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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional application Serial No. 60/182,159, filed Feb. 14, 2000; and is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/448,985, filed Nov. 24, 1999, which claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/147,888, filed Aug. 9, 1999. The contents of each of these applications are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a novel crystalline form of sertraline hydrochloride, and reproducible methods for its preparation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Sertraline hydrochloride, (1S-cis)-4-(3,4 dichlorophenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-N-methyl-1-naphthalenamine hydrochloride, having the formula
[0004] is approved, under the trademark Zoloft®, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,518 (“the '518 patent”) describes the preparation of sertraline hydrochloride with a melting point of 243-245° C. by treating an ethyl acetate/ether solution of the free base with gaseous hydrogen chloride. The solid state properties of the sertraline hydrochloride so produced are not otherwise disclosed.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,083 describes the preparation of a form of sertraline hydrochloride denominated polymorph “T1.”
[0007] According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,699 (“the '699 patent”), the sertraline hydrochloride produced by the method of the '518 patent has a crystalline form denominated “Form II.” The '699 patent discloses four other polymorphs of sertraline hydrochloride designated Forms I, III, IV, and V, and characterizes them by single crystal x-ray analysis, powder x-ray diffraction, infra-red spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The '699 patent reports that Form II is produced by rapid crystallization of sertraline hydrochloride from an organic solvent, including isopropyl alcohol, ethyl acetate or hexane, and generally describes methods for making sertraline hydrochloride Forms I-V. According to this patent, the preferential formation of Forms I, II or IV in an acidic solution consisting of isopropyl alcohol, hexane, acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone, glacial acetic acid or, preferably, ethyl acetate, depends on the rapidity of crystallization. The only method described in this patent for making Forms II and IV is by the rapid crystallization of sertraline hydrochloride from an organic solvent such as those listed above.
[0008] The experimental procedure for the preparation of sertraline hydrochloride described in the '518 patent, was repeated in the laboratory. According to the '699 patent, the '518 procedure produces sertraline hydrochloride Form II. Four experiments were performed according to the description in the '518 patent. By following the procedures described in the '699 patent for preparation of sertraline hydrochloride Form II, we were unable to obtain sertraline hydrochloride Form II. Thus there remains a need for reproducible methods for the preparation of sertraline hydrochloride Form II.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention relates to a process for making sertraline hydrochloride Form II comprising the steps of dissolving sertraline base or sertraline mandelate in an organic solvent to form a solution; adding hydrogen chloride to the solution; heating the solution to a temperature between about room temperature and about reflux for a time sufficient to induce the formation of sertraline hydrochloride Form II; and isolating sertraline hydrochloride Form II.
[0010] The present invention also relates to a process for making sertraline hydrochloride Form II comprising the steps of dissolving sertraline hydrochloride in dimethylformamide, cyclohexanol, acetone or a mixture thereof; heating the solution for a time sufficient to effect transformation to sertraline hydrochloride Form II; and isolating sertraline hydrochloride Form II.
[0011] The present invention further relates to a process for making sertraline hydrochloride Form II comprising the steps of granulating sertraline hydrochloride Form V in ethanol or methanol; and stirring the mixture of sertraline hydrochloride Form V and ethanol or methanol for a time sufficient to induce transformation to sertraline hydrochloride Form II.
[0012] The present invention still further relates to a process for making a mixture of sertraline hydrochloride Form II and Form V comprising the steps of heating sertraline hydrochloride ethanolate Form VI at up to 1 atmosphere pressure; and isolating a mixture of sertraline hydrochloride Form II and Form V.
[0013] The present invention still further relates to a process for making sertraline hydrochloride Form II comprising the steps of suspending a water or solvent adduct of sertraline hydrochloride in a solvent selected from the group consisting of acetone, t-butyl-methyl ether, cyclohexane, n-butanol, and ethyl acetate such that a slurry is formed, for a time sufficient to effect transformation to sertraline hydrochloride Form II; and filtering the slurry to isolate sertraline hydrochloride Form II.
[0014] The present invention still further relates to sertraline hydrochloride Form II, characterized by an x-ray powder diffraction pattern comprising peaks at about 5.5, 11.0, 12.5, 13.2, 14.7, 16.4, 17.3, 18.1, 19.1, 20.5, 21.9, 22.8, 23.8, 24.5, 25.9, 27.5, and 28.0 degrees two theta; pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of depression comprising sertraline hydrochloride Form II together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and a method for treating depression comprising the step of administering to a subject in need of such treatment a therapeutically effective amount of the such a pharmaceutical composition.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] [0015]FIG. 1 is a characteristic x-ray powder diffraction spectrum of sertraline hydrochloride prepared by the methods of U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,518.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 2 is a characteristic x-ray powder diffraction spectrum of sertraline hydrochloride prepared by the methods of U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,699.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 3 is a characteristic x-ray powder diffraction spectrum of sertraline hydrochloride Form II prepared by the methods of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] Form II from Sertraline Base or Sertraline Mandelate
[0019] The present invention provides new processes for making sertraline hydrochloride Form II from sertraline base or sertraline mandelate. Sertraline base may be made by methods known in the art, including the methods of the '518 patent. Sertraline base is dissolved in a suitable solvent. Suitable solvents include ethyl acetate, acetone, t-methyl-butyl ether, isopropyl alcohol, n-butanol, t-butanol, iso-butanol, hexane, and cyclohexane, and mixtures thereof The pH of the sertraline base solution is lowered by the addition of hydrogen chloride, which may result in a temperature increase. As used herein, “hydrogen chloride” includes both gaseous hydrogen chloride and aqueous hydrogen chloride (i.e. hydrochloric acid). Hydrogen chloride also may be added as a solution with an organic solvent, such as a solution of isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen chloride, n-butanol and hydrogen chloride, acetone and hydrogen chloride, or the like. The solution of sertraline base or sertraline mandelate in the solvent is heated to a temperature between about room temperature and the reflux temperature of the solvent and maintained at that temperature for a period of time sufficient to effect the transformation to sertraline hydrochloride Form II. Preferably the solution is heated to a temperature between about 45° C. and the reflux temperature of the solvent. Most preferably the solution is heated to at or about the reflux temperature of the solvent. Upon cooling of the mixture, for example to room temperature, sertraline hydrochloride Form II is isolated by filtration.
[0020] In a preferred variation of this method, the solution of sertraline base or sertraline mandelate in a solvent is heated to the reflux temperature of the solvent. The mixture is refluxed for a time sufficient to effect the transformation to sertraline hydrochloride Form II. Preferably the mixture is refluxed for about 1 to 4 hours.
[0021] Numerous experiments were performed in an attempt to repeat the procedure described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,518 for preparing Form II wherein sertraline base was dissolved in ethyl acetate, ether was added and the solution was acidified with gaseous hydrogen chloride. The material obtained after filtration and air drying was sertraline hydrochloride amorphous, not Form II as was expected. These experiments are set forth in Examples 13-16 below.
[0022] The x-ray powder diffraction graphs for the products of each of these experiments are equivalent, containing peaks at 11.0, 12.0, 15.4, 16.2, 22.4, 22.9 degree two-theta (See FIG. 1 for a representative example). FIG. 1 does not contain the typical peaks of sertraline hydrochloride Form II, indicating an absence of sertraline hydrochloride Form II in those samples. Thus, none of these experiments, which follow the procedure described in the '518 patent for preparation of sertraline hydrochloride Form II, leads to sertraline hydrochloride Form II.
[0023] The '699 patent provides experimental procedures for preparation of sertraline hydrochloride. The '699 patent does not provide experimental procedure for preparation of sertraline hydrochloride Form II, but it is mentioned that sertraline hydrochloride Form II may be prepared by “rapid crystallization” from the same solvents.
[0024] The procedure of the '699 patent was repeated in an attempt to prepare sertraline hydrochloride form II from ethyl acetate. In a trial of the methods according to the '699 patent: An aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, 10%, was added to a slurry of sertraline mandelate crystals (44.6 g) in ethyl acetate (290 mL), until complete dissolution. The organic phase was separated and the aqueous phase was extracted with ethyl acetate (280 mL) and combined with the organic phase. The resulting organic solution was washed with water (5×100 mL) then with brine (100 mL) and concentrated on a rotavapor to a volume of 356 mL. The concentrated solution was cooled to 58° C. and seeded with sertraline hydrochloride Form II. Concentrated hydrochloric acid (32%, 8.1 mL) was added to this solution. The solution was then rapidly cooled to 30° C. over 5 minutes. A heavy gel was obtained and the stirring was continued overnight. The solid was filtrated, washed with ethyl acetate and dried at 50° C. The dried solid, sertraline hydrochloride, was not sertraline hydrochloride Form II, as shown by the x-ray diffraction pattern of FIG. 2.
[0025] By following the procedures described in the '699 patent for preparation of sertraline hydrochloride Form II, we did not obtain sertraline hydrochloride Form II. It is thus apparent that neither the '699 patent nor the '518 patent disclose a useful method for the preparation of sertraline hydrochloride Form II.
[0026] Form II from Sertraline Hydrochloride
[0027] The present invention also provides new processes for making sertraline hydrochloride Form II from sertraline hydrochloride Form V by granulation. In the conversion of sertraline hydrochloride Form V to sertraline hydrochloride Form II, sertraline hydrochloride Form V is combined with a small amount of ethanol or methanol. The mixture of sertraline hydrochloride Form V and ethanol or methanol is stirred for at least a period of at least a few hours, up to several days, preferably about two days, to induce the transformation of Form V to Form II. Sertraline hydrochloride Form II is then isolated by filtration.
[0028] The present invention also provides new processes for making sertraline hydrochloride Form II by recrystallization of sertraline hydrochloride under heating conditions. In the conversion of sertraline hydrochloride to sertraline hydrochloride Form II, sertraline hydrochloride is dissolved in a suitable organic solvent. The solution is then heated for a time sufficient to effect transformation to sertraline hydrochloride Form II. Suitable solvents include dimethylformamide, cyclohexanol and acetone. Dimethylformamide is preferred. The suspension may be heated to a temperature between about 70° C. and 120° C. Sertraline hydrochloride Form II is then isolated by filtration.
[0029] The present invention provides new processes for making sertraline hydrochloride Form II from sertraline hydrochloride Form VI, Form VII or Form VIII by reslurry in organic solvents at temperatures between 25-80° C., followed by drying. Sertraline hydrochloride Form VI may be made following the methods of Examples 2 and 3. Sertraline hydrochloride Form VII is a water adduct and may be made by the methods of Examples 19 and 20. Sertraline hydrochloride Form VIII may be made by the methods of Examples 17 and 18. The methods provided in the present invention have advantages over the rapid recrystallization method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,699. The method of the present invention does not require complete dissolution of sertraline hydrochloride, controlling the rate of heating or cooling of a sertraline solution, or controlling the rate of crystallization. The present method utilizes less solvent than the method of the '699 patent, since the sertraline hydrochloride starting material need not be completely dissolved.
[0030] In the conversion of sertraline hydrochloride Form VI, Form VII or Form VIII to sertraline hydrochloride Form II, according to the present invention, sertraline hydrochloride Form VI, Form VII water adduct, or Form VIII is combined with an aprotic organic solvent to form a slurry. Suitable solvents include n-butanol, acetone, t-butyl-methyl ether (MTBE), ethyl acetate and cyclohexane. The conversion may take place at room temperature, but preferably the sertraline hydrochloride Form VI, Form VII water adduct, or VIII and solvent are heated to temperatures between 25° C. and 80° C. About 1 to about 10 volumes of solvent are preferred, based on the weight of the sertraline hydrochloride starting material. See Examples 8 (3 volumes of solvent) and 9 (5 volumes of solvent) below. Smaller amounts of solvent will also effect the transformation, albeit in some instances more slowly. The reaction is carried out for a time sufficient to convert the Form VI, Form VII or Form VIII to Form II. We have not observed any further conversion of Form II upon treatment under these conditions for times longer than the minimum time necessary to effect the transformation.
[0031] The present invention also provides new processes for making a mixture of sertraline hydrochloride Form II and sertraline hydrochloride Form V. In this embodiment of the present invention, sertraline hydrochloride Form VI is heated to induce the transformation of sertraline hydrochloride Form VI to a mixture of both sertraline hydrochloride Form II and sertraline hydrochloride Form V. In this embodiment of the present invention, the heating of sertraline hydrochloride Form VI may be done under reduced pressure or atmospheric pressure.
[0032] Pharmaceutical Compositions Containing Sertraline Hydrochloride Polymorphs
[0033] In accordance with the present invention, sertraline hydrochloride Form II as prepared by the new methods disclosed herein may be used in pharmaceutical compositions that are particularly useful for the treatment of depression, obesity, chemical dependencies or addictions, premature ejaculation, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder. Such compositions comprise at least one of the new crystalline forms of sertraline hydrochloride with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and/or excipients known to one of skill in the art.
[0034] For example, these compositions may be prepared as medicaments to be administered orally, parenterally, rectally, transdermally, bucally, or nasally. Suitable forms for oral administration include tablets, compressed or coated pills, dragees, sachets, hard or gelatin capsules, sub-lingual tablets, syrups and suspensions. Suitable forms of parenteral administration include an aqueous or non-aqueous solution or emulsion, while for rectal administration suitable forms for administration include suppositories with hydrophilic or hydrophobic vehicle. For topical administration the invention provides suitable transdermal delivery systems known in the art, and for nasal delivery there are provided suitable aerosol delivery systems known in the art.
[0035] Suitable non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and/or excipients will be apparent to those skilled in the art of pharmaceutical formulation, and are discussed in detail in the tet entitled Remington's Pharmaceutical Science, 17 th edition (1985), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Obviously, the choice of suitable carriers will depend on the exact nature of the particular dosage form, e.g. for a liquid dosage form, whether the composition is to be formulated into a solution, suspension, gel, etc, or for a solid dosage form, whether the composition is to be formulated into a tablet, capsule, caplet or other solid form, and whether the dosage form is to be an immediate- or controlled-release product.
[0036] Experimental Details
[0037] The powder X-ray diffraction patterns were obtained by methods known in the art using a Philips X-ray powder diffractometer, Goniometer model 1050/70 at a scanning speed of 2° per minute, with a Cu radiation of λ=1.5418 Å
EXAMPLES
[0038] The present invention will now be further explained in the following examples. However, the present invention should not be construed as limited thereby. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand how to vary the exemplified preparations to obtain the desired results.
Example 1
Preparation of Sertraline Base
[0039] Sertraline mandelate was prepared according to procedures in U.S. Pat. No. 5,248,699. Sertraline mandelate (5 g) was stirred at room temperature with 50 mL ethyl acetate. Aqueous sodium hydroxide was added dropwise until the sertraline mandelate was completely neutralized. The phases were separated and the organic phase was dried over MgSO 4 and filtered. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure resulting sertraline base as an oil (3.2 g).
Example 2
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Ethanolate Form VI by Reslurry of Form I
[0040] Sertraline hydrochloride Form I (1 g) and absolute ethanol (20 mL) were stirred at room temperature for 24 hours. Filtration of the mixture yielded sertraline hydrochloride ethanolate Form VI.
Example 3
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Ethanolate Form VI by Reslurry of Form V
[0041] Sertraline hydrochloride Form V (1 g) and ethanol absolute (20 mL) were stirred at room temperature for 24 hrs. Filtration of the mixture yielded sertraline hydrochloride ethanolate Form VI.
Example 4
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Form II
[0042] Sertraline base (3 g) was dissolved in acetone (10 mL). Isopropanol containing hydrogen chloride (20 mL) was added to the solution until the pH is ˜2. The stirring was continued overnight at room temperature. The resulting solid was filtered, washed with acetone and dried to yield sertraline hydrochloride Form II (2.61 g, yield 77.6%).
Example 5
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Form II in n-Butanol
[0043] HCl (g) was bubbled through a solution of sertraline base (33 g) in n-butanol (264 mL). The temperature rose to about 45° C. A gel-like solid was formed. The addition of HCl (g) was continued until pH 0.5 was reached. Then the stirring was continued at room temperature for 2.5 h. During the stirring the solid became a fine crystalline solid. The solid was filtered, washed with n-butanol (2×10 mL) and dried at 80° C. for 24 h. The product is sertraline hydrochloride Form II. The x-ray powder diffraction spectrum obtained is FIG. 3.
Example 6
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Form II
[0044] Sertraline hydrochloride Form V (10 g) was suspended in dimethylformamide (DMF) (30 mL). Heating was started and at about 70° C. a clear solution is obtained. The solution was cooled to room temperature and the solid was filtered. After drying at 80° C. for 24 hrs., sertraline hydrochloride Form II was obtained (6.6 g, yield 66%).
Example 7
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Form II by Granulation of Form V
[0045] Sertraline hydrochloride Form V (2 g) and absolute ethanol (0.5 mL) were stirred in a rotavapor at room temperature for 2 days. At the end of two days, the material contained sertraline hydrochloride Form II.
Example 8
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Form II from Form VI
[0046] A slurry of sertraline hydrochloride Form VI (50 g) and t-butyl-methyl ether (150 mL) were heated to reflux and the reflux was continued for 1 hour. The slurry was then allowed to cool to room temperature and filtered. The solid was washed with t-butyl-methyl ether (50 mL) and dried in a reactor under vacuum of 30 mm Hg with stirring. The dried solid so obtained is sertraline hydrochloride Form II (38.26 g: yield 86.7%).
Example 9
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Form II from Form VI
[0047] Sertraline hydrochloride Form VI (25 g) was stirred with acetone (250 mL) at room temperature for 2 hours. The solid material was filtered and washed twice with acetone (25 mL). The wet solid was dried in a vacuum agitated drier to afford sertraline hydrochloride Form II (20.09 g: yield 98.6%).
Example 10
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Form II and Sertraline Hydrochloride Form V by Drying Form VI
[0048] Sertraline hydrochloride ethanolate Form VI was dried at 105° C. under vacuum (<10 mm Hg) over 24 hours. The resulting dried material was sertraline hydrochloride Form II mixed with sertraline hydrochloride Form V.
Example 11
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Form II from Sertraline Mandelate in n-Butanol
[0049] Sertraline mandelate (20 g) and n-butanol were stirred at room temperature. The mixture was acidified with hydrogen chloride until pH 0 was reached. During the acidification the temperature of the reaction mixture rose to ˜50° C. After the natural cooling to room temperature, the mixture was stirred at room temperature for two hours. The solid was filtrated, washed with n-butanol and dried at 80° C. to afford sertraline hydrochloride Form II (9.02 g).
Example 12
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Form II from Sertraline Hydrochloride Form VIII
[0050] Sertraline hydrochloride Form VIII (13 g) was heated in acetone (130 mL) at reflux for 1 hour. The slurry was than cooled to room temperature and the solid was filtrated and washed with acetone (2×10 mL). After drying sertraline hydrochloride Form II was obtained (7.9 g).
Example 13
[0051] An aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, 10%, was added drop-wise to a slurry of sertraline mandelate crystals (10 g) in ethyl acetate (650 mL), until complete dissolution was obtained (25 mL). After separation of the phases, the organic phase was washed with water (300 mL) and then dried with MgSO 4 . The organic solution was diluted with ether (690 mL) and gaseous hydrochloric acid was bubbled through the solution until pH 1.3 was reached. The addition of hydrogen chloride resulted in a temperature increase to about 30° C. The resulting slurry of sertraline was stirred at room temperature overnight. The solid was then isolated by filtration, washed twice with ether (2×20 mL) and air dried. The dried solid, sertraline hydrochloride, was not sertraline hydrochloride Form II, as shown in FIG. 1.
Example 14
[0052] An aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, 10%, was added drop-wise to a slurry of sertraline mandelate crystals (15 g) in ethyl acetate (810 mL), until complete dissolution was obtained (35 mL). The organic and aqueous phases were separated and, the organic phase was dried over MgSO 4 . The organic solution was then diluted with ether (820 mL) and gaseous hydrogen chloride (2.36 g, 2 eq.) was bubbled through the solution until pH 1.5 was reached. The temperature was about 25° C. The slurry was stirred at room temperature overnight. The solid was filtrated, washed with ether (2×15 mL) and air-dried. The dried solid, sertraline hydrochloride, was not sertraline hydrochloride Form II.
Example 15
[0053] An aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, 10%, was added drop-wise to a slurry of sertraline mandelate crystals (15 g) in ethyl acetate (810 mL), until complete dissolution was obtained. The organic and aqueous phases were separated and the organic phase was dried over MgSO 4 and diluted with an equal volume of ether (820 mL). Gaseous hydrochloric acid (4.82 g) was bubbled through the solution until pH 1 was reached. The slurry was stirred at room temperature overnight. The solid was filtrated, washed with ether (2×15 mL) and air-dried. The dried solid, sertraline hydrochloride, was not sertraline hydrochloride Form II.
Example 16
[0054] An aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, 10%, was added drop-wise to a slurry of sertraline mandelate crystals (15 g) in ethyl acetate (810 mL), until complete dissolution is obtained. The phases were separated and the organic phase was dried over MgSO 4 and diluted with an equal volume of ether (820 mL). Gaseous hydrogen chloride was slowly bubbled through the solution (over about 3 hours) until pH 1.5 was reached. The slurry was stirred at room temperature over night. The dried solid, sertraline hydrochloride, was not sertraline hydrochloride Form II.
Example 17
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Form VIII
[0055] Sertraline base (2.7 g) was suspended in 27 mL of water. This mixture was heated to 80° C. and treated with hydrochloric acid until about pH 1 was reached. A clear solution was obtained which on cooling gave a precipitate. After 2 hours stirring at room temperature the solid was isolated by filtration. This solid was characterized by powder x-ray diffraction and found to be sertraline hydrochloride Form VIII.
Example 18
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Form VIII
[0056] Sertraline hydrochloride ethanolate (Form VI) (40 g) was stirred with water (80 mL) for 1 hour at room temperature. The slurry was filtrated and washed with water to yield sertraline hydrochloride hydrate Form VIII.
Example 19
Preparation of Sertraline Hydrochloride Form VII
[0057] Sertraline hydrochloride Form V (1.003 g) was stirred for 24 hours at room temperature in 20 mL water (HPLC grade). At the end of the stirring the mixture looked like a jelly suspension. The suspension was filtrated and the compound obtained was kept at cold conditions (4° C.) until analyzed by x-ray diffraction.
Example 20
Preparation of Sertraline hydrochloride Form VII from Form VI
[0058] A solution of sertraline hydrochloride ethanolate (Form VI) (40 g) in water (400 mL) was heated at 80° C. and complete dissolution of sertraline hydrochloride ethanolate (Form VI) was obtained. The pH was adjusted to about 1 and the solution was allowed to cool to room temperature and then stirred for 2 additional hours. The solid was isolated by filtration and washed with water to yield sertraline hydrochloride Form VII.
[0059] Although certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that variations and modifications of the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the applicable rules of law.
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The present invention is directed to Form II of sertraline hydrochloride and novel methods for its preparation. According to the present invention, sertraline hydrochloride Form II may be produced directly form sertraline base or sertraline mandelate. It may also be produced from sertraline hydrochloride solvate and hydrate forms, and crystallized from new solvent systems. Pharmaceutical compositions containing sertraline hydrochloride Form II and methods of treatment using such pharmaceutical compositions are also disclosed.
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This is a Continuation-In-Part application of international application PCT/EP00/01478 filed Feb. 23, 2000 and claiming the priority of German application 199 13 451.0 filed Mar. 25, 1999.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention resides in a gas inlet for producing a directional and cooled gas jet in an ion source or a UV/fluorescence measuring cell.
It has been common practice to introduce a gas to be analyzed into the ion source of a mass spectrometer in an effusive manner. For this purpose, an admission duct (for example, the end of a gas-chromatographic capillary) extends into the ion source. The ion source may be of closed design (for example, many CI- or EI-ion sources for quadra-pole- or sector field mass spectrometers) or of an open design (for example, many ion sources for travel time mass spectrometers). In ion sources of closed design an area of the ion source is “flooded” with inlet gas so that the atoms or molecules introduced partially impinges on the walls of the ion source before they are isolated and detected in the mass spectrometer. Ion sources of open design for IOF mass spectrometers are more suitable for the employment in connection with atom- or molecular beam techniques. In that case, a relatively directed gas jet is conducted through the ion source so that, in an ideal manner, it has little interaction with the structural components of the ion source.
In the travel time mass spectroscopy, effusive molecular beams [2], as well as skimmed [1] and non-skimmed [3, 4] supersonic molecular beams are used for that purpose (in each case pulsed or continuous (cw)). Supersonic molecular beams inlet systems provide for a cooling of the analysis gas in a vacuum by adiabatic expansion. It is however disadvantageous in present systems that the expansion needs to occur relatively remote from the location of the ionization. Since the density of the expansion gas jet (and, as a result, the ion yield for a given ionization volume) decreases with the distance from the expansion nozzle in square, the achievable sensitivity is limited.
Effusive molecular beam inlet systems permit a cooling of the sample. However, gas inlet systems for effusive molecular beams cannot be so constructed that the gas discharge is directed directly to the ionization location by way of a metallic needle, which extends into the center of the ion source [2]. A certain electric potential is applied to the needle in order to avoid disturbance of the withdrawal fields in the ion source. The needle needs to be heated to relatively high temperatures in order to prevent condensation of the low-volatile analyte molecules in the needle. In this connection, it has to be taken into consideration that the coldest point should not be at the needle tip. The necessary heating of the needle is problematic since the needle must be electrically insulated with regard to all the other parts of the device (for example, by a transition piece of ceramic material). Electric insulators are generally also thermal insulators and provide for only a small heat flux of, for example, the heated duct to the needle. Heating of the needle by electric heating elements or infrared radiators is also difficult since the needle extends between the withdrawal plates of the ion source.
The selectivity of the resonance ionization by lasers (REMPI) depends on the inlet system used because of the different cooling properties of the various systems. Aside of the effusive molecular beam inlet system (EMB) which may be used, among others, for the detection of whole substance classes, it is possible to ionize highly selectively and partially even isomer-selectively by using a supersonic molecular beam inlet system (jet). With the common supersonic nozzles developed for spectroscopic experiments, the utilization of the sample amount (that is, the measuring sensitivity that can be achieved) is not a limiting factor. Furthermore, the existing systems are not designed to avoid memory effects. For the application of REMPI-TOFMS spectrometers for analytical applications, the development of an improved jet inlet technique would be advantageous. Care has to be taken that the valves consist of inert materials in order to avoid memory effects or chemical decompositions (catalysis) of the sample molecules. Furthermore, the inlet valves should not have any dead volumes. It is also necessary that the valves can be heated to temperatures of more than 200° C. so that also compounds of low volatility with a mass range>250 amu are accessible. In addition, as little sensitivity as possible should be lost by the jet arrangement as compared with the effusive inlet technique. This can be achieved mainly by a more effective utilization of the sample entered in comparison with the jet arrangements used so far.
This increase can be achieved for example in that each laser pulse reaches the largest possible part of the sample. Since the excitation volume is predetermined by the dimensions of the laser beam (a widening of the laser beam would reduce the REMPI effective cross-section which is scaled for example with a two photon ionization with the square of the laser intensity) the spatial overlap of the molecular beam (jet) and the laser beam must be optimized. This can be realized, for example, by a pulsed inlet. Boesl and Zimmerman et al., disclose for example a heatable pulsed jet valve for analytical applications, for example for a gas chromatography jet REMPI coupling with minimized dead volume [5].
Pepich et al. discloses a GC supersonic molecular jet coupling for the laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (LIF), wherein the duty cycle is increased over the effusive inlet by the pulsed admission and by sample compression [6].
It is the object of the present invention to provide a gas inlet of the type referred to initially which facilitates an effective cooling of a continuous gas jet with a relatively low inlet flow volume employing simple design means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an arrangement for producing a directional and cooled gas jet in an ion source with a gas inlet or a UV/fluorescence detection cell including a gas inlet, wherein a capillary extends with one end into the interior of the ion source which is evacuated, the one end is provided with a nozzle for discharging a gas sample into the ion source while being subjected to adiabatic cooling and the width of the nozzle opening is at most 40% of the inner diameter of the capillary and the capillary is heatable for preventing condensation of gas sample components in the nozzle.
With respect to the state of the art, the device according to the invention has the following specific advantages:
The supersonic molecular beam expansion can be selected so as to occur directly in the ion source. In this way, in principle, the highest possible density, of the gas jet 4 is achieved at the ionization location. Special advantages of the gas admission reside in the fact that the sample is cooled adiabatically, the capillary can easily be heated up to its lower end, that is its tip, and a very simple design without movable parts is achieved. The device can be so designed that the sample molecules come in contact only with inert materials. By adjustment of the appropriate parameters (gas pressure) the cooling of the gases can be realized by an adiabatic expansion into the vacuum of the mass spectrometer, (supersonic molecular jet 4 ), wherein generally the continuous gas flow into the ionization chamber corresponds about to that of a continuous effusive inlet (see [7]). The flow rates of effusive inlet systems are typically in the range of 0.1-100 ml/min (1 bar). In comparison with an effusive capillary inlet, in the gas inlet according to the invention the stronger orientation of the supersonic molecular jet 4 is advantageous since a better overlapping of the laser beam and the gas jet can be achieved (higher sensitivity). Particularly with the gas inlet of the type referred to earlier, a continuous, cooled gas jet can be generated also at low gas flows (<10 ml/min). As shown in FIG. 3, this can be achieved very well with the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B. A cooling of the inlet gas is advantageous for many mass spectrometric tasks. The small internal energy of cooled molecules often results in a reduced fragmentation degree in the mass spectrum. The cooling is particularly advantageous for the application of the resonance ionization with lasers (REMPI). With the use of a so-called supersonic molecular jet inlet system (Jet) for the cooling of the gas jet, it is possible with REMPI to ionize in a highly selective manner (partially even in an isomer-selective manner [1, 9]. Since the cooling occurs by the expansion, the sample gas admission conduit, the capillary 1 and the expansion nozzle 2 can be heated without detrimentally affecting the cooling properties. This is important for analytical applications. Without sufficient heating, sample components can condense in the supply conduit or in the gas inlet. An important application for the invention is the transfer of a chromatographic element of a continuous sample gas flow from an on-line sampling device into a cooled supersonic molecular jet 4 . The inlet system described herein makes it possible that the expansion step occurs in the ion source of the mass spectrometer. In this way, the ions can be generated close to, or closely below, the expansion nozzle 2 , which is very advantageous for the achievable detection sensitivity.
Below, the invention will be described in greater detail on the basis of the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A-1D show various shapes of a nozzle,
FIG. 2 shows a possible arrangement for the gas inlet in an ion source, and
FIG. 3 shows a REMPI spectrum of benzene taken with a gas inlet according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Below two exemplary applications for the gas inlet according to the invention will be described. The first example concerns the application in an ion source for a mass spectrometer; the second example concerns the application in a fluorescence cell.
The capillary shown in FIGS. 1A-1D and in FIG. 2 serves for the admission of gas. It typically has an inner diameter of 0.05-10 mm. At its end, the capillary 1 has a restriction with a typical inner minimum diameter of 1-50% of the inner capillary diameter, which, below, will be called a nozzle 2 . The capillary 1 is connected with its end opposite the nozzle 2 to a sample gas supply in a gas-tight manner, wherein the gas supply extends into the mass spectrometer by way of a vacuum seal. Alternatively, the end of the capillary 1 remote from the nozzle 2 may extend directly out of the vacuum chamber of the mass spectrometer for example by way of an o-ring seal (for example, with Kalrez® O-rings). The nozzle 2 is disposed within, or close to, the ion source of the mass spectrometer and has mainly two purposes: It acts as a restrictor in order to reduce the flow through the capillary 1 and to maintain in this way a good vacuum in the analysis apparatus. In addition, a supersonic molecular jet 4 is formed by the expansion into the vacuum, wherein the molecules are subjected to an adiabatic cooling. FIGS. 1A-1D show four different configurations for such a nozzle 2 . In the embodiment of FIG. 1A, the capillary 1 is closed off by a disc provided with a bore to form the nozzle 2 . This embodiment is suitable for all materials (glass, ceramics, quartz) for the capillary 1 , but it is particularly suitable for metal capillaries 1 , which may be de-activated at the inside. As metal stainless steel is particularly suitable. In this case, silanization of the metal surface is particularly suitable for deactivation. Commercially, such steel capillaries which have been made inert are available for example as Silicosteel®. As disc, for example, a saphir disc may be used. The disc is mounted for example by way of a clamping sleeve 3 or by mineral cement.
The embodiments of FIGS. 1B, C and D relate to nozzles 2 , which were obtained by melting and eventually mechanical fine-cutting or grinding of one end of the capillary 1 . In this case, the capillary 1 and the nozzle 2 consist of the same material, for example, quartz or glass. With capillaries 1 of metal or ceramic material, a piece of quartz or glass must be attached if a nozzle 2 of the type as shown in FIGS. 1B, 1 C or 1 D is to be used. The connection between capillary and nozzle can be made by a clamping sleeve 3 or by mineral cement. Alternatively, the nozzle 2 may be fused into the capillary 1 . The manufacture of the embodiment of FIG. 1B is described in [8]. The embodiments of FIGS. 1C and D may be produced by carefully fusing the capillary 1 of glass or quartz with a micro-nozzle burner.
The smooth inner surface of the embodiments of FIGS. 1B, C and D is probably the reason for the high quality (that is, cooling properties) observed for the molecular jet 4 generated therewith. It is important that the pressure drop occurs essentially in the nozzle 2 in contrast to the effusive inlets by way of capillary restrictors.
For the application in an ion source, the capillary 1 is generally coated on the outside with a conductive material or is disposed within a thin metal tube through which a current can be conducted. The use of a de-activated steel (Silico steel®) is advantageous for this purpose. Steel capillaries 1 may also be directly electrically heated (resistance heating) For such an application, it is advantageous if the capillary 1 is of narrow design since, in this way, the withdrawal fields of the ion optics are subjected to less disturbances. Furthermore, an electrically conductive coating/envelope of the capillary 1 is required in order to adapt the electrical potential of the capillary 1 to the potential distribution in the ion source.
For analytical purposes, the capillary should preferably consist of quartz glass, which is deactivated on the inside in order to avoid memory effects. Ceramics and glass are also suitable materials. The open width of the nozzle should not be more than 50% of the inner diameter of the capillary. Better suitable are capillaries with a nozzle opening of 20% of the inner diameter of the capillary. The nozzle can be formed by melting or by melting and subsequent grinding of the end of the capillary. It is furthermore important that the capillary 1 is well heated up to its tip. Because of the small opening of the nozzle 2 , there is the danger of clogging if sample components are condensed. In addition to resistance heating by means of electrically conductive enclosures or coatings or by optical heating via IR radiation, the capillary may also be enclosed in a thermally conductive enclosure which is heated outside of the confinements of the ion source and provides for heat transfer to the nozzle 2 .
The capillary may also be heated by providing particular resistance coatings. An elegant variant is the irradiation of the capillary 1 with IR radiation, for example, by a heating element or a laser diode. In this way, the especially critical nozzle region can be very well heated.
The operation of the gas inlet according to the invention in an ion source of a travel time mass spectrometer will be described below. The narrowed end (nozzle 2 ) of the capillary 1 extends into the vacuum of the ion source of a mass spectrometer. The capillary consists of quartz glass and has an inner diameter of 530 μm. It is provided with a nozzle 2 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B with an inner diameter of 65±10 μm. The end of the capillary 1 with the nozzle 2 , is guided in a thin hollow steel needle of about 3 cm length (for example, a cut injection needle), so that the tip of the nozzle 2 projects some 10 μm beyond the end edge of the steel needle. The steel needle is connected to a metal block, which is heatable by heating elements. In addition, a certain electrical potential can be applied to the needle. The analysis gas can be admitted by way of the end of the capillary 1 , which extends from the vacuum housing. The capillary is sealed airtight to the housing by a graphite compression seal. The nozzle forms a gas jet in the vacuum and acts as a restrictor so that the flow through the capillary is only about 10 ml/min at 1 bar and good vacuum conditions of about 10 −4 mbar are maintained in the ion source. The expansion, by way of the restriction, leads to the formation of a continuous supersonic molecular jet 4 with adiabatic cooling of the sample molecules. This adiabatic cooling is important for example for applications for increasing the selectivity of resonance-amplified multi-photon ionization mass spectrometry (REMPI-TOFMS). The capillary 1 extends in this case between the openings 5 of the ion source of the mass spectrometer. The capillary 1 with the nozzle 2 may terminate in the center of the ion source of the mass spectrometer. This is advantageous since the ionization for example by a laser beam 6 may occurs directly below or closely (for example, 1-30 mm) below the opening of the nozzle 2 . The ions 7 formed in this way are withdrawn, by withdrawal apertures 5 , into the travel time mass spectrometer for mass analysis. Since the density of the supersonic molecular jet 4 becomes lower in the vacuum with the square of the distance from the nozzle opening, the ionization directly below the nozzle 2 results in a substantial increase in the sensitivity.
The degree of cooling also depends on the distance form the nozzle 2 [4]. Typically, an optimal cooling can be achieved with a distance of 20 nozzle diameters below, that is, in front of, the opening of the nozzle 2 . Furthermore, directly below the nozzle 2 ion-molecule reactions may occur [4]. Since the nozzle diameter of the nozzle 2 is very small (typically 0.1-200 μm) an optimal cooling can be achieved already at a distance of 2-400 μm. Furthermore, from such a distance on, a collision-free regime can be assumed (that is no ion-molecule reactions take place, which could reduce the selectivity). The ionization close to the nozzle 2 provides for a cover of the supersonic molecular jet 4 in its full width by the laser. At a speed of the supersonic molecular jet 4 of about 500 m/sec and a line-like laser profile of, for example, 4 mm×10 mm with a pulse rate of 50 Hz, with an ionization directly below the nozzle 2 , a duty cycle of 10 −3 is achieved (that is, each thousandth molecule in the supersonic molecular jet 4 is reached by the laser).
FIG. 2 shows schematically the arrangement of the capillary 1 with the nozzle 2 between the diaphragms of the travel time mass spectrometer.
FIG. 3 shows a REMPI spectrum, which was recorded with the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 . The REMPI spectrum of FIG. 3 shows a rotation contour of benzene. From the spectrum a rotation temperature of 4 K can be derived. This shows that very good properties of the supersonic molecular jet 4 can be achieved even with gas flows of less than 10 ml/min. The REMPI-TOFMS laser mass spectrometer with the gas inlet according to the invention may be used for example for field applications, for example, for the analysis of process gases. In comparison with the state of the art for such an application [7], the gas inlet according to the invention has the advantage of increased selectivity by the cooling of the gas jet, of low expenditures and of simple handling.
The operation of a gas inlet according to the invention in a fluorescence cell is even more simple since no consideration has to be given to the requirements of an ion lens as it is the case with an ion source for a mass spectrometer. The capillary 1 can therefore easily be provided with heating elements. It is for example possible to wind a heating wire around the capillary 1 . Furthermore, there are less requirements for the vacuum system so that a highly compact and inexpensive vacuum cell, for example for field applications of the laser induced fluorescence detection (LIF) can be constructed. The fluorescence can be recorded in a wavelength disperged (for example, with an Echelle-spectrograph and CCD detector) or an integral manner. If the excitation wavelength is in resonance, the excitation spectra can be recorded. An excitation spectrum recorded in a diperged manner is a two-dimensional spectrum (fluorescence signal as a function of the excitation and emission wavelength). As a further analytical dimension, the fadeout time of the fluorescence can be used since different compounds have different fluorescence lifetimes. The combination of a small vacuum chamber with an inlet according to the invention, an excitation laser and a fluorescence detector represents an ideal (mobile) gas analysis system for gas samples which are not excessively complex. The supersonic molecular jet 4 provides for a substantial increase of the selectivity in comparison with an effusive inlet. By utilizing characteristic absorption lines with a tunable narrow band laser (for example, a compact optical parametric oscillator, OPO) an on-line single compound analysis can be performed. In this procedure, the laser is first tuned to the absorption bands (ion resonance) and the LIF signal is measured. Then the LIF signal is determined at one or several wavelength positions where the target substance does not absorb (“off resonance”). From the differences of the “on” and “off resonance” signals the concentration of the target substance can be determined.
For relatively inexpensive process analysis with the aim to determine on-line for example a sum parameter for the fluorescent aromatics, the use of a single wavelength of for example the fourth harmonic of the Nd:Yag laser (266 nm) may be reasonable. The gas inlet according to the invention may also be used for a relatively inexpensive aromatic selective LIF detector for the gas chromatography.
In the HPLC analysis of PAK, fluorescence detection for example represents the state of the art. The utilization of the gas inlet according to the invention for a compact vacuum cell for the LIF detection would consequently provide in the gas chromatography for a detector with properties comparable to those of a HPLC fluorescence analysis but with higher selectivity and higher sensitivity. The selectivity can furthermore be adjusted by the selection of the excitation location in the supersonic molecular jet 4 . Directly below the nozzle 2 the adiabatic cooling of the supersonic molecular jet 4 is not yet established. The selectivity is here relatively small. Further below the nozzle 2 , the selectivity is very high because the cooling of the gas jet 4 has taken hold. The high focus of the supersonic molecular jet 4 exiting the nozzle 2 increases the sensitivity in comparison with an effusive inlet arrangement. Employing two or more wavelengths furthermore permits a discrimination between aromatics with a small and a large π system. With 266 nm (Nd:Yag) or 248 nm (KrF-Eximer) small aromatics such as benzene, toluene and xylol (BTX) or phenols as well as larger polycyclic aromatics (PAK) can be excited to fluorescence. With longer wave UV light, for example, 355 nm (third harmonic frequency of the Nd:YAG laser) BTX and comparably small aromatics are not excited whereas many larger PAK can be detected at this wavelength in a very efficient manner by way of LIF.
Description of the Figures.
FIGS. 1A-1D
Various shapes ( 1 A to 1 D) of the nozzle 2 for the capillary 1 are shown. If a disc with a bore is used as the nozzle 2 as is shown in FIG. 1A, the disc may either be cemented to the capillary or it may be attached by a clamping sleeve 3 . The nozzle as shown in FIG. 1B can be made by melting to close the tip and carefully grinding the tip to re-open the nozzle. The nozzle as shown in FIG. 1C is a Laval nozzle and can be formed by a careful localized melting. The nozzle shown in FIG. 1D can be made in a similar way.
FIG. 2
This figure shows a possible arrangement of the gas inlet according to the invention in an ion source of a mass spectrometer with REMPI ionization by laser pulses 6 . The capillary 1 extends between the withdrawal diaphragms 5 of the ion source. The laser beam 6 is directed into the continuous supersonic molecular jet formed in an area as close as possible to the nozzle 2 . The ions formed are accelerated by the electric fields along the path 7 into the mass spectrometer for mass analysis. The supersonic molecular jet 4 is directed directly toward a vacuum pump. Not shown are the heating elements and the conductive envelope/coating of the capillary 1 as well as the transition to the vacuum with the seals.
FIG. 3
Here the REMPI spectrum of the V6 in the first excited singulette state of benzene recorded with the gas inlet according to the invention is represented. Argon with several 10% parts of benzene (1 bar) was expanded through the capillary 1 and the nozzle 2 of the form as shown in FIG. 1B into the ion source of a REMPI TOFMS mass spectrometer. The free nozzle diameter employed herein was about 65 μm with a capillary diameter of 530 μm. The gas flow rate was 9.4 ml/min, the pressure in the ion source was 5×10 −4 mbar. The spectrum shows the rotation contour of the v6. From the rotation contour, the rotation temperature can be determined at about 4 K [9]. This excellent rotation cooling shows that the gas inlet according to the invention provides for the generation of a continuous supersonic molecular jet 4 with good properties for analytical applications.
LITERATURE
[1] A) R. Tembreull, C. H. Sin, P. Li, H. M. Pang, D. M. Lubman; Anal. Chem. 57 (19985) 1186;
B) R. Zimmermann, U. Boesl, C. Weickhardt, D. Lenoir, K. -W. Schramm, A. Kettrup, E. W. Schlag, Chemosphere 29 (1994) 1877
[2] A) U. Boesl, H. J. Neusser, E. W. Schlag; U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,241.
B) R. Zimmermann, H. J. Heger, A. Kettrup, U. Boesl, Rapid. Communic. Mass Spektrom. 11 (1997) 1095
[3] H. Oser, R. Thanner, H. -H. Grotheer, Combust, Sci. And Tech. 116-117 (1996) 567
[4] R. Zimmermann, H. J. Heger, E. R. Rohwer, E. W. Schlag, A. Kettrup, U. Boesl, Proceedings of the 8th Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy Symposium (RIS-96), Penn State College 1996, AIP-Conference Proceeding 388, AIP-Press, Woobury, N.Y. (1997) 119
[5] A) DE 195 39 589.1
B) EP 0 770 870 A2
[6] A) B. V. Pepich, J. B. Callis, D. H. Burns, M. Grouterman, D. A. Kalman, Anal. Chem. 58 (1986) 2825;
B) B. V. Pepich. J. B. Callis, J. D. Sh. Danielson, M. Grouterman, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 57 (1986) 878.
[7] H. J. Heger, R. Zimmermann, R. Dorfner, M. Beckmann, H. Griebel, A. Kettrup, U. Boesl, Anal. Chem. 71 (1999) 46-57
[8] E. J. Guthrie, H. E. Schwartz, J. Chromatogaph. Sci. 24 (1986) 236-241
[9] R. Zimmermann, Ch. Lermer, K. W. Schramm, A. Kettrup, U. Boesl, Europ. Mass Spectrom. 1 (1995) 341-351
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In an arrangement for producing a directional and cooled gas jet in an ion source with a gas inlet or a UV/fluorescence detection cell including a gas inlet, wherein a capillary extends with one end into the interior of the ion source which is evacuated, the one end is provided with a nozzle for discharging a gas sample into the ion source while being subjected to adiabatic cooling and the width of the nozzle opening is at most 40% of the inner diameter of the capillary and the capillary is heatable for preventing condensation of gas sample components in the nozzle.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention concerns Growth Hormone Releasing Factor (GRF) containing pharmaceutical compositions. More precisely, it concerns compositions of saccharose-stabilized GRF.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In the early 1980's several groups isolated and characterized growth hormone releasing factor (GRF).
[0003] GRF (also called Somatorelin) is a peptide secreted by the hypothalamus, which acts on its receptor and can promote the release of growth hormone (GH) from the anterior pituitary. It exists as 44-, 40-, or 37-amino acid peptide; the 44-amino acid form may be converted physiologically into shorter forms. All three forms are reported to be active, the activity residing mainly in the first 29 amino acid residues. A synthetic peptide corresponding to the 1-29 amino acid sequence of human GRF [hGRF(1-29)], also called Sernorelin, has been prepared by recombinant DNA technology as described in European Patent EP 105 759.
[0004] Sernorelin has been used in the form of acetate for the diagnosis and treatment of growth hormone deficiency.
[0005] GRF has indeed a therapeutic value for the treatment of certain growth hormone related disorders. The use of GRF to stimulate the release of GH is a physiological method in promoting long bone growth or protein anabolism.
[0006] It is well known that the natural form of GRF can suffer from chemical degradation in aqueous solution, primarily of Asn at position 8, which results in reduced biological potency (Friedman, A. R. et al., Int. J. Peptide. Protein Res., 37, 14-20, 1991; Bongers, J., et al., Int. J Peptide. Protein Res. 39, 364-374, 1992).
[0007] The main hydrolytic reactions occurring in GRF are sensitive to pH and reported to be: rearrangement of Asp 3 , at pH 4-6.5, cleavage of the Asp 3 -Ala 4 bond at pH 2.5-4.5, deamidation and rearrangement of Asn 8 at pH above 7 (Felix A. M. et al., Peptides, editors: Giralt E. and Andreu D., pp 732-733, Escom Publishers 1991). Due to the combined degradation pathways, unstabilized aqueous solutions GRF are most stable in the pH range 4-5. Bongers et al. (Bongers et al., 1992) have shown that the deamidation reaction at Asn 8 increases rapidly as the pH is raised above pH 3.
[0008] WO 98/53844 describes stable liquid pharmaceutical compositions of hGRF containing nicotinamide and propylene glycol.
[0009] Various workers have made analogues of GRF by substitution of amino acids into the natural GRF sequence to improve the chemical stability (Serono Symposia USA, 1996; Friedman, 1991). While modification can be an effective means to improve the stability and retain bioactivity, it may be undesirable due to altered immunogenicity, which could be a problem for chronic therapies such as growth hormone deficiency.
[0010] According to EP 189 673 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,529 (Sumitomo Pharma Inc.) GRF formulations can be prepared by lyophilization and stabilized by human serum albumin or glycine. JP 3083931 and EP 417 930 describe a GRF-containing nasal preparation which is rendered low-irritating to nasal mucosa by adding sodium chloride and/or sugar alcohols, such as mannitol or sorbitol thereto.
[0011] In order that materials like hGRF be provided to health care personnel and patients, these materials must be prepared as pharmaceutical compositions. Such compositions must maintain activity for appropriate periods of time, must be acceptable in their own right to easy and rapid administration to humans, and must be readily manufacturable. In many cases pharmaceutical formulations are provided in frozen or in lyophilized form. In this case, the composition must be thawed or reconstituted prior to use. The frozen or lyophilized form is often used to maintain biochemical integrity and the bioactivity of the medicinal agent contained in the compositions under a wide variety of storage conditions, as it is recognized by those skilled in the art that lyophilized preparations often maintain activity better than their liquid counterparts. Such lyophilized preparations are reconstituted prior to use by the addition of suitable pharmaceutically acceptable diluent(s), such as sterile water for injection or sterile physiological saline solution, and the like.
[0012] Human GRF is found on the market in lyophilized formulations stabilized with mannitol GEREF®, Serono.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] We have now found that saccharose confers a better stability to lyophilized formulations of hGRF.
[0014] The main object of the present invention is to provide pharmaceutical compositions comprising a solid intimate mixture of human GRF and a stabilizing amount of saccharose.
[0015] A further object is to provide a process for the preparation of said pharmaceutical composition, comprising the step of lyophilizing an aqueous solution of the components in the containers. Another object is to provide a presentation form of said pharmaceutical composition comprising the said solid mixture hermetically closed in a sterile condition within containers suitable for storage before use and suitable for reconstitution of the mixture for injectable substances. Such containers may be suitable for single dose administration or for multidose administration. Such lyophilized compositions also preferably contain a bacteriostatic agent. The bacteriostatic agent is preferably m-cresol.
[0016] The lyophilized compositions of the invention may further comprise buffering agents. Any buffer which is appropriate for pharmaceutical preparations may be used, for example acetate, phosphate or citrate. The amount of buffering agent to be added to the preparation will be such that the pH of the lyophilized compositions is kept within the desired range after reconstitution. The desired pH range according to this invention is between 2 and 7, preferably between 4 and 6.
[0017] Another object is to provide a solution of said solid mixture reconstituted into an injectable solution, such as water for injectable or physiological saline solution. Conveniently such reconstitution is carried out just before use for injection.
[0018] There is no critical limitation to the amount of saccahrose to be added to the active ingredient, but it will be appropriate to add from 1 to 200 mg/vial, preferably from 20 to 100 mg/vial of saccharose.
[0019] According to this invention the word “hGRF” is intended to cover any human GRF peptide, with particular reference to the 1-44, 1-40, 1-29 peptides and the corresponding amides thereof (containing —NH 2 at their end) or even a mixture thereof. They are all commercial compounds. The preferred hGRF is hGRF(1-29)-NH 2 . There is no critical limitation to the amount of active ingredient present in each vial. Such amount is preferably comprised between 0.1 and 100 mg/vial.
[0020] The invention will now be described by means of the following Examples, which should not be construed as in any way limiting the present invention.
EXAMPLES
[0021] In order to evaluate the excipient's effect on the stability of the active ingredients, three formulations of recombinant hGRF have been prepared with various excipients: saccharose, mannitol and mannnitol/phosphate buffer. The filling volume was 2 ml. The compositions of the various formulations, which were prepared, are reported in Table 1.
TABLE 1 hGRF Mannitol Saccharose Phosphoric Acid Sodium Formulation (mg/ml) (mg/ml) (mg/ml) (mg/ml) Hydroxide 1 5 18.2 — — — 2 5 18.2 — 0.98 q.s. to pH 4 3 5 — 34.2 — —
[0022] The preparation of the lyophilizate was performed by dissolving the hGRF bulk powder in the solutions containing the stabilizers. The obtained solutions were filtered and filled into glass vials and lyophilized. The study of the stability of such formulations stored at 40° C. and 50° C. for 4 weeks, was performed by determinations of pH and peptide purity.
[0023] The chromatographic assay methodology (reverse phase HPLC) to evaluate the purity of hGRF was a gradient elution through a C-18 column, using a mobile phase (TFA/water/acetonitrile) at 1 ml/min and UV detection at 214 nm.
[0024] The pH was determined by a pH meter on vials reconstituted with 5 ml of water for injection.
[0025] The results are summarized in Tables 2 and 3.
TABLE 2 pH 40° C. 50° C. Formulation T = 0 3 weeks 4 weeks 2 weeks 3 weeks 4 weeks 1 6.8 7.4 7.4 7.2 7.3 7.4 2 4.8 5.2 5.4 5.6 5.4 5.7 3 5.5 5.4 5.5 5.4 5.4 5.4
[0026]
TABLE 3
Peptide Purity (%)
40° C.
50° C.
Formulation
T = 0
3 weeks
4 weeks
2 weeks
3 weeks
4 weeks
1
97.7
96.3
95.7
93.7
92.9
91.8
2
97.7
95.6
94.8
89.4
88.5
84.2
3
97.8
97.9
97.8
97.8
97.8
97.6
[0027] Results showed that the formulation containing saccharose presented a better stability profile when compared to the formulations containing mannitol or mannitol/phosphate buffer.
[0028] Additional formulations having the composition of formulation 3 described in Table 1 were manufactured in different containers (vials); the composition is reported in Table 4.
TABLE 4 hGRF Saccharose Formulation (mg/vial) (mg/vial) 3a 3 20.5 3b 10 68.4
[0029] The formulations were stored at 5° C., 25° C. and 40° C. and tested for stability using the analytical methods described before (pH, purity and titre by RP).
