b. The word "dividing" is not meant to necessarily imply a cutting process. Dividing the rotor into two equal pieces is the preferred mode of operation for the invention; however, an unequal division, for example 60%-40% can be made to work. The rotor pieces can easily be built up as separate laminated structures, which if put together would produce a conventional single piece rotor of FIG. 1.
As best shown in FIG. 5, the rotor pieces are magnetically isolated from each other by a non-magnetic spacer 52. The spacer may be made of any suitable material, such as aluminum, for example. The spacer can be adhesively bonded to the rotor pieces, or can be attached by any other suitable means. Fasteners or other suitable means to hold the rotor pieces together (not shown) could also be used if appropriate for a particular application.
The rotor pieces 50a and 50b are substantially identical in contour and angularly displaced with respect to one another, and fixed in an unaligned position as illustrated in an exemplary manner in FIG. 4. The relative angle between the two rotor pieces is referred to herein as the stagger angle, .o slashed. s .
FIG. 5 illustrates the placement of the rotor isolation ring 52 and a stator isolation ring 54. I have found that, in some applications, if the stator is also separated into two isolated halves by a stator spacer 54, performance can be improved. The use of an isolated stator is not required, however, and as will be explained later herein, an isolated rotor is also not required in all cases. If the isolated stator approach is used, the stator laminated structure should also be magnetically isolated from any ferromagnetic casing that the resolver may be placed in. The isolated resolver halves improve harmonic cancellation in some cases apparently due to reducing substantially the amount of flux that can flow in the axial direction.
By staggering the rotor 50 pieces, the mutual coupling functions, defined generally by equations (4) and (5), are modified as shown in equations (10) and (11). ##EQU3##
In Eq. 10, M 12 (θ-1/2.o slashed. s ), for example, denotes replacing θ in equation (4) with θ-1/2.o slashed. s .
If Eq. 9 is evaluated, in keeping with previous examples herein, using the expanded mutual coupling equations 10 and 11 (thereby including the harmonic contributions and the stagger angle effects), the magnitude of the fourth harmonic resolver electrical degree error can be determined for various stagger angles from 0° to 180°. Such an analysis is graphically represented in FIG. 6 assuming a 1% third harmonic in the mutual coupling. It will be noted that the fourth harmonic error magnitude is essentially reduced to zero at a stagger angle of approximately 60 electrical degrees. Similar results obtain for a -1% third harmonic, except that the error values would need to be multiplied by -1.
A similar analysis for the fourth harmonic error caused by a 1% fifth harmonic in the mutual coupling can be performed and the result is shown in FIG. 7. In this case, a 36 electrical degree stagger angle produces a zero fourth harmonic error. It is worth special note that, although in an unstaggered design, the fourth harmonic errors caused by a 1% third or fifth mutual coupling are equal in magnitude, the same is not true when the stagger angle does not equal zero. However, the phase of the fourth harmonic error is independent of the stagger angle.
It will be further noted at this time, that the example herein of the fourth harmonic error caused by the third and fifth mutual coupling harmonics is but one example of the types of harmonics that can be effectively canceled by use of the present invention. This specific example should not be construed in a limiting sense as to the different harmonic errors that can be reduced or eliminated. Use of the invention for other harmonic components is a straightforward matter of following the same mathematical and empirical analysis of the present invention described herein with respect to this specific example.
Although the analysis of Eq. 9 shows that different stagger angles can reduce the fourth harmonic error caused by the third and fifth mutual coupling harmonics, there is no single stagger angle where both error magnitudes caused by the third and fifth harmonic are zero. However, there does exist a stagger angle where the fourth harmonic error caused by the third mutual harmonic is equal in magnitude but opposite in sign (i.e. out of phase) with the fourth harmonic error caused by the fifth mutual coupling harmonic. This arises from several empirical and mathematical observations. First, the phase of the fourth harmonic error is independent of the stagger angle. The phase of the fourth harmonic error is independent of the mutual harmonic that created it. The magnitude of the error vs. stagger angle curve is directly proportional (as long as M 1st >>M 3rd and M 1st >>M 5th . . . ) to the magnitude of the mutual coupling harmonics that created it. The error vs. stagger angle curve for any arbitrary combination of third and fifth mutual harmonics will be a linear combination of the individual error vs. stagger angle curves (such as FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 for example). Also, the mutual coupling harmonics greater than the fifth harmonic, such as the seventh harmonic, do not create fourth harmonic errors.
In order to determine the optimum stagger angle for reducing the fourth harmonic error from both the third and fifth mutual harmonics, empirical data is also needed.
In this example, we assume that a resolver exists that contains a fourth harmonic error. It is possible to measure, experimentally, the magnitude of the fourth harmonic in the resolver error for two different stagger angles and use this information to calculate the optimum stagger angle. One of the stagger angle values, used during the experimental data taking, could be .o slashed.=0, however, for the sake of being as general as possible, the analysis below will assume that data was taken for two different nonzero values of stagger. In the following analysis some notation will be used; this notation is defined as follows:
Q.sub.α =The measured fourth harmonic error magnitude at a stagger angle of α.
Q.sub.η =The measured fourth harmonic error magnitude at a stagger angle of η.
Q.sub.α 3rd =The fourth harmonic error at a stagger angle of α, due to the 3rd mutual harmonic only.
Q.sub.η 5th =The fourth harmonic error at a stagger angle of η, due to the 5th mutual harmonic only.
Q 0 3rd =The fourth harmonic error at a stagger angle of 0, due to the 3rd mutual harmonic only.
Q 0 5th =The fourth harmonic error at a stagger angle of 0, due to the 5th mutual harmonic only.
ψ.sub.α 3rd =Q.sub.α 3rd /Q 0 3rd =Third harmonic "transfer" factor at the stagger angle of α.
ψ.sub.α 5th =Q a 5th /Q 0 5th =Fifth harmonic "transfer" factor at the stagger angle of α.
λ 3rd =M 1x 3rd /Q.sub.η 3rd =Third harmonic "scale" factor at the stagger angle of α.
λ 5th =M 1x 5th /Q 0 5th =Fifth harmonic "scale" factor at the stagger angle of η.
An Equation can be written that equates the magnitude of the fourth harmonic error at a specific stagger angle to the sum of the "transferred" error magnitudes due to the 3rd mutual harmonic at zero stagger, with the transferred error magnitude due to the 5th mutual harmonic at zero stagger. The equation is applied to two different stagger angles and the results shown as Equations (12) and (13). These equations can be written because the magnitude of the error versus stagger angle function is proportional to the mutual harmonic magnitude; the shape of the function does not change. Thus, if the mutual harmonic error is known at a specific stagger angle it is also known at all other stagger angles.
Q.sub.α =ψ.sub.α.sup.3rd Q.sub.0.sup.3rd +ψ.sub.α.sup.5th Q.sub.0.sup.5th Eq. (12)
Q.sub.η =ψ.sub.η.sup.3rd Q.sub.0.sup.3rd +ψ.sub.η.sup.5th Q.sub.0.sup.5th Eq. (13)
Equations (12) and (13) can be written in matrix form as shown Equation (14). ##EQU4## Solving for Q 0 3rd and Q 0 5th leads to Equation (15) and (16). ##EQU5##
Using Equations (15) and (16) the 4th harmonic error due to the third and fifth mutual harmonic, respectively, can be calculated from experimental measurements. Thus, one can calculate the original magnitude of the third and fifth mutual harmonic by using Equations (17) and (18). The "scaling" factors, i.e., λ 3rd and λ 5th , between the fourth harmonic error magnitude and the mutual coupling harmonic magnitude was calculated by a "resolver simulation" (i.e., evaluation of equations 8, 9, 10 and 11 or graphically from FIGS. 6 and 7).
M.sub.1x.sup.3rd =λ.sup.3rd A.sub.0.sup.3rd Eq. (17)
M.sub.1x.sup.5th =λ.sup.5th Q.sub.0.sup.5th Eq. (18)
Q.sub.α and Q.sub.η can be experimentally measured for the stator wound resolver. Let's assume this data has been taken and the magnitude of the fourth harmonic at the two different stagger angles is as shown below (note α=27° and η=66°):
Q.sub.27 =-0.335305 electrical degrees Eq. (19)
Q.sub.66 =-0.223003 electrical degrees Eq. (20)
The values of ψ.sub.α 3rd , ψ.sub.α 5th , ψ.sub.η 3rd , ψ.sub.η 5th , λ 3rd , and λ 5th can be calculated from the resolver simulation. The value of these parameters have been calculated as shown below.
ψ.sub.27.sup.3rd =0.447937/0.572773=0.782050 Eq. (21)
ψ.sub.66.sup.3rd =-0.106854/0.572773=-0.186556 Eq. (22)
ψ.sub.27.sup.5th =-0.225474/0.572773=0.393653 Eq. (23)
ψ.sub.66.sup.5th =-0.659646/0.572773=-0.151671 Eq. (24)
λ.sup.3rd =λ.sup.5th =1%/0.572773=1.745892 Eq. (25)
The measured parameters in Equations (19) and (20) can be combined with the calculated parameters in Equations (21) through (25), and used to evaluate Equations (15) through (18). The result will be values for M 1x 3rd and M 1x 5th for the mutual coupling harmonic; the calculated values of M 1x 3rd and M 1x 5th for the present example are given below.
M.sub.1x.sup.3rd =-1.000283% Eq. (26)
M.sub.1x.sup.5th =+0.500098% Eq. (27)
The values of M 1x 3rd and M 1x 5th given in Equations (26) and (27) can be resubmitted to the simulation program in order to determine the optimum stagger angle for the given amount of third and fifth mutual harmonic content. The resulting error versus stagger angle curve is given in FIG. 8. Notice that at a stagger angle of 27° and 66° the fourth harmonic magnitude is as it should be--consistent with the "experimental" error measurements of Equations (19) and (20). This has happened because the outlined procedure has found an error versus stagger angle curve that matches the two specified points and is a linear combination of FIGS. 6 and 7. The optimum stagger angle for the present example is 79 electrical degrees; at this stagger angle the fourth harmonic error due to the third mutual coupling will cancel the error due to the fifth mutual harmonic.
Thus, a stator wound resolver with an isolated stagger can be constructed such that the fourth harmonic error due to the third and the fifth mutual coupling harmonics is nearly zero. Since the fourth harmonic error is the most pronounced error in the exemplary resolver described herein, the isolated stagger offers substantial accuracy improvement. The optimum stagger angle for a stator wound resolver will be different among different resolver designs, i.e., different stator and/or rotor shapes. However, for a given design there will exist a stagger angle for which the fourth harmonic error undergoes substantial cancellation. A logical process of steps exists, as described, which one can undergo in order to determine the optimum stagger angle for a given resolver design.
The optimum stagger angle can also be determined without the use of the presented equations by empirically creating a fourth harmonic error magnitude versus stagger angle plot similar to what is shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. However, this method requires many error plots to be measured at many different stagger angles.
It is noted that the seventh and ninth mutual harmonics can also affect the resolver error. In general, the seventh and the ninth electrical harmonics cause an eighth electrical harmonic in the resolver error, and the seventh and the ninth mutual harmonics are much smaller than the third and fifth. As a result, they can be neglected in most cases. However, if the seventh and ninth mutual harmonic are significant, it is possible to apply the same isolated stagger cancellation technique to these harmonics; the result will be a multilayer staggered rotor resolver.
The invention thus provides methods and apparatus for reducing harmonic error in a stator wound resolver. The particular technique employed according to the teachings of the invention will depend on the resolver application and the amount of error reduction desired.
While the invention has been shown and described with respect to specific embodiments thereof, this is for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, and other variations and modifications of the specific embodiments herein shown and described will be apparent to those skilled in the art within the intended spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. | A stator wound resolver comprising: a stator and a rotor aligned on an axis; the stator having a plurality of teeth with input and output windings disposed on some or all of the teeth, the input and output windings exhibiting a mutual inductance characteristic that varies as a function of position of the rotor about the axis; the input winding being connectable to a drive signal and the output windings being disposed on the teeth such that output signals induced in the output windings correspond to position of the rotor; the rotor being attachable to a position changing means, the rotor comprising at least two axially spaced rotor pieces that are offset from each other by a stagger angle such that a portion of harmonic distortion produced by one of the rotor pieces is reduced by complementary harmonic distortion produced by another of the rotor pieces. | 7 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/055,464, filed Mar. 26, 2008.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It is known to use snow guards on roof structures, particularity in northern climates, where the weather conditions are such that snow and/or ice accumulates on roofs. Snow guards are used, most particularly when the roofs are steeply sloped, to provide protrusions or outwardly extending platforms that protrude outwardly and upwardly, generally perpendicular to the slope of the roof, to engage snow or ice that may accumulate on the roof, to keep sheets of snow or ice from sliding down the roof, off the roof, possibly causing damage to people, shrubs, etc.
[0003] Typically, snow guards have, in addition to the protrusion or platform, a base that is disposed between underlying and overlying shingles on the roof. It is generally known that in colder climate conditions, snow guards are installed as the roof is built up, being placed over an underlying shingle or shingles in a course, prior to installing the next-overlying shingle in its overlying course.
[0004] Most particularly, it is known that snow guards are desirable on steeply sloped roofs wherein the shingles on the roof are of natural slate or natural tile, being made of materials that are very rigid, often having outer weather-engaging surfaces that can be smooth, allowing snow or ice that accumulates on the outer surfaces of such shingles or tiles to slide downwardly along the highly sloped surface of the roof, most particularly as the snow or ice begins to thaw, with the protrusions or platforms of the snow guards engaging the snow or ice and breaking up large sheets of the same into smaller, generally harmless pieces of snow or ice not readily capable of causing damage to personnel, plants, bushes, etc.
[0005] Where a roof is made up of naturally occurring materials, such as slate, shake or tile, it is known to install snow guards as the roof is being laid up, on top of courses of such roof materials that have already been applied, prior to applying an overlying course of such rigid slate, shake, or tile shingles thereover. However, in the case of an already-installed roof of rigid natural slate, shake, or tile shingles, if snow guards are later desired to be installed, it can become necessary to remove some shingles of slate, shake, or tile construction so that the same can be lifted upwardly an amount to install snow guards therebeneath, between shingles in two underlying-overlying courses. Where such slate, shake, or tile shingles of natural materials are rigid, they can break as they are being lifted upwardly. In the absence of breaking it becomes necessary to remove the nails or fasteners for such shingles an amount sufficient to raise such shingles upwardly to enable placement of a snow guard therebeneath, and then to re-fasten such rigid naturally occurring shingles back down to the roof.
The Present Invention
[0006] The present invention is directed to providing snow guards for use with synthetic, generally thermoplastic materials that are either being installed on a roof, or when already-installed on a roof, such that the shingles are made so that they can be flexibly bent upwardly an amount within their elastic limit to permit insertion of snow guards under tab portions of shingles, wherein the snow guards have hooks thereon that engage behind shingles in a next-underlying course, and with the shingles that have been lifted upwardly, flexibly bent within their elastic limit, being then allowed to return to their original generally planar configuration, back down over the snow guard, leaving a protruding or platform portion of the snow guard disposed beneath the shingle, the tab portion of which had been flexibly bent upwardly.
[0007] Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a roof structure comprised of a roof base, synthetic shingles of thermoplastic material, and snow guards having hooks at their upper ends and protruding portions, such as platform portions protruding outwardly at their lower ends, beyond the shingled roof in the installed condition, wherein the shingles are sufficiently resiliently flexible to allow the snow guards to be inserted between overlying and underlying shingles after the shingles have been installed on a roof, without breakage of the shingles and without requiring partial or full removal of fasteners holding such shingles to the roof.
[0008] It us a further object of this invention to provide a method of installing snow guards on a roof, consistent with the roof structure described above.
[0009] It is yet another object of this invention to provide a roof structure and a method of installing snow guards on a roof structure, wherein the resilient flexibility of the synthetic shingle is sufficient to permit installing the snow guards with their protruding platforms temporarily beneath the uplifted roof shingles, so that downwardly and rearwardly facing hooks of the snow guards can engage over upper edges of next-underlying shingles in a course, and then to slide the roof guards downwardly, parallel to the slope of the roof out beyond the lower edge of an upwardly lifted synthetic shingle, allowing the shingle to return to its original position flat against the underlying shingle or shingles on a roof, and overlying a base portion of the snow guard that connects the hook and the outwardly protruding platform portion thereof, such that the platform portion of the snow guard engages at or below the lower edge of the temporarily upwardly bent shingle after that shingle is returned to its original position.
[0010] It is another object of this invention to provide snow guards with hooks that have beveled edges, either inwardly beveled, or outwardly beveled in the hook portion.
[0011] It is yet a further object of this invention to provide snow guards for installation as described above, wherein the hooks are adapted to be resiliently or springingly engaged behind one or more shingles in a next-underlying course, when the snow guards are installed.
[0012] It is a further object of this invention that the synthetic shingles have tracks or ribs on their rear surfaces for allowing sliding movement of snow guards that are being applied, upwardly along a said track, and that after the shingles are installed, the tracks can function to inhibit lateral movement of snow guards relative to overlying shingles.
[0013] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent upon a reading of the following brief descriptions of the drawing figures, the detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiments, and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0014] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a sloped roof having a plurality of courses of synthetic shingles of thermoplastic materials applied thereto, with the roof being fragmentally illustrated, and wherein snow guards are shown with their platforms disposed below lower edges of applied shingles.
[0015] FIG. 1A is an illustration similar to that of FIG. 1 , but wherein it is illustrated how snow or ice, when sliding downwardly along the highly sloped roof surface, can engage against outwardly protruding platforms of snow guards, and become broken-up into smaller, harmless pieces.
[0016] FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of the roof of FIG. 1 , taken generally along the line III-III, showing an upwardly lifted synthetic thermoplastic shingle, that is flexibly bent upwardly an amount within its elastic limit, to permit insertion of a snow guard thereunder, with the snow guard to be slid upwardly beneath the shingle while overlying a shingle in a lower course.
[0017] FIG. 3 is an illustration similar to that of FIG. 2 , also taken generally along the line III-III of FIG. 1 , but wherein the upwardly lifted, flexibly bent overlying shingle, shown in phantom, has been allowed to return to its original flattened position against the roof, sandwiching a base portion of the snow guard therebetween, and wherein the snow guard has had its hook at its upper end slid downwardly to engage behind the upper edge of an underlying shingle, and with the snow guard then being pulled downwardly to allow complete return of the overlying shingle against the base of the snow guard, and above the outwardly protruding platform thereof.
[0018] FIG. 3A is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of FIG. 3 , showing more clearly the engagement of the hook of the snow guard beneath the upper end of a butt portion of a shingle in a next-underlying course.
[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates a pair of synthetic shingles of thermoplastic material in accordance with this invention, arranged side-by-side in a given course, and with a snow guard installed therebetween, between opposing side edges of butt portions of the shingle, and with a next-overlying shingle being shown in phantom thereover, such that the snow guard itself may be seen in the installed condition, with greater clarity.
[0020] FIG. 5 is an illustration of a prior art type of snow guard, having a straight upper end, to receive a fastener therein, and it is the type of a snow guard that can be used on a roof as a roof is being installed, to be fastened over a next-underlying shingle in a given course, prior to installation of a next-overlying course of shingles, wherein the shingles that are used with the type of snow guard of FIG. 5 , are generally very rigid, being constructed of naturally occurring materials such as slate, shake, or tile, that are not flexibly bendable within their elastic limit either at all, or at least not an amount sufficient to install the snow guard of FIG. 5 after the roof is installed.
[0021] FIG. 5A is a side elevational view of the shingle of FIG. 5 .
[0022] FIG. 5B is an illustration of a snow guard made in accordance with this invention, prior to bending the upper end of the snow guard into a hook formation prior to installing it with a hook behind a next-underlying shingle, in accordance with this invention.
[0023] FIG. 5C is a side elevational view of the snow guard of FIG. 5B , after the upper end of the snow guard is bent into a hook configuration, and with the hook configuration shown in engagement behind a next-underlying shingle on a roof, and wherein the next-overlying flexibly bent tab portion of the shingle is shown in phantom and in full line positions, illustrating, respectively, the upward bend of the relatively flexible portion of a shingle in accordance with this invention, and its return to its permanent position overlying the base of the snow guard.
[0024] FIGS. 5D , 5 E, 5 F, 5 G, 5 H and 5 I are fragmentary portions of upper ends of snow guards for use in accordance with the present invention, whereby various bevels, bends and constructions for facilitating engagement of the upper ends of snow guards behind upper ends of butt portions of next-underlying shingles in a course are illustrated, as will be described in more detail hereinafter.
[0025] FIG. 6 is a generally vertical section, taken through shingles and a snow guard in accordance with this invention, generally along the line VI-VI of FIG. 1 , and wherein a fragmentary portion of a roof, with shingles thereon are shown fragmentally and with a snow guard installed in a track between ribs of a next-overlying shingle in accordance with this invention, are clearly illustrated.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] Referring now to FIG. 1 in detail, it will be see that a roof structure is illustrated, generally designated by the numeral 20 , with the structure comprising a fragmentary portion of a roof base 21 , steeply sloped as will be seen hereafter with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 , with a plurality of courses of synthetic shingles of thermoplastic materials applied thereto, with each course such as those 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 and 26 being applied such that tab portions 27 of shingles, all generally identified by the numeral 28 in FIG. 1 , are shown in overlying relation to butt portions 30 of underlying shingles.
[0027] The thermoplastic shingles 28 are each preferably constructed of a thermoplastic resin material which may or may not have fillers therein, and which may or may not have reinforcement materials therein, such as lengths of fiber, for additional strength. The shingles 28 will also preferably be molded or shaped to simulate natural slate, tile or shake materials that are generally not flexible, although the shingles 28 , while simulating natural materials, will have sufficient flexibility that they can be upwardly, flexibly bent an amount within their elastic limit to permit insertion of snow guards therebeneath, and allow for retraction to their original, generally flattened or original configurations that existed prior to being flexibly bent upwardly, after the upward force that flexibly bends them is removed.
[0028] The synthetic shingles may, if desired have separate materials for their core and capstock (outer, weather exposed portions, if desired).
[0029] Each shingle 28 has an upper edge 31 , a lower edge 32 , a right edge 33 , and a left edge 34 . Right and left edges of adjacent shingles may be slightly spaced apart as shown at 35 , between their butt portions 30 . The shingles 28 may also have slots 36 between their right and left edges of their tab portions when the shingles 28 are disposed adjacent each other, as shown in FIG. 1 . A plurality of snow guards 40 are shown between adjacent ones of the shingles.
[0030] With reference now to FIG. 1A , it will be seen that, as snow or ice 41 accumulated on the roof 20 begins to break apart, large pieces, clumps or sheets 42 thereof may break away, falling therefrom, as shown by the arrows 43 in FIG. 1A , downwardly, to engage platform or protrusion portions 45 of the snow guards 40 as shown in FIG. 1A , whereby the pieces, clumps or sheets 42 of snow or ice are broken up into smaller pieces or particles 46 as shown, which can then fall downwardly off the lower end of the roof, without damaging people, plants or shrubs.
[0031] With respect to the enlarged fragmentary illustration of FIG. 2 , it will be noted that the roof base 21 is illustrated, as having shingles 28 in an overlying course, with their tabs portions 27 overlying butt portions of shingles 28 in an underlying course.
[0032] For ready reference, the illustrated shingle in FIG. 2 that is in an overlying course is indicated as shingle 28 ′, and the shingle in the underlying course is denominated shingle 28 ″.
[0033] As shown in FIG. 2 , the shingle 28 ′ has its tab portion lifted arcuately upwardly, being flexibly bent, as shown, in the direction of the arrow 50 , such that the tabs portion of the shingle 28 ′ is moved from the phantom line position 28 ″′ therefor, to the full line position, therefor, as shown in FIG. 2 .
[0034] With the shingle 28 ′ flexibly bent upwardly as shown in FIG. 2 , the snow guard 40 can be moved from its full line position therefor shown in FIG. 2 , to be slid upwardly beneath the flexibly upwardly bent tab portion 27 for the shingle 28 ′ such that the downwardly bent hook 51 of the upper end 52 of the snow guard 40 can be moved upwardly in the direction of the arrow 53 , overlying the butt portion of the shingle 28 ″′, to engage behind the upper edges 31 of two adjacent shingles 28 ″ (as shown in FIG. 3 ). It will be noted that, in some embodiments, the amount “D” of upward bend for the shingle 28 ′ as shown in FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrow 50 is greater than the dimension D′ shown in FIG. 2 , for the outward protrusion of the platform portion 54 of the snow guard 40 , to allow for movement of the snow guard 40 upwardly in the direction of the arrow 53 an amount that the platform portion 54 of the snow guard 40 can be beneath the upwardly bent portion of the shingle 28 . The snow guard 40 has an optional protuberance 29 extending between spaced apart opposing edges of tab portions of underlying shingles, as shown, which can effectively inhibit lateral movement leftward and rightward of installed snow guards.
[0035] With reference now to FIG. 3 , it will be seen that the hook 51 of the snow guard 40 is in place, beyond and around the upper edges 31 of the butt portions of the underlying shingles 28 ″, and that the snow guard 40 , with its base 55 that connects the hook portion 51 and platform portion 54 has now been slid vertically downwardly in the direction of the arrow 56 , such that the outwardly protruding platform portion 54 is now at a sufficiently low level with the hook 51 engaged over the upper edges 31 of the shingles 28 ″, such that the upwardly flexibly bent tab portion of the overlying shingle 28 ′ that is shown in phantom in FIG. 3 can now be allowed to return downwardly into an overlying full line position therefor, shown at 57 , overlying the snow guard base 55 and overlying the butt portions of shingles 28 ″, such that, due to its inherent memory, the upwardly flexibly bent tab portion of the shingle 28 ′ also overlies the butt portions of the underlying shingles 28 ″, with the lower edge 32 of the shingle 28 ′ disposed just above the platform 54 of the snow guard 40 as shown.
[0036] In cold weather conditions, or whenever shingles 28 become somewhat brittle, an application of heat via a blow dryer or some other heating device may be helpful to make the resilient shingle more flexible, so that cracking of the shingle is avoided when the shingles are upwardly bent for installation of snow guards.
[0037] With respect to FIG. 3A , the detail enlargement shows more clearly that the hook 51 is disposed behind the upper edges 31 of the butt portions of the shingles 28 , as is the return to flattened position of tab portion 57 of the overlying shingle via inherent memory of the tab portion 57 of the overlying shingle 28 ′.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 4 in detail, it will be seen that a pair of side-by-side adjacent shingles 28 are illustrated in the same course, with the base 55 of a snow guard disposed between opposed side edges 33 , 34 of the shingles 28 , in the space 35 between those shingles, and with the snow-engaging platform portion 54 of the snow guard 40 being disposed immediately beneath and substantially adjacent to a lower edge 32 of a next-overlying shingle 28 , shown in phantom, so that it can be seen how the base 55 of the snow guard 40 extends between right and left edges of butt portions of adjacent shingles, so that the adjacent shingles 28 can inhibit lateral movement leftward and rightward, of installed snow guards, when the installed snow guards are in their installed position as shown in FIG. 4 . Alternatively, the base 55 of a snow guard can overly the butt portions of the shingles 28 , overlying the side edges 33 , 34 thereof.
[0039] With reference now with FIG. 5 and FIG. 5A , a prior art type of snow guard 63 is illustrated, with a projecting platform portion 61 , connected to an upper end 62 thereof, by a base 60 . The base 60 also carries an angular support 64 , for supporting the platform portion, as shown, as does the snow guard of the present invention.
[0040] However, at the upper end 62 of the snow guard 63 , there is shown a nail or other fastener hole 65 for fastening the snow guard 63 over an underlying course of shingles, when shingles of a very rigid type, such as natural slate, shake or tile that are being applied to a roof (not shown). In such types of installations, the base 60 overlies a shingle lying therebeneath or extends between adjacent shingles in a course, and the upper end is secured to the base roof surface by means of nails or other fasteners applied through holes 65 in the snow guard base 60 , such that the snow guard 63 , as a practical matter, can only be installed during the original installation of rigid, non-flexible shingles of such natural materials or rigid synthetic materials resembling natural materials.
[0041] With reference now to FIG. 5B , a snow guard 70 is illustrated, having a base 71 connecting the platform portion 72 thereof to the upper end 73 of the snow guard 70 , with an angular support 74 also provided. However, with the snow guard of FIG. 5 B, the upper end is sufficiently long that it can be reversely bent back on itself, as shown in FIG. 5C to provide a hook 75 to be disposed over the upper end of a shingle 28 , as shown, when a tab portion 76 of a next-overlying shingle that has been resiliently upwardly bent within its elastic limit as shown in phantom in FIG. 5C , to allow the insertion of the snow guard 70 therebeneath, as is discussed above with reference to FIGS. 2 , 3 and 3 A, after which the upwardly bent portion 76 , shown in phantom, is allowed to relax into a position overlying the snow guard, as shown by the full line illustration 77 of the tab portion of the overlying shingle.
[0042] With reference now to FIGS. 5D , 5 E, 5 F, 5 G, 5 H and 5 I, a plurality of alternative embodiments for the hook portion of each of the snow guards of the present invention will now be illustrated.
[0043] In FIG. 5D , the snow guard 80 has a hook 81 that has a bevel 82 on the right end of the hook 71 of the snow guard, for facilitating and sliding of the same behind a next-underlying shingle, or plurality of shingles, in a course.
[0044] In FIG. 5E , a snow guard 84 is shown with its hook 85 also having a bevel 86 on its outer end, cut more pointedly than that shown in FIG. 5D , but otherwise functioning similarly thereto, when installed behind the upper edge of a next-underlying shingle.
[0045] In FIG. 5F , a snow guard 88 has a bevel 90 on the inside of the hook 91 , also to facilitate its disposition behind the upper end of a next-underlying shingle to facilitate sliding of the same behind a perhaps somewhat thicker shingle.
[0046] With respect to FIG. 50 , the upper end of a snow guard 93 is shown, with its hook 94 being arcuately bent, and having a lower portion 95 thereof that is at an angle “a”, as shown, to the upstanding surface 96 of the rear of the base portion of the snow guard 93 , such that the edge 97 of the hook 94 may frictionally engage behind the next-underlying shingle, over which the hook of the snow guard 93 is installed, for secure, frictionally-engaged fastening of the hook behind that shingle.
[0047] In FIG. 5H , an alternative upper end of the snow guard 100 is shown, in which the hook portion 101 thereof is arcuately bent as shown at 102 , to facilitate greater flexibility in bending a snow guard as shown in FIG. 5B , to have a hook portion thereof formed in the field from an otherwise straight base snow guard as shown in FIG. 5B , rather than having the hook formed at a site of snow guard manufacture.
[0048] In FIG. 5I , yet another alternative upper end 110 of a snow guard 111 is shown, whereby its hook 112 is formed by first bending a portion 113 of the upper end at an angle to the left surface 114 of the snow guard of FIG. 5I , whereby the angled portion 113 can more readily enable retrofitting an installation of previously applied synthetic slates or tiles on a roof, whereby the angled portion 113 can more readily slide under the next-overlying tab of a shingle. Preferably, the embodiment of FIG. 5I would be used with a shingle having a hollowed or ribbed undersurface, to be readily slid beneath the same, preferably within a track thereof, for example, between ribs of a hollowed-out structure, as will be addressed hereinafter with respect to FIG. 6 . The sloped portion 113 , with the downwardly bent hook 112 encourages a spring-loaded lock during installation and reduces or eliminates the marring of surfaces of the shingle over or under which the snow guard is applied, minimizing the likelihood of damage due to scraping of a portion of the snow guard thereagainst.
[0049] Any of the snow guards of FIGS. 5D , 5 E, 5 F, 5 G and 5 I can have their upper ends arcuately bent like the bend 102 shown in FIG. 5H . Also, the hook portion 101 of the snow guard of FIG. 5H could be tapered or configured like any of the hook portions of any of the snow guards of FIGS. 5D , 5 E, 5 F, 5 G, and 5 I. The bending of any of the snow guards to form hooks can occur at any time, including during manufacture of the snow guard in a manufacturing installation or on site of installation of the snow guards on a roof. Also, the bending can, on some occasions, occur on site to reflect a bend that is dependent upon the height of the shingle between its upper and lower edges, especially in the situation of previously-installed shingles, where the bending would normally occur in the field, or at the site of application of the snow guards on a roof.
[0050] With reference now to FIG. 6 , it will be seen that a shingle 28 is applied to a roof base 21 , as described above, but wherein the shingle 28 has a plurality of tracks 115 in its lower surface, which tracks are formed by generally vertically disposed ribs 116 that form stand-offs between one or more underlying surfaces 120 , 121 (such as the underlying shingles 122 , 123 ) and the undersurface of the shingle 28 . By inserting the bases of the snow guards 40 in this manner, in tracks 115 after the shingles have been installed on a roof, and beneath the tab portions of shingles 28 that are flexibly bent outwardly within their elastic limits, the tracks 115 with their ribs 116 , form a guiding medium for sliding the bases 55 of snow guards upwardly from a lower edge of an overlying shingle, up over the upper edge of a next-underlying shingle, for facilitating engagement of the hook (not shown) of the snow guard 40 shown in FIG. 6 behind the rear surface of the butt portion of a next-underlying shingle.
[0051] In a case where all shingles 28 are of the same dimension, snow guards may be centered under the overlying course or over or within the gap between adjacent shingles of the underlying course. If the width of shingles varies then the “tracks” could help in placement of the snow guards. In a case where all shingles are the same size, tracks guide the snow guards between adjacent shingles of an underlying course, as does the gap between the shingles of the underlying course. When varying widths of shingles are employed, tracks formed from ribs of a hollowed-out structure act as guides or installation tracks to assist in placement of the snow guards. The tracks can also assist in redusing lateral movement of installed snow guards.
[0052] It will be apparent for the foregoing that various modifications may be made in the details of construction as well as in the use and operation of the components of this invention, all within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. | A roof structure and a method of installing a snow guard on the base of a roof is provided, wherein the roof structure includes a plurality of synthetic shingles of thermoplastic materials, and where a snow guard is provided having an outwardly projecting snow-engaging platform and an oppositely provided hook at an upper end, wherein the hook is adapted to engage over and upper edge of a butt portion of one or more shingles in an underlying course of shingles, and wherein a tab portion of a shingle in a next-overlying course of shingles is disposed over the upper end of the snow guard, substantially covering its base, and wherein the snow-engaging platform is adapted to receive snow and ice that may slide down the roof, to intercept the same or break the snow or ice up into small harmless particles. The synthetic shingles of thermoplastic materials allow for the upward bending of the overlying tab portions of shingles a substantial amount within their elastic limit, to permit insertion of snow guards under tab portions of overlying shingles, where such tab portions of overlying shingles are already-installed on a roof, followed by a relaxation of the upwardly bent tab portions of shingles back to a flattened condition overlying the butt portions of shingles in an underlying course of shingles, and overlying the base of the snow guard between the platform and hook, due to the inherent memory of the original flattened shape of the shingles that have their tab portions flexibly upwardly bent. | 4 |
BACKGROUND
A virtual volume (VVol) (sometimes called a virtual machine (VM) Volume), is a VMDK (Virtual Machine Disk) stored inside a storage system. Instead of a VM host accessing its virtual disk (VMDK) which is stored in a VMFS formatted data store (part of ESXi hypervisor) built on top of a SCSI LUN (e.g., SAS, SATA, iSCSI, Fibre Channel) or an NFS file system presented by a storage system (or appliance), a VVol pushes more functionality and visibility down into the storage system. In one example, a VVol is a storage container provisioned using VMware vSphere® API (application programming interface) for Storage Awareness (VASA), which aligns to VM boundaries and contains a data store, a set of data services expected, and maintains the metadata of a requested policy.
SUMMARY
In one aspect, a method includes providing virtual volumes (VVols) and mappings from the VVols to corresponding data storage devices to an I/O filter in a first virtual machine (VM), sending control path commands sent from the first VM to a control-path manager VM, the first VM and the control-path manager VM being run on a VM host, intercepting an I/O for a VVol using the I/O filter and sending the intercepted I/O to a data storage device mapped to the VVol.
In another aspect, an apparatus includes electronic hardware circuitry configured to provide virtual volumes (VVols) and mappings from the VVols to corresponding data storage devices to an I/O filter in a first virtual machine (VM), send control path commands sent from the first VM to a control-path manager VM, the first VM and the control-path manager VM being run on a VM host, intercept an I/O for a VVol using the I/O filter and send the intercepted I/O to a data storage device mapped to the VVol.
In a further aspect, an article includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions. The instructions cause a machine to provide virtual volumes (VVols) and mappings from the VVols to corresponding data storage devices to an I/O filter in a first virtual machine (VM), send control path commands sent from the first VM to a control-path manager VM, the first VM and the control-path manager VM being run on a VM host, intercept an I/O for a VVol using the I/O filter and send the intercepted I/O to a data storage device mapped to the VVol.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of a virtual volume converter configuration prior to receiving data and control path commands.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of a virtual volume converter configuration depicting data path command and control path command flow.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an example of a process to handle control and data path commands.
FIG. 4 is a computer on which any portion of the process of FIG. 3 may be implemented.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Described herein are techniques to form a control-path virtual machine (VM), which behaves as a virtual volume (VVol) storage array and exposes VVols to a hypervisor, but actually the VVols do not really exist. In one example, the control-path VM instructs an I/O filter to redirect the I/Os to other devices which may be traditional virtual disk (VMDK) devices or any other type of virtual devices.
FIG. 1 depicts a virtual volume converter configuration 100 prior to receiving data and control path commands and FIG. 2 depicts a virtual volume converter configuration 200 that includes the same components as the virtual volume converter configuration 100 but shows data path command and control path command flow.
The virtual volume converter configurations 100 and 200 allow for generating a virtualized storage array that can abstract and virtualize multiple back-end storage providers of various types and expose a single end-point for them. In one example, the front-end personality for these devices will conform to the VVol format consumed by the VMWare vSphere infrastructure, and supports the control-path management that is required (through VMWare's VASA APIs).
As will be described herein, the control path for this virtualized device goes through a virtual entity (e.g., a VM) that is responsible for management of the back-end devices and mapping them into virtualized devices, while the data-path itself is fully separated and distributed, handled by a light-weight component running in the host (which is also a VM) context, and does not need to pass through the management VM at all. This provides for unlimited scaling of the data-path which does not need to go through any single bottleneck. This data-path layer can provide intelligent mirroring, caching and additional data-path related enhancements which are distributed across the various hosts rather than centralized in a single location.
This proposal can be used for migrating legacy storage arrays that do not expose VVol functionality as of yet into the VVol paradigm, while not sacrificing performance or generating any bottlenecks due to a centralized virtualization layer through which all I/Os need to go through.
Referring back to FIG. 1 , the virtual volume converter configuration 100 includes a virtual machine host 102 and backend storage devices 104 . The virtual machine host 102 includes VM 110 and a control-path manager VM 116 .
The VM 110 includes an I/O filter 114 . The I/O Filter 114 is a filtering mechanism also called VAIO, the I/O filter runs within the same hypervisor user process which runs the virtual machine and can intercept all I/Os generated by the virtual machine and operate on them. The I/O Filter 114 is notified by the control-path manager VM 116 , through a connection 152 with the VVol targets 132 , about the VVols being exposed by the control-path manager VM 116 and the back-end storage devices 104 that the VVols are maps to. An I/O (sometimes referred to as an I/O (input/output) request) may be a read I/O request (sometimes referred to as a read request or a read) or a write I/O request (sometimes referred to as a write request or a write.
Using a connection 150 , the back-end storage devices 104 are attached to the control-path VM 116 (i.e., the back-end storage devices 104 are the internal disks of the control-path VM 116 ). The Control-path manager VM 116 includes a VVol interface 128 and VVol targets 132 . The Control-path manager VM 116 exposes the VVol interface 128 . In one example, the VVol interface 128 is a VMware vSphere® API for Storage Awareness (VASA) interface (e.g., VVol-storage provider) and handles the various control-path APIs that are provided through VASA, such as generating a new VVol, exposing the new VVol to the virtual machine host 102 and so forth. When a VVol is generated, the VVol interface 128 maps the VVol to a specific region on the back-end storage 104 , which may be a full storage device on the back-end or part of a storage device.
The control-path manager VM 116 also exposes the VVol targets 132 that is used to expose the VVols generated to the virtual machine host 102 itself in the data-path. In one example, the VVol targets 132 are SCSI targets that provides VVols with SCSI personality and responds to any queries. In one particular example, the SCSI target is an iSCSI target.
The back-end storage is consumed by the virtual machine host 102 . The back-end storage devices 104 include datastores (e.g., a datastore 120 a , a datastore 120 b and a datastore 120 c ). The datastores 120 a - 120 c may include network-attached storage (NAS), a virtual volume (VVol), a storage area network (SAN) and any other storage that can be attached to the virtual machine host 102 as devices.
Referring back to FIG. 2 , control path command flows 202 a , 204 a , such as SCSI discovery commands, for example, are received by the control-path manager VM 116 (i.e., control path command flow 202 a is received) and sent in particular to the VVol targets 132 (i.e., control path command flow 202 b is sent).
I/Os (i.e., data path commands) are intercepted by the I/O filter 114 (i.e., data path command flow 204 a is intercepted path) and re-routed by the I/O filter 114 (i.e., data path command flow 201 b is rerouted path) directly to a storage device (e.g., a datastore 120 b ).
Referring to FIG. 3 , a process 300 is an example of a process to handle control and data path commands. Process 300 receives information of virtual volumes and backend storage devices mapped to the virtual volumes ( 304 ). For example, the control-path manager 116 provides the virtual volumes and their mapping to the data storage devices 104 to the I/O filter 114 .
Process 300 sends control path commands to the control-path manager ( 308 ). For example, the control path commands from the VM 110 bypass the I/O filter 114 and go straight to the control-path manager VM 116 .
Process 300 reroutes data path commands to a backend device ( 312 ). For example, an I/O received by the VM 110 is intercepted by the I/O filter 114 and is rerouted directly to the corresponding datastore of the back-end storage devices 104 .
Referring to FIG. 4 , in one example, a computer 400 includes a processor 402 , a volatile memory 404 , a non-volatile memory 406 (e.g., hard disk) and the user interface (UI) 408 (e.g., a graphical user interface, a mouse, a keyboard, a display, touch screen and so forth). The non-volatile memory 406 stores computer instructions 412 , an operating system 416 and data 418 . In one example, the computer instructions 412 are executed by the processor 402 out of volatile memory 404 to perform all or part of the processes described herein (e.g., process 300 ).
The processes described herein (e.g., process 300 ) are not limited to use with the hardware and software of FIG. 4 ; they may find applicability in any computing or processing environment and with any type of machine or set of machines that is capable of running a computer program. The processes described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of the two. The processes described herein may be implemented in computer programs executed on programmable computers/machines that each includes a processor, a non-transitory machine-readable medium or other article of manufacture that is readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least one input device, and one or more output devices. Program code may be applied to data entered using an input device to perform any of the processes described herein and to generate output information.
The system may be implemented, at least in part, via a computer program product, (e.g., in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium such as, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable medium), for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus (e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers)). Each such program may be implemented in a high level procedural or object-oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system. However, the programs may be implemented in assembly or machine language. The language may be a compiled or an interpreted language and it may be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program may be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network. A computer program may be stored on a non-transitory machine-readable medium that is readable by a general or special purpose programmable computer for configuring and operating the computer when the non-transitory machine-readable medium is read by the computer to perform the processes described herein. For example, the processes described herein may also be implemented as a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, configured with a computer program, where upon execution, instructions in the computer program cause the computer to operate in accordance with the processes. A non-transitory machine-readable medium may include but is not limited to a hard drive, compact disc, flash memory, non-volatile memory, volatile memory, magnetic diskette and so forth but does not include a transitory signal per se.
The processes described herein are not limited to the specific examples described. For example, the process 300 is not limited to the specific processing order of FIG. 3 . Rather, any of the processing blocks of FIG. 3 may be re-ordered, combined or removed, performed in parallel or in serial, as necessary, to achieve the results set forth above.
The processing blocks (for example, in the process 300 ) associated with implementing the system may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform the functions of the system. All or part of the system may be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry (e.g., an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) and/or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit)). All or part of the system may be implemented using electronic hardware circuitry that include electronic devices such as, for example, at least one of a processor, a memory, a programmable logic device or a logic gate.
Elements of different embodiments described herein may be combined to form other embodiments not specifically set forth above. Various elements, which are described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. Other embodiments not specifically described herein are also within the scope of the following claims. | In one aspect, a method includes providing virtual volumes (VVols) and mappings from the VVols to corresponding data storage devices to an I/O filter in a first virtual machine (VM), sending control path commands sent from the first VM to a control-path manager VM, the first VM and the control-path manager VM being run on a VM host, intercepting an I/O for a VVol using the I/O filter and sending the intercepted I/O to a data storage device mapped to the VVol. | 6 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
This application is continuation of and claims priority to commonly assigned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/037,068 filed Sep. 25, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/992,399, filed on Nov. 12, 2010, the disclosure of which is a national stage application of an international patent application PCT/US10/51332, filed Oct. 4, 2010, which claims priority from Chinese Patent Application No. 200910211788.X filed on Nov. 12, 2009, entitled “SEARCH METHOD AND SYSTEM,” which applications are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to the network data processing field, and more particularly relates to a search method and system.
BACKGROUND
In a search process by a search engine, search results may be secondly ranked according to some attributes (such as geography, source, or subject) so that the top n (n>=1) search results present diversity of distribution in terms of those attributes. This is referred to as diversification of search results. In the context of e-commerce search, search results are often ranked according to relevance or time. Thus a supplier would continuously publish information of a given product so this product can occupy top pages of the search results, thereby maliciously depriving the product display opportunity of one or more other suppliers and causing certain troubles to general users who may be attempting to find other products.
To avoid such problem, the current technologies provide a search method to extract and categorize search results based on relevance. The detailed implementation process is as follows: search results are pre-categorized based on relevance, search results with similar relevance scores are classified into a same category, and search results from each category are then extracted. The extraction includes: selecting a field as a basis for diversity, such as uid (a unique identification of supplier) for example. Then the search results would include the products from a diversity of suppliers. In practice, the search results are classified into many sub-sets according to uid score. The search results for the same uid are classified into a same sub-set, and are ranked according to their relevance scores from high to low in the same sub-set. The m (m>=1) most relevant search results in each sub-set are extracted and displayed at top several pages of the search results. Therefore, the search results in the top several pages can include products from different uids, or suppliers.
The above-described process based on the current technologies requires the classification of sub-sets and ranking according to uid. Although such process can implement diversification of search results to a certain extent, the current technologies need to re-organize all of the search results in the extraction and classification process. This requires copying of the search results in the system memory and thus consumes a large volume of resources at the search engine server, such as time and expenditure of hardware systems. This would cause low performance of the search engine. Further, the ranking in each sub-set is in fact not completely necessary. Thus the current technologies also conduct some calculations that may be unnecessary and waste the system resources for such calculation. In addition, although the current technologies use the classification based on relevance to balance the diversity and relevance of the search results to a certain extent, the current technologies cannot use a fixed classification interval to correctly classify all search results. As shown in the FIG. 1 , an interval classification may be proper for a query A, and may be improper for a query B. It shows that the search results with similar relativities are classified into the same interval for the query A. However, the search results with similar relevance are not regularly classified into the same interval for the query B. Thus the current technologies lack flexibility.
In general, a pending challenge before one of ordinary person in the prior art is to creatively submit a search method to resolve the problem of over-consuming server resources under the current technologies.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure provides a search method to resolve the problem of low performance of search engine server arising from over-consumption of server resources under the current technologies. Further, the search method can also improve flexibility in searching.
The present disclosure also provides a search system to ensure the implementation and application of the above method.
In one aspect, a search method may comprise: according to query data submitted by a client, obtaining a first search result set of first search results relevant to the query data; according to a first relevance score and a preset diversity field of each first search result in the first search result set, calculating a second relevance score of each first search result, the preset diversity field representing an attribute category of a respective first search result; according to the first relevance score and the second relevance score, generating a relevance parameter score for each first search result; and according to a preset number of second search results and the relevance parameter score, extracting the present number of second search results from the first search result set to display to the client. In one embodiment, calculating the second relevance score of each first search result may comprise: according to the preset diversity field of each first search result in the first search result set, classifying the first search result set to obtain a respective subset corresponding to each respective attribute category of the first search result set; according to the first relevance score in each subset, obtaining a corresponding ranking position of a respective first search result; and according to a preset relationship between the ranking position of the respective first search result and the second relevance score, obtaining the second relevance score of each first search result.
In one embodiment, extracting the preset number of second search results from the first search result set to display to the client may comprise: according to the relevance parameter score, ranking each subset after classification of the first search results; and according to a ranking order, extracting the preset number of second search results respectively from the ranked subsets, the preset number of second search results being a product of a number of diversity values and a number of recurring extractions.
In one embodiment, the method may further comprise: storing the query data, the preset number of second search results, and a corresponding relationship between the query data and the preset number of second search results into a database.
In one embodiment, obtaining the first search result set of first search results relevant to the query data may comprise: according to the first relevance score, conducting a search based on the query data submitted by the client; and according to the preset diversity field, extracting the first search results from search results of the search.
In one embodiment, the method may further comprise: displaying the preset number of second search results to the client.
In one embodiment, generating the relevance parameter score of each first search result may comprise: summing the first relevance score and the second relevance score to provide the relevance parameter score for each first search result.
In another aspect, a search system may comprise: a retrieval unit that, according to query data submitted by a client, obtains a first search result set of first search results relevant to the query data; a calculation unit that, according to a first relevance score and a preset diversity field of each first search result in the first search result set, calculates a second relevance score of each first search result, the preset diversity field representing an attribute category of a respective first search result; a configuration unit that, according to the first relevance score and the second relevance score, generates a relevance parameter score of each first search result; and an extraction unit that, according to a preset number of second search results and the relevance parameter score, extracts the present number of second search results from the first search result set to display to the client.
In one embodiment, the calculation unit may comprise: a first retrieval sub-unit that, according to the preset diversity field, classifies the first search result set to obtain a respective subset corresponding to each respective attribute category of the first search result set; a second retrieval sub-unit that, according to the first relevance score in each subset, obtains a corresponding ranking position of a respective first search result; and a matching unit that, according to a preset relationship between the ranking position of each first search result and the second relevance score, obtains the second relevance score of the respective first search result.
In one embodiment, the extraction unit may comprise: a ranking sub-unit that, according to the relevance parameter score, ranks each first search result; and a first extraction sub-unit that, according to a ranking order, extracts the preset number of second search results from the ranked subsets, the preset number of second search results being a product of a number of diversity values and a number of recurring extractions.
In one embodiment, the system may further comprise: a store unit that stores the query data, the preset number of second search results, and a corresponding relationship between the query data and the preset number of second search results into a database.
In one embodiment, the retrieval unit may comprise: a searching sub-unit that, according to the first relevance score, conducts a search based on the query data submitted by the client; and a second extraction sub-unit that, according to the preset diversity field, extracts first search results from search results of the search.
In one embodiment, the system may further comprise: a display unit that displays the preset number of second search results to the client.
In one embodiment, the configuration unit may sum the first relevance score and the second relevance score to provide the relevance parameter score of each first search result.
Compared with the current technologies, the present disclosure has following advantages:
The present disclosure uses an addition of the first relevance score under the current technologies and the calculated second relevance score as the relevance parameter. The present disclosure uses the relevance parameter to conduct a second extraction of the search results so that the search results are more diversified. Further, the present disclosure also conducts optimization in the diversification process to ensure less consumption of system resources, faster calculation, and more flexibility, thereby improving performance of the search engine server. It is appreciated that not every embodiment of the present disclosure needs to achieve all of the above advantages.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
To better illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure or techniques of the current technologies, the following is a brief introduction of Figures to be used in descriptions of the embodiments. The following Figures only relate to some embodiments of the present disclosure. A person of ordinary skill in the art can obtain other figures according to the Figures in the present disclosure without creative efforts.
FIG. 1 illustrates an interface diagram of classification in the current technologies.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary flowchart of a first embodiment of a search method in accordance with the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary flowchart of a second embodiment of a search method in accordance with the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary flowchart of a third embodiment of a search method in accordance with the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary diagram of a first embodiment of a search system in accordance with the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary diagram of a second embodiment of a search system in accordance with the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary diagram of a third embodiment of a search system in accordance with the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present disclosure, by reference to the Figures in the drawings, clearly and fully describes techniques in embodiments. The Figures only relate to some embodiments instead of all embodiments of the present disclosure. A person of ordinary skill in the art can obtain other embodiment according to the embodiments in the present disclosure without creative efforts. All such embodiments belong to a protection scope of the present disclosure.
The present disclosure may be used in an environment or in a configuration of universal or specialized computer systems. Examples include a personal computer, a server computer, a handheld device or a portable device, a tablet device, a multi-processor system, and a distributed computing environment including any system or device above.
The present disclosure may be described within a general context of computer-executable instructions executed by a computer, such as a program module. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, objects, modules, and data structure, etc., for executing specific tasks or implementing specific abstract data types. The present disclosure may also be implemented in a distributed computing environment. In the distributed computing environment, a task may be executed by remote processing devices which are connected through a communication network. In distributed computing environment, the program module may be located in one or more storage media (which include storage devices) of one or more local and/or remote computers.
One of the main ideas of the present disclosure may be summarized below. The current technologies, according to query data submitted by a client, may be used to obtain a first search result set that is relevant to the query data. According to a first relevance score and a preset diversity field of each first search result in the first search result set, a second relevance score of each first search result is calculated. The preset diversity field represents an attribute category of a respective first search result, which is a key step in this inventive concept. According to the first relevance score and the second relevance score, a relevance score of each first search result is generated. Finally, according to a preset number of one or more second search results and the relevance score, the one or more second search results are extracted from the first search result set to be displayed to the client.
Such extracted second search results can show diversification of the search results, and avoid consumption of a lot of resources at the search engine server, such as time and expenditure of hardware systems, thereby improving performance of the search engine server. Further, methods of the present disclosure can also be adapted for distribution of more search result sets, thereby increasing flexibility.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary method of a first embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure. The method is described below.
At 201 , according to query data submitted by a client, the method obtains a first search result set relevant to the query data.
In the technology field related to search engines, a user's query is usually represented as symbol query, or Query, with a result matching the Query represented as Doc, and a result set matching the Query is a Doc set represented as {Doc}.
In this step, after the client submits the Query, a first step of an internal processing procedure of the search engine server may be to map the Query onto the {Doc}, e.g., Query→{Doc}, wherein the symbol “→” represents mapping. At the meantime, the search engine server calculates the first relevance score (Score 1) for each Doc in the {Doc}. The Score 1 is used to represent the extent of matching between a current Doc and a current Query, e.g., {Doc}→{Doc, Score 1} in a form of symbols. The mapping process is a process that matches search results based on the Query. Any algorithms for relevance can be used to calculate Score 1, such as classical term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) algorithm. Some other methods can also be used, such as information gain (IG), mutual information (MI), and entropy.
It is noted that the search engine server can define any algorithm to obtain the first search result. The present disclosure does not limit the search engine server to choose a specific algorithm to obtain the first search result set. Thus, if the algorithm for relevance is different in this step, the first search result obtained afterwards may also be different. This will not influence subsequent steps of the method because the present disclosure targets diversification of the first search result and needs not to restrict the method to obtain the first search result.
At 202 , according to a first relevance score and a preset diversity field of each first search result in the first search result set, the method calculates a second relevance score of each first search result, the preset diversity field representing an attribute category of a respective first search result.
After calculation of the Score 1 of each first search result in the first search result set, a second relative score (Score 2) is calculated based on the preset diversity field and the Score 1. The preset diversity field represents the attribute category of the respective first search result, such as a uid (an identification of supplier) of each search result or geographical location information in e-commerce vertical search, for example. The Score 2 is used to represent a score based on the Score 1 and ranking of each first search result under the diversity field. In practical applications, a preset function can be used for the Score 2, and parameters for the preset function are set up as the Score 1 and the ranking position of each first search result. A return value of the function is a value of the Score 2. The setup ranking position in the function has certain association with the Score 2. For example, the higher ranking of the first search result, the higher the value of Score 2 is. Based on different situations, one of ordinary skill in the art would be able to use other associate methods between the ranking position and the Score 2.
At 203 , according to the first relevance score and the second relevance score, the method generates a relevance parameter score of each first search result.
The difference between this step and the current technologies is the generation of the relevance parameter score based on the Score 1 and the Score 2 calculated at 202 . In one embodiment, the detailed method on generation of the relevance parameter score of each first search result may be as follows: using a sum of the Score 1 and the Score 2 as the relevance parameter score of each first search result; or setting up a weighted value so that the relevance parameter score equals to a sum of the Score 1 and a product of the Score 2 multiplied by the weighted value. For example, assuming the weighted value is 2, the parameter value for relevance=Score 1+2*Score 2. The present disclosure does not restrict how the relevance parameter score of each first search result is generated based on the Score 1 and the Score 2. Any variations according to ideas of the present disclosure are within the protection scope of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the first search result set is not simply classified according to the Score 1, but is further processed by the new parameter generated by the Score 1 and the Score 2 parameters.
At 204 , according to a preset number of one or more second search results and the relevance score, the method extracts the one or more second search results from the first search result set to display to the client.
In this step, assuming the diversity field is preset as uid, the parameters required in this embodiment also include the present number of second search results. The detailed preset number of second search results can be obtained by presetting the number of diversity values and the number of recurring extractions, e.g., by calculating a product of the preset number of diversity values and the number of recurring extractions to obtain the number of second search results to be extracted. The number of diversity values is used to represent the number of first search results with different uids to be extracted in the subsequent extracted second search results. For example, when the number of diversity values is 3, it indicates that 3 search results with different uids are to be extracted. The number of recurring extractions represents the number of second search results to present to the client when the extracted second search results are subsequently displayed to the client. Following the previous example, when the number of recurring extractions is 1, 3 second search results are returned; when the number of recurring extractions is 2, 6 second search results are returned, and so on and so forth. Such extracted second search results include search results related to different uids.
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary method of a second embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure. The method is described below.
At 301 , according to query data submitted by a client, the method obtains a first search result set relevant to the query data.
In practical applications, the present embodiment is applicable when search results of the search engine server have not achieved diversity. In other words, after the obtained first search results are ranked according to the first relevance score, search results with the same attributes are still clustered together. For example, the top several search results from the search engine server are all related a same supplier. After 301 , the first search result set is further processed or determined, such as whether the top several results of the first search result set belong to the same category. If the top several results of the first search result set belong to the same category, the subsequent steps may be performed.
At 302 , according to a preset diversity field, the method classifies the first search result set to obtain a respective subset corresponding to each respective category of the first search result set.
In this embodiment, assuming the received preset diversity field is uid, as shown in the Table 1 below, the diversity field uid has three values {A, B, C}. In this embodiment, the first search result set {Doc}'s sub-sets relating to uid include {A1, A2, A3}, {B1, B2, B3}, and {C1, C2, C3}. The uid of A1˜A3 is A and A1˜A3 are search results for supplier A. The uid of B1˜B3 is B and B1˜B3 are search results for supplier B. The uid of C1˜C3 is C and C1˜C3 are search results for supplier C.
At 303 , according to a first relevance score of each subset, the method obtains a corresponding position of a first search result.
In this embodiment, the first search results in each subset are ranking according to the Score 1. As shown in the Table 1, Table 1 shows a first search result set {Doc} and the corresponding uid and first relevance score (Score 1) of each Doc.
TABLE 1
Search Result
A1
A2
A3
B1
B2
B3
C1
C2
C3
Score 1
300
250
200
150
100
50
40
30
20
uid
A
A
A
B
B
B
C
C
C
At 304 , according to a preset relationship between a second relevance score and a position of each of the first search results in each subset, the method conducts a match to obtain the second reality score of each of the first search results.
In practical applications, the relationship between the position of each of the first search results in each subset and the Score 2 can be represented by a preset function. For example, the second relevance score of a respective first search result can be obtained by calculation of the preset retrieval function of the second relevance score. The parameters of the retrieval functions are the position of each of the first search results after classification in each subset and the second relevance score. The relationship between the position of each of the first search results in each subset and the second relevance score can be understood as the relationship between the position of a respective search result in each subset after ranking according to the first relevance score and classification according to the diversity field and the second relevance score. Such relationship can be represented by the function f(Position, Score 1). Such function can be adapted to any form and content depending upon the user's need or actual situation. The present disclosure does not limit the detailed implementation of the form of the function. For example, in practice an example of the function is shown as follows:
float f (int position, float score) {
if (position == 1)
return 300.0f;
else
return 0.0f;
}
The meaning of the above function is that when the ranking position of the first search result in the subset is 1, then 300 is returned or the Score 2 value is 300, and the Score 2 is 0 for the first search result with the other ranking positions.
At 305 , according to the first relevance score and the second relevance score, the method generates a relevance parameter score of each first search result in the subset.
In one embodiment, a detailed method under the present disclosure for generation of the relevance parameter score of each first search result may include: using a sum of the second relevance score obtained at 304 and the first relevance score of the first search result as the relevance parameter score of each first search result. Table 2 below illustrates the first relevance score, the second relevance score, and the relevance parameter score of each first search result in the subset. The present disclosure does not restrict how the relevance parameter score is generated. Any simple variations according to ideas of the present disclosure are within the protection scope of the present disclosure.
TABLE 2
Search Result
A1
A2
A3
B1
B2
B3
C1
C2
C3
Score1
300
250
200
150
100
50
40
30
20
Score2
300
0
0
300
0
0
300
0
0
Score1 +
600
250
200
450
100
50
340
30
20
Score2
At 306 , according to the relevance parameter score, the method ranks the subset after classification of the first search results.
Each subset after classification of the first search results is ranked according to the new parameter score obtained at 305 . A new order of each search result in each subset is obtained after the new ranking. In this embodiment, after new ranking of the first search results, the top three of each subset are A1, B1, and C1.
At 307 , according to a ranking order, the method extracts a preset number of second search results from the ranked subset, and returns the second search results to the client.
The preset number of second search results can be obtained by presetting the number of diversity values and the number of recurring extractions, e.g., by calculating a product of the preset number of diversity values and the number of recurring extractions to obtain the number of second search results to be extracted.
The diversity field is used to present an attribute of the first search result. The diversity field value represents the value of the attribute of the first search result. In this embodiment, the diversity field is uid, the diversity values are A, B, and C. The first search results can be classified into three subsets, e.g., A, B, and C, according to the diversity field. The number of second search results to be extracted can be directly preset, or obtained by presetting the number of diversity values and the number of recurring extractions. The number of diversity values is used to represent the number of first search results with different uids to be extracted in the subsequent extracted second search results. For example, when the number of diversity values is 3, it represents extracting 3 first search results for respective A, B, and C suppliers. In this embodiment, the extraction of second search results can also be based on the number of recurring extractions. The number of recurring extractions represents the number of second search results to be recurrently extracted for each category. For example, in this embodiment, the number of recurring extractions (distinct_times) can be understood that when the number of recurring extractions is 1, then only 3 are extracted from each supplier's search results as the second search results, and when the recurring extraction time is 2, 6 (=3*2) are extracted from each supplier's search results as the second search results. The extraction method in the case when the number of extractions is 2 is the same as the method when the number of extractions is 1, and so on.
If the second search results are extracted according to a setting that distinct_count=1 and distinct_times=1, the finally obtained second search results are A1˜B1˜C1. If the second search results are extracted according to a setting that distinct_count=1 and distinct_times=3, the finally obtained second search results are A1˜B1˜C1˜A2˜A3˜B2˜B3˜C2˜C3. A person of ordinary skill in the art can achieve different diversified effects by setting different distinct_count, distinct_times, and f(Position, Score 1), thereby achieving a balance between the diversification of the search results and the relevance.
The method as illustrated in this embodiment shows that the top three records of the second search results include three search results the uid of which is A, B, and C, respectively. Thus the second search results finally returned to the client can achieve diversity and meet the diversity requirements for search results. The diversification process also implements optimization. Therefore there is less consumption of system resources, faster calculation, and more flexibility in the method as illustrated in this embodiment.
FIG. 4 illustrates a third embodiment of a search method according to the present disclosure. This embodiment can be understood as a detailed example that applies the search method of the present disclosure. The method is described below.
At 401 , according to a first relevance score, the method conducts a search based on query data submitted by a client.
In this embodiment, after the search engine server obtains the first search result, it conducts search of the current query data according to the first relevance score.
At 402 , according to a preset diversity field, the method extracts a first search result set from the search results.
The diversity field needs to be preset. For example, in the embodiment 2, the diversity field is preset as uid.
At 403 , according to a preset diversity field value, the method classifies the first search result set to obtain a respective subset corresponding to each respective category of the first search result set.
According to the selected uid in the first search result set, all search results related to suppliers A, B, and C are used as a subset relating to uid of the first search results.
At 404 , according to a first relevance score, the method obtains a corresponding position of a first search result in each subset.
At 405 , according to a preset relationship between a second relevance score and a position of each first search result after classification in the respective subset, the method conducts a match to obtain the second relevance score of each first search result.
At 406 , the method sums the first relevance score and the second relevance score to provide a relevance parameter score of each first search result.
At 407 , according to the relevance parameter score, the method ranks the subsets after classification of the first search results.
At 408 , according to a ranking order, the method extracts a preset number of second search results from the ranked subset.
The implementation process between the steps 404 ˜ 408 can refer to descriptions in the embodiment 2.
At 409 , the method stores the query data, the second search results and a corresponding relationship between the query data and the second search results into a database.
In this embodiment, after obtaining the user's current query data, the second search results, and the corresponding relationship between the query data and the second search results, the method stores such information in a database. A data table or any other permanent data structure, for example, can be used as the form to store such data.
At 410 , the method displays the second search results to the client.
At the meantime, the second search results are presented to client. For example, only the top three second search results in the embodiment 2 may be displayed, e.g., A1, B2, and C2. Alternatively, all the search results in the subsets may be presented, such as A1˜B1˜C1˜A2˜A3˜B2˜B3˜C2˜C3.
In the interest of brevity, each of the aforementioned methods is described as a combination of a series of actions. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the present disclosure is not limited by any particular order of the actions because, according to the present disclosure, some steps can be performed in other orders or occur concurrently. In addition, one of ordinary skill in art would also appreciate that the embodiments in the present disclosure are preferred embodiments and some related steps or modules are not necessarily required by the present disclosure.
Corresponding to the method as disclosed in the first embodiment of the present disclosure, by reference to FIG. 5 , the present disclosure also provides a first embodiment of a search system. The system may include: a retrieval unit 501 , a calculation unit 502 , a configuration unit 503 , and an extraction unit 504 .
The retrieval unit 501 is configured to, according to query data submitted by a client, obtain a first search result set relevant to the query data.
In the search engine related technology field, a user's query is usually represented as symbol Query, and a result matching the Query is represented as Doc, and then a result set matching the Query is a Doc set represented as {Doc}.
The calculation unit 502 is configured to, according to a first relevance score and a preset diversity field of each first search result in the first search result set, calculates a second relevance score of each first search result. The preset diversity field represents an attribute category of a respective first search result.
After calculation of the Score 1 of each first search result in the first search result set, a second relative score (Score 2) needs to be calculated based on the preset diversity field and the Score 1. The preset diversity field represents the attribute category of the respective first search result, such as a uid (an identification of supplier) of each search result or geographical location information. The Score 2 is used to represent a score based on the Score 1 and ranking of each first search result under the diversity field.
The configuration unit 503 is configured to, according to the first relevance score and the second relevance score, generate a relevance parameter score of each first search result.
The detailed method to generate the relevance parameter score of each first search result may include: using a sum of the Score 1 and the Score 2 as the relevance parameter score of each first search result.
The extraction unit 504 is configured to, according to a preset number of one or more second search results and the relevance score, extract the one or more second search results from the first search result set to display to the client.
Here, assuming the diversity field is preset as uid, the parameters required in this embodiment may also include the preset number of second search results. The detailed preset number of second search results can be obtained by presetting the number of diversity values and the number of recurring extractions, e.g., by calculating a product of the preset number of diversity values and the number of recurring extractions to obtain the number of second search results to be extracted. The number of diversity values is used to represent the number of first search results with different uids to be extracted in the subsequent extracted second search results. For example, when the number of diversity values is 3, it represents 3 search results with different uids are to be extracted.
The system as described in the present embodiment can be integrated into a search engine server, or be an independent entity connected with a search engine server. It is noted that when a method or system disclosed in the present disclosure are implemented by software, it can be an additional function of the search engine server or have its own corresponding coding. The present disclosure does not limit the form of implementation of the disclosed methods or systems.
Corresponding to the method as disclosed in the second embodiment of the present disclosure, by reference to FIG. 6 , the present disclosure also provides a second preferred embodiment of a search apparatus. The apparatus may include: a retrieval unit 501 , a first retrieval sub-unit 601 , a second retrieval sub-unit 602 , a matching sub-unit 603 , a configuration unit 503 , a ranking sub-unit 604 , and a first extraction sub-unit 605 .
The retrieval unit 501 is configured to, according to query data submitted by a client, obtain a first search result set relevant to the query data.
The first retrieval sub-unit 601 is configured to, according to a preset diversity field, classify the first search result set to obtain a respective subset corresponding to each respective category of the first search result set.
The second retrieval sub-unit 602 is configured to, according to a first relevance score in each subset, obtain a corresponding position of a respective first search result.
The matching unit 602 is configured to, according to a preset relationship between a second relevance score and a position of each of the first search results in each subset, conduct a match to obtain the second reality score of each of the first search results.
The configuration unit 503 is configured to, according to the first relevance score and the second relevance score, generate a relevance parameter score of each first search result.
A detailed method to generate the relevance parameter score of each first search result may include: summing the first relevance score and the second relevance score to provide the relevance parameter score of each first search result.
The ranking sub-unit 604 is configured to, according to the relevance parameter score, rank each subset after classification of the first search results.
The first extraction sub-unit 605 is configured to, according to a ranking order, extract a preset number of second search results from the ranked subsets, and to return the second search results to the client.
Corresponding to the method as disclosed in the third embodiment of the present disclosure, by reference to FIG. 7 , the present disclosure also provides a corresponding embodiment of a search system. The system may include: a search sub-unit 701 , a second extraction sub-unit 702 , a first retrieval sub-unit 601 , a second retrieval sub-unit 602 , a matching sub-unit 603 , a configuration unit 503 , a ranking sub-unit 604 , a first extraction sub-unit 605 , a store unit 703 , and a display unit 704 .
The search sub-unit 701 is configured to, according to a first relevance score, search query data submitted by a client.
The second extraction sub-unit 702 is configured to, according to a preset diversity field, extract first search results from search results.
The first retrieval sub-unit 601 is configured to, according to a preset diversity field value, classify the first search result set to obtain a respective subset corresponding to each respective category of the first search result set.
The second retrieval sub-unit 602 is configured to, according to a first relevance score of each subset, obtain a corresponding position of a first search result.
The matching sub-unit 603 is configured to, according to a preset relationship between a second relevance score and a position of each first search result after classification in the respective subset, conduct a match to obtain the second relevance score of each first search result.
The configuration unit 503 is configured to, according to the first relevance score and the second relevance score, generate a relevance parameter score of each first search result.
A detailed method to generate the relevance parameter score of each first search result may include: summing the first relevance score and the second relevance score to provide the relevance parameter score of each first search result.
The ranking sub-unit 604 is configured to, according to the relevance parameter score, rank each subset after classification of the first search results.
The first extraction sub-unit 605 is configured to, according to a ranking order, extract a preset number of second search results from the ranked subsets, and return the second search results to the client.
The storing unit 703 is configured to store the query data, the second search results and a corresponding relationship between query data and the second search results into a database.
The display unit 704 is configured to display the second search results to the client.
The various exemplary embodiments are progressively described in the present disclosure. Same or similar portions of the exemplary embodiments can be mutually referenced. Each exemplary embodiment has a different focus than other exemplary embodiments. For example, the exemplary apparatus embodiment has been described in a relatively simple manner because of its fundamental correspondence with the exemplary method. Details thereof can be referred to corresponding portions of the exemplary method.
Finally, it is noted that any relational terms such as “first” and “second” in this document are only meant to distinguish one entity from another entity or one operation from another operation, but not necessarily request or imply existence of any real-world relationship or ordering between these entities or operations. Moreover, it is intended that terms such as “include”, “have” or any other variants mean non-exclusively “comprising”. Therefore, processes, methods, articles or devices which individually include a collection of features may not be limited to those features, but may also include other features that are not listed, or any inherent features of these processes, methods, articles or devices. Without any further limitation, a feature defined within the phrase “include a . . . ” does not exclude the possibility that process, method, article or device that recites the feature may have other equivalent features.
The search methods and systems provided in the present disclosure have been described in details above. The above exemplary embodiments are employed to illustrate the concept and implementation of the present disclosure. The exemplary embodiments are provided to facilitate understanding of the techniques and respective core concepts of the present disclosure. Based on the concepts of this disclosure, one of ordinary skill in the art may make modifications to the practical implementation and application scopes. In conclusion, the content of the present disclosure shall not be interpreted as limitations of this disclosure. | A search method is disclosed. The method obtains a plurality of search results for a query based on first relevance scores, and classifies the plurality of search results into a plurality of classifications. Based on respective rankings of the plurality of search results in corresponding classifications of the plurality of classifications, second relevance scores for the plurality of search results are generated, and the plurality of search results are ranked based on the first relevance scores and the second relevance scores. The technique achieves lower consumption of system resources, faster computation speed and more flexibility in diversification of search results. | 6 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to an air nozzle for use in a coal-fired furnace and, more particularly, to such an air nozzle for discharging air into the interior of the furnace to support the combustion of coal discharged from a burner.
In coal fired furnace systems, a mixture of coal and air is usually discharged from one or more burners mounted relative to a furnace wall or walls, and secondary air is discharged from one or more air nozzles located adjacent each burner. Many types, arrangements and locations of the burners and the secondary air nozzles have been used. For example, in a conventional, straight firing system, the air nozzles are mounted relative to the furnace walls adjacent their associated burners in a manner to discharge the secondary air in a direction perpendicular to the walls. In tangential firing systems, the burners and the secondary air nozzles are disposed in each of the corners of the furnace and are designed specifically to discharge the fuel and the secondary air, respectively, towards an imaginary circle located in the center of the furnace. However, in these tangential firing arrangements, although a reducing atmosphere is often present along the inner surfaces of the boundary walls which causes corrosion and slagging, there is no provision for directing air from the air nozzles to the boundary walls. Therefore, what is needed is a secondary air nozzle for use in a tangentially fired furnace in which the nozzle directs secondary air both towards the center of the furnace to support the combustion of the fuel, and towards a furnace boundary wall to minimize corrosion and slagging.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The secondary air nozzle of the present invention is designed for use in furnace applications in which improvements are achieved by discharging the secondary air in two distinct flow patterns. To this end, the nozzle is provided with a damper blade that splits the air flow into two distinct discharge flow streams, which are directed into different areas of the interior of the furnace. The discharge pattern from the nozzle can be adjusted in accordance with the particular nozzle location and design requirements. When used with a tangentially fired furnace, one of the air flow streams is directed towards the center of the furnace in a combustion-supporting relationship to the fuel, and the other air flow stream is directed towards the inner surface of one of the boundary walls to maintain an oxidizing atmosphere along the inner surfaces of the furnace wall.
Thus, significant advantages are achieved with the secondary air nozzle of the present invention since it provides two distinct discharge streams for the secondary air, with the relative amount of air and the angle of discharge being variable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of two air discharge devices of the present invention shown respectively mounted above and below a coal nozzle;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a pair of air discharge nozzles 10 and 12 are provided, with the nozzle 10 extending immediately above a coal discharge nozzle 14, and the nozzle 12 extending immediately below the nozzle 14. As shown in FIG. 2, each discharge nozzle 10 and 12 is formed by a housing having a rectangular cross section, with the end portions 10 and 12a of the nozzles 10 and 12, respectively, being open to receive air, and with their other end portions 10b and 12b also being open to discharge the air, as will be further described.
The nozzles 10, 12 and 14 are mounted between two spaced mounting walls 16 and 18 (FIG. 2) which, in turn, are installed relative to one or more walls (not shown) of a furnace. For example, the mounting walls 16 and 18 can be installed in the corners of a furnace whose walls are formed by a plurality of water tubes connected by continuous elongated fins, as shown and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/595,900 filed Feb. 6, 1996 the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
The air nozzle 10 is shown in detail in FIGS. 2-5. A pair of U-shaped mounting plates 20 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and 22 (FIG. 2) are secured to the walls 16 and 18, respectively, in any known manner for pivotally mounting the air 20a (FIG. 1) is provided in the plate 20, it being understood that a similar slot (not shown) is formed in the plate 22. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of mounting shafts 24 and 26 project from the respective side walls of the housing of the nozzle 10 and into the slot 20a and the slot associated with the plate 22, respectively. Thus, the nozzle 10 is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis defined by the shafts 24 and 26. (Alternatively, as shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 2, a single mounting shaft can extend through the housing with its respective end portions projecting from the housing and extending in the slot 20a and the slot associated with the plate 22). This pivotal movement causes the discharge end portion 10b of the nozzle 10 to tilt upwardly and downwardly (as viewed in FIG. 1) relative to the walls 16 and 18, as will be described.
A pair of lobes 10c and 10d (FIG. 2) are formed at the end portion 10a of the housing of the nozzle 10, and are for the purpose of connecting the nozzle 10 to a linkage and drive mechanism (not shown) for selectively pivoting the nozzle about the axis defined by the shafts 24 and 26 in the above manner. This linkage and drive mechanism is fully disclosed in application Ser. No. 288,863 filed on Aug. 11, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,990 and assigned to the present invention, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. Since this linkage and drive mechanism does not, per se, form a part of the present invention a detailed disclosure of same has not been included for the convenience of presentation.
The above-described pivotal movement of the nozzle 10 enables the discharge angle of the air discharging from the end portion 10b of the nozzle 10 to be varied. The U-shaped slot 20a and the corresponding slot in the mounting plate 22 also accommodate axial movement of the nozzle 10 relative to the mounting walls 16 and 18 to accommodate differential thermal expansion between the nozzle and the walls.
With reference to FIGS. 2-5, a damper blade 30 is disposed in the housing of the nozzle 10 and is secured in any known manner to a shaft 32 which extends from the upper wall of the nozzle housing to the lower wall thereof as better shown in FIG. 4. The blade 30 thus splits the air entering the housing into two streams-one directed generally towards the center of the interior of the furnace as shown by the flow arrows A, and the other directed at an angle to the flow stream A and towards an extension of the adjacent mounting wall 16, as shown by the flow arrows B. In applications where the air nozzles 10 and 12 and the fuel nozzle 14 are mounted in the corners of a tangentially-fired furnace as disclosed in the above-identified patent application Ser. No. 08/595,900, the flow stream B would pass along the furnace wall associated with, or adjacent to, the mounting wall 16.
The shaft 32 is rotatably mounted relative to the walls of the housing of the nozzle 10 in any known manner such as, for example, providing journals, bearings, or the like (not shown), in the latter walls. Thus, rotation of the shaft 32 causes corresponding pivotal movement of the blade 30 to vary the quantity, or mass flow, of the air in each of the respective flow streams A and B and the discharge angle of the flow stream B. The latter angle thus varies in a plane perpendicular to the plane in which the discharge angle varies as a result of the tilting of the nozzle, as described above.
It is understood that the blade 30 and be positioned manually by simply pivoting the blade to the desired position or, alternatively, a drive motor, or the like (not shown) can be coupled to the shaft 32 to rotate the shaft in a conventional manner to pivot the blade accordingly.
Since the nozzle 12 is identical in structure and function to the nozzle 10, including the inclusion of a blade identical to the blade 30, the nozzle 12 will not be described in detail. Also, since the present invention does not include the burner 14 per se, the latter will also not be described in detail, especially since it is also fully disclosed in the above-identified application.
In operation, a fuel/air mixture is introduced to, and discharged from, the burner 14 in a general direction towards the center of the furnace. Air is introduced into the air nozzles 10 and 12 and the damper 30 in each nozzle functions to split the air into the flow streams A and B which pass into the interior of the furnace. Each flow stream A from the nozzles 12 and 14 discharges in a flow stream directed generally towards the center of the furnace interior in the same general pattern as that of the fuel/air mixture discharging from the burner 14. Each flow stream B from each nozzle 10 and 12 discharges at an angle to the axis of the nozzle and towards an extension of the mounting wall 16 which, in applications where the nozzles 10 and 12 and the burner 14 are mounted in a corner of the furnace, would be along the furnace wall extending from, or adjacent to, the wall 16. Rotation of the shaft 32 of each nozzle 10 and 12 causes corresponding pivotal movement of its corresponding blade 30 which varies the relatively quantities, or mass flow, of the air in the flow streams A and B and the discharge angle of the flow stream B.
The above-mentioned linkage and drive mechanism is also activated to cause a pivotal, or tilting, movement of the nozzles 10 and 12, about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the axis defined by the shafts 24 and 26 to vary the vertical location of the flow streams A and B in the furnace. It is understood that the discharge end of the burner nozzle 14 can also be tilted in the manner described in the above-identified patent application Ser. No. 288,863 filed on Aug. 11, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,990, and assigned to the assignee of the prevent invention Thus, the flow streams A and B from each nozzle as well as the respective air mass flows from each nozzle 10 and 12 can be precisely controlled in accordance with particular design requirements.
It is understood that several variations may be made in the foregoing without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the shaft 32 may be rigidly mounted in the housing of the nozzles 10 and 12 and the blade 30 pivotally mounted relative to the shaft. Also, the air nozzles 10 and 12 of the present invention are not limited to use with any specific coal-fired furnace or burner, but rather can be used in other environments requiring the variable air discharge patterns discussed above.
Other modifications, changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention. | An air nozzle for introducing secondary air into a furnace and including a housing provided with an inlet at one end thereof for receiving air and an outlet at the other end thereof for discharging the air. A damper is disposed in the housing in the path of the air for splitting the flow of the air into two flow streams which extend to different areas of the furnace and is adapted for pivotal movement in the housing to vary the amount of air flow in each of the streams and the discharge angle of one of the streams. | 5 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is the U.S. national stage application of International Application PCT/NO2002/000289, filed Aug. 21, 2002, which international application was published on Mar. 4, 2004 as International Publication WO 2004/018832.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method which is arranged to prevent the mixing of liquids in a riser of the kind utilized in the recovery of petroleum offshore. The invention also comprises a device for practicing the method.
In petroleum recovery offshore it is usual for a wellhead to be placed on the sea floor over the well opening in an early phase of the drilling work. The wellhead which is sealingly connected to the casing of the well, is provided with necessary blow-out preventers (BOPs) and connectors, for among other things a riser connecting the wellhead to a drilling vessel at the sea surface. In the drilling phase the well and riser are filled with drilling fluid.
A drill pipe/drill string which is provided with a drill bit at its lower end portion, is run from the drilling vessel through the riser, wellhead and further down into the well through the casing of the well to the bottom of the well, where the drilling takes place. Drilling fluid is circulated down the drill pipe to the drill bit, from where it flows, carrying cuttings, back to the drilling vessel, in the annulus between the drill pipe and casing/riser.
The riser is normally provided with several external smaller pipes (choke and kill pipes), which extend parallel to the riser and are connected at their upper end portions to processing equipment on the drilling vessel, whereas at their lower end portions they are connected to the wellhead at suitable points between the BOPs. The pipes may be used, for example, to replace the drilling fluid in the well if the well pressure increases in such a way that the riser, which normally has atmospheric pressure at the surface, must be shut off at the wellhead to prevent undesired outflow of drilling fluid.
In drilling it happens that bad weather, for example, makes disconnection of the drilling vessel from the well necessary. By such disconnection it is common that the part of the drill pipe located underneath the wellhead is hung off by means of an appropriate tool. The drill pipe portion located above the hanger tool is disconnected from it and pulled up. A valve in the wellhead is closed, thereby shutting off the lower portion of the drill pipe within the well. Thus, it is not necessary to pull up the entire drill pipe, which may take a long time.
After the lower portion of the drill pipe has been hung off and shut in within the well, the upper portion of the drill pipe is pulled up from the wellhead, as mentioned. However, before disconnecting the riser from the wellhead, the drilling fluid present in the riser must be replaced with water. The purpose of replacing the fluid is to take care of the well fluid and prevent it from contaminating the environment. Normally this is done by pumping water down to the wellhead through the external smaller pipes, so that the water displaces the drilling fluid out of the riser into the collecting tanks of the drilling vessel. Then the riser is disconnected from the wellhead.
It is a problem that in such replacing of fluid in the riser, in the area of contact of the two fluids, there is a considerable mixing of fluids. Drilling fluid thus becomes contaminated with water. Purification or destruction of such contaminated drilling fluid is relatively expensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has as its object to remedy the drawbacks of the known method.
The object is achieved according to the invention through the features specified in the description below and in the following Claims.
When the drilling vessel is to be disconnected from the wellhead, the drill string is provided, maybe near the hanger tool, with a piston or some other device which is arranged to keep fluids separate. The piston may possibly form part of the hanger tool. The outer diameter of the piston is adapted to the inner diameter of the riser and is provided with a material, preferably along its outer periphery, which is arranged to prevent fluid from flowing past the piston as it is being displaced within the riser. On displacement of the drill pipe provided with said piston and hanger tool down the riser, the piston displaces the drilling fluid present in the riser. The displaced drilling fluid flows up through one or more of the smaller pipes positioned externally on the riser. The pipe volume above the piston is replenished with water. When the lower portion of the drill pipe is hung off in the wellhead, and the upper portion of the drill pipe is disconnected from the hanger tool, the drilling fluid possibly present in the upper portion of the drill pipe may also be replaced with water through the same smaller pipes, one at a time. Thus, the smaller pipes are also filled with water. One of the shut-off devices of the wellhead is closed above the hanger tool and the lower portion of the drill pipe. The piston is then pulled up together with the upper portion of the drill pipe. Then the riser and the smaller pipes are disconnected from the wellhead.
When the drilling vessel is to be reconnected to the wellhead, the riser and the smaller pipes are connected to the wellhead, after which the piston is again run down to the wellhead together with the connector device of the hanger tool. The connector device of the hanger tool is then connected to the hanger tool. The water present in the connection area between the riser and the wellhead is circulated out in that drilling fluid is pumped down the smaller pipe connected the lowermost to the wellhead, and returns up to the drilling vessel through the other smaller pipe. The riser is then replenished with drilling fluid as the piston, together with the hanger tool and drill pipe, is being pulled up through the riser. The clean water which was present in the riser, flows out without being contaminated by the entering drilling fluid. The piston and the hanger tool are dismantled from the drill pipe after having been pulled up to the drilling vessel, before drilling may continue.
The piston or another device arranged to keep liquids separated, may of course be used in a corresponding manner without the use of a hanger tool.
The piston is formed as a sealing element according to technique known in itself. For example, in addition to the piston body the piston may comprise a relatively short drill pipe extending therethrough and being provided at its end portions with threads complementarily matching the drill pipes. Along its outer periphery the piston may be provided with an elastic material arranged to be sealingly displaceable inside the riser.
If desirable, the piston may be provided with one or more controllable flow valves and/or check valves.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following will be described a non-limiting example of a preferred embodiment visualized in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows schematically a drilling vessel connected through a riser to a wellhead on the sea floor;
FIG. 2 shows schematically in section a wellhead, in which a hanger tool and a piston of the kind in question are connected to a drill pipe and are located within a riser just above the wellhead;
FIG. 3 shows schematically in section the wellhead of FIG. 1 , but here the hanger tool has come to abut the wellhead;
FIG. 4 shows schematically in section the wellhead of FIG. 1 , but there the piston and upper portion of the drill pipe have been disconnected from the hanger tool; and
FIG. 5 shows schematically in section the wellhead of FIG. 1 , but here one of the shut-off valves of the wellhead has closed the upper opening of the wellhead, and the riser and the smaller pipes have been disconnected from the wellhead.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the drawings the reference numeral 1 identifies a drilling vessel located at the sea surface 2 . A wellhead 4 is located on the sea floor 6 and sealingly connected to the casing 10 of a well 8 . A riser 10 is sealingly connected to the wellhead and extends through the water up to the connector/processing equipment 14 of the drilling vessel 1 . Smaller pipes 16 , 16 ′ (choke and kill pipes) extend from the connector/processing equipment 14 of the drilling vessel 1 , parallel to the riser 12 down to the wellhead 4 , where they are connected at suitable points, possibly through valves not shown, to the cavity of the wellhead 4 through bores 16 , 16 ′. The wellhead is provided with a number of valves, of which one shut-off valve 18 , 18 ′ is shown. The wellhead 4 is further provided with a bed 20 .
A drill pipe 22 extending down from the drilling vessel 1 is located inside the riser 12 and the well 8 . A hanger tool 24 is installed in the drill pipe 22 through connectors 26 , 26 ′.
All devices described so far in the specifying part of the description are of kinds well known in themselves.
A piston 30 comprising a relatively short drill pipe 32 and a piston body 34 is installed in the drill pipe 22 by means of connectors 26 ′, 26 ″. The external diameter of the piston 34 is adapted to the inner diameter of the riser 12 and may be provided with seals 36 , 36 ′ of an elastic material arranged to seal against the inner diameter of the riser 12 as the piston 30 is being displaced within the riser 12 .
When the riser 12 and the smaller pipes 16 , 16 ′ are to be disconnected from the wellhead 4 , the drill pipe is pulled up by a length at least corresponding to the sea depth at the site of drilling. A hanger tool 24 and a piston 30 are installed between two sections of the drill pipe 22 . The drill pipe 22 with the connected hanger tool 24 and piston 30 , is then lowered down, see FIG. 2 . Drilling fluid present below the piston 30 in the riser 12 is displaced during the lowering of the piston 30 , flowing up to the drilling vessel through the smaller pipes 16 , 16 ′. Water is supplied to the riser 12 above the piston 30 .
When the hanger tool 24 comes to abut the bed 20 of the wellhead 4 , the piston 30 is just above the wellhead 4 , see FIG. 3 . Thus, the major part of the drilling fluid that was in the riser 12 , has been displaced.
The piston 30 and the upper portion of the drill pipe 22 are disconnected from the hanger tool 24 , see FIG. 4 . To ensure that the upper end portion of the drill pipe 22 is emptied of drilling fluid, water may be pumped down, if desirable, and will flow back, first through one smaller pipe 16 and then through the other smaller pipe 16 ′. Alternatively water may be pumped down through one smaller pipe 16 ′ and back through the smaller pipe 16 , whereby drilling fluid present in the smaller pipes 16 , 16 ′ and wellhead 4 is returned to the drilling vessel 1 .
The shut-off valve 18 , 18 ′ of the wellhead 4 is then closed and the riser 12 and the smaller pipes 16 , 16 ′ are disconnected from the wellhead 8 , see FIG. 5 .
When drilling is to be resumed, a liquid replacement is carried out again, as described above, but in reverse order, in that drilling fluid is pumped down through the smaller pipe 16 ′, whereby water in the smaller pipes 16 , 16 ′ and wellhead 4 is circulated out through the smaller pipe 16 . Circulation continues, so that replenishing with drilling fluid takes place as the piston 30 is being displaced up the riser 12 .
The method according to the invention reduces, to a substantial degree, the need for purification and destruction of contaminated drilling fluid. The application of the method will thereby bring considerable economic and environmental profit. | A method and device for use in the replacing of liquid in a riser ( 12 ) of the kind used in the recovery of petroleum offshore, wherein the riser ( 12 ) forms a connection between a wellhead ( 4 ) on or above the sea floor ( 6 ) and a drilling vessel ( 1 ), and wherein a body ( 30 ), which is arranged to keep the liquids separate, is displaced longitudinally of the riser ( 12 ). | 4 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit, or more particularly, to a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit that little affects an output voltage of a bridge circuit.
BACKGROUND ART
Existing examples of a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit include a sensor bridge circuit described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei6-249730.
CITATION LIST
Patent Literature
Patent literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei6-249730
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Technical Problem
An existing technology described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei6-249730 is such that: as shown in FIG. 2 , resistors 19 and 20 are connected to outputs of a bridge circuit composed of sensor element resistors 15 , 16 , 17 , and 18 , and to a power supply and a ground respectively; when the output of the bridge circuit is disconnected, an output voltage of the bridge circuit is largely varied; and a sensor output obtained by amplifying the output voltage of the bridge circuit using an amplifier 21 is largely varied so that the fact that the bridge circuit has been disconnected can be detected.
However, in the foregoing disconnection detection circuit, consideration is not taken into the fact that since the resistors 19 and 20 are asymmetrically connected in parallel with the sensor bridge, an offset voltage or temperature characteristic of the sensor is degraded.
The present invention addresses the foregoing situation. An object of the present invention is to provide a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit which suppresses a change in a characteristic of a sensor to a minimalextent.
Solution to Problem
In order to solve the aforesaid problem, a current is caused to flow from an output terminal of a bridge circuit to a predetermined potential, a potential difference between the potential at the output terminal of the bridge circuit and the predetermined potential is detected, and a disconnection is detected based on the potential difference.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
According to the present invention, an adverse effect which a disconnection detection circuit imposes on an output voltage of a sensor bridge circuit can be reduced. Therefore, an offset voltage or temperature characteristic of a sensor bridge output can be improved, and the disconnection of the sensor bridge can be highly precisely detected. Eventually, a highly precise and highly reliable sensor can be provided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of a first embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of an existing technology;
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of a second embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a drain current characteristic of transistors 24 and 25 ;
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of a third embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a timing chart of control signals for switches 26 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , and 32 ;
FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of a fourth embodiment;
FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of a fifth embodiment;
FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of a sixth embodiment;
FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram of a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of a seventh embodiment;
FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a system of an eighth embodiment including a disconnection detecting means;
FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of a system of a ninth embodiment including a disconnection detecting means; and
FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram of a system of a tenth embodiment including a disconnection detecting means.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Now, referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 13 , embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
To begin with, a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit that is a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in conjunction with FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of the disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of the first embodiment.
A detection element 1 is formed with a bridge circuit having a series circuit composed of sensor element resistors 2 and 4 and series resistors, which include sensor element resistors 3 and 5 , connected in parallel with each other. When the resistance values of the sensor element resistors 2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 vary depending on a measurement physical quantity, an intermediate voltage between the sensor element resistors 2 and 4 and an intermediate voltage between the sensor element resistors 3 and 5 vary. Incidentally, the intermediate voltage between the sensor element resistors 3 and 5 is inputted to an output terminal A, and fetched into outside of the detection element 1 through the output terminal A. The intermediate voltage between the sensor element resistors 2 and 4 is inputted to an output terminal B, and fetched into outside of the detection element 1 through the output terminal B. An output voltage (a voltage between the output terminals A and B) of the bridge circuit fetched through the output terminal A and output terminal B is amplified by an amplifier 6 , and outputted to outside as a sensor output via a switching circuit 7 . For the sensor element resistors, for example, platinum (Pt), tantalum (Ta), molybdenum (Mo), or silicon (Si) is selected.
A disconnection detection circuit 8 a includes a resistor 10 that causes a current to flow into the output terminal A, a resistor 9 that causes a current to flow into the output terminal B, a reference voltage source 11 that regenerates a reference voltage, a comparator 12 that compares the voltage at the output terminal A with the voltage at the reference voltage source 11 so as to detect the disconnection of the output terminal A, a comparator 13 that compares the voltage at the output terminal B with the voltage at the reference voltage source 11 so as to detect the disconnection of the output terminal B, and an OR circuit 14 that obtains an OR of the comparator 12 and comparator 13 . If the disconnection detection circuit 8 a detects a disconnection, the switching circuit 7 fixes the sensor output to a ground voltage or a supply voltage.
Next, actions of the disconnection detection circuit 8 a will be described. The disconnection detection circuit 8 a detects the disconnections of the output terminal A and output terminal B.
If the output terminal A is disconnected, the potential at the output terminal A is brought to a ground potential by the resistor 10 . The potential at the output terminal A is compared with the voltage at the reference voltage source 11 by the comparator 12 . When the output terminal A is disconnected, the disconnection is reflected on the output of the comparator 12 .
If the output terminal B is disconnected, the potential at the output terminal B is brought to the ground potential by the resistor 9 . The potential at the output terminal B is compared with the voltage at the reference voltage source 11 by the comparator 13 . When the output terminal B is disconnected, the disconnection is reflected on the output of the comparator 13 .
Therefore, if the output terminal A or output terminal B is disconnected, the disconnection is reflected on the output of the OR circuit that obtains the OR of the outputs of the comparators 12 and 13 . Owing to the constitution, the disconnection detection circuit 8 can detect the disconnections of the output terminal A and output terminal B.
Next, the features of the disconnection detection circuit 8 a of the present embodiment will be described below. The disconnection detection circuit 8 a is a circuit that is symmetrical with respect to the output terminals A and B of the bridge circuit of the detection element 1 , whereby an adverse effect on an output voltage of the bridge circuit of the detection element 1 can be minimized. Specifically, a circuit to be connected to the output terminal A includes the resistor 10 and comparator 12 , and a circuit to be connected to the output terminal B includes the resistor 9 and comparator 13 . Thus, since the identical circuits are connected to the respective output terminals, adverse effects which the disconnection detection circuit 8 a imposes on the output terminal A and output terminal B respectively are identical to each other. Accordingly, an adverse effect on the output voltage of the bridge circuit of the detection element 1 (a difference voltage between the output terminal A and output terminal B) can be reduced.
Next, a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit that is a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in conjunction with FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 . Incidentally, FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of the second embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a drain current characteristic of transistors 24 and 25 . The disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of the second embodiment is such that the resistors 9 and 10 of the disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of the first embodiment are changed into a current mirror circuit composed of transistors 23 , 24 , and 25 .
In the disconnection detection circuit 8 b for a bridge circuit of the present embodiment, the resistors 9 and 10 are changed into a current mirror circuit composed of the transistors 23 , 24 , and 25 . A constant current source 22 is connected to the transistor 23 , so that the drain currents of the transistors 24 and 25 exhibit a characteristic shown in FIG. 4 . Accordingly, when the output terminals A and B are not disconnected, the impedances of the transistors 24 and 25 with respect to the output terminals A and B can be raised. Therefore, an adverse effect on the output voltage of the bridge circuit can be further reduced.
When the disconnection of the output terminal A or output terminal B is detected, the impedance of the transistor 24 or 25 with respect to the output terminal A or B can be diminished. Therefore, since the voltage at the disconnected output terminal A or B can be dropped, a margin of a threshold for the comparator 12 or 13 can be increased. Eventually, precision in disconnection detection can be improved.
Next, a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in conjunction with FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 . FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the disconnection detection circuit for abridge circuit of the third embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a timing chart of control signals for switches 26 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , and 32 . The third embodiment is such that the switches 26 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , and 32 and capacitors 27 , 33 , and 34 are added to the first embodiment.
In the present embodiment, the switches 26 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , and 32 and capacitors 27 , 33 , and 34 are added so that detection of a bridge voltage and disconnection detection can be executed in time-sharing manner. Specifically, at timing P 1 , the switches 26 and 30 are made in order to connect the output terminals A and B to the amplifier 6 , whereby the output voltage of the bridge circuit is detected. At this time, the switches 28 and 29 enter a broken state. Therefore, the disconnection detection circuit 8 c does not affect the output voltage of the bridge circuit because the bridge circuit is completely disconnected from the disconnection detection circuit 8 c . The capacitor 27 is included to hold the voltage at the timing P 1 in preparation for the timing P 2 when the switches 26 and 30 are broken.
Thereafter, the switches 28 , 29 , 31 , and 32 are made at the timing P 2 in order to connect the output terminals A and B to the disconnection detection circuit 8 c , whereby the disconnection of the output terminal A or B of the bridge circuit is detected. At this time, the switches 26 and 30 are left broken and completely disconnected from the amplifier 6 . Therefore, an input resistance of the amplifier 6 does not affect the disconnection detection circuit 8 . The capacitors 33 and 34 are included to hold the voltages attained at the timing P 2 in preparation for the timing P 1 when the switches 28 , 29 , 31 , and 32 are broken.
Next, a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit that is a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in conjunction with FIG. 7 . FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of the disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of the fourth embodiment.
To begin with, a detection element 35 is a half bridge circuit composed of sensor element resistors 36 and 37 . When the sensor element resistors 36 and 37 vary depending on a measurement physical quantity, a voltage at an output terminal of the bridge circuit is varied. An output voltage of the half bridge circuit is amplified by an amplifier 39 and outputted to outside as a sensor output. A supply voltage Vcc is connected to a power terminal of the bridge circuit, and a predetermined voltage is fed to a ground terminal via a reference voltage source 38 . A disconnection detection circuit 41 includes a constant current source 42 that feeds a current to the output terminal of the half bridge circuit, a reference voltage source 43 that generates a reference voltage, and a comparator 44 that compares a voltage at the output terminal of the half bridge circuit with the value of the reference voltage source 43 so as to detect the disconnection of the output terminal. If the disconnection detection circuit 41 detects a disconnection, a switching circuit 40 fixes the sensor output to a ground voltage or supply voltage.
Next, actions of the disconnection detection circuit will be described below. The disconnection detection circuit detects the disconnection of the output terminal of the half bridge circuit. To begin with, if the output terminal is disconnected, the potential at the output terminal is brought to a ground potential by the constant current source 42 . The potential at the output terminal is compared with the voltage of the reference voltage source 43 by the comparator 44 . Therefore, if the output terminal is disconnected, the disconnection is reflected on the output of the comparator 44 . Thus, the disconnection detection circuit 41 detects the disconnection of the output terminal.
Next, the features of the disconnection detection circuit will be described below. Assuming that the sensor element resistor 36 is a component whose resistance varies, like a thermistor, by several digits depending on temperature, the voltage at the output terminal changes from near the voltage at the power terminal of the detection element 35 to near the voltage at the ground terminal.
Assuming that the voltage at the ground voltage is 0 V, when the disconnection of the output terminal has to be reliably detected, it is necessary to increase the current of the constant current source 42 and to set the voltage of the reference voltage source 43 to almost 0 V. This is because, since the output of the detection element 35 at a normal time changes from near the voltage at the power terminal of the detection element 35 to near the voltage at the ground terminal, it is necessary to bring the voltage at a disconnection time to a voltage that falls outside the output at the normal time, and to bring the voltage of the reference voltage source 43 , which is a voltage to be compared by the comparator 44 , to the voltage that falls outside the output at the normal time. Therefore, in order to reliably bring the voltage at the disconnection time to the voltage that falls outside the output at the normal time, that is, in order to bring the voltage to almost 0 V, it is necessary to increase the current of the constant current source 42 and to bring a comparison voltage of the comparator 44 to near almost 0 V. However, when the current of the constant current source 42 is increased, an adverse effect on a sensor output is intensified. When the voltage of the reference voltage source is brought to almost 0 V, a margin of a threshold for the comparator 44 nearly runs out. Eventually, precision in disconnection detection is degraded.
In the present embodiment, as a voltage at a ground terminal of the detection element 35 , a voltage of several volts is applied using the reference voltage source 38 . In this case, even if the sensor element resistor 36 is a component whose resistance varies, like a thermistor, by several digits depending on temperature, the voltage at the output terminal changes merely from a voltage at a power terminal of the detection element 35 to the voltage of the reference voltage source 38 that is the voltage at the ground terminal. Therefore, the current of the constant current source 42 can be diminished because it should merely be equal to or lower than the voltage of the reference voltage source 38 at the disconnection time of the output terminal of the detection element 35 . In addition, since the voltage of the reference voltage source 43 that is a reference value for disconnection detection can be set to the voltage of the reference voltage source 38 , the margin of the threshold for the comparator 44 can be increased. Eventually, precision in disconnection detection can be improved.
Next, a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit which is a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described in conjunction with FIG. 8 . FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of the disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of the fifth embodiment. Incidentally, the disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of the fifth embodiment is, contrary to the disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of the fourth embodiment, such that a voltage at a power terminal of a detection element 35 is dropped by several volts using a reference voltage source 45 .
To begin with, the detection element 35 is a half bridge circuit composed of sensor element resistors 36 and 37 . The sensor element resistors 36 and 37 vary depending on a measurement physical quantity, whereby a voltage at an output terminal of the bridge circuit is varied. The output voltage of the bridge circuit is amplified by an amplifier 39 and outputted to outside as a sensor output. A power terminal of the bridge circuit is connected to a supply voltage Vcc via a reference voltage source 45 . A voltage that is lower than the supply voltage Vcc by the voltage of the reference voltage source 45 is fed to the power terminal. A ground terminal is provided with a ground potential. A disconnection detection circuit 46 includes a constant current source 47 that feeds a current into the output terminal, a reference voltage source 48 that generates a reference voltage, and a comparator 49 that compares the voltage at the output terminal with the value of the reference voltage source 48 so as to detect the disconnection of the output terminal. If the disconnection detection circuit 46 detects a disconnection, a switching circuit 40 fixes the sensor output to a ground voltage or supply voltage.
Next, actions of the disconnection detection circuit will be described below. The disconnection detection circuit detects the disconnection of the output terminal. If the output terminal is disconnected, the potential at the output terminal is brought to the supply voltage by the constant current source 47 . The potential at the output terminal is compared with the voltage of the reference voltage source 48 by the comparator 49 . Therefore, if the output terminal is disconnected, the disconnection is reflected on the output of the comparator 49 . Accordingly, the disconnection detection circuit 46 detects the disconnection of the output terminal.
Next, the features of the disconnection detection circuit will be described below. When the sensor element resistor 36 is, like a thermistor, a component whose resistance value varies by several digits depending on temperature, the voltage at the output terminal changes from the voltage at the power terminal of the detection element 35 to the voltage at the ground terminal. Assume that the voltage at the power terminal is equal to the supply voltage Vcc. In this case, for reliably detecting the disconnection of the output terminal, it is necessary to increase the current of the constant current source 47 and to set the voltage of the reference voltage source 48 to almost the supply voltage Vcc. However, when the current of the constant current source 47 is increased, an adverse effect on the sensor output is intensified. When the voltage of the reference voltage source 48 is set to almost the supply voltage Vcc, a margin of a threshold for the comparator 49 nearly runs out. Therefore, precision in disconnection detection is degraded.
In the present embodiment, the reference voltage source 45 is used to drop the voltage at the power terminal of the detection element 35 so that the voltage becomes lower than the supply voltage Vcc by several volts. In this case, even if the sensor element resistor 36 is, like a thermistor, a component whose resistance value varies by several digits depending on temperature, the voltage at the output terminal merely changes from a voltage, which is lower by several volts than the supply voltage that is equal to the voltage at the power terminal of the detection element 35 , to the ground voltage. Therefore, the current of the constant current source 47 can be diminished because when the output terminal of the detection element 35 is disconnected, the voltage at the power supply should merely approach the supply voltage with a margin equivalent to the voltage of the reference voltage source 45 . In addition, the voltage of the reference voltage source 48 that is a reference value for disconnection detection can be set with a margin equivalent to the voltage of the reference voltage source 45 . Therefore, the margin of the threshold for the comparator 49 can be increased. Eventually, precision in disconnection detection can be improved.
Next, a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit that is a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described below in conjunction with FIG. 9 . FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of the disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of the sixth embodiment.
To begin with, a detection element 50 is a bridge circuit composed of sensor element resistors 51 , 52 , 53 , and 54 . The sensor element resistors 51 , 52 , 53 , and 54 vary depending on a measurement physical quantity, whereby voltages at output terminals A and B of the bridge circuit are varied. An output voltage of the bridge circuit (a voltage between the output terminals A and B) is analog-to-digital converted by a delta-sigma modulator 55 (hereinafter, a ΔΣ modulator), and outputted to outside as a sensor output. Incidentally, the ΔΣ modulator 55 includes an SC integrator that is composed of switches 56 , 58 , 63 , and 65 which act at the timing P 1 shown in FIG. 6 , switches 59 , 60 , 61 , and 62 which act at the timing P 2 shown in FIG. 6 , capacitors 57 , 64 , 66 , and 68 , and an amplifier 67 , a comparator 69 that compares the output of the SC integrator, a local digital-to-analog (D/A) converter 70 that outputs a voltage according to the output of the comparator 69 . A disconnection detection circuit 72 includes a switch 74 that acts at the timing P 2 shown in FIG. 6 so as to link the output terminal A and a constant current source 76 , a switch 73 that acts at the timing P 2 shown in FIG. 6 so as to link the output terminal B and a constant current source 75 , the constant current source 76 that feeds a current into the output terminal A, the constant current source 75 that feeds a current into the output terminal B, a sample-and-hold circuit that samples voltages across the constant current sources 75 and 76 at the timing P 2 shown in FIG. 6 and is composed of switches 77 and 78 and capacitors 79 and 80 , a reference voltage source 81 that generates a reference voltage, a comparator 82 that compares a voltage across the capacitor 79 with the value of the reference voltage source 82 so as to detect the disconnection of the output terminal A, a comparator 83 that compares a voltage across the capacitor 80 with the value of the reference voltage source 81 so as to detect the disconnection of the output terminal B, and an OR circuit 84 that obtains an OR of the comparator 82 and comparator 83 . In addition, there is an AND circuit 71 that, if the disconnection detection circuit 72 detects a disconnection, fixes the output of the ΔΣ modulator 55 to a ground.
Next, actions of the present embodiment will be described below. The ΔΣ modulator 55 discharges the capacitors 57 and 64 at the timing P 2 . At the timing P 1 , the ΔΣ modulator 55 samples the output voltage of the bridge circuit and charges the capacitors using the SC integrator. The disconnection detection circuit 72 acts at the timing P 2 , which is a non-sampling period of the ΔΣ modulator 55 , so as not to affect the action of the ΔΣ modulator 55 . The disconnection detection circuit 72 turns on the switches 73 , 74 , 77 , and 78 at the timing P 2 so that a constant current flows into the output terminals A and B of the bridge circuit. At this time, if the output terminal A or output terminal B is disconnected, the voltage across the associated constant current source 75 or 76 is dropped to almost a ground potential. The voltage is held by the sample-and-hold circuit including the switches 77 and 78 and capacitors 79 and 80 , and compared by the comparator 82 or 83 , whereby the disconnection of the output terminal A or B is detected.
Next, the features of the present embodiment will be described below. Since the disconnection detection circuit 72 is a circuit symmetrical with respect to the output terminals A and B of the bridge circuit of the detection element 50 , an adverse effect on the output voltage of the bridge circuit of the detection element 50 can be minimized.
Since the disconnection detection circuit 72 acts during the non-sampling period of the ΔΣ modulator 55 , the action of the disconnection detection circuit 72 does not affect the ΔΣ modulator 55 . In reverse, the action of the ΔΣ modulator 55 does not affect the disconnection detection circuit 72 .
When the ΔΣ modulator 55 is employed in a detection circuit for an output voltage of a bridge circuit, it is very easy to fix an output signal to a value that cannot be outputted as an ordinary sensor output because an AND circuit alone is needed.
Next, a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit that is a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described in conjunction with FIG. 10 . FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram of the disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit of the seventh embodiment. The present embodiment is such that the constant current sources 75 and 76 of the sixth embodiment are replaced with a switched capacitor circuit composed of switches 85 and 87 and capacitors 86 and 88 .
In the present embodiment, faster detection than that achieved using the constant current sources 75 and 76 is enabled by replacing the constant current sources 75 and 76 with a switched capacitor circuit. This is because the switched capacitor circuit provides less impedance than the constant current sources do. This makes it possible to speed up an operating clock for the ΔΣ modulator 55 . Eventually, precision of the ΔΣ modulator 55 and responsiveness thereof can be improved.
Next, a system that is an eighth embodiment of the present invention and includes a disconnection detecting means will be described in conjunction with FIG. 11 . FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of the system of the eighth embodiment including the disconnection detecting means.
The present embodiment includes an airflow sensor 89 that detects an air flow rate Q, an intake air temperature sensor 90 that detects intake air temperature Ta, a disconnection detector 91 that detects the disconnection of the intake air temperature sensor 90 , a correction circuit 92 that corrects the air flow rate Q, which is an output signal of the airflow sensor 89 , with the intake air temperature Ta that is an output signal of the intake air temperature sensor 90 , and a switching circuit 93 that, if the disconnection detector 91 detects a disconnection, fixes the signal of the intake air temperature Ta, which is handed to the correction circuit 92 , to 25° C.
The present embodiment is the system in which if the intake air temperature sensor 90 is disconnected and outputs the signal having an extremely large error, the correction circuit 92 is prevented from performing excess correction processing and outputting a signal, which has an extremely large error, as a sensor output (air flow rate signal). In the present embodiment, if the intake air temperature sensor 90 is disconnected, the switching circuit 93 fixes the signal of the intake air temperature Ta, which is fed to the correction circuit 92 , to 25° C. Thus, excessive correction is prevented. Accordingly, even if the intake air temperature sensor 90 is disconnected, an error in the sensor output can be suppressed. In particular, as far as an airflow sensor that measures an intake air flow rate of an automobile is concerned, if an error caused by the airflow sensor is large, a fatal phenomenon that an engine is not started takes place. In particular, such an event must be avoided that although the airflow sensor 89 does not fail, the sensor output becomes extremely abnormal because of the failure of the intake air temperature sensor 90 . The present system can avoid the event.
Next, a system that is a ninth embodiment of the present invention and includes a disconnection detecting means will be described in conjunction with FIG. 12 . FIG. 12 is a configuration diagram of the system of the ninth embodiment including the disconnection detecting means. The present embodiment is a system that includes the disconnection detecting means and has the switching circuit 93 , which is included in the system of the eighth embodiment including the disconnection detecting means, changed into a switching circuit 94 .
In the present embodiment, the switching circuit 93 is changed into the switching circuit 94 . If the intake air temperature sensor is disconnected, the correction circuit 92 is bypassed in order to prevent excessive correction. Thus, even if the intake air temperature sensor 90 is disconnected, an error in the sensor output can be suppressed.
Next, a system that is a tenth embodiment of the present invention and includes a disconnection detecting means will be described in conjunction with FIG. 13 . FIG. 13 is a configuration diagram of the system of the tenth embodiment including the disconnection detecting means. The present embodiment is a system that includes the disconnection detecting means, has a circuit temperature sensor 95 added to the system of the eighth embodiment including the disconnection detecting means, and has a switching destination at a disconnection time by the switching circuit 93 changed to another.
In the present embodiment, the circuit temperature sensor 95 is added, and the switching destination at a disconnection time by the switching circuit 93 is changed to another. If the intake air temperature sensor is disconnected, the switching destination of the correction circuit 92 is set to the circuit temperature sensor 95 in order to prevent excessive correction. This is attributable to the fact that in a steady state, there is no large difference between the intake air temperature Ta and circuit temperature Tlsi. Accordingly, even if the intake air temperature sensor 90 is disconnected, an error in the sensor output can be suppressed.
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
1 , 35 , 50 : detection element
2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 36 , 37 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 : sensor element resistor
6 , 21 , 39 , 67 : amplifier
7 , 40 , 93 , 94 : switching circuit
8 , 8 a , 8 b , 8 c , 41 , 46 : disconnection detection circuit
9 , 10 , 19 , 20 : resistor
11 , 38 , 43 , 45 , 58 , 81 : reference voltage source
12 , 13 , 44 , 49 , 69 , 82 , 83 : comparator
14 , 84 : OR circuit
22 , 42 , 47 , 75 , 76 : constant current source
23 , 24 , 25 : transistor
26 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 56 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 65 , 73 , 74 , 77 , 78 , 85 , 87 : switch
27 , 33 , 34 , 57 , 64 , 66 , 68 , 79 , 80 , 86 , 88 : capacitor
55 : ΔΣ modulator
70 : local D/A converter
71 : AND circuit
72 : disconnection detection circuit
89 : airflow sensor
90 : intake air temperature sensor
91 : disconnection detector
92 : correction circuit | In an existing disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit, consideration is not taken into the fact that an offset voltage or temperature characteristic of a bridge output is degraded. Provided is a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit capable of suppressing a change in a characteristic of a sensor to a minimal extent. A disconnection detection circuit 8 a for a bridge circuit in accordance with the present invention comprises conducting means 9 and 10 each of which causes a current to flow from an output terminal of the bridge circuit to a predetermined potential, potential difference detecting means 12 and 13 each of which detects a potential difference between the potential at the output terminal of the bridge circuit and the predetermined potential, and a disconnection detecting means 14 that detects a disconnection on the basis of the outputs of the potential difference detecting means. | 6 |
FIELD
[0001] The invention relates generally to web services and servers used to provide web service to clients and specifically to masking URLs in web content provided to clients.
BACKGROUND
[0002] An important factor, which has led to a rapid growth in people and businesses connecting to the Internet, is the wealth of information it contains and makes available to practically anyone who has a telephone connection and a personal computer. This strength, however, leads to problems when an information or service provider, which uses the Internet as its communications medium, wishes to control the information being accessed.
[0003] The information accessible from the Internet is stored on servers, which form part of the Internet infrastructure. The information is accessed by clients, which are controlled by users or customers and are typically connected to, but not part of, the Internet. Normally, the clients connect only to the Internet for a relatively short time using, for example, a dial-up modem connection across a telephone line or an Ethernet adaptor connected to an Ethernet cable.
[0004] While communications and information transfer between Internet clients and servers relies on the well-established TCP/IP protocols, higher-level, dedicated protocols are employed to access certain types of information specific to one of the many services available on the Internet. Different services support different formats of information and allow different types of operation on the information.
[0005] For example, a Gopher client allows retrieval and display of predominantly text-based information, an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client supports the transfer between a server and a client of binary or ASCII files, and a World Wide Web (or simply a Web) client can retrieve and display mixed text and graphical information, as well as sounds, movies (usually encoded via MPEG), virtual ‘worlds’, and any other data type for which an appropriate ‘viewer’ (‘helper’) application or ‘plug-in’ is available.
[0006] The Web employs the HyperText Transfer Protocol or HTTP to support access by a Web browser of information on a Web server. Of course, when transmitted across the Internet, the HTTP information is wrapped in the TCP/IP protocol. The information retrieved by the Web browser is typically an HTML (HyperText Markup Language) file, which is interpreted by the browser and displayed appropriately on a display screen as a Web page of information.
[0007] The Web browser specifies the information it wishes to retrieve using a URL (Universal Resource Locator) of the form:
[0008] (http://lnternet server name/server directory/file name)
[0009] Typically, “http” indicates that the URL points to a Web page of information. The Internet translates the Internet server name into a physical network location. The server directory is the location on the server of the file and the file name is that of the file in the directory, which contains or generates the required information.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the general form of a typical graphical user interface display 100 provided by a Web browser, for example the Netscape (TM) Navigator Web browser or Microsoft Explorer (TM) Web browser. The display 100 includes several main areas: an options area 104 providing the user-options for controlling and configuring the browser, a Web page display area 108 for displaying a Web page, a location box 112 for displaying the location, or URL, of the displayed Web page, and a status box 116 which displays information concerning the status of Web page retrieval.
[0011] Also illustrated on the screen is a pointer 120 , the position of which can be tactily controlled by a user using a computer mouse, roller-ball or equivalent pointing device. The user interacts with the browser by positioning the pointer appropriately on the screen and selecting available options or functions provided by the browser or displayed on the Web page by, for example, ‘clicking’ a mouse button.
[0012] An HTML file comprises ASCII text, which includes embedded HTML tags. In general, the HTML tags are used to identify the nature and the structure of the Web page, and to identify HyperText links (hyperlinks), and their associated URLs.
[0013] Display capabilities of a Web browser typically determine the appearance of the HTML file on the screen in dependence upon the HTML tags. In general, a hyperlink provides a pointer to another file or Internet resource. Sometimes, a hyperlink can also point to a different location in a currently-displayed Web page. Within an HTML file, hyperlinks are identified by their syntax, for example:
[0014] <A HREF=“(URL)”>(anchor-text)</A >
[0015] Typically, the < . . . > structure identifies the HTML tags. The syntax typically includes a URL, which points to the other file, resource or location, and an anchor definition. In this case, the anchor is defined as a piece of text. In a Web page, typically a hyperlink is represented graphically on screen by the anchor. The anchor can be a piece of highlighted text or an image, for example a push-button or icon image. Where, for example, the anchor is non-textual, the underlying syntax usually also specifies a respective anchor image file location, which may be on the same or on a different server, as follows:
[0016] <A HREF=“(URL)”><IMG SRC=“(URL)”></A>
[0017] Where IMG SRC specifies the location of the image file for the anchor. The effect of a user selecting a hyperlink, by moving a pointer over the anchor and clicking, say, the mouse button, is normally that the Web browser attempts to retrieve a new Web page corresponding to the indicated URL.
[0018] However, sometimes a URL refers to a software process rather than to a Web page per se. In some browsers, for example Netscape Navigator™, when the pointer merely moves over a hyperlink anchor, the browser can be arranged to display the underlying URL in the status box of the display screen, irrespective of whether the user selects the hyperlink or not. Thus, a user can normally see the URL of any hyperlink in a Web page.
[0019] HTML files sometimes also include references to other files, for example, graphics files, which are retrieved by the browser and displayed as part of the Web page typically to enhance visual impact. Each reference comprises an appropriate HTML tag and a URL. In practice, the browser retrieves the requested Web page first and then retrieves other files referenced in this way by the Web page. Often, therefore, the textual portions of a Web page appear before the graphical portions.
[0020] A user is able to view the ASCII text source code of an HTML file using source code viewing facilities provided by some browsers. Thus, a user is able to view the URLs for any hyperlink or other imported file.
[0021] Generally, a user can retrieve a Web page using several methods which are supported by most browsers: by manually entering the URL into the location box 112 , by selecting a Bookmark (the stored URL of a previously-accessed Web page), or by selecting a hyperlink in a displayed Web page 108 . The first two methods potentially allow a user to access any Web page or other resource file at any time.
[0022] The third method requires the user to first access a Web page that incorporate a hyperlink to the required Web page or image file before that Web page or image file can be retrieved. In certain circumstances, it would be desirable to limit access by the third method only.
[0023] Since, however, a user can normally see any URL embedded in an HTML file and can access a Web page by entering the respective URL directly into a browser, under normal circumstances a service provider has little control over which Web pages are accessed and how they are accessed.
[0024] Many servers are arranged to address this problem by employing access tables, which include table entries controlling which users can access which pages.
[0025] An alternative measure, which is widely used, is to employ user identification and password protection to protect certain files on the server. Both measures are open to some degree to “spoofing” by unauthorized persons who have been known to masquerade as an authorized user by, for example, intercepting and cracking passwords for these protected files. A further disadvantage of both measures is the management overhead of keeping access tables or password files up-to-date, particularly where large numbers of users and/or pages are involved, or where the authorized user population changes regularly. Also, even if Web page access is controlled using access tables or password protection, a service provider normally has no control over the order in which an authorized user can access the Web pages once the URLs are known.
[0026] There have been some attempts to address these issues. For example, in PCT Patent Application No. 98/32066 to McGee, the contents of which are herein incorporated by this reference in their entirety, an Internet server employs a session manager that intercepts all incoming requests from clients for Web pages. Each request incorporates a token that is compared by the session manager with tokens, which are stored in a session database. Tokens in the database have a corresponding real URL. When a token in the database is found that matches the received token, the real URL is used to retrieve the Web page(s) associated with the URL. One drawback to using tokens, each of which has a corresponding real URL, is that the token may be stolen or used by an unauthorized party to access contents of the Web page associated with the token. The contents of the Web page are potentially compromised in the event that the token is compromised. This means that Web pages with sensitive data may be subject to unauthorized access without the Web server ever knowing that unauthorized access has occurred.
SUMMARY
[0027] Embodiments of the present invention are directed generally to the use of a URL masking device, system, and method. A masked URL is used to enhance web security associated with applications and other web content that can be accessed through use of a URL.
[0028] In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method. The method includes the steps of:
[0029] (a) receiving Web content comprising a first Uniform Resource Locator (URL) in a first Web session;
[0030] (b) determining a first set of parameters comprising one or more parameters which will be used to mask the first URL, the first set of parameters corresponding to the first session and being substantially unique to the first session;
[0031] (c) masking the first URL using the first set of parameters thereby creating a first masked URL;
[0032] (d) replacing the first URL with the first masked URL in the Web content, thus resulting in an altered Web content comprising the first masked URL; and
[0033] (e) distributing the altered Web content generally over an untrusted network to at least one client.
[0034] As used herein a “session” corresponds to a predetermined amount of time or a period of time between client requests. Typically, a session is defined as the period of time when a client is connected with a particular server. The connection may be freely given, or may require some sort of password verification to initiate a session. In the event that the server is a Web server, then the session is referred to as a web session. However, in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention, a number of sessions may occur during the same connection between a client and a server. For example, a first session may end when a user begins to view new Web content from the same server and/or during the same log in. After the first session ends a second different session begins where a particular URL may be masked in a different way than it previously was.
[0035] A particular URL may occur several times in a given Web content. Each occurrence of the URL may be masked in a different manner than the other versions of the same URL. This will provide a higher level of security to the URL and its associated Web content.
[0036] As used herein “Web content” may be any type of electronic media that is viewable via a communication device like a computer, laptop, PDA, Blackberry™, cell phone, or the like. Examples of Web content include, but are not limited to, Web pages, HTML files, pdf documents, emails, videos, JPEGS, gifs and the like.
[0037] Also, as can be appreciated by one of skill in the art, embodiments of the present invention may be utilized on any reference character, image, or string that can be used to retrieve Web content. For purposes of illustration, the term URL is generally used herein to describe any electronically viewable and selectable reference to Web content.
[0038] A URL is generally masked to preserve some amount of secrurity associated with its associated Web content and/or to deter fraudulent use of the URL. An unmasked URL allows any user to access relatively easily Web content that is referenced by the URL. On the other hand, a masked URL cannot be used to view Web content as easily. In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention, if an authorized client transmits a masked URL to a server requesting the associated Web content, the server first determines if an authorized client sent the URL, then the server determines if the URL is coming from a valid session. Thereafter, the server will unmask the URL and attempt to retrieve the associated Web content. If the URL has been altered in any way the server may not be able to properly unmask the URL, and will most likely not be able to retrieve the requested Web content.
[0039] These and other advantages will be apparent from the disclosure of the invention(s) contained herein. The above-described embodiments and configurations are neither complete nor exhaustive. As will be appreciated, other embodiments of the invention are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.
[0040] As used herein, “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “one or more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0041] FIG. 1 depicts a general form of a typical graphical user interface display in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention;
[0042] FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram depicting information flow in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention;
[0043] FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of a communication system in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention;
[0044] FIG. 4 depicts various user sessions and displays during those sessions in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention;
[0045] FIG. 5 depicts a method of generating web content for display to a client in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention;
[0046] FIG. 6 depicts a method of retrieving web content based on a received masked URL in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention;
[0047] FIG. 7 depicts a method of enabling a URL with a timing-out mechanism in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention;
[0048] FIG. 8 depicts a method of enabling a URL with an activity sensitive mechanism in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention;
[0049] FIG. 9A depicts a first logical container of URL masking parameters in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention;
[0050] FIG. 9B depicts a second logical container of URL masking parameters in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention; and
[0051] FIG. 10 is a flow chart depicting a method of determining URL masking parameters in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0052] The invention will be illustrated below in conjunction with an exemplary communication system. Although well suited for use with, e.g., a system utilizing a web server, the invention is not limited to use with any particular type of communication system server or configuration of such a server. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosed techniques may be used in any communication application in which it is desirable to identify appearance differences in a customer that have occurred between times that the customer has initiated a contact.
[0053] The following description concentrates on the Internet Web service for the purpose of explanation only. The concepts described, however, are more broadly applicable to other Internet and intranet services and to other information services available from different communications networks.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 2 , the logical flow of Web content including a URL will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention. In the depicted embodiment, URLs and Web content (e.g., Web pages, HTML documents, emails, IP phone calls, Video calls, and other applications) are handled on a server side 200 . Specifically, when Web content is requested a URL will be at least shown in the location box 112 when presented to a client. Additional URLs may be located at various locations within the display area 108 . These URLs are generally retrieved from a database containing URLs and associated Web sites by a URL generator 204 (which is conventional). The Web content and the URL is forwarded to the URL modification module 208 . Here the URL is masked prior to being transmitted across an untrusted network 212 to a potentially untrusted person. Generally, the Web content and its associated masked URL(s) are targeted to a client 216 who happens to be connected to an untrusted network 212 .
[0055] Referring to FIG. 3 , an exemplary communication system 300 will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention. The communication system 300 comprises a communication network 304 providing a connection between a server 308 and a plurality of endpoints 312 . The server 308 is typically embodied as a Web server and is in communication with a database 320 .
[0056] The communication network 304 may be in the form of a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network) like the Internet. Generally, the communication network 304 is a packet-switched network operable to transmit information sent from one party for presentation to another.
[0057] The endpoints 312 may be any suitable apparatus used to view Web content over the communication network 304 . Examples of endpoints 312 include, but are not limited to, Personal Computers, laptops, cellular phones, Blackberries™, PDAs (Personal Digital Assitants), IP enabled telephones, Internet enhanced televisions, and the like. As will be understood, such endpoints typically access Web content using a Web browser or the like.
[0058] As can be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the server 308 may be any server that receives requests, whether direct or indirect from a remote client via the communication network, and executes instructions of that request via a processor implementing executable instructions stored in a memory of the server 308 and/or the database 320 . The requests can be in the form various application layer protocols including, for example, http SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), Java RMI (Remote Method Invocation), DNS (Domain Name Server), TLS/SSL (Transport Layer Security/Secure Sockets Layer), TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), IRC (Internet Relay Chat), NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol), POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3), SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), SSH (Secure Shell), TELNET, BitTorrent, RTP (Real-time Transfer Protocol), SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol), or various transport layer protocols including, for example, TCP, UDP (User Datagram Protocol), and the like.
[0059] The server 316 further comprises a URL manager 316 . The URL manager 316 generally comprises the URL generator 204 and the URL modification module 208 . The URL manager 316 acts as a buffer between the server and the communication network 304 . In other words, the URL manager 316 analyzes and edits incoming and outgoing Web content and any URL associated with the subject Web content. A URL may be embedded somewhere within the middle of a Web page, and the URL manager 316 is operable to locate the embedded URL and mask/unmask the URL depending upon the nature of the request.
[0060] In the sending mode, the URL manager 316 analyzes and edits Web content that is intended for delivery to a client 216 associated with at least one of the endpoints 312 . The URL manager 316 scans the Web content searching for URLs and when any URL is located, the URL manager 316 is operable to mask the URL within the Web content.
[0061] The URL manager 316 employs various parameters to mask/unmask a given URL. Examples of such parameters used to mask/unmask a particular URL include, but are not limited to, time-based information (e.g., time that a client requested a particular Web content, time that content was provided to the client, and/or any time associated with a particular action or event), system transient information (e.g., server identification number, number of processes currently being employed, free disk space in the server, file being accessed by the server, number of high priority processes, number of files open on a system connected to the server, CPU's usage information, user name/identifier, session identifier, etc.), and other information including a randomly or pseudo-randomly generated integer. The URL is masked according to a selected number of parameters and these parameters are essentially the “key” used to mask the URL. A URL is preferably masked in a different manner every time an action associated with the URL is requested. In one configuration, this is accomplished using a known algorithm, such as AES, DES, Blowfish, RSA, Diffie-Hellman, ElGamal, RC4, RC5, IDEA, TDES, or hash functions, with all or part of the URL to be masked and one or more non-constant (i.e., transient) or time-changing variables, such as those noted above as inputs. When Web content is initially displayed to a client 216 , a first URL may be masked using a first subset of parameters. The next time that particular URL is requested, it is masked in a different way possibly using a second subset of parameters. For example, the first time a URL, say “www.Avaya.com”, may be masked utilizing free disk space in the server and the number of high priority processes currently being performed by the server. The second time the same URL shows up it may be masked utilizing the first four words that appear in from of the URL on the Web content and the number of files being accessed by the server. The parameters may be chosen based on the time-stamp information. So, for any particular second, minute, hour, day, etc. that a request is processed a different subset of parameters may be chosen to mask a given URL. This helps ensure that an authorized user that initiated a given session can only use the distributed URL.
[0062] A masked URL is generally pseudo-randomly masked prior to being distributed to a client 216 . The parameters used to mask the URL are retained in an erasable memory that is part of the URL manager 316 . This way, when the client 216 selects a URL, the masking parameters can be referenced and the URL manager 316 unmasks the masked URL. The unmasked URL is sent to other functionality within the server 208 such that Web content relating to the selected URL is retrieved and subsequently sent to the client 216 , after URL(s) within the new Web content have been masked of course.
[0063] Referring now to FIG. 4 , variances of a URL between sessions will be described in further detail in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention. A particular URL 408 a in a first session 404 a may be masked using a first set of parameters as noted above. Assume for example that the subject Web content being displayed to and navigated by a particular client 216 is a secure business site showing quarterly financial numbers for a certain company. In the past, URLs appearing in either the location box 112 and/or the display area 108 were not necessarily masked. This allowed the navigating, supposedly permitted client 216 , to freely view the URL. The client 216 would then be able to possibly change the URL, i.e. modify a portion of the URL contents, and enter the modified URL into the location box 112 in an attempt access other Web content to which he or she may or may not be permitted. Additionally, the client 216 would have been able to send the URL to a “friend” either via email or some other medium. The friend would then be able to access the same Web content that the permitted client 216 was allowed to view, whether the friend is permitted access to such Web content or not.
[0064] In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention, a masked URL substantially precludes a client 216 from altering a URL in order to gain access to other Web content to which he/she is not permitted access. Additionally, utilizing a masked URL substantially precludes a client 216 from forwarding the URL on to a friend in an attempt to allow the friend access to the same Web content if such access is not permitted. One way a masked URL precludes such activity is by enabling the URL with a deactivation element. The deactivation element may be implemented as a timing-out mechanism that changes at least a portion of the URL after a predetermined amount of time. After at least a portion of the masked URL has been changed due to the activation of the timing-out mechanism, the URL manager 316 will not be able to accurately unmask the URL and therefore access to Web content associated with the URL will be denied. Alternatively, each masked URL may have selected time-to-live, after which it is removed from the map of URLs and their corresponding masks.
[0065] Additionally, the URL may be enabled with an activation sensitive element (e.g., a counter) that counts or otherwise has a value that depends on the number of actions performed by a client 216 during his/her navigation of the Web content associated with a particular URL. For example, every time the client performs a mouse click, the masked URL will change based on some parameter, preferably a time-based parameter (such as those above) or some other parameter that the server is operable to monitor. The monitoring operation may be done by an applet downloaded by the server to the client. The monitored operation results may be returned to the server when the monitored client forwards messages (e.g., content requests to the server.) The session may change every time the client 216 performs any predefined action. Thus, in the second session 404 b , after the first masked URL 408 a changes form to a second masked URL 408 b , the URL manager 316 registers a change in sessions and updates the parameters used to unmask the second URL 408 b . Thus, authorized actions performed by an authorized client 216 will change the masked URL but since the URL manager 216 is aware of the changes to the masked URL, the URL manager 216 can update parameters used to unmask the URL. The result of the URL manager 216 monitoring actions and updating URL unmasking parameters is Web content associated with the second masked URL 408 b can still be accessed. However, if one of the actions performed by the client 216 includes an action that is not allowable (e.g., a “copy” and/or “paste” function was executed), then the URL manager 216 may not update the unmasking parameters rendering the second masked URL 408 b useless. As can be seen in FIG. 4 , the URL may be masked the up to N times resulting in 408 N, if N events occur, where N is typically greater than or equal to one. In the event that each of the actions causing the masked URL to change was an allowable action, then the server 308 may still recover Web content associated with the masked URL 408 N in the Nth session 404 N.
[0066] A URL may be masked in a number of different ways between different sessions and based upon different actions. Part of the original masking operation of the URL may include enabling the URL with an activation sensitive element as noted above. The operation of the activation sensitive element is enabled by the URL manager and therefore known by the URL manager. After a particular action is performed, the masked URL may be masked according to a new set of parameters (e.g., subject matter surrounding the original URL in the Web content). For example, if the original URL was masked based upon the first four words immediately preceding the URL in the Web content resulting in a first masked URL, then after a first action, the first masked URL may be further masked according to the first four words immediately succeeding the URL in the Web content. The result will be a second URL that is twice masked. If the first action was an allowable action, then the URL manager 316 updates the masking parameters and knows that if the second URL is received it will need to be unmasked using the first four words immediately succeeding the URL then the resulting URL will need to be further unmasked using the first four words immediately preceding the URL. After the URL has been successfully unmasked the Web content associated with the twice-masked URL can be transmitted to the client 216 .
[0067] Another way to provide security to the masked URL is to include known parameters of the client's endpoint 312 in the masking operation. For example, the IP address of the requesting authorized endpoint 312 and an identification number of the subject endpoint 312 may be used. The URL manager 316 may require this identification information to be sent along with a URL request prior to providing the endpoint 312 Web contents associated with the URL.
[0068] Referring now to FIG. 5 , a method of preparing Web content for transmission to a client will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention. The method is initiated upon receipt of a request for Web content by the server 308 (step 504 ). Thereafter, the server 308 determines whether user authentication is required to view the requested Web content (step 508 ). In other words, the server 308 determines if the requested Web content is password protected or the like. In the event that access to the requested Web content is restricted then the server 308 will initiate some sort of identity verification procedure (step 512 ). This step may include requiring the requesting client (“requester”) to input a password or provide some other sort of verification of his/her identity. In step 516 , it is determined whether the identity of the requestor has been verified. If the identity of the requestor was not verified in step 516 , then the method returns to step 504 and waits for another request for the web content. Alternatively, the requestor may be presented with another chance to verify his/her identity to the server 308 . If the requestor has been able to verify his/her identity to the server 308 or no authentication was required to view the requested Web content, then the requested Web content is retrieved typically from a Web content database which may be a part of database 320 or may be in the form of memory within the server 308 .
[0069] The URL manager 316 typically scans the retrieved Web content for URLs and other references to different Web content (step 524 ). The Web content may be scanned for typical indicators of references to other Web content including instances of “www.” or “@yahoo” or “.com/.org/.gov” and so on. In step 528 it is determined if any URL(s) were found during the scanning step. In the event that one or more of these common indicators are found, hence some URL(s) may exist in the Web content, then the method continues to step 532 where masking parameters are determined.
[0070] During a first session, a first set of masking parameters may be used that are made up of at least one chosen parameter. For example, assume that there exist five different eligible parameters (e.g., first twelve characters before the URL, first twelve characters after the URL, free disk space in the server, number of files being accessed by the server, and server identification number) that could be used to mask a given URL. Based on the time that the request for the Web content was received, i.e. the request was received at the third second of a given minute, the first and third parameters may be chosen. During a second session, a second set of masking parameters may be selected from the same five eligible parameters to mask a given URL. Again the parameters that are selected could be based upon the time the request for Web content was received. However, the time associated with the second session will most likely differ from the first time. For example, the second session may have been requested at the fortieth second of a given minute, this may result in the second, third, and fifth parameters being used to mask the URL. Consequently, a single URL may be masked differently between sessions. Furthermore, in the event that the same URL appears multiple times in Web content, each instance of the URL may be masked differently, especially if one or more of the parameters used to mask the URL depend on content surrounding the subject URL. This way a common URL will not be as easily discovered. As can be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the more eligible parameters that are made available to the URL manager 316 to mask URLs, the more secure the masked URL and the contents referenced by the URL will be.
[0071] Once the masking parameters have been determined, the URL manager 316 masks each URL using the determined masking parameters (step 536 ). Subsequently, the URL manager 316 will replace the original URL(s) with the masked version of the URL(s) in the Web content (step 540 ). Of course, it may not be necessary to mask each and every URL that appears in Web content. Rather, only selected URLs will need to be masked and replaced with a masked URL. Some URLs may be referencing highly sensitive material that requires a higher level of security than some other URL. In this case, the URL manager 316 may mask the URL referencing the sensitive material, whereas the URL referencing less sensitive material may not be masked. After the URL(s) in the Web content have been sufficiently masked and replaced, then the altered Web content is transmitted to the requester for display on his/her endpoint 312 (step 544 ).
[0072] As can be appreciated, URLs may appear in both the location box 112 and/or the display area 108 . Therefore the URL manager 316 will scan both of these locations and appropriately mask any URLs that show up in the Web content. Typically, the URL in the location box 112 will be masked so that it cannot be deceitfully used by the client 216 or intercepted and used by an unauthorized third party. Likewise, the URL(s) that appear in the display area 108 or any other portion of the Web content for that matter can be masked and replaced with a masked URL if the URL requires such treatment.
[0073] Referring now to FIG. 6 , a method of handling a masked URL will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention. The method begins when a masked URL is received by the server 308 (step 604 ). In step 608 , the received URL is parsed by the URL manager 316 . Typically in the parsing step, the URL manager 316 separates the session identification information from the masked URL from the rest of the URL. When a URL is masked it is generally given a session identification number as a part of the masking operation. This session identification number is extracted by the URL manager 316 (step 612 ). The session identification number is used to verify the validity of the URL along with the validity of the requestor of the URL. The session identification number will usually change when it is passed from one client to another client. If the URL was not allowed to be exchanged between clients the session identification number will change, thus when the URL manager 316 receives the URL with a different session identification number, the URL manager 316 can verify that the URL has been exchanged.
[0074] In step 620 it is determined if the session identification number is valid. If the session identification number is not valid, i.e. the URL has been exchanged, time has expired in the session, or some other unauthorized action has been performed on the URL, then the method continues to step 628 to determine if the session expired. If it is determined that the session has expired then the static information relating to the session along with any cookies in the server 308 are erased in step 632 . If the session has not yet expired, then the client may be given another chance to request Web content associated with the URL and the method returns to step 616 to recheck the session identification number of the URL. If the session identification number was verified in step 620 , then the method continues to step 624 where additional masking parameters are determined. The masking parameters are typically unique to each URL and each session. Therefore, a memory of the masking parameters for a single session is maintained in the URL manager 316 . The URL manager 316 maintains masking parameters information in a readily erasable memory rather then maintaining the information in a database 320 .
[0075] Once the URL manager 316 determines the parameters that were used to masked the received URL, then the URL manager is operable to unmask the URL using the parameters in an operation that is the inverse of the operation used to mask the URL (step 636 ). The server 308 uses the unmasked URL to recover the corresponding Web content (step 640 ). The URL manager 316 then scans the requested Web content to determine if any URLs are in the requested Web content (step 644 ). Thereafter, the method proceeds back to step 528 where it is determined if any URLs were found and the method continues as described in reference to FIG. 5 .
[0076] Referring now to FIG. 7 a method of enabling a URL to expire will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention. Initially, in step 704 , a time threshold for a timing-out mechanism is determined. The time threshold corresponds to the amount of time a given session is allowed to persist without any actions before the session is terminated. The time threshold may be a small as a number of seconds or may be as large as a number of days depending upon the application and session particulars.
[0077] Once the time threshold for the timing-out mechanism has been determined, a URL is enabled with the timing-out mechanism (step 708 ). A masked URL is typically enabled with the timing-out mechanism, although an unmasked URL may be enabled with the timing-out mechanism as well before it is provided to a client. The URL with the timing-out mechanism is then transmitted to the client typically as a part of Web content, either in the location box 112 and/or the display area 108 .
[0078] When the URL has been transmitted to the client 216 an elapsed time variable is initialized and set equal to zero (step 716 ). The server 308 then monitors the client 216 and as the client 216 is monitored, the server 308 determines how much time has elapsed since the URL was initially sent to the client 216 (step 720 ). The amount of time that has elapsed for a particular session may correspond to how long a single Web content has been viewed or may correspond to the amount of time between client actions (e.g., mouse clicks, key strokes, commands, and the like). In step 724 , it is determined if the elapsed time for the given session has exceeded the time threshold. If the time threshold has been exceeded by the elapsed time then the session is considered terminated and the URL is masked such that the URL manager 316 cannot properly unmask the URL. In an alternative embodiment, the URL may not necessarily be masked when the time threshold expires. Rather, the masking parameters that were originally used by the URL manager 316 to mask the originally transmitted URL may be altered or cleared from the URL manager's 316 memory.
[0079] Referring now to FIG. 8 , a method of enabling a URL to expire upon the occurrence of an unauthorized activity will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention. Initially, in step 804 , the URL manager 316 determines authorized activities that may be performed either during a session or on a particular URL. Examples of authorized activities include, but are not limited to, selection of a URL, certain key strokes, navigation of a particular Web content or a number of Web contents, and the like. Excluded from the list of authorized activities are generally any unauthorized activities. Examples of unauthorized activities may include, but are not limited to, executing a “copy” and/or “paste” function, highlighting a URL, navigating to restricted Web content, and so on. As can be appreciated, a list of unauthorized activities may be determined and any activity that does not appear in the list of unauthorized activities may be considered an authorized activity. This may provide an easier way to implement generating a list of authorized activities, especially if the list of unauthorized activities is relatively small compared to the number of authorized activities.
[0080] Once authorized activities have been determined then a URL is enabled with an activity sensitive mechanism (step 808 ). The URL that is enabled with the activity sensitive mechanism may be a masked URL or may be the original version of a URL depending upon the sensitivity of the URL and its associated Web content. The activity sensitive mechanism is operable to change how the URL is masked. Generally, the activity sensitive mechanism is a list of predetermined masking operations, where each masking operation changes how the URL is masked and may use different masking parameters. The URL manager 316 maintains a list of the same predetermined masking operations. Therefore, if the activity sensitive mechanism is engaged and the URL masks itself, the URL manager 316 will be able to know how the URL was masked and may subsequently unmask the URL if requested to do so. The activity sensitive enabled URL is then transmitted to a client 216 (step 812 ). Thereafter, the URL manager 316 monitors the client 216 and his/her performed actions (step 816 ).
[0081] In step 820 , it is determined if a client activity has occurred. If no client activity has occurred, then the method returns to step 816 and the URL manager 316 continues to monitor the client 216 . However, if an activity has occurred then the URL changes how it is masked, typically according to some predetermined parameters in a predetermined fashion (step 824 ). Thereafter, the URL manager 316 determines if the activity was an authorized activity (step 828 ). If the action performed was not an authorized activity, then the method ends in step 836 . This means that the URL has changed the way it is masked but the URL manager 316 has not updated its records of the masking parameters for the newly masked URL. Thus, if that particular URL is requested at a later time, the URL manager 316 will not be able to properly unmask the URL rendering the URL useless and the Web content associated with the URL inaccessible. If the action performed did correspond to an authorized activity, then the URL manager 316 will update its masking records to reflect the new masking of the URL (step 832 ). This way if a client 216 requests Web content associated with the newly masked URL, the URL manager 316 can unmask the URL and retrieve the associated Web content.
[0082] Referring now to FIGS. 9A and 9B a list of masking parameters will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention. The first session masking parameter container 904 comprises a static parameters field 908 , a transient parameters field 912 , and a masking parameters field 916 . The parameters that are typically in the static parameters field 908 are user identifier and session identifier. The user identifier is generally unique to a particular user and the session identifier is unique to the current session. In the event that the session changes due to the occurrence of an event or the like, the session identifier may be updated.
[0083] The parameters in the transient parameters field 912 typically include parameters that vary over time, or at least may vary depending upon network conditions. Examples of parameters that can be found in the transient parameters field 912 include time-based parameters (e.g., time that a client requested a particular Web content, time that content was provided to the client, and/or any time associated with a particular action or event), system/server transient information (e.g., server identification number, number of processes currently being employed, free disk space in the server, file being accessed by the server, number of high priority processes, number of files open on a system connected to the server, CPU's usage information, etc.), or Web content information (e.g., number of characters in a word that immediately precedes the URL, number of characters in a word that immediately succeeds the URL, number of words/characters in a given line of the Web content, etc.).
[0084] When a request for Web content containing a URL is received at the URL manager 316 , the URL manager may use a sub-set of the static and/or transient parameters to determine what masking parameters should be used to mask a given URL. For example, at the time of a first request during a first session, the request time may correspond to the second half of a minute and based on that determination, the URL manager 316 may decide to use four masking parameters, for example, server free disk space, CPU usage information, server ID number, and request time populate the masking field 916 . Each of the values for these parameters may be inputs to the masking algorithm employed by the URL manager 316 such that the URL is masked in a substantially unique way for the given session. On the other hand, if the request during the first session was received some time during the first half of the minute, the URL manager 316 may decide only to use three masking parameters, and those parameters may not necessarily coincide with the parameters that were chosen based on the request being received during the second half of the minute.
[0085] Of course, the next time a request is received the same rules for selecting masking parameters may not be followed by the URL manager 316 . For example, the URL manager 316 may not even use the request time to determine what masking parameters should be used. Rather, the URL manager may simply use the free disk space to determine how many and what masking parameters should be used to mask the URL. Based on the free disk space, the masking parameters in the masking field 920 selected during a second session may include the number of characters in a word next to the URL, the number of high priority processes being processed by the server, and the requestor's IP address. As can be appreciated, some of the masking parameters used during the first session may also be used during the second session. In the event that some of the reused parameters are transient, the values of those parameters may not necessarily be the same in the first session as they are in the second session.
[0086] In an alternative configuration, a queue of masking parameters may be employed. The queue of masking parameters may include those potential masking parameters discussed above, whether transient or static. Also, the static and/or transient parameters may be used to select a number of masking parameters from the masking parameter queue. For example, there may be twelve masking parameters in the masking parameter queue. When a request for Web content containing a URL is received, the URL manager 316 may use one or more of the static and/or transient parameters to determine how many masking parameters should be chosen from the masking parameters queue to mask the URL. The URL manager 316 may decide that two masking parameters will be used because the word next to the URL has two characters or the number of characters in the word next to the URL is divisible by two. Based on this, the URL manager 316 only needs to select the first two masking parameters from the queue. In the event that the number of characters in the word next to the URL was divisible only by three, the URL manager 316 may have decided to choose three masking parameters instead of two. Once the URL manager 316 has decided what masking parameters will be used to mask the URL, it only needs to determine the values of the masking parameters for the input to the masking algorithm. An advantage to implementing a masking parameter queue is that the type of masking parameters may be predetermined but kept secure by the URL manager 316 . This provides for a relatively easy way for the URL manager 316 to keep track of what parameters and values were used to mask a given URL, thus making it easier for the URL manager 316 to unmask the URL. Furthermore, the URL manager 316 does not have to continually reference a table containing a list of tokens to real URLs, rather the URL manager 316 only needs to maintain the queue of potential masking parameters and used masking parameters so that masked URLs can be properly unmasked and the Web content related to the URL can be retrieved.
[0087] Referring now to FIG. 10 a method of selecting masking parameters will be described in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention. Initially the URL manager 316 receives a request for Web content with a URL (step 1004 ). Thereafter, the URL manager 316 references a table of possible masking parameters (step 1008 ). As noted above, the table of possible masking parameters may include a masking parameters queue or may simply be based on a predetermined masking parameters selection algorithm using static and/or transient session information. Using the static and/or transient session information, the URL manager 316 determines the masking parameters that will be used to mask the given URL, typically from a masking parameters queue or a masking parameters selection algorithm (step 1012 ).
[0088] Once the masking parameters have been selected, the URL manager 316 either determines directly the values for the masking parameters or queries the server 308 for values of the masking parameters (step 1016 ). The URL manager 316 may not necessarily need to query the server for static parameters like user identifier and session identifier, or other transient parameters like time-based parameters or Web content based parameters. However, the URL manager 316 may need to query the server 308 for server based transient masking information. The URL manager 316 then receives the requested values for the masking parameters from the server (step 1020 ). Thereafter, the URL manager 316 uses the values of the selected masking parameters to mask the given URL prior to its transmission to the endpoint 312 (step 1024 ). As can be appreciated, the number of parameters used to mask a given URL may be any number greater than one. Furthermore, static parameters are generally used, typically in conjunction with other selected transient masking parameters, to mask a given URL. Specifically, the user identifier and/or session identifier are used for masking a URL to ensure a certain level of security surrounding the masked URL, and to help deter any unauthorized access to Web content associated with the masked URL.
[0089] The present invention, in various embodiments, includes components, methods, processes, systems and/or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, including various embodiments, sub-combinations, and subsets thereof. Those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the present invention after understanding the present disclosure. The present invention, in various embodiments, includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and/or described herein or in various embodiments hereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease and/or reducing cost of implementation.
[0090] The foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the invention to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the invention are grouped together in one or more embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0091] Moreover though the description of the invention has included description of one or more embodiments and certain variations and modifications, other variations and modifications are within the scope of the invention, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter. | The present invention is directed toward a method, device, and system for enhancing web security by masking a URL embedded in at least some portion of web content. A session dependent URL is generated and masked on a server side prior to being distributed to a customer for viewing. The session dependent URL is only active during the session in which it was generated. After the session has ended information relating to the session, web content, and masking of the URL is purged from memory. | 7 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a driving system for a plasma display panel, and more particularly to a driving system for an X-Y matrix type plasma display panel employing an alternate current (A.C.) driving system.
In one example of an A.C.-driven X-Y type plasma display panel, a plurality of parallel, thin, linear electrodes are densely formed on a pair of insulator plates comprising of transparent glass plates or the like, respectively. The surfaces of these linear electrodes are coated with a transparent dielectric film. These respective insulator plates are placed with spacers between them in an opposed relation, with a discharge space sandwiched therebetween, so that the respective linear electrode groups may cross each other at right angles, in a matrix form. The outer periphery of the discharge space is air-tightly sealed with flint glass, and after evacuation, inert gas such as neon is filled in the space. If an A.C. voltage is applied between a pair of electrodes selected respectively from the respective groups of linear electrodes, then gas discharge occurs at the cross-point between these selected electrodes, thereby effecting a desired luminescent display.
For applying an A.C. voltage, a method is known in which a scanning voltage is applied to either the row electrode or the column electrode and a signal voltage which corresponds to a signal to be displayed, is applied to the other electrode. For instance, if the scanning voltage is sequentially applied to the successive row electrodes, data voltages corresponding to the characters are simultaneously applied to the column electrodes.
It is one object of the present invention to provide a driving system having a broad operating voltage range to be used with a plasma display panel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a driving system for a plasma display panel, which has a high reliability but which does not generate false firings even under aging effects.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a driving system for a plasma display panel, in which a number of driving circuits can be reduced even when there are a large number of scanning electrodes.
According to one feature of the present invention, there is a driving system for a plasma display panel, in which an independent driving voltage is fed to each driving output terminal by means of a switching circuit commonly connected, via respective diodes, to a plurality of driving output terminals. The voltage is fed when the driven output terminal to be driven is not clamped at a fixed voltage.
According to one particular feature of the present invention, a driving system provides a type of plasma display panel which is constructed so that a pair of insulator plates having linear electrodes thereon, as coated with dielectrics, are disposed in an opposed relation. In this way, the linear electrodes on the respective insulator plates may cross each other and voltages having opposite polarities are applied to the individual electrodes on the respective insulator plates. This effects a gas discharge at the cross-points between said individual electrodes. A driving circuit comprises first and second NPN transistor groups each consisting mainly of NPN transistors. The first NPN transistor group is constructed in such manner that a base of a first NPN transistor is connected to the collector of the first transistor via a resistor. The emitter and base of the first transistor are connected through a first diode with the anode side of the first diode facing to the emitter side of the first transistor. The base of the first transistor is connected to an anode side of a second diode, and the cathode side of the second diode is connected to a collector of second NPN transistor. The second NPN transistor group is constructed in such manner that the collector of the second NPN transistor is connected to cathodes of a plurality of second diodes, and the emitter of the second transistor is grounded. A driving voltage applied to the collector of the first transistor is controlled by a signal applied to the base of the second transistor in order to derive the driving voltage from the emitter of the first transistor in response to said signal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram for explaining a diode matrix circuit in the prior art;
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention with respect to the case of four output terminals,
FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a driving circuit for column scanning electrodes in a display panel which comprises a row of eleven characters, each consisting of five columns of discharge dots according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 4A to 4D are time charts for the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5A shows, in combination, a schematic plan view of a matrix or orthogonal electrode array in a display panel which comprises a single row of twenty characters, each consisting of a ten rows×five columns array of discharge dots, and a block diagram of a driving circuit for data electrodes which is also constructed according to the present invention;
FIG. 5B shows a block diagram of a driving circuit for scanning electrodes in the display panel illustrated in FIG. 5A: and
FIGS. 6A to 6G are time charts showing input waveforms appearing at various points in the circuit shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B.
Heretofore, in this type of display device, a diode matrix circuit (as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,461 assigned to the same assignee as this application) has been used as a scanning voltage generator circuit. An outline of a part of the diode matrix circuit is illustrated in FIG. 1.
In this figure, the emitters of PNP transistor 11 and NPN transistor 21 are connected to a D.C. power supply having a discharge voltage Vo and a ground potential, respectively. Identical toggled input signals are applied to the bases of the transistors 11 and 21, thereby alternately turning the transistor 11 and transistor 21 "ON" and "OFF" or "OFF" and "ON," respectively. As a result, the discharge voltage Vo and the ground potential can be alternately derived from an output terminal P1, which is connected via diodes to the collectors of the transistors 11 and 21, in response to the toggled input signal. Then, the other transistors are all held "OFF." In such a state the output terminal P1 has been selected.
When the transistor 11 is "ON," a potential at an output terminal P2 is clamped at discharge voltage Vo. During the period when the transistor 11 is "OFF," the output terminal P2 is not brought to the ground potential because the transistor 22 is maintained "OFF." Since the output terminal P2 is "floating" with respect to the matrix circuit, an induction voltage is generated by a so-called "floating capacity," such as inter-line or inter-electrode capacities in the circuit and in the plasma display panel.
Accordingly, the potential at the output terminal P2 has a rippled voltage change which is determined by the discharge voltage Vo and the induction voltage. If such a rippled induction voltage and a data voltage are applied between opposed electrodes at a discharge dot, a false firing may possibly occur even at an unselected dot, depending upon the magnitude of the discharge voltage Vo (around 160 V). Therefore, such a diode matrix circuit has disadvantages because there is a narrow range of applied voltages which can provide a normal picture without generating a false firing. Thus, the operating voltage range becomes narrow. The aforementioned disadvantage leads to difficulties because one can hardly see the variations of a discharge voltage of a plasma display panel, becuase of the aging effects. Because of this, the device lacks reliability as a display.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Now, the principle of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2. In this figure, reference characters Q 1 to Q 10 designate NPN transistors; characters D 1 to D 4 designate diodes for isolating the transistors Q 4 to Q 8 from each other, characters T 1 , T 2 , t 1 and t 2 designate input terminals for selecting one of output terminals P1 to P4; and character I designates an input terminal for a toggled voltage V t which is derived from a selected one of the ouput terminals P1 to P4 for driving the display panel.
At first, in order to derive the toggled voltage V t from only the output electrode or terminal P1, a low-level signal (L) is applied to the input terminal T 1 while a high-level signal (H) is applied to the input terminal T 2 , to derive the toggled voltage V t from the emitter of a first switch or the transistor Q 1 , while the emitter of the other first switch or transistor Q 2 is held at a fixed reference or ground voltage. At this moment, if a low-level floating signal is applied to the input terminal t 1 while a high-level floating signal is applied to the input terminal t 2 , then a second switch or the transistor Q 4 is turned "ON" because a third switch or transistor Q 9 is turned to "OFF". The toggled voltage V t then appears at the output electrode or terminal P1. The diodes: D 1 and D 3 prevent interference between the output terminals P1 and P3. The output terminal P 3 is held at the emitter potential of the transistor Q 2 , that is, at the ground potential. In addition, since the input terminal t 2 is at a high level, the transistor Q 10 is "ON", and accordingly the output terminals P2 and P4 are also held at the ground potential.
In order to derive the toggled voltage V t from the output terminal P 4 , it is only necessary to apply a high-level signal to the input terminal T 1 , a low-level signal to the input terminal T 2 , a high-level signal to the input terminal t 1 and a low-level signal to the input terminal t 2 . In a similar manner, the output condition at the output terminals P1 to P4 can be arbitrarily selected by adopting an appropriate combination of high and low levels at the input terminals T 1 , T 2 , t 1 and t 2 .
In this way, non-selected output terminals can always be clamped at the ground level, as described above. Hence, the generation of induction voltages would not occur, as it does with a conventional driving circuit.
The following example of a driving system according to the present invention will refer to FIGS. 3 and 4 in order to explain column scanning electrodes in a display panel which comprises a row of eleven characters, each consisting of five columns of discharge dots. In FIG. 3, transistors Q T1 and Q T2 correspond to the transistors Q 5 and Q 6 , respectively, in FIG. 2. In a similar manner, transistors Q T1' and Q T2' correspond to the transistors Q 1 and Q 2 , transistors Q X1 and Q X2 to the transistors Q 4 and Q 5 , transistors Q t1 and Q t2 to the transistors Q 9 and Q 10 , and transistors Q X6 and Q X7 to the transistors Q 7 and Q 8 , respectively.
The time charts shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D illustrate, by way of example, the case where fifty-five (5×11) output terminals P1 to P55 are sequentially selected. With reference to these figures, when the signal voltages are respectively applied to the input terminals I (FIG. 4A), t 1 to t 5 (FIG. 4B) and T i1 to T i11 (FIG. 4C), toggled voltages as shown in FIG. 4D are derived from the ouput terminals P1 to P55.
Both of the NPN transistors Q t1 to Q t2 are successively turned "OFF" for a time period of t by applying low-level signals to the signal input terminals t 1 to t 5 . The applied low-level signals have a pulse width of t in successive phase relationships. These signals successively scan the NPN transistors Q t1 to Q t5 , switching them "OFF". Other low-level signals, having a pulse width of 5t, are repeatedly applied to the signal input terminals T 1 to T 11 . These signals successively scan the NPN transistors Q t1 to Q t11 , switching them "OFF". More particularly, the operation is such that during only the first scanning for the transistors Q t1 to Q t5 is the transistor Q T1 turned "OFF", during only the second scanning for the same transistors Q t1 to Q t5 is the transistor Q T2 turned "OFF", and so on.
The respective collectors of the transistors Q T1' to Q T11' are commonly connected to the input terminal I, whereto the toggled voltage V t is applied. The toggled voltage V t alternately takes the discharge voltage V o and the ground level G as shown at (I) in FIG. 4A.
At first, in order to output the waveform shown at (P1) in FIG. 4D at the output terminal P1, a low-level signal is applied to the terminal t 1 while high-level signals are applied to the terminals t 2 to t 5 , and a low-level signal is applied to the terminal t i1 as synchronized with the low-level signal at the terminal t 1 . At the same time, high-level signals are respectively applied to the terminal T i2 to T i11 . In response to the aforementioned input signals, only the transistors Q t1 and Q T1 are turned "OFF." Hence, the transistors Q T1' , Q X1 , Q X6 , Q X11 , . . . , Q x51 are turned "ON". Accordingly, the applied toggled voltage V t at the input terminal I is passed from the emitter of the transistor Q T1' through the collector-emitter path of the transistor Q X1 and is derived from the output terminal P1. The duration of the output signal is determined by the period t of the low-level signal applied to the terminal t 1 . It is to be noted that although the transistors Q X6 , Q X11 , . . . , Q X51 are also turned "ON", the output terminals P6, P11, . . . , P51 are held at the ground potential. This occurs both because the output terminals P6, P11, . . . , P51 are blocked from the output signal at the output terminal P1 by means of the diodes D6, D11, . . . , D51, and because the transistors Q T2 to Q T11 are held "ON". In addition, since the transistors Q t2 to Q t5 are all held "ON", all the output terminals other than the output terminal P1 are, after all, held at the ground level.
Secondly, in order to derive the toggled voltage V t from the output terminal P2, it is only necessary to apply high-level signals to the input terminals t 1 and t 3 to t 5 and to apply a low-level signal to the input terminal t 2 . At this moment, the output potential at the output terminal P1 is held at the ground level. Since the transistor Q t2 is turned "OFF", the transistor Q X2 , which has been "OFF" up to this moment, is turned "ON". Furthermore, an output signal can be generated at the output terminal P6 by applying low-level signals to the input terminal t 1 and T i2 , and high-level signals to the input terminals t 2 to t 5 , T i1 and T i3 to T i5 , respectively.
As understood from the above operation, the toggled voltage V t is only derived from one output terminal while the other output terminals are all held at the ground level. This enables a resolution of the problem of generating induction voltages, and broadening the operating voltage range. For instance, in the heretofore known driving circuit employing a diode matrix, the operating voltage range for a display panel comprising eleven characters in each row was about 20 V (155 V-135 V) whereas, according to the present invention, it has been greatly broadened to 40 V (175 V-135 V).
FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate another preferred embodiment of the present invention, as applied to a driving circuit for scanning electrodes, as well as to a driving circuit for data electrodes, in a plasma display panel which comprises a single row of twenty characters, each of which consists of a ten rows × five columns array of discharge dots.
As shown in FIG. 5A, the row electrodes in the plasma display panel are separated severed into two sections at the center, thereby forming a plurality of orthogonal arrays or matrices. The respective sections of the electrodes are led out from the left and right edges of the plasma display panel. In this circuit diagram, blocks A and B are used for simplicity of the diagram. These blocks represent the circuit portions encircled by single-dot chain line frames A and B, respectively, in FIG. 3. This driving circuit employs the method for selecting desired dots by connecting a column electrode X1 to a column electrode X51, a column electrode X2 to a column electrode X52, and so on until a column electrode X50 is connected to a column electrode X100. The outputs of each block A are used for two column electrodes, and input data signals d 1 to d 10 are distributed to row electrodes Y1 to Y10 for the ten left-side characters, and to row electrodes Y11 to Y20 for the ten right-side characters.
Accordingly, for the column electrode scanning circuit, only ten blocks A and the single block B suffice. On the other hand, for the electrodes Y1 to Y10 and the electrodes Y11 to Y20, four blocks A are required, that is, two groups of two blocks A, with the respective groups being connected in common to two blocks B. Terminals T o 1 to T o 10 connected independently to the respective blocks A in FIG. 5B, correspond to the terminals T o1 to T o11 in FIG. 3 with only the terminal T o11 removed. Accordingly, as will be apparent from FIG. 4C, toggled voltages having a duration 5t and a peak value V o are repeatedly applied to the respective terminals T o 1 to T o 10, at a period of 50t in a successive phase relation-ship. In addition, terminals t 1 to t 5 of a block B, connected in common to the respective block A, correspond to the terminals t 1 to t 5 in FIG. 3. Hence, it can be readily seen that by applying the input signals shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, respectively, to the terminals t 1 to t 5 and the terminals To1 to To10, the toggled voltage is successively generated with a duration t at the column electrodes X1 to X50 and at the column electrodes X51 to X100.
For convenience of illustration, the time (horizontal) axis in FIG. 6A is reduced in scale by a factor of 1/5 with respect to the time axis in FIGS. 4A to 4D. Moreover, for the purpose of clarifying the timing relation between the toggled voltage in FIG. 6A and the input waveforms at the input terminals t 1 to t 5 , the time axis in FIG. 6B is also reduced in scale by a factor of 1/5 with respect to the time axis in FIG. 4B. As examples of the output waveforms on the column electrodes X1 to X50 and X51 to X100, waveforms appearing on the column electrodes X6(X56) and X51(X1) are illustrated in FIG. 6C. FIG. 6C and FIG. 4D are depicted on the same scale of time axis. As will be seen from these figures, a toggle X-driving voltage has a duration t. A period 50t appears repeatedly on the column electrode X6(X56) as controlled by the waveform at the terminal To2 and the timing signal at the terminal t 2 , and on the column electrode X51(X1) as controlled by the waveform at the terminal To1 and the timing signal at the terminal T 1 .
At first, in order to make the cross-point CP1 (FIG. 5A) between the linear electrodes X6 and Y1 fire, pulses having a polarity opposite to the polarity of toggled X-driving voltage applied to X-electrode (column electrodes) are also applied to the row electrode Y1, as synchronized with the timing when the toggled X-driving voltage shown in FIG. 6C appears on the column electrode X6. To that end, toggled voltages φ 1 and φ 2 (FIG. 6E) having a polarity opposite to the polarity of the toggled voltage V t in FIG. 4A and a duration 50t are alternately applied to the blocks A connected to the electrodes Y1 to Y10 and to the other blocks A connected to the electrodes Y11 to Y20. In this way, the toggled Y-driving voltage may be applied to the electrode Y1 during only the period synchronized with the toggled X-driving voltage on the electrode X6.
Accordingly, a low-level signal is applied to the data input terminal d 1 for the block B (which terminal corresponds to the electrode Y1 as synchronized with a low-level signal at the terminal t 2 which is in turn synchronized with the toggle driving voltage on the column electrode X6 as shown in FIG. 6D). Then, a toggled Y-driving voltage having both a polarity opposite to the polarity to the toggled X-driving voltage on the column electrode X6 and a duration t, appears on the electrode Y1 as shown in FIG. 6F. Therefore, the potential difference between the electrodes X6 and Y1 becomes 2 V o . Thus, a visible discharge will occur at the cross-point CP1 (FIG. 6G). At this moment, although the electrode X56 also receives the same toggled X-driving voltage that was applied to the electrode X6, the toggled voltage φ 2 applied to the opposite electrode Y11 is held at a fixed level V o . Therefore, a visible discharge will not occur at the cross-point between the column and row electrodes X56 and Y11.
The toggled pulses in FIGS. 6E and 6F are illustrated as being of a polarity which is opposite the polarity applied to the toggled pulses in FIG. 6A. However, even if they are of the same polarity, a similar result can be octained by shifting the toggle pulses in FIGS. 6E and 6F by one pulse width (t/10). Then the output pulses shown in FIG. 6G will be pulses swinging, between V o and -V o , about the ground level G.
Now, in order to fire the cross-point CP2 (FIGS. 5A) which lies between the electrodes X51 and Y11 as in the above-described operation, it is only necessary to apply pulses to the row electrode Y11. Those pulses should have a polarity which is opposite that of the toggled X-driving voltage, and should be synchronized with the time period when the toggled X-driving voltage shown in FIG. 6C, appears on the column electrodes X51 and X1. Then, the cross-point between the column electrode X1 and the row electrode Y1 does not fire, because, as previously described, the row electrode Y1 is held at a fixed potential (V o ), at this moment.
In the circuit construction according to the present invention, the unselected panel electrodes are always held at the ground level. Thus, the previously described problem of generating induction voltages has been resolved, and a broad operating voltage range has been realized. For instance, in the heretofore known driving circuit, mainly consisting of a diode matrix, an operating voltage range for a display panel comprising a single row of twenty characters is about 15 V, whereas according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, it is greatly broad-ended, up to 40 V.
Therefore, the present invention, realizes, a broad operating, driving voltage range, a high durability against effects, and a high reliability, each of which is described above. Moreover, by manufacturing the five circuits represented by blocks A and B in FIG. 3 in a hybrid IC, additional practical advantages can be obtained. The labor cost is reduced, the reliability is enhanced, and the space occupied by the circuit is reduced with respect to the conventional diode matrix circuit.
In connection with the above-discussed operation of the driving circuit, it is necessary to take the following points into consideration. First, to provide a non-flickering display utilizing a time division drive, it is necessary to refresh each electrode of the group involved with a voltage pulse train having a frequency in the order of 50 Hz or more. The repetition frequency of the low-level signal applied to the terminals T i1 to T i10 should therefore be 5 KHz (50 Hz×100 columns) or more in FIG. 5. Second, to provide a sufficiently bright display, it is necessary to supply each electrode of the relevant group with 2000 or more pulses during each second. The repetition frequency of the pulse train of the toggled voltage V t should therefore the approximately 200 KHz (2 KHz×100 columns) or more in FIG. 5. It has been confirmed that the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 is stably operable at a frequency as high as 500 KHz. When the frequency of the toggled voltage V t is 500 KHz, a sufficient brightness requires 20 microseconds or more of t in FIG. 6. This insures brightness because the number of pulses applied to each column electrode at one time is ten or more. For a non-flickering display, on the other hand, the upper limit of the above period t is 200 microseconds at operation of 500 KHz. | Upon applying a discharge voltage between opposed electrodes of a plasma display panel, all electrodes other than a selected electrode are clamped at a fixed potential. To that end, a toggled voltage is supplied from a toggled voltage source and applied via a first switching circuit, to one ends of a plurality of second switching circuits in common. The other ends of the second switching circuits are respectively connected to panel electrodes and to one end of third switching circuits. The other ends of the third switching circuits are respectively held at a fixed potential. The second and third switching circuits may be driven synchronously in such manner that when one is ON, the other is OFF and vice versa when a toggled voltage is not brought to a panel electrode, that panel electrode is clamped at a fixed potential. Such a first switching circuit and a group of second switching circuits are combined into one set. There are provided a plurality of such sets, in which the other ends of the corresponding second switching circuits in the respective sets are connected in common, via blocking diodes, to one end of the corresponding third switching circuit. Thereby a compact switching matrix circuit can be formed. By means of the aforementioned driving circuit, generation of an induction voltage was prevented and the operating voltage range was broadened. | 6 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61/646,595 filed on May 14, 2012, entitled “Mirror Light Shelf.” The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to window frames and devices for directing light into interior spaces. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a new and novel means of reflecting sunlight from exterior spaces into a building interior for improved natural lighting therein, wherein light is reflected upwards against an interior space ceiling for more pleasant interior lighting and for improved lighting and heating efficiency.
[0004] During the day light hours most people who spend their time indoors, particularly during the work week when most people are at their place of business. Most large commercial environments include office buildings, factories, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, stores, and ware houses, while those that work from remain indoors at their residence. In order to work indoors during the day, electrical lighting is deployed to illuminate the building's interior spaces. Lighting therefore becomes a substantial use of energy in office and commercial settings, while residential setting consume slightly less energy because of the size of the space and the lighting requirements therein. This powered lighting is expensive, both in terms of actual cost to the business and in the environmental costs with respect to energy consumption.
[0005] Along with the costs of electric lighting, another drawback of the overuse of electrical lighting is the type of light created by most fluorescent and incandescent lamps in indoor spaces. This type of light can be harsh, overly bright, and overly unnatural to the user, while further not providing an indication of the exterior environmental conditions while the individual is inside the building. This lack of natural light can be draining and have an impact on the morale of workers, as natural light is softer, more refreshing and provides a feeling of being outdoors. Most buildings do not have a sufficient means of supplying natural lighting into interior spaces.
[0006] There exists a need, therefore, for improved interior lighting and for reduced lighting costs of indoor spaces in larger office settings and in residential homes. The costs of interior lighting can be extensive, particularly if the lights are continuously necessary and the technology deployed is less efficient than modern light alternatives. Reducing electrical costs can result in significant cost savings for the business or homeowner, while the energy impact of the user on the electrical grid is reduced. This reduction benefits all individuals as the environmental impact ( the energy footprint) of the business or residence can be reduced, therefore reducing the amount of consumed nonrenewable resources required to maintain lighting therein.
[0007] It is also recognized that the use of natural lighting in interior spaces improves the mood of those therein. This is true in a business setting and in a residential setting, where natural light is more refreshing than electrical lighting and can improve morale, work output, and overall happiness. This can result in improved worker efficiency, increased happiness at the workplace, and improved mental health in all environments.
[0008] The present invention provides a means and method of directing natural sunlight into interior spaces. The device contemplates the use of a specular (mirror-like) reflective surface that redirects natural sunlight into interior spaces and against ceiling surfaces for improving the natural lighting within the building. The present invention considers several embodiments for its application, including simpler residential solutions and more elaborate solutions for commercial and large office building settings. The device comprises a supported mirror placed below an existing window, wherein the mirror is statically situated or pivotable to direct sunlight during the day against interior ceiling surfaces within the building interior. The device is mounted along the exterior of the building and is below the window, preventing any blockage of natural light entering through the window itself. The natural light is redirected onto the ceiling surface, which is a diffuse reflective surface that spreads the natural light throughout the room. This reduces the overall need for electrical lighting during periods of abundant outdoor light. Overall, the present invention is provided to reduce energy costs, improve natural lighting in interior spaces, and to reduce costs to businesses and homeowners.
[0009] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0010] Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to sunlight reflective devices and window shelves. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications, and generally relate to static sunlight reflectors and static shelving for window frames. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
[0011] Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,451 to Gordon discloses a window shelf for pets and flowers that comprises a planar, rectangular body having a near edge resting on the window sill and an angular, movable support brace that supports the shelf body in a horizontal position. The brace, wall, and shelf body form a right triangle, while the shelf provides space for pets or potted plants to be rested thereon. U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,163 to Lee discloses a window sill extension that includes a display deck and a support bracket for extending the usable area below a window. A closed window secures the display deck as a stable platform when deployed. Both the Gordon and Lee devices describe a type of window sill support that is now well known in the art. Both are representative of a window sill extension for use as a support. While providing an extension from a window sill, the present invention utilizes a window sill extension as a means to redirect light into interior spaces rather than one for support of other objects thereon.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 7,940,460 to Braunstein discloses a light shelf assembly having two spaced apart supports that are adapted to support a lighted surface below a window in a cantilevered position. The light shelf reflects light upward, while the sides of the shelf include channels to accept the channel supports therein. The shelf is supported in a horizontal position along the channels, whereby they may be released from the channels and pivoted downward into a vertical position. The connection with the side supports does not allow for adjustment of the light shelf position other than for moving the shelf between a completely horizontal working position and a vertical, stowed position where no effective intermediate angles are possible. The present invention contemplates a movable assembly that can adjust for changing light conditions and maintain a beam of light into the interior space through the adjacent window.
[0013] Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 8,116,004 to Griffiths discloses a reflective light shelf that is rigidly mounted to a window frame. The device comprises an outer reflective surface and an inner core structure, whereby the device is fastened to a window to reflect sunlight thereinto. A mounting bracket is utilized to secure the assembly, whereafter the shelf is supported in a horizontal configuration. Similar to the Braunstein device, the Griffiths device provides a relatively simple shelf structure for statically reflecting light into a room interior.
[0014] The present invention provides an exteriorly mounted, lower window frame shelf that includes a specular reflective upper surface to direct sunlight into interior spaces and against an interior ceiling. The shelf is preferably a pivotable structure that can move shifted to adjust for the position of the sun during the day and throughout the year, while the location and use of a specular reflective surface reduces glare into the interior space. It is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing window frame shelf devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of window frame shelves now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new shelf that can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when reflecting exterior light into a building through a window, wherein the interior space is provided improved natural lighting for enjoyment and for reduced lighting costs.
[0016] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved window frame shelf device that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
[0017] It is another object of the present invention to provide a window frame shelf device that includes a specular reflective upper surface for directing sunlight through an adjacent window, whereby the incident light is reflected at a defined angle therefrom to prevent glare or diffuse light scatter.
[0018] Another object of the present invention is to provide a window frame shelf device that directs sunlight against an interior ceiling surface, whereby the light is spread throughout the interior as it is diffusely spread from the ceiling.
[0019] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a window frame shelf device that improves natural interior lighting and reduces electrical lighting needs during daylight periods.
[0020] Another object of the present invention is to provide a window frame shelf device that can be pivoted to direct light into the adjacent window during all periods of the day, wherein the shelf is adjustable such that light is consistently directed against an interior ceiling regardless of the season or time of day.
[0021] Another object of the present invention is to provide a window frame shelf device that can be deployed in a commercial or residential setting, wherein the device can improve natural lighting therein for improving mood, reducing energy costs, and for improving visibility within interior spaces.
[0022] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.
[0024] FIG. 1 shows a typical commercial deployment of the present invention, wherein a plurality of reflective shelves is deployed along the base of window frames to direct sunlight into the building.
[0025] FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the commercial deployment of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 3 shows a pictorial view of the shelf device in operation.
[0027] FIG. 4 shows a cross section view of the shelf device, wherein the shelf is pivotable from its connection to the building below an adjacent window.
[0028] FIG. 5 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention wherein the device can be pivoted in multiple degrees of freedom to adjust for changing sun positions throughout the day and the year.
[0029] FIG. 6 shows a view of a static embodiment of the present invention in a residential deployment situation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0030] Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the light redirecting window frame shelf device. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for directing natural light into interior spaces from the base of a window sill, wherein the device utilizes a specular reflective surface to eliminate glare or light scatter. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
[0031] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a view of the present invention in a working position in a typical commercial deployment situation. The device of the present invention is one that directs sunlight into interior spaces by way of a specular reflective surface 12 , whereby the light is directed along a defined pathway and not indiscriminately scattered such that it would create a glare or diffuse light that could be disruptive to those indoors. Ideally in a commercial setting, such as a large office building 100 with several floors and windows, a plurality of exteriorly mounted shelves 11 are deployed along the base of the window 20 . Downward light reflects off of the reflective, mirror-like upper surface 12 and through the adjacent window 20 . The light is directed against an interior ceiling 101 , whereafter the light can be diffused by the interior walls such that the overall lighting the in the interior space is improved, natural light is introduced, and the need for electrical lighting is reduced.
[0032] In a preferred embodiment, each of the shelves 11 are positioned along the base of the window frame and are pivotably attached by way of a hinge 15 , whereby the shelf 11 can be angled with respect to the building exterior either manually or by remote. This allows for adjustment based on the position of the sun during the day and throughout the year. Placement at the base of the window also prevents any sun blockage through the window 20 itself, wherein the shelf 11 is positioned below the window so as not to create any visual interference of the window view.
[0033] The upper surface 12 of each shelf comprises a specular reflective surface, such as a mirror surface, whereby the incident light 50 is reflected 60 away at the same angle and is not scattered. This is a critical element, as the light 60 directed indoors is ideally directed against a ceiling 101 surface and the light is reflectively spread therefrom. If the upper surface 12 were a diffuse reflector, glare and randomly scattered light could hurt the eyes of those indoors and could be distracting thereto.
[0034] As provided in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the commercial deployment contemplates a shelf 11 for each level, whereby each floor is accommodated with natural light. Surrounding the building with the shelves greatly increases the amount of light and energy entering the building, which can reduce lighting costs and even heating costs for the business. Overall, the device provides an interior lighting scheme that is more natural, smoothing, and one that can reduce the necessity of artificial lighting sources that can be harsh to the eyes.
[0035] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 , there is shown a view of the shelf 11 pivotably connected to the base 21 of a window 20 . Incoming light 50 is reflected inwards 60 and against the interior ceiling 101 for improved natural light indoors. In a residential environment, a user can simply open the window 20 and adjust the positioning of the shelf 11 by changing is position relative to the hinge joint 15 . This changes the angle of the incoming light 60 and adjusts for changes in the sun's location in the sky. Use of the specular reflective upper surface 12 causes light to reflect 60 at the equal and opposite angle with which it approached 50 the surface 12 . Therefore, changes in the shelf angle by way of the hinge 15 adjust the light reflection 60 into through the window. Since the shelf 11 is positioned below the window 20 , light is not reflected inwards at an angle that could disrupt vision, while further the specular reflective (mirror) surface 12 prevents light scatter and glare.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 5 , there is shown an alternative embodiment of the present invention, wherein a pivotable stand 70 is provided in support of the shelf 11 rather than a hinge joint. A pivotable connection provides more degrees of freedom for the shelf 11 and thus allows for tilting, pivoting, and pitching thereof to direct the upper surface 12 towards the position of the sun, wherein the sun's position changes in the sky relative to the shelf 11 and its support wall. In one embodiment, the stand 70 comprises a first 72 and second 71 ball joint attachment along the ends of a support shaft. The first joint 72 is connected to the adjacent wall below the window 20 and window frame 21 , while the second pivot joint 71 connects to the base of the shelf 11 .
[0037] Referring finally to FIG. 6 , there is shown a static embodiment of the present invention, wherein the mirrored 12 shelf 11 is positioned along the base 21 of a window frame and below an existing window 20 . This embodiment is the simplest form of the invention, wherein the specular reflective upper surface 12 is either supported by support trusses 13 or is cantilevered from below the window 20 such that light is directed through the window 20 during daylight hours.
[0038] In any of the embodiments, the shelf 11 comprises an elongated structure having a planar upper surface supporting a specular reflective surface thereon. The length of the device is such that it spans the width of the window, while the width of the device defines the shelf distance from the building exterior. The greater the width, the more light can be reflected into the interior space. The preferred embodiment is a substantially rectangular structure having a minor thickness and an enlarged surface area defined by its length and width for reflecting light therefrom. While a planar reflective surface is preferred, it is also contemplated that the present invention may be upwardly convex to expand its overall area and therefore the overall area of reflected light therefrom.
[0039] The present invention is a daylight harvesting device that brings an abundance of free and natural daylight into the interior space through the windows of homes and buildings. The device promotes brighter and healthier living and working spaces while reducing the use of artificial light. It provides a way to bring more natural light into an interior space and through an existing window. It can also harvest heat from sunlight during the colder seasons, which reduces heating costs. Since the electricity that lighting uses is largely created by way of nonrenewable resources, ultimately the present invention this a small solution for reducing a business or residence's carbon footprint.
[0040] The present invention is a shelf which can be placed along the exterior of the building and along the base of a window frame and below an existing window. The shelf includes a mirrored upper surface that reflects daylight (light from the sun) into the building through the window. By placing the device at the base of the window and along the exterior, the downward-directed light from the sky reflects off of the mirror and changes its direction (the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence of the incoming light), entering the interior space for improved lighting therein. The reflected light travels through the window and is diffused along the opaque ceiling of the interior space. The light that hits the ceiling brightens the entire ceiling and the overall interior space. The light that hits the ceiling will scatter in every direction to brighten the interior space. In this way, the present invention acquires more natural daylight into the interior of the building, which can make living and working space brighter. Consequently, occupants do not have to resort to artificial lights with as much frequency during the day, which reduces the use of electricity.
[0041] The present invention can be made out of wood, plastic, metal or any material that can withstand heat, cold, rain, snow and other environmental forces. The invention may be supported with a fixed bracket or adjustable support that can allow a user to move it manually or automatically to reflect light. The material of the device can made to match the material of the house or building, and it can be decorative and paintable.
[0042] A commercial embodiment of the present invention may include a remote operated, electrically powered support, whereby the hinge joint is powered by way of electric motors to control the inclination of the shelf with respect to the building exterior. This embodiment provides for use in buildings where the windows provide no access to the exterior, allowing changes to the shelf position by remote or by programmed control. Along with adjusting for different sun angles, the change in angle of the invention can also help maintain and clean the surface from debris and standing moisture.
[0043] It is submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
[0044] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. | A method and device for improving natural lighting within buildings is provided. The device comprises a controllable shelf having an upper, specular reflective surface for directing natural light into interior spaces and against interior ceilings. The shelves can be static or pivotable to redirect light based on the day and time of year. The pivotable shelf can be rotated downward or upwards to change the angle with which the light is reflected into the adjacent window, while its position is below the window and along the exterior of the building. This improves interior natural lighting and reduces electrical lighting costs using either a static shelf or movable shelf, wherein the assembly is deployable in a commercial or residential environment without blocking any naturally entering light through the window itself. | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to display systems and more particularly to the generation of characters or lines on a display device with high accuracy without the use of expensive precision electronic components.
In the prior art, the generating of lines on a cursive display is accomplished by defining successive points along a line with a precision digital-to-analog (D/A) converter followed by a delay line integrator in each axis. A precision 13-bit D/A converter operating at high conversion rates of approximately 3 MHz translates the successive point definitions into successive level definitions containing transitional "glitches". A special de-glitching circuit removes virtually all these glitches and provides its output to a tapped delay line integrator. The integrator breaks each major step into a series of smaller steps thereby raising the roughness frequency components to approximate 30 MHz. A low frequency filter is used to remove the high frequency roughness and produces the desired smooth voltage waveform. However, the high quality D/A's and de-glitcher used in this approach are relatively expensive components.
Another approach in the prior art uses less precise D/A's whereby one D/A is used to define a starting position anywhere on a display screen and another D/A is used to feed an analog integrator to produce the desired line relative to that starting position. These two waveforms are summed together to form the final output to X or Y deflection amplifiers. Again in such an open loop-system, expensive precision components are generally employed to minimize line drift due to component aging or temperature effects. Even then, the interaction between positions defined by a reference position D/A and positions defined by a D/A integrator results in a high frequency of maintenance adjustment and a performance compromise of display position-line registration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention discloses an apparatus and method for a display system line generator comprising an error correction feedback loop for achieving high positional accuracy. The generator comprises means for generating a reference position for a character or a line on a display, means for generating character slope or a line slope on the display for defining said character or said line and means coupled to said slope generating means for testing and correcting a moving beam on said display over a period of time with reference to a specific initial position and a specific final position. The outputs of the reference position generating means and the slope generating means couple to a sum amplifier for producing the moving beam on the display. The slope generating means comprises an integrating means which further comprises an electrically variable parameter means for compensating for component variance due to aging and parameter drift. In the preferred embodiment, the electrically variable parameter means comprises a variable resistance means. The beam position testing and correcting means comprises a feedback means from the outputs of the reference position generating means and the slope generating means to the electrically variable parameter means. The feedback means provides for adjustment of the electrically variable parameter means in the character or line slope generating means. In addition, a gain switch means is provided for adjusting the size of a line or a character.
The invention further discloses means for generating a reference position for a character or a line on a display, means for generating a character slope or a line slope on a display for forming a character or a line, gain means for adjusting the size of a line or a character, comparator means for performing periodic positional tests on axial deflection waveform component signals for the display over a defined interval of time, detector means for determining an amount of time error resulting from the comparator means, and feedback means for adjusting the slope generating means based on the amount of error determined by the detector means. The detector means comprises a loadable counter means for determining the fixed period of time for the positional tests.
The invention further discloses the method of generating a precision time tracking line in a display system comprising the steps of generating a reference position for a character or a line on a display, generating a character slope or a line slope on the display for forming a character or a line, summing the reference position and the character or line slope in an amplifier for producing a moving beam on said display for forming said character or said line, performing periodic positional tests on axial deflection waveform component signals for said display over a defined interval of time, determining an amount of time error from the positional tests, and adjusting the character slope or the line slope with feedback means based on the amount of the time error. The step of generating a character slope or a line slope comprises integrating a constant current from an electrically variable parameter means which is controlled by the feedback means. The step of performing periodic positional tests comprises moving a beam on said display over a defined interval of time with reference to a specific initial position and a specific final position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other and further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a graph of a test slope during a positional test over a defined interval of time;
FIG. 3 shows the waveform generator 20 of FIG. 1 with a schematic representation of an electrically variable parameter 18, integrating amplifier 26, erase switch 22 and erase switch driver 130;
FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a comparator 32, high frequency clock 38, loadable counter 36 and a digital error detector 193 portion of the error detector 40 depicted in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a feedback network 47 of the invention comprising an analog error filter and gain circuit 254, a loop filter 44, and an integrator 46; and
FIG. 6 is a logic diagram of the control logic 34 depicted in FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a precision time tracking line generator according to the present invention. The line to be generated may be a line connecting two points or it may be a line forming a character. The reference position data 2 input provides a digital word of typically 11 bits to the reference position register 10, the output of which is converted to a reference position voltage signal 128 by a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter 12. The reference position voltage 128 determines the starting position in one axis on a cathode ray tube (CRT) display for a moving beam to form the line or character to be displayed.
The slope register 14 receives a character slope 6 data word or a line slope 8 data word from a display processor (not shown, but known to one of ordinary skill in the art) each data word being typically 12 bits for specifying the slope of a line element of a character or the slope of a line. The output of the slope register 14 is connected to a D/A converter which provides the selected slope current to an electrically variable parameter means. In the present invention, the electrically variable parameter 18 means comprises a variable resistance which is responsive to feedback network 47. An integrating amplifier 26 receives a constant current via the electrically variable parameter 18 for generating the slope of a desired line or character. The continuous integration of a constant current defining said desired slope results in the generation of lines with no staircase effect. An erase switch 22 connected across the integrating amplifier 26 provides for returning the integrator output to a neutral state so that it does not alter the overall summed voltage output defining a reference position until the integration begins. The output of the integrating amplifier 26 connects to a gain switch 28 which is controlled by the character-line mode control 4 signal from said display processor and adjusts the size of the line or character being displayed. The sum amplifier 30 receives the reference position voltage 128 and the line slope voltage 29 signals and generates the axis position waveform for deflection circuit signal 48.
The reference position voltage 128 and the line slope voltage 29 signals also are provided to a comparator 32, which together with control 33, an error detector 40 and a feedback network 47 form the test capability of the invention for maintaining the accuracy of the slope generating circuits. The test operation occurs once to a few times per display refresh interval.
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, each test operation of the invention comprises the following procedural method:
(1) An initial reference position digital word is loaded into the reference position register 10 by a display processor.
(2) A specific test slope digital word is loaded into the slope register 14.
(3) A specific count is loaded into the loadable counter 36 by the load counter time 50 input from a display processor.
(4) A D/A converter converts the initial reference position digital word to an initial reference position voltage (V I ).
(5) A current D/A converter 16 converts the test slope digital word to a constant current for input to an integrating amplifier 26.
(6) The integrating amplifier 26 starts to integrate the constant current from the current D/A converter 16.
(7) The loadable counter 36 starts counting out a fixed time interval (T) as shown in FIG. 2 when the comparator 32 determines that the line slope voltage 29 output equals the initial reference position voltage 128 (V I ).
(8) The reference position register 10 is reloaded with a final reference position digital word for conversion to a final reference position voltage.
(9) The comparator 32 determines that the line slope voltage 29 equals the final reference position voltage 128 (V F ) and provides that indication to error detector 40.
(10) The error detector 40 provides a pulse to the feedback network 47 which begins when the final reference position voltage (V F ) is indicated by the comparator 32 and continues until the overflow of loadable counter 36. The specific count which was loaded into the loadable counter 36 is chosen to define a time which is longer than the worse case time for the line slope voltage 29 to transition between the initial position voltage (V I ) and the final position voltage (V F ). The error pulses are provided to the feedback network 47 for adjusting the electrically variable parameter 18 which controls the slope integrating amplifier 26 for achieving the exact line slope voltage 29 desired.
Referring now to FIG. 3, detail circuit designs for sections of the waveform generator 20 of FIG. 1 are shown for this invention. The reference position register 10 is loaded from data bus 136 by a reference position register load pulse 244. The slope register 14 is loaded from data bus 136 by a slope register load pulse 242. The electrically variable parameter 18 comprises an amplifier 96 with a field effect transistor (FET) 92 in its feedback path. The loop control voltage signal 252 from the feedback network 47 varies the dynamic resistance of FET 92 which in turn varies the current supplied to the integrating amplifier 26 by resistor 95. Capacitor 24 in the feedback path of integrating amplifier 26 produces the slope integration which generates an integrator voltage 132. The integrator voltage 132 is combined with the reference position voltage 128 in sum amplifier 30 to produce the axis position waveform for deflection circuit signal 48 for one axis of a display system; an identical line generator, as shown in FIG. 1, is used for the other axis of a display system. In order to insure that the output of integrating amplifier 26 is not altered prior to the start of integration, which would otherwise alter the summed voltage output defining position, an erase switch 22 is connected across the integrating amplifier 26. Said erase switch 22 comprises two FETs 82 and 84 which are operated in either a very low resistance state (turned-on) or a very high resistance state (turned-off) by the erase switch driver 130 which comprises bias stages 104 and 118, translator 110 and output switch 112.
Referring now to FIG. 4, the high frequency clock 38 comprises a 40 MHz clock generator 178 which provides internal timing for a precision time tracking line generator. The comparator 32 continuously senses the difference between line slope voltage 29 and the reference position voltage 128 and provides signals to the control logic 34 and the error detector 40 as shown in FIG. 1. The output of comparator 32 causes flip-flop 174 to trigger after the first threshold control signal 274 has released the flip-flop clear input and the line slope equals the initial reference position voltage (V I ), as shown in FIG. 2. The output of flip-flop 174 starts loadable counter 36 counting for a fixed time interval determined by the count initially loaded by counter load control signal 278 into said counter from a display processor via data bus 136. The loadable counter comprises four 4-bit counter devices 186, 188, 190 and 192. The length of the count time is set to be longer than the actual time for the line slope voltage 29 to reach the final reference position voltage (V F ) in order to always have a positive signal required from the output of error detector 40 with a variable pulse width indicating the amount of time error. The added count time is later removed within a loop filter 44 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5.
The second threshold control signal 276 releases the clear input for flip-flop 176 which then waits for an output from comparator 32 to cause it to be set at the next 40 MHz clock pulse 202. The setting of flip-flop 176 causes the error detector 204 output signal to go to a high or positive level. The pulse width of the error detector signal 204 determines the amount of time error during a test operation. When the loadable counter 36 overflows, flip-flop 196 becomes set at the next clock pulse received from the high frequency clock 38 which causes the output to go high making the NAND gate 198 output switch to a low state thereby terminating the error detector 204 signal. The error detector signal 204 having a specific pulse width is processed by the feedback network 47 as shown in FIG. 5.
Referring now to FIG. 5, the circuits of the feedback network 47 in FIG. 1 are shown comprising an analog error filter and gain 254, a loop filter 44, and an integrator 46. The error detector signal 204 from the error detector 40 is the sole input into the feedback network.
Driver 206 functions as a switch providing either a ground or an open to the junction of resistor 208 and diode 210. When the error detector signal 204 is at a high voltage level, the driver provides an open circuit at said junction causing current to be fed from the +15 V supply through resistor 208 and diode 210 into capacitor 218. This current is typically in the range of 100 milliamps. During the absence of a high level on error detector signal 204 (which is the case the majority of the time), the driver 206 provides a ground to the junction of resistor 208 and diode 210 thereby causing diode 210 to be back-biased. The resulting discharge path consisting of resistors 212, 214 and 216 in parallel with resistor 220 provides a resistance several hundred times the value of resistor 208 and consequently allows leakage current of a small fraction of a milliamp to be supplied by capacitor 218. As a consequence, repeated error pulses cause the voltage across capacitor 218 to rise until the integrated charging current and discharging current are balanced. The resultant average voltage gain is approximately the ratio of said total discharge path resistance divided by the value of resistor 208.
The loop filter 44 provides a means for control of the transient characteristics of the feedback network 47. Capacitor 222 provides integration action which is limited in gain attenuation by resistor 224. The filter resulting from the combination of capacitor 222 and resistor 224 provides a trimming mechanism for the achievement of loop transient response and stability. Resistor 234 provides loop gain adjustability. Resistor 230 in combination with resistors 228 and 232 provide the necessary voltage injection to compensate for the deliberately introduced excessive delay in loadable counter 36, as shown in FIG. 4. The delay was introduced to insure that only a positive error would be produced by the digital error detector 193 thereby eliminating the need for a negative current driver in the analog error filter and gain circuitry 254. The resultant input voltage to the loop filter 44 consists of the voltage injection provided by resistor 230 minus the voltage produced by the analog error filter and gain 254. This resultant input is referred to as the net error.
The integrator 46 provides for accumulating an error output voltage. A long term shift in line generator parameters is compensated for by an accumulation of error signal at the integrator output during the loop transient response. Continued need for net error at the error detector input 204 is eliminated after the transient period. Thus, minimal error off-set results from long term parameter drift in a line generator. Resistor 246 provides for DC biasing to match the characteristic of the electrically variable parameter 18 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The loop control voltage signal 252 output of the integrator 46 provides the feedback control for varying the electrically variable parameter circuit 18 as shown in FIG. 3.
In addition to the high frequency clock 38 and some control logic shown in FIG. 4, the remainder of the control logic 34 is shown in FIG. 6. Since the test operations described hereinbefore occur during a display refresh interval, the start refresh signal 209 initiates the control logic operation along with a test control clock 211 which is generated by a display processor as a counted-down clock rate normally for the purpose of defining timing intervals at a rate significantly lower than 40 MHz. The test control clock 211 characteristics are determined by the integrator erase switch 22 and the reference position D/A converter 12 settling speed capability which in this preferred embodiment is approximately 1 MHz. The signals generated by the control logic 34 which have functionally been previously described comprise the integrator erase voltage control 240, slope resistor load pulse 242, reference position register load pulse 244, first threshold control 274 and the counter load control 278.
This concludes the description of the preferred embodiment. However, many modifications and alterations will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept. Therefore, it is intended that the scope of this invention be limited only by the appended claims. | A display system line generator network having an error correction feedback loop which achieves high positional accuracy for both plan position indicators PPI and synthetic character and line data. Digital reference position and relative beam motion data are fed into separate D/A converters. The staircase effect at the output of the D/A that processes the relative beam motion data is eliminated in a constant current integrator. The output of the integrator is combined with the reference position signal in a summing amplifier and the summed signal is fed to a deflection amplifier. A feedback circuit picks off the inputs to the summing amplifier and uses their comparison to synchronize time with beam position by compensating for errors due to component drift and aging. | 6 |
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is continuation of application Ser. No. 10/977,781, filed Oct. 29, 2004, which is a continuation application Ser. No. 10/360,540, filed Feb. 6, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,857,503, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/152,126, filed May 16, 2002, which claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/358,788, filed Feb. 22, 2002, and a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/147,115, filed May 16, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,886,659, which claims priority to Provisional Application No. 60/355,026, filed Feb. 7, 2002, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a ladder. More particularly, the present invention relates to a convertible ladder that is positionable in a variety of configurations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] For some time it has been known that constructing ladders with two sections that are slidably mounted with respect to each other enables the overall length of the extension ladder to be varied depending upon the desired use of the extension ladder. This feature is particularly useful for transporting the ladder to a desired use location.
[0004] Conventional extension ladders do not have the ability to stand up without being leaned against another object. In certain circumstances it is not possible to lean the extension ladder against other objects. To overcome this limitation, Kummerlin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,143, pivotally attaches two extension ladders together. This ladder retained the benefits of being able to adjust the height of the ladder while adding the benefit that the ladder could remain erect without leaning against other objects.
[0005] Boothe, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,407,045 and 4,566,150, are both directed to a hinge for an articulating ladder. The hinge includes two hinge plates that are pivotally attached with a central hub. Pivoting of the hinge plates is controlled with a locking handle that extends through apertures in the hinge plates. The locking handle is biased to a locking position where the legs on the locking handle extend into the hinge plate apertures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention is a ladder including a first ladder section; a second ladder section removably attachable to the first ladder section by means of a hinge; and an adjustable hinge mechanism and a non-adjustable static hinge mechanism, both hinge mechanisms being selectively attachable to the ladder sections for affixing first and second ladder sections together at an angle in selectably varying configurations, the adjustable hinge mechanism being angularly adjustable, the static hinge mechanism presenting a fixed angle. The present invention is further a method of forming such ladder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a photograph of a convertible ladder of the present invention in a first orientation.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a photograph of the convertible ladder in a second orientation.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a photograph of the convertible ladder in a third orientation.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a photograph of the convertible ladder in a fourth orientation.
[0011] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a lower end of the convertible ladder.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a photograph of the locking mechanism in an engaged position.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a photograph of a locking mechanism of the convertible ladder in a disengaged orientation.
[0014] FIG. 8 is a top view of an adjustable hinge mechanism in an assembled configuration.
[0015] FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the adjustable hinge mechanism in the assembled configuration.
[0016] FIG. 10 is a side view of the adjustable hinge mechanism in the assembled configuration.
[0017] FIG. 11 is a top view of the adjustable hinge mechanism in an unassembled configuration.
[0018] FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the adjustable hinge mechanism in the unassembled configuration.
[0019] FIG. 13 is a photograph of the adjustable hinge mechanism in a disengaged orientation.
[0020] FIG. 14 is a photograph of the adjustable hinge mechanism in an engaged orientation.
[0021] FIG. 15 is a photograph of the adjustable hinge mechanism in a first position.
[0022] FIG. 16 is photograph of the adjustable hinge mechanism in a second position.
[0023] FIG. 17 is a photograph of the adjustable hinge mechanism in a third position.
[0024] FIG. 18 is a photograph of a static hinge mechanism partially attached to the convertible ladder with the locking mechanism.
[0025] FIG. 19 is a front view of a fixed hinge mechanism for use with the convertible ladder.
[0026] FIG. 20 is a top view of the fixed hinge mechanism.
[0027] FIG. 21 is a side view of the fixed hinge mechanism.
[0028] FIG. 22 is a side view of an alternative fixed hinge mechanism.
[0029] FIG. 23 is a top view of the alternative fixed hinge mechanism.
[0030] FIG. 24 is a top view of the alternative adjustable hinge mechanism in an assembled configuration.
[0031] FIG. 25 is a photograph of a case for use with the convertible ladder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] The present invention is a convertible ladder, as most clearly illustrated at 10 in FIGS. 1-4 . The convertible ladder 10 includes a first ladder portion 12 and a second ladder portion 14 that are interconnected with an adjustable hinge mechanism 16 .
[0033] The convertible ladder 10 is convertible between four different configurations. In a first configuration, the convertible ladder 10 is an extension ladder, as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 1 . In a second configuration, the convertible ladder 10 is an upright standing, 2 -sided step ladder, as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 2 . In a third configuration, the convertible ladder 10 separates into two ladder portions 10 a, 10 b that may be used independently or with a scaffold 20 , as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 3 . In a fourth configuration, the convertible ladder 10 is adjusted so that the first ladder portion 12 and the second ladder portion 14 have different lengths to facilitate using the convertible ladder on uneven surfaces such as stairs 22 , as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 4 .
[0034] As a result of the various configurations in which the convertible ladder 10 may be positioned, the convertible ladder 10 of the present invention takes the place of several different prior art ladders. The convertible ladder 10 thereby reduces the number of ladders that a person must own to do a variety of tasks.
[0035] The first ladder portion 12 and the second ladder portion 14 each include a first section 30 and a second section 32 that are slidably attached together, as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 1 . The first section 30 includes a pair of first side rails 34 and a plurality of first rungs 36 that are mounted to extend between the first side rails 34 at selected intervals. The first side rails 34 preferably have a rectangularly shaped configuration. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size of the first side rails 34 and the first rungs 36 is selected based upon the intended use of the convertible ladder 10 .
[0036] The second section 32 includes a pair of second side rails 40 and a plurality of second rungs 42 that are mounted to extend between the second side rails 40 at selected intervals. The second side rails 40 preferably have a C-shaped configuration that permits the first side rails 34 to at least partially seat with the second side rails 40 . A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size of the second side rails 40 and the second rungs 42 is selected based upon the intended use of the convertible ladder 10 .
[0037] The second section 32 also preferably includes a Y-shaped brace 44 proximate a lower end thereof, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5 . Lower ends 45 of the brace 44 are attached to the front and back of each C-shaped side rail 40 . The upper end 47 of the brace 44 is attached to the lowest rung 42 . The brace 44 thereby enhances the ability of the ends of the second sections 32 to resist deformation when forces are applied thereto.
[0038] The second section 32 further preferably includes at least one brace 46 that extends between the second side rails 40 opposite the rungs 42 , as illustrated in FIG. 2 . Preferably one of the braces 46 is located proximate a lower end of the second section 32 and one of the braces 46 is located proximate an upper end of the second section 32 . The at least one brace 46 further enhances the structural rigidity of the second section 32 .
[0039] Proximate lower ends of the second side rails 40 , feet 48 are attached thereto, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5 . The feet 48 enhance the ability of the convertible ladder 10 to remain in a stationary position. The feet 48 are preferably removably attached to the second side rails 40 with a bolt. The bolt enables the feet 48 to be readily replaced when damaged.
[0040] The lower ends of the second side rails 40 are flared apart from each other so that a distance between the second side rails 40 proximate the lower end is greater than or equal to a distance between the second side rails 40 proximate the upper end. Using this configuration enhances the lateral stability of the convertible ladder 10 .
[0041] The second sections 32 each have a pair of locking mechanisms 51 . The locking mechanisms 51 are attached to the second side rails 40 proximate an upper end thereof. The locking mechanism 51 preferably includes a lock handle 53 . The lock handle 53 is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. The lock handle 53 is preferably biased to the engaged position. When in the engaged position, the lock handle 53 engages the first section 30 and thereby maintains the first section 30 in a fixed position with respect to the second section 32 , as illustrated in FIG. 6 . When in the disengaged position, the lock handle 53 permits the first section 30 to slide with respect to the second section 32 , as illustrated in FIG. 7 .
[0042] The adjustable hinge mechanism 16 includes a handle 50 , a first hinge plate 52 and a second hinge plate 54 , as most clearly illustrated in FIGS. 8-11 . The first hinge plate 52 is pivotally mounted with respect to the second hinge plate 54 .
[0043] The first hinge plate 52 and the second hinge plate 54 each include a pivot aperture 56 formed therein. The pivot apertures 56 are aligned when the first hinge plate 52 is pivotally attached to the second hinge plate 54 .
[0044] The first hinge plate 52 has a pair of first positioning apertures 60 formed therein, as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 11 . The first positioning apertures 60 are located on opposite sides of the pivot aperture 56 .
[0045] The second hinge plate 54 preferably has three pair of second positioning apertures 62 formed therein (two pairs are shown in phantom and one pair is aligned with the first positioning apertures 60 ). The second positioning apertures 62 are located on opposite sides of the pivot aperture 56 so that each pair of second positioning apertures 62 may be selectively aligned with the first positioning apertures 60 .
[0046] A hub 70 extends through the pivot apertures 56 to pivotally attach the first hinge plate 52 to the second hinge plate 54 , as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 . An outwardly extending flange 72 is provided proximate a first end of the hub 70 . A channel 73 is provided at an intermediate location on the hub 70 . A locking clip 74 seats in the channel 73 to retain the first hinge portion 52 and the second hinge portion 54 on the hub 70 .
[0047] The hub 70 has a bore 76 extending therethrough. The bore 76 is adapted to receive a hinge shaft 78 . The hinge shaft 78 has a first shaft section 80 and a second shaft section 82 that are substantially adjacent to each other. The second shaft section 82 has a diameter that is smaller than the first shaft section 80 so as to define a shoulder 84 .
[0048] The first shaft section 80 has at least one recess 85 formed therein that is adapted to receive an outwardly biased ball bearing (not shown). An additional recess (not shown) may be formed on an opposite side of the first shaft section 80 to receive another outwardly biased ball bearing. The ball bearing is adapted to engage a corresponding recess 87 formed in the hub 70 .
[0049] Seating of the ball bearing in the recess 87 maintains the adjustable hinge mechanism 16 in the disengaged position so that the hinge plates 52 , 54 may be pivoted with respect to each other. Once the hinge plates 52 , 54 are positioned at a desired orientation, a modest force on the handle 50 causes the adjustable hinge mechanism 16 to return to the engaged position.
[0050] A diameter of the hub bore 76 is approximately the same as the diameter of the first shaft section 80 . The hub 70 also preferably includes an end plate 88 proximate the second end. The end plate 88 has an aperture formed therein. A diameter of the end plate aperture is approximately the same as a diameter of the second shaft section 82 .
[0051] A safety sleeve 86 extends at least a portion of the second shaft section 82 . The safety sleeve 86 is preferably fabricated from a material with a color that contrasts from a color of the other portions of the convertible ladder 10 so that the safety sleeve 86 is readily visible when exposed. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that, as an alternative to placing a safety sleeve 86 over the second shaft section 82 , the safety sleeve 86 may be formed by applying paint to the second shaft section 82 .
[0052] When in the disengaged position, as illustrated in FIG. 13 , the safety sleeve 86 is visible on either side of the convertible ladder 10 . When in the engaged position, as illustrated in FIG. 14 , the safety sleeve 86 is not visible on either side of the convertible ladder 10 . The safety sleeve 86 thereby indicates to the person that the person should not step on the convertible ladder 10 , as the adjustable hinge mechanism 16 is not in the engaged position.
[0053] The handle 50 has a first portion 100 and a second portion 102 that are attached on opposite sides of the hinge shaft 78 , as illustrated in FIGS. 8-10 . The first portion 100 preferably has a substantially elongated shape with a pair of locking pins 104 extending therefrom. The locking pins 104 are preferably selected with a width that is approximately the same as the diameter of the first positioning apertures 60 and the second positioning apertures 62 .
[0054] Moving the first portion 100 towards the first hinge plate 52 causes the locking pins 104 to extend through the first positioning apertures 60 and the second positioning apertures 62 to thereby maintain the first hinge plate 52 in a rotational position with respect to the second hinge plate 54 .
[0055] The adjustable hinge mechanism 16 preferably includes a spring 110 that biases the first portion 100 towards the first hinge plate 52 to maintain the adjustable hinge mechanism 16 in a locked position. Urging the second portion 102 towards the first hinge plate 52 causes the locking pins 104 to be withdrawn from the first positioning apertures 60 and the second positioning apertures 62 to thereby permit the first hinge plate 52 to rotate with respect to the second hinge plate 54 .
[0056] The second portion 102 preferably has a substantially cylindrical shape that includes a top section 112 and a side section 114 that extends from the top section 112 . The top section 112 provides a substantially flat surface that is depressed for urging the adjustable hinge mechanism 16 from the engaged position to the disengaged position. The side section 114 extends towards the first hinge section 52 and thereby reduces the potential for a person's fingers to become pinched between the second portion 102 and the first hinge section 52 .
[0057] Using the three pairs of second positioning apertures 62 enables the first hinge plate 52 to be locked at three different angular positions with respect to the second hinge plate 54 . In a first orientation of the adjustable hinge mechanism 16 , the first ladder portion 12 is positioned adjacent to the second ladder portion 14 for storage or transportation, as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 15 .
[0058] In a second orientation of the adjustable hinge mechanism 16 , the first ladder portion 12 is oriented at an angle with respect to the second ladder portion 14 for use as a step ladder, as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 16 . In a third orientation of the adjustable hinge mechanism 16 , the first ladder portion 12 is parallel to and aligned with the second ladder portion 14 for use as an extension ladder, as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 17 . A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that varying the number of second positioning apertures 62 allows the number of angular orientations to be varied.
[0059] Two of the static hinge mechanisms 140 are preferably attached to one of the second sections 32 , as illustrated in FIG. 18 . Another second section 32 is then aligned with the static hinge mechanism 140 to assemble the erect step ladder.
[0060] The convertible ladder 10 also includes a fixed hinge mechanism 140 as most clearly illustrated in FIGS. 19-21 . The fixed hinge mechanism 140 includes a first plate 142 and a second plate 144 that are attached together in a spaced-apart configuration.
[0061] The first plate 142 and the second plate 144 each preferably have a generally U-shaped configuration. An angle α between hinge legs 146 is less than 90 degrees, preferably between 20 and 50 degrees and most preferably about 35 degrees. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the angle α is selected based upon the desired use conditions such as the weight that is to be placed on the second sections 32 .
[0062] A length of the hinge legs 146 is selected so that the hinge legs 146 extend sufficiently into the second sections 32 to prevent the second sections 32 from rotating with respect to each other.
[0063] Each of the hinge legs 146 has an aperture 148 formed therein proximate the end of the hinge legs 146 . The aperture 148 is adapted to receive either the lock handle 53 to thereby retain the fixed hinge mechanism 140 in a fixed position with respect to the second sections 32 .
[0064] An intermediate plate 145 is positioned between the first plate 142 and the second plate 144 . The intermediate plate 145 maintains the first plate 142 and the second plate 144 in a spaced apart relationship. The intermediate plate 145 also limits the extent to which the second sections 32 can be inserted into the fixed hinge mechanism 140 .
[0065] The first plate 142 , the second plate 144 and the intermediate plate 145 are attached to each other with a plurality of reinforcing members 150 . The number and size of the reinforcing members 150 is selected based upon the anticipated load that is to be placed on the convertible ladder 10 .
[0066] An alternative fixed hinge mechanism 240 , which has a generally linear configuration, is illustrated in FIG. 22 . The fixed hinge mechanism 240 enables second sections 32 to be attached to each other in a substantially aligned orientation.
[0067] The fixed hinge mechanism 240 includes a first plate 242 , a second plate 244 , and an intermediate plate 245 . Hinge legs 246 are disposed proximate opposite ends of the fixed hinge mechanism 240 .
[0068] A length of hinge legs 246 is selected so that the hinge legs 246 extend sufficiently into the second sections 32 to prevent the second sections 32 from rotating with respect to each other.
[0069] Each of the hinge legs 246 has an aperture 248 formed therein is proximate the end of the hinge legs 246 . The aperture 248 is adapted to receive either the lock handle 53 to thereby retain the fixed hinge mechanism 240 in a fixed position with respect to the second sections 32 .
[0070] The intermediate plate 245 maintains the first plate 242 and the second plate 244 in a spaced apart relationship. The intermediate plate 245 also limits the extent to which the second sections 32 can be inserted into the fixed hinge mechanism 240 .
[0071] The first plate 242 , the second plate 244 , and the intermediate plate 245 are attached to each other with a plurality of reinforcing members 250 . The number and size of the reinforcing members 250 is selected based upon the anticipated load that is to be placed on the convertible ladder 10 .
[0072] The convertible ladder also includes an alternative adjustable hinge mechanism 116 for use with each portion of the second ladder section 32 , as most clearly illustrated in FIG. 24 . The adjustable hinge mechanism 116 enables the second sections 32 to be pivotally attached to each other.
[0073] The adjustable hinge mechanism 116 includes a handle 350 , a first hinge plate 352 , and a second hinge plate 354 . The alternative hinge mechanism 116 also has two hinge legs 356 . The first hinge plate 352 is pivotally mounted with respect to the second hinge plate 354 .
[0074] Proximate the end of the alternative adjustable hinge legs 356 , each of the hinge legs 356 has an aperture 358 formed therein. The aperture 358 is adapted to receive either lock handle 53 to thereby retain the alternative adjustable hinge mechanism 116 in a fixed position with respect to the second sections 32 .
[0075] The configuration of the adjustable hinge mechanism 116 is preferably similar to the adjustable hinge mechanism 16 . A difference between adjustable hinge mechanism 16 and the alternative hinge mechanism 116 is the ends of the hinge legs 356 , which enables the adjustable hinge mechanism 116 to be removably attached to the second sections 32 .
[0076] The components of the convertible ladder 10 are preferably fabricated from a lightweight aluminum material. However, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that it is possible to fabricate the convertible ladder 10 from alternate materials such as steel and fiberglass using the concepts of the present invention.
[0077] Since the fixed hinge mechanism 140 is not used in three of the four configurations of the convertible ladder 10 , there is the potential that the fixed hinge mechanism 140 will be misplaced when not in use. To minimize the potential of the fixed hinge mechanism 140 being lost, the fixed hinge mechanism 140 is preferably stored in a case 160 . The case 160 is preferably injection molded plastic and includes a handle, as is illustrated in Fig. FIG. 25 . The case may also be used to store other items such as instructions on the use of the convertible ladder 10 .
[0078] It is contemplated that features disclosed in this application, as well as those described in the above applications incorporated by reference, can be mixed and matched to suit particular circumstances. Various other modifications and changes will be apparent to those of ordinary skill. | A ladder includes a first ladder section; a second ladder section removably attachable to the first ladder section by means of a hinge; and an adjustable hinge mechanism and a non-adjustable static hinge mechanism, both hinge mechanisms being selectively attachable to the ladder sections for affixing first and second ladder sections together at an angle in selectably varying configurations, the adjustable hinge mechanism being angularly adjustable, the static hinge mechanism presenting a fixed angle. A method of forming such ladder is further included. | 4 |
The present invention relates to an antimicrobial animal teat dip which contains an alkanol as a fast acting microbicide and to a method of using the same. In a preferred form of the invention, the composition contains a further microbicide. Thus, this composition not only provides an immediate kill of microbes on the teats of animals but provides a residual antimicrobial effect on the teats, which can protect the teats from mastitis infections until the next milking.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Mastitis is a common disease, principally caused by known organisms entering the mammary glands through the teat canal. These microbes include common bacteria which may be transmitted in numerous ways, including direct contact with the teats, as well as airborne transmission. Under the circumstances, mastitis occurs with high frequency in environments where the control of such bacterial population is not easily accomplished.
Mastitis is a particularly difficult problem in connection with dairy herds, since the teats of the cows are frequently manipulated for milking purposes, and in between milkings, the cows remain in barns or pasturage, where mastitis causing organisms can easily survive and proliferate. Further, an infected cow can contaminate conventional milking apparatus, stalls, cleaning materials and the like so that mastitis can easily spread through a dairy herd. Mastitis renders the cow unsuitable for commercial milking and, accordingly, a significant incidence of mastitis in a dairy herd can produce a crippling economic effect of the dairy farmer.
Therefore, it is a conventional practice in the dairy industry to protect dairy cows by applying an antimicrobial composition to the teats of the cows. While these compositions are broadly applicable to the teats of all mammals, since the major economic impact of mastitis is in connection with dairy cows, the following description of the invention will be in connection with and will reference the teats of cows, for the sake of conciseness, although it is to be understood that this term is to be construed in the specification and claims as embracing the teats of all mammals.
The providing of an effective and yet safe teat dip has presented considerable problems to the art. Since the teat dip is normally applied to the dairy cow after each milking, i.e. twice daily, it will be appreciated that many microbicides and compositions thereof are too harsh and irritating for repeated use on sensitive teat tissues. Further, the application of the teat dip to the teat allows ample opportunity for the microbicide to contaminate the milk. Thus, it is imperative that the microbicide of the teat dip be "water soluble or dispersible." Thus, the microbicide is easily washed from the teats to prevent contamination of the milk.
In the foregoing regard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,556 extensively discusses the irritating sting of polymer containing and bactericide containing liquid wound dressings, which can be used as a wound dressing to protect cows having mastitis on the teats, and suggests solvent systems with major amounts, i.e. at least 50% of non-stinging tert-butyl alcohol, along with minor amounts of stinging alcohols, e.g. lower alkanols and non-stinging hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon solvents. While these wound dressings are non-irritating (stinging is this case), they are not water-soluble and cannot be used as a routine teat dip.
Further, since the cow is most vulnerable to mastitis invasion during milking and immediately thereafter, teat dipping is most effective when performed immediately after milking. This provides protection from the environmental infection sources in the barn and pasture areas. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to provide a fast acting teat dip, since extended times for effectively using the dip will undesirably slow down the overall milking procedure or provide less than required mastitis protection. Thus, a desirable teat dip must be capable of providing an adequate kill of bacteria on the teat in a reasonably short time, e.g. ten minutes or less, since times beyond this period greatly limit the effectiveness of the teat dip.
In view of these exacting requirements, the art has produced only a few economical and effective teat dips. While many microbicides are known which can produce an adequate kill of the microbes in the required time, and even provide some residual effects, the resulting irritation of the teats and the lack of water-solubility or dispersibility reduces the possible candidates for this application most substantially. The teat dip most widely used contains iodine, since the iodine composition is water-soluble and fast acting, but iodine suffers from decided disadvantages. It is substantially irritating to the teats of cows, care must be taken to minimize the contamination of the milk with the toxic iodine, and iodine is a strong oxidizing agent and reacts quickly with most material it contacts. This latter property substantially reduces the residual microbicidal effect. This property also tends to substantially reduce any activity of other microbicides compounded with the teat dip.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,739,922 issued to Shelanski discloses a combination of iodine and polyvinylpyrrilodone and related film-forming polymers. This combination lowers both the acute toxicity and the chronic toxicity of the iodine and reduces the irritation and sensitization effects of iodine. While iodine staining is also mitigated, the combination does not totally obviate the same, and continued topical use will cause permanent staining of the skin. However, iodine and/or iodine-polyvinylpyrrilodone combinations still suffer from the disadvantages of toxicity and the reactivity of the iodine, even in the polyvinylpyrrilodone.
Accordingly, it would be of substantial advantage in the art to provide a teat dip which has a rapid kill of mastitis causing bacteria, can be repeatedly applied, without irritation to the teats, is not toxic, is water-soluble or dispersible, and will not stain or otherwise harm the teats. These properties would provide the advantages of the iodine-type teat dip, but without the disadvantages thereof.
THE OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an antimicrobial animal teat dip which provides a rapid kill of mastitis causing microbes, is water-soluble, is non-irritating and non-toxic. It is a further object of the invention to provide such compositions whereby a residual amount of the composition on the teats is visually detectable in order to indicate the necessity for reapplication of the teat dip, which function is convenient for ensuring protection of the cows. Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide a method of controlling mastitis in cows with use of the composition of the invention which includes a further active microbicide for providing residual antimicrobial activity. Other objects will be apparent from the disclosure and claims as follow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on two primary discoveries. The first discovery is that many microbicides are sufficiently active for long exposure kill of mastitis causing organisms, but are not sufficiently active for rapid kill required in a teat dip. As a subsidiary feature is the further discovery that certain microbicides combine the desired properties of rapid kill of common mastitis causing organisms and have no substantial toxic effects. These microbicides are lower alkanols of 1 to 3 carbon atoms. These will provide a very rapid kill of mastitis causing organisms so as to produce a very initially effective teat dip, but the residual microbicidal effect is minimal. As a subsidiary feature of this discovery is the further discovery that the lower alkanols may be combined with further microbicides, wherein these microbicides are not deactivated and, hence, provide a rapid initial kill and a longer term residual microbicidal effect.
The second basic discovery is that an achieving the effects of the foregoing discovery, irritation of the cow's teats occasioned by the use of a usually stinging lower alkanol, which further removes natural oils from the teats, may be substantially mitigated by including in the teat dip an emollient. As a subsidiary feature of this discovery is the further discovery that the emollient will be held in place on the teats for long term effect by including in the dip a film-forming soluble polymer.
As can be appreciated, in view of the ingredients noted above, it is further necessary that the film-forming polymer be water and lower alkanol-soluble, and that the microbicide and emollient have good storage stability, e.g. upon freezing and thawing the composition is not deactivated, since such conditions may be experienced during storage.
Accordingly, there is provided an antimicrobial animal teat dip tincture composition comprising the ingredients of a microbicidal lower alkanol of 1 to 3 carbon atoms; a non-toxic water and lower alkanol-soluble film-forming polymer; a water-soluble emollient (water/alkanol soluble); and water; wherein the composition provides a fact acting microbicidal teat dip which does not cause substantial irritation to the teats with repeated use thereof.
There is provided a method for preventing mastitis in the teats of animals comprising applying to the teats that composition and allowing the composition to dry on the teats to form a film of the polymer containing the emollient and microbicide.
Preferably, the composition also contains a water-soluble dye which is contained in the teat dip composition, and resulting polymer film, as visual evidence of teat dip presence or the need thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As broadly stated, the present teat dip comprises an ingredient which will effect a rapid kill of mastitis causing organisms. This first ingredient is the lower alkanol. The lower alkanols useful in the present invention as microbicides have 3 carbon atoms or less, and preferably are the saturated lower alkanols, e.g. methanol, ethanol, propanol and isopropanol. It will also be easily appreciated that the lower alkanols combine that antimicrobicidal properties with the high vaporization property. It is with this high vaporization property (alcohol and water) that the liquid will so rapidly leave the applied teat that the polymer film (described hereinafter), with the emollient therein, will form before contamination or loss of residual microbicide occurs.
Lower alkanols are known as good microbicides, but it has now been discovered that they give extremely rapid kill of mastitis causing organisms. However, as is well known, these relatively high vapor pressure alcohols rapidly evaporate from living animal skin and remove moisture from the skin in drying. Further, the natural oils are dissolved out of the skin and the skin is cooled. Thus, these effects form nearly perfect conditions for irritation, stinging, chapping and roughness of the sensitive teats. Further, once these alcohols are removed from the teats by evaporation, little, if any, residual microbicidal effect is provided. Thus, the use of lower alkanols would ordinarily be considered unsatisfactory for teat dips.
It has been discovered that the unsatisfactory effects of the lower alkanols can be mitigated when the teat dip contains a water-soluble emollient. Many emollients of this nature are well known to the art and the particular chemical composition of the emollient is not critical. It is necessary that the emollient have the normal softening effect on the teats without compromising the microbicide. Thus, conventional emollients such as glycerol, sorbitol and water-dispersible lanolin may be used.
The combination of lower alkanol and emollient will allow the use of the lower alkanol for rapid kill of mastitis causing organisms in the teat dip without adversely affecting the teats of the cow, only if that emollient remains on the teats a sufficient length of time to produce a softening effect. To achieve this sustained contact of the emollient with the teat, a non-toxic, water and lower alkanol-soluble film-forming polymer is provided in the composition. After evaporation of the lower alkanol, the remaining emollient is contained in the resulting film, and will keep the emollient in contact with the teat to provide the softening effect.
As a further feature, it has been discovered that film-formers of that nature will substantially slow the evaporation rate of the lower alkanol as well as retard removal of moisture and oils from the teats. As noted, this removal of moisture and oils causes serious irritation, chapping and ultimately, inability for milk production. Under the circumstances, for purposes of the present invention, the film-forming polymer must therefore be water and lower alkanol-soluble. Of course, since the amount of film-former involved will be of a substantial quantity, the film-former must be non-toxic.
Such film-formers are known in the art. However, it has been found that certain groups of such film-formers and advantageous from both an ease of application and effectiveness point of view. Film-formers having these additional properties are vinyl polymers, natural gum polymers and gelatin. Polymers and interpolymers of vinylpyrrilodone, vinylphthalimide, vinylpyridine, vinylcaporlactam, vinylvalerolactam and vinyl alcohol/acetate are examples of such water-soluble vinyls. Gum acacia, gum carrageenan, gum arabic and the like are examples of natural gums.
It should be understood that the film-forming polymer may be soluble in water and lower alkanol separately but since in use, the film-forming polymer will be dissolved in the combination of water and lower alkanol (a tincture). it is required that it be at least water and alcohol (a tincture) soluble, although often the film-forming polymer will be soluble in each. Thus, the specification and claims should be construed as requiring solubility only in the combination of water and alcohol (a tincture).
It has been discovered that the lower alkanols have yet a further unexpected property. They do not tend to inactivate other microbicides such as is the case with iodine and like microbicides. Thus, the present composition may advantageously contain a further microbicide of a conventional type. Where this further microbicide has residual activity, prolonged mastitis protection is achieved, since this further microbicide will be contained in the dried polymer film on the teats and be resistant to sluffing or washing off the teats of the foraging animal. The particular microbicide is not critical so long as the microbicide is effective against mastitis causing organisms. Thus, suitable microbicides are the phenylic and napthalenic compounds or the heterocyclic derivatives thereof. Preferably, the microbicide is selected from the group consisting of phenol, halogenated phenol, quinolines, resorcinols, chlorinated xylenols, chlorhexidine and pyridines. However, it is to be understood that the further microbicide is not limited to the foregoing, and any of the conventional microbicides which are active against common mastitis causing organisms may be used. In case of any doubt as to the effectiveness of a particular microbicide, the acceptability (activity) thereof can be evaluated according to the procedure of Example I herein. Generally, a reduction of at least one log from the negative control should be achieved, and more preferably at least two logs or at least three logs.
It is preferred that the further microbicide is water and alcohol soluble, since this will allow its solution in the teat dip as described above. In this regard, and as a further important feature of the invention, it has been discovered that a certain class of known microbicides are effective against mastitis causing organisms, and are also water and alcohol-soluble. This class of microbicides is the quaternary ammonia compounds, e.g. cetyl pyridinum chloride, quaternary ammonium compounds with C 12 to C 18 alkyl chains, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, benzethonium chloride and N-alkyl-dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (alkyl=C 8 to C 16 or mixtures thereof). Of these, cetyl pyridinum chloride in the present composition is as effective as the commercially available iodine containing teat dip composition against common mastitis causing organisms, which is highly unexpected, and is the best mode of the present invention. An equivalent mode of the invention is the use of the N-alkyl-dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride in that it is essentially as active as the cetyl pyridinum chloride, and is also water/alcohol-soluble.
It will also be appreciated that since the microbicide is contained within the film produced by the film-forming polymer, the presence on the teats of the microbicide will be prolonged, since the film will reduce the rate at which the microbicide will be removed from the teats of the foraging animal. Similarly, the film will provide a therapeutic effect in keeping the emollient in active contact with the teats and providing a weather barrier for healing existing cracked and chapped teats. The residual microbicide will mitigate the chances of skin infection during this healing period.
These effects are significantly different from the effects of the plastics would dressing disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,556. While the dressings contain a filmable plastic and lower alkanols, they must contain at least 50% of a higher alcohol, e.g. tert butanol (along with a further microbicide). Thus, no quick kill of mastitis causing organisms is provided, nor is a quickly evaporated alcohol provided, and hence, no quickly established polymer film is provided. However, this is expected since the "wound dressings" perform a different function than the present teat dip.
It will also be appreciated that if the microbicide is not soluble in water and alcohol, a solution will not be formed. Thus, while water and alcohol-insoluble microbicides may be used, e.g. the phenolic microbicides, their use will necessitate the forming of an emulsion of the teat dip composition. To this end, a non-deactivating water and lower alkanol-soluble emulsifier is used. However, as is well known, many surface active agents (emulsifiers) will deactivate microbicides. This is particularly true in regard to non-ionic surface active agents, and the art has long recognized the same. It is, therefore, necessary for the emulsification to be accomplished with a surface active agent which does not cause substantial deactivation of the microbicide. The suitability of any particular emulsifying agent may be tested simply by preparing the emulsion and determining the activity of the microbicide with and without the emulsifier. Reduction in activity should be avoided. This is not a preferred embodiment.
However, generally speaking, suitable emulsifiers are the conventional sulfonated detergents of th formulae R--SO 3 --M, R--C 6 --H 4 --SO 3 --M and R--O--SO 3 --M, where R is C 12 to C 18 aliphatic hydrocarbons and M is an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal. R may be a branched or straight chain hydrocarbon and may be saturated or unsaturated, but preferably it is a straight chain unsaturated fatty acid residue. Any of the alkali and alkaline earth metals may be used with the sulfonated detergents.
Alternatively, the emulsifiers may be one of the conventional salts of a C 12 to C 20 alkyl amine or the quaternary ammonium salt thereof. This class of emulsifiers is well known to the art and need not be described in any detail herein. Polyethylene glycol esters of a C 12 to C 18 aliphatic acid may also be used. A similar class of compounds which may used are the esters of the C 12 to C 18 alcohols and alkylated phenols or napthols (and the sulfonated derivatives thereof).
A preferred emulsifier is sodium lauryl sulfate, since this emulsifier has been found to have a desirable set of properties. It is essentially non-deactivating, an emulsion can be easily formed, and it will emulsify relatively large proportions of water-insoluble liquids. The emulsions produced can withstand substantial mechanical shock as well as temperatures from just above freezing of the emulsion up to close to the boiling point of the emulsion.
In this latter regard, as can be easily appreciated, if the emulsion is not stable over a relatively wide range of temperatures, the emulsion may accidentally be broken, and application of the teat dip to the teats of the animals would be problematic. Preferably, the emulsion should have the characteristics of being stable over repeated freezing and thawing, since these conditions are likely to be encountered in barn storage.
The proportion of the ingredients can vary widely but the following ranges are generally quite satisfactory. These ranges of proportions of ingredients are on a prepared for immediate use basis. That is to say that the concentrated material, if any, has been diluted to the concentration for immediate use as a teat dip. On this basis, the alcohol should be between about 15% and 70%, more preferably between about 30% and 50%. The film-forming polymer should consistute between 0.1% to about 10% of the composition, more preferably from about 0.5% to 5%. The emollient should be between 0.1% and 10%. The amount of emulsifier, if used, may be quite low, as low as 0.1%, or it may be quite high, up to about 10%. However, usually this will be between 0.5% and 7%. The amount of the further microbicide will vary, of course, with the activity of the particular microbicide, but generally will be between 0.1% and 5%, although more usually this will be between 0.3 % and 2.0%. The remainder is water, aside from optional ingredients as described below.
The optional ingredients include a buffering agent, such as a combination of sodium citrate and citric acid to control the pH of the composition between 4 and 7, which is more comfortable for application to the teats. Also, the composition may optionally contain a sequestering agent for preventing precipitation of any of the ingredients in hard water. A typical sequestering agent is ethylene-diamine-triacetic acid (EDTA) in amounts of between 0.1% and 5%, preferably no more than 2%.
Also, optionally, but certainly preferred, the composition may also contain a water-soluble, non-toxic dye, such as any of the conventional FD & C dyes. A particularly suitable dye is Yellow No. 6, and is contained in the composition of less than 2%, so that the yellow color will be visible on the teats of the animal so long as the microbicidal residue is retained on the animal's teats.
Finally, if desired, alcohol drying agents, perfumes, stabilizers, viscosity control agents and the like may be used, all of which will perform their known function.
The invention will now be illustrated by the following Examples, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the Examples but extends to the breadth of the foregoing disclosure and the following claims. In the Examples, as well as in the specification and claims, all percentages and parts are by weight unless otherwise specified.
EXAMPLE I
______________________________________ SAMPLE A SAMPLE B % w/v % w/v______________________________________CPC (cetyl pyridinum chloride) 0.50 0.50Triton X-100 (detergent) 0.2 0.2Sodium Citrate 0.0053 0.0053Citric Acid 0.019 0.019FD & C Yellow No. 6 0.27 0.27PVP 0.94 0.94Isopropanol 31.2 (40% v/v) 31.2 (40% v/v)Sorbitol 3.2 3.2Glycerine 4.5 4.5Nilodor (deodorizer) 0.0425 --Water q. s. 100% 100%______________________________________
The PVP was dissolved in the alcohol and the remaining ingredients were dissolved in water. The alcohol and the water portions were then mixed.
The effectiveness of the teat dip was evaluated by the standard in vitro testing procedure known as the "Excised Teat Procedure" (see Twomey, A. and M. A. Arnold, 1977 Laboratory Technique for Evaluating Test Santicizers for Mastitis Control, N. Z. VET. J.). The organisms used in the test were Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 27543) and Streptococcus agalactiae (C 48). In this procedure, excised teats from slaughtered dairy cows are washed in a mild detergent solution, rinsed and dried. The so-prepared teats were dipped in 70% alcohol and dried with a paper towel. The teats were dipped to a depth of 15 mm in the challenge suspension of the test organisms, and allowed to drain for 15 minutes for a control, and 5 minutes for the test teats. The test teats were dipped to a depth of 30 mm in Sample A or Sample B and drained for an additional 10 minutes. Organisms were removed by rinsing each teat with 5 ml. of quencher solution expressed from a polyethylene wash bottle. 5 ml. of the rinse is collected in sterile plastic vials and diluted with 0.1% proteose peptone. Plating is carried out in a conventional manner. As a comparison, the same test is performed with a commercially available iodine teat dip (Bovadine, manufactured by West Chemical Co.). This is considered as a positive control. The teats with only test organisms thereon are considered as a negative control.
The results obtained for Staphylococcus aureus were as follows. The negative control showed a log of 6.6 Colony Forming Units (CFU), while the positive control showed a log of 1.27 CFU, and the present teat dip showed a log of 1.39 CFU. The reduction from the control log was, accordingly, 5.33 and 5.21, respectively. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the present teat dip. Similar results were obtained with the Streptococcus agalactiae.
EXAMPLE II
The following formulation was prepared:
Chlorhexidine--2.5 gm
PVP K30--1.25 gm
Isopropanol 40%--200 ml.
Glycerine--22.5 ml.
Sorbitol 70%--16 ml.
Citric Acid--0.093 gm
Sodium Citrate--0.026 gm
FD & C. Blue No. 1--0.0937 gm
Water q. s.--500 ml.
The formulation was prepared by dissolving the chlorhexidine in the isopropanol and then dissolving the PVP in that solution. The glycerine was then added to the solution. The citric acid and sodium citrate were dissolved in water and the sorbitol was added thereto. All were then mixed with sufficient water to 500 ml.
In a comparable test procedure, the results were similar to that of Example I.
EXAMPLE III
The following emulsion formulation was prepared:
Triclosan--2.5 gm
PVP K30--2.5 gm
Volpo No. 10--15 gm
Crodamul--25 gm
Triethanolamine--1.25 gm
Isopropanol--200 ml.
Glycerine--22.5 ml.
Sorbitol 70%--16 ml.
Carbopol No. 941 2%--62.5 gm
FD & C Yellow No. 6--0.0937 gm
Water q. s.--500 ml.
The formulation was prepared by dissolving the Triclosan in the isopropanol and then dissolving the PVP therein. The Volpo, Crodamul and triethanolamine were added and dissolved. To a water solution of Carbopol and color was added and dissolved the glycerine and sorbitol. The water and the alcohol were mixed in a Lightin mixer until an emulsion was formed.
In a comparable test procedure, the results were similar to that of Example I. | There is provided an antimicrobial animal teat dip tincture composition and method of use thereof. The ingredients of the composition are: a microbicide, water-soluble, lower alkanol, water and lower-alkanol-soluble film-forming polymer, and a water soluble emollient. Mastitis is controlled by applying the composition to the teats of animals, and allowing the composition to dry on the teats to form a film of the polymer containing the emollient. The lower alkanol gives a very rapid and effective kill of microbes on the teats while the emollient will remain on the teats in the polymer film and prevent chapping and drying of the teats. Preferably, the composition also contains a further microbicide which remains in the polymer film and provides a residual long-term mastitis protection. Quaternary ammonia microbicide compounds provide superior results in this regard, as opposed to other conventional microbicides. The ingredients provide a freeze resistant solution. | 0 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire, and more particularly, to a pneumatic tire in which pattern noise is reduced while other properties (in particular, performance on wet road surfaces) are maintained.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lug grooves, which endow a pneumatic tire with performance on wet road surfaces and resistance to hydroplaning in particular, are indispensable to pneumatic tires.
However, due to the existence of lug grooves, pitch noise (impact noise) is generated at the time the leading (step-in) edge of a block of the pneumatic tire contacts a road surface.
Various studies have been conducted in order to determine methods of reducing the pattern noise generated from the lug grooves (pitch noise being the main type of pattern noise). In particular, pitch variation, transverse direction phase offsetting, and the like have been studied in an attempt to reduce pattern noise.
Generally, there is a correlation between the negative ratio, the sound level, and the performance on wet road surfaces. If the negative ratio is reduced, the sound level improves, but the performance on wet road surfaces deteriorates. If the negative ratio is increased, the performance on wet road surfaces improves, but the sound level deteriorates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the aforementioned, an object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic tire in which pattern noise can be reduced without a deterioration in the performance on wet road surfaces.
As illustrated in FIG. 10, impact noise is generated when a tire 100 rotates and a block 102 contacts a road surface 104 . (Hereinafter, this impact noise will be called “pitch noise”, and the waveform thereof is illustrated in FIG. 11.)
When the pattern of a tread is being designed, the angle of the edge portion of the block is an important factor. Therefore, the present inventors studied the angle of the block edge portion.
Due to the existence of lug grooves, pitch noise is generated when the leading edge of a block contacts the road surface.
It is known that the magnitude of the pitch noise is determined by the angle formed by the tire leading edge side contour line of the ground-contact configuration and the side surface of the block leading edge side.
More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 12, when an angle θ (hereinafter, “ground-contact angle θ”), which is formed by a tire leading edge side contour line 106 of the ground contact configuration and the tire circumferential direction (the direction of arrow A and the direction of arrow B), is equal to an angle φ of the leading edge of the block 102 (the angle formed by a side surface 102 A of the leading edge side of the block 102 and the tire circumferential direction), i.e., when the tire leading edge side contour line 106 of the ground-contact configuration and the side surface 102 A of the leading edge side of the block 102 are parallel (i.e., when φ=θ), as illustrated in FIG. 13, the pitch noise is greatest. When the tire leading edge side contour line 106 of the ground-contact configuration and the side surface 102 A of the leading edge side of the block 102 are orthogonal (i.e., when the difference between θ and φ is 90°), the pitch noise is lowest. (Note that in a case in which the tire leading edge side contour line is curved, as shown in FIG. 12, the ground-contact angle θ is the angle formed by the tire circumferential direction and a tangent line SL which passes through a point tangent to the block 102 leading edge (the end portion which first contacts the ground).)
The angular difference between θ and φ is important to the reduction of pitch noise.
Here, the relationship between the tire leading edge side contour line 106 of the ground-contact configuration and the side surface 102 A of the leading edge side of the block is considered.
First, in a case in which blocks are provided at the left and right of the tire equatorial plane, the angles at the respective portions are set as illustrated in FIGS. 14A and 14B. Namely, with respect to a block 102 R at the right side of a tire equatorial plane CL, the angles are defined in the clockwise direction. The angle at the block leading edge is φ 1 , and the ground-contact angle formed by the tire circumferential direction and the tire leading edge side contour line 106 of the ground-contact configuration is θ 1 .
On the other hand, with respect to a block 102 L at the left side of the tire equatorial plane CL, the angles are defined in the counterclockwise direction. The angle at the block leading edge is φ 2 , and the ground-contact angle formed by the tire circumferential direction and the tire leading edge side contour line 106 of the ground-contact configuration is θ 2 .
The positional relationships among the tire leading edge side contour line 106 , the side surface 102 A of the leading edge side of the block 102 R at the right side of the tire equatorial plane CL, and the side surface 102 A of the leading edge side of the block 102 L at the left side of the tire equatorial plane CL, are as follows.
Assuming that β>0°, α 1 >0°, and α 2 >0°, then θ 1 =90°+β, θ 2 =90°+β, φ 1 =90°−α 1 , and φ 2 =90°+α 2 .
As described above, the angular difference between the ground-contact angle θ and the angle φ of the block leading edge is important to pitch noise. The angular difference Θ 1 of the block 102 at the right side of the tire equatorial plane CL is Θ 1 =θ 1 −φ 1 =β+α 1 , and the angular difference Θ 2 of the block 102 at the left side of the tire equatorial plane CL is Θ 2 =φ 2 −θ 2 =α 2 −β. The relationship between the angles and the magnitude of the pitch noise is as shown in FIG. 15 .
FIG. 15 illustrates that pitch noise of a magnitude P 1 is generated from the block 102 at the right side of the tire equatorial plane CL, and pitch noise of a magnitude P 2 is generated from the block 102 at the left side of the tire equatorial plane CL. (Θ 2 <Θ 1 , and therefore, the magnitudes of the pitch noise are P 2 >P 1 .)
One conventional method of reducing pitch noise centers around the tire transverse direction phase offsetting of blocks. In the present invention as well, the phases of the left and right blocks are offset by a dimension D in the tire circumferential direction.
By providing a phase difference for respective pitch noises generated from block rows of blocks (generally, pairs of left and right blocks with respect to an axis extending along the tire circumferential direction (e.g., the tire equatorial plane CL)), the sounds can cancel each other out. The necessary extent of the phase difference differs in accordance with the configurations or the like of respective tires, and is determined for each tire.
As illustrated in FIGS. 16A and 16B, two sounds (Â and {circle around (B)}) are completely reverse phases. When the magnitude of the amplitude Pa and the magnitude of the amplitude Pb are equal, the magnitude of the combined sound is a minimum (FIG. 16 B). However, when there is a difference between the amplitudes, the magnitude of the combined sound is not zero, and a sound having a magnitude of an amplitude |Pa−Pb| remains (see FIG. 16 A).
It can thus be understood that, in order to make the phase offsetting effect a maximum, the magnitudes of the amplitudes of the sounds generated by the respective subject blocks must be equal.
Here, in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the angles of inclination of the lug grooves are equal, i.e., the side surface 102 A of the leading edge side of the block 102 L at the left side of the tire equatorial plane CL and the side surface 102 A of the leading edge side of the block 102 R at the right side of the tire equatorial plane CL are substantially parallel (i.e., α 1 ≈α 2 ). The angular difference Θ 1 of the block 102 R at the right side of the tire equatorial plane CL and the angular difference Θ 2 of the block 102 L at the left side of the tire equatorial plane CL are not the same. Sounds of different magnitudes are generated at the respective sides of the tire equatorial plane CL. Even if a block positional relationship is set in which the left and right blocks are offset in the tire circumferential direction so that the sounds at the respective sides become have reverse phases, a sound having the amplitude (P 2 −P 1 ) remains.
Accordingly, in order to make the sounds from the left and right blocks to be the same magnitude and to exhibit the maximum phase offset effect, it is necessary for the angular difference Θ 1 =the angular difference Θ 2 .
Here, there are several conditions which satisfy the angular difference Θ 1 =the angular difference Θ 2 .
To briefly explain by using the example of FIGS. 14A and 14B, it suffices for β+α 1 =α 2 −β. Here, β is an angle determined unambiguously from the ground-contact configuration, and a is an angle selected arbitrarily (an angle which can be changed by changing the configuration of the block). For example, if α 2 is fixed and α 1 is made small, or if α 1 is fixed and α 2 is made large, the equation β+α 1 =α 2 −β is established. The magnitude of the pitch noise generated if α 2 is fixed and α 1 is made small is P 2 , and the magnitude of the pitch noise generated if α 1 is fixed and α 2 is made large is P 1 .
From the standpoint of phase offsetting, both the method of fixing α 2 and making α 1 small and the method of fixing α 1 and making α 2 large are the same. However, it can be understood that it is preferable to select the method of fixing α 1 , whose pitch noise is small, and making α 2 large in both cases.
One aspect of the present invention is a pneumatic tire comprising: a first block row in which a plurality of blocks projecting from an outer circumference of the pneumatic tire are disposed along a tire circumferential direction; and a second block row in which a plurality of blocks projecting from the outer circumference of the pneumatic tire are disposed along the tire circumferential direction, the second block row being parallel to the first block row, wherein a side surface of a leading edge side end portion of each block of the first block row and the second block row is inclined with respect to a tire transverse direction such that an angle, which is formed by the side surface of the leading edge side end portion of each block of the first block row and a tire leading edge side contour line of a ground-contact configuration, and an angle, which is formed by the side surface of the leading edge side end portion of each block of the second block row and the tire leading edge side contour line of the ground-contact configuration, are substantially equal. Therefore, the pitch noise generated at the time of step-in at the blocks of the first block row is substantially the same level as the pitch noise generated at the time of step-in at the blocks of the second block row.
Therefore, by adjusting the tire circumferential direction phases of the blocks of the first block row and the blocks of the second block row, the pitch noises of substantially the same level will interfere with one another and cancel out one another, and the pattern noise of the tire can be reduced.
In the present invention, because there is no need to change the negative ratio, the performance on wet road surfaces and operational stability do not deteriorate.
In another aspect of the present invention, in the pneumatic tire of the previously-described aspect, given that the angle formed by the side surface of the leading edge side of each block of one block row and the tire leading edge side contour line is Θ 1 and the angle formed by the side surface of the leading edge side of each block of the other block row and the tire leading edge side contour line is Θ 2 , the relation |Θ 2 −Θ 1 |≦5° is satisfied.
As a result of investigating the relationship between the value of Θ 2 −Θ 1 and the pitch size by changing the angle φ of the block leading edge to various values, the results illustrated in FIG. 17 were obtained. From FIG. 17, it is clear that by making |Θ 2 −Θ 1 |≦5°, the pattern noise of the pneumatic tire could be reduced sufficiently.
In the pneumatic tire of this aspect, |Θ 2 −Θ 1 |≦5°, wherein Θ 1 is the angle formed by the tire leading edge side contour line and the side surface of the leading edge side of a block of one block row, and Θ 2 is the angle formed by the tire leading edge side contour line and the side surface of the leading edge side of a block of another block row. Therefore, the pattern noise of the tire can be reliably decreased.
It is even more preferable that |Θ 2 −Θ 1 |≦2°.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is a plan view of a tread of a pneumatic tire relating to a first embodiment of the present invention, as seen from an exterior of the pneumatic tire.
FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 1 B— 1 B of FIG. 1A (and illustrating only the contour of the cross-section and not the internal structure).
FIG. 2 illustrates a ground-contact configuration of the pneumatic tire relating to the first embodiment.
FIG. 3A is a view for explaining a relationship of angles of the ground-contact configuration and second blocks (wherein, for convenience of explanation, left and right second blocks are shown in a state in which there is no offset in the tire circumferential direction).
FIG. 3B is a view for explaining a relationship of angles of the ground-contact configuration and shoulder blocks (wherein, in the same way as in FIG. 3A, left and right shoulder blocks are shown in a state in which there is no offset in the tire circumferential direction).
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a tread of a pneumatic tire relating to a conventional example.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a tread of a pneumatic tire relating to a comparative example.
FIG. 6 is a plan view of a tread of a pneumatic tire relating to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 illustrates a ground-contact configuration of the pneumatic tire relating to the second embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a plan view of a tread of a pneumatic tire relating to a conventional example.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of a tread of a pneumatic tire relating to a comparative example.
FIG. 10 is a view for explaining a pitch noise generating mechanism.
FIG. 11 illustrates an example of measurement of pitch noise.
FIG. 12 is a view for explaining a block leading edge angle and a ground-contact angle.
FIG. 13 is a graph illustrating the relationship between a block leading edge angle, a ground-contact angle, and pitch noise.
FIGS. 14A and 14B are views for explaining ground-contact angles and angles of leading edges of two blocks at either side of a tire equatorial plane.
FIG. 15 is a graph illustrating the relationship between an angle and pitch noise.
FIGS. 16A and 16B are views for explaining a method of reducing pitch noise.
FIG. 17 is a graph illustrating the relationship between Θ 1 −Θ 2 and pitch noise.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
First Embodiment
As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, at a tread 12 of a pneumatic tire 10 (tire size: PSR 225/50R16) of the present first embodiment, circumferential direction grooves 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 which extend along the tire circumferential direction (the direction of arrow A and the direction of arrow B) are formed in that order from the tire transverse direction left side (the side in the direction of arrow L) toward the transverse direction right side (the side in the direction of arrow R).
At the tread 12 , shoulder blocks 24 , which are defined by lug grooves 22 which are parallel to the tire transverse direction, are provided at the arrow L direction side of the circumferential direction groove 14 . Shoulder blocks 28 , which are defined by lug grooves 26 which are parallel to the tire transverse direction, are provided at the arrow R direction side of the circumferential direction groove 20 .
Second blocks 32 , which are defined by lug grooves 30 which are inclined upwardly to the right with respect to the tire transverse direction, are formed between the circumferential direction groove 14 and the circumferential direction groove 16 . Second blocks 36 , which are defined by lug grooves 34 which are inclined upwardly to the right with respect to the tire transverse direction, are formed between the circumferential direction groove 18 and the circumferential direction groove 20 .
A rib 38 , which is continuous along the tire circumferential direction, is formed between the circumferential direction groove 16 and the circumferential direction groove 18 .
The ground-contact configuration of the pneumatic tire 10 is substantially oval as illustrated in FIG. 2 . (The vertical lines in FIG. 2 are the traces of the circumferential direction grooves. The traces of the lug grooves are omitted from the figure.)
The following angles, which are illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, as well as the widths of the lug grooves 22 , 26 , 30 , 34 are as per following Table 1: the ground-contact angle θ 1 of the second block 36 and the shoulder block 28 at the right side of the tire equatorial plane CL, the leading edge angle φ 1 of the second block 36 and the shoulder block 28 at the right side of the tire equatorial plane CL, the ground-contact angle θ 2 of the second block 32 and the shoulder block 24 at the left side of the tire equatorial plane CL, the leading edge angle φ 2 of the second block 32 and the shoulder block 24 at the left side of the tire equatorial plane CL, the angle Θ 2 formed by the side surface of the leading edge side of the second block 32 and the shoulder block 24 at the left side of the tire equatorial plane CL and by a tangent line SL tangent to a tire leading edge side contour line HL (i.e., the angle of the difference between the angle φ 2 and the ground-contact angle θ 2 ), and the angle Θ 1 formed by the side surface of the leading edge side of the second block 36 and the shoulder block 28 at the right side of the tire equatorial plane CL and by the tangent line SL tangent to the tire leading edge side contour line HL (i.e., the angle of the difference between the angle φ 1 and the ground-contact angle θ 1 ).
Note that the tire rotating direction is the direction of arrow B.
TABLE 1
Conventional
Comparative
Example 1
Embodiment 1
Example 1
shoul-
shoul-
shoul-
second
der
second
der
second
der
block
block
block
block
block
block
Ground-
95°
120°
95°
120°
95°
120°
contact angles
θ1, θ2
Block leading
70°
70°
72.5°
90°
62.5°
70°
edge angle φ1
Block leading
110°
110°
117.5°
90°
107.5°
110°
edge angle φ2
Θ1 (|θ1-φ1|)
25°
50°
22.5°
30°
32.5°
50°
Θ2 (|φ2-θ2|)
15°
10°
22.5°
30°
12.5°
10°
|Θ1-Θ2|
10°
40°
0°
0°
20°
40°
Lug
inner
6 mm
6 mm
9 mm
6 mm
3 mm
6 mm
groove
side
width
outer
6 mm
6 mm
3 mm
6 mm
9 mm
6 mm
side
Pattern noise
control
−1.2 dB
+0.5 dB
(as measured
by instrument)
Pattern noise
100
120
90
(as evaluated
by feeling)
Performance
100
100
100
on wet road
surfaces
In order to confirm the effects of the present invention, an Embodiment 1 tire to which the present invention was applied, a Conventional Example 1 tire, and a Comparative Example 1 tire were prepared, and the pattern noises and performances on wet road surfaces thereof were compared.
The pattern of the Conventional Example 1 tire was as shown in FIG. 4, and the pattern of the Comparative Example 1 tire was as shown in FIG. 5 . The angles of the respective regions and the like were as shown in above Table 1.
Each of the tires used in the experiments was the same size (PSR 225/50R16). The ground-contact configuration at the time the tire was mounted to a 7JJ rim, inflated to an internal pressure of 230 kPa, and subjected to a load of 400 kg was used. Each of the tires had the same negative ratio.
The pattern noise (as measured by instrument) was the measured value with a sound meter set within the driver's seat in a vicinity of the position of a driver's ear at the time the vehicle was allowed to coast on a straight, flat road after reaching a speed of 55 km/h.
The pattern noise (as evaluated by feeling) was the results of evaluation by the senses of a vehicle occupant under the same conditions as described above. These results were expressed as indices with the Conventional Example 1 tire having a value of 100, and the higher the value, the better the feeling (i.e., the less unpleasant).
The performance on wet road surfaces was evaluated by the time required for a vehicle to pass over a 90 m section of a wet road surface with a depth of water of 5 mm, while zigzagging through 5 pylons. The results were expressed as indices with the time of the Conventional Example 1 tire being an index of 100. The higher the value, the shorter the time, and the better the performance on wet road surfaces.
As measured by the noise meter, the Embodiment 1 tire to which the present invention was applied had a pattern noise which was 1.2 dB lower than the Conventional Example 1 tire, and the Comparative Example 1 tire had a pattern noise which was 0.5 dB higher than the Conventional Example 1 tire. Further, the pattern noise of the Embodiment 1 tire also exhibited good results when evaluated by the feeling of the vehicle occupant.
It is clear that the reason why the pattern noise of the present Embodiment 1 tire was low is that the magnitudes of the pitch noises generated from the blocks were set to be the same at the left and right of the tire equatorial plane CL (|Θ 1 −Θ 2 |=0) such that the pattern noises canceled each other out.
It is clear that the reason why the pattern noise of the Comparative Example 1 tire was high is that the magnitudes of the pitch noises generated from the blocks differed greatly at the left and right of the tire equatorial plane CL (i.e., |Θ 1 −Θ 2 | was large).
From the standpoint of feeling as well, the pattern noise of the Embodiment 1 tire to which the present invention was applied was less than that of the Conventional Example 1 tire and the Comparative Example 1 tire.
Further, with regard to the performance on wet road surfaces, the Embodiment 1 tire, the Conventional Example 1 tire, and the Comparative Example 1 tire were all the same.
When the direction of rotation of the tire is the direction opposite to that described above (i.e., when the direction of rotation of the tire is the direction of arrow A), the angles are set in the same way, and there is no directionality with respect to the mounting of the tire. Therefore, the groove widths of the lug grooves 30 , 34 are not parallel to each other.
Second Embodiment
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, at a tread 42 of a pneumatic tire 40 (tire size: PSR 195/65R14) of the present second embodiment, circumferential direction grooves 44 , 46 , 48 , which extend along the tire circumferential direction (the direction of arrow A and the direction of arrow B), are formed in that order from the tire transverse direction left side (the side in the direction of arrow L) toward the tire transverse direction right side (the side in the direction of arrow R).
At the tread 42 , shoulder blocks 52 defined by lug grooves 50 are disposed at the arrow L direction side of the circumferential direction groove 44 . Shoulder blocks 56 defined by lug grooves 54 are disposed at the arrow R direction side of the circumferential direction groove 48 .
Second blocks 60 defined by lug grooves 58 are formed between the circumferential direction groove 44 and the circumferential direction groove 46 . Second blocks 64 defined by lug grooves 62 are formed between the circumferential direction groove 46 and the circumferential direction groove 48 .
The ground-contact configuration of the pneumatic tire 40 is a substantial rectangle having slightly rounded corners as illustrated in FIG. 7 . (The vertical lines in FIG. 7 are the traces of the circumferential direction grooves. The traces of the lug grooves are omitted from the figure.)
The pneumatic tire 40 of Embodiment 2, a pneumatic tire 66 of Conventional Example 2 having the pattern illustrated in FIG. 8, and a pneumatic tire 68 of Comparative Example 2 having the pattern illustrated in FIG. 9 were manufactured and were tested in the same way as in the first embodiment.
The methods of measuring the angles and the like of the respective portions were the same as in the first embodiment. The angles and dimensions of the respective portions and the results of the experiments are shown in following Table 2.
TABLE 2
Conventional
Comparative
Example 2
Embodiment 2
Example 2
shoul-
shoul-
shoul-
second
der
second
der
second
der
block
block
block
block
block
block
Ground-
92°
98°
92°
98°
92°
98°
contact angles
θ1, θ2 of
ground-contact
configuration
leading edge
Block leading
65°
75°
67°
83°
63°
67°
edge angle φ1
Block leading
115°
105°
117°
113°
113°
97°
edge angle φ2
Θ1 (|θ1-φ1|)
27°
23°
25°
15°
29°
31°
Θ2 (|φ2-θ2|)
23°
7°
25°
15°
21°
1°
|Θ1-Θ2|
4°
16°
0°
0°
8°
30°
Lug
inner
8 mm
8 mm
10 mm
13 mm
6 mm
3 mm
groove
side
width
outer
8 mm
8 mm
6 mm
3 mm
10 mm
13 mm
side
Pattern noise
control
−1.1 dB
+0.9 dB
(as measured
by instrument)
Pattern noise
100
120
80
(as evaluated
by feeling)
Performance
100
100
100
on wet road
surfaces
It is clear that the reason why the pattern noise of the Embodiment 2 tire was low is that the magnitudes of the pitch noises generated from the blocks were set to be the same at the left and right of the tire equatorial plane CL (|Θ 1 −Θ 2 |=0) such that the pattern noises canceled each other out, in the same way as in the first embodiment.