[0030] Stability data have been generated up to 24 weeks; the results are reported in Tables 5 to 7.
TABLE 5 pH 5° C. 25° C. 40° C. Formulation T = 0 4 weeks 4 weeks 4 weeks 3a 4.95 5.03 5.02 5.12 3b 4.96 5.09 5.06 5.13
[0031]
TABLE 6
Formulation 3a
Storage Temperature = 40° C.
Test
0 Time
4 weeks
8 weeks
12 weeks
24 weeks
Purity (%)
97.8
97.8
97.3
97.0
96.0
Assay (mg/vial)
2.8
2.9
2.9
2.8
2.9
pH
4.95
5.12
5.25
5.30
5.43
[0032]
TABLE 7
Formulation 3b
Storage Temperature = 40° C.
Test
0 Time
4 weeks
8 weeks
12 weeks
24 weeks
Purity (%)
97.9
97.9
97.4
97.1
95.1
Assay (mg/vial)
9.8
9.8
10.0
9.8
8.8
pH
4.96
5.13
5.16
5.38
5.53
[0033] The stability of reconstituted solutions with 1.5 and 5 ml 0.3% m-cresol at 5±3° C. and 25±2° C. up to 1 month was also studied.
[0034] The stability data on the reconstituted solutions are reported in Tables 8 to 10.
TABLE 8 Storage pH Formulation (° C.) T = 0 1 week 2 weeks 3 weeks 4 weeks 3a 5° C. 4.94 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.18 3b 5° C. 4.96 5.07 5.04 5.14 5.25 3a 25° C. 4.94 5.05 5.07 5.07 5.19 3b 25° C. 4.96 5.14 5.12 5.14 5.24
[0035]
TABLE 9
Storage
Peptide Purity (%)
Formulation
(° C.)
T = 0
1 week
2 weeks
3 weeks
4 weeks
3a
5° C.
97.6
97.6
97.5
97.6
97.4
3b
5° C.
97.6
97.5
97.4
97.5
97.4
3a
25° C.
97.6
96.4
95.4
94.5
93.5
3b
25° C.
97.6
96.3
95.4
94.7
93.5
[0036]
TABLE 10
Storage
Peptide Content (mg/vial)
Formulation
(° C.)
T = 0
1 week
2 weeks
3 weeks
4 weeks
3a
5° C.
2.9
3.0
2.5
3.0
2.9
3b
5° C.
9.6
10.0
9.1
10.0
9.9
3a
25° C.
2.9
2.9
2.8
2.8
2.8
3b
25° C.
9.6
10.0
9.3
9.5
9.4
EXAMPLE OF PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING
[0037] Materials: extra pure saccharose DAB, Ph Eur, BP, NF (Merck); water for injectables.
[0038] As containers have been used vials DIN 2R and DIN 6R (borosilicate glass type I), rubber closures (Pharmagummi W1816 V50) and aluminum rings and flip-off caps (Pharma-Metal GmbH).
[0000] Preparation of hGRF Solution Containing Saccharose: (for 200 vials containing each 3 or 10 mg hGRF).
[0039] Saccharose (17.1g) are dissolved into water for injectables (500 ml) in order to obtain the starting saccharose solution.
[0040] The bulk of the hGRF 2 g) is added to the saccharose solution so as to obtain a final weight of 400 g the solution is filtered through a 0.22 μm Durapore sterile filter (Millipore).
[0000] Filling Up and Lyophilization
[0041] The vials are filled up with 0.6 and 2 ml of hGRF sterile solution, transferred to the freeze-dryer and lyophilized according to the following cycle:
freezing
−25° C. for 3 hrs −15° C. for 1 hr −45° C. for 3 hrs
primary drying
−10C. for 13 hrs
secondary drying
from −10° C. to +40° C. in 8 hrs; +40° C. till end of cycle
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Human growth hormone factor (GFR) containing pharmaceutical compositions are described, and more precisely, lyophilized compositions of hGRF stabilized by means of saccharose.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a U.S. national stage of application No. PCT/EP2010/056377, filed on May 10, 2010. Priority is claimed on German Application No. 10 2009 020 734.1, filed May 11, 2009. The contents of which are incorporated here by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to an adjusting device with an electric motor having a motor housing and a motor shaft which is oriented perpendicularly upward away from the electric motor that carries a gear mechanism wheel of an actuating gear mechanism.
[0003] In adjusting devices of this type, friction occurs in the actuating gear mechanism, which friction reduces the degree of efficiency and leads to wear and premature failure.
[0004] Moreover, more pronounced heating of the electric motor occurs during operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] An object of one embodiment of the invention to provide an adjusting device that exhibits low wear and low heating of the electric motor during operation with a high degree of efficiency of the power transmission.
[0006] According to one embodiment of the invention, that oil is guided from an oil outlet of an oil circuit onto the actuating gear mechanism, and the motor housing has one or more oil inlet openings on its upper side and one or more oil outlet openings on its underside, the region of the oil inlet openings being covered by a filter element.
[0007] In one embodiment, the actuating gear mechanism is lubricated and thus its frictional losses and its wear are reduced substantially.
[0008] The oil that runs from the actuating gear mechanism onto the filter element and passes through the latter can enter the motor housing through the oil inlet openings, can flow through the electric motor in a cooling manner and can exit again at the oil outlet openings.
[0009] Contaminants, in particular conductive particles in the oil which produce short circuits at the contact points of the electric motor, are filtered out by the filter element and are prevented from entering the motor housing of the electric motor.
[0010] As a result of the particles being filtered out wear of the bearing of the rotor of the electric motor is minimized, with the result that blocking of the rotor rotational movement by jamming of coarse particles in the bearings is avoided.
[0011] The throughflow quantity of oil through the motor housing and the bearings can be limited via the thickness and the throughflow cross sections of the filter element.
[0012] Excess oil can drip away in an unimpeded manner via the outer edge of the filter element and can run along the outside of the motor housing.
[0013] The actuating gear mechanism can be any type of gear mechanism. In particular, the actuating gear mechanism can be configured as a single inner eccentric mechanism or double inner eccentric mechanism, as a swash plate mechanism, Wolfrom gear mechanism, planetary gear mechanism, harmonic drive mechanism, bevel gear mechanism, or worm gear mechanism.
[0014] A variable valve stroke adjusting element of an internal combustion engine can preferably be driven by the actuating gear mechanism, it being possible, in a dual function, for the oil circuit to be the oil circuit of the internal combustion engine that has the oil outlet.
[0015] Here, the oil can be fed to the adjusting gear mechanism from the oil outlet via an oil spray nozzle.
[0016] The filter element can be mounted simply if the filter element is a filter disk with a through opening, through which the motor shaft protrudes.
[0017] If the filter disk is arranged fixedly on the motor shaft, it rotates with the motor shaft, with the result that, during this rotation, particles filtered out of the oil are flung out from the surface of the filter disk by centrifugal acceleration, and therefore the filter action is maintained for a long time.
[0018] If the motor shaft protrudes concentrically through the oil inlet opening, the oil inlet opening having a greater diameter than the motor shaft, the oil passage takes place along the motor shaft and the oil passes directly to its bearings, with the result that the latter receive lubrication reliably.
[0019] To discharge the excess oil quantity, in a simple embodiment, at least the radially outer circumferential annular region of that upper side of the filter disk that faces the gear mechanism wheel can be of inclined configuration toward the electric motor such that it is closer to the electric motor at its region of greater diameter than at its region of smaller diameter.
[0020] The upper side of the filter disk that faces the gear mechanism wheel can be inclined in a stepped manner toward the electric motor, the radially inner annular region being inclined at a smaller angle and the radially outer annular region being inclined at a greater angle.
[0021] A passage of oil through the filter disk takes place in the radially inner annular region, while the radially outer annular region serves primarily to discharge the excess oil quantity.
[0022] If the filter disk has one or more depressions on its upper side that faces the gear mechanism wheel, one or more reservoirs is formed, in which oil is stored which, in the event of an interruption of the oil circuit or a reduction in the oil flow, ensures that oil still continues to be introduced through the filter disk into the motor housing.
[0023] The depression is preferably a radially circumferential annular depression, with the result that a passage of oil through the filter disk takes place in a uniformly distributed manner at the circumference.
[0024] If the upper side of the filter disk has a radially outer annular region and a radially inner annular region, the depressions being formed on the radially inner annular region, the oil reservoir or reservoirs is/are situated in the radially inner annular region and the discharge of excess oil is situated in the radially outer annular region.
[0025] The annular depression can be formed in a simple way by the fact that the radially inner annular region of the filter disk is inclined with respect to the motor shaft in such a way that it is closer to the electric motor at its radially inner diameter than at its radially outer diameter.
[0026] In another embodiment the depressions have an approximately V-shaped or U-shaped cross section.
[0027] If that underside of the filter disk that faces the electric motor is inclined in a stepped manner with respect to the motor shaft, the radially inner annular region approaching the electric motor from its radially outer diameter to its radially inner diameter, and the radially outer annular region approaching the electric motor from the radially outer diameter of the inner annular region to its radially outer diameter, the radially inner annular region forms a conical collecting face, on which the oil which has passed through the filter disk is guided to the motor shaft.
[0028] The oil is guided on the radially outer annular region to the outer edge of the filter disk.
[0029] Here, the radially outer circumferential edge of the filter disk preferably has a circumferential drip edge which is directed toward the electric motor, with the result that it is prevented that contaminated oil which comes from the upper side of the filter disk can flow on the outside of the underside of the filter disk to the motor shaft and can penetrate into the motor housing.
[0030] The filter element can be composed of any suitable material, such as a wire mesh.
[0031] In a manner which is particularly easy and inexpensive to produce, the filter element is a porous material, in particular of a sintered material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing and will be described in greater detail in the following text. In the drawing:
[0033] FIG. 1 is a system of an oil circuit of an internal combustion engine with a variable valve stroke adjusting element;
[0034] FIG. 2 is an enlarged illustration of an electric motor with a filter element of the system according to FIG. 1 ;
[0035] FIG. 3 is a cross section of the filter element according to FIG. 2 ;
[0036] FIG. 4 is a second exemplary embodiment of a filter element in cross section;
[0037] FIG. 5 is a third exemplary embodiment of a filter element in cross section; and
[0038] FIG. 6 is a fourth exemplary embodiment of a filter element in cross section.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0039] The system shown in FIG. 1 of an oil circuit of an internal combustion engine with a variable valve stroke adjusting element 9 has an oil sump 1 , from which oil is conveyed by means of an oil pump 2 via an oil filter 3 to a cylinder head 4 and further consumers 5 , which oil flows back from there into the oil sump 1 .
[0040] An oil outlet 7 is arranged in the oil line 6 which leads from the oil sump 1 to the cylinder head 4 , at which oil outlet 7 a part stream is branched off and is guided via an oil spray nozzle 8 to the variable valve stroke adjusting element 9 of the internal combustion engine.
[0041] The variable valve stroke adjusting element 9 has an electric motor 11 which is arranged in a motor housing 10 and the motor shaft 12 of which protrudes perpendicularly upward out of the motor housing 10 and is configured at its free end region as a worm 13 of a worm gear mechanism.
[0042] A worm gear 14 of the worm gear mechanism engages into the worm 13 , which worm gear 14 is arranged fixedly on a camshaft 15 .
[0043] Oil is guided by the oil spray nozzle 8 onto the engagement region of the worm gear 14 into the worm 13 , which oil lubricates in this engagement region and then, on account of gravity 16 , runs, in particular, along the worm 13 and the motor shaft 12 toward the electric motor 11 .
[0044] A filter disk 17 made from a sintered material is arranged fixedly on the motor shaft 12 between the worm 13 and the motor housing 10 .
[0045] Part of the oil passes through the filter disk 17 and passes to an oil inlet opening 18 of the motor housing 10 , which oil inlet opening 18 encloses the motor shaft 12 with a radial spacing, and can thus flow into said motor housing 10 .
[0046] Here, the oil flows through a first bearing 19 of the motor shaft 12 in the upper end region of the motor housing 10 . After flowing around the parts of the electric motor 11 and flowing through the second bearing 20 of the motor shaft 12 in the lower end region of the motor housing 10 , the oil then exits the motor housing again at an oil outlet opening 21 and is guided back into the oil sump 1 .
[0047] The oil outlet opening 21 likewise encloses the motor shaft 12 at a radial spacing.
[0048] The various exemplary embodiments of the filter disk 17 , 17 ′, 17 ″ and 17 ′″ are all configured as round disks; it goes without saying that the filter disks can also have another circumferential contour. ( FIGS. 2-6 )
[0049] In the center, the filter disks 17 to 17 ′″ have a through opening 22 , with which they enclose the motor shaft 12 .
[0050] On their upper side which faces the worm 13 , the filter disks to 17 ′″ have a radially outer circumferential annular region 23 which is inclined toward the electric motor 11 in such a way that it is closer to the electric motor 11 at its region of greater diameter than at its region of smaller diameter.
[0051] In FIG. 3 , the inclination 24 with respect to the longitudinal extent of the motor shaft 11 is greater than approximately 5°.
[0052] The outer diameter of the filter disk 17 to 17 ′″ is greater than the external diameter of the motor housing 10 in the end region which faces the filter disks 17 to 17 ′″.
[0053] Furthermore, on its upper side which faces the worm 13 , the filter disks 17 to 17 ′″ have a radially inner circumferential annular region 25 which reaches as far as the outer annular region 23 .
[0054] In FIGS. 2 and 3 , the inner annular region 25 likewise has an inclination 26 such that it is closer to the electric motor 11 at its region of greater diameter than at its region of smaller diameter, which region reaches radially to the inside as far as the motor shaft 12 .
[0055] The inclination 26 is greater with respect to a radial to the motor shaft 12 than the inclination 24 . It can preferably be an angle between approximately 20° and 40°.
[0056] In FIGS. 4 to 6 , a radially circumferential annular depression 27 , by which an oil reservoir is formed, is configured in the inner annular region 25 .
[0057] In FIGS. 4 and 5 , in addition, the radially inner annular region 25 is inclined with respect to the longitudinal extent of the motor shaft 12 in such a way that it is closer to the electric motor 11 at its radially inner diameter than at its radially outer diameter.
[0058] The inclination 28 with respect to a radial to the motor shaft 12 is preferably greater than 20°.
[0059] In FIG. 6 , the annular depression has an approximately V-shaped cross section, the radially inner limb of the “V” reaching axially further to the worm 13 than the radially outer limb of the “V”, with the result that an overflow of oil out of the annular depression 27 always takes place radially to the outside.
[0060] An underside of the filter disk 17 to 17 ′″ that faces the electric motor 11 is provided with a radially circumferential second annular depression 29 of V-shaped cross section in such a way that its radially inner circumferential annular region 30 approaches the electric motor 11 from its radially outer diameter to its radially inner diameter.
[0061] The radially outer open annular region 31 approaches the electric motor 11 from the radially outer diameter of the inner annular region 30 to its radially outer diameter.
[0062] The outer annular region 31 can have an inclination 35 of approximately greater than 30° with respect to a radial to the longitudinal extent of the motor shaft 11 .
[0063] The inner annular region 30 preferably has an inclination 36 of approximately greater than 5° with respect to a radial to the longitudinal extent of the motor shaft 11 .
[0064] A radially circumferential drip edge 32 is formed where the outer annular regions 23 and 31 adjoin one another.
[0065] In the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 4 to 6 , the outer diameter 33 of the inner annular region 25 is smaller than the outer diameter 34 of the inner annular region 30 .
[0066] The oil that passes through the filter disks 17 ′ to 17 ′″ from the annular depression 27 runs completely on the inner annular region 30 to the motor shaft 12 and along the latter into the interior of the motor housing 10 .
[0067] Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
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An adjusting device including an electric motor that has a motor housing, the shaft of the motor running perpendicularly upwards from the electric motor and supporting a gearwheel of an actuating transmission. Oil is conducted from an oil outlet of an oil circuit to the actuating transmission. The upper face of the motor housing has one or more oil inlet openings and the lower face has one or more oil outlet openings, the region of the oil inlet openings being covered by a filter element.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is based upon and claims benefit of copending and co-owned U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/414,611 entitled “Pipe Sealing Collar”, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Nov. 17, 2010 by the inventors herein, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to protection of roof components from the damaging effects of ultra violet rays from the sun, and, more particularly, a shield device for blocking out ultra violet rays from roof pipe flashing components that are susceptible to ultra violet ray damage.
2. Background
Roofing in general deals with first sealing a structure from moisture and second protecting the sealing material from damage caused by the sun's ultra violet rays. For example, the standard built up roof uses alternating layers of felt paper and tar (bitumen) with a final layer of pea gravel to protect the roofing material from the sun. In addition, the standard composition asphalt shingle has an outer layer of mineral granules to block out UV rays. Other materials such as paint, wood, aluminum, steel, copper, and UV resistant plastic, and rubber are also used for UV protection. However, UV protection has generally been ignored in the design and manufacture of modern pipe flashing that has elastomeric or caulking material as a seal between the flashing and the pipe.
Since the invention of the roof flashing with elastomeric collar, there has been a problem with the elastomeric portion of the flashing becoming brittle, cracking, peeling, and rotting away because of damage caused by the sun's ultra violet rays.
Although there have been many variations and improvements to roof pipe flashing such as Kifer (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,526,407 and 4,903,997) and Hasty (U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,782), these variations deal with methods of manufacture. Other improvements such as Gustafson (U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,576), Logsdon (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,010,578 and 4,160,347), and Merrin (U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,263) deal with forming a better watertight seal between the pipe and flashing. Even the collar for venting high efficiency furnaces, Orr (U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,048), which is designed to seal onto PVC pipe with PVC glue, ignores the fact that PVC glue breaks down in the sun.
Recently, plumbing material manufactures such as Oatey and IPS Corporation started marketing a pipe flashing repair collar, known as a rain collar. This collar is the elastomeric portion of their pipe flashing without the base. Placing the rain collar over the damaged pipe flashing makes the repair. In a similar case as pipe flashing, rain collars need protection from the sun.
SUMMARY
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a pipe-sealing collar that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is another object of the invention is to provide a pipe-sealing collar in the form of a device that can be attached to a pipe passing through a roof structure.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a pipe-sealing collar that is inexpensive and of simplified construction so as to be commercially feasible.
A further object of the invention is to provide a pipe-sealing collar that can accommodate more than one pipe diameter. A related object of the invention is to provide a pipe-sealing collar having separable rings of appropriate diameters.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pipe-sealing collar having pre-applied sealant around its base.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pipe-sealing collar that provides protection against ultraviolet radiation.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a pipe-sealing collar that can be installed over an existing collar or that can be used for initial installation. A related object of the invention is to provide a pipe-sealing collar that is replaceable.
In accordance with the above objects, a pipe-sealing collar for a roof vent pipe is disclosed. The collar provides UV protection for an existing gasket or can be used as a separate installation. Preferably, the collar has a thicker gauge and includes a seal flange and pre-applied sealant. The collar is designed for universal application for all appropriate sizes of pipe with unique cut line indentations to enable correct trimming to selected size.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention are considered in more detail, in relation to the following description of embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pipe collar according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a pipe collar according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of a pipe collar according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a pipe collar according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The invention summarized above and defined by the enumerated claims may be better understood by referring to the following description, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numbers are used for the same parts in the various views. This description of an embodiment, set out below to enable one to practice an implementation of the invention, is not intended to limit the preferred embodiment, but to serve as a particular example thereof. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the conception and specific embodiments disclosed as a basis for modifying or designing other methods and systems for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent assemblies do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
Referring to the drawings, the Figures show a pipe collar, indicated generally as 10 , having a frustoconical, hollow shaped body 11 with an opening 13 at the top portion 15 and a substantially wider bottom portion 17 that is fully open. The body 11 has an inner surface 19 and an outer surface 20 . In practice, the collar 10 is basically circular and symmetrical about a central vertical axis. Preferably, the collar 10 is manufactured of a resilient, rubber-like, elastomeric material approximately 0.125 inches thick that is resistant to damage from ultraviolet radiation. Such material may include neoprene, plastic, EPDM, among others. In a preferred embodiment, the material should meet ASTM, BOCA, and/or other building code standards.
According to one embodiment, the pipe collar 10 includes a plurality of reinforcement rings 22 circumscribing the outer surface 20 . Each ring 22 has a cut-line indentation 25 on one side of the reinforcement ring 22 , on the side nearest the top portion 15 of the body 11 . In some embodiments, the cut-line indentation 25 will be only on the outer surface 20 of the body 11 . In some embodiments, the pipe collar 10 may include a plurality of ridges 23 circumscribing the inner surface 19 . When the collar 10 includes a ridge 23 , there should be a cut-line indentation 26 on the inner surface 19 of the body 11 , adjacent to the ridge 23 . It is contemplated that, in some embodiments, there may be both a cut-line indentation 25 on the outer surface 20 and a cut-line indentation 26 on the inner surface 19 of the body 11 , such that the cut-line indentation 26 is directly below the cut-line indentation 25 , as shown in FIG. 4 . Preferably, the reinforcement rings 22 are positioned to enable a user to change the diameter of the opening 13 to conform to the diameter of a pipe on which the collar 10 is to be installed. In a preferred embodiment, the collar 10 will have sufficient rings 22 positioned at an appropriate diameter for every pipe size that is used for roof penetration. This feature enables a universal collar 10 to be used for all size applications.
Referring to FIG. 4 , the inner wall 28 of the opening 13 should be substantially vertical with respect to the central axis of the collar 10 . In use, any cut if necessary to adjust the diameter of the collar 10 should also be vertical at the appropriate cut line indentation 25 and/or 26 .
A flange 31 may be provided on the inner surface 19 of the body 11 . The flange 31 should circumscribe the bottom portion 17 , extending downwardly and may be approximately a half-inch long. A pre-applied sealant 34 may also be provided on the inner surface 19 of the body 11 . The sealant 34 should circumscribe the bottom portion 17 , as near as practicable to the outer edge 37 of the body 11 . Typically, the sealant 34 will be located closer to the outer edge 37 than the flange 31 . In some embodiments, the sealant 34 will have a removable non-stick cover 40 for shipment. In use, the cover 40 should be removed during the installation process. The outer edge 37 of the collar 10 may be rounded or any appropriate shape.
The collar 10 of the present invention can be used as an original installation, as a replacement for an existing gasket, or as a protective cover for an existing gasket. In use, an installer would verify the diameter of the pipe on which the collar 10 is to be installed. If necessary, the installer can cut the collar 10 at an appropriate cut-line indentation 25 and/or 26 to fit the pipe. Preferably, the cut should be vertical with respect to the central axis of the collar 10 . If present, the installer should remove the non-stick cover 40 . The collar 10 is installed over the pipe and should form a tight seal against the pipe. Then, the installer should press the bottom portion 17 against the roof to ensure contact of the sealant 34 with the roof.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as described. Having now fully set forth the preferred embodiments and certain modifications of the concept underlying the present invention, various other embodiments as well as certain variations and modifications of the embodiments herein shown and described will obviously occur to those skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept. It should be understood, therefore, that the invention might be practiced otherwise than as specifically set forth herein. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.
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The invention comprises a replacement collar for a roof vent pipe. The collar provides UV protection for an existing gasket or can be used as a separate installation. Preferably, the collar has a thicker gauge and includes a seal flange and pre-applied sealant. The collar is designed for universal application for all appropriate sizes of pipe with unique cut line indentations to enable correct trimming to selected size.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally a safety device for elevators to prevent unintended elevator car movement.
[0002] For guiding the elevator car in the case of elevators with guide rails, guide shoes, which are arranged at the elevator car, are employed and such guide shoes are developed either as roller guide shoes or as sliding guide shoes. In the first case, rollers are generally provided with so-called two-dimensional or three-dimensional guides, which roll on appropriate guide surfaces of the guide rail. In the second case, slideway linings slide with small free motion along the guide rails, so that they confer to the elevator car during the vertical transport motion a guide in the horizontal plane. Safety devices, which are physically separate from the guide shoes, are fastened to the elevator car and such safety devices operate to engage the guide rail.
[0003] The well-known devices of this kind work in the manner that in case of exceeding the speed limit of the elevator car or respectively in case of over-speed, the safety device is mechanically operated by a speed governor device.
[0004] The common safety devices of the state of the art can be categorized according to their construction either to the group of the brake safety devices or the group of the wedge blocking safety devices or the roller blocking safety devices.
[0005] A brake safety device is shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,704, which has a slideway for guiding the elevator car along the guide rail. This safety device includes a forked lever mechanism and a relatively large and heavy electromagnet. With this safety device, the guiding apparatus is functionally separated from the braking device or respectively from the safety device. The usage of such a safety device is therefore uneconomical in particular in the case of low cost elevators with small hoisting height, that is to say for buildings with few floors and low hoisting speeds of the elevator car.
[0006] In the case of wedge blocking safety devices or roller blocking safety devices, a loose wedge or loose roller is engaged on a side of the guide rail in order to fit between the stationary guide rail on the one hand and an associated abutment of the safety device on the other hand, by means of the speed limiter, while the safety device block is supported on the opposite side of the guide rail. The prevailing frictional circumstances lead to a further blocking of the clamp body or respectively of the blocking roller and consequently to the braking of the elevator car. Such a blocking roller safety device is described for example in the published European application EP 0 870 719 A1.
[0007] Conventional safety devices are applied only in the case of over-speed or in case of inspection work (typically twice per year). Traditional safety devices are in particular of major disadvantage if the elevator car stands at a floor and due to loading, it slips or it falls uncontrolled.
[0008] According to the state of the art, an additional so-called creeping protection device prevents the slipping of the elevator car. Thereby, a bolt is pushed into engagement, for example in the appropriate openings of the guide rail, during each stop at a floor, so as to hold in each case the elevator car at the floor level. Further details about the construction and the function of such a creeping protection device are shown in the published European application EP 1 067 084 A1.
[0009] A task of the following described invention is therefore to avoid the mentioned disadvantages of the state of the art devices and to create an improved safety device for elevators.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The safety device according to the present invention has the advantage that it allows, in an excellent manner, an engagement of the safety device in the case of an operating state below the over-speed, that is not so easily possible with the well-known safety devices. Conventional safety devices are never operated in normal operation of the elevator car below the over-speed, which, as a consequence, also makes impossible the early recognition of a possible malfunctioning of the safety device.
[0011] A further advantage of the safety device according to the present invention is that it can also be employed as a multifunctional brake device and guiding device for elevators, since it represents a device, which can substitute into one and the same construction three otherwise separated functional units to be employed on an elevator car: these are a guiding device for the elevator car, a safety device and a creeping protection device.
[0012] The position of a braking element of the safety device is changeable in a controlled way. Thanks to pre-definition of different positions of the braking element, the safety device can be transferred into different operating states and different functions of the safety device are to be assigned in each case to these different operating states. A mechanism determining the positioning of the braking element allows keeping, in a normal state, the braking element distant from the guide surface of the guide rail. In this normal state, the safety device does not display a braking effect. This normal state of the safety device is adequate for a normal undisturbed drive of the elevator car. The position of the braking element can be changed in a controlled way in such a manner that the braking element touches the guide surface at the guide rail and it is additionally so positioned opposite an abutment that the braking element is not squeezed between the guide surface and the abutment. In this arrangement, the brake is to be arranged in braking readiness, i.e. a state of the readiness for braking. If the safety device is transferred into this state, then a further movement of the elevator car can be possible to a certain extent, since the safety device is not blocked in this state. In the state of braking readiness, an interaction of the braking element with the guide rail is however possible, for example by friction. This interaction between braking element and guide rail makes it possible that the braking element—in a state of braking readiness—is moved in case of a further movement of the elevator car relative to the remaining components of the safety device and opposed to the direction of motion of the elevator car. In case of suitable arrangement of the abutment, the position of the braking element can be changed in such a manner that the braking element comes in addition automatically in contact with the abutment and is squeezed between the guide surface of the guide rail and the abutment. This position of the braking element is called a brake position. In this position, the braking element is blocked and the safety device is arranged in the safety position and in this safety position, a further drive of the elevator car is prevented by the fact that the guide rail is held between the braking element and a retaining element of the safety device.
[0013] This safety device can be constructed as a creeping protection device or respectively as a sliding safety device, by transferring the safety device, in case of a stop, into the state of braking readiness. If, under these premises, the elevator car should be additionally loaded, so that the suspension means of the elevator car are stretched and the elevator car is lowered, then the braking element would be moved relative to the safety device. As described above, the safety device can be brought thereby into the safety position, if the elevator car is lowered at least by a defined minimal distance. In case of a suitable arrangement of the abutment, a slipping of the elevator car can thus be prevented, if the elevator car threatens to drop due to an overload.
[0014] In case of this safety device, any reversible controlled transition between the normal condition and the condition of the braking readiness can be realised.
[0015] This safety device can also serve as guiding device for the elevator car along the guide rail. The retaining element of the safety device is arranged in such a manner that it acts, in normal state of the safety device, as a guiding device for guiding the elevator car alongside the guide rail. The range of motion in a plane perpendicularly to the direction of motion of the elevator car can be arbitrarily limited by further guiding devices. In this way, a guide for guiding the elevator car alongside the guide rail can be functionally integrated into the safety device thanks to a suitable arrangement of the safety device. Such a guide is usually realised, in conventional elevator systems, independently from a safety device with the help of separated guide shoes. The combination of a safety device and of a guiding device or respectively the integrating of a guide into a safety device is particularly economical and entails a favourable weight saving and space saving. The safety device enables a construction in a particularly compact form. For example, the retaining element, and/or one or more guiding elements, and/or the abutment can be developed as part of the walls of a housing for the safety device. This housing can also be constructed as single piece and offers the basis for a simple modular construction of the safety device according to the present invention.
[0016] For the safety device, a constructive simple embodiment results if the braking element is developed as blocking roller. This execution form enables a reliable transition of the safety device from the state of the braking readiness into the safety position. This transition is connected with an rolling motion of the blocking roller, which is simply controllable and which can automatically take place by itself even in case of increasing wear of the retaining element and/or of the blocking roller.
[0017] The operating mechanism for the positioning of the braking element can be realized in a simple way with the help of an electromagnet. By a suitable pre-definition of the current flowing through the electromagnet, forces can be varied, and with the assistance of these forces, the braking element can be brought in each case into the desired position. Such an operating mechanism can be controlled in a simple manner electronically.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The above, as well as other advantages of the present invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:
[0019] [0019]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a safety device according to the present invention with a blocking roller as a braking element and an electromagnet for operating the safety gear;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the safety device shown in FIG. 1;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the safety device shown in FIG. 1;
[0022] [0022]FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the safety device shown in FIG. 1;
[0023] [0023]FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the safety device shown in FIG. 1;
[0024] [0024]FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the safety device in a normal state, i.e. with the magnet carrying current;
[0025] [0025]FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 with the safety device in readiness for braking with a retaining element without wear;
[0026] [0026]FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing wear of the retaining element;
[0027] [0027]FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7 with the safety device in readiness for braking with a retaining element without wear, however with an extension of the suspension means of the elevator car;
[0028] [0028]FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 with the safety device in the safety position with a retaining element without wear;
[0029] [0029]FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 showing wear of the retaining element;
[0030] [0030]FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of the suspension of the blocking roller of the safety device;
[0031] [0031]FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of a simpler embodiment of the suspension of the blocking roller;
[0032] [0032]FIG. 14 is a schematic representation of a guide rail with a guide flange in cross section; and
[0033] [0033]FIG. 15 is a schematic representation of a further embodiment safety device in accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0034] [0034]FIG. 1 shows a base 1 , on which a safety device block 2 and an electromagnet 3 of the safety device are firmly installed. The safety device block 2 has a U-shaped cross section formed by two legs 4 and 5 , whereby the inside of the leg 4 is provided with a guide and brake lining 6 . The safety device is installed on an elevator car (not shown) in an elevator system (not shown) and at the same time is aligned on a guide rail 30 (see FIG. 14), which serves for guiding the elevator car, in such a manner that a guide flange 31 (see FIGS. 4 and 14) of the guide rail 30 is arranged between a braking element, which is developed in the present case as a blocking roller 7 , and the guide and brake lining 6 .
[0035] In operation, the guide and brake lining 6 touches a guide surface 32 (see FIG. 14) of the guide flange 31 . The leg 4 forms together with the guide and brake lining 6 an oblong retaining element for the guide flange 31 . With the safety device, the elevator car can be held or respectively braked at the guide flange 31 , whereas the guide flange 31 is held between the guide and brake lining 6 and the blocking roller 7 . The other leg 5 is arranged inclined and represents thus an abutment for the blocking roller 7 . So that the elevator car can be braked against a direction of motion, the space between the leg 5 and the lining 6 is narrowed in opposition to the direction of motion in such a manner that the blocking roller 7 can be squeezed between the leg 5 and the guide flange 31 . As clearly shown in FIG. 1, in the present case the space between the leg 5 and the guide and brake lining 6 is upwards reduced. The safety device represented in FIG. 1 is therefore suitable to react against a descent of the elevator car.
[0036] A lever mechanism 8 is operated by an operating mechanism including the electromagnet 3 , whereby the lever mechanism 8 is mounted for swivelling around an axle 9 , which is arranged parallel to a longitudinal surface of the guide and brake lining 6 and perpendicularly to the direction of motion of the elevator car. Preferably, a free end of the lever mechanism 8 is coupled with the electromagnet 3 . Thereby, the location of the blocking roller 7 in the mentioned interspace can be changed depending upon the operating state, preferably in that way that the position of an axle 10 of the blocking roller 7 is changeable along a guide 11 of the lever mechanism 8 , for example via rolling of the axle 10 alongside the guide 11 .
[0037] The safety device block 2 is preferably constructed as single piece with the leg 4 , acting as retaining element, and the leg 5 , acting as abutment. The legs 4 and 5 are rigidly connected to the base 2 in such a manner that when blocking further movement of the blocking roller 7 , the leg 4 together with the guide and brake lining 6 is pressed against the guide flange 31 on the side opposite the blocking roller 7 .
[0038] The lever mechanism 8 includes for example a part, which serves as a suspension 12 for the blocking roller 7 . This suspension 12 comprises the guide 11 , in which the axle 10 of the blocking roller 7 is moveably placed. The guide 11 can be formed as a groove or respectively as an oblong recess. In order to operate the lever mechanism 8 , the electromagnet 3 exhibits a holding or tie bolt 13 connected with the free end of the lever mechanism 8 , and such holding or tie bolt 13 can be moved in its lengthwise direction relative to the electromagnet 3 , by means of a magnetic field generated with the electromagnet 3 , as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 6 by double headed arrows.
[0039] In FIG. 2, the base 1 is represented with the safety gear block 2 and the electromagnet 3 in such a manner that a first range with the U-shaped cross section between the two legs 4 and 5 and a second range with an L-shaped cross section as well as a surface structure 14 of the guide and brake lining 6 are clearly visible. In the shown example, the surface structure 14 exhibits an X-shaped applied profile. Over a support 15 , being connected with the base 1 on the side of the leg 5 applied from the blocking roller 7 , those forces that act on the leg 5 when braking can be absorbed by the base 1 .
[0040] From the FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 , a free space 16 is clearly evident and such free space 16 is reserved for the guide flange 31 of the guide rail 30 . In FIGS. 4 and 5, a part of the guide flange 31 is shown in section.
[0041] As shown in FIGS. 1 - 3 and 6 - 11 , a spring 17 is arranged at the electromagnet 3 and the electromagnet 3 is electrically controllable by means of a release mechanism. In case of a suitable electrical control of the electromagnet 3 , the holding or tie bolt 13 can be moved and the free end of the lever mechanism 8 can be deflected against a restoring force of the spring 17 . At the same time, the lever mechanism 8 is rotated around the axis of rotation 9 around an appropriate bevel and the position of the blocking roller 7 in the interspace between the leg 5 and the guide flange 31 is changed in a controlled way. In normal operation (driving the elevator car), the electromagnet 3 is current-activated and the holding or tie bolt 13 is held against the spring resistance in an upper extreme position in order to keep the blocking roller 7 distant from the guide flange 31 . In this arrangement, the spring 17 is therefore compressed. If the electromagnet 3 is not current-activated, the holding or tie bolt 13 is arranged under the effect of the spring 17 in a position, which is shifted downwards in such a manner that the blocking roller 7 is brought into contact with the guide flange 31 (FIG. 7). If the blocking roller 7 touches the guide flange 31 , then the premise is created that the safety device achieves a braking action by an interaction with the guide flange 31 . The safety device is then either in the state of braking readiness (braking readiness position), as long as the blocking roller 7 is not squeezed between the guide flange 31 and the leg 5 , or in the safety state wherein the blocking roller 7 is squeezed between the guide flange 31 and the leg 5 in a brake position.
[0042] In the case of power failure, just as with an appropriate control of the electromagnet 3 , the safety device is therefore due to the effect of the spring 17 in the braking readiness state or the safety state.
[0043] In FIG. 6, the elevator is in the operating state and in such operating state, the elevator runs undisturbed (standard drive) and the safety brake is arranged in the rest position. The electromagnet 3 is current-activated and the lever mechanism 8 is deflected in such a manner that the blocking roller 7 is out of contact with the guide rail 30 . In this position, the axle 10 of the blocking roller 7 rests under effect of the weight on a lowest end or point 27 of the guide 11 of the lever mechanism 8 .
[0044] [0044]FIG. 7 corresponds to an operating state in which the elevator stands for example at a floor stop, so that no relative motion between the guide rail and the elevator car or respectively the safety device takes place. The current supply to the electromagnet 3 is interrupted, whereupon the lever mechanism 8 is so far swiveled that the blocking roller 7 abuts against a zone or portion 20 of the guide flange 31 of the guide rail. The safety device is in the braking readiness position, and no additional loading of the elevator car took place. The blocking roller of 7 rests unaltered at the lower end 27 of the guide 11 . FIG. 8 corresponds to the same case, however with a wear of the guide and brake lining 6 of for example 2 mm within a zone or portion 21 . In this case, the bolt 13 is somewhat further extended and the blocking roller 7 approaches thereby nearer to the leg 4 , since the guide and brake lining 6 became thinner due to wear. The axle 10 of the blocking roller 7 is still placed—as in the case of the FIG. 7—at the lower end 27 of the guide 11 .
[0045] [0045]FIG. 9 serves for the explanation of an operating state, in which the elevator stands and the elevator car was loaded and is lowered consequently within the limits of the elastic resilience of the suspension or respectively of the suspension means, whereupon a movement of the safety device occurred relative to the stationary guide flange 31 of the guide rail 30 . During the lowering of the elevator car, the blocking roller 7 , which is already adjacent to the guide rail in accordance with FIG. 7, has been put into an anticlockwise rotation under effect of the friction with the guide rail 30 and is rolled along the guide 11 . The axis of rotation 10 of the blocking roller 7 has taken thereby a new position 22 (in FIG. 9 defined by the lowest point of the axis of rotation 10 ), which is shifted opposite to the direction of motion of the elevator car. At the same time, the blocking roller 7 is pushed along closer to the leg 5 , however not yet squeezed between the leg and the guide rail. That the blocking roller 7 has automatically changed its position alongside the guide 11 with the described lowering of the elevator car is a consequence of the superposition of all forces affecting the blocking roller 7 . These forces are in particular:
[0046] (i) the friction between the blocking roller 7 and the guide rail 30 ;
[0047] (ii) the friction between the axle 10 of the blocking roller 7 and the guide 11 ;
[0048] (iii) the weight of the blocking roller 7 ; and
[0049] (iv) the force, which is exercised by the guide 11 due to the effect of the forces of the electromagnet 3 and of the spring 17 on the blocking roller 7 .
[0050] If the safety device is as described in a condition of braking readiness, then the blocking roller 7 is in a state of equilibrium, which changes only if the elevator car changes its position. The state of equilibrium is characterised by the fact that with a suitable adjustment of the guide 11 relative to the guide rail 30 , an equilibrium of the forces is set in such a manner that only in a case of a lowering of the elevator car and consequently of the safety gear block 2 , the lever mechanism 8 is swivelled relative to the guide rail 30 under effect of the force of the spring 17 (with a lowering of the safety device relative to the guide rail 30 , the spring 17 lengthens in its lengthwise direction) and during this swivelling motion the blocking roller 7 rolls alongside the guide 11 and at the same time realises a movement relative to the safety gear block 2 , this movement being parallel to the guide rail 30 and opposite the direction of motion of the elevator car. In this way, in the state of braking readiness, the blocking roller 7 takes on a new state of equilibrium after each lowering of the elevator car, and such state of equilibrium exhibits a reduced distance from the leg 5 . Therefore, the blocking roller 7 passes through a series of states of equilibrium when lowering the elevator car, until the blocking roller 7 is finally squeezed between the leg 5 and the guide flange 31 and consequently brought into the brake position. The initial tension of the spring 17 and the form of the guide 11 can be co-ordinated for optimization purposes, in order to reliably control the described change of the position of the blocking roller 7 relative to the guide 11 and to the leg 4 in space and time.
[0051] If the elevator car is ready for the continuation of the drive, the electromagnet 3 is current-activated and in this manner the lever mechanism 8 and the blocking roller 7 are moved under effect of the electromagnet 3 and of the gravitational force in such a way that the safety device arrives again into the normal or rest position. The described operating sequence recurs with each “stop”. The resilience of the suspension and of the suspension means of the elevator car and the geometrical proportions of the safety device are thereby co-ordinated in such a way that by loading the elevator car beyond the permissible maximum weight, the blocking roller 7 rolls so far alongside the guide 11 that the blocking roller 7 is squeezed between the inclined leg 5 and the guide rail and the safety gear is shifted into the safety or brake position. In this way, the function of a creeping protection device is realised with the safety device.
[0052] [0052]FIG. 10 shows a state in which the safety device is shifted into the safety or brake position. As a result of a relative motion between the safety device and the guide flange 31 of the guide rail 30 , whose amount exceeds the useful load range described in connection with FIG. 9, the blocking roller 7 moves along the guide 11 up to a position 23 and is now squeezed between the guide rail and the leg 5 . The prevailing frictional proportions in a zone or portion 24 lead to further blocking of the blocking roller 7 in case of a further on appearing relative motion. At the same time, the leg 5 is finally pushed from the blocking roller 7 in a direction (left in FIG. 10) away from the guide rail or respectively the blocking roller 7 is pressed against the guide flange 31 . FIG. 11 shows the state for example in case of a 2 mm wear of the guide and brake lining 6 with a strong friction in a zone or portion 25 . In the final case, the axle 10 takes an extreme position 26 within the upper range of the guide 11 .
[0053] After that the safety device is set into the safety or brake position, the force of the electromagnet 3 is not sufficient any more in order to release the blocking roller 7 from the blocking and to release again the movement of the elevator car, but rather the safety device is to be released in a so-called reversal drive from the safety position, before the elevator car can be moved again downwards.
[0054] The leg 4 has a flat surface, as evident from the figures. The guide and brake lining 6 preferably consists of a material, which preferably exhibits a small coefficient of friction during a small surface pressure and a large coefficient of friction during a large surface pressure. Such materials are for example used in multi-plate clutches or brake linings, well known from the automobile industry point of view. The characteristic of the coefficient of friction that the guide and brake lining 6 exhibits as a result a transition zone is as steep as possible between a range with a low coefficient of friction and a range with a very high coefficient of friction. This enables the utilization of the guide and brake lining 6 for the purpose of braking (in case of a large contact pressure) and for the purpose of guiding (in case of a small contact pressure) subject to the size of the contact pressure between the guide and brake lining 6 and the guide flange 31 . In case of a suitable material choice, it is therefore possible to undertake the provided functional combination, according to the present invention, of a brake safety device and a guiding device into a single multi-functional brake in the shape of the present safety device and to optimize independently from each other their employment as a brake device or as a guiding device for the elevator car.
[0055] As particularly evident from the FIGS. 6 to 12 , the guide 11 does not exhibit a straight-lined form for the axle 10 of the roller 7 , but it is provided with a middle portion 28 , in which it makes first a curve to the right and then a curve to the left. This curvature course can be optimized depending upon each employment. The detailed course of the guide 11 between the lower end 27 and the upper extreme position 26 determines in which measure the blocking roller 7 changes its position relative to the leg 5 , if the safety device block 2 is moved around a given measure alongside the guide rail 30 . This change is anyhow non-linear as a function of the path alongside the guide rail 30 , if the guide 11 exhibits a curved course.
[0056] A peculiarity, which can be brought back to the special course of the curvature of the guide 11 , is represented in FIG. 12. The curvature of the guide is at the same time exaggeratedly represented for reasons of clarity. The suspension 12 of the lever mechanism 8 is developed in accordance with FIG. 12 in such a manner that, depending on the operating state, the position of the axle 10 of the blocking roller 7 is changed along the guide 11 at two locations in an at least approximately discontinuous manner. The average lengthwise direction of these grooves or oblong recesses forms preferably an angle with the direction of motion of the elevator car. The guide 11 exhibits, because of its curvilinear course, several locations at which the blocking roller 7 can take, due to its form, a stable position—in the following designated as locking position—if the blocking roller were transported alongside the guide of 11 to one of these locking positions as a result of the mechanisms described before. If the blocking roller 7 has arrived alongside the guide 11 at one of these locking positions, then the lever mechanism 8 takes under the effect of the spring 17 a position in which the guide 11 supports the blocking roller 7 in such a way, that the position of the blocking roller 7 is not substantially influenced through small changes in the deflection of the lever mechanism 8 and is therefore stabilized, in particular against the influence of the weight of the blocking roller 7 . The suspension 12 has a lower locking position at the lower end 27 of the guide 11 for the normal operation in the normal state of the safety device in case of current-activated electromagnet 3 , a middle locking position within the middle portion 28 or above the middle portion 28 of the guide 11 for the operation as creeping protection device or respectively for the operation of the safety device in the safety position in each case with a not current-activated electromagnet 3 , and an upper locking position at an extreme position 26 ′ at the upper end of the guide 11 .
[0057] [0057]FIG. 13 shows a guide 29 , which can be used as a simplified alternative to the guide 11 in the safety device and which exhibits a linear course. In the example according to FIG. 13, the guide 29 does not exhibit any change of direction. In this case, there is no locking position in the middle portion of the guide 29 for more precisely controlling the position of the blocking roller 7 in case of operation as creeping protection device, in contrast to the example in accordance with FIG. 12.
[0058] [0058]FIG. 14 shows an example of the simple guide rail 30 with the guide flange 31 , whose thickness is so designed that it fits into the free space 16 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). The guide rail 30 with the guide flange 31 is vertically arranged in the elevator hoistway. Preferably, two guide rails with guide flange are arranged laterally to the elevator car. The elevator car carries in this case two or four safety devices, which stand in interaction with the guide rails. The principle of the present invention is however independent from the thickness or form of this guide flange, provided that at least one guide surface 23 is available.
[0059] The momentary position of the electromagnet 3 and, thus, the condition of the safety device is ascertained in the shown example by two switches 18 and 19 , which supervise the position of the holding or tie bolt 13 or respectively the deflection of the lever mechanism 8 and consequently also the operating state of the safety device. The one switch 18 is provided in order to indicate whether the safety device of the elevator installation is in readiness and the other switch 19 (also called “brake—in engagement—switch”) is provided in order to indicate whether the safety device is in the safety position. The brake—in engagement—switch is advantageously integrated into the safety circuit of the elevator.
[0060] In a further embodiment of the invention, the safety device can exhibit a two-dimensional or even a three-dimensional guide for the elevator car at the safety device block. Such an example is represented in FIG. 15. The safety device, in accordance with FIG. 15, exhibits beside a blocking roller 67 , which is guided alongside the guide 29 , a retaining element 64 with a guide and a brake lining 66 and an abutment 65 . A lever mechanism 68 is available, which is pivoted as indicated by a double arrow 61 . Through the lever mechanism 68 , the blocking roller 67 can be brought into a brake position, and in such brake position, the blocking roller 67 is squeezed between a guide surface 63 of an oblong guide flange 62 installed in the elevator hoistway and the abutment 65 . The safety device comprises an operating mechanism (e.g. an electromagnet, or a mechanical, or pressure controlled mean), which is arranged in such a manner that it acts upon the blocking roller 67 by means of this operating mechanism and lever mechanism 68 in order to change the position of the blocking roller 67 with respect of the oblong guide flange 62 . The safety device is thereby characterised in accordance with FIG. 15 by an additional guiding device 69 that is provided, whose guide surface is provided with a guide lining 70 . The guide lining 70 can be realised in a different way in respect to the guide and brake lining 66 , for example as a wear resistant lining with a small coefficient of friction. The latter is meaningful since the guiding device 69 has exclusively a guide function and, in contrast to the retaining element 64 , it does not deploy any braking action.
[0061] Furthermore, a suitable safety switch (not shown) can be provided, which measures and/or controls the wear of the guide lining and in case of excessive wear, it stops the elevator.
[0062] The multi-functional safety device is brought into the state of braking readiness with each stop in the regular driving of the elevator in accordance with the invention, as the current of the electromagnet is switched off. The execution of the safety device allows the lowering of the elevator car in the stopping place in case of loading, without the safety devices getting blocked with the guide rail. By moving the safety devices at each stop, a quasi-automatic checking of the functional efficiency of the multi-functional rail brake takes place.
[0063] There are further conceivable embodiments of the invention, which emanate from modifications of the described safety devices. As a braking element also wedges, ellipsoids or other objects can be considered in place of the described blocking roller, if they are squeezable due to their form. Instead of the described lever mechanism, each mechanism can be considered if with this mechanism the position of the braking element can be changed in a controlled manner, in order to guarantee the described functionality of the safety device. The described electromagnet could be replaced by another operating mechanism, which is suitable for changing, via a controlled force effect, the position of the braking element in such a manner that the safety device changes from the normal state into the state of the braking readiness and inversely. Obviously, the described switches 18 and 19 can be replaced also by a sensor, which is suitable to characterize the momentary position of the braking element or respectively their change in order to seize the momentary operating state of the safety device and as the case may be to derive thereon signals for controlling the elevator. The safety device can also be developed for braking for any direction of motion alongside a guide rail. The abutment must be merely aligned according to the respective suitable purpose relative to the guide rail, in order to enable a squeezing of the braking element. Further on, the braking element must be guided accordingly, in order to enable an automatic transition between the normal position of the safety device in the state of the braking readiness and from there in the respective safety position. In case of suitable guidance of the braking element and a suitable arrangement of the appropriate abutment, a single safety device can be designed on the basis of the present invention for the purpose of braking alongside each of the two directions of motion, which can be realised alongside a guide rail.
[0064] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.
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A safety device brakes an elevator car with a guide rail exhibiting an oblong guide flange. The safety device includes a base carrying a retaining element and an abutment with the guide flange positioned therebetween. A mechanism squeezes, when braking, a braking element blocking roller between the guide flange and the abutment. The mechanism, co-operating with an electromagnet, moves the braking element in a controlled way between different positions associated with different operating conditions of the safety device.
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This application is a division, of application Ser. No. 08/237,337 filed May 3, 1994, (now abandoned) which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/956,770, filed as PCT/JP91/00834, Jun. 20, 1991, (now abandoned).
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a press machine having a frame which is C-shaped in side elevational view, a bolster which is mounted on a bed of a lower jaw portion of the frame, and a slide which is mounted on an upper jaw portion of the frame. More particularly, this invention relates to a press machine whose side frames are reinforced by reinforcing members.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A prior art example of a press machine 1 to which the present invention relates is shown in FIG. 1. A frame 2 of the press machine 1 is C-shaped in side elevational view, and has a lower jaw portion with a bed 4 supported thereon, and an upper jaw portion with a slide 5 and a driving unit for driving the slide 5 supported thereon. The arrangement is made such that when the slide 5 is lowered by rotation of a main spindle, a workpiece (not shown) positioned on a lower die 7 mounted on a bolster 4a resting on the bed 4 is punched by an upper die (punch) 6 fixedly secured to the slide 5. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 3 denotes a front side plate of the frame, and reference numeral 8 denotes a side frame.
In the above-mentioned prior art press machine 1, to suppress or reduce the vibration of the frame 2 or the level of noise generated by the press, for example, either (1) a vibration damping material is mounted on the surface of the frame, or (2) the whole press machine is surrounded by a box to isolate the noise. (Refer, for example, to "Examples of Measures for controlling Noise generated by Press Machines", collection of lectures and thesis on technique presentation conferences issued by Japanese Noise Control Engineering Society, P141, Sept., 1989).
Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a third prior art alternative (3) for reducing or suppressing the vibration of the frame or the level of noise generated includes mounting an L-shaped reinforcing plate-shaped member 9 on the inner surface of each of the side frames 8.
The problem with mounting a vibration damping material on the surface of the frame, as in the above-mentioned case (1), is that it causes an increase in the weight and cost of the entire press machine. For effective vibration damping, the thickness of the vibration damping material must be at least equal to or more than that of the frame, so that if the thickness of the frame is 22 mm, for example, then the total thickness of the frame and the vibration damping material becomes about 50 mm, thus increasing the weight of the entire press machine, giving disadvantages in tens of cost and practicality.
Further, where the whole press machine is surrounded by a box, as in the above-mentioned case (2), other problems exist relating to press operation, cost and the need for increased working space in factories.
Still further, in the above-mentioned alternative (3), as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, because the plate-shaped member 9 is fixedly secured to each of the side frames 8 as the reinforcing member thereof, the reinforcing effect for preventing the opening formed between the upper and lower jaws of the frame from flaring was limited. Further, the prior art reinforcing member 9 mounted on the side frames 8 so as to extend upwards from the upper jaw portion is inefficient as a reinforcing member since only a small loading is applied to this portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances in the prior art, and has for its principal object to provide a press machine which is effectively reinforced so as to improve the working accuracy of finished products without installing any special device on the outside of the press machine and without extremely increasing the weight of the entire press machine, and which is capable of reducing appreciably the level of noise generated by the machine in operation.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the inventors of the present invention elucidated the vibration and noise generating mechanism of press machines.
In a press machine 1, as shown in FIG. 1, when a slide 5 is lowered by rotation of a main spindle to allow an upper die (punch) 6 fixedly secured to the slide 5 to punch a workpiece (not shown) on a lower die 7 mounted on a bolster 4a resting on a bed 4, a frame 2 of the press machine 1 is subjected to a resistance to shearing of the workpiece so that a big magnitude of force is exerted on the frame 2. The big magnitude of force tends to flare the opening formed between the upper and lower jaws of the frame. The workpiece is then cracked and broken suddenly. This breaking of the workpiece causes release of the loading therefrom, thus generating shock, which is propagated to the entire press machine, thereby generating noise and vibration.
Further, when the force is exerted on the frame 2, which tends to flare the opening formed between the jaws thereof, a misalignment occurs between the upper die 6 and the lower die 7, thereby tending to reduce the accuracy of finished products.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between punching load and noise (breakthrough noise). As shown by this graph, the lower the punching load, that is, the smaller the amount of deformation or flare of the opening of the frame 2 when the press machine is subjected to the resistance of shearing of the workpiece, the lower the level of noise becomes.
In a press machine with a C-shaped frame, the amount of deformation of the notched portion of the upper jaw portion is the biggest. Consequently, if a reinforcing plate is fixedly secured to this upper jaw portion so as to eliminate the notched portion, then the above-named amount of deformation or flare of the opening of the frame 2 is reduced, thus reducing the breakthrough noise.
Further, as another means for reducing the level of the breakthrough noise, noise generating portions of the press machine may be removed. As a result of experiments, it was found out that the noise generated by the rear, upper portion of the side frames is 20% of the noise generated by the entire press machine making this portion the principal noise generating source. Therefore, the breakthrough noise can be reduced by removing this portion.
The foregoing reveals that if the amount of deformation or flare of the opening of the frame of the press machine is suppressed, the noise level can be reduced, and the accuracy of finished products can be improved. The present invention has been made on the basis of this finding.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a press machine having a frame which is C-shaped in side elevational view, a bolster which is mounted on a bed of a lower jaw portion of the frame, and a slide and a drive system for driving the slide which are mounted on an upper jaw portion of the frame, characterized in that at least one reinforcing member is fixedly secured to each of a pair of side frames forming both sides of the frame at at least one predetermined place so as to suppress the deformation or flare of the opening of the frame.
Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a press machine as set forth in the above-mentioned first aspect, characterized in that the reinforcing member has substantially the same shape as a substantially inverted trapezoidal throughhole formed in the rear, upper portion of each of the side frames and has the same thickness as the latter, and is fixedly secured to the upper side surface of an upper jaw portion of each of the side frames.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a press machine as set forth in the above-mentioned first aspect, characterized in that the reinforcing member is an L-shaped plate member corresponding to the configuration of a zone which extends from the leading end of the lower jaw portion to the uppermost portion of the innermost upright wall of the recess, and at least two pieces of reinforcing members are superposed and fixedly secured to the zone on the inner surface of each of the side frames.
Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a press machine as set forth in the above-mentioned first aspect, characterized in that the reinforcing member is a sheet of strip-shaped plate member, and is fixedly secured to a vertically intermediate portion of the inner surface of each of the side frames along the rear edge thereof.
Yet further, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a press machine as set forth in the above-mentioned first aspect, characterized in that the reinforcing member is a substantially rectangular plate member, and is fixedly secured by means of bolts or by plug welding to the inner surface of each of the side frames at a plurality of places.
According to the present invention incorporating the above-mentioned aspects, the following advantages are obtained.
The press machine is effectively reinforced so as to improve the working accuracy of finished products without the need for installing any special device on the outside thereof and without increasing extremely the weight of the entire press machine, and is capable of reducing appreciably the level of noise generated by the machine in operation.
Stating in brief, since each of the side frames is reinforced by at least one plate member at at least one suitable place, the deformation of the frame or flare of the opening formed between the upper and lower jaws of the frame which tends to occur in operation is reduced, thereby reducing vibration, and hence, the noise caused thereby, and also improving working accuracy of finished products.
The above-mentioned and other objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art by making reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments incorporating the principles of the present invention are shown by way of examples only.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic, overall perspective view showing a prior art press machine which is C-shaped in side sectional view.
FIG. 2 is a schematic, side elevational view showing a prior art example of reinforcement of a side frame;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III--III in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the punching load and the noise;
FIG. 5, 6 and 7 are schematic interior side elevational views showing first, second and third embodiments of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII--VIII in FIG. 7;
FIGS. 9A and 9B are plan views showing reinforcing members used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7;
FIGS. 10 and 11 are schematic interior side elevational views showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention and its variant example;
FIGS. 12 and 13 are fragmentary sectional views showing two examples of reinforcing members for use in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 which are fixedly secured to the side frames; and
FIG. 14 is a graph showing the result of vibration damping experiments conducted in relation to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Several embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 14 of the accompanying drawings.
First of all, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 5. In this embodiment, the same component parts as those of the prior art example shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and further description thereof is thus omitted herein.
In FIG. 5, each of the left and right side frames 10 of a press machine 1 has a substantially inverted trapezoidal through-hole 11 formed in the rear, upper portion thereof. Further, each of the side frames 10 has a notched portion 12 formed above the upper jaw portion on the front side thereof. A piece of reinforcing plate 13 which is of a shape closing the side of the notched portion 12 is fixedly secured by welding to the notched portion 12. As this reinforcing plate 13, the member which is cut out from the side plate 10 to form the through-hole 11 is used as it is.
Due to the above-mentioned construction, the area of the rear, upper portion of the side frame 10, which is a principal noise and vibration generating portion, is reduced, thereby reducing the noise and vibration generated in this portion. Further, the notched portion 12 formed above the upper jaw portion, which is subjected to a high loading, is reinforced by the reinforcing plate 13 so that the amount of flare of the opening formed between the upper and lower jaws of the side frames 10 is reduced by about 10% as compared with the prior art example, thereby reducing the breakthrough noise.
The second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6.
In FIG. 6, a vertically extending reinforcing plate 14 comprised of a strip-shaped plate member is fixedly secured to each of the left and right side frames 10 forming both side walls of the frame of a press machine along the rear edge of the inner surface thereof.
When the length, height and the thickness of the side frame 10 are denoted by L, H and T, the width W of the reinforcing plate 14 is 0.08 L (W=0.08 L), and the thickness t of the plate 14 (which is the dimension of the plate 14 in a direction at right angles to the side frame 10) is 1.5 T (t=1.5 T). Further, the height h 1 of the reinforcing plate 14 at the upper end thereof is 0.77 H (h 1 =0.77 H), and the length h 2 of the plate 14 in the direction of the height thereof is 0.48 H (h 2 =0.48 H).
An example of the above-mentioned dimensions can be,
L=1250 mm, T=55 mm, H=2210 mm, h 1 =1702 mm, h 2 =1061 mm.
Due to the above-mentioned construction, the deformation of the frame in the transverse direction is reduced by about 10% as compared with the prior art example.
Next, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9B.
In FIG. 7, an L-shaped reinforcing member 15 is fixedly secured to the inner surface of each of the side frames 10 so as to extend from a leading end of a lower-jaw portion 10a of the C-shaped member to the top of a press operation zone 10b. The reinforcing member 15 has a height E which corresponds to the height of the innermost upright wall of the recess.
The reinforcing member 15 is comprised of a first reinforcing member 16a and a second reinforcing member 16b which are superposed and fixedly secured in two layers.
These reinforcing members 16a and 16b are formed as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, respectively. When the height of the press operation zone of the side frame 10 is denoted by l, the widths W 1 and W 2 of the reinforcing members 16a and 16b are as follows.
W.sub.1 =1/2 l, W.sub.2 =1/3 l
The ratio of the thickness t 1 of the reinforcing member 16a to the thickness t 2 of the reinforcing member 16b is as follows.
t.sub.1 :t2=1:2.2
One example of the actual dimensions of the reinforcing members 16a, 16b can be, l=450 mm, W 1 =225 mm, W 2 =150 mm, t 1 =32 mm, and t 2 =70 mm.
In the above-mentioned construction, the frame is reinforced by the first and second reinforcing members 16a and 16b to withstand the loading exerted thereon, which tends to flare the frame.
Next, the fourth embodiment of the present invention and a variant example thereof will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 14.
FIGS. 10 and 11 each show only one of the side frames 10 of the press machine. A substantially rectangular plate member 18 (or members 18) is (are) fixedly secured to the inner surface of the side frame 10 which is C-shaped in side view.
There are two examples of the arrangement of the plate member 18 (or members 18). In one example, as shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of plate members 18 each having a small area are fixedly secured to the side frame at a plurality of places. In another example, as shown in FIG. 11, a single piece of plate member 18 having a large area is fixedly secured to the side frame 10 with the longer side thereof extending in the vertical direction. Further, a piece of plate member 18 whose thickness is about one-tenth of that of the side frame 10 or a plurality of separate plate members 18 are fixedly secured in a single layer to the side frame 10. Alternatively, a plurality of superposed plate members 18 each having the same thickness are fixedly secured in the form of one-piece or separate pieces to the side frame 10 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. Further, in respect of fixing means, the superposed plate members 18 are fixedly secured by means of bolts 19 to the side frame 10 at a plurality of places, as shown in FIG. 12, or they are fixedly secured by plug welding 20 to the side frame 10 at a plurality of places, as shown in FIG. 13. It is adequate that the total area of the bolts 20 or the plug welded joints is about 5 to 6% of the surface area of the plate member(s) 18.
In the above-mentioned construction, when vibration is propagated to the side frame 10, the side frame 10 will vibrate together with the plate member 18 (or members 18) fixedly secured thereto. At that time, because both the side frame 10 and the plate member 18 (or members 18) have different natural frequencies and both the members 10 and 18 are fixedly secured to each other at a plurality of places, and held only in contact with each other in the remaining portions, the above-mentioned vibration causes the members 10 and 18 to strike or chafe against each other in the contact portions. Such striking or chafing energy will give a vibration damping effect so that the above-mentioned vibration energy is absorbed, thereby suppressing the vibration.
Experimental results on the degree of the above-mentioned damping of vibration are shown in FIG. 14. In this drawing, reference characters "a" indicate the result obtained when side frames only 14 mm thick are provided, black dots indicate the result obtained when plate members are fixedly secured by plug welding to each of side frames, white dots indicate the result obtained when plate members are fixedly secured by means of bolts to each of the side frames, and X marks indicate the result obtained when prior art vibration damping materials were used.
As is apparent from this graph, the construction according to the present invention could provide nearly the same vibration damping effect as that obtained by the construction using the prior art vibration damping material.
The foregoing description is merely illustrative of preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not to be limited thereto. It will readily occur to those skilled in the art many changes and modifications of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention.
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A press machine having side frames which are effectively reinforced so as to appreciably reduce the noise generated during operation of the machine and improve the working accuracy of the machine without installing any special device on the outside thereof or significantly increasing the weight of the entire press machine. The side frames of the press machine which are C-shaped in side view, are reinforced by at least one reinforcing member fixedly secured to each of the side frames at at least one predetermined place. The reinforcing members function to suppress the deformation of the opening of the C-shaped side frames to reduce noise and improve accuracy.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to generally to circuit board connectors, and more particularly to circuit board connectors for peripheral devices.
Many connectors for circuit boards are known in the art. One such conventional electrical connector is used on a circuit board or mother board used in a computer and it includes an insulative housing having a plurality of terminals mounted therein and a metal grounding shell surrounding the connector housing. The terminals have tail portions formed thereon that are connected to selected circuits formed on the printed circuit board. The metal shell has legs for fixing the connector to the circuit board. The connector has an inlet that accommodates an opposing electrical connector on its front side, thereby permitting the wires of the opposing connector to be electrically connected to selected conductors of the circuit.
This type of connector is designed for close attachment to the circuit board with the bottom of the connector upon the upper surface of the circuit board, and thus places the connector inlet parallel to the upper surface of the printed circuit board. With this structure, it is necessary that the connector is positioned on the circuit board in an area that has enough space to permit an opposing connector to be laid ahead of the connector to permit the coupling and decoupling of the opposing connector to and from the connector that is fixed to the printed circuit board. This is disadvantageous from the standpoint of making the most effective use of the limited space available on the circuit mother board. It also significantly prevents a reduction in size of the electronic device.
Such a circuit board connector is commonly used in computers by connecting a peripheral device, such as a video camera or other device to the computer circuit board. Because such connectors require a predetermined space in front of them to effect such a connection, these known connectors are located at the rear of the computer and the connection point for the peripheral device is at the rear of the computer. This necessitates the user to reach around to the rear of the computer to make the connection, which is not always feasible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a circuit board connector that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a connector for enabling a connection with a circuit board in which the connector permits the most effective use of limited space on a printed circuit board.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector that engages a circuit board in an orientation that assures a sufficient space is available near the connector to allow an opposing connector to be handled without interference and inserted into the connector fixed to the circuit board.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a connector that engages a circuit board and receives an opposing connector for a computer peripheral device, the connector having an exterior metal shell that provides a ground connection and which supports the connector at an angle from the circuit board so that an opposing connector may be easily inserted into and removed from the connector without interfering with nearby components on the circuit board.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a circuit board connector for use in a computer for establishing a connection between a peripheral device and one or more circuits of the computer, wherein the connector includes a housing that supports a plurality of conductive terminals therein, the housing including an exterior support jacket that partially encloses the housing and supports it on a circuit board of the computer, the support jacket having two pairs of first and second mounting legs that are received within corresponding openings on the circuit board, the first and second mounting legs having different heights such that the connector is supported on the circuit board and maintained in an angled position that orients a connector slot of the connector upward at an angle from the circuit board, whereby an opposing connector may be mated with the board connector without interference with any components on the circuit board, thereby saving space on the circuit board and permitting a cable leading to a peripheral device connector to be routed to a connection in front of the computer.
To attain these objects, the connectors of the present invention is designed for mounting at an angle to the circuit board surface, with the connector having a mating face that is directed upward at an oblique angle from the upper surface of the printed circuit board.
The connector includes an insulative housing with a plurality of conductive terminals mounted therein and a metal shell mounted on the housing. Each of the terminals includes a contact portion supported on the housing and an opposing tail portion that extends out of the housing for effecting the required connections to selected circuits of the circuit board. The metal shell includes mounting legs that extend therefrom and which fix the connector to the circuit board at an angle upward from the circuit board. The connector has a receptacle that accommodates an opposing connector and the mounting legs are dimensioned and positioned to permit the connector to be mounted on the circuit board at a predetermined oblique angle upward and away from the circuit board upper surface.
The mounting legs of the connector may include a pair of relatively short legs disposed on opposite sides of the rear portion of the connector metal shell, which rear portion surrounds the rear end of the connector housing, and a pair of relatively long legs disposed on opposite sides of an intermediate section of the metal shell, which intermediate section surrounds the forward portion of the connector housing. With this structure, the opposing connector can be easily inserted into the receptacle of the angled connector without interfering with any electronic components on the circuit board near or in front of the board connector. Thus, there is an access path created for the opposing connector in the free space obliquely above the connector without fear of interfering with surrounding components. The connector of the present invention may be mounted on a circuit board without leaving extra space ahead of the connector, which would be required if the connector were mounted flat on the circuit board.
The metal shell of the connector may include opposing sidewalls and top and bottom walls that together define an inlet. A rear wall is connected to the top wall to cover the rear surface of the connector housing, and opposing side covers are connected to associated, opposing edges of the rear wall. The pair of rear mounting legs are connected to the lower sections of the opposing side covers, while the pair of front mounting legs are also connected to the lower, sections of the opposing side covers.
The front and rear mounting legs may include projecting portions that extend through the circuit board thickness and which provide contact points for attaching the connector to the circuit board, such as by soldering. The mounting legs may further include stepped portions that engage the top surface of the circuit board in a common plane to set the angle of the connector. Alternatively, the mounting leap may contact the upper surface of the circuit board. The terminals of the connector may either reach the upper surface of the circuit board or may pass through the circuit board for attachment.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be clearly understood through consideration of the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the course of the following detailed description reference will be frequently made to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is sectional view of a circuit board connector constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the connector of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the connector of FIG. 1; and, FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the connector of FIG. in place on a circuit board with a cable connected thereto way of an opposing connector illustrating the clearance vantage of the present invention provides.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to FIG. 1, a circuit board connector constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shown generally at 1. The connector 1 includes an electrically insulative housing 3 having a plurality of terminals 2 supported there and an exterior metal shell 4 that at least encloses partially the connector housing 3. This exterior metal shell 4 includes a top wall 5, two opposing (or left and right) sidewalls 6 and a bottom wall 7. These walls cooperatively define an inlet portion, or receptacle 8, of the exterior shell 4 that accommodates an opposing connector 21, which may be inserted in the receptacle 8 in the oblique direction indicated by "A".
As shown in FIG. 3, each sidewall 6 has an engagement lug 12 that is stamped therein and is surrounded by a U-shaped slot 30. This lug 12 is illustrated as rectangular in configuration but it will be understood that other configurations may be used. The lugs 12 are slightly raised from the level of the sidewalls 6 in order to engage a cover portion 11 as explained in greater detail below.
The rear wall 10 of the exterior metal shell 4 is shown as formed with the upper rear edge 9 of the top wall 5 and is best illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 4. In the embodiment illustrated, the rear wall 10 is drawn as bent along the rear upper edge 9 of the top wall 5 so that it extends down to cover the rear surface 3a of the connector housing 3. Likewise, in the embodiment specifically in FIG. 5, the sidewalls 11 of the exterior metal shell 4 are formed with the rear wall 10 and are bent along the rear, vertical edges 34 of the exterior shell 4.
Each side cover 11 preferably has a window, or other type of opening 13 formed therein (FIG. 3) that is generally aligned with the engagement lug 12. When the side covers 11 are bent over the sidewalls 6, the window 13 becomes positioned so as to engage and catch the engagement lug 12 therewithin in order to join the sidewalls 6 of the exterior shell 4 with their associated overlying side covers 11.
In an important aspect of the present invention and as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the connector 1 is provided with a means for mounting the connector 1 at an oblique angle θ from the surface 15a of the circuit board 15. This mounting means is illustrated in the preferred embodiment as pairs of first and second mounting legs 14a, 14b that extend from the exterior shell 4 and are formed therewith. The first and second mounting legs 14a, 14b are respectively positioned at the rear and front of the connector 1. The rear mounting legs 14a have a height that is less than that of the front mounting legs 14b in order to angle the connector 1 upwardly at the desired angle θ.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the rear mounting legs 14a are formed with the sidewalls 6 while the front mounting legs 14b are formed within the side covers 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the rear mounting legs 14a lie interior of the front mounting legs 14b. With the difference in height of the mounting legs 14a, 14b, the receptacle 8 is maintained at the oblique upward angle θ. The angled receptacle 8 of the connector permits an opposing connector 21 to be inserted into and removed from the connector 1 without interfering with an adjacent electronic component 20 mounted on the circuit board 15 as illustrated in FIG. 7. This results in a saving of space on the circuit board 15 which may, in turn promote the reduction in size of the electronic device that houses the circuit board 15.
The mounting legs 14a and 14b are long enough to pass through the thickness of the circuit board 15. Each mounting leg 14a, 14b preferably includes a shoulder or step portion 16 formed thereon that defines the height difference between the mounting legs 14a, 14b. These shoulder portions 16 extend and abuttingly engage the common surface 15a of the circuit board when the mounting legs 14a, 14b are inserted into the circuit board 15. As seen in FIG. 1, these shoulder portions 16 are maintained in a common horizontal plane H. Each mounting leg 14a, 14b further preferably includes a neck portion 17 that is disposed adjacent the shoulder portions 16 and which extends through the circuit board 15 as illustrated in FIG. 7. These neck portions 17 provide attachment surfaces that may be soldered to appropriate circuits on the circuit board 15, such as grounding circuits.
Each connector terminal 3 includes a contact portion 18 that extends within the receptacle 8 and is supported by the connector housing 3 as well as a tail portion 19 that extends from the rear 3a of the connector housing 3. The tails 19 descend from the rear 3a of the connector housing 3, and may as shown, extend parallel with the mounting legs 14a and 14b. The tail portions 19 shown are long enough to extend through the circuit board 15 for soldering on the bottom surface thereof, if appropriate.
Referring to FIG. 7, the connector 1 may be attached to the circuit board 15, which has a circuit element or other electronic component 20 attached thereto in the vicinity of the connector 1. As seen in FIG. 7, the connector 1 is attached to the circuit board 15 by way of its mounting legs 14a and 14b that stand on and engage the surface 15a of the circuit board 15, thereby inclining the connector 1 and its receptacle 8 with respect to the upper surface 15a of the circuit board 15 obliquely upwardly. This permits an oblique insertion of an opposing connector 21 into the receptacle 8 through the free space above the receptacle 8 without fear of interfering with any surrounding components 20. Therefore, the connector, can be attached close to the component 20 on the circuit board 15, leaving no significant extra space ahead of the board connector 1, and thereby advantageously increasing the density with which components may be mounted to the overall circuit board 15, and hence permitting the reduction of the size of device.
In this particular embodiment, the angle at which the counter electric connector can be inserted in the electric connector 1, which is obliquely fixed to the printed circuit board 15, is set to be about 11° with respect to the upper surface 15a of the printed circuit board 15. This specific degree of insertion angle, is not restrictive; the insertion angle will depend on the size and shape of surrounding components.
The mounting legs 14a and 14b of the exterior shell 4 and the tails 19 of the terminals 2 pass through the thickness of the printed circuit board 15, thereby permitting the dip-soldering of such elements to the circuit board 15. Alternatively, they may be modified to extend onto opposing contact pads (not shown) on the upper surface 15a of the circuit board 15, to thereby permitting the reflow soldering thereof.
As may be understood from the above, the electric connector according to the present invention permits a counter electric connector to have an access thereto obliquely above in the free space, thereby making it unnecessary to leave ahead of the electric connector an extra space large enough to permit the counter electric connector to get an access to the electric connector in front thereof. This has the effect of increasing the density with which parts and elements can be mounted on the printed circuit board.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims.
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Disclosed is an improved board connector having an insulating housing with terminals mounted therein and an exterior shell fitting on the insulating housing. The exterior shell has long and short legs that fix the connector to a printed circuit board at a predetermined oblique angle to permit the oblique insertion of an opposing connector into the board connector without fear of interference with surrounding components. Thus, there is no need to leave extra space ahead of the connector to permit the opposing connector to lay flat ahead of the board connector on the circuit board when mating the two connectors together.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to pulleys and more particularly, to a timing pulley for accommodating multiple timing belts thereon.
II. Discussion of the Prior Art
Pulleys change the direction and point of application of a pulling force and may be used for transmitting rotation from one shaft, the driving shaft, to a driven shaft. In an ordinary pulley and belt configuration, the belt is wrapped around a driving pulley and a driven pulley. The driving pulley may be connected, for example, to a motor's output shaft and the driven pulley may be connected to an auxiliary device. The two pulleys and belt transfer rotation from the motor's output shaft to the auxiliary device's shaft. In this situation, the pulleys turn at a particular rate in relation to their relative diameters and timing information may be passed between the shafts, as long as slippage does not occur.
A conventional pulley has a single groove in its outer rim or periphery for accepting a rope or belt. The belt is usually smooth and shaped to fit the smooth groove of the pulley. A friction fit, between the pulley and the belt, is accomplished by adjusting the distance between the driving and the driven pulleys to pull the belt taut. This friction fit should be sufficient to prevent the belt from slipping but not so taut as to place undue stress on the bearings of the shafts on which the pulleys are mounted. Unfortunately, a smooth groove and belt configuration loosens over time and slippage often occurs. This slippage leads to a loss of drive power and timing information. Where timing information is critical, slippage cannot be tolerated.
The contact area between the belt and pulley may be increased to reduce the tendency toward slippage. A wider grooved rim has a wider flat surface on its inside diameter back wall for contacting a wider belt. A deeper grooved rim has deeper side surfaces for contacting the sides of the belt. Another way of providing more surface area to reduce slippage is to have multiple pulleys and belts offset laterally relative to one another on the driving and the driven shafts. In this situation, the total contacting surface area is the sum of the surface areas of the individual pulley and belt combinations. The possibility of slippage is greatly reduced by using multiple offset pulleys and belts. However, none of these configurations insure against slippage and the loss of timing information.
Multiple pulleys and belts may be needed for driving multiple auxiliary devices. However, laterally arranged pulleys take extra space. In applications where space is limited, it is more convenient to have a number of pulleys and belts in a common plane.
A device using multiple pulleys in a common plane is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,548,316, issued to Locke. The '316 patent discloses a drive pulley mounted on a drive shaft and driving an outer belt and an inner belt. The inner belt is wrapped around the drive pulley and an idler pulley. The outer belt is wrapped around the drive pulley, outside the inner belt, and also around an auxiliary device pulley. The pulleys lie in a common plane, with the idler pulley between the drive pulley and the auxiliary device pulley. The outer and inner belts are V shaped and fit into a V groove in the drive pulley. The outer belt lies on the inner belt and gets traction from its engagement with the inner belt for driving the auxiliary device pulley. Thus, the traction for the outer belt is enhanced by the inner belt. This traction, however, is not absolute and slippage may occur as the outer belt loosens over time.
A variation on overlapping belts is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,403, issued to Peabody et al. The '403 patent discloses a smooth V shaped belt fitting into an inner groove and a smooth flat outer belt riding over the inner belt and fitting into an outer groove. In this configuration, the inner belt is in contact with the sides of the V groove. The outer belt holds the inner belt in place and receives traction from the top surface of the inner belt and the flat surfaces of the outer groove. The outer belt, however, is subject to stretching and slippage is possible.
Other overlapping belt systems are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,965,764, and 3,981,205. In the '764 patent an inner belt rides in the V groove of an ordinary nonadjustable pulley and drives one auxiliary device. The outer belt rides on top of the inner belt and drives two auxiliary pulleys. All of the pulleys lie in the same plane. In the '205 patent the inner belt rides in the V groove of an adjustable pulley and the outer belt rides on top of the inner belt without touching the sides of the adjustable pulley. As the adjustable pulley expands to decrease its diameter, the inner belt remains in contact with the sides of the adjustable pulley and the outer belt continues to ride on top of the inner belt. The inner and outer belts drive various auxiliary devices. In both of these systems, either belt may slip and lose timing information.
Traction is enhanced by having an inner belt in contact with an outer belt. However, in each of the prior art arrangements described, the inner belt is basically smooth and the outer belt has either smooth surfaces or grooves that run the length of the belt. Although traction is enhanced by having an inner belt in contact with an outer belt, the smooth surfaces of the belt and pulley may slip. In situations where timing information is critical slippage cannot be tolerated.
To avoid slippage, so-called timing pulleys and timing belts having meshing teeth or protuberances are well known in the art. For example, timing belts or chains have been used on automobiles for years for synchronizing the movement of engine components. The teeth prevent slippage and the loss of timing information. However, timing belts are not typically designed for withstanding a large amount of torque. Thus, driving multiple auxiliary devices with a single belt may cause the belt's teeth to rip apart. Laterally offset timing pulleys may be used to drive multiple devices. But, where space is a limitation and laterally offset pulleys cannot be used, a timing pulley capable of accommodating multiple belts in a common plane is needed.
It is accordingly a principle object of this invention to provide a pulley for accommodating multiple timing belts.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pulley for accommodating multiple timing belts in a common plane.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a timing pulley having a stepped belt engaging surface defining inner and outer diameters in a grooved rim for accommodating multiple timing belts.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a timing pulley having at least one inner belt engaging surface recessed with respect to an outer belt engaging surface so the inner timing belt runs inside and is overlapped by the outer timing belt.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing objects of the present invention are attained in a multiple belt timing pulley by providing a right circular cylinder having a grooved rim or periphery with a small diameter belt engaging surface or longitudinal segment and a large diameter belt engaging surface or longitudinal segment. Each of the belt engaging surfaces carry a set of regularly circumferentially-spaced teeth or protuberances of a predetermined circular pitch for meshing with mating belts. The inner timing belt meshes with the teeth on the inner or smaller diameter belt engaging surface and also pulley teeth on a set of auxiliary pulleys. The outer timing belt meshes with the teeth on the outer or larger diameter belt engaging surface and also with teeth on a second set of auxiliary pulleys. The timing belts have the multiple belt timing pulley in common for synchronizing movement of the two sets of auxiliary pulleys.
In one embodiment, the smaller diameter belt engaging surface or longitudinal segment is recessed relative to the larger diameter belt engaging surface or longitudinal segment to split the larger into parallel, spaced-apart side portions. The side portions carry the outer pulley teeth and the outer timing belt. The smaller diameter surface and inner pulley teeth are recessed to avoid interfering with the outer timing belt. The inner timing belt meshes with the smaller diameter toothed surface beneath the outer timing belt. Thus, the larger or outer timing belt rides over the top of the inner timing belt and meshes with the teeth on the larger diameter belt engaging surface.
In a second embodiment, the smaller diameter toothed groove is recessed on one side of the outer diameter toothed surface to form a step in the grooved rim or periphery. Each belt engaging surface carries teeth for meshing with their respective timing belts. The outer timing belt meshes with the teeth of the larger diameter surface and over the top of the inner timing belt. The inner timing belt engages the smaller diameter toothed surface beneath the outer timing belt.
In each embodiment, the inner timing belt is situated underneath the outer timing belt. The inner timing belt meshes with the multiple timing belt pulley and with one or more auxiliary pulleys on a common plane. The outer timing belt overlaps the inner timing belt and meshes with teeth on the multiple timing belt pulley and with one or more other auxiliary pulleys on the same common plane.
Thus, the multiple belt timing pulley of the invention can rotate with one set of auxiliary pulleys meshed with the inner timing belt and a second set of auxiliary pulleys meshed with the outer timing belt. This creates flexibility when choosing pulley locations in a system. Also, space limitation problems are reduced since all pulleys may be situated on a common plane.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art through the description of the preferred embodiment, claims, and drawings herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the multiple belt timing pulley of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the pulley of FIG. 1 taken along the line 2--2 and also including a pair of timing belts thereon;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 taken along the line 3--3 and also including a pair of timing belts thereon;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in use;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of FIG. 5 including timing belts on the smaller and larger diameter belt engaging surfaces thereof; and
FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As shown in FIG. 1, the multiple belt timing pulley 2 in accordance with a first embodiment is a wheel or right circular cylinder having a central bore 4 for accepting a shaft therein and a grooved periphery, indicated generally by the numeral 6. The pulley 2 has a first side plate 8 and a second side plate 10. The plates, 8 and 10, have rim flanges 12 bordering the grooved periphery 6.
The embodiment of the multiple belt timing pulley shown in FIGS. 1-4 has a stepped profile defining a smaller diameter belt engaging surface or longitudinal segment 14 recessed in a larger diameter belt engaging surface or longitudinal segment 16 on opposed sides thereof. The side portions 18 may be of equal or unequal width and are uniformly notched to create regularly circumferentially-spaced pulley teeth or protuberances 20 thereon. The smaller diameter belt engaging surface 14 also carries regularly circumferentially-spaced teeth or protuberances 22 that, typically, are recessed relative to the toothed surface 16.
An inner belt 24, FIG. 3, has inner belt teeth 26 for meshing with the teeth 22 carried on the smaller diameter surface 14. The inner belt 24 and inner belt teeth 26 engage the teeth 22 underneath the outer belt 28. The outer belt 28 has outer belt teeth 30 for meshing with the outer pulley teeth 20 carried on the larger diameter section 16 of the pulley 2. The outer belt 28 and its teeth 30 engage the pulley teeth 20. The outer belt teeth 30 may also ride on the top surface of the inner belt 24 to hold it in place. The rim flanges 12 preclude lateral shifting of the outer belt 28 with the grooved periphery 6.
Referring to FIG. 4, when in use, the multiple belt timing pulley 2 has the inner belt 24 wrapped around the smaller diameter 14 beneath the outer belt 28. The inner belt 24 is also wrapped around a first auxiliary pulley 32 which either drives or is driven by the multiple belt timing pulley 2. The outer belt 28 is wrapped around a second set of auxiliary pulleys, 34 and 36. Each of the auxiliary pulleys, 32, 34 and 36, have corresponding teeth for meshing with their respective timing belts 24 and 28. Also, any one of the auxiliary pulleys, 32, 34 or 36, may be a driving pulley. If this is the case, the multiple belt timing pulley 2 acts as an idler pulley for synchronizing the auxiliary pulleys 32, 34 and 36. Of course, the multiple belt timing pulley 2 may be the sole driving pulley. In this situation, the auxiliary pulleys 32, 34 and 36 are synchronously driven.
The rotational speed of each shaft connected to the auxiliary pulleys 32, 34 and 36 and the multiple belt timing pulley 2 is determined by the relative diameters of connected pulleys. The pulleys can be built to achieve the desired shaft speeds.
In a second embodiment, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a recessed smaller or inner diameter belt engaging surface or longitudinal segment 40 is formed adjacent one side flange 45 rather than centrally as in the embodiment of FIG. 1. The inner pulley teeth 44 are carried on the smaller diameter surface 40 and the outer pulley teeth 46 are carried on the larger diameter surface or longitudinal segment 42. As is perhaps apparent, the pulley teeth 44 mesh with corresponding teeth on an inner belt 48 which rides below the outer belt 50. In this embodiment, the outer belt 50 rides on the larger diameter belt engaging surface 42, and the teeth 46 thereof engage the teeth on the outer belt 50. The belt 50 also rides on the outer surface of the inner belt 48. The side flanges 53 and 55 keep the outer belt 50 from running sideways in the grooved periphery 6. The second embodiment of the multiple belt timing pulley 52 can be used in the same way as the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4.
The multiple belt timing pulley may be constructed in a number of ways including one piece molding, machining a single piece of material or bolting various elements together. As shown in FIG. 7, a pulley constructed by bolting elements together may have a first toothed plate 54 having regularly circumferentially-spaced teeth 58 of a predetermined circular pitch and a central bore 62 surrounded by an annular hub 64. The annular hub 64 is centrally disposed and extends perpendicularly from the first toothed plate 54 and slidably fits inside a central bore 74 in a smaller diameter toothed plate 70. The smaller diameter plate 70 has pulley teeth 72 of a predetermined circular pitch formed on its periphery and four holes 76 which are large enough for threaded bolts 68 to pass through. A central bearing 78 fits within the central bore 62 and a second toothed plate 80 is added to hold the bearing 78 in place. Four threaded holes 66 are tapped into the first toothed plate 54, radially outward of the annular hub 64, for engaging the threaded bolts 68.
The side plate 80 has an annular rim flange 82 and regularly spaced teeth 84 of a predetermined circular pitch about its outer diameter 86. Four holes 88 are drilled in the side plate 80. These holes 88 and the tapped holes 66 are positioned to align the teeth, 58 and 84, for meshing with teeth on a corresponding outer timing belt.
The first toothed plate 54, the smaller diameter plate 70 and the side plate 80 are bolted together using the four bolts 68 to form the multiple belt timing pulley 2. The timing pulley 2 turns on an axle or shaft 90 inserted through a central bore 92 of the bearing 78. The second embodiment 52 may be constructed in a similar manner.
This invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply to novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different equipment and devices, and that various modifications, both as to the equipment details and operating procedures, can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.
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A timing pulley having a grooved periphery having a stepped profile defining two concentric annular belt engaging surfaces. Each of the surfaces receive a separate timing belt thereon. The belt engaging surfaces carry teeth for meshing with corresponding teeth on the timing belts. When the belts are deployed on the pulley, the outermost belt is in covering relation relative to the innermost belt. The multiple belt timing pulley is for accommodating multiple timing pulleys in a common plane.
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FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention relates to a producing method for the artificial peat moss from natural cellulose fiber, which belongs to technical field in application of eco-friendly process of natural cellulose fiber. Wherein the spun filament bundle of cellulose are orderly performed by coagulating with regenerating, water rinsing, twisting with plying, cutting and drying processes to yield an artificial peat moss of natural cellulose fiber with a pH value in a range of 6.0-7.22 to reflect its neutrality and EC value approaching 0 mS/cm to reflect its cleanness being almost free from ion so that it is a neutral and clean growing media, which is excellent for cultivating orchids.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called sphagnum, or peat moss, due to its prevalence in wet habitats, where it contributes to the formation of peat bogs and mires. A distinction is sometimes made between “sphagnum moss”, “sphagnum peat moss” and “sphagnum peat”, wherein the “sphagnum moss” refers to the live moss growing on top of a peat bog while the “sphagnum peat moss” (American usage) and “sphagnum peat” (British usage) refer to moss slowly decaying underneath of the “sphagnum moss”. Decayed, dried sphagnum moss has the name of peat or peat moss, which is used as a primary growing media of soil conditioner for cultivating orchids in Taiwan to increase the soil's capacity to hold water and nutrients by increasing capillary forces and cation exchange capacity. Currently, most sphagnum moss used in Taiwan is imported from Republic of Chile, New Zealand and Mainland China in annual amount about 1,100 tons. Owing to mass picking and collecting as well as flood ravage and natural ecocline associated with environmental changes, the annual production capacity is gradually decreased in recent years with result in soaring cost. Moreover, the natural sphagnum moss is seriously infected by Fusarium oxysporum or becomes a carrier of blight because it is usually picked and collected together with planted soil so that the quality thereof becomes unstable non-uniformity, which also affects the quality of the orchids cultivated by such bad natural sphagnum moss.
Therefore, an artificial peat moss fabricated by manufacturing technology of synthetic fiber or semi-synthetic fiber is emerged for coping with this marketing issue with features of high production efficiency, uniform quality and free from infection or carrier of blight so, that it becomes a trend to replace the natural sphagnum moss. However, all the sphagnum mosses of synthetic fiber or semi-synthetic fiber belong to polymers of polyester or polyamide by conventional process of viscose rayon, cuprammonium rayon, acetate or the like, which discharges a considerable amount polluted materials other than involving very complicated procedure with time-wasting slow production speed and soaring manufacturing cost. Moreover, the overall accumulated amount of all the polymers of polyester or polyamide, which are non-biodegradeable material, is direct proportional to the consumed amount of such kind of sphagnum mosses so that another economic issue is incurred by the increasing amount of accumulated wastes of used polyester or polyamide.
Having realized and addressed foregoing drawbacks for the conventional artificial peat moss of synthetic fiber or semi-synthetic fiber, the inventor of the present invention takes advantages of the successful technology in title of “processing method of the natural cellulose fiber with feature of enhanced antifungal, antiseptic and deodorant capability”, which have been granted Taiwan patent in patent number of 1330208, and USA patent in patent number of U.S. Pat. No. 8,092,732 respectively, in addition to innovative idea for working out the present invention. The producing method for the artificial peat moss from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention proves itself that it meet requirement of growing media for cultivating orchids with features of production speed much higher than that of the conventional artificial peat moss of synthetic fiber or semi-synthetic fiber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a producing method for the artificial peat moss from natural cellulose fiber comprising following steps in successive order manner: firstly, blend natural pulp with N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) as dissolving solvent and 1,3-phenylene-bis 2-oxazoline (BOX) as stabilizer in proper mixing ratio to yield a preliminary quasi-dope; secondly, stir and dehydrate the preliminary quasi-dope to form dope; thirdly, spin the dope by dry jet wet spinning method to yield filament bundle of cellulose; fourthly, orderly perform coagulating with regenerating, water rinsing, twisting with plying and cutting processes on the filament bundle of cellulose to yield a preliminary artificial peat moss of natural cellulose fiber, and finally, per drying process of post-treatment on the preliminary artificial peat moss of natural cellulose fiber to obtain final artificial peat moss of natural cellulose fiber of the present invention. Wherein, a lateral feeding mode for a hollow spindle is adopted in the twisting process by fully plying a cover filament beforehand over the filament bundles of natural cellulose to be spun to prevent it from de-twisting in subsequent processing sub-steps so that not only the speed of mass production is quicker than conventional process of synthetic fiber or semi-synthetic fiber but also overall manufacturing cost can be substantially reduced with result in marketability and competitiveness for the present invention.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a producing method for the artificial peat moss from natural cellulose fiber, wherein added decay-resistant stabilizer has functions to decrease decay and simplify process as well as decrease the loss rate of the solvent so that the solvent can be fully reused recurrently with recovery factor reaching up to over 99.5% without environmental pollution incurred.
The other object of the present invention is to provide a producing method for the artificial peat moss from natural cellulose fiber, wherein the final product of artificial peat moss is biodegradeable fiber so that it meet requirement criterion of long-term environmental protection because its wastes will not become a pollution source.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is the flow chart of the processing procedure for the present invention.
FIG. 2 is the chemical structure of the N-methylmorpholine N-oxide, called NMMO for short, used in the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an operational schematic view showing a twisting process for a filament bundle of the present invention.
FIG. 4 are a pair of comparison views wherein right view shows an appearance for a natural sphagnum moss while left view shows an appearance for an artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a comparison view for drying properties of characteristic curves, wherein pink (upper) characteristic curve shows a drying property for a natural sphagnum moss while blue (lower) characteristic curve shows a drying property for an artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention.
FIG. 6 are a first pair of comparison views for cultivation of phalaenopsis under same conditions wherein upper view shows a growing illustration of phalaenopsis by a natural sphagnum moss while lower view shows a growing illustration of phalaenopsis by an artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention.
FIG. 7 are a second pair of comparison views for cultivation of phalaenopsis under same conditions wherein left view shows a growing illustration of phalaenopsis by a natural sphagnum moss while right view shows a growing illustration of phalaenopsis by an artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention.
FIG. 8 are a third pair of comparison views for cultivation of phalaenopsis under same conditions wherein left view shows a growing illustration of phalaenopsis by a natural sphagnum moss while right view shows a growing illustration of phalaenopsis by an artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
For further describing the processing procedure and efficiency of the present invention, the detailed description of experimental embodiments with associated drawings are disclosed as below. Please refer to the FIGS. 1 through 4 . The processing procedure of the “producing method for artificial peat moss from natural cellulose fiber” comprises following steps in successive order manner:
a. Material Preparation and Solution Formation
Select wood pulp as raw material, preferably pulp cellulose of short staple or long filament with α-cellulose content being over 65% and a range for degree of polymerization (DP) between 500-1200, then put N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) (whose chemical structure is shown in FIG. 2 ) in a concentration range between 45-75% as dissolving solvent and 1,3-phenylene-bis 2-oxazoline (BOX) as stabilizer into prepared pulp to yield a preliminary quasi-dope of mixed cellulose mucilage.
b. Agitation and Dissolution:
Stir the preliminary quasi-dope from previous step (a) under low temperature range between 50 degree of Celsius and 70 degree of Celsius (50° C.-70° C.) by high speed agitator and via excellent fluffing, moistening and lubricating features as well as high solubility and good dissolving speed of N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) to achieve quickly blending and dissolving the preliminary quasi-dope.
c. Evaporation and Dope Formation:
Dehydrate the preliminary quasi-dope from previous step (b) by vacuum film evaporator for heating up to a temperature range between 80 degree of Celsius and 120 degree of Celsius (80° C.-120° C.) for 5 minutes to decrease water content thereof down to 5-13% so that a homogenized mucilaginous dope can be formed.
d. Spin and Filaments Formation:
Forcibly feed the dope from previous step (c) into spinning machine by metering pump, and spin the dope by dry jet wet spinning method for extruding the dope from the spinneret to yield filament bundle of cellulose.
e. Coagulation and Regeneration:
By means of ejecting mist aerosol of water, the filament bundle of cellulose from previous step (d) is coagulated in the coagulation bath with regeneration, and rinsed by clean water to become spinning tow that is an untwisted bundle of continuous filaments in denier number of 2,500 deniers.
f. Twisting to form Spun Yarn:
As shown in FIG. 3 , perform twisting process for the untwisted bundle of continuous filaments form previous step (e) to include following sub-steps:
Firstly, a plurality of spinning tows or filament bundles of natural cellulose 1 , which is fully plied by a cover filament 2 beforehand to prevent it from de-twisting in subsequent sub-steps, is laterally fed into a hollow spindle 10 for twisting process to form a spun yarn in overall denier number of 25,000-30,000 deniers; secondly, calender the twisted and plied filament bundles of natural cellulose 1 from previous sub-step by passing it through calender rollers 40 ; and finally, cut the calendered filament bundles of natural cellulose 1 from previous sub-step by a cutter 50 to produce artificial peat moss of natural cellulose 3 , wherein the hollow spindle 10 is driven by a high-speed motor 20 via coupling of a cog belt or toothed belt 30 into a rotational speed range between 1,800-10,800 rpm to regulate the amount of twist thereof in the range between 200-1,200 twists per meter or turns per meter (TPM) so that the fluffing degree for the artificial peat moss of natural cellulose 3 is adapted to various values to meet different application requirements.
g. Cutting to Yield Growing Media:
Please refer to FIG. 3 Adjust the feeding frequencies for the calender rollers 40 and tungsten steel cutter 50 so that the length of the artificial peat moss of natural cellulose 3 is cut in range of 3-30 cm to make various growing media for different orchids.
h. Post-Treatment of Yield Artificial Peat Moss:
Dry the artificial peat moss of natural cellulose 3 cut from previous step (g) by a drum dryer for heating up to temperature range between 120 degree of Celsius and 150 degree of Celsius (120° C.-150° C.) for 30-60 minutes to obtain final product of artificial peat moss of natural cellulose 3 as left view shown in FIG. 4 to comparatively contrast with the natural sphagnum moss as right view shown in FIG. 4 .
For understanding the properties of the artificial peat moss of natural cellulose 3 produced from foregoing process of the present invention, various experimental tests with comparative analyses are simultaneously performed on both of the artificial peat moss of natural cellulose 3 and natural sphagnum moss as below.
A. The measuring method for the physical properties in air-permeability and water-absorptivity etc. of the natural sphagnum moss versus another artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention.
The general procedure in measuring method for normal physical properties of the natural sphagnum moss versus another artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention is described as below.
1. Take two identical soft pots in diameter of 3.5 inches such that each soft pot has containing volume Vp to denote overall volume thereof as measuring container with each drainage bore in the bottom thereof being temporarily sealed in water-tight manner by suitably adhesive tape respectively, wherein one soft pot is used to hold a testing sample of the natural sphagnum moss while the other soft pot is used to hold another testing sample of the artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention.
2. Fill each testing sample of the natural sphagnum moss and the artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention into respective measuring soft pot in flush full manner so that each testing sample volume Vm is the same as containing volume Vp of the measuring soft pot, namely Vm=Vp.
3. Slowly add water into each testing sample in respective measuring soft pot up to saturation manner but without spillage due to overfilling or sample floating out of each measuring soft pot.
4. Keep each measuring soft pot still for 15 minutes to allow each testing sample for completely absorb added water in lower down manner of the water level, then slowly add water again into each testing sample in respective measuring soft pot up to saturation manner.
5. Measure and record overall quantity of adding water to each testing sample in respective measuring soft pot for denoting as Wadd respectively.
6. Tear off the adhesive tape sealed each drainage bore in the bottom of respective measuring soft pot to allow water therein naturally draining out for about an hour, then collect each drained water from each measuring soft pot of respective testing sample for denoting as Wdrop, which is the water quantity having not absorbed by each testing sample.
7. Take each testing sample out of respective measuring soft pot to weight it for denoting as W 1 , which is wet weight with absorbed water therein of each testing sample.
8. Bake each wetted testing sample respectively from previous step 7 into an oven under temperature range between 70 degree of Celsius and 80 degree of Celsius (70° C.-80° C.) for over 36 hours to weight it for denoting as W 2 , which is dry weight without absorbed water therein of each testing sample.
B. The definition and calculating formula for the physical properties in air-permeability and water-absorptivity etc. of the natural sphagnum moss versus another artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention. By means of foregoing general procedure in measuring method for normal physical properties with notations for nomenclature of related terms, some key physical properties are defined as below.
1. Total porosity, which is abbreviated as (TP), denotes a maximal capacity of water absorbability in a certain volume of testing sample such that the specified value defines properties of maximal air-permeability and water-absorptivity.
Total porosity (TP)
TP
=
Overall
water
added
(
Wadd
)
Sample
volume
(
Vm
)
×
100
%
2. Container capacity, which is abbreviated as (CC), denotes a measured capacity of water absorbed in a certain volume of testing sample such that the measuring value defines property of measured water-absorbing capability.
Container capacity (CC),
CC
=
Wet
weight
(
W
1
)
-
Dry
weight
(
W
2
)
Sample
volume
(
Vm
)
×
100
%
3. Moisture content, which is abbreviated as (MC), denotes a measured capacity of water absorbed in a certain weight of wetted testing sample such that the measuring value defines property of measured water-retaining capability.
Moisture content (MC)
MC
=
Wet
weight
(
W
1
)
-
dry
weight
(
W
2
)
Wet
weight
(
W
1
)
×
100
%
4. Air space, which is abbreviated as (AS), denotes a measured porosity of fluff in a certain volume of testing sample such that the measuring value defines property of measured air-permeability.
Air space (AS)
AS
=
Water
weight
not
absorbed
(
Wdrop
)
Sample
volume
(
Vm
)
×
100
%
5. Water adsorptivity, which is abbreviated as (WA), denotes a measured capacity of water absorbed in a certain weight of dried testing sample such that the measuring value defines property of measured water adsorptivity.
Water adsorptivity (WA)
MC
=
wet
weight
(
W
1
)
-
dry
weight
(
W
2
)
dry
weight
(
W
2
)
×
100
%
C. The measuring method and comparative analysis for the physical property in water-retentiveness of the natural sphagnum moss versus another artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention.
The measuring method is processed as following: firstly, gradually add water into each testing sample previously deposed in a measuring container of known weight; secondly, bake each testing sample from previous step in an oven after weighting each of them respectively for drying process; thirdly, under certain conditions of constant temperature and relative humidity, successively weight each testing sample from previous step at different time to measure weight fluctuations in succeeding time intervals; fourthly, respectively bake each testing sample after stable equilibrium from previous step into an oven under temperature at 75 degree of Celsius (75° C.) for over 36 hours to measure its moisture content (MC), and finally, perform previous step in reiterative manner under different baking times, namely drying times.
With foregoing procedure, a comparison view for drying properties of characteristic curves and a comparison table of water-absorptivity and air-permeability for NSM and APM are set up as shown in FIG. 5 and Table-1 respectively, wherein the FIG. 5 is attached in annexed drawing sheet while Table-1 is directly tabulated as below.
TABLE 1
Comparison of water-absorptivity and air-permeability for NSM and APM
Property
Water-absorptivity
Air-permeability
Sample
TP
WA
CC
MC
AS
N = NSM
89.2
15.1
38.0
94.5
54.4
A = APM
94.7
16.6
37.1
93.2
68.8
Denotation
NSM = natural sphagnum moss
APM = artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber
TP = Total porosity
CC = Container capacity
MC = Moisture content
WA = Water adsorptivity
AS = Air space
For interpreting the comparison view for drying properties of characteristic curves, please refer to FIG. 5 , which is a comparison view for drying properties of characteristic curves figured by setting moisture content (MC) as vertical coordinate while setting drying time as horizontal coordinate, namely abscissa, wherein pink (upper) characteristic curve shows a drying property for a natural sphagnum moss while blue (lower) characteristic curve shows a drying property for an artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention. Respective drying speed for each testing sample can be calculated from the illustrated comparison view for drying properties of characteristic curves with inference that the lower value of the drying speed, the better of the water retentiveness is.
Please refer to both of characteristic curves shown in FIG. 5 . Regarding the moisture content (MC) for an artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention as shown in the blue (lower) characteristic curve, it is in the range between 2,000-2,500% in the initial saturation of the first day while it remains in the range between 200-250% after having been dried for seven days. Regarding the moisture content (MC) for a natural sphagnum moss as shown in the pink (upper) characteristic curve, it is in the range between 2,000-3,000% in the initial saturation of first day while it remains in the range between 200-300% after having been dried for seven days. With comparative results indicated above, both of water retentiveness for a natural sphagnum moss and an artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention are almost the same each other. For using a natural sphagnum moss or an artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention as growing media in cultivation of the phalaenopsis, it water retentiveness is closely related to the nutrient retentiveness.
For interpreting the comparison of water-absorptivity and air-permeability for NSM and APM, please refer to Table-1-interpretation as below.
TABLE 1
interpretation with denotations shown in previous Table-1
For easiness of interpretation, N denotes NSM while A denotes APM.
Property
Water-absorptivity
Air-permeability
Sample
TP
WA
CC
MC
AS
N = NSM
89.2
15.1
38.0
94.5
54.4
A = APM
94.7
16.6
37.1
93.2
68.8
Comparison
A > N
A > N
A ≈ N
A ≈ N
A > N
Interpreting
A is better than N
A nearly equals N
A is better than N
With foregoing Table-1-interpretation, it is self-explanatory that both of overall water-absorptivity and air-permeability for an artificial peat moss (APM) produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention are better than those for a natural sphagnum moss (NSM).
D. The measuring method and comparative analysis for the physical properties in pH value and EC value of the natural sphagnum moss versus another artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention.
The measuring method is processed as following: firstly, randomly take each testing sample in weight 3 grams for a natural sphagnum moss and tan artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention such that each testing sample is taken three times; secondly, add de-ions water in volume of 100 milliliters (mls) to soak each testing sample form previous step for 24 hours, and finally, measure the pH value by a DELTA 320 pH-meter and the EC value by a Suntex Sc-12 meter for each testing sample.
With foregoing procedure, a comparison table of key-properties for NSM and APM is set up as shown in Table-2 below.
TABLE 2
Comparison of key-properties for NSM and APM
Testing
EC
DWP
WAW
TWP
COP
sample
pH
(mS/cm)
(g)
(g)
(g)
(N.T.D)
NSM
3.2-4.8
0.14
12.4
16.20
200.9
2.23
APM
6.0-7.2
0.03
18.4
12.64
232.6
2.02
Denotation
NSM = natural sphagnum moss
APM = artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber
pH = An index of acidity/alkalinity of a solution
EC = Electrical Conductivity is measured in mS/cm (mini-Siemens per centimeter)
DWP = Dry weight of flowerpot
WAW = Weight of absorbed water per gram of moss
TWP = Total weight of flowerpot
COP = Cost of flowerpot
For interpreting the comparison of key-properties for NSM and APM, please refer to Table-2-interpretation as below.
TABLE 2
interpretation with denotations shown in previous Table-2
For easiness of interpretation, N denotes NSM while A denotes APM.