It is clear that the reason why the pattern noise of the Comparative Example 2 tire was high is that the magnitudes of the pitch noises generated from the blocks differed greatly at the left and right of the tire equatorial plane CL (i.e., |Θ 1 −Θ 2 | was large).
From the standpoint of feeling as well, the pattern noise of the Embodiment 2 tire to which the present invention was applied was less than that of the Conventional Example 2 tire and the Comparative Example 2 tire.
The performances on wet road surfaces of the Embodiment 2 tire, the Conventional Example 2 tire, and the Comparative Example 2 tire were all the same. | An angle, which is formed by a tire leading edge side contour line of a ground-contact configuration and a side surface of a leading edge side of a block of a first block row disposed along a tire circumferential direction, and an angle, which is formed by the tire leading edge side contour line of the ground-contact configuration and a side surface of a leading edge side of a block of a second block row disposed parallel to and asymmetrically to the first block row, are set to be substantially equal. In this way, levels of pitch noises of the first block row and the second block row can be made equal. By adjusting tire circumferential direction phases of blocks of the first block row and the second block row, the pitch noises of the same level interfere with one another. A reduction in pattern noise is thereby achieved without changing a negative ratio. | 8 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to methods for manufacturing a semiconductor photodetector whose spectral sensitivity is controlled to the visible light region.
[0002] As a photodetector, a CdS cell having spectral sensitivity characteristics as shown in FIG. 6 has been widely used. However, since cadmium is high in environmental burdens and falls under a controlled substance by RohS command of EU, cadmium will be prohibited to use within EU from July 2006. As a replacement of cadmium, a photodetector formed from silicon has been used. In order to compose a photodetector with a silicon phototransistor, spectral sensitivity characteristics of silicon ( FIG. 7 ) needs to be coordinated with relative luminous characteristics ( FIG. 8 ) which is sensitivity of human eyes.
[0003] In order to achieve this, conventionally, after fabricating a silicon light receiving element, an optical thin film filter composed of multiple thin films in which an oxide silicon (SiO 2 ) film and a titanium oxide (TiO 2 ) film are alternatively laminated has been provided at a light receiving surface of a silicon light receiving element within a vacuum plasma evaporating apparatus in an optical multiple thin film evaporation step 31 as shown in FIG. 9 . The silicon light receiving element is adhered to a substrate in a die bonding step 32 , and a wire is connected between the silicon light receiving element and a pad of the substrate in a wire bonding step 33 . The silicon light receiving element is then sealed by a transparent resin in a transfer molding step 34 and is cut into individual semiconductor photodetectors in a separating step 35 .
[0004] By the above-mentioned arrangement, spectral sensitivity of the infrared region within the spectral sensitivity of silicon is decreased by the optical thin film filter such that entire sensitivity can be approximated to relative luminous characteristics ( FIG. 8 ) (see, for example Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 15044/1997).
[0005] However, formation of an optical thin film filter of the multilayer thin film formed by alternatively laminating an oxide silicon (SiO 2 ) film and a titanium oxide (TiO 2 ) film is a troublesome task in terms of time and processes and results in high cost. In other words, the multilayer thin film is formed by multiple times of vacuum plasma evaporation, and a bonding pad is etched to be open for electrical connection after the formation of the multilayer film. These processes require special techniques in addition to the time consuming processes thus resulting in high cost.
[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide methods for manufacturing a semiconductor photodetector having spectral sensitivity characteristics close to relative luminous characteristics at low cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor photodetector of the invention includes steps of sealing at least a light receiving surface side of a semiconductor light receiving element having high spectral sensitivity in wavelengths from at least a visible light region to infrared region with a sealing resin, comprising steps of: preparing a dispersion liquid including boride of one or more elements selected from La, Pr, Nd, Ce, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo or W, ruthenium oxide or iridium oxide of micro particles whose particle diameter is not more than approximately 100 nm are dispersed therein by a solvent: preparing the sealing resin by mixing the prepared dispersion liquid with a transparent resin; sealing the semiconductor light receiving element by the prepared sealing resin; and removing the solvent in the sealing resin.
[0008] The method for manufacturing a semiconductor photodetector of the invention also includes steps of sealing at least a light receiving surface side of a semiconductor light receiving element having high spectral sensitivity in wavelengths from at least a visible light region to infrared region with a sealing resin, comprising steps of: preparing a dispersion liquid including boride of one or more elements selected from La, Pr, Nd, Ce, Y, Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo or W, ruthenium oxide or iridium oxide of micro particles whose particle diameter is not more than approximately 100 nm are dispersed therein by a solvent: mixing the prepared dispersion liquid with a base resin of a transparent resin of a two liquid type; removing the solvent in the mixed transparent resin; preparing the sealing resin by mixing a hardening agent of a transparent resin of a two liquid type with the transparent resin in which the solvent is removed; and sealing the semiconductor light receiving element by the prepared sealing resin.
[0009] It should be noted that the removal of the solvent is preferably performed by vacuum heating to the extent the resin is not hardened.
[0010] According to methods for manufacturing a semiconductor photodetector of the present invention, sealing resin in which micro particles having infrared blocking characteristics are dispersed is used to enhance effects of a filter. Therefore, fabrication becomes simpler compared to that of a conventional method in which effects of a filter is enhanced by forming multiple films, thereby fabrication can be achieved at low cost. Furthermore, a solvent of a dispersion liquid in which micro particles are dispersed is processed to be removed prior to hardening of the resin, thereby a situation such as an occurrence of cracks in the sealing resin as a package can be prevented in a reflow soldering process for mounting a fabricated semiconductor photodetector. The semiconductor photodetector of the present invention can be widely used as a detector for controlling liquid crystal backlight of such as portable devices (such as cellular phones and PDA) and personal computers, for controlling automatic lighting of such as house light and security light, for controlling electric flash of cameras or for controlling other devices.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a manufacturing method of a semiconductor photodetector of Example 1;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a manufacturing method of a semiconductor photodetector of Example 2;
[0013] FIG. 3 is an illustration view showing a manufacturing method according to Example 1;
[0014] FIGS. 4 ( a ) to 4 ( c ) are illustration views showing measurement results in manufacturing processes in the cases sealing resin mixed with dispersion liquid is used and sealing resin not mixed with dispersion liquid is used;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a characteristic diagram in which contents of “Ave” in FIG. 4 ( c ) are shown in a graph;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing spectral sensitivity characteristics of CdS;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing spectral sensitivity characteristics of a silicon phototransistor;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing standard relative luminous characteristics; and
[0019] FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a manufacturing method of a conventional semiconductor photodetector.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] In the present Example, a semiconductor light receiving element is composed of a compound semiconductor such as silicon or gallium arsenide, gallium phosphide, indium phosphide, and a material with high spectral sensitivity at least from the visible light region to the infrared region (a material with characteristics shown in FIG. 7 ) is used. As a resin for sealing a light receiving surface of the semiconductor light receiving element, a transparent sealing resin (for example an epoxy resin) in which micro particles of such as lanthanum boride (LaB 6 ) whose particle diameter is not more than approximately 100 nm are dispersed is used.
[0021] A reason for selecting such as lanthanum boride is that it has high light blocking characteristics for wavelengths in the infrared region compared to other metal oxide. When fluorescent light or sunlight enters inside a sealing resin in which micro particles of lanthanum boride are dispersed and encounters lanthanum boride, electromagnetic waves at frequencies lower than plasma frequencies of lanthanum boride cause total reflection. Hereat, plasma frequency is the number of frequency of free electrons generated by loose density of electron distribution of a solid substance. Electromagnetic waves in higher frequency than the frequency of plasma frequency pass through and electromagnetic waves in lower frequency are totally reflected. In the case of lanthanum boride, wavelengths of frequency causing total reflection are present in the infrared region.
[0022] A reason for selecting micro particles whose particle diameter is not more than approximately 100 nm is to suppress visible light (wavelengths between 400 to 700 nm) to be reflected by scattering. In other words, when a particle diameter of a micro particle is less than the wavelengths of visible light, light scattering by the micro particle becomes mainly Rayleigh scattering. The scattering enlarges in proportion to the square of the particle volume, namely the sextuplicate of the particle diameter. Therefore, a smaller particle diameter results in a sharp reduction in scattering, thereby transparency relative to the visible light is increased. The high transparency relative to visible light can be obtained by particle diameters less than ¼ of the wavelengths of visible light (approximately less than 100 nm).
[0023] As described above, micro particles such as lanthanum boride (LaB 6 ) whose particle diameter is not more than approximately 100 nm have particular characteristics that block light at wavelengths in the infrared region and transmit light in the visible light region whose wavelengths are shorter than that of the infrared region when micro particles are dispersed in the transparent resin.
[0024] As micro particles with infrared blocking characteristics which is dispersed in the transparent resin, boride micro particles of such as praseodymium boride (PrB 6 ), neodymium boride (NdB 6 ), cerium boride (CeB 6 ), yttrium boride YB 6 ), titanium boride (TiB 2 ), zirconium boride (ZrB 2 ), hafnium boride (HfB 2 ), vanadium boride (VB 2 ), tantalum boride (TaB 2 ), chromium boride (CrB, CrB 2 ), molybdenum boride (MoB 2 , Mo 2 B 5 , MoB) or tungsten boride (W 2 B 5 ) are typically used besides the above-mentioned lanthanum boride (LaB 6 ), and one or two or more of those can be used.
[0025] Furthermore, instead of those boride micro particles or in addition to those boride micro particles, ruthenium oxide micro particles or iridium oxide micro particles may be added. Typical examples of oxide micro particles are micro particles of ruthenium dioxide (RuO 2 ), lead ruthenate (Pb 2 Ru 2 O 6.5 ), bismuth ruthenate (Bi 2 Ru 2 O 7 ), iridium dioxide (IrO 2 ), bismuth iridate (Bi 2 Ir 2 O 7 ) and lead iridate (Pb 2 Ir 2 O 6.5 ). Micro particles of ruthenium oxide or iridium oxide are stable oxide, have a large amount of free electrons and are high in blocking characteristics of the infrared region.
[0026] The above-described boride micro particles and oxide micro particles are also superior in heat resistance. Therefore, degradation of blocking characteristics of infrared light is not recognized in the case heat is applied for a reflow soldering process which is required to mount a semiconductor device.
EXAMPLE 1
[0027] FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a manufacturing method of a semiconductor photodetector of Example 1 and FIG. 3 is an illustration view thereof. In a die bonding step 11 , a plurality of chips 2 of the semiconductor light receiving element is placed in a given distance and adhered to an integrated substrate 1 to be a base of a package. Each chip 2 is connected to the integrated substrate 1 by a wire 3 in a wire bonding step 12 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the periphery of a top surface of the integrated substrate 1 is entirely enclosed by a dam 4 in a resin application step 13 , and premanufactured sealing resin 5 is applied thereon with a dispenser 6 to collectively seal the plurality of chips 2 by the resin.
[0028] The preparation of the sealing resin 5 used in the resin application step 13 will now be explained. In a dispersion liquid preparation step 17 , 5% by weight of the micro particles of lanthanum boride is dispersed in toluene to prepare dispersion liquid (KHF-7A dispersion liquid: manufactured by Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd., insolation blocking dispersion liquid—95 wt % of toluene, 5 wt % of LaB 6 ) having infrared blocking characteristics. A surface active agent or coupling agent may be added as required at this time. The dispersion liquid is agitated and mixed by being added to a transparent epoxy resin of one liquid type to prepare the transparent sealing resin 5 in a sealing resin preparation step 18 . The agitation is performed approximately 10 minutes by for example a commercially available automatic agitating-defoaming device.
[0029] In a vacuum heating-defoaming step 14 , a vacuum heating-defoaming process is performed for an hour at 2.6 kPa, 55° C. By the vacuum heating-defoaming step 14 , void taken in the sealing resin 5 and toluene being a solvent of the dispersion liquid are evaporated to an extent that the sealing resin 5 is not hardened.
[0030] A resin hardening process is performed in a following resin hardening step 15 . The resin hardening process including two stages is performed for 6 hours at 80° C. and 2 hours at 150° C. Hereat, the minimum condition of the first stage is a condition in which toluene which has not been expelled in the vacuum heating-defoaming step 14 is positively removed from the sealing resin. In case toluene remains within the sealing resin of a finished product, there is a probability that a crack may occur in a package in the reflow soldering process.
[0031] Finally, final products of individual semiconductor photodetectors are obtained by cutting in a separating process 16 .
[0032] The inventors of the present invention have prepared five samples of the sealing resin 5 in which only transparent epoxy resin (liquid resin of bisphenol-A) is used as the transparent resin 5 and five samples of the sealing resin 5 in which 2.5 g of KHF-7A dispersion liquid (95% of toluene and 5% of micro particles of lanthanum boride) being mixed into 50 g of transparent epoxy resin is used as the sealing resin. The respective samples are sealed by a resin. The result is shown in FIG. 4 .
[0033] FIG. 4 ( a ) shows used materials, FIG. 4 ( b ) shows measured weights in each step and FIG. 4 ( c ) shows a comparison of change in the evaporated quantity of the transparent epoxy resin and KHF-7A mixed resin. “Substrate” represents an integrated substrate on which die bonding and wire bonding are performed. For example, “application quantity” of the KHF-7A mixed resin is 2.33 g in sample No. 6 of FIG. 4 ( b ), and the quantity of toluene at this time is 2.33×5%×95%=0.110675 g. Relative to this, the quantity of toluene is decreased by 0.14 g from 2.33 g by the vacuum heating defoamation and is finally decreased by 0.41 g from 2.33 g to confirm the decrease in excess of the quantity of toluene.
[0034] FIG. 5 is a graph showing values in “Ave” of FIG. 4 ( c ). It is clearly confirmed that toluene is removed by the vacuum heating-defoaming step.
EXAMPLE 2
[0035] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a method of manufacturing a semiconductor photodetector of Example 2. Example 2 is different from Example 1 in that epoxy resin of a two liquid type including a base resin and a hardening agent is used as the sealing resin. In the case of using the epoxy resin of the two liquid type as the transparent resin, the dispersion liquid is added to the base resin to be mixed in a mixing step 19 of epoxy base resin of two liquid type. The mixed resin is processed by vacuum heating defoaming in a vacuum heating-defoaming step 20 to remove toluene. Then, the sealing resin is prepared by mixing the hardening agent in a mixing step 21 of epoxy hardening agent of two liquid type. In the process, it is possible to omit the vacuum heating-defoaming process 15 . However, it is desirably to adopt the step in view of complete removal of toluene and removal of void. | A method of manufacturing a semiconductor photodetector having spectral sensitivity close to relative luminous characteristics at low cost includes steps of sealing a light receiving surface side of a semiconductor light receiving element having high spectral sensitivity in wavelengths from the visible light region to infrared region with a sealing resin, a semiconductor photodetector is made by preparing dispersion liquid by dispersing micro particles having infrared blocking characteristics not more than 100 nm in toluene, preparing a sealing resin by mixing the dispersion liquid in a transparent resin, sealing the semiconductor light receiving element with the resin, removing toluene in the sealing resin by defoaming and hardening sealing resin thereafter. | 8 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention generally relates to structural members for use in vehicles having dampened noise and vibration characteristics. More specifically, the invention relates to methods for forming laminated tubular components for use as structural members in vehicles, and products of such methods.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] For various applications, there is a high desire for structural members with high strength to weight ratios. This is particularly true in the automotive industry where designers constantly strive to lower the weight of automobiles. In the result, a number of attempts have been made to reduce the weight of various structural members without affecting the strength and integrity of such components. These structural members include pillars (e.g. windshield pillars and centre pillars), rockers, support beams, drive shafts, side impact beams, bumpers, and crossmembers. The desire to reduce the weight of vehicles stems from a drive to increase vehicle fuel efficiency. To achieve this goal, many of the above structural components have been formed as hollow members.
[0005] Although providing reduced weight, the stiffness of these components is greatly reduced, thereby resulting in increased vibration and noise. One solution to this problem has been to use hollow components filled with expandable foam, such as high-density plastic foam. Although such foam increases the stiffness of the hollow structural member, it still results in an increase in the weight of the component. Moreover, the filling of the hollow component with foam has associated with it various disadvantages. One of these disadvantages is the requirement of having at least one end of the component to remain open or to provide filling holes along the length of the component. Since most tubular members are flattened at their ends, the latter route is normally taken. However, adding holes to the members increases the production time and, therefore cost, of the product as well as leading to a reduction in the structural integrity of the component.
[0006] U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,506,188 and 4,744,539 teach methods for dampening vibration in automobiles using resilient components. The following U.S. patents teach laminated metal sheets that can be used in constructing automobiles etc. and which serve to dampen vibration and/or noise: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,678,707; 4,851,271; and, 5,338,599. The contents of the above patents are incorporated herein by reference.
[0007] U.S. publication No. 2002/0178584 discloses a composite laminate structure to provide structural components having increased stiffness and reduced weight. In this reference, an expandable foam layer is laminated to a surface of an insert forming the structural member. However, the process to produce such component is relatively complicated and time consuming.
[0008] There exists a need for an improved means of fabricating structural components with high strength to weight ratios.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a hollow structural member for an automobile having a double wall formed from a laminate of two metal sheets.
[0010] In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for forming a hollow structural member for an automobile comprising:
a) providing a hollow tube having a double wall comprising a laminate of two metal sheets; b) forming the tube into said structural member.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] 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:
[0014] FIG. 1 is perspective view of a typical vehicle cross member.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a structural member or component for automobiles and the like. An example of one such member, an automobile frame crossmember is illustrated in FIG. 1 . As can be seen, such member is generally hollow and is formed into a desired three-dimensional shape. Persons skilled in the art will understand that the final shape of the cross member will depend on its location on the vehicle frame and the type of cross member (i.e. a crossmember for supporting the vehicle's radiator, a front or rear suspension cross member etc.).
[0016] In accordance with the invention, the crossmember of FIG. 1 has the shape of crossmembers commonly known. However, the crossmember is formed from a tube having a double wall or laminate construction. The tube is formed from, for example, a laminate of two metal sheets that are joined together. The sheets may be affixed to one another directly or with a resin or polymer sheet provided there between. The above-mentioned prior art references teach laminate sheets that are designed for vibration dampening. One such product is commercially available under the name Quiet Steel™, which is sold by MSC Laminates and Composites Inc (Elk Grove Village, Ill., USA). This product comprises a three layer laminate having a non-metal sheet sandwiched between two metal sheets. Such commercially available laminates can be used in the present invention. Further, a laminate of two metal sheets without a centre, non-metal layer may also be used.
[0017] In the initial step, a laminate sheet (as described above) is provided, the sheet having sound and/or vibration dampening characteristics. The sheet is formed into a tube, as is commonly known in the art. Once made as a tube, the component is then formed into the desired 3-D shape. Such forming can be accomplished by any known means such as bending, crimping, hydroforming or any combination thereof.
[0018] It has been found that components formed in the above manner are characterized with greatly improved sound and/or vibration dampening.
[0019] The above description has been focussed on vehicular crossmembers. However, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art the above method can be used to form various other structural components, particularly those for vehicles, to achieve the same qualities.
[0020] 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. | A tubular structural member of an automobile wherein such member includes a double wall construction. Such product is initially formed from a double walled tube. The resulting member exhibits superior sound and/or vibration dampening without sacrificing stiffness or strength. | 4 |
CLAIM FOR PRIORITY
[0001] This non-provisional application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/384,734, of the same title, filed May 31, 2002.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to canister-style cup dispensers and more particularly to a paper cup dispenser for at least 2 different size cups adapted to provide variable extraction force suited to particular cup sizes.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Cup dispensers with dispensing apertures for dispensing cups are known in the art. Canister-style dispensers may be wall mounted or may have an associated stand for placing on a countertop, table or the like. See U.S. Pat. No. Des. 245,549 and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 316,199 to Brown, for examples.
[0004] Cup dispensers with apertures having variable dispensing aperture dimensions are likewise known. There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,243 to Bennett a device for dispensing cups, pitchers, or other novelty items. The dispenser includes a dispensing aperture with rows of teeth as are shown in FIG. 5 of the '243 patent. The teeth may be made of polypropylene and the dispensing member is generally described in Col. 2 of the '243 patent as being about 6 inches in diameter and having an axial length of about one inch. There is provided upper and lower rows of teeth which project inwardly different distances. The dispensing member described in the '243 patent thus requires considerable space, making it less suited to environments where space is at a premium. Moreover, the axially spaced sets of teeth dictate a difficult to fabricate essentially 3 dimensional structure which may be manufactured in multiple steps or assembled from discrete parts. It is further noted that the '243 patent is directed to dispensers for plastic cups and the like where cup deformation and damage is largely a non-issue. See Col. 1, lines 5-7.
[0005] Another cup dispenser is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,316 to Jolly et al. In the '316 patent a dispensing aperture is defined by a membrane or film which is cut to adapt it to dispense cups of different sizes. This process is irreversible, since once the membrane is cut to accommodate a larger size cup, it is no longer suitable for smaller cups. So also, the film or membrane would need to be carefully tensioned to operate properly, with perhaps little margin for error.
[0006] Still yet other dispensers are disclosed in the following: U.S. Pat. No. 2,584,941 to Taubert; U.S. Pat. No. 3,581,934 to Sciascia; U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,636 to D'Ercoli et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,023 to Filipowicz; U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,444 to Carroll; U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,248 to House; U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,058 to Ozawa; U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,605 to Hadtke et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,803 to Vine; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,723 to Collins et al.
[0007] The present invention is generally directed to a paper cup dispenser adapted to dispense cups of different sizes with different extraction forces suited to different size paper cups. In this manner, the inventive dispenser provides for ease of dispensing, consistency of single cup dispensing, control of cup damage and simplified dispenser design.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0008] A cup dispenser for dispensing disposable cups of differing size with variable extraction force in accordance with the present invention includes a housing configured to receive a stack of disposable cups, the housing defining a housing opening as well as support means for receiving a dispensing ring member; a first and a second interchangeable dispensing rings, each of which rings is adapted to be selectively mounted on the support means of the dispenser housing at the housing opening to define a dispensing aperture, and each of which rings is configured to retain the stack of cups in the dispenser housing and require a predetermined extraction force to remove a cup from the stack. The first interchangeable dispensing ring includes a first support ring with a first plurality of equally spaced dispensing tabs anchored about their bases to an interior surface of the first support ring in substantially a single plane, wherein each of the first plurality of tabs projects inwardly a first predetermined distance and are thus configured to require a first predetermined extraction force to remove a cup of a first diameter from the stack of disposable cups retained in the housing thereby. A second interchangeable dispensing ring for dispensing cups of a different size includes a second support ring with a second plurality of equally spaced dispensing tabs anchored about their bases to an interior surface of the second support ring in substantially a single plane, wherein each of the second plurality of tabs projects inwardly a second predetermined distance and are thus configured to require a second predetermined extraction force to remove a cup of a second diameter from the stack of disposable cups retained in the housing thereby.
[0009] The cup dispenser is typically configured such that the first predetermined extraction force required to remove a cup of a first brim diameter from a stack of disposable cups retained in the housing differs from the second predetermined extraction force required to remove a cup of a second brim diameter from a stack of disposable cups retained in the housing of the dispenser. The dispenser is typically sized for cups having a brim diameter in the range of from about 65 mm to about 85 mm, such as paper cups provided with a curled brim. In one preferred embodiment, the first interchangeable dispensing ring is configured to require an extraction force of from about 0.8 lbs to about 1.4 lbs to remove a paper cup from the stack thereof retained in the housing when the paper cups have a brim diameter of about 70 mm. In such a case, the first plurality of dispensing tabs may define a dispensing diameter of about 66 mm. The second interchangeable dispensing ring may be configured to require an extraction force of from about 1.4 lbs to about 5 lbs to remove a paper cup from the stack thereof retained in the housing when the paper cups have a brim diameter of about 78 mm. To require this extraction force, the second plurality of dispensing tabs define a dispensing diameter of about 72 mm. Suitable extraction force ranges may respectively be from about 0.9 lbs to about 1.2 lbs for the smaller ring and from about 2 lbs to about 4 lbs for the larger ring if so desired.
[0010] The first and second interchangeable dispensing rings are advantageously integrally formed of a polymeric material and have their dispensing tabs angled downwardly with respect to the plane in which the bases of the tabs are anchored to their respective support rings at an angle of from about 5° to about 25°. Typically, the dispensing rings are injection molded from a polymeric material such as polyethylene polymers, for example, LDPE, HDPE, or a polypropylene polymer and include 4 to 8 dispensing tabs in some embodiments.
[0011] Polypropylene polymers which are suitable are preferably selected from the group consisting of isotactic polypropylene, and copolymers of propylene and ethylene wherein the ethylene moiety is less than about 10% of the units making up the polymer, and mixtures thereof. Generally, such polymers have a melt flow index from about 0.3 to about 4. A suitable polymer is isotactic polypropylene with a melt-flow index of about 1.5.
[0012] A polyethylene polymer for use in connection wit the invention may be any suitable polyethylene such as HDPE, LDPE, MDPE, LLDPE or mixtures thereof and may be melt-blended with polypropylene if so desired. The various polyethylene polymers referred to herein are described at length in the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science & Engineering (2d Ed.), Vol. 6; pp: 383-522, Wiley 1986; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. HDPE refers to high density polyethylene which is substantially linear and has a density of generally greater that 0.94 up to about 0.97 g/cc. LDPE refers to low density polyethylene which is characterized by relatively long chain branching and a density of about 0.912 g/cc to about 0.925 g/cc. LLDPE or linear low density polyethylene is characterized by short chain branching and a density of from about 0.92 g/cc to about 0.94 g/cc. Finally, intermediate density polyethylene (MDPE) is characterized by relatively low branching and a density of from about 0.925 g/cc to about 0.94 g/cc. The polymer materials may include mineral fillers such as talc, mica or glass.
[0013] The dispensing tabs are most preferably configured to each have a central portion projecting inwardly to define the dispensing diameter of their respective dispensing rings and lateral passive portions adjacent their central portions which project inwardly a lesser distance than their central portions. In some configurations, the central portions of the tabs of at least one of the dispensing rings extend around at least 180° of the periphery of the dispensing aperture of the dispenser, while the central portions of the tabs of the other dispensing ring extend around less than 180° of the periphery of the dispensing aperture of the dispenser. The central portions of the tabs may have rounded corners at the edges of their central portions defining the dispensing diameters of their respective dispensing rings. Typically, the first plurality of tabs and the second plurality of tabs have a thickness of from about 0.5 mm to about 1 mm. So also, the first and second dispensing rings are provided with indicia indicating a cup size the respective ring is adapted to dispense.
[0014] In another aspect of the present invention, a dual-purpose dispensing ring configured to require different extraction forces for different size cups is fitted to the dispenser. There is thus provided a cup dispenser for dispensing disposable cups of differing size with variable extraction force including a housing configured to receive a stack of disposable cups, the housing defining a housing opening as well as support means for receiving a dispensing ring, a variable extraction force dispensing ring mounted at the housing opening configured to retain the stack of cups in the dispenser housing and require a predetermined extraction force to remove a cup from the stack, the variable extraction force dispensing ring comprising a support ring with a first and second plurality of equally spaced dispensing tabs anchored about their bases to an interior surface of the support ring in substantially a single plane, wherein each of the first plurality of tabs projects inwardly a first predetermined distance and each of the second plurality of tabs projects inwardly a second predetermined distance.
[0015] The first plurality of dispensing tabs and said second plurality of dispensing tabs of the dual purpose dispensing ring are thus configured to require a first predetermined extraction force to remove a cup of a first brim diameter from a stack retained in the housing and to require a second predetermined extraction force to remove a cup of a second brim diameter from a stack retained in the housing. Here again, the first predetermined extraction force required to remove a cup of a first brim diameter from a stack of disposable cups retained in the housing differs from the second predetermined extraction force required to remove a cup of a second brim diameter from a stack of disposable cups retained in the housing of the dispenser. The cup dispenser is adapted to dispense disposable cups of differing size having a brim diameter in the range of from about 65 mm to about 85 mm. This embodiment is likewise suitable to dispense a stack of paper cups provided with a curled brim, requiring the same extraction forces noted above, that is to say, the first plurality of tabs of the dispensing ring are generally configured to require an extraction force of from about 0.8 lbs to about 1.4 lbs to remove a paper cup from the stack thereof retained in the housing when the cups have a brim diameter of about 70 mm and may define a first dispensing diameter of about 66 mm, whereas the dispensing ring is configured to require an extraction force of from about 1.4 lbs to about 5 lbs to remove a paper cup from the stack thereof retained in the housing when the cups have a brim diameter of about 78 mm. The second plurality of dispensing tabs may define another dispensing diameter of about 72 mm. The first and second plurality of dispensing tabs may include 4 tabs each and generally have the features noted above. The combination dispensing ring is likewise injection molded in preferred embodiments from polyethylene or polypropylene.
[0016] There is thus generally provided a cup dispenser for dispensing cups of differing size with variable extraction force including a housing configured to receive a stack of disposable cups, the housing defining a housing opening as well as support means for receiving a dispensing ring member; means for defining a dispensing aperture at the housing opening comprising at least one dispensing ring mounted on the housing support means therefor, the means for defining the dispensing aperture being generally configured to releasably retain the stack of disposable cups within said housing and require a predetermined extraction force to extract a cup from the stack in the housing, the required predetermined extraction force being variable depending upon the brim diameter of the cup, wherein the means for defining the dispensing aperture is selected from the group consisting of: a first and a second interchangeable dispensing rings, each of which rings is adapted to be selectively mounted on the support means of the dispenser housing to define a dispensing aperture, and each of which rings is configured to retain the stack of cups in the dispenser housing and require a predetermined extraction force to remove a cup from the stack, the first interchangeable dispensing ring comprising a first support ring with a first plurality of equally spaced dispensing tabs anchored about their bases to an interior surface of the first support ring in substantially a single plane, wherein each of the first plurality of tabs projects inwardly a first predetermined distance and are thus configured to require a first predetermined extraction force to remove a cup of a first diameter from the stack of disposable cups retained in the housing thereby, the second interchangeable dispensing ring comprising a second support ring with a second plurality of equally spaced dispensing tabs anchored about their bases to an interior surface of the second support ring in substantially a single plane, wherein each of the second plurality of tabs projects inwardly a second predetermined distance and are thus configured to require a second predetermined extraction force to remove a cup of a second diameter from the stack of disposable cups retained in the housing thereby; as well as a dual-purpose variable extraction force dispensing ring configured to retain the stack of cups in the dispenser housing and require a predetermined extraction force to remove a cup from the stack. The variable extraction force dispensing ring comprises a third support ring with a third and fourth plurality of equally spaced dispensing tabs anchored about their bases to an interior surface of the third support ring in substantially a single plane, wherein each of the third plurality of tabs projects inwardly a third predetermined distance, each of the fourth plurality of tabs projects inwardly a fourth predetermined distance, the third plurality of dispensing tabs and said fourth plurality of dispensing tabs being thus configured to require a first predetermined extraction force to remove a cup of a first brim diameter from a stack retained in the housing and to require a second predetermined extraction force to remove a cup of a second brim diameter from a stack retained in the housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0017] The invention is described in detail below in connection with the drawings wherein like numbers designate similar parts and wherein:
[0018] [0018]FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of a cup dispenser constructed in accordance with the present invention housing a stack of disposable cups;
[0019] [0019]FIG. 2 is a view in section and elevation of the cup dispenser and cups of FIG. 1 along line 2 - 2 ;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the stack of paper cups and the cup dispenser of FIG. 1 showing the various parts thereof;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 4 is a top view of the dispenser of FIG. 1;
[0022] [0022]FIG. 5 is a detail generally along line 5 - 5 of FIG. 4 illustrating operation of the inventive cup dispenser and in particular the operation of a dispensing ring retaining a stack of paper cups;
[0023] FIGS. 6 A- 6 I are views in perspective of various dispensing ring designs which were tested in a dispenser of a general class shown in FIGS. 1 through 5;
[0024] [0024]FIG. 7 is a bar graph illustrating the extraction force required to remove a 7 ounce cup from the dispenser of FIG. 1 fitted with a dispensing ring of the various designs shown in FIGS. 6 A- 6 I made from polypropylene;
[0025] [0025]FIG. 8 is a bar graph illustrating the extraction force required to remove a 7 ounce cup from the dispenser of FIG. 1 fitted with a dispensing ring of the various designs shown in FIGS. 6 A- 61 made from LDPE or HDPE;
[0026] [0026]FIG. 9 is a bar graph illustrating the extraction force required to remove a 9 ounce cup from the dispenser of FIG. 1 fitted with a dispensing ring of the type shown in FIGS. 6 A- 6 I made from polypropylene;
[0027] [0027]FIG. 10 is a bar graph illustrating the extraction force required to remove a 9 ounce cup from the dispenser of FIG. 1 fitted with a dispensing ring of the type shown in FIGS. 6 A- 6 I made from LDPE or HDPE;
[0028] [0028]FIG. 11 is a view in perspective of a dispensing ring for the dispenser of FIG. 1 particularly adapted to dispense 7 ounce cups;
[0029] [0029]FIG. 12 is a plan view of the dispensing ring of FIG. 11;
[0030] [0030]FIG. 13 is a view in elevation of the dispensing ring of FIGS. 11 and 12;
[0031] [0031]FIG. 14 is a detail of the dispensing ring of FIGS. 11 through 13 along line 14 - 14 of FIG. 12;
[0032] [0032]FIG. 15 is a view in perspective of a dispensing ring for use in connection with the dispenser of FIG. 1 and following particularly adapted to dispense 9 ounce cups;
[0033] [0033]FIG. 16 is a plan view of the dispensing ring of FIG. 15;
[0034] [0034]FIG. 17 is a view in elevation of the dispensing ring of FIGS. 15 and 16;
[0035] [0035]FIG. 18 is a detail of the dispensing ring of FIGS. 15 through 17 along line 18 - 18 of FIG. 16;
[0036] [0036]FIG. 19 is a view in perspective of a dual-purpose 7 and 9 ounce cup dispensing ring for use in connection with the dispenser of FIG. 1 adapted to dispense both 7 and 9 ounce paper cups;
[0037] [0037]FIG. 20 is a plan view of the dispensing ring of FIG. 19;
[0038] [0038]FIG. 21 is a view in elevation of the dispensing ring of FIGS. 19 and 20; and
[0039] [0039]FIG. 22 is a detail of the dispensing ring of FIGS. 19 through 21 along lines 22 - 22 of FIG. 20.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0040] The invention is described in detail below for purposes of exemplification and illustration only. Modifications to the various embodiments shown within the spirit and scope of the present invention, set forth in the appended claims, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art.
[0041] Referring generally to FIGS. 1 through 5 there is shown a paper cup dispenser 10 for receiving a stack 12 of paper cups such as cups 14 , 16 and so forth. Each cup is generally frustoconical in shape and has at its upper portion a rolled brim having an outer diameter D b which is useful for reinforcing the cup structure and also is utilized in connection with the dispensing rings of the present invention as will become apparent from the discussion which follows. The dispenser of FIGS. 1 through 5 is particularly suited for receiving stacks of 7 ounce and 9 ounce cups as are well known in the art and of standard sizes.
[0042] Dispenser 10 includes a housing 18 having generally a canister 20 made up of a first semi-cylindrical member 22 and a second semi-cylindrical member 24 . The housing also has a top 26 which may be friction fit or a screw top as well as a bottom 28 provided with an opening 29 as well as threads 34 as shown particularly in FIG. 3.
[0043] Dispenser member 22 is further provided with a sight port 30 adapted to retain a sight window 32 so that the presence of cups in the dispenser may be monitored.
[0044] In one embodiment the dispenser is preferably provided with a pair of interchangeable rings 36 and 38 which are to be used alternately depending on the cup size desired to be dispensed. In other words, ring 36 may be particularly adapted and dimensioned to dispense 7 ounce cups while dispensing ring 38 may be particularly adapted to dispense 9 ounce cups as further described in the discussion which follows hereinafter. Generally speaking, the dispensing rings include a dispensing opening such as openings 40 and 42 , a support ring such as rings 44 and 46 as well as a plurality of dispensing tabs such as tabs 48 and 50 shown particularly in FIGS. 3 and 5. It should be noted that the dispensing ring includes a shoulder such as shoulders 52 and 54 on the support ring which are adapted to rest on a lip 56 as well as engage a shelf 58 in the dispenser when the bottom 28 is screwed into canister member 20 to retain the ring. The cups may be added from the top; that is to say, top 26 is removed and the cups put in the dispenser which are retained by a dispensing ring which is ring 36 or 38 by way of a dispensing tabs such as tab 48 or tab 50 . The actual operation of the dispenser is better appreciated by reference to FIG. 5 wherein it can be seen that a dispensing ring such as interchangeable dispensing ring 36 is mounted between shelf 58 and lip 56 of the housing such that the plurality of dispensing tabs such as tab 48 securely engage a curled rim 60 of a cup in stack 12 as shown in the diagram. That is to say, the dispensing tabs frictionally engage the brims of the cups, such as brim 60 and retains the stack 12 inside the dispenser. When it is desired to remove a cup the lower most cup such as cup 14 , is grasped by a user and drawn through the dispensing aperture that is opening 40 of ring 36 by virtue of an extraction force applied by a user.
[0045] It has been found in accordance with the present invention that it is critical to configure the dispensing tabs such that the amount of extraction force required to remove the cups is not too large or too small such that single cup dispensing without damage to the cup may be achieved. This force will vary depending upon the size of the cup being dispensed as well as the geometry and the material from which a dispensing ring such as dispensing rings 36 and 38 are fabricated. Most preferably, dispensing rings such as rings 36 and 38 , are integrally formed by way of injection molding such that the dispensing tabs and the support rings are of the same material. To this end, the base of the tabs is generally anchored in a single plane about the inner surface of the support ring as described in more detail in connection with specific dispensing rings.
[0046] In order to test various designs, a number of dispensing rings having the geometry shown in FIGS. 6A through 6I were fabricated from polypropylene, HDPE, and LDPE. The various designs for combination 7/9 ounce dispensing rings were dimensioned for use with 7 and 9 ounce cups having generally the brim dimensions shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1 Typical Cup Dimensions Capacity Fluid Ounces Brim Diameter inches/mm 7 2.75 ± 0.05/70 ± 1 9 3.08 ± 0.05/78 ± 1
[0047] These dispensing ring designs made from various materials were tested for single cup dispensability, degree of cup damage, and ease of dispensability in connection with 7 and 9 ounce paper cups. Results appear in Table 2.
TABLE 2 Comparative Performance Data 9 oz Cup Dispenser Lip Designs Single-Cup Dispensing Ring Dispensability % Degree of Cup Damage Ease of Dispensability Material Tab Design 7 oz cups 9 oz cups 7 oz cups 9 oz cups 7 oz cups 9 oz cups PP 6A * * * * * * PP 6B 38 100 None Slight Easy Med/Hard PP 6C 98 98 None None/Slight Very Easy Hard PP 6D 98 95 None Slight Easy Hard PP 6E 98 95 None Slight Easy Medium PP 6F 91 93 None Slight Easy Medium PP 6G 94 91 None None/Slight Easy Medium PP 6H 96 91 None Slight Easy Easy/Med PP 6I 91 91 None Slight Easy Easy/Med HDPE 6A 95 93 None Significant Very Easy Very Hard HDPE 6B 88 95 None Significant Easy Hard HDPE 6C 92 98 None Slight Easy Hard HDPE 6D 98 95 None Slight Easy Hard HDPE 6E 98 98 None Slight Easy/Med Medium LDPE 6A 1 65 None None Very Easy Easy LDPE 6B 0 83 None None Very Easy Easy LDPE 6C 0 72 None None Very Easy Easy LDPE 6D 0 95 None None Easy Easy LDPE 6E 0 8 None None Very Easy Easy LDPE + 5% Talc 6A 8 88 None None Easy Easy LDPE + 10% Talc 6A 4 88 None None Easy Easy LDPE + 15% Talc 6A 2 87 None None Easy Easy
[0048] It will be appreciated from Table 2 that the dispensing ring design as well as the material from which the dispensing ring is made greatly impacts performance of the dispenser. In order to more quantitatively characterize dispensing ring performance, an extraction force test was developed. The purpose of extraction force testing is to measure the force required to remove a cup from the dispenser. Combinations of different cup sizes and different dispensing rings exhibit different extraction forces. The equipment for the test consists of: 1) the dispenser(s), dispensing ring(s), and cup(s) of the size to be evaluated; 2) a hand-held force gauge capable of measuring and displaying the peak force encountered during dispensing; and 3) a lightweight metal hook, designed to pierce diametrically opposite side walls of the cup near the cup bottom, to attach the force gauge to the cup so that the cup/hook/gauge assembly can be pulled and so the force gauge can record the peak force encountered during extraction. The hook is attached to a sample cup and the cup is placed in the dispenser. The force gauge is attached to the hook and the cup/hook/gauge assembly is pulled manually to remove the cup from the dispenser and measure the peak force required to remove the cup. The rate at which the assembly is pulled mimics the rate at which a consumer would remove the cup from the dispenser. The rate is thus generally from about 3-12 inches per second and typically about 4-8 inches per second. The rate at which the assembly is pulled within this range is not believed critical. The process is repeated several times and an average force is determined for the particular cup size and dispensing ring combination being evaluated.
[0049] Results for 7 and 9 ounce cups using the dispensing rings of FIGS. 6 A- 6 I made from various materials appear in Table 3.
TABLE 3 Extraction Force Data Force 7 oz Cup Force 9 oz Cup Tab Material lbs lbs Design LDPE 0.67 1.80 6A LDPE 0.37 1.38 6D LDPE 0.48 1.31 6E HDPE 1.92 6.77 6A HDPE 1.37 5.25 6D HDPE 1.18 3.91 6E PP 1.49 5.42 6A PP 1.15 3.96 6E PP 0.84 3.76 6G PP 0.91 3.44 6H PP 1.17 3.62 6I
[0050] The extraction force data observed for the various designs and materials is also set forth in FIGS. 7 through 10.
[0051] [0051]FIG. 7 is a bar graph of the extraction force to remove a 7 ounce cup for various designs all made from polypropylene.
[0052] [0052]FIG. 8 is a bar graph of the extraction force for various designs of FIGS. 6A through 6I made from either HDPE or LDPE for 7 ounce cups.
[0053] [0053]FIG. 9 is a bar graph showing the extraction force observed for 9 ounce cups of various designs all made from polypropylene.
[0054] [0054]FIG. 10 is a bar graph of the extraction force for various designs of FIGS. 6A through 6I made from either HDPE or LDPE for 9 ounce cups.
[0055] Based on the test data, both qualitative and quantitative, it was found that for 7 ounce cups the extraction force was preferably from about 0.8 lbs to about 1.4 lbs having a maximum of about 1.5 lbs and a minimum amount of about 0.7 lbs. For 9 ounce cups, the preferred extraction force was from about 1.4 lbs to about 4 lbs having a maximum of about 5.25 lbs and a minimum of about 1.3 lbs. This data is summarized in Table 4.
TABLE 4 Preferred Extraction Forces Cup Extraction Force Volume Rim Diameter Extraction Force Maximum/(Min) (ounces) (inches/mm) Range (lbs) (lbs) 7 2.75 ± 0.05/70 ± 1 0.8-1.4 1.5 (0.7) 9 3.08 ± 0.05/78 ± 1 1.4-4 5.25 (1.3)
[0056] Based on the above findings, a dispensing ring design for a 7 ounce cup was arrived at as shown and described in connection with FIGS. 11 through 14. The particular dispensing ring was injection molded from polypropylene (Profax 857) available from Basell North America, Inc. of Wilmington, Del.
[0057] There is shown in FIGS. 11 through 14 a dispensing ring 100 including a support ring 102 with an inner surface 104 supporting a plurality of tabs 106 , 108 , 110 , and 112 . The tabs are further provided with indicia 114 indicating that the ring is suited for dispensing a 7 ounce cup. The support ring further includes a shoulder 116 adapted to be mounted on lip 56 of the bottom of dispenser 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and following such that it can be secured between lip 56 and lip 58 . Note that dispensing ring 100 is an interchangeable dispensing ring which can be alternately disposed in the dispenser of FIGS. 1 and following with a different size dispensing ring such as that shown in FIGS. 15 and following when it is desired to dispense a different size cup as will be readily appreciated from the discussion which follows.
[0058] Each of the four dispensing tabs 106 - 112 , projects inwardly from support ring 102 in order to engage the brim, such as brim 60 of a cup to be dispensed from dispenser 10 . The dispensing ring has the various dimensions shown in the diagram and summarized in Table 5 below. The support ring 102 has a ring height, h, of about 6.5 mm, for example. The aperture diameter, D m , is about 66 mm for a 7 ounce cup having a brim diameter of about 70 mm. Note that the aperture diameter is the distance between the central position of opposed dispensing tabs, as is shown in the diagram.
[0059] It should be noted from FIGS. 11 through 14 that each of the dispensing tabs 106 - 112 is anchored at its base 118 through 124 in a single plane 126 as shown. This feature makes it possible to fabricate the dispensing ring in a single injection molding operation by utilizing conventional equipment. Most preferably, each of the projections is angled downwardly with respect to plane 126 over an angle α of about 5 to about 25°.
[0060] As shown the dispensing rings are characterized by a dispensing diameter D m a projection thickness, T, a passive projection diameter D p and overall diameter D o , a projection distance P from inner surface 104 of the dispensing ring towards the inner opening 128 of the dispensing ring and a passive projection distance r. Moreover, the retaining shoulder has a retaining shoulder width w as shown in the diagram. For the particular cup employed, that is a cup with a 70 mm brim the dispensing ring of FIGS. 11 through 14 may be made of polypropylene with the dimensions shown in Table 5. It should be noted that the dispensing diameter D m is defined by the distance between opposed tabs such as tabs 106 and 110 as well as opposed tabs 108 and 112 as shown in the diagram. The tabs generally have central portions 130 to 136 as well as lateral portions 138 through 152 . The lateral portions are generally passive although they will contribute to the overall rigidity of the ring. The total maximum inward projection from surface 104 of the central portion of the dispensing ring may be for example about 13 mm.
[0061] As will be appreciated by one of the skill in the art the thickness of the tabs will directly affect the required extraction force but is generally from about 0.5 to about 1 mm in thickness.
[0062] The central portion of each tab has rounded corners 154 - 168 at its outer edges which has been found to facilitate dispensing of the cups.
TABLE 5 Dimensions 7 oz Dispenser Ring Insert (mm) Ring Height, h 6.5 Dispensing Aperture diameter, D m 66 Projection Thickness, T 0.75 Passive Projection diameter, D p 85 Overall Diameter, D 0 98 Projection Distance, P 13 Passive ring Projection, r 3 Retaining Shoulder Width, w 1.5
[0063] There is shown in FIGS. 15 through 18 another dispensing ring which may be used in the dispenser of FIGS. 1 and following instead of the dispensing ring of FIGS. 11 through 14 when it is desired to dispense 9 ounce cups instead of 7 ounce cups, the various parts of the dispensing ring of FIGS. 15 through 18 are numbered 100 numerals higher than corresponding parts in the dispensing ring of FIGS. 11 through 15.
[0064] There is shown in FIGS. 15 through 18 a dispensing ring 200 including a support ring 202 with an inner surface 204 supporting a plurality of tabs 205 - 212 . The tabs are further provided with indicia 214 indicating that the ring is suited for dispensing a 9 ounce cup. The support ring further includes a shoulder 216 adapted to be mounted on lip 56 of the bottom of dispenser 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and following such that it can be secured between lip 56 and lip 58 .
[0065] Each of the dispensing tabs 205 - 212 , projects inwardly from support ring 202 in order to engage the brim, such as brim 60 of a cup to be dispensed from dispenser 10 . The dispensing ring has the various dimensions shown in the diagram and summarized in Table 6 below. The support ring 202 has a ring height, h, of about 6.5 mm, for example. The dispensing aperture diameter, D m , is about 72 mm for a 9 ounce cup having a brim diameter of about 78 mm.
[0066] It can be seen in FIGS. 15 through 18 that each of the dispensing tabs 205 - 212 is anchored at its base 218 through 225 in a single plane 226 as shown. This feature makes it possible to fabricate the dispensing ring in a single injection molding operation by utilizing conventional equipment. Most preferably, each of the projections is angled downwardly with respect to plane 216 over an angle α of about 5 to about 25°. As shown, the dispensing rings are further characterized by a dispensing tab thickness, T, a passive projection diameter D p and overall diameter D o , a projection distance P from inner surface 204 of the dispensing ring towards the inner opening 228 of the dispensing ring. A passive projection, r, from inner surface 204 is about 4 mm. Moreover, the retaining shoulder has a retaining shoulder width w as shown in the diagram. For the particular cup employed, that is, a 9 ounce cup with a 78 mm brim the dispensing ring of FIGS. 15 through 18 may be made of LDPE with the dimensions shown in Table 6. It should be noted that the dispensing diameter D m is defined by the distance between opposed tabs such as tabs 205 and 209 as well as opposed tabs 207 and 211 and so forth as shown. The tabs generally have central portions 230 to 237 as well as lateral portions 238 through 253 . The lateral portions are generally passive although they will contribute to the overall rigidity of the ring, and may have a passive diameter, D p of 83 mm or so. The maximum total inward projection from surface 204 of the central portion of the dispensing tabs may be, for example, about 13 mm.
[0067] As will be appreciated by one of the skill in the art the thickness of the tabs will directly affect the required extraction force but is generally from about 0.5 to about 1 mm in thickness for the ring shown in FIGS. 15 through 18.
[0068] The central portion of each tab has rounded corners 254 - 269 at its outer edges which has been found to facilitate dispensing of the cups.
TABLE 6 Dimensions for 9 oz Dispenser Ring Insert (mm) Ring Height, h 6.5 Dispensing Diameter, D m 72 Projection Thickness, T 0.75 Passive Projection Diameter, D p 83 Overall Diameter, D o 98 Projection Distance, P 10 Passive Ring Projection, r 4 Retaining Shoulder Width, w 1.5
[0069] It should be noted that the central portions of the tabs of the dispensing ring of FIGS. 15 through 18 extend around more than half, that is more than 180° of the periphery of the dispensing ring in order to engage the cups, whereas the dispensing tabs in the dispensing ring shown in FIGS. 11 through 14 extend around less than half of the inner periphery of the dispensing ring, that is less than 180° in the earlier embodiment.
[0070] Still yet another dispensing ring, a so-called combination or dual-purpose ring, which may be used to dispense both 7 and 9 ounce cups is shown in FIGS. 19 through 22. Here the corresponding parts, where applicable, are numbered 100 numerals higher than corresponding parts in the embodiment of FIGS. 15 through 18. Here however, since it is a combination dispensing ring, there are two sets of 4 equally spaced dispensing tabs defining 2 dispensing aperture diameters.
[0071] There is shown in FIGS. 19 through 22 a dispensing ring 300 including a support ring 302 with an inner surface 304 supporting a plurality of tabs 305 - 312 . The tabs are further provided with indicia 314 indicating that the ring is suited for dispensing either a 7 or a 9 ounce cup. The support ring further includes a shoulder 316 adapted to be mounted on lip 56 of the bottom of dispenser 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and following such that it can be secured between lip 56 and lip 58 . Note that dispensing ring 300 is a dual-purpose dispensing ring which can be disposed in the dispenser of FIGS. 1 and following when it is desired to dispense either 7 or 9 ounce cups.
[0072] Each of the dispensing tabs 305 - 312 , projects inwardly from support ring 302 in order to engage the brim, such as brim 60 of a cup to be dispensed from dispenser 10 . The dispensing ring has the various dimensions shown and summarized in Table 7 below. The support ring 302 has a ring height, h, of about 6.5 mm, for example. A first aperture diameter, D m1 , is about 66 mm and a second dispensing diameter, D m2 is about 72 mm.
[0073] It should be noted from FIGS. 19 through 22 that each of the dispensing tabs 305 - 312 is anchored at its base 318 through 325 in a single plane 326 as shown in the diagrams. This feature makes it possible to fabricate the dispensing ring in a single injection molding operation by utilizing conventional equipment. Most preferably, each of the projections is angled downwardly with respect to inner surface 304 over an angle α of about 5 to about 25°.
[0074] As shown the dispensing rings are characterized by a first and second dispensing diameter D m1 and D m2 , respectively, a projection thickness, T, a passive projection distance, r, and overall diameter D o , a maximum projection distance P from an inner portion of the dispensing tab towards the inner opening 328 of the dispensing ring and a medium projection distance P 1 . Moreover, the retaining shoulder has a retaining shoulder width w as shown. The dispensing ring of FIGS. 19 through 22 may be made of HDPE with the dimensions shown in Table 7. It should be noted that the dispensing diameters D m1 and D m2 are defined by the distance between opposed tabs such as tabs 305 and 309 (or 307 and 311 ) as well as opposed tabs 308 and 312 as shown. The tabs generally have central portions 330 to 337 as well as lateral portions 338 through 353 . The lateral portions are generally passive although they will contribute to the overall rigidity of the ring. The maximum inward projection from surface 304 of the central portion of the dispensing ring may be for example about 13 mm.
[0075] As will be appreciated by one of the skill in the art the thickness of the tabs will directly affect the required extraction force but is generally from about 0.5 to about 1 mm in thickness.
[0076] The central portion of each tab has rounded corners 354 - 369 at its outer edges which has been found to facilitate dispensing of the cups.
TABLE 7 Dimensions 7-9 oz Combination Dispenser Ring Insert (mm) Ring Height, h 6.5 First Dispensing Aperture 66 Diameter, D m1 Second Dispensing Aperture 72 Diameter, D m2 Projection Thickness, T 0.75 Overall Diameter, D o 98 Max Projection Distance, P 13 Med Projection Distance, P 1 10 Passive Projection distance, r 4
[0077] While the invention has been described in detail in connection with various embodiments, modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention, set forth in the appended claims will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art. | A cup dispenser for dispensing cups of differing size with variable extraction force includes: (a) a housing configured to receive a stack of disposable cups, the housing defining a housing opening as well as support means for receiving a dispensing ring member; (b) means for defining a dispensing aperture at the housing opening comprising at least one dispensing ring mounted on the housing support means therefor, the means for defining the dispensing aperture being generally configured to releasably retain the stack of disposable cups within said housing and require a predetermined extraction force to extract a cup from the stack in the housing, the required predetermined extraction force being variable depending upon the brim diameter of the cup. The dispenser may include 2 interchangeable rings, each of which is adapted for a specific size cup, or a single ring which requires an extraction force that varies with cup size. | 0 |
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the transporting of a multipoint stream over a network and more particularly the way in which the reliability of the distribution of this stream over a local area network can be enhanced in the case where the mechanism for multipoint distribution of this stream turns out not to be reliable on the local area network.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] On packet based information transfer networks, such as for example the Internet, IP local area networks or the like, several modes of information transfer are found. These modes may be classified into three categories as a function of the number of senders and of receivers engaged in this transporting. Firstly there is point-to-point transporting (or “unicasting”) which allows a sender to despatch an information packet destined for a single receiver identified by his address on the network. This is the mode of transport used by the most popular protocols on the Internet network such as the HTTP web page transfer protocol (“Hypertext Transfer Protocol”) or the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Another mode of transport involves a sender transporting a packet in broadcasting mode. In this mode, the packet sent by the sender is sent to all the nodes of the network. This mode is not available on the Internet but is found on local area networks. The third mode involves a sender or a group of senders transporting a packet to a group of receivers, in a multipoint mode of transport (or “multicasting”). In this mode the packets are sent to an address called the multicast address and will be forwarded to all the recipients belonging to the transmission group. A client that joins a transmission group will be said to subscribe to the group and a client that leaves the group will be said to desubscribe from the group.
[0003] The multicast mode is used in practice to save intermediate bandwidth in the network when a source sends data to a group of recipients. Specifically, in this case, the use of a unicast mode of transport implies that the data are despatched as many times as there are recipients. This mode brings about the duplication of the packets over the parts of the network that are common to the paths between the source and the various recipients. On the other hand multicast makes it possible to despatch the data just once, these data being duplicated on the routers of the network, as a function of the paths leading to the recipients belonging to the transmission group. FIG. 1 a illustrates the transmission of a data packet (P) sent by a node “S”, the information source, to nodes “A”, “B” and “C”. It is seen that the packet “P” is duplicated three times between the node “S” and the router “R 1 ”, twice between the routers “R 1 ” and “R 2 ” in the case of the unicast transfer and is not duplicated in the case of the multipoint transfer illustrated by FIG. 1 b . In this case, a single packet “P” is sent by the source “S”, the router “R 1 ” knows that the packet must be retransported on two branches out of three towards the node “A” and the router “R 2 ” which itself transports it to the clients “B” and “C”, the members of the group. The packet is not despatched towards the nodes “D” and “E” that are not members of the transmission group.
[0004] A local area network generally comprises a gateway linking the local area network proper and the exterior network, generally the Internet. To this gateway are connected, according to several possible technologies such as Ethernet, IEEE 1394 or technologies for wireless connection by radio, various local appliances. These appliances may access the exterior network via the gateway operating as router between the local area network and the exterior network. When a local appliance, the client, wishes to join a multipoint data transmission group, it subscribes to the multicast address, for example according to the IGMP Internet group management protocol, this protocol being known under the reference “RFC 3376” at the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force”. Following this subscription, the node is recognised as a member of the transmission group and the packets corresponding to this stream, and transmitted in multipoint mode, are routed from the Internet, via the gateway, to this client.
[0005] It may be that over the local area network, depending on the technology used, the multicast is not always performed dependably. For example, in the case where the local area network is a wireless network operating according to a protocol from the 802.11 family in version a, b or g, the packet transported is tested to see whether it is intact and packets that are not intact are discarded but not retransported. They are lost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The invention makes it possible to improve the reliability of the transmission of multipoint packets between the gateway and the end client receiving these packets over a local area network. This reliability is ensured by transforming these multicast packets on the fly into unicast transmission packets before sending them to their recipient. Specifically, over the same networks the transporting of the packets according to the unicast method is made secure and a mechanism provides for the retransporting of the non-intact packets between the gateway and the client. To do this the gateway intercepts the requests for subscription of a client to a multicast address in such a way as to maintain an association between the said addresses and the subscriber clients. Subsequently, the gateway intercepts the packets transmitted in multipoint mode to these addresses and sends them in unicast mode to the subscriber clients.
[0007] The problems set forth above are solved by a method of transporting packets transmitted in multicast mode by a device for connection between a first network and a second network, the multipoint packets originating from the second network destined for clients of the first network, characterized in that it comprises a step of reception of multicast packets and the despatching according to a unicast transmission mode of at least certain packets transmitted in multicast mode to at least one of the clients of the first network that are subscribers to the transmission group.
[0008] According to a particular embodiment of the invention the method comprises a step of determining the addresses of the clients of the first network that are subscribers to the transmission group by the use of means of association associating with each multicast address, to which at least one client of the first network is a subscriber, the addresses of the clients that are subscribers to this address.
[0009] The method comprises a step of updating the information of the means of association by analysis of the subscription messages transported to the second network by the clients in the first network.
[0010] According to a particular embodiment of the invention the first network comprising only one client, the packets transmitted in multicast mode are transported directly in unicast mode to this single client.
[0011] According to a particular embodiment of the invention the first network is a wireless network implementing at least one protocol from the 802.11 family and where the device for connection is the point of access of this wireless network.
[0012] The problems are also solved by a device for connection between a second network and a first network possessing means of transporting the packets received in multicast mode from the second network destined for clients of the first network that are subscribers to the transmission group, characterized in that these means of transport comprise means of transporting in unicast mode of the said packets to the subscriber clients.
[0013] According to a particular embodiment of the invention the device for connection comprises means of association between the multicast addresses and the addresses of the subscriber clients.
[0014] According to a particular embodiment of the invention the means of association comprise means of analysis of the messages despatched by the clients so as to manage their subscription to the multicast groups.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The invention will be better understood and other features and advantages will become apparent on reading the description which follows, the description making reference to the appended drawings among which:
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates the manner of operation of a unicast transmission of a packet to three recipients in a known manner.
[0017] FIG. 1 b illustrates the manner of operation of the same distribution in multicast mode in a known manner.
[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates a network operating according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 details the steps of the processing by the gateway of an IGMP report of a client at a multicast transmission according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0020] FIG. 4 details the steps of the processing of a packet transmitted in multicast mode by this gateway.
[0021] FIG. 5 details the architecture of a gateway operating according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 6 illustrates a local area network possessing several points of access within the framework of the exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0023] FIG. 7 illustrates the software architecture of the implementation of the exemplary embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0024] The invention is therefore a method of transforming on the fly a multicast stream arriving at the gateway of a local area network and destined for a client of the local area network into a unicast stream. The transformation takes place, for example, on the gateway, in any event in general, on an appliance through which the IP traffic destined for the appliance of the local area network travels. The standpoint of the exemplary embodiment which follows is the case where the network is a wireless network according to a protocol from the 802.11 family. This example is non-limiting and the invention may be used with other types of local area networks.
[0025] FIG. 2 illustrates the network of the exemplary embodiment of the invention. Found firstly therein are data sources S 1 , S 2 and S 3 , referenced 2 . 10 , 2 . 11 and 2 . 12 , which are contents servers. These servers are connected to an external network, here the Internet, referenced 2 . 9 . On the user side will be found a wireless local area network referenced 2 . 4 linking clients A, B and C, referenced 2 . 6 , 2 . 7 and 2 . 8 , and an access point serving as gateway, referenced 2 . 5 , linking the local area network to the Internet. The wireless local area network is a network according to a protocol from the 802.11 family but could be based on some other technology. It transpires that the problem of reliability arises in a more acute manner in the case of a wireless network than in the case of a wire network such as an Ethernet network for example. The clients A, B and C are therefore potential clients for the information transmitted by the servers S 1 , S 2 and S 3 . These clients will connect up to these transmissions for example by using the IGMP protocol. The clients will therefore signal their subscription to a transmission in the form of an IGMP report (or “IGMP record message”). When it receives this report the gateway will itself send a report of the same type destined for the routers to which it is connected. In this way the information making it possible to route the multicast stream to the recipient will propagate among the routers. These IGMP reports will be intercepted by the access point which will maintain a table associating on the one hand the multicast address present in the “source address” field of the IGMP report and the MAC address (“Medium Access Control”) of origin of the report. The exemplary embodiment of the invention describes a table, but it will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that any way of managing this association between a multicast address and the addresses of the clients of the local area network may be suitable, such as for example a list, a hash table or the like. The analysis of the report proper makes it possible to ascertain whether the client is joining or leaving the transmission group and to modify the table accordingly. Thereafter a filter implemented in the IP layer of the access point will process the multicast IP packets on the fly so as to transform them into unicast packets at the MAC level. The packets will therefore be intercepted and processed by the filter according to the exemplary embodiment while they are traversing the gateway. A multicast packet, referenced 2 . 1 , will be detected and transformed into two unicast packets referenced 2 . 2 and 2 . 3 , which will be despatched to the clients A and B belonging to the transmission group.
[0026] A diagram illustrating the principal steps of the processing by the access point of the IGMP report is detailed in FIG. 3 . In the case of the exemplary embodiment described, the gateway is the access point of the wireless network to which the clients will connect up, they will be said to associate in the case of a wireless network. The processing is implemented in the form of a filter, referenced 5 . 12 , at the level of the MAC layer which will detect the IP packets corresponding to IGMP reports originating from the clients connected to the access point. The analysis of these reports makes it possible to extract therefrom the multicast address and the MAC address of the client from which the report originated. Any IGMP report contains group records indicating either the current status or the change of status of the interface identified by the MAC address as regards its membership of the multicast group. This information is coded in the “record type” field of the group record. This information will make it possible to maintain a table, referenced 5 . 10 , on the gateway associating multicast addresses and a set of MAC addresses corresponding to the interfaces of the clients belonging to this transmission group. In addition to this mechanism making it possible to erase an association in the table when an IGMP report announcing that a client is leaving a multicast group is despatched, provision may be made also to erase an entry corresponding to a client that deassociates from the access point. Specifically, the client leaving the network therefore leaves the group.
[0027] The processing of the packets arriving from the external network on the gateway in multicast mode may be done, for example, according to the diagram of FIG. 4 . A filter referenced 5 . 11 , is implemented, for example, at the level of the IP layer of the gateway. This filter will detect all the packets arriving in multicast mode at the gateway. For each packet of this arriving type, the multicast address will be extracted. This address will be searched for in the association table referenced 5 . 10 . In the case where no record is found corresponding to this address it indicates that no client of the wireless network belongs to the transmission group, the packet can therefore be forgotten and will not be transported. If a record is found, the multicast IP packet, or a fragment of the latter, will be encapsulated in at least one MAC packet which will be despatched to all the MAC addresses indicated in the table. The mode of transmission of this MAC packet will be the unicast mode. The MAC packet will therefore be sent as many times as there are recipients. In this way these packets will benefit from the mechanism for correcting the errors of this mode of transmission at the MAC level. The reference of the MAC layer in the family of 802 protocols is “IEEE Std 802.11, 1999 Edition (Reaff 2003)”. These packets will therefore be received by the MAC layer of the client which will extract the multicast IP packet therefrom and pass it to the IP layer. It is therefore seen that the method requires no modification of the client. Specifically, the unicast mode relates only to the MAC layer. The IP packet transported in the MAC packet remains a multicast IP packet as expected by the IP layer and the application from which the connection originates.
[0028] FIG. 5 illustrates the architecture of a gateway operating according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention. The gateway, referenced 5 . 1 , comprises a processor, referenced 5 . 3 , capable of executing programs stored in the read only memory, referenced 5 . 2 of the appliance after having transferred them into the random access memory, referenced 5 . 4 . The appliance possesses at least two network interfaces. One, referenced 5 . 5 , permits the connection of the appliance to the external network, referenced 5 . 9 , for example the Internet. The other, referenced 5 . 6 , drives wireless transporting means, referenced 5 . 7 , allowing the connection of the clients of the local area network. These elements communicate via the bus referenced 5 . 8 . The processor, 5 . 3 , allows in particular the execution of the network layers including the MAC layer and the IP layer containing the filters, referenced 5 . 11 and 5 . 12 , depending on the exemplary embodiment of the invention. The means of association between the MAC addresses of the clients and the multicast addresses are represented by an association table in random access memory referenced 5 . 10 .
[0029] FIG. 7 details the software architecture of these network layers. The network layers, referenced 7 . 1 comprise a physical layer, referenced 7 . 5 whose job is to interface directly with the communication medium both wireless and the connection to the external network which may be an Ethernet or ADSL connection for example. Just above the physical layer is the MAC layer, referenced 7 . 4 , which affords an abstraction of the physical layer actually used. It is at this level that the filter, referenced 7 . 7 , on the IGMP reports is implemented. The IP stack, referenced 7 . 3 lies above the MAC layer. It is here that the filter referenced 7 . 6 for the multicast IP packets will be found. The applications, referenced 7 . 2 , use this IP stack to communicate.
[0030] An alternative implementation may consist in transporting the multicast packets received and not corresponding to any association in the table in multicast mode to the clients. In the converse case the multicast transporting at the MAC level over the local area network may be deactivated.
[0031] Certain wireless local area networks may contain several access points. This configuration is illustrated in FIG. 6 . It shows a first access point AP 1 referenced 6 . 2 connected to an exterior network, here the Internet referenced 6 . 1 . This first access point covers a first access zone called BSS 1 (“Basic Service Set”) reference 6 . 5 . In BSS 1 two clients A and B, referenced 6 . 7 and 6 . 8 , are connected to the access point AP 1 . A second access point AP 2 , referenced 6 . 3 , also possesses a zone of coverage BSS 2 , referenced 6 . 6 . Two clients C and D, referenced 6 . 9 and 6 . 10 , are connected to this second access point AP 2 . The two access points are connected together by a network 6 . 4 . This network may be a wire network such as Ethernet, a radio wireless link distinct from the networks constituted by the access points and their clients. A solution in which the second access point AP 2 is a client belonging to the zone BSS 1 of the first access point is also conceivable.
[0032] The manner of operation of the invention within this framework of a local area network including several access points will depend on the mode of operation of this second access point and on the way in which the packets will be routed in the network. Two cases should be distinguished, in a first case, the access point AP 2 will operate as a router at the IP level. In this case, AP 2 will appear in respect of the access point AP 1 as one of its clients. The subscription to a multicast of a client of AP 2 will be manifested as the subscription of AP 2 to AP 1 for this transmission. The multicast packets received by AP 1 destined for AP 2 will therefore be transported to it via a unicast transmission at the MAC level. These packets will be received by AP 2 at the IP level as normal multicast packets. It is therefore necessary to implement the invention also on the access point AP 2 so as to transport them in unicast mode to the clients of AP 2 .
[0033] In a second case, the access point AP 2 will behave as a bridge over the MAC level, as described in standard 802.1d. In this case, the network constructed behind AP 1 is seen at the IP level as a single network, the distributing of the packets by AP 1 to the end clients, his own ones like those situated behind AP 2 will be done at the MAC level. In this case, AP 1 will transform the multicast IP packets arriving from the exterior network into unicast MAC packets which will be transported directly to the end client, directly or via AP 2 , without backtracking to the IP level. The clients will therefore receive these packets in unicast mode whether they are connected to AP 1 or to AP 2 . In this case the invention operates without AP 2 having to implement the invention.
[0034] In the case of the implementation of a roaming function such as described in standard 802.11f which allows a client connected to an access point to disconnect and to reconnect to a new access point without losing his IP connections. This is the second case in which the second access point implements a bridge function at the MAC level. The invention will therefore operate in a transparent manner at the level of the second access point.
[0035] In this case the invention will be implemented on each access point. A client deassociating from an access point in order to associate with another access point will be disconnected from all his current IP connections. The new access point will naturally take on board the multicast traffic destined for the client when the latter recreates his connections after his association to this new access point. In the case of a local area network the access points may implement roaming functions. In this case a client who changes access point will be able to retain his IP connections. This occurs by exchange of data between the access points as the client migrates from one point to another. It is therefore possible to include in the data exchanged by the access points during migration the data of the association table relating thereto. In this way the client's new access point can take on board the processing of the multicast packets intended for this client.
[0036] In the case of a minimal network, where a single client is connected to the gateway, it is possible to devise a simplified implementation where the filter on the IGMP reports in the MAC layer of the gateway will not be necessary. In this case, the association table becomes unnecessary. Only the filter on the multicast IP packets present in the IP layer of the gateway will be retained whilst simplifying its manner of operation. The gateway merely sends via the unicast mode of the MAC layer, the multicast IP packets received destined for the single client present on the network.
[0037] It will be apparent to the person skilled in the art that the invention, although described here within the framework of wireless networks, may be adapted to any type of local area network in so far as the latter has at its disposal a unicast mode immunised against the loss of packets while the multicast mode is not. Likewise, the person skilled in the art will be able to make modifications to the way of implementing the association between the transmission addresses and the clients as well as in the method used in the filters or their location without departing from the scope of the invention. | Within the framework of a wireless local area network, the reliability of the transporting of the multicast streams is not enhanced by an acknowledgement of receipt mechanism. To improve this reliability the invention proposes a method of transporting packets transmitted in multicast mode by a device for connection between a first network and a second network, the multicast packets originating from the second network destined for clients of the first network, characterized in that it comprises a step of reception of multicast packets and the despatching according to a unicast transmission mode of at least certain packets transmitted in multicast mode to at least one of the clients of the first network that are subscribers to the transmission group. | 7 |
RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority in copending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/448,184, filed Feb. 18, 2003, the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cup assemblies. More particularly, the present invention relates to a spill-proof cup assembly, and, in particular, a spill-proof cup assembly with a spill and shake-out inhibiting element.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cup assemblies designed to reduce or eliminate leakage or spillage are known. Such cup assemblies often employ valves or flow control elements that attempt to prevent unwanted dispensing of fluid held within the cup. Typically, such cup assemblies require hard or increased suction to be applied to the valve or flow control element for the fluid to pass through to the user, which is often due to the use of a blockage or obstruction disposed in the flow path or passageway.
An example of such a cup assembly and valve or flow control mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,415 to Manganiello. The Manganiello device includes a cup having an open end and a cap adapted to seal the open end. The cap has a drinking spout and a mating surface, with the mating surface being in fluid communication with the spout. The device also has a valving element that has a stack. The stack is sized and configured to engage the mating surface and thereby place the stack in fluid communication with the spout. The stack has a top portion with a concave valve face in the top portion that curves inwardly towards the stack.
An alternative type of flow control element is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,250 to Hayes. The Hayes device includes a container and a lid. The lid has a tubular chamber formed in the lid. The tubular chamber is a single circular or helical loop that is disposed along an outer area of the lid.
In operation, when the Hayes container is tilted between an upright vertical position and a horizontal position, i.e., rotation of up to 90°, any fluid that seeks to exit the container through the tubular chamber would be required to flow through a path along the circumference of the lid. The circumferential path would require the fluid to flow above the level of the fluid in the container, which it may not be able to do. Thus, the Hayes device intends that the fluid be prevented from exiting through the tubular chamber because the fluid cannot rise above the level of the fluid in the container. As an example, when the Hayes container is tilted or rotated to the horizontal, i.e., rotated 90°, the fluid in the tubular chamber would be required to flow up to the highest point of the lid (along the circumference), which we will call the apex of the tubular chamber. The fluid in the container is below the apex or highest point of the lid and thus fluid flow above the level of fluid in the container, past the apex of the tubular chamber, is intended to be prevented.
However, the Hayes device suffers from the drawback of leakage or spillage when the container is tilted past the horizontal, i.e., when the cup is turned between 90° and 270°. In such an orientation, which we will call upside-down or inverted for simplicity, the fluid in the container will cover the bottom side of the lid if there is enough fluid in the container. At a 180° orientation, i.e., completely upside-down or inverted, the fluid in the container is clearly covering the entire bottom side of the lid. With the fluid covering the bottom side of the lid, the path provided by the tubular chamber no longer requires any exiting fluid to flow above the level of liquid inside the container. At such an orientation of the container, i.e., upside-down or inverted, fluid can freely flow through the tubular chamber under the force of gravity and will spill or leak out of the container.
Additionally, the Hayes device can suffer from the drawback of spillage when the container is shaken. When being shaken, portions of the fluid in the tubular chamber near the apex of the tubular chamber can move past the apex due to the shaking motion. This portion of the fluid will then flow through the remainder of the tubular chamber and out of the container.
Many of the contemporary spill-proof cup assemblies suffer from the drawback of failing to eliminate significant or continuous spillage or shake-out of the fluid inside of the cup. Moreover, the contemporary devices do not facilitate drinking because increased suction is necessary to allow flow due to the use of a blockage structure in the flow path. The contemporary devices also do not facilitate cleaning of the flow control elements because they are difficult to access and have a small size that makes thoroughly cleaning difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cup assembly that reduces or eliminates significant or continuous spillage or shake-out.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a cup assembly that reduces or eliminates significant or continuous spillage or shake-out for any orientation of the cup assembly.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a cup assembly that reduces or eliminates significant or continuous spillage or shake-out when the cup assembly is shaken or dropped.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a cup assembly that facilitates the cleaning of the cup assembly including the cleaning of a spill and shake-out inhibiting element of the cup assembly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a cup assembly that facilitates the manufacturing of the spill and shake-out inhibiting element of the cup assembly.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide such a cup assembly that does not require a spout.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide such a cup assembly which inhibits spillage and shake-out without the use of blockages in the flow path.
It is another further object of the present invention to provide such a cup assembly which reduces or limits the turbulence through the flow path, such as, for example, by constructing the flow path without sharp corners.
It is yet another further object of the present invention to provide such a cup assembly in which the spill and shake-out inhibiting facilities can be confined to a portion of the cap, such as, for example, preferably half of the cap.
It is still another further object of the present invention to provide such a cup assembly that facilitates assembly of the components of the cup assembly.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are provided by a cup assembly that requires a negative pressure, i.e., a suction force, to be applied to an aperture in the cup assembly in order to dispense fluid out of the assembly. Preferably, the cup assembly requires a small negative pressure or suction force to dispense fluid from the assembly. The cup assembly has a cup, a cap adapted to be removably connected to the cup, and a spill and shake-out inhibiting element positioned in the cup and/or cap. The spill and shake-out inhibiting element forms a dispensing tunnel or channel with the cap, which provides for the formation of a partial vacuum inside the cup resulting in a pressure differential between the inside of the cup and the atmosphere when fluid begins to flow along the dispensing tunnel. The partial vacuum or pressure differential prevents further flow of the fluid along the dispensing tunnel to prevent or limit spillage or shake-out.
The pressure differential results because the displacement of fluid out of the cup causes air in the cup to expand, which reduces the pressure in the cup. When the sub-pressure in the cup equals the pressure of the fluid-head furthest along the tunnel, the further ingress of the fluid into the dispensing tunnel ceases. The cross-sectional area or diameter of the dispensing tunnel is small enough to effectively limit or prevent air bubbles from flowing past the fluid in the dispensing tunnel, even when shaken, so that the pressure differential is maintained. The volume of the dispensing channel is large enough that the fluid front does not exceed a predetermined distance away from the outlet of the dispensing tunnel at any degree of fill of the cup so that spillage or shake-out is essentially prevented even when the cup assembly is shaken.
Preferably, the spill and shake-out inhibiting element is a removable structure, and more preferably a removable disc or other shape. The disc preferably has a channel formed in an upper surface thereof, which forms the dispensing tunnel when the channel is abutted against the lower surface of the cap. Preferably, all of the banks of the channel sealingly engage with the lower surface of the cap or lid. The channel sealing area can be confined to only a portion of the cap area, such as, for example, half of the cap. The removable disc can have a diameter that allows for an interference fit with the sidewall of the cap or lid. Preferably, the dispensing channel is formed without sharp corners.
In one aspect, a valve is provided for use with a cup having a cap and an inner volume. The valve has a passageway having first and second ends. The first end is open and in fluid communication with the inner volume of the cup, and the second end is open and in fluid communication with atmosphere. The passageway has a cross-sectional area that is small enough to substantially prevent air from flowing past fluid in the passageway when the cup is tilted or inverted. The passageway is confined to, or disposed in, a first planar section having a first longitudinal axis. The cap is confined to, or disposed in, a second planar section having a second longitudinal axis. The first and second longitudinal axes are substantially parallel.
In another aspect, a cap is provided for use with a cup having an inner volume. The cap has a top wall having a first connecting structure that removably connects the cap with the cup. The cap also has a valve having a passageway with first and second ends. The first end is open and in fluid communication with the inner volume of the cup, and the second end is open and in fluid communication with atmosphere. The passageway has a cross-sectional area that is small enough to substantially prevent air from flowing past fluid in the passageway when the cup is tilted or inverted. The passageway is confined to, or disposed in, a first planar section having a first longitudinal axis. The cap is confined to, or disposed in, a second planar section having a second longitudinal axis. The first and second longitudinal axes are substantially parallel.
In another aspect, a bottle assembly is provided that has a cup, a cap and a valve. The cap has a top wall and a first connecting structure. The cup has an inner volume and a second connecting structure. The first and second connecting structures connect the cap with the cup. The valve has a passageway with first and second ends. The first end is open and in fluid communication with the inner volume of the cup, and the second end is open and in fluid communication with atmosphere. The passageway has a cross-sectional area that is small enough to substantially prevent air from flowing past fluid in the passageway when the cup is tilted or inverted. The passageway is confined to, or disposed in, a first planar section having a first longitudinal axis. The cap is confined to, or disposed in, a second planar section having a second longitudinal axis. The first and second longitudinal axes are substantially parallel.
In another aspect, a bottle assembly is provided that has a cap, a cup and a valve. The cap has a top wall, a circumferential sidewall, and a first connecting structure. The circumferential sidewall surrounds the top wall, and the first connecting structure is disposed on the circumferential sidewall. The cup has an inner volume and a second connecting structure. The first and second connecting structures connect the cap with the cup. The valve has a passageway with first and second ends. The first end is open and in fluid communication with the inner volume of the cup, and the second end is open and in fluid communication with atmosphere. At least a portion of the top wall is recessed with respect to the circumferential sidewall to form a lip. The lip at least partially circumscribes the top wall and has an opening therethrough. The opening is in fluid communication with the second end of the passageway.
In another aspect, a bottle assembly is provided that has a cap, a cup and a valve. The cap has a top wall and a first connecting structure. The top wall has an upper surface. The cup has an inner volume and a second connecting structure. The first and second connecting structures connect the cap with the cup. The valve has a passageway with first and second ends. The first end is open and is in fluid communication with the inner volume of the cup. The second end is open and is in fluid communication with atmosphere. The passageway has a cross-sectional area that is small enough to substantially prevent air from flowing past fluid in the passageway when the cup is tilted or inverted. The passageway is substantially disposed below the upper surface of the cap.
The passageway can have a length and a dispensing volume, where the length and the dispensing volume are large enough to substantially prevent spillage or shake-out of the fluid from the inner volume of the cup when the cup is tilted or inverted. The cross-sectional area may be substantially uniform along the passageway. The cross-sectional area can be substantially circular. The cap can also have a spout in fluid communication with the second end of the passageway. The passageway can be at least partially formed from a first channel and a second channel, and the first and second channels can be sealingly connectable.
The first and second channels can have substantially the same path, where the first channel forms a lower portion of the passageway and the second channel forms an upper portion of the passageway. At least one of the first and second channels may be formed on the cap, and can also be substantially disposed on only half of the cap. The passageway can have a serpentine-like path. The passageway can be at least partially formed from a first channel and a second channel that are sealingly connectable, where the first and second channels have substantially the same path and form lower and upper portions of the passageway, and where the first channel is formed on a disc and the second channel is formed on the cap.
The disc can be removably connectable to the cap. The disc may be flexible. The disc can have an upper surface, and the first channel can have sealing beads disposed along the path or banks of the first channel that extend above or beyond the upper surface. The disc may have a first orientation structure, and the cap may have a second orientation structure, where the first and second orientation structures align the first and second channels when the disc is connected with the cap. The passageway can be disposed in a first planar section having a first longitudinal axis and the cap can be disposed in a second planar section having a second longitudinal axis, where the first and second longitudinal axes are substantially parallel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other and further objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be understood by reference to the following:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cup assembly of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cup assembly of FIG. 1 with the cap shown in phantom;
FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the cap of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 4 is a top view of the cap of FIG. 3 ;
FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the cap of FIG. 3 ;
FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a spill and shake-out inhibiting element or disc, of the cup assembly of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 7 is a top view of the disc of FIG. 6 ;
FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the disc of FIG. 6 assembled with the cap of FIG. 3 ;
FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of a top portion of the cup assembly of FIG. 1 with the cap shown in phantom;
FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the cap of the present invention;
FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a spill and shake-out inhibiting element or disc, of the present invention;
FIG. 12 is a top view of the disc of FIG. 11 ;
FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of the disc of FIG. 11 assembled with the cap of FIG. 10 ;
FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of the cap of FIG. 10 with the disc of FIG. 11 and the cap shown in phantom;
FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a spill and shake-out inhibiting element or disc, of the present invention;
FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of the disc of FIG. 15 ;
FIG. 17 is a top perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a spill and shake-out inhibiting element or disc, of the present invention;
FIG. 18 is a top perspective view of the cup assembly of FIG. 1 with an alternative embodiment of the cap; and
FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of the cap of FIG. 18 .
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings and, in particular, FIGS. 1 through 6 , there is shown a preferred embodiment of a cup assembly of the present invention generally represented by reference numeral 10 . Cup assembly 10 has a cup or container 100 , a cap or lid 200 that can be removably connected or secured to the cup, and a disc 300 .
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , cup 100 has a generally cylindrical shape defining an inner volume 110 , but alternative shapes such as conical, hourglass, or even amorphic can also be used. Cup 100 has a top portion 120 having a rim 125 and an outer surface 130 . Outer surface 130 has a fastening or connecting structure 140 disposed thereon. Preferably, fastening structure 140 has threads. Rim 125 defines an open end 150 of cup 100 , which provides access to the inner volume.
Referring to FIGS. 3 through 5 , cap 200 has a top wall 210 with an upper surface 230 and a lower surface 250 . Cap 200 also has a circumferential sidewall 270 extending downwardly from, and surrounding, top wall 210 . Top wall 210 can be curved or flat, and has an opening 215 disposed through it. Top wall 210 has an elevated drinking rim or lip 211 near the circumference of the cap. Preferably, top wall 210 is recessed with respect to circumferential sidewall 270 to form rim or lip 211 . The present invention also contemplates recessing only a portion of top wall 210 so as to form lip 211 only along a portion of cap 200 .
Opening 215 is disposed along the periphery or circumference of the cap 200 , and is preferably located on the ridge of drinking rim 211 . Cup assembly 10 can have a substantially flat upper surface without a drinking rim and can also have other configurations, such as, for example, a drinking spout. Likewise, opening 215 can be disposed in alternative positions along top wall 210 , such as, for example, in proximity to the center of the top wall.
Sidewall 270 has an inner surface 275 with a connecting or fastening structure 280 disposed thereon. Preferably, fastening structure 280 has threads that are engageable with threads 140 of cup 100 . The transition into opening 215 is preferably rounded.
Lower surface 250 of cap 200 preferably has a slight curvature and is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of cup 100 when cap 200 is engaged with the cup. Lower surface 250 has a sealing bead 240 and orientation features 260 . Sealing bead 240 is preferably a rigid structure. Orientation features 260 are two projections that are disposed remotely from each other. Preferably, orientation features 260 extend from lower surface 250 parallel to the longitudinal axis of cup 100 . More preferably, orientation features 260 are two cross-shaped projections. However, alternative shapes can also be used for orientation features 260 , such as, for example, cylindrical projections.
The rigid sealing bead 240 has a serpentine path that is designed to mate with a flexible sealing bead 315 on top surface 310 of disc 300 . When the flexible sealing bead 315 on the top surface 310 of disc 300 is sealingly engaged with the lower surface 250 of cap 200 , the rigid sealing bead 240 further improves the seal around, and adjacent to, channel 320 in disc 300 .
Referring to FIGS. 6 through 9 , disc 300 is a circular-shaped disc that has a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the threads 280 on sidewall 270 of FIG. 5 . Preferably, disc 300 is made from a flexible material that is over-molded onto a rigid material, such as, for example, rubber or silicone over-molded onto a rigid plastic material. Securing features 370 on the outer circumference of disc 300 are protrusions made of the flexible material that have a slight interference fit with the threads 280 when the disc 300 is assembled to the cap 200 . This interference fit retains the disc 300 in cap 200 when the cap is inverted for assembly with the cup 100 .
Disc 300 has an upper surface 310 , an orifice 350 and orientation features 360 . Upper surface 310 has a channel 320 formed therein. A flexible sealing bead 315 is formed on upper surface 310 that is adjacent to, and surrounds, channel 320 . Preferably, the flexible sealing bead 315 is formed along all of the banks of channel 320 . The flexibility of sealing bead 315 provides for a sealing engagement of channel 320 to lower surface 250 of cap 200 . Channel 320 has an inlet 325 and an outlet 330 . Channel 320 has a substantially semi-circular or U-shaped cross-section. However, other cross-sectional shapes can be used for channel 320 . The transition from inlet 325 into orifice 350 is preferably rounded.
The inlet 325 of channel 320 has orifice 350 disposed therethrough. Orifice 350 is disposed all the way through disc 300 . When disc 300 is engaged with cap 200 and the cap is engaged with cup 100 , orifice 350 is in fluid communication with the inner volume of the cup and, thus, channel 320 is in fluid communication with the inner volume. The outlet 330 of channel 320 is a closed end. When the disc 300 is sealingly engaged with the cap 200 , the outlet 330 aligns with the opening 215 in the cap. Preferably, the inlet 325 is disposed near the outer circumference of disc 300 to reduce the residual liquid in the cup assembly 10 when the user is finished drinking.
Channel 320 preferably has a serpentine-like path or shape. More preferably, channel 320 is substantially disposed on one-half or less than one-half of the area of disc 300 . However, alternative paths and shapes can be used for channel 320 , such as, for example a spiral shape that is substantially disposed in the center portion of upper surface 310 . The paths used for channel 320 preferably do not have sharp corners. Avoiding sharp corners within channel 320 reduces or limits the turbulence created along the flow path through channel 320 .
Orientation recesses 360 are cavities or recesses formed in upper surface 310 . Preferably, orientation recesses 360 are two cylindrical recesses disposed remotely from each other that have a diameter and depth that allow for engagement with orientation features 260 (cross-shaped projections) formed in lower surface 250 of cap 200 shown in FIG. 5 . Alternative shapes and sizes can also be used for orientation recesses 360 which correspond to, and allow for engagement with, the shape and size of orientation features 260 .
Referring to FIG. 8 , a flexible sealing rim 345 is located on the lower surface 305 of disc 300 along the circumference of the disc. When the cup 100 is assembled to the cap 200 , the flexible sealing rim 345 sealingly engages the rim 125 of cup 100 . This engagement contains the inner volume 110 of the cup 100 , restricting flow of any liquid or air into or out of the inner volume to pass through the orifice 350 of channel 320 in the top surface 310 of disc 300 .
The following description is when disc 300 is assembled with cap 200 such that lower surface 250 of the cap is sealingly engaged with the flexible sealing bead 315 on upper surface 310 of the disc. When assembled, orientation recesses 360 on upper surface 310 of disc 300 engage with orientation features 260 on lower surface 250 of cap 200 . The engagement of the orientation features 260 and orientation recesses 360 ensure the alignment of the outlet 330 of disc 300 with opening 215 in cap 200 and the rigid sealing bead 240 of cap 200 with the flexible sealing bead 315 of disc 300 . Preferably, flexible sealing bead 315 compresses against lower surface 250 of cap 200 and overlays rigid sealing bead 240 of cap 200 .
Disc 300 preferably has a gripping or position member 307 . In the embodiment of FIG. 8 , gripping member 307 is a finger grip disposed in the center portion of bottom surface 305 so that a user can more easily position, engage or remove disc 300 with cap 200 . The size and shape of finger grip 307 can be varied to facilitate gripping by the user.
Referring to FIG. 9 , disc 300 is shown sealingly engaged with cap 200 , with the cap shown in phantom. The sealing engagement of flexible sealing bead 315 with lower surface 250 of cup 200 forms a dispensing passageway, tunnel or channel 400 , which is the spill and shake-out inhibiting element of the present invention. When cap 200 is engaged with cup 100 , dispensing tunnel 400 provides for fluid communication between inner volume 110 of the cup and the user's mouth or the atmosphere. In the preferred embodiment, dispensing tunnel 400 is formed as a two-piece structure whereby the separate upper and lower pieces (channel 320 and lower surface 250 ) are brought together to form an enclosed tunnel. However, the present invention contemplates alternative ways being used to form dispensing tunnel 400 .
Referring to FIG. 2 , dispensing tunnel or passageway 400 is located in, disposed in, or confined to, a first planar section 1000 , which is represented by the broken lines in FIG. 2 . First planar section 1000 has a first longitudinal axis 1010 . The cap 200 is located in, disposed in, or confined to, a second planar section 1020 , which is represented by the broken lines in FIG. 2 . Second planar section 1020 has a second longitudinal axis 1030 . The first and second longitudinal axes 1010 , 1030 are preferably substantially parallel to each other.
Referring to FIGS. 1 through 9 , the spill and shake-out inhibiting features of cup assembly 10 will now be described. Cup assembly 10 requires that a small negative pressure, i.e., a small suction force, be applied to dispensing tunnel 400 in order to dispense fluid out of inner volume 110 through the dispensing tunnel and out through opening 215 . The negative pressure or suction force is supplied by the user.
In operation, when cup assembly 10 is tilted or pivoted from an upright vertical position, fluid from the inner volume 110 enters dispensing tunnel 400 through orifice 350 . As the fluid flows through dispensing tunnel 400 , a partial vacuum develops in the inner 110 volume of cup 100 due to the outflow of fluid from the otherwise sealed cup. The partial vacuum results because the displacement of fluid out of the inner volume 110 causes air in the inner volume to expand, which reduces the pressure in the inner volume. When the sub-pressure in the inner volume equals the pressure of the fluid-head furthest along the dispensing tunnel 400 , the ingress of the fluid into the dispensing tunnel ceases. The partial vacuum that develops in the inner volume 110 prevents the fluid from continuing to flow through dispensing tunnel 400 .
The cross-sectional area or diameter of dispensing tunnel 400 should be small enough to effectively limit or prevent air bubbles from flowing past the fluid in the dispensing tunnel, even when the cup is shaken. If the cross-sectional area or diameter of dispensing tunnel 400 is too large, then air bubbles will be able to flow past the fluid in the dispensing tunnel (especially if the cup is shaken) and enter the inner volume 110 which would reduce the partial vacuum created in the inner volume and allow additional liquid to flow through the dispensing tunnel and eventually out of the opening 215 in cap 200 .
In the present invention, the pressure differential is maintained between the inner volume of cup 100 and the atmosphere by use of an appropriate diameter or cross-sectional area of dispensing tunnel 400 (effectively limiting flow of air bubbles through the dispensing tunnel), which prevents further flow of fluid through the dispensing tunnel. The volume of dispensing tunnel 400 should be large enough so that when the cup is tilted or inverted, the fluid flows partially through the dispensing tunnel but does not reach outlet 330 (of the dispensing tunnel) and opening 215 (of cap 200 ) and, thus, the fluid is prevented from spilling out of cup 100 . Preferably, the volume of dispensing tunnel 400 is large enough so that, with any degree of fill in the cup, the fluid front does not exceed a predetermined distance away from the outlet 330 and opening 215 so that spillage or shake-out is prevented in the event of inverting, shaking or dropping of cup assembly 10 .
By way of example only, dispensing tunnel 400 can have a cross-sectional area of about 7 mm 2 and a length of about 23 cm for a dispensing tunnel volume of about 1.6 cm 3 . The cross-sectional area of dispensing tunnel 400 of about 7 mm 2 effectively limits air bubbles from flowing past the fluid in the dispensing tunnel and entering the inner volume 110 . Thus, the pressure differential between the inner volume and the atmosphere is maintained. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other combinations of cross-sectional areas and lengths of dispensing tunnel 400 can be utilized so that with any degree of fill in the cup, the fluid front does not exceed a predetermined distance away from outlet 330 and opening 215 , such that spillage is effectively prevented even when the cup is shaken, i.e., shake-out.
Portions of the fluid flow principles upon which the spill and shake-out inhibiting element of the present invention, i.e., dispensing tunnel 400 , are based, are also described in PCT Application PCT/GB00/03055 to Samson, which was published on Feb. 22, 2001, and which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
In the present invention, fluid flow is stopped in dispensing tunnel 400 as a function of the partial vacuum created in the inner volume or pressure differential between the inner volume and the atmosphere. Thus, fluid flow is not dependent on the orientation of cup 100 , cap 200 , disc 300 or dispensing tunnel 400 . Cup assembly 10 effectively eliminates spillage or shake-out for any orientation of the cup assembly. Additionally, dispensing tunnel 400 effectively eliminates spillage or shake-out even when the cup assembly 10 is shaken or dropped due to the predetermined distance away from opening 215 where the fluid is stopped.
Disc 300 is preferably separable from cap 200 , which facilitates the cleaning of the disc. Moreover, dispensing tunnel 400 is preferably formed by the sealing engagement of disc 300 and cap 200 so that when disassembled, dispensing tunnel 400 is easily accessible for cleaning, i.e., channel 320 has an open top. The two-piece design of dispensing tunnel 400 facilitates the manufacturing of disc 300 since the disc only needs a channel 320 formed in upper surface 310 with a flexible sealing bead 315 along all banks of the channel. Cup assembly 10 also does not require a spout to provide a sealing surface for the channel 320 in disc 300 .
The present invention also can include cap 200 that is transparent, semi-transparent or transparent over a portion of the cap. The transparency or semi-transparency of cap 200 allows a user to see the flow of liquid through dispensing tunnel 400 .
Referring to FIGS. 10 through 14 , an alternative embodiment of the cap and disc of the present invention is shown and generally represented by reference numerals 1200 , 1300 , respectively. Cap 1200 has a top wall 1210 with an upper surface 1230 and a lower surface 1250 . Cap 1200 also has a circumferential sidewall 1270 extending downwardly from, and surrounding, top wall 1210 . Top wall 1210 has an opening 1215 disposed through it and an abutment surface 1255 . Opening 1215 is disposed along the periphery or circumference of the cap 1200 . Sidewall 1270 has an inner surface 1275 with a fastening structure 1280 disposed thereon. Preferably, fastening structure 1280 has threads that are engageable with threads 140 of cup 100 .
Lower surface 1250 has orientation features 1260 which are two projections that are disposed remotely from each other. Preferably, orientation features 1260 extend from lower surface 1250 parallel to the longitudinal axis of cup 100 . More preferably, orientation features 1260 are two Y-shaped projections. However, alternative shapes can also be used for orientation features 1260 , such as, for example, cylindrical projections.
Disc 1300 has an upper surface 1310 , an orifice 1350 and orientation recesses 1360 . Upper surface 1310 has a channel or groove 1320 formed therein. Channel 1320 has an inlet 1325 and an outlet 1330 . Inlet 1325 has an orifice 1350 disposed therethrough. Inlet 1325 and outlet 1330 are disposed adjacent to each other on upper surface 1310 of disc 1300 . Channel 1320 has a serpentine-like path or shape. Orientation recesses 1360 are formed in upper surface 2310 and engage with orientation features 1260 of cap 1200 such that opening 1215 aligns with outlet 1330 and abutment surface 1255 aligns with orifice 1350 . In this embodiment, channel 1320 has all of its banks surrounded by a sealing bead 1315 , which sealingly engages with lower surface 1210 of cap 1200 to form dispensing tunnel 1400 . Dispensing tunnel 400 is an alternative spillage and shake-out inhibiting element of the present invention being in fluid communication with opening 1215 and inner volume 110 .
Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16 , another alternative embodiment of the disc of the present invention is shown and generally represented by reference numeral 2300 . Disc 2300 has an upper surface 2310 , an orifice 2350 and orientation structures 2360 . Upper surface 2310 has a channel or groove 2320 formed therein. Channel 2320 has an inlet 2325 and an outlet 2330 .
Inlet 2325 has an orifice 2350 disposed therethrough. Inlet 2325 and outlet 2330 are disposed adjacent to each other on upper surface 2310 of disc 2300 . Channel 2320 has a mushroom-like path or shape.
Orientation structures 2360 are a projection and recess formed in upper surface 2310 . Preferably, orientation structures 2360 are formed along the outer periphery or circumference of upper surface 2310 . More preferably, orientation structures 2360 are a substantially triangular projection and substantially triangular recess formed in upper surface 2310 . Orientation structures 2360 have a height or depth that allow for engagement with corresponding orientation structures (not shown) of the same shape and size formed on lower surface 250 of cap 200 . Disc 2300 sealingly engages with cap 200 to form the dispensing tunnel or spillage and shake-out inhibiting element of this embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 17 , another alternative embodiment of the disc of the present invention is shown and generally represented by reference numeral 3300 . Disc 3300 has an upper surface 3310 , an orifice 3350 and orientation structures 3360 . Upper surface 3310 has a channel or groove 3320 formed therein. Channel 3320 has an inlet 3325 and an outlet 3330 .
Inlet 3325 has an orifice 3350 disposed therethrough. Inlet 3325 and outlet 3330 are disposed adjacent to each other on upper surface 3310 . Channel 3320 has a variation of a serpentine-like path or shape. Disc 3300 sealingly engages with cap 200 to form the dispensing tunnel or spillage and shake-out inhibiting element of this embodiment.
Referring to FIGS. 18 and 19 , an alternative embodiment of the cup assembly of the present invention is shown, and generally represented by reference numeral 4610 . Cup assembly 4610 has a cup 4700 , a cap 4800 and a spill and shake-out inhibiting element or disc 4900 (not shown). Disc 4900 can be one of the embodiments described above or can be a variation of these embodiments to form dispensing tunnel 5000 . Cap 4800 has a top wall 4810 with an upper surface 4830 . Cap 4800 also has a circumferential sidewall 4870 extending downwardly from, and surrounding, top wall 4810 . Top wall 4810 preferably has a concave or recessed shape along an outer periphery and a flat shape along a center portion.
Top wall 4810 is defined along its circumference by a drinking rim 4811 . However, alternative shapes for top wall 4810 can also be used including flat or convex. Top wall 4810 has a dispensing indicator 4812 with a number of openings 4815 disposed therethrough. Five openings 4815 are shown, however, any number of openings can be used. Openings 4815 are aligned with and connected to closed end 4930 of channel or groove 4920 in disc 4900 (not shown) to provide fluid communication between cup 4700 , dispensing tunnel 5000 , openings 4815 and the user's mouth.
While the present invention has a cap 200 with a drinking rim 211 , alternative embodiments can have a spout instead. In such an alternative cap, disc 300 , for example, having channel 320 , can be adapted to abut against lower surface 250 of the cap, and the spout would be in fluid communication with outlet 330 of the channel. Such an alternative embodiment would provide fluid communication between cup 100 , dispensing tunnel 400 , the spout and the user's mouth.
Additionally, while the present invention includes a cap 200 and a disc 300 having a channel 320 such that sealing engagement of the disc with lower surface 250 of the cap forms dispensing tunnel 400 , i.e., the spill and shake-out inhibiting element, alternative embodiments of cup assembly 10 can have dispensing tunnel 400 formed in other ways. Preferably, dispensing tunnel 400 is disposed below the upper surface of cap 200 . Examples of such alternative ways of forming dispensing tunnel 400 include, but are not limited to, channel 320 formed in lower surface 250 of cap 200 and a disc 300 having a flat upper surface 310 whereby cap 200 and disc 300 engage to form dispensing tunnel 400 ; corresponding channels 320 formed in both upper surface 310 of disc 300 and lower surface 250 of cap 200 whereby the corresponding channels mate to form dispensing tunnel 400 ; a dispensing tunnel 400 formed in cap 200 ; a dispensing tunnel 400 formed in disc 300 ; or a tubular dispensing tunnel 400 with an inlet in fluid communication with the inner volume of cup 100 and an outlet connected to opening 215 . Where two separate parts are mated to form dispensing tunnel 400 , a flexible or elastomeric surface can be used for one of the parts to provide for proper sealing of the dispensing tunnel.
The present invention provides a spill and shake-out inhibiting element, i.e., dispensing tunnel 400 , that does not require a blockage or obstruction in the flow path and thus simplifies manufacturing, as well as use. Dispensing tunnel 400 preferably has a rounded flow path without sharp corners, which would induce turbulence during suction. Some contemporary devices attempt to control the flow during suction by using sharp-cornered turns along the flow path, which induce turbulence but fail to prevent spillage during shaking. The present invention inhibits spillage or shake-out even during shaking. Additionally, the present invention allows for positioning of dispensing tunnel 400 along any portion of cap 200 , as opposed to some of the contemporary devices, which are limited to specific flow paths along the outer circumference of the cap.
Additionally, the cup assembly 10 can provide for venting of the vacuum developed in the inner volume 110 of cup 100 during application of suction by the user. The vent mechanism or method preferably provides venting at or above a predetermined negative pressure which corresponds to the vacuum developed during use, but does not vent below the predetermined negative pressure which corresponds to the negative pressure in the inner volume that is sufficient to prevent spilling or shake-out when the cup assembly is not in use but has been tilted or inverted. Alternative venting mechanisms and methods can also be employed, as well as not venting the inner volume of cup 100 . Such alternative methods and mechanisms preferably vent the inner volume 110 of cup 100 when suction is being applied due to drinking but do not, or substantially do not, vent the inner volume of the cup when the cup has been tilted or inverted and a negative pressure arises in the inner volume due to dispensing tunnel or passageway 400 .
The present invention having been thus described with particular reference to the preferred forms thereof, it will be obvious that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. | A cup for reducing or eliminating spillage or shake-out is provided. The cup has a cap and a spill and shake-out inhibiting element. The spill and shake-out inhibiting element is a dispensing tunnel, which provides for the formation of a pressure differential between the inside of the cup and the atmosphere when fluid begins to flow through the dispensing tunnel. The pressure differential, when it reaches a predetermined level, prevents further flow or movement of the fluid through the dispensing tunnel until additional suction is applied by the user. The diameter of the dispensing tunnel is small enough to effectively prevent air bubbles from flowing past the fluid in the dispensing tunnel. | 0 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to an optimised coding sequence of human blood clotting factor eight (VIII) and a new promoter, which may be used in such vectors as rAAV for introduction of factor VIII, other blood clotting factors and transgenes including those involved in the coagulation cascade, hepatocytes biology, lysosomal storage, and urea cycle disorders, lipid storage disease, alpha-1-antitrypsin, into cells to bring about expression thereof. The invention also relates to cells transformed with such vectors, proteins and glycoproteins produced by such cells, transgenically modified animals containing cells modified using the vectors and methods of treatment utilising the vectors in a gene replacement approach and using proteins and glycoproteins produced by cells transformed with the vectors in a more conventional approach.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The inventors are interested in developing a safe and efficient gene transfer strategy for the treatment of haemophilia A (HA), the most common inherited bleeding disorder. This would represent a major clinical advance with significant implications for other congenital disorders that lack effective treatment. The inventors have already developed a promising gene therapy approach for haemophilia B using recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors. Haemophilia A poses several new challenges due to the distinct molecular and biochemical properties of human factor VIII (hFVIII), a molecule that is mutated in this disease. These include the relatively large size of the hFVIII cDNA and the fact that hFVIII protein expression is highly inefficient. The inventors have begun to address some of these limitations through advances in vector technology and the development of a novel more potent hFVIII variant (codop-hFVIII) that can be efficiently packaged into rAAV.
[0003] Haemophilia A (HA) is an X-linked bleeding disorder that affects approximately 1 in 5,000 males, that is caused by mutations in the factor VIII (FVIII) gene, which codes for an essential cofactor in the coagulation cascade. Severe HA patients (>50% of patients) have less than 1% of normal FVIII activity, and suffer from spontaneous haemorrhage into weight bearing joints and soft tissues, which cause permanent disability and occasionally death. The current standard of care for HA consists of recombinant hFVIII protein concentrates, which can arrest haemorrhage but do not abrogate chronic damage that ensues after a bleed. Prophylactic administration of factor concentrates to maintain plasma FVIII levels above 1% (>2 ng/mL) leads to a marked reduction in spontaneous haemorrhage and chronic arthropathy. However, the half life of FVIII is short (8-12 hours), necessitating three intravenous administration of concentrates per week. This is prohibitively expensive (>£100,000/year/patient), highly invasive and time consuming. Because of its high cost and limited supply, over 75% of severe HA patients receive no, or only sporadic treatment with FVIII concentrates. These individuals face a drastically shortened life of pain and disability.
[0004] Attention has, therefore, turned to somatic gene therapy for HA because of its potential for a cure through continuous endogenous production of FVIII following a single administration of vector. Haemophilia A, is in fact well suited for a gene replacement approach because its clinical manifestations are entirely attributable to the lack of a single gene product (FVIII) that circulates in minute amounts (200 ng/mL) in the plasma. Tightly regulated control of gene expression is not essential and a modest increase in the level of FVIII (>1% of normal) can ameliorate the severe phenotype. The availability of animal models including FVIII-knockout mice and haemophilia A dogs can facilitate extensive preclinical evaluation of gene therapy strategies. Finally, the consequences of gene transfer can be assessed using simple quantitative rather than qualitative endpoints that can be easily assayed in most clinical laboratories, which contrasts with other gene therapy targets where expression is difficult to assess or is influenced by additional factors such as substrate flux.
[0005] Three gene transfer Phase I trials have been conducted thus far for HA using direct in vivo gene delivery of onco-retro- or adenoviral vectors as well as autologous transplant of plasmid modified autologous fibroblasts. Stable expression of hFVIII at above 1% was not achieved. These and subsequent preclinical studies highlighted several critical biological obstacles to successful gene therapy of HA.
[0006] Cellular processing of the wild type full length FVIII molecule is highly complex and expression is confounded by mRNA instability, interaction with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperones, and a requirement for facilitated ER to Golgi transport through interaction with the mannose-binding lectin LMAN1. Novel more potent FVIII variants have, however, been developed through incremental advances in our understanding of the biology of FVIII expression. For instance biochemical studies demonstrated that the FVIII B-domain was dispensable for FVIII cofactor activity. Deletion of the B-domain resulted in a 17-fold increase in mRNA levels over full-length wild-type FVIII and a 30% increase in secreted protein. This led to the development of B-domain deleted (BDD) FVIII protein concentrate, which is now widely used in the clinic. Recent studies, however, indicate that full length and BDD hFVIII misfold in the ER lumen, resulting in activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) and apoptosis of murine hepatocytes. However, the addition of a short B-domain spacer, rich in asparagine-linked oligosaccharides, to BDD-FVIII (=N6-FVIII) overcomes this problem in part through improved transport from the ER to the Golgi. N6-FVIII is secreted at 10 fold higher levels than full length wild type FVIII but the inventors believe that FVIII secretion can be improved further through modification of the FVIII genome.
[0007] rAAV currently shows most promise for chronic disorders such as HA because of its excellent safety profile. In addition, the inventors and others have shown that a single administration of rAAV vector is sufficient to direct long-term transgene expression without significant toxicity in a variety of animal models including non-human primates. Integration of the rAAV provirus has been described, but at a frequency that is exceedingly low and comparable to that of plasmid DNA. Stable transgene expression is, therefore, mediated mainly by episomally retained rAAV genomes in post-mitotic tissues, thereby reducing the risk of insertional oncogenesis. This contrasts with integrating vectors that have been shown to cause a lymphoproliferative disorder in children with SCID-XI. Whilst promising results have recently been reported in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease and Leber's congenital amaurosis following rAAV mediated gene transfer, until recently the large size of the hFVIII cDNA (˜7 kb), which exceeds the relatively small packaging capacity of rAAV of ˜4.7 to 4.9 kb, has limited the use of this vector for HA. A recent report from Pierce and colleagues demonstrated long-term (>4 years) expression of B domain deleted (BDD) canine FVIII at 2.5-5% of normal following a single administration of rAAV in haemophilia A dogs. However, rAAV mediated expression of human FVIII has not been established to the same degree.
[0008] Currently, the most severe and challenging complication of treatment with FVIII concentrates is the development of neutralising antibodies to FVIII (FVIII inhibitors), which occurs in up to 30% of patients with HA. These inhibitors negate the biological effects of FVIII concentrates and making it difficult to treat bleeding episodes, except with bypass agents such as recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa). The significant cost of rFVIIa (˜£500,000 per episode of orthopaedic surgery) and toxicity (e.g. thrombosis) precludes prophylactic use. Immune tolerance induction (ITI) is an alternative but this it is less effective in patients with longstanding, high titre, inhibitors. Peripheral tolerance has, in fact, been achieved in some patients with intractable FVIII inhibitors following liver transplantation, suggesting that stable long-term endogenous expression of hFVIII may be important for achieving tolerance. The inventors' data in mice and non-human primates and that of others clearly shows that liver targeted gene transfer with rAAV promotes a state of permanent tolerance towards the transgene through expansion of transgene specific regulatory T cells (Tregs).
[0009] Therefore, gene transfer may provide an alternative means for prevention and eradication of intractable inhibitors.
[0010] A key lesson from previous clinical trials with rAAV is that preclinical studies need to be evaluated in a context relevant to humans. They have, therefore, focused on nonhuman primates for evaluation of rAAV vectors because, like humans, macaques are natural hosts for AAV infection. This provides an important opportunity to evaluate gene transfer efficiency with rAAV vectors in out-bred animals previously sensitised to wild type AAV, which is not possible with murine or canine models. Finally, regulatory authorities in Europe and the United States are now requesting preclinical safety and efficacy studies in nonhuman primates as a condition for authorisation of a clinical trial.
[0011] To overcome the disadvantages mentioned above, the inventors have created an improved isolated nucleotide sequence encoding Factor VIII, along with a new promoter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 75% homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and which encodes functional factor VIII (fVIII or FVIII).
[0013] The present invention also provides a vector comprising a nucleic acid molecule which comprises a nucleotide sequence having at least 75% homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and which encodes functional factor VIII.
[0014] Further, the present invention provides a host cell comprising a nucleic acid molecule as described above or a vector as described above.
[0015] Additionally, the present invention provides a protein or glycoprotein expressed by a host cell as described above.
[0016] Furthermore, the present invention provides a transgenic animal comprising cells which comprise a nucleic acid molecule or a vector as described above.
[0017] The present invention also provides a method of treating haemophilia comprising administering a vector as described above or a protein as described above to a patient suffering from haemophilia.
[0018] Further, the present invention provides a nucleic acid molecule as described above, a protein as described above or a vector as described above for use in therapy.
[0019] Additionally, the present invention provides a nucleic acid molecule as described above, a protein as described above or a vector as described above for use in the treatment of haemophilia.
[0020] Also, the present invention provides a method for delivery of a nucleotide sequence encoding a function factor VIII to a subject, which method comprises administering to the said subject a nucleic acid molecule as described above, a protein as described above or a vector as described above.
[0021] Furthermore, the present invention provides a promoter comprising a nucleotide sequence having at least 85% homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3.
[0022] The present invention also provides a second vector comprising a promoter which comprises a nucleotide sequence having at least 85% homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3.
[0023] Further, the present invention provides a second host cell comprising the promoter as described above or the second vector as described above.
[0024] Additionally, the present invention provides an expression product expressed by the second host cell as described above, wherein an expressible nucleotide sequence is operably linked to the promoter.
[0025] Furthermore, the present invention provides a second transgenic animal comprising cells which comprise the promoter as described above or the second vector as described above.
[0026] The present invention also provides a method for the preparation of a parvoviral gene delivery vector, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing an insect cell comprising one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising:
(i) a nucleic acid molecule of any one of claims 1 to 6 that is flanked by at least one parvoviral inverted terminal repeat nucleotide sequence; (ii) a first expression cassette comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding one or more parvoviral Rep proteins which is operably linked to a promoter that is capable of driving expression of the Rep protein(s) in the insect cell; (iii) a second expression cassette comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding one or more parvoviral capsid proteins which is operably linked to a promoter that is capable of driving expression of the capsid protein(s) in the insect cell;
(b) culturing the insect cell defined in (a) under conditions conducive to the expression of the Rep and the capsid proteins; and, optionally, (c) recovering the parvoviral gene delivery vector.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0033] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence having substantial homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. The term substantial homology can be further defined with reference to a percentage homology. This is discussed in further detail below.
[0034] The term “isolated” when used in relation to a nucleic acid molecule of the invention typically refers to a nucleic acid sequence that is identified and separated from at least one contaminant nucleic acid with which it is ordinarily associated in its natural source. Isolated nucleic acid may be present in a form or setting that is different from that in which it is found in nature. In contrast, non-isolated nucleic acids are nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA found in the state they exist in nature. For example, a given DNA sequence (e.g. a gene) is found on the host cell chromosome in proximity to neighbouring genes; RNA sequences, such as a specific mRNA sequence encoding a specific protein, are found in the cell as a mixture with numerous other mRNAs which encode a multitude of proteins. The isolated nucleic acid molecule of the invention may be present in single-stranded or double-stranded form. When an isolated nucleic acid molecule is to be utilized to express a protein, it will typically contain at a minimum the sense or coding strand (i.e., nucleic acid molecule may be single-stranded), but may contain both the sense and anti-sense strands (i.e., the nucleic acid molecule may be double-stranded).
[0035] The nucleic acid molecule of the invention preferably has at least 75%, more preferably at least 80%, more preferably still at least 85%, even more preferably at least 90%, and more preferably at least 95% homology, for example at least 98% homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. It also preferably has at least 70%, more preferably at least 75%, and more preferably at least 80% homology to wild-type factor VIII. Further, the nucleic acid molecule preferably encodes for a functional factor VIII protein, that is to say it encodes for factor VIII which, when expressed, has the functionality of wild type factor VIII. The nucleic acid molecule, when expressed in a suitable system (e.g. a host cell), produces a functional factor VIII protein and at a relatively high level. Since the factor VIII that is produced is functional, it will have a conformation which is the same as at least a portion of the wild type factor VIII. In one embodiment, the factor VIII produced by the nucleic acid will have the same conformation as the N6 factor VIII which has been previously described. A functional factor VIII protein produced by the invention allows at least some blood coagulation to take place in a subject. This causes a decrease in the time it takes for blood to clot in a subject suffering from haemophilia. Normal factor VIII participates in blood coagulation via the coagulation cascade. Normal factor VIII is a cofactor for factor IXa which, in the presence of Ca +2 and phospholipids forms a complex that converts factor X to the activated form Xa. Therefore, a functional factor VIII protein according to the invention can form a functional complex with factor IXa which can convert factor X to the activated form Xa.
[0036] Previously used factor VIII nucleotide sequences have had problems with expression of functional protein. This is thought to be due to inefficient expression of mRNA, protein misfolding with subsequent intracellular degradation, and inefficient transport of the primary translation product from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus. The inventors have found that the nucleic acid molecule provided by the invention causes surprisingly high levels of expression of a factor VIII protein both in vitro and in vivo. This means that this nucleic acid molecule could be used in gene therapy to treat haemophilia such as haemophilia A.
[0037] The nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 is a codon optimised human factor VIII nucleic acid sequence which is based on the sequence of the N6 factor VIII nucleotide sequence. The N6 factor VIII nucleotide sequence is a Factor VIII sequence from which the B domain has been deleted and replaced with a short B-domain spacer, rich in asparagine-linked oligosaccharides, which improves transport of the N6-FVIII from the ER to the Golgi.
[0038] The inventors have shown that SEQ ID NO:1 and sequences which are similar to it, i.e. those sequences which have a relatively high level of homology, all show surprisingly high levels of expression of functional protein. In this regard, SEQ ID NOs: 4, 5, 6 and 7 are also codon optimised factor VIII nucleic acid sequences, the % homology of which are 88%, 77%, 82% and 97% respectively, compared to SEQ ID NO: 1.
[0039] A nucleotide sequence of the invention may have at least about 400, at least about 650, at least about 890, at least about 1140, at least about 1380, at least about 1530 of all codons coding for the functional Factor VIII being identical to the codons (in corresponding positions) in SEQ ID NO: 1.
[0040] The invention also provides a nucleic acid molecule which has at least 75%, preferably at least 80%, more preferably at least 85%, even more preferably at least 90%, and more preferably at least 95% homology, for example 98% homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4.
[0041] A nucleotide sequence of the invention may have at least about 410, at least about 670, at least about 920, at least about 1180, at least about 1430, at least about 1580 of all codons coding for the functional Factor VIII being identical to the codons (in corresponding positions) in SEQ ID NO: 4.
[0042] The nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 is a codon optimised factor VIII nucleic acid sequence which is based on the sequence of an SQ N6 factor VIII nucleotide sequence. The SQ N6 factor VIII nucleotide sequence is a Factor VIII sequence from which the B domain has been deleted and replaced with an SQ link of 14 amino acids between the a2 and a3 domains. Within the SQ link, an N6 B-domain has been inserted.
[0043] Further, the invention provides a nucleic acid molecule which has at least 75%, preferably at least 80%, more preferably at least 85%, even more preferably at least 90%, and more preferably at least 95% homology, for example 98% homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5.
[0044] A nucleotide sequence of the invention may have at least about 360, at least about 580, at least about 800, at least about 1020, at least about 1380, at least about 1230 of all codons coding for the functional Factor VIII being identical to the codons (in corresponding positions) in SEQ ID NO: 5.
[0045] The nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5 is a codon optimised factor VIII nucleic acid sequence which is based on the sequence of an SQ factor VIII nucleotide sequence. The SQ factor VIII nucleotide sequence is a Factor VIII sequence from which the B domain has been deleted and replaced with an SQ link of 14 amino acids between the a2 and a3 domains. The presence of the SQ link in the complex promotes efficient intracellular cleavage of the primary single chain translation product of 170 kDa due to the basic arginine residues which form a recognition motif for proteolytic cleavage by the membrane bound subtilisin-like protease furin.
[0046] Additionally, the invention provides a nucleic acid molecule which has at least 75%, preferably at least 80%, more preferably at least 85%, even more preferably at least 90%, and more preferably at least 95% homology, for example 98% homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0047] A nucleotide sequence of the invention may have at least about 410, at least about 660, at least about 910, at least about 1160, at least about 1410, at least about 1560 of all codons coding for the functional Factor VIII being identical to the codons (in corresponding positions) in SEQ ID NO: 6.
[0048] The nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6 is a codon optimised factor VIII nucleic acid sequence which is based on the sequence of an SQ Fugu B factor VIII nucleotide sequence. The SQ Fugu B factor VIII nucleotide sequence is a Factor VIII sequence from which the B domain has been deleted and replaced with an SQ link of 14 amino acids between the a2 and a3 domains. Within the SQ link, a Fugu B-domain has been inserted. A Fugu B domain is the factor VIII B-domain from the teleost puffer fish Fugu rubripes. The Fugu B domain has a high concentration of N-linked glycosylation sites which greatly improve intracellular trafficking and expression of the sequence.
[0049] Furthermore, the invention provides a nucleic acid molecule which has at least 75%, preferably at least 80%, more preferably at least 85%, even more preferably at least 90%, and more preferably at least 95% homology, for example 98% homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7.
[0050] A nucleotide sequence of the invention may have at least about 440, at least about 710, at least about 970, at least about 1240, at least about 1500, at least about 1670 of all codons coding for the functional Factor VIII being identical to the codons (in corresponding positions) in SEQ ID NO: 7.
[0051] The nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 7 is a codon optimised factor VIII nucleic acid sequence which is based on the sequence of the N6 factor VIII nucleotide sequence.
[0052] All the above embodiments relating to different sequences preferably encode for a functional factor VIII. Further preferred features are the same as those relating to SEQ ID NO: 1 where appropriate. This will be apparent to a person skilled in the art.
[0053] In one embodiment, any of the nucleic acid molecules of the invention may comprise a nucleotide sequence encoding for an SQ link in the factor VIII protein. The amino acid sequence of the SQ link is preferably the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 18.
[0054] In another embodiment, any of the nucleic acid molecules of the invention may comprise a nucleotide sequence encoding for an N6 B-domain in the factor VIII protein.
[0055] In a further embodiment, any of the nucleic acid molecules of the invention may comprise a nucleotide sequence encoding for a Fugu B-domain in the factor VIII protein.
[0056] The nucleic acid of the invention may comprise an SQ link and an N6 B-domain in the factor VIII protein, or an SQ link and a Fugu B-domain in the factor VIII protein.
[0057] Generally, codon optimisation does not change the amino acid for which each codon encodes. It simply changes the nucleotide sequence so that it is more likely to be expressed at a relatively high level compared to the non-codon optimised sequence. Therefore, in one embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule of the invention encodes for a protein having between 0 and 350, between 0 and 300, between 0 and 250, between 0 and 200, between 0 and 150, between 0 and 100, between 0 and 50, between 0 and 30, between 0 and 20, between 0 and 15, between 0 and 10, or between 0 and 5 amino acid changes to the protein encoded by the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6 or SEQ ID NO: 7. This means that the nucleotide sequence of the nucleic acid of the invention and, for example, SEQ ID NO: 1 (or SEQ ID NO: 4, etc.) may be different but when they are translated the amino acid sequence of the protein that is produced only differs by between 0 and 10 amino acids. Preferably, any amino acid changes encoded for by the nucleic acid of the invention compared to SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6 or SEQ ID NO: 7 are in the portion of the sequence which replaced the B-domain of the factor VIII protein, i.e. the changes do not occur in the other domains of the protein such as the A1, a1, A2, a2, a3, A3, C1 or C2 domains. Amino acid changes in the other domains of the factor VIII protein affect the biological activity of the factor VIII protein.
[0058] Further, the nucleic acid molecule of the invention may encode for a protein which is encoded by the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6 or SEQ ID NO: 7. This means that the nucleotide sequences of the nucleic acid of the invention and, for example, SEQ ID NO: 1 (or SEQ ID NO: 4, etc.) may be different but when they are translated the amino acid sequence of the protein that is produced is the same.
[0059] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the nucleotide sequence coding for a functional Factor VIII has an improved codon usage bias for the human cell as compared to naturally occurring nucleotide sequence coding for the corresponding non-codon optimized sequence. The adaptiveness of a nucleotide sequence encoding a functional Factor VIII to the codon usage of human cells may be expressed as codon adaptation index (CAI). A codon adaptation index is herein defined as a measurement of the relative adaptiveness of the codon usage of a gene towards the codon usage of highly expressed human genes. The relative adaptiveness (w) of each codon is the ratio of the usage of each codon, to that of the most abundant codon for the same amino acid. The CAI is defined as the geometric mean of these relative adaptiveness values. Non-synonymous codons and termination codons (dependent on genetic code) are excluded. CAI values range from 0 to 1, with higher values indicating a higher proportion of the most abundant codons (see Sharp and Li, 1987, Nucleic Acids Research 15: 1281-1295; also see: Kim et al., Gene. 1997, 199:293-301; zur Megede et al., Journal of Virology, 2000, 74: 2628-2635). Preferably, a nucleic acid molecule encoding a Factor VIII has a CAI of at least 0.8, 0.85, 0.90, 0.92, 0.94, 0.95, 0.96 or 0.97.
[0060] In a particular embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule encodes for a protein comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 21 having between 0 and 250, between 0 and 200, between 0 and 150, between 0 and 100, between 0 and 50, between 0 and 30, between 0 and 20, between 0 and 15, between 0 and 10, or between 0 and 5 amino acid changes thereto. If the nucleic acid molecule encodes for a protein comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 21 having changes to any of the amino acids, the protein should still be a functional protein. A skilled person will appreciate that minor changes can be made to some of the amino acids of the protein without affecting the function of the protein. Preferably, the amino acid changes are in the portion of the sequence which replaced the B-domain of the factor VIII protein, i.e. the changes do not occur in the other domains of the protein such as the A1, a1, A2, a2, a3, A3, C1 or C2 domains. In other embodiments, the nucleic acid molecule may encode for a protein comprising or consisting of the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 21.
[0061] It would be well with the capabilities of a skilled person to produce a nucleic acid molecule according to the invention. This could be done, for example, using chemical synthesis of a given sequence.
[0062] Further, a skilled person would readily be able to determine whether a nucleic acid according to the invention expresses a functional protein. Suitable methods would be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, one suitable in vitro method involves inserting the nucleic acid into a vector, such as a lentiviral or an AAV vector, transducing host cells, such as 293T or HeLa cells, with the vector, and assaying for factor VIII activity. Alternatively, a suitable in vivo method involves transducing a vector containing the nucleic acid into haemophiliac mice and assaying for functional factor VIII in the plasma of the mice. Suitable methods are described in more detail below.
[0063] The nucleic acid can be any type of nucleic acid composed of nucleotides. The nucleic acid should be able to be expressed so that a protein is produced. Preferably, the nucleic acid is DNA or RNA.
[0064] The nucleic acid molecule preferably comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6 and SEQ ID NO: 7. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO: 7. The nucleic acid molecule may consist of a nucleotide sequence selected from the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5, SEQ ID NO: 6 and SEQ ID NO: 7. Further, The nucleic acid molecule may consist of a nucleotide sequence selected from the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO: 7. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule consists of a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.
[0065] Also provided is a vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule of the invention. The vector may be any appropriate vector, including viral and non-viral vectors. Viral vectors include lenti-, adeno-, herpes viral vectors. It is preferably a recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vector or a lentiviral vector. Alternatively, non-viral systems may be used, including using naked DNA (with or without chromatin attachment regions) or conjugated DNA that is introduced into cells by various transfection methods such as lipids or electroporation.
[0066] The vector preferably also comprises any other components required for expression of the nucleic acid molecule, such as promoters. Any appropriate promoters may be used, such as LP1, HCR-hAAT, ApoE-hAAT, and LSP. These promoters are described in more detail in the following references: LP1: Nathwani A. et al. Blood. 2006 Apr. 1; 107(7): 2653-2661; HCR-hAAT: Miao C H et al. Mol Ther. 2000; 1: 522-532; ApoE-hAAT: Okuyama T et al. Human Gene Therapy, 7, 637-645 (1996); and LSP: Wang L et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1999 Mar. 30; 96(7): 3906-3910.
[0067] A particular preferred promoter is provided by the invention. Accordingly, there is provided a promoter comprising a nucleotide sequence having substantial homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3. The promoter is liver specific. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid molecule described above further comprises a nucleotide sequence having substantial homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3. The term substantial homology can be further defined with reference to a percentage homology. This is discussed in further detail below.
[0068] A vector according to the invention may be a gene delivery vector. Such a gene delivery vector may be a viral gene delivery vector or a non-viral gene delivery vector.
[0069] Non-viral gene delivery may be carried out using naked DNA which is the simplest method of non-viral transfection. It may be possible, for example, to administer a nucleic acid of the invention using naked plasmid DNA. Alternatively, methods such as electroporation, sonoporation or the use of a “gene gun”, which shoots DNA coated gold particles into the cell using, for example, high pressure gas or an inverted .22 calibre gun, may be used.
[0070] To improve the delivery of a nucleic acid into a cell, it may be necessary to protect it from damage and its entry into the cell may be facilitated. To this end, lipoplexes and polyplexes may be used that have the ability to protect a nucleic acid from undesirable degradation during the transfection process.
[0071] Plasmid DNA may be coated with lipids in an organized structure such as a micelle or a liposome. When the organized structure is complexed with DNA it is called a lipoplex. Anionic and neutral lipids may be used for the construction of lipoplexes for synthetic vectors. Preferably, however, cationic lipids, due to their positive charge, may be used to condense negatively charged DNA molecules so as to facilitate the encapsulation of DNA into liposomes. If may be necessary to add helper lipids (usually electroneutral lipids, such as DOPE) to cationic lipids so as to form lipoplexes.
[0072] Complexes of polymers with DNA, called polyplexes, may be used to deliver a nucleic acid of the invention. Most polyplexes consist of cationic polymers and their production is regulated by ionic interactions. Polyplexes typically cannot release their DNA load into the cytoplasm. Thus, co-transfection with endosome-lytic agents (to lyse the endosome that is made during endocytosis, the process by which the polyplex enters the cell), such as inactivated adenovirus, may be necessary.
[0073] Hybrid methods may be used to deliver a nucleic acid of the invention that combines two or more techniques. Virosomes are one example; they combine liposomes with an inactivated HIV or influenza virus. Other methods involve mixing other viral vectors with cationic lipids or hybridizing viruses and may be used to deliver a nucleic acid of the invention.
[0074] A dendrimer may be used to deliver a nucleic acid of the invention, in particular, a cationic dendrimer, i.e. one with a positive surface charge. When in the presence of genetic material such as DNA or RNA, charge complimentarity leads to a temporary association of the nucleic acid with the cationic dendrimer. On reaching its destination the dendrimer-nucleic acid complex is then imported into the cell via endocytosis.
[0075] More typically, a suitable viral gene delivery vector may be used to deliver a nucleic acid of the invention. Viral vectors suitable for use in the invention may be a parvovirus, an adenovirus, a retrovirus, a lentivirus or a herpes simplex virus. The parvovirus may be an adenovirus-associated virus (AAV).
[0076] As used herein, in the context of gene delivery, the term “vector” or “gene delivery vector” may refer to a particle that functions as a gene delivery vehicle, and which comprises nucleic acid (i.e., the vector genome) packaged within, for example, an envelope or capsid. Alternatively, in some contexts, the term “vector” may be used to refer only to the vector genome.
[0077] Accordingly, the present invention provides gene delivery vectors (comprising a nucleic acid of the invention) based on animal parvoviruses, in particular dependoviruses such as infectious human or simian AAV, and the components thereof (e.g., an animal parvovirus genome) for use as vectors for introduction and/or expression of a Factor VIII polypeptide in a mammalian cell. The term “parvoviral” as used herein thus encompasses dependoviruses such as any type of AAV.
[0078] Viruses of the Parvoviridae family are small DNA animal viruses. The family Parvoviridae may be divided between two subfamilies: the Parvovirinae, which infect vertebrates, and the Densovirinae, which infect insects. Members of the subfamily Parvovirinae are herein referred to as the parvoviruses and include the genus Dependovirus. As may be deduced from the name of their genus, members of the Dependovirus are unique in that they usually require coinfection with a helper virus such as adenovirus or herpes virus for productive infection in cell culture. The genus Dependovirus includes AAV, which normally infects humans (e.g., serotypes 1, 2, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, and 6) or primates (e.g., serotypes 1 and 4), and related viruses that infect other warm-blooded animals (e.g., bovine, canine, equine, and ovine adeno-associated viruses). Further information on parvoviruses and other members of the Parvoviridae is described in Kenneth I. Berns, “Parvoviridae: The Viruses and Their Replication,” Chapter 69 in Fields Virology (3d Ed. 1996). For convenience the present invention is further exemplified and described herein by reference to AAV. It is, however, understood that the invention is not limited to AAV but may equally be applied to other parvoviruses.
[0079] The genomic organization of all known AAV serotypes is very similar. The genome of AAV is a linear, single-stranded DNA molecule that is less than about 5,000 nucleotides (nt) in length. Inverted terminal repeats (ITRs) flank the unique coding nucleotide sequences for the non-structural replication (Rep) proteins and the structural (VP) proteins. The VP proteins (VP1, -2 and -3) form the capsid. The terminal 145 nt are self-complementary and are organized so that an energetically stable intramolecular duplex forming a T-shaped hairpin may be formed. These hairpin structures function as an origin for viral DNA replication, serving as primers for the cellular DNA polymerase complex. Following wild type (wt) AAV infection in mammalian cells the Rep genes (i.e. encoding Rep78 and Rep52 proteins) are expressed from the P5 promoter and the P19 promoter, respectively and both Rep proteins have a function in the replication of the viral genome. A splicing event in the Rep ORF results in the expression of actually four Rep proteins (i.e. Rep78, Rep68, Rep52 and Rep40). However, it has been shown that the unspliced mRNA, encoding Rep78 and Rep52 proteins, in mammalian cells are sufficient for AAV vector production. Also in insect cells the Rep78 and Rep52 proteins suffice for AAV vector production.
[0080] In an AAV suitable for use as a gene therapy vector, the vector genome typically comprises a nucleic acid of the invention (as described herein) to be packaged for delivery to a target cell. According to this particular embodiment, the heterologous nucleotide sequence is located between the viral ITRs at either end of the vector genome. In further preferred embodiments, the parvovirus (e. g. AAV) cap genes and parvovirus (e.g. AAV) rep genes are deleted from the template genome (and thus from the virion DNA produced therefrom). This configuration maximizes the size of the nucleic acid sequence(s) that can be carried by the parvovirus capsid.
[0081] According to this particular embodiment, the nucleic acid of the invention is located between the viral ITRs at either end of the substrate. It is possible for a parvoviral genome to function with only one ITR. Thus, in a gene therapy vector of the invention based on a parvovirus, the vector genome is flanked by at least one ITR, but, more typically, by two AAV ITRs (generally with one either side of the vector genome, i.e. one at the 5′ end and one at the 3′ end). There may be intervening sequences between the nucleic acid of the invention in the vector genome and one or more of the ITRs.
[0082] Preferably, the nucleic acid encoding a functional Factor VIII polypeptide (for expression in the mammalian cell) will be incorporated into a parvoviral genome located between two regular ITRs or located on either side of an ITR engineered with two D regions.
[0083] AAV sequences that may be used in the present invention for the production of AAV gene therapy vectors can be derived from the genome of any AAV serotype. Generally, the AAV serotypes have genomic sequences of significant homology at the amino acid and the nucleic acid levels, provide an identical set of genetic functions, produce virions which are essentially physically and functionally equivalent, and replicate and assemble by practically identical mechanisms. For the genomic sequence of the various AAV serotypes and an overview of the genomic similarities see e.g. GenBank Accession number U89790; GenBank Accession number J01901; GenBank Accession number AF043303; GenBank Accession number AF085716; Chiorini et al. (1997, J. Vir. 71: 6823-33); Srivastava et al. (1983, J. Vir. 45:555-64); Chiorini et al. (1999, J. Vir. 73:1309-1319); Rutledge et al. (1998, J. Vir. 72:309-319); and Wu et al. (2000, J. Vir. 74: 8635-47). AAV serotype 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 may be used in the present invention. However, AAV serotypes 1, 5 or 8 are preferred sources of AAV sequences for use in the context of the present invention.
[0084] Preferably the AAV ITR sequences for use in the context of the present invention are derived from AAV1, AAV2, AAV4 and/or AAV6. Likewise, the Rep (Rep78 and Rep52) coding sequences are preferably derived from AAV1, AAV2, AAV4 and/or AAV6. The sequences coding for the VP1, VP2, and VP3 capsid proteins for use in the context of the present invention may however be taken from any of the known 42 serotypes, more preferably from AAV1, AAV2, AAV3, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8 or AAV9 or newly developed AAV-like particles obtained by e.g. capsid shuffling techniques and AAV capsid libraries.
[0085] AAV Rep and ITR sequences are particularly conserved among most serotypes. The Rep78 proteins of various AAV serotypes are e.g. more than 89% identical and the total nucleotide sequence identity at the genome level between AAV2, AAV3A, AAV3B, and AAV6 is around 82% (Bantel-Schaal et al., 1999, J. Virol., 73(2):939-947). Moreover, the Rep sequences and ITRs of many AAV serotypes are known to efficiently cross-complement (i.e., functionally substitute) corresponding sequences from other serotypes in production of AAV particles in mammalian cells. US2003148506 reports that AAV Rep and ITR sequences also efficiently cross-complement other AAV Rep and ITR sequences in insect cells.
[0086] The AAV VP proteins are known to determine the cellular tropicity of the AAV virion. The VP protein-encoding sequences are significantly less conserved than Rep proteins and genes among different AAV serotypes. The ability of Rep and ITR sequences to cross-complement corresponding sequences of other serotypes allows for the production of pseudotyped AAV particles comprising the capsid proteins of a serotype (e.g., AAV1, 5 or 8) and the Rep and/or ITR sequences of another AAV serotype (e.g., AAV2). Such pseudotyped rAAV particles are a part of the present invention.
[0087] Modified “AAV” sequences also can be used in the context of the present invention, e.g. for the production of AAV gene therapy vectors. Such modified sequences e.g. include sequences having at least about 70%, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, at least about 85%, at least about 90%, at least about 95%, or more nucleotide and/or amino acid sequence identity (e.g., a sequence having about 75-99% nucleotide sequence identity) to an AAV1, AAV2, AAV3, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8 or AAV9 ITR, Rep, or VP can be used in place of wild-type AAV ITR, Rep, or VP sequences.
[0088] Although similar to other AAV serotypes in many respects, AAV5 differs from other human and simian AAV serotypes more than other known human and simian serotypes. In view thereof, the production of rAAV5 can differ from production of other serotypes in insect cells. Where methods of the invention are employed to produce rAAV5, it is preferred that one or more constructs comprising, collectively in the case of more than one construct, a nucleotide sequence comprising an AAV5 ITR, a nucleotide sequence comprises an AAV5 Rep coding sequence (i.e. a nucleotide sequence comprises an AAV5 Rep78). Such ITR and Rep sequences can be modified as desired to obtain efficient production of AAV5 or pseudotyped AAV5 vectors. For example, the start codon of the Rep sequences can be modified, VP splice sites can be modified or eliminated, and/or the VP1 start codon and nearby nucleotides can be modified to improve the production of AAV5 vectors.
[0089] Thus, the viral capsid used in the invention may be from any parvovirus, either an autonomous parvovirus or dependovirus, as described above. Preferably, the viral capsid is an AAV capsid (e.g., AAV1, AAV2, AAV3, AAV4, AAV5 or AAV6 capsid). In general, the AAV1 capsid or AAV6 capsid are preferred. The choice of parvovirus capsid may be based on a number of considerations as known in the art, e.g., the target cell type, the desired level of expression, the nature of the heterologous nucleotide sequence to be expressed, issues related to viral production, and the like. For example, the AAV1 and AAV6 capsid may be advantageously employed for skeletal muscle; AAV1, AAV5 and AAV8 for the liver and cells of the central nervous system (e.g., brain); AAV5 for cells in the airway and lung or brain; AAV3 for bone marrow cells; and AAV4 for particular cells in the brain (e. g., appendable cells).
[0090] It is within the technical skills of the skilled person to select the most appropriate virus, virus subtype or virus serotype. Some subtypes or serotypes may be more appropriate than others for a certain type of tissue.
[0091] For example, liver-specific expression of a nucleic acid of the invention may advantageously be induced by AAV-mediated transduction of liver cells. Liver is amenable to AAV-mediated transduction, and different serotypes may be used (for example, AAV1, AAV5 or AAV8). Transduction of muscle may be accomplished by administration of an AAV encoding a nucleic acid of the invention via the blood stream. Thus, intravenous or intra-arterial administration is applicable.
[0092] A parvovirus gene therapy vector prepared according to the invention may be a “hybrid” particle in which the viral TRs and viral capsid are from different parvoviruses. Preferably, the viral TRs and capsid are from different serotypes of AAV. Likewise, the parvovirus may have a “chimeric” capsid (e. g., containing sequences from different parvoviruses, preferably different AAV serotypes) or a “targeted” capsid (e. g., a directed tropism).
[0093] In the context of the invention “at least one parvoviral ITR nucleotide sequence” is understood to mean a palindromic sequence, comprising mostly complementary, symmetrically arranged sequences also referred to as “A,” “B,” and “C” regions. The ITR functions as an origin of replication, a site having a “cis” role in replication, i.e., being a recognition site for trans-acting replication proteins such as e.g. Rep 78 (or Rep68) which recognize the palindrome and specific sequences internal to the palindrome. One exception to the symmetry of the ITR sequence is the “D” region of the ITR. It is unique (not having a complement within one ITR). Nicking of single-stranded DNA occurs at the junction between the A and D regions. It is the region where new DNA synthesis initiates. The D region normally sits to one side of the palindrome and provides directionality to the nucleic acid replication step. A parvovirus replicating in a mammalian cell typically has two ITR sequences. It is, however, possible to engineer an ITR so that binding sites are on both strands of the A regions and D regions are located symmetrically, one on each side of the palindrome. On a double-stranded circular DNA template (e.g., a plasmid), the Rep78- or Rep68-assisted nucleic acid replication then proceeds in both directions and a single ITR suffices for parvoviral replication of a circular vector. Thus, one ITR nucleotide sequence can be used in the context of the present invention. Preferably, however, two or another even number of regular ITRs are used. Most preferably, two ITR sequences are used. A preferred parvoviral ITR is an AAV ITR. For safety reasons it may be desirable to construct a parvoviral (AAV) vector that is unable to further propagate after initial introduction into a cell. Such a safety mechanism for limiting undesirable vector propagation in a recipient may be provided by using AAV with a chimeric ITR as described in US2003148506.
[0094] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the viral Rep protein(s) used for producing an AAV vector of the invention may be selected with consideration for the source of the viral ITRs. For example, the AAV5 ITR typically interacts more efficiently with the AAV5 Rep protein, although it is not necessary that the serotype of ITR and Rep protein(s) are matched.
[0095] The ITR(s) used in the invention are typically functional, i.e. they may be fully resolvable and are preferably AAV sequences, with serotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 being preferred. Resolvable AAV ITRs according to the present invention need not have a wild-type ITR sequence (e. g., a wild-type sequence may be altered by insertion, deletion, truncation or missense mutations), as long as the ITR mediates the desired functions, e. g., virus packaging, integration, and/or provirus rescue, and the like.
[0096] Advantageously, by using a gene therapy vector as compared with previous approaches, the restoration of protein synthesis, i.e. factor VIII synthesis, is a characteristic that the transduced cells acquire permanently or for a sustained period of time, thus avoiding the need for continuous administration to achieve a therapeutic effect.
[0097] Accordingly, the vectors of the invention therefore represent a tool for the development of strategies for the in vivo delivery of a nucleic acid of the invention, by engineering the nucleic acid within a gene therapy vector that efficiently transduces an appropriate cell type, such as a liver cell.
[0098] In a further aspect of the invention, a host is provided comprising the vector described above. Preferably, the vector is capable of expressing the nucleic acid molecule of the invention in the host. The host may be any suitable host.
[0099] As used herein, the term “host” refers to organisms and/or cells which harbour a nucleic acid molecule or a vector of the invention, as well as organisms and/or cells that are suitable for use in expressing a recombinant gene or protein. It is not intended that the present invention be limited to any particular type of cell or organism. Indeed, it is contemplated that any suitable organism and/or cell will find use in the present invention as a host. A host cell may be in the form of a single cell, a population of similar or different cells, for example in the form of a culture (such as a liquid culture or a culture on a solid substrate), an organism or part thereof.
[0100] A host cell according to the invention may permit the expression of a nucleic acid molecule of the invention. Thus, the host cell may be, for example, a bacterial, a yeast, an insect or a mammalian cell.
[0101] Any insect cell which allows for replication of a recombinant parvoviral (rAAV) vector and which can be maintained in culture can be used in accordance with the present invention. For example, the cell line used can be from Spodoptera frugiperda, drosophila cell lines, or mosquito cell lines, e.g., Aedes albopictus derived cell lines. Preferred insect cells or cell lines are cells from the insect species which are susceptible to baculovirus infection, including e.g. Se301, SeIZD2109, SeUCR1, Sf9, Sf900+, Sf21, BTI-TN-5B1-4, MG-1, Tn368, HzAm1, Ha2302, Hz2E5, High Five (Invitrogen, CA, USA) and expresSF+® (U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,526; Protein Sciences Corp., CT, USA).
[0102] In addition, the invention provides a method for the preparation of a parvoviral gene delivery vector, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing an insect cell comprising one or more nucleic acid constructs comprising:
(i) a nucleic acid molecule of the invention that is flanked by at least one parvoviral inverted terminal repeat nucleotide sequence; (ii) a first expression cassette comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding one or more parvoviral Rep proteins which is operably linked to a promoter that is capable of driving expression of the Rep protein(s) in the insect cell; (iii) a second expression cassette comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding one or more parvoviral capsid proteins which is operably linked to a promoter that is capable of driving expression of the capsid protein(s) in the insect cell;
(b) culturing the insect cell defined in (a) under conditions conducive to the expression of the Rep and the capsid proteins; and, optionally, (c) recovering the parvoviral gene delivery vector.
[0109] In general, therefore, the method of the invention allows the production of a parvoviral gene delivery vector (comprising a nucleic acid of the invention) in an insect cell. Preferably, the method comprises the steps of: (a) culturing an insect cell as defined above under conditions such that the parvoviral (e.g. AAV) vector is produced; and, (b) recovering the recombinant parvoviral (e.g. AAV) vector. Preferably, the parvoviral gene delivery vector is an AAV gene delivery vector.
[0110] It is understood here that the (AAV) vector produced in such a method preferably is an infectious parvoviral or AAV virion that comprises a parvoviral genome, which itself comprises a nucleic acid of the invention. Growing conditions for insect cells in culture, and production of heterologous products in insect cells in culture are well-known in the art and described e.g. in the above cited references on molecular engineering of insects cells.
[0111] In a method of the invention, a nucleic acid of the invention that is flanked by at least one parvoviral ITR sequence is provided. This type of sequence is described in detail above. Preferably, the nucleic acid of the invention is sequence is located between two parvoviral ITR sequences.
[0112] The first expression cassette comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding one or more parvoviral Rep proteins which is operably linked to a first promoter that is capable of driving expression of the Rep protein(s) in the insect cell.
[0113] A nucleotide sequence encoding animal parvoviruses Rep proteins, is herein understood as a nucleotide sequence encoding the non-structural Rep proteins that are required and sufficient for parvoviral vector production in insect cells such the Rep78 and Rep52 proteins, or the Rep68 and Rep40 proteins, or the combination of two or more thereof.
[0114] The animal parvovirus nucleotide sequence preferably is from a dependovirus, more preferably from a human or simian adeno-associated virus (AAV) and most preferably from an AAV which normally infects humans (e.g., serotypes 1, 2, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, and 6) or primates (e.g., serotypes 1 and 4). Rep coding sequences are well known to those skilled in the art and suitable sequences are referred to and described in detail in WO2007/148971 and also in WO2009/014445.
[0115] Preferably, the nucleotide sequence encodes animal parvoviruses Rep proteins that are required and sufficient for parvoviral vector production in insect cells.
[0116] The second expression cassette comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding one or more parvoviral capsid proteins which is operably linked to a promoter that is capable of driving expression of the capsid protein(s) in the insect cell. The capsid protein(s) expressed may be one or more of those described above.
[0117] Preferably, the nucleotide sequence encodes animal parvoviruses cap proteins that are required and sufficient for parvoviral vector production in insect cells.
[0118] These three sequences (genome, rep encoding and cap encoding) are provided in an insect cell by way of one or more nucleic acid constructs, for example one, two or three nucleic acid constructs. Preferably then, the one or nucleic acid constructs for the vector genome and expression of the parvoviral Rep and cap proteins in insect cells is an insect cell-compatible vector. An “insect cell-compatible vector” or “vector” is understood to a nucleic acid molecule capable of productive transformation or transfection of an insect or insect cell. Exemplary biological vectors include plasmids, linear nucleic acid molecules, and recombinant viruses. Any vector can be employed as long as it is insect cell-compatible. The vector may integrate into the insect cells genome but the presence of the vector in the insect cell need not be permanent and transient episomal vectors are also included. The vectors can be introduced by any means known, for example by chemical treatment of the cells, electroporation, or infection. In a preferred embodiment, the vector is a baculovirus, a viral vector, or a plasmid. In a more preferred embodiment, the vector is a baculovirus, i.e. the construct is a baculoviral vector. Baculoviral vectors and methods for their use are well known to those skilled in the art.
[0119] Typically then, a method of the invention for producing a parvoviral gene delivery vector comprises: providing to a cell permissive for parvovirus replication (a) a nucleotide sequence encoding a template for producing vector genome of the invention (as described in detail herein); (b) nucleotide sequences sufficient for replication of the template to produce a vector genome (the first expression cassette defined above); (c) nucleotide sequences sufficient to package the vector genome into a parvovirus capsid (the second expression cassette defined above), under conditions sufficient for replication and packaging of the vector genome into the parvovirus capsid, whereby parvovirus particles comprising the vector genome encapsidated within the parvovirus capsid are produced in the cell. Preferably, the parvovirus replication and/or capsid coding sequences are AAV sequences.
[0120] A method of the invention may preferably comprise the step of affinity-purification of the (virions comprising the) recombinant parvoviral (rAAV) vector using an anti-AAV antibody, preferably an immobilised antibody. The anti-AAV antibody preferably is a monoclonal antibody. A particularly suitable antibody is a single chain camelid antibody or a fragment thereof as e.g. obtainable from camels or llamas (see e.g. Muyldermans, 2001, Biotechnol. 74: 277-302). The antibody for affinity-purification of rAAV preferably is an antibody that specifically binds an epitope on a AAV capsid protein, whereby preferably the epitope is an epitope that is present on capsid protein of more than one AAV serotype. E.g. the antibody may be raised or selected on the basis of specific binding to AAV2 capsid but at the same time also it may also specifically bind to AAV1, AAV3, AAV5, AAV6, AAV8 or AAV9 capsids.
[0121] The invention also provides a means for delivering a nucleic acid of the invention into a broad range of cells, including dividing and non-dividing cells. The present invention may be employed to deliver a nucleic acid of the invention to a cell in vitro, e. g. to produce a polypeptide encoded by such a nucleic acid molecule in vitro or for ex vivo gene therapy.
[0122] The nucleic acid molecule, vector, cells and methods/use of the present invention are additionally useful in a method of delivering a nucleic acid of the invention to a host in need thereof, typically a host suffering from haemophilia A.
[0123] The present invention finds use in both veterinary and medical applications. Suitable subjects for gene delivery methods as described herein include both avians and mammals, with mammals being preferred. The term “avian” as used herein includes, but is not limited to, chickens, ducks, geese, quail, turkeys and pheasants. The term “mammal” as used herein includes, but is not limited to, humans, bovines, ovines, caprines, equines, felines, canines, lagomorphs, etc. Human subjects are most preferred. Human subjects include neonates, infants, juveniles, and adults.
[0124] The invention thus provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a nucleic acid or a vector of the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent and/or other medicinal agent, pharmaceutical agent or adjuvant, etc.
[0125] For injection, the carrier will typically be a liquid. For other methods of administration, the carrier may be either solid or liquid. For inhalation administration, the carrier will be respirable, and will preferably be in solid or liquid particulate form. As an injection medium, it is preferred to use water that contains the additives usual for injection solutions, such as stabilizing agents, salts or saline, and/or buffers.
[0126] In general, a “pharmaceutically acceptable carrier” is one that is not toxic or unduly detrimental to cells. Exemplary pharmaceutically acceptable carriers include sterile, pyrogen-free water and sterile, pyrogen-free, phosphate buffered saline. Pharmaceutically acceptable carriers include physiologically acceptable carriers. The term “pharmaceutically acceptable carrier” includes any and all solvents, dispersion media, coatings, antibacterial and antifungal agents, isotonic and absorption delaying agents, and the like that are physiologically compatible“.
[0127] By “pharmaceutically acceptable” it is meant a material that is not biologically or otherwise undesirable, i.e., the material may be administered to a subject without causing any undesirable biological effects. Thus, such a pharmaceutical composition may be used, for example, in transfection of a cell ex vivo or in administering a viral particle or cell directly to a subject.
[0128] A carrier may be suitable for parenteral administration, which includes intravenous, intraperitoneal or intramuscular administration, Alternatively, the carrier may be suitable for sublingual or oral administration. Pharmaceutically acceptable carriers include sterile aqueous solutions or dispersions and sterile powders for the extemporaneous preparation of sterile injectable solutions or dispersion. The use of such media and agents for pharmaceutically active substances is well known in the art. Except insofar as any conventional media or agent is incompatible with the active compound, use thereof in the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention is contemplated.
[0129] Pharmaceutical compositions are typically sterile and stable under the conditions of manufacture and storage. Pharmaceutical compositions may be formulated as a solution, microemulsion, liposome, or other ordered structure suitable to accommodate high drug concentration. The carrier may be a solvent or dispersion medium containing, for example, water, ethanol, polyol (for example, glycerol, propylene glycol, and liquid polyethylene glycol, and the like), and suitable mixtures thereof. The proper fluidity can be maintained, for example, by the use of a coating such as lecithin, by the maintenance of the required particle size in the case of dispersion and by the use of surfactants. In many cases, it will be preferable to include isotonic agents, for example, sugars, polyalcohols such as mannitol, sorbitol, or sodium chloride in the composition. Prolonged absorption of the injectable compositions can be brought about by including in the composition an agent which delays absorption, for example, monostearate salts and gelatin. A nucleic acid or vector of the invention may be administered in a time or controlled release formulation, for example in a composition which includes a slow release polymer or other carriers that will protect the compound against rapid release, including implants and microencapsulated delivery systems. Biodegradable, biocompatible polymers may for example be used, such as ethylene vinyl acetate, polyanhydrides, polyglycolic acid, collagen, polyorthoesters, polylactic acid and polylactic, polyglycolic copolymers (PLG).
[0130] The parvoviral, for example AAV, vector of the invention may be of use in transferring genetic material to a cell. Such transfer may take place in vitro, ex vivo or in vivo.
[0131] Accordingly, the invention provides a method for delivering a nucleotide sequence to a cell, which method comprises contacting a nucleic acid, a vector, or a pharmaceutical composition as described herein under conditions such the nucleic acid or vector of the invention enters the cell. The cell may be a cell in vitro, ex vivo or in vivo.
[0132] The invention also provides a method of treating haemophilia comprising administering an effective amount of a nucleic acid, a protein or a vector according to the invention to a patient suffering from haemophilia. Preferably the patient is suffering from haemophilia A. Preferably, the patient is human.
[0133] Further, the invention also provides a method for delivering or administering a nucleotide sequence to a subject, which method comprises administering to the said subject a nucleic acid, a vector, or a pharmaceutical composition as described herein. In particular, the present invention provides a method of administering a nucleic acid molecule of the invention to a subject, comprising administering to the subject a parvoviral gene therapy vector according to the invention, optionally together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Preferably, the parvoviral gene therapy vector is administered in a therapeutically-effective amount to a subject in need thereof. That is to say, administration according to the invention is typically carried out under conditions that result in the expression of functional Factor VIII at a level that provides a therapeutic effect in a subject in need thereof.
[0134] Delivery of a nucleic acid or vector of the invention to a host cell in vivo may result in an increase of functional factor VIII in the host, for example to a level that ameliorates one or more symptoms of a blood clotting disorder such as haemophilia A.
[0135] The level of naturally occurring factor VIII in a subject suffering from haemophilia A varies depending on the severity of the haemophilia. Patients with a severe form of the disease have factor VIII levels of less than about 1% of the level found in a normal healthy subject (referred to herein as “a normal level”. A normal level is about 50-150 IU/dL). Patients with a moderate form of the disease have factor VIII levels of between about 1% and about 5% of a normal level. Patients with a mild form of the disease have factor VIII levels of more than about 5% of a normal level; typically between about 5% and about 30% of a normal level.
[0136] It has been found that when the method of treatment of the invention is used, it can cause an increase in the level of functional factor VIII of at least about 1% of normal levels, i.e. in addition to the factor VIII level present in the subject before treatment. In a subject suffering from haemophilia, such an increase can cause amelioration of a symptom of haemophilia. In particular, an increase of at least 1% can reduce the frequency of bleeding that occurs in sufferers of haemophilia, especially those with a severe form of the disease. In one embodiment, the method of treatment causes an increase in the level of functional factor VIII of at least about 5% of normal levels. This could change the phenotype of the disease from severe to mild. Patients with a mild form of the disease rarely have spontaneous bleeding. In other embodiments, the method of treatment of the invention causes an increase in the level of functional factor VIII of at least about 2%, at least about 3%, at least about 4%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20% or at least about 25% of normal levels. In a particular embodiment, the method of treatment of the invention causes an increase in the level of functional factor VIII of at least about 30% of normal levels. This level of increase would virtually normalise coagulation of blood in subjects suffering haemophilia. Such subjects are unlikely to require factor VIII concentrates following trauma or during surgery.
[0137] In another embodiment, the method of treatment of the invention may cause an increase in the level of functional factor VIII to at least about 1% of normal levels. The method of treatment may cause an increase in the level of functional factor VIII to at least about 5% of normal levels. In other embodiments, the method of treatment of the invention may cause an increase in the level of functional factor VIII to at least about 2%, at least about 3%, at least about 4%, at least about 10%, at least about 15%, at least about 20% or at least about 25% of normal levels. In a particular embodiment, the method of treatment of the invention causes an increase in the level of functional factor VIII to at least about 30% of normal levels. A subject whose functional factor VIII level has been increase to 30% or more will have virtually normal coagulation of blood.
[0138] In one embodiment, the method of treatment of the invention causes an increase in the level of functional factor VIII to, at most, normal levels.
[0139] The level of functional factor VIII can be measured relatively easily and methods for measuring factor VIII levels are well known to those skilled in the art. Many clotting assays are available, including chromogenic and clotting based assays. ELISA tests are also widely available. A particular method is to measure the level of factor VIII:C which is a lab measure of the clotting activity of factor VIII. A normal level of factor VIII:C is 46.8 to 141.8 IU/dL or 0.468-1.4 IU/ml.
[0140] A further method is to measure the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) which is a measure of the ability of blood to clot. A normal aPTT is between about 24 and about 34 seconds. A subject suffering from haemophilia will have a longer aPTT. This method can be used in combination with prothrombin time measurement.
[0141] Also provided is a nucleic acid molecule, protein or vector of the invention for use in therapy, especially in the treatment of haemophilia, particularly haemophilia A.
[0142] The use of a nucleic acid molecule, protein or vector of the invention in the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of haemophilia, particularly haemophilia A, is also provided.
[0143] The invention also provides a nucleic acid or a vector of the invention for use in the treatment of the human or animal body by therapy. In particular, a nucleic acid or a vector of the invention is provided for use in the treatment of a blood clotting disorder such as haemophilia, for example haemophilia A. A nucleic acid or a vector of the invention is provided for use in ameliorating one or more symptoms of a blood clotting disorder, for example by reducing the frequency and/or severity of bleeding episodes.
[0144] The invention further provides a method of treatment of a blood clotting disorder, which method comprises the step of administering an effective amount of a nucleic acid or a vector of the invention to a subject in need thereof.
[0145] Accordingly, the invention further provides use of a nucleic acid or vector as described herein in the manufacture of a medicament for use in the administration of a nucleic acid to a subject. Further, the invention provides a nucleic acid or vector as described herein in the manufacture of a medicament for use in the treatment of a blood clotting disorder.
[0146] Typically, a nucleic acid or a vector of the invention may be administered to a subject by gene therapy, in particular by use of a parvoviral gene therapy vector such as AAV. General methods for gene therapy are known in the art. The vector, composition or pharmaceutical composition may be delivered to a cell in vitro or ex vivo or to a subject in vivo by any suitable method known in the art. Alternatively, the vector may be delivered to a cell ex vivo, and the cell administered to a subject, as known in the art. In general, the present invention can be employed to deliver any nucleic acid of the invention to a cell in vitro, ex vivo, or in vivo.
[0147] The present invention further provides a method of delivering a nucleic acid to a cell. Typically, for in vitro methods, the virus may be introduced into the cell by standard viral transduction methods, as are known in the art.
[0148] Preferably, the virus particles are added to the cells at the appropriate multiplicity of infection according to standard transduction methods appropriate for the particular target cells. Titres of virus to administer can vary, depending upon the target cell type and the particular virus vector, and may be determined by those of skill in the art without undue experimentation.
[0149] Cells may be removed from a subject, the parvovirus vector is introduced therein, and the cells are then replaced back into the subject. Methods of removing cells from subject for treatment ex vivo, followed by introduction back into the subject are known in the art. Alternatively, an AAV vector may be introduced into cells from another subject, into cultured cells, or into cells from any other suitable source, and the cells are administered to a subject in need thereof.
[0150] A further aspect of the invention is a method of treating subjects in vivo with a nucleic acid or vector of the invention. Administration of a nucleic acid or vector of the present invention to a human subject or an animal in need thereof can be by any means known in the art for administering virus vectors.
[0151] A nucleic acid or vector of the invention will typically be included in a pharmaceutical composition as set out above. Such compositions include the nucleic acid or vector in an effective amount, sufficient to provide a desired therapeutic or prophylactic effect, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient. An “effective amount” includes a therapeutically effective amount or a prophylactically effective amount.
[0152] A “therapeutically effective amount” refers to an amount effective, at dosages and for periods of time necessary, to achieve the desired therapeutic result, such as raising the level of functional Factor VIII in a subject (so as to lead to functional Factor VIII production to level sufficient to ameliorate the symptoms of the disease associated with a lack of that protein).
[0153] A therapeutically effective amount of a nucleic acid molecule or vector of the invention may vary according to factors such as the disease state, age, sex, and weight of the individual, and the ability of the nucleic acid molecule or vector to elicit a desired response in the individual. Dosage regimens may be adjusted to provide the optimum therapeutic response. A therapeutically effective amount is also typically one in which any toxic or detrimental effects of the nucleic acid molecule or vector are outweighed by the therapeutically beneficial effects.
[0154] Viral gene therapy vectors may be administered to a cell or host in a biologically-effective amount. A “biologically-effective” amount of the virus vector is an amount that is sufficient to result in infection (or transduction) and expression of the heterologous nucleic acid sequence in the cell. If the virus is administered to a cell in vivo (e. g., the virus is administered to a subject), a “biologically-effective” amount of the virus vector is an amount that is sufficient to result in transduction and expression of a nucleic acid according to the invention in a target cell.
[0155] For a nucleic acid molecule or vector of the invention, such as a gene therapy vector, the dosage to be administered may depend to a large extent on the condition and size of the subject being treated as well as the therapeutic formulation, frequency of treatment and the route of administration. Regimens for continuing therapy, including dose, formulation, and frequency may be guided by the initial response and clinical judgment. The parenteral route of injection into the interstitial space of tissue may be preferred, although other parenteral routes, such as inhalation of an aerosol formulation, may be required in specific administration. In some protocols, a formulation comprising the gene and gene delivery system in an aqueous carrier is injected into tissue in appropriate amounts.
[0156] Exemplary modes of administration include oral, rectal, transmucosal, topical, transdermal, inhalation, parenteral (e. g., intravenous, subcutaneous, intradermal, intramuscular, and intraarticular) administration, and the like, as well as direct tissue or organ injection, alternatively, intrathecal, direct intramuscular, intraventricular, intravenous, intraperitoneal, intranasal, or intraocular injections. Injectables can be prepared in conventional forms, either as liquid solutions or suspensions, solid forms suitable for solution or suspension in liquid prior to injection, or as emulsions. Alternatively, one may administer the virus in a local rather than systemic manner, for example, in a depot or sustained-release formulation.
[0157] The tissue/cell type to be administered a nucleic acid molecule or vector of the invention may be of any type, but will typically be a hepatic/liver cell. It is not intended that the present invention be limited to any particular route of administration. However, in order that liver cells are transduced, a nucleic acid molecule or vector of the present invention may successfully be administered via the portal or arterial vasculature. Alternatively, the cell may be any progenitor cell. As a further alternative, the cell can be a stem cell (e. g., a liver stem cell). The tissue target may be specific or it may be a combination of several tissues, for example the liver and muscle tissues.
[0158] In the case of a gene therapy vector, the effective dose range for small animals such as mice, following intramuscular injection, may be between about 1×10 11 and about 1×10 12 genome copy (gc)/kg, and for larger animals (cats) and possibly human subjects, between about 1×10 10 and about 1×10 13 gc/kg. Dosages of the parvovirus gene therapy vector of the invention will depend upon the mode of administration, the disease or condition to be treated, the individual subject's condition, the particular virus vector, and the gene to be delivered, and can be determined in a routine manner. Typically, an amount of about 10 3 to about 10 16 virus particles per dose may be suitable. Preferably, an amount of about 10 9 to about 10 14 virus particles per dose is used. When treated in this way, a subject may receive a single dose of virus particles so that the viral particles effect treatment in a single administration.
[0159] The amount of active compound in the compositions of the invention may vary according to factors such as the disease state, age, sex, and weight of the individual. Dosage regimens may be adjusted to provide the optimum therapeutic response. For example, a single bolus may be administered, several divided doses may be administered over time or the dose may be proportionally reduced or increased as indicated by the exigencies of the therapeutic situation.
[0160] It may be advantageous to formulate parenteral compositions in dosage unit form for ease of administration and uniformity of dosage. “Dosage unit form” as used herein refers to physically discrete units suited as unitary dosages for subjects to be treated; each unit containing a predetermined quantity of active compound calculated to produce the desired therapeutic effect in association with the required pharmaceutical carrier. The specification for the dosage unit forms of the invention may be dictated by the unique characteristics of the active compound and the particular therapeutic effect to be achieved, and by the limitations inherent in the art of compounding such an active compound for the treatment of a condition in individuals.
[0161] Many methods for the preparation of such formulations are patented or generally known to those skilled in the art.
[0162] Also provided is a protein or glycoprotein expressed by a host cell of the invention.
[0163] Further provided is a transgenic animal comprising cells comprising a vector according to the invention. Preferably the animal is a non-human mammal, especially a primate such as a macaque. Alternatively, the animal may be a rodent, especially a mouse; or may be canine, feline, ovine or porcine.
[0164] In the aspect of the invention in which a promoter is provided comprising a nucleotide sequence having substantial homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, the promoter preferably has at least 85%, more preferably at least 90%, even more preferably at least 95% homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3. The promoter is preferably less than 400 bp, more preferably less than 350 bp, even more preferably less than 300 bp in size.
[0165] The invention further provides a second vector comprising the promoter of the invention. The vector may be any appropriate vector, including viral and non-viral vectors. Viral vectors include lenti-, adeno-, herpes viral vectors. It is preferably a recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vector. Alternatively, non-viral systems may be used to introduce the promoter in to a cell, including using naked DNA (with or without chromatin attachment regions) or conjugated DNA that is introduced into cells by various transfection methods such as lipids or electroporation.
[0166] The second vector may comprise any expressible nucleotide sequence to produce an expression product, but preferably also comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein or other molecule that should preferably be expressed in the liver, especially a blood clotting factor. The expressible nucleotide sequence may encode any gene that can be expressed from the liver, including those that are not specific for liver disorders. For instance, the liver may be used as a factory for synthesis of interferon that is then released and systemically distributed for the treatment of tumours at sites outside the liver. In addition to genes, the vector can also regulate the expression of sh or siRNA. The vector also preferably comprises any other components required for expression of the expressible sequence.
[0167] Also provided is a second isolated nucleic acid molecule. The isolated nucleic acid molecule comprises a first nucleotide sequence having substantial homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; and a second nucleotide sequence having substantial homology to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3. The term substantial homology can be further defined with reference to a percentage homology. This is discussed in further detail herein.
[0168] In the second nucleic acid molecule (also referred to above in the first aspect of the invention), the two sequences may be contiguous or may be separated by a number of nucleotides. For example, the two sequences may be separated by a kozak sequence or one or more introns. The sequences are preferably operably linked, that is to say the second sequence, which encodes a promoter, is linked to the first sequence such that the first sequence may be expressed when introduced into a cell using a vector.
[0169] Also provided is a vector comprising the second nucleic acid molecule of the invention.
[0170] Further provided is a host cell comprising a vector according to the invention. The host cell may be any appropriate cell but is preferably a non-human mammalian cell, especially a primate cell. Cells may be used to produce the protein recombinantly, and any appropriate cell, such as a CHO cell, may be used.
[0171] Also provided is a protein or glycoprotein expressed by a host cell of the invention.
[0172] Further provided is a transgenic animal comprising cells comprising a vector according to the invention. Preferably the animal is a non-human mammal, especially a primate such as a macaque. Alternatively, the animal may be a rodent, especially a mouse; or may be canine, feline, ovine or porcine.
[0173] In the description above, the term “homology” is used to refer to the similarity of two sequences. This can also be described using the term “identity”. The terms “homology” and “identity” can be used interchangeably herein. For the purpose of this invention, it is defined here that in order to determine the percent identity of two nucleic acid sequences, the sequences are aligned for optimal comparison purposes (e.g., gaps can be introduced in the sequence of a first nucleic acid for optimal alignment with a second amino or nucleic acid sequence). The nucleotide residues at nucleotide positions are then compared. When a position in the first sequence is occupied by the same amino acid or nucleotide residue as the corresponding position in the second sequence, then the molecules are identical at that position. The percent identity between the two sequences is a function of the number of identical positions shared by the sequences (i.e., % identity=number of identical positions/total number of positions (i.e. overlapping positions)×100). Preferably, the two sequences are the same length.
[0174] A sequence comparison may be carried out over the entire lengths of the two sequences being compared or over fragment of the two sequences. Typically, the comparison will be carried out over the full length of the two sequences being compared. However, sequence identity may be carried out over a region of, for example, about twenty, about fifty, about one hundred, about two hundred, about five hundred, about 1000, about 2000, about 3000, about 4000, about 4500, about 5000 or more contiguous nucleic acid residues.
[0175] The skilled person will be aware of the fact that several different computer programs are available to determine the homology between two sequences. For instance, a comparison of sequences and determination of percent identity between two sequences can be accomplished using a mathematical algorithm. In a preferred embodiment, the percent identity between two amino acid or nucleic acid sequences is determined using the Needleman and Wunsch (J. MoI. Biol. (48): 444-453 (1970)) algorithm which has been incorporated into the GAP program in the Accelrys GCG software package (available at http://www.accelrys.com/products/gcg/), using either a Blosum 62 matrix or a PAM250 matrix, and a gap weight of 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, or 4 and a length weight of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. The skilled person will appreciate that all these different parameters will yield slightly different results but that the overall percentage identity of two sequences is not significantly altered when using different algorithms.
[0176] The nucleic acid sequences of the present invention can further be used as a “query sequence” to perform a search against public databases to, for example, identify other family members or related sequences. Such searches can be performed using the BLASTN and BLASTP programs (version 2.0) of Altschul, et al. (1990) J. Mol. Biol. 215:403-10. BLAST protein searches can be performed with the BLASTP program, score=50, wordlength=3 to obtain amino acid sequences homologous to protein molecules of the invention. To obtain gapped alignments for comparison purposes, Gapped BLAST can be utilized as described in Altschul et al., (1997) Nucleic Acids Res. 25(17): 3389-3402. When utilizing BLAST and Gapped BLAST programs, the default parameters of the respective programs (e.g., BLASTP and BLASTN) can be used. See the homepage of the National Center for Biotechnology Information at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/.
[0177] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.
[0178] In this document and in its claims, the verb “to comprise” and its conjugations is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. In addition, reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one of the elements. The indefinite article “a” or “an” thus usually means “at least one”.
[0179] All patent and literature references cited in the present specification are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
[0180] A skilled person will appreciate that all aspects of the invention, whether they relate to, for example, the nucleic acid, the vector, the host cell or the use, are equally applicable to all other aspects of the invention. In particular, aspects of the method of treatment, for example, the administration of the nucleic acid or vector, may have been described in greater detail than in some of the other aspects of the invention, for example, relating to the use of the nucleic acid or vector for treating haemophilia. However, the skilled person will appreciate where more detailed information has been given for a particular aspect of the invention, this information is likely to be equally applicable to other aspects of the invention. For example, the skilled person will appreciate that the description relating to vectors and host cells for the first aspect of the invention is applicable to all vectors and host cells of the invention. Further, the skilled person will also appreciate that the description relating to the method of treatment is equally applicable to the use of the nucleic acid or vector in treating haemophilia.
[0181] The invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which:
[0182] FIG. 1 : Human FVIII expression in haemophilia A mice. Top panel: A schematic of rAAV vector encoding the BDD hFVIII under the control of the LP1 liver specific promoter. Bottom panel: Human FVIII activity in mouse plasma at 8 weeks after tail vein administration of 2×10 9 vg/mouse (N=4). Naïve animals were injected with excipient.
[0183] FIG. 2 : A. Human FVIII activity in mouse plasma at 30 days following temporal vein administration of 1×10 8 TU of lentiviral vectors encoding either the BDD, N6 or the codop-FVIII under the control of the SFFV promoter (N=4). B. hFVIII activity in supernatant harvested from HepG2 cells transfected with rAAV plasmid encoding FVIII variants under the control of the LP1 promoter or the smaller rAAV HLP-codop-FVIII expression cassette (N=3).
[0184] FIG. 3 : A. Yield of rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII (n=5) pseudotyped with serotype 5 capsid when compared to the yield of scAAV-FIX containing a self complementary 2.3 kb cassette and single stranded rAAV vectors containing a 4.6 kb expression cassette. B. Native gel stained with ethidium bromide and C. Alkaline gel Southern analysis of the rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII viral genome derived from two separate preparations (1 and 2).
[0185] FIG. 4 : A. Mean FVIII levels±SEM in murine plasma after a single tail vein administration of rAAV-hFVIII constructs pseudotyped with serotype 5 capsid (dose=4×10 11 vg/mouse, N=3). B. Mean (±SEM) proviral copy number in murine liver transduced with rAAV5-hFVIII variants.
[0186] FIG. 5 : A. Southern blot: Left panel showing double digest (Kpn-1) of liver genomic DNA derived from mice (M1 and M2) transduced with rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII. Right panel showing uncut DNA or that digested with a single cutter (Not-1). HH and HT=head to head and head to tail concantemers. B. Western blot showing a single ˜210 kd band in the plasma of mice transduced with rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII, which is not present in naive mouse plasma or positive control consisting of full length recombinant human FVIII (rhFVIII) diluted in mouse plasma.
[0187] FIG. 6 : A. Relationship between rAAV5-HLP-codop-hFVIII dose and hFVIII levels in murine plasma and transgene copy number at 6 weeks following gene transfer. B. Kinetics of hFVIII expression following a single tail vein administration of 4×1012 vg/mouse of rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII pseudotyped with serotype 5 or 8 capsid. Shown are mean levels±SEM.
[0188] FIG. 7 : A. FVIII activity and antigen level in F8−/− mice following a single tail vein administration of low and high dose of rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII. B and C. Bleeding time and blood loss in F8−/− mice following rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII gene transfer compared to untransduced F8−/− mice and normal wild type animals.
[0189] FIG. 8 : (A) Schematic representation of human FVIII variants designed and cloned into a SIN lentiviral vector backbone. Nine different human FVIII variants were designed and cloned into a lentiviral vector backbone plasmid: BDD FVIII; B-domain deleted human FVIII (4.3 kb total size). FVIII Fugu B; BDD FVIII containing the Fugu B-domain (4.9 kb total size). FVIII N6; BDD FVIII containing the human N6 B-domain (5.0 kb total size). SQ FVIII; BDD FVIII containing a modified version of the SQ amino acid sequence SQ m (4.4 kb total size). SQ FVIII Fugu B; SQ FVIII containing the Fugu B-domain between the SQ m sequence to create the N terminal SQ a and C terminal SQ b sequences (5.0 kb total size). SQ FVIII N6; SQ FVIII containing the human N6 B-domain (5.1 kb total size). Constructs SQ FVIII (co) (4.4 kb total size), SQ FVIII Fugu B (co) (5.0 kb total size), and SQ FVIII N6 (co) (5.1 kb total size) are the same amino acid structure as constructs SQ FVIII, SQ FVIII Fugu B, and SQ FVIII N6, respectively, but are produced from a codon optimised cDNA sequence. Relative domain size is not accurate. Dashes on constructs mark asparagine (N)-linked glycosylation sites within the B-domain only. (B) Schematics of SQ and modified SQ sequences; SQ m , SQ a and SQ b . The SQ sequence is a 14 amino acid bridge between the a2 and a3 domains of FVIII created by fusing Ser743 and Gln1638 in the B-domain. The sequence promotes efficient intracellular cleavage by containing the 4 amino acid protease recognition site RHQR. A modified SQ sequence (SQ m ) was created containing a missense mutation from Lys1644 to Thr1644 caused by the creation of an MluI restriction enzyme site within the cDNA sequence for insertion of the Fugu and N6 B-domains. SQ a is the 11aa sequence created at the N-terminal of the B-domain after insertion of the N6 or Fugu B-domain sequences into the SQ FVIII construct. SQ b is the 5 amino acid sequence created at the C-terminal of the B-domain after insertion of the N6 or Fugu B-domain sequences into the SQ FVIII construct, this sequence retains the 4 amino acid protease recognition site. MluI restriction sites are shown underlined and the K to T missense mutation is at the left hand amino acid position of the MluI restriction site.
[0190] FIG. 9 : Relative human fVIII activity of FVIII constructs in vitro as determined by chromogenic assay. 1×10 5 293T cells were transduced with serial dilutions of BDD FVIII, FVIII Fugu B, FVIII N6, SQ FVIII, SQ FVIII Fugu B, SQ FVIII N6, SQ FVIII (co), SQ FVIII Fugu B (co), or SQ FVIII N6 (co). At 48 hours cell media was changed for 500 μL serum free media. After a further 24 hours incubation media was collected from all wells and assayed for factor VIII expression using a chromogenic based assay to measure factor VIII cofactor activity. Results were then normalised on copy number per cell determined by qPCR. Mean and SD shown for n=5. Values above bars represent the fold increase in FVIII expression from codon optimised constructs in comparison to equivalent non-codon optimised sequences. * Statistical analyses were performed using general linear model (GLM) based on two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with individual pairwise comparisons performed using Bonferroni simultaneous tests (Minitab software, Myerstown, Pa.). Results show a highly significant increase for SQ FVIII (co), SQ FVIII Fugu B (co), and SQ FVIII N6 (co) in comparison to their non codon optimised equivalents SQ FVIII, SQ FVIII Fugu B, SQ FVIII N6, respectively, (P<0.0001). In addition, results for codon optimised vectors also show a significant increase for SQ FVIII N6 (co) in comparison to SQ FVIII (co) (P<0.0001), and a significant increase for SQ FVIII Fugu B (co) in comparison to both SQ FVIII (co) and SQ FVIII N6 (co) (P<0.0001).
[0191] FIG. 10 : Expression of human FVIII activity in vivo in blood plasma of hemophiliac mice after intravenous injection of SIN lentiviral vectors expressing bioengineered FVIII constructs. Six to ten F8 tm2Kaz haemophilic neonatal mice were injected intravenously via the superficial temporal vein with SIN lentiviral vectors expressing bioengineered human FVIII constructs. Mice were bled at various time-points over approximately 250 days and a chromogenic assay used to calculate the activity of human FVIII in blood plasma taken from each mouse as a percentage of normal human levels. (A) SQ FVIII (white diamonds) vs. SQ FVIII (co) (black triangles). (B) SQ FVIII Fugu B (white diamonds) vs. SQ FVIII Fugu B (co) (black triangles). (C) SQ FVIII N6 (white diamonds) vs. SQ FVIII N6 (co) (black triangles). Points on graphs represent the mean; error bars represent the standard deviation. Statistical analyses were performed using general linear model (GLM) based on two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with individual pairwise comparisons performed using Bonferroni simultaneous tests (Minitab software, Myerstown, Pa.).
[0192] FIG. 11 : FVIII activity levels in vivo in plasma taken from mice injected with vector expressing FVIII from codon optimised cDNA sequences. Activity of human FVIII in blood plasma taken from mice injected with lentiviral vector expressing SQ FVIII (co) (grey circles), SQ FVIII Fugu B (co) (white diamonds), and SQ FVIII N6 (co) (black triangles) collated. Points on graphs represent the mean, error bars represent the SD. No significant difference in expression is noted between constructs expressing different B-domains (P>0.5, Bonferroni simultaneous test).
[0193] FIG. 12 : Quantification of vector copy number in tissues of hemophiliac mice after intravenous injection of SIN lentiviral vectors expressing bioengineered FVIII constructs. Liver, spleen, heart, lung and kidney tissue were taken from mice sacrificed at ˜250 days post neonatal injection of lentiviral vectors expressing SQ FVIII, SQ FVIII Fugu B, SQ FVIII N6, SQ FVIII (co), SQ FVIII Fugu B (co), and SQ FVIII N6 (co). Genomic DNA was extracted and viral copy number determined using qPCR. Line represents the mean of all points. No significant difference in copy number was observed between any vector group (P>0.1, Bonferroni simultaneous test).
Example 1
[0194] Packaging of an hFVIII Expression Cassette into rAAV
[0195] The inventors have established that a 6.0 kb expression cassette containing the BDD-FVIII cDNA under the control of the previously described liver specific promoter (LP1) can be efficiently packaged into rAAV vectors pseudotyped with serotype 5 capsid proteins (rAAV5-LP1-BDD-hFVIII) using the conventional 3 plasmid transient transfection method. Tail vein administration of only 2×10 9 rAAV5-LP1-BDD-hFVIII particles into adult male FVIIIKO mice resulted in FVIII coagulation activity of 18±5.3% using a chromogenic assay ( FIG. 1 ), which is significantly above the level required for amelioration of the bleeding diathesis in humans (>1% of normal).
[0000] Scale-Up of rAAV-hFVIII Vector Production
[0196] The inventors have established a GMPP compatible, simple, scalable rAAV production method using the baculovirus expression vector and insect cells. A key advantage of the baculovirus system is the ease with which production can be scaled up. It has been possible to generate 1×10 14 vector genomes (vg) from a single production run using a bioreactor. This quantity would be sufficient for a Phase I/II HA clinical trial. Initial yields with our first generation FVIII vector (rAAV5-LP1-BDD-hFVIII) are in the order of 5×10 11 vg from 1 litre of cell culture.
[0000] Expression from Codon Optimised hFVIII
[0197] The inventors have designed an alternative hFVIII construct (codop-FVIII) to test the hypothesis that replacing infrequently used codons in the cDNA with those more commonly found in mammalian genes (“codon optimisation”) will generate increased expression of hFVIII following gene transfer. A similar exercise for coagulation factors IX and VII improved expression by up to 10 fold when compared to the wild type cognates. The strategy for the design of the codop-hFVIII involved back translating the hFVIII amino acid sequence with a set of codons most frequently found in highly expressed mammalian genes. This modified sequence was then carefully scanned and codons were further modified to improve mRNA stability and remove undesirable sequences, such as excess CpG dinucleotides, and cryptic splice sites. The final designed codop-hFVIII sequence contains 1076 single by changes from the wild type N6-FVIII sequence, and is 42% A+T, relative to 56% A+T content of the wild type sequence. The codop FVIII sequence is the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. Initially, this codop-FVIII variant was cloned into a lentiviral vector down stream of the constitutive spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) promoter and its potency assessed in new born FVIIIKO mice by injecting 1×10 8 TU into the temporal vein. For comparison two separate cohorts of newborn FVIIIKO mice were transduced with an equivalent titre of an identical vector encoding either the BDD or the more potent N6 FVIII variants. As shown in FIG. 2 a , and consistent with previous reports, lentiviral vectors encoding the N6-FVIII (15±0.8% of normal) mediated 5 fold higher levels of transgene expression when compared to the BDD variant (3±0.6% of normal). In comparison, hFVIII expression in the plasma of codop-FVIII cohort of mice (283±0.21% of normal) was at least 18 fold higher than that achieved with N6-FVIII. The inventors have cloned the BDD, N6 and codop FVIII variants into their standard rAAV vector (Nathwani A. et al. Blood. 2007 Feb. 15; 109(4): 1414-1421) under the LP1 promoter. In addition, codop-FVIII has also been cloned down stream of a new smaller hybrid liver specific promoter (HLP). The HLP promoter has the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3. Evaluation of these rAAV vectors plasmids in a transient transfection assay in HepG2 liver cell-line ( FIG. 2 b ) showed that the LP1 rAAV vectors encoding codop-FVIII (0.38±0.06 IU/ml) mediated FVIII expression at levels that were between 4 (0.09±0.02 IU/ml) and 8 (0.05±0.02 IU/ml) fold higher than achieved with rAAV-LP1-N6-FVIII and rAAV-LP1-BDD-FVIII respectively. Collectively, therefore, these data suggest that the inventors codop-FVIII molecule is more potent than the N6-FVIII variant. Notably, the slightly smaller rAAV-HLP-codop-FVIII vector plasmid consistently generates between 30-50% higher yields of vector than rAAV-LP1-codop-FVIII.
[0000] HLP-Codop-hFVIII Expression Cassette Can Be Packaged into AAV Virions
[0198] The ˜5.6 kb rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII expression cassettes exceed the 4.6 kb packaging limit of AAV vectors but was successfully packaged into AAV virions with the same efficiency as scAAV-FIX vector that is being used in on-going clinic trial ( FIG. 3A ) using the conventional HEK293T transient transfection method. Others have shown that up to 6.6-kb vector sequence may be packaged into AAV virions. Additionally, Dr High's group at the University of Pennsylvania, independently verified that up to 6×10 13 rAAV8 pseudotyped particles of rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII could be derived following transient transfection from just 20 roller-bottles of HEK293 cells (Yield =6×10 4 vg/293T cell). To demonstrate that the rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII vector genome was packaged in its entirety, DNA was extracted from virions derived from two separate stocks, after DNaseI treatment and separated on native and alkaline agarose gel and then assessed following ethidium bromide staining or Southern blot analysis respectively. A prominent band of approximately 5.7 kb was noted with both assessment methods ( FIGS. 3B and C).
[0000] Codop-hFVIII is More Potent but as Safe as the N6 or BDD hFVIII Variants
[0199] rAAV vectors pseudotyped with serotype 5 capsid encoding the codop, N6 and the BDD-hFVIII variant under the control of either the LP1 or HLP promoters were injected via the tail vein (4×10 11 vg/mouse, N=3/group) of male 4-6 week C57B1/6 mice. As shown in FIG. 4 , a single tail vein administration of rAAV-LP1-codop-hFVIII resulted in 0.20±0.03 IU/ml (=20% of normal levels) of hFVIII in murine plasma without any toxicity. Expression of hFVIII was 10 fold lower in mice transduced with 4×10 11 vg/mouse of rAAV-LP1-N6-hFVIII (0.02±0.0003 IU/ml=2% of normal), which encodes the wild type hFVIII DNA sequence instead of codon-optimised FVIII nucleotide sequence in codop-hFVIII. This difference in expression between these two vectors which are otherwise identical is highly significant (p=0.0003, one way ANOVA). Replacing the LP1 promoter with the smaller liver specific HLP promoter resulted in marginally higher levels (0.22±0.04 IU/ml) of hFVIII in the plasma of mice transduced with 4×10 11 vg/kg of rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII when compared to the rAAV-LP1-codop-hFVIII cohort but this difference was not significant (p=0.6). The lowest level of hFVIII expression was observed in the plasma of mice that received 4×10 11 vg/mouse of rAAV-LP1-BDD-hFVIII (0.01±0.001 IU/ml), which approximates to 1% of normal levels. Importantly, these differences in the level of hFVIII expression were not related to vector copy number as qPCR analysis shows similar vector copy number in the genomic DNA extracted from liver of animals in each group ranging from 0.9-1 proviral copies/cell. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA from the liver of mice transduced with LP1-codop-hFVIII at 6 weeks after gene transfer digested with Kpn-1, which twice cuts within the codop-hFVIII expression cassette, released a band of the expected size of approximately 1.9 kb ( FIG. 5A ). Digestion with Not-I, which is a single cutter, generated two bands of ˜5 kb and ˜10 kb corresponding to head-to-tail and head-to-head concatemer fragments in a ratio of 3:1 respectively. Western blot analysis showed that the codop-hFVIII is secreted as a single chain 210 kd protein, which as expected is smaller in size when compared to full length recombinant FVIII (Helixate, FIG. 5B , left lane) as two thirds of the B domain has been deleted from codop-hFVIII.
[0200] Next, different doses of rAAV5-HLP-codop-hFVIII were administered via the tail vein to male C57B1/6 mice and plasma hFVIII levels were assessed at 6 weeks. As shown in FIG. 6A , a relatively linear relationship was observed between vector dose, plasma hFVIII levels and transgene copy number with no evidence of saturation kinetics even at the higher dose levels. Administration of 4×10 10 vg/mouse of rAAV5-HLP-codop-hFVIII resulted in low but detectable hFVIII expression at 0.5% of normal. The rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII transgene copy number in the liver of these animals was also 7 fold lower (0.12±0.06 copies/cell) that in the 4×10 11 vg/mouse dose cohort. An increase in the vector dose to 4×10 12 vg/mouse resulted in plasma hFVIII levels of around 190% of physiological levels (1.9±0.3 IU/ml). The rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII transgene copy number in the liver of these mice was over 330 fold higher (43.5±2.5 proviral copies/cell) than the levels observed in animals transduced with 4×10 11 vg/mouse. and approximately in the liver. No toxicity was observed at any of the dose levels and histological examination of the organ after necropsy at 6 weeks did not show any significant pathology. The transgene expression profile was next assessed in two cohorts of mice (n=3) following tail vein administration of 4×10 12 vg/mouse of rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII pseudotyped with serotype 5 and 8 capsid proteins. As per previous reports by the inventors with other single stranded rAAV vectors, hFVIII was detectable within two weeks of gene transfer prior to reaching steady state levels of 23±6 IU/ml and 54±12 IU/ml by 10 weeks in mice transduced with rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII pseudotyped with serotype 5 and 8 capsid respectively ( FIG. 6B ). At all time points the level of hFVIII in the rAAV8-HLP-codop-hFVIII cohort was between 2-10 fold higher when compared to the levels achieved in mice that received serotype 5 capsid pseudotyped vector. This difference is highly significant (p<0.001) and is consistent with similar serotype specific differences in rAAV mediated transduction reported previously. Plasma thrombin-antithrombin complexes (2.2±0.2 μg/l) were not elevated, indicating that supraphysiological levels of hFVIII do not induce a noticeable hypercoagulable state in mice. Finally, anti-hFVIII antibodies were not detected in the rAAV-HLP-codop-hFVIII mice at any stage after gene transfer.
[0000] rAAV-HLP-Codop-hFVIII Corrects Bleeding Diathesis in Haemophilia A Mice
[0201] To confirm correction of the bleeding phenotype, the inventors injected either 4×10 11 (low-dose cohort, n=3) or 5×10 12 (high-dose cohort, n=3) rAAV5-HLP-codop-hFVIII vector genomes into the tail vein of haemophilia A knockout mice, which are of mixed C57B16/J-129 Sv background and contain a deletion in exon 16 of murine FVIII. Peak hFVIII levels, as determined by a one-stage clotting assay, were 137±27% and 374±18% of normal levels in the low and high-dose cohorts of mice respectively ( FIG. 7A ). These levels were significantly above background (untreated HA haemophiliac (FVIIIKO) mice hFVIII:C level=<2% of normal) and significantly higher than the therapeutic of >5% of normal. There was very close concordance between hFVIII activity and antigen levels at all time points examined with an average ratio of 1.16. The bleeding time in the AAV treated and untreated F8−/− mice as well wild-type control mice was assessed using a tail clip assay. The time to first arrest of bleeding in the rAAV5-HLP-codop-hFVIII was significantly shorter (p=0.003) at 114±3 and 74±14 seconds in the low and high dose cohorts respectively when compared to untreated F8−/− mice (311±3 seconds) and comparable to that in control wild-type animals (74±20 seconds). Similarly, the amount of blood loss as assessed by spectrophotometric analysis of the haemoglobin content in saline into which the clipped mouse tail is immersed was substantially lower (p=0.002) in the rAAV5-HLP-codop-hFVIII F8−/− mice when compared to untreated F8−/− animals. Anti-hFVIII antibodies were not detected in the rAAV treated HA mice at any stage after gene transfer.
[0202] Collectively, therefore, these data suggest that the codop-hFVIII molecule is more potent than the N6-hFVIII variant. Additionally, the codop-hFVIII expression cassette appears to be well packaged into rAAV virons despite its relatively large size when compared to wild-type AAV genome. hFVIII is expressed as a single chain biologically active protein following rAAV gene transfer that is able to correct the bleeding phenotype in haemophilia A knock out animals.
Example 2
Introduction
[0203] Hemophilia A is a serious bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency in, or complete absence of, the blood coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). It is the most common hereditary coagulation disorder with an incidence approaching around 1 in 5000 males 1 . The disorder is an attractive candidate for gene therapy because only a modest increase in FVIII plasma concentration is needed for therapeutic benefit, with levels of >1% able to achieve markedly reduced rates of spontaneous bleeding and long term arthropathy 2 . However, although preclinical results using gene therapy in animal models of hemophilia A have been encouraging, no approach as yet has been translated to clinical success where insufficient levels of FVIII expression have been observed 3 .
[0204] Low FVIII expression is principally caused by inefficient expression of the mRNA 4-6 , a significant proportion of protein misfolding with subsequent intracellular degradation, and inefficient transport of the primary translation product from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi 7;8 . This results in expression levels of FVIII approximately 2 to 3 orders of magnitude lower than those of other comparably sized secreted proteins 4 . Insights over the past two decades into the secretion pathway, FVIII protein structure and function, and mechanisms of inhibitor development have led to the incorporation of bioengineered forms of FVIII in gene transfer systems. Bioengineering aims to improve properties such as biosynthesis, secretion efficiency, functional activity, plasma half-life, and to reduce antigenicity/immunogenicity 9 . FVIII is produced as a large 330 kDa glycoprotein with the domain structure A1-A2-B-A3-C1-C2 10;11 , where both the A and C domains have internal sequence homology and approximately 40% sequence identity to the A and C domains of factor V (FV), which shares the same domain structure 12;13 . The B-domain, which constitutes 38% of the total sequence, shares no amino acid sequence identity with other known proteins, including the B-domain of FV. It is, however, extensively glycosylated and contains 19 of the 26 asparagine (N)-linked glycosylation sites on the whole FVIII molecule 14 . FVIII B-domain is dispensable for procoagulant activity. FVIII in which the B-domain is deleted (BDD) and replaced by a short 11 amino acid linker (FVIII SQ; FIG. 8 b ) is in clinical use as a replacement recombinant FVIII product (Refacto, Wyeth Pharma) 15 .
[0205] It has been shown that deletion of the entire B-domain leads to a 17-fold increase in mRNA and primary translation product, however, only a 30% increase in the levels of secreted protein, suggesting that the rate of ER-Golgi transport is actually reduced 16 . Efficient FVIII secretion requires carbohydrate-facilitated transport by LMAN1 (lectin mannose binding-1) mediated by mannose residues of N-linked oligosaccharides post-translationally attached to the B-domain. To build on the advantages of BDD-FVIII whilst aiding LMAN1 mediated transport Miao et al. (2004) 17 added back a short B-domain sequence to the BDD-FVIII, optimally 226 amino acids and retaining 6 sites for N-linked glycosylation (226/N6). This resulted in a 10-fold increase in secretion in vitro from transfected COS-1 cells and a 5-fold increase in vivo following hydrodynamic hepatic gene delivery 17 .
[0206] The teleost puffer fish Fugu rubripes is a commonly used organism for investigation of genetics. Fugu has a basic vertebrate genome and contains a similar repertoire of genes to humans, however, in 1993 it was shown that the Fugu genome is only 390 Mb, about one-eighth the size of the human genome 18 . This makes Fugu an extremely useful model for annotating the human genome and a valuable ‘reference’ genome for identifying genes and other functional elements. Sequence analysis of genes in the blood coagulation system showed that Fugu amino acid sequences are highly conserved relative to their human orthologues. For FVIII cDNA sequences the Fugu A1, A2, A3, C1 and C2 domains show 46, 43, 47, 52 and 50% sequence identity to human orthologues, respectively. Conversely, the Fugu factor VIII B-domain shares only 6% sequence identity to its human counterpart. However, although there is no apparent sequence conservation between B-domains the Fugu B-domain is also highly glycosylated with 11 asparagine (N)-linked glycosylation attachment sites across its 224 amino acid length 19 .
[0207] In this study the inventors examined the expression of human BDD FVIII constructs containing the previously described ‘SQ’ B-domain element, the 226/N6 B-domain fragment and the Fugu B-domain. Constructs were tested under the control of the Spleen Focus Forming Virus (SFFV) promoter in the context of a self-inactivating (SIN) HIV-1 based lentiviral vector (LV). Furthermore, constructs were expressed from either a codon optimised or non-codon optimised cDNA sequence. Multiple transcriptional silencers and inhibitory motifs are widely distributed throughout the FVIII cDNA 4;6;20-22 , and these sequences act as potent inhibitors of RNA production and protein formation which can hamper expression in vivo. FVIII expression for all constructs was compared in vitro by transduction of 293T cells and in vivo by intravenous injection of vector into neonatal hemophilia A mice. Varying the B-domain made a significant difference to expression of factor VIII from codon optimised cDNA sequences in vitro, however, no difference was observed in vivo. Direct comparison of bioengineered FVIII constructs showed that significantly greater levels (up to a 44-fold increase and in excess of 200% normal human levels) of active FVIII protein were detected in the plasma of mice transduced with vector expressing FVIII from a codon optimised cDNA sequence, successfully correcting the disease model. To date, this is the highest relative increase in FVIII expression following bioengineering of BDD FVIII resulting in unprecedented, stable FVIII expression in vivo using a lentiviral-based approach.
Methods
FVIII Transgene and Lentiviral Vector Construction
[0208] The expression plasmid pMT2-FVIII was obtained as a kind gift from Dr. Steven W. Pipe (University of Michigan). This plasmid contains the human FVIII gene with a Fugu B-domain. The hFVIII gene had a B-domain deletion from amino acids 740-1649 and an MluI restriction site (ACG′CGT) engineered by site directed mutagenesis at amino acid positions 739-740 causing the missense mutation Pro739 to Thr739 in the a2 domain. The Fugu B-domain had been cloned in using flanking MluI restriction sites on 5′ and 3′ creating a 4935 bp hFVIII Fugu B gene. The FVIII Fugu B gene was removed in three parts using a digest with XhoI and KpnI to remove a 1.83 kb fragment, a partial digest with KpnI and MluI to remove a 1.06 kb fragment, and PCR amplification of the last 2.066 kb section using primers that created MluI and SbfI sites on the 5′ and 3′ ends, respectively. Each section was sequentially cloned into pLNT/SFFV-MCS using the same enzymes to create pLNT/SFFV-FVIII Fugu B. The construct was fully sequenced upon completion. pLNT/SFFV-BDD FVIII was produced by digest of pLNT/SFFV-FVIII Fugu B with MluI to remove the Fugu B-domain and religation. The 226/N6 B-domain sequence was manufactured by GeneArt (Regensburg, Germany) to produce a standard GeneArt plasmid containing 226/N6; pGA_N6_nonopt, the sequence was obtained by taking the first 678 bp of the human FVIII B-domain (cDNA found at Genbank: A05328), 5′ and 3′ flanking MluI sites were then added. N6 was then removed from pGA_N6_nonopt and ligated into pLNT/SFFV-BDD FVIII using MluI to create pLNT/SFFV-FVIII N6. The SQ cDNA sequence was obtained from 23 and was modified to contain an MluI site (underlined) to give the SQ m cDNA sequence: 5′-AGC′TTC′AGC′CAG′AAC′CCC′CCC′GTG′CTG′ ACG′CGT′ CAC′CAG′CGG-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 8) ( FIG. 8 b ). LNT/SFFV-SQ FVIII Fugu B was produced by site directed mutagenesis performed by Eurofins MWG Operon (Ebersberg, Germany) to add the flanking SQ a and SQ b ( FIG. 8 b ) sequences into the plasmid pLNT/SFFV-FVIII Fugu B to produce pLNT/SFFV-SQ FVIII Fugu B. pLNT/SFFV-SQ FVIII was then produced by removal of the Fugu B-domain from pLNT/SFFV-SQ FVIII Fugu B by digest with MluI and religation. pLNT/SFFV-SQ FVIII N6 was produced by removal of the 226/N6 B-domain from pGA_N6_nonopt by digestion with MluI and ligation into pLNT/SFFV-SQ FVIII. In this construct there is a repeat of the 11aa SQ a sequence caused by the insertion of the N6 B-domain into the SQ m sequence. Codon optimised sequences were created by analysis of the SQ FVIII Fugu B cDNA and adaption of the codon usage to the bias of Homo sapiens using codon adaptation index (CAI) performed by GeneArt (Regensburg, Germany) using their in-house proprietary software GeneOptimizer®. Optimisation also removed cis-acting sequence motifs including internal TATA-boxes, chi-sites and ribosomal entry sites, AT- or GC-rich sequence stretches, AU-rich elements, inhibitory and cis-acting repressor sequence elements, repeat sequences, RNA secondary structures, and all cryptic splice sites. Optimisation of SQ FVIII Fugu B included the removal of 14 splice sites, an increase in GC-content from ˜45% to ˜60% and an increase in CAI from 0.74 to 0.97. A Kozak sequence was introduced to increase translation initiation, and two stop codons were added to ensure efficient termination. The optimised gene retained the B domain flanking MluI restriction sites on the Fugu B domain and has 75.8% sequence similarity to the original non-optimised sequence. The optimised gene was cloned into pLNT/SFFV-MCS to give the plasmid pLNT/SFFV-SQ FVIII Fugu B (co). The plasmid pLNT/SFFV-SQ FVIII (co) was created by digestion of pLNT/SFFV-SQ FVIII Fugu B (co) with MluI and religation. The 226/N6 B domain sequence from pGA_N6_nonopt was codon optimised and manufactured by GeneArt. It was received in the plasmid pGA_N6_opt and as the MluI restriction sites were maintained cloned directly into the pLNT/SFFV-SQ FVIII (co) plasmid to obtain the construct pLNT/SFFV-SQ FVIII N6 (co), again, this construct will contain an 11aa SQ a repeat sequence caused by the insertion of the B domain into the SQ m sequence. Each construct was fully sequenced before testing. The codon optimised SQ FVIII N6 sequence is the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4. The codon optimised SQ FVIII sequence is the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5. The codon optimised SQ FVIII Fugu B sequence is the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6.
Lentiviral Vector Production and Titration
[0209] Lentiviral vectors were produced by transient cotransfection of HEK293T (293T) cells with 3 plasmids (the lentiviral vector, pMd.G2 [vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G) envelope plasmid], and pCMVΔ8.91 [packaging plasmid, both produced by Plasmid Factory, Bielefeld, Germany], employing polyethylenimine (Sigma-Aldrich, Poole, UK). Viral supernatant was harvested and concentrated using ultracentrifugation (25,000×g for 2 h at 4° C.). Aliquots of viruses were stored at −80° C. The titres of all lentiviral vectors were determined using a colorimetric reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit (Roche, West Sussex, UK) according to the manufacturer's instructions, and qPCR to determine an approximate titre in vector genomes per mL (vg/mL).
Measurement of FVIII Activity
[0210] The cofactor activity of blood plasma samples and in vitro cell culture media samples was assessed using the Biophen Factor VIII:C Chromagenic Assay (Biophen, Quadratech Diagnostics, Epsom, UK) as per manufacturer's instructions. Samples were diluted 1:20 to 1:40 in sample diluent provided and analysed in duplicate. A standard curve in % FVIII cofactor activity was constructed by diluting normal control plasma (Biophen, Quadratech Diagnostics) 1:20, carrying out four 1:2 serial dilutions, and running in duplicate. Abnormal control plasma (Biophen, Quadratech Diagnostics) was also used as a further quality control for the assay.
Lentiviral Transduction
[0211] 293T cells were maintained in Dulbecco modified Eagle medium (DMEM) (Gibco Life Technologies Ltd, Paisley, UK) and supplemented with 50 IU/mL penicillin, 50 μg/mL streptomycin, and 10% heat-inactivated fetal calf serum (FCS; Gibco). For lentiviral transduction five wells of 1×10 5 293T cells were transduced with serial dilutions of vector in a total volume of 300 μL DMEM+10% FCS. 48 hours post-transduction cell media was changed for 500 μL OptiMEM (Gibco). After a further 24 hours incubation media was collected from all wells and assayed for factor VIII activity using a FVIII chromogenic assay. Genomic DNA was then extracted from cells and viral copy number quantified using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR).
In Vivo Methods
[0212] All mice were handled according to procedures approved by the UK Home Office and the Imperial College London Research Ethics Committee. Haemophilia A mice (F8 tm2Kaz ) generated by deletion of exon 17 24 were maintained on a 129SV background. 0-1 day old neonatal mice were subject to brief (<5 minutes) hypothermic anaesthesia and 40 μL of concentrated lentiviral vector (equivalent to 4×10 7 -1×10 8 transducing units per mouse) injected into the superficial temporal vein. For coagulation factor assays 100 μL of peripheral blood was collected from anaesthetised mice by tail vein bleed. Blood was mixed immediately in a ratio of 1:9 with sodium citrate, centrifuged at 13000 rpm in a micro-centrifuge for five minutes and plasma transferred to fresh micro-centrifuge tube and stored at −20° C. before assaying.
Determination of Vector Copy Number by Real-Time Quantitative PCR
[0213] Genomic DNA was extracted from cells using a standard salting-out method 25 . Real-time qPCR was carried out in triplicate for each sample to determine viral copy number. qPCR was performed using an ABI 7000 Sequence Detection System (ABI, Applied Biosystems, Warrington, United Kingdom). Total viral DNA was quantified using primers 5′-TGTGTGCCCGTCTGTTGTGT-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 9) and 5′-GAGTCCTGCGTCGAGAGAGC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 10) and Taqman probe (FAM) 5′-CGCCCGAACAGGGACTTGAA-3′ (TAMRA) (SEQ ID NO: 11). The mouse titin gene (Ttn) was used as an endogenous 2-copy gene control for mouse cells and was quantified using primers 5′-AAAACGAGCAGTGACCTGAGG-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 12) and 5′-TTCAGTCATGCTGCTAGCGC-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 13) and Taqman probe (FAM) 5′-TGCACGGAATCTCGTCTCAGTC-3′ (TAMRA) (SEQ ID NO: 14). The human beta-actin gene (ACTB) was used as an endogenous 2-copy gene control for HEK-293T cells and was quantified using primers 5′-TCACCCACAAGTTGCCCATCTACGA-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 15) and 5′-CAGCGGAACCGCTCATTGCCAATGG-3′ (SEQ ID NO: 16) and Taqman probe (FAM) 5′-ATGCCCTCCCCCATGCCATCCTGCGT-3′ (TAMRA) (SEQ ID NO: 17).
Statistical Analysis
[0214] Data are expressed as mean values plus or minus SD. Statistical analyses were performed using a general linear model (GLM) based on one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with individual pairwise comparisons performed using Bonferroni simultaneous tests (Minitab software, Myerstown, Pa.).
Results
Generation of Bioengineered FVIII Variants and Production of FVIII-Expressing SIN Lentiviral Vectors
[0215] To overcome low protein expression associated with haemophilia A gene transfer applications the inventors investigated the expression from bioengineered FVIII transgenes containing various B-domain elements from codon optimised or non-codon optimised cDNA sequences. The following FVIII variants were generated ( FIG. 8 a ): BDD human FVIII containing a B-domain deletion between amino acids 740-1649 with a missense mutation Pro739 to Thr739 in the a2 domain previously described by Miao et al. (2004) 17 (herein referred to as BDD FVIII); BDD FVIII containing the 201aa Fugu B-domain containing 11 (N)-linked glycosylation sites between aa's 740 and 1649 (herein referred to as FVIII Fugu B); BDD FVIII containing the 226aa/N6 human B-domain fragment containing 6 (N)-linked glycosylation sites between aa's 740 and 1649 previously described by Miao et al. (2004) 17 (herein referred to as FVIII N6); BDD FVIII containing a modified 14-amino acid SQ activation peptide SQ m between aa's 740 and 1649 (SFSQNPPVL T RHQR) (SEQ ID NO: 18) (missense mutation Lys to Thr underlined), contains the RHQR furin recognition sequence to increase intracellular cleavage, the original SQ activation peptide sequence described by Sandberg et al. (2001) 23 (herein referred to as SQ FVIII); SQ FVIII containing the Fugu B-domain inserted into the SQ m sequence. This causes the SQ m sequence to be split either side of the B-domain insert with the N-terminal sequence (SFSQNPPVLTR) (SEQ ID NO: 19) is referred to as SQ a , and the C-terminal sequence containing the furin recognition site RHQR as SQ b (TRHQR) (SEQ ID NO: 20) (herein referred to as SQ FVIII Fugu B); SQ FVIII containing the 226aa/N6 B-domain inserted into the SQ m sequence creating SQ a and SQ b sequences on the N- and C-terminal sides of the B-domain, respectively. In this construct there is a repeat of the 11aa SQ a sequence caused by the insertion of the N6 B-domain into the SQ m sequence. It is unknown the effect that this repeat will have upon FVIII secretion and function (herein referred to as SQ FVIII N6). Constructs ‘SQ FVIII (co)’, ‘SQ FVIII Fugu B (co)’ and ‘SQ FVIII N6 (co)’ are identical in amino acid structure as constructs ‘SQ FVIII’, ‘SQ FVIII Fugu B’ and ‘SQ FVIII N6’, respectively, but are translated from a codon optimised cDNA sequence ( FIG. 8 a ). Representation of SQ, SQ m , SQ a , and SQ b are shown in FIG. 8 b . All constructs were cloned into a SIN lentiviral backbone under control of the SFFV promoter and transgene sequences were confirmed by automated DNA sequencing.
[0216] Vectors were produced for all nine factor VIII constructs and tested for physical titre using the reverse transcriptase protein assay. They were then tested using qPCR to determine an approximate titre in vector genomes per mL (vg/mL) (Table 1). There was no substantial difference in titre between constructs.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Physical titre of FVIII vectors as determined by reverse transcriptase
assay and qPCR. Quantification of reverse transcriptase (RT) protein
concentration in viral stocks, measured by performing a RT
colorimetric assay, quantified in ng/μL and estimated titre calculated
from this. Mean shown of n = 3. Quantification of titre in vector
genomes per mL was determined using qPCR. 1 × 10 5 293T
cells were transduced with a serial dilution of vector, after 72 hours
genomic DNA was extracted from cells and qPCR carried out for
both WPRE and the human housekeeping gene β-actin. Mean shown
of n = 5.
Average Reverse
Transcriptase
Estimated Titre
Titre
Virus
(ng/μL)
(TU/mL)
(vg/mL)
BDD FVIII
10.9
3.71 × 10 9
1.14 × 10 8
FVIII Fugu B
46.5
1.58 × 10 10
1.58 × 10 9
FVIII N6
30.7
1.04 × 10 10
1.07 × 10 9
SQ FVIII
68.3
2.32 × 10 10
2.91 × 10 9
SQ FVIII Fugu B
44.8
1.52 × 10 10
1.18 × 10 9
SQ FVIII N6
78.0
2.65 × 10 10
2.0 × 10 9
SQ FVIII (co)
69.6
2.37 × 10 10
4.45 × 10 9
SQ FVIII Fugu B (co)
71.8
2.40 × 10 10
2.65 × 10 9
SQ FVIII N6 (co)
87.9
2.99 × 10 10
3.39 × 10 9
Expression of FVIII In Vitro
[0217] Relative FVIII protein expression was measured for each construct in the human embryonic kidney cell line 293T. Cells were transduced with a serial dilution of vector and cultured for 48 hours, after which cells were washed, fresh serum free media added and chromogenic assays performed after a further 24 hours to determine FVIII activity. Genomic DNA was also extracted from cells to determine viral copy number by qPCR. Expression values were then normalised against copy number allowing accurate values for FVIII protein expression per gene copy to be determined ( FIG. 9 ). All constructs produced detectable FVIII activity using a chromogenic assay ( FIG. 9 ) and FVIII antigen by ELISA (data not shown).
[0218] Cells transduced with constructs expressed from non-codon optimised cDNA sequences produced on average 1.40 to 2.89% FVIII activity/mL/24hr/vector copy number. There was no significant difference in expression of FVIII between equivalent constructs where the SQ m , SQ a and SQ b activation peptide sequences were present (P>0.05). In addition, there was no significant increase in expression where the Fugu B or 226/N6 B-domains were present in comparison to SQ FVIII or BDD FVIII constructs (P>0.05).
[0219] However, a highly significant increase in expression was observed with constructs expressed from codon optimised cDNA sequences. Cells expressing SQ FVIII (co), SQ FVIII Fugu B (co), and SQ FVIII N6 (co) produced 22.89±3.68, 47.20±2.71, and 35.8±2.39% FVIII activity/mL/24hr/vector copy number, respectively, a 13- to 16-fold increase in comparison to expression from equivalent non-codon optimised cDNA sequences (P<0.0001). A significant increase in expression was also observed from constructs containing the Fugu and 226/N6 B domains in comparison to SQ FVIII (co) (P<0.0001), furthermore, the SQ FVIII Fugu B (co) had expression significantly higher than both SQ FVIII (co) and SQ FVIII N6 (co) (P<0.0001).
[0000] Comparison of FVIII Expression In Vivo after Intravenous Delivery of Vector into Neonatal Haemophilia A Mice
[0220] SQ-containing FVIII expression cassettes were tested in vivo. Six constructs; SQ FVIII, SQ FVIII Fugu B, SQ FVIII N6, SQ FVIII (co), SQ FVIII Fugu B (co), and SQ FVIII N6 (co) were tested by direct intravenous injection of lentiviral vector into neonatal (0-1 day old) haemophiliac (FVIIIKO) mice. All mice received between 4.72×10 7 and 1.78×10 8 vector genomes (vg) with 6 to 10 mice injected per vector group. Blood plasma samples were collected via tail vein bleed approximately every 30 days for a total of ˜250 days. FVIII activity was assessed using a functional chromogenic assay.
[0221] Functional FVIII was detected in the plasma of all transduced mice at all time points ( FIG. 10 ). Plasma from mice transduced with vector containing non-codon optimised FVIII sequences; SQ FVIII, SQ FVIII Fugu B, or SQ FVIII N6 contained on average 5.72%±2.31%, 7.79%±3.66%, and 9.53%±2.24% normal human FVIII activity, respectively, for the duration of the experiment. The ability to clot rapidly following tail vein bleeds indicated that the mice treated with sequences SQ FVIII Fugu B, or SQ FVIII N6 were able to achieve adequate haemostasis, however 4 of the 6 mice injected in the SQ FVIII vector group did not survive, indicating that the levels of FVIII were insufficient to correct the murine haemophilia A phenotype. None of the other vector groups showed morbidity associated with low FVIII expression. For mice transduced with vector containing codon optimised FVIII cDNA sequences; SQ FVIII (co), SQ FVIII Fugu B (co), or SQ FVIII N6 (co), average FVIII levels were detected at 256.1%±63.4%, 232.2%±74.1%, and 283.7%±56.2% normal human FVIII activity, respectively, for the duration of the experiment. This is a 44-, 29-, and 29-fold increase in expression for SQ FVIII (co), SQ FVIII Fugu B (co), and SQ FVIII N6 (co), respectively, in comparison to expression from equivalent non-codon optimised sequences (P<0.0001, Bonferroni simultaneous test). Furthermore, no substantial loss in FVIII expression was observed in any vector groups. Importantly, no significant difference in expression was observed for constructs containing different B-domain elements for vectors containing codon optimised or non-codon optimised cDNA sequences ( FIG. 11 ).
Analysis of Viral Copy Number in the Organs of Transduced Mice
[0222] From 187 and 246 days post-injection, mice were sacrificed to determine vector copy number in liver, spleen, heart, lung and kidney tissue by real time qPCR ( FIG. 12 ). Vector genomes were detected predominantly in the liver and spleen tissue with negligible copies in heart, lung and kidney tissues for all mice in all vector groups. Liver tissue taken from mice transduced with vector containing non-codon optimised cDNA sequences contained an average of 5.75, 6.97 and 5.25 vector copies per cell for SQ FVIII, SQ FVIII Fugu B, and SQ FVIII N6, respectively. In spleen tissue average copy number was 1.50, 3.13 and 2.75 copies per cell for SQ FVIII, SQ FVIII Fugu B, and SQ FVIII N6, respectively. There was no significant difference in the vector copy number detected in liver tissues of animals injected with vector containing codon optimised sequences (P>0.1, Bonferroni simultaneous test). Average copy number in liver tissue was detected at 5.04, 9.17 and 8.80 copies per cell, and in spleen tissue copy was 2.28, 2.57 and 2.60 copies per cell, for SQ FVIII (co), SQ FVIII Fugu B (co), and SQ FVIII N6 (co), respectively. In all cases, similar copy number was found in all tissues for all animals regardless of vector group.
Discussion
[0223] mRNA instability, interactions with resident ER chaperone proteins, and the requirement for carbohydrate-facilitated transport from the ER to the Golgi apparatus means that FVIII is expressed at much lower levels from mammalian cells than other proteins of similar size and complexity 7;26 . This has been a limiting factor both in the commercial production of recombinant FVIII for replacement therapy and in the success of gene therapy for haemophilia A. A number of bioengineered forms of human FVIII have been incorporated into gene transfer systems and have been shown to have enhanced expression both in vitro and in vivo. B-domain deleted (BDD) factor VIII constructs are used widely in gene transfer experiments as there is no loss of FVIII procoagulant function and its smaller size is more easily incorporated into vectors. A variation of this construct is a BDD FVIII containing the 14 amino acid link SQ between the A2 and A3 domains, currently produced as a recombinant product and marketed as Refacto™ (Wyeth) 23 . The SQ link has previously been shown to promote efficient intracellular cleavage of the primary single chain translation product of FVIII as it contains the intracellular furin recognition and cleavage site 23;27 . This construct has been incorporated into plasmid vectors where it has conferred therapeutic levels of expression 28-30 . Miao et al., in 2004 17 have also shown that after plasmid transfection of COS-1 cells a human BDD FVIII construct containing the first 226 amino acids of the B-domain including 6 N-linked asparagine glycosylation sites was secreted 4-fold more efficiently in comparison to BDD FVIII and 5-fold more efficiently in vivo following hydrodynamic hepatic gene delivery 17 . This construct has now been incorporated into many gene transfer vectors including plasmid 31 , lentiviral vectors 32 , and gammaretroviral vectors 33 and is more efficiently secreted both in vitro 17;33-35 and in vivo 17;35 .
[0224] One of the significant limitations in the generation of efficient viral gene delivery systems for the treatment of hemophilia A by gene therapy is the large size of the FVIII cDNA. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of FVIII expression cassettes with various B-domain constructs.
[0225] These consist of SQ FVIII, FVIII N6 and a BDD FVIII construct containing the entire B-domain from the puffer fish Fugu rubripes which contains 11 N-linked asparagine glycosylation sites which potentially would promote more efficient trafficking from the ER to the Golgi and therefore be more efficiently secreted. We also investigated the expression of these constructs from cDNA sequences which had been codon optimised for expression in Homo sapiens. All constructs were tested using a SIN lentiviral vector, however, the results are applicable to any gene delivery system. Our study found that in vitro no difference in FVIII expression was found between constructs with or without the modified SQ sequence. Incorporation of B-domain regions into constructs also did not cause a significant increase in expression for non-codon optimised constructs in comparison to their B-domain deleted equivalents. However, for codon optimised sequences significantly higher expression of both SQ FVIII Fugu B (co) and SQ FVIII N6 (co) were observed in comparison to SQ FVIII (co). A 13- to 16-fold increase in expression of functional factor VIII per integrated gene copy were also observed from codon optimised sequences.
[0226] In vivo, after neonatal injection of a similar number of lentiviral vector genomes the presence of a B-domain did not significantly affect the steady state levels of circulating FVIII activity for either codon optimised or non-codon optimised constructs. However, we observed a 29- to 44-fold increase in steady state plasma levels of functional FVIII in hemophilia A mice to levels above 200% normal human FVIII expression from codon optimised constructs in comparison to non-codon optimised equivalents. Importantly, these levels of circulating FVIII were associated with a correction of the bleeding diatheses. In contrast, the levels of FVIII activity observed in mice treated with non-codon optimised FVIII expression cassettes were associated with fatal haemorage following tail bleeds.
[0227] Multiple transcriptional silencers and inhibitory sequences are widely distributed throughout the FVIII cDNA 4;6;21;22 and the increased expression following codon optimisation may be in part due to the elimination of such sequences. However, deletion of the entire B-domain which led to a 17-fold increase in mRNA and primary translation product only resulted in a 30% increase in the levels of secreted protein, suggesting that the rate of ER-Golgi transport was reduced 16 and that levels of FVIII mRNA were not limiting expression. The introduction of multiple N-linked glycosylation sites known to be important in ER-Golgi transport of FVIII increased levels of secreted FVIII, suggesting that the rate of ER-Golgi transport may be a rate limiting step 17 . However, a significant amount of FVIII within the ER never transits to the Golgi compartment due to a failure to fold correctly and misfolded FVIII accumulation in the ER can result in oxidative damage and apoptosis, perhaps suggesting that FVIII folding is the rate limiting step in FVIII expression 34 .
[0228] Although protein secondary structure is determined primarily by the amino acid sequence, protein folding within the cell is affected by a range of factors: these include interaction with other proteins (chaperones) and ligands, translocation through the ER membrane and redox conditions. The rate of translation can also affect protein folding and it has been suggested that codon usage may be a mechanism to regulate translation speed and thus allow stepwise folding of individual protein domains 36;37 . FVIII is a complex multi-domain protein in which nonsequential segments of the nascent polypeptide chain may interact in the three dimensional fold. Ribosome stalling at ‘rare’ codons may therefore lead to alternative folding pathways generating altered conformations and potentially misfolded protein. A potential explanation for the observed effect of codon optimised sequences utilised in this study may be that they allow efficient translation and transport across the ER membrane allowing the nascent FVIII polypeptide chain to fold correctly leading to the increased levels of secreted FVIII observed in vitro and in vivo.
[0229] Expression of >200% is not required in hemophilia patients, and production of such high levels of FVIII may be detrimental to producer cells 4;34 . However, a major advantage of the optimised sequence is the ability to minimize the number of genetically modified cells needed to produce therapeutic levels, thereby reducing the risk of insertional mutagenesis and insertion site-dependent positional effects. Also, the use of strong, ubiquitous promoter elements such as SFFV that were previously required to drive high expression of FVIII constructs could be replaced by weaker, tissue specific promoters which are less prone to transcriptional silencing 31 .
[0230] Previous in vivo studies have demonstrated expression of therapeutic levels of FVIII in vivo in adult haemophilia A mice after systemic injection of vector 32;38-40 , transplant of transduced bone marrow cells 31;33 , transplant of transduced bone marrow cells with targeted platelet-specific expression 41;42 , and transplant of transduced blood outgrowth endothelial cells 43 . However, FVIII expression levels mediated from many of these approaches have been low (1-5% normal human) and expression transient due to formation of neutralising antibodies. In this study we used a lentiviral gene delivery system to investigate FVIII expression from FVIII constructs containing various B-domains from non-codon optimised and codon optimised cDNA sequences. We observed a dramatic increase in the level of secreted FVIII from a codon optimised cDNA using this system, however, as this expression cassette is only ˜5 kb in size it is applicable for any viral (including AAV) or non-viral gene delivery system and will allow the development of safer, more efficacious vectors for gene therapy of haemophilia A.
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[0273] 43. Matsui H, Shibata M, Brown B et al. Ex Vivo Gene Therapy for Hemophilia A That Enhances Safe Delivery and Sustained In Vivo FVIII Expression From Lentivirally-engineered Endothelial Progenitors. Stem Cells. 2007. | An optimized coding sequence of human blood clotting factor eight (VIII) and a promoter may be used in vectors, such as rAAV, for introduction of factor VIII, and/or other blood clotting factors and transgenes. Exemplary of these factors and transgenes are alpha-1-antitrypsin, as well as those involved in the coagulation cascade, hepatocye biology, lysosomal storage, urea cycle disorders, and lipid storage diseases. Cells, vectors, proteins, and glycoproteins produced by cells transformed by the vectors and sequence, may be used in treatment. | 2 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to antibacterial materials including ε-polylysine adsorbed on fibers, nonwoven fabrics, knitted or woven fabrics, films, sheets and the like to inhibit proliferation of micro-organisms in the vicinity of the materials or in food preventing decomposition of food and inhibiting proliferation of micro-organisms.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Hitherto, for preventing decomposition of food, there are known methods for directly adding various kinds of food preservatives or materials having an antibacterial effect such as alcohol. A water absorbent sheet is used to prevent the deterioration of the outward appearance of food based on surplus water content. However, the sheet does not in preventing proliferation of micro-organisms adhered to food.
Conventionally when food preservatives or materials having antibacterial effect are directly added to food, it is necessary to uniformly add them to inhibit the proliferation of micro-organisms adhered to food packages or micro-organisms in the surroundings. Such additives have an adverse effect upon the physical properties and taste of food. When the food preservatives are directly sprayed on food, since they are scattered in the atmosphere and a little of them are adhered to food, it is necessary to spray them to an excess. Then, the taste of food suffers and the working atmosphere is adversely affected.
The antibacterial effect of ε-polylysine is well-known. ε-polylysine has been used for preventing proliferation of micro-organisms in food by kneading it together with food or directly spraying it on food. However, in the case of direct addition of the ε-polylysine to food, the added amount is influenced by the kinds or forms of food, and is about 100 mg per 1 kg of food. If the amount is in excess, it adversely affects food taste and physical properties.
A water absorbent sheet is, further, used for preventing deterioration in the outward appearance of food based on excess water content, so that the sheet does not inhibit proliferation of micro-organisms.
The present invention aims to inhibit proliferation of micro-organisms at the contact surface of food, to prevent deterioration of the taste of food, and to provide antibacterial materials having high safety without adversely influencing the surroundings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention resides in the following items of (1), (2) and (3).
(1) An antibacterial article including adsorbed ε-polylysine.
(2) A process for producing an antibacterial article, characterized in that the article is obtained by immersing a substrate for the antibacterial article in an aqueous solution of ε-polylysine or a solution of ε-polylysine in an alcohol or in an aqueous solution containing an alcohol.
(3) A process for producing an antibacterial article, characterized in that the article is obtained by spraying an aqueous solution of ε-polylysine or a solution of ε-polylysine in an alcohol or in an aqueous solution containing an alcohol on a substrate for the antibacterial article.
(4) A process for producing an antibacterial article according to any one of above items 2 and 3, wherein the alcohol is ethanol.
The present invention is described in the following.
Antibacterial articles of the present invention have high safety, provide the efficient and effective antibacterial effect of ε-polylysine used as a food preservative, and the articles are produced by adsorbing ε-polylysine on fibers, nonwoven fabrics, knitted or woven fabrics, films, sheets, plates, trays, vessels and the like.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
ε-polylysine used in the present invention is obtained by cultivating on media Streptomyces albulus subsp, lysino-polymerus belonging to a Streptomyces genus which is an ε-polylysine-producing micro-organism described in, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 59-20359, and separating and collecting ε-polylysine from the resulting culture medium.
In the present invention, ε-polylysine can be used as a free type or a salt type of an inorganic acid such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid, or an organic acid such as acetic acid, propionic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid or citric acid. Both types of these salts of inorganic acids or organic acids as well as a free type have similar antibacterial effect.
As a method for adsorbing ε-polylysine on materials, there is an immersion treatment and spray treatment which can be effectively and easily used. In the immersion of nonwoven fabrics such as polyester-polypropylene nonwoven fabrics, the material is immersed in an aqueous solution of one % by weight of ε-polylysine or an aqueous solution of 60% by weight of ethanol containing 1% by weight of ε-polylysine for 30 seconds and air-dried. In the spray treatment, the material is sprayed with 0.5 g of an aqueous solution of 60% by weight of ethanol containing 0.5% by weight of ε-polylysine per 100 cm 2 of the material.
In the immersion treatment and the spray treatment, either of the aqueous solution including only ε-polylysine or the solution of ε-polylysine in alcohol such as ethanol or in an aqueous solution containing alcohol such as methanol or ethanol can be used. It is also possible to use a solution obtained by adding a surface-active agent and the like in the immersion treatment liquid or the spray treatment liquid. It is possible to add or simultaneously use other compounds having antibacterial activity such as a glyceryl fatty acid ester, organic or inorganic salts having multiple effects, pH adjustors, amino acids and the like.
The concentration of ε-polylysine in the aqueous solution or the alcohol solution or the aqueous solution containing an alcohol for the immersion treatment and the spray treatment is different depending upon the immersion time or the sprayed amount, typically 0.01-20% by weight is preferred.
Materials having water absorption properties are preferably used for the antibacterial articles of the present invention and, particularly, nonwoven fabrics, knitted or woven fabrics and paper fabricated from natural fibers such as cotton, silk and wool, and fibers, nonwoven fabrics, knitted or woven fabrics, films, sheets, plates, trays and containers fabricated from synthetic resins of thermoplastics such as polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyolefin resins, e.g., polyethylene and polypropylene, polyamide and polyester, without particular limit.
The antibacterial articles of the present invention are used for inhibiting proliferation of micro-organisms whenever the micro-organisms contact food and proliferate on the surface of food as a water absorbent sheet, wrapping materials, trays or the like. The antibacterial articles are also used for articles such as curtains, bed clothes, or several kinds of articles of clothing in which micro-organisms proliferate in organisms of dust, motes and sweat.
With regard to the curtains, bed clothes, or articles of clothing, knitted or woven fabrics and nonwoven fabrics are processed by immersion or spraying before or after sewing them. These articles are also contained in the antibacterial articles of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following tests and examples illustrate the present invention more specifically, but these will not always be precise in practical applications.
EXAMPLE 1
A nonwoven fabric made of polypropylene-polyethylene was cut into a size of 30 cm×30 cm and immersed in 100 ml of an aqueous solution of one % by weight of ε-polylysine for 30 seconds. Then, it was dried in a desiccator at 50° C. for one hour.
Comparative Example 1
The same nonwoven fabric made of the same material having the same size as in Example 1 was immersed in sterile water for 30 seconds and dried in a desiccator at 50° C. for one hour.
EXAMPLE 2
The same nonwoven fabric made of the same material having the same size as in Example 1 was uniformly sprayed with 1.5 g of an aqueous solution of 60% by weight of ethanol containing 0.5% by weight of ε-polylysine and then dried in a desiccator at 30° C. for 30 minutes.
Comparative Example 2
The same nonwoven fabric made of the same material having the same size as in Example 1 was uniformly sprayed with 1.5 g of aqueous solution of 60% by weight of ethanol and then dried in a desiccator at 30° C. for 30 minutes.
(Test 1)
Using the nonwoven fabric obtained in Example 1, Comparative example 1, Example 2 and Comparative example 2, antibacterial activity was tested.
Conventional agar medium was added to a plate having 90 mm diameter, and 10 4 of Escherichia coli IFO 13500 was applied on the whole surface of the agar medium. Then, the nonwoven fabrics prepared in Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were cut in a circle of 85 mm diameter. The sprayed surface of the nonwoven fabrics of Example 2 and Comparative example 2 were placed in contact on the medium, and the nonwoven fabrics of Example 1 and Comparative example 1 were placed in contact with the medium. In these conditions, these fabrics were maintained at 10° C. and 20° C. for 3 hours and 9 hours, respectively, and the fabrics were removed. Desoxycholate agar medium was added to cover on the conventional agar medium, and the number of living E.coli was determined. The results were shown in Table 1.
(Test 2) Using the nonwoven fabrics obtained in Example 1 and comparative example 1, antibacterial activity was tested. 0.2 g of cut nonwoven fabrics of Example 1 and Comparative example 1 were placed in a plate having 90 mm diameter. 0.2 ml of liquid of Staphylococcus aureus IFO 12732(5×10 5 /ml) was applied to the nonwoven fabrics. After culturing them at 37° C. for 18 hours, the number of bacteria were counted after culturing with a conventional agar medium at 37° C. for 24 hours. The number of bacteria were 10/g or less in Example 1 and 10 4 /g in Comparative example 1. The results show that the antibacterial article of the present invention has antibacterial activity by itself.
The merits of the present invention are as follows. Using the antibacterial articles obtained by immersing or spraying a small quantity of ε-polylysine on raw materials, it is possible to inhibit proliferation of micro-organisms on the food surface and keep the food fresh for a long term. Since the ε-polylysine scarcely contacts to the food surface, the taste of food is little affected. Since the articles are not directly added to food products, the physical properties of the food products are little changed. The articles can be preferably used for packing all sorts of the food products as a drip-adsorbing sheet, a wrapper for food, a food-packaging tray and a food container which are used as packaging materials for inhibiting proliferation of micro-organisms when the micro-organisms contact the food and proliferate on the food surface. The articles are also preferably used for inhibiting proliferation of the micro-organisms in organisms of dust, motes and sweat which adhere to curtains, bed clothes, or articles of clothing. The materials of the present invention, accordingly, have various safe uses.
TABLE 1______________________________________ Number of E. coli in a plate afterSample Shelf temperature 3 hours 6 hours______________________________________Example 1 10° C. 10.sup.2 10.sup.1Comparative 10° C. 10.sup.4 >10.sup.4example 1Example 2 10° C. 10.sup.2 10.sup.1Comparative 10° C. 10.sup.3 >10.sup.4example 2Example 1 20° C. 10.sup.3 10.sup.1Comparative 20° C. 10.sup.4 >10.sup.4example 1Example 2 20° C. 10.sup.3 10.sup.1Comparative 20° C. 10.sup.3 >10.sup.4example 2______________________________________ | An antibacterial article inhibits the proliferation of microorganisms on the surface of food. The antibacterial article includes a substrate, such as a nonwoven material, on which is adsorbed ε-polylysine. The article is produced by applying an aqueous or alcoholic solution of ε-polylysine to the substrate by spraying or immersion. | 2 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides an improved system and method for dispensing dehydrated culture media (DCM) powder into containers for preparation of culture media. More particularly, the present invention relates to improved manual and automated systems and methods for dispensing DCM powder into vessels or media preparation instruments in a sanitary manner to avoid contamination by DCM powder dust to the surrounding area.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microbiology laboratories are required to produce large quantities of agar based growth media to use in the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms. Regardless of the specific agar media formulation used, most media are prepared by mixing powdered dehydrated culture media (DCM) with water and then sterilizing the mixture in an autoclave to insure the growth media is free of contamination. The dehydrated media powder, which is ground very fine, is typically delivered to the laboratory in plastic containers of varying sizes. A laboratory technician will typically scoop or pour out and weigh the required amount of DCM powder, add the appropriate amount of water, and mix and warm the mixture using, for example, a magnetic stirring motor with stir bar. Once the DCM and water have been completely mixed, the mixture is sterilized by autoclave or media preparator.
As used in most laboratories, DCM is a very light and fine powder. Some DCM formulations are highly toxic and all are irritants to some degree. When poured, DCM often forms a cloud of dust that rises above and around the technician who is dispensing the powder. This “media cloud” or “dusting” causes several problems. Often the technician will inhale DCM dust, which can be a health hazard. Additionally, as the dust settles it leaves a film of agar on surrounding laboratory surfaces. Because DCM typically is used in areas that tend to be warm and moist due to the close proximity of steam-producing autoclaves, the media dust leaves a sticky film that is difficult to clean and that increases the likelihood of surface contamination. Moreover, because the DCM is a fine powder, it tends to penetrate into very small spaces in the laboratory, including the inside surfaces of scientific instruments where the resulting film can cause damage and excess wear over time.
Another problem is that the process of dispensing DCM is time consuming since a precise quantity should first be weighed prior to adding water. A further problem is that mixing large batches of DCM with water, e.g., batches of certain types of media larger than 10 liters, often requires DCM and water to be added alternately in limited quantities each time to avoid clumping of the media. This increases the time needed to create the media, contributes to inaccuracies and errors and increases the likelihood of DCM dusting. A further problem is that technicians sometimes are imprecise in their measurements of DCM or water. It is also important for technicians to be able to readily identify different containers including different types of media cultures without close inspection, to thus increase the efficiency of the dispensing process.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved system and method for dispensing DCM in a sanitary manner to avoid contamination to surrounding areas and minimize exposure to technicians and other personnel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention provides an automated or manual system for delivering DCM powder to a preparation instrument or a container in a sanitary manner to prevent media dusting by eliminating or substantially reducing the formation of the DCM media cloud during the preparation process. An embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for a convenient, rapid, exact and reproducible dispensing of DCM into either flasks or automated media sterilizers or other instruments.
The embodiments of the present invention further are capable of dispensing an appropriate amount of water or liquid into a media sterilizer or other instrument or container while simultaneously dispensing DCM powder in the proper amount and in a manner so as to avoid clumping. The metering device can be programmable to dispense the appropriate admixture of water and DCM depending on the concentration desired. The embodiments of the present invention are also able to prevent or minimize laboratory errors by applying color coding or other identification indicia to the DCM containers to indicate specific media formulations, thereby reducing the likelihood that the incorrect DCM formulation will be used by a technician.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be more readily appreciated from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a conceptual block diagram illustrating an example of an automated system for dispensing DCM powder into a media preparation instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an example of a container which stores the DCM powder according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a top view of the container as shown in FIG. 2 ;
FIG. 4 illustrates an example of an adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention, that can be used with the container shown in FIG. 2 ;
FIG. 5 is a detailed top view of the portion of the motorized valve assembly of the system shown in FIG. 1 that receives the mouth of the DCM container according to the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 illustrates an example of the features of the rotatable valve of the valve assembly shown in FIG. 1 for dispensing the DCM powder in a measured fashion according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 7 illustrates an example of another system for dispensing DCM powder into a flask in a measured manner according to another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates an automated system 100 for dispensing DCM powder according to an embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, the automated system 100 includes a motorized valve assembly 102 that is connected via a conduit 104 to a media preparation instrument 106 . The media preparation instrument can be any type of instrument such as the MediaPrep line from Systec Gmbh, Wettenberg, Germany, Masterclave line from AES Laboratoire, Rennes, France, or MediaClave line from Integra Biosciences, Chur, Switzerland, each of which are commercially available.
As further illustrated, the system further includes a flow meter 108 . The flow meter is electronically controlled with a digital or analog input and output for communication with a secondary device used to inject the DCM powder into the system. The flow meter can work on the basis of peristaltic action or other common commercial methodologies such as magnetic, ultrasonic, positive displacement or differential pressure. The flow meter instrument can be any type of instrument such as the AES PM05 from AES Laoratoire, Rennes, France, or the Perimatic GP or Perimatic Premier from Jencons Scientific, Inc., Bridgeville, Pa., that is connected to a water supply 110 or other liquid supply and provides water or other liquid to the media preparation instrument 106 in a regulated manner via flexible tube 112 as discussed in more detail below. The tube 112 is connected to a rigid tube 113 made of, for example, stainless steel or any other suitable material, and which extends near the bottom of the interior of the media preparation instrument 106 to minimize clumping of the DCM powder 120 and to improve mixing. The rigid tube 113 allows water to be added below the surface line of the DCM mixture to prevent or decrease the incidence of splashing or bubbling to prevent or substantially prevent, or at least minimize, the contact of water with the media entry port. A flexible tube may be utilized in place of the rigid tube 113 ; provided such flexible tube is configured so as to prevent or decrease the incidence of splashing or bubbling in the media preparation device. In practice, the tube 113 can be of any suitable material, such as rigid plastic, flexible plastic, bendable metal, a flexible hose, and so on, as long as it is positioned to prevent or substantially prevent the incidence of splashing or bubbling and its opening is at a sufficient distance from the media entry port. The motorized valve assembly 102 and flow meter 108 are connected by a communication cable 114 so that the rate at which the DCM powder is dispensed by the motorized valve 102 is coordinated with the rate at which liquid is dispensed into the media preparation instrument 106 by the flow meter 108 under the control of a controller 116 , which can be a processor or any type of computer as can be appreciated by one skilled in the art. The controller 116 can be programmable by the technician or other suitable personnel as desired and with ease to control the desired dispensing rate of the DCM powder and liquid as discussed in more detail below. As further illustrated, the motorized valve 102 receives a container 118 in which the DCM powder is stored.
An example of a container for storing the DCM powder is shown in FIG. 2 . In particular, the container 118 includes a container portion 120 and a cap 122 . The container portion 120 can be any shape, although according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is advantageous for stacking purposes for the container to be shaped in the form of a rectangle or square having flat or substantially flat sides as shown in FIG. 2 and in the top view of FIG. 3 . As further illustrated in FIG. 3 , the cap 122 is preferably square shaped and has a flat or substantially flat top surface to allow the containers to be stacked vertically. The width and length of the cap 122 can correspond to the width and length of the container portion 120 as shown, or can be less than or greater than the width and length of the container portion 120 , as deemed suitable for storage and stacking purposes.
In addition, for identification purposes, the container portion 120 and the cap 122 can be coded with a color or other indicator representing the contents of the container 118 . For instance, this identification can be a color coding (e.g., red, green, blue, etc.) that is present on portions or the entirety of the container portion 120 and cap 122 , a type of indicia (e.g., numbers, letters or alphanumeric symbols) on the container portion 120 and cap 122 representing the content of the container, and/or a bar code representing the content of the container 118 . Various safety warnings and other relevant information can also be present on the container portion 120 , cap 122 or both. Also, the container portion 120 and cap 122 can be made of any suitable material, such as plastic or various polymers, and can be opaque, or can be translucent so that a technician can readily determine the amount of DCM powder remaining in the container. Furthermore, the mouth of the container portion 120 is tapered or conical in shape so as to allow the DCM powder to readily flow from the container portion 120 when the container portion 120 is set in an upside down position with the cap 122 removed, and includes threads 121 as indicated. The mouth of the container portion 120 and the cap 122 can have threads 123 so that the cap 122 can be screwed onto exterior threads on the container portion 120 . The container portion 120 can also be configured to include threads 121 on its interior wall near its opening. In this event, the container portion 120 can be screwed onto the motorized valve assembly 102 of FIG. 1 or the valve assembly 146 of FIG. 6 , or directly onto the inlet of the media preparation instrument 106 , regardless of whether the motorized valve assembly 102 , valve assembly 146 or the inlet of the media preparation instrument 106 , has interior or exterior threads. Alternatively, the cap 122 can be snap-fit onto the container portion 120 , and the container portion 120 can simply be placed in an inverted manner so that its opening is received into the opening in the motorized valve assembly 102 , valve assembly 146 or the inlet of the media preparation instrument 106 .
In addition, it should be noted that the container portion 120 can have a volume that contains a pre-measured, pre-packaged quantity of DCM powder for a single-use, so that the container 118 can be discarded after its DCM powder contents has been dispensed as discussed in more detail below. It should be further noted that the container 118 can alternatively be configured as a burstable pouch or bag, for example, that contains a pre-measured, pre-packaged amount that can be dispensed directly into the media preparation instrument 106 , into the media preparation instrument 106 via an adapter 125 as shown in FIG. 4 , or into the motorized valve assembly 102 when pressure is applied to the container portion 120 to burst the container 120 , and then the container portion 120 can be discarded. Concerning the adapter 125 , as indicated in FIG. 4 , the adapter 125 can be shaped at an angle, or can include a lancet 127 , such that when the container portion 120 is mated with the adapter 125 , the lancet 127 or angled portion of the adapter 125 pierces a membrane (e.g., a rupturable membrane) present at the mouth of the container portion 120 . Furthermore, the adapter can have threads 129 that mate with the threads 123 on the outside of the container portion 120 so that the container portion 120 can be screwed onto the adapter 125 . It is further noted that the threads 123 can also be present on the outside of the adapter 125 as indicated, to mate with interior threads of the container portion 120 should such an arrangement be necessary. The other end of the adapter 125 can include threads 133 that can be on the exterior surface of the adapter 125 , the interior surface of the adapter 125 (as indicated by the breakaway section), or both, to allow the adapter 125 to mate with the motorized valve assembly 102 , valve assembly 146 or the inlet of the media preparation instrument 106 , regardless of whether the threads of the valves 102 or 146 , or at the inlet of the media preparation instrument 106 , are exterior or interior.
An example of the operation of the automated system 100 will now be described with reference to FIG. 1 . As indicated, the cap 122 is removed from the container 118 and the container portion 120 is placed in an upside-down vertical or substantially vertical position on the top of the motorized valve assembly 102 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the mouth 124 of the motorized valve assembly 102 can have a lancet 126 or other suitable puncturing mechanism for puncturing any membrane (e.g., a rupturable membrane) that may be present at the mouth of the container portion 120 , so that the DCM powder can be gravity-fed into the motorized valve assembly 102 . The inner surface of the mouth 124 of the motorized valve assembly 102 can also include threads 131 that can mate with the threads 123 at the outside mouth of the container portion 120 as the container portion 120 is mated with the motorized valve assembly 102 . Alternatively, the mouth of the container portion 120 can simply mate with the mouth 124 of the motorized valve assembly 102 in any suitable manner. As noted above, the adapter 125 can be used to couple the container portion 120 to the mouth 124 of the motorized valve assembly 102 . In this regard, the adapter can have threads 133 that mate with the threads 131 on the inner surface of the mouth 124 of the motorized valve assembly 102 . In any event, the mating of the container portion 120 and the mouth 124 of the motorized valve assembly 102 , either directly or via the adapter 125 , as well as the mating of the container portion 120 with the media preparation instrument 106 directly or via the adapter 125 , form a closed or substantially closed system that eliminates or at least substantially eliminates DCM dust formation outside of the media preparation instrument 106 . The mouth 124 of the motorized valve assembly 102 can alternatively be configured to mate with a container 118 that is configured as a burstable pouch or bag as discussed above, either directly or via the adapter 125 in any of the manners described above, so that when pressure is applied to the container portion 120 , the pre-measured amount of DCM powder is dispensed into the motorized valve assembly 102 while maintaining the closed system to eliminate or at least substantially eliminate DCM dusting, and then the container portion 120 and cap 122 can be discarded.
As further illustrated in FIG. 5 , the motorized valve assembly 102 can include a motor 128 , such as a DC servo motor, a stepper motor, or any other suitable motor, that can be controlled by the controller 116 to rotate a rotatable valve 130 of the motorized valve assembly 102 that is shown in FIG. 1 and in more detail in FIG. 6 . As indicated, the rotatable valve 130 includes wells 132 having a volume corresponding to a desired volume or mass of DCM powder (e.g., 15 grams) that is to be dispensed into the media preparation instrument 106 . That is, the rotatable valve 130 is rotated at a desired rate as controlled by the controller 116 to periodically dispense the appropriate amount of DCM powder into the media preparation instrument 106 via the conduit 104 . In addition, as the rotatable valve 130 is being rotated under the control of the controller 116 , the flow meter 108 is controlled by the controller 116 to dispense an appropriate amount of liquid into the medium preparation assembly 106 via the tube 112 . The ratio of dehydrated media to liquid is user controllable. For example, in a 100 liter preparation, one-fifth of the total DCM to be solubilized is added with every 20 liters of water. The user is able to define any ratio of total DCM to water, e.g., ¼ DCM combined incrementally with ¼ water or ⅓ DCM combined incrementally with ⅓ water. Accordingly, the rotatable valve 130 can be rotated more rapidly to dispense the DCM powder into the media preparation instrument 106 at a faster rate, while the controller 116 can proportionately control the flow meter 108 to increase the flow of liquid into the media preparation instrument 106 . The motorized valve assembly 102 can further include a counter 135 , such as a mechanical or digital counter as known in the art, that counts the number of rotations of the rotatable valve 130 , and can be automatically or manually reset to zero after the desired amount of DCM powder has been dispensed.
It should be also noted that the rotatable valve 130 can be removed and replaced with another rotatable valve having wells of a different volume which thus feed a greater amount or lesser amount of DCM powder into the media preparation instrument 106 per each rotation. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5 , the motorized valve assembly 102 can include an agitator 134 , such as a vibrating coil or any other suitable component, to shake or vibrate the motorized valve assembly 102 to allow the DCM powder to more freely flow through the motorized valve assembly 102 and conduit 104 into the media preparation instrument 106 .
It should also be noted that the rotatable valve 130 can include a handle 138 that can be turned manually if is desired to operate the rotatable valve 130 manually. The flow meter 108 can also be operated manually if desired. As further indicated, the media preparation instrument 106 includes a stirrer magnet 136 as known in the art which can provide further stirring and agitation of the powder and liquid mixture in the media preparation instrument 106 . It can be further noted that the controller 116 can be connected by any suitable means to the controller (not shown) of the media preparation instrument 106 to increase or decrease the rate of stirring by the stirring magnet 138 depending on the rate of deposit of DCM powder and liquid by the motorized valve assembly 102 and flow meter 108 . Accordingly, this system 100 allows for the accurate dispensing of DCM powder and liquid into the media preparation instrument 106 in a clean and sanitary manner, with little or no waste of the DCM powder, minimal contamination of the surrounding areas due to dusting, and minimal exposure to the lab technician and other personnel due to dusting.
Although FIG. 1 and its related figures illustrate an automated system 100 for dispensing DCM powder into a media preparation instrument 106 , the automated system 100 , or a manual system, can be used to dispense the powder into another vessel or flask 140 , such as an Erlenmeyer flask, as illustrated in FIG. 7 . As indicated in FIG. 7 , the system includes a ring stand 142 having a support 144 for supporting the container portion 120 in an upside down vertical or substantially vertical manner so that the DCM powder can flow by gravity into the valve assembly 146 . The valve assembly 146 can include threads that mate with threads 123 on the outside of the mouth of the container portion 120 , or the container portion 120 can simply be received into an opening in the valve assembly 146 . Alternatively, the container portion 120 can be mated with the valve assembly 146 via the adapter 125 in the manner discussed above with regard to the motorized valve assembly 102 , so as to form a closed or substantially closed system. Accordingly, the mating of the container portion 120 and the valve assembly 146 , either directly or via the adapter 125 , form a closed or substantially closed system that eliminates or at least substantially eliminates DCM dust formation outside of the vessel 140 . The valve assembly 146 can alternatively be configured to mate, either directly or via the adapter 125 , with a container 118 that is configured as a burstable pouch or bag as discussed above, so that when pressure is applied to the container 118 , the pre-measured amount of DCM powder is dispensed into the valve assembly 146 when pressure is applied to the container 118 while maintaining the closed or substantially closed system to eliminate or at least substantially eliminate DCM dusting, and then the container 118 can be discarded. Furthermore, as can be appreciated from the above, the vessel 140 can be configured to mate with any of the types of container portion 120 directly or via the adapter 125 without using the valve assembly 146 , and can have threads that mate with the threads 129 on the adapter 125 to facilitate the mating.
261 Also, the mouth of the valve assembly 146 can include a lancet similar to lancet 126 (see FIG. 5 ) to puncture any sealable membrane covering the mouth of the container portion 120 . The valve assembly 146 further can be configured similar to the automated valve assembly 102 , or can be configured solely as a manual valve assembly in which a user such as lab technician rotates the rotatable valve 130 of the valve assembly 146 by turning a knob 150 or by any other suitable mechanism. As with the motorized valve assembly 102 , the rotatable valve 130 of the valve assembly 146 can be removed and replaced with a rotatable valve having different size wells to dispense a different amount of DCM powder into the flask 142 per each rotation. The valve assembly 146 can further include a counter 147 , such as a mechanical or digital counter as known in the art, that counts the number of rotations of the rotatable valve 130 , and can be automatically or manually reset to zero after the desired amount of DCM powder has been dispensed.
As further shown, the valve assembly 146 can include a non-porous rubber or plastic sleeve 148 to allow for mating with the mouth of the flask 142 . Furthermore, the valve assembly 146 or the sleeve 148 can include an inlet tube 152 to allow water or other liquid to be manually or automatically fed into the flask 142 as the rotatable valve 148 is being manually or automatically rotated. The valve assembly 146 and the system in general can be automatically or manually agitated to allow the DCM powder to more freely fall into the valve assembly 146 , and thus more freely into the flask 142 . Accordingly, the system shown in FIG. 7 also provides an efficient and sanitary system for dispensing DCM powder into a container while avoiding waste and contamination of the surrounding area due to dusting and exposure to DCM powder inhalation due to dusting.
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, the preferred embodiments described above are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. | An improved system and method for dispensing dehydrated culture media (DCM) powder into containers for preparation as a culture media. The manual and automated systems and methods operate to dispense DCM powder, as well as liquid, into vessels or media preparation instruments in a manner to avoid DCM dust inhalation by persons in the surrounding area and contamination of equipment and surfaces in the surrounding area. | 2 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a vehicular-mounted plow for clearing snow and the like, and more particularly, to a ram actuated snowplow. The invention more specifically involves a vehicular-mounted plow having a locking mechanism which permits the plow moldboard to be selectively repositioned when necessary, and also acts to protect the ram from the stresses of plowing.
In one type of hydraulically actuated assembly, a drive frame is secured to the front of a motor vehicle and pivotably supports a moldboard unit so that it can swing from one side of the vehicle to the other. A pair of hydraulic reversing rams are mounted on either side of the frame which have extendable rods attached to the moldboard unit on either side of the pivot point. The rams are selectively controlled by an operator stationed in the cab of the vehicle to position the moldboard at a desired plowing angle. In operation one ram extends while the other retracts to set the moldboard at a desired angle. Once set, the cylinders are required to hold the moldboard in position during the plowing operation. As a consequence, plowing stresses are translated directly to the power rams which in turn, results in worn piston seals, bent drive rods and failures in other cylinder related components.
Another type of reversing mechanism that has been widely used in the industry is a worm-gear mechanism in which a sector gear is secured to a moldboard unit and is rotated by a motor driven pinion mounted on the support frame. In this type of mechanism there is no power ram, so problems such as worn piston seals and bent piston rods are avoided. However, relatively large stresses can be transmitted from the moldboard to the worm-gear and drive motor which again can cause damage to the drive mechanism.
A locking/release mechanism for a reversable plow assembly is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,494. In this assembly, a ram actuated, vehicular-mounted, snowplow is disclosed having a sector plate mounted on a lifting frame and has a coacting rocker arm mounted on a rotatable drive frame. Raising the lift frame of the plow causes the rocker arm to be released from the sector plate so that the moldboard angle can be changed when the plow is raised. The rocker arm is reengaged with the sector plate when the moldboard is again lowered. This arrangement does have several advantages over the devices previously discussed, however, the operator must raise the plow prior to reversing the blade, and then must thereafter lower the plow. This involves three separate operations which is time consuming and places undue wear on the lifting mechanism.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to improve ram-reversible, vehicular-mounted, snowplow assemblies.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a hydraulically actuated reversible snowplow assembly for changing the blade angle of the moldboard which automatically locks the blade in the new position and which further diverts plowing stresses away from the reversing ram.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a hydraulically actuated snowplow assembly which utilizes a power cylinder and a locking cylinder that coacts to protect the hydraulic system from the plowing stresses.
These and other objects of the present invention are attained by means of a snowplowing apparatus having a stationary support unit mounted upon the front of a motor vehicle that has a vertical pivot on the forward end thereof for rotatably supporting a moldboard unit so that the moldboard rotates in a horizontal plane to either side of the pivot. A fluid actuated power cylinder is mounted between the support and moldboard units for positioning the moldboard. The power cylinder is selectively connected to a pump to angularly position the moldboard in a desired position for plowing and to a fluid reservoir for relieving the pressure on the cylinder when the moldboard is positioned. A locking mechanism is arranged to automatically lock the moldboard to the stationary support unit when the moldboard unit is at rest and to release the moldboard unit when it is being angularly positioned by the drive means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
For a better understanding of these and other objects of the present invention reference is had to the following detailed description of the invention which is to be read in conjunction with the associated drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the reversible, vehicular-mounted snowplow assembly according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation taken at the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional elevations taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 1, showing the locking mechanism in a released condition and locked condition, respectively;
FIGS. 5 and 6 are partial top plan views of the present snowplow assembly further illustrating the moldboard unit at different angular positions; and
FIG. 7 is a diagram of the hydraulic system connected to the reversing cylinder and the locking cylinder used to selectively position the moldboard unit and locking it in place.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4 there is shown a vehicular mounted snowplow assembly, generally referenced 10, that embodies the teachings of the present invention. The assembly can be secured to the front end of a prime mover, such as a truck 11, in a conventional manner as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,792,656. The truck is equipped with an upright pusher frame 12 which is secured to the chasis of the vehicle and which serves to push the snowplow assembly over a roadway or the like as the vehicle moves forward. A lifting arm (not shown) is mounted in the pusher frame and is connected to shackle unit 13 (FIG. 2), which in turn, is connected to the plow assembly via chains 14 and 15. As is well known in the art, the lifting arm is remotely controlled by an operator situated in the cab of the vehicle to raise and lower the plow assembly.
As further illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the pusher frame is suitably coupled to a snowplow support unit 16 by means of a coupling 17. A pair of mounting bars 18--18, which are secured to the support unit, are attached to the pusher frame by a pair of horizontally aligned trunions 19--19 so that the snowplow assembly can be raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism about the pins. The connecting mechanism also contains a pair of vertically aligned bearing plates 21 and 22 that are connected by a single horizontally aligned pivot pin 23 so that the forward section of the plow assembly can oscillate about the pin 23 to accommodate change in road contour as the plow moves thereover. The support unit 16 of the plow assembly further includes a forwardly disposed A-frame unit 25 that is affixed to the front bearing plate 21. A pair of chain plates 27--27 are secured to the two converging bars 28--28 of the A-frame connects the support to the shackle as noted above via chains 14. A housing 30 is secured to the front or apex of the A-frame. The housing contains a horizontally disposed upper plate 31 and a horizontally disposed lower plate 32 that are secured to the front of the two A-frames by a V-shaped gusset 33. A vertically disposed pivot shaft 35 is contained within the housing and extends upwardly beyond the upper plate 31.
The moldboard unit, generally referenced 39 (FIG. 1), includes a sector frame assembly 40 which is pivotably supported upon the main support unit 16 so that the moldboard unit can be angularly positioned about a vertically disposed pivot 35 (FIGS. 3 and 4).
A sector frame unit generally referenced 40, is pivotably supported over the main support unit 16 so that it can be angularly positioned in a horizontal plane about the vertical shaft 35. The sector frame includes a main beam 42 which is preferably a rectangular tubular member. The main beam is positioned in front of the shaft 35 and extends horizontally an equal distance to either side thereof. Positioned at the center of the main beam is a bearing housing 44 formed of a top plate 46 and a bottom plate 47 (FIGS. 2 and 3). A bearing sleeve 48 is vertically supported between the plates and is adapted to slidably receive therein the top portion of the pivot shaft 35 and to provide a close running fit therebetween so that the sector frame can turn freely about the vertical shaft. A retaining bolt 50, which carries a keeper 52, is threaded into the top of the pivot shaft to retain the shaft within the bearing sleeve as illustrated in FIG. 4. The retaining bolt includes a bolt eye 54 which is attached to lifting chains 15 as illustrated in FIG. 4. Forwardly projected drive ears 56--56 are secured as by welding to frame on either side of the pivot shaft which as will be noted below engage the moldboard unit 39 to secure the unit to the pusher frame.
Although the moldboard unit may be of any suitable design as known and used in the industry, the present unit is a trip type unit having a pair of spring assemblies 60--60 which allow the section of the blade below pins 74 and 77 to be tipped rearwardly in the event the blade strikes a relatively solid object. Each spring assembly includes a spring mount 62 rigidly secured to the main beam of the sector frame and having a spring shaft 64 slidably supported therein. A heavy duty compression spring 65 is placed over the back of the shaft and is retained on the shaft by means of an end cap 66 held to the shaft by a nut 67 threaded to the end thereof. A smaller recoil spring 70 is mounted on the front of the shaft between the mount 62 and a retainer 72. The front end of each spring shaft is received in a clevis 73 located between upraiser ribs that support the blade 61. The shaft is secured to the unit by means of a clevis pin 74. The above noted drive ears 56--56 are each similarly secured to the moldboard unit by means of a clevis 76 and clevis pin assembly 77 located again in a pair of upraised moldboard support ribs 79--79.
As can be seen, as a result of this construction the moldboard unit is connected to the main beam of the sector frame and is thus adapted to move with the frame as it turns about the pivot shaft.