Testing
sample
pH
EC (mS/cm)
NSM
3.2-4.8 (acidity)
0.14 (containing ions)
A = APM
6.0-7.2 (neutrality)
0.03 (approaching zero)
Comparison
A > N
A < N (0.14/0.03 ≈ 3)
Interpreting
A is better than N
A is better than N
With foregoing Table-2-interpretation, the pH value for a natural sphagnum moss (NSM) is in a range of 3.2-4.8 so that it is a growing media of acidity, which has harmful effect to the plant. Whereas, the pH value for an artificial peat moss (APM) produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention is in a range of 6.0-7.2 so that it is a growing media of neutrality, which has no harmful effect to the plant. The EC value for a natural sphagnum moss (NSM) is 0.14 so that it is a growing media of containing ions, which has harmful effect to the plant. Whereas, the EC value for an artificial peat moss (APM) produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention is 0.03 so that it is a growing media almost without any ion contained therein, which has no harmful effect to the plant. Thus, it is self-explanatory that both of overall pH value and EC value for an artificial peat moss (APM) produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention are better than those for a natural sphagnum moss (NSM).
E. The cultivation test and comparative analysis for the growing status of seedling or young plant of phalaenopsis by applying growing media made of the natural sphagnum moss versus another artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention.
The cultivation test is processed as under same conditions of normal fluffing degree for each testing growing media, usual fertilization and irrigation modes to cultivate the phalaenopsis for six months.
With foregoing procedure, a growing comparison table of phalaenopsis cultivation by NSM and APM is set up as shown in Table-3 below.
TABLE 3
Growing comparison of phalaenopsis - cultivation
by NSM and APM under same conditions for six months
Factor
Leaf-related
Pedicel-related
Flower-related
Testing
TAL
LOL
LOP
DOP
DOB
DOF
Sample
(cm 2 )
ANL
(cm)
NOP
(cm)
(cm)
(%)
ANB
(cm)
NSM
459
7.1
36.5
1.1
64.2
0.49
100
17.9
8.0
APM
455
7
35.8
1.3
63.5
0.47
100
17.3
7.9
Denotation
NSM = natural sphagnum moss
APM = artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber
TAL = Total area of leaves
ANL = Average number of leaf
LOL = Length of leaf
NOP = Number of pedicel
LOP = Length of pedicel
DOP = Diameter of pedicel
DOB = Degree of blossom
ANB = Average number of blossom
DOF = Diameter of flower
For interpreting the growing comparison of phalaenopsis-cultivation by NSM and APM under same conditions for six months, please refer to all factor-values shown in the Table-3-interpretation as below.
TABLE 3
interpretation with denotations shown in previous Table-3
Factor
Leaf-related
Pedicel-related
Flower-related
Testing
TAL
LOL
LOP
DOP
DOB
DOF
Sample
(cm 2 )
ANL
(cm)
NOP
(cm)
(cm)
(%)
ANB
(cm)
NSM
459
7.1
36.5
1.1
64.2
0.49
100
17.9
8.0
APM
455
7
35.8
1.3
63.5
0.47
100
17.3
7.9
Com-
APM ≈ NSM
APM ≈ NSM
APM ≈ NSM
par-
APM ≈ NSM for all factor-values shown above
ison
Interpreting APM aparly equals NSM without obvious difference
With foregoing Table-3-interpretation, all factor-values in the leaf-related group, pedicel-related group and flower-related group are almost equivalent for both of an artificial peat moss (APM) produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention and a natural sphagnum moss (NSM). Thus, it is self-explanatory that both of the artificial peat moss (APM) produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention and the natural sphagnum moss (NSM) almost have same growing effects for cultivation in seedling or young plant of phalaenopsis under same conditions for six months.
In conclusion of all disclosure heretofore, the artificial peat moss produced from natural cellulose fiber of the present invention has following advantages. Reflecting from the pH value, it is a neutral growing media without issue of acidification. Reflecting from the EC value, it is a clean growing media almost without any ion contained therein. Reflecting from the producing process, its original source is controllably pure without any issue such as non-uniformity quality, contamination, infection or carrier of blight incurred from different sources. Besides, a lateral feeding mode for a hollow spindle ( 10 ) is adopted in the twisting process so that not only the speed of mass production is quicker than conventional process of synthetic fiber or semi-synthetic fiber but also overall manufacturing cost can be substantially reduced with result in marketability and competitiveness for the present invention. Thereby, the present invention does have features of novelty, nonobviousness over prior arts and practical industrial applicability, which meets basic criterion of patentability. Accordingly, we submit the patent application of the present invention in accordance with related patent laws for your perusal.
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The present invention provides a producing method for the artificial peat moss from natural cellulose fiber. The producing method comprises following steps in successive order manner. Firstly, blend natural pulp with N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMMO) as dissolving solvent and 1,3-phenylene-bis 2-oxazoline (BOX) as stabilizer in proper mixing ratio to yield a preliminary quasi-dope. Secondly, stir and dehydrate the preliminary quasi-dope to form dope. Thirdly, spin the dope by dry jet wet spinning method to yield filament bundle of cellulose. Fourthly, orderly perform coagulating with regenerating, water rinsing, twisting with plying and cutting processes on the filament bundle of cellulose to yield a preliminary artificial peat moss of natural cellulose fiber. Finally, per drying process of post-treatment on the preliminary artificial peat moss of natural cellulose fiber to obtain final artificial peat moss of natural cellulose fiber of the present invention.
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REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/686,713 filed on Jun. 2, 2005. U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/686,713 is incorporated by reference as if set forth fully herein.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
[0002] The U.S. Government may have a paid-up license in this invention and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by the terms of Grant No. DAAH01-99-C-R220 and W31P4Q-05-P-R012 awarded by DARPA.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The field of the invention relates to thin-film microstructures formed by surface micromachining processes in the field of Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Although MEMS-based products are increasingly being used in commercial and research applications, the packaging of the MEMS microdevices is usually developed on a case-by-case basis in-house and remains as a significant obstacle to large scale commercial production. Due to the sensitive and fragile nature of the free standing microstructures formed in many MEMS devices, the packaging process often amounts to a significant portion (e.g., as much as 80-90%) of the cost of a MEMS-based product. The so called “on-wafer packaging” (also known as zero-level or device-level packaging) of MEMS devices on a single wafer, i.e., packaging the delicate devices in a protective housing on the wafer before the wafer is ready for dicing, has long been recognized as a promising approach, because it allows the use of packaging procedures similar to those used for regular electronics manufacturing in producing a large numbers of MEMS-based devices.
[0005] In general, the on-wafer packaging (or encapsulation) approaches fall into two categories: (1) wafer bonding packaging and (2) integrated thin-film packaging. In the wafer bonding approach, a separate substrate is bonded to the MEMS wafer to cap the MEMS components using a wide variety of bonding techniques. While wafer bonding has a proven track record and is being widely used in industry, integrated thin-film packaging has long been considered to be a potentially more cost effective approach for mass production.
[0006] In the so-called integrated thin-film packaging approach, the packaging process is carried out on the same wafer where the MEMS devices are fabricated by adding extra steps to the surface micromachining process used to construct the device. For example, an additional sacrificial layer is deposited on top of an unreleased microdevice and then covered by a thin-film structural layer that will eventually form a cavity and encapsulate the microdevice inside. The device is released after the sacrificial layer is removed through the etch holes opened in the structural layer (e.g., encapsulating shell). One known approach is to use wet or gas etchants that pass through a limited number of micrometer-sized etch holes that are lithographically opened in the encapsulation shell. The MEMS package is then sealed by conformal deposition of a thin-film on top of the encapsulation layer in an appropriate pressure condition.
[0007] Compared with wafer-bonding packaging techniques, integrated thin-film packaging has several advantages including: (1) the use of surface-micromachining batch fabrication processes, thereby avoiding the need for aligning two wafers and the challenges of bonding on “processed” (i.e., not smooth) surfaces; (2) the elimination of the seal ring, allowing much smaller volume cavities, therefore increasing the number of available dice per wafer; and (3) a lower topography. Thin-film encapsulation processes even allow the post-encapsulation processes for additional MEMS or IC steps, if desired.
[0008] Despite the anticipated advantages of integrated thin-film packaging, existing encapsulation methods suffer from a few drawbacks for on-wafer packaging. First, because of the lithography and etching techniques employed, the etch holes patterned in the encapsulation shell have a typical size of a few micrometers. Opening vertical etch holes in the encapsulation layer right above the device area is not desirable, because a significant amount of sealing material can diffuse through the etch holes and deposit on the MEMS device surfaces inside the cavity, thereby changing the device characteristics.
[0009] While this issue can be alleviated by utilizing laterally directed etch channels, such channels require relatively long times to remove the sacrificial materials out of the cavity, lowering the process throughput and even potentially degrading the mechanical properties of the structure material. Improperly designed lateral etch channels can also lead to excessive gas evacuation time during the sealing process. Consequently, despite more recent advances, the parasitic deposition of sealing material inside the cavity has not been fully prevented.
[0010] Polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) thin-films have been found permeable if made very thin (nanometers) and potentially useful for integrated thin-film encapsulation. However, this thin-film is too thin and weak to serve as an encapsulating structural layer for typical MEMS devices. Thus, this method uses an additional layer of regular thin-film with etch windows, somewhat defeating the purpose of using permeable encapsulation layer.
[0011] There thus is a need for a thin-film encapsulation layer that is permeable yet structurally strong enough to freely stand as an encapsulation shell. The need for structural strength means that the use of very thin layers should be avoided. The need for permeability suggests that the pores should be very small so they are sealed quickly before the sealing material passes through them. Yet, the sacrificial material needs to be removed through the tiny pores. The two seemingly conflicting requirements can be met, if the pores are very small but highly populated. Considering all the requirements, it is desired to have a relatively thick (i.e., on the order of micrometers) encapsulation layer with highly populated nanometer-scale pores formed through the layer preferably in a normal orientation.
[0012] Moreover, because many MEMS-based devices use metals, which cannot withstand high processing temperatures, there is a need for thin-film encapsulation methods that avoid high-temperature processing steps. Metallic structures (e.g., gold, aluminum) are currently most commonly used in radio-frequency (RF) MEMS devices. These devices, however, cannot be packaged by integrated thin-film packaging if the processing includes high temperature steps.
SUMMARY
[0013] In a first embodiment of the invention, a method of forming a free standing microstructure (e.g., a shell or encapsulation structure) includes providing a substrate and forming a sacrificial layer over the substrate. A thin-film structural layer is then formed over and around the sacrificial layer. Nanometer-scale pores are then introduced in the thin-film structural layer. For example, non-lithographic methods may be used to form an array of highly populated, directional pores having diameters in the nanometer range. Via the pores, at least a portion of the sacrificial layer is etched away or otherwise removed from underneath the thin-film structural layer. The thin-film structural layer may be sealed by application of a sealing layer on top thereof.
[0014] The free standing structural microstructure or encapsulation layer can be used to enclose one or more microdevices (e.g., MEMS devices). The microdevice may include, for example, an RF-based MEMS device. The process described herein may also be used to liberate or initiate free standing of one or more portions of the MEMS device contained beneath the thin-film structural microstructure or encapsulation layer.
[0015] In one aspect of the invention, the sacrificial layer is formed from a ceramic material such as phosphosilicate glass (PSG). In another aspect of the invention, the sacrificial layer may be formed from a polymer material such as, for instance, a photoresist material. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the sacrificial layer may be formed from a metallic material such as aluminum. The thin-film structural layer may be formed using, for example, a ceramic material (e.g., silicon), a metal (e.g., aluminum), or a polymer in combination with an appropriate sacrificial layer of material underlying the same.
[0016] In one aspect of the invention, the sacrificial layer is formed at a temperature at or below 300° C. In another aspect of the invention, the sacrificial layer is formed at a temperature that is at or around room temperature. Similarly, in one aspect of the invention, the structural layer may be deposited at or below 300° C. In yet another aspect, the structural layer may be formed at a temperature that is at or around room temperature. Again, similarly, in one aspect of the invention, the sealing layer may be deposited at or below 300° C. In yet another aspect, the sealing layer may be formed at a temperature that is at or around room temperature. In one aspect of the invention, the sacrificial layer, structural layer, and sealing layer are all formed at a temperature at or below 300° C. In yet another aspect, the sacrificial layer, structural layer, and sealing layer are all formed at a temperature that is at or around room temperature.
[0017] In one embodiment of the invention, a sacrificial layer is formed on the substrate, and a polymer structural layer is then deposited. The sacrificial layer can be either electrically conductive or non-conductive. Highly populated, highly directional nanopores can be introduced into the polymer layer via ion irradiation followed by etching. The sacrificial layer is then at least partially etched away or otherwise removed. Optionally, the structural layer may be sealed with a sealing layer. The sealing layer may be substantially impermeable to fluids.
[0018] In another embodiment of the invention, a sacrificial layer is formed on the substrate, and an aluminum structural layer is then deposited. The sacrificial layer can be either electrically conductive or non-conductive. Highly populated, highly directional nanopores can be introduced into the aluminum layer via anodization etching, which turns the aluminum into alumina at the same time. The sacrificial layer is then at least partially etched away or otherwise removed. If the sacrificial layer is electrically non-conductive, a seed layer is formed on the sacrificial layer before the structural layer and removed before the sacrificial etching. Optionally, the structural layer may be sealed with a sealing layer.
[0019] In still another embodiment of the invention, a sacrificial layer is formed on the substrate, and silicon structural layer, such as polysilicon, is then deposited. The sacrificial layer can be either electrically conductive or non-conductive. However, if a non-conductive material, such as a glass layer (e.g., phosphosilicate glass (PSG)) is used for the sacrificial layer, the silicon structural layer should be doped to be conductive. Highly populated, directional nanopores can be introduced into the structural layer via anodization etching. The sacrificial layer is then at least partially etched away or otherwise removed. Optionally, the structural layer may be sealed with a sealing layer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate a fabrication process for forming a porous alumina microstructure.
[0021] FIG. 2A schematically illustrates the progression of pore morphology changes in an aluminum thin-film subject to anodization etching.
[0022] FIG. 2B illustrates a panel of scanning electron microscope (SEM) cross-sectional images illustrating the progression of pore morphology changes in an aluminum thin-film subject to anodization etching.
[0023] FIG. 3 illustrates a SEM cross-sectional image of a porous alumina thin-film microstructure (or encapsulation structure).
[0024] FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate a vacuum encapsulation process for the fabrication of a metal Pirani gauge.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the resistance vs. current characteristics of a Pirani gauge sealed in a thin-film encapsulation structure. Calibration data at different pressures is also shown.
[0026] FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating the leak rate of two sealed cavities.
[0027] FIG. 7A is a top view of an encapsulated coplanar waveguide CPW device as viewed using an optical microscope. The gold (Au) signal line is visible through the transparent porous alumina shell.
[0028] FIG. 7B is cross-sectional schematic representation of the encapsulated CPW device taken along the line A-A′ in FIG. 7A .
[0029] FIG. 7C is cross-sectional schematic representation of the encapsulated CPW device taken along the line B-B′ in FIG. 7A .
[0030] FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating the insertion loss difference between packaged and unpackaged CPW devices.
[0031] FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate a fabrication process for forming a free standing porous polysilicon shell.
[0032] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of process of subjecting a polysilicon thin-film encapsulating structure to electrochemical etching.
[0033] FIG. 11 illustrates a graph showing electrode potential as a function of time during electrochemical etching when a constant current is applied.
[0034] FIGS. 12A-12H illustrate a fabrication process for the formation of a Pirani gauge beneath a free standing porous polysilicon shell.
[0035] FIGS. 13A-13F illustrate a panel of SEM images of a polysilicon Pirani gauge encapsulated by a porous polysilicon shell that was sealed in vacuum.
[0036] FIG. 14 illustrates a graph of the resistance vs. current characteristics of a Pirani gauge in known pressures after the cavity is broken.
[0037] FIG. 15 illustrates a graph of the thermal impedance of a Pirani gauge at different pressures. The arrow indicates the thermal impedance of the sealed Pirani gauge.
[0038] FIG. 16 illustrates the leak rate of two sealed cavities, inside each of which is a Pirani gauge of different designs.
[0039] FIGS. 17A-17B illustrate a process for encapsulating a micro-bridge device in a porous polysilicon shell using a Multi-User MEMS Process (MUMPS) foundry service.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0040] FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate a fabrication process for forming a free standing porous alumina microstructure 10 . From a thin-film, the microstructure 10 may be formed as a beam, bridge, plate, membrane, or the like. With reference to FIGS. 1A-1D , the fabrication process includes providing a substrate 12 . A sacrificial layer 14 is then formed on the substrate 12 . The sacrificial layer 14 may be formed from a non-conductive material such as, for example a polymer material such as a photoresist. Alternatively, the sacrificial layer 14 may be formed from a ceramic material such as phosphosilicate glass (PSG), borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), and boron silicate glass (BSG). In still other embodiments (e.g., where aluminum is used for the free standing microstructure), the sacrificial layer 14 may be formed from an electrically conductive material.
[0041] A thin-film structural layer 16 is formed over the sacrificial layer 14 . Pores are then introduced into the thin-film structural layer 16 through the use of, for example, an anodized etching process. The pores preferably are nanometer-sized pores. In certain embodiments, the structural layer 16 may be formed from a polymer, in which case the pores are introduced by a different method, for example, an ion-irradiation followed by etching. Following pore formation, at least a portion of the sacrificial layer is then etched or otherwise removed from underneath the thin-film structural layer 16 .
[0042] With respect to anodized porous alumina, the typical pore structure is a hexagonal array of cylindrical-shaped pores with a bottom Al 2 O 3 barrier layer. The pore diameter generally ranges from around 10 nm to around 300 nm. To form free standing microstructures, the bottom Al 2 O 3 barrier layer needs to be removed to allow the diffusion of etchant(s) through the pores to etch away the sacrificial material.
[0043] With reference to FIG. 1A , a thin-film stack was formed on a silicon substrate 12 . Going from the bottom to the top in FIG. 1A , the stack consisted of a 0.3 μm thick PECVD oxide layer 18 deposited for insulation purposes, a 1.5 μm thick amorphous silicon (a-Si) sacrificial layer 14 , 1000/100 Å thick evaporated titanium/gold (Ti/Au) layers 22 , 24 , and a 1 μm thick evaporated aluminum (Al) layer 26 . FIG. 1B illustrates the aluminum layer 26 undergoing anodized etching. The anodization etching was performed at 40 V constant bias in a 0.3 M oxalic acid solution at room temperature. During the anodization etching process, the current stabilized for a long period, indicating a process of stable pore growth, and then suddenly started to increase steadily accompanied with gas bubble generation. The generation of gas bubbles signified that the etching front had reached the gold (Au) layer 24 and, due to the existence of H 2 O in the electrolyte, electrolysis generated O 2 gas. At the same time, the color of the aluminum surface changed from opaque (i.e., the color of aluminum), to translucent and finally to transparent.
[0044] The etching process was stopped when the thin film became transparent. The structure of the bottom barrier layer during and after the anodization etching process was completed is shown in the SEM pictures in FIG. 2B (upper, middle, and lower SEM images) and associated schematic representations illustrated in FIG. 2A . As seen in the middle image of FIGS. 2A and 2B , a very thin arched barrier layer (around 10 nm in thickness) with a small void underneath was observed at the bottom of each pore. The arched barrier layer was then removed by a 5 wt % H 3 PO 4 wet etching solution for 25 minutes, which also thinned down the pore wall to a diameter of 50 nm. The widening of the pore (or thinning of the pore wall) is best seen in the bottom SEM image shown in FIG. 2B (and illustrated schematically in FIG. 2A ).
[0045] The 100 Å Au layer 24 was needed to form the numerous thin arches. Without the existence of the Au layer 24 , the Ti adhesion layer 22 would have been turned into an oxide layer by the electrolyte with a bottom barrier layer, similar to the typical pore morphology of porous alumina. Next, as best seen in FIG. 1C , the Au layer 24 and Ti layer 22 beneath the porous alumina layer 16 were removed with an Au etchant and a Ti etchant (NH 4 OH:H 2 O 2 :H 2 O=1:1:8 on a volume basis) in the area defined by a photoresist mask 28 . As seen in FIG. 1D , after the photoresist mask 28 was stripped away, the a-Si sacrificial layer 14 was etched away through the now-formed pores using XeF 2 gas etchant (not shown). The cross-section schematic of free-standing porous alumina structure is displayed in FIG. 1D .
[0046] A SEM cross-sectional image of the porous alumina layer 16 is displayed in FIG. 3 , where a 1.5 μm thick air gap is visible below the porous alumina layer 16 . A magnified view of the cross section of the layer 16 is presented in the insert. The transparent porous alumina layer 16 exhibited a very good quality in terms of mechanical and structural purposes. Porous alumina layers 16 as large as 2 mm a side were successfully obtained without any cracks or wrinkles.
[0047] The hermeticity of the encapsulation with the porous alumina thin-film layer 16 was studied by monitoring the pressure change inside the formed package through an encapsulated metal Pirani gauge 30 . See FIGS. 4A-4D . The Pirani gauge 30 is a free standing device representing the typical surface-micromachined metal structure(s) that may be positioned inside the encapsulation structures contemplated herein. Moreover, the Pirani gauge 30 can read vacuum level in situ.
[0048] Referring now to FIGS. 4A-4D , a schematic illustration of a process for encapsulating a Pirani gauge 30 in an encapsulation package 40 is shown. After the fabrication of a metal Pirani gauge 30 , a 4 μm photoresist sacrificial layer 14 was deposited and patterned to define the gap between the Pirani gauge 30 and the alumina thin-film layer 16 . The photoresist 14 was hard baked at 120° C. in an oven for 20 minutes to reduce the outgassing during the subsequent processes, followed by an O 2 plasma etching for 2 minutes to roughen the surface for the purpose of improving the adhesion of subsequently deposited metal layers. The thin-film alumina cap 16 above the photoresist sacrificial layer 14 consisted of sputtered 3200 Å Ti adhesion layer 22 , evaporated 100 Å Au layer 24 , and 15000 Å aluminum layer 16 . The anodization etching of the aluminum layer 16 was performed on a 2 cm by 2 cm chip as shown in FIG. 4B . The current compliance was set below 100 mA to reduce the amount of gas bubbles generated at the end of anodization etching process. Next, by using a photoresist mask (not shown), the pores within the thin-film alumina layer 16 over the cavity area were widened by subjecting the sample to a wet etching process using 5 wt % H 3 PO 4 etching solution (25 minute exposure). The Ti layer 22 and Au layer 24 (e.g., seed layers) were also removed through the now formed pores. The photoresist mask (not shown), along with the photoresist sacrificial layer 14 below the porous alumina layer 16 , was removed by O 2 plasma etching as shown in FIG. 4C . Afterwards, the a-Si sacrificial layer 32 located underneath the Pirani gauge 30 was removed by XeF 2 plasma dry etching.
[0049] Vacuum sealing of the package 40 was performed by depositing a sealing layer 34 . In a preferred aspect of the invention, the sealing layer 34 is substantially impermeable to fluids (e.g., liquids and gases). In this case, the sealing layer 34 was a PECVD low stress nitride layer of 2.5 μm thickness at 300° C. It should be understood, however, that the entire packaging process may be carried out at or below 300° C. For example, the entire packaging process may be carried out at or around room temperature if a room temperature sacrificial layer 14 , 32 and sealing layer 34 are used. As seen in FIG. 4D , the contact pads 36 for electric access to the Pirani gauge 30 were opened.
[0050] The package 40 containing the Pirani gauge 30 was then intentionally ruptured to expose the free standing Pirani gauge 30 inside in addition to each layer of the structural layer 16 . The Pirani gauge 30 was observed to be free standing in SEM images. See He and Kim, “A Low Temperature Vacuum Package Utilizing Porous Alumina Thin Film Encapsulation,” IEEE Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems held in Istanbul Turkey, January, 2006, which is incorporated by reference as if set forth fully herein.
[0051] The pressure inside the sealed package 40 was obtained by matching the resistance-current curve of the sealed Pirani gauge 30 with the resistance-current curves of the Pirani gauge 30 calibrated at different known pressures. FIG. 5 illustrates the resistance-current curves of the Pirani gauge 30 . The pressure inside the sealed package 40 was found to be around 8 Torr, a value larger than the deposition pressure of 0.5 Torr. This discrepancy is likely due to the outgassing of the photoresist 14 residue inside the package 40 . The hermeticity of the packages 40 was measured from the thermal impedance changes of two sealed Pirani gauges 30 . As displayed in FIG. 6 , the pressure inside the sealed packages increased slightly (0.4 Torr) over the first 10 days, followed by no noticeable change for the next several days.
[0052] Measurements were performed on test packages 40 to measure the extent to which the material of the sealing layer 34 was present inside the structural layer 16 . Substantial encroachment of the sealing layer 34 material inside the package 40 would have been likely if lithographically-defined etch holes in the structural shell 16 were to be sealed. The test packages 40 had porous alumina cavities (1.5 μm thick) formed on a bare silicon substrate. After a 5000 Å PECVD oxide deposition layer was formed, the cavity was ruptured using a probe tip and the thickness of oxide on top of the silicon substrate inside the cavity was measured by a NANOSPEC® thin-film measurement system (available from NANOMETRICS, INC., Milpitas, Calif.) using a thin oxide program (low limit: 20 Å). For all the tested packages 40 , a “less than 20 Å” result was obtained, indicating the porous alumina shell 16 effectively prevented the internal deposition of the sealing material 34 during the sealing process.
[0053] To investigate the RF performance of the porous alumina thin-film package 40 , a CPW (Coplanar Waveguide) line (Cr/Au: 250/8000 Å) was packaged on a silicon substrate 12 with high resistivity (>2000 Ω*cm). Following a similar fabrication process as that shown in FIGS. 4A-4D , the porous alumina cavity was formed by removing the Ti/Au layers and the a-Si sacrificial layer sequentially. A PECVD deposition of 1 μm low stress silicon nitride sealed the cavity. The final step was etching away all the films above Au in the electrical contact area.
[0054] Cross-sectional and optical microscopic views of the fabricated RF device 50 are shown in FIGS. 7A-7C . The sealed cavity 52 is shown generally in the middle of the microscopic view shown in FIG. 7A , measuring 160 μm by 300 μm, a typical size of a RF switch device. The Au signal lines 54 encapsulated inside the sealed cavity 52 is visible through the transparent structural shell, which is composed of a 1.2 μm thick porous alumina layer 16 and a 1 μm thick silicon nitride sealing film 34 .
[0055] The insertion loss introduced by the packaging structure was extracted from the difference between the measured insertion loss of a packaged CPW line and an un-packaged CPW line. As seen in FIG. 8 , the small difference in insertion loss (less than 0.1 dB up to 40 GHz) demonstrates that the encapsulation structure has a very small influence on the performance of the RF device 50 . The small amount of insertion loss that was measured was likely due to the silicon sacrificial layer left in the feed-through area 56 as seen in FIG. 7C . The insertion loss of the RF device 50 may, however, be reduced by removing the sacrificial layer in the feed-through area 56 by adding an additional lithography and etching step.
[0056] According to another embodiment of the invention, a free standing microstructure 70 is formed using porous polysilicon. Alternatively, the free standing encapsulation structure 70 may be formed from single crystal silicon. FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate a process for forming such a structure 70 . As seen in FIG. 9A , a substrate 72 in the form of a silicon wafer was provided. The substrate 72 was then covered with a low-stress nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) layer 74 having a thickness of 0.6 μm. A sacrificial phosphosilicate glass (PSG) layer 76 having a thickness of 1.5 μm was deposited and patterned on the nitride layer 74 . In order to create an electrical contact between the silicon substrate 72 and the later-deposited polysilicon layer for electrochemical etching, openings 78 were made through the silicon nitride layer 74 to the silicon substrate.
[0057] In certain embodiments, the thin-film structural layer 16 , 70 may be formed from polysilicon or aluminum. In still other embodiments, the thin-film structural layer 16 may be formed using type III-V materials. In particular, the material may include compounds formed with at least one group III element and at least one group V element. These include, by way of example, gallium phosphide (GaP), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium arsenide (InAs), gallium antimonide (GaSb), and indium antimonide (InSb).
[0058] As best seen in FIG. 9B , a 1.5 μm undoped polysilicon layer 80 was then deposited by LPCVD, followed by a 2000 Å PSG deposition layer 82 . The polysilicon 80 was symmetrically doped to 0.02 Ω*cm from the PSG layers 82 and 76 by annealing at 1000° C. for about 1 hour in nitrogen. The annealing step also helped release the intrinsic stress in the polysilicon layer 80 . Next, all the thin films deposited on the backside of the wafer (not shown) were etched away by reactive ion etching (RIE) to expose the silicon backside surface for electrical contact with the anode in an electrochemical etching device (described below).
[0059] After dicing the wafer into 1 cm×1 cm dice, a photoresist mask layer 84 ( FIG. 9C ) (NR9-8000® negative photoresist) was patterned to define the area for electrochemical etching before each die was mounted in a custom-built TEFLON® cell for electrochemical etching. Details of the electrochemical etching device may be found in the publication entitled “Post-Deposition Porous Etching of Polysilicon: Fabrication and Characterization of Free-Standing Structures,” presented in the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in Anaheim, Calif., November 2004, which is incorporated by reference as if set forth fully herein. FIG. 10 schematically illustrates the set up used for electrochemical etching of the polysilicon layer 80 . Liquid In—Ga was then painted on the backside of the sample to provide good electrical contact between the sample and the copper jig in the TEFLON® cell. The electrochemical etching was performed in the dark at room temperature in an electrochemical etching solution comprising 49% HF:ethanol in a 1:1 ratio (on a volume basis). FIG. 9C illustrates the formation of the porous polysilicon layer 80 after initiation of electrochemical etching. Once the pores are formed in the polysilicon layer 80 , the electrochemical etching solution reaches the interface of the now porous polysilicon layer 80 and the sacrificial phosphosilicate glass (PSG) layer 76 . The HF:ethanol etching solution then continues to attack or react with the underlying sacrificial phosphosilicate glass (PSG) layer 76 until the free standing porous polysilicon structure is formed as illustrated in FIG. 9D . In order to alleviate the stiction of the free-standing porous polysilicon layer with the layer 74 when the liquid is evaporated, the device 70 may be dried in supercritical CO 2 .
[0060] After 200 seconds of electrochemical etching at 4 mA/cm 2 the porous region in the upper part of the polysilicon layer 80 was visually distinguishable from the solid region underneath. After 250 seconds of electrochemical etching, many trenches were present in the PSG sacrificial layer 76 located right underneath the polysilicon layer 80 , signifying that the polysilicon layer 80 was turned porous through its entire thickness and thus HF in the electrochemical solution diffused through the porous polysilicon 80 to attack the PSG layer 76 . An irregular etching pattern in the PSG layer 76 was observed. This indicated that pore growth inside the polysilicon layer 80 was not uniform along the thickness direction. It was hypothesized that the electrochemical etching current flows mainly along the polysilicon grain boundaries, resulting in preferential etching and thus a higher pore growth rate at the grain boundaries.
[0061] The electrochemical etching current was carefully adjusted to prevent the occurrence of electropolishing in the polysilicon layer 80 under the edge of the photoresist mask 84 . In electrochemical etching, when the current density is higher than that of the first peak in the current-potential curve, electropolishing will take place instead of pore formation. However, higher current density and hence higher pore growth rate is preferred in this process in order to prevent the photoresist mask 84 from peeling off in the HF-ethanol electrochemical etching solution and to minimize etching undercut. Generally, a high-enough current density to keep the photoresist mask 84 intact during electrochemical etching but low-enough to prevent the lateral electropolishing was found when the current density was around 4 mA/cm 2 . After 255 seconds of etching, no electropolishing was observed, while the partly etched PSG layer 76 indicated that pores are formed through the entire thickness of the polysilicon 80 in the unmasked area.
[0062] Once the free standing encapsulation structure 70 was released, wrinkles and cracks were observed on most of the porous polysilicon structures 80 , indicating the presence of high compressive stress in the layer 80 . Prior to introduction of the pores, the polysilicon layer 80 was in a low stress condition. It is believed that the compressive stress was introduced in the porous polysilicon layer 80 due to large amount of H 2 generated during the electrochemical etching process. Excessive hydrogen atoms tend to bond to silicon atoms, resulting in a lattice expansion of the Si—Si bond length and thus introducing the compressive stress in porous silicon layer 80 . Although the hydrogen can be desorbed from the Si—H bond by annealing at medium temperature (e.g., above 400° C.), a challenge was presented because the porous polysilicon layer 80 starts to free-stand as a membrane or the like soon after the electrochemical etching process is complete, i.e., before annealing can be applied.
[0063] In this process, the time window for annealing is thus after the electrochemical etching front reaches the interface of the polysilicon layer 80 and the sacrificial PSG layer 76 and before the HF-based etching solution attacks PSG layer 76 enough to free the polysilicon layer 80 into a free standing structure. It was found that this operating window (i.e., when the pores reached the interface) can be determined by the observation of a sharp increase in electrode potential during the electrochemical etching step.
[0064] FIG. 11 illustrates a typical graph of electrode potential versus time for electrochemical etching at a constant current (in this case 4 mA/cm 2 ). The circled portion of FIG. 11 (identified by the arrow) illustrates that the etching front has reached the interface of the porous polysilicon layer 80 and the sacrificial PSG layer 76 . As seen in FIG. 11 , the electrode potential gradually increases and reaches a relatively constant value. However, when the measured potential (mV) increased sharply, this spike coincided with the moment when the porous etching front reached the interface of the porous polysilicon layer 80 and the sacrificial PSG layer 76 .
[0065] After the free standing encapsulation structure 70 was taken out of the etching setup and thoroughly cleaned, annealing was then performed using a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process. In particular, the device 70 was quickly heated at 700° C. for 5 minutes in a nitrogen environment. The effect of the annealing process was noticeable. Porous polysilicon membranes 80 that were not subject to the annealing process were formed with thicknesses of only 100 μm in size. In contrast, porous polysilicon membranes 80 subject to the annealing process were formed with thicknesses as large as 600 μm without any cracks.
[0066] Because the HF-based electrochemical etching solution etches the sacrificial PSG layer 76 quickly after diffusing through the porous polysilicon layer 80 , the window for annealing is small and accurate determination of this point is needed to stop the etching process. While the process was successful using one die at a time, it may not be as practical for an entire wafer under production conditions. However, a barrier layer (not shown) resistant to the electrolyte (e.g., silicon nitride) may be placed between the polysilicon layer 80 and the PSG layer 76 to solve the problem. The barrier layer can be later removed during the device release process.
[0067] With reference to FIGS. 12A-12H , the thin-film encapsulation process was used to seal a micro Pirani gauge 90 that not only measures the vacuum pressure but also represents a free standing polysilicon microstructure. With reference to FIG. 12A , the fabrication process started with a 5000 Å low-stress nitride deposition layer 92 as the insulation layer deposited on a substrate 94 , followed by an LPCVD deposition of 1.5 μm a PSG layer 96 , which was then patterned as the sacrificial layer between the Pirani bridge gauge 90 and the substrate 94 . Next, a 1 μm in situ doped polysilicon layer 98 was deposited by LPCVD and patterned to define the Pirani bridge structure 100 (see FIG. 12H ).
[0068] With reference to FIG. 12B , a 5 μm PSG sacrificial layer 102 was then formed by two LPCVD depositions. Each deposition was followed by a 1 hour 1000° C. annealing process in the presence of Nitrogen to densify the PSG sacrificial layer 102 . The relatively thick PSG sacrificial layer 102 was patterned, and openings 104 were made through the nitride layer 92 to the silicon substrate 94 in order to allow for an electrical path between the polysilicon encapsulation layer (described in more detail below) and silicon substrate 94 for electrochemical etching. With reference to FIG. 12C , a layer of 1.5 μm thick undoped LPCVD polysilicon was then deposited to form an encapsulation layer 106 , followed by a 3000 Å LPCVD PSG deposition layer 108 . The last polysilicon layer was also symmetrically doped to a resistivity of 0.02 Ω*cm from the PSG layers 102 , 108 on both sides by annealing at 1000° C. in nitrogen.
[0069] With reference to FIGS. 12C and 12D , the top PSG layer 108 was then stripped off in buffered oxide etchant (BOE), and the insulating layers on the backside were removed by RIE (not shown). After the substrate 94 (e.g., wafer) was diced, each die was processed with a NR9-8000® negative photoresist to define the area of the polysilicon layer 106 into a porous polysilicon encapsulation layer 106 . The die was mounted in a TEFLON® cell for the electrochemical etching as describe herein. After stopping the electrochemical etching at the interface of the polysilicon layer 106 and the PSG layer 108 by monitoring the electrode potential as a function of time as described previously the sample was then taken out and cleaned in Piranha solution resulting in the structure illustrated in FIG. 12D . Next, a short RTA annealing (700° C. for 5 minutes) was performed to release the stress generated during the electrochemical etching process.
[0070] Then, as illustrated in FIG. 12E , the PSG sacrificial layers 108 were removed by concentrated 49% HF, which obviously diffused through the pores in the 1.5 μm-thick porous polysilicon layer. The release time was approximately one minute regardless of the size of the cavity. On the electrical feedthrough line, the remaining PSG under the polysilicon layer 106 was used to isolate the feedthrough line from the polysilicon shell. The device was designed so that enough PSG is left by time-controlled etching.
[0071] The sample was then thoroughly rinsed in DI water and methanol, followed by a supercritical CO 2 drying step. Next, as seen in FIG. 12F , the device 90 was sealed in a vacuum by depositing a sealing layer 110 of polysilicon in LPCVD with a deposition pressure of 179 mTorr and a deposition temperature at 600° C. After sealing, as seen in FIG. 12G , the electrical contact pads 109 were opened outside the cavity by etching away the polysilicon layers 106 and 110 in RIE and the PSG layer 102 in BOE. As seen in FIG. 12H , a 1000 Å gold evaporation layer 112 was formed on the exposed polysilicon feedthrough lines 98 necessary for wire bonding and completed the fabrication process.
[0072] FIGS. 13A-13F illustrate SEM pictures of a polysilicon Pirani gauge 90 encapsulated by a porous polysilicon layer 106 or shell. FIG. 13A illustrates an open encapsulation shell 106 that was intentionally clipped to expose the Pirani gauge 90 inside the cavity. FIG. 13B illustrates the serpentine Pirani gauge structure suspended above the substrate by approximately 1 μm and free from the polysilicon shell 106 . The encapsulation shell 106 , composed of solid polysilicon sealing layer 110 on top of the porous polysilicon layer 106 , is shown magnified in FIG. 13C . The porous and solid regions of the polysilicon layers 106 , 110 , defined by the photoresist mask in the electrochemical etching step, are clearly distinguishable in FIG. 13D . Pore size of the porous polysilicon layer 106 is estimated to be around 5 nm from FIG. 13E . FIG. 13F illustrates an SEM cross-sectional image of the interface between the polysilicon sealing layer 110 and the porous polysilicon layer 106 . The transition appears abrupt, which suggests that penetration of the polysilicon sealing layer 110 into the pores is minimal.
[0073] The pressure inside the sealed cavity was measured from the encapsulated Pirani gauge 90 . The resistance vs. current characteristics of a Pirani gauge 90 was first obtained while vacuum encapsulated. Without affecting the performance of the Pirani gauge 90 , the seal on the top empty cavity was then broken intentionally with a probe tip. The entire sample was then placed in a pressure-controlled chamber, where the Pirani gauge 90 was calibrated against known pressures. The pressure inside the sealed cavity, extracted by matching the resistance of the Pirani gauge 90 while sealed with the calibration data obtained above, was around 200 mTorr. FIG. 14 illustrates the resistance vs. current characteristics of the Pirani gauge 90 after the cavity was broken. The extracted pressure of 200 mTorr was consistent with the deposition pressure of the sealing polysilicon thin film (179 mTorr). The residual gas inside the cavity could be H 2 byproduct produced during the polysilicon deposition or from the outgassing of the remaining PSG plug in the feed-through channel.
[0074] A better interpretation of the data plotted in FIG. 14 is to transfer the resistance vs. pressure curve into a curve of thermal impedance vs. pressure. It was found that even though the resistance of the Pirani gauge 90 drifts over time, the thermal impedance remains relatively constant at a given ambient pressure. The thermal impedance (T.I.) is defined as
T . I . = T avg P E ,
T avg = 1 ξ ( R b R 0 - 1 )
[0075] where P E is the electrical power, T avg is the average temperature across the Pirani gauge, ξ is the temperature coefficient of resistance (1000 ppm/° C. for polysilicon), R b and R 0 are the resistances of the microbridge at a given pressure and ambient pressure, respectively. After the thermal impedance of the Pirani gauge 90 was extracted by a linear curve fit applied to the power vs. temperature data measured at each calibration pressure, the data was plotted as shown in FIG. 15 . The long-term hermeticity was monitored by reading the thermal impedance change of the Pirani gauge 90 over time. The thermal impedance changes of two sealed Pirani gauges 90 with different gauge dimensions over one year are shown in FIG. 16 . The result shows no noticeable pressure change (<30 mTorr) for a period of time in excess of one year.
[0076] To demonstrate the usefulness of this technique for common surface micromachining processes, the Multi-User MEMS Processes, or MUMPS, was selected to fabricate a micro-bridge device 120 encapsulated by the porous polysilicon shell 122 . MUMPS is a popular commercial foundry service that provides cost-effective, proof-of-concept MEMS fabrication. One of the standard processes in the MUMPS program is PolyMUMPs, a three-layer polysilicon surface micromachining process, whose thickness data is listed in Table 1 below.
TABLE 1 Material layer Thickness (μm) Nitride 0.6 Poly 0 0.5 First Oxide 2.0 Poly 1 2.0 Second Oxide 0.75 Poly 2 1.5 Metal 0.5
[0077] FIGS. 17A and 17B schematically represent a fabrication process for integration with MUMPS. Poly 1 and Poly 1 layers were used to construct the microbridge resonator 120 inside the Poly 2 shell 122 . Supporting posts 124 were designed to reinforce the polysilicon shell 122 of large size. A sacrificial oxide was used to isolate the polysilicon shell 122 from the electrical feedthrough 126 . The post process on the MUMPS chip started in-house with the removal of all the layers on the backside by RIE, a step necessary to create the electrical contact to the Poly 2 layer through the substrate for electrochemical etching. Using photoresist as a mask, part of the Poly 2 encapsulation layer was turned porous by electrochemical etching. The bridge structure 120 was then released in one minute in concentrated 49% HF, followed by rinsing and supercritical CO 2 drying.
[0078] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The invention, therefore, should not be limited, except to the following claims, and their equivalents.
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A method of forming free standing microstructures includes providing a substrate and forming a sacrificial layer on the substrate. A thin-film structural layer is then formed around and over the sacrificial layer. The sacrificial layer may be formed from an electrically conductive or non-electrically conductive material in certain embodiments of the invention. Nanometer-scale pores are then introduced through the thin-film structural layer by a non-lithographic method, such as anodic etching. Via the pores, at least a portion of the sacrificial layer is etched away or otherwise removed from underneath the thin-film structural layer. The free standing microstructures may be sealed by application of a sealing layer on top thereof. The microstructure may form an encapsulating cavity and provide integrated on-wafer packaging if separate microdevices are disposed inside the cavity. The entire process may be done at or near room temperature in some cases.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PATENTS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of earlier application Ser. No. 09/764,319, filed on Jan. 19, 2001, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/426,718, filed Oct. 26, 1999, which was issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,263 on Feb. 20, 2001, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/967,368, filed on Nov. 7, 1997, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/495,543, filed on Jul. 28, 1995, now abandoned.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to a shock absorbing tube such as for drive shaft of automobiles and the like.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND
[0003] Nowadays, there is a great demand for safety design and weight reduction in automobiles from the viewpoint of passenger's safety and fuel economy improvement, etc. As a means for achieving this, use of shock absorbing tube such as for propeller shaft and collapsible parts of steering system formed of FRP (fiber-reinforced plastics) are being considered, and some of them have already been put into practical use. Such an FRP shock absorbing tube has a cylindrical main body that is made of FRP, and metal joints that are joined to the ends of this main body.
[0004] An automobile propeller shaft, which serves to transmit torque generated in the engine to driving wheels, is required to have a torsional strength of approximately 100-400 kgf.m. Further, it is also required to have a high critical revolution of approximately 5,000 to 15,000 rpm in order that resonance may be avoided at high-speed driving. On the other hand, an automobile collapsible part of steering system is required only compressive strength. To satisfy these fundamental requirements, various parameters, such as the kind, quantity and orientation of reinforcing fibers, the layered structure, the outer and inner diameters, and the wall thickness, are taken into consideration when designing the main body, which is made of FRP.
[0005] For example, in determining the fiber orientation of the reinforcing fibers, the following facts are to be taken into account: mainly from the viewpoint of torsional strength, the reinforcing fibers are most effectively arranged at an angle of ±45° with respect to the axial direction of the main body. Mainly from the viewpoint of torsional buckling strength, the fiber angle of ±80°˜90° is also needed with respect to the axial direction of the main body. Mainly from the viewpoint of critical revolution, the reinforcing fibers are to be arranged in a direction as close as possible to the axial direction in order to achieve an increase in bending modulus to thereby obtain a high bending resonance frequency.
[0006] Thus, the most effective orientation for the reinforcing depends upon the fundamental requirement to be taken into consideration, such as torsional strength or critical revolution, which means the layer structure has to be determined by appropriately combining orientations that are most suitable from the viewpoint of the actual requirements. The torsional strength can also be dealt with in terms of dimensions, such as outer diameter and wall thickness, so that, when designing a shock absorbing tube, first priority is usually given to the critical revolution, which greatly depends upon the orientation of the reinforcing fibers, and the proportion of those layers in which the reinforcing fibers are arranged at a low angle with respect to the axis of the shaft is made relatively large. This, however, entails the following problems:
[0007] The assurance of safety for the passengers when a collision occurs is an issue no less important than weight reduction. The prevailing present-day idea in automobile design regarding safety assurance consists in a crushable body structure, in which the impact energy (compressive load) at the time of collision is absorbed by the compressive destruction of the body, thereby mitigating the rapid acceleration applied to the passengers. It should be noted, however, that, if the body of the FRP shock absorbing tube is designed in conformity with the above idea, which gives priority to critical revolution, the strength of the body with respect to an axial compressive load must inevitably increase. This leads to deterioration in the impact energy absorbing effect. Thus, when the body suffers rupture as a result of a collision and the rupture proceeds to reach the shock absorbing tube, the shock absorbing tube will act as a kind of prop.
[0008] As a means for solving this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-37416 proposes a shock absorbing tube in which the joints are allowed to move axially along the joint surfaces between the main body and these joints, and, in this process, the joints force the main body to gradually enlarge until its rupture, starting from the ends thereof, thereby breaking the shock absorbing tube. However, in this conventional shock absorbing tube, it is necessary for the main body and the joints to be joined together through the intermediation of teeth of a complicated shape, a separating agent, etc., in order to secure the movement of the joints, resulting in a rather complicated structure. Furthermore, a complicated production process is not avoided. Moreover, when, in a shock absorbing tube having such a construction, joints are to be joined by press fitting, the main body must be strong enough to withstand the force applied in the press fitting process. However, imparting such a high strength to the main body makes it difficult for the main body to be enlarged and broken by the compressive load. Thus, it is quite difficult simultaneously to satisfy the above-mentioned fundamental requirements and the requirements regarding enlargement and rupture, which are contradictory to each other.
[0009] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-339022 discloses a shock absorbing tube in which, when an axial compressive load is applied, the joints are caused to move along the joint surfaces between the main body and these joints toward the interior of the main body, whereby the impact energy is absorbed by the movement resistance. However, in such a construction, it is absolutely necessary for the outer diameter of the joints to be smaller than the inner diameter of the main body, resulting in a reduction in the degree of freedom in designing. Furthermore, the amount of movement is limited to the length of the joints, so that the effect of absorbing the impact energy is not so great.
[0010] Thus, the conventional shock absorbing tubes can not be regarded as well balanced in terms of fundamental requirements regarding torsional strength, critical revolution, etc. and safety assurance for the passengers at the time of a collision.
[0011] It is an object of this invention to provide a shock absorbing tube in which the above problems in the conventional shock absorbing tubes have been solved and which, when the automobile undergoes a crash, reliably causes rupture to proceed in the shock absorbing tube with the breakage of the car body, thereby making it possible for the energy absorbing effect of the car body to be fully exerted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] To achieve the above object, there is provided, a shock absorbing tube comprising a cylindrical main body made of fiber-reinforced plastic and an end member formed internally at an end of said main body, said main body and said end member are capable of separating from each other at an interface therebetween upon the application of a predetermined maximum axial force (Fm) and is capable of moving axially by sequentially enlarging said main body at a predetermined successive axial force (Fs), wherein said main body comprises reinforcing fibers helically wound at an angle of ±5-30° with respect to the axial direction of said main body and the end member is made of a metal or comprises reinforcing fibers hoop wound at an angle of ±70˜90° with respect to the axial direction of said end member.
[0013] Preferably, said shock absorbing tube satisfies the following relation.
0.15 Fm≦Fs≦ 0.60 Fm
[0014] When an axial compressive load is applied to the end member to be separated from each other to cause rupture of the main body to proceed, thereby enabling the energy absorbing effect due to a crushable body structure to be realized.
[0015] Additional advantages of this invention would become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein only the preferred embodiments of this invention are shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention. As would be realized, this invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and its details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from this invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] [0016]FIG. 1 is a schematic front view, partly in longitudinal section, showing the essential part of a shock absorbing tube according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] [0017]FIG. 2 is a schematic front view, partly in longitudinal section, showing a joint used in the shock absorbing tube shown in FIG. 1;
[0018] [0018]FIG. 3 is a schematic front view, partly in longitudinal section, of the essential part of the shock absorbing tube shown in FIG. 1, showing how rupture proceeds in the shock absorbing tube;
[0019] [0019]FIG. 4 is a schematic front view, partly in longitudinal section, showing the essential part of a shock absorbing tube according to another embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 5 is a schematic front view, partly in longitudinal section, of the essential part of the shock absorbing tube shown in FIG. 4, showing how rupture proceeds in the shock absorbing tube;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of a joint different from that shown in FIG. 2;
[0022] [0022]FIG. 7 is a schematic front view showing still another example of a joint different from that shown in FIG. 2;
[0023] [0023]FIG. 8 is a schematic front view, partly in longitudinal section, of the essential part of a main body having a end member of a different configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] This invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an embodiment thereof. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a shock absorbing tube having a cylindrical main body 1 formed of FRP, which is obtained by reinforcing a thermosetting resin, such as epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin, phenol resin, vinyl ester resin or polyimide resin, or a thermoplastic resin, such as polyamide resin, polycarbonate resin, or polyether imide resin, by means of reinforcing fibers of high strength and high modulus, such as carbon fibers, glass fibers, or aramid fibers. Metal joints 2 are joined to one and/or the other end of the main body 1 by, preferably, press fitting. This shock absorbing tube is, preferably, symmetrical about the midpoint thereof with respect to the longitudinal direction.
[0025] The main body 1 has a main layer 1 a having a uniform inner diameter, extending over the entire length thereof, and including reinforcing fibers helically wound at an angle of ±5°˜30°, preferably at an angle of ±10°˜20°, with respect to the axial direction, and end members (preferably, layers made of fiber reinforced plastic in which reinforcing fibers are arranged at an angle of ±70˜90°, preferably at an angle of ±80˜90°, with respect to the axial direction) 1 b formed at the ends of the main body 1 so as to be integral with and internally of the main layer 1 a and including hooped reinforcing fibers. The main layer 1 a is wound mainly to satisfy the bending modulus in the axial direction of the main body 1 to thereby enhance the flexural resonance frequency, and torsional strength of the shock absorbing tube. The end members 1 b mainly serve to impart to the end of the main body 1 , to which the joint are joined, for example, by press fitting, a strength large enough to withstand the force applied at the time of joining the joint without preventing the progress of rupture as described below, and transmit the torque (torsional torque) from the joints 2 to the main body 1 . The main body 1 can be formed, for example, by the filament winding method.
[0026] That is, a bundle of reinforcing fibers impregnated with resin is hooped around one end of a mandrel to form an end member to a desired thickness and in a desired length, and then the bundle of reinforcing fibers impregnated with resin is passed as it is to the other end of the mandrel to form an end member at the other end in a similar manner. The end member can be made of a metal, such as of aluminum or steel, in a predetermined shape, and put at one or both ends of the mandrel. Subsequently, a bundle of fibers impregnated with resin is helically wound while reciprocating the bundle of layers impregnated with resin between one and the other end to thereby form a main layer having a desired thickness. When the formation of the main layer has been completed, it is possible to hoop one layer of a bundle of fibers impregnated with resin around the main layer, whereby surplus resin is squeezed out to increase the volume content of the reinforcing fibers, thereby further improving various kinds of strengths, modulus, etc. of the main body. In this way, it is possible to form the layers continuously without cutting the bundle of reinforcing fibers in mid course. After the formation of the layers, the resin is cured or solidified, preferably rotating them the while. Then, the mandrel is drawn out to thereby obtain the main body.
[0027] Each joint 2 is in contact with the inner side of the end member 1 b , and has a joint surface 2 a that is somewhat shorter than the associated end member 1 b . The outer diameter of that section of the joint where the joint surface 2 a is formed is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the main body 1 before press fitting. Thus, when the joint 2 is forced into the main body 1 , a compressive stress is applied to the joint surface 2 a of the joint, and a circumferential tensile stress is applied to the main body. Due to the compressive stress between the main body 1 and the joint the main body 1 and the joint 2 are firmly joined together. At each end of the main body 1 , the end member 1 b exists internally, and the main layer 1 a on the outer side, so that the circumferential tensile strength generated in the main body 1 as a result of the press fitting is mainly borne by the end member 1 b . The distortion of the main body 1 is largest on the inner periphery and diminishes toward the outer periphery. However, due to the hooped reinforcing fibers, the end member, which is situated internally of the main layer 1 a has a relatively large circumferential tensile strain, while the main layer 1 a has a relatively small circumferential tensile strain, with the result that an effective joint condition is realized.