The sector frame further includes a pair of tubular truss members 84--84 which lie in the same plane as the main sector beam 42. Each truss member is secured as by welding to an outboard end of the main beam and slants inwardly toward the center of the frame. The back of each truss member is joined to a crossmember 86 of similar tubular configuration to close the sector frame. The sector frame, in assembly, is symmetrically positioned on the pivot shaft. A plurality of spaced apart stop lugs are disposed along an arc on the under side of the members. The lugs are located along an arc that is centered at the pivot shaft and the lugs are equally spaced along the arc to provide openings 91--91 therebetween. The lugs are symmetrically spaced on either side of the sector frame axis 80 which passes through the center of the pivot shaft 35 and bisects crossmember 86. The lugs include a pair of outside lugs 87--87 and six equally spaced inner lugs 88--88. The two outer lugs each contain rearwardly extended end stops 90--90, the function of which serve to limit the angular displacement of the sector frame and thus that of the moldboard unit. The space or opening 91 formed between adjacent lugs are of uniform width and are arranged so that a locking bar can be snugly inserted therein. The sector frame is arranged to swing in a horizontal plane through an indexing station depicted at 49.
A guide plate 92 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is bolted to the top plate of a bracket 94 located at the rear of the A-frame assembly. The guide plate is adapted to pass over the top of the cross member 86 of the sector frame and functions to hold the rear section of the frame in a horizontal plane as it turns about the pivot shaft. A pair of lateral braces 96--96 (FIG. 1) are welded between the truss members and the main frame to strengthen the sector frame and further hold the combined elements in a single plane. Gusset plates 98 and 99 are also added to the frame to increase its rigidity and provide added strength to the overall structure.
Movement of the sector frame in reference to the stationary support bracket is furnished by a double acting fluid actuated cylinder 100. The drive cylinder 100 includes an outer tube 102 having a hollow post 104 welded thereto which is rotatably supported between a pair of plates 103--103 so that the cylinder can rotate about the axis of the post. The cylinder contains a drive piston 105 (FIG. 7) that is affixed to an extendable piston rod 106. The piston rod extends forward of the cylinder and is pinned within a housing 107 affixed to the underside of the main sector beam 42 by means of pin 109 (FIG. 2). The ram is situated on the passenger's side or right hand side of the pivot shaft so that the moldboard unit is rotated to the left when the actuating rod is extended and to the right when it is retracted. The power cylinder 102 in this case is hydraulically actuated by fluid delivered from a supply system generally referenced 99 in FIG. 7. Hydraulic fluid passes in and out of the cylinder on either side of the drive piston through a forward port 110 and rear port 111 via service lines 145 and 146. (See also FIGS. 5 and 6).
As best seen in FIG. 7, a hydraulically actuated locking mechanism 112 is located within the indexing station 49 and is arranged to act in concert with the drive cylinder to automatically lock the moldboard unit at a desired position. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the locking unit includes a locking cylinder 114 that is pivotally secured to the back of the shaft housing 30. A pair of vertically spaced apart arms 115--115 are welded to the gusset plate 33 which forms the back of the housing 30. A wrist pin 117 is passed vertically between the arms and the back of the cylinder to attach the cylinder to the support unit below the sector frame thereby permitting the frame to swing freely over the top of the support unit.
A locking bar assembly 122 extends from the front of the locking cylinder and is joined to extendable rod 120 by means of a pin 123. The locking bar assembly includes a slide member 124 that is slidably contained between guide plates 125--125. Within apertures provided therein. The slide member is a square tube that is internally strengthened by means of braces 127 and 128. A locking key 130 is welded to the top surface of the slide member and is accurately sized so that it can pass in and out of the openings formed between the previously noted lugs secured to the bottom of the sector frame.
The locking bar assembly, as can be seen, has a limited fore and aft motion that is determined by the length of travel of the locking piston 159 contained within the locking cylinder 112. The locking bar is adapted to insert the key between the lugs as shown in FIG. 4 when in a locking position and to withdraw the key from between the lug as as shown in FIG. 3 when in an unlocked position. As should now be evident, the locking key prevents the moldboard unit from turning when in a locking position and further translates plowing induced stresses to the stationary frame via guide plates 125--125 to protect the hydraulic drive cylinder from these potentially harmful forces. When the locking key is withdrawn from between the lugs, the moldboard unit is free to rotate about the pivot shaft. The extent of angular rotation of the unit, however, is restricted by means of end stop 90--90 carried on each of the outside lugs 87--87. The stop protrudes rearwardly behind the outer lugs a sufficient distance so that they will intercept the key when the locking bar is in the unlocked position thereby limiting the amount of travel afforded the moldboard within limits needed to achieve efficient plowing.
A hydraulic control system 99 for regulating the operation of the coacting reversible drive cylinder 102 and locking cylinder 114 is shown schematcially in FIG. 7. Hydraulic fluid is provided to the system from a hydraulic reservoir 137. A pump 138, which may be driven from any suitable source of power such as the engine of the prime mover, is arranged to draw fluid (oil) from the reservoir and raise the pressure of the fluid to a suitable level. The output of the pump is connected to a three position, four way valve 140 via supply line 141. The valve in turn is connected to drive cylinder 100 by means of service lines 145 and 146. The valve is manually controlled by an operator situated in the cab of the prime mover.
The first service line 145 connects the control valve to the forward port 110 on the drive tube 102 while a second service line 146 similarly connects the control valve to rear port 111. A pair of tees 150--150 are connected into the service lines and function to connect the line to a shuttle valve 151. The drive cylinder includes a drive piston 105 that is connected to the previously noted actuating rod 106 which can be extended or detracted to position the moldboard unit. Depending on the setting of the control valve, high pressure fluid can be brought from the pump to one sdie of the drive piston or the other to either extend or retract the rod thus allowing the operator to bring the moldboard unit to any desired position within the units of stops 90--90. The valve further functions to relieve the other side of the piston by allowing fluid displaced by the piston to be bled back to the reservoir via the return line 142.
The shuttle valve 151 contains a free floating ball 153 that is driven by the high pressure fluid into one of a pair of opposing valve seats (not shown) to effectively isolate the service line carrying high pressure fluid to the drive cylinder from that carrying low pressure fluid back to the reservoir. At the same time, the shuttle valve also allows a portion of the high pressure flow to reach the locking cylinder via feed line 155. Accordingly anytime high pressure fluid is being supplied to either side of the drive being provided to the unlocking cylinder. Feed line 155 which allows the fluid to be admitted into the cylinder behind locking piston 158. The piston rod 120 is connected directly to the piston and as explained above moves the locking bar assembly into an unlocked position when high pressure fluid is forced into the cylinder behind the piston. A biasing spring 160 is also contained in the locking cylinder of the piston and is adapted to act upon the face to urge the piston, and thus the locking bar assembly into a locked position. The spring in this case consists of a stack of Belleville washers 161-- 161 having a combined biasing pressure that is less than the fluid pressure delivered by the pump. Accordingly, the sector frame and the moldboard unit will be automatically unlocked anytime high pressure fluid is being fed to either side of the drive cylinder. When the control valve is manually placed in a position to isolate the pump, both cylinders are connected by the service lines and return line 142 to the reservoir thereby relieving the fluid pressure on the cylinder and allowing the locking bar assembly to return to a locked position.
The operation of the present apparatus will be explained with further reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. In the event the operator wishes to change the position of the moldboard from that shown in FIG. 5 to that shown in FIG. 6 he positions the control valve to connect service line 145 to the pump 138. This causes high pressure to be fed into the cylinder via port 110 causing the piston rod to be retracted. At the same time high pressure fluid is delivered to the locking cylinder to move the lock bar back to an unlocked position freeing the sector frame. As the drive cylinder continues to retract the piston rod the sector frame swings through the index housing 49. When the operator deems that the plow has reached a desired position, he moves the valve to a release position thus connecting both cylinders to the fluid reservoir. Accordingly, the spring 160 is able to overcome the fluid pressure in the locking cylinder and urges the locking bar toward the locked position. If a lug opening is aligned with the bar in the indexing housing, the key will slip into the opening thus locking the moldboard unit to the support unit. If the locking bar is not aligned with an opening the operator can manipulate the valve to hunt for the nearest adjacent opening.
When the locking cylinder assembly has driven the key into a locking position, the control vavle is moved to a neutral position as shown in FIG. 7 whereupon both cylinders are permitted to bleed hydraulic fluid back to the reservoir. Accordingly, any stresses translated to the sector frame are absorbed by the locking mechanism and not the hydraulic system.
While this invention has been described hereinabove with respect to certain preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the embodiment is certainly not limited to those precise embodiments. Instead, many modifications and variations would present themselves to those skilled in the art without departure from the scope and spirit of this invention, which is to be ascertained from the appended claims. | A locking mechanism for a fluid actuated snowplow which automatically locks the moldboard unit of the plow in a desired position and simultaneously therewith relieves the pressure on the fluid drive unit whereby the locking mechanism and not the drive unit accept the plowing stresses. | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to dust mops, and, more particularly, to an adapter for improving existing dust mops.
[0002] Extensively used dust mops utilize a cotton fabric head that is lashed by various means to a wire frame attached to an elongated handle. The cotton fiber heads do an adequate job of picking up dust and dirt on a floor and performance is enhanced by spraying the head with chemicals to increase its dust pickup capability. Although typical wire frames are not precisely manufactured components, the cotton loops on the duster heads act as cushions compensating for any non-planar condition of the frame. In addition, if a floor surface is not planar, the cushioning effect of the cotton loops allow the mop head to maintain ample contact with the floor.
[0003] Dusting performance is enhanced with a new cleaning cloth technology which employs synthetic fibers called microfibers. However, because of the reduced cushioning effect of the microfiber head it requires a differently designed mop head that is flat.
[0004] The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved dust mop.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The invention is an adapter for use with a dust mop having an annular frame pivotally coupled to a handle and including a cover for removable attachment to the frame and defining a lower surface covering a bottom surface of the frame and an upper surface defining first and second receiver portions for receiving, respectively, first and second end portions of the frame. The adapter converts existing mop handles for use with efficient dust pads.
[0006] According to one feature of the invention, the annular frame is elongated with opposite first and second end portions straddling the coupling and the adapter includes a flexible cover defining the lower surface and having an upper surface defining first and second receiver portions for removably receiving, respectively, the first and second end portions.
[0007] According to another feature of the invention, the flexible cover is an envelope having a first wall forming the lower surface and a second wall forming the upper surface, and the adapter further comprises a resilient insert retained within the envelope. The insert provides rigidity while allowing some deformation to fully engage a floor surface.
[0008] According to another feature, the adapter has an upward curvature about a longitudinal axis. The adapter flattens against a floor surface in response to the application of force by the handle. The radius of curvature enhances the effectiveness of the insert.
[0009] According to yet other features of the invention, the first and second receiver portions are defined by inwardly opening pockets formed at opposite ends of the upper surface, one end of the envelope defines an opening for receiving the insert, and the second wall has flap portions covering the opening and having edges separable to allow passage of the insert and detachably engagable to form one of the pockets. These features simplify assembly of the mop.
[0010] According to further features, the cover is fabric, the insert is plastic, and the connector consists of Velcro strips secured to the lower surface and extending longitudinally thereon. The effectiveness of the mop is enhanced by these features.
[0011] The invention also encompasses a dust mop including an elongated handle; an annular frame defining a bottom surface; a coupling securing one end of the handle to the frame; an adapter shaped and arranged for detachable connection to the frame and defining a lower surface for covering the bottom surface; and a connector secured to the lower surface and adapted to detachably receive a dust pad.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent upon a perusal of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
[0013] [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dust mop 11 according to the invention;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 2 - 2 of FIG. 1;
[0015] [0015]FIG. 3 is a top view of a cover component shown in FIG. 1;
[0016] [0016]FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the adapter shown in FIG. 2;
[0017] [0017]FIG. 5 is a detailed drawing of one end of the cover shown in FIGS. 3 and 4;
[0018] [0018]FIG. 6 is an insert element retained by the cover shown in FIGS. 3 - 5 ;
[0019] [0019]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 7 - 7 of FIG. 6;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 8 is a bottom view of a dust pad for use with the dust mop shown in FIG. 1; and
[0021] [0021]FIG. 9 is a top view of the dust pad shown in FIG. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0022] A dust mop 11 includes an elongated handle 12 detachably connected to an elongated, annular wire frame 13 by a pivotable coupling 14 . The wire frame 13 is shaped so as to have a substantially planar bottom edge surface 16 . Provided at a mid-portion of the frame 13 is a bracket assembly 17 attached to the pivot coupling 14 . The frame 13 supports a detachable adapter 18 .
[0023] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 - 5 , the adapter 18 is an elongated fabric cover 21 formed by first and second walls 22 , 23 defining an envelope with a lower surface 25 and an upper surface 26 . The overall shape of the envelope cover 21 conforms substantially to the annular frame 13 . At opposite ends of the cover 21 are first and second receiver portions 31 , 32 formed on the upper surface 26 by, respectively, inwardly opening pockets 33 , 34 . Also formed at one end of the envelope cover 21 is an opening 37 covered by the second pocket 34 . The pocket 34 is defined by first and second flap portions 41 , 42 of the cover 21 extending from perimeter portions of the upper surface 26 . An inner marginal edge portion 44 of the flap 42 and an outer marginal edge portion 45 of the flap 41 are secured by Velcro strips 40 and 43 . Another flap 46 extends outwardly from the opening 37 and is covered by the first and second flap portions 41 , 42 . Attached to the lower surface 25 of the cover 21 are a plurality of longitudinally extending Velcro connector strips 48 depicted in FIG. 4.
[0024] The adapter 18 also includes a resilient plastic insert 51 retained (FIGS. 6, 7) within the envelope cover 21 . As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the insert 51 is planar and has a one surface 56 facing downwardly and another surface 56 facing upwardly. Distributed along a longitudinal axis L of the insert 51 are a plurality of slots 52 extending transversely thereto. The slots 52 enhance the flexibility of the insert 51 about the longitudinal axis L. Also, the insert 51 has a width W (FIG. 6) slightly greater than the interior width (w) (FIG. 3) of the envelope 21 .
[0025] To assemble the adapter 18 , the first and second flaps 41 , 42 are separated along their edges 44 , 45 to expose the opening 37 of the envelope 21 as illustrated in FIG. 5. The opening 37 then accommodates entry of the insert 51 into the cover 21 with its one lower surface 55 facing the first wall 22 of the envelope cover 21 and its another surface 56 facing the second wall 23 thereof. Because of its greater width, the insert 51 causes the adapter 18 to bow as shown in FIG. 2 thereby producing an upward curvature of the lower surface 25 about a longitudinal axis X (FIG. 4) of the envelope cover 21 . After insertion of the insert 51 into the envelope cover 21 , the edges 44 , 45 of the flaps 41 , 42 are closed to again form the pocket 34 . First and second ends of the wire frame 13 then are inserted into, respectively, the pockets 33 , 34 on the envelope cover 21 .
[0026] Prior to use, the dust mop 11 is provided with a dust pad 61 shown in FIGS. 8, 9. A bottom surface 62 of the dust pad 61 is formed by suitable dust accumulating fibers 62 while an upper surface 63 thereof retains a plurality of longitudinally extending Velcro strips 64 that are attached to the connector strips 48 on the lower surface 25 of the cover envelope 21 . During a dusting operation, force applied downwardly to the handle 12 induces a flattening of the adapter 18 (FIG. 1) so as to bring the bottom surface 62 of the dust pad 61 into substantially planar contact with a floor surface being dusted. This flattening of the adapter 18 is facilitated by the flexibility of the envelope cover 21 and the resiliency of the plastic insert 51 .
[0027] It should be understood that the afore-described is merely the preferred one of many possible embodiments of the invention, and that the scope of the invention should therefore only be limited according to the following claims. | An adapter for use with a dust mop having an annular frame pivotally coupled to a handle and including a cover for removable attachment to the frame and defining a lower surface covering a bottom surface of the frame and an upper surface defining first and second receiver portions for receiving first and second end portions of the frame. | 0 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel aromatic polyester capable of being melt-extruded and affording shaped articles having superior mechanical properties and optical anisotropy.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Recently, demand for high performance plastics has been increasing and a number of polymers having various novel performances have been developed and marketed. Above all, optically anisotropic liquid crystal polymers having a parallel arrangement of molecular chains have been attracting a special attention in that they have superior mechanical properties.
As such liquid crystal polymers, wholly aromatic polyesters are widely known. For example, homoand copolymers of p-hydroxybenzoic acid are now available commercially under the trade name "EKONOL". However, these homo- and copolymers "EKONOL" are too high in melting point, so their melt fluidity is poor and their melt extrusion is impossible or difficult. In this connection, reference is made to the "Modern Plastics" (July 1975), p.62 in which there are described copolymers prepared by copolymerizing p-hydroxybenzoic acid with, for example, terephthalic acid and hydroquinone. These copolymers are extremely high in softening point ranging from about 427° to 482° C., so not only their melt extrusion is difficult but also their mechanical properties are not fully satisfactory.
As means for lowering the melting or softening points of such wholly aromatic polyesters to improve their melt extrudability and mechanical properties, there has been proposed, for example, such a method as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 482/1980 in which polycondensation reactions with various dicarboxylic acids are made using chlorohydroquinone or methylhydroquinone in place of hydroquinone. However, polyesters obtained using terephthalic acid as dicarboxylic acid have the drawback that their melting temperatures are higher than 500° C. On the other hand, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 65421/1978, polyesters prepared using phenylhydroquinone and terephthalic acid are known to have relatively low melting points, not higher than 350° C., and afford a yarn having a high modulus of about 500 g/d after heat treatment. But, even this modulus is fairly lower than that of 1000 g/d of "Kevlar-49" which is widely known as a wholly aromatic polyamide, and therefore the attainment of a higher modulus has been desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide an aromatic polyester capable of being melt extruded and affording shaped articles having superior mechanical properties and optical anisotropy.
Having made extensive studies, the present inventors found out that polyesters of specific compositions of components selected from methylhydroquinone, chlorohydroquinone, phenylhydroquinone, 4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl, 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene, 4,4'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid, terephthalic acid, 1,2-bis(phenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid, 1,2-bis(2-chlorophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid and 1,2-bis(2-bromophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid could afford a novel aromatic polyester capable of achieving the above-mentioned object.
According to the present invention, therefore, there is provided a melt-extrudable aromatic polyester comprising the following structural units (I) and/or (II) and (III), the structural units (I) and (II) occupying 51 to 99 mol % of the whole and the structural unit (III) occupying 49 to 1 mol % of the whole: ##STR3## wherein R represents one or more divalent radicals selected from the group consisting of ##STR4## and X represents chlorine or bromine atom.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the aromatic polyester of the present invention, the structural unit (I) is of a polyester prepared using one or more diols selected from methylhydroquinone, chlorohydroquinone, phenylhydroquinone, 4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl and 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene, and 4,4'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid; the structural unit (II) is of a polyester prepared using the above aromatic diol component and terephthalic acid and/or 1,2-bis(phenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid; and the structural unit (III) is of a polyester prepared using the above aromatic diol component and 1,2-bis(2-chlorophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid and/or 1,2-bis(2-bromophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid.
The aromatic polyester of the present invention comprising such structural units usually melts at a temperature not higher than 400° C. and can afford shaped articles such as fibers, films and various molded products having superior mechanical properties and optical anisotropy by conventional melt extrusion techniques such as melt spinning and injection molding. In view of the fact that, for example, the melting point of polyethylene terephthalate is 256° C. and that of poly(ethylene-4,4'-diphenyldicarboxylate) is 355° C., the polyester in the present invention prepared from 4,4'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid which affords a polyester of a higher melting point as compared with terephthalic acid and a diol component such as methylhydroquinone is presumed to have an extremely high melting point. Actually, however, its melting point is not higher than 400° C. and thus relatively low. Besides, it has an extremely high modulus and a good heat stability in comparison with the foregoing prior art polyesters. These effects are quite unexpected.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Publication No. 482/1980 describes some polyesters prepared from terephthalic acid and/or 1,2-bis(phenoxy)-ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid and diols, e.g. methylhydroquinone. But, shaped articles obtained from those polyesters are poor in heat stability or low in modulus and thus the object of the present invention is not attainable.
Further, polyesters prepared from 1,2-bis(2-chlorophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid and 1,2-bis(2-bromophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid and aromatic diols, e.g. methylhydroquinone are known from Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 41331/1984. But, there still remains unsatisfactoriness in point of modulus and heat stability, and the object of the present invention cannot be attained.
In the aromatic polyester of the present invention, the proportion of the structural units (I) and (II) is 51-99 mol %, preferably 55-95 mol %, of the whole and that of the structural unit (III) is 49-1 mol %, preferably 45-5 mol %, of the whole. Particularly preferably, the polyester contains the structural unit (I) in a proportion of 55-90 mol % of the whole, and most preferably it contains the structural unit (I) in a proportion of 65-90 mol % of the whole. If the proportion of the structural units (I) and (II) is in the range of 99 to 100 mol %, the resulting aromatic polyester will be too high in melting point or inferior in heat stability and mechanical properties, thus making it impossible to attain the object of the present invention. And if the proportion of the structural units (I) and (II) is in the range of 0 to 51 mol % of the whole, the heat stability and mechanical properties of the resulting polyester will be poor, thus making the object of the present invention unattainable.
As the diol component, methylhydroquinone or chlorohydroquinone is preferred, and chlorine atom is preferred as X in the structural formula (III).
Preferably, the aromatic polyester of the present invention has a melt viscosity in the range of 10 to 10,000 poise, more preferably 20 to 5,000 poise. The melt viscosity as referred to herein indicates a value determined using a Koka type flow tester at a temperature of melting point plus 40° to 100° C. and at a shear rate of 2,000 to 4,000 (1/sec). If the melt viscosity is lower than 10 poise, the resulting shaped article will be low in strength, and if the polyester has a melt viscosity higher than 10,000 poise, its moldability will be poor and the resulting shaped article will be inferior in mechanical properties.
The aromatic polyester of the present invention can be prepared according to conventional polycondensation techniques for polyester. No special restrictions are placed on its manufacturing method. For example, the following (1) to (3) are typical methods. (1) Preparation by polycondensation involving removal of monocarboxylic acid, from diester or diesters selected from methylhydroquinone diacetate, chlorohydroquinone diacetate, phenylhydroquinone diacetate, 4,4'-diacetoxybiphenyl and 2,6-diacetoxynaphthalene, and aromatic dicarboxylic acids selected from 4,4'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid, terephthalic acid, 1,2-bis(phenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid, 1,2-bis(2-chlorophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid and 1,2-bis(2-bromophenoxy)-ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid. (2) Preparation by polycondensation involving removal of phenol, from aromatic diol or diols selected from methylhydroquinone, chlorohydroquinone, phenylhydroquinone, 4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl and 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene, and diphenyl esters of the aromatic dicarboxylic acids described in (1). (3) Preparation by reacting the aromatic dicarboxylic acids described in (1) with a desired amount of diphenyl carbonate, then adding the aromatic diol component described in (2) to the resulting diphenyl esters and performing polycondensation reaction involving removal of phenol.
Typical examples of catalyst used in the polycondensation reaction are metallic compounds such as stannous acetate, tetrabutyl titanate, lead acetate, antimony trioxide, sodium acetate and potassium acetate. These metallic compounds are effective especially in the polycondensation involving removal of phenol.
In the polycondensation reaction for preparation of the aromatic polyester of the present invention, aromatic dicarboxylic acids such as isophthalic acid, 3,3'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid, 3,4'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid, 2,2-diphenyldicarboxylic acid and 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, alicyclic dicarboxylic acids such as hexahydroterephthalic acid, other aromatic diols such as 4,4'-dioxydiphenyl ether and 2,7-dioxynaphthalene, and other aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acids such as p-hydroxybenzoic acid, may participate in the copolymerization in small amounts not impairing the object of the present invention, in addition to the constituents of the structural units (I)-(III).
The aromatic polyester of the present invention thus prepared, having a low melting point not higher than 400° C., can be subjected to conventional melt processings such as extrusion modling, injection molding, compression molding and blow molding, and formed into fibers, films, three-dimensional products, containers and hoses.
Additives such as reinforcing media, e.g. glass fibers, carbon fibers and asbestos, fillers, nucleating agents, pigments, antioxidants, stabilizers, plasticizers, lubricants, mold release agents and flame-retardants, as well as other thermoplastic resins, may be added to the aromatic polyester of the present invention at the time of molding to impart desired characteristics to the resulting shaped articles.
Shaped articles obtained from the novel aromatic polyester of the invention have a good optical anisotropy which is attributable to the parallel molecular array of the polyester, and are extremely superior in mechanical properties. For example, using the aromatic polyester of the invention there can be obtained fibers having a fineness of 0.5 mm in diameter and a high modulus not less than 50 GPa, as well as a shaped article having a thickness of 1/32 inch and a high modulus not less than 15 GPa.
The following examples are given to further illustrate the invention.
EXAMPLE 1
104.5 g. (5×10 -1 mol) of methylhydroquinone diacetate, 84.7 g. (3.5×10 -1 mol) of 4,4'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid, 12.5 g. (0.75×10 -1 mol) of terephthalic acid and 27.8 g. (0.75×10 -1 mol) of 1,2-bis(2-chlorophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid were charged into a test tube for polymerization and reacted at 250-320° C. in a nitrogen gas atmosphere for hours, then the pressure was reduced to a vacuum degree of 0.7 mmHg and heating was continued at 320° C. for 1.5 hours to allow polycondensation reaction to proceed. As a result, 58 g. of acetic acid corresponding to 97% of a theoretical amount was distilled out to obtain a highly fibrillated brown polymer. The polymer was of the following theoretical structural formula, and elementary analysis values of the polyester well coincided with theoretical values as set out in Table 1. As a result of infrared spectroscopic analysis, the polyester proved to have characteristic absorption at 1495, 1610 and 1725 cm -1 . ##STR5## (l/m/n mole ratio=70/15/15)
TABLE 1______________________________________ Measured Value Theoretical Value (wt %) (wt %)______________________________________C 72.9 72.4H 4.7 4.1Cl 2.9 3.2O 19.5 20.3______________________________________ Note The oxygen content (%) was calculated as (100% C % H % Cl %).
The polyester was put on a sample stand of a polarizing microscope, then the temperature was raised and a check was made on optical anisotropy with shear. As a result, the polyester exhibited a good optical anisotropy at temperatures not lower than 223° C. Further, the polyester was measured for thermal characteristics by means of a differential scanning calorimeter (PERKIN-ELMER DSC-2C.) to obtain the following results: glass transition temperature 111° C., melting point 242° C.
Moreover, the polyester was charged to a Koka type flow tester and spun through a spinneret 0.3 mm in diameter at a spinneret temperature of 280° C. to obtain a spun yarn 0.05 mm in diameter. The melt viscosity of the polyester was 1,700 poise at a shear rate of 3,100 (1/sec).
Further, the thus-spun yarn was measured for modulus at a frequency of 110 Hz, a heating rate of 2° C./min and an interchuck distance of 40 mm by means of RHEOVIBRON DDV-II-EA (a product of Toyo Baldwin Co., Ltd.); as a result, it was found to have a modulus as high as 132 GPa.
Moreover, the polymer was injection-molded at 280° C. (mold 30° C.) using Sumitomo NESTAL injection molding machine (0.5 ounce) to obtain a molded product (plaques) having a thickness of 1/32". The molded product was measured for bending modulus using TENSILON UTM-4 (a product of Toyo Baldwin Co., Ltd.) in accordance with ASTM D 790; as a result, it was found to have a bending modulus as high as 29 GPa.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1
114.8 g. (5×10 -1 mol) of chlorohydroquinone diacetate, 36.3 g. (1.5×10 -1 mol) of 4,4'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid and 67.2 g. (3.5×10 -1 mol) of terephthalic acid (a known composition as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 482/1980) were charged into a test tube for polymerization and polycondensed in the same way as in Example 1 to obtain an optically anisotropic polyester having a melting point of 290° C.
Using the polyester, spinning was performed in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain a spun yarn 0.9 mm in diameter. The spun yarn thus obtained was measured for modulus; as a result, it was found to have a modulus of 44 GPa at 30° C., lower than that in Example 1.
Further, the polyester was injection-molded in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain a molded product having a thickness of 1/32". The molded product was measured for bending modulus, which was found to be 14 GPa, lower than that in Example 1. Example 2-6 and Comparative Examples 2-7
5×10 -2 mol of diacetate selected from methylhydroquinone diacetate (I) and chlorohydroquinone diacetate (II), and 5×10 -2 mol of dicarboxylic acid or dicarboxylic acids selected from 4,4'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid (III), terephthalic acid (IV), 1,2-bis(2-chlorophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (V), 1,2-bis(2-bromophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (VI) and 1,2-bis(phenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (VII), as shown in Table 2, were charged into a test tube for polymerization and polycondensed in the same way as in Example 1.
The resultant polyesters were measured for liquid crystal initiation temperature and melting point; as a result, they proved to be liquid crystal polyesters except the polyesters prepared in Comparative Examples 4 and 5.
Spinning was performed using those polyesters, but the polyesters obtained in Comparative Examples 2 and 3 were too high in melt viscosity to melt-spin and the polyesters in Comparative Examples 4 and 5 were also incapable of being spun. Then, the spun yarns thus obtained were measured for modulus using RHEOVIBRON in the same manner as in Example 1; as a result, the spun yarns obtained from the polyesters of Examples 2-6 were found to have high values of modulus, not lower than 50 GPa, while the spun yarns obtained using the polyesters of Comparative Examples 6 and 7 were low in modulus, not higher than 50 GPa.
TABLE 2__________________________________________________________________________ Liquid Hydroquinone Dicarboxylic Acid Crystal Melting Component Component (III):(IV):(V + VI + VII) Initiation Point (I) (II) (III) (IV) (V) (VI) (VII) (mol ratio) Temp. (°C.) (°C.)__________________________________________________________________________Example 2 100 -- 80 10 10 -- -- 80/10/10 248 298Example 3 100 -- 85 7.5 7.5 -- -- 85/7.5/7.5 268 269Example 4 -- 100 80 10 10 -- -- 80/10/10 310 315Example 5 -- 100 70 15 15 -- -- 70/15/15 296 313Example 6 100 -- 70 15 -- 15 -- 70/15/15 304 320Comparative 100 -- 100 -- -- -- -- 100/0/0 360 372Example 2Comparative -- 100 100 -- -- -- -- 100/0/0 357 354Example 3Comparative 100 -- -- 100 -- -- -- 0/100/0 >500 --Example 4Comparative 100 -- -- 100 -- -- -- 0/100/0 >500 --Example 5Comparative 100 -- 30 70 -- -- -- 30/70/0 272 321Example 6Comparative 100 -- -- 70 30 -- -- 0/70/30 257 314Example 7__________________________________________________________________________ Fine- Spinning ness Melt.sup.(1) Temp. (mm Modulus Viscosity (°C.) dia.) (GPa) (poise)__________________________________________________________________________ Example 2 320 0.08 52 400 Example 3 330 0.08 70 70 Example 4 360 0.20 51 1000 Example 5 360 0.34 52 1100 Example 6 350 0.27 56 1200 Comparative Spinning was above Example 2 impossible. 10,000 poise even at 400° C. Comparative Spinning was above Example 3 impossible. 10,000 poise even at 400° C. Comparative Spinning was Measure- Example 4 impossible. ment was impossible Comparative Spinning was Measure- Example 5 impossible. ment was impossible Comparative 310 0.15 31 300 Example 6 Comparative 360 0.07 49 400 Example 7__________________________________________________________________________ .sup.(1) Measured at a spinning temperature of melting point plus 40° to 100° C. and at a shear rate of 2,000 to 4,000 (1/sec).
EXAMPLE 7
114.8 g. (5×10 -1 mol) of chlorohydroquinone diacetate, 84.7 g. (3.5×10 -1 mol) of 4,4'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid and 55.7 g. (1.5×10 -1 mol) of 1,2-bis(2-chlorophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid were charged into a test tube for polymerization and subjected to polycondensation reaction involving removal of acetic acid in the following manner. First, reaction was allowed to take place at 250-310° C. in a nitrogen gas atmosphere for 3 hours, then the temperature was raised to 330° C. at a heating rate of 0.5 hour and at the same time the pressure was reduced to 0.6 mmHg, and heating was further continued for about 1 hour to complete polycondensation. As a result, 60 g. of acetic acid corresponding to 98% of a theoretical amount was distilled out to obtain a highly fibrillated brown polymer.
The polymer was of the following theoretical structural formula, and elementary analysis values of the polyester well coincided with theoretical values as set forth in Table 3. As a result of infrared spectroscopic analysis, the polyester proved to have characteristic absorption at 1485, 1600 and 1735 cm -1 . ##STR6##
TABLE 3______________________________________ Measured Value Theoretical Value (wt %) (wt %)______________________________________C 67.9 67.2H 2.7 3.2Cl 10.2 9.6O 19.2 20.0______________________________________ Note The oxygen content (%) was calculated from (100% C % H % Cl %).
The polyester was put on a sample stand of a polarizing microscope, then the temperature was raised and a check was made on optical anisotropy. As a result, the polyester exhibited a good optical anisotropy at temperatures not lower than 289° C.
The polyester was charged to a Koka type flow tester and spun through a spinneret 0.3 mm in diameter at a spinneret temperature of 350° C. to obtain a spun yarn 0.09 mm in diameter. The melt viscosity of the polyester was 220 poise at a shear rate of 3,000 (1/sec).
The spun yarn was measured for modulus at a sample length of 50 mm and at a pulling rate of 10 mm/min by means of TENSILON; as a result, it was found to have a modulus as high as 75 GPa.
Further, the polymer was injection-molded at 350° C. (mold 30° C.) in the same manner as in Example 1 to obtain a molded product having a thickness of 1/32". The molded product was measured for bending modulus, which was found to be as high as 28 GPa.
Moreover, the polymer was measured for thermal characteristics by means of a differential scanning calorimeter; as a result, its glass transition temperature and melting point were 98° C. and 307° C., respectively.
EXAMPLE 8
10.45 g. (5×10 -2 mol) of methylhydroquinone diacetate, 8.47 g. (3.5×10 -2 mol) of 4,4'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid and 5.57 g. (1.5×10 -2 mol) of 1,2-bis(2-chlorophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid were charged into a test tube for polymerization and subjected to polycondensation reaction involving removal of acetic acid in the following manner. First, reaction was allowed to take place at 250-310° C. in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 hours, then the temperature was raised to 330° C. at a heating rate of 0.5 hour and at the same time the pressure was reduced to 0.6 mmHg, and heating was further continued for 1 hour to complete polycondensation. As a result, 6.01 g. corresponding to 98% of a theoretical amount was distilled out to obtain a highly fibrillated brown polymer.
The polymer was of the following theoretical structural formula, and elementary analysis values of the polyester well coincided with theoretical values as set forth in Table 4. As a result of infrared spectroscopic analysis, the polyester proved to have characteristic absorption at 1500, 1600 and 1720 cm -1 . ##STR7##
TABLE 4______________________________________ Measured Value Theoretical Value (wt %) (wt %)______________________________________C 70.7 70.3H 3.6 4.0Cl 6.2 5.7O 19.5 20.0______________________________________ Note The oxygen content (%) was calculated as (100% C % H % Cl %).
The polyester was put on a sample stand of a polarizing microscope, then the temperature was raised and a check was made on optical anisotropy. As a result, the polyester exhibited a good optical anisotropy at temperatures not lower than 238° C. Moreover, the polyester was measured for thermal characteristics by means of a differential scanning calorimeter; as a result, its glass transition temperature and melting point were 125° C. and 251° C., respectively.
Further, the polyester was charged to a Koka type flow tester and spun through a spinneret 0.3 mm in diameter at a spinneret temperature of 310° C. to obtain a spun yarn 0.14 mm in diameter. The melt viscosity of the polyester was 800 poise at a shear rate of 3,000 (1/sec).
The thus-spun yarn was measured for modulus at a sample length of 50 mm and at a pulling rate of 10 mm/min by means of TENSILON; as a result, it was found to have a modulus as high as 58 GPa. Moreover, when measured using VIBRON, the spun yarn proved to have a modulus as high as 73 GPa at 30° C.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 8
10.45 g. (5×10 -2 mol) of methylhydroquinone diacetate, 3.63 g. (1.5×10 -2 mol) of 4,4'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid and 10.57 g. (3.5×10 -2 mol) of 1,2-bis(phenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (a known composition as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,013) were charged into a test tube for polymerization and polycondensed in the same way as in Example 1 to obtain an optically anisotropic polyester having a melting point of 258° C.
The polyester was spun through a spinneret 0.3 mm in diameter at a spinneret temperature of 300° C. to obtain a spun yarn 0.085 mm in diameter. The yarn was measured for modulus using RHEOVIBRON in the same way as in Example 1; as a result, its modulus wass 41 GPa, lower than that of 58 GPa in Example 1.
EXAMPLES 9-13 AND COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 9
5×10 -2 mol of diacetate selected from methylhydroquinone diacetate (I) and chlorohydroquinone diacetate (II), and 5×10 -2 mol of dicarboxylic acids selected from 4,4'-diphenyldicarboxylic acid (III), 1,2-bis(2-chlorophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (IV), 1,2-bis(2-bromophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (V) and 1,2-bis(phenoxy)ehtane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (VI), as shown in Table 5, were polycondensed in a test tube for polymerization.
The resultant polyesters were measured for liquid crystal initiation temperature and melting point, using a differential scanning calorimeter for the measurement of melting point, results of which are as set forth in Table 5.
Further, spun yarns were obtained by spinning of those polyesters and measured for modulus using RHEOVIBRON. As is apparent from the results shown in Table 5, the spun yarns obtained from the polyesters of Examples 9-13 have high values of modulus ranging from 61 to 103 GPa, while the spun yarn obtained from the polyester of Comparative Example 9 has a lower modulus of 40 GPa.
TABLE 5__________________________________________________________________________ Liquid Crystal Initia- Melt- Spin- Fine- Hydroquinone Dicarboxylic Acid tion ing ning ness Melt.sup.(1) Component Component (III):(IV + V + VI) Temp. Point Temp. (mm Modulus Viscosity (I) (II) (III) (IV) (V) (VI) mol ratio (°C.) (°C.) (°C.) dia.) (GPa) (poise)__________________________________________________________________________Example 9 100 -- 85 15 -- -- 85/15 275 280 330 0.06 83 20Example 10 100 -- 85 7.5 7.5 -- 85/15 266 268 320 0.24 61 600Example 11 100 -- 85 7.5 -- 7.5 85/15 267 269 340 0.12 64 500Example 12 -- 100 85 7.5 -- 7.5 85/15 312 303 360 0.09 103 900Example 13 -- 100 70 15 -- 15 70/30 286 301 360 0.05 85 1500Comparative -- 100 30 -- -- 70 30/70 231 263 280 0.10 40 400Example 9__________________________________________________________________________ .sup.(1) Measured at a spinning temperature of melting point plus 40-100° C. and at a shear rate of 2,000 to 4,000 (1/sec).
EXAMPLE 14
11.48 g. (5×10 -2 mol) of chlorohydroquinone diacetate, 5.57 g. (1.5×10 -2 mol) of 1,2-bis(2-chlorophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid and 5.81 g. (3.5×10 -2 mol) of terephthalic acid were charged into a test tube for polymerization and subjected to polycondensation reaction involving removal of acetic acid in the following manner. First, reaction was allowed to take place at 250-330° C. in a nitrogen gas atmosphere for 2.5 hours, then the pressure was reduced to 0.5 mmHg and heating was continued for another 1 hour to complete polycondensation. As a result, 5.7 g. of acetic acid corresponding to 96% of a theoretical amount was distilled out to obtain a silver black polyester.
The polyester was of the following theoretical structural formula, and elementary analysis values thereof well coincided with theoretical values as set forth in Table 6. In infrared spectroscopic analysis, the polyester exhibited characteristic absorption at 1400, 1480, 1590 and 1735 cm -1 . ##STR8##
TABLE 6______________________________________ Measured Value Theoretical Value (wt %) (wt %)______________________________________C 54.2 55.3H 2.4 2.5Cl 14.8 16.0O 28.6 26.2______________________________________ Note The oxygen content (%) was calculated as (100% C % H % Cl %).
The polyester was put on a sample stand of a polarizing microscope, then the temperature was raised and a check was made on optical anisotropy. As a result, the polyester exhibited a good optical anisotropy at temperatures not lower than 262° C.
Moreover, the polyester was measured for thermal characteristics by means of a differential scanning calorimeter; as a result, its glass transition temperature and melting point were 117° C. and 297° C., respectively.
Further, the polyester was charged to a Koka type flow tester and spun through a spinneret 0.3 mm in diameter at a spinneret temperature of 360° C. to obtain a spun yarn 0.036 mm in diameter. The melt viscosity of the polyester was 300 poise at 360° C. and at a shear rate of 3,100 (1/sec).
The spun yarn was measured for modulus using RHEOVIBRON; as a result, it proved to have a modulus as high as 110 GPa at 30° C.
COMPARITIVE EXAMPLE 10
Phenylhydroquinone and terephthalic acid were polymerized in accordance with Japanese Patent Publication No. 40978/1983, and yarn was obtained by spinning of the resultant polyester and it was measured for modulus, which was found to be as low as 20 GPa at 30° C. Moreover, chlorohydroquinone and 1,2-bis(phenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid were polymerized in accordance with Japanese Patent Publication No. 482/1980, and yarn was obtained by spinning of the resultant polyester and it was measured for modulus, which was found to be as low as 12 GPa at 30° C.
EXAMPLE 15
10.45 g. (5×10 -2 mol) of methylhydroquinone diacetate as a substitute for the 11.48 g. (5×10 -2 mol) chlorohydroquinone diacetate used in Example 15, 5.57 g. (1.5×10 -2 mol) of 1,2-bis(2-chlorophenoxy)-ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid and 5.81 g. (3.5×10 -2 mol) of terephthalic acid were reacted at 250-320° C. for 3 hours as in Example 1, thereafter the pressure was reduced to 0.5 mmHg, at which pressure reaction was allowed to proceed for another 1 hour. As a result, 5.8 g. of acetic acid corresponding to 97% of a theoretical amount was distilled out to obtain a brown polyester.
The polyester was of the following theoretical structural formula, and elementary analysis values thereof well coincided with theoretical values as shown in Table 7. In infrared spectroscopic analysis, the polyester exhibited characteristic absorption at 1500, 1600 and 1740 cm -1 . ##STR9##
TABLE 7______________________________________ Measured Value Theoretical Value (wt %) (wt %)______________________________________C 65.4 66.2H 3.9 3.7Cl 7.5 6.8O 23.2 23.3______________________________________ Note- The oxygen content (%) was calculated as (100% C % H % Cl %).
Using a polarizing microscope, the polyester was checked for optical anisotropy; as a result, it exhibited a good optical anisotropy at temperature not lower than 245° C.
Further, the polyester was measured for thermal characteristics by means of a differential scanning calorimeter; as a result, its glass transition temperature, melting point and temperature of crystallization on cooling were 128° C., 287° C. and 215° C., respectively.
A 0.045 mm dia. yarn was obtained by spinning of the polyester at 305° C. as in Example 1. It proved to have a modulus as high as 68 GPa at 30° C. when measured using RHEOVIBRON.
EXAMPLES 16-20 AND COMPARATIVE EXAMPLES 11-14
The following aromatic diols (I)-(V) and aromatic dicarboxylic acids (VI)-(IX) were combined as shown in Table 8, charged into test tubes for polymerization so that in each combination the amount of aromatic diol component and that of aromatic dicarboxylic acid component were each 0.5×10 -2 mol, and polycondensed therein:
(I) chlorohydroquinone diacetate
(II) methylhydroquinone diacetate
(III) phenylhydroquinone diacetate
(IV) 4,4'-diacetoxybiphenyl
(V) 2,6-diacetoxynaphthalene
(VI) 1,2-bis(2-chlorophenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid
(VII) 1,2-bis(2-bromophenoxy)ehtane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid
(VIII) 1,2-bis(phenoxy)ethane-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid
(IX) terephthalic acid
The polyesters thus obtained were checked for optical anisotropy, results of which are as set forth in Table 8. Reference to Table 8 shows that all of the polyesters obtained in Examples 16-20 exhibit good optical anisotropy and fluidity, while the polyesters obtained in Comparative Examples 11-14 are all high in melt viscosity and poor in fluidity.
TABLE 8__________________________________________________________________________ Liquid Melt- Diol Component Dicarboxylic Acid [(VIII) + (IX)]/ Crystal ing Melt.sup.(1) (mol %) Component (mol %) [(VI) + (VII)] Initiation Point Viscosity (I) (II) (III) (IV) (V) (VI) (VII) (VIII) (IX) (mol ratio) Temp. (°C.) (°C.) (poise)__________________________________________________________________________Example 16 100 -- -- -- -- 30 -- 70 -- 70/30 226 245 300Example 17 -- 100 -- -- -- -- 30 70 -- 70/30 201 234 300Example 18 -- -- 100 -- -- 30 -- -- 70 70/30 197-339 not 200 clearExample 19 -- -- 100 -- 30 -- 70 -- 70/30 303 327 300Example 20 -- -- -- -- 100 30 0 70 0 70/30 308 315 300Comparative -- -- -- 100 -- -- -- -- 100 100/0 >500 -- Measure-Example 11 ment wasComparative -- -- -- -- 100 -- -- -- 100 100/0 >500 -- impossible.Example 12Comparative -- -- -- 100 -- -- -- 100 -- 100/0 370 395, more thanExample 13 410 10,000Comparative -- -- -- -- 100 -- -- 100 -- 100/0 378 395 poiseExample 14__________________________________________________________________________ .sup.(1) Measured at a temperature of melting point plus 40-100° C and at a shear rate of 2,000 to 4,000 (1/sec.) | A high modulus polyester comprising the following structural units (I) anr (II) and (III), the structural units (I) and (II) occupying 51-99 mol % of the whole and the structural unit (III) occupying 49-1 mol % of the whole, and a high modulus shaped article obtained from the polyester: ##STR1## wherein R represents one or more divalent radicals selected from ##STR2## and X represents chlorine or bromine atom. | 2 |
GOVERNMENT INTEREST
The invention described herein may be manufactured, used and licensed by or for the government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalties thereon.
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 89,020, filed Oct. 29, 1979 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,383.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to primers and in particular to primers employing a pair of pressure responsive devices.
In firing a weapon, usually a primer employing a primary propellant is initially ignited which in turn ignites a main charge. A primer is designed to be conveniently ignited by percussion or electrical ignition to produce an intensely hot expanding gas which efficiently ignites a main charge. Numerous types of primers are known, such as spark igniters, hypergolic igniters, bayonet primers, ball head primers etc.
If the main charge is a liquid propellant, it is important to isolate this liquid propellant so it does not wet the primary propellant. Such isolation is important because an intimate contact between the two propellants results in poor ignition. Poor ignition generally happens if the liquid propellant enters the primer since ignition must now commence over the relatively confined area within the primer.
A known primer houses the primary propellant and separates it from the main charge. This primer retains the primary propellant in a cylindrical cavity which is covered by a cylindrical piston. The primer has a plurality of radial orifices which are initially sealed by the piston before firing. Upon ignition of the primary propellant its expanding combustion gasses drive the piston away from the orifices thus allowing emission of the combustion gasses of the primary propellant through the orifices to ignite the main charge. A disadvantage with this piston arrangement is that the combustion gasses of the primary propellant are ejected almost immediately and at a moderately low pressure. As a result the flames from the primer are emitted somewhat randomly and at a pressure which is not especially conducive to efficient ignition of the main charge.
The present invention avoids such problems and provides unique advantages by employing a housing having a frangible seal upstream and a valve means downstream. As a result the primary propellant is contained for a brief interval by the valve means to allow fuller combustion. Upon reaching a predetermined pressure the combustion gasses of the primary propellant are released and bear upon the frangible seal. This frangible seal provides several functions. For the case where the main charge is a liquid propellant the seal prevents the liquid from flowing into the housing, thereby insuring that main charge is not ignited within the relatively confined area within the housing. Moreover, isolating the liquid propellant from the interior of the housing prevents the build-up of high pressure gasses that can unduly stress the housing. This latter feature is important for embodiments wherein the housing is reusable. Importantly, the frangible seal provides a high pressure restraining device which allows the primary propellant to rise to a relatively high and accurately repeatable pressure before the primary propellant is released to the main charge. This last feature insures an energetic expulsion of hot, highly pressured combustion gasses which efficiently and energetically ignite the main charge.
Accordingly, by employing such apparatus a main charge can be ignited without using erodable electrodes that require significant electrical energy. Furthermore, because a frangible seal is used, a high degree of isolation is achieved which avoids gaseous venting into a liquid propellant. Moreover, toxic chemicals such as hydrochloric acid are not required as with hypergolic ignition.
Another significant advantage is that the action of the primer is reproducible. This feature is important since projectiles must be consistently launched without significant variations in their range. Of course, any inconsistencies in muzzle velocity caused by inconsistencies in the primer, result in firing inaccuracies. Since the pressure at which the primer operates is reproducible and accurate, the rate of heat transfer to the liquid propellant is also accurate and reproducible. Such kinetics can be thus controlled and can be simulated by computer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the illustrative embodiment demonstrating features and advantages of the present invention there is provided in a primer device a coupling means for igniting a main charge. The primer device includes a primary propellant contained in a cavity of a breech body. The coupling means includes a housing, a valve means and a frangible seal. The housing has a central chamber and the chamber has an inlet and an outlet port. The housing and its inlet port are sealingly mountable over the cavity in the breech body. The outlet port is adjacent to the main charge. The valve means is mounted at the inlet port for sealing the cavity from the chamber. The valve means is operable to allow communication between the cavity and the chamber in response to the pressure in the cavity exceeding that of the chamber by a given valve pressure. The frangible seal is mounted at the outlet port for sealing it. This seal is sized to rupture in response to a predetermined differential pressure across it.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above brief description as well as other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a coupling means in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the frangible seal previously illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a valve device previously illustrated in FIG. 1; and
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the device of FIG. 1 mounted on a breech body and loaded together with a projectile into a barrel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, a coupling means is shown comprising a housing, shown herein as main frame 10 shaped as a tapered solid of revolution having threaded neck 12 of a reduced diameter. Frame 10 is essentially a cylindrical threaded section 12, contiguous to a central frustro-conical section that is capped by rounded section 14. The shape of housing 10 is designed to distribute stresses within the housing and thus avoid its failure. Other shapes however, will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Frame 10 has contained within it a central cylindrical chamber 16. The forward face of chamber 16 ends in outlet port 18. Sealed to outlet port 18 by means of washer 20 is a frangible seal, shown fragmented into two pieces: retained fragment 21a and expelled fragment 21b (collectively identified herein as seal 21). In this embodiment frangible seal 21 is fabricated from Nylatron, which is nylon impregnated with molybdenum. Frangible seal 21 is shaped as a cylindrical disc having its forward face capped with a solid dome. This solid dome, shown in fragment 21b, contains a threaded, blind hole 24 which opens to the flat side of seal 21.
Threaded into the aft face of housing 10 is annular insert 26. Insert 26 includes an inlet passage 30 which terminates at its inlet port 28, which has a frustro-conical shape. Contiguous to inlet port 28 is annular recess 32 which is formed as a rounded groove in the aft sidewall of chamber 16. Insert 26 is sealed to main frame 10 by means of wedge gasket 34.
Port 28 is sealed by a valve means shown herein as valve member 36 and a yieldable means shown herein as helical compression spring 38. Valve member 36 is essentially a fluted metal member capped by a frustro-conical portion which mates with valve seat 28. Compression spring 38 expands against valve member 36 and frangible seal 21 to seal them to valve seat 28 and outlet port 18, respectively. Contiguous to outlet port 18 is receptacle 40. Receptacle 40 is essentially a cylindrical bore that is coaxial to central chamber 16. The forward end of receptacle 40 terminates in hemispherical cavity 42. Cavity 42 has a radius of curvature exceeding that of the domed portion frangible seal 21.
Communicating with receptacle 40 and thus port 18 are a plurality of lateral orifices. Six radial orifices are employed in this embodiment, two orifices 44a and 44b being shown in section, the inward end of two others being shown as inlets 44c and 44d. The two other orifices are not shown but are symmetrically located opposite inlets 44c and 44d. It is apparent that different numbers of lateral orifices may be used depending upon the volume to be emitted and how finely it is to be divided. In the presently illustrated embodiment, orifices 44a, 44b, 44c and 44d (hereinafter orifices 44) are uniformly distributed and lie along radial projections that are orthoginal to the axis of main frame 10. It is anticipated, however, in other embodiments the orifices will be forwardly tilted in order to expel combustion gasses with a forward component of velocity. It is anticipated that such forwardly tilted orifices will be uniformly distributed as conical elements. For other embodiments it is anticipated that the orifices will be skewed so that expelled combustion gasses will have a tangential component of velocity. In fact it is anticipated that for some embodiments orifices will intercept the sidewall of receptacle 10 tangentially. In one embodiment the differential pressure at which seal 21, by design, ruptures is 14000 pounds per square inch. In this embodiment spring 38 was chosen to seal port 28 until the differential pressure across valve member 36 exceeded approximately 113 pounds per square inch. Of course, the specific pressure at which these devices operate is a designer's choice and is chosen to facilitate combustion of the specific propellants which are to be burned.
Referring now to FIG. 2, an isometric view of previously illustrated frangible seal 21 is given in detail. Seal 21 is shown in its unruptured condition. Essentially seal 21 comprises a flat cylindrical disc portion 50 and a concentric domed portion 52. Domed portion 52 in this embodiment is a solid hemisphere which has a blind hole (previously illustrated) through its flat side. The position at which seal 21 ruptures is determined by a circular concentric score 54 which surrounds domed portion 52. The diameter of score 54 is chosen to allow the central fragment to pass unimpeded through receptacle 40 (previously illustrated in FIG. 1).
Referring to FIG. 3, valve member 36, which was previously illustrated in FIG. 1, is shown herein in isometric view. Valve member 36 comprises a frustro-conical cap 60 which seats with the valve seat 28 (previously illustrated in FIG. 1). Cap 60 is affixed to a larger fluted column, shown herein as a four-spoked, paddle wheel arrangement 62. The fluting of arrangement 62 is required to allow combustion gasses to pass by valve member 36, even though the side ends of fluted column 62 touch the inside of the chamber in which it is mounted.
Referring to FIG. 4, the apparatus of FIG. 1 is shown installed in a gun barrel 68. Previously described main housing 10 (FIG. 1) is shown in this simplified sectional view, threaded into a breech body 70 which has a cavity 72 filled with primary propellant 74. Projectile 76 is shown mounted in the bore 78 in front of breech body 70. Breech body 70 is held in the breech of barrel 68 in a conventional manner and is sealed thereto by annular seal 80.
Barrel 68 includes a conventional means for filling interspace 82 between projectile 76 and body 70 with liquid propellant. Liquid propellant is piped into interspace 82 through inlet 84. A corresponding vent (not shown) is used to allow air displaced by incoming liquid propellant to escape. The inlets and vents just described are connected to conventional high pressure valves and pipes (not shown).
To facilitate an understanding of the foregoing apparatus its operation will be briefly described. After this apparatus is assembled and loaded into barrel 68 as shown in FIG. 4, liquid propellant is piped in through inlet 84 to fill interspace 82, while displaced air is simultaneously vented. Once interspace 82 has been filled, the inlets and vents to interspace 82 are sealed. Primary propellant 74 is now ignited by percussion or by an electrical spark system (not shown). Accordingly, solid propellant 74 burns within cavity 72 until it reaches a pressure of approximately 113 pounds per square inch. This interval during which pressure rises is significant since it allows the primary propellant sufficient time to ignite successfully and to produce a vigorous flame. The pressure produced by propellant 74 (FIG. 4) is communicated through passage 30 (FIG. 1) and is brought to bear on valve member 36. Valve member 36 is initially sealed against valve seat 28 by means of compression spring 38 so that combustion gas does not flow into chamber 16. When the pressure in passageway 30 exceeds the above mentioned 113 pounds per square inch, valve member 36 retracts, compressing spring 38 and allowing combustion gas to flow past valve member 36 through annular recess 32 and through the spokes 62 (FIG. 3) of valve member 36. The annular recess 32 (FIG. 1) insures that the combustion gasses flowing around valve member 36 are not unnecessarily constricted. Such constriction can cause the combustion gasses to accelerate. This acceleration would tend to be an irreversible process resulting in non-isentropic flow. Accordingly, energy would be wasted in such a process and would not be available to ignite the liquid propellant. As combustion gasses enter chamber 16 its internal pressure rapidly rises and bears against frangible seal 21 (FIG. 1). When the pressure reaches a predetermined magnitude (in this embodiment 14000 pounds per square inch) the frangible seal ruptures around score 54 (FIG. 2). Accordingly, fragment 21b (FIG. 1) is expelled through receptacle 40 and is driven into abutment with cavity 42. Cavity 42, having a larger radius of curvature than the domed portion of fragment 21b, does not cause fragment 21b to become wedged. It is important to note that liquid propellant does not enter chamber 16 and does not mix with the primary propellant 72 (FIG. 4). This feature is important since it avoids wetting the primary propellant 72 with liquid propellant. Wetting of the primary propellant 74 would cause the flames of the primary propellant to operate in the relatively confined area within chamber 72. Such condition would be undesirable since the flames of the liquid propellant would be emitted from orifices 44 (FIG. 1) instead of the hotter, more vigorous flame of the primary propellant 74 (FIG. 4).
Accordingly, upon the rupture of frangible seal 21 the hot combustion gasses produced by primary propellant 74 (FIG. 4) rush through passageway 30 (FIG. 1) through central chamber 16 and out of orifices 44. These hot outrushing combustion gasses contact the main charge as they leave orifices 44. Therefore the relatively hot flames produced by primary propellant 74 (FIG. 4) are uniformly dispersed over a relatively large area at the perimeter of main frame 10 (FIGS. 1 and 4). These well-developed flames are ejected at relatively high pressure and immediately cause ignition over a large portion of the liquid propellant within interspace 82. Consequently, ignition of liquid propellant proceeds rapidly and a pressure wave propagates and reflects through interspace 82. Eventually the pressure within interspace 82 rises sufficiently to tend to induce a back flow through orifices 44. Such back flow is undesirable since it only results in an overall reduction in pressure within interspace 82. However, valve member 36, being essentially a check valve, responds to this tendency toward back flow by returning to its sealed position. Therefore the combustion of the main charge occurring within interspace 82 is contained and isolated from cavity 72. As a result, pressure violently and rapidly increases and bears against the aft end of projectile 76. Accordingly, projectile 76 is fired through bore 78.
It is anticipated for some embodiments that except for the fired projectile and the consumed propellants, the apparatus of FIG. 4 will be reused. Therefore, after firing, breech body 70 is removed from barrel 68 and main frame 10 is unthreaded from body 70. In this condition cavity 72 is readily refilled with primary propellant. Next annular liner 26 is unthreaded from main frame 10 and valve member 36 and spring 38 are withdrawn. Also, seal fragments 21a and 20 are discarded. Seal fragment 21b which was driven against cavity 42 is readily removed by inserting a threaded rod through passageway 30. The threaded rod is threaded into blind hole 24 so that fragment 21b is easily removed. Main frame 10 is reassembled by inserting another gasket 20 and seal 21. Spring 38 and valve member 36 are reinserted into chamber 16 as shown in FIG. 1. All of these members are held in place by rethreading liner 26 into the aft face of main frame 10. Thus assembled, the device of FIG. 1 has been restored to the condition previously existing prior to the last mentioned firing. The apparatus of FIG. 1 is now rethreaded into breech body 70 to seal the primary propellant within cavity 72. Next, the barrel 68 is loaded with another projectile such as projectile 76 (FIG. 4). Breech body 70 and its attached frame 10 (FIG. 4) is then reloaded into the breech of barrel 68 and sealed thereto in a conventional manner. Thus reloaded, interspace 82 of barrel 68 may again be refilled and sealed with liquid propellant (FIG. 4). The weapon may then be again fired in the manner previously described.
It is appreciated that modifications and alterations can be implemented with respect to the apparatus just described. For example, various frangible seals having different shapes and different rupture pressures, can be employed. In addition, various valves can be used having different shapes and actuating pressures. Furthermore, various materials such as metals, plastics and other suitable materials can be employed to provide the desired strength, wear, capacity etc.
Obviously many other modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. | A primer device has a coupling device for efficiently dispersing the ignin products from a primary propellant into a main charge. The coupling device has a housing with a central chamber. This chamber has an inlet and outlet port. The housing and its inlet port are sealed over a cavity containing a primary propellant. A valve device is mounted at the inlet port for initially sealing combustion gasses from the primary propellant within the cavity. This initial interval during which the cavity is sealed, fosters thorough burning of the primary propellant. When combustion causes pressure sufficient to open the valve device, combustion products enter the central chamber of the housing. These combustion products bear upon a frangible seal, which is mounted at the outlet port of the housing. The frangible seal ruptures at a predetermined and repeatable pressure. As a result, the combustion gasses from the primary propellant are expelled from the housing at a high pressure and at a time when a great percentage of the primary propellant has been burned. As a result an energetic flame exits from the housing, efficiently and thoroughly igniting the main charge. | 5 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/033,317, filed on Aug. 5, 2014, titled “Variable Ratio Energy Actuator for a Blow Out Preventer Safety Device,” the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] Oil and Gas Exploration risk management includes the ability to control subsurface pressures which may be encounter during drilling operation. The primary mechanism utilized by operators to control downhole pressures is the hydrostatic pressure as a result of the drilling fluid contained within the wellbore. The drilling fluid is engineered and formulated to a density that provides a hydrostatic pressure inside of the wellbore that is greater than the formation pressure being drilled. In the majority of drilling operations, the hydrostatic control of wellbore pressure is adequate. However, from time-to-time the operator may encounter a higher than expected formation pressure where there is not adequate hydrostatic pressure to control the wellbore pressure. During these times the operator relies on a series of mechanical controls to stabilize the wellbore and prevent a “Blowout”. A blowout is the uncontrolled release of fluid or gas from the wellbore. This event is extremely dangerous and therefore must be avoided if at all possible. The primary mechanical control device utilized by operators to control wellbore pressure is the Blowout Preventer (BOP) assembly. The BOP assembly consists of multiple sealing and shearing devices that are hydraulically actuated to provide various means of sealing around the drill string or shearing it off entirely thereby completely sealing the wellbore. A hydraulic pressure source and a means of controlling the hydraulic fluid under pressure are required for proper BOP operation.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Typically hydraulic pressure is provided by utilizing high pressure hydraulic accumulators and a control panel near the drilling platform. These accumulators are typically charged to 3000 PSIG but in some case to a higher pressure. In testing or actual operation a series of hydraulic valves are opened to direct the flow of high pressure hydraulic fluid to the appropriate pressure control device of the BOP assembly. To operate as designed the hydraulic fluid received at the BOP assembly must be at a pressure equal to or greater than the minimum required by the manufacture or governing body. Typical land-based surface BOP systems require a minimum of 1200 psi to operate as designed. In the current state of the art systems the relationship between the hydraulic accumulator pressure and the hydraulic pressure available to operate the BOP is 1 to 1. For example if the accumulator hydraulic pressure is 2,250 PSIG then the hydraulic pressure available to operate the BOP assembly is 2,250 PSIG. As hydraulic fluid is expelled from the accumulators to operate the BOP assembly the hydraulic pressure of the accumulator will decrease. At some point the hydraulic pressure in the accumulator will not be sufficient to operate the BOP assembly. This minimum acceptable hydraulic pressure level is typically set at 1,200 PSIG but may be more or less depending on the actual BOP setup. The rate at which the pressure decreases in an accumulator is proportional to the volume of fluid discharged from the accumulators. This is defined by Boyle's law P1 V1=P2 V2. Applying this to a typical 15 gallon hydraulic accumulator utilize on drilling rig we find:
Volume at 1,000 PSIG per charge level: 15 gallons Volume at 1,200 PSIG minimum pressure level: 12.5 gallons Volume at 3,000 PSIG maximum pressure level: 5 gallons Working volume (12.5-5)=7.5 gallons.
[0010] Working from the example above it is reasonable to expect 7.5 gallons of hydraulic fluid at a minimum of 1,200 PSIG from each accumulator in the accumulator rack. The number of accumulator bottles in a typical accumulator rack vary significantly based on the hydraulic requirements of the various BOP assemblies. For illustrative purposes, a typical 20 tank accumulator rack and a typical surface BOP assembly will be utilized in the subsequent example. Based on the previous calculation above, it is reasonable to expect 150 gallons of hydraulic fluid at a minimum of 1,200 PSIG from the accumulator rack.
[0011] Proper BOP operation is critical for safe Oil and Gas Exploration activities. The American Petroleum Institute (API), a widely recognized trade origination, has developed standards related to the manufacturing and testing of BOP assemblies. A typical test of the BOP assembly of this example, in accordance with the guidelines of API 53, would require approximately 75 gallons of hydraulic fluid at a minimum pressure of 1,200 PISG. From the previous example above. it is reasonable to expect 150 gallons of hydraulic fluid at a minimum of 1,200 PSIG from the accumulator rack. Therefore it is reasonable to expect that the accumulator rack could supply sufficient pressurized hydraulic fluid to complete two API 53 tests with each test consuming approximately 75 gallons of pressurized hydraulic fluid. Subsequent to these test it is necessary to recharge the accumulator rack utilizing a hydraulic pump. This pump could be either pneumatic or electric. Additionally these pumps can be utilized as an emergency hydraulic power source for the BOP if the accumulator rack is fully depleted due to an anomaly or unforeseen situation. A disadvantage to this system is the very limited amount of pressurized hydraulic fluid available before recharging is required. Recharging requires a power source which may not be available during an extreme emergency situation. Another disadvantage of this system is the inefficiency associated with the control of hydraulic fluid discharged from the accumulators as it is utilized to operate the BOP system. In a typical BOP operation the initial ram closing cycle does not require 1200 psi. In fact the initial portion of the ram closing cycle can be accomplished with as little as 250 psi. The initial closing cycle may be as much as 75% of the complete closing cycle. The pressure required for the subsequent remaining 25% of the cycle will increase exponentially to approximately 1,200 psi depending on the BOP system and drill string being utilized. The hydraulic energy discharged from the accumulator bank during a closing cycle is equal to the pressure of the accumulator bank and the flow rate of the discharge. The discharge flow rate from the accumulator bank to the BOP system is controlled by a flow control valve. As previously stated the initial pressure of the accumulator bank is approximately 3,000 psi but the first initial 75% of the closing cycle only requires 250 psi. During this phase of the ram closing cycle the flow rate is regulated by the flow control valve. The energy discharged from the accumulator bank during the closing cycle is directly related to the flow and pressure of the hydraulic fluid discharged by the accumulator bank. The energy consumed by the BOP ram is also directly related to the inflow and pressure required to operate the ram. The energy difference or imbalance between that discharged by the accumulator bank and that consumed by the BOP ram is lost as heat at the flow control valve. The energy loss can be substantial. For example, during the very first part of the ram closing cycle the accumulator energy discharge is approximately 15 times greater than that required by the BOP. This can be established by looking at the flow and pressure relationship between of the accumulator rack and the BOP closing ram. The flow rate of the hydraulic fluid discharged at the accumulator rack is equal to the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid consumed by the BOP closing ram. However the pressure discharged at the accumulator rack is initially 3,000 psi but the pressure required at the BOP closing ram is only 250 psi. Therefore. the energy ratio is 12 to 1 (3,000/250). The balance of energy is heat loss from the pressure drop across the control valve. Also note that the accumulator rack is at the highest pressure when the BOP closing rams operating pressure requirement is the lowest. As the accumulator rack pressure decreases linearly with the discharge of hydraulic fluid, the pressure requirement of the BOP ram will increase. As some point near the end of the BOP ram closing cycle the pressure requirement will have increased to approximately 1,200 psi. If the accumulator pressure is less than 1,200 psi it will not be able to fully close the BOP ram. FIG. 7 depicts the energy relationship between the accumulator rack and the BOP ram.
[0012] It is much more preferable to more efficiently utilize the stored energy of the accumulator rack to extend its capacity and usefulness to operate the BOP systems. The ideal system would automatically increase or decrease the energy use ratio between the pressure available at the accumulator rack and that required by the BOP closing ram during the entire closing cycle or any other BOP operation.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] An apparatus that could automatically adjust the energy use ratio between the pressure at the accumulator rack and the BOP closing ram can be described as a Variable Ratio Rotary Energy Controller (VRREC).
[0014] One such embodiment of a Variable Ratio Rotary Energy Controller includes a variable displacement rotary hydraulic pump directly connected by a mechanical coupling to a variable displacement hydraulic motor. The Variable Ratio Rotary Energy Controller precisely matches the energy consumed from the accumulator to that required to operate the BOP during the entire BOP operation cycle. This is achieved by automatically adjusting the ratio between the variable displacement hydraulic motor and the variable displacement pump to precisely match the pressure ratio between the pressure available at the accumulator bank and that required by the BOP closing ram during the entire closing cycle or any other BOP operation. For example: the required pressure at the BOP when the BOP ram is 50% closed is approximately 250 psi (see chart). If at that point in the cycle the accumulator bank has a pressure of 2,500 psi during this part of the closing cycle the Variable Ratio Rotary Energy Controller would have a ratio of 10 to 1. This means that for each gallon consumed from the accumulator bank, 10 gallons are delivered to the BOP system. In the same example, if the accumulator bank has a pressure of 1,000 psi then the Variable Ratio Rotary Energy Controller would have a ratio of 4 to 1 (1,000/250=4). In a different example, the required pressure at the BOP when the BOP ram is 90% closed is approximately 900psi (see chart). If at that point in the cycle the accumulator bank has a pressure of 300 psi during this part of the closing cycle the Variable Ratio Rotary Energy Controller would have a ratio of 0.33 to 1 (300/900=33). In this example it is evident that the Variable Ratio Rotary Energy Controller also allows for utilization of the stored energy in the accumulator rack at a pressure significantly lower that required at the BOP system. Utilizing the full potential of the Variable Ratio Rotary Energy Controller can extend the usefulness of the accumulator bank by approximately 350% depending on the type of BOP operation and setup.
[0015] An additional benefit of the VRREC is that it allows utilization of continuously recharged low pressure accumulators as the primary source of pressurized hydraulic fluid. In such a system the primary low pressure gas source could be a simple liquid nitrogen tank with an operating pressure of 400 psi. This low pressure gas source would be connected to the gas side of the accumulators in the accumulator bank. As a volume of hydraulic fluid was discharged from the accumulators an equal volume of gas would be introduce into the gas side of the accumulators of the accumulator bank. This would allow the accumulator bank to maintain 400 PSI regardless of the hydraulic volume and the entire hydraulic volume of the accumulator would be usable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0016] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a variable ratio rotary energy controller according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a hydraulic pressurized fluid source for a blowout preventer incorporating a variable ratio rotary energy controller.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a non-rechargeable fluid pressure system for a blowout preventer using a variable ratio rotary energy controller according to a second embodiment of the invention.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid reservoir 61 of the embodiment of FIG. 3 .
[0020] FIG. 5 is a diagram of a rechargeable fluid pressure system for a blowout preventer using a variable ratio rotary energy controller according to a second embodiment of the invention.
[0021] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the coupling between the motor portion and pump portion of the variable ratio rotary energy controller.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a graph that depicts the energy relationship between the accumulator rack and the BOP ram.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] An example of an embodiment of a variable ratio rotary energy controller (VRREC) is illustrated in FIG. 1 . The VRREC includes a hydraulic motor 11 having an output shaft directly coupled to an input shaft of a hydraulic pump 12 . Hydraulic fluid under pressure is supplied via input conduit 19 to the motor 11 . Fluid exits the motor via a “T” coupling 20 . Part of the fluid may be directed towards or away from the motor via conduit 15 and a portion may be directed to the fluid input conduit 17 of the pump. The amount of fluid going to the pump is automatically determined by the pressure requirements of the blowout preventer safety device. Pressurized fluid is directed away from pump 12 through outlet 18 . One embodiment of a system 30 for utilizing the VRREC is shown in FIG. 2 . The system 30 may be mounted on a platform which may be part of a surface vessel. The system includes a plurality of accumulators 36 connected to a gas supply vessel or generator 31 via a manifold 34 and a plurality of branch conduits 35 . Fluid is supplied to the hydraulic motor portion 41 of the VRREC through conduit 42 . Fluid exits motor 41 through outlet tee 45 which directs fluid into either hydraulic tank 52 via conduit 51 or to the inlet of pump portion 55 via conduit 53 depending on the energy requirements of the blowout perventer safety device. Fluid under relatively high pressure exits pump portion 55 of the VRREC via conduit 44 and from there is connected to the blowout preventer safety device.
[0024] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a second embodiment of a system 60 according to the invention. This system is adapted to be positioned at or near the sea floor and uses hydrostatic sea water pressure as the pressure source of the hydraulic fluid. In this embodiment, a first vessel 61 is connected to the VRREC 63 via a control valve 62 . As shown in FIG. 4 , vessel 61 is open at its top at 84 . A floating position 83 having seals 85 is positioned within the vessel. The area 82 below piston 83 is filled with hydraulic fluid. A port 89 is formed in the lower portion of the vessel and a valve 62 is in fluid communication with port 89 and hence with the lower portion of vessel 61 via a conduit 78 . Fluid within the lower portion 82 of vessel 61 is pressurized by the hydrostatic pressure present at the top of piston 83 .
[0025] Upon opening of valve 62 , fluid within portion 82 of vessel 61 is directed to the hydraulic motor portion 11 of the VRREC via conduits 78 and 74 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 . Fluid exits the motor portion 11 of the VRREC and is directed to either container 64 through conduit 75 or to the pump portion 12 through conduit 73 depending on the pressure requirement for activation of the control devices 68 . 69 and 70 on the blowout preventer 67 . Actuating pressurized fluid exits pump portion 12 through conduits 72 and 71 to any one of the safety devices 68 . 69 or 70 via valves 120 , 119 and 118 for actuating the safety device in response to a sensed condition that would require the safety device to be activated. Safety devices 68 , 69 and 70 may be sealing and/or shearing devices as is well known in the art.
[0026] Container 64 collects hydraulic fluid at a relatively low pressure and includes an evacuation valve 65 .
[0027] Operation of the system is as follows. In the normal “ready to operate” state the piston 83 is displaced to a position closest to the open end of vessel 61 . The space between the opposite side of the piston and the closed end of the vessel 61 is filled with hydraulic fluid. The vessel is configured with a hydraulic discharge port 89 to allow the release of hydraulic fluid between the piston and the closed end of the vessel via flow control valve 62 . The flow control valve 62 is connected to the VRREC. The discharge port is arranged to allow substantially all of the hydraulic fluid between the piston and the closed end of the vessel to be discharged by the hydrostatic seawater pressure. A container 64 is arranged to receive or supply hydraulic fluid to or from the VRREC. The container 64 has a volume approximately equal to 1.5 times the volume of vessel 61 and the combined volume of the BOP closing cylinders attached to the system. The container is sealed other than the hydraulic fluid connection to the VRREC and an evacuation port 65 . The container is designed to receive hydraulic fluid from vessel 61 and supply hydraulic fluid to the VRREC during normal operations. In the embodiment of FIG. 4 the container 64 also receives hydraulic fluid discharged from the BOP system. The normal “ready to operate” state of container 64 is near zero PSIA and principally void. When the flow control valve 62 is open, hydraulic fluid will flow from vessel 61 through the VRREC and into container 64 . The floating piston 83 of the vessel will displace towards the closed end of the vessel. The displaced hydraulic fluid will be received by the VRREC at the VRREC low pressure intake port. The displacement of hydraulic fluid will cause the variable displacement hydraulic motor of the VRREC to rotate. The speed of rotation will be dependent and directly related to the energy requirement of the BOP. The VRREC variable displacement motor will rotate with sufficient speed that meets or exceeds the demand of the BOP. The variable displacement motor is mechanically coupled to the variable displacement hydraulic pump of the VRREC. As the VRREC rotates the VRREC variable displace pump receives hydraulic fluid from container 64 . The hydraulic fluid received from container 64 is intensified to a level that meets or exceeds the requirement of the BOP system. The intensified hydraulic fluid is supplied to the BOP system 67 including safety devices 68 , 69 and 70 via the high pressure discharge port of the pump portion of the VRREC.
[0028] A third embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 5 . This embodiment is similar to that shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and is designed to be rechargeable as will be discussed below. The system includes a vessel 61 similar to that shown in FIG. 4 which includes a floating piston 83 and an outlet port 89 at the bottom portion of the vessel. Space 82 is filled with hydraulic fluid. When valve 103 is opened, the hydraulic fluid will be forced out of vessel 61 to the motor portion 11 of the VRREC. As in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 , fluid exiting the motor portion can be directed to container 97 via conduit 112 or to the input of the pump portion 12 of the VRREC through conduit 113 . In this embodiment container 97 is designed to receive hydraulic fluid from vessel 61 and to supply hydraulic fluid to the VRREC during normal operations. Container 97 also receives hydraulic fluid that is discharged from the blowout preventer via conduits 94 and 95 through valves 115 , 116 and 117 .
[0029] In the normal ready to operate state, pressure in the container 97 is near zero psi and principally void. When control valve 103 is opened, hydraulic fluid will pass from vessel 61 through the VRREC and into container 97 .
[0030] Hydraulic fluid will enter the motor portion of the VRREC causing the motor to rotate which will in turn drive the pump portion 12 of the VRREC. The speed of rotation of the variable displacement hydraulic motor portion will be dependent on and directly related to the energy requirement of the blowout preventer. The variable displacement pump 12 will receive hydraulic fluid from the container 97 as the motor portion 11 rotates. The pressure of the fluid received from container 97 is intensified to a level that meets or exceeds the requirements of the blowout preventer system. Vessel 61 is discharged when piston 83 has been displaced towards the closed end of the vessel and has activated a piston sensor 90 located near the bottom of vessel 61 .
[0031] To recharge the system a pressure control valve 103 between vessel 61 and VRREC 63 would be opened. Also, evacuation valve 98 would be opened. At the sea surface, a high pressure gas such as air for example, is introduced into container 97 via evacuation valve 98 . As the high pressure gas fills container 97 , hydraulic fluid within the container will be displaced back into vessel 61 via VRREC 63 via conduits 112 and 111 . During this recharge cycle, the viable displacement pump portion 12 of the VRREC will be commanded to zero displacement via a signal from the high pressure gas introduced into container 97 . Floating piston 83 will be displaced to an upper portion of vessel 61 . A piston sensor 91 located at the top of vessel 61 will sense when the floating piston is at the top portion of vessel 61 . The sensor will send a signal that will close pressure flow control valve 103 and isolate the high pressure source at sea level and also vent container 97 to atmospheric pressure. At this point a vacuum source can be connected to container 97 to reduce the internal pressure to near zero psi. The vaccum source is then disconnected from container 97 . The system is now ready for reuse.
[0032] Two or more Hydraulic Supply Systems each with a VRREC could be connected to a single BOP system, ensuring that there would be a fully charge Hydrostatic Pressure Driven Hydraulic Supply System with VRREC on line and ready to close the BOP safety devices if needed.
[0033] Although the present invention has been described with respect to specific details, it is not intended that such details should be regarded as limitations on the scope of the invention, except to the extent that they are included in the accompanying claims. | A method and apparatus for activating a safety device of a blowout preventer utilizes a variable ratio rotary energy controller. The controller automatically adjusts the pressure of the fluid for activating the safety device thereby conserving the amount of energy required for each activating cycle. The controller includes a variable displacement hydraulic motor coupled to a variable displacement hydraulic pump. A system for recharging the activating fluid circuit allows for the actuating system to be reused as needed. | 4 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60/630,840 filed Nov. 24, 2004, and is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,770, issued Aug. 29, 2000, both herein incorporated by reference.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
[0002] This invention was made with United States Government support under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 between the United States Department of Energy and U.T. Battelle, LLC. The United States Government has certain rights in this invention.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention relates to soft-switching converters, and more particularly to an auxiliary quasi-resonant dc tank based converter to achieve soft and essentially lossless switching for power conversion.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Soft switching technique has been used in power converters to reduce switching losses and alleviate electromagnetic interference (EMI). At present, there are two main topologies of soft switching inverters, resonant dc link and resonant snubber. The active clamped resonant dc link (ACRDCL) converter in U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,483 of Divan et al, issued Sep. 5, 1989, the auxiliary quasi-resonant dc link (AQRDCL) converter in U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,309 of De Donker, issued Dec. 15, 1992, and the voltage clamped parallel resonant (VCPR) converter in U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,685 of Lauw, issued Sep. 24, 1996, are examples of resonant dc link inverters. They are hereby incorporated by reference. Auxiliary resonant snubber inverters (in other words, the auxiliary resonant commutated pole (ARCP) or resonant snubber inverters (RSI)), represented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,913 of De Donker et al, issued Sep. 10, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,698 of Lai et al, issued Jan. 20, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,418 of Kimura et al, issued Nov. 5, 1996, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,636 of Lee et al, issued Nov. 12, 1996, belong to the second category, resonant snubber inverters.
[0005] The resonant snubber inverters ( FIGS. 1-4 ) employ two resonant capacitors and one resonant inductor for each phase leg to achieve soft switching. In spite of their advantages of lower EMI, dv/dt, and switching losses, these soft switching inverters have common problems compared to the resonant link inverters and traditional hard-switching inverters: (1) excessive number of additional active and passive components; (2) high current stress on the main switching devices, and (3) poor reliability. Accordingly, soft switching technology is expected to be used for medium or high power (>100 kW) applications and special load/environment requirements, such as EMI-sensitive equipment, etc.
[0006] The resonant link inverters have advantages over the resonant snubber inverters in terms of less component count and low cost. In the ACRDCL converter ( FIG. 5 ), a resonant circuit, incorporated with an active clamping switch and clamping capacitor, is used as an interface between a dc power supply and the dc bus of an inverter. The ACRDCL resonates periodically, bringing the dc bus voltage to zero once each resonant cycle. The inverter switching devices are switched on and off at zero voltage instants of the resonant dc link, thus achieving lossless switching. However, the ACRDCL converter has some disadvantages, such as, high voltage stress across the inverter switches and continuous resonant operation of the dc link. To overcome the disadvantages of the ACRDCL converter, the auxiliary quasi-resonant dc link (AQRDCL, FIG. 6 ) converter has been developed. The AQRDCL converter is employed to achieve soft-switching in an inverter coupled to a dc power supply via a resonant dc link circuit. The resonant dc link circuit includes a clamping switch limiting the dc bus voltage across the inverter to the positive rail voltage of the dc supply and auxiliary switching device(s) assisting resonant operation of the resonant bus to zero voltage in order to provide a zero-voltage switching opportunity for the inverter switching devices as the inverter changes state. The AQRDCT converter embraces its own problems such as high current stress because the clamping switch Sc and diode Dc ( FIG. 6 ) have to carry the full dc current, although it does not have the high voltage stress problem of the ACRDCL. The VCPR converter ( FIG. 7 ) was developed to reduce the current stress of the link switches (Sc 1 and Sc 2 ). However, the dc current that delivers dc power to the inverter has to still flow partly through the switches and partially through the resonant inductor (LR).
[0007] Despite their advantages and advances, the ACRDCL converter, the AQRDCL converter, and the VCPR converter have the following common disadvantages: (1) The resonant dc link circuit acts as an interface (i.e., a dc-to-dc converter) between the dc power supply and the inverter and needs to transmit power and to carry dc current from the dc power supply to the inverter or from the inverter back to the dc power supply via switch(es) and/or resonant component(s), which can lead to significant power losses; (2) The voltage clamping, voltage control, and charge balancing become difficult due to the dc power transmission; (3) The current stress on the auxiliary switch(es), clamping switch(es), and resonant inductor is high (at least as high as that on the inverter main switches); and (4) Two resonant dc link circuits are needed for an ac-to-dc-to-ac converter/inverter system to implement soft-switching at both ac-to-dc power conversion stage and dc-to-ac power conversion stage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An auxiliary quasi-resonant DC tank (AQRDCT) power converter with fast current charging, voltage balancing (or charging), and voltage clamping circuits is provided for achieving soft-switched power conversion. The present invention is an improvement of the invention taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,770, herein incorporated by reference. The present invention provides faster current charging to the resonant inductor, thus minimizing delay time of the pulse width modulation (PWM) due to the soft-switching process. The new AQRDCT converter includes three tank capacitors or power supplies to achieve the faster current charging and minimize the soft-switching time delay. The new AQRDCT converter further includes a voltage balancing circuit to charge and discharge the three tank capacitors so that additional isolated power supplies from the utility line are not needed. A voltage clamping circuit is also included for clamping voltage surge due to the reverse recovery of diodes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 shows an auxiliary resonant commutated pole (ARCP) circuit. (prior art)
[0010] FIG. 2 shows a delta configured resonant snubber inverter (RSI) circuit. (prior art)
[0011] FIG. 3 shows a resonant snubber inverter phase leg circuit. (prior art)
[0012] FIG. 4 shows a zero-voltage transition inverter circuit. (prior art)
[0013] FIG. 5 shows an ACRDCL inverter circuit. (prior art)
[0014] FIG. 6 shows an auxiliary quasi-resonant DC link inverter circuit. (prior art)
[0015] FIG. 7 shows a VCPR circuit. (prior art)
[0016] FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the auxiliary resonant DC tank inverter (ARDCT) circuit. (prior art)
[0017] FIG. 9 shows the waveforms of the ARDCT circuit in FIG. 8 . (prior art)
[0018] FIG. 10 shows a preferred embodiment of the AQRDCT circuit.
[0019] FIG. 11 shows the waveforms of the AQRDCT circuit in FIG. 10 .
[0020] FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of the AQRDCT circuit with the charging circuit omitted.
[0021] FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the resonant inductor is omitted.
[0022] FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of the present invention, where an AQRDCT circuit is directly applied to a main inverter phase leg to provide soft-switching transition to the phase leg.
[0023] FIG. 15 shows a preferred clamping circuit of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] An auxiliary quasi-resonant dc tank (AQRDCT) circuit is taught as an improvement of U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,770 as shown in FIG. 8 . The AQRDCT is employed to provide a quasi-resonant or resonant dc bus across the converter without transmitting real power and carrying dc current. Moreover, such an AQRDCT circuit has no problems of voltage clamping and balancing and is capable of providing opportunity for soft-switching at both ac-to-dc power conversion stage and dc-to-ac conversion stage of an ac-to-ac converter, thus making the converter circuit more compact and efficient. In addition, the AQRDCT inverter has minimum component count and minimum changes to the traditional hard-switching inverters.
[0025] The AQRDCT inverter provides a novel alternative to the existing soft-switching topologies, has been proven of concept in a 10 kW prototype, and has been put into practical use in electric bus drives (100 kW). The AQRDCT inverter includes an auxiliary resonant tank circuit which provides a quasi-resonant dc bus across the inverter without transmitting or carrying load power and carrying dc current, and has less current and voltage stresses on the switches. The AQRDCT circuit is an add-on part to the traditional PWM inverters and will not affect the normal PWM operation of the inverter. This feature makes the ART inverter much more reliable than today's soft-switching inverters. Moreover, the AQRDCT inverter has no problems of voltage clamping and balancing, thus making control simpler. Experimental results demonstrate tremendous reduction of EMI, dv/dt, and switching losses. The AQRDCT inverter is a promising alternative that can alleviate the problems of today's soft-switching inverters.
[0026] An advantage of this invention is a AQRDCT circuit that shortens charging time of the resonant inductor, thus delay time of PWM operation can be minimized. A soft-switching process (t 1 -t 8 in FIG. 9 ) can take 5 to 10 microseconds to complete, which affects the normal PWM operation of the inverter and causes time delay of PWM operation. The most undesired time consuming process is charging the resonant inductor. In FIG. 9 , t 1 -t 2 and t 5 -t 6 are the positive and negative charging intervals of the resonant inductor, respectively. Time t 3 -t 4 and t 7 -t 8 are the positive and negative discharging intervals of the resonant inductor, respectively. Time t 2 -t 3 and t 6 -t 7 are the intervals for the voltage to change, usually the slower the better in order to reduce dV/dt. In order to minimize the time delay caused by a soft-switching process, it is desirable to shorten the charging time of the inductor.
[0027] Moreover, in order to ensure that the inverter bus voltage Vb resonates from the dc tank voltage (Vt) to zero and from zero back to Vt, the resonant inductor has to be charged to a pre-determined level before gating off the clamping switch Scl and changing switching state of the main inverter. This pre-determined current level is dependent on the resonant circuit losses (compensated by lb), dc supply current ld, and inverter dc bus current li, which is difficult to detect. As a result, the control is complicated and difficult to implement because of time-variant load current and uncertainty of the losses. Therefore, another advantage of the present invention is to provide a modified AQRDCT circuit that does not require a pre-determined resonant current level for the bus voltage Vb to resonate from the dc tank voltage (Vt) to zero and from zero back to Vt.
[0028] In addition, another advantage of the present invention is to provide a modified AQRDCT circuit that can charge and balance the dc tank capacitors.
[0029] Yet another advantage of the present invention is to provide voltage clamping for the auxiliary switches due to reverse recovery and noise related mal-gating.
[0030] FIG. 10 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The AQRDCT 20 is connected in parallel across the dc bus of the dc power supply 10 that directly feeds the main inverter 30 . The AQRDCT includes three tank capacitors, Ct 1 , Ct 2 , and Ct 3 , to provide three voltage levels V 1 , V 2 , and V 3 , a resonant inductor Lr, a first auxiliary resonant switch Sap and diode Dap to provide positive resonant current through the resonant inductor Lr, a second auxiliary resonant switch San and diode Dan to provide negative resonant current through the resonant inductor Lr, a charge circuit to provide three stable voltage levels V 1 , V 2 and V 3 , a first clamping means 55 having switch Sc and a clamping diode Dc to clamp the bus voltage Vb to the tank voltage Vt, a pair of resonant capacitors Cr 1 and Cr 2 . The charge circuit 40 consists of a transformer Tr coupled across the resonant inductor Lr, feeding a diode bridge that charges the tank capacitor Ct 2 . The main inverter 30 , as an example in the figure, is a three-phase bridge consisting of 6 main switches S 1 -S 6 and 6 anti-parallel diodes D 1 -D 6 .
[0031] FIG. 11 shows example waveforms and control timing during a switching transient. Compared with the original AQRDCT inverter ( FIG. 8 and its waveforms and control timing FIG. 9 ), the control is much simpler. The waveforms and control sequence can be explained as follows.
[0032] Before t 1 , the clamping switch Sc is already gated on, whether Sc or Dc carries the current it depends on the direction of the resonant tank current lo (lo=ld−li). In FIG. 11 , it is assumed that the tank current lo is positive Dc is conducting. At t 1 , when the main inverter desires to switch, Sc is gated off and Sap is gated on at the same time. Sc is zero-voltage turnoff and Sap is zero-current turnon. The resonant current Ir through the resonant inductor Lr increases linearly and rapidly since voltage V 1 +V 2 is applied across the inductor during t 1 -t 2 . At t 2 , Ir reaches the resonant tank current lo and the clamping diode Dc's current becomes zero, i.e. Dc turns off. From t 2 to t 3 , a resonant circuit forms via Cr 1 , Cr 2 , Lr, Dap, and Sap. The tank capacitors Ct 1 , Ct 2 , and Ct 3 are much larger than Cr 1 and Cr 2 . As results, V 1 , V 2 , and V 3 are assumed constant during the switching transient (t 1 -t 8 ). The resonant current Ir charges Cr 1 and discharges Cr 2 . The bus voltage Vb decreases to zero at t 3 . When the resonant current Ir attempts to negatively charge the capacitor Cr 2 , the diodes of the main inverter phase legs, D 1 and D 2 , D 3 and D 4 , and D 5 and D 6 clamps the voltage to zero. Right after t 3 (Vb reaches zero), all main devices are gated on to clamp the zero voltage level. The resonant current decreases linearly and slowly since only V 3 is applied to the inductor. At t 4 , the resonant current reaches zero and stay zero till t 5 when San is gated on and all main switches change to the desired state at zero voltage. At this time, the inverter dc current li step-changes to a new level due to the main devices' switching. If (Id-li)<0, the main diodes D 1 -D 6 take over the main switches' clamping function. As a result, the resonant tank current lo becomes to zero. The resonant current Ir through the resonant inductor Lr starts negatively charging and increases linearly and rapidly since voltage V 2 +V 3 is applied negatively across the inductor. At t 6 , Ir reaches the new current level (ld-li) and the main diodes (D 1 -D 6 )′ clamping ends. From t 6 to t 7 , a resonant circuit forms via Cr 1 , Cr 2 , Lr, Dan, and San. The resonant current Ir charges Cr 2 and discharges Cr 1 . The bus voltage Vb increases to the tank voltage Vt at t 7 . When the resonant current Ir attempts to over charge the capacitor Cr 2 and to negatively charge Cr 1 , the clamping diode Dc clamps the voltage Vb to Vt. Right after t 7 , Sc is gated on at zero voltage and zero current. The resonant current Ir decreases linearly and slowly because V 1 is applied across the inductor. At t 8 , Ir reaches zero and San is gated off right after t 8 at zero-current turnoff. A switching cycle completes.
[0033] In FIG. 11 , the charging current waveform is not shown. During t 1 -t 8 , there are two charging intervals, t 1 -t 2 and t 5 -t 6 . During t 1 -t 2 , voltage (V 1 +V 2 ) is applied to the primary of the transformer Tr, inducing a voltage (V 1 +V 2 )*(n 2 /n 1 ) on the secondary which charges Ct 2 through the diode bridge 40 . Similarly during t 5 -t 6 , voltage (V 2 +V 3 ) is applied to the primary of the transformer Tr, inducing a voltage (V 2 +V 3 )*(n 2 /n 1 ) on the secondary which charges Ct 2 through the diode bridge 40 . The secondary-over-primary turns ration of the transformer Tr, (n 2 /n 1 ), is designed so that a desired V 2 can be obtained. The desired voltage level, V 2 , is dependent on the resonant circuit losses, desired charging rate of the resonant current Ir, etc. A preferred voltage level of V 2 is 10˜30% of the tank voltage Vt. An equal voltage level for V 1 and V 3 is desirable. As results, the charging circuit can be designed so that V 1 =V 3 =45˜35% of Vt and V 2 =10˜30% of Vt.
[0034] FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of the present invention, where the charging circuit of Ct 2 is omitted. In this case, an outside dc power supply is needed to maintain Ct 2 's voltage level V 2 .
[0035] FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the resonant inductor is omitted. The primary of the transformer Tr is employed as the resonant inductance so that the transformer serves as dual purposes.
[0036] FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of the present invention, where an AQRDCT circuit is directly applied to a main inverter phase leg to provide soft-switching transition to the phase leg.
[0037] In FIGS. 10 , and 12 - 14 , the auxiliary switches Sap and San are gated off at zero current. However, in real applications, a voltage surge may occur due to the auxiliary diodes (Dan and Dan)'s reverse recovery or noise-related mal-gating or mistiming. FIG. 15 shows a preferred clamping circuit of the present invention, applied to FIG. 10 to clamp such voltage surges. The diodes Dc 1 and Dc 2 clamp the voltage to the dc tank so that the voltage across the auxiliary switches Sap and San never exceed the tank voltage Vt. Similarly, this clamping circuit can be applied to all other inverter circuits.
[0038] While there has been shown and described what are at present considered the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope. | An auxiliary quasi-resonant DC tank (AQRDCT) power converter with fast current charging, voltage balancing (or charging), and voltage clamping circuits is provided for achieving soft-switched power conversion. The present invention is an improvement of the invention taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,770, herein incorporated by reference. The present invention provides faster current charging to the resonant inductor, thus minimizing delay time of the pulse width modulation (PWM) due to the soft-switching process. The new AQRDCT converter includes three tank capacitors or power supplies to achieve the faster current charging and minimize the soft-switching time delay. The new AQRDCT converter further includes a voltage balancing circuit to charge and discharge the three tank capacitors so that additional isolated power supplies from the utility line are not needed. A voltage clamping circuit is also included for clamping voltage surge due to the reverse recovery of diodes. | 7 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for purifying air flowing through a heating, air conditioning or other ventilation system, and more particularly to an apparatus which uses high energy microwave and ultraviolet radiation, along with an antimicrobial fluid to kill contaminants such as bacteria and viruses dispersed in the air flowing through the ventilation system. The invention further relates to a self-contained air purification module.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various methods of removing bacteria viruses and other contaminants exist for use as stand alone system or as a module installed in a new or existing ventilation system. Various types of filters remove contaminants above certain size by physically separating particles over a certain size, which may include dust particles, bacteria and viruses. Other systems use energy in the form of light or radiation to kill undesirable bacterial and viral micro-organisms. Still other filtration systems use activated charcoal or a similar material to adsorb unwanted odors, airborne particles, cigarette smoke, and pollutants from the air in an enclosed space.
Many persons have attempted to improve air cleaners for ventilation systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,600 (Loreth) discusses a device for air cleaning. The device includes a precipitator for use in an air purification device, especially one removing electrically charged particles. U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,692 (Gutmann) discusses free standing air purifier enclosed in a housing, for use in cleaning the air in a room. The device uses an electrostatic air cleaning unit, operating at lower voltages, which ionizes debris contained in the air while eliminating ozone formation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,769 (Jiang) illustrates a lamp including an indoor air purifier. The lamp draws air into its interior, through a purification system including activated charcoal and an electrostatic air cleaner, and expels it back into the room.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,808 (Krause), an apparatus ionizes air to remove particulate matter. According to the patentee, high voltage electrodes ionize airborne particulates, and an ionic wind is created between the electrode and the duct. The use of high horsepower blowers enables use of the device in office buildings.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,063 (Hsu) discloses an air cleaner with separate ozone gas and ionized air outputs. Air is drawn through a multi-layered filter, then through an ionizer to induce a negative electric charge. The negative ions precipitate when passing through a filter having a positive charge. An ozone generator mixes with the air to provide further cleansing.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,890 (Yamamoto) discloses a clog resistant filter to remove fine particulates and an induced voltage electrode to capture contaminant particles in a filter material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,476 (Coppom) also discusses an air filtration apparatus. The device has a fibrous filter positioned between two electrodes, and corona pre-charger positioned upstream of the electrodes and filter.
Finally, U.S. application Ser. No. 2001043887 (Moreault), discusses a device which includes a high mass-flow rate air-mover and a low mass-flow rate ultraviolet decontamination device.
The threat of airborne hazards has created a need for an efficient air purifying system. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an air purifying apparatus which will effectively kill bacteria, viruses, and the like, as well as filter out contaminants, and harmful or hazardous gasses from a ventilation system, or in an enclosed space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing disadvantages of prior devices can be overcome by the present invention by providing a ventilation system, which comprises a housing enclosing a purifying chamber, the housing having an inlet for drawing in contaminated air and an outlet for expelling purified air; a pump for introducing a fluid containing a source of antimicrobial ions into the purifying chamber; at least one microwave radiation source and at least one ultraviolet radiation source, the radiation sources for increasing the effectiveness of antimicrobial ions in destroying airborne microorganisms; a filter for removing airborne particulates; and a filter for adsorbing antimicrobial ions from treated air. Preferably, the antimicrobial ions are derived from a halogen, such as chloride, bromide, or iodide, or a gas or fluid containing chlorine or bromine ions in another form such as hypochlorite ions, for example. The fluid can also be sprayed droplets or vaporized aqueous sodium hypochlorite or similar, antiseptic agent. The apparatus or module can be installed in a new or existing ventilation system, or can be a free standing module.
The module can include a filtration system to remove and collect airborne particles, using physical or electrostatic separation methods, and can also include a filter to adsorb harmful gasses, toxins, or poisons.
The invention also provides a method for cleaning air in a ventilation system, the method comprising: moving a volume of air into a purifying chamber; introducing an ionized antimicrobial fluid in the presence of ultraviolet and microwave energy; and maintaining the volume of air in the purifying chamber for a period of time sufficient to kill airborne microbial matter therein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention may be understood by reviewing the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a first embodiment the air purifier of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of circuitry for controlling an air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of a second embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 . The air purifier 10 includes an air inlet 11 to allow air to enter the system through slits or vents 19 . The air passes through a fine grid filter 12 , and into the purifying chamber 16 of the purifier 10 . Intake may be controlled by an external pumping apparatus forming a part of a conventional forced air heating, air conditioning or ventilation system (not shown), or can include a pump 14 which draws air into the chamber 16 or through the chamber.
Alternatively, there can be a separate pump for intake and outflow, or two or more pumps to control and direct the flow of air into and out of the purifying chamber 16 . A person of ordinary skill can select, adapt, and position the pumps to fit the ventilation needs of the building, room or other enclosed space.
In any case, the air purifier 10 can be installed in the duct work or other part of a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system. The pump 14 , even in such an environment, can boost the efficiency or turnover rate of air passing through the purifier 10 .
The air purifier 10 of the present invention uses a plurality of ultraviolet and microwave radiation sources 18 to irradiate the purifying chamber 16 through which contaminated air or other fluid passes through. Optionally, the air purifier 10 may include a plurality of vents 19 , which may be open or closed using conventional mechanical or electrically controlled louvers to start, stop, or regulate air flow into and out of the purifying chamber 16 . The air purifier 10 also includes a pump 24 with an electrostatic or other means of removing particulates from purified air.
Additionally, the air purifier 10 includes an inlet 20 or series of spigots (not shown) which introduce a fluid, such as a halogen gas (e.g., chlorine, iodine or bromine), ozone, a peroxide containing gas, chlorine dioxide gas, or a chlorine or chlorine and oxygen containing compound, such as calcium, potassium, or sodium chloride or calcium or sodium hypochlorite. Other sources of chloride, iodide, or bromide ions or chlorine and oxygen containing ions may also be used. Fluid containing chlorine atoms, such as aqueous sodium hypochlorite (common household bleach) can be vaporized or sprayed into the chamber 16 as a mist of droplets. In such a case, the fluid will include chlorine and oxygen containing atoms, molecules or ions which will kill bacteria, viruses, or other microbial contaminants in the air. It can be fortified by adding ozone to the air inside the chamber, or by adding a separate ozone treatment zone (not shown) to the system. The purifying chamber 16 should preferably be sealed from the ambient environment to avoid seepage or discharge of harmful gasses using gaskets, seals and the like.
Ultraviolet and microwave radiation ionizes or energizes the cleansing gas or fluid so that it can react with and destroy airborne biological or microbial material. The microwave and ultraviolet radiation by itself would not necessarily kill bacteria or other contaminants, but would help, for example, the chlorine, ozone, peroxide or other gas to work more effectively.
The contaminated air A is maintained for a time in the purifying chamber 16 sufficient to allow the energized ions, atoms, or molecules to kill the microbes including bacteria and viruses contained in the air. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,817,703 (Atwood) and 5,364,645 (Lagunas-Solar) both address using various forms of electromagnetic radiation to kill pathogens and microorganisms, and set forth suggested time and energy levels which may be effective in the present apparatus and method. The contents of those patents are incorporated by reference herein.
In a second embodiment, shown schematically in FIG. 3, the air purifier 10 can be in the form of a self-contained module 11 for use in cleaning the air in a smaller facility such as a room, a home, an office, or an apartment. Like the previous embodiment, module 11 could include one or more means for introducing an antimicrobial fluid into a purifying chamber 16 defined by the housing H. The module 11 also includes one or more ultraviolet and microwave radiation sources 18 which may be separate or included in a single unit, as with the previous embodiment. The second embodiment, like the first, includes a pump 24 for removing antimicrobial fluid from the purifying chamber 16 . The chamber 16 , in any embodiment, should preferably include a series of vents 19 for intake and expulsion of air. It should also include baffles and gaskets to prevent the antimicrobial gas or other fluid, as well as the radiation, from escaping from the chamber 16 .
A laser 54 , such as an excimer laser (see FIG. 2) can provide also high intensity light energy to kill microbes. Examples of methods using laser and ultraviolet radiation to disinfect foods may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,364,645 (Lagunas-Solar), and 3,817,703 (Atwood), referenced above. Optionally, an x-ray or other radioactive source (not shown) can be added, to be used in combination with the high power microwave and UV energy sources incorporated into the present invention.
The apparatus 10 also includes a feedback control system 56 , whose operation may be understood with reference to FIG. 2 . The 56 system includes a controller 40 to control the amount and type of energy and gasses released during the operation of the system. Controller 40 includes preprogrammed ROM to control the pump 48 which draws air into the chamber 18 (see also FIGS. 1 and 3, reference numeral 12 ).
Controller 40 also controls one or more solenoid or similar type gas or fluid valves 42 through a feedback loop so that the proper disinfecting concentration of gas or fluid (for example, ozone, peroxide, chloride, or chlorine) is fed from the gas source 44 or ozone generator 45 into the treatment chamber 16 (FIGS. 1 and 3) of the apparatus 10 . The system 10 is activated by an on/off switch 46 which activates the intake pump 48 , if included. The controller 40 also switches and controls the microwave radiation source 50 , the ultraviolet light source 52 , and the optional laser light source 54 . The controller 40 either includes, or works in tandem with a feedback control system 56 to regulate the flow of gas, and the intensity of light or energy in the treatment chamber 18 . The system 10 preferably includes a gas evacuation and recirculating system 58 , including a filter for particulate matter, so that gas used in the treatment apparatus 10 can be reclaimed and recycled or reused.
Controller 40 can be any suitable type of controller circuit and, for example, can be a microprocessor controller. Various types of controllers suitable for use in a device such as the present invention are known in the art. Accordingly, controller 40 will not be described in detail. Briefly, however, controller 40 includes ROM for storing one or more operating programs. Controller 40 can also include RAM that can be programmed by the user through use of an alphanumeric control pad (not shown). Of course, controller 40 can also include various other types of memories and/or peripherals or peripheral interfaces as desired. Controller 40 can also be preprogrammed or can be programmed by the user to automatically run in cycles.
The UV light source may be a monochromatic beam of pulsed ultraviolet or ultraviolet laser radiation having a wavelength of about 200 to 400 nm, preferably 240-280 nm. Any type of ultraviolet source producing enough energy to kill pathogens, including Hg lamps emitting 200 nm UV radiation, or low intensity (0.10-10 W/m 2 ) continuous wave polychromatic (broad band) UV radiation can be used. Also desirable would be low intensity (0.10 to 10 W/m 2 ) continuous wave polychromatic (broad band) UV radiation (4.88 eV). Pulsed (20 nsec) ultraviolet laser radiation of 193 nm (6.42 eV) may also be used under certain conditions.
In the operation of the preferred embodiment, with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 , the pump 48 activates when the on/off switch 46 is turned “on”. The high intensity UV light sources 52 and microwave radiation sources 50 irradiate the air A or other fluid passing through the purifying chamber. The controller 40 opens the solenoid or other control on the gas or fluid control valve 42 , allowing gas or fluid to enter from its source or container, such as a gas tank 44 , into the chamber 16 . The high intensity UV and microwave radiation ionizes the fluid (for example chloride ions derived from aqueous hypochlorite solution sprayed into the chamber 16 ), which in turn kills microbes, such as anthrax or other harmful bacteria or viruses. The contaminated gas is removed by the pump 24 (FIG. 1 ), which includes a filter 14 to remove and accumulate destroyed biological material and other particulate matter using electrostatic or physical filtration methods. It may also includes a module to separate and cleanse the gas so that some or all may be reused.
Various modifications in the construction of the present apparatus 10 may be made to adapt it to a particular type of ventilation system, or to adapt it to particular environmental or atmospheric contaminants. For example, the system can include an activated charcoal or other type of filter to adsorb harmful or poisonous gasses. The appropriate adsorbent material may be selected to remove a given gaseous toxic substance. While several embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other adaptions and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. | An air purifier includes a housing having a purification chamber with an inlet to the housing for drawing in contaminated air and an outlet from the housing for releasing purified air. The air purifier also includes an inlet for introducing a fluid containing a source of antimicrobial ions into the purification chamber. The air purifier also includes at least one microwave radiation source and at least one ultraviolet radiation source which work in combination to increase the effectiveness of the antimicrobial ions. Also included are filters for removing airborne particulates and adsorbing antimicrobial ions from treated air. | 1 |
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/844,010, filed May 12, 2004, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/194,613, filed Jul. 12, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,265, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to fly-fishing apparatus and methods.
[0003] The popularity of fly-fishing has been increasing over the last twenty-five years. The growth in popularity has been accompanied by and, in part, driven by, advances in fly tying materials, rod and reel technology, and improved hook and line construction. The basic fly or lure presented to a fish, with the exception of sharper hooks and some synthetic tying materials, however, has not changed.
[0004] The bulk of flies used in angling are tied with natural feathers, fur or synthetic materials onto a variety of hook sizes and shapes with the purpose of imitating a fish's natural food items. These include, but are not limited to, aquatic nymphs, insects floating on top of the water, other fish, ova, and terrestrial animals. A fish is hooked when a fly, with its integral hook, is taken into the fish's mouth and the angler pulls back on the fly rod to “set the hook” in the fish's mouth.
[0005] The increase in popularity of fly-fishing has resulted in an increase in angling pressure on the fish, as more and more people fish waterways. The increase in angling pressure, however, has been mitigated, in part, by a new ethic that promotes the catch and release of fish. As a result, some state agencies have set aside waters that require all fish to be released unharmed. In such waterways, fish are often caught multiple times during the course of a season. Many believe that these fish learn to avoid cues associated with an angler presenting a fly as a result of being caught more than once.
[0006] The anecdotal belief that fish can become educated is supported by scientific research that demonstrates that fish can learn to avoid adverse situations, and this memory can last for more than a year. See, for example, J. W. Adron, P. T. Grant & C. B. Cowey, A System for the Quantitative Study of the Learning Capacity of Rainbow Trout and its Application to the Study of Food Preferences and Behavior , J. Fisheries Biol. 5:625-36 (1973) and Roger Young & John Hayes, Does Increased Fishing Pressure Make Trout Harder To Catch ? ” Cawthron Research News (January 2000), at 1. It is believed that the three most important negative cues to a fish are the exposed hook shape and the diameter and index of refraction of the line. It is believed that color and size of the fly are important but not as much as the factors outlined above.
[0007] Many anglers recognize some of these negative signals given to the fish by using too large a line diameter, improper fly speed (drag), and improper color and shape of flies. Anglers, in an effort to overcome these negative cues, at times utilize the lightest of lines and go to great lengths to match the size shape and color of a natural. Angling literature stresses that the difference of matching a 5 mm natural with a 6 mm imitation can be critical. Nowhere, however, has the impact of the exposed hook been discussed. The exposed hook for the commonly used size 12 fly is 30% of the area of the entire fly and 40% as large as the dressed (imitated) part of the fly. The vision of most fish is extremely acute and is especially true for trout. Adult trout routinely feed on food organisms as small 2 to 3 mm. The exposed hook length of a size 12 fly is 14 mm. Doug Swisher & Carl Richards, Selective Trout 20-26 (Crown Publishing Group 1972), state that the wing shape of a floating fly is the first thing a trout sees and determines whether the fish will contemplate taking the fly. Using pictures therein, it is easy to infer that the first image a trout sees is the hook. Humans view flies and assess their viability on the shape size and color. Our intelligence allows us to eliminate the hook shape from consideration. Fish with lesser intellect see the entire object and cannot dismiss 30 to 40% of the mass.
[0008] Fish can be very selective at times in the choice of their preferred foods. Anglers continually change flies to find the constantly changing preferred food item and its imitation. Changing a fly by the current state of the art requires the line to be broken and a new fly tied on. Altering the flies on a line is time-consuming and cumbersome, and causes great frustration to those with poor eyesight or without the nimblest of fingers.
[0009] Some anglers in order to more quickly find the preferred food choice or to increase their statistical odds utilize two or more flies. As stated in Fly Fish America , (March 2002) pp. 20-23, “The use of two flies is not for everyone and does require more time to rig, dealing with tangles and hooking yourself every now and then.” The second fly's hook tangling around the main line during the cast causes the problems, and the free-swinging fly presents a hazard to the angler's hand while trying to unhook a fish.
[0010] Further problems arising when using current integrated hooked flies include the size of the fly and/or the hook and the number of flies an angler must carry. Large flies are constructed on large hooks to provide for a sufficient gap between the hook point and the fly body needed to engage the fish's mouth. The large size of the exposed hook increases the probability that a fish will refuse the fly due to hook exposure. In many fisheries with small trout or smolt, large hooks can and do permanently injure these fish. Also, many of the light fly rods do not have a backbone that can structurally support setting large hooks in a fish. The problem is exacerbated when using light lines since the force needed to set a large hook may exceed the breaking strength of the line.
[0011] In addition, many alternative fly types are needed depending on the fish sought. As an example, beaded flies in a variety of weights and patterns have become popular. Current beaded fly production involves pushing the point of the hook through a hole in the bead and pushing the bead to the eye of the hook. The remainder of the fly is tied with the hook integrated as a permanent part of the fly. The angler must carry numerous fully tied flies to cover the range of beaded, non-beaded, weighted, and un-weighted flies as well as the different finishes.
[0012] In view of these considerations, new fishing flies are needed to help anglers in their quest for fish. Further, new methods of presenting fishing flies are also needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the invention includes a fishing fly for catching a fish. The fishing fly includes a folded rubber string core, one or more materials surrounding the folded rubber string core, which materials form a pattern representative of food available to the fish, and an eye formed by a continuous section of the folded rubber string core extending from the materials.
[0014] Also included is a fishing fly such as the foregoing in which there is no hook attached to the fly.
[0015] Additionally, one aspect of the present invention allows the folded rubber string core of an aforementioned fly to flex laterally, allowing for close approximation of food movement by the fly in water.
[0016] Also included is a fishing fly such as the foregoing in which the materials used include thread, feathers, or beads.
[0017] The invention also includes a fishing fly for catching a fish in which the fishing fly contains a core with no hook and one or more materials surrounding a flexible core. The materials form a pattern representative of food available to the fish. It also includes an eye formed by an end section of the core extending from the materials.
[0018] Additionally included is a fishing fly as described where the core is metal.
[0019] The invention also includes a fishing fly as above having a plastic tube or rubber string as its core.
[0020] Additionally, the invention includes a fly-fishing rig for catching a fish that has a fly line having an end and a fly having a flexible core and no hook. The fly is attached to the fly line at a distance from the end of the fly line, and a hook is attached to the end of the fly line.
[0021] The invention also includes a method for attaching a fly to a line that has a hook at one end, and the fly is attached to the fishing line at a distance from the hook. The hook end of the line is placed into a body of water to be fished, and one or more fish caught on the hook are retrieved.
[0022] In addition, the invention includes a method where the fly sinks below the surface of the body of the water and a method where it floats on the surface.
[0023] Additionally, a method is included for attaching a fly to a line where a loop of line is threaded through an eye of the fly. The eye is a loop of material previously incorporated in the fly.
[0024] It is understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention claimed.
[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, are included to illustrate and provide a further understanding of the apparatus and method of the invention. Together with the description, the drawings serve to explain the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a fly-fishing rig;
[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a fly-fishing rig in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;
[0028] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a fly being tied in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 5 illustrates a flexible rubber core having an eye formed as the material is folded onto itself and that can be used when tying a fly in accordance with another aspect of the present invention;
[0030] FIG. 6 illustrates a molded core having a preformed eye and a length-wise indentation that can be used when tying a fly in accordance with another aspect of the present invention;
[0031] FIG. 7 illustrates a tube that can be used when tying a fly in accordance with another aspect of the present invention;
[0032] FIGS. 8 to 12 illustrate a preferred method of attaching the hookless fly of the present invention to a fishing line;
[0033] FIGS. 13 to 15 illustrate the approach of a fish to the fly-fishing rig of the present invention and a preferred method of hooking a fish;
[0034] FIG. 16 illustrates a rubber loop attached to a tube while tying a fly in accordance with another aspect of the present invention;
[0035] FIGS. 17 to 19 illustrates the attachment of a tube to a fishing line in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0036] FIGS. 20 to 21 illustrate a nymph tied to a fly line in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;
[0037] FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate the addition of a bead to a hookless fly in accordance with one aspect of the present invention; and
[0038] FIG. 24 illustrates a hookless midge fly and a traditional fly attached to a fly line.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0039] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, apparatus and methods are provided for improved fly-fishing.
[0040] Advantageously, a fly-fishing fly that does not require the line to be disconnected to change or remove a fly is presented. The flies can be added, removed, or pushed up the leader without the need for new knots thus greatly speeding and simplifying the changing of flies.
[0041] Another advantage is that two or more flies can be fished without tangles and without the potential of the free-swinging fly hooking the angler or fouling in the landing net when landing a fish.
[0042] Another advantage of the current invention is that the learned aversion of fish to the hook shape and to objects that do not orient correctly with regard to the water current is overcome.
[0043] The current invention also advantageously provides a soft fly body, which leads to a longer retention time by a fish, enhancing strike detection and hookups. The ability of the angler to detect a strike before the fish has expelled it from its mouth is a major factor in success.
[0044] An additional advantage offered by the present invention is that the flies assume a more natural shape than hooked flies, which better mimic the movement of fish food prey items in water.
[0045] The invention also offers the advantage of the use of small hooks with large flies, which reduce the mortality rate of released fish and the ability to use lighter lines and rods.
[0046] Advantageously, the invention also allows for easy alteration of the fly from weighted to un-weighted and from beaded to non-beaded flies using the same basic fly form.
[0047] Another advantage of the current invention is that the invention greatly reduces the numbers and styles of hooks that need to be carried by a fisherman.
[0048] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary fly-fishing rig. A traditional fly rig 10 includes a fly 12 with an integral hook 14 connected at the end 16 of a fishing line 18 . The hook 14 being an integral part of the fly 12 means that the fly 12 is constructed, or tied, around the hook. Fishing line 18 typically extends below and above (not depicted) the surface 15 of the body of water being fished.
[0049] FIG. 2 illustrates a fly rig in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. The fly rig 20 includes a hookless fly 22 attached to a fishing line 18 some distance from the end 16 of the line 18 . This distance may vary from a minimum of slightly greater than zero inches to several feet, depending on the type of fly employed and other factors. In a preferred embodiment, a hooked fly 12 can be attached to the end 16 of the line 18 . The fishing line 18 may be of any number of materials such as nylon or fluorocarbon
[0050] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an exemplary process of tying hookless flies. Other well-known processes may be employed. The fly is not tied on a hook but instead is constructed using standard fly tying tools such as the fly tying vise 30 shown in FIG. 3 . A pin 32 is inserted into the jaws 34 of the vise 30 . In FIG. 4 , a core material 40 is attached to the pin 32 by means of tying thread 42 from a thread spool 44 . Various materials familiar to one skilled in the art may be used for tying thread. The core material 40 may be a variety of materials also. As an example, FIG. 4 shows a flexible rubber material used as a core material 40 folded onto itself in order to form an eye 46 during fly tying. The core may be surrounded by one or more materials that form a pattern representative of food available to the fish. These one or more materials include, by way of example only, beads, feathers, and threads. These materials are tied onto the fly in accordance with well known fly tying techniques. Of course other materials commonly used in fly tying can also be used.
[0051] Although many materials may be used, FIGS. 5-7 showcase several types of core materials. Some core materials are rubbers, plastics, or metals in sheet, cord, tube, or molded form and may be rigid or flexible. In sheet or cord form, an eye is formed on one end of the fly in order to attach the line. The molded form has the eye already incorporated. FIG. 5 shows a flexible rubber core material 50 , such as a rubber string, folded onto itself with an eye 52 formed by the folding. FIG. 6 shows a rigid, molded core 60 with a preformed eye 62 and an indentation 64 along its body. The molded core may also have a tailpiece that easily fits in standard tying vices and can be readily snapped off once the fly is tied. The molded core 60 may have a flared end 66 that tapers 68 near its termination 70 . FIG. 7 depicts a tubular core. A tube 80 can be attached to a fishing line in numerous ways, some of which will be described below.
[0052] Additionally, the core does not need to be flexible, but still should not include a hook. It is, however, believed that an inflexible core could reduce the effectiveness of the fly due to the restricted movement. The smaller the fly, however, the less important the characteristic of flexibility is thought to be. Thus, it is believed that an inflexible material can also be used in the core.
[0053] In a preferred embodiment, a finished fly with eye loop is attached to an angler's line by looping a fishing line through the eye loop of a fly and pulling the loop over the body of the fly. FIG. 8 is one embodiment that uses a threading tool to accomplish the attachment. The threading tool 90 consists of a fine wire 92 bent back on itself, forming a tip 94 and a closed wire loop 96 , with both free ends of the wire embedded in a handhold 98 . Such tools are common to one skilled the art. The tip 94 of the threading tool 90 is inserted and pushed through the eye 100 of a fly 22 . As in FIG. 9 , the fishing line 18 is terminated on one end by a hooked fly 12 and a rod (not shown) on the other. The fishing line 18 is inserted into wire loop 96 of the threading tool 90 until it protrudes, forming a loop 110 of fishing line 18 . In FIG. 10 , the threading tool 90 and loop 110 of fishing line 18 are pulled back through the eye 100 of the fly 22 until a loop 110 of fishing line 18 longer than the fly 22 is formed, and the threading tool 90 is removed from the eye 100 . Following FIG. 11 , the loop 110 is pulled over the body of the fly 22 , and, as shown in FIG. 12 , the loop 110 is pulled tight around the fly's 22 eye 100 . Friction allows the fly 22 to remain stationary while fishing, but the position of the fly 22 along the line 18 may be adjusted by pulling on one leg of the line 18 while holding the fly 22 .
[0054] In traditional fly-fishing, a fish takes a fly with an integrated hook into its mouth, and an angler, sensing a take, pulls the line, which engages the hook in the fish's mouth. From FIG. 2 , the inventive method provides for a hookless fly 22 some distance from a conventional hooked 12 or bare fly attached to the terminal end 16 of the line. FIG. 13 shows a fish 120 approaching hookless fly 22 . As FIG. 14 depicts the fish 120 takes the fly 22 into its mouth 130 . FIG. 15 demonstrates that as an angler, sensing a take, raises the fly rod, the hookless fly 22 is pulled through the fish's 120 mouth 130 , driving the terminal (hooked) fly 12 into the fish's 120 mouth 130 . Referring to FIGS. 15 ( a ) and 15 ( b ), respectively, the hooked fly (or bare hook) 12 sets into the exterior 140 or interior 142 part of the fish's 120 mouth 130 .
[0055] FIG. 16 shows a rubber loop attached to a tube. When a tube 80 is used as a core, a preferred embodiment contains an eye 46 that may be created as the fly is tied. Attachment to the line can be identical to the above process. FIG. 17 illustrates another embodiment where tube-containing flies with or without an eye may be attached to a line. An insert 150 can be used to attach a tube fly to a line 18 . The tube 80 can be attached to the line 18 via a press-fit insert 150 whereby the line 18 is captured between the body of the insert 150 and the tube 80 . FIG. 18 shows another embodiment where a tube 80 is attached to a line 18 using a crimp-based pin 160 pushed into the tube 80 . FIG. 19 shows the use of an eye pin. An eye pin 170 may be inserted in a tube 80 , and the fly 84 attached to the line 18 using the threading tool. Here, the fishing line 18 is directly attached to the eye pin 170 insert. The insert 150 can also be an eye loop or any other attachment device. The insert 150 may also be glued or press fit to the fly or tied onto the fly as an integral part of the fly with tying threads.
[0056] The inserts can be metallic or plastic, and the visual part of the insert can be various colored beads or crafted as the anterior of the food item the fly is mimicking. The threading tool may also be pushed through the tube, capturing the line and a piece of rubber filament in the process and as a result affixing the line to the tube. The two trailing rubber ends at the tail of the fly are pulled tight to snug the fly to the line and either cut off or left to mimic the tail of a nymph.
[0057] In a preferred embodiment, a traditional hook may be used with the inventive hookless fly. For example, a C-hook, which is well known in the art, may be used in addition to the hookless fly.
[0058] The inventive system allows traditional patterns to be fished with much smaller hooks. FIG. 20 shows a hookless fly with a hook near the main fly body. Pulling a small hook 180 tight to the eye 100 of the fly 22 completes the rig. FIG. 21 shows another embodiment with a small free-swinging fly. The rig can be fished with a small free-swinging fly 190 some distance from the hookless fly 22 . The use of smaller hooks also allows advantageous use of lighter fly rods with large patterns and reduces injuries to fish.
[0059] Advantageously, the inventive system also allows the angler to have one fly pattern and change beads or delete them at will, reducing the number of flies needed. FIG. 22 shows the construction of a hookless fly with a bead. Here, a bead fly is assembled by passing the threading tool 90 through the eye 100 of a hookless fly 22 and subsequently through the center hole 200 of as many beads 202 as desired. A loop 110 of fishing line 18 is made as before. FIG. 23 illustrates the completed fly with a single bead attached. The line 18 and fly's 22 eye 100 are contained within the center hole 200 of the bead 202 .
[0060] In another embodiment of the present invention, a hookless midge fly 242 , tied in accordance with the principles of the present invention, may be used as illustrated in FIG. 24 . The term midge fly incorporates a variety of small flies, typically with hooks as small as #28. A mayfly is one example of a midge fly. The midge fly 242 is tied to the line 244 , by any previously described method or any other known method, a suitable distance from a traditional fly 246 . Alternatively, a plain hook can be used in place of the fly 246 . Further, it is sometimes preferable to tie multiple midge flies on the line 244 .
[0061] The apparatus and methods described herein are unique means for quickly and easily attaching or detaching hookless flies and lures to a fishing line. The invention allows attachment or detachment of lures from fishing lines without cutting or disconnecting the line, decreases the cost incurred since one does not have to purchase such a large array of flies, hooks, and fly accessories, overcomes the learned aversions of fish to hook shape and incorrect orientation of objects with respect to the water current, as well as longer retention time of the fly by the fish, leading to greater strike detection and hook setting.
[0062] The flies assume more natural shapes than hooked flies, better mimic natural food movement on the water, and improve incorrect buoyancy properties (relative to natural food) of the flies. False strikes by an angler are reduced, which increases the time the fly is properly presented; the mortality rate of released fish is decreased through use of smaller terminal hooks; and changing from various weighted to non-weighted flies is simple and fast.
[0063] Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the apparatus and methods of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention include modifications and variations that are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. | A fishing fly for catching a fish, comprising a folded rubber string core, one or more materials surrounding the folded rubber string core form a pattern representative of food available to the fish, and an eye formed by a continuous section of the folded rubber string core extending from the one or more materials is provided. The one or more materials may include thread, feathers, or beads. The core may alternatively be metal, plastic, or unfolded rubber. A method of fishing using the fishing fly is also provided. The method includes attaching a fly to a line containing a hook at one end, the fly being attached at some distance from the hook, placing the hook end of the line into a body of water to be fished, and retrieving one or more fish caught on the hook. | 0 |
This is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/268,660 (filed Oct. 11, 2002), now U.S. Pat. No. 6,933,383, which is a continuation application of International Application PCT/US01/12004 (filed Apr. 12, 2001) which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/196,646 (filed Apr. 12, 2000), all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
The research described in this patent application was funded in part by Small Business Innovative Research Grant #1 R43 CA 80473-01 from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a novel method of producing fused ring based compounds or aromatics including aminosterol compounds. A method of the invention offers regioselective oxidation and regioselective sulfonation of fused ring systems with few protecting groups. The aminosterol compounds produced by a method of the invention are useful as, among others, antibiotics, antiangiogenic agents and NHE3 inhibitors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several aminosterol compositions have been isolated from the liver of the dogfish shark, Squalus acanthias . One important aminosterol is squalamine (3β-(N-[3-aminopropyl]-1,4-butanediamine)-7α,24R-dihydroxy-5α-cholestane 24-sulfate), illustrated FIG. 1 . The aminosterol squalamine, which includes a sulfate group at the C-24 position, is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,756 which also describes the aminosterol's antibiotic properties.
Since the discovery of squalamine, however, several other interesting properties of this compound have been discovered. For example, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,733,899 and 5,721,226, squalamine may function as an antiangiogenic agent useful for the treatment of cancers. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,147,060. Additional uses of squalamine such as an agent for inhibiting NHE3 and as an agent for inhibiting endothelial cell growth are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,635.
Methods for synthesizing squalamine have been described. See WO 94/19366 which relates to U.S. Patent Application. No. 08/023,347. U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,635 also discloses squalamine isolation and synthesis techniques.
Stemming from the discovery of squalamine, other aminosterols have been discovered in the dogfish shark liver and have been investigated. One important aminosterol that has been isolated and identified as “compound 1436” or simply “1436” has the structure shown in FIG. 2 . This compound has the general molecular formula C 37 H 72 N 4 O 5 S and a calculated molecular weight of 684.53017. Like squalamine, this aminosterol has a sulfate group at the C-24 position.
Compound 1436 previously has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,885. As further described in this patent, compound 1436 has a variety of interesting properties. For example, compound 1436 inhibits human T-lymphocyte proliferation, as well as the proliferation of a wide variety of other cells and tissues. Additional uses of compound 1436 are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,738. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,795,885 and 5,847,172 also describe the structure of compound 1436 as well as processes for synthesizing and isolating the compound. For example, compound 1436 can be prepared from a squalamine starting material.
Difficulties have been encountered, however, when attempting to provide a process for synthesizing squalamine or compound 1436 from commercially available starting materials (i.e., not from shark liver isolates). These difficulties include low overall yields of the desired steroid product as well as multiple synthetic steps.
Additional difficulties are encountered in providing a sulfate group at the C-24 position. Particularly, it is difficult to provide the sulfate group at the C-24 position in a highly stereoselective orientation. See, for example, Pechulis, et al., “Synthesis of 24R-Squalamine, an Anti-Infective Steroidal Polyamine,” J. Org. Chem., 1995, Vol. 60, pp. 5121-5126; and Moriarty, et al., “Synthesis of Squalamine. A Steroidal Antibiotic from the Shark,” Tetrahedron Letters, Vol. 35, No. 44, (1994), pp. 8103-8106.
Because of the importance of squalamine, compound 1436, other aminosterols, 24R and 24S-hydroxylated steroids and vitamin-D 3 metabolites, there has been considerable interest in preparing stereospecific compounds especially at the C-24 position. As mentioned above, processes for producing squalamine and compound 1436 have been described. However, these processes do not enable large scale production of the desired aminosterol compounds because relatively low yields are realized by these processes.
Processes for stereoselectively producing cerebrosterol, MC 903, and 1α, 24(R)-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 have been developed. Koch, et al., “A Stereoselective Synthesis and a Convenient Synthesis of Optically Pure (24R)- and (24S)-24 hydroxycholesterols,” Bulletin de la Société Chimique de France, 1983, (No. 7-8), Vol. II, pp. 189-194; Calverley, “Synthesis of MC 903, a Biologically Active Vitamin D Metabolite Analogue,” Tetrahedron, 1987, Vol. 43, No. 20, pp. 4609-4619; and Okamoto, et al. “Asymmetric Isopropylation of Steroidal 24-Aldehydes for the Synthesis of 24(R)-Hydroxycholesterol, Tetrahedron: Asymmetry, 1995, Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 767-778. These processes attempt to reduce 22-ene-24-one and 22-yne-24-one systems in a stereoselective manner. Unfortunately, the processes were not highly stereospecific and often resulted in mixtures of the 24R and 24S which were difficult to separate. Thus these processes were not conducive to large scale synthesis.
Other attempts were also not conducive to large scale synthesis. These processes suffered from being too lengthy or impractical. For example, successful reduction has been achieved of a related 25-ene-24-one system using Noyori's 2,2′-dihydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl lithium aluminum hydride reagent at −90° C. to give 95:5 selectivity for the 24R-alcohol. Ishiguro, et al. “Stereoselective Introduction of Hydroxy-Groups into the 24-, 25-, and 26-Positions of the Cholesterol Side Chain,” J C. S. Chem. Comm., 1981, pp. 115-117. However, the 25-ene-24-one intermediate material (producible in four steps) is less readily accessible than the 22-ene-24-one system (producible in one step). Furthermore, the low temperature required for the chiral reduction also detracts from the commercial practicality of this method.
A large scale stereoselective synthesis has been developed to satisfy the requirements for rapid entry in Phase I clinical trials. Zhang, X., et al., J. Org. Chem., 63, 8599-8603 (1998). However, the synthesis suffered two major drawbacks. First, the synthesis was quite lengthy. Secondly, introduction of a 7α-hydroxyl group proved problematic.
Thus there exists a need in the art for a method of preparing aminosterol compounds such as squalamine, compound 1436 and various homologs that overcome the drawbacks of prior synthetic methods.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention answers such a need by providing a short and regio- and stereoselective method of preparing aminosterol compounds. According to a method of the invention, regio- and stereoselective oxidation and sulfonation can be achieved with fewer protecting groups and consequently fewer steps.
The invention also provides a method of regioselectively and stereoselectively oxidizing a primary hydroxyl substituent in the presence of a secondary hydroxyl substituent attached to the same fused ring system.
The invention further provides a method of regioselectively sulfonating one secondary hydroxyl substituent over another secondary hydroxyl substituent attached to the same fused ring system.
A method of the invention also provides novel intermediate compounds.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Advantageous aspects of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description which should be considered in conjunction with the attached drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates the chemical structure of squalamine; and
FIG. 2 illustrates the chemical structure of compound 1436.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Microbial hydroxylation has been achieved in steroid chemistry. Mahato, S. B., et al., Steroids, 62, 332-345 (1997). Despreaux has described the microbial 7α-hydroxylation of 3-ketobisnorcholenol (1, Scheme 1 below) using the species Botryodiplodia theobromae . Despreaux, C. W., et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 51, 946-949 (1986); Despreaux et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,625; and Despreaux et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,246. This invention uses steroid compound 2 as a starting material for the synthesis of squalamine, 1436 and homologous aminosterols. A method of the invention introduces the 7-α-hydroxyl group using microbial hydroxylation and proceeds without protection of the 7-hydroxyl group. A general outline of a method of the invention is outlined in Scheme 1 below:
According to a method of the invention, steroid 2 may be converted to aminosterol compounds such as, but not limited to, squalamine, compound 1436 and aminosterol homologs by means of two regioselective reactions without the use of protecting groups. According to the invention, in a fused ring sytem, a primary hydroxyl moiety can be selectively oxidized over a secondary hydroxyl moiety. For example, if the fused ring system has a steroidal structure, as described below, a C-22 primary hydroxyl moiety can be selectively oxidized over a secondary hydroxyl moiety at the C-7 position. Also according to the invention, in a fused ring system, one secondary hydroxyl moiety can be selectively sulfonated over another secondary hydroxyl moiety. For example, if the fused ring system has a steroidal structure, as described below, a C-24 secondary hydroxyl moiety can be selectively sulfonated over a C-7 secondary hydroxyl moiety. According to the invention, relatively high yields (e.g. 77%) as well as regioselectivity and stereoselectivity may be achieved. Some C24 selectivity has been shown in the sulfonation reaction on a spermidinyl-steroidal diol. However, this reaction not only required heating and protection of the C7-OH group, but the yield of the compound was low (10%). Moriarty, R. M., et al., Tetrahedron Lett., 35, 8103-8106 (1994).
An example of the invention provides a short and regioselective method of preparing an aminosterol compound of the general formula I:
In formula I, NR 1 R 2 may be any saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched amino group. According to the invention, such an amino group may contain more than one nitrogen. Preferably, in formula I:
R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of: H, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, —(CH 2 ) n —NH—(CH 2 ) m —NH 2 , and —(CH 2 ) n —NH—(CH 2 ) m —NH—(CH 2 ) p —NH 2 ;
n is an integer from 1-3;
m is an integer from 1-4; and
p is an integer from 1-2.
Most preferably, the compound of formula (I) is squalamine or compound 1436. According to the invention, an aminosterol compound of formula I may be prepared by
(a) reacting compound 2:
under conditions sufficient to form compound 3:
(b) reacting compound 3 under conditions sufficient to form compound 4:
(c) reacting compound 4 under conditions sufficient to form compound 5:
(d) reacting compound 5 under conditions sufficient to form compound 7:
(e) reacting compound 7 under conditions sufficient to form compound 8:
(f) reacting compound 8 under conditions sufficient to form compound 9:
(g) reacting compound 9 sufficient to form compound 10:
(h) reacting compound 10 under conditions sufficient to form compound 11:
(i) reacting compound 11 under conditions sufficient to form an aminosterol compound of the general formula (I), as described above. Each of the compounds produced by a method of the be isolated and purified using techniques known in the art building, but not limited to, extraction and chromatography. Each of the compounds produced by a method of the invention may be characterized using techniques known in the art such as, for example, mass spectrometry, 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR.
As set forth above, a method according to the invention includes processes for regioselectively oxidizing a C-22-OH group in the presence of a C-7-OH group as well as the regioselective sulfonation of a C-24—OH group in the presence of a C-7-OH group. With respect to steps (a)-(i) of a method of the invention, “under conditions sufficient” may be any synthetic method that achieves the desired transformation without effecting the stereochemistry of the remainder of the molecule. With respect to step (a), compound 2 may be transformed or converted to compound 3 using reduction methods known in the art. Despreaux, C. W., et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 51, 946-949 (1986); Starr, J. E., Editor: C. Djerassi, Holden-Day, Inc., San Francisco, Chapter 7, pgs. 300-307 “Steroid Reaction” (1963). Preferably, reduction is achieved using lithium in ammonia with, preferably, yields of at least about 76%.
Compound 3 may be transformed or converted to compound 4 by any protecting method known in the art, preferably, by ketalization of the carbonyl moiety. Ketalization may be performed utilizing ethylene glycol in chlorotrimethylsilane in good yield. Chan, T. H., et al., Synthesis, 203-205 (1983).
Compound 4 may be transformed or converted to compound 5 by regioselective oxidation of the primary alcohol at the C-22 position, preferably by reaction with bleach in the presence of a catalyst. The bleach may be any bleach, preferably sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). The catalyst may be any catalyst which in combination with the bleach achieves the regioselective oxidation. Preferably, the catalyst is a TEMPO catalyst (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy free radical, commercially available from Aldrich Chemicals, Milwaukee, Wis.). Preferably, conditions are chosen such that yields of about 98% are achieved. Anelli, P. L., et al., Org. Syn ., Vol. 69, page 212, “A General Synthetic Method for the Oxidation of Primary Alcohols to Aldehydes: (S)-(+)-2 Methylbutanal”.
Compound 5 may be transformed or converted to compound 7 by a carbon-carbon double bond formation reaction (e.g., Wittig reaction, Wadsworth-Emmons reaction, Peterson olefination reaction). Preferably, compound 5 is reacted with Wadsworth-Emmons reagent 6 (Jones, S. R., et al., J. Org. Chem., 63, 3786-3789 (1998)):
to afford enone compound 7 efficiently (82%).
Compound 7 may be transformed or converted to compound 8 by reduction of the C-24 carbonyl moiety in good yield. Compound 8 may be transformed or converted to compound 9 by reduction of the C22 double bond. Preferably, reduction was achieved by means of hydrogenation. Compound 9 may be transformed or converted to compound 10 by deprotection of the C3 carbonyl.
Compound 10 may be transformed or converted to compound 11 by regioselective sulfonation of C24 hydroxyl group, preferably, by reacting compound 10 with a very small excess (5%) of sulfur-trioxide complex. Preferably, the diastereomeric excess in the sulfate is about 95% based on the HPLC method.
Lastly, compound 11 may be transformed or converted to the desired aminosterol compound (e.g. squalamine, compound 1436 or homologous compounds) by any means whereby a carbonyl moiety may be converted to an amino group including, but not limited to, reductive amination conditions. Rao, M., et al., J. Nat. Prod. 63, pp. 631-635 (2000); Zhang, X., et al., J. Org. Chem. 63, 8599-8603 (1998); and Weis, A. L., et al., Tetrahedron Lett., 40, 4863-4864 (1999).
An example of a preferred method of preparing aminosterol compound squalamine is illustrated in Scheme 2 below:
The invention also provides a method of regioselectively oxidizing a primary hydroxyl substituent in the presence of a secondary hydroxyl substituent attached to the same fused ring base. According to this embodiment of the invention, a fused ring base to which both a primary hydroxyl substituent and a secondary hydroxyl substituent are attached is reacted with bleach in the presence of a catalyst whereby solely the primary hydroxyl substituent is oxidized to an aldehyde. According to the invention a fused ring base is any compound containing at least two saturated and/or unsaturated ring systems which share at least two carbon atoms. According to the invention, the fused ring base may also contain appropriate substituents (e.g. alkyl groups, hydroxyl groups, amino groups, etc.) or unsaturations (e.g. double bonds, triple bonds, carbonyl groups). An appropriate substituent or unsaturation is one that would not adversely effect the desired transformation or conversion, as described below. Preferably, the fused ring base is a steroid ring system having the following general formula:
where R is a linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group. Preferably, the fused ring base has one of the following structures:
The bleach and the catalyst are each as described herein.
The invention also provides for a method of regioselectively sulfonating one secondary hydroxyl substituent in the presence of another secondary hydroxyl substituent attached to the same fused ring base. The fused ring base is as described above except that the preferred fused ring base has the following structure:
According to this embodiment of the invention, a fused ring base to which two secondary hydroxyl substituents are attached is reacted with sulfur-trioxide pyridine complex (commercially available from Aldrich Chemical, Milwaukee, WI):
The methods of the invention achieve regioselectivity of one hydroxyl moiety in the presence of another unprotected hydroxyl moiety. The methods of the invention achieve regioselectivity of at least about 9:1 excess of the desired hydroxylated or sulfonated compound. Preferably, selectivity of greater than about 19:1 is achieved, and most preferably, greater than about 33:1 selectivity is achieved.
The methods of the invention as described above may be used to produce a hydroxylated intermediate that can be further modified, as described above, to produce the desired final product. The methods of the invention produce regiospecific intermediates that can be further modified to synthesize squalamine, compound 1436, other useful aminosterols or steroids having stereospecific groups (e.g., C-24 sulfate groups in an R orientation for, squalamine and compound 1436). Such intermediates include, but are not limited to, compounds 3-10 as illustrated in Scheme 2 above.
The methods of the invention will now be described in specific examples. However, the following examples serve merely to illustrate the invention and are not meant to limit the invention in any manner.
EXAMPLES
Regioselective and Stereoselective Synthesis of a Precursor for Squalamine, Compound 1436 or Homologous Aminosterols
General. The 1 H and 13 CNMR spectra were generated at 400 and 100 MHz, utilizing 7.28 and 77.0 (CDCl 3 ) ppm as the references respectively. Elemental analyses were performed at Oneida Research Services, Inc., Whitesboro, N.Y. Fast Atom Bombardment mass spectral analysis was carried out at M-Scan Inc., West Chester, Pa.
Example 1
Preparation of (5-α-,7-α-)-3-Ketobisnorcholan-7,22-diol (3)
Liquid ammonia (125 mL) was treated with tetrahydrofuran (15 mL) and lithium (3 00 mg, 43 mmol) and stirred for 30 min. Then a solution of 2 (Despreaux, C. W., et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 51, 946-949 (1986)) (352 mg, 1.20 mmol) in tetrahydrofuran (20 mL) and ethanol (0.4 mL) was added. The reaction mixture was stirred for 40 min and then 20 g of ammonium chloride was added. The solvent was evaporated under nitrogen and the residue was treated with water (200 mL) and extracted with ethyl acetate (3×75 mL). The organic phase was washed with brine, dried over sodium sulfate, filtered, and evaporated. Purification of the resulting solid by flash chromatography on silica gel (hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol 10:10:1) afforded pure 3 (251 mg, 71%, mp 221-223° C., MW 348.53); 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 3.86 (br s, 1H), 3.65-3.62 (m, 1H), 3.39-3.36 (m, 1H), 2.34-1.18 (m, 23H), 1.05 (d, J=6.6 Hz, 3H), 1.01 (s, 3H), 0.71 (s, 3H); 13 C NMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 67.9, 67.4, 52.4, 50.2, 45.2, 44.1, 42.7, 39.5, 39.2, 39.0, 38.7, 38.1, 36.5, 35.6, 27.7, 23.7, 21.2, 16.7, 11.9, 10.4; MS (+FAB): 349 ([M+I] + , 100), 331 (52); Anal. Calcd for C 22 H 36 O 3 : C, 75.82; H, 10.4 1. Found: C, 75.71; H, 10.19.
Example 2
(5-α-,7-α-)-3-Dioxolane Bisnorcholan-7,22-diol (4)
To a mixture of steroid 3 (101 g, 0.290 mol) of Example 1 and anhydrous ethylene glycol (800 mL) was added chlorotrimethylsilane (200 mL, 1.5 8 mol) over 60 min at room temperature under nitrogen. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 19 h. The mixture was poured slowly into saturated sodium bicarbonate solution (1 L) and extracted with dichloromethane (3×500 mL). The organic layer was washed with brine (3×150 mL) and dried over sodium sulfate (20 g). After filtration and evaporation, the product was recrystallized from ethyl acetate in hexane (800 mL). The solid was filtered and washed with hexane (15 0 mL) to afford 4 (96.14 g, 84%, mp 173-175° C., MW 392.58); 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 3.93 (s, 4H), 3.83 (br s, 1H), 3.65 (d of d, J=10.4 and 3.1 Hz, 1H), 3.36 (d of d, J=10.4 and 7.1 Hz, 1H), 2.0-1.8 (m, 3H), 2.7-1.1 (m, 21H), 1.05 (d, J=6.6 Hz, 3H), 0.82 (s, 3H), 0.69 (s, 3H); 13 C NMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 109.2, 67.8, 64.1, 52.4, 50.3, 45.6, 42.7, 39.5, 39.3, 38.8, 37.4, 36.2, 36.1, 35.7, 35.5, 31.2, 27.7, 23.7, 20.9, 16.7, 11.9, 10.3; MS (+FAB): 394 ([M+I] + , 100); Anal. Calcd for C 24 H 40 O4: C, 73.43; H, 10.27. Found: C, 73.15; H, 10.15. This reaction was accomplished at 10% concentration of substrate, which allows for efficient scale-up of the procedure.
Example 3
Preparation of (5-α-,7-α-)-3-Dioxolane-7-hydroxy Bisnorcholan-22-al (5)
To a solution of 4 (100 g, 255 mmol) of Example 2 in methylene chloride (1,200 mL) was added potassium bromide (3.19 g, 26.8 mmol) and sodium bicarbonate (10.97 g, 130 mmol) dissolved in water (120 mL). The cooled (0° C. reaction mixture was treated with TEMPO (1.20 g, 7.7 mmol) and 10-13%, sodium hypochlorite (170 mL, 275-358 mmol). After stirring (magnetic) for 2 h at 0° C., the reaction mixture was treated with sodium thiosulfate (20 g, 126 mmol) in water (220 mL). The organic phase was separated, washed with brine (3×70 mL), dried over sodium sulfate (30 g), filtered, and concentrated in vacuo for 18 h at room temperature to afford 5 (99.5 g, 98%, MW 390.57, FW 397.77); 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 9.57 (d, J=3.4 Hz, 1H), 3.95 (s, 4H), 3.83 (br s, 1H), 3.76 (m, 1H), 2.3 5 (m, 1H), 2.0-1.2 (m, 21H), 1.13 (d, J=6.8 Hz, 3H), 0.83 (s, 3H), 0.72 (s, 3H); 13 C NMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 204.9, 109.0, 67.6, 64.0, 50.8, 49.7, 49.3, 45.4, 43.0, 39.3, 39.0, 37.3, 36.2, 35.9, 35.6, 35.4, 31.0, 26.8, 23.8, 20.7, 13.3, 12.1, 10.2; MS (+FAB): 391 ([M+I] + , 100); Anal. Calcd for C 24 H 38 0.4—H 2 O: C, 72.47; H, 9.83. Found: C, 72.49; H, 9.77.
Example 4
Preparation of (5-α-,7-α-)-3-Dioxolane-7-hydroxy Cholest-23-en-24-one (7)
A mixture of 97% sodium t-butoxide (37 g, 373 mmol) and anhydrous tetrahydrofuran (400 mL) was stirred for 10 min under nitrogen and then a solution of 6 (94 g, 423 mmol, see Scheme 2 above) in tetrahydrofuran (150 mL) was added in one portion. The mixture initially warmed to 41° C., but returned to 24° C. while stirring (45 min). Then a solution of 5 (99.48 g, 250 mmol) of Example 3 in tetrahydrofuran (400 mL) was added over 60 min. The reaction mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature (18 h) and then water was added (30 mL). The reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo and treated with cyclohexane (1200 mL), toluene (600 mL) and water (160 mL). The organic layer was separated, washed with brine (3×100 mL) and water (160 mL), dried over sodium sulfate (30 g), filtered, and evaporated to yield a solid. The crude solid was recrystallized from ethyl acetate in cyclohexane and dried in vacuo at 50° C. for 5 h to yield 7 (94.64 g, 82%, mp 177-178° C., MW 458.69); 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 6.72 (d of d, J=15.7 and 9.0 Hz, 1H), 6.07 (d, J=15.7 Hz, 1H), 3.94 (s, 4H), 3.83 (br s, 1H), 2.85 (hept, J=6.9 Hz, 1H), 2.29 (m, 1H), 2.0-1.1 (m, 22H), 1.11 (m, 9H), 0.83 (s, 3H), 0.71 (s, 3H); 13 C NMR(CDCl 3 ): δ 204.5, 152.4, 126.2, 109.1, 67.8, 64.1, 54.9, 50.4, 45.6, 43.0, 40.0, 39,5, 39.3, 38.1, 37.4, 36.3, 36.1, 35.7, 31.2, 28.1, 23.6, 20.9, 19.3, 18.6, 18.4, 12.1, 10.3; MS (+FAB): 459 ([M+1]+, 92), 99 (100); Anal. Calcd for C 29 H 46 O 4 : C, 75.94; H, 10.11. Found: C, 75.5 7; H, 9.87.
Example 5
Preparation of (5-α-,7-α-,24S—)-7,24-Dihydroxy-3-dioxolane Cholest-23-ene (8)
A dried and nitrogen blanketed reactor was charged with 1 M (R)-MeCBS reagent in toluene (20 mL, 20 mmol) and 1 M borane-tetrahydrofuran complex in tetrahydrofuran (25 mL, 25 mmol) and stirred for 2 h at room temperature. The reaction mixture was cooled (−15 to −28° C.), treated with steroid 7 (9.16 g, 20 mmol) of Example 4 in tetrahydrofuran (150 mL), and stirred for 2 hr (−20 to −28° C.). The reaction mixture was treated with methanol (25 mL) with stirring for 18 hr at room temperature, and then repeatedly evaporated by distillation and treated with methanol (4×30 mL) to exchange solvents. Finally methanol (70 mL) was added and the reaction mixture was brought to reflux, cooled in the freezer (no crystals formed), and concentrated in vacuo. Recrystallization from acetonitrile (100 ML), filtration, and evaporation at 50-60° C. for 7 hr afforded crystals of 8 (7.43 g, 80%, mp 121-125° C., MW 460.70, FW 464.3 1); 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 5.5-5.3 (m, 2H), 3.94 (s, 4H), 3.82 (br s, 1H), 3.75 (in, 1H), 2.2-1.1 (m, 25H), 1.05 (d, J=6.6 Hz, 3H), 0.94 (d, J=6.7 Hz, 3H), 0.88 (d, J=6.8 Hz, 3H), 0.83 (s, 3H), 0.70 (s, 3H); 13 C NMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 139.5, 128.6, 109.2, 78.5, 67.8, 64.1, 55.5, 50.6, 45.6, 42.6, 40.0, 39.5, 39.4, 37.5, 36.2, 36.1, 35.7, 35.6, 33.9, 31.2, 28.7, 23.6, 20.9, 20.4, 18.3, 18.1, 12.0, 10.3; MS (+FAB): 462 ([M+I] + , 100); Anal. Calcd for C 29 H 48 O 4 -0.2H 2 O: C, 75.02; H, 10.51. Found: C, 75.00; H, 10.48.
Example 6
Preparation of (5-a-,7-a-,24R-)-7,24-Dihydroxy-3-dioxolane Cholestane (9)
Steroid 8 (10.0 g, 21.5 mmol) of Example 5, toluene (170 mL), triethylamine (1 mL), and 10% platinum on carbon (0.5 g) were combined under 50 psi of hydrogen in a Parr apparatus (19 h). The reaction mixture was filtered through CELITE® (10 g), washed with chloroform and ethyl acetate (10 mL total), and concentrated in vacuo to afford a solid, which was recrystallized from ethyl acetate in hexane (180 mL). The solid was filtered and concentrated at 50-60° C. under vacuum for 7 h to afford pure 9 (9.24 g, 92%, mp 161-163° C., MW 462.72, FW 466.32); 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 3.95 (s, 4H), 3.84 (br s, 1H), 3.33 (br s, 1H), 2.0-1.1 (m, 29H), 0.93 (m, 9H), 0.83 (s, 31), 0.67 (s, 3H); 13 C NMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 109.2, 77.0, 67.8, 64.1, 55.9, 50.5, 45.5, 42.6, 39.5, 37.4, 36.2, 36.1, 35.7, 35.5, 33.5, 32.0, 31.2, 30.5, 28.2, 23.6, 20.9, 18.8, 18.6, 17.2, 11.8, 10.3; MS (+FAB): 463 ([M+I]+, 100) + , Anal. Calcd for C 29 H 50 O 4 .0.2H 2 O: C, 74.70; H, 10.89. Found: C, 74.48; H, 10.49.
Example 7
Preparation of (5-α-,7-α-,24R-)-7,24-Dihydroxy-3-ketocholestane (10)
Steroid 9 (2.03 g, 4.35 mmol) of Example 6, p-toluenesulfonic acid (200 mg), water (1 mL), and acetone (100 mL) were combined with stirring for 4 h. The reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo and treated with dichloromethane (100 mL) and saturated sodium bicarbonate solution (50 mL). The organic layer was removed, washed with brine (3×25 mL), dried over sodium sulfate (10 g), filtered, and evaporated at 50-60° C. The solid was recrystallized from ethyl acetate in hexane (50 mL), filtered, washed with hexane, and dried in vacuo at 50-60° C. for 7 hr to afford 10 (1.63 g, 89%, mp 151-153 C, MW 418.67); 1 HNMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 3.88 (br s, 1H), 3.33 (br s, 1H), 2.5-1.1 (m, 29H), 1.02 (s, 3H), 0.94 (m, 9H), 0.71 (s, 3H); 13 C NMR (CDCl 3 ): δ 212.0, 76.9, 67.3, 56.1, 50.3, 45.1, 44.1, 42.6, 39.4, 39.0, 38.1, 38.0, 36.6, 35.8, 35.6, 33.6, 32.1, 30.6, 28.2, 23.6, 21.1, 18.9, 18.6, 17.3, 11.8, 10.4; MS (+FAB): 419 ([M+I] + , 100); Anal. Calcd for C 27 H 46 O 3 : C, 77.46; H, 11.07.
Found: C, 77.25; H, 11.04.
Example 8
Preparation of Potassium Salt of (5-α-,7-α-,24R-)-7-Hydroxy-3-keto-cholestan-24-yl Sulfate (11)
A dried and nitrogen blanketed flask was treated with compound 10 (2.09 g, 5.0 mmol) of Example 7 dissolved in anhydrous pyridine (30 mL). Sulfur trioxide pyridine complex (836 mg, 5.25 mmol, 1.05 equiv.) dissolved in pyridine (20 mL) was added to the reaction mixture, which was stirred for 4 h at room temperature. Water was added (10 mL) and the pyridine was removed by concentration in vacuo at 40° C. The residue was treated with ethyl acetate (50 mL) and potassium chloride (1.12 g, 15 mmol) dissolved in water with stirring for 1.5 h. The potassium salt of 11 was collected on CELITE® (3 g) by filtration, washed with ethyl acetate (50 mL) and water (10 mL), and dissolved in 1 N potassium hydroxide in 15 methanol (10 mL, 10 mmol) and methanol (100 mL). The methanol was removed in vacuo to dryness and the solid was washed with water (30 mL), filtered, and dried in vacuo at room temperature for 20 hr to afford 11 (2.10 g, 77%, MW 536.82, FW 544); 1 H and 13 C NMR were identical to published spectra. HPLC analysis by the method described previously (Zhang, X., et al., J. Org. Chem., 63, 8599-8603 (1998)) indicated a diastereomeric excess of 95%.
Example 9
Preparation of Compound 1436
A clear colorless solution of compound 11 (16 mg, 0.032 mmol) and spermine (20 mg, 0.1 mmol, commercially available from Aldrich) in anhydrous methanol (3 ml) was stirred at room temperature under nitrogen for 12 hours, cooled to −78° C., and treated dropwise with sodium borohydride (1 pellet, 0.4 g, 10 mmol) in methanol (10 ml). This reaction mixture was stirred for 3 hours, treated with a mixture of water and methanol (10 ml each), warmed to room temperature, and then treated with 0.78% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) solution until its pH reached the range of 4-5. The resulting mixture was filtered through a thin pad of CELITE®, and the CELITE® was washed with methanol and water (100 ml). CELITE® is SiO 2 that is commercially available from Aldrich. The combined acidic washes were concentrated in vacuo at room temperature and then freeze-dried overnight to give a white solid. The CELITE® cake was then washed with isopropyl amine/methanol/water (140 ml of 1:3:3), and the basic portion was evaporated to reduce its volume. This material was freeze-dried overnight to give a light brown solid. Both washes contained compound 1436, so they were combined and acidified to a pH of 3 with 0.78% TFA, filtered, and loaded onto a small HPLC column (1 cm diameter, see below). The reaction product was compound 1436 (12.2 mg, 36%):
1 H NMR (400 MHz, D 2 O): δ 4.14 (m, 1H), 3.83 (m, 1H), 3.2-3.0 (m, 13H), 2.1-1.0 (m, 35H), 0.92 (m, 9H), 0.82 (s, 3H), 0.67 (s, 3H); 13 C NMR (400 MHz, D 2 O): δ 87.2, 68.0, 57.9, 56.0, 50.5, 47.4, 45.6, 44.9, 42.8, 41.9, 39.7, 37.5, 36.9, 36.7, 36.0, 35.8, 31.5, 31.1, 30.6, 28.3, 27.1, 24.8, 24.1, 23.6, 23.4, 23.1, 21.4, 19.2, 17.7, 12.1, 11.2; MS (-LD): 684 (M−1); Anal. Calcd. For C 37 H 72 N 4 O 5 S-3TFA-2H 2 O: C, 48.58; H, 7.49; F, 16.08; N, 5.27; S, 3.02. Found: C, 48.49; H, 7.40; F, 16.16; N, 5.31; S, 3.05.
Example 10
Purification of Compound 1436 by HPLC
The crude material of Example 9 was dissolved in water (50 ml), cooled in an ice bath, and acidified with 1.5% TFA in water until its pH was 3. Initially, it was observed that one obtains a suspension as the pH drops, and then a solution is obtained at lower pH. This solution was loaded onto a Rainin reverse phase HPLC system (2.14 cm diameter, C18, 100 Å, 8 μm) and eluted with A (water with 0.1% TFA) and B (acetonitrile with 0.1% TFA). The HPLC program was as follows: 10 min (0-10% B), 60 min (10-45% B), 10 min (45-80% B), 10 min (80% B). Pure product eluted in the 33 to 55 minute fractions, as determined by TLC (R f : 0.1-0.2 in 6/3/1CH 2 Cl 2 /MeOH/NH 4 OH)(should evaporate plates under vacuum before eluting, and observe with ninhydrin stain after eluting), which was lyophilized to produce 1.20 grams of compound 1436 as a white powder (70%); C 37 H 72 N 4 O 5 S-3TFA-2.5H 2 O, FW 1072.18).
Example 11
Preparation of Squalamine
Squalamine was prepared by reacting the potassium salt of compound 11 (0.5 equivalents) of Example 8 with H 2 N(CH 2 ) 3 NH(CH 2 ) 4 N 3 .2HCl (1 equivalent) in NaOMe (2 equiv) and methanol at room temperature for 24 hours and then at −78° C. with NaBH 4 followed by treatment with H 2 , RaNi, RP-HPLC, 69% based on the potassium salt of compound 11. See Weis et al., Tetrahedron Letters, 40, 4863-4864 (1999).
In describing the invention, applicant has stated certain theories in an effort to disclose how and why the invention works in the manner in which it works. These theories are set forth for informational purposes only. Applicants do not wish to be bound by any specific theory of operation.
While the invention has been described in terms of various specific preferred embodiments and specific examples, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.
Without further description, it is believed that one of ordinary skill in the art can, using the preceding description and the illustrative examples, make and utilize the compounds of the present invention and practice the claimed methods. It should be understood that the foregoing discussion and examples merely present a detailed description of certain preferred embodiments. It will be apparent to those of is ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and equivalents can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. All the patents, journal articles and other documents discussed or cited above are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. | An efficient method for the synthesis of aminosterol compounds such as squalamine and compound 1436 is described. A method of the invention provides for regioselective sulfonation of a fused ring system. The fused ring system base can be, for example, a steroid ring base. The aminosterol compounds are effective as, among others, antibiotics, antiangiogenic agents and NHE3 inhibitors. | 2 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 61/142,447, filed Jan. 5, 2009.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The system generally relates to systems and methods for providing a fluid across an area having varying elevations wherein a maximum predetermined pressure is desired.
[0004] 2. Background
[0005] In certain applications, the need to convey a fluid across changing elevation is required. With changing elevations come changes in head pressure. In a high-pressure system, this does not create any issues. However, if the system is required to have an outlet with low pressure at different elevations, the system would require the use of pressure-segregating tanks. These tanks must be installed at every elevation where the threshold pressure is exceeded. If only two dimensional, this is not a complex issue, but with a three-dimensional plot of land changes in elevation (the Y plane) across both the profile (X plane) and the depth (Z plane) must be considered. Many of these pressure-regulating tanks may be required along the way.
[0006] As most fields are not flat in either direction, systems that require consistent or low pressures can complex. One alternative is to grade the land to achieve relatively close elevations. Not only is this work time and labor consuming, it also only removes one level of variability when it can be done properly. Another result of leveling the land is that often the most desirable planting soil is stripped away from high spots. In addition, even small changes in elevation can result in large changes in head pressure. A change in 2 feet of elevation approaches 1 psi in pressure change.
[0007] One area in which pressure changes greatly affect performance is with irrigation systems. Currently only high-pressure irrigation systems can easily work with rolling elevations. These high-pressure systems tend to also use high volumes of water. Spray nozzles and standard drip tubing may be able to overcome elevation changes by using high-pressure flows, but both have efficiency issues related to their operation and irrigation rates related to plant water consumption rates.
[0008] Evaporation causes great efficiency loss for spray nozzles. Once water is sprayed, in excess of 50% can be lost to evaporation in dry and hot climates. With surface drip tubes, this efficiency loss is decreased; however, evaporation from the terrain surface remains, and breezes or wind can greatly increase the evaporation rate. While both of these types of systems are easily installed, performance in terms of water conservation has brought developments in other types of irrigation practice.
[0009] Newly developed systems use porous membranes that allow water to sweat or be pulled by the surrounding soil and plants into the ground. These surface and subsurface tubes or membranes increase efficiency as evaporation is greatly reduced, and the rate at which water is applied is slow and gradual, which matches more closely the absorption rates of most plants. But these membrane-type systems can be limited in situations in which low pressures are required to gain even more jumps in operational efficiency. While low pressures are achievable in controlled settings such as greenhouses, maintaining these low pressures over more practical applications such as the rolling elevations of farmland has been extremely difficult, if not impossible.
[0010] One common approach to solving pressure changes in elevations when low-pressure feeds are needed is to install pressure regulating tanks. While effective in reducing pressure, these tanks have a specific elevation range over which they can perform. Once that elevation is approached, an additional tank is required, and most often separate supply lines must be provided to that tank to ensure sufficient supply pressure is provided. This greatly adds to the complexity of the system in addition to the cost and labor required to install and maintain the system.
[0011] Even in high-pressure system installations, changes in elevation result in a variation in the pressure within the system, often resulting in system performance variations. For example, a drip tube system will have a higher pressure and emit more water at the bottom of a hill than at the top of the hill. This is a simple dictate of physics, that for every one-foot change in elevation, there is a 0.433 change in psi. As a line runs downhill, the pressure increases. As it runs uphill, the pressure decreases.
[0012] As fresh water becomes less available and more valuable with time, the need for irrigation systems to provide water and nutrients closer to the absorption rates of plant root systems will continue to increase. Recent developments in low pressure membrane technology have even heightened this need, while low-pressure drip systems and fertilizer feed systems reinforce the current demand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention is directed to a system and method for maintaining a low or set pressure feed of a liquid throughout a network where changes in elevation vary the pressure within the liquid and feed system. The system comprises a series of components that act together to achieve the maintenance of a set pressure below an infeed pressure.
[0014] The system comprises a pressurized infeed line adapted for reducing the pressure within a connection chamber or area. While flow is maintained, the pressure is reduced, and excess pressure is vented off through a pressure relief valve into a discharge or return line.
[0015] The present invention enables the collection or recycling of unutilized liquid. In irrigation practices the application of fertilizers is often done in excess, with misapplied fertilizer never being consumed by the target plant life. The present system substantially prevents fertilizer runoff and waste. Liquid and fertilizer may be collected and recycled until being absorbed by the target plant life, thereby reducing pollution, waste, and expense.
[0016] The system can provide a set pressure supply to any type of system, including, but not intended to be limited to, porous membranes, drip tubes, and emitter heads, in spite of changing elevations.
[0017] The features that characterize the invention, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following description used in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood that the drawings are for purpose of illustration and description and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. These and other objects obtained, and advantages offered, by the present invention will become more fully apparent as the description that now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary assembly of a uniform pressure supply line for varying elevations. Dark arrows indicate direction of fluid flow.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a condensed assembly drawing for a system for use with membranes. Dark arrows indicate fluid flow.
[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates an elevation change that can cause an increase in pressure.
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates an elevation change that can cause increases and decreases in pressure along the line.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0022] A description of the embodiments of the present invention will now be presented with references to FIGS. 1-4 .
[0023] As used herein, the word “line” refers to supply and discharge lines for providing fluids, for example, water and/or nutrients when referring to irrigation, but can also encompass other fluids for other applications. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, such lines may not be cylindrical, and may be of any shape.
[0024] A system and method of supplying fluids across varying elevations is provided that maintains a point of discharge at a desired pressure. While not intended to be a limitation of the invention, this point of discharge is capable of being at low pressure even down to fractional pounds per square inch (psi) across elevation changes of many feet. While the design of the system does provide a substantially constant pressure that is “below” the infeed pressure, the actual pressure differential is a function of the infeed pressure and the changes in elevation. The chamber flow rate should also be a fractional flow rate of the infeed flow rate. All the chambers flow rates should sum up to no more than the infeed flow rate, as a basic dictate of physics.
[0025] In a first embodiment 10 ( FIG. 1 ), the system comprises a plurality of components, including an infeed line 11 into which fluid flows from a pressurized source 12 . This fluid should be at a pressure that is capable of overcoming a rise in elevation that serves to reduce the pressure of the fluid by 0.433 psi per foot of inclination. The second factor the pressure of the infeed fluid flow must overcome is that of frictional pressure loss through the tubing, which is a function of the line material.
[0026] The fluid flows from the infeed line 11 to an inlet 13 connecting the infeed line 11 to a connection chamber 14 . The inlet 13 , which can comprise a connecting line 13 , is smaller than the infeed line 11 to reduce the flow rate so that subsequent connection chambers can all be connected in series along the infeed line 11 .
[0027] Although the connection chamber 14 is illustrated as being cylindrical, this is not intended as a limitation on the invention, as one skilled in the art will understand this chamber can be of any shape and size. This chamber 14 is sealed on opposed ends 15 , 20 , and can be connected with other, separate chambers in series lengthwise having interior chambers isolated from each other. Alternatively, these chambers could be independent of one another. The only inflow of fluid into the chamber 14 is through the inlet 13 from the feed line 11 . While only one inlet 13 is required, multiple inlet lines can serve the same purpose as one line.
[0028] Fluid is maintained in the connection chamber 14 . The pressure in this chamber 14 is regulated by a pressure-regulating valve 17 located adjacent an outlet 18 of the connection chamber 14 . One skilled in the art will understand that the pressure-regulating valve 17 can be positioned substantially anywhere between the connection chamber 14 and a discharge line 19 . The actual position shown in FIG. 1 is for illustrative purposes only. The pressure-regulating valve 17 comprises a pressure relief valve with a specified “hold back” pressure. Such valves are commercially available down to fractional psi settings. While not intended to be a limitation of the design, in FIG. 1 the connection chamber 14 is shown as having the end 20 formed as a cylindrical seal, which could be made as a simple weld or pinch, as is obvious to one skilled in the art. The purpose of this seal 20 is to prevent fluid from flowing throughout the other chambers positioned longitudinally in series with the connection chamber 14 .
[0029] The system 10 further comprises an outlet line 21 for extracting the controlled pressure fluid. This outlet line 21 can be connected to any type of dispersing equipment such as drip tubing, drip heads, membranes, sprayers, etc. Another embodiment includes covering part of or the entire discharge chamber with a porous material, allowing the fluid to be transmitted to the surroundings. Multiple outlet lines from a single connection chamber can comprise another embodiment.
[0030] The system 10 additionally comprises a connecting line 22 that connects a discharge 23 of the pressure-regulating valve to the discharge line 19 . When the elevation decreases, the discharge line 19 can operate at a free-flow state. If there are positive and negative changes in elevation, a suction pump 24 can be added to ensure proper operation of the pressure regulating valve 17 , and to ensure that the pressure in the discharge line 19 remain below that in the feed line 11 .
[0031] In an embodiment 30 , the feed supply line, discharge line, and connection chamber can share one structure ( FIG. 2 ). Although not intended as a limitation on the invention, this structure comprises a porous membrane 31 positioned in covering relation to the connection chamber 33 . The membrane 31 itself then becomes the permeable discharge line. The fluid (decreased and constant pressure) is then capable of flowing through the porous membrane 31 . While it is not required that the membrane 31 be formed with the infeed 32 and discharge 35 lines, one skilled in the art could appreciate that any of the individual components could have its own structure and be connected via tubing or lines to the other components; the resulting function would be the same. In this embodiment 30 , the membrane 31 is illustrated as comprising the connection chamber, but could have comprised a third sealed line instead of a membrane.
[0032] The use of a connection chamber 33 with a feed line 34 and a discharge line 35 is what enables efficient operation of the system 30 . One skilled in the art will also see that a progressive hole size along the feed line with calibrated inlet and outlet diameters would also provide a steady and constant pressure for a given flow rate, pressure, and velocity. This embodiment 30 should preferably be engineered for specific applications but would allow the design to operate without the pressure-regulating valve. In the simplest form, the pressure-regulating valve can comprise a simple pressure-relief valve, such as a “duck bill” valve.
Example 1
[0033] An exemplary downhill application of the system 40 ( FIG. 3 ) illustrates an application to an irrigation or fertilization system. A reservoir tank 41 is used as a means of maintaining a supply of water and/or fertilizer. This reservoir tank could be replaced by a fluid supply line, for example.
[0034] In this example, water is pumped via a fluid pump 42 (or gravity fed if the pump is to be omitted) into the feed supply line 43 . While not intended as a limitation, the system 40 is shown to be buried as a subsurface line beneath the ground surface 44 , following the contour of the land. One skilled in the art will also recognize that this system 40 can also be used as a surface or elevated system.
[0035] In a particular embodiment, an additional fluid pump 45 can be added to return the fluid to the storage tank 41 , which can be placed anywhere within the system 40 . In this application, not intended to be limiting, the system 40 comprises a recirculation system. One of the benefits of a recirculation system is that expensive additives can be used with minimal waste, runoff, and percolation. In standard irrigation practice today, runoff and percolation are major concerns, as fertilizers and salts are contaminating soils, lakes, rivers, and streams. A result of this contamination is fish kills, reduced crop yields, and the destruction of natural ecological systems. Low-pressure supply of the fresh water and fertilizers can significantly reduce runoff, percolation, and fertilizer contamination of the surrounding environment.
[0036] When considering prime farmland, a slope of 8 degrees is considered to be maximum. In this example, if the length of application 46 is 500 feet, the elevation change 47 would be 40 feet. Without the use of the present invention for maintaining low pressure along the length of the line, the pressure would increase approximately 17 psi along the span from the elevation start 48 to the elevation end 49 , greatly affecting the discharge of irrigation water and/or fertilizer. A second advantage of the present system 40 is that fresh water is conserved, since low-pressure discharge can be applied at much slower rates, less water is used, and water is dispersed at rates closer to the absorption rates of plant life.
[0037] The frictional pressure loss at the end of the run in this example can be calculated by knowing the type of material from which the feed supply line is constructed and the length of the line run. Assuming an infeed flow rate of 32 gallons per minute, a velocity of 5 feet per second, a run length of 500 feet, a 1.5-in.-diameter line made from PVC Schedule 40, it can be estimated that the pressure loss due to friction is between 12 and 20 psi. If the 20 psi frictional loss is used, and the 17 psi gain from the change in elevation is added (calculated above), the infeed supply line will have a net 3 psi loss along the run.
[0038] If the run were uphill instead of downhill, the net pressure loss would be 37 psi (the sum of the frictional loss plus the elevation pressure loss). Therefore, a standard inlet pressure of 65 psi should more than suffice to overcome frictional and elevation pressure losses in any elevation changes across prime farm land and 500 feet in length.
[0039] The next design criterion to consider is the size of the inlet 42 and outlets 48 , 49 of the connection chamber 41 . Using the 1.5-in.-diameter feed supply line 43 as above to provide a minimal flow rate typical of most membrane applications, the diameter of the inlet to the connection chamber 41 should be significantly smaller. Using a fourth-power dependency approximation equation, a diameter of 1/16th in. (0.0625 in.) will result in a flow rate of 3×10-6 of the original flow rate. In this case the original flow rate of 32 gallons per minute would result in 9.6×10-5 gallons per minute. This diameter can be adjusted for any desired flow rate. A critical factor is that the summation of all the desired flow rates into the connection chamber 41 cannot exceed the initial flow rate of the feed supply line 43 .
[0040] It can be beneficial if the outlet line of the connection chamber 41 is larger than the inlet 42 . Calculating exit velocities can help one designate the proper pressure control valve to be utilized.
Example 2
[0041] In FIG. 4 a rolling hill is illustrated as an example of a downhill application of a system 60 where along the line a decrease in elevation is followed by an increase in elevation. This is an example of how the invention may be applied to an irrigation or fertilization system. A reservoir tank 61 is used as a means of maintaining a supply of water and/or fertilizer. This reservoir tank could be replaced by a fluid supply line, for example.
[0042] Water is pumped via a feed pump 62 (or gravity fed if the pump is to be omitted) into the feed supply line of the embodiment 60 . While not intended to be a limitation of the invention, the system 60 is buried as a subsurface line beneath the ground surface 64 following the contour of the land. One skilled in the art will recognize that this system 60 could also be used as a surface or elevated system.
[0043] At the end of the run, an additional fluid pump 65 is added to return the fluid to the storage tank 61 , which can be placed anywhere within the system 60 . Here the system 60 is shown as comprising a recirculation system. Again, a benefit of a recirculation system is that expensive additives can be used with minimal waste and runoff.
[0044] As above, for prime farmland a slope of 8 degrees is considered to be maximum. In this example, if the length of application 70 was 500 feet, the elevation change 71 would be 40 feet. As for Example 1, without the present system 60 , pressure would increase approximately 17 psi along the span from elevation start 66 to elevation end 67 , greatly affecting the discharge of the irrigation water and/or fertilizer. Again, fresh water is conserved, as discussed above.
[0045] Following a first low point in elevation 68 , there is an increase in elevation to point 69 . From point 68 to point 69 , the pressure decreases at 0.433 psi per foot of elevation change. The head pressure at this point would change 2.165 lbs if the change in elevation from 68 to 69 were 5 feet (=0.433×5).
[0046] A significance of the system 60 can be illustrated when compared with a standard run of drip irrigation tubing along this same run. With the standard drip irrigation tube, there will be significantly more flow at points of higher pressure. Therefore the flows at point 68 exceed that at all points where the elevation is higher, including point 69 . When trying to apply a uniform and conservative amount of irrigation and/or fertilizer, this change in flow causes the even distribution to be an impossibility. Here, the pressure in the collection chamber 61 is the same throughout the run, and thus even distribution and application is achieved. A preset pressure is maintained in the collection chamber 61 despite the pressure changes in the feed and discharge lines caused by elevation changes or frictional effects.
[0047] It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, that maintenance of a substantially constant pressure across changing elevations is a difficult task. If not engineered for each specific topographical application, no prior system is known to exist for mass application. It can also be appreciated that typical topographical changes are three dimensional and not simply two dimensional.
[0048] One skilled in the art can appreciate how complex current approaches to solving the elevation pressure losses and gains can quickly become complex and multi-tiered. These two factors alone can significantly add cost to any project or application. The need to engineer a specific solution for each individual application also results in an unwillingness to undertake such projects, thereby further demonstrating the significance of the present invention.
[0049] A third important factor is the need for highly efficient irrigation practices. Current technologies in development and becoming commercially available are the utilization of membrane technologies to provide highly efficient means of irrigation. These membranes require reduced- and constant-pressurize fluids for even distribution and application.
[0050] It has been shown that through the addition of a sectioned connection chamber and appropriate connections, the effects of pressure changes due to elevation changes can be minimized. This enables the application of technology that would have been held back due to the requirement of constant pressure being applied across varying elevations.
[0051] It has also been shown that the current invention can easily be modified into a single structure to reduce the complexity and provide for easy installation and application. Any possible combination of the assembly from separate components into a single entity can easily be appreciated by one skilled in the art.
[0052] It has additionally been shown that the present invention can be modified to provide additional benefits, such as that a recirculation system is possible for gaining additional benefits when applied to distribution systems such as irrigation, fertilization, or insecticide. Here, the discharge line captures and returns the overflow, while maintaining the optimal pressure.
[0053] Additionally, it has been shown that the present invention has many applications beyond those listed here, such as with membranes, spray heads, and drip tubing. The benefit of having a constant pressure at multiple points ensures an even distribution, no matter what the means of distribution is. Every point of distribution along the line operates in a substantially similar fashion.
[0054] It has also been shown that with small engineering changes, components such as the pressure-regulating valve can be eliminated; however, the easy and mass construction is forfeited, since all hole and tubing dimensions must be calculated and the components precisely assembled. | A system for providing fluid at a uniform pressure throughout varying elevations includes multiple channels or a chambered supply line. The feed into the supply line is maintained at a higher pressure to overcome increasing elevations. The return or open line is run with or next to the feed line. A connection chamber connects the two lines, and the connection to the return line is made by a set minimum-pressure valve, which maintains a desired pressure in the connection chamber by closing upon minimum pressure and opening to relieve higher-than-desired pressure. This system can be used for irrigation, fertilization, pesticide delivery, or any situation in which a consistent pressure is desired at an exit point, such as with membrane or drip tubing-type systems. Membranes can be used as the connection chamber itself. | 0 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to logging tool conveyance methods for highly deviated or horizontal wells. More specifically, the invention relates to downhole tractor tools that may be used to convey other logging tools in a well.
2. Background Art
The invention is a device that selectively grips or releases the well wall. It can also position the tractor tool at the center of the well bore.
Once a well is drilled, it is common to log certain sections of it with electrical instruments. These instruments are sometimes referred to as “wireline” instruments, as they communicate with the logging unit at the surface of the well through an electrical wire or cable with which they are deployed. In vertical wells, often the instruments are simply lowered down the well on the logging cable. In horizontal or highly deviated wells, however, gravity is frequently insufficient to move the instruments to the depths to be logged. In these situations, it is necessary to use alternative conveyance methods. One such method is based on the use of downhole tractor tools that run on power supplied through the logging cable and pull or push other logging tools along the well.
Downhole tractors use various means to generate the traction necessary to convey logging tools. Some designs employ powered wheels that are forced against the well wall by hydraulic or mechanical actuators. Others use hydraulically actuated linkages to anchor part of the tool against the well wall and then use linear actuators to move the rest of the tool with respect to the anchored part. A common feature of all the above systems is that they use “active” grips to generate the radial forces that push the wheels or linkages against the well wall. The term “active” means that the devices that generate the radial forces use power for their operation. The availability of power downhole is limited by the necessity to communicate through a long logging cable. Since part of the power is used for actuating the grip, tractors employing active grips tend to have less power available for moving the tool string along the well. Thus, an active grip is likely to decrease the overall efficiency of the tractor tool. Active grips have another disadvantage. This is the relative complexity of the device and, hence, it's lower reliability. A more efficient and reliable gripping device can be constructed by using a passive grip that does not require power for the generation of high radial forces. In one such design, the gripping action is achieved through sets of arcuate-shaped cams that pivot on a common axis located at the center of the tool. This gripping system allows the tractor tool to achieve superior efficiency. However, by virtue of the physics of their operation, the cams allow tractoring in only one (downhole) direction. Another limitation of this system is the relatively narrow range of well bore sizes in which these cams can operate. In addition, the cams cannot centralize the tool by themselves. This requires the usage of dedicated centralizers, which increase the tractor tool length.
Downhole tractor tools that use various methods of operation to convey logging tools along a well have been previously disclosed and are commercially available.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,055 discloses a conveyance apparatus for conveying at least one logging tool through an earth formation traversed by a horizontal or highly deviated borehole. The conveyance apparatus comprises a pair of arcuate-shaped cams pivotally mounted to a support member, a spring member for biasing the arcuate surface of each cam into contact with the borehole wall, and actuators operatively connected to each cam. A logging tool is attached to the conveyance apparatus. When either actuator is activated in a first direction, the cam connected to the activated actuator is linearly displaced forward and the arcuate surface of the cam slides along the borehole wall. When either actuator is activated in a second direction, the activated actuator pulls the connected cam backwards and the spring member thereby urges the arcuate surface of the cam to lock against the borehole wall. Once the cam is locked, further movement of the actuator propels both the conveyance apparatus and the logging tool forward along the highly deviated or horizontal borehole.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,323 discloses a tractor system which, in certain embodiments, includes a body connected to an item, first setting means on the body for selectively and releasably anchoring the system in a bore, first movement means having a top and a bottom, the first movement means on the body for moving the body and the item, the first movement means having a first power stroke, and the tractor system for moving the item through the bore at a speed of at least 10 feet per minute.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,461 discloses a tractor system for moving an item through a wellbore with a central mandrel interconnected with the item, first setting means about the central mandrel for selectively and releasably anchoring the system in a wellbore, the central mandrel having a top, and a bottom, and a first power thread therein, the first setting means having a first follower pin for engaging the first power thread to power the first setting means to set the first setting means against an inner wall of the bore. In one aspect, the tractor system is for moving the item through the bore at a speed of at least 10 feet per minute. In one aspect, the tractor system has second setting means on the central mandrel for selectively and releasably anchoring the system in the bore, the second setting means spaced apart from the first setting means, and the central mandrel having a second power thread therein and a second retract thread therein, the second retract thread in communication with the second power thread, and the second setting means having a second follower pin for engaging the second power thread to power the second setting means to set the second setting means against the inner wall of the bore.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,131 discloses a conveyance apparatus for conveying at least one logging tool through an earth formation traversed by a horizontal or highly deviated borehole. The conveyance apparatus comprises a pair of arcuate-shaped cams pivotally mounted to a support member, means for biasing the arcuate surface of each cam into contact with the borehole wall, and actuators operatively connected to each cam. A logging tool is attached to the conveyance apparatus. When either actuator is activated in a first direction, the cam connected to the activated actuator is linearly displaced forward and the arcuate surface of the cam slides along the borehole wall. When either actuator is activated in a second direction, the activated actuator pulls the connected cam backwards and the biasing means thereby urges the arcuate surface of the cam to lock against the borehole wall. Once the cam is locked, further movement of the actuator propels both the conveyance apparatus and the logging tool forward along the highly deviated or horizontal borehole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,676 discloses a self-propelled powered apparatus for traveling along a tubular member that includes power driven wheels for propelling the apparatus, a biasing means for biasing the driven wheels into contact with the inner surface of the tubular member, and a retracting means for retracting the driven wheels from the driving position so that the apparatus can be withdrawn from the tubular member. The retracting means also include means to automatically retract the driven wheels from the driving position when the power to the apparatus is cut-off.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
One embodiment of the invention comprises a linkage apparatus for selectively gripping and releasing the inside walls of a conduit, the apparatus comprising: a first arm; a bi-directional gripping cam rotatably attached to the arm; and an extension and locking device adapted to selectively radially extend the arm from a tool housing to an inside wall of a conduit and adapted to selectively lock the arm in an extended position.
Another embodiment of the invention comprises an apparatus for selectively gripping and releasing the inside wall of a conduit, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of linkages, each linkage comprising a first arm having a first end and a second end; a second arm having a first end and a second end, the second end of the first arm pivotably attached to the second end of the second arm, and a bi-directional gripping cam rotatably attached to at least one of the second end of the first arm and the second end of the second arm; a grip body, the first end of the first arm pivotably attached to the grip body; a hub, adapted to slide relative to the grip body, the first end of the second arm pivotably attached to the hub; and an extension and locking device adapted to selectively radially extend the linkages from the grip body and adapted to selectively lock the linkages in an extended position.
Another embodiment of the invention comprises a method for conveying a tool body through a conduit, comprising: moving a bi-directional gripping cam into contact with an inner wall of a conduit; laterally locking a position of the cam; and moving the tool body axially with respect to the cam in a first direction.
Advantages of the invention include one or more of the following:
A device that acts as a tool centralizer;
A device that selectively grips or releases the inside walls of a circular conduit such as a well or a pipe;
A device with an extended operational range of well bore sizes;
A device having double-sided cams that can grip in both the downhole and uphole directions;
A device that provides superior efficiency and reliability; and
A device having a passive grip system;
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an cross-sectional view of the overall architecture of a downhole tractor conveyance system.
FIG. 2 is a three dimensional perspective view of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a magnified perspective view of one of the linkages of the invention.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the elements of the linkage shown in FIG. 3 .
FIGS. 5A and 5C are side views of the double-sided cam geometry, FIG. 5B is a perspective view of same.
FIGS. 6A, 6 B, and 6 C are side views that demonstrate the gripping action of the cam.
FIGS. 7A through 7H are side views that illustrate the process of cam reversal.
FIGS. 8A, 8 B, and 8 C are longitudinal cross-sectional views of a hydraulic embodiment of the invention.
FIGS. 9A and 9B are longitudinal cross-sectional views of a hydraulic a embodiment of the invention in different states of operation.
FIG. 10A is a top view of the invention in its fully open state.
FIG. 10B is a sectional view of a hydraulic embodiment of the invention in a fully closed state taken along the section line A—A of FIG. 9 A.
FIG. 11A through 11E are longitudinal cross-sectional views of a hydraulic embodiment of the invention that schematically show the major operational processes.
FIGS. 12A, 12 B, and 12 C are longitudinal cross-sectional views of an electro-mechanical embodiment of the invention that schematically show the major operational processes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention proposes an improved passive grip system. It may be used to centralize a logging or other well tool, allow bi-directional motion, and/or have a much wider operational range of well bore sizes than prior art systems. The invention is a combination of gripping cams and a centralizer with lockable geometry. It may be used to perform two major functions. The first is to act as a tool centralizer. The second is to selectively grip or release the inside walls of a conduit such as a well or a pipe. In one embodiment, the invention may be used as a part of a downhole tractor conveyance system. Its major elements may include a grip body, double-sided cams, cam springs, centralizer arms, wheels, hub, centralizer opening/closing device, and/or a locking device. The arms and the hub may be combined into linkages that can expand or contract radially as the hub slides with respect to the grip body in the axial direction. These linkages provide extended operational range, centralizing action, and when the hub is locked in place, support for the cams when they grip. The centralizer opening/closing device may selectively bias the linkages towards the well walls or close the arms back into the grip body. The cams are mounted at the tips of the linkages that come in contact with the well wall. The cams may be used to provide the gripping action. Since the cams are double-sided they can be used to grip in both the downhole and uphole directions. Cam springs may be provided to keep the cams in contact with the conduit wall. The wheels reduce the friction between the arms and the conduit wall when the device does not grip. The function of the locking device is to selectively lock or unlock the hub and thus the geometry of the centralizer. All these elements may be mounted onto the grip body.
The invention may be combined with a linear actuator, rails, a compensator, and an electronics block to form a tractor tool sonde. The grip body can slide back and forth on the rails of the sonde. One of the linear actuator's functions may be to reciprocate the grip body with respect to the rest of the sonde. The compensator provides pressure compensation of internal volumes and the fluid necessary for the operation of the grip. The electronics block may drive and control the electric motor of the linear actuator and the locking device. Two or more sondes may be used in a complete tractor tool to enable continuous motion of the tractor. In addition, the tractor tool may contains an electronics cartridge and a logging head that connects the tool to the logging cable. It may also contain additional auxiliary devices. The tractor tool may be attached to other logging tools that it can convey along the well.
In one embodiment, the invention, further referred to as grip, may be a part of a downhole tractor conveyance system. One possible embodiment of the tractor system in a tool string is schematically shown in FIG. 1 . The tool string shown in the figure comprises a logging head 4 that connects the tool string to the logging cable 2 , auxiliary equipment 6 , electronics cartridge 8 , two tractor mechanical sondes 10 , and multiple logging tools 12 . The electronics cartridge 8 and the two mechanical sondes 10 comprise the downhole tractor conveyance system. The electronics cartridge 8 is responsible for communication with surface equipment and other tools in the tool string, supply of power to the logging tools, and control of the mechanical sondes 10 . In another embodiment, the elements of the tractor system are not connected to each other and may have logging tools 12 between them as shown in FIG. 1 .
In another embodiment, the grip, which is denoted with the reference number 20 , may be a part of a mechanical sonde 10 . Other elements of the mechanical sonde can include an electronics section 14 , linear actuator section 16 , rail section 18 , compensator section 22 , and lower head 24 . The grip 20 slides back and forth inside the rail section 18 and is connected to the linear actuator section 16 and compensator section 22 through push rods 26 and 28 . The grip 20 and the linear actuator 16 , rail 18 , and compensator 22 sections are oil-filled, while the electronics section 14 and the lower head 24 are typically air-filled. Bulkheads 30 and 48 separate the oil and air-filled sections of the tool and provide electrical communications between these sections. The role of the linear actuator 16 is to reciprocate the grip 20 along the rails 18 . In this embodiment, the major elements of the linear actuator 16 are a motor 32 , a gearbox 34 , a ball screw 36 , and a ball nut 38 . The ball nut 38 is attached to push rod 26 . The motor 32 is the prime source of mechanical power for the tool. The power and control circuits for the motor can be located in the electronics section 14 . The ball screw 36 and the ball nut 38 convert the rotary motion at the output shaft of the gearbox 34 into linear motion. As the motor 32 rotates back and forth, the ball nut 38 reciprocates along the ball screw 36 . This reciprocating motion is transmitted to the grip 20 through the push rod 26 . The push rod 26 also contains a cocking piston 42 , which acts as a source of high pressure when activating the grip 20 . A compensator-side push rod 28 is mainly responsible for electrical and hydraulic communications between the grip 20 and the rest of the tool. This is schematically shown by the wire 44 . Note that the grip 20 is exposed to well bore fluid. The push rods 26 and 28 have to repeatedly exit the oil-filled sections of the tool, get into the well bore fluids and then reenter the tool. Dynamic seals 40 and 46 prevent any entry of well fluids into the tool. The function of the compensator 22 is to provide pressure compensation, and hydraulic fluid necessary for the operation of the grip 20 . The compensator 22 is piston-type, which major elements are a piston 50 , spring 52 and dynamic seals 54 . Except for the grip 20 , all other elements of the mechanical sonde have been previously disclosed and are commercially available in embodiments similar to those shown in FIG. 1 . These devices are discussed here because their presence is helpful in explaining the operation of the invention.
In general, the invention comprises a grip body, double-sided cams, wheels, biasing springs, centralizer linkages, a hub, a centralizer opening/closing device and a locking device. A three dimensional view of the one possible embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 2 where the grip body is denoted by the reference number 60 . Three sets of linkages 62 are attached to the grip body 60 and to a hub 64 , which can slide with respect to the grip body 60 . The grip body 60 is attached to the other parts of the tool (not shown) with push rods 26 and 28 . A magnified view of one of the linkages 62 is shown in FIG. 3 . The linkages 62 are comprised of a first arm 66 , a second arm 67 , and pins 68 , which attach the first arm 66 and the second arm 67 to the grip body 60 and to the hub 64 . The cams 70 and the wheels 72 are mounted on a common axle 74 , which also joins the two arms 66 . One possible arrangement of the elements that are located at the tip of the linkage 62 is shown in FIG. 4 . The wheels 72 can rotate freely on the axle 74 . The cams 70 also can rotate on the axle 74 but are oriented in an outward pointing direction by biasing springs (not shown in the figure) located in slots 76 cut in the arms 66 . The wheels 72 and the cams 70 are separated by spacers 78 , which prevent direct frictional interaction between the wheels 72 and the cams 70 . The axle 74 is secured in place by a retaining ring 79 .
The shape of the cams 70 is an important feature of the invention. The shape is used to provide both gripping action and bi-directionality. A bi-directional gripping cam is shown in FIGS. 5A, 5 B, and 5 C. FIG. 5A is a front view, while FIG. 5B represents a three-dimensional view of the cam. The geometry of the cam is characterized by a constant contact angle, designated by the letter α in FIGS. 5A and 5C. The contact angle is defined as the angle between a line connecting the center of the cam pivot with the point of contact between the cam surface and a tangential plane, and the normal to that plane that passes through the cam axle. The advantage of this cam is that the contact angle does not change with the location of the contact point on the cam surface, which ensures consistent gripping force. Although the constant-angle is the geometry for the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, other geometries such as eccentric wheels (shown in FIG. 5C) or cams with variable contact angle may also be constructed to provide similar functionality.
The combination of the double-sided cam 70 with the wheels 72 is an important feature of the invention. Its different ways of interaction with the well wall determine the most important functions of the invention, including its ability to act as a centralizer, its ability to grip the well wall, and its ability to reverse direction. The interaction of the cam 70 and the wheels 72 with the well wall is explained in FIGS. 6A, 6 B, and 6 C. FIG. 6B represents a static contact between the cam/wheel system and the well wall 150 . The contact is described as static because no axial forces F C 152 is applied to the centerline) are applied to the axle 74 . A radial centralizing force F C 152 is applied to the axle 74 by a centralizing device, which is not shown in the figure and which is discussed in detail later. In addition, a much smaller force F S 154 is applied to the cam surface, which is the resultant of the action of two cam springs (shown at 157 in FIGS. 11 A-E). The function of the cam springs 157 is to keep cam 70 in constant contact with the well wall 150 . The centralizing force F C gives rise to a reaction force F N 156 in the point of contact between the wheel 72 and the wall 150 . The cam 70 also contacts the wall 150 but in a different contact point. As explained in FIG. 5A, this contact point is always at an angle α from the normal direction. The force at the point where the cam 70 contacts the wall is denoted by F RS 158 . Note that this force is much smaller than F C 152 because force F S exerted by the cam spring 157 is much weaker than the force F C exerted by the centralizing device. Thus, in this situation, the wheel 72 carries the majority of the radial load.
Now consider the application on axle 74 of an axial force F R 160 pointing to the right. This situation is shown in FIG. 6 C. The axial force creates a tendency of the whole system to move to the right and gives rise to frictional forces at both contact points on the wheel 72 and the cam 70 . Under the influence of the axial force F R 160 , the wheel 72 starts to roll on the well wall 150 , as indicated by the arrow 164 . Since rolling contacts are characterized by very small coefficients of friction, the frictional drag due to the interaction between the wheel and the well wall is negligible. For this reason it is not shown in FIG. 7 C. The other contact point is between the cam 70 and the well wall 150 . It is characterized by sliding friction and, hence, a much larger coefficient of friction. This contact, however, does not generate much frictional drag either. The reason is that the frictional force F FR 162 tends to rotate the cam in the clockwise direction and thus out of contact with the well wall 150 . Thus, the spring force F S 154 and the frictional force F FR 162 act against each other, which results in minimal frictional drag. Another reason for the small magnitude of F FR is that the radial force F S that generates it is quite small. In summary, the motion of the cam/wheels system to the right generates very little frictional interaction between the tip of the linkage 62 (FIG. 4) and the well wall 150 . This results in practically free rolling of the grip with respect to the well wall 150 when pushed to the right. Also note that during this rolling motion, the axle 74 stays at a substantially constant distance from the well wall.
Application of an axial force F P 166 in the opposite direction (pointing to the left) is shown in FIG. 6 A. As the direction of motion changes, so are the friction forces at all contact points. The friction force, which in FIG. 6C tended to rotate the cam 70 in the clockwise direction and, thus, away from the wall 150 , now forces the cam to rotate in the counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow 172 . The geometry of the cam 70 is such (see FIG. 5) that when it rotates on its axle, its contact radius (defined as the distance between the contact point and the axis of the cam axle) either increases or decreases. In this case it increases. Thus, as the cam 70 rotates, it becomes wedged against the well wall 150 by the frictional force F FP 176 at the contact point. Also, its contact radius becomes larger than the radius of the wheels 72 and the wheels 72 come out of contact with the well wall. Note that this action also requires that the axle 74 move away from the well wall, as indicated by the change in distance denoted by Δh 170 . This change in distance usually involves an increase in the magnitude of the radial force. In FIG. 6A, this is shown by the addition of the force F L to the existing centralizing force F C 168 . After the wheels lift off from the wall surface, the whole radial load is carried by the cam 70 . This, in turn, leads to higher normal contact forces and, consequently, higher friction. Higher friction forces wedge the cam harder against the wall, which leads to even higher frictional forces, and so on. This is a self-actuating process, which can result in an extremely high radial contact force. This is especially true if the axle 74 is prevented from moving away from the well wall by some mechanical locking device (not shown). In the latter case, the rolling of the cam 70 with respect to the well wall stops and the only possibility for relative motion between the cam and the well wall is through sliding friction. A moderate coefficient of friction at the contact point between the cam 70 and the well wall 150 combined with the very large force F N 174 can generate high enough frictional force F FP 176 to prevent any relative sliding between the cam 70 and the well wall 150 . In this situation, the grip ( 20 in FIG. 1) grips the well wall and becomes anchored in place.
FIGS. 7A through 7H show the reversal of the cam 70 , which then allows change in the direction of tractoring. The cam reversal process is similar to the process of gripping the casing that was explained with regards to FIG. 6 A. However, in this case, the vertical displacement of axle 74 is not constrained. In the position of the cam/wheel system shown in FIG. 7A, the system can move freely to the left and grip if forced to the right. In its initial stage, the cam reversal process follows the events explained in FIG. 6 A. An axial force F R 160 is applied to the cam axle 74 . A reaction friction force μF RS 162 is then generated by the tendency of the cam 70 to slide with respect to the well wall 150 . The forces F R and μF RS rotate the cam 70 in the direction indicated by the arrow 164 . The rotation of the cam 70 in the clockwise direction tends to increase the contact radius of the cam, which pushes axle 74 upward. Since the wheels' radius is smaller than the contact radius of the cam 70 , the wheels 72 come out of contact with the well wall. These events are shown in FIG. 7B, wherein the axial force on the axle 74 is denoted by F P 166 . This indicates the increase in axial force necessary to push the axle 74 upwards and to roll the cam towards increasing its contact radius. The next phase in the rotation of the cam is shown in FIG. 7 C. This figure is the mirror image of FIG. 6 A. As explained with respect to FIG. 6A, the rotation of the cam 70 will stop and the cam will grip the casing if axle 74 is locked in place radially. In contrast, in FIG. 7C, the axle 74 remains unlocked and the rotation of cam 70 continues. This process leads to the situation shown in FIG. 7 D. In this position, cam 70 makes contact at its largest contact radius and is at the turning point of flipping over. FIG. 7E shows the moment just after flipping the cam beyond its largest radius. Note that the axial force has dropped substantially in value and is again indicated by F R 160 . From this point on forces F C , F N , and F R all act to continue the rotation of the cam, which for this reason proceeds very quickly. Consecutive positions of the cam are shown in FIGS. 7F and 7G. Finally the can comes to the position shown in FIG. 7H, which is exactly the same as that shown in FIG. 6 C. From this point on, the cam/wheel assembly moves with very little resistance with respect to the well wall 150 , as explained with respect to FIG. 6 C. This completes the reversal of the cam 70 . Note that the cam/wheel system now moves freely to the right and grips when an attempt is made to move it to the left as long as the radial position of the axle 74 is locked or fixed. This is exactly the opposite of the position shown in FIG. 7 A. Thus, the reversal of the cam 70 has the effect of changing the direction of tractoring.
In addition to the elements explained above, the grip ( 20 in FIG. 1) also includes a centralizer opening/closing device and a locking device. There are a number of possible embodiments for these devices, including but not limited to a fully hydraulic system, an electromechanical system, and combinations of these systems. The embodiment of a fully hydraulic system for the centralizer opening/closing device and the locking device is presented in detail in FIGS. 8-11. The embodiment of an electromechanical system is schematically presented in FIG. 12 .
The top portion of the hydraulic embodiment of the grip is shown in FIG. 8 A. FIG. 8B is a continuation of FIG. 8A, and FIG. 8C is a continuation of FIG. 8 B. The grip body 60 is connected to other parts of the tractor tool (not shown in FIG. 8) through push rods 26 on the top and 28 on the bottom. As explained earlier, the push rods are used to reciprocate the grip in the rail section ( 18 in FIG. 1) and to provide electrical and hydraulic communications.
The embodiment of the grip shown in FIG. 8 can be subdivided into several major sections depending on their functionality. These major sections from top to bottom are drive rod attachment 80 , opening/closing hydraulic block 90 , high pressure accumulator 100 , linkages section 110 , grip actuator 120 , locking hydraulic block 130 , and compensator rod attachment 140 . These elements are discussed in more detail below.
The forces involved in reciprocating the grip along the rails are equal to the pull that the tractor tool creates and can be substantial. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the attachment of the push rods 26 and 28 to the grip body 60 . The drive section attachment consists of a split clamp 83 and an end cap 82 , which is attached to the grip body 60 with bolts 84 . Passage 81 in the push rod 26 is used for fluid communication between the grip and a cocking piston (not shown in FIG. 8 ), which will be explained later. Static seals 85 are used to seal off external well fluids from the internal volumes of the tool. The invention also includes several identical fill ports 86 , which are used for initial filling of the tool with oil, for pressure measurements, and inspection.
The opening/closing hydraulic block 90 includes a hydraulic block body 96 , a solenoid valve 92 , check valves 98 and a contact assembly 94 . The latter is used to supply electrical power to the solenoid valve 92 , which can be selectively opened or closed by the control circuits located in the electronics block ( 14 in FIG. 1 ). The function of the check valves 98 is to direct the fluid flow in the proper chamber of the grip. A more detailed description of the role of the various hydraulic components is provided later with respect to FIG. 11 .
The third major section presented in FIG. 8 is the high-pressure accumulator 100 . It is located inside chamber 108 of grip body 60 . The major elements of the high-pressure accumulator are a floating piston 103 and a spring 106 . High-pressure dynamic seals 102 mounted on the piston 103 separate the high- pressure region 101 on the top of the piston from the low-pressure region 105 at the bottom. In addition, a pressure relief valve 104 is mounted inside the piston 103 . The role of the valve 104 is to set the maximum pressure of the high-pressure accumulator 100 .
The next section of the grip is the linkages section 110 . In the embodiment shown, this section houses three identical linkages 62 (described earlier in FIGS. 3-6) as well as the centralizer hub 64 . In other embodiments the linkages section 110 may have 2, 4, 5, or 6 linkages. The hub 64 is connected to the piston rod 118 with a bolt 116 , ensuring that the motion of the piston rod 118 is transmitted to the hub 64 . Other elements of this section are the auxiliary wheels 112 that pivot on hubs 114 . These wheels 112 are used to assist the opening of the arms in small-diameter well bore sizes. Features of the grip body 60 in this section include special cuts 115 and slots 117 that provide space for the linkages when the grip is fully closed. The closing of the linkages 62 into the grip body 60 can be better understood by examining FIG. 9, which will be discussed later. Also shown in FIG. 8 are internal passages 107 , which are used for hydraulic communication, as well as for passage of electrical wires. The hydraulic connections are discussed in more detail in FIG. 11 .
The function of the grip actuator 120 is to force the hub 64 to slide with respect to the grip body 60 , thus, opening or closing linkages 62 into the grip body 60 . Another function of the actuator 120 is to react the large axial forces that may be created by the cams 70 and then transmitted through the linkages 62 and the hub 64 to the actuator rod 118 . The actuator 120 is similar to a single-acting hydraulic cylinder. It consists of a piston 125 that is attached to the actuator rod 118 . The piston 125 slides inside bore 128 in the grip body 60 . The piston 125 separates the cylinder chamber 128 into a low-pressure region 124 on top of the piston 125 and a high-pressure region 127 at the bottom. High-pressure dynamic seals 126 prevent fluid communication between the low 124 and high 127 pressure regions. In addition, dynamic seals 122 mounted in a seal cartridge 121 seal around the surface of the actuator rod 118 and prevent external fluid from entering the cylinder chamber 128 . When the pressure in region 127 exceeds the pressure in region 124 , the piston 125 is pushed upward. This motion is transmitted through the actuator rod 118 to the hub 64 , which, in turn, drives linkages 62 out of the grip body 60 . When the pressure on both sides of the piston 125 is the same, spring 123 pushes piston 125 downward, resulting in closing linkages 62 into the grip body 60 .
The pressure in the actuator 120 is controlled by the locking hydraulic block 130 . Its function is to open or close the ports that connect chamber 128 to the rest of the grip. When these ports are closed, the fluid volume inside the actuator 120 is trapped. Since this fluid is practically incompressible (in one embodiment, oil), the effect of trapping the fluid is to lock the hub 64 in place and, thus, the geometry of linkages 62 . Similar to the hydraulic block 90 , discussed previously, the locking hydraulic block 130 consists of a body 132 , solenoid valve 134 and a contact assembly 136 that provides electric power to the solenoid valve. The contact assembly is connected to other electrical contacts 141 with the wire 138 , which runs along a hole 139 in the grip body 60 .
The last major section of the grip is the compensator-side push rod attachment 140 , which joins the push rod 28 to the grip body 60 . This attachment is very similar to the drive rod attachment 80 . It consists of a clamp 143 and an end cap 144 that is bolted to the grip body 60 with screws 145 . The attachment 140 also has static seals 142 that isolate the internal volumes of the grip from external fluids. The compensator-side push rod attachment 140 also provides oil communication with the tractor tool low-pressure compensator ( 24 in FIG. 1) through an internal channel 148 . The major difference between rod attachments 80 and 140 is the presence of electrical contacts 142 in attachment 140 . These contacts are used to supply power to solenoid valves 92 and 134 . These contacts are also connected with the electronics block ( 14 in FIG. 1) by wires 146 that run in the channel 148 .
In FIG. 8, linkages 62 are shown in a filly open position. This corresponds to the topmost position of the hub 64 and the piston 125 . As mentioned earlier, one of the advantages of a grip according to various embodiments of the invention is its capability to cover a large range of well bore sizes. To achieve this, linkages 62 can fold completely into the grip body 60 . Linkages 62 are also capable of assuming any intermediate position between their fully open and fully closed states. This is demonstrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B. FIG. 9A shows the same elements of the grip that were described in FIG. 7B with linkages 62 in the fully closed position. FIG. 9B, on the other hand, shows linkages 62 in an intermediate position. Note that in FIG. 9A, the arms 66 are completely retracted into the grip body cuts 115 . Even the cams 70 are retracted below the outline of the grip body 60 . Also note that the hub 64 is in contact with the seal cartridge 121 and the actuator rod 118 is completely inside the cylinder chamber 128 . In FIG. 9B, the actuator rod is extended upward by the distance denoted by “STROKE” in FIG. 9 B. The hub 64 has moved the same distance. This has forced linkages 62 to move out of cuts 115 in the grip body 60 and to expand outwardly in the radial direction. Further upward movement of the actuator rod 118 will cause the linkages 62 to extend even further out. This process of outward expansion can continue until the rod 118 exhausts its stroke or the spring 123 is compressed solid.
In the front cross-sectional view of the grip shown FIG. 9A, it is difficult to appreciate the amount of radial expansion that can be achieved by the grip. This is more clearly shown in FIG. 10 . FIG. 10A represents a top view of the grip in its fully open state. FIG. 10B, on the other hand, shows a cross section through the middle of the grip (denoted by 10 B— 10 B in FIG. 9A) when it is fully closed. FIG. 10A shows that the grip's radial dimensions can reach several times the envelope of the grip body 60 . FIG. 10A also presents a different view for the elements of the linkages 62 that were explained in FIGS. 3 and 4. Also note the three-lobe shape of the grip body 60 . This shape is required because the grip has to slide inside the rail section ( 18 in FIG. 1 ). The space 149 between the lobes and the circle 147 defined by the outlines of the grip body is occupied by the rails, on which the grip slides. FIG. 10B also shows how the cams 70 , wheels 72 , axles 74 , and the other elements located at the tips of the linkages 62 fit inside the grip body 60 . Note that when the linkages are fully closed the cams 70 meet at the centerline of the grip body 60 . The cross section in FIG. 10B also shows three of the oil and wire communication passages 107 that are machined into the grip body 60 .
The principle of operation of the embodiment of the invention that was shown in FIGS. 8-10 is explained in FIGS. 11A through 11C. This figure shows a simplified representation of the embodiment of the invention. The simplification is done for the sake of clarity when explaining the principle of operation. In FIG. 11, only one of the linkages 62 is shown because all linkages operate in a substantially identical manner. Similarly, only one of the rails of rail section 18 is shown. FIGS. 11A through 11C also depict the hydraulic communications between different sections of the grip. The numerical notations used in FIGS. 11A through 11C are the same as those in the figures explained earlier.
FIG. 11A shows the invention in its initial non-powered state. In this state, linkages 62 are fully closed into the grip body 60 . This state corresponds to the cross sectional view of the grip shown in FIG. 10 B. If the tractor tool is located in a horizontal section of a well, and if the grip is closed, the tractor tool body lies at the bottom of the well bore. Note that in FIG. 11A both solenoid valves 92 and 134 are not powered and open. Solenoid valve 134 allows hydraulic communication between chambers 101 of the high-pressure accumulator ( 100 in FIG. 8B) and 128 of the grip actuator ( 120 in FIG. 8 B). The other solenoid valve 92 and check valves 95 , 97 , 98 , and 99 allow communication between chamber 101 , the cocking piston chamber 180 and through push rod 28 the compensating section of the tool ( 22 in FIG. 1 ). Thus, all internal volumes of the grip are at the same pressure, which is equal to the pressure generated by the tractor tool compensator ( 22 in FIG. 1 ). In this situation, piston 102 is kept in its topmost position by spring 106 and piston 125 is pushed down by spring 123 . The hub 64 is also all the way down and the actuator rod 118 is fully retracted into the grip body 60 . Through piston 125 , actuator rod 118 , and hub 64 , spring 123 exerts closing force on linkages 62 and keeps them retracted into the grip body 60 . Thus, the linkages 62 do not extend beyond the outlines of the grip body 60 , which corresponds to the situation shown in FIG. 9 A.
FIG. 11B demonstrates one function of the grip, which is to centralize the tractor tool in the well bore. This centralization is achieved by pushing linkages 62 out of the grip body in the radial direction until they lift the tool off the well wall and position it at the center of the bore. This process begins by powering solenoid valve 92 , which is indicated by arrow 186 . Next, the grip ( 20 in FIG. 1) is pulled up by the linear actuator section ( 16 in FIG. 1 ). Initially, cocking piston 42 travels with the grip and is kept in its topmost position by cocking spring 182 . As the grip moves upwards, cocking piston 42 comes in contact with the end of the ball screw 36 , which prevents further upward motion of piston 42 . Since the motion of the grip 60 continues, the volume of chamber 180 in push rod 26 decreases. The pressure of the fluid trapped in this chamber increases, which is indicated by arrow 192 . The fluid used in the grip is substantially incompressible (in one embodiment, oil), hence, it forces its way out of the chamber. Since solenoid 92 is closed, the only possible way for the fluid to escape is through check valve 97 into chamber 101 . From chamber 101 , the high pressure fluid goes into passage 123 and through solenoid valve 134 , chamber 128 . The high pressure in chamber 101 pushes piston 102 down, compressing spring 106 . At the same time, the pressure in camber 128 pushes piston 125 up. The pressure exerted on piston 125 creates the axial force 190 designated by FA in the figure. The latter is transmitted through linkages 62 creating the radial centralizing force 152 , designated by F C in FIGS. 6A, 6 B, 6 C, 7 A through 7 H, 11 A, 11 B, and 11 C. As the pressure in chamber 180 increases, the centralizing force F C becomes high enough to overcome the weight of the tool and lifts the tool off the well wall. Due to the radial symmetry of linkages 62 (see FIG. 2) and due to the fact that they all are attached to the same hub 64 , the tool body moves towards the center of the well bore. When the tool is positioned at the center of the well bore, the pumping of fluid through rod 26 is stops. In this state, the grip 20 is ready to perform its function of a tool centralizer. Note, that although the grip 20 exerts radial forces that centralize the tool, the geometry of the linkages is not locked. This is demonstrated in FIG. 11 C. When the tool is pulled through a restriction by force F R 160 , linkages 62 must contract radially. This requires the hub 64 , actuator rod 118 , and piston 125 to move down. This reduces the volume of chamber 128 and fluid must flow out of it. This is possible because solenoid valve 134 is still open. Through passage 129 the extra fluid goes to chamber 101 pushing piston 102 down. Thus, the flexibility of the centralizer and the capability of the invention to adjust to changes in well bore size are ensured by the high-pressure accumulator ( 100 in FIG. 8 ). The processes just described are reversed if the grip moves from a smaller to a larger well bore. In this case fluid flows from the high-pressure accumulator (camber 101 ) to the grip actuator chamber 128 . Under all these circumstances, the grip continues to exert radial centralizing forces on the well wall.
The gripping function of the grip 20 is shown n FIG. 11 D. In this case, the drive rod exerts a pull force FP 166 in the upward direction, which is opposite to the direction of F R 160 in FIG. 11 C. The solenoid valve 134 is now energized and closed, which is indicated by the arrow 194 . By closing solenoid valve 134 , the only passage out of chamber 128 is blocked and the fluid inside chamber 128 becomes trapped. Due to force F P 166 , there is a tendency of the grip 20 to move upwards. This creates a friction force at the interface of the cam 70 and the well wall 150 , which tends to rotate the cam 70 in such a way as to enlarge the distance between the wall 150 and axle 74 . This process is the same as that described in FIG. 6 A. The tendency of axle 74 to move to the right requires that hub 64 moves down. However, the movement of hub 64 and hence piston 125 downward is prevented by the fluid that is trapped in chamber 128 . This makes the geometry of linkage 62 rigid, and prevents any further motion of axle 74 . As explained in FIG. 6A these are the conditions that cause the cam 70 to grip the well wall 150 and to become anchored in place. Since cams 70 and, therefore, grip 20 cannot move with respect to the well wall, the whole tool is pulled with respect to the anchored grip by force F P 166 . Anchored grip 20 and pulling of the whole tool with respect to the grip 20 are the events characteristic of the power stroke of the tool.
Finally, FIG. 11E describes the closing of linkages 62 back into the grip body 60 when power to solenoid valves 92 and 134 is shut off. In this case, both solenoid valves become open and fluid can flow freely through them. Spring 123 pushes piston 125 down, which results in closing linkages 62 into the grip body 60 . The fluid from chamber 128 flows through solenoid valve 134 and then through passage 129 to chamber 101 . In FIG. 11C, the fluid could not escape from chamber 101 because solenoid valve 92 was closed. Now solenoid valve 92 is open and the fluid from chamber 101 is pushed through it by spring 106 . Next, the fluid passes through check valves 98 and 99 to the cocking piston chamber 180 and through passage 107 and rod 28 to the compensator ( 22 _in FIG._ 1 ). At the end of this process, the grip returns back to the position shown in FIG. 11 A.
As indicated earlier, the hydraulic embodiment described in FIGS. 8-11 is only one possible construction of centralizing and locking devices. Another embodiment uses electromechanical devices as shown schematically in FIGS. 12A through 12C. One of the major elements of the electromechanical centralizing and locking devices is ball screw 200 , which is supported by bearings 202 and 218 in the grip body 60 . The ball screw 200 is powered by an electric motor 222 . A first ball nut 210 and second ball nut 214 travel on the ball screw 200 . The first ball nut 210 travels with hub 64 . The first ball nut 210 can rotate with respect to the hub on bearings 208 . The second ball nut 214 is attached to the carrier 216 , which prevents rotation, but allows axial displacement with respect to the grip body 60 . Other important elements are electromechanical brakes 206 and 220 and springs 204 and 212 . Brake 206 selectively locks ball nut 210 with respect to hub 64 . Brake 220 locks the ball screw 200 with respect to the grip body 60 . Spring 204 is the closing spring and its action is similar to spring 123 in FIG. 8 . Spring 212 provides the flexibility necessary for the centralization function of the invention and is functionally equivalent to spring 106 in FIG. 8 .
FIG. 12A shows the grip 20 in its non-powered state. The grip body 60 is in contact with the well wall 150 . Both hub 64 and ball nut 214 are pushed all the way down by springs 204 and 212 . FIG. 12A is functionally the same as FIG. 11 A. FIG. 12B shows the centralizing section of the grip 20 . The centralizing action begins by powering motor 222 , which turns ball screw 200 . Ball nut 214 is forced to travel upward until it reaches the position designated by “OPENING STROKE” 224 in FIG. 12 C. At this point, the motor 222 is turned off and brake 220 is activated. Brake 220 prevents ball screw 200 from rotating and, hence, keeps ball nut 214 in a fixed position. This action is equivalent to the action of the cocking piston in FIG. 11 B. Similarly, brake 220 performs the same function as solenoid valve 94 in FIG. 11 B. FIGS. 12B and 12C demonstrate the capability of the invention to accommodate changes in the well bore diameter. This is possible through the action of spring 212 , which either pushes hub 64 up in order to force linkages 64 further out or takes up the extra stroke when the grip goes through restrictions. In FIG. 12B and 12C, this is shown by the difference in displacements ΔS, designated by numbers 226 and 228 .
The other major function of the grip, the capability to grip the well wall is provided by linkages 62 and by the capability of the grip to lock the position of hub 64 with respect to the grip body 60 ; the locking is achieved by brake 206 . When activated, brake 206 prevents the rotation of ball nut 210 with respect to the ball screw 200 . Since ball screw 200 cannot rotate due to the action of brake 220 , the prevention of the rotation of ball nut 210 with respect to ball screw 200 is equivalent to locking the position of hub 64 . After the geometry is locked, the gripping action of the cams is the same as that described in FIGS. 6A, 6 B, and 6 C.
Having explained the centralizing and locking functions of a grip according to the invention, it is now possible to explain the tractoring action of the whole tool, of which the grip is an essential part. As explained in FIGS. 11A and 12A, when the tractor tool is not operational, the arms and the cams of the grip are retracted into the grip body. When the tool is first powered, the centralizing function of the grip is activated. The grip arms extend from the grip body and position the tool at the center of the well. At this stage, the grip has the flexibility of a conventional biased-arm centralizer. The linkages automatically open or close to follow any variation in well bore size.
To begin tractoring, the linear actuator ( 16 in FIG. 1) is activated. It starts reciprocating the grip with respect to the sonde body. If the tool has to tractor in the downhole direction, the radial position of the linkages 62 is kept unlocked during the downward stroke of the linear actuator and is locked during the upward stroke. During the downward stroke, the cams automatically orient themselves (see FIG. 7) in such a way that they can slide freely downhole and grip if an attempt is made to move them uphole. Thus, during the downward stroke the grip is easily pushed downhole by the linear actuator. During the upward stroke, the the radial position of the linkages 62 is locked and, as explained in FIG. 11D, the linkages 62 form a rigid body that keeps the axles of cams at fixed radial positions. The attempt to move the grip uphole creates frictional forces between the cam surfaces and the well wall. These forces tend to rotate the cams on their axles. Since the axles' positions are fixed, the tendency of the cams to rotate creates very strong radial forces on the axles. These forces are passively reacted by the centralizer linkages and by the locking device. The high radial forces create sufficient frictional interaction between the grip and the well wall to anchor the grip in place. Thus, during the upward stroke, the grip is anchored to the well wall and the linear actuator pulls the rest of the tool with respect to the grip in the downward direction. At the end of the upward stroke, the the radial position of the linkages 62 is unlocked and the grip releases the well wall. The grip is free to be moved further downhole during the second downward stroke. The sequence of locking the the radial position of the linkages 62 during the upward stroke and unlocking it during the downward stroke is repeated, which results in an “inchworm-like” downward motion of the tractor tool. With the linear actuators of the two sondes moving in opposite directions, it is possible to convert the inchworm motion of each individual sonde into a continuous motion for the whole tool.
To reverse the tractor's direction of motion from downhole to uphole, it is only necessary to change the locking sequence of the grip solenoid valves in the hydraulic embodiment. If the grip is unlocked during the upward stroke and locked during the downward stroke, the whole tool will travel uphole. It is to be noted that during the first upward stroke, the cams automatically reorient themselves to grip in the proper direction, following the events shown in FIGS. 7A through 7H.
The tractoring is achieved by a “ratchet” action of the tractor. When moving in the downhole direction, there are two “strokes” that are combined to produce the motion. In the downward stroke, the grip is unlocked and moves downhole, while the rest of the device is stationary. In the upward stroke, the grip is locked and stationary relative to the hole, while the rest of the device is pulled downhole with the grip acting as an anchor to the hole wall. When moving in the uphole direction, the same two strokes are combined to produce the motion. In the downward stroke, the grip is locked and anchors to the hole wall, while the rest of the device moves uphole. In the upward stroke, the grip is unlocked and moves uphole, while the rest of the device remains stationary. In a first embodiment, there are two grips operating simultaneously in opposite cycles that allows one grip to always be anchored to the wall while the other grip is moving which allows for a simulated continuous movement of the device. In a second embodiment, one grip is provided that moves, and a secondary stationary grip is also provided. In this embodiment, when the movable grip is released and moved, the stationary grip is engaged to hold the device stationary relative to the wall of the hole. When the movable grip reaches the top of its stroke, the movable grip is anchored to the hole and the stationary grip is released so that the device can be pulled up or down the hole while the grip remains stationary. This provides a “inchworm-like” motion.
When tractoring is no longer needed, the linkages can be closed back into the grip body by the closing device.
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims. | A linkage apparatus for selectively gripping and releasing the inside walls of a conduit, the apparatus comprising: a first arm; a bi-directional gripping cam rotatably attached to the arm; and an extension and locking device adapted to selectively radially extend the arm from a tool housing to an inside wall of a conduit and adapted to selectively lock the arm in an extended position. | 4 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an undercutting knife for use on a sod cutting machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Undercutting knives that are in current use on sod cutting machines are thoroughly described by F. J. Ditter's U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,586, issued May 15, 1962, and by Brouwer's U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,509,944, issued May 5, 1970, 4,015,666, issued Apr. 5, 1977, and 4,018,287, issued Apr. 19, 1977. Such knives are intended to be sharpened several times before being discarded, which requires their removal from the sod cutting machine. Such removal customarily requires the removal of several threaded fasteners, and takes an appreciable amount of time that could otherwise be spent cutting sod. This lost time, plus the time spent in sharpening the knife, is very costly for sod producers.
Additionally, unless the sharpening is done very carefully and accurately, the geometry of the knive will be changed, resulting in less than optimum performance. This is particularly true of undercutting knives that are manufactured as an integral unit with the side cutting knives. In these designs, correct sharpening is quite difficult in the corner where the side knives join the undercutting knive.
Undercutting knives are manufactured from steel and are hardened to minimize wear. Since several pounds of steel may be used for each knife, and since the life of a knife is limited, at best, the knives are customarily made from an inexpensive carbon steel such as C-1095. This steel lacks the alloying elements that impart toughness along with high hardness. In order to prevent excessive breakage, then, undercutting blades made from steel such as C-1095 are hardened only moderately. As an example, many blades are manufactured to a hardness of Rc-45. Such blades are not readily broken, but will lose their cutting edge much more rapidly than a harder blade would.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an undercutting knife for a sod cutting machine which includes a blade which contains a very small amount of steel and which therefore can be manufactured from steel of higher quality and greater unit cost than is presently the case. Another object of the invention is to provide an undercutting knife which includes a blade which can be very rapidly removed from the machine and replaced. Another object of the invention is to provide an undercutting knife which includes a blade which is very low in cost, and which can economically be discarded after use, rather than sharpened. Another object of the invention is to provide an undercutting knife with a blade which is unchanging in geometry and cutting depth. Other advantages will be apparent from the following description.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention there is provided an improved sod undercutting knife for use on sod cutting and sod harvesting machines. The sod undercutting knife comprises:
(a) a blade;
(b) holder for the blade, the holder being adapted to be attached to the sod cutting machine;
(c) attachment means for attaching the blade to the holder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts and in which:
FIG. 1 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of a sod undercutting knife of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the undercutting knife of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the undercutting knife taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the undercutting knife of FIG. 1, shown with the blade removed;
FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of a tool used to facilitate the removal of the blade of the undercutting knife of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the tool of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section of an alternate means of attaching the blade to the holder;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section of another alternate means of attaching a blade to a holder and;
FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section of another alternate means of attaching a blade to a holder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the blade 2, protrudes forwardly out from holder 1, so that the cutting edge of the blade and a minor leading portion of the top and bottom surface of the blade are exposed and made operably available for the cutting of the sod strip.
The holder, 1, comprises a structural member 1-A and a clamping member 3, which are secured together by rivets 4. Both the bottom structural member 1-A and the clamping member 3, extend along essentially the full length of the blade 2. The holder is adapted to be attached to the sod cutting machine by bolts (not shown) extended through holes 5. The clamp 3 is preferrably formed of a high strength material such as spring steel.
The clamp 3 is formed to an angle such that when attached to the bottom structural member 1-A as shown in FIG. 4, the slope of the forward portion of the clamp 3 is slightly greater than the corresponding slope of the forward portion of member 1A. At the point of greatest separation, this space, 7, is equal to the thickness of blade 2. Because of the difference in slope, the space 7 is considerably narrower than the thickness of the blade 2 at the most forward point. The blade 2, when driven into place between the bottom member 1 and the clamp 3, will be held in place by a frictional force which will be proportional to the downwardly biasing force exerted by the clamp and coefficients of friction between the blade and the holder.
Since it is common for undercutting knives on sod machines to be reciprocated in a fore and aft direction at relatively high speeds, there is a tendency for the blade to be shaken loose. It is necessary, then, that the frictional retaining force exerted by the downward bias of the clamp be sufficient to hold the blade securely in place.
It will be understood that the separating force due to this reciprocation is directly proportional to the weight of the blade. It is therefore desireable to keep the blade as light as possible. It has been found that a blade width of 0.70 in. to 1.00 in. and thickness of 0.040 in. to 0.060 in. is suitable for most conditions. A blade limited to these dimensions will experience a separation force from the holder of no more than 20-25 lbs. at usual rates and amplitudes of reciprocation. The clamp 3 of FIG. 1 is easily able to restrain the blade under these conditions.
When the blade becomes dull and is to be changed, it is removed by means of a key 8 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The key, 8, is formed from round bar and includes a flat bevel, 9, on one end. A hole, 6, is only slightly larger in diameter than the key, 8, and goes completely through the clamp 3 and member 1A. The hole 6 is positioned such that the blade 2, when in the normal installed position, partly, but not entirely, closes the hole. To operate the key, the tapered portion, 9, is inserted in the partial hole resulting from the position of the blade 2 relative to hole 6. The key is rotated, forcing the blade away from its seated position. The key may now be rotated back to its initial position and inserted farther into the hole 6, and again rotated to push the blade out farther. Usually two operations of the key in this manner will suffice to move the blade to a point where it is no longer acting to close any part of hole 6.
The hole 6 is preferably positioned slightly to one side of the center of the holder. Since the friction forces tending to hold the blade in place are essentially uniform along the length of the blade, the blade will be retained in its installed position at the end farthest from the hole 5, while the opposite end will move outward farther than it would if the removal forces and restraining forces were perfectly in balance. It has been found that when the hole 6 is 1/2" in diameter, the blade is sufficiently removed in this manner that it may be gripped at the farthest projecting end and easily pulled from its seat.
Other, alternate, means of attaching a blade of the invention to a holder are shown in FIGS. 7, 8, and 9. It will be understood that the holders of these alternate means may include the bolt holes 5 of FIG. 1.
Some means of attaching a blade of the invention to a holder may require that the blade be asymetrical about its longitudinal center line, and in these cases it may not be possible to provide the blade with two opposite sharpened edges so that it is reversible. In the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1,2,3, and 4, a blade is shown that is reversible, and which provides the user with two sharpened edges.
It will also be understood that the term sharpened edge may have somewhat different meanings when applied to sod undercutting knives used for various soils. Soils containing rocks may require a different type "sharp" edge than peat soils, sandy soils, etc.
In FIG. 7, a groove 11 is provided in holder 10, said groove being slightly wider than the thickness of the blade 12. The blade 12 is bent along its lengthwise centerline to an extent that will cause it to be flattened when pressed into groove 11. The frictional force caused by this flattening action is sufficient to retain the blade in the holder. The groove 11 may be provided either by machining the holder 10 as a single piece, or the holder could be made up of two or more pieces sandwiched together and joined by welding, riveting, etc.
In FIG. 8, a holder 13 is provided with a slot 14 to receive blade 17, and a groove 15 to receive and retain an elastic member 16. The elastic member 16 may be either an elastomer material such as a length of round rubber cord, or a rigid material such as a length of spring wire, in either case being approximately the same length as, but no longer than, the holder 13 and blade 17. In the case where the elastic member is made of spring steel wire, it is crimped or bent slightly at intervals along its length so that it tends to protrude into slot 14 until it is compressed by the installation of blade 17. This compessive force results in a frictional force sufficient to retain the blade 17 in holder 13. If the elastic member 16 is made from an elastomer such as a rubber cord, the depth of groove 15 is regulated such that it is less than the diameter or least cross sectional dimension of the elastic member, causing said elastic member 16 to intrude into groove 14 until it is compressed by the installation of blade 17. The frictional force due to this compression is sufficient to retain blade 17 within slot 14. Holder 13 may be made of multiple pieces in "sandwich" construction and riveted or spot welded together, or may be machined from one solid piece.
In FIG. 9, a holder 18 is provided with a slot 24 to receive blade 19, a spring steel retaining wire 24, holes 22 and 23 which are slightly larger than the diameter of the retaining wire 24, and a slot 21 connecting holes 22 and 23 which is slightly wider than the diameter of retaining wire 24. The blade 19 is prevented from being dislodged from slot 24 in holder 18 unless retaining wire 20 is forced out of hole 24 in the blade 19 by means of a punch inserted through holes 22 and 25. There may be one or any desired number of the retaining means as described by FIG. 9 along the length of the blade and holder.
Many variations of the above described means of attaching the blade to the holder are possible. | An undercutting knife for a sod cutting machine consisting of a blade and a blade holder of essentially equal length. The blade is enclosed by the holder except for the projecting forward edge. The blade is light in weight, may have two cutting edges, and is intended to be discarded after use rather than sharpened. The blade maybe frictionally retained within the holder. | 0 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an engine wherein the characteristics of the cams driving the air intake and exhaust valves can be selected according to the running condition of the engine, and more particularly, to a control system for controlling the engine power when a cam change-over is made.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is known that the optimum characteritics of the air intake and exhaust valves of an engine differ according to the running conditions of the engine. At high speed, for example, a large valve lift and a long valve opening period are required in order to obtain large torque, while at low speed, a comparatively small valve lift and short opening period are required.
Further, if fuel consumption is more important than power such as when the engine is on partial load, for example, an even smaller valve lift and shorter valve opening period are required. To improve fuel performance, the negative intake pressure and pumping loss have to be reduced, and it is therefore necessary to reduce the valve lift and reduce the valve opening period so as to increase the throttle opening for the same torque. Due to these differences, the running conditions of engines such as car engines vary widely, and it was therefore difficult to design the shape of valve drive cams in order to obtain optimum performance for all running conditions.
In Tokkai Sho 63-167016 (Koho) publishied by the Japanese Patent Office, a variable cam engine is proposed wherein several cams with different shapes are provided, and the optimum valve timing is obtained by selecting these cams depending on the engine running conditions.
In such a variable cam engine, in order that the engine output torque does not vary discontinuously, the change-over between cams is made at a certain engine speed chosen such that the output torques of the cams are the same for the same throttle opening.
However, although there does exist an optimum speed for making a change-over between a low speed power cam which gives large torque at low speed and a high speed power cam which gives a large torque at high speed, no such speed exists for making a change-over between an economy cam which emphasizes fuel consumption and has a small output torque over the whole range of speeds, and the power cams. The cam change-over is therefore necessarily accompanied by a torque step.
In general, cam change-overs are made in accordance with operation of the accelerator pedal. If for example the accelerator pedal is depressed when the engine is running on the economy cam, an output torque in excess of the range available from the economy cam is required, and a change-over is then made to either the low speed or high speed power cam depending on the engine speed at that time.
However, as the torques generated before and after the cam change-over are very different for the same throttle opening, a torque shock is produced. To correct this, the driver had to operate the accelerator which seriously affected the drive performance of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to absorb the torque step when the power cams are changed over to the economy cam, and vice versa.
To achieve this object, this invention provides a variable cam engine with a valve driven by cams which rotate in synchronism with the engine revolution, comprising a power cam whose shape is designed to give large torque output to the engine, an economy cam whose shape is designed to give good fuel cost performance, setting means to set a change-over region of the cams according to engine running conditions, a cam change-over mechanism which changes over from one to another of the cams at the set change-over region and transmits the motion of the cam selected by the change-over to the valve, a throttle valve whose opening can be controlled independently of the accelerator pedal, control means to open and close the throttle valve such that the output torque of the engine depends on the position of the accelerator pedal, and throttle opening correcting means to correct the throttle opening such that the torque generated before and after making a cam change-over is the same.
This invention also provides a variable cam engine with a valve driven by cams which rotate in synchronism with the engine revolution, a power cam whose shape is designed to give large torque output to the engine, an economy cam whose shape is designed to give good fuel cost performance, setting means to set a change-over region of the cam according to engine running conditions, a cam change-over mechanism which changes over from one to another of the cams at the set change-over region and transmits the motion of the cam selected by the change-over to the valve, a throttle valve whose opening can be controlled independently of the accelerator pedal, control means to open and close the throttle valve such that the output torque of the engine depends on the position of the accelerator pedal, and throttle opening correcting means to correct the throttle opening such that the torque generated before and after making a cam change-over is the same, and ignition period retarding means to temporarily retard an engine ignition period when the cam change-over is made.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cam selecting mechanism of a variable cam engine with a power control mechanism according to this invention.
FIG. 2 shows a section through the line 2--2 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows a section through the line 3--3 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing cam lift characteristics of the variable cam engine with the power control mechanism according to this invention.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing output characteristics on full throttle of the variable cam engine with the power control mechanism according to this invention.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the power control mechanism according to this invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a power correction algorithm used when a cam change-over is made by the power control mechanism according to this invention.
FIGS. 8(a), (b) are graphs for the purpose of describing a relation between a throttle opening, ignition period and torque generated when using an economy cam and power cams in the variable cam engine with the power control mechanism according to this invention.
FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing operating characteristics when the cam change-over is made in the variable cam engine with the power control mechanism according to this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show the structure of the cam selecting mechanism.
A first cam 21 (economy cam) has a shape which gives both a small cam lift amount and short lift period, and is set such that it gives good fuel cost performance on partial load. A second cam 22 (low speed power cam) has a shape which gives a larger cam lift amount and longer lift period than the first cam 21, and is set such that it generates a large torque at low speeds. A third cam 23 (high speed power cam) has a shape which gives a still higher lift amount and longer lift period than the second cam 22, and is set such that it generates a large torque at high speeds.
The lift characteristics of these cams 21-23 are shown in FIG. 4. The base circle positions of cams 21-23 which are shown in FIG. 3 represent the non-lift intervals of these cams.
These cams 21, 22, 23 are arranged in series on the same cam shaft, not shown, and rotate together in synchronism with the rotation of the motor.
An air intake valve or exhaust valve (referred to hereinafter simply as "a valve") 24 is elastically supported in a closed position by a spring 60, and opened by a main rocker arm 25 which pivots about a rocker arm shaft 27 supported by the engine cylinder head. A roller 26 is attached to the main rocker arm 25 such that it can rotate freely. As shown in FIG. 2, the first cam 21 is in contact with this roller 26 and pushes the main rocker arm 25 down according to its rotation position to open the valve 24 against the force of the spring 60.
Two parallel grooves are formed on one side of the roller 26 in the main rocker arm 25. In these grooves, the two sub-rocker arms 28 and 29 are provided which pivot about a common shaft 30 that is supported by the main rocker arm 25.
The sub-rocker arm 29 is supported such that it is in contact with the third cam 23 by a spring 31 inserted between the sub-rocker arm 29 and the main rocker arm 25 as shown in FIG. 3. Similarly, the sub-rocker arm 28 is supported such that it is in contact with the second cam 22 under the force of another spring. The sub-rocker arms 29 and 28 therefore pivot about the shaft 30 according to the rotation of the cams 23 and 22 respectively.
A cylindrical pin 33 is inserted in a channel running horizontally through the sub-rocker arm 29 such that it is free to slide on the inside of the channel. A hydraulic chamber 39 of the same cross-section as this channel opens onto the inside of the groove in the main rocker arm 25 which accommodates the sub-rocker arm 29, and another pin 35 of the same cross-section as the pin 33 is free to slide on the inner surface of the chamber 39. The pins 33 and and 35 are positioned coaxially in the base circle position of the third cam 23 corresponding to its non-lift position shown in FIG. 3.
A hole of the same cross-section as the aforesaid channel and the hydraulic chamber 39 of the sub-rocker arm 29 is provided in the opposite wall to the hydraulic chamber 39 of the groove housing the sub-rocker arm 29. A plunger 37 is inserted in this hole under the force of a return spring 37a.
When there is no pressurized oil acting on the hydraulic chamber 39, the pins 33 and 35 are pushed by the plunger 37 which is under the force of the return spring 37a so that they are held respectively in the channel of the sub-rocker arm 29 and the hydraulic chamber 39. In this state, the sub-rocker arm 29 can pivot freely with respect to the main rocker arm 25 according to the rotation of the third cam 23.
When pressurized oil is led through a passage 41 into the hydraulic chamber 39 in the base circle position of the third cam 23, the pins 35 and 33 which are positioned coaxially are pushed out by a predetermined distance against the force of the return spring 37a. Part of the pin 35 then enters the channel in the sub-rocker arm 29 and part of the pin 33 enters the hole in the main rocker arm housing the plunger 37 causing the sub-rocker arm 29 to engage with the main rocker arm 25.
Similarly, the sub-rocker arm 28 is caused to engage selectively with the main rocker arm 25 by means of an engaging mechanism which comprises pins 32 and 34, a return spring 36a, a plunger 36, a hydraulic chamber 38 and a passage 40.
When the sub-rocker arm 29 is engaged with the main rocker arm 25, the valve 24 opens and closes according to the motion of the third cam 23.
When the sub-rocker arm 29 is not engaged with the main rocker arm 25 and the sub-rocker arm 28 is engaged with the main rocker arm 25, the valve 24 opens and closes according to the motion of the second cam 22.
When neither of the sub-rocker arms 28 and 29 are engaged with the main rocker arm 25, the valve 24 opens and closes according to the motion of the first cam 21.
In all cases, when the cams 21-23 are in the base circle position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the main rocker arm 25, and the sub-rocker arms 28 and 29 are all in the non-lift position so that the air intake valve 24 is closed. Change-overs between the cams 21-23 are made during this non-lift interval.
FIG. 5 shows the torque characteristics of the cams 21-23 at full throttle. The first cam 21 generates a small torque over the whole range of speeds but it gives good fuel cost performance. The second cam 22 generates its maximum torque in the low speed region, while the third cam 23 generates its maximum torque in the high speed region.
The change-overs between the cams 21, 22 and 23 are performed by a control unit 51 as shown in FIG. 6.
The control unit 51 is provided with a control map shown in FIG. 5 which sets the regions in which change-overs between the cams 21-23 are to be made, and it controls cam change-overs according to the running condition of the engine. The control unit 51 is supplied with signals indicative of engine rotation speed from a crank angle sensor 52 and accelerator depression amount from an accelerator position sensor 53, and a signal from a cam position sensor 58 which detects the cam selected.
Selection of the cams 21-23 by the control unit 51 takes place as follows. If the required torque indicated by the signal from the accelerator position sensor 53 and the engine speed indicated by the signal from the crank angle sensor 52 are in the region of the first cam 21, i.e. the economy cam, this cam 21 is selected.
If the accelerator depression is then increased so that the required torque shifts to the region of the second cam 22, i.e. the low speed power cam, this cam 22 is selected.
If the engine rotation speed then increases from low speed to high speed, the third cam 23, i.e. the high speed power cam, is selected.
Further, if it is judged that a cam change-over is required, a cam change-over signal is output to electromagnetic valves 45 and 46 which supply pressurized oil to the aforesaid two hydraulic chambers 38 and 39, thereby opening or closing the valves 45 and 46 to perform the change-over.
When the electromagnetic valve 45 is opened, pressurized oil is led from the oil pump to the hydraulic chamber 38 so as to cause the sub-rocker arm 28 to engage with the main rocker arm 25. When the electromagnetic valve 46 is opened, pressurized oil is led from the oil pump to the hydraulic chamber 39 so as to cause the sub-rocker arm 29 to engage with the main rocker arm 25. The cams are selected depending on these engaged positions as described hereintofore.
The control unit 51 controls the opening of a throttle valve 57 installed in the intake manifold 61. This throttle valve 57 may be located in the common passage of the intake manifold 61 or in each of the branched passages of the same. The opening of the throttle valve 57 is adjusted independently of the accelerator pedal via a servo motor 56 based on signals output from a servo drive circuit 55. The control unit 51 controls the opening of the throttle valve 57 by means of control signals output to this servo drive circuit 55. At the same time, the actual opening of the throttle valve 57 is fed back to the control unit 51 via a throttle opening sensor 54.
The control unit 51 basically determines the required torque from an input signal supplied by the accelerator position sensor 53, determines the cam currently in use from an input signal supplied by the cam position sensor 58, computes the throttle opening necessary to generate the required torque, and controls the opening of the throttle valve 57 to the computed opening via the servo motor 56.
The control unit 51 also acts as means of correcting the opening of the throttle valve 57 and the ignition period of the igniter 59 when a change-over between the economy cam and power cams is performed so that a large torque step due to the difference of cam characteristics is avoided.
For instance, when a change-over is made from the first cam 21 to the second or third cams 22 or 23, the control unit 51 decreases the opening of the throttle valve 57, while when a change-over is made from the second or third cams 22 or 23 to the first cam 21, the control unit 51 increases the throttle opening.
When a cam change-over is made, the control unit 51 also retards the engine ignition period by a specified time by means of an ignition period signal output to the engine igniter 59.
When changing over between the second cam 22 and third cam 23, there exists an engine speed at which the same torque is produced by both cams when the accelerator is fully open as shown in FIG. 5, so the change-over is made at this speed. Even if the accelerator is not fully open, there is still an engine speed at which the torques generated by both cams are identical for the same throttle openings, so the change-over is made at this latter speed. A torque step is therefore not produced when changing over between the second cam 22 and the third cam 23, and it is unnecessary to correct the throttle opening or ignition period.
The correction control of the throttle opening and ignition period carried out by the control unit 51, will now be described by means of the flowchart of FIG. 7 and the timing charts of FIG. 8(a), (b).
First, in a step S1, the control unit 51 reads a crank angle θ and a rotation speed N from the output of the crank angle sensor 52, and in a step S2, reads the accelerator opening Acc from the output of the accelerator position sensor 53.
In a step S3, it is judged whether according to the control map, the engine running conditions are in a cam change-over region, and if it is judged that they are, it is determined in a step S4 whether or not there should be a change-over from the economy cam to the power cams or vice versa.
When there is a change-over from the economy cam to the power cams, correction is made by decreasing the throttle opening, and as shown in FIG. 9, a corrected throttle opening Tvo', which is such that the load (torque) determined by the engine rotation speed N and the throttle opening Tvo is the same before and after the change-over is made, is read from a table previously drawn up based on the engine rotation speed N and the throttle opening Tvo (S5). In the same way, a retarded value of the ignition period is read in a step S6.
Next, in a step S7, it is determined whether the timing is right to make a cam change-over. This operation consists of determining whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed after a cam change-over signal has been output considering the response time actually required to make the change-over. If it is judged that the timing is right, a throttle signal based on the corrected throttle opening Tvo' which has already been read in the step S5, and an ignition signal based on the retarded value of the ignition period which has already been read in the step S6, are output to the servo drive circuit 55 and the igniter 59 respectively.
As a result, the throttle valve opening is decreased when the cam change-over is made, and the ignition period is retarded by a certain time. In FIG. 8(a), the solid line on the torque graph shows the case when the throttle opening is not corrected. It is seen that in this case, there is a large torque difference before and after the change-over. If on the other hand the throttle opening is corrected as shown by the line A, the torque has the same value after the change-over which is also shown by the line A.
In this case, the torque actually increases temporarily immediately after the change-over is made. This is because air is sucked into the engine due to the characteristics of the power cams immediately after changing over from the economy cam to the power cams when the negative intake pressure remaining downstream of the throttle valve is small, and the intake air accumulating in the engine cylinders therefore temporarily increases. This temporary increase is however corrected by the decrease of power due to retardation of the ignition period.
Even when changing over from the economy cam to the power cams, therefore, the torque generated is maintained constant including the period immediately after the change-over as shown by the line B.
When changing over from the power cams to the economy cam, on the other hand, the throttle opening is increased together with a retardation of the ignition period. In this case, after reading the corrected values in the steps S9 and S10, a throttle signal and ignition signal are output in advance of the cam change-over time by a predetermined crank angle (S11 and S12).
When changing over from the power cams to the economy cam, therefore, as shown by the solid line on the torque graph of FIG. 8(b), the torque decreases when the throttle opening is maintained at the same value, but the decrease of torque is prevented by increasing the throttle opening by a predetermined value as shown by the line A.
Further, as the change-over to the economy cam is made with a large negative intake pressure that existed immediately before the change-over, the amount of air filling the cylinders falls sharply immediately after the change-over, so that if the throttle opening is increased when the change-over is made, the torque temporarily decreases. By opening the throttle before making the change-over, however, this decrease is prevented.
Further, an excessively large torque due to this operation which is also shown by the line A is prevented by retarding the ignition period at the same time as the throttle opening is increased.
Even when changing over from the power cams to the economy cam, therefore, the torque generated is maintained constant including the period immediately after the change-over as shown by the line B in the figure.
In this manner, the change-over from the economy cam to the power cams or vice versa can be made smoothly without producing any torque step.
According to this embodiment, the ignition period was corrected at the same time as the throttle opening was corrected. Provided that the throttle opening is corrected, however, troublesome power variations when the driver operates the accelerator are absorbed, and events which would require special operation of the accelerator before and after a cam change-over can be definitively avoided.
The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating this invention is not to be considered as limiting or restricting the invention, since many modifications may be made by the exercise of skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. | A variable cam engine with a valve driven by cams which rotate in synchronism with the engine revolution comprises a power cam which provide large torque, an economy cam which provides good fuel cost performance, a setting device to set a cam change-over region according to an engine running condition, and a cam change-over mechanism which changes over from one cam to another at the set change-over regions and transmits the motion of the cam selected by the change-over to the valve. It further comprises a device to correct the throttle opening such that the torque generated before and after making a cam change-over is the same. It may further comprise a device to retard the engine ignition period at the same time as the throttle opening is corrected when the cam change-over is made. This arrangement prevents the occurrence of a torque step when a change-over is made from the power cam to the economy cam and vice versa, and prevents shock or impairment of exhaust gas composition due to the cam change-over. | 5 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an electrical submersible pump assembly adapted to efficiently reduce a gas content of a pumped fluid. Particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to an electrical submersible pump assembly having a device to direct gas flow leaving the assembly.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Many hydrocarbon wells are unable to produce at commercially viable levels without assistance in lifting formation fluids to the earth's surface. In some instances, high fluid viscosity inhibits fluid flow to the surface. More commonly, formation pressure is inadequate to drive fluids upward in the wellbore. In the case of deeper wells, extraordinary hydrostatic head acts downwardly against the formation, thereby inhibiting the unassisted flow of production fluid to the surface.
[0005] In most cases, an underground pump is used to urge fluids to the surface. Typically, the pump is installed in the lower portion of the wellbore. Electrical submersible pumps are often installed in the wellbore to drive wellbore fluids to the surface.
[0006] In a well that has a high volume of gas, a gas separator may be included in the ESP system to separate the gas from the liquid. The gas is separated in a mechanical or static separator and is vented to the well bore where it is vented from the well annulus. The separated liquid enters the centrifugal pump where it is pumped to the surface via the production tubing.
[0007] In a well that produces methane gas, the electrical submersible pump is generally used to pump the water out of the wellbore to maintain the flow of methane gas. Typically, the water is pumped up a delivery pipe, while the methane gas flows up the annulus between the delivery pipe and the wellbore. However, it is inevitable that some of the methane gas entrained in the water will be pumped by the pump. Wells that are particularly “gassy” may experience a significant amount of the methane gas being pumped up the delivery pipe.
[0008] For coal bed methane wells, it is generally desirable that no methane remain in the water. Methane that remains in the water must be separated at the surface which is a costly process. Therefore, a gas separator may be used to separate the gas from liquid to reduce the amount of methane gas in the pumped water.
[0009] FIG. 1 shows a prior art downhole electric submersible pump (ESP) assembly 10 positioned in a wellbore 5 . The ESP assembly 10 includes a motor 20 , a motor seal 25 , a gas separator 30 , and a pump 40 . The gas separator 30 is positioned between the pump 40 and the motor seal 25 . The motor 20 is adapted to drive the gas separator 30 and the pump 40 . A central shaft extends from the motor 20 and through the motor seal 25 for engaging a central shaft of the separator 30 and a central shaft of the pump 40 . Fluid enters the ESP assembly 10 through the intake port 32 in the lower end of the gas separator 30 . The fluid is separated by an internal rotating member with blades attached to the shaft of the gas separator 30 . The gas separator 30 may also have an inducer pump or auger at its lower end to aid in lifting the fluid to the blades. Centrifugal force created by the rotating separator member causes denser fluid (i.e. fluid having more liquid content) to move toward the outer wall of the gas separator 30 . The fluid mixture then travels to the upper end of gas separator 30 toward a flow divider in the gas separator. The flow divider is adapted to allow the denser fluid to flow toward the pump, while diverting the less dense fluid to the exit ports 38 of the gas separator 30 . Gas leaving the gas separator 30 travels up the annulus 7 .
[0010] One problem that arises is that the gas leaving the gas separator may commingle with the fluid flowing toward the intake port. In this respect, the gas content of the pumped fluid may be inadvertently increased by the gas leaving the separator. The increase in gas entering the gas separator when this occurs reduces the efficiency of the gas separator which may result in incomplete separation of the gas from the liquid. This has negative effects on pump performance and in a coal bed methane well will result in methane in the water being pumped from the well.
[0011] There is a need, therefore, for an apparatus and method for efficiently reducing a gas content of a pumped fluid. There is also a need for apparatus and method for maintaining a separated gas from a fluid to be pumped.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for preventing a separated gas leaving a pump assembly from mixing with a fluid in the wellbore.
[0013] In one embodiment, a pump assembly for pumping a wellbore fluid in a wellbore comprises a pump; a gas separator; a motor for driving the pump; and a shroud disposed around the gas separator for guiding a gas stream leaving the gas separator, wherein the gas stream is prevented from mixing with fluids in the wellbore. In one embodiment, the shroud guides the gas stream to a location above a liquid level in the well bore.
[0014] In another embodiment, a method of pumping wellbore fluid in a wellbore includes receiving the wellbore fluid in a separator; separating a gas stream from the wellbore fluid; exhausting the gas stream from the separator; and guiding a flow of the exhausted gas stream up the wellbore while substantially preventing the gas stream from mixing with fluids in the wellbore. The method further includes venting the gas stream above a fluid level in the wellbore and pumping the wellbore fluid remaining in the separator. In one embodiment, the method also includes disposing a shroud around the separator to guide the flow of the exhausted gas stream.
[0015] In another embodiment gas is vented above a zone where all the fluid is entering the well annulus. This can be a perforated zone or entry of multilateral legs in the well.
[0016] In yet another embodiment, a pump assembly for pumping a wellbore fluid in a wellbore includes a pump, a gas separator having a vent port, a motor for driving the pump, and a tubular sleeve in fluid communication with the vent port, wherein a gas stream in the tubular sleeve is prevented from mixing with fluids in the wellbore.
[0017] In yet another embodiment, a pump assembly for pumping a wellbore fluid in a wellbore includes a pump, a gas separator having a vent port, a motor for driving the pump, and a flow control device coupled to the vent port, wherein the vent port controls the outflow of a separated gas stream and the inflow of fluids through the vent port. In one embodiment, the flow control device includes an elastomeric tubular sleeve disposed around the vent port. In another embodiment, one end of the tubular sleeve is attached to the gas separator and another end of the tubular sleeve has a clearance between the tubular sleeve and the gas separator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of prior art electric submersible pump.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an electric submersible pump assembly.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a gas separator highlighting the separation of liquid and gas shown in FIG. 2 .
[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the top of a gas separator that has the gas vented in a conduit.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the top of a gas separator that has a flapper valve on the gas vents.
[0024] FIG. 6A is a partial view of a gas separator having a tubular sleeve type fluid control device. FIG. 6B is a partial view of another embodiment of a gas separator having a tubular sleeve type fluid control device.
[0025] FIGS. 7A-B are partial views of a flap type fluid control device for a gas separator.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0026] Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for preventing a separated gas from commingling with fluids in the well bore.
[0027] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of an electric submersible pump assembly 100 adapted to prevent the separated gas from commingling with the wellbore fluid. The ESP assembly 100 includes a motor 120 , a motor seal 125 , a gas separator 130 , and a pump 140 . The motor 120 is adapted to drive the gas separator 130 and the pump 140 . A central shaft extends from the motor 120 and through the motor seal 125 for engaging a central shaft 133 of the separator 130 and a central shaft of the pump 140 . The motor seal 125 may be used to couple the motor 120 to the separator 130 and the pump 140 . In one embodiment, the motor seal 125 is a barrier type seal having an elastomeric diaphragm or bag. Other suitable motors and motor seals known to a person of ordinary skill are also contemplated.
[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary gas separator suitable for use with the electric submersible pump assembly 100 . In one embodiment, the gas separator 130 includes one or more intake ports 132 at its lower end and one or more exhaust ports 138 at its upper end. The separator 130 includes a rotating member 145 with blades (e.g., a propeller) that is attached to the shaft 133 of the separator 130 and is rotatable therewith. The separator 130 may optionally include an inducer pump or auger 147 at its lower end to aid in lifting the fluid to the blades. The separator 130 may further include a bearing support 151 to provide support to the shaft 133 during rotation. Rotation of the shaft 133 by the motor 120 causes the inducer 147 to rotate, thereby lifting the fluids entering the intake ports 132 . Rotation of the shaft 133 also causes the rotating member 145 to generate a centrifugal force in the gas separator 130 . The centrifugal force causes the denser fluid (i.e. fluid having more liquid content) to move toward the outer wall of the separator 130 and the less dense fluid (i.e., fluid having more gas content) to collect in the central area of the separator 130 . The fluid mixture then travels up the separator 130 and passes through a flow divider 135 positioned at an upper portion of the separator 130 .
[0029] In one embodiment, the flow divider 135 includes a lower ring 134 and a conical upper end, as illustrated in FIG. 3 . Orientation of the flow divider 135 is parallel to and coaxial with the central shaft 133 . The lower ring 134 has a diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of the separator 130 . An inner fluid passage 136 connects the interior of the lower ring 134 to exhaust ports 138 in the sidewall of the separator 130 . As the fluid flows up and toward the flow divider 135 , the more dense fluid located near the outer wall of the separator 130 are outside of the perimeter of the lower ring 134 . Thus, the denser fluid is allowed to flow around the flow divider 135 and up the outer passage 142 toward the conical upper end, which leads to the pump 140 . The less dense fluid (also referred to herein as “separated gas”) located in the inner part of the separator 130 are within the boundary of the lower ring 134 . Thus, the separated gas enters the lower ring 134 and is diverted into the fluid passages 136 and out through the exhaust ports 138 . In this respect, the flow divider 135 may be used to separate the gas from the liquid. It must be noted that other suitable fluid dividers known to a person of ordinary skill in the art may also be used, for example, a rotary gas separator.
[0030] Referring back now to FIG. 2 , the ESP assembly 100 is provided with a shroud 150 to guide the flow of the separated gas up the annulus 7 . In one embodiment, the shroud 150 is tubular shaped and is positioned around the separator 130 and the pump 140 , thereby creating an annular area between the separator 130 and the shroud 150 . The length of the shroud 150 is such that the lower end extends below the exhaust ports 138 and the upper end extends above the exhaust ports 138 to a height that is above the liquid level 9 in the wellbore 5 . As shown, the lower end of the shroud 150 remains open to the well bore 5 . The opening may allow venting of the gas below exhaust ports 138 , if the need arises. Alternatively, the lower end of the shroud 150 may be closed to the well bore. The shroud 150 may be coupled to the ESP assembly 110 using a connection member such as a centralizer 137 . The centralizer 137 allows fluid flow in the annular area 139 while serving as a connector for the shroud 150 to the ESP assembly 110 . In another embodiment, the connection member may be one or more spokes or other suitable connection device capable of allowing fluid flow up the annular area. It must be noted that although the shroud is described as extending above the liquid level in the well, the shroud may be extended to any suitable length. For example, the upper end of the shroud may extend above the exhaust ports to a height that is above a zone where all of the fluids enter the well annulus. This zone may be the perforated zone or entry of multilateral legs in the well.
[0031] The ESP assembly 110 may optionally include a motor shroud 160 to guide the flow of wellbore fluid into the ESP assembly 110 . In one embodiment, the motor shroud 160 is tubular shaped and is positioned around the motor 120 and the intake port 132 . The inner diameter of the motor shroud 160 is larger than the outer diameter of the motor 120 such that fluid flow may occur therebetween. The upper end of the motor shroud 160 is connected to the separator 130 at a location above the intake port 132 and is closed to fluid communication. The lower end of the motor shroud 160 extends at least partially to the motor 120 , preferably, below the motor 120 . To enter the intake port 132 , wellbore fluid must flow down the exterior of the motor shroud 160 , around the lower end of the motor shroud 160 , and up the interior of the motor shroud 160 toward the intake port 132 . The wellbore fluid circulating the motor shroud 160 advantageously cools the motor 120 , thereby reducing overheating of the motor 120 .
[0032] In operation, the ESP assembly 110 may be used to pump water out of a coal bed methane well. The ESP assembly 110 is positioned in the well bore 5 such that the intake port 132 is below the perforations 8 in the wellbore 5 . Wellbore fluid 11 , which may be mixture of water and gas, may enter the annulus 7 through the perforations 8 and flow downward toward the intake port 132 . The fluid 11 may flow past the exterior of the motor shroud 160 , then up the interior of the motor shroud 160 . The wellbore fluid 11 enters the ESP assembly 110 through the intake port 132 of the separator 130 . The motor 120 rotates the rotating members 145 of the separator 130 to apply centrifugal force to the well bore fluid 11 . The centrifugal force causes the denser fluid to move toward the sidewall of the separator 130 as the wellbore fluid 11 travels up the separator 130 . As the wellbore fluid 11 nears the flow divider 135 , the denser, higher water content fluid located near the sidewall is allowed to flow past the inner ring 134 and up the outer passage 142 toward the pump 140 , where it is pumped to a tubing for delivery to the surface. The less dense, higher gas content fluid located in the inner area of the separator 130 enters the lower ring 134 , flows through the fluid passages 136 , and leaves the separator 130 through the exhaust ports 138 . After leaving the separator 130 , the separated gas is guided up the annular area 139 between the shroud 150 and the separator 130 by the inner wall of the shroud 150 . The separated gas is vented out of the shroud 150 at a location that is above the wellbore fluid level 9 . In this respect, the separated gas is substantially prevented from commingling with the wellbore fluid 11 flowing toward the lower end of the ESP assembly 110 . In this manner, water may be efficiently removed from the coal bed methane well.
[0033] FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of a ESP assembly. In this embodiment, the ESP assembly is equipped with a flow tube 239 connected to the exhaust port 238 of the separator 130 . The flow tube is adapted to guide the flow of separated gas from the separator and up the annulus 7 . The length of the flow tube 239 is such that the upper end extends to a height above liquid level in the wellbore 5 .
[0034] FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of a gas separator equipped with a valve to control the flow of separated gas out of the exhaust port 138 . In one embodiment, the valve is a flapper valve 236 . The flapper valve 236 may be adapted to open at a predetermined force. For example, the flapper valve 236 may be spring biased to close. In this respect, flapper valve will only open if the separated gas in the separator can generated enough force to open the flapper valve 236 . In the closed position, the flapper valve 238 keeps fluids from entering through the exhaust port 138 . Other suitable types of valves include one-way valves, backflow valve, check valve, and ball valve.
[0035] FIG. 6A shows another embodiment of a flow control device for the gas separator 330 . The flow control device may be a tubular sleeve 310 and positioned around the exhaust port 338 of the gas separator 330 . One end 311 of the tubular sleeve 310 is attached to the outer surface of the gas separator 330 while the other end 312 is unattached. The free end 312 has an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the gas separator 330 . The difference in diameters creates an opening 315 for the separated gas to vent. In one embodiment, the tubular sleeve 310 is made of an elastomeric material such as rubber. When a large amount of liquid tries to enter through the opening 315 , the liquid would force the elastomeric tubular sleeve 310 against the gas separator 330 , thereby closing the opening 315 . In another embodiment, the tubular sleeve 310 may be positioned in a recess 325 in the outer surface of the gas separator 330 , as illustrated in FIG. 6B . The tubular sleeve 310 placed in the recess 325 would reduce the potential of liquid flowing into the gas separator 330 .
[0036] In another embodiment, the flow control device may be one or more flaps 350 disposed adjacent the exhaust port 338 , as illustrated in FIGS. 7A-B . The flap 350 may be manufactured from an elastomeric material, but should have sufficient rigidity to remain substantially straight. In one embodiment, a metal support 360 may be attached to the flap 350 to provide additional rigidity to the flap 351 . Fasteners such as rivets 365 or adhesive may be used to attach the metal support 360 to the flap 351 . One end 351 of the flap 350 is anchored (or attached) to the gas separator. The anchor may be an elastomeric anchor or any suitable anchor capable of keeping the flap 351 substantially vertical. In operation, the flap 351 is hingedly attached to the gas separator. The flap 351 may be pushed open by the venting gas. Thereafter, the flap 351 swings back to the closed position.
[0037] While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follows. | In one embodiment, a pump assembly for pumping a wellbore fluid in a wellbore includes a pump, a fluid separator, a motor for driving the pump, and a shroud disposed around the fluid separator for guiding a gas stream leaving the fluid separator, wherein the gas stream is prevented from mixing with fluids in the wellbore. | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to antennas for use in airborne automatic direction finding (ADF) equipment and particularly to such antennas which are relatively small but whose electrical characteristics are similar to those antennas which are relatively large.
Modern automatic radio direction finders for aircraft use an antenna which is fixed to the skin of the aircraft and which includes what are known as loop and sense elements. In this description the word "loop" is used to describe different elements in various arts. Specifically, in the ADF art, a loop element or antenna is a type of radiated signal responsive circuit which provides a portion of the signal input into ADF receiver. In the antenna art, specifically, a loop is a closed electrical circuit usually comprised of one or more turns of copper wire and which responds directionally to intercepted electromagnetic radiations. The ADF loop element or antenna is generally comprised of two orthogonally placed loops. Specifically, the ADF loop element comprises two mutually perpendicular electrical windings on a ferrite form or forms. The amplitudes of the signals induced in the various windings by an electromagnetic field of the type radiated by radio broadcast stations is dependent upon the orientation of the loop elements with respect to the broadcast station. By considering the amplitudes of the induced signals, the direction of the broadcast station from the loop elements can be ascertained with a 180 degree ambiguity. The ADF antenna also includes an omnidirectional sense antenna which provides phase information to resolve the ambiguity.
A generally larger loop was previously needed to obtain a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio over the ADF operating range, which at the present time lies between 200 kilohertz to 1.8 megahertz, since the signal-to-noise ratio is a function of the equivalent effective height of the loop and the noise generated by the circuit connected to the loop.
In known ADF the signals from the two loop antenna windings are modulated by a low frequency local signal and combined to produce a composite loop signal. This signal is added to the signal from the sense antenna, the new signal comprising the directional information. This signal can be demodulated to provide the directional information by various means known to those skilled in the art and which do not comprise a portion of the present invention. For example, a coherent demodulator for extracting the directional information from the combined signal was described in a patent application entitled "Coherent Demodulator" by Joseph J. Sawicki, having Ser. No. 805,676, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,191, issued Jan. 16, 1979, and filed June 13, 1977.
It is important in preserving the direction information, when the sense and loop signals are added, that these signals have a relatively constant phase difference of 90 degrees over the ADF operating frequency range.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention relatively small loop windings are used in an ADF loop antenna for electromagnetic field pickup. The relatively small loop windings are operated at a low Q and broadly tuned to the ADF mean operating frequency. The low Q figure is obtained by operating the loop windings into active impedance circuits, while the loop winding signal-to-noise ratios are maintained low, by making the active circuits comprised, in the embodiment to be described, of push-pull JFET preamplifiers which provide through the judicious use of feedback circuits, the proper impedance for the loop windings.
In addition to the above, the transfer function of the circuit into which the ADF sense antenna operates is arranged to have a phase shift, across the frequency band of interest, which is the complement of the phase shift of the transfer function of the above mentioned JFET push-pull preamplifiers into which the loop windings are operated so that there is generally a constant 90 degree phase difference between the ADF loop element signal and the sense element signal so that these two signals can be properly combined for easy distortion-free transmission to the ADF receiver, which is usually remotely located from the ADF antenna and its associated circuits.
It is an object of this invention to provide a loop antenna means for an airborne automatic direction finding equipment which is relatively small but which has the signal-to-noise characteristics of a larger loop antenna at the lowest operating frequencies.
It is another object of this invention to provide a loop antenna means of the type described, which has a good signal-to-noise ratio.
A further object of this invention is to provide a loop antenna of the type described which has a relatively low Q but which operates effectively.
One more object of this invention is to provide a loop antenna which operates into a circuit whose thermal noise factor is low.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading and understanding of the below description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical ADF antenna circuit.
FIG. 2 is a schematic of a typical preamplifier built in accordance with the principles of this invention and which is particularly adapted for use in the antenna circuit of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic of a sense antenna preamplifier which is suitable for use in the antenna circuit of FIG. 1.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the figures wherein like numerals refer to like elements and referring particularly to FIG. 1, an aircraft ADF antenna circuit is seen to be comprised of a loop antenna having a winding A, which is arranged to have its longitudinal axis perpendicular to the aircraft, here indicated as numeral 10, and a winding B which is perpendicular to winding A. The windings are wound mutually perpendicular on a square ferrite bar (not shown). As known to those skilled in the art, the relative amplitude of the signal induced in winding A by a remote broadcast station is related to the sine of the angle between the aircraft heading and the station, while the relative amplitude of the signal induced in winding B is related to the cosine of the same angle. In other words, winding A has peak voltage induced when the received station is straight ahead or straight behind and minimum voltage when the staton is 90 degrees to the right or left of the aircraft. Winding B has peak voltage induced when the station is 90 degrees to the right or left and minimum voltage when the station is straight ahead or straight behind the aircraft. If the aircraft (attached ADF antenna) is rotated through 360 degrees, the voltages across the two windings rise and fall according to the angle between the aircraft heading and station direction.
The signals induced by the received station signal in windings A and B are applied, respectively, through balanced preamplifiers 11 and 13 to balanced modulators 14 and 16. A 31 hertz square wave is also applied to balanced modulator 16 and the same 31 hertz square wave delayed by 90 degrees is applied to balanced modulator 14. It is known to those skilled in the art that a balanced modulator, such as modulator 14 or 16, passes an RF input signal to its output terminal without phase reversal when the square wave modulation input is positive, but reverses the phase of the RF input signal when the modulation input is negative.
The modulated signals from modulators 14 and 16 are combined in adder 18 to produce an RF signal which includes complete information as to the direction of a received signal with a 180 degree ambiguity.
An omnidirectional sense antenna 20 is required to resolve the 180 degree ambiguity which exists in the loop antenna signal. The sense antenna signal is amplified by balanced preamplifier 22 and is added to the signal from adder 18 in loop-sense adder 24 to produce an RF signal which is phase modulated with complete station direction information. The signal from adder 24 is transmitted to the ADF receiver front end where it is processed to remove the station direction information. Receivers for extracting this direction information are well known to those skilled in the art and do not comprise a portion of the present invention, therefore, the receiver need not and is not described here. It is sufficient to note that it is desirable for undistorted information transmission to the receiver front end, that the signal from preamplifier 22 be phase displaced by 90 degrees from the signal from adder 18 across the entire frequency band of interest.
Refer now to FIG. 2 which shows a schematic of a preamplifier suitable for use, for example, as the preamplifier 11 or 13 of FIG. 1. This particular preamplifier had a differential input impedance of 2,000 ohms at 600 kilohertz, where 600 kilohertz is approximately the mean of the working frequency band. Actually, the operating range of the loop winding was 200 kilohertz to 1.8 megahertz, the present normal ADF operating range.
The preamplifier is basically a push-pull circuit suitably comprised of low noise transistors such as FET or JFET transistors 30 amd 32 having the loop winding connected across the input or gate electrodes in series with low pass filters 34 and 36, which eliminates high frequency communication channels from the preamplifier circuit. Two shunt circuits comprising respectively a resistor 50 and capacitor 52 and resistor 56 and capacitor 54 connect the gate electrodes of the various transistors to ground eliminating high frequency instability which might cause oscillation problems in the push-pull amplifier. In addition, a capacitor 60 connected between the common or source electrodes of the transistors and ground provides an AC ground by-pass. Capacitors 42 and 46 in the output-input or drain-gate feedback circuit of the various transistors are merely DC blocking capacitors.
The preamplifier input impedance is basically set by the gain of the preamplifier and the value of the drain-gate feedback resistors 44 and 48. The preamplifier gain is set by means of adjustable resistor 58. Assuming the resistance of resistor 44 is equal to the resistance of resistor 48, as is preferable, the preamplifier input impedance is equal to twice the value of one of the resistances times the reciprocal of one plus the preamplifier gain. In a circuit actually built resistors 44 and 48 were each respectively equal to 15K ohms and the preamplifier gain was adjusted to 14 making the differential input impedance equal to 2,000 ohms.
As was previously explained, preamplifier 11 of FIG. 1 is adjusted to be identical to preamplifier 13, which of course is accomplished by using similar components and through the manipulation of variable resistor 58. The push-pull preamplifier output is taken across winding 62 having a B+ center tap and capacitively coupled through a coupling network comprised of capacitors 64 and 66 to the next stage, which in FIG. 1 is seen to be comprised of modulator 14 in the case of loop winding A and of modulator 16 in the case of loop winding B.
Returning now to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the output signals from modulators 14 and 16, which comprise the output from the ADF loop antenna, are combined in a cosine/sine adder 18. The cosine/sine adder 18 comprises simply a common terminal to which the outputs of modulators 14 and 16 are both impressed as known to those skilled in the art. It will also be remembered that the combined signal from adder 18 is now to be added to the sense antenna signal from preamplifier 22 in loop-sense adder 24. Also, as previously discussed, it is important that the sense signal lag the combined loop signal by 90 degrees over the entire frequency band of interest. How this is accomplished is explained with respect to FIG. 3, reference to which figure should now be made. In that figure JFET transistor 24 basically comprises adder 24 of FIG. 1 having a drain electrode connected to the B+ voltage source and a source electrode connected through resistor 68 to the return electrode or ground. The sense antenna is represented by voltage source 70 and an impedance 72, while the loop antenna and its associated circuitry is represented by voltage source 80 and an impedance 78. It is of course desired that the sense and loop signal at the gate electrode of transistor 24 be 90 degrees out of phase with respect to one another across the frequency band of interest and in particular at a frequency f of 600 kilohertz. This will be true if:
R.sub.72 =R.sub.78 =2X.sub.C76
and
f=1/π√L.sub.74 C.sub.76
where Y n represents the value of element n for example, R 72 represents the resistance of resistor 72, C 76 represents the capacitance of capacitor 76 and X C76 represents the reactance of capacitor 76.
If these conditions are met then the phase angle of the sense signals at point 78a and the gate of transistor 24, will be equal to:
-2tan .sup.-1 πR.sub.72 C.sub.76 f
where f is the signal frequency.
In addition, the amplitude of the signals at point 78a will be constant across the frequency band and the impedance at either end of winding 74, that is, at points 72a and 78a, will have no reactive component.
Having explained and described this embodiment of my invention, I now claim as my property that subject matter covered by the true spirit and scope of the appended claims. | A relatively small directional loop antenna adapted for use in an airborne automatic direction finder (ADF) is made to perform like a physically larger loop while being broadly tuned to a mean operating frequency. The total input equivalent noise source is kept low by coupling the loop into an impedance comprised of an active circuit. The active circuit is designed in conjunction with an active feedback circuit into which the ADF sense antenna is fed to maintain a relatively constant phase difference between the ADF loop and sense signals. | 6 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation of PCT International Application PCT/JP2009/005127 filed on Oct. 2, 2009, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-130630 filed on May 29, 2009. The disclosures of these applications including the specifications, the drawings, and the claims are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present disclosure relates to film-originated video region detection methods for use in television sets etc. when a film-originated video signal is input.
[0003] In recent years, television sets employing liquid crystal display devices, plasma display devices, etc. have been acquiring an increasing screen and resolution, and in this situation, it is of great importance to display video having higher image quality. To this end, emphasis is placed on video processing in which interlaced-to-progressive scan conversion, frame rate conversion, noise reduction, contour correction, etc. are performed, depending on the state of an input video signal.
[0004] Displaying of a film-originated video signal produced by 2-3 pulldown has become more common. It is contemplated that the film-originated video signal is detected, and the interlaced signal is converted into a non-interlaced signal. There is also an increasing demand for film-originated video having higher image-quality, and emphasis is placed on a video processing technique suited to film-originated video.
[0005] Moreover, there are increasing occasions when a plurality of screens are simultaneously displayed (for example, film-originated video, and a normal broadcast or a program table other than the film-originated video, are displayed). It is important to correctly determine the boundary between film-originated video and other signals or the region of film-originated video.
[0006] For example, in a conventional film-originated video detection method, a screen division section divides an input image into a plurality of blocks, and a feature amount calculation section calculates a feature amount of each block. The feature amount is the sum of the absolute values of the differences between pixel values in one block and pixel values in another block located two fields before. A determination section determines whether or not the feature amount of each block exceeds a threshold. A repeated field comprehensive determination section determines that a field is not a repeated field if there is at least one block in which the determination result of the determination section exceeds the threshold (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-201010 (FIG. 3)).
[0007] The above conventional film-originated video detection method can detect whether or not subtitles are contained in a material in which a 2-3 pulldown material is combined with subtitle images, but cannot accurately detect a boundary portion between the 2-3 pulldown material and a normal material (e.g., subtitles etc.) or the size of a film-originated video region. Also, there is not a conventional technique of switching between a signal process for film-originated video and a signal process for normal video, depending on the region, by detecting a boundary portion between a film material and a normal material to detect a film-originated video region.
SUMMARY
[0008] The present disclosure describes implementations of a film-originated video region detection method with improved accuracy of detection of a film-originated video region, and the use of the film-originated video region detection method to improve the image quality of a television set.
[0009] According to the present disclosure, for example, in the case of 2-3 pulldown film-originated video, film-originated video detection is performed by utilizing the fact that the same signal is transmitted once every five fields. Initially, film-originated video detection is performed in each of regions into which an entire screen is divided. Based on the detection result, a film-originated video region is determined. Here, a region which has been determined to be a film-originated video region is subdivided, and film-originated video detection is performed in each of the resulting sub-regions. Based on the detection result, a film-originated video region is determined with higher precision. A film-originated video region can be more accurately detected by repeatedly performing a similar film detection step and region determination step. The improvement of the detection precision of a film-originated video region allows switching between a video process for film-originated video regions and a video process for other regions, resulting in an improvement in image quality.
[0010] Note that the region determination step of determining a film-originated video region may be replaced with a step of determining a non-film-originated video region. In this case, by specifying a non-film-originated video region, a film-originated video region can be consequently detected with high accuracy.
[0011] According to the present disclosure, for example, in the case of 2-3 pulldown, film-originated video is detected in each of a plurality of division regions based on the fact that the same video signal is transmitted, and a region which has been determined to be a film-originated video region is subdivided, and film-originated video is detected in the resulting sub-regions, whereby a film-originated video region can be accurately specified, and therefore, the precision of detection of a size and boundary of a film-originated video region can be improved.
[0012] A screen is initially divided into large regions, in which film-originated video detection is performed. A film-originated video region is successively narrowed, whereby a failure of detection of a film-originated video region is reduced or prevented, and therefore, a film-originated video region can be accurately detected. Moreover, the narrowing of the region may be performed from a region larger than a region which has been determined to be a film-originated video region, or a film-originated video region may be changed horizontally or vertically, whereby the detection precision can be improved.
[0013] By applying the film-originated video region detection method to video signal processing to switch between a process or settings for film-originated video and a process or settings for normal video, each type of video can be processed by an appropriate process or settings, resulting in an improvement in image quality.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0015] FIGS. 2A-2C are conceptual diagrams showing a screen division procedure in the film-originated video region detection method of the first embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0019] FIGS. 6A-6C are conceptual diagrams showing a screen division procedure in the film-originated video region detection method of the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0022] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a ninth embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0025] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0026] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to an eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First Embodiment
[0029] FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 1 , in step S 101 , film detection (detection of film-originated video) is performed on an input video signal in each of a plurality of regions into which a screen is divided. In step S 102 , based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that there is not a film region, it is determined that there is not film-originated video (step S 103 ). If it is determined that there is film-originated video, it is determined whether or not all the regions are film regions in step S 104 . If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, it is determined that film-originated video covers the entire screen (step S 105 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 106 a region which has been determined to be a film region is subdivided, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 107 , based on the result of step S 106 , it is determined whether or not all the sub-regions are film regions. The determination of step S 107 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions. If it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions, a film-originated video region is determined (step S 108 ), and the process is ended.
[0030] FIGS. 2A-2C are conceptual diagrams showing screens divided based on the flowchart of FIG. 1 . In FIG. 2A , input video is divided over an entire screen 10 , film-originated video detection is performed in each division region, and regions which it has been determined that are film regions are indicated by circles. In FIG. 2B , a film region 11 of FIG. 2A is subdivided, film-originated video detection is performed, and sub-regions which it has been determined that are film regions are indicated by circles. In FIG. 2C , a film region 12 of FIG. 2B is subdivided, film-originated video detection is performed, sub-regions which it has been determined that are film regions are indicated by circles. The process is repeatedly performed until it is determined that all sub-regions are film-originated video regions.
[0031] Note that even if the order of processing of step S 102 of determining whether or not there is a film region and step S 104 of determining whether or not all regions are film regions may be rearranged (i.e., step S 104 may be performed before step S 102 ), a similar advantage is obtained. Such a step rearrangement may be effective in embodiments described below.
[0032] If it is desired to detect rough regions, the process may be ended after being repeatedly performed an integral number of times before film-originated video detection is performed on all regions.
Second Embodiment
[0033] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 3 , in step S 301 , film detection (detection of film-originated video) is performed on an input video signal in each of a plurality of regions into which a screen is divided. In step S 302 , based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that there is not a film region, it is determined that there is not film-originated video (step S 303 ). If it is determined that there is film-originated video, it is determined whether or not all the regions are film regions in step S 304 . If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, it is determined that film-originated video covers the entire screen (step S 305 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 306 a region which has been determined to be a film region is subdivided, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 307 , based on the result of step S 306 , it is determined whether or not all the sub-regions are film regions. The determination of step S 307 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions. If it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions, in step S 308 regions located on the left and right of or above and below the film-originated video region are added to the film-originated video region, and film-originated video detection is performed. In step S 309 , based on the result of step S 308 , it is determined whether or not all the regions are film regions. If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, a film-originated video region is determined in step S 310 . If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 311 a region which has been determined to be a film region is subdivided, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 312 , based on the result of step S 311 , it is determined whether or not all the sub-regions are film regions. The determination of step S 312 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions. If it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions, a film-originated video region is determined (step S 313 ), and the process is ended.
Third Embodiment
[0034] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 4 , in step S 401 , film detection (detection of film-originated video) is performed on an input video signal in each of a plurality of regions into which a screen is divided. In step S 402 , based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that there is not a film region, it is determined that there is not film-originated video (step S 403 ). If it is determined that there is film-originated video, it is determined whether or not all the regions are film regions in step S 404 . If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, it is determined that film-originated video covers the entire screen (step S 405 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 406 a periphery of a region which has been determined to be a film region is expanded, the expanded region is subdivided, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 407 , based on the result of step S 406 , it is determined whether or not all the sub-regions are film regions. The determination of step S 407 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions. If it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions, a film-originated video region is determined (step S 408 ), and the process is ended.
Fourth Embodiment
[0035] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 5 , in step S 501 , film detection (detection of film-originated video) is performed on an input video signal in each of a plurality of regions into which a screen is divided. In step S 502 , based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that there is not a film region, it is determined that there is not film-originated video (step S 503 ). If it is determined that there is film-originated video, it is determined whether or not all the regions are film regions in step S 504 . If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, it is determined that film-originated video covers the entire screen (step S 505 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 506 a region which has been determined to be a film region is subdivided in the next field or frame, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 507 , based on the result of step S 506 , it is determined whether or not all the sub-regions are film regions. The determination of step S 507 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions. If it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions, a film-originated video region is determined (step S 508 ), and the process is ended.
[0036] FIGS. 6A-6C are conceptual diagrams showing screens divided based on the flowchart of FIG. 5 . In FIG. 6A , input video is divided over an entire screen 20 , film-originated video detection is performed in each division region, and regions which it has been determined that are film regions are indicated by circles. In FIG. 6B , a film region 21 of FIG. 6A is subdivided in the next field or frame, film-originated video detection is performed, and sub-regions which it has been determined that are film regions are indicated by circles. In FIG. 6C , a film region 22 of FIG. 6B is subdivided in the next field or frame, film-originated video detection is performed, sub-regions which it has been determined that are film regions are indicated by circles. The process is repeatedly performed until it is determined that all sub-regions are film-originated video regions.
Fifth Embodiment
[0037] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 7 , in step S 701 , film detection (detection of film-originated video) is performed on an input video signal in each of a plurality of regions into which a screen is divided. In step S 702 , based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that there is not a film region, it is determined that there is not film-originated video (step S 703 ). If it is determined that there is film-originated video, it is determined whether or not all the regions are film regions in step S 704 . If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, it is determined that film-originated video covers the entire screen (step S 705 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 706 a region which has been determined to be a film region is subdivided in the next field or frame, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 707 , based on the result of step S 706 , it is determined whether or not all the sub-regions are film regions. The determination of step S 707 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions. If it is determined that all the sub-regions are film regions, regions located on the left and right of or above and below the film-originated video region are added to the film-originated video region in the next field or frame, and film-originated video detection is performed (step S 708 ). In step S 709 , based on the result of step S 708 , it is determined whether or not all the regions are film regions. If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, a film-originated video region is determined (step S 710 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 711 a region which has been determined to be a film region is subdivided in the next field or frame, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 712 , based on the result of step S 711 , it is determined whether or not all the sub-regions are film regions. The determination of step S 712 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions. If it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions, a film-originated video region is determined (step S 713 ), and the process is ended.
Sixth Embodiment
[0038] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 8 , in step S 801 , film detection (detection of film-originated video) is performed on an input video signal in each of a plurality of regions into which a screen is divided. In step S 802 , based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that there is not a film region, it is determined that there is not film-originated video (step S 803 ). If it is determined that there is film-originated video, it is determined whether or not all the regions are film regions in step S 804 . If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, it is determined that film-originated video covers the entire screen (step S 805 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 806 a periphery of a region which has been determined to be a film region is expanded in the next field or frame, the expanded region is subdivided, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 807 , based on the result of step S 806 , it is determined whether or not all the sub-regions are film regions. The determination of step S 807 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions. If it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions, a film-originated video region is determined (step S 808 ), and the process is ended.
Seventh Embodiment
[0039] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 9 , in step S 901 , film detection (detection of film-originated video) is performed on an input video signal in each of a plurality of regions into which a screen is divided. In step S 902 , based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that there is not a film region, it is determined that there is not film-originated video (step S 903 ). If it is determined that there is film-originated video, it is determined whether or not there is a region which is not a film region in step S 904 . If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, it is determined that film-originated video covers the entire screen (step S 905 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 906 a region which has been determined not to be a film region is subdivided, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 907 , based on the result of step S 906 , it is determined whether or not there is a film region. The determination of step S 907 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region. If it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region, a non-film-originated video region is determined (step S 908 ), and the process is ended.
Eighth Embodiment
[0040] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to an eighth embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 10 , in step S 1001 , film detection (detection of film-originated video) is performed on an input video signal in each of a plurality of regions into which a screen is divided. In step S 1002 , based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that there is not a film region, it is determined that there is not film-originated video (step S 1003 ). If it is determined that there is film-originated video, it is determined whether or not there is a region which is not a film region in step S 1004 . If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, it is determined that film-originated video covers the entire screen (step S 1005 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 1006 a region which has been determined not to be a film region is subdivided, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 1007 , based on the result of step S 1006 , it is determined whether or not there is a film region. The determination of step S 1007 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region. If it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region, regions located on the left and right of or above and below the non-film-originated video region are added to the non-film-originated video region, and film-originated video detection is performed (step S 1008 ). In step S 1009 , based on the result of step S 1008 , it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that none of the regions is a film region, a non-film-originated video region is determined (step S 1010 ). If there is a film region, in step S 1011 a region which has been determined not to be a film region is subdivided, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 1012 , based on the result of step S 1011 , it is determined whether or not there is a film region. The determination of step S 1012 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region. If it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region, a non-film-originated video region is determined (step S 1013 ), and the process is ended.
Ninth Embodiment
[0041] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a ninth embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 11 , in step S 1101 , film detection (detection of film-originated video) is performed on an input video signal in each of a plurality of regions into which a screen is divided. In step S 1102 , based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that there is not a film region, it is determined that there is not film-originated video (step S 1103 ). If it is determined that there is film-originated video, it is determined whether or not there is a region which is not a film region in step S 1104 . If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, it is determined that film-originated video covers the entire screen (step S 1105 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 1106 a periphery of a region which has been determined not to be a film region is expanded, the expanded region is subdivided, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 1107 , based on the result of step S 1106 , it is determined whether or not there is a film region. The determination of step S 1107 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region. If it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region, a non-film-originated video region is determined (step S 1108 ), and the process is ended.
Tenth Embodiment
[0042] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 12 , in step S 1201 , film detection (detection of film-originated video) is performed on an input video signal in each of a plurality of regions into which a screen is divided. In step S 1202 , based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that there is not a film region, it is determined that there is not film-originated video (step S 1203 ). If it is determined that there is film-originated video, it is determined whether or not there is a region which is not a film region in step S 1204 . If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, it is determined that film-originated video covers the entire screen (step S 1205 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 1206 a region which has been determined not to be a film region is subdivided in the next field or frame, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 1207 , based on the result of step S 1206 , it is determined whether or not there is a film region. The determination of step S 1207 is repeatedly performed in a plurality of fields or frames until it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region. If it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region, a non-film-originated video region is determined (step S 1208 ), and the process is ended.
Eleventh Embodiment
[0043] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to an eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 13 , in step S 1301 , film detection (detection of film-originated video) is performed on an input video signal in each of a plurality of regions into which a screen is divided. In step S 1302 , based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that there is not a film region, it is determined that there is not film-originated video (step S 1303 ). If it is determined that there is film-originated video, it is determined whether or not there is a region which is not a film region in step S 1304 . If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, it is determined that film-originated video covers the entire screen (step S 1305 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 1306 a region which has been determined not to be a film region is subdivided in the next field or frame, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the sub-regions. In step S 1307 , based on the result of step S 1306 , it is determined whether or not there is a film region. The determination of step S 1307 is repeatedly performed until it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region. If it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region, regions located on the left and right of or above and below the non-film-originated video region are added to the non-film-originated video region in the next field or frame, and film-originated video detection is performed (step S 1308 ). In step S 1309 , based on the result of step S 1308 , it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that none of the regions is a film region, a non-film-originated video region is determined (step S 1310 ). If there is a film region, in step S 1311 a region which has been determined not to be a film region is subdivided in the next field or frame, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the resulting sub-regions. In step S 1312 , based on the result of step S 1311 , it is determined whether or not there is a film region. The determination of step S 1312 is repeatedly performed in a plurality of fields or frames until it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region. If it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region, a non-film-originated video region is determined (step S 1313 ), and the process is ended.
Twelfth Embodiment
[0044] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a film-originated video region detection method according to a twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 14 , in step S 1401 , film detection (detection of film-originated video) is performed on an input video signal in each of a plurality of regions into which a screen is divided. In step S 1402 , based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not there is a film region. If it is determined that there is not a film region, it is determined that there is not film-originated video (step S 1403 ). If it is determined that there is film-originated video, it is determined whether or not there is a region which is not a film region in step S 1404 . If it is determined that all the regions are film regions, it is determined that film-originated video covers the entire screen (step S 1405 ). If there is a region which is not a film region, in step S 1406 a periphery of a region which has been determined not to be a film region is expanded in the next field or frame, the expanded region is subdivided, and film detection (film-originated video detection) is performed in the sub-regions. In step S 1407 , based on the result of step S 1406 , it is determined whether or not there is a film region. The determination of step S 1407 is repeatedly performed in a plurality of fields or frames until it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region. If it is determined that none of sub-regions is a film region, a non-film-originated video region is determined (step S 1408 ), and the process is ended.
[0045] As described above, the film-originated video region detection method of the present disclosure which detects a film-originated video region is useful for television sets, as a video processing method which changes processes or settings of interlaced-to-progressive scan conversion, frame rate conversion, noise reduction, contour correction, etc. based on an input video signal. | Film-originated video detection is performed on an input video signal in each of regions into which an entire screen is divided. Based on the detection result, a case where there is not film-originated video is separated from a case where film-originated video covers the entire screen. When both a film region and a non-film region are contained, film-originated video detection is performed in sub-regions into which a region which has been determined to be a film region is subdivided. Based on the detection result, it is determined whether or not all the sub-regions are film regions. The determination is repeatedly performed until it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions. If it is determined that all sub-regions are film regions, a film-originated video region is determined, and the process is ended. Thus, a film-originated video region can be accurately detected in a screen containing film-originated video and non-film-originated video. | 6 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuing application, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, of copending International application PCT/AT2005/000180, filed May 25, 2005, which designated the United States; this application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of Austrian patent application A 641/2005, filed Apr. 15, 2005; the prior applications are herewith incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a novel cable duct for cables or cable lines which are to be laid along walls, partitions and, in particular, tops of subterranean tubes, vaults, tunnels, ducts, shafts or the like that extend generally horizontally, diagonally ascending or descending and/or curved or with bends, preferably for conducting water or sewage, for energy and electrical transport, telephones, data and information transfer and the like, in particular for glass fiber and optical conductor cables or cable lines, whereby the novel cable duct may be inserted or pulled in from the surface into the tube, vault and the like through generally vertical or diagonal access or branch shafts respectively, and fastened to its wall, partition and, in particular, top.
[0003] The high growth rate in the field of information technology and telecommunications, but also the ever increasing power demand has made a large-scale construction of the systems of transmission lines and cables of the most varied types and their interconnection necessary in the last few years.
[0004] Even in those fields with few obstacles, the lines or cables provided for the noted purposes are no longer laid to a large extent over e.g. trouble-prone overhead lines in the country, but, if possible, underground whereby, although the excavation work required for this is relatively expensive, it is in essence hampered relatively little by other infrastructures, buildings, underground installations or the like.
[0005] Laying lines of this type under the surface in congested city areas is much more difficult, whereby, in addition, the aspect of traffic obstructions should be noted here as a substantial disadvantage.
[0006] In the course of constructing line systems and data networks with high transmission densities and rates, fiber optic or glass fiber cables represent a substantial improvement and it has already been common for some time to avoid the excavation and construction work required for laying them by using the existing underground infrastructure of the supply and disposal networks, in particular e.g. of sewage systems, for laying special lines and cables of this type in housing developments, cities and the like. It has become routine in many large cities to not only lay data transmission, control and information carrier cables, but also e.g. power cables, in underground conduit systems in already existing gallery systems of this type.
[0007] The great advantage of this type of cable laying is that it is no longer necessary to open the ground, associated with a destruction of traffic areas, pavements and significant traffic interference for people and vehicles resulting therefrom, for laying a cable or cable line with all the unpleasant consequences, as a result of which considerable cost savings are obtained and, at the same time, relatively high flexibility with respect to the laying section.
[0008] Of course, a substantial requirement continues to exist, namely that the laying in underground supply and disposal systems can take place with as low an expenditure as possible and that a quick and effective laying of cables, lines and the like is made possible under the inherently more difficult conditions existing in conduit systems.
[0009] A prior technology for laying cables and cable lines existed generally in that cable supports with dish-shaped or channel-shaped housings for holding or clamping the cable to be laid are installed in each case on the walls of the duct or the like at relatively short distances from one another and that the cables are fastened on both sides on the cable supports, laterally and toward the front, cable cover plates, hoods or the like formed of relatively rigid materials such as, in particular, plastic.
[0010] Since that time, various proposals for cable ducts have become known which can be continuously laid, e.g. that can be unwound from winding drums, elastically flexible, with corresponding multiple gutters or hollow profiles for housing and holding the cable.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a cable duct that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, which is formed with individual modules that are identical to each other and which can be assembled to form an almost “endless” continuous cable duct line in the region of the insertion opening of a branch shaft leading to the actual duct provided for the duct placement with little manipulation expenditure. The cable duct line can then be inserted continuously into the duct and then fastened there to its top, walls or the like, advantageously by a known automatically operating cable duct assembly truck, so that the cable or cable lines to be laid in the cable duct can then be inserted in the at least one continuous, longitudinally extending cable housing chamber.
[0012] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a cable duct for cables or cable lines to be laid along walls, partitions, and tops of subterranean tubes, vaults, tunnels, ducts, or shafts extending generally horizontally, diagonally ascending or descending and/or curved or with bends, for conducting water, sewage, energy and electrical transport lines, telephone lines, data and information transfer lines, glass fiber cables, optical conductor cables, and/or cable lines. The cable duct is inserted or pulled in from a surface into the tube, the vault and the like through generally vertical or diagonal access or branch shafts respectively and fastened to the wall, the partition or the top. The cable duct contains a drive chain in a manner of a bicycle drive chain. The drive chain has longitudinal cable duct body elements disposed one behind another in a longitudinal direction. The cable duct body elements have end regions connected to one another about a pivot axis disposed generally at a right angle to the longitudinal direction and are mutually pivotable relative to one another at a lateral angle. Each of the cable duct body elements have at least one web and two cover plates spaced from one another by the at least one web and are held parallel to one another and joined together by the at least one web. The cover plates each have longitudinal edges with locking elements disposed along the longitudinal edges, the locking elements are interlocking elements or counter locking elements. Covering elements, being either edge cover strips or cover profiled strips formed of a bendable or elastically flexible material, are disposed on both sides of the cable duct body elements. The covering elements have longitudinal edges with cover locking elements disposed along the longitudinal edges and continuously pass through the locking elements of the cover plates of the cable duct body elements resulting in a form-locking connection between the locking elements and the cover locking elements. The covering elements laterally close off the cover plates on both sides and are disposed on both sides of the at least one web between the cover plates. The cover locking elements are either interlocking elements or counter locking elements. The covering elements, the cover plates and the at least one web define first laterally open chambers toward both sides for receiving the cables or the cable lines. Two of the cable duct body elements separated from one another by the respective web, define the bicycle drive chain, are mutually pivotable at the lateral angle and define continuous longitudinal chambers, closed generally all around, for inserting and housing the cables or the cable lines.
[0013] The novel cable duct which is joined together so as to be mutually pivotable at a (lateral) angle in a chain link-type manner, formed with advantageously identical module units each, is distinguished by high mechanical stability, entirely sufficient protection for the cable, lines and the like laid inside it, against contamination as well as, furthermore, by simple and problem-free insertability into a respective duct system, which is, in particular, a result of the already briefly discussed mutual angular pivotability of the new module-type cable duct body elements. To a certain extent, a curving or bending in a vertical direction or a torsion or 3D torsion of the novel cable duct composed of the mutually individual modules that can be turned at least a little about its longitudinal axis in each case is also possible. On the one hand, this facilitates the adaptation to the topographic conditions prevailing inside the sewage ducts and, on the other hand, also the insertion of the novel cable duct into the ducts via the conventional vertical or diagonal access or branch shafts that open into the actual ducts.
[0014] In order to facilitate the layout of one or more cables or branch cables in a branch shaft, vertical shaft or the like which lead out of the duct leading to a main connection or the like, it is advantageous to form the edge cover strips on the outside with cable retaining profiled channels or the like.
[0015] An especially preferred embodiment of the modular cable duct body elements within the scope of the invention which can be connected to one another and are ultimately joined to form the cable duct, the body elements being distinguished by high mechanical stability and extensive insulation of the cables laid or conveyed therein against the environment in the sewage duct.
[0016] According to an added embodiment of the invention, the cable duct body elements are each joined together laterally in an angularly adjustable manner via the central axial recesses and the pivot axis stumps. A first one of the cable duct body elements with the pivot extension of the cover plate interlocks with the pivot axis stump of a second adjacent one of the cable duct body elements in a slidable manner.
[0017] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the pivot axis stump of the web extension and the web extension itself are each formed with a straight opening for receiving fastening elements for mounting the cable duct to the wall, the partition or the top of a water or sewage tube, or duct.
[0018] An embodiment of the body element module of the novel cable duct according to the invention results in high flexibility in which the individual cable duct body elements are each formed with two identical half-body elements which can be joined by guide pins or the like. Each of the two identical body element halves are formed by one of the cover plates and a half-web formed by dividing the web in half longitudinally.
[0019] In another embodiment, an advantageous type of connection of the just noted half-module bodies to one another, each to form a complete cable duct body element.
[0020] A “centrosymmetrical” embodiment of the novel cable duct body elements which deviate from the basic form, whereby e.g. their upper cover plates are connected to one another, so to say via “head/tail”, i.e. via a pivot extension and pivot axis recess, and their “lower” cover plate via “tail/head”, i.e. diametrically or inversely to the aforementioned arrangement, i.e. are each connected to one another in an angular pivotable manner via pivot axis recess and pivot extension.
[0021] In an embodiment of the pivot axis recesses of the pivot extensions, of the cover plates of the cable duct body elements, e.g. in the form of elongated holes, a relatively high “vertical flexibility” or upward or downward bending of the new cable duct formed with the body elements is assured, which increases its adaptability to the respective interior topography of the sewer.
[0022] In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the cable duct body elements are formed from an inert, fiber-reinforced plastic having a relatively low elastic flexibility and is stable for a long time vis-à-vis substances present in sewage. The plastic is preferably polycarbonate, polyamide, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, or polyurethane. The coverings are formed from an inert plastic being stable over a long period and preferably polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polypropylene or PVC.
[0023] It is advantageous if the edge cover strips are formed of a plastic material which, although it is less rigid than the material forming the cable duct body elements and, for reasons of load-carrying capacity and mechanical strength, basically has a relatively slight elastic flexibility, i.e. more rigid plastic material, however, it cannot, however, be described by any measure as “slack”. The flexibility of the edge cover strips should be provided in such a way that they can also effect the lateral curvatures of the cable duct without special resistance, however, on the other hand, that the mechanical stability, strength and load-carrying capacity as well as robustness of the cable duct is ensured and that it does not result in a disintegration of body elements and edge cover strips by, for example, the cover strips possibly coming loose from the body elements.
[0024] An embodiment of the new cable duct is disclosed in which unpleasant disturbances in the duct system, such as e.g. blockages, are largely avoided and that otherwise also maintenance work to be carried out periodically can be omitted in many cases. More specifically, each of the cable duct body elements formed with two edge cover strips have a smooth surface, and as a result of the smooth surface, coarser impurities are prevented from adhering and thus a sewage duct or sewage line is prevented from blocking.
[0025] Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
[0026] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a cable duct, 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.
[0027] The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
[0028] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of two pivotally connected body elements of a cable duct according to the invention;
[0029] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a cable duct half-body element which can be connected or joined together according to the invention with a second identical half-body element to form a complete cable duct body element;
[0030] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of two cable duct parts each composed of several cable duct body elements;
[0031] FIG. 3A is a diagrammatic, sectional view of a detail of an interlocking connection between the two cover plates of a cable duct body element with the continuous elastically flexible lateral or edge cover strips provided for its side covering;
[0032] FIG. 3B is a diagrammatic, cross-sectional view of an edge cover strip formed for retaining branch cables or the like with cable retaining profiled channels extending on the outside;
[0033] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a cable duct according to the invention in greater detail with the edge cover strips closing it on both sides; and
[0034] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a further advantageous embodiment of the new cable duct with a “centrosymmetrical” cable duct body element.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0035] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a part of a cable duct 1 according to the invention. The cable duct 1 has two identical, modular elongated cable duct body elements 10 which are disposed about a common pivot axis as at a right angle to a longitudinal direction rl so as to be pivotable at an angle. Each of the body elements 10 has an upper and a lower cover plate 2 , 2 ′ which are disposed parallel to one another and at a distance from one another, whereby a web 3 is found between these two cover plates 2 , 2 ′ longitudinally in the center which connects these two cover plates 2 , 2 ′.
[0036] The two cover plates 2 , 2 ′ of the body elements 10 are each both made—on the left here—with a pivot extension 11 having a circular convex contour Kx with a pivot axis recess 111 disposed in the center of a circular arc. On the right side, both cover plates 2 , 2 ′ have a pivot recess 12 in which a web extension 31 of the aforementioned web 3 which connects the cover plates 2 , 2 ′ projects. Finally, the web 3 has a type of columnar thickening with a pivot axis stump 121 projecting beyond the aforementioned web extension 31 , upward and downward, generally to the extent of the material thickness of the cover plates 2 , 2 ′ at the point of the center of the pivot recess 12 having the circular concave contour Kv. The swivel axis stump 121 and the thickening of the web extension 31 (not shown in greater detail) which supports it, in this case more or less columnar in shape, are on the whole passed through by a continuous opening 15 which are used to house fastening devices which pass through it, i.e. in particular screws or the like, for the assembly of the cable duct 1 , e.g. to a cover of a sewer. The two pivot axis stumps 121 of each of the cable duct body elements 10 each protrude into the corresponding pivot axis recess 111 of the pivot extensions 11 of the two cover plates 2 , 2 ′ of the respectively adjacent cable duct body element 10 of the cable duct line 1 and form a cover plate pivot connection.
[0037] In the right body element 10 in the illustration of FIG. 1 , it is indicated that the axial recess 111 can be formed as an elongated hole in longitudinal direction, as a result of which a deformation or upward or downward curvature of the cable duct 1 formed with the body elements 10 disposed in a row in “vertical direction” is made possible to adapt to the corresponding upward or downward curved slope of the sewer cover.
[0038] The convex contour Kx of the circular extensions 11 of the two cover plates 2 , 2 ′ of the cable duct body element 10 , disposed on the right in FIG. 1 , corresponds generally in an easy torsional fit to the concave contour Kv of the pivot axis recesses 12 of the cover plates 2 , 2 ′ of the cable duct body element 10 adjoining them on the left. Open chambers 20 , 20 ′ are produced on both sides of the central web 3 in each of the cable duct body elements 10 between the two cover plates 2 , 2 ′, toward both sides S 1 , S 2 in each case.
[0039] By joining several body elements 10 to form the cable duct 1 , two continuous longitudinal chambers 200 , 200 ′ which “bridge” all of these body elements 10 , are ultimately created in which cables 6 or cable lines to be laid can be inserted and ultimately accommodated, in particular after the chambers have been closed on both sides S 1 , S 2 .
[0040] The chambers 20 , 20 ′ of the cable duct body elements 10 are finally closed on both sides S 1 , S 2 by a straight, continuous edge cover strip 5 , only shown as a short piece in FIG. 1 , formed of an elastically flexible plastic material which is provided on its two longitudinal edges 51 with groove and tongue-like interlocking elements 52 . These interlocking elements 52 interlock with corresponding counter interlocking elements 22 on the longitudinal edges 21 of both cover plates 2 , 2 ′ of each of the cable duct body elements 10 or engage in them in a groove and tongue manner. This not only gives a form-closed connection but also a force-locking connection between the continuous edge cover strips 5 which each close the cable duct 1 on both sides and the cover plates 2 , 2 ′, but also ensures the cohesion of the body elements 10 , which is especially important when the body elements 10 , as described in greater detail in the following, are formed “in two parts”, in particular with cable duct half-body elements 100 , 100 ′ divided e.g. in the longitudinal center and each joined together to form a whole body element
[0041] A form-locking connection is one that connects two elements together due to the shape of the elements themselves, as opposed to a force-locking connection, which locks the elements together by force external to the elements.
[0042] A form-locking connection is one that connects two elements together due to the shape of the elements themselves, as opposed to a force-locking connection, which locks the elements together by force external to the elements.
[0043] With the meaning of the reference symbols remaining the same, FIG. 2 shows a “lower” cable duct half-body element 100 ′, as just noted above. It has per se the same structure as the cable duct body element 10 according to FIG. 1 , however, after the web 3 has been divided in the longitudinal center, it is only formed with the “lower” cover plate 2 ′ and the web 3 which has been halved in the longitudinal center and connected with it, i.e. with the “half-web” 30 .
[0044] Two columnar thickenings 33 , which are spaced from one another in the course of the web, are indicated there with a central recess in which a guide pin, peg 35 or the like is situated which is provided for connecting the half-body element 100 ′ with a non-illustrated second “upper” cable duct half-body element [ 100 ]. This non-illustrated cable duct half-body element [ 100 ] is identical to the lower half-body element 100 ′ and disposed symmetrically thereto, relative to the longitudinal central sectional plane of the web 3 , and the two half-body elements 100 ′ [ 100 ] are connected to one another by guide pins 35 .
[0045] A substantial advantage of the “divided” structure of the cable duct body elements 10 of the cable duct 1 according to the invention shown here is that a number of similar half-body elements 100 ′ [ 100 ] are available here and that their assembly to form the cable duct body elements 10 and ultimately to form the continuous cable duct 1 formed with them is substantially facilitated.
[0046] FIG. 3 illustrates, with otherwise the same the reference symbols, the invention in greater detail with reference to two parts of the new cable duct 1 , each containing several cable duct body elements 10 :
[0047] A part of the cable duct 1 assembled from several body elements 10 with lateral edge cover strip 5 is shown there which covers the cable housing chamber 20 of one of the cable duct body elements 10 which is open to the front side S 1 and cooperates with its interlocking elements 52 , which engages in the counter interlocking elements 22 of the two cover plates 2 , 2 ′ with them in a form-locking and force-locking manner. The reference numbers 101 and 102 appear in FIG. 3 that designate the two “ends” of the third body element 10 there.
[0048] The sectional view of FIG. 3A shows this in greater detail, with otherwise the same reference symbols.
[0049] FIG. 3B shows a diagonal view of a part of an edge cover strip 5 configured here for three cable support profiles having channels or grooves 55 configured to hold branch cables 6 ′ in a clamp-like manner. Branch cables 6 ′, e.g. led from the cable duct 1 through corresponding openings in the edge cover strip 5 , be accommodated therein, it being possible to ultimately lead the branch cables 6 ′ into a branch shaft leading to a main connection or the like, inserted and e.g. fixed by flexible snapping into the respective channel 55 . Of course, additional “other” cables, lines or the like which accompany the cable duct 1 over longer distances can also be led in the sectional channels 55 of the edge cover strip 5 .
[0050] With otherwise the same reference symbols, FIG. 4 serves to illustrate the subject matter of the invention in an embodiment with “centrosymmetrical” cable duct body elements 10 in which the torsionally cooperating pivot extensions 11 and pivot recesses 12 of the cover plates 2 , 2 ′ are disposed alternately or diametrically to one another on the respectively various ends of the cable duct body elements 10 . The half-body elements 100 , 100 ′ shown in FIG. 2 , which can be disposed and joined together only diametrically with respect to direction, are especially advantageous for the body elements 10 formed in this way.
[0051] Finally, with otherwise the same reference symbols, FIG. 5 shows a cable duct 1 according to the invention with the continuous edge cover strips 5 attached to its body elements 10 on both sides.
[0052] With respect to installing the new cable duct via a vertical branch shaft into the tube(s) or duct(s) provided for the cable laying, the body elements are assembled to form the new cable duct in the area of the shaft opening and continuously led vertically downward such that the pivot axes of the body elements are generally horizontal, so that the cable duct can be brought from the vertical into the horizontal without difficulty while turning the body elements, preferably while using a guide baffle or the like which bridges the transition from the branch shaft into the duct. It can then e.g. be fastened to a tube or duct sidewall. If it is to be mounted in the duct cover, then a turning of the cable duct can already continuously take place during the insertion after the “horizontal” duct has been obtained in such a way that the pivot axes between the body elements are oriented generally at a right angle and the cover fastening means can be installed through the “hollow” axes. | A cable duct is provided for cables to be laid along walls or tops of subterranean tubes, ducts, etc. for the transport of water, energy, data, optical fiber cables, etc. The cable duct is installed in the tube from a surface through access shafts and fixed to the duct. The cable duct is formed by cable duct body elements, disposed one behind the other in a longitudinal direction, connected to one another at the ends thereof such as to be pivoted relative to one another at a lateral angle about a lateral pivot axis. Each of the body elements is formed by two cover plates and connected to one another by a web. Laterally open chambers are disposed on both sides of the web for housing the cables. The chambers are sealed by edge cover strips forming two closed longitudinal chambers with the connected angularly adjustable body elements. | 6 |
The invention relates to a diplexer which couples a plurality of RF signals and a strobe signal to an antenna.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Devices for coupling an RF signal to an antenna are well known in the art. However, in certain applications it may be necessary to couple a plurality of RF signals to an antenna, such as for example in the environment of an emergency transmitter buoy in which a satellite signal and one or two search and rescue homing signals are radiated by a single antenna. If the antenna is part of a transmitter buoy, it may also be desirable to mount a strobe lamp on the top of the antenna to aid in location of the buoy during a search and rescue operation. The strobe lamp requires a strobe signal, and the strobe signal must also be coupled to the antenna together with the satellite and the search and rescue signals.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
A diplexer is used to couple a plurality of RF signals and a strobe signal to a multifrequency antenna. The diplexer comprises a plurality of filters for passing selected frequency signals to the antenna and for blocking other frequencies being fed to the antenna from other parts of the transmitter circuitry. A strobe lamp on the antenna is fed the strobe signal which is coupled to the antenna by the diplexer.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a diplexer for coupling a plurality of RF signals to an antenna.
It is another object of the invention to provide a diplexer for feeding a strobe signal to an antenna which is also fed a plurality of RF signals.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description in which reference numerals used throughout the description correspond to reference numerals shown on the drawing figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The sole drawing figure shows a diplexer according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The drawing figure shows an antenna 12 which is used to radiate a plurality of RF signals and which includes a strobe 14 mounted on the peak thereof. The antenna 12 is coupled to a terminal point 16 through a transmission line 38 which receives RF signals and strobe signals as more fully explained below.
A 406 MHZ RF source 17 is coupled to a first bandpass filter 18 which is tuned to 406 MHZ. The first filter 18 is an L filter comprising an inductor 19 coupled to ground and a capacitor 21 coupled to the terminal point 16. A strobe firing circuit 20 and a switch 22 are coupled to the input 27 of a low pass filter 23. The low pass filter 23 comprises a capacitor 24 coupled to ground and an inductor 26 coupled to the terminal point 16, and signals from the circuit elements 22 and 20 charge and fire the strobe 14.
A 121.5 MHZ and 243 MHZ source 28 is coupled to a second bandpass filter 29 which is tuned to a frequency which will best accommodate the two RF signals from the source 28. The filter 29 is a T filter comprising a capacitor 31 and an inductor 32 in the arms of the T which are coupled to the terminal point 16 and an inductor 33 and a capacitor 34 coupled to ground.
The terminal point 16 is coupled by a transmission line 38 to the multifrequency antenna 12 and to a ground plane 39. The antenna 12 includes a plurality of transmission sections 41-46 coupled together by inductors 47-50. The section 41-46 are dimensioned for optimal transmission of the 121.5 MHZ, 243 MHZ, and 406 MHZ signals and are isolated from one another at the transmission frequencies by the inductors 47-50.
The strobe 14 is mounted on the antenna 12 and is connected between antenna segments 45 and 46.
In use, the 406 MHZ source 17 is a 5-watt transmitter which transmits a 406 MHZ signal over the antenna 12 which is intended to be received by a satellite which is a part of the search and rescue satellite network. The 121.5 MHZ and 243 MHZ source 28 is a transmitter which transmits homing signals over the antenna 12 to search and rescue vehicles at a power level of 100 milliwatts or less. The inductor 33 and capacitor 34 in the filter 29 provide an RF trap for the 406 MHZ signal so that the signal from the transmitter 17 will not be reflected into the transmitter 28. The capacitor 31 in the filter 29 protects the transmitter 28 from the DC sawtooth signal; and in a similar fashion, the capacitor 21 in the filter 18 protects the transmitter 17 from the DC sawtooth signal. The capacitor 34 in the filter 29 prevents the sawtooth signal from being coupled to ground through the inductors 32 and 33.
The strobe 14 facilitates the visual detection of the transmitter buoy in the open sea.
Having thus described the invention, various alterations and modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art, which alterations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. | A diplexer couples a plurality of RF signals and a strobe signal to the antenna of an emergency transmitter buoy. A plurality of filters in the diplexer each pass a preselected signal to the antenna and block other signals from being reflected into the signal sources. | 7 |
PRIORITY
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/364,263, filed Jul. 14, 2010, entitled “CONTOURED THICKNESS BLANK FOR AMMUNITION CARTRIDGES,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND
Ammunition includes metallic cases or cartridges, commonly made of brass, which each package a bullet, gunpowder, and primer. The filled cartridge is formed to precisely fit a firing chamber of a firearm.
The manufacture of such brass cartridges is generally known to include annealing a cup of heavy-gauge brass and deep drawing the cup through a multi-stage press arrangement into a final shape of the cartridge. The process for brass further includes ironing cartridge sidewalls during drawing and re-drawing processes to taper the walls with respect to the base, with multiple intermediate anneals conducted between the deep drawing processes.
Brass, having a sufficiently low work hardening rate and low frictional forces, is usable with a multiple annealing and sidewall ironing process, and is suitable for such a deep drawing process including heavy sidewall ironing. Steel, by contrast, has properties such as a high work hardening rate, high strength, and high frictional forces. These properties can lead to galling and scoring issues, which typically result in reduced die life and make heavy sidewall ironing during repeated re-drawing and annealing steps difficult and not generally feasible. Also, while carbon steel has been used to form cartridges, such cartridges included waxing, or application of a protective coating, to prevent rust.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention, it is believed the present invention will be better understood from the following description of certain examples taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify the same elements and in which:
FIG. 1 depicts a cross-sectional view of an ammunition cartridge blank according to an example of the present disclosure in a first state;
FIG. 2 depicts a cross-sectional view of the ammunition cartridge blank of FIG. 1 in a second, formed cartridge state;
FIG. 3 depicts an elevation view of an exemplary spin forming operation;
FIG. 4 depicts an elevation view of another exemplary spin forming operation;
FIG. 5 depicts an elevation view of an exemplary compression forming operation;
FIG. 6 depicts an elevation view of a die for an alternative exemplary compression forming operation;
FIG. 7 depicts an elevation view of an exemplary grinding operation;
FIG. 8 depicts an elevation view of yet another exemplary spin forming operation;
FIG. 9 depicts an elevation view of an exemplary plunger and cylindrical cartridge formed via the plunger; and
FIG. 10 depicts an exploded perspective view of exemplary tooling.
The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the invention may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following description of certain examples of the invention should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention. Other examples, features, aspects, embodiments, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different and obvious aspects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
The Blank
FIG. 1 illustrates exemplary cartridge blank ( 10 ) in a first state, and FIG. 2 illustrates it in a second state as a cartridge ( 12 ) drawn into a cylindrical shape after a first draw operation, for example. Exemplary contoured thickness blank ( 10 ), formed into a first state as described further below, is shown in FIG. 1 as having central button ( 14 ) and outer region ( 16 ). The thicker central button ( 14 ) becomes the base of the cylindrical cartridge in the second state. Outer region ( 16 ) is reduced a minimum of 50% of the thickness of button ( 14 ), allowing for a minimization of side-wall ironing when drawing cartridge ( 12 ) into the cylindrical form. As shown in FIG. 2 , and as described below, blank ( 10 ) of FIG. 1 is further processed to form cartridge ( 12 ) of FIG. 2 , such that button ( 14 ) becomes base ( 18 ) of cylindrical cartridge ( 12 ).
Blank ( 10 ) may be formed of a metal including but not limited to austenitic stainless steel. Austenitic stainless steel is known to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is an alloy including chromium and nickel, having austenite as a primary phase. This alloy exhibits high ductility, low yield stress, and high tensile strength when compared to other steels. An austenitic stainless steel composition may comprise, for example, weight percentages of approximately no more than 0.045% C, no more than 0.60% Si, from about 0.03% to 0.06% N 2 , from about 1.0% to about 1.4% Mn, from about 17.2% to about 17.8% Cr, from about 3.1% to about 3.4% Cu, from about 8.1% to about 8.4% Ni, no more than 0.035% P, no more than 0.002% S, and no more than 0.4% Mo. Alternatively, the austenitic stainless steel composition may comprise, for example, weight percentages of approximately 0.035% C, 0.45% Si, 0.045% N 2 , 1.2% Mn, 17.5% Cr, 3.25 Cu, 8.25% Ni, a low weight percentage of each of P and S, and 0.2% Mo. The above-described compositions are shown in TABLE 1 below, where M=maximum amount.
TABLE 1
Chemical Composition for austenitic stainless steel (measured by weight percent)
C
Si
N 2
Mn
Cr
Cu
Ni
P
S
Mo
Range
0.045M
0.60M
.03/.06
1.0/1.4
17.2/17.8
3.1/3.4
8.1/8.4
.035M
.002M
0.4M
Aim
0.035
0.45
0.045
1.2
17.5
3.25
8.25
low
low
0.2
In a cold-rolled and annealed condition, such an austenitic stainless steel may have mechanical properties including 0.2% yield strength=31.5 ksi; ultimate tensile strength (UTS)=77.5 ksi; total elongation to fracture (based on an original gage length of 2″)=52.5%, and n-value (10% to Ult.)=0.404, and hardness of 68 HRBW. Such properties may be retrieved from a standard uni-axial tension test, conducted in accordance with ASTM E 8 and A 370. The n-value or strain hardening exponent is obtained at the same time but method of determination is covered under ASTM E646. Material tested in the examples described below, and the austenitic stainless steel described above, for example, may be melted, hot rolled between from about 2250° F. to about 2320° F., strip annealed between from about 1950° F. to about 2000° F., cold rolled, and finally annealed at about 1950° F.
The blanks may be prepared by any method known in the art. FIGS. 3-7 illustrate methods to prepare blank ( 10 ) in its first state. In their first state, the blanks may include an outer region ( 16 ) surrounding button ( 14 ) such that outer region ( 16 ) has a thickness in the range of from between about 50% to 80% of the thickness of central button ( 14 ). For example, sidewalls ( 20 ) as shown in FIG. 2 may be in the range of about 0.015 to 0.025 inches, and base ( 18 ) may have a thickness that is greater than the sidewall thickness. Such a greater comparative thickness requires minimal ironing during a forming process to position outer region ( 16 ) from the first state of FIG. 1 to the second state of FIG. 2 in which outer region ( 16 ) forms sidewalls ( 20 ). In another example, the blanks may include outer region ( 16 ) surrounding button ( 14 ) such that outer region ( 16 ) has a thickness in the range of from between about 50% to 60% of the thickness of central button ( 14 ).
The blank may be spin formed as shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4 . Referring to FIG. 3 , arms ( 22 ) of a rolling machine may include shafts ( 24 ) and heads ( 26 ) and rotate about respective longitudinal axes (A) of shafts ( 24 ). Each head ( 26 ) is generally trapezoidally shaped, though other shapes may be apparent to those of skill in the art. Head ( 26 ) includes a first, generally horizontal, blank contacting surface ( 28 ), an opposite second surface ( 30 ), and third and fourth surfaces ( 32 , 34 ) disposed therebetween at respective ends of first and second surface ( 28 , 30 ). Third and fourth surfaces ( 32 , 34 ) are generally parallel to one another, and axis (A) is substantially perpendicular to third and fourth surfaces ( 32 , 34 ).
Blank ( 10 ) includes a machine contacting surface ( 36 ) and an opposite underside surface ( 38 ). Surfaces ( 36 , 38 ) are disposed generally parallel to one another. Blank ( 10 ) includes central axis (B) that is substantially perpendicular to head contacting surface ( 36 ). Blank ( 10 ) rotates about central axis (B) while one or more arms ( 22 ) of the rolling machine rotate about respective longitudinal axes (A) such that blank contacting surface ( 28 ) of head ( 26 ) of a rotating arm ( 22 ) works against machine contacting surface ( 36 ) of blank ( 10 ) to form button ( 14 ) and outer region ( 16 ), button ( 14 ) having a greater thickness than outer region ( 16 ). Alternatively, arms ( 22 ) may rotate while blank ( 10 ) remains stationary.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4 , a rolling machine may include shaft ( 42 ) having longitudinal axis (C) and annular arm ( 44 ) rotatable about longitudinal axis (C) of shaft ( 42 ), for example, as shown in the direction of arrow (D). Blank ( 10 ) is formed to include button ( 14 ) and outer region ( 16 ), as described above, in this exemplary version as portions of rotating arm ( 44 ) work against machine contacting surface ( 36 ) of blank ( 10 ) while blank ( 10 ) rotates about central axis (B). Alternatively, arms ( 44 ) may rotate while blank ( 10 ) remains stationary.
The blanks may be compression formed by cold forming, warm forming, hot forming, or forging under straight compressive loading. As shown in FIG. 5 , blank ( 10 ) may be placed on upper surface ( 46 ) of lower block ( 48 ) of press ( 50 ). Upper block ( 52 ) of press ( 50 ) may include first portion ( 54 ), second portion ( 56 ), and third portion ( 58 ), with second portion ( 56 ) disposed between first and third portions ( 54 , 58 ). First and third portions ( 54 , 58 ) may be substantially rectangular or square in shape, while other shapes are within the scope of this disclosure. First and third portions ( 54 , 58 ) may have a substantially linear underside to compress against blank ( 10 ) to form outer region ( 16 ) when driven in the direction of arrow (E). Second portion ( 56 ) includes walls ( 60 , 62 , 64 ) defining aperture ( 66 ), sized and configured to compress against blank ( 10 ) to form button ( 14 ). The two halves of the press are brought together, in a manner known in the art, to form the blank ( 10 ).
Further, the process may involve using a three-die compression tooling design. The first and second dies may appear similar to that shown in FIG. 5 with the exception that the lower surface of the top press may be angled with respect to the upper surface of the bottom press, as shown in FIG. 6 . For example, FIG. 5 shows flat, parallel surfaces between the top and bottom presses. FIG. 6 shows a die having a non-parallel surface between the top and bottom presses. The first die may include, for example, a flat, upper surface ( 124 ) for the bottom press ( 126 ), as shown in phantom in FIG. 6 . The first die may additionally include an angled, lower surface ( 128 ) for top press ( 130 ) that is angled with respect to flat upper surface ( 124 ) of bottom press ( 126 ) at angle (N). Angle (N) may be, for example, 1 degree, such that an exterior end of the angled, lower surface of the top press is about 0.018″ removed from the upper surface of the lower press when the two presses are in compression. Alternatively, angle (N) may be in the range of about 0.1 degree to about 5 degrees. The slope added to the firm two forming stages via the first and second dies may, for example, assist with the flow of blank material outwards as the material may be moved more gradually and forced outward by the above-describing angling of the lower surface of the top press with respect to the upper surface of the bottom press.
Alternatively, an exemplary grinding operation as shown in FIG. 7 may be used to form blank ( 10 ). Blank ( 10 ) can be suction or vacuum held to lower block ( 68 ) by downwards force (F). As shown in FIG. 7 , arm ( 70 ) includes central aperture ( 72 ) through which shaft ( 74 ) extends. Shaft ( 74 ) includes substantially horizontal, longitudinal axis (G), about which shaft ( 74 ) rotates in the direction of arrow (H). Such rotation, via, for example, intermeshing gear mechanisms (not shown) may effect an upper and lower vertical movement, as shown by arrow (I), substantially in a direction perpendicular to longitudinal axis (G) of shaft ( 74 ). Alternatively, shaft ( 74 ) may non-rotably move in a direction substantially perpendicular to axis (G) to effect a similar movement of arm ( 70 ). Arm ( 70 ) is moved to a position to grind against blank ( 10 ) to create outer region ( 16 ) as blank ( 10 ) rotates about central axis (B) in the direction of arrow (J), for example. Additionally and/or alternatively, arm ( 70 ) may effect downward strokes while grinding against blank ( 10 ), which may be rotatable or non-rotatable.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8 , a blank may be directly formed into a cylindrical cartridge shape via a spin forming operation. For example, a flat blank such as blank ( 100 ), approximately 0.06″ thick, may be spin formed over lower support ( 102 ) into a cylindrical shape. Spinning machine ( 104 ) may include shaft ( 106 ) and arm ( 108 ) extending from shaft ( 106 ), together forming shaft and arm assembly ( 110 ). Shaft and arm assembly ( 110 ) may rotate about longitudinal axis (K) of shaft and arm assembly ( 110 ), and blank ( 100 ) may remain stationary as shown in FIG. 7 or may concurrently rotate about a longitudinal axis of blank ( 100 ). Shaft and arm assembly ( 110 ) may move downwards in the direction of arrow (L) to form sidewalls ( 112 ) of cylindrical cartridge ( 114 ), which is shown in phantom in FIG. 7 . For example, outer region ( 116 ) of blank ( 110 ) may be formed downwards in the direction of arrow (M) to form sidewalls ( 112 ).
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9 , a contoured plunger ( 118 ) having a top width that is less than a bottom width may be used to allow for thickness variation along length ( 120 ) of cylindrical cartridge ( 122 ), which is required in the final cartridge shape. The process may occur in a single operation requiring no additional, intermediate steps to produce the cylindrical shape, which may eliminate, for example, three to four intermediate annealing steps. Additionally three of the initial draw operations otherwise required to form the cylindrical shape from a simple contoured flat blank may be eliminated, as described below. Optionally, the center button may be brazed at about 0.04″ thickness to a circular flat of about 0.020″ thickness.
Alternatively, tooling ( 76 ) to form the blanks may be used. Such tooling includes inserts ( 78 ) and blocks ( 80 ) as shown in FIG. 10 . Inserts ( 78 ) may be made of D-2 tool steel, for example, and have central plates that are 2″ in diameter, ⅜″ thick, and have a hardness of 61 HRC. The blocks ( 80 ) may be made of O-6 tool steel, for example, and have a hardness of 59 HRC. At least one of inserts ( 78 ) may include central aperture ( 82 ) extending therethrough. Central aperture ( 82 ) may be 0.5″ in diameter, for example. Block ( 80 ) may include guide pins ( 84 ) configured for receipt into blind bores ( 86 ) of block ( 01 ), though guide pins ( 84 ) could be configured for receipt into apertures defined in and extending through block ( 80 ).
An alternative exemplary tooling is made from Carpenter 883 (type H13) tool steel, made by CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION of 2 Meridian Blvd., Wyomissing, Pa., 19610-1339, which is a 5% chromium hot working tool steel usable for applications requiring extreme toughness. For example, the type H13 tool steel is known to have an ability to be used in hot forming and/or forging. With such steel tool, forming may be conducted at room temperature under static loading. An option is provided with the tooling to attempt to heat the die and the material. The type H13 tool, however, performs well with respect to cold forming as the tooling resists cracking and distortion to the loading surface (i.e., the surfaces remain flat and parallel).
Any shape for such tooling can be used as will be apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. For example, such tooling may include cylindrical blocks that are sized to create properly sized blanks. Alternative exemplary tooling may include S-7, which is an air hardening grade tool steel with 0.55% carbon, 3.25% chromium, and 1.4% molybdenum. Any tool steel can be used as will be apparent to those of skill in the art in view of the teachings herein based on factors such as cost and desired production life.
The above described tooling can be heat treated. A method of heat treating exemplary tooling, such as the above-referenced type H13 tooling, includes sealing the tool, or tooling, in stainless steel bags. The bags minimize surface oxidation of the tooling during the annealing process. Tooling should be protected from oxidation during the annealing either physically during annealing via a cover or protective holder such as the stainless steel bags or chemically via a controlled atmosphere. For example, in a controlled atmosphere, the bags would not be necessary.
The bags containing the tool steel are placed directly in a furnace at 1400° F. for 4 hours, heating from 1400° F. to 1850° F. at 50° F./hour increments, and holding at 1850° F. for 6 hours. The bags are then removed from the furnace and air cooled to 650° F. At 650° F., the bags are placed into the furnace and cooled at 50° F./hour increments to 200° F. and then air cooled once more to 120° F. Tempering occurs by placing the tooling in the furnace at 1000° F. for 6 hours and then air cooling to room temperature. Finally, the surfaces of the tooling are polished.
With respect to tooling including a center hole, the hardness of the blocks may be in the range of from about 54 HRC to 63 HRC, and without a center hole the hardness may be about 48-49. Generally, as hardness increases, so does strength; however, the material also becomes more brittle. An estimated yield strength based on hardness may be in the range of from about 200 ksi to 220 ksi.
While use of tooling with intermediate annealing steps are presented in the examples below, use of an annealed blank without any further annealing steps after beginning work operations on the blank are within the scope of this disclosure.
Exemplary Formation of Blanks into Cartridges
Blank ( 10 ) of FIG. 1 may be formed into the second state shown as cylindrical cartridge ( 12 ) of FIG. 2 and into a final cylindrical form after multiple draw reductions, for example, to obtain final, straight-walled cylinder dimensions. For example, work performed on austenitic stainless steel, with a composition as described above, at 0.01″ thickness and for a blank having a diameter of 2″ may have the following results at sequential forming stages: (1) a draw ratio of 1.7 and a diameter of 1.17″, (2) a draw ratio of 1.33 and a diameter of 0.88″, (3) a draw ratio of 1.33 and a diameter of 0.665″, (4) a draw ratio of 1.33 and a diameter of 0.500″, and (5) a draw ratio of 1.32 and a diameter of 0.378″. Draw reduction as measured above equals an initial diameter divided by the final diameter after each stage of formation. Such a five-stage sequential reduction is known to those skilled in the art for the drawing of brass cartridges, for example, except that specific austenitic stainless steel as described above may not require intermediate anneals between the formation stages. While a five-stage process is described, it is within the scope of the disclosure to use a more aggressive four-stage process and eliminate one of the reductions, which may result in draw ratios of 2, 1.4, 1.4, and 1.33 after each stage.
Additional required forming operations include the following: (1) an operation to form a reduced neck diameter, (2) an operation to form the cartridge rim, and (3) an operation to create a region in the rim that is configured to accept a primer cap, for example. The forming operations used may ones known to those of ordinary skills in the art that will be apparent in view of the teachings herein.
EXAMPLES
The blanks described in the examples below were pre-annealed. The initial blanks were formed from material going through a 50% to 60% cold reduction followed by a full anneal.
Example 1
The forming process was tried on easier-to-form low carbon steel, having lower strength with lower work hardening than a higher carbon steel and having a range of about 0.05 to 0.15 C, for example. A 600 Kip Tinius Olsen universal testing machine and hardness blocks were used to conduct trials on the low carbon steel, for example, initially with a blank originally having a 2.06″ diameter and 0.04″ thickness. Starting at 100 Kip, the blank was loaded in 50 Kip increments such that a final blank was 2.22″ in diameter and 0.031″ thick at a center portion with a gradual taper to the edge, which had a 0.021″ thickness. A smaller blank with a diameter of 1.53″ was then tested to get higher compressive stress for the same amount of force. The final diameter for the smaller blank was 1.70″, the final center thickness was 0.0307″, and the final edge thickness was 0.016″.
Example 2
An ASTM specification T301 stainless steel blank was formed. The T301 stainless steel blank had mechanical properties closer to the austenitic stainless steel composition described above, though the T301 stainless steel blank had a higher work hardening rate. The T301 stainless steel blank had an original diameter of 1.53″ and original thickness of 0.0472″. Going to 300 Kips in 100 Kip increments, a final diameter of 1.625″, final center thickness of 0.045″, and final quarter edge thickness of 0.039″ resulted. Hardness blocks were used as compression tools and, as such, were not shaped but were, for example, substantially flat. Hardness blocks were used as they were contemplated to be in the hardness range most suitable for this application. The hardness blocks used were 42 HRC and were slightly deformed after the forming was completed. These blocks were replaced with blocks of 62 HRC. The process was repeated, loading to 350 Kip, and unloading at 400 Kip. The final diameter was 1.64″ with a hardness of 85-100 HRB. When annealed at 1825° F., the hardness dropped to 53-58 HRB. After ultimately loading to 400 Kips, the final diameter was 1.76″, the final center thickness was 0.043″, the final edge thickness was 0.030″, and the final hardness was 90-93 HRB. The hardness blocks of 62 HRC eventually cracked, and it is expected that thicker blocks might prevent such cracking. Other tooling produced from S-7 tool steel and which generated forces up to 2.4 million lbs was later used and did not crack.
Example 3
An ASTM specification T305 stainless steel blank was formed. The hardness blocks were replaced with compression plates, which included one flat plate and one with a 0.5″ diameter central hole. The plates were machined from available D-2 tool steel.
Tooling was next machined to include a central opening to make buttons ( 14 ) and was designed with replaceable compression inserts. The base was made from O-6 tool steel and inserts made from D-2 tool steel, and both base and inserts were in the high 50 HRC hardness range.
The T305 stainless steel blank was formed by loading to 250 Kips in 50 Kip increments, with a complete unloading between increments. Thickness was measured at three locations: the center (“T 1 ”), ⅛″ from button (“T 2 ”), and ⅛″ from the outer edge (“T 3 ”). The final measurements followed: diameter=1.61″, T 1 =0.048″, T 2 =0.0414″, and T 3 =0.039″. The material was then loaded to 300 Kip, 350 Kip, and 400 Kip, resulting in the following final measurements: diameter=1.63″, T 1 =0.048″, T 2 =0.040″, and T 3 =0.039″. Hardness at position T 2 was approximately 59.3 HRA (96.5 HRB), and hardness at position T 3 was about 61.3 HRA (22 HRC). This test resulted in the tooling cracking and the central button dimpling up. The dimpling up was a result of the material being forced into an open region during compression. Thus a desired thickening occurred with an undesired buckling, resulting in realization of the need to have tougher tooling and to control the height of the opening. For example, a rod was inserted in an initial trial open hole in the tooling insert to form the button and to allow for proper clearance. Spacers were used to control the height of the tooling with respect to the blank in a vertical direction to prevent the material from buckling up. The height may be fixed or adjustable via spacers, for example.
Example 4
A plate or insert with 0.5″ central opening was used on both the top and bottom ends of the tooling to address dimpling. An insert to control height was used on only one side. Another blank with a diameter of 1.5″ was loaded to 250 Kips in 50 Kip increments, resulting in the following final measurements: diameter=1.6″, T 1 =0.050″, T 2 =0.0424″, and T 3 =0.090″. The central button did not dimple as severely but did bulge such that the top surface did not remain completely flat. Additional shims were added to the top surface of a rod inserted in the central opening of the tooling to lower the height of the insert and adjust the clearance downwards.
Example 5
A standard grade T305 stainless steel button blank was used. The buttons were cold reduced at room temperature four times with intermediate anneals at 1850° F. after each compression cycle. The blank was loaded to 400 Kips (approximately 205 ksi of stress over the surface area) on the first cycle, then to 300 Kips (approximately 151 ksi of stress over the surface area), then to 350 Kips (approximately 148 ksi of stress over the surface area), and then to 375 Kips (approximately 155 ksi of stress over the surface area). After the fourth cycle, average thinning was measured at 39.7%. The annealing temperature was 1825° F. for 30 minutes for each annealing process.
With respect to the first work operation, the original diameter was 1.5″, the original thickness for T 1 , T 2 , and T 3 were each equal to 0.047″. The final measurements after the first work operation follow: diameter=1.63″, T 1 =0.048″, T 2 =0.414″, and T 3 =0.039″. A hardness at T 2 was measured at 97 HRB pre-anneal, and after annealing at 1825° F. at 54 HRB.
With respect to the second work operation, the starting measurements were the same as the final measurements for the first work operation set forth above. The final measurements for the second work operation follow: diameter=1.7″, T 1 =0.0486″, T 2 =0.0367″, T 3 =0.0332″. A post-anneal hardness was measured at T 2 at 62.5 HRB.
With respect to the third work operation, the starting measurements were the same as the final measurements for the second work operation set forth above. The final measurements for the third work operation follow: diameter=1.78″, T 1 =0.0494″, T 2 =0.033″, T 3 =0.0295″. A hardness at T 2 was measured at 88 HRB pre-anneal, and after annealing at 1825° F. at 76 HRB.
With respect to the fourth work operation, the starting measurements were the same as the final measurements for the third work operation set forth above. The final measurements for the fourth work operation follow: diameter=1.86″, T 1 =0.049″, T 2 =0.0302″, T 3 =0.0265″.
Inserts of the tooling initially cracked under the formation process prior to the base fracturing. Forces used were up to 400,000 lbs. The button blank expanded from approximately about 1.5″ to about 1.9″ and achieved approximately 40% thinning with two intermediate anneals.
Example 5
An austenitic stainless steel composition, as described above, of low work hardening characteristics, was formed into blanks. Austenitic stainless steel was reduced to 0.060″ thickness and annealed for another set of trials. Material was machined into 1.5″ diameter blanks that were reduced about 20% in thickness in a first compression cycle. Tooling heat-treated per the exemplary method described above was used, and button blanks received intermediate anneals and were reduced in thickness several more times, as described below.
The sequence used was as follows: loading 350 Kips of compressive force and then annealing the material at 1950° F., then loading to 425 Kips and annealing at 1950° F., followed by loading to 475 Kips and annealing at 1950° F., and finally to loading at 500 Kips and annealing at 1950° F. After each reduction, the initial hardness of 44.7 HRA was increased to an amount in the range of between 54.2 HRA to about 63.5 HRA, and after each anneal was decreased to an amount in the range of between 40.6 HRA to 44.1 HRA, as shown below in TABLE 2. Grain structure was inspected after the fourth anneal and found to be consistent with the grain structure of the original material.
TABLE 2 shows the measurements taken for hardness after each reduction and anneal. The codes represent four different button specimens tested, such that code 8 refers to a first button tested, code 16 refers to a second button tested, code 35 refers to a third button tested, and code 46 refers to a fourth button tested.
TABLE 2
Hardness Measurements
Hardness HRA (HRC)
Reduction #1
Hardness HRA (HRB)
Initial = 44.7 HRA
Anneal #1
q, e
q, e
Code
quarter
edge
average
quarter
edge
average
8
61.7 (23)
61.8 (23)
61.8 (23)
43.4 (69)
43.4 (69)
43.4 (69)
16
61.3 (22)
63.5 (26.5)
62.4 (24.3)
43.4 (69)
43.3 (69)
43.4 (69)
35
61.0 (21)
61.8 (23)
61.4 (22)
44.1 (70)
43.8 (70)
44.0 (70)
46
61.3 (22)
61.7 (23)
61.5 (22)
43.6 (69)
43.6 (69)
43.6 (69)
Hardness HRA (HRB)
Hardness HRA (HRB)
Reduction #2
Anneal #2
q, e
q, e
Code
quarter
edge
average
quarter
edge
average
8
56.7 (92)
56.8 (92)
56.8 (92)
42.1 (67)
42.5 (67)
42.3 (67)
16
56.9 (92)
55.8 (90)
56.4 (91)
42.4 (67)
42.8 (68)
42.6 (68)
35
58.3 (95)
59.5 (97)
58.9 (96)
42.3 (67)
41.9 (66)
42.1 (67)
46
59.1 (96)
59.0 (96)
59.0 (96)
42.6 (68)
42.9 (68)
42.7 (68)
Hardness HRA (HRB)
Hardness HRA (HRB)
Reduction #3
Anneal #3
q, e
q, e
Code
quarter
edge
average
quarter
edge
average
8
58.0 (94)
56.6 (92)
57.3 (93)
41.6 (66)
42.0 (67)
41.8 (66)
16
58.6 (95)
58.0 (94)
58.3 (95)
42.0 (67)
42.3 (67)
42.1 (67)
35
56.4 (91)
53.4 (86)
54.9 (89)
40.6 (64)
41.2 (65)
40.9 (65)
46
56.5 (92)
54.0 (87)
55.2 (89)
41.1 (65)
41.9 (66)
41.5 (66)
Hardness HRA (HRB)
Hardness HRA (HRB)
Reduction #4
Anneal #4
q, e
q, e
Code
quarter
edge
average
quarter
edge
average
8
55.2 (89)
54.2 (87)
54.7 (88)
41.6 (66)
42.3 (67)
41.9 (66)
16
55.3 (89)
54.6 (88)
54.9 (89)
41.9 (66)
42.0 (67)
41.9 (66)
35
54.8 (89)
54.0 (87)
54.4 (88)
41.6 (66)
42.1 (67)
41.8 (66)
46
54.3 (88)
53.6 (86)
53.9 (87)
41.3 (65)
42.7 (68)
42.0 (67)
Referring back to the tested sequence, after a first reduction, the center thickness was measured at 0.0629″, the percentage thinning of the outer region was measured at 19.79%, and the diameter was measured at 1.64″. After the second reduction, the center thickness was measured at 0.0653″, the percentage thinning of the outer region was measured at 32%, and the diameter was measured at 1.75″. After the third reduction, the center thickness was measured at 0.0681″, the percentage thinning of the outer region was measured at 41.24%, and the diameter was measured at 1.87″. After the fourth reduction, the center thickness was measured at 0.0695″, the percentage thinning of the outer region was measured at 46.50%, and the diameter was measured at 1.95″.
In addition, some sequences were finally loaded to 600 Kips, such higher forces resulting into about an additional 5% of thinning, or just over 50% total thinning. For example, button blanks were cold reduced four times with an intermediate anneal after each forming stage and were compressed to a stress level of about 180 ksi in each stage. A total reduction level was achieved of just over 50% thinning with a final diameter of about 2.1″.
Having shown and described various embodiments of the present invention, further adaptations of the methods and systems described herein may be accomplished by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Several of such potential modifications have been mentioned, and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, the examples, embodiments, geometrics, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps, and the like discussed above are illustrative. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be considered in terms of the following claims and is understood not to be limited to the details of structure and operation shown and described in the specification and drawings. | An austenitic stainless steel ammunition cartridge includes an outer region and a base, wherein the outer region is about 50%-80% of the thickness of the base, which serves to minimize the sidewall ironing required to form the cartridge. The cartridge blank can be formed by spin forming, compression forming, grinding, or a combination thereof. Tooling to form the insert can include at least a pair of blocks and inserts, at least one insert defining a centrally positioned aperture. | 5 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/438,500, filed Feb. 1, 2011, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/438,503, filed Feb. 1, 2011, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
BACKGROUND
For centuries, wines and other beverages have been offered in glass jugs or bottles, which are filled at the point of manufacture and are transported to the locales where they will be opened and consumed. Because wines, in particular, are subject to deterioration and degradation once they have been exposed to oxygen, the standard method of delivery has been for the ultimate user to purchase wine by the bottle, and to open it only at the time when it will be consumed. Because wine, once opened, will not “keep” for more than a few days before its quality deteriorates, most wine is delivered in 750 ml bottles, and is intended to be consumed within a few hours of first being opened.
Because glass is breakable, glass wine bottles tend to be thick and correspondingly heavy, making long distance transportation both cumbersome and expensive. Nevertheless, because there are truly only a few regions of the world in which high quality wines are made, long distance transportation of wines in glass bottles is a problem for which few alternative solutions have been discovered. One increasingly popular alternative to packaging wine in glass bottles is to package it in plastic bags (or bladders) or foil pouches, and in some instances to package the filled bladders in cardboard or corrugated boxes for shipping and dispensing. Since plastic bladders can be used that, when treated with an O 2 inhibitor, are essentially impermeable to oxygen, and because the bladder is flexible enough to reduce in size as wine is dispensed, the wine can be kept free from oxygen throughout the dispensing process, and can last for a period of months prior to being dispensed. As a result, wine-in-a-box or pouches has become popular with bars, taverns, and restaurants, who can now keep a variety of fine wines available for customers without having to waste wine in bottles that did not get used before quality deteriorates. In larger commercial establishments, wine “cabinets” or “bars” holding a number of different kinds of wine can be used with pumps and dispensing equipment to dispense wines as necessary, much in the same way that beer has been dispensed from casks or kegs for centuries. For smaller establishments and residential use, wine-in-a-box can be dispensed from a shelf using only gravity to cause the wine to flow.
Other beverages may also enjoy similar benefits from being placed in plastic bags that can then be packaged for shipment and dispensing in cardboard or corrugated boxes. However, the extreme sensitivity of wine to oxygen and to heat, and the relatively high expense of wine as compared to other beverages has caused wine to be the product that has driven innovation in this field.
One drawback to the mass production of wine packaged in boxes is that the various establishments and users have different taps or spigots (or none at all) for the dispensing of wine into glasses for consumption. What is needed is a tap that can be used for the filling and sealing of a plastic bladder, and that can also be used manually, to dispense wine from a shelf using gravity, or that can alternatively be attached to a pump and other auxiliary equipment for automated dispensing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention refers to a tap for dispensing liquids from a container or injecting liquids into a container. In a first embodiment, the invention comprises a valve cap with fluted hand knob, a tap body and a sealing means. The tap body serves as the intermediary that allows liquids to transfer out of an attached container (e.g., bags or containers of the “bag-in-box” variety). In a second embodiment, the invention comprises a valve cap with fluted hand knob, a tap body, sealing means, and a biasing spring. Both embodiments include additional embodiments comprising an adapter for connection to a dispensing pump.
The invention comprises a tap that provides two means for dispensing a liquid, and a third means which may be used for filling the container. The tap of this invention can dispense liquids when connected to a pumping system (e.g., in a wine-dispensing system), and it can dispense liquids using gravity flow “off the shelf” when the valve cap's fluted hand knob is manually turned in a counter-clockwise direction (e.g., on bag-in-box packaging used to contain wine).
The invention also may be used in conjunction with a pumping system as a conduit for injecting liquids into a container in order to fill the container. This may be accomplished by connecting a quick-coupling adapter to the tap's dispensing outlet or by using a filling machine having an interface that receives a spout of the tap of the invention. Alternatively, tubing may be used to deliver wine via a pumping system, such as a peristaltic pump, from the box through the tap and into a drinking glass.
The invention integrates a dual method of dispensing as well as combining a single tap for dispensing and filling. The invention is further distinguished from other liquid-dispensing taps because, in an embodiment, it can be constructed with an attached gland. In either embodiment—with or without an attached gland—the invention inhibits oxygen from coming into contact with the liquids within the container, When the invention does not include an attached gland, the invention is inserted into the gland portion of a bag, creating a dual-layer oxygen barrier composed of the gland and tap materials. When the invention is constructed with an attached gland, the gland portion of the tap can be positioned in a bag in such a manner that the ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) treated bag material overlaps the gland, which is heat sealed to the bag, providing a permanent bond. This bond creates an air-tight seal between the invention and the bag.
The invention is composed of a minimum number of parts in order to reduce cost. In addition, the invention improves upon other liquid-dispensing taps, which only can be utilized in a pumping system with the addition of an adaptor part. The invention requires no separate adaptor to be integrated into a pumping system, but can attach to a pumping system using only the adaptor that is integral to the pumping system.
The invention is relevant to the beverage and food service industries, and may also be used effectively in the medical and pharmaceutical industries, and other industries utilizing similar pump and fill packaging.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of the invention showing the embodiment using manual flow control.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 4 is a side view of an alternative embodiment showing the tap configured to deliver liquids to a pumping system.
FIG. 5 is a front sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 4 .
FIG. 6 is a side sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 3 .
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 .
FIG. 8 is an exploded view showing the components of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 .
FIG. 9 is a perspective sectional view showing a manually operated embodiment having a biasing spring with the tap in an open position.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing detail of the valve in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 .
FIG. 11 is a quarter side view showing detail of the valve of FIG. 10 .
FIG. 12 is a left side sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 .
FIG. 13 is a perspective sectional view showing an embodiment having a biasing spring with the tap in the closed position and ready to receive a dispensing adapter.
FIG. 14 is a left side sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 .
FIG. 15 is a perspective sectional view showing an embodiment having a biasing spring with the tap in the open position and the automatic dispensing adapter being attached.
FIG. 16 is a left side sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 13 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As illustrated in FIG. 1 , an external side view of an exemplar embodiment of the trifunction dispensing tap 100 comprises valve cap 200 , a tap body 300 , and a sealing means 400 . Tap body 300 serves to be the intermediary which allows fluids to transfer from a bag-in-box reservoir 101 to the dispensing container or dispensing conduit 102 . The tap body is preferably integrally molded from a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, but can be molded from numerous materials such as rigid polyurethane, acetal, polyphenylene oxide, polyester, polyamide, polyphenylene sulphide, polyethylene terephthalate, ABS, polycarbonate, and polysulphone. Numerous criteria are considered when choosing a polymer such as cost, ease of molding, oxygen permeability, flexibility, strength, chemical resistance, and operational temperature. Polyolefins such as polypropylene and polyethylene are commonly used for similar types of single-method dispensing taps. It is of particular interest that a resin be chosen for its structural behavior near or below freezing temperatures. Polypropylene becomes very brittle at these temperatures and can shatter like glass if stressed while at or below freezing temperatures, but has good strength and rigidity at above freezing temperatures, which is desirable. High density polyolefins can approach the stiffness of polypropylene but will not become brittle when subjected to freezing conditions, therefore HDPE is presently preferred. Valve cap 200 is preferably integrally molded from a thermoplastic resin similar to tap body 100 . However, it is desirable to choose a lower density polyethylene, such as LDPE so as to from a variety of low durometer elastomeric materials such as Butyl, Buna-N, EPDM, Nitrile, Silicone, Neoprene, or Viton. A primary consideration is given to the material's low-cost performance given the particular fluid's chemical characteristics. Given these considerations, 70-80 durometer EPDM is a practical choice for fluids such as wine. Tap body 300 comprises inlet end geometry 301 to sealingly adapt to gland fitment which is welded to and part of the bag-in-box reservoir. The gland is typically made from HPDE and has a hollow bore such that tap body lead-in feature 306 (shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 ) can press into and deform the gland bore slightly as the tap body is inserted up to the depth of the limit flange 302 . As tap body 100 is inserted, the at least one sealing rib 304 makes a liquid-tight seal from the tap body 100 to the gland bore. Tap body 100 has a dispensing outlet 305 which serves to direct fluid exiting the tap and allows a connection means to a suitable receivably engaging adapter 500 (shown in FIG. 4 ). Dispensing outlet 305 has a groove to accept sealing means 400 , which may be a rubber or plastic gasket or any other suitable O-ring known in the art, and provides for a retention feature 311 to secure the adapter 500 .
FIG. 2 illustrates exemplar embodiment of tri-function dispensing tap 100 as seen from the front, its three components shown assembled. Sealing means 400 can be integrally molded into tap body 300 in the form of sealing ribs or even over-molded with an elastomeric material making the tap body 100 integral with its external sealing means 400 .
FIG. 3 illustrates the tri-method dispensing tap 100 as seen from the top. The valve cap 200 is shown with a fluted hand knob whose large diameter and, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3 , deep depressions 201 provide substantial hand gripping contact forces to twist the knob clockwise to close, and anti-clockwise to open. The direction of rotation of valve cap 200 to open the valve is a matter of design choice, and may be either direction. Directional indicator 202 is molded into the valve cap 200 knob such that the direction and flow amount are symbolized in an increasing width curved arrow. As the arrow is curving anti-clockwise and growing larger, the corresponding flow rate becomes greater. The view from section line B-B is shown in FIG. 6 .
FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the tri-method dispensing tap 100 as seen from the side with receivably engaging adapter 500 attached. Adapter 500 depicts a generic variety of connector with a female socket 507 (shown in FIG. 5 ) and a male hose barb 502 . Adapter body 501 provides features for lockingly engaging tap body dispensing outlet 305 by actuating quick-release button 504 . Sealing means 400 provides for a radial compression seal with adapter socket 507 as shown on FIGS. 5 and 6 . Tap body 300 is provided with at least one rotational engaging means 310 such as a helical thread, bayonet tab, cam boss, or the like. Tap body window 311 is useful in injection molding to provide for a moldable feature such as the cam boss depicted for rotational engaging means 310 . The view from section line A-A is shown in FIG. 5 .
FIG. 5 illustrates the tri-function dispensing tap in cross-section A-A, taken from FIG. 4 . Adapter 500 is shown as attached and locked in place with sealing means 400 shown as compressed in a radial fashion between adapter socket 507 and dispensing outlet 305 . Adapter 500 has exit port 503 for providing a leakproof outlet for fluid flow. Typically, adapter 500 is attached to a flexible tube via the male hose barb 502 . Additionally, FIG. 5 shows the valve cap rotational engaging means 205 in communication with tap body rotational engaging means 310 . The at least one valve cap rotational engaging means 205 is depicted herein as a cam track which provides for a helical path imparting vertical or axial motion when valve cap 200 is undergoing rotation. When the valve cap rotational engaging means 205 are rotated anti-clockwise against the static cam boss 310 , the valve cap ascends outward and upward. Any features such as a helical thread, bayonet tab, cam track, boss, or the like are preferably limited to provide the necessary valve lift within 90 to 180 degrees of rotation and preferably no more than 90 degrees to allow quick, easy, and intuitive ¼ turn valve operation. Valve seat 204 rotates and descends into tap body seal 308 . Seal 308 is configured to provide for a deforming leak-tight fitment to valve seat 204 .
FIG. 6 illustrates the tri-function dispensing tap 100 in a cross-section B-B from FIG. 3 . This view shows the fluid path 101 as it comes from the bag-in-box reservoir into tap body inlet 306 . Fluid from tap body inlet 306 passes into transition region 307 where the fluid stops until valve seat means 204 lifts off of tap body seal means 308 thereby opening the tri-function dispensing tap valve. Fluid then flows through tap body outlet 309 and into a drinking vessel.
Alternately, tap body outlet 309 allows fluid to flow into adapter 500 as shown, wherein the fluid is then transported via flexible conduit for remote dispensing. Adapter 500 incorporates a spring element 506 which allows for simple push-on engagement and leak-tight connection and which requires an overriding force in latch button 504 to release adapter 500 from tap body retention feature 311 .
FIG. 7 illustrates the tri-method dispensing tap in an isometric view and depicts overall appearance and integration of the main components valve cap 200 , tap body 300 , and adapter 500 .
FIG. 8 illustrates the tri-function dispensing tap 100 in an exploded isometric arrangement and shows greater detail of the internal tap body static cam boss 310 and valve cap rotational engaging means 205 . It can be seen that valve cap rotational engaging means 205 has a chamfered notch 206 to allow for initial assembly of the valve cap 200 into the tap body 300 . The chamfered notch 206 allows for the valve cap to deform and jump past the tap body cam boss 310 as it is inserted during assembly. Once Cam boss 310 has jumped past notch 206 , the cam boss 310 is seated securely and permanently into cam track 205 . Cam track 205 can have additional features such as a ramps or a detent to give a tactile feel and locking means to prevent valve cap 200 from gradually rotating open by itself and requires an extra bit of twisting force to initiate the opening of the valve during twisting. Valve cap 200 has integral sealing means 207 which seals the valve cap 200 into the tap body smaller inner bore 312 . Stiffing rib 313 adds considerable strength to tri-function dispensing tap 100 particularly when large side loads are placed onto the tap body 300 from undesirable tugging on the tube.
FIG. 9 depicts another embodiment of the tap of this invention in which a compression spring 602 is used to press valve 600 (shown in detail in FIG. 10 ) downward to shut off the flow of liquid when valve cap 200 is in the closed position. In this embodiment, valve 600 has an upper portion 606 that acts as a valve stem and that is raised (opened) or lowered (closed) as valve cap 200 is manually opened or closed, and a lower portion 604 that has passageways through which liquid may flow when the valve is open.
FIGS. 10 and 11 provide detailed views of valve 600 . An upper portion, valve stem 606 , comprises two resilient fingers 610 , each of which terminates in an outwardly-facing barb 608 . The resilient fingers 610 and outwardly-facing barbs 608 permit easy assembly of the tap, in which valve 600 may be inserted from the bottom of the tap through exit port 309 simply by squeezing resilient fingers 610 , which will snap back after insertion to hold valve 600 within the tap. Barbs 608 fit through and spring back against internal ridge 208 (shown in FIG. 12 ) which runs circumferentially around the interior cavity of valve cap 200 . Once installed, barbs 608 rest against the upper lip of internal ridge 208 such that, when valve cap 200 is raised to an open position, barbs 608 and resilient fingers 610 are raised to lift the lower portion of valve 604 into the open position.
The lower portion of valve 600 is a hollow cylinder 604 that has four openings, or windows 612 , through which wine or other liquid will flow when the valve is in the raised, or open, position. Above windows 612 is a groove 614 to receive an elastomeric seal which may be in the form of an O-ring about valve 600 . When the valve is in the lowered, or closed, position, the elastomeric seal will contact the lower, funnel shaped portion of the tap, to create a seal that prevents fluid from flowing through the tap. Above groove 614 is a cylindrical base 616 which supports valve stem 606 and provides a platform to support the lower end of compression spring 602 .
FIG. 12 is a right sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 , with the valve in an open position. Spring 602 winds helically about valve stem 606 between cylindrical base 616 and the lower surface of ridge 208 , previously described as an internal ridge running circumferentially about an interior cavity in valve cap 200 . FIG. 12 also shows an elastomeric sealing means 618 , which may be an O-ring or any other suitable sealing means, seated within groove 614 . Wine or other liquid situated in transition region 307 can now flow through the tap following liquid path 702 .
FIG. 13 is a sectional perspective view showing the tap of FIG. 9 in a closed position and ready to receive automatic dispensing adapter 500 . Sealing means 618 is resting against the lower portion of the internal passage through the tap and prevents liquid from flowing through the tap. Valve cap 200 is in a lowered, closed, position, and spring 602 is pressing against internal ridge 208 and cylindrical base 616 , forcing valve 200 to a lowered position.
FIG. 14 is a right sectional view of the configuration shown in FIG. 13 , and shows tap 300 in a manually closed position and ready to receive automatic dispensing adapter 500 . Sealing means 400 , located at the outer surface of dispensing outlet 305 will be received in connecting socket 507 of automatic dispensing adapter 500 . Connecting socket 507 has a shoulder 508 adapted to receive the lower end of valve 604 such that, when automatic dispensing adapter 500 is snugly attached to dispensing outlet 305 , valve 604 will be pushed upward to the open position, and fluid passageway 702 will open, regardless of the position of valve cap 200 . This configuration is depicted in FIG. 15 , in which the lower end of valve 604 is resting upon shoulder 508 , which has caused valve 604 to move upward, compressing compression spring 602 .
FIG. 16 shows tap 300 connected to automatic dispensing adapter 500 to create fluid passageway 702 . The upward movement of valve 604 has also raised valve stem 606 and barbs 608 have moved to a position above internal ridge 208 . In this configuration, the flow of wine or other fluid will be controlled by an external pump or other mechanism attached to the distal end of a tube (not shown) whose proximal end will be attached to hose barb 502 .
It will be appreciated that the embodiment of tap 300 depicted in FIGS. 9-16 will always be forced open when automatic dispensing adapter 500 is attached, regardless of the manually selected position of valve cap 200 . When automatic dispensing adapter 500 is released through quick fitting mechanism 504 , 506 , wine or other liquid may continue to flow unless valve cap 200 has been manually set to the closed position.
The tap of this invention may be used with automatic filling machinery to fill bladders with liquid such that minimal or no leakage occurs, and the filled bladders may be packaged for transportation and shipment. The embodiment of FIGS. 9-16 is particularly well suited for automated filling since the fluid path 702 is opened merely by pressing valve 604 into the tap, and fluid may then be injected into the bladder. Once filling is complete, the filling machinery may remove oxygen or ambient air, and may inject nitrogen or some other suitable gas into the bladder to equalize air pressure and prevent or reduce the introduction of oxygen into the bladder through permeation of the bladder surface. As no manual manipulation of valve cap 200 is required for such a filling procedure, the process may be automated, and the efficiency of the process will be enhanced.
The tap of this invention permits wine or other liquid to be dispensed manually or through the use of an automated dispensing apparatus. Regardless of the method used, oxygen does not come into contact with liquid that remains in the bladder, which may be preserved indefinitely without deterioration.
Persons of skill in the art will recognize that there are many implementation details and options left to the practitioner, but that would be within the scope of the current invention. It is intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents, that are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention. | A tap for liquids dispenses liquids including wines from plastic bags or bladders packaged in cardboard boxes, and has three modes of operation. Liquids may be dispensed from the box on a shelf by manually turning a rotatable cap to open a valve for liquid to flow by gravity; an adapter attached to the tap automates the process and dispenses liquids through a pump; and the tap may be used to fill bags or bladders from an automated filling machine. In a first embodiment, the rotatable cap must be manually opened for both manual and automated operation. In a second embodiment, the rotatable cap may remain closed and the adapter can still dispense liquids through the tap using a pump. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to glass fibres, which are intended for use as reinforcement in cement products, and which are provided with a protective coating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the alkaline environment of a normal Portland cement, which is mainly due to the presence of lime (calcium hydroxide), fibres of generally available glass compositions, such as that widely known as E-glass, are rapidly attacked and weakened so that the additional strength imparted to the cement by the glass fibres is rapidly lost.
Various alkali-resistant glass compositions have been devised which retain their strength better in cement.
Thus British patent specification No. 1,200,732 (National Research Development Corporation) describes and claims a composite fibre/cementitious product comprising fibrous reinforcing material distributed throughout a cement matrix, in which the reinforcing material is primarily a glass having per se a degree of alkali resistance such that when tested in the form of an abraded fibre of length 21/2 inches and diameter of from 0.4 to 1.0 × 10 -3 inches said fibre has a tensile strength of at least 100,000 p.s.i. after treatment with saturated aqueous Ca(OH) 2 solution at 100° C. for 4 hours followed by successive washings at ambient temperature with water, then with aqueous hydrochloric acid (1%) with 1 minute, water, acetone, followed by drying, said fibre experiencing not more than 10% reduction in diameter during said test.
British patent specification No. 1,243,972 (N.R.D.C.) discloses and claims such composite fibre/cementitious products in which the glass contains at least 65% SiO 2 and at least 10% ZrO 2 by weight. British patent specification No. 1,243,973 (N.R.D.C.) discloses and claims alkali-resistant glass fibres derived from a glass containing, in weight percentages, 65-80% SiO 2 , 10-20% ZrO 2 and 10-20% of a network modifier which is an alkali metal oxide, an alkaline earth metal oxide or zinc oxide, said glass being one which has a tensile strength as set out above.
Further ranges of glass compositions for forming alkali-resistant glass fibres are disclosed and claimed in our British patent specification Nos. 1,290,528 and 1,389,019. Pat. No. 1,290,528 claims glass compositions for forming glass fibres which are to be incorporated as reinforcement in cementitious products, comprising, in molecular weight percentages:
______________________________________SiO.sub.2 62% to 75%ZrO.sub.2 7% to 11%R.sub.2 O 13% to 23%R'O 1% to 10%Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 0% to 4%B.sub.2 O.sub.3 0% to 6%Fe.sub. 2 O.sub.3 0% to 5%CaF.sub.2 0% to 2%TiO.sub.2 0% to 4%______________________________________
wherein R 2 O represents Na 2 O, up to 2 mol.% of which may be replaced by Li 2 O, and R'O is an oxide selected from the group consisting of the alkaline earth metal oxides, zinc oxide (ZnO) and manganous oxide (MnO), the balance if any consisting of other compatible constituents.
British Patent No. 1,389,019 claims glass compositions for forming into alkali-resistant continuously-drawn glass fibres, comprising in molar percentages on the oxide basis:
______________________________________SiO.sub.2 67 to 82ZrO.sub.2 7 to 10R.sub.2 O 9 to 22.5F.sub.2 3 to 9Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 0 to 5(computed as AlO.sub.1.5)______________________________________
the balance, if any, consisting of other compatible constituents, where R = Na, up to 5 mol.% of which may be replaced by Li or K, and the fluorine is included in substitution for oxygen in one or more of the oxides, the maximum value of the molar percentage represented by SiO 2 + ZrO 2 + AlO 1 .5 being dependent linearly on the content of each of ZrO 2 and F 2 , ranging, when F 2 = 9 mol.%, from 89 mol.% when ZrO 2 content is 7 mol.% to 88 mol.% when the ZrO 2 content is 8.5 mol.%, down to 87 mol.% when the ZrO 2 content is 10 mol.%, the said maximum value being reduced by a further 5 mol.% over the whole scale when F 2 = 3 mol.%.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,379 (Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corporation) describes another range of alkali-resistant glasses, and glass fibres made from them, having compositions within the following range:
______________________________________ Weight Percent Mol Percent______________________________________SiO.sub.2 60 to 62 65 to 67CaO 4 to 6 4.5 to 6.5Na.sub.2 O 14 to 15 14.5 to 16K.sub.2 O 2 to 3 1 to 2.5ZrO.sub.2 10 to 11 5 to 6TiO.sub.2 5.5 to 8 4.5 to 6.5______________________________________
Although alkali-resistant glass fibres as described in the above Patent Specifications retain their strength in cement much better than fibres of conventional glasses, such as E-glass, there is nevertheless, a gradual deterioration over long periods.
When producing continuous glass fibres for any purpose, it is normal practice to coat the individual continuously drawn glass fibres immediately after drawing, with a size composition which provides a mechanical protection and a lubricant for the fibres to minimise breakage and abrasion during subsequent handling, such as the bringing together of numerous individual fibres to form a strand and the winding of the strand on a spool or drum. The size compositions previously used on glass fibres for inclusion in a cementitious matrix do not have any material effect on the long term resistance of the glass to attack by the alkalis in cement.
Protective coating compositions have also been applied to glass fibres at various stages in their production and handling, and it has, for example, been proposed to use a furane resin in such a coating for increasing the alkali resistance of the glass fibre material to render it suitable for use in reinforcing concrete.
It has previously been proposed in our U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,490 to provide glass fibres intended for use as reinforcement in cementitious products, coated with a composition containing a protective material to reduce deterioration of the glass fibres when incorporated in such cementitious products, wherein the protective material consists of at least one monocyclic or polycyclic aromatic compound which has at least three hydroxyl groups on the aromatic ring or, in a polycyclic compound, on at least one of the aromatic rings.
In our U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 646,082, we have described another such coating composition containing, in addition to the trihydroxy aromatic compound, at least one partially-cured A-stage phenolformaldehyde resin of the water-dilutable resole type.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, glass fibres intended for use as reinforcement in cementitious products are coated with a composition containing, as a protective material, at least one dihydroxybenzoic acid.
It has been found that the use of a dihydroxybenzoic acid as a protective material in a size or other coating composition substantially reduces the rate of deterioration in strength of the glass fibres when incorporated in cementitious products, over long test periods, as compared with glass fibres which have no such protective coating. This effect is noticeable with the conventional E-glass fibres but a greater advantage is obtained with a glass which is already substantially alkali resistant, i.e. which satisfies the tensile strength requirement specified in British patent specification Nos. 1,200,732, 1,243,972 and 1,243,973 mentioned above. We prefer to use the size or other coating composition with glass fibres of the alkali-resistant glass compositions disclosed in our British patent specification Nos. 1,290,528 and 1,389,019, which can be fiberised at conventional fiberising temperatures of around 1320° C. and below.
It is believed that the deterioration in strength of glass fibres incorporated in cementitious products is closely connected with solution-phase reactions or processes at the glass surface, one example of which is the deposition of calcium hydroxide crystals from the saturated solution of calcium hydroxide present in the cementitious matrix at the interface between the glass and the cementitious matrix, and that one effect of the above mentioned dihydroxybenzoic acid in the coating composition is to inhibit or reduce such crystal formation. It is believed to be advantageous for this purpose that the dihydroxybenzoic acids have at least a certain degree of solubility in a calcium hydroxide solution. Examination by stereoscan microscope of fibres which have been set in cement has also indicated that those fibres coated with compositions according to the invention, where attacked by the alkali in the cement, exhibit a considerably smoother etch pattern than that observed on fibres not so coated. This again could contribute to the higher strength retained by the coated fibres.
The preferred dihydroxybenzoic acid is 2,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid.
Other dihydroxybenzoic acids which have been found suitable for use as protective materials in the present invention include:
2,6 dihydroxybenzoic acid
2,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid
2,3 dihydroxybenzoic acid
3,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid
3,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid
Substituted derivatives of these dihydroxybenzoic acids may also be employed, but care must be taken to ensure that substituent groups are not present in the molecule which counteract the protective activity of the two hydroxyl groups in reducing deterioration of the glass fibres, to such an extent as to make the compound unsuitable for use. It is therefore necessary, in selecting substituted dihydroxybenzoic acids for use, to carry out comparative screening tests to ensure that the substituents have not reduced the protective activity to a level at which the rate of deterioration of the glass fibers is not materially reduced.
It will be realised that the dihydroxybenzoic acids can be expected to react with alkalis, e.g. the calcium hydroxide in cement, due to their phenolic character.
The concentration of the protective material required in the coating composition is dependent on several variables, and no exact limits can be stated which will encompass all the variables. The major factors to be considered in assessing the amount of protective material in the coating composition are as follows:
(a) the protective material's solubility in the carrier material used,
(b) the protective material's solubility in calcium hydroxide solution, and coupled with this the effectiveness of the particular dihydroxybenzoic acid being considered in reducing the rate of deterioration of the glass fibres in a cement matrix. Thus a compound of high effectiveness with a low solubility in calcium hydroxide solution may be effective at the same concentration as a compound of low effectiveness with the high solubility in calcium hydroxide solution,
(c) the cost of the dihydroxybenzoic acid used. It may be economically more desirable to use less of a more effective high cost compound, than a larger quantity of a less effective lower cost compound,
(d) the quantity of coating composition being picked up on the fibre during the coating process, which will determine the actual quantity of protective material present at the interface between the glass fibre and the cement matrix.
In most cases a coating composition containing 5% by weight of protective material is effective, and it is unlikely that a coating composition containing more than 10% of protective material will be needed or economically feasible. However, in a suitable carrier and with a highly effective compound, concentrations of less than 1% could be feasible. A suitable screening test for assessing the effectiveness of the compounds as referred to above is described in more detail with reference to the examples. Compounds may be ranked in order of effectiveness by reference to the percentage improvement found in the screening test, as compared with fibres coated in the same way as the fibres being tested except that no protective material is present in the coating composition. Compounds producing an improvement of less than 10% will not be considered suitable for use.
The coating composition preferably also comprises a partially-cured A-stage phenolformaldehyde resin of the water-dilutable resole type, as described in our U.S. patent application Ser. No. 646,082.
It is of course well known that resole resins are formed by the reaction of phenol and formaldehyde in the presence of an alkaline catalyst, and that the partially cured A-stage resins are water-dilutable.
It has been found that the dried coating which results on the glass fibres from the application of a coating composition containing both the dihydroxybenzoic acid and the resole resin to the fibres, and its drying under conditions where the curing of the resole resin is completed or substantially completed, appears to reduce the immediate availability of the dihydroxybenzoic acid to the aqueous phase of the cement matrix when the fibres are incorporated in a cementitious mix.
Reducing the immediate availability of the dihydroxybenzoic acid has the effect of:
(i) increasing the efficiency of use of the dihydroxybenzoic acid by reduction of losses from the fibre surface during manufacture of the cementitious product; this loss is evident in such products made by spray-up techniques and would be extensive in composites made using premix techniques.
(ii) reducing the retardant effect of the dihydroxybenzoic acid on the setting characteristics of the cement.
(iii) resulting from (ii) of improving the early development of strength of glass-reinforced cement composites made with the treated fibres.
Where the composition is intended to be applied as a size to the fibres immediately after they have been drawn from the molten glass composition, the resole resin will normally be incorporated to serve as a film-forming agent. The size will also normally contain a linking agent, and will generally be water-based. The linking agent is a substance, such as a silane, which helps to hold the size composition on the surface of the glass fibres, probably by forming links with --OH groups on the glass surface.
The size composition preferably also contains a wetting agent to assist dispersion of the resole resin, or other film-forming agent, in the aqueous size.
As indicated above, in choosing a dihydroxybenzoic acid care must be taken to ensure that substituent groups are not present in the molecule which counteract the protective activity of the two hydroxyl groups and it is therefore necessary, in selecting compounds for use, to carry out comparative screening tests where substituent groups are present, to ensure that these substituents have not reduced the protective activity to a level at which the rate of deterioration of the glass fibres is not materially reduced. The need to select suitable compounds and resins by screening tests equally applies in the use of a coating composition containing an A-stage phenolformaldehyde resole resin. The screening test in this case must also take into account the possibility of couteracting the protective action of the two hydroxy groups by the reaction or intereaction of the dihydroxy compound with the methylol groups present in the resole resin.
Suitable resole resins for use in the present invention have been produced by reaction of 1 mole phenol with more than 2 moles formaldehyde in aqueous solution in the presence of an alkaline catalyst, for example by reaction of 1 mole phenol with 2.05 moles formaldehyde in the presence of barium hydroxide.
We believe it is important that the conditions under which the fibre is dried should be chosen so that the temperature is one at which curing can take place but such curing should not be such as to cause a loss in the dihydric character present in the coating composition before drying. We find that a temperature range of 115° to 160° C., and drying times of up to 12 hours, with resole resins of the kind referred to above, do not normally have any harmful effect on the ability of the coated fibre to withstand attack. Care should also be taken to check on the presence of free formaldehyde in the resin as this can in some circumstances reduce the availability of the dihydroxybenzoic acid to levels where the level of improvement in durability is not of commercial significance. We have found that free formaldehyde levels of the order of 7% by weight in the resin before dilution can be tolerated.
We are not certain how far the improvement in performance due to reducing the immediate availability of the dihydroxybenzoic acid to the aqueous phase of the cement matrix is due to actual reaction of the compound into the resole resin, or to it being merely trapped in the cured resole resin matrix, or a combination of both factors. However all our evidence to date indicates that the presence of the resole resin gives an improvement in performance of the fibres coated with the composition of the present invention over fibres coated with a size composition containing the same dihydroxybenzoic acid but without any resole resin in the size composition.
Where the composition is intended to be applied as a coating composition at a later stage in the production or handling of the glass fibres, i.e. after sizing and combination of the individual fibres into a strand, the dihydroxybenzoic acid may be dissolved in a non-aqueous solvent.
The invention also includes glass fibres for use as reinforcement in cement products, coated with a composition as described above. Preferably the glass fibres are formed from an alkali-resistant glass composition containing at least 5 mol.% ZrO 2 .
The glass fibres may have a further protective coating applied after the glass fibres have been coated with the coating composition of the invention, so as to protect the coating composition of the invention from leaching during the initial contact with and curing of the cement matrix. This further protective coating may be, for example, an epoxy resin polymer, which can be applied as a solution in a solvent such as chloroform or acetone. This protective coating is believed to act primarily during the initial contact of the coated fibre with the wet cement.
The invention further includes cementitious products reinforced with coated glass fibres as described above.
The invention also resides in a method of coating glass fibres to reduce their rate of deterioration when incorporated in cementitious products, comprising applying to the glass fibres a coating composition as described above.
The invention also resides in a method of forming a glass fibre reinforced cementitious product, wherein glass fibres are coated with a composition as described above and are subsequently incorporated into a cementitious matrix.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 and 2 are graphs showing the results of tensile strength tests on glass fibre strands in accordance with the invention, compared with results obtained with strands coated with other compounds or with none.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As mentioned above, it is necessary in selecting dihydroxybenzoic acids for use as protective material to carry out comparative screening tests to assess the effectiveness of the compounds, particularly where the compounds contain substituent groups other than the necessary two hydroxyl groups and the carboxy group in the aromatic ring.
One suitable test which we have employed, referred to herein as Test 1, involves the following procedure: A strand of continuously-drawn, water-sized glass fibres is prepared from a substantially alkali-resistant zirconia-containing glass in accordance with our British Pat. No. 1,290,528, having the following composition in mol %.
______________________________________ SiO.sub.2 69% ZrO.sub.2 9% Na.sub.2 O 15.5% CaO 6.5%______________________________________
A solution of 10% by weight of the compound under test in a carrier liquid or solvent (water, acetone or ethanol) is applied to the strand and dried at 50° C. for 30 minutes, to form a coating on the glass fibres. It is advisable to test each compound in more than one carrier liquid to ascertain the optimum coating system for that compound. After drying, the coating, a further protective coating is applied to the glass fibres by applying to the strand a solution of 10% by weight of epoxy resin and hardener in chloroform, which is then cured for 2 hours at 100° C. The middle section of each strand is then encased in a block of ordinary Portland cement paste which is allowed to cure for one day at 100% relative humidity and room temperature and kept for a period of, say, 28 days at elevated temperature, say 50° C., at 100% relative humidity, to produce accelerated ageing effects. The tensile strength of the encased part of the strand is then determined by applying load to both ends of the strand.
An alternative test, referred to herein as Test 2, is one in which strands of continuously-drawn, water-sized glass fibres, are placed in an aqueous solution which simulates the conditions in ordinary Portland cement, and contains 3.38 gm/liter KOH, 0.90 gm/liter NaOH, 3 gm/liter Ca(OH) 2 and 1% by weight of the compound under test. After immersion for 28 days at 50° C. the tensile strength of the strands is measured.
The results of a set of such comparative tests on glass fibre strands using six different dihydroxybenzoic acids and on control strands which, in Test 1 were coated with the carrier liquid and epoxy resin alone, and in Test 2 were placed in a solution without the compound under test, are set out in the following Table 1.
The results are given in terms of measured tensile strength in MN/m 2 after 28 days at 50° C., and as a percentage improvement on the comparable measured figure for the control.
The epoxy resin used in Test 1 forms a temporary protective over-coating over the coating which contains the dihydroxybenzoic acid. This is done to ensure retention of all the dihydroxybenzoic acid during processing, and thus to prevent any variation in the rate of loss of material from the glass fibre surface other than that dictated by the chemical nature and physical properties of the protective material under test. This temporary over-coating prevents any initial leaching out of the protective material but does not act as a barrier during the accelerated testing of the rate of deterioration after the cement has set.
TABLE 1__________________________________________________________________________ % increase % increase TEST 1 over TEST 2 over Compound Strength Control control Strength Control control__________________________________________________________________________2,6 dihydroxybenzoic acid 856 703 22% 855 660 29%2,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid 1207 703 72% 1060 660 61%2,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid 971 753 29% 710 555 28%2,3 dihydroxybenzoic acid 965 734 30% Not tested3,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid 810 753 8% 787 657 20%3,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid 715 703 2% 595 495 20%__________________________________________________________________________ In testing the 2,3 dihydroxybenzoic acid, curing of the epoxy resin was carried out for only 15 minutes at 80° C, but otherwise the tests were all carried out as described above.
It will be seen from Table 1 that the relative effectiveness of the various compounds is clearly demonstrated by the screening tests, though tests over a longer period are necessary to establish the degree of effectiveness of each compound more precisely. Both Test 1 and Test 2 indicate that 2,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid is the most effective compound. A percentage improvement figure of less than 10% in both tests would be an indication that the compound would not be suitable for use in the invention.
The results of some longer-term accelerated ageing tests using 2,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid, and comparing its effectiveness with two trihydroxy compounds, namely pyrogallol and gallic acid, are illustrated in FIG. 1. The amount of the polyhydroxy compounds picked up on the strands was approximately 5 to 6% by weight of the glass in each case. For these tests, the procedure described above in Test 1 was employed. The control strands were coated only with the carrier liquid and the epoxy resin. The samples were immersed in water at 50° C. for 28 days, and were then kept in water at 80° C. for up to 31 days. The results plotted in FIG. 1 indicate that the strands coated with a composition containing 2,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid retained their strength very much better than the control strands and quite noticeably better than the strands coated with compositions containing pyrogallol or gallic acid.
The results of further long-term tests comparing 2,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid with pyrogallol and a control are illustrated in FIG. 2. In these tests, the procedure of Test 1 was again employed, with a similar pick-up of the polyhydroxy compounds. The samples were kept in water at 50° C. for up to 12 weeks. In this series of tests, the strands coated with a composition containing 2,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid were obviously superior to the control strands. They were initially inferior to those using pyrogallol, but in the long term they appeared to retain their strength better.
Further tests have indicated that the amount of the dihydroxybenzoic acid picked up on the glass fibre strands is not critical, similar results to those of FIG. 2 having been obtained with only 0.7% pick-up, but that it is important to ensure that the overcoating of epoxy resin should be adequate to ensure initial protection, e.g. that the pick-up of epoxy resin should be 5% or more by weight of the glass fibres, though there does not seem to be any advantage in exceeding an epoxy resin pick-up of 10% by weight. Control tests with varying amounts of epoxy resin in the absence of any dihydroxybenzoic acid have confirmed, however, that it is the latter which provides the long term protection.
In practice, in preparing fibres for incorporation in cement, the dihydroxybenzoic acids will normally be incorporated in a size composition, which is then applied to the individual fibres in the conventional manner, immediately after they have been drawn from a bushing and before they are brought together to form a strand.
The size composition may comprise, in addition to the selected dihydroxybenzoic acid, a phenol-formaldehyde A-stage resole resin as described in connection with trihydroxy aromatic compounds in the Specification of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 646,082 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,690.
In specific embodiments of the present invention, the size composition was made up in the following manner.
A-stage phenol-formaldehyde resole resins are well-known, e.g. from U.K. patent specification Nos. 952,690 and 1,285,938. In the present embodiment, barium hydroxide was used as the catalyst in the manner described below, though sodium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide or other alkalis or even organic bases may be used, and the reaction conditions may be modified.
Phenol-formaldehyde resole resin
The mole ratio of reactants used was
1 mol phenol
2.05 mols formaldehyde
0.045 mols barium hydroxide pentahydrate.
In making up a batch of resin the following quantities of reactants were used
Phenol -- 168 gallons
Formaldehyde 37% w/w -- 284 gallons
Barium hydroxide pentahydrate -- 230 lbs.
The catalyst was added to the phenol and formaldehyde mixture in a reaction kettle, and the temperature raised to 110° F. for 2 hours. The temperature of the reaction mixture was then raised to 137° F. for two hours and after that time to 147° F. for 1 hour. The condensate formed was then cooled to 100° F. for neutralisation.
The neutralisation of the alkaline catalyst can be carried out using a mineral acid usually sulphuric acid, though other acidic materials can be used.
The choice of the mole ratio of phenol to formaldehyde is dictated by the need to produce a water-dilutable resin which does not contain excessive free formaldehyde. A wide range of molar ratios is usable, dependent on the actual reaction conditions, and a typical range may be from 1.5 to 3.7 moles formaldehyde to 1 mole phenol.
In general the condensation reaction is normally carried out by heating the reactants together under agitation, the heating being for several hours at a series of increasing temperatures e.g. two hours at 110° F., two hours at 137° F. and finally 1 hour at 147° F. The procedure in U.K. patent specification No. 952,690 is 3 hours at 110° F., 4 hours at 125° F., and 6 hours at 140° F. In the case where calcium hydroxide is used as a catalyst, due to the exothermic nature of the reaction, as indicated in U.K. patent specification No. 1,285,938 the reactants without the catalyst may be first heated to about 100° F. and then allowed to rise to 125° F. over 60 minutes, the CaO being added over 15 minutes. The subsequent reaction conditions in U.K. patent specification No. 1,285,938 were then similar to those used with other catalysts.
Size Compositions
The neutralised resole resin may then be incorporated in a size composition made up as follows:
______________________________________ Weight %______________________________________Resole resin (made as described 5.0above) (solids content)Cationic wetting agent (Arquad 12/50) 0.6Silane coupling agent (A1100 ex Union 0.5Carbide)2,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid 10.0Water to make 100______________________________________
Acetic acid added to give a pH of 4 to 4.5
Similar size compositions may be made up using 10 weight % of the other dihydroxybenzoic acids in place of the 2,5 compound.
Glass fibres of the alkali-resistant glass composition in accordance with British Pat. No. 1,290,528 set out above were drawn continuously from a multi-tipped bushing and water sized, and the fibres were combined into strands in conventional manner. To test the effectiveness of dihydroxybenzoic acid as coating additives when used in resole resin systems, a size composition was made up as follows:
______________________________________ Weight %______________________________________Resole resin (1 phenol:2.65 formal- 10dehyde, catalysed with triethylamine (solids content)0.045-0.060 moles/mole phenol2,5 3,4 or 2,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid 10Water to make 100______________________________________
This size was applied to a continuous strand of the above glass and cured and dried at 115° C. for 30 minutes to form a coating on the glass fibres. The alkali resistance of the sized fibres was tested in a manner similar to that used in Test 1, in that strands of the sized fibres were each encased in a small block of ordinary Portland cement paste, leaving the ends of the strand exposed. The blocks were cured for one day at room temperature in an atmosphere of 100% relative humidity and then kept immersed in water for 28 days at 50° C. to produce accelerated ageing before the tensile strength of the strands was tested. The results obtained, compared with those obtained with water-sized fibres as a control, are set out in the following Table 2.
TABLE 2______________________________________ Tensile % increaseCompound Strength Control over control______________________________________2,5 dihydroxy-benzoic acid 993 692 43%3,4 dihydroxy-benzoic acid 969 692 40%2,4 dihydroxy-benzoic acid 914 626 46%______________________________________
The incorporation of the coated glass fibres into a cementitious mix can be effected by a spray-up technique. The glass fibre in first fed as a roving to a chopper, and the length of the chopped fibre can be adjusted by varying the number of blades in the chopper. A cement slurry and the chopped glass fibres are then sprayed on to a paper-covered perforated face of a suction mould. The mould is provided with adjustable screed boards round its edges thus allowing sheets of various thicknesses to be manufactured. After spraying to get a desired thickness, the top surface is levelled, and excess water removed by the application of suction. The sheet can then be transferred to a support by inverting the mould, and is then covered and stored until the desired curing time has passed, whereupon the board is ready for use. The water/cement ratio of the slurry is chosen according to the nature of the cement used. The glass to cement ratio is controlled by altering the number of rovings fed into the chopper at the same chopping rate, or by varying the speed of the chopper. | Glass fibres for use as reinforcement in cement products are coated with a composition containing a material to protect them against the alkaline environment, which comprises at least one dihydroxybenzoic acid, preferably 2,5 dihydroxybenzoic acid, and which may also comprise a partially-cured A-stage phenol-formaldehyde resin of the water-dilutable resole type. A further coating of an epoxy resin may be applied over this composition to protect it from abrasion during handling of the fibres and preparation of the cement products. The coating composition may be applied as a size to the individual filaments immediately after they have been drawn from a bushing, or it may be applied later after the filaments have been combined into a strand. | 8 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electrical cable support assemblies for electrical penetration assemblies which provide electrical connection through the biological, environment containment of a nuclear reactor system.
The nuclear reactor containment comprises a sealed containment building which may be of the type with a steel liner and a thick concrete wall about the liner, or of the double containment annular type where a steel shield wall is spaced from a surrounding concrete containment wall. In either case, the containment is sealed and designed to withstand unlikely accident conditions to ensure that no radioactive material can breach the containment to the surrounding environment.
Numerous electrical cables must be sealed through the containment to provide electrical operating power, instrumentation, and control capability for the reactor systems. An electrical penetration assembly is the sealed feed-through device by which such electrical connections are made through the containment. Thick walled pipes or nozzles are provided through the steel and concrete wall portions of the containment. The electrical penetrations pass through these nozzles and are sealed at header plates at opposed ends of the nozzles. The typical electrical penetration is of a modular configuration as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,262, and comprises a tubular metal housing with one or more electrical leads sealed within the housing and extending beyond each end for electrical connection. A plurality of such penetration modules are brought through a header and nozzle.
It is desirable to segregate or shield the individual electrical cables or cable bundles within the nozzle for safety as well as electrical shielding reasons. The containment and penetration design must also provide for seismic and thermal movement or expansion of the containment building with the penetration remaining sealed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A cable support assembly for the electrical cables between sealed electrical penetration assemblies within a penetration nozzle is detailed. The cable support assembly comprises at least two spaced apart axially aligned central support means with a plurality of radially extending support arms extending outwardly from each of the central support means. A plurality of tubular cable conduit members extend between the spaced apart axially aligned central support means, with individual tubular cable conduit members nested between and supported from adjacent radially extending support arms. One of the central support means is disposed within a nozzle portion of the penetration assembly, and anchor mounting means are provided at the extending ends of at least a portion of the support arms to anchor the cable support assembly end within the nozzle. The other central support means is also disposed within a nozzle portion of the penetration assembly and has movable mounting means provided at the extending ends of the support arms which extend radially therefrom.
The detailed cable support assembly of the present invention permits easy field installation without welding and simple adjustment to the various size diameter tubular conduit or pipe. The structure allows for expansion between the nozzle and the cable support assembly since only one end is fixed with the other end free to move. The structure can be utilized with either a single-walled containment or with an annular, spaced apart double-walled containment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the present invention illustrating its use with an annular, spaced-apart double-walled containment, in which two such cable support assemblies are employed.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial side elevation view of a single cable support assembly.
FIG. 3 is an end view of the assembly of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a side view of a cable support assembly of the present invention in a single-walled containment.
FIG. 5 is a view taken through the cable support assembly in the direction of the line V--V of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the embodiment of the invention seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a thick walled concrete containment 10 is seen spaced from steel shield containment wall 12, with annular volume 14 defined therebetween. A first nozzle 16 passes through the concrete containment 10, and a second axially aligned nozzle 18 passes through the steel shield containment 12. A first sealed header 20 is sealed to the outboard end of first nozzle 16, with a plurality of penetration modules 22 sealed through header 20. A second sealed header 24 is sealed to the inboard end of second nozzle 18, with a plurality of penetration modules 22 sealed through header 24. Electrical cables 26 extend between the aligned penetration modules. Protective terminal boxes 25a, 25b are respectively provided about the header 20 and header 24 and the modules which extend through these headers. Electrical connections are made from the penetration conductors to distribution conductors within these terminal boxes. A leak detection system 27 is associated with the modules 22 passing through header 24.
A first electrical cable support assembly 28 is disposed within first nozzle 16. An axially aligned second electrical cable support assembly 30 extends from within the first nozzle 16 to within the second nozzle 18 and is closely spaced from the support assembly 28. The cable support assemblies 28 and 30 have the same basic structure as seen in greater detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this embodiment, the second assembly 30 is longer to bridge the annular volume 14. The cable support assembly 30 will be described in detail with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3. The assembly 30 comprises a pair of annular central support means 32 having a plurality, here five, radially extending support arms 34 which are symmetrically spaced about the central support means 32. A plurality of tubular cable conduit members 36, here again five conduits, extend between the spaced apart central support means 32. The individual electrical cables 26 or cable bundles extend within individual tubular cable conduit members 36. The tubular cable conduit members 36 are nested between adjacent radially extending support arms.
A tubular spacer member 38 is disposed over each of the threaded support arms and extends from the central annular support to a position between adjacent tubular conduits 36 to space them apart. A washer member 40 fits on the support arm and is brazed or welded to each of the adjacent tubular conduits 36 to fixedly space them apart and physically connect them to the central support means 32. The tubular conduits 36 also contact the center support means 32 at a tangent point for further support.
One of the pair of center support means 32 is adapted to serve as an anchoring means 32a, in the embodiment of FIG. 2. The left end support means 32 is the anchoring means while the other one serves as a movable sliding support to the nozzle. The adaptation of support means 32 to an anchoring or sliding movable support is had by the type of nut which is threaded onto the extending ends of the radially extending support arms. The anchoring support means 32a as seen in detail in FIG. 3 has three arms with sliding nuts 42 threaded in place and locked onto the support arm ends. The two uppermost support arms have anchor nuts 44 threaded and locked in place and anchoring the cable support assembly to the nozzle within which it is disposed. The other movable, slidable support means 32b has a sliding nut 42 mounted on each of the radially extending arms so that this end of the cable support assembly is movable within the nozzle.
The embodiment of the invention seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrates a single walled containment 46 formed of a steel liner 48 and concrete containment wall 50. The nozzle 52 passes through the containment and a header 54 is sealed at least at one end of the nozzle with electrical penetration modules 56 sealed through the header. In this embodiment, a single cable support assembly 58 is disposed within the nozzle 52 with one central support means 60 adapted as an anchoring means to the nozzle. The other spaced central support means 62 at the other end of the nozzle is adapted as a movable slidable support within the nozzle. As in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the anchoring of the support means is had by providing pointed locking nuts 70 on the ends of the radially extending arms 66. The support means is made movable by providing smooth ended sliding nuts 72 on the ends of the radially extending arms 66.
In this embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, the central support means 60 and 62 have a solid rod-like center member 64, with three radially extending arms 66 extending symmetrically therefrom. Three tubular cable conduits 68 are nested between the radially extending arms as explained with respect to the FIG. 3 embodiment, with the tubular cable conduits 68 extending between and beyond the spaced aligned central support means.
The present design permits ready adjustment of the assembly to varying numbers of tubular conduits spaced about the center support nested between the radially extending arms.
The anchor nuts are tightened in place during field assembly in the nozzle after the electrical cables have been fed through the respective conduits.
The cable support assembly components are generally formed of high strength stainless steel. | A cable support assembly for the electrical cables between sealed electrical penetration assemblies within a reactor penetration nozzle has been detailed. The cable support assembly is anchored at one end and slidably movable at the other end to provide for seismic and thermal movement. The cable support assembly includes conduits for protecting and shielding the cables which are disposed within the conduits. | 6 |
FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention relates generally to sleds, and in particular, to the attachment of straps to a sled.
BACKGROUND
When riding a sled down a hill, a rider is often required to make rapid turns. These rapid turns result in g-forces that tend to throw the rider off the sled.
To avoid separating the sled from its rider, it is useful to provide a strap to secure the rider to the sled. Such a strap is typically anchored to the body of the sled by strap anchors. When in use, the strap absorbs the g-forces that would otherwise throw the rider off the sled, and transmits those forces to the body of the sled at the strap anchors.
In a known strap anchor, a bolt passes through a grommet at the end of the strap. The bolt then passes through a hole in the body of the sled. A nut then engages the bolt so that the body of the sled is held between the nut and the strap.
In use, the strap tends to rotate about the axis defined by the bolt. This rotation causes small amounts of torque to be transmitted to the bold. In many cases, the cumulative effect of these incremental torques is to work the nut loose. Unless it is periodically tightened, the nut can fall off the bolt and into the snow.
Among the forces transmitted by the strap to the anchor are those that act in a direction orthogonal to the bolt. These forces, referred to herein as “shear forces,” cause the bolt to pivot about a fulcrum defined by the contact area between the bolt and the sled body. The cumulative effect of such pivoting can likewise result in failure of the strap anchor.
SUMMARY
A sled incorporating the invention eliminates the fulcrum about which the bolt can pivot and thereby provides a more secure way to attach a strap to a hull of the sled. Such a sled includes a hull having an inboard hole and a lip that extends outwardly from the hull. The lip has an outboard hole opposed to the inboard hole. A support member extends through a strap hole in a strap, through the inboard hole, and through the outboard hole.
In one embodiment, two fins extend outward from the hull. These fins are disposed on either side of the inboard hole.
In another aspect, the sled includes a hull having walls defining an inboard hole and an outwardly extending lip having walls defining an outboard hole, the outboard hole being opposed to the inboard hole. A support member extends through the inboard hole, and the outboard hole.
In yet another aspect, the sled includes a strap-engaging member for receiving a shear force from a strap engaged thereto and a hull having an extended support region for receiving the strap-engaging member. The extended support region is configured to suppress pivoting of the strap-engaging member in response to the shear force.
In one embodiment, the extended support region can include a wall forming an inboard aperture for receiving a proximal portion of the strap-engaging member and a wall forming an outboard aperture for receiving a distal portion of the strap-engaging member.
Other embodiments include those in which an anti-rotation element is disposed to suppress rotation of the strap-engaging member when the strap-engaging member is engaged by the extended support region. The anti-rotation element can include, for example, restraining fins extending from the hull. The restraining fins are disposed to be in mechanical communication with the strap-engaging member when the strap-engaging member is engaged by the extended support region.
These and other features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the figures, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 and 2 are top and side views of a hull for a sled;
FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the hull shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIGS. 4-5 show a snow-brake mounted at the rear of the hull shown in FIGS. 1-3;
FIG. 6 shows the snow-brake of FIGS. 4 and 5 in use;
FIGS. 7-9 show a configuration for attaching a strap to the hull;
FIG. 10 is a side view of a shin pad attached to the hull; and
FIGS. 11-13 show different rib configurations and footprints for the shin pad of FIG. 8 .
FIG. 14 is a shin pad with ribs of varying height;
FIG. 15 is a detail view of the shin pad of FIG. 14;
FIG. 16 is an isometric view of the shin pad; and
FIGS. 17-19 are views of an alternative hull.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A downhill racing sled suitable for incorporating the features of the invention is described with particularity in Sellers, U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,171, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the sled includes a one-piece elongated molded hull 10 , preferably of vacuum-molded thermoplastic. The hull 10 has a bow or front-end, which is on the right as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, and a stern, or rear-end, which is on the left as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The hull 10 presents a generally crescent-shaped profile, best seen in FIG. 2 . An upper outwardly rolled molded edge of the hull 10 forms continuous railings or gunwales 12 surrounding the hull 10 . The gunwales 12 are raised at the bow to afford handholds and to protect against the intrusion of snow. The bottom of the hull 10 while generally curved in profile as shown in FIG. 2, includes certain features that enhance the sled's performance in deep snow.
In FIG. 3, a cross-section of the hull 10 reveals a pair of generally flat parallel runners 14 , 16 defined by molded downwardly protruding parallel ribs 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 . Flat areas 26 , 28 between the pairs of ribs act like wide skis to support the hull 10 as it moves through the snow. The ribs 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 guide the hull 10 in a straight path and enhance tracking in packed snow.
In FIG. 3, a pair of steps formed on the sides of the hull 10 define a pair of generally flat steering runners 44 A-B integral with the hull 10 . The steering runners 44 A-B define a downwardly extending arc, best seen in FIGS. 2 and 19, that is positioned high enough on the hull 10 so that when the hull 10 is level, the lowest points of both steering runners 44 A-B are above the level of the snow. However, when the rider banks the hull 10 beyond a critical angle, a sharp edge 46 of one steering runner 44 B contacts the snow. A downward component of the combined weight of the rider and sled is thus concentrated on the relatively small surface area of the edge 46 . The extent of this downward component, and hence the pressure on the edge 46 , depends on the extent to which the rider banks the hull 10 , as well as on the slope of the prevailing terrain.
When the edge 46 contacts the snow, the force acting on the edge. 46 generates drag. Since only one of the two steering runners 44 A-B is in contact with the snow at any time, this drag tends to turn the hull 10 . In this way, the steering runners 44 A-B assist the rider in executing sharp turns.
The steering runners 44 A-B are of particular use in icy or crusty conditions. Under these conditions, the pressure exerted by the edge 46 of a steering runner 44 B enables it to bite into hard, icy surfaces. To further enhance this ability, a sharpened steel edge can be fastened onto the steering runner 44 A-B.
Between the two runners 14 and 16 , a main central channel 30 extends longitudinally from the bow to the stern of the hull 10 , with progressively increasing depth as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The inside ribs 20 and 22 define the edges of the channel 30 and are slightly outwardly flared with gradually increasing spacing at both ends of the hull 10 . Inside the hull 10 , the molded channel 30 forms a large longitudinal central rib or keel-like hump 32 running down the center of the hull 10 . Because of the increasing depth of the snow channel 30 toward the rear of the hull 10 , the hump 32 becomes more pronounced toward the rear as shown in phantom in FIG. 2 .
An outwardly molded stem portion of the hull 10 extends into a rear-facing lip 48 , hereafter referred to as a “snow brake,” that rolls downward, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The snow-brake 48 , which wraps around the stern portion of the hull 10 , includes a rear portion 50 and two side portions 52 A-B. The greatest extension of the snow-brake 48 , both rearward and downward, is at its rear portion 50 . The extent to which the snow-brake 48 projects outward and downward progressively decreases along the two side portions 52 A-B until the snow-brake 48 merges smoothly with the gunwale 12 .
To use the snow-brake 48 , a rider leans back, as shown in FIG. 6 . This causes the hull's bow to rise and its stem to sink. As the stem sinks, the rear portion 50 of the snow-brake 48 comes into contact with the snow and creates drag. The extent of this drag depends on the extent to which the stern sinks. This, in turn, is controlled by the extent to which the rider leans back.
By leaning backward and sideways at the same time, the rider can cause one side of the hull 10 to sink and the other to rise. As one side sinks, the side portion of the snow-brake 48 comes into contact with the snow and also creates drag. This drag, which only acts on one side of the hull 10 , causes the hull 10 to turn swiftly in that direction. The snow-brake 48 can thus be used as a type of rudder as well as a brake.
Optional gripping aids 54 can extend downward from the edges of the snow-brake to provide additional drag in icy conditions. These gripping aids can include teeth, as shown in FIGS. 17-19, studs, or claws, as shown in FIG. 4 . The gripping aids 54 can be integral with the snow-brake 48 or formed on a metal plate which is then attached or fastened to the rim of the snow-brake 48 .
A side-mounted snow-brake 49 can also be mounted on the gunwale 12 at the side of the hull 10 as shown in FIG. 19 . Such a snow-brake 49 is formed by outwardly rolling the gunwale 12 so that it projects outward and downward part-way toward the snow.
The side-mounted snow-brake 49 , steering rails 44 A-B, and ribs 18 , 24 collectively provide the rider with three progressively more effective ways to brake the sled when the sled is oriented in a direction having a component transverse to the fall line. The rider can lean sideways into a skid using the edges of the ribs 18 , 24 for mild braking action, or the rider can lean further to engage the steering rails 44 A-B for more effective braking. If necessary, the rider can lean far enough to engage the side-mounted snow-brake 49 and bring the sled to an abrupt stop.
Referring now to FIG. 7, side portions of the gunwale 12 are rolled outward to form a lip 56 . This lip 56 curls downward to form a rim portion 58 parallel to the hull 10 and separated therefrom by a gap 60 . An outboard hole 62 through the rim portion 58 is aligned with an inboard hole 64 through the hull 10 . Molded retaining walls 66 A-B, seem in isometric view in FIG. 8 flank the inboard hole 64 and extend outward from the hull 10 , part way across the gap 60 .
A knee strap 36 has a grommet 68 at each of its two ends, one of which is shown in FIG. 9 . To attach the knee strap 36 to the hull 10 , a grommet hole 70 defined by the grommet 60 is aligned with the inboard hole 64 . Then, a threaded ½ inch bolt 72 is passed through the grommet hole 70 and through the inboard hole 64 , The bolt 72 is long enough to extend through the inboard hole 64 and all the way to the outboard hole 62 . Preferably, the bolt 72 extends approximately {fraction (3/16)} inches beyond the outboard hole 62 to ensure adequate support by the edge of the outboard hole 62 .
A nut 74 is then threaded onto the bolt 72 to secure the bolt 72 to the hull 10 . When the nut 74 is fully lightened, it comes to rest snugly between the retaining fins 66 A-B, as shown in FIG. 8 . The retaining fins 66 A-B thus limit rotation of the nut 74 in response to torque transmitted by the strap 36 . By doing so, the retaining fins 66 A-B reduce the likelihood that the nut 74 will loosen during use.
Because of its strength, metal is typically used for making the nut 74 and bolt 72 . However, other materials such as plastic can be used.
A shear force exerted on the strap 36 is transmitted to the hull 10 by the bolt 72 . However, the hull 10 supports the bolt 72 at two different points, namely at the edge of the inboard hole 64 and also at the edge of the outboard hole 62 . As a result, the strap-anchoring configuration shown in FIGS. 7-9 resists the tendency of the bolt 72 to pivot about a single support in response to a shear force. It does so by resisting shear force using shear resistance provided by the hull 10 at two different support points.
By concealing the nut 74 and bolt 72 from view, the rim portion 58 of the lip provides the hull 10 with a more attractive and streamlined appearance. This appearance can be enhanced by coloring the end of the bolt 72 or by extending the end of the bolt 72 slightly beyond the rim portion 58 so it can be capped.
In addition, by covering the nut 74 and bolt 72 , the rim portion 58 also prevents the nut 74 and bolt 72 from snagging on nearby objects, such as the rider's clothing.
Referring back to FIG. 1, a pair of optional contoured shin pads 40 are used in combination with the knee strap 36 to maintain the axial position of the rider constant relative to the hull 10 .
A shin pad 40 , a cross-section of which is shown in FIG. 14, is a unitary structure having a raised front portion that functions as a knee stop 76 and a raised back portion that functions as a foot stop 78 . Between the foot stop 78 and the knee stop 76 is a ribbed portion 80 having transverse ribs 82 for gripping the rider's shin. A typical rib 82 has a vertical face that faces the rear of the hull 10 and a curved face that faces the front of the hull 10 . In one embodiment, shown in FIG. 15, the heights of the ribs 82 vary to conform to the radius of curvature of the rider's shin. FIG. 16 shows an isometric view of the shin pad 40 . The dimensions given in FIGS. 15-16 are selected to conform to typical adult dimensions (in inches).
The shin pad 40 slopes downward from the foot stop 78 to the front end of the ribbed portion 80 . Past the front end of the ribbed portion 80 , the shin pad 40 slopes upward to form the knee stop 76 .
When a rider kneels on the shin pad 40 , as shown in FIG. 10, the rider's knee rests on the knee stop 76 and the front of the rider's foot rests on the foot stop 78 . During sudden deceleration of the sled, deformation of the knee stop 76 and foot stop 78 absorb the rider's momentum and thereby restrain continued forward motion of the rider.
In response to the rider's weight, the ribs 82 deform. In their deformed state, the ribs 82 exert a force that tends to restore them to their undeformed state. This restoring force, when transmitted to the rider's shin, tends to grip the shin. Although the restoring force exerted by any one rib 82 is small, the collective restoring force exerted by all the ribs 82 is significant.
The gripping force exerted by the rib 82 is further enhanced by providing the rib 82 with a vertical leading face 84 . In a rib 82 having a sloped leading face, the rider's shin has a tendency to slide forward over the rib 82 . In contrast, the vertical leading face 84 of each rib 82 tends to resist this forward-sliding tendency of the shin.
The gripping force exerted by each rib 82 depends, in part, on the extent of its deformation. This, in turn, depends in part on the force exerted by the shin on the rib 82 . This force has two components: one arising from the rider's own weight and another arising from any deceleration of the sled. Thus, one advantage of the shin pad 40 is that this gripping force increases momentarily when the sled rapidly decelerates or comes to a sudden stop.
Other embodiments of the shin pad 40 include those having ribs 82 that extend in directions other than the transverse direction. For example, the shin pad 40 may include ribs 82 oriented in a herring-bone pattern, as shown in FIG. 11, or diagonally, as shown in FIG. 12 . These configurations provide resistance to tangential forces that result when the sled changes turns. In addition, the shin pad 40 can have an oval footprint, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, or a rectangular footprint, as shown in FIG. 13 .
The shin pad 40 is made of a resilient material such as a closed cell foam. However, it can also be made of a molded plastic. The material used to make the shin pad 40 should be one that enables the ribs 82 to deform in response to the rider's weight but to resist deformation enough to grip the rider's shin. In addition, the material should be sufficiently resilient to return to its original shape even after repeated and sustained deformation.
When manufactured out of closed cell foam, the ribs 82 of the shin pad 40 are cut out with a heated wire. However, other methods of cutting the ribs 82 of the shin pad 40 , for example, with high-pressure water jets, can also be used. In other embodiments, the shin pad 40 can be molded out of a suitably resilient plastic.
The invention has been described in the context of a specific recreational racing sled. However, the various features of the invention can readily be incorporated other types of recreational sleds. | A sled includes a hull having walls defining an inboard hole. A lip extending outward from the hall forms an outboard hole opposed to the inboard hold. A support member extends through the inboard hold and the outboard hole, as well as through the hole of a strap, thereby securing the strap to the hull. | 1 |
This application claims priority from French patent application number 0216415, filed Dec. 20, 2002, and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/480,412, filed Jun. 20, 2003.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a crystalline form of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, represented by the structure:
2. Description of the Art
(3R,4R)-4-[3-Hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]-piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and its preparation has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,610 in the form of its 2 diastereoisomers, known as diastereoisomer A and diastereoisomer B. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,610, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, the diastereoisomers obtained existed in the amorphous form. Among the diastereoisomers of this quinolylpropylpiperidine derivative, diastereoisomer A, (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, is particularly advantageous for its antibacterial activity, in particular with regard to microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecium or Moraxella catharrhalis . It is also highly advantageous because of its good activity, both by the oral route and by the injectable route, and because of its low toxicity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises crystalline forms of 3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, represented by the structure:
and as characterized herein by powder X-ray diffraction patterns as form A and form B, processes for preparing form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid from the purified amorphous form of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, a processes for preparing form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid by heating monohydrated form C of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid at a temperature from about 148° C. to about 153° C., a pharmaceutical composition comprising form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, a pharmaceutical composition comprising form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and form B of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid or monohydrated form C of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, a pharmaceutical composition comprising form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, form B of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and monohydrated form C of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, a method for treating a bacterial infection with form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, a method for treating a bacterial infection with form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and form B of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid or monohydrated form C of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, and a method for treating a bacterial infection with form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, form B of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and monohydrated form C of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid.
A broad embodiment of this invention is directed to crystalline forms of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]-piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, characterized herein by powder X-ray diffraction pattern data as form A and form B.
One embodiment of this invention is directed to a process for the preparation of form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid comprising preparing a solution of purified amorphous (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid in acetonitrile by heating to reflux, cooling the solution to 20° C. to 25° C. over a suitable period of time, isolating the crystals by filtration and optionally drying said crystals.
Another embodiment of this invention is directed to a process for the preparation of form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid comprising preparing a saturated solution of purified amorphous (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid in a suitable solvent, and evaporating the saturated solution at 20° C. to 25° C. and at atmospheric pressure over a suitable period of time.
A further embodiment of this invention is directed to a process for the preparation of form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid comprising the step of heating monohydrated form C of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid at a temperature from about 148° C. to about 153° C.
Another embodiment of this invention is directed to a pharmaceutical composition comprising form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants or diluents.
A further emboidiment of this invention is directed to a pharmaceutical composition comprising form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and form B of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid or monohydrated form C of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants or diluents.
A further embodiment of this invention is directed to a pharmaceutical composition comprising form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and form B of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and monohydrated form C of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable adjuvants or diluents.
Another embodiment of this invention is directed to a method for treating a bacterial infection comprising administering to a patient in need of such treatment a therapeutically effective amount of form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid.
A further embodiment of this invention is directed to a method for treating a bacterial infection comprising administering to a patient in need of such treatment a therapeutically effective amount of form A of 3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and form B of 3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid or monohydrated form C of 3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid.
Another embodiment of this invention is directed to a method for treating a bacterial infection comprising administering to a patient in need of said treatment a therapeutically effective amount of form A of 3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, form B of 3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid and monohydrated form C of 3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The crystalline form of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, according to the invention, hereinafter known as form A, exists in the form of a white to pale-yellow crystalline powder; it melts at approximately 166° C. and it has been defined by the indexing of its powder X-ray diffraction pattern described hereinbelow.
Form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid can be prepared by crystallization by evaporation of a saturated solution of the, preferably purified, amorphous product by:
dissolution in acetonitrile, by heating to the reflux temperature and then cooling to a temperature of 20° C.–25° C., over a period of time of at least one and one-half hours; dissolution and maintenance at a temperature of 20° C.–25° C. and at atmospheric pressure, after a period of a few days to about 30 days, in acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, chloroform, dichloromethane, dimethyl sulfoxide, methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, 2-methylpropanol, n-heptane, toluene, diisopropyl ether, methyl t-butyl ether or tetrahydrofuran (maturing for 5 to 30 days).
The purified amorphous form is prepared beforehand by chiral HPLC, as disclosed previously in U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,610.
According to the invention, form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid can also be prepared by crystallization of the crude amorphous product from absolute ethanol or methanol, treating with active charcoal and filtering while hot, and then initiating crystallization at 51° C. with 1.5% to 1.7% of crystals of form A and cooling to a temperature of about 20° C.
The crude amorphous form is prepared beforehand as described previously in U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,610.
According to another aspect of the present invention, form A can also be obtained from another monohydrate crystalline form known hereinbelow as form C. Below 50% humidity and between 20° C. and 80° C., form C undergoes a loss in mass of 3.7% by weight (1 mole of water/mole of the acid). This loss in mass corresponds to dehydration of form C to give another form of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, known hereinbelow as form B. Form B is anhydrous, and exhibits melting beginning at 147.6° C.–148° C. and then changes to form A at about 153° C. Form B is obtained more particularly by heating form C to 70° C. or from form C held at 25° C. at 0% humidity.
Form C of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid can be obtained by crystallization from mixtures of water and water-miscible organic solvents, in particular under the conditions hereinbelow:
by evaporation at 20° C.–25° C., for a period of time ranging up to 7 days to 9 days, of a saturated solution of the amorphous form in a methyl ethyl ketone/demineralized water (50/50 by volume) mixture or in a methanol or ethanol/demineralized water (50/50 by volume) mixture; by stirring a suspension of form A at a temperature of 20° C.–25° C., in tetrahydrofuran/demineralized water (50/50 by volume), methyl ethyl ketone/demineralized water (80/20 by volume to 20/80 by volume), acetonitrile/demineralized water (50/50 by volume to 20/80 by volume) or ethanol or methanol/demineralized water (50/50 by volume) mixtures, for 5 to about 30 days.
Form B of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid can be obtained either, on the one hand, by dehydration of form C or, on the other hand, by slow evaporation, at 20° C.–25° C. while flushing with nitrogen, of a solution of the amorphous product in toluene or by evaporation of a saturated solution of the amorphous product in dimethylformamide, at 40° C., under reduced pressure for approximately 16 hours. Form B can be used as an intermediate for the preparation of form A. Form B is an anhydrous form and is also defined hereinbelow by the indexing of its powder X-ray diffraction pattern diagram.
Powder X-Ray Diffraction
The analyses are carried out on a Bruker D8 diffractometer having a copper-anticathode tube equipped with a front monochromator (wavelength of the copper Kα 1 line: 1.54060 Å). The arrangement is of Bragg-Brentano type, with a point scintillation detector. The angular range swept extends from 2 to 40 degrees 2θ with a step of 0.02 degrees 2θ. The counting time is 120 seconds per step.
Form A
Form A crystallizes in a monoclinic lattice (space group P2 1 , Z=2), the unit cell parameters of which are:
a =14.936 Å α=90°
b =7.604 Å β=104.079°
c =11.315 Å γ=90 ° V =1248.2 Å 3
The complete indexing of the lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern of form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)-ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid at T=295 K, in lattice spacing and in “mean λ Cu Kα ” 2θ positions, gives the following result:
Lattice 2θ Multiplicity spacing “mean λ Cu Kα ” h k l factor J (Å) 1.54184 Å 1 0 0 2 14.4954 6.0971 0 0 1 2 10.9797 8.0523 −1 0 1 2 10.0030 8.8400 1 0 1 2 7.8775 11.2320 2 0 0 2 7.2477 12.2116 −2 0 1 2 6.8662 12.8930 1 1 0 4 6.7356 13.1440 0 1 1 4 6.2527 14.1640 −1 1 1 4 6.0549 14.6294 −1 0 2 2 5.6060 15.8078 0 0 2 2 5.4898 16.1447 1 1 1 4 5.4720 16.1977 2 0 1 2 5.4674 16.2112 2 1 0 4 5.2472 16.8964 −2 1 1 4 5.0969 17.3987 −2 0 2 2 5.0015 17.7331 −3 0 1 2 4.8826 18.1687 3 0 0 2 4.8318 18.3612 1 0 2 2 4.7641 18.6246 −1 1 2 4 4.5129 19.6713 0 1 2 4 4.4516 19.9449 2 1 1 4 4.4396 19.9992 −2 1 2 4 4.1791 21.2601 −3 0 2 2 4.1648 21.3338 −3 1 1 4 4.1089 21.6273 3 1 0 4 4.0786 21.7904 3 0 1 2 4.0720 21.8259 1 1 2 4 4.0376 22.0144 2 0 2 2 3.9388 22.5737
Form B
Form B can be used as intermediate for the preparation of the form A. Form B exhibits the following characteristics at 295 K:
orthorhombic unit cell (space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 , Z=4)
a =19.3231 Å α=β=γ=90°
b =12.9456 Å
c =10.0251 Å V =2507.79 Å 3
The asymmetric unit cell is composed of a molecule of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid. It is a pure form.
The complete indexing of the lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern of form B is described below:
Lattice
2θ
Multiplicity
sacing
“mean λ Cu Kα ”
h
k
l
factor J
(Å)
1.54184 Å
1
1
0
4
10.7550
8.2207
2
0
0
2
9.6616
9.1530
1
0
1
4
8.8988
9.9395
0
1
1
4
7.9263
11.1627
2
1
0
4
7.7429
11.4279
1
1
1
8
7.3333
12.0685
2
0
1
4
6.9567
12.7244
0
2
0
2
6.4728
13.6801
1
2
0
4
6.1376
14.4311
2
1
1
8
6.1280
14.4540
3
1
0
4
5.7667
15.3648
0
2
1
4
5.4378
16.3001
3
0
1
4
5.4190
16.3573
2
2
0
4
5.3775
16.4842
1
2
1
8
5.2345
16.9378
0
0
2
2
5.0125
17.6937
3
1
1
8
4.9987
17.7432
1
0
2
4
4.8520
18.2843
4
0
0
2
4.8308
18.3652
2
2
1
8
4.7388
18.7247
0
1
2
4
4.6744
18.9852
3
2
0
4
4.5657
19.4415
1
1
2
8
4.5433
19.5381
4
1
0
4
4.5259
19.6140
2
0
2
4
4.4494
19.9549
4
0
1
4
4.3519
20.4067
Form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid is anhydrous and is not hygroscopic; it is stable between 0% and 100% relative humidity. After storage at 97% relative humidity for 11 weeks at 20° C., form A is still anhydrous and stable. This crystalline form also exhibits the advantage of being stable at high temperature, namely up to its melting point.
Form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid exhibits the advantage of an improved degree of purity and thus makes possible the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions not exhibiting an amount of impurities which are undesirable in nature or in degree.
In particular, the microanalytical results obtained for the amorphous form disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,610, compared with the results obtained for the batch of form A described in example 1, demonstrate this improvement in the purity:
C % H % N % O % S % U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,610, Measured 61.76 6.30 5.87 — 12.32 example 33, 61.30 6.38 5.85 — 12.38 diastereoisomer A - amorphous product Example 1 - form A Measured 61.56 6.66 5.69 — 13.05 Calculated 61.70 6.21 5.76 13.15 13.18
Furthermore, the optical rotations testify to this improvement in purity:
α 20 D dichloromethane at 0.5%
U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,610, example 33,
−73.8° ± −1.4°
diastereoisomer A -
amorphous product
Example 1 - form A
−77.8° ± −1.3°
The present invention also relates to the pharmaceutical compositions comprising form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid according to the invention, in the pure state or optionally in combination with one and/or other crystalline forms B or C and/or in the form of a combination with one or more compatible and pharmaceutically acceptable diluents or adjuvants.
The compositions according to the invention can be used orally, parenterally, topically or rectally or as aerosols.
Tablets, pills, gelatin capsules, powders or granules can be used as solid compositions for oral administration. In these compositions, form A according to the invention is mixed with one or more inert diluents or adjuvants, such as sucrose, lactose or starch. These compositions can comprise substances other than diluents, for example a lubricant, such as magnesium stearate, or a coating intended for controlled release.
Form A can also be used for the preparation of liquid compositions for oral administration; use may be made of pharmaceutically acceptable solutions, suspensions, emulsions, syrups and elixirs comprising inert diluents, such as water or liquid paraffin. These compositions can also comprise substances other than diluents, for example wetting, sweetening or flavoring agents.
Form A can also be used for the preparation of compositions for parenteral administration. These compositions can be emulsions or sterile solutions. Use may be made, as solvent or vehicle, of water, propylene glycol, a polyethylene glycol, vegetable oils, in particular olive oil, or injectable organic esters, for example ethyl oleate. These compositions can also comprise adjuvants, in particular wetting, isotonizing, emulsifying, dispersing and stabilizing agents.
Sterilization can be carried out in several ways, for example using a bacteriological filter, by irradiation or by heating. Compositions for parenteral administration can also be prepared in the form of sterile solid compositions which can be dissolved at the time of use in sterile water or any other injectable sterile medium.
Compositions for rectal administration include suppositories or rectal capsules which comprise, in addition to the active principle, excipients such as cocoa butter, semisynthetic glycerides or polyethylene glycols.
Compositions for topical administration can, for example, be creams, ointments, lotions or aerosols.
Compositions for inhalation can in particular be aerosols. For use in the form of liquid aerosols, the compositions can be stable sterile solutions or solid compositions dissolved at the time of use in apyrogenic sterile water, in saline or any other pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle. For use in the form of dry aerosols intended to be directly inhaled, form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]-piperidine-3-carboxylic acid is finely divided and combined with a water-soluble solid diluent or vehicle with a particle size of 30 μm to 80 μm, for example dextran, mannitol or lactose.
As a whole, all these compositions exhibit the advantage of a high degree of purity of active principle.
EXAMPLES
The following examples, given without implied limitation, illustrate the present invention.
Example 1
Form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)-ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid
A solution of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(R,S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2--thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid in dichloromethane is chromatographed on a column with a length of 35 cm and a diameter of 8 cm packed with 1200 g of Kromasil® silica (particle size of 10μ/m). A precolumn with a length of 10 cm and a diameter of 6 cm comprising 250 g of Merck silica (particle size 15–25 μm) is added to the system. Elution is carried out using a dichloromethane/methanol/acetonitrile (60/20/20 by volume) mixture. The flow rate is adjusted from 150 cm 3 /min to 180 cm 3 /min and detection is carried out in the ultraviolet at 280 nm. This operation, repeated three times, to treat a batch of 20 g, results in two diastereoisomers being obtained. The intermediate fractions are concentrated and reinjected into the column. The fractions corresponding to the first diastereoisomer (diastereoisomer A) are concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure (5 kPa) at a temperature of about 40° C., and the residue is crystallized after dissolving in 60 cm 3 acetonitrile, bringing to reflux for 5 minutes and then cooling to a temperature of 20° C. over 1 hour 30 minutes. The crystals are filtered off and washed twice with 20 cm 3 of acetonitrile and then twice with 20 cm 3 of ethyl ether. After drying in an oven under reduced pressure (13 Pa) at a temperature of about 40° C., diastereoisomer A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, (5.38 g) is obtained in the form of white crystals (form A).
Optical rotation [α] D 20 =−77.8° (in dichloromethane at 0.5%).
Example 2
Monohydrated form C of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid
A suspension of about 460 mg of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid in 1.84 cm 3 of a water/methanol (50/50) mixture is brought to reflux until completely dissolved. The solution is cooled to approximately 20° C. The crystals which appear during the cooling are filtered off and then dried at about 20° C. and normal pressure. Form C of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid (436.3 mg) is obtained in the form of white crystals.
Form A of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid can be obtained by dehydration of form C under the conditions described above. | The present invention comprises crystalline forms of 3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, represented by the structure:
and as characterized herein by powder X-ray diffraction patterns as form A and form B, processes for preparing form A from the purified amorphous form of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, a processes for preparing form A by heating monohydrated form C of (3R,4R)-4-[3-(S)-hydroxy-3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)propyl]-1-[2-(2-thienylthio)ethyl]piperidine-3-carboxylic acid, a pharmaceutical composition comprising form A, a pharmaceutical composition comprising form A and form B or monohydrated form C, a pharmaceutical composition comprising form A, form B and monohydrated form C, a method for treating a bacterial infection with form A, a method for treating a bacterial infection with form A and form B or monohydrated form C, and a method for treating a bacterial infection with form A and form B and monohydrated form C. | 2 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation in part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/727,299 filed on Mar. 19, 2010 which in turn is a continuation in part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/854,044 filed on Sep. 12, 2007 and which has issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,172,983 on May 8, 2012.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of improving dewatering efficiency, increasing sheet wet web strength, increasing sheet wet strength and enhancing filler retention in a papermaking process. Typically in a papermaking process chemicals are added in the wet end to assist in the dewatering of the slurry and improving wet or dry sheet strength. The wet end of the papermaking process refers to the stage in the papermaking process where the fiber is dispersed in the water in the slurry form. The fiber-water slurry then goes through drainage and dewatering process to form a wet web. The solid content after this wet formation process is about 50%. The wet web is further dried and forms a dry sheet of paper mat. Paper mat comprises water and solids and commonly 4 to 8% water. The solid portion of the paper mat includes fibers (typically cellulose based fibers) and can also include filler.
Fillers are mineral particles that are added to paper mat during the papermaking process to enhance the resulting paper's opacity and light reflecting properties. Some examples of fillers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,211,608. Fillers include inorganic and organic particles or pigments used to increase the opacity or brightness, or reduce the cost of the paper or paperboard sheet. Some examples of fillers include one or more of kaolin clay, talc, titanium dioxide, alumina trihydrate, barium sulfate, magnesium hydroxide, pigments such as calcium carbonate, and the like.
Calcium carbonate filler comes in two forms, GCC (ground calcium carbonate) and PCC (precipitated calcium carbonate). GCC is naturally occurring calcium carbonate rock and PCC is synthetically produced calcium carbonate. Because it has a greater specific surface area, PCC has greater light scattering abilities and provides better optical properties to the resulting paper. For the same reason however, PCC filled paper is weaker than GCC filled paper in dry strength, wet strength and wet web strength. Filler is generally much smaller than fiber, therefore, filler has much larger specific surface area than fiber. One of the challenges people found to increase filler content in the sheet is that high filler content decreases the efficiency of wet end chemicals, such as dewatering aids. This invention is to provide novel filler preflocculation, so that it reduced the adsorption of wet end chemicals onto filler surface, therefore, increased the efficiency of wet end chemicals such as dewatering aids.
Paper wet web strength is the tensile strength of a never dried sheet. Paper wet web strength is very critical for paper producers because increased paper wet web strength would increase machine runnability and reduce sheet breaks and machine down time. Paper wet web strength is a function of the number and the strength of the bonds formed between interweaved fibers of the paper mat. Filler particles with greater surface area are more likely to become engaged to those fibers and interfere with the number and strength of those bonds. Because of its greater surface area, PCC filler interferes with those bonds more than GCC.
Paper dewatering efficiency is also very critical for paper producers because decreased dewatering efficiency in wet end would increase steam demand for drying operation, reduce machine speed and production efficiency. Dewatering aids are widely used to improve dewatering efficiency for reducing energy consumption, increasing machine speed and production efficiency.
Paper wet strength is the tensile strength of the sheet when it is re-wet. Paper wet strength is not only one of important sheet properties, but also important for machine runnability for fine papermachine with a size press. Sheet gets re-wet after size press, and tends to break if the sheet wet web strength is low. Same as paper dry strength and wet web strength, paper wet strength decreases with the filler content in the sheet due to filler interference with fiber-fiber bonding.
Thus there is clear need and utility in methods and compositions for improving dewatering efficiency, increasing sheet wet web strength, increasing sheet wet strength and enhancing filler retention in a papermaking process. The art described in this section is not intended to constitute an admission that any patent, publication or other information referred to herein is “prior art” with respect to this invention, unless specifically designated as such. In addition, this section should not be construed to mean that a search has been made or that no other pertinent information as defined in 37 CFR §1.56(a) exists.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
At least one embodiment of the invention is directed towards a method of papermaking having improved sheet wet strength or wet web strength or increased drainage through combining filler preflocculation and dewatering aid. The method comprises the steps of adding a first flocculating agent to an aqueous dispersion in an amount sufficient to mix uniformly in the dispersion without causing significant flocculation of the filler particles, adding a second flocculating agent to the dispersion after adding the first flocculating agent in an amount sufficient to initiate flocculation of the filler particles in the presence of the first flocculating agent, the second flocculating agent being of opposite charge to the first flocculant, combining the filler particles with the paper fiber stock, treating the combination with at least one dewatering aid, and forming a paper mat by removing some of the water from the combination. The cellulose fiber stock comprises a plurality of cellulose fibers and water. The second flocculating agent inhibits dewatering aid from adhering to the filler particles.
At least one embodiment of the invention is directed towards a method in which the dewatering of the paper made by the papermaking process is increased by an amount greater than the sum of the dewatering enhancement provided by the preflocculation process using the first and second flocculation agents and the dewatering agent if they were added separately.
At least one embodiment of the invention is directed towards a method in which filler particles further comprises one item selected from the list consisting of: calcium carbonate, organic pigment, inorganic pigment, clay, talc, titanium dioxide, alumina trihydrate, barium sulfate, magnesium hydroxide, and any combination thereof. The method may further comprise the step of shearing the dispersion to obtain a predetermined floc size. The filler flocs may have a median particle size of 10-200 μm. The first flocculating agent may be anionic and amphoteric. The dewatering agent may be glyoxylated Acrylamide/Diallyl-Dimethyl-Ammonium-Chloride (AcAm/DADMAC) copolymer or Diallylamine/Acrylamide (DAA/AcAm) copolymer or polyvinylamine (PVAM) resin. The ratio of dewatering aid relative to the solid portion of the paper mat can be 0.3 to 10 kg of additive per ton of paper mat. The first flocculation agent may be a copolymer of acrylamide and sodium acrylate. The dewatering aid and the second flocculating agent may carry the same charge.
The second flocculating agent may be selected from the list consisting of consisting of copolymers of acrylamide with DMAEM, DMAEA, DEAEA, DEAEM. The second flocculating agent may be in quaternary ammonium salt form made with a salt selected from the list consisting of dimethyl sulfate, methyl chloride, benzyl chloride, and any combination thereof. The filler may be anionically dispersed and a low molecular weight, cationic coagulant is added to the dispersion to at least partially neutralize its anionic charge prior to the addition of the first flocculating agent. The second flocculating agent may have a charge, which is opposite to the charge of the first flocculating agent. The filler flocs may have a median particle size of 10-200 μm. The blend of filler particles further comprises one item selected from the list consisting of: calcium carbonate, organic pigment, inorganic pigment, clay, talc, titanium dioxide, alumina trihydrate, barium sulfate, magnesium hydroxide, and any combination thereof. The low molecular weight composition may be a cationic coagulant, the first flocculating agent may be an anionic flocculent, the second flocculating agent may be a cationic flocculent, and both flocculants may have a molecular weight of at least 1,000,000.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
A detailed description of the invention is hereafter described with specific reference being made to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a graph showing the improved wet strength of paper made according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following definitions are provided to determine how terms used in this application, and in particular how the claims, are to be construed. The organization of the definitions is for convenience only and is not intended to limit any of the definitions to any particular category.
“Coagulant” means a composition of matter having a higher charge density and lower molecular weight than a flocculant, which when added to a liquid containing finely divided suspended particles, destabilizes and aggregates the solids through the mechanism of ionic charge neutralization.
“Dewatering Aid” means chemical additives that will improve the dewatering of the paper web, at any point in the process. This means that a material might not affect free drainage, but have a significant effect on vacuum drainage or pressing response.
“DAA” means diallylamine.
“DADMAC” means diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride.
“DMAEM” means dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate as described and defined in U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,816.
“DMAEA” means dimethylaminoethylacrylate as described and defined in U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,816.
“DEAEA” means diethylaminoethyl acrylate as described and defined in U.S. Pat. No. 6,733,674.
“DEAEM” means diethylaminoethyl methacrylate as described and defined in U.S. Pat. No. 6,733,674.
“Flocculant” means a composition of matter having a low charge density and a high molecular weight (in excess of 1,000,000) which when added to a liquid containing finely divided suspended particles, destabilizes and aggregates the solids through the mechanism of interparticle bridging.
“Flocculating Agent” means composition of matter that when added to a liquid, destabilizes and aggregates colloidal and finely divided suspended particles in liquid into flocs.
Flocculants suitable for the invention generally have molecular weights in excess of 1,000,000 and often in excess of 5,000,000.
The polymeric flocculant is typically prepared by vinyl addition polymerization of one or more cationic, anionic or nonionic monomers, by copolymerization of one or more cationic monomers with one or more nonionic monomers, by copolymerization of one or more anionic monomers with one or more nonionic monomers, by copolymerization of one or more cationic monomers with one or more anionic monomers and optionally one or more nonionic monomers to produce an amphoteric polymer or by polymerization of one or more zwitterionic monomers and optionally one or more nonionic monomers to form a zwitterionic polymer. One or more zwitterionic monomers and optionally one or more nonionic monomers may also be copolymerized with one or more anionic or cationic monomers to impart cationic or anionic charge to the zwitterionic polymer. Suitable flocculants generally have a charge content of less than 80 mole percent and often less than 40 mole percent.
While cationic polymer flocculants may be formed using cationic monomers, it is also possible to react certain nonionic vinyl addition polymers to produce cationically charged polymers. Polymers of this type include those prepared through the reaction of polyacrylamide with dimethylamine and formaldehyde to produce a Mannich derivative.
Similarly, while anionic polymer flocculants may be formed using anionic monomers, it is also possible to modify certain nonionic vinyl addition polymers to form anionically charged polymers. Polymers of this type include, for example, those prepared by the hydrolysis of polyacrylamide.
The flocculant may be prepared in the solid form, as an aqueous solution, as a water-in-oil emulsion, or as a dispersion in water. Representative cationic polymers include copolymers and terpolymers of (meth)acrylamide with dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEM), dimethylaminoethyl acrylate (DMAEA), diethylaminoethyl acrylate (DEAEA), diethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DEAEM) or their quaternary ammonium forms made with dimethyl sulfate, methyl chloride or benzyl chloride. Representative anionic polymers include copolymers of acrylamide with sodium acrylate and/or 2-acrylamido 2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) or an acrylamide homopolymer that has been hydrolyzed to convert a portion of the acrylamide groups to acrylic acid.
“GCC” means ground calcium carbonate, which is manufactured by grinding naturally occurring calcium carbonate rock
“Papermaking Process” means a method of making paper and paperboard products from pulp comprising mixing the pulp with water which forms an aqueous cellulosic paper mat, draining the mat to form a sheet, and drying the sheet. It should be appreciated that any suitable paper mat may be used. Representative paper mats include, for example, an aqueous cellulosic slurry containing virgin pulp, recycled pulp, kraft pulp (bleached and unbleached), sulfite pulp, mechanical pulp, polymeric plastic fibers, the like, and any combination of the foregoing pulps. The steps of forming the paper mat draining and drying may be carried out in any manner generally known to those skilled in the art.
“PCC” means precipitated calcium carbonate which is synthetically produced.
“Preflocculation” means the modification of filler particles into agglomerates through treatment with a particular flocculating agent prior to the addition of those filler particles into the paper mat, the flocculating agent is selected on the basis of the size distribution and stability of the floc that the flocculating agent will form.
“PVAM” means polyvinylamine resins.
“Runnability” means the degree to which a sheet of paper or paper precursor passes trouble free through the various stages and pieces of equipment in a papermaking process, such troubles include but is not limited to jamming, clogging, or fouling equipment, damaging equipment, and/or requiring more energy to pass the sheet of paper or paper precursor through the equipment.
In the event that the above definitions or a description stated elsewhere in this application is inconsistent with a meaning (explicit or implicit) which is commonly used, in a dictionary, or stated in a source incorporated by reference into this application, the application and the claim terms in particular are understood to be construed according to the definition or description in this application, and not according to the common definition, dictionary definition, or the definition that was incorporated by reference. In light of the above, in the event that a term can only be understood if it is construed by a dictionary, if the term is defined by the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 5th Edition, (2005), (Published by Wiley, John & Sons, Inc.) this definition shall control how the term is to be defined in the claims.
At least one embodiment of the invention is a method of making paper, which is strong, has a high filler content, and has superior optical properties. In at least one embodiment of the invention the method of papermaking comprises the steps of providing filler material, pre-treating at least some of the filler material by preflocculation leading to a decrease in the adsorption of a dewatering aid on the filler material, and adding both the preflocculated filler blend and the dewatering aid to the paper mat.
Preflocculation is a process in which, material is treated by two flocculating agents in a manner that optimizes the size distribution and stability of the flocs under a particular shear force prior to its addition to the paper stock. The particular chemical environment and high fluid shear rates present in modern high-speed papermaking require filler flocs to be stable and shear resistant. Examples of preflocculation methods applicable to this invention are described in US Published Application 2009/0065162 A1 and U.S. application Ser. No. 12/431,356.
It has been known for some time that adding dewatering aid to paper mat increases the wet web strength of the resulting paper or enhances drainage or improves machine speed and runnability or enhance sheet wet strength. Some examples of wet strength aids, wet web strength additives and drainage aids are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,125,469, 7,615,135 and 7,641,776.
Unfortunately it is not practical to add large amounts of dewatering aid to compensate for the weakness that results from using large amounts of filler in paper mat. One reason is because dewatering aids are expensive and using large amounts of additives would result in production costs that are commercially non-viable. In addition, adding too much dewatering aid negatively affects the process of papermaking and inhibits the operability of various forms of papermaking equipment. Furthermore cellulose fibers can only adsorb a limited amount of dewatering aid. This imposes a limit on how much additive can be used. One reason why this is because dewatering aid tends to neutralize the anionic fiber/filler charges and when these charges are neutralized further adsorption of those additives is inhibited.
Adding filler to the paper mat reduces the effectiveness of the dewatering aid. Because filler has a much higher specific surface area than fiber, most of the dewatering aid added into the papermaking slurry goes to filler surfaces, and therefore there is less dewatering aid available to bind the cellulose fibers together. This effect is more acute with PCC compared to GCC because PCC has a much higher surface area and is able to adsorb more dewatering aid.
In at least one embodiment the dewatering efficiency, sheet wet web strength, sheet wet strength and filler retention is increased by the following method: An aqueous dispersion of filler materials is formed and the filler materials are preflocculated before being added to a paper fiber stock. A first flocculating agent is added to the dispersion in an amount sufficient to mix uniformly in the dispersion without causing significant flocculation of the filler particles. A second flocculating agent is then added following the first flocculating agent, in an amount sufficient to initiate flocculation of the filler material in the presence of the first flocculating agent, the second flocculating agent being of opposite charge to the first flocculating agent. A paper mat is formed by combining the preflocculated filler material with the fiber stock and treating this combination with the dewatering aid. The preflocculation of the filler material enhances the performance of the dewatering aid. The fiber stock comprises fibers, fillers, and water.
In at least one embodiment, the fibers are predominantly cellulose based. In at least one embodiment the flocculated dispersion is sheared to obtain a particularly desired particle size.
While pre-treating filler particles is known in the art, prior art methods of pre-treating filler particles are not directed towards affecting the adhesion of the dewatering aid to the filler particles with two flocculants. In fact, many prior art pre-treatments increase the adhesion of the strength additive to the filler particles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,211,608 describes a method of pre-treating filler particles with hydrophobic polymers. This pre-treatment however does nothing to the adhesion between the dewatering aid and the filler particles and merely repels water to counterbalance an excess of water absorbed by the dewatering aid. In contrast, the invention decreases the interactions between the dewatering aid and the filler particles and results in an unexpectedly huge increase in the dewatering efficiency, sheet wet web strength, sheet wet strength and filler retention, sheet dewatering and machine runnability. This can best be appreciated by reference to FIG. 1 .
FIG. 1 illustrates that a paper produced from a paper mate that includes PCC filler tends to become weaker as more PCC filler is added. When a large amount of PCC is added (over 20%), the addition of a dewatering aid adds little wet strength to the paper. Paper made from preflocculated PCC filler combined with a dewatering additive however increases the wet strength to a degree that it is stronger than paper having 10% less PCC that is not preflocculated. As a result, at least two conclusions can be reached, 1) the dewatering aid is more effective in increasing sheet wet strength or wet web strength or increased drainage with preflocculated filler than with untreated filler and 2) there is a synergistic effect from the combination of dewatering aid and filler preflocculation which makes it superior to the additive effects of the sum of the dewatering aid alone plus the filler preflocculation alone. As a result, preflocculation of the PCC filler material leads to improvement of efficiency of dewatering aids.
At least some of the fillers encompassed by this invention are well known and commercially available. They include any inorganic or organic particle or pigment used to increase the opacity or brightness, reduce the porosity, or reduce the cost of the paper or paperboard sheet. The most common fillers are calcium carbonate and clay. However, talc, titanium dioxide, alumina trihydrate, barium sulfate, and magnesium hydroxide are also suitable fillers. Calcium carbonate includes ground calcium carbonate (GCC) in a dry or dispersed slurry form, chalk, precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) of any morphology, and precipitated calcium carbonate in a dispersed slurry form. The dispersed slurry forms of GCC or PCC are typically produced using polyacrylic acid polymer dispersants or sodium polyphosphate dispersants. Each of these dispersants imparts a significant anionic charge to the calcium carbonate particles. Kaolin clay slurries also are dispersed using polyacrylic acid polymers or sodium polyphosphate.
In at least one embodiment the runnability issues caused by the high filler content is ameliorated by the addition of a dewatering aid to the paper mat. It is known in general that dewatering aids assist in addressing runnability issues. However in the prior art dewatering aids were not typically used in conjunction with high levels of filler because fillers also reduce the effectiveness of dewatering aids.
Without limitation to theory and in particular the scope of the claims, it is believed that the reason why filler impairs dewatering aids is because the filler particles absorb dewatering agent leaving less of such agents available to assist the papermaking process. In at least one embodiment the pre-flocculation of the filler particles is done in conjunction with the use of a de-watering aid without unduly (or at all) reducing the effectiveness of the de-watering aid. The pre-flocculation reduces the available surface area of the filler particles available to interact with the de-watering aids and thereby leaves the de-watering aid available to assist in the papermaking process. This allows the high levels of filler particles to be used in the papermaking process but it also allows the de-watering aid to improve process runnability.
In at least one embodiment, the dewatering aid carries the same charge as the second flocculating agent for treating the filler particles. When the two carry the same charge, the filler additive is less likely to adsorb wet strength aid, wet web strength additive or drainage aid on its surface. Dewatering aids encompassed by the invention include any one of the compositions of matter described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,702 and US Patent Application 2005/0161181 A1 and in particular the various glyoxylated Acrylamide/DADMAC copolymer compositions described therein. An example of a glyoxylated Acrylamide/DADMAC copolymer composition is Nalco 63700 (available from Nalco Company, Naperville, Ill., 60563). Other examples are amine-containing polymers including Dallylamine/acrylamide (DAA/AcAm) copolymers and polyvinylamines (PVAM).
In at least one embodiment, the fillers used are PCC, GCC, and/or kaolin clay. In at least one embodiment, the fillers used are PCC, GCC, and/or kaolin clay with polyacrylic acid polymer dispersants or their blends. The ratio of dewatering aid relative to solid paper mat can be 3 kg of additive per ton of paper mat.
EXAMPLES
The foregoing may be better understood by reference to the following examples, which are presented for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
A Paper mat was prepared by disintegrating commercial bleached hardwood dry lap. The filler material preflocculation was performed with the dual flocculants approach described in example 14 of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/431,356. PCC was added to the paper mat to achieve different filler content in the sheet. 200 ppm of a commercial flocculant (Nalco 61067) was used as a retention aid. During handsheet preparation, 3 kg/ton dewatering aid (Nalco 63700) was added. The wet strength as then measured. As shown in FIG. 1 , the absence of the dewatering aid resulted in various process/runnability issues that caused the paper to have impaired wet strength. Filler preflocculation caused some improvement but preflocculation combined with dewatering caused significant improvements in wet strength.
While this invention may be embodied in many different forms, there described in detail herein specific preferred embodiments of the invention. The present disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated. All patents, patent applications, scientific papers, and any other referenced materials mentioned herein or mentioned within any mentioned reference, are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, the invention encompasses any possible combination of some or all of the various embodiments described herein and/or incorporated herein. In addition the invention encompasses any possible combination that also specifically excludes any one or some of the various embodiments described herein and/or incorporated herein.
The above disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive. This description will suggest many variations and alternatives to one of ordinary skill in this art. All these alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims where the term “comprising” means “including, but not limited to”. Those familiar with the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein which equivalents are also intended to be encompassed by the claims.
All ranges and parameters disclosed herein are understood to encompass any and all subranges subsumed therein, and every number between the endpoints. For example, a stated range of “1 to 10” should be considered to include any and all subranges between (and inclusive of) the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10; that is, all subranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more, (e.g. 1 to 6.1), and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less, (e.g. 2.3 to 9.4, 3 to 8, 4 to 7), and finally to each number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 contained within the range.
This completes the description of the preferred and alternate embodiments of the invention. Those skilled in the art may recognize other equivalents to the specific embodiment described herein which equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the claims attached hereto. | The invention provides a method of improving dewatering efficiency, increasing sheet wet web strength, increasing sheet wet strength and enhancing filler retention in a papermaking process. The method improves the efficiency of dewatering aid by coating at least some of the filler particles with a material that prevents the filler materials form adhering to dewatering aids. The dewatering aid holds the paper fibers together tightly and is not wasted on the filler particles. | 3 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to portable toilet accessories.
Portable toilets are used extensively on construction sites and for special events such as parties, etc.
One problem with portable toilets is that they can become very cold to use during the winter and the contents of the holding tank freezes in the cold weather. A heater can be supplied with the portable toilet but, due to the usual construction of the toilet, the heat readily escapes therefrom. The portable toilet is usually manufactured with a front wall, including a door, a rear wall, two opposite side walls, a top and a floor for standing on.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided an insulating cover for a portable toilet.
In one arrangement the cover comprises a front panel of insulating material cut to the size and shape of the front wall of the portable toilet; a rear panel of insulating material cut to the size and shape of the rear wall of the portable toilet; a plurality of side panels of insulating material each cut to the size and shape of a respective side of the portable toilet; and a roof panel of insulating material cut to the size and shape of a top of the portable toilet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a front view of a front insulating panel according to one embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a view of a rear insulating panel;
FIG. 3 is a view of a side insulating panel;
FIG. 4 is a view of a roof panel;
FIG. 5 is a view of the open bottom of the portable toilet cover;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of part of a panel to show the construction thereof; and
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 1, the front panel 2 is of approximately rectangular shape when viewed from the front with a rounded top 4 . A door opening 6 is cut in the front panel 2 .
All the panels in FIGS. 1 to 4 are constructed of bonded polyester insulation material 8 (FIG. 6 ).
All the panels in FIGS. 1 to 4 are constructed of bonded polyester insulation material 8 (FIG. 6) covered with polyethylene material 10 attached to both surfaces with adhesive. The polyethylene material 10 consists of high-density polyethylene tapes coated with low-density polyethylene on both sides of the tapes. This material contains U.V. inhibitors and is well suited for outdoor applications.
The door opening 6 (FIG. 1) is cut and trimmed with pieces of the polyethylene 10 . A gender cardholder 12 , as well as a nameplate 14 , is sewn to the front panel 2 .
A door handle hole 16 , or door pull hole, is cut and sewn in place as shown in FIG. 1 . The lower edge of the panel 2 is trimmed and two tie loops 20 are installed. Snap fasteners 18 are installed to attach portions of the front panel 2 to the door 5 and frame 7 of the portable toilet 38 (FIG. 7 ).
The two side panels 22 , as shown in FIG. 3, are cut and sandwiched with glue and insulation (sandwich combination FIG. 6) as was the front panel 2 . A window frame is cut and sewn whilst a clear, 30 mil. U.V. resistant PVC window 24 is sewn in place. If the particular model of portable toilet to be covered does not have windows or vents this step is omitted. The lower edge of panel 22 is trimmed.
The rear panel 26 of FIG. 2 is cut from the insulated combination (FIG. 6) and constructed as described above. The lower edge of the panel 26 is trimmed and three tie loops 28 (see FIG. 5) are installed at the rear.
The roof panel 30 (FIG. 4) is cut and Constructed with the insulated combination (FIG. 6) as described above. A vent hole 32 is located in position and a circular pattern sewn but not cut out. The customer will cut this out for ventilation if required.
During assembly of the portable toilet cover, the roof panel 30 and side panels 22 are attached by sewing them together. The front panel 2 and rear panel 26 are then sewn to the side panels 22 and the roof panel 30 .
A rope attachment 34 is threaded through the loops 20 and 28 as shown in FIG. 5 to attach the cover to the portable toilet.
In FIG. 7 a second embodiment of the invention is illustrated. This comprises an insulating quilted cover 36 for fitting around and over the portable toilet 38 with appropriate openings and flaps. A quilted, or other cover, could also be used in combination with the panels of FIGS. 1 to 4 .
It will be appreciated that the fastening of the door 6 (FIG. 1) can be by any mechanical means, such as the snaps 18 in FIG. 1, VELCRO* (hook and loop), ¼ turn buttons, lift the dot fasteners, snap lock buttons (TENAX*) etc. All these are two (2), three (3), or four (4) part holding mechanisms. They can be glued, riveted or screwed to the door frame and the door.
* Trademark
In addition to the insulated cover, high-density Styrofoam* may be placed below the portable toilet floor. This material, typically two inches thick, is cut to size depending on the model of the portable toilet.
The rope 34 (FIG. 5) on the bottom of the portable toilet cover has two uses. First, for securing the insulated cover itself to the portable toilet. The second use for the rope 34 is to secure the high-density Styrofoam* insulation as described above.
From the above it will be seen that the described embodiments enable a portable toilet to maintain warmth even during winter months. The structure of the existing toilet, in use, forms the contour of the cover. It is placed over the toilet hut and is snapped to the existing door and frame. Tie loops located on the lower edge of the front and rear panels are fastened to each other under the portable toilet, securing the cover in place. The insulated covers provide a way for contractors to meet existing regulations, such as in Canada, Section 29.1(1) of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations, requiring the units to be adequately heated.
It will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the true spirit of the invention which will now be pointed out in the appended claims.
*Trademark | An insulating cover for a portable toilet as used on construction sites and for outdoor events is described. In one arrangement insulating panels are fastened around the portable toilet to reduce the escape of heat therefrom. | 4 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/034,076 filed Mar. 5, 2008 and entitled “Constant Pressure Variable Speed Pump Control System with Load Equalization for Dissimilar Pumps” which is also incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] The invention pertains to systems and methods of control of variable speed pumps. More particularly, the invention pertains to such systems and methods which take into account characteristics of dissimilar pumps.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Variable speed pumping systems vary the speed of the pumps using variable frequency drives to maintain a constant system pressure. Where multiple pumps are required to maintain the desired pressure, pumps with dissimilar pumping and load curves can experience an undesirable imbalance in the demand made on each pump to maintain the desired pressure if all pumps operate at the same speed. It would be desirable to be able to dynamically equalize load profile for all operating pumps while at the same time maintaining system pressure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system which embodies the invention; and
[0005] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating aspects of a method that embodies the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0006] While embodiments of this invention can take many different forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention, as well as the best mode of practicing same, and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated.
[0007] Embodiments of the invention adjust the speed of all operating pumps based on desired system pressure while equalizing load profile for all operating pumps. While operating, variable frequency drives sense various parameters such as operating frequency, current and voltage. Such data is available to embodiments of the invention in analog or digital form.
[0008] Data can be acquired from displaced pumps via a data link, such as a serial data link implemented using a publicly available telecommunications system, or via a computer network, for example the Internet. In an aspect of the invention, a determination can be made as to the load on the variable frequency drive, hence the load on the pump. The current load for each pump of interest can be established and compared with the maximum load for that particular pump. The percent of full load at which that particular unit is operating can be established for each member of the plurality of operating pumps.
[0009] In a disclosed embodiment of the invention, an average percent of full load is established based on characteristics of all members of the plurality of operating pumps. If a selected pump has a load that is below the average for all operating pumps, then the speed of that pump can be increased. If a selected pump has a load that exceeds the average, the speed of that pump would not be increased. If desired, a speed required parameter, or set point, can be established for each member of the plurality of pumps.
[0010] An embodiment of the invention can incorporate several proportional, integral, differential (PID) control loops. A primary PID loop processes speed required control outputs for all pump motors in a system. This loop will increase or decrease the speed of all pump motors to maintain a desired system fluid pressure output. Each of the operating pumps and associated driving motor contribute to output flow and pressure. The primary loop has a shorter response time than other control loops operating in the system.
[0011] A secondary PID control loop is associated with each of the operating pumps in the system. This control loop generates a speed required control output for the respective drive/pump motor. This control loop increases the speed of the respective motor to track the average percent of load value that is generated from data received from all active drive/pump motor combinations in the system. The members of the plurality of pump specific PID loops each has a longer response time than does the primary control loop noted previously.
[0012] FIGS. 1 , 2 illustrate various aspects of systems and methods in accordance with the invention. A system 10 includes a plurality of variable speed pump units 14 . Members of the plurality 14 are coupled to and in communication with system control circuits 18 . Communication between members of plurality 14 and control circuits 18 can be by hard wiring, modems and wired or wireless switched telephone networks, or by computer based networks such as intranets or the Internet, generally indicated at 20 . The details of such communications are not limitations of the invention.
[0013] Control circuits 18 can be implemented with one or more programmable processors, such as 18 a , and associated executable control software 18 b , stored on a computer readable medium. Inputs to circuits 18 can include a system pressure setpoint 18 c , a feedback pressure indicator 18 d and one or more feedback parameters 18 e from members of the plurality 14 . Control circuits 18 can output pump speed setpoints, indicated generally at 18 f , for each of the members of the plurality 14 .
[0014] In the disclosed embodiment, each of the members of the plurality, such as 14 n include a variable frequency drive, such as VFDn, and an associated pump Pn. A pump PID feedback loop, implemented in control circuits 18 is indicated generally at 24 . It will be understood that speed control systems different than variable frequency drives also come within the spirit and scope of the invention.
[0015] Outputs from the pumps Pi are combined and coupled to a system fluid output conduit such as conduit 28 . System pressure can be sensed at a pressure sensor 30 and a signal indicative thereof 18 d can be coupled to the control circuits 18 . A pressure based PID loop 18 g can be implemented in control circuits 18 .
[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates aspects of a system pressure control method 100 which embodies the invention. As illustrated at 102 , on a per-pump basis, actual percent load values for each pump P 1 . . . Pn can be determined by control circuits 18 . As at 104 , a system average desired percent load can be established.
[0017] As illustrated at 106 - i , for each operating pump, actual VFD percent load can be compared to average, desired VFD percent load. Where actual VFD percent load is less than the desired average, speed at the respective pump Pi can be increased by first producing a new speed parameter or indicium as at 108 - i . As at 110 - i , that updated value can be sent via communications link 20 to the respective variable speed pump Pi.
[0018] From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims. | A pump control system includes a plurality of different variable speed pumps. Each of the pumps can be operated at a different speed to equalize pump loads. A system wide proportional integral differential control loop increases and decreases the speed of all pump motors to maintain a desired system output pressure. A second proportional integral differential control loop associated with each pump adjusts pump speed to equalize a load profile for each respective pump. | 5 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
This application concerns hand-held stamps of the type that employ a porous, inked material bearing an image.
BACKGROUND
Certain types of pre-inked hand stamp have dust cover doors at the working end of the stamp (i.e., the end which contacts the paper or other surface to be stamped). See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,057 (Hewitt, et al.), which illustrates a stamper having a stamp element and a one-piece cover which rotates from a position in front of the element to a position 180° away, on the top of the stamper. U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,506 (Lin) illustrates a stamper in which a pair of rotating lids is provided and actuated by pins integral to the stamp body that slide within troughs formed in each lid.
Still others use removable or pivotally mounted covers that are actuated by hand as necessary. Removable covers, of course, are easily lost entirely, or are inconvenient to restore to closed position, especially if the stamper is being used frequently in a single sitting.
A commercially available product known by the trade name Clik! is depicted in U.S. Design Pat. 544,523 but is not known to be described in a utility patent. The product has a lever mounted to a first portion of the cover, which pivots away from another portion of the cover when finger pressure acts on the lever. The stamp pad is pivotally mounted within the interior of the stamper such that the first cover portion causes the pad to pivot into position for stamping. There is no spring in this stamper and thus the unit may be left in the open position, exposing the stamp pad to dust and inadvertent discharge of ink from the pad.
SUMMARY
A pre-inked hand-held stamp includes a cover in the form of a pair of exteriorly mounted, oppositely moving dust cover doors that are automatically opened and closed by the action of the stamping operation. This allows for one-step, one-handed operation while retaining the usefulness of a dust cover that is attached to the stamp and cannot be misplaced.
In a preferred embodiment, the pre-inked hand-held stamp comprises a stamp body and a sub-assembly comprising a stamp die and two ends. The sub-assembly is reversibly movable between a first position fully within the interior of the stamp body, and a second position in which the exposed, inked face of the stamp die slightly extends beyond the stamp body to be presented to or otherwise address the workpiece. The stamp also comprises a pair of dust cover doors, each pivotably mounted to the exterior of the stamp body by inwardly directed pins integral to the dust cover doors. Movement of the subassembly toward the workpiece outside the stamp body engages the pins to pivot the dust cover doors open, enabling the subassembly to emerge from within the stamp body and deliver ink to the workpiece.
It is possible for the sub-assembly to withdraw back into the interior of the stamp body and allow gravity or another mechanism (e.g., auxiliary springs) to return the dust cover doors back to their original position. However, in the preferred embodiment, the inwardly directed pins are also engaged by the reversed movement of the subassembly to draw the dust cover doors closed as the subassembly retreats into the interior of the stamp body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying figures show a particular preferred embodiment as an example, but such illustration is not intended to limit the scope of the claims. In particular, the proportions and/or dimensions that may be shown in, or suggested by, the figures are preferred but not required except as specifically set forth in the claims.
FIG. 1 is a front assembled view of a preferred embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same embodiment in use.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the same embodiment.
FIG. 4 is an assembled end view of the same embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a top view of a component of the same embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the same embodiment with the dust cover doors closed.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional front view taken along the lines 7 - 7 of FIG. 4 .
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional end view taken along the lines 8 - 8 of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the dust cover door component of the illustrated embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional end view taken along the lines 10 - 10 of FIG. 9 .
FIG. 11 is an end view of the chimney component of the illustrated embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In general terms, several types of pre-inked hand-held stamps (or stampers) are known commercially. Therefore, conventional details of construction and operation of components not specific to the claims are not recited below, but are within the skill in the art. In particular, various components may fit together as depicted in the figures even if such fitting is not specifically described below.
Referring to the Figures, the preferred embodiment of a pre-inked hand stamp indicated as 100 comprises a handle 1 which snaps onto a sub-assembly known in the art as chimney 4 , while ferrule 2 attaches onto the shaft 41 of chimney 4 , the latter passing though an opening 31 in the interior of stamp body 3 (see FIG. 5 ). The extent of downward travel of handle 1 , and thus of chimney 4 , relative to stamp body 3 may be limited by the extent to which ferrule 2 may travel before internally contacting stamp body 3 , or by the handle contacting the body, as known in the art. A spring 11 between ferrule 2 and stamp body 3 is compressed by the downward travel of ferrule 2 , thus providing sufficient spring force to return handle 1 to its initial position when released. As explained in greater detail below, downward movement of chimney 4 also moves dust cover doors 8 outwardly to expose stamp die 6 at the bottom of chimney 4 so that it may strike the workpiece (paper or other surface) outside the interior of the stamp body. In this embodiment, upward movement of handle 1 moves dust cover doors 8 inwardly to close the bottom of stamp 100 and thus protect stamp die 6 from dust when it is not exposed. During this reversible movement of chimney 4 within stamp body 3 that causes dust cover doors 8 to swing open, support feet 9 (typical of two illustrated) formed in body 3 are stationary against the workpiece. Stamp die 6 (which may be a collection of materials as well known in the art) is held in place by retainer 7 , which clips onto chimney 4 and has an open area that exposes the bottom face of stamp die 6 to the workpiece. Stamp die 6 may be supplied in a pre-inked condition, preferably pre-installed within chimney 4 , or may have ink added to it according to known techniques by removing handle 1 and dispensing ink into either of the open columns 42 of chimney 4 .
Turning to FIGS. 9-11 , each dust cover door 8 comprises first and second ends 81 that lie on opposite ends of dust cover door 8 and are connected to each other by a generally planar side 82 that is mutually perpendicular to each end 81 ; first and second ends 81 are further connected to each other by a generally planar door face 83 . The door face 83 has an edge 84 mating with its counterpart on the other door face 83 when the two dust cover doors 8 are in the closed position. Each of two slots 85 formed in the door face 83 enables the two door faces 83 to fully close together above the plane of the work surface. This is assisted by small notches 32 that are formed at corresponding locations of each end 35 of the stamp body 3 (see also FIG. 3 ). The notches 32 allow the dust cover doors 8 to fully close together yet provide for each side section 82 to lie flush with the side 35 of stamp body 3 when the dust cover door 8 is in the closed position (see also FIG. 4 ).
Each end section 81 has an inwardly-directed hinge pin 86 which fits within a corresponding circular opening 36 in the side 35 of stamp body 3 (see also FIG. 3 ). Each hinge pin 86 has a cylindrical base 87 lying in the circular opening 36 and, extending further inwardly from cylindrical base 87 , a wedge 88 . The outer (i.e., toward the side of the stamp) directed wedge face 88 a of wedge 88 mates with feature 46 a defined in channel 46 of chimney 4 (see also FIG. 4 ), so that downward motion of the latter pivots dust cover door 8 outwardly, i.e., from closed to open. In this manner, pressing the handle downward opens the dust cover doors 8 to allow the chimney 4 (and thus the stamp pad 6 ) to pass though the open lower end of the stamp body 3 and toward the work surface.
In this preferred embodiment, when spring 11 returns the handle 1 and chimney 4 upward, the other feature 46 b on the chimney 4 engages the inwardly-directed wedge face 88 b of the wedge 88 to move the dust cover doors 8 back to the closed position. They remain closed by the force provided by the spring 11 , which holds the handle 1 and chimney 4 in the upright position. In this manner, dust cover doors 8 remain closed even if the entire stamp unit 100 is inverted. However, in other embodiments, gravity or another mechanism (e.g., auxiliary springs) (not illustrated) may return the dust cover doors 8 back to their original position, at least when stamp 100 is oriented upright as illustrated in at least FIGS. 1 and 2 . In such cases, feature 46 b and wedge face 88 b may be omitted or modified as required.
Returning to the preferred embodiment illustrated, wedge faces 88 a and 88 b form an angle of approximately 63° between themselves, although this value will also depend on the dimensions and shapes of features 46 a and 46 b , which mate with wedge faces 88 a and 88 b . The vertex of the angle between wedge faces 88 a and 88 b is preferably beveled as required for smooth operation.
The stamp 100 is preferred to have symmetrical construction as illustrated in the Figures, such that each dust cover door 8 is identical to each other (as are the two ends of chimney 4 , i.e., channel 46 and features 46 a and 46 b ). Thus, they may be interchanged with each other. This is only a preference and not a requirement. It is possible for hinge pins 86 (and the features of the same) to mate with corresponding but non-identical channels, if it is desired to have non-identical doors or identical doors which may be mounted to stamp body 3 in only one orientation.
Many of the specific details of the components described in this application are dictated to large degree by the design and engineering of the preferred embodiment illustrated. However, such details are not necessarily required in the broadest embodiment enabled by this application. Similarly, alternative constructions that achieve the same functions as the components and features described in this application are within the scope of the broadest embodiment, unless specifically excluded by the following claims. | A pre-inked hand-held stamp includes a pair of outwardly positioned dust cover doors that are opened by movement of the internal components of the stamp during use. | 1 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of German Patent Application DE 10 2007 031 043.0 filed Jul. 4, 2007, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an oxygen supply device, particularly an oxygen supply device for an aircraft pilot.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In aircraft, it is usual to provide oxygen supply devices with which the cockpit crew can be supplied with the requisite oxygen, for example in the event of decompression of the cockpit. These oxygen supply devices typically have an oxygen mask connected by a line to an oxygen reservoir. In the event of faulty behaviour or failure of these oxygen supply devices, replacement devices are normally also carried in aircraft, the use of which ensures the supply of oxygen to the pilot even in the event of failure of the actual oxygen supply device.
In the past, however, it has often been shown that such a failure of the oxygen supply device was not even noticed, which led to the pilots not using the replacement device also carried, despite there being a deficiency of oxygen. At high flight altitudes, this normally leads to a loss of consciousness of the pilot within a short time and, associated with this, often to the aircraft crashing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Against this background, it is an object of the invention to devise an oxygen supply device which permits improved functional monitoring of the device and a clear indication of faults.
The oxygen supply device according to the invention, which is preferably a pilot oxygen supply device, has an oxygen source for providing the oxygen and at least one oxygen mask for dispensing the oxygen. Arranged between the oxygen source and the oxygen mask is a breathing regulator. An oxygen sensor is arranged downstream of this breathing regulator.
As will be explained in more detail in the further course, the oxygen sensor arranged downstream of the breathing regulator advantageously permits the serviceability of all the important components of the oxygen supply device to be monitored, from the oxygen source up to and including the breathing regulator.
The oxygen mask can be constructed both as a full mask, covering the entire face of the user, and also as a half mask covering only the mouth and nose of the user. The type of oxygen source is any desired, provided that it can ensure an adequate supply of oxygen. For example, chemical oxygen generators or oxygen bottles can be used as the oxygen source.
Between the oxygen source and the oxygen mask there can be arranged one or more pressure reducers, which reduce the oxygen pressure prevailing at the outlet of the oxygen source, step-by-step if necessary, to a desired breathing value. In principle, the oxygen supply device according to the invention has at least one pressure reducer, which is formed by the breathing regulator. The breathing regulator is used to expand the oxygen to the mask pressure required in the oxygen mask. If a plurality of pressure reducers or pressure regulating devices are provided in the line connection between oxygen source and oxygen mask, the breathing regulator always forms the last pressure regulating device in the flow direction, that is to say the pressure regulating device which is arranged closest to the oxygen mask.
The breathing regulator can be operated pneumatically or electrically. It can be constructed as such a regulator which provides the user of the oxygen mask with a constant oxygen flow. In addition, the breathing regulator can be what is known as an impulse breathing regulator. Such an impulse breathing regulator provides the user of the oxygen mask with a limited bolus volume of oxygen only in an initial inhalation phase, in which the oxygen diffuses into the arterial blood via the lung system, whereupon the mask user subsequently breathes in the oxygen-poor ambient air.
The oxygen sensor of the oxygen supply device according to the invention is designed to determine an oxygen pressure or oxygen partial pressure. The arrangement of the oxygen sensor on the outlet or downstream side of the breathing regulator, for example in the immediate vicinity of the mask body or else inside the mask body of the oxygen mask, advantageously permits malfunctions in substantially all the components arranged in the flow path from the oxygen source to the oxygen mask, for example valves and pressure regulating devices arranged there, including the breathing regulator, and also an inadequate or missing discharge of oxygen from the oxygen source itself, to be determined with only one sensor element, the oxygen sensor. Furthermore, by using the oxygen sensor, leaks occurring within the line connection can also be detected because of the pressure loss associated therewith.
The determination of possible malfunctions and leaks is in this case possible via a comparison of the values of the oxygen pressure or oxygen partial pressure prevailing on the outlet side of the pressure regulator, as determined by the oxygen sensor, with predefined desired pressure values. This desired/actual value comparison is performed by a control device, which expediently has a signal connection to the oxygen sensor. If the pressure values registered by the oxygen sensor lie below the pressure values predefined for the outlet side of the breathing regulator, this indicates the risk of an inadequate oxygen supply to the user of the oxygen supply device. This defective supply or inadequate supply with oxygen can be attributed to a malfunction of any component or possibly a plurality of components arranged between oxygen sensor and oxygen source or to a leak between oxygen sensor and oxygen source.
In order to be able to warn the user of the oxygen supply device according to the invention about a possible inadequate oxygen supply, the oxygen sensor expediently has a signal connection to a control device having a display function. This control device is preferably the control device with which the evaluation of the oxygen pressure or oxygen partial pressure values determined by the oxygen sensor is performed. The control device can have an optical and/or acoustic display, which reports any possible malfunction of the oxygen supply device. This display can be an integral constituent part of the control device or arranged separately from the latter. The display function of the control device is advantageously performed by a monitor which is preferably arranged in the immediate vicinity of the user of the oxygen supply device and, particularly advantageously, is arranged in his/her direct field of view and thus can particularly easily be perceived by the user of the oxygen supply device according to the invention.
In particular when the breathing regulator is constructed as an impulse breathing regulator, an inhalation valve is advantageously arranged between breathing regulator and oxygen mask, i.e. downstream of the breathing regulator. The inhalation valve closes the line connection from the oxygen source to the oxygen mask and opens a flow path into the mask body only during inhalation. To this end, the inhalation valve can preferably be designed to be controllable by the breathing activity itself, i.e. by the negative pressure produced within the mask body during inhalation. The inhalation valve can be arranged at a distance from the oxygen mask in the line connection between the breathing regulator and the oxygen mask. However, the inhalation valve is preferably arranged directly on the mask body of the oxygen mask.
Although the oxygen sensor can also be arranged within the mask body of the oxygen mask, it is preferably arranged in the line connection between the breathing regulator and the inhalation valve. As compared with that arrangement within the mask body, this arrangement of the oxygen sensor has the advantage that the moisture getting into the mask body with the exhaled air during exhalation cannot come into contact with the oxygen sensor because of the inhalation valve which is closed during exhalation, which moisture could otherwise distort the measured results from said oxygen sensor.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the oxygen supply device according to the invention, an air mixing valve is provided in the line connection between breathing regulator and inhalation valve. In this case, the oxygen sensor is then preferably arranged downstream of the air mixing valve. The air mixing valve is a valve communicating with the ambient air or cockpit air. The air mixing valve is expedient in particular when the breathing regulator is designed as an impulse breathing regulator and ambient air also has to be supplied to the user of an oxygen mask. The ambient air can then be provided via the air mixing valve.
The breathing regulator and the oxygen sensor are advantageously arranged in an integral component. It is further preferred for this integral component to have an inhalation valve and an air mixing valve as well. The breathing regulator, the air mixing valve, the oxygen sensor and finally the inhalation valve are then arranged in this component, preferably one after the other in the direction of flow through the component. In addition, a substantially unoccupied internal space, which forms a mixing chamber, is preferably provided in the component. This mixing chamber is bounded on the inlet side by the breathing regulator and on the outlet side by the inhalation valve. The inlet of the air mixing valve opens out into the mixing chamber. Furthermore, the oxygen sensor is arranged in the mixing chamber, preferably downstream of the air mixing valve, and, in this arrangement, registers at least the oxygen partial pressure of the mixed air.
The component preferably forms part of the oxygen mask. Thus, the component can be arranged on the outside of the mask body, it being possible for the outlet of the inhalation valve to open into the interior of the mask body, facing the face of the user of the oxygen mask.
A further advantageous embodiment of the oxygen supply device according to the invention provides means downstream of the breathing regulator for registering the breathing activity of a mask user. In this way, with the oxygen supply device according to the invention, it is possible to monitor not only the serviceability of the entire device but also the breathing of the user and to make him/her or other persons aware of possible breathing problems, so that countermeasures can be taken in good time.
The means for registering the breathing activity are advantageously formed by a sensor for registering an air mass flow. The sensor for registering an air mass flow expediently has a signal connection to a control device, by means of which it is possible to check whether the air mass flow values measured by the sensor for each breath are located in a predefined measured value window.
Particularly advantageously, the means for registering the breathing activity form an integral constituent part of the oxygen sensor. This means that the oxygen sensor provided is a sensor element which is constructed in such a way that, by using it on the outlet side of the breathing regulator or possibly of the air mixing valve, it is possible to register not only an oxygen partial pressure but also air mass flows present there.
In order to be able to match the quantity of oxygen discharged by the breathing regulator or the oxygen pressure in the mask body to the flight altitude or to the cockpit pressure, the control device preferably has a signal connection to an ambient pressure sensor. In this embodiment, based on the cockpit pressure determined by the ambient pressure sensor and based on the actual oxygen pressure registered by the oxygen sensor, the contro device is able to determine the opening times of the breathing regulator which are needed to provide the user of the oxygen mask with an adequate quantity of oxygen with regard to the flight altitude.
If the breathing regulator, as preferably provided, is constructed as an electronic controller, the control device preferably also serves as a regulating unit for the breathing regulator. In this case, the regulating unit is expediently connected to a pressure sensor arranged in the oxygen mask. With the aid of the pressure sensor, by using the preferably continuously determined internal mask pressure, it is possible to determine whether the user of the oxygen mask is currently in an inhalation or exhalation phase. By means of the control device, the actuation of the breathing regulator can then be coordinated with the breathing rhythm of the user of the oxygen supply device. In this way, it is ensured that the user is provided with an adequate quantity of oxygen when inhaling.
In the following text, the invention is explained by using an exemplary embodiment illustrated in a drawing figure. The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
The only FIGURE is a schematic view showing the principles of an oxygen supply device according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawing in particular, an oxygen supply device, in which an oxygen mask 2 is connected by a line to an oxygen bottle 4 , is shown schematically. On an oxygen outlet 6 of the oxygen bottle 4 , a shut-off valve 8 and a pressure reducer 10 are arranged directly one after the other in a manner known per se in the flow direction. The shut-off valve 8 is used to open and close the oxygen bottle 4 . By using the pressure reducer 10 , the oxygen pressure prevailing in the oxygen bottle 4 , which can be more than 100 bar, is reduced to an average pressure of about 2 to 3 bar. On the outlet side, the pressure reducer 10 has a line connection to the oxygen mask 2 .
The oxygen mask 2 is constructed as a half mask and has a mask body 12 covering mouth and nose. On the outside of the mask body 12 there is arranged a component 14 , which contains an electronic breathing regulator 16 , an air mixing valve 18 and an inhalation valve 20 . The component 14 has a hollow cylindrical base body 22 , in the interior of which the breathing regulator 16 is arranged at an end facing away from the mask body 12 . Via a supply line 24 led through the base body 22 , the oxygen inlet of the breathing regulator 16 is connected by a line to the oxygen outlet of the pressure reducer 10 . On the outlet side of the breathing regulator 16 , that is to say downstream of an oxygen outlet, not illustrated in the figure, of the breathing regulator 16 , the base body 22 of the component 14 forms an unoccupied internal space or mixing chamber 26 .
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figure, the air mixing valve 18 is arranged on the outside of the base body 22 , in the region of the internal space 26 . Via an aperture 28 provided downstream of the breathing regulator 16 on the circumferential wall of the base body 22 , the air mixing valve 18 has a flow connection to the internal space 26 of the base body 22 .
The air mixing valve 18 has a flow inlet 30 communicating with the surroundings of the oxygen mask 2 . The flow inlet 30 of the air mixing valve 18 is closed by a valve body 32 in the form of a diaphragm. In this case, the valve body 32 is forced by a helical spring 34 into a position closing the flow inlet 30 .
The inhalation valve 20 is likewise arranged outside the base body 22 of the component 14 in the exemplary embodiment illustrated. The inhalation valve 20 has a flow connection to the internal space 26 of the base body 22 via a flow duct 36 . The flow duct 36 is arranged at the end of the base body 22 that is at a distance from the breathing regulator 16 in the longitudinal direction of the base body 22 .
The inhalation valve 20 has a flow outlet 37 , which opens in the interior of the body 12 of the oxygen mask 2 . The outlet on the downstream side of the flow duct 36 is closed by a valve body 38 arranged in the inhalation valve 20 . In this case, the valve body 38 is prestressed by means of a helical spring 40 in the direction of the narrow section 36 .
In the interior of the mask body 12 there is arranged an exhalation valve 42 . The valve housing of the exhalation valve 42 is divided by a diaphragm 44 into two valve parts 46 and 52 that are separated fluidically from each other. In this case, a first valve part 46 forms a flow path from an inlet opening 48 in the internal space of the mask body 12 to a large number of outlet openings 50 , which are arranged on the outside of the mask body 12 . A second valve part 52 communicates via a bypass duct 54 with the flow duct 36 , the flow duct 36 and the bypass duct 54 connecting the internal space 26 of the component 14 in a fluidically conductive manner to the second valve part 52 of the exhalation valve 42 . Arranged in the second valve part 52 of the exhalation valve 42 is a spring component 56 . In interaction with a positive pressure prevailing in the internal space 26 of the component 14 with respect to the internal mask pressure, the diaphragm 44 having the spring component 56 is prestressed into the closed position of the exhalation valve 42 .
In the internal space or mixing chamber 26 of the base body 22 , an oxygen sensor 58 is arranged downstream of the air mixing valve 18 and downstream of the aperture 28 . The oxygen sensor 58 has a signal connection to a control device 62 via an electric line 60 . The means for registering the breathing activity is advantageously formed by a sensor 59 for registering an air mass flow. The sensor 59 for registering an air mass flow expediently has a signal connection 61 to a control device 62 , by means of which it is possible to check whether the air mass flow values measured by the sensor 59 for each breath are located in a predefined measured value window. The control device 62 has a display function by means of a monitor 64 , which is connected to the control device 62 by an electric line 66 . Furthermore, an ambient pressure sensor 68 has a signal connection to the control device 62 via a line 70 , and a pressure sensor 72 arranged in the interior of the mask body 12 has a signal connection to the control device 62 via a line 74 . The pressure sensor 72 is used to register the internal mask pressure, which changes cyclically because of the successive inhalation and exhalation phases. On the basis of the pressure values provided by the pressure sensor 72 , the control device 62 is able to drive the breathing regulator 16 in a timed manner in such a way that the requisite quantity of oxygen is available to the user of the oxygen supply device at the start of inhalation.
In the following text, the functional monitoring of the oxygen supply device according to the invention will be described by using the drawing figure.
By means of the ambient pressure sensor 68 , the flight-altitude-dependent air pressure prevailing in the cockpit of an aircraft is measured. On the basis of the pressure values determined by the ambient pressure sensor 68 , the control device 62 determines the oxygen demand of the user of the oxygen supply device and sets the opening times of the breathing regulator 16 appropriately. As a result, desired values for the oxygen partial pressure that are proportional to the opening times result in the internal space 26 of the component 14 . The real or actual values of the oxygen partial pressure are registered by the oxygen sensor 58 and compared with the desired values by the control device 62 .
If the desired and actual values of the oxygen partial pressure agree, this indicates a satisfactory operating behaviour of the oxygen supply device. If the pressure values determined by the oxygen sensor 58 lie below the desired values predefined by the control device 62 , this means an inadequate oxygen supply to the user of the oxygen supply device. This deficient supply can be attributed to a malfunction of one or more of the components connected upstream of the oxygen sensor 58 in the flow direction. In detail, this can mean that the oxygen bottle 4 can be empty, shut-off valve 8 , pressure reducer 10 , breathing regulator 16 or air mixing valve 18 have a defect or there is a leak along the flow path from the oxygen bottle 4 to the oxygen sensor 58 .
If an excessively low actual value of the oxygen partial pressure has been determined by the control device 62 with the aid of the oxygen sensor 58 , this is displayed on the monitor 64 by the control device so that it is easily visible by the user of the oxygen supply device. The latter can then immediately use a replacement device for the oxygen supply.
While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
APPENDIX
LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS
2
Oxygen mask
4
Oxygen bottle
6
Oxygen outlet
8
Shut-off valve
10
Pressure reducer
12
Mask body
14
Component
16
Breathing regulator
18
Air mixing valve
20
Inhalation valve
22
Base body
24
Supply line
26
Internal space, mixing chamber
28
Aperture
30
Flow inlet
32
Valve body
34
Helical spring
36
Flow duct
38
Valve body
40
Helical spring
42
Exhalation valve
44
Diaphragm
46
Valve part
48
Inlet opening
50
Outlet openings
52
Valve part
54
Bypass duct
56
Spring component
58
Oxygen sensor
60
Line
62
Control device
64
Monitor
66
Line
68
Ambient pressure sensor
70
Line
72
Pressure sensor
74
Line | An oxygen supply device, preferably a pilot oxygen supply device, has an oxygen source and at least one oxygen mask. A breathing regulator is arranged between the oxygen source and the oxygen mask. An oxygen sensor is arranged downstream of this breathing regulator. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a digital cassette tape reproducing device and, particularly, to an improvement of a digital compact cassette tape reproducing device having a digital signal reproducing function of reproducing a digital audio signal recorded on a magnetic tape and an analog signal reproducing function of reproducing an analog audio signal recorded on a magnetic tape. The invention further relates to such a compact cassette tape reproducing device having a function of recording a digital and an analog audio signal on magnetic tapes in addition to the reproducing functions, while improving tone quality of a reproduced audio signal.
A compact disc (CD) of 12 cm size has become popular as a recording medium for digital audio signals and, in order to reproduce such digital audio signals therefrom, a digital cassette tape reproducing device has been used in various audio devices such as, for example, a CD radio cassette recorder, a CD stereo component device and a car-mounted audio device.
On the other hand, in order to digitally record an audio signal on a magnetic tape and reproduce it therefrom, the so-called DAT standard has been proposed and used practically to some extent. However, a DAT recording/reproducing device has not become popular so far.
The so-called digital compact cassette tape recorder in which an audio signal is digitally recorded on a conventional cassette tape for analog recording has been proposed besides the above-mentioned techniques. Such a digital compact cassette tape recorder (referred to as a DCC player, hereinafter) functions to read a digital audio signal recorded on a cassette tape and to reproduce it as an audio signal, and to read an analog signal recorded according to a conventional standard and reproduce it as it is. In other words, the DCC player has both a digital signal reproducing function and an analog signal reproducing function with advantages of digital recording (for example, improved performance and function of hardware), and advantages of analog recording (for example, the ability of using a large volume of existing software).
FIG. 4 is a block circuit diagram of a conventional portable DCC player to be used with a headphone speaker connected thereto.
The portable DCC player in FIG. 4 comprises a head unit 1, an analog signal reproducing circuit 2, a digital signal reproducing circuit 3, a switch 5, a drive circuit 6, a headphone jack 8 and the headphone speaker 9 to be connected to the player in use.
The head unit 1 includes a magnetic head 1a for reproducing a digital signal and a magnetic head 1b for reproducing an analog signal. The head 1a functions to read an audio signal which is usually 8 to 10 bits long and recorded in a digital manner on a cassette tape (not shown) and to output a digital audio signal D. The head 1b functions to read an audio signal recorded on a cassette tape according to the conventional standard and to output it as an analog audio signal H.
The analog signal reproducing circuit 2 includes an equalizer circuit composed of an amplifier 2a and a feedback circuit EQ, etc., for correction of signal distortion which may result from variations of magnetic characteristics of a recording medium. The analog signal reproducing circuit 2 receives the analog signal H from the head 1b, produces an analog reproduced signal I by correction of its distortion and outputs it to the switch 5.
The digital signal reproducing circuit 3 includes a digital signal processing circuit 3b responsive to the digital signal D from the head 1a for producing a digital signal E, a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter portion 3a for converting the digital audio signal D into an analog audio signal F and an attenuator 4 for attenuating the analog audio signal F to obtain an analog audio signal G. The digital signal processing circuit 3b operates to demodulate the digital signal D to obtain an original digital value prior to recording, to digitally process the signal to correct errors etc., and to produce the digital signal E. The D/A converter portion 3a converts the digital signal E into an analog signal, removes noise caused by quantization by means of a low-pass filter and produces the analog reproduced signal F. The attenuator 4 produces the reproduced signal G by attenuating the amplitude level of the reproduced signal F. The attenuation is necessary to make an amplitude level of the output signal G of the digital signal reproducing circuit 3 correspond with an amplitude level of an output signal I of the analog signal reproducing circuit and, hence, an amplitude level of an input signal J from such as a tuner.
Although the switch 5 is shown in this example as a slide type switch, a switch of any other type may be used so long as it can select either the signal G or I, together with another signal, such as J, and output the selected one, G or I, to the drive circuit 6 as a reproduced signal K.
The drive circuit 6 includes a power amplifier 6a which amplifies the signal K to obtain a signal M which is supplied through a coupling capacitor 6c to the headphone jack 8 as a drive signal N by which the headphone speaker 9 connected to the headphone jack 8 is driven.
The conventional DCC player including the analog signal reproducing circuit 2 and the digital signal reproducing circuit 3 as mentioned above reproduces an audio signal recorded in an analog manner on any existing tape by means of the analog signal reproducing circuit, and reproduces a digital audio signal of high tone quality by the digital signal reproducing circuit. Since one of these signals is selected by the switch 5, the signal supplied to the headphone speaker is either an analog-recorded or a digital-recorded audio signal.
The function of the attenuator 4 of the digital signal reproducing circuit 3 in such a conventional DCC player was described briefly. In order for a better understanding of the present invention, the function of the attenuator 4 will be described in more detail. The amplitude level of the digital signal F obtained from a recorded audio signal having the usual level is usually higher than that of the analog signal I by about 17 dB and, therefore, the signal F is attenuated correspondingly so that either of the both signals to be supplied selectively to the headphone speaker has substantially the same signal level. With this scheme, the circuit portion following the drive circuit 6 can be used commonly by these signals, making the circuit construction compact.
It is clear that, by attenuating the signal F by about 17 dB, a portion of the signal F may be lost. That is, such a partial loss of signal causes the S/N ratio thereof to be degraded, which makes the high tone quality of audio signal reproduced from digital-recorded signal nonsense, and it is impossible to effectively utilize the merit of the digital recording system since a compact construction has a higher priority in a portable DCC player.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a DCC player in which the tone quality of a reproduced signal obtainable from an audio signal recorded in digital manner is not degraded while achieving compactness of the player.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable DCC player in which the tone quality of a reproduced signal obtainable from an audio signal recorded in a digital manner is not degraded while achieving compactness of the player.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a compact DCC player which includes an audio circuit having a digital reproducing system and an analog reproducing system, and in which an audio signal can be amplified without degrading the S/N ratio of the digital reproducing system.
In a DCC player according to the present invention, amplification of a power amplifier is set correspondingly to an amplitude level of an audio signal from an analog signal reproducing system and, when a digital signal reproducing system is selected, an output thereof is input to the power amplifier without attenuation. The power amplifier has a negative feedback circuit. An amount of feedback, when a digital signal reproducing system is selected, is increased to reduce the amplification thereof to thereby match an output level of the power amplifier with an output level of the analog signal reproducing system so that the S/N ratio thereof is improved. Thus, the tone quality of the digital audio signal is maintained high. In this case, an input stage of the power amplifier or an input stage of a pre-amplifier may be constructed with a differential amplifier, etc., having a dynamic range sufficient to avoid distortion of an input signal from the digital reproducing system when it is directly supplied thereto.
In detail, the DCC player according to the present invention comprises an analog-recorded signal reproducing circuit, a digital-recorded signal reproducing circuit, a switch circuit and a drive circuit. The analog-recorded signal reproducing circuit amplifies an analog-recorded audio signal reproduced from a cassette tape, equalizes it and outputs it as a first reproduced audio signal. The digital-recorded signal reproducing circuit demodulates a modulated digital-recorded audio signal reproduced from a cassette tape, digital-to-analog converts it, removes noise components thereof, by a filter components thereof, and outputs it as a second reproduced audio signal. The switch circuit includes a switch for selecting either the first or second reproduced audio signal and a circuit ganged with the switch for outputting it as a selected signal together with a selection signal indicative of the selection. The drive circuit includes a power amplifier which is responsive to the selected signal and the selection signal for amplifying the selected signal to obtain a drive signal. The gain or amplification factor of the power amplifier is variable so that the drive signal has the same amplitude regardless of whether the selected signal is the first reproduced signal or the second reproduced signal whose amplitude is usually larger than that of the first reproduced signal since it is not subjected to attenuation. A loudspeaker is driven by this drive signal to produce an audio signal.
In another example of the present invention, the amplifier included in the analog-recorded signal reproducing circuit, the power amplifier included in the drive circuit and semiconductor elements constituting the filter included in the digital-recorded signal reproducing circuit are integrated in a single IC chip.
In the DCC player constructed as mentioned above according to the present invention, since, when the first reproduced signal supplied from the analog-recorded signal reproducing circuit which is similar in construction and operation to a conventional circuit is selected by the switch circuit, the drive circuit amplifies it with an amplification factor similar to that of the conventional circuit and outputs it as the drive signal. Therefore, it is compatible with the conventional analog audio signal reproducing device.
On the other hand, when the second reproduced signal which is not subjected to attenuation (contrary to that shown in FIG. 4) is selected by the switch circuit, the power amplifier included in the drive circuit amplifies it with an amplification factor smaller than that for the first reproduced signal, so that the output level of the drive circuit is always substantially constant. In addition thereto, the second reproduced signal can be output with the high tone quality inherent to the digital recording system.
As a result, the effect of co-existence of the analog recording system on the digital recording system is excluded, while the high performance of the digital recording system is maintained.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram showing a portable DCC player according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a portion of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 showing another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a portion of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 showing a further embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 4 is a block circuit diagram of a conventional portable DCC player.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Differences between the DCC player shown in FIG. 1 and that shown in FIG. 4 lie in that the switch 5 in FIG. 4 is replaced by a switch circuit 50, and in that the drive circuit 6 in FIG. 4 is replaced by a drive circuit 7. Further, the digital-recorded signal reproducing circuit 3 in FIG. 4 is replaced by a digital-recorded signal reproducing circuit 30, and the attenuator 4 in FIG. 4 is removed. Other components in FIG. 1 than those mentioned above are similar to those are designated in FIG. 4 and shown by the same reference numerals, respectively: details thereof are thus omitted in the following description.
In FIG. 1, a D/A converter portion 3a of a digital-recorded signal reproducing circuit 30 converts a digital signal E from a digital processing circuit 3b into an analog signal. Noise caused by quantization thereof is removed by a low-pass filter 3d, resulting in an analog reproduced signal F. Since there is no attenuator for making an amplitude level of the FIG. 4 output signal G of the digital signal reproducing circuit 3 correspondent with an amplitude level of an output signal I of the analog signal reproducing circuit, the reproduced signal F is output directly or through a coupling circuit to the switch circuit 50. Such a coupling circuit may include capacitor(s), fixed resistor(s) and/or variable resistor(s) and may have protection and/or regulation functions as well.
Similarly, an analog-recorded signal reproducing circuit 2 is output to the switch circuit 50 as an analog reproduced signal I. The output signal I may also be supplied directly or through a coupling and/or protecting circuit including capacitors and/or resistors to the switch circuit 50.
The switch circuit 50 comprises, for example, a slide switch 50a and an output circuit 50b ganged with the switch 50a for outputting a switch signal P for switching amplification factor of an amplifier provided in a succeeding stage. The switch circuit 50 receives the reproduced signals F and I and another input signal, for example, J. Either of the reproduced signals F and I is selected by the switch 50a, which is output by the switch circuit 50 as a reproduced signal K. The output circuit 50b responds to the operation of the switch 50a and produces a switch signal P which takes in, for example, the high level when the switch 50a selects the reproduced signal F, and the low level when the switch 50a selects the reproduced signal I.
The drive circuit 7 comprises a switch circuit 71 and a power amplifier 7a composed of an operational amplifier having an input stage composed of a differential amplifier. The amplifier 7a amplifies the reproduced signal K to provide a signal M which is supplied through a coupling capacitor 7c to a headphone jack 8 as a drive signal N. A headphone speaker 9 is connected to the headphone jack 8.
As mentioned previously, for a recorded signal having a usual level, an amplitude of the reproduced signal K supplied from the switch circuit 50 to the power amplifier 7a, when the reproduced signal F is selected, is larger by 17 dB than that when the reproduced signal I is selected. Assuming that the amplification of the power amplifier 7a is set to a value suitable for the reproduced signal I and that the reproduced signal F is amplified thereby, the output becomes unbalanced, and must be regulated. If the power amplifier is not capable of amplifying such a signal F, the output thereof may be distorted.
In the present invention, since the initial stage of the power amplifier 7a comprises the differential amplifier whose input impedance is high and thus has a large dynamic range, there is substantially no such distortion in the initial stage even if there is a difference of 17 dB in the input signal thereof. That is, the power amplifier 7a should be designed to have such an initial stage having such characteristics.
In order to avoid the problem caused by the difference in input signal level between the signals F and I, the amplification of the power amplifier 7a is made variable by changing the amount of negative feedback thereof. The negative feedback circuit of the power amplifier 7a comprises a resistor Rf1, a resistor Rf2 and a switch 71 connected in series with the resistor Rf2. The switch 71 selectively connects the resistor Rf2 in parallel to the resistor Rf1 according to the switch signal P of the output circuit 50b of the switch circuit 50.
In this example, the switch signal P is high when the reproduced signal F is selected by the switch 50a as the signal K, and low when the reproduced signal I is selected. The switch 71 is in off state when the switch signal P is low, providing the feedback determined by the resistor Rf1 alone so that the signal I, as the signal K, is amplified with the original amplification of the power amplifier 7a. On the other hand, the switch 71 is turned on in response to the high level signal P to connect the feedback resistor Rf2 in parallel to the resistor Rf1 to thereby increase the feedback amount and hence to reduce amplification by 17 dB compared with that provided by the resistor Rf1 alone. Therefore, the signal F is amplified, as the signal K, with the reduced amplification. Since the regulation of amplification of the power amplifier 7a is performed by regulation of the feedback amount thereof, the S/N ratio with respect to the signal F for the digital signal reproducing system is further improved.
Thus, there is substantially no difference the output levels of the power amplifier 7a between the signals F and I, with the result the drive signal has substantially the same level regardless of which signal is selected, analog or digital. In such a portable player, sound volume may be regulated by a variable resistor provided on an output side of the drive circuit. However, it is possible to regulate sound volume by providing a variable resistor before the power amplifier 7a.
FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention in which a feedback amount of a power amplifier of a drive circuit is varied by another circuit construction.
In FIG. 2, a variable resistor VR 60 is inserted between a signal output of a switch circuit 50 which is similar to the switch circuit 50 in FIG. 1, and a signal input of the power amplifier 72a of the drive circuit 72. In this embodiment, the variable resistor VR 60 is adapted to regulate an output sound volume of a speaker by changing an amplitude level of a reproduced signal K to obtain a signal L which is amplified by the power amplifier 72 and supplied to the speaker as a drive signal M.
The drive circuit 72 includes, in addition to the power amplifier 72a, which is an operational amplifier, a switch circuit 72b constituted with transistors, for switching amplification of the power amplifier 72a according to a switch signal P from an output circuit 50a of the switch circuit 50. In this example, the switch circuit 72b has an output connected to an inverted input terminal of a differential amplifier in an input stage of the power amplifier 72a. A pair of feedback circuits A and B are provided, either one of which is connected selectively to the power amplifier 72a by the switch 72b. The feedback circuit A comprises a feedback resistor Rfa connected between an output of the power amplifier 72a and one input of the switch circuit 72b, and a reference resistor Rsa connected between the one input of the switch circuit 72b and ground. The feedback circuit B comprises a feedback resistor Rfb connected between the other input of the switch 72b and the output of the power amplifier 72a, and a reference resistor Rsb connected between the other input of the switch 72b and ground.
For example, when the reproduced signal I is selected as the signal K, the feedback circuit A is selected to set amplification of the power amplifier 72a to a high value and, when the signal F is selected, the feedback circuit B is selected to set amplification of the power amplifier 72b to a lower value, providing a suitable output for either of the signals I and F.
In this embodiment, the drive circuit 72 becomes easily integrated and therefore is effective in making the device compact.
In a signal path between the output of the switch circuit 50 and the drive circuit 72 (or 7 in FIG. 1), a pre-amplifier, a graphic equalizer and/or a very low frequency signal emphasizer, etc., may be provided in addition to the variable resistor VR 60. The variable resistor VR 60 may be replaced by an electronic volume circuit. Such a pre-amplifier may be provided in lieu of the variable resistor VR 60. With such a pre-amplifiers provided in addition to the variable resistor VR 60 or as a replacement therefor, when its input stage comprises a differential amplifier having a large dynamic range, the input stage of the power amplifier may have any circuit construction.
FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of a drive circuit, which is suitable for a stereo system. The drive circuit 73 shown in FIG. 3 comprises a pair of power amplifiers 73a and 73e for amplifying right and left demodulated stereo signals K and K' to provide drive signals M and M' for a headphone set at headphone jack 73c respectively.
The drive circuit 73 further comprises an amplifier 73b which is adapted to amplify a constant voltage Q and supply the amplified voltage on a feedback line 73d as a feedback signal. Thus, the constant voltage output of the amplifier 73b provides an operating point for the drive signals M and M'; causing the coupling capacitor used in the drive circuit shown in FIG. 1 or 2 to be unnecessary. As shown, the amplifier 73b for providing the operating point voltage is shared by the amplifiers 73a and 73e. It should be noted that the amplifier 73b is also operable when the system operates in monaural mode.
Although not shown, the amplifier 2a of the analog recorded signal reproducing circuit 2 and the amplifier 7a (or 72a, 73a or 73b) of the drive circuit 7 (or 72 or 73), or the semiconductor elements of the filter 3d of the digital recorded signal reproducing circuit 30 in addition thereto can be integrated in a single IC chip. Therefore, it is possible to make the device compact.
The speaker in any of the described embodiments is not limited to a headphone speaker, as a matter of course. Further, by integrating, in a single IC chip, the amplifier of the analog-recorded signal reproducing circuit as an equalizer, the power amplifier of the drive circuit and the semiconductor elements constituting the filter of the digital recorded signal reproducing circuit, it is possible to realize a compact device suitable for a portable DCC. | A power amplifier of a digital cassette tape reproducing device is set to a value suitable to amplify an amplitude level of an audio signal from an analog signal reproducing system thereof and, when a digital signal reproducing system is selected, an audio signal therefrom is supplied to the power amplifier circuit without attenuation while increasing an amount of negative feedback of the power amplifier circuit, hence reducing amplification thereof to match an output level of the power amplifier circuit with that of the analog signal reproducing system to thereby improve S/N ratio and maintain high tone quality of the digital source. | 6 |
The present invention relates to heating and cooling, and more particularly to a heating and cooling system that utilizes the earth as a medium of heat exchange to either heat or cool a system of circulating air such that the circulating air may be utilized to either heat or cool an associated structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, Americans and people all over the world have come to realize that traditional energy sources are limited. Energy sources in the form of gas, oil and coal have continued to increase in price and this increase in price has been passed on to the consumer.
As energy costs have risen, the cost of heating and cooling residential dwellings and other structures have increased accordingly. For example, in the last five years the cost of electricity that is utilized in some residential dwellings has increased as much as 40% in some areas. In the United States, people have been encouraged to reduce their energy use and to conserve as much energy as possible. In this regard, the area of heating and cooling residential dwellings and other structures has gained substantial attention. For example, home owners have been encouraged and advised to insulate their homes well and to install storm doors and windows in order to conserve more energy. While these steps are important to our national energy policy, they do not directly reduce the actual cost of energy being utilized.
There has been and continues to be a need to discover and utilize available natural sources of energy. In the past few years, a great deal of research has been directed in the area of solar energy utilization. It is agreed that solar energy is a source that offers an abundance of energy but there still remains the problem of being able to harness and utilize solar energy efficiently and practically. Commercial solar energy sources for residential dwellings and other structures are presently available, but these systems are expensive and in many cases their economic feasibility is still in question.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system for heating and cooling a residential dwelling or other structure, wherein the system utilizes the earth as a natural energy source and particularly provides for energy or heat exchange between the earth and a system of air being circulated through conduit means disposed underground, so as to heat or cool the passing air and accordingly to heat or cool the structure since the air is being circulated through the structure.
More particularly, the heating and cooling system of the present invention comprises conduit means preferably disposed approximately six feet underground and operatively connected about two extremities to a residential dwelling or other structure. The system is provided with fan means for inducing air from the structure through the conduit means. As air moves through the underground conduit means, to earth acts as a medium of heat exchange to either heat or cool the air passing through the conduit means. The heated or cooled air is circulated and directed from the underground conduit means into and through the associated structure so as to either heat or cool the structure, depending on the ambient temperature about the structure. Efficiency is maintained by providing a thermostatic control for the fan means such that the fan is only operable to circulate air through the underground conduit means when a sufficient exchange of heat can be achieved between the air and the earth. The system is provided with a water trap for removing water and condensation from the system of air being circulated through the structure and the underground conduit means.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to reduce the cost of heating or cooling a residential dwelling or other type structure.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the cost of heating and cooling a structure by utilizing the earth as a natural source of energy and as a medium of heat exchange by circulating a system of air from the structure through conduit means disposed underground to effectuate a heat exchange between the moving air and the earth, and to utilize the effect of such heat exchange to either heat or cool an associated structure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an underground heating and cooling system for a structure that conserves energy by utilizing natural heat energy stored in the earth.
A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an auxiliary heating and cooling system for a residential dwelling or structure that utilizes the earth as a source of energy and which accordingly will contribute to the heating and cooling of a structure and reduce the cost of operating a main or conventional heating and cooling system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a natural energy source heating and cooling system for a residential dwelling or structure.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a natural energy source heating and cooling system that is functional, durable, and easy to maintain.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a heating and cooling system of the type described above that acts as a ventilating system to remove odors from the structure.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the following discription and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan diagrammatic view of the underground heating and cooling system of the present invention with the earth being removed from above the conduits to illustrate the relationship of such with respect to the entire system.
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view illustrating the water trap that forms a part of the heating and cooling system of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of one end extremity of the conduit series where the conduits enter a manifold that enables the conduits to be communicatively connected to the structure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With further reference to the drawings, particularly FIG. 1, the underground heating and cooling system of the present invention is shown therein and indicated generally by the numeral 10. The underground heating and cooling system 10 is shown in conjunction with a structure, indicated generally by the numeral 12, and as will be more fully understood from subsequent portions of the disclosure, the underground heating and cooling system 10 is adapted under certain temperature conditions to heat or cool structure 12.
Viewing the underground heating and cooling system 10 in detail, it is seen that the same comprises a series of conduits, each pair indicated by numerals 18, 20, 22 and 24 and connected at two points to structure 12. In the embodiment illustrated, the heating and cooling system comprises Eight (8) conduits disposed in Four (4) sets with each set including an upper and lower underground conduit such as indicated by numerals 18a, 18b, 20a, 20b, 22a, 22b, 24a and 24b. The group of conduits are communicatively connected to structure 12 at an inlet or air return end indicated generally by the numeral 14 and particularly shown in FIG. 4. In this regard, about the inlet or air return end 14, there is provided a weatherproof enclosure 26 that extends around the conduits and into the ground. It is noted that the enclosure 26 could be of a double wall construction and accordingly is preferably insulated.
Provided between structure 12 and the heating and cooling system 10 about the inlet air end 14, is an air filter frame assembly 30 that is adapted to contain and support an air filter (not shown). Each of the conduits, as illustrated in FIG. 4, is communicatively connected to the air filter frame assembly 30 and extends outwardly therefrom a relatively short distance at which point each conduit is elbowed so as to turn 90° towards the ground G. After the elbow, each conduit extends downwardly through enclosure 26 and through the open lower end thereof, into the ground G to a depth of approximately six (6) to ten (10) feet. Once this depth is reached, each conduit is then turned another 90° so as to extend generally horizontally through the ground G in a desired configuration adjacent the structure 12.
Disposed about another end extremity of the heating and cooling system 10 is an outlet end, indicated generally by the numeral 16, which joins the structure 12 and allows air being circulated through the system to be returned to the structure 12. Viewing outlet end 16 in detail, it is seen that the same includes a weatherproof enclosure 28 similar to enclosure 26, that generally encloses the end extremities of the conduits that are communicatively connected to the structure 12 about the outlet end of the system 10. Enclosure 28 is also preferably constructed of a double wall construction and insulated, and generally extends into the ground G to enclose the outlet end extremities of the conduits 18, 20, 22 and 24.
Like the inlet end 14, the conduits about outlet end 16 are particularly turned at certain 90° angles as indicated in FIG. 2 so as to extend from the ground G to a manifold 32 that operatively connects the conduits to the structure 12.
Disposed within the manifold 32 is a squirrel cage fan 34 that can be typically powered by a 1/2 horsepower electric motor 38, or other suitable drive device, through a drive belt 36 as viewed in FIG. 1.
Communicatively connected to the manifold 32 is an air duct, indicated by the numeral 40 which is operative to direct air flow throughout the residential dwelling or structure 12. Consequently, then it is seen that the squirrel cage fan 34 is operative when driven to generate and maintain a system of circulating air from the structure through the conduits 18, 20, 22, and 24 and back into and through the structure. In operation, as will be understood from subsequent portions of this disclosure, the heating and cooling system 10 of the present invention is continuously operated to circulate air through the structure and through the ducts to effectuate either a cooling or heating of structure 12, depending on the ambient temperature conditions.
Heating and cooling system 10 is provided with a water trap, indicated generally by numeral 42 that is designed and adapted to remove water and condensation from the conduits and particularly from the system of air being circulated therethrough. Viewing the water trap 42 in detail, it is seen that the same includes a catch basin 44 disposed underground and extending transversely across the ground area occupied by the conduit such that the conduits extend through the basin 44. Basin 44 could be constructed of any suitable material, but it is contemplated it will be a concrete or a like structure. As shown in the preferred embodiment of FIG. 3, water trap 42 further includes walls 46, a bottom 48 and a closed top 50. Basin 44 is so constructed that the lower level of conduits are spaced above the bottom 48 in order that the bottom of the basin serves as a catch for water and condensation that may drain from the respective conduits. Therefore, each conduit is provided with a drain opening 52 along the length of the conduit within the basin 44, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The water trap 42 is provided with a sump pump 54 that includes an elongated inlet snout that extends downwardly into the basin to the bottom area thereof. Sump pump 54 is actuated by a level responsive float actuated switch that functions to actuate and cause the sump pump 54 to pump water or fluid from basin 44 once the water level reaches a predetermined height within the basin. Therefore, it is appreciated that this will keep water and other fluid pumped from the water trap 42, and will allow water and condensation in the conduits and in the system of air being passed therethrough to be removed from the air.
The conduits may be comprised of various material, but in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the conduits are each comprised of a corrugated high density polyethylene plastic tubing. This particular material is both durable and relatively inexpensive. Typically, for a residential dwelling of 1,600 square feet of living area, eight four (4) inch diameter polyethylene pipes would be used with each pipe or conduit running approximately 100 feet underground. The number of conduits and the length underground would vary depending on the geographical location of the dwelling, the type of soil involved, and other pertinent variables, such as the effectiveness of the insulation of the particular structure involved.
As has already been pointed out, the conduits are disposed within the ground or earth, preferably at a depth of six (6) to ten (10) feet. It is interesting to note that at these depths, the temperature of the earth generally averages approximately 55° to 65° F. In a clay type soil at a six (6) to ten (10) foot depth, one can expect the temperature to be approximately 57° to 58° F. and may vary approximately 8° F. In sand, the sand at six (6) feet would generally average in a moderate climate about 60° F. but might vary approximately 8° to 10° F. above and below this average.
Therefore, in a case where the ambient temperature is very cold, for example 10° F., then it is appreciated that the heating and cooling system of the present invention can be of substantial value in heating and cooling a dwelling or structure 12. In such a case, heat energy in the soil surrounding the conduits is transferred to the conduits 18, 20, 22 and 24, and because of the excellent thermal conductivity of the polyethylene pipes, this heat energy is transferred to the passing air within the conduits. The net effect of this heat energy transfer from the ground to the passing air is that the total heat energy requirement from the main heating system of the dwelling or structure is reduced, and consequently the cost of heating is accordingly reduced.
Likewise, in an area where the ambient temperature is hot, for example 90° F., the heating and cooling system 10 of the present invention becomes an auxiliary cooling system for the structure 12. In this case, the air directed from the structure into the conduits would generally have a greater temperature than the temperature of the ground. Thus, as contrasted to the heating example set forth above, the temperature gradient would be reversed. That is, the heat energy of the passing air would be transferred to the conduits 18, 20, 22 and 24, and this heat would be transferred to the surrounding earth and ground. The net effect of this is that heat energy is removed from the passing air which makes the air cooler and the continuous circulation of the air through the structural dwelling 12 acts to cool the same and in so doing, the heat energy within the structure is being drawn therefrom and transferred to the earth and ground. Consequently, in this case, the heating and cooling system 10 of the present invention acts as a cooling system and can contribute to cooling the particular structure involved. This, again, will reduce, if not eliminate in some cases, the cooling requirements of the conventional cooling system being utilized by the structure, and therefore the cost of cooling or air conditioning is reduced.
In either heating and cooling, the heating and cooling system 10 of the present invention is preferably controlled through the squirrel cage fan 34 and associated electric motor 38. This can appropriately be done by a thermostatic controlled unit that would only drive the fan 34 and operate the heating and cooling system when the system would be efficient enough to at least offset the energy required to drive the fan. Details of such a thermostatic control unit are not shown herein, but such is well known and appreciated in the art and is commercially available. In operating the heating and cooling system 10 of the present invention, it is seen that air is pulled from the structure 12, through the air filter frame assembly 30 into the inlet end or return end 14 of the heating and cooling system 10. The air entering this end moves downwardly through the conduits 18, 20, 22 and 24 and on through the underground segments of the respective conduits. As the air so moves, there is effectuated a heat transfer or heat exchange between the air and the surrounding earth or ground, which would effectively heat or cool the structure 12 depending on the particular ambient conditions. As the squirrel cage fan 34 is continually driven, air is directed from the outlet end 16 of the heating and cooling system 10 into the manifold assembly 32 and through the squirrel cage fan 34 into a communicatively connected duct assembly 40. Once in the duct assembly 40 the air can be directed and routed throughout the duct structure of the dwelling into the individual areas and rooms of the structure 12. In the continuous operation of the fan unit 34, it then follows that air is being continually induced into the inlet end 14 of the heating and cooling system 10 and exhausted through outlet end 16 into the structure 12.
As already has been discussed above, it is seen that the water trap 42 would serve to remove water and condensation from the system of air and the conduits during the operation of the heating and cooling system 10 of the present invention. It should be pointed out that the heating and cooling system 10 has other advantages and other utility in addition to heating and cooling. In this regard, the continuous operation of the system 10 acts to remove odors from the structure and particularly is effective in removing obnoxious and other undesirable odors that might result from cooking certain foods. In addition, the system 10 as outlined and set forth herein, could be utilized in conjunction with a humidifier or other type of humidifying control units to control and maintain the humidity within the structure at a desired level.
From the foregoing specification, it is appreciated that the heating and cooling system 10 of the present invention can be utilized to heat or cool a structure in the manner set forth. In so doing, the cost of energy utilized for either heating or cooling would be reduced and energy would be conserved. Although, in certain situations and certain geographical locations, the heating and cooling system 10 would not be sufficient alone, it would nevertheless contribute substantially to heating and cooling and would therefore serve a useful and valuable function. In reality, the system could in certain geographical locations and under certain environmental conditions be self-sufficient in itself to cool a residential dwelling or other structure. Finally, the heating and cooling system 10 of the present invention is desirable because it is practical, relatively inexpensive, durable, and easy to maintain and is very simple in operation.
Term such as "upper", "lower", "forward", "rearward", etc., have been used herein merely for the convenience of the foregoing specification and in the appended claims to describe the underground heating and cooling system and its parts as oriented in the drawings. It is to be understood, however, that these terms are in no way limiting to the invention since the underground heating and cooling system may obviously be disposed in many different positions when in actual use.
The present invention, of course, may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range are intended to be embraced herein. | The present invention relates to a heating and cooling system for structures such as residential dwellings. More particularly, the heating and cooling system includes one or more conduits disposed approximately six (6) feet underground and having opposite end extremities communicatively connected to the structure so as to define a closed air circulation system through the structure and one or more conduits. A fan assembly including appropriate controls is provided to induce and circulate air through the structure and through the one or more conduits such that a system of air may be continuously circulated from the structure through the underground disposed conduits and back through the structure. When the temperature of ambient air is significantly greater than or less than the temperature of the earth or ground around the conduits, a temperature gradient is established and the earth around and in the vicinity of the conduits becomes a medium of heat exchange relative to air passing through the one or more conduits. Thus, depending on the ambient air temperature, the system of the present invention will either heat or cool the structure. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided in association with the conduits a water trap that enables water and condensation to be removed from the system of circulating air. | 8 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-014979 filed on Jan. 29, 2014 including specifications, drawings and claims is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to manual measuring systems, and more particularly, to a manual measuring system which allows a measuring probe to be manually moved and which is preferred for use with a manual three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine.
BACKGROUND ART
As illustrated by an articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine 20 in FIG. 1 , Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-47014 (hereafter, Patent Literature 1) discloses a manual three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine in which a measuring probe 24 disposed at the tip of an arm mechanism 22 is manually moved. This measuring machine allows the user to measure a work W in a contact or noncontact manner by the measuring probe 24 while referring to design information or measurement conditions that are displayed on a display 32 of a desktop computer 30 (or a dedicated electrical device). In the drawing, reference numeral 26 denotes a tripod for use in supporting the articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine 20 set thereon.
In such a system, a user U checks, for example, a position on the work W that the user U has to measure on the display 32 of the desktop computer 30 and makes measurements while checking the position against the actual position on the work W. That is, each time a measurement is made, the user U repeats the action of alternately looking at the display 32 and the work W. It is conceivable that depending on the size of the work W or the measurement situation, the user U cannot directly, visually observe the display 32 . It is primarily expected that the user U may obtain measurement results more efficiently with higher reliability without much deviating the line of sight from the work W each time measurements are made. However, it is a significant drawback with this system that the user U is expected to direct the line of sight to the display 32 of the desktop computer 30 .
FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which the system is connected to a notebook computer (notebook PC) 34 . In this case, the notebook PC 34 can be set up near the work W and thus provide improvements when compared with the system with the desktop computer, allowing the user U to view the display more easily while making measurements than with the desktop computer. However, in most cases, since the line of sight is still deviated, measurements are interrupted to view the details being displayed. There may also be cases where depending on the size of the work W or the measurement environment, even the notebook PC 34 cannot be placed nearby and thus the display cannot not be directly, visually observed. This leads to the same problem as that with the desktop computer.
Note that disclosed in Japanese Translation of PCT Patent Application Publication No. 2013-517504 (hereafter, Patent Literature 2) is an electrical device unit which includes an open/close type display near the base of the articulated arm coordinates measuring machine.
Furthermore, disclosed in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,299 (hereafter, Patent Literature 3) is that a screen capable of displaying texts is provided at the tip of an arm.
However, even in the technique disclosed in Patent Literature 3, since the text screen is mounted on the arm tip, appropriate navigation or measurement instructions could not be provided.
For example, there was also a problem that test gages and test jigs used for automobiles parts were used to measure a designated point; however, as illustrated in FIG. 3 , the user could not locate the actual position on the work W, and it was thus difficult to measure the designated point with the articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Technical Problem
The present invention was made to solve the problems in association with the conventional techniques. The problems have been solved by including a sub-monitor mounted near the tip of a measuring probe in a manual measuring system which allows the measuring probe to be manually moved.
Here, it is possible to display, on the sub-monitor, a guided route for the measuring probe to a measurement point.
It is also possible to display, on the sub-monitor, a content in which the measuring probe is in a measurement allowable range.
It is also possible to direct, by means of the sub-monitor, to obtain a measurement value by the measuring probe.
It is also possible to employ a touch panel display as the sub-monitor.
It is also possible to employ a portable terminal as the sub-monitor.
It is also possible to mount the sub-monitor via a link mechanism.
It is also possible to make the sub-monitor detachable from the manual measuring system.
It is also possible to employ the manual measuring system as an articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine.
Furthermore, the articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine can have the measuring probe configured to measure a work and have a tip in a predetermined shape, and an articulated arm mechanism which includes a base, a plurality of arms, joints between the arms, and the measuring probe.
It is also possible to construct the arm mechanism as a passive configuration having no driving source.
It is also possible to employ the manual measuring system as a gantry manual three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine.
The manual three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine may also include: a table on which a work is placed; a gantry frame capable of moving relative to the table; a slider capable of moving on the gantry frame; a spindle capable of moving on the slider; and the measuring probe mounted on the spindle.
Even when the computer display cannot be directly visually observed, the present invention enables a user to check the information of the control software immediately nearby and thereby concentrate on performing a measurement without deviating the line of sight and without interrupting the measurement.
Thus, the following effects may be produced.
(1) Reduction of Time for Measurement
It is possible to significantly reduce measurement time because there is no need to interrupt the measurement and then check the display in order to confirm the displayed details of the contents of the control software.
(2) Improvement of Quality of Measurement
The measurement information can be confirmed in the same field of view as that of the work while the measuring probe is held. This can eliminate unnecessary motions and thus allows the user to concentrate on the measurement, thereby providing improved measurement quality.
(3) Reduction of Mistakes in Measurement
A guided route may be displayed and navigated to a measurement point on the sub-monitor, thereby allowing the user to make measurements while checking the actual measurement position on the work against the navigation information displayed on the sub-monitor. It can thus be expected to reduce mistakes in measurement.
(4) Improvement of Usability
For the sub-monitor that is a touch panel display, since touch panel operations can control the control software, this allows most of operations to be performed at hand and can provide significantly improved usability.
(5) Results can be Checked without Operating the Computer
To check measurement results of the work, in a conventional situation, (during a measurement, the user released the measuring probe once and then moved to the place of the computer and then) the user was required to operate, for example, the mouse of the computer and thereby rotated, moved, or zoomed in or out the work figure displayed on the screen so as to view the position that the user wanted to check. However, according to the present invention, the user can check the results on the sub-monitor while holding the measuring probe.
(6) Design Values can be Checked while Viewing the Actual Work
Conventionally, for the design value of each portion of a work to be measured, the user was required to confirm CAD data displayed on CAD drawings (paper) or the display screen and check the data against the work immediately before the user so as to temporarily memorize required design values. According to the present invention, by directing the measuring probe to the portion of which design value is desired to be checked, it is possible to display, on the sub-monitor, the design value of the measurement position designated by the measuring probe. The user is thus not required to memorize the design value.
(7) Effective when the Display of the Computer Cannot be Viewed (Viewed with Difficulty)
For a large work, conventionally, when the display of the computer was hidden behind the work and thus could not be directly visually observed or when the display was placed too far away from the user to check displayed details, the computer had to be relocated each time this situation arose or the measurement had to be interrupted and then the user had to move to the place of the computer. However, according to the present invention, neither the computer nor the user has to be relocated. What is required is to view the sub-monitor close at hand, and thus in most cases, it is unnecessary to check on the display that is directly connected to the computer.
(8) Control Software can be Controlled Close at Hand
In most cases, control software has to be controlled by operating a menu or the like with the mouse or the keyboard. For a compact measuring machine and a notebook PC available nearby, the computer may be operated by one hand while the other hand holds the measuring probe. However, in most cases, the one hand has to be released from the measuring probe so as to operate the computer with both hands. For the computer located far away, it is not rare for the user to move. However, the sub-monitor which is a touch panel display allows the user to operate the control software on the touch panel of the sub-monitor mounted close at hand. This provides significantly improved usability.
These and other novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like elements have been denoted throughout the figures with like reference numerals, and wherein;
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of making measurements using a conventional articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine and a desktop computer;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of making measurements using a conventional articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine and a notebook PC;
FIG. 3 is an explanatory perspective view illustrating conventional problems;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an entire configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a configuration of a main section of the first embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating a link mechanism of the first embodiment;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a processing unit of the first embodiment;
FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a measurement procedure of the first embodiment;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating an effect of the first embodiment;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating an entire configuration of a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a configuration of a main unit of the second embodiment; and
FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating an entire configuration of a third embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited by the descriptions of the embodiments and examples described below. In addition, the constituent components of the embodiments and examples described below may include those that a person skilled in the art can easily devise and those that are substantially the same, that is, those within the equivalent scope of the invention. Furthermore, the components described in the embodiments and examples described below may be combined as appropriate or selected as appropriate for use.
First, a description will be made to the configuration of an articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine 20 according to an embodiment.
As illustrated in FIG. 4 , the articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine 20 has a measuring probe 24 and an articulated arm mechanism 22 . The measuring probe 24 is to measure a work W, with the tip thereof (the probe tip) formed, for example, in the shape of a ball. As illustrated in FIG. 4 , the arm mechanism 22 is configured such that a base portion 22 A supports a first arm 22 C via a first joint 22 B; the first arm 22 C supports a second arm 22 E via a second joint 22 D; and the second arm 22 E supports an arm head 22 G via a third joint 22 F. The arm head 22 G, which is located at the tip of the arm mechanism 22 , includes the measuring probe 24 . The first joint 22 B, the second joint 22 D, and the third joint 22 F are rotatable in the axial directions that are orthogonal to each other and have two built-in rotary type encoders (not illustrated) that can detect rotational angles. That is, the arm mechanism 22 of this embodiment has six axes. (The invention may not be limited thereto, and the arm mechanism 22 may also have, for example, seven axes.) With this configuration, it is possible to locate the position (coordinates) of the measuring probe 24 on the basis of outputs from all of these encoders. The base portion 22 A may be directly disposed on a work bench 10 on which the work W is placed, or alternatively may also be disposed on the tripod 26 .
To measure the three-dimensional coordinate shape of the work W by the articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine 20 , a user U holds and manipulates a grip 22 H, which is provided on the arm head 22 G as illustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , so as to manually move the measuring probe 24 . That is, the articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine 20 has a passive configuration which has no driving source on the axes of the arm mechanism 22 . Then, the user U can bring the measuring probe 24 closer to the work W in any direction and into contact therewith at any angle. Then, the user U can manipulate a switch (not illustrated) so as to switch between ON and OFF for the measurement of the work W.
A first embodiment of the present invention is the aforementioned articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine 20 to which the present invention is applied. That is, as illustrated in detail in FIG. 5 , a portable terminal (so-called smartphone) 40 having a touch panel display is mounted as a sub-monitor near the tip of the measuring probe 24 via an angle-variable link mechanism 42 illustrated in FIG. 6 .