[0028] The larger the difference between the outer diameter of that section of the joint 2 where the joint surface 2 a is formed and the inner diameter of the main body 1 before junction, i.e., the press fitting margin, the larger the joining force to be obtained, and the more improved the torsional strength. Thus, the larger this difference, the more convenient it is from the viewpoint of the transmission of torque. The joining force, however, also varies with the area, surface condition, etc. of the joint surface 2 a . Usually, the ratio of the press fitting margin to the inner diameter of the main body 1 is determined within the range of 0.001˜0.02, and the length of the joint surface 2 a as measured along the axial direction of the main body 1 is set to be not smaller than {fraction (1/10)} of the inner diameter of the main body 1 . Further, as shown in FIG. 2, it would be very convenient to provide a serration 2 e extending along the axial direction of the joint. Apart from this, it would also be expedient to enhance the joining force, facilitate the press fitting through improvement of slip, fill the gap between the joint surface 2 a and the inner surface of the end member 1 b , or apply adhesive to the joint surface 2 a for the purpose of protecting the joint surface 2 a from the atmospheric air.
[0029] The above-mentioned joint 2 includes a ring-like protrusion 2 b whose outer diameter is somewhat larger than the inner diameter of the main body 1 , and a slope 2 c descending from this protrusion 2 b toward the joint surface 2 a . The protrusion 2 b and the slope 2 c constitute a compressive load transmitting section which concentrates a compressive load acting in the axial direction of the joint 2 on the interface between the main layer 1 a and the end member 1 b to thereby separate the main layer 1 a and the end member 1 b from each other. It is desirable for the angle which the slope 2 c makes with the main body 1 to be in the range of 15˜45°.
[0030] When an axial compressive load is applied to the shock absorbing tube described above, the joint 2 is pressed against the main body 1 to thereby forcibly enlarge the main body 1 under the action of the slope 2 c of the protrusion 2 b , thereby generating a circumferential tensile deformation. Then, while the end member 1 b , which is situated internally, remains unbroken due to its high circumferential tensile strain, the main layer 1 a , which is situated externally, suffers rupture due to its relatively low circumferential tensile strain. This rupture causes inter-layer exfoliation between the main layer 1 a and the end member 1 b . That is, the main layer 1 a and the end member 1 b are separated from each other. From this stage onward, the rupture proceeds rapidly. However, the end member 1 b , which is joined to the joint 2 , does not suffer rupture but moves axially through the main body 1 while destroying the main layer 1 a with the joint 2 as it moves along.
[0031] In this way, the axial energy is absorbed through the rupture of the main layer 1 a . The initial failure of the main body 1 is induced by the slope 2 c of the joint 2 , and the protrusion 2 b forcibly enlarges the main layer 1 a . In view of this, it is desirable for the angle which the slope 2 c makes with respect to the axial direction on of the main body 1 to be in the range of 15°˜45°, as stated above.
[0032] [0032]FIG. 4 shows a shock absorbing tube according to another embodiment of this invention. In this embodiment, what corresponds to the slope 2 c of the ring-like protrusion 2 b , shown in FIG. 1, provides an erect surface 2 d that is opposed to the outer axial end surface of the end member 1 b . The outer diameter of the protrusion 2 b is slightly smaller than that of the end member 1 b . In this shock absorbing tube, in which the protrusion 2 b and the erect surface 2 d constitute the compressive load transmitting section, a compressive load acting in the axial direction is transmitted to the end member 1 b from the erect surface 2 d , which is opposed thereto, and further transmitted to the main layer 1 a . Therefore, although the main layer 1 a undergoes compressive deformation, a shearing stress which would destroy the interface between the two layers acts on this interface due to the large difference in Poisson's ratio between the main layer 1 a and the end member 1 b . This stress, with the shearing stress generated between the layers by the compressive load, generates the interface failures, and, from this stage onward, the rupture of the main layer 1 a proceeds as shown in FIG. 5. However, this embodiment differs from the above-described one in that it is the end member 1 b that moves while forcibly enlarging the main layer 1 a , and the protrusion 2 b does not contribute to this forcible enlargement. The same effect is to be achieved by making the outer diameter of the protrusion 2 b smaller than that of the end member 1 b . The erect surface 2 d may or may not abut the outer axial end surface of the end member 1 b.
[0033] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is also possible, as shown in FIG. 6, for the protrusion 2 b to consist of a plurality of protrusions arranged circumferentially on the joint 2 to form a ring-like configuration as a whole. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, it is also possible to partially bevel the outer end surface of the main body, opposed to the protrusion 2 b . This localizes the stress that is applied to the end member 1 b when the axial compressive load is applied to the joint 2 in the axial direction thereof. Furthermore, the shearing stress acting on the interface between the main layer 1 a and the end member 1 b is also localized, with the result that the inter-layer exfoliation or rupture is brought about and caused to proceed more reliably. Further, this leads to an increase in the degree of freedom with respect to the starting load for causing the exfoliation or rupture.
[0034] In the above-described embodiments, the main body is symmetrical about the midpoint with respect to the length direction thereof. However, this should not be construed restrictively. For, as will be described below, it is not always necessary for the rupture of the main body to proceed simultaneously from both ends thereof. Though it depends on the method of joining the joint, etc., it is possible to adopt a construction in which one of the ends has no end member.
[0035] Furthermore, the joints described above preferably have a serration in the joint section. Such a joint can be joined to the main body more firmly, which is advantageous from the viewpoint of the transmission of torsional torque. However, this should not be construed restrictively. Although it depends on the junction method, etc., it is also possible to use a joint having no serration.
[0036] Furthermore, although it is desirable for the joint to be joined by press fitting, it is also possible to adopt a junction method in which press fitting is combined with an adhesive.
[0037] In the above-described shock absorbing tubes, the joint that is joined to one end of the main body is the same as that joined to the other end thereof. That is, these shock absorbing tubes are symmetrical about the midpoint with respect to the length direction. Although this is advantageous in that the number of kinds of parts is relatively small such as collapsing tube or steering column in steering system, it is also possible to provide a joint having no compressive load transmitting section at the other end of the main body since it is not absolutely necessary for the rupture of the main body to proceed simultaneously from both ends thereof.
[0038] When considered from the viewpoint of the progress of rupture in the main body described above, it is desirable for the end member 1 b to be formed such that its inner end portion, which is opposite to the outer end portion, has a wedge-shaped longitudinal-sectional configuration as shown in FIG. 1, etc. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, it is also desirable for the thickness of the end member to be gradually diminished from the axially outer end surface toward the axially inner end surface thereof.
[0039] In the shock absorbing tube of the present invention, it is preferable to satisfy the following relation,
0.15 Fm≦Fs≦ 0.60 Fm , more preferably,
0.20 Fm≦Fs≦ 0.50 Fm.
[0040] When used as propeller shaft of automoble, preferably, said axial force is 8,000 to 15,000 kgf and the successive axial force of 5,500 to 1,000 kgf. More preferably, said axial force is 9,000 to 13,000 kgf and said successive axial force of 4,500 to 2,000 kgf. Still more preferably, said axial force is 10,000 to 12,000 kgf and said successive axial force of 4,000 to 2,500 kgf. However, in other uses, its inner and outer diameter and said axial force can be designed in wide range according to its purpose.
[0041] When used as a propeller shaft of automobile, it preferably has a torsional strength of 250 to 700 kgf.m. More preferably, it has a torsional strength of 300 to 500 kgf.m.
[0042] When used as collapsible handle member of automoble, preferably, said axial force is 200 to 1,500 kgf and the successive axial force of 400 to 100 kgf. More preferably, said axial force is 250 to 1,500 kgf and said successive axial force of 300 to 150 kgf. Still more preferably, said axial force is 300 to 1,100 kgf and said successive axial force of 250 to 100 kgf. However, in other uses, its inner and outer diameter and said axial force can be designed in wide range according to its purpose.
[0043] When used as a propeller shaft of automobile, it preferably has a torsional strength of 250 to 700 kgf.m. More preferably, it has a torsional strength of 300 to 500 kgf.m.
[0044] In this invention, the end member can also be made of a metal and it can be integrally made with a joint.
EXAMPLE 1
[0045] The main body was formed by the filament winding method. That is, six bundles of carbon fibers (average single fiber diameter: 7 μm, number of single fibers: 12,000, tensile strength: 490 kgf/mm2, tensile modulus: 23,500 kgf/mm2) were properly arranged and impregnated with bisphenol-A-type epoxy resin containing curing agent and curing accelerator, and, in so doing, the bundles were wound on a mandrel having an outer diameter of 70 mm and a length of 1,300 mm. Firstly, ten layers were wound on one end section of a length of 100 mm so as to be at an angle of ±85° with respect to the axial direction to thereby form an end member having a thickness of 2.5 mm. After this, the procedure moved to the other end to form a similar end member on the other end section, and then six layers were wound over the entire length of the mandrel at an angle of ±15° with respect to the axial direction to thereby form a main body having a thickness of 2.5 mm. Further, one layer was hooped over the entire length of the mandrel at an angle of −80° with respect to the axial direction.
[0046] Next, epoxy resin was heated at a temperature of 150° C. for 6 hours to thereby cure the epoxy resin while rotating the mandrel. Then, the mandrel is drawn out, and each end portion of an extension of 50 mm was cut off and removed, whereby a main body 1 as shown in FIG. 1 was obtained, which had an end-portion outer diameter of 80 mm, a end member outer diameter of 75 mm, an inner diameter of 70 mm, and a length of 1,200 mm.
[0047] Next, a metal joint 2 as shown in FIG. 2, whose joint surface 2 a had a serration, an outer diameter of 70.5 mm, and a length of 40 mm, whose protrusion 2 b had an outer diameter of 80 mm, and whose slope 2 c made an angle of 30° with respect to the axial dimension of the main body 1 , was joined to each end of the above main body 1 by press fitting to thereby obtain a shock absorbing tube according to this invention as shown in FIG. 1. The requisite force for the press fitting was 7,000 kgf.
[0048] Subsequently, the shock absorbing tube was subjected to a torsion test. The torsional strength of the shock absorbing tube was found to be 350 kgf.m, and the critical revolution 11,000 rpm, both of which proved sufficient as a shock absorbing tube for automobiles.
[0049] When an axial compressive load was applied to the shock absorbing tube, the main body and the end member were separated from each other at 10,000 kgf to thereby start rupture of the main body. After the rupture, sequential rupture as shown in FIG. 3 took place at a load of 3,000 kgf.
EXAMPLE 2
[0050] A shock absorbing tube as shown in FIG. 4 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that a joint was used the protrusion 2 b of which had an outer diameter of 75 mm, which was the same as that of the end member 1 b.
[0051] In a torsion test, the shock absorbing tube was found to have a torsional strength of 350 kgf.m and a critical revolution of 11,000 rpm, both of which proved satisfactory for a shock absorbing tube for automobiles.
[0052] Next, when an axial compressive load was applied, the main body and the end member were separated from each other at 11,000 kgf, and the rupture of the main body started. After the rupture, sequential breakage proceeded at a load of 3,500 kgf as shown in FIG. 5.
EXAMPLE 3
[0053] A shock absorbing tubes for collapsible handle system as shown in FIG. 4 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except the following changes.
[0054] Firstly, the number of bungles of the end member was changed to four bundles (numbers of single fibers in total: 48,000) and four layers of fibers were wound on one end section of a length of 40 mm so as to be at an angle of ±85° with respect to the axial direction to thereby form an end member having a thickness of 1.5 mm. After this, the procedure moved to the other end to form a similar end member on the other end section, and then two layers were wound over the entire length of the mandrel at an angle of ±22.5° with respect to the axial direction to thereby form a main body having a thickness of 1.0 mm. Further, one layer was hooped over the entire length of the mandrel at an angle of −85° with respect to the axial direction.
[0055] The shock absorbing tube had an end-portion outer diameter of 40 mm, a main body outer diameter of 37 mm, an inner diameter of 35 mm, and a length of 400 mm.
[0056] Next, a metal joint 2 which is similar to that of FIG. 4, was joined to each end of the above main body 1 by press fitting to thereby obtain a shock absorbing tube according to this invention as shown in FIG. 4.
[0057] When an axial compressive load was applied selectively to the end member of the shock absorbing tube, the main body and the end member were separated from each other at 1,100 kgf to thereby start rupture of the main body. After the rupture, sequential rupture as shown in FIG. 10 took place at a load of 200 kgf.
EXAMPLE 4
[0058] A similar shock absorbing tubes to that of Example 3 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 3 except changing the end member to that made of aluminum.
[0059] When an axial compressive load was applied selectively to the end member of the shock absorbing tube, the main body and the end member were separated from each other at 300 kgf to thereby start rupture of the main body. After the rupture, sequential rupture as shown in FIG. 10 took place at a load of 150 kgf.
TABLE 1 Example 1 2 3 4 Main Body Winding ±15° × 4 ±15° × 4 ±22.5° × 2 ±22.5° × 2 angle −80° × 1 −80° × 1 ±85° × 1 ±85° × 1 Inner mm 70 70 35 35 diameter Length mm 1200 1200 400 400 End Winding ±85° × ±85° × ±85° × 4 Aluminum member angle 10 10 Inner mm 70 70 35 35 diameter Length mm 50 50 20 20 Maximum axial force kgf 10,000 11,000 1,100 300 Successive axial force kgf 3,000 3,500 200 150 Torsional strength kgf.m 350 350 Critical revolution rpm 11,000 11,000
[0060] The shock absorbing tube of this invention is equipped with a compressive load transmitting section which concentrates a compressive load acting in the axial direction of the joint on the interface between the main body and the end member to thereby separate the main body and the end member from each other. Thus, as shown with reference to the embodiments, it is possible, at the time of collision, to allow the rupture of the shock absorbing tube to proceed reliably with the rupture of the car body while satisfying the fundamental requirements for the car, such as the torsional strength and the critical revolution, thereby enabling the energy absorbing effect due to the crushable body structure to be exerted to a sufficient degree.
[0061] The above description is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the preferred embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, this invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
[0062] This application discloses several numerical range limitations. Persons skilled in the art would recognize that the numerical ranges disclosed inherently support any range within the disclosed numerical ranges even though a precise range limitation is not stated verbatim in the specification because this invention can be practiced throughout the disclosed numerical ranges. A holding to the contrary would “let form triumph over substance” and allow the written description requirement to eviscerate claims that might be narrowed during prosecution simply because the applicants broadly disclose in this application but then might narrow their claims during prosecution. Finally, the entire disclosure of the patents and publications referred in this application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
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A shock absorbing tube comprising a cylindrical main body made of fiber-reinforced plastic and an end member formed internally at an end of the main body, the main body and the end member are capable of separating from each other at an interface therebetween upon the application of a predetermined maximum axial force (Fm) and is capable of moving axially by sequentially enlarging the main body at a predetermined successive axial force (Fs), wherein the main body comprises reinforcing fibers helically wound at an angle of ±5-30° with respect to the axial direction of the main body and the end member is made of a metal or comprises reinforcing fibers hoop wound at an angle of ±70˜90° with respect to the axial direction of the end member. The shock absorbing tube is useful for human safety, in particular, for use of propeller shaft and collapsible handle of automobiles.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to guard rail systems. In particular, this invention relates to a prefabricated guard rail system, components for a guard rail system and kits of components for a guard rail system, which is strong, inexpensive, easy to assemble and self-aligning, and meets the requirements of local building codes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Guard rails are used around decks, staircases and other elevated structures, to prevent injury and possible death from falling off of the edge of such structures. Most building codes have rigid requirements for guard rails, both in terms of when they are required and certain construction parameters, including for example the maximum spacing between balusters, length of span, height and load requirements.
The installation of guard rail systems can be a very labour intensive procedure. Balusters must be installed at precise intervals, and be substantially true to the vertical, both to comply with building code requirements and to be aesthetically acceptable.
Guard rails can be constructed from lumber, and frequently are in order to keep costs down. In a typical lumber guard rail construction balusters or pickets are nailed or screwed to top and bottom rails, which in turn are nailed to posts secured to or around the structure. A considerable amount of attention is required to ensure that the balusters are evenly spaced and vertical, and there is a limit to the aesthetic appeal which can be achieved. Moreover, the resulting guard rail is subject to separation, warping and other weathering effects over time, due to limits on the strength and degree of structural integration which can be achieved using nails and lumber.
The fabrication of components for guard rail systems can be facilitated by extruding components, for example out of a synthetic wood composition, plastic, aluminium or another suitable material. However, whether cut from lumber or extruded, the assembly and installation of the guard rail requires considerable skill, labour and time in order to construct a guard rail which is both structurally secure and appealing.
There is accordingly a need for a guard rail system which is easy to assemble, inexpensive, and produces a durable, structurally integrated guard rail which both meets building code requirements and is aesthetically appealing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes these disadvantages by providing a guard rail system fabricated from standard-sized components, which is strong enough to meet and exceed building code requirements. According to the invention, balusters which are preferably (but not necessarily) extruded are fastened to a lower rail and to an upper retainer at fixed intervals. The balusters are provided with central bores for receiving fasteners such as screws through predrilled holes in the upper retainer and lower rail. A hand rail is slip-fitted over the upper retainer in locking relation, to provide integrated guard rail sections. In the preferred embodiment guard rail sections so assembled are fastened by means of a special bracket system to end posts to provide a safe, secure and aesthetically appealing guard rail.
The invention provides a versatile, easy to assemble and structurally secure guard rail system which can be used in any application where conventional guard rails are used.
The present invention thus provides a guard rail system, comprising a top retainer and a bottom rail affixed between at least two posts, a plurality of hollow balusters extending between the top retainer and the bottom rail, each baluster comprising a plurality of inner webs affixed to a wall of the baluster and to a bore for a fastener disposed within the baluster wall, and a hand rail affixed to the top retainer, wherein the balusters are affixed between the top retainer and the bottom rail by fasteners disposed through the top retainer and the bottom rail and into the bore.
The present invention further provides a guard rail system, comprising a top retainer and a bottom rail affixed between at least two posts, a plurality of hollow balusters extending between the top retainer and the bottom rail, each baluster comprising a plurality of inner webs affixed to a wall of the baluster and to a bore for a fastener disposed within the baluster wall, and a hand rail affixed to the top retainer, the hand rail having a bearing plate supported by an upper surface of the upper retainer, wherein the upper retainer has an exterior surface having a pair of opposed channels and the hand rail has an internal surface having a pair of complementary projections, whereby the hand rail is affixed to the upper retainer by sliding engagement between the projections and the channels.
In further aspects of the guard rail system of the invention: the top retainer and the bottom rail each have a series of pre-drilled holes for receiving the fastening members, to thereby align the balusters; a front of the bottom rail is provided with an upstanding lip spaced from the series of holes by a distance substantially corresponding to a distance between the bore and a front face of the baluster; the upper retainer has an exterior surface having a pair of opposed channels and the hand rail has an internal surface having a pair of complementary projections, whereby the hand rail is affixed to the upper retainer by sliding engagement between the projections and the channels; the hand rail is provided with a bearing plate supported by an upper surface of the upper retainer; a portion of the hand rail above the bearing plate is hollow; the balusters have a substantially square cross section and a substantially central bore; the webs extend from corners of the baluster wall to the bore; the posts are hollow and provided bosses disposed along an interior wall of the post, for abutting against a structural member disposed through each post; and/or the top retainer and bottom rail are affixed to the posts by a bracket comprising a flanged arm having depending flanges spaced apart so as to nest in grooves formed in the top retainer and bottom rail, to thereby interlock the bracket with the top retainer and bottom rail.
The present invention further provides a method of assembling a guard rail, comprising the steps of: a. pre-drilling a top retainer and a bottom rail for attachment to a plurality of hollow balusters, the top retainer having an exterior surface having a pair of opposed channels and each baluster comprising a plurality of inner webs affixed to a wall of the baluster and to a bore for a fastener disposed within the baluster wall, b. disposing fasteners through the holes into the bores to affix the balusters between the top retainer and bottom rail, c. sliding a hand rail having an internal surface having a pair of projections complementary to the channels over the upper retainer to engage the projections in the channels, and d. affixing the top retainer and the bottom rail to posts.
In further aspects of the method of the invention: the hand rail comprises a bearing plate supported by an upper surface of the upper retainer; the method includes, before step a., the step of extruding the top retainer, bottom rail, balusters and hand rail; each post is hollow and the method includes the steps of anchoring a structural member and disposing the post over a structural member; and/or the top retainer and bottom rail are affixed to the posts by a bracket comprising a flanged arm having depending flanges spaced apart so as to nest in grooves formed in the top retainer and bottom rail, to thereby interlock the bracket with the lower rail and upper retainer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In drawings which illustrate by way of example only a preferred embodiment of the invention,
FIG. 1 is an elevation of a guard rail system according to the invention on a sun deck;
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional front elevation of the guard rail system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional end elevation of the guard rail system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a cross section of a baluster of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a cross section of an end post of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a cross section of the upper retainer of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a cross section of the lower rail of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is a cross section of the handrail of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a bracket for fastening the guard rail sections to the end posts.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 illustrates a guard rail system 10 according to the present invention. The guard rail system 10 is illustrated in the environment of a sun deck for purposes of example only, however it will be appreciated that the guard rail system is adaptable to any environment in which a conventional guard rail system may be used.
In a preferred embodiment the components of the guard rail system are entirely extruded, for example in accordance with the technique described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,472 for an Extruded Synthetic Wood Composition and Method for Making Same issued May 14, 1996 to Strandex Corporation, and Canadian Patent No. 2153659 issued Feb. 23, 1999 to Strandex Corporation, which are incorporated herein by reference. However, the components of the invention may alternatively be milled from wood, molded or extruded from plastic or metal, or otherwise suitably formed. The particular material or materials from which the components of the guard rail are formed is limited only by the requirement for sufficient structural strength in the finished railing to comply with building code requirements. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the various components of the invention, comprising an end post 20 , a lower rail 30 , an upper retainer 40 , balusters 50 and a hand rail 60 . In the preferred embodiment the invention farther includes a specially designed bracket 70 for fastening the guard rail sections to the end posts.
The end post 20 , illustrated in FIG. 5, is preferably hollow and has an interior dimension which allows the end post 20 to be slip-fitted over a structural member 2 (shown in phantom in FIG. 5) such as a 4×4 pressure treated post, 2×4 pressure treated lumber or a 3½ inch steel pipe (for example of the type used in chain link fencing), which is anchored into the ground, deck substructure or other foundation for the guard rail 10 . In the preferred embodiment the end post 20 comprises vertical ridges 22 which snugly abut the four by four post 2 in order to fix the end post 20 in a stable, vertical position.
Rail sections are formed by a series of balusters 50 fastened to the lower rail 30 and the upper retainer 40 . The lower rail 30 and upper retainer 40 are preferably predrilled at the desired positions for the balusters, for example 4 inches on-center (OC).
The lower rail 30 , shown in FIG. 7, preferably comprises a hollow body 32 having decorative flanges 34 depending downwardly therefrom, serves to impart aesthetic appeal to the lower rail 30 and to hide the hardware such as screws 4 which secure the balusters 50 and brackets 70 (shown in FIG. 9) which secure the lower rail 30 to the end post 20 . An alignment lip 36 serves the purposes of both aligning the balusters 50 along the lower rail 30 and concealing any small gap between the balusters 50 and the body 32 of the lower rail 30 after the balusters 50 have been fastened thereto.
The upper retainer 40 , shown in FIG. 6, comprises an abutment plate 42 extending axially along the upper retainer 40 which abuts the top ends of the balusters 50 , and a pair of wings 44 which are preferably dimensioned to overlap the sides of the balusters 50 , holding the balusters 50 in place and keeping them from rotating, as shown in FIG. 3 . Preferably the row of drill holes 8 is contained within a longitudinal recess 46 , so that the heads of fasteners such as screws 6 or recessed relative to, or at least are flush with, the top face 43 of the upper retainer 40 , thereby avoiding the need to countersink screws 6 when the balusters 50 are fastened to the upper retainer 40 .
The hand rail 60 , shown in FIG. 8, has an exterior surface 61 configured in any desired shape or pattern for usability and aesthetic appeal. The interior surface 63 of the hand rail 60 is configured to slip-fit over the upper retainer 40 . The upper retainer 40 comprises at least one longitudinal channel 48 , preferably two disposed in opposition as shown in FIG. 6, and the hand rail 60 is provided with a pair of wings 62 having complementary bosses or ridges 62 a which slip-fit into the channels 48 to retain the hand rail 60 on the upper retainer 40 . Preferably the interior surface 63 has a bearing plate 64 having ridges or bosses 66 which bear on the top surface 43 of the upper retainer 40 , to snugly secure the handrail 60 in position. Preferably there is a hollow between the bearing plate 64 and the upper surface of the hand rail 60 , which increases strength, and reduces the cost and weight of the hand rail 60 . Also, a slight flexibility in the bearing plate 64 and the wings 62 allows the hand rail 60 to grip the upper retainer 40 when slip-fitted thereto.
The balusters 50 , shown in FIG. 4, may be formed in any desired decorative shape, and may be symmetrical in cross section. Each baluster 50 is hollow and provided with inner webs 52 affixed to the wall of the baluster 50 and supporting a bore 54 , which preferably extends along the entire length of the baluster 50 . In the embodiment shown the balusters 50 each have a square cross section and the webs 52 extend from the corners of the baluster wall toward a central bore 54 .
The spacing between the bore 54 and the front outer face 56 of the baluster 50 corresponds to the spacing between the predrilled holes 8 and the wings 44 of the upper retainer 40 , and to the spacing between the predrilled holes 9 and the lip 36 of the lower rail 30 . Thus, when assembled in the manner described below, the balusters 50 will self align against the wings 44 and the lip 36 to align the balusters relative to one another, and to square the balusters relative to the rail section when the upper retainer 40 and lower rail 30 are affixed to the end post 20 .
In the preferred embodiment the upper retainer 40 and lower rail 30 are affixed to the end post 20 by a bracket 70 , illustrated in FIG. 9, comprising a flat arm 72 having screw holes 78 , extending generally perpendicular to a flanged arm 74 having screw holes 78 and provided with depending flanges 76 . The bracket 70 may be stamped or otherwise suitably formed from metal. The flanges 76 are spaced apart so as to nest in grooves or recesses 31 and 41 respectively formed in the underside of lower rail 30 and upper retainer 40 , as can be seen in FIG. 3, thus interlocking with the lower rail 30 and upper retainer 40 for increased strength and stability.
To assemble the guard rail of the invention, the end posts 20 are fitted over suitably dimensioned structural posts 2 such as four-by-four treated lumber, and positioned to rest on the deck, floor, stair or other elevated structure. The rail sections are assembled by driving fasteners such as screws 6 through the predrilled holes 8 in the upper retainer 40 into the bores 54 in the balusters 50 . The lower rail 30 is similarly fastened to the bottom ends of the balusters 50 by driving fasteners such as screws 6 through the predrilled holes 9 into the bores 54 . The rail section so constructed is integrated and structurally secure. The rail sections may be constructed to any suitable length, and can be assembled to a single length of lower rail 30 and upper retainer 40 , depending upon the material from which the rail section is formed.
A length of hand rail 60 is cut to match the length of the assembled rail section, and slip-fitted over the upper retainer 40 by aligning ridges or bosses 62 with channels 48 and sliding the hand rail 60 along the upper retainer 40 until the upper retainer 40 is fully concealed. The rail section is then mounted between end posts 20 by brackets 70 affixed to the upper retainer 40 and lower rail 30 using suitable fastening members, in the case of a wood composite or synthetic wood composite, preferably bolts with wood or other suitable inserts (not shown), and preferably screws 6 extending through the wall of the end post 20 into the structural member 2 for strength.
It will be appreciate by those skilled in the art that the particular configurations of the components of the guard rail system of the invention may be altered to suit specific installation parameters and/or aesthetic or decorative requirements. For example, the embodiment illustrated shows plain-faced, square-shaped balusters 50 , however the balusters 50 can be formed in any other desired configuration as long as the bore 54 is spaced from the front face 56 of each baluster in a manner which allows the front face 56 to align with the lip 36 of the lower rail 30 . In the embodiment shown the side faces 58 of the balusters 50 are equidistant from the bore 54 , however this is not essential and a precise on-center spacing between balusters 50 can be obtained even if the baluster 50 is not laterally symmetrical relative to the bore 54 .
Various embodiments of the present invention having been thus described in detail by way of example, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the invention. The invention includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.
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A guard rail system fabricated from standard-sized components, preferably extruded, comprises balusters fastened to a lower rail and to an upper retainer at fixed intervals. The balusters are provided with central bores for receiving fasteners such as screws through predrilled holes in the upper retainer and lower rail. A hand rail is slip-fitted over the upper retainer in locking relation, to provide integrated guard rail sections. Guard rail sections so assembled are fastened to end posts, preferably using mounting brackets having a flanged arm which nests in grooves or recesses in the upper retainer and lower rail to provide a safe, secure and aesthetically appealing guard rail.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part patent application which claims benefit under 35 USC §120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/895,019 filed Sep. 30, 2010, entitled “Double String Pump for Hydrocarbon Wells,” which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
None.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to down hole rod pumps that are typically used to pump liquids from the bottom of a hydrocarbon wells.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As one travels through Texas and Oklahoma and other oil producing regions, it is common to see oil wells with rocking beam pumps in action. The beam is rocked like a seesaw by a motor while one end the beam lifts and lowers a sucker rod string to drive a pump positioned at or neat the bottom of the well. The sucker rod string is typically made up of a number of twenty-five foot to thirty foot steel rod sections connected end to end to form a long string of rods that extend down into the production tubing of a well. The production tubing itself was inserted into the wellbore after the wellbore was drilled and cased. The production tubing is fixed in the wellbore with a down hole rod pump positioned near the bottom. As the sucker rod moves up and down in the production tubing, the pump draws liquids from the wellbore into a chamber of the pump through a first check valve during a first stroke and then pushes the liquids in the chamber through a second check valve during the return stroke. The liquids pass through the second check valve and into the production tubing above the pump so that the liquids are eventually pumped to the surface and are either piped or trucked to market.
Natural gas wells and many low rate oil wells are sometimes provided with pumps to periodically withdraw liquids that enter the wellbore from the formation and tend to accumulate and slowly and eventually stop the production of hydrocarbons the natural gas. The liquid may be water, but may also include hydrocarbon liquids which are sufficiently valuable to collect and transport to market.
One of the problems associated with pump systems for small volumes of liquids in wells is that any solids, particularly fines and small particles, that are produced tend to collect and cause trouble for the pump. If the liquid volume were substantially higher, the particles would likely be carried to the surface and not collect at the bottom of the production tubing. With low liquid production rates and intermittent pumping, the particles tend to collect in the production tubing on top of the pump and have been known to damage the pumps and pumping systems well short of their expected service life. This can be especially challenging in coal seam gas production wells where the particles tend to be very fine and abrasive and are susceptible of stacking out rod strings by caking up and packing between plungers and barrels and blocking the travel of check valves and other vital pumping equipment. Coal seam gas wells typically produce water along with highly abrasive coal fines.
Many other wells produce sand which is a problem on a much larger scale in terms of total numbers of pumps exposed to particles. Some wells have sand delivered into the formation to hold open the fissures, fractures and perforations to enhance production of gas and liquids. This kind of sand is called proppant. Unfortunately such proppant sand causes many rod pump failures every year as some amounts exit the formation and creates hazard for moving equipment such as the pump in the wellbore. Another type of sand that is even more difficult for pumps to handle is formation sand, often referred to as flour sand. Formation sand is quite fine in nature and very difficult to control due to its fine size and mobility. It is highly abrasive and will wear out the polished surfaces of a pump or bury and stack out the pump.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a system for producing gas and liquids from a well where a pump is positioned at or near the bottom of the well and three conduits are arranged to extend into the well from the surface down near the bottom of the well. The first of the three conduits produces gas to the surface and the second of the three conduits is connected to the pump to produce liquids to the surface. The third of the three conduits provides a path for liquid to be delivered to the area of the pump.
In another aspect, the invention more particularly includes a system for producing liquids and solids from the bottom of a hydrocarbon well where the system includes a string of production conduit installed in a wellbore where a lower end thereof is near the bottom of the well and where the production conduit defines a gas production path to the surface on one side and an access conduit on the other. A pump including a barrel and a plunger wherein is positioned at the lower end of the production conduit and a string of hollow rod is disposed within the production conduit such that a tubing annulus is formed around the hollow rod string and where the hollow rod string is connected to the plunger that is positioned within the barrel of the pump for movement up and down within the barrel. The production tubing further includes at least one port for delivering liquid from the tubing annulus to the gas production annulus.
The invention also relates to a process for producing liquids and solids from the bottom of a natural gas well where an open ended string of production conduit is installed into a wellbore with a seating nipple near the open lower end of the production conduit to define a gas annulus outside of the production conduit and within the well. A pump is installed at the end of a string of hollow rod where the pump includes a barrel and a hollow plunger and where the hollow plunger is connected to and in fluid communication with the hollow rod string and further includes a traveling valve to admit liquids into the hollow interior of the plunger and wherein the barrel includes a standing valve to admit liquids from below the seating nipple into the barrel. The barrel is connected to the seating nipple and seals the interior of the production tubing from the open lower end of the production tubing wherein a tubing annulus is defined within the production tubing above the seating nipple and outside the hollow rod string. Substantially particle free liquid is provided into the tubing annulus to be in contact with the barrel and the outside of the plunger and to pass into the gas annulus to slurry solids and the plunger is raised and lowered to draw liquids through the standing valve and through the traveling valve and directing the liquids into the hollow rod string.
In particular aspects of the invention includes the capability to pump or inject clean liquid, chemically treated liquid, or hot liquid within the tubing annulus on top of the barrel and plunger and allow to exit said annulus anywhere up or down the wellbore.
The ball checks break the volume above the pump into segments to minimize the suspended solids in any one segment that can settle on top of any one ball check. The volume between these ball checks is sized so that expected pump cycle volume before pump off occurs is greater than the volume between the ball checks so that liquid and solids is advanced above the next ball check or more before the pump shuts down.
In a preferred arrangement, a portion of the liquids are produced through the hollow rod string are directed through a filter or settling tank system and then back into the tubing annulus.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention, together with further advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a cross section of a prior art version of a pumping system for pumping liquids to the surface of a natural gas well;
FIG. 2 is a cross section of a first embodiment of an inventive pumping system shown in a well for pumping liquids to the surface of a natural gas well;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the surface of the well showing the arrangement for providing filtered liquid back to the bottom of the production tubing; and
FIG. 4 is a cross section showing a longer length segment of the invention particularly showing check valves and ports at higher elevations in the wellbore.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Turning now to the preferred arrangement for the present invention, reference is made to the drawings to enable a more clear understanding of the invention. However, it is to be understood that the inventive features and concept may be manifested in other arrangements and that the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiments described or illustrated. The scope of the invention is intended only to be limited by the scope of the claims that follow.
While the explanation of this invention will include the description of conventional components of a pump in a well, a key feature of the invention is the inclusion of an additional conduit that extends from the surface down the well to the vicinity of a pump at the bottom of the well. This additional conduit provides operators and well owners with access to the pump and to other locations down the wellbore to flush the well or provide important chemical treatments to the pump or to the well. Such access to the wellbore and to the pump should enable gas wells to be better maintained and problems to be resolved that are currently quite challenging. The additional conduit is shown in FIG. 2 and identified as tubing annulus 160 . Tubing annulus 160 can be described as an additional conduit as a produced liquid flow path 155 is inside the hollow rod string 125 and the gas annulus 119 provides the conduit for the gas to flow to the surface. Tubing annulus 160 provides immediate access to the pump 120 without interfering with either of the conduits for produced gases and liquids.
Now turning to a more complete explanation of the full wellbore installation, in FIG. 2 , a wellbore, generally indicated by the arrow 110 , is shown formed or drilled into the ground G. According to conventional procedures, casing 112 is positioned in the wellbore 110 and sealed against the wall of the wellbore with cement 115 . Perforations 118 are extended through the casing 112 and into a hydrocarbon-bearing formation in the ground G by explosive charges to permit hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon-bearing formation to flow back into the wellbore 110 . The natural gas and other gases are permitted to ascend up the wellbore 110 through gas annulus 119 while liquids accumulate at the bottom of the wellbore 110 .
The completion of a conventional gas well would include the insertion of a production string 150 that includes a seating nipple 152 for a pump 120 to be inserted. However, in the present invention, the pump 120 is inserted to the seating nipple using hollow rod string 125 with a plunger 130 arranged to deliver liquid contents into the interior of the hollow rod string 125 . For comparison, please refer to FIG. 1 where a pump 20 is connected to the surface and installed using conventional sucker rod 25 . The liquid production path 55 is inside the production tubing 50 . In FIG. 1 , there are only two conduits to the surface. In FIG. 2 , a third conduit is formed in the tubing annulus 160 between the production tubing 150 and the hollow rod string 125 .
The pump is in the natural gas well to pump off, liquids that are produced from the formation with the natural gas. Liquids that accumulate in the well and tend to slow or block the production of the natural gas into the wellbore 10 or 110 so it is generally more productive to maintain the level of liquids below the lowest of the perforations 18 or 118 . The liquid level is drawn down by the pump 20 or 120 from the bottom end of the production tubing 50 or 150 , called a quiet zone 53 or 153 below the pump 20 or 120 and the seating nipple 52 or 152 .
The pump 20 or 120 includes a plunger 30 or 130 arranged to move up and down within the barrel 40 or 140 . The plunger 30 or 130 is attached to the bottom end of a hollow rod string 22 and is able to move up and down within the barrel 40 or 140 that is firmly connected or locked into the seating nipple 52 or 152 , but it should be understood that the periphery of the plunger 30 or 130 and the interior of the barrel 40 or 140 are each machined and sized so that any liquid flow around the plunger 30 or 130 is substantially restricted. The preferred path for liquids to travel through the barrel 40 or 140 is also through the interior of the plunger 30 or 130 . Below the barrel 40 or 140 is a strainer nipple 42 or 142 having a number of holes to allow liquids or gas that is in the quiet zone 53 or 153 to pass into the barrel through stranding valve 44 or 144 . Standing valve 44 or 144 is shown to be a ball and seat, but may be any suitable one-way valve technology. As the plunger 30 or 130 is lifted relative to the barrel 40 or 140 , liquids are drawn up through the strainer nipple 42 or 142 and through standing valve 44 or 144 to fill the space in the barrel 40 or 140 below the plunger 30 or 130 . The plunger 30 130 includes a travelling valve 34 or 134 , that like the standing valve 44 or 144 , is shown as a ball and seat, but may be any suitable one-way valve technology. As the plunger 30 or 130 is lowered in the barrel 40 or 140 , standing valve 44 or 144 closes to keep liquid in the barrel but unseat the travelling valve 34 or 134 so that the liquids in the barrel below the plunger 30 or 130 would enter and flow into the plunger 30 or 130 . Liquids that were already in the plunger 30 or 130 before the plunger began its downward movement in the barrel exit the top of the plunger 30 or 130 . In FIG. 1 , the liquids exit the top of the plunger 30 through one or more vent holes 36 . Liquids that pass out of the vent holes 36 fill the production path 55 and are eventually delivered to the surface.
In FIG. 2 , the liquids exit the top of the plunger 130 into the hollow rod string 125 through check valve 145 .
In operation, gas wells often produce sand and other particles that can accumulate at the bottom of the wellbore and cause considerable problems with the pump and interfering with the flow of the liquids into the quiet zone 53 or 153 . The liquid flow rates into gas wells is a relative trickle, and as such, the pump 20 or 120 is expected to operate intermittently to lift liquids out of the bottom of the wellbore 10 or 110 . At the same time, the liquid flow rates are so slow as to allow the solids to settle at the bottom of the well. The excessive collection of solids, especially particles and fines, are a likely cause of pump failure in a well and can plug off the gas annulus 19 or 119 from the quiescent zone 53 or 153 . Using the additional access to the pump area via the tubing annulus 160 , a rush of particle free liquid may be flushed from the surface and progress rapidly to the bottom of the well to jet through ports 154 and into the gas annulus 119 . The jet of such liquids are intended to stir the solids in the bottom of the wellbore to effectively create a slurry of liquids and suspended particles and fines for removing from the well via the pump 120 and liquid production path 155 . The liquids may also scrub the surrounding area to dislodge particles and debris from inside the gas annulus. In some cases, fungus and bacteria may grow inside the well and biocides may be includes with the liquids. The jetting action and other liquid scrubbing effects of the rush of liquid may aid the effectiveness of the biocides. Also, some wells produce waxes and paraffins that may also plug up the production of either or both liquids and gas. Heated liquids and solvents may be added to the liquids to help remove and carry away the waxes and paraffins with the slurry being pumped through the liquid production path 155 .
In prior art arrangements such as shown in FIG. 1 , a number of process or operational schemes may be employed. Typically, the pump 20 is started based on elapsed time from the most recent pump operation cycle and continues until a reduced weight of the plunger 30 is detected, meaning that the liquids at the bottom of the well are reduced and that the pump 20 has had a gas break through. One of the problems with this arrangement that has been identified by the inventor is that particles such as sand and grit are going to pass into the and through the pump 20 , but tend to settle back down in the production path 55 during times of inactivity. In some wells, it is common for just a barrel or two or three barrels to be pumped off the bottom to maintain natural gas production, but these few barrels may not make it to the surface for days or weeks. By the time a specific volume of liquid makes it to the surface, whatever small solids that were entrained with the liquid are substantially settled out. Perhaps these solids may be stirred up during a pumping cycle, only small amounts of the solids ever make it to the surface. These solids collect around the top of the pump 20 and are prone to cause premature failure of the pump by getting into the top of the gap between the outside of the plunger 30 and the inside of barrel 40 . Wear on these highly machined surfaces will likely eventually cause a pump failure.
To alleviate these and other problems identified in the embodiment of FIG. 1 , a pumping system is shown in FIG. 2 where similar elements are identified with similar numbers except being three digit numbers with the first digit being “1”. For example, casing 112 in FIG. 2 is essentially the same element as casing 12 in FIG. 1 .
Focusing on the differences between the invention and the embodiment in FIG. 1 is a plunger 130 is moved up and down inside the barrel 140 by a hollow rod string 125 . The hollow rod string 125 is similar to sucker rod 22 , but is hollow in the center to define the liquid production path 155 inside the hollow rod string 125 . The diameter or effective cross section of the hollow rod string 22 is much smaller than the production path 55 in FIG. 1 , thus, while each stroke of the pump 120 may move the same volume of liquid as a stroke of pump 20 , the produced liquid moves at a higher velocity up the hollow rod string 125 and gets far closer to the surface for each stroke. With higher velocity, the entrained solids are more likely to be carried farther up the production path 155 with the liquid during each pump operation cycle. Secondly, check valves, such as shown at 145 , are provided at several locations up the production path 155 so that when a pumping cycle is ended and the pump 120 is idled, the particles will only settle down to the top of the last check valve 145 each particle may have passed while travelling to the surface. At a minimum, the check valves or ball checks 145 are spaced within the string so that the volume between them does not exceed the volume expected to be pumped during each a pumping cycle so that particles pass through at least one check valve during each pump cycle and are preferably spaced closer together so that the liquids in the liquid production cycle would pass at least two check valves 145 for each cycle of pump operation. Also, with the smaller diameter in the production path 155 , the pump rate or liquid velocity within the liquid production path should equal or exceed the lift velocity required for the well and for the re-entrainment of the solids into the liquid flow. With a sufficiently small diameter of the rod string 125 , re-entrainment of the solids should be quicker and more certain.
Turning now to FIG. 3 , the downhole pump 120 and well completion arrangement including the production tubing 150 and hollow rod string 125 are operated and supported at the surface by a rocking beam 170 and pipes and vessels. The rocking beam 170 includes a horse-head shaped bracket 171 that is positioned at the end of the rocking beam 170 with a linkage 172 connected to the upper end of the hollow rod string 125 . As the rocking beam 170 lifts and lowers the bracket 171 , the hollow rod string 125 raises and lowers through packing 173 . Packing 173 seals the top of the annulus within the production tubing 150 and outside the hollow rod string 125 as the hollow rod string telescopes in and out of the wellbore 110 . A swivel 174 at the top of the hollow rod string connects to a flexible hose 181 to the interior of the hollow rod string 125 to carry liquids produced from the hollow rod string 125 to a separation vessel 185 a where solids are allowed to sink, gases may separate to the top and clean liquid is transferred on to storage tank 185 b . The liquids may be delivered to market as indicated by the arrow 186 or recycled back into the well bore 110 through conduit 182 . The liquids may be filtered by any acceptable filtering technology such as a cartridge filter 183 . The clean liquids are then directed through conduit 184 into piping that leads to the inside of production tubing 150 . Natural gas that has passed up the annulus 119 to the top of the well is directed into gas gathering line 188 to be conveyed to market as indicated by arrow 189 .
In wells that produce problematic volumes of solids, the solids will tend to settle to the bottom of the hole and even begin to fill the gas annulus 119 while the pump 120 is not in operation. To flush these solids, just prior to initiation of the pump cycle, some of the liquid in tank 185 b is delivered into the tubing annulus 160 to pass to the bottom thereof and pass through ports 154 . Preferably, a significant volume of liquids are directed into the tubing annulus 160 to blow through the ports 154 with force to stir the solids and create a large volume of a slurry comprised of a lot of fluid and fine and small sized particles. What the inventor has noticed is that once enough liquid has entered the tubing annulus 160 that the weight of the liquid has exceeded the gas pressure, the liquid then siphons more and more liquid into the tubing annulus 160 . Preferably, only an amount of liquid that can be pumped by the pump 120 in a reasonable period of time, such as one hour, is allowed into the tubing annulus. Gas from the gas annulus is allowed to fill the tubing annulus 160 behind or above the added liquids. With the liquid flushing and treating the wellbore, the slurry is then drawn into the pump 120 through the strainer nipple 142 and through the standing valve 144 as described above. The pump 120 continues to pump as liquid is continually delivered to tubing annulus 160 until the solids content of the liquid has satisfactorily diminished or until the volume of clean liquid in tank 185 b is depleted. The advantage of delivering clean fluid down the tubing annulus 160 is that it remains clean all the way to the ports 154 and thereby prevents the high solids slurry from vulnerable locations inside the barrel 140 near the top of the plunger 130 .
Thus, the plunger 130 has clean liquid around the outside thereof and to the extent that any filtered liquid might pass along the small gap around the outside of the plunger 130 and within the barrel 140 , it would tend to sweep any particles in that gap back into a location where such particles are directed up into production path 155 .
At the end of the pump operation cycle, it is preferred that the plunger 130 is in the “up” position so that if gas had entered the space below the bottom of plunger 130 and above standing valve 144 that some amount of filtered liquid in the barrel 140 would pass through the small gap during the idle time and occupy enough space to unseat the traveling valve 134 before the plunger reaches it full bottom stroke. As long as the travelling valve 134 can be unseated, the gas will quickly pass into the plunger and the gas lock condition will be alleviated without having to undertake substantial intervention. In an alternative embodiment, double standing and double travelling valves may be preferred where fluid travels through a first of the double valves and then through the second. A double valve arrangement provides redundancy in the event that solid particles block open one of the valves. It is preferred that once the liquid at the bottom of the wellbore 110 is depleted that the pump be stopped. With minimal liquid volumes to be pumped, the velocity of the liquids in liquid production path 155 tends to diminish below the speed which fully entrains the solids. As emphasized above, it is highly desirable to produce the fines and particles to the surface. It is generally seen that vertical velocities of about one half of one foot per second or greater (≧0.5 fps) is sufficient to entrain most solids.
In the preferred operation of the well, the pump is stopped in the “up” position until a pump cycle is ready to be undertaken (whether due to elapsed time, reduced gas production or by initiation of an operator at the surface, etc.) a volume of clean liquid is delivered to the tubing annulus 160 from the tank 185 b . The pump area of the well is flushed with the liquids stirring up fines and particles while accomplishing any other intended treatments at the bottom or at other locations at predetermined locations higher in the well. With the fines and particles having been stirred into the liquid, the pump 120 is started and begins its operation of up and down movements to pump the slurry or liquid with suspended fines and particles to the surface. The slurry progresses up the interior of the hollow rod string 125 along the liquid production path 155 at a velocity that will re-entrain fines and particles that have settled out of the liquid from the previous pump cycle back into the liquid to be carried to the surface. The fines that had settled out should have only settled on the top of the last check valve that the slurry passed before the pump shut down at the end of the previous pump cycle. Once the liquid level has been pump down, conventional pump-off control technology detects that the liquid level has diminished and preferably shuts down the pump and ends the pump cycle. With a substantial volume of liquid delivered to the tubing annulus, all of the liquid and solids in the liquid production path is preferably completely produced to the surface along with a substantial portion of newly added liquid. However, some operational schemes may not include a great amount of new liquid so the spacing of the check valves 145 may be more important ins some wells so that any fines that enter the interior of the hollow rod string 125 progress beyond at least one additional check valve at each pump cycle including the recognition that such fines will need to be re-entrained at the start of each pump cycle and therefore on top of a check valve and must flow all the way beyond the next check valve to eventually make it fully to the surface. Such calculations to making sure that solids progress is to space the check valves at a distance that is less than the minimum volume of liquid expected to be pumped for each pump cycle. A reasonable margin of error may be to space the check valves at one barrel distances (depending on the diameter of the hollow rod, about 1000 feet) or at one half barrel distances if the minimum expected volume will be 1 or 2 barrels.
While abrasion and wear are the primary concern of the inventor, another aspect of the present invention that may help avoid gas locks is to provide a vent 158 to allow any gas that has entered the quiet zone 153 such as gases dissolved from the hydrocarbon liquid to pass back into the annulus 119 and exit the well 10 . The vent 158 is above the highest opening in the strainer nipple 142 so that the liquid level inside the quiet zone 153 is not lower than the liquid level outside the quiet zone in the annulus 119 . Another strategy to alleviate gas lock is to increase the fluid slippage past the plunger/barrel interface from annulus 160 into barrel 140 to displace traveling valve 134 and push gas into flow path 155 .
Chemical treatments such as a scale, corrosion or paraffin inhibitor may be added into production tubing 150 or into the tubing annulus 160 . It should be noted that even hot liquid such as hot water or oil may be added to tubing 150 to enhance production by softening paraffins. The tubing annulus 160 provides many new options for addressing a near endless list of challenges in the oil field.
In one further preferred aspect related to FIG. 3 , a rod rotator may be installed at the top of the well near the location where the bracket 171 attaches to the hollow rod string 125 to rotate the hollow rod string 125 and spread any wear from the up and down motion evenly around the outside of the sucker 125 for longer rod string life. Also, with the rod string 125 being hollow, it will likely and preferably have a larger diameter than equivalent non-hollow rod string of the same strength and will therefore have a larger radius distributing any load on the inside of the production tubing 150 in a manner that will reduce wear on the production tubing 150 .
While it should be understood that the invention introduces two tubing strings which enables operators of wells to control the operating environment of the pump 120 . The invention provides a way to flush water or other liquid to the pump from above through the tubing annulus 155 .
Turning to FIG. 4 , the production tubing 150 may include additional ports 154 a at an elevation above the barrel 140 and further ports 154 b at various levels above that. With these additional ports, liquids and treatments including hot fluids and chemical treatments may be directed into the gas annulus 119 for treatments as desired. Tools may be inserted into the tubing annulus below ports 154 a or 154 b so that the flow of such liquids and treatments may be directed with more focus into the gas annulus at the location desired.
One interesting aspect of this arrangement is that with the liquids coming to the surface within a hollow rod string, the liquids exit the well pumping system on the “downstroke” of the rod pump. In conventional rod pumps, the liquid production occurs on the “upstroke.” This point may not seem significant, but it does reveal that the present invention is quite different than prior systems.
Finally, the scope of protection for this invention is not limited by the description set out above, but is only limited by the claims which follow. That scope of the invention is intended to include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Each and every claim is incorporated into the specification as an embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the claims are part of the description and are a further description and are in addition to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. The discussion of any reference is not an admission that it is prior art to the present invention, especially any reference that may have a publication date after the priority date of this application.
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The invention relates to a double string slurry pump for pumping liquids to the surface of a hydrocarbon well and especially a hydrocarbon well that is producing both natural gas and liquid fluids. The double string slurry pump includes a hollow tube that raises and lowers the plunger and carries the liquids to the surface and an outer tube receives liquids down into the well to periodically flush area around the pump to stir up particles and fines for conveyance out of the wellbore with the liquids. The additional conduit for flushing may be used to provide biocides, solvents or other treatments including with liquids at elevated temperature to create desired results or changes downhole. Moreover, the additional conduit may be provided with ports to provide access to the interior of the gas production path to provide such treatments above the well. The natural gas is produced through the annulus between wellbore casing and the outer production tubing string.
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FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for securing settings of a computing device. In particular, the present invention relates to securing settings of a data capture device such as, for example, a barcode scanner and/or a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Generally, settings for a conventional computing device are initially configured by a manufacturer. This allows the computing device to be used out-of-the-box without requiring manual configuration prior to use. However, the settings are typically customizable and reconfigurable based on, for example, user preferences, operating environments, intended uses, etc.
[0003] Typically, there is no restriction on reconfiguring the settings. Thus, an employee may reconfigure the settings based on personal preference, even though an employer may desire the computing device to predefined settings. For example, the employee may adjust a brightness level of a display screen of the computing device to a maximum level. While this is a departure from the predefined settings, this setting may also unnecessarily waste power available to the computing device. In addition, a subsequent user of the computing device may waste time reconfiguring the settings based on his personal preferences. Thus, there is a need to restrict access to the settings of the computing device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention relates to a system and method for securing settings of a computing device. A barcode scanner comprises a memory storing a first parameter for a setting, an input arrangement receiving first authentication data from a user of the scanner and a processor comparing the first authentication data to stored data to authenticate the user. The stored data includes second authentication data corresponding to at least one user authorized to reconfigure the setting. If the user is authenticated, the processor adjusts the setting with a second parameter received from the user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a system according to the present invention.
[0006] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a method according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0007] The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and the attached drawings, wherein like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention describe a system and method for securing settings of a computing device. Although the exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to a mobile computing device and, in particular, a barcode scanner, those of skill in the art will understand that the systems and methods for securing settings may be similarly implemented on stationary computing devices such as, for example, PCs, copiers, fax machines, sound systems, display screens, smart appliances, etc.