The link mechanism 42 enables the user U to adjust the position and angle of the portable terminal 40 during a measurement and improves the visibility of the portable terminal 40 and the point of measurement. Note that the link mechanism 42 may also be omitted.
The portable terminal 40 is connected to a desktop computer or a notebook PC 34 in wired or wireless communication therewith and functions to allow measurement information transmitted by control software of the notebook PC 34 to be displayed as text data or graphic data on the portable terminal 40 or informed by sound or speech. Furthermore, the portable terminal 40 can also transmit information entered on the touch panel display of the portable terminal 40 and information entered by speech recognition to control software of the notebook PC 34 , and thus can provide control on the portable terminal 40 to the control software.
As an example, FIG. 7 illustrates the configuration of a processing unit 36 included in the notebook PC 34 . As illustrated in detail in FIG. 7 , the notebook PC 34 includes the processing unit 36 and a display unit 38 . The processing unit 36 includes a coordinates and vector generation unit 126 , a data management unit 128 , a work shape storage unit 130 , a coordinates computing unit 132 , and a display control unit 136 .
The coordinates and vector generation unit 126 produces the position (coordinates) of the tip of the measuring probe 24 on the basis of an output from the articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine 20 (an output from the encoders). At the same time, the direction vector of the tip of the measuring probe 24 (the direction in which the measuring probe 24 is oriented) is produced.
The data management unit 128 processes a command from an input unit (not illustrated) or the portable terminal 40 and then provides various instructions to the work shape storage unit 130 and the display control unit 136 . Furthermore, the data management unit 128 instructs conditions for measurements by the measuring probe 24 .
The work shape storage unit 130 stores design information DI such as design shapes and design values of the work W to be measured which are obtained, for example, from three-dimensional CAD data. Note that the work shape storage unit 130 is configured such that the design information DI is information obtained on the coordinate system (work coordinate system) when making measurements by the measuring probe 24 (i.e., the design information DI of the work W stored in the work shape storage unit 130 is calibrated to the information obtained on the work coordinate system by measuring multiple times the characteristic coordinates of the work W in advance by the measuring probe 24 ). Furthermore, the work shape storage unit 130 also stores, for example, information on measured positions including measurement value information of the work W outputted from the coordinates and vector generation unit 126 . Note that the data management unit 128 identifies, for example, a position to be measured or the design values of the work W in the design information DI of the work W.
The coordinates computing unit 132 calculates the distance to the work W by the work shape storage unit 130 on the basis of the position of the measuring probe 24 produced at the coordinates and vector generation unit 126 . Furthermore, on the basis of the direction vector of the measuring probe 24 produced at the coordinates and vector generation unit 126 , the coordinates computing unit 132 calculates the direction of navigation, allowing the resulting direction of navigation to be displayed on the display of the display unit 38 or the portable terminal 40 .
Now, referring to FIG. 8 , a description will be made to the processing of navigation for measuring a designated point.
First, in step 100 , the designated point is displayed on a design drawing.
Then, in step 110 , the design drawing of the position designated by the direction vector of the measuring probe 24 is displayed in real time.
Then, in step 120 , the direction in which the arm is moved to the designated point is displayed on the portable terminal 40 for navigation.
Then, in step 130 , the process directs to make a measurement when the tip of the measuring probe 24 enters in a measurement allowable range of the designated point.
In this manner, as illustrated in FIG. 9 , the measuring probe 24 may scan the vicinity of the designated point until the coordinates of the designated point can be obtained and then acquire the coordinates when passing through the designated point.
At this time, it is possible to record comments associated with the measurement position with the help of the speech input function of the portable terminal 40 . It is also possible to acquire an image with the help of the camera function so as to zoom in or out or scale for display on the display unit 38 of the notebook PC 34 or the portable terminal 40 , with the displayed details on the portable terminal 40 varied depending on the position of the measuring probe 24 .
Now, a description will be made to a gantry manual three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
As illustrated in FIG. 10 , the gantry three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine 50 includes: a table 52 on which a work W is placed; a gantry frame 54 which is movable in the depth direction (Y direction) of the figure relative to the table 52 ; an X-axis slider 56 which is movable from side to side (in the X direction) of the figure on the gantry frame 54 ; a Z-axis spindle 58 which is movable in the vertical direction (Z direction) of the figure on the X-axis slider 56 ; and a measuring probe 60 secured to the tip (the lower end in the drawing) of the Z-axis spindle 58 . The measuring machine 50 is configured to measure the shape of the work W by manually moving the measuring probe 60 .
The gantry frame 54 , the X-axis slider 56 , and the Z-axis spindle 58 each include a built-in linear encoder (not illustrated) for detecting positions and the amount of travel in the direction of the X-, Y-, or Z-axis.
According to the second embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in detail in FIG. 11 , the gantry three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine 50 described above is configured such that the portable terminal 40 is mounted, via the link mechanism 42 as illustrated in FIG. 6 , on the Z-axis spindle 58 near the measuring probe 60 . The operation concerning the portable terminal 40 is substantially the same as that in the first embodiment, and thus detailed explanation will be omitted.
Note that in all the embodiments above, a smartphone is used as the sub-monitor, thereby allowing for implementing the present invention at ease and low costs. Note that the type of the sub-monitor is not limited thereto. For example, it is also possible to mount a compact tablet PC or a dedicated small monitor.
Furthermore, in all the embodiments above, the portable terminal 40 is connected to the notebook PC 34 , but may also be connected to a server or a host computer through a cloud. In this case, the latest data can be downloaded.
Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 12 as a third embodiment, the portable terminal 40 may be made detachable from the measuring machines 20 and 50 . In the drawing, FG denotes a common front glass (windshield) to be measured. In this case, the portable terminal 40 may be removed from one measuring machine ( 20 in the drawing) and then attached to the other measuring machine ( 50 in the drawing) so as to be connected to a control PC of the measuring machine 50 . It is thus possible to share the portable terminal 40 among the plurality of measuring machines 20 and 50 . If wired, the portable terminal 40 is connected or disconnected only when being attached or detached (a pairing operation is required in case of wireless Bluetooth (trade mark)), allowing one portable terminal 40 to hold the states of the plurality of measuring machines 20 and 50 . For example, to compare the measurement results of the measuring machine 20 with the measurement results of the measuring machine 50 , what could be conventionally done was to print the respective measurement results by a printer on a sheet of paper for comparison, or to copy the measurement results of one of the machines to the control PC connected to the other machine and then lay out the results by document software for printing. However, according to this embodiment, it is possible to hold the measurement results of both the measuring machines 20 and 50 in one portable terminal 40 (at the same time as the end of the measurement) and thus allow the measurement results for a comparison to be printed by instructing on the portable terminal 40 . It is thus possible to provide significantly improved convenience to users.
On the other hand, the software to be used for measurement control can be customized with great flexibility. However, for a plurality of users to make measurements while sharing one control PC, it may be sometimes impossible (difficult) for each user to customize the software for ease of use. However, this embodiment is configured such that the portable terminal 40 each user owns can be customized for dedicated use by the user without causing any inconvenience to the other users, thus implementing improved personal operation.
Note that the third embodiment is configured to combine, as the plurality of measuring machines, the articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine 20 and the gantry three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine 50 . However, the combination of a plurality of measuring machines is not limited thereto and the number of machines is not limited to two, neither.
Furthermore, all the embodiments above are configured such that the present invention is applied to the three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine. However, without being limited thereto, the present invention can also be generally applied to manual measuring systems which enable the measuring probe to be manually moved.
It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above-described exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative which represent the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous and various other arrangements can be readily devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. | A manual measuring system (an articulated three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine or a gantry three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine) allows a measuring probe to be manually moved while enabling a user to focus on making measurements and allows the user to manually move the measuring probe in order to facilitate and accelerate measurements. The manual measuring system includes a sub-monitor (portable terminal) that is mounted near the tip of the measuring probe. It is possible to display on the sub-monitor a guided route for the measuring probe to a measurement point or to indicate on the sub-monitor that the measuring probe has entered a measurement allowable range or to allow the user to direct by means of the sub-monitor to obtain a measurement value by the measuring probe. | 6 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to automotive vehicles having a slideable side door and more particularly to a drive mechanism for a power operated slideable side door.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,365 granted to Howard W. Kuhlman and Jeffrey K. Joyner May 31, 1994 discloses a passenger van that has a slidable side door. The door is supported on and slideable in three tracks. A module for power operation of the door is mounted inside the van adjacent to the center track that supports and guides the rear of the door. The module includes a front cable and a rear cable. The front cable is attached to a front cable drive pulley, then extends through a front cable roller guide assembly and is then attached to a roller assembly. The rear cable is attached to a rear cable drive pulley then extends through a rear cable roller guide assembly, and is then attached to the roller assembly. The front and rear cable drive pulleys are driven by a reversible electric motor that is driven in one direction to open the sliding door and in the opposite direction to close the sliding door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,715 granted to Hans Kramer Jun. 12, 1990 discloses a passenger van that has a slidable side door that is opened and closed by a mechanism that includes a roller carriage in a track. The roller carriage and hence the side door is driven by an endless round cable that travels in a closed loop with a strand or portion of the cable being disposed in the track and attached to the roller carriage. The cable is driven by a driving roller which is turn is driven by an electric motor via an electromagnetic clutch. The electric motor is reversible so that the cable is driven in one direction to open the side door and in an opposite direction to close the side door. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,666 granted to Soushichi Koura et al Dec. 8, 1992; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,088 granted to Hidenori Ishihara et al Jun. 27, 2000.
Copending Patent Application Ser. No. 09/867,863, filed May 30, 2001, discloses a drive mechanism for power operation of a slideable side door of an automotive vehicle that is characterized by a roller assembly that includes a clutch for clamping onto a flexible drive member that is driven in a loop by a reversible electric motor. To open the side door, the clutch is engaged and the flexible drive member is driven in the loop in one direction. To close the side door, the flexible drive member is driven in the opposite direction. See also copending Patent Application Ser. No. 09/978,908, filed Oct. 16, 2001.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a drive mechanism for power operation of a slideable side door of an automotive vehicle, such as a passenger van.
In one aspect, the drive mechanism has a flexible drive member trained to travel in a loop so that an upper portion of the loop and a lower portion of the loop that travel in opposite directions are disposed in a track juxtaposed a roller assembly that is attached to the side door. A drive mechanism is operatively connected to the flexible drive member to drive the flexible drive member in the loop, and a cinch mechanism is mounted on the roller assembly for connecting the roller assembly to the flexible drive member selectively. The cinch mechanism has an upper clutch for engaging the upper portion of the flexible drive member to drive the side door in one direction, and a lower clutch for engaging the lower portion of the flexible drive member to drive the side door in an opposite direction. Thus the side door can be opened and closed without any need for a reversible electric motor to reverse the travel direction of the flexible drive member.
In another aspect, the drive mechanism has a flexible drive member that is a round cable of uniform diameter and a cinch mechanism for connecting the roller assembly to the round cable of uniform diameter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of a passenger van equipped with a sliding side door of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the drive mechanism for opening and closing the sliding side door shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a hinge and roller assembly in the drive mechanism shown in FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a section taken substantially along the line 4 — 4 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows with the cincher disengaged.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an automotive vehicle, such as a passenger van 10 has a hinged front door 12 on each side of the vehicle and at least one sliding side door 14 behind the front doors that may be power driven. Such vehicles are well known and need not be described in detail. See for instance the Kuhlman '365 patent discussed above.
The power sliding door 14 is supported and guided by an upper track 16 , a center track 18 , and a lower track 20 as shown in FIG. 1 . An upper roller assembly 22 is attached to the upper forward corner of the power sliding door and runs in the upper track 16 . A lower roller assembly 24 is attached to the lower forward comer of the power sliding door and runs in the lower track 20 . A third roller assembly 26 is pivotally attached to the rear portion of the power sliding door 14 between the upper and lower portions of the power sliding door.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, roller assembly 26 has a carriage 28 . A support roller 30 pivotally attached to carriage 28 for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, supports the rear portion of door 14 and runs in the center track 18 . Two guide rollers 32 and 34 are pivotally attached to carriage 28 for rotation about generally vertical axes and run in an upper channel portion 36 of the center track 18 . A vertical hinge pin 38 passes through a pair of hinge apertures in carriage 28 and through hinge apertures in a bracket 29 attached to the rear edge of the power sliding door 14 to connect carriage 28 to power sliding door 14 .
The power sliding door 14 moves horizontally inward toward the center of the van 10 for latching and sealing. Latches 42 and 44 are provided at the front and rear of the power sliding door 14 which moves horizontally inward to compress resilient seals and to latch. Inward horizontal movement of the sliding door 14 is obtained by curving the forward ends of the upper, center and lower tracks 16 , 18 and 20 inwardly toward the center of van 10 . When the hinge and roller assembly 26 passes around the curved forward end 45 of center track 18 , the hinge and roller assembly 26 pivots inwardly and moves the rear portion of side door 14 horizontally inward toward the side of van 10 .
The drive mechanism 50 for opening and closing the side door 14 comprises the roller assembly 26 and further includes a flexible drive member 52 that travels in a closed loop with upper and lower portions 56 , 58 of the loop disposed in track 18 along the entire length of the track as best shown in FIG. 2 . The portions of the loop disposed in track 18 travel in close proximity to the roller assembly 26 . Flexible drive member 52 is preferably an endless round cable 54 that has a smooth outer surface.
A front pulley 60 engages the flexible drive member 52 at a front end of track 18 and a rear cable guide 62 engages the flexible drive member 52 at a rear end of the track 18 . Cable guide 62 may be stationary as shown or may be a rotatable pulley (not shown). Upper and lower portions 56 , 58 of the loop that are disposed inside track 18 run in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2 .
A drive assembly 66 is attached to van 10 in any suitable manner. Drive assembly 66 comprises an electric motor 68 that drives an optional electromagnetic clutch such as clutch 70 . Clutch 70 in turn drives front pulley 60 via a gear reduction unit 71 . Front drive pulley 60 is configured to drive cable 54 in a loop as best shown in FIG. 2 .
The roller assembly 26 includes a cinch mechanism 72 for clamping hinge and roller assembly 26 to either the upper portion 56 of flexible drive member 52 to drive the roller assembly 26 in one direction or to the lower portion 58 to drive the roller assembly 26 in the opposite direction as shown by the arrows in FIG. 2 .
Cinch mechanism 72 comprises a drive drum 74 for operating upper and lower clutches 76 and 78 that comprise upper and lower lariats 80 and 82 and upper and lower stops 84 and 86 , respectively. Upper lariat 80 has a noose 88 at one end that encircles the upper portion 56 of flexible drive member 52 and that is located adjacent upper stop 84 which may conveniently be formed as a bent tab of carriage 28 . The opposite end of lariat 80 is attached to drive drum 74 . Lower lariat 82 has a noose 90 at one end that encircles the lower portion 58 of flexible drive member 52 and that is located adjacent lower stop 86 which also may conveniently formed as a bent tab of carriage 28 . The opposite end of lariat 82 is also attached to drive drum 74 . The opposite ends of lariats 80 and 82 are attached to drive drum 74 at spaced locations so that upper lariat 80 is wound on drum 74 while lower lariat 82 is payed off drum 74 when drive drum 74 is displaced or indexed angularly in one direction. When upper lariat 80 is wound on drum 74 , upper portion 56 of flexible drive member 52 is pulled against upper stop 84 and upper noose 88 tightens around and grips the upper portion 56 of flexible drive member 52 . The lower noose 90 is simultaneously further loosened on the lower portion 58 of the flexible drive member 52 as lower lariat 82 is payed off drum 74 . The opposite happens when drive drum 74 is indexed in the opposite direction, that is, upper lariat 80 is payed off drum 74 and noose 88 is loosened while lower lariat 82 is wound on drum 74 and noose 90 is tightened gripping the lower portion 58 of the flexible drive member 52 .
The angularly indexable drive drum 74 has open, neutral and close positions illustrated schematically as O, N and C in FIG. 4 . Flexible drive member 52 slides through lariats 80 and 82 when drive drum 74 is in the neutral position so that the side door 14 can be opened or closed manually without any resistance from cinch mechanism 72 . To open the side door 14 , motor 68 and the optional electromagnetic clutch 70 if one is used are energized and drive drum 74 is indexed (clockwise as shown in FIG. 4) to the open position through suitable controls which are not shown but well within the skill of a person of ordinary skill in the art. The energization of motor 68 and electromagnetic clutch 70 and the indexing of drive drum 74 can occur in any order but the energization preferably occur simultaneously. In any event, the energization causes flexible drive member 52 to travel in a loop in the clockwise direction as viewed and as shown by the arrows in FIG. 2 while indexing drum 74 to the open position causes upper clutch 76 to engage the upper portion 56 of flexible drive member 52 and move the side door 14 from the closed position to the open position, that is, to the right as shown in FIG. 2 . As upper noose 88 of upper clutch 76 tightens around the upper portion 56 of flexible drive member 52 to engage the upper clutch 76 , the lower noose 90 of lower clutch 80 is simultaneously further loosened from its slipping neutral condition removing any possibility of the lower clutch 80 interfering with the side door 14 traveling to the open position.
To close the side door 14 , motor 68 and the optional electromagnetic clutch 70 are energized and drive drum 74 is indexed to the close position. Energization of motor 68 and electromagnetic clutch 70 still causes flexible drive member 52 to travel in a loop in the clockwise direction as viewed FIG. 2 . However, indexing drive drum 74 to the close position causes lower clutch 78 to engage the lower portion 58 of flexible drive member 52 and move the side door 14 from the open position to the closed position, that is to the left as shown in FIG. 2 . As lower noose 90 of lower clutch 78 tightens around the lower portion 58 of flexible drive member 52 to engage the lower clutch 78 , the upper noose 88 of upper clutch 76 is simultaneously further loosened from its slipping neutral condition removing any possibility of the upper clutch 76 interfering with the side door traveling to the closed position. Thus drive mechanism 50 opens and closes side door 14 without any need for reversing the travel of the flexible drive member 52 or the rotation of the electric motor 68 . Hence a reversible electric motor is not necessary. It should also be noted that the flexible drive member 52 can take the economical form of a round cable 54 of uniform diameter.
While a specific embodiment has been illustrated, other embodiments are possible. For instance, the electromagnetic clutch 70 can be eliminated for economy. Moreover, while the preferred embodiment is illustrated with a drive pulley 60 and only one cable guide 60 for driving and guiding the flexible drive member 52 additional guides, both stationary and rotary can be used to establish the travel loop for the flexible drive member 52 . Furthermore, the parts of the drive mechanism can be rearranged so that the sprocket 60 , motor 68 and electromagnetic clutch 70 are at a rear end of track 18 . In other words, while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, other embodiments will now become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited to that which is shown and described but by the following claims. | A passenger van is equipped with a drive mechanism for power operation of a slideable side door. The drive mechanism has a flexible drive cable that travels in a closed loop that includes cable portions that travel through a center track in opposite directions. The center track supports and guides a roller assembly that is attached to the rear of the side door. The roller assembly carries a cinch mechanism that selectively connects the roller assembly to a portion of the cable that is traveling in one direction to open the sliding door and that selectively connects the roller assembly to a portion of the cable that is traveling in the opposite direction to close the sliding door. The cinch mechanism is normally disconnected from the cable so that the side door can be opened or closed manually very easily. | 4 |
[0001] This is a divisional of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/041,949 filed Jan. 7, 2002 which is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/451,238, filed Nov. 29, 1999, now abandoned; Ser. No. 09/513,773, filed Feb. 25, 2000, Ser. No. 09/513,911, filed Feb. 25, 2000, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,579,253; Ser. No. 09/513,771, filed Feb. 25, 2000, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,673,314; Ser. No. 09/513,446, filed Feb. 25, 2000, now abandoned; Ser. No. 09/513,902, filed Feb. 25, 2000, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,789; Ser. No. 09/512,927, filed Feb. 25, 2000, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,589,482; Ser. No. 09/512,929, filed Feb. 25, 2000, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,638,477; Ser. No. 09/513,910, filed Feb. 25, 2000 which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,553; Ser. No. 09/513,564, filed Feb. 25, 2000, now abandoned; Ser. No. 09/513,915, filed Feb. 25, 2000, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,943; and Ser. No. 09/894,236, filed Jun. 27, 2001, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,955,655; which is a divisional of Ser. No. 08/800,881, filed Feb. 14, 1997, now abandoned. Each of the above-identified applications is expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0002] The following description of field of the invention is intended to server only as an approximate indication of the area of technology to which the invention relates and not to circumscribe the scope of the invention.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention relates to systems and methods for processing blood or other fluids that are conveyed to and from an animal body, e.g., for dialysis, filtration, pheresis, or other diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. The systems may include roller guides on pumps, alignment using pump tubing fitments, air detector tube pushers for loading, blood leak detector, temperature sensing, and pressure sensing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] There are many types of blood processing and fluid exchange procedures, each providing different therapeutic effects and demanding different processing criteria. Typically, such procedures entail the removal of blood or another fluid from an individual and the return of blood or another fluid to the individual in a controlled fashion. Examples of such procedures include hemofiltration (HF), hemodialysis (HD), hemodialysis with hemofiltration (HDF), and peritoneal dialysis (PD).
[0005] In carrying out these procedures, specially designed fluid circuits, which can be complex and convoluted, are placed into a prescribed operative association with pumps, clamps, and sensors, which are typically mounted on a machine that is also specially designed to carry out the intended procedure. Numerous safety and control elements of the fluid circuit and the machine must be placed in operative association in order to carry out the procedure in the intended way. As a consequence, the process of loading a fluid circuit on the machine can be tedious and error-prone.
[0006] There is a need for simplicity and convenience when loading a fluid circuit in a prescribed way in association with safety and control elements on a blood and/or fluid processing machine.
[0007] Typically, when performing the blood processing and fluid exchange procedures of the type just described, a replacement or make-up fluid is returned back to the individual in some proportion to the amount of fluid that is removed from the individual. The type and make-up of fluids that these procedures handle vary according to the particular treatment modality being performed, e.g., among waste fluid and replacement fluid (in HF or HDF); or replacement fluid and dialysis solution (in HD or HDF); or fresh peritoneal dialysis solution and spent peritoneal dialysis solution (in PD. Controlled balancing of fluid amounts can be achieved by monitoring the weights of fluid removed and replacement or makeup fluid. However, weight sensing itself requires additional fluid circuit elements (e.g., weigh containers), additional hardware elements (e.g., weigh scales), as well as additional processing control and feedback features. These items add further complexity to the systems and their operation.
[0008] There is also a need for simplicity and convenience when undertaking a controlled balancing of fluids during a blood processing and/or fluid exchange procedure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] One aspect of the invention provides systems and methods for processing blood and/or other fluids, which include a fluid interface between a fluid processing circuit and a fluid processing machine that makes possible a fast, convenient, one step process for loading the fluid processing circuit on the machine.
[0010] In one embodiment, the systems and methods consolidate all blood and fluid flow paths in a unitary, easily installed cartridge. The cartridge establishes a fixed orientation for fluid circuit elements and their operative interface with the hardware elements, such as pumps, sensors, and clamps, on the processing machine. The fixed orientation requires that all safety and control elements on the cartridge and machine are brought into operative association in a single, straightforward loading step. Due to the cartridge, the operator cannot place one part of the fluid circuit into an operating condition with one or more hardware elements on the machine without placing the entire fluid circuit into an operating condition with all the hardware elements on the machine. The consolidation of all blood and fluid flow paths in a single, easily installed cartridge also avoids the potential of contamination, by minimizing the number of connections and disconnections needed during a given treatment session.
[0011] Another aspect of the invention provides systems and methods for processing blood and/or other fluids that makes possible the performance of accurate, synchronized volumetric fluid balancing, without the need for weight sensing.
[0012] Other features and advantages of the inventions are set forth in the following specification and attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a system that includes a machine and fluid processing cartridge that, in use, is mounted on the machine for conducting various types of blood processing and/or fluid exchange procedures;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a machine that can form a part of the system shown in FIG. 1 ;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a plane view of the exterior surface of an embodiment of a fluid processing cartridge that can form part of the system shown in FIG. 1 ;
[0016] FIGS. 4 to 6 are side elevation views showing the loading of the fluid processing cartridge shown in FIG. 3 onto the machine shown in FIG. 2 ;
[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective exploded view of the fluid processing cartridge shown in FIG. 3 ;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a plane view of the exterior surface of the fluid processing cartridge shown in FIG. 3 , with the cover member removed to show the channels that guide the passage of flexible tubing that forms a part of the fluid circuit carried by the cartridge;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a plane view of the interior surface of the fluid processing cartridge shown in FIG. 3 ;
[0020] FIGS. 10 and 11 are plane view of fluid management modules that form a part of the fluid circuit carried by the cartridge;
[0021] FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a fluid circuit for carrying out hemofiltration, which the cartridge shown in FIG. 3 can be configured to form;
[0022] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the inside of the door of the machine shown in FIG. 2 ;
[0023] FIG. 14 is a largely schematic side section view of the overlaying fluid balancing compartments that are part of the fluid management modules shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , showing their orientation with valve elements carried by on the machine shown in FIG. 2 ;
[0024] FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a chassis panel that the machine shown in FIG. 2 can incorporate;
[0025] FIG. 16 is a back perspective view of the chassis panel shown in FIG. 15 , showing the mechanical linkage of motors, pumps, and valve elements carried by the chassis panel;
[0026] FIG. 17 is a side section view of one of the clamp elements shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 ;
[0027] FIG. 18 is a diagrammatic view of a telemetry network that can form a part of the system shown in FIG. 1 ; and
[0028] FIG. 19 is a plane view of a graphical user interface that the machine shown in FIG. 2 can incorporate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0029] The invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The scope of the invention is defined in the appended claims, rather than in the specific description preceding them. All embodiments that fall within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced by the claims.
[0000] I. System Overview
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a system 10 that is well suited for handling fluids in support of various types of blood processing and/or fluid exchange procedures. The system 10 includes a durable hardware component or machine 16 (see FIG. 2 ) and a removable fluid processing cartridge 18 (see FIG. 3 ) that is intended to be installed in operative association with the machine 16 for use (see FIGS. 4 to 6 ).
[0031] The system 10 is suitable for use in many diverse treatment modalities during which blood and/or fluid are conveyed to and from an animal body. In particular, the system 10 is well suited for treatment modalities during which one fluid is removed from the body and replaced with another fluid in a controlled fashion. Such modalities include, e.g., hemofiltration (HF), hemodialysis (HD), hemodialysis with hemofiltration (HDF), and peritoneal dialysis (PD).
[0032] For example, the system 10 can perform hemofiltration, e.g., to treat an individual whose renal function is impaired or lacking, according to different selected protocols. The system 10 can be adapted to perform hemofiltration at relatively high blood flow rates to enable relatively short session time intervals, as well as at lower blood flow rates and over longer session time intervals. The former protocol can be adopted to achieve hemofiltration three or more times a week. The latter protocol can be adapted to achieve an overnight treatment regime, which can be called “nightly hemofiltration.” Nightly hemofiltration can be conducted at intervals less or more frequent than three times a week. Alternatively, the system 10 can be adapted to perform hemofiltration on an acute basis, or on an intermittent chronic basis, at virtually any prescribed time interval and treatment pattern that achieves the maintenance of uremic toxin levels within a comfortable range. Thus, the system 10 can be adapted to perform multiple hemofiltration treatments per day at varying session times, morning, afternoon, or night, or a combination thereof.
[0033] The system 10 can also just as readily be adapted to perform hemodialysis (HD) or hemodialysis with hemofiltration (HDF). The fluid balancing functions that the system 10 can perform, as will be described in greater detail later, can also be readily adapted for use, either individually or in combination, in systems intended to perform prescribed peritoneal dialysis modalities.
[0034] The type and make-up of fluids that the system 10 can balance can and will vary according to the particular treatment modality being performed, e.g., among waste fluid and replacement fluid (in HF or HDF); or replacement fluid and dialysis solution (in HD or HDF); or fresh peritoneal dialysis solution and spent peritoneal dialysis solution (in PD). The terminology employed in this Specification in characterizing a particular type or make-up of fluid, or as ascribing a source, destination, or direction of fluid flow in the context of describing one treatment modality is not intended to be interpreted as being limited to that particular type or make up of fluid or that particular flow source, destination, or direction. Rather, a person of skill in the art will readily appreciate that the fluid type and make up and the flow particulars relating to volumetric fluid balancing can vary with different treatment modalities.
[0000] A. Fluid Processing Machine
[0035] The machine 16 (see FIG. 2 ) is preferably lightweight and portable, presenting a compact footprint, suited for operation on a table top or other relatively small surface normally found, e.g., in a hospital room or in a home. The compact size of the machine 16 also makes it well suited for shipment to a remote service depot for maintenance and repair.
[0036] Desirably, the machine 16 includes an operator interface 44 (see FIG. 2 ). FIG. 19 shows a representative display 324 for the operator interface 44 for the machine. The display 324 comprises a graphical user interface (GUI), which, in the illustrated embodiment, is displayed by the interface 44 on the exterior of the door 28 , as depicted in FIG. 2 . The GUI can be realized, e.g., as a membrane switch panel, using an icon-based touch button membrane. The GUI can also be realized as a “C” language program.
[0037] The GUI 324 presents to the operator a simplified information input and output platform, with graphical icons, push buttons, and display bars. The icons, push buttons, and display bars are preferably back-lighted in a purposeful sequence to intuitively lead the operator through set up, execution, and completion of a given treatment session.
[0000] B. The Fluid Processing Cartridge
[0038] The processing cartridge 18 (see FIG. 3 ) provides the fluid interface for the machine 16 . The fluid interface between the cartridge 18 and machine 16 makes possible a fast and convenient one step process for loading the cartridge 18 for use on the machine 16 (see FIGS. 4 to 6 ).
[0039] In one embodiment, the cartridge 18 establishes a fixed orientation for fluid circuit elements and their operative interface with the hardware elements, such as pumps, sensors, and clamps, on the machine 16 . The fixed orientation requires that all safety and control elements on the cartridge 18 and machine 16 are brought into operative association in a single, straightforward loading step. Due to the cartridge 18 , the operator cannot place one part of the fluid circuit into an operating condition with one or more hardware elements on the machine 16 without placing the entire fluid circuit into an operating condition with all the hardware elements, including safety systems, on the machine 16 .
[0040] Desirably, the cartridge 18 makes possible the elimination of air-blood interfaces, and/or positive pressure monitoring. In association with the machine 16 , the fluid cartridge 18 can also perform accurate, synchronized volumetric fluid balancing, without the need for weight sensing, as will be described in greater detail later.
[0041] The consolidation of all blood and fluid flow paths in a single, easily installed cartridge 18 avoids the potential of contamination, by minimizing the number of connections and disconnections needed during a given treatment session. By enabling a dwell or wait mode on the machine 16 , the cartridge 18 can remain mounted to the machine 16 after one treatment session for an extended dwell or break period and allow reconnection and continued use by the same person in a subsequent session for any reason, for example, or in a continuation of a session following x-rays or testing.
[0042] The cartridge 18 can therefore provide multiple intermittent treatment sessions during a prescribed time period, without exchange of the cartridge 18 after each treatment session. The time of use confines are typically prescribed by the attending physician or technical staff for the treatment center to avoid bio-contamination and can range, e.g., from 48 hours to 120 hours, and more typically 72 to 80 hours. The cartridge 18 can carry a bacteriostatic agent that can be returned to the patient (e.g., an anticoagulant, saline, ringers lactate, or alcohol) and/or be refrigerated during storage.
[0043] The single step loading function can be accomplished in various ways. In the illustrated embodiment (see FIG. 2 ), the machine 16 includes a chassis panel 26 and a panel door 28 . The door 28 moves on a pair of rails 31 in a path toward and away from the chassis panel 26 (as shown by arrows in FIG. 2 ). A slot 27 is formed between the chassis panel 26 and the door 28 . As FIGS. 4 to 6 show, when the door 28 is positioned away from the panel 26 , the operator can, in a simple vertical (i.e., downward) motion (see FIG. 4 ), move a fluid processing cartridge 18 into the slot 27 and, in a simple horizontal (i.e., sideway) motion (see FIG. 5 ), fit the cartridge 18 onto the chassis panel 26 . When properly oriented, the fluid processing cartridge 18 may rest on the rails 31 to help position the cartridge 18 . As FIG. 6 shows, movement of the door 28 toward the panel 26 engages and further supports the cartridge 18 for use on the panel 26 . This position of the door 28 will be called the closed position.
[0044] The machine 16 preferably includes a latching mechanism 30 and a sensor 32 (see FIG. 2 ) to secure the door 28 and cartridge 18 against movement before enabling circulation of fluid through the cartridge 18 .
[0045] The cartridge 18 can be constructed in various ways. FIG. 3 (in an assembled view) and FIG. 7 (in an exploded view) show an embodiment of a cartridge 18 , which can be used to in association with the machine 16 to perform a selected treatment modality. In this embodiment, the cartridge 18 includes a preformed support frame 400 manufactured, e.g., by thermoforming polystyrene or another comparable material. The support frame 400 presents an exterior surface 402 (shown in plane view FIG. 8 ) and an oppositely facing interior surface 404 (shown in plane view in FIG. 9 ).
[0046] When installed for use on the machine 16 , the exterior surface 402 is oriented toward the door 28 , and the interior surface 404 is oriented toward the chassis panel 26 . An icon 440 imprinted on the exterior surface 402 (see FIG. 8 ) guides the operator in mounting the frame 400 on the chassis panel 26 in the proper front-to-back and up-and-down orientation.
[0047] As FIG. 7 best shows, the interior surface 404 of the frame 400 carries a flexible fluid circuit 408 . In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible fluid circuit 408 comprises one or more individual fluid management modules. The modules can be dedicated to different processing functions. For example, one module can handle fluid being removed from the body, while another module can handle fluid being supplied to the body. These processing functions can be synchronized by various means of orienting the modules with each other, and with the common hardware elements on the machine 16 .
[0048] In the illustrated embodiment (see FIG. 7 ), two modules 424 and 426 are provided, which are shown individually in FIGS. 10 and 11 , respectively. As FIG. 7 shows, lengths of flexible tubing 418 communicate with modules 424 and 426 of the flexible fluid circuit 408 , to convey fluid to and from the modules 424 and 426 . Together, the flexible fluid circuit 408 and tubing 418 form a fluid processing circuit 420 .
[0049] The modules 424 and 426 themselves can be constructed in various ways, depending upon the particular processing functions that are intended to be performed.
[0050] In the illustrated embodiment (see FIGS. 10 and 11 ), the modules 424 and 426 take the form of fluid circuit bags 434 and 436 . Each bag 434 and 436 is formed, e.g., by radio frequency welding together two sheets of medical plastic material (e.g., polyvinyl chloride). Each bag 434 and 436 includes an interior array of radio frequency seals forming fluid paths, chamber regions, sensor regions, and clamp regions.
[0051] In the illustrated embodiment, when secured to the interior surface 404 of the frame 400 (see FIGS. 7 and 9 ), the bag 434 rests over the bag 436 , so that portions of the fluid circuits defined by the modules 424 and 426 overlay one another. As will be explained later, this makes possible synchronization of different processing functions using common hardware elements on the machine 16 .
[0000] II. Telemetry for the System
[0052] The system 10 can also include a telemetry network 22 (see FIGS. 1 and 18 ). The telemetry network 22 provides the means to link the machine 16 in communication with other locations 254 via, e.g., cellular networks, digital networks, modem, Internet, or satellites. A given location 254 can, for example, receive data from the machine 16 at the treatment location or transmit data to a data transmission/receiving device 296 at the treatment location, or both. A main server 256 can monitor operation of the machine 16 or therapeutic parameters of the person undergoing the specified treatment. The main server 256 can also provide helpful information to the person undergoing the specified treatment. The telemetry network 22 can download processing or service commands to the data receiver/transmitter 296 .
[0000] 1. Remote Information Management
[0053] FIG. 18 shows a representative telemetry network 22 in association with a machine 16 that carries out a specified treatment modality. The telemetry network 22 includes the data receiver/transmitter 296 coupled to the machine 16 . The data receiver/transmitter 296 can be electrically isolated from the machine 16 , if desired. The telemetry network 22 also includes a main data base server 256 coupled to the data receiver/transmitter 296 and an array of satellite servers 260 linked to the main data base server 256 .
[0054] The data generated by the machine 16 during operation is processed by the data receiver/transmitter 296 . The data is stored, organized, and formatted for transmission to the main data base server 256 . The data base server 256 further processes and dispenses the information to the satellite data base servers 260 , following pre-programmed rules, defined by job function or use of the information. Data processing to suit the particular needs of the telemetry network 22 can be developed and modified without changing the machine 16 .
[0055] The main data base server 256 can be located, e.g., at the company that creates or manages the system 10 . The satellite data base servers 260 can be located, for example, at the residence of a designated remote care giver for the person, or at a full time remote centralized monitoring facility staffed by medically trained personnel, or at a remote service provider for the machine 16 , or at a company that supplies the machine 16 or the processing cartridge 18 .
[0056] Linked to the telemetry network 22 , the machine 16 acts as a satellite. The machine 16 performs specified therapy tasks while monitoring basic safety functions and providing the person at the treatment location notice of safety alarm conditions for resolution. Otherwise, the machine 16 transmits procedure data to the telemetry network 22 . The telemetry network 22 relieves the machine 16 from major data processing tasks and related complexity. It is the main data base server 256 , remote from the machine 16 , that controls the processing and distribution of the data among the telemetry network 22 , including the flow of information and data to the person undergoing therapy. The person at the treatment location can access data from the machine 16 through the local data receiver/transmitter 296 , which can comprise a laptop computer, handheld PC device, web tablet, cell phone, or any unit capable of data processing.
[0057] The machine 16 can transmit data to the receiver/transmitter 296 in various ways, e.g., electrically, by phone lines, optical cable connection, infrared light, or radio frequency, using cordless phone/modem, cellular phone/modem, or cellular satellite phone/modem. The telemetry network 22 may comprise a local, stand-alone network, or be part of the Internet.
[0058] For example, when the machine 16 notifies the person at the treatment location of a safety alarm condition, the safety alarm and its underlying data can also be sent to the main server 256 on the telemetry network 22 via the receiver/transmitter 296 . When an alarm condition is received by the main server 256 , the main server 256 can locate and download to the receiving device 296 the portion of the operator's manual for the machine that pertains to the alarm condition. Based upon this information, and exercising judgment, the operator/user can intervene with operation of the machine 16 . In this way, the main server 256 can provide an automatic, context-sensitive help function to the treatment location. The telemetry network 22 obviates the need to provide on-board context-sensitive help programs for each machine 16 . The telemetry network 22 centralizes this help function at a single location, i.e., a main server 256 coupled to all machines 16 .
[0059] The telemetry network 22 can relay to an inventory server 262 supply and usage information of components used for the treatment modality. The server 262 can maintain treatment site-specific inventories of such items, such as cartridges 18 , ancillary processing materials, etc. The company or companies that supply the machine 16 , the processing cartridge 18 , or the ancillary processing material to the treatment location 12 can all be readily linked through the telemetry network 22 to the inventory server 262 . The inventory server 262 thereby centralizes inventory control and planning for the entire system 10 , based upon information received in real time from each machine 16 .
[0060] The telemetry network 22 can relay to a service server 264 hardware status information for each machine 16 . The service server 264 can process the information according to preprogrammed rules, to generate diagnostic reports, service requests or maintenance schedules. The company or companies of the system 10 that supply or service the machine 16 can all be readily linked through the telemetry network 22 to the service server 264 . The service server 264 thereby centralizes service, diagnostic, and maintenance functions for the entire system 10 . Service-related information can also be sent to the treatment location 12 via the receiving device 296 .
[0061] The telemetry network 22 can also relay to a treatment monitoring server 266 , treatment-specific information pertaining to the therapy provided by each machine 16 . Remote monitoring facilities 268 , staffed by medically trained personnel, can be readily linked through the telemetry network 22 to the treatment monitoring server 266 , which centralizes treatment monitoring functions for all treatment locations served by the system 10 .
[0062] The telemetry network 22 can also provide through the device 296 an access portal for the person undergoing treatment to the myriad services and information contained on the Internet, e.g., over the web radio and TV, video, telephone, games, financial management, tax services, grocery ordering, prescriptions purchases, etc. The main server 256 can compile diagnostic, therapeutic, and/or medical information to create a profile for each person served by the system 10 to develop customized content for that person. The main server 256 thus provide customized ancillary services such as on line training, billing, coaching, mentoring, uplinks to doctors, links to patient communities, and otherwise provide a virtual community whereby persons using the system 10 can contact and communicate via the telemetry network 22 .
[0063] The telemetry network 22 thus provides the unique ability to remotely monitor equipment status, via the internet, then provide information to the user, also via the internet, at the location of the equipment. This information can include, e.g., what page of the operator's manual would be the most helpful for their current operational situation, actual data about the equipment's performance (e.g., could it use service, or is it set up based on the caretaker's recommendations), data about the current session, i.e., buttons pressed, alarms, internal machine parameters, commands, measurements.
[0064] The remote site can monitor the equipment for the same reasons that the user might. It can also retrieve information about the machine 16 when it is turned off because the telemetry device is self-powered. It retains all information about the machine over a period of time (much like a flight recorder for an airplane).
[0000] 2. On-Site Programming
[0065] The main server 256 on the telemetry network 22 can also store and download to each machine 16 (via the device 296 ) the system control logic and programs necessary to perform a desired treatment modality. Programming to alter a treatment protocol to suit the particular needs of a single person at a treatments site can be developed and modified without a service call to change the machine 16 at any treatment location, as is the current practice. System wide modifications and revisions to control logic and programs that condition a machine 16 to perform a given treatment protocol can be developed and implemented without the need to retrofit each machine 16 at all treatment locations by a service call. This approach separates the imparting of control functions that are tailored to particular procedures, which can be downloaded to the machine 16 at time of use, from imparting safety functions that are generic to all procedures, which can be integrated in the machine 16 .
[0066] Alternatively, the control logic and programs necessary to perform a desired treatment protocol procedure can be carried in a machine readable format on the cartridge 18 . Scanners on the machine 16 automatically transfer the control logic and programs to the machine 16 in the act of loading the cartridge 18 on the machine 16 . Bar code can be used for this purpose. Touch contact or radio frequency silicon memory devices can also be used. The machine 16 can also include local memory, e.g., flash memory, to download and retain the code.
[0067] For example, as FIG. 2 shows, the machine 16 can include one or more code readers 270 on the chassis panel 26 . The frame 400 carries, e.g., on a label or labels, a machine readable (e.g., digital) code 272 (see FIG. 3 ) that contains the control logic and programs necessary to perform a desired treatment protocol using the cartridge 18 . Loading the cartridge 18 on the machine 16 orients the code 272 to be scanned by the reader(s) 270 . Scanning the code 272 downloads the control logic and programs to memory. The machine 16 is thereby programmed on site.
[0068] The code 272 can also include the control logic and programs necessary to monitor use of the cartridge 18 . For example, the code 272 can provide unique identification for each cartridge 18 . The machine 16 registers the unique identification at the time it scans the code 272 . The machine 16 transmits this cartridge 18 identification information to the main server 256 of the telemetry network 22 . The telemetry network 22 is able to uniquely track cartridge 18 use by the identification code throughout the system 10 .
[0069] Furthermore, the main server 256 can include preprogrammed rules that prohibit multiple use of a cartridge 18 , or that limit extended uses to a prescribed period of time. An attempted extended use of the same cartridge 18 on any machine 16 , or an attempted use beyond the prescribed time period, will be detected by the machine 16 or the main server 256 . In this arrangement, the machine 16 is disabled until an unused cartridge 18 is loaded on the machine 16 .
[0070] Prior to undertaking set up pressure testing and priming of the cartridge 18 , the machine 16 can also be conditioned to sense, e.g., by ultrasonic means, the presence of fluid in the cartridge. The presence of fluid indicates a reprocessed cartridge. In this arrangement, the machine 16 is disabled until a dry, unused cartridge 18 is loaded on the machine 16 .
[0071] Service cartridges can also be provided for the machine 16 . A service cartridge carries a code that, when scanned by the reader or readers on the chassis panel 26 and downloaded to memory, programs the machine 16 to conduct a prescribed service and diagnostic protocol using the service cartridge 18 .
[0000] III. Representative Systems for Conducting Hemofiltration
[0072] The particular configuration of the machine 16 and the fluid processing circuit 420 , which the tubing 418 and flexible fluid circuit 408 form, can vary according to the processing objectives of the system 10 . As before stated, the system 10 is well suited for treatment modalities during which one fluid is removed from the body and replaced with another fluid in a controlled fashion, e.g., hemofiltration (HF), hemodialysis (HD), hemodialysis with hemofiltration (HDF), and peritoneal dialysis (PD).
[0073] For the purpose of illustration, FIG. 12 schematically shows a fluid circuit FC(HF) for carrying out hemofiltration. The fluid circuit FC(HF) supports the removal of blood from an individual and the separation of waste fluid from the blood using a hemofilter 34 . The fluid circuit FC(HF) also supports the return of treated blood and replacement fluid to the individual. The fluid circuit FC(HF) also supports an ultrafiltration function.
[0074] The flexible fluid circuit 420 carried by the frame 400 and the machine 16 can be readily configured to form this circuit FC(HF) and thereby conduct hemofiltration. A person of skill in the art will readily appreciate how the fluid circuit 420 and machine 16 can be configured to perform other treatment modalities, as well.
[0075] In the illustrated implementation, the first module 424 is configured to handle waste fluid, and the second module 426 is configured to handle replacement fluid.
[0076] As FIG. 10 shows, the waste fluid management module 424 includes fluid waste balancing chambers 212 R/ 214 R and associated waste fluid clamp regions 220 and 222 . The location of these elements in the fluid circuit FC(HF)are also shown schematically in FIG. 12 .
[0077] As FIG. 11 shows, the replacement fluid management module 426 includes corresponding replacement fluid balancing chambers 212 F/ 214 F and associated replacement fluid clamp regions 224 and 226 . The location of these elements in the fluid circuit FC(HF)are also shown schematically in FIG. 12 .
[0078] When the modules 424 and 426 are mounted against the interior surface 404 of the frame 400 (see FIG. 9 ), the chambers 212 R/ 214 R and 212 F/ 214 F and the clamp regions 222 / 220 and 224 / 226 communicate in the same plane. When the frame 400 is mounted for use on the machine 16 , the overlaying chambers 212 R/ 214 R and 212 F/ 214 F and clamp regions 222 / 220 and 224 / 226 operatively engage common machine elements on the machine 16 to carry out volumetric fluid balancing of replacement fluid in proportion to waste removal, without use of weight sensors. When the frame 400 is mounted for use on the machine 16 , the modules 424 and 426 , in association with hardware elements on the machine 16 , also accomplish ultrafiltration.
[0079] In the illustrated embodiment (see FIGS. 7 and 8 ), an exterior surface 406 of the frame 400 is slightly recessed or concave. When the frame 400 is mounted on the machine 16 , this recessed frame surface 406 nests within a correspondingly raised surface 407 on the door 28 (see FIG. 13 ). When so nested, convex or domed frame regions 412 , which project above the surface 406 of the frame 400 (see FIG. 7 and 8 ) fit within mating concave indentations 206 ′ and 208 ′ on the door 28 .
[0080] The fluid balancing chambers 212 R/ 214 R and 212 F/ 214 F rest in an overlying relationship within these domed regions 412 on the opposite interior surface 404 of the frame 400 (see FIG. 8 ). When the frame 400 is mounted on the machine 16 , and the door 28 closed, the interior surface 404 faces the chassis panel 28 , and the fluid balancing chambers 212 R/ 214 R and 212 F/ 214 F rest within concave indentations 206 and 208 formed on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ). When the frame 400 is mounted on the machine 16 , and the door 28 closed, the flexible chambers 212 R/ 214 R and 212 F/ 214 F are thereby enclosed between the indentations 206 / 208 on the chassis panel 26 and the convex regions 412 of the frame 400 (which themselves nest within the concave indentations 206 ′/ 208 ′ on the door 28 ). Expansion of the flexible chambers 212 R/ 214 R and 212 F/ 214 F as a result of fluid introduction is thereby restrained to a known maximum volume, generally approximately between 10 and 50 cc, preferably approximately between 20 and 40 cc, more preferably approximately 25 cc, defined between the chassis chambers 206 / 208 and the convex frame regions 412 .
[0081] As FIG. 8 shows, cut-outs 410 in the surface 406 expose the overlaying flexible clamp regions 222 / 220 and 224 / 226 to contact with the four clamping pads 450 mounted on the door 28 (see FIG. 13 ) and hardware clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ). In operation, the clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 are caused to project from the chassis panel 26 to press the overlying clamp regions 222 / 220 and 224 / 226 against the clamping pads 450 on the door 28 . Synchronized valve functions are thereby made possible, as will be described later.
[0082] Referring back to FIG. 8 , another cut-out 413 in the surface 406 exposes a portion of the fluid circuit 408 for blood leak sensing functions, as will also be described later.
[0083] Surrounding the surface 406 are recessed channel regions 414 a to 414 j , which are formed in the exterior surface 402 . These recessed channel regions 414 a to 414 j (identified in FIG. 8 ) accommodate the passage of the lengths of flexible tubing 418 that communicate with the flexible fluid circuit 408 , to form the fluid processing circuit 420 . The recessed regions 414 a to 414 j form channels that guide and restrain the tubing 418 within the frame 400 . Multiple cut-outs 442 a to 442 i are formed along the recessed regions 414 a to 414 j , to expose intervals of the tubing 418 for engagement with clamps or sensors on the machine 16 , as will be described.
[0084] As FIGS. 7 show, a cover member 416 made, e.g., from rigid or semi-rigid paper or plastic, is desirably secured to the exterior surface 402 of the frame 400 to overlay and close the recessed channel regions 414 , in which the tubing 418 is carried ( FIG. 3 shows the exterior surface 402 with the cover member 416 installed).
[0085] As FIG. 8 shows, portions of tubing 418 extend beyond the support frame 400 for connection with the patient and other external items making up the fluid processing circuit 420 , as will be described later. Cartridge 18 may extend beyond the edge of machine 16 .
[0086] Portions of the tubing 418 also communicate with peristaltic pump tubes 94 , 145 , 155 , and 201 located in the surface 406 (see FIG. 8 ). Cut-outs 446 a to 446 c are formed in the region 406 beneath the pump tubes 94 , 145 , 144 , and 201 , to expose the pump tubes 94 , 145 , 144 , and 201 for engagement with the corresponding peristaltic pump rollers 92 , 144 , and 152 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ) and the corresponding pump races 362 on the door 28 (see FIG. 13 ).
[0087] Further regarding the configuration of the fluid processing circuit 420 (see FIG. 8 ), as adapted to conform to the hemofiltration circuit FC(HF) shown in FIG. 12 , the flexible tubing 72 forms the arterial blood supply path, with an appropriate distal connector to couple to an arterial blood access site. The tubing 72 is guided by a recessed channel 414 a into the frame 400 . Cut-outs 442 a and 442 b expose the tubing 72 for engagement with an arterial blood line air sensor 98 and arterial blood line clamp 96 .
[0088] The tubing 72 is coupled with the pump tube 94 , which spans the cut-out 446 a in the frame 400 , for engagement with the blood pump 92 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ).
[0089] Tubing 78 extends from the pump tube region 94 in a recessed channel 414 b in the frame 400 . The tubing 78 extends beyond the frame 400 and includes the connector 82 to couple the arterial blood path to the inlet of a hemofilter 34 (see FIG. 12 ).
[0090] The placement of the cut-out 442 a (and associated air sensor 98 on the machine 16 ) upstream of the hemofilter 34 allows air bubbles to be detected prior to entering the hemofilter 34 . This location is desirable, because, in the hemofilter 34 , air bubbles break up into tiny micro-bubbles, which are not as easily detected as bubbles upstream of the hemofilter 34 . Placement of the air sensor 98 upstream of the hemofilter 34 also serves the additional purpose of detecting air when the blood pump 92 is operated in reverse, to rinse back blood to the patient. The air sensor 98 also detects if the arterial blood line is clamped or otherwise occluded, to thereby allow terminate operation of the arterial blood pump 92 when this condition occurs. Air sensor 98 can also sense a clamped or occluded arterial line while the pump turns. The resulting negative pressure degasses the blood which is sensed by the air sensor, and an alarm is sounded. If air by chance enters the arterial blood line, e.g., by a faulty connection or an air leak, the air sensor 98 will detect this condition and terminate operation of the arterial blood pump before the air enters the hemofilter.
[0091] As FIG. 8 shows, the tubing 84 extends beyond the frame 400 and includes a distal connector 86 to couple to the blood outlet of the hemofilter 34 (see FIG. 12 ). The tubing 84 is led across the frame 400 through a recessed channel 414 c . Cut-away regions 442 c and 442 d on the frame 400 expose the tubing 84 for engagement with the venous blood line air sensor 108 and venous S blood line clamp 112 (see FIG. 12 ). The tubing 84 then extends beyond the frame 400 , and carries an appropriate distal connector to couple to venous blood access site.
[0092] As FIG. 8 shows, the flexible tubing 118 extends beyond the frame 400 and carries a distal connector 120 to couple to the waste outlet of the hemofilter 34 (see FIG. 12 ). The tubing 118 thereby serves to convey waste fluid for fluid balancing and discharge. The flexible tubing 118 enters a recessed channel 414 d in the frame 400 and joins a connector C 8 . The connector C 8 couples the tubing 118 to the waste fluid management module 424 , and through the module 424 to ultrafiltration pump tube 145 (through connector C 1 ) and the waste pump tube 155 (through connector C 7 ). The pump tube 145 spans a cut-out 446 c in the frame 400 to connector C 2 , for engagement with the ultrafiltration pump 144 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ). The pump tube 155 spans a cut away region 446 d in the frame 400 to connector C 3 , for engagement with the waste fluid header region 154 of the dual header waste and replacement pump 152 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ).
[0093] Connectors C 2 and C 3 are fluidically coupled via the waste fluid management module 424 (see FIG. 10 ) to connectors C 10 and C 4 . As FIG. 8 shows, the flexible tubing 122 is coupled by the connector C 4 to an outlet of the waste management module 424 . The tubing 122 is guided through a recessed channel 414 e in the support frame 400 . Cut-away region 442 e on the frame 400 expose the tubing 122 for engagement with the waste line clamp 166 . The tubing 122 then extends beyond the frame 400 , with an appropriate distal connector 124 to couple to a waste bag or an external drain. It is through this tubing 122 that waste fluid is discharged after fluid balancing. An in-line air break 170 (see FIG. 12 ) can be provided in communication with the tubing 122 downstream of the waste clamp 166 , to prevent back flow of contaminants from the waste bag or drain.
[0094] Referring to FIG. 8 , the flexible tubing 172 serves to convey replacement fluid. The tubing 172 extends outside the frame 400 and includes a distal connector 174 that enables connection to multiple containers of replacement fluid 176 (see FIG. 12 ). The tubing 172 is guided by a recessed channel 414 f within the frame 400 . Cut-away regions 442 f and 442 g on the frame 400 expose the tubing 172 for engagement with an in line air sensor 182 and replacement fluid clamp 188 (see FIG. 12 ).
[0095] Flexible tubing 430 is guided through a recessed channel 414 g in the support frame 400 between two t-connectors, one in the arterial blood tubing 72 and the other in the replacement tubing 172 . The tubing 430 serves as the priming or bolus branch path 192 , as will be described. A cut-away region 442 h on the frame 400 exposes the tubing 430 for engagement with the priming clamp 194 on the machine 16 (see FIG. 12 ).
[0096] The replacement fluid tubing 172 is further guided by the recessed channel 414 h in the frame 400 to the replacement fluid pump tube 201 (previously described), which is also coupled via a connector C 5 to the replacement fluid management module 426 of the flexible fluid circuit 408 . As FIG. 11 also shows, connector C 5 is also fluidically coupled via the replacement fluid management module 426 to the connectors C 6 and C 9 . The pump tube 201 spans the cut away region 446 d in the frame 400 , for engagement with the replacement fluid header region 200 of the dual header waste and replacement pump 152 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ).
[0097] Flexible tubing 432 is coupled by a connector C 6 to the replacement fluid module 426 . The flexible tubing 432 is guided through a recessed channel 414 i in the support frame to a t-connector, which joins the replacement tubing 172 in the region immediately downstream of the connection with the replacement fluid pump tube 201 . The tubing 432 serves as the relief path 240 that prevents overfilling of the fluid balancing compartments, as will be described.
[0098] Flexible tubing 428 is coupled by a connector C 9 to the replacement fluid management module 426 . The tubing 428 is guided through a recessed channel 414 j in the support frame 400 in a small loop outside the frame 400 and is coupled by a t-connector to the venous blood return tubing 84 . It is through this path that replacement fluid is added to the venous blood being returned to the patient.
[0099] The bags 434 and 436 are secured in overlaying alignment to the interior surface 404 of the frame 400 by the connectors C 1 to C 10 , previously described.
[0100] FIG. 10 shows the waste management fluid circuit contained in the bag 434 , as it would appear if viewed from interior surface 404 of the support frame 400 (as FIG. 9 also shows). The bag 434 is shown in association with the ultrafiltration pump tube 145 and waste fluid pump tube 155 that are also carried on the region 406 of the support frame 400 .
[0101] The fluid circuit in the bag 434 includes the waste path 138 that leads to the waste side compartments 212 R and 214 R (for fluid balancing) by way of the waste pump 155 and the waste path 136 by way of the ultrafiltration pump 145 that bypasses the waste side compartments 212 R and 214 R (for ultrafiltration). The flow paths in the waste fluid circuit in the bag 434 also include the exposed waste inlet clamp regions 220 , to engage the valve assemblies 246 and 248 to control inflow of waste fluid into the waste compartments 212 R and 214 R, and the exposed waste outlet clamp regions 222 , to engage the valve assemblies 244 and 250 to control outflow of waste fluid from the waste compartments 212 R and 214 R. The fluid circuit also includes the pressure sensor region 160 , to engage the pressure sensor 156 (see FIG. 15 ) downstream of the waste and replacement fluid pump 152 .
[0102] FIG. 11 shows the replacement fluid management circuit contained in the bag 436 , as it would appear if viewed from the interior surface 404 of the support frame 400 (as FIG. 8 also shows). The bag 436 is shown in association with the replacement fluid pump tube 201 that is also carried in the region 406 of the support frame 400 . The replacement fluid pump tube 201 is located alongside the waste fluid pump tube 155 , on region 200 for concurrent engagement with the dual header waste and replacement pump 152 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ).
[0103] The fluid circuit in the bag 436 includes the replacement fluid paths which lead to and from the replacement side compartments 212 F and 214 F. The fluid circuit also includes the inlet clamp regions 224 , to engage the valve assemblies 244 and 250 on the machine 16 to control inflow of replacement fluid into the replacement side compartments 212 F and 214 F; and the outlet clamp regions 226 , to engage the valve assemblies 246 and 248 on the machine 16 to control outflow of replacement fluid from the replacement side compartments 212 F and 214 F. The fluid circuit includes a sensor region 204 , to engage the pressure sensor 202 (see FIG. 15 ) downstream of the waste and replacement pump 152 .
[0104] When the bags 434 and 436 are mounted in overlaying relationship on the interior frame surface 404 (as FIG. 9 shows), the replacement side compartments 212 F and 214 F and the waste side compartments 212 R and 214 R together rest in the convex recesses 412 in the region 406 of the exterior frame surface 402 . The inlet clamp regions of the waste compartments 212 R and 214 R formed on the waste panel 234 overlay the outlet clamp regions of the replacement compartments 212 F and 214 F formed on the replacement panel 232 , and vice versa.
[0105] The entry and exit paths serving the waste and replacement compartments formed in the bags 434 and 436 (shown in FIG. 9 ) are all located at the top of the chambers 212 R, 214 R, 212 F, and 214 F. Priming is achieved, as the paths are top-oriented. Furthermore, due to the overlaying relationship of bags 434 and 436 , the clamping regions 220 , 222 , 224 , and 226 are arranged to overlay one another. The overlaying arrangement of the clamping regions 220 , 222 , 224 , and 226 serving the waste and replacement compartments simplifies the number and operation of the inlet and outlet valve assemblies 216 and 218 on the machine 16 . Since the inlet clamp regions 224 for the replacement compartments 212 F and 214 F overlay the outlet clamp regions 222 for the waste compartments 212 R and 214 R, and vice versa, only four clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , 250 need be employed to simultaneously open and close the overlaying eight clamp regions.
[0000] 1. Achieving Synchronized Volumetric Fluid Balancing
[0106] In use, as FIG. 14 shows, the first clamping element 244 is movable into simultaneous clamping engagement with the inlet clamp region 224 of the replacement compartment 212 F (in the replacement fluid module bag 436 ) and the outlet clamp region 222 of the waste compartment 212 R (in the waste fluid module bag 434 ), closing both. Likewise, the fourth clamping element 250 is movable into simultaneous clamping engagement with the inlet clamp region 224 of the replacement compartment 214 F (in the replacement fluid module bag 436 ) and the outlet clamp region 222 of the waste compartment 214 R (in the waste fluid module bag 434 ).
[0107] The second clamping element 246 is movable into simultaneous clamping engagement with the outlet clamp region 226 of the replacement compartment 212 F and the inlet clamp region 220 of the waste compartment 212 R, closing both. Likewise, the third clamping element 248 is movable into simultaneous clamping engagement with the outlet clamp region 226 of the replacement compartment 214 F and the inlet clamp region 220 of the waste compartment 214 R, closing both.
[0108] The machine 16 toggles operation of the first and third clamping elements 244 , 248 in tandem, while toggling operation the second and fourth clamping elements 246 , 250 in tandem. When the first and third clamping elements 244 , 248 are operated to close their respective clamp regions, replacement fluid enters the replacement compartment 214 F to displace waste fluid from the underlying waste compartment 214 R, while waste fluid enters the waste compartment 212 R to displace replacement fluid from the overlaying replacement compartment 212 F. When the second and fourth clamping elements 246 , 250 are operated to close their respective clamp regions, replacement fluid enters the replacement compartment 212 F to displace waste fluid from the underlying waste compartment 212 R, while waste fluid enters the waste compartment 214 R to displace replacement fluid from the overlaying replacement compartment 214 F.
[0109] FIGS. 15 and 16 show a mechanically linked pump and valve system 300 that can be arranged on the chassis panel 26 of the machine 16 and used in association with the flexible fluid circuit 408 .
[0110] The system 300 includes three electric motors 302 , 304 , and 306 . The first motor 302 is mechanically linked by a drive belt 308 to a dual header waste and replacement pump 152 . The second motor 304 is mechanically linked by a drive belt 310 to a blood pump 92 . The third motor 306 is mechanically linked by a drive belt 312 to a ultrafiltration pump 144 .
[0111] A drive belt 314 also mechanically links the first motor to the first, second, third, and fourth clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 , via a cam actuator mechanism 316 . The cam actuator mechanism 316 includes, for each clamping element 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 a pinch valve 318 mechanically coupled to a cam 320 . The cams 320 rotate about a drive shaft 322 , which is coupled to the drive belt 314 .
[0112] Rotation of the cams 320 advances or withdraws the pinch valves 318 , according to the surface contour machined on the periphery of the cam 320 . When advanced, the pinch valve 318 closes the overlying clamp regions of the fluid circuit module bags 424 and 426 that lay in its path. When withdrawn, the pinch valve 318 opens the overlying clamp regions.
[0113] The cams 320 are arranged along the drive shaft 322 to achieve a predetermined sequence of pinch valve operation. During the sequence, the rotating cams 320 first simultaneously close all the clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 for a predetermined short time period, and then open clamping elements 244 and 248 , while closing clamping elements 246 and 250 for a predetermined time period. The rotating cams 320 then return all the clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 to a simultaneously closed condition for a short predetermined time period, and then open clamping elements 246 and 250 , while closing clamping elements 244 and 248 for a predetermined time period.
[0114] The sequence is repeated and achieves the balanced cycling of replacement fluid and waste fluid through the module bags 424 and 426 , as previously described. A chamber cycle occurs in the time interval that the valve elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 change from a simultaneously closed condition and return to the simultaneously closed condition.
[0115] In a preferred embodiment (see FIG. 17 ), each clamping element 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 comprises a valve pin 500 movable within a valve slot 506 in the chassis panel 26 . A rotating bearing surface 502 at one end of the valve pin 500 rides on the cam surface 504 of the corresponding rotating cam 320 . As the cam 320 rotates, the cam surface 504 presents regions of increasing or decreasing radius, causing the pin 500 to reciprocate within the valve slot 506 toward and away from the door 28 , which, during use of the fluid circuit 408 , faces the chassis panel 26 in the closed position.
[0116] A pinch valve 318 is carried at the opposite end of the valve pin 500 . The pinch valve 318 includes a pinch valve chamber 508 , in which the valve pin 500 rests. A spring 510 in the pinch valve chamber 508 couples the pinch valve 318 to the valve pin 500 . The spring 510 applies a fixed valve force against the pinch valve 318 , in the absence of physical contact between the end of the valve pin 500 and the pinch valve 318 . The spring 510 thereby mediates against over- and under-valving effects as a result of small changes in tolerance between the pin 500 and pinch valve 318 , fluid circuit module bag 424 and 426 thickness, and the closed gap between door 28 and chassis 26 .
[0117] When mounted for use on the chassis panel 26 , with the door 28 closed, the fluid circuit 408 is sandwiched between the panel 26 and the door 28 . Each pinch valve 318 is aligned with a valve plate 512 carried by the door 28 . The valve plate 512 is made from a hard plastic or metallic material. The valve plate 512 rests against a disk 514 on the door 28 , which can be made of rubber or another elastomeric material. The disk 514 , which can also be a spring, allows the valve plate 512 to move or “float” when the pinch valve applies a valve force. The valve plate 512 thereby accounts for any lack of perpendicularity between the pinch valve 318 and the valve plate 512 .
[0118] Movement of the pinch valve 318 toward the door 28 (as the cam surface 504 presents regions of increasing radius) pinches the intermediate, aligned clamp region in the fluid circuit 56 (comprised of modules 424 and 426 overlying one another) between the pinch valve 318 and the valve plate 512 , thereby closing the valve region. Likewise, movement of the pinch valve 318 toward the door 28 (as the cam surface 504 presents regions of decreasing radius) separates the pinch valve 318 from the valve plate 514 , thereby opening the intermediate valve region. The cam actuator mechanism 316 mechanically links the clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 ratiometrically with the first motor 302 . As the motor 302 increases or decreases the speed of the dual header waste and replacement pump 152 , the operation of the clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 and 250 increases or decreases a proportional amount.
[0119] In a preferred embodiment, the ratio is set so that the flow rate per unit time through the waste pump header region 154 (i.e., through waste path 434 ) approximately equals three-fourths of the volume of the waste compartment 212 R/ 214 R, while maintaining the cycle rate of 10 cycles per minute for a waste fluid flow rate of approximately 200 ml/min. For example, if the chamber volume is 25 cc, the cycle occurs after 18 to 21 cc of waste fluid enters the compartment. In other embodiments, the cycle rate is 9-11 cycles per minute for a waste fluid flow rate of approximately 180-220 ml/min, or the cycle rate is 8-12 cycles per minute for a waste fluid flow rate of approximately 160-240 ml/min.
[0120] In the illustrated embodiment, the waste pump header 155 is made smaller in diameter than the replacement fluid header 201 . Thus, during operation of the dual header pump 152 , which is made up of pump regions 154 and 200 , the flow rate through the replacement fluid header region 200 / 201 (through replacement fluid path 426 ) will always be larger than the flow rate through the waste pump header region 154 / 155 (through waste path 424 ). Due to the higher flow rate through the replacement fluid path 426 , a pressure relief path 438 (see FIG. 11 ) and 432 (see FIGS. 12 and 8 ) with pressure relief bypass valve 242 (see FIG. 15 ) is provided, to prevent overfilling. In the illustrated embodiment, the valve 242 is a mechanically spring biased pressure regulator, and serves the pressure regulation and bypass function of the machine 16 .
[0121] In this arrangement, the in-line compartment that receives waste fluid will fill to approximately three-fourths of its volume during each cycle, displacing an equal amount of replacement fluid from its companion compartment. At the same time, the other in-line compartment that receives replacement fluid will fill completely. If the compartment completely fills with replacement fluid before the end of the cycle, the pressure relief bypass valve 242 (see FIG. 15 ) will open to circulate replacement fluid through the relief path 240 , made up of 438 , C 6 , and 432 (see FIG. 12 ), to prevent overfilling. During the next cycle, waste fluid in the compartment will be completely displaced by the complete fill of replacement fluid in its companion compartment.
[0122] The provision of a higher flow rate in the replacement fluid path also facilitates initial priming (as will be described later) only several chamber cycles are required to completely prime the in-line containers 212 and 214 with replacement fluid before fluid balancing operations begin.
[0123] The pump and valve system 300 used in association with the fluid circuit 408 achieves accurate fluid balancing, e.g., during hemofiltration, hemodialysis, hemodialysis with hemofiltration, and peritoneal dialysis.
[0000] B. Fluid Flow Path Dimensions
[0124] In one embodiment, key functional regions within the flexible fluid circuits are formed to possess dimensions that lay within critical ranges, to thereby achieve desired fluid flow conditions, pressure sensing conditions, fluid balancing functions, and valve functions. For example, each fluid balancing chamber 212 F/R and 214 F/R is formed to have a height (measured between the bottom of the chamber and the clamp regions) of between about 3.25 inches and about 5.0 inches, with a nominal height of about 3.6 inches. In this embodiment, each fluid balancing chamber 212 F/R and 214 F/R is formed to have a width (measured between the sides of the chamber and determined by the width of pinch clamp 318 ) of between about 1.0 inch and about 2.75 inches, with a nominal width of about 1.2 inches. These dimensions help optimize volumetric fluid balance functions.
[0125] Further, in another embodiment, each clamp region 220 / 222 and 224 / 226 is formed to have a channel width of between about 0.10 inch and 0.40 inch. Bead suppression measures are employed in the clamp regions 220 / 222 and 224 / 226 to keep the material adjacent the welded seams, which form the clamp regions, from exceeding more than twice the thickness of the material walls. These steps assure reliable functioning of the overlaying clamp regions in association with the external clamps.
[0126] Also, in another embodiment, the ultrafiltration fluid path 136 is formed to have a channel width of greater than about 0.140 inch but less than about 0.60 inch. This optimizes the flow of waste fluid.
[0127] In a preferred embodiment, the regions where pressure is sensed in the fluid circuit is formed to have in an interior diameter that is greater than 0.40 inch, to optimize pressure sensing without an air-blood interface using external sensors.
[0128] Also in a preferred embodiment, the passage 438 in the replacement fluid management module 426 that leads to the bypass tubing 432 (see FIG. 11 ) is formed with a channel width of between about 0.050 inch and 0.60 inch. The width is matched with pinch portion of regulator 242 . This establishes the proper balanced flow conditions to prevent chamber overfilling. The foregoing dimensions and ranges are set forth solely for the purpose of illustrating typical device dimensions. The actual dimensions of a device constructed according to the principles of the present invention may obviously vary outside of the listed ranges without departing from those basic principles.
[0000] C. Representative Hemofiltration Modalities
[0129] During hemofiltration, blood is drawn from the person at a prescribed flow rate (BFR). Waste fluid is removed from the blood flow through filter 34 and volumetrically balanced with replacement fluid, which is returned in the venous blood flow at a prescribed rate (RFR). A prescribed net ultrafiltration volume of waste fluid is also removed at a prescribed flow rate (UFR) with fluid balancing, to control net weight loss. Operation of the machine 16 in a hemofiltration mode terminates when either (i) the replacement fluid sensor indicates the absence of replacement fluid flow by sensing the presence of air (i.e., no more replacement fluid) and the net ultrafiltration goal has been achieved; or (ii) the time prescribed for the session has elapsed.
[0130] Hemofiltration can also be performed without an ultrafiltration function (which can be called balanced hemofiltration). This mode can be used for persons that experience no weight gains between treatment sessions. This mode can also be used at the end of a hemofiltration session, when the net ultrafiltration goal was achieved before exhausting the supply of replacement fluid.
[0131] During another hemofiltration modality (called only net ultrafiltration), only a net ultrafiltration volume of waste is removed from the person. No fluid is replaced. This mode can be used when it is desired only to remove fluid. This mode can also be used at the end of a hemofiltration session, when the net ultrafiltration goal has not been achieved but the supply of replacement fluid has been exhausted.
[0132] In another hemofiltration modality (called replacement fluid bolus), there are no fluid balancing and ultrafiltration functions. Blood is circulated in an extracorporeal path and a bolus of replacement fluid is added. In the illustrated embodiment, the ultrafiltration pump 144 is run in reverse at a speed equal to the waste and replacement pump 152 . This recirculates waste fluid through the waste compartments 212 R and 214 R, to add replacement fluid from the replacement compartments 212 F and 214 F to the patient. The waste fluid that is recirculated limits waste fluid removal through the hemofilter 34 , yielding replacement fluid addition without additional waste fluid removal. The net volume of added replacement fluid conveyed to the patient equals the volume of waste fluid recirculated. This mode can be used to return fluid to a person in a bolus volume, e.g., during a hypotensive episode or during rinse back at the end of a given hemofiltration session.
[0000] 1. Controlling the Blood Flow Rate
[0133] High blood flow rates (e.g., in some embodiments at least 200 ml/min or more, in other embodiments at least 300 ml/min or more, in other embodiments at least 400 ml/min or more, in other embodiments at least 500 ml/min or more, and in other embodiments at least 600 ml/min or more) are conducive to rapid, efficient frequent hemofiltration. The high blood flow rates not only reduce the processing time, but also significantly increases the transport rate of uremic toxins across the hemofiltration membrane. In this way, the system 10 removes high concentrations of uremic toxins, without requiring the removal of high fluid volumes, with the attendant loss of electrolytes.
[0134] The blood flow rate (BFR) can be prescribed by an attending physician and input by the operator at the beginning of a treatment session. Alternatively, the machine 16 can automatically control to achieve an optimal BFR and minimize procedure time, based upon a desired filtration fraction value (FF), ultrafiltration flow rate (UFR), and replacement fluid flow rate (RFR), as follows: BFR=(RFR+UFR)/FF where:
[0135] FF is the desired percentage of fluid to be removed from the blood stream through the hemofilter 34 .
[0136] A desired FF (typically 20% to 35%) for post dilution HF can be either preset or prescribed by the attending physician. A desired FF takes into account the desired therapeutic objectives of toxin removal, as well as the performance characteristics of the hemofilter 34 . A nominal FF can be determined based upon empirical and observed information drawn from a population of individuals undergoing hemofiltration. A maximum value of approximately 30% is believed to be appropriate for most individuals and hemofilters 34 , to achieve a desired therapeutic result without clogging of the hemofilter 34 .
[0137] In the illustrated embodiment, an arterial line sensor is incorporated into the extracorporeal circuit. The sensor 98 is an ultrasonic air leak detector, which also can provide the added capacity to sense flow rate.
[0138] In the illustrated embodiment, the machine 16 senses waste fluid pressure to control the blood flow rate to optimize the removal of fluid across the hemofilter 34 . As arterial blood flows through the hemofilter 34 (controlled by the blood pump 92 ), a certain volume of waste fluid will cross the membrane into the waste line 118 . The volume of waste fluid entering the waste line 118 depends upon the magnitude of the transmembrane pressure, or the pressure differential between the blood on the inside of filter fibers and the waste fluid on the outside of the fibers. As waste fluid is pumped away, the transmembrane pressure increases pushing waste fluid across membrane to replace removed waste. The transmembrane pressure is sensed by the sensor 132 . The waste fluid pressure is adjusted by controlling the waste fluid removal rate through the fluid balancing compartments (i.e., through control of the waste and replacement pump 152 ) and through the UF pump 144 .
[0139] The machine 16 monitors the waste fluid pressure at sensor 132 . By keeping the pressure sensed by the sensor 132 slightly above zero (approximately 30 to 100 mmHg), the machine 16 achieves the maximum removal of fluid from the blood at the operative blood flow rate. Waste pressure values significantly higher than zero will limit removal of fluid from the blood and keep a higher percentage of waste fluid in the blood (i.e., result in a lower filtration fraction). However, this may be desirable for persons who tend to clot easier. The machine 16 can also include a waste pressure alarm to indicate when the sensed waste fluid pressure does not meet set criteria.
[0140] By sensing waste fluid pressure by sensor 132 , the machine 16 also indirectly monitors arterial blood pressure and flow. At a constant blood pump speed, changes in arterial blood flow caused, e.g., by access clotting or increased arterial blood pressure, makes less waste fluid available in the waste line 118 . At a given speed for pump 152 , change in arterial blood flow will lower the sensed waste pressure at sensor 132 to a negative value, as fluid is now drawn across the membrane. The machine 16 adjusts for the change in arterial blood flow by correcting the waste fluid removal rate through the pump 152 and 144 , to bring the waste pressure back to slightly above zero, or to another set value.
[0141] In this arrangement, a pressure sensor in the arterial blood line is not required. If the arterial pressure increases at a fixed blood pump speed, the blood flow must drop, which will result in a sensed related drop in the waste fluid pressure by the sensor 132 . Adjusting the pump 152 and 144 to achieve a pressure slightly above zero corrects the reduced arterial blood flow. In this arrangement, since the waste fluid pressure is maintained at a slightly positive value, it is not possible to develop a reverse transmembrane pressure, which conveys waste fluid back to the person's blood. The maximum transmembrane pressure is the maximum venous pressure, since waste fluid pressure is held slightly positive.
[0142] In an alternative arrangement, arterial blood pressure can be measured by a sensor located upstream of the blood pump. The rate of the blood pump is set to maintain sensed arterial blood pressure at a predetermined control point. This controls the blood pump speed to a maximum rate. The control point can be determined, e.g., on a day-to-day basis, to take into account the blood access function of the person undergoing treatment. Use of an arterial pressure control point minimizes the treatment time, or, alternatively, if treatment time is fixed, the removal of waste fluid can maximized.
[0143] In this arrangement, safety alarms can be included should the sensed arterial pressure become more negative than the control point, along with a function to shut down the blood pump should an alarm occur.
[0144] In an alternative arrangement, a flow rate sensor can be placed in the arterial blood line to sense an actual blood flow rate. The sensed blood flow rate is compared to a commanded blood flow rate, and the blood pump is controlled to a commanded difference between the two flow rates. In this way, a maximum blood flow rate can be achieved. Alternatively, as arterial blood pressure can be expressed as a function of flow rate, arterial blood pressure can be derived from the sensed flow rate. The rate of the blood pump is set to maintain the derived arterial blood pressure at a predetermined control point. This controls the blood pump speed to a maximum rate. As stated above, use of an arterial pressure control point minimizes the treatment time, or, alternatively, if treatment time is fixed, the removal of waste fluid can be maximized by controlling waste fluid pressure, as described above.
[0000] 2. Controlling the Replacement Fluid Flow Rate
[0145] RFR can be prescribed by an attending physician and inputted by the operator at the beginning of a treatment session.
[0146] Alternatively, the machine 16 can automatically control RFR to minimize procedure time based upon the desired filtration fraction value (FF), BFR, and UFR, as follows: RFR=(BFR*FF)-UFR.
[0147] In the illustrated embodiment, waste is conveyed to the waste side compartments 212 R and 214 R, and replacement fluid is conveyed to the replacement side compartments 212 F and 214 F, by operation of the dual header waste and replacement fluid pump 152 . Alternatively, separate waste and replacement fluid pumps can be provided.
[0148] The speed of the waste and replacement pump 152 is controlled to achieve the desired RFR. The machine 16 cycles the inlet and outlet valve assemblies 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 , as described. The machine 16 cycles between the valve states according to the speed of the waste and fluid pump 152 to avoid overfilling the compartments 212 , 214 receiving fluid. Various synchronization techniques can be used.
[0149] In a preferred embodiment, the waste fluid is pumped at RFR, and the replacement fluid is pumped at a higher rate, but is subject to pressure relief through the pressure relief path 240 upon filling the corresponding replacement side compartment 212 F and 214 F.
[0150] In another arrangement, the timing of the transition between valve cycles is determined by active sensing of pressure within the compartments 212 , 214 receiving liquid. As the two matching walls of chambers 212 R/ 2 12 F and 214 R/ 2 14 F reach the end of their travels, pressure will increase, signaling an end of cycle to switch valve states.
[0151] In yet another arrangement, the location of the two matching walls of chambers 212 R/ 212 F and 214 R/ 214 F as they reach the end of their travels are actively sensed by end of cycle sensors on the machine 16 . The sensors can comprise, e.g., optical sensors, capacitance sensors, magnetic Hall effect sensors, or by radio frequency (e.g., microwave) sensors. The termination of movement of the walls indicates the complete filling of a compartment and the concomitant emptying of the other compartment, marking the end of a cycle. The sensors trigger an end of cycle signal to switch valve states.
[0152] The machine 16 counts the valve cycles. Since a known volume of replacement fluid is expelled from a replacement side compartment during each valve cycle, the machine 16 can derive the total replacement volume from the number of valve cycles. The replacement fluid volume is also known by the number of replacement fluid bags of known volume that are emptied during a given session.
[0153] Hemofiltration can be conducted without fluid replacement, i.e., only net ultrafiltration, by setting RFR to zero.
[0000] 3. Controlling the Ultrafiltration Flow Rate
[0154] UFR can be prescribed by an attending physician and inputted by the operator at the beginning of a treatment session.
[0155] The speed of the ultrafiltration pump is monitored and varied to maintain UFR.
[0156] Frequent hemofiltration can be conducted without an ultrafiltration function, i.e., balanced hemofiltration, by setting UFR to zero.
[0000] 4. Active Filtration Rate Control
[0157] In an alternative embodiment, the machine 16 also actively controls the filtration rate along with the blood flow rate, to achieve a desired magnitude of uremic toxin removal through the hemofilter 34 .
[0158] In this embodiment, the machine 16 includes a flow restrictor which is positioned to engage a region of the venous blood return path 84 in the circuit 18 . The restrictor comprises, e.g., a stepper-driven pressure clamp, which variably pinches a region of the venous blood return path upon command to alter the outlet flow rate of blood. This, in turn, increases or decreases the transmembrane pressure across the filter membrane.
[0159] For a given blood flow rate, waste transport across the filter membrane will increase with increasing transmembrane pressure, and vice versa. However, at some point, an increase in transmembrane pressure, aimed at maximizing waste transport across the filter membrane, will drive cellular blood components against the filter membrane. Contact with cellular blood components can also clog the filter membrane pores, which decreases waste transport through the membrane.
[0160] Filtration rate control can also rely upon an upstream sensor mounted on the machine 16 . The sensor is positioned for association with a region of the arterial blood supply path between the blood pump 92 and the inlet of the hemofilter 34 . The sensor senses the hematocrit of the blood prior to its passage through the filter membrane (which will be called the pre-treatment hematocrit). In the arrangement, a downstream sensor is also mounted on the machine 16 . The sensor is positioned for association with a region of the venous blood return path downstream of the outlet of the hemofilter 34 . The sensor senses the hematocrit of the blood after its passage through the hemofilter 34 (which will be called the post-treatment hematocrit).
[0161] The difference between pre-treatment and post-treatment hematocrit is a function of the degree of waste fluid removal by the hemofilter 34 . That is, for a given blood flow rate, the more waste fluid that is removed by the hemofilter 34 , the greater the difference will be between the pre-treatment and post-treatment hematocrits, and vice versa. The machine 16 can therefore derive an actual blood fluid reduction ratio based upon the difference detected by sensors between the pre-treatment and post-treatment hematocrits. The machine 16 periodically compares the derived fluid reduction value, based upon hematocrit sensing by the sensors, with the desired FF. The machine 16 issues a command to the flow restrictor to bring the difference to zero.
[0162] Waste fluid removal optimization can also be achieved by maintaining a maximum specified transmembrane pressure in the hemofilter by manipulating blood flow rate, and/or venous blood pressure, and/or waste fluid pressure. This optimization technique can be undertaken once at the outset of a given procedure, or at several intervals during the course of a procedure. In this arrangement, arterial blood pressure sensing (or derivation thereof based upon flow rate sensing) is implemented to achieve a maximum blood flow rate. A fixed or variable flow restrictor is placed in the venous blood return path to maintain a set maximum transmembrane pressure (e.g., 600 mmHg) while the maximum arterial blood flow rate is maintained. Pressure is sensed in the venous blood return path to assure that venous pressure does not exceed a set maximum amount (e.g., 250 mmHg), which is set for safety reasons. Waste fluid pressure is kept slightly above 50 mmHg. Together, control of transmembrane pressure at the maximum blood flow rate and control of waste fluid pressure at a maximum blood flow rate, maximize the waste fluid removal rate.
[0000] 5. Set Up Pressure Testing/Priming
[0163] Upon mounting the disposable fluid circuit 18 on the machine 16 , the pumps can be operated in forward and reverse modes and the valves operated accordingly to establish predetermined pressure conditions within the circuit. The sensors monitor build up of pressure within the circuit, as well as decrease in pressure over time. In this way, the machine can verify the function and integrity of pumps, the pressure sensors, the valves, and the flow paths overall.
[0164] The machine 16 can also verify the accuracy of the ultrafiltration pump using the fluid balancing containers.
[0165] Priming can be accomplished at the outset of each hemofiltration session to flush air and any residual fluid from the disposable fluid circuit. Fluid paths from the blood lines to the waste bag are flushed with replacement fluid. Replacement fluid is also circulated through the fluid balancing containers into the waste bag and the venous return path. The higher flow rate in the replacement fluid path and timing of the fluid balancing valve elements assure that the replacement fluid compartments completely fill and the waste fluid compartments completely empty during each cycle for priming.
[0000] 6. Rinse Back
[0166] As previously described, waste fluid pressure is controlled and monitored to assure its value is always positive. Likewise, pressure between the blood pump and the hemofilter must also be positive, so that air does not enter this region of the circuit. Forward operation of the blood pump to convey arterial blood into the hemofilter establishes this positive pressure condition.
[0167] In this arrangement, no air sensing is required in the blood line, and a pressure sensor between the blood pump and the hemofilter is required.
[0000] 7. Using the GUI
[0168] When configured to guide an operator to perform hemofiltration, or another treatment modality, the GUI 324 (see FIG. 19 ) can, e.g., include an array of icon-based touch button controls 326 , 328 , 330 , and 332 . For example, the controls can include an icon-based treatment start/select touch button 326 , an icon-based treatment stop touch button 328 , an icon-based audio alarm mute touch button 330 , and an icon-based add fluid touch button 332 .
[0169] An array of three numeric entry and display fields can appear between the icon-based touch buttons. The fields can comprise information display bars 334 , 336 , and 338 , each with associated touch keys 340 to incrementally change the displayed information.
[0170] The associated touch keys 340 can be provided to point up (to increase the displayed value) or down (to decrease the displayed value), to intuitively indicate their function. The display bars 334 , 336 , and 338 and touch keys 340 can be shaded in different colors.
[0171] An array of status indicator bars can appear across the top of the screen. The left bar 342 , when lighted, displays a safe color (e.g., green) to indicate a safe operation condition. The middle bar 344 , when lighted, displays a cautionary color (e.g., yellow) to indicate a caution or warning condition and may, if desired, display a numeric or letter identifying the condition. The right bar 346 , when lighted, displays an alarm color (e.g., red) to indicate a safety alarm condition and may, if desired, display a numeric or letter identifying the condition.
[0172] The display can also a processing status touch button 348 . For example, the button 348 , when touched, can change for a period of time (e.g., 5 seconds) the values displayed in the information display bars 334 , 336 , and 338 , to show the corresponding current real time values, e.g., for a hemofiltration modality, the replacement fluid volumes exchanged (in the top display bar 334 ), the ultrafiltrate volume (in the middle display bar 336 ), and the blood volume processed (in the bottom display bar 338 ). The status button 348 , when touched, can also show the elapsed procedure time in the left status indicator bar 342 .
[0173] The display can also include a cartridge status icon 350 . The icon 350 , when lighted, can indicate that the cartridge 18 can be installed or removed from the machine 16 .
[0174] In a preferred arrangement, the GUI 324 can employ a touch button input verification function, which monitors the information provided by the touch button controls. The input verification function inputs the information provided by a given touch button control both to the system control processor and to the system safety processor. The two processors communicate using an appropriate handshake protocol when the information received by the system control processor matches the information received by the system safety processor. The handshake allows information input to proceed for execution. The lack of a handshake between the system control processor and system safety processor indicates a possible information input error. In this instance, the GUI generates an error signal which requires a re-entry of the information input and a subsequent handshake before information input can proceed for execution.
[0175] As FIG. 19 shows, the interface can also include an infrared port 360 to support the telemetry function, as already described.
[0176] The GUI 324 , though straightforward and simplified, enables the operator to set these various processing parameters for a given hemofiltration session in different ways.
[0177] For example, in one input mode for hemofiltration, the GUI 324 can prompt the operator by back-lighting the replacement fluid display bar 334 , the ultrafiltration display bar 336 , and the blood flow rate display bar 338 . The operator follows the lights and enters the desired processing values using the associated touch up/down buttons 340 . The GUI back-lights the start/select touch button 326 , prompting the operator to begin the treatment. In this mode, the machine 16 controls the pumps to achieve the desired replacement fluid, ultrafiltration, and blood flow rates set by the operator. The machine terminates the procedure when all the replacement fluid is used and the net ultrafiltration goal is achieved.
[0178] In another input mode for hemofiltration, the operator can specify individual processing objectives, and the machine 16 will automatically set and maintain appropriate pump values to achieve these objectives. This mode can be activated, e.g., by pressing the start/select touch button 326 while powering on the machine 16 . The GUI 324 changes the function of the display bars 334 and 336 , so that the operator can select and change processing parameters. In the illustrated embodiment, the processing parameters are assigned identification numbers, which can be scrolled through and selected for display in the top bar 334 using the touch up/down keys 340 . The current value for the selected parameter is displayed in the middle display bar 336 , which the operator can change using the touch up/down keys 340 .
[0179] In this way, the operator can, e.g., specify a desired filtration factor value (FF) along with a desired ultrafiltration flow rate (UFR) and replacement fluid flow rate (RFR). The machine will automatically control the blood pump rate (BFR), based upon the relationship BFR=(RFR+UFR)/FF, as already described.
[0180] Alternatively, the operator can specify a desired filtration factor value (FF) along with a desired ultrafiltration flow rate (UFR) and blood flow rate (BFR). The machine will automatically control the replacement fluid pump rate (RFR), based upon the relationship RFR=(BFR*FF)-UFR, as already described.
[0181] Alternatively, the operator can specify only an ultrafiltration volume. In this arrangement, the machine 16 senses waste fluid pressure to automatically control the blood flow rate to optimize the removal of fluid across the hemofilter 34 , as previously described. Alternatively, the machine can automatically control the blood flow rate to optimize removal of fluid based a set control arterial blood pressure, as also already described. Still alternatively, the machine can automatically optimize the ultrafiltration flow rate and blood flow rate to achieve the desired net ultrafiltration volume.
[0182] In another mode, the operator can specify both replacement fluid volume and ultrafiltration volume to remove. In this arrangement, the machine performs a countdown of the sum of the two fluid volumes to minimize the duration of the treatment.
[0183] While particular devices and methods have been described, once this description is known, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and alternative steps are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, it will be apparent that certain features of each embodiment can be used in combination with devices illustrated in other embodiments. Accordingly, the above description should be construed as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined by the following claims.
[0000] I. System Overview
[0184] FIG. 1 shows a system 10 that is well suited for handling fluids in support of various types of blood processing and/or fluid exchange procedures. The system 10 includes a durable hardware component or machine 16 (see FIG. 2 ) and a removable fluid processing cartridge 18 (see FIG. 3 ) that is intended to be installed in operative association with the machine 16 for use (see FIGS. 4 to 6 ).
[0185] The system 10 is suitable for use in many diverse treatment modalities during which blood and/or fluid are conveyed to and from an animal body. In particular, the system 10 is well suited for treatment modalities during which one fluid is removed from the body and replaced with another fluid in a controlled fashion. Such modalities include, e.g., hemofiltration (HF), hemodialysis (HD), hemodialysis with hemofiltration (HDF), and peritoneal dialysis (PD).
[0186] For example, the system 10 can perform hemofiltration, e.g., to treat an individual whose renal function is impaired or lacking, according to different selected protocols. The system 10 can be adapted to perform hemofiltration at relatively high blood flow rates to enable relatively short session time intervals, as well as at lower blood flow rates and over longer session time intervals. The former protocol can be adopted to achieve hemofiltration three or more times a week. The latter protocol can be adapted to achieve an overnight treatment regime, which can be called “nightly hemofiltration.” Nightly hemofiltration can be conducted at intervals less or more frequent than three times a week. Alternatively, the system 10 can be adapted to perform hemofiltration on an acute basis, or on an intermittent chronic basis, at virtually any prescribed time interval and treatment pattern that achieves the maintenance of uremic toxin levels within a comfortable range. Thus, the system 10 can be adapted to perform multiple hemofiltration treatments per day at varying session times, morning, afternoon, or night, or a combination thereof.
[0187] The system 10 can also just as readily be adapted to perform hemodialysis (HD) or hemodialysis with hemofiltration (HDF). The fluid balancing functions that the system 10 can perform, as will be described in greater detail later, can also be readily adapted for use, either individually or in combination, in systems intended to perform prescribed peritoneal dialysis modalities.
[0188] The type and make-up of fluids that the system 10 can balance can and will vary according to the particular treatment modality being performed, e.g., among waste fluid and replacement fluid (in HF or HDF); or replacement fluid and dialysis solution (in HD or HDF); or fresh peritoneal dialysis solution and spent peritoneal dialysis solution (in PD). The terminology employed in this Specification in characterizing a particular type or make-up of fluid, or as ascribing a source, destination, or direction of fluid flow in the context of describing one treatment modality is not intended to be interpreted as being limited to that particular type or make up of fluid or that particular flow source, destination, or direction. Rather, a person of skill in the art will readily appreciate that the fluid type and make up and the flow particulars relating to volumetric fluid balancing can vary with different treatment modalities.
[0000] A. Fluid Processing Machine
[0189] The machine 16 (see FIG. 2 ) is preferably lightweight and portable, presenting a compact footprint, suited for operation on a table top or other relatively small surface normally found, e.g., in a hospital room or in a home. The compact size of the machine 16 also makes it well suited for shipment to a remote service depot for maintenance and repair.
[0190] Desirably, the machine 16 includes an operator interface 44 (see FIG. 2 ). FIG. 19 shows a representative display 324 for the operator interface 44 for the machine. The display 324 comprises a graphical user interface (GUI), which, in the illustrated embodiment, is displayed by the interface 44 on the exterior of the door 28 , as depicted in FIG. 2 . The GUI can be realized, e.g., as a membrane switch panel, using an icon-based touch button membrane. The GUI can also be realized as a “C” language program.
[0191] The GUI 324 presents to the operator a simplified information input and output platform, with graphical icons, push buttons, and display bars. The icons, push buttons, and display bars are preferably back-lighted in a purposeful sequence to intuitively lead the operator through set up, execution, and completion of a given treatment session.
[0000] B. The Fluid Processing Cartridge
[0192] The processing cartridge 18 (see FIG. 3 ) provides the fluid interface for the machine 16 . The fluid interface between the cartridge 18 and machine 16 makes possible a fast and convenient one step process for loading the cartridge 18 for use on the machine 16 (see FIGS. 4 to 6 ).
[0193] In one embodiment, the cartridge 18 establishes a fixed orientation for fluid circuit elements and their operative interface with the hardware elements, such as pumps, sensors, and clamps, on the machine 16 . The fixed orientation requires that all safety and control elements on the cartridge 18 and machine 16 are brought into operative association in a single, straightforward loading step. Due to the cartridge 18 , the operator cannot place one part of the fluid circuit into an operating condition with one or more hardware elements on the machine 16 without placing the entire fluid circuit into an operating condition with all the hardware elements, including safety systems, on the machine 16 .
[0194] Desirably, the cartridge 18 makes possible the elimination of air-blood interfaces, and/or positive pressure monitoring. In association with the machine 16 , the fluid cartridge 18 can also perform accurate, synchronized volumetric fluid balancing, without the need for weight sensing, as will be described in greater detail later.
[0195] The consolidation of all blood and fluid flow paths in a single, easily installed cartridge 18 avoids the potential of contamination, by minimizing the number of connections and disconnections needed during a given treatment session. By enabling a dwell or wait mode on the machine 16 , the cartridge 18 can remain mounted to the machine 16 after one treatment session for an extended dwell or break period and allow reconnection and continued use by the same person in a subsequent session for any reason, for example, or in a continuation of a session following x-rays or testing.
[0196] The cartridge 18 can therefore provide multiple intermittent treatment sessions during a prescribed time period, without exchange of the cartridge 18 after each treatment session. The time of use confines are typically prescribed by the attending physician or technical staff for the treatment center to avoid bio-contamination and can range, e.g., from 48 hours to 120 hours, and more typically 72 to 80 hours. The cartridge 18 can carry a bacteriostatic agent that can be returned to the patient (e.g., an anticoagulant, saline, ringers lactate, or alcohol) and/or be refrigerated during storage.
[0197] The single step loading function can be accomplished in various ways. In the illustrated embodiment (see FIG. 2 ), the machine 16 includes a chassis panel 26 and a panel door 28 . The door 28 moves on a pair of rails 31 in a path toward and away from the chassis panel 26 (as shown by arrows in FIG. 2 ). A slot 27 is formed between the chassis panel 26 and the door 28 . As FIGS. 4 to 6 show, when the door 28 is positioned away from the panel 26 , the operator can, in a simple vertical (i.e., downward) motion (see FIG. 4 ), move a fluid processing cartridge 18 into the slot 27 and, in a simple horizontal (i.e., sideway) motion (see FIG. 5 ), fit the cartridge 18 onto the chassis panel 26 . When properly oriented, the fluid processing cartridge 18 may rest on the rails 31 to help position the cartridge 18 . As FIG. 6 shows, movement of the door 28 toward the panel 26 engages and further supports the cartridge 18 for use on the panel 26 . This position of the door 28 will be called the closed position.
[0198] The machine 16 preferably includes a latching mechanism 30 and a sensor 32 (see FIG. 2 ) to secure the door 28 and cartridge 18 against movement before enabling circulation of fluid through the cartridge 18 .
[0199] The cartridge 18 can be constructed in various ways. FIG. 3 (in an assembled view) and FIG. 7 (in an exploded view) show an embodiment of a cartridge 18 , which can be used to in association with the machine 16 to perform a selected treatment modality. In this embodiment, the cartridge 18 includes a preformed support frame 400 manufactured, e.g., by thermoforming polystyrene or another comparable material. The support frame 400 presents an exterior surface 402 (shown in plane view FIG. 8 ) and an oppositely facing interior surface 404 (shown in plane view in FIG. 9 ).
[0200] When installed for use on the machine 16 , the exterior surface 402 is oriented toward the door 28 , and the interior surface 404 is oriented toward the chassis panel 26 . An icon 440 imprinted on the exterior surface 402 (see FIG. 8 ) guides the operator in mounting the frame 400 on the chassis panel 26 in the proper front-to-back and up-and-down orientation.
[0201] As FIG. 7 best shows, the interior surface 404 of the frame 400 carries a flexible fluid circuit 408 . In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible fluid circuit 408 comprises one or more individual fluid management modules. The modules can be dedicated to different processing functions. For example, one module can handle fluid being removed from the body, while another module can handle fluid being supplied to the body. These processing functions can be synchronized by various means of orienting the modules with each other, and with the common hardware elements on the machine 16 .
[0202] In the illustrated embodiment (see FIG. 7 ), two modules 424 and 426 are provided, which are shown individually in FIGS. 10 and 11 , respectively. As FIG. 7 shows, lengths of flexible tubing 418 communicate with modules 424 and 426 of the flexible fluid circuit 408 , to convey fluid to and from the modules 424 and 426 . Together, the flexible fluid circuit 408 and tubing 418 form a fluid processing circuit 420 .
[0203] The modules 424 and 426 themselves can be constructed in various ways, depending upon the particular processing functions that are intended to be performed.
[0204] In the illustrated embodiment (see FIGS. 10 and 11 ), the modules 424 and 426 take the form of fluid circuit bags 434 and 436 . Each bag 434 and 436 is formed, e.g., by radio frequency welding together two sheets of medical plastic material (e.g., polyvinyl chloride). Each bag 434 and 436 includes an interior array of radio frequency seals forming fluid paths, chamber regions, sensor regions, and clamp regions.
[0205] In the illustrated embodiment, when secured to the interior surface 404 of the frame 400 (see FIGS. 7 and 9 ), the bag 434 rests over the bag 436 , so that portions of the fluid circuits defined by the modules 424 and 426 overlay one another. As will be explained later, this makes possible synchronization of different processing functions using common hardware elements on the machine 16 .
[0000] II. Telemetry for the System
[0206] The system 10 can also include a telemetry network 22 (see FIGS. 1 and 18 ). The telemetry network 22 provides the means to link the machine 16 in communication with other locations 254 via, e.g., cellular networks, digital networks, modem, Internet, or satellites. A given location 254 can, for example, receive data from the machine 16 at the treatment location or transmit data to a data transmission/receiving device 296 at the treatment location, or both. A main server 256 can monitor operation of the machine 16 or therapeutic parameters of the person undergoing the specified treatment. The main server 256 can also provide helpful information to the person undergoing the specified treatment. The telemetry network 22 can download processing or service commands to the data receiver/transmitter 296 .
[0000] 1. Remote Information Management
[0207] FIG. 18 shows a representative telemetry network 22 in association with a machine 16 that carries out a specified treatment modality. The telemetry network 22 includes the data receiver/transmitter 296 coupled to the machine 16 . The data receiver/transmitter 296 can be electrically isolated from the machine 16 , if desired. The telemetry network 22 also includes a main data base server 256 coupled to the data receiver/transmitter 296 and an array of satellite servers 260 linked to the main data base server 256 .
[0208] The data generated by the machine 16 during operation is processed by the data receiver/transmitter 296 . The data is stored, organized, and formatted for transmission to the main data base server 256 . The data base server 256 further processes and dispenses the information to the satellite data base servers 260 , following pre-programmed rules, defined by job function or use of the information. Data processing to suit the particular needs of the telemetry network 22 can be developed and modified without changing the machine 16 .
[0209] The main data base server 256 can be located, e.g., at the company that creates or manages the system 10 . The satellite data base servers 260 can be located, for example, at the residence of a designated remote care giver for the person, or at a full time remote centralized monitoring facility staffed by medically trained personnel, or at a remote service provider for the machine 16 , or at a company that supplies the machine 16 or the processing cartridge 18 .
[0210] Linked to the telemetry network 22 , the machine 16 acts as a satellite. The machine 16 performs specified therapy tasks while monitoring basic safety functions and providing the person at the treatment location notice of safety alarm conditions for resolution. Otherwise, the machine 16 transmits procedure data to the telemetry network 22 . The telemetry network 22 relieves the machine 16 from major data processing tasks and related complexity. It is the main data base server 256 , remote from the machine 16 , that controls the processing and distribution of the data among the telemetry network 22 , including the flow of information and data to the person undergoing therapy. The person at the treatment location can access data from the machine 16 through the local data receiver/transmitter 296 , which can comprise a laptop computer, handheld PC device, web tablet, cell phone, or any unit capable of data processing.
[0211] The machine 16 can transmit data to the receiver/transmitter 296 in various ways, e.g., electrically, by phone lines, optical cable connection, infrared light, or radio frequency, using cordless phone/modem, cellular phone/modem, or cellular satellite phone/modem. The telemetry network 22 may comprise a local, stand-alone network, or be part of the Internet.
[0212] For example, when the machine 16 notifies the person at the treatment location of a safety alarm condition, the safety alarm and its underlying data can also be sent to the main server 256 on the telemetry network 22 via the receiver/transmitter 296 . When an alarm condition is received by the main server 256 , the main server 256 can locate and download to the receiving device 296 the portion of the operator's manual for the machine that pertains to the alarm condition. Based upon this information, and exercising judgment, the operator/user can intervene with operation of the machine 16 . In this way, the main server 256 can provide an automatic, context-sensitive help function to the treatment location. The telemetry network 22 obviates the need to provide on-board context-sensitive help programs for each machine 16 . The telemetry network 22 centralizes this help function at a single location, i.e., a main server 256 coupled to all machines 16 .
[0213] The telemetry network 22 can relay to an inventory server 262 supply and usage information of components used for the treatment modality. The server 262 can maintain treatment site-specific inventories of such items, such as cartridges 18 , ancillary processing materials, etc. The company or companies that supply the machine 16 , the processing cartridge 18 , or the ancillary processing material to the treatment location 12 can all be readily linked through the telemetry network 22 to the inventory server 262 . The inventory server 262 thereby centralizes inventory control and planning for the entire system 10 , based upon information received in real time from each machine 16 .
[0214] The telemetry network 22 can relay to a service server 264 hardware status information for each machine 16 . The service server 264 can process the information according to preprogrammed rules, to generate diagnostic reports, service requests or maintenance schedules. The company or companies of the system 10 that supply or service the machine 16 can all be readily linked through the telemetry network 22 to the service server 264 . The service server 264 thereby centralizes service, diagnostic, and maintenance functions for the entire system 10 . Service-related information can also be sent to the treatment location 12 via the receiving device 296 .
[0215] The telemetry network 22 can also relay to a treatment monitoring server 266 , treatment-specific information pertaining to the therapy provided by each machine 16 . Remote monitoring facilities 268 , staffed by medically trained personnel, can be readily linked through the telemetry network 22 to the treatment monitoring server 266 , which centralizes treatment monitoring functions for all treatment locations served by the system 10 .
[0216] The telemetry network 22 can also provide through the device 296 an access portal for the person undergoing treatment to the myriad services and information contained on the Internet, e.g., over the web radio and TV, video, telephone, games, financial management, tax services, grocery ordering, prescriptions purchases, etc. The main server 256 can compile diagnostic, therapeutic, and/or medical information to create a profile for each person served by the system 10 to develop customized content for that person. The main server 256 thus provide customized ancillary services such as on line training, billing, coaching, mentoring, uplinks to doctors, links to patient communities, and otherwise provide a virtual community whereby persons using the system 10 can contact and communicate via the telemetry network 22 .
[0217] The telemetry network 22 thus provides the unique ability to remotely monitor equipment status, via the internet, then provide information to the user, also via the internet, at the location of the equipment. This information can include, e.g., what page of the operator's manual would be the most helpful for their current operational situation, actual data about the equipment's performance (e.g., could it use service, or is it set up based on the caretaker's recommendations), data about the current session, i.e., buttons pressed, alarms, internal machine parameters, commands, measurements.
[0218] The remote site can monitor the equipment for the same reasons that the user might. It can also retrieve information about the machine 16 when it is turned off because the telemetry device is self-powered. It retains all information about the machine over a period of time (much like a flight recorder for an airplane).
[0000] 2. On-Site Programming
[0219] The main server 256 on the telemetry network 22 can also store and download to each machine 16 (via the device 296 ) the system control logic and programs necessary to perform a desired treatment modality. Programming to alter a treatment protocol to suit the particular needs of a single person at a treatments site can be developed and modified without a service call to change the machine 16 at any treatment location, as is the current practice. System wide modifications and revisions to control logic and programs that condition a machine 16 to perform a given treatment protocol can be developed and implemented without the need to retrofit each machine 16 at all treatment locations by a service call. This approach separates the imparting of control functions that are tailored to particular procedures, which can be downloaded to the machine 16 at time of use, from imparting safety functions that are generic to all procedures, which can be integrated in the machine 16 .
[0220] Alternatively, the control logic and programs necessary to perform a desired treatment protocol procedure can be carried in a machine readable format on the cartridge 18 . Scanners on the machine 16 automatically transfer the control logic and programs to the machine 16 in the act of loading the cartridge 18 on the machine 16 . Bar code can be used for this purpose. Touch contact or radio frequency silicon memory devices can also be used. The machine 16 can also include local memory, e.g., flash memory, to download and retain the code.
[0221] For example, as FIG. 2 shows, the machine 16 can include one or more code readers 270 on the chassis panel 26 . The frame 400 carries, e.g., on a label or labels, a machine readable (e.g., digital) code 272 (see FIG. 3 ) that contains the control logic and programs necessary to perform a desired treatment protocol using the cartridge 18 . Loading the cartridge 18 on the machine 16 orients the code 272 to be scanned by the reader(s) 270 . Scanning the code 272 downloads the control logic and programs to memory. The machine 16 is thereby programmed on site.
[0222] The code 272 can also include the control logic and programs necessary to monitor use of the cartridge 18 . For example, the code 272 can provide unique identification for each cartridge 18 . The machine 16 registers the unique identification at the time it scans the code 272 . The machine 16 transmits this cartridge 18 identification information to the main server 256 of the telemetry network 22 . The telemetry network 22 is able to uniquely track cartridge 18 use by the identification code throughout the system 10 .
[0223] Furthermore, the main server 256 can include preprogrammed rules that prohibit multiple use of a cartridge 18 , or that limit extended uses to a prescribed period of time. An attempted extended use of the same cartridge 18 on any machine 16 , or an attempted use beyond the prescribed time period, will be detected by the machine 16 or the main server 256 . In this arrangement, the machine 16 is disabled until an unused cartridge 18 is loaded on the machine 16 .
[0224] Prior to undertaking set up pressure testing and priming of the cartridge 18 , the machine 16 can also be conditioned to sense, e.g., by ultrasonic means, the presence of fluid in the cartridge. The presence of fluid indicates a reprocessed cartridge. In this arrangement, the machine 16 is disabled until a dry, unused cartridge 18 is loaded on the machine 16 .
[0225] Service cartridges can also be provided for the machine 16 . A service cartridge carries a code that, when scanned by the reader or readers on the chassis panel 26 and downloaded to memory, programs the machine 16 to conduct a prescribed service and diagnostic protocol using the service cartridge 18 .
[0000] III. Representative Systems for Conducting Hemofiltration
[0226] The particular configuration of the machine 16 and the fluid processing circuit 420 , which the tubing 418 and flexible fluid circuit 408 form, can vary according to the processing objectives of the system 10 . As before stated, the system 10 is well suited for treatment modalities during which one fluid is removed from the body and replaced with another fluid in a controlled fashion, e.g., hemofiltration (HF), hemodialysis (HD), hemodialysis with hemofiltration (HDF), and peritoneal dialysis (PD).
[0227] For the purpose of illustration, FIG. 12 schematically shows a fluid circuit FC(HF) for carrying out hemofiltration. The fluid circuit FC(HF) supports the removal of blood from an individual and the separation of waste fluid from the blood using a hemofilter 34 . The fluid circuit FC(HF) also supports the return of treated blood and replacement fluid to the individual. The fluid circuit FC(HF) also supports an ultrafiltration function.
[0228] The flexible fluid circuit 420 carried by the frame 400 and the machine 16 can be readily configured to form this circuit FC(HF) and thereby conduct hemofiltration. A person of skill in the art will readily appreciate how the fluid circuit 420 and machine 16 can be configured to perform other treatment modalities, as well.
[0229] In the illustrated implementation, the first module 424 is configured to handle waste fluid, and the second module 426 is configured to handle replacement fluid.
[0230] As FIG. 10 shows, the waste fluid management module 424 includes fluid waste balancing chambers 212 R/ 214 R and associated waste fluid clamp regions 220 and 222 . The location of these elements in the fluid circuit FC(HF)are also shown schematically in FIG. 12 .
[0231] As FIG. 11 shows, the replacement fluid management module 426 includes corresponding replacement fluid balancing chambers 212 F/ 214 F and associated replacement fluid clamp regions 224 and 226 . The location of these elements in the fluid circuit FC(HF)are also shown schematically in FIG. 12 .
[0232] When the modules 424 and 426 are mounted against the interior surface 404 of the frame 400 (see FIG. 9 ), the chambers 212 R/ 214 R and 212 F/ 214 F and the clamp regions 222 / 220 and 224 / 226 communicate in the same plane. When the frame 400 is mounted for use on the machine 16 , the overlaying chambers 212 R/ 214 R and 212 F/ 214 F and clamp regions 222 / 220 and 224 / 226 operatively engage common machine elements on the machine 16 to carry out volumetric fluid balancing of replacement fluid in proportion to waste removal, without use of weight sensors. When the frame 400 is mounted for use on the machine 16 , the modules 424 and 426 , in association with hardware elements on the machine 16 , also accomplish ultrafiltration.
[0233] In the illustrated embodiment (see FIGS. 7 and 8 ), an exterior surface 406 of the frame 400 is slightly recessed or concave. When the frame 400 is mounted on the machine 16 , this recessed frame surface 406 nests within a correspondingly raised surface 407 on the door 28 (see FIG. 13 ). When so nested, convex or domed frame regions 412 , which project above the surface 406 of the frame 400 (see FIG. 7 and 8 ) fit within mating concave indentations 206 ′ and 208 ′ on the door 28 .
[0234] The fluid balancing chambers 212 R/ 214 R and 212 F/ 214 F rest in an overlying relationship within these domed regions 412 on the opposite interior surface 404 of the frame 400 (see FIG. 8 ). When the frame 400 is mounted on the machine 16 , and the door 28 closed, the interior surface 404 faces the chassis panel 28 , and the fluid balancing chambers 212 R/ 214 R and 212 F/ 214 F rest within concave indentations 206 and 208 formed on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ). When the frame 400 is mounted on the machine 16 , and the door 28 closed, the flexible chambers 212 R/ 214 R and 212 F/ 214 F are thereby enclosed between the indentations 206 / 208 on the chassis panel 26 and the convex regions 412 of the frame 400 (which themselves nest within the concave indentations 206 ′/ 208 ′ on the door 28 ). Expansion of the flexible chambers 212 R/ 214 R and 212 F/ 214 F as a result of fluid introduction is thereby restrained to a known maximum volume, generally approximately between 10 and 50 cc, preferably approximately between 20 and 40 cc, more preferably approximately 25 cc, defined between the chassis chambers 206 / 208 and the convex frame regions 412 .
[0235] As FIG. 8 shows, cut-outs 410 in the surface 406 expose the overlaying flexible clamp regions 222 / 220 and 224 / 226 to contact with the four clamping pads 450 mounted on the door 28 (see FIG. 13 ) and hardware clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ). In operation, the clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 are caused to project from the chassis panel 26 to press the overlying clamp regions 222 / 220 and 224 / 226 against the clamping pads 450 on the door 28 . Synchronized valve functions are thereby made possible, as will be described later.
[0236] Referring back to FIG. 8 , another cut-out 413 in the surface 406 exposes a portion of the fluid circuit 408 for blood leak sensing functions, as will also be described later.
[0237] Surrounding the surface 406 are recessed channel regions 414 a to 414 j , which are formed in the exterior surface 402 . These recessed channel regions 414 a to 414 j (identified in FIG. 8 ) accommodate the passage of the lengths of flexible tubing 418 that communicate with the flexible fluid circuit 408 , to form the fluid processing circuit 420 . The recessed regions 414 a to 414 j form channels that guide and restrain the tubing 418 within the frame 400 . Multiple cut-outs 442 a to 442 i are formed along the recessed regions 414 a to 414 j , to expose intervals of the tubing 418 for engagement with clamps or sensors on the machine 16 , as will be described.
[0238] As FIGS. 7 show, a cover member 416 made, e.g., from rigid or semi-rigid paper or plastic, is desirably secured to the exterior surface 402 of the frame 400 to overlay and close the recessed channel regions 414 , in which the tubing 418 is carried ( FIG. 3 shows the exterior surface 402 with the cover member 416 installed).
[0239] As FIG. 8 shows, portions of tubing 418 extend beyond the support frame 400 for connection with the patient and other external items making up the fluid processing circuit 420 , as will be described later. Cartridge 18 may extend beyond the edge of machine 16 .
[0240] Portions of the tubing 418 also communicate with peristaltic pump tubes 94 , 145 , 155 , and 201 located in the surface 406 (see FIG. 8 ). Cut-outs 446 a to 446 c are formed in the region 406 beneath the pump tubes 94 , 145 , 144 , and 201 , to expose the pump tubes 94 , 145 , 144 , and 201 for engagement with the corresponding peristaltic pump rollers 92 , 144 , and 152 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ) and the corresponding pump races 362 on the door 28 (see FIG. 13 ).
[0241] Further regarding the configuration of the fluid processing circuit 420 (see FIG. 8 ), as adapted to conform to the hemofiltration circuit FC(HF) shown in FIG. 12 , the flexible tubing 72 forms the arterial blood supply path, with an appropriate distal connector to couple to an arterial blood access site. The tubing 72 is guided by a recessed channel 414 a into the frame 400 . Cut-outs 442 a and 442 b expose the tubing 72 for engagement with an arterial blood line air sensor 98 and arterial blood line clamp 96 .
[0242] The tubing 72 is coupled with the pump tube 94 , which spans the cut-out 446 a in the frame 400 , for engagement with the blood pump 92 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ).
[0243] Tubing 78 extends from the pump tube region 94 in a recessed channel 414 b in the frame 400 . The tubing 78 extends beyond the frame 400 and includes the connector 82 to couple the arterial blood path to the inlet of a hemofilter 34 (see FIG. 12 ).
[0244] The placement of the cut-out 442 a (and associated air sensor 98 on the machine 16 ) upstream of the hemofilter 34 allows air bubbles to be detected prior to entering the hemofilter 34 . This location is desirable, because, in the hemofilter 34 , air bubbles break up into tiny micro-bubbles, which are not as easily detected as bubbles upstream of the hemofilter 34 . Placement of the air sensor 98 upstream of the hemofilter 34 also serves the additional purpose of detecting air when the blood pump 92 is operated in reverse, to rinse back blood to the patient. The air sensor 98 also detects if the arterial blood line is clamped or otherwise occluded, to thereby allow terminate operation of the arterial blood pump 92 when this condition occurs. Air sensor 98 can also sense a clamped or occluded arterial line while the pump turns. The resulting negative pressure degasses the blood which is sensed by the air sensor, and an alarm is sounded. If air by chance enters the arterial blood line, e.g., by a faulty connection or an air leak, the air sensor 98 will detect this condition and terminate operation of the arterial blood pump before the air enters the hemofilter.
[0245] As FIG. 8 shows, the tubing 84 extends beyond the frame 400 and includes a distal connector 86 to couple to the blood outlet of the hemofilter 34 (see FIG. 12 ). The tubing 84 is led across the frame 400 through a recessed channel 414 c . Cut-away regions 442 c and 442 d on the frame 400 expose the tubing 84 for engagement with the venous blood line air sensor 108 and venous S blood line clamp 112 (see FIG. 12 ). The tubing 84 then extends beyond the frame 400 , and carries an appropriate distal connector to couple to venous blood access site.
[0246] As FIG. 8 shows, the flexible tubing 118 extends beyond the frame 400 and carries a distal connector 120 to couple to the waste outlet of the hemofilter 34 (see FIG. 12 ). The tubing 118 thereby serves to convey waste fluid for fluid balancing and discharge. The flexible tubing 118 enters a recessed channel 414 d in the frame 400 and joins a connector C 8 . The connector C 8 couples the tubing 118 to the waste fluid management module 424 , and through the module 424 to ultrafiltration pump tube 145 (through connector C 1 ) and the waste pump tube 155 (through connector C 7 ). The pump tube 145 spans a cut-out 446 c in the frame 400 to connector C 2 , for engagement with the ultrafiltration pump 144 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ). The pump tube 155 spans a cut away region 446 d in the frame 400 to connector C 3 , for engagement with the waste fluid header region 154 of the dual header waste and replacement pump 152 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ).
[0247] Connectors C 2 and C 3 are fluidically coupled via the waste fluid management module 424 (see FIG. 10 ) to connectors C 10 and C 4 . As FIG. 8 shows, the flexible tubing 122 is coupled by the connector C 4 to an outlet of the waste management module 424 . The tubing 122 is guided through a recessed channel 414 e in the support frame 400 . Cut-away region 442 e on the frame 400 expose the tubing 122 for engagement with the waste line clamp 166 . The tubing 122 then extends beyond the frame 400 , with an appropriate distal connector 124 to couple to a waste bag or an external drain. It is through this tubing 122 that waste fluid is discharged after fluid balancing. An in-line air break 170 (see FIG. 12 ) can be provided in communication with the tubing 122 downstream of the waste clamp 166 , to prevent back flow of contaminants from the waste bag or drain.
[0248] Referring to FIG. 8 , the flexible tubing 172 serves to convey replacement fluid. The tubing 172 extends outside the frame 400 and includes a distal connector 174 that enables connection to multiple containers of replacement fluid 176 (see FIG. 12 ). The tubing 172 is guided by a recessed channel 414 f within the frame 400 . Cut-away regions 442 f and 442 g on the frame 400 expose the tubing 172 for engagement with an in line air sensor 182 and replacement fluid clamp 188 (see FIG. 12 ).
[0249] Flexible tubing 430 is guided through a recessed channel 414 g in the support frame 400 between two t-connectors, one in the arterial blood tubing 72 and the other in the replacement tubing 172 . The tubing 430 serves as the priming or bolus branch path 192 , as will be described. A cut-away region 442 h on the frame 400 exposes the tubing 430 for engagement with the priming clamp 194 on the machine 16 (see FIG. 12 ).
[0250] The replacement fluid tubing 172 is further guided by the recessed channel 414 h in the frame 400 to the replacement fluid pump tube 201 (previously described), which is also coupled via a connector C 5 to the replacement fluid management module 426 of the flexible fluid circuit 408 . As FIG. 11 also shows, connector C 5 is also fluidically coupled via the replacement fluid management module 426 to the connectors C 6 and C 9 . The pump tube 201 spans the cut away region 446 d in the frame 400 , for engagement with the replacement fluid header region 200 of the dual header waste and replacement pump 152 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ).
[0251] Flexible tubing 432 is coupled by a connector C 6 to the replacement fluid module 426 . The flexible tubing 432 is guided through a recessed channel 414 i in the support frame to a t-connector, which joins the replacement tubing 172 in the region immediately downstream of the connection with the replacement fluid pump tube 201 . The tubing 432 serves as the relief path 240 that prevents overfilling of the fluid balancing compartments, as will be described.
[0252] Flexible tubing 428 is coupled by a connector C 9 to the replacement fluid management module 426 . The tubing 428 is guided through a recessed channel 414 j in the support frame 400 in a small loop outside the frame 400 and is coupled by a t-connector to the venous blood return tubing 84 . It is through this path that replacement fluid is added to the venous blood being returned to the patient.
[0253] The bags 434 and 436 are secured in overlaying alignment to the interior surface 404 of the frame 400 by the connectors C 1 to C 10 , previously described.
[0254] FIG. 10 shows the waste management fluid circuit contained in the bag 434 , as it would appear if viewed from interior surface 404 of the support frame 400 (as FIG. 9 also shows). The bag 434 is shown in association with the ultrafiltration pump tube 145 and waste fluid pump tube 155 that are also carried on the region 406 of the support frame 400 .
[0255] The fluid circuit in the bag 434 includes the waste path 138 that leads to the waste side compartments 212 R and 214 R (for fluid balancing) by way of the waste pump 155 and the waste path 136 by way of the ultrafiltration pump 145 that bypasses the waste side compartments 212 R and 214 R (for ultrafiltration). The flow paths in the waste fluid circuit in the bag 434 also include the exposed waste inlet clamp regions 220 , to engage the valve assemblies 246 and 248 to control inflow of waste fluid into the waste compartments 212 R and 214 R, and the exposed waste outlet clamp regions 222 , to engage the valve assemblies 244 and 250 to control outflow of waste fluid from the waste compartments 212 R and 214 R. The fluid circuit also includes the pressure sensor region 160 , to engage the pressure sensor 156 (see FIG. 15 ) downstream of the waste and replacement fluid pump 152 .
[0256] FIG. 11 shows the replacement fluid management circuit contained in the bag 436 , as it would appear if viewed from the interior surface 404 of the support frame 400 (as FIG. 8 also shows). The bag 436 is shown in association with the replacement fluid pump tube 201 that is also carried in the region 406 of the support frame 400 . The replacement fluid pump tube 201 is located alongside the waste fluid pump tube 155 , on region 200 for concurrent engagement with the dual header waste and replacement pump 152 on the chassis panel 26 (see FIG. 2 ).
[0257] The fluid circuit in the bag 436 includes the replacement fluid paths which lead to and from the replacement side compartments 212 F and 214 F. The fluid circuit also includes the inlet clamp regions 224 , to engage the valve assemblies 244 and 250 on the machine 16 to control inflow of replacement fluid into the replacement side compartments 212 F and 214 F; and the outlet clamp regions 226 , to engage the valve assemblies 246 and 248 on the machine 16 to control outflow of replacement fluid from the replacement side compartments 212 F and 214 F. The fluid circuit includes a sensor region 204 , to engage the pressure sensor 202 (see FIG. 15 ) downstream of the waste and replacement pump 152 .
[0258] When the bags 434 and 436 are mounted in overlaying relationship on the interior frame surface 404 (as FIG. 9 shows), the replacement side compartments 212 F and 214 F and the waste side compartments 212 R and 214 R together rest in the convex recesses 412 in the region 406 of the exterior frame surface 402 . The inlet clamp regions of the waste compartments 212 R and 214 R formed on the waste panel 234 overlay the outlet clamp regions of the replacement compartments 212 F and 214 F formed on the replacement panel 232 , and vice versa.
[0259] The entry and exit paths serving the waste and replacement compartments formed in the bags 434 and 436 (shown in FIG. 9 ) are all located at the top of the chambers 212 R, 214 R, 212 F, and 214 F. Priming is achieved, as the paths are top-oriented. Furthermore, due to the overlaying relationship of bags 434 and 436 , the clamping regions 220 , 222 , 224 , and 226 are arranged to overlay one another. The overlaying arrangement of the clamping regions 220 , 222 , 224 , and 226 serving the waste and replacement compartments simplifies the number and operation of the inlet and outlet valve assemblies 216 and 218 on the machine 16 . Since the inlet clamp regions 224 for the replacement compartments 212 F and 214 F overlay the outlet clamp regions 222 for the waste compartments 212 R and 214 R, and vice versa, only four clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , 250 need be employed to simultaneously open and close the overlaying eight clamp regions.
[0000] 1. Achieving Synchronized Volumetric Fluid Balancing
[0260] In use, as FIG. 14 shows, the first clamping element 244 is movable into simultaneous clamping engagement with the inlet clamp region 224 of the replacement compartment 212 F (in the replacement fluid module bag 436 ) and the outlet clamp region 222 of the waste compartment 212 R (in the waste fluid module bag 434 ), closing both. Likewise, the fourth clamping element 250 is movable into simultaneous clamping engagement with the inlet clamp region 224 of the replacement compartment 214 F (in the replacement fluid module bag 436 ) and the outlet clamp region 222 of the waste compartment 214 R (in the waste fluid module bag 434 ).
[0261] The second clamping element 246 is movable into simultaneous clamping engagement with the outlet clamp region 226 of the replacement compartment 212 F and the inlet clamp region 220 of the waste compartment 212 R, closing both. Likewise, the third clamping element 248 is movable into simultaneous clamping engagement with the outlet clamp region 226 of the replacement compartment 214 F and the inlet clamp region 220 of the waste compartment 214 R, closing both.
[0262] The machine 16 toggles operation of the first and third clamping elements 244 , 248 in tandem, while toggling operation the second and fourth clamping elements 246 , 250 in tandem. When the first and third clamping elements 244 , 248 are operated to close their respective clamp regions, replacement fluid enters the replacement compartment 214 F to displace waste fluid from the underlying waste compartment 214 R, while waste fluid enters the waste compartment 212 R to displace replacement fluid from the overlaying replacement compartment 212 F. When the second and fourth clamping elements 246 , 250 are operated to close their respective clamp regions, replacement fluid enters the replacement compartment 212 F to displace waste fluid from the underlying waste compartment 212 R, while waste fluid enters the waste compartment 214 R to displace replacement fluid from the overlaying replacement compartment 214 F.
[0263] FIGS. 15 and 16 show a mechanically linked pump and valve system 300 that can be arranged on the chassis panel 26 of the machine 16 and used in association with the flexible fluid circuit 408 .
[0264] The system 300 includes three electric motors 302 , 304 , and 306 . The first motor 302 is mechanically linked by a drive belt 308 to a dual header waste and replacement pump 152 . The second motor 304 is mechanically linked by a drive belt 310 to a blood pump 92 . The third motor 306 is mechanically linked by a drive belt 312 to a ultrafiltration pump 144 .
[0265] A drive belt 314 also mechanically links the first motor to the first, second, third, and fourth clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 , via a cam actuator mechanism 316 . The cam actuator mechanism 316 includes, for each clamping element 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 a pinch valve 318 mechanically coupled to a cam 320 . The cams 320 rotate about a drive shaft 322 , which is coupled to the drive belt 314 .
[0266] Rotation of the cams 320 advances or withdraws the pinch valves 318 , according to the surface contour machined on the periphery of the cam 320 . When advanced, the pinch valve 318 closes the overlying clamp regions of the fluid circuit module bags 424 and 426 that lay in its path. When withdrawn, the pinch valve 318 opens the overlying clamp regions.
[0267] The cams 320 are arranged along the drive shaft 322 to achieve a predetermined sequence of pinch valve operation. During the sequence, the rotating cams 320 first simultaneously close all the clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 for a predetermined short time period, and then open clamping elements 244 and 248 , while closing clamping elements 246 and 250 for a predetermined time period. The rotating cams 320 then return all the clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 to a simultaneously closed condition for a short predetermined time period, and then open clamping elements 246 and 250 , while closing clamping elements 244 and 248 for a predetermined time period.
[0268] The sequence is repeated and achieves the balanced cycling of replacement fluid and waste fluid through the module bags 424 and 426 , as previously described. A chamber cycle occurs in the time interval that the valve elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 change from a simultaneously closed condition and return to the simultaneously closed condition.
[0269] In a preferred embodiment (see FIG. 17 ), each clamping element 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 comprises a valve pin 500 movable within a valve slot 506 in the chassis panel 26 . A rotating bearing surface 502 at one end of the valve pin 500 rides on the cam surface 504 of the corresponding rotating cam 320 . As the cam 320 rotates, the cam surface 504 presents regions of increasing or decreasing radius, causing the pin 500 to reciprocate within the valve slot 506 toward and away from the door 28 , which, during use of the fluid circuit 408 , faces the chassis panel 26 in the closed position.
[0270] A pinch valve 318 is carried at the opposite end of the valve pin 500 . The pinch valve 318 includes a pinch valve chamber 508 , in which the valve pin 500 rests. A spring 510 in the pinch valve chamber 508 couples the pinch valve 318 to the valve pin 500 . The spring 510 applies a fixed valve force against the pinch valve 318 , in the absence of physical contact between the end of the valve pin 500 and the pinch valve 318 . The spring 510 thereby mediates against over- and under-valving effects as a result of small changes in tolerance between the pin 500 and pinch valve 318 , fluid circuit module bag 424 and 426 thickness, and the closed gap between door 28 and chassis 26 .
[0271] When mounted for use on the chassis panel 26 , with the door 28 closed, the fluid circuit 408 is sandwiched between the panel 26 and the door 28 . Each pinch valve 318 is aligned with a valve plate 512 carried by the door 28 . The valve plate 512 is made from a hard plastic or metallic material. The valve plate 512 rests against a disk 514 on the door 28 , which can be made of rubber or another elastomeric material. The disk 514 , which can also be a spring, allows the valve plate 512 to move or “float” when the pinch valve applies a valve force. The valve plate 512 thereby accounts for any lack of perpendicularity between the pinch valve 318 and the valve plate 512 .
[0272] Movement of the pinch valve 318 toward the door 28 (as the cam surface 504 presents regions of increasing radius) pinches the intermediate, aligned clamp region in the fluid circuit 56 (comprised of modules 424 and 426 overlying one another) between the pinch valve 318 and the valve plate 512 , thereby closing the valve region. Likewise, movement of the pinch valve 318 toward the door 28 (as the cam surface 504 presents regions of decreasing radius) separates the pinch valve 318 from the valve plate 514 , thereby opening the intermediate valve region. The cam actuator mechanism 316 mechanically links the clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 ratiometrically with the first motor 302 . As the motor 302 increases or decreases the speed of the dual header waste and replacement pump 152 , the operation of the clamping elements 244 , 246 , 248 and 250 increases or decreases a proportional amount.
[0273] In a preferred embodiment, the ratio is set so that the flow rate per unit time through the waste pump header region 154 (i.e., through waste path 434 ) approximately equals three-fourths of the volume of the waste compartment 212 R/ 214 R, while maintaining the cycle rate of 10 cycles per minute for a waste fluid flow rate of approximately 200 ml/min. For example, if the chamber volume is 25 cc, the cycle occurs after 18 to 21 cc of waste fluid enters the compartment. In other embodiments, the cycle rate is 9-11 cycles per minute for a waste fluid flow rate of approximately 180-220 ml/min, or the cycle rate is 8-12 cycles per minute for a waste fluid flow rate of approximately 160-240 ml/min.
[0274] In the illustrated embodiment, the waste pump header 155 is made smaller in diameter than the replacement fluid header 201 . Thus, during operation of the dual header pump 152 , which is made up of pump regions 154 and 200 , the flow rate through the replacement fluid header region 200 / 201 (through replacement fluid path 426 ) will always be larger than the flow rate through the waste pump header region 154 / 155 (through waste path 424 ). Due to the higher flow rate through the replacement fluid path 426 , a pressure relief path 438 (see FIG. 11 ) and 432 (see FIGS. 12 and 8 ) with pressure relief bypass valve 242 (see FIG. 15 ) is provided, to prevent overfilling. In the illustrated embodiment, the valve 242 is a mechanically spring biased pressure regulator, and serves the pressure regulation and bypass function of the machine 16 .
[0275] In this arrangement, the in-line compartment that receives waste fluid will fill to approximately three-fourths of its volume during each cycle, displacing an equal amount of replacement fluid from its companion compartment. At the same time, the other in-line compartment that receives replacement fluid will fill completely. If the compartment completely fills with replacement fluid before the end of the cycle, the pressure relief bypass valve 242 (see FIG. 15 ) will open to circulate replacement fluid through the relief path 240 , made up of 438 , C 6 , and 432 (see FIG. 12 ), to prevent overfilling. During the next cycle, waste fluid in the compartment will be completely displaced by the complete fill of replacement fluid in its companion compartment.
[0276] The provision of a higher flow rate in the replacement fluid path also facilitates initial priming (as will be described later) only several chamber cycles are required to completely prime the in-line containers 212 and 214 with replacement fluid before fluid balancing operations begin.
[0277] The pump and valve system 300 used in association with the fluid circuit 408 achieves accurate fluid balancing, e.g., during hemofiltration, hemodialysis, hemodialysis with hemofiltration, and peritoneal dialysis.
[0000] B. Fluid Flow Path Dimensions
[0278] In one embodiment, key functional regions within the flexible fluid circuits are formed to possess dimensions that lay within critical ranges, to thereby achieve desired fluid flow conditions, pressure sensing conditions, fluid balancing functions, and valve functions. For example, each fluid balancing chamber 212 F/R and 214 F/R is formed to have a height (measured between the bottom of the chamber and the clamp regions) of between about 3.25 inches and about 5.0 inches, with a nominal height of about 3.6 inches. In this embodiment, each fluid balancing chamber 212 F/R and 214 F/R is formed to have a width (measured between the sides of the chamber and determined by the width of pinch clamp 318 ) of between about 1.0 inch and about 2.75 inches, with a nominal width of about 1.2 inches. These dimensions help optimize volumetric fluid balance functions.
[0279] Further, in another embodiment, each clamp region 220 / 222 and 224 / 226 is formed to have a channel width of between about 0.10 inch and 0.40 inch. Bead suppression measures are employed in the clamp regions 220 / 222 and 224 / 226 to keep the material adjacent the welded seams, which form the clamp regions, from exceeding more than twice the thickness of the material walls. These steps assure reliable functioning of the overlaying clamp regions in association with the external clamps.
[0280] Also, in another embodiment, the ultrafiltration fluid path 136 is formed to have a channel width of greater than about 0.140 inch but less than about 0.60 inch. This optimizes the flow of waste fluid.
[0281] In a preferred embodiment, the regions where pressure is sensed in the fluid circuit is formed to have in an interior diameter that is greater than 0.40 inch, to optimize pressure sensing without an air-blood interface using external sensors.
[0282] Also in a preferred embodiment, the passage 438 in the replacement fluid management module 426 that leads to the bypass tubing 432 (see FIG. 11 ) is formed with a channel width of between about 0.050 inch and 0.60 inch. The width is matched with pinch portion of regulator 242 . This establishes the proper balanced flow conditions to prevent chamber overfilling. The foregoing dimensions and ranges are set forth solely for the purpose of illustrating typical device dimensions. The actual dimensions of a device constructed according to the principles of the present invention may obviously vary outside of the listed ranges without departing from those basic principles.
[0000] C. Representative Hemofiltration Modalities
[0283] During hemofiltration, blood is drawn from the person at a prescribed flow rate (BFR). Waste fluid is removed from the blood flow through filter 34 and volumetrically balanced with replacement fluid, which is returned in the venous blood flow at a prescribed rate (RFR). A prescribed net ultrafiltration volume of waste fluid is also removed at a prescribed flow rate (UFR) with fluid balancing, to control net weight loss. Operation of the machine 16 in a hemofiltration mode terminates when either (i) the replacement fluid sensor indicates the absence of replacement fluid flow by sensing the presence of air (i.e., no more replacement fluid) and the net ultrafiltration goal has been achieved; or (ii) the time prescribed for the session has elapsed.
[0284] Hemofiltration can also be performed without an ultrafiltration function (which can be called balanced hemofiltration). This mode can be used for persons that experience no weight gains between treatment sessions. This mode can also be used at the end of a hemofiltration session, when the net ultrafiltration goal was achieved before exhausting the supply of replacement fluid.
[0285] During another hemofiltration modality (called only net ultrafiltration), only a net ultrafiltration volume of waste is removed from the person. No fluid is replaced. This mode can be used when it is desired only to remove fluid. This mode can also be used at the end of a hemofiltration session, when the net ultrafiltration goal has not been achieved but the supply of replacement fluid has been exhausted.
[0286] In another hemofiltration modality (called replacement fluid bolus), there are no fluid balancing and ultrafiltration functions. Blood is circulated in an extracorporeal path and a bolus of replacement fluid is added. In the illustrated embodiment, the ultrafiltration pump 144 is run in reverse at a speed equal to the waste and replacement pump 152 . This recirculates waste fluid through the waste compartments 212 R and 214 R, to add replacement fluid from the replacement compartments 212 F and 214 F to the patient. The waste fluid that is recirculated limits waste fluid removal through the hemofilter 34 , yielding replacement fluid addition without additional waste fluid removal. The net volume of added replacement fluid conveyed to the patient equals the volume of waste fluid recirculated. This mode can be used to return fluid to a person in a bolus volume, e.g., during a hypotensive episode or during rinse back at the end of a given hemofiltration session.
[0000] 1. Controlling the Blood Flow Rate
[0287] High blood flow rates (e.g., in some embodiments at least 200 ml/min or more, in other embodiments at least 300 ml/min or more, in other embodiments at least 400 ml/min or more, in other embodiments at least 500 ml/min or more, and in other embodiments at least 600 ml/min or more) are conducive to rapid, efficient frequent hemofiltration. The high blood flow rates not only reduce the processing time, but also significantly increases the transport rate of uremic toxins across the hemofiltration membrane. In this way, the system 10 removes high concentrations of uremic toxins, without requiring the removal of high fluid volumes, with the attendant loss of electrolytes.
[0288] The blood flow rate (BFR) can be prescribed by an attending physician and input by the operator at the beginning of a treatment session. Alternatively, the machine 16 can automatically control to achieve an optimal BFR and minimize procedure time, based upon a desired filtration fraction value (FF), ultrafiltration flow rate (UFR), and replacement fluid flow rate (RFR), as follows: BFR=(RFR+UFR)/FF where:
[0289] FF is the desired percentage of fluid to be removed from the blood stream through the hemofilter 34 .
[0290] A desired FF (typically 20% to 35%) for post dilution HF can be either preset or prescribed by the attending physician. A desired FF takes into account the desired therapeutic objectives of toxin removal, as well as the performance characteristics of the hemofilter 34 . A nominal FF can be determined based upon empirical and observed information drawn from a population of individuals undergoing hemofiltration. A maximum value of approximately 30% is believed to be appropriate for most individuals and hemofilters 34 , to achieve a desired therapeutic result without clogging of the hemofilter 34 .
[0291] In the illustrated embodiment, an arterial line sensor is incorporated into the extracorporeal circuit. The sensor 98 is an ultrasonic air leak detector, which also can provide the added capacity to sense flow rate.
[0292] In the illustrated embodiment, the machine 16 senses waste fluid pressure to control the blood flow rate to optimize the removal of fluid across the hemofilter 34 . As arterial blood flows through the hemofilter 34 (controlled by the blood pump 92 ), a certain volume of waste fluid will cross the membrane into the waste line 118 . The volume of waste fluid entering the waste line 118 depends upon the magnitude of the transmembrane pressure, or the pressure differential between the blood on the inside of filter fibers and the waste fluid on the outside of the fibers. As waste fluid is pumped away, the transmembrane pressure increases pushing waste fluid across membrane to replace removed waste. The transmembrane pressure is sensed by the sensor 132 . The waste fluid pressure is adjusted by controlling the waste fluid removal rate through the fluid balancing compartments (i.e., through control of the waste and replacement pump 152 ) and through the UF pump 144 .
[0293] The machine 16 monitors the waste fluid pressure at sensor 132 . By keeping the pressure sensed by the sensor 132 slightly above zero (approximately 30 to 100 mmHg), the machine 16 achieves the maximum removal of fluid from the blood at the operative blood flow rate. Waste pressure values significantly higher than zero will limit removal of fluid from the blood and keep a higher percentage of waste fluid in the blood (i.e., result in a lower filtration fraction). However, this may be desirable for persons who tend to clot easier. The machine 16 can also include a waste pressure alarm to indicate when the sensed waste fluid pressure does not meet set criteria.
[0294] By sensing waste fluid pressure by sensor 132 , the machine 16 also indirectly monitors arterial blood pressure and flow. At a constant blood pump speed, changes in arterial blood flow caused, e.g., by access clotting or increased arterial blood pressure, makes less waste fluid available in the waste line 118 . At a given speed for pump 152 , change in arterial blood flow will lower the sensed waste pressure at sensor 132 to a negative value, as fluid is now drawn across the membrane. The machine 16 adjusts for the change in arterial blood flow by correcting the waste fluid removal rate through the pump 152 and 144 , to bring the waste pressure back to slightly above zero, or to another set value.
[0295] In this arrangement, a pressure sensor in the arterial blood line is not required. If the arterial pressure increases at a fixed blood pump speed, the blood flow must drop, which will result in a sensed related drop in the waste fluid pressure by the sensor 132 . Adjusting the pump 152 and 144 to achieve a pressure slightly above zero corrects the reduced arterial blood flow. In this arrangement, since the waste fluid pressure is maintained at a slightly positive value, it is not possible to develop a reverse transmembrane pressure, which conveys waste fluid back to the person's blood. The maximum transmembrane pressure is the maximum venous pressure, since waste fluid pressure is held slightly positive.
[0296] In an alternative arrangement, arterial blood pressure can be measured by a sensor located upstream of the blood pump. The rate of the blood pump is set to maintain sensed arterial blood pressure at a predetermined control point. This controls the blood pump speed to a maximum rate. The control point can be determined, e.g., on a day-to-day basis, to take into account the blood access function of the person undergoing treatment. Use of an arterial pressure control point minimizes the treatment time, or, alternatively, if treatment time is fixed, the removal of waste fluid can maximized.
[0297] In this arrangement, safety alarms can be included should the sensed arterial pressure become more negative than the control point, along with a function to shut down the blood pump should an alarm occur.
[0298] In an alternative arrangement, a flow rate sensor can be placed in the arterial blood line to sense an actual blood flow rate. The sensed blood flow rate is compared to a commanded blood flow rate, and the blood pump is controlled to a commanded difference between the two flow rates. In this way, a maximum blood flow rate can be achieved. Alternatively, as arterial blood pressure can be expressed as a function of flow rate, arterial blood pressure can be derived from the sensed flow rate. The rate of the blood pump is set to maintain the derived arterial blood pressure at a predetermined control point. This controls the blood pump speed to a maximum rate. As stated above, use of an arterial pressure control point minimizes the treatment time, or, alternatively, if treatment time is fixed, the removal of waste fluid can be maximized by controlling waste fluid pressure, as described above.
[0000] 2. Controlling the Replacement Fluid Flow Rate
[0299] RFR can be prescribed by an attending physician and inputted by the operator at the beginning of a treatment session.
[0300] Alternatively, the machine 16 can automatically control RFR to minimize procedure time based upon the desired filtration fraction value (FF), BFR, and UFR, as follows: RFR=(BFR*FF)-UFR.
[0301] In the illustrated embodiment, waste is conveyed to the waste side compartments 212 R and 214 R, and replacement fluid is conveyed to the replacement side compartments 212 F and 214 F, by operation of the dual header waste and replacement fluid pump 152 . Alternatively, separate waste and replacement fluid pumps can be provided.
[0302] The speed of the waste and replacement pump 152 is controlled to achieve the desired RFR. The machine 16 cycles the inlet and outlet valve assemblies 244 , 246 , 248 , and 250 , as described. The machine 16 cycles between the valve states according to the speed of the waste and fluid pump 152 to avoid overfilling the compartments 212 , 214 receiving fluid. Various synchronization techniques can be used.
[0303] In a preferred embodiment, the waste fluid is pumped at RFR, and the replacement fluid is pumped at a higher rate, but is subject to pressure relief through the pressure relief path 240 upon filling the corresponding replacement side compartment 212 F and 214 F.
[0304] In another arrangement, the timing of the transition between valve cycles is determined by active sensing of pressure within the compartments 212 , 214 receiving liquid. As the two matching walls of chambers 212 R/ 212 F and 214 R/ 214 F reach the end of their travels, pressure will increase, signaling an end of cycle to switch valve states.
[0305] In yet another arrangement, the location of the two matching walls of chambers 212 R/ 212 F and 214 R/ 214 F as they reach the end of their travels are actively sensed by end of cycle sensors on the machine 16 . The sensors can comprise, e.g., optical sensors, capacitance sensors, magnetic Hall effect sensors, or by radio frequency (e.g., microwave) sensors. The termination of movement of the walls indicates the complete filling of a compartment and the concomitant emptying of the other compartment, marking the end of a cycle. The sensors trigger an end of cycle signal to switch valve states.
[0306] The machine 16 counts the valve cycles. Since a known volume of replacement fluid is expelled from a replacement side compartment during each valve cycle, the machine 16 can derive the total replacement volume from the number of valve cycles. The replacement fluid volume is also known by the number of replacement fluid bags of known volume that are emptied during a given session.
[0307] Hemofiltration can be conducted without fluid replacement, i.e., only net ultrafiltration, by setting RFR to zero.
[0000] 3. Controlling the Ultrafiltration Flow Rate
[0308] UFR can be prescribed by an attending physician and inputted by the operator at the beginning of a treatment session.
[0309] The speed of the ultrafiltration pump is monitored and varied to maintain UFR.
[0310] Frequent hemofiltration can be conducted without an ultrafiltration function, i.e., balanced hemofiltration, by setting UFR to zero.
[0000] 4. Active Filtration Rate Control
[0311] In an alternative embodiment, the machine 16 also actively controls the filtration rate along with the blood flow rate, to achieve a desired magnitude of uremic toxin removal through the hemofilter 34 .
[0312] In this embodiment, the machine 16 includes a flow restrictor which is positioned to engage a region of the venous blood return path 84 in the circuit 18 . The restrictor comprises, e.g., a stepper-driven pressure clamp, which variably pinches a region of the venous blood return path upon command to alter the outlet flow rate of blood. This, in turn, increases or decreases the transmembrane pressure across the filter membrane.
[0313] For a given blood flow rate, waste transport across the filter membrane will increase with increasing transmembrane pressure, and vice versa. However, at some point, an increase in transmembrane pressure, aimed at maximizing waste transport across the filter membrane, will drive cellular blood components against the filter membrane. Contact with cellular blood components can also clog the filter membrane pores, which decreases waste transport through the membrane.
[0314] Filtration rate control can also rely upon an upstream sensor mounted on the machine 16 . The sensor is positioned for association with a region of the arterial blood supply path between the blood pump 92 and the inlet of the hemofilter 34 . The sensor senses the hematocrit of the blood prior to its passage through the filter membrane (which will be called the pre-treatment hematocrit). In the arrangement, a downstream sensor is also mounted on the machine 16 . The sensor is positioned for association with a region of the venous blood return path downstream of the outlet of the hemofilter 34 . The sensor senses the hematocrit of the blood after its passage through the hemofilter 34 (which will be called the post-treatment hematocrit).
[0315] The difference between pre-treatment and post-treatment hematocrit is a function of the degree of waste fluid removal by the hemofilter 34 . That is, for a given blood flow rate, the more waste fluid that is removed by the hemofilter 34 , the greater the difference will be between the pre-treatment and post-treatment hematocrits, and vice versa. The machine 16 can therefore derive an actual blood fluid reduction ratio based upon the difference detected by sensors between the pre-treatment and post-treatment hematocrits. The machine 16 periodically compares the derived fluid reduction value, based upon hematocrit sensing by the sensors, with the desired FF. The machine 16 issues a command to the flow restrictor to bring the difference to zero.
[0316] Waste fluid removal optimization can also be achieved by maintaining a maximum specified transmembrane pressure in the hemofilter by manipulating blood flow rate, and/or venous blood pressure, and/or waste fluid pressure. This optimization technique can be undertaken once at the outset of a given procedure, or at several intervals during the course of a procedure. In this arrangement, arterial blood pressure sensing (or derivation thereof based upon flow rate sensing) is implemented to achieve a maximum blood flow rate. A fixed or variable flow restrictor is placed in the venous blood return path to maintain a set maximum transmembrane pressure (e.g., 600 mmHg) while the maximum arterial blood flow rate is maintained. Pressure is sensed in the venous blood return path to assure that venous pressure does not exceed a set maximum amount (e.g., 250 mmHg), which is set for safety reasons. Waste fluid pressure is kept slightly above 50 mmHg. Together, control of transmembrane pressure at the maximum blood flow rate and control of waste fluid pressure at a maximum blood flow rate, maximize the waste fluid removal rate.
[0000] 5. Set Up Pressure Testing/Priming
[0317] Upon mounting the disposable fluid circuit 18 on the machine 16 , the pumps can be operated in forward and reverse modes and the valves operated accordingly to establish predetermined pressure conditions within the circuit. The sensors monitor build up of pressure within the circuit, as well as decrease in pressure over time. In this way, the machine can verify the function and integrity of pumps, the pressure sensors, the valves, and the flow paths overall.
[0318] The machine 16 can also verify the accuracy of the ultrafiltration pump using the fluid balancing containers.
[0319] Priming can be accomplished at the outset of each hemofiltration session to flush air and any residual fluid from the disposable fluid circuit. Fluid paths from the blood lines to the waste bag are flushed with replacement fluid. Replacement fluid is also circulated through the fluid balancing containers into the waste bag and the venous return path. The higher flow rate in the replacement fluid path and timing of the fluid balancing valve elements assure that the replacement fluid compartments completely fill and the waste fluid compartments completely empty during each cycle for priming.
[0000] 6. Rinse Back
[0320] As previously described, waste fluid pressure is controlled and monitored to assure its value is always positive. Likewise, pressure between the blood pump and the hemofilter must also be positive, so that air does not enter this region of the circuit. Forward operation of the blood pump to convey arterial blood into the hemofilter establishes this positive pressure condition.
[0321] In this arrangement, no air sensing is required in the blood line, and a pressure sensor between the blood pump and the hemofilter is required.
[0000] 7. Using the GUI
[0322] When configured to guide an operator to perform hemofiltration, or another treatment modality, the GUI 324 (see FIG. 1 9 ) can, e.g., include an array of icon-based touch button controls 326 , 328 , 330 , and 332 . For example, the controls can include an icon-based treatment start/select touch button 326 , an icon-based treatment stop touch button 328 , an icon-based audio alarm mute touch button 330 , and an icon-based add fluid touch button 332 .
[0323] An array of three numeric entry and display fields can appear between the icon-based touch buttons. The fields can comprise information display bars 334 , 336 , and 338 , each with associated touch keys 340 to incrementally change the displayed information.
[0324] The associated touch keys 340 can be provided to point up (to increase the displayed value) or down (to decrease the displayed value), to intuitively indicate their function. The display bars 334 , 336 , and 338 and touch keys 340 can be shaded in different colors.
[0325] An array of status indicator bars can appear across the top of the screen. The left bar 342 , when lighted, displays a safe color (e.g., green) to indicate a safe operation condition. The middle bar 344 , when lighted, displays a cautionary color (e.g., yellow) to indicate a caution or warning condition and may, if desired, display a numeric or letter identifying the condition. The right bar 346 , when lighted, displays an alarm color (e.g., red) to indicate a safety alarm condition and may, if desired, display a numeric or letter identifying the condition.
[0326] The display can also a processing status touch button 348 . For example, the button 348 , when touched, can change for a period of time (e.g., 5 seconds) the values displayed in the information display bars 334 , 336 , and 338 , to show the corresponding current real time values, e.g., for a hemofiltration modality, the replacement fluid volumes exchanged (in the top display bar 334 ), the ultrafiltrate volume (in the middle display bar 336 ), and the blood volume processed (in the bottom display bar 338 ). The status button 348 , when touched, can also show the elapsed procedure time in the left status indicator bar 342 .
[0327] The display can also include a cartridge status icon 350 . The icon 350 , when lighted, can indicate that the cartridge 18 can be installed or removed from the machine 16 .
[0328] In a preferred arrangement, the GUI 324 can employ a touch button input verification function, which monitors the information provided by the touch button controls. The input verification function inputs the information provided by a given touch button control both to the system control processor and to the system safety processor. The two processors communicate using an appropriate handshake protocol when the information received by the system control processor matches the information received by the system safety processor. The handshake allows information input to proceed for execution. The lack of a handshake between the system control processor and system safety processor indicates a possible information input error. In this instance, the GUI generates an error signal which requires a re-entry of the information input and a subsequent handshake before information input can proceed for execution.
[0329] As FIG. 1 9 shows, the interface can also include an infrared port 360 to support the telemetry function, as already described.
[0330] The GUI 324 , though straightforward and simplified, enables the operator to set these various processing parameters for a given hemofiltration session in different ways.
[0331] For example, in one input mode for hemofiltration, the GUI 324 can prompt the operator by back-lighting the replacement fluid display bar 334 , the ultrafiltration display bar 336 , and the blood flow rate display bar 338 . The operator follows the lights and enters the desired processing values using the associated touch up/down buttons 340 . The GUI back-lights the start/select touch button 326 , prompting the operator to begin the treatment. In this mode, the machine 16 controls the pumps to achieve the desired replacement fluid, ultrafiltration, and blood flow rates set by the operator. The machine terminates the procedure when all the replacement fluid is used and the net ultrafiltration goal is achieved.
[0332] In another input mode for hemofiltration, the operator can specify individual processing objectives, and the machine 16 will automatically set and maintain appropriate pump values to achieve these objectives. This mode can be activated, e.g., by pressing the start/select touch button 326 while powering on the machine 16 . The GUI 324 changes the function of the display bars 334 and 336 , so that the operator can select and change processing parameters. In the illustrated embodiment, the processing parameters are assigned identification numbers, which can be scrolled through and selected for display in the top bar 334 using the touch up/down keys 340 . The current value for the selected parameter is displayed in the middle display bar 336 , which the operator can change using the touch up/down keys 340 .
[0333] In this way, the operator can, e.g., specify a desired filtration factor value (FF) along with a desired ultrafiltration flow rate (UFR) and replacement fluid flow rate (RFR). The machine will automatically control the blood pump rate (BFR), based upon the relationship BFR=(RFR+UFR)/FF, as already described.
[0334] Alternatively, the operator can specify a desired filtration factor value (FF) along with a desired ultrafiltration flow rate (UFR) and blood flow rate (BFR). The machine will automatically control the replacement fluid pump rate (RFR), based upon the relationship RFR=(BFR*FF)-UFR, as already described.
[0335] Alternatively, the operator can specify only an ultrafiltration volume. In this arrangement, the machine 16 senses waste fluid pressure to automatically control the blood flow rate to optimize the removal of fluid across the hemofilter 34 , as previously described. Alternatively, the machine can automatically control the blood flow rate to optimize removal of fluid based a set control arterial blood pressure, as also already described. Still alternatively, the machine can automatically optimize the ultrafiltration flow rate and blood flow rate to achieve the desired net ultrafiltration volume.
[0336] In another mode, the operator can specify both replacement fluid volume and ultrafiltration volume to remove. In this arrangement, the machine performs a countdown of the sum of the two fluid volumes to minimize the duration of the treatment.
[0337] While particular devices and methods have been described, once this description is known, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and alternative steps are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, it will be apparent that certain features of each embodiment can be used in combination with devices illustrated in other embodiments. Accordingly, the above description should be construed as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined by the following claims. | A flow management system comprising a first panel having a fluid pathway and a second panel having a fluid pathway for passing a second fluid. The fluid pathway of the first panel passes a first fluid. The first panel includes a first compartment to receive a volume of the first fluid. The second panel includes a second compartment to receive a volume of the second fluid. The first and second panels are aligned so that the first compartment overlays the second compartment. The flow management system may be placed within a gap defined by a first surface and a second surface. The first and second compartments are disposed within the gap so that the second compartment bears against the second surface as the second fluid fills the second compartment and forces the first fluid out from the first compartment as the first compartment bears against the first surface. | 0 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to navigation satellite receiver systems and more specifically to manufacturing and analysis fixtures used to test and verify the proper operation and initialization of real-time kinematic receiver systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Centimeter-accurate global positioning system (GPS) navigation depends on being able to resolve individual cycles of carrier phase from an orbiting satellite to a navigation receiver. The many cycles of phase that could be in the neighborhood of a code-based position solution create an ambiguity that is difficult, but not impossible to resolve. The integer number of cycles to each of several satellites simultaneously indicates the correct unique integer-ambiguity solution.
Real-time kinematic (RTK) surveying is a valuable branch in the science of GPS positioning. RTK has substantially improved surveying productivity in the field. RTK eliminates the time consuming post-processing of satellite data that had been an inescapable part of conventional kinematic and static GPS surveying. Quality assurance indicators are produced in real-time that guarantee the results will be good before vacating a site. In the past, cycle slips, especially at the reference GPS receiver, prevented post-processing the kinematic data and such problems were latent and ruinous. With RTK, this and other blunders in field procedures are detectable and thus costly re-surveys can be avoided.
Although RTK systems, such as the SITE SURVEYOR™ from Trimble Navigation (Sunnyvale, Calif.), have been commercially available for some time, such products require static initialization for carrier integer ambiguity resolution. The maximum benefits of RTK are only realized when such initialization processes are independent of system motion, are fully automatic and are transparent to the user/surveyor.
The performance of RTK systems is often judged by the reliability of initialization and the time it takes a receiver to initialize, both of which are interrelated. The time it takes a receiver to initialize is defined here as the time needed to produce the first centimeter-level accurate output, e.g., after a complete loss of lock on all satellites. Test conditions require four, preferably five or more satellites to be visible, in order to rely on highly efficient integer search strategies. The accuracy of the centimeter-level output of a RTK system is also a key element of the system performance.
Up until a few years ago, commercial RTK systems for land surveying were simply not available. However, GPS systems for navigation and positioning were already a well-established industry standard for a variety of geodetic survey applications. Surveyors using GPS systems relied on traditional post-processing with data collection times that could range up to an hour. A technique called FAST STATIC™ data collection reduced this to a few minutes. Post-processed kinematic was effective, but was risky without good satellite visibility, especially without knowledge of satellite tracking at the base receiver.
The ability to perform surveys in real-time has many benefits across a variety of applications. Real-time communications between the reference and multiple rover stations provides integrity checking. Users are able to navigate to survey marks very accurately. But static RTK systems require the user to suffer an initialization procedure while the receiver remains stationary when first used in the field.
During initialization, the conventional GPS surveyors require occupation of a known survey mark or the location of two antennas approximately at the same place using an initializer plate. These constrain the field procedure, and can cause problems when the satellite signals become obstructed, e.g., when a user passes under a bridge. In such a case the user would be forced to return to a known point, or reinitialize the survey in some other manner.
Fully automatic ambiguity resolution (FAAR), as commercially developed by Trimble Navigation, avoids having to initialize from a known mark. A stationary base unit provides reference signals to a "rover" unit that moves about to conduct a survey. There is no constraint on the rover during initialization, it may be stationary or moving. This process has two performance parameters associated with it, the initialization reliability and the time to. initialize. Both initialization time and initialization reliability are key criteria for a commercial user of a real-time kinematic system.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tester for verifying the reliability and time to initialize real-time kinematic rover units used in centimeter-level accurate survey equipment.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for verifying the reliability and time to initialize real-time kinematic rover units used in centimeter-level accurate survey equipment.
Briefly, a real-time kinematic system includes base and rover GPS units connected by a data link. The rover unit is typically moved to points of interest during a survey while the base remains over a fixed, and known location. Generally, the base antenna is located to optimize a clear view of the sky. The rover antenna will often be obstructed by trees, buildings in such a way that the signals are interrupted and a initialization process is preferably restarted. Continuous kinematic operation involves keeping the base station still while the rover is moved over an area. An initialization testing program of the present invention is mounted on a personal computer platform that intentionally forces in the rover a loss of signal tracking, thus simulating losses caused by physical obstructions of the sky. A complete initialization is forced to occur, as happens when the rover unit is first switched on. The test program uninitializes the RTK solution by causing a loss of integer ambiguities resolution by forcing a loss of lock on one or more satellites. The test program then monitors the subsequent initialization process, e.g., the time to acquire satellite signal tracking, the accuracy of float solutions, the time needed to search for phase ambiguity candidates, discovering the prevalent satellite geometry, determination of whether the correct ambiguity candidate was found, finding the ratio of the second best to best solution variances of the ambiguity candidates in the list throughout the candidate propagation process or any similar statistical test, computing the RMS error of the solution at the time that initialization was declared, and calculating the baseline vector between the rover and base at, and after, the time of initialization with known (truth) vector calculated from a previous survey. All such statistical parameters are logged and used in post and real-time analysis of the initialization algorithm.
It is an advantage of the present invention that a tester is provided for verifying the reliability and time to initialize real-time kinematic rover units used in centimeter-level accurate survey equipment.
It is a further advantage of the present invention that a method is provided for verifying the reliability and time to initialize real-time kinematic rover units used in centimeter-level accurate survey equipment.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the drawing figures.
IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a real-time kinematic on-the-fly rover and base unit connected in an initialization test configuration with a test computer and test software;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a test system configured to compare the RTK-OTF initialization performance of several rover units that differ in their embedded initialization firmware, their hardware configuration, etc.; and
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a representative test program for the test system of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 illustrates a test system embodiment of the present invention, referred to by the general reference numeral 10. A real-time kinematic (RTK) base station 12 includes a GPS receiver 14 with a tripod mounted lightweight antenna 16, a radio modem 18 with a UHF antenna 20, and a battery 22. A roving unit 24 is similar, and includes a GPS receiver 26 and microwave antenna 27, a radio-modem 28 and UHF antenna 30 all contained in a backpack 32. The UHF antenna 30 can be mounted on the frame of the backpack. A handheld graphical survey data collector/computer 34, such as a TRIMBLE DATA COLLECTOR™ (TDCI), provides a user interface and is mounted on a kinematic bipod or range pole together with the GPS antenna 27. The roving unit 24 is meant to be carried by one person. Preferably, low-power receivers are used to provide for many hours of surveying using standard camcorder batteries. Additional radio-modems, e.g., TRIMTALK™ units by Trimble Navigation (Sunnyvale, Calif.), can be used as repeaters to allow coverage of a large or obstructed area. Thus, line-of-sight is not required between the base and rover.
The graphical survey data collector/computer 34 can be preloaded with a survey or construction database of coordinates and baselines. This allows graphical navigation, known to surveyors as stake out or set out, to predetermined points where new physical marks are preferably established. Alternatively, the unknown positions of existing marks can be determined and stored in the graphical survey data collector/computer 34 for later transfer to a survey software package mounted on a personal computer platform, e.g., GPSURVEY™, TRIMMAP™, or TRIMNET™, all marketed by Trimble Navigation.
The satellite range measurements used by the receivers to compute a baseline vector between the reference and rover antennas 16 and 27 rely on accurate assessment of carrier phase, e.g., of either or both carriers "L1" and "L2". These phase measurements are inherently ambiguous by an integer number of carrier wavelengths. Determining these integers, e.g., resolving the integer ambiguities is fundamental to initializing RTK, and can be achieved in a variety of ways. Reinitialiation is required whenever a continuous lock on four or more satellites is lost. Prior art single-frequency GPS surveying equipment requires occupation of a known survey mark or use of an initializer plate. Nevertheless, such L1-only systems provide most of the important productivity benefits of RTK, albeit while using less expensive receiver technology. When such inexpensive systems are used in open areas where the satellite visibility is good, the field productivity approaches that of the more costly dual-frequency technology.
The Trimble Navigation GPS TOTAL STATION™ and other similar commercial products support such static initialization methods. The Trimble Navigation GPS TOTAL STATION™ also supports fully automatic ambiguity resolution, which is effective when the rover is static or moving. Initialization while moving is called on-the-fly (OTF), e.g., RTK-OTF. In both static and moving initialization the techniques are similar, and each relies on high quality dual-frequency observables from the GPS receivers. Both L1 and L2 pseudoranges and full-cycle L1 and L2 carrier phase measurements are made available, regardless of any encryption of the precision code signal. Low power operation is essential for field operation, and commercially available integrated circuit technology can be employed, e.g., the MAXWELL signal processing technology developed by Trimble Navigation.
Reliable and fast automatic initialization requires a minimum of four, but preferably five satellites, and can be thereafter maintained with only four satellites. Conventional GPS post-processed survey techniques collected information over time frames that were long enough to observe a significant change in satellite geometry.
The GPS receiver 26 initializes in several conventional steps. First, the integer ambiguities are estimated by forming float ambiguities from combined pseudorange and carrier phase. This enables a differential float-ambiguity solution. Then these estimates are filtered separately, or part of a position filter to reduce the effects of measurement noise. An integer search is next conducted to identify the correct set of integer ambiguities. The RTK solution is initialized and the differential fixed-ambiguity position solution is enabled. Lastly, the correct initialization is verified prior to storing survey quality positions.
When four satellites become visible, differential positioning can begin using a float-ambiguity solution. The accuracy of this is limited by the pseudorange noise which is dominated by local multipath. Sub-meter performance is typical and similar to differential positioning using RTCM differential beacon techniques. Ambiguity resolution also can start, but an integer search will not be invoked until sufficient filtering occurs with four or more satellites visible at both the reference station and rover.
The integer search is bolstered by a surplus of satellites. By using highly-optimized search techniques, the use of a math coprocessor is not necessary to reduce the search computation time. All the kinematic baseline processing can be completed by the rover GPS receiver 26, and this helps reduce overall power consumption. Such hardware minimization is a priority for field portable equipment.
Following the integer search, the RTK system is preliminarily initialized and fixed-ambiguity centimeter-level positioning begins. Although the ambiguities are typically resolved with high confidence, a further integer verification step is usually necessary before allowing a survey to begin. This increases the probability of correct initialization to an acceptable level.
Once initialized, a subsequent loss of initialization and search is considerably enhanced when two or more satellites have managed to be continuously tracked. One or two surviving double-differenced integers bridge over the loss of initialization. This then significantly reduces the number of potential integer combinations and speeds a final integer solution. Such a situation is more the norm than a complete loss of tracking of all the satellites.
Initialization integrity relates to the confidence with which the carrier integers are resolved. In other words, the confidence level that correct initialization was obtained. When L1 and L2 observables are combined, practically instantaneous initialization can be achieved. However, this is of little interest to the surveyor unless it is the usual case for the many varied field environments, e.g., multipath, tropospheric and ionospheric effects, poor satellite visibility, geometry, etc., and with a very high initialization success rate.
The need to verify initialization stems from the fact that an incorrect set of integer ambiguities can appear to be a better statistical choice, but this situation is ephemeral. Even after initialization verification, solution quality is continuously monitored, quality assurance (QA) measures are derived from statistical parameters to identify the unlikely case of initialization failure.
When static at a survey mark, quality assurance indicators are used to ensure that the occupation time is sufficient to meet survey accuracy requirements selected by the surveyor. Covariance matrices are stored along with the positions for post-mission network adjustment. As a last line of defense, every position solution is associated with a unique initialization segment. Information pertaining to this segment is stored within the receiver 26. Then external devices, such as the TDCI handheld survey controller, are enabled to determine if an initialization error has occurred at any time after an RTK survey has started. Should a problem ever be detected, erroneous positions can be eliminated from the survey data base.
The FAAR process lends itself well to automated testing. Unlike the L1-only SITE SURVEYOR™ RTK system which requires intervention by the surveyor to initialize, the FAAR process will initialize without any user supplied information. Testing software was developed on a personal computer to take advantage of this attribute.
A personal computer (PC) 36 includes a test program 38 that monitors the automatic initialization process of receiver 26. A serial port, e.g., RS-232-type input/output port, is connected through a cable 40 from the receiver 26 to the PC 36. The connection of cable 40 also allows the PC 36 to probe the internal mechanisms of the receiver 26 to uninitialize the RTK solution in whole or in part. At the lowest level of severity, the receiver 26 is instructed to discard some or all of the integers it resolved. At the highest level, the software completely severs the reception of satellite signals, effectively emulating an antenna disconnection.
In an alternative embodiment, a hardware switch 42 is connected by a wire 44 that allows the PC 36 to connect and disconnect the antenna 27 with the receiver 26. Disconnection forces a complete loss of satellite tracking and thus precipitates a reinitialization.
The connection of cable 40 allows the PC 36 to monitor the receiver 26 throughout its automatic initialization process steps. Data is downloaded to the PC 36 to a parameter file, e.g., data representing the time taken to initialize and data representing the baseline vector components. The parameter file then supports a later analysis of the quality and speed of the initialization. Preferably, the test software is run twenty-four hours a day, for a whole week, with each day providing data on many hundreds of initializations per receiver. This produces large statistical samples in which small changes in system design can be correlated to their effect on system performance.
In addition to in-depth data analysis using one RTK base-rover pair, various FAAR strategies can be compared. One base station 12 can service many RTK rovers 24. Personal computers running the test software can be connected to each rover to record individual system performance. Test-beds can be used for short (0-2 km) and long (5-10 km) lines. For the longer lines, telephone modems can be used to maintain a link with the base to allow continuous testing without the need for setting up remote radio repeaters between the base and rovers. The telephone modem at the rover site is connected to a radio modem which rebroadcasts the base station measurements.
In one test configuration, each rover was loaded with a different version of RTK firmware to include various choices of filter parameters and statistical thresholds used by the initialization routines. In other configurations, the rover hardware varies. All rovers share the same GPS antenna via a coaxial splitter. Thus, each rover received the same base station measurements and made simultaneous measurements at the same antenna. Having each receiver set up identically in all other respects, including details such as elevation masks, eliminated-all variables except the FAAR strategies. This allowed the equivalent of years worth of field initializations using different processing strategies to be observed and compared. The rover receivers, although stationary, were operating in the roving mode. Thus all initializations were on-the-fly so a static constraint was not placed on the position solution while determining the integer ambiguities. Alternatively, the rover receivers could be operated in a static mode to determine static performance. Multipath at the rover was not rapidly changing as it would if the rovers were truly moving and that would make both initialization and initialization error detection more difficult.
The PC 36 may comprise an IBM-compatible type running Microsoft DOS or a workstation running UNIX. The test program 38 preferably provides a display of the ambiguity search information, error display and tracing, storage of position and solution statistical information, ambiguity search summary storage, and logging of errors and faults. Such a combination of the diagnostic and debugging tools can greatly improve an RTK development process.
In particular, the test program 38 preferably comprises IBM-PC 386/486/PENTIUM™ host environment with Microsoft WINDOWS, or similar ilk. The interface over the cable 40 to the receiver 26 is a 38,400 baud serial RS232 port. Information sent to a user display preferably includes solution statistics, error log, processor RTK status information and ambiguity search data. Storage includes solution statistical summary, error log, processor RTK status information and ambiguity search data. The solution statistics include all information generated by the RTK baseline processor that is relevant to the baseline solution and its associated errors. Baseline vector estimates from the RTK processor are preferably displayed in either geodetic (latitude, longitude, height), local tangent plane (east, north, up) or Cartesian coordinates (X, Y, Z). The position information is preferably represented initially as text. A graphical "snail-trail" plot is preferably provided to show any position solutions. A time-trace plot is a valuable graphical tool for analysis. Double-difference measurement residual information is preferably displayed initially as text indicating the satellite identities, the measurement type, and the residual value. The graphical residual display should include a plot of residual values using colors for each double-difference satellite combination. The solution dilution of precision (DOP) is displayed as text or graphics. A list of the tracked satellites, frequency bands tracked, cycle slip information and the double-difference satellite combinations are preferably provided as text. Time-line tracking information and a skyplot can be done graphically for easier reading. An epoch estimate of the measurements' root-mean-square (RMS) filtered and unfiltered value is preferably displayed for the user during testing. The current motion state of the receiver under test is preferably displayed to indicate whether the processor is treating the data as static, kinematic (moving), or as known baseline occupation.
An ambiguity search is at the heart of many RTK systems. The condition of the ambiguity search at any one point is very important to the overall operation of the processor in the receiver 26. So the various status information is preferably displayed by the test software 38 and the PC 36. The number of fixed/float integer ambiguities should be displayed for L1/L2, or any combination, e.g., "wide-lane" or "narrow-lane" bands. Information regarding the current state of the ambiguity search is preferably displayed, and includes the time taken to generate the search list, the total number of candidates scanned to generate the search list, the search window used to generate the search candidates, the number of candidates in the search list, the RMS figure of the best ambiguity candidate, the RMS ratio of the best candidate to the next best candidate, the number of degrees of freedom accumulated in the search, and the number of satellites used in the search. The double difference float ambiguity estimates for each satellite combination are also important in the user display. The fixed integer ambiguity values are preferably displayed for each double-difference satellite combination that has been successfully resolved. Error information generated by the baseline processor, such as slippage faults, are preferably logged to a file and displayed in a screen log.
The receiver 26 includes a processor board for which the test software 38 maintains a status screen. Detailed information is displayed to the user during test procedures about the current hardware and software operation of the system, e.g., processor firmware version, processor loading, power levels, base receiver packet error rates, and system configuration information.
All the information collected and displayed is interpreted by an expert user to determine the acceptability or relative performance of FAAR or other RTK initialization firmware included in the receiver 26.
FIG. 2 shows a test system 50 configured to compare the RTK-OTF initialization performance of several rover units that differ in their embedded initialization firmware, e.g., FAAR, or differ in their hardware configuration. The test system 50 comprises a base station 52 that is similar to the base station 12 (FIG. 1) and therefore repeats all the same element numbers. A plurality of RTK-OTF rover units 54, 56, and 58 all share a common microwave antenna 60. A plurality of switches 62, 64, and 66 control access to the antenna 60. A set of test computers 68, 70 and 72 are controlled by a corresponding identical set of test softwares 74, 76, and 78. Each pair of test computer and software monitors a corresponding set of RTK-OTF GPS navigation receivers 80, 82, and 84. Each receiver has a corresponding, but different, embedded initialization firmware 86, 87, and 88 for resolving the integer ambiguities in the carrier signals received by antenna 60, and/or different hardware. A set of UHF antennas 90, 92, and 94 all receive the same differential correction and other data linked from antenna 20 at the base station 52.
Since the receivers 80, 82, and 84 all share the same antenna 60, the solution of integers and interference from multipath presents the same problems to all, therefore comparisons of the initialization performance between FAAR firmwares 86, 87, and 88, or receiver systems, will be meaningful. The test data for each FAAR firmware 86, 87, and 88 will be correspondingly developed for user inspection in the memories and user display screens of computers 68, 70, and 72.
FIG. 3 uses a flowchart to represent a test program 100, which is an example of an implementation of the test program 38. No doubt one skilled in the art could code other software to accomplish the same ends. The test program 100 comprises a step 102 to clear a set of initialization counters. A step 104 breaks the receiver's lock or clears the ambiguity resolved for one or more satellites. A step 106 starts a timer. A step 108 logs the time needed by the receiver to acquire signal tracking and measurement taking. A step 110 logs the time of the first float baseline, logs the baseline vector components, logs the satellite geometry, and logs the baseline vector RMS. A step 112 logs the time, number of candidates searched and stored, satellite geometry, and time taken to generate candidate list in a first search. Search propagation is done in a step 114, logs are made of the number of candidates in the list, the location of correct candidate in the list, the search ratio (second best to best), and the RMS of the best candidate. A step 116 checks to see if the rover has resolved the ambiguities. If not, a search failed step 118 logs the time, the RMS, the ratio, the satellite geometry, and the location of the correct candidate in the list. Control then passes back to the step 104 to repeat the loop. Otherwise, an initialization complete step 120 logs the time, the RMS, the ratio, and the baseline vector and increments the initialization counter. The baseline computed is compared with the known baseline in a step 122. If the baseline is within a tolerance level, e.g., ±5 centimeters, an initialized baseline quality step 124 logs the success, the baseline vector, the solution RMS and the satellite geometry. A step 126 checks to see if the logging is complete. If not, control returns back to the step 124. If complete, control passes back up to the step 104. If the baseline was out of tolerance in the step 122, control passes to a bad initialization step 128 that logs the time, the RMS, the ratio, and the baseline vector. A step 130 checks to see if a bad initialization was detected. If not, the step 128 is repeated. If so, a bad initialization step 132 logs the time, the RMS and the baseline vector. Control then passes back to the step 104 to repeat the loop.
In the field, rovers and base sites can experience high ionospheric activity, a nonuniform troposphere, or high signal multipath which lead to overly long initialization times in some environments. These conditions have so far proved to be impossible to reproduce on a test bed. In difficult environments, it has proven very valuable to have users store data in the field at the base and rover sites.
GPS measurement data collected at the base and rover sites is then post-processed using the same real-time kinematic engine that is used in the GPS rover receiver to perform ambiguity initialization and real-time centimeter-level positioning. Similarly, the initialization test system is then used in a post-processed fashion. The real-time data link is replaced by data files that can be synchronized in time and replayed forwards or backwards from any starting point in time in the files. By having data post-processed, many hypotheses regarding the improvement of ambiguity initialization can be tested, and then rejected or accepted. A more rapid convergence can therefore be made on improved real-time kinematic algorithms without having the expense of radio data links or time from repeated on-line experiments.
Although the present invention has been described in terms of the presently preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not to be interpreted as limiting. Various alterations and modifications will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art after having read the above disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended that the appended claims be interpreted as covering all alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. | A real-time kinematic system includes base and rover GPS units connected by a data link. The rover unit is typically moved to points of interest during a survey while the base remains over a fixed, and known location. An initialization testing program of the present invention is mounted on a personal computer platform that forces in the rover a loss of signal tracking, thus simulating losses in signal reception caused by obstructions of the satellite signals. A complete initialization is forced to occur. The test program uninitializes the RTK solution by causing a loss of integer ambiguities resolution by forcing a loss of lock on one or more satellites. The test program then monitors the subsequent initialization process, e.g., the time needed to search for phase ambiguity candidates, discovering the prevalent satellite geometry, determination of whether the correct ambiguity candidate was found, finding the ratio of the second best to best solution variances of the ambiguity candidates in the list throughout the candidate propagation process or similar statistical test, computing the RMS error of the solution at the time that initialization was declared and after initialization, and calculating the baseline vector between the rover and base at the time of initialization and after initialization. All such statistical parameters are logged and used in post and real-time analyses of the initialization algorithm. | 6 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns containers for various products, and in particular relates to containers with molded plastic, threaded closures for products such as powdered concentrates that require a scoop.
Protein powders, weight gain formulas, weight loss formulas, vitamin and mineral supplement powders and similar products are usually sold in containers with plastic threaded closures. These are often relatively large-mouth containers, often 110 mm or 120 mm in diameter. Powdered products that are for mixing by the consumer into water or other liquid beverages often are sold with a scoop, a simple plastic device placed directly in the container with the powdered product. Even if placed on the top surface of the powdered product, the scoop will work its way down into the powder during shipping, and therefore the consumer must retrieve the scoop by hand, reaching into the powder, which produces a messy and objectionable situation.
There have been some approaches to this problem. In one approach, a powdered baby formula container, non-threaded, had a closure secured to the container in a normal way but the closure had an upper part to house a scoop. For access to the scoop the closure was swung upwardly on a hinge. The powdered contents were sealed into the container, with a liner secured to the upper rim of the non-threaded container. See U.S. Published Application No. 2008/0156808.
A simpler and more efficient way of storing a scoop separate from a powdered or liquid concentrate product is needed, especially for threaded closures and for the case in which products are for human consumption.
In addition to the above published application, the following patents and publications show prior approaches to storing a scoop or utensil in or adjacent to a cap, sometimes to prevent the utensil from being submerged in the contained product: U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,175,041, 5,705,212, 5,415,309, 5,090,572, 4,216,875, 3,679,093, 3,624,787, D572,538, U.S. pub. No. 2008/0093366, Japan pub. app. Nos. 2007-137510, 2004-315068, 2000-287807, 2000-107052 and Great Britain pub. app. No. 2 250 271.
Of the above patents and publications, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,705,212 and 7,175,041 show storage and retention of a utensil or scoop within some form of cap. In the former the utensil is in a snapped-on, non-threaded overcap; in the latter the scoop is held up against the top panel inside a deep threaded cap.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In several embodiments of this invention a scoop is retained to or by a threaded container closure so as not to be submerged in the product. In one form of the invention, the scoop is held in an overcap which fits nestingly together on the top of a normal threaded container closure. The unthreaded overcap is retained to the regular cap in an appropriate manner such as by a shrink-fitted plastic band retained in sealed engagement around the exterior joint between the two caps. The scoop may be retained loosely in the overcap, or it may be fitted closely within the overcap such that little or no movement is permitted, or it may be firmly retained by a novel retention system.
In another form of the invention the overcap simply comprises a raised, smaller-diameter portion of a unitary molded cap. An internal shoulder can be provided just below the raised portion for engagement down against the container finish of the threaded cap. If a liner is to be used this can be secured to the container finish prior to installation of the cap.
In another form, the invention places the plastic scoop directly inside the container and up against the liner, which is initially assembled into the cap. For example, the scoop can be held in place on the liner by a glue dot, until removed by the consumer.
In all cases of a granulated or powdered product, the consumer, after opening the container, can simply place the scoop on the top surface of the powder between uses. The problem of objectionable sinking down into the powder occurs only during shipment.
It is therefore among the objects of the invention to conveniently store a scoop of the type used for powder or liquid concentrates in or on a closure for a container of the product, in such a way that the scoop will not sink down into the product. These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, considered along with the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective showing one embodiment of a threaded container closure with a scoop retained in the closure separate from the granular or powdered contents of the container.
FIG. 2 is an elevation view in cross section showing the container closure.
FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view showing the closure.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged and fragmented sectional view showing a portion of the closure.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a scoop to be contained in the closure of FIGS. 1-4 .
FIG. 5A is a side elevational view in section showing the scoop.
FIG. 6 is a plan view similar to FIG. 5 but showing a different form of scoop.
FIG. 6A is a side elevational view in section showing the scoop of FIG. 6 .
FIG. 6B is a perspective view showing a scoop similar to but slightly modified from that of FIG. 6 .
FIG. 6C is a bottom plan view showing the scoop of FIG. 6B retained in a cap or overcap.
FIG. 6D is a detail view in elevational cross section showing engagement of the scoop of FIG. 6B within the cap or overcap.
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a second embodiment of the invention wherein the scoop is contained in an overcap secured on top of a normal threaded closure.
FIG. 8 is a side elevation, slightly perspective view in section showing the closure of FIG. 7 .
FIG. 9 is an elevation view in section showing the overcap of FIGS. 7 and 8 .
FIG. 10 is a elevation view in section showing an overcap similar to that of FIGS. 7-9 but with a modified form of scoop retention.
FIG. 11 is an enlarged detail view showing a portion of the overcap of FIG. 10 .
FIG. 12 is a cross section view showing a scoop retained in the overcap of FIGS. 10 and 11 .
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the drawings, FIG. 1 shows in exploded view a container 10 having a threaded neck 12 , the container being of the type, usually of injection-molded plastic, for containing powdered or granulated products for human consumption, such as protein powders, weight gain formulas, weight loss formulas, etc. These are usually large, wide mouth containers, for example with 110 or 120 mm container finish 14 , sometimes holding a gallon of product.
In this embodiment a sealing liner 16 may be secured to the container finish 14 , typically by conductive heating, i.e. a heated platen engaging the circular liner 16 down against the container finish 14 . In this case the liner is added prior to any closure being attached to the container. As an alternative the liner can be pre-assembled into the cap and later inductively sealed, as explained below.
The drawing shows a threaded closure 18 , having lower and upper skirt parts at 20 and 22 and with a top panel 24 extending across the upper end of the upper skirt part 22 . The upper skirt part 22 is smaller in diameter than the lower skirt part 20 , this difference in diameter being sufficient to enable the container finish to seal. A generally horizontal ledge 26 connects the smaller upper skirt part 22 with the larger lower skirt part 20 , providing the seal for the container finish. An internal thread or threads 28 are seen on the inner side of the threaded closure device 18 , which preferably is substantially (or at least generally) transparent. The closure device 18 is preferably injection-molded as a single common integral piece.
A scoop 30 is also shown in FIG. 1 , in an upright orientation in this embodiment, to be fitted into the space defined in the interior of the upper portion of the closure 18 , defined by the upper skirt part 22 . This scoop in one preferred embodiment is retained firmly against the inside of the top panel 24 , and it resides between the top panel 24 and the liner 16 which is fixed to the container finish 14 . The scoop could be in an inverted orientation, as it is in FIG. 12 explained below. The closure 18 is screwed onto the container neck 12 with the scoop held securely inside the closure.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the threaded closure 18 in sectional elevation and in interior plan view. FIG. 4 is a fragmented sectional view showing details of the closure. FIG. 2 shows the lower skirt part 20 formed with the internal thread 28 and having an increased-diameter outwardly extending lip 32 , which is consistent with other large-diameter injection-molded caps of the applicant/assignee for stacking. FIG. 2 also reveals an internal ridge or bead 34 formed in the upper skirt part 22 , below the surface of the top panel 24 . The bead 34 is seen in better detail, in cross section, in FIG. 4 . As shown in FIG. 2 , this bead is interrupted at an interruption 36 , which may be an approximately 1″ gap, or in any event sufficient to receive a scoop as discussed below. This occurs at two 180°-opposed locations. The purpose of this bead is to retain a scoop, discussed below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 5A , in “bayonet” locking fashion up against the bottom of the top panel 24 . In FIG. 4 this bead 34 is seen as having sloped surfaces at top and bottom, primarily to enable stripping from the mold.
A modified retention band is discussed below with reference to FIG. 10 .
FIG. 4 also shows the inward step 26 in the diameter of the closure 18 , providing an internal ledge 26 a for the closure to engage against the container finish. The reduction in diameter, in one example for a 120 mm closure, is from about 4.7″ internal diameter just below the ledge to about 4.37″ internal diameter just above the ledge, thus a difference of 0.36″, or about ⅜″. This provides about 3/16″ radius difference, so that the ledge internally is about 3/16″, providing an adequate distance for engaging against the container finish. This ledge width can vary. Preferably a series of induction sealing rings 38 are included on the ledge, as shown, and the ledge should be wide enough to allow at least two of the rings 38 to engage against the container finish. A liner can be assembled into the closure 18 against this ledge, then inductively heated and sealed onto the bottle finish after the closure is screwed tightly onto the bottle. These will engage down against the liner 16 ( FIG. 1 ), which will already have been secured to the container finish.
One form of the scoop 30 is shown in FIGS. 5 and 5A . It is configured especially for being contained in and secured in the closure 18 . As shown in the drawings, the scoop has a handle 42 with an end 43 , and at the opposite end of the scoop, i.e. the pouring end 44 , is a tip flange 46 that extends forward by a small distance, about 1/32″ to 1/16″, as best seen in FIG. 5A . These two ends of the scoop, the back end 43 of the handle and the tip flange 46 , are essentially coplanar and at the top of the scoop. Both of these edges 46 and 43 preferably have a curvature as shown, which follows a radius from a central point 48 between them and on a median line longitudinally through the cup. This provides for the cup to be “bayonet” mounted into the closure 18 . The tip flange 46 and handle 43 , each of which may be about 0.045″ in thickness, are configured to be inserted in the upper part of the closure 18 which is seen in FIGS. 2 , 3 and 4 , between respective arcs of the bead 34 and the top panel 24 above. FIG. 4 , at the top of the drawing, shows this insertion position in some detail. The vertical distance a shown in FIG. 4 , between a downwardly protruding bump or nipple 50 on the top panel and the start of the top ramp of the bead 34 , is essentially the same as the thickness of the tip flange 46 and the back end 43 of the handle of the scoop, i.e. about 0.045″ to 0.050″. The bump 50 , of which there are two at 180°-opposed positions, is also shown in the bottom plan view of FIG. 3 . A central bump 52 extending down at the center of the top panel, seen in FIGS. 2 and 4 , is a gate well for injection molding. When the scoop is assembled into the cap 18 , it is brought up into the cap in a position generally as shown in FIG. 1 , with the handle end 43 and the tip flange 46 positioned in the two interruptions 36 between bead segments 34 . This puts the two tips at both ends of the scoop in position to slide above the bead segments 34 when the scoop is rotated. The two opposed nipples or bumps 50 , when reached by the two ends of the scoop, provide a close fit and require that the remaining rotation of the scoop into place be in forced rotation such that the scoop is held tightly in place. In fact, the scoop handle 42 preferably has a series of parallel ridges 54 , seen in FIGS. 5 and 5A , which will snap or click against the nipple 50 as the scoop is rotated into its final position, providing a tactile and audible feedback.
FIGS. 6 through 6D show modified forms of the scoop 30 . FIG. 6 shows a modified scoop 30 a having, in addition to a front pour spout 44 a , side pour spouts 45 at each side, for convenience to the user in dispensing controlled amounts of a powder or granular product. The handle 42 is similar to that of FIGS. 5 and 6 , and the scoop is generally similar to that other embodiment except in regard to the side pour spouts. In this form of scoop 30 a , there is no tip flange such as the tip flange 46 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 ; this scoop can be retained inverted as shown in FIG. 12 and explained below.
FIG. 6B shows a somewhat different form of scoop 30 b , with a simpler parameter that includes side pour spouts 45 a , and with a tip flange 46 as in the first-described embodiment.
FIG. 6C shows the scoop 30 b as secured in a closure or overcap, which could be the top portion of the closure 18 shown in FIG. 2 or an overcap as described below with reference to FIGS. 7-9 . The scoop is retained in bayonet style by engaging the handle end 43 and the tip flange 46 under the arcuate bead 34 , as shown in detail in FIG. 6D .
FIGS. 7 and 8 show another embodiment of the invention, wherein the scoop-containing closure 60 comprises a threaded cap 62 which can be of conventional design, together with an overcap 64 that nests on top of a cap 62 , is without threads, and is bonded to the threaded cap 62 , preferably by a plastic shrink band 66 (indicated in FIG. 8 ). The scoop 30 , as seen in the other drawings, is contained in the overcap 64 . FIG. 8 shows the assembly in cross section. The container closure cap 62 is shown screwed onto the container 63 via threads 68 ( FIG. 7 ) in the conventional way. This cap component is fitted with a liner 70 ( FIG. 7 ) in the typical manner, the liner being compressed down against the container finish when the cap is screwed onto the container, then inductively heated to bond the liner to the top of the container finish. The overcap 64 is shown assembled onto the top of the basic cap 62 , in nested relationship via an expanded-diameter annular skirt portion 72 at the bottom end of the overcap's skirt 74 . This annular recess formed by the skirt tail 72 is of a size to engage closely over the top shoulder of the basic cap 62 , and the feature is known in the industry as a feature of the assignee of this invention, for nesting newly manufactured injection-molded, large-diameter caps together into “logs” for dimensional stability of the caps and for dense packing into cartons. The feature is known as TAPERSTACK on caps, produced by Innovative Molding, Inc. of Sebastopol, Calif. (the assignee herein).
The scoop 30 , which can be the same scoop as shown in FIGS. 5 and 5A , is secured in the overcap 64 , and may be held therein by the same quick “bayonet” type mounting described above, or by a modified retention described below in reference to FIG. 10 . Alternatively, the scoop 30 could simply be retained in the overcap by a glue dot of the type that is easily releasable by the consumer, or the scoop could be dimensioned to be very closely held within the internal diameter of the overcap 64 , without the bayonet mounting. The shrink band 66 is of the kind used commonly to provide a seal over the joint between a cap and a container. The plastic band is held in place and heated to cause shrinking of its diameter to tightly grip the overcap 64 and the regular cap 62 across the joint between them, providing an effective seal.
FIG. 9 shows the overcap 64 in cross section, showing the same bayonet mounting structure as shown in the upper cap part 22 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4 . The difference here is that the overcap has essentially the same internal diameter as the basic cap 62 so that the scoop can be of greater length, the difference being dictated by the dimension of the internal ledge 26 a between the upper and lower sections of the first embodiment, best seen in FIG. 4 . The arcuate retention beads are shown at 34 , and one of the interruptions between them shown at 36 .
FIG. 10 shows a variation in an overcap 64 a for retention of a scoop, and this applies equally to the upper skirt part 22 of the first-described closure device 18 , as shown in FIG. 2 . Here, the arcuate retention bead of the cap 18 is replaced by a helical bead 34 a , which acts as essentially as an internal thread, but not for use in securing the overcap 64 a to a container. The helical bead or thread 34 a preferably comprises two separate internal threads with thread starts 180° apart. The thread starts are at the same level, and one thread start 34 b is visible in the sectional view of FIG. 10 , while the right side of the drawing shows the end of a different and opposing thread section.
These helical beads or threads enable a scoop such as described above to be assembled into the overcap by screwing the scoop into position. FIG. 12 illustrates a scoop being retained in the overcap 64 a . In this case the scoop is inserted into the overcap with the open upper side of the scoop downward, i.e. with the open side of the scoop facing in the same direction as the opening of the overcap. The scoop can be similar to the scoop 30 a of FIGS. 6 and 6A , without a tip flange on the front pour spout 44 a , since the scoop is inverted. The depth of the scoop is such that the scoop can be engaged onto the thread sections 34 a via the front pour spout edge 44 a and the handle end 43 as shown in the scoop drawings. One of the scoop designs with a tip flange 46 could be used if desired. The depth of the scoop, and the positioning of the thread sections 34 a , can be such that the pan of the scoop engages up against the top panel 24 of the overcap, or there can be a clearance between the scoop and the top panel as shown in FIG. 12 . The length of the scoop can be such that, in combination with a slight taper of the overcap (narrower diameter toward the top panel), the handle and tip flange engage or wedge tightly against the internal surface of the overcap skirt, thus firmly holding the scoop in position without requiring engagement against the underside of the top panel.
FIG. 11 shows in detail one of the bead or thread sections 34 a on the inside surface of the overcap 64 a , just above the expanded-diameter annular skirt portion 72 as described above.
The above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit its scope. Other embodiments and variations to these preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. | A container with a granulated or powdered product stores a scoop in or on a threaded closure for the container, in such a way that the scoop will not sink down into the product. Several embodiments are disclosed, including different ways for retaining the scoop on the closure. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for fixing the position of a sheet on a feeding table of a sheet-fed printing press.
A printing press comprises a feeding table whereon a sheet is transported to a printing unit. During the transportation of the sheet, an edge of the sheet comes into contact with front lays which limit the movement of the sheet and define a line for aligning the sheet. After the alignment of the sheet, the front lay is moved away from the table, so that the edge of the sheet, which is disposed on the alignment or adjustment line, can be picked up by a gripper, and the sheet can consequently be transported to the printing unit.
From the published German Patent Document DE 40 04 447 C2, a feed lay or lay mark for aligning sheets which are guided on a feeding table have become known heretofore. The feeding table has an adjustable stop which is permanently connected to the feeding table. The feed lay is biased in the direction of the stop by a spring element. The front lay is articulatedly connected to a base body and can be pivoted together with the spring element from a working position into a neutral position. The working position is the position wherein the front lay defines the line for aligning the sheet. In the neutral position, the front lay is disposed beneath the feeding table, so that the front edge of the sheet can be picked up by a gripper.
A disadvantage of the arrangement described in the aforementioned German patent document is that the time at which the front lay leaves the stop is dependent upon the setting of the stop and is thus not precisely specified. This time uncertainty must be accounted for, and shortens the time available for aligning and stabilizing the sheet. The time at which the front lay leaves the working position must therefore be moved ahead or advanced accordingly. Wear is also to be expected due to the contact of the front lay with the adjustable stationary stop, which can result in the front lay being disadjusted or moved out of alignment.
The published German Patent Document DE 43 06 238 A1 discloses a device for fixing the position of a sheet, and a feed table for transporting the sheet, including a front lay that is disposed in the region of the feed table and that, in a working position, protrudes upwardly from the plane of the feed table, the front lay being fixed at a pivotable holding device and serving simultaneously as the adjusting device. Devices of this type are difficult to handle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to make available an improved device for fixing the position of a sheet on a feeding table by aligning at front lays a sheet that is transported on a feeding table.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a device for fixing the position of a sheet, comprising a feeding table for transporting the sheet; at least one front lay disposed in vicinity of the feeding table and, in a working position, protruding upwardly beyond the plane of the feeding table; a swivellable holder to which the front lay and an adjusting mechanism for the front lay are secured; and an adjusting device secured to the holder, the front lay and the adjusting device being disposed separated from one another on the holder, the front lay being in continuous biasing engagement, under tension, with the adjusting device, so that, by changing the position of the holder, the front lay and the adjusting device are movable from the working position into a neutral position and, conversely, from the neutral position into the working position.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the adjusting device is rotatably mounted, and is rotatable for adjusting the position of the front lay.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the adjusting device is formed with lock recesses and includes a lock element, the lock recesses cooperating with the lock element for enabling rotation of the adjusting device at prescribed angles.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the lock element is constructed as a leaf spring, which is prestressed with the aid of a lock nose in a direction towards the adjusting device and, when the adjusting device is rotated, the lock element catches in the lock recesses, so that the adjusting device is rotatable further only with increased torque.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the position-fixing device includes a servomotor connected to the adjusting device for adjusting the rotational position of the adjusting device.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the adjusting device is formed with a contact surface to which a tool for adjusting the position of the adjusting device is applicable.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the adjusting device is disposed beneath the feeding table; and the feeding table is formed with an opening in vicinity of the adjusting device, via which the contact surface is accessible with the aid of a tool.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the adjusting device includes a rotary element mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation; the front lay having a contact part in contact with a side margin of the rotary element; at least one of the rotary element and the position of the axis of rotation being constructed so that, when the rotary element is rotated about the axis of rotation, a spacing between the contact part and the axis of rotation is modified.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the contact part and the rotary element are operatively connected to one another via at least one of an anti-friction bearing and a slide ring.
In accordance with still another feature of the invention, the adjusting mechanism serves for adjusting the spacing between the front lay and the adjusting device.
In accordance with still a further feature of the invention, the position-fixing device includes at least one tensioning device for prestressing the front lay in a direction towards the stop element.
In accordance with still an added feature of the invention, the front lay is formed at least partly of an elastic material; and is secured to the holding device in a manner that the front lay is prestressed in a direction towards the adjusting device.
In accordance with still an additional feature of the invention, the rotary element is formed as an Archimedes' spiral.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the rotary element is formed as a disk which is rotatable about an eccentrically disposed axis of rotation.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the adjusting device is connected to a disk formed with lock recesses in a side margin thereof; the disk having a first and a second stop surface; and a stop bolt is disposed between the first and the second stop surfaces, the stop bolt, by coming into contact with the first and the second surfaces, serving to limit the range of rotation of the adjusting device.
The invention offers the advantage that the front lay is preferably prestressed against an adjusting device without play and connected to the adjusting device in one structural unit, the front lay being movable together with the adjusting device from a working position into a neutral position. In this way, the front lay is always in contact with the adjusting device, so that, subsequent to the transition from the neutral position into the working position, the front lay is aligned at the predetermined adjustment line.
Because at least two, and in most instances more than two, front lays are advantageously distributed over the width of the feeding table, it is expedient for the front lays to be individually adjustable. For straight sheet edges, all front lays can be used as stops for the sheet. The sheet edge is thus given optimal support in the stopping process.
For convex sheet edges, the middle front lays are preferably removed. Consequently, only two front lays at the outer region are used to prevent the sheet from rocking. For thin sheets with edges that are not straight, it may be necessary to adapt several front lays to the curvature of the sheet in order to prevent displacement or stressing of the sheet. This ensures an optimal adjustment of various printing materials.
A simple embodiment of the adjustable adjusting device calls for it to be rotatably mounted and provided with lock recesses. The rotatable mounting of the adjusting device ensures a simple adjustment of the position of the front lay. The use of lock recesses in conjunction with a lock element is advantageous in that the adjusting device is enabled to be rotated at prescribed angles in a precise manner. It is possible, thereby, to achieve very precise settings of the front lay.
In a preferred embodiment, the lock element is formed as a leaf spring having a lock nose which is allocated or assigned to the lock recesses. This embodiment ensures a cost-effective realization of the lock element.
The adjusting device is advantageously connected to a servomotor with which the position of the adjusting device can be set. The use of a servomotor permits a very precise adjustment of the adjusting device, which is additionally independent of the local position of the adjusting device. The adjusting device is thereby easy to adjust even when access thereto is difficult.
The adjusting device is also easy to adjust because it has a surface upon which a tool for adjusting the position of the adjusting device is able to be placed. Thus, the position of the adjusting device can be adjusted without using complex technical equipment.
The adjusting device is advantageously disposed beneath the feeding table, thereby providing a compact construction. In addition, an opening is formed in the feeding table in the vicinity of the adjusting device, via which the contact surface of the adjusting device can be accessed with a tool. In this way, the adjusting device can be adjusted easily from above.
The adjusting device is advantageously constructed in the form of a rotating element adjoined by the front lay via a contact part at a side margin of the rotating element. The rotating element and/or the axis of rotation of the rotating element are constructed so that, when the rotating element is rotated about the axis of rotation, the distance between the contact part and the axis of rotation is changed. This embodiment represents a simple construction of the adjusting device.
To prevent friction and to increase the accuracy of the position of the front lay, the contact part is braced against the adjusting device via a slide ring or anti-friction bearing.
In a further development of the invention, the front lay includes an adjusting mechanism with which the distance between the contact part and the front lay can be set. An initial setting of the front lay can be performed by using the adjusting mechanism. With this initial setting, a number of front lays can be aligned on a prescribed adjusting line.
In a preferred embodiment, the front lay is biased in a direction towards the stop element and the adjusting mechanism, respectively, by a tensioning mechanism. By using a prestressed front lay, freedom of play is afforded to the front lay in any situation.
A particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention provides for the front lay be produced at least partly from an elastic material. Additional stressing mechanisms for biasing the front lay in the direction towards the stop element are thus dispensed with or spared. A compact and economical construction is thereby possible.
A preferred embodiment of the rotating element is formed as an Archimedes' spiral or a disk which is rotatable about an eccentrically arranged axis. In both embodiments, the distance between the side margin of the rotating element and the axis of rotation can be varied in dependence upon the rotational position of the rotating element.
Another advantageous embodiment of the invention is realized by an adjusting device comprising a disk at the outer margin of which lock recesses are provided, the disk being formed with first and second stop surfaces which are bringable into contact with a stop bolt. By using the stop bolt and the stop surfaces, a defined angular range is prescribed for the rotation of the adjusting device. A setting in which all the front lays stand on a common straight line is thereby easy to find.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a device for fixing the position of a sheet on a feeding table, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view, partly in cross section, of a front lay with a holding device;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1 showing the front lay with a feeding table;
FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of FIG. 1 showing a shaft with two front lays;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 of a front lay in a neutral or inactive position, shown with a slide bearing;
FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 showing a front lay with an anti-friction bearing;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 showing a front lay in a second embodiment;
FIG. 7 is a top plan view similar to that of FIG. 2 showing a front lay in another embodiment with an adjusting device in the form of an Archimedes spiral;
FIG. 8 is a view like that of FIG. 1 of a front lay in a third embodiment; and
FIG. 9 is a view similar to that of FIG. 9 of the front lay of FIG. 8 from the perspective of the feeding table;
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The invention is described hereinbelow by way of example in a sheet-fed printing press, the device according to the invention being introducible into any type of printing press wherein a part must be aligned at a predetermined adjustment line and then picked up from the side of the adjustment line and moved forward.
Referring now to the drawings and, first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown therein a feeding table 3 with a front lay 1 in working position. In the working position, a contact plate 20 of the front lay 1 is disposed at a front edge 47 of the feeding table 3 so that the contact plate 20 protrudes upwardly beyond a supporting surface 49 of the feeding table 3 and is disposed parallel to the front edge 47 on a predetermined alignment or adjustment line 46 (note FIG. 2 ).
The contact plate 20 has an intercepting surface 48 , which, in the working position, is oriented approximately perpendicularly to the supporting surface 49 of the feeding table 3 .
The contact plate 20 extends beneath the feeding table 3 into a first region 51 following a bend 50 . As shown in FIG. 1, in the working position of the contact plate 20 , also shown in phantom at 25 in FIG. 4, the first region 51 is realized approximately parallel to the supporting surface 49 and extends in a direction towards an adjusting device 4 . The first region 51 merges into a second region 52 , which is disposed approximately perpendicularly to the first region 51 . The second region 52 merges via a third region 53 into a fourth region 54 . The third region 53 has an asymmetrical U shape, and the fourth region 54 extends approximately parallel to the second region 52 . The fourth region 54 is in contact with a contact surface 55 of a shaft 6 . The fourth region 54 is fixedly screwed to the shaft 6 by a first screw 14 . The contact surface 55 is advantageously oriented perpendicularly to the feeding table 3 .
The shaft 6 is formed with a centrally oriented borehole 56 which is oriented parallel to the contact surface 55 . Thus, in the working position, the borehole 56 is oriented perpendicularly to the feeding table 3 . In the borehole 56 , a rod 19 having a lock disk 7 at the top end thereof, as viewed in FIG. 1, for example, is rotatably mounted. The lock disk 7 lies on the shaft 6 . Above the lock disk 7 , a stop element 8 in the form of an eccentric disk is provided. A side margin 57 of the stop element 8 is disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rod 19 . The stop element 8 has a substantially cylindrical construction, with an axis of rotation situated outside the midpoint of the cross-section of the cylinder formed by the stop element 8 . The axis of rotation of the stop element 8 is coaxial with the axis of rotation 59 of the rod 19 .
The stop element 8 has an upper side, as viewed in FIG. 1, for example, which is oriented parallel to the underside of the feeding table 3 , and is formed with an opening 58 , which is bounded by an interior wall 9 of the stop element 8 . The interior wall 9 is advantageously constructed as a contact surface in the shape of an interior hexagon. The feeding table 3 is formed with a second recess 5 above the opening 58 . The second recess 5 is constructed so that a tool can be guided into the opening 58 through the feed table 3 from above, in order to vary the rotational position of the stop element 8 . A hex or hexagon key is preferably used as the tool. In its simplest form, the second recess 5 is a cylindrical recess.
The lock disk 7 is disposed centrosymmetrically to the axis of rotation 59 of the rod 19 . Lock recesses 13 are provided at the outer perimeter of the lock disk 7 . A lock element 12 is provided in the shape of a leaf spring, which is screwed to the shaft 6 by the first screw 14 , the lock element 12 having a lock nose 23 in the shape of an outward bend at the top end thereof, as viewed in FIG. 1 . The lock nose 23 is disposed in a region of the outer perimeter of the lock disk 7 and engages in a respective lock recess 13 . Interaction of the lock recesses 13 and the lock element 12 ensures a precise rotation of the stop element 8 into predetermined angular positions.
The second region 52 of the front lay 1 is braced, via a contact part 15 , against a side edge of the stop element 8 , which represents the outer perimeter 57 thereof. The contact part 15 is advantageously constructed in the shape of a nut 16 through which a threaded adjusting screw 17 is guided. The nut 16 is secured at the second region 52 of the front lay 1 via a second weld or joint 44 . The front end of the adjusting screw 17 is in contact with the side edge 57 of the stop element 8 . The front lay 1 is shaped by the third region 53 thereof so that the second region 52 of the front lay 1 has a tensioning bias acting in a direction towards the stop element 8 . In the second region 52 , a borehole is formed, through which the other end of the adjusting screw 17 extends. The contact part 15 is thus clamped between the second region 52 and the outer perimeter 57 . The contact part 15 serves for setting or establishing a defined spacing between the outer perimeter 57 and the second region 52 and thus a defined position of the intercepting surface 48 . By turning the adjusting screw 17 , the position of the intercepting surface 48 relative to the feeding table 3 can be adjusted. The adjusting screw 17 and the nut 16 represent an adjusting mechanism. By the adjusting mechanism 16 , 17 , a basic setting of the front lay 1 can be executed. With the basic setting, several front lays can be aligned on a predetermined adjustment line.
In addition, due to the eccentric shape of the stop element 8 , the position of the intercepting surface 48 can be set by turning the stop element 8 . The shaft 6 with the rod 19 and the stop element 8 represent an adjusting device 4 by which the position of the intercepting surface 48 can be adjusted from the basic setting that was previously set using the contact part 15 and the adjusting screw 17 .
The rod 19 has a connecting element 60 at the bottom end thereof, as viewed in FIG. 1, to which an elastic shaft 11 is attached. The elastic shaft 11 is connected to a controllable servomotor 10 . The rod 19 and thus the stop element 8 are turned, via the elastic shaft 11 , by actuating the servomotor 10 accordingly. In this manner, the intercepting surface 48 can be displaced, regardless of the accessibility of the front lay 1 , by actuating the servomotor 10 accordingly. Because a servomotor 10 is used, the front lay 1 can be adjusted by remote control. The remote control can be accomplished via programs of a control computer of the sheet-fed printing machine. Of course, this is also possible during the printing-machine cycle.
In a relatively simple embodiment, the front lay 1 comprising the contact plate 20 , and the first, second, third, and fourth regions 51 , 52 , 53 and 54 , is constructed in the shape of a suitably bent thin plate. Advantageously, the front lay 1 is produced from spring steel. Because the front lay 1 is biased in the direction towards the stop element 8 in the second region 52 , due to the shape and the connection thereof to the shaft 6 , additional devices for biasing the contact plate 20 can be dispensed with. This ensures a cost-effective and compact construction.
The lower end of the rod 19 has an axial guard 61 which limits the axial mobility of the rod 19 in the shaft 6 . The shaft 6 , the screw 14 and the rod 19 , together, represent a holding device 2 for the front lay 1 and the adjusting device 4 .
FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of FIG. 1, as viewed from above and from the perspective of the feeding table 3 , which is represented only diagrammatically, in phantom. The feeding table 3 is formed with notches 45 in the region of a front lay 47 , through which respective contact plates 20 are guided from below. The intercepting surfaces 48 of the contact plates 20 are aligned at the adjusting line 46 . The notches 45 permit the arrangement of the adjustment line 46 in the region of the support surface 49 . Thus, a sheet that is situated on the feeding table 3 , with the leading edge of the sheet abutting the intercepting surface 48 , is located in the region of the support surface 49 , so that the whole surface of the sheet is held by the feeding table 3 .
The first region 51 and the third region 53 of the front lay 1 are clearly visible in FIG. 2 . The adjusting screw 17 contacts the outer perimeter 57 of the stop element 8 . The shape of the lock nose 23 of the lock element 12 is also clearly visible. In this exemplifying embodiment, the lock nose 23 is locked in the first lock recess 13 . The lock disk 7 is formed with a recess which is bounded by first and second stop surfaces 21 and 22 . Installed in the shaft 6 is a stop bolt 18 , which is disposed in the region of the recess of the lock disk 7 , so that rotation of the stop element 8 is limited by the fact that the first or second stop surface 21 , 22 strikes the stop bolt 18 . The lock disk 7 can be rotated only within a predetermined angular range due to the stop bolt 18 and the first and second stop surfaces 21 and 22 . A maximum permissible angular range for rotating the adjusting device 4 is thereby prescribed. FIG. 2 clearly shows the shape of the lock disk 7 , which has a central opening through which the stop element 8 extends. The lock disk 7 is firmly connected to the stop element 8 .
FIG. 3 shows a device with two front lays 1 , which are affixed onto a common shaft 6 . The front lays 1 are aligned so that the stop plates 20 of the two front lays 1 are arranged on a common adjustment line 46 . In the same way, additional front lays 1 on the shaft 6 can also be distributed along the front or leading edge 47 of the feeding table 3 . A drive is also provided for rotating the shaft 6 , by the aid of which the shaft 6 shown in FIG. 4, for example, is rotatable. The shaft 6 is mounted in a bearing support 76 and connected to the sheet-fed printing machine.
FIG. 4 shows a device similar to that of FIG. 1, but with a slide ring 28 disposed between the adjusting screw 17 and the stop element 8 for reducing sliding friction. The slide ring 28 prevents wear of the stop element or the adjusting screw 17 and additionally accomplishes a precise adjustment of the position of the intercepting surface 48 due to low-frictional movement of the stop element 8 relative to the adjusting screw 17 . The slide ring 28 is rotatably mounted on the stop element 8 and secured against axial movement. The adjusting screw 17 is braced against the outer circumference of the slide ring 28 , and is resiliently prestressed against the slide ring 28 .
FIG. 4 shows the front lay 1 in the neutral or inactive position thereof at 26 , wherein the contact plate 20 is tilted about a central axis 63 over a pivot angle 27 relative to the working position 25 of the contact plate 20 , which is represented in phantom. The pivot angle 27 is so dimensioned that, in the neutral or inactive position 26 of the contact plates 20 , the latter are tilted far enough away from the front or leading edge 47 in the forward and downward directions so that the feeding table 3 and, thus, the sheet 64 lying thereon can be accessed freely in the region of the front or leading edge 47 . This is necessary because the sheet 64 is seized by a gripper in the region of the front or leading edge 47 and moved off the feeding table 3 . The gripper seizes the sheet 64 between the individual front lays.
How the device according to the invention operates or functions is described hereinafter in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4. A sheet 64 coming from the righthand side, as represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, is transported in a direction towards the intercepting surface 48 . The leading edge 65 of the sheet 64 strikes the intercepting surface 48 . The sheet 64 is stopped and aligned, with the leading edge 65 thereof on the adjustment line 46 .
After the sheet 64 is aligned and settled on the feeding table 3 , it is seized by a gripper. The front lays 1 are then tilted away forwardly over the pivot angle 27 by rotating the shaft 6 about the central axis 63 , as is represented in FIG. 4, and the sheet is drawn off and away from the feeding table 3 . The shaft 6 is then tipped back into the working position thereof, so that the front lay 1 again assumes the working position thereof, as represented in FIG. 1 . Because the front lay 1 is always in contact with the stop element 8 during the movement of the front lay 1 from the working position thereof into the neutral or inactive position thereof and back into the working position thereof again, the front lay 1 , with respect to the stop element 8 , is always at a defined spacing and always returns to the working position thereof at the same instant of time. Because it is unnecessary to take into account any time reserve for undefined swinging-away and returning, more time is available for aligning and stabilizing the sheet.
FIG. 5 illustrates an additional embodiment of the invention wherein the adjusting screw 17 engages the stop element 8 via an anti-friction bearing 66 . In this regard, the adjusting screw 17 engages an exterior ring 67 of the anti-friction bearing under prestressing.
FIG. 6 shows an additional embodiment of the invention wherein the front lay 1 has a different shape than that of FIG. 1 . In FIG. 6, the first region 51 is longer and, shortly before the stop element 8 , the first region 51 buckles downwardly in a direction towards the shaft 6 and merges into a fifth region 68 . The fifth region 68 extends to a location beneath the shaft 6 , and merges into a sixth region 69 , which is disposed approximately parallel to the feeding table 3 and abuts a lower contact surface 70 of the shaft 6 . The sixth region 69 is formed with an opening out of which the rod 19 extends in a downward direction. A hexagon screw 35 that has been bored through is provided for bolting the sixth region 69 to the lower contact surface 70 and thus fixes the front lay 1 in position. The rod 19 extends through the hollow hexagon screw 35 and is secured against axial movement. The hexagon screw 35 additionally has an exterior thread mating with an interior thread of the second borehole 56 .
Also provided is a clamping or retaining nut 29 which is connected to the underside of the first region 51 of the front lay 1 via a weld 30 . The clamping nut 29 has an inner thread through which a bolt 71 , which extends through a corresponding opening in the fifth region 68 of the front lay 1 to the exterior perimeter 57 of the stop element 8 , is screwed. The bolt 71 is screwed so far into the clamping nut 29 in the direction towards the stop element 8 that the basic adjustment of the intercepting surface 48 of the contact plate 20 is correctly performed. The shapes of the first, fifth and sixth regions 51 , 68 and 69 of the front lay 1 are selected so that the fifth region 68 is biased in the direction towards the stop element 8 in the region of the bolt 71 .
In this embodiment, the lock element 12 is fixed to the shaft 6 laterally opposite the fifth region 68 by a second screw 34 . Accordingly, the lock disk 7 also is formed with the lock recesses 13 on the side of the lock element 12 . In this embodiment also, the rod 19 extends downwardly through the hexagon screw 35 and has a connecting element 60 for connecting the servomotor 10 thereto.
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an embodiment like that of FIG. 6, but with the stop element 8 constructed in the shape of an Archimedes' spiral 31 . The Archimedes' spiral 31 is constructed approximately in the shape of a plate, with the distance from the spiral wall 74 to the axis of rotation varying in dependence upon the rotational position of the disk. In this way, the spacing between the bolt 71 and the axis of rotation of the Archimedes' spiral 31 can be varied in dependence upon the rotational position of the spiral 31 . The illustrated embodiment of the Archimedes, spiral 31 is formed with a bolt opening 32 and has a graduated or index ring shape extending over a predetermined angular range at a defined distance from the axis of rotation. The two side edges of the bolt opening 32 are formed by first and second stop surfaces 21 and 22 . The stop bolt 18 extends through the bolt opening 32 and serves to limit the permissible rotational angular range of the Archimedes' spiral 31 .
FIG. 8 shows an additional embodiment of the front lay 1 , which includes a connecting part 37 and a plate 36 . The connecting part 37 is mounted in a holding arm 42 parallel to the feeding table 3 and is movable parallel to the feeding table 3 . The holding arm 42 is formed with a guide borehole 72 which is disposed parallel to the feeding table 3 . The connecting part 37 is disposed so as to be axially movable in the guide borehole 72 . An end of the connecting part 37 protrudes from the guide borehole 72 at an exterior side of the holding arm 42 , and the connecting part 37 is connected at this end to the plate 36 , which is disposed perpendicularly to the connecting part 37 . The plate 36 , at the top thereof, as viewed in FIG. 8, extends beyond the plane of the supporting surface 49 of the feeding table 3 , and the interior side surface of the plate 36 serves as the intercepting surface 48 .
The connecting part 37 protrudes from the borehole 72 in the direction towards the stop element 8 , in like manner. At this end of the connecting part 37 , a second adjusting screw 39 is screwed into the connecting part 37 via an inner thread formed therein. The second adjusting screw 39 includes a stop 40 in the form of a nut engaged by a tension spring. The tension spring 41 is placed in contact with the holding arm 42 , as well, so that the second adjusting screw 39 is prestressed in the direction towards the stop element 8 . The intercepting surface 48 of the plate 36 is also prestressed in the direction towards the stop element 8 .
The holding arm 42 is fixed to the shaft 7 through the intermediary of a bushing 73 through which the rod 19 extends. In this regard, a second contact surface 43 of the bushing 73 comes into contact with a correspondingly assigned supporting surface of the shaft 6 . The second contact surface 43 is expediently disposed parallel to the feeding table 3 . The bushing 73 is fixed to the shaft 6 by a hollow-bored hexagonal screw 35 . The hexagonal screw 35 has an exterior thread, which is suitably mated with an interior thread of the bushing 73 . The rod 19 , which is connected to the stop element 8 , extends downwardly through the hollow-bored hexagonal screw 35 and out of the shaft 6 and the hexagonal screw 35 . The bottom end of the rod 19 has a connecting element 60 for connecting a flexible shaft 11 and a servomotor 10 thereto.
The device in FIG. 8 has a leaf spring 12 located opposite to the second adjusting screw 39 , which is fixed to the bushing 73 of the holding arm 42 by a third screw 75 . A lock nose 23 of the lock element 12 is assigned to lock recesses 13 of a lock disk 7 .
FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 8, as viewed from the perspective of the feeding table 3 . The shape of the Archimedes' spiral, which is formed with lock recesses 13 opposite the second adjusting screw 39 , can be clearly recognized therein. In this embodiment, the function of the lock disk and the function of the stop element 8 are integrated in a single component. This permits the construction of a low building structure. The shape of the recess 58 , which is bounded by an interior hexagonal form 24 , can also be readily recognized.
The embodiment of FIG. 8 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 6 with respect to the development of the front lay 1 .
An essential core of the invention is in constructing the front lay 1 and the stop element 8 as one internally stressed entity which is moved from a working or operating position in order to release the leading edge 65 of a sheet 64 , into a neutral or inactive position wherein the contact plate 20 releases the leading edge 47 . To accomplish this, the component can be moved, swung or rotated in any manner whatsoever. The shaft 6 used in the foregoing description, to which the stop element 8 and the front lay 1 are fastened, merely represents a preferred embodiment. The invention is not limited to using a shaft 6 .
For example, the front lay 1 and the stop element 8 can also be fastened onto a component which is swung away from the leading edge 47 of the sheet by using lever arms in order to release the leading edge 47 .
Furthermore, the invention is exemplarily described as having a rotary element as the adjusting device 4 . But other shapes can be used to adjust the position of the front lay relative to the edge of the sheet.
The holder 2 , e.g., formed of the shaft 6 and the screw 14 , can be displaceably mounted. By this measure, all front lays can be displaced jointly in or opposite to the direction of sheet transport, i.e., at an angle. | A device for fixing the position of a sheet includes a feeding table for transporting the sheet; at least one front lay disposed in vicinity of the feeding table and, in a working position, protruding upwardly beyond the plane of the feeding table; a swivellable holder to which the front lay and an adjusting device for the front lay are secured; and a adjusting device secured to the holder, the front lay and the adjusting device being disposed separated from one another on the holder, the front lay being in continuous biasing engagement, under tension, with the adjusting device, so that, by changing the position of the holder, the front lay and the adjusting device are movable from the working position into a neutral position and, conversely, from the neutral position into the working position. | 1 |
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application relates to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/189,381, filed Mar. 15, 2000, and claims priority thereof.
[0002] The United States Government has rights in this invention pursuant to Contract No. W-7405-ENG-48 between the United States Department of Energy and the University of California for the operation of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates to the manipulation of molecules, particularly to the manipulation of individual DNA molecules in laminar flow, and more particularly to the manipulation of molecules using a multichannel flow cell and an optical trap for interacting single, optically trapped, DNA molecules in a laminar flow of different chemical solutions side by side with little mixing. Methods and various apparatus for the manipulation of molecules in a laminar flow, particularly the manipulation of individual DNA molecules, have been developed. One approach to manipulation of molecules and particles has involved optical trapping, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,169 issued Jan. 7, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,105 issued Feb. 27, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,857 issued Apr. 15, 1997; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,651 issued Sep. 14, 1999.
[0004] The ability to introduce an individual DNA molecule to proteins or a variety of different chemical environments both at a precise time, and sequentially, is essential for studies that characterize the binding of proteins to DNA. One prior approach has been to use a multiport valve on a single channel flow cell. However, this approach is problematic. Pressure surges introduced by changing the valve setting often move the bead attached to the DNA molecule from the optical trap. Also, flow speeds must not be too fast or the trapped bead is dislodged. This means that it can take a long time to replace one chemical species in the flow cell with another chemical species. In addition, there is a high probability of losing the trapped bead through direct collision with another bead (from the original DNA-bead sample) during the introduction of a new chemical species via the multiport valve into the single flow channel. Thus, there has been a need for a more effective way to introduce a DNA molecule, for example, to a variety of different chemical environments.
[0005] The present invention provides a solution to that need by providing an alternative approach using a plural channel or multiple channel multiple flow cell where different chemical species are introduced into the flow cell simultaneous. The multichannel flow cell of this invention enables interacting single, optically trapped, DNA or other molecules with different chemical species. The multichannel flow cell of the present invention is used to flow different chemical solutions in a laminar manner side by side with little mixing. An optical trap is used, for example, to pull single DNA molecules via their attached polystyrene beads in to each of the different chemical species sequentially, and the resultant change in the structure of the DNA molecule can be observed using fluorescence microscopy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to sequentially introduce an individual molecule to a variety of different chemical environments.
[0007] A further object of the invention is to enable studies that characterize the binding of proteins, for example, to DNA.
[0008] A further object of the invention is to provide a multichannel flow cell used to laminarly flow different chemical solution side by side with little mixing.
[0009] Another object of the invention is to provide a multichannel flow cell for interacting, optically trapped, DNA molecules with different chemical species.
[0010] Another object of the invention is to provide a multichannel flow cell with an optical trapping arrangement, wherein molecules such as individual DNA molecules attached to small polystyrene beads can be moved sequentially into different channels containing different chemical species, and the resultant change in the structure of the DNA molecule can be observed using fluorescence microscopy and/or force molecules via the optical trap.
[0011] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings. The present invention involves a multichannel flow cell used to laminarly flow different chemical solutions side by side with little mixing. The flow cell utilizes an optical trap to pull single molecules, such as one made up of small polystyrene beads attached to individual molecules, sequentially into each of the different channels containing different chemical species, whereby the resultant change in the structure of the DNA molecule can be observed using fluorescence microscopy. This approach can be used with molecules other than DNA. This allows one to study the interaction between single DNA molecules and any chemical species and to examine the structural changes in the DNA molecule. The invention can be used to study different condensing agents for packaging DNA for gene therapy, sequentially binding a variety of molecules to single molecules or characterizing how an ordered assembly of molecules affects the final structure of a macromolecular complex.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the disclosure, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0013] [0013]FIG. 1A is an exploded view of an embodiment of a multichannel flow cell made in accordance with the present invention.
[0014] [0014]FIG. 1B illustrates an enlarged portion from within the circled area of FIG. 1A showing DNA molecules with attached beads and an individual DNA molecule held in place by an optical trap, with the dashed lines representing interfaces between the liquids in the multichannels of the flow cell.
[0015] [0015]FIG. 2 is a top view of a bifurcated flow cell utilized to experimentally verify the invention.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 3 is a view of an infrared optical trap used to move an individual DNA molecule, via its attached bead, from the sample (DNA) side to the condensing agent (protein) side of the flow cell of FIG. 2.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 4 graphically illustrates the change in length verses time for four different DNA molecules as they condensed in different concentrations of protamine.
[0018] [0018]FIG. 5 graphically illustrates experiments conducted at different protamine concentrations which shows that the rate of condensation was limited by the rate of protamine binding to the DNA module, and that the change in rate was linear.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The present invention is directed to a multichannel flow cell which provides the ability to introduce an individual DNA molecule to proteins or a variety of different chemical environments both at a precise time, and sequentially, thus enabling studies that characterize the binding of proteins to DNA. The multichannel/multiport flow cell of this invention overcomes the above-referenced problems associated with the prior known multiport single channel flow cell. With the multichannel flow cell of the present invention different chemical species may be introduced into the flow cell simultaneously, as seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B.
[0020] The multichannel, multiport flow cell, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, generally indicated a 10 , comprises a lower plate or slide 11 and an upper plate or slide 12 . Lower plate 11 has multiple input channels sections 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 and 17 which are directed into a common channel 18 having a tapered output section 19 , while upper plate 12 is provided with a plurality of holes or openings 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 which align with channels 13 - 17 and 19 , and into which ports or connectors 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 and 31 are mounted. FIG. 1B illustrates an enlarged portion of input channel sections 13 - 17 and common channel 18 defined by the circled area of lower plate or slide 11 . DNA molecules with attached beads indicated at 32 are introduced into the port 26 , opening 20 and top most channel section 13 as indicated by arrow 33 , and four ( 4 ) other proteins/peptides are introduced into the remaining ports 27 - 30 , opening 21 - 25 and input channel sections 14 - 17 , as indicated by arrows 34 , 35 , 36 and 37 . An individual DNA molecule including a bead 38 is held in place by an optical trap indicated by the circle 39 around bead 38 in the channel section 15 containing a second protein solution. The dashed lines 40 , 41 , 42 and 43 represent interfaces between the liquids in respective channels 13 - 17 . The optical trap 39 may be of the type shown in FIG. 3, described hereinafter or by any of the above-referenced patents.
[0021] The flow of the different chemical species via input channel section 13 - 17 is laminar at Reynolds numbers Re<2000 ( 37 ), where
R
e
=vlp/η
[0022] (v, the fluid velocity, 1, the microchannel depth, ρ the fluid density, and η the fluid viscosity are all in MKS units). For typical flow cell conditions, v=100 um/sec, ρ=1.23 gm/sec, 1=40 um, and η=15.3 cp, we find (after converting to MKS units) that R e =3.3, amply satisfying the above criterion. The trapped DNA molecule 38 can then be rapidly placed in contact with a different chemical species by moving a stage containing the flow cell transversely to the direction of flow. Assuming the widths of the different channels are 1 mm, it would take 20 seconds to cross one, moving the stage holding the flow cell at a speed of 50 um/sec. Thus, a DNA molecule could be introduced to three different chemical species fairly quickly, moving from the center of the first channel, to the center of the third, in approximately 40 seconds.
[0023] Experiments with our dual-port flow cells (see FIGS. 2 - 5 ) have shown that little mixing takes place between the different chemical species in the flow cell. The distance of radial diffusion is given by:
< r 2 >=6 Dt
[0024] where the radial diffusion constant D=(kT)/6πη, k is Boltzmann's constant, T is temperature in degrees Kelvin, η is the viscosity of the chemical species, a is the molecular radius=(m/ρ) 1/3 , m is the molecular mass, ρ the density of the chemical species, and t is the time. The buffer typically used in our experiments contains 50% sucrose (η=15.3 cp). The sucrose is used because it is viscous and allows the 1 um spheres to be suspended in liquid for a long time as well as damping the Brownian motion of the beads and making them easier to trap. For protamine the molecular radius a=89 nm. For t=30 seconds, the radial diffusion r=5.4 um, in approximate agreement with our experimental observations for a dual port flow cell.
[0025] Experimental verification of the invention is described generally hereinafter with respect to FIGS. 2 - 5 , described in detail in an article by L. R. Brewer et al, “Protamine-Induced Condensation and Decondensation of the Same DNA Molecule”, Science, Vol. 286, Oct. 1, 1999, pp. 120-123, and in an article by J. Felton et al, “Biophysical Analysis of DNA-Protein Interactions Using an Optical Trap to Manipulate Single DNA Molecules”, Laboratory Directed Research & Development, FY 1999, p. 3-18, each incorporated herein by reference thereto.
[0026] In the experimental verification, Lambda-phage DNA concatemers (20 to 80 μm long) were tagged at one end with a biotinylated oligonucleotide attached to a 1 -μm streptavidin-coated polystyrene bead and stained with the intercalating dye YOYO-1. These molecules were introduced through one port of a bifurcated flow cell (see FIG. 2) and the condensing agent protamine (or Arg 6 ) through another port so that the two solutions flow side by side with minimal mixing.
[0027] As seen in FIG. 2, the flow cell generally indicated at 50 includes a pair of input channel sections 51 and 52 and a common channel section 53 . DNA molecules 54 are directed through channel section 51 into channel 53 , as indicated by arrow 55 , while protamine is directed through channel section 52 into channel 53 , as indicated by arrow 56 . The two solutions 55 and 56 flow side by side as indicated by dashed line 57 with minimal mixing.
[0028] An infrared optical trap (see FIG. 3) was used to move an individual DNA molecule 54 , via its attached bead, from the sample (DNA) side 51 to the condensing agent (protamine or protein) side 52 of the flow cell 50 .
[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, an optical trap generally indicated at 60 is operatively mounted to common channel 53 of flow cell 50 of FIG. 2. The optical trap is shown holding a bead 61 of a DNA molecule 54 in the condensation side 52 containing the protamine solution 56 , as seen in FIG. 2. By way of example, the bead 61 is 1 μm and the wavelength of the infrared optical trap is 488 nm. Since optical traps are known in the art, further description thereof is deemed unnecessary to provide an understanding of the invention.
[0030] The change in length verses time for four different DNA molecules, indicated at a, b, c&d, as they condensed in different concentrations of protamine is shown in FIG. 4. The tests were conducted with a flow speed, v=50 μm/s, with a being 3.1 μM, b being 1.6 μm, c being 1.2 μm, and d being 0.93 μM.
[0031] Experiments conducted at different protamine concentrations showed that the rate of condensation was limited by the rate of protamine binding to the DNA molecule. The change in rate, see FIG. 5, was linear, with a slope of 2.6±0.47 μm/μM-s. This corresponds to a rate of protamine binding to DNA of 600±110 molecules/μM-s. The rate of condensation was measured at two different concentrations of YOYO-1 (0.1 and 0.02 μM) to determine whether intercalated YOYO-1 molecules affect the condensation rate. No statistically significant difference in the rates was observed. The condensation rates of FIG. 5 were determined by collecting data for about 200 individual DNA molecules condensed by protamine. For further details of the invention verification experiments reference to the above-cited article by L. R. Brewer et al should be made.
[0032] It has thus been shown that the present invention provides the ability to introduce an individual DNA molecule to proteins or a variety of different chemical environments both at a precise time, and sequentially. By the use of the multichannel flow cell and an optical trap a single DNA molecule may be pulled into each of a variety of different chemical species sequentially, and the resultant change in the structure of the DNA molecule can be observed using fluorescence microscopy.
[0033] While particular embodiments of the flow cell have been illustrated and described along with particular materials and parameters to exemplify and teach the principles of the invention, such are not intended to be limiting. Modifications and changes may become apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. | A multichannel flow cell is used to laminarly flow different chemical solutions, including one made up of small polystyrene beads attached to individual DNA molecules, side by side with little mixing. An optical trap is used to pull single DNA molecules via their attached polystyrene beads into each of the different chemical solutions or species sequentially, and the resultant change in the structure of the DNA molecule can be observed using fluorescence microscopy. The technique can be used with molecules other than DNA. Examples of different chemical species include condensing agents such as protamine, enzymes, polymerases, and fluorescent probes and tages. | 1 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to electrical component heat dissipation and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for dissipating heat from a power control module.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems of a vehicle typically include a blower motor. Often these blower motors are direct current brushed blower motors. Additionally, the system includes a power control module such as a linear power module, a pulse width modulator, or a relay resistor module, all of which provide variable speed control of the blower motor. One difficulty associated with these power control modules is that they typically generate a significant amount of heat, which must be dissipated to preserve the life of the module. The traditional method for dissipating heat has required that a heat sink attached to the power control module be designed individually for each power control module design. In addition, it is typically required that the heat sink be inserted into the airflow of the HVAC system to cool the electronic components inside of the power control module. These specially designed heat sinks have generally been large and cumbersome and typically raise the cost of the power control module by at least 15%. The requirement that the heat sink be located within the airflow of the HVAC system negatively influences the system noise and airflow.
Thus, it would be beneficial to design an apparatus and develop a method for dissipating heat from power control modules that is relatively inexpensive, and does not negatively affect system noise or air flow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, the present invention is a power control module comprising: a power control module having a housing and an electrical connection; a thermally conductive material having a first side in contact with the power control module and a second side in contact with a surface of an evaporator core; and the thermally conductive material conducting heat from the power control module to the surface of the evaporator core.
In another embodiment the present invention is a power control module comprising: a power control module having a housing and an electrical connection; a thermally conductive material having a first side connected to the power control module and a second side secured to a surface of an evaporator core; and the thermally conductive material conducting heat from the power control module to the surface of the evaporator core.
In yet another embodiment the present invention is a method for cooling a power control module comprising the steps of: providing a power control module having a housing and an electrical connection; providing a surface of an evaporator core; positioning a first side of a thermally conductive material against the power control module and positioning a second side of the thermally conductive material against the surface of the evaporator core; and conducting heat from the power control module through the thermally conductive material to the surface of the evaporator core.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a partial view of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning module of a vehicle designed according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side view of an evaporator core, mounting bracket, and a power control module designed according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along Line 4 — 4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along Line 5 — 5 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a partial exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning module designed according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a view of FIG. 1 showing the post-installation removal of a portion of an outer housing to expose a power control module;
FIG. 8 is a partial exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a power control module; and
FIG. 9 is a partial view of FIG. 7 after installation of a replacement power control module cover.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Throughout the several views like components are assigned the same reference number.
A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module is shown generally at 20 in FIG. 1 . HVAC module 20 includes an outer housing 22 to which is attached a blower motor mount 24 . Outer housing 22 includes an aperture 26 which provides access to an electrical connection 28 of a power control module 30 (see FIG. 2) and has features that will accept and retain a cover 88 in the event of a replacement operation.
FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of FIG. 1 . Outer housing 22 covers power control module 30 , a mounting bracket 32 , and an evaporator core 34 . Evaporator core 34 is a standard vehicle HVAC evaporator core and includes a plurality of feed lines 36 and a plurality of cooling fins 38 . Evaporator core 34 further includes a first end 40 , which is covered by a surface 42 . Surface 42 includes a first edge 44 opposite a second edge 46 . Evaporator core 34 is known in the art.
Bracket 32 includes a pair of engaging surfaces 48 preferably in the shape of channels. Bracket 32 further includes a pair of upper retaining clips 50 and a pair of lower retaining clips 52 . Mounting bracket 32 further includes a central aperture 54 and a stop 56 . Bracket 32 is slidingly received on surface 42 with edges 46 and 44 being received in channels 48 . Stop 56 limits the travel of bracket 32 on surface 42 . As shown in FIG. 4, engaging surfaces 48 , preferably in the shape of channels, receive edges 46 and 44 to retain bracket 32 on surface 42 . Because of the environment that bracket 32 will be exposed to it is important that the bracket 32 be capable of withstanding thermal exposure and corrosive material exposure. In one embodiment bracket 32 is designed using SAE 1050 spring steel in any of a number of tempers that provide sufficient heat treating and that include a corrosion resistant coating. Such coatings are known in the art. Although the bracket 32 preferably includes two engaging surfaces 48 in the shape of channels and two pairs of clips 50 and 52 , bracket 32 could be designed with only one engaging surface 48 and a single clip.
Power control module 30 includes a housing 58 that surrounds its internal electronics to protect them from moisture and water susceptibility. In one embodiment the housing 58 is formed from plastic. Housing 58 includes a first end 60 that is received in lower retaining clips 52 . In one embodiment, first end 60 is especially shaped to contour to an interior contour of lower retaining clips 52 . Housing 58 further includes a second end 62 having lips 64 that are received in upper retaining clips 50 (see FIG. 5 ). Power control module 30 further includes a thermally conductive material 66 that is received in a recess 68 in housing 58 . Thermally conductive material 66 includes a first side adjacent to power control module 30 and a second side that is placed against surface 42 . Power control module 30 further includes a seal 70 surrounding electrical connection 28 and being aligned with aperture 26 when the HVAC module 20 is assembled. Seal 70 prevents condensate water from inside the HVAC module 20 from leaking out into an interior area of a vehicle.
Thermally conductive material 66 may comprise any material having a high thermal conductivity. Some typical examples include metals such as copper or aluminum. But, thermally conductive material 66 may also comprise thermally conductive non-metallic materials. In one embodiment thermally conductive material 66 comprises a metal plate, preferably an aluminum metal plate. The aluminum metal plate may be anodized-coated for corrosion resistance. Obviously, the size of the thermally conductive material 66 is dependent on the amount of heat that needs to be dissipated, and its thermal conductivity. In one embodiment, the thermally conductive material 66 is a flat anodized-coated aluminum plate having dimensions of approximately 38×55 mm.
Seal 70 may be composed of any resilient sealing material. For example, rubber, foam, elastomeric material, and other sealing materials. To compensate for surface irregularities in surface 42 it may be advantageous to include a layer of thermal grease between surface 42 and thermally conductive material 66 . Such thermal greases are well known in the art.
As shown in phantom in FIG. 5, when power control module 30 is received in bracket 32 after bracket 32 is mounted on evaporator core 34 thermally conductive material 66 is tightly pressed against surface 42 . This arrangement maximizes transfer of heat from power control module 30 to surface 42 . Thus, evaporator core 34 serves as a large heat sink to cool power control module 30 .
Electrical connection 28 can be any of the known electrical connections in the art. In one embodiment, electrical connection 28 comprises a plurality of blades and is shaped for receiving a female plug as is known in the art.
FIG. 6 is a partial exploded view of an alternative embodiment of a HVAC module 20 designed in accordance with the present invention. In this embodiment a thermally conductive material in the form of a plate 72 is secured to surface 42 of evaporator core 34 . Plate 72 includes a first side 74 and a second side 76 . In the assembly of this embodiment second side 76 of plate 72 is first secured to surface 42 . Plate 72 can be secured in any of a number of ways; for example, plate 72 can be vacuum brazed to surface 42 during the assembly of evaporator core 34 . Alternatively, plate 72 can be initially spot welded to surface 42 and then brazed to surface 42 during the assembly of evaporator core 34 as is known in the art. In one embodiment, plate 72 includes a series of threaded apertures 78 . Housing 58 further includes a pair of apertures 80 for receiving fasteners 82 . Fasteners 82 are preferably threaded screws that can be inserted through apertures 80 and received in threaded apertures 78 to thereby secure power control module 30 to first side 74 of plate 72 . As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, housing 58 could be secured to plate 72 by many other sorts of fasteners. As discussed above, plate 72 may be formed of any thermally conductive material such as, for example, a metallic material or a synthetic material. In a preferred embodiment, plate 72 comprises an aluminum plate.
In FIG. 8 a partial exploded view of an alternative embodiment of power control module 30 is shown. In this embodiment the only change is that electrical connection 28 is replaced by a pigtail connection 84 . Such connections are known in the art. Pigtail connection 84 is sealed at power control module 30 and extends for a distance. Pigtail connection 84 includes a seal 86 that functions to seal aperture 26 as does seal 70 . In FIG. 8 outer housing 22 is shown with a replacement power control module cover 88 discussed below. Pigtail connection 84 further includes a retaining block 90 to maintain the arrangement of the wires. Preferably, cover 88 includes a clip 92 when combined with a pigtail connection 84 to provide a means for holding pigtail connection 84 adjacent cover 88 .
In the views shown in FIGS. 1, 2 , and 6 the HVAC module 20 is shown as it would initially be produced. To enable post-production repair of the power control module 30 , it is preferable that HVAC module 20 be provided with a removable portion 94 surrounding aperture 26 as shown in FIG. 7 . In one embodiment, removal portion 94 is defined by score lines on outer housing 22 . Thus, when it becomes necessary to replace power control module 30 a technician may cut along the score lines and thereby remove removable portion 94 and exposed power control module 30 . Following replacement of a power control module 30 the technician would seal outer housing 22 using replacement power control module cover 88 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Cover 88 is sized to fit around the opening left when removable portion 94 is removed. Cover 88 includes an outer seal 96 that surrounds the opening left by removable portion 94 and an aperture 26 ′ for the electrical connection 28 or 84 . In one embodiment, cover 88 includes a hole 98 for receiving a fastener 100 that extends through hole 98 into a corresponding hole 102 in outer housing 22 . As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 cover 88 can be used with either electrical connection 28 or pigtail connection 84 . Preferably, cover 88 is an injection molded plastic. Preferably outer housing 22 includes a slot 104 for receiving a portion of cover 88 .
The foregoing description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiment may be come apparent to those skilled in the art and do come within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of legal protection afforded this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims. | The present disclosure relates to electrical component heat dissipation and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for dissipating heat from a power control module. In one embodiment the invention is a power control module having a housing and an electrical connection. A thermally conductive material is placed between the power control module and a surface of an evaporator core with a first side of the thermally conductive material in contact with the power control module and a second side in contact with the surface of the evaporator core. The thermally conductive material conducts heat from the power control module to the surface of the evaporator core. | 5 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
This application relates generally to memory devices. More specifically, this application relates to managing blocks of memory for improving endurance of non-volatile flash memory.
BACKGROUND
Non-volatile memory systems, such as flash memory, have been widely adopted for use in consumer products. Flash memory may be found in different forms, for example in the form of a portable memory card that can be carried between host devices or as a solid state disk (SSD) embedded in a host device. Identification of the endurance for blocks of memory may be necessary for decreasing the risk of losing stored data by writing to a block of memory that exceeded its estimated endurance. Flash erase cycle endurance may be limited based on the worst block in a system, which may limit the flash system reliability and write performance. For example, during wear-leveling, the controller may keep a count of the number of erase cycles each physical block endures and distributes new programs amongst the blocks such that all physical blocks reach the worst block's (i.e. lowest endurance block) cycle limit at approximately the same time. In other words, all blocks are ideally utilized (i.e. worn out) approximately equally until the lowest endurance block's limit is reached. Each system (e.g. card) may be limited by the block with the minimum intrinsic endurance. Once all blocks reached the specified cycle limit, further cycles implied that some blocks would not meet the minimum data retention requirement and the system may be considered unreliable.
SUMMARY
It may be desirable to reduce or negate the limitation that system endurance is judged by the lowest endurance of any flash block. A more accurate assessment of system endurance that is not tied to the lowest endurance block may result in faster programming (write performance) at the same flash endurance and/or higher yield of good/available blocks due to a more comprehensive flash endurance requirement. The overall system endurance may be extended by cycling blocks with higher intrinsic endurance over the lowest endurance target of the worst block. This may be accomplished by managing blocks with different intrinsic endurance values internally or by partitioning the blocks with different intrinsic endurance values externally for different usage. This management may be based on physical characteristics of the memory (e.g. card) that are measured during the lifetime (i.e., during the usage) of the memory. In other words, the management may be in real time rather than based on measurements/analysis immediately following fabrication. In particular, a monitoring or measurement of physical characteristics of memory blocks may be used for evaluating the endurance of those memory blocks.
According to a first aspect, a flash memory device includes a non-volatile storage having an array of memory blocks storing data. A controller in communication with the non-volatile storage is configured for estimating an intrinsic endurance for the memory blocks individually, and adjusting a usage patterns of the memory blocks based on the individual intrinsic endurance of the memory blocks.
According to a second aspect, a method is disclosed for writing to a multiple level cell (“MLC”) flash memory in a non-volatile storage device having a controller and blocks of memory. The controller is configured to estimate an intrinsic endurance of the blocks of memory based on physical characteristics during usage of the non-volatile storage device, and adjust programming of the non-volatile storage device based on the estimated intrinsic endurance.
According to a third aspect, a memory system comprises a non-volatile storage having an array of memory blocks storing data and a controller in communication with the blocks. The controller is configured to predict an intrinsic endurance for the blocks, and modify the storing of data to one of the memory blocks based on the predicted intrinsic endurance of that memory block.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a host connected with a memory system having non-volatile memory.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary flash memory system controller for use in the system of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an alternative memory communication system.
FIG. 4 is an example physical memory organization of the system of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 5 is an expanded view of a portion of the physical memory of FIG. 4 .
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating charge levels in a multi-level cell memory operated to store two bits of data in a memory cell.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating internal block management.
FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment for intrinsic endurance estimation.
FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating another embodiment for intrinsic endurance estimation.
FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of programming changes based on the endurance estimation.
FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating another embodiment of programming changes based on the endurance estimation.
FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating external block management.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating device-based wear-leveling results.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A flash memory system suitable for use in implementing aspects of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1-6 . A host system 100 of FIG. 1 stores data into and retrieves data from a flash memory 102 . The flash memory may be embedded within the host, such as in the form of a solid state disk (SSD) drive installed in a personal computer. Alternatively, the memory 102 may be in the form of a flash memory card that is removably connected to the host through mating parts 104 and 106 of a mechanical and electrical connector as illustrated in FIG. 1 . A flash memory configured for use as an internal or embedded SSD drive may look similar to the schematic of FIG. 1 , with one difference being the location of the memory system 102 internal to the host. SSD drives may be in the form of discrete modules that are drop-in replacements for rotating magnetic disk drives.
Examples of commercially available removable flash memory cards include the CompactFlash (CF), the MultiMediaCard (MMC), Secure Digital (SD), miniSD, Memory Stick, SmartMedia, TransFlash, and microSD cards. Although each of these cards may have a unique mechanical and/or electrical interface according to its standardized specifications, the flash memory system included in each may be similar. These cards are all available from SanDisk Corporation, assignee of the present application. SanDisk also provides a line of flash drives under its Cruzer trademark, which are hand held memory systems in small packages that have a Universal Serial Bus (USB) plug for connecting with a host by plugging into the host's USB receptacle. Each of these memory cards and flash drives includes controllers that interface with the host and control operation of the flash memory within them. As discussed below, the controllers may internally manage operations of the flash memory.
Host systems that may use SSDs, memory cards and flash drives are many and varied. They include personal computers (PCs), such as desktop or laptop and other portable computers, tablet computers, cellular telephones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital still cameras, digital movie cameras, and portable media players. For portable memory card applications, a host may include a built-in receptacle for one or more types of memory cards or flash drives, or a host may require adapters into which a memory card is plugged. The memory system may include its own memory controller and drivers but there may also be some memory-only systems that are instead controlled by software executed by the host to which the memory is connected. In some memory systems containing the controller, especially those embedded within a host, the memory, controller and drivers are often formed on a single integrated circuit chip.
The host system 100 of FIG. 1 may be viewed as having two major parts, insofar as the memory 102 is concerned, made up of a combination of circuitry and software. They are an applications portion 108 and a driver portion 110 that interfaces with the memory 102 . There may be a central processing unit (CPU) 112 implemented in circuitry and a host file system 114 implemented in hardware. In a PC, for example, the applications portion 108 may include a processor 112 running word processing, graphics, control or other popular application software. In a camera, cellular telephone or other host system 114 that is primarily dedicated to performing a single set of functions, the applications portion 108 includes the software that operates the camera to take and store pictures, the cellular telephone to make and receive calls, and the like.
The memory system 102 of FIG. 1 may include non-volatile memory, such as flash memory 116 , and a system controller 118 that both interfaces with the host 100 to which the memory system 102 is connected for passing data back and forth and controls the memory 116 . The system controller 118 may convert between logical addresses of data used by the host 100 and physical addresses of the flash memory 116 during data programming and reading. The system controller 118 may retranslate logical addresses. Functionally, the system controller 118 may include a front end 122 that interfaces with the host system, controller logic 124 for coordinating operation of the memory 116 , flash management logic 126 for internal memory management operations such as garbage collection, and one or more flash interface modules (FIMs) 128 to provide a communication interface between the controller with the flash memory 116 . In one embodiment, the flash management logic 126 performs internal management of the blocks (e.g. estimating endurance and adjusting programming and card usage based on the endurance) as described with respect to FIGS. 7-11 .
The system controller 118 may be implemented on a single integrated circuit chip, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) such as shown in FIG. 2 . The processor 206 of the system controller 118 may be configured as a multi-thread processor capable of communicating via a memory interface 204 having I/O ports for each memory bank in the flash memory 116 . The system controller 118 may include an internal clock 218 . The processor 206 communicates with an error correction code (ECC) module 214 , a RAM buffer 212 , a host interface 216 , and boot code ROM 210 via an internal data bus 202 . The ROM 210 may be used to initialize a memory system 102 , such as a flash memory device. The memory system 102 that is initialized may be referred to as a card. The ROM 210 in FIG. 2 may be a region of read only memory whose purpose is to provide boot code to the RAM for processing a program, such as the initialization and booting of the memory system 102 . The ROM may be present in the ASIC rather than the flash memory chip.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an alternative memory communication system. An application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 302 may include a flash interface module (FIM) 304 and random access memory (RAM) 306 . The ASIC 302 may be a chip that communicates with multiple flash memory modules or devices, such as NANDs 308 , 314 . The FIM 304 communicates data over the flash data bus and communicates control commands over the flash control bus. The NAND 1 308 and NAND 2 314 are types of flash memory that receive commands and data from the FIM 304 of the ASIC 302 . Each of the NAND 1 308 and NAND 2 314 include controls 312 , 318 , respectively, for receiving control signals from the ASIC 302 . Likewise, each of the NAND 1 308 and NAND 2 314 include an eXternal Data Latch (XDL) 310 , 316 , respectively, for receiving data signals from the ASIC 302 . Although the flash data bus and flash control bus are illustrated as separate busses that communicate with the XDL 310 , 316 and Control 312 , 318 of the respective NANDs 308 , 314 , there may be a singular bus for communication.
FIG. 4 conceptually illustrates an organization of the flash memory 116 ( FIG. 1 ) as a cell array. The flash memory 116 may include multiple memory cell arrays which are each separately controlled by a single or multiple memory controllers 118 . Four planes or sub-arrays 402 , 404 , 406 , and 408 of memory cells may be on a single integrated memory cell chip, on two chips (two of the planes on each chip) or on four separate chips. The specific arrangement is not important to the discussion below. Of course, other numbers of planes, such as 1, 2, 8, 16 or more may exist in a system. The planes are individually divided into groups of memory cells that form the minimum unit of erase, hereinafter referred to as blocks. Blocks of memory cells are shown in FIG. 4 by rectangles, such as blocks 410 , 412 , 414 , and 416 , located in respective planes 402 , 404 , 406 , and 408 . There can be any number of blocks in each plane.
As mentioned above, the block of memory cells is the unit of erase, the smallest number of memory cells that are physically erasable together. For increased parallelism, however, the blocks may be operated in larger metablock units. One block from each plane is logically linked together to form a metablock. The four blocks 410 , 412 , 414 , and 416 are shown to form one metablock 418 . In one embodiment, the SZB is one or more metablocks. All of the cells within a metablock are typically erased together. The blocks used to form a metablock need not be restricted to the same relative locations within their respective planes, as is shown in a second metablock 420 made up of blocks 422 , 424 , 426 , and 428 . Although it may usually be preferable to extend the metablocks across all of the planes, for high system performance, the memory system may be operated with the ability to dynamically form metablocks of any or all of one, two or three blocks in different planes. This allows the size of the metablock to be more closely matched with the amount of data available for storage in one programming operation.
The individual blocks are in turn divided for operational purposes into pages of memory cells, as illustrated in FIG. 5 . The memory cells of each of the blocks 410 , 412 , 414 , and 416 , for example, are each divided into eight pages P 0 -P 7 . Alternatively, there may be 16, 32 or more pages of memory cells within each block. The page is the unit of data programming and reading within a block, containing the minimum amount of data that are programmed or read at one time. However, in order to increase the memory system operational parallelism, such pages within two or more blocks may be logically linked into metapages. A metapage 502 is illustrated in FIG. 4 , being formed of one physical page from each of the four blocks 410 , 412 , 414 , and 416 . The metapage 502 , for example, includes the page P 2 in each of the four blocks but the pages of a metapage need not necessarily have the same relative position within each of the blocks. A metapage may be the maximum unit of programming.
The memory cells may be operated to store two levels of charge so that a single bit of data is stored in each cell. This is typically referred to as a binary or single level cell (SLC) memory. Alternatively, the memory cells may be operated to store more than two detectable levels of charge in each charge storage element or region, thereby to store more than one bit of data in each. This latter configuration is referred to as multi level cell (MLC) memory. Both types of memory cells may be used in a memory, for example binary flash memory may be used for caching data and MLC memory may be used for longer term storage. The charge storage elements of the memory cells are most commonly conductive floating gates but may alternatively be non-conductive dielectric charge trapping material. In implementations of MLC memory operated to store two bits of data in each memory cell, each memory cell is configured to store four levels of charge corresponding to values of “11,” “01,” “10,” and “00.” Each bit of the two bits of data may represent a page bit of a lower page or a page bit of an upper page, where the lower page and upper page span across a series of memory cells sharing a common word line. Typically, the less significant bit of the two bits of data represents a page bit of a lower page and the more significant bit of the two bits of data represents a page bit of an upper page.
FIG. 6 illustrates one implementation of the four charge levels used to represent two bits of data in an MLC memory cell. FIG. 6 is labeled as LM mode which may be referred to as lower at middle mode and will further be described below regarding the lower at middle or lower-middle intermediate state. The LM intermediate state may also be referred to as a lower page programmed stage. A value of “11” corresponds to an un-programmed state of the memory cell. When programming pulses are applied to the memory cell to program a page bit of the lower page, the level of charge is increased to represent a value of “10” corresponding to a programmed state of the page bit of the lower page. The lower page may be considered a logical concept that represents a location on a multi-level cell (MLC). If the MLC is two bits per cell, a logical page may include all the least significant bits of the cells on the wordline that are grouped together. In other words, the lower page is the least significant bits. For a page bit of an upper page, when the page bit of the lower page is programmed (a value of “10”), programming pulses are applied to the memory cell for the page bit of the upper page to increase the level of charge to correspond to a value of “00” or “10” depending on the desired value of the page bit of the upper page. However, if the page bit of the lower page is not programmed such that the memory cell is in an un-programmed state (a value of “11”), applying programming pulses to the memory cell to program the page bit of the upper page increases the level of charge to represent a value of “01” corresponding to a programmed state of the page bit of the upper page.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating internal block management. Internal block management may refer to managing the blocks within the memory device or card. The management may include management of wear-leveling based on physical characteristics of the memory device or card. Exemplary physical characteristics of the device or card that are monitored are described with respect to FIGS. 8-9 . The management may include utilizing the memory or certain blocks differently (block 703 ). For example, blocks with higher estimated intrinsic endurance (based on physical characteristics) may be used more and/or with faster performance than blocks with lower estimated intrinsic endurance. Exemplary usage patterns or changes based on the characteristics are described in blocks 704 - 708 , as well as with respect to FIGS. 10-11 . Intrinsic endurance may be the number of times that a block can be written to and erased before becoming unreliable.
FIG. 7 illustrates that the card's controller may manage the blocks internally, compared with external management by the host as in FIG. 12 , discussed below. In one example, the flash management 126 of the memory system 102 performs the management illustrated in FIGS. 7-11 . Management may refer to the different processing, programming, or usage that is performed on or with memory blocks based on the observed physical characteristics of the blocks. The observed physical characteristics of the blocks may be used to estimate intrinsic endurance of memory blocks as in block 702 . The intrinsic endurance estimate may be utilized for programming changes in block 703 . The different utilization or programming changes in block 703 may also be referred to as adjustments, such that FIG. 7 illustrates an estimation 702 and adjustment 703 . Blocks 704 - 708 are exemplary changes based on the intrinsic endurance estimate that may be applied individually or as a group. In other embodiments, each of the changes may be applied independently or they may be applied simultaneously. Different changes may be applied for different blocks, such as certain criteria for SLC vs. MLC. The memory blocks with a higher estimated intrinsic endurance may be utilized more frequently or for applications requiring a faster performance as in block 704 . Likewise, the memory blocks with a lower estimated intrinsic endurance may be utilized less frequently or for applications that do not require a faster performance as in block 706 . The lowest endurance blocks may be retired as in block 708 . As exemplary embodiments, higher endurance may include a top 50% of blocks, while the lowest could be the bottom 20% or the bottom 1% as just a few examples. The specific values may depend on multiple factors, like product type, acceptable risk of data loss and more. In other words, the blocks identified as having the worst endurance would not be utilized and the data would be copied to another block. Block 703 illustrates usage patterns for blocks based on the estimated intrinsic endurance. Additional examples of usage patterns or programming changes are described with respect to FIGS. 10-11 .
FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment for intrinsic endurance estimation. In particular, FIG. 8 is one embodiment of the physical characteristics that are measured for estimating intrinsic endurance of memory blocks in block 702 of FIG. 7 . The intrinsic endurance estimate in FIG. 8 may be determined after an operation where wordlines are written together as in block 802 . Garbage collection or folding are examples of operations where all wordlines in a block are written at approximately the same time.
In block 804 , Cell Voltage Distribution (“CVD”) is checked. CVD may measure the space between state distributions. The CVD changes the read voltage and measures the distribution of threshold voltages versus the number of bits or the number of cells. It may be the number of bits versus the threshold voltage, from which the margin may be calculated based on how much space there is between the bits. For example, a program state on an SLC may be at the threshold voltage of anywhere from three volts to five volts, and an erase cell may have from negative two volts to zero voltage. Accordingly, the space in between that goes from zero volts to three volts is the margin. This embodiment may also apply to MLC as well as SLC.
The margin may be an indication of endurance. The more space (i.e. greater margin), the greater the voltage separation in between programs and erase operations, so the likelihood of losing data is reduced. However, when voltage levels for the program state and erase state overlap, the data cannot be read anymore. The smaller the margin, the greater the chance of failure. For example, if the three volts moves to one volt, and on the erase side that started out at zero moves up to one-and-a-half, then the block cannot be read. Accordingly, the measured space between state distributions for the CVD may be used to assign blocks to endurance estimate bins as in block 806 . The bins may reflect the voltage differences. For example, the bins may be for 3 volts, 2 volts, 1 volt, and 0 volts, with the higher voltage bins containing a list of blocks with better endurance. The 0 volt bin may contain a list of the lowest endurance or defective blocks.
FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating another embodiment for intrinsic endurance estimation. In particular, FIG. 9 is one embodiment of the physical characteristics that are measured for estimating intrinsic endurance of memory blocks in block 702 of FIG. 7 . The intrinsic endurance estimate in FIG. 9 may be determined after an operation where wordlines are written together as in block 902 . A block is read in block 904 and the bit error rate (“BER”) or failed bit count (“FBC”) is measured in block 906 . In particular, the controller may identify the number of error bits by determining how many bits have crossed over into the next state using error correction codes (“ECC”) or other methods. Enhanced post-write-read error management (“EPWR”) may also be used. The failed bit count may be used for assigning blocks to bins for the estimated intrinsic endurance as in block 908 . The higher the percentage of failed bits in a block, the worse the endurance is estimated to be. Likewise, a block with few or no failed bits will be assigned to a bin for high endurance blocks. In one embodiment, the number of failed bits may be a bin, where the bin with 0 failed bits is best, 1 failed bit is good intrinsic endurance, while the higher bit error bins reflect poor estimated intrinsic endurance.
FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of programming changes based on the endurance estimation. FIGS. 8-9 illustrate embodiments for estimating intrinsic endurance, while FIG. 10 illustrates one embodiment for utilizing that information. For example, FIG. 10 may be an alternative embodiment for a programming change 703 from FIG. 7 . In block 1002 , trim tables may be maintained with programming parameters (e.g. wordline voltages, programming times). A trim table may include a listing of programming parameters that can be changed depending on the estimated intrinsic endurance. In other words, the trim table may include instructions for which parameters may be modified based on the known endurance values for particular blocks. A trim table may be assigned to a block based on the block's endurance estimate bin as in block 1004 . Blocks with lower estimated endurance would be programmed with lower voltages as in block 1006 , so that even though the programming speed may be lower, the stress to the silicon may be reduced. The reduced stress may be a trade off with program time or speed, so the programming parameter changes from the trim table may be utilized to minimize the stress or usage of certain blocks at the expense of programming speed. The programming change in FIG. 10 may be implemented during memory qualification, so the memory may be qualified with a higher endurance rating and/or improved endurance. In other words, the endurance benefits can be verified using existing qualification methodology, and the results of the qualification tests may be reported to potential customers. Qualification tests may simulate the life of a part in a lab environment.
FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating another embodiment of programming changes based on the endurance estimation. FIGS. 8-9 illustrate embodiments for estimating intrinsic endurance, while FIG. 11 illustrates one embodiment for utilizing that information. For example, FIG. 11 may be an alternative embodiment for a programming change 703 from FIG. 7 . A hot count or an erase count may be maintained for the blocks as in block 1102 . An offset may be assigned to the hot count based on the estimated intrinsic endurance as in block 1104 . In particular, the hot count reflects the usage of a particular block, however, that count may be modified based on the estimated endurance. For example, blocks with higher estimated endurance may have their hot count reduced since they are more likely to last longer. Likewise, blocks with a low estimated endurance may have their hot count increased to ensure that they are more likely to be avoided for reading/writing. In one embodiment, there may be a modified/offset hot count value in addition to the actual hot count. In other words, the actual hot count is still maintained, but for decision-making purposes, the offset hot count is used because it better reflects the health of a block. In alternative embodiments, the actual hot count may be offset or modified. The existing wear-leveling controller may favor blocks with high estimated endurance over those blocks with lower estimated endurance as in block 1106 .
FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating external block management. The external management may refer to the host (e.g. host system 100 ) managing the blocks. The external management may also refer to the assignment of data to physical blocks (as opposed to internal management that may focus on distribution of cycles between blocks). The assignment of data to physical blocks may be from the host. For example, the host system 100 may estimate block intrinsic endurances and adjust programming or memory usage based on the endurances. In one embodiment, the blocks may be partitioned by the host based on the estimated intrinsic endurance values. The intrinsic endurance may be estimated as in block 1202 . The intrinsic endurance estimate may be the same as block 702 in FIG. 2 or may be the same as the estimation process from FIGS. 8-9 . Based on the estimated intrinsic endurance, the card can be utilized or programmed differently. For example, blocks that have a lower intrinsic endurance target may be utilized for host applications that require less data retention as in block 1204 . Exemplary host applications that require less data retention may include caching operations or temporary storage. Alternatively, blocks 1206 - 1208 illustrate that the estimated intrinsic endurance may be used for determining which data is stored at a particular block. Lower intrinsic endurance blocks may be used for data where a higher rate of failure may be acceptable as in block 1206 , while higher intrinsic endurance blocks may be used for data where a higher failure rate is not acceptable. For example, applications where the host provides additional protection such as RAID or backup copies may accept a slightly higher failure rate, so the lower intrinsic endurance blocks may be used for those applications.
The application of the estimates and adjustments discussed above may be implemented on a group of blocks basis. For example, meta-blocks may be analyzed for the estimates and subsequent adjustment to programming. Alternatively, the implementation may be through top/middle/bottom blocks or die-by-die. FIGS. 4-5 illustrate alternative grouping of blocks that may be utilized for the implementations discussed above. In addition, the implementation may occur even after a significant portion of a car's lifetime has passed. In other words, the estimate and adjustment may be performed even after significant hot count (e.g. 2000 cycles).
As described, a probabilistic distribution of raw flash block endurance is considered when implementing wear-leveling. Estimates are made as to where specific flash blocks lie within the distribution using CVD and/or BER, for example. This may allow a card to achieve a higher number of total write/erase cycles because each block may be cycled to its own intrinsic limit.
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating device-based wear-leveling results. Line 1302 illustrates an actual intrinsic endurance limit. Line 1304 illustrates the end of life (“EOL”) wear limit from traditional wear leveling. As shown, the traditional wear-leveling may treat all or groups of physical blocks as having an endurance limit equal to the block with the lowest endurance (e.g. 3000 erase cycles), which results in all the blocks reaching EOL at that same limit. Line 1306 illustrates device-based wear-leveling with an estimated intrinsic endurance that is applied differently for blocks. In other words, the blocks are utilized based on the estimated intrinsic endurance of blocks individually, rather than assuming that all blocks have the same endurance limit as in line 1304 . Line 1304 illustrates that the total amount of data that could be written and reliably stored on a card was (Lowest Cycle Limit)×(Card Capacity), however, with device-based wear-leveling 1306 , the potential total write and stored data is (Average Cycle Limit)×(Card Capacity). Accordingly, when the ratio of (Average Cycle Limit)/(Lowest Cycle Limit) is high the card will have significantly improved endurance limit as a whole.
A “computer-readable medium,” “machine readable medium,” “propagated-signal” medium, and/or “signal-bearing medium” may comprise any device that includes, stores, communicates, propagates, or transports software for use by or in connection with an instruction executable system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium may selectively be, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. A non-exhaustive list of examples of a machine-readable medium would include: an electrical connection “electronic” having one or more wires, a portable magnetic or optical disk, a volatile memory such as a Random Access Memory “RAM”, a Read-Only Memory “ROM”, an Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM or Flash memory), or an optical fiber. A machine-readable medium may also include a tangible medium upon which software is printed, as the software may be electronically stored as an image or in another format (e.g., through an optical scan), then compiled, and/or interpreted or otherwise processed. The processed medium may then be stored in a processor, memory device, computer and/or machine memory.
In an alternative embodiment, dedicated hardware implementations, such as application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices, can be constructed to implement one or more of the methods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various embodiments can broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems. One or more embodiments described herein may implement functions using two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and data signals that can be communicated between and through the modules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Accordingly, the present system encompasses software, firmware, and hardware implementations.
The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of the various embodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a complete description of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systems that utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many other embodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from the disclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may be exaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized.
Accordingly, the disclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. | A system for improving the management and usage of blocks based on intrinsic endurance may be used to improve memory usage for flash memory, such as a memory card. The overall card endurance may be extended by cycling blocks with higher intrinsic endurance over the lowest endurance target of the worst block. This may be accomplished by managing blocks with different intrinsic endurance values internally or by partitioning the blocks with different intrinsic endurance values externally for different usage. | 6 |
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
[0001] This patent application claims priority of the U.S. provisional application No. 60/395,203 filed on Jul. 11, 2002, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Although the central paradigm of protein folding (Anfinsen, C. B. (1973) Principles That Govern Folding of Protein Chains. Science, 181, 223-230), that the unique three-dimensional structure of a protein is encoded in its amino acid sequence, is well established, its generality has been questioned due to the recently developed concept of “prions”. Biochemical characterization of infectious scrapie material causing central nervous system degeneration indicates that the necessary component for disease propagation is proteinaceous (Prusiner, S. B. (1982) Novel proteinaceous infectious particles cause scrapie. Science, 216, 136-144), as first outlined by (Griffith, J. S. (1967) Self-replication and scrapie. Nature, 215, 1043-1044) in general terms. Prion propagation further involves a conversion from a cellular prion protein, denoted PrP C , into a toxic scrapie form, PrP Sc , which is facilitated by PrP Sc acting as a template for PrP C to form new PrP Sc molecules (Prusiner, S. B. (1987) Prions and neurodegenerative diseases. N Engl J Med, 317, 1571-1581). The “protein-only” hypothesis implies that the same polypeptide sequence, in the absence of any post translational modifications, can adopt two considerably different stable protein conformations. Thus, in the case of prions it is possible, although not proven, that they violate the central paradigm of protein folding. There is some indirect evidence that another factor might be involved in the conformational conversion process (Prusiner, S. B. (1998) Prions. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 95, 13363-13383), which includes a dramatic change from α-helical into β-sheet secondary structure. Although it has been proposed that a presumed “factor X” might act as a molecular chaperone, its chemical nature has not been identified yet (Zahn, R. (1999) Prion propagation and molecular chaperones. Q Rev Biophys, 32, 309-370). “Factor X”, thus, could be a protein, a lipid, another biological macromolecule, or a combination thereof.
[0003] Two general models have been proposed for the molecular mechanism by which PrP Sc promotes the conversion of the cellular isoform (see FIG. 1). The “nucleated polymerization” or “seeding” model for PrP Sc formation (Jarrett, J. T. and Lansbury, P. T., Jr. (1993) Seeding “one-dimensional crystallization” of amyloid: a pathogenic mechanism in Alzheimer's disease and scrapie? Cell, 73, 1055-1058) proposes that PrP C and PrP Sc are in a rapidly established equilibrium, and that the conformation of PrP Sc is thermodynamically stable only when trapped within a crystal-like seed (see FIG. 1A). The proposed process is akin to other well-characterized nucleation-dependent protein polymerization processes, including microtubule assembly, flagellum assembly, and sickle-cell hemoglobin fibril formation, where the kinetic barrier is imposed by nucleus formation around single molecules. To explain exponential conversion rates, it must be assumed that the aggregates are continuously fragmented to present increasing surface for accretion, although the mechanism of fragmentation remains to be explained. The “template-assisted” or “heterodimer” model for PrP Sc formation (Prusiner, S. B., Scott, M., Foster, D., Pan, K. M., Groth, D., Mirenda, C., Torchia, M., Yang, S. L., Serban, D., Carlson, G. A. and et al. (1990) Transgenetic studies implicate interactions between homologous PrP isoforms in scrapie prion replication. Cell, 63, 673-686) proposes that PrP C is unfolded to some extent and refolded under the influence of a PrP Sc molecule functioning as a template (see FIG. 1B). A high energy barrier is postulated to make this conversion improbable without catalysis by preexisting PrP Sc . The conformational change is proposed to be kinetically controlled by the dissociation of a PrP C -PrP Sc heterodimer into two PrP Sc molecules, and can be treated as an induced fit enzymatic reaction following autocatalytic Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Once conversion has been initiated it gives rise to an exponential conversion cascade as long as the PrP Sc dimer dissociates rapidly into monomers. A disadvantage of the template-assisted model is that it does not explain why PrP Sc after propagation should aggregate into protein fibrils. Manfred Eigen has presented a comparative kinetic analysis of the two proposed mechanisms of prion disease (Eigen, M. (1996) Prionics or the kinetic basis of prion diseases. Biophysical Chemistry, 63, A1-A18). He found that logically both models are possible, in principle, but that the conditions under which they work seem to be too narrow and unrealistic. The autocatalytic template-assisted model requires cooperativity in order to work, but it then becomes phenomenologically indistinguishable from the nucleation model which is also a form of (passive) autocatalysis. Though the two kind of mechanisms still may differ on the question which of the two monomeric protein conformations is the favored equilibrium state, they both require an aggregated state as the from that is eventually favored at equilibrium and that presumably resembles the pathogenic form of the prion protein. Eigen concluded that more experimental evidence is needed in order to judge which of the two models is the right one. In principle, neither of the models for prion propagation does rule out a possible assistance by “factor X”.
[0004] A mechanistic understanding of prion diseases requires a detailed knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of both the cellular form and the pathogenic form of the prion protein. Only if both protein structures have been deciphered one can understand how a conversion takes place. In vivo, the “healthy” prion protein is attached to the cell surface via a glycosyl phosphatitylinositol anchor and partitions to membrane domains that have been termed lipid rafts (Vey, M., Pilkuhn, S., Wille, H., Nixon, R., DeArmond, S. J., Smart, E. J., Anderson, R. G., Taraboulos, A. and Prusiner, S. B. (1996) Subcellular colocalization of the cellular and scrapie prion proteins in caveolae-like membranous domains. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 93, 14945-14949). Recent structural studies have focused on soluble recombinant prion proteins from various species using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. These studies show that mammalian PrP C consists of two distinct domains: a flexibly disordered N-terminal tail, which comprises residues 23-120, and a well structured C-terminal globular domain of residues 121-230 that is rich in α-helix secondary structure and contains a small anti-parallel β-sheet (Lopez Garcia, F., Zahn, R., Riek, R. and Wüthrich, K. (2000) NMR structure of the bovine prion protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 97, 8334-8339). Upon conversion of PrP C into PrP Sc , residues 90-120, which represent the most conserved sequence element in mammalian and non-mammalian prion proteins (Wopfner, F., Weidenhofer, G., Schneider, R., von Brunn, A., Gilch, S., Schwarz, T. F., Werner, T. and Schätzl, H. M. (1999) Analysis of 27 mammalian and 9 avian prion proteins reveals high conservation of flexible regions of the prion protein. J Mol Biol, 289, 1163-1178), become resistant to treatment with proteinase K (Prusiner, S. B., Groth, D. F., Bolton, D. C., Kent, S. B. and Hood, L. E. (1984) Purification and structural studies of a major scrapie prion protein. Cell, 38, 127-134), implying that this polypeptide segment becomes structured. There is further evidence that the conformational transition of PrP C is accompanied by a substantial increase of the α-sheet secondary structure (Pan, K. M., Baldwin, M., Nguyen, J., Gasset, M., Serban, A., Groth, D., Mehlhorn, I., Huang, Z., Fletterick, R. J., Cohen, F. E. and et al. (1993) Conversion of alpha-helices into beta-sheets features in the formation of the scrapie prion proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 90, 10962-10966).
PROBLEMS OBSERVED IN PRIOR ART
[0005] Clearly defining the conformational properties of different forms of PrP is crucial to defining the transition and disease mechanisms. In the case of prions this proves challenging because the most powerful methods for determining protein conformation rely on soluble homogenous samples precluding the investigation of aggregates. So far, pathogenic prion proteins resist a detailed structural analysis. Their tendency to form amyloid fibrils prevents the growth of crystals for X-ray studies, and solution NMR spectroscopy for structure determination can so far only be applied for proteins with a molecular weight of up to 40 kDa. However, the fibrils are much larger and, in addition, are insoluble. Solid-state NMR currently represents the only technique for the analysis of PrP Sc in amyloid fibrils at atomic resolution, but this technique still requires tremendous progress with regard to its application to biological macromolecules.
[0006] A scientific breakthrough in the investigation of prion diseases is expected from the production and structural characterization of soluble aggregates of the prion protein. According to the common models of prion replication such oligomeric PrP aggregates are of importance for the refolding of the cellular into the infectious scrapie form, and there is some evidence that factor X might participate in this process (Prusiner, 1998). Soluble complexes of PrP Sc as well as PrP C /PrP Sc aggregates are attractive targets for any biochemical or spectroscopic technique in solution. Thus, the development of a protocol for the conformational transmission of recombinant PrP C into PrP Sc would have a multitude of potential applications.
[0007] Earlier conversion studies performed with recombinant PrP have shown that no regular protein fibrils are obtained: At acidic pH and in the presence of high concentrations of urea, mPrP(121-231) converts into a soluble β-sheet-rich isoform (Hornemann, S. and Glockshuber, R. (1998) A scrapie-like unfolding intermediate of the prion protein domain PrP(121-231) induced by acidic pH. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 95, 6010-6014), whereas hPrP(90-231) in the presence of guanidine hydrochloride converts into a β-sheet-rich isoform that forms fibrillar aggregates (Swietnicki, W., Morillas, M., Chen, S. G., Gambetti, P. and Surewicz, W. K. (2000) Aggregation and fibrillization of the recombinant human prion protein huPrP90-231 . Biochemistry, 39, 424-431). However, the ultra structure of these aggregates appears to be not well defined, and it has not been reported whether they show biophysical properties typical for amyloid. Irregular, fibril-like aggregates have also been obtained for hPrP(91-231) under reducing conditions in the absence of detergent (Jackson, G. S., Hosszu, L. L., Power, A., Hill, A. F., Kenney, J., Saibil, H., Craven, C. J., Waltho, J. P., Clarke, A. R. and Collinge, J. (1999) Reversible conversion of monomeric human prion protein between native and fibrilogenic conformations. Science, 283, 1935-1937).
[0008] Several different neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease involve the formation of specific proteins or peptides possessing a high content of β-sheet secondary structure, which confers a high tendency for protein/peptide aggregation and formation of very insoluble intra- or extracellular deposits, called amyloid. There is increasing evidence published by leading groups in the field that it is oligomeric versions of such “beta-proteins”, and not necessarily the large aggregates typical of amyloid, that are responsible for triggering pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a protocol for producing pathogenic/infectious proteins from recombinant and/or native proteins. This object is attained by the features of claim 1 . Particular embodiments of the present invention comprise corresponding methods for proteins or aggregates that are involved in neurodegenerative diseases of the group comprising Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE), Alzheimers disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinsons disease as well as the proteins or protein aggregates produced.
[0010] A further object of the present invention is to provide a use of the proteins obtained by these methods including studying the various aspects of the PrP C to PrP Sc conversion under controlled conditions; screening for ligands for the development of a) potential therapeutics against TSE, or b) new diagnostic TSE-tests; development of antibodies specifically binding to (PrP Sc ); and determination of the three-dimensional structure of PrP Sc using NMR spectroscopy or X-ray as a basis for the design of ligands.
[0011] Still another object of the present invention is to provide a use of the methods according to this invention for the development of potential therapeutics against TSE such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in human; the development of antibodies specifically binding to (PrP Sc ); for the industrial production of recombinant (PrP Sc ); and for the determination of the three-dimensional structure of PrP Sc using NMR spectroscopy or X-ray as a basis for the design of ligands.
[0012] Advantageous embodiments and additional characteristics in accordance with the invention ensue from the dependent claims.
[0013] This invention includes an in vitro protocol for the generation of a soluble, oligomeric β-sheet-rich conformational variant of recombinant PrP, PrP β , that aggregates into amyloid fibrils, PrP βf , resembling pathogenic PrP Sc in scrapie associated fibrils and prion rods. The conformational transition from PrP to PrP βf occurs at pH 5.0 in bicellar solutions containing equimolar mixtures of dihexanoyl-phosphocholine and dimyristoyl-phospholipids, and a small percentage of negatively charged dimyristoyl-phosphoserine. The protocol was applicable to all species of PrP tested, including human, bovine, elk, pig, dog and murine PrP. Using the N-terminally truncated human PrP fragments hPrP(90-230), hPrP(96-230), hPrP(105-230) and hPrP(121-230) we show that the flexible peptide segment 105-120 is essential for generation of PrP β . Dimerization of PrP represents the rate-limiting step of conversion, which is dependent on the amino acid sequence. The free enthalpy of dimerization is about 130 kJ/mol for human and bovine PrP, and between 260 and 320 kJ/mol for the other species investigated. Hence, the presented in vitro conversion assay allows studying various aspects of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies on a molecular level.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0014] The following figures are intended to document prior art as well as the invention. Preferred embodiments of the method in accordance with the invention will also be explained by means of the figures, without this being intended to limit the scope of the invention.
[0015] [0015]FIG. 1 Two general models proposed for the molecular mechanism by which PrP Sc promotes the conversion of the cellular isoform (Zahn, R. (1999):
[0016] [0016]FIG. 1A The “nucleated polymerization” or “seeding” model;
[0017] [0017]FIG. 1B The “template-assisted” or “heterodimer” model;
[0018] [0018]FIG. 2 Conformational transition of recombinant mPrP(23-231) into PrP β in bicellar solution as revealed by UV CD:
[0019] [0019]FIG. 2A PrP refolded into a β-sheet rich form PrP β ;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 2B conformational change as observed when 5% dimyristoyl-phosphoglycerol (DMPG) was used instead of DMPS;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 2C Heating the protein in neutral bicelles, i.e. in the absence of DMPS or DMPG did not induce a change in secondary structure;
[0022] [0022]FIG. 2D Heating the protein in neutral bicelles, i.e. in lipid-free buffer did not induce a change in secondary structure;
[0023] [0023]FIG. 3 Dependence of human recombinant PrP to PrP β conversion on the length of the N-terminal “tail”:
[0024] [0024]FIG. 4A Conversion kinetics of murine PrP measured in conversion buffer as the change in molar ellipticity at 226 nm;
[0025] [0025]FIG. 4B Doubly logarithmic plot of the initial conversion rates as determined at different temperatures versus the PrP concentration;
[0026] [0026]FIG. 5 Temperature dependence of PrP to PrP β conversion:
[0027] [0027]FIG. 5A Transition kinetics of murine PrP;
[0028] [0028]FIG. 5B Eyring plot of mouse, human, bovine and elk PrP, plotted on a logarithmic scale versus the inverse absolute temperature;
[0029] [0029]FIG. 6 Sodium dodecylphosphate electrophoresis of recombinant mouse PrP(23-230) after proteinase K digestion:
[0030] [0030]FIG. 6A PrP βf -aggregates;
[0031] [0031]FIG. 6B Unconverted PrP;
[0032] [0032]FIG. 7 Mechanistic model for PrP to PrP β conversion;
[0033] [0033]FIG. 8 Sequence alignment of mammalian PrP sequences as obtained by the CLUSTAL W algorithm.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0034] The interactions of recombinant PrP expressed in E. coli with lipids have been studied previously. In the presence of high amounts of negatively charged lipids, an alteration of protein secondary structure towards more α-helix (Morillas, M., Swietnicki, W., Gambetti, P. and Surewicz, W. K. (1999) Membrane environment alters the conformational structure of the recombinant human prion protein. J Biol Chem, 274, 36859-36865) or β-sheet structure (Sanghera, N. and Pinheiro, T. J. (2002) Binding of prion protein to lipid membranes and implications for prion conversion. J Mol Biol, 315, 1241-1256) was observed, although no aggregation of PrP into pathogenic amyloid fibrils has been reported in these studies. In an attempt to generate or stabilize amyloidogenic aggregates and β-sheet-rich intermediates of PrP we have studied recombinant protein in bicellar solutions. Bicelles are disc-shaped lipid particles consisting of mixtures of dimyristoyl-phosphocholine (DMPC), dimyristoyl-phosphserine (DMPS) and dihexanoyl-phosphocholine (DHPC). The long chain phospholipids of bicelles form a liquid crystalline bilayered section that is surrounded by a rim of short-chain phospholipids, protecting the long acyl chains from contact with water (Vold, R. R. and i, R. S. (1996) Magnetically oriented phospholipid bilayered micelles for structural studies of polypeptides. Does the ideal bicelle exist? Journal of Magnetic Resonance Series B, 113, 267-271). In the active reconstitution of transmembrane proteins bicelles have been shown to be superior to other compounds (Dencher, N. A. (1989) Gentle and fast transmembrane reconstitution of membrane proteins. Methods Enzymol, 171, 265-274). Moreover, bicelles share some structural features with lipid rafts in that they form disc-shaped lipid bilayers.
[0035] Here, we show that bicellar solutions are particularly suitable for the generation of a conformational transition in recombinant PrP into a soluble, oligomeric β-sheet intermediate (PrP β ) that can further be converted into amyloid fibrils (PrP βf ). These recombinant PrP aggregates essentially show all physico-chemical properties that are documented for PrP Sc . The generation of PrP β starting from recombinant PrP might open an alternative way for studying and exploiting the various aspects of the PrP C to PrP Sc conversion under controlled in vitro conditions.
[0036] Furthermore, the invention includes the following applications:
[0037] 1. The in vitro and in vivo screening for “conversion inhibitors” for the development of potential therapeutics against TSE such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in human, where conversion inhibitors include small molecules or biological macromolecules (such as proteins or nucleic acid) that bind to PrP C and thus prevent a conformational transition into PrP β (see FIG. 7) and PrP Sc oligomers (see FIG. 1A) or PrP Sc /PrP C heterodimers (see FIG. 1B). Conversion inhibitors further include small molecules or biological macromolecules that bind to PrP β and PrP Sc oligomers or PrP Sc /PrP C heterodimers, and thus prevent the formation of PrP βf and PrP Sc amyloid fibrils (see FIGS. 1 and 7), conversion inhibitors also include small molecules or biological macromolecules that bind to PrP Sc oligomers, PrP β , and PrP βf and lead to their dissociation into benign isoforms of PrP C oligomers or PrP C monomers. In vitro screening methods include the protocol as summarized in “Object and Summary of the Invention” using CD spectroscopy, electron microscopy, light microscopy and proteinase K resistance assay, but also other spectroscopic techniques such as NMR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy as well as biochemical techniques such as BIAcore. In vivo screening methods include studies with laboratory animals and cell-culture experiments.
[0038] 2. The in vitro screening for PrP Sc -specific ligands for the development new diagnostic TSE-tests, where an ideal screening template is represented by PrP β (see FIG. 7). PrP Sc -specific ligands include small molecules or biological macromolecules that bind to PrP β and/or PrP βf (see FIG. 7) and PrP Sc oligomers (see FIG. 1A), PrP Sc /PrP C heterodimers (see FIG. 1B) or PrP Sc amyloid fibrils (see FIG. 1), where the affinity for binding is relatively high when compared to the binding of PrP C . In vitro screening methods include the protocol as summarized in “Object and Summary of the Invention” using electron microscopy, light microscopy and proteinase K resistance assay, but also include other spectroscopic techniques such as dynamic light scattering and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy as well as biochemical techniques.
[0039] 3. Development of antibodies specifically binding to PrP Sc , where an ideal antigen is represented by PrP β and/or PrP βf (see FIG. 7). Antibodies specifically binding to PrP Sc may be generated by in vitro engineering methods or after active immunization of humans and animals with PrP β or PrP βf . Such antibodies may be applied for passive immunisation of humans and/or animals.”
[0040] 4. Industrial production of “recombinant PrP Sc ” as a “PrP Sc standard” for TSE-tests, where recombinant PrP Sc is represented by PrP β and/or PrP βf (see FIG. 7). A “PrP Sc standard” includes a recombinant PrP standard for measurements on proteinase K resistance and aggregation behaviour using spectroscopic techniques such as dynamic light scattering and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. TSE-tests may be applied to human and various animals such as cattle, sheep, elk, deer, cat, pig, and horse.
[0041] 5. Production of “recombinant PrP Sc ” for inoculation studies with laboratory animals or cell-culture experiments, where recombinant PrP Sc is represented by PrP β and/or PrP βf (see FIG. 7).
[0042] 6. Determination of the three-dimensional structure of PrP Sc using NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography or electron microscopy as a basis for the design of ligands and lead compounds. An ideal substrate for NMR in solution and X-ray crystallography is represented by PrP β , and an ideal substrate for solid-state NMR and electron microscopy is represented by PrP βf (see FIG. 7).
[0043] 7. The invention and its applications may be applied to other proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases (e.g. Alzheimers, Parkinsons disease, Multiple sclerosis) or generally to proteins causing disease after a conformational transition (conformational diseases such as Primary systematic amyloidosis, Type II diabetes, Atrial amyloidosis).
[0044] The invention further includes generation and/or application of wild type proteins according to the points 1-7 or variants thereof. Such variants comprise protein fragments, mutant proteins, fusion proteins, synthetically derived proteins and peptides, and protein-ligand complexes.
Experimental Results
[0045] 1. Conversion of Recombinant Murine PrP into PrP β
[0046] In conversion buffer containing 25 mM dihexanoyl-phosphocholine (DHPC), 23.75 mM dimyristoyl-phosphocholine (DMPC) and 1.25 mM dimyristoyl-phosphoserine (DMPS), mPrP(23-231) undergoes a conformational transition from a predominantly α-helical into a soluble, β-sheet-rich isoform, termed PrP β .
[0047] [0047]FIG. 2 shows the conformational transition of mPrP(23-231) into PrP β in bicellar solution. The far-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectra were recorded in conversion buffer containing 25 mM long-chain (DMPX; comprising DMPC, DMPG, and/or DMPS) and 25 mM short-chain DHPC phospholipids. First, a spectrum was accumulated at 37° C. (circles), and subsequently the sample was heated to 65° C. for 15 minutes. After equilibration at 37° C., a second CD spectrum was recorded (triangles). FIG. 2A shows that in the presence of 5% DMPS and 95% DMPC, murine PrP refolded into a β-sheet rich form, PrP β , with a characteristic minimum at 215 nm in the CD spectrum. FIG. 2B shows that a similar conformational change was observed when 5% dimyristoyl-phosphoglycerol (DMPG) was used instead of DMPS. FIG. 2C shows that heating the protein in neutral bicelles, i.e. in the absence of DMPS or DMPG did not induce a change in secondary structure. FIG. 2D shows that heating the protein in lipid-free buffer did again not induce a change in secondary structure.
[0048] [0048]FIG. 2A further shows that at 37° C. the CD spectrum of mPrP(23-231) is characteristic for α-helical secondary structure with a minimum at 208 nm and a shoulder at 217 nm, as has been observed for mPrP(23-231) in the absence of lipids (Hornemann, S., Korth, C., Oesch, B., Riek, R., Wider, G., Wüthrich, K. and Glockshuber, R. (1997) Recombinant full-length murine prion protein, mPrP(23-231): purification and spectroscopic characterization. Febs Letters, 413, 277-281). Heating the protein to 65° C. for 15 minutes leads to the formation of PrP β , which shows a single minimum at 215 nm in the CD spectrum, indicating a relative increase in β-sheet secondary structure. After cooling the sample back to 37° C., only marginal spectroscopic changes were observed. There was no visible aggregation and centrifugation at 20,000 g for 30 minutes did not lead to sedimentation. Moreover, incubation at room temperature for up to 100 days did not significantly alter the CD spectrum. FIG. 2B further shows that substitution of DMPS in bicelles against negatively charged DMPG lead to similar results as compared to FIG. 2A. FIGS. 2C,D further show that heating of mPrP(23-231) in neutral bicelles or lipid-free buffer did not result in the formation of PrP β .
[0049] Increasing the relative amount of DMPS to 10% or more appeared to increase the content of α-helix secondary structure in unconverted PrP (data not shown), suggesting that also this form may directly interact with the negatively charged bicelles. However, a fast precipitation upon heating precluded a quantitative analysis of CD spectra. The formation of PrP β , therefore, appears to be an irreversible lipid associated process, which depends on the distribution of negative charges on the lipid bilayer.
[0050] 2. Conversion of N-Terminally Truncated Human PrP Fragments
[0051] [0051]FIG. 3 shows the dependence of human PrP to PrP β conversion on the length of the N-terminal “tail”. CD spectra were recorded as described for FIG. 2: circles, before heating; triangles, after heating. The recombinant PrP constructs are indicated.
[0052] In an attempt to narrow down the peptide segment required for the formation of PrP β , we analyzed the spectroscopic properties of intact human PrP and various N-terminally truncated fragments thereof. Upon heating in conversion buffer, hPrP(23-230), hPrP(90-230), and hPrP(105-230) showed a similar transition from mainly α-helical to a β-sheet-rich protein (FIGS. 3 A-C). For none of these proteins aggregation was observed upon heating. However, for the fragment hPrP(121-230) heating in conversion buffer immediately led to precipitation so that no meaningful CD spectrum could be recorded (FIG. 3D). The same was observed for mPrP(121-231). Thus, the presence of the peptide segment 105-120 in mammalian PrP appears to be essential for the conformational transition of recombinant PrP into PrP β . Notably, this mostly conserved sequence element among all currently known prion proteins (Wopfner et al., 1999) contains the AGAAAAGA motif, which has been shown to be indispensable for PrP C to PrP Sc conversion in vivo (Holscher, C., Delius, H. and Burkle, A. (1998) Overexpression of nonconvertible PrP C delta114-121 in scrapie-infected mouse neuroblastoma cells leads to trans-dominant inhibition of wild-type PrP(Sc) accumulation. J Virol, 72, 1153-1159).
[0053] 3. Kinetic Mechanism of Conversion
[0054] To get a mechanistic insight into the formation of PrP β , we measured conversion kinetics after rapid heating of the protein solutions at a constant wavelength of 226 nm (see Materials and methods). All kinetic measurements were performed in the presence of 100 mM sodium fluoride to mimic a physiological environment.
[0055] [0055]FIG. 4A shows conversion kinetics of murine PrP measured in conversion buffer as the change in molar ellipticity at 226 nm. Varying protein concentrations are indicated next to the corresponding curves. FIG. 4B shows a doubly logarithmic plot of the initial conversion rates as determined at different temperatures versus the PrP concentration (45 to 180 μM).
[0056] [0056]FIG. 4A further shows a typical data series of conversion kinetics as obtained at different murine PrP concentrations. The reaction becomes significantly faster with increasing protein concentration, suggesting that the conformational change associated with the formation of PrP β occurs in a cooperative manner involving oligomerization of PrP molecules. There was no increase in the observed rate constant, when the conversion was performed in the presence of catalytic concentrations of preformed PrP β . In FIG. 4B, the logarithms of the initial reaction rates is plotted against the logarithm of the protein concentration. Independently of the temperature, the slope of these curves is n=2.1±0.2. Thus, a dimerization seems to be the rate-limiting step for the transition of monomeric PrP to oligomeric PrP β .
[0057] [0057]FIG. 5 shows the temperature dependence of PrP to PrP β conversion. According to FIG. 5A transition kinetics of murine PrP were measured at a constant protein concentration of 100 μM at various temperatures between 57° C. and 65° C. FIG. 5B shows an Eyring plot of mouse, human, bovine and elk PrP, where the rate constants for conversion, k, were plotted on a logarithmic scale versus the inverse absolute temperature.
[0058] Inspection of FIG. 5A shows that the reaction rate increases with temperature so that the activation enthalpy associated with the rate-limiting step for conversion can be determined according to the Eyring equation. The logarithmic plot of the reaction rate constant, k, versus the inverse absolute temperature, and the fit of the experimental data are shown in FIG. 5B. The calculated activation parameters for various fragments and species of PrP are summarized in Table 1.
TABLE 1 Kinetic parameters of PrP to PrP β conversion experiments. ΔH ≠2 ΔS ≠2 ΔG ≠3 (kJ/ (J/ (kJ/ k 4 Species Fragment Conversion 1 mol) K · mol) mol) (s −1 · M −1 ) human 23-230 yes 130 200 66 60 90-230 yes 140 230 67 40 96-230 yes 100-230 yes 140 230 67 40 105-230 yes 121-230 no bovine 25-242 yes 140 230 65 60 elk 25-234 yes 260 580 76 0.9 pig 25-235 yes 260 600 77 0.7 dog 25-233 yes 310 730 80 0.2 mouse 23-231 yes 320 760 81 0.1 23-231 5 yes 250 570 75 2 121-231 no
[0059] For murine and dog PrP, activation enthalpies of about 300 kJ·mol −1 were obtained, which is about twice as high, as the corresponding enthalpies of intact human and bovine PrP. This finding correlates with the notion that the NMR structures of human and bovine PrP are closely similar, while they both differ significantly from the structure of murine PrP (Lopez Garcia et al., 2000).
[0060] 4. Generation of Recombinant PrP Fibrils: PrP βf
[0061] The detergent DHPC constitutes a major component of the bicelles in the conversion buffer. In mixtures with long-chain phospholipids, the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of DHPC is approximately 5 mM (Ottiger, M. and Bax, A. (1998) Characterization of magnetically oriented phospholipid micelles for measurement of dipolar couplings in macromolecules. J Biomol NMR, 12, 361-372), and below this concentration the long chain phospholipids form vesicles, both at moderately acidic or at neutral pH (Ottiger, M. and Bax, A. (1999) Bicelle-based liquid crystals for NMR-measurement of dipolar couplings at acidic and basic pH values. J Biomol NMR, 13, 187-191). In our conversion assay, dilution of PrP β -bicellar solutions significantly below the cmc of DHPC immediately resulted in precipitation of PrP β into PrP βf . Treatment of these aggregates with non-denaturing detergents such as octylglucoside led to the formation of regular fibrils, PrP βf , which could be observed in the electron microscope. Similar fibrils were observed when PrP β was directly treated with detergent without previous dilution of the lipids.
[0062] Electron microscopy has been carried out on detergent treated PrP amyloid fibrils: 25 μM mouse PrP βf was sedimented at 20,000 g and resuspended in 50 mM Tris-HCl, 150 mM NaCl, 320 mM sucrose and 0.5% (w/v) octylglucoside. The amyloid fibrils produced have a tendency to form large bundles. However, also single fibrils consisting of two or four helically wound proto-filaments with a diameter of 10.5±0.6 nm and 25.8±0.6 nm, respectively were also observed (data not shown). These proto-filaments contain a beaded substructure with a diameter of 4 to 4.5 nm.
[0063] Similar substructures have been described for scrapie associated fibrils, and it has been speculated that they might represent subunits of the fibrils (Merz, P. A., Somerville, R. A., Wisniewski, H. M. and Iqbal, K. (1981) Abnormal fibrils from scrapie-infected brain. Acta Neuropathol ( Berl ), 54, 63-74). Assuming a spherical shape, a single bead of PrP βf contains a volume of 34-48 nm 3 corresponding to 1.7-2.5 times the volume of hPrP(90-230). This points towards the observation that the rate-limiting step in the formation of PrP β is dimerization. Thus, PrP βf might represent polymeric aggregates of PrP dimers, and possibly also scrapie associated fibrils may consist of similar building blocks.
[0064] We found that PrP βf binds congo-red and shows green-gold birefringence in cross-polarized light (data not shown), and that it contains a partially proteinase K resistant core corresponding to bona fide PrP Sc (see FIG. 6).
[0065] [0065]FIG. 6 shows the result of sodium dodecylphosphate electrophoresis of recombinant mouse PrP(23-230) after proteinase K digestion. FIG. 6A shows PrP βf -aggregates. Arrows indicate proteolytic fragments between 16.0 and 16.4 kDa, corresponding to PrP residues 105-230 and 99-230, respectively. FIG. 6B shows unconverted PrP. Arrows indicate major proteolytic fragments between 13.5 and 14.7 kDa.
Discussion of Results
[0066] 1. The Mechanism of PrP Conversion
[0067] A possible mechanism for the formation of PrP β in bicellar solution is shown in FIG. 7.
[0068] [0068]FIG. 7 shows a mechanistic model for PrP to PrP β conversion. Recombinant PrP is represented by an ellipsoid (residues 121-230) and a random line (residues 90-120). In PrP β , the flexible tail becomes structured as indicated by the geometric line. The structure of the globular domain in PrP β is either preserved, or participates in the α-helix to β-sheet conformational transition (rectangle). The relative dimensions of bicelles composed of lipid molecules and protein molecules are approximately to scale.
[0069] The observation that negative charges have to be present on the bilayer surface of bicelles for efficient conversion argues that the first step in the reaction is an electrostatic adsorption of PrP to the bilayer/water interface. This view is supported by previous observations of the partitioning of recombinant prion proteins to negatively charged bilayers (Morillas et al., 1999; Sanghera and Pinheiro, 2002). The PrP concentration dependence of the conversion reaction suggests that all other rates along the reaction pathway must be significantly faster than dimerization of PrP. Moreover, dimerization per se does not lead to an observable change in the CD spectrum, while refolding does. Hence, the conformational transition of PrP to PrP β is coupled to protein dimerization. We estimate that the bicelles used in our assay have a diameter of about 10 nm (Vold and Prosser, 1996), which would provide enough space to accommodate 10 to 20 PrP monomers depending on the orientation of PrP molecules relative to the bicellar membranes. Upon dilution of DHPC beyond the cmc or in the presence of detergents, individual particles would meet, leading to the formation of highly polymeric PrP aggregates, PrP βf . This model of PrP conversion is in agreement with the observations made by Caughey and co-workers in a cell-free conversion reaction (Baron, G. S., Wehrly, K., Dorward, D. W., Chesebro, B. and Caughey, B. (2002) Conversion of raft associated prion protein to the protease-resistant state requires insertion of PrP-res (PrP(Sc)) into contiguous membranes. Embo J, 21,1031-1040), suggesting that the generation of new PrP Sc during TSE infection requires: (i) removal of PrP C from target cells; (ii) an exchange of membranes between cells; or (iii) insertion of incoming PrP Sc into the lipid raft domains of recipient cells.
[0070] The possible modes of interaction of PrP with bicelles include the adsorption to the bilayer surface and the formation of transmembrane segments by sideward insertion through the rim of DHPC. The requirement of the hydrophobic peptide segment 112-130 for the conversion to occur argues in favor of the view that this part of PrP inserts into the bilayer, although it is also possible that PrP β is only adsorbed to the lipid surface. If the conformational transition is accompanied by the formation of β-sheet secondary structure within the flexibly disordered tail or the globular domain or both cannot be readily decided from our current data (see FIG. 7). However, the fact that the peptide segment 90-120 becomes proteinase K resistant after conversion indicates that the tail is involved in the conformational transition. Further valuable information is provided by the transition state energetics of PrP β formation collected in Table 1. All transition state entropies have large positive values, indicating that the transition state contains a higher degree of disorder as compared to unconverted PrP. The peptide segment 105-120 is flexibly disordered in unconverted PrP, making it unlikely to contribute positively to ΔS ≠ . These data suggest that the flexible tail, but also partial unfolding of the globular domain 121-230 features in the conversion process, which would be consistent with the decreased α-helix and increased p-sheet secondary structure observed in FIGS. 2A,B and 3 A-C. This model appears plausible, as the peptide segment 110-140 has been demonstrated to traverse lipid bilayers in transmembrane forms of PrP that are presumably involved in pathogenesis and amplification of the TSE agent (Hegde, R. S., Mastrianni, J. A., Scott, M. R., DeFea, K. A., Tremblay, P., Torchia, M., DeArmond, S. J., Prusiner, S. B. and Lingappa, V. R. (1998) A transmembrane form of the prion protein in neurodegenerative disease. Science, 279, 827-834; Hegde, R. S., Tremblay, P., Groth, D., DeArmond, S. J., Prusiner, S. B. and Lingappa, V. R. (1999) Transmissible and genetic prion diseases share a common pathway of neurodegeneration. Nature, 402, 822-826). Because two third of this peptide segment are structured within the PrP C scaffold, such membrane-associated forms most likely contain a structurally altered globular domain.
[0071] 2. Implications for the Species Barrier of TSE Transmission
[0072] Large differences in the activation enthalpies of the PrP to PrP β conversion are observed between the two groups of mammalian prion proteins, including human and bovine PrP, and elk, pig, dog and mouse PrP, respectively (Table 1). The relatively low activation entropies of intact human and bovine PrP argue that the transition state(s) is less unfolded compared to the other prion proteins. Moreover, from the calculated free energy values of conversion and the corresponding reaction rate constants, estimated at 37° C., it turns out that spontaneous conversion in human and bovine PrP is about 600 times faster than in e.g. mouse PrP. Notably, human and bovine PrP are mostly similar with regard to the amino acid sequence and the three-dimensional structure (Lopez Garcia et al., 2000). As the only difference in the conversion reactions is the amino acid sequence of PrP, the variations in kinetic parameters must be rationalized on the basis of species-specific amino acid variations. Consistent sequence variations between the two aforementioned PrP groups are found only in position 155, where human and bovine PrP contain a histidine as compared to tyrosine in the other prion proteins (FIG. 8).
[0073] [0073]FIG. 8 shows the sequence alignment of mammalian PrP sequences as obtained by the CLUSTAL W algorithm (version 1.8; (Thompson, J. D., Higgins, D. G. and Gibson, T. J. (1994) Clustal-W—Improving the Sensitivity of Progressive Multiple Sequence Alignment through Sequence Weighting, Position-Specific Gap Penalties and Weight Matrix Choice. Nucleic Acids Research, 22, 4673-4680) ordered with increasing activation enthalpy of conversion (see Table 1) from top to bottom. The identities of individual sequences are indicated on the left. At the top, secondary structure elements of human PrP (Zahn, R., Liu, A., Luhrs, T., Riek, R., von Schroetter, C., Lopez Garcia, F., Billeter, M., Calzolai, L., Wider, G. and Wüthrich, K. (2000) NMR solution structure of the human prion protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 97, 145-150) are indicated: empty boxes, regular secondary; black line, non-regular secondary structure. The residue numbers according to human PrP are indicated at the bottom.
[0074] The protonation of solvent exposed His155 (Zahn, R., Liu, A., Luhrs, T., Riek, R., von Schroetter, C., Lopez Garcia, F., Billeter, M., Calzolai, L., Wider, G. and Wüthrich, K. (2000) NMR solution structure of the human prion protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 97, 145-150) appears to substantially increase the population of transition competent protein conformations that are able to convert into PrP β . The impact of His155 on conversion of recombinant PrP is intriguing as cell-free conversion experiments with chimeric mouse/hamster PrP have shown that the PrP Sc epitope of hamster PrP C includes Met139, Asn155 and Asn170 (Kocisko, D. A., Priola, S. A., Raymond, G. J., Chesebro, B., Lansbury, P. T., Jr. and Caughey, B. (1995) Species specificity in the cell-free conversion of prion protein to protease-resistant forms: a model for the scrapie species barrier. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 92, 3923-3927). Thus, the conformational transition and dimerization of PrP into PrP β observed in our conversion assay appears to reflect the conversion of native PrP C into PrP Sc . If so, one comes to the conclusion that the species barrier for transmission of TSE between human and cattle presumably is less stringent than for the other species investigated.
[0075] 3. Implications for Familial CJD Forms
[0076] Single amino acid substitutions in the globular domain of human PrP have been shown to segregate with familial CJDs (for review (Prusiner, 1998)). However, mechanistic details about this process are not known. Unlike in most folding experiments, where the transition between unfolded and folded states of proteins is studied, the transition of PrP to PrP β occurs between two folded conformations. Thus, familial amino acid substitutions may affect the three-dimensional structure of the native state, transition state, or converted state of PrP. The impact of familial CJD variations on thermodynamic stability has previously been studied with recombinant murine PrP (Liemann, S. and Glockshuber, R. (1999) Influence of amino acid substitutions related to inherited human prion diseases on the thermodynamic stability of the cellular prion protein. Biochemistry, 38, 3258-3267). While five of the amino acid replacements destabilized the native state of PrP(121-231), three other variants had virtually no effect on thermodynamic stability. Moreover, a spontaneous formation of PrP Sc -like aggregates was not observed for the destabilized variants, suggesting that an unfolding of the PrP C conformation alone is not sufficient for the generation of PrP Sc . These results are in agreement with our conversion experiments carried out in the presence of 2M urea (Table 1), showing that the effect of high concentrations of denaturant on transition state parameters is much lower compared to substitution of a single amino acid residue, e.g. of Tyr at position 155 against His.
[0077] The presence of additional octapeptide segments in the amino acid sequence of human PrP has been demonstrated to segregate with a heritable risk to develop familiar CJD, and up to nine additional octapeptide repeats have been found in humans (Goldfarb, L. G., Brown, P., McCombie, W. R., Goldgaber, D., Swergold, G. D., Wills, P. R., Cervenakova, L., Baron, H., Gibbs, C. J., Jr. and Gajdusek, D. C. (1991) Transmissible familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease associated with five, seven, and eight extra octapeptide coding repeats in the PRNP gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 88, 10926-10930). Each octapeptide repeat contains a tryptophane, which is an amino acid that preferentially partitions to the lipid/water interface. Thus, this sequence motif might promote conversion by binding to the membrane surface and leading to a local increase of PrP concentration. However, truncation of residues 23-88 comprising the N terminus of mature PrP does not prevent PrP Sc synthesis in transgenic mice (Fischer, M., Rulicke, T., Raeber, A., Sailer, A., Moser, M., Oesch, B., Brandner, S., Aguzzi, A. and Weissmann, C. (1996) Prion protein (PrP) with amino-proximal deletions restoring susceptibility of PrP knockout mice to scrapie. Embo J, 15, 1255-1264) and in ScN 2 a cells (Rogers, M., Yehiely, F., Scott, M. and Prusiner, S. B. (1993) Conversion of truncated and elongated prion proteins into the scrapie isoform in cultured cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 90, 3182-3186), indicating that the octapeptide region is not required for prion propagation, although incubation times in transgenic mice are longer than in wild-type mice (Flechsig, E., Shmerling, D., Hegyi, I., Raeber, A. J., Fischer, M., Cozzio, A., von Mering, C., Aguzzi, A. and Weissmann, C. (2000) Prion protein devoid of the octapeptide repeat region restores susceptibility to scrapie in PrP knockout mice. Neuron, 27, 399-408). These finding are reflected by our observation (Table 1) that at 37° C. the reaction rate constant of intact human PrP is only slightly higher than the rate constants of N-terminally truncated human prion proteins that lack the octapeptide repeats.
Materials and Methods
[0078] 1. Buffers and Solutions
[0079] CB=conversion buffer
[0080] (25 mM DHPC, 23.75 mM DMPC, 1.25 mM DMPS, 50 mM sodium acetate pH 5.0, 100 mM sodium fluoride);
[0081] NaAc=sodium acetate buffer
[0082] (50 mM sodium acetate pH 5.0);
[0083] TNO=Tris-HCl/octylglucoside buffer (25 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.5, 150 mM NaAc, 10/% (w/v) Octylglucoside);
[0084] TNSucO=TNO containing 0.32 M sucrose.
[0085] 2. Purification of Prion Protein
[0086] Recombinant prion proteins were expressed and purified as described previously (Zahn, R., Liu, A., Luhrs, T., Riek, R., von Schroetter, C., Lopez Garcia, F., Billeter, M., Calzolai, L., Wider, G. and Wüthrich, K. (2000) NMR solution structure of the human prion protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 97, 145-150; Zahn, R., von Schroetter, C. and Wüthrich, K. (1997) Human prion proteins expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by high-affinity column refolding. FEBS Lett, 417, 400-404), and their identities was confirmed by DNA sequencing, N-terminal amino acid sequencing and MALDI-TOF mass-spectrometry.
[0087] 3. CD Spectroscopy
[0088] Measurements were performed using a 0.2 mm quartz cuvette on a Jasco J-815 spectropolarimeter equipped with a PFD-350S temperature control unit. CD spectra were measured with 50 μM PrP in CB containing no sodium fluoride. Typically 10 scans with data intervals of 0.5 nm and a response time of 1 second were accumulated at a speed of 10 nm/min. Kinetic measurements were performed by rapid heating of 45-180 μM PrP in CB, and tracing the change in ellipticity at a wavelength of 226 nm. The data interval and the response time were 1 second, and a bandwidth of 4 nm was used. As a baseline for unconverted PrP, kinetics was acquired at 37° C. The temperature dependence of conversion was measured in a temperature range of 55-65° C. using 100 μM PrP in CB.
[0089] 4. Data Analysis
[0090] Kinetic data were analyzed assuming an oligomerization of the type n·PrP→PrP n , where n denotes the number of PrP monomers per cooperative unit. Formally, this reaction is described by the equation
dc/dt=−k·c n [1]
[0091] where c, t, and k denote the PrP concentration, the time, and the reaction rate constant, respectively. The general solution of equation 1 is:
c ( t )={ c 0 (1-n) −( n− 1)· k·t} 1/(1-n) [2].
[0092] At t=0, the protein concentration is equal to the initial concentration, c 0 , and the initial reaction rate, v 0 , can be written as
v 0 =k·c 0 n [3]
or
log( v 0 )= n· log( c 0 )+log( k ) [4].
[0093] Rate constants were obtained by fitting the kinetic data to equation 2 with n=2 and using k as the fitting parameter. The activation barrier associated with a rate-limiting step is described by the Eyring equation:
k ( T )= k b T/h· exp(Δ S ≠ /R )·exp(− H ≠ /RT ) [5],
[0094] where k b , h, ΔS ≠ , and ΔH ≠ denote the Boltzmann constant, the Planck constant, the activation entropy, and the activation enthalpy, respectively. ΔS ≠ and ΔH ≠ were then obtained by fitting eq. 5 to experimental values of k(T). From these values the free energy of activation was calculated as
Δ G ≠ =ΔH ≠ −ΔT·ΔS ≠ [6].
[0095] 4. Preparation of PrP Amyloid Fibrils
[0096] Recombinant murine PrP (50-250 μM) in CB was heated for 15 minutes to 65° C. and allowed to cool to room temperature (RT) for 15 minutes, yielding PrP β . Subsequently, aggregation was induced by addition of nine volumes NaAc, yielding PrP βf . After 60 minutes aggregated material was collected by centrifugation at 20,000 g for 15 minutes.
[0097] 5. Proteinase K Digestion
[0098] Protease resistance of recombinant PrP(23-230) was determined at a protein concentration of 100 μM in the presence of 0 to 50 μg/ml proteinase K at 37° C. in buffer solution containing 50 mM sodium phosphate pH 7.0 and 150 mM sodium chloride. After 60 minutes protein was collected for sodium dodecylphosphate gel electrophoresis.
[0099] 6. Electron Microscopy
[0100] Freshly carbon coated EM grids (400 MESH) were layered on top of one drop of PrP βf suspended either in TNO or TNSucO. After incubation for one minute at RT, excess liquid was carefully removed from the grid using a filter paper, before washing with three drops of distilled water. The amyloid fibril containing EM grid was stained for one minute with one drop of 2% (w/v) uranylacetate, and was analyzed on a Philips H600 electron microscope at 100 kV with magnifications between 10,000× and 30,000×. | The invention relates to an in vitro method for inducing a conformational transition in proteins, whereas said conformational transition results in an increased content of β-sheet secondary structure, the method comprising the steps of:
a) providing a conversion buffer; b) adding a solution of lamellar lipid structures that comprise negatively charged lipids to the conversion buffer; c) adding protein molecules to the conversion buffer; d) forming a sample mixture from the conversion buffer, the added lipids and protein molecules; e) establishing a conversion temperature in the sample mixture; and f) exposing the sample mixture of step d) to the conversion temperature according to step e) for a time sufficient to form conformationally transitioned proteins. By this method water soluble complexes of lamellar lipidic structures and conformationally transitioned proteins are formed, the conformationally transitioned proteins being oligomeric β-sheet intermediate structures. Amyloidogenic aggregates may be produced of the water soluble complexes of lamellar lipidic structures and oligomeric β-sheet intermediate structures by actively destroying the lamellar lipid structures. Such proteins may be involved in neurodegenerative diseases like Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE), Alzheimers disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinsons disease. The disclosure comprises the use of the proteins produced by the method, e.g., for exploiting the various aspects of the PrP C to PrP Sc conversion; for the development of new diagnostic TSE-tests and potential therapeutics or prophylactics against TSE such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in human. | 2 |
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/234,515, filed Sep. 20, 2000, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/287,070, filed Apr. 27, 2001. Each application is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a spooling device and, in particular, to a spooling device for an optical fiber jumper cable that allows for connection between fiber optic cables and test equipment for performing diagnostic testing, or for connection between fiber optic cables and transmitting or receiving equipment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Fiber optic cables are widely used in telecommunication systems to carry optical signals. These fiber cables can be miles in length. Cable performance and troubleshooting can be routinely achieved by conducting various tests on the fiber cable. These tests are ordinarily performed at the location of fiber termination.
Fiber cable testing and diagnostic procedures typically require connecting the optical cable to be tested to various diagnostic and/or test equipment. Each optical fiber strand in a cable is terminated with a connector. There are several different types of connectors with variations of each type. Often the connectors differ from installation to installation and furthermore from the test equipment to the terminated cable. Oftentimes the cables to be tested are numerous and also in close proximity. Fiber optic cable testing often requires that the cable to be tested be connected to the diagnostic equipment by an optical fiber jumper cable (or jumper). Because it is often necessary to test a great number of fiber cables that may be located close to one another, and because optical fiber jumper cables tend to become tangled, cable testing can become a complicated and messy task: Furthermore, a tangled mass of optical fiber jumpers can lead to damage to the jumpers themselves, thereby increasing the possibility of erroneous test results and further increasing testing time and associated costs.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a method for testing fiber optic cables that minimizes and/or eliminates the disadvantages noted above. A need also exists for a device that allows for the ready connection of a terminated fiber strand to a piece of test equipment without the complications associated with the use of loose jumper cables. The present invention seeks to fulfill these needs and provides further related advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a device for storing and dispensing an optical fiber jumper cable. The device is a spooling device that can store and readily deploy the jumper without the exposure of excess jumper cordage and without jumper tangling. The device safely stores, dispenses, and retracts the optical fiber jumper. The spooling device includes a housing for the jumper cable; a spool about which the jumper cable is wound; a cover for maintaining the spool within the housing; and a lid for enclosing the housing and jumper cable.
In operation, a fixed length of the jumper can be unwound from the spool such that the fiber connector at one end of the jumper exits the spooling device from an access port in the device's housing. A fixed length of jumper that includes the other end of the jumper with its associated connector is then removed from the spool's center through the cover and laid in the opening between the cover and lid and then the device's lid is closed. The jumper's connectors are then mated to the test equipment and the optical fibers to be tested while safely enclosing the remainder of the jumper cable within the device.
In addition to readily connecting a fiber cable to be tested to testing equipment, the device of the invention is effective in organizing, protecting, and securing an optical fiber jumper cable for testing or cross-connecting in a patch panel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a representative spooling device of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view of a representative housing of a spooling device of the present invention:
FIGS. 3A and 3B are top and bottom three-dimensional views, respectively, of a representative hub of a spooling device of the present invention;
FIGS. 4A and 4B are three-dimensional views of outer and inner cover portions, respectively, of a representative spooling device of the present invention;
FIGS. 5A and 5B are three-dimensional views of inner and outer bottom portions, respectively, of a representative spooling device of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is an illustration of the use of several representative devices of the invention connecting test equipment with optical fiber cables in fiber termination cabinets positioned at two locations along the route of a lengthy fiber cable;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a representative device of the present invention illustrating the device in a storage mode;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a representative device of the present invention illustrating one end of the optical fiber jumper cable dispensed for connection to either a piece of test equipment or to a fiber cable to be tested;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a representative device of the present invention illustrating the desired amount of jumper cable cordage dispensed from the device; and
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a representative device of the present invention illustrating both ends of the optical fiber jumper cable dispensed from the device and ready for connection.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention provides a spooling device for an optical fiber jumper. The device of the invention is a dispensing and storage device for an optical fiber jumper in which the jumper cable can be readily deployed without the jumper becoming entangled. The device serves to protect and secure an optical fiber jumper cable for testing and/or cross-connecting with a patch panel. The device safely stores, and readily dispenses and retracts an optical fiber jumper cable. Multiple devices can be used to test many fiber cables in an organized manner.
Referring to FIG. 1, representative device 10 includes housing 20 and hub 40 . Housing 20 includes bottom portion 2 , body portion 6 , and cover portion 8 . In one embodiment, housing 20 is a single, molded plastic component in which bottom portion 2 is flexibly attached to body portion 6 through living hinge 5 , and cover portion 8 is flexibly attached to body portion 6 through living hinge 7 . Hub 40 rests in housing 20 secured by shelf 60 and bottom portion 2 , and receives an optical fiber jumper cable. Shelf 60 secures hub 40 in housing 20 when cover portion 8 is open for accessing the cable. Foam pad 414 can be placed on a cable coiled inside the hub to prevent unwanted movement of the cable when winding or unwinding the cable.
A representative housing is illustrated in FIG. 2 . Referring to FIG. 2, Housing 20 includes bottom portion 2 , body portion 6 , and cover portion 8 . Housing 20 includes shelf 60 that includes aperture 62 . Aperture 62 provide access to hub 40 to wind and unwind the cable into and out of the device. One end of the cable exits the device through aperture 62 (see FIG. 9 ). In one embodiment, body portion 6 includes nesting indents and bottom portion 6 includes nesting feet for securely stacking multiple devices. Nesting indents 64 and nesting feet 26 are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In one embodiment, the body portion includes tie down apertures 66 for tying down the device. In one embodiment, the body further includes ridges to assist in gripping the device. Ridges 68 are illustrated in FIG. 2 . Bottom portion 2 can be secured to body portion 6 through clips 210 on bottom portion 2 that insert into clip slots 610 on body portion 6 when housing 20 is closed. Clips 210 are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, and clip slots 610 are illustrated in FIG. 2. A closed housing is illustrated in FIG. 7 .
As illustrated in FIG. 1, bottom portion 2 and cover portion 8 are flexibly attached to body portion 6 through living hinges 5 and 7 , respectively. Bottom portion 2 is flexibly attached to body portion 6 along lower forward edge 50 of body portion 6 , and cover portion 8 is flexibly attached to body portion 6 along upper rearward edge 70 of body portion 6 . To secure bottom portion 2 to body portion 6 , bottom portion 2 is folded rearwardly, and to close cover portion 8 on body portion 6 , cover portion 8 is folded forwardly, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1 .
A representative hub of the device is illustrated in FIGS. 3A (top view) and 3 B (bottom view). Referring to FIG. 3A, hub 40 includes tab 402 having aperture 404 . Aperture 404 allows an operator's finger to rotate the hub to wind and unwind cable. Hub 4 also includes aperture 406 in the wall of the hub and aperture 408 in the floor of the hub. Aperture 406 allows one end of a cable to exit the hub. Aperture 408 receives axle peg 22 on bottom portion 2 (see FIG. 5 A). When the bottom portion of the housing is closed and the hub secured within the housing, the hub can be rotated about the axle peg. Hub 40 can include retaining clip 410 located adjacent aperture 406 for securing a cable inside the hub with a fixed length dispensed from the hub. Cable can be introduced into the hub through wide access opening 412 . Foam pad 414 (see FIG. 1) can be placed on a cable coiled inside the hub to prevent unwanted movement of the cable when winding or unwinding the cable.
A representative cover portion is illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B. FIG. 4A illustrates the outer surface of the cover portion and FIG. 4B illustrates the inner surface of the cover portion. When closed, the cover portion protects that portion of the cable within the device. As noted above, the cover portion can be flexibly attached to the body portion through a living hinge. When the cover portion is opened, the cable can be accessed. As illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B, cover portion 8 includes major surface 82 and edge surface 84 having a length less than the length of surface 82 thereby defining notches 86 . Notches 86 allow each end of the cable to exit the device when the cover portion is closed (see FIG. 10) and the cable is deployed for use. With respect to body portion 6 , cover portion major surface 82 extends generally forwardly from living hinge 7 . Cover portion edge surface 84 extends downwardly (with respect to body portion 6 ) from major surface 82 .
A representative bottom portion is illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B. FIG. 5A illustrates the inner surface of the bottom portion and FIG. 5B illustrates the outer surface of the bottom portion. As noted above, the cover portion can be flexibly attached to the body portion through a living hinge. When the bottom portion is closed, the hub is secured within the housing. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, bottom portion 2 includes axle peg 22 and lower tie down holes 24 . As illustrated in FIG. 5B, bottom portion 2 includes clips 210 for securing the bottom portion to the body portion, and nesting feet 26 . The outer surface of bottom portion 2 can include panel area 28 , shown as a circle in the illustrated embodiment, for attaching labels or other indicia on the device.
A representative use of a plurality of devices of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 6 . Referring to FIG. 6, devices 10 are illustrated connecting optical fiber cables from fiber termination cabinets to test equipment at location A and location B. In this example, the fiber termination cabinets are connected by a lengthy (e.g., 5-mile) fiber cable.
In operation, a user can determine a fixed length of cordage of the optical fiber jumper cable and secure the cordage on the device's spool using retaining clip 410 . The fixed length of jumper cable is then coiled into the center of the spool. The spool can then be rotated to wind the remaining length of cordage around the spool.
The spooling device can be labeled as to its contents, for example, connector types, fiber type, fiber length, purchase date, serial number, and other pertinent information to assist the user in selecting the appropriate optical fiber jumper cable stored in the device.
A perspective view of a representative device of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 7 . Referring to FIG. 7, device 10 encloses a jumper cable. The cable can be extended through notches 86 when the device is in use.
To dispense a portion of the optical fiber jumper, the device's cover portion is opened. Hub 40 is then rotated to unwind the jumper cable so that the jumper exits the device. In this manner, the jumper cable's fiber connector becomes available for connection. The length of jumper cable dispensed is controlled by rotating the hub. It is preferable that the user does not pull or otherwise stress the jumper cable. Referring to FIG. 8, jumper cable 20 can be manually dispensed from representative device 10 by placing a finger in aperture 404 and rotating the spool (as indicated by arrow) to dispense the jumper cable.
Once the desired length of jumper cable is dispensed, the other end of the jumper cable with associated connector is removed from the device through apertures 412 and 62 as illustrated in FIG. 9 . Once both ends of the jumper are dispensed from the device, cover portion 8 can be closed as illustrated in FIG. 10 . In this way the jumper cable is now ready for connection and use.
The device of the invention can be assembled by placing hub 40 in housing 20 , folding bottom portion 2 toward body portion 6 , and inserting axle peg 22 into the axle peg receptacle, aperture 408 . Bottom portion 2 is folded until clips 210 are secured by clip slots 610 . The device can now be closed by folding cover portion 8 toward body portion 6 , or a cable can be installed.
To install the cable, first determine the fixed length of cable to be dispensed from the device. Open cover portion 8 and rotate hub 40 until aperture 406 faces forwardly with respect to the device. Insert one end of the cable through aperture 406 place the cable in the hub securing the cable with retaining clip 410 at the point that has been determined to be the fixed length. Coil the fixed length into the center of the hub and insert pad 414 to prevent the cable from unwanted movement during winding and unwinding. Rotate the hub using aperture 404 to retract the remainder of the cable into the device and close cover portion 8 . The device is then ready for use.
To use deploy cable from the device, open cover portion 8 and rotate the hub using aperture 404 to begin deploying the cable. Cable deployment can be assisted by gently pulling on the cable as it is deployed. Deploy the length of cable required for use. Remove the fixed length of cable from the center of the hub and close the cover portion making sure that each end of the deployed cable exits the device through notches 86 . The cable ends from the deployed cable can now be attached as necessary while the remainder of the cable resides safely in the device.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. | A spooling device for storing and dispensing a cable. The device can store and deploy an optical jumper cable without exposure of excess cable cordage and without tangling. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).
Such microelectromechanical systems can be formed by etching in blocks or wafers made of semiconductor material, generally silicon.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The document FR 2 852 111 (published on 10 Sep. 2004) describes a clock-making device comprising a toothed wheel, a driving element for meshing sequentially with the toothed wheel and an actuator adapted to move the driving element according to hysteresis movement such that the driving element meshes with successive teeth of the wheel. In such a device, all the elements (toothed wheel, driving element, and actuator) are formed by microetching in the same block made of semiconductor material. The precision of the relative positioning of the elements is determined by the precision with which the block is etched.
It is preferred to connect a driving device formed by microetching in a wafer and a driven element made by means of any alternating or alternative technology (clock-making, micro-molding, machining by electroerosion or other technology).
This hybrid approach would use a standard driving device and link it to a driven element adapted to a particular application, for example an entry wheel for a reduction mechanism for a watch or clock, a cogged discoid rotor of a step-by-step rotary micromotor, or a rack of a linear engine.
This would also simultaneously create a large number of drive devices in the same block of semiconductor material (wafer).
However, when the driving device and the driven element are being connected, the relative positioning of the driving device and of the driven element is delicate. In fact, the uncertainty of positioning due for example to the manufacturing precision of the driven element and the mechanical clearances can in certain cases be greater than the amplitude of mechanical oscillations of the movement of the driving element. The result is that the driving element does not mesh with the element to be driven and the device does not function.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a device allowing the driving of the element to be driven, in spite of the positioning uncertainties relative of the driven element vis-à-vis the driving device.
This object is attained by the present invention by a device comprising an element to be driven, a driving element to be engaged with the element to be driven and an actuating element adapted to move the driving element so that it drives the element to be driven according to a step-by-step movement, the driving element and the actuating element being formed by etching in a wafer made of semiconductor material, characterized in that it comprises elastic prestressing device or means for maintaining the driving element in contact with the element to be driven.
The elastic device or means keep the driving element in contact with the element to be driven and thus compensate for defects in positioning of the wafer relative to the element to be driven.
The device of the invention can also have the following characteristics:
the elastic device or means extend between the actuating element and the driving element,
the elastic device or means comprise a flexible blade connecting the driving element to the actuating element,
the device comprises a support on which the wafer and the element to be driven are arranged,
the device comprises positioning pins fixed on the support allowing positioning of the wafer on the support,
the wafer is arranged in support on positioning pins,
the wafer has at least one notch formed on an edge of the wafer, the notch being able to receive a positioning pin for positioning the wafer on the support,
the actuating element comprises a first actuating module adapted to move the driving element according to a first direction to drive the element to be driven and a second actuating module adapted to move the driving element in a second direction to move the driving element away from the element to be driven, the actuating modules being able to be controlled simultaneously to generate a combine hysteresis movement of the driving element.
the second actuating module comprises an electrode and a flexible rod, the electrode being able to be controlled to deform the flexible rod so as to shift the driving element in a second direction to move the driving element away from the element to be driven,
the electrode has a convex lateral surface, preferably parabolic, extending opposite a portion of the flexible blade,
the second actuating module comprises a series of stops arranged along a lateral surface of the electrode, the stops being able to prevent contact between the blade and the electrode.
The invention also proposes a process for installing a device comprising or consisting of arranging on the same support:
an element to be driven,
a wafer made of semiconductor material in which are formed by etching a driving element to be engaged with the element to be driven and an actuating element adapted to move the driving element so that it drives the element to be driven according to a step-by-step movement relative to the support,
characterized in that it comprises maintaining the driving element in contact with the element to be driven by way of elastic means or an elastic device.
The process can have the following characteristics:
the device comprising positioning pins fixed on the support, the process comprises arranging the wafer in support on positioning pins,
the wafer having at least one notch formed on an edge of the wafer, the process comprises positioning a pin in the notch for positioning the wafer on the support.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other characteristics and advantages will emerge from the following description, which is purely illustrative and non-limiting and must be considered with respect to the attached figures, in which:
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates, in perspective, a device according to a first embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates, in plan view, a device according to the first embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 3 schematically illustrates, in plan view, a device according to a second embodiment of the invention, when the wafer is not yet positioned relative to the element to be driven,
FIG. 4 schematically illustrates, in plan view, a device according to the second embodiment of the invention, once the wafer has been positioned relative to the element to be driven,
FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an electrode to be utilized in the device shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In FIGS. 1 and 2 , the device, according to a first embodiment of the invention, comprises a driven element 10 , a driving device 20 and a support 30 .
The support 30 comprises a planar reception surface 31 on which are placed the element to be driven 10 and the driving device 20 .
The element to be driven 10 comprises a toothed wheel of general cylindrical shape. The toothed wheel comprises a denture composed of asymmetrical teeth 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 and a substantially cylindrical shaft 11 .
The support 30 comprises orifices 34 , 35 of a general cylindrical shape, for receiving the shaft 11 . The orifices 34 and 35 form bearings for guiding the shaft 11 in rotation.
The driving device 20 comprises a wafer 21 made of semiconductor material, such as silicon. The driving device 20 comprises an actuating element 200 , an indexing element 50 (not shown in FIG. 1 ) and a driving element 250 , formed by microetching in the wafer 21 .
The driving element 250 is in the form of a tooth having a triangular shape. The tooth extends in the vicinity of the wheel 10 with the point directed towards the wheel 10 , in a radial direction relative to the wheel. The driving element 250 is thus able to mesh with the teeth 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 of the wheel 10 .
The actuating element 200 is mainly made up of a tangential elementary actuating module 202 and an indexing module 50 .
The tangential actuating module 202 comprises an interdigitized comb structure 222 (known as a “comb drive”) and a flexible blade 212 extending in a general tangential direction relative to the wheel 10 . The driving element 250 is connected by the tangential blade 212 to the interdigitized comb structure 222 .
When the tangential actuating module 202 is controlled by an alternating addressing or control signal, the tangential actuating module 202 generates an alternative movement in a tangential direction (arrow I).
The indexing module 50 comprises a flexible blade 511 extending in a tangential direction relative to the wheel 10 and an indexing element 550 . The flexible blade 511 extends in overhang from the substrate and is flexible in a radial direction relative to the wheel 10 . The flexible blade 511 supports at its free end the indexing element 550 . The indexing element 550 is in the form of a tooth having a triangular shape. The tooth extends near the wheel 10 with the point directed towards the wheel 10 , in a radial direction relative to the wheel. The indexing element 550 is thus able to engage with the teeth 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 of the wheel 10 .
The device, according to the first embodiment of the invention, also comprises two positioning pins 32 and 33 fixed on the support 30 . The positioning pins 32 and 33 have a general cylindrical form and extend in a direction perpendicular to the receiving surface 31 of the support 30 .
The wafer 21 has two notches 22 and 23 formed on an external edge 24 of the wafer. The notches 22 and 23 are arranged on either side of the driving element 250 . The notch 22 is intended to receive the first positioning pin 32 and the notch 23 is intended to receive the second positioning pin 33 for positioning the wafer 21 on the support 30 . The positioning pins 32 and 33 define a single position of the wafer 21 on the receiving surface 31 of the support 30 .
The first notch 22 has a general V shape. The notch 22 has two support faces forming between them an angle of 120°. Each support face of the first notch 22 is intended to be supported on the cylindrical surface of the pin 32 .
The second notch 23 has a single support face, parallel to the edge 24 of the wafer 21 , intended to be supported on the cylindrical surface of the pin 33 .
The positioning pins 32 and 33 cooperate with the notches 22 and 23 to define a position of the wafer 20 on the receiving surface 31 of the support 30 . The positioning pins 32 and 33 thus form reference pins having the function to wedge the driving device parallel to the receiving surface 31 .
Installing the device comprises the following steps.
According to a first installation step, the wheel 10 is mounted to rotate on the support 30 . To this end, the shaft 11 is mounted on the bearings 34 and 35 such that the wheel 10 solid with the shaft 11 is free to revolve about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the receiving surface 31 .
According to a second installation step, the wafer 21 is placed in support on the first and second pins 32 and 33 .
The pins 32 and 33 are arranged on the support 30 such that the driving element 250 comes into contact with the wheel 10 .
The driving element 250 is kept in contact with the wheel 10 by means of the tangential blade 212 . The blade 212 extends in overhang from the interdigitized comb structure 222 and is flexible in a radial direction relative to the wheel 10 . Due to the elasticity of the blade 212 , the driving element 250 is biased toward and held meshed with the wheel 10 .
The flexible blade 212 absorbs the positioning defects of the wafer 21 relative to the element to be driven 10 .
In particular, as is evident in FIG. 1 , the wheel 10 is mounted on a shaft 11 guided by the bearings 34 , 35 . The position of the wheel relative to the support 30 is subject to uncertainties associated with the machining tolerances of all the pieces of the device, especially:
the geometric defects of the wheel 10 and of the shaft 11 (e.g., defects in cylindricity and concentricity of the wheel, defects in rectitude of the shaft 11 ),
positioning defects of the bores receiving the guide bearings 34 , 35 of the shaft 11 ,
mechanical installation clearances of the wheel 10 on the shaft 11 and guide clearances between the bearings 34 , 35 and the shaft 11 .
Also, the uncertainties in positioning of the wafer 21 relative to the wheel 10 also result from positioning defects of the positioning pins 32 and 33 on the support 30 .
The device functions as follows.
The tangential actuating module 202 is controlled by an alternating addressing or control signal.
During a first alternation of the movement generated by the tangential actuating module 202 , the driving element 250 meshes with the wheel 10 and drags the wheel 10 . The indexing element 550 crosses a tooth of the wheel 10 .
During a second alternation in the opposite direction generated by the tangential actuating module 202 , the indexing element 550 blocks the wheel 10 and the driving element 250 slips on the wheel 10 .
The wheel 10 is thus driven according to a step-by-step rotation movement (arrow III) by the driving element 250 . The indexing element 50 forms an anti-return mechanism which prevents rotation of the wheel 10 in the inverse direction.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show a device according to a second embodiment of the invention. The installation is identical to the installation of the first embodiment, except that the actuating element 200 comprises an actuating module radial 203 .
The device comprises a driven element 10 , a driving device 20 and a support 30 .
The element to be driven 10 comprises a wheel, optionally toothed.
The driving device 20 comprises a wafer 21 made of semiconductor material, such as silicon. The driving device 20 comprises an actuating element 200 and a driving element 250 formed by microetching in the wafer 21 .
In this second embodiment, the actuating element 200 is mainly composed of a tangential elementary actuating module 202 and an elementary radial actuating module 203 .
In a variant (not shown), it is also feasible to form an indexing element in the wafer 21 .
The tangential actuating module 202 comprises an interdigitized comb structure 222 and a flexible blade 212 extending in a general tangential direction relative to the wheel 10 . The driving element 250 is connected by the tangential blade 212 to the interdigitized comb structure 222 .
When the tangential actuating module 202 is controlled by an alternating addressing or control signal, the tangential actuating module 202 generates an alternative movement in a tangential direction (arrow I).
The actuating module radial 203 comprises an electrode 223 , a flexible blade 210 and stops 243 .
The flexible blade 210 has a general L shape and comprises a first branch 213 and a second branch 214 .
The first branch 213 extends in a tangential direction relative to the wheel 10 . The first branch 213 extends in overhang from the substrate and is flexible in a radial direction relative to the wheel 10 .
The second branch 214 extends in a general radial direction relative to the wheel and connects the free end of the first branch 213 to the driving element 250 .
The electrode 223 is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 5 . The electrode 223 has a lateral surface 233 of general convex shape, preferably parabolic. The stops 243 are arranged at regular intervals along the lateral surface 233 . The stops 243 are formed by pins etched in the wafer 21 . The pins are electrically insulated from the electrode 223 .
When voltage is applied to the electrode 223 , this voltage creates a difference in potential between the electrode 223 and the blade 210 . An electric field is established between the electrode 223 and the blade 210 . This electric field generates an electrostatic force which tends to unite the branch 213 of the surface 233 of the electrode 223 . This electrostatic force causes deformation of the branch 213 and consequently translation of the driving tooth 250 in a radial direction relative to the wheel 10 .
The stops 243 limit the amplitude of the movement of the blade 210 for maintaining the blade 210 at a distance from the electrode 223 and prevent the first branch 213 from coming into contact with the lateral surface 233 of the electrode 223 . In fact, contact by the blade 210 and the electrode 223 fed by different voltages would cause a short-circuit likely to cause the device to breakdown.
The convex form of the surface 233 of the electrode controls the movement of the rod 210 , irrespective of the initial deformation of the branch 213 due to positioning of the driving tooth 250 relative to the wheel 10 .
The branch 213 of the blade 210 thus compensates for uncertainties in positioning of the wafer relative to the wheel 10 .
When the tangential actuating module 202 is controlled by an alternating addressing or control signal, the tangential actuating module 202 generates an alternative movement in a tangential direction (arrow I) relative to the wheel 10 .
When the electrode 223 of the actuating module radial 203 is controlled by an alternating addressing or control signal, the radial actuating module 203 generates an alternating movement in a radial direction (arrow II) relative to the wheel 10 .
The device functions as follows.
The tangential actuating module 202 and the radial actuating module 203 are controlled by alternating addressing or control signals. The addressing signals are dephased such that the driving element 250 is displaced according to a hysteresis movement. The hysteresis movement of the driving tooth 250 alternates the driving (arrow I) and actuating (arrow II) phases. The driving element 250 meshes with the successive teeth of the wheel 10 and drives the latter according to a step-by-step rotation movement.
It is evident that the lateral flexibility of each of the blades 212 and 210 permits deformation of the latter under the action of the other blade. The two flexible radial and tangential 212 and 214 blades ensure mechanical decoupling of the modules 202 and 203 . In fact, the flexibility of the blades allows displacement of the driving element 250 independently according to at least two elementary degrees of freedom, specifically: in the two directions of radial and tangential translation. | The invention concerns an element to be driven, a driving element designed to be urged into engagement with the element to be driven and an actuating element adapted to move the driving element so that it drives the element to be driven in step-by-step displacement, the driving element and the actuating element being formed by etching in a semiconductor material wafer. The invention is characterized in that it comprises elastic prestressing means for maintaining the driving element in contact with the element to be driven. | 7 |
This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 08/275,097, filed Jul. 14, 1994, now abandoned, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/673,929, filed Mar. 25, 1991, now abandoned which is a division of Ser. No., 07/481,846, filed Feb. 20, 1990 now abandoned.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is concerned with novel glycine derivatives, a process for their manufacture, pharmaceutical preparations which contain such glycine derivatives as well as the use of the glycine derivatives in the manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The novel glycine derivatives are compounds of the formula
R--CONH--CH.sub.2 --CONH--CH(R')--CH.sub.2 COOH I
wherein R is a group of the formula ##STR1## and R a is hydrogen, --COO--C 1-4 -alkyl, Z, --COC 6 H 5 , --COC 6 H 4 N 3 , --SO 2 C 6 H 5 , --SO 2 -naphthyl or --COCH 2 N(Y)--CH 2 CH 2 NH--Y,
Y is hydrogen, Boc or Z,
R b is a group of the formula --C(NH)(CH 2 ) 0-3 --CH 3 or ##STR2## or, where R a is a group of the formula --COC 6 H 4 N 3 , --SO 2 C 6 H 5 , SO 2 -naphthyl or --COCH 2 N(Y)--CH 2 CH 2 NH--Y, R b is also amidino,
R c is hydrogen or amidino,
n is the number 1 or 0,
L is amino or, where n is the number 1, L is also --(CH 2 ) 0-3 CH 3 ,
T is a group of the formula --CH 2 --(O) 1 or O --,
--CH═CH--, --CH(R d )--CH 2 -- or --CH 2 CO--, whereby a carbonyl group present in the group T can also be present as a ketal,
R d is hydrogen or --NH--R a ,
R' is hydrogen or --CO--R o ,
R o is amino, --NH--C 1-4 -alkyl, --NH(CH 2 ) 1-4 --C 6 H 5 ,
--NH(CH 2 ) 1-4 --C 6 H 4 -Hal, --NH--C 6 H 4 --COOH, --NH--C 6 H 4 --COO--C 1-4 -alkyl or an α-amino-carboxylic acid attached via the amino group,
as well as hydrates or solvates and physiologically usable salts thereof. The glycine derivatives of the present invention inhibit the binding of adhesive proteins to blood platelets as well as blood platelet aggregation and cell-cell adhesion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the scope of the present invention Me denotes methyl, Bzl denotes benzyl, tBu denotes t-butyl, Hal denotes one of the 4 halogens, Boc denotes t-butoxy-carbonyl, Z denotes benzyloxycarbonyl, Ac denotes acetyl, Su denotes succinimide, Fmoc denotes 9H-fluoren-9yl-methoxycarbonyl, Arg denotes L-arginyl, Orn denotes L-ornithyl, Val denotes L-valyl, Phe denotes L-phenyl-alanyl, Leu denotes L-leucyl, Ile denotes L-isoleucyl, Lys denotes lysyl, Ser denotes L-seryl, Thr denotes L-threonyl, Gly denotes glycyl, Ala denotes L-alanyl, Asp denotes L-α-aspartyl, Aeg denotes N-(2-aminoethyl)-glycyl and Nal(1) denotes 3-(1-naphthyl)-L-alanyl.
Examples of α-aminocarboxylic acids attached via the amino group are Val, Phe, Leu, Ile, Ser, Thr, Nal(1), N-isopropyl-Gly, β-cyclohexyl-Ala and cycloleucine.
The compounds of formula I can be solvated, especially hydrated. The hydration can be effected in the course of the manufacturing process or can occur gradually as a consequence of hygroscopic properties of an initially anhydrous compound of formula I.
Examples of physiologically usable salts of the compounds of formula I are salts with physiologically compatible mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid or phosphoric acid or with organic acids such as methanesulphonic acid, acetic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, succinic acid or salicylic acid. The compounds of formula I can also form salts with physiologically compatible bases. Examples of such salts are alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium and alkylammonium salts such as the Na, K, Ca or trimethylammonium salt. Compounds of formula I which contain an amino, amidino or guanidino group can also be present in the form of zwitterions.
The compounds of formula I which contain one or more asymmetric C atoms can be present as enantiomers, as diastereomers or as mixtures thereof, e.g. as racemates.
Preferred compounds of formula I are those in which R--CO-- represents the group Aeg-Arg-, Z-Aeg(Z)-Arg-, 2-naphthyl-SO 2 -Arg-, o-azidobenzoyl-Arg-, N 2 -Boc-N 6 -(1-iminoethyl)-Lys-, N 2 -Boc-N 5 -(3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-3a,7a-dihydroxy-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-Orn-, p-(aminomethyl)hydrocinnamoyl, p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl, 3-(p-amidinophenyl or p-guanidinophenyl)-alanyl, N--Z-- or N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)alanyl, N-Boc-3-(p-guanidinophenyl)alanyl, p-amidinophenoxyacetyl or p-amidinophenacetyl.
Further, the compounds of formula I in which R' is hydrogen, --CO-Val-OH, --CO-Ser-OH, --CO-Phe-OH, 1-carboxy-2-(1-naphthyl)ethylidenecarbamoyl, --CO-Ile-OH, carboxyphenylcarbamoyl, isobutylcarbamoyl or p-fluorophenethylcarbamoyl are preferred.
The following compounds are especially preferred:
[3-(p-Amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH,
Z-Aeg(Z)-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-OH,
Aeg-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-OH,
Aeg Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-OH,
N-Aeg-Arg-Gly-Asp-Nal(1)-OH,
Aeg-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ile-OH,
[N 2 -Boc-N 6 -(1-iminoethyl)-L-lysyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH,
N-[(o-azidobenzoyl)-Arg-Gly-Asp]-anthranilic acid,
N 2 -Boc-N 5 -(3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-3a,7a-dihydroxy-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-L-ornithyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH,
[N-Boc-3-(p-guanidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH,
[3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Nal(1)-OH,
[N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH,
(p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp-Nal(1)-OH,
[3-(p-amidinophenyl)-D-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH,
(p-aminomethylhydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp-Val-OH,
(p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp-Val-OH,
[3-(p-amidinophenyl)-L-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH,
(p-amidinophenoxy)acetyl-Gly-Asp-Val-OH and
(p-amidinophenyl)acetyl-Gly-Asp-Val-OH.
The compounds of the present invention can be manufactured in a manner known per se by:
a) cleaving off the ester group(s) present and one or more protected amino, amidino or guanidino groups present from a compound of the formula
R.sup.2 --CONH--CH.sub.2 --CONH--CH(R.sup.4)--CH.sub.2 COORII
wherein R 2 is a group of the formula ##STR3## in which R 5 is a protected guanidino group or a group --NH--R b ,
R 6 is a protected amino or guanidino group or a group --NH--R c ,
R 7 is optionally protected amidino or guanidino,
R 3 is hydrogen or a readily cleavable ester group,
R 4 has the same significance as R' or is a group --COR 8 in which R 8 is a readily cleavable α-aminocarboxylic acid ester attached via the amino group,
with the proviso that R 2 must contain at least one protected guanidino, amino or amidino group R 5 , R 6 or R 7 and must not be a group of the formula R-4 where R 3 is hydrogen and R 4 has the same significance as R',
and R a , R b , R c , R' and T have the above significance,
or
b) reacting an amine of the formula ##STR4## with an agent which introduces the group --COC 6 H 5 , --SO 2 C 6 5 , --SO 2 -naphthyl or --COCH 2 N(Y)--CH 2 CH 2 NH--Y, wherein R' and Y have the above significance, or
c) reacting an amine of the formula ##STR5## wherein R 9 is --COO--C 1-4 -alkyl, Z, --COC 6 H 5 ,
--COC 6 H 4 N 3 , --SO 2 C 6 H 5 , --SO 2 -naphthyl or --COCH 2 N(Y')--CH 2 CH 2 NH--Y , in which Y' represents
Boc or Z and R' has the above significance, with an agent which introduces the group --C(NH)(CH 2 ) 0-3 --CH 3 , or
d) reacting a guanidine derivative of the formula ##STR6## wherein R' and R 9 have the above significance, with 1,2-cyclohexanedione, or
e) converting the amino group in an amine of formula IV or an amine of the formula ##STR7## wherein L is a group --CH 2 (O) 1 or O --, --CH═CH-- or --CH(NH--R 9 )--CH 2 -- and R' and R' have the above significance,
into a guanidino group, or
f) hydrogenating a nitrile of the formula
N.tbd.C--C.sub.6 H.sub.4 --(T).sub.1 or O --CONH--CH.sub.2 --CONH--CH(R')--CH.sub.2 COOH VII
to the amine,
g) if desired, functionally modifying a reactive substituent present in the group R of a compound of formula I, and
h) if desired, converting a compound of formula I into a salt or converting a salt of a compound of formula I into the free compound of formula I.
Examples of protected amino, amidino and guanidino groups are --NH--Z and --NH-Boc, --C(NH)NH--Z; --NHC(NH)NH--NO 2 , --NHC(N-Boc)--NH-Boc and --NHC(N--Z)--NH--Z. Examples of readily cleavable ester groups COOR 3 are methoxycarbonyl, t-butoxycarbonyl and benzyloxycarbonyl. Examples of a residue R 8 are -Val-OtBu, -Val-OBzl and -Ser(tBu)-OtBu.
The cleavages according to process variant a) can be carried out in a manner known per se. Thus, ester groups such as t-butoxycarbonyl can be cleaved off with an acid such as formic acid, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) or hydrochloric acid in a solvent such as methylene chloride, tetrahydro- furan (THF) or ethyl acetate at a temperature up to about 40° C., preferably between about 0° C. and room temperature. Amino, guanidino or amidino protecting groups such as Boc which are present in the substituent R 2 are thereby simultaneously cleaved off. In this manner compounds of formula II which are obtained by solid-phase synthesis can also be removed from the carrier, e.g. a styrene-1% divinylbenzene resin containing p-benzyloxybenzyl alcohol residues.
Ester groups such as methoxycarbonyl can be saponified with a base such as an alkali metal hydroxide, e.g. sodium hydroxide, in a solvent such as acetone at a temperature up to about 40° C., preferably at room temperature. Benzyl esters can be cleaved by hydrogenation in the presence of a noble metal catalyst such as palladium-on-carbon (Pd/C) in a solvent such as methanol, ethanol, formic acid or acetic acid at a temperature up to about 40° C., preferably at room temperature. Amino or amidino protecting groups such as Z; or guanidino protecting groups such as NO 2 and Z which are present in the group R 2 are thereby simultaneously cleaved off.
Variant b) can also be carried out in a manner known per se. For the introduction of the --COC 6 H 4 N 3 group, a compound of formula III can be reacted with pyridine hydrochloride in the presence of a base such as N-ethyldiisopropylamine (DIPEA) and of 1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-2-[4-oxo-1,2,3benzotriazin-3(4H)-yl]uronium the hexafluorophosphate (HOBTU) in a solvent such as DMF. For the introduction of a --SO 2 -naphthyl group, a compound of formula III can be treated e.g. with naphthalene-2-sulphonyl chloride and a base such as NaHCO 3 in a solvent such as acetone and water. For the introduction of a --COCH 2 N(Y)--CH 2 CH 2 NH--Y group, a compound of formula III can be reacted e.g. with Z-Aeg(Z)-OSu in the presence of a base such as pyridine hydrochloride in a solvent such as DMF. These reactions are conveniently carried out at a temperature up to about 40° C., preferably at room temperature.
Examples of agents which introduce a group --C(NH)--(CH 2 ) 0-3 --CH 3 are ethers of the formula MeOC(NH)--(CH 2 ) 0-3 --CH 3 , e.g. methyl acetimidate. The reaction according to variant c) can be carried out e.g. using the hydrochloride of such an ether in the presence of a base such as sodium hydroxide in a solvent such as water at a temperature up to about 40° C., preferably at room temperature.
The reaction according to variant d) can be carried out in a sodium borate buffer under an inert atmosphere such as argon at a temperature up to about 40° C., preferably at room temperature.
Variant e) can be carried out by reacting the amine of formula VI in a solvent such as water with a base, e.g. potassium carbonate, and aminoiminomethanesulphonic acid at a temperature up to about 40° C., preferably at room temperature.
Variant f) can be carried out by hydrogenating the nitrile of formula VII in an alcoholic, e.g. a methanolic, ammonia solution in the presence of a catalyst such as Raney-nickel at a temperature up to about 40° C., preferably at room temperature.
The functional modification according to variant g) can also be carried out according to familiar methods. Thus, the protecting groups can be cleaved off from a protected group R--CO-- such as Z-Aeg(Z)-Arg or N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-D,L-alanyl, e.g. as described above in connection with variant a).
A primary amino group which is present in a substituent R can be converted into the --NH-Boc group, e.g. by means of di-t-butyl dicarbonate in a solvent such as DMF in the presence of a base such as triethylamine at a temperature up to about 40° C., preferably at room temperature.
The compounds of formula II are novel and are also an object of the invention. Their preparation can be effected starting from known compounds according to methods which are known per se and which are familiar to a person skilled in the art. Thus, amidines of formula II in which R 2 is a group --(T) 1 or O --C 6 H 4 --C(NH)NH 2 can be prepared starting from the corresponding nitriles of the formula
NC--C.sub.6 H.sub.4 --(T).sub.1 or O --CONH--CH.sub.2 --CONH--CH(R.sup.4)--CH.sub.2 COOR.sup.3 VIII
via the corresponding thioamides and S-methylimino esters. For example, the nitrile VIII can be reacted with hydrogen sulphide and triethylamine in pyridine and the thioamide obtained can be reacted with methyl iodide in acetone and subsequently with ammonium acetate in methanol.
A guanidine derivative of formula II in which R 2 is a group of the formula --(T) 1 or O --C 6 H 4 --NHC(NH)NH 2 can be prepared starting from the corresponding nitro compound of the formula ##STR8## via the corresponding primary amine and the corresponding guanidine derivative which is protected by nitro. Thus, the nitro compound IX can be hydrogenated in the presence of Pd/C to give the primary amine, the latter can be reacted with 3,5-dimethyl-N-nitro-1H-pyrazole-1-carboxamidine in ethanol and the nitro group can be cleaved off by hydrogenation in the presence of Pd/C in acetic acid.
A compound of formula II which is bonded to a carrier can be prepared by solid-phase synthesis in a manner known per se. Thus, a suspension of a carrier consisting of a styrene-divinylbenzene resin containing p-benzyloxybenzyl alcohol residues in DMF can be treated with N-(9H-fluoren-9-ylmethoxycarbonyl)-3-(1-naphthyl)-L-alanine, then with 2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate (HBTU), 4-dimethylaminopyridine and DIPEA. The free hydroxy groups can be acetylated with acetic anhydride in the presence of DIPEA in DMF. Subsequently, the individual protected amino acids such as Fmoc-Asp(OtBu)-OH, Fmoc-Gly-OH, Fmoc-Arg-OH.HCl and Boc-Aeg(Boc)-OSu can be coupled in succession to a compound of the formula
Boc-Aeg(Boc)-Arg-Gly-Asp(OBut)-Nal(1)-O-carrier
e.g. according to the reaction protocol given in Example 10.
Acids of formula III such as. H-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-OH and H-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-OH are know or can be prepared in a manner known per se, e.g. by reacting a corresponding ester of the formula
H.sub.2 N--CH.sub.2 --CONH--CH(R')--CH.sub.2 COO-t-Bu X
with Z-Arg(Z 2 )-OSu, cleaving the ester group and removing the arginine protecting groups which are present in the thus-obtained product by catalytic hydrogenation in methanol in the presence of Pd/C.
An amine of formula IV, e.g. one in which R' is the group --CO-Val-OH and R 9 is a group --COO--C 1-4 -alkyl, can be prepared starting from the corresponding diester, e.g. H-Gly-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl via the lysine derivative Boc-Lys(Z)-Gly-Asp(O-Bzl)-Val-OBzl. Thus, the diester referred to can be reacted with Boc-Lys(Z)-OSu in DMF in the presence of N-methylmorpholine and the lysine derivative obtained can be catalytically hydrogenated to the corresponding amine of formula IV, Boc-Lys-Gly-Asp-Val-OH.
A guanidine derivative V, e.g. one in which R 9 is a group --COO--C 1-4 -alkyl can be prepared by reacting the corresponding compound of formula III with di-t-butyl dicarbonate in the presence of pyridine hydrobromide in aqueous dioxan.
An amine of formula VI, e.g. Boc-D,L-Phe(p-NH 2 )-Gly-Asp-Val-OH can be prepared starting from a corresponding diester, e.g. H-Gly-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl.TFA via the nitro compound Boc-D,L-Phe(p-NO 2 )-Gly-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl. Thus, the diester referred to can be treated with Boc-D,L-Phe(p-NH 2 )-OH in DMF in the presence of HBTU and DIPEA and the nitro compound obtained can be catalytically hydrogenated to the desired amine.
A nitrile VII, e.g. one in which R' is the group --CO-Val-OH, can be prepared by coupling a corresponding diester, e.g. H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, and a corresponding nitrile such as p-cyanohydrocinnamic acid to give p-cyanohydrocinnamoyl-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu and acidolysis of the latter.
A nitrile of formula VIII, e.g. one in which R 4 is the group --CO-Ser(tBu)-OtBu, can be prepared by coupling a corresponding diester, e.g. H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu, with rac-Z-(p-cyanophenyl)alanine in DMF under argon in the presence of N-methylmorpholine and HBTU.
Analogously, a diester such as H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu can be coupled with Boc-Phe(4-NO 2 )-OH to give the corresponding nitro compound IX, e.g. [N-Boc-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-L-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu.
A compound of formula X, e.g. N-[H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)]-anthranilic acid, can be prepared by coupling Z-Asp(OtBu)-OH and benzyl anthranilate.tosylate in DMF with 1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-2-[4-oxo-1,2,3-benzotriazin-3(4H)-yl]uronium tetrafluoroborate (TOBTU) and DIPEA, cleaving the Z group from the ester obtained, coupling the resulting compound, N-[H-Asp(OtBu)]-anthranilic acid, with Z-Gly-OSu and removing the Z group from the resulting product by hydrogenation.
A diester starting material such as H-Gly-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl.TFA can be prepared by coupling Boc-Asp(OBzl)-OH with H-Val-OBzl.tosylate in the presence of N-methylmorpholine and isobutyl chloroformate in DMF, acidolyzing the resulting Boc-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl with TFA, coupling the resulting H-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl.TFA with Boc-Gly-OSu and N-methylmorpholine in ethyl acetate and subsequently acidolyzing.
A diester such as H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OMe can be prepared by coupling Z-Gly-OH with H-Asp(OtBu)-OMe, saponifying the resulting Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-OMe with sodium hydroxide in acetone, coupling the resulting Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-OH with H-Nal(1)-OMe and hydrogenolyzing the resulting Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OMe.
A diester such as H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu can be prepared by condensing Z-Asp(OtBu)-OH and H-Val-OtBu to give Z-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, hydrogenolyzing the latter, coupling the resulting H-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu with Z-Gly-OSu to give Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu and hydrogenolyzing the latter.
The glycine derivatives of formula I, their solvates and their salts inhibit not only the binding of fibrinogen, fibronectin and the Willebrand factor to the fibrinogen receptor of blood platelets (glycoprotein IIb/IIIa), but also the binding of these and further adhesive proteins such as vitronectin, collagen and laminin to the corresponding receptors on the surface of different types of cell. The said compounds therefore influence cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. In particular, they prevent the formation of blood platelet thrombi and can be used in the control or prevention of illnesses such as thrombosis, stroke, cardiac infarct, inflammation and arteriosclerosis. Further, these compounds have an effect on tumour cells in that they inhibit their metastasis. Accordingly, they can also be used as antitumor agents.
The inhibition of the binding of fibrinogen to the fibrinogen receptor, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa, can be demonstrated as follows:
The glycoprotein IIb/IIIa is obtained-from Triton X-100 extracts of human blood platelets and purified by lectin affinity chromatography (Analytical Biochemistry 151, 1985, 169-177) and chromatography on an Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser affinity column (Science 231, 1986, 1559-62). The thus-obtained receptor protein is bonded to microtitre plates. The specific binding of fibrinogen to the immobilized receptor is determined with the aid of an ELISA system ("enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay"). The IC 50 values hereinafter correspond to that concentration of the test substance which is required to inhibit the binding of fibrinogen to the immobilized receptor by 50%:
______________________________________Product ofExample: 2 6 7 8 10 11 12 13______________________________________↑C.sub.50 (μM) 0.016 0.15 0.09 0.11 0.038 0.12 0.11 0.11______________________________________Product ofExample: 14 15 16 17 19 20______________________________________IC.sub.50 (μM) 0.054 0.08 0.022 0.016 0.011 0.022______________________________________Product ofExample: 23 24 25 26 27______________________________________IC.sub.50 (μM) 0.21 0.035 0.023 0.005 0.0019______________________________________
The compounds of formula I have a low toxicity. Thus the product of Example 2 has a LD 50 of 600 mg/kg intravenously in the mouse.
As mentioned earlier, medicaments containing a glycine derivative of formula I, a solvate thereof or a salt thereof are likewise an object of the present invention, as is a process for the manufacture of such medicaments which comprises bringing one or more of the said compounds and, if desired, one or more other therapeutically valuable substances into a galenical administration form. The medicaments can be administered enterally, e.g. orally in the form of tablets, coated tablets, dragees, hard and soft gelatine capsules, solutions, emulsions or suspensions, or rectally, e.g. in the form of suppositories, or as a spray. The administration can, however, also be effected parenterally, e.g. in the form of injection solutions.
The active ingredient can be mixed with pharmaceutically inert, inorganic or organic excipients for the manufacture of tablets, coated tablets, dragees and hard gelatine capsules. Lactose, maize starch or derivatives thereof, talc, stearic acid or its salts can be used e.g. as such excipients for tablets, dragees and hard gelatine capsules. Suitable excipients for soft gelatine capsules are e.g. vegetable oils, waxes, fats and semi-liquid or liquid polyols; depending on the nature of the active ingredient no excipients are, however, generally required in the case of soft gelatine capsules. Suitable excipients for the manufacture of solutions and syrups are e.g. water, polyols, saccharose, invert sugar and glucose, suitable excipients for injection solutions are e.g. water, alcohols, polyols, glycerine and vegetable oils and suitable excipients for suppositories are e.g. natural or hardened oils, waxes, fats and semi-liquid polyols. The pharmaceutical preparations can, moreover, contain preserving agents, solubilizers, stabilizing agents, wetting agents, emulsifying agents, sweetening agents, colouring agents, flavouring agents, salts for varying the osmotic pressure, buffers, coating agents or antioxidants.
For the control or prevention of the illnesses referred to above, the dosage of the active ingredient can vary within wide limits and will, of course, be fitted to the individual requirements in each particular case. In general, in the case of oral or parenteral administration a dosage of about 0.1 to 20 mg/kg, preferably of about 0.5 to 4 mg/kg, per day should be appropriate for adults, although the upper limit just given can also be exceeded when this is shown to be indicated.
EXAMPLE 1
A) A solution of 55 mg of [3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu hydroiodide is kept at room temperature for 2 hours under argon in a mixture of 10 ml of methylene chloride and 5 ml of trifluoroacetic acid. After evaporation of the solvent there are obtained 43 mg (86%) of [3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Ser-OH trifluoroacetate (2:3), m.p. 223°-224° C. from ethyl acetate/isopropyl ether.
B) The ester starting material is prepared as follows:
a) A solution, cooled to 0° C., of 1.95 g of H-Ser(tBu)-OtBu tosylate in DMF is brought to pH 8 by the addition of N-methylmorpholine. Thereto here is added a solution of 2.1 g of Z-Asp(OtBu)-OSu in 160 ml of DMF. The mixture is stirred at 0° C. under argon for 1 hour and kept in a refrigerator overnight. The residue remaining behind after evaporation of the solvent is taken up in ethyl acetate and washed with saturated sodium bicarbonate solution, water, 10% potassium hydrogen sulphate solution and water, dried, filtered and evaporated. The are obtained 2.09 g (80%) of A-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu, m.p. 79°-80° C. from ethyl acetate/n-hexane.
b) 1.9 g of Z-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu are hydrogenated in 100 ml of methanol in the presence of 0.1 g of Pd/C 10%. After the theoretical amount of hydrogen has been taken up the mixture is filtered and the filtrate is evaporated to dryness. Chromatography on silica gel with methylene chloride/MeOH (98:2) gives 1.28 g (91%) of H-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu, MS: 389 (M+H) + .
c) Analogously as described in a), from Z-Gly-OSu and H-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu there is obtained Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu, yield: 86%, [α] D -6.9° (c 0.9, MeOH).
d) Analogously as described in b), by hydrogenolyzing Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu there is obtained H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu, yield: 75%, MS: 446 (M+H) + .
e) 67 mg of N-methylmorpholine and 250 mg of HBTU are added to a solution of 200 mg of rac N-Z-3-(p-cyanophenyl)alanine (Pharmazie 40, 1985, 305) and 294 mg of H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu in 10 ml of DMF under argon and the mixture is held overnight. The oil obtained after evaporation of the solvent is dissolved in ethyl acetate, the solution is washed with 5% sodium bicarbonate solution and water, dried and evaporated. The residue is chromatographed on silica gel with ethyl acetate. There are obtained 160 mg of [N-Z-3-(p-cyanophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu (1:1 mixture of epimers), m.p. 117°-119° C. from ether/n-hexane.
f) A solution of 362 mg of the product of e) in 40 ml of pyridine and 3 ml of triethylamine is stored for 2 days after saturation with H 2 S, then stirred into water and extracted with ethyl acetate. The product is chromatographed on silica gel with methylene chloride/methanol. There are obtained 270 mg of [N-Z-3-(p-thiocarboxamidophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu (epimer mixture 1:1), MS: 786 (M+H) + .
g) The thioamide of the previous step is dissolved in 30 ml of acetone, treated with 0.6 ml of methyl iodide and heated under reflux for 3 hours. After filtration and concentration the product is precipitated by the addition of ether. There are obtained 181 mg (57%) of [N-Z-3-(p-methylthiocarboximidophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu hydroiodide (epimer mixture 1:1), m.p. 136°-138° C.
h) A solution of 180 mg of the iodide of the previous step in 30 ml of MeOH is treated with 36 mg of ammonium acetate and heated to 60° C. for 5 hours. After cooling and filtration the product is precipitated with ether. There are obtained 89 mg (51%) of [N-Z-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu hydroiodide (1:1 epimer mixture), m.p. 150° C. (dec.) from ethyl acetate/n-hexane.
i) In an analogous manner to that described under b), by hydrogenolyzing the product of h) there is obtained [3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Ser(tBu)-OtBu hydroiodide (1:1 epimer mixture), m.p. 163°-164° C. from ethyl acetate/n-hexane, yield: 70%.
EXAMPLE 2
A) Analogously to that described in Example 1A, by using [N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu hydroiodide acetate (1:1) there is obtained [3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH trifluoroacetate (1:2), m.p. 174° (dec.) from methanol/ethyl acetate, yield: 75%.
B) The starting material can be prepared in the following manner:
a) By condensing Z-Asp(OtBu)-OH and H-Val-OtBu there is obtained Z-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, m.p. 75° C. (n-hexane), yield: 93%.
b) By hydrogenolyzing the product of a) there is obtained H-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, m.p. 71° (n-hexane), yield: 93%.
c) By coupling Z-Gly-OSu and H-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu there is obtained Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, m.p.132° C. (ethyl acetate), yield: 87%.
d) By hydrogenolyzing the product of c) there is obtained H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, yield: 87% of theory, [α] D -33.2° (c 0.6, MeOH).
e) By coupling rac N-Boc-3-(p-cyanophenyl)alanine (French Published Specification 2593 814) and H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu there is obtained [N-Boc-3-(p-cyanophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, m.p. 140°-145° C. from ethyl acetate/isopropyl ether, yield: 66%.
f) Analogously to Example 1 B) f), g), h), from the foregoing compound via [N-Boc-3-(p-thiocarboxamidophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu(epimer mixture 1:1), yield: 96%, MS: 708 (M+H) + ,
and via [N-Boc-3-(p-methylthiocarboximidophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu hydroiodide (epimer mixture 1:1), m.p 100° C. (dec), yield: 82%,
there is obtained [N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu hydroiodide acetate (epimer mixture 1:1), m.p. 154°-156° C. (dec.) (ethyl acetate) yield: 89%.
EXAMPLE 3
A) 95 mg of [N-Boc-3-(p-guanidinophenyl)-L-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu are dissolved in 10 ml of ethyl acetate and treated with 5 ml of 2.5N HCl in ethyl acetate. After stirring at room temperature for 4 hours the mixture is filtered and the precipitate is washed with ethyl acetate. There are obtained 44 mg (53%) of [3-(p-guanidinophenyl)-L-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH pentahydrochloride, m.p. 215° C. (dec.) from dioxan.
B) The starting material can be prepared in the following manner:
a) By condensing N-Boc-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-L-alanine and H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu there is obtained [N-Boc-3-(p-nitrophenyl)-L-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, m.p. 106° C. (n-hexane). Yield: 72%.
b) A solution of 890 mg of the product of a) in 15 ml of methanol is hydrogenated for 3 hours in the presence of 200 mg of 10% Pd/C. The foam remaining behind after filtration and evaporation of the solvent is chromatographed on silica gel with ethyl acetate-methanol (95:5) and crystallized from isopropyl ether. There are obtained 670mg (79%) of [N-Boc-3-(p-aminophenyl)-L-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, m.p. 110°-112° C.
c) A solution of 200 mg of the product of b) and 60 mg of 3,5-dimethyl-N-nitro-1H-pyrazole-1-carboxamidine in 3 ml of ethanol is heated under reflux for 24 hours. The solvent is evaporated and the residue is chromatographed on silica gel with methylene chloride/methanol (98:2). After recrystallization from ethyl acetate/n-hexane there are obtained 148 mg (66%) [N-Boc-3-[p-(3-nitroguanidino)phenyl]-L-alanyl-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, m.p. 141°-143° C.
d) A solution of 118 mg of the foregoing step in 3 ml of ethyl acetate is hydrogenated for 3 days in the presence of 30 mg of Pd/C. After removal of the solvent the filtrate is chromatographed on silica gel with ethyl acetate/methanol (99:1). There are obtained 59 mg (54%) of [N-Boc-3-(p-guanidinophenyl)-L-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, MS: 706 (M+H) + .
EXAMPLE 4
A) Analogously to that described in Example 3A, by the acidic hydrolysis of [N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide hydroiodide there is obtained [3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp isobutylamide hydrochloride (epimer mixture 1:1), m.p. 195°-198° C. (dec.) from dioxan, yield: quantitative.
B) The starting material can be prepared as follows:
a) 5.5 g of isobutylamine dissolved in 5 ml of THF are added dropwise to a mixture, prepared at -10° C., of 5.12 g of Z-Asp(OtBu)-OH hydrate, 1.65 ml of N-methylmorpholine and 2 ml of isobutyl chloroformate in 15 ml of THF. After 3 hours it is freed from solvent, the residue is taken up in ethyl acetate/sodium bicarbonate 5% and the organic phase is washed neutral with water. After drying, evaporation of the solvent and chromatography of the resulting oil on silica gel with ethyl acetate there are obtained 4.53 g (80%) of Z-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide, m.p. 69°-70° C. from n-hexane.
b) By hydrogenolyzing the product of a) there is obtained H-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide, yield: 97%, MS: 189, 171.
c) By coupling Z-Gly-OH with the product of b) there is obtained A-Gly-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide, yield: 87% MS: 436 (M+H) + .
d) By hydrogenolyzing the product of the previous step there is obtained H-Gly-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide, yield: 42%, MS: 302 (M+H) + .
e) By coupling rac N-Boc-3-(p-cyanophenyl)alanine and rac H-Gly-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide there is obtained [N-Boc-3-(p-cyanophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp (OtBu) isobutylamide (1:1 mixture of epimers), m.p. 117°-119° C. (ethyl acetate/n-hexane), yield: 27%.
f) Analogously to Example 1Bf)g)h), via [N-Boc-3-(p-thiocarboxamidophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide (epimer mixture 1:1) and via [N-Boc-3-(p-methylthiocarboximidophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide hydroiodide (epimer mixture 1:1), m.p. 145°-147° C. (dec.), yield: 72%,
there is obtained [N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide hydroiodide (epimer mixture 1:1), m.p. 175°-178° C., yield: 60%.
EXAMPLE 5
A) Analogously to Example 1 A), by using [N-Z-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide there is obtained [N-Z-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp isobutylamide trifluoroacetate (epimer mixture 1:1), m.p. 141°-143° C. (ether), yield: 91%.
B) The starting material can be prepared in the following manner:
a) By coupling rac N-Z-3-(p-cyanophenyl)alanine and H-Gly-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide there is obtained [N-Z-3-(p-cyanophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide (epimer mixture 1:1), m.p. 121°-123° C. (ethyl acetate/n-hexane), yield: 91%.
b) Analogously to Example 1B)f)g)h), via [N-Z-3-(p-thiocarboxamidophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide (epimer mixture 1:1) and via [N-Z-3-(p-methylthiocarboximidophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu) isobutylamide hydroiodide (epimer mixture 1:1) there is obtained [N-Z-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp (OtBu) isobutylamide hydroiodide (epimer mixture 1:1), m.p. 160°-163° C., yield: 37%.
EXAMPLE 6
A solution of 400 mg of H-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-OH (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 82, 1985, 8057) and 143 mg of pyridine.HBr in 15 ml of DMF is treated with 435 mg of Z-Aeg(Z)-OSu. The reaction mixture is adjusted to pH 8.5 with N-methylmorpholine, stirred overnight and subsequently evaporated. The residue is dissolved in 0.2N acetic acid and chromatographed on a polysaccharide resin (Sephadex G-10) with 0.2N acetic acid. The uniform fractions are combined and lyophilized. An aqueous solution of the lyophilizate is chromatographed on a polystyrene resin in acetate form (Dowex 44). The eluate is lyophilized. There are obtained 143 mg of Z-Aeg(Z)-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-OH; MS: 814 (M+H) + .
EXAMPLE 7
A solution of 120 mg of Z-Aeg(Z)-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-OH (Example 6) in 20 ml of 0.1N acetic acid is hydrogenated in the presence of Pd/C analogously to Example 1Bb). The catalyst is filtered off and the filtrate is lyophilized. There are obtained 72 mg of Aeg-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-OH.acetate (1:1); MS: 546 (M+H) + .
EXAMPLE 8
A solution of 216 mg of H-Arg- Gly-Asp-Ser-OH (U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,079) in 5 ml of DMF and 5 ml of H 2 O is treated with 242 mg of Z-Aeg(Z)-OSu and 0.11 ml of N-methylmorpholine. The reaction mixture is stirred for 18 hours and then adjusted to pH 5.3 with acetic acid. The reaction mixture is extracted with ethyl acetate. The aqueous phase is treated with Pd/C and hydrogenated for 2 hours. The catalyst is filtered off under suction and the filtrate is lyophilized. The lyophilizate is dissolved in 0.2N acetic acid and chromatographed on a polysaccharide resin (Sephadex G 25S) with 0.2N acetic acid. The combined uniform fractions are lyophilized. There are obtained 150 mg of Aeg-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-OH-acetate (1:2), MS: 534 (M+H) + .
EXAMPLE 9
A solution of 237.5 mg of H-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-OH in 5 ml of acetone and 5 ml of H 2 O is treated in succession with 226 mg of naphthalene-2-sulphonyl chloride and 168 mg of NaHCO 3 . After stirring for 2 hours the mixture is acidified with acetic acid and the acetone is distilled off. The aqueous residue is chromatographed on Sephadex G-25S with 0.2N acetic acid. The combined uniform fractions are lyophilized. There are obtained 172 mg of (2-naphthylsulphonyl)-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-OH; MS: 636 (M+H) + .
EXAMPLE 10
A suspension of 3 g of a carrier consisting of a styrene-1% divinylbenzene resin containing p-benzyloxybenzyl alcohol residues in 30 ml of DMF is treated in succession with 0.6 g of Fmoc-Nal(1)-OH (European Patent Application 128762), 523 mg of HBTU, 16.8 mg of 4-dimethylaminopyridine and 0.24 ml of DIPEA. The reaction mixture is shaken for 24 hours, the resin is subsequently filtered off under suction and washed with DMF. The free hydroxy groups are acetylated for 30 minutes with 1.13 ml of acetic anhydride, 2.05 ml of N-ethyldiisopropylamine in 30 ml of DMF. A synthesis cycle is described in the following protocol:
______________________________________Step Reagent Time______________________________________1 DMF 2 × 1 min.2 20% piperidine/DMP 1 × 7 min.3 DMF 5 × 1 min.4 2.5 eq. Fmoc-amino acid/DMF + 2.5 eq. HBTU + 2.5 eq. N-ethyldiisopropylamine 1 × 90 min.5 DMF 3 × 1 min.6 Isopropyl alcohol 2 × 1 min.______________________________________
30 ml of solvent are used in each step. Fmoc-Asp-(OtBu)-OH, Fmoc-Gly-OH, Fmoc-Arg(HCl)-OH are coupled according to the above protocol. Boc-Aeg(Boc)-OSu is introduced into the peptide chain. After completion of the synthesis the peptide resin is dried and divided in half. It is suspended in 10 ml of TFA/5 ml of CH 2 Cl 2 and 1 ml of H 2 O and shaken for 90 minutes. The resin is filtered off and the filtrate is concentrated. The residue is lyophilized from H 2 O. The lyophilizate is chromatographed on a Sephadex G-25S in 0.2N acetic acid. The combined uniform fractions are lyophilized, the lyophilizate is chromatographed on Dowex 44. The eluate is lyophilized. There are obtained 49 mg of N-Aeg-Arg-Gly-Asp-Nal(1)-OH.acetate (1:1), MS: 644 (M+H) + .
EXAMPLE 11
Analogously to Example 10, starting from 1.05 g of Fmoc-Ile-OH there are obtained 73.5 mg of Aeg Arg- Gly-Asp-Ile-OH.TFA (1:1), MS: 560 (M+H) + .
EXAMPLE 12
A) A solution of 230 mg of Boc-Lys(Z) Gly-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl in 10 ml of methanol is hydrogenated in the presence of Pd/C. The catalyst is filtered off and the filtrate is concentrated. The residue is dissolved in 2 ml of H 2 O, adjusted to pH 9.5 with 2N NaOH and treated with 109 mg of methyl acetimidate.HCl. The pH value is again adjusted to 9.5. After stirring for 90 minutes the reaction mixture is acidified to pH 4 with 1N HCl and chomatographed on Sephadex G-25S , with 0.2N acetic acid. The uniform fractions are combined and lyophilized. There are obtained 72 mg of [N2-Boc-N 6 -(1-iminoethyl)-L-lysyl]Gly-Asp-Val- -OH, MS: 559 (M+H) + .
B) The starting material is prepared as follows:
A solution of 583 mg of H-Gly-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl (Example 15Bb) and 477.5 mg of Boc-Lys(Z)-O Su in 10 ml of DMF is adjusted to pH 8.5 with N-methylmorpholine. After stirring for 18 hours the mixture is concentrated and the residue is partitioned between ethyl acetate and water. The organic phase is washed with saturated NaHCO 3 solution, 5% KHSO 4 /10% K 2 SO 4 solution and saturated NaCl solution, dried and filtered. The filtrate is concentrated and the residue is crystallized from ether. There are obtained 385 mg of Boc-Lys(Z)-Gly-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl, m.p. 95°-101° C.
EXAMPLE 13
A) 370 mg of o-[Z-Arg(Z 2 )-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-NH]-benzoic acid are dissolved in 50 ml of methanol and hydrogenated in the presence of Pd/C. The filtrate from the catalyst is concentrated in a vacuum, the residue is dissolved in 50 ml of DMF and treated with 46 mg of pyridine.HCl and 0.07 ml of DIPEA. 203 mg of HOBTU are placed in 100 ml of DMF and the above solution is added dropwise under argon. After stirring for 20 hours a further 101.5 mg of HOBTU and 0.035 ml of DIPEA are added thereto. The reaction mixture is stirred for 18 hours and concentrated. The residue is dissolved in methanol/water and chromatographed on Dowex 44. The eluate is concentrated, the residual is dissolve in 20 ml of TFA and concentrated after 30 minutes. After chromatography on a chemically-modified silica gel (Lichrosorb RP18) with 0.1% TFA-ethanol there are obtained 102 mg of N-[(o-azidobenzoyl)-Arg-Gly-Asp]-anthranilic acid trifluoroacetate (1:1), MS: 611 (M+H) + .
The acid starting material is prepared as follows:
A solution of 1.6 g of Z-Asp(OtBu)-OH and 2 g of benzyl anthranilate tosylate in 10 ml of DMF is treated with 1.92 g of TOBTU and 1.78 ml of DIPEA. After stirring for 20 hours the reaction mixture is partitioned between ethyl acetate and water. The organic phase is washed with 5% KHSO 4 /10% K 2 SO 4 solution, water, saturated NaHCO 3 solution, water and saturated NaCl solution and dried over Na 2 SO 4 . The drying agent is filtered off and the filtrate is concentrated. After crystallization from ethanol there is obtained 0.75 g of N-[Z-Asp(OtBu)]-anthranilic acid, m.p. 123°-124° C.
b) Analogously to Example 7, by hydrogenating the product of a) there are obtained 401 mg of N-[H-Asp(OtBu)]-anthranilic acid.
c) A suspension of 401 mg of the product of b) in 10 ml of DMF is treated with 612 mg of Z-Gly-OSu. The reaction mixture is adjusted to pH 8.5 with N-methylmorpholine and stirred for 4 hours. The reaction solution is treated with 0.52 ml of diethylaminoethylamine, stirred for 10 minutes and then partitioned between ethyl acetate and 5% KHSO 4 /10% K 2 SO 4 solution. The organic phase is washed with saturated sodium chloride solution and dried. After filtration the filtrate is concentrated. The residue is dissolved in methanol and hydrogenated in the presence of Pd/C. The catalyst is filtered off and the filtrate is concentrated. The residue is dissolved in 10 ml of DMF, treated with 673 mg of Z-Arg(Z 2 )-OSu and adjusted to pH 8.5 with N-methylmorpholine. After stirring for 18 hours the product is precipitated by pouring into 5% KHSO 4 /10% K 2 SO 4 solution. By chromatography on silica gel with methylene chloride/methanol there are obtained, after recrystallization from ethanol, 410 mg of o-[Z-Arg(Z 2 )-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-NH]-benzoic acid, m.p. 102°-103° C.
EXAMPLE 14
A) A solution of 109 mg of Boc-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-OH in 3 ml of 0.2M sodium borate buffer (pH 9) is treated with 55.5 mg of 1,2-cyclohexanedione and then stirred under argon for 24 hours. The reaction solution is acidified to pH 4 with acetic acid and chromatographed on Sephadex G-25S with 0.2N acetic acid. The uniform fractions are combined and lyophilized. There are obtained 46 mg of [N2-Boc-N5-(3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-3a,7a-dihydroxy-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-L-ornithyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH, MS: 658 (M+H) + .
B) For the preparation of the acid starting material, a solution of 1 g of H-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-OH and 340 mg of pyridine.HBr in 15 ml of dioxan and 15 ml of H 2 O is treated in succession with 480 mg of di-t-butyl dicarbonate and 0.59 g of NaHCO 3 . After stirring for 18 hours the reaction mixture is concentrated. The residue is purified on a porous styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer resin (MCI gel CHP2OP) with water/ethanol. The combined uniform fractions are concentrated and lyophilized from water. There are obtained 260 mg of Boc-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val- --OH, MS: 546 (M+H) + .
EXAMPLE 15
A) A solution of 275.5 mg of N-Boc-3-(p-aminophenyl)-DL-alanyl-Gly-Asp-Val-OH in 3 ml of water is treated in succession with 138 mg of K 2 CO 3 and 124 mg of aminoiminomethanesulphonic acid. After stirring for 18 hours the reaction mixture, is acidified with glacial acetic acid and chromatographed on Sephadex G-25S with 0.2N acetic acid. The uniform fractions are combined and lyophilized. There are obtained, 205 mg of Boc [N-Boc-3-(p-guanidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH potassium salt (1:1), MS: 632 (M+H) + .
B) The starting material is prepared as follows:
a) A solution, cooled to -20° C., of 32.3 g of Boc-Asp-(OBzl)-OH in 150 ml of DMF is treated with 11 ml of N-methylmorpholine and 13.07 ml of isobutyl chloroformate. The suspension obtained is stirred at -15° C. and treated with a suspension, cooled to -20° C., of 37.95 g of H-Val-OBzl.tosylate and 11 ml of N-methylmorpholine in 150 ml of DMF. The reaction mixture is stirred at below -10° C. for 10 minutes and at room temperature for 2 hours, filtered and the filtrate is concentrated. The residue is dissolved in ethyl acetate and washed with 5% KHSO 4 /10% K 2 SO 4 solution, water, saturated NaHCO 3 solution, water and saturated NaCl solution and dried. The organic phase is concentrated. 52.9 g of Boc-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl are obtained. 10.24 g thereof are dissolved in 30 ml of TFA and then concentrated. The residue, is crystallized from ethyl acetate/hexane. There are obtained 8.3 g of H-Asp- (OBzl)-Val-OBzl.TFA (1:1),.m.p. 147°-148° C.
b) A solution of 4.2 g. of H-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl.TFA in 50 ml of ethyl acetate is treated in succession with 2.72 g of Boc-Gly-OSu and 0.88 ml of N-methylmorpholine and then stirred at 20° C. for 72 hours. The reaction mixture is partitioned between ethyl acetate and water and the organic phase is washed with 5% KHSO 4 /10% K 2 SO 4 solution, water, saturated NaHCO 3 solution, water and saturated NaCl solution. After drying the solution is concentrated. The residue is dissolved in 30 ml of trifluoroacetic acid held at 20° C. for 20 minutes and then concentrated. After crystallization from ethyl acetate/hexane there are obtained 3.5 g of H-Gly-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl, TFA (1:1), m.p. 150°-151° C.
c) A solution of 1.08 g of rac N-Boc-3-(4nitrophenyl)-alanine and 2.04 g of H-Gly-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl.TFA in 15 ml of DMF is treated in succession with 1.4 g of HBTU and 1.23 ml of N-ethyldiisopropylamine. After stirring for 3 hours the reaction mixture is partitioned between ethyl acetate and water. The batch is worked-up as described under b) and, after crystallization from ethyl acetate/hexane, there are obtained 1.8 g of N-Boc-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-DL-alanyl-Gly-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl, m.p. 155°-157° C.
d) A solution of 1.5 g of N-Boc-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-DL-alanyl-Gly-Asp(OBzl)-Val-OBzl in 50 ml of 90% glacial acetic acid is hydrogenated in the presence of 10% Pd/C. The filtrate from the catalyst is lyophilized from water. There are obtained 910 mg of N-Boc-3-(4-aminophenyl)-DL-alanyl-Gly-Asp-Val-OH, MS: 552 (M+H) + .
EXAMPLE 16
A) Analogously to Example 1A), by the acidolysis of [N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OH there is obtained [3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Nal(1)-OH.TFA (1:2) (1:1 epimer mixture), m.p. 170° C. (dec.) (ethanol/ethyl acetate).
B) The starting material is prepared in the following manner:
a) Analogously to Example 1 B)a), by coupling Z-Gly-OH and H-Asp(OtBu)-OMe there is obtained Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-OMe, m.p. 92°-95° C.(hexane), yield: 89% of theory.
b) 70 ml of 1N NaOH are added dropwise while cooling to a solution of 27.0 g of the product of the previous step in 200 ml of acetone and the stirring is continued for 2 hours. The pH is adjusted to 4 by the addition of 10% aqueous citric acid and the solvent is evaporated, whereby the crude product separates. After recrystallization from ether/hexane there are obtained 19.04 g of Z-Gly-Asp-(OtBu)-OH, m.p. 101°-104° C., yield: 70%.
c) Analogously to Example 1 B)a), by coupling the product of the previous step with H-Nal(1)-OMe there is obtained Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OMe, m.p. 59° C. (hexane), yield: 34%.
d) Analogously to Example 1 B)b), by hydrogenolyzing the product of the previous step there is obtained H-Gly-Asp-(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OMe, m.p. 67°-68° C. (hexane), yield: 72%.
e) Analogously to Example 1 B)e), by coupling N-Boc-3-(p-cyanophenyl)-DL-alanine with the product of the previous step there is obtained [N-Boc-3-(p-cyanophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OMe (epimers), yield: quantitative, MS: 730 (M+H) + .
f) Analogously to Example 1 B)f), by thionylating the product of the previous step there is obtained [N-Boc-3-[p-(thiocarbamoyl)phenyl]-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OMe (epimers), m.p. 110°-112° C., yield 75%.
g) Analogously to Example 1 B)g), by methylating the product of the previous step there is obtained [N-Boc-3-[p-[(methylthio)formimidoyl]phenyl]-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OMe hydroiodide (epimers), m.p. 128°-130° C. (ether), yield: 64%.
h) Analogously to Example 1 B)h) by reacting the product of the previous step with NH 4 OAc there is obtained [N-Boc-3(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OMe hydroiodide (epimers), m.p. 139°-141° C. (ether), yield\70%.
i) As described in paragraph b), from the product of the previous step there is obtained [N-Boc-3-(p-amidino-phenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OH (epimers), m.p. 206° C. (ethyl acetate), yield: 97%.
EXAMPLE 17
30 mg of triethylamine and 24 mg of di-t-butyl dicarbonate are added at room temperature while gassing with argon to a solution of 70 mg of [3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH trifluoroacetate (1:2) (1:1 mixture of epimers) (Example 2) in 0.6 ml of DMF and the mixture is stirred for 75 minutes. After the addition of acetic acid to pH 4 the mixture is evaporated to dryness and the residue is crystallized with ethyl acetate. After recrystallization from methanol/ethyl acetate there is obtained [N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH (1:1 epimers), yield: 63%.
EXAMPLE 18
A) Analogously to Example 1A, by using [N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu) p-fluorophenethylamide hydroiodide (1:1 epimers) there is obtained 3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl-Gly Asp p-fluorophenethylamide trifluoroacetate (5:8) (epimers), m.p. 192°-195° C. (ethanol/ethyl acetate), yield: 61%.
B) The ester starting material is prepared as follows:
a) Analogously to Example 1 B)e), by coupling Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-OH (Example 16 B)b)) and 4-fluorophenethylamine with HBTU there is obtained Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu) p-fluorophenethylamide, MS: 502 (M+H) + .
b) Analogously to Example 1 B)b), by catalytically hydrogenolyzing the product of the previous step there is obtained H-Gly-Asp(OtBu) p-fluorophenethylamide, MS: 368 (M+H) + .
c) Analogously to Example 1B)e), by coupling rac N-Boc-3-(p-cyanophenyl)alanine with the product of the previous step there is obtained [N-Boc-3-(p-cyanophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu) p-fluorophenethylamide (1:1 epimers), MS: 662 (M+Na + ).
d) Analogously to Example 1 B)f), by reacting the product of the previous step with H 2 S there is obtained [N-Boc-3-[p-(thiocarbamoyl)phenyl]-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu) p-fluoro- phenethylamide (1:1 epimers), MS: 674 (M+H) + .
e) Analogously to Example 1 B)g), by reacting the product of the previous step with MeI there is obtained [N-Boc-3-[p-(methylthioformimidoyl)phenyl]-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-(OtBu) p-fluorophenethylamide hydroiodide (1:1 epimers), m.p. 134°-136° C. (dec.) (ether).
f) Analogously to Example 1 B)h), by reacting the product of the previous step with ammonium acetate there is obtained [N-Boc-3(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]Gly-Asp-(OtBu) p-fluorophenethylamide hydroiodide (1:1 epimers), m.p. 90°-92° C. (dec.) from ether.
EXAMPLE 19
A) Analogous to Example 1A), by using (p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OH-there is obtained (p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly Asp-Nal(1)-OH trifluoroacetate (1:1), m.p. 196°-199° C. (ethanol/ether), yield: 48%.
B) The ester starting material is prepared as follows:
a) Analogously to Example 1 B)e), by coupling 3-(p-cyanophenyl)propionic acid and H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OMe (Example 16 B)d) ) there is obtained (p-cyanohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OMe, m.p. 112°-113° C. (CH 2 Cl 2 /hexane).
b) Analogously to Example 1 B)f)g)h), by reacting the product of the previous step in succession with H 2 S, MeI and ammoniumacetate there is obtained (p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OMe hydroiodide, m.p. 140°-142° C. (ether).
c) Analogously to Example 16 B)b), by the alkaline saponification of the product of the previous step there is obtained (p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Nal(1)-OH, m.p. 236°-237° C. (water).
EXAMPLE 20
Analogously to Example 1A), by using [N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-D-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu hydroiodide there is obtained [3-(p-amidinophenyl)-D-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH trifluoroacetate (1:2), m.p. 128° C. (dec.) (ether), yield: quantitative
EXAMPLE 21
A) Analogously to Example 16 B)b), by saponifying methyl [N-[[N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)]-p-amino]benzoate hydroiodide (epimers 1:1) there is obtained [N-[[N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp]p-amino]benzoic acid (1:1 epimers), m.p. 205°-206° C. (methanol), yield: 48%.
B) The starting material is prepared in the following manner:
a) Analogously to Example 1 B)a), by coupling Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-OH and benzyl p-aminobenzoate there is obtained benzyl [N-[Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)]-p-amino]benzoate, yield: 32%, MS: 590 (M+H) + .
b) Analogously to Example 1 B)b), by hydrogenolyzing the product of the previous step there is obtained [N-[Gly-Asp(OtBu)]-p-amino]benzoic acid, m.p. 160° C. (dec.) from methanol/AcOEt.
c) From the product of the previous step by methylation with diazomethane there is obtained methyl [N-[Gly-Asp-(OtBu)]-p-amino]benzoate, m.p. 78°-82° C. (hexane), yield: 77%.
d) Analogously to Example 1 B)e), by coupling rac N-Boc-3-(4-cyanophenyl)alanine and the product of the previous step there is obtained methyl [N-[[N-Boc-3-(p-cyanophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)]-p-amino]benzoate (1:1 mixture of epimers), m.p. 108° C. (ethyl acetate/hexane), yield: 51%.
e) Analogously to Example 1 B)f)g), from the product of the previous step by thionylation and methylation there is obtained methyl [N-[[N-Boc-3-[p-(methylthioformimidoyl)-phenyl]-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)]-p-amino]benzoate hydroiodide (epimers 1:1), m.p. 150°-151° C.(ether), yield: 77%.
f) Analogously to Example 1 B)h), from the product of the previous step by ammonolysis there is obtained methyl [N-[[N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)]-p-amino]benzoate hydroiodide (epimers 1:1), m.p. 179°-181° C. (dec.) (ether), yield: 79%.
EXAMPLE 22
Analogously to Example 1A), by hydrolyzing the product of Example 21 there is obtained [N [[3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp]-p-amino]benzoic acid (epimers 1:1), m.p. 214°-216° C. (MeOH), yield: 78%.
EXAMPLE 23
A) A solution of 180 mg of (p-cyanohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp-Val-OH in a mixture of 10 ml of methanol/conc. aqueous ammonia solution (2:1) is hydrogenated in the presence of 180 mg of Raney-nickel. After 20 hours the catalyst is filtered off and the filtrate is evaporated to dryness. The residue is purified on anion exchange resin in H + form and crystallized with hexane. There is obtained (p-aminomethylhydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp-Val-OH, m.p. 175° C. (dec.), yield: 25%.
B) The nitrile starting material, m.p. 132°-134° C. (ethyl acetate/hexane), is prepared (yield 69%) in analogy to Example 1A) by acidolysis of (p-cyanohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu (Example 24 B)a).
EXAMPLE 24
A) Analogously to Example 19A), from (p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu hydroiodide there is obtained (p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp-Val-OH.trifluoroacetate (1:1.1), m.p. 141°-143° C. (ether), yield: quantitative.
B) The ester starting material is prepared as follows:
a) Analogously to Example 1 B)e), by coupling p-cyanohydrocinnamic acid with. H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu (Example 2 B)d)) there is obtained (p-cyanohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, m.p. 132°-134° C. (AcOEt/hexane), yield; 87%.
b) Analogously to Example 1Bf), by thionylating the product of the previous step there is obtained p-(thiocarbamoyl)hydrocinnamoyl-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, m.p. 70°-73° C. (hexane), yield: 72%.
c) Analogously to Example 1Bg), by methylating the product of the previous step there is obtained p-[(methylthio)formimidoyl]hydrocinnamoyl-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu hydroiodide, m.p. 55°-60° C. (ether/hexane), yield: 94%.
d) Analogously to Example 1Bh), by ammonolyzing the product of the previous step there is obtained (p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu hydroiodide, m.p. 116°-120° C. (hexane), yield: 90%.
EXAMPLE 25
Analogously to Example 1A), from [N-Boc-3-(p-amidinophenyl)-L-alanyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu hydroiodide there is obtained [3-(p-amidinophenyl)-L-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH trifluoroacetate (2:3), m.p. 164°-166° C. (EtOH/AcOEt), yield: 75%.
EXAMPLE 26
A) Analogously to Example 1A), by the acidolysis of [(p-amidinophenoxy)acetyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu hydroiodide with TFA there is obtained (p-amidinophenoxy)acetyl-Gly-Asp Val-OH trifluoroacetate,. m.p. 140° C. (ethyl acetate/hexane), yield: 67%
B) The ester starting material can be prepared as follows:
a) Analogously to Example 1 B)e), by coupling p-cyanophenoxyacetic acid and H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu there is obtained [p-(cyanophenoxy)acetyl]Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, m.p. 55° C. (ethyl acetate/hexane), yield: 81% .
b) Analogously to Example 1 B)f), by reacting the product of the previous step with H 2 S there is obtained [p-(thiocarbamoyl)phenoxyacetyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, yield: 80% of theory, MS: 595 (M+H) + .
c) Analogously to Example 1 B)g), by reacting the product of the previous step with methyl iodide there is obtained p-[(methylthio)formimidoyl]phenoxyacetyl-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu hydroiodide, yield: 83%, MS: 609 (M+H) + .
d) Analogously to Example 1 B)h), by reacting the product of the previous step with ammonium acetate there is obtained [(p-amidinophenoxy)acetyl]-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu hydroiodide, m.p. 102°-106° C. (ethyl acetate/hexane), yield: 83%.
EXAMPLE 27
A) Analogously to Example 1A ), by using (p-amidinophenyl)acetyl-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu hydroiodide there is obtained (p-amidinophenyl)acetyl-Gly-Asp-Val-OH trifluoroacetate (5:4), m.p. 175°-178° C. (acetonitrile/methanol), yield 53%.
a) Analogously to Example 1 B)e), by coupling p-cyanophenylacetic acid (J. Chem. Soc. 1941, 744) and H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu (Example 2 B)d)) there is obtained (p-cyanophenyl)acetyl-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, m.p. 111° C. (ethyl acetate/hexane),
b) Analogously to Example 1 B)f)g)h), by reacting the product of the previous step with H 2 S, MeI and ammonium acetate there is obtained (p-amidinophenyl)acetyl-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Val-OtBu, MS: 562 (M+H) + .
EXAMPLE 28
A) 216 mg of N-[N-[N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3-[p-[N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)amidino]phenyl]-DL-alanyl]glycyl]β-alanine benzyl ester and 72 mg of 5% Pd/C in 4.3 ml of ethanol/acetic acid (19:1) are stirred under hydrogen for 28 hours. The product is chromatographed on silica gel with methanol/acetic acid (9:1). The pure fractions are evaporated, the residue is dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid, filtered, neutralized with dilute ammonia, filtered and the filtrate is evaporated. The residue is taken up in methanol, filtered and the filtrate is treated with ether. The precipitation is removed by centrifugation, washed with ether and dried. There are obtained 28 mg of N-[N-[3-(p-amidinophenyl)-DL-alany]glycyl]-β-alanine dihydrochloride, MS: 336(27, M+H).
B) For the preparation of the ester starting material, N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3-(p-cyanophenyl)-DL-alanine and N-glycyl-β-alanine benzyl ester trifluoroacetate are coupled to give N-[N-[N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3-(p-cyanophenyl)-DL-alanyl]glycyl]-β-alanine benzyl ester, m.p. 134°-135° C. Therefrom with hydrogen sulphide and triethylamine in pyridine there is obtained N-[N-[N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3-[p-(thiocarbamoyl)phenyl]-DL-alanyl]glycyl]-β-alanine benzyl ester m.p.150°-151° C. Reaction with methyl iodide in acetone, subsequent reaction with ammonium acetate in methanol and treatment with benzyl chloroformate and triethylamine in THF give N-[N-[N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-3-[p-[N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-amidino]phenyl]-DL-alanyl]glycyl]-β-alanine benzyl ester, MS: 694 (100, M+H).
EXAMPLE 29
From 178 mg of N-[N-[N-[(p-amidinophenoxy)acetyl]glycyl-3-t-butoxy-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester hydroiodide there are obtained, after treatment with trifluoroacetic acid in methylene chloride as described in Example 1, 91 mg of the trifluoroacetate of N-[N-[N-[(p-amidinophenoxy)acetyl]glycyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine, m.p. 175°-179 ° C.
The starting material can be prepared as follows:
a) By coupling 7.0 g of Z-Asp(OtBu)-O-Su with 4.72 g of Phe-O-tBu.HCl in the manner described in Example 1B)a) there are isolated, after working-up, chromatography on silica gel (ethyl acetate) and recrystallization, 7.1 g of N-[N-[(benzyloxy)carbonyl]-3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester m.p. 94°-95° C.
b) After catalytically hydrogenating the product of the previous step in ethanol in the presence of 10% Pd/C at room temperature and under normal pressure there are obtained, after chromatography on silica gel with ethyl acetate, 5.94 g of H-Asp(OtBu)-Phe-O-tBu, [α] D =+9.16° (c=0.6, CH 3 OH).
c) As set forth in Example 1B)a), from the reaction of 4 g of H-Asp(OtBu)-Phe-O-tBu with 3.43 g of Z-Gly-OSu there are obtained, after chromatography on silica gel with ethyl acetate, 3.9g of N-[N-[N-[(benzyloxy)carbonyl]glycyl]-3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-L-α-aspartyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester.
d) In analogy to Example 1, by hydrogenolyzing the product of the previous step (2.19 g) there are obtained, after chromatography (CH 2 Cl 2 /CH 3 OH 9:1) and recrystallization, 909 mg of N-[N-glycyl-3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-L-α-aspartyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester, m.p. 99°-100° C.
e) Analogously to Example 1B)e), by coupling 675 mg of the product of the previous step with 266 mg of p-cyanophenoxyacetic acid there are obtained, after chromatography on silica gel (ethyl acetate) and recrystallization, 687 mg of N-[3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-N-[N-[(p-cyanophenoxy)acetyl]glycyl]-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester, m.p. 83°-85° C. (ethyl acetate/hexane).
f) Analogously to Example 1B)f), after reacting the product of the previous step (650 g) with H 2 S there are isolated, after chromatography (ethyl acetate) and crystallization, 405 mg of N-[3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-N-[N-[[(p-thiocarbamoyl)phenoxy]acetyl]glycyl]-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester, m.p. 83°-86° C. (hexane).
g) from 390 mg of the product of the previous step there are obtained, after methylation in accordance with Example 1B)g), 375 mg of N-[3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-N-[N-[[[p-(1-(methylthio)formimidoyl]phenoxy]acetyl]glycyl]-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester hydroiodide, m.p. 162° C. (ethyl acetate/methanol).
h) Reaction of 358 mg of the material from the previous step with ammonium acetate analogously to Example 1B) h) yields 267 mg of N-[N-[N-[(p-amidinophenoxy)acetyl]-glycyl]-3-t-butoxy-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester hydroiodide, decomposition point 76° C. (ethyl acetate/hexane).
EXAMPLE 30
Treatment of 140 mg of N-[N-[N-[[2-(p-amidinophenyl)-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl]acetyl]glycyl]-3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester hydroiodide with trifluoroacetic acid in methylene chloride gives 158 mg of N-[N-[N-[[2-(p-amidinophenyl)-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl]acetyl]glycyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine trifluoroacetate (1:1). A portion of this material is purified by chromatography (RP-18; elution with water, then water/acetonitrile 2:1) and recrystallization, whereby there is obtained a product with m.p. 242°-245° C.
The starting material can be prepared as follows:
a) A mixture of 8 g of ethyl 4-cyanobenzoyl acetate, 80 ml of ethylene glycol, 0.3 g of p-toluenesulphonic acid and 250 ml of toluene is boiled on a water separator. After completion of the reaction the solvent is removed and the residue is partitioned in methylene chloride/0.1N sodium hydroxide solution. The organic extracts are dried, filtered and concentrated. After chromatography (silica gel; hexane/ethyl acetate 1:1) there are obtained 4.4g of a colourless oil which is dissolved in 30 ml of ethanol. 15 ml of 1N sodium hydroxide solution are added dropwise thereto while cooling with an ice bath and the mixture is subsequently left to stand at room temperature for 6 hours. After removing the ethanol the aqueous phase is extracted with ethyl acetate and neutralized with 1N hydrochloric acid. The separated crystals are filtered off, washed with water and dried. There are obtained 2.3 g of 4-cyanobenzoylacetic acid ethylene ketal, m.p. 151°-152° C.
b) Analogously to Example 1B)e), by coupling 256 mg of 4-cyanobenzoylacetic acid ethylene ketal and 449 mg of H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Phe-OtBu (Example 29d) there are obtained, after chromatography and recrystallization, 390 mg of N-[3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-N-[N-[[2-(p-cyanophenyl)-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl]acetyl]glycyl]-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester, m.p. 81°-82° C. (hexane).
c) The product of the previous step (360 mg) is reacted with H 2 S as described in Example 1B)f) to give 323 mg of N-[3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-N-[N-[[2-[p-(thiocarbamoyl)phenyl]-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl]acetyl]glycyl]-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester, m.p. 96°-98° C. (hexane).
d) Methylation of 280 mg of the product of the previous step is carried out as in Example 1B)g) and yields 324 mg of N-[3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-N-[N-[[2-[p-[1-(methylthio)formimidoyl]phenyl]-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl]acetyl]glycyl]-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester hydroiodide (1:1), m.p. 110°-112° C. (acetone/diethyl ether).
e) Ammonolysis of 250 mg of the product of the previous step analogously to Example 1B)h) gives 200 mg of N-[N-[N-[[2-(p-amidinophenyl)-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl]acetyl]glycyl]-3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester hydroiodide (1:1), m.p. 129°-130° C.
EXAMPLE 31
A solution of 100 mg of N-[N-[N-[[2-(p-amidinophenyl)-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl]acetyl]glycyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine trifluoroacetate in 10 ml of trifluoroacetic acid/water 9:1 is left to stand at room temperature overnight. After removal of the solvent, chromatography of the residue (RP-18; elution with water-water/acetonitrile 1:1) and recrystallization there are obtained 33 mg of N-[N-[N-[(p-amidinobenzoyl)acetyl]glycyl]-L-aspartyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine trifluoroacetate (1:1), m.p. 225°-230° C. (decomposition).
EXAMPLE 32
From 50 mg of N-[N-[N-[3-(1-amidino 4-piperidinyl)propionyl]glycyl]-3-t-butoxycarbonyl)-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester there are obtained in analogy to Example 1A), after recrystallization, 32 mg of N-[N-[N-[3-(1-amidino-4-piperidinyl)propionyl]glycyl]-L-α-aspartyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine trifluoroacetate (1:1), m.p. 146°-148° C. (ether; decomposition).
The starting material can be prepared as follows:
a) 500 mg of 4-piperidinepropionic acid are added at 2° C. to a solution of 553 mg of S-methyl-isothiourea sulphate in 3.2 ml of 2N sodium hydroxide solution. After leaving to stand at room temperature overnight the separated crystals are filtered off, washed with water, acetone and ether and dried. There are obtained 600 mg of 1-amidino-4-piperidinepropionic acid, m.p. above 275° C.
b) Analogously to Example 1B)e), by coupling 1.6 g of 1-amidino-4-piperidinepropionic acid with 1.8 g of H-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-Phe-OtBu in the presence of 928 mg of pyridinium hydrochloride there are obtained 2.1 g of N-[N-[N-[3-(1-amidino-4-piperidinyl)propionyl]glycyl]-3-t-butoxycarbonyl)-L-alanyl]-3-phenyl-L-alanine t-butyl ester, m.p. 104°-106° C. (diisopropyl ether; decomposition).
EXAMPLE 33
In analogy to Example 1A), from 17 mg of 1-[[N-[N-(p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)glycyl]-3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-L-alanyl]amino]cyclopentanecarboxylic acid there are obtained, after crystallization, 15 mg of 1-[[N-[N-(p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)glycyl]-L-α-aspartyl]amino]cyclopentanecarboxylic acid trifluoroacetate (1:1), m.p. 136°-138° C. (ether, decomposition).
The starting material can be prepared as follows:
a) Analogously to Example 1B)e), from 761 mg of Z-Gly-Asp(OtBu)-OH (Example 16) and 359 mg of 1-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid methyl ester hydrochloride in tetrahydrofuran there are obtained, after chromatography on silica gel with ethyl acetate, 920 mg of N-[N-benzyloxycarbonylglycyl]-3-[[1-(methoxycarbonyl)cyclopentyl]carbamoyl]-β-alanine t-butyl ester, MS (FAB): 506 (M+1) + .
b) By hydrogenolysis analogously to Example 1B)b) there are obtained from 880 mg of the product of the previous step 620 mg of 1-[[3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-N-glycyl-L-alanyl]amino]cyclopentanecarboxylic acid methyl ester, MS (FAB): 372 (M+1) + .
c) Analogously to Example 1B)e), by coupling 310 mg of 3-(p-cyanophenyl)propionic acid and 600 mg of the product of the previous step there are obtained, after chromatographic purification (silica gel; ethyl acetate-ethyl acetate/methanol 9:1), 635 mg of 1-[[3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-N-[N-(p-cyanohydrocinnamoyl)glycyl]-L-alanyl]amino]cyclopentanecarboxylic acid methyl ester, MS: 546 (M+NH 4 ) + .
d) Analogously to Examples 1Bf)g)h), by the successive reaction of 600 mg of the product of the precious step with H 2 S, MeI and ammonium acetate there are obtained 279 mg of 1-[[N-[N-(p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)glycyl]-3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-L-alanyl]amino]cyclopentanecarboxylic acid methyl ester hydroiodide, m.p.98° C. (decomposition), MS (FAB): 546 (M+1) + .
e) Alkaline hydrolysis of 157 mg of the product of the previous step as described in Example 16B)b) yields 24 mg of 1-[[N-[N-(p-amidinohydrocinnamoyl)glycyl]-3-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-L-alanyl]amino]cyclopentanecarboxylic acid, m.p. 163°-164° C.
EXAMPLE 34
A solution of 275.5 mg of N-Boc-3-(4-aminophenyl)-DL-alanyl-Gly-Asp-Val-OH (Example 15B)d)) in 3 ml of H 2 O is adjusted to pH 9.5 with 1N NaOH. This solution is treated with 219 mg of methyl acetimidate.HCl and the pH value is again adjusted to 9.5 with 1N HCl. After stirring for 2 hours the reaction mixture is acidified to pH 4 with 1N HCl and chromatographed on a Sephadex G-25S column in 0.2N acetic acid. The main fraction is lyophilized and purified on Lichrosorb RP18 with 0.05M ammonium acetate ethanol. The uniform fraction is lyophilized from water. There are obtained 25 mg of [3-[p-(acetimidoylamino)phenyl]-N-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-DL-alanyl]-Gly-Asp-Val-OH, MS: 593 (M+H) + .
EXAMPLE A
A compound of formula I can be used in a manner known per se as the active ingredient for the manufacture of tablets of the following composition:
______________________________________ Per tablet______________________________________Active ingredient 200 mgMicrocrystalline cellulose 155 mgMaize starch 25 mgTalc 25 mgHydroxypropylmethylcellulose 20 mg 425 mg______________________________________
EXAMPLE B
A compound of formula I can be used in a manner known per se as the active ingredient for the manufacture of capsules of the following composition:
______________________________________ Per capsule______________________________________Active ingredient 100.0 mgMaize starch 20.0 mgLactose 95.0 mgTalc 4.5 mgMagnesium stearate 0.5 mg 220.0 mg______________________________________ | Disclosed herein are peptide of the formula
R--CONH--CH.sub.2 --CONH--CH(R')--CH.sub.2 COOH I
wherein R and R' are as defined herein. The claimed peptide derivatives inhibit platelet aggregation and as such are useful in the treatment of thrombosis. | 2 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is the United States national phase under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2013/000606, filed on Mar. 1, 2013, and claiming priority to PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2012/000958, filed Mar. 2, 2012.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] Embodiments relate to controlled starts of limited-time licenses for a telecommunication system with a number of IP terminals, preferably IP telephone devices, connected to it, wherein the licenses acquired by the respective customers for the telecommunication system are downloaded from a central license server on the Internet.
[0004] 2. Background of the Related Art
[0005] A number of methods are already known for activating hardware and software licenses.
[0006] As published in EP 1 901 191 A 1, there are technical devices and configurations for which a license is required to use a resource. For example, acquiring a data storage medium including a computer program does not automatically include “permission” to use that computer program. Another common example of the use of licenses is modern communication systems, which are equipped by the manufacturer with a certain number of resources, such as interfaces, channels, services, etc. A certain number of licenses acquired by a user determines the extent to which the resources provided by the manufacturer may be used. The term “resource” designates any technical device, service, function, computer program, or similar item whose use requires permission, i.e., a license.
[0007] As in EP 1 901 191 A 1, in the ideal case a manufacturer makes exactly the quantity of resources available to its customers, with an identical number of licenses, as is needed to meet the customer's requirements. In the example of a communication setup, this means that a customer desiring to operate twenty branch offices receives a communication setup with twenty user interfaces, and obviously also a license to operate the twenty user interfaces (and to use 20 channels). However, this example has the disadvantage that, as the customer's need increases, both individual resources (here, physical user interfaces) and the usage licenses required to operate them must be supplied later. This is both logistically and technically disadvantageous. For this reason, technical installations like the communications setup described here are often “oversized” with respect to their resources, meaning that instead of the twenty resources initially required, twenty-four or thirty resources (user connections) are delivered, for example, but only twenty licenses. Then, to expand the telecommunication setup, it is necessary only to acquire additional licenses in order to “activate” the already-supplied additional resources. Another example is computer programs that are distributed with the complete version on a data storage medium or can even be downloaded from the Internet, but which require an “activation code” (“installation key”), and therefore the purchase of a license, in order to use them. Depending upon the activation code (type of license), the customer can use the computer program to a greater or lesser extent. This means that, in this example as well, the resources (here, functions of the computer program) are available (provided) to the customer in advance, but can be used only with a license. In brief, the use of licenses is a tool for permitting or disallowing the use of services, i.e., resources, as needed.
[0008] For example, in the case of software products, the tryout phase of a software starts with installing the product, where usually a certain number (e.g., 10-20) of trial copies of this software are available for a limited time, without having to activate the full version on line or telephonically using the serial number as a license key.
[0009] As an example of a license-based usage scenario, EP 1 901 191 describes a communication network with three communication nodes, where a license is required to use a channel associated with each communication node (e.g., for each telephone conversation). If thirty terminals are connected to each of the three communication setups, then thirty licenses can be issued for each communication setup, for example. This has the advantage that there are always enough licenses available in each communication setup for the resources (here, channels), even when all users are on the phone, i.e., are using their resources, at the same time. However, such a configuration has the disadvantage for the communication network operator that he must acquire ninety licenses, even though it is highly unlikely that all ninety users will actually be on the phone at the same time and therefore highly likely that acquiring such a large number of licenses is extremely unnecessary. To solve this problem, obviously, the number of licenses for each communication setup can be reduced, by half for example. However, it can then occur that the number of licenses acquired for the communication system may sometimes be insufficient, while at other times the communication system has extra unused licenses. This may cause a function to be unavailable due to “license shortage” at a certain location, even when there are enough licenses overall.
[0010] To resolve this “distribution problem,” EP 1 901 191 A 1 describes using flexible licenses that can always be applied where they are needed; a “floating licenses” concept is mentioned, and also “central licensing.” This is generally done using a central unit, a so-called “licensing server,” on which all available “releasable” licenses for the network or installation are placed in advance. As soon as a resource needs to be used (in the preceding example, this means: as soon as a channel needs to be used), that resource or the technical equipment that provides that resource (here, the communication setup), generates a connection to the license server and from it gets an available license for the duration of the use. As soon as the resource is no longer in use, the license is released by means of another data exchange with the license server, so that the license is once again available for other resources to use. This process has the advantage that it is not necessary to maintain the maximum number of licenses in every communication setup in the network for security reasons, i.e., in case exceptionally high utilization of capacity should occur, but instead the available licenses can be used flexibly for various resources or at various locations. The disadvantage to this method, however, is that the network load is higher due to the constant allocation and releasing of licenses. In addition, if the central license server breaks down or cannot be reached, the functionality of the entire network is severely limited.
[0011] EP 1 901 191 A 1 also mentions a method for administering licenses, wherein a license is assigned to a resource for the use of that resource and that license is released after the resource has been used. In this method, a first central unit records the number of available licenses, a second unit assigns a recorded available usage license to the resource to be used, and/or a license assigned to the resource by the second unit is recorded in the second unit as available when it ceases to be used. In a synchronization step, the difference between the number of licenses assigned for use since a previous synchronization step and the number released in that period of time from the second unit back to the first unit is repeatedly reported; depending on that difference, the number of available licenses recorded in the first unit is reduced and, inversely, the resulting number of available licenses is reported by the first unit to the second unit and is recorded there as the number of available licenses. This method guarantees that available licenses are actually available in the second unit after completion of the synchronization step, in an arrangement such that, with multiple second units, all applicable licenses are fully available to all of those second units. In this case, should any of the second units fail, all available licenses can still be accessed if the connection to the first unit (central unit) is broken or limited.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Embodiments simplify the licensing of telecommunication systems, such that the customers themselves can establish a limited activation time for licenses beginning at a point in time preset by the customer.
[0013] The published patent application EP 1 901 191 A 1 describes the principle of licensing in general. It describes the administration of license data for a telecommunication system that a customer has purchased as a complete unit and can use repeatedly in an internal network.
[0014] However, the present invention constitutes a modification or expansion. The present invention describes a leasing arrangement with limited-time licenses for a telecommunication system, which preferably can be started in a targeted manner. The costs involved are always incurred from the moment when the licenses are activated for a telecommunication system. Because it concerns limited-time licenses for a telecommunication system, the start time is relevant for the period of validity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The invention is described below in connection with FIGS. 1-5 , using the example of a telecommunication system. The figures show:
[0016] FIG. 1 a block diagram of one example of a telecommunication system described in detail in literature citations [1] to [5] as an “OpenScape Office MX” system, in reference to which the embodiment of the telecommunication system per the invention is explained,
[0017] FIG. 2 a block diagram of a first embodiment of the telecommunication system per the invention, to which further explanations are added,
[0018] FIG. 3 a “message chart” shown as a flow diagram with a timed sequence for starting the licensing process, showing the licensing process for the first embodiment of the telecommunication system per the invention as in FIG. 2 ,
[0019] FIG. 4 a block diagram of a second embodiment of the telecommunication system per the invention, to which further explanations are added, and
[0020] FIG. 5 a block diagram of a third embodiment of the telecommunication system per the invention, to which further explanations are added.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] Embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the figures. The embodiment of a telecommunication system shown in FIG. 1 includes the following components, designated by the following references
[0022] OSO MX: Telecommunication System
[0023] The telecommunication system OSO MX, also called a telephone system or telecommunication setup, is described in detail as “OpenScape Office MX” in literature citations [1] to [5] in the literature list on the last page of the description. Functionalities of this telecommunication system OSO MX are licensed. Among other things, licenses are required in this telecommunication system for the system software itself as well as for registering and using IP terminals.
[0024] CSCm: “Customer Site Component, Modular”
[0025] The component “Customer Site Component, modular” CSCm is the application interface between the “Web-Based Management” WBM and the “Customer License Agent” CLA and the “Central License Server” CLS. This interface is used:
to establish a connection with the “Central License Server” CLS for “Online Licensing,” to download a license file from the “Central License Server” CLS, to select the content of the downloaded license file and record it in the “Web-Based Management” WBM.
[0029] CLS: “Central License Server”
[0030] The “Central License Server” CLS generates license files, and the customer or a technician can access the “Central License Server” CLS from the “Customer Site Component, modular” CSCm via the Internet using a browser (such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox) installed on a personal computer PC or laptop, for example.
[0031] LAC: “License Authorization Code”
[0032] The “License Authorization Code” LAC is required in order to download a license file on line from the “Central License Server” CLS.
[0033] CLA: “Customer License Agent”
[0034] The “Customer License Agent” CLA can manage one or more license files that have been generated by the “Central License Server” and downloaded. The “Customer License Agent” CLA manages license requests and the timed expirations of licenses that applied temporarily to certain features. A “GracePeriodFile” is also offered as a file by the “Customer License Agent” CLA and by the “Central License Server” CLC.
[0035] CLC: “Customer License Client”
[0036] The “Customer License Client” CLC is a client that is used as the application interface through a library by the “License Management Feature Process” LMFP. Through this application interface, the product can communicate with the “Customer License Agent” CLA that provides the licenses.
[0037] “Grace Period”: Cost-Free Usage Period
[0038] The file called “GracePeriodFile” contains the features to be licensed for the product with the maximum number of licenses and the maximum cost-free usage duration (the “Grace Period”) after the initial activation.
[0039] This “GracePeriodFile” is supplied preinstalled by the manufacturer with the telecommunication system OSO MX and is activated in the “Customer License Agent” CLA the first time it is started up.
[0040] WBM: “Web-Based Management”
[0041] “Web-Based Management” WBM is used to manage the telecommunication system OSO MX. The telecommunication system OSO MX includes a web server with an interface to a browser. Via such a browser, which is connected to the Internet, the telecommunication system OSO MX can be managed.
[0042] LMFP: “License Management Feature Process”
[0043] The licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP is the interface to all license users in the telecommunication system. The “License Management Feature Process” LMFP ties the “Central License Server” CLS interface to the “Customer License Agent” CLA and supports this central interface.
[0044] Licensee Feature
[0045] The licensee feature in the telecommunication system OSO MX is a “Comfort User” license, for example. This “Comfort User” license allows an IP terminal, such as an IP phone, to be incorporated into the telecommunication system and used. As an example, 150 of these devices can be operated for 30 days in the “Grace Period.” With a regular license file, only the number of IP terminals that the customer has purchased is covered by licenses. A basic license package includes 10 “Comfort User” licenses, for example.
[0046] ISP: “Internal System Memory”
[0047] Customer-specific and process-specific data are stored in the “Internal System Memory” ISP and can be retrieved from it or entered into it using either the “License Management Feature Process” LMFP or the “Web-Based Management” WBM.
[0048] As shown in FIG. 1 , the telecommunication system OSO MX is supplied with a “GracePeriodFile.” This file contains all license features for this telecommunication system OSO MX with the maximum possible number of licenses. The “Grace Period” is intended to allow for testing of all license features and to span the time period until the customer has downloaded his purchased license file from the “Central License Server” CLS. This “Grace Period” can run only once and lasts for 30 days, for example. Previously, those 30 days were counted as active operating hours. This means that, if the system is switched on, the “Grace Period” time is running, and if the system is switched off, the “Grace Period” time does not run. Here, the end point up to which the “Grace Period” license can be used depends only on the cumulative time during which the operation hour counter is running, so the end point is not predefined.
[0049] The first time the telecommunication system OSO MX is switched on in FIG. 1 , the component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP creates a connection through the “Central License Server” CLS to the “Customer License Agent” CLA, and the “Grace Period” starts automatically. All licensees on the system can obtain or release the required licenses through the “License Management Feature Process” LMFP. When the “Grace Period” expires after 30 days of operation, the licensees are removed by the “License Management Feature Process” LMFP. New license requests receive negative replies after that.
[0050] The arrangement of the telecommunication system OSO MX, described in detail in literature citations [1] to [5], and especially in literature citation [1], as the “OpenScape Office MX” system, is shown in FIG. 1 and summarized below. The telecommunication system OSO MX includes the licensing components on its motherboard. The first time the telecommunication system OSO MX is switched on, licensing starts automatically. A 30-day “Grace Period” is started. This “Grace Period” allows all features that require licenses to be used for 30 days. Before the end of that time, the customer must download his purchased license file via a technician's PC. This purchased license file is shown in FIG. 1 as 7 licenses for feature A in a right-side comment box.
[0051] With a basic license, generally the software for a single telecommunication setup is activated only once. In order for telephone calls to be made over this telecommunication system OSO MX, setup using a browser is necessary. The browser is started on a separate connectable technician's PC and can be connected directly to the telecommunication system. This browser is used to start the “Web-Based Management” WBM. The “Web-Based Management” WBM offers menus for configuring and allocating licenses for the telecommunication system OSO MX. The license file (shown in FIG. 1 as 7 licenses for feature A in the right-side comment box) can be downloaded either through a technician's PC or on line from the “Central License Server” CLS via the “Customer Site Component, modular” CSCm to the “Customer License Agent” CLA. Users and trunk lines, among other things, can be set up. If one wishes to use IP terminals such as “OpenStage 80” IP telephones—see [2], page 4—on a long-term basis on the telephone system OSO MX, the customer must purchase licenses for these IP terminals. These licenses must be assigned to the designated users of these devices. Without these licenses, only internal telephoning is possible. Only the license allows full use of IP terminals and also other telephony through a private or public telephone switching system.
[0052] With the prior art telecommunication system OSO MX described as in FIG. 1 , each licensing process must be initiated directly on the telecommunication system OSO MX, wherein the licenses are started when the licensing process takes place.
[0053] The embodiments of the telecommunication system OSO MX′ per the invention described in FIGS. 2 to 5 have the same basic configuration as the telecommunication system OSO MX described in FIG. 1 with the components described there, wherein the reference designations for all components that perform the same basic functions have the same letters but differ in that a apostrophe is added at the end, so that, for example, CLA′ has the same basic function as CLA, WBM′ the same basic function as WBM, etc. Therefore, for each description of the components of the embodiments of the invention, only each component's functions that go beyond the components of the telecommunication system OSO MX as described in FIG. 1 are described.
First Embodiment
(FIG. 2 with FIG. 3 )
[0054] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the first embodiment of the invention with an improved telecommunication system OSO MX′ comprising the connection and use of applications and new features, with further explanations added.
[0055] A new licensing functionality, instead of the “Grace Period,” is the addition of an “Activation Period” for licensed features. The 30 days (=30×24 hours) used as an example for the “Grace Period” must be changed to 30 actual calendar days. For this reason, the “Grace Period” is renamed as the “Activation Period.” This means that, when the activation period is started, the current date is used as the starting value for a licensed feature, e.g., 30 calendar days, and the expiration date, i.e. the end of the period for using the licensed feature, is determined from that.
[0056] So that licensing does not start with the first factory test and perhaps already be expired by the time the system is delivered to the customer, the invention includes the possibility of starting licensing on a certain input date. The advantage of this is that telecommunication systems can be configured for operation in advance and then licensed later by the customer.
[0057] In this first embodiment of the invention, individual licensed features can be purchased with one limited-time license file (shown in FIG. 1 as a license file with 5 licenses for feature A in a comment box in the center of the diagram), so that the customer can decide for himself when he wants to start using them. This allows an “interactive” transaction.
[0058] The functional process of the first embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 2 , is described below in connection with the flow diagram (“Message Chart”) shown in FIG. 3 . The licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′ assigns two different features A and B for the licensee, i.e., for the customer, as a basic license during the first startup for the duration of the “Grace Period.” As a basic license during the first startup and the “Grace Period,” feature A encompasses, for example, up to 100 licenses (e.g., for up to 100 IP terminals), and feature B encompasses up to 50 licenses (e.g., for voicemail on 50 IP terminals), as shown in a left-side comment box in FIG. 2 .
[0059] The first time that the telecommunication system OS MX′ per the invention as in FIG. 2 is switched on, the licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′ is in standby mode. The internal system memory of the “Web-Based Management” WBM′ queries and tests whether basic licensing has already been started. In the case shown in the flow diagram (Message Chart) in FIG. 3 , licensing has not yet been activated after first startup, and the queried internal system memory of the “Web-Based Management” WBM′ gives the response: “Licensing enabled: No.” The licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′ is blocked and waits for activation, i.e., a start message from the component “Customer License Agent” CLA′. Therefore, license queries from applications, i.e., from components (e.g., IP terminals, IP telephones, and additional functions such as voicemail) to the licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′ receive negative responses during that time. This prevents the use of unavailable licenses.
[0060] Once a date and time are configured via the WBM′ by means of a data box in a browser installed, for example, on a personal computer (PC), laptop, or smartphone, the “licensing started” message (“Notification Start Licensing”) is sent to the licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′. The licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′ establishes a connection through the “Customer License Client” CLC to the “Customer License Agent” CLA′ and the “Grace Period” is started. From this point on, all licensees on the system can obtain or release the required licenses through the licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′. When the “Grace Period” expires after 30 calendar days of operation, for example, the licensees are blocked by the licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′. New license requests receive negative replies after that. So that no other licenses can be loaded on the “Customer License Agent” CLA′, the corresponding TCP port (e.g., CLA′ port — 61740) is blocked, so that only the TCP port (CLA′ port — 61740) corresponding to the “Customer License Agent” can be addressed. This CLA′ port is not opened until licensing is activated. A TCP port is a port according to the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP).
[0061] The configuration of the telecommunication system per the invention (also called a telecommunication setup or telephone system) according to the first embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2 is designed for small and medium-sized businesses and has the licensing components on the motherboard, like the telecommunication system OSO MX shown in FIG. 1 . However, the first time the customer starts up the telecommunication system, licensing does not start yet. However, in order for the customer to make phone calls using this system, the telecommunication system must be set up. The Windows application “ManagerE,” for example, can be used to configure the telecommunication system.
[0062] However, because all terminals and trunk lines in this telecommunication system example require a license, this configuration is still not complete. It supports only internal telephony. This functional configuration can be used, for instance, by the retailer to configure the telecommunication before it is delivered to the customer.
[0063] Full use of the IP terminals and trunkline must be obtained by licensing. A browser, preferably installed on a technician's PC, is used to start the “Web-Based Management” WBM′. Here one is first required to enter the date and time for the respective licensing feature A or B. These data are used to initiate licensing. The users connected to the telecommunication system OSO MX′ (e.g., IP terminals) can then have their designated licenses assigned using a licensing dialog box. This involves a one-time license to use the device and then multiple licenses for using additional features.
[0064] When licensing is activated, an “Activation Period” is started that supports the full licensing scope for, e.g., 30 calendar days. Within these 30 calendar days, purchased licenses must be downloaded into the system. As soon as a purchased license file is loaded, it supersedes the “Activation Period”. The purchased license file is generated on the “Central License Server” CLS′ and can be loaded onto the system through a direct online connection via the “Web-Based Management” WBM′ with the “Customer Site Component, modular” CSCm′. A second possibility is direct access to the CLS′ through a browser. In this way, a license file can be loaded first through the browser onto a PC and then from there to the telecommunication system OSO MX′.
[0065] In the telecommunication system OSO MX′ (also called a telephone system) as in FIG. 2 , the software is preinstalled and activation is controlled by entry of the date.
[0066] In the flow diagram in FIG. 3 , the software components needed to activate licensing are specified. After the first system startup, the licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′ sends a request to the “Internal System Memory” ISP′, in which the customer-specific and process-specific data are stored, for example, in an EEPROM memory, asking whether licensing has already been activated.
[0067] Because it is the first system startup and activation through the “Web-Based Management” WBM′ has not yet been initiated, licensing is still blocked. The licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′ therefore goes into standby mode and waits for an activation message from the “Web-Based Management” WBM′. All licensees must request their licenses through the licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′. Because it is in standby mode, all license requests are refused. The “Customer License Agent” CLA′ manages the license file containing the license data. So that no components can access this “Customer License Agent” CLA′, even through a network connection, the corresponding TCP port (e.g., CLA′ port — 61740) is blocked in the firewall.
[0068] As soon as the customer or technician enters the license activation data on the “Web-Based Management” WBM′, a message from the “Web-Based Management” WBM′ is sent to the “Internal System Memory” ISP′, in which customer-specific and process-specific data are stored, for example on an EEPROM memory. This component stores the activation and informs the licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′.
[0069] The “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′ then opens the corresponding TCP port for the “Customer License Agent” CLA′ in the firewall and establishes a connection to the “Customer License Agent” CLA′. Through this connection, all licensees can now obtain and release licenses.
[0070] A second embodiment of the telecommunication system OSO MX′ per the invention, shown in FIG. 4 , goes beyond the first embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2 with an additional component that tests for the “License Authorization Code” LAC and controls online activation on an individual basis with the relevant activation data.
[0071] A “License Authorization Code” LAC is generally required for online licensing. The unique factor here is that a code with a predefined point in time is stored. Online licensing is started in accordance with the configured point in time. An explanation is provided below of how a possible “interactive transaction” can be achieved using such a “License Authorization Code” LAC, for example. Here the other components function as described in FIGS. 1-3 , with any differences indicated in additional comment boxes near the respective components.
[0072] A licensed telecommunication system can be expanded with licenses purchased later, and here a license expansion is shown as the aforementioned on-line licensing. Here a customer who has purchased additional licenses receives a “License Authorization Code” LAC for license activation. This “License Authorization Code” LAC contains all of the licenses with a validity period, such as one year. On-line licensing is started via the “Web-Based Management” WBM. Through it, the telecommunication system sends the Mac addresses and “License Authorization Codes” LAC to the “Central License Server” CLS′. The “Central License Server” CLS′ generates a new license file from that data and any other existing license file. This new license file is downloaded into the telecommunication system as an encoded license file. The validity period for the activated licenses begins when the license file is downloaded. According to the invention, the customer must be actively registered through the WMB on the “Central License Server” CLS′.
[0073] The time control for the second embodiment takes place as follows. With the “Web-Based Management” WBM, a table can be configured in which the start time for the license package and its respective “License Authorization Codes” LAC are stored. Individual license packages could be, for example:
a number of limited-time terminal licenses, e.g., for one year, and an additional quantity of trunk line licenses.
[0076] This allows a number of temporary employees to be supported with temporary access to a license, such as project workers or Call Center employees. This new system component in “Customer Site Component, modular” CSCm′ tests the activation data in cycles. If a configured date is entered, the telecommunication system connects with the “Central License Server” CLS′ and sends the appropriate MAC address and “License Authorization Codes” LAC. The new license file generated by the “Central License Server” CLS′ is downloaded and activated.
[0077] The process described here is explained in FIG. 4 with respect to the block diagram for the first embodiment as in FIG. 2 with additional comments for some components.
[0078] It offers the advantage that the telecommunication system can be preconfigured once on one day, and the licenses can be started later at a preconfigured point in time.
[0079] A third embodiment of the telecommunication system OSO MX′ per the invention, shown in FIG. 5 , goes beyond the first embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2 with an additional two groups of IP terminals that are connected to the licensing component “License Management Feature Process” LMFP′ through a Local Area Network (LAN).
[0080] The first group consists of five IP terminals, each with voicemail (also called an answering machine), that are designated with the information “previous license” and which—as indicated in the comment box with “license file (old)”—are licensed with a license for a group of five IP terminals through “license file (old),” wherein three of the five IP terminals have the additional feature of “Voicemail” under “license file (old).” The second group consists of two newly connected IP terminals, designated with the information “additional license” and also labeled “not in use.”
[0081] By means of a licensing change, the new license file for the two additional IP terminals in the second group has been downloaded on line, and the previous license file—designated in the comment box as “license file (old)”—should be expanded as of the moment of activation. From the moment of activation, the telecommunication system OSO MX′ now has a license for all seven IP terminals from the first and second groups together, and the additional feature of “Voicemail” is licensed for only three IP terminals.
[0082] This third embodiment shows how additional IP terminals can easily be connected by the customer as licensee on line by later expansion of the telecommunication system OSO MX′ per the invention by simply activating additional licenses, without a technician having to make hardware changes to the telecommunication system OSO MX′.
[0083] In one modification to this third embodiment, corresponding to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , at the start of on-line licensing the “Web-Based Management” WBM′ sends the MAC address of the telecommunication system OSO MX′ and the “License Authorization Code” LAC to the “Central License Server” CLS′, whereupon the “Central License Server” CLS′ downloads the additional license file for the two additional IP terminals in the second group into the telecommunication system OSO MX′ as an encoded license file; the new license file “License file (new)” is then generated from this encoded license file and the previous license file “License file (old),” and the validity time period for the licenses activated, for example, by downloading the encoded license file for all seven IP terminals begins with that moment of activation.
Literature List
[0084] [1]: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Hofmannstr. 51, D-80200 Munich, May 2010, “Getting Started, OpenScape Office MX, 2nd Edition,” Reference No.; A31003-P1020-G 100-2-31, 4 pages.
[0085] [2]: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Hofmannstr. 51, D-80200 Munich: “OpenScape Office MX (de),” pages 1-5, (version dated: Feb. 29, 2012)
[0086] [3]: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Hofmannstr. 51, D-80200 Munich: “OpenScape Office LX/MX (de),” pages 1-10, (version dated: Feb. 29, 2012)
[0087] [4]: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Hofmannstr. 51, D-80200 Munich: “OpenScape Office MX Offene Schnittstellen,” pages 1-5, (version dated: Feb. 29, 2012)
[0088] [5]: Siemens Enterprise Communications, Hofmannstr. 51, D-80200 Munich: “Information-OpenScape Office MX und OpenScape Office LX -Die Unified Communications Lösung für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen,” Reference No.: A31002-P1030-D100-1-29, 12 pages | The invention relates to a method and a device for starting limited-time licenses for a telecommunication system (OSO MX′) in a controlled manner, said system comprising a number of IP terminals connected thereto, preferably IP telephone devices. The licenses acquired by the respective customer for the telecommunication system (OSO MX′) are downloaded from a central license server (CLS′) on the internet. A date and a time, and thus an activation time period, are configured via a browser dialog using the web-based management component (WBM′) which is connected to the internet for the purpose of an activation the first time the telecommunication system (OSO MX′) is started, whereby the maximally allowed use time for using the licenses at no charge is set. After the maximally allowed use time expires, the use of those licenses for which no right of use has been acquired is prohibited. | 6 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to technology for converting an AC voltage to a DC voltage, more particularly relates to technology built into a switching power supply device and generating a desired power supply voltage based on an electric signal excited in a secondary winding of a transformer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a switching power supply device, sometimes a drive circuit for operating the switching element and an auxiliary power supply circuit for supplying electric power to the control circuit are provided. An example of this auxiliary power supply circuit will be described related to FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a forward type switching power supply device in related art. In FIG. 1 , in addition to a basic configuration of the forward type switching power supply device, an auxiliary power supply circuit generating a power supply voltage supplied to a control circuit node (not shown) for driving a rectification circuit on the secondary side of a transformer T 1 is shown.
The auxiliary power supply circuit shown in FIG. 1 includes a diode D 100 , capacitors C 200 and C 300 , a transistor Q 100 , and a resistor R 100 and generates a targeted power supply voltage Vcc from an emitter of the transistor Q 100 . In the auxiliary power supply circuit of FIG. 1 , a pulse width modulation signal using an input voltage V1 as a peak voltage is given to the transformer T 1 under the control of a switch element M 300 . Usually, in order to reduce the stress of a load at the time of activation of the power source, the switching power supply device performs a soft start gradually raising an output voltage until a prescribed value is reached. In this soft start, the PWM signal given to the transformer T 1 gradually prolongs a conductive time of the switch element M 300 , that is, gradually enlarges a duty ratio.
In the auxiliary power supply circuit of FIG. 1 , when a voltage Vs of one end of the secondary winding of the transformer T 1 is positive, a base current is supplied to the transistor Q 100 through the diode D 100 , the transistor Q 100 turns on, and the desired power supply voltage Vcc is generated on both ends of the capacitor C 300 .
In the auxiliary power supply circuit shown in FIG. 1 , however, when the voltage Vs of one end of the secondary winding of the transformer T 1 becomes positive, it quickly turns on the transistor Q 100 , therefore the response of the power supply voltage Vcc is fast, so overshoot of an output voltage VO due to a delay of the power supply voltage Vcc can be reduced. However, after the power supply voltage reaches the prescribed value, there is a disadvantage of a large loss of the electric power by the transistor Q 100 . Therefore, an auxiliary power supply circuit with a high efficiency cannot be configured in the switching power supply device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore desirable in the present invention to provide a voltage conversion circuit and a switching power supply device achieving both a good response so as to achieve a DC output in the transit period up to be stable in input and low loss of the power supply voltage.
According to the present invention, there is provided a voltage conversion circuit comprising a main voltage conversion portion for conversion an input AC voltage to a DC voltage and outputting from an output terminal; an auxiliary voltage conversion portion for inputting the AC voltage, converting the AC voltage to a DC voltage in transit period of the AC voltage up to shifting to a stationary state and capable of outputting to the output terminal; a voltage limiting portion for limiting the DC voltage output from the auxiliary voltage conversion portion to a constant limit-voltage; and an output control switch connected in a pass between an output of the auxiliary voltage conversion portion and the output terminal and for switching the pass to conductive or nonconductive possible to apply a higher voltage in between a voltage at the output terminal and the limit-voltage based on their magnitude relation.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a switching power supply device comprising: a switching circuit for switching an input voltage and generating a pulse width modulation signal; a transformer having a secondary winding and receiving the pulse width modulation signal; a rectification circuit including a plurality of switch elements for rectifying a voltage excited in the secondary winding of the transformer; a control circuit for switching conductive states of the plurality of rectifiers based on an output voltage of the rectification circuit; and a power supply voltage generation circuit for generation a power supply voltage to be supplied to the control circuit, wherein the power supply voltage generation circuit comprises a main voltage conversion portion for conversion an AC voltage exited on a secondary side of the transformer to a DC voltage and outputting the DC voltage to an output terminal connected with the control circuit, an auxiliary voltage conversion portion for inputting the AC voltage, converting the AC voltage to a DC voltage in transit period of the AC voltage up to shifting to a stationary state and capable of outputting the DC voltage to the output terminal, a voltage limiting portion for limiting the DC voltage output from the auxiliary voltage conversion portion to a constant limit-voltage, and an output control switch connected in a pass between an output of the auxiliary voltage conversion portion and the output terminal and for switching the pass to conductive or nonconductive possible to apply a higher voltage in between a voltage at the output terminal and the limit-voltage based on their magnitude relation.
In the above present invention, wherein the switching circuit executes a soft start control in which duty ratio of the pulse width modulation signal linearly increases up to a stable state having a constant duty ratio.
Note that, in the present invention, the “AC voltage excited on the secondary side of the transformer” is can be input via not only one terminal of the secondary winding, but also for example one end of a control winding, an auxiliary winding, or the like provided on the secondary side.
According to the present invention, it becomes possible to achieve both a good response and a low loss of the input AC voltage or the power supply voltage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of the preferred embodiments given with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the circuit configuration of a forward type switching power supply device of the related art;
FIG. 2 is a diagram of the system configuration of a switching power supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of an auxiliary power supply circuit;
FIGS. 4A to 4D are timing charts showing an operation at the time of activation of the auxiliary power supply circuit;
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the circuit configuration of a synchronized rectification circuit of the switching power supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 6A to 6E are timing charts showing the operation of the synchronized rectification circuit; and
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a modification of the switching power supply device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Below, a switching power supply device provided with a voltage conversion circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the attached drawings.
First Embodiment
FIG. 2 is a diagram of the system configuration of a switching power supply device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, as an example, a forward type switching power supply device 1 is described below. In the forward type switching power supply device 1 , an input voltage VI is given to a primary side of the transformer T 1 . The transformer T 1 is given a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal using the input voltage VI as a peak voltage by the switch operation of an NMOS transistor M 3 . The PWM signal is transmitted to the secondary side with the same polarity by the transformer T 1 .
On the secondary side of the transformer T 1 , a coil L 2 is connected between one end of the secondary winding and a node 120 (output terminal), and a capacitor C 3 is connected between the node 120 (output terminal) and a node 121 (ground terminal) to thereby configure a smoothing circuit of choke input type. Further, the rectification circuit is configured by an NMOS transistor M 2 rectifying the current when ON and an NMOS transistor M 1 for carrying the energy released from the choke (coil L 2 ) when the NMOS transistor M 2 is OFF.
The secondary side control circuit 30 monitors the output voltage VO and controls the conductive states of the NMOS transistors M 1 and M 2 by control signals CTRL 1 and CTRL 2 so that the output voltage VO becomes a desired value. The output voltage VO is insulated by for example a photocoupler via the secondary side control circuit 30 and transmitted to the primary side control circuit 20 . The primary side control circuit 20 controls the conductive state of the NMOS transistor M 3 by a control signal CTRL 3 so that the output voltage VO becomes the desired value. Namely, the duty ratio of the PWM signal given to the transformer T 1 is controlled.
The transformer T 1 is provided with an auxiliary winding AW. The power of the PWM signal generated on the primary side of the transformer T 1 is transmitted via this auxiliary winding AW by the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 . The auxiliary power supply circuit 10 generates the power supply voltage Vcc supplied to the secondary side control circuit 30 based on this power. This auxiliary power supply circuit 10 corresponds to the voltage conversion circuit of the power supply voltage generation circuit of the present invention.
Next, the specific configuration of the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 is described below with reference to FIG. 3 . FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 .
Usually, the switching power supply device reduces the stress of the load at the time of activation of the power source by gradually raising the output voltage until the prescribed value is reached in a “soft start”. In this soft start, the PWM signal given to the transformer T 1 gradually increases the conductive time of the switch element M 3 , that is, gradually enlarges the duty ratio. In the present embodiment, in the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 , as shown in FIG. 3 , a circuit block 11 and a circuit block 12 are connected in parallel between a node 100 (one end of the auxiliary winding AW) and a node 108 (output terminal of the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 ). The circuit block 11 is a linear mode use circuit having a high response in a transit period until the power supply voltage reaches the prescribed value Vcc, while the circuit block 12 becomes a switching mode use circuit having a high efficiency in a period after the power supply voltage reaches the prescribed value Vcc.
Below, the circuit configurations of the circuit blocks 11 and 12 are described.
The circuit block 11 includes a transistor Q 1 , diodes D 1 and D 2 , a resistor R 1 , and a capacitor C 1 . The diode D 1 is connected at the anode to the node 100 and connected at the cathode to a node 101 . The diode D 1 turns on when a predetermined positive voltage is generated in the voltage Vs of the node 100 as one end of the auxiliary winding AW and transmits the voltage Vs to the capacitor C 1 and the collector etc. of the transistor Q 1 . The capacitor C 1 is connected between the node 101 and a node 102 (ground terminal). The capacitor C 1 is charged when the voltage Vs is the positive voltage and holds its charged voltage when the voltage Vs is 0. The resistor R 1 is connected between a node 103 and a node 104 and supplies the base current to the transistor Q 1 . The diode D 2 is connected between the node 104 and a node 105 (ground terminal). The diode D 2 is a Zener diode (constant voltage diode) provided for clamping the output voltage of the circuit block 11 , that is, the emitter voltage of the transistor Q 1 , to a predetermined level. Note that a breakdown voltage of the diode D 2 is set to a value a little smaller than (target power supply voltage V TAR —forward direction voltage V BE of transistor Q 1 ). Due to the above configuration, the circuit block 11 linearly generates the output voltage with respect to the input voltage Vs, therefore functions in a linear mode.
The circuit block 12 includes a coil L 1 , a capacitor C 2 , and diodes D 3 and D 4 . The diode D 3 is connected at the anode to the node 100 (one end of the auxiliary winding AW) and connected at the cathode to a node 106 . The diode D 3 turns on when the voltage Vs is a positive voltage and rectifies the voltage generated in the auxiliary winding AW. The coil L 1 is connected between the node 106 and the node 108 (power supply voltage output terminal), and the capacitor C 2 is connected between the node 108 and a node 109 (ground terminal). The coil L 1 and the capacitor C 2 configure a smoothing circuit. Due to this, the ripple of the voltage rectified by the diode D 3 and the current is reduced, and the power supply voltage output is generated at the node 108 . Note that the output response with respect to the voltage Vs is delayed when compared with the circuit block 11 . The diode D 4 is connected between the node 106 and a node 107 (ground terminal) and functions as a return diode. Namely, during the period when the voltage Vs is 0, it releases the energy stored in the coil L 1 . Due to the above configuration, the circuit block 12 operates in response to the switching on the primary side of the transformer T 1 , therefore functions as a switching mode.
In the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 shown in FIG. 3 , the circuit block 11 and the circuit block 12 are connected in parallel between the node 100 (one end of the auxiliary winding AW) and the node 108 (power supply voltage output terminal), but at the time of the start of operation of the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 , first, the voltage generated by the circuit block 11 is output, then, during the period until the output voltage Vcc reaches the target power supply voltage V TAR , the conductive state of the output route of the circuit block 11 is switched so that the voltage generated by the circuit block 12 is output. Namely, at the time of the start of the operation, it operates in the linear mode first, then switches to the switching mode. This switching operation is described below.
In a soft start, the duty ratio immediately after the PWM signal generated on the primary side of the transformer T 1 at the time of the activation of the power source is started is small. Due to the delay operation of the coil L 1 and the capacitor C 2 , the rise of the output is delayed in the circuit block 12 . On the other hand, in the circuit block 11 , irrespective of the small duty ratio, due to the first rise of the voltage Vs generated in accordance with the peak voltage of the PWM signal, the diode D 1 and the transistor Q 1 quickly turn on, and the rise of the output is fast. Accordingly, immediately after activation by a soft start, the power supply voltage output Vcc observed at the node 108 is generated by the circuits block 11 .
Thereafter, the duty ratio increases, so the output generated by the circuit block 12 (output of the coil L 1 ) gradually rises. On the other hand, the output of the circuit block 11 (emitter voltage of the transistor Q 1 ) cannot reach the target power supply voltage V TAR since the breakdown voltage of the Zener diode D 2 is set at a value a little smaller than (target power supply voltage V TAR —forward direction voltage V VE of transistor Q 1 ). Then, the transistor Q 1 turns off since V BE becomes smaller than 0.7V before the output generated by the circuit block 12 reaches the target power supply voltage V TAR . Thereafter, the circuit block 11 cannot output. Accordingly, the conductive state of output route is switched before the target power supply voltage V TAR is observed in the node 108 . Then, after the target power supply voltage V TAR is generated in the node 108 , the power supply voltage will be generated mainly by the circuit block 12 . In this way, the linear mode is switched to the switching mode.
Next, the operation at the time of activation of the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 is described below with reference to the timing charts of FIGS. 4A to 4D . FIG. 4A shows a waveform of the voltage Vs of the auxiliary winding AW, FIG. 4B shows a waveform of a charge voltage V C1 , of the capacitor C 1 of the circuit block 11 , FIG. 4C shows a waveform of an output voltage V sw of the circuit block 12 when assuming that the circuit block 11 does not exist, and FIG. 4D shows a waveform of the output voltage Vcc of the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 .
As shown in FIG. 4A , at the soft start, the duty ratio immediately after the PWM signal generated on the primary side of the transformer T 1 at the time of the activation of the power source is started is small. The period where the voltage Vs is a peak voltage V peak gradually increases. In the circuit block 11 , the first pulse of the voltage Vs passes through the diode D 1 and quickly charges the capacitor C 1 . As shown in FIG. 4B , the charge voltage V C1 of the capacitor C 1 becomes (V peak −V F ) (V F : forward direction voltage of the diode D 1 ) soon. Further, due to the first pulse of the voltage Vs, the base current is supplied via the resistor R 1 to the transistor Q 1 and the transistor Q 1 quickly turns on. As shown in FIG. 4B , the output voltage Vcc in the node 108 becomes (V Z −V BE ) (V Z : breakdown voltage of the diode D 2 ). In this way, immediately after the activation of the power source, the output becomes output in the linear mode.
Immediately after the commencement of the soft start, when assuming that the circuit block 11 does not exist, the rise of the output of the circuit block 12 becomes very slow as shown in FIG. 4C due to the delay operation of the coil L 1 and the capacitor C 2 .
Next, as the duty ratio of the voltage Vs increases, the output generated by the circuit block 12 (output of the coil L 1 ) gradually rises. On the other hand, the output of the circuit block 11 (emitter voltage of the transistor Q 1 ) cannot reach the target power supply voltage V TAR since the breakdown voltage Vz of the Zener diode D 2 is set at a value slightly smaller than the (target power supply voltage V TAR —forward direction voltage V BE of the transistor Q 1 ). Next, at a time t 1 of FIGS. 4A to 4D , the output voltage generated by the circuit block 12 coincides with (V Z −V BE ). The transistor Q 1 turns off at the time t 1 (V BE =0.7V). After the time t 1 , the output becomes output in the switching mode of the circuit block 12 . Namely, after the time t 1 , the waveforms shown in FIGS. 4C and 4D coincide. The time t 1 which becomes the switching timing from the linear mode to the switching mode is set so as to become earlier than a rising time t 2 of the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 .
As described above, according to the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 according to the present embodiment, the circuit block 11 operating in the linear mode and the circuit block 12 operating in the switching mode are connected in parallel between the node 100 of one end of the auxiliary winding AW of the transformer T 1 and the power supply output terminal (node 108 ). Immediately after the activation of the power source, the conductive state of output route is switched so that the power supply voltage Vcc is generated by the circuit block 11 , and the power supply voltage Vcc is generated by the circuit block 12 before the target power supply voltage is reached. Accordingly, the following effects are obtained.
Namely, immediately after the activation of the power source, the circuit block 11 operates and the output voltage Vcc quickly rises up to (V Z −V BE ) (value very near the target power supply voltage V TAR ), therefore the secondary side control circuit 30 can start normal operation soon. Accordingly, in the switching power supply device 1 according to the present embodiment, overshoot of the output voltage VO etc. which may occur since the rectifiers constituted by the NMOS transistors M 1 and M 2 are not correctly controlled immediately after activation do not occur.
Further, in the circuit block 11 , the loss due to the transistor Q 1 is large although the response speed of the output is fast, but after the output voltage Vcc of the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 reaches the target power supply voltage V TAR (more accurately, (V Z −V BE )), the output voltage Vcc is generated mainly through the circuit block 11 , therefore there is almost no power loss, and the efficiency is very high. In this way, in the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 , by switching between the linear mode by the circuit block 11 and the switching mode by the circuit block 12 immediately after activation, a good response and a low loss (high efficiency) of the power supply voltage can be achieved.
Note that, in the explanation of the embodiment mentioned above, the case of the soft start was described, but even in a case where the soft start is not carried out, the response delay by the circuit block 12 occurs, therefore the same effects are obtained. Where the soft start is carried out, the duty ratio immediately after the activation is very small, and a quick output response by the circuit block 12 can not be expected, therefore it can be the that effects of the present invention are particularly big. Namely, the responsibility and low loss of the output by the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 can be made consistent while considering the stress of the load of the switching power supply device 1 .
Note that the correspondence between the embodiment described above and the claims will be described below. The transformer T 1 corresponds to the “transformer” of the claims of the present invention. The transistor Q 1 corresponds to the “output control switch” of the claims of the present invention. The capacitors C 1 and C 2 correspond to the “first and second capacitors” of the claims of the present invention. The diodes D 1 , D 2 , D 3 , and D 4 correspond to the “first, second, third, and fourth diodes” of the claims of the present invention. Further, the diode also corresponds to the “voltage limiting portion”. The coil L 1 corresponds to the “inductor” of the claims of the present invention. The circuit blocks 12 correspond to the “main voltage conversion portion” of the claims of the present invention. The diode D 1 and the capacitor C 1 correspond to the “auxiliary voltage conversion portion” of the claims of the present invention.
Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention is described. In the present embodiment, there is described below the mode of assembling the power supply voltage generation circuit of the present invention in a synchronized rectification circuit of a current doubler type switching power supply device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the circuit configuration of a synchronized rectification circuit 50 on the secondary side of the transformer T 1 in a switching power supply device 2 according to the present embodiment.
In the switching power supply device 2 , under the control of a not shown primary side, the transformer T 1 is controlled so as to alternately output a plus voltage and a minus voltage, turn off a rectifier constituted by the NMOS transistor M 10 when outputting the plus voltage, and turn off a rectifier constituted by the NMOS transistor M 20 when outputting the minus voltage. Note that when there is no output from the transformer T 1 , both of the rectification use NMOS transistor M 10 and the SW 2 become ON, and a commutation state where the energy stored in an inductor L 10 or L 20 is released is exhibited.
A synchronized rectification circuit 50 of FIG. 5 is configured by two systems of drive circuits performing reverse operations to each other in one cycle in order to control the NMOS transistors M 10 and M 20 . Namely, the synchronized rectification circuit 50 has a drive circuit 51 for the rectification use NMOS transistor M 10 and a drive circuit 52 for the rectification use NMOS transistor M 20 . The drive circuits 51 and 52 are symmetric about the ground line. FIG. 5 shows the circuit configuration of only the drive circuit 51 as a representative case. Below, the configuration of the drive circuit 51 will be described.
In FIG. 5 , the drive circuit 51 receives a trigger signal Vt 1 having a narrow bandwidth from a node 199 and supplies it to an NMOS transistor M 30 . Note that, a trigger signal Vt 2 (not shown) fetched by the drive circuit 52 is a signal obtained by inversion of the phase from the trigger signal Vt 1 . The time when the drive circuit 51 receives the trigger signal Vt 1 is set so as to become slightly earlier than the time when the voltage generated on the secondary side of the transformer T 1 becomes plus. Due to this, before the V ds of the NMOS transistor M 10 rises, the NMOS transistor M 10 is turned off. Accordingly, at the time of the start of rectification of the NMOS transistor M 20 , a penetration current is prevented from flowing between the NMOS transistors M 10 and M 20 .
The N channel transistor M 30 is a control transistor for controlling the potential level of a node 201 . The N channel transistor M 30 is connected at the gate to the node 199 , connected at the source to the ground terminal, and connected at the drain to bases of the transistors Q 20 and Q 30 . Accordingly, it turns on in accordance with the time when the trigger signal Vt rises and makes the node 201 the ground potential.
The transistor Q 30 is a control transistor for controlling the NMOS transistor M 10 . An emitter of the transistor Q 30 is connected to a gate of the NMOS transistor M 10 , and a collector is connected to a ground terminal. A base of the transistor Q 30 is connected via the node 201 to the drain of an N channel transistor M 40 . Accordingly, the transistor Q 30 turns on when the potential level of the node 201 becomes the ground potential, drains the gate charges of the NMOS transistor M 10 , and turns off the NMOS transistor M 10 .
The transistor Q 20 is a control transistor for controlling the NMOS transistor M 10 . An emitter of the transistor Q 20 is connected to a gate of the NMOS transistor M 10 , and a collector is connected to a node 202 . A base of the transistor Q 20 is connected via the node 201 to the drain of the N channel transistor M 40 . In the state where the transistor Q 20 becomes ON, the discharged current of a coil L 30 charges the gate of the NMOS transistor M 10 in the route from base to emitter of the transistor Q 20 . At the same time, the charge voltage of the capacitor C 30 charges the gate of the NMOS transistor M 10 by the route from the collector to the emitter.
The N channel transistor M 40 is a control transistor for controlling the potential level of the node 201 . The trigger signal Vt 1 fetched from the node 199 returns to 0V soon in a shorter time than the time during which the voltage on the secondary side of the transformer T 1 holds the H level, therefore, during the period where the Vs holds the H level (positive voltage) after the trigger signal Vt 1 becomes 0V, the node 201 is brought to the ground potential by the N channel transistor M 40 turning on. A gate of the N channel transistor M 40 is connected to a node 203 , a drain is connected to the node 201 , and a source is connected to the ground terminal.
A resistor R 20 and a diode D 60 are connected between a node 200 and the ground terminal, and the node between the resistor R 20 and the diode D 60 , that is, the node 203 , is connected to the gate of the N channel transistor M 40 . The diode D 60 and the resistor R 20 configure a protection circuit for enabling adjustment of the gate potential level of the N channel transistor M 40 and protecting it.
The coil L 30 and a diode D 40 are connected in series between the node 200 and a node 204 . A diode D 30 is connected between the node 204 and the node 202 . The node 204 and the node 201 are connected. The node 201 is connected to bases of the transistors Q 20 and Q 30 for controlling the NMOS transistor M 10 . Due to this, when the voltage generated on the secondary side of the transformer T 1 is at the H level (positive voltage), that is, when the node 200 is at the H level (positive voltage), the energy is stored by a current I L30 of the coil L 30 , while when the voltage generated on the secondary side of the transformer T 1 is at the L level (0V), that is, when the node 200 is at the L level (0V), the stored energy is released. By this released energy, the gate of the NMOS transistor M 10 is charged, the NMOS transistor M 10 is quickly turned on, and, at the same time, the excess of the released energy is stored in the capacitor C 30 .
The capacitor C 30 is connected between a node 205 and the ground terminal. The capacitor C 30 clamps the gate-source voltage V gs of the NMOS transistor M 10 by its charge voltage via the transistor Q 20 . Further, when the voltage generated on the secondary side of the transformer T 1 becomes the L level, the capacitor C 30 quickly charges the gate of the NMOS transistor M 10 via the collector→emitter of the transistor Q 20 and turns on it.
The configuration of the drive circuit 51 was mainly described above, but the same is also true for the drive circuit 52 . In this way, in the synchronized rectification circuit 50 , the NMOS transistors M 10 and M 20 alternately perform a rectification operation in accordance with the polarity of the voltage generated on the secondary side of the transformer T 1 .
As described above, the drive circuit 51 drives the NMOS transistor M 10 based on a signal obtained by combining the trigger signal Vt 1 advanced in the rising timing with respect to the output of the transformer T 1 and the drain voltage of the N channel transistor M 40 . At that time, the energy of the coil L 10 is controlled and the gate of the NMOS transistor M 10 is charged or discharged for the drive, therefore the time for turning on the parasitic diode of the NMOS transistor M 10 is very short. Further, in the synchronized rectification circuit 50 , no penetration current is generated in the NMOS transistors M 10 and M 20 . The NMOS transistor M 10 is always ON even at the time of commutation. Therefore, a circuit having an extremely high efficiency at the time of synchronized rectification is obtained.
In this synchronized rectification circuit 50 , the drive circuit 51 includes a circuit corresponding to the circuit block 12 performing the switching mode operation described in the first embodiment. Namely, the coil L 30 corresponds to the coil L 1 in FIG. 3 . The diodes D 30 and D 40 correspond to the diode D 3 in FIG. 3 . The capacitor C 30 corresponds to the capacitor C 2 in FIG. 3 . The NMOS transistor M 10 corresponds to the return diode D 4 in FIG. 3 . The synchronized rectification circuit 50 , as shown in FIG. 5 , is provided with a circuit block 11 a corresponding to the circuit block 11 performing the linear mode operation described in the first embodiment. Note that the configuration of the circuit block 11 a is the same as that of the circuit block 11 , so the explanation is omitted here.
Immediately after the start of activation of the switching power supply device 2 , the positive voltage generated in the secondary winding of the transformer T 1 is supplied to the diode D 10 of the circuit block 11 a , the base current is supplied to the transistor Q 10 via the resistor R 10 , and the transistor Q 10 quickly turns on, therefore the voltage of the node 205 becomes (V Z −V BE ) (note that, V z : breakdown voltage of the diode D 20 , V BE : forward direction voltage between the base and the emitter of the transistor Q 10 ). Thereafter, by the positive voltage generated in the secondary winding of the transformer T 1 , when the output by the switching mode increases through a route of node 200 →node 204 →node 202 →node 205 , the operation switches from the linear mode to the switching mode, and the voltage of the node 205 (output terminal of the voltage Vcc) is determined mainly by the drive circuit 51 .
FIGS. 6A to 6E are timing charts showing the operation of the synchronized rectification circuit 50 , in which FIG. 6A shows a waveform of V ds of the NMOS transistor M 10 , FIG. 6B shows a waveform of V ds of the NMOS transistor M 20 , FIG. 6C shows a waveform of a charge voltage V C20 of the capacitor C 20 of the circuit block 11 a , FIG. 6D shows a waveform of the output voltage V SW of the node 205 when assuming that the circuit block 11 a does not exist, and FIG. 6E shows a waveform of the actual output voltage Vcc of the node 205 .
In the synchronized rectification circuit 50 , as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B , V ds of the NMOS transistors M 10 and M 20 gradually increase in duty ratio by the soft start. At the time of normal operation, their phases of them are offset by 180 degrees. Here, the peak voltage of V ds is V peak . The circuit block 11 a is provided in only the drive circuit 51 . As shown in FIG. 6C , the capacitor C 20 is quickly charged to (V peak −V F (D 10 )) in response to the first pulse generated in V ds of the NMOS transistor M 10 . In the same way as the explanation with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4D in the first embodiment, the operation switches from the linear mode to the switching mode at the time t 1 . Thereafter, the voltage of the node 205 is generated by the drive circuit 51 . Since, as described above, the synchronized rectification circuit 50 according to the present embodiment includes a circuit block operating in the linear mode and a circuit block operating in the switching mode, effects the same as those of the auxiliary power supply circuit 10 described in the first embodiment are obtained. Namely, power supply voltage achieving both a good response and low loss can be extracted from the node 205 .
Note that it is possible to suitably modify the circuit configuration described in the above embodiment. For example, FIG. 7 is a modification of the switching power supply device 2 shown in FIG. 5 to a center tap synchronized rectification type, but the operation is the same as that of the switching power supply device 2 . Further, the circuit configuration shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 7 can be widely applied to a push-pull type, half bridge type, or full bridge type switching power supply device.
It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof. | A voltage conversion circuit and a switching power supply device achieving both a good response and a low loss of a power supply voltage, wherein a main voltage conversion portion (circuit block) for conversion an AC voltage to a DC voltage, an auxiliary voltage conversion portion for the same conversion but in transit period up to shifting to a stationary state, a voltage limiting portion (Zener diode) for limiting the DC voltage output from the auxiliary voltage conversion portion to a constant limit-voltage, and an output control switch (transistor) connected in the output pass and for switching the pass to conductive or nonconductive possible to apply a higher voltage in between a voltage at the output node and the limit-voltage based on their magnitude relation. | 7 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of biochemical separation, and relates to a method for separating butanol.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Biobutanol is mainly used in producing plasticizers, such as dibutyl phthalate and aliphatic dicarboxylic acid butyl esters, and is therefore widely used in the production of a variety of plastic and rubber products. Butanol can also be used to produce butyraldehyde, butyric acid, butylamine and butyl acetate, which can be used as the solvents of the resins, paints and adhesives, and also can be used as extractants of greases, drugs, and perfumes, and as additives for alkyd resin coatings. Meanwhile, butanol is also a new biofuel of great potential.
[0003] Biobutanol is produced through the method of microbial fermentation, in the method, renewable biomasses, such as starchiness, pulp waste, molasses and wild plants are used as the raw material, and Clostridium acetobutylicum or Clostridium beijerinckii is inoculated thereinto, and then acetone, butanol and ethanol and other products are produced through complicated biochemical changes. Therefore, the above fermentation process for producing biobutanol is also called ABE (acetone-butanol-ethanol) fermentation. Due to toxic effects of butanol on the bacteria, severe product inhibition occurs during the entire fermentation process, and when the concentration of butanol reaches a certain value, the microorganism stops growing, therefore, the concentration of butanol in the fermentation broth is very low, and the cost of recovering butanol by the conventional distillation method is extremely high.
[0004] In order to solve this key problem, it is necessary to adopt an effective method to remove the products of ABE from the fermentation broth, reduce the inhibition effect of the products, thereby improving the yield of fermentation and reducing the industrial cost.
[0005] Currently, major technologies for separating the fermentation products of ABE include gas stripping (GS), liquid-liquid extraction, pervaporation (PV) and adsorption. Meagher et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,967) adopt the method of pervaporation to separate acetone and butanol by developing a zeolite membrane filled with silicone rubber, and the zeolite membrane has excellent selective adsorption on acetone and butanol compared with adsorption on the ethanol, acetic acid and butyric acid. Qureshi, N. et al. (Qureshi, N., et al., 2005, Bioprocess and Biosystems Enfineering, 27(4): 215-222) recover biobutanol by the method of adsorption-desorption, in terms of energy consumption, the method of adsorption-desorption is the best recovery process, which mainly studies the adsorption performances of some adsorption media, including activated carbon, bone char, siliceous rock, polymer resin XAD-4 and XAD-7, and polyvinyl pyridine resin. However, the total recovery rate of butanol is low due to the following two reasons: on the one hand, the adsorption capacity of the adsorption media is low, such as less than 100 mg butanol/g adsorbent; on the other hand, butanol cannot be desorbed from the adsorbent effectively. DIJK et al. (WO 2008/095896 A1) separate biobutanol by using a hypercrosslinked microporous resin, but the resin adsorbs a certain amount of acetone and ethanol, which increases the cost for later separation processes. Arjan Oudshoorn et al. (Biochemical Engineering Journal 2009, 48:99-103) adopt the zeolite to adsorb and separate biobutanol, and investigate adsorption performances of three zeolites including CBV28014, CBV811, CBV901 on biobutanol, but the problems of this method are that the adsorption capacity of the zeolite on the biobutanol is not high, and acetone and ethanol are also adsorbed while butanol is adsorbed, resulting in the increase of cost for later separation. David R. Nielsen et al. (Biotechnology and Bioengineering 2009, 102(3): 811-821) recover biobutanol in situ by utilizing a polymer resin, and investigates the adsorption performance of the polymer resin on biobutanol, but there are problems on this method, for example the resin contacts with the fermentation broth directly, causing contamination to the resin, some resins have poor biocompatibility, and can adsorb the substrate of glucose and intermediates of the fermentation reaction, some resins have relatively low adsorption capacity, and the resins adsorb large amounts of acetone and ethanol although they have higher adsorption capacity on butanol.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a novel method for separating butanol, to recover butanol economically and effectively.
[0007] The above object of the present invention is implemented by the following technical solution.
[0008] The present invention provides a method for separating butanol, which includes the following steps: 1) adsorbing butanol in a mixed solution by a hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent to reach saturation; 2) desorbing butanol from the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent through a method of thermal desorption.
[0009] Preferably, the adsorption temperature in the step 1) is 30˜37° C.
[0010] Preferably, the step 1) further includes the step of shaking the mixed solution at a rate of 20˜250 rpm during adsorption.
[0011] Preferably, the weight volume ratio (g/mL) of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent to the mixed solution used in the step 1) is 1:50.
[0012] Preferably, the desorption temperature in the step 2) is above 120° C.
[0013] Preferably, the initial concentration of the butanol in the mixed solution is 5˜350 g/L.
[0014] Preferably, the mixed solution further includes ethanol and acetone, preferably from fermentation broth;
[0015] Preferably, the butanol is n-butanol.
[0016] Preferably, the method further includes the step of regenerating the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent; more preferably, the regeneration of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent and desorption of the butanol are completed simultaneously.
[0017] Preferably, the step 1) further includes the step of shaking the mixed solution at a rate of 20˜250 rpm during adsorption.
[0018] Preferably, the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is selected from one or more of the group consisting of styrene-diethyl benzene, polyacrylamide, amide group cyano group and phenolic hydroxyl.
[0019] Preferably, the inner surface area of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is 100˜2000 m 2 /g.
[0020] Preferably, the particle size of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is 20˜60 mesh.
[0021] Preferably, the pore diameter of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is 1˜180 nm; and the pore volume of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is 0.4˜3 cm 3 /g.
[0022] Preferably, the wet apparent density of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is 590˜750 g/L;
[0023] Preferably, the water content of the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent is 40˜80%.
[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the following two hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbents are selected to separate butanol: one adsorbent is a non-polar resin, which has a skeleton structure of styrene-diethyl benzene without any functional group, and mainly relies on the n-alkyl side chain of butanol and the benzene ring in the skeleton structure of styrene-diethyl benzene to generate hydrophobic interaction force, that's to say, a hydrophobic interaction force; and another adsorbent is a polar resin, which has a skeleton structure of polyacrylamide, and its functional groups are generally polar functional groups containing nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur, such as amide group cyano group and phenolic hydroxy, and the adsorbent mainly relies on the alcoholic hydroxyls of butanol and hydroxyls of polar functional groups in the polar adsorbent resin to generate hydrogen bonding force. After the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent adsorbs the solution containing acetone, butanol and ethanol to reach saturation, water is used to wash the residual solution which is not adsorbed first, and then butanol is desorbed from the adsorbent through the method of thermal desorption while the adsorbent is regenerated.
[0025] Butanol is a hydrophobic and volatile substance, and mainly relies on the adsorption force caused by van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds to combine with the adsorbent, the present invention finds that the adsorption force between the adsorbent and butanol can be destroyed by heating butanol, for example, heating up to near boiling point, therefore it is easier to desorb and recover butanol with the method of thermal desorption, and there are significant differences on desorption and recovery of butanol at different thermal desorption temperatures. Moreover, the skeletal structures and functional groups of the different adsorbents are different, resulting in different hydrophobic interaction forces between the resins and butanol, which will affect the adsorption and desorption of the resins. The desorption rate of the used hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbents through screening in the present invention can reach above 95%, while the highest desorption rate of the resins reported can only reach 85%.
[0026] In summary, the present invention is mainly advantaged in that: using the method of thermal desorption, butanol can be desorbed from the adsorbent more effectively while the adsorbent also can be regenerated, and based on the difference between the affinity of the macroporous polymer adsorbent with the target substance of butanol and that with the impurities such as acetone and ethanol, efficient separation of butanol from acetone and ethanol is further achieved by using the hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent which only adsorbs butanol but does not adsorb or adsorbs smaller amount of functional groups of acetone and ethanol. Thus, it can be seen that, the method of the present invention has advantages of novel conception, simple process, short separation time, high recovery efficiency of butanol, low cost of production, and has good prospect of promotion. Experiments show that, using the method of the present invention, nearly 70% of butanol can be adsorbed within 30 min, and absorption of butanol can reach 95% after 9 hours, wherein purity of butanol can reach above 99%.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated in detail in combination with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0028] FIG. 1 shows results of adsorption capacities of various macroporous polymer adsorbents measured in Example 1 of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 2 is a chromatogram of a mixed solution of acetone, butanol and ethanol (ABE) measured in Example 2 of the present invention;
[0030] FIG. 3 is an adsorption kinetic pseudo second-order equation fitting diagram of a macroporous polymer adsorbent measured in Example 3 of the present invention;
[0031] FIG. 4 shows adsorption isotherms of a macroporous polymer adsorbent at different temperatures measured in Example 4 of the present invention; and
[0032] FIG. 5 shows effects of different initial concentrations of butanol on a macroporous polymer adsorbent which are measured in Example 4 of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0033] The present invention will be illustrated with reference to specific examples hereinafter. Those persons skilled in the art will appreciate that these examples are merely used to illustrate the present invention, rather than limit the scope of the present invention in any way.
[0034] In each of the following examples, the concentration of the mixed solution of acetone, butanol and ethanol (ABE) is detected through the high performance liquid chromatography, the used instruments and conditions for detection are as follows: Agilent 1200 high performance liquid chromatograph (DAD diode array detector), and Aminex HPX-87H chromatographic column (φ300×7.5 mm) are used, the mobile phase is 0.5 mmol/L sulfuric acid solution, with a flow rate of 0.500 mL/min, the column temperature is 15° C., the injection volume of sample is 20 μL, and a differential refractive index detector is used for detection.
[0035] In each of the following examples, the adsorption capacity of the macroporous polymer adsorbent is calculated by the following formula:
[0000]
q
e
=
(
C
0
-
C
e
)
V
W
[0000] wherein C 0 represents the initial solubility (g/L) of butanol; C e represents the equilibrium solubility (g/L) of butanol; V represents the volume (L) of a butanol solution; and W represents the mass (g) of a macroporous polymer adsorbent.
Example 1
[0036] In this example, the adsorption capacities of different hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbents on acetone, butanol and ethanol in the mixed solution are measured, which is described specifically as follows.
[0037] An ABE solution of a certain concentration was prepared, and 1 g different dry macroporous polymer adsorbents (L 1-19 are respectively resins of Amberlite series, Diaion series and D series) after air pump filtration were respectively added into the ABE solution, after the adsorbent reaches adsorption saturation, the adsorption capacity of the macroporous polymer adsorbent on the ABE and the separation factor were calculated through the high performance liquid chromatography method (HPLC).
[0038] The experimental results are shown in FIG. 1 . It can be seen from FIG. 1 that the adsorption capacities of resins of Diaion series (L-2, L-3, L-4, L-13, L-17) on butanol are relatively low, and the L-17 resin also adsorbs a small amount of byproducts such as acetone while adsorbing butanol; resins of D-series (L-1, L-5, L-6, L-7, L-8, L-9, L-10, L-11, L-12, L-14, L-16, L-18) have slightly higher adsorption capacities on butanol, but these resins also adsorb byproducts such as acetone and ethanol at the same time; resins of Amberlite series (L-15, L-19) have extremely high adsorption capacities on butanol, and does not adsorb byproducts such as acetone and ethanol.
[0039] Methods for measuring various parameters of resins are as follows: the water content of the resins is measured according to the method described in the literature (GB5757-86[S]); the content of active groups of the resins and the apparent density (r a ) of the resins are measured with reference to the method disclosed in the literature (Binglin He, Wenqiang Huang, Ion exchange and adsorption resins [M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Science and Technology Education Press, 1995); special surface area of the resins is measured with reference to the literature (Qiming Tan, Zuoqing Shi. Measuring specific surface of resins with simple nitrogen adsorption method [J]. Ion Exchange and Adsorption, 1987, 3(1): 30) by using a simple BET instrument; pore volume is calculated according to the formula V pore volume =1/r a −1/r T ; and the average pore diameter is calculated according to the formula r=2 V pore volume /S.
Example 2
[0040] In this example, butanol is separated from the mixed solution using the L15 macroporous polymer adsorbent of Example 1, which specifically includes the following steps:
1) 50 mL mixed solution containing acetone, butanol and ethanol (ABE) (its chromatogram is shown in FIG. 2 ) was placed in the 37° C. thermostatic water bath with stirring speed of 200 rpm, and 1 g macroporous polymer adsorbent was used to adsorb the mixed solution to reach saturation (over 24 hours); 2) the water in at least doubled amount of resin (V/V) was used to wash the residual solution which was not adsorbed; 3) the adsorbent was heated to 120° C., and butanol was desorbed from the adsorbent while the regenerated adsorbent was obtained.
Example 3
[0044] In this example, adsorption kinetics of butanol was studied by using the L15 macroporous polymer adsorbent of Example 1.
[0045] 1 L butanol solution of 16.196 g/L was prepared, and 20 g wet macroporous polymer adsorbent was added thereinto, and placed in 37° C. thermostatic water bath with stirring speed of 200 rpm, the solution was sampled at different times, and the concentration of butanol was detected through the high performance liquid chromatography method, the specific results are shown in Table 1, wherein adsorption rate of butanol is calculated through dividing the adsorption capacity at each time point by the adsorption capacity at 1,440 min. The data were fitted with a pseudo second-order equation, and the results are shown in FIG. 3 .
[0000]
TABLE 1
Concentration analysis results of butanol in the solution
phase at different times
Concentration of
Adsorption rate of
Nos.
Time (min)
butanol (g/L)
butanol (%)
1
0
16.196
0
2
0.5
15.200
13.5%
3
1.0
14.511
22.8%
4
1.5
14.211
26.9%
5
2.0
13.476
36.8%
6
3.0
13.156
41.1%
7
4.0
12.968
43.7%
8
5.0
12.623
48.4%
9
7.0
12.336
52.2%
10
9.0
12.291
52.8%
11
12.0
11.885
58.3%
12
15.0
11.860
58.7%
13
18.0
11.841
58.9%
14
21.0
11.326
65.9%
15
25.0
11.312
66.1%
16
30.0
11.222
67.3%
17
35.0
11.176
67.9%
18
50.0
11.057
69.5%
19
130.0
10.453
77.7%
20
250.0
9.881
85.5%
21
400.0
9.512
90.5%
22
560.0
9.140
95.5%
23
750.0
8.862
99.3%
24
960.0
8.845
99.5%
25
1120.0
8.828
99.7%
26
1280.0
8.808
99.9%
27
1440.0
8.807
100%
Example 4
[0046] In this example, butanol adsorption isotherms at different temperatures are tested, the specific process is as follows.
[0047] 50 mL ABE solutions of different concentrations were prepared, 1 g wet L15 macroporous polymer adsorbent was added thereinto, and respectively placed in shaking tables of 10° C., 20° C., 30° C. and 37° C. with stirring speed of the shaking table being 200 rpm, and the equilibrium concentration of the solution was detected when the macroporous polymer adsorbent adsorbed the mixed solution to reach saturation.
[0048] The adsorption isotherms were drawn, as shown in FIG. 4 . It can be seen from FIG. 4 that, the adsorption capacity of butanol increases as temperature rises, and the adsorption capacity reaches the maximum at 37° C.
[0049] Effects of butanol solutions of different initial concentrations on the L-15 macroporous polymer adsorbent are tested in the following.
[0050] 13 bottles of 50 mL ABE solutions of different concentrations were prepared, 1 g wet macroporous polymer adsorbent was added thereinto respectively, and placed in 37° C. shaking table with stirring speed of the shaking table being 200 rpm, and the equilibrium concentration of the solution was detected when the macroporous polymer adsorbent adsorbed the solution to reach saturation.
[0051] FIG. 5 shows a curve representing the relation between the concentrations of butanol in two phases when butanol molecules reach equilibrium during process of adsorption at the interface of two phases at a certain temperature (37° C.). It can be seen from FIG. 5 that the adsorption of the macroporous polymer adsorbent on butanol is accorded with the Langmuir adsorption model. It can be known from the calculation of adsorption isotherms at different temperatures that, the adsorption of the resin on butanol is a favorable process.
[0052] Specifically, experimental data were fitted through the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model linear formula:
[0000]
C
e
q
e
=
1
q
o
K
L
+
1
q
o
C
e
[0000] by measuring adsorption isotherms at different temperatures, so that different K L can be obtained, then R L at corresponding temperature was calculated according to the formula:
[0000]
R
L
=
1
1
+
K
L
C
0
;
R
L
>
1
[0000] indicates that the adsorption process is disadvantageous (unfavorable); R L =1 indicates that the adsorption isotherm is linear; 0<R L <1 indicates that the adsorption process is advantageous (favorable); and R L =0 indicates that the adsorption is an irreversible process. It can be obtained from the experiment that K L is a positive value, therefore there is 0<R L <1, which indicates that the adsorption process is advantageous (favorable). It is illustrated that the adsorption is advantageous with the increase of temperature. | Disclosed is a method for separating butanol. The method uses hydrophobic macroporous polymer adsorbent to separate butanol in a mixed solution, and the process comprises the following steps: 1) using macroporous polymer adsorbent to adsorb butanol in a mixed solution; 2) desorbing butanol from macroporous polymer adsorbent. The method is simple; the separation time is short; the efficiency of butanol recovery is high; and the separating cost is low. | 2 |
FIELD
The present disclosure relates to fuel control systems and methods for heating catalysts in exhaust systems.
BACKGROUND
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
An engine combusts an air/fuel mixture to generate drive torque for a vehicle. The air is drawn into the engine through a throttle valve and an intake manifold. The fuel is provided by one or more fuel injectors. The air/fuel mixture is combusted within one or more cylinders of the engine. Combustion of the air/fuel mixture may be initiated by, for example, compression provided by a piston and/or spark provided by a spark plug. Combustion of the air/fuel mixture produces exhaust gas. The exhaust gas is expelled from the cylinders to an exhaust system.
The exhaust system includes a catalyst, such as a three-way catalyst, that reacts with the exhaust gas to reduce emissions. “Three-way” refers to the three emissions that a catalytic converter reduces, including carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbons (HCs) and nitrogen oxide (NO x ). The catalyst, however, may be unable to react when the temperature of the catalyst is less than a light-off temperature. Accordingly, the catalyst's reaction capability may be limited upon engine startup (e.g., key ON) when the catalyst temperature is less than the light-off temperature.
An engine control module (ECM) controls the torque output of the engine. For example only, the ECM controls the torque output of the engine based on driver inputs and/or other inputs. The ECM also controls various engine parameters to warm the catalyst when the catalyst temperature is less than the light-off temperature. For example only, the ECM may retard the spark timing to provide hydrocarbons in the exhaust gas. Oxidation of hydrocarbons in the exhaust system produces heat, which warms the catalyst.
The amount of heat produced via hydrocarbon oxidation is limited by the amount of oxygen in the exhaust system. A secondary air pump may be mechanically coupled to a cylinder head to provide air directly to the cylinder head. The air delivered by the secondary air pump increases the amount of oxygen in the exhaust system and, therefore, the secondary air pump increases hydrocarbon oxidation capability. The ECM may control operation of the secondary air pump to control oxidation of hydrocarbons in the exhaust system and warm the catalyst.
SUMMARY
A control system for an engine having N cylinders in first and second banks includes a catalyst heat module and a fuel control module. N is an integer greater than two. The catalyst heat module selectively operates the engine in a catalyst heat mode to heat a catalyst. The fuel control module, throughout a fuel injection sequence for each of the N cylinders, adjusts a first air/fuel (A/F) ratio for the first bank to a rich value and adjusts a second A/F ratio for the second bank to a lean value.
A method for an engine having N cylinders in first and second banks includes selectively operating the engine in a catalyst heat mode to heat a catalyst, and throughout a fuel injection sequence for each of the N cylinders, adjusting a first air/fuel (A/F) ratio for the first bank to a rich value and adjusting a second A/F ratio for the second bank to a lean value.
Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary engine system according to the principles of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary engine control module according to the principles of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 3 is a flowchart depicting exemplary steps of a control method according to the principles of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses. For purposes of clarity, the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings to identify similar elements. As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical or. It should be understood that steps within a method may be executed in different order without altering the principles of the present disclosure.
As used herein, the term module refers to an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality.
A fuel control system and method of the present disclosure may operate an engine in a catalyst heat mode to heat a catalyst. In the catalyst heat mode, an air/fuel (A/F) ratio of one cylinder bank is adjusted to lean while an A/F ratio of another cylinder bank is adjusted to rich. Excess carbon monoxide (CO) from the rich bank reacts with excess oxygen (O 2 ) from the lean bank before entering the catalyst to create an exothermic reaction in the catalyst.
A fuel control system and method of the present disclosure may initiate the catalyst heat mode during a cold start of the engine. The catalyst heat mode may be terminated when the catalyst temperature is greater than or equal to a light-off temperature. In this manner, an exothermic reaction may be created in the catalyst during a cold start to increase the catalyst temperature to the light-off temperature without using a secondary air pump.
Referring now to FIG. 1 , an engine system 10 includes an engine 12 that may be a port injection engine or a direct injection engine. The engine 12 may include a plurality of cylinders 13 , such as, for example, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 cylinders. An exhaust manifold 14 is connected to the engine 12 and directs exhaust gas from the engine 12 through an exhaust pipe 16 to a three-way catalyst (TWC) 18 that may be electrically-heated.
The cylinders 13 in the engine 12 may be distributed between a first bank 20 and a second bank 22 . The TWC 18 may include an upstream catalyst 24 and a downstream catalyst 26 . The upstream catalyst 24 includes catalyst materials suitable for reducing NO x . The downstream catalyst 26 includes catalyst materials that stimulate oxidation of HC and CO molecules.
Oxygen sensors 30 at exits of the exhaust manifold 14 measure oxygen levels in the exhaust gas. An engine coolant temperature (ECT) sensor 32 at the engine 12 measures an engine coolant temperature. A catalyst temperature sensor 34 at the TWC 18 measures a catalyst temperature. An ignition input 36 , such as an ignition key or button, generates a start signal.
An engine control module (ECM) 40 starts the engine 12 based on the start signal. The ECM 40 receives the oxygen levels, the engine coolant temperature, and the catalyst temperature. The ECM 40 determines air/fuel (A/F) ratios for the first and second banks 20 , 22 based on the oxygen levels. The ECM 40 actuates fuel injectors 42 to inject fuel into the cylinders 13 based on the A/F ratios. Air enters the cylinders 13 through an intake valve 44 . The fuel and air combine to form an air/fuel mixture that combusts within the cylinders 13 . Exhaust gas exits the cylinders 13 through an exhaust valve 48 .
The ECM 40 operates the engine system 10 in a catalyst heat mode during a cold start of the engine 12 . In the catalyst heat mode, the ECM 40 adjusts the A/F ratio of the first bank 20 to rich and simultaneously adjusts the A/F ratio of the second bank 22 to lean. A rich A/F ratio is greater than a stoichiometric ratio and a lean A/F ratio is less than a stoichiometric ratio.
Referring now to FIG. 2 , the ECM 40 may include a catalyst heat module 200 and a fuel control module 202 . The catalyst heat module 200 receives the engine coolant temperature from the ECT sensor 32 , the catalyst temperature from the catalyst temperature sensor 34 , and the start signal from the ignition input. The catalyst heat module 200 may generate a catalyst heat signal to operate an engine in a catalyst heat mode, thereby heating a catalyst.
The catalyst heat module 200 may initiate the catalyst heat mode during a cold start of the engine. The catalyst heat module 200 may determine that the cold start occurs when the engine is started and when the engine coolant temperature is less than an operating temperature. The catalyst heat module 200 may determine that the engine is started when the start signal provides direction to start the engine.
The catalyst heat module 200 may terminate the catalyst heat mode when the catalyst temperature is greater than or equal to a light-off temperature. The catalyst heat module 200 may terminate the catalyst heat mode when the engine coolant temperature is greater than or equal to the operating temperature. For example only, the operating temperature may be approximately 95° C.
The fuel control module 202 controls the fuel injectors 42 to adjust A/F ratios of cylinders based on the catalyst heat signal received from the catalyst heat module 200 . The fuel control module 202 adjusts a first air/fuel (A/F) ratio to rich and adjusts a second A/F ratio to lean when the catalyst heat signal provides direction to operate the engine in the catalyst heat mode.
The first and second A/F ratios may be associated with first and second cylinders, respectively. Alternatively, the first and second A/F ratios may be associated with first and second banks cylinder banks, respectively. The second cylinder bank may be closer to the catalyst than the first cylinder bank.
Rich and lean A/F ratios may vary based on a fuel injection system type. For port injection systems, a lean A/F ratio may be 11.5 and a rich A/F ratio may be approximately 16. For direct injection systems, a lean A/F ratio may be approximately 13 and a rich A/F ratio may be approximately 16.
Referring now to FIG. 3 , control monitors an engine control temperature in step 300 . Control determines whether a cold start of an engine has occurred in step 302 . Control may determine that the cold start occurs when the engine is started and the engine coolant temperature is less than an operating temperature.
Control returns to step 300 when the cold start has not occurred. Control monitors oxygen levels in exhaust gas exiting cylinders in step 304 when the cold start has occurred. Control determines first and second air/fuel (A/F) ratios of the cylinders based on the oxygen levels in step 306 .
Control adjusts the first A/F ratio to rich and simultaneously adjusts the second A/F ratio to lean in step 308 . This creates an exothermic reaction that heats a catalyst. Control may adjust an amount of fuel injected into first and second cylinders to adjust the first and second A/F ratios, respectively. Alternatively, control may adjust an amount of fuel injected into first and second banks of cylinders to adjust the first and second A/F ratios, respectively.
Control monitors a catalyst temperature in step 310 . Control determines whether the catalyst temperature is greater than or equal to a light-off temperature in step 312 . Control returns to step 304 when the catalyst temperature is less than the light-off temperature. Control stops adjusting the first A/F ratio to rich and the second A/F ratio to lean in step 314 when the catalyst temperature is greater than or equal to the light-off temperature.
The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. | A control system for an engine having N cylinders in first and second banks includes a catalyst heat module and a fuel control module. N is an integer greater than two. The catalyst heat module selectively operates the engine in a catalyst heat mode to heat a catalyst. The fuel control module, throughout a fuel injection sequence for each of the N cylinders, adjusts a first air/fuel (A/F) ratio for the first bank to a rich value and adjusts a second A/F ratio for the second bank to a lean value. | 8 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 513,674, filed Oct. 10, 1974, now abandoned, which is a division of application Ser. No. 278,168, filed Aug. 4, 1972, now U.S. Pat. 3,855,212, issued Dec. 17, 1974.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to new antibacterial cyanomethylthioacetylcephalosporins which have the formula ##STR2##
R represents hydrogen, lower alkyl, aralkyl, tri(lower alkyl) silyl, a salt forming ion or the group ##STR3## R 1 and R 2 , which may be the same or different, each represents hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, aryl or aralkyl, each of which (other than hydrogen) may be substituted with halogen, lower alkyl or lower alkoxy; R 1 and R 2 , in addition, may form a carbocyclic ring with the carbon to which they are attached; R 3 represents hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, cyclo-lower alkyl, unsaturated cyclo-lower alkyl, aryl, which may be substituted with halogen, hydroxy, amino, lower alkyl or lower alkoxy, aralkyl or certain heterocyclic groups; R 4 represents lower alkyl, aryl or aralkyl; X is hydrogen, hydroxy, lower alkanoyloxy, lower alkoxy, lower alkylthio, aroyloxy, aralkanoyloxy, the radical of a nitrogen base or a quaternary ammonium radical. In addition X and R may represent a bond linking carbon and oxygen in a lactone ring.
The preferred members within each group are as follows: R is hydrogen, or a salt forming ion, especially an alkali metal like sodium or potassium; R 1 and R 2 each is hydrogen, lower alkyl, especially methyl or ethyl, lower alkenyl, especially, allyl, phenyl, hydroxyphenyl, chlorophenyl, benzyl or phenethyl, most preferably R 2 is hydrogen when R 1 is other than hydrogen, and also R 1 and R 2 together complete the cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl ring; R 3 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, especially methyl or ethyl, lower alkenyl, especially allyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl, hydroxyphenyl, aminophenyl, chlorophenyl, benzyl, furyl, thienyl, pyrrolidyl or pyridyl; and X is hydrogen, lower alkanoyloxy, especially acetoxy, lower alkoxy, especially methoxy, lower alkylthio, especially methylthio, or pyridinium.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The various groups represented by the symbols have the meanings defined below and these definitions are retained throughout this specification.
The lower alkyl groups are straight or branched chain hydrocarbon radicals having one to seven carbons in the chain, for example, methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, t-butyl, amyl or the like. The lower alkoxy and lower alkylthio groups contain the same radicals. The lower alkenyl groups are double bonded, monounsaturated hydrocarbon radicals of the same type, the two to four carbon members being preferred, especially allyl.
The cyclo-lower alkyl groups included cycloaliphatic groups having four to seven carbons in the ring as cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl and cycloheptyl. The cyclic groups may also be unsaturated, e.g., cycloalkenyl and cycloalkadienyl groups of the same type, e.g., cyclobutenyl, cyclopentenyl, cyclohexenyl, cyclopentadienyl, cyclohexadienyl, etc. The double bond or bonds may be variously located. A preferred radical is the 1,4-cyclohexadienyl group.
The foregoing may by simply substituted as defined above, with one to three groups such as halogen, hydroxy, amino, lower alkyl or lower alkoxy, preferably only one substituent.
The aryl groups are phenyl and simply substituted phenyl containing one to three substituents (preferably only one) as defined above. The aralkyl groups include phenyl-lower alkyl and those similarly substituted on the phenyl ring as defined above.
The lower alkanoyloxy, aroyloxy and aralkanoyloxy groups represented by X include the acyl group of acid esters. The lower alkanoyl radicals are the acyl radicals of lower fatty acids containing alkyl radicals of the type described above. The lower alkanoyloxy groups include, for example, acetoxy, propionyloxy, butyryloxy and the like. The aroyloxy groups are benzoyloxy and the aralkanoyloxy groups consisting of phenyl-lower alkanoyloxy radicals of the type described. X also represents the radical of an amine, e.g., a lower alkylamine like methylamine, ethylamine, dimethylamine, triethylamine, phenyl-lower alkylamine like dibenzylamine,, phenyllower alkylpyridinium like N,N'-dibenzylpyridinium, pyridinium, 1-quinolinium, 1-picolinium, etc. X and R may also join together, as indicated above, to form a bond linking carbon and oxygen in a lactone ring.
The heterocyclic groups represented by R 3 are 5- to 6-membered monocyclic heterocyclic radicals (exclusive of hydrogen) containing nitrogen, sulfur or oxygen in the ring in addition to carbon (not more than hetero atoms), and members of this group simply substituted as discussed above with respect to the phenyl groups. The heterocyclic radicals include pyridyl, pyrrolidyl, morpholinyl, thienyl, furyl, oxazolyl, isoxazolyl, thiazolyl and the like, as well as the simply substituted members, especially the halo, lower alkyl (particularly methyl and ethyl), lower alkoxy (particularly methoxy and ethoxy), phenyl and hydroxy-lower alkyl (particularly hydroxymethyl and hydroxyethyl) substituted members.
The salt forming ions may be metal ions, e.g., aluminum, alkali metal ions such as sodium or potassium, alkaline earth metal ions such as calcium or magnesium, or an amine salt ion, of which a number are known for this purpose, for example, aralkylamine like, dibenzylamine, N,N-dibenzylethylenediamine, lower alkylamine like methylamine, triethylamine, procaine, lower alkylpiperidine like N-ethylpiperidine, etc.
The compounds of formula I are produced by acylating a compound of the formula ##STR4## wherein X and R have the meaning defined above, with a reactive derivative of an acid of the formula ##STR5## wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 have the meaning defined above and R 5 in this case is hydrogen.
The reactive derivatives of the acids of formula III include, for example, acid halides, acid anhydrides, mixed anhydrides of the acid with carbonic acid monoesters, trimethylacetic acid or benzoic acid, acid azides, active esters like cyanomethyl ester, p-nitrophenyl ester or 2,4-dinitrophenylester, or active amides like acylimidazoles.
An acid of formula III may also be reacted with a compound of formula II in the presence of a carbodiimide, for example, N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, an isoxazolium salt, for example, N-ethyl-5-phenylisoxazolium-3-sulfonate or 2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline-1-carboxylic acid ester.
The acids of formula III and their ester of formula VI are new compounds which may be produced from the corresponding derivatives of haloacetonitriles having the formula ##STR6## wherein R 1 and R 2 have the meaning defined above and hal is halogen, especially chlorine, by reaction with a thioacetic acid ester of the formula ##STR7## wherein R 3 has the meaning defined above and R 5 here is lower alkyl, especially methyl or ethyl, in the presence of an acid binding agent. The ester formed by this reaction has the formula ##STR8## and this converted, at the conclusion of that reaction, to the free acid of formula III by conventional saponification.
Alternatively, acids of formula III, i.e., wherein R 5 is hydrogen may be produced directly by reacting a haloacetonitrile of formula IV with a thioacetic acid of formula V, i.e., R 5 is hydrogen in formula V, in the presence of a base, e.g., an alkylamine like triethylamine.
An alternate process for the production of a compound of formula III is by the reaction of a thioacetonitrile of the formula ##STR9## with a haloacetic acid of the formula ##STR10## wherein hal is halogen, preferably chlorine, in the presence of an acid binding agent.
Another route for the synthesis of the esters of formula III, i.e., wherein R 5 is lower alkyl, is by converting an ester of halomethylmercaptoacetic acid [C.A. 58, 5630 (1963)] with cyanide as follows: ##STR11##
When R is the acyloxymethyl group ##STR12## this group may be introduced onto the 7-aminocephalosporanic acid moiety either prior to or subsequent to the reaction with the acylating agent by treatment with one or two moles of a halomethyl ester of the formula
hal-CH.sub.2 OCOR.sub.4 IX
wherein hal is halogen, preferably chlorine or bromine, in an inert organic solvent such as dimethylformamide, acetone, dioxane, benzene or the like at about ambient temperature or below.
The products of this invention form salts which are also part of the invention, Basic salts form with the acid moiety as discussed above when the symbol R is hydrogen.
It will be appreciated that certain of the compounds of this invention exist in various states of solvation as well as in different isomeric or optically active forms. The various forms as well as their mixtures are within the scope of this invention.
Further process details are provided in examples.
The compounds of this invention have a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity against both gram positive and gram negative organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella schottmuelleri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pyogenes. They may be used as antibacterial agents in a prophylactic manner, e.g., in cleaning or as surface disinfecting compositions, or otherwise to combat infections due to organisms such as those named above, and in general may be utilized in a manner similar to cephalothin and other cephalosporins. For example, a compound of formula I or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof may be used in various animal species in an amount of about 1 to 100 mg./kg., daily, orally or parenterally, in single or two to four divided doses to treat infections of bacterial origin, e.g., 5.0 mg./kg. in mice.
Up to about 600 mg. of a compound of formula I or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof may be incorporated in an oral dosage form such as tablets, capsules or elixirs or in an injectable form in a sterile aqueous vehicle prepared according to conventional pharmaceutical practice.
They may also be used in cleaning or disinfecting compositions, e.g., for cleaning barns or dairy equipment, at a concentration of about 0.2 to 1% by weight of such compounds admixed with, suspended or dissolved in conventional inert dry or aqueous carriers for application by washing or spraying.
They are also useful as nutritional supplements in animal feeds.
The following examples are illustrative of the invention. All temperatures are on the centigrade scale. Additional variations may be produced in the same manner by appropriate substitution in the starting material.
EXAMPLE 1
2-[(Cyanomethyl)thio]acetic acid methyl ester
- 31.8 g. (0.3 mol.) of thioacetic acid methyl ester are added to 150 ml. (0.3 mol.) of 2N sodium methylate solution. 22.6 g. (0.3 mol.) of chloroacetonitrile dissolved in 30 ml. of methanol are added dropwise while cooling and stirring. It is stirred overnight then refluxed for 30 minutes. The reaction mixture is cooled and the solvent is evaporated. 100 ml. of water are added to the residue and the aqueous solution is extracted twice with ether. The combined ether extracts are decolorized with activated carbon and dried with magnesium sulfate. The ether is distilled off and the residue is distilled under vacuum. 30.5 g. of 2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]acetic acid methyl ester are obtained b.p. 10mm 132°-134°.
EXAMPLE 2
2-[(Cyanomethyl)thio]acetic acid potassium salt
14.5 g. (0.1 mol.) of 2-((cyanomethyl)thio]acetic acid methyl ester are dissolved in ethanol and a solution of 6.7 g. (0.12 mol.) of potassium hydroxide in 40 ml. of ethanol is added dropwise while cooling. This is stirred 4 hours at room temperature and 1 hour at 0°. The resulting precipitate is filtered under suction, washed with ethanol and ether and dried. 15.4 g. of 2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]acetic acid, potassium salt, m.p. 203°-205° (dec.) are obtained. The free acid is obtained by dissolving the potassium salt in water and treating with an equivalent amount of aqueous sulfuric acid. The ether solution is dried and concentrated to obtain the free acid.
EXAMPLE 3
2-[(Cyanomethyl)thio]acetyl chloride 30 g. of 2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]acetic acid potassium salt are suspended in benzene, 5 drops of pyridine are added and the mixture is cooled to 10°. At this temperature 76.7 g. of oxalyl chloride in 150 ml. of benzene are slowly dropped in with stirring. After the vigorous evolution of gas has stopped, the reaction mixture is stirred for 1 hour at room temperature. This is then filtered and the filtrate is concentrated at room temperature. The residue is distilled under vacuum to obtain 19.8 g. of 2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]acetyl chloride, b.p. 0 .1mm 110°-115°.
EXAMPLE 4 7-[2-[(Cyanomethyl)thio]acetamido]-3-desacetoxycephalosporanic acid
2.14 g. (0.01 mol.) of 7-amino-3-desacetoxycephalosporanic acid are suspended in 50 ml. of water at room temperature. 1.4 ml. of triethylamine salt are added and this is stirred until a clear solution is obtained. 50 ml. of acetone are added and the solution is cooled to 0°-5°. Simultaneously a solution of 1.65 g. (0.01 mol.) of 2-[(Cyanomethyl)thio]acetyl chloride in 15 ml. of acetone and a solution of 1.4 ml. of triethylamine in 15 ml. of acetone are added dropwise while stirring with care that the pH stays in the range 7.5 - 8. This is stirred for an additional 30 minutes at 5°. Then 50 ml. of ethyl acetate are added, cooled to 0° and acidified with 2N hydrochloric acid to pH1.5. The mixture is filtered, the layers are separated, the organic phase is washed three times with water, dried with magnesium sulfate and the solvent is evaporated in a rotary evaporator. 1.9 g. of 7-[2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]-acetamido]-3-desacetoxycephalosporanic acid are obtained. The crude product is dissolved in methanol, filtered and 5 ml. of a 2N solution of potassium ethylhexanoate in n-butanol are added. This solution is poured into 300 ml. of ether. The precipitate is filtered under suction and washed with ether.
The yield amounts to 1.8 g. of the potassium salt of 7-[2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]acetamido]-3-desacetoxycephalosporanic acid, m.p. 175° (dec.). The amorphous product is crystallized from a little methanol, m.p. 197°-200° (dec.).
EXAMPLE 5 7-[2-[(Cyanomethyl)thio]acetamido]-cephalosporanic acid
By substituting 7-aminocephalosporanic acid for the 7-amino-3-desacetoxycephalosporanic acid in the procedure of Example 4, there are obtained 7-[2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]-acetamido]cephalosporanic acid and the crystalline potassium salt, m.p. 168°-170° (dec.).
EXAMPLE 6
To obtain the triethylamine salt of 7-[2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]-acetamido]cephalosporanic acid, an equivalent amount of triethylamine is added to an ethanol solution of 7-[2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]-acetamido]cephalosporanic acid and the reaction product is concentrated at reduced pressure to deposit the product.
The following additional products are obtained according to the procedure of Example 4 by substituting for the 2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]acetyl chloride the appropriately substituted derivative and substituting for the 7-ADCA the appropriately substituted derivative:
TABLE__________________________________________________________________________ ##STR13##Ex. R R.sub.1 R.sub.2 R.sub.3 X__________________________________________________________________________7 H H H ##STR14## H8 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 H H H9 C.sub.2 H.sub.5 C.sub.2 H.sub.5 C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 OH10 K C.sub.2 H.sub.5 H C.sub.3 H.sub.7 pyridinium11 ##STR15## H H C.sub.6 H.sub.5 CH.sub.2 OCOCH.sub.312 ##STR16## CH.sub.2CHCH.sub.2 H 4-ClC.sub.6 H.sub.4 OCOCH.sub.313 K ##STR17## H 3,4-(CH.sub.3 O).sub.2 C.sub.6 H.sub.3 H14 C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 3,4,5-(CH.sub.3 O).sub.3 C.sub.6 H.sub.2 OCOCH.sub.315 H ##STR18## ##STR19## 4-CH.sub.3 C.sub.6 H.sub.4 OCOCH.sub.316 lactone (+X) C.sub.2 H.sub.5 H 3,4-(Br).sub.2 C.sub.6 H.sub.3 lactone (+R)17 K ##STR20## H 2,4-(Cl).sub.2 C.sub.6 H.sub.3 OCOCH.sub.318 K H H ##STR21## OCOCH.sub.319 C.sub.2 H.sub.5 ##STR22## H ##STR23## OCOCH.sub.320 Na H H ##STR24## OCOCH.sub.321 C.sub.2 H.sub.5 CH.sub.3 H ##STR25## OCOCH.sub.322 C.sub.6 H.sub.5 CH.sub.2 ##STR26## H ##STR27## OOCH.sub.2 C.sub.6 H.sub.523 ##STR28## CH.sub.2 OH C.sub.2 H.sub.5 C.sub.6 H.sub.5 H24 ##STR29## ##STR30## H C.sub.2 H.sub.5 OOCC.sub.6 H.sub.525 H ##STR31## C.sub.6 H.sub.5 H26 Na ##STR32## C.sub.2 H.sub.5 H27 ##STR33## ##STR34## C.sub.6 H.sub.5 OCOCH.sub.328 Si(CH.sub.3).sub.3 CH.sub.2CHCH.sub.2 H C.sub.2 H.sub.5 H29 N(C.sub.2 H.sub.5).sub.3 CH.sub.3 H C.sub.6 H.sub.5 H30 Na ##STR35## H C.sub.6 H.sub.5 OCOCH.sub.331 K H H ##STR36## SCH.sub.332 H H H ##STR37## OCH.sub.333 ##STR38## H H ##STR39## H34 K CH.sub.3 CH.sub.3 CH.sub.2CHCH.sub.2 H35 H H H CH.sub.3 CHCHCH.sub.2 OCOCH.sub.336 H H H CH.sub.2CHCH.sub.2CH.sub.2 OCOCH.sub.337 K C.sub.2 H.sub.5 H ##STR40## H38 H H H CH.sub.2CHCH.sub.2 OCOCH.sub.339 K CH.sub.3 H ##STR41## H40 H H H ##STR42## pyridinium41 K C.sub.2 H.sub.5 H ##STR43## H42 H H H ##STR44## OCOCH.sub.343 K H H ##STR45## H44 H H H RB OCOCH.sub.345 H CH.sub.3 H ##STR46## H__________________________________________________________________________
EXAMPLE 46
A sterile powder for reconstitution for use intramuscularly is prepared from the following ingredients which supply 1000 vials each containing 250 mg. of active ingredients:
______________________________________7-[2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]acetamido]-cephalosporanic acid, sterile 250 gm.Lecithin powder, sterile 50 gm.Sodium carboxymethylcellulose,sterile 20 gm.______________________________________
The sterile powders are aseptically blended and filled into sterile vials, and sealed. The addition of 1 ml. of water for injection to the vial provides a suspension for intramuscular injection.
EXAMPLE 47
DL-2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]-2-phenyl Acetic Acid
16.8 gms. (0.1 mol.) of DL-2-phenylthioacetic acid and 22.7 gms. (0.225 mol.) of triethylamine are dissolved in 200 ml. of anhydrous tetrahydrofuran. The solution is cooled to 0 to 5° and a solution of 7.54 gms. (0.1 mol.) of chloroacetonitrile is added dropwise at this temperature. The mixture is stirred at 0 to 5° for 3 hours and then kept overnight at room temperature. The solution is concentrated, the residue is taken up with water, acidified with 2N hydrochloric acid and extracted several times with ether. The ether extracts are washed with water, dried with magnesium sulfate and concentrated. The residue crystallizes to yield 20.6 gms. of DL-2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]-2-phenyl acetic acid, m.p. 110°-112°. After recrystallization from benzene, the acid melts at 114°.
EXAMPLE 48
7-[DL-2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]-2-phenylacetamido]cephalosporanic acid
1.1 gm. (0.0054 mol.) of 7-[DL-2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]2-phenyl]acetic acid are dissolved in 12.5 ml. of dioxane. A solution of 0.98 gms. of 2,4-dinitrophenol in 12.5 ml. of dioxane is added, the mixture is cooled with ice water and 1.08 gms. of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide are added. This is stirred for 30 minutes with cooling and 30 minutes at room temperature, and the resulting precipitate (dicyclohexylurea, 1.1 gm.) is filtered under suction. The filtrate is concentrated at room temperature under vacuum. To the oily residue is added with cooling a solution prepared from 1.36 gms. (0.05 mols.) of 7-aminocephalosporanic acid and 1.06 gms. of triethylamine in 12.5 ml. of methylene chloride. The mixture is stirred for 16 hours at room temperature.
A slight turbidity is removed by filtration and the solution is slowly added to 200 ml. of cold, vigorously stirred ether. After filtering under suction, the residue is dissolved in a small amount of methylene chloride and reprecipitated in the same manner as described above. The yield amounts to 1.7 gms. of the triethylamine salt of 7-[DL-2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]-2-phenylacetamido]cephalosporanic acid. A sample of the product shows only a trace of dinitrophenol by thin layer chromatography.
To produce the free acid, 1.6 gms. of the triethylamine salt are dissolved in 40 ml. of water, layered over with ethyl acetate and acidified with 2N hydrochloride while cooling and stirring. The layers are separated, the aqueous layer is extracted several times with ethyl acetate, the combined extracts are washed three times with water, decolorized with activated charcoal, dried with magnesium sulfate and then the solution is evaporated to dryness. The viscous residue is dissolved in 25 ml. of methylene chloride and the solution is poured into 200 ml. of vigorously stirred petroleum ether. 0.9 gms. of 7-[DL-2-[(cyanomethyl)thio]-2-phenylacetamido]-cephalosporanic acid precipitate.
The potassium salt is produced by dissolving 0.8 gms. of the acid in 10 ml. of methanol and to this is added 1.25 ml. of a 2N solution of ethyl hexanoate in n-butanol. A light turbidity is filtered off and the solution is slowly poured into 200 ml. of vigorously stirred ether. There are obtained 0.75 gms. of the potassium salt, m.p. below 60° (dec.). | New compounds of the following general formula, and their salts ##STR1## wherein R 1 and R 2 each is hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, phenyl, hydroxyphenyl, chlorophenyl, benzyl, phenethyl, or R 1 and R 2 together complete a cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl group; R 3 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl, hydroxyphenyl, aminophenyl, chlorophenyl, benzyl, furyl, thienyl, pyrrolidyl or pyridyl; and R 5 is hydrogen or lower alkyl; are intermediates for the production of cephalosporin derivatives. | 2 |
FIELD
The invention relates generally to a vehicle storage unit and more particularly to a portable or moveable carport. Embodiments as described herein are able to be quickly and easily set up and taken down while still shielding a vehicle from rain, snow and sun—the primary destroyers of automotive paint, body and interiors.
BACKGROUND
An automobile, boat, or other vehicle is a sizable investment to most consumers. Collector cars are a popular investment, but many owners do not have expensive garages, carports or other storage means readily available to protect their vehicles from the elements. Fabric and plastic car covers are available, but car covers that are not breathable or let moisture through, can cause severe damage to a vehicle's finish if water is trapped under the cover. Good breathable car covers are expensive and can still chafe the car's finish, and also allow water or dust to penetrate. Additionally, car covers are unwieldy, tend to wear out quickly and can be damaged by UV radiation or adverse weather. As a solution, heavy carports are available, but they suffer from the need to be attached to the ground via lag bolts, ropes, or other mechanical means to make them at least semi-permanent. Portable shelters are usually complicated in design, are susceptible to collapse due to their lightweight structure, and most importantly, difficult to manufacture. As a result, these protective portable devices have not received any commercial success.
SUMMARY
Described herein is a portable or moveable carport that is able to be quickly and easily set up and taken down, is able to structurally withstand high winds and foul weather, and shield a vehicle from rain, snow and sun—the primary destroyers of automotive paint, body and interiors. The structure has no more than four vertical supports supporting an A-frame roof structure. The vertical legs are anchored under the vehicle's four tires with adjustable two piece anchor plates which can be driven onto once the structure is assembled. A fabric or plastic roof provides protection from the elements, and sides, front, and back may be additionally added to the carport.
A first aspect comprises a carport comprising no more than four anchor plates, wherein each plate comprises a plate that sits on the ground and may be placed under the wheels of a vehicle, no more than four vertical elements that are connected to the four foot pads inserted up through a whole in each anchor plates, a roof structure comprising two transverse elements that are approximately parallel to each other and the ground and each connect two vertical elements to each other, a single peak element that is approximately parallel to the transverse elements and the ground, four connecting elements, wherein two of each connecting element connect the peak element to a transverse element. Both the two transverse elements and the single peak rafter element always extend beyond the vertical elements area making a larger roof area than the vertical elements area. The transverse elements and the peak element are able to be dissembled into sub-sections of length no greater than five feet. In some embodiments, the anchor plates are able to be rotated around the axis formed by the vertical elements, for example the anchor plates are able to be rotated over an angle of about 160 degrees.
The roof pitch in some cases may be from about 1/12 to about 18/12. The roof element may comprise any material, but in some cases it is fabric, plastic or combination thereof. In embodiments, roof element is attached to the transverse elements by wire, flexible or fixed ties, rope, zip ties, buttons, zippers, or hook and eye elements. In some designs, the carport further comprises side elements that comprise a fabric, plastic, or combination thereof, and wherein the side elements attach to the vertical elements and the transverses elements.
The carport may further comprise a first sleeve element comprising a sleeve structure with openings for the vertical element, the transverse element, and the connecting element and/or a second sleeve element comprising a sleeve structure with openings for the connecting element and the peak element.
In a particular embodiment of the carport, the anchor plates comprise aluminum, the vertical elements, the transverse elements, the peak element, and the connecting elements, and the first and second sleeve elements all comprise aluminum, steel, iron, plastic, fiberglass or carbon fiber.
Other aspects and modes of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, described below, illustrate typical embodiments of the invention and are not to be considered limiting of the scope of the invention, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment described herein.
FIG. 2 shows a front perspective of a vehicle positioned in an embodiment with tires located on the tire plates or “paws.”
FIG. 3 shows a rear perspective showing a vehicle positioned in an embodiment with tires located on the tire plates or “paws.”
FIG. 4 describes an embodiment of the anchor element 102 , which comprises a paw which can be positioned under the vehicle, a vertical, tubular foot element, or foot pad, which connects to the vertical element, and an optional locking mechanism.
FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the connector element which connects the transverse element to the rafter element and the vertical element.
FIG. 6 is a schematic showing a close-in perspective of an alternative embodiment to FIG. 5 , wherein of the transverse element connected to the vertical element and the rafter element via separate connectors.
FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the peak connector element which connects the peak element to the rafter elements.
FIG. 8 provides example specifications for a carport embodied herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Aspects will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In describing the embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known features and/or process steps have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the description. In addition, like or identical reference numerals are used to identify common or similar elements.
The following describes a portable or moveable carport that provides the following advantages: it is able to be quickly and easily set up and taken down, it is able to structurally withstand high winds and foul weather, and critically, it is able to shield a vehicle from the primary destroyers of automotive paint, body and interiors—rain, snow and sun. Further, the carport is secured to the ground without the need for rope, wire or other types tie downs or other external devices that are secured in the ground and take up additional space outside of the carport.
A first embodiment of the carport frame 10 is shown in FIG. 1 . The carport frame 10 is secured and stabilized by four anchor elements, 102 , which comprise a tire plate, or “paw,” 100 , that is aligned under the wheels of a vehicle placed in the carport and a foot pad, 101 ( FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 ). The foot pad, 101 , may be connected to the paw, for example via welds, screws, bolts, etc. or may separate from the paw. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 , the foot pad, 101 , may comprise a tubular element, 401 , connected to a small base plate, 402 . In this embodiment, the paw 100 has a hole slightly larger than the tubular element, 401 , which allows it to be laid on top of the foot pad and “lock” the footpad down with the weight of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the footpad and paw are “keyed” such that rotational movement of the paw can be limited to a certain angular range, e.g., 90° or 135° or, alternatively, so that rotational movement of the paw can be controlled by rotation of the foot pad around the axis formed by the vertical element 110 .
Again looking at FIG. 1 , linear elements 110 , 130 ( 130 comprising 131 and 132 ), 140 , and 160 , can be made from any practical material, e.g. polymer, metal, wood, etc. However, due to cost, strength, and ease of use, metal tubing is typically used. In some embodiments, the metal tubing is circular tubing made of iron, steel, or aluminum. The tubing diameter can be chosen for the application, but iron pipe tubing of from 1-2″ is typically sufficiently strong enough to provide the desired flexural strength and structural integrity needed in most carport applications, while still being sufficiently light enough to provide ease of transport and setup. Because one aspect of the design is to make the carport easily transportable, it is desirable in some embodiments to make the linear elements 110 , 130 , 131 , 132 , 140 , and 160 sectionable into smaller sub-sections, or alternatively, the element is designed to telescope, or collapse to a length that is easily transportable in a standard automobile. In some embodiments, the linear elements 110 , 130 , 131 , 132 , 140 , and 160 , have a length no longer than about 6′, 5′, 4′, or 3′.
Similarly, connector-type elements 120 and 150 can be made from any practical material, e.g. polymer, metal, wood, etc. However, again due to cost, strength, and ease of use, metal is most convenient. In some embodiments, the connector elements 120 and 150 are made of the same material as the linear elements 110 , 130 , 140 , and 160 . In cases where the linear elements 110 , 130 , 140 , and 160 slide into or over the connector elements 120 and 150 , the size of the connector elements 120 and 150 is chosen to provide a snug fit without binding—such as 0.1″ larger or smaller. Either the linear elements 110 , 130 , 140 , and 160 or the connector elements 120 and 150 may further incorporate mechanisms to lock the elements together. For example, the linear elements 110 , 130 , 140 , and 160 may slide into one or more connector elements 120 and 150 and optionally, be locked in place by a set screw, bolt, screw, pin, clamp, or spring-loaded “button-type” apparatus, or the like. Alternatively, the linear elements 110 , 130 , 140 , and 160 may slide over one or more connector elements 120 and 150 and be optionally secured via similar devices. In still another embodiment, connector elements 120 and 150 and foot pad 101 may be integrated into or part of one or more of the linear elements 110 , 130 , 131 , 132 , 140 , and 160 they connect or connect to.
Looking again at FIG. 1 , each foot pad, 101 , is attached to a vertical element, 110 . Attachment between the vertical element, 110 , and the footpad 101 , may be through any number of possibilities known to one of skill in the art. For example, the vertical element may slide into the footpad and optionally, be locked in place by a set screw, bolt, screw, pin, clamp, or spring-loaded “button-type” apparatus, or the like. Alternatively, the vertical element may slide over the footpad and be optionally secured via similar devices. Still another possibility is that vertical element, 110 , and footpad, 101 , screw together.
Continuing to look at FIG. 1 , vertical element, 110 , attaches to transverse element 130 via connecting element 120 . Connecting element 120 comprises an element that is capable of linking vertical element 110 to transverse element 130 (for sake of clarity, transverse element 130 as described in FIG. 1 does not include elements 120 ), and optionally to rafter element 140 . In some embodiments, for example as shown in FIG. 5 , connecting element 120 comprises a sleeve-type, two-, three-, or four-tube connector, a two-, three-, or four-tube threaded connector, a clamp-type apparatus, a strap, a latching apparatus, or the like. Generally, vertical element 110 slides into or over connecting element 120 and is secured via methods known in the art, such as by a set screw, bolt, screw, pin, clamp, or spring-loaded “button-type” apparatus, or the like.
Transverse element 130 can comprise one continuous element that is optionally sectionable into smaller sub-sections, or alternatively, the element is designed to telescope, or collapse to a length that is easily transportable. In some embodiments, the transverse element 130 does not continue through connecting element 120 , but rather threads or locks into it, or butts up against an internal component of it. For example, transverse element 130 may comprise one or more outer transverse element sections 131 that attach to the connecting element 120 and one or more inner transverse element sections 132 that join two connecting elements 120 . In some embodiments, outer and inner transverse elements, 132 and 131 , respectively, slide into or over connecting element 120 or screw into connecting element 120 , and can be secured to connector 120 via methods known in the art, such as by a set screw, bolt, screw, pin, clamp, or spring-loaded “button-type” apparatus, or the like.
Alternatively, in some embodiments, the transverse element 130 is a continuous element that passes through connector element 120 and may optionally be made of smaller subsections. In cases where transverse element 130 comprises smaller subsections, these subsections may slide together, screw together, or lock together through methods known to those skilled in the art, such as set screw, bolt, screw, pin, clamp, or spring-loaded “button-type” locking apparatus. When transverse element 130 is continuous, connecting element 120 is designed to clamp or lock around it. In some embodiments, the clamping or locking mechanism can be, for example, a set screw, bolt, screw, pin, spring-loaded “button-type” apparatus, a clamp-type apparatus, a strap, a latching apparatus, or the like. In embodiments where the transverse element 130 is continuous, the connecting element 120 in an unlocked or state may be traversable along the transverse element, 130 . This is advantageous as it allows for movement of the vertical elements 110 to compensate for changes in vehicle length.
As noted above, in some embodiments where the transverse element 130 is a continuous element, connecting element 120 is secured to the transverse element in a manner that allows it location to be varied. An example embodiment is shown in FIG. 6 where connecting element 120 can be moved as shown by arrow 126 . Further, as shown in FIG. 6 , when connecting element 120 only secures the vertical element 110 to the transverse element 130 (i.e., does not also secure the rafter element 140 ), the connecting element 120 (vertical-transverse connecting element) and the connecting element 121 (transverse-rafter connecting element) can move independently of each other (shown as arrows 126 and 125 , respectively). Both connecting elements 120 and 121 may be secured to the transverse element 130 via a locking mechanism, a clamp mechanism, a strap mechanism, a set screw, or the like ( FIG. 6 , 610 ).
Rafter element, 140 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 , may be attached to transverse element 130 via connector element 120 or via connector element 121 . Generally, rafter element 140 slides into or over connector element 120 or connector element 121 and is secured via methods known in the art, such as by a set screw, bolt, screw, pin, clamp, or spring-loaded “button-type” apparatus, or the like. Alternatively, rafter element 140 may screw or thread into connecting elements 120 or 121 .
Again, looking at FIG. 1 , rafter element 140 connects to peak element 160 via peak connector element 150 . Peak connecting element 150 comprises an element that is capable of linking rafter element 140 to peak element 160 ( FIG. 1 ). In some embodiments, for example as shown in FIG. 7 , peak connecting element 150 comprises a sleeve-type, two-, three-, or four-tube connector, a two-, three-, or four-tube threaded connector, a clamp-type apparatus, a strap, a latching apparatus, or the like. Generally, rafter element 140 slides into or over peak connecting element 150 and is secured via methods known in the art, such as by a set screw, bolt, screw, pin, clamp, or spring-loaded “button-type” apparatus, or the like.
Peak element 160 is similar to transverse element 130 and can comprise one continuous element, that is optionally sectionable into smaller sub-sections, or alternatively, the element is designed to telescope, or collapse to a length that is easily transportable. In some embodiments, peak element 160 does not continue through peak connecting element 150 , but rather threads or locks into it, or butts up against an internal component of it. For example, as described above for transverse element 130 , peak element 160 may comprise inner and outer sections that connect to peak connecting element 150 . Outer and inner peak elements can be secured to peak connector 150 via methods known in the art, such as by a set screw, bolt, screw, pin, clamp, or spring-loaded “button-type” apparatus, or the like.
Alternatively, in some embodiments, the peak element 160 is a continuous element that passes through peak connector element 150 and may optionally be made of smaller, subsections. In cases where peak element 160 comprises smaller subsections, these subsections may slide together, screw together, or lock together through methods known to those skilled in the art, such as set screw, bolt, screw, pin, clamp, or spring-loaded “button-type” locking apparatus. When peak element 160 is continuous, peak connecting element 150 is designed to clamp or lock around it. In some embodiments, the clamping or locking mechanism can be, for example, a set screw, bolt, screw, pin, spring-loaded “button-type” apparatus, a clamp-type apparatus, a strap, a latching apparatus, or the like. In embodiments where the peak element 160 is continuous, the peak connecting element 150 in an unlocked or state may be traversable along the peak element, 160 .
As noted above, in some embodiments where the peak element 160 is a continuous element, peak connecting element 150 is secured to the peak element 160 in a manner that allows it location to be varied. Similar to that shown for peak transverse element 150 in FIG. 1 , peak connecting element 150 can be moved relative to peak element 160 . Additionally, while FIG. 1 shows two rafter elements 140 attached to the Peak element via a single peak connecting element 150 , an acceptable alternative is for each rafter element 140 to attach to the peak element 160 by its own peak connector element 150 . In such an embodiment, the example four rafter elements 140 in FIG. 1 would attach to the peak element by four peak connector elements. Such a design may be advantageous in some cases where staggered rafter elements would be preferred. In all cases, rafter element 140 and peak element 160 may be secured to the peak connector element 150 via a locking mechanism, a clamp mechanism, a strap mechanism, a set screw, or the like.
The roof material can be made from any practical material, e.g. polymer, fabric, metal, wood, etc. However, due to cost, strength, and ease of use, a polymer, fabric, or polymer/fabric blend, such as in a tarpaulin, is ideal. Specific materials include polyethylene, canvas, vinyl, silnylon, nylon, cotton, etc. Thickness of the material can influence strength and weather resistance. For example, materials for the roof can be from ˜5 mils to over 16 mils in thickness. Attachment of the roof to the frame 10 can be done via a number of mechanisms. The roof material can have grommets incorporated into its material, which are then used to connect the roof to the frame 10 via cables, ties, elastic bands, rubber straps, metal clasps, elastic cord ball ties, etc. Alternatively, some embodiments may have hooks or other latching elements on one or more of the transverse element 130 , the vertical element 110 or the connector element 120 . These optional latching elements can be used directly connect to the roof or may provide a latching point for cables, ties, elastic bands, rubber straps, metal clasps, etc. to latch to the frame 10 .
As noted above, the present design is easily transportable and provides protection for vehicles from the elements. Further, because the design utilizes the car's own weight to stabilize and secure the frame, it doesn't need to be secured to the ground via cables, stakes, sandbags, or other mechanisms.
Example 1
FIG. 8 provides an example of one embodiment described herein. The dimensions of the various elements and the example materials are detailed in Table 1:
TABLE 1
Number
Element
of
Label
Name
Pieces
Dimensions
Material
A
Roof rafter
4
4′ × 1″ (dia)
Iron pipe
B
Anchor plate
4
10″ × 24″ × 0.125″
Aluminum
plate
C
Inner transverse
2
9.4′ × 1″ (dia)
Iron pipe
element
C′
Inner peak element
1
9.4′ × 1″ (dia)
Iron pipe
D
Vertical element
4
6′ × 1″ (dia)
Iron pipe
E
Foot pad
4
6″ × 4″ × 10″
Iron pipe/
plate
F
Outer transverse
4
4′ × 1″ (dia)
Iron pipe
element
F′
Outer peak element
2
4′ × 1″ (dia)
Iron pipe
G
End cap
6
2″ × 1.1″
polymer
H
Peak connector
2
12″ × 4″
Iron pipe
fitting
I
Vertical connector
4
12″ × 12″
Iron pipe
fitting
J
Elastic ball ties
20
6″
Elastic
polymer/
polymer
The embodiment comprises four anchor plates, B, made of “diamond plate” aluminum with aluminum, iron, or steel tubing foot pad, E, to connect to the cast iron vertical “leg” elements, D. The legs can be cut to any desired length, but it is recommended that with side heights greater than 8′, the tubing diameter should be increased to at least1⅜″. In the case where the legs are longer than 5′, it is advantageous for portability to have each leg composed of several sections that are able to be connected together via typically known means, such as sleeving, clips, set screws, screw threads, etc. The legs attach to the transverse elements, also described as the outer and center roof ridges, C and F, via a four-sleeve, cast iron pipe fitting, labeled as a vertical connector, I. The I pipe fitting is a modified T-shape with an additional connector angled to the pitch of the roof (see also FIG. 5 ).
Each I connects a leg element to two sections of the transverse element, an outer transverse element, F, and an inner transverse element, C. In the case where the transverse element is longer than 5′, it is advantageous for portability to have each transverse element composed of several sections that are able to be connected together via typically known means, such as sleeving, clips, set screws, screw threads, etc. The outer and inner transverse elements, F and C may be secured to the connector element I via a set screw or, if threaded, by screwing into the connector. Alternatively, if the connector element is oversized, the roof ridge elements may be connected to each other via set screw, screw threads, sleeving, etc., and the connector element simply connects the roof ridge to the legs. Outer transverse elements may be fitted with end caps, G, made of any material, but advantageously from a material such as rubber or plastic.
Connector I is further linked to the roof rafters, A, which attach to the peak connector element, H, in this embodiment a four-sleeve pipe fitting. The peak connector element H connects two roof rafters, A, and outer and inner peak elements, C′ and F′. As in the case of the transverse elements, the peak elements may be secured to the connector element H via a set screw or, if threaded, by screwing into the connector. Alternatively, if the connector element is oversized, the peak elements may be connected to each other via set screw, screw threads, sleeving, etc., and the peak connector element, H, simply connects the peak elements to the rafters, A.
Over the entire roof area is placed a tarp made of plastic, fabric or other weatherproof material. The tarp may have eyelets and can be secured via any ordinary means, such as ties, hook and eye, screws, bolts, etc. ( FIG. 2 , 210 ). In some cases, especially where there is the chance of severe weather conditions, plastic of fabric, or other weatherproof material may be added as side, front and rear “walls.” As with the roof, the walls may have eyelets and can be secured via any ordinary means, such as ties, hook and eye, screws, bolts, etc.
The overall dimensions of the embodied car port are listed in Table 2:
TABLE 2
Tarp size
17.4′ × 8′
Peak height
6.5′
Side height
6′
Front opening width
8′ × 6.5′
Tarp color
Optional
Overall length
17.8′ | A portable or moveable carport is described. The carport as described herein is able to be quickly and easily set up and taken down while still shielding a vehicle from rain, snow and sun—the primary destroyers of automotive paint, body and interiors. The structure has at least four vertical legs supporting an A-frame roof structure. The vertical legs are anchored under the vehicle's four tires with adjustable plates which can be driven onto once the structure is assembled. | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to grass clippings collectors carried by vehicles such as riding lawn mowers for collecting vegetation clippings cut by the mower, and for venting the air which has carried the materials to the collector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mowing vehicles such as riding lawn tractors have often been provided with grass baggers. During mowing operation, the mower blade rotates within a mower deck or housing to generate a current of air while cutting vegetation. This current of air carries grass clippings into a chute that is coupled with the housing. The chute directs the air and clippings to a container or grass bag where the clippings accumulate. Conventional grass bagging systems typically provide mechanisms for venting the air from the bag in order to allow the proper flow of air from the housing to the bag via the chute. Without such a venting system, the flow of air stops once the bag fills with air, and the grass clippings then no longer flow through the chute and into the bag.
One type of conventional grass bagger provides a perforate bag within which clippings collect. Typically, these bags are a mesh or cloth material. The bags allow air to pass through the perforate material, and therefore the material of the bag itself acts as a vent. When the bags become full, they must be removed, and the grass emptied therefrom. These mesh or cloth bags are generally inoperative when lined with a plastic garbage bag, because the plastic material of the garbage bag is generally imperforate and would not allow air to be vented through the bag material. The air flow would be blocked, and the clippings would cease to be transported to the bags. Therefore, if the clippings are to be disposed of in plastic garbage bags, the operator must perform the additional step of dumping the clippings from the perforate bags and into the plastic garbage bags.
Another type of grass bagger provides a screen for allowing the air to be vented. A cover or hopper top is typically positioned over the open bag for directing the clippings from the chute into the bag. The screen is typically positioned in the wall of the hopper top to allow air to pass therethrough while blocking the grass clippings from exiting. Since the venting action is accomplished by a mechanism other than the bag itself, imperforate bags such as disposable garbage bags may be used to directly receive the clippings from the chute. The step of transferring the clippings from a cloth bag to a plastic garbage bag is thereby eliminated. However, many grass baggers position screens near the top of the bagger structure, and do not act to direct the air in any particular direction. Therefore, the vented air may be discharged near or at the vehicle operator, which may cause discomfort or annoyance to the operator.
Another type of grass bagger provides a chute or duct that channels the discharged air to a location and in a direction that will not cause annoyance or discomfort to the vehicle operator. These ducts tend to add to the material and assembly costs of the grass bagger mechanisms.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a material collector that receives air and clippings, and that properly vents air, thereby maintaining an adequate stream of air for transporting clippings to the collector. It would be desirable for such a collector to be adapted for directly accumulating the clippings in plastic garbage bags while maintaining proper venting action. It would also be desirable for such a collector to vent air to a location and in a direction that will not cause annoyance or discomfort to the vehicle operator, yet will not undesirably add to the material or assembly costs of the mechanism. It would further be desirable to provide a collector system that is easily removed from and installed on the vehicle without involving loose parts or the use of tools.
SUMMARY
The present invention provides a vegetation clippings collection mechanism adapted for being coupled to a powered mowing vehicle. The mechanism includes a container that receives air and air-borne grass clippings from a chute. The clippings accumulate in the container. A support structure extends upwardly from the vehicle for supporting the container. The support structure includes a generally vertically extending chamber for rigidly supporting the container. The chamber is also adapted to receive air from the container for venting and channeling the air downwardly for discharge near the ground. A screen positioned within the container adjacent the chamber inlet allows air to be vented from the container and into the chamber while blocking the passage of clippings. The mechanism also includes an attachment mechanism which couples the collector to the vehicle. The attachment mechanism includes a tube-like member fixedly coupled with the vehicle in inverted U-shaped position. A mating pocket is formed in the support means for removably receiving the tube like-member. The attachment mechanism therefore allows the support means and collection system to be easily attached to or removed from the vehicle. The chamber is configured to allow air to flow downwardly on either side of the pocket and tube-like member toward the ground. The collector is coupled to the rear portion of a mowing vehicle and between the mowing vehicle's rear wheels. Therefore, the chamber outlet directs air downwardly between the container and the vehicle near the ground.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of the present invention coupled with the rear portion of a vehicle.
FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the present invention showing the support means removed from the upwardly extending member.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along 3--3 of FIG. 2, and shows the clippings bag, bag frame structure, and support means.
FIG. 4 is a perspective partial view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention showing one of the bags removed from the support means.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to FIG. 1, the present invention provides a material collection system 10 within which grass clippings accumulate. The material collection system 10 is carried at the rear of a vehicle 12 such as a lawn tractor. The vehicle 12 has a mower deck (not shown) within which a blade rotates to cut grass. The rotating blade also generates a current of air that acts to propel the grass clippings into a chute 14. The chute 14 is coupled with a cover or hopper top 16 that covers a pair of receptacles or flexible bags 18. The hopper top 16 and flexible bags 18 form a container into which the chute 14 directs clippings and air. The clippings accumulate in the bags 18 by settling downwardly under their own weight. The bags 18 are carried by a support means 20 that is coupled with the rear of the vehicle 12 via an attachment mechanism 22.
The attachment mechanism 22 includes a plate 24 that is fixed as by bolts to the rear portion of the vehicle 12 between the rear pair of drive wheels 26. To this plate 24 is bolted an upwardly extending member 28 comprised of a tube-like member in an inverted U-shaped position, as seen in FIG. 2. During operation, the tube 28 is slidably and removably received within a mating pocket 30 formed in the support means 20. The support means 20 and collection system 10 supported thereby can be lifted upwardly from the tube 28 for removal of the collector 10 from the vehicle 12. The process of removal and attachment can therefore be performed with a minimum of effort and without requiring the use of tools. The tube 28 can remain fixed to the vehicle 12 even when the support means 20 and collection system 10 is not being used, since the tube 28 does not extend rearwardly an undesirable length or otherwise interfere with the operation of the vehicle 12.
Next, the support means 20 will be described in more detail. The support means 20 includes a generally vertically extending portion 32 that defines a chamber or box-like structure 34. At the top of this generally vertical portion 32 is formed an inlet opening 36 which communicates with the area beneath and within the hopper top 16. Air from within the hopper top 16 is vented downwardly through the inlet 36 and into the chamber 34. As the air travels downwardly within the chamber 34, it is allowed to pass behind and on either side of the pocket 30 and tube member 28. The chamber 34 channels the air downwardly through outlets 38 positioned on each side of the pocket 30. The air is thereby discharged near the ground and between the rear portion of the vehicle 12 and the bags 18. The support means, chamber 34 forms a box-like structure that also serves to generally rigidify the support means 20. The chamber 34 thereby strengthens the support means 20 such that it is more capable of withstanding the large loads associated with operating the vehicle 12 over rough terrain with bags full of grass clippings. Since the chamber 34 acts as both a vent and a strengthening support structure, the amount of material used and the cost required to manufacture the collection system 10 is generally less than if separate structures were provided for performing the venting and strengthening functions.
A screen 40 is coupled with the hopper top 16 for allowing air to pass through the chamber inlet opening 36 while preventing or blocking grass clippings from entering the chamber 34. Grass clippings are thereby kept within the hopper top 16 where gravity will eventually cause the clippings to settle downwardly into the bags 18. Since a screen type of mechanism is used, imperforate plastic bags may be used as liners within the bags 18 for directly receiving the clippings.
FIG. 2 also illustrates an E-shaped portion 42 of the support means 20. The E-shaped portion 42 acts to carry a pair of bags 18 in operating position beneath the hopper top 16 for receiving grass clippings that settle downwardly. The bags 18 are coupled with a frame structure 44 that maintains the bags 18 in open, grass receiving configuration. As seen in FIG. 3, the bags 18 may be coupled to the frames 44 during assembly by folding the end portion 46 of the bag 18 over the frame structure 44, and then stitching or otherwise fixing the folded end portion 46 to the main portion of the bag 18. The bag 18 therefore defines a loop or hem within which the frame structure 44 is positioned. The frame structure 44 thereby maintains the bag 18 in an open, clippings receiving position. Other mechanisms could also be provided for coupling the bag 18 to the frame structure 44.
As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the frames 44 are seated during operation in grooves 48 that extend to form a general U-shape in the support means 20. Upstanding abutments 50, shown in FIG. 2, are formed at the ends of the grooves 48 for preventing the frames 44 from shifting during vehicle travel. To remove a frame 44 and bag 18 from the support means 20 when the bag 18 has become full of grass clippings, the hopper door 52 is pivoted to an open position and the frame 44 is lifted slightly to clear the abutment 50. The frame 44 and bag 18 are then slid rearwardly through the opening created by the open hopper door 52 and either lifted from the E-shaped portion 42 or dropped to the ground for emptying.
A second type of mechanism may also be employed for coupling the frame structure 44 with the support means 20 in clippings receiving position during operation. As seen in FIG. 4, the bag opening is coupled to a frame structure 44. A slotted bracket 54 is fixed to the frame structure 44 for receiving an upstanding tab or peg 56 fixed as by bolts to the support means 120. The weight of the frame structure 44 and contents of the bag 18 bias the frame structure 44 and slotted bracket 54 downwardly and forwardly about the peg 56. A generally vertical portion 58 of the bracket 54 thereby abuts the peg 56, and maintains the frame structure 44 in general horizontal operating position. A plurality of slotted brackets 54 and associated pegs 56 may be used to distribute the loads more evenly across the lateral span of the support member 120. The use of slotted brackets 54 and associated pegs 56 positioned across the width of the support means 120 shown in FIG. 4 generally eliminates the need for legs 60 that define the E-shape of the support means 20 shown in FIG. 2. The material and manufacturing costs of the support means 120 shown in FIG. 4 is therefore less than that of the support means 20 shown in FIG. 2.
The support means 20, hopper top 16 and hopper door 52 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention are molded from a plastic material. The inlet 36 can be formed by cutting an opening in the support means 20. The hopper top 16 is bolted or otherwise conventionally fixed to the support means 20. | A material collection mechanism coupled with a mowing vehicle and having a container mechanism or a flexible bag for receiving air and air-borne material, and within which the material may accumulate. A support mechanism is coupled with an attachment mechanism and extends upwardly therefrom for supporting the container. The support mechanism includes a generally vertically extending chamber for rigidifying the support mechanism, and is also adapted to receive air from the container for channeling the air downwardly for discharge adjacent to the ground. An attachment mechanism is provided for coupling the material collection mechanism with the vehicle. A mechanism is provided for maintaining the bags in material receiving position. | 0 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a device, system, and method, for use with a rotary joint and heat transfer cylinders used typically in the papermaking process. Generally, the device, a secondary bearing support, and a stationary siphon system which may employ it, improves the reliability and efficiency of various papermaking machines.
2. Related Art
A papermaking machine typically includes three main sections: Forming, Pressing and Drying. The raw material, called furnish, is largely water, and is converted to a sheet by these three sections. The first section, Forming, uses vacuum and other means to remove most of the water. At the same time, the fibers of the sheet are formed into the desired mat. The second section, Pressing, removes more water by pressing the sheet between felted rolls. The final phase of removing water from a sheet in a paper machine relies on heated cylinders, called dryers. The Drying frequently consumes more energy than any other section of the machine and, in many cases, more than any other operation in a papermaking mill.
One manner of drying the sheet is to use heated cylinders (a.k.a. dryers or cans). These rotating cylinders are heated by a heat transfer medium, typically this may be steam. A dryer section usually includes of many cans arranged in single or multiple tiers. The sheet is threaded through this arrangement of dryers, wrapping partially around a can and passing from can to can. The sheet is heated by the rotating dryer cans and most or all of the remaining water is evaporated from the sheet.
Several factors determine the rate of evaporation, or drying, of this remaining water within the sheet. One of these factors is the rate of transfer of the heat from the steam inside the dryer can to the exterior surface of the dryer can. As the sheet contacts a dryer, and the steam within the dryer is condensing, heat is transferred from the condensing steam inside the dryer through the dryer shell and into the sheet. A principle of heat transfer is that heat moves from higher temperatures to lower ones. The rate of this transfer depends on the temperature differential and the resistance to the heat transfer. A significant resistance to the transfer of the heat is the quantity of condensed steam, or condensate, inside the can.
A rotary joint, or union, is typically used as a junction point wherein fixed parts of the system meet, or have a junction with, rotating parts of the system. The rotating parts include the can itself and portions of the rotary joint. The fixed parts include other portions of the rotary joint and fixed piping attached to the rotary joint. The steam is supplied to the inside of the can typically through a portion of the rotary joint, or union. In some cases, the condensed steam (i.e., condensate) is evacuated through another portion of the same rotary joint, while in others it is removed through a second rotary joint. Since the condensate collects inside the dryer shell or cylinder, a siphon may be employed to remove the condensate from the shell. The siphon, with its inlet, or pickup, close to the interior surface of the dryer shell, is connected to the rotary joint by a horizontal pipe. The condensate is collected at a tip of the siphon inlet. The condensate then passes into the siphon; then through the horizontal pipe; and, finally through the rotary joint and to the fixed piping connected beyond.
Multiple forces must be overcome to remove the condensate from of the can. This is accomplished, in part, by creating a pressure differential. The pressure differential is typically measured between a steam inlet port leading into the rotary joint and a condensate outlet port, also located on the rotary joint. Optimally, the condensate is removed from the can at the same rate at which it is being created from the condensing steam, while concurrently being done with the lowest possible differential pressure. During normal operating conditions, some steam will also exit the dryer in the same manner as the condensate. This exiting steam is commonly referred to as “blowthrough steam”. Blowthrough steam is undesirable.
Although condensate is being removed from the dryer can, the amount of condensate that remains in the dryer can at any time is determined, in part, by the distance between the siphon tip and the interior surface of the dryer can and the stability of this interface. The closer the siphon tip can be located to the surface of the dryer shell without contacting the shell, the more of the condensate can be removed from inside the dryer, and the smaller the quantity of condensate remains in the bottom of the inside of the dryer. Exacerbating this issue is that siphon tips also move. The siphon tip movement may be caused by movement in several areas including movement in: the rotary joint; the siphon assembly including both the horizontal and vertical pipe portions; the condensate; the rotating dryer can; paper machine vibration; or, a combination of these. Any reduction in this movement permits the siphon tip to maintain its close and consistent proximity with the condensate and to be placed closer to the interior surface of the can, thereby minimizing the amount of the condensate remaining in the can.
The behavior of the condensate inside the can is related to the rotating speed of the can. At very low speeds of rotation, the condensate puddles at the bottom of the can as a result of the forces of gravity. As the speed of rotation increases, however, the combination of centrifugal forces and the adhesion of the condensate to the interior surface of the dryer cylinder causes portions of the condensate puddle to move up the cylinder wall in the same direction as the rotation. This movement of condensate is called “puddling” or “cascading”.
During speeds when the condensate is puddling or cascading, a stationary siphon can be used. The stationary designation results from the fact that the siphon is not rotating along with the can (Cf. other siphon designs, such as rotary siphons, which have a siphon which rotates along with the can). Two beneficial features of the stationary siphon include being able to permanently position the siphon tip close to the condensate puddle, and some stationary siphons may be installed and/or removed without personnel having to enter the dryer cylinder.
Inherent to the process of removing condensate from the can with a siphon, a portion of the supplied steam will also exit. The quantity of this blowthrough steam is determined, in part, by the magnitude of the differential pressure. In part, the amount of differential pressure is dictated by the flow restrictions in the siphon-rotary joint-piping assembly. Thus, the greater the flow restrictions in the assembly, the greater the requisite differential pressure to adequately pull condensate from the can. Unfortunately, the greater the differential pressure is, the greater amount of blowthrough steam that is also removed from the can.
Another deficiency in current stationary siphon systems is mechanical in nature. The entire siphon (i.e., both the horizontal and vertical portions of pipe) frequently is only singularly attached to the interior of the rotary joint at the very end of the horizontal pipe. The siphon may also be supported additionally at a second point close to the aforementioned single point of attachment. These types of siphon connections result in a cantilever of upwards of 50 inches. The cantilever, and the long vertical reach of the vertical portion of the siphon pipe, creates a significant moment arm and resultant stresses on various parts in the rotary joint, including, inter alia, seals and bearings.
In summary, a need exists to overcome the above stated, and other, deficiencies in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an advantage of the invention to overcome the above deficiencies in the art.
For example, the present invention provides a stable stationary siphon system that when installed will allow the tip of the siphon to be placed close to the interior wall of the dryer cylinder.
Further, the present invention improves rotary joint life by transferring a portion of the siphon and horizontal pipe loads off of the rotary joint bearings and seals, which are wear parts of the joint.
Also, the present invention reduces the wear and failure of the joint and siphon system by reducing movement of the system in the dryer cylinder.
Also, the present invention improves fluid flow by reducing the movement of the siphon tip relative to the condensate puddle.
Also, the present invention minimizes the resistances to the flow of fluid through the siphon support.
Also, the present invention minimizes the required internal diameter of the dryer journal opening required for optimum fluid flow.
Also, the present invention allows the joint and siphon system to be completely assembled prior to installation in a dryer cylinder.
Also, the present invention can be employed with conventional rotary joint and siphon designs and commercial pipe for the horizontal pipe.
To overcome the aforementioned, and other, deficiencies, the present invention provides a siphon support, a system that employs the support, and method for installing the support
In a first general aspect, the present invention provides an apparatus for use with a rotary joint and siphon comprising:
a siphon support having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end has an internal bearing surface for rotary engagement with said siphon, and wherein said siphon support includes an opening intermediate said first end and said second end for flow of fluid from an interior to an exterior of said siphon support.
In a second general aspect, the present invention provides in a stationary siphon system for rotating heat exchanger rolls having an axis of rotation and a journal concentric to the axis of rotation, said stationary siphon system further includes a rotary joint which includes an inlet port for providing a flow of fluid, said siphon system comprising:
a siphon support with a plurality of openings extending between an exterior and an interior of said siphon support, said plurality of openings adapted to allow said flow of fluid between said rotary joint and an interior of said journal; and
a bearing rotatably attached to said siphon support.
In a third general aspect, the present invention provides a support device adapted for use with a rotary joint and stationary siphon system and rotating heat exchanger rolls having an axis of rotation and a journal concentric to the axis of rotation, wherein said rotary joint has an steam inlet pressure and a condensate outlet pressure wherein a pressure differential is measured between said inlet pressure and said outlet pressure, comprising:
a flow section adapted to receive steam from said rotary joint and transmit steam to said journal, wherein said flow section is further adapted to raise said pressure differential less than about 2 p.s.i.; and
wherein said support device is only attached to a rotatable portion of said rotary joint and to a siphon pipe of said stationary siphon system.
In a fourth general aspect, the present invention provides for use in a stationary siphon system and at least one rotating roll having an axis of rotation comprising:
a hollow support having at least one opening extending between an exterior and an interior thereof, said at least one opening adapted to allow a flow of steam from said interior of the hollow support to an interior of a journal of said rotating roll, wherein a sum of all areas of the at least one opening is defined, A T ;
said hollow support being further adapted to allow for a return condensate pipe to pass through said hollow support, wherein D 3 is defined as an exterior diameter of said return condensate pipe; and
said hollow support having a first interior diameter, D 1 , and said hollow support further adapted so that: A T ≧π(D 1 2 −D 3 2 )/4±10%.
In a fifth general aspect, the present invention provides a support device adapted for use with a portion of a papermaking system, said system including a rotary joint, stationary siphon, and rotating heat exchange cylinder, wherein said stationary siphon is solely attached to a stationary portion of said rotary joint thereby creating a cantilever, said support device comprising:
a support point, wherein said support point reduces said cantilever by attaching said stationary siphon at a rotatable portion of said rotary joint; and
said support device is only attached to said stationary siphon and said rotary joint.
In a sixth general aspect, the present invention provides a system for papermaking comprising:
a siphon support having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end has an internal bearing surface for rotary engagement with a siphon, and wherein said siphon support includes an opening intermediate said first end and said second end for flow of fluid from an interior to an exterior of said siphon support; and
a rotary joint operatively attached to said siphon support.
In a seventh general aspect, the present invention provides a system for papermaking comprising:
a siphon support having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end has an internal bearing surface for rotary engagement with a siphon, and wherein said siphon support includes an opening intermediate said first end and said second end for flow of fluid from an interior to an exterior of said siphon support; and
said siphon operatively attached to said siphon support.
In an eighth general aspect, the present invention provides a system for papermaking comprising:
a siphon support having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end has an internal bearing surface for rotary engagement with a siphon, and wherein said siphon support includes an opening intermediate said first end and said second end for flow of fluid from an interior to an exterior of said siphon support;
a rotary joint operatively attached to said siphon support; and
said siphon operatively attached to said siphon support.
In an ninth general aspect, the present invention provides a method of assembly for use with a rotary joint and siphon system comprising:
attaching a siphon support to said rotary joint, wherein said siphon support has a first end and a second end, wherein said first end has an internal bearing surface for rotary engagement with a siphon of said siphon system, and wherein said siphon support includes an opening intermediate said first end and said second end for flow of fluid from an interior to an exterior of said siphon support;
attaching said siphon to said rotary joint; and
placing said siphon through said siphon support.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, but are not restrictive, of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features of the present invention will best be understood from a detailed description of the invention and an embodiment thereof selected for the purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a siphon support, in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a bearing portion, in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a elevational sectional view illustrating an embodiment of a siphon support and bearing portion, in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a elevational partially sectional view illustrating a rotary joint and siphon system utilizing an embodiment of the invention, in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 5 is an elevational detail sectional view taken through the dryer cylinder illustrating a rotary joint and siphon system and typical behavior of condensate;
FIG. 6 is an exterior elevational view illustrating a rotary joint and siphon system with an embodiment of the invention, in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a elevational partially sectional view illustrating a rotary joint and siphon system with an embodiment of the invention, in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 8 is a close-up sectional elevation view illustrating a portion of the rotary joint and a stationary siphon system utilizing the invention, in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Although certain preferred embodiments of the present invention will be shown and described in detail, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims. The scope of the present invention will in no way be limited to the number of constituting components, the materials thereof, the shapes thereof, the relative arrangement thereof, etc., and are disclosed simply as an example of an embodiment. The features and advantages of the present invention are illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings.
As a preface to the detailed description, it should be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a portion of the present invention, a siphon support, hereinafter designated as 10 . This siphon support, support, or device 10 , is hollow, or has a bore, thereby allowing a flow of fluid there through. As will be discussed below, steam is allowed to pass through (i.e., flow through) the device 10 . A first section 12 of the device 10 may take the shape of a portion of a cone. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 , the first section 12 is frusto-conical (i.e. frustum of a right cylinder cone). The first section 12 has a first end 14 with a bore having an interior surface 16 . A second section 13 of the device 10 has a second end 15 with a bore therein. The second section 13 typically is a hollow right circular cylinder. Through the surface of the first section 12 is at least one flow opening 11 . In the embodiment in which a frustum of a cone is the first section 12 , the bore of the first end 14 is smaller than the bore at the second end 15 . Thus, the smaller diameter end of the frustum on the first section 12 is distal to the second section 13 . In alternative embodiments a plurality of flow openings 11 may be spaced symmetrically, or asymmetrically around the perimeter of the first section 12 . In other embodiments (not shown), the first section 12 may be a cylinder (e.g., circular, elliptical, etc.). Various other geometries for the device 10 that are not shown, are possible wherein the functionalities of the device 10 still remain. An axial centerline of the device 10 is shown at 70 .
FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a bearing portion 20 of the present invention. The bearing, or bearing portion 20 , which has a bore 21 , is generally a hollow cylinder wherein two sections 23 , 24 of the bearing 20 have different outside diameters. The first section 23 has a outside diameter that is larger than the outside diameter of the second section 24 . Spaced on the surface of the first section 23 are a plurality of attachment openings 22 , which allow for attachment of the bearing 20 to a horizontal pipe portion 32 (see FIG. 4 ) of a siphon 30 . Bolts, such as allen-type bolts (not shown), may be used in the attachment openings 22 to secure the bearing portion 20 to the horizontal pipe 32 . Several other methods of rigid attachment between the bearing portion 20 and the horizontal pipe 32 are available. For example, attachment may be by bolts, screws, welding, etc. The bearing portion 20 may be removably attached, or permanently fixed, to the horizontal pipe 32 . For example, in an alternative embodiment (not shown) the bearing portion 20 , or a similar bearing surface, may be machined into (i.e., made integral with) the external surface of the horizontal pipe 32 . An axial centerline of the bearing portion 20 is also shown at 71 .
The sectional view in FIG. 3 shows both device 10 and bearing 20 and their interface when in use. The second section 24 of the bearing 20 is placed within the bore of the first end 14 of the device 10 . Thus, the external surface of the second section 24 bears on, contacts, or may be proximal yet not touching, the adjacent interior surface 16 of the bore of the first end 14 of the first portion 12 of the device 10 . The diameter of bore of the second end 15 , is denoted as D 1 . The diameter of bore 21 , of bearing 20 , is denoted by D 2 . The attachment points 22 of the bearing 20 allows for removable attachment of bearing 20 to the horizontal pipe 32 via attachment means (not shown). Contrastingly, while bearing 20 is fixed to the horizontal pipe 32 , the device 10 is free to rotate around the second section 24 of the bearing 20 . In the embodiment shown, the axial centerlines 70 , 71 of both parts 10 , 20 are coaxial. In alternative embodiments (not shown) the two parts 10 , 20 can be eccentrically arranged.
The present invention which provides for an improvement for rotary joint and siphon systems is shown in the installed position in FIG. 4 in this partial elevation, partially sectional view. The joint and siphon system, or assembly, includes a rotary joint 50 , a siphon support 10 , and bearing 20 and a siphon 30 . The siphon 30 includes a horizontal pipe portion 32 and a vertical, or predominantly vertical pipe portion connected therewith. At the distal end of the vertical pipe portion of the siphon 30 is a siphon tip 31 . The joint and siphon assembly is typically connected to a dryer journal 43 by a flange 53 . In alternative embodiments (not shown), attachment of the joint and siphon system to a dryer 40 by other means, such as threads and bolts, etc. is possible. A dryer 40 (i.e., cylinder or can) is essentially a rotating drum, or cylinder. The dryer 40 is a cylindrical shell having an exterior surface 41 and an interior surface 42 . Extending along the axis of rotation of the dryer 40 is a dryer journal 43 . Within the dryer journal 43 is a journal annulus opening 44 , within which runs the horizontal pipe portion 32 of a siphon 30 . Generally connected to the end of the dryer journal 43 is a rotary joint 50 , which, in turn, is connected to various fixed piping (not shown). Steam is supplied via an inlet 52 to the rotary joint 50 . The condensate leaves the rotary joint 50 via an outlet 51 . Thus, the flow of steam, denoted by 102 , is from the inlet 52 , through portions of the rotary joint 50 , through the device 10 , through the journal annulus opening 44 , to the interior of the dryer 40 beyond. As the steam condenses into condensate it forms a puddle of condensate 100 in the bottom on the dryer 40 . The flow of condensate and blowthrough steam, denoted by 101 , is conversely from the condensate puddle 100 , into a siphon tip 31 and up the vertical portion of the siphon 30 , then through the horizontal pipe portion 32 of the siphon 30 (which is surrounded by the bearing 20 and device 10 ), and then through portions of the rotary joint 50 on to the outlet 51 . Note that while the return flow 101 through the siphon 30 is typically made up of condensate and a quantity of blowthrough steam, occasionally the return flow 101 may comprise entirely of blowthrough steam, or entirely condensate, depending on operating conditions.
As the sheet (not shown) contacts the exterior surface 41 , heat is transferred from the cylinder 40 to the sheet. The steam inside the dryer 40 replenishes the heat transferred to the sheet. As the steam contacts the interior surface 42 of the dryer cylinder 40 , it releases heat and eventually becomes a liquid or condensate 100 . The condensate 100 is evacuated from the dryer 40 by a siphon 30 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the rotation of the dryer 40 , as denoted by directional arrow 60 , causes at least a portion of the condensate 100 puddle formed on the bottom of the dryer 40 to begin to climb the interior surface 42 of the dryer 40 as the speed of rotation of the dryer 40 increases. The climbing, or creep, of the condensate 100 is denoted 103 .
The entire rotary joint and siphon system, including the siphon support 10 and bearing 20 are shown in the elevational view of FIG. 6 and the sectional elevational view of FIG. 7. A steam source (not shown) is connected to the inlet 52 of the rotary joint 50 . The steam flow 102 is through the rotary joint 50 in an interstitial passageway 59 between the rotary joint body 50 and the horizontal pipe 32 . The openings 11 in the siphon support 10 allow the steam to flow to the journal annulus opening 44 , and the interior of the dryer 40 beyond. The condensate flow 101 is from the siphon tip 31 of the siphon 30 , up the vertical portion of the siphon 30 , through the horizontal pipe portion 32 of the siphon 30 , and exits the rotary joint 50 at the outlet 51 .
The rotary joint 50 may have an internal spider 55 , or sleeve, in contact with the horizontal pipe 32 . The rotary joint 50 inter alia has a stationary portion 58 , a rotating portion 54 , one or more bearings 56 , and one or more seals 57 . The stationary portion 58 of the rotary joint 50 is supported by the bearing 56 , which also contacts the rotating portion 54 . The seals 57 are also in contact with the stationary portion 58 and the rotating portion 54 . Thus, the bearing 56 and the seal 57 are wear parts in the rotary joint 50 . With the addition of device 10 and bearing 20 an additional horizontal support point is provided to the siphon 30 . As a result, the moment arm created by the cantilever of the siphon 30 and the vertical portion of the siphon 30 is decreased and the resultant stresses on the various wear, and contact, points within the rotary joint 50 are lessened.
A close up elevation sectional view of an embodiment of the invention is shown in detail in FIG. 8 . FIG. 8 thus represents one of several possible configurations for the invention. A mounting plate 45 is attached to a face of the dryer journal 43 . The rotating portion 54 of the rotary joint 50 is held firmly in place against the mounting plate 45 by a flange 53 or other suitable means. FIG. 8 shows the siphon support 10 of which the exterior of the second portion 13 tightly fits into the rotating portion 54 of the rotary joint 50 . Other means (not shown) are practical for aligning the secondary siphon support 10 with the rotating portion 54 of the rotary joint 50 . The siphon support bearing 20 is firmly attached to the horizontal pipe 32 . The siphon support bearing 20 , in turn, fits within the siphon support 10 . Thus, the entire configuration allows for the siphon 30 including the horizontal pipe 32 , along with the device 10 and bearing 20 , and rotary joint 50 to be an entire assembly. The openings 11 in the siphon support 10 allow for the steam to flow 102 from rotary joint 40 to the journal annulus opening 44 .
In order to improve fluid flow (i.e., lessen turbulence, increase or maximize flow, etc.) a pipe system should, inter alia, decrease the quantity of bends in the pipe system, lessen the magnitude of any bends in the pipe system (i.e., decrease the angles in the bends), and avoid narrowing of passageways in the pipe system. Thus, improved fluid flow can be obtained by, for example, avoid having any bends in the pipe system of 90° or more. Conversely, by narrowing passageways resistance is built up against the fluid flow. In the present use, a narrowing of passageways results in an increase in the aforementioned pressure differential. This increase, in turn, has the deleterious effect of increasing the volume of blowthrough steam picked up by the siphon 30 . Measured pressure differentials in the art, without the installation of the present invention, typically are of the magnitude of about 3 to 4 psi measured between steam inlet and condensate outlet. The unique shape and configuration of the present invention, when added to a rotary joint and siphon system, does not increase the aforementioned pressure differentials measurably. The invention increases the pressure differential by less than about 2 psi. Thus, an advantage of the present invention, is that the pressure differential remains close to the original range of about 3 to 4 psi. As FIG. 8 illustrates the device 10 , by virtue of the conical shape of the first section 12 , the flow of steam 102 is unimpeded as the steam passes from the annular space between the second section 13 and the horizontal pipe 32 on to the journal annuls opening 44 . As FIG. 3 shows, the interior wall of the first section 12 of the device forms an angle φ with a line parallel to the midline axis 70 of the device 10 . Fluid flow restrictions can be diminished by having small angle φ. For example, the angle φ may be set to less than 90°. Further, there may be one or more openings 11 in the siphon support 10 . The total area of the openings 11 is sized so as to not reduce, impede, or restrict, the steam flow 102 . The sum total area of the openings 11 is denoted as A T . Referring to FIG. 8 , D 3 is defined as the outside diameter of the horizontal pipe 32 in the region where the horizontal pipe 32 passes through either the rotating portion 54 of the rotary joint 50 and/or the second portion 13 of the siphon support 10 . Thus, in order to maintain good fluid flow characteristics, the openings 11 on the siphon support 10 is sized (referring to both FIG. 3 and FIG. 8 ) according to Equation 1, as follows:
A T ≧π( D 1 2 −D 3 2 )/4±10% Equation 1
Thus, the total area of the openings 11 are generally sized to equal, or exceed, the total area of the annular space between the interior surface of the second portion 13 and the exterior surface of the adjacent section of the horizontal pipe 32 . An other embodiments of the invention, the device 10 and bearing support 20 together may be sized according to Equation 2, wherein D 1 and D 2 are referred to in FIG. 3 :
A T ≧π( D 1 2 −D 2 2 )/4±10% Equation 2
A method of installation of the present invention is as follows:
A rotary joint and siphon system employing the present invention has an advantage over the prior art of being fully assembled prior to installation into the dryer cylinder 40 . Further, the assembly requires only attachment of the rotary joint 50 to the dryer 40 . No additional attachment points of the assembly to exterior or interior parts of the dryer 40 (including the dryer journal 43 ) are required. This assembly can be accomplished following several procedures. One such procedure is to first attach the horizontal pipe 32 to the rotary joint 50 . Most commonly, the rotary joint 50 has a female threaded fitting in the stationary portion 58 of the rotary joint 50 . Both ends of the horizontal pipe 32 typically are threaded. One end of the horizontal pipe 32 can be in installed in the female threaded fitting of the rotary joint 50 .
Next the siphon support 10 and bearing 20 can be installed. The device 10 and the bearing 20 are fabricated such that the bearing 20 can be inserted into the bore of the first end 14 . The device 10 and bearing 20 interface may be lubricated. In alternative embodiments, this interface may be made from materials that do not require lubrication or are self-lubricating.
The bores at the first end 14 and second end 15 in the device 10 allow it to be assembled over the horizontal pipe 32 and positioned next to the rotary joint 50 . The siphon support 10 is aligned concentrically with the rotating portion 54 of the rotary joint 50 . This alignment can be accomplished by a sleeve of the cylinder portion 13 on the siphon support 10 that fits tightly into the bore on the rotating portion 54 of the rotary joint 50 . The attachment of the support 10 to the rotary joint 50 should eliminate any movement between the two parts.
If the method of attachment of the rotary joint 50 to the dryer cylinder 40 involves a tight fitting bore and seat on the dryer journal 43 , another manner of alignment is possible. The siphon support 10 may have a small shoulder having the same outer diameter as the end of the rotating portion 54 of the rotary joint 50 . When installed, this shoulder will register in the same tight fitting bore and seat at the end of the rotary joint 50 . The rotary joint 50 is held firmly to the dryer journal 43 using a flanged arrangement. The shoulder of the siphon support 10 will be firmly sandwiched between the end of the rotary joint 50 and the seat of the dryer journal bore when the flange 53 is tightened. To maintain alignment before installation, a small tight fitting lip (See e.g., FIG. 3 ) on the secondary siphon support 10 may be engaged in the bore of the rotating portion 54 of the rotary joint 50 . Leaks at the point where the rotating portion 54 of the rotary joint 50 mates with the siphon support 10 and where the siphon support 10 (See e.g., FIG. 8 ) can be eliminated by using gaskets (not shown), or other suitable sealing mechanisms.
After the siphon support 10 has been installed on the rotary joint 50 and horizontal pipe 32 , the bearing 20 can be installed. The internal bore 21 of the bearing 20 is dimensioned to accept the range of diameters found in commercial pipe. The bearing 20 slides over the end of the horizontal pipe 32 and the smaller external surface 24 of the bearing 20 fits into the siphon support 10 . The bearing 20 is fixed in a concentric manner to the horizontal pipe 32 . This can be accomplished in many manners. For example, a keyless mounting is possible.
Next a swivel, or hinge joint, 33 and brace 34 and the vertical pipe section of the siphon 30 are attached to the free end of the horizontal pipe 32 usually via a threaded connection. The vertical pipe section of the siphon 30 is installed such that it will not rotate about the horizontal pipe 32 and that the siphon tip 31 will be in the desired orientation when the assembly is ultimately installed in the dryer cylinder 40 . Note well that the siphon assembly (i.e., 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ) shown is only one of several designs that can be installed in a dryer can 40 through the journal 43 . For example, other siphon assemblies have different flex joint 33 configurations that those shown, while other assemblies have no brace 34 .
Using the internal diameter of the dryer cylinder 40 as a guide, the optimum length of the vertical portion of the siphon 30 in the installed position can be determined. This vertical section of the siphon 30 can be fabricated to this optimum length. This fabrication can be done before or after assembly to the horizontal pipe 32 .
With a stationary siphon 30 that incorporates a swivel or hinge 33 at its bending point, the entire rotary joint and siphon assembly (i.e. rotary joint 50 , siphon 30 including horizontal pipe 32 , and support 10 and bearing 20 ) can then be installed directly on, and into, a dryer 40 . This type of a stationary siphon can be held in a straight alignment for installation. The assembly will assume the bent position after insertion into the dryer 40 . The change from the straight position to the bent one may be accomplished by gravity or assisted by springs or other devices.
Properly installed the centerline of the joint and siphon assembly will closely agree with the centerline of the dryer cylinder 40 . If this is true, there will be little or no movement of the stationary portion of the siphon 30 when the dryer cylinder 40 is rotating. Additionally, the siphon tip 31 will remain a nearly constant distance from the interior shell wall 42 of the dryer cylinder 40 .
The foregoing description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed or to the materials in which the form may be embodied, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. | The invention relates generally to an improvement to a rotary joint and stationary siphon system typically for use in the papermaking process. Disclosed is a siphon support that has a bearing that rotatably engages with a siphon and flow openings that allow for steam flow from the rotary joint to the interior of a heat exchange roll. Further disclosed is a support device with a flow section that receives steam from the rotary joint and transmits it on to the heat exchange roll, wherein the flow section raises the pressure differential across the rotary joint by less than about 2 p.s.i. The support device is also only attached to the rotary joint and siphon thereby reduces the cantilever effect of the stationary siphon. Further disclosed are systems for papermaking that include the siphon support and rotary joint; the siphon support and stationary siphon; and the support, rotary joint and siphon. Further disclosed is a method of assembly wherein the support device is attached to a rotary joint and siphon. | 5 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to co-pending and commonly assigned patent application Ser. No. 08/826,010, filed on same date herewith, by Michael Golding, and entitled “A METHOD FOR RETRIEVING PREVIOUS INPUT COMMANDS TO AN EXTERNAL PROGRAM FROM AN EDITOR ENVIRONMENT,” which application is incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to command interpreters for computer systems, and in particular to a method for retrieving previous input commands to an external program from an editor environment.
2. Description of Related Art
Most editor programs provide a variety of useful functions for computer users. These functions may include the ability to organize, store, retrieve, and print information. However, the scope of functions available to the computer user within the editor are limited.
It would be useful, therefore, to make additional functions available within the editor by allowing the user to access one or more programs external to the editor. In the prior art, however, most typical editor input cannot operate as command input to another external program. This limitation prevents users from combining the power of the editor with the extra capabilities of the external program.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a method that allows the computer user to access external programs from the editor environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the limitations in the prior art described above, the present invention discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for enabling interaction with one or more external computer programs from within an editor environment. The method involves passing editor input to the external program, wherein the external program evaluates the input, produces either lines of output or zero lines of output, and transmits the output back to the editor. When the editor receives the output, it stores the output in a file and displays it on a computer monitor. By using this method, a user can not only interact with the external program from within the editor environment, but can also create an editor file that stores a listing of the input and output provided to the external program.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates an exemplary hardware environment of the present invention;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are flowcharts showing the steps performed by the computer when a user interacts with an external program; and
FIG. 3 A through FIG. 3I illustrate one possible embodiment of the user interface displayed on the monitor according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates an exemplary hardware environment of the present invention. The present invention is typically implemented using a personal computer 10 comprised of a microprocessor, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and other components. It is envisioned that attached to the personal computer 10 may be a monitor 12 , hard and/or floppy disk drives 14 , CD-ROM drives 16 , printer 18 , and other peripherals. Also included in the preferred embodiment may be input devices, for example, a mouse pointing device 20 and a keyboard 22 .
Those skilled in the art will recognize that the exemplary environment illustrated in FIG. 1 is not intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, those skilled in the art will recognize that other alternative hardware environments may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The personal computer 10 operates under the control of an operating system 24 , such as the OS/2™, Windows™, or Macintosh™ operating systems, which is represented in FIG. 1 by the screen display on the monitor 12 . The personal computer 10 executes one or more computer programs 26 and 28 , which are represented in FIG. 1 by the “windows” displayed on the monitor 12 , operating under the control of the operating system 24 .
Generally, the operating system 24 and the computer programs 26 and 28 are tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, e.g., one or more of the fixed and/or removable data storage devices 14 and 16 . Both the operating system 24 and the computer programs 26 and 28 may be loaded from the data storage devices 14 and 16 into the random access memory of the computer 10 for execution by the microprocessor. Both the operating system 24 and the computer programs 26 and 28 comprise instructions which, when read and executed by the microprocessor of the computer 10 , causes the computer 10 to perform the steps necessary to execute the steps or elements of the present invention.
In the preferred embodiment, the computer programs 26 and 28 comprise an enhanced editor 26 and one or more programs 28 external to the editor 26 that communicate bidirectionally with the editor 26 , although other types of computer programs may be used. A command within the editor 26 is used to start the user-specified external program 28 as a peer process or dynamically linked routine under the editor 26 . The editor 26 then communicates bidirectionally with the external program 28 via, for example, OS/2 pipes or other similar mechanisms built into the operating system 24 . The editor 26 passes input lines to the external program 28 using a standard input and output interface or directly through an API. The external program 28 evaluates the input lines (which can comprise both commands and data), performs the functions indicated by the input lines, and generates one or more lines of corresponding output or perhaps generates no output. The external program 28 passes the output lines back to the editor 26 for subsequent storage and display. As a result, the full power and flexibility of the editor 26 environment is retained, yet the editor 26 also becomes a “session manager” for the external program 28 .
In the preferred embodiment, a “LINK” command is used to set up the editor 26 environment in a mode for operating according to the present invention. A pull-down menu is marked by the LINK command, wherein the menu is used to initialize a session with a user-specified external program 28 and to provide access to certain commands described in more detail below. The menu is removed when an “UNLINK” command is used to remove the editor 26 from the mode for operating according to the present invention.
Once activated within the editor 26 , the present invention redefines the following keys, key combinations, keywords, and/or menu selections during an active session with the external program 28 : INIT <pgm>, ALT-X, ENTER, CTL-ENTER, PAD-ENTER, CTL-PAD-ENTER, CTL-UP, CTL-DOWN.
The user may assign key combinations in addition to the invention commands whose arguments are strings to evaluate. Input and output may thus be directed to the cursor lines or to the bottom of the file. This is similar to using a setup macro for the commands of the editor 26 .
The INIT <pgm>keywords initialize a new session by identifying the name “pgm” of the external program 28 . This command is also available as “Initialize session” command on the pull-down menu.
Entering “=filename” as input to the editor 26 scans a disk file for the prompted lines and sends them to the external program for evaluation. The input and corresponding result lines are written to the editor 26 file as if the entire file were copied. An appropriate input file might be obtained by saving the file after a session communicating with an external program.
The ALT-X key combination exits from current session and returns to the default editor 26 key definitions. This command is also available as “Exit session” command on the pull-down menu.
The ENTER key transmits the currently selected line or line block to the external program 28 , and adds the output lines from the external program 28 immediately following the corresponding selected line(s). This command transmits only input lines, not output lines, in the selected lines. Input lines are lines that have previously been sent as input and thus are preceded with a prompt. As an alternative, these lines can be lines from a previously identified input file. These lines can also include the arguments of a macro. For example, a pre-assigned key combination whose argument string is input lines. This command is also available as “Evaluate in place” on the pull-down menu. If no lines are selected, then the line at the cursor is sent as input. Otherwise all input (prompted) lines in the block are sent and the cursor position is ignored.
The CTL-ENTER key combination transmits the currently selected line or line block to the external program 28 , echoes the currently selected line or line block to the bottom of the editor 26 file, and adds output from the external program 28 at the bottom of the editor 26 file. As an alternative, the currently selected lines and the output received from the external program can be directed to a pre-assigned alternate editor window. This command transmits only input lines, not output lines, in the selected lines. This command is also available as “Evaluate at bottom” on the pull-down menu.
Input from a “main” editor 26 session may be sent to the external program 28 and be echoed with corresponding output to another editor 26 window rather than echoing the results to the main window, similar to the process performed by the CTL-ENTER command. There may be also be a user-selectable choice of alternate editor windows.
The PAD-ENTER key combination transmits the currently selected line block to the external program 28 , and adds output from the external program 28 immediately following the selected lines. In essence, this command echoes the selected line block interleaved with output from the external program 28 at the original location in the editor 26 file. This command also transmits all of the lines, not just input lines, in the selected line block. As an alternative, these lines can be lines from a previously identified input file. These lines can also include the arguments of a macro. For example, a pre-assigned key combination whose argument string is input lines. If no lines are marked, then the input highlight is removed. This command is also available as “Evaluate block” on the pull-down menu.
The CTL-PAD-ENTER key combination transmits the currently selected line block to the external program 28 , echoes the currently selected line block to the bottom of the editor 26 file, and adds output from the external program 28 at the bottom of the editor 26 file. In essence, this command echoes the selected line block interleaved with output from the external program 28 at the bottom of the editor 26 file. As an alternative, the currently selected lines and the output received from the external program can be added to a pre-assigned alternate editor window. This command also transmits all of the lines, not just input lines, in the selected line block. If no lines are marked, then the highlighted input line is reset at or near (above) the cursor. This command is also available as “Set retrieve” on the pull-down menu.
The CTL-UP key combination changes the emphasis (using the reverse-video of the highlight color) to the first highlight line above the current emphasized input line and echoes the line to the bottom of the editor 26 file, In essence, this command moves the input focus or command prompt up one line in the editor 26 file and echoes the line at the input focus to the bottom of the editor 26 file. This command is also available as “Retrieve up” on the pull-down menu.
The CTL-DOWN key combination similarly emphasizes and echoes the next highlighted line to the bottom of the editor 26 file. In essence, this command moves the input focus or command prompt down one line in the editor 26 file and echoes the line at the bottom of the editor 26 file. This command is also available as “Retrieve down” on the pull-down menu.
When performing the above-described functions under the present invention, inputs to and responses from the external program 28 need to be synchronized by the editor 26 , so that they can be interleaved in the file being edited by the editor 26 (only when an external program is seen as a separate process). Therefore, the user needs to set either a “delay” or (preferably) an “end-of-response tag” setting. If an external program is run synchronously through a direct API, then the delay and end-of-response tag are not used. The delay specifies a time (in milliseconds) for the editor 26 to wait between writing to the input pipe of the external program 28 and reading from the output pipe of the external program 28 .
The end-of-response tag is a string used by the editor 26 to determine when the output pipe of the external program 28 has the last response line for the previous input to the external program 28 . When the string is set, the editor 26 reads the output pipe of the external program 28 in a separate thread, waiting for either the total pipe contents to exactly match the tag, or for the final n+2 bytes in the pipe to match the tag preceded by a carriage return and line feed.
If the tag is not seen 1 or 2 seconds after the output pipe of the external program 28 stops filling, the editor 26 then repeatedly prompts the user to ask whether to continue waiting on the read (retry) or stop waiting for output (cancel). If the user cancels, they should then change or remove the tag, and re-enter input (the response from which will include “lost” output from previous input) or stop the current session and then restart the external program 28 with the proper tag. When a tag is set, the delay setting is used only to increase the time between prompts to continue reading.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the computer 10 in accordance with the present invention.
Block 30 represents the computer 10 waiting for input. Block 32 is a decision block that represents the computer 10 determining whether the user has entered a LINK keyword command to enable the invention. If not, control transfers to Block 34 .
Block 34 represents the computer 10 handling other processes and transferring control back to Block 30 .
Block 36 represents the computer 10 activating the invention within the editor. After activation, control transfers to Block 38 .
Block 38 is a decision block that represents the computer 10 determining whether the user has entered an UNLINK keyword command to disable the invention. If so, control transfers to Block 40 , which represents the computer 10 deactivating the invention.
Block 42 is a decision block that represents the computer 10 determining whether the user has entered an INIT<pgm> command to begin a new session. If not, control transfers to Block 44 , which represents the computer 10 handling other processes.
Block 46 represents computer 10 initializing a session and specifying the name of an external program.
Block 48 is a decision block that represents the computer 10 determining whether the user has entered an ALT-X command to exit a session. If so, control transfers to Block 50 , which represents computer 10 terminating the current session.
Block 52 represents the computer 10 waiting for data. Block 54 is a decision block that represents the computer 10 determining whether the user has selected a portion of the data displayed on the monitor 12 . If so, control transfers to Block 56 , which represents the computer 10 highlighting the desired data.
Block 57 is a decision block that represents the computer 10 determining whether the user has typed in a CTL-UP or CTL-DOWN command to move the input highlight to the previous or next input line 74 . If a user does enter a CTL-UP or CTL-DOWN command, control transfers to Block 58 , which represents the computer 10 moving the highlighted portion in the editor 26 file and echoing the highlighted portion at the bottom of the screen.
Block 59 is a decision block that represents the computer 10 determining whether the user has typed a command or key combination to transmit the block of lines or cursor line data to a previously defined external program 28 . The accelerator keys for transmitting data are ENTER, CTL-ENTER, PAD-ENTER, and CTL-PAD-ENTER. Comparing ENTER to PAD-ENTER, users hit ENTER when they want to transmit only prompted (previously input) lines. Otherwise, to transmit all lines as input, they hit PAD-ENTER. The CTL-UP and CTL-DOWN keys only shift the input focus up or down one input line 74 . Regarding the CTL prefix, CTL instructs the computer 10 to echo the currently selected portion to the bottom of the editor 26 file. The CTL prefix also undoes the last set of changes to the original input lines. If a user does a transmit, control transfers to Block 60 , which represents the computer 10 echoing the selected portion in the editor 26 file (if so indicated according to the type of transmit command entered) and performing the transmit function.
Block 62 is a decision block that represents the computer 10 determining whether the external program produced output. If so, control transfers to Block 64 , which represents the computer 10 receiving that output into the editor 26 file.
Block 66 represents the computer handling other processes and transferring control back to Block 52 .
FIG. 3A illustrates a pull down menu 68 , wherein the menu is used (a) to set up the editor 26 environment using a “LINK” command; (b) to remove the pull down menu using the “UNLINK” command; (c) to initialize a new session using the “Initialize session” command; and (d) to exit a session using the “Exit session” command.
FIG. 3B represents the computer 10 responding to a “ENTER” keyword command where there is no marked block of data. The “ENTER” key evaluates the cursor line to the external program 28 and adds the output 72 from the external program 28 immediately following the corresponding selected input lines. The highlighting is shown as bold text in FIG. 3 B. The cursor position is shown as an underscore, “_”. A prompt is added to the line if it does not already have one. This command transmits only input line 74 . Screen (5) shows an input line 74 that has been changed from a = 101 ″ to “Print a: Print a* 10 ”; screen (6) shows that the external program 28 then responds to this changed line. If the cursor is at the bottom of the input screen as shown in screen (3), a new input prompt is added at the bottom of the screen as shown in screen (4) after the ENTER command is entered.
FIG. 3C represents the computer 10 responding to a “CTL-ENTER” keyword command where there is no marked block of input. The “CTL-ENTER” key transmits the current line to the external program 28 , echoes this line to the bottom of the editor 26 file, and adds output 72 from the external program 28 at the bottom of the editor 26 file immediately following the corresponding echoed lines 76 . This command transmits only input lines 74 . Between screen (3) and screen (4), the fourth line of input was changed from “Print a : Print b” to “Print c* 100 ”, after which the CTL-ENTER command acts on the new input to the external program 28 as shown in screen (5).
FIG. 3D represents the computer 10 responding to an ENTER keyword command where there is a marked block of text in the input to the external program 28 . In screen (2), the first five lines are marked by the editor 26 line-blocking facility. The change between screen (2) and screen (3) shows the effect of the ENTER command on the marked block input. Although the cursor is shown on line 4 in screen (2), the cursor can appear on any line within the marked block. When a user replaces previously input lines as in screen (4), the resulting outputs replace the corresponding old outputs by interleaving the outputs as shown in screen (5). The line blocking remains until the user explicitly unblocks the input using the editor 26 line blocking facility.
FIG. 3E represents the computer 10 responding to a CTL-ENTER keyword command where there is a marked block of input. From screen (1) to screen (2), the user changed some input lines and marked a block containing them. Screen (3) shows the result of a CTL-ENTER command, with the marked block moved to the bottom with the corresponding output to the marked input, where there is output to be displayed.
FIG. 3F represents the computer 10 responding to a “PAD-ENTER” keyword command. The “PAD-ENTER” key transmits the currently highlighted data 70 to the external program 28 , and interleaves output 72 from the external program 28 with the selected lines. This command transmits all of the lines 74 .
FIG. 3G represents the computer 10 responding to a “CTL-PAD-ENTER” keyword command. The “CTL-PAD-ENTER” key transmits the highlighted data 70 to the external program 28 , echoes the currently selected line block to the bottom of the editor 26 file, and interleaves output 72 from the external program 28 with the echoed lines 76 . This command transmits all of the lines 74 .
FIG. 3H represents the computer 10 responding to a “CTL-UP” command. The CTL-UP key emphasizes the previous input line 74 (shown as bold and italicized text in screens (2-4)), and echoes the line to the bottom of the editor 26 file. In essence, this command moves the input focus or cursor 78 up one line in the editor 26 file, and echoes the line at the bottom of the editor 26 file. The echoed line at the bottom of the screen may be evaluated as is, or it may be changed and evaluated by using the ENTER or CTL-ENTER key.
FIG. 3I represents the computer 10 responding to a “CTL-DOWN” command. The CTL-DOWN key combination emphasizes the next input line 74 and echoes the line to the bottom of the editor 26 file. In essence, this command moves the input focus or cursor 78 down one line in the editor 26 file, and echoes the line at the bottom of the editor 26 file. | The present invention discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for enabling interaction with one or more external computer programs from within an editor environment. The method involves passing editor input to the external program, wherein the external program evaluates the input, produces corresponding output, and transmits the output back to the editor. When the editor receives the output, it stores the output in a file and displays it on a computer monitor. By using this method, a user can not only interact with the external program from within the editor environment, but can also create an editor file that stores a listing of the input and output provided to the external program. | 6 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a regular application filed under 35 U.S.C. § 111(a) claiming priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) (1), of provisional application Ser. No. 61/058,806, previously filed Jun. 4, 2008 under 35 U.S.C. § 111(b).
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention deals broadly with methods and apparatus for effecting transmission of rotational motion of an axle about one axis to rotational motion of an axle about a second, generally parallel axis. Such transmission is effected by means of apparatus conventionally referred to as a gearbox. More narrowly, the invention deals with methods and apparatus for maintaining gears within the box in a desired orientation in order to deter uneven wear or breakage of the gears.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Gearboxes known in the art typically enclose one or more gear sets. Such gear sets are mounted on two or more shafts which traverse the gearbox between generally parallel, facing walls which are spaced from each other at a defined distance. In industry, such walls are typically made of iron, steel or other durable, substantially rigid material.
[0004] The gears are built, it is intended, to very precise tolerances. It is also intended that they be smooth and very hard. FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of engagement of teeth of one gear by teeth of a second gear. The arrows illustrate where force exerted by the drive gear is applied to teeth of the driven gear. Optimally, the point at which force is transmitted from one gear to another be lubricated so that all contact occurs at a location at which a film of oil is applied between the teeth. Gearboxes built this way, in theory, are expected to have a nearly infinite gear life. In practice, however, some gearboxes experience failure after a relatively short period of use. This often occurs due to pitting of the teeth at contact surfaces near one axial end of the gears. On occasion, fracture of teeth will even occur at areas of pitting.
[0005] Damage as described hereinbefore suggests that operation of the gears has been such that functioning has been less than perfect because the gears have not been operating with the gear faces parallel and teeth in exact parallel mesh. That is, operation has been such that one axial end of teeth has been in contact more extensively, thus overstressing the material of which the gears are made at that end.
[0006] Misalignment, it has been determined, occurs for a number of reasons. First, the walls defining the gearbox within which the axles to which the gears are journaled are not strong enough to prevent distortion when the gears in the gearbox are placed under a force. This results because the opposite walls are, in fact, subjected to different levels of force when the axial centers of the gears are not equidistant from the walls.
[0007] Another cause of misalignment results from the axles themselves. Even where the walls are strong enough so as to not distort when subjected to pressure, the axles to which the gears are mounted may distort so that planes defined by the faces of the respective gears become non-parallel.
[0008] It is to these shortcomings and deficiencies of the prior art that the present invention is directed. It is both a process and an apparatus which, it is intended, solves these problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is an apparatus and method for improving the operation and extending the life of a gearbox mounting therein a gear set. The apparatus is a gear set which, when force is applied thereto, effects maintenance of the faces of the gears of the gear set in a substantially parallel configuration. The maintenance of the gear faces in such a relationship is accomplished by effecting compensation of deflection of gear set mounting walls of the gearbox in which the gear sets are journaled.
[0010] The method of manufacturing such a gearbox includes steps of defining a gearbox housing by employing a pair of generally parallel, facing walls which are spaced from each other at a defined distance; mounting gears of a gear set between the walls in a meshed configuration where the gears define planes which, in unstressed positions thereof, are substantially parallel to planes defined by the walls; and utilizing means for mounting the gears such that, when they are under stress, the planes defined thereby remain substantially parallel to one another and to planes defined by the walls. In various embodiments, the walls of the gearbox and the axles to which the gears are mounted serve to effect disposing the gears in desired orientations.
[0011] The present invention is thus a method for constructing and manufacturing a gearbox and a gearbox assembled in accordance with the method. More specific details and advantages obtained in view of those details will become apparent with reference to the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION, appended claims and accompanying drawing figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is an end-on view illustrating typical engagement of teeth of a drive gear with teeth of a driven gear;
[0013] FIG. 2 is an end-on view illustrating the typical engagement of a drive gear with its corresponding driven gear;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a top view, with some elements in section, illustrating a portion of a gearbox;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a view illustrating deflection of axles to which the drive gear and driven gear are mounted; and
[0016] FIG. 5 is a view which illustrates a manner of solving such deflection problems.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates in section, looking in an axial direction, the engagement of a tooth 10 of a drive gear 12 of a gear set in a gearbox 14 with a tooth 16 of a driven gear 18 in the gear set. As previously discussed, the gears 12 , 18 are manufactured to very precise tolerances, and are made very smooth and hard. This protects the gear surfaces and extends the operational life of the gearbox 14 .
[0018] In fact, it is the intent that the gear surfaces never actually touch during operation of the gearbox 14 . Rather, they are intended to be spaced from one another at a very small distance, as at 19 , filled by a film of oil. In any case, spacing, if any, between the closest point of touching of the gear teeth 10 , 16 is intended to be substantially uniform along the axial dimensions of the teeth 10 , 16 . It is when the faces 20 , 22 of the gears 12 , 18 which are substantially engaged are diverted from a substantially parallel relationship of the gear faces 20 , 22 that inordinate wear occurs.
[0019] FIG. 2 illustrates schematically the drive gear 12 , and the axle 24 upon which it is mounted, in substantial engagement with the driven gear 18 and the axle 26 upon which it is disposed for rotation. The faces 20 , 22 of the two gears, it will be understood, when the gear set is operating properly, will be in a parallel relationship.
[0020] FIG. 3 illustrates portions of a gearbox 14 in which the gear set is mounted. Typically, the gearbox 14 is closed, and FIG. 3 illustrates the box 14 with some portions removed and two oppositely facing, substantially parallel walls 28 , 30 of the gearbox 14 illustrated in section. Manufacturing these walls 28 , 30 of the gearbox 14 with thicknesses substantially the same and the walls being made of the same material is commonly observed in the industry. It will be understood that, if the axial center of the gears 12 , 18 is equidistant from the inner surfaces 32 , 34 of the two substantially parallel, facing walls 28 , 30 , operation of the gear set will not likely cause any deflection from the desired dispositions of the gears 12 , 18 wherein their faces 20 , 22 are substantially parallel. This is so since the forces exerted upon the axles 24 , 26 and, in turn, the substantially parallel walls 28 , 30 of the gearbox 14 are substantially the same. In most cases, however, for various reasons a gear set will be offset from a position wherein it is equidistant from the walls 28 , 30 of the gearbox 14 . This is the disposition shown in FIG. 3 .
[0021] FIG. 3 shows a gearbox 14 and gear set under load. When the drive gear 12 is in engagement with the driven gear 18 the force exerted upon the driven gear 18 and its mounting axle 26 , and in turn transmitted to the upper wall 28 , as shown in FIG. 2 , will be greater than the force exerted upon the driven gear 18 , its mounting axle 26 , and the lower wall 30 , as shown in FIG. 2 , because of the location, axially along the gears, at which the force is applied. This translates into a canting of one axial end of the gears 12 , 18 relative to the other and a consequent location of greater wear.
[0022] As previously discussed, the prior art utilizes walls which are substantially the same thickness and made of the same material. In order to deter such a consequence, it has been determined that the walls 28 , 30 can be made of different thicknesses, even assuming of the same material, so that the wall which is typically subjected to greater force is thicker than the other wall. As the disparity of force exerted upon the two walls 28 , 30 increases, the wall subjected to the greater force can be made of a thickness proportionately larger than the thickness of the other wall.
[0023] Alternatively, the walls 28 , 30 can be made of different materials while maintaining a common thickness. The wall subjected to the greater force because of axial displacement of the gear set within the gearbox can also be made of a material which has a measure of stiffness greater than that of the material of which the other wall is manufactured. The disparity in the degree of stiffness necessary in order to maintain the gears 12 , 18 in the desired orientations can be calculated based upon the relative distance between the axial center of the gears 12 , 18 and the two walls 28 , 30 .
[0024] If a force exerted upon one wall of the gearbox 14 is twice that exerted on the other wall, either the thickness of the wall upon which the greater force is applied will have to be twice as thick as the other wall or the first wall will have to have twice a degree of stiffness of the second wall in order to maintain the gears in the desired dispositions. It has been mathematically shown that, if either the wall upon which the greater force is applied is of a factor of thickness of the wall upon which the lesser force is applied, or the wall upon which greater force is applied is given a factor of stiffness the same as the ratio of the forces applied to the teeth, the teeth will be maintained in a desired configuration.
[0025] A second reason for the uneven wear of teeth is deflection of the axles as a result of repeated application of force. This situation is illustrated in FIG. 4 . As can be seen, the faces of the drive and driven gear resultantly are displaced out of a substantially parallel orientation. Again, wear at one axial end of the teeth of the gears results.
[0026] FIG. 5 illustrates an inventive solution to this problem. The solution contemplates measurement of the distances between an outer face of the driven gear and its proximate wall, and the outer face of the drive gear and its proximate wall, respectively. Diameters of the respective gear axles 24 , 26 are made so that the faces of the respective gears do not divert from a substantially parallel relationship should the mounting axles deflect.
[0027] It will be understood that this disclosure, in many respects, is only illustrative. Changes may be made in details, particularly in matters of shape, size, material, and arrangement of parts without exceeding the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is as defined in the language of the appended claims. | An apparatus and method for solving the problem of pitting and other life-shortening events which decreases the utility of a gearbox. The solution which the invention achieves envisions pre-stressing of various components so that faces of the gears of the gear set will remain substantially parallel during operation. | 8 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/486,320 filed on Feb. 28, 1990 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,763, which is a con of priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/398,085 filed on Aug. 24, 1989, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and an associated method for making a gas conduit coupling structure for a pressurized gas conduit and, more specifically, for making a conduit coupling structure which does not require welded parts.
2. Background Information
Conduits are well known in the prior art. Conduits may be employed for a variety of purposes, such as for encasing and supporting electrical conductors and for the transporting or channeling of fluids. A variety of methods are employed to produce such conduits. Such methods include metal extrusion, wherein metal is extruded through an extrusion die to form the conduit, and metal casting, wherein metal is cast in a mold to form the conduit.
One particularly advantageous way of forming conduit is by forming already corrugated sheet metal, such as stainless steel which may be 304 stainless steel, into a tubular shape and welding the seam which is formed where the sides of the sheet metal meet. Another particularly advantageous way of forming conduit is to form generally flat, sheet metal, such as 304 stainless steel, into a tubular shape, weld the seam which is formed where the sides of the sheet metal meet and then corrugate the tube. Such corrugated tubing is useful in a variety of applications. Also, non-corrugated conduit, such as copper tubing, may be employed in certain applications.
Frequently, when gas conduit is run through a building, the conduit must change its direction of path a number of times. One way to allow for such directional change is through the employment of elbow-type fittings or connectors. The employment of such elbow-type devices is, sometimes, undesirable since the fittings or connectors are relatively expensive and increase the risk of leaks when the conduits are employed for the purpose of containing a fluid such as a gas or liquid, since a positive seal between the conduit and the fitting may not always be achieved. Another method of changing the direction of conduit is, simply, by bending the conduit at the desired locations of changes of direction of the path of the conduit.
Devices for properly bending non-corrugated conduit are well known. However, if the bending devices are not used properly, or if the conduit is simply bent without the employment of such bending devices, the conduit may bend at too small of a radius of curvature, thereby forming what is generally known as a "kink." A kink may narrow the inside diameter of the conduit to such an extent that fluid flow, therethrough, is restricted or possibly even stopped. A kink may be so severe that a hole may even form in the wall of the conduit, thereby allowing escape of the fluid from the conduit.
One advantage of using non-corrugated conduit is that end fittings have been developed, such as standard, well known compression type fittings, to provide a simplified means of connecting the tubing to another section of tubing or some other device such as a connector. Therefore, while the employment of non-corrugated conduit provides an advantage in the simplified connection of the conduit to another device, it has the disadvantage of being difficult to change the direction of the path of the conduit, as described above.
Corrugated conduit, on the other hand, may be easily bent for changes in direction of path, with little risk of kinking, because the corrugated configuration significantly reduces the risk of kinking. However, due to the corrugated, or rippled, surface of the conduit, standard compression fittings have not, heretofore, been effective for providing a fluid tight seal between the ends of the conduit and another piece of conduit or a connector. The ineffectiveness of the seal is due to the fact that such compression fittings rely, in part, on a conduit which has a relatively smooth, exterior end surface, such as is present in copper tubing, to provide the necessary seal. Therefore, typical corrugated conduit requires fittings which must be welded to the conduit to provide an effective seal. Such welding, however, is inconvenient and relatively expensive.
Thus, the advantages and disadvantages encountered when using corrugated conduit are opposite the advantages and disadvantages provided by copper tubing since corrugated conduit is easily bent but difficult to easily connect to other devices while the copper tubing is relatively difficult to bend but provides easy connection to other devices.
Therefore, a need exists to provide a conduit for fluids or gas which is both easy to bend and easy to connect to other devices. The present invention has fulfilled this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the invention resides broadly in an apparatus for forming the structure for the end of a conduit for a gas transmission comprising: mold apparatus for being positioned in contact with the conduit: and forming device for being positioned in contact with the end of the conduit; mold apparatus and forming device being configured to cooperatively form the conduit end structure.
Another aspect of the invention resides broadly in a method of forming an end of a gas conduit comprising the steps of: providing a gas conduit and providing an apparatus for altering the contour of the end of the conduit so that the conduit end may be effectively mated with a fitting.
Still another aspect of the invention resides broadly in a method of forming an end of a conduit comprising the steps of: providing a conduit: providing mold apparatus for being positioned in contact with the conduit for defining a dimension of the conduit; providing a forming device for being positioned in contact with the conduit for conforming the conduit to a generally defined dimension: and conforming the conduit to a defined dimension with the mold apparatus and the forming device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments may be better understood, and further advantages of the present invention are more apparent, when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gas range that is connected to a gas conduit employing the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conduit cutting tool that is employed in the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a piece of conduit that is being cut through the employment of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a piece of conduit in which a portion of the exterior plastic jacket has been removed;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view, partially in section, of a forming tool of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view, partially in section, of the conduit of FIG. 4 being inserted within the forming tool of
FIG. 5 and a perspective view of a portion of the expanding tool of the present invention;
FIGS. 6a and 6b area side elevational views, partially in section, of other embodiments of the forming tool of FIG. 6;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the expanding tool of the present invention and the forming tool shown in FIGS. 5 and 6;
FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the expanding tool of the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view, partially in section, of the expanding tool and forming tool of the present invention and a perspective view of the conduit of FIG. 4:
FIG. 10 is a perspective view, partially in section, of the present invention, in which a portion of the conduit of FIG. 4 has been inserted, before removal of the corrugation:
FIG. 11 is a perspective view, partially in section of the present invention in which a portion of the conduit of FIG. 4 has been inserted, after removal of the corrugation;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the conduit of FIG. 4 and a perspective view of a ring of the present invention;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a nut and the ring of FIG. 12 which has been fitted on the conduit of FIG. 4 along with a perspective view of a portion of a fitting:
FIG. 14 is a side elevational view, in section, of the fitting of the present invention and the conduit of FIG. 4;
FIG. 15 is a front elevational view of the expanding tool of the present invention;
FIG. 16 is a side elevational view taken along line XVI--XVI of FIG. 15;
FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of a washer employed in the expanding tool of the present invention;
FIG. 18 is a front elevational view of the washer of FIG. 17:
FIG. 19 is a side elevational view of the wedge apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 20 is a front elevational view of the wedge apparatus of FIG. 19;
FIG. 21 is a side elevational view of a handle of the expanding tool of, the present invention;
FIG. 22 is a front elevational view of the handle of FIG. 21;
FIG. 23 is a side elevational view, in section, of the forming tool of the present invention:
FIG. 24 is a front elevational view of the forming tool of FIG. 23;
FIG. 25 is a side elevational view of the cutting tool employed in the present invention;
FIG. 26 is a front elevational view of the cutting tool of FIG. 25;
FIG. 27 is a bottom view, in section, of the cylinder of the expanding tool of the present invention;
FIG. 28 is a front elevational view, in section, of the cylinder of FIG. 27:
FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a corrugated conduit;
FIG. 30 is a sectional view of a portion of the conduit shown in FIG. 29 taken along a portion of line XXX--XXX;
FIG. 31 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the forming tool of the present invention;
FIG. 32 is a front elevational view, partially in section of the forming tool of FIG. 31 taken along line XXXI--XXXI;
FIG. 33 is a side elevational view of a head of the present invention which has a partially flared circumferential surface;
FIG. 34 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of another embodiment of the forming tool of the present invention; and
FIG. 35 is a conduit having an end formed by the devices depicted in FIGS. 31 through 33.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows gas range 2, which may be a typical gas range which operates by either natural gas or liquid petroleum gas. Such ranges are well known in the prior art and form no part of the present invention. Conduit 4 enters range 2 through opening 6. Gas, for the operation of burners 8, is pumped under pressure through conduit 10, conduit joint 12 and conduit 4 and enters range 2 through opening 6. Conduit joint 12 is provided to connect conduit 4 to conduit 10.
It is desirable, under these circumstances, to provide a gas conduit which is air-tight so that a fluid, such as natural gas, may be provided under pressure within the conduit. Under such circumstances, it is necessary that the joints between conduit sections, such as conduit joint 12 between conduit 4 and conduit 10, be sealed so that none of the fluid within the conduit sections escapes through the joint.
The present invention provides such a sealed conduit joint. The apparatus and method of the present invention is depicted in FIGS. 1 through 35 of the appended drawings.
Conduit 10 is a typical and well-known corrugated conduit which may be made of stainless steel, such as 304 stainless steel and which may include a circumferential plastic, vinyl, rubber or polymer jacket 14. Conduit 10 may be formed as described above or in any other manner as is known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
To properly prepare conduit 10 for connection, by conduit joint 12, with another conduit such as conduit 4 or some other device, conduit 10 is first cut to a desired length through the employment of cutting tool 16. Cutting tool 16, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is a, generally, circumferentially shaped member which defines a, generally, circular opening 18. Opening 18 is, preferably, of a diameter which is slightly larger than the diameter of conduit 10, with attached jacket 14, so that conduit 10 and jacket 14 may be, relatively, easily slid through opening 18.
Cutting tool 16 also includes slot 20 which extends all the way through cutting tool 16 from the top portion of outer surface 22 to the bottom portion of inner surface 24. Conduit 10 is positioned within cutting tools 16 so that the desired cut off point of conduit 10 is positioned adjacent slot 20.
Cutting blade 26, which may be a typical and well known hacksaw blade, is then positioned within slot 20 and employed to saw entirely through conduit 10. Such cutting action, through the employment of cutting tool 16, produces a, generally, squared-off end surface on conduit 10.
As shown in FIG. 4, a portion of jacket 14, of length L, which may be 13/16 of one inch, is then cut off of conduit 10 to provide an exposed conduit end 28, which is the corrugated metal conduit without the jacket. To properly connect conduit 10 to another device, such as conduit 4, without the use of a welded fitting, it is frequently necessary to smooth out the surface of conduit end 28 by removing the corrugations since such corrugations may prevent an adequate seal from being formed with non-welded fittings.
FIG. 5 shows forming tool 30. Forming tool 30 is, generally, a circumferentially shaped member which defines opening 32. Forming tool 30 includes inner surfaces 34 and 36, which are of different diameters. As shown in FIG. 6, conduit 10 is inserted into opening 32 of forming tool 30. Inner surface 34 is sized to be of a diameter which is large enough to accommodate conduit 10 with jacket 14. However, inner surface 36 is sized to be of a diameter which admits conduit 10 but is too small of a diameter to admit jacket 14. Therefore, only conduit end 28 is positioned adjacent inner surface 36 of forming tool 30. Inner surface 36 is, preferably, of a diameter which is the desired finished, outer diameter of conduit end 28 and has a longitudinal length equal to L.
Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b, the diameter of the entire inner surface of forming tool 30 may be made equal to the desired finished diameter of conduit end 28 and the entire longitudinal length of tool 30 may be equal to length L. With this embodiment, none of jacket 14 would enter opening 32 of forming tool 30. Rather, the end surface of jacket 14 would merely, abut exterior surface 37 of forming tool 30.
Expanding tool 38, as shown in FIGS. 7 through 11, at least partially removes the corrugation from conduit end 28. Expanding tool 38 comprises cylinder 40 through which at least partially threaded bore 42 is formed.
Cylinder 40 may be made from aluminum alloy 6061-T6, which bears U.S. Government Specification No. QQ A 22518, and has a hardness, or wearability, designated as temper T6.
Bushing 41 may be provided in bore 42, as shown in FIG. 8, to reduce frictional wear. Bushing 41 may be made of 4140 steel, which may be heat treated before use. One acceptable method of heat treating bushing 41 is to heat the 4140 steel to about 1,200° F. and soak it at that temperature for one hour. The steel is then heated to about 1,500° F. and soaked at that temperature for one hour. The steel is then oil quenched to reduce the temperature to about 150° F. Afterwards, the steel is tempered at about 850° F. and soaked at that temperature for one hour. This process gives it a hardness of 42/44RC on the Rockwell C Test Scale.
As seen FIG. 8, one method of installing bushing 41 in cylinder 40 is by heating cylinder 40 to expand the diameter of bore 42, positioning bushing 41 in bore 42 and cooling cylinder 40 to reduce the diameter of bore 42 to snugly engage bushing 41. This method is commonly referred to as "shrink fitting."
Cylinder 40 may include knurled or gripping surface 44 which aids a person in holding expanding tool 38. Also, expanding tool 38 may include handle 46. Handle 46 may be attached to cylinder 40 through bolt 48 which may be tapped into handle 46. Bolt 48 is designed to be screwed into cylinder 40 through threaded opening 50.
Referring to FIG. 9, wedge member 52 is at least partially threaded with threads 54 so as to cooperate with threads 56 which are formed in the exterior surface of bore 42. Wedge member 52 may be made of A-2 steel. Also, the steel may be heat treated according to the following method. The steel is first preheated to about 1,200° F. and then the temperature is adjusted to between about 750° F. and about 775° F. and held at that temperature for one hour. Afterwards, the steel is cooled in air to a temperature of about 150° F. The steel is then transferred to another furnace where it is draw tempered at about 750° F. for one hour. This process gives the steel a hardness of 56/58RC on the Rockwell C Test Scale. Threads 54 and 56 may be left-handed threads so that wedge means 52 moves in the direction of arrow 58 when wedge means 52 is rotated in the direction of arrow 60.
Handle 62, shown in FIG. 8, is provided for rotation of wedge means 52. In the form shown, handle 62 is a quick connect/disconnect snap-type wrench. This allows for the quick connection and disconnection of handle 62 from expanding tool 38 for, for example, storage purposes. Of course, handle 62 may also be of the type which has a closed socket. Such a closed socket would necessitate the removal of washer 64 and bolt 66 for the installation and removal of handle 62. Washer 64 and bolt 66 may be provided to limit or prevent any undesired relative movement between handle 62 and wedge means 52 along arc 68. Also, handle 46 may be unscrewed from expanding tool 38 when desired, for example, for storage purposes. Handle 62 may, also, employ ratchet 69 (not shown) to limit the direction of rotation of wedge member 52 when handle 62 is only partially rotated back and forth, alternately, in the direction of and opposite arrow 60.
Now referring to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, head 70 may be a commercially marketed head or collet which is identified under the name RIGID, and which may be custom machined for size and shape. Alternately, head 70 may be constructed by machining and cutting standard bar stock to form expansion segments 78 and machining a cylindrical piece of metal to form collar 74.
Head 70, which may be a collet, comprises biasing means 72, collar 74 and expansion means 76. Expansion means 76 comprises a plurality of individual expansion segments 78 best seen in FIG. 8. Expansion segments 78 are movably held together to form expansion means 76 by biasing means 72 which may be a circumferential spring adapted to fit, in tension, in groove 80. Alternately, groove 81 may be provided for holding a spring, O-ring or similar biasing means exterior to collar 74.
Collar 74 includes threads 82, which are adapted to cooperate with threads 84 which are formed in the surface of cylinder 40, as seen in FIG. 8. Threads 82 and 84 may be right-handed threads so that collar 74 screws onto cylinder 40 when collar 74 is rotated in the direction of arrow 86 relative to cylinder 40.
It is advantageous to have threads 82 and 84 adapted for engaging rotation in one direction and threads 54 and 56 adapted for engaging rotation in the opposite direction. This configuration is advantageous because if threads 54, 56, 84 and 86 are all adapted for engaging rotation in the same direction, collar 74 might have a tendency to unscrew when wedge means 52 is being moved in the direction of arrow 58. The employment of left-handed threads for one member and right-handed threads for the other member eliminates this undesirable situation.
In FIGS. 10 and 11, generally annular shoulder 88 is adapted to be received in, generally, annular groove 90 of expansion means 76 to secure expansion means 76 in a rotatable manner to collar 74.
In use, conduit 10 is cut to a desired length and a portion of jacket 14, generally corresponding to length L, is removed from conduit 10 as described above. Alternately, a conduit may be used which does not employ jacket 14 at all. In either case, conduit end 28 is fully positioned in forming tool 30, with little or no protrusion of conduit end 28 from forming tool 30, as shown in FIG. 6. Expansion means 76, which has an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of conduit 10, is then positioned within conduit end 28, as shown in FIG. 10.
At this point, little or no force is applied by expansion means 76 against conduit end 28 due to the relative outer and inner diameters, respectively, of those two members. A person then grips handles 46 and 62 and rotates handle 62, relative to cylinder 40, in the direction of arrow 60. This causes wedge means 52 to move linearly in the direction of arrow 58. Wedge surface 92 of wedge means 52 applies a force to corresponding surface 94 of expansion segments 78. That, in turn, causes expansion segment 78 to flare-out, generally, radially. Conduit end 28 is, thus, squeezed between the outer surface of expansion segments 78 and inner surface 36 of forming tool 30.
The person continues to rotate handle 62, relative to cylinder 40, until a sufficient force has been applied to sufficiently flatten the corrugations out of conduit end 28 as shown in FIG. 11. Generally, 10 to 40 pound-feet of torque applied between handles 46 and 62 is sufficient to remove the corrugations. One acceptable value of torque is about 20 pound-feet.
Referring to FIG. 16, which is cross-section of FIG. 15, and to FIG. 19, 20 pound-feet of torque may be achieved through the proper relative sizing of parts of expanding tool 38. For example, wedge member 52 may have threads 54 that are at a pitch of about 10 to 30 threads per inch and, preferably, are about 18 threads per inch. Wedge surface 92 may form an angle 93 of about 5 to 15 degrees and may be about 9 degrees along a length of about 11/4 inches. Also, handles 46 and 62 may be approximately 3 to 9 inches and, preferably, are 51/4 inches to 6 inches long.
Other combinations may, also, be acceptable. However, if the pitch of threads 54 is too fine, then they may become damaged if too much torque is applied between handles 46 and 62. Likewise, if the pitch of thread 54 is too coarse, then angle 93, of wedge surface 92, must be increased, thereby making wedge surface 92 more "pointy." If angle 93 is not increased when coarse threads are employed, too much torque may have to be applied between handles 46 and 62 to effectively remove the corrugation from the pipe.
After the corrugations are removed by the method described above, handle 62 is then rotated in the opposite direction of arrow 60, relative to cylinder 40, thereby causing expansion segments 78 to retract to their initial position, as shown in FIG. 10, since, as wedge surface 92 is retracted from within expansion means 76, biasing means 72 pulls expansion segments 78 together.
As an alternative, two heads 70 may be employed in a two step process to form the end structure of conduit 10. The two step process is identical to that described above with the exception that a first head is, initially, used to provide an initial expansion of the diameter conduit end 28. Then, a second head, having expansion segments 78 which are larger than the expansion segments of the first head, is used to finally form end 28 of conduit 10.
This two step process may be advantageous, especially if the second head has expansion segments 78 that are too large to fit into conduit end 28 before any expansion, whatsoever, has taken place. If ratchet 69 is employed, then handle 62 is merely rocked back and forth, rather than fully rotated to flare out and retract.
As a further alternative, handle 62 may be replaced altogether with a commercially available electric wrench (not shown), such as those sold publicly by Sears, Roebuck and Company. The wrench would be mechanically connected to expanding tool 38 and would rotate wedge member 52 in the same manner as handle 62.
After use of expanding tool 38, conduit end 28 then has a relatively smooth surface, a squared-off end and is almost, if not completely, non-corrugated as shown in FIG. 12. Nut 96 is then positioned over jacket 14 of conduit 10 as shown in FIG. 13. Ring 98, which has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of conduit end 28, is then slipped over flattened conduit end 28 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.
Ring 98 is a compression type ring which includes an annular ring portion 114. Ring portion 114 compasses or projects radially inwardly when forces in the direction of arrows 112 and 115 are applied to ring 98.
Referring to FIG. 13, it is preferable that ends 100 and 102 (shown in FIG. 12) generally meet together when ring 98 is positioned on flattened conduit end 28. End 104 of threaded connector 106 is then butted in contact with ends 100 and 102. Nut 96, which has threads (not shown) which correspond to and cooperate with threads 108 of threaded connector 106, is then screwed onto threaded connector 106 as shown in FIG. 14.
Shoulder 110 of nut 96 applies a force to ring 98 in the direction of arrow 112 which causes annular ring portion 114 to crimp and project radially inwardly, as described above. This radially inward projecting ring portion 114 mechanically engages the outer surface of conduit 10 as shown in FIG. 14. Further tightening of nut 96 on threaded connector 106 causes end 104 to be placed in tight surface-to-surface contact with at least end 102 and preferably both ends 100 and 102 and form a tight seal.
It may be appreciated, therefore, that the present invention provides an effective apparatus and associated method for connecting two conduits together in a sealed manner. The present invention may be employed to connect two corrugated pieces of conduit together as well as to connect a piece of corrugated conduit to a piece of noncorrugated conduit such as tubing or pipe. FIGS. 15 through 27 present various embodiments and dimensions which may be employed by the present invention.
FIGS. 29 and 30 show typical corrugated conduit 116. Conduit 116 includes a plurality of axially projecting raised portions 118 which define a diameter, D 1 , which is larger than the diameter, D 2 , of non-raised portions 120. Raised portions 118 define a radius R 1 while non-raised portions 120 define a radius R 2 . Typical values for D 1 , D 2 , R 1 and R 2 are shown in the following table for various types of tubing.
______________________________________Examples Of Typical Dimensions For Corrugated TubingType of Tubing D.sub.1 D.sub.2 R.sub.1 R.sub.2______________________________________3/4" 0.974" 0.755" 0.080" 0.040"1/2" 0.700" 0.545" 0.050" 0.040"3/8" 0.565" 0.415" 0.030" 0.030"______________________________________
Of course, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited only to 3/4", 1/2" and 3/8" tubing. Rather, the present invention is applicable to being employed with any size of tubing. Further, it is to be understood that the values depicted in the table above are only typical values for the given size of tubing since other values of the various dimensions may also be use. For example, 3/4" tubing may employ a diameter D 1 which is not equal to 0.974". Likewise, other values for D 1 , D 2 , R 1 and R 2 are available for 3/4", 1/2" and 3/8" tubing.
FIGS. 31 through 35 show two additional, alternative, embodiments of the claimed invention. Forming tool 122 comprises forming pieces 124 and 126 which are configured to meet together at parting line 128. Forming pieces 124 and 126 may be held together by bolts 130. As shown in FIG. 31, opening 132 includes a circumferential angled surface 134 which defines, preferably, an angle 136 which is, preferably, 45°.
As shown in FIG. 33, head 138, which may be constructed as previously described, has expansion segments 142, each of which having a circumferentially angled surface 144 which corresponds to angled surface 134 of forming tool 122. Angled surface 144, also preferably, forms an angle 146 that is, preferably, 45°. A conduit end is first prepared by cutting it with cutting tool 16, as shown in FIG. 3, and removing a portion of jacket 14 as shown in FIG. 4. Flared ring 164 is then slid onto, and well along, conduit 10. Conduit end 38 is then inserted into end 148 of forming tool 122 until the cut end of jacket 14 comes in contact with surface 150 of forming tool 122.
Conduit end 28 is prepared so that the squared-off cut end extends slightly past end 152. This occurs since the thickness of forming tool 122 is slightly thinner than L. Head 138, which is attached to expanding tool 38 as described above, is then inserted into end 152 of forming tool 122. Handle 62 is then rotated in a direction of arrow 60, or ratcheted, until the corrugation has been removed from the conduit and flange 154 has been formed on conduit 10 as shown in FIG. 35. The slightly projecting portion of conduit 10 will flare to a slightly larger diameter than that of opening 132 thereby reducing the possibility that conduit 10 will be rejected from forming tool 122 during the flange forming process. Flange 154 is created when angled surface 144 squeezes the end portion of conduit 10 against angled surface 134. Handle 62 is then rotated in the direction opposite arrow 60 and expanding tool 38 is then removed.
Because of flange 154, conduit 10 cannot be slid out of forming tool 122. Therefore, bolts 130 are removed from forming tool 122 and forming piece 124 is separated from forming piece 126, thereby allowing removal of conduit 10. Forming piece 124 may then be reconnected to forming piece 126, with bolts 130 or any other suitable fastener, and forming tool 122 is then ready for reuse. Ring 164 is then slid back to flange 154 and secured as described above.
It is possible for forming tool 122, shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, to form a conduit end which does not include flange 154. In that case, conduit 10 would be inserted from the direction of end 152 toward end 148. Head 138 would then be inserted into the conduit from end 148 without inserting any of angle surface 144 into conduit 10. The corrugations would then be removed, in a manner similar to that described above, and head 138 would then be removed from inside conduit 10. Since no angled surface is present at end 148, of forming tool 122, and since angled surface 144, of head 138, would not be inserted into conduit 10, no flanged surface would be formed on the end of conduit 10.
Forming tool 156, shown in FIG. 34, is identical to forming tool 122, shown in FIGS. 31 and 32, with the exception that opening 158 has portion 160 which is of a larger diameter than the rest of opening 158. This embodiment of forming tool 156 is similar to that of the first embodiment described above in that conduit 10 could be further inserted into forming tool 156 until the cut end of jacket 14 comes in contact with shoulder 162.
While it may be appreciated that the invention has been described in the context of a conduit for gas, it may be appreciated that the present invention may also be employed in conjunction with other types of pipes and conduits such as electrical conduits. Also, the present invention may be employed as a connector for conduits which carry liquids under pressure, such as water.
The appended drawings in their entirety, including all dimensions depicted, are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments by reference.
All, or substantially all, of the components and methods of the various embodiments may be used with at least one embodiment or all of the embodiments, if any, described herein.
All of the patents, patent applications, and publications recited herein, if any, are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein.
The details in the patents, patent applications, and publications may be considered to be incorporable, at applicant's option, into the claims during prosecution as further limitations in the claims to patentably distinguish any amended claims from any applied prior art.
The invention as described hereinabove in the context of the preferred embodiments is not to be taken as limited to all of the provided details thereof, since modifications and variations thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. | An apparatus and associated method is for forming an end of a piece of gas conduit and attaching it to a second piece of conduit. The apparatus is provided for smoothing the end of a corrugated conduit and expanding it to a predetermined diameter. An associated connector is then applied to the smoothed end of the corrugated conduit and the conduit and the connector are then connected to the second piece of conduit. An associated method provides steps for achieving such a connection. | 1 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation of PCT/EP2012/004059, filed Sep. 27, 2012, which claims priority to DE Application 10 2011 115 663.5 filed Sep. 28, 2011, the contents of each of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to an apparatus for stocking and fully automatic output of a multiplicity of different products having substantially cuboid geometry, such as packaged CDs, DVDs, printer cartridges, books, etc., comprising at least one permanently installed storage rack for stocking the multiplicity of products, at least one selection station for selecting, from the multiplicity of stocked products, one product to be output by the apparatus at a product output point, at least one handling device that is movable relative to the at least one storage rack for retrieval of a selected product from the at least one storage rack and for transport of the product in question to a product output point of the apparatus, and at least one computer-assisted control unit for controlling the apparatus and its components. The present invention further relates to a handling device to be used in such an apparatus for retrieval of products from a storage rack.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Such apparatuses are known in principle from the prior art, for example in the form of vending machines, but in most cases they are suitable only for stocking and fully automatic output of a few hundred products. In principle, however, a need exists—for example in the field of goods logistics or sales outlets—for an apparatus of the type mentioned in the introduction, which advantageously can stock at least thousands, preferably even at least tens of thousands or more products at the same time and can output them completely automatically in response to an appropriate request.
[0004] A problem with already known apparatuses of the present type, however, is not only the circumstance that they usually stock only a few products and/or because of their design cannot be adapted or expanded at all or easily to a broader range of goods, but also in particular that the handling device of such apparatuses, which are usually equipped with a—more or less complicated—gripper system for picking up a product, is able to handle products with different outside dimensions only inadequately.
[0005] A further frequently occurring problem is that the products with substantially cuboid geometry addressed with the present invention, for example such as CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray disks, printer cartridges, books, etc. packaged in plastic or cardboard cases, usually also wrapped with plastic or cellophane film forming the outermost packaging layer, can be easily damaged by the gripper systems or by handling devices equipped with suction cups. A further disadvantage of apparatuses of the type mentioned in the introduction and known from the prior art is that, because of the design of their handling devices (or gripper systems or the like attached thereto), they need considerable space around the stocked product in order to grip it or otherwise pick it up, and so such apparatuses or the stocking of products taking place therein have enormous space requirements and/or are frequently configured such that not every individual product of the multiplicity of stocked products is accessible to the handling device or such that great effort must be exerted for suitable sorting of the stocks.
SUMMARY
[0006] Against this background, the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the type mentioned in the introduction that has the simplest possible design and thus is inexpensive to manufacture, and that on the one hand permits stocking of a multiplicity of products in a way that saves as much space and on the other hand permits manipulation and individual output of the stocked products upon a corresponding request as reliably as possible.
[0007] This object is achieved with an apparatus of the type mentioned in the introduction by the fact a separate compartment open on the front side of the storage rack is provided in the at least one storage rack for each product and that the handling device has at least one shelf for a product to be transported with the handling device and a movable manipulator for interacting with the products, wherein the handling device and the manipulator are configured and movable in such a way that the manipulator, with a free end of flat shape, can be inserted into a compartment above a product contained in the said compartment, lowered therein and while simultaneously exerting pressure from above on the product can be retracted together therewith from the compartment, so that the product can be pulled from the compartment by means of the manipulator onto a shelf of the handling device positioned directly in front of the compartment.
[0008] The circumstance that, in the context of the present invention, each product to be stocked in the at least one storage rack is kept in a separate compartment of the (at least one) storage rack, represents a particular advantage of the present invention in conjunction with the inventive configuration of the handling device and its manipulator. The at least one storage rack of the inventive apparatus may be structured particularly simply by the fact that, for stocking of the products, it has a multiplicity of compartments open toward a front side of the storage rack, which compartments should advantageously have a compartment bottom that is as smooth as possible in order to simplify the inventively realized retrieval of the products from the compartment. Advantageously, the individual compartments of the rack or at least the bottoms thereof on which the stocked products rest are made of plastic. The manipulator of an inventive apparatus has a free end of flat configuration, with which it can be inserted in space-saving manner above a product into a compartment of the storage rack, so that, after it has been appropriately lowered inside the compartment, the product stocked in the compartment can be withdrawn from the compartment through its opening on the front side onto a suitable shelf of the handling device. The term shelf is to be understood in the broad sense here as any part of the handling device with which a product can be at least partially braced from below and thus held for the purposes of transport on or to the handling device.
[0009] To achieve the inventive fully automatic output of (specific) products, obviously the computer-assisted control unit must have a suitable memory unit in which, for each compartment of the at least one storage rack, information is saved concerning which of the total stocked products is deposited therein for the moment or whether a product is located therein at all for the moment. Furthermore, the exact location of all compartments of the at least one storage rack (or the location of their openings on the front side) must be saved in a suitable memory unit of the control unit or must be capable of being re-saved as necessary in the case of any subsequent reconfigurations of the at least one storage rack, so that the handling device can be suitably positioned in front of a specific compartment in order to deposit a product in that compartment or to retrieve a product from that compartment and so that the manipulator can be moved accordingly.
[0010] In order that the manipulator can be moved for the purpose of retrieving a product from a compartment in the manner required according to the invention, the apparatus advantageously has at least one drive unit with which the movement sequence of the manipulator required according to the invention is achieved. Advantageously, this takes place with two drive units, of which a first drive unit moves the manipulator in a substantially horizontal direction (for insertion and withdrawal of the free end of the manipulator into or out of the compartment) and a second drive unit subjects at least the free end of the manipulator to a movement containing a vertical component. During the latter movement, for example, the entire manipulator (with its free end) can move vertically and/or the manipulator can be subjected to a swiveling movement around an axis of rotation having preferably horizontal alignment, whereby the free end of the manipulator can then also be lowered inside a storage compartment onto a product resting therein, so that the pressure necessary for the retrieval process can be exerted therewith (from above) on the product.
[0011] The inventive apparatus further preferably comprises at least one, preferably two additional drive units, with which the at least one manipulator and the at least one shelf of the handling device can be moved horizontally and vertically in front of the front side of the at least one storage rack, so that the (at least one) manipulator and the (at least one) shelf can be positioned accurately in front of each individual compartment of the at least one storage rack in order to retrieve a product from the compartment in question or—using suitable means—to convey a product resting on the shelf of the handling device into the storage compartment in question.
[0012] Advantageously, the apparatus is equipped for this purpose with suitable position-sensing means, with which the exact position of the handling device in front of the at least one storage rack can be determined with the necessary accuracy. This may advantageously be an optical means for determining the position, such as suitable laser distance sensors for determining the horizontal and vertical position of the handling device in front of the storage rack, the dimensions of which or the specific distribution of its compartments are known. If the handling device with its (at least one) manipulator and the (at least one) shelf for a product to be transported therewith can be guided slidingly in horizontal direction along a first horizontally extending beam and slidingly in vertical direction along a second vertically extending beam, an appropriate scale can also be attached to the beams in question so that the handling device can determine its exact position in front of the front side of the storage rack by suitable (optical) means. For this purpose, barcode strips extending along the entire length of the respective beams can be attached thereto, on the basis of which a suitably aligned barcode reader that can be moved with the handling device can determine the exact position of the handling device.
[0013] In a first preferred improvement of the present invention, it is provided that the manipulator is equipped on the underside of its free end with an elastic, especially rubber-like or silicone-like coating and/or knobs of elastic, especially rubber-like or silicone-like material. This on the one hand serves as protection of the product to be withdrawn from the compartment of the storage rack by means of the manipulator and on the other hand ensures sufficient (static) friction between the product and the manipulator resting with pressure on the top side thereof, so that the product can be withdrawn simply and damage-free from the storage rack. Moreover, the pressure to which a product must be subjected from above against the compartment bottom for retrieval thereof can be limited to a reasonable or the absolutely necessary minimum value.
[0014] In yet another preferred improvement of the invention, it is provided that the manipulator is equipped on the underside with a perforated plate, through the holes of which elastic knobs of rubber or silicone protrude downward, wherein these knobs are advantageously molded integrally in a single level onto a silicone layer, which is disposed above the perforated plate, or which was manufactured together therewith in a molding process. Since the manipulator of an inventive apparatus must execute a large number of product-retrieval processes over its useful life, the latter of the said variants has proved advantageous compared with a silicone coating of the underside of the manipulator, since a silicone layer that has been adhesively bonded, for example, may become detached, possibly in its entirety, from the manipulator after a large number of retrieval processes, whereas in the case of a plurality of knobs protruding downward from a perforated plate it is indeed possible for individual knobs to be damaged, but then their function is taken over by other (adjoining) knobs, so that a manipulator configured with knobs extending appropriately through a perforated plate proves to be longer-lasting.
[0015] In a further preferred improvement of the present invention, it is provided that the (at least one) handling device is equipped with a plurality of shelves for products, so that a plurality of products can be transported simultaneously by means of the handling device. Hereby the time needed between product selection and product output can be shortened, for example if several products are supposed to be output at one product output point. Furthermore, any resorting processes, in which a plurality of products must be resorted within the storage rack by means of the handling device, can be accomplished more quickly.
[0016] Furthermore, it is provided in a preferred configuration of the invention that the manipulator can be moved in such a way that a product placed on a shelf of the handling device can be pushed downward from the shelf with the front edge of the free end of the manipulator, in order, for example, to push it into a compartment of the at least one storage rack located (directly) in front of the shelf or into a product output chute leading to the product output point. In this way the manipulator is used not only for retrieval of products from a compartment of the storage rack but also as an aid for pushing or conveying a product into a compartment provided for this purpose in the storage rack. In this connection, as has already been described hereinabove, the handling device is advantageously disposed to be movable horizontally and vertically in a vertical plane in front of the front side—which is also oriented vertically—of the at least one storage rack, wherein the front side of the handling device pointing toward the storage rack is at a distance of advantageously always less than 20 mm, more preferably smaller than or equal to 15 or even smaller than or equal to 10 mm, so that a product to be withdrawn from the compartment onto the shelf of the handling device or to be conveyed from the shelf into a compartment cannot fall between the handling device and the front side of the storage rack.
[0017] To ensure that the products retrieved by the handling device from a storage compartment (or to be conveyed into a storage compartment) can be automatically identified, the handling device is advantageously equipped with at least one identifying means for identification of a product accommodated on a shelf, especially at least one optical means, for example in the form of a CCD camera or of a barcode reader, or at least one RFID reader for reading RFID tags attached to the products or packaged therewith. The arrangement of such identifying means on the handling device is particularly advantageous, since hereby the number of identifying means needed for the entire apparatus can be kept as small as possible.
[0018] Such an identifying means, for example a barcode reader, can be advantageously installed permanently on the handling device above a shelf for the product, wherein it can be ensured, by suitable configuration of the manipulator or suitable arrangement of the barcode reader (or of the other optical means), that a barcode present on the top side of the product can be read or that the product can be appropriately identified by the means in question—if necessary in cooperation with the control unit. Within the scope of the present invention, it is therefore always advantageous to ensure that the—substantially cuboid—products are held in such a way inside the compartments of the at least one storage rack that a barcode printed on the product in question or attached thereto or to be applied before sorting into a compartment of the storage rack is disposed on the top side of the product. With the aid of such identifying means disposed on the handling-device side, it is possible for the control unit of an inventive apparatus to proceed as follows in order to start up the said apparatus: The individual compartments of the (at least one) storage rack are loaded manually with the products to be stocked therein, whereupon—in an identification routine to be executed fully automatically—each individual compartment of the (at least one) storage rack is approached by the handling device, the product contained therein is retrieved by means of the manipulator from the compartment onto a shelf of the handling device, where it is identified by the identifying means and then conveyed back into the compartment, whereby the product contained in each compartment can be correlated therewith in a memory unit of the control unit of the inventive apparatus. For later subsequent loading of the (at least one) storage rack, it is possible to configure a special part of the storage rack as a subsequent loading section. This subsequent loading section—which advantageously has a multiplicity of compartments—can then be subsequently loaded at certain times with new products—which are to be stocked in the at least one storage rack of the apparatus—whereupon, in a subsequent loading routine to be executed automatically at night, for example, or during other idle times of the apparatus, the individual compartments of the subsequent loading section are approached by the handling device, the product in question is retrieved by means of the manipulator from the compartment and placed on a shelf of the handling device, where it is identified and finally conveyed by means of the handling device into an empty compartment—not belonging to the subsequent loading section—of the at least one storage rack. In this regard also it proves to be advantageous when the handling device has a plurality of shelves for products, which therefore means that several products can then be transported simultaneously on corresponding shelves of the handling device. Under these conditions, for example, several products from the respective compartments can first be loaded successively from the subsequent loading section of the storage rack onto the shelves in question of the handling device and then sorted by means of the handling device into unoccupied rack compartments in another section of the at least one storage rack. Automatic resorting—again to be performed advantageously during idle times of the apparatus—of products between different compartments of the storage rack further makes sense in order, if necessary, to dispose those products that are queried more frequently in such compartments of the storage rack that are located close to the (at least) one product output point, whereas products that are queried only infrequently can be stocked in a section of a storage rack that is further removed from the at least one product output point. Appropriate resorting can then be planned by evaluating pending product queries at the at least one selection station.
[0019] It goes without saying that the control unit of an inventive apparatus is therefore advantageously set up to execute the identification, subsequent loading and resorting routines mentioned in the foregoing.
[0020] In a further preferred configuration of the invention, it is provided that the apparatus is equipped with a plurality of selection stations, to each of which a product output point is allocated. This proves to be advantageous in particular when the apparatus is provided in a sales outlet, since then a plurality of selection stations can be provided, for example, on a wall of the sales outlet, behind which storage racks and the handling device are installed out of sight of the customers, so that various customers at the various selection stations are able simultaneously to select one or more products desired by them, which products are then—upon corresponding product queries—immediately retrieved by means of the handling device from a compartment of the at least one storage rack and transported to the product output point allocated to the respective selection station. Such a selection station can be equipped, for example with a touch-sensitive screen, on which the entire products available are displayed in the conventional way or purposeful searches can be made for specific products and finally one or more products destined for output can be selected. If necessary, it is possible to allocate different selection stations to different product categories, so that, for example, exclusively books can be selected at one selection station and exclusively CDs, DVDs and/or Blu-ray disks at another selection station. Furthermore, it goes without saying that obviously various products can also be stocked repeatedly in the at least one storage rack of an inventive apparatus (e.g. the same DVD can be stocked repeatedly in various compartments), in which case it is advantageous when the control unit operates the apparatus in such a way during control thereof that the handling device, for output of the product in question, picks up that product from the plurality of identical products which is stocked in a compartment of the at least one storage rack that is as close as possible to the product output point.
[0021] Furthermore, it is advantageously provided in a preferred improvement of the invention that the apparatus is set up in such a way that a first number of the selection stations permit output of a product only when the product has been paid for by means of an IT-assisted payment process and a second number of selection stations permit the output of a product without executing a payment operation.
[0022] With this system configuration, the inventive apparatus can be arranged such that a first part of the entire selection stations present is arranged to output products within a sales outlet equipped with a cash-register area, wherein the products will still be paid for by the customer in question at a cash register, while a second part of the selection stations is disposed outside the sales outlet, so that products selected there must first be paid for before they are output at the product output point allocated to the respective output station. The IT-assisted payment process can consist, for example, of a conventional payment by means of bank or credit card or of a computer-assisted monitored cash payment (using a conventional coin insertion slot and/or a bill insertion slot). The advantage of such a system consists in the fact that customers are therefore able—during normal business hours—to have the products in question automatically output inside the sales outlet at a first selection station with associated product output point and then pay for them together with the other purchases at the cash register, while on the other hand they also have the option—for example after leaving the sales outlet or outside business hours—that they can still purchase products that are stocked in the inventive apparatus at a further output point with associated product output point.
[0023] Within the scope of the present invention, it can be further provided that the apparatus is equipped with at least two storage racks, which are oriented parallel to one another and have their front sides facing one another, each with a multiplicity of compartments, and between which precisely one handling device is disposed, wherein the handling device is equipped with at least two manipulators, of which the first serves to retrieve products from the first storage rack and a second serves to retrieve products from the second storage rack. In this connection it is further advantageous when the handling device is equipped with a plurality of shelves, of which a first shelf of the handling device is advantageously used to receive products from the first storage rack and a second shelf is used to receive products from the second storage rack.
[0024] Furthermore, it may be regarded as expedient when either the shelves or the products disposed thereon can be moved in such a way by suitable means that a product retrieved from the first storage rack by means of a first manipulator, following appropriate repositioning of the product or of the shelf supporting the product, can be pushed downward by means of the second manipulator in the direction of the second storage rack from the shelf carrying the product. On the one hand, this permits resorting of products between storage racks disposed on different sides of the handling device. On the other hand, the option then exists, assuming that a product output point is present only in the area of the two storage racks disposed on different sides of the handling device, that a product retrieved from a compartment of the other storage rack can be delivered to the product output point.
[0025] The product output point is preferably formed by a product output chute which—just as the compartments of a storage rack—has an opening facing the handling device on the handling-device side at the height of the front side of a storage rack, into which opening a product to be output by means of the apparatus—for example by means of the manipulator—can be conveyed. From there the product can advantageously be conveyed automatically—for example by virtue of gravity—to the actual product output point, where it can be received, for example, by a customer.
[0026] In a likewise preferred improvement of the invention, it can be provided that the apparatus comprises at least two storage racks oriented at an angle to one another, especially at an angle of 90°, to each of which a handling device is allocated, wherein the two handling devices can be moved into such a position adjacent to one another that a product placed on a shelf of the first or second handling device can be brought by means of a manipulator of the first or second handling device onto a shelf of the respective other handling device. Hereby it is possible to allow for various room situations, which sometimes necessitate an angled arrangement of the storage racks, and, for example, to ensure at the same time that products can be resorted between the storage racks disposed at an angle relative to one another and/or that products that are stocked in a storage rack that is accessible to only one of the two handling devices can also be output at a product output point that is possibly accessible to only the other handling device.
[0027] Furthermore, it is possible to provide in an advantageous alternative embodiment of the present invention that at least one shelf, preferably all shelves of the at least one handling device is formed by pairs of conveyor belts, each of which can run in a different direction. This is particularly advantageous when it is additionally provided that each two such conveyor belts of a handling device, which each define a support surface of the handling device in question, are directly connected to one another in such a way that a product can be transferred by suitable control of the conveyor belts from a first to a second shelf of the handling device. In particular, it is possible herewith, in a system configuration in which a handling device is disposed between two storage racks with front sides facing one another, to ensure that a product conveyed from a compartment of the first storage rack by means of a manipulator onto a first support surface (associated with the first storage rack) can be conveyed fully automatically—with appropriate control of the conveyor belts—onto the second shelf (associated with the second storage rack), from which it can then be conveyed, for example, into a compartment of the second storage rack.
[0028] In another alternative embodiment of the invention, it can be advantageously provided that the shelf is formed by rotatably mounted balls or rollers, which obviously facilitates the withdrawal of a product achieved by means of a manipulator from a compartment onto the shelf. Transport of the product from the shelf into a compartment of a storage rack or to a product output point can also be facilitated hereby, in which connection—in the case of rollers—the rollers should be advantageously rotatable around a horizontal axis of rotation oriented parallel to the front side of the at least one storage rack.
[0029] Furthermore, as already mentioned in the introduction, the present invention relates to a handling device for use in an inventive apparatus as described in the foregoing. This—in correspondence with the feature that also distinguishes the inventive apparatus—is characterized in that it has at least one shelf for a product to be transported with the handling device and a movable manipulator for interaction with the products, wherein the manipulator is configured and movable in such a way that the manipulator, with a free end of flat shape, can be inserted into a compartment of a storage rack above a product contained in the said compartment, lowered therein and while simultaneously exerting pressure from above on the product can be retracted together therewith from the compartment, so that the product can be pulled from the compartment by means of the manipulator onto a shelf of the handling device positioned directly in front of the compartment.
[0030] It goes without saying that all aspects and special improvements already mentioned in the foregoing in connection with the inventive apparatus are also applicable for the inventive handling device, and so reference is made thereto in order to avoid repetitions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] Various exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter on the basis of the drawing, wherein
[0032] FIG. 1 shows a schematic to view of an inventive apparatus.
[0033] FIG. 2 shows a cross section through a part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 ,
[0034] FIG. 3 shows a cross section through a handling device illustrated in FIG. 2
[0035] FIG. 4 a - d each show a side view of a handling device for demonstration of the interaction of a manipulator with a product during transport of a product into a compartment of a storage rack,
[0036] FIG. 5 a - d each show a side view of a handling device for demonstration of the interaction of a manipulator with a product during retrieval of a product from a compartment of a storage rack,
[0037] FIG. 6 a - b each show a side view of a handling device for demonstration of further functionalities of a handling device,
[0038] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a basic structure of a manipulator,
[0039] FIG. 8 shows a view of an alternative configuration of a handling device for use in an inventive apparatus,
[0040] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a further exemplary embodiment of an inventive apparatus and
[0041] FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional representation of an alternative configuration of a product output chute.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of an inventive apparatus 1 , which is disposed adjoining a shop L (or partly inside the shop L) and for stocking of a multiplicity of products to be sold, in the present case several tens of thousands of products, and which is equipped with a total of six storage racks 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 each extending over a certain length and respectively equipped with a multiplicity of compartments, not illustrated in FIG. 1 .
[0043] Each pair of these storage racks 2 / 3 , 4 / 5 , 6 / 7 is permanently installed parallel to one another with front sides F 2 , F 3 , F 4 , F 5 , F 6 , F 7 facing one another, wherein the individual compartments of storage racks 2 - 7 are respectively open toward the front side F 2 -F 7 of the storage rack 2 - 7 in question.
[0044] Apparatus 1 also has a total of three handling devices 8 , 9 , 10 , which are respectively disposed exactly in the middle between two storage racks 2 / 3 , 4 / 5 , 6 / 7 with front sides F 2 /F 3 , F 4 /F 5 , F 6 /F 7 facing one another and can be moved there along double arrow P in horizontal direction and parallel to the front side of the adjoining storage racks 2 / 3 , 4 / 5 , 6 / 7 , specifically together with a respective vertical beam 11 , 12 , 13 , on which the respective handling device 8 , 9 , 10 is mounted to slide vertically, so that the handling device can be positioned in front of each compartment of the storage rack assigned to it by appropriate displacement in horizontal and vertical direction.
[0045] In the present exemplary embodiment, each of the handling devices 8 , 9 , 10 has four shelves A, B, C, D—shaped as a kind of turntable—for deposition of products to be retrieved from the compartments of the adjoining storage racks or conveyed into the compartments thereof, wherein the turntable together with the shelves A, B, C, D formed thereon is mounted to rotate according to the respective double arrow R around a vertical axis disposed approximately centrally between shelves A, B, C, D. For better clarity, the manipulators of the handling devices 8 , 9 , 10 used for interaction with the products, especially for retrieval thereof from a compartment of a storage rack are not illustrated in FIG. 1 , although in the present case it is possible to provide exactly two such manipulators on each handling device 8 , 9 , 10 , a first of which is used for retrieval of products from the first of the storage racks adjacent to the respective handling device and a second is used for retrieval of products from the second storage rack adjacent to the handling device.
[0046] In the orientation of shelves A, B, C, D of handling device 8 illustrated in FIG. 1 , shelf A is disposed directly adjacent to front side F 3 of storage rack 3 and thus is allocated to storage rack 3 in such a way that, for example by means of a first manipulator—not illustrated in FIG. 1 —a product resting on shelf A is conveyed into a compartment of storage rack 3 disposed directly in front of shelf A, or a product resting inside a compartment of storage rack 3 can be pulled from the compartment onto shelf A. Correspondingly, shelf C adjacent to the opposite storage rack 2 is used for depositing products to be retrieved from a compartment of storage rack 2 or for conveying a product resting thereon into a compartment of storage rack 2 , in which case, for example, a second manipulator—not illustrated in FIG. 1 —of handling device 8 is used for the purpose. In the orientation of the turntable of handling device 8 illustrated in FIG. 1 , the other two shelves B, D are not allocated to any of the two adjoining storage compartments, but by suitable rotation of the turntable by 90° according to arrow R can be brought into a position directly adjacent to the respective storage rack 2 or 3 where, for example, they can receive a product conveyed by means of a manipulator from a compartment. Furthermore, a product initially conveyed by means of a first manipulator from a compartment of storage rack 3 onto shelf A can—after rotation of the turntable by 180° and possibly vertical and/or horizontal displacement of the handling device—be conveyed by means of a second manipulator of handling device 8 into a specific compartment of the opposite storage rack 2 or into a product output chute 14 —accessible in the region of front side F 2 of storage rack 2 —leading to a respective product output point 15 . In the present case, in total nine such product output points 15 —distributed over the length of storage rack 2 —are provided, which are respectively allocated to a selection station 16 , 17 , in other words are disposed in spatial terms close to the selection station in question.
[0047] A first number, in the present case seven, of selection stations 16 are located inside the actual shop L just in front of cash-register area 18 , so that a product 19 requested by a customer K at a selection station 16 can be output directly at product output point 15 there, without requiring a payment process at selection station 16 . Customer K is able to accept product 19 and pay for it, as indicated by arrow S, in order to complete his or her purchase in shop L at a cash register of the cash-register area 18 therein, before leaving shop L via exit 20 . If necessary, at least part of selection stations 16 (or the software running thereon for selection of products) is set up in such a way that different selection stations permit only the selection of a deliverable partial range of the entire available product line.
[0048] In the present case, however, a second number (namely two) of selection stations 17 are also provided outside cash-register area 18 or outside exit 20 of shop L, at which stations customers can likewise request products, which are then output, however, only after execution of an IT-assisted or IT-monitored payment process at the product output point 15 there. In this way customers are also able to purchase one or more of the products stocked in apparatus 1 outside the business hours of the shop or after they have left shop L, without having to enter it at all.
[0049] The entire apparatus 1 is controlled by means of (at least) one computer-assisted control unit 21 , which ensures in particular that (at least) one product 19 selected at a selection station 16 , 17 is retrieved—if necessary after completion of a payment process, in which the price allocated to the respective product was paid for by a cash or cashless transaction—completely automatically by means of the at least one handling device 8 , 9 , 10 from a compartment of the at least one storage rack 2 - 7 and transported to a product output point 15 allocated to the selection station 16 , 17 in question, where it can be received by the customer operating the selection station.
[0050] However, as is precisely the case for handling device 10 , which is illustrated at the right, and which—being oriented offset by 90° relative to the other four storage racks 2 - 5 —is allocated to storage racks 6 , 7 , handling device 9 , which is allocated to the two storage racks 4 , 5 illustrated hereinabove in FIG. 1 , cannot deliver a product directly to a product output chute 14 , and so any transfer of a product to be output must take place onto handling device 8 allocated to storage rack 2 .
[0051] This is achieved in the case of handling device 9 illustrated hereinabove in FIG. 1 by the fact that a product can be conveyed thereby into a transfer chute 22 , which ends in such a way in the region of front side F 3 of storage rack 3 allocated to further handling device 8 that the product in question can be picked up from there by means of a manipulator of handling device 8 and delivered from there by means of handling device 8 to product output chute 14 allocated to product output point 15 . In the case of handling device 10 illustrated at the right in FIG. 1 , it is provided that handling device 10 and handling device 8 can be brought into an adjacent position (see position 8 ′ of handling device 8 illustrated in broken lines) in such a way that a product resting on a shelf of handling device 10 can be transferred (for example by means of a manipulator of one of the two handling devices 8 , 10 ) onto a suitably positioned shelf of handling device 8 and thus delivered by means of handling device 8 to product output chute 14 .
[0052] Storage rack 5 of apparatus 1 is further equipped with a subsequent loading section 23 , which in turn has a suitable plurality of compartments, wherein these compartments can be loaded manually with further products for subsequent loading of the at least one storage rack 2 - 7 . In a subsequent loading routine, these products are then successively retrieved from subsequent loading section 23 by means of handling device 9 and then—by means of the at least one handling device 8 , 9 , 10 —conveyed into suitable compartments of the at least one storage rack 2 - 7 , in which case product transfer takes place if necessary between the different handling devices. The products in question can be identified by suitable identifying means provided on at least one, preferably on all handling devices 8 , 9 , 10 (for example, by a barcode reader disposed above at least one shelf of a handling device), so that an unambiguous correlation of where within apparatus 1 a given product is located for the moment. During manual initial loading of the compartments of storage racks 2 - 7 with products, the handling device 8 - 10 allocated to the respective storage rack can be brought up successively to each compartment of the storage rack 2 - 7 in question in an initial loading routine, then the product contained therein can be identified and then conveyed back into the compartment, and so, after manual initial loading of the storage racks, which can be performed rapidly (and in which there is no need to record which product is placed in which compartment), it is possible in simple manner to determine and save which product is stocked in which compartment of the various storage racks.
[0053] Products which—for whatever reason—cannot be identified by the identifying means of a handling device, can be advantageously sorted out by delivering them automatically to an output chute 24 , where they can be received by the operating personnel and, for example, provided at a suitable station with a legible barcode and then if necessary sorted into a compartment of subsequent loading section 23 once again. It is advantageous when the compartments of subsequent loading section 23 can also be accessed from behind, i.e. from the side of storage rack 5 remote from front side F 5 , since then apparatus 1 can be subsequently loaded with new products without the need for an operating person to enter the area between the storage racks (in which the handling devices are being moved).
[0054] FIG. 2 shows a cross section through the two storage racks 2 , 3 and handling device 8 from FIG. 1 , wherein the section passes through the area of a selection station 16 , which can be operated by a customer K and to which a product output point 15 is allocated. In this connection it can be clearly recognized that each of the two storage racks 2 , 3 is subdivided in vertical direction into a plurality of individual compartments 27 , in each of which a—substantially cuboid—product 31 , 32 , such as, for example, a conventionally packaged CD or DVD, can be accommodated. FIG. 2 also shows the two manipulators 25 , 26 of handling device 8 , of which manipulator 25 illustrated on the left is used in particular to retrieve products from compartments 27 of storage rack 3 located on the left of handling device 8 and manipulator 26 illustrated on the right is used in particular to retrieve products from compartments 27 of storage rack 2 illustrated on the right. Otherwise it goes without saying that, within the scope of the present invention, not all compartments 27 necessarily have the same dimensions, but instead that compartments 27 , possibly having various heights and/or various widths, may be provided for stocking of different products. However, each compartment 27 should be sufficiently high (and wide) that it is suitable for accommodating the products to be stocked in apparatus 1 and that for this purpose the free end of manipulator 25 , 26 of the associated handling device 8 - 10 can still always be inserted into compartment 27 in question above a product 31 , 32 resting therein. FIG. 2 shows manipulator 25 illustrated on the left in a position in which the free end thereof with flat shape and a height of only approximately 10 mm in the present case has already been inserted into a compartment of storage rack 3 in which a product 31 is stocked, such that it is above product 31 . In the present case, manipulator 26 illustrated on the right is disposed in a home position above product 32 resting on shelf C of handling device 8 .
[0055] To achieve the inventive functionality, manipulators 25 , 26 are mounted to move on a mounting structure 28 in such a way that their free end facing the respective storage rack 2 , 3 can be inserted into a compartment 27 and withdrawn again from compartment 27 —above a product—in horizontal direction as shown by double arrows N, M. Furthermore, both manipulators 25 , 26 or the respective free end thereof can also be moved or swiveled in vertical direction, so that they can be brought into contact from above while exerting a certain pressure onto a product 31 placed inside a compartment 27 , whereupon they can then be withdrawn again in horizontal direction from the compartment of the storage rack 2 , 3 in question together with product 31 . The product withdrawn in such a way from the compartment of storage rack 2 , 3 is pulled directly onto a shelf A or C of the handling device positioned directly in front of the respective compartment, so that it comes to rest there before being transported—together with handling device 8 , which can be moved horizontally and vertically as a whole on beams 11 , 29 , 30 —to another point inside apparatus 1 .
[0056] Furthermore, FIG. 2 also shows a product output chute 14 , which is open toward front side F 2 of storage rack 2 , and into which a product can be conveyed by means of handling device 8 —just as into another compartment 27 of the storage rack—whereupon it slides toward product output point 15 , which is accessible for customer K.
[0057] Since handling devices 8 , 9 , 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 , together with their four shelves A, B, C, D respectively disposed on a kind of turntable for products to be accommodated thereon, are always disposed in the present case directly adjacent to adjoining storage racks 2 - 7 , each with a spacing of only a few millimeters or at most approximately 2 centimeters and in this connection are also moved vertically and horizontally in front of the respective storage racks, a product that may be protruding from a compartment of a storage rack 2 - 7 on its front side F 2 -F 7 may be responsible for damage to the storage rack 2 - 7 in question and/or the handling device 8 , 9 , 10 if the handling device 8 , 9 , 10 in question collides with the product—in passing, as it were—and jams it against a wall of the respective compartment. To prevent this, it must be ensured on the one hand that products being conveyed by a handling device 8 , 9 , 10 (or by a manipulator 25 , 26 of handling device 8 , 9 , 10 in question) into the compartment in question are inserted reliably far into the respective compartment and do not rebound there—for example against the closed rear side of the compartment in question—back to the front again. On the other hand, damage to apparatus 1 can be advantageously prevented with a safety device, which reliably detects a product protruding from a compartment of the at least one storage rack 2 - 7 and then ensures a safety shutdown, for example, of apparatus 1 . This can be achieved, for example, by means of LEDs appropriately disposed and aligned on the top and bottom sides in the region of front side F 2 -F 7 of storage racks 2 - 7 and corresponding optical sensors (diodes) which, when a kind of light curtain 39 , 40 is provided directly in front of the front sides of the storage racks, can detect a product protruding from a rack compartment by the fact that at least one of the light beams is interrupted by the protruding product. For this purpose a strip 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 containing LEDs 37 or optical sensors 38 is mounted on the top and bottom sides of the storage racks, as illustrated in FIG. 2 . In this connection, a multiplicity of LEDs and sensors are advantageously disposed over the length of storage racks 2 , 3 , for example at a spacing of a few centimeters each.
[0058] FIG. 3 shows a section through handling device 8 of FIG. 2 along the section line III-III therein, in other words in a plane disposed parallel to front sides F 2 and F 3 of storage racks 2 , 3 .
[0059] Manipulator 26 , which at its underside—especially in the region of its free end—has a knob-like structure 41 of silicone, is mounted on a mounting structure 28 and can be moved in horizontal direction, i.e. perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG. 3 , by means of a first electrical drive motor 42 . Furthermore, manipulator 26 can be swiveled in a rear region around a horizontal axis H, so that its free end can be lowered and then raised again in vertical direction, for which purpose an electrical drive motor 43 is likewise provided. Manipulator 28 itself—together with its free end—has flat shape on the whole and in the present case has a height h of only 12 mm. FIG. 3 further shows two of the total of four shelves B, D
[0060] of handling device 8 , which in the present case can be rotated, by means of a further drive motor 44 , around a central axis of rotation Z of the turntable-like structure 45 . The two shelves B, D—just as also the two further shelves A, C, which are not visible in FIG. 3 —are formed by a plurality of freely rotatable rollers 46 , (or rollers that can be released at a given instant), on which products 32 , 47 , 48 —assuming appropriate positioning of the respective shelf—are able to slide easily in a direction perpendicular to the front side of an adjoining storage rack, in order that—by means of a manipulator 25 , 26 —they can either be easily pushed into a compartment of the storage rack or easily pulled therefrom onto the respective shelf. Each shelf A, B, C, D is bounded laterally on both sides by guide plates 49 , 50 , in order to prevent a product 32 , 47 , 48 resting on a shelf from slipping sideways. Furthermore, a barcode scanner 51 is disposed above shelf A, which in FIG. 3 is behind the plane of the drawing and on which product 32 rests, in order to identify product 32 from above by reading a barcode applied on its top side (for example, a 1 -dimensional or 2 -dimensional barcode).
[0061] Handling device 8 as a whole is fastened on beam 11 such that it can be moved vertically in the direction of double arrow T.
[0062] FIGS. 4 a - 4 d each illustrate, in a (schematic) side view of a section of a handling device 8 , the mode of operation of a manipulator 26 in interaction with a product 32 , and specifically in connection with an option for conveying product 32 from a shelf C into a compartment 27 of a storage rack 2 , which is illustrated only partly.
[0063] FIG. 4 a shows handling device 8 equipped with a shelf C in a position in which shelf C is positioned directly in front of a compartment 27 of storage rack 2 , i.e. at a short distance of, for example, approximately 8-10 mm. In order to push product 32 resting on shelf C into compartment 27 of storage rack 2 by means of manipulator 26 , manipulator 26 was first brought into the position shown in FIG. 4 a in which front edge 75 of free end 70 of manipulator 26 —looking toward storage rack 2 —is disposed behind product 32 and just above the level of shelf C.
[0064] For this purpose, manipulator 26 of handling device 8 can be moved on its mounting structure 28 —by means of a first drive unit, not illustrated in FIGS. 4 a - 4 d —in horizontal direction according to double arrow M perpendicular to front side F 2 of storage rack 2 , so that it can assume the position shown in FIG. 4 a behind product 32 . For adjustment of the height of free end 70 of manipulator 26 above shelf C, free end 70 can be moved in vertical direction according to double arrow V by means of a drive unit 43 , which causes tilting of manipulator 26 .
[0065] Starting from the position shown in FIG. 4 a , manipulator 26 can then be moved horizontally in the direction of storage rack 2 , whereby product 32 is pushed successively into compartment 27 of storage rack 2 , as is shown in the further FIGS. 4 b and 4 c.
[0066] As soon as product 32 has been pushed completely into compartment 27 of storage rack 2 , manipulator 26 —by horizontal movement—can be withdrawn again, in order to assume the home position illustrated in FIG. 4 d . By means of a light curtain 40 , formed for example by LEDs or laser diodes, it is possible to check that product 32 does not protrude more than is permissible from the front side of compartment 27 .
[0067] FIGS. 5 a - 5 d each illustrate, in a (schematic) side view of a section of a handling device 8 , a further mode of operation of manipulator 26 in interaction with a product 32 , and specifically in connection with the retrieval of a product 32 from a compartment 27 of a storage rack 2 in the manner to be achieved according to the invention.
[0068] For this purpose handling device 8 and manipulator 26 of the handling device are first brought—by means of the positioning mechanism already explained in the foregoing—into the position shown in FIG. 5 a , in which front edge 75 of free end 70 of manipulator 26 extends (slightly) into compartment 27 in an upper zone thereof. If necessary, this free end 70 of manipulator 26 —by suitable vertical positioning—can be aligned precisely along the upper wall or top 76 of compartment 27 , by bringing it into contact therewith from underneath.
[0069] Manipulator 26 is then moved horizontally in the direction of storage rack 2 , until its free end 70 is disposed above product 32 in compartment 27 , as is illustrated in FIG. 5 b.
[0070] Then free end 70 , provided on the underside with a silicone coating or silicone knobs, is lowered vertically—in the present case by appropriate tilting of manipulator 26 —inside rack compartment 27 until it comes into contact with product 32 with a certain (spring) pressure from above (see FIG. 5 c ), whereupon manipulator 26 together with product 32 can then be withdrawn from compartment 27 by horizontal movement, so that product 32 is pulled onto shelf C for product 32 positioned directly in front of compartment 27 .
[0071] FIG. 6 a schematically shows the identification of a product 32 resting on shelf C by means of a barcode reader 51 disposed above shelf C for reading a barcode disposed on top side 77 of the product, for which purpose manipulator 26 —as illustrated in FIG. 6 a —is advantageously moved into a position in which visible area 79 of barcode reader 51 is not covered.
[0072] FIG. 6 b illustrates further that a product 32 can be conveyed or pushed by means of manipulator 26 of handling device 8 into a product output chute 14 , and specifically in the same way as has already been shown in FIGS. 4 a - 4 d for conveying a product into a compartment 27 of storage rack 2 .
[0073] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a detail of basic structure 51 of a manipulator 25 , 26 , which in an end region 52 is formed by a perforated plate 53 . This perforated plate 53 forms the underside of the free end of a manipulator 25 , 25 , wherein knobs of a rubber-like or silicone-like material protrude downward through holes of the perforated plate. This can be achieved by introducing at least the end region 52 of basic structure 51 into a casting mold, which forms the lower negative mold for the knobs that will protrude through the holes of the perforated plate. Thereafter the part of basic structure 51 bounded by rim 55 can be filled with silicone-like or rubber-like casting compound, so that a layer of rubber-like or silicone-like material, onto which the knobs are integrally molded, is formed above perforated plate 53 . The knobs are able to protrude downward though the holes of the perforated plate by, for example 3-5 mm. To complete the manipulator, a top cover—not shown in FIG. 7 —can then be mounted by screws in threads 56 provided for the purpose in the region of perforated plate 53 , thus bracing the silicone layer from above.
[0074] FIG. 8 shows an alternative design of a handling device 8 , which in the present case provides a total of six shelves A-E for products to be transported thereon, wherein each shelf A-E is assigned its own manipulator 57 - 62 , which can be moved in horizontal direction according to double arrow U by means of a first drive unit 63 - 68 respectively, so that it can be inserted into or retracted from a compartment of a storage rack disposed directly in front of a shelf A-F. Furthermore, each manipulator 57 - 62 can be tilted or swiveled by means of a second drive unit 69 , only one of which is illustrated for perspective reasons, in such a way that free end 70 of each manipulator executes a substantially vertical swiveling movement according to double arrow V.
[0075] Handling device 8 illustrated in FIG. 8 is disposed and guided between two storage racks in such a way that each three shelves A/B/C and D/E/F disposed next to one another are always positioned directly in front of the front side of a storage rack, at a small distance therefrom. Each of these shelves A-F is formed by a conveyor belt that can be moved—according to double arrow W—in two opposite directions, so that products 71 , 72 resting on a shelf A-F can be moved by means of the respective conveyor belt in a direction perpendicular to the front side of an adjoining rack, whereby the retrieval of a product from a compartment of the storage rack is assisted and the transport of a product into a compartment of a storage rack (or into a product output chute) can even be achieved or also assisted.
[0076] Shelves A/D, B/E, C/F respectively are connected to one another in transport direction of the conveyor belts in such a way that a product can be transferred from one shelf onto a shelf connected thereto by suitable control of the conveyor belts.
[0077] FIG. 9 shows a three-dimensional representation of a section of an inventive apparatus 1 with a handling device 8 (according to the exemplary embodiment from FIG. 8 ) and a storage rack 2 . Handling device 8 is actually guided in vertically movable relationship on two vertical beams 11 between two storage racks with front sides facing one another, wherein only a first storage rack 2 is illustrated for the sake of better clarity. Furthermore, handling device 8 , together with the two vertical beams in front of front side F 2 of storage rack 2 , is also guided in horizontally movable relationship on a horizontal beam 73 , so that the handling device can be suitably positioned with at least one shelf A-F in front of each compartment 27 of storage rack 2 . Not only the storage rack or racks 2 but also the vertical and horizontal beams 11 , 73 are mounted—directly or indirectly—on a frame-like basic structure 74 , which permits or facilitates the fixed mounting of storage racks 2 and positioning of handling device 8 that is always accurate for this purpose.
[0078] Finally, FIG. 10 shows, in a sectional diagram, an alternative design of a product output chute 14 , which in this case is bow-shaped, and in which product 32 , transported by means of a handling device from a front side F 2 of storage rack 2 into product output chute 14 and sliding therein, is reoriented in such a way that, at the end of the bow-shaped portion, the previously lower side of the product faces upward, so that product 32 , after it has been tipped according to arrow X onto a ramp 78 leading to product output point 15 , faces upward there with that side which had formed the underside of product 32 inside the apparatus. This is advantageous in particular in the case of use of barcode readers for product identification inside the apparatus, since products to be stocked according to the invention, such as, for example, packaged CDs, DVDs, books, etc. are usually marked with the barcode on the rear side of the product, so that the products must be stocked and handled inside the apparatus with the rear side facing up. By means of product output chute 14 shown in FIG. 10 , the product can then be output in such a way at product output point 15 that the customer is able to receive it with the front side of the product facing up. | The present invention relates to an apparatus for storing and fully automatic output of a multiplicity of different products having substantially cuboid geometry, such as packaged CDs, DVDs, printer cartridges, books, etc., comprising at least one permanently installed storage rack for stocking the multiplicity of products, at least one selection station for selecting, from the multiplicity of stocked products, one product to be output by the apparatus at a product output point, at least one handling device that is movable relative to the at least one storage rack for retrieval of a selected product from the at least one storage rack and for transport of the product in question to a product output point of the apparatus, and at least one computer-assisted control unit for controlling the apparatus and its components. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved method of controlling the filter cake composition of a water-based drilling fluid by admixing colloidal solids with at least one carrier, whereby the colloidal solids are suspended in the carrier and then admixing polymeric beads to the suspension prior to adding the suspended mixture to the drilling fluid. More specifically, the present invention relates to a drilling fluid additive mixture manufactured by a method comprising of pre-wetting copolymer beads and talc with oils or glycols to form a suspended mixture and then adding the suspended mixture to the drilling fluid.
2. Description of the Related Art
New technology in drilling for oil and gas now includes horizontal drilling. The horizontal drilling concept exposes more surface area of the producing zone than the conventional vertical drilling operations. For example, if a producing zone is fifty feet in thickness and a vertical well is drilled through such a zone, then only fifty feet of the producing zone will be exposed for production. In contrast, a horizontally drilled well may penetrate the producing sand or zone by one thousand feet or more. The amount or volume of oil or gas production is directly proportional to the horizontal penetration in feet into the producing sand or zone. In horizontal or directional drilling where the drill pipe must bend in order to achieve the desired penetration into the producing zone, friction becomes a major problem. The primary source of friction is directly related to the adhesion of the drilling assembly to the wall cake which lines the drilled well bore. The capillary attractive forces generated by the adhesion of the drilling assembly to the wall cake are directly proportional to the amount or footage of the drilling assembly exposed to the surface of the wall cake.
In horizontal or directional wells, many methods have been used in order to reduce friction between the drilling assembly and the wall cake. One such method would be to add a liquid lubricant to the drilling fluid in order to reduce the coefficient of friction of the drilling fluid. These liquid lubricants include oils, such as hydrocarbon based oils, vegetable oils, glycols, etc. These liquid lubricants will usually reduce the coefficient of friction of the drilling fluid resulting in a reduction of friction between the drilling assembly and the wall cake of the well bore.
When the liquid lubricant is added to the drilling fluid, it has several options as to how it will react. One option is that the lubricant remains isolated and does not mix well with the drilling fluid. A second option is that the lubricant emulsifies with the water in the drilling fluid to form an oil-in-water emulsion. Still another option is the oil attaching itself to the commercial solids in the drilling fluid or to the drilled cuttings or drilled solids. In certain circumstances, some of the liquid lubricant might be deposited or smeared onto the wall cake of the well bore. The ideal scenario would be to have all of the liquid lubricant deposited on the wall cake.
Those experienced in drilling fluid engineering know that a thin, tough, pliable, and lubricious wall cake is most desirable. The integrity of a wall cake is determined by several factors. The thickness of a wall cake is directly proportional to the amount of liquid leaving the drilling fluid, and being forced into the wall of the well bore by hydrostatic pressure. The thickness of the wall cake is also determined by the type and particle size of the solids in the drilling fluid. Particle Size Distribution, or PSD is important to the wall cake integrity. Experts in drilling fluids also know that materials such as bentonite clay, starches, lignites and polymers are all used to build acceptable wall cakes. It is known in the prior art that various food grade vegetable oils are acceptable lubricants when used alone in water-based drilling fluids. It is also known in the prior art that round co-polymer beads when used alone in water-based drilling fluids function as a good friction reducer. However, much more is required to improve the wall cake integrity and lubricity of most well bores. In addition, there is no technology or process in the prior art that improves the lubrication or friction reducing capacity of the copolymer beads.
Furthermore, the solids control equipment used on the drilling rigs today is far superior as to what was used 15 to 20 years ago. In the past, drilling rig shale shakers would probably be limited to screen sizes of about 20-40 mesh on the shakers. These coarser mesh screens would allow pieces of shale and the drilled formation to pass through the shaker screens back into the drilling fluid and then recirculated back down the well bore. As these larger than colloidal size particles make their way back up the well bore to the surface, the action of the drilling assembly rotating within the well bore forces these larger particles into the surface of the well bore. For example: a 20×20 mesh shaker screen would allow a drilled cutting sized at 863 microns or 0.0340 inches to pass through it and then the cutting would be returned to the well bore and some of these 863 micron cuttings would eventually be embedded into the wall cake. This would give the wall cake surface a texture resembling that of coarse sandpaper. These larger particles would allow the drilling fluid to channel and pass between the drilling assembly and the wall cake thereby reducing the negative effect of the capillary attractive forces generated by the close contact of the drilling assembly with the wall cake. The instances of the drilling assembly becoming stuck to the wall cake when less efficient solids control equipment, such as shale shakers, was used much less than it is today. The more efficient shale shakers today are a great improvement for the drilling fluids but the instances of sticking the drilling assembly are higher. The reason for a higher rate of stuck drilling assemblies today could be blamed on cleaning the drilling fluid to efficiently. Today many drilling rigs utilize cascading shale shakers, which eventually pass the drilling fluid through 200 mesh or 74 micron screens. This is very positive for controlling the percentage of drilled solids in the drilling fluid but it also affects the texture or surface of the wall cake. The finer the solids on the surface of the wall cake are, the greater the capillary attractive forces will be between the drilling assembly and the wall cake.
The present invention provides a method of enhancing the surface of the wall cake. In order to accomplish this, the invention provides a method, which adds something to improve the texture of the surface of the wall cake, and then adds something to prevent large amounts of water from leaving the drilling fluid then passing through the wall cake into the formation. The present invention also provides a carrier for the colloidal solids and beads, which also acts as a lubricant for the drilling fluid. The present invention further provides a process that reduces the effect of capillary attractive forces between the drilling assembly and the wall cake, thereby reducing the tendency of the drilling assembly to become stuck. In high angle directional wells where down hole motors are used to rotate the drill bit and the drill pipe remains stationary, it is important that the drilling assembly can “slide” as the drilling bit cuts more holes. The resent invention improves the ability to “slide” while drilling as stated above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a drilling fluid additive mixture manufactured by a method comprising of admixing colloidal solids with at least one carrier to create a suspended mixture, the solids having an affinity for oils, esters, glycols and olefins, and the suspended mixture allowing the surface of the solids to be pre-wet with the carrier prior to adding the mixture to a drilling fluid. In another embodiment, the drilling fluid additive mixture further comprises admixing copolymer beads to the suspended mixture. In still another embodiment, the solids have an affinity for oils, esters, glycols and olefins. The carrier of the present invention also functions as a lubricant.
In yet another embodiment, the beads have a specific gravity at from about 1.0 to about 1.5 and a size from about 40 microns to about 1500 microns. In still yet another embodiment, the beads are comprised of styrene and divinylbenzene. In a further embodiment, the solids have a size range from about 2 microns to about 40 microns. In still a further embodiment, the solids are comprised of talc. For purposes of this invention, talc is a mineral, which is magnesium silicate. Talc is extremely hydrophobic and thus, repels water. Since talc has excellent water repellant properties, it would be advantageous to have the surface of the walls of the base mud wall cake to be completely covered or coated with talc.
In yet a further embodiment, the carrier consists essentially of oils, hydrocarbon oils, vegetable oils, mineral oils, paraffin oils, esters, glycols, cellulose and olefins. In still yet a further embodiment, the carrier comprises soybean oil. In another further embodiment, the carrier may be esters, fatty acids and glycols such as poly propylene glycol. In a further embodiment, the carrier comprises oil and a glycol In yet a further embodiment, the carrier consists essentially of polyanionic cellulose, polyanionic cellulose polymer, and carboxymethylcellulose.
In still another further embodiment, the solids comprises from about 2% to about 50% of the additive mixture of the present invention. In yet another further embodiment, the carrier comprises from about 50% to about 98% of the additive mixture. In still yet another embodiment, the beads comprises from about 2% to about 50% of the additive mixture.
In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a drilling fluid additive mixture, the method comprises: shearing colloidal solids with at least one carrier to create a suspended mixture to thereby allow the surface of the solids to be pre-wet with the carrier; and admixing copolymer beads to the suspended mixture. In yet another embodiment, the solids and the beads having an affinity for oils, esters, glycols and olefins. In another embodiment, the beads are sheared with the suspended mixture until a homogeneous mixture is formed.
In still yet another embodiment, the beads have a specific gravity at from about 1.0 to about 1.5 and a size from about 40 microns to about 1500 microns. In a further embodiment, the beads are comprised of styrene and divinylbenzene. In yet a further embodiment, the solids have a size range from about 2 microns to about 40 microns. In still yet a further embodiment, the solids are comprised of talc. In another further embodiment, the carrier consists essentially of oils, vegetable oils, mineral oils, paraffin oils, esters, glycols, cellulose and olefins. In yet another further embodiment, the carrier comprises polypropylene glycol. The combination of hydrophobic talc and polypropylene glycol as an additive, functions as an excellent plugging agent. For purposes of this invention, the term “plugging agent” is defined as a solid having a particular size and shape so as to plug or seal off the surface micro-fractures of a porous sand, shale, or formation being drilled.
In still yet another embodiment, the solids comprises from about 2% to about 50% of the additive mixture of the present invention. In yet another further embodiment, the carrier comprises from about 50% to about 98% of the additive mixture. In still yet another embodiment, the beads comprises from about 2% to about 50% of the additive mixture.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method of improving the filter cake composition of a water-based drilling fluid, the method comprising: shearing colloidal solids with at least one carrier to create a suspended mixture to thereby allow the solids to be pre-wet with the carrier; admixing copolymer beads to the suspended mixture thereby allowing said beads to be pre-wet with the carrier; adding the suspended mixture to a water-based drilling fluid; and adding the additive to a well bore.
In yet another embodiment, the solids and the beads have an affinity for oils, esters, glycols and olefins. In still another embodiment, the beads have a specific gravity at from about 1.0 to about 1.5 and a size from about 40 microns to about 1500 microns, and the beads are comprised of styrene and divinylbenzene. In yet another embodiment, the solids have a size range from about 2 microns to about 40 microns. In still yet another embodiment, solids are comprised of talc. In a further embodiment, the carrier consists essentially of oils, hydrocarbon oils, vegetable oils, mineral oils, paraffin oils, esters, glycols and olefins. In still another further embodiment, the carrier comprises soybean oil. In a further embodiment, the talc of the present invention functions as a suspension agent and by making the talc oil wet, it becomes more hydrophobic and thus, more effective. In another further embodiment, the combination of talc and oil functions as an excellent plugging agent.
In another embodiment, the solids comprises from about 2% to about 50% of the additive mixture, the carrier comprises from about 50% to about 98% of the additive mixture, and the beads comprises from about 2% to about 50% of the additive mixture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention. These drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a graph representing talc particle size versus volume in percent; and
FIG. 2 is a graph representing the percent of beads suspended in oil versus the talc concentration as percent by weight of oil.
Among those benefits and improvements that have been disclosed, other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various forms. The figures are not necessary to scale; some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
The present invention provides a process that includes selecting specific materials having different particle sizes and then pre-wetting each particle with an environmentally acceptable lubricant prior to adding these particles to the water-based drilling fluid. This process produces much improved wall cake integrity and lubricity. The present invention also teaches that food grade vegetable oils are excellent carriers for various solid friction reducers and wall cake enhancers. The present invention has also discovered that pre-wetting the round copolymer beads with a food grade vegetable oil prior to adding the copolymer beads to the drilling fluid improves the lubrication or friction reducing capacity of the copolymer beads. The other criterion is that the products and its components have to be environmentally friendly.
In accordance with the manufacturing process of the present invention, talc powder is sheared with an environmentally friendly oil or liquid lubricant, which repels water. The shearing should continue until each organophilic or hydrophobic talc particle is coated with the oil or liquid lubricant. In one embodiment, the talc powder most preferred would be one with a particle size from about 1 micron to about 20 microns and one which would produce a bell shaped curve having the majority of the particles in the 2 micron to 8 micron size, as shown in FIG. 1 .
The polymeric beads of the present invention should be a solid particle, preferably round and have a specific gravity close to 1.0 and have a size from about 100 microns to about 900 microns. The beads must also have an affinity for oils, esters, olefins and glycols, etc. It was determined that a copolymer bead manufactured by Dow Chemical comprised of styrene and divinylbenzene would be acceptable.
The colloidal solids of the present invention should have a size range of 2-10 microns since tests have proven that this particle size will bridge sandstone having a permeability of 200 md. The solids must also have an affinity for oils, esters, olefins and glycols, etc. In one embodiment, the solids are talc. The talc of the present invention also functions as an excellent suspending agent in both oils and glycols. FIG. 1 depicts a graphical representation of the particle size of talc and Table 1, as set forth below, represents the result statistics for the particle size for talc:
TABLE 1
Particle Size Statistics For Talc
Dist. Type: Vol
Concentration = 0.0136% Vol
Density = 2.650 g/cub.cm
Spec. SA = 0.5176 sq.m/g
Mean Diameters:
D (v, 0.1) = 2.40 um
D (v, 0.5) = 5.28 um
D (v, 0.9) = 11.68 um
D [4, 3] = 6.30 um
D [3, 2] = 4.37 um
Span = 1.760E + 00
Uniformity = 5.495E − 01
Size Low (um)
In %
Size High (um)
Under %
0.31
0.00
0.36
0.00
0.36
0.00
0.42
0.00
0.42
0.00
0.49
0.00
0.49
0.00
0.58
0.00
0.58
0.00
0.67
0.00
0.67
0.00
0.78
0.00
0.78
0.00
0.91
0.00
0.91
0.02
1.06
0.02
1.06
0.32
1.24
0.35
1.24
0.94
1.44
1.29
1.44
1.83
1.68
3.12
1.68
2.51
1.95
5.62
1.95
2.94
2.28
8.57
2.28
5.05
2.65
13.62
2.65
6.89
3.09
20.51
3.09
7.96
3.60
28.47
3.60
7.81
4.19
36.29
4.19
8.89
4.88
45.18
4.88
9.49
5.69
54.67
5.69
9.05
6.63
63.72
6.63
8.60
7.72
72.33
7.72
7.61
9.00
79.94
9.00
6.35
10.48
86.29
10.48
5.02
12.21
91.31
12.21
3.70
14.22
95.01
14.22
2.47
16.57
98.95
16.57
1.46
19.31
99.68
19.31
0.73
22.49
100.00
22.49
0.27
26.20
100.00
26.20
0.05
30.53
100.00
30.53
0.00
35.56
100.00
35.56
0.00
41.43
100.00
41.43
0.00
48.27
100.00
48.27
0.00
56.23
100.00
56.23
0.00
65.51
100.00
65.51
0.00
76.32
100.00
76.32
0.00
88.91
100.00
88.91
0.00
103.58
100.00
103.58
0.00
120.67
100.00
120.67
0.00
140.58
100.00
140.58
0.00
163.77
100.00
163.77
0.00
190.80
100.00
190.80
0.00
222.28
100.00
222.28
0.00
258.95
100.00
258.95
0.00
301.68
100.00
The carrier of the present invention may be selected from different oils, olefins, esters, fatty acids, cellulose and glycols. In another embodiment, the carrier may be synthetic oils, diesel oils, rice oils, cottonseed oils, corn oils, safalour oils, linseed oils, coconut oils, vegetable oils, mineral oils, and paraffin oils. In still another embodiment, the carrier is soybean oil. The oil coating on the hydrophobic talc particles enhances the plugging action of the talc across or into micro fractures in sands, shale and other substances down hole.
In a further embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a drilling fluid additive whereby talc and copolymer beads are added to soybean oil and mixed or sheared until each particle of talc and copolymer bead is oil wet. A first sample was produced by addition of 350 grams of soybean oil with 5 grams of talc and 100 grams of polymer beads to the oil, and then mixing all the components for 10 minutes using a waring blender. After blending, the mixture was placed in a beaker for observation. The mixture appeared homogeneous and initially resembled buttermilk. After 5 minutes, the beads began to settle. After one hour, all the beads settled to the bottom of the beaker and some of the oil began separating from the mixture and clear oil was present at the upper portion of the beaker. After sitting overnight (10 hours later), the upper portion of the beaker was clear oil and the bottom portion was the talc, beads and oil. Pouring the clear oil off exposed that the beads had settled and packed tightly preventing the beads from pouring out of the beaker. This sample could not be placed in a drum or tank for shipping because the beads would settle and plug the drum or tank.
A second sample was produced by adding talc to the oil and eliminating the beads initially. It was discovered that the oil accepted approximately 40% by weight of talc. After sitting overnight, there was no separation between the talc and the oil. At that point, small additions of beads were added to the above mixture. The addition of 2% by weight of beads to the talc/oil mixture was encouraging. The beads settled slightly but did not pack off. As the concentration of the beads was increased in the mixture, it was discovered that the beads remained suspended in the mixture. FIG. 2 depicts graphical representations of the talc concentration as percent (%) by weight of oil versus the percent (%) of beads suspended in oil. FIG. 2 illustrates that as the talc concentration as a percent (%) by weight of the oil increases, the suspension qualities of the liquid oil increases. As FIG. 2 illustrates, the talc concentration of 20 percent by weight of the liquid oil suspends 100 percent of the copolymer beads.
The second sample was then heated to 150 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours and the copolymer beads remained suspended. The mixture was then cooled to 35 degrees Fahrenheit for 24 hours and the copolymer beads remained suspended. It was also discovered that the optimum concentration of the beads was from about 20 percent to about 30 percent by weight of the oil, and the concentration of the talc should be around 20 percent by weight of oil. Although this sample appears to be the best, the concentration may vary.
The specific examples throughout the specification will enable the present invention to be better understood. However, they are merely given by way of guidance and do not imply any limitations. Example 1 conducted tests on a 9.9 pounds per gallon (ppg) water-based drilling fluid and Example 2 conducted tests on a 16.9 pounds per gallon (ppg) water-based drilling fluid. Example 3 conducted tests on the reduction of capillary forces in both the 9.9 ppg drilling fluid of Example 1 and the 16.9 ppg drilling fluid of Example 2.
EXAMPLE 1
Test 1: Rheology & HPHT Results
In Example 1, a 9.9 pound per gallon water-based drilling fluid was tested for the (a) the compatibility of the drilling fluid—such as rheology; and the yield point and gels in particular; (b) the high pressure high temp fluid loss—HPHT; (c) the filter cake wt./gram; and (d) the filter cake thickness (in inches). Parameters were first tested on the base mud. By comparison, 2 percent (%) by volume of the oil, talc and the beads mixture was added to the base drilling fluid and mixed for 5 minutes on a waring blender. In Test 1 & Table 2, the following rheology and HPHT results were noted:
TABLE 2
Rheology & HPHT Results
BASE & 2%
BASE
TALC MIXTURE
% REDUCTION
Density
9.9
PH Meter
10.3
600rpm
19
22
300rpm
11
13
200 rpm
8
10
100 rpm
5
6
6 rpm
2
1
3 rpm
2
1
PV @ 120F
8
9
YP
3
4
Gels 10 sec/10 min
2/13
1/17
HPHT @ 200 Deg
12.0
8.0
33%
F/ml
Cake Wt./g
5.9
5.4
8%
Cake Thickness/inch
3/32
2/32
33%
MBT/pbb
30
Solid/Oil/Water
10/00/90
The results of Example 1, Test 1 indicate the following: the talc, bead and oil mixture was very compatible with the mud rheology with only slight increases in yield point and gels. The HPHT fluid loss was reduced from 12.0 to 8.0; a 33% reduction, which is excellent. The cake in weight in grams was reduced from 5.9 grams to 5.4 grams, an 8% reduction. The cake thickness in inches was reduced from {fraction (3/32)} to {fraction (2/32)}, a 33% reduction, which is also excellent.
EXAMPLE 1
Test 2: Dynamic Filtration
In Example 1, Test 2, the following dynamic filtration criteria were tested: (a) Fluid loss versus time; (b) Filter cake wt/gram; and (c) Filter cake thickness in inches. The dynamic filtration data of Example 1, Test 2 is set forth in Table 3 below:
TABLE 3
DYNAMIC FILTRATION
5 Darcy, 50 Micron Filter Media
200 Degrees F., 600 rpm @ 1000 PSI for 60 Minutes
Fluid Loss (ml)
BASE & 2%
TIME (Minutes)
BASE
TALC MIXTURE
% REDUCTION
Initial Spurt
1.5
trace
15
12.6
5.8
30
17.0
10.0
45
21.2
14.0
60
24.0
16.8
30%
Cake Wt/g
10.7
5.8
46%
Cake Thickness/Inch
3/32
2/32
33%
The results of Example 1, Test 2 are as follows: after 60 minutes, the dynamic fluid loss was reduced from 24.0 ml to 16.8 ml, a 30% reduction, which is excellent. The cake weight in grams was reduced from 10.7 grams to 5.8 grams, a 46% reduction, which is also excellent. The cake thickness was reduced from {fraction (3/32)} to {fraction (2/32)}, a 33% reduction, which is excellent.
EXAMPLE 1
Test 3: Lubricity Test
Table 4 below shows the test results of the lubricity of the additive as torque is applied.
TABLE 4
LUBRICITY TEST @ 60 rpms
Co-efficient of Friction of Water (0.33 − 0.36) = 0.33; i.e.
reading at 150 inch pounds is 33
Lubricity Reading
(electric current required to sustain
60 rpm at applied torque)
Applied Torque/
BASE & 2%
Inch Pounds
BASE
TALC MIXTURE
% REDUCTION
100
10
11
150
16
16
200
21
21
300
31
28
400
44
37
500
66
50
600
80
65
19%
The lubricity results of Example 1, Test 3 indicate an improvement in lubrication was about 19% at the 600 reading on the lubricity tester.
EXAMPLE 1
Test 4: Texture of Dynamic Filter Cake Surfaces
The texture of the filter cake surfaces and the surfaces of the base mud were also tested. The results were as follows: the texture of the surface of the base mud was extremely smooth and shinny. The texture of the Dynamic Filter Cake Surface of the base mud treated with 2% by volume of the talc, bead and oil mixture was shinny and the copolymer beads could be seen impregnated in the cake as well as protruding on the surface of the cake.
EXAMPLE 2
Test 1: Rheology & HPHT Results
In Example 2, a 16.9 pound per gallon water-based drilling fluid was tested for the (a) the compatibility of the drilling fluid—such as rheology; and the yield point and gels in particular; (b) the high pressure high temp fluid loss—HPHT; (c) the filter cake wt./gram; and (d) the filter cake thickness (in inches). Parameters were first tested on the base mud. By comparison, 2 percent (%) by volume of the oil, talc and the beads mixture was added to the base drilling fluid and mixed for 5 minutes on a waring blender. In Example 2, Test 1, the following rheology and HPHT results were noted in Table 5 below:
TABLE 5
Rheology & HPHT Results
BASE & 2%
BASE
TALC MIXTURE
% REDUCTION
Density
16.9
PH Meter
10.4
600 rpm
53
56
300 rpm
30
32
200 rpm
22
25
100 rpm
13
15
6 rpm
2
3
3 rpm
1
2
PV @ 120 F.
23
24
YP
7
8
Gels 10 sec/10 min
4/19
5/27
HPHT @ 300 Deg
15.0
13.2
12%
F./ml
Cake Wt./g
27.2
18.7
31%
Cake Thickness/inch
6/32
4/32
33%
The results of Example 2, Test 1 indicate the following: in Test 2, Table 5, the talc, beads and oil mixture was very compatible with the mud rheology with little change points and gel. The HPHT fluid loss was reduced from 15.0 to 13.2, a 12% reduction, which is somewhat less than expected. The cake weight in grams was reduced from 27.2 grams to 18.7 grams, a 31% reduction, which is a very good result. The cake thickness was reduced from {fraction (6/32)} to {fraction (4/32)}, a 33% reduction.
EXAMPLE 2
Test 2: Dynamic Filtration
In Example 2, Test 2, the following dynamic filtration criteria were tested: (a) Fluid loss versus time; (b) Filter cake wt/gram; and (c) Filter cake thickness in inches. The dynamic filtration data of Example 2, Test 2 is set forth in Table 6 below:
TABLE 6
DYNAMIC FILTRATION
10 Darcy, 35 Micron Filter Media
300 Degrees F., 600 rpm @ 1000 PSI for 60 Minutes
Fluid Loss (ml)
BASE & 2%
TIME (Minutes)
BASE
TALC MIXTURE
% REDUCTION
Initial Spurt
1.0
0.5
15
25.2
17.6
30
38.0
25.0
45
46.0
31.4
60
53.2
36.0
32%
Cake Wt/g
91
62
32%
Cake Thickness/Inch
18/32
12/32
33%
The results of Example 2, Test 2, Table 6 are as follows: after 60 minutes, the dynamic fluid loss was reduced from 24.0 ml to 16.8 ml, a 32% reduction, which is an excellent result. The cake weight in grams was reduced from 91 grams to 62 grams, a 32% reduction, which is a very good result. The filter cake was reduced from {fraction (18/32)} to {fraction (12/32)}, a 33% reduction, which is also an excellent result.
EXAMPLE 2
Test 3: Lubricity Test
Table 7 below shows the test results of the lubricity of the additive as torque is applied.
TABLE 7
LUBRICITY TEST @ 60 rpms
Co-efficient of Friction of Water (0.33 − 0.36) = 0.33; i.e.
reading at 150 inch pounds is 33
Lubricity Reading
(electric current required to sustain 60 rpm
at applied torque)
Applied Torque/
BASE & 2%
Inch Pounds
BASE
TALC MIXTURE
% REDUCTION
100
14
9
150
23
12
200
30
15
300
46
20
400
60
23
500
76
25
600
92
28
70%
The lubricity results of Example 2, Test 3 indicate an improvement in lubrication was about 70% at the 600 reading on the lubricity tester, which is an excellent result.
EXAMPLE 2
Test 4: Texture of Dynamic Filter Cake Surfaces
The texture of the filter cake surfaces and the surfaces of the base mud were also tested. The results were as follows: the texture of the surface of the base 16.9 ppg mud was smooth and shinny. The texture of the Dynamic Filter Cake surface of the base mud treated with 2% by volume of the talc, bead and oil mixture was shinny and the copolymer beads could be seen impregnated in the cake as well as protruding on the surface of the cake.
EXAMPLE 3
Reduction in Capillary Attractive Forces of Examples 1& 2
In Example 3, the (dynamic) filter cake of the base mud was placed on a flat surface and a piece of glass ¼ inch thick and four inches square was placed flat on the surface of the base mud filter cake and allowed to sit for thirty minutes. An attempt was then made to lift the glass from the filter cake. As the glass plate was lifted, the filter cake followed and it was as though the filter cake was glued to the glass.
The (dynamic) filter cake of the base mud to which 2% of the additive of the present invention was added was placed on the flat surface and the same process discussed above was duplicated. It was found that the piece of glass easily separated from the filter cake surface, which was treated with the additive of the present invention. The results show that the additive mixture of the present invention definitely reduced, if not, eliminated the capillary attractive forces of the wall cake.
Since the above tests were conducted in open air on the counter top, it was determined that the same tests should be conducted while totally submerged in the drilling fluid. In running the same tests with the filter cake and the 4 inch piece of glass completely submerged in the drilling fluid, it would be concluded that no air would be present in the filter cake or the glass surface and such a test would resemble a wellbore filled with drilling fluid. This test results were as follows: the glass plate stuck more firmly to the submerged water-based mud wall cakes than it did in open air; and the glass plate would not stick to the wall cakes of the water-based muds, which were treated with the 2% by volume of the drilling fluid additive of the present invention.
Numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the attendant claims attached hereto, this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically disclosed herein. | A drilling fluid additive is provided wherein the additive is manufactured by a method comprised of admixing colloidal solids such as talc with at least one carrier such as an oil or glycol to create a suspended mixture to thereby allow the colloidal solids to be pre-wet with the carrier; and then admixing copolymer beads to the suspended mixture. | 2 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a 371 National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/GB2011/050848 filed Apr. 28, 2011, and which claims priority to United Kingdom Application No. 1007292.4 filed on Apr. 30, 2010 and United Kingdom Application No. 1101481.8 filed on Jan. 28, 2011. The contents of the foregoing applications are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to improvements relating to pumps. In particular, the present invention relates to improvements relating to pumps for causing or enhancing an erection of a penis, particularly a human penis.
Erection pumps have been known in the art for some years. The manner in which such pumps work is by placing a chamber over a flaccid penis and evacuating the chamber. The evacuation causes a pressure differential between the inside and outside of the chamber. The lower pressure within the chamber causes blood to flow into the penis and thus make the penis erect.
Many pumps known in the art comprise a chamber having a diaphragm at a lower end thereof and a tube attached at an upper end thereof. The tube is connected to a hand held pump device which is usually in the form of an inflatable bulb having a non-return valve therein. In use, a user places the penis through the diaphragm into the chamber and removes air from the chamber by use of the pump.
WO 2006/024874 discloses a pump that addresses many of the problems of the prior art and provides a device that induces a strong and enduring erection. However, since the evacuated medium envisaged in this prior art document is liquid, not gas, the pressures within the chamber are required to be controllable to a very fine degree to avoid possible health risks.
There still exists, therefore, a desire to improve the functionality and usability of hitherto known pumps.
SUMMARY
It is one aim of embodiments of the present invention to address the above mentioned problems and provide a solution that is easy to use and easy to control, yet which still induces a strong erection which is long lived.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a pump comprising a chamber adapted to receive a penis, a non-return valve, and pumping means operable to pump fluid from the chamber.
Preferably, the pump comprises a lower portion operable to be arranged proximal to the body of a user, in use, and an upper portion connected to the lower portion, the lower and upper portion being arranged and operable to allow relative rotation there between.
Preferably, the lower portion comprises the pumping means. Preferably, the upper portion comprises the chamber adapted to receive a penis. Preferably, the lower portion comprises a gaiter. Preferably, the upper portion comprises a generally transparent chamber. Preferably, the lower and upper portion are connected to each other at a position toward a lower end of the pump.
Preferably, the pump further comprises rotatable volume adjusting means operable to adjust the volume within the device by rotation.
Preferably, the rotatable volume adjusting means is operable to adjust the volume within the device by rotation thereof relative to the chamber.
Preferably, the rotatable volume adjusting means is situated at or toward an end of the device, preferably an end of the pump arranged to be distal to the body of a user, in use. Preferably, the rotatable volume adjusting device is situated at or toward a head section of the pump. Preferably, the rotatable volume adjusting device is operable to be adjustable between a plurality of discrete positions.
The rotatable volume adjusting means may comprise a rotatable section and a stationary section, preferably being arranged and operable for relative rotation, in use. Preferably, a face of the rotatable section is arranged to oppose a face of the stationary section. Either of the rotatable section or the body section may comprise a plurality of discrete members arranged and operable to engage with a portion of the other of the rotatable member and the stationary member, in use. The plurality of discrete members may be of differing heights. One of the rotatable section or the stationary section may comprise a wave spring. The rotatable portion and the stationary portion may be urged together by a resilient bias. Preferably, one of the rotatable member and the stationary member comprises an undulating face. Preferably, relative rotation of the rotatable member and the stationary member causes the two members to move relative to each other in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotatable section. In one embodiment, the rotatable volume adjusting means may be adjustable to a maximum point, to achieve a full lock position.
Preferably, the pump further comprises secondary pumping means at or toward an end of the pump operable to be arranged distal to a user, in use.
Preferably, the secondary pumping means comprises a body and a resilient bias. The secondary pumping means may be housed with the non-return valve. Preferably, the secondary pumping means may be operable, in use, to eject very small amounts of fluid from the chamber. The secondary pumping means may be operable to eject less that 1 cm 3 of fluid in a single operation thereof.
The pump may comprise override means to allow a user to prevent fluid escaping form the chamber, preferably by depressing an override button. This is particularly advantageous where the device is sued with liquid.
Preferably, the chamber is adapted to receive a human penis.
Preferably, the chamber is substantially circular in section. Preferably, the chamber is transparent.
Preferably, the chamber comprises a neck section toward a second end thereof, which preferably comprises an outlet.
Preferably, the pump comprises a cap section within which is preferably accommodated the non-return valve. Preferably, the cap section is adapted to fit over the neck section and form a fluid tight seal therewith. Preferably, the secondary pumping means is housed in the cap section.
Preferably, the pump is a penis pump. By penis pump it is meant a pump adapted to cause or enhance an erection to a human penis.
By non-return valve it is meant a valve which allows fluid to travel through the valve in one direction, but not in the other. Preferably, the non return valve is adapted to allow the expulsion of fluid from the chamber, but not the ingress of fluid into the chamber.
The non-return valve may comprise a pressure release button which, upon depression thereof, allows equalisation of the pressure within the chamber and the pressure outside the chamber.
An exterior portion of the neck section may be threaded. An interior portion of the cap section may be threaded. Preferably, the threaded portion of the neck section is adapted to threadedly engage with the threaded portion of the cap section. Preferably, sealing means are provided between the cap section and the neck section which sealing means is preferably an O-ring.
The cap section may be adapted to be screwed onto the neck section.
Alternatively, the cap section may be integrally formed with the chamber.
Preferably, the pumping means is situated toward a first end of the chamber. Preferably, the pumping means is manually actuated. Preferably, the pumping means extends from a first end of the chamber. Preferably, the pumping means is coaxial with the chamber. Preferably, the pumping means comprises a compressible gaiter. Preferably, the pumping means comprises a resilient bias operable to return the pumping means to an uncompressed configuration. Preferably, the pumping means comprises alignment means, which serve to allow correct alignment of the pump with respect to the body of a user.
The pump may comprise means to allow it to attach to a strap. The strap, in use, may extend over a user's neck to thereby support the device. This is particularly useful if the pump is used in the shower.
Preferably, the pump comprises sealing means operable to seal the pump onto the body of a user. Preferably, the sealing means is situated at the first end of the pump. Preferably, the sealing means comprises a sealing ring which is preferably made from closed cell rubber sponge or similar.
Preferably, the sealing means comprises a cutaway section on a face thereof which seals against the body of a user, when in use. Preferably, the sealing means comprises a ring having a cutaway section therefrom.
Preferably, the sealing means comprises a sealing ring having a chamfer along a section of an underside thereof.
Preferably, the pumping means further comprises an internal membrane. Preferably, the internal membrane is arranged and operable to provide a substantially smooth surface within the pump.
In one embodiment, the pumping means may further comprise a gas filled chamber which is preferably annular in shape. Preferably, the gas filled chamber is attached to an inner face of the sealing ring. Preferably, the gas filled chamber is operable to be compressed by the application of pressure by a user. Preferably, a spring return force of the gas filled chamber is greater than the resilient bias of the gaiter.
Preferably, between the gaiter and the hollow chamber is a fixing ring. Preferably, the fixing ring is formed of polycarbonate. Preferably, the fixing ring is adapted to provide lateral and reciprocal support.
Preferably, the chamber comprises indicia to allow a label to be correctly aligned thereon. The indicia may be in the form of one or more rib upstanding from the body of the chamber. Alternatively or additionally, the indicia may serve to indicate correct alignment of the pump with respect to the body of a user.
The pump may comprise pressure measuring means, which may be a pressure gauge. The pressure gauge is preferably operable to measure the pressure within the chamber and preferably display it to a user, in use. The pump may comprise a socket into which the gauge may be housed, preferably in the chamber of the pump.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of causing or enhancing an erection of a human penis comprising inserting a generally flaccid penis into a chamber of the pump and using pumping means to pump water from the chamber through a non-return valve.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a pump comprising a chamber adapted to receive a penis, a non-return valve, and pumping means operable to pump fluid from the chamber, characterised in that the pump comprises a lower portion operable to be arranged proximal to the body of a user, in use, and an upper portion connected to the lower portion, the lower and upper portion being arranged and operable to allow relative rotation there between.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pump comprising a chamber adapted to receive a penis, a non-return valve, and pumping means operable to pump fluid from the chamber, characterised in that the pump further comprises rotatable volume adjusting means operable to adjust the volume within the device by rotation.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pump comprising a chamber adapted to receive a penis, a non-return valve, and pumping means operable to pump fluid from the chamber, characterised in that the pump further comprises secondary pumping means at or toward an end of the pump distal to a user, in use.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a pump comprising a first chamber adapted to receive a penis, a secondary chamber being operable to receive and retain a fluid and being connected to the first chamber via a non-return valve; and pumping means operable to pump fluid from the first chamber to the second chamber.
Advantageously, the provision of a secondary chamber allows a user to expel fluid (such as water) from the first chamber there into, without the need for a user to be in the bath or shower, because the fluid is received and retained in the second chamber. The second chamber may comprise a further non return valve.
The pump described in relation to the above aspects may also comprise secondary pumping means, preferably in the form of a manually actuated pump. The secondary pumping means may be arranged to pull fluid through the non return valve out of the chamber.
The secondary chamber may be part of the secondary pumping means. The secondary pumping means may comprise a ball pump, which ball pump may comprise a non-return valve.
According to a yet further aspect of the present invention there is provided a pump comprising a first chamber adapted to receive a penis, a non-return valve, and pumping means operable to pump fluid from the chamber, wherein the pump further comprises a secondary pump operable to pull fluid through the non-return valve.
The secondary pumping means may be situated at or toward an end of the pump, preferably at or toward an end of the pump distal to the pumping means (being primary pumping means).
The present inventors have also invented an insert for use in a pump according to the present invention or for use in prior art pumps. The insert provides the means to adjust enhanced stimulation for a user by means of negative pressure allowing him to achieve an erection more quickly or to use the device as a hydro/air stimulation device.
Therefore, according to an alternative aspect of the present invention, there is provided an insert for a pump, the insert comprising an internal cavity, an aperture opening into the internal cavity and locating means operable to locate the insert in the pump.
The insert preferably comprises a fluid impermeable membrane.
Preferably, the locating means comprises a circumferential rib.
Preferably, the locating means are operable to locate and retain the insert in the pump.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a pump and insert assembly; the pump comprising a chamber adapted to receive a penis, a non-return valve, and pumping means operable to pump fluid from the chamber; the assembly further comprising an insert arranged substantially inside the chamber and being located in the pump by locating means, the insert comprising an internal cavity and an aperture opening into the internal cavity.
The invention also extends to a kit comprising a pump as described above and an insert.
All of the above aspects may be combined with any feature described herein and in any combination.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a pump according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a schematic exploded view of a portion of the head section of a pump;
FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of an upper section of the pump;
FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of a cap section of the pump;
FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of a compression gator of the pump; and
FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of a second embodiment of a cap section of the pump; and
FIG. 7 shows an exploded sectional view of a pump according to the present invention;
FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of an insert for a pump;
FIG. 9 shows a sectional view of the insert arranged within a pump;
FIG. 10 shows an end view of the insert;
FIG. 11 shows a sectional view of second embodiment of an insert in a first configuration;
FIG. 12 shows a sectional view of the second embodiment of the insert in a first configuration arranged in a pump;
FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of the second embodiment of the insert in a first configuration;
FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of the second embodiment of the insert in a first configuration arranged in a pump;
FIG. 15 shows a sectional view of the second embodiment of an insert in a second, expanded, configuration;
FIG. 16 shows a sectional view of the second embodiment of the insert in a second, expanded, configuration arranged in a pump;
FIG. 17 shows a perspective view of the second embodiment of the insert in a second, expanded, configuration;
FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of the second embodiment of the insert in a second, expanded, configuration arranged in a pump;
FIG. 19 shows a third embodiment of an insert;
FIG. 20 shows a cross sectional view of a pump;
FIG. 21 shows an exploded view of a pump according to the invention;
FIG. 22 a shows an exploded view of a valve assembly; and
FIG. 22 b shows a cross sectional view of the valve of FIG. 22 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring firstly to FIG. 1 there is shown a pump 102 having a cylindrical chamber 108 which is generally hollow, a base section 104 at a first end thereof and a head section 106 at a second end thereof.
The base section 104 is shown enlarged in FIG. 5 and comprises a rubber gaiter 110 which connects at an upper end thereof to the cylindrical chamber 108 . The connection between the gaiter 110 and the chamber 108 allows relative rotation there between, thus enabling the lower portion of the pump to be rotated while the chamber is static. This allows a user to rotate the gaiter 110 in use, thus allowing easy movement between different pump orientations. This is particularly advantageous when the pump is being used as an aid to erectile dysfunction, especially in conjunction with a constriction ring (not shown).
At a lower end of the rubber gaiter 110 there is attached a sealing ring 112 which is formed from closed cell rubber sponge. The sealing ring 112 has a chamfer 114 at one side thereof thus allowing the sealing ring to accommodate the testicles of a user in one arrangement, or to be arranged in an acute angle to the body of a user in an alternative arrangement that will be discussed in further detail hereunder.
The gaiter 110 comprises two major compression rings 116 toward a lower end thereof and a single minor compression ring 118 toward an upper end thereof. The major and minor compression rings 116 , 118 are separated by a spacer 120 . The compression rings have acute angles of about 80°, thus better resistive forces are achieved. Furthermore, on an inner side of the gaiter 110 is an elastically deformable liner 122 . The liner 122 serves to provide a smooth inner surface inside the gaiter 110 thus reducing the likelihood of the gaiter 110 chafing a user, in use and also offering hygienic benefits to the pump 102 . As will be appreciated with reference to the accompanying drawings, the further embodiment of the pump shown in FIG. 7 does not comprise a spacer 120 .
In use, the gaiter 110 may be compressed in a concertina type action, thus decreasing the volume inside the pump. The gaiter 110 has spring properties which restore its compressed state back to its uncompressed state. Accordingly, compression of the gaiter 110 causes fluid to be expelled from the chamber (vie the non return valve assemblies, as discussed hereunder).
Referring now to FIG. 2 there is shown an exploded view of an exploded view of a part of the head section 106 of the pump 102 . As can be seen in FIG. 2 , this part of the head section 106 has three components being an upper part 124 of the chamber 108 , a wave spring 126 and a rotatable member 128 . The upper part 124 of the chamber 108 comprises a circular aperture 130 opening into the body of the chamber 108 . Through the aperture 130 toward the top of the chamber is situated a pair of shoulders 132 diametrically opposed to each other. The shoulders 132 serve to locate and retain the wave spring 126 as will be described hereunder.
The wave spring 126 is generally circular in plan, but has an undulating profile as is shown in FIG. 2 such that it has two diametrically opposed high points 134 , and two diametrically opposed low points 136 . The low points 136 serve to locate on the shoulders 132 of the chamber 108 as described above. At each of the two high points 134 there is a detent 138 that extends the width of the spring 126 . The detents 138 are operable in use to accommodate spikes of the rotatable member 128 as will be described hereunder.
The rotatable member 128 as shown in FIG. 2 comprises a generally cylindrical body 140 having a circumferential platform 142 extending radially outward therefrom and generally encircling the body 140 . Extending downward from the platform 142 at discrete positions there around are a number of spikes 144 having differing heights.
When the rotatable member 128 is assembled along with the wave spring 126 inside the upper part 124 of the chamber 108 , rotation of the rotatable member 128 causes the spikes of differing height to travel around the wave spring 126 , thus adjusting the height of the rotatable member 128 above shoulders 132 of the chamber 108 . Furthermore, the detents 138 allow different spikes locate therein thereby allowing different discrete positions of rotation of the rotatable member to be achieved. In use, therefore, when the chamber is under low pressure (partial vacuum, for example), the extent of the low pressure can be minutely and discretely varied by rotation of the rotatable member 128 .
Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 there is shown a sectional view of the head section of the pump 106 . It should be noted that the head section shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 shows the assembled wave spring 126 and rotatable member 128 discussed above. Also shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is a further way of altering the pressure within the chamber 108 in the form of a further pump 146 arranged centrally in the housing of the rotatable member 128 .
The further pump 146 comprises a spring 148 and a body 150 . Centrally arranged within the body 150 is a non-return valve 152 . The spring 148 is arranged to bias the body 150 away from the chamber 108 , thus depressing the body 150 against the spring 148 causes fluid to be expelled from the chamber 108 out of the non-return valve and the body 150 to be pushed back away from the chamber 108 by the spring 148 , thereby reducing the pressure in the chamber in a very small incremental manner.
The non return valve 152 also comprises a safety button 128 which, by depressing, when not in a locked position allows fluid outside the chamber to re-enter the chamber, thereby equalising the pressure and reducing the partial vacuum. At the top of the valve assembly is a valve manual close button 154 for use when the device is inverted, for example when being filled in the shower.
Referring now to FIG. 6 there is shown a second embodiment of a cap section 202 of the pump. The cap section 202 is largely similar to that discussed above in relation to FIG. 4 . However, the pressure release at the head works in a slightly different way. An insert 204 is depressed down into the body 206 to equalize pressure, in use.
Further differences in this embodiment exist in the way the volume adjustment means operates. Instead of having a wave spring to cause the volume to adjust, this embodiment provides a collar 208 having a downwardly extending projection 209 . Beneath the collar 208 may be situated either of the annular stationary members 210 and 212 shown in FIG. 6 . The first annular member 210 has a number of discrete steps. Accordingly, rotating the cap section (thus also the collar), causes the cap section 202 to rise and fall with respect to the annular member (and therefore the chamber). The second annular member 212 is similar but has an undulating upper face with a number of small detents therein. Accordingly, in a similar manner to that described above, rotation of the cap causes the cap to rise and fall with respect to the chamber. In this manner, the pressure within the chamber can be minutely controlled by a user. Less resistance on the spring the more it will open under increased negative pressure.
In order to use the pump to produce an erection to a human penis, the pump 102 and a user may be immersed in liquid, such as in a bath, hot tub or jacuzzi. Alternatively, the device may be used in air. In one arrangement, the device may be filled with liquid, such as in a shower scenario, but the user not necessarily immersed in liquid The flaccid or semi erect penis is then placed into the chamber 108 via the base section 104 . The sealing ring 112 is pulled down so that it abuts the user's pubic area and forms a seal. The chamfer 114 is arranged either against the testicular region to provide safety and comfort, or the chamfer 114 may be arranged at the pubic region of the user and the device arranged at an acute angle to the body of the user. The user then pulls the pump toward the body thus causing the gaiter 110 to compress. Fluid within the chamber is thereby expelled through the non-return valve 152 of the head section 106 , because the volume of the chamber 108 is decreased. The spring return force of the gaiter 110 attempts to restore the pump to its original internal volume and thereby reduces the pressure inside the chamber 108 . Continuing the use, the gaiter 110 may be compressed again to expel more fluid through the non-return valve 152 of the head section 106 . The penis is thereby encouraged to expand (by the ingress of blood) in order to return the gaiter 110 to its uncompressed state.
Once a reasonable vacuum has been achieved, the user can perform small incremental adjustments of the pressure within the device as follows.
Firstly, by rotating the rotatable member 128 , the head section 106 is pulled away from the chamber 108 , thereby decreasing the pressure within the chamber. Furthermore, the detents 138 allow a user to alter the pressure incrementally to different discrete levels by the spikes 144 of differing heights locating in the detents 138 . Less tension on the spring the less negative pressure it will hold. This also operates as a safety feature to prevent excessive negative pressure generated by a user because if a user induces a lower tension than that of the spring, the spring deflects to allow pressure to leak out.
Alternatively or additionally, a user may perform small adjustments to the vacuum within the chamber by using the pump 146 to expel further tiny amounts of fluid.
When the penis is fully erect (after perhaps 20 minutes) the pressure on the penis may be released by twisting the cap section 146 from the neck section 134 thereby breaking the seal of the O-ring.
A user may release the pressure within the chamber by manually operating the pressure release button 128 thus allowing the ingress of fluid into the chamber 108 . This serves as an added safety feature of the pump 102 .
A pump made in accordance with the present invention has many advantages over prior art pumps. For example, the chamber 108 is rotatable with regard to the gaiter 104 , thereby allowing easier manipulation of the device in use. Furthermore, the device 102 comprises two different ways of providing small incremental pressure changes within the chamber 108 , thus providing a device that is much more sensitively adjusted, thus proving a safer device that is easier to use.
Referring now to FIG. 7 there is shown a pump 702 having a cylindrical chamber 708 which is generally hollow, a base section 704 at a first end thereof and a head section 706 at a second end thereof.
The base section comprises a compressible rubber gaiter 710 which connects at an upper end thereof to an exterior face 716 of a fixing ring 714 which is formed of polycarbonate. The fixing ring 714 is located in a circumferential recess 715 on the outer walls of the chamber 708 to allows easy manufacture.
At a lower end of the rubber gaiter 710 there is attached a sealing ring 112 which is formed from closed cell rubber sponge.
In use, the gaiter may be compressed in a concertina type action, thus decreasing the volume inside the pump. The gaiter 710 has spring properties which restore its compressed state back to it uncompressed state.
The hollow chamber 708 narrows toward a second end thereof to a neck section 734 . The neck section 734 is circular in cross section and has moulded therein a housing 735 for a valve. The neck section 734 is substantially concentric with the hollow chamber 708 .
Constituent parts of the valve mechanism are also shown exploded in FIG. 7 . Working from the base of the valve up (or from left to right in FIG. 7 ), the valve mechanism comprises an O ring 736 which locates at a base of the housing 735 , in use. Above the O ring 736 is a spring 738 , which sites beneath the valve assembly, thereby biasing the assembly outward (ie. away from the chamber 708 ). The valve assembly comprises a valve body 740 , which houses a valve 742 , having a valve top 744 situated thereabove.
In use, the valve assembly works as a non-return valve, allowing fluid to be expelled form the chamber 708 , but not back into the chamber 708 .
Furthermore, the underside of the valve body 740 and an upper side of the housing 735 comprise circumferential ramped protrusions, which coincide with each other and allow a user to twist the valve body to thereby allow the non-return valve body 740 to be locked such that application of pressure to the valve mechanism does not release pressure in the chamber.
Above the valve top 744 is an o-ring seal 746 , above which is a sealing washer 748 and a membrane sealing washer 750 .
Situated on top of the valve assembly described above is a pump connector 752 and a manual ball pump 754 . The manual ball pump 754 comprises a compressible chamber and a non-return valve 756 situated at an end distal to the chamber 708 .
In order to use the pump to produce an erection to a human penis, a flaccid or semi erect penis is placed into the hollow chamber 708 via the base section 704 . The sealing ring 712 is pulled down so that it abuts the user's pubic area and forms a seal. The user then pulls the pump toward the body thus causing the gaiter 710 to compress. Fluid within the chamber is thereby expelled through the non-return valve of the head section 706 , because the volume of the chamber 708 is decreased. The spring return force of the gaiter 710 attempts to restore the pump to its original internal volume and thereby reduces the pressure inside the chamber 708 . The gaiter 710 is once more compressed to expel more liquid through the non-return valve of the head section 706 . The penis is thereby forced to expand (by the ingress of blood) under vacuum.
The pump may be arranged so that the chamfer allows an area for the testicles, thereby reducing pressure on this area. In an alternative arrangement, the pump may be rotated through 180°, an the chamfered area pulled to the body of a user above the penis and the pump being angled upwards. In this arrangement the device may be used in the shower, for example.
Once a suitable pressure is achieved, the pressure in the device may be locked off by twisting the valve body 740 , then adding the ball pump 754 to the end of the device. This device allows a user to make fine adjustments to the pressure of the device and also to retain any fluids therein that are expelled from the device (since the device may be filled with water). This works by squeezing the ball pump, thereby expelling fluid therefrom (which may be air) via the non return valve 756 . In turn, the now low pressure in the ball pump 754 pulls fluid through the non-return valve 742 to further reduce the pressure in the chamber 708 . Also, because the system now comprises two chambers having equilibrating pressures, any increase of pressure from the first chamber is restored by the low pressure in the secondary chamber.
This arrangement also allows a user to simply fill the device with fluid (such as water, for example), arrange over the penis and use the device while not generally immersed in water. This is of particular use to people in wheelchairs.
When the penis is fully erect the pressure on the penis may be released by twisting the valve 740 and depressing the valve assembly, thereby breaking the seal of the O-ring 736
Referring to FIG. 8 there is shown an insert 802 for a pump according to the invention or according to prior art pumps. The insert is generally cylindrical and comprises an internal cavity 804 and locating means 806 in the form of a circumferential rib, sized and operable to fit within a circumferential ring of the gaiter of a pump. The insert 802 comprises an aperture 808 at an end thereof to allow access into the internal cavity 804 . The wall of the cavity 809 is made from a fluid impermeable material.
FIG. 9 shows the insert 802 located in a pump according to the present invention, while FIG. 10 shows an end view of the insert 802 showing the aperture 808 .
FIGS. 11 to 14 show a second embodiment of an insert 902 in a first unexpanded configuration, whereas FIGS. 15 to 18 show the second embodiment of the insert 902 in a second, expanded configuration, as will be explained below. The second embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment and like features are numbered similarly, except that they start with a numeral 9 rather than 8.
In use, the insert 802 , 902 is inserted into a pump and located via locating means 806 , 906 . This can give the user 2 options of use, one is a sex simulator/stimulator, the second is as an hydro air combination pump.
In the first use as a sex simulator/stimulator. warm water may be included to allow the insert to be heated to give true sexual feeling for the user). In this use, the user inverts the pump 702 , depresses the valve 742 and part fills the chamber 708 with warm water. The insert 802 , 902 is the inserted and located in the pump as shown in FIG. 12 and negative pressure induced between the outer wall of the chamber 708 and the wall of the cavity 809 / 909 by means of compressing either gaiter 710 or attaching hand ball pump 754 . The valve 742 is then locked off by latching in to place. if the device is then turn up right so the air within can be expelled this will make the water line the full area between the wall of the cavity and the outside of the chamber 708 . This will hold the negative pressure inside the chamber 708 and not allow water out of the chamber. The penis can now be inserted and sexual simulation undertaken, the hot water providing a feeling of realism. Drawing the penis in and out of the insert in slow strokes will give sexual stimulation. If the user wants to change the tension or resistance reduce or increase the negative pressure within the chamber 708 increase vacuum by unlatching 742 and attaching 754 to decrease vacuum twist 740 and depress, this will change the size of 802 .
As discussed above and as shown in FIGS. 15 to 18 , the decrease in pressure causes the insert to change shape—stretch and expand under negative pressure.
In an alternate mode of use, “hydro/air” combination—the insert 802 , 902 is inserted into chamber 708 . Depending on internal size requirement apply the hand pump 754 may be employed to create partial vacuum or compress 710 . The pump and insert assembly is then inverted and fluid preferably water is inserted (which cushions the penis in water without ever expelling water from the chamber 708 ). Next the penis is inserted and the assembly pulled down and sealed against the user's pelvis against ring 712 . The water is held inside the sealed insert chamber which can expand but does not release water which provides induced negative pressure. This mode of operation has all of the benefits of using water and can be used out of the water environment. Once the insert has reached it full size no more pressure will be able to be removed from within the chamber 708 . This can have a benefit to first time users and those recovering from medical conditions such as abdominal surgery. Where the device has to be removed and reapplied for the user to re-adjust and gain an increase in negative pressure. This removal also forces the flushing action of blood in and out of the users penis which in turn can remove toxins that are the underlying cause of erection problems in later life.
Referring now to FIG. 19 there is shown a further embodiment of an insert 1002 . The insert 1002 has a chamfered base 1004 to match the base of the pump (not shown) and a ribbed interior surface 1006 .
FIG. 20 shows a further embodiment of a pump 1102 having an internal membrane 1104 to cover the gaiter 1106 , in a similar manner to that shown in FIG. 5 .
FIG. 21 shows an exploded view of a pump 1202 having attachment means 1204 to allow a strap 1206 to be attached to the pump 1202 and having a valve mechanism similar to that described in relation FIG. 6 . The pump 1202 has a gaiter 1208 having a reduced size of convolutes to provide a more dynamic device.
FIG. 22 a and FIG. 22 b show a valve mechanism 1302 for use in a pump of the present invention. The valve 1302 comprises a barrel 1304 having a series of ramps 1306 on an underside thereof to thereby allow the valve to alter the volume within the the pump by twisting the valve 1302 , in a similar manner to that described above in relation to FIG. 6 .
The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.
All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.
Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. | A pump ( 102 ) comprising a chamber ( 108 ) adapted to receive a penis, a non-return valve ( 152 ), and pumping means ( 110 ) operable to pump fluid from the chamber. | 0 |
BACKGROUND
Tuning machines are used to adjust the tension of strings of musical instruments, such as guitars, to affect the sound provided by the strings when plucked or strummed or otherwise played. For a guitar, the tuning machines are typically mounted to the headstock of the guitar. The strings extend from the body of the guitar, along the neck to the headstock. The strings extend over the frets on the neck of the guitar and over a nut at the junction between the neck and the headstock. The strings extend through respective tuning machines mounted to the headstock. Finger plates or knobs on the tuning machines can be rotated to cause shafts of the tuning machines, through which the strings respectively extend, to rotate to adjust the tensions on the strings.
New strings can be inserted into tuning machines as appropriate, e.g., when the guitar is first assembled or after a string breaks. To restring the guitar, the new string is affixed to the body of the guitar and run up the neck, over the nut, and into the respective tuning machine. The string is threaded through a hole in a shaft of the tuning machine, cut (as appropriate/desired), and wrapped around the neck of the tuning machine. The tuning machine is then rotated in the direction of the wrapping such that the string coils around the neck of the tuning machine until the desired tension is achieved. After the initial threading, the person restringing the guitar holds the guitar string wrapped about the neck of the tuning machine and begins rotating the tuning machine finger plate. The user typically holds the string in place until the string has been wrapped about the neck of the tuning machine such that the string can be let go without the string slipping back through the hole in the shaft of the tuning machine. Alternatively, the user can wrap the string, after threading it through the hole in the shaft, about the neck several times before beginning to rotate the finger plate of the tuning machine.
SUMMARY
In general, in an aspect, the disclosure provides a tuning machine for a musical instrument, the tuning machine including a base configured to engage a headstock of the musical instrument, an actuator rotatably connected to the base, a shaft rotatably connected to the base, the shaft providing a first aperture sized to receive a string of the musical instrument, the shaft being connected to the actuator such that actuation of the actuator causes rotation of the shaft about an axis of the shaft, a clamp member movably connected to the shaft and configured to engage the string, and a bias member connected to the clamp member and the shaft to bias the clamp member toward a closed position to engage the string when received by the shaft, where the clamp member and the shaft cooperate to inhibit removal of the string received by the shaft with the clamp member engaging the string.
Implementations of the tuning machines may include one or more of the following features. The clamp member is slidably connected to the shaft to slide parallel to the axis of the shaft. The clamp member provides a second aperture sized to receive the string and the clamp member is connected to the shaft to slide between the closed position and an open position, where in the closed position the first and second apertures are disposed relative to each other to inhibit receipt of the string by the first and second apertures concurrently and in the open position the first and second apertures are disposed relative to each other to receive the string by the first and second apertures concurrently. The first and second apertures are substantially circular through holes each with a diameter of about 2 mm. The clamp member and the shaft are configured such that the clamp member can slide a total of about 2 mm relative to the shaft. The shaft is hollow along its length and the clamp member is disposed at least partially inside the shaft.
In general, in another aspect, the disclosure provides a tuning machine for a musical instrument, the tuning machine including a base configured to engage a headstock of the musical instrument, an actuator rotatably connected to the base, a shaft rotatably connected to the base, the shaft providing a first aperture sized to receive a string of the musical instrument, the shaft being connected to the actuator such that actuation of the actuator causes rotation of the shaft about an axis of the shaft, a slider slidably connected to the shaft such that the slider can move substantially parallel to the axis relative to the shaft, the slider being substantially rotatably fixed relative to the shaft such that rotation of the shaft by the actuator causes substantially similar rotation of the slider, the slider providing a second aperture sized to receive the string of the musical instrument, the first and second holes having substantially parallel axes, the slider being slidable relative to the shaft between a first, open position where the first and second apertures are aligned sufficiently to receive the string in the shaft and the slider from outside the tuning machine and a second, closed position where the first and second apertures are misaligned sufficiently to prevent receipt of the string into both the shaft and the slider, and a spring disposed in the shaft and connected to the slider to bias the slider toward the closed position.
Implementations of the tuning machines may provide one or more of the following features. The shaft includes a hollow neck portion and the first aperture is a first hole provided through a wall of the neck portion. The slider includes a rod portion at least partially disposed within the hollow neck portion of the shaft. The second aperture is a second hole provided through the rod portion.
In general, in another aspect, the disclosure provides a tuning machine for a musical instrument, the tuning machine including a base configured to engage a headstock of the musical instrument, an actuator having a finger portion disposed outside the base and a first gear portion disposed inside the base, the actuator being rotatably connected to the base, a shaft having a second gear portion disposed inside the base meshing with the first gear portion and a neck portion disposed outside the base, the shaft being rotatably connected to the base, the shaft having a hollow neck portion providing a first hole through a wall of the neck portion, the first hole being sized to receive a string of the musical instrument therethrough, a plunger including a rod portion disposed at least partially inside the hollow neck portion of the shaft and providing a second hole through the rod portion, the second hole being sized to receive the string of the musical instrument therethrough, the first and second holes having substantially parallel axes, the rod portion being slidable within the neck portion of the shaft between a first, open position where the first and second holes align to provide a first opening sufficient to receive the string and a second, closed position where the first and second holes are misaligned to prevent receipt of the string into the plunger, and a spring disposed in the shaft and connected to the plunger to bias the plunger to the closed position.
Embodiments of the tuning machines may provide one or more of the following capabilities. Musical instruments can be strung and tuned using one hand. Safety can be improved for stringing a musical instrument.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of a tuning machine in a closed position.
FIG. 2 is a partially cut-away view of a shaft assembly of the tuning machine shown in FIG. 1 , in the closed position.
FIG. 3 is a side view of a tuning machine shown in FIG. 1 , in an open position.
FIG. 4 is a partially cut-away view of the shaft assembly of the tuning machine shown in FIG. 3 , in the open position, and a portion of a worm gear.
FIG. 5 is a block flow diagram of a process of using the tuning machine shown in FIG. 1 to string and tune a guitar string.
FIG. 6 is a side view of the tuning machine shown in FIG. 1 in use with a guitar string.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embodiments of the disclosure provide techniques for tuning musical instrument strings. For example, a tuning machine for a guitar includes a shaft with a through hole in its neck and a spring-biased plunger extending axially along the length of the shaft. The through hole extends transverse to the axis of the shaft. A through hole extending transverse to an axis of the plunger, and sized similarly to the hole through the shaft, is biased such that, in its normal on default position, the two holes overlap little, if at all. The plunger can be actuated to oppose the bias of the spring such that the hole through the shaft and the hole through the plunger are substantially aligned and overlapping to allow a guitar string to pass through the aligned holes. Release of the plunger allows the spring bias to push the plunger axially along the shaft such that the guitar string will be pinched and held in place by the walls of the holes through the plunger and the shaft. The tuning machine can have its shaft rotated by turning a finger plate of the tuning machine without holding the guitar string against the shaft or coiling the guitar string around the shaft prior to rotating the finger plate of the tuning machine. Other embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure, including the claims.
Referring to FIG. 1 , a tuning machine 10 includes a plunger 12 , a rotating shaft 14 , a nut 16 , a washer 18 , a guide 20 , a base 22 , an arm 24 , and a finger plate 26 . The tuning machine 10 is configured to fit through, cooperate with, and be attached to a headstock 28 of a guitar, or other musical instrument. The nut 16 includes a threaded tube portion 30 , including threads 32 , that threadably fits into the guide 20 . The guide 20 is configured to fit snugly within a through hole 34 provided through the headstock 28 . The nut 16 can be tightened into the guide 20 such that the washer 18 will be pressed against one side of the headstock 28 and the base 22 will be pressed against the other side of the headstock 28 to secure the tuning machine 10 in place with respect to the guitar. The tuning machine 10 is configured to assist with gripping a guitar string that is inserted through the shaft 14 for use in tuning the sound provided by the string.
Referring also to FIGS. 2-4 , the tuning machine 10 , in particular a shaft assembly 11 portion shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 , is configured to move between a resting, closed state/position shown in FIGS. 1-2 and an actuated, fully-open state/position shown in FIGS. 3-4 . As shown in FIGS. 2 , 4 , the shaft assembly 11 includes a spring 40 and a support post 42 . The support post 42 is fixedly attached to the shaft 14 such that the post 42 is fixed, not moving, relative to an axial length of the shaft 14 and rotates with the shaft 14 . The plunger 12 and the shaft 14 are configured and connected such that the plunger 12 is slidable relative to the shaft 14 along an axis 70 of the plunger 12 and the shaft 14 . The plunger 12 is connected to the shaft 14 such that rotation of the shaft 14 induces rotation of the plunger (e.g., one or more tabs can extend from a rod portion 56 of the plunger into one or more slots provided in an interior wall of the shaft 14 ). The compression spring 40 is configured to press against the post 42 and a flange portion 44 of the plunger 12 to bias the plunger 12 away from the post 42 . The post 42 is sized and disposed within the shaft 14 relative to a ledge 46 provided by the shaft 14 such that the plunger 12 is biased against the ledge 46 in the absence of downward force on the plunger 12 toward the post 42 . The spring 40 thus biases the plunger 12 into the fully-closed state in the absence of external forces, and can be moved into the fully-open state by applying pressure to a head 48 of the plunger 12 . That is, the machine 10 can be opened by applying opposing, squeezing, forces on the plunger head 48 and the bottom of the post 42 such that the plunger 12 , and, in particular the plunger flange 44 , moves toward the post 42 .
The shaft 14 and the plunger 12 each provide through holes for receiving a guitar string. The shaft 14 provides a through hole 50 and the plunger 12 provides a through hole 52 . The hole 50 is provided in a neck portion 54 of the shaft 14 and the hole 52 is provided in the rod portion 56 of the plunger 12 . The plunger 12 and the shaft 14 are aligned relative to each other and holes 50 , 52 are sized and disposed in conjunction with each other such that, in the fully-closed position shown in FIGS. 1-2 , the holes 50 , 52 overlap slightly such that the overlap provides a line-of-sight opening though the shaft 14 and the rod 56 that is less than a diameter of any string to be inserted through the tuning machine 10 . Alternatively, the holes 50 , 52 may be sized and disposed not to overlap at all with the machine 10 in the fully closed position. The holes 50 , 52 are further sized and disposed such that, when the tuning machine 10 is in the fully-open position shown in FIGS. 3-4 , the holes 50 , 52 overlap to provide a line-of-sight opening through the tuning machine to accommodate guitar strings (or other object) to be used in conjunction with the tuning machine 10 . For example, the holes 50 , 52 may both be substantially circular through holes with diameters of about two millimeters each and parallel axes 51 , 53 . Further, an amount of travel of the plunger 12 , i.e., a distance between a top of the shaft 14 and a bottom of the plunger head 48 when the tuning machine 10 is in the fully-closed position, here about two millimeters, is preferably about the same as the diameter of the holes 50 , 52 . The hole 50 is disposed substantially in the middle of the axial length of the neck 54 , which is a concave contoured portion of the shaft 14 for accommodating the guitar string when wrapped around the tuning machine shaft 14 .
The holes 50 , 52 and the spring 40 are configured such that, with a string inserted through the holes 50 , 52 , and opening force released from the plunger 12 , the spring 40 will bias the plunger rod 56 against the inserted string, and the rod 56 and the shaft 14 will cooperate to provide sufficient friction to hold the guitar string in place while the shaft 14 is rotated. For example, while the through holes 50 , 52 may be smooth-walled, one or both of the holes 50 , 52 may have rough (e.g., serrated, jagged, rough-coated, etc.) surfaces to provide extra friction versus a smooth-walled hole.
The tuning machine 10 is configured to rotate the shaft 14 and the plunger 12 in response to rotation of the finger plate 26 . As shown in FIG. 4 , a worm gear 72 (shown in end view), that is connected to the finger plate 26 , includes a spiral tooth 74 that meshes with the teeth 60 of the shaft 14 . Rotation of the gear 72 causes the tooth 74 to push against one or more of the teeth 60 to turn the shaft 14 and thus the plunger 12 .
The tuning machine 10 can be assembled relatively easily. The base 22 , the arm 24 , and the guide 20 can be cast out of appropriate metal. The finger plate 26 can be attached to the worm gear 72 disposed inside of the base 22 (e.g., by screwing). The plunger rod 56 and the flange 44 can be machined or cast or otherwise made and inserted through a counter-bored hole 58 through the shaft 14 that also provides the ledge 46 such that the holes 50 , 52 are angularly aligned (i.e., their axes 51 , 53 are parallel). The plunger head 48 can be attached to the rod 56 , e.g., by welding. The spring 40 can be inserted into the hole 58 , and the post 42 can be inserted into the hole 58 behind the spring 40 and affixed to the walls of the shaft 14 . The shaft assembly 11 can be inserted through a hole in the base 22 and the guide 20 such that the teeth 60 in a gear portion of the shaft 14 mesh with the worm gear 72 attached to the finger plate 26 . The hole through which the shaft assembly 11 is inserted can be sealed. The guide 20 can be inserted through the hole 34 provided in the headstock 28 , and the washer 18 and the nut 16 slid over the top of the shaft assembly 11 such that the threaded tube 30 is fit into the guide 20 . The washer 18 can be turned to tighten the washer 18 against the top of the headstock 28 to fix the tuning machine 10 in place relative to the headstock 28 .
In operation, referring to FIG. 5 , with further reference to FIGS. 1-4 and 6 , a process 110 of adjusting the tension of a guitar string includes the stages shown. The process 110 is exemplary only and not limiting. The process 110 can be altered, e.g., by having stages added, removed, or rearranged.
At stage 112 , a user pushes the plunger 12 relative to the base 22 . The tuning machine 10 is in its normally-closed resting position and the user squeezes the plunger 12 and the base 22 such that the plunger 12 moves relative to the base 22 . The plunger 12 moves toward the base 22 , compressing the spring 40 . The holes 50 , 52 move from their slightly-overlapping closed state to a greater-overlapping relative position.
At stage 114 , the user inserts a guitar string 62 through the holes 50 , 52 . At stage 112 , the user has moved the plunger 12 enough such that the holes 50 , 52 overlap to provide sufficient room for the desired guitar string 62 to be inserted through the holes 50 , 52 . The user preferably inserts the guitar string 62 completely through the holes 50 , 52 such that the string 62 protrudes from the opposite side of the shaft 14 into which the string 62 was inserted. The user releases the plunger 12 once the string 62 extends through the holes 50 , 52 . The plunger 12 moves away from the base 22 until the guitar string 62 impedes further movement of the plunger 12 . The plunger 12 is then in a relative position with respect to the shaft 14 that is an intermediate, partially-closed position between fully-open and fully-closed. This string-engaging position, as shown in FIG. 6 , will vary depending upon the dimensions of the particular string 62 inserted through the tuning machine 10 . The user preferably pushes or pulls the guitar string 62 through the overlapping holes 50 , 52 until the guitar string 62 can be inserted no more through the holes 50 , 52 .
At stage 116 , the tension on the guitar string 62 can be adjusted to tune the guitar string 62 to the desired pitch. The user twists the finger plate 26 relative to the base 22 to cause the worm gear 72 to push against the teeth 60 to cause the shaft 14 to rotate to increase tension on the guitar string 62 . The user can twist the finger plate 26 and cause the shaft 14 to rotate to coil the string 62 about the neck 54 without having to hold the string 62 or wrap the string 62 around the neck 54 before beginning to twist the finger plate 26 .
Other embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure. For example, while the hole 50 has been shown and described as a through hole through the shaft 14 , non-through holes may be used. For example, a hole may be provided in one side of the tube portion comprising the neck 54 of the shaft 14 such that a guitar string may be inserted into the neck 54 but will not pass all the way through the neck 54 . This may, for example, improve safety by limiting exposure of a potentially sharp end of a guitar string. Further, the plunger may be equipped to cut guitar strings in addition to hold guitar strings. For example, the plunger rod may include a sharp cutting portion configured to cut through a guitar string and a secondary portion configured to provide friction to hold the guitar string in place relative to the shaft 14 . Or the plunger rod may comprise a knife edge that will cut the string if sufficient force, greater than that provided by the spring, is applied to the plunger and will help hold the string with only the spring force applied. Further still, multiple openings may be provided in the plunger rod with one opening providing a cutting mechanism for cutting a guitar string and another opening through the plunger rod providing frictional engagement for holding the guitar string in place. Further, while the discussion focused on guitars and guitar strings, disclosed embodiments can be applied to other uses, e.g., other musical instruments. Further still, the sliding member (the plunger, as described) could be on the outside of the shaft, the neck could be on the sliding member, and/or mechanisms other than a neck could be used to help retain a coiled string (e.g., pegs above and below holes for the string through the tuning machine). Alternatively, there may be no mechanism to retain the string around the tuning machine.
Still other embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure. | A tuning machine for a musical instrument includes a base configured to engage a headstock of the musical instrument, an actuator rotatably connected to the base, a shaft rotatably connected to the base, the shaft providing a first aperture sized to receive a string of the musical instrument, the shaft being connected to the actuator such that actuation of the actuator causes rotation of the shaft about an axis of the shaft, a clamp member movably connected to the shaft and configured to engage the string, and a bias member connected to the clamp member and the shaft to bias the clamp member toward a closed position to engage the string when received by the shaft, where the clamp member and the shaft cooperate to inhibit removal of the string received by the shaft with the clamp member engaging the string. | 6 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a mechanically bonded composite article and to a process for its manufacture. A primary application of the invention is in the field of seals and gaskets.
Many plastics are often difficult to bond to one another or to elastomers. For example, articles of fused polytetrafluoroethylene (herein referred to as TFE) are not easily bonded to elastomers or to other materials. Yet, due to its low coefficient of friction and chemical inertness, this material provides advantages in the art of seals, gaskets, bearings and other environments. However, the application of TFE to this environment has been complicated by its high thermal coefficient of expansion, its lack of easticity and the difficulty of bonding it to other materials.
To overcome such complications, the prior art suggests the addition of an elastomeric layer to the fused TFE article. Thus, a composite TFE elastomer seal would provide the desired low friction and inertness of TFE, while the elastomer would provide elasticity and resilience. Prior art attempts to bond these materials have not been completely satisfactory. Adhesive bonding materials such as Hylene M-50 sold by E. I. duPont de Nemours & Co. has been suggested. Similarly, mechanical bonds have been used. These mechanical bonds have included the formation of interstices in one of the materials which are filled by the other material to achieve a mechanical interlock. These interstices may be formed by etching a sintered TFE article or by incorporating in the TFE powder a material such as methyl methacrylate which, upon sintering, vaporizes and leaves voids in the sintered article.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To provide a better mechanical bond between two plastic materials or between a plastic and an elastomer, the instant invention includes an article formed of two layers of diverse materials having mating projections and recesses or cavities between the two materials. Moreover, these projections and cavities are formed with diverging surfaces so as to define an interconnection in the nature of a dovetail. Preferably the process for forming this interconnection includes the use of an elastomeric mold section having projections extending therefrom. A first plastic resin is introduced into the mold, and compressed, the pressure deforming the elastomeric projections to define cavities in the first material having cavity walls inwardly diverging to define an inwardly expanding cavity. Upon removal of the pressure, the elastomeric projections return to their original relaxed position to permit removal of the first layer without distortion of the cavity. If this layer is of TFE or a cold formed material, the preform resulting from this step is then sintered into its final cured state. Subsequently, the first layer is placed in a second mold with another plastic or elastomer resin. Using heat and/or pressure, the plastic or elastomer resin takes a shape defined by the mold and simultaneously flows into the cavities of the first material to define a dovetail projection. Upon curing the composite article is removed for use.
Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved mechanical bond between two plastic materials or between a plastic material such as TFE and an elastomeric material. Another objective of my invention is to provide composite TFE-elastomer seal in which the layers of a fused article and elastomeric material have a substantial resistance to axial separation. Too, the instant invention provides a method of bonding TFE to an elastomer having a lower cost - eliminating the etching or vaporizing steps required by the prior art. Finally, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved TFE-plastic seal or gasket.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The manner in which these and other objects of my invention are obtained is described in the following description and drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a composite plastic sealing element;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the preferred embodiment of invention taken along the lines 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the seal of FIG. 1 with portions broken away;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of my invention with portions broken away;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of an apparatus for making the teflon article of our invention with portions broken away;
FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c disclose the steps of making utilizing the apparatus of FIG. 5;
FIG. 6 is a preferred embodiment of apparatus for mechanically bonding the TFE article to an elastomeric material to form the seal of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of our invention; and
FIG. 8 is a side elevation view in section of the embodiment of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As shown in FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment takes the form of an annular ring 10. This ring is formed of an upper layer or ring 12 of cured TFE and a lower plastic or elastomeric ring 14. A preferred application for this article is in a sealing environment where the upper surface of the TFE disc might be placed in contact with a relatively rotating surface (not shown) to utilize its low friction characteristics. The lower elastomeric ring or disc is then compressed by an abutment or spring to maintain sealing contact between the TFE disc and the relatively rotating surface, and to accommodate thermal expansion of the TFE layer. This form and environment is merely suggestive. My invention also includes a composite article which has a superior bond between other materials and to the process for obtaining that bond.
The details of this invention are best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 in which the elastomeric material is formed with a plurality of upstanding projections 16 whose diameter expands towards its extremity in the nature of a dovetail. These projections mate with and fill cavities 18 of similar shape formed in the sintered ring 12 of TFE material. With this shape of mating cavities and projections, a strong mechanical interlock is formed and axial separation of the two layers 12 and 14 is most difficult. Moreover, relative rotation between these layers is precluded.
A somewhat similar, but alternative embodiment, is depicted in FIG. 4. Here, however, the dovetail interlock is formed of two annular projections or ribs 20 on the elastomeric layer 14. The cross section of these ribs are enlarged towards its outer extremity. Similarly, the TFE layer 12 is provided with annular grooves 22 which receive these projections in interlocking relation.
An important feature in each of these embodiments, is the dovetail configuration of the projections. As shown, each projection extends upwardly into an enlargement which can be incapsulated by the cavities of the TFE disc. The apparatus and method of forming these cavities and projections is depicted in FIGS. 5 through 6.
The apparatus of FIG. 5 is an annular mold 30 which includes an outer cylindrical support section 32 and an inner cylindrical section 34. This inner section 34 has a smaller external diameter than the inside diameter of section 32 so as to define a cylindrical cavity 36. Closing the bottom of cavity 36 is a cylindrical bottom member 38 which telescopes over inner section 34. Mounted upon the top surface of this bottom member is a resilient ring section 40 from which projections 42 extend upward. These projections, in their relaxed, unstressed state are straight and have a generally constant cross section. Finally, closing the top of the cavity 36 is an upper cylindrical member 44 whose vertical reciprocation may be guided by a rod 46 threadedly mounted in section 34.
This mold 36 is used to form the TFE ring 12 of the composite article. As shown in FIG. 5a, powdered TFE resin is introduced into the cavity 36, the mold members 32, 34 & 38 being held in fixed position. After loading cavity 36, the upper member is lowered by a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) or the like, to compress or cold form the TFE powder into a preform 50. This compressive force not only compresses the powder, but also distorts the projections 42 of the resilient mold member 40 as shown in FIG. 5b. This distortion preferably takes the form of a mushroom bulging the projections and effecting irregular distortions to define cavities 18 in the preform 50 which are smaller at their bases than at the extremity or, at the least, are misshapen, having sidewalls which are not perpendicular to the bottom surface of the preform 50.
One unique aspect of my invention is to retain the shape of the distorted cavity 18 TFE preform. Upon release of pressure from member 44, the resilient projections 42 return to their relaxed normal shape. Such permits simultaneous retraction of member 44, without disruption of the enlarged cavity 18 formed by compression. Subsequently, the preform 50 is ejected by reciprocating member 38 upward as shown in FIG. 5. Then, the preform is placed in an oven for sintering to define the cured disc 12.
After fusing, the TFE layer 12 is then inverted and placed in a second mold 6 of FIG. 6. This mold is quite similar to that of FIG. 5, having a fixed outer cylindrical member 62, and an internal cylindrical member 64. The entire mold is formed of metal and includes no elastomeric mold section 40 as in FIG. 5. In use, elastomeric material 66 or another plastic is introduced in the cavity 68 above the TFE disc 12 and the top section 68 of the mold is closed. By the application of heat and pressure in conventional manner, the elastomer is caused to flow downward into the cavities 18 and is cured. Subsequently, the upper member is raised as with the mold in FIG. 5 with the composite article 10 also being ejected in a similar manner. This process results in the composite article generally depicted in FIG. 3 with the exception that the projections 42 and the cavities 18 may not be uniform due to the random distortion of the resilient projections 42. Nevertheless, such projections, having irregular surfaces deformed at an acute angle to the plane joining the two layers, results in a mechanical interlock to preclude axial separation. A similar distortion occurs in the annular projections of the embodiment of FIG. 4 with the exception that the primary distortion occurs in a radial direction.
The embodiment of my invention disclosed in FIGS. 7 and 8 is formed in a somewhat different manner. Here, the lower disc 14 was formed with irregular cavities 80 while the TFE disc is formed with the projections 82. This reversal of projections 80 and cavities 82 has also been found to obtain a desired interference lock between the two discs.
While the invention has been disclosed with reference to an annular composite ring, the object may take various shapes. Similarly, the shape of the projections of the flexible mold 40 as well as the mold cavities to form the species of FIGS. 7 and 8 may be varied. The height and shape of such mold cavities and projections may vary depending upon the thickness of the layers of material and the nature and direction of external forces applied to the composite article.
The mold of FIG. 5 works very well with resins which are first cold formed and then cured. Additionally, this mold may be used to form cavities of the desired configuration in thermosetting plastic materials such as phenolics and acetal Polymers. Similarly, thermoplastic or thermosetting resins might be injected into the cavity 36 after mold 30 is closed. If thermoplastics are so injected, the resilient mold section 40 should be formed of a high temperature resistant elastomer such as Viton, a flouro elastomer commercially available from E. I. duPont de Nemours & Co. Additionally, release agents may be used to preclude the plastic from adhering to the elastomer. Alternatively, in some instances the mold section 40 might be used to form the second layer 14. In this event, the composite article is completed upon discharging the composite layers from the mold.
Also, the lower disc 14 may be formed of other plastics or elastomers by placing or injecting same into a mold (such as that shown in FIG. 6) with the upper disc 12. The various uses of the mechanical bonding process will be dependent upon the need or desirability of bonding various materials. | A composite article having a first layer formed of one material and a second layer of a second material, said layers being mechanically bonded together by mating projections extending from one layer into cavities of said other layer, said cavities having inwardly diverging surfaces for receiving said projections to preclude axial separation of said layers. The disclosure also includes a process for the manufacture of such articles. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for making cuts along the circumferential surface of a can or other similar container. The present invention is primarily intended for use in making decorative articles from cylindrical cans, but the apparatus may also be used for splitting cans which hold nursery plants.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Can openers for the classic "tin can" are well known in the art. These tin cans have long been used for a multiplicity of purposes, including housing of nursery plants, storage of miscellaneous articles, the transportation and storage of food, etc. Since the planar ends of these tin cans are permanently closed during the loading process, it has been necessary for the purchaser or the user of the can to utilize an opener designed for that purpose. Typically these can openers progressed from an exposed knife-like utensil to the more sophisticated roller and shielded knife utensils.
For example, the disclosure of Hansen, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,522,055 illustrates the use of a knife or shielded knife type can opener which is designed to cut not only the planar ends of the can but also around and along the circumferential surface of the can. However, Hansen has not provided any guide or positioning means by which the operator can carefully align and regulate the precise cutting line along the can. Kawahara, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,375, discloses an improved can opener which employs a knife-like cutting element which communicates upwardly along a movable shoe or plate element. Seerup, in U.S. Pat. No. 816,256, discloses a can opening apparatus which couples to the circumferential surface adjacent the planar end of the can and employs a knife-like appendage which penetrates and cuts around the circumferential surface of the can. Whatley, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,247, discloses an improved safety can opener apparatus which utilizes a sharpened wheel which engages and rotatably pierces the planar end of the can.
Armstrong, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,602,993, discloses a can opening apparatus specifically designed for allowing a gardener to separate the tin can from the potting soil and plant located therewithin. This can opener includes an extended handle and a foot pedal for allowing the operator to steady the can opener and to use the force of this foot for moving the can opener vertically along the circumferential surface of the can from one planar end to the other planar end, thereby placing a slit or cut longitudinally along the circumferential surface of the can. Several of these cuts will allow the gardener to peel back the circumferential surface of the can and remove the potting soil and plant as a unit therefrom. Lassen, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,719,358, discloses a shaft-like strap cutter which includes a sharpened slot in the operative end thereof for engaging with and cutting a strap.
The old style "tin cans" were primarily functional in nature in that they were not aesthetically or artistically pleasing to the eye. That is, their principle use was limited to containing or storing articles. Since the tin cans were constructed from a relatively thick and hard substance, such as steel plated on both sides with a layer of tin, it was unusual to find uses for the can which required the can to be cut apart or segmented. However, with the advent of aluminum cans it has become much more feasible for the artistically inclined person to use these softer and thinner cans for other uses. For example, aluminum can sculpters and aluminum can pop art now are well known. A relatively new art form requires that the aluminum cans be cut into thin strips and then these thin strips are cut to the appropriate length and curled or bent in order to form an ornamental shape. One form of aluminum can art requires the aluminum can to be cut a plurality of times generally along the longitudinal axis of the circumferential surface of the can in order that the resulting strips may be curled to form ornamental spirals adjacent one end of the can. Then, a plurality of the can ends having the curled ornamental objects around the perifery thereof are coupled together for forming some unique work of can art such as a chair, a sofa, replicas of animals, etc.
These aluminum cans may be cut into longitudinal strips by the use of ordinary manual tin snips or metal shears, but this manual method does not lend itself to creating strips which are evenly spaced and of constant width from one end to the other. The can openers which have been previously described above are likewise not suited for making these longitudinal cuts in the circumferential surface of the cans.
Therefore, it is first object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for making cuts of generally constant width which are equally spaced along the typical aluminum can or other similar container.
Another object of the present invention is to specifically adapt the cutter for making these cuts longitudinally along the circumferential surface of the aluminum can. Precise incremental motion devices are provided for accurately and evenly spacing the cuts around the circumference of the can.
A still further object of the present invention is to incorporate the use of linear cutting, shear-type cutters which will not leave jagged or burred edges along the strips, but will instead make smooth, even cuts which will not cause the aluminum strips to bend or misform.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for cutting along the circumferential surface of a can. The cutting device includes a frame having a plurality of rollers rotatably coupled thereto for receiving and movably supporting the circumferential surface of the can. Cutter means are provided for cutting along the circumferential surface of the can. Guide means are coupled to the cutter means and the frame in known registration with the rollers for movably guiding the cutter means along the desired cutting path over the circumferential surface of the can.
In the first preferred embodiment of the present invention the rollers are arranged so as to allow the can to rotate about its central cylindrical axis. Also, the rollers have an elongated cylindrical form in which the axis of rotation of each of the rollers is generally parallel with the central cylindrical axis of the can.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent through a study of the written description and the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates the frontal top perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the can cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates the separate use of the cutters for trimming the length of the strips of the aluminum can which have been created by use of the can cutter.
FIG. 3 illustrates the use of a curling tool in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4 illustrates an end cross-section view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention as taken along section lines 4--4 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the cutting base and the alignment which couples into the recesses therewithin.
FIG. 6 is perspective view of a curling tool in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A first preferred embodiment of the can cutting apparatus in accordance with the present invention is illustrated generally in FIG. 1. The apparatus includes a generally U-shaped frame 10 which includes two downward projecting feet members 12 and 14 to which are attached rubber foot pads. Two upstanding end elements 16 and 18 on the frame 10 define therebetween a void into which the can is placed.
A pair of generally cylindrical and elongated rollers 21 and 22 are located within the void defined by the upstanding side numbers 16 and 18 of the frame 10. The longitudinal axies and rotational axies of these longitudinal rollers 21 and 22 are oriented generally parallel to each other and to the bottom horizontal element of the frame 10. An outside communicative surface of the rollers 21 and 22 are covered with a rubber frictional substance in order to prevent slippage when communicating with a can 30 coupled thereto. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the separation between the rollers 21 and 22 is generally determined such that the can 30 will be centered therebetween and a central axis or rational axis 31 of the can 30 will lie in a plane bisecting the plane defined by the rotational axies of the two rollers 21 and 22.
The first end of the roller 21 includes a shaft 24 which communicates through an aperature bushing within the upstanding side 16 of the frame 10. A ratchet knob 40 is coupled to the distended end of the shaft 24 for manually controlling the rotation thereof. A plurality of ratchet teeth 41 are spaced evenly about the circumference of the ratchet knob 40 for being engaged for being engaged by a ratchet stop 42. The ratchet stop 42 is movably biased by the operation of a ratchet spring 43 into the teeth 41 about the circumference of the ratchet knob 40 for preventing the reverse rotation of shaft 24 and the roller 21 coupled thereto. The ratchet stop 42 when coupling with the ratchet teeth 41 of the ratchet knob 40 also limits to an incremental rotational motion the angular displacement between the roller 21 and the frame 10. In a first preferred embodiment of the present invention the ratchet knob 40 includes 64 ratchet teeth 41 about the circumference thereof in order divide the complete revolution of ratchet knob 40 into at least four quadrants of sixteen equal segments each.
A shaft 25 at the opposite of the roller 21 as well as shafts 26 and 27 at the opposite ends of the roller 22 are movably and freely coupled through corresponding bushings located in the upstanding sections 16 and 18 of the frame 10 for allowing the corresponding rollers 21 and 22 to freely rotate therein. In this manner the can 30 when in communication with the first roller 21 may be incrementally rotated by turning the ratchet knob 40 the desired number in incremental steps. Since the circumferential surface 32 of the can 30 is in supportive and frictional communication with the external circumferential surfaces of the rollers 21 and 22, any motion of the first roller 21 will cause a resulting rotation of the can 30 which in turn will cause a corresponding rotation of the roller 22.
The proper frictional or pressing communication between the can 30 and the rollers 21 and 22 is effected by the operation of the guide means, shown generally as 50. The operative elements of the guide means 50 include a first guide bar 51 and a second guide bar 52 positioned immediately adjacent thereto and substantially parallel therewith. The spacing between the guide bars 51 and 52 is generally maintained by the attachment of a first handle 56 and a second handle 57 attached to opposite ends thereof. The first handle 56 has attached to an underside thereof a vertical elevator rod 58 which freely communicates through a corresponding aperature 17 within the upstanding end 16 of the frame 10. A locking or knurled fastener 48 communicates through a threaded bore within the upstanding side 16 and communicates against the vertical elevator rod 58 to adjustably lock the vertical position of the guide means 50. Likewise, another vertical elevator rod 59 is attached to the underside surface of the second handle 57 for communicating through a corresponding aperature 19 within the generally upstanding end 18 of the frame 10. In this manner the guide bars 51 and 52 may be manually raised and lowered in precise vertical and horizontal registration with the rollers 21 and 22.
With specific reference to FIG. 4, the end sections of the guide bars 51 and 52 are shown to be truncated triangular shapes which are oriented such that any communication between the circumferential surface 32 of the can 30 and the lower surfaces of the guide bars 51 and 52 will produce a stabilizing force which directs the motion of the can 30 back into its equilibrium position characterized by the central axis 31 being located equaldistant from each of the rollers 21 and 22. In this manner a downward pressure is exerted by the guide bars 51 and 52 which forces the can 30 to rest in an equilibrium position such that the central axis 31 of the can 30 is in know registration with the rollers 21 and 22, the frame 10 and the guides 51 and 52.
This registration relationship is retained regardless of the diameter of the can which is placed upon the rollers 21 and 22. The first preferred embodiment of the present invention is designed to accommodate cans having an external diameter of between 21/2" to 91/2 inches. While the first preferred embodiment has been illustrated with the use of a generally cylindrical can 30, it should be recognized that cans having various other shapes may be cut with this apparatus without a substantial loss in the effectiveness or the accuracy of the registration technique. For example, a generally square can may be cut using the present apparatus by merely placing one of the square sides upon the two rollers 21 and 22 and incrementally adjusting the horizontal position of the can by the use of the ratchet knob 40. It should also be noted that while the first preferred embodiment of the present invention anticipates the use of a high strength polyvinylchloride substance for most of the parts, these parts may also be constructed of other rigid metals or substitute materials with equal effectiveness.
With continuing reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, cutter means 60 are provided for riding upon the guide bars 51 and 52 while cutting the can 30. The cutter means 60 includes a sliding base 62 which defines therein a generally vertical slot 64 and a generally horizontally slot 66. The horizontal slot 66 is adapted to congruently couple with the outside edges of the guidebars 51 and 52 for regulating the linear motion of the base 62 as it moves along the guide-bars 51 and 52. In the first preferred embodiment of the present invention a central axis or cutting axis 68 is defined within the base 62 as a bisector of the horizontal slot 66 and the vertical slot 64. Also, the cutting axis 68 is typically a bisector of the space defined between the guide-bars 51 and 52 of guide means 50.
The cutter means 60 also includes a pair of shear-type cutters 70 which include a first cutting element 71 having a handle 73 coupled thereto and a second cutting element 72 having a handle 74 coupled thereto. The first cutting element 71 and the second element 72 are movably coupled together by an alignment pin, shown generally as 80 in FIGS. 4 and 5. This alignment pin 80 has enlarged heads 81 and 82 located at the distended ends thereof for coupling within recessed channels 67 defined within the sliding base 62 on opposite sides of the vertical slot 64. In this manner the alignment pin 80 retains the proper registration between the shear-type cutters 70 and the guide means 50. The first cutting element 71 and the second cutting element 72 are designed to be straight cutters in order to prevent the curling or burring of the sections of the can cut from the main section thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the alignment pin 80 includes intermediate the enlarged heads 81 and 82 a section of reduced diameter for coupling through and compressing together the first cutting element 71 and the second cutting element 72 compromising the shear-type cutters 70.
Thus, the first preferred embodiment of the apparatus for can-crafting has been described. This first preferred embodiment is specifically designed to cut aluminum cans into a maximum of 64 evenly spaced and constant width spokes which are required for can-crafting. The apparatus will handle any ordinary can, either aluminum or tin, with a typical diameter of 2.5 inches (such as the standard 12 ounce beer or soft drink can) to a maximum outside diameter of 10 inches (such as a 1 gallon paint can). The apparatus will enable the operator to cut a plurality of spokes from the circumferential surface of the can without having to mark off and hand guide the shears. The spokes may then be twisted, bent and/or curled into can creations limited only by the imagination of the artisian.
The method to be utilized in conjunction with the proper operation with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4. First, the frame 10 of the apparatus is placed upon an immovable workbench. Next, the knurled fastner 48 is screwed counterclockwise in order to disengage from communication with the vertical elevator rod 58, thus freeing the vertical motion of the guide means 50. It is presumed that the operator has performed the preliminary steps of cutting one planar end of the can from the circumferential surface attached thereto. The can 30 should then be washed and rinsed both on the inside and outside surfaces. All labels should be removed.
The guide means 50 are then elevated in order to allow the operator to place the circumferential surface 32 of the can 30 upon the rollers 21 and 22 such that the central axis 31 of the can 30 is generally parallel with the rotational axies of the rollers 21 and 22. Next, the guide means 50 is lowered until the underneath side of the guide bars 51 and 52 communicate with the upper circumferential surface 32 of the can 30. A slight fingertip pressure on the handles 56 and 57 will ensure the proper coupling communication between the can 30 and the rollers 21 and 22. The knurled fastener 48 is then rotated clockwise in order to communicate against the vertical elevator rod 58 for preventing any further vertical motion of the guide means 50.
Next, the operator must rotate the ratchet 40 in order to determine if the can 30 rotates upon the rollers 21 and 22. If no rotation of the can 30 is observed, the downward pressure from the guide means 50 upon the can 30 must be adjusted as required. It will further be assumed that the operator has inserted the can 30 such that the closed planar end of the can is immediately adjacent the upstanding end 16 of the frame 10 while the open end of the can 30 points toward the opposite upstanding end 18. Next, the first and second cutting element 71 and 72 of the shear-type cutters 70 are opened and engaged with the open end of the can 30. The operator then makes the series of sequential colinear cuts along the circumferential surface of the can 30 as the shear-type cutters 70 are guided along the guide bars 51 and 52. Typically this axial cut in the circumferential surface of the can 32 extends only to within 1/4 to 1/2 inches of the closed end of the can 30. Next, the shear-type cutter 70 are moved backwards along the guide-bars 51 and 52 in order to disengage from the cut made within the can 30. The operator then rotates the ratchet knob 40 at least one increment, engages the shear-type cutters 70 again with the open end of the can 30, and then proceeds to make another longitudinal cut in the circumferential surface 32 of the can 30.
In this manner a plurality of spokes or linear sections may be cut from the can as required. As soon as the last cut has been made within the can 30, the knurled fastener 48 is loosened and the guide means 50 are elevated out of communication with the can 30. The can 30 may then be removed from communication with the rollers 21 and 22 for subsequent use. It should be noted at this point that the structural integrity of the can 30 is preserved throughout this operation by leaving the 1/4 to 1/2 inch rim about the closed end of the can 30.
It may then be desirable for the operator to remove the shear-type cutters 70 from the normal communication within the sliding base 62 in order to trim to the desired length the longitudinal length of the spokes as illustrated in FIG. 2. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the end notch within the curling tools 100 are used to engage and curl the individual spokes cut within the circumferential surface of the can 30. The shear-type cutters 70 may be replaced within the vertical slot 64 of the sliding base 62 in order to prepare the apparatus for cutting the next can.
In this manner various cylindrical and other shaped cans may be cut into a plurality of evenly spaced spokes. While the first preferred embodiment of the present invention is typically designed for cutting aluminum or tin cans, it may also be used for cutting cans made of other materials such as plastic, etc.
Thus, the first preferred embodiment of the can-crafting apparatus and method have been described as an example of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, the present invention should not be limited in its application to the details and construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings or the specification, since this invention may be practiced or constructed in a variety of other different embodiments without departing from the spirit or the scope of the appended claims. Also, it must be understood that the terminology and descriptions employed herein are used solely for the purpose of describing the preferred embodiment and the general process, and therefore these should not be construed as limitations on the operability of the invention. | The present invention relates to an apparatus for making cuts along the circumferential surface of a can. The apparatus includes a frame and a plurality of rollers rotatably coupled to the frame for receiving and movably supporting the circumferential surface of the can. A cutter is provided for cutting along the circumferential surface of the can. A guide is coupled to the cutter and to the frame in known registration with the rollers for movably guiding the cutter along the desired cutting path over the circumferential surface of the can.
In a first preferred embodiment of the present invention the rollers are arranged so as to allow the can to rotate about its central cylindrical axis. The rollers are elongated and cylindrical in form and each has an axis of rotation generally parallel with the central cylindrical axis of the can. | 8 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to precision approach path indicator systems (PAPIs) used in airports to provide approach slope guidance for aircraft approaching an airport runway, and light assemblies useful in such systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to PAPIs and light assemblies for use therein which provide substantial and important advantages and/or benefits relative to the prior art systems and assemblies.
Precision approach path indicator systems (PAPIs) are known airport lighting aids. As commonly employed, PAPIs use a single row of either two or four light units including halogen or similar lamps. The row of either two or four identical light units is placed on one side of the runway in a line perpendicular to the runway centerline to define the visual glide path angle. The light units each have a white segment in an upper part of the beam and red segment in a lower part of the beam separated by a pink transition zone. In the two-light system, for example, a Type L-881 system, the lights are positioned and aimed to produce a signal presentation wherein a pilot on or close to the established approach path sees the light unit nearest the runway as red and the other light unit as white. When above the approach path the pilot sees both light units as white; and when below the approach path the pilot sees both light units as red.
In the four-light system, for example, Type L-880, PAPI system, the signal presentation is such that a pilot on or close to the established approach path sees the two light units nearest the runway as red and the two light units farthest from the runway as white. When above the approach path the pilot sees the light unit nearest the runway as red and the three light units farthest from the runway as white; and when further above the approach path the pilot sees all the light units as white. When below the approach path the pilot sees the three light units nearest the runway as red and the light unit farthest from the runway as white; and when further below the approach path the pilot sees all light units as red.
The visual glide path angle provided by the PAPI is the center of the on-course zone, and is normally 3 degrees (of an arc) when measured from the horizontal, but may vary, for example, if jet aircraft are supported by the airport, if obstacles to flight are located at the airport, or if elevated terrain affects the approach to the airport. Other considerations in siting the PAPIs indicator lights include whether the terrain drops off rapidly near the approach threshold, and whether severe turbulence is experienced on approach. On short runways, the PAPI system indicator lights are located as near the threshold as possible to provide the maximum amount of runway for braking after landing. Thus, the PAPI system indicator lights are often positioned and aimed to produce a minimum Threshold Crossing Height (TCH), which is the height of the lowest on-course signal at a point directly above the intersection of the runway centerline and the threshold, and clearance over obstacles in the approach area.
PAPIs are very useful in providing approach slope guidance to aircraft approaching an airport. However, certain problems do exist. For example, the halogen or similar lamps used in the prior art PAPIs are relatively costly to operate and, in addition, have a relatively limited useful life. Although the lighting assemblies of such PAPIs are structured to facilitate relatively rapid lamp replacement, the cost of maintenance, particularly the cost and inconvenience of closing an airport runway in order to change lamps, represents a significant disadvantage to using such PAPIs. In addition, since providing accurate approach path guidance is very important in maintaining the safety of airport operation, lamps which become ineffective after relatively short periods of operation, even if they are relatively easy to replace, can create a significant detriment to airport safety.
There is a need for new PAPIs, for example. new PAPIs which address one or more of the problems or disadvantages of the prior art PAPIs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
New precision approach path indicator systems or PAPIs and new light assemblies useful in PAPIs have been discovered. The new PAPIs and light assemblies are relatively straightforward in construction; and meet or exceed substantially all the regulatory requirements and specifications, for example, imposed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), on the operation and structure of PAPIs and light assemblies used therein. Moreover and advantageously, the present PAPIs and light assemblies are less costly to install and/or operate and/or maintain relative to the prior art PAPIs, and/or are more reliable in operation relative to the prior art PAPIs.
In one broad aspect of the present invention, precision approach path indicator systems (PAPIs) effective in providing approach slope guidance for aircraft approaching an airport runway are provided. Such PAPIs comprise a plurality of light assemblies positioned on or in proximity to an airport runway and structured or configured to be effective in providing approach slope guidance light signals to a pilot of an aircraft approaching a runway. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each light assembly includes a first and second light source; particularly preferably such light source comprises light emitting diodes (LEDs), for example, at least one first LED and at least one second LED, such as a first array of LEDs and a second array of LEDs. The first array of LEDs includes at least one first LED, and preferably a plurality of first LEDs. Similarly, the second array of LEDs includes at least one second LED, preferably a plurality of second LEDs. As indicated above, the present invention contemplates the use of light sources, and assemblies comprising light sources, other than LEDs that share one or more of the advantages thereof: for example, without limitation, a low power requirement (thus resulting in reduced costs of operation); high efficiency conversion of electric to radiant energy; and long and reliable operation with minimal maintenance.
The present PAPIs may be advantageously located and used in substantial accordance with the procedures used to locate and use the prior art PAPIs, for example as described elsewhere herein and/or is commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Importantly, in a preferred embodiment the present PAPIs include light assemblies comprising LEDs. Such LEDs are very effective in providing the required light for operation of the present PAPIs in a cost effective and reliable manner. In particular, PAPIs and light assemblies that include LED-containing and similar light sources may often be operated at reduced cost and/or increased reliability relative to the halogen lamps employed in prior art PAPIs, for example, PAPIs including halogen lamps.
In a further broad preferred aspect of the present invention, assemblies, for example light assemblies for use in an airport approach path indicator system, for example, the present PAPIs, are provided. Such light assemblies comprise a mirror component including first and second, preferably substantially planar, mirrored surfaces positioned to meet at an angle of about 90°. In this preferred embodiment, first and second spaced apart light emitting diodes (LEDs) are located so that the at least one first LED emits light reflected by the first mirrored surface and the at least one second LED emits light reflected by the second mirrored surface. A projection lens is provided and is positioned to allow light reflected by the first and second mirrored surfaces to pass therethrough.
It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the mirrored surfaces, while preferably substantially planar, may be somewhat curved in certain embodiments of the present invention. For a single element projection lens, the best focus occurs on a curved surface; thus in such other embodiments of the invention the mirrored surfaces may have a slight curve.
In addition, while the preferred embodiment comprises mirrored surfaces positioned at angles of about 90° to each other, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any geometry in which light from the first and second light source is reflected from the first and second mirrored surfaces, respectively, toward the projection lens is within the ambit of the present invention so long as substantially no light from the first light source is reflected from the second mirrored surface toward the projection lens, or vice versa.
The first and second mirrored surfaces preferably meet at a substantially straight edge. The mirror component is advantageously positioned relative to the first and second LEDs so that the first mirrored surface and the second mirrored surface reflects light emitted from substantially only the first LED or LEDs and the second LED or LEDs, respectively. It is possible to make a PAPI device according to the present invention such that substantially all the light emitted by the one or more light source located near each of the mirrored surfaces is reflected by that mirrored surface, with little, if any, light missing the mirrored surface. However, to make such a device would require quite high tolerances. In other embodiments, a portion of the light emitted by said one or more light source may be directed past the mirror without being reflected thereby into the projection lens. It is preferable that the amount of such light be minimized.
A “substantially straight edge” includes an edge that is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the light reflected toward the projection lens. In one embodiment of the present invention, the intersection of the two mirrored surfaces may form a somewhat curved or rounded edge rather than a sharp edge.
In one embodiment, the mirror component is positioned relative to the first and second light sources so that light emitted by the first light source or assembly contacts the first mirrored surface at an angle of about 45° relative to the first mirrored surface, and light emitted from the second light source or assembly contacts the second mirrored surface at an angle of about 45° relative to the second mirrored surface. Preferably the light source or assemblies comprise one or more LED, more particularly a plurality of LEDs.
A substantially sharp angular cutoff between the light projected from the first and second mirrored surfaces may be created when the substantially straight edge is placed proximal to the focal plane of the projection lens such that the first light source illuminates a portion of the first mirrored surface that includes the substantially straight edge, and the second light source illuminates a portion of the second mirrored surface that includes the substantially straight edge. When the substantially straight edge is placed proximal to the focal plane of the projection lens there is preferably a sharp angular transition between the light projected from the first light source and the second light source.
As noted above, the first and second mirrored surfaces of the present light assemblies preferably are substantially planar. In certain prior art PAPIs, hyperbolic mirrors are employed to reflect light from halogen and similar lamps. Hyperbolic mirrors are, by definition, not planar. In the present preferred light assemblies, it is substantially advantageous that the first and second mirror surfaces be substantially planar, for example, to aid in providing the desired orientation of the light passing through the projections lamps.
When the present invention comprises the use of light emitting diodes, at least one and preferably each of such LEDs in each of the arrays of LEDs preferably is equipped with a collimating optic. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the LEDs are equipped with an encapsulated optic. By encapsulated optic is meant an assembly that collects as much light as is practical or necessary from the source and typically at least partially surrounds and covers the light source. In the present invention the preferred embodiment for an encapsulated optic is a catadioptric optic utilizing refractive and internal reflecting surfaces.
Light from the encapsulated optic reflects off the mirror and passes through the image plane of the projection lens. The encapsulated optic collects as much light as possible while maintaining Etendue efficiency and minimum encapsulated optic diameter. Etendue efficiency determines how much light fills the aperture of the projection lens (for a given lens diameter). The minimum optic diameter determines how closely the encapsulating optics are placed together. This is preferably considered particularly carefully in the high intensity zone, because enough light must pass through the image plane in the center to meet optimal PAPI intensity requirements. Like the collimating optics the encapsulated optic may be optimized. Such LEDs with collimating optics are well known and are commercially available. The use of LEDs with collimating optics is advantageous in that the light emitted by the LED is focused toward the mirror component so that a substantial portion, for example a major portion, that is at least about 50%, or even substantially all, of the light emitted by the LED is focused toward the mirror component.
The at least one first LED or the first array of LEDs advantageously emits light having a first color, for example, the first color may be white, and the at least one second LED or the second array of LEDs emits light having a second color different from the first color, for example, the second color may be red. The first and second colors being white and red, respectively, is very advantageous in that such colors facilitate employing the present PAPIs in place of prior art PAPIs without substantial re-education of the airport staff or pilots.
The number of LEDs that may be included in each first array of LEDs and second array of LEDs may be any suitable number effective to provide the desired light signals. As noted elsewhere herein, an array of LEDs includes at least one LED. In one embodiment, the first and second arrays of LEDs each include a number of LEDs in a range of about 2 to about 60 or more. The brightness obtainable from individual LEDs has continually increased in the past up to the present time. If this brightness trend continues the number of LEDs in each of the first and second arrays may be reduced. Light assemblies including a single first LED and/or a single second LED are within the scope of the present invention.
The present light assemblies preferably further comprise a spreader lens. A spreader can be placed on the other side of the lens or even comprise a part of the projection lens, however in a preferred embodiment the spreader is positioned so that light reflected by the first and second mirrored surfaces passes through the spreader lens prior to passing through the projection lens. The spreader redirects light in the horizontal direction to conform with intensity and distribution requirements. The spreader permits the pilot to see the PAPI when the airplane is “off axis” in the horizontal direction. The spreader lens may also be effective in diffusing the individual, relatively focused beams of light emitted from the first and second arrays of LEDs (or other similar light sources) (each array including a plurality of LEDs). Again, this feature facilitates the replacement of the prior art PAPIs with the present PAPIs with a minimum of disruption to the operation of the airport and the safety of the aircraft landing there.
The present light assemblies advantageously further comprise a housing sized and structured to at least partially contain the first and second light sources (preferably LEDs), the mirror component and the projection lens. It is important that the projection lens be located relative to the housing so that light passing from the mirror component through the projection lens can be seen by pilots and/or other aircraft crew members, as needed to receive the approach slope guidance offered by the present PAPIs.
In one embodiment, the present light assemblies further comprise an angle adjustment subassembly operatively coupled to the housing and structured to maintain, and preferably adjust, the housing at or to a desired angular orientation relative to horizontal. Various angle adjustment assemblies are conventional and/or well known and/or currently employed in the prior art PAPIs and such prior art angle adjustment subassemblies may be employed in the present light assemblies.
The projection lens of the present light assemblies may be of any suitable configuration effective in providing the desired slope approach guidance. In one useful embodiment, the projection lens is a plano convex lens, preferably such a lens with the convex surface facing away from the mirror component.
The present PAPIs advantageously include a plurality of the present light assemblies as described herein. The plurality of assemblies is advantageously positioned to allow a single human observer to see the projection lens, or at least light passing through the projection lens, of each of the assemblies at the same time. In one embodiment, the plurality of assemblies is positioned so that the projection lens of each of the assemblies faces in substantially the same direction. The projection lenses of different light assemblies may be located at different angles from each other relative to horizontal. The plurality of light assemblies may include at least two assemblies positioned at different angles relative to horizontal. For example, in two-light PAPIs the two light assemblies are positioned at different angles relative to the horizontal to provide slope approach path guidance.
In other embodiments, the plurality of assemblies includes at least three of the assemblies or four assemblies positioned at different angles relative to horizontal. For example, in a four-light PAPI system, all four of the light assemblies are positioned at different angles relative to the horizontal. For example, each of the light assemblies may be positioned about 20 minutes or about one third of a degree (of an arc) from the next light assembly. This is in line with conventional or common practice used with currently used PAPIs and again is designed to allow the use of the present PAPIs in place of the currently used or prior art PAPIs with little or no disruption in operation or safety of the airport.
In certain instances, the plurality of assemblies include two or three or more assemblies positioned at substantially the same angle relative to horizontal. For example, in order to more clearly identify the signal or information desired to be given, two, three or more assemblies located in close proximity to each other at substantially the same angle relative to horizontal may be employed to provide that signal or information.
As with the current PAPIs the present PAPIs are advantageously positioned on or in proximity to an airport runway. Advantageously, the PAPIs are positioned in substantially identical positions as the currently used PAPIs. Such placement facilitates the present PAPIs being employed with little or no disruption to airport operation and safety.
Each and every feature described herein, and each and every combination of two or more of such features, is included within the scope of the present invention provided that the features included in such a combination are not mutually inconsistent.
These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention are apparent in the following detailed description, claims and drawings in which like parts bear like reference numerals.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1( a ), 1 ( b ), 1 ( c ) and 1 ( d ) are somewhat schematic views of various components of an embodiment of a light assembly embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of certain components of a light assembly in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to FIGS. 1( a )- 1 ( d ), a light assembly, shown generally at 10 includes a housing 12 which contains a mirror component 14 , a first array 16 of white LEDs with encapsulated optics, a second array 18 of red LEDS with encapsulated optics, a horizontal spreader lens 20 and a projection lens 22 . The forward end of the housing 12 is structured, for example, is transparent (preferably clear) or cut away, to allow light passing through the projection lens 22 from inside the housing to be seen from an appropriate distance, for example, in a range of about 5 miles to about 20 miles or more, away from assembly 10 , for example, by a pilot in an aircraft approaching an airport for landing.
Each individual white LED 24 includes a collimating or encapsulating optic 26 . Similarly, each individual red LED 28 includes a collimating or encapsulating optic 30 . Such collimating or encapsulating optics 26 , 30 are effective to provide a substantially focused beam of light from each of the LEDs 24 , 28 . LEDs with collimating optics are custom, while encapsulated optics may be readily fabricated, and such LEDs may be used in the present light assemblies.
The present light assembly 10 advantageously is structured to meet the requirements of aviation red. Such light assembly is structured to make effective and efficient use of LEDs.
The first array 16 of white LEDs 24 and the second array 18 of red LEDs 28 project white light and red light, respectively, onto mirror component 14 . Mirror component 14 includes a first, substantially planar mirrored surface 32 and a second, substantially planar surface 34 which are disposed at an angle of 90° relative to each other and meet at a straight line edge 36 . The light assembly 10 preferably is configured and/or structured so that light from the first array 16 of LEDs does not project onto second mirrored surface 34 , and light from the second array 18 of LEDs does not project onto first mirrored surface 32 . Advantageously, the first and second array of LEDs 16 and 18 are positioned within housing 12 at an angle of about 45° relative to the first and second mirrored surfaces 32 and 34 .
The straight line edge 36 of the mirror component 14 lies in a plane which is also located at an angle of 45° relative to the first and second mirrored surfaces 32 and 34 . Such plane, shown as 38 in FIG. 1( d ), is the plane which is imaged by the projection lens 22 .
The mirrored component 14 is structured to allow or provide for a substantially sharp transition between the red and white light with the peak power at the cutoff line.
White and red light from first and second arrays 16 and 18 of LEDs, respectively, are projected onto first and second mirrored surfaces 32 and 34 , respectively, and are reflected off such mirrored surfaces and travel to spreader lens 20 which is located just behind (or posterior of) projection lens 22 . Spreader lens 20 is structured and effective in spreading light in the horizontal direction. In the absence of the spreader lens 20 , the intensity or light pattern eminating from the projection lens 22 has a series of hot and cold spots corresponding to the spaced apart configuration of the first and second arrays 16 and 18 of LEDs.
After passing through, and being horizontally spread by the spreader lens 20 , the reflected light then passes through the projection lens 20 . Advantageously, the projection lens 20 is a plano-convex lens with the convex surface 40 facing away from the mirror component 14 .
The mirror component 14 can be made from readily available materials. Advantageously, the first and second mirrored surfaces 32 and 34 are highly polished and/or otherwise structured and/or treated to enhance the ability of such surfaces to reflect light. Such enhanced reflectability, for example, relative to substantially identical mirrored surfaces without being highly polished and/or otherwise structured and/or treated, facilitates enhanced performance benefits for the present light assemblies and PAPIs.
The spreader lens 20 is fabricated and, projection lens 22 is commercially available and/or well known in the art.
The present light assembly 10 is structured to meet the requirement for translation from red to white, such requirements being red to white transition within 3 minutes of arc at beam center and 5 minutes of arc at beam edges and meet the requirement for light beam parallel to zero aiming angle of ±5 minutes of arc.
FIG. 2 shows a prototype of certain components of light assembly 10 . In particular, light assembly 10 as shown in FIG. 2 does not include a portion of the housing, in order to more clearly show other components of the assembly. The spreader lens 20 and projection lens 22 are shown in the foreground of FIG. 2 , secured to frame member 46 of housing element 48 . Located in the background of FIG. 2 is mirror component 14 including mirrored surfaces 32 and 34 and straight line edge 36 . A reflection of the first array 16 of LEDs is seen in first mirrored surface 32 , and a reflection of second array 18 of LEDs is seen in second mirrored surface 34 .