[0008] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a system 2 for securing settings on a computing device according to the present invention. The system 2 may comprise components typically utilized in a wired/wireless local area network (LAN). For example, the system 2 may include a server 4 that is coupled to a wireless access point (AP) 6 via a communications network 8 . The network 8 may comprise one or more network computing devices (e.g., routers, bridges, repeaters, etc.) which are part of and/or connected to other communications networks (e.g., further LANs, an intranet, a wide area network, the Internet). The server 4 may also have access to a database 10 which may be used in an authentication procedure, as will be described further below.
[0009] The AP 6 provides wireless access to the server 4 and the network 8 for a mobile computing unit (MU) 12 . The MU 12 may be a processor-based computing device which includes a memory and a wireless transceiver for conducting wireless communications with the AP 6 (e.g., according to an IEEE 802.11 protocol). The MU 12 may be an imager-/laser-based scanner, an RFID reader, a mobile phone, a PDA, a laptop, a tablet computer, a digital camera, a portable media player, a handheld computer, etc.
[0010] The memory of the MU 12 stores setting data corresponding to at least one setting of the MU 12 . The settings may include, for example, barcode symbologies recognized by the MU 12 , a date/time, a display characteristic (e.g., volume, LCD brightness), a power-save mode time, a scan session time, wireless communications, etc. Those of skill in the art will understand that the present invention may be similarly implemented for any other setting utilized by the MU 12 . The setting data may further include a parameter which corresponds to each of the settings and is used for current operation of the MU 12 . For example, the setting for the LCD brightness may include a parameter indicative of a brightness level.
[0011] In the exemplary embodiment, access to the setting data is restricted by a security mechanism (e.g., password, biometric, location-based, MU identifier, etc.). That is, the security mechanism may prevent an unauthorized user from reconfiguring a setting with a new parameter. In one exemplary use, an employer may implement the security mechanism to ensure that employees do not reconfigure the setting data. For example, the setting data may be configured with a parameter(s) indicating that the MU 12 should only recognize proprietary barcodes utilized in the employer's store. If the setting data was reconfigured to recognize standard barcodes (e.g., UPC, EAN), the MU 12 may improperly recognize or decode the proprietary barcodes.
[0012] In another exemplary use, the setting data may be configured with a parameter(s) indicative of a current date and time. In this manner, the MU 12 may be used for age verification procedures during the purchase of tobacco, alcohol, firearms, video games, movies, magazines, etc. Allowing an employee to reconfigure the current date and time may enable underage persons to obtain these items.
[0013] In a further exemplary use, the setting data may be configured with a parameter(s) indicative of one or more display characteristics. That is, the employer may determine parameters for LCD brightness and volume which are sufficient for the employees to conduct their assigned tasks in known environments (e.g., retail store, warehouse, shipping yard, etc.). Using these parameters, the MU 12 will not have to be recharged during the tasks. In addition, the MU 12 will operate uniformly between uses and users. Allowing the employees to alter the setting(s) for the display characteristic(s) may unnecessarily waste battery power of the MU 12 and time for subsequent users of the MU 12 .
[0014] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a method 200 for securing settings on a computing device according to the present invention. The method 200 describes a process for authenticating a user, and determining whether the user is authorized to enter a new parameter for reconfiguring a setting of the MU 12 . While the exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to the server 4 executing the authentication procedure, those of skill in the art will understand that the authentication procedure may be similarly implemented by the MU 12 . That is, the MU 12 may execute the full authentication process without communicating with the network 8 or the server 4 . In this embodiment, the MU 12 may not include the wireless transceiver.
[0015] In step 202 , a setting is selected by the MU 12 in response to a user indication, e.g., a selection of the setting via a user interface (e.g., touch screen/pad, keypad, etc.) of the MU 12 . The processor of the MU 12 may interpret the selection and select the corresponding setting. A parameter associated with the setting may be displayed on a display screen of the MU 12 .
[0016] In step 204 , the MU 12 receives authentication data from the user. That is, if the user attempts to change the parameter for the setting, the MU 12 may prompt the user for the authentication data. The authentication data may be, for example, a password, a PIN code, a biometric identifier (e.g., retina scan, fingerprint, voice), a handwriting sample (e.g., a signature), etc. and received via an input arrangement (e.g., a keypad, a laser-based scanner, an image capture device, a biometric reader, a touch screen and a touch pad). Those of skill in the art will understand that the user interface of the MU 12 or a peripheral device (e.g., a barcode scanner) coupled thereto or integral therewith may be utilized to receive the authentication data. For example, the scanner may scan a barcode on the user's identification badge and/or may scan barcodes associated with commands and/or alphanumeric characters. In the latter case, the scanner may scan a command barcode for entering a password, then scan letter/number barcodes and finally scan an input barcode so that the password is assembled by the MU 12 to complete the authentication data.
[0017] In step 206 , the MU 12 transmits the authentication data to the server 4 , and the server 4 compares the authentication data to stored data in the database 10 . The stored data may be input by an administrator and correspond to authentication data of users authorized to adjust the setting(s) of the MU 12 . Alternatively, the stored data may correspond to an initial password stored on the MU 12 or input by the user upon a first use of the MU 12 . In one exemplary embodiment, the authentication data may authorize the user to change a plurality of settings on the MU 12 . That is, one password may allow the user to change any or selected ones of the settings on the MU 12 . In another exemplary embodiment, a separate password may be required to change each of the settings. For example, the user may be given a password to change the parameters for the display characteristics of the MU 12 , but not the date/time parameter.
[0018] In the exemplary embodiment, the server 4 compares the authentication data to the stored data and generates result data indicating whether the user is authorized to change the parameter for the setting. As noted above, the authentication procedure may be performed locally by the MU 12 . In this instance, the stored data may be stored in the memory of the MU 12 . The store data may be updated periodically by, for example, downloading the stored data from the server 4 and replacing it in the memory of the MU 12 . In this manner, the administrator may authorize users to change the settings from a remote location.
[0019] In step 208 , the result data indicates that the authentication data does not match the stored data. The result data is transmitted to the MU 12 , and the MU 12 disallows the user's request to enter a new parameter for the setting. In step 210 , the result data indicates that the authentication data matched the stored data. The result data is transmitted to the MU 12 , and the user is allowed to enter a new parameter for the setting. In step 212 , the MU 12 reconfigures the setting with the new parameter.
[0020] In another exemplary embodiment, the result data may include a limit on the new parameter. For example, the limit may indicate that the new parameter for the LCD brightness must be within a predefined range. The MU 12 may deny the change if the new parameter is outside of the limit. Alternatively, the result data may include a predetermined list of parameters from which the user may choose.
[0021] In a further exemplary embodiment, the server 4 may utilize an override after determining whether the user is authorized to change the setting. For example, a comparison of the authentication data to the stored data may indicate that the user is not authorized to change the setting. However, based on a location of the MU 12 , a time of use, etc., the result data may be overridden to indicate that the user is authorized to change the setting or may impose a less stringent limit on the new parameter. Alternatively, the override may be implemented as an expanded limit/range for the new parameter. An exemplary scenario in which the location may be utilized is when the MU 12 is being used in a shipping yard. The user may be unauthorized to change the LCD brightness. However, because the MU 12 is being used in the shipping yard, the server 8 may authorize the user to change the setting. Thus, on an overnight shift, the user may adjust the LCD brightness.
[0022] The present invention has been described with the reference to the above exemplary embodiments. However, those of skill in the art will understand that various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the broadest spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings, accordingly, should be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.
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Described is a system and method for securing settings of a computing device. A data capture device comprises a memory storing a first parameter for a setting, an input arrangement receiving first authentication data from a user of the scanner and a processor comparing the first authentication data to stored data to authenticate the user. The stored data includes second authentication data corresponding to at least one user authorized to reconfigure the setting. If the user is authenticated, the processor adjusts the setting with a second parameter received from the user.
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This application is a division of Ser. No. 08/456,188 filed May 31, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,635, which is a division of Ser. No. 07/699,336 filed May 13, 1991 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,753.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an engine driven marine vehicle water jet propulsion apparatus, whereby said apparatus has a plurality of improvements, relating to safety, efficiency, material of construction, adaptability to varied applications, longevity, serviceability, weight and operator comfort.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Marine Jet drives propelling a vessel based on water jet propulsion have long been known and used due to certain advantages over the traditional external ship's propeller. An engine driven impeller, rotating inside an impeller housing pumps water from below the vessel through an intake duct, then pressurizes and expels said water through a diffusor housing and a nozzle horizontally behind the vessel. A typical example of such a conventional marine jet drive is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,833, which shows a pump, that may be driven vertically or horizontally and is positioned near the bottom and transom of a marine vessel. The conventional jet propulsion systems have certain general advantages that make them especially attractive under circumstances where a conventional ship's propeller would be exposed to damage by contact with underwater objects. A jet drive has the further advantage that it does not produce appendage drag and is safe for swimmers and animals who could be hurt by the rotating blades of an external propeller.
The known jet drives have, however, certain drawbacks compared with the conventional external propeller propulsion system. A major drawback is caused by the lack of adaptability to specific engines and hull designs, because of the high expense of manufacturing a specific jet drive for each of a variety of applications.
Furthermore, the conventional jet drives rely in their design concepts on the predictability of the tensile, compression and shear strengths as well as the modulus of elasticity and coefficient of expansion, characteristic of certain metals, to maintain impeller alignment and clearance tolerances in relation to impeller housing, diffusor housing and intake duct. Because of the long unsupported span of the drive shaft in the intake duct, impeller tip clearance needs to be loose to allow for the flexing of said shaft and the relative movement of the forward bearing due to deformation under load of the conventional jet drive intake duct. This loose tip clearance detracts from jet drive efficiency. Operation in sandy water, using conventional jet drives is compounded by water lubricated impeller shaft bearing wear, that in turn causes impeller tip wear because of contact with the impeller housing, further loosening the tip clearance with a further detrimental effect on efficiency. The use of metals, as referenced above, in water produces corrosion and electrolysis, and its deleterious effects on efficiency and longevity of conventional jet drives have to be accepted.
The location of the engine in the vessel is compromised by the need for a flexible drive shaft in front of the conventional jet drive, requiring the placement of the engine further forward in the vessel, taking up more otherwise usable space. A further drawback is the difficulty in sealing a low pressure lubricating oil space from high pressure water generated by the impeller. Another drawback of conventional jet drives is caused by the inability of discharging the engine exhaust gas with the jet stream, leaving a significant heat, odor and noise signature, adversely affecting personnel on and near the vessel. Still another drawback is the large size and weight of the steering and reversing deflectors, used in conventional jet drives, as well as a lack of ability to steer the vessel in case of loss of engine power. Other drawbacks are that finding a neutral position by balancing forward and reverse thrusts, still causes slight vessel movement when no movement is wanted, requiring the presence of personnel at the steering station, to keep the vessel from changing position. Also, the fixed nozzle aperture and lack of trim control of a conventional jet drive allow for only one most efficient operating condition on marine vessels, that are characterized by a variety of loading and trim conditions.
Transom interference with forward water flow during reverse operation hinders the otherwise good reverse and maneuvering capability of a conventional marine jet drive; likewise, trim planes are incompatible in conjunction with conventional jet drive reversing systems because said planes block said forward water flow. Another drawback is the placement of steering and reversing hydraulic control cylinders, hydraulic hoses, position feedback cables, and lubricating hoses outside the vessel, exposed to water and the weather where corrosion and marine growth damage exposed rod ends, hydraulic seals and hoses.
Further, because of the recited deficiencies, conventional jet drives require time consuming disassembly and frequent servicing and repair.
There further is a tendency of waterborne debris to be caught in the water intake duct grid and the impeller or wrapped around the drive shaft of a conventional jet drive, with no quick means of removing it, immobilizing and endangering the vessel as the engine has to be tuned off to clear debris. Clearing the intake duct is a time consuming process, done through the access hatch from inside the vessel or by a diver from below the vessel. Some conventional jet drives have grid cleaning devices built in, however these devices are not effective, and give a false sense of security, and, they do not free the shaft or the impeller from debris.
It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a marine jet drive propulsion system that overcomes the disadvantages of the known jet drives. In particular, the jet drive according to the present invention provides better efficiency by having better matching capability to engine and hull design without high cost, by means of an exchangeable insert in the impeller housing, with matching impeller, altering the pump characteristics to best advantage of a particular application without changing the impeller housing. Similarly, the nozzle aperture can be changed without changing the nozzle housing by the use of fixed or controllable inserts.
Furthermore, the impeller is rigidly but rotatively supported inside the impeller housing, without the need of a stiff shaft and a bearing forward of the intake duct to maintain impeller alignment. Instead, an internal flexible drive shaft in the intake duct, connects the impeller with the engine, obviating an external flexible drive shaft. Thus, tighter impeller clearance, and better efficiency can be obtained. Any deformation of the intake duct under load, altering the position of the impeller housing and the diffusor housing and impeller shaft alignment in relation to the engine, will be absorbed by the flexible drive shaft. The engine may be placed on resilient mounts, as the output shaft movement in relation to the impeller shaft, likewise will be absorbed by the flexible drive shaft. The design concept using a flexible drive shaft eliminates the detrimental effect of a lower tensile, compression and shear strength, and the less predictable modulus of elasticity and coefficient of expansion of composite materials. The use of non-metallic, non-conductive materials avoids corrosion and electrolysis. The internal flexible drive line allows the engine to be placed further rearward to gain usable space in the vessel. The intake duct is provided with a shaft sleeve enclosing the flexible drive shaft, keeping water from coming into contact with said shaft. Material of construction of said drive shaft may be chosen entirely based on strength, without concern of corrosion and may be smaller in diameter and lighter in weight. The use of low cost, easily serviceable water and oil shaft seal arrangements is possible because of the tight tolerance of the impeller shaft bearings. A void space is provided between oil seal and water seal, connected via a port internal to diffusor housing and impeller housing to the vessel's interior, where a sensor may determine the presence of lubricant or water, alerting the operator to a seal failure. Similarly, lubricant feed and drain ports connect the bearing space inside the diffusor housing internally, then internal to the impeller housing to a reservoir inside the vessel. Said void space drain port and lubricant ports are produced as an integral part of the diffusor housing and impeller housing and avoid the need for external hoses exposed to the elements.
Furthermore, an engine exhaust internal to the jet nozzle is provided, to improve engine efficiency, because of suction created by the jet stream and improve personnel comfort by ejecting exhaust heat, noise and fumes with the jet stream. U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,876 shows engine exhaust in combination with the jet stream, however the exhaust is peripheral to the jet stream and is added behind the jet nozzle and is not internal to it and does not enhance efficiency or remove exhaust heat and fumes with the jet stream, nor does it suppress exhaust noise. U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,537 uses exhaust gases and engine generated heat to decrease behind-the-jet nozzle frictional losses between a submerged jet stream and surrounding water to render said jet stream more effective.
Further, the invention provides a combined steering and reversing mechanism that is lighter in weight and smaller in dimension and has improved performance. U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,997 displays a reversing means, whereby a single, centrally located reversing scoop moves up from the bottom of a steering tube, deflecting water for reversing down and forward. The present invention uses a single fixed split duct with right and left ports or twin reverse ducts, fastened to left and right steering deflectors, sending water flow forward and angled away from the intake duct during reverse operation and is in concept different from the referenced patent.
A discharge nozzle aperture control means is provided to allow most efficient performance at varying vessel conditions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,616 shows an externally applied two position thrust controller. The present invention in contrast does not control thrust, but refers to an internally attached permanent or adjustable nozzle aperture and directional trim control, that has as purpose the adaptation of the aperture of the nozzle to obtain most efficient operation under varying vessel conditions such as longitudinal center of gravity and vessel weight.
A set of steering vanes may be provided, attached to the outer surfaces of the reverse ducts, as they are fastened to the steering/reverse deflectors and move with said deflectors. U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,494 provides for an auxiliary rudder that is actuated by the jet pump pressure and swings out of the way at higher speeds, to reduce drag. The present invention uses the reverse ducts, also a subject of the present invention, to rigidly support the steering vanes.
Also provided is reverse operation eliminating backwash against the transom using a reverse/trim plane in close proximity to the jet drive, that retracts to a position above the reverse ducts during reverse operation forcing all forward water flow underneath the vessel. In forward direction the reverse/trim plane may be adjusted like a trim plane.
The mechanical or hydraulic controls, operating the combined steering/reversing deflectors, the nozzle aperture inserts and reverse/trim plane are placed inside the vessel to avoid marine growth and weather exposure. They are however attached to the impeller housing forward flange. Sliding control rods with water seals at the transom connect said deflectors, aperture inserts and reverse/trim plane to the mechanisms inside. This allows the installation and adjustment of said mechanisms to be done at the factory, without the need of having the intake duct present. Additionally, these control mechanisms have a park position whereby all control rods are pulled into their retracted positions, preventing damage from corrosion and marine growth to the sealing surfaces, while the vessel is idle for extended periods of time. Even in the event of failure of said water seals, only water will leak into the vessel and no oil will leak into the water, avoiding pollution and hydraulic system failure.
Further, there is provided an automatic zero movement neutral position by means of a centrifugal clutch that disengages at idle speed. An interlock is provided to prevent the clutch from engaging in the park position, to allow high idle speeds and starting of the engine without activating the jet drive.
Furthermore, a more efficient intake duct is provided by means of a gradually rising rearward edge of the bottom intake opening, forming a wedge shaped section back down to said intake opening. said rising rearward edge produces a diminishing apparent intake opening as the vessel moves faster in forward direction, while the wedge lower surface produces added lift to the vessel. U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,015 shows an elevated intake opening rearward edge parallel to the intake opening level, to permit a simpler manufacturing procedure and does not compare in relation to its position or its function. The invention further provides better protection of the intake duct against floating debris, by means of tapered grid bars as well as an intake debris removal system using pressurized fluid ejection from the grid bars, in a continuous manner or in a short burst. A debris cutting device is placed just forward of the impeller to prevent debris from wrapping around the impeller hub.
Further, construction, operation, weight reduction and maintenance features are part of the invention, as will be described in detail in the following presentation with appended drawings and claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Bearing in mind the foregoing, it is a principal object of the present invention to improve the adaptability of a marine jet propulsion means to varying vessel shapes, engine power and speed requirements by modifying the pump characteristics and the jet nozzle aperture and jet direction without the requirement of replacing the impeller housing and the nozzle housing. The use of a wear ring insert in the impeller housing with matching impeller modifies the pump; one or more inserts in the nozzle housing modify the aperture in permanent or controllable manner.
A collateral object is the rigid but rotative suspension of the impeller shaft in the diffusor housing; the mounting of an impeller to said shaft may be by means of a quick release taper arrangement; the bearings supporting said shaft being located internal to said diffusor housing, transmitting bearing forces and impeller thrust in a concentric and symmetrical manner along the centerline of said shaft to the impeller housing and the intake flange on the vessel, said arrangement permitting a close tolerance between impeller tip and wear ring inside impeller housing.
A subsequent collateral object is the provision of lubricant for said bearings, said lubricant being supplied and drained via ports internal to diffusor housing and impeller housing and connected to a reservoir with level alarm inside the vessel. Said ports are internal to diffusor and impeller housing to prevent exposure of external hoses to the elements.
A subsequent collateral object is the use of a drive shaft with a flexible, universal or constant velocity coupling with a spline connection at each end, attached to the impeller shaft at one end and the engine output shaft at the other end, absorbing alignment errors as the result of intake duct deformation and engine movement on resilient motor mounts.
A subsequent collateral object is the placement of a shaft sleeve over said drive shaft, said sleeve being rigidly fastened to the intake duct, serving to protect the drive shaft from coming in contact with water in the intake duct, preventing debris from wrapping around said shaft and allowing the selection of a stronger shaft material without regard to corrosion prevention, so reducing shaft size and weight; providing a mounting point for the forward shaft seal cartridge, that is placed between the impeller and the shaft tube; and provide a back stop for the fixed blade of the rotating debris cutter, said cutter being attached to the impeller hub; said seal cartridge allowing for mis-alignment between impeller shaft and shaft sleeve as a result of intake duct deformation and also providing a quick disconnect feature when impeller and shaft sleeve are separated, said seal being in cartridge form, to prevent damage to the seal faces during installation and removal.
Another collateral object is to separate water, pressurized by the impeller from said lubricant by the creation of a void space with a lubricant seal on one side and a rear water seal on the other side, said void space being connected via a port internal to the diffusor housing and the impeller housing to the vessel's interior, where it is connected to a suitable reservoir with detecting means for lubricant or water, alerting vessel operator of an oil seal or a rear seal failure; said port being internal to diffusor housing and impeller housing to avoid exposure of an external hose to the elements; a labyrinth seal being placed between diffusor inner housing forward edge and the impeller bell rearward edge to reduce the pressure on said rear water seal and decrease the thrust load on said bearings.
A further collateral object is bringing the engine exhaust into the jet stream internal to the nozzle, to eject said exhaust with said jet stream under vacuum, created by the jet velocity, so improving said engine's performance, ejecting exhaust heat and fumes and suppressing exhaust noise; during reverse operation the exhaust port is closed and a valve arrangement opens above atmospheric pressure to allow escape of exhaust gases on either side of the jet drive; alternately, air or a mixture of exhaust gas and air nay be admitted into the nozzle for water aeration purposes.
A further collateral object is obtaining a lower bulk and lover weight steering and reversing system with left and right steering/reversing deflectors, attached to the jet nozzle so that they can rotate in the horizontal plane; the shape of said steering deflectors chosen in a manner, that engagement of either deflector with the jet stream causes a deflection of said jet stream and a resulting steering response in the opposite direction; when both deflectors are closed cutting off the rearward flow of the jet stream, a baffle arrangement forces the jet stream down into reverse ducts splitting the stream into a right and left duct and directing it forward and underneath the vessel, to effect a reverse reaction. Moving the deflectors in unison, while closed, will deflect more water to the left or right reverse duct, so obtaining steering in reverse. A neutral position may be found by closing the steering/reverse deflectors part way until the forward and reverse forces balance. Steering vanes way be attached to said deflectors, to obtain steering when engine is not running.
Another collateral object is reverse operation, eliminating backwash against the transom using a reverse/trim plane in close proximity to the jet drive retracting above the reverse duct discharge ports during reverse operation forcing all forward water flow underneath the vessel. In forward direction it is adjusted and functions like a trim plane.
A further collateral object is the mechanical or hydraulic control of the combined steering and reversing deflectors the nozzle aperture inserts and reverse/trim plane from inside the vessel to avoid marine growth and weather exposure to the control mechanisms; said control mechanisms however being attached to the impeller housing forward flange, allowing the installation and adjustment of said mechanisms to be done at the factory, without the need of having the intake duct present. Sliding control rods with water seals at the transom connect said deflectors aperture inserts and reverse/trim plane to the mechanisms inside. Additionally, these control mechanisms have a park position whereby all control rods are pulled into their retracted positions, to prevent corrosion and growth on the sealing surfaces of said control rods during idle periods.
Further, a collateral object is an automatic zero movement neutral position by means of a centrifugal clutch disengaging the jet drive shaft from the engine at idle speed; an interlock being provided to prevent the clutch from engaging in the park position.
Furthermore, another collateral object is a more efficient intake duct, provided by means of a gradually rising rearward edge of the bottom intake opening, of the intake duct, forming a wedge shaped section back down to said intake opening. Said rising rearward edge produces a diminishing apparent intake opening as the vessel moves faster in forward direction, while the wedge lower surface produces added lift to the vessel.
Another collateral object is better protection of the intake duct against plugging by floating debris, by means of rearward tapered grid bars, providing increased clearance toward the rear edge; an intake debris removal system using pressurized fluid ejection from said grid bars, in a continuous manner or in a short burst. A debris cutting device is placed just forward of the impeller to prevent debris that passed the grid bars from wrapping around the impeller hub.
A further collateral object is the quick servicing capability, of the part of the jet drive assembly disposed generally behind the intake flange, including impeller housing, diffusor housing, nozzle housing, inner housing and impeller, with all attachments thereto. Upon release of the impeller housing flange from the intake flange, and release of the void space drain and oil lines, the movement in rearward direction of said assembly causes the snap action locking feature of the water seal cartridge at the shaft sleeve/impeller hub interface to disengage and the forward spline connection of the drive shaft to disengage, so that said portion of the jet drive can be removed. Wear ring insert, Impeller, debris cutter and all seals can now be serviced without the need of further jet drive disassembly or drainage of the lubricant cavity. Reversely, the re-installation of the jet drive assembly can be accomplished quickly. The removal and re-installation may be done under water, by providing special covers for the impeller housing flange oil and void space connection fittings as well as a shaft sleeve cover, preventing water from entering the vessel, when the assembly is removed.
A further collateral object is the reduction of parts and weight. The impeller housing, the diffusor housing and the nozzle housing are all equipped with features according to this invention, that allow major changes in jet drive performance, without said housings changing shape. Accordingly said impeller, diffusor and nozzle housings may be made as one piece, eliminating two flange connections and associated fasteners, also making the one piece lighter than the combination of the three.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment which is illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view over the shaft centerline, to show the interior construction;
FIG. 2 Is a partially broken plan view of the invention to show the bottom opening of the intake duct and the cross section of a stator vane and the right exhaust plenum;
FIG. 3 is an end elevation view of the invention looking forward, showing the left steering/reversing deflector (the right deflector is omitted to show the nozzle and baffles) and reverse/trim plane arrangement;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational cross-section through the centerline, showing details of the impeller hub tapered bushing arrangement, shaft tube suspension, drive shaft and flexible coupling arrangements and the seal arrangements;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary partially broken elevational view of the invention to show aperture control and trim control arrangements and the steering mechanism;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, partially broken plan view of the invention showing details of the steering and reversing system;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, partially broken elevational view looking rearward, showing the steering and reversing mechanism as well as the debris cutter;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the invention showing details of an alternate, mechanical reverse control mechanism;
FIGS. 9 and 10 show fragmentary elevational end view and cross section of the invention showing the grid bars with fluid discharge apertures.
Before explaining the disclosed embodiments of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangements shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In accordance with the invention there is provided a marine jet drive as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, located generally at the transom T of a vessel and generally above the line line K, with the direction of the jet stream J rearward, to promote said vessel's movement forward as indicated by arrow F. Said jet drive has an impeller housing 1, attached to intake flange 2; a rotatable impeller 3, disposed in impeller housing 1, its axis of rotation aligned generally with keel line K; a diffusor housing 4 connected to the impeller housing 1 forming a water outlet port; an inner housing 5, disposed inside diffusor housing 4; a drive shaft 6, rotatively connecting the impeller 3 with the engine 7; a nozzle housing 8 forming a rearward facing nozzle, attached to the diffusor housing 5, having means of deflecting jet stream J; an engine exhaust discharge tube 9, attached to inner housing 6; a water intake duct 10, placed ahead of the impeller housing, attached to the vessel and transmitting the generated thrust forces to said vessel; and an intake grid 11, disposed in the intake duct 10.
Impeller 3 includes an impeller hub 12, an impeller bell 13 and a plurality of impeller blades 14 having blade tips 16 radially extending from the impeller bell 13. A circular wear ring insert 15 is inserted coaxially, snugly fitting the inside of the impeller housing 1, the impeller blade tips 16 extending to within close proximity of the inner surface 17 of the wear ring insert 15. The blades 14 are advantageously positioned to promote fluid flow from the intake duct 10 to the diffusor housing 4 when the impeller 3 rotates. The diameter of inner surface 17 of wear ring insert 15 may vary and the shape of the inner surface 17 of wear ring insert 15 may be cylindrical, conical or bell shaped, depending on the performance requirements of the jet drive application. The size and shape of impeller housing 1 and diffusor housing 4 are not affected by the variation of inner surface 17. The pump characteristics can be greatly varied without the requirement of a different impeller casting to produce impeller 3, or a different diffusor housing or impeller housing.
The diffusor housing 4 supports the inner housing 5 by a plurality of stator vanes 18, radially disposed between diffusor housing 4 and inner housing 5, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The stator vanes 18 are advantageously positioned to recover the rotational energy, imparted by the impeller 3. At least one of these vanes 18 may have an internal port 93 or a port 69, 148 or 149, for the fluid communication of air, exhaust gases, lubricating oil and/or drain water to and from the inner housing 5 to and from the periphery of the diffusor housing 4.
In accordance with a further feature, there is provided a jet drive, where the impeller 3 is supported on a shaft tube 19, as shown in FIG. 4. The impeller hub 12 is tapered towards the rear and accepts coaxially a split tapered bushing 20, that in turn fits coaxially over shaft tube 19 and may be pushed tightly into the impeller hub 12 by means of impeller lock nut 21, engaged by thread 23 to the shaft tube 19, to lock said hub in place on said shaft tube. An abutment 22 on the shaft tube 19 prevents the impeller hub 12 from moving rearward as the lock nut 21 is tightened. A thread 32 on the tapered bushing 20, permits the application of releasing force by means of a release nut (not shown), against impeller hub 12 to release the tapered bushing 20 and free the impeller hub 12 from the shaft tube 19, so providing a quick installation and release method for installing and removing the impeller 3. The impeller torque is transmitted via 2 or more keys, at least one outer key 24 between impeller hub 12 and tapered bushing 20 and at least one inner key 25 between bushing 20 and shaft tube 19. The tapered bushing 20 is oriented to cause the thrust in forward direction F, generated by the rotation of the impeller 3, to force said impeller tighter on said tapered bushing.
In accordance with a further feature there is provided a jet drive with a rotatively supported shaft tube 19 to support the impeller, as shown in FIG. 4. Said shaft tube is suspended by a forward journal bearing 26, a rear journal bearing 27 and a thrust bearing 28. The rear journal bearing 27 and the thrust bearing 28 provide axial lock-up of the shaft tube. The thrust force of the impeller 3 is transmitted via tapered bushing 20 to the shaft tube 19 by the thrust bearing 28 to a bearing support 29, that also supports the forward journal bearing 26. Said bearing support is affixed to the inner housing 5 with a plurality of fasteners 30 at the interface between inner housing 5 and bearing support 29. The rear journal bearing 27 is supported directly by a recess 31 in the inner housing. This support method fixes the impeller 3 rigidly but rotatively in relation to the impeller housing 1, and allows for closer tolerances between impeller tips 16 and wear ring insert inner surface 17, so improving the efficiency of the jet drive.
In accordance with still another feature, there is provided a marine jet drive which includes a drive shaft 6 with a forward flexible coupling 33, inside the vessel, coupling engine 7 to said drive shaft and a rear flexible coupling 34 inside a cavity 35 in the shaft tube 19, coupling drive shaft 6 to the shaft tube 19. The shaft tube 19 is split perpendicularly to the axis of rotation at the largest diameter of cavity 35, to facilitate the installation of the rear flexible coupling 34. The forward wall of the cavity 35 is formed by a flange 36, rigidly attached to the shaft tube 19. Said flange transmits the thrust load to the thrust bearing 28 and serves as the driven part of flexible coupling 34. The driving flange 37 of said coupling is suspended in cavity 35 via the flexible element 38 of coupling 34 and has a hub 39, that is provided with a spline connection 40 engaging shaft 6. A flexible seal 82 may be placed between shaft tube 19 and drive shaft 6 to prevent water entry into the rear flexible coupling cavity, while said drive shaft may articulate as permitted by the coupling 34. The coupling cavity 35 is further formed by a rear flange 41 with a forward protruding rim 42, engaging the forward flange 36 of the cavity 35 with a close tolerance register, to maintain alignment of the rear journal bearing 27 with the forward journal bearing 26 and thrust bearing 28. At the other side of rear flange 41 is located a hub 43 supporting rear journal bearing 27. At the forward end of the drive shaft 6 is a similar flexible coupling 33, with the driven flange 44 attached to the drive shaft 6 with a spline connection 40 similar to the one in hub 39. The driving flange 45 is attached to the output shaft of engine 7, which may be placed an resilient engine supports (not shown), to limit transmission of engine vibrations to the vessel. Engine movement and misalignment are absorbed by the flexible couplings 33 and 34 and spline connections 40 and no external flexible drive line is needed to accommodate said engine movement and mis-alignment, while allowing placement of the engine 7 directly adjacent to the jet drive. The spline connection 40 provides torque transmission and permits axial movement between drive shaft 6, flanges 37 and 44, while allowing quick release of said drive shaft from said coupling flanges, by extraction of the drive shaft 6 from either or both flanges.
Alternately, when the engine 7 is placed further forward in the vessel, a drive shaft forward bearing (not shown) may be placed in stead of engine 7 and a line shaft may be coupled to the drive shaft 6.
The marine jet drive may further include a shaft sleeve 46 in the intake duct 10, enclosing the drive shaft 6, supported by intake upper wall 47 and upper and lower longitudinal webs 48 and 49 in said intake duct. The sleeve 46 prevents the exposure of the rotating drive shaft 6 to water and debris, that might be ingested by the intake 10 and get wrapped around said drive shaft, inducing cavitation of the impeller 3, by producing turbulence in the water inflow. Additionally, as no water from intake duct 10 comes in contact with drive shaft 6, by virtue of forward seal cartridge 51 and shaft sleeve 46, the alloy of manufacture of said drive shaft may be chosen purely for its strength and not for corrosion protection, the higher strength permitting a smaller and lighter drive shaft 6. At the shaft sleeve rear end 50 is provided a mounting means for a forward seal cartridge 51 between the impeller locking nut 21 and the shaft sleeve 46. Further, the inner bore of the sleeve 46 may be tapered, providing a larger bore diameter towards the forward end of the drive shaft, to allow for the increased drive shaft articulation as the forward flexible coupling 33 is approached, as shown in FIG. 1.
The instant invention further provides for a forward seal cartridge 51, to protect the sealing surfaces between seal face 54 and seal element 55 and allow quick engagement and withdrawal without the need for access, as shown in FIG. 4. It prevents water in the intake duct 10 from entering between the forward end of the rotating impeller hub 12, where impeller lock nut 21 is located and the rear end 50 of the fixed shaft sleeve 46. Since shaft sleeve 46 is in fluid communication with the vessel's interior, it prevents water from entering the vessel. Seal cartridge 51 may be fastened to, or be an integral part of the impeller lock nut 21, while it engages the opposing sleeve end 50, with a snap action locking and sealing feature. The forward seal cartridge 51 consists of a rotary seal face 54, held in place by suitable means, a static seal element 55 and a spring housing 56, which is held captive by retaining pins 57, holding the seal assembly inside impeller lock nut 21 and so forming a cartridge, preventing the separation of the sealing surfaces. Engaging the forwardly protruding end of spring housing 56 in at recess in sleeve end 50 will force O-ring 58 to compress and then expand again as the neck of the recess is overcome, pulling the spring housing 56 forward, until abutment 59 seats on the end face of shaft sleeve end 50. When so engaged, the spring housing 56 will be moved rearward, in relation to retaining pins 57, so that they no longer touch spring housing 56 and can rotate freely with impeller lock nut 21. The spring 60 forces seal element 55 against seal face 54. The heat generated by the friction between said seal face and said seal element, will be conducted through the seal element to cooling fins 61 at its outer surface. Water from the intake duct is pulled in from the gap between impeller nut 21 and sleeve end 50, then is pulled past said cooling fins and exits through a plurality of radially disposed holes 62 in lock nut 21, by centrifugal force. Rotational lock-up is provided between seal element 55, spring housing 56 and sleeve end 50, to prevent said components from turning with the seal face 54.
A further function of the shaft sleeve 46 is providing a fixed support for a debris cutting device 53, mounted on the impeller lock nut 21, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. Its purpose is to cut long stranded debris, that has passed through intake grid 11 and prevent it from wrapping itself around impeller hub 12 and against impeller blades 14, thereby causing the pump to cavitate and/or become unbalanced. The cutting device 53 consists of one or more rotating blades 63 and one or more stationary blades 64, the latter kept from rotating by back stop 52 on sleeve end 50.
A rear sealing arrangement 65 according to this invention is placed between the forward journal bearing 26 and the cavity 66 surrounded by the impeller bell 13 and the bearing support 29, which is filled with pressurized water during jet drive operation, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The cavity 67, enclosed by the inner housing 5 and the bearing support 29 contains all bearings and is filled with lubricating oil at atmospheric pressure. To separate said oil and water and diligently prevent their mixing, a void space 68 is created between the forward bearing and the cavity 66, that is connected via a void space drain port 69 through stator vane 18 and through impeller housing 1 and transom flange 2, to the vessel's interior. An oil seal 70 is placed adjacent to the forward bearing 26, to close off the oil cavity 67 and a water seal 71 is placed between the bearing housing 29 and the impeller hub 12, to close off the water cavity 66. Failure of either seal will cause fluid drain into the void space 68 and to the vessel interior via drain 69, where water or oil may be observed, to identify a seal failure. A suitable reservoir 72 may receive said water or oil and by means of a float switch 73 and electrodes 74 remotely alert the vessel's operator whether the fluid is the result of a water or oil seal failure. To further protect against a water seal failure, first a labyrinth seal 75 is placed at the periphery of the impeller bell 13, to reduce the pressure in the space enclosed by said bell and the bearing support 29, as shown in FIG. 1. The relief ports 77 through the impeller bell 13 bring the water pressure in cavity 66 down to that of the intake duct and consequently reduce the thrust load on the thrust bearing 28 and the pressure on the water seal 71. Secondly, as shown in FIG. 4, an emergency seal 76 is placed adjacent to the oil seal 70 on the void space side, so that even in the event of failure of both water seal 71 and labyrinth seal 75, water will be prevented from entering the oil and a steady water flow from the void space drain 69 will identify that condition. Consequently, to prevent flooding of the vessel as a result of said water flow, the reservoir 72 is provided with a suitable vent and drain duct 83, that rises well above vessel waterline W, and drains over board.
The present embodiment of the invention further includes an engine exhaust tube 9, placed inside the nozzle housing 8 in the jet stream, producing suction for the discharge of engine exhaust gases and noise from the engine 7 inside the vessel, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The exhaust tube 9 is supported by the inner housing 5 and is in fluid communication with an inner plenum 78, formed by the tail end of the inner housing 5. One or more outer plenums 79 are located on the periphery of diffusor housing 4 and are in fluid communication with the inner plenum 78 via ports 93 in one or more stator vanes 18. The exhaust from the engine enters through exhaust ducts 80 into outer plenums 79. When the jet drive is operating in the reverse mode, the exhaust tube 9 is closed off by steering/reversing deflectors 86 and 87, to prevent water from entering the exhaust system. The outer plenums 79 are provided with flapper valves 81 that open when pressure inside said outer plenums exceeds atmospheric pressure, allowing engine exhaust gases to escape when the impeller is not turning or when the jet is operating in reverse. The exhaust suction created by the exhaust tube 9 has a beneficial effect on the performance of the engine 7, improving efficiency and increasing the available power of said engine. Exhaust fumes are ejected with the water jet stream J and exhaust noise is muffled as it is not exposed to the atmosphere in the vicinity of the vessel.
Furthermore, by allowing air instead of exhaust discharge to enter the exhaust tube 9, by exposing the intake of outer plenum 79 to the atmosphere instead of exhaust duct 80, an effective method of aeration of a body of water may be obtained. This is important where the combined purposes of marine propulsion and water aeration are of benefit.
The exhaust tube 9 may be detachable from inner plenum 78 for the purpose of exchanging said exhaust tube, without the need to change the diffusor housing. The varying power output of engine 7 and a varying nozzle port 85 aperture may require said exhaust tube to be of varying size.
The jet drive further includes a nozzle housing 8, at the rearward end forming the nozzle discharge port 85, to accelerate the jet stream and is shaped on the outside to accommodate and support the left and right steering/reversing deflectors 86 and 87. The nozzle discharge port 85 is shaped advantageously, to promote the efficient functioning of said nozzle port, the efficient deflection of the jet stream J for steering while moving forward, and the efficient deflection for reversing and steering while in reverse. This shape may be circular, oval, rectangular or trapezoidal or any combination of these shapes. The present embodiment in cross sectional view, prefers a shape symmetrical about a vertical axis through the center of the impeller axis, of trapezoidal shape for the upper half of the nozzle and of rectangular shape for the bottom half of the nozzle discharge port 85, with the upper and lower corners rounded off in circular shape, as best shown in FIG. 3.
The steering/reversing deflectors 86 and 87 are each pivotally suspended about vertical axes, that may be parallel and separate or coincident. The present embodiment shows coincident suspension about a common upper pivot pin 89 and common lower pivot pin 90. These deflectors are located to each side of the nozzle and consist of segments, that may be cylindrical spherical or conical in shape or any combination of these. The present embodiment provides for the upper half to be conical and the lower half to be cylindrical. The nozzle shape generally matches this shape. Upon actuation of the left deflector 86 to engage the jet stream J, the reaction will be to turn the vessel to the right, the reaction being stronger as the deflector engages a larger portion of said jet stream. The opposite reaction will result from actuation of the right deflector 87. At the bottom of each deflector and below the jet stream J are disposed reversing ducts 96 and 97, rigidly attached to deflectors 86 and 87, so that they turn with said deflectors. When both deflectors are simultaneously fully engaged in the jet stream J and close off the rearward flow of the water, said jet stream's only escape will be down and forward through the reversing ducts 96 and 97, producing a forward flow G and a reverse reaction on the vessel, The orientation of said reverse ducts is such that the flow direction in straight reverse steering position, from reverse ducts 96 and 97, is approximately 30 degrees away from straight forward to the left and to the right, to avoid depositing aerated water near the jet drive intake duct 10. The direction is also approximately 30 degrees downward, so that the reverse flow may pass below the vessel transom T and below reverse/trim plane 101, when in the retracted position. These angles may vary, to suit specific requirements. The water flow to the reverse ducts 96 and 97 is divided by the inside vertical baffles 94 of the reverse ducts. In the reverse position, said vertical baffles come together and form a single flow divider. Reverse steering is obtained by rotating the steering/reverse deflectors in unison, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, where said deflectors and said flow divider are in the reverse, hard to port position. Left duct 96 has a small cross hatched area 91 feeding it, while cross hatched area 92 identifies the much larger area of flow to the right duct 97. This results in a reverse jet stream G2 much stronger than G1, resulting in a reverse left turn. One or more turning vanes 98 may be placed in reversing ducts 96 and 97, to promote efficient reverse flow and increase structural integrity of said reversing ducts. Alternately, in a different embodiment, the reverse duct may be replaced by a single split duct, rigidly attached to nozzle housing 8, placed below the steering/reverse deflectors. Said split duct having left and right outlet ports aimed in forward direction at angles approximately 30 degrees away from straight forward and approximately 30 degrees downward. The vertical baffles 94 remain rigidly attached to the steering/reversing deflectors and as before, when placed together in reverse, form a flow divider. Said vertical baffles extend to close proximity of the split reverse duct, preventing water from escaping into the opposite port. Steering action in reverse, causes flow variation to the right and left outlet and reverse steering action as a result. The advantage of this embodiment is a lower force on the vertical pivots 89 and 90, a lower strain on control rods 106 and 107 and less aeration of the intake duct 10 when steering in reverse, but no steering vanes 102 and 103 can be used.
A neutral position way be found by closing both deflectors 86 and 87 until the composite of reverse jet streams G1 and G2 is in balance with forward jet stream J.
In this embodiment, the conical shape of the upper parts of deflectors 86 and 87, serves to promote the jet flow downward to the reverse duct, without adversely affecting the steering function in forward. In other embodiments, a sideways reverse flow may be produced, or a combination of directions may be produced, depending on the shape of the nozzle discharge port and steering/reverse deflectors chosen.
Baffle 88 is located above nozzle discharge port 85, in the horizontal plane and prevents upward escape of the jet stream J, when the steering/reversing deflectors engage said jet stream. Baffles 99 are placed to each side of the nozzle discharge port 85 with their outer edges in close proximity to the steering deflectors, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Baffles 100 are located at the base of the nozzle in the horizontal plane and serve to form the upper walls of the reversing ducts 96 and 97. Baffle 88 and baffles 99 are joined respectively at their outward and upward edges; baffles 99 and 100 are joined at respectively the lowermost and rearmost edges, forming one continuous baffle arrangement, preventing jet stream escape in any direction but rearward or downward.
A steering and reversing control assembly 104 as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 is coupled to the deflectors 86 and 87 with rod end bearings 105 for turning said deflectors into the jet stream J and may be hydraulically or mechanically or electromechanically actuated. The control assembly 104 is advantageously placed inside the vessel to protect said assembly from the corrosive action of water and air outside the transom T. Said assembly is suspended directly from the forward flange 84 of impeller housing 1. This permits the installation and alignment of the assembly 104 in the factory, without the presence of any components forward of transom flange 2. When the jet drive is installed on the vessel, the assembly 104 will be re-installed in identical fashion, without the need of adjustment or alignment of the linkages. A left control rod 106 and right control rod 107 are supported by linear bearings 108 and are provided with water seals 109 on the rearward ends to prevent water entry into the bearings and the vessel. Said control rods are pivotally connected to the left and right steering/reverse deflectors 86 and 87 via linkages 110 and rod end bearings 105. The forward ends of said control rods are pivotally linked to a bell crank 111, via linkages 112. Actuation, of said bell crank by steering cylinder 113, will cause the deflectors 86 and 87 to turn in unison, thereby providing steering action with the vessel in general forward movement. The bell crank pivot pin 114 is attached to a sliding base 115, slidably supported on two rods 116, that are rigidly attached to forward flange 84 of impeller housing 1, by means of stiffener rods 134 and back plate 135, permitting said base to slide along an axis in parallel to the control rods 106 and 107. The sliding base 115 is actuated by reverse control cylinder 117 and when it is moved in rearward direction, the deflectors 86 and 87 close to the reverse position and coil spring 118 maintains a controlled closing force. Steering action in reverse is obtained by actuation of the bell crank 111, by steering cylinder 113. A neutral position may be found by moving the sliding base 115 to a position between forward and reverse, until the thrust generated by forward and reverse flow balances. In addition, the reverse cylinder 117 may move sliding base 115 all the way forward to the park position, pulling both control rods 106 and 107 all the way forward, so that no surface of said rods, that forms a sealing surface for the water seals 109 is exposed to marine growth, during extended periods of non-use of the vessel.
In another embodiment, the sliding base 115 may be replaced with a base disposed in the same approximate position, but supported pivotally about a vertical axis, approximately the same distance forward of the transom as the bell crank pivot bolt 114 and more than the bell crank radius to either side of the jet drive centerline. The pivot support is rigidly mounted to the forward mounting flange 84 of impeller housing 1. The travel of bell crank pivot pin 114 in this embodiment will describe an arc with little deviation from the straight line, produced by slide 115. The linkages 112, pivotally attached to control rods 106 and 107 will compensate for said deviation.
In another embodiment, the forward, reverse and park control may be cam operated as shown in FIG. 8. A cam 157 is disposed rotatively about a vertical pin 158 on sliding base 115 and has dimples 159, 160 and 161, placing said sliding base in reverse, forward and park as identified by R, F, and P. Cam 157 is rotated by lever 162, connected to an operating means. Cam follower 163 is attached to push rod 164, supported by back plate 135 and is spring loaded with spring 165, providing a pressure load to maintain the steering/reverse deflectors 86 and 87 closed in the reverse position. Springs 166 provide cam loading for the forward and reverse positions, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
The jet drive way further include left and right steering vanes 102 and 103, each attached to the outboard surfaces of reverse ducts 96 and 97 respectively, as seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 6. The rudders are disposed in the vertical plane, parallel with the vessel keel line K when the deflectors 86 and 87 are positioned for straight forward movement of the vessel. The steering action will as a result also cause the rudders to articulate in the desired direction. Steering vanes 102 and 103 may be attached rigidly or pivotally, with a shear bolt or with shear bolts only, to prevent damage to the reverse ducts 96 and 97 in case the rudders strike a solid object, so that they can break away or rotate out of the way.
The jet drive includes a nozzle housing 8 with therein disposed inserts 121 and 122, held in place on the upper and lower walls of said nozzle housing by suitable fasteners, to alter the aperture of jet nozzle discharge port 85, without the need to change the complete nozzle housing 8. A jet stream directional trim may be obtained by selecting inserts 121 and 122 in selected thicknesses and profiles, to obtain said trim.
Alternately, moving inserts 123 and 124 may be placed in nozzle housing 8, pivotally supported in the upper and lower interior walls so as to allow actuation via push rod 125, rocker 126, control rod 127 and cylinder 128, from inside the vessel to adjust the degree of deflection of the inserts 123 and 124. By moving both inserts 123 and 124 inward or outward together, the aperture is controlled. By moving said inserts together in parallel, a trim action of the water jet stream up or down is obtained. The cylinder 128 is directly fastened to flange 84 of impeller housing 1. A water seal 109 prevents water from entering the vessel, where rod 127 passes through flange 84. In the park mode P, the control rod 127 is moved in the forward most position, to prevent marine growth from attaching itself to the sealing surface of said rod.
Also included in the jet drive design is a reverse/trim plane 101, pivotally attached to the transom T, by hinge 130, below the jet drive, to prevent forward flowing water from reverse ducts 96 and 97 from hitting transom T and to favorably influence the performance of the vessel while moving forward. Hydraulic cylinders 131 position said reverse/trim plane during forward operation. A hydraulic valve 132 with roller actuator 136, mounted on the steering/reverse control back plate 135 is operated by cam 133, attached to sliding base 115 and causes the cylinders 131 to retract fully, when shifted in reverse. In forward mode the reverse/trim plane resumes its adjusted trim position, as hydraulic valve 132 is actuated by the forward movement of sliding base 115, via actuator 136 and cam 133.
The reverse/trim plane cylinders have a park position similar to the steering/reverse control rods, whereby the actuating cylinders 131 are in the fully retracted position, to prevent marine growth on the rod surfaces during protracted times of inactivity. When the slide base 115 moves all the way forward in the park position P, valve 132 is again actuated, causing the retraction of cylinders 131.
As described above, a neutral thrust position of the deflectors can be found, by moving sliding base 115 in between the forward and reverse positions. However, always a slight movement will be experienced, as the balancing may not be constant or accurate, requiring steering station attendance as long as the engine is running. A true neutral position may be obtained by the use of a centrifugal clutch 137, mounted on the output shaft of the engine 7, automatically disengaging the jet from the engine at idle speeds. In the park mode of the steering/reverse slide 115, a linkage 138, operating a control lever 139 to the clutch 137 prevents said clutch from engaging at any engine speed so that the engine 7 may be started without engaging the jet at higher warm-up speeds. During emergency handling, if the need occurs to move from forward to reverse in quick order, the centrifugal clutch 137 will remain engaged, as the engine speed never returns to idle.
The jet drive according to the invention may also be prevented from causing movement in neutral position of deflectors 86 and 87, by admitting air to the intake duct 10 in a location near the impeller 3, by using a valve (not shown) to control the admission of said air. The aeration causes the impeller to stop pumping water, when engine is at idle, so preventing vessel movement. At higher engine speeds, the admission of air to the intake duct, will lower the engine load from the jet drive and will allow the jet drive to operate at reduced power, when engine power is needed to operate other devices on the vessel, such as fire pumps, bilge pumps, hydraulic pumps, while maneuvering control of the vessel is required.
According to the invention, the jet drive may further include an intake duct 10, with disposed at the rearward end an intake flange 2. Said intake duct is attached to the vessel for the transmission of all thrust, steering and reversing forces, generated by the jet drive and may be incorporated as a part of said vessel.
The intake duct 10 may have a raised trailing edge 140 which produces a decrease in apparent intake opening as the vessel speed increases, so reducing the flow of water into said intake duct at higher velocities while not affecting the water intake opening at low speeds. The surface 141 between the trailing edge 140 and the transom T is slanted down in rearward direction as the result of the raised position of said trailing edge. It serves to provide added lift at planing speeds and transom continuity for the reverse/trim plane 101 adjacent to it.
The marine jet drive may further include a plurality of grid bars 11 in the water intake duct, which are disposed in the vertical plane and parallel with the axis of rotation of impeller 3 and may be fastened to the intake duct upper wall 47 with a flange plate 143. The grid bars may advantageously be rearwardly tapered in vertical horizontal and longitudinal section, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and may be stub ended in order to provide an increased clearance as debris moves aft along or through the bars, denying it all opportunity to wedge and plug the grid. As a further feature, the grid bars may be staggered in the vertical plane, by placing grid bars 144 higher up on flange plate 143, to stop wedging of larger debris between the lower bars 11. As described above, the intake duct trailing edge 140 is raised and the grid bars 11 and 144 way not be attached to said trailing edge but way be stub ended below and rearward of said trailing edge, preventing debris from lodging against said trailing edge.
The grid bars may have hollow interiors connected to a compressed fluid source via a plenum chamber 145, formed by the grid bar flange plate 143 and a recess in the upper surface 47 of the intake duct 10. A plurality of apertures in the grid bars admit the pressurized fluid to the exterior surfaces for clearing debris clinging to the grid bars. A suitable fluid conductor (not shown) may connect the space of high water pressure behind the impeller blades 14 to the plenum 145, as a pressurized fluid source. Alternately, an accumulator may discharge fluid under high pressure into the plenum 145 to quickly free any debris that may have lodged in the grid bars. Similarly, the trailing edge 140 may be provided with a tubular manifold 146 with a plurality of apertures 147, to clear said trailing edge of debris by means of high pressure fluid. The manifold 146 may be in fluid communication with the plenum chamber 145 of the grid bars.
According to another feature of the instant invention, pressurized fluid from the area behind the impeller blades 14 may be advantageously used to prime other pumps on board said vessel that would not prime on their own, such as other jet drives, ballast pumps, bilge pumps, or fire pumps. A fluid conductor (not shown) which may have a valve to control the flow in said fluid conductor, admits said pressurized fluid to the suction side of said other pumps.
The instant invention also provides for the lubrication of the bearings 26, 27 and 28 by means of oil supply port 148 and oil drain port 149, that pass through the uppermost and lowermost stator vanes 18 and thence through the impeller housing 1 via flange 84 and transom flange 2 to the vessel's interior. Fluid conductors 150 and 151 connect ports 148 and 149 to the oil reservoir 152, placed well above water line W. Self sealing disconnect fittings 156 are placed on flange 84 of impeller housing 1, connecting ports 148 and 149 with fluid conductors 150 and 151 respectively, to prevent oil spillage when conductors 150 and 151 are removed from self sealing disconnect fittings 156.