The first array 16 of LEDs is located in top member 50 and the second array 18 of LEDs is located in bottom member 52 . Top member 50 and bottom member 52 are secured to the housing and hold the LEDs in fixed positions. A bottom platform member 56 is provided and is structured to be oriented at one of various angles relative to horizontal, for example, using any one of a number of conventional angular adjustment structures to properly align the angle of the assembly 10 relative to horizontal as desired to be effective in a PAPIs including a plurality of such assemblies.
Each of the light assemblies and the PAPIs of the present invention include additional components, for example, electrical components, such as power sources, wiring, regulators, switches, etc., which are conventionally employed to provide for proper functioning of equipment including the preferred LEDs.
Since such additional components are conventional and/or well known in the art to be useful to provide such proper functioning, no detailed description of such additional components is presented here, it being understood that such additional components and the description thereof are well within the ordinary skill of the art.
To maintain a consistent luminous output and ensure high lumen maintenance from the light sources in the present light assemblies, a constant current source advantageously is employed to drive such light sources. This is particularly useful when using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to dim the light sources (e.g., LEDs). To achieve low parts count and high efficiency, two switched-mode buck regulators are employed in each light assembly 10 to drive each array of red and white LEDs. The buck regulators allow an external control source to modify the duty cycle of the PWM so that dimming is easily achieved. The high voltage DC required to drive the large number of series LEDs can be derived from incoming 240 Vac system power.
While this invention has been described with respect to various specific examples and embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and that it can be variously practiced within the scope of the following claims. | Precision approach path indicator systems (PAPIs) effective in providing approach slope guidance for aircraft approaching an airport runway are provided. Such PAPIs include a plurality of light assemblies positioned on or in proximity to an airport runway and structured or configured to be effective in providing approach slope guidance light signals to a pilot of an aircraft approaching a runway. Each light assembly includes a light source comprising light emitting diodes (LEDs), preferably a first array of LEDs and a second array of LEDs. | 1 |
This application is a 371 application Ser. No. of PCT/US97/11054, filed Jun. 24, 1997 which is based on U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/020,331, filed Jun. 24, 1996.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to compositions comprising one or more N-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ligands the composite of which contains at least two, and preferably four or more N-cyclic groups bonded through an appropriate hydrophilic spacer grouping to a solid support and to the use of such compositions in the removal or concentration of specific ions from solutions. More particularly, this invention relates to compositions containing one or more N-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon containing ligands the composite of which contains at least two, and preferably four or more N-cyclic groups bonded through a hydrophilic spacer grouping to a solid support in such a manner that the presence of amine nitrogen atoms are minimized and to the use of such compositions in the removal of specified metal ions from solutions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Methods for the concentration and removal of selected ions from a solution that will often contain a variety of ions, both cationic and anionic, across a wide pH range, represents a real need in the modern era of advanced technologies. A significant improvement in the art does exist which provides for the concentration and/or removal of a selected ion from a solution using an organic ligand that is covalently bound, through an organic spacer, to a solid support such as silica gel, glass beads, alumina, titania, zirconia nickel oxide, polyacrylate, or polystyrene. The organic ligand provides for coordinative or chelative ion bonding with significant levels of selectivity. The combination of organic ligand and solid support provides for the incorporation of such a composition into a column for subsequent use much as pure silica gel is used in column chromatography. By passing a solution containing ions, wherein one ion is desired to be trapped to the exclusion of any other ions, through a column containing a suitable ligand designed to trap the targeted ion, the targeted ion is selectively and exclusively removed from the solution. The trapped ion may be flushed or "un-trapped" by passing a second solution through the column. The second solution is formulated such that it has a greater affinity for the trapped ions than the ion trap ligand does, allowing for the trapped ions to be flushed from the column. In this manner the targeted ion is selectively removed from any other ions in the solution.
Compositions comprising selective ion binding organic ligands covalently attached to solid supports through organic spacers, such as described above, are illustrated in numerous patents, of which the following are representative: U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,321 to Bradshaw et al. discloses amine-containing hydrocarbon ligands; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,071,819 and 5,084,430 to Tarbet et al. disclose sulfur and nitrogen-containing hydrocarbons as ion-binding ligands; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,959,153 and 5,039,419 to Bradshaw et al. disclose sulfur-containing hydrocarbon ligands; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,943,375 and 5,179,213 to Bradshaw et al. disclose ion-binding crowns and cryptands as ligands; U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,251 to Bruening et al. discloses aminoalkylphosphonic acid-containing hydrocarbon ligands; U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,882 to Bradshaw discloses proton-ionizable macrocyclic ligands; U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,978 to Tarbet et al. discloses amino-pyridine-containing hydrocarbon ligands; U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,856 to Bruening et al. discloses polytetraalkylammonium and polytrialkylamine-containing hydrocarbon ligands; U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,470 to Bruening et al. discloses thiol and/or thioether-aralkyl nitrogen-containing hydrocarbon ligands; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,661 to Bruening et al. discloses sulfur-containing hydrocarbon ligands also containing electron withdrawing groups. These ligands are generally attached to the solid support via a suitable hydrocarbon spacer.
One problem with some of these compositions is that they are not as efficient as sometimes desired when using acid solutions because of the effect of acid on the ability of these compositions to complex transition and other metal ions as well as allowing for a greater variety of selectivity among the transition metal ions themselves.
The present invention ameliorates this problem.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a composition and method for the removal of transition metal ions from a solution utilizing compositions comprising one or more N-cyclic hydrocarbon ligands the composite of which contains at least two, and preferably four or more N-cyclic groups bonded to a solid support via an appropriate hydrophilic hydrocarbon spacer.
The unique properties of the N-cyclic hydrocarbons having aromatic properties such as pyridine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, imidazole, quinoline, isoquinoline, naphthyridine, pyridopyridine, phenanthroline or similar N-cyclic hydrocarbon containing ligands and combinations thereof with not more than two amine nitrogen atoms included covalently bonded to appropriate inorganic and organic solid supports form the basis of the present invention. The invention also encompasses processes for using the compositions for the separation of desired ions or groups of ions particularly under mildly acidic to acidic conditions.
The compounds of the present invention comprise suitable N-cyclic aromatic ligands such as those noted above which are covalently bonded through a hydrophilic spacer grouping to a silicon, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur atom and further covalently bonded to an inorganic or polymeric organic solid support and are represented by the following Formula 1:
SS--A--X--(L).sub.n (Formula 1)
where SS is a solid support, A is a covalent linkage mechanism, X is a hydrophilic spacer grouping, L is an N-cyclic aromatic containing ligand group and n is an integer of 1 to 6 with the proviso that when n is 1, L must contain at least two and preferably four or more N-cyclic aromatic rings, and with the further proviso that when X or L contains amine nitrogen atoms there will be not more than two such atoms present and they will preferably be tertiary amine nitrogen atoms. Nitrogen atoms forming part of an amide, thioamide, and the like are not considered amine nitrogens. Preferably (L) n will be such that at least four N-cyclic groups will be present. Most preferably, from four to six N-cyclic groups will be present with four N-cyclic group being optimal. It is not as important whether n is a numeral of 1 to 6 as it is that the ligand(s) present preferably have a composite of four to six N-cyclic groups. Thus, for a composition containing four N-cyclic groups, aside from functionality, it does not matter whether there are four pyridine groups, two phenanthroline groups, two pyridyl-imidazole groups, or a terpyridyl and a quinolyl group present in the ligand(s). For purposes of definition, an N-cyclic ring containing compound having two nitrogens in separate rings, such as phenanthroline, is considered as containing two N-cyclic rings. Hence, two phenanthroline structures contain four N-cyclic rings.
Representative of the inorganic solid support matrices are members selected from the group consisting of sand, silica gel, glass, glass fibers, alumina, zirconia, titania, and nickel oxide and other hydrophilic inorganic supports of a similar nature as well as mixtures of such inorganic materials. Representative of the polymeric organic solid support matrices are members selected from the group consisting of polyacrylate, polystyrene, polyphenol, and other hydrophilic organic supports as well as mixtures of such polymeric materials.
Exemplary of covalent linkages represented by A are members selected from the group consisting of Si(Y,Z)--O, O, S, C═N, CO, CONH, CSNH, COO, CSO, NH, NR, SO, SO 2 , SO 2 NH, C 6 H 4 , CH 2 C 6 H 4 , and the like. Y and Z can independently represent members selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, I, alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkyl or substituted alkoxy and O--SS (when SS is an inorganic solid support). When Y and Z moieties are other than O--SS they are functionally classified as leaving groups, i.e. groups attached to the silicon atom which, when reacted with an O--SS material, may leave or be replaced by the O--SS. If any such functional leaving groups are left over after reacting a silicon containing spacer group or spacer/ligand group with the inorganic solid support material, these groups will have not affect the interaction between the desired ion and the N-cyclic ligand-attached via a spacer to the solid support. R can be hydrogen, alkyl or aryl. Alkyl or alkoxy means a 1-6 carbon member alkyl or alkoxy group which may be substituted or unsubstituted, straight or branched chain. By substituted is meant by groups such as Cl, Br, I, NO 2 and the like.
X is a spacer grouping which is of a functional nature that it is sufficiently hydrophilic to function in an aqueous environment and will separate the ligand from the solid matrix support surface to maximize the interaction between the ligand and desired ion being separated. X may be made up of various combinations of alkyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl moieties which may also contain one or more O, S, tert-amine nitrogen, amide, alkylamide, sulfonyl, sulfonamide and carbonyl functionalities. The alkyl, aryl and aralkyl moieties may also be substituted by --OH, --SH, --Cl, and the like. Preferably X will contain from about 4 to 20 carbon atoms.
Such spacers may be represented by the following Formula 2: ##STR1##
In the Formula 2, the following definitions apply to both upper and lower case letters. Q can be alkylene, arylene, aralkylene or alkarylene. J can be O, S, or NR. T can be SO 2 N<, alkylene, N<, or, when k is 0, T can be O, S or NR. B and G can be O, S, N, CON<, CH 2 CON<, NHCOCH 2 -- or SO 2 N<. D and M can be N< or CONH--. In the lower case, n can be an integer of 1 to about 10, and is preferably 1 to 3. The letters m, o, p, e, f, h, j and k are independently 0 or 1 and a and g are 0 to 3. Preferably p is 1.
Representative specific spacer options are shown in Table 1
TABLE 1__________________________________________________________________________Representative Spacer (X) Options.X No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9__________________________________________________________________________n 3 2 3 3 2 3 1 3 3J O Om 0 1 0Q phenyll CH.sub.2 phenyl O CH.sub.2o 0 1 0T SO.sub.2 N< CH N< SO.sub.2 N< N< N< CH N<p 1 1 1 1 1a 0 2 0B O NHCOCH.sub.2 Oc 2 1D N< CONHe 1 0 1f 1 1 0g 1 2 1G O NHCOCH.sub.2 Oh 2 1j 1 0 1k 1 1 0M N< CONH__________________________________________________________________________
When the solid support SS is an organic resin or polymer, such as phenolic resins, polystyrenes and polyacrylates, it will generally be a hydrophilic polymer or polymer derivatized to have a hydrophilic surface and contain polar functional groups. The ligand L will then generally contain a functional grouping reactive with an activated polar group on the polymer. The covalent linkage A and spacer X will then be formed by the covalent bonding formed by the reaction between the activated polar group from the polymer and the functional group from the ligand and may be represented by Formula 3:
--(CH.sub.2).sub.x --(Y).sub.y --(CH.sub.2).sub.z -- (Formula 3)
where y is an integer or 0 or 1, x and z are independently integers between 0 and 10 and Y is a functional group or aromatic linkage such as an ether, sulfide, imine, carbonyl, ester, thioester, amide, thioamide, amine, alkylamine, sulfoxide, sulfone, sulfonamide, phenyl, benzyl, and the like. Preferably y is 1.
As noted above the ligand(s) L can be represented by a series of N-cyclic hydrocarbons having aromatic properties such as pyridine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, imidazole, quinoline, isoquinoline, naphthyridine, pyridopyridine, phenanthroline or similar N-cyclic hydrocarbon containing ligands. Representative of such ligand moieties are pyridyl, picolyl, 4,5-phenanthroline, dipyridyl, bispyridyl, terpyridyl, pyridyl-imidazol, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, quinoyl, and the like. These N-cyclics can exist in various isomeric configurations and the covalent point of attachment to the spacer grouping can vary, e.g. 2, 3 or 4-pyridyl, etc. Preferred N-cyclic hydrocarbons having aromatic properties are those containing pyridine, imidazole and phenanthroline ring structures. Representative of compounds having pyridine rings that are considered within the definition of pyridine are picoline and the isomeric forms of bipyridyl and terpyridyl.
It is to be noted that the solid supports SS, the covalent linkages A and the spacers X have been used in the prior art to attach ligands to solid supports. Hence, the novelty of the present invention lies in finding that the attachment of poly N-cyclic moieties to solid supports by proper linkages provides a composition having two and preferably at least four N-cyclics in the ligand(s) which function exceptionally well in the removal of desired ions from solutions.
Representative SS--A--X--(L) n compositions I-IX follow. These generally correspond to the X spacer groupings 1-9, in Table 1. However, in certain instances, portions of the spacer X, listed in Table 1, which bond to the ligand are structurally shown in compositions I-IX whereas the portions that attach to the silane support A are not. One therefore needs to consider both Table 1 and the structures of compositions I-IX to recognize the entire spacer X as listed in Table 1. For that reason, the portions of X not specifically drawn into compositions I-IX are identified as X'. However, one skilled in the art can readily ascertain from the structures of compositions I-IX and Table 1 what is considered to be the ligand or ligands (L) n and the spacer X. Therefore, for illustrative purposes, in each formula of compositions I-IX the SS is an inorganic material such as silica, the covalent attachment A is a trimethoxysilyl group, and the spacer portion X' is the portion of a spacer in Table 1 that is not specifically identified in the structural formula. Any other solid supports or covalent linkages could be used and would be apparent to one skilled in the art.
Composition I containing a 2,2':6",2"-terpyridyl ligand ##STR2## Composition II containing two 2-picolyl ligands ##STR3## Composition III containing four 2-pyridyl ligands ##STR4## Composition IV containing two 2(2'-pyridyl)imidazoyl ligands ##STR5## Composition V containing two 2-pyridyl ligands ##STR6## Composition VI containing two 2-pyridyl ligands ##STR7## Composition VII containing one 8-quinoyl and one 2-picolyl ligand ##STR8## Composition VIII containing two 1,10-phenanthroline ligands ##STR9## Composition IX containing two 4'methyl 2,2' dipyridyl ligands ##STR10##
The use of N-cyclic aromatic ligand containing compositions illustrated above having not more than two amine nitrogens both greatly reduces the effect of acid on the ability to complex transition and other metal ions as well as allowing for a greater variety of selectivity among the transition metal ions themselves.
The N-cyclic aromatic ligand containing compositions as broadly shown in Formula 1, and particularly those having four or more N-cyclic groups, are characterized by high selectivity for and removal of desired ions or groups of desired ions such as Mn 2+ , Co 2+ , Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cd 2+ , Hg 2+ , Pd 2+ , Au 3+ , Ag + , and Pb 2+ present at minority concentrations from the source phase solution containing a mixture of these metal ions with the ions one does not desire to remove (i.e. referred to as "undesired ions") which may be present in much greater concentrations in the solution even under moderately acidic conditions. The separation is accomplished, even in the presence of other complexing agents or matrix constituents, particularly acids, in a separation device, such as a column, through which the solution is flowed. The process of selectively removing and concentrating the desired ion(s) is characterized by the ability to quantitatively complex from a larger volume of solution the desired ion(s) when they are present at minority concentrations. The desired ions are recovered from the separation column by flowing through it a small volume of a receiving phase which contains a solubilizing reagent which need not be selective, but which will strip the desired ions from the N-cyclic ligand quantitatively. The recovery of the desired metal ions from the receiving phase is readily accomplished by known procedures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As summarized above, the present invention is drawn to novel poly N-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ligands the composite of which contains at least two, and preferably four or more N-cyclic groups containing not more than two amine groups near the active binding site covalently bound through a hydrophilic spacer to a solid matrix or support, to form the compounds of Formula 1. The compositions must have at least two and preferably contain four or more N-cyclic groups. The invention is also drawn to the concentration and removal of certain desired ions such as Mn 2+ , Co 2+ , Fe 2+ , Fe + , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cd 2+ , Hg 2+ , Pd 2+ , Au 3+ , Ag + , and Pb 2+ from other ions and also from each other, particularly in moderately acidic solutions.
For example, effective and efficient methods of recovery and/or separation of metal ions from other metal ions, such as (1) separation and concentration of Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , or Cu 2+ ions from solutions containing Fe 2+ , Mn 2+ , and Zn 2+ ions and which may also contain Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + , K + ions even when such solutions are moderately acidic; (2) separation of small combined amounts of Mn 2+ , Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Zn 2+ ions from solutions containing large amounts of Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and acid and (3) separation of Pb 2+ , Cd 2+ , and/or Hg 2+ as toxic wastes from acidic solutions represent a real need for which there are no feasible and established procedures or for which more economical processes are desired. Such solutions from which such ions are to be concentrated and/or recovered are referred to herein as "source solutions." In many instances the concentration of desired ions in the source solutions will be much less than the concentration of other or undesired ions from which they are to be separated.
The concentration of desired ions is accomplished by forming a complex of the desired ions with a poly N-cyclic ligand compound shown in Formula 1 by flowing a source solution containing the desired ions through a column packed with poly N-cyclic containing Formula 1 compound to attract and bind the desired ions to the N-cyclic ligand portion of such compound and subsequently breaking the ligand compound-complex by flowing a receiving liquid in much smaller volume than the volume of source solution passed through the column to remove and concentrate the desired ions in the receiving liquid solution. The receiving liquid or recovery solution forms a stronger complex with the desired ions than does the ligand portion of a Formula 1 compound and thus the desired ions are quantitatively stripped from the ligand in concentrated form in the receiving solution. The recovery of desired ions from the receiving liquid is accomplished by known methods.
The process of selectively and quantitatively concentrating and removing a desired ion or group of desired ions present at low or minority concentrations from a plurality of other undesired ions in a multiple ion source solution in which the undesired ions, along with acid(s) and other chelating agents may be present at much higher concentrations, comprises bringing the multiple ion containing source solution into contact with a N-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ligand containing composition as shown in Formula 1 which causes the desired ion(s) to complex with the N-cyclic ligand(s) portion of the compound and subsequently breaking or stripping the desired ion from the complex with a receiving solution which forms a stronger complex with the desired ions than does the ligand or which forms a stronger complex with the ligand. The receiving or recovery solution contains only the desired ions in a concentrated form.
The N-cyclic aromatic ligand containing solid support composition functions to attract the desired ions (DI) according to Formula 4:
SS--A--X--(L).sub.n +DI→SS--A--X--(L).sub.n :DI (Formula 4)
Except for DI, Formula 4 is the same as Formula 1 wherein L stands for the N-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon containing ligand. DI stands for desired ion being removed.
Once the desired ions are bound to the poly N-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-containing ligand, they are subsequently separated by use of a smaller volume of a receiving liquid according to Formula 5:
SS--A--X--(L).sub.n :DI+RL→SS--A--X--(L).sub.n and RL+DI(Formula 5)
where RL stands for the receiving liquid.
The preferred embodiment disclosed herein involves carrying out the process by bringing a large volume of the source multiple ion solution, which may contain hydrogen ions and may also contain other chelating agents, into contact with a N-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-containing ligand-solid support compound of Formula 1 in a separation column through which the mixture is first flowed to complex the desired metal ions (DI) with the ligand-solid support compound as indicated by Formula 4 above, followed by the flow through the column of a smaller volume of a receiving liquid (RL), such as aqueous solutions of thiourea, Na 2 S 2 O 3 , HI, HBr, HCl, H 2 SO 4 , HNO 3 NaI, ethylenediamine, Na 4 EDTA, glycine, and others which form a stronger complex with the desired ion than does the poly N-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-containing ligand bound to the solid support or forms a stronger complex with the N-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-containing ligand bound to solid support than does the desired ion. In this manner the desired ions are carried out of the column in a concentrated form in the receiving solution as indicated by Formula 5. The degree or amount of concentration will obviously depend upon the concentration of desired ions in the source solution and the volume of source solution to be treated. The specific receiving liquid being utilized will also be a factor. The receiving liquid does not have to be specific to the removal of the desired ions because no other ions will be complexed to the ligand. Generally speaking the concentration of desired ions in the receiving liquid will be from 20 to 1,000,000 times greater than in the source solution. Other equivalent apparatus may be used instead of a column, e.g., a slurry which is filtered which is then washed with a receiving liquid to break the complex and recover the desired ion(s). The concentrated desired ions are then recovered from the receiving phase by known procedures.
Representative of desired ions which have strong affinities for poly N-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-containing ligands bound to solid supports are Mn 2+ Co 2+ , Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ , Ni 2+ , Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cd 2+ , Hg 2+ , Pd 2+ , Au 3+ , Ag + , and Pb 2+ . This listing of exemplary ions is not comprehensive and is intended only to show the types of preferred ions which may be bound to the ligands attached to solid supports in the manner described above. The affinity of the ligand to the ions will obviously vary depending upon the ion and the ligand configuration. Hence it is possible that, even in the above listing, those ions having the stronger affinity for the ligand will be selectively removed from other ions in the listing which have a weaker affinity for the particular ligand. Hence, by proper choice of ligands and makeup of the source solution it is also possible to separate and concentrate one desired ion from another. Therefore, the terminology "desired ions" and "undesired ions" is relative and the ion having the stronger affinity to the ligand will generally be the "desired" ion. What is or is not a desired ion can readily be determined by one skilled in the art from the information contained herein and does not require extensive or undue experimentation.
The process of the invention is particularly adaptable to the removal of Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , or Cu 2+ ions from source solutions which may additionally contain Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na 30 , K + , H + , SO 4 2- , Cl - , HSO 4 - , Br - , NO 3 - , Zn 2+ , Mn 2+ , Fe 3+ and Fe 2+ . In these instances, the receiving liquid for removing the ion(s) bound to the ligand will preferably be strongly concentrated H 2 SO 4 .
The following examples are representative of the preparation of poly N-cyclic ligands bound through a spacer grouping and an alkoxy silane covalent linkage to a solid support.
EXAMPLE 1
A 0.5 gram amount (2 mmol) of 4-methyl,4'chloromethyl-2,2'-bipyridine ligand in 20 mls of acetonitrile was mixed with 1.4 grams of sodium carbonate and 0.2 g. (0.91 mmol) of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane as a spacer. After 5 hours at 70° C. the acetonitrile solvent was evaporated and 100 mls of toluene was added. The mixture was filtered and 0.4 grams of silica gel (Amicon, grade 646) was added to the solution and heated overnight at 90° C. to allow the attachment of the ligand spacer to the silica gel support. The silica gel/ligand product was filtered and washed with toluene, methanol and then water and methanol. The product was dried in a vacuum oven at 60° C. The resulting product was that shown as Composition IX wherein the spacer X' is propyl, A is a silane and SS silica gel.
EXAMPLE 2
A 4.62 (0.02 mole) gram sample of ethyl (2-pyrid-2 1 -yl) Imidazolacetate was refluxed with 1.03 grams (0.01 mole) of diethylenetriamine in 50 mls of ethanol for 8 days. The reaction proceeded according to the following reaction scheme: ##STR11##
The ethanol solvent was evaporated and the residue chromatographed on a column with silica gel using methanol. The product yield was about 37%.
EXAMPLE 3
To 0.473 grams (1 mmol) of the product of Example 2 was added 0.27 grams (0.1 mmol) of 3-bromopropyltriinethoxysilane and 0.1 gram (1.1 mmol) of sodium bicarbonate in 50 mls of DMF (dimethylformamide). The mixture was heated at 75° C. for 18 hours. Then 0.5 grams of silica gel (Amicon, grade 646) was added and the reaction was continued for 8 hours more to allow the attachment of the ligand spacer to the silica gel support. The silica gel/ligand product was filtered and washed with DMF and then water and methanol. The product was dried in a vacuum oven at 65° C. The resulting product was that shown as Composition IV wherein the spacer X' is propyl, A is a silane and SS is silica gel.
EXAMPLE 4
To 0.473 grams (1 mmol) of the product of Example 2 was added 0.48 grams (50% solution, 0.73 mmol) of 2-(4-chlorosulfonyl-phenyl)-ethyltrimethoxysilane and 0.26 gram (2.5 mmol) of triethylamine in 15 mls of DMF. The mixture was heated at 80° C. for 5 hours. Then 0.7 grams of silica gel (Amicon, grade 646) was added and the reaction was continued for 24 hours more to allow the attachment of the ligand spacer to the silica gel support. The silica gel/ligand product was filtered and washed with DMF and then water and methanol. The product was dried in a vacuum oven at 65° C. The resulting product was that shown as Composition IV wherein the spacer X' is sulfonylphenylethyl (spacer 2 in Table 1 attached to nitrogen), A is a silane and SS is silica gel.
EXAMPLE 5
To 0.7 grams (1.5 mmol) of the product of Example 2 was added 0.4 grams (1.65 mmol) of 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane in 30 mls of ethanol and refluxed for 18 hours. The mixture was transferred to a high pressure bottle and heated at 130° C. for 16 hours. Then 0.7 grams of silica gel (Amicon, grade 646) was added and heated an additional 24 hours to allow the attachment of the ligand spacer to the silica gel support. The silica gel/ligand product was filtered and washed with DMF and then water and methanol. The product was dried in a vacuum oven at 65° C. The resulting product was that shown as Composition IV wherein the spacer X' is --CH 2 CH(OH)CH 2 O(CH 2 ) 3 --, A is a silane and SS is silica gel.
Other combinations of N-cyclic ligands attached via spacers X, covalent linkages, A and solid supports SS can be readily ascertained by those skilled in the art based on the description contained herein. No claim is made as to the novelty of ligands L per se as it is known that N-cyclic compounds have an affinity for certain ions. However, the combining of two, three, or preferably four or more, N-cyclics to a solid support in the manner described herein is believed to be novel.
The following examples are illustrative of the manner in which the poly N-cyclic ligands bound to a solid support may be used in the removal of desired ions.
EXAMPLE 6
A 0.5 gram sample of the bisbipyridine ligand attached to silica gel of Example 1 was placed in a column. A 20 ml source solution of 0.001 M Co. 2+ in 0.03 M Fe 3+ and 0.1 M H 2 SO 4 was drawn through the column. A 5 ml aqueous solution of 1 M H 2 SO 4 was then passed through the column to wash out the loading solution remaining in the column. The Co ion and any co-retained ferric ion was then eluted with 5 ml of 80° C. 1500 ppm Cu, 0.5 M Na 2 SO 3 , 4 M H 2 SO 4 . Analysis of the above solutions by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AA) showed that greater than 95% of the Co originally in the 20 ml solution described above was in the 5 ml receiving solution. Furthermore, the Fe level in the receiving solution was only 210 mg/l.
EXAMPLE 7
A 0.1 gram sample of the di(pyridyl-imidazole) ligand attached to silica gel of Example 4 was placed in a column. A source solution of 74 mg/l Ni 2+ in 0.01 M H 2 SO 4 and 0.01 M Fe 3+ was drawn through the column until the column was in full equilibrium with the solution. A 50 ml aqueous solution of 0.01 M H 2 SO 4 was then passed through the column to wash out the loading solution remaining in the column. The Ni ion was then eluted with 5 ml of 1 M H 2 SO 4 . Analysis of the above solutions by AA showed that the 5 ml receiving solution containing 147 mg/l Ni. Furthermore, the Fe level in the receiving solution was <10 mg/l.
EXAMPLE 8
A 0.1 gram sample of the di(pyridyl-imidazole) ligand attached to silica gel of Example 3 was placed in a column. A 1 ml source solution of 450 mg/l Ni 2+ , 680 mg/l Fe 3+ , 42,000 mg/l Cd 2+ , 2,400 mg/l Co 3+ , and 90,000 mg/l Zn 2+ was drawn through the column. A 4 ml aqueous solution of 0.01 M H 2 SO 4 was then passed through the column to wash out the loading solution remaining in the column. The Ni ion was then eluted with 1 ml of 1 M H 2 SO 4 . Analysis of the above solutions by AA showed that greater than 99% of the Ni originally in the 1 ml solution described above was in the 1 ml receiving solution. Furthermore, the Fe, Ni, Cd and Zn levels in the receiving solution were all >5 mg/l and the Co level was 50 mg/l. | A method and composition for the concentration and removal of desired metal ions from a source solution by contacting the solution with an N-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-containing ligand covalently bonded to a solid support through a hydrophilic spacer of the formula SS--A--X--(L) n where SS is a solid support, A is covalent linkage mechanism, X is a hydrophilic spacer grouping, L is an N-cyclic aromatic containing ligand group and n is an integer of 1 to 6. X or L combined will not contain more than two amine nitrogen atoms. There will preferably be at least four N-cyclic groups present of which pyridine, pyrimidine, pyraxine, imidazole, quinoline, isoquinoline, naphthyridine, pyridopyridine, phenanthroline are representative. The desired ions in the source solution are bound to the ligands and are subsequently separated by contacting the ligand containing compound with a smaller volume of a receiving solution that removes the bound ions for recovery in concentrated form in the smaller volume of the receiving solution. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mimeographic printing apparatus of the type in which a stencil can be automatically removed from a printing drum.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a rotary mimeographic printing apparatuses having a rotary printing drum is known in which one end of a stencil is secured to the printing drum and is then wound therearound. This prior art is exemplified by Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 96984/1984. The apparatus of the Japanese Publication No. 96984/1984 includes a clamping piece pivotally supported on an outer surface of the printing drum and a magnetic plate supported on the outer surface of the printing drum for attracting the clamping piece to the outer surface to grip one end of the stencil.
This prior apparatus is suitable to mount a thin stencil like a stencil on the printing drum satisfactorily. After completion of printing process, however, the gripped end of the stencil would sometimes remain adhered to the surface of the magnetic plate owning to the static electricity even after the clamping piece is released from the magnetic plate.
To solve this problem, a printing apparatus equipped with a means for peeling the stencil from the printing drum as the clamping piece is released, has been proposed by Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 104854/1986.
The prior apparatus of the Japanese Publication No. 104854/1986 includes a pivotable clamping piece selectively attractable to the magnetic plate disposed on the circumference of the printing drum, and an elastic thin piece having one end fixed to the clamping piece and the other end extending over the magnetic plate and fixed to the circumference of the printing drum. When the clamping piece is released from the magnetic plate, the elastic thin piece floats over the magnetic plate, thereby peeling the stencil from the printing drum. With this arrangement, subsequent stencil-removing can be smoothly performed since the stencil already assumes a peeled posture as the clamping piece is released.
Generally, in the foregoing apparatuses, a stencil in the form of a roll is used. In this type of stencil, its end portion apts to be externally curled due to the initial curl in the rolling direction or to the change of conditions during the manufacturing process. If the curling degree is excessive, the following inconvenience would arise; when the clamping piece is released and the stencil is peeled from the magnetic plate, the distal end of the stencil becomes externally curled again. If the curling degree is small, there would be no particular problem in performing the subsequent removing of the stencil. However, if the curling degree is promoted by the factors as temperature, humidity, etc., the removing means could not certainly capture the end of the stencil so that the stencil cannot be removed reliably.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a mimeographic printing apparatus, which is capable of preventing the external curling of the stencil after a clamping piece is released to reliably introduce the stencil into the subsequent stencil-removing means, thereby realizing a normal stencil-removing process.
The mimeographic printing apparatus of this invention includes a printing drum provided with a pivotable clamping piece and a stencil-removing means. A stencil is wound around the printing drum with one end being fastened on the drum by the clamping piece. Upon completion of the printing process, the stencil is released from the clamping piece and is then removed by the stencil-removing means for discharge.
Further, an elastic holding means is disposed over the clamping position of the clamping piece. The stencil is introduced into the space between the holding member and the printing drum to be fastened on the drum. As a result, on releasing the clamping piece, the holding means is returned to its original position, holding down the free end of the stencil against curling.
The above and other advantages, features and additional objects of this invention will be manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which two preferred structural embodiments incorporating the principles of this invention are shown by way of illustrative example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mimeographic printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view showing a holding means of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3 through 6 are cross-sectional views showing the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing a modified mimeographic printing apparatus according to a second embodiment; and
FIGS. 8 through 11 are cross-sectional views showing the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A mimeographic printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 designates a cylindrical printing drum supported by a plurality of supporting rollers 3 so as to be rotatable on a frame (not shown) about its central axis line. These supporting rollers 3 are rotatably mounted on a pair of ring-shaped circumferential guide portions 2 at the opposite ends of the printing drum 1.
On an outer surface of the printing drum 1, a stencil-mounting base 4 is secured. The stencil-mounting base 4 has a flat upper surface 5 parallel to a tangential plane of the printing drum 1. At the opposite sides of the upper surface 5 of the stencil-mounting base 4, magnetic plates 6, 7 each in the form of a strip are buried so as to extend parallel to the axis of the drum 1. Each of the magnetic plates 6, 7 includes a permanent magnetic having a suitable flexibility like a multipole rubber magnet. The external (upper) surface of the individual magnetic plates 6, 7 flushes with the upper surface 5 of the stencil-mounting base 4.
Between the two magnetic plates 6, 7 and at the opposite ends of the stencil-mounting base 4, a pair of bearing brackets 8, 8 is mounted to support a pivot shaft 10. The pivot shaft 10 is formed on a strip-like clamping piece 9 integrally therewith.
The clamping piece 9 is supported by the pivot shaft 10 on the printing drum 1 so as to be pivotable between a first (clamping) state and a second (nonclamping) state. In the clamping state the clamping piece 9 is attracted to the magnetic plate 6 as shown in FIG. 4, while at the non-clamping state the clamping piece 9 is attracted to the other magnetic plate 7 as it is released from the magnetic plate 6 and is pivotally moved through 180° as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3.
At one end of the pivot shaft 10, a driven pinion 11 is provided. A non-illustrated driving gear selectively meshes the driven pinion 11, thereby pivotally moving the clamping piece 9 between the clamping state and the non-clamping state. If a more detailed explanation on this clamping piece driving mechanism is needed, refer to the Japanese Patent Application No. 207217/1982.
At a substantially central portion of the stencil-mounting base 4, there is disposed a means for holding the stencil S. As shown in FIG. 2, the holding means 12 includes an elastic sheet 13 and a rigid return plate superimposed thereon. The elastic sheet 13 has three step portions, namely, a holding portion 14, a base portion 15, and a coupling portion 16. The return plate 17 has a similar configuration to be fitted to the elastic sheet 13.
Only an upper strip portion 18 of the return plate 17 is fixed to the holding portion 14 of the elastic sheet 13. A lower strip portion 19 and the intermediate piece portion 20 of the return plate 17 as well as the base portion 15 and the coupling portion 16 of the elastic sheet 13 are left non-fixed. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the holding member 12 is secured to the stencil-mounting base 4 in a manner such that its longitudinal side perpendicularly crosses the pivot shaft 10.
Namely, the base portion 15 of the holding member 12 seems to be fixed within a recess formed on the magnetic plate 7, while the holding portion 14 extends above the pivot shaft 10 to the magnetic plate 6 with a predetermined space therefrom above the horizon. Since the distal end of the holding member 12 is intended to hold the end of a stencil S downwardly, it had better be low. As shown in FIG. 3, however, the stencil S is supplied through a guide plate 21 to the printing drum 1 set at a predetermined position. Therefore, the distal end of the holding portion 14 is set at a level equal to or slightly higher than that of the guide plate 21.
As the base portion 15 of the holding member is fixed within the identically-shaped recess of the magnetic plate 7, the attracting surface of the magnetic plate 7 is designed to be flat. The magnetic plate 6 has a rectangular recess to which the holding portion 14 is fitted. As a result, the upper surface of the holding portion 14 flushes with that of the magnetic plate 6 when the holding portion 14 is held between the magnetic plate 6 and the clamping piece 9 in the clamping state.
At the side opposite to the stencil supplying side of the printing drum 1, a pair of stencil-removing means 22 are provided (only one set is illustrated in the drawing). This pair of stencil-removing means 22 is placed at the opposite ends of the printing drum 1 with the holding means 12 therebetween with respect to the central axis line. Each stencil-removing means 22 has a removing claw 23 and a removing roller 24. The removing claw 23 introduces the end of the stencil, which has been freed from the clamping piece 9, to the removing roller 24. Thereafter, the stencil S will be removed from the printing drum 1 as the drum 1 is rotated.
The operation will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3 through 6. The stencil used in this embodiment is slightly curled as it has been initially wound in rolled state.
Firstly, as shown in FIG. 3, the printing drum 1 is set in the stencil-mounting position where the stencil-mounting base 4 is at the top of the apparatus. At this time, the clamping piece 9 is attracted to the magnetic plate 7 in the non-clamping state. Therefore, the holding portion 14 of the holding member 12 is in a free state over the magnetic plate 6 to which the stencil S will be fastened.
Then, a stencil S produced by a non-illustrated means is supplied over the printing drum 1 through the guide plate 21. Since the distal end of the holding portion 14 is set at a level higher than that of the guide plate 21, the end of the supplied stencil S can be reliably introduced between the holding member 12 and the upper surface 5 of the stencil-mounting base 4.
Thereafter, the pivot shaft 10 is turned in the clockwise direction by a non-illustrated driver means. Consequently, as shown in FIG. 4, the clamping piece 9 will be attracted to the magnetic plate 6 with the holding member 12 and the stencil S fastened therebetween in a clamping state. Although the upper strip portion 18 of the holding member 12 is secured to the elastic sheet 13, the remaining portions are left non-secured. Accordingly, the return plate 17 does not obstruct the desired deformation of the elastic sheet 13 by being pressed down by the clamping piece 9.
Subsequently, a non-illustrated cutter means cuts the continuous sheet-type stencil S for a suitable length. The printing drum 1 rotates counter-clockwise to wind the stencil S therearound. Then, printing papers will be supplied between the printing drum 1 and a non-illustrated roller located below the drum 1, thus starting the printing process.
Upon completion of the printing process, the printing drum is set again at the position where the stencil-mounting base 4 is at the top of the apparatus. When a stencil-removing command or a next processing/printing command from a non-illustrated operation unit is supplied, the clamping piece 9 is reset at the non-clamping position. The clamping piece 9 of this state presses the lower piece portion 19 of the return plate 17 downwardly so that the holding portion 14 of the elastic sheet 13 integral with the upper strip portion 18 is immediately returned to the original position.
The released free end of the stencil S will then be externally curled, but it collides from the lower side, with the holding member 12 having been returned to the original position as released in the same manner. As a result, the end of the stencil S cannot be externally curled any more.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6, the printing drum 1 rotates in the counterclockwise direction. Since it is held at the desirable level over the printing drum 1 by the holding member 12, the stencil S can be guided by the removing claw 23 disposed near the printing drum 1 and can be reliably introduced to the removing roller 24. With the mutual rotating operation of the printing drum 1 and the removing roller 24, the stencil S is removed from the drum 1 and is then discharged. At this time, with the center portion being held by the holding member 12, the opposite ends of the stencil are gradually drawn to the removing rollers 24. Therefore, although the holding portion 14 of the holding member 12 will be upwardly warped as removing the stencil S, it recovers the original form upon removal of the end of the stencil S therefrom.
As described above, according to this embodiment, the external curling of the stencil after released from the clamping state can be prevented, thereby reliably feeding the stencil to the removing means to perform a normal stencil-removing process.
A second embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 7 through 11.
This embodiment features that an elastic piece 30 functions to peel the stencil S adhered to the stencil-mounting base 4. The elastic thin piece 30 is proposed by Japanese Patent Application No. 227323/1984 and published as Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 104854/1986. Therefore, the description on this elastic thin piece 30 is simplified here, omitting the description of the detailed or unessential structure.
A cylindrical recess 4a is formed on the upper surface 5 of the stencil-mounting base 4 facing the pivot shaft 10. The stencil-mounting base 4 has an inclined surface 4b at the end remote from the pivot shaft 10. On the inclined surface 4b, one ends of several elastic thin pieces 30 united together are secured by a suitable means such as an adhesive agent. The other ends of the elastic thin pieces 30 extend to the other magnetic plate 7 passing below the pivot shaft 10, and are secured to one surface of the clamping piece 9 by an adhesive agent, for example.
The elastic thin piece 30 is composed of an elastic thin sheet-like material such as a polyester sheet or a carbon fiber sheet of a thickness approximately 0.5 to 0.05 mm. On adhering this elastic thin sheet 30 to the clamping piece 9 and the inclined surface 4b of the stencil-mounting base 4, the clamping piece 9 is magnetically attracted to the magnetic plate 6, and the fastened end of the stencil S is sandwiched between the magnetic plate 6 and the clamping piece 9 to be secured to the outer peripheral surface of the printing drum 1, without loosening.
As the clamping piece 9 is pivoted from this clamping position to the non-clamping position, the part of the elastic thin piece wound around the pivot shaft 10 will be pushed out to the magnetic plate 6 side, and gradually comes floated in an arcuate shape until it assumes its state shown in FIG. 8. Further, on the upper surface 5 of the stencil-mounting base 4, a plurality of grooves are formed. Each elastic thin piece 30 fits to a respective one of the grooves so that the clamping piece 9 can be closely attracted to the magnetic plates 6, 7.
In operation, as shown in FIG. 8, the clamping piece 9 is set at the non-clamping state, and the stencil S is supplied to the printing drum 1 at the stencil-mounting position. The stencil S then enters the space between the holding members held at a predetermined level and the elastic thin piece 30 floating upwardly.
Thereafter, the clamping piece 9 is attracted to the magnetic plate 6. At this time, the stencil S seems to have been fastened between the clamping piece 9 and the magnetic plate 6 by the holding means 12 and the elastic thin piece 30.
Upon completion of the cutting process, the winding process and the printing process, the removing of the stencil starts. As shown in FIG. 10, when the clamping piece 9 is pivoted to the non-clamping position, the elastic thin piece 30 is loosened and becomes floating over the magnetic plate 6. Simultaneously, the holding member 12 is immediately returned to the original position over the printing drum 1, as the clamping piece 9 presses downwardly the lower portion of the return plate 7.
As a result, the end of the stencil S even having been adhered to the upper part 5 of the stencil-mounting base 4, can be peeled from the drum 1 by the elastic thin piece 30. In addition, even if the curling state at the end of the stencil S would be promoted by any conditions, the curling is restrained by the holding means 12 after the clamping piece is released, like the first embodiment.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11, the end of the stencil S held at a predetermined level will be introduced into the removing means 22 so that the stencil S is removed from the printing drum 1 due to its rotation.
Although the holding member 12 is composed of the elastic sheet 13 and the return plate 17 in the foregoing embodiments, it is also possible to form a stair-shaped member identical to the elastic sheet 13 with a desirably elastic material like a metallic plate and use this as a holding member.
According to this invention, the end of a stencil externally curling as releasing the clamping piece is held by the holding member so that the stencil can be reliably transported to the removing means and a normal removing process can be realized. | A mimeographic printing apparatus having a printing drum wound with a stencil and a clamping plate for fastening one end of the stencil on the drum. An elastic holding device is provided over a clamping position with a gap from the drum enough to receive one end of the supplied stencil. The holding device is, at the clamping state, pressed by the clamping plate to fasten one end of the stencil on the printing drum. At the non-clamping position, the holding device returns to the original position and here restrains the external curling of the stencil. The result is that the stencil thereafter reliably introduced to the removing device, thereby realizing a normal stencil-removing operation. | 1 |
This is a division of application Ser. No. 840,102, filed Oct. 6, 1977, abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the production of fabric conditioners, and more particularly concerns the application of such conditioners to air permeable sheets.
In the past, fabric conditioning sheets configured to tumble in a home laundry or commercial dryer oftentimes undesirably restricted air flow through the dryer, inhibiting drying and extending the drying cycle with consequent energy wastage. This came about because the sheets could partially or totally cover the dryer exhaust outlet port as during tumbling to cause the conditioning agent to leave the sheet and deposit on fabrics. The problem became exacerbated with the use of larger size sheets, for example of 9 by 11 inch size. Attempts to solve the problems included slitting or perforating the sheets; however, certain problems remained, because slit sheets still tend to restrict air flow; and perforated sheets could carry less conditioning composition than unperforated sheets, and they also undesirably restricted air flow at the rather small size orifices formed by the perforations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a major object of the invention to provide a method of producing a fabric conditioner usable in a laundry dryer, and which overcomes the problems as referred to above.
Basically, the new method includes applying a fabric conditioner composition to an air-permeable sheet, and variably displacing the applied composition (as for example by projecting gas jets against the sheet). As will appear, the method provides substantially regularly distributed composition concentrations impregnating and occluding interior interstitial spaces in certain regions of the sheet interior to block airflow therethrough, and greater air permeability at other sheet interior regions located adjacent to and between said concentrations than at said concentrations, such other regions of the sheet characterized by interstitially open spaces including relatively larger spaces from which conditioner composition has been removed by said gas jets, and relatively smaller spaces which contain remanent conditioner composition. Typically, gas jets are projected in spaced relation corresponding to the relative spacing of the other interior regions of the sheet, and producing spaced stripe like courses on the sheet.
More specifically, typical steps of the method may include:
(a) passing the sheet through a liquid bath of a fabric conditioner composition in a solvent, thereby to impregnate the sheet with said composition,
(b) removing excess composition from the sheet,
(c) passing the impregnated sheet through a heating zone to remove said solvent, whereby essentially only dried conditioner composition remains on the sheet,
(d) directing gas jets at the traveling sheet to blow conditioner composition from predetermined zones of the sheet and to form spaced stripe-like courses of dried conditioner composition remanent on the sheet, the jets being so directed in spaced apart relation corresponding to the spacing of said courses, and
(e) cooling the sheet, for subsequent sizing
As a result, high quality product may be rapidly produced, the sheets remaining highly air-permeable even though they may carry an amount of softener composition or agent about the same as normally applied uniformly over the surface of a perforated or unperforated sheet. See for example the disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,128 to Gaiser.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of illustrative embodiments, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of apparatus usable to carry out the invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged section, in elevation, on lines 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 2a is an enlarged section showing fabric differentially impregnated in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a fragment of carrier sheet coated with fabric softener, in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 2, but showing apparatus to produce zig-zag fabric softener concentrations on the carrier sheet;
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a carrier sheet coated with zig-zag fabric softener concentrations;
FIG. 6 is a side elevation showing other features of apparatus to produce the product.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, apparatus is shown at 10 for producing a fabric conditioner, which employs an air permeable sheet 11. In general the apparatus includes means for effecting differential distribution of fabric conditioner onto the sheet as the sheet travels relatively past the apparatus, one example of such conditioner being fabric softener. Such means may include structure to first substantially uniformly coat at least one of the sheet surfaces 11a, or to impregnate the sheet, with the composition as the sheet travels lengthwise. For example, a receptacle 13 may contain liquid form coating composition 14 which transfers onto the sheet as it passes under roller 15. The latter is rotated in response to lengthwise travel of the sheet 11. As the sheet emerges from the bath 14, it passes through the nip between padding rolls 17 and 17a. The sheet may be trained about roller 17 so as to travel reversely with coated surface 11a upwardly presented as the sheet leaves roll 17 and travels to the left.
The means to effect differential distributions of fabric conditioner, such as softening composition onto the sheet also typically includes distributors facing the sheet for forming predetermined localized concentrations of the composition on the sheet, leaving it with greater permeability between the concentrations than at or directly under the concentrations. As shown in FIG. 2, such distributors comprise gas or air jet orifices 20 spaced apart transversely of the sheet 11 to project gas jets toward the sheet for displacing the conditioner, in wet or damp state, from the jet paths 22. This is exemplified in FIG. 2 by thinning or elimination of the composition coating at loci 21a directly under the jets, so as to leave the sheet relatively air permeable at such loci 21a and thickening of the coating at loci 21b laterally of said paths. FIG. 2a shows an air permeable sheet 111 characterized as having a network of fibers forming interstitial spaces therebetween. The conditioner impregnates the sheet to loosely coat the fibers at regions 121b; and the gas jets 122 blow through the sheet with sufficient force to remove the conditioner composition in divided particle form at 130, at opened pore regions 121a. Region 121a and 121b correspond to regions 21a and 21b.
The resultant sheet appears as in FIG. 3, with linearly extending loci 21a and 21b. It is found that the loci 21a of lesser or no coating or impregnation allow sufficient air to pass through the air-permeable sheet, should it for example be brought into partial or total covering relation with the hot damp air exhaust vent 90 in the dryer, so as not to undesirably restrict drying.
The air orifices 20 may be provided by perforating the wall of a pipe 26, say of 1/2 inch diameter, to which air is supplied under pressure by a blower 23. The orifices are preferably about 1/16 inch in diameter, and their centers are spaced about 1/6 inch apart. The air pressure supplied to the pipe is about 10 to 100 psi, i.e. to produce desired air permeability without rupturing the sheet material.
In a typical example, the sheet consisted of non-woven rayon substrate passed through a bath 14 of molten cationic fabric softener-isopropanol mixture and then through the nip between padder rolls 17 and 17a. For example, the bath consisted of 75% by weight of dimethyl di-tallow quaternary ammonium methyl sulfate, and 25% by weight of isopropanol solvent. Other additives such as perfume may be employed. After tretment by the jets 22, the sheet passed hot air fans 24 and infra red heat lamps 25.
The impregnated, dried product was cut into 9 by 11 inch sheets and tested for air permeability by positioning the sheet over the exhaust duct outlet from a Kenmore Model 96690100 household clothes dryer fitted with a Velometer at its exhaust duct to measure air velocity in feet/minute.
A sheet which was not treated by the jets 22 in accordance with the invention caused a 42% reduction in air flow velocity at the exhaust outlet. A sheet treated in accordance with the invention caused only 15% to 18% reduction in air flow velocity, where the jet orifice diameters were 1/16 inch and the orifices were spaced apart about 1/16 inch. It was further found that a sheet treated with air jets having 1/16 inch diameter orifices spaced apart 1/4 inch produce a 31% reduction in dryer air outlet velocity. Using 1/16 inch air jet orifices spaced 1/6 inch apart, the lightly impregnated or coated loci 21a are about 1/12 inch wide.
The air permeable substrate or sheet may consist for example of non-woven or woven rayon or polyester, viscose, nylon, polyacrylonitrile, polyolefin, cellulose such as wet strength paper, or polyurethane. The sheet porosity is such that before treatment it has a fiber concentration allowing at least about 90% air passage therethrough, in a dryer. Microscopic examination of the finished product shows that the heavily impregnated areas have interstitial substrate spaces completely occluded with fabric conditioning agent, or softener, and the lightly impregnated areas 21a have larger interstitial substrate spaces completely free of the agent, although it may coat and fill smaller interstitial spaces. The conditioning agent may consist of any of the agents described, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,128 to Gaiser, and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,025 to Morton. Other agents may be employed, such as those to produce anti-static, anti-mildew, germicidal, moth proofing anti-wrinkling, and perfuming functions.
FIG. 4 shows the provisions of additional means effecting relatively transverse back and forth movement of the duct 26 and orifices 20. One such means includes an actuator 30 coupled at 31 to the duct 22. The resultant striping on the sheet 11 appears in FIG. 5, with alternate zig-zag or simuous occluded zones 21b' and zig-zag or sinuous air permeable zones 21a'.
In FIG. 6, the sheet strip 211 (corresponding to sheet 11 in FIGS. 1-3) unwinds off a supply roll 209, turns about roller 208, and passes through tensioner means indicated at 230. The latter includes rollers 231, 233 and 234 supported by frame 235, as indicated. Roller 232 is controlled by handle 236 to control tension of the sheet strip.
After turning about lower roller 237, and roller 238, the sheet strip enters the conditioning agent bath 214 corresponding to bath 14 in FIG. 1. The sheet strip passes about roller 239 and emerges from the bath coated on both sides, or impregnated. It then passes through the nip between padding rollers 240 and 241, becoming further interstitially impregnated with the conditioning agent (for example fabric softener). Also, the rollers 240 and 241 remove excess agent from the sheet surfaces.
The sheet is then subjected to heating to temperatures between about 150° F. and 300° F. to drive off the solvent in the conditioner. For example, and strip is turned by rollers 243 and 244 to pass back and forth between and over heating drums 245-248. The conditioning agent is then in divided state, coating the fibers of the sheet. As the sheet strip passes horizontally at 211c, it is subjected to gas jet treatment at 220, in the same manner as described in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2a. Such treatment blows the conditioning agent out of certain interstitial zones of the sheet correponding to spaced zones 121a in FIG. 2a, the removed agent being collected in pan 250.
Thereafter, the sheet strip passes back and forth between and over cooling drums 251-254, where it is cooled to ambient temperature effecting setting or solidifying of the conditioning agent bands or strips left in the sheet. This assures that such bands will not subsequently be pushed or displaced into the adjacent and alternating air permeable bands or stripes, as described, upon subsequent mechanical treatment such as during slitting at 259 and winding on roll 260. Such slitting cuts the sheet strip into desired widths for laundry use. | A fabric conditioner composition is applied to an air-permeable sheet and variably displaced so that the conditioner occludes interior interstitial spaces in certain regions of the sheet to block air flow therethrough, leaving other regions of the sheet with interstitially open spaces. | 3 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of the following provisional applications by the same applicant for the same invention, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein, filed on:
Mar. 29, 2011, application No. 61/516,050, entitled, “Control of Water Vapor from High Temperature Stripping;”
Dec. 2, 2010, application No. 61/458,794, entitled, “Ammonia Condensate Recovery Process;”
Dec. 6, 2010, application No. 61/458,938, entitled, “Ammonia Nitrogen Recovery through Natural Biological Process;” and
Dec. 29, 2010, application No. 61/460,219, entitled, “Apparatus and Process for Growing Autotrophic Organisms.”
STATEMENT REGARDING GOVERNMENT RESEARCH
The U.S. Department of Agriculture funded proof of concept research under U.S. Department of Agriculture 2010 SBIR project number 2010-33610-20920.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention is an economical method of recovering nitrogen as a product from biomass through the use of autotrophic organisms without the use of chemicals and with minimal energy inputs. The same process will convert low BTU biogas to high BTU biomethane gas.
2. Background Art
To control greenhouse gas induced global warming, methane gas emissions to the atmosphere from decomposition of waste residuals, such as food waste and animal manure, have been discouraged. However, anaerobic digestion (AD) is not a particularly economical process. The economics can be improved by: (1) exporting the energy as higher valued biomethane transportation fuel rather than electricity, and (2) co-digesting other waste residuals and thereby obtain a tipping fee—i.e., a fee charged to deliver municipal waste to a landfill, waste-to-energy facility or recycling facility. The first option is not particularly advantageous since the physical/chemical processes available to upgrade biogas to biomethane are expensive and have a cost approximately equal to the value of the natural gas or the biomethane produced. The second option, the co-digestion of additional substrates, increases protein conversion to ammonia and fugitive emissions of ammonia nitrogen to the atmosphere resulting in the creation of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), as well as biogenic NO x , N 2 O, and ozone. N 2 O is a powerful greenhouse gas at 310 times CO 2 and the primary chemical responsible for stratospheric ozone depletion. Consequently, the discharge of ammonia nitrogen from anaerobic decomposition of organic and co-digested substrates results in significant adverse environmental and public health impacts.
Ammonia discharges from anaerobic digestion are strictly controlled in the EU and are expected to be controlled throughout the US. A number of technologies have been developed over the years to remove ammonia nitrogen from liquid waste streams through a variety of physical, chemical and biological methods. All of these processes are energy intensive, and expensive. Consequently, there is little incentive to curtail well-known and documented ammonia emissions from anaerobic digestion. It is expected that current and future regulation of ammonia nitrogen emissions will constitute a barrier to future implementation of renewable energy anaerobic digestion technologies.
All organic material contains 5% to 15% nitrogen (Redfield ratio, C:106, N:16, P:1). Digestion of high solid concentration, nitrogen rich, substrates such as food waste, algae, crop residues, whole ethanol stillage, poultry manure, etc. is hindered by ammonia toxicity created through the decomposition of protein. Ammonia toxicities to anaerobic microbes occur at concentrations exceeding 1,500 mg per liter, which will occur when the substrate solids concentrations exceed 6% solids, that contain 5% or more of nitrogen, and when the solids conversion to methane gas (bioconversion) exceeds 50%. Most high solids substrates such as poultry manure, food waste, and crop residues have solids concentrations exceeding 6% and nitrogen concentrations exceeding 5%. It is also desirable to convert more than 50% of the solids to gas and thereby maximize gas production. For poultry manure, dilution of the solids concentration from 40% to values as low as 6% solids requires substantial quantities of water that must be disposed after liquid solids separation. Such dilutions are typically not feasible. To overcome the dilution obstacle, a number of EU technologies such as the DRANCO, Valorga, and Kompogas have been developed to recycle the digestate liquid to the liquids/separation_step and thereby reduce the quantity of dilution water necessary to achieve lower solids concentrations. However, ammonia toxicity remains when the recycled digestate contains excessive ammonia, i.e. the ammonia is not removed.
In summary, the removal and reclamation of ammonia is important to improve the anaerobic digestion of organic residuals and minimize adverse environmental and public health impacts. The economical reclamation of ammonia as well as the production of high BTU gas will significantly improve the economics of AD.
3. Description of Related Art
Many strategies have been developed to remove and sequester ammonia nitrogen from the effluent of an anaerobic reactor. The basic strategy is to remove the ammonia from solution and form a second liquid or solid ammonium compound. Removing the ammonia from the digester effluent is normally preceded by decarbonization to remove CO 2 , followed by the addition of a chemical reagent, such as calcium, sodium or magnesium hydroxide to raise the solution pH and thereby shift the ionized ammonium to the unionized ammonia gas form (U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,131). Air containing a low concentration of ammonia is then used to strip the ammonia gas from solution. Steam has also been used to raise temperature, reduce the solubility
of carbon dioxide, increase the pH, and strip ammonia gas from solution by reducing the pressure and thereby decreasing the partial pressure of CO.sub.2 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,521,129).
High temperature (60-70.degree.C.) reduced pressure (0.25-0.75 bar) stripping has also been proposed (U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,849 B1). High temperature distillation or rectification of carbon dioxide and ammonia at an elevated temperature has been proposed (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,710,300 and 6,368,849 B1). Membrane processes with decarbonization and pH adjustment have likewise been proposed. Pressurizing the digester contents and driving CO 2 into solution has also been practiced. All these processes require a significant investment in energy for heat and pressure, and reagents for pH adjustment. Scale formation is a common problem if calcium or magnesium is used to adjust pH. Rectification or high temperature stripping requires the removal of most suspended solids prior to high temperature steam stripping or rectification.
Following ammonia stripping the ammonia can be sequestered through a variety of means. If high-temperature distillation is used to remove both carbon dioxide and ammonia, the uncontrolled formation of ammonium bicarbonate solids (scale) can be mechanically removed from the stripping unit (U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,300). If the ammonia is stripped with air or steam, anhydrous ammonia or aqueous ammonia can be formed at a reduced pH (U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,875, U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,572). If ammonia is stripped with air or steam ammonium salts can be formed through a reaction with a dilute acid (U.S. Pat. No. 6,521,129).
Biological processes have been used to remove ammonia nitrogen. They include aerobic nitrification and denitrification and the Anammox process whereby ammonia is anaerobically converted to nitrogen gas resulting in the loss of ammonia nitrogen's fertilizer value.
High temperature reduced pressure stripping, as well as distillation to remove both carbon dioxide and ammonia will improve the biogas quality since a portion of the carbon dioxide is removed from the gas stream under the high temperature conditions (U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,300). Improved gas quality has also been claimed when digesting a substrate having a high concentration of nitrogen through the formation of ammonium bicarbonate in solution (U.S. Pat. No. 7,160,456 B2). Also, biogas quality improvements have been claimed for processes that pass biogas through the digester liquid containing ammonia to form ammonium carbonate in the liquid slurry (U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,856, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,160,456).
A variety of processes are utilized to directly improve the BTU content of biogas. These processes involve the removal of carbon dioxide by high-pressure water scrubbing (U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,774), amine scrubbing, and membrane separation. Most of the systems involved high-pressure operation with significant capital and operation and maintenance costs. Biological processes have also been used such as acid phase anaerobic digestion (U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,692) where the CO 2 , formed in the acid phase, is separately removed from the predominately methane gas stream from the methane phase.
The economics of ammonia removal and sequestration, as well as the production of a high BTU biogas, can be improved significantly by operating a low pressure, low temperature, process that can remove substantially all of the ammonia while controlling the quality of the biogas produced. The process would be even more advantageous if it can be performed without the use of costly chemical reagents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention can be visualized as a simple four step process. The first step of the process following anaerobic digestion is gas/solids separation for the removal of fine particulate matter and the stripping of CO 2 from the influent. The separation unit increases the pH from 7.5± to about 8.3± through the removal of CO 2 gas. The increased pH shifts the ammonia from the dissolved ammonium ion form to the ammonia gas form that can be stripped. The second step of the process uses autotrophic organisms to increase the pH from about 8.3± to 10.5±. Natural and/or artificial light and any of a variety of autotrophic organisms are used to consume the bicarbonate in solution to produce oxygen and raise the pH. The use of autotrophic organisms eliminates the need for costly chemicals and sludge disposal. The third step of the process is heating the liquid with recovered heat and stripping of ammonia gas from the liquid. The fourth step of the process is the precipitation of the stripped ammonia gas with the carbon dioxide from the anaerobic digester's biogas to produce an ammonium bicarbonate solid (NH 3 +H 2 O+CO 2 +CH 4 →CH 4 +NH 4 HCO 3 ) and biomethane or natural gas transportation fuel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 presents the simplest version of the method of the invention for processing dilute solutions of ammonia. The simple, dashed lines represent optional configurations.
FIG. 2 presents a more complex version of the method of the invention for processing digestate or leachate having dilute concentrations of ammonia nitrogen.
FIG. 3 presents a liquid, solids, and gas separator to be used to remove suspended solids and dissolved gases from the influent with dashed, light lines representing alternative configurations.
FIG. 4 presents alternative ammonia concentrate reclamation processes consisting of simple condensate reclamation and re-stripping reclamation.
FIG. 5 presents a process for recovering ammonium bicarbonate while producing a CO 2 -deficient gas. The dashed lines represent alternative configurations.
FIG. 6 presents plan and elevational views of a preferred embodiment of the autotrophic photobioreactor of the present invention.
FIG. 7 presents a preferred embodiment of the invention for use on concentrated ammonia streams.
FIG. 8 presents an alternative, preferred embodiment of the invention incorporating a membrane gas separator for removing water vapor.
FIG. 9 presents an alternative, preferred embodiment of the invention, incorporating carbonation of the effluent while producing a lean CO 2 gas.
FIG. 10 presents an illustration, and an elevational view, of a process for removing water vapor from the stripping gas effluent.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The essence of this invention is the elimination of chemicals commonly used for the stripping and recovery of nitrogen from anaerobically digested biomass. Typically, the chemicals are toxic, add cost, and produce a sludge. This invention uses CO 2 stripping and autotrophic organisms that consume bicarbonate to increase the pH of the digestate. The economics of the process is predicated on developing a substantial and rapidly growing biomass to consume the carbon dioxide and bicarbonate as quickly as possible.
The growth of autotrophic organisms requires suitable environmental conditions such as pH, temperature, and absence of toxic constituents. This invention proposes to increase the pH to levels that are inhibitory to autotroph growth while processing a highly toxic ammonia rich digestate solution that also inhibits growth. This invention overcomes those limitations by first stripping the ammonia from the digestate prior to processing the digestate through a photobioreactor. At the same time a purge gas is used to strip any ammonia gas generated from dissolved ammonium while the pH is increasing in the photobioreactor.
The growth of autotrophic organisms also requires sufficient light transmission to a concentrated solution of organisms. However, this invention proposes to process a turbid, colored, and autotrophic organism suspended solids rich solution. This invention overcomes those turbidity limitations by first removing the suspended solids from the digestate while using an attached growth photobioreactor that accumulates large concentrations of organisms without inhibiting light transmission to those organisms. The efficiency of pH adjustment, organism growth, and bicarbonate consumption can be controlled by light intensity, rotation speed, and carbon dioxide exposure to air.
Use of autotrophic organism limits the pH that can be achieved prior to stripping since the organism growth is inhibited above pH 10.5. As a result the temperature must also be increased to achieve high rates of ammonia removal at high temperatures and pH. However, increasing the temperature increases the water vapor and heat loss from the stripping unit. The increased loss of water vapor dilutes the stripped ammonia gas resulting in a lower valued product. This invention proposes to increase the concentration of the stripped product by re-stripping the product to produce a more concentrated product and/or to remove stripped water vapor through the use of a water vapor gas permeable membrane.
This invention also proposes to produce biomethane gas through the process. However, the autotrophic organisms will generate significant concentrations of oxygen that could contaminate the biogas or biomethane. In addition digestate processing that produces the ammonia supply may be intermittent while the biogas production is continuous throughout the day. In order to overcome the production and contamination issues this invention first produces a condensate that can be stored and used throughout the day to produce biomethane and ammonium bicarbonate.
Anaerobic digestion produces methane gas from the biomass COD and ammonia from the biomass nitrogen. However the ratio of COD to N concentrations vary considerably between the various biomass sources. As a result the quantity of methane and ammonia produced are variable. In most cases sufficient nitrogen is not available to precipitate all of the carbon dioxide and to produce a high purity biomethane gas. In addition increasing the pH of the digestate to strip the ammonia produces a high pH liquid effluent. This invention proposed to pretreat the biogas to remove a portion of the CO 2 with the high pH liquid effluent and thereby produce a lower CO 2 concentration gas for biomethane production while producing a higher pH effluent.
The simplest process configuration shown in FIG. 1 , consists of the following steps: (a) anaerobically digesting the biomass or waste residuals in any of a variety of mesophilic or thermophilic anaerobic bioreactors. Anaerobic digestion produces a process gas stream containing primarily CO 2 , methane, and water vapor, with trace concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen, and a liquid stream fully saturated with CO 2 and methane gas, suspended solids, and a variety of dissolved organic and inorganic compounds including NH 4 +; (b) liquid solids separation wherein the suspended solids are substantially removed to produce a translucent liquid capable of light transmission and containing primarily dissolved organic and inorganic constituents with dissolved gases; (c) increasing the pH of the translucent liquid through the use of a photobioreactor to remove CO 2 and bicarbonate and thereby increase the pH of the translucent liquid to values that convert a significant portion of the ionized ammonium (NH 4 +) to ammonia gas (NH 3 ); (d) heating the high pH translucent liquid to improve stripping; (e) stripping the ammonia gas from the translucent heated liquid produced in “d” above, that has an elevated pH and temperature, with a stripping gas; (f) cooling the stripping gas produced in “e” above to produce a concentrate from which ammonia can be reclaimed as a product.
Any number of the steps (a through f) can be performed in a single or multiple reactors. For example the liquid solid separation step may consist of dewatering with any of a variety of conventional solids separators followed by gas stripping with a “purge gas” or use of a single reactor such as a gas flotation device that separates solids while stripping carbon dioxide, thereby increasing the pH and removing the suspended solids in the same reactor. Gas stripping may also occur in a single reactor composed of a photobioreactor incorporating gas stripping or a heated, gas stripping, photobioreactor.
FIG. 2 presents an amplified version of FIG. 1 . Anaerobic digestion (A) is followed by liquid/solids separation (B), which may use a purge gas such as air, to remove the dissolved CO 2 gas contained in the digestate at a low temperatures and pH, thereby inhibiting the loss of ammonia gas. Such a liquid/solids separation device is presented in FIG. 3 . In FIG. 2 , the liquid/solids separation (B) is followed by a photobioreactor (C) that further increases the pH by removing residual CO 2 and bicarbonate. The temperature of the photobioreactor is maintained at a value consistent with the growth culture that removes CO 2 and bicarbonate necessary to achieve the desired pH. The translucent liquid effluent can be heated following photobioreactor treatment to significantly higher values and thereby achieve greater conversion of ammonium (NH 4 +) to ammonia (NH 3 ) gas to be stripped. After increasing the pH in the photobioreactor (C) effluent, and heating (D) the effluent to the desired values, the treated digestate is transferred to a liquid/gas stripping unit (E) that utilizes a gas stream to strip the ammonia gas from the liquid effluent. The stripping gas stream can be any warm gas, such as air that operates at suitable temperature and flow rates to achieve the desired ammonia gas removal from the liquid. The heated gas stream is delivered to the stripping unit under any desired pressure, temperature and flow rate established by a recirculating stripping gas blower. A separate gas heating unit may not be required if the blower produces sufficient gas temperatures. The stripping unit produces two effluent streams: a liquid from which the ammonia has been removed and a warm stripping gas stream enriched with water vapor and ammonia gas. Following stripping, the enriched stripping gas stream is cooled (HE) to produce a condensate or concentrate from which ammonia is reclaimed as a product (F). FIGS. 4 and 5 present optional ammonia reclamation arrangements. As shown in FIG. 2 the cooled stripping gas, deficient in ammonia gas and water vapor, is returned from the ammonia reclamation process (F) to the stripping unit after passing through an influent blower and a heat exchanger (HE) that provides the desired heat to the stripping gas.
The cooling of the stripping gas and heating of the gas returned from ammonia reclamation can be accomplished by a heat pump (HP) that cools the effluent stripping gas and heats the influent stripping gas. Heat provided to the liquid heat exchanger, influent to the stripping unit, can be recovered heat or waste heat from any of a variety of process sources including the hot liquid process effluent. As shown in FIG. 2 , heat can be extracted from the liquid effluent (HE) and used to heat the stripping unit influent through a heat exchanger (HE) or the use of a heat pump (HP).
The processes presented in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be applied to digestate or landfill leachate that have dilute ammonia concentrations. Since ammonia nitrogen is toxic to most autotrophic organisms the influent can be diluted by recycling treated effluent or any liquid deficient in ammonia to produce a suitable influent photobioreactor stream.
FIG. 3 presents a schematic of a CO 2 stripping liquid/solids separator that may use a gas blower to provide the required stripping gas or a vacuum pump that induces the liberation of flotation gases from the dissolved CO 2 and methane gas present in the digestate or leachate. Since sufficient dissolved gas may not be present to achieve the desired flotation gas/solids ratio for high solids concentration streams, the device can use additional pressurized or unpressurized gas from another source to induce flotation. The use of vacuum and induced gas is the preferred option. It is also beneficial to utilize purge gas from the photobioreactor as the induced gas since that gas is deficient in CO 2 and contains residual ammonia stripped from the photobioreactor. At normal operating low temperature and pH conditions, the ammonia present in the purge gas will be dissolved into the influent digestate liquid while the CO 2 gas is stripped, thereby increasing the pH. A CO 2 enriched and ammonia deficient effluent gas is produced while an ammonia enriched, CO 2 -deficient, higher-pH liquid is produced through the liquid/solids separation process.
FIG. 4 presents alternative methods of recovering ammonia from the stripped gas/water vapor mixture. The stripped gas vapor mixture is cooled and condensed in condenser F. The condensate can subsequently be reclaimed and stored if necessary as a concentrated liquid ammonia product. The stripping gas is reheated preferably with a heat pump upon leaving the condenser. In the alternative, the condensate can be pumped to a second, third or fourth, etc. gas stripping unit where a second third or fourth more concentrated condensate is formed. The stripped liquid is then returned to the influent of the preceding stripping chamber. The reclaimed ammonia concentrate can be sold as an ammonia product or used to produce an ammonium bicarbonate solid product.
FIG. 5 presents a schematic where the stripped gas/water vapor mixture is condensed and reclaimed as a concentrate as described in FIG. 4 and stored as reclaimed concentrate for subsequent use in a gas liquid precipitator (F). The concentrate is pumped to the precipitator. The concentrate is then dispersed by spray nozzles or dispersion plates in the precipitator. A CO 2 -rich gas, such as biogas, is then fed into the precipitator where it is contacted with the ammonia concentrate. An ammonium bicarbonate/carbonate solid is then formed (NH 3 +CO 2 +H 2 O→NH 4 HCO 3 ), precipitated, and removed from the precipitator as a solid or semisolid product. Carbon dioxide is removed from the CO 2 -enriched influent gas, such as digester biogas, to produce a gas product deficient in CO 2 , such as natural gas or biomethane. The CO 2 -enriched gas can also be a gas that has been pretreated to remove a portion of the CO 2 necessary to achieve the required stoichiometric ratios. FIG. 9 presents such a pretreatment schematic.
The concentrate can also be accumulated and stored during the production period when the solids are withdrawn from the digester. The stored concentrate can then be withdrawn on an intermittent or continuous basis to match the CO 2 -enriched gas stream. The concentrate and gas flow rates can be controlled by monitoring effluent gas stream quality to produce a product gas of desired quality.
FIG. 6 presents an improved photobioreactor for processing liquid and gas streams described earlier. Gas can be processed at low pressure since it is not dispersed in a liquid. Large biomass concentrations can be achieved due to the large surface area to volume ratio provided. Turbid liquids can be processed since hindrance of light penetration through a liquid to the microorganisms is minimized. In essence the process is not limited by gas transfer, light transmission, and biomass accumulation as typical, prior art photobioreactors are limited.
The device consists of a vessel containing a liquid substrate of variable depth, a series of rotating discs or media upon which autotrophic organisms are grown and illuminated by artificial or natural light. If artificial light is used, the ability to vary the intensity will provide a means for controlling growth and pH. The artificial light should be arranged to provide maximum illumination of the media surface. The discs rotate through the liquid substrate and the gas phase that is illuminated. The submergence depth can be varied to optimize the process. A shaft supports the discs and can be driven by air, gas or a motor. The speed of rotation can be varied to maximize performance. The vessel can be covered or open. If covered, a transparent cover should be provided for natural light. A blower that can move gas over the disc surface will provide a means of removing toxic gases and oxygen to minimize growth inhibition. Any of a variety of biomass removal devices can be used to harvest the autotrophic organisms grown to recover products. The product biomass may be returned to the digester and converted by anaerobic digestion to biogas, and the biogas can be used as an energy source. Light can be provided above or in between the rotating disks.
FIG. 7 presents a schematic for processing digestate containing higher concentrations of ammonia nitrogen. In most cases the growth of cyanobacteria and algae is inhibited by ammonia concentrations exceeding 30 mg/L. Consequently dewatered and degassed digestate containing higher concentrations of ammonia can not be efficiently processed in a photobioreactor to raise the pH. Although it may be possible to recycle treated effluent and thereby dilute the influent to the photobioreactor as shown in FIG. 2 , such an arrangement will require substantially higher recycle rates, resulting in higher photobioreactor and stripping unit flow rates, size, and cost.
FIG. 7 presents an arrangement in which the photobioreactor (F) follows the gas stripping unit (E) rather than preceding the gas stripping unit. The high pH effluent from the photobioreactor (F) is blended at some recycle ratio to increase the pH of the liquid influent to the stripping unit (D). Ammonia gas is removed in the stripping unit with a portion of the effluent recycled to the photobioreactor. The arrangement shown in FIG. 7 dilutes the influent with a high pH recycle stream that both increases the pH and lowers the concentration of the influent to the stripping unit.
The stripping unit must produce an effluent low in ammonia and at a temperature suitable for the cultured photobioreactor organisms. A heat exchanger or heat exchangers (HE) with a heat pump (HP) are used to heat the influent to the stripping unit and cool the effluent.
A purge gas can be introduced into the photo bioreactor to remove oxygen and ammonia gas that may be present in the photobioreactor as a result of higher ammonia concentrations in the effluent. The purge gas is then introduced into a gas stripping liquid/solids separator (B) to reclaim any stripped ammonia. The gas stream used for stripping ammonia in the stripping unit (E) is first heated prior to stripping and cooled after stripping for ammonia reclamation.
FIG. 8 presents a process arrangement similar to FIG. 7 with the addition of a gas water vapor separator on the gas stripping units' (E) effluent gas stream. Ammonia stripping is improved at higher temperatures. But, the higher temperatures also strip larger quantities of water vapor that remove heat from the process and dilute the reclaimed ammonia concentration. To reduce heat losses in the stripping unit and produce a more concentrated product, removal and recycle of water vapor is desired. FIG. 8 shows a water vapor-permeable membrane (M) on the stripping gas effluent line that withdraws and recycles warm water vapor to the gas stripping unit by use of a vacuum blower (Blower). FIG. 10 presents an example of such a membrane arrangement.
FIG. 9 presents an alternative arrangement of FIGS. 7 and 8 wherein the process effluent is used to remove carbon dioxide from a CO 2 rich gas to produce a CO 2 lean gas that is used to produce a CO 2 -deficient gas through the ammonia recovery process shown in FIG. 5 . In many cases the production of a CO 2 -deficient gas, such as biomethane (natural gas), is predicated on having a sufficient quantity of ammonia to remove the large quantity of CO 2 . In most cases NH 3 availability is limiting. Supplemental ammonia can be acquired to consume the excess CO 2 , at a cost. Or, a portion of the excess CO 2 can be removed through a carbonation unit, shown in FIG. 9 . The FIG. 9 configuration uses the high pH, high alkalinity liquid effluent to remove CO 2 from the CO 2 -rich gas and thereby produce a more acceptable, lower pH liquid effluent.
FIG. 10 presents one of many possible configurations for the removal of warm water vapor from the stripped ammonia gas. Suitable materials such as silicone gas permeable membranes have water vapor permeabilities six to ten times the permeability of ammonia gas. The example shown in FIG. 10 presents a typical packed stripping tower with influent and effluent water streams as well as influent and effluent gas streams. The stripped gas leaving the stripping tower (Gas Out) contains the ammonia gas and water vapor. The gas and water vapor is passed through a series of membranes where a differential pressure is applied (gas out p+ vacuum p). The water vapor-enriched gas will pass through the membrane at a higher rate than the ammonia-enriched retentate that will be processed through the downstream condenser ( FIG. 4 ). The warm, water vapor-enriched gas is then conveyed through the inlet recirculating gas blower and reprocessed through the stripping tower. In the alternative, an eductor can be used instead of, or in conjunction with, a vacuum pump. | An economical method for recovering nitrogen from liquid waste using autotrophic organisms and minimal energy inputs and without chemical additives. Solids are separated from anaerobically digested liquid waste. The resulting translucent liquid is introduced to a culture of autotrophic microorganisms in the presence of natural or artificial light, thereby accumulating biomass and producing a liquid effluent with elevated pH. The elevated-pH, liquid effluent is heated and stripped of ammonia, thereby producing a water vapor and stripped ammonia gas stream. The water vapor ammonia gas stream is condensed to form a liquid/ammonia condensate. The autotrophic microorganisms are advantageously cultivated in a photobioreactor comprising a plurality of axially spaced-apart, growth plates mounted for rotation to a shaft. The pH of the culture is adjustable within a preferred range of 8.0 to 10.5 by adjusting the light intensity and rotational speed. | 2 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a high performance and versatile drill bit, for drilling curved bores, milling, countersinking and other applications.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Conventional drill bits, such as flat drill bits and twist drill bits, comprise cutting blades capable of cutting only in a forwards direction. These drills lack versatility, being able to only cut straight holes. Separate tools, for example milling tools or countersinking bits, are needed if it is required to cut grooves, recesses or the like. In many situations it is desirable to drill a curved hole, for example to allow insertion of a flexible tubing without subjecting it to detrimental bending. Conventional drill bits are only capable of producing bores to round corners that includes sharp angles.
[0005] In addition to their limited scope of use, the cutting performance of known drill bits is generally limited, with drill bits often having a poor cutting speed and smoothness of cutting. Limitations arise due to factors such as a requirement for the application of heavy pressure or frequent clogging of the drill bit with saw dust. A versatile drill bit would provide the great advantage of enabling diverse applications, for example the cutting of recesses for installing locks and drilling of curved bores for installing cables or tubing, to be carried with greater ease and without the requirement for the use of multiple tools.
[0006] Drill bits are known that have the ability to cut in three directions. The known “3D bit” described in European Patent 0181841 is a drill bit for cutting wood and other soft materials. It comprises a crown having two forward (axial) cutting edges, two side (radial) cutting edges and two rear (axial) cutting edges. This arrangement of cutting edge enables the cutting of grooves, recesses and curved bores, in addition to straight bores.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides a new highly versatile drill bit with a cutting blade geometry that provides a remarkably improved cutting performance over all known drill bits.
[0008] In a first aspect the present invention provides a drill bit comprising a crown and a shank extending from the crown, wherein the crown comprises at least three cutting blades.
[0009] Preferably an embodiment of a drill bit according to the present invention provides a drill bit wherein the crown comprises an odd number of cutting blades.
[0010] Preferably an embodiment of a drill bit according to the present invention provides a drill bit wherein the crown comprises three cutting blades. More preferably the three cutting blades are disposed from the longitudinal axis of the drill bit at an angle of 120° with respect to each other. Even more preferably each three cutting blade is identical.
[0011] Preferably an embodiment of a drill bit according to the present invention provides a drill bit wherein each cutting blade comprises a first axially cutting face, a radially cutting face and a second axially cutting face. More preferably each cutting face comprises at least one cutting edge.
[0012] Preferably an embodiment of a drill bit according to the present invention includes a first axially cutting face having a first axially cutting edge that bisects a radius of the crown. More preferably the first axially cutting edge trails the radius of the crown, relative to the intended direction of rotation for cutting. In contrast preferably the trailing edge of the first axially cutting face lies on a radius of the crown.
[0013] Preferably an embodiment of a drill bit according to the present invention comprises a cutting blade having a wing. Preferably, the wing is wedge shaped. More preferably thee wing extends circumferentially from the end of each blade distal to the central longitudinal axis of the crown. More preferably the wing has a curved outer face. Even more preferably, each wing extends circumferentially from the face of a blade adjacent the first axially cutting edge and the projecting edge of each wing forms a radially cutting edge.
[0014] Preferably each cutting blade is provided with a wedge shaped tooth that projects from the blade in an axial direction to a greater extent than the first axially cutting face. More preferably the tooth tapers to from a third axially cutting edge. Even more preferably the third axially cutting edge is provided proximal to the first axially cutting edge. Furthermore, the third axially cutting edge is curved from a first end where it meet the radially cutting edge to a straight portion at its opposing end on top of the crown.
[0015] Preferably an embodiment of a drill bit according to a first aspect of the present invention has a crown that comprises an axial tapered cutting tip positioned on the longitudinal axis of the drill bit wherein the cutting tip projects in an axial direction further from the shank than any other part of the crown. More preferably the cutting tip is tapered an angle of about 20° to about 40°. Even more preferably the cutting tip tapers at an angle of about 25° to about 35°. Even more preferably the cutting tip tapers at an angle of about 30°.
[0016] Preferably the tapered cutting tip is pyramidal and has three sides which are tapered at the angles described above.
[0017] Preferably an embodiment of a first aspect of the present invention comprises an attachment portion for a drilling machine positioned adjacent the shank distal to the crown. More preferably the attachment portion is of wider diameter than the shank. Even more preferably there is a collar between the shank and the attachment portion, increasing in diameter from that of the shank to that of the attachment portion. Even more preferably the collar has a rough texture for providing grip.
[0018] A preferred embodiment of a drill bit according to the present invention provides a drill bit comprising a titanium nitrate (TiNO 3 ) coating.
[0019] Preferably an embodiment of a drill bit according to the present invention provides a drill bit comprising 1060 high carbon steel and is of the hardness HRC 45-55.
[0020] An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a drill bit comprising at least three cutting blades, rather than the known arrangement of two cutting blades, thereby increasing the speed of cutting and smoothness of cut.
[0021] A further advantage is that the cutting blades are more stable while cutting, thereby reducing the chatter or vibration of the drill bit when in use. The chatter of a drill bit according to this invention is reduced relative to know drill bits when cutting in any one of the possible cutting directions. The reduction of chatter is most substantial when the drill bit is used for milling in a radial direction.
[0022] A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a drill bit that has a smoother radial ccutting action than known drill bits. The cut produced is cleaner and more accurate than that produced by any know drill bit.
[0023] A drill bit according to this invention has a particular advantage when being used to cut a channel in a surface. A reaction force, or angular frication, is generated by each radial cutting edge or wing. The direction of this force has a stabilizing effect and reduces any tendency of the drill bit to jump out of a channel whilst cutting. This advantage arises due to the particular geometry of the cutting blades in relation to the central axis of the shaft and the direction of rotation. In contrast to the invention, the cutting blades of known drill bits are positioned so that they precede the radius, rather than trail it, In these circumstances, the reaction force generated is directed out of the channel and a tendency of a drill bit to jump out of the channel is increased.
[0024] A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a drill bit with improved cutting of wood, ejection of wood chips and thereby improved cutting speed. The gap between the cutting blades of the present invention has a larger volume than in known drill bits. Consequently the drill bit of the invention is less likely to clog with excess wood chips.
[0025] An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a drill bit comprising a cutting tip that is designed to prevent slipping. The tapered cutting tip of the present invention preferably has three sides and comes to a sharp point. It is less likely to slip than the known four-sided cutting tips of known drill bits, wherein the tip tapers to a less sharp point.
[0026] An advantage of the present invention is that it provides a drill bit comprising a TiNO 3 coating, providing an increase in the hardness of the drill surface. A TiNO 3 coating thus provides a drill bit with a greater resistance to wear and therefore extends the working life of the drill bit.
[0027] A further advantage of a TiNO 3 coating is a reduction of friction, thereby favourably reducing the operating temperature of the drill. Additional advantages of a TiNO 3 coating are that it serves to inhibit corrosion and provides an attractive shiny finish to the drill bit.
[0028] The improved drilling performance of a drill bit according to this invention allows a drill bit be manufactured from a reduced hardness of steel whilst achieving the same cutting speeds as with know drill bits. Conversely, a drill bit according to this invention, comprising high performance steel gives a significant increase in performance over know drill bits of this type, enabling of harder materials than was previously possible.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the description of the presently preferred embodiments which are set out below with reference to the drawings in which:
[0030] [0030]FIG. 1 show a side view of a preferred embodiment of a drill bit according to the present invention.
[0031] [0031]FIG. 2 shows an end view of three cutting blades of a crown of a preferred embodiment of a drill bit according to the invention.
[0032] [0032]FIG. 3 shows a view along the longitudinal axis of a preferred embodiment of the present invention whilst cutting a groove. The direction of rotation, frictional force and reaction force pointing into a channel are shown.
[0033] [0033]FIG. 4 shows a view along the longitudinal axis of a drill bit where the blades precede the radius rather than trail it. The direction of rotation, frictional force and reaction force pointing out of a channel are shown.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0034] For the purposes of clarity and a concise description features are described herein as part of the same or separate embodiments, however it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention may include embodiment having combinations of all or some of the features described.
[0035] A preferred embodiment of a drill bit according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The drill bit comprises a crown ( 6 ); a shank( 7 ) which extends from the crown( 6 ); a collar( 9 ) adjacent the shank( 7 ) distal to the crown( 6 ); and an attachment portion( 8 ) adjacent the collar( 9 ) and distal to the crown( 6 ). The drill bit has a TiNO 3 coating.
[0036] The shank ( 7 ) is coaxial with the crown( 6 ) and is of significantly smaller diameter than the crown( 6 ).
[0037] The crown ( 6 ) comprises a cutting tip( 1 ) on its central longitudinal axis. The cutting tip(l) comprises a pyramid having a base and three sides each tapered to a 30° point. In addition, the crown ( 6 ) comprises three identical cutting blades which extend radially from the central longitudinal axis of the crown. The cutting blades are separated from each other by an angle of 120°.
[0038] Each cutting blade comprises a first axially cutting face having a first axially cutting edge ( 2 ); and a second axially cutting face having a second axially cutting edge ( 5 ). The first and second axially cutting faces oppose each other and the first and second cutting edges are for cutting in opposite directions. The first axially cutting face bisects a radial plane of the crown at an angle of about 15°. The second axially cutting face bisects a radial plane of the crown at an angle of about 5° to 10°. In addition, the second axially cutting face bisects an axial plane of the crown at an angle of about 5° to about 10°.
[0039] In addition, each cutting blade comprises a wedge shaped wing that extends circumferentially from the end of each blade distal to the central longitudinal axis of the crown. Each wing extends circumferentially from the face of a blade adjacent the first axially cutting edge. The projecting edge of each wing forms a radially cutting edge ( 4 ). The radial cutting edge ( 4 ) bisects an axial plane of the crown ( 6 ) at an angle of 18°.
[0040] The radially outer face of the wing bisects a circumferential plane at an angle of 3° so that the wing is radially more distant from the central longitudinal axis of the crown adjacent the first axially cutting face than adjacent the second axially cutting face.
[0041] In addition, each cutting blade comprises a wedge shaped tooth located atop the join between a wing and a first axially cutting face. Each tooth has a third axially cutting face having a third axially cutting edge ( 3 ). The third axially cutting edge ( 3 ) is provided adjacent the first axially cutting edge ( 2 ). Furthermore, the third axially cutting edge is curved from a first end where it meets the radially cutting edge to a straight portion at its opposing end.
[0042] It should be understood that various changes and modification to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modification can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages. It is therefore intended that such changes and modifications are covered by the appended claims. | The present invention to provide a high performance and versatile drill bit, for drilling curved bores, milling, countersinking and other application. A drill bit comprises a crown and a shank extending from the crown, wherein the crown comprises at least three cutting blades. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to arrow rests, especially those with resilient arms that support an arrow as it is released and accommodate vertical plane flexing of the arrow, and more particularly to improvements in such arrow rests to reduce erratic flight of the arrow when fletching of the released arrow strikes the resilient arms.
It is well known that a released arrow undergoes a series of flexing and bowing motions during flight. Such flexing affects the accuracy and range of the arrow. In recent years, so-called "paradox" resulting from manual release of an archer's fingers, and also from deficiencies of early mechanical arrow release devices, have been largely overcome by improved mechanical release devices. However, if a fletching vane of an arrow strikes a rigid or resilient arm of arrow rest during flight, the arrow is knocked out of its desired trajectory and is slowed down. This sharply reduces the accuracy and distance of the shot. Use of most mechanical release devices results in substantial rapid vertical oscillation of the arrow. Such vertical oscillation is very erratic in nature and results in a great reduction in distance and shooting accuracy.
The great majority of all archery equipment sold is used for hunting. Hunting arrows usually have large broadhead arrow tips, and require large spiral or helical or offset fletching vanes to cause spinning of the arrow during flight. (Such spinning is necessary for broadhead hunting arrows to reduce inaccuracy due to windplaning.) Arrow rests have been designed with notches through which straight (non-spiral) fletching vanes of a released arrow can pass without striking the arrow rest have been designed. For example, see FIGS. 6 and 7 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,854 by Troncoso, Jr. However, some of the large spiral fletching vanes required for broadhead hunting arrows invariably strike the arrow supporting arms of all prior arrow rests of which I am aware. This has been proven by means of very recent high speed motion picture films. As an example of the inaccuracy this can cause, a broadhead arrow with large spiral fletching vanes, shot by a good archer to a target sixty yards away and striking a prior art arrow rest, usually will result in arrows being spread within a thirty inch diameter grouping on the target. However, if target arrows with small, straight fletching vanes which do not strike the arrow rest are used, the same archer can maintain a grouping within a six inch diameter area of the target, using a mechanical release and resilient arrow rest arms to avoid errors due to vertical spining.
The prior art has not disclosed a way of avoiding striking of an arrow rest by large spiral fletching vanes. There is an unmet need for an arrow rest device which improves the erratic flight of arrows due to striking of spiral fletching vanes against an arrow rest.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an arrow rest that avoids erratic flight of arrows, especially arrows with spiral fletching vanes that strike the arrow rest upon release of the arrow.
Briefly described, and in accordance with one embodiment thereof, the invention provides an arrow rest mechanism for attachment to a bow, including a bracket rigidly attached to the bow, and an arrow rest assembly including at least one pivotal arm having an arrow shaft contact point supporting a shaft of a released arrow and absorbing vertical forces due to vertical plane flexing of the released arrow. A hinge pivotally connects the arm in fixed relation to the bracket. A pivot axis of the arm is located a small distance ahead of the contact point, so that the arm pivots forward in reaction to being struck by fletching of the released arrow, imparting minimal upward displacement of the contact point and the arrow. Erratic flight of the arrow caused by counter-forces imparted to the tail end of the arrow by the spiral fletching striking the arrow rest is greatly reduced. In the described embodiments, the predetermined distance is as little as one-sixteenth of an inch. In one embodiment, the arrow rest assembly includes first and second resilient arms each having a contact point for supporting the shaft of the released arrow and absorbing the vertical forces due to spine of the released arrow. The first and second arms are bifurcated from a single pivotal support arm in one embodiment, and are independently pivoted in another. In another embodiment, the arrow rest mechanism includes a resilient button assembly engaging a side of the released arrow. The resilient button yields to horizontal plane flexing of the released arrow, reducing inaccuracy due to counter-forces on the tail end of the arrow which otherwise would be caused by such horizontal plane flexing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the arrow rest of FIG. 1 attached to a bow illustrating pivoting due to striking of the arrow rest arms by fletching of an arrow.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a view illustrating pivoting of the arrow rest in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a rear elevation view of the arrow rest shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7 is a section view taken along section line 7--7 of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a section view taken along section line 8--8 of FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a partial cutaway section view illustrating pivoting of the arrow rest in the embodiment of FIG. 6.
FIG. 10 is a partial rear view illustration of the arrow rest support arms of the embodiment of FIG. 6.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 12 is a partial section view of the embodiment of FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 is a partial top view of the embodiment of FIG. 11.
FIG. 14 is a partial rear elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 11.
FIG. 15 is a partial top view of an alternate embodiment of the invention with two independently pivotal arrow rest arms.
FIG. 16 is a partial rear elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 15.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 shows an arrow rest assembly 1 of the present invention. Assembly 1 includes a bar 14 that is bolted through elongated slot 14A onto the right hand side of a bow 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. A bolt 11 is connected to the rear end (closest to the archer) of bar 14 by nuts 11A and 11B. The left end of bolt 11 has a pair of horizontal, transverse holes 8 therein. The legs of a U-shaped member formed by rods 16 extend through holes 8. A set screw 17 is threaded tightly into a threaded hole the left end of bolt 11 to look the nearest one of rods 16 into place.
Arrow rest 12 is connected by hinge 13 to the rear end portions of rods 16. Arrow rest 12 includes a generally V-shaped strip of metal (or other suitable material) including a lower arm 12A and an upper arm 12B having bifurcated end sections 12C and 12D. Hinge 13 includes a pin that extends through holes in rods 16 and through a channel formed by the outer end of arm 12A. Arrow rest 12 can be composed of a strip of stainless steel approximately one-fourth of an inch wide and 0.025 inches thick. A small return spring 15 is anchored to one of rods 16 and the pivot pin of hinge 13 and engages the upper surface of arm 12A of arrow rest 12.
FIG. 2 shows arrow 20, the shaft of which is supported by the upper portion of arrow rest 12 at contact points 28 of arm end sections 12C and 12D. The noch of arrow 20 engages a drawn bowstring 30. Arrow 20 has spiral fletching vanes 26 on its rear end. The purpose of spiral fletching vanes 26 is to produce rotation of arrow 20 which stabilizes it during flight.
As explained previously, an unsolved problem of the archery art is that the lower spiral fletching vanes of a released arrow usually strike the arrow rest as they pass by, despite the presence of a slot in the arrow rest to accommodate the lower spiral fletching vanes as it passes by. FIG. 5 shows how the spiral vanes 26A can strike the tops of arm sections 12C and 12D. The resulting upward counter-force on the tail end of the arrow as it leaves the bow produces instability and vertical plane flexing of the arrow that reduces accuracy and distance of the shot.
In accordance with the present invention, hinge 13 in FIG. 1 pivotally connects arrow rest 12 to its support, whereas in the closest prior art, the connection of arrow rest 12 to its support is rigid, rather than hinged.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, when the lower spiral fletching vanes 26 strike arrow rest 12, it pivots forward from its initial position 12' along arc 22, as shown in FIG. 4, arc 22 being centered at hinge point 13. Contact point 28' on which the shaft of arrow 20 (as shown in FIG. 2) is supported by arms 12C and 12D, is located slightly behind the pivot point of hinge 13. In embodiments of the invention constructed to date, contact points 28 are located as little as one-sixteenth of an inch behind the pivot point of hinge 13, as indicated by the distance X in FIG. 3. It is important that the distance X shown in FIG. 3 not be too great, so that the support points 28 do not rise much as the spiral fletching vanes 26 strike the arrow rest and pivot it forward as shown in FIG. 4. This prevents arrow rest 12 from producing much upward force on the tail end of arrow 20 as it leaves the bow, and almost eliminates the above mentioned vertical plane flexing of the arrow shaft during flight.
The arrow rest 12 of FIG. 1, used with a broadhead hunting arrow having spiral fletching as shown in FIG. 2, enables an expert archer to shoot with enough accuracy to keep such arrows within a six inch grouping at a target distance of approximately 60 yards. This result shows that the erratic flight caused by spiral fletching striking prior arrow rests has been greatly reduced from the above-mentioned thirty inch grouping, which is the best achievable without the hinged arrow rest of the present invention.
FIGS. 6-10 show another embodiment of the invention, in which an arrow rest 12 essentially identical to the one shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a support 35. Support 35 is bolted through an opening 42 to a suitable compound bow handle. The embodiment of FIGS. 6-10 provides sideways adjustability of a support block 41 on which arrow rest 12 is mounted, as best shown in FIG. 8. A micrometer control 37 is turned to effectuate sideways adjustment of support block 41 in the direction of arrows 45. Block 41 slides on a pair of rods 39 in response to turning of micrometer handle 37. A pair of cone-tip set screws 36 extend through the vertical side walls of block 41 to engage mating cone-shaped recesses in bushing 44, to which the end of lower member 12A is attached by screw 40. The tightness of cone-tip screws 36 can be adjusted to produce a desired amount of friction to resist forward pivoting of arrow rest 12.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 6-10, arrow rest 12 pivots forward from its initial position to the position indicated by dotted lines 12' when spiral fletching vanes 26 of arrow 20 strike arms 12C,D. As in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the contact point 28 (at which the arms 12C,D support the shaft of arrow 20 prior to release) travels along arc 22, rising very little, and preventing much upward counter-force from being produced on the tail end of the arrow. This nearly eliminates erratic flight of the arrow due to vertical plane flexing during flight.
FIGS. 11-14 show another embodiment of the invention wherein a support 50 is bolted through aperture 43 to the left hand face of the handle of a suitable compound bow. A spring-loaded button-type arrow rest 51 having a micrometer control 52 is mounted in the side vertical wall of support 50. The sideways extension of spring-loaded button 51 is adjusted by micrometer control 52. The arrow rest 12 of FIG. 11 includes a single member 12A, 12B including a lower member 12A that is pivotally attached by cone-tipped set screws 36 to laterally moveable mounting block 41, similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 6-10. As in FIGS. 6-10, micrometer control 37 adjusts the lateral position of mounting block 41 in the direction of arrows 45. Set screw 47 locks the micrometer assembly 37 into an opening in support 50.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 11-14, one spiral fletching vane 6A extends downward through a gap between the outer end of button 51 and the upper end of arrow rest arm 12B, as shown in FIG. 14. As before, arrow rest member 12A,12B pivots forward when that spiral fletching vane strikes arrow rest arm 12B, preventing a large upward counter-force from being applied to the tail end of the arrow as it passes by. Spring-loaded button 51 also yields to any sideways movement of the arrow shaft as it passes by. This embodiment of the invention greatly reduces both vertical plane flexing and horizontal plane flexing from being imparted to the arrow as it is released.
FIGS. 15 and 16 show another embodiment similar to that of FIGS. 11-14, except that two independently pivotable arrow rest arms 12A,12B and 120A,120B are included within arrow rest mechanism 12. Both arms 12A,12B and 120A,120B are pivotally connected to block 41 in precisely the same manner that arm 12A,12B is connected in the embodiment of FIGS. 11-14. Then, if only one spiral fletching vane, such as 26A in FIG. 16, strikes one of the pivotal arm sections such as 12B, only that arm 12A,12B pivots forward. This imparts less drag on the released arrow 20, producing less vertical plane flexing of the arrow than if both arms 12B and 120B are rigidly connected together. This improves the accuracy and repeatability of the shots.
While the invention has been described with reference to several particular embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to make the various modifications to the described embodiments of the invention without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended that all combinations of elements and steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same result are within the scope of the invention. | An arrow rest mechanism for attachment to a bow includes a bracket rigidly attached to the bow and an arrow rest assembly having at least one resilient arm supporting a shaft of a released arrow and absorbing vertical force due to spine or vertical plane flexing the arrow as it is released. A hinge pivotally connects the resilient arm to the bracket, a pivot axis of the arm being located slightly ahead of the point at which the resilient arm supports the arrow. The arm pivots forward in reaction to being struck by spiral fletching of the released arrow, thereby imparting minimal upward counter-force to the tail end of the released arrow. Erratic flight of the arrow due to spine of the released arrow is nearly eliminated. | 5 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/048,939, filed on Oct. 8, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention pertains to the field of construction of buildings and structures. The invention relates to alignment guides, and more specifically alignment guides for constructing building components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In the construction of buildings and structures many techniques and technologies have been developed for increasing accuracy, productivity, efficiency and sustainability.
[0004] These techniques and technologies range from pre-fabricated completed structures or sub-assemblies built in factories and assembled on site, to formless and formed cement products and traditional stick and frame construction.
[0005] Each of these building techniques and technologies comes with inherent restrictions and limitations in their use. Many of these limitations surround initial cost, cost for changes and transportation costs for delivery.
[0006] For example, a pre-fabricated house is built in factory, checked for completion, dissembled, transported and re-assembled on the site. Problems on the site may be extremely difficult and costly to fix. The transportation of building subassemblies often leads to cosmetic and structural damage along with the safety and congestion problems involved in moving the building down roads and freeways.
[0007] Techniques and technologies such as structural insulated panels (“SIPS”) have not shown reduction in costs or significant increase in quality and require structural demolition of the SIPS to include water pipes and electrical wiring.
[0008] Insulated concrete forms (“ICF”) are expensive due to the high cost of concrete and rebar, and also suffer from high transportation costs and deconstruction of the ICF to include water pipes and electrical wiring.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,491 describes a panel with facings of weather resistant plastic impregnated paper (“PIP”) disposed on opposed outer surfaces of an inner insulating core, such as of plastic foam or an agricultural product such as strawboard. Spaced elongated linear studs are attached to either the outer or inner surface of one or both of the PIP facings and facilitate attachment of a structural facing.
[0010] German patent application No. DE19843400404 describes a panel with a frame, sheet-metal profiles and at least one strut connecting two frame sides, as well as a covering located on at least one plane defined by the frame and fastened thereto. The space defined by the frame thickness is filled, at least over part of said frame thickness, with an insulating material, which is preferably composed of a foamed plastic.
[0011] Traditional cement forming and steel stud walls have dominated commercial constructions. This is due to the significant costs of forming and cost of cement thus relegating this construction technique to, almost exclusively, commercial applications. Included in these significant costs are considerable design and engineering fees. Complicating this process is the need, primarily due to type of structure being built, that of skyscrapers or multi-floor buildings, to bring all internal wall structures in constant parts resulting in “one piece at a time” wall construction and its inherent high cost and inefficiencies and inaccuracies.
[0012] Traditional stick and frame construction, due to lower cost and higher adaptability to the job site, remains the favorite construction method for the vast majority of the construction trades. It has been universally recognized that while the traditional stick and frame construction may not have the same level of quality, durability, efficiency or accuracy as some of the later developed technology such as ICF or SIPS or factory built structures, it does have the greatest adaptability to site conditions and changes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The invention relates to alignment guides for constructing building components, namely walls, ceilings and floors to be used in buildings and structures. This invention also relates to kits of specific alignment guides and methods of using alignment guides.
[0014] The invention relates to a plurality of alignment guides, each alignment guide comprising a series of slots spaced lengthwise, said alignment guides capable of placement along a first end and a fourth end of a construction sheet having the first end opposite the fourth end and a second end opposite a third end, such that studs placed substantially perpendicular to the alignment guides and aligned between each slot on the alignment guide on the first end and an opposing slot on the alignment guide on the fourth end form a series of equally spaced parallel studs. And further comprising at least one second alignment guide capable of placement on the second end and at least one third alignment guide capable of placement on the third end wherein a stud abutting the second alignment guide rests outside of the second end of the construction sheet and a stud abutting the third alignment guide rests inside of the third end of the construction sheet.
[0015] The invention relates to an open trough shaped alignment guide comprising a base and two side arms, said base approximating the width of a construction stud and at least one of said side arms further projecting to form an exterior side channel having a width approximating the depth of a sheet of construction material. In a further embodiment there are two side channels which open in the opposite direction of the trough or two side channels which open in the same direction as the trough.
[0016] This invention further relates to an open trough shaped alignment guide comprising a base and two side arms, the width of said base approximating the width of a construction stud and the length including slots spaced equidistance apart, said side arms further projecting firstly perpendicular and secondly parallel to the side arms to each form an exterior side channel opening in the opposite direction of the open trough, each channel having a width approximating the depth of a sheet of construction material, said side arms having a height approximating the depth of a construction stud.
[0017] This invention further relates to an open trough shaped alignment guide comprising a base and two side arms, the width of said base approximating the width of a construction stud and said side arms further projecting firstly perpendicular and secondly parallel to the side arms to each form an exterior side channel opening in the opposite direction of the open trough, each channel having a width approximating the depth of a sheet of construction material, said side arms having a height approximating half the depth of a construction stud.
[0018] This invention further relates to an open trough shaped alignment guide comprising a base and two side arms, said base approximating the width of a construction stud and said side arms approximating the height of half the depth of a construction stud, each side arm projecting first substantially perpendicular to form a shelf having a width approximating the depth of a sheet of construction material, and projecting secondly substantially parallel to the side arm.
[0019] This invention further relates to an trough shaped alignment guide comprising two detachable right-angle shaped base units each with a bottom and side and two detachable side arm units further projecting to each form an exterior side channel having a width approximating the depth of a sheet of construction material, wherein both the bottoms and the sides of the base units have multiple attachment points such that the width of the bottom is adjustable when the bottoms are attached and the height of the sides is adjustable when each side of the base unit is attached to each side arm unit.
[0020] This invention further relates to a pair of square shaped alignment guides for rotating a building component, each alignment guide comprising a flat base with a width approximating the width of a construction stud, and comprising an opening in the middle through which a holding means is attached, said base including securing means for securing each alignment guide to opposite ends of the building component.
[0021] This invention further relates to a kit of alignment guides capable of being positioned at each of the four edges of a row of at least one construction sheet, said alignment guides on two opposing edges of the row having indexing means to indicate the attachment location for studs, said alignment guides on the other two opposing edges of the construction sheet having opposing shapes such that the construction sheet on one side protrudes and on the other side intrudes.
[0022] This invention further relates to a kit comprising one or more of the alignment guides described above.
[0023] This invention further relates to a method of constructing a building component using studs and one or more construction sheets, comprising the steps of: placing the one or more construction sheets lengthwise in a row to form two outer lengthwise edges and a first and second outer side edge; placing along the two outer lengthwise edges of the row a first open trough shaped alignment guide comprising a base and two side arms, the width of said base approximating the width of a construction stud and the length including slots spaced equidistance apart, said side arms further projecting firstly perpendicular and secondly parallel to the side arms to each form an exterior side channel opening in the opposite direction of the open trough, each channel having a width approximating the depth of a sheet of construction material, said side arms having a height approximating the depth of a construction stud; placing along one of the first outer side edge a second open trough shaped alignment guide comprising a base and two side arms, the width of said base approximating the width of a construction stud and said side arms further projecting firstly perpendicular and secondly parallel to the side arms to each form an exterior side channel opening in the opposite direction of the open trough, each channel having a width approximating the depth of a sheet of construction material, said side arms having a height approximating half the depth of a construction stud; placing at either end of the second outer side edge at least two of a third open trough shaped alignment guide comprising a base and two side arms, said base approximating the width of a construction stud and said side arms approximating the height of half the depth of a construction stud, each side arm projecting first substantially perpendicular to form a shelf having a width approximating the depth of a sheet of construction material, and projecting secondly substantially parallel to the side arm; placing studs substantially perpendicular and between the first alignment guides guided by the slots to form a series of equally spaced parallel studs; and securing the series of studs to the first alignment guides.
[0024] And the method may further comprise the step of securing the alignment guides to the construction sheets and/or further comprises the step of covering the studs with construction sheets. If the studs are wood, the method further comprises the additional step of removing the alignment guides. If the studs are metal the alignment guides may remain with the building component and not be removed.
[0025] The method may further comprise the step of installing foam between the studs. The alignment guides described above may additionally include marking of information selected from the group of volume, measurement and building code.
[0026] The alignment guides may be used with construction sheet(s) selected from the group of drywall, particleboard, plywood and fiberglass. One or more of the alignment guides may be attached together. A kit of alignment guides, in which one or more of the alignment guides are attached together, are capable of being positioned around a four-sided row of at least one construction sheet, and the alignment guides are attached to at least one of the sides of the row. A kit of alignment guides capable of being positioned at each of the four edges of a row of at least one construction sheet, on one of the edges of the row have indexing means to indicate the attachment location for studs, said alignment guides on the other three edges of the construction sheet being attached to one another.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the alignment guides of an embodiment of the present invention without construction sheet material.
[0028] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the alignment guides of FIG. 1 with construction sheet material.
[0029] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the alignment guides of FIG. 2 with studs.
[0030] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the alignment guides of FIG. 3 with foam insulation.
[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the alignment guides of an embodiment of the present invention in a completed wall.
[0032] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a header/footer alignment guide.
[0033] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a header/footer alignment guide showing placement of a stud and a construction sheet.
[0034] FIG. 8 is a top view of an embodiment of a header/footer alignment guide.
[0035] FIG. 9 is a top view of an embodiment of a tongue alignment guide.
[0036] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the tongue alignment guide of FIG. 9 .
[0037] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a groove alignment guide sized to the length of a construction sheet.
[0038] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a header/footer alignment guide with insulation foam.
[0039] FIG. 13 is an exploded view of an embodiment of an adjustable alignment guide.
[0040] FIG. 14 is a plan view of an embodiment of a rotatable alignment guide.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0041] The present invention exploits the high tolerance accuracy of modern construction sheets and the adaptability of on-site construction. The present invention is adapted to current construction materials, as well as current sizing and standards in construction, such as the type and size of construction sheets and studs, and the sixteen inch spacing of studs. However, the present invention is adaptable to changes in the sizes and materials of construction material as well as the standard modes of construction.
[0042] The present invention relates to alignment guides which are placed on construction sheets on-site to guide the construction of walls, ceilings and floors with construction studs. Each alignment guide may comprise armatures for indexing to the sheet material, and a main body. Construction studs refer to the vertical posts typically of wood or steel in the framework of a wall running between a header and footer, but in this description the studs refer to the framework used for a wall, floor or ceiling. Typical types of construction sheet material or wallboard are drywall or gypsum, particleboard and plywood, but may be any material board material such as fiberglass etc. In this description, an alignment guide placed at the top or bottom of a construction sheet is referred to as the header/footer alignment guide for ease of orientation although a ceiling or floor may not have the same header/footer (or top/bottom) reference point as a wall, and even though a wall built with alignment guides of the present invention may also be capable of being orientated differently than a standard type of wall. The alignment guides which are referred to in this description as being placed on the sides of a construction sheet are again described this way to orientate alignment guides relative to one another and with regard to enabling the description of how the “sides” of the wall or floor or ceiling to fit together in a tongue and groove type fashion.
[0043] In an embodiment of the invention, there are three specific alignment, guides, namely header/footer, tongue, and groove, capable of being mechanically fastened to the head and foot and each side, respectively, of any sheet of construction material, and which together enable the construction of a wall, ceiling or floor accurately and quickly. The alignment guides of an embodiment of the invention include indexing for indicating the placement of internal and external parts that are required to make a wall, ceiling or floor, and also allow for placement of insulation and closure of the wall, ceiling or floor.
[0044] The alignment guides enable the construction of walls, floors and ceilings, including inner and outer surfaces, with the ability to easily include internal supporting structures, wiring, plumbing and insulation of whatever type. The assembly of building components can be completed quickly with the alignment guides of the present invention and without the use of measuring devices, such as a measuring tape.
[0045] An embodiment of the present invention further relates to a kit comprising various types of alignment guides. For example a kit may comprise three specific types of alignment guides, which may be used in plurality to enable the construction of a wall, floor and ceiling. The number of alignment guides of each type used will vary with the size of the wall, ceiling and floor component being constructed. For instance a wall, ceiling or floor component measuring four by eight feet would have one header/footer alignment guide at the head, one header/footer alignment guide at the foot, one groove alignment guide on one side and one, two three tongue alignment guide(s) on the other side. The alignment guide used at the head is the same configuration as the alignment guide used at the foot given the typical header and footer of typical walls.
[0046] If the wall, ceiling or floor is twice as tall as the above example there could still be one header/footer alignment guide at the head, one header/footer alignment guide at the foot, but there would be two groove alignment guides (or one elongated guide) and three or more tongue alignment guides.
[0047] By being modular in nature, sets or kits of the alignment guides can accommodate all wall, ceiling and floor configurations.
[0048] The alignment guides include one or more holes for passage of either standard or custom fasteners to allow for anchoring and fastening of all internal parts of the wall, ceiling or floor, and each alignment guide may be designed to hold a chalk line end for ease of sheet material marking.
[0049] Each alignment guide may comprise an alignment slot allowing the use of any construction tool available to be used to place the wall, ceiling or floor's internal pieces. This is accomplished by inserting the construction tool into any of the alignment guides' alignment slot and placing the internal piece against it, thus achieving a “go/no go” guide and eliminating the use of measuring instruments.
[0050] Each alignment guide may have specialized openings to allow for the accurate passing through of water and electrical and HVAC services.
[0051] Each alignment guide may have a specialty coating to prevent the buildup of construction adhesives and or insulating foams onto the alignment guide, but in the case where the alignment guide is included in the wall, this specialty coating need not be applied.
[0052] In addition the header/footer alignment guides can be mechanically assembled to be used to make eight foot walls or whatever size is required.
[0053] These alignment guides may all have a detachable support point to allow for insertion of a pipe to be supported in such a fashion as to allow the wall to be easily turned.
[0054] An embodiment of the alignment guides relating to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 without the accompanying covering construction sheet material in order to view the alignment guides more easily. FIG. 1 shows two header/footer alignment guides 20 at each of the head and foot of what could be a wall, floor or ceiling, with tongue alignment guides 30 on one side, and groove alignment guides 40 on the other side.
[0055] In FIG. 2 , the alignment guides of FIG. 1 are shown assembled to a construction sheets 110 , creating a sixteen foot by eight foot wide wall with multiple alignment guides 20 , 30 , 40 being used.
[0056] In FIG. 3 , studs 60 , and construction sheet 110 are shown with the alignment guides 30 and a conduit 68 is shown for electrical service.
[0057] In FIG. 4 , spray foam 130 , (although any insulating material may be used) has been installed into the wall cavity between studs 60 . Prior to placement of spray foam all other internal wall structures, such as water, HVAC and electrical services are installed where necessary.
[0058] In FIG. 5 , an external cladding 160 , has been attached to a wall structure, thus completing the wall. At this point in time the alignment guides 20 , 30 , 40 would be disassembled from the wall and the wall can then be placed in the building structure.
[0059] Each of the alignment guides 20 , 30 , 40 have different shapes to accomplish different dimensional requirements which is shown in the following figures.
[0060] For instance the header/footer alignment guide 20 , has a cross section shape as shown in FIG. 6 , which also shows its side channels 3 .
[0061] In FIG. 7 the cross-section of alignment guide 20 shows only one construction sheet 110 in place for ease of viewing of the invention. It also indicates the channels 3 , to which the construction sheet 110 is inserted to provide the basic assembly of the alignment guides.
[0062] In an embodiment, the header/footer alignment guide 20 has dimensions of three inches and works with 2×6 construction grade spruce studs to which the wall is attached, once the wall is assembled and the alignment guide 20 is removed. The 2×6 studs are then attached to the floor as, is common practice in structure building.
[0063] When the construction sheet 110 is put in place it is secured using any readily available fastener through holes 170 shown in FIG. 8 . In FIG. 8 , there are a number of holes 170 along the fastening edge 220 since there can be any number and any spacing of holes desired.
[0064] Also in FIG. 8 , there is provided a square shape slot 230 which can be placed at equal spacings of 16 inches. These slots 230 are placed at standard building code spacing for wall studs and the slot accommodates any number of common elongate tools found on a constructions site (e.g. screw driver, carpenter's pencil etc.) which can be inserted into the slot 230 to align the stud 60 with the alignment guide 20 without use of measuring equipment, making the alignment quick and accurate.
[0065] For example, once placed in the right position the stud 60 is fastened to alignment guide 20 with any readily available fastener through securing hole 240 to secure its position. This fastener may be removed later when the alignment guides are disassembled.
[0066] In the event that headers are to be included in a wall assembly, header/footer holes 250 have been placed on the alignment guide 20 at 16 inch centers allowing fastening between the stud and the header or footer. These fasteners do not hold on to the alignment guide 20 , but do hold a header and stud or footer and stud together.
[0067] It is understood that the location and size of holes may be modified to accommodate different fasteners/fastener systems and/or different building codes/standards. Typical fasteners are screws and nails, but any fastener system may be utilized to achieve the same result.
[0068] Also conveniently located on the fastening edge 220 is the chalk line holding tab 260 for ease of construction for marking the construction sheet 110 when in place for the centerlines of the studs 60 for mechanical fastening.
[0069] In an embodiment, the overall length of an alignment guide 20 is four feet, namely the width of the construction sheet 110 . If the wall is to be eight feet wide there would be two alignment guides 20 used end to end.
[0070] As shown in FIG. 9 , an embodiment of the tongue alignment guide 30 can be of any length, but is shown to be eight feet. In an embodiment of the invention the tongue alignment guide 30 is twelve inches and three tongue alignment guides 30 are used. The three are located in such as fashion as to facilitate aligning of the construction sheet 110 .
[0071] In FIG. 9 , a tongue alignment guide 30 is shown with tongue holes 290 for attaching it to the stud 60 . In an embodiment of the invention the tongue alignment guide 30 includes an opening 300 for passing any pipe or conduit with water, electrical, HVAC etc. through, and a sheet alignment groove 310 for assuring that when two or more sheets are used the edge alignment of the sheets can be seen. There are also a number of fastening holes 350 for fastening the alignment guide 30 to the edge of construction sheet 110 .
[0072] In FIG. 10 , a tongue alignment guide 30 is shown in cross-section, to show a stud 60 held in place such that part of the stud thickness extends beyond the edge of the construction sheet 110 so as to create a tongue for inserting into the groove of the next wall assembly. In an embodiment, about half of the stud thickness is extending beyond the edge of the construction sheet 100 , which is 0.75 inches for a standard stud.
[0073] An embodiment of a groove alignment guide 40 is the groove side of the tongue groove assembly feature for assembling the finished walls. In an embodiment shown in FIG. 11 , the groove alignment guide 40 is the length of the construction sheet 110 . In another embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 , there are two groove alignment guides 40 abutted end to end to make the sixteen foot wall length.
[0074] A groove alignment guide 40 creates a cavity in the foam insulation and enables for the insertion of the tongue portion of the next assembled wall.
[0075] FIG. 12 shows the cross-section of a groove alignment guide 40 . In this embodiment the reciprocity to the dimensions of a tongue alignment guide 30 is achieved since a groove alignment guide 40 keeps the foam 130 back, and there is no stud required here as it is incorporated in the next unit. In FIG. 12 the spray foam 130 is shown in place up to the inner surface of a groove alignment guide 40 and thus once groove alignment guide 40 is removed the groove is created.
[0076] In an embodiment, a groove alignment guide 40 is coated with release paint or agent to prevent the spray foam 130 from sticking to it. In an embodiment, alignment guides may be used in this manner to construct foam insulation blocks to be installed in other walls, floors or ceilings.
[0077] In an embodiment, the alignment guides may be removed and reusable and this is typically desirable from a cost perspective as well as for ease of use with wood studs. However, the alignment guides (or selected alignment guides) may also remain on the building component if desired.
[0078] In an embodiment, when steel stud construction is preferred, the alignment guides may remain with the wall, floor or ceiling constructed. Allowing alignment guides to become integral to the structure of a wall, floor or ceiling may aid in the consolidation of internal parts and external parts, increase in accuracy and efficiency and decrease costs.
[0079] In another embodiment, a header/footer alignment guide 20 can replace a groove alignment guide 40 by not fastening the stud in place and by coating that stud with plastic or tape to prevent bonding with foam and so once assembly is completed the stud could then be removed leaving the foam cavity. This cavity is of the same dimension as created by a groove alignment guide 40 . This makes the kit simpler in that only a header/footer alignment guide 20 and a tongue alignment guide 30 are required which results in less expense and smaller storage of alignment guides. It will be understood that even one of the multiple types of alignment guides or two or three and any variety therein may be used. As well, a kit comprised of any number of the three types of alignment guides is also contemplated, the three types being the header/footer alignment guide, tongue alignment guide and groove alignment guide. As well as kits with these alignment guides in sizes all designed for 2×4 studs or 2×6 studs or 2×8 studs etc. Or a kit with fixed and adjustable alignment guides or just adjustable alignment guides. And to any of these kits can be added rotatable alignment guides.
[0080] When using the various types of alignment guides together the tongue alignment guides may be used at either end of a construction sheet or a row of construction sheets, to align the edges of the construction sheet or sheets, and if there is a row of construction sheets a further tongue alignment guide may be placed in the center or for longer rows at equal spacing. And likewise the groove alignment guide may be used to align the edge of a construction sheet. With one construction sheet, two tongue alignment guides could be used to align the edges of one side of a construction sheet and one header/footer alignment guide could be used at both the head and foot of the construction sheet and a single groove alignment guide used on the other side of the construction sheet. With rows of construction sheets, additional alignment guides may be used or different sized guides may be used that are adapted and fixed or adjustable.
[0081] Alignment guides that have a trough shape and channels on either side are capable of being used to build either a stud frame with no construction sheets attached but a construction sheet may be used for alignment purposes, or a single construction sheet wall or a double construction sheet wall and also with foam or without. Fixed or adjustable alignment guides may also be made with only a channel on one side for single construction sheet walls or stud frame with no construction sheet. References to wall will be understood to include the same construction for a ceiling or floor.
[0082] In an embodiment one or more of the alignment guides are attached together, through mechanical fastening or welding, rather than being separate components. The attached alignment guides only need one of the guides to be indexed to only one edge of the construction sheet (or the guides on one edge to be indexed if there is more than one guide on that edge). It is understood that one can use one or two or three edges of the construction sheet for alignment with the alignment guides attached together. In an embodiment the alignment guides are mechanically attached together and are not attached to a construction sheet to form a frame from which to build a wall, floor or ceiling.
[0083] It is well known and understood in the construction industry that walls are made not only in different sizes and shapes but also in different thickness. Due to the adaptability of the alignment guides, they can be manufactured in multiple size configurations to accommodate different thickness in walls and for single, double or triple header configurations. The header/footer alignment guides can be printed, stamped or molded with markings such as volume, measurement or building code information that in the case of a mold can also transfer onto the insulation if the guide is in contact with the insulation, particularly foam insulation. Various wall, floor or ceilings may be created using the present invention, such as fiberglass walls or walls of other molding type material as the construction sheet material.
[0084] In an embodiment there is an adaptable alignment guide embodying the components of the alignment guides 20 , 30 and 40 with basic adjustments to accommodate the different thickness of the wall, floor or ceiling. An embodiment of the adaptable alignment guide 378 is shown in FIG. 13 in which there are two detachable right-angle shaped base units 380 (each with a bottom and side) which attach together through fasteners on side slots 390 and two side arm units 370 which attach to the bases 380 through fasteners to bottom slots 390 and which base unit attaches a side arm unit through slots 395 and side holes 397 . Bottom slots 390 and side slots 395 allow for movement relative to each part to adjust for different thickness of wall construction. Such fasteners could be bolts. The adaptable alignment guide 378 allows for a single alignment guide to accommodate multi-sized wall and construction sheet 110 thicknesses. Given that either multiple alignment guides or different alignment guides of selected fixed sizes or alignment guides of adjustable size may be used, the corresponding wall, ceiling or floor may also be of varying sizes.
[0085] In an embodiment, a wall, floor or ceiling could be rotatable for ease of assembly, pouring insulation or simply accessing the other side of the wall, floor or ceiling. An embodiment of a rotatable alignment guide 440 , shown in FIG. 14 , in its simplest depiction has corner holes 420 for fasteners to attach it at about the center line of the head or foot of the wall, floor or ceiling either to the construction sheet(s) and/or to the header/footer alignment guide. Support for this rotatable alignment guide could be any convenient structure on the construction site or could be custom fabricated for the purpose therein. Once attached, any holding means, such as a construction pipe, is inserted into the insertion opening 410 to act as the rotational point. One rotatable alignment guide is secured at the footer and another rotatable alignment guide is secured at the header, each with a holding means such as a pipe or pole, to form an axis of rotation.
[0086] The alignment guides allow for any length of height of wall, floor or ceiling to be constructed on the ground horizontally and lifted into place, and mechanical equipment may be used for lifting due to heavy weight. Errors may be easier to see and correct when a wall or other building component is lying down. The alignment guides eliminate the use of chalk lines and expensive lasers resulting in less acquisition and usage of equipment, and reducing the set up time therein.
[0087] Running of services may be also much quicker and easier when a wall or other building component is in the horizontal plane.
[0088] From the above detailed description of the invention, the operation and construction of same should be apparent. While there are herein shown and described example embodiments of the invention, it is nevertheless understood that various changes may be made with respect thereto without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as measured by the following claims. | The invention pertains to the field of construction of buildings and structures. The invention relates to alignment guides for constructing building components, namely walls, ceilings and floors to be used in buildings and structures. This invention also relates to kits of specific alignment guides and methods of using alignment guides. | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing machine, more particularly, to a washing machine having a floatage clutch that perform's the intermittence of power in cleansing and dehydrating operations by using the floatage thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally speaking, washing machines are used to clean, rinse, and dehydrate clothes and the like by using a mechanical operation via an electric driving motor. The washing machine includes a cleansing part for performing a cleansing work, and a driving part for driving the cleansing part. The washing machines can be classified into agitator type washing machines, drum type washing machines, and pulsator type washing machines according to a cleansing manner of the cleansing part.
The cleansing part of the pulsator type washing machine as described above, as shown in FIG. 1 , includes a water tub 12 installed in a case 10 , a cleansing basket 14 rotatably contained in the water tub 12 , a pulsator 16 disposed at the bottom of the cleansing basket for forming a water stream, a water tab 17 , and a drain valve 18 . The cleansing basket 14 is punched with numerous dehydration holes 14 a in a sidewall thereof.
In addition, the driving part includes a driving motor 20 , a transmission 30 and a clutch mechanism 40 for driving the pulsator 16 and the cleansing basket 14 by receiving a driving force of the driving motor 20 , a belt connection means for transferring the driving force of the driving motor 20 to the clutch mechanism 40 , and a brake means for maintaining the stable fixed state of the transmission 30 .
As shown in FIG. 2 , the transmission 30 includes a gear box 32 , an upper and lower pulsator shafts 33 and 34 connected each other via a gear means disposed within the gear box 32 , and a spin shaft 35 fixed to the gear box 32 (See FIG. 4 ). The upper pulsator shaft 33 is designed to be rotatably fitted in the spin shaft 35 and connected to the pulsator 16 . The spin shaft 35 is connected to the cleansing basket 14 and fixed to the gear box 32 . The lower pulsator shaft 34 is formed with a serration part 341 on the lower end thereof and constructed to be protruded exceeding the gear box 32 downwardly (See FIG. 3 .).
As shown in FIG. 3 , the clutch mechanism 40 includes a spin shaft block 42 fixed to the lower end of the gear box 32 , a spring block 46 disposed on the one side of the spin shaft block 42 , which is engaged with the serration part 341 of the lower pulsator shaft 34 and fixed to a pulley 44 of the belt connection means, and an one-way spring 48 disposed to be surrounded the spin shaft block 42 and the spring block 46 (See FIG. 1 ). Here, a tight fastening state and a releasing state of the one-way spring 48 is controlled according to the rotating direction thereof.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 4 , the gear means constructed in the gear box 32 of the transmission 30 includes a pinion gear 50 attached to the lower end of the upper pulsator shaft 33 , an eccentric crank 52 formed with a rack gear portion 521 to be engaged with the pinion gear 50 , a first gear 54 disposed on the same rotating axial line to be engaged with the eccentric crank 52 , and a second gear 56 attached to the upper end of the lower pulsator shaft 34 to be engaged with the first gear 54 .
The brake means includes a brake disk 60 disposed under the gear box 32 , a brake fictional portion 62 formed on the top surface of a frame 19 of suspension means, which has a corresponding shape to the brake disk 60 , and position adjustment means (not shown) for controlling the separation and contact states between the brake disk 60 and the brake frictional portion 62 by vertically adjusting the position of the gear box 32 according to the operating direction of the driving motor 20 (See FIG. 1 ).
A washing process of the pulsator type washing machine constructed as described above includes the following steps in order: 1) a water supply step for supplying water into the cleansing basket 14 through the water tab 17 ; 2) a cleansing step for circulating the water and laundry during a desired time via the rotating operation of the pulsator 16 ; 3) a rinsing step for rinsing the laundry as much as certain times by supplying clear rising water not containing any detergents after draining the water through the drain valve 18 ; and 4) a dehydrating step for driving the cleansing basket 14 at a high speed to dehydrate the laundry.
In the water supply step of the washing process, the water just entered through the water tab 17 is changed into a cleansing water containing a detergent with by passing in a detergent container. Also, in the cleansing step, a removal work of contaminants clinging to the laundry is performed under a chemical operation of detergent contained in the cleansing water as well as a physical operation of the pulsator 16 . The pulsator 16 is repeatedly rotated, that is intermittently reversed, in forward and backward by the transmission 30 , so that a both directional water stream composed of a left-and-right water stream and an up-and-down water stream can be formed to effectively perform the cleansing work of the laundry.
Then, in a state that the clear rinsing water not containing the detergent is supplied during the rinsing step, the detergent clinging to the laundry is also effectively removed by using the both directional water streams formed by the rotation of the pulsator 16 in the same manner with the cleansing step. Finally, in the dehydrating step, the cleansing basket 14 is rotated in one direction at a high speed after the rinsing water is completely drained, then the water contained in the laundry can be discharged via the dehydration holes 14 a due to centrifugal force. In this case, the laundry is tightly contacting with the inner wall of the cleansing basket 14 .
In the dehydrating step, since the cleansing basket 14 and the pulsator 16 are simultaneously rotated in the same direction, it is possible to prevent the damage of the laundry from being caught to the pulsator 16 . Also, the water discharged through the dehydration holes 14 a of the cleansing basket 14 is drained out of the washing machine as soon as the drain valve 18 is opened.
Meanwhile, the rotating operation of the cleansing basket 14 and the pulsator 16 in all steps are performed by the driving part as described above. The operation of the driving part will be explained in detail as follows.
First of all, in the cleansing step, the pulley 44 is rotated in clockwise direction by the driving force of the driving motor 20 , and then the spring block 46 connected with the pulley 44 and the lower pulsator shaft 34 coupled with the serration portion of the spring block 46 are rotated. At this time, the one-way spring 48 loosened, and since the brake disk 60 and the brake frictional portion 62 are in tightly contact with each other, so the gear box 32 is in a fixed state. In addition, as the lower pulsator shaft 34 is rotated, the first gear 54 engaged with the second gear 56 and the second gear 56 within the gear box 32 are rotated, and at the same time, the eccentric crank 52 disposed on the same rotating axial line of the first gear 54 is actuated.
In this case, the eccentric crank 52 is linearly reciprocated about the rotating axial line due to the structural feature thereof then the upper pulsator shaft 33 can be reciprocated by the pinion gear 50 engaged with the rack gear portion 521 of the eccentric crank 52 , and consequently the pulsator 16 can be achieved in the forward and backward rotation.
Additionally, in the dehydrating step, the driving motor 20 is rotated in counterclockwise direction in opposite to the cleansing step, and the spring block 46 connected with the pulley 44 and the lower pulsator shaft 34 coupled with the spring block 46 are rotated in counterclockwise direction. In this case, the one-way spring 48 is fastened so that the spring block 46 and the spin shaft block 42 can be coupled, and the brake disk 60 and the brake frictional part 62 are separated by the operation of the position adjustment mechanism. Therefore, the gear box 32 and the spin shaft 35 are rotated with the spin shaft block 42 . Since, the upper pulsator shaft 33 is rotated in the same direction, then the cleansing basket 14 and the pulsator 16 are rotated at the same time to perform a dehydrating work.
According to the related pulsator type washing machine, because the pulsator 16 is rotated in forward and backward to generate the complex water stream, the effect of cleansing is relatively high. And, the conversion from the cleansing step to the dehydrating step is automatically performed due to the conversion of operating direction of the driving motor 20 and the linking structure of the transmission 30 and the clutch mechanism 40 .
However, substantial problems exist in this related construction. First of all, the structures of the transmission 30 and the clutch mechanism 40 for transferring the driving force of the driving motor 20 to the pulsator 16 and the cleansing basket 14 have complex structures, which deteriorates the productivity of the washing machine. Also, since the cleansing work is performed only by the simple forward and backward rotation of the pulsator 16 , it is impossible to achieve various cleansing operations suitable for the feature of the laundry, thereby deteriorating a merchant ability of the washing machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to overcome the above-described problems. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine having a floatage clutch, which can smoothly switch the power transmission in the conversion from the cleansing step to the dehydrating step by using the floatage thereof, and which can secure the stability of the switching process.
To achieve the above objects, there is provided a washing machine comprises a water tub; a cleansing basket rotatably contained within the water tub; a pulsator rotatably mounted on the bottom surface of the cleansing basket, having a wing part for forming a water stream, and a hub part disposed in the center of the wing part; a motor for generating a driving force required to rotate the cleansing basket and the pulsator; a transmission for transmitting the driving force of the motor to the cleansing basket and the pulsator, having a hollow dryer shaft integrated to the cleansing basket; and a washing shaft mounted to penetrate the hollow dryer shaft, whose upper end of the transmission is fixed to the hub part of the pulsator, and whose lower end thereof is connected with the motor; and a floatage clutch for allowing the cleansing basket to selectively cooperate with the pulsator by being intermittently actuated depending on the existence and nonexistence of water, having a float engaged with the washing shaft to be capable of moving up and down due to the supply/drain of the water, and a fixed member fixed to the upper end of the hollow dryer shaft to be separated from and coupled with the float at the lower side thereof.
The shielding means is shaped as a ring to be protruded at the bottom of the wing part of the pulsator exceeding the cleansing basket downwardly, and includes a water blocking part surrounding the float.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view illustrating the construction of a related washing machine.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the construction of a transmission of the related washing machine.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the construction of a clutch mechanism of the related washing machine.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the construction of gear means applied in the transmission of the related washing machine.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the construction of essential parts of a washing machine in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 6 is a state view illustrating the operation of the floatage clutch applied in the embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 . In the following description, same drawing reference numerals are endowed in the same parts with the related construction.
First, FIG. 5 shows a washing machine in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention. The washing machine includes a water tub 12 , a cleansing basket 14 contained within the water tub 12 , a pulsator 16 rotatably mounted in the cleansing basket 14 , a transmission 70 for controlling the rotating direction of the pulsator 16 and the cleansing basket 14 ; and a floatage clutch 80 for allowing the cleansing basket 14 to selectively cooperate with the pulsator 16 by being intermittently actuated depending on the existence and nonexistence of water.
Here, the pulsator 16 is rotatably mounted on the bottom surface of the cleansing basket 14 , and includes a wing part 161 for forming a water stream, and a hub part 162 disposed in the center of the wing part 161 .
The transmission 70 includes a hollow dryer shaft 72 integrated to the bottom surface of the cleansing basket 14 , several bearings 76 supporting the hollow dryer shaft 72 , and a washing shaft 74 mounted to penetrate the hollow dryer shaft 72 . The upper end of the washing shaft 74 is fixed to the hub part 162 of the pulsator 16 , and the lower end of the washing shaft 74 is connected with the motor 22 .
In addition, the floatage clutch 80 includes a float 82 coupled with the washing shaft 74 to be capable of moving up and down, and a fixed member 83 fixed to the upper end of the hollow dryer shaft 72 . The fixed member can be separated from and coupled with the float at the lower side of the float.
The float 82 includes a hub portion 821 to be coupled with a serration portion of the washing shaft 74 , and a tube portion 822 constructed around the hub portion 821 . The hub portion 821 of the float 82 is formed with a convex-concave shape bottom surface, and the tube portion 822 is shaped as a blinded hollow tube. Also, the fixed member 83 is formed with a convex-concave shape top surface to be engaged with the bottom surface of the hub portion 821 of the float 82 .
Furthermore, the washing machine in accordance with the present embodiment comprises shielding means for partially shielding the joint region between the float 82 of the floatage clutch 80 and the washing shaft 74 in order to prevent the joint region from being contact with the water. The shielding means is shaped as a ring to be protruded at the bottom of the wing part 161 of the pulsator 16 exceeding the cleansing basket 14 downwardly, and includes a water blocking part 163 surrounding the tub portion 822 of the float 82 .
The washing machine constructed as described above will be operated as follow.
First, if a given quantity of water is supplied into the cleansing basket 14 in the water supply step, the float 82 is floated up and separated from the fixed member 83 due to die floatage thereof as shown in FIG. 8 a . The floatage clutch 80 is reached to a power cutoff state, so the driving force of the motor 22 is transferred only to the washing shaft 74 .
In this power cutoff state of the floatage clutch 80 , when the motor 22 is driven, only the pulsator 16 connected with the washing shaft 74 is rotated in the initial of the cleansing step. After that, the motor 22 is repeatedly driven in forward and backward, then the pulsator 16 also is rotated in forward and backward direction in the same manner with the motor. The motor and the pulsator is intermittently conversed in forward and backward rotation.
Due to the forward and backward rotation of the pulsator 16 , a rotating water stream can be formed. Further, if the pulsator 16 is continuously rotated in one direction more than a certain time, the cleansing basket 14 is also rotated in the same direction with the pulsator by the water stream. Thus, the water can be discharged via dehydration holes 14 a out of the cleansing basket 14 due to the centrifugal force. Furthermore, the discharged water can be again flown into the cleansing basket 14 through a fluid channel between the cleansing basket 14 and the water tub 12 . This washing manner is designated as a centrifugal washing manner (so-called waterfall current washing manner).
The washing process is performed a cleansing step, a rinsing step, and a dehydrating step in order. Just before the dehydrating step, as the water used for rinsing laundry is drained, the floatage is gradually eliminated. Thus, as shown in FIG. 8 b , the float 82 begins to drop by the weight thereof, and the hub portion 821 of the float 82 and the fixed member 83 are engaged with each other, so the floatage clutch 80 is switched into a power transmission state.
In this power transmission state of the floatage clutch 80 , when the washing shaft 74 is driven by the motor 22 , the float 82 engaged with the washing shaft 74 is rotated. At the same time, the fixed member 83 engaged with the hub portion 821 of the float 82 and the cleansing basket 14 coupled with the fixed member 83 also are rotated in the same direction with the washing shaft 74 .
When the cleansing basket 14 is rapidly rotated in one direction and then the laundry becomes tightly contact with the inner wall of the cleansing basket 14 , the water contained in the laundry can be discharged via the dehydration holes 14 a due to the centrifugal force. The cleansing basket 14 and the pulsator 16 are simultaneously rotated in the same direction as described above, so it is possible to prevent the laundry from being caught to the pulsator, and consequently to prevent the damage of the laundry.
Meantime, in accordance with the present embodiment, a space above the float 82 to be closed by the water blocking part 163 is closed as the water is supplied during the cleansing step. Therefore, when the water invaded into the water blocking part 163 , the float 82 is moved upwardly exceeding a desired distance due to floatage. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the water from being entered inside the water blocking part 163 any more due to the inner air pressure of the water blocking part 163 .
In this way, since the tip end of the washing shaft 74 exposed out of the float 82 upwardly does not contact with the water even if the water is supplied, the operating stability of the floatage clutch 80 can be improved.
Since various foreign impurities fell down from the laundry are mixed in the water during the cleansing step, the various foreign impurities mixed in the water become interposed between the float 82 and the washing shaft 74 if the water invaded the washing shaft 74 . Consequently it is possible to prevent the smooth conversion of the floatage clutch 80 by blocking the motion of the float 82 .
As described above, the washing machine according to the present invention can provide the following advantages. The power transmission in the conversion from the cleansing step to the dehydrating step can be easily switched due to the floatage clutch of simple structure. Also, since the operation stability of the floatage clutch is improved due to the shielding means, the merchant ability and the productivity thereof can be increased.
While the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. | The present invention relates a washing machine of direct drive pulsator manner that is directly connected to a motor. In this washing machine, the conversion of cleansing/dehydrating processes can be smoothly achieved by a floatage clutch capable of being actuated by floatage and gravity to be induced during the supply/drain of water. | 3 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to material deposition; and more particularly, to a planetary type multi-substrate holder system for pulse laser deposition.
Particularly, the present invention relates to a gearless substrate holder capable of withstanding high temperatures, common for material deposition processes, and free of failures associated with mechanical malfunctions of geared substrate holders.
Additionally, the present invention relates to a multi-substrate holder having a plurality of circularly shaped openings in each of which an individual substrate is held and self-rotated once the multi-substrate holder is driven to rotate in either the vertical or horizontal plane. When the multi-substrate holder is rotated vertically, each substrate is self-rotated by gravity assist. When the multi-substrate holder is rotated in horizontal plane, each substrate is self-rotated due to centrifugal forces applied thereto and created by rotation of the multi-substrate holder.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Typically, conventional planetary substrate holders employ mechanical gears to which substrates are attached and by which the substrates are rotated for material deposition thereon. The mechanical gears constitute a “bottleneck” area of the material deposition systems since they often develop mechanical malfunctions as a result of continuous use. Additionally, they are vulnerable to high temperature processes typical in material deposition processes. In addition to a limited lifetime and problems associated with high temperature applications, the conventional geared substrate holders have relatively high inventory cost since an individual mechanical gear is needed for each substrate holder.
It is therefore highly desirable in the material deposition art, especially for pulse laser deposition, to provide a multi-substrate holder which does not need a gear for each substrate rotation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a planetary gearless multi-substrate holder with an extended lifetime which easily withstands high temperature applications and results in lowering the final product cost due to the increase of production speed of a material deposition process.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a gearless substrate holder having a plurality of circumferentially shaped openings of a predetermined diameter in each of which a substrate of circular shape is maintained and self-rotates due either to gravitational or centrifugal forces applied to the substrates when the substrate holder is driven to rotate either in the vertical or horizontal planes, respectively.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for material deposition by using a multi-substrate holder with a plurality of openings defined therein in each of which a substrate self-rotates without a mechanical gear and relies on gravity assist or centrifugal force applied to the substrates when the multi-substrate holder is rotated.
Although the present invention may find its utility in a variety of systems for material deposition, the specific usefulness of the present invention is foreseen in the area of pulse laser deposition. In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a planetary multi-substrate holder system includes a substrate holder having a plurality of circumferentially shaped openings of a first diameter, a mechanism for rotating the substrate holder about the center of rotation thereof, and an annularly shaped element attached to the sample holder at each of the openings and extending along the peripheral thereof. Preferably, the openings defined within the substrate holder are equidistantly spaced along the circumference of the substrate holder.
Circularly shaped substrates of a diameter smaller than the diameter of each opening are positioned within the openings and held therein by the annularly shaped elements with a portion of the contour of each substrate in contiguous contact with a respective portion of the contour of an opening. Such contiguous contact between the contours of the substrate and the opening is maintained either by gravitational force applied to the substrate, when the substrate holder rotates in the vertical plane; or by centrifugal force applied to the substrate from the center of rotation of the substrate holder when the latter rotates in the horizontal plane.
It is of importance that there is a ledge extending in coinciding relationship with the contour of each opening in order that the respective portion of the contour of each substrate leans or abuts against the ledge when the substrate holder rotates. When the substrate holder rotates in vertical direction, a portion of the contour of each substrate presses against the lowermost portion of the contour of the opening. When the substrate holder rotates horizontally, the substrates press against the portion of the contour of the openings the most distant from the center of rotation of the substrate holder.
Each annularly shaped element can be attached to the substrate holder either by fasteners, or, when the annularly shaped elements are made of ferromagnetic metal, they can be secured against the substrate holder by means of a magnet unit positioned at a side of the substrate holder opposite to the annularly shaped elements thus holding the same attached to the substrate holder.
Viewing another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for material deposition which comprises the following steps:
positioning a substrate holder at a predetermined location relative to a target containing at least one deposition material where the substrate holder has a plurality of substantially circularly shaped openings of a predetermined diameter,
securing substrates in respective openings where each substrate is substantially circularly shaped substrate having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the openings,
rotating the substrate holder in either a vertical or horizontal plane to cause self-rotation of each substrate within its respective opening due to the gravitational force applied to each substrate (when the substrate holder is vertically rotated) or due to centrifugal force caused by rotation of the substrate holder in horizontal plane, and
directing an energetic beam towards the target to ablate the deposition material(s) therefrom to deposit the same on the self-rotating substrates. It is essential that no scanning of the energetic beam over the surface of the target is needed for the material deposition technique of the present invention and for obtaining high-quality films on the substrates.
These and other novel features and advantages of the subject invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the material deposition system using a gearless planetary multi-substrate holder system of the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates the geometric concept for the self-planetary substrate holder system;
FIGS. 3A-3F illustrate schematically the mechanism of self-rotation of a circularly shaped substrate within an opening;
FIG. 4 shows a substrate holder of the present invention with six disk-like substrates;
FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the substrate holder of FIG. 4 taken along lines 5 — 5 thereof; and,
FIG. 6 shows a thickness profile for a YSB film deposited on a substrate at 800° C. using the technique of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 1, a planetary multi-substrate holder system 10 of the present invention is shown for material deposition which includes a substrate holder 12 having a plurality of circumferentially shaped openings 14 formed in the substrate holder 12 . A drive mechanism 16 rotates the substrate holder 12 . A plurality of substrates 18 are maintained within the openings 14 to be rotatively aligned with a target 20 containing one or more of deposition materials to be deposited onto the surface of the substrates 18 . A laser 22 producing a beam which is directed toward the target 20 to ablate the deposition material therefrom and to create a plume directed towards the substrates 18 , so that the material can be deposited onto the surface of the substrates 18 as it is known to those skilled in the art.
Although any number of the openings 14 can be defined in the substrate holder 12 , the system illustrated in FIG. 1 includes six openings 14 of the same or differing diameters, not important to the inventive concept as herein defined with the exception that the opening 14 be of sufficient diameter to accommodate the substrates 18 . In general openings 14 are equidistantly spaced apart along the circumference of the substrate holder 12 . The substrate holder can be rotated by mechanism 16 which includes a standard commercially available motor 24 which drives rotational shaft 26 coupled between the motor 24 and the center of rotation 28 of the substrate holder 12 in order to rotate the substrate holder in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. The substrate holder 12 is preferably a substantially circularly shaped holder, in order that the rotational center 28 coincides with its geometric center. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the substrate holder 12 can be rotated either in a vertical plane or in a horizontal plane.
As best shown in FIGS. 1, 4 , and 5 , in order to hold the substrates 18 within their respective openings 14 , a holding mechanism is provided which includes an annularly shaped element 30 attached to each opening coaxially therewith and extending along the contour of each opening 14 . As best shown in FIG. 5, each opening 14 is provided with a ledge 32 extending along the contour of the opening so that a portion 34 of the substrate 18 abuts or leans against the ledge. A different portion of the contour of the substrate 18 has a contact with the ledge 32 at each time interval during rotation of the substrate holder. In order to secure the substrate 18 within the ledge 32 , the annularly shaped element 30 is attached to the substrate holder 12 either by fasteners 46 , as best shown in FIG. 1, or by a mechanism shown in FIG. 5, which includes a magnetic unit 38 positioned at a side of the substrate holder 12 opposite to the position of the annularly shaped element 30 . When the annularly shaped element 30 is formed of a ferromagnetic metal, the magnet unit 38 will attract the element 30 , thus pressing the same against the substrate holder 12 and securing the annularly shaped element 30 thereto. At each time increment of rotation of the substrate holder 12 , a respective portion of the substrate 18 is held between the ledge 32 and the annularly shaped element 30 , as best shown in FIG. 5 .
The principles of the present invention will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 2-4. With regard to FIG. 2, which represents a geometric concept for the self-planetary multi-substrate holder system 10 of the present invention, the circle 40 is the equivalent of the circumferentially shaped opening 14 , and the circle 42 is the equivalent of the substrate 18 of a diameter smaller than that of the circle 40 . When the substrate holder is positioned vertically, the lowermost portion 44 of the circle 42 will touch the portion 46 of the circle 40 due to the gravitational force applied to the circle 42 . As it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, combination of the gravitational force F g (pressing the portion of the circle 42 against the contours of the circle 40 ) and the friction F f between the contours of the circles 40 and 42 will cause the circle 42 to roll inside the circle 40 . Thus, due to the gravitational force and rotation of the circle 40 , a “self-rotation” of the circle 42 is observed during the rotational movement of the circle 40 . The rotation angle of the circle 40 is always smaller than the rotational angle of the circle 42 due to the difference in radiances R A and R B , i.e., the circle 42 rolls faster than the circle 40 rotates.
The difference between the rotation angle of the circles 40 and 42 can be obtained as follows:
the total distance which a mark on a circumference of a circle will travel during one turn of a circle is equal to the circumference of the circle, as shown in equations (1) and (2):
L A =2π R A (1)
L B =2π R B (2)
wherein L A and L B are the circumferences of the circles 40 and 42 , and R A and R B are the radii of the circles 40 and 42 .
Defining D R as the difference between two circles radii, the relationship between the radius of the circles 40 and 42 is as follows:
R A =R B +D R (3)
Therefore,
L B =2π( R A −R B )=2π R A −2π R D =L A −2π R D (4)
indicating that L B is shorter than L A by 2πR D .
When the circle 40 rotates one turn, the smaller circle 42 should roll over the equal length of the circumference L A of the circle 40 . Since L B is smaller than L A , the circle 42 rotates more than 360° to compensate for the difference of 2πR D . For a 2″ diameter disk-like circle 42 placed inside a 2.1″ circle 40 , for example, L A =6.594″, L B =6.28″, and 2πR D =0.314″, indicating that the circle 42 should rotate by 378° to compensate for 0.314″ when the circle 40 rotates by 360°. Therefore, since at each turn of the circle 40 , the circle 42 rotates 18° more, then 20 turns of the circle 40 will result in one complete self-rotation of the circle 42 (in addition to rotation along with the circle 40 ).
Turning now to FIGS. 3A-3F, showing schematically positions of the inner circle 42 within the outer circle 40 after each turn of the circle 40 , it is shown that prior to rotating the circle 40 , the position marks 48 (of the circle 42 ) and 50 (of the circle 40 ) have zero angular difference therebetween, as shown in FIG. 3 A. After one turn of the circle 40 , when the mark 50 takes its initial position, the inner circle 42 self-rotates 378° so that, as can be seen in FIG. 3B, there is an angular difference between the marks 48 and 50 , which is 18°. After two turns of the circle 40 , as shown in FIG. 3C, the angular difference between the marks 48 and 50 will be 36°. The continuous rotation of the circle 40 , as shown in sequence in FIGS. 3A-3F, results in self-rotation of the circle 42 inside of the circle 40 which is seen where the identification mark 50 continuously changes the position thereof within the circle 40 .
The principles of self-rotation of the circle 42 within the circle 40 presented in the previous paragraphs with regard to FIGS. 2 and 3 A- 3 F, are taken advantage of in the multi-substrate holder shown in FIG. 4, which represents an example of a self-planetary holder for six disk-like substrates 18 . Each fall rotation of the substrate holder 12 results in one turn for every circumferentially shaped opening 14 ; while, for each substrate 18 , it will result in one complete turn thereof plus travel distance=2πR D , as shown in FIG. 2 .
Referring again to FIGS. 1, 4 , and 5 , during self-rotation, the portion 34 of the substrate 18 is held between the substrate holder 12 and the annularly shaped elements 30 and abuts or leans against the ledge 32 . For a gravity based multi-substrate holder of the present invention, i.e., when the substrate holder rotates in the vertical plane, as shown in FIG. 1, a portion of the substrate 18 will always be in contiguous contact with the lowermost portion of the contour of each opening 14 .
If however, the substrate holder 12 rotates in the horizontal plane, as also shown in FIG. 1, with the speed of rotation of the substrate holder 12 being dependent upon deposition parameters of the laser 22 , target 20 and substrate size, it is the centrifugal force (not the gravity), which creates a contiguous contact between the portion 34 of the substrate 18 and the portion of the contour of each opening 14 which in this case is the portion distal from the center of rotation of the substrate holder 12 . Thus, in the horizontally rotating substrate holder system of the present invention, it is a centrifugal force directed radially, as shown in FIG. 1, which causes the self-rotation of the substrates 18 in the respective openings 14 . The geometric principles, presented in previous paragraphs with regard to FIGS. 2 and 3, however, remain the same in the case of the horizontal rotation of the substrate holder as is the case of the vertical rotation of the substrate holder 12 .
The portion 34 of the substrate 18 which is self-rotating within the opening 14 during the rotation of the substrate holder 12 continually moves along the contour of the substrate 18 , while the portion of the contour of the opening 14 always remains the same, i.e., for vertical rotation the lowermost portion of the contour of the opening 14 , and for horizontal rotation, the most distant portion from the center of rotation of the substrate holder 12 .
Using the multi-substrate holder system of the present invention, described in previous paragraphs and shown in FIGS. 1, 4 , and 5 , 2800 Å thick YSZ film was deposited on a 2″ in diameter silicon (100) substrate by pulsed laser deposition at 800° C. The YSZ film deposition was performed with a self-planetary multi-substrate holder system 10 without any laser beam scanning. The film thickness homogeneity, as shown in FIG. 6, was about +/−2.75% for 80% of the total film area from the center of the substrate. Less than +/−1.5% of the thickness homogeneity (within 80% of the total area of the substrate) was frequently observed from 3000 Å thick YSZ or Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 TiO 3 films deposited on 2″ in diameter substrates at 650° C. These results provide sufficient films mass production quality by use of the self-planetary multi-substrate holder system of the present invention.
In the gearless system of the present invention, multiple substrates can be simultaneously self-rotated for material deposition thereon, thus providing the system free of the shortcomings of conventional geared planetary substrate holders, and yielding extended lifetime of the system, increase of the production speed, reducing of the final product cost, and agreeability with the high temperature technological processes.
Although this invention has been described in connection with specific forms and embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that various modifications other than those discussed above may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, equivalent elements may be substituted for those specifically shown and described, certain features may be used independently of other features, and in certain cases, particular locations of elements may be reversed or interposed, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. | A planetary multi-substrate holder system for material deposition includes a substrate holder having circumferentially shaped openings in which disk-like substrates of a smaller diameter than the diameter of the openings are maintained. Upon rotation of the substrate holder, either in a vertical plane, or in a horizontal plane, the substrates self-rotate within each opening due to either gravity force (for vertically rotated substrate holder), or due to centrifugal force (for horizontally rotated substrate holder) applied to the substrates. The planetary multi-substrate system obviates the need for mechanical individual gears to rotate substrates for material deposition, and, as a sequence, yields an extended service life of the system, as well as agreeability with high temperatures used in material deposition process, and reduced cost of a final product. | 2 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/417,655, filed Apr. 17, 2003 and entitled “Low-Noise, Crossed-Field Devices Such as a Microwave Magnetron, Microwave Oven Utilizing Same and Method of Converting a Noisy Magnetron to a Low-Noise Magnetron.”
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
This invention was made with Government support under Grant Nos. F49620-99-1-0297, 149620-02-1-0089 and F49620-00-1-0088, awarded by the AFOSR. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to low-noise, crossed-field devices such as microwave magnetrons, microwave ovens utilizing same and crossed-field amplifiers.
2. Background Art
The noise generation mechanisms of linear electron beam devices are well known. Generally, fluctuations of cathode electron emission excite space charge waves, which propagate along the electron beam. Calculations and computations of noise figures in linear devices agree with experiments. Methods of noise suppression in linear tubes are at a very advanced stage. On the other hand, noise generation mechanisms in cross-field devices are not presently understood and predictive computational calculations do not exist. Methods of noise suppression in crossed-field devices have not previously been practically realized.
Existing magnetrons and crossed-field amplifiers use an azimuthally-symmetric, axial magnetic field, shown in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b (exterior dashed line in FIG. 1 b ). In a standard microwave oven magnetron such as the magnetron, generally indicated at 70 , of FIG. 7 , permanent magnets 72 generate about 1 kGauss on the face, resulting in about 1.7 kGauss on-axis, at the midpoint between the two magnets 72 . The magnetron 70 also typically includes a microwave output post 73 , a magnetic metal yoke 74 , cooling fins 75 , a vacuum envelope 76 which contains cavities, a metal box containing chokes 77 and electrical cathode/filament connections 78 . Such standard noisy magnetrons generate a copious amount of microwave noise near the carrier and more widely-spaced sidebands, as shown in one of the data plots of FIG. 5 .
As described by J. M. Osepchuk in the 1995 article entitled “The Cooker Magnetron as a Standard in Crossed-Field Research,” P ROCEEDINGS O F T HE F IRST I NTERNATIONAL W ORKSHOP O N C ROSSED -F IELD D EVICES , Ann Arbor, Mich., Aug. 15-16, 1995, University of Michigan, “The existence of magnetron noise is assuming a very practical aspect. There are over 200 million microwave ovens in the world operating at 2.45 GHz. There also are plans for a wide variety of new ‘wireless’ services to operate with frequency allocations ranging from 1.5 GHz to 3.0 GHz and possibly even higher, especially at 5.8 GHz. There are some serious questions about the potential that some of these systems will encounter unacceptable interference from microwave ovens—i.e., the sideband noise. Thus the characteristics of microwave oven noise are being studied extensively and there are plans for interim and final (tighter) specifications to limit such noise through regulations originating in current activities of the CISPR community within the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). Because the noise is predominantly at low anode currents most of the time, microwave oven noise shows up as sub-millisecond pulses of noise. Some experts believe modern digital and spread-spectrum communication techniques can live with this. On the other hand, if discrete spurious signals show up especially at close to peak current, the RFI might not be tolerable. The magnitude of the peak noise or spurious in the worst cases is of the order of 100 dB above a pW as measured in a 1 MHz bandwidth or even higher (or similar numbers in units of μV/m as measured at 3 meters from the oven). At present some authorities are investigating peak limits near such levels along with limits 30 to 40 dB lower when using narrow video bandwidths (e.g. 100 Hz) to yield ‘average’ measures of the noise.”
As further described in the above-noted article, “Cooker magnetron noise, therefore, will attract regulatory pressure in the future at the same time that others, i.e., the DOE in the U.S., are pressuring for higher oven efficiency which is, in principle, associated with higher noise. At the same time there are other magnetron-driven ISM devices that may amplify the concern about noise, e.g., the microwave ‘sulfur’ lamps, that are very efficient light sources that some day may operate for many hours per night illuminating large areas in buildings and parking lots, etc. One can presume that users of magnetrons may be forced to find ways of reducing such noise. Otherwise, competing devices might for the first time in history pose a threat to the magnetron as the power source of choice for ovens and other power applications. In the past year there was the preliminary report of an efficient (67%), low voltage (600 Volts) multi-beam klystron suitable for microwave oven use. Its developers estimate that in three years problems of cost, size and weight might be resolved. The klystron poses no noise problems and has other advantages. One can expect controversial discussions of competing power sources at meetings such as those of IMPI (the International Microwave Power Institute).”
Since the above-noted article was written, several communications systems have developed in the unlicensed, 2.4 GHz radio spectrum:
1) cordless telephones operating at 2.4 GHz; 2) Bluetooth, a wireless communication system used for computers, which operates with a spread spectrum, frequency-hopping, full-duplex signal; and 3) IEEE 802.11 b and 802.11 g, a Complementary Code Keying-Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing system used for computer Local Area Networks (LANs), operating in the frequency range from 2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz.
Since these communication systems occupy the same region of the spectrum utilized by microwave ovens, there exists significant potential for interference from noisy magnetrons.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,953 issued to Bekefi uses a magnetic configuration which modulates the radial magnetic field by an azimuthally, spatially-periodic array of magnets in a smooth bore (no cavities) coaxial diode to generate free electron laser radiation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,932,820 issued to Damon et al. discloses how the noise in a crossed-field amplifier output is reduced by providing a non-uniform magnetic field across the surface of a cathode. A curved magnetic field may be provided across the cathode or by providing a concave shaped cathode. Additionally, the cathode may be tilted with respect to the crossed magnetic field.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,129 issued to Osepchuk discloses a typical microwave power source for a microwave oven in which a microwave magnetron is supplied simultaneously with filament heater power and with anode voltage through an inductive reactance power supply.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,510 issued to Thomas et al. discloses a crossed-field amplifier or magnetron which has a cathode body portion and an anode which cooperates with a crossed magnetic field to maintain emitted electrons on cycloidal paths and amplify an input signal or develop a microwave or millimeter wave output signal in an interaction space.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,786 issued to Kumpfer discloses a magnetron electron discharge device preferably for use in microwave heating or cooking apparatus which has a cylindrical resonant anode structure surrounding a concentric electron emitting filament.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide cost-effective, simple, low-noise, crossed-field devices such as a microwave magnetron, a microwave oven utilizing same, and crossed-field amplifiers by the use of an azimuthally varying, axial magnetic field.
In carrying out the above object and other objects of the present invention, a low-noise, crossed-field device is provided. The device includes an electrical circuit for generating a radial electrical field, and a magnetic circuit for generating an axial magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the radial electric field. The magnetic circuit includes at least one permanent perturbing magnet having an azimuthally varying magnetic field impressed thereupon so that the axial magnetic field is azimuthally varying to substantially eliminate noise in the device.
The at least one permanent perturbing magnet may be magnetized with a number of periods of magnetic field variation.
The device may be a multi-cavity microwave magnetron including a cathode for emitting electrons and an anode having a number of resonant cavities. The cathode and anode may define an interaction space therebetween wherein interactions between electrons emitted from the cathode and the electric and magnetic fields produce a series of space charge spokes that travel around the space in an azimuthal direction. The number of periods of magnetic field variation may be based on the number of resonant cavities to shorten start-up time of the magnetron.
The microwave magnetron may be a plasma processing magnetron or may be an oven magnetron.
The microwave magnetron may further be a lighting magnetron or may be an industrial heating magnetron.
The device may be a crossed-field amplifier including an input for receiving an input signal to be amplified within the device and an output for carrying an amplified signal from the device.
The amplifier may be a radar amplifier.
The device may be a microwave magnetron having startup and peak power phases, and the noise may be substantially eliminated independent of magnetron current.
The device may be a linear crossed-field amplifier including a cavity region, and the magnetic field may vary in a direction of electron drift in the cavity region.
The device may be a microwave magnetron including one of a plurality of mode control devices such as strapping and rising sun geometries, or a coaxial cavity magnetron.
A typical magnitude of azimuthal variations of the axial magnetic field may be approximately 30%-50%.
Further in carrying out the above object and other objects of the present invention, a microwave oven is provided. The microwave oven includes a compartment, and a low-noise, oven magnetron for generating microwaves in the compartment. The magnetron includes an electrical circuit for generating a radial electrical field. The circuit includes a cathode for emitting electrons and an anode having a number of resonant cavities. The cathode and the anode define an interaction space therebetween. A magnetic circuit generates an axial magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the radial electrical field in the interaction space. Interactions between electrons emitted from the cathode and the electric and magnetic fields produce a series of space-charge spokes that travel around the space in an azimuthal direction. The magnetic circuit includes at least one permanent perturbing magnet having an azimuthally varying magnetic field impressed thereupon so that the axial magnetic field is azimuthally varying in the interaction space to substantially eliminate noise in the device.
The at least one permanent perturbing magnet may be magnetized with a number of periods of magnetic field variation.
The number of periods may be based on the number of resonant cavities to shorten start-up time of the magnetron.
Still further in carrying out the above object and other objects of the present invention, a low-noise, microwave magnetron is provided. The magnetron includes an electrical circuit for generating a radial electrical field. The circuit includes a cathode for emitting electrons and an anode having a number of resonant cavities. The cathode and anode define an interaction space therebetween. A magnetic circuit generates an axial magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the radial electric field in the invention space. Interactions between electrons emitted from the cathode and the electric and magnetic fields produce a series of space charge spokes that travel around the space in an azimuthal direction wherein the axial magnetic field has a number of periods of perturbations in the azimuthal direction in the interaction space based on the number of resonant cavities to substantially eliminate noise and shorten start-up time of the magnetron.
The microwave magnetron may be an oven magnetron.
The magnetic circuit may include at least one permanent perturbing magnet having an azimuthally varying magnetic field impressed thereon.
Yet still further in carrying out the above object and other objects of the present invention, A microwave oven is provided. The microwave oven includes a compartment, and a low-noise, oven magnetron for generating microwaves in the compartment. The magnetron includes an electrical circuit for generating a radial electrical field. The circuit includes a cathode for emitting electrons and an anode having a number of resonant cavities. The cathode and the anode define an interaction space therebetween. A magnetic circuit generates an axial magnetic field substantially perpendicular to the radial electrical field in the interaction space. Interactions between electrons emitted from the cathode and the electric and magnetic fields produce a series of space-charge spokes that travel around the space in an azimuthal direction. The axial magnetic field has a number of periods of perturbations in the azimuthal direction in the interaction space based on the number of resonant cavities to substantially eliminate noise in the magnetron and shorten start-up time of the magnetron.
The magnetic circuit may include at least one permanent perturbing magnet having an azimuthally varying magnetic field impressed thereupon.
The above object and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 a is a side schematic view of a prior art oven magnetron including its magnetic configuration;
FIG. 1 b is a top view of the magnetron of FIG. 1 a;
FIG. 2 a is a side schematic view of an oven magnetron including magnets for generating an azimuthally varying axial magnetic field in its magnetic configuration;
FIG. 2 b is a top view of the magnetron of FIG. 2 a;
FIG. 3 is a top schematic view of a magnetron including coils for generating an azimuthally varying axial magnetic field constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 a is a side schematic view of an upper (or lower) magnet of a magnetron including magnetic pole pieces constructed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 b is a bottom view of the magnetron magnet of FIG. 4 a;
FIG. 5 are graphs of signal amplitude versus frequency for a prior art oven magnetron and an oven magnetron of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a sectional, top schematic view of a microwave oven including a magnetron of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a side schematic view of a conventional magnetron which may be noisy, showing upper and lower annular, permanent magnets and which may be used in a conventional microwave oven;
FIG. 8 a is a side schematic view of a microwave magnetron with an upper permanent magnet magnetized with high (H) and low (L) regions of magnetic field to generate an azimuthally-varying axial magnetic field and optimized for an 8-vane magnetron;
FIG. 8 b is a top view of the magnetron of FIG. 8 a ; and
FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a crossed-field amplifier (i.e. CFA) in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In general, low-noise, crossed-field devices such as a microwave magnetron and microwave oven utilizing same are disclosed. In a first embodiment of the invention, at least one permanent magnet is added to the existing magnetron magnets to cause the axial magnetic field to vary azimuthally (exterior dashed line in FIG. 2 b ). This embodiment of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 2 a and 2 b , in which four permanent magnets 10 have been added to one of the prior art magnets 12 (either upper or lower). Each magnet 10 has a strength of 3.0 to 4 kGauss on their face. The added permanent magnets 10 are located with their magnetic poles opposing (or adding to) the axial direction of the field of the standard, azimuthally-symmetric magnetron magnets 12 . It is not crucial that the perturbing magnets 10 be exactly the same size or magnetic field, nor that they be symmetrically located around the periphery of one of the standard magnets 12 . FIG. 2 a also shows a cathode, an anode, and an electrical circuit for generating a radial electric field. The perturbing magnets 10 perturb the axial magnetic field of the magnetron or crossed-field amplifier (i.e. FIG. 9. )
FIG. 5 shows the experimental data of microwave spectra, in which a noisy, standard magnetron without the invention (i.e., FIGS. 1 a and 1 b ) has been compared to a magnetron with the magnetic configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention (i.e., FIGS. 2 a - 2 b ). It can be seen that the first embodiment of the invention completely eliminates the noise and sidebands in the oven magnetron of FIGS. 2 a - 2 b.
FIGS. 3 and 4 a - 4 b show alternative apparatus of generating azimuthally varying axial magnetic field for a magnetron (or crossed-field amplifier).
In general, in order to generate an azimuthally varying axial magnetic field, a number of different embodiments are possible, including, but not limited to:
1) permanent magnets;
2) shaped magnetic pole pieces; or/and
3) shaped coils or multiple coils.
FIG. 3 is a top view of a second embodiment of the present invention wherein a large magnetron coil or magnet 30 creates a main axial magnetic field. Small coils 32 generate the azimuthally varying axial magnetic field.
FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are side and bottom views, respectively, of a third embodiment of the present invention wherein magnetic pole pieces 40 generate an azimuthally varying axial magnetic field. The pole pieces 40 are coupled to an upper (or lower) magnetron magnet 42 .
FIGS. 8 a and 8 b are side and top schematic views, respectively, of a low-noise, microwave magnetron with permanent upper magnet 80 magnetized with high (H) and low (L) regions or periods of magnetic field to generate an azimuthally-varying axial magnetic field. A lower magnet 82 is substantially the same as in FIG. 2 a . However, it is to be understood that the lower magnet 82 may be magnetized like the upper magnet 80 . The magnetron may be a 8-vane magnetron and the magnetron is optimized for the 8-vane magnetron as described in detail hereinbelow.
The startup of the magnetron is hastened by introducing an optimal number of azimuthal variations in the axial magnetic field. For an N-cavity magnetron operating in the pi-mode, this rapid startup may be achieved if the number of maxima in the axial magnetic field is N/2 in the azimuthal direction. (The number of minima of the axial magnetic field is also N/2 in the azimuthal direction.) The physical reason for this magnetic field arrangement is that when the magnetron is turned on, the electron orbits immediately move into an N/2 fold symmetry which favors the excitation of the pi-mode, long before this internal electromagnetic mode appears. These electrons, favorably grouped into a N/2 fold symmetry, naturally speed up the excitation of the pi-mode in this case.
Computer simulations (2-dimensional) have been performed to demonstrate the rapid startup of magnetrons with azimuthally varying axial magnetic fields. In the simulations, the number of cavities is N=6. To encourage rapid excitation of the pi-mode, an N/2=3 fold symmetry is imposed in the axial magnetic field. The axial magnetic field thus reads, for this example,
B=B o [1+(α/2)sin(3θ)]
where B o is the mean axial magnetic field, α is the magnitude of the maximum azimuthal variation (θ-variation) of the axial magnetic field (in fraction of the mean magnetic field) in the 3-fold symmetry. Results of these simulations are compared to an unperturbed (uniform) magnetic field with α=0 and a perturbed magnetic field with α=0.3.
In the unperturbed magnetic field case, the electrons in the Brillouin hub showed no special feature early in the magnetron pulse. In the perturbed case, the electrons clearly began to form 3 bunches, the desired number of bunches for pi-mode operation in a 6 vane magnetron. The formation of these 3 electron bunches is due solely to the 3-fold azimuthal symmetry in the external axial magnetic field, long before the pi-mode is excited.
Still early in the magnetron pulse, for the unperturbed axial magnetic field, the electrons still showed no special feature. In particular, they showed no significant bunching nor the much desired 3-fold symmetry. By contrast, in the perturbed magnetic field, the electrons developed 3 well defined bunches that began to lift off the cathode hub and to approach the cavities.
Later, the electron positions for magnetrons showed bunching in the unperturbed magnetic field case. By contrast, in the perturbed magnetic field case, the electron spokes were fully developed and extended well into the magnetron cavities; it is expected that microwave oscillation would begin to develop at this time.
The simulations demonstrate the rapid startup may be extended to other configurations and designs:
A. Magnetrons with other numbers of cavities. B. Operation with other modes than the pi-mode. C. Adjustment of the strength of the azimuthal variation (α) in the external magnetic field. D. In general, for operation of a magnetron mode with exp(jωt−jmθ) dependence, where ω is the angular frequency of the mode and m is number of the azimuthal variations of this mode, rapid startup of this mode will be achieved by introducing m azimuthal variations of a suitable magnitude in the external magnetic field.
FIG. 6 schematically shows a microwave oven including a cooking chamber or compartment of the present invention. The oven includes an oven magnetron of the present invention coupled to the chamber for generating microwaves therein. The oven also includes a power supply for the magnetron as well as timing controls. The oven further includes a door and a fan as is well known in the art.
The low-noise, crossed-field devices have application to reducing interference with telephone and computer communications by microwave magnetrons in microwave ovens.
Magnetrons are also used for lighting and industrial heating and the noise-free magnetrons of the present invention are applicable in these areas.
The efficiency of magnetrons would also be improved for applications which require a precise microwave frequency, such as plasma processing.
Another important application of the invention is the reduction of noise in crossed-field amplifiers utilized for the Department of Defense. This could lead to higher signal-to-noise ratios and better resolution for radars.
The invention reduces the noise in magnetrons, both during the critical startup phase and in the peak power phase. The reduction of noise is independent of magnetron current. Microwave noise is reduced in both new magnetrons and older, noisy magnetrons.
This invention extends to a linear crossed-field amplifier in which the transverse magnetic field varies in the direction of the electron drift in the cavity region.
This invention also applies to magnetrons that employ mode control devices such as strapping and rising sun geometries, as well as coaxial cavity magnetrons.
The typical magnitude of the azimuthal variations of the axial magnetic field are in the range of 30%-50%.
While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. | Cost-effective, simple, low-noise, crossed-field devices such as a microwave magnetron, a microwave oven utilizing same, and crossed-field amplifier utilize an azimuthally varying, axial magnetic field. The magnetic configuration reduces and eliminates microwave and radio frequency noise. This microwave noise is present near the carrier frequency and as sidebands, far separated from the carrier. The device utilizes azimuthally-varying, axial, magnetic field perturbations. At least one permanent perturbing magnet having an azimuthally-varying magnetic field impressed thereupon causes the axial magnetic field to vary azimuthally in the magnetron and completely eliminates the microwave noise and unwanted frequencies. Preferably, the number of axial magnetic field perturbations is based on the number of cavities of the magnetron. | 7 |
BACKGROUND
This invention relates generally to electric energy conversion, and, more specifically, to a system and a method for low voltage ride through capability of small synchronous generators with low moments of inertia connected to a power grid.
In traditional electric power systems, most of the electrical power is generated in large centralized facilities, such as fossil fuel (coal, gas powered), nuclear, or hydropower plants. These traditional plants have excellent economies of scale but usually transmit electricity long distances and can affect to the environment. Distributed energy resource (DER) systems are small power generators (typically in the range of 3 kW to 10,000 kW) used to provide an alternative to or an enhancement of traditional electric power systems. Small power generators may be powered by small gas turbines or may include fuel cells and/or wind powered generators, for example. DER systems reduce the amount of energy lost in transmitting electricity because the electricity is generated very close to where it is used, perhaps even in the same building. DER systems also reduce the size and number of power lines that must be constructed. However, due to increased use of small generators, some utilities are now requiring that small generators provide enhanced capabilities such as fault voltage ride through.
When a fault in the utility system occurs, voltage in the system could decrease by a significant amount for a short duration (typically less than 500 milliseconds). Faults can be caused by at least one phase conductor being connected to ground (a ground fault) or by the short circuiting of two or multiple phase conductors. These types of faults occur during lightning and wind storms, or due to a transmission line being connected to the ground by accident. For the purposes of this specification, the term “fault” is intended to cover significant voltage reduction events. The term “fault” as used herein, is intended to cover any event on the utility system that creates a momentary reduction or increase in voltage on one or more phases. In the past, under these inadvertent fault and large power disturbance circumstances, it has been acceptable and desirable for small generators to trip off line whenever the voltage reduction occurs. Operating in this way has no real detrimental effect on the supply of electricity when small generator power penetration is low. However, as penetration of small generators on the grid increases, it is desirable for a small generator to remain on line and ride through such a low voltage condition and even more important to stay in synchronism, being able to generate energy after the fault is cleared. This new operation is similar to the requirements applied to traditional generating sources such as fossil fueled synchronous generator plants.
Therefore, it is desirable to determine a method and a system that will address the foregoing issues.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a power generation system is provided. The system includes a generator mechanically coupled to a turbine to generate electrical power and a fault ride through system. The fault ride through system includes a variable resistor and a variable inductor. The variable resistor is connected in parallel across output terminals of the generator to absorb power from the generator during a grid fault condition and the variable inductor is connected between an output terminal of the generator and a power grid.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of supplying electrical power to a power grid from a power generation system is provided. The power generation system includes a variable inductor connected between a generator and the power grid and a variable resistor connected across output terminals of the generator. The method includes controlling the variable inductor to have a lower inductance during normal operating conditions and a higher inductance during fault conditions so as to develop a voltage across the variable resistor during fault condition. The method further includes transferring output power of the generator to the variable resistor during fault conditions.
DRAWINGS
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a plot of a grid code defined voltage profile during and right after a fault;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical representation of a power grid system utilizing a fault ride through system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical representation of a detailed fault ride through capability system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatical representation of another detailed fault ride through capability system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 5 is a simulation plot of a generator speed response and a voltage response of the generator during a low voltage ride through event in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As discussed in detail below, embodiments of the present invention function to provide a system and a method for low voltage ride through capability of small synchronous generators with low moments of inertia connected to a power grid.
FIG. 1 illustrates a plot 10 of an example of a grid code voltage profile at the point of connection (POC) of a generator to the power grid. Some of the grid authorities expect that the generators should not be disconnected from the grid if the voltage at POC is higher than the voltage profile shown. However, this is one exemplary case, and the voltage profile requirement may vary from country to country or from grid authority to grid authority. The fault may occur due to lightning and wind storms, for example. The fault may be of type such as a single line to ground fault, double line fault, or three phase fault. The plot 10 shows a horizontal axis 12 representing time in milliseconds and a vertical axis 14 representing voltage in percentage. The fault occurs at 0 milliseconds away from the POC. Before the fault, the system is in stable condition, so the pre-fault voltage 16 at POC i.e. before 0 milliseconds is 100% or 1 per unit. As the fault represents a short circuit, the voltage 18 at 0 milliseconds drops down to 5% at the beginning of the fault. It should be noted that the voltage at the POC depends on the distance of fault to POC, the impedance, the voltage level, the kind of fault, and so forth. In one embodiment, the voltage may be lower than 5%, or in another embodiment; the voltage may be greater than 5%.
When the voltage falls to levels as illustrated in FIG. 1 , it is likely that the generator is not able to export full energy to the grid. If the mechanical power produced by the prime mover continues to deliver energy to the generator rotor, this will result in acceleration of the engine rotating masses, and the rotor speed will increase. The increase of the rotor speed will result in excessive increase of the generator power angle which may cause a loss of synchronism. Therefore, the generator will trip and not fulfill the required grid code. In the example grid code voltage profile shown, the fault duration on the transmission line is shown as 150 ms. At 150 ms, the fault is cleared or one of the zone protections is activated, thus the voltage goes up to 20%. Further at 500 ms, other zone protections are activated and the voltage returns to 90% within 1 second.
FIG. 2 shows a power grid system 40 utilizing a fault ride through system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The system 40 has a generator 42 connected to the power grid 44 . In one embodiment, the generator is of a small power rating for example, less than 10 MW. Further, the generator is mechanically coupled to a turbine (not shown). In one embodiment, the turbine comprises a gas turbine or a gas engine or a wind turbine. In some embodiments, the generator will be coupled to the grid through a power electronic converter (not shown), and in other embodiment the generator will be coupled to the grid without any power electronic converter. The generator 42 is connected to the power grid 44 through the fault ride through system 46 , a transformer 48 , and a transmission line inductor 50 . It should be noted that the FIG. 2 shows a single line diagram of the power grid system for ease of illustration. The fault ride through system 46 includes a variable inductor 52 , a variable resistor 54 , and a controller 56 . The variable inductor 52 is connected in series with the generator 42 whereas the variable resistor 54 is connected across the generator phase terminals. The controller 56 receives two inputs: a grid signal and a generator signal. In one embodiment, the grid signal comprises a voltage signal 58 and the generator signal comprises a generator speed signal 60 . The controller uses these signals to provide control signal to control the resistance value of the variable resistor. In one embodiment the controller may also provide a control signal to the variable inductor to control the inductance value of the variable inductor.
In operation, when there is a fault in the grid, the voltage at the point of connection 62 of the generator drops significantly. At this instant, the variable inductor is activated. The inductor is controlled to be not present during normal operation, and controlled (or activated) to provide sufficient inductance during grid fault events. For example, the variable inductor may be controlled by the associated DC current injection with an objective to saturate the inductor (i.e. low inductance or inductor deactivation under normal voltage conditions) and to cancel saturation (i.e. high inductance or inductor activation during the faulty voltage conditions). The current through the variable inductor 52 , when activated, results in a voltage drop across the variable inductor 52 . During inductor activation, the voltage that appears across the variable resistor becomes a combination of the voltage across the variable inductor and the voltage at the POC. In one embodiment, if the fault voltage at the POC is 0.1 per unit (pu) and the voltage drop across the variable inductor is 0.2 pu, the total voltage across the variable resistor would be 0.3 pu. The active power consumed by the variable resistor during the fault depends on the fault voltage across the resistor and is generally given by Vr 2 /R, where Vr is the root mean square (RMS) voltage across the resistor and R is the resistance value of the resistor. Thus, if the Vr is 0.3 pu and R is 0.1 pu, then the power consumed by the variable resistor would be 0.9 pu which is almost equivalent to the total power supplied by the generator. In other words, in this case the variable resistor would consume all the power generated by the generator. Thus the generator is able to keep its rotational speed in an acceptable range and does not need to be disconnected from the grid during or after the fault.
FIG. 3 is a power grid system 70 with a detailed view of a fault ride through system 90 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The system includes a transformer 92 , a passive circuit 94 , a resistor 96 , a power electronic converter 98 and a controller 100 . The transformer 92 acts as a variable inductor. The controller 100 provides control signals to the power electronic converter and in turn controls the resistance of the resistor. The passive circuit may comprise a passive rectifier such as a diode bridge rectifier, and the power electronic converter may comprise an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) based converter or an integrated gate commutated thyristor (IGCT) based converter, for example.
The passive rectifier 94 fetches alternating current (AC) power from the grid or the POC and supplies a direct current (DC) current to the transformer 92 . When a DC current is supplied to the transformer, the transformer goes into saturation. During saturation, the transformer acts like a short circuit (with minimum inductance). When the system is in stable condition or when there is no fault in the system, it is preferable to have minimal voltage drop across the transformer. Thus, during normal operations, there is a normal voltage across the rectifier and the rectifier supplies DC current to the transformer. In this case the transformer has minimum inductance and hence there will be minimum voltage drop across it. In other words, the grid voltage passively controls the variable inductance of the transformer. If the grid voltage v is present in a normal operating range, a defined amount of DC current is supplied by the passive rectifier to the transformer to operate the transformer in a saturation condition. When the grid voltage is low, the amount of DC current is low or zero and the transformer acts like an inductor. The controller 100 receives two inputs: a grid signal and a generator signal. In one embodiment, the grid signal comprises grid voltage v, and the generator signal comprises generator speed ω. If the grid voltage v within a normal operating range, the controller determines that the system is under normal condition i.e. there is no fault in the system. In another embodiment, the controller 100 receives just a generator signal, e.g. generator speed ω and determines whether the system has a fault based on the generator speed ω. During the fault the generator input power is high and output power is low, hence, the generator accelerates and the generator speed goes up. Thus, based on the generator speed the controller determines whether the system has fault or not.
The controller further provides a resistor control signal to the power electronic converter to control the current into the variable resistor. If the controller determines that the system has a fault based on the grid voltage and/or the accelerating generator speed, it provides a current reference signal or resistor control signal to the power electronic converter. In one embodiment, if the power electronic converter is a IGBT converter, the resistor is connected across the generator for some time and disconnected for some time using a pulse width modulation (PWM) switching for IGBT. The time duration for which the resistor is connected and disconnected across the generator is determined by the control based on the amount of power that needs to be transferred from the generator to the resistor. It should be noted that the resistor may not necessarily be a physically variable resistor but the resistance value observed across the generator terminals may be a variable. In other words by controlling the connection and disconnection time of the resistor, the average resistance value observed across the generator terminals is made to be a variable resistance value. Since the transformer acts as an inductor during the fault, it has some voltage drop across it, which enables the resistor to fetch active power from the generator and thereby maintain the generator speed. In one embodiment, when the controller detects that there is no fault in the system, the controller provides the reference current signal or the resistor control signal to the power electronic converter to disconnect the variable resistor from the generator output terminals and thus the generator supplies power to the grid during normal operating conditions.
FIG. 4 is a power grid system 80 with another detailed view of a fault ride through system 82 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Similar to FIG. 3 , the system 82 includes a transformer 92 , a rectifier 102 , a resistor 96 , a power electronic converter 98 and a controller 100 . However, in this embodiment, the rectifier 102 is a controlled rectifier i.e., the voltage output of the rectifier is controllable. In one embodiment, the controlled rectifier comprises an IGBT based rectifier. The controller 100 provides control signals to the controlled rectifier 94 and in turn controls the inductance of the transformer. The controlled rectifier 94 fetches AC power from the grid and supplies a controlled amount of DC current to the transformer 92 . During normal operations, the controlled rectifier supplies controlled DC current to the transformer such that the transformer has minimum inductance and hence there will be minimum voltage drop across it. During fault condition, the controller provides a control signal to the controlled rectifier such that no current is supplied by the controlled rectifier to the transformer and the transformer operates at maximum inductance. This results in a significant voltage drop across the transformer which in turn helps in transferring the generator power to the resistor during fault.
While the variable inductor is represented as a transformer with a controlled DC current in an embodiment of the present invention, a physical inductor may also be used in another embodiment. When a physical inductor with a fixed inductance value is used in the system, a switch is connected across the inductor. During normal condition, the switch is turned on short circuiting the inductor and during the fault condition, the switch is turned off thus connecting the inductor in series with the generator. In one embodiment, the switch is a power electronic switch such as IGBT or IGCT.
FIG. 5 is a simulation plot of a generator voltage response 112 and a generator speed response 114 when the fault ride through system of the present invention is utilized in the grid. The horizontal axes 116 and 118 of both responses represent time in seconds. The generator voltage response shows two curves, the grid voltage 122 and the generator voltage 120 . The fault occurs in the grid at 1 second and completely clears at 2.5 seconds. Hence, at 1 second the grid voltage drops to 0.05 pu and at 2.5 seconds the grid voltage restores to 0.9 pu approximately. However, even though the grid voltage drops down to 0.05 pu during fault, the generator voltage remains above 0.7 pu approximately. This is due to the voltage drop across the inductor or the transformer 92 connected in series with the generator as shown in FIG. 3 . The voltage drop across the inductor during the fault is around 0.65 pu, so the generator voltage is inductor voltage plus the grid voltage and is equivalent to 0.7 pu approximately. Similarly, the speed response shows that the generator speed 124 during the fault is higher than the normal speed i.e. 1.01 pu. However, post fault the generator speed restores back to 1 pu and the generator stays synchronized and operational Thus, it can be seen that irrespective of some small speed disturbance during the fault, the system returns back to a stable state quickly and has fault ride through capability.
While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention. | A power generation system includes a generator mechanically coupled to a turbine to generate electrical power. The system includes a fault ride through system having a variable resistor and a variable inductor. The variable resistor is connected in parallel across output terminals of the generator to absorb power from the generator during a grid fault condition, and the variable inductor is connected between an output terminal of the generator and a power grid. | 8 |
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority as a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. §120 to PCT/EP2012/002555, which was filed as an International Application on Jun. 16, 2012 designating the U.S., and which claims priority to European Application 11005855.9 filed in Europe on Jul. 18, 2011. The entire contents of these applications are be hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a dry-type transformer for mobile applications.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0003] It is known that corresponding line-connected supply grids can be available for the transmission of electrical energy. Depending on the electrical power to be transmitted, these supply grids have a rated voltage of, for example, 380 kV, 110 kV or else 10 kV, wherein a mains frequency of 50 or 60 Hz can be used. A supply grid for the supply of power to stationary consumers can have a three-phase design. In this case, a system with three supply lines is made available in which, in the balanced state, current and voltage can be equal in terms of magnitude with a phase shift of in each case 120° with respect to one another.
[0004] Energy supply systems for mobile consumers such as, for example, railways or tram systems can have a single-phase design. The supply of power takes place via a single supply line, wherein the return line is then provided via the metallic rail. In the case of trolleybuses, owing to the rail which is not present and therefore cannot be used as return conductor, two or more supply lines can be provided. In general, the mains frequency in such applications is 16⅔ hertz, for example, in Europe, and in some cases such as tram systems, in individual cases DC voltage is also used.
[0005] For the transformation of the AC supply voltage from 10 kV to 15 kV, mobile transformers can be provided which can then be integrated, for example, in the underfloor region of a passenger train.
[0006] These transformers only have a very limited amount of room available, in particular in respect of height, owing to the underfloor arrangement and are usually in the form of oil-type transformers. In this case, the oil first acts as coolant for dissipating the lost heat produced during operation and also as insulation, by means of which relatively small insulation gaps and therefore a compact design can be realized.
[0007] One disadvantage with this configuration, however, is that such a transformer can usually only be arranged vertically for mechanical reasons, but this is in opposition to the flat space available in the underfloor region. In addition, for safety reasons, oil should wherever possible be avoided as combustible medium in a vehicle. In this case, the cooling effect of the oil is lost.
SUMMARY
[0008] An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a dry-type transformer for mobile applications. The dry-type transformer includes a transformer core, at least one radially inner first hollow-cylindrical winding segment, and at least one radially outer second hollow-cylindrical winding segment. The winding segments are wound around a common winding axis, have the transformer core passing through them, are nested one inside the other, and are spaced radially apart from one another such that a hollow-cylindrical cooling channel is developed therebetween. The dry-type transformer also includes spacer elements arranged to space apart the winding segments. The spacer elements are arranged such that a coolant is flowable through the cooling channel in the axial direction. The spacer elements are developed and arranged along a radial circumference of the cooling channel over an axial length thereof such that a proportional weight of the dry-type transformer arranged horizontally can be evened out exclusively at precisely one resting area of the at least one second winding segment without deformation of the cooling channel taking place.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Additional refinements, advantages and features of the present disclosure are described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 shows a section through a hollow-cylindrical cooling channel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0011] FIG. 2 shows a first section through exemplary winding segments nested one inside the other;
[0012] FIG. 3 shows a second section through exemplary winding segments nested one inside the other;
[0013] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of a dry-type transformer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and
[0014] FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of a dry-type transformer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide a dry-type transformer for mobile applications which can be arranged as flexibly as possible.
[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment, the dry-type transformer of the present disclosure is characterized by spacer elements being developed and arranged along the radial circumference of the cooling channel over the axial length thereof in such a way that the proportional weight of the horizontal transformer can be evened out on at least one resting area of the at least one second winding segment without deformation of the cooling channel or of the dispersion channel formed thereby.
[0017] By virtue of the omission of oil as a coolant which dissipates the lost heat produced during operation, for example, to a heat exchanger, an alternative cooling system needs to be provided which functions without oil, for example, with air. Owing to the lower heat capacity of air, a much larger contact area between the transformer winding and the cooling medium is therefore provided according to the disclosure. In addition, an increased throughput of coolant, for example by means of a fan, is advantageous.
[0018] This is achieved in particular by the cooling channels which can be provided between the hollow-cylindrical winding segments which can be nested one inside the other. The winding segments can be used firstly for influencing the short-circuit impedance of the dry-type transformer according to the disclosure, i.e. should be considered to be dispersion channels, insofar as they can be arranged between two galvanically isolated winding segments. Secondly, the winding segments can be used for cooling the transformer winding from the inside. That is to say that the disclosure provides for a coolant, in particular air, to be allowed to flow in a forced manner through these cooling channels. Air provides the advantage that the heated air can be emitted directly to the surrounding environment without any additional heat exchangers. According to the disclosure, optionally also further cooling channels can be provided, for example between a plurality of winding segments connected in series which form a low-voltage winding or high-voltage winding, for increasing the cooling area. However, as a result the required amount of space for the dry-type transformer according to the disclosure is increased in comparison with a comparable oil-type transformer.
[0019] Therefore, the present disclosure provides for the transformer to be arranged horizontally, with the result that the winding axis of the windings therefore runs in a horizontal plane. As a result, a particularly flat and more two-dimensional design of the transformer is achieved which is in opposition to the space available in the underfloor region which is flat but has a large area.
[0020] The spacing of the hollow-cylindrical winding segments is provided by spacer elements composed of an insulating material, by means of which support in the at least predominantly radial direction with respect to the winding axis is provided. Such a dry-type transformer in accordance with known configurations is erected vertically. This is due to cooling technology reasons, namely that cooling channels extending along the winding axis can then be operated by natural cooling by virtue of ambient air flowing from the bottom upwards through the cooling channels. However, this is secondly also required mechanically. Given a vertical arrangement, the transformer is positioned on the lower side of its transformer core, whereby its entire weight, for example 500 kg to 1000 kg, can be evened out directly via the resting area of the transformer core onto the standing area. The windings arranged on the limbs of the transformer core can be therefore aligned vertically and can therefore be predominantly subjected to the forces of weight in the direction of the winding axis. A force loading in the winding in a direction radial with respect to the winding axis does not take place with a vertical alignment of the transformer.
[0021] Owing to the force loading in the radial direction which may not be present or only insubstantial, the supporting elements of the cooling channels of a dry-type transformer of known configurations can also be correspondingly not designed for such a radial force loading. Nevertheless, the present disclosure provides for it to be possible for the dry-type transformer to be arranged or at least mounted horizontally on corresponding resting areas of its windings. Even when a dry-type transformer in the underfloor region is fastened predominately on the sides of its transformer core, with the result that actually the weight of the transformer would not need to be evened out over the windings, the transformer core of the transformer, with a length of 2 m, for example, is so long that bending of the transformer core takes place as a result of the force of gravity. Therefore, even in this case, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the winding needs to toughen up in order to absorb increased radially acting forces in order to counteract bending.
[0022] In order to implement the horizontal arrangement of the dry-type transformer according to the present disclosure, on corresponding resting areas of the outer faces of the windings, the respective windings need to also toughen up correspondingly for absorbing radial force loads. According to the present disclosure, therefore, provision is made for the arrangement of spacer elements to be condensed correspondingly in regions which can provide for a specific horizontal arrangement position of the transformer, with the result that the maximum compressive stress per basic area of a spacer element is not exceeded even in the horizontal position of the dry-type transformer. Alternatively to an insulating material such as a glass-fiber-reinforced composite material or pressboard, for example, the use of a metal for a spacer element, for example, a solid aluminum profile, is also conceivable depending on the stress ratios over the cooling channel if the cooling channel is located between a plurality of segments of a low-voltage winding of, for example, 400 V. In this case, owing to the low stress loading, no insulation capacity of the spacer element is required; instead, this is performed already by the insulation of the winding conductor. An exemplary physical size of a transformer according to the present disclosure including a two-limbed core has, for example, a length of 1.5 m-2.5 m, a height of 0.75 m and a width of 1.5 m.
[0023] The dry-type transformer according to the present disclosure advantageously avoids the use of oil and nevertheless provides corresponding cooling possibilities. In addition, it is configured by virtue of its horizontal arrangement with a flat design, with the result that it can be integrated easily into the underfloor region of a locomotive or car. By virtue of selective reinforcement or condensing of the spacer elements in the cooling channels, a corresponding stabilization of the winding(s) is performed for a horizontal position of the transformer in order to even out the overall weight of the dry-type transformer towards the bottom.
[0024] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the dry-type transformer of the present disclosure, the at least one second winding segment has precisely one respective (e.g., preferred) resting area, via which the proportional weight of the horizontal transformer can be exclusively evened out without deformation of the cooling channels taking place. The dry-type transformer then has a specific horizontal preferred position. Thus, the spacer elements need to be reinforced or condensed only for the preferred position, with the result that the complexity for the reinforcing is reduced to a minimum.
[0025] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, the spacer elements can be arranged in condensed form in the radial direction with respect to the respective resting area, with the result that an increased capacity for radial compressive stress results in the corresponding regions of the cooling channel. In principle, with the material provided for the spacer elements, there is the possibility of the spacer elements being arranged in the corresponding regions either with a smaller spacing with respect to one another, i.e. condensed, or else the width or contact areas of the spacer elements being increased correspondingly.
[0026] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the spacer elements can be in the form of strips or channels and can extend along the winding axis. As a result, the hollow-cylindrical cooling channel is divided into a plurality of cooling channels running in the axial direction in a favorable manner in terms of flow technology. The cooling effect is thus advantageously improved and homogenized.
[0027] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the spacer elements can be developed as punctiform supporting elements. This provides advantages in respect of manufacturing technology, wherein, for example, in the case of an arrangement of the punctiform supporting elements which is offset correspondingly diagonally with respect to the axial direction, an improved cooling effect is likewise achieved. A punctiform supporting element has, for example, a circular outline, for example, with a diameter of 4 cm, and a height of likewise 4 cm, depending on the desired design of the dispersion or cooling channel.
[0028] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment the dry-type transformer of the present disclosure, a respective hollow-cylindrical third winding segment, which is nested between the respective first winding segment and second winding segment, is provided, wherein in each case one cooling channel is provided between the respective winding segments. According to an exemplary embodiment, the at least one radially inner first winding segment and the at least one radially outer second winding segment is intended for low voltage and the at least one radially central third winding segment is provided for high voltage. By virtue of the atypical arrangement of the high-voltage winding, for example, with a rated voltage of 15 kV, between two low-voltage windings, for example, with a rated voltage of 0.4 kV, the short-circuit impedance of the transformer is advantageously increased, which then results in reduced short-circuit currents in the event of a fault. The radially inner winding is intended for supplying power to a train heater, for example, while the radially outer winding is then intended for supplying power to the drive.
[0029] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the transformer core has precisely two limbs, around which in each case at least one first winding segment and one second winding segment can be arranged. The two-limb embodiment is particularly advantageous taking into consideration the single-phase nature of a railroad power supply grid. The distribution of the respective low-voltage and high-voltage windings among the two limbs results in increased utilization of the amount of space available and therefore in a design of the transformer of the present disclosure which is as compact as possible.
[0030] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the dry-type transformer of the present disclosure, the dry-type transformer is arranged in a housing surrounding the transformer. The housing has an inlet opening and an outlet opening, wherein air baffles can be provided within the housing. The air baffles can be arranged in such a way that a coolant entering through the inlet opening is guided along respective nested winding segments in a serpentine fashion through the housing or the cooling channels or in dispersion channels formed therein to the outlet opening. Firstly, the housing provides mechanical protection for the transformer, which is particularly advantageous in the case of the arrangement in the underfloor region. The guidance of the cooling air along channels fixed by air baffles, for example, through the cooling or dispersion channels, improves the cooling effect. By virtue of the serpentine-like guidance of the cooling air along respective winding segments, a situation is achieved in particular for the embodiment with two nested winding segments, in which the inlet and outlet opening can be on the same side of the transformer housing. This facilitates the installation or removal of such a transformer for maintenance purposes. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a fan is provided in order to press cooling air through the winding segments.
[0031] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the housing and holding structures used therein, such as the press bars for the transformer core, for example, can be manufactured with a lightweight construction, for example, from aluminum. The weight of the transformer is thus advantageously reduced, which is particularly advantageous owing to the intended mobile use of the transformer, for example, in rail-mounted vehicles.
[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment, vibration-damping supporting elements which can be matched to the shape of the respective resting areas can be provided. The dry-type transformer is supported and/or fixed on the resting areas by means of the supporting elements. By virtue of the, for example, wedge-like supporting elements which may be constituted by hard rubber, for example, being matched to the outer shape of the respective resting areas, a homogeneous compressive loading of the resting areas is ensured. Owing to the vibration-damping properties of the supporting elements, both the natural oscillation of the transformer during operation, for example, 16⅔ Hz, and impact effects as a result of the movement of a locomotive, for example, in which the transformer is integrated can be damped.
[0033] According to an exemplary embodiment of the dry-type transformer of the disclosure, winding segments nested one inside the other can be cast with one another. This increases the mechanical stability of the electrical part of the winding and advantageously increases the respective compressive stress loading capacity. Casting or solidification of the winding is performed, for example, by means of epoxy resin. A strip-like prepreg material can possibly also be used as layer insulation between respective winding layers, which prepreg material is introduced during winding of the turns. In a final heating process, the transformer winding is heated and the B-stage resin contained in the prepreg is completely polymerized, which then results in mechanical stabilization of the respective windings.
[0034] Provision is made in one variant of the disclosure for respective first, respective second and/or respective third winding segments to be galvanically connected to one another. This can be performed both by means of a series circuit and by means of a parallel circuit. According to an exemplary embodiment, high-voltage windings can be connected in series for reducing the stress loading, and low-voltage windings can be connected in parallel for increasing the current loading capacity. A transformer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure can include a two-limb core with in each case two winding arrangements nested one inside the other. It is, of course, also possible for a plurality of respective first, second and/or third winding segments nested one inside the other in the same winding arrangement to be connected in series, for example.
[0035] Furthermore, the present disclosure also provides for the at least one first winding segment and the at least one second winding segment to be connected galvanically in series, with the result that an autotransformer is formed. This autotransformer optionally has a plurality of taps and is characterized by a particularly high power density.
[0036] Further advantageous possible configurations are explained below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings.
[0037] FIG. 1 shows a section 10 through an exemplary hollow-cylindrical cooling channel, wherein the winding segments adjoining radially on the inside and on the outside can be not illustrated. A hollow-cylindrical cooling channel is formed between a radially outer boundary 12 and a radially inner boundary 14 , in which cooling channel strip-like spacer elements 24 , 26 , 28 can be arranged in the radial direction. The spacer elements 24 , 26 , 28 extend along the axis of the winding. The spacer elements 24 , 26 , 28 can be manufactured, for example, from a glass-fiber-reinforced composite material or pressboard. Thus, channels 16 , 18 , 20 , 22 can be formed along the axial extent between the spacer elements 24 , 26 , 28 . According to an exemplary embodiment, the channels can be provided as cooling channels for the passage of air. The cooling channel is shown with its desired alignment, wherein the spacer elements 24 , 26 , 28 can be arranged more densely, i.e. with a smaller spacing from one another, in the lower region. Therefore, the pressure loading capacity of the cooling channel in its lower region is increased such that, hereby, the weight of a transformer or transformer core can be evened out without deformation of the cooling channel or the dispersion channel formed thereby taking place.
[0038] FIG. 2 shows a first section 30 through winding segments 32 , 34 which can be nested one inside the other and which in this case have an approximately rectangular cross section. Such a cross-sectional form is advantageous for increasing the fill factor and/or for the maximum utilization of the limited space available in the underfloor region of a railroad car or a locomotive. The radial spacing of the first winding segment 34 and second winding segment 32 is performed by strip-like spacer elements 40 , 42 , wherein respective cooling channels 36 , 38 can be formed therebetween. The winding segments nested one inside the other can be shown with their desired alignment (e.g., horizontally), wherein a resting area 44 is indicated in the lower region. In order to increase the compressive stress loading capacity of the winding segments nested one inside the other in the radial direction with respect to the resting area 44 , the distribution of the spacer elements in the lower region is correspondingly condensed.
[0039] FIG. 3 shows a second section through winding segments 54 , 56 , 58 which can be nested one inside the other and which in this case have a circle-like cross section. Cooling channels 60 , 62 acting as cooling channels can be formed between the winding segments 54 , 56 , 58 , wherein the spacer elements provided in the cooling channels cannot be shown in this illustration. The radially inner first winding segment 54 surrounds a transformer core limb 52 and, from an electrical point of view, is a low-voltage winding, for example, a 400 V supply for a train heater. The radially central third winding segment represents a high-voltage winding, for example, a 15 kV winding, which is fed by an overhead line of a railroad power supply. The radially outer second winding 58 is a low-voltage winding and supplies power to, for example, the electrical drive of a locomotive.
[0040] FIG. 4 shows a lateral sectional view 70 of a dry-type transformer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. A two-limb transformer core 86 , which is enclosed at each of its limbs by respective arrangements of winding segments 82 , 84 nested one inside the other, is arranged horizontally in an aluminum housing 72 . In each case, three hollow-cylindrical winding segments can be nested one inside the other, wherein respective hollow-cylindrical cooling and/or dispersion channels can be provided radially therebetween. Wedge-like supporting elements 78 , which may be constituted of a hard rubber material and which can be matched to the shape of the outer contour of the resting areas of the radially outer winding segments, can be provided in the respective lower regions of the arrangements of the winding segments nested one inside the other, via which supporting elements the weight of the windings and the transformer core is evened out proportionally downwards. The supporting elements for their part can be arranged on a respective intermediate element 76 , for example, an aluminum strip. In the upper region, respective damping elements 88 with a similar shape can be provided which enable fixing of the windings 82 , 84 or the transformer in the housing 72 , but which do not of course serve to even out the weight. An air baffle 74 between the winding arrangements 82 , 84 is used for developing a respective guide channel for coolant, which guide channel extends along the winding segments. The dimensions of the housing can be, for example, 0.7 m in height, 1.6 m in width and 2.4 m in length. By virtue of the horizontal arrangement, an arrangement in the underfloor region of a railroad car is possible despite the increased amount of space required for the cooling channels.
[0041] FIG. 5 shows a sectional view 90 of an exemplary embodiment of a dry-type transformer of the present disclosure. The dry-type transformer substantially corresponds to the dry-type transformer shown in FIG. 4 , but is illustrated in a perspective plan view. A two-limb transformer core 92 , which is surrounded on both of its limbs by hollow-cylindrical winding segments 94 , 96 nested one inside the other, is arranged horizontally in a housing 112 . The housing 112 has an inlet opening 98 and an outlet opening 100 . A serpentine-like guidance of inflowing air 102 through the housing is ensured by means of air baffles 106 , 108 , 110 . The air introduced with a fan, for example, is heated as it flows through the inner housing in the direction indicated by corresponding arrows and then emerges again as heated air flow 104 at the outlet opening 100 .
[0042] It should be noted that the term “including” or “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and that the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude the plural. Also, elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined.
[0043] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.
LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS
[0000]
10 Section through exemplary hollow-cylindrical cooling channel
12 Radially outer boundary of cooling channel
14 Radially inner boundary of cooling channel
16 First cooling channel segment
18 Second cooling channel segment
20 Third cooling channel segment
22 Fourth cooling channel segment
24 First spacer element of cooling channel
26 Second spacer element of cooling channel
28 Third spacer element of cooling channel
30 First section through winding segments nested one inside the other
32 Radially outer second winding segment
34 Radially inner first winding segment
36 First cooling channel segment of nested winding segments
38 Second cooling channel segment of nested winding segments
40 First spacer element
42 Second spacer element
44 Resting area
50 Second section through winding segments nested one inside the other
52 Transformer core limb
54 First winding segment
56 Third winding segment
58 Second winding segment
60 First cooling channel
62 Second cooling channel
70 Sectional view of exemplary first dry-type transformer
72 Housing
74 First air baffle
76 Intermediate element
78 Supporting element
80 Air channel
82 First winding segments nested one inside the other
84 Second winding segments nested one inside the other
86 Transformer core yoke
88 Damping element
90 Sectional view of exemplary second dry-type transformer
92 Transformer core
94 First winding segments nested one inside the other
96 Second winding segments nested one inside the other
98 Inlet opening
100 Outlet opening
102 Inflowing air
104 Outflowing air
106 Second air baffle
108 Third air baffle
110 Fourth air baffle
112 Housing | A dry-type transformer for mobile applications includes a transformer core, at least one radially inner first winding segment, and at least one radially outer, second hollow cylindrical winding segment. The segments are wound around a common winding axis and the transformer core passes therethrough. The segments are nested inside one another and radially spaced apart from one another, such that a hollow cylindrical cooling duct is formed therebetween. Spacing is achieved by spacer elements arranged such that the cooling duct allows a passage of coolant in an axial direction. The spacer elements are formed and arranged along the radial circumference of the cooling duct over the axial length thereof such that the proportionate weight of the horizontal transformer can be borne on at least one contact surface of the at least second winding segment without causing deformation to the cooling duct. | 7 |
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/710,007, filed Aug. 19, 2005, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. The Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to an air diffuser. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved air diffuser for use in shooting ranges and other environments.
[0004] 2. State of the Art
[0005] In shooting ranges and other areas where bullets are fired, it is desirable to control the movement of air. Specifically, it is desirable to create movement which draws smoke and air-born particles away from the shooter and, typically, down range.
[0006] In order to promote a uniform flow of air across all of the shooters and down the shooting range, diffusers have been utilized. A diffuser is an air box having an air inlet and a plurality of air outlets, and is designed to release air uniformly from the outlets, such that each outlet releases a similar amount of air as compared to the other air outlets. Thus, a diffuser which extends across the width of a shooting range and is disposed behind or above the shooters can release air evenly across the width of the shooting range. The even flow of the air is important because it prevents eddies or other turbulent current which might inhibit gasses and airborne particles from being carried down range with Suitable air vents can be made downstream in the shooting range so that air flows from behind the shooters and down the shooting range, carrying smoke and particles away from the shooters.
[0007] Shooting range diffusers are typically formed from steel. The diffusers are formed with a steel air box which extends across the shooting range and is covered by parallel sheets of steel which have a plurality of small holes formed therein. When air is introduced into an inlet in the air box, the box becomes pressurized inside and air flows out of the holes formed in the sheets of steel to develop consistent airflow. These boxes are expensive as they require considerable labor to construct, and as steel is increasingly expensive. These air diffusers are also expensive to ship, as many of the parts for the diffuser are 3-dimensional in nature. Additionally, existing air diffusers can be somewhat difficult to clean and maintain, and can be damaged during shipping.
[0008] There is thus a need for an range air diffuser which is less expensive to produce and transport, and which is easier to maintain.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide an air diffuser for shooting ranges and other environments which is less expensive and more convenient to use than existing diffusers.
[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, a diffuser is provided which utilizes a plastic diffuser surface instead of a metal surface. A plastic surface is less expensive than a metal surface as plastic is cheaper and easier to form than metal. Additionally, diffusers commonly have curved surfaces and a plastic diffuser front may be formed and shipped flat and bent as it is installed, making the diffuser easier to make and ship.
[0011] According to another aspect of the invention, a diffuser is provided which is easier to clean and maintain. A diffuser according to the present invention may be formed with hinges so as to allow a person to open the diffuser from the top and the bottom.
[0012] According to still another aspect of the present invention, the diffuser with plastic surfaces better prevents denting caused by impacts.
[0013] These and other aspects of the present invention are realized in an air diffuser as shown and described in the following figures and related description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Various embodiments of the present invention are shown and described in reference to the numbered drawings wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a diffuser according to the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 shows a partial view of a diffuser plate of the diffuser of FIG. 1 and according to the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 3A shows an end view of the diffuser of FIG. 1 and according to the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 3B shows an alternate end view of the diffuser of FIG. 1 and according to the present invention; and
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a partial perspective view of a section of the diffuser of FIGS. 1-3B and according to the present invention.
[0020] 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 various embodiments shown accomplish various aspects and objects of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] The 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.
[0022] Turning to FIG. 1 , a perspective view of a diffuser according to the present invention is shown. The diffuser 10 is often formed into a semi-cylindrical shape as shown. Thus, semi-circular or arcuate side pieces 14 , a back piece (not shown) and front plate 18 are used to form the diffuser 10 . The front plate 18 is formed from a sheet of flexible plastic, and may be attached to the sides 14 with a plurality of fasteners 22 , which may be bolts, screws, rivets, pop rivets, etc., with pop rivets being presently preferred. The flexible plastic is advantageous as a flat sheet may be easily bent around the curved sides 14 without pre-forming. Typically, air enters through the back or sides of the diffuser 10 and exits through uniform holes in the front plate 18 . The length and overall size of the diffuser may be adjusted to accommodate varying room sizes and air flow requirements.
[0023] Turning now to FIG. 2 , a partial front view of a front plate according to the present invention is shown. The diffuser plate or front plate 18 is formed from a sheet of plastic as mentioned earlier. Many plastics are suitable. It is desirable that the plastic be flexible so as to easily bend around the sides 14 , It is also desirable that the plastic is not brittle, as this will allow for easier machining or forming of the plastic and will inhibit cracking of the plastic during use. Additionally, the plastic should be sufficiently rigid to maintain the desired shape. Suitable plastics include ABS, polyethylene, polypropylene, styrene, polystyrene, acetate, etc.
[0024] The front plate 18 is typically formed with attachment holes 34 whereby the front plate may be attached to the frame of the diffuser 10 . Additionally, the front plate 18 is formed with air holes 38 through which air exits the diff-user 10 . The holes 34 , 38 may be formed in many ways, including drilling, punching, molding, etc. In a diffuser 10 , air is pushed into the diffuser body by a blower or fan. The air holes 38 are sized such that the air inside of the diffuser 10 is pressurized by the blower or fan and a pressure drop is generated as air moves through air holes 38 . The pressure drop across the front plate 18 , and the corresponding increased pressure inside of the diffuser 10 , generates a fairly uniform flow out of the air holes 38 , such that a similar amount of air flows out of each air hole 38 . Thus, the number and size of air holes 38 is adjusted according to the size of the diffuser 10 , the amount of air moving through the diffuser, the size of the blower or fan, etc. Additionally, multiple diffuser plates 18 may be used such that the air passes through a first diffuser plate 18 and a second diffuser plate 18 .
[0025] Turning now to FIG. 3A , a sectional view of a diffuser according to the present invention is shown. The diffuser 10 is formed with a diffuser box 46 , side plate 14 , first diffuser plate 18 , second diffuser plate 18 , and an air inlet 50 . Air inlet 50 allows the diffuser 10 to be connected to an air source such as a blower or fan. The diffuser plates 18 are configured so as to provide uniform air flow out of the diffuser 10 . It will be appreciated that, depending on the circumstances in which the diffuser 10 is used, it may be advantageous to use different numbers of diffuser plates 18 . A single plate may be more efficient in some situations, while two or more diffuser plates 18 may be advantageous in other situations, as they provide more uniform flow. It may be that diffuser plates may be formed with a single size hole 38 ( FIG. 2 ) and hole spacing, and that it is more convenient to use two diffuser plates 18 than to form diffuser plates with varying air hole 38 configurations. Thus, a machine such as a punch may be set up to form the diffuser plates and need not be readjusted for different sizes of diffusers 10 .
[0026] The diffuser 10 may also be formed with a top hinge 54 and a bottom hinge 58 . While a single top hinge 54 and single bottom hinge 58 are shown in this side view, it will be appreciated that a number or top hinges 54 and bottom hinges 58 may be used along the top and bottom edges of the diffuser 10 . The hinges are mounted to the diffuser such that the sides 14 and diff-user plates 18 may be pivoted away from the back 46 . The hinges 54 , 58 may be arranged such that a top hinge 54 is used with a bottom catch, allowing the sides 14 and diffuser plates 18 to be released and pivoted upwards for cleaning or maintenance, or such that a bottom hinge 58 and top catch is used, allowing the sides 14 and diffuser plates 18 to be pivoted downwardly.
[0027] According to one aspect of the present invention, top and bottom hinges 54 , 58 may be used, and formed such that the hinge pin 62 may be removed from the hinge 54 , 58 allowing the hinge to separate. Thus, any or all of the top and bottom hinges 54 , 58 may be released. Releasing the bottom hinge 58 allows the sides 14 and diffuser plates 18 to be pivoted upwardly. Releasing the top hinge 54 allows the sides 14 and diffuser plates 18 to be pivoted downwardly. Releasing both of the hinges 54 , 58 allows the sides 14 and diffuser plates 18 to be removed completely. The hinges 54 , 58 may be plates with holes formed therein, and having a pin or bolt passed through the holes to form a hinge. The hinges 54 , 58 may also be formed from tubes with hinge pins placed inside of the tubes. Many types or hinges, including releasable hinges, are suitable.
[0028] Turning now to FIG. 3B , an alternate end view of the diffuser of the present invention is shown. The diffuser is the same as that of FIG. 3A and is numbered accordingly. As such, the differences will highlighted herein. The air inlet 50 of the diffuser 10 is mounted to the upper surface of the back 46 . The diffuser 10 also includes one or more baffles 52 . The baffles 52 aid in directing airflow from the inlet 50 to the diffuser plates 18 , and air in providing a more even air flow from the diffuser. The baffles 52 may be curved as shown, or may be straight.
[0029] Turning now to FIG. 4 , a partial perspective view of a side and a connecting rail of a diff-user according to the present invention is shown. A connecting rail 70 is attached to the side 14 so as to provide a stronger structure to receive the diffuser plates 18 and to provide mounting surfaces to attach the diffuser plates 18 . The side 14 is shown with brackets 74 which may easily be formed by bending a tab so as to be perpendicular to the side 14 . The brackets 74 are shown with holes 78 which correspond with holes 34 of FIG. 2 and which allow the diffuser plate 18 to be attached to the side plate 14 with bolts, screws, rivets, etc.
[0030] The edge of a diffuser plate 18 may be attached to the connecting rail 70 to further strengthen the diffuser 10 and to seal air leaks. Accordingly, the connecting rail 70 may have a flange 82 configured to receive a diffuser plate 18 . The flange 82 may typically be formed with holes 86 whereby the diffuser plate 18 may be attached. Flange 82 provides a location whereby an inner diffuser plate 18 may be attached. Thus, it will be appreciated that the connecting rails 70 and other parts of the diffuser may easily be designed to accommodate varying numbers and sizes of diffuser plates 18 .
[0031] A channel 90 may also be formed whereby an edge of a diffuser plate 18 may be inserted. The channel 90 may be formed between two flanges 94 . The channel 90 may be designed such that once a diffuser plate is attached to brackets 74 , no attachment is necessary to secure the diffuser plate 18 into the channel 90 and to prevent excessive air leakage around the edge of the diffuser plate 18 . Alternatively, holes 98 may be formed through the flanges 94 so as to permit fastening of the diffuser plate 18 . A simple single flange, such as one of flange 94 , may be used in place of a channel. It will be appreciated that internal bracing may be used to strengthen the diffuser, such as corner braces or diagonal braces extending between connecting rail 70 and side 14 as may be necessary for a particular size or design of diffuser.
[0032] It will be appreciated that a diffuser according to the present invention may be made in varying sizes according to the needs of a particular use. It will also be appreciated that a diffuser according to the present invention may be significantly less expensive than conventional shooting range diffusers. Conventional difflusers have been made from steel in order to provide a diffuser which is strong enough to withstand the abuse of a shooting range. Steel is expensive, and is more difficult to machine. Thus, available diffusers are somewhat expensive. Applicant has found that plastic diffuser plates are strong enough for a shooting range, and may even be more durable as they do not dent as a metal plate would when accidentally bumped. Applicant has also found that a diffuser with plastic diffusion plates is less expensive to ship, as the diffuser may be shipped unassembled, and all of the pieces are relatively flat. Existing diffusers have a steel diffusion plate which must be bent to the desired shape before shipping and assembly, requiring a larger object be shipped at additional cost. If a replacement diffuser plate is required, a replacement plate may be shipped flat to the customer. The diffuser plates are easily bent into the desired shape as they are installed.
[0033] In all, the cost of the diffuser can be reduced by more that 80 percent while providing comparable performance. Additionally, the diffuser of the present invention can be readily cut down to size in the event measurements were not accurate. With a conventional steel diffuser, a new diffuser would have to be ordered.
[0034] A diffuser according to the present invention is easier to service than existing diffusers. Existing diffusers may be sealed, or may have a piano hinge on the top of the diffuser. Shooting range operators have found existing diffuser designs difficult to clean and maintain. As previously discussed, applicant's design involving top and bottom releasable hinges allows easy access to the diffuser for cleaning and maintenance.
[0035] Applicant has also found that the plastic diffuser plates provide another unique advantage. The diffuser plates can act as an air filter. As most plastics do not conduct electricity or effectively diffuse electrical charge, the constant air flow through the plastic diffuser plates creates an electrostatic charge on the plates. The electrostatic charge on the diffuser plates attracts dust particles from the air. The additional filtration provides an important benefit in a shooting range, where dust particles in the air may commonly include smoke or even metal particles such as from the lead bullets which are not desirable to inhale.
[0036] There is thus disclosed an improved air diffuser. It will be appreciated that numerous changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the claims. | An improved air diffuser for shooting ranges and the like is both inexpensive, easy to transport, and easy to maintain. Flexible plastic is utilized for the diffuser plates providing easier manufacture and shipment of an unassembled diffuser. | 5 |
Related Applications
This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 786,689, filed Apr. 11, 1977, which is in turn a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 599,177, filed July 25, 1975, both of which are now abandoned.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to non-destructive testing of metal workpieces and more particularly relates to the testing of elongated workpieces such as drill stem for detection of fissures and other imperfections in the metal of the workpiece and identifies the fissure or imperfection as being of longitudinal or transverse nature relative to the elongated axis of the workpiece. The invention also provides for non-destructive detection of any variations in the thickness and hardness of the workpiece.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Steel tubing is widely used in the petroleum industry for production of oil and gas from subsurface well formations that are typically located many hundreds or thousands of feet below the surface of the earth. The tubing must be supported at its upper extremity, and therefore it is necessary that each section of the tubing string be capable of supporting the entire weight of the string of tubing connected below it. The tension stresses that are placed on the tubing can cause either partial or total rupture of the tubing in the event the tubing was either manufactured with a fissure or flaw in the wall section thereof or if the tubing might have developed a stress crack while in use. For example, the tubing manufacturing process might have caused a section of tubing to be manufactured with a small fissure in its wall structure. When this tubing becomes highly stressed as it supports the weight of the tubing string below it, the small imperfection might open up to the point that leakage occurs. In this event, it is necessary to pull the tubing string and replace the defective tubing section, and logically this is a very expensive procedure that should be avoided if at all possible. As another example, steel tubing that is supported within a well where the production fluid being produced has a high concentration of hydrogen sulfide can cause hydrogen sulfide embrittlement of the tubing to occur, developing minute cracks that in time will begin to leak or cause separation of the tubing. If tubing has been utilized in a well having a high concentration of hydrogen sulfide, it may pass pressure and stress tests. However, when inspected by magnetic detection, otherwise undetectable fissures or subsurface flaws may be detected that will cause the tubing to be rejected for further use.
Drill stem and other pipe may be tested in the same manner to indicate any longitudinal or transverse imperfections in the material from which it is composed. Detection of otherwise undetectable flaws in the structure of drill stem or other pipe can, of course, prevent costly interruptions in drilling or production that render magnetic detection of such flaws extremely advantageous.
The theory of a "longitudinal defect" in metal tubing or pipe is that it creates in effect a single metal bar that is bent around the axis of the pipe. When the pipe is subjected to a magnetic field of constant strength and polarity, the "bar" becomes magnetized, whereby each side of the defect is at a different polarity. It is well known in the art to utilize this concept by passing a coil over a defect in a pipe at a constant speed, thereby cutting the magnetic lines of force in the coil to induce an electromotive force (EMF) into the coil proportional to the magnetic field in the defect. This EMF is of course detected and measured to detect the defect, per se, in non-destructive testing apparatus that is presently being utilized in the industry.
One of the problems with the magnetic detection technique in the prior art is that all parameters must be held constant from point to point (or else known), or else the EMF cannot provide a reliable indication of the size of the defect. For example, two consecutive points may have different magnetisms, whereby the respective EMF thereof will be different--even when the two defects are of the same size and characteristic. Moreover, magnetic testing utilizing single "bar" technique is not typically of such sensitivity that very small surface or subsurface fissures can be detected with a high degree of accuracy. It is desirable, of course, to provide non-destructive testing equipment having the capability of detecting metal flaws of any size or characteristic so as to eliminate the possibility of placing any tubing in service that might rupture under pressure or mechanical stress or develop leakage.
Many techniques have been proposed for overcoming this disadvantage in the prior art. For example, some devices provide for rotating either the pipe within the coil or, in the alternative, rotating the coil about the pipe in order to produce a more uniform and therefor constant magnetizing of the pipe. Alternatively, additional magnets producing lines of flux that are oriented at 90° to the direction of the coil are often used to greatly intensify magnetization, whereby the relatively small natural or residual magnetism in the pipe is overridden and swamped. This, in turn, has greatly enlarged and complicated the non-destructive testing equipment.
Wall thickness testing for pipe and tubing is generally accomplished in accordance with the eddy current concept with a pair of spaced coils about the workpiece being energized to induce a magnetic field into the workpiece, and with an intermediate coil between them to pick up any changes in the magnetic field. The fact that the magnetic fields are not induced into the workpiece at the point of a defect but rather remote to it causes this type of testing to be fairly inaccurate.
It is therefore a primary feature of the present invention to provide novel non-destructive testing equipment utilizing the magnetization concept but overcoming the problems that are generally associated with the "magnet bar" concept that is presently employed for non-destructive testing of metal pipe and tubing.
It is also a feature of the present invention to provide novel, non-destructive testing apparatus wherein a small amount of flux is located at the precise location of any defect and is generally oriented in a coinciding manner relative to the defect in order that the defect may be more readily observed.
An even further feature of the present invention contemplates the provision of novel non-destructive testing apparatus for elongated metal objects such as tubing and pipe wherein a magnetic field is generated in the metal object that is extremely small relative to the object as a whole but is very large in relation to the amount of residual magnetism at the defect, per se, thereby causing even a minute defect to produce a rather substantial change in the electronic detection signal, thereby giving a more strong indication of the presence of a defect than is otherwise obtainable.
It is also an important feature of the present invention to provide novel, non-destructive testing apparatus utilizing the magnet and coil detection concept wherein substantially greater penetration of the magnetic field is achieved relative to the metal object being inspected, thus enhancing accuracy of the testing process and providing a more positive indication of the defect than is otherwise typically obtainable.
It is an even further feature of the present invention to provide novel, non-destructive testing apparatus that promotes a general reduction in the overall size of the magnetic testing equipment without in any way detracting from the quality of flaw detection that is available through use of such equipment.
Another important feature of the present invention contemplates the provision of novel testing apparatus for inducing a magnetic field into the workpiece being inspected and moving the magnetic field along the length of the workpiece and for detecting dimensional changes in the thickness of the workpiece by monitoring electrical signals relating to the magnetic field.
Other and further features and advantages of the invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an inspection site is provided having means for transporting an elongated workpiece such as a section of tubing, drill pipe or the like in a generally horizontal manner. A housing or other support structure is located at the inspection site and is capable of inspecting the workpieces as they are moved in generally parallel manner to a horizontally oriented path or axis. A single linear inspection pass of the workpiece along the inspection axis causes testing of the workpiece for longitudinal and transverse cracks or flaws in the metal of the workpiece and inspects the workpieces for dimensional changes in the body wall structure thereof. A first magnet support head is carried by the housing and is rotatable about the workpiece such that magnet support head structure carried by the rotatable head will move in helical manner relative to the moving workpiece in order to cause magnetic detection apparatus supported thereby to traverse the entire peripheral surface of the workpiece during a single inspection pass. Where tubing is being inspected, the apparatus may be employed to inspect it from the outside or inside as desired. A tool may be passed through the tubing of a well, for example, to test the tubing in place for structural continuity and wall thickness.
In one form of the invention, at least one, and preferably a pair, of movable magnet shoe elements are supported by the rotatable head and are capable of engaging the outer periphery of the workpiece at all times during the inspection pass. Movement of the magnet support shoe assemblies allows inspection contact to be maintained with the workpiece, even though the outer periphery of the workpiece may have changes in its dimension throughout its length.
Each of the magnet support shoe assemblies is of elongated nature and is positioned in substantially parallel relationship with the axis of the workpiece being tested for longitudinal flaws. The magnet support shoe provides support for a generally horseshoe-shaped electro-magnet or permanent magnet having each of its extremities directed toward the workpiece and being slightly spaced from the workpiece by a wear-resistant core that has engagement with the workpiece during the inspection movement. The magnetic field of the magnet is spread to an elongated form by pole pieces at each of the legs thereof. The wear-resistant core, which may be composed of non-magnetic metal or plastic material, contains an electrical coil that is positioned within the magnetic field of the magnet and has induced therein an electromotive force (EMF) by the magnet. The EMF induced into the coil is transmitted to appropriate amplification and signal display equipment by electrical circuitry that is connected to the coil.
With the magnet or magnets, as the case may be, located transversely to the longitudinal axis of the workpiece being tested, a small, localized but elongated magnetic field is developed in a portion of the workpiece having the lines of flux of the magnetic field being substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the workpiece and to the coil. The magnetic field takes on a particular characteristic as long as the material of the workpiece is free of flaws. When the magnetic field within the metal of the workpiece is traversed by or traverses a flaw in the workpiece, the small localized magnetic field is severely distorted, and this distortion is communicated to the coil by virtue of the change in the lines of flux being interrupted by the coil. Differentiation between the electronic signal being transmitted by the undisturbed magnetic field and by disturbance of the field by a flaw represents a sufficient change to signal the detection of a flaw. This signal can be in the form of an audible signal that can be heard or a visual signal that can be printed out in the form of a graph. Also is desired, the flaw detection signal may activate marking equipment that causes the workpiece to be appropriately marked in the area of the flaw. Moreover, the changes in the magnetic field can be calibrated for accurate measurements of the defect.
In addition to means for detection of longitudinal flaws in the workpiece, the housing may also be provided with an additional essentially static magnet support structure through which the workpiece passes during an inspection operation. A plurality of magnet support shoes are arranged with coil-containing pads oriented in generally transverse relation with the workpiece, and each magnet support shoe supports a magnet assembly that is arranged with horseshoe-type magnets disposed with the extremeties thereof in substantially parallel relationship with the axis of the workpiece. In this case an elongated coil is located within a coin-containing pad, with the coil being oriented substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the workpiece. The magnet elements are arranged to generate a small localized magnetic field within the wall structure of the workpiece that is of elongated nature with the length disposed transversely to the axis of the workpiece and with the lines of flux of the magnetic field defining planes that substantially parallel the axis of the workpiece. During inspection operation the transverse elongated magnetic field is severely disturbed when interrupted by a transverse flaw in the metal structure of the workpiece. If the workpiece is of circular cross-section, such as when tubing or other pipe is being inspected, the coil-containing pads will be of curved configuration in order to conform to the configuration of the outer periphery of the workpiece. Each of the magnet and coil assemblies is arranged in overlapping staggered relationship so that the entire peripheral surface of the workpiece is interrupted by one or more magnetic fields as the workpiece is moved linearly relatively to the transverse and longitudinal flaw detection apparatus at the inspection station. The transverse magnet and coil assemblies are each carried by movable shoe elements that enable the coil-containing pads to have contact with the surface of the workpiece during the inspection operation. As enlargements, unevenness, etc., are encountered during inspection of the workpiece, the magnet-carrying shoe elements will shift to accommodate differences in dimension and yet maintain the coil-containing pad elements in positive engagement with the outer periphery of the workpiece at all times.
An AC induction coil may also be positioned at the inspection site, and the elongated workpiece being tested may be passed through the induction coil for the purpose of detecting any abnormalities in the quality of the material from which the workpiece is formed and for detecting any abnormalities in the wall thickness of the workpiece during the same inspection for flaw detection.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
So that the manner in which the above-recited features, advantages and objects of the present invention, as well as others which will become apparent, are attained and can be understood in detail, more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings, which drawings form a part of this specification.
It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
In the drawings:
The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation may best be understood by way of illustration and example of certain embodiments, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of an inspection station illustrating joints of tubing, drill stem or the like being passed through apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention for detecting longitudinal and/or transverse flaws in the material of the tubing, and also for detecting any abnormalities in the material from which the workpiece is composed. FIG. 1 also illustrates in schematic form the electronic circuitry and recorder for identifying flaws in any particular ones of the workpieces.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, more detailed elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention wherein magnetic detection apparatus is provided for detection of longitudinal flaws in workpieces and for detection of abnormalities in the material from which the workpiece is formed.
FIG. 3A is a transverse sectional view of a workpiece with a magnet oriented in juxtaposed relation thereto and illustrating the development of a small localized magnetic field within a particular portion of the workpiece.
FIG. 3B is a transverse sectional view similar to FIG. 3A and illustrating modification of the form of the magnetic field when it is interrupted by a longitudinal flaw in the workpiece being inspected.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the rotary head portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2, with the rotary head structure and the magnet shoe support structure being illustrated in detail.
FIG. 5 is a transverse half-sectional view taken along line 5--5 in FIG. 4 and illustrating the magnet and magnet support structure of the testing apparatus in detail.
FIG. 6 is a transverse half-sectional view taken along line 6--6 in FIG. 4 and illustrating the magnet shoe guide structure and coil structure thereof in detail.
FIG. 7 is an elevational view with parts thereof broken away and shown in section illustrating magnet support head structure for detecting transverse flaws in the workpiece being tested.
FIG. 8 is an elevational view taken along line 8--8 in FIG. 7 and illustrating the relationship of the various magnet support shoe assemblies and their respective relationship to a pipe that is shown in section.
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary isometric view illustrating one of the magnet support shoe assemblies for detection of transverse flaws and showing in broken line the particular position of one of the magnets relative to the shoe and shoe support structure.
FIG. 10 is a partial elevational view of non-destructive testing apparatus representing a modified embodiment of the present invention wherein testing apparatus is provided for detection of both longitudinal and transverse flaws in workpieces.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11--11 in FIG. 10 and showing the position of the various magnet support head structures of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 10 relative to the workpiece being inspected.
FIG. 12 is an electronic schematic illustration showing the various coil devices of the testing apparatus and illustrating amplification and display circuitry for processing the electric signals that are generated in the various coils.
FIG. 13 is a schematic illustration illustrating the relationship of a power supply and time switch mechanism to magnet and coil assemblies capable of detecting both longitudinal and transverse flaws in workpieces.
FIG. 14 is an electrical schematic illustration of electrical circuitry that is capable of detecting changes in the hardness of the material from which a workpiece is formed, hardness testing being accomplished simultaneously with detection of flaws in a material from which the workpiece is made.
FIG. 15 depicts a galvanometer module that is capable of recording in graphical form the hardness characteristics as well as metal flaw characteristics of the particular workpiece being tested.
FIG. 16 is a view taken along line 16--16 of FIG. 15 and illustrating the mounting board structure of the galvanometer assembly in full line, while showing the enclosure for the galvanometer assembly in broken line.
FIG. 17 is a view illustrating assembly of a number of recording galvanometers, showing in broken line the assembly of other galvanometer modules to accommodate additional testing circuits for the non-destructive testing mechanism of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, and first to FIG. 1, there is shown a pipe 2 to be tested, which pipe may be obtained from a pipe supply shown at the left portion of FIG. 1 and may be passed from left to right through the flaw and material hardness testing apparatus. The pipe 2 may then be received by appropriate pipe-receiving apparatus such as shown at the right-hand portion of FIG. 1. For the purpose of detecting flaws and material hardness of the pipe or tubing 2, there may be provided workpiece examining apparatus, such as shown generally at 3, which includes an AC induction coil 4 that is positioned in fixed relation at the inspection station. The examining apparatus 3 may also include a pair of transverse flaw detection shoes 5 and 6 that may be supported at one extremity of the examining apparatus and a pair of longitudinal flaw detection shoes 7 and 8 and may be carried at the opposite extremity thereof.
It is considered desirable to cause the longitudinal flaw detection shoes carried by the examining apparatus to traverse the entire surface area of the elongated workpiece being tested. One suitable means for accomplishing this purpose may conveniently take the form of a rotating head assembly 9 that supports a pair of balancing shoes 10 that are disposed in 90° offset relationship to the longitudinal detection shoes 7 and 8. To provide meaningful data processing relating to the material hardness and flaw detection testing apparatus, there will be provided suitable electronic circuitry and recording circuitry such as illustrated at 11 in FIG. 1.
For the purpose of detecting longitudinal flaws in the respective workpieces, the theory of operation of the testing apparatus of the present invention may conveniently take the form illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B where a small localized magnetic field is shown to be developed in a portion of the workpiece 2 by means of a magnet 14 having cores 15 and 16. The magnetic field is shown by a small circle as in FIG. 3A with arrows pointing to the direction of flux that is induced into the material of the workpiece.
As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the magnetic field, shown in its undisturbed condition in FIG. 3A is drastically modified as shown by FIG. 3B when a longitudinal fissure interrupts the magnetic field. As the workpiece is rotated relative to the magnet, the magnetic field, upon being interrupted by a flaw in the workpiece, will become modified, thus inducing a change in the electrical signal that is responsive to the magnetic field. The change in the electrical signal being developed can be utilized in any suitable fashion to provide an indication that a flaw has been detected.
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a roller rack 20 having a pair of spaced rollers that receive the workpiece 2 and provide for substantially horizontal movement of the workpiece through the inspection station at which the flaw and material hardness testing apparatus is located. Between the spaced rollers and connected to the roller rack framework may be provided a centering jack 21 that provides support for a mounting ring 22 that may be rotatably driven by means of an electric motor 23 through a suitable gear reduction 24. The output shaft 25 of the gear reduction 24 may be provided with a sprocket that receives a sprocket chain, which chain is also received by a drive sprocket 27. An electrical cable 28 is suitably connected to a control signal junction box and to the recording portion of the electronic circuitry 11. The cable 28 may be provided with any suitable number of conductors, each of which relates to the particular electrical signal that is generated by any one of the number of magnetic detection devices with which the testing apparatus is provided.
The mounting ring 22 may provide movable support for a plurality of shoe pivot arms 29 and 30 that may be pivotally connected to the mounting ring 22 by means of pivot pins 31 and 32.
Because the shoe pivot arms 29 and 30 are urged toward the workpiece being tested, thereby causing the respective shoes to be maintained in engagement with the workpiece, a tension spring 33 may be received within appropriate recesses or grooves formed in the respective shoe pivot arms, thereby providing a continuous force that acts upon the arms to urge them radially inwardly. On either side of the respective shoe pivot arms 29 and 30, there may be provided a pair of balancing arms 34 that are also engaged by the tension spring 33 to cause the tension spring 33 to provide balanced urging forces acting upon the arms 29 and 30. The balancing arms 34 prevent the spring from coming into contact with the workpiece 2 as it is passed through the inspection station. Each of the arms 7 and 8 may be provided with shoe assemblies 36 and 38, respectively, with magnets 35 and 37 being supported by each of the shoe assemblies. The magnets carried by each of the shoe assemblies are positioned by the shoe assemblies relative to the workpiece such that small localized magnetic fields are induced into the workpiece as shown in FIG. 3A. The nature of each of the magnetic fields of each of the shoe assemblies is detected electrically by means of a coil to be discussed in detail hereinbelow, and electrical signals from the various coils may be conducted to circular contactor means provided on the mounting ring 22. A brush assembly 39 may be utilized to pick up the electrical signals from the circular contactor because of the rotary relationship between the mounting ring and the mounting ring support structure.
For the purpose of providing for rotation of the magnet support shoe assemblies carried by the respective arms 7 and 8, the mounting ring assembly 22 will have rotatable relationship relative to a housing support structure. Bearing assemblies 40 and 41 may be provided that are received within appropriate recesses formed in bearing holders 42 and 43, with an appropriate sleeve 44 being interposed between the hearing holders to maintain an appropriately spaced relationship therebetween and to provide for sealing of the bearing structures against contamination by dust, dirt, water and the like.
Each of the support arm assemblies 7 and 8 may be provided with respective wear bars 45 and 46 that are composed of any suitable wear-resisting material and which are secured to the respective arms in any suitable manner. The wear bars 45 and 46 will have engagement with the outer periphery of the tubular workpiece to be tested, and will thereby properly position the respective arms, and thus the shoe assemblies carried by the arms, relative to the workpiece. When a workpiece is not positioned between the arms, stop pins 47 and 48 carried by the arms will engage stop structure on the mounting ring, thus limiting radially inward movement of the arms. A number of adjustment apertures are provided in each of the arms in order that both the pivotal relationship of the arms relative to the rotary mounting ring and positioning of the arms in the absence of the presence of a workpiece therebetween can be appropriately adjusted as suits the particular characteristics of the inspection operation.
Each of the shoe assemblies may be provided with brackets 49 and 50, respectively, that provide supports for cores 51 and 52, which cores will be composed of any nonmagnetic material such as brass or aluminum or any one of a number of suitable plastic materials. Within each of the cores may be located electric coils such as shown at 53 that are located between the magnets 35A and 35B, as well as magnets 37A and 37B, for the purpose of detecting the characteristics of the magnetic flux developed in the material by the magnets. The coils are electrically connected in any suitable manner to the contact ring in order that electrical signals induced into the coils may be detected by means of the brush assembly 39 that contacts collector rings 39a and 39b which are connected to, but insulated from, the bearing holder 43. Each of the brush assemblies may be provided with retainer pins 54 that are received within elongated slots defined in the respective pivot arms 29 and 30. The interrelationship between the retainer pins 54 and the respective elongated slots allows the magnet support shoes 36 and 38 to have linear movement relative to the respective arms within limits defined by the length of the slots, but prevents the magnet shoe assemblies from becoming disassembled from the arms in absence of contact with the surface of a workpiece. Linear movement of the respective shoes relative to the arms 29 and 30 may also be controlled by means of guide pins 55 that receive compression springs 56. The compression springs cause the shoes to be urged into engagement with the peripheral surface of the workpiece, and the pins 55 serve as retainer elements for the springs as well as controlling linear movement of the shoes.
The coil, guide pin and spring are clearly evident from the transverse sectional views 5 and 6. Reference characters 51A and 51B depict pole pieces that are composed of magnetic material, such as soft iron, that serve to support the free extremities of the horseshoe-type magnets 35 to establish proper positioning of the magnets relative to the workpiece being inspected. The primary purpose of the pole pieces is to disperse the magnetic field on each side of the coil 53. As shown in FIG. 6, the cores that retain the electrical coil elements may be of elongated configuration and composed of a non-magnetic material, such as aluminum, brass, etc., with an elongation trough or receptacle being defined within the core structure. After the coil 53 has been properly positioned within the elongated trough or core receptacle, a quantity of plastic material may be poured into the trough, submerging the coil, and, after curing, will encapsulate the coil and cause it to be positively retained in position within the core.
Referring now to FIG. 4, in the absence of a workpiece, the arms 29 and 30 will be collapsed by the tension spring 33 within limits allowed by the stop pins 47 and 48 which engage the rotary mounting ring 22. Upon feeding of a workpiece through the testing apparatus in the direction shown by the arrow at the right-hand portion of FIG. 4, the workpiece will engage the angulated portion of the wear bars 45 and 46 and will provide sufficient force to overcome the tension of the spring 33, thereby causing the arms to move to the position illustrated in FIG. 4. As the workpiece moves further, the extremity of the workpiece contacts the angulated portion of the respective magnet support shoes, thereby causing a camming action that moves the shoes linearly, causing the pins 54 to travel linearly within the slots provided therefor. The compression springs 56 about the guide pins 55 will continuously urge the shoes toward the workpieces and will maintain contact between the workpieces and the shoes during testing operations, thereby positively maintaining proper positioning between the magnets and the workpieces to ensure consistency of the electrical signal that is transmitted to the contact or collector rings 39A and 39B. The wear bars 45 and 46 provide appropriate support for the arms 29 and 30 during testing operations by virtue of engagement with the workpiece being tested. This causes the shoes 36 and 38 to be subjected only to the degree of force that is induced by the compression springs 56, thereby precluding unnecessary wear on the core portions of the shoe structures during testing operations.
Referring now to FIG. 7, there is disclosed a modified embodiment of the present invention that is provided for detection of transverse flaws in the workpiece being tested. If desired, the structure illustrated in FIG. 7 may be secured at the inspection site and may be used simultaneously with the apparatus disclosed in FIGS. 1-6 for detection of longitudinal flaws. As shown in FIG. 7, there is provided a mounting plate structure 60 having a plurality of pivot blocks 64 connected thereto by means of adjustment bolts 66 or by any other suitable means of connection. The pivot blocks 64 each provide pivotal support for a transverse flaw detector arm assembly, such as shown at 61, which is also provided with a wear bar 62 that engages the pipe or tubing 2 during the inspection operation and thereby serves to position the respective arms 61 relative to the workpiece. Connection between the arms 61 and the respective pivot blocks 64 may be accomplished by means of pivot pins 63 which may be in the form of ordinary bolts that extend through apertures formed in each of the arms 61. For the purpose of adjustment, the attachment and adjustment bolts 66 that secure the pivot blocks 64 to the mounting plate 60 may extend through elongated slots 65. After loosening of the adjustment bolts 66, the arms may be suitably positioned within limits defined by the elongated slots 65, thereby allowing the inspection apparatus to be readily adjusted to accommodate different size tubing or pipe.
It will be desirable to cause the arms 61 to be urged toward the workpiece being inspected, and for accomplishment of this purpose, tension springs 67 may be extended through spring openings formed in the respective arm structures 61 with the extremities of the springs being secured to spring-retainer posts that are carried by the respective pivot blocks. Because the springs are offset relative to the pivot established by pivot element 63, the tension springs will induce a force to the respective arms, tending to pivot the arms toward the workpiece that is being tested.
The respective arms 61 will be formed to define recesses for receiving magnet and coil-supporting shoe assemblies and may also define shoe assembly support elements, each having an elongated slot 71 formed therein with retainer pins 70 received within each of the elongated slots 71 which serve to retain shoe bracket structures 69 in movable, but retained, assembly with the arm structure 61. The shoe assemblies 68 may each include the bracket structure 69, and the bracket structure, together with the magnet and coil assembly carried thereby, will be guided during linear movement within the shoe-retaining recess by means of guide elements 72 and will be urged toward the workpiece 2 by means of a compression spring 73 that is received about each of the guide elements.
Each of the brackets 69 of the shoe assembly 68 will be provided for support of at least one, and preferably a pair, of horseshoe-shaped magnets 74, with the free extremities of each magnet being supported by magnetic pole pieces 77 that may be composed of soft iron and by non-magnetic shoe structure 75 that, for practical purposes, may be composed of brass or any other suitable non-magnetic material. The non-magnetic shoe structure 75 may be formed to define an elongated coil-retaining recess within which may be positioned an electrical coil 76 that is capable of detecting the magnetic field being induced into the workpiece by each of the magnets. The soft iron pole pieces 77 may be interposed between the free extremities of each of the magnets 74 and the brass shoe to establish a connection therebetween. The coil 76 may be retained within its recess by means of a non-magnetic material, such as plastic, that may be poured into the recess in an uncured state and allowed to cure into a relatively solid substance.
As illustrated in FIG. 9, each of the iron pole pieces 77 and the non-magnetic shoes 75 are of curved configuration, conforming to the configuration of the workpiece being tested. Additionally, the non-magnetic shoes and the pole pieces extend outwardly beyond the respective magnets, causing the magnetic field that is generated through the pole pieces and into the workpiece to be of elongated configuration when viewed transversely of the workpiece. The lines of force of the magnetic field, however, are in line with the axis of the workpiece and transverse to the coil.
As is evident from FIG. 7, the various magnet support shoes are staggered such that the magnetic fields generated thereby are disposed in overlapping relationship such that the entire peripheral surface area of the workpiece is subjected to the overlapping magnetic fields as the workpieces have moved relative to the arm and shoe assemblies 68. A single pass of the workpiece through the magnetic flaw detection apparatus illustrated in FIG. 7 will cause the entire surface area of the workpiece to be inspected, and, upon detection of a transverse flaw in the metal structure of the workpiece, a signal will be generated that can be audibly or visually displayed to indicate that the workpiece is defective. Moreover, the structure illustrated in FIG. 7 may be utilized separately from, or in conjunction with, the magnetic testing apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1-6, depending upon the characteristics of inspection that are desired. Since the entire surface area of the workpiece is inspected simply by passing the workpiece through the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 7, it is not necessary to rotate the transverse flaw detection apparatus during the testing operation. Therefore, only the magnetic detection apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1-6 need be rotated, and the transverse flaw detection apparatus may simply be maintained in a stable condition as testing operations are being conducted.
It may be desirable to provide magnetic flaw detection apparatus that is constructed in accordance with the present invention and is capable of detecting both longitudinal and transverse flaws in the workpiece during a single inspection pass. It may also be desirable to cause rotation of both the transverse and longitudinal detection apparatus to provide a helically movable relationship with the workpiece that causes the entire surface area of the workpiece to be inspected during a single inspection pass. In accordance with the present invention, such apparatus may conveniently take the form illustrated in FIG. 10, where a pair of longitudinal flaw detection arms 80 are shown to be connected to a rotary mounting ring 84 that may be rotated in any suitable manner. Each of the longitudinal flaw detector arms 80 will be formed with an appropriate recess to receive respective shoe assemblies 83 that are linearly movable relative to the respective arm in the same manner as discussed above in connection with FIG. 4. The longitudinal flaw detection shoe assemblies may take a similar or identical form as compared with the shoe assemblies 36 and 38 shown in FIG. 4. Magnets 81 and 82 may be supported by each of the shoe assemblies and may be positioned relative to the workpiece so as to induce into the workpiece a small localized magnetic field that is oriented relative to the workpiece, with the lines of flux thereof being oriented transversely of the longitudinal axis of the workpiece. As in the structure of FIG. 4, the shoe assembly also includes an electrical coil that is retained by the shoe assembly and is positioned in the magnetic field between the magnet and the workpiece.
In addition to the longitudinal flaw detector magnet and coil assemblies, there may be provided a pair of opposed transverse flaw detector arms 85, each of which is oriented in substantially 90° relationship to each of the longitudinal flaw detector arms 80.
Referring particularly to FIG. 11, the arms 85 will be formed to define shoe-receiving recesses capable of retaining transverse flaw detection shoes such as shown generally at 85A and 85B. Each of the transverse flaw detection shoes may conveniently take the form of the shoe assembly structures illustrated in FIG. 7 with non-magnetic shoe plates that are curved to conform to the configuration of the workpiece, which shoe may be formed with a recess within which is disposed a magnetic field detection coil that is electrically connected with suitable magnetic field signal processing apparatus, such as that shown schematically at 11 in FIG. 1. A pair of magnets 86 and 87 may be carried by the respective shoe assemblies on either side of the respective transverse flaw detector arm for the purpose of inducing a magnetic field through the respective magnetic pole pieces that are carried by each of the shoe assemblies 88.
A rotating head assembly 89 will provide rotatable support for the mounting ring 84 in the same manner as discussed above in connection with FIGS. 2 and 4, thereby causing rotation of both the longitudinal flaw detector arms and the transverse flaw detector arms. As the workpiece 2 is passed through the rotatable mounting ring, the respective arms will be positioned with wear bars in engagement therewith and with shoe assemblies in floating contact with the surface of the workpiece. As the workpiece is moved linearly and the respective arms are rotated, the magnetic fields generated by the respective longitudinally and transversely oriented magnet assemblies will cause each of the magnetic fields to traverse the entire surface area of the workpiece in the form of a helical scanning path. The speed of linear movement of the workpiece and the speed of rotation of the magnetic shoe assemblies must therefore be precisely controlled in order to cause the respective magnetic fields to traverse the entire surface area of the workpiece. Detection of both longitudinal and transverse flaws in the workpiece may therefore be accomplished efficiently by means of only four magnet assemblies that are such capable of developing small localized and specifically oriented magnetic fields in the material from which the workpiece is composed.
Referring now to FIG. 12, the electrical circuitry for processing the magnetic field related electrical signals that are induced into the respective coils of the shoe assemblies is shown by means of a simple schematic illustration. In this particular case, the flaw detection apparatus would be provided with a pair of arms and shoe assemblies for detection of longitudinal flaws in the workpiece and would be provided with eight transverse flaw detection arm and shoe assemblies, such as shown in FIG. 7, for detection of transverse flaws in the metal of the workpiece. The two longitudinal flaw detection shoes carried by respective arms such as shown in FIG. 2 will provide coils 91 and 92 that provide magnetic field related signals to the input of a conventional amplifier circuit 93. The output of the amplifier circuit is then fed to a galvanometer 94 that is capable of providing a visual and/or audible signal in the event a flaw is detected by either or both of the longitudinal flaw detection shoe assemblies. A suitable galvanometer structure for providing graphical read-out of the condition of the material from which the workpiece is composed will be discussed hereinbelow in connection with FIGS. 15-17.
A plurality of coils 101 being carried one by each of the plurality of transverse flaw detection shoes such as shown in FIG. 7 will provide electrical signals to the input of respective amplifier circuits 102. The output of each of the amplifier circuits will then be fed to recording or audible signal-generating galvanometer assemblies, such as shown at 103.
Referring now to FIG. 13, it may be desirable to provide electrical or electronic apparatus for obtaining and processing electrical signals on a time-sharing basis in order to utilize more simple and efficient electrical or electronic circuitry for accomplishing both longitudinal and transverse detection of flaws in the workpiece being tested. A power supply may be provided as shown at 97 that may be coupled to a time switch mechanism 98 that selectively connects the coils of a transverse magnetic flaw detection assembly 99 or a longitudinal flaw detection assembly 100 to be electrical signal processing circuitry. In this manner, a single power supply amplification and signal display circuit may be utilized for both transverse and longitudinal testing.
It may be desirable to test the particular characteristics such as hardness and wall thickness, of the material from which the workpiece is composed at the same time the workpiece is tested for flaws in the material structure. To provide this type of testing, an induction coil 4 may be supported at the inspection site, as shown at FIG. 2, and the workpiece 2 may be passed through it and also through the flaw detection apparatus in the manner shown in FIG. 2. There may be provided a verifier circuit, such as shown generally at 111, having a balanced bridge circuit 112 having an induction coil 113, a matching resistor 114 and a load resistor 116, to which may be coupled a power supply 115. A galvanometer 118 may be coupled to the balanced bridge circuit with one lead being connected between the induction coil 113 and the matching resistor 114 with its opposite lead forming a wiper 117 that contacts the load resistor 116. The load resistor is in the form of a variable resistor by means of the wiper 117, thereby allowing the balanced bridge circuit to be balanced simply by adjustment of the position of the wiper 117 relative to the variable load resistor 116. A threshold circuit 119 may also be connected across the galvanometer 118 and may establish a predetermined threshold beyond which a particular signal may be given indicating that the threshold has been exceeded. Audible signal apparatus 120 may be provided in conjunction with the threshold circuit 119 and may produce a signal that is audible to the operator, such as a horn signal, that will indicate that the workpiece is not of proper hardness throughout its length. An amplifier circuit 122 may have its input connected across the galvanometer circuit and to the balanced bridge circuit with the output of the amplifier circuit being coupled to a recording galvanometer 123. A pulse generator circuit 121 may also be provided having its output connected with the amplifier circuit in order to modify the amplified signal of the amplifier circuit and feed to the galvanometer 123 an appropriate signal that may be recorded on a chart 124 by means of a galvanometer charting pin 125.
In order to provide a permanent indication of the tested condition of each particular workpiece that is tested both for hardness and for possible longitudinal and/or transverse flaws in the material thereof, a recording galvanometer for accomplishing this purpose may conveniently take the form illustrated generally at 130 in FIG. 15, where a generally horseshoe-shaped magnet 131 is provided having pole pieces 132 and 133 that may be secured to a printed circuit mounting board 134 by means of screws 128. A dust cover such as shown in broken line at 129 in FIG. 16 may be secured to the printed circuit board in any desirable manner to prevent the galvanometer assembly from becoming contaminated by dust, dirt, and the like. The printed circuit mounting board may be provided with a plug portion 135 having electrical contacts 135a for allowing the galvanometer unit assembly to be simply plugged into proper electrical contacted relationship with the electrical circuitry therefor. The printed circuit mounting board also provides structural integrity for the galvanometer assembly and allows the galvanometer assembly to be simply plugged or connected into a substantially fixed, but removable, relationship with a galvanometer receptacle where it may be assembled with other similar or identical galvanometer units, such as shown in FIG. 17.
Each galvanometer assembly may include a torsion bar 136 that is received by a torsion bar holder 137. A saddle structure 143 may also be provided that receives a center pole piece 139 about which is disposed an electrical coil 138. The coil interrupts the magnetic field between the pole pieces 132 and 133 and functions to induce a force to the saddle structure 143 that causes a pin arm 140 and pin nib 142 to assume a particular position relative to a chart, such as shown at 124 in FIG. 14. Ink from the hib 142 will provide a marking on the chart that conforms to the particular electrical signal responsive forces being applied through the center pole piece 139, the saddle 143, to the pin arm and nib. The pin arm 140 is supported by a pin arm spring 141 that causes the nib 142 to be urged into engagement with the surface of the chart 124.
A control console adapted to receive a number of galvanometer assemblies such as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, and any number of the galvanometer assemblies, may be simply plugged into an electrically connected relationship with appropriate galvanometer actuating circuitry in the control console. As shown in FIG. 17, a number of galvanometer assemblies 130, each having pin arms 140, are disposed in side-by-side relationship with other galvanometer assemblies being shown in broken line that might be added in the event the material testing apparatus is to be provided with additional testing and recording capability. In the event one of the galvanometer assemblies of the particular testing apparatus should become inoperative for any particular reason, the testing apparatus can simply and quickly be restored to its optimum operating capability by removing the defective galvanometer module and plugging a new galvanometer module into that particular receptacle. The galvanometer apparatus can thus be repaired by workmen having little or no electrical or electronic capability. The magnet 131 may be a parmanent magnet or an electromagnet within the scope of the invention.
The same rotatable detector head structure that is rotated during longitudinal movement of the workpiece through the inspection site also provides for effective and accurate inspection of the workpiece for any dimensional changes in wall thickness that might be detrimental to use of the workpiece in service. In tubular workpieces, such as well tubing and drill stem, the hostile environment in which the pipe is used can cause corrosion and erosion of the pipe from the interior, reducing the wall thickness to the point that is should not be put to further use in wells. Means for inspecting the wall thickness of the tubing of wells may be simply and effectively accomplished in accordance with the present invention either with the tubing in place in the well or with the tubing extracted from the well and passed through the inspection apparatus in the form of sections. As the detector head, including the magnet and coil assemblies carried by the various shoes, is rotated around the pipe at a speed corresponding to the magnetic charging time of the weight and grade of material, the cross-sectional area of the pipe will be detected in the form of a flux variation, which is related to measuring instruments in the form of an electrical signal. When the body wall thickness of the pipe is relatively uniform, the electrical signal relating the flux that is detected is also correspondingly uniform. At a point in the pipe where a non-uniform area is traversed by the detector head, the magnetic field will vary substantially, and this variation will be transmitted to the measuring instruments of the control console in the form of an electrical signal that is compared with parameters of acceptance. If the signal shows the wall thickness to fall outside of these parameters, an appropriate signal will be given for the purpose of rejecting the pipe and for providing a measured indication of the characteristics of the wall thickness defect.
The signal path is a simple single channel originating at the detector head. The flux path is directly opposite to the transverse detection system. As the detector head is passed over the defect, a voltage change caused by the flux change is amplified and then presented as an amplitude change on a strip recorder for permanent records and evaluation. The recorder can be calibrated with a known standard in order to insure accurate measurements of the wall thickness of the tubing.
The magnetic field is induced into the pipe at the detector head and is so designed that it is an integral part of the detector head. This method insures that a uniform magnetic field is present at the point of detection. Extremely accurate wall thickness measurements are possible in accordance with the teachings of this invention.
While discussion of wall thickness measurement has been limited to exterior application of the measuring apparatus to pipe, it is not intended that this form of discussing the nature and scope of the invention limit the invention in any way. For testing tubing strings in place within wells, the same inventive concept may be effectively employed by passing a well tool through the tubing string, with detecting head structure incorporated into the well tool and having the capability of wiping along the inside wall surfaces of the tubing and detecting any abnormalities in the wall thickness of the tubing.
In view of the foregoing, it is easily seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the features and advantages hereinabove set forth, together with other features and advantages which will become obvious and inherent from a description of the apparatus itself. It will be understood that certain combinations and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by, and is within the scope of, the present invention. | Apparatus for detecting defects such as fissures in the ferrous metal of elongated workpieces such as pipe may take the form of wall thickness and material continuity inspection apparatus that is located at an inspection site, with the inspection site being provided to receive an elongated metal workpiece such as a section of drill stem. A movable magnet support structure is located at the inspection site and carries a magnet and coil assembly in movable shoe means that is capable of engaging the outer periphery of the workpiece and establishing a predetermined spaced relationship between the workpiece, the magnet and the coil. The magnet support shoe, together with the magnet and coil, are movable in helical manner about the workpiece, causing the shoe to traverse the entire outer periphery of the workpiece during a single inspection pass. The magnet is arranged to generate a small localized elongated magnetic field within the workpiece, which elongated field is oriented with respect to the longitudinal axis of the workpiece with the lines of flux of the magnetic field being transversely oriented with respect to the longitudinal axis of the workpiece. Thus oriented, the magnetic field enables electronic detection of longitudinal fissures in the workpiece as it traverses the length of the workpiece. An electric current is induced in the coil, which is oriented substantially 90° to the flux of the magnetic field, and modifications in the flux, and thus the current induced in the coil, are detected and relayed to suitable electronic equipment for amplification and display in any suitable manner. A second magnet and coil assembly provided by movable magnet and coil-carrying shoes may be provided having transversely oriented elongated magnetic field means with the lines of flux of the magnetic field means defining planes that are parallel with the longitudinal axis of the workpiece. The transversely oriented elongated magnetic field means are provided for the purpose of detecting transverse flaws or imperfections in the workpiece during the same inspection pass. An induction process is also provided for detecting variations in wall thickness of the workpiece being inspected. | 6 |
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