According to the instant invention there is a provision for the quick removal and re-installation of the jet drive assembly disposed generally behind the transom flange 2, including impeller housing 1, diffusor housing 4, nozzle housing 8, inner housing 5 and impeller 3, with all attachments thereto. Upon release of the impeller housing flange 84 from the transom flange 2, by removing fasteners, not shown, and the disconnecting of oil conductors 151 and 152, the removal in rearward direction causes the snap action locking feature generally at interface 59 of the forward water seal cartridge 51 to release and the spline connection 40 at driven flange 44 of the drive shaft 6 to release, so that the complete outboard portion of the jet can be removed. By positioning the removed assembly with impeller axis in vertical position, the debris cutting device 53, the water seal cartridge 51, the impeller 3, the wear ring insert 15, the labyrinth seal 75 the water seal 71, oil seal 70, emergency seal 76 and drive shaft seal 82 may now be serviced without the need of further jet drive disassembly or drainage of lubricating oil. Reversely, the re-installation of the jet drive assembly can be accomplished quickly after inspection and/or overhaul. Said removal and re-installation can be accomplished with the vessel in the water, by providing special covers (not shown), closing off the forward opening of shaft sleeve 46 around drive shaft 6 as well as around the lubricating oil self sealing disconnect fittings 156 and void space drain passage 69 protruding through the intake flange 2, before removal of the jet assembly.
Furthermore, because the impeller housing 1, the diffusor housing 4 and the nozzle housing 8 are always joined together and some of the features of the instant invention permit the alteration of the primary characteristics of the jet drive, such as the impeller diameter and impeller outer profile, the exhaust tube size and the nozzle discharge aperture, said three components may be manufactured as one single component, eliminating the joints between them, so reducing the need for flanges, fasteners and reducing the weight and cost of manufacture.
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This invention relates to a marine jet drive having improved operation, especially in regard to having efficient adaptation to propulsion engine and hull design; having a drive shaft with flexible coupling at each end, internal to the jet drive; having through-the-nozzle engine exhaust; having simplified, combined means of steering and reversing; having controllable nozzle aperture and trim control; having combination reverse flow deflector and trim plane; having means to disengage the engine from the jet to obtain true neutral; having protection from and removal of debris in the water intake duct; generally having fewer overhauls, easier serviceability and lighter weight.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention concerns heart-monitoring devices and methods, particularly implantable defibrillators, pacemakers, and cardioverters, and methods for processing heart-signal data.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Since the early 1980's, thousands of patients prone to irregular and sometimes life threatening heart rhythms have had miniature heart-monitoring devices, such as defibrillators, pacemakers, and cardioverters, implanted in their bodies. These devices detect onset of abnormal heart rhythms and automatically apply corrective electrical therapy, specifically one or more bursts of electric current, to their hearts. When the bursts of electric current are properly sized and timed, they restore normal heart function without human intervention, sparing patients considerable discomfort and often saving their lives.
The typical implantable heart-monitoring device includes a set of electrical leads, which extend from a sealed housing through the veinous system into the inner walls of a heart after implantation. Within the housing are a battery for supplying power, a capacitor for delivering bursts of electric current through the leads to the heart, and heart-monitoring circuitry for monitoring the heart and determining not only when and where to apply the current bursts but also their number and magnitude.
The monitoring circuitry generally includes a microprocessor and a memory that stores a computer program. The computer program, or more generally the signal-processing algorithm, instructs the microprocessor how to interpret electrical signals that naturally occur during expansion and contraction of a heart muscle. The algorithm also instructs the processor what, if any, electrical therapy should be given to correct abnormal heart rhythms.
In general, these algorithms are either too complex or too simple. Complex algorithms require considerable processing time and power to implement. Greater processing time generally lengthens device response time, and greater power requirements generally shorten the lifespan of the batteries in these devices. Simple algorithms, though faster and less-power-hungry, are often less accurate in interpreting heart electrical signals, leading devices to overlook some heart conditions, to apply unnecessary electrical therapy, or to apply the wrong type of therapy.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for algorithms that are not only energy-efficient, but also highly accurate in diagnosing and treating abnormal heart rhythms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To address this and other needs, the inventor has devised new methods for processing heart electrical signals and selecting appropriate therapy options. An exemplary embodiment of the method computes three statistics—range statistic, a minimum interval statistic, and a dispersion index—from a set of atrial depolarization intervals, which indicate the time between successive depolarizations in the atria of a heart. More particularly, after rejecting the two shortest and two longest intervals, the exemplary embodiment defines the range statistic as the difference between a first arid last one of the remaining intervals, the minimum interval as the smallest of the remaining intervals, and the dispersion index as the standard deviation of the remaining intervals.
The exemplary embodiment then uses the three statistics to compute a number, which the inventor calls an interval dispersion assessment (IDA), to quantify the current rhythmic state of a heart. If this number is greater than a threshold value, typically experimentally determined, the exemplary embodiment interprets the current rhythmic state of the heart as, for example, an atrial or ventricular fibrillation. On the other hand, if the number is less than the threshold value, the exemplary embodiment interprets the rhythmic state as an atrial flutter or ventricular tachycardia.
Other exemplary methods use the three statistics to define a point in a three-dimensional space. The space is defined by three axes which correspond to the three statistics, making it possible to plot the “position” of the point in the space. These methods also define a surface, for example, a plane in the space, based on a set of values for the three statistics. The set of values are determined using a threshold value as a constraint. Position of the point above or below the surface can then be used to identify a rhythmic state corresponding to the point as, for example, an atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation or as a ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.
Ultimately, the exemplary method and other methods embodying teachings of the present invention can be incorporated into medical devices, for example, pacemakers, defibrillators, or cardioverter defibrillators, to identify and treat abnormal rhythmic conditions both efficiently and accurately.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary implantable heart monitor incorporating teachings of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method incorporating teachings of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an exemplary graph of a three-dimensional function incorporating teachings of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is exemplary graph of another three-dimensional function incorporating teachings of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following detailed description, which references and incorporates FIGS. 1-4, describes and illustrates one or more specific embodiments of the invention. These embodiments, offered not to limit but only to exemplify and teach the invention, are shown and described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Thus, where appropriate to avoid obscuring the invention, the description may omit certain information known to those of skill in the art.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary implantable heart-monitoring device (or pulse generator) 100 incorporating teachings of the present invention. Device 100 includes a monitoring system 110 , a lead system 120 , a therapy system 130 , a power system 140 , and an interconnective bus 150 . Monitoring system 110 includes a processor or microcontroller 112 and a memory 114 . Memory 114 includes one or more software modules 116 which store one or more computer instructions in accord with the present invention. Some embodiments of the invention replace software modules 116 with one or more hardware or firmware modules. In the exemplary embodiment, processor 112 is a ZiLOG™ Z80 microprocessor (with a math coprocessor), and memory 114 is a read-only memory. However, the invention is not limited to any particular microprocessor, microcontroller, or memory.
Lead system 120 , in the exemplary embodiment, includes one or more electrically conductive leads—for example, atrial, ventricular, or defibrillation leads—suitable for insertion into a heart. One or more of these are suitable for sensing electrical signals from a portion of the heart and one or more are suitable for transmitting therapeutic doses of electrical energy. Lead system 120 also includes associated sensing and signal-conditioning electronics, such as atrial or ventricular sense amplifiers and/or analog-to-digital converters, as known or will be known in the art.
In some embodiments, lead system 120 supports ventricular epicardial rate sensing, atrial endocardial bipolar pacing and sensing, ventricular endocardial bipolar pacing and sensing, epicardial patches, and Endotak® Series and ancillary leads. In some embodiments, lead system 120 also supports two or more pacing regimens, including DDD pacing. Also, some embodiments use a housing for device 100 as an optional defibrillation electrode. The invention, however, is not limited in terms of lead or electrode types, lead or electrode configurations, pacing modes, sensing electronics, or signal-conditioning electronics.
Therapy system 130 includes one or more capacitors and other circuitry (not shown) for delivering or transmitting electrical energy in measured doses through lead system 120 to a heart or other living tissue. In the exemplary embodiment, therapy system 130 includes aluminum electrolytic or polymer-based capacitors. However, other embodiments use one or more other devices for administering non-electrical therapeutic agents, such as pharmaceuticals, to a heart. Thus, the invention is not limited to any particular type of therapy system.
In general operation, lead system 120 senses atrial or ventricular electrical activity and provides data representative of this activity to monitoring system 110 . Monitoring system 110 , specifically processor 112 , processes this data according to instructions of software module 116 of memory 114 . If appropriate, processor 112 then directs or causes therapy system 130 to deliver one or more measured doses of electrical energy or other therapeutic agents through lead system 120 to a heart.
FIG. 2, which shows an exemplary flow chart 200 , illustrates an exemplary data-processing method embodied within software module 116 and executed by processor 112 . Flow chart 200 includes blocks 202 - 220 , which are arranged serially in the exemplary embodiment. However, other embodiments of the invention may execute two or more blocks in parallel using multiple processors or a single processor organized as two or more virtual machines or subprocessors. Moreover, still other embodiments implement the blocks as two or more specific interconnected hardware modules with related control and data signals communicated between and through the modules. For example, block 206 can be built as a range-determination module, block 208 as a minimum-interval-determination module 208 , block 210 as a dispersion-index-determination module 210 , and block 212 as an interval-assessment module 212 which receives inputs from modules 208 - 210 and outputs a signal or quantity based on these inputs. Thus, the exemplary process flow is instructive to software, firmware, and hardware implementations.
In process block 202 , processor 112 of device 100 , receives data representative of all or part of an electrogram, including atrial (or ventricular) electrical activity. From this data, the processor calculates the time between successive atrial (or ventricular) depolarizations. In other words, the processor computes a set of pp-intervals (or atrial intervals) from the electrogram, with each pp-interval based on the time between one atrial depolarization and the next occurring atrial depolarization in the electrogram. Other embodiments compute intervals based on other generally recurrent features in the electrogram.
At process block 204 , the processor selects a predetermined number Y of the computed intervals for further processing, thereby defining a data window. For example, one embodiment extracts the last 12 consecutive intervals; another extracts the first or last 48 consecutive intervals; and yet another extracts the last or first 3 or 6 consecutive intervals. The selection process, in the exemplary embodiment, also entails sorting the computed intervals by magnitude and rejecting a certain number of the smallest intervals, for example the two smallest, and a certain number of the largest intervals, for example the two largest. Thus, the present invention is not limited to any particular number of intervals or to any particular scheme of selecting these intervals.
As shown in process blocks 206 , 208 , and 210 , the processor then uses the set of Y intervals to calculate three statistics. In block 206 , the processor determines the range of the last Y intervals, that is, the time, or temporal distance, between the earliest or first intervals and the most-recent or last interval included in the set of Y intervals. Some embodiments define and calculate the range based the time between the average of a first subset of the intervals and the average of a second subset of the intervals.
Thus, for example, one embodiment averages the earliest or first three intervals to determine a first composite interval, averages the latest or last three intervals to determine a second composite interval, and then computes the range as the difference of the first and second composite intervals. Moreover, variations of this embodiment, average the intervals using a weighted averaging scheme to give one or more of the intervals greater or lesser significance within the resulting composite interval.
Still other embodiments replace the range statistic with stability measurements as used in the existing Ventak™ family of devices manufactured by Guidant Corporation of St. Paul, Minn. Stability measurments are weighted averages of the differences between successive intervals. For example, if there are three intervals, one stability measurement would be the average of the difference of the first and second intervals and the difference of the second and third intervals. Weights may be chosen to emphasize or de-emphasize the relative importance of certain intervals, for example, older or younger intervals.
In block 208 , the processor determines a minimum interval from the set of Y intervals. In the exemplary embodiment, the processor selects the smallest interval in the set of Y intervals. However, in other embodiment, determining the minimum interval entails averaging two or more of the smallest intervals and/or selecting a minimum interval from a subset of the Y intervals. For example, some embodiments reject one or more of the intervals as a false interval, based on their length, to prevent them from corrupting the process of determining a minimum interval.
Block 210 entails determining a third statistic, that is, a dispersion index, based on the distribution or dispersion of the set of the Y intervals. The exemplary embodiment computes this dispersion index as the variance or standard deviation of all or a portion of the Y intervals. More specifically, computing the variance entails computing a mean, or average, interval using the relevant intervals, summing the squares of the interval deviations from the average interval (that is, subtracting the mean interval from each relevant interval to obtain a difference, squaring each difference, and adding the squared differences together), and dividing the total sum of these squares by the number of relevant intervals. Variance can be succinctly expressed as
Variance=(N−1) −1 *Σ N (Y i ˜Y mean ) 2 , Eq.(1)
where N denotes the number of relevant intervals, Σ N denotes summation over the N relevant intervals, Y i denotes the i-th one of the relevant intervals, and Y mean denotes the means, or average, of the N relevant intervals. (In some embodiments, N, the number of relevant intervals, is not equal to Y.) Standard deviation is defined as the positive square root of Variance.
Other embodiments of the invention use other methods to quantify dispersion. For example, one embodiment weights one or more of the intervals to give these intervals more or less significance in an otherwise conventional calculation of variance or standard deviation. Another embodiment, simply averages the absolute deviation of each relevant interval from a mean interval or from a selected one of the relevant intervals, such as the median interval. Still other embodiments of the invention use other measures of interval variation about some other parameter or measure. For example, one can generalize from the use of variance, which is a second order moment about the means of a sample set, to use higher, that is, third, fourth, and so forth, moments about the mean or another desirable quantity. Other embodiments also use versions of a stability measurement.
After calculation of the dispersion index, execution of the exemplary method proceeds to process block 212 . In block 212 , the processor calculates a scalar quantity, which the inventor defines as an interval dispersion assessment (IDA), based on the three statistics. In the exemplary embodiment, this entails evaluating a predetermined scalar function at the three statistics. Mathematical, this is expressed as
IDA=f(Range,Min_interval,Dispersion_index), Eq.(2)
where f denotes a predetermined function including at least three variables, or degrees of freedom.
More particularly, the inventor has devised two exemplary scalar functions. In a first exemplary scalar function, the IDA is directly proportional to the range and the dispersion index and inversely proportional to the minimum interval. In mathematical terms, this is expressed as
IDA 1 =K*Range*Dispersion_index*(Min_interval) −1 Eq.(3)
where K is a constant, Range denotes the range statistic calculated in block 208 , Dispersion_index represents the dispersion index calculated in block 210 , and Min_interval is the statistic calculated in block 206 . An exemplary value for K is unity.
In a second exemplary scalar function, the processor computes the AIDA according to the following equation:
IDA 2 =K 1 *Range+K 2 *Dispersion_index+K 3 *(Min_interval) −1 Eq.(4)
where K 1 , K 2 , and K 3 are constants. Thus, the second exemplary scalar function defines the IDA as a weighted sum of the range, dispersion index, and minimum interval. Exemplary values for K 1 , K 2 , and K 3 are respectively 0.0001, 0.0001, and 1.00. The Min_interval term in equation (4) is indicative of a maximum rate of depolarization. If K 3 equals 6000, then this term will equal the maximum rate.
The three statistics, range, minimum interval, and dispersion index can be combined in an unlimited number of ways to derive an IDA. For example, one embodiment averages IDA 1 and IDA 2 to determine another IDA, and another simply adds them or portions of them together to determine another IDA. Thus, the invention is not limited to any particular form of mathematical combination.
After calculating one or more IDAs, the exemplary method proceeds to process block 214 , which entails comparing at least one calculated IDA to a therapy threshold. If the IDA is greater than the therapy threshold, it indicates a first heart condition, such as atrial or ventricular flutter, and the processor branches to block 218 at which it directs therapy system 130 to diagnose the current rhythmic state as pace-terminable, which means that pacing pulses are likely to restore normal heart function. If the IDA is less than the therapy threshold, it indicates a second heart condition, such as atrial or ventricular fibrillation, and the processor branches to block 216 to diagnose the current rhythmic state as non-pace terminable, meaning that pacing pulses are not likely to restore normal heart function. An exemplary therapy threshold for discerning atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation using the first exemplary IDA is 2.25 or 5.0, and an exemplary threshold for discerning atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation using the second IDA is 0.001 or 2.25. Generally, one can determine therapy thresholds for an IDA in accord with the present invention, through experimentation using actual heart data.
After making the appropriate diagnosis in block 216 or block 218 , the processor executes block 220 , directing therapy system 130 to apply a therapy appropriate for the classification of the current rhythmic state represented by the intervals. The inventor forecasts that the use of the interval dispersion assessment as a determinant of therapy choice will ultimately result in more accurate therapy choices than is possible with algorithms of similar complexity. Moreover, the accuracy of the exemplary interval dispersion assessment or other versions may even rival that of more complex algorithms while saving considerable power and processing time.
The comparison of the scalar IDA to scalar threshold is a very simple way of discerning one condition from another condition, for example, atrial flutter or ventricular tachycardia from atrial or ventricular fibrillation. However, another aspect of the invention stems from realization that equations (3) and (4), which are used to compute the exemplary IDAs, can be set equal to a threshold value to define a set of ordered triples, which actually define surfaces in a three-dimensional space. For example, FIGS. 3 and 4 show three-dimensional surfaces developed by setting each of the functions equal to an exemplary threshold values and evaluating them over specific domains of interval range, minimum intervals, and dispersion indices.
More specifically, FIG. 3 shows a surface 300 plotted in the three-dimensional spaced by an inverse-minimum-interval axis 302 , a range axis 304 , and a dispersion axis 306 . Surface 300 represents a set of minimum intervals, ranges, and dispersions indices which jointly make equation (3) equal 5, with K equal 1. Similarly, FIG. 4 shows a surface 400 plotted in a space defined by an inverse-minimum-interval axis 402 , a range axis 404 , and a dispersion axis 406 . Surface 300 represents a set of minimum intervals, ranges, and dispersions indices which jointly make equation (4) equal 0.01, with K 1 , K 2 , and K 3 respectively 0.0001, 0.0001, and 1.00.
Surface 300 and surface 400 divide their respective spaces into two subspaces. One subspace, denoted AF 1 for atrial flutter, contains points generated from pace terminable rhythms, and the other subspace, denoted AF for atrial fibrillation, contains points that are non-pace terminable. Thus, in some embodiments, which provide a graphical display for displaying surface 300 or 400 , the relation of a point to the surface can be used to diagnose rhythmic states. If an IDA point lies above surface 300 or 400 , the processor deems the rhythm that produced the IDA, for example, certain atrial fibrillations, as non-pace terminable. Conversely, if the IDA point lies below the surface or oscillates above and below the surface over time, the processor deems the associated rhythm pace terminable.
Thus, the three statistics that the exemplary embodiment uses to define an IDA also define a point in a three-space which lies on the surface or on either side of the surface. One can therefore discriminate a condition using its coordinate position relative to a linear or non-linear surface. Similarly, one can choose two of the three statistics and define a line of demarcation in a two-space defined by ordered pairs of the chosen two statistics.
In some embodiments, implantable device 100 includes a wireless transceiver, which permits use of an external programmer to interrogate and program device 100 via bi-directional radio communications. At a minimum, this allows adjustment of one or more of the thresholds and other parameters defining an IDA. These thresholds and parameters can then be set and changed based on observations of a specific patient or group of patients. In other embodiments, the inventor contemplates replacing or supplementing an existing software module or algorithm with one in accord with the present invention. In still other embodiments, the exemplary methods are used to classify atrial rhythms which are, for example, between 100 and 200 beats per minute, inclusive.
CONCLUSION
In furtherance of the art, the inventor devised new methods for processing data representative of a heart electrogram and selecting appropriate therapy options. An exemplary embodiment of the method entails computing three statistics—a range statistic, a minimum interval statistic, and a dispersion index—from a set of depolarization (or polarization) intervals. More particularly, the exemplary embodiment defines the range statistic as the difference between a first and second one of the depolarization intervals, the minimum interval as the smallest of a subset the intervals, and the dispersion index as the standard deviation of the intervals. The exemplary embodiment then uses the three statistics to compute a scalar interval dispersion assessment (IDA), which it compares to a threshold to identify an appropriate therapy option. Ultimately, the exemplary method and other methods incorporating teachings of the present invention, can be incorporated into an implantable medical device, for example, a defibrillator or a cardioverter defibrillator, to identify and treat abnormal rhythmic conditions efficiently and accurately. The teachings of the present invention can also be incorporated into other applications which require classification of system conditions or states based on recurrent events.
The embodiments described above are intended only to illustrate and teach one or more ways of practicing or implementing the present invention, not to restrict its breadth or scope. The actual scope of the invention, which embraces all ways of practicing or implementing the teachings of the invention, is defined only by the following claims and their equivalents.
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Thousands of patients prone to irregular and sometimes life threatening heart rhythms have miniature heart-monitoring devices, such as defibrillators and cardioverters, implanted in their chests. These devices detect onset of abnormal heart rhythms and automatically apply one or more shocks to their hearts. When properly sized and timed, the shocks restore normal heart function without human intervention. A critical part of these devices is the monitoring circuitry, which includes a microprocessor and stored instructions, or algorithms, that govern how the devices interpret and react to electrical signals indicative of abnormal heart rhythms. Often, the algorithms are too simple or too complex. Algorithms that are too simple lead to unnecessary shocking of the heart, while those that are too complex consume considerable battery power. Accordingly, the inventor devised a relatively simple and accurate algorithm for determining appropriate therapy options. One version of the algorithm computes three statistics—a range statistic, a minimum interval statistic, and a dispersion index—from a set of depolarization intervals. This algorithm defines the range statistic as the difference between largest and smallest depolarization intervals, the minimum interval as the smallest of the intervals, and the dispersion index as the standard deviation of the intervals. A scalar interval dispersion assessment, based on the three statistics, is then compared to a threshold to identify a rhythm as a flutter or fibrillation. The three statistics can also define a point in a three-dimensional space, with rhythm identification based on relative position of the point and a surface in the space.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/349,680, filed on Jan. 17, 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
The present invention is related to a screen for mounting across a door opening. The screen hangs loosely in the door frame so that small children or pets can pass through the screen easily, but insect and debris entry is restricted.
The typical screen covering for a door comprises a mesh screening material mounted in a wood or metal frame similar in design and proportion to a standard door. However, this design requires the user to open the screened door in order to pass through the doorway. Some alternative designs, such as the screen assemblies described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,639 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,169, have eliminated the frame thereby allowing the screening material to hang freely in the doorway. But these designs can allow small gaps or open spaces remain along the sides of the screening material allowing the insects and debris to pass freely into through the doorway.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DEVELOPMENT
The present development is a screened door covering made from mesh screening material that hangs loosely in a doorway and that creates a mesh barrier along the side panels of the doorway. Because the screening material is not mounted in a frame, small children and pets can pass through the doorway easily. However, because the screened door covering is designed to create a mesh barrier along the side panels of the doorway, insects and debris are restricted from passing through the doorway.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a screened door covering made in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the screened door covering of FIG. 1 showing the folding pattern for the side folds; and
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the screened door covering of FIG. 1 before the screening material is folded and secured to the bar.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present development is a screened door covering. As shown in FIG. 1, a screened door covering 10 is designed for use in a standard doorway or door opening 90 having a top frame 92 , a hinged or fixed side 94 , an open side 96 , and a base 98 . Alternatively, the door covering 10 could be adapted for use in a larger door opening, such as a garage door, or may be used across a barn or stable doorway.
Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the screened door covering 10 comprises a mesh screening material 20 , a mounting bar 30 , and a means 40 for securing the mounting bar to the door top frame 92 . The mesh screening material 20 can be any material which will allow for adequate ventilation through the screening but that will prevent small insects and debris from passing through the mesh of the screening. Further, the material 20 should be sufficiently pliable that it can drape or drop in folds. The material 20 is preferably cut into an essentially rectangular shape with a top edge 22 , a bottom edge 24 , a first side edge 26 and a second side edge 28 . The material 20 has a width “w” which is slightly greater than the door opening width “W d ” or the distance between the fixed side 94 and the open side 96 of the doorway. Preferably, the material 20 has a width “w” about 5″ greater the doorway opening “w d ”. The material 20 also has a length “1” which is essentially perpendicular to the width “w”. The length “1” is preferably greater than about one-half the doorway length, “1 d ”—the distance between the top frame and the base—but less than the doorway length. The mesh screening material 20 is intended to cover a majority of the door opening 90 , although it is not necessary for the material to reach the base 98 . Optionally, the bottom edge 24 of the material 20 may be trimmed so that a hem 25 can be formed and weights 29 or similar weighting materials may be inserted in the hem.
The mounting bar 30 is a relatively rigid unit, such as a wooden slat or a plastic bar, having a length “1 b ” approximately equal to the doorway width, “w d ”. The mounting bar 30 defines a top 32 , a front edge 31 , a rear edge 33 , a first end 36 , a second end 34 and a bottom 35 . The rear edge 33 of the mounting bar 30 is secured to the mesh screening material 20 , such as with glue or similar adhesive, and is positioned on the mesh screening such that a small amount of mesh or remnant 42 remains along the top edge 22 , a small remnant 48 remains along the second side edge 28 and a greater remnant 46 remains along the first side edge 26 as compared to the second side remnant 48 .
As shown in FIG. 2, when the screening material 20 is secured to the mounting bar 30 , it is folded about the mounting bar 30 . The first side remnant 46 wraps around the first end 36 forming initially a U-shape, but it is then folded back upon itself at least one time to form an S-shape or accordion fold and is secured to the front edge 31 . The second side remnant 48 wraps around the second end 34 forming a U-shape and is secured to the front edge 31 . The top remnant 42 wraps over the top 32 of the bar 30 and is secured to the front edge 31 . Any appropriate means 49 , such as tacks, nails, screws, glue or adhesive, can be used to secure the mesh material 20 to the bar 30 .
The mounting bar 30 is secured to the top frame 92 with securing means 40 , such as small nails, tacks, screws, brads or similar devices. The securing means 40 protrude through the mounting bar 30 and through the top remnant 42 and into the top frame 92 , with the mounting bar 30 situated such that the second end 34 with the U-folded mesh faces the fixed side 94 and the first end 36 with the S-folded mesh faces the open side 96 . With this orientation, when the mounting bar 30 is secured to the top frame 92 , the screen material 20 hangs loosely in the doorway 90 so that small children or pets can pass through the screen easily, but insect and debris entry is restricted.
In an alternative embodiment, the screening material 20 may have a width “w” which allows for the material to be gathered or shirred. In this embodiment, a rod pocket (not shown) may be added in close proximity to the top edge 22 . The rod pocket can be formed by folding over the top edge 22 and basting the material in place, or by adding a relatively thin strip of fabric to the screening material 20 . The thin strip of fabric should be positioned so about ½″ of top edge 22 is visible above the strip, and should leave the first side remnant 46 and the second side remnant 48 free. The mounting bar 30 is inserted into the pocket, the material 20 is gathered so the ends 34 , 36 of the bar are approximately at the ends of the pocket, and the remnants 46 , 48 are wrapped and folded about the bar as in the first embodiment 10 . When the screened door cover is mounted in the doorway, the gathered edge near the top edge 22 angles outwardly slightly causing the drip line to be altered and minimizing the probability of rain water coming though the screen.
The screened door covering 10 can be adapted for use on different types of doorways. For example, the screen material and mounting bar may be adapted to be secured across a garage door opening with one side of the garage door opening defining the fixed side and the opposing side defining the open side. Alternatively, a screened door covering of the present invention may be used across a garage door opening by having the sides of the garage door opening define fixed sides and an essentially midpoint position of the opening define the open side. The screened door covering 10 can also be adapted for use across a barn or stable entryway. For a barn opening, the door covering 10 may be shortened to about one-half the length of the doorway.
From a reading of the above, one with ordinary skill in the art should be able to devise variations to the inventive features. These and other variations are believed to fall within the spirit and scope of the present development.
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A screened door covering made from mesh screening material hanging loosely in a doorway to create a mesh barrier against dirt and insects across the doorway, while permitting easy passage by humans and animals across the barrier. The mesh screening material has a width greater than the width of the doorway. The excess material is gathered in folds on the sides of the doorway. This configuration provides a good mesh barrier across a doorway without requiring that the sides or bottom of the mesh material be mounted in a rigid frame.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-213072, filed on Sep. 28, 2011, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
This disclosure relates to an embroidery frame that is configured to be attachable to a sewing machine.
An embroidery frame for a sewing machine is widely known. The embroidery frame is a circular form and the embroidery frame can be rotated to an intended angle. For example, the embroidery frame comprises a pair of embroidery frames and an outer frame. The pair of embroidery frames comprises a small embroidery frame and a big embroidery frame. The small embroidery frame is in a circular form and the big embroidery frame is also in a circular form. An inside diameter of the big embroidery frame is longer than an outside diameter of the small embroidery frame. A work cloth can be held between the small embroidery frame and the big embroidery frame. The outer frame can hold the pair of embroidery frames such that the pair of embroidery frames is rotatable. A fixation screw is provided on a side face of the outer embroidery frame. A triangular mark is provided on an upper face of the big embroidery frame and a plurality of scale marks indicative of angles are provided on the outer embroidery frame. The pair of embroidery frames can be rotated to the intended angle with respect to the outer embroidery frame by an user of the sewing machine, as the user looks at the triangular mark and the plurality of scale marks. After rotating, the fixation screw can be tightened by the user. In this manner, the pair of embroidery frames can be fixed to the outer embroidery frame.
SUMMARY
When the embroidery frame as described above is used by the user, the user has to adjust the pair of embroidery frames with respect to the outer embroidery frame, as the user looks at the triangular mark and the plurality of scale marks. The process of adjusting the pair of embroidery frames with respect to the outer embroidery frame may be burdensome for the user.
Various exemplary embodiments of the general principles herein provide an embroidery frame, which enables the user to adjust the pair of embroidery frames with respect to the outer embroidery frame easily.
Exemplary embodiments herein provide an embroidery frame that comprises an inner frame, a middle frame, an outer frame, and an engaging portion. The inner frame is a circular form. The middle frame is configured to be detachably attachable to the inner frame, wherein the middle frame is a circular form, an inside diameter of the middle frame is longer than an outside diameter of the inner frame, and the inner frame is configured to be mountable in the middle flame. The outer frame is configured to rotatably hold the middle frame, wherein the outer frame is a circular form, an inside diameter of the outer frame is longer than an outer outside diameter of the middle frame, and the middle frame is configured to be mountable in the outer frame. The engagement portion is configured to cause the middle frame to engage with the outer frame at a predetermined rotation angle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1 is an oblique view of a sewing machine 1 on which an embroidery frame 5 is mounted;
FIG. 2 is a left side view of a needle bar 6 , to which a sewing needle 7 is attached, and an area around the needle bar 6 ;
FIG. 3 is a left side view of the needle bar 6 , to which a cutwork needle 8 is attached, and the area around the needle bar 6 ;
FIG. 4 is an oblique view of the embroidery frame 5 ;
FIG. 5 is an exploded oblique view of the embroidery frame 5 ;
FIG. 6 is a side view of a middle frame 52 ;
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the middle frame 52 in a state in which a plurality of first edge engaging portions 531 are facing upward;
FIG. 8 is a plan view of the middle frame 52 in a state in which a plurality of second edge engaging portions 532 are facing upward;
FIG. 9 is an explanatory figure that shows a state in which the middle frame 52 is locked at a position of zero degrees;
FIG. 10 is an explanatory figure that shows a state in which the middle frame 52 is locked at a position of +90 degrees;
FIG. 11 is an oblique view of an embroidery frame 9 according to another embodiment;
FIG. 12 is an oblique view that shows an internal structure of the embroidery frame 9 ;
FIG. 13 is an exploded oblique view of the embroidery frame 9 ;
FIG. 14 is a plan view of the embroidery frame 9 ; and
FIG. 15 is a side view of the embroidery frame 9 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be explained with reference to the drawings. A configuration of a sewing machine 1 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 . In FIG. 1 , the side where a user of the sewing machine 1 is positioned is defined as the front side, and the opposite side is defined as the rear side. The left-right direction as seen by the user is defined as the left-right direction of sewing machine 1 . That is, the face of the sewing machine 1 on which a switch cluster 25 that will be described later is provided is the front face of the sewing machine 1 . The longitudinal direction of a bed 11 and an arm 13 are the left-right, direction of the sewing machine 1 , and a side on which a pillar 12 is positioned is the right side of the sewing machine 1 . A direction in which the pillar 12 extends is the up-down direction of the sewing machine 1 .
As shown in FIG. 1 , the sewing machine 1 is provided with the bed 11 , the pillar 12 , the arm 13 , and a head 14 . The bed 11 is a base portion of the sewing machine 1 and extends in the left-right direction. The pillar 12 extends upward from the right end of the bed 11 . The arm 13 extends to the left from the upper end of the pillar 12 such that it is opposite the bed 11 . The head 14 is a portion that connects to the left end of the arm 13 . A needle plate (not shown in the drawings) is provided in the top face of the bed 11 . A feed dog, a cloth feed mechanism, a feed adjustment pulse motor, and a shuttle mechanism that are not shown in the drawings are provided within the bed 11 , underneath the needle plate. The feed dog may feed, by a specified feed amount, a work cloth on which sewing is performed. The cloth feed mechanism may drive the feed dog. The feed adjustment pulse motor may adjust the feed amount.
In a case where embroidery sewing is performed with the sewing machine 1 , an embroidery frame 5 that holds a work cloth 100 may be disposed on the top side of the bed 11 . An area on the inner side of the embroidery frame 5 is an embroidery area in which stitches of an embroidery pattern can be formed. A moving unit 19 that is configured to move the embroidery frame 5 may be removably mounted on the bed 11 . A carriage cover 35 that extends in the front-rear direction is provided on the upper part of the moving unit 19 . A Y axis moving mechanism (not shown in the drawings) is provided inside the carriage cover 35 . The Y axis moving mechanism is configured to move a carriage (not shown in the drawings) in Y axis direction (the front-rear direction of the sewing machine 1 ). The embroidery frame 5 has a structure that allows it to be removably mounted on the carriage. A mounting portion (not shown in the drawings) on which the embroidery frame 5 may be mounted is provided on the right side of the carriage. The mounting portion projects to the right from the right side face of the carriage cover 35 . An attachment portion 542 (refer to FIG. 4 ) that is provided on the embroidery frame 5 may be mounted on the mounting portion. The carriage, the Y axis moving mechanism, and the carriage cover 35 may be moved in an X axis direction (the left-right direction of the sewing machine 1 ) by an X axis moving mechanism (not shown in the drawings). The X axis moving mechanism is provided inside the body of the moving unit 19 .
The X axis moving mechanism and the Y axis moving mechanism may be respectively driven by an X axis motor and a Y axis motor that are not shown in the drawings. A needle bar 6 (refer to FIG. 2 ) and the shuttle mechanism (not shown in the drawings) may be driven as the embroidery frame 5 is moved in the X axis direction and the Y axis direction. In this manner, an embroidery sewing operation that sews a specified embroidery pattern in the work cloth 100 that is held in the embroidery frame 5 and an operation that forms a cut in the work cloth 100 in a specified shape are performed. In a case where an ordinary pattern that is not an embroidery pattern is sewn, the moving unit 19 may be removed from the bed 11 , and the work cloth 100 may be disposed on the bed 11 . Then ordinary sewing may be performed by the driving of the needle bar 6 and the shuttle mechanism as the work cloth 100 is moved by the feed dog.
A vertically rectangular liquid crystal display 15 is provided on the front face of the pillar 12 . Images of various types of items, such as a plurality of types of patterns, names of commands that cause various types of functions to be performed, various types of messages, and the like, may be displayed on the liquid crystal display 15 .
A transparent touch panel 26 is provided on the front face of the liquid crystal display 15 . Using a finger or a special touch pen, the user may perform a pressing operation on the touch panel 26 . Hereinafter, this operation is referred to as a panel operation. The touch panel 26 may detect a position that is pressed by a finger or a special touch pen etc., and the sewing machine 1 may determine the hem that corresponds to the detected position. Thus, the sewing machine 1 may recognize the selected item. By performing the panel operation, the user can select a pattern to be sewn or a command to be executed.
The structure of the arm 13 will be explained. A cover 16 is provided in the top part of the arm 13 . The cover 16 is axially supported such that it can be opened and closed by being rotated about an axis that extends in the left-right direction at the upper rear edge of the arm 13 . A thread container portion (not shown in the drawings) is provided underneath the cover 16 , that is, in the interior of the arm 13 . The thread container portion may contain a thread spool (not shown in the drawings) that supplies an upper thread. The upper thread may be supplied from the thread spool to a sewing needle 7 (refer to FIG. 2 ) through a thread hook portion that includes a tensioner, a thread take-up spring and a thread take-up lever that are not shown in the drawings. The tensioner is provided in the head 14 and configured to adjust the thread tension. The thread take-up lever may be driven reciprocally up and down and pull the upper thread upward. The needle bar 6 may be moved up and down by a needle bar up-and-down moving mechanism (not shown in the drawings) that is provided inside the head 14 . The needle bar up-and-down moving mechanism may be driven by a drive shaft (not shown in the drawings) that is rotationally driven by a sewing machine motor (not shown in the drawings).
The switch cluster 25 , which includes a sewing star/stop switch 21 and the like, is provided in the lower part of the front face of the arm 13 . The sewing start/stop switch 21 may be used to start and stop the operation of the sewing machine 1 . That is, the sewing start/stop switch 21 may be used by the user to issue commands to start and stop the sewing.
As shown in FIG. 2 , the needle bar 6 is provided in the lower portion of the head 14 . One of the sewing needle 7 (refer to FIG. 2 ) and a cutwork needle 8 (refer to FIG. 3 ) can be attached to the lower end of the needle bar 6 . A presser bar 45 is provided to the rear of the needle bar 6 . A presser holder 46 may be attached to the lower end of the presser bar 45 . A presser foot 47 , which may press down on the work cloth 100 , may be fixed to the presser holder 46 .
The cutwork needle 8 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 3 , a cutting portion 89 is formed at the tip of the cutwork needle 8 . The cutting portion 89 has a sharp-pointed shape in a front view and has a specified width in the front-rear direction in a side view (the left-right direction in FIG. 3 ). The lower edge of the cutting portion 89 curves obliquely downward from the rear edge to the front edge. When the needle bar 6 is moved up and down in a state in which the cutwork needle 8 is attached to the lower end of the needle bar 6 , a cut that extends in the front-rear direction is formed in the work cloth 100 . The length of the cut is the same as the width of the cutting portion 89 of the cutwork needle 8 . Embroidery sewing and ordinary sewing can be performed when the needle bar 6 is moved up and down in a state in which the sewing needle 7 is attached to the lower end of the needle bar 6 , as shown in FIG. 2 .
The embroidery frame 5 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8 . In the explanation that follows, the up-down direction in FIGS. 4 and 5 is defined as the up-down direction of the embroidery frame 5 . That is, the side on which an outer frame 54 that will be described later is disposed is the bottom side of the embroidery frame 5 , and the side on which a middle frame 52 (an assembled unit 55 ) is disposed is the top side of the embroidery frame 5 . As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the embroidery frame 5 includes an inner frame 51 , the middle frame 52 , and the outer frame 54 , each of which has a circular frame shape. As shown in FIG. 4 , the embroidery frame 5 is formed by disposing the middle frame 52 to the outside of the inner frame 51 in the radial direction, and by disposing the outer frame 54 to the outside of the middle frame 52 in the radial direction. The inner frame 51 and the middle frame 52 can be rotated about a rotational axis R 1 shown in FIG. 5 , in relation to the outer frame 54 . Note that, in the embroidery frame 5 according to the present embodiment, the rotational axis R 1 passes thorough the center of each circle that is formed by each of the inner frame 51 , the middle frame 52 , and the outer frame 54 (specifically, frame portions 511 , 521 , and 541 , which are described below). Hereinafter, the direction of the rotational axis R 1 is simply referred to as an “axial direction”.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the inner frame 51 includes a circular frame portion 511 . The frame portion 511 has a thickness in the axial direction (the up-down direction in FIGS. 4 and 5 ). The middle frame 52 includes a circular frame portion 521 that has an inside diameter that is larger than the outside diameter of the frame portion 511 of the inner frame 51 . The middle frame 52 may be removably mounted on the inner frame 51 by removably mounting the frame portion 521 of the middle frame 52 on the outer side of the frame portion 511 of the inner frame 51 in the radial direction. The work cloth 100 can be held between the inner frame 51 and the middle frame 52 (refer to FIG. 1 .)
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , a plurality of first engaging portions 530 are provided on both edges in the axial direction of the frame portion 521 , that is, on the upper edge and the lower edge. As described above, the axial direction corresponds to the up-down direction of the embroidery frame 5 . Therefore, the plurality of first engaging portions 530 are provided in a plurality of positions around the circumference of the middle frame 52 that respectively correspond to a plurality of predetermined rotation angles (rotation angles of the middle frame 52 in relation to the outer frame 54 ). The plurality of first engaging portions 530 include a plurality of first edge engaging portions 531 and a plurality of second edge engaging portions 532 . In the present embodiment, when a second engaging portion 547 that will be described later engages with one of the first engaging portions 530 , the middle frame 52 can be locked at one of the predetermined rotation angles in relation to the outer frame 54 . Each of the first engaging portions 530 may be formed in the frame portion 521 as a recessed portion that is recessed in a direction away from the outer frame 54 , that is, a direction toward the inner side of the middle frame 52 in the radial direction. In the present embodiment, each of the first engaging portions 530 is formed as a through-hole that passes through the frame portion 521 in the direction away from the outer frame 54 .
Among the first engaging portions 530 , the first edge engaging portions 531 are provided on one edge of the frame portion 521 in the axial direction (the upper edge in the present embodiment). As shown in FIG. 7 , in the present embodiment, four first edge engaging portions 531 are provided at intervals of 45 degrees (45°) as seen from the central axis of the middle frame 52 . The second edge engaging portions 532 are provided on the other edge of the frame portion 521 in the axial direction (the lower edge in the present embodiment). The first edge engaging portions 531 and the second edge engaging portions 532 are provided around the circumference of the frame portion 521 , with at least some of the positions in which the first edge engaging portions 531 are provided corresponding to different rotation angles from those to which at least some of the positions in which the second edge engaging portions 532 are provided correspond. As shown in FIG. 8 , in the present embodiment, six second edge engaging portions 532 are provided at intervals of 30 degrees (30°) as seen from the central axis of the middle frame 52 .
Note that in the present embodiment, the position of the one of the first edge engaging portions 531 that is on the opposite side from an adjustment portion 525 (described later) in the radial direction of the middle frame 52 is defined as the position that corresponds to a rotation angle of zero degrees, as shown in FIG. 7 . In relation to a line that connects the central axis of the middle frame 52 with this one of the first edge engaging portions 531 , the clockwise direction in a plan view is defined as positive (+), and the counterclockwise direction in a plan view is defined as negative (−). As shown in FIG. 7 , the four first edge engaging portions 531 are provided at the positions of −45 degrees, zero degrees, +45 degrees, and +90 degrees. Similarly, the position of the one of the second edge engaging portions 532 that is on the opposite side from the adjustment portion 525 in the radial direction of the middle frame 52 is defined as the position that corresponds to a rotation angle of zero degrees, as shown in FIG. 8 . In relation to a line that connects the central axis of the middle frame 52 with this one of the second edge engaging portions 532 , the clockwise direction in a plan view is defined as positive (+), and the counterclockwise direction in a plan view is defined as negative (−). As shown in FIG. 8 , the six second edge engaging portions 532 are provided at the positions of −60 degrees, −30 degrees, zero degrees, +30 degrees, +60 degrees, and +90 degrees. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the first edge engaging portions 531 and the second edge engaging portions 532 are provided at locations around approximately half of the circumference of the frame portion 521 , on the opposite side from the location where the adjustment portion 525 is provided.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 , the middle frame 52 includes the adjustment portion 525 , which can adjust the diameter of the middle frame 52 according to the thickness of the work cloth 100 that is clamped between the inner frame 51 and the middle frame 52 . The adjustment portion 525 includes a parting portion 526 , a pair of screw mounting portions 527 , and an adjusting screw 528 . The parting portion 526 is a location where a portion in the circumferential direction of the frame portion 521 of the middle frame 52 is discontinuous through the axial direction. The pair of the screw mounting portions 527 project to the outside in the radial direction and are positioned opposite one another on opposite sides of the parting portion 526 in the frame portion 521 . The lengths of the screw mounting portions 527 in the axial direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 5 ) are the same as the length of the frame portion 521 in the axial direction. Holes 5271 , 5272 are provided in the pair of the screw mounting portions 527 , each of the holes 5271 , 5272 passing through one of the screw mounting portions 527 in a direction that is orthogonal to the face that is opposite the other one of the screw mounting portions 527 , that is, in the direction in which the pair of the screw mounting portions 527 are opposite one another (the left-right direction in FIG. 7 ). Of the two holes 5271 , 5272 , a threaded hole is formed in the hole 5272 (the hole on the right side in FIG. 7 ).
The adjusting screw 528 is a screw that includes a head portion 5281 that projects outward in the radial direction at one end of the adjusting screw 528 (refer to FIG. 5 ). In a case where the diameter of the middle frame 52 is adjusted, first, the adjusting screw 528 is inserted from the side of the hole 5271 (the left side in FIG. 7 ), in which a threaded hole is not formed, toward the hole 5272 , in which the threaded hole is formed. Then the adjusting screw 528 is rotated and passes through the inside of the hole 5272 . At this time, the head 5281 of the adjusting screw 528 presses against the screw mounting portion 527 , changing the size of the gap between the pair of the screw mounting portions 527 . Thus, in addition to connecting the pair of the screw mounting portions 527 , the adjusting screw 528 is able to adjust the gap between the pair of the screw mounting portions 527 . The diameter of the middle frame 52 can be adjusted by adjusting the gap between the pair of the screw mounting portions 527 . For example, the diameter of the middle frame 52 becomes greater as the gap between the pair of the screw mounting portions 527 becomes wider, so a thicker work cloth 100 can be clamped between the middle frame 52 and the inner frame 51 .
A flange portion 529 that projects outward in the radial direction is provided in a central portion in the axial direction of the outer circumferential side face of the frame portion 521 , except where the screw mounting portions 527 are located. In a case where the middle frame 52 is mounted on the outer frame 54 , the flange portion 529 is supported by a second supporting portion 555 (described later) of the outer frame 54 (refer to FIG. 4 ).
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the outer frame 54 includes a circular frame portion 541 . The frame portion 541 includes a first supporting portion 554 and the second supporting portion 555 . The first supporting portion 554 is a portion that is formed by cutting out an upper portion of the approximately half of the circumference of the frame portion 541 . The second supporting portion 555 is the portion of the frame portion 541 other than the first supporting portion 554 . The upper edge of the first supporting portion 554 is positioned at approximately half the height of the second supporting portion 555 . In a case where the middle frame 52 is mounted on the outer frame 54 , the screw mounting portions 527 of the middle frame 52 are supported by the first supporting portion 554 , and the flange portion 529 of the middle frame 52 is supported by the second supporting portion 555 (refer to FIG. 4 ). The first supporting portion 554 is provided around approximately half of the circumference of the frame portion 541 , so the user is able to move the screw mounting portions 527 in the circumferential direction through the range in which the first supporting portion 554 is provided. This makes it possible for one of the first engaging portions 530 to engage with the second engaging portion 547 .
A parting portion 545 where a portion of the frame portion 541 is discontinuous through the axial direction is provided in the frame portion 541 , approximately in the center of the circumferential direction of the second supporting portion 555 . A pair of arms 543 that project outward in the radial direction are provided on the frame portion 541 in positions that are slightly separated from the respective sides of the parting portion 545 . The pair of the arms 543 are joined by an arm joining portion 544 at the ends of the arms 543 that are opposite the ends that are connected to the frame portion 541 . The arm joining portion 544 extends approximately parallel to the direction (hereinafter called the tangent line direction) in which extends a line that is tangent to the circular frame portion 541 at the parting portion 545 .
The attachment portion 542 , which extends approximately parallel to the tangent line direction, is provided on the edge of the arm joining portion 544 that is on the opposite side from the middle frame 52 . The attachment portion 542 is configured such that it can be mounted on the mounting portion (not shown in the drawings) of the carriage that is provided inside the carriage cover 35 of the sewing machine 1 .
As shown in FIG. 4 , the second engaging portion 547 is provided in a space that is bounded by the parting portion 545 , the pair of the arms 543 , and the arm joining portion 544 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the second engaging portion 547 includes an engaging member 548 , a coil spring 549 , and a shaft portion 550 . The engaging member 548 , which has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, is disposed between the parting portion 545 and the arm joining portion 544 such that a pair of opposite faces of the engaging member 548 are approximately parallel to the tangent line. The length of the engaging member 548 in a width direction (the tangent line direction) is slightly shorter than the distance between the pair of the arms 543 (the inside dimension). A hole 551 is provided in a central portion of the engaging member 548 in the width direction and the up-down direction. The hole 551 passes through the engaging member 548 approximately orthogonally to the pair of the faces of the engaging member 548 that are approximately parallel to the tangent line. A grip portion 553 that projects upward is provided in the upper part of the engaging member 548 , in the center in the width direction. The grip portion 553 is formed into a shape that the user can easily grip with his fingers when the user pulls the engaging member 548 away from the middle frame 52 . A cylindrical projecting portion 552 that projects toward the middle frame 52 is provided on the upper edge of the grip portion 553 . The projecting portion 552 is made in a size that allows it to be inserted into one of the plurality of the first engaging portions 530 (refer to FIG. 4 ).
The shaft portion 550 is a cylindrical member. An end portion 5501 of the shaft portion 550 has a diameter that is smaller than that of the rest of the shaft portion 550 . A hole that is not shown in the drawings is provided in the face of the arm joining portion 544 on the parting portion 545 side. The shaft portion 550 is fixed to the arm joining portion 544 by firmly pressing the end portion 5501 of the shaft portion 550 into the hole.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the opposite end of the shaft portion 550 from the end portion 5501 , that is, the end of the shaft portion 550 that is disposed on the middle frame 52 side, is inserted into the hole 551 in the engaging member 548 . The engaging member 548 is able to slide in the axial direction of the shaft portion 550 . However, because the engaging member 548 is held between the pair of the arms 543 , it cannot rotate in relation to the shaft portion 550 . The expandable and compressible coil spring 549 is mounted around the outer circumferential face of the shaft portion 550 . The coil spring 549 is compressed between the face of the arm joining portion 544 and the face of the engaging member 548 that are opposite one another. The engaging member 548 is thus energized toward the middle frame 52 by the elastic force of the coil spring 549 . In a case where the middle frame 52 is not mounted on the outer frame 54 , the face of the engaging member 548 on the frame portion 541 side is pressed by the elastic force of the coil spring 549 into contact with the outer circumferential face of the frame portion 541 on both sides of the parting portion 545 . The projecting portion 552 projects through the upper side of the parting portion 545 into the inner side of the frame portion 541 . When the user grips the grip portion 553 and pulls the engaging member 548 away from the middle frame 52 , the engaging member 548 and the projecting portion 552 move away from the middle frame 52 in opposition to the elastic force of the coil spring 549 .
Next, the mode in which the inner frame 51 , the middle frame 52 and the outer frame 54 are combined will be explained. In the present embodiment, in a case where the middle frame 52 and the outer frame 54 are combined such that the first edge engaging portions 531 are positioned on the upper side of the outer frame 54 , the second engaging portion 547 can be engaged with one of the first edge engaging portions 531 . The state of the middle frame 52 in this case, that is, the state in which the first edge engaging portions 531 are on the upper side of the outer frame 54 , is called a first state. Furthermore, in a case where the middle frame 52 and the outer frame 54 are combined such that the second edge engaging portions 532 are positioned on the upper side of the outer frame 54 , the second engaging portion 547 can be engaged with one of the second edge engaging portions 532 . The state of the middle frame 52 in this case, that is, the state in which the second edge engaging portions 532 are on the upper side of the outer frame 54 , is called a second state. As described previously, the first edge engaging portions 531 are provided at intervals of 45 degrees, and the second edge engaging portions 532 are provided at intervals of 30 degrees. Therefore, in the first state, the middle frame 52 can be locked in relation to the outer frame 54 in a position that corresponds to one of the rotation angles, among the plurality of the positions that are provided in correspondence to the plurality of rotation angles at intervals of 45 degrees. In the second state, the middle frame 52 can be locked in relation to the outer frame 54 in a position that corresponds to one of the rotation angles, among the plurality of the positions that are provided in correspondence to the plurality of rotation angles at intervals of 30 degrees.
A method will be explained for combining the inner frame 51 , the middle frame 52 , and the outer frame 54 such that the work cloth 100 can be rotated in 45-degree units using the first edge engaging portions 531 in a state in which the middle frame 52 is in the first state. First, the user may place the middle frame 52 on a desktop or the like such that the first edge engaging portions 531 are on the top side. Next, the user may place the work cloth 100 on the top side of the middle frame 52 . Then the user may insert the inner frame 51 into the inner side of the middle frame 52 while pressing the work cloth 100 downward with the bottom edge of the inner frame 51 . The work cloth 100 may be thus clamped between the inner frame 51 and the middle frame 52 . The user, by adjusting the adjustment portion 525 , may adjust the diameter of the middle frame 52 in accordance with the thickness of the work cloth 100 . The face of the work cloth 100 on which the sewing will be performed may enter a state of being stretched taut on the inner side of the inner frame 51 by the bottom edge of the inner frame 51 . In the explanation that follows, the frame that is formed by the combining of the inner frame 51 and the middle frame 52 is called the assembled unit 55 (refer to FIGS. 1 , 4 , 9 , 10 ).
Next, the user may set the assembled unit 55 into the outer frame 54 from the top side of the outer frame 54 , such that the screw mounting portions 527 are supported by the first supporting portion 554 and the flange portion 529 is supported by the second supporting portion 555 . This may determine the position of the assembled unit 55 in the axial direction. At this time, the user may grip the grip portion 553 with his fingers and pull the engaging member 548 away from the middle frame 52 , retracting the projecting portion 552 to the outside of the frame portion 541 , such that the projecting portion 552 does not make contact with the middle frame 52 . Then, in order to position the assembled unit 55 at the desired angle in relation to the outer frame 54 , the user may rotate the assembled unit 55 such that the position of one of the first edge engaging portions 531 that are provided at 45-degree intervals corresponds to the position of the projecting portion 552 .
When the assembled unit 55 is set into the outer frame 54 , the screw mounting portions 527 of the middle frame 52 are supported by the first supporting portion 554 of the outer frame 54 . Furthermore, the flange portion 529 of the middle frame 52 is supported by the second supporting portion 555 of the outer frame 54 . This may determine the position of the assembled unit 55 in the axial direction.
When the user takes his fingers off of the grip portion 553 , the engaging member 548 may be energized in the direction of the middle frame 52 by the elastic force of the coil spring 549 , and the projecting portion 552 may be inserted into the corresponding one of the first edge engaging portions 531 (refer to FIGS. 4 and 9 ). The second engaging portion 547 may be thus engaged with one of the first engaging portions 530 (one of the first edge engaging portions 531 ), and the middle frame 52 (the assembled unit 55 ) can be locked in relation to the outer frame 54 .
The assembled unit 55 may be pushed in the direction away from the attachment portion 542 (the upper right direction in FIG. 4 ) by the elastic force of the coil spring 549 . Therefore, even in a case where a slight gap exists between the outer circumferential face of the middle frame 52 and the inner circumferential face of the outer frame 54 , due to the reducing of the diameter of the middle flame 52 , a backlash can be suppressed and the middle frame 52 (the assembled unit 55 ) can be reliably fixed in position in relation to the outer frame 54 . The inner frame 51 , the middle frame 52 , and the outer frame 54 can be combined as described above to obtain the completed form of the embroidery frame 5 . Through the attachment portion 542 , the user may attach the completed form of the embroidery frame 5 to the carriage of the moving unit 19 that is mounted on the sewing machine 1 (refer to FIG. 1 ). Hereinafter, in order to simplify the explanation, this operation is described simply as attaching the embroidery frame 5 to the sewing machine 1 .
Next, a method for forming a cutwork in the work cloth 100 using the embroidery frame 5 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 . As an example of a cutwork, an example will be explained in which a plurality of areas 83 are cut out on inner sides of four flower petal patterns 82 in a flower pattern 81 that is shown in FIG. 9 . Note that in FIGS. 9 and 10 , only the portion of the work cloth 100 that is on the inner side of the inner frame 51 is shown. For the outer frame 54 , only the engaging member 548 of the second engaging portion 547 is shown. Furthermore, FIGS. 9 and 10 show the state of the embroidery frame 5 when the embroidery frame 5 is attached to the sewing machine 1 (refer to FIG. 1 ), and the lower side, the upper side, the left side, and the right side of the drawings respectively correspond to the front side, the rear side, the left side, and the right side of the sewing machine 1 . In the explanation that follows, the embroidery sewing and the forming of the cuts may be accomplished by a control circuit such as a CPU or the like of the sewing machine 1 , which is not shown in the drawings, to control the movement of the carriage, the up and down movements of the needle bar 6 , and the like according to embroidery data that have been set in advance.
As shown in FIG. 9 , first the flower pattern 81 is sewn as an embroidery pattern in the work cloth 100 . The flower pattern 81 is formed in the work cloth 100 that is held in the embroidery frame 5 by performing embroidery sewing in the form of satin stitches along the outlines of the four flower petal patterns 82 . Thereafter, in order to cut out the areas 83 on the inner sides of the four flower petal patterns 82 , the user replaces the sewing needle 7 (refer to FIG. 2 ) with the cutwork needle 8 (refer to FIG. 3 ). At this time, the cutting portion 89 of the cutwork needle 8 is fixed in place such that it extends in the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG. 3 . As described previously, when the needle bar 6 moves up and down, a cut is formed by the cutting portion 89 in the front-rear direction of the sewing machine 1 . Therefore, in order to cut out all of the four areas 83 in the work cloth 100 , it is necessary to change the rotation angle of the middle frame 52 (the assembled unit 55 ) in relation to the outer frame 54 a plurality of times. For example, first, a cut is formed in the work cloth 100 in a state in which the one of the first edge engaging portions 531 that is in the zero-degree position is engaged with the second engaging portion 547 , as shown in FIG. 9 . In FIG. 9 , needle drop points 71 for the cutwork needle 8 when the cuts are formed in the work cloth 100 in this state are shown as white circles. The cuts are formed in the work cloth 100 in the front-rear direction of the sewing machine 1 , such that the white circles are joined.
Then the sewing machine 1 displays the rotation angle of the embroidery frame 5 on the liquid crystal display 15 , in order to report to the user the angle to which the embroidery frame 5 should be rotated. For example, in a case where “+90 degrees” is displayed, the user grips the grip portion 553 of the engaging member 548 with his fingers and pulls the engaging member 548 in the direction away from the middle frame 52 (the leftward direction in FIG. 9 ), thereby separating the projecting portion 552 from the first edge engaging portion 531 that is in the zero-degree position. The engagement between the projecting portion 552 and the first edge engaging portion 531 that is in the zero-degree position is thus released, making it possible to rotate the middle frame 52 (the assembled unit 55 ). As shown in FIG. 10 , the user rotates the assembled unit 55 90 degrees in the counterclockwise direction in a plan view, thereby moving the first edge engaging portion 531 that is in the +90-degree position to a position where it faces the projecting portion 552 . The user release his grip on the grip portion 553 , and the projecting portion 552 engages with the first edge engaging portion 531 that is in the +90-degree position. Thus the middle frame 52 is locked in relation to the outer frame 54 , in a state in which the rotation angle of the middle frame 52 (the assembled unit 55 ) in relation to the outer frame 54 is +90 degrees. In FIG. 10 , needle drop points 72 for the cutwork needle 8 when the cuts are formed in the work cloth 100 in this state are shown as black circles. When the rotating of the middle frame 52 (the assembled unit 55 ) and the forming of the cuts are further repeated in the same manner, the cutwork is completed for the flower pattern 81 , in which all of the areas 83 have been cut out on the inner sides of the four flower petal patterns 82 .
In the explanation above, the rotating of the middle frame 52 (the assembled unit 55 ) is performed, and the cuts are formed, using, among the first engaging portions 530 , the first edge engaging portions 531 that are positioned at 45-degree intervals. In this case, the user is able to rotate the middle frame 52 at intervals of 45 degrees. However, there may be cases in which the user wants to rotate the middle frame 52 to an angle that is less than 45 degrees, as in a case of a cutwork for a complicated pattern, for example. In this case, the user may invert the middle frame 52 vertically, switching the middle frame 52 from the first state to the second state. Then, as described previously, the user may clamp the work cloth 100 between the inner frame 51 and the middle frame 52 , which is in the second state. In the second state, the second edge engaging portions 532 , which are disposed at 30-degree intervals, are positioned on the top side of the outer frame 54 , so the projecting portion 552 can be inserted into one of the second edge engaging portions 532 . The user is therefore able to rotate the middle frame 52 at 30-degree intervals. By switching the state of the middle frame 52 in relation to the outer frame 54 in this manner, the user can easily switch between a positional relationship in which the projecting portion 552 can engage with one of the first edge engaging portions 531 and a positional relationship in which the projecting portion 552 can engage with one of the second edge engaging portions 532 . The convenience for the user can be improved accordingly.
As has been explained, in the present embodiment, it is possible to lock the middle frame 52 at one of a plurality of predetermined rotation angles in relation to the outer frame 54 by engaging the second engaging portion 547 with one of the first engaging portions 530 . Therefore, it may be easier for the user to adjust the angle of the middle frame 52 in relation to the outer frame 54 than in a case where the user adjusts the angle of the middle frame in relation to the outer frame while checking a graduated scale or markings, as with the known embroidery frame. The user is also able to adjust the rotation angle of the middle frame 52 to the desired angle just by selecting one of the first engaging portions 530 that corresponds to the desired angle.
Because the coil spring 549 energizes the projecting portion 552 toward the middle frame 52 , the projecting portion 552 can be inserted into the first engaging portion 530 . The middle frame 52 can thus be reliably locked at the set angle in relation to the outer frame 54 . Furthermore, in a case where the middle frame 52 is rotated in relation to the outer frame 54 , the engagement of the projecting portion 552 with the first engaging portion 530 can easily be released by the user's pushing or the like on the engaging member 548 to apply force to the coil spring 549 in the direction away from the middle frame 52 . The user is thus able to rotate the middle frame 52 easily.
The user can adjust the diameter of the middle frame 52 by adjusting the gap between the screw mounting portions 527 , that is, the length of the parting portion 526 . The user is therefore able to adjust the diameter of the middle frame 52 in accordance with the thickness of the work cloth 100 that is clamped between the inner frame 51 and the middle frame 52 , causing the work cloth 100 to be held appropriately by the inner frame 51 and the middle frame 52 . Furthermore, the first supporting portion 554 can support the screw mounting portions 527 , and the second supporting portion 555 can support the flange portion 529 , so the outer frame 54 is able to hold the middle frame 52 appropriately.
In the case of the known embroidery frame, in the state in which the work cloth is held in the embroidery frame, the graduated scale or markings that are used for adjusting the angle of the embroidery frame may be covered by the work cloth. Then it may be difficult for the user to see the graduated scale or markings. In this sort of case, it may be difficult for the user to efficiently perform the work of adjusting the rotation angle. In the present embodiment, the user is able to lock the middle frame 52 at a specified angle in relation to the outer frame 54 even though no graduated scale or markings are used, so the rotation angle can be adjusted efficiently.
Furthermore, in the case of the known embroidery frame, the middle frame may be locked in relation to the outer frame using a screw, so the operation may be burdensome. In the present embodiment, the user is able to release the locking of the middle frame 52 in relation to the outer frame 54 just by gripping the grip portion 553 of the engaging member 548 with his fingers and pulling the engaging member 548 in the direction away from the middle frame 52 . The user is also able to lock the middle frame 52 in relation to the outer frame 54 just by releasing his fingers from the grip portion 553 after the rotation angle has been adjusted. Thus, according to the embroidery frame 5 according to the present embodiment, the operations of locking and releasing the middle frame 52 in relation to the outer frame 54 are simple, and the convenience for the user can be improved.
Note that the timing at which the user releases the grip portion 553 is not limited to the case where the one of the plurality of the first engaging portions 530 is in the position that corresponds to the projecting portion 552 , as in the previously described example. The user may also take his fingers off the grip portion 553 when a portion of the outer circumferential face of the frame portion 521 where none of the first engaging portions 530 are located is positioned in the position that corresponds to the projecting portion 552 . In that case, the energizing force of the coil spring 549 may cause the projecting portion 552 to come into contact with the outer circumferential face of the frame portion 521 . In this state, when the user rotates the middle frame 52 (the assembled unit 55 ) in relation to the outer frame 54 , the tip of the projecting portion 552 may slide along the outer circumferential face of the frame portion 521 . When the middle frame 52 rotates to a position where one of the first engaging portions 530 is aligned with the projecting portion 552 , the projecting portion 552 may be inserted into the one of the first engaging portions 530 by the elastic force of the coil spring 549 , and the rotation of the middle frame 52 is locked. Therefore, just by rotating the middle frame 52 , the user is able to lock the rotation of the middle frame 52 at the angle where the one of the first engaging portions 530 is provided
Next, an embroidery frame 9 according to another embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 11 to 15 . As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 , the embroidery frame 9 includes an inner frame 91 , a middle frame 92 , and an outer frame 94 , each of which has a circular frame shape. As shown in FIG. 11 , the embroidery frame 9 is formed by disposing the middle frame 92 to the outside of the inner frame 91 in the radial direction and by disposing the outer frame 94 to the outside of the middle frame 92 in the radial direction. The inner frame 91 and the middle frame 92 can be rotated about a rotational axis R 2 shown in FIG. 13 , in relation to the outer frame 94 . Note that, in the embroidery frame 9 according to the present embodiment, the rotational axis R 2 passes thorough the center of each circle that is formed by each of the inner frame 91 , the middle frame 92 , and the outer frame 94 (specifically, frame portions 911 , 921 , and 941 , which are described below). Hereinafter, the direction of the rotational axis R 2 is simply referred to as an “axial direction”. In the same manner as the embroidery frame 5 according to the first embodiment, the embroidery frame 9 has a structure in which the work cloth 100 can be clamped between the inner frame 91 and the middle frame 92 , and the middle frame 92 can be rotated in relation to the outer frame 94 .
As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 , the inner frame 91 includes a circular frame portion 911 . The frame portion 911 has thicknesses in the axial direction and the radial direction. The inner flame 91 includes an adjustment portion 915 that allows the diameter of the inner frame 91 to be adjusted. The diameter of inner frame 91 may be adjusted according to the thickness of the work cloth 100 that is clamped between the inner frame 91 and the middle frame 92 . The adjustment portion 915 includes a parting portion 916 , a pair of screw mounting portions 917 , and an adjusting screw 918 . The parting portion 916 is a location where a portion in the circumferential direction of the frame portion 911 of the inner frame 91 is discontinuous through the axial direction. The pair of the screw mounting portions 917 are provided in upper portions of the frame portion 911 on both sides of the parting portion 916 . The pair of the screw mounting portions 917 project to the outside in the radial direction and are positioned opposite one another. The pair of the screw mounting portions 917 are provided with holes 9171 , 9172 , which are through-holes in a direction that is orthogonal to the faces of the screw mounting portions 917 that are opposite one another (refer to FIG. 13 ). Of the two holes 9171 , 9172 , the hole 9172 (the hole on the lower right in FIG. 13 ) is provided with an embedded nut (not shown in the drawings) in which a threaded hole is formed.
As shown in FIG. 13 , the adjusting screw 918 is a threaded member that includes a head portion 9181 and a shaft portion 9183 . The head portion 9181 is a large-diameter portion that the user may grip with his fingers to rotate the adjusting screw 918 . The shaft portion 9183 is a small-diameter portion that extends as a single piece from the head portion 9181 . A male threaded portion 9182 is formed from approximately the center in the axial direction of the shaft portion 9183 to the tip. A narrow groove 9184 , into which a retaining ring 9185 may be fitted, is also formed in the shaft portion 9183 in a location that is close to the head portion 9181 . Note that, for ease of explanation, the retaining ring 9185 is omitted from all of the drawings except FIG. 13 . The adjusting screw 918 may be mounted in the pair of the screw mounting portions 917 by passing the shaft portion 9183 through the hole 9171 and screwing the male threaded portion 9182 into the threaded hole in the not that is embedded in the hole 9172 . In this state, the retaining ring 9185 can be fitted into the narrow groove 9184 of the shaft portion 9183 . The adjusting screw 918 can be thus held such that it can rotate in the screw mounting portion 917 on the side where the hole 9171 is located and cannot move in the axial direction.
If the user grips the head portion 9181 with his fingers and performs a rotation operation, the screw mounting portion 917 on the side where the hole 9172 is located moves through the nut in the axial direction of the shaft portion 9183 . The direction of movement of the screw mounting portion 917 may be determined by the direction of rotation of the adjusting screw 918 . Thus the adjusting screw 918 may be coupled with the pair of the screw mounting portions 917 and is able to adjust the gap between the pair of the screw mounting portions 917 such as to make the gap wider or narrower. The adjusting of the gap between the pair of the screw mounting portions 917 adjusts the diameter of the inner frame 91 in accordance with the thickness of the work cloth 100 . For example, to the extent that the gap between the pair of the screw mounting portions 917 becomes narrower, the diameter of the inner frame 91 becomes smaller, so the embroidery frame 9 is able to clamp the work cloth 100 that has a greater thickness between the middle frame 92 and the inner frame 91 .
A marker 919 is provided on an edge face on the top side of the inner frame 91 . In a case where a camera (not shown in the drawings) that is configured to capture an image of the marker 919 is provided in the head 14 of the sewing machine 1 , for example, the sewing machine 1 is able to detect the rotation angle of the middle frame 92 in relation to the outer frame 94 based on the position of the marker 919 in the image that is captured by the camera.
As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 , the middle frame 92 includes a circular frame portion 921 that has an inside diameter that is larger than the outside diameter of the frame portion 911 of the inner frame 91 . The middle frame 92 may be removably mounted on the inner frame 91 by removably mounting the frame portion 921 of the middle frame 92 on the outer side of the frame portion 911 of the inner frame 91 in the radial direction. As shown in FIGS. 12 to 15 , a plurality of first engaging portions 930 are provided on the outer circumferential side face of the lower edge portion of the frame portion 921 . In the present embodiment, each of the first engaging portions 930 is formed as a recessed portion 931 that is formed approximately in the shape of a V. The recessed portions 931 are recessed in the direction away from the outer frame 94 , that is, in the direction toward the inner side of the middle frame 92 in the radial direction. The recessed portions 931 are formed at intervals of a specified angle around the entire outer circumferential side face of the lower edge portion of the frame portion 921 of the middle frame 92 . In the present embodiment, ninety recessed portions 931 are provided at intervals of four degrees, as an example. In the present embodiment, the recessed portions 931 , in their entirety, are formed in the shape of a gear. Hereinafter, the portion of the middle frame 92 where the recessed portions 931 form the gear is called a ear portion 934 . In the present embodiment the middle frame 92 can be locked in relation to the outer frame 94 at one of a plurality of predetermined rotation angles (one rotation angle every four degrees) by engaging a second engaging portion 947 , which will be described later, with one of the plurality of the recessed portions 931 .
A flange portion 929 is provided in a central portion in the axial direction of the outer circumferential side face of the frame portion 921 , on the upper side of the gear portion 934 . The flange portion 929 projects to the outside in the radial direction around the entire circumference of the frame portion 921 . A support portion 936 is provided on an inner circumferential side face of the lower edge of the frame portion 921 . The support portion 936 projects to the inside in the radial direction around the entire circumference of the frame portion 921 . The support portion 936 is a portion that supports a lower edge face of the inner frame 91 .
As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 , the outer frame 94 includes a circular frame portion 941 . A support portion 946 is provided on an inner circumferential side face of the lower edge of the frame portion 941 . The support portion 946 projects to the inside in the radial direction around the entire circumference of the frame portion 941 . The support portion 946 is a portion that supports a lower edge face of the middle frame 92 (refer to FIG. 15 ). An attachment portion 942 is provided on the outer side of the frame portion 941 in the radial direction. The shape and function of the attachment portion 942 are the same as those of the attachment portion 542 in the first embodiment (refer to FIG. 4 ).
A box-shaped coupling portion 943 that couples the frame portion 941 and the attachment portion 942 is provided between the frame portion 941 and the attachment portion 942 . As shown in FIGS. 12 and 14 , the second engaging portion 947 is provided in the interior of the coupling portion 943 , near the edge on the side of the frame portion 941 (the side that faces toward the middle frame 92 ). In the present embodiment, the second engaging portion 947 is formed as a flat spring 948 that includes a base end portion 957 and a free end portion 955 .
As shown in FIG. 15 , a threaded attachment portion 956 is provided inside the coupling portion 943 on one side (the upper side in FIG. 14 ) in the width direction of the coupling portion 943 (the direction parallel to the attachment portion 942 ). The threaded attachment portion 956 is a cylindrical member that projects upward from a bottom face of the coupling portion 943 . A threaded hole (not shown in the drawings) is formed in the up-down direction in the threaded attachment portion 956 . As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 , the base end portion 957 of the flat spring 948 is disposed on the top side of the threaded attachment portion 956 such that the flat face of the base end portion 957 is horizontal. A hole (not shown in the drawings) is provided in the center of the base end portion 957 . The base end portion 957 of the flat spring 948 is fixed to the threaded attachment portion 956 by screwing a screw 958 , which passes through the hole, into the threaded hole of the threaded attachment portion 956 from above.
As shown in FIG. 14 , the free end portion 955 , which extends from the base end portion 957 of the fiat spring 948 , is bent downward (toward the rear of FIG. 14 ) at the right edge (the right side in FIG. 14 ) of the base end portion 957 and extends toward the front (toward the bottom of FIG. 14 ). A protruding portion 952 that is formed approximately in the shape of a V, such that it protrudes toward the middle frame 92 , is provided at the front end of the free end portion 955 . The tip of the protruding portion 952 is able to engage with one of the recessed portions 931 . The elastic force of the flat spring 948 energizes the protruding portion 952 in such a direction that the tip of the protruding portion 952 is inserted into the recessed portion 931 and presses against the recessed portion 931 .
The engaging of the tip of the protruding portion 952 with one of the recessed portions 931 and its pressing against the recessed portion 931 by the elastic force of the flat spring 948 can lock the middle frame 92 such that it cannot be rotated in relation to the outer frame 94 . When the user rotates the middle frame 92 in relation to the outer frame 94 , one of the oblique faces of the recessed portion 931 (one of the oblique faces of the V shape) pushes the protruding portion 952 in the direction away from the middle frame 92 , in opposition to the elastic force of the fiat spring 948 . At this time, the free end portion 955 of the flat spring 948 bends such that the engagement of the protruding portion 952 and the recessed portion 931 is released. Then the protruding portion 952 engages with the recessed portion 931 that is adjacent to the recessed portion 931 with which the protruding portion 952 was engaged previously.
If the rotating of the middle frame 92 is continued further, the engaging and the releasing of the engagement of the protruding portion 952 with one of the recessed portions 931 are repeated. In the present embodiment, the plurality of the recessed portions 931 are provided at four-degree intervals, an the user is able to set the rotation angle of the middle frame 92 in relation to the outer frame 94 at four-degree intervals.
The method for combining the inner frame 91 , the middle frame 92 , and the outer frame 94 will be explained. First, the user may place the middle frame 92 on a desktop or the like such that the gear portion 934 is on the bottom side. Then the user may insert the inner frame 91 into the inner side of the middle frame 92 , in the same manner as in the previously described first embodiment, and the work cloth 100 may be clamped between the inner frame 91 and the middle frame 92 . By adjusting the adjustment portion 915 , the user may adjust the diameter of the inner frame 91 in accordance with the thickness of the work cloth 100 . In the explanation that follows, the frame that is formed by the combining of the inner frame 91 and the middle frame 92 is called an assembled unit 95 (refer to FIG. 11 ). Note that in the present embodiment, the work cloth 100 is omitted from the drawings.
Next, the user may place the assembled unit 95 into the outer frame 94 from the top side of the outer frame 94 . At this time, the user may place the assembled unit 95 into the frame portion 941 such that the protruding portion 952 engages with one of the plurality of the recessed portions 931 . When the assembled unit 95 is placed into the frame portion 941 , a state is created in which the protruding portion 952 is engaged with one of the recessed portions 931 . Thus the second engaging portion 947 and the first engaging portion 930 may be engaged, and the middle frame 92 (the assembled unit 95 ) may be locked in relation to the outer frame 94 . The inner frame 91 , the middle frame 92 , and the outer frame 94 can be combined as described above to obtain the completed form of the embroidery frame 9 . The user is able to attach the completed form of the embroidery frame 9 to the sewing machine 1 (refer to FIG. 1 ) and to rotate and lock the middle frame 92 (the assembled unit 95 ) in relation to the outer frame 94 .
An example of a method for performing the setting of the rotation angle of the middle frame 92 in relation to the outer frame 94 will be explained. For example, an image that includes the marker 919 that is provided on the edge face on the top side of the inner frame 91 may be captured by the camera (not shown in the drawings) that is provided in the head 14 of the sewing machine 1 . A control circuit of the sewing machine 1 may specify the current rotation angle of the middle frame 92 based on the position of the marker 919 in the image and display the rotation angle on the liquid crystal display 15 . In this case, the user is able to adjust the rotation angle of the middle frame 92 at four-degree intervals while referring to the rotation angle of the middle frame 92 that is displayed on the liquid crystal display 15 .
As described above, according to the embroidery frame 9 according to the present embodiment, the user is able to lock the middle frame 92 in relation to the outer frame 94 at any one of a plurality of predetermined rotation angles at four-degree intervals. Therefore, the angle can be adjusted more easily than the angle can be adjusted by checking a graduated scale or markings. Furthermore, the user is able to adjust the rotation angle of the middle frame 92 to the desired angle by selecting the desired recessed portion 931 from among the plurality of the recessed portions 931 .
Furthermore, the tip of the protruding portion 952 can be inserted into the recessed portion 931 and can be pressed against the recessed portion 931 by the energizing of the protruding portion 952 toward the middle frame 92 by the elastic force of the flat spring 948 . Thus the middle frame 92 can be reliably locked in relation to the outer frame 94 at one of the predetermined angles. The engaging and the releasing of the engagement of the protruding portion 952 with the recessed portions 931 may be repeated, and the middle frame 92 can be rotated in relation to the outer frame 94 , simply by the user's performing of the rotation operation on the middle frame 92 . The user is thus able to easily rotate the middle frame 92 to the desired angle. Moreover, the operation of adjusting the rotation angle may be easier than it is with the known embroidery frame, in which the middle frame may be locked in relation to the outer frame by a screw so the convenience for the user can be improved.
Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments that are described above, and various types of modifications can be made. The shapes and sizes of the first engaging portions 530 , 930 and the second engaging portions 547 , 947 are not limited to the examples that are shown in the embodiments that are described above, as long as the second engaging portions 547 , 947 and the corresponding first engaging portions 530 , 930 can engage with each other. The frames on which the first engaging portions 530 , 930 and the second engaging portions 547 , 947 are respectively provided may also be the reverse of what they are in the embodiments that are described above. That is, the first engaging portions 530 , 930 may respectively be provided on the outer frames 54 , 94 , and the second engaging portions 547 , 947 may respectively be provided on the middle frames 52 , 92 . For example, the first engaging portions 530 may be provided on the frame portion 541 of the outer frame 54 such that they are recessed in the direction away from the middle frame 52 , that is, toward the outside in the radial direction of the outer frame 54 , and the second engaging portion 547 may be provided on the middle frame 52 such that it includes a projecting portion 552 that is energized toward the outer frame 54 . To take another example, a gear portion that includes the first engaging portions 930 may be provided on the inner circumferential side face of the outer frame 94 such that the first engaging portions 930 are recessed in the direction away from the middle frame 92 , that is, toward the outside in the radial direction of the outer frame 94 , and the second engaging portion 947 (the flat spring 948 ) may be provided on the middle frame 92 and be energized toward the outer frame 94 .
The first engaging portions 530 , 930 can be provided in positions that correspond to any rotation angles other than the angles that are used as examples in the embodiments that are described above.
The structure for switching the positional relationship of the middle frame 52 and the outer frame 54 between the positional relationship in which the second engaging portion 547 can engage with one of the first edge engaging portions 531 and the positional relationship in which the second engaging portion 547 can engage with one of the second edge engaging portions 532 is not limited to the example in the first embodiment that is described above. For example, the first engaging portions 530 (the first edge engaging portions 531 and the second edge engaging portions 532 ) that engage with the second engaging portion 547 may also be changed by switching the state of the second engaging portion 547 instead of by switching the state of the middle frame 52 . Specifically, the second engaging portion 547 may also be configured such that it can be inverted vertically, such that it can be switched between a state in which the projecting portion 552 is positioned on the top side and a state in which the projecting portion 552 is positioned on the bottom side. In that case, the second engaging portion 547 may be configured such that when the projecting portion 552 is positioned on the top side, it can engage with one of the first edge engaging portions 531 on the top side, and when the projecting portion 552 is on the bottom side, it can engage with one of the second edge engaging portions 532 on the bottom side.
The apparatus and methods described above with reference to the various embodiments are merely examples. It goes without saying that they are not confined to the depicted embodiments. While various features have been described in conjunction with the examples outlined above, various alternatives, modifications, variations, and/or improvements of those features and/or examples may be possible. Accordingly, the examples, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative. Various changes may be made without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the underlying principles.
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An embroidery frame comprises an inner frame, wherein the inner frame is a circular form. The embroidery frame comprises a middle frame configured to be detachably attachable to the inner frame, wherein the middle frame is a circular form, an inside diameter of the middle frame is longer than an outside diameter of the inner frame, and the inner frame is configured to be mountable in the middle frame. The embroidery frame comprises an outer frame configured to rotatably hold the middle frame, wherein the outer frame is a circular form, an inside diameter of the outer frame is longer than an outer outside diameter of the middle frame, and the middle frame is configured to be mountable in the outer frame. The embroidery frame comprises an engaging portion configured to cause the middle frame to engage with the outer frame at a predetermined rotation angle.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to logic circuits, and more particularly to domino logic circuits.
BACKGROUND
With the growing complexity of modern computer systems, designers are constantly seeking more efficient methods to reduce power and cost, while increasing speed. Generally, the major components in a computer system are formed from the combination of millions of logic gates. Typically, the power, cost, and speed of the components correlate to the operation efficiency of these logic gates. By significantly improving the performance of the logic gate, the overall performance of the computer system can be improved.
One type of well known logic circuit is a domino logic circuit which has a series of logic gates coupled together. Specifically, domino logic circuits have dynamic gates and static gates coupled together in a serial fashion such that the gates alternate between dynamic and static. Typically, the dynamic gates are simple and fast because they do not use p-type metal oxide semiconductor (“PMOS”) transistors to propagate an input signal.
Rather, the dynamic gates use a PMOS transistor only for precharging each of the dynamic gates. Conversely, conventional static gates are more complex and include a complementary PMOS network, which is comprised of a plurality of interconnected PMOS transistors. The PMOS network results in an increase in capacitance experienced during the evaluation phase. The increased capacitance results in slower switching speeds, which results in lower system performance.
Moreover, conventional static gates often include two or more PMOS which are stacked together, which requires that the transistors be upsized, which further increases the capacitance experienced through the gate. Therefore, conventional static gates are known to act as a bottle neck for the domino logic circuit.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an,” “one,” or “various” embodiments in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.
FIG. 1 is a domino logic circuit according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a timing chart which shows the behavior of the input and output signals of an embodiment in relation to the clock signal.
FIG. 3 is a schematic of the static gate shown in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 4 is an alternative embodiment of the static gate shown in FIG. 3 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Various embodiments disclosed herein overcome the problems in the existing art described above by replacing the conventional static gate of a domino logic circuit with a self cut-off pseudo static gate which uses ratio logic. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. For example, various signals, layout patterns and logical circuits may be modified according to the teachings of the various embodiments.
The following description and the accompanying drawings provide examples for the purposes of illustration. However, these examples should not be construed in a limiting sense as they are not intended to provide an exhaustive list of all possible implementations. In other instances, well known structures and devices are omitted or simplified in order to avoid obscuring the details of the various embodiments.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a portion of domino logic circuit 10 is shown according to an embodiment. Domino logic circuit 10 includes a plurality of dynamic gates 11 and a plurality of static logic gates 13 coupled to dynamic logic gates 11 such that dynamic gates 11 and static gates 13 are alternately connected in series. Each static logic gate 13 comprises first pull-down device 12 which has first input line 14 coupled thereto and second pull-down device 16 which has second input line 18 coupled thereto. In addition, each static gate 13 includes first pull-up device 20 which has an input to be driven by output 22 of second pull-down device 16 and second pull-up device 24 which has an input to be driven by output 26 of first pull-down device 12 .
FIG. 3 shows static gate 13 of FIG. 1 . In such an embodiment, first pull-down device 12 and second pull-down device 16 each comprise an n-type metal oxide semiconductor (“NMOS”) pull-down network, which is comprised of a plurality of interconnected NMOS transistors. First pull-up device 20 and second pull-up device 24 each comprise a single PMOS transistor, and a clock may be coupled to a gate of first pull-up device 20 by first logical NAND gate 28 . Likewise, the clock may also be coupled to a gate of second pull-up device 24 by second logical NAND gate 30 .
In embodiments which include the clock coupled to the pull-up devices as described above, output 22 of second pull-down device 16 may be coupled to the gate of first pull-up device 20 by first inverter 32 and first logical NAND gate 28 . Likewise, output 26 of first pull-down device 12 may be coupled to the gate of second pull-up device 24 by second inverter 34 and second logical NAND gate 30 .
In other embodiments, first pull-up device 20 and second pull-up device 24 each comprise a plurality of PMOS transistors. An example of this embodiment is shown in FIG. 4 . In the embodiment shown, a clock is coupled to a gate of first transistor 36 of first pull-up device 20 , and the clock is also coupled to a gate of first transistor 40 of second pull-up device 24 . In addition, output 22 of second pull-down device 16 is coupled to a gate of second transistor 38 of first pull-up device 20 by plurality of inverters 44 , and output 26 of first pull-down device 12 is coupled to a gate of second transistor 42 of second pull-up device 24 by plurality of inverters 46 .
In various embodiments, static gate 13 further comprises first NMOS transistor 48 having a drain coupled to output 26 of first pull-down device 12 and a gate to be driven by output 22 of second pull-down device 16 . Likewise, second NMOS transistor 50 has a drain coupled to output 22 of second pull-down device 16 and a gate to be driven by output 26 of first pull-down device 12 . These embodiments include the NMOS transistors to act as keepers to maintain the outputs of the two pull-down devices in a complementary state during the evaluation phase.
Similarly, in various embodiments first PMOS transistor is 52 has a drain coupled to first input line 14 and a gate to be driven by second input line 18 . In addition, second PMOS transistor 54 has a drain coupled to second input line 18 and a gate to be driven by first input line 14 . These PMOS transistors also act as keepers to maintain complementary functioning of domino logic circuit 10 during the evaluation phase.
Turning now to FIG. 2, the input/output waveforms of static gate 13 are shown. During the precharge phase, the clock is low and the outputs of dynamic gate 11 are both high (e.g. input lines 14 and 18 ). As a result, outputs 26 and 22 are both low. In addition, pull-up devices 20 and 24 are both OFF since the outputs of NAND gates 28 and 30 are both high (since clock is low and outputs 26 and 22 are both low).
Once the clock goes high, the pseudo logic (or ratio logic) phase begins. This pseudo logic phase is very short relative to a clock period and occurs before the complementary inputs D′ (input line 14 ) and D′ # (input line 18 ) commence their final complementary state during the evaluation phase. During the pseudo logic phase, pull-up devices 20 and 24 and precharged pull-down devices 12 and 16 are all ON and conducting.
Thus, the voltage levels of outputs 26 and 22 are determined by the DC-gain ratio of the pull-up/pull-down devices. The gain ratio is designed such that outputs 22 and 26 are still within the margins to be evaluated as low signals for the next dynamic gates. The output waveform of FIG. 2 shows the effects of this pseudo logic phase.
Specifically, the pseudo logic phase effect on static gate 13 is evidenced by the slight raise in Out (output 26 ) and Out# (output 22 ) when the clock goes high, but despite the slight raise, both signals are still considered low. Once inputs D′ and D′ # begin to act in a complementary fashion during the evaluation phase, the output signals also begin to behave in a complementary nature since one of the pull-down networks stops conducting.
The self cut-off of one of the pull-down networks of static gate 13 to achieve complementary functioning of the outputs is accomplished, in part, by cross coupling the output of one rail with the input of the pull-up device of the other rail and vice versa. Such a cross coupling can be seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 .
By utilizing static gates with a self cut-off mechanism as disclosed herein, circuit performance increases up to 30% over conventional domino logic circuits, which do not implement the self cut-off pseudo static gates disclosed herein.
It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of various embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structure and function of the various embodiments, this disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially matters of structure and management of parts, without departing from the scope of the various embodiments as expressed by the broad general meaning of the terms of the appended claim.
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A dual-rail static logic gate with a self cut-off mechanism is disclosed. In an embodiment, the output of the first rail is coupled to the input of the pull-up device of the second rail and vice versa. The cross-coupling allows the self cut-off mechanism of the static gate to function properly and provides for components which have lower capacitance than conventional static gates. The lower capacitance results in a faster static gate.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to blinds and, more specifically, to a lift lock used in a blind to lock the lift rod.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional Venetian blinds uses a lift cord to control the extending status, and bladder tapes to share the weight of the blind slats. When receiving the blind, the lift cord starts to bear the weight of the blind slats. When the blind slats received in a stack between the headrail and the bottom rail, the lift cords bears the total weight of the blind slats. When lifting or lowering the blind slats, the user needs only to pull the suspending part of the lift cord outside the headrail. However, because the suspended part of the lift cord is exposed to the outside of the headrail and easily accessible by a child, the suspending part of the lift cord may be hung on a child's head accidentally. In order to eliminate this problem, blinds with hidden lift cord are disclosed. A blind with hidden lift cord comprises a lift rod fastened pivotally with the inside of the headrail, and a spring mechanism mounted inside the headrail and coupled to the lift rod. The lift rod can be rotated to roll up or let off the lift cord, so as to further lift or lower the bottom rail of the blind. The spring power of the spring mechanism bears the weight of the bottom rail as well as the blind slats and is maintained in balance with the torque of the lift rod, enabling the blind to be positioned in the desired extending position. During operation, the user needs only to impart an upward or downward pressure to break the balance, i.e., when the user lowering or lifting the bottom rail and then releasing the hand from the bottom rail, the reversing force of the spring mechanism balances the torque of the lift rod, thereby keeping the blind in position. In order to keep the spring force of the spring mechanism in balance with the torque of the lift rod at different elevations, a variable adjusting means is provided in the spring mechanism to automatically regulate the reversing force of the spring mechanism subject to the elevation of the blind. Alternatively, the bottom rail may be made relatively heavier and the blind slats relatively lighter to control the variation of load within 15%. However, the aforesaid conventional designs cannot accurately lock the blind in position. When the spring power of the spring mechanism designed to be excessively high, the blind tends to be lifted slightly after pulled to the desired elevation, and cannot be set in the fully extended position. When the spring power of the spring mechanism designed to be insufficient or when the spring mechanism started to wear, the blind tends to be lowered slightly after pulled to the desired elevation, and cannot be fully received in the upper limit position.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a lift control for blind that eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide a lift lock for blind, which is made in the form of an independent module.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a lift lock for blind, which achieves accurate positioning of the lift rod of the blind.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a lift lock for blind, which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to install.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a lift lock for blind, which has a compact and simple structure that requires less installation space.
To achieve these objects of the present invention, the lift lock for locking position of a lift rod of a blind when a rotary driving force applied to the lift rod is dropped below a predetermined value comprises a shaft, a guide wheel, balls, a casing, a spring member and a retainer. The shaft is adapted to receive the lift rod of the blind. The balls are respectively received in respective sliding grooves around one side of the guide wheel which is sleeved onto the shaft. The retainer is coupled to the shaft. The spring member is sleeved onto the shaft for forcing an engagement portion of the shaft into engagement with a positioning opening of the casing. When the lift rod rotated by an external rotary driving force that surpasses the friction resistance between the shaft and the casing, the shaft is rotated with the lift rod. When the external rotary driving force dropped below the friction resistance between the shaft and the casing, the shaft is stopped to hold down the lift rod in position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates the installation of a lift lock in a blind according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the lift lock according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a right side view of the lift lock according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the lift lock according to the present invention, showing one positioning status of the balls in the sliding grooves of the guide wheel.
FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 but showing another positioning status of the balls in the sliding grooves of the guide wheel.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a lift lock 1 is installed in a blind A and coupled to the rectangular lift rod A 1 of the blind A, and adapted to lock the lift rod A 1 . The lift lock 1 is comprised of a shaft 10 , a guide wheel 20 , balls 30 , a casing 40 , a cushion 50 , a spring member 60 , a retainer 70 , and a cap 80 .
The shaft 10 has a first end 104 of relatively bigger outer diameter, a second end 105 of relatively smaller outer diameter, a rectangular center through hole 101 axially extended through the center of the first end 104 and the second end 105 , a cone-like engagement portion 102 at the first end 104 around the rectangular center through hole 101 , and a locating portion, for example, an annular locating groove 103 extended around the periphery of the second end 105 .
The guide wheel 20 is an annular member sleeved onto the second end 105 of the shaft 10 adjacent the cone-like engagement portion 102 , having symmetrical pairs, for example, three pairs of sliding grooves 201 adapted to receive the balls 30 . Each pair of sliding grooves 201 includes a first sliding groove 202 and a second sliding groove 203 . The first sliding grooves 202 and second sliding grooves 203 of the pairs of sliding grooves 201 are alternatively equiangularly spaced around the center of the guide wheel 20 . As illustrated in FIG. 3, each first sliding groove 202 has an arched shallow projecting end 202 a and a flat deep receiving end 202 b . The arched shallow projecting ends 202 a and flat deep receiving ends 202 b of the first sliding grooves 202 are alternatively arranged in directly along the periphery of the guide wheel 20 . When the ball 30 stopped at the arched shallow projecting end 202 a of the corresponding first sliding groove 202 , it protrudes over the periphery of the guide wheel 20 at a distance. On the contrary, when the ball 30 stopped at the flat deep receiving end 202 b of the corresponding first sliding groove 202 , it is received inside the guide wheel 20 . The connection area between the arched shallow projecting end 202 a and flat deep receiving end 202 b of each first sliding groove 202 is made gradually deeper in direction from the arched shallow projecting end 202 a toward the flat deep receiving end 202 b . Each second sliding groove 203 has an arched shallow projecting end 203 a and a flat deep receiving end 203 b . The arched shallow projecting ends 203 a and flat deep receiving ends 203 b of the second sliding grooves 203 are alternatively arranged in directly along the periphery of the guide wheel 20 and reversed to the arched shallow projecting ends 202 a and flat deep receiving ends 202 b of the first sliding grooves 202 . The number of the balls 30 is equal to the number of the sliding grooves 201 of the guide wheel 20 , for enabling the balls 30 to be respectively received in the sliding grooves 201 .
The casing 40 comprises a hollow body 401 defining an axially extended stepped through hole formed of a positioning opening 403 and a first receiving chamber 402 in one end and a second receiving chamber 404 and a third receiving chamber 405 in the other end. The hollow body 401 is fixedly fastened to the blind A to receive the shaft 10 and the guide wheel 20 . The guide wheel 20 is received in the second first receiving chamber 402 , keeping the sliding grooves 201 facing the cone-like engagement portion 102 of the shaft 10 . The shaft 10 is inserted through the hollow body 401 of the casing 40 , keeping the cone-like engagement portion 102 received in the positioning opening 403 . The positioning opening 403 is a tapered opening fitting the cone-like engagement portion 102 .
The cushion 50 is sleeved onto the shaft 10 and firmly received in the second receiving chamber 404 of the hollow body 401 of the casing 40 . The spring member 60 is sleeved onto the shaft 10 and supported on the cushion 50 . The retainer 70 is a C-shaped retaining ring fastened to the annular locating groove 103 of the shaft 10 . The cap 80 is a hollow cap axially slidably mounted on the shaft 10 in the third receiving chamber 405 of the casing 40 and supported between the spring member 60 and the retainer 70 . The spring member 60 imparts an outward pressure to the retainer 70 (because the cushion 50 is firmly stopped in the second receiving chamber 404 of the casing 40 ), thereby causing the cone-like engagement portion 102 to be closely received in the positioning opening 403 of the casing 40 .
The operation of the lift lock is outlined hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 and FIGS. 1 ˜ 3 again. When the tilt rod A 1 biased counter-clockwise by an external rotary force that surpasses the friction resistance between the shaft 10 and the casing 40 , the shaft 10 is rotated with the tilt rod A 1 . At this time, the balls 30 in the first sliding grooves 202 , namely, the first balls 301 are respectively forced to rotate in direction from the respective flat deep receiving ends 202 b toward the respective arched shallow projecting ends 202 a , and the balls 30 in the second sliding grooves 203 , namely, the second balls 302 are respectively forced to rotate in direction from the respective arched shallow projecting ends 203 a toward the respective flat deep receiving ends 203 b . During movement of the first balls 301 and the second balls 302 , the guide wheel 20 is forced to bias slightly. However, because the speed and angle of rotation of the shaft 10 are greater than the guide wheel 20 , the second balls 302 are maintained in the respective flat deep receiving ends 203 b , and the first balls 301 are moved to the respective arched shallow projecting ends 202 a . When the first balls 301 moved to the respective arched shallow projecting ends 202 a , they protrude over the periphery of the guide wheel 20 and are stopped against the cone-like engagement portion 102 of the shaft 10 to force the cone-like engagement portion 102 away from the positioning opening 403 of the casing 40 (see FIG. 4 ), enabling the shaft 10 to be synchronously rotated with the lift rod A 1 .
When the input counter-clockwise torque of the lift rod A 1 became smaller than the friction resistance between the shaft 10 and the casing 40 , the shaft 10 is forced by the spring force of the spring member 60 to move axially relative to the casing 40 , thereby causing the cone-like engagement portion 102 to be fitted into the positioning opening 403 . At the same time, the first balls 301 are forced by the periphery of the cone-like engagement portion 102 to move to the flat deep receiving ends 202 b of the respective first sliding grooves 202 . Therefore, the cone-like engagement portion 102 is maintained in close contact with the periphery of the positioning opening 403 of the casing 40 to stop the shaft 10 from rotation (see FIG. 5 ).
On the contrary, when the tilt rod A 1 biased clockwise by an external rotary force that surpasses the friction resistance between the shaft 10 and the casing 40 , the cone-like engagement portion 102 of the shaft 10 is forced outwards from the positioning portion 403 of the casing 10 . At this time, the first balls 301 are respectively forced by the rotating shaft 10 to the respective flat deep receiving ends 202 b , and the second balls 302 are respectively moved to the respective arched shallow projecting ends 203 a . When the second balls 302 moved to the respective arched shallow projecting ends 203 a , they protrude over the periphery of the guide wheel 20 and are stopped against the cone-like engagement portion 102 of the shaft 10 to force the cone-like engagement portion 102 of the shaft 10 away from the positioning opening 403 of the casing 40 , enabling the shaft 10 to be synchronously rotated with the lift rod A 1 .
When the input clockwise torque of the lift rod A 1 became smaller than the friction resistance between the shaft 10 and the casing 40 , the shaft 10 is forced by the spring force of the spring member 60 to move axially relative to the casing 40 , thereby causing the cone-like engagement portion 102 to be fitted into the positioning opening 403 . At the same time, the second balls 302 are forced by the periphery of the cone-like engagement portion 102 to move to the flat deep receiving ends 203 b of the respective second sliding grooves 203 . Therefore, the cone-like engagement portion 102 is maintained in close contact with the periphery of the positioning opening 403 of the casing 40 to stop the shaft 10 from rotation.
In general, the invention provides the following advantages:
1. The friction design between the casing and the shaft and the arrangement of the symmetrical pairs of sliding grooves in the guide wheel and the balls in the sliding grooves enable the lift rod to be accurately locked in the desired angular position after each forward or backward adjustment.
2. The design of the three symmetrical pairs of sliding grooves causes the radial components of force produced from the balls to compensate one another, enabling the balls to accurately provide the desired axial push force.
3. The lift lock is an independent module that can be installed in any part of the lift rod. During installation, the shaft of the lift lock is sleeved onto the lift rod and moved along the lift rod to the desired location, and then the casing is fixedly fastened to the headrail of the blind.
4. Because the engagement portion of the shaft is shaped like a cone, the shaft produces a high friction resistance when engaged into the positioning opening of the casing and, the dimension of the whole assembly is minimized.
5. Because the casing has a second receiving chamber and a third receiving chamber for receiving the cushion, the spring member and the casing, the outer appearance of the lift lock looks in unity.
6. Because the whole structure of the lift lock is simple, the manufacturing cost of the lift lock is low.
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A lift lock for a blind is disclosed to include a casing holding a guide wheel, balls respectively received in respective sliding grooves around one side of the guide wheel, a shaft inserted through the casing and coupled to a lift rod of the blind, and a spring member sleeved onto the shaft for forcing an engagement portion of the shaft into engagement with a positioning opening of the casing. When the torque inputted into the lift rod surpassed the friction resistance between the casing and the shaft, the balls force the shaft to disengage the engagement portion from the positioning opening of the casing for enabling the lift rod to be freely rotated. When the input torque of the lift rod dropped, the spring member returns the shaft into engagement with the positioning opening of the casing to stop the lift rod in position.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to electrostatic spraying devices in general, and in particular to pneumatic-atomizing, hydraulic-atomizing and other types of induction-charging spraying systems.
Several present-day methods exist to charge and deliver spray particles for the purpose of improving the quality and efficiency of mass transfer of spray material onto the intended target. Induction-charging types of electrostatic nozzles are often selected for use in certain industrial and agricultural settings because they generally use lower input voltage and current than other types of electrostatic nozzles, such as those which are based upon corona, contact or electrohydrodynamic charging principles which utilize voltages on the order of 25 to 50 kV or greater for adequate charging. There are basically two classes of induction spray-charging systems in the prior art. The first contains nozzles that position electrodes near a relatively wide hydraulic, pneumatic, or other type atomization zone and obtain sufficiently high induction charging field gradients at operational voltages on the order of 5 kV to 15 kV. Examples of this type are by Burls et al., Pay, Swanson, Sickles, Inculet et al., and Brown et al. The second class of induction-based devices contains nozzles that have internal embedded electrodes that are placed very near a better defined atomization zone and, because of the proximity of the electrode to the atomization zone, are able to develop sufficient induction charging field gradients at electrode voltages of only 1 to 3 kV. Examples of this latter type are by Law and by Parmentar et al.
The magnitude of the force by which charged droplets are electrically propelled toward the intended target is a function of the droplet charge level and the droplet size. Proper control of droplet size and adequate charging can result in greatly enhanced deposition efficiency, especially onto hidden regions of three dimensional targets. Conventional air-atomizing induction-charging devices by Law and by Parmentar successfully atomize water droplets into the desired size range for electrostatic effect of below 100 μm in diameter, and charge these droplets to the minimum desired level of at least 3 mC/liter. With these parameters, deposition increases of at least two-fold can be achieved compared to similar uncharged spray onto complex target geometries such as plant canopies encountered in agricultural crop spraying. But, when commonly used materials are mixed into the spray liquid and used in these prior art nozzles, charging levels may decline considerably over the time span considered as normal usage periods. For instance, over the course of half-day-long spraying with the Law nozzle (or commercial versions of it which are modified with a dielectric liquid tip), using mixtures of powders, conductive liquids or metals commonly used in agricultural pesticide and foliar nutrient spraying, charging levels can decline to less than one fifth of that achieved with water alone. Continued usage with these types of additives to the water, and in the contaminated environment encountered in industrial and agricultural spraying, can result in irreversible damage to the electrostatic spray nozzles and power supplies.
The decline in spray-charging level and the eventual destruction of nozzle components are due in large part to several electrical problems that arise from the formation of conductive deposits on interior and exterior nozzle surfaces. These deposits, however slight, create stray electrical current pathways that readily trace across surfaces of the nozzle and wires and hoses attached to the nozzle. This electrical tracking phenomenon occurs even with the relatively low voltages of approximately 1 to 3 kV associated with internal electrode induction charging nozzles, such as at levels described by Law and by Parmentar. Eventually, conductive black carbon deposits form along these stray current paths which etch into dielectric surfaces, establishing permanent electrical conductors which cannot be removed by the operator during normal cleaning. These electrical pathways can form on internal as well as external nozzle surfaces.
Stray Currents on External Surfaces
The most obvious stray current tracking paths form on external dielectric nozzle surfaces which are subject to gross contamination by moisture and particulates in the spraying environment. These current paths usually start on surfaces at the nozzle orifice near the high voltage electrode and extend outward from the electrode toward external surfaces of lower potential as the exposed clean dielectric surfaces of the charging nozzle become wetted or otherwise contaminated. Since the contamination creates a resistive conduit electrically connecting the electrode to earth, surfaces which lie between are at some voltage intermediate to that of the electrode and earth, depending on their location and the degree of surface contamination.
The first effect of the stray currents on external surfaces is to increase the power requirement of the system which tends to reduce the output voltage of the nozzle's unregulated electrode power supply. This causes proportional reductions of both the electrode voltage and the spray charge level. When insulating surfaces intended to separate earthed sprayer parts from the electrode become sufficiently contaminated, the electrode's current drawn from the power supply increases dramatically. Under clean conditions, with water, a Law or Parmentar nozzle may draw only 20 μA. However, as the nozzle surfaces become conductive through contamination by environmental moisture, particulates or spray liquid, the effective resistance from the induction electrode to ground is reduced and the resultant surface tracking causes the power supply output current to increase 200-fold or greater, depending on the output capability of the power supply. With unregulated types of supplies, which are normally used because of their inherent safety, the increased level of current causes the voltage to be reduced to below 1/3 of its unloaded output. The large power requirement also reduces the number of nozzles that can be operated from a single electrostatic power supply. The power demand from surface fouling has caused some manufacturers of commercial induction charging nozzles to utilize an individual power supply for each nozzle capable of output currents far exceeding the operational requirements of an uncontaminated nozzle. This design approach increases the complexity and cost of multi-nozzle systems such as agricultural boom sprayers, and the excessive power available can accelerate dielectric surface destruction from electrical tracking and cause safety problems. As taught by Law in U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,733 (which patent is incorporated herein by this reference), it may be desirable to mount the power supply directly to the charging nozzle or to embed it within the nozzle. The advantages discussed by Law are that this avoids any high voltage leads that may be susceptible to mechanical damage or can present an electrical hazard. Law shows the power supply mounted directly to the nozzle portion containing the electrode. The problem with this embodiment is that the low voltage power supply input wires will become contaminated and the insulation will eventually degrade by electrical activity along the insulation surfaces. The potential difference between the conductor on the inside of the low voltage line and the contamination on the wire is usually near that of the electrode potential. Therefore dielectric breakdown of the insulation is likely, especially if the insulation is weakened from mechanical damage or electrical tracking damage. In addition, there is usually an electrical connector somewhere on the low-voltage wires to allow the nozzle to be easily removed. The internal parts of the connector are at a low voltage and the outside of the connector is at a high voltage because of the conductive pathways which form on the wire insulation and/or on connector surfaces due to contamination. Therefore, in practice the low voltage connectors interiors and exteriors are also susceptible to failure because of the potential difference.
The device described by Parmentar et al. addresses the problem of electrical tracking on outer nozzle surfaces and attempts to limit the current by lengthening the surface insulation distance from the nozzle's outlet to the earthed mounting bracket with a series of grooves on the outer walls of the nozzle and a large radial flange surrounding the nozzle. But, since the grooves and flange are exposed directly to dust and to the charged spray cloud, they can quickly become sufficiently conductive to sustain substantial current from the electrode. In addition, the deep grooves can become filled with dried spray materials and are difficult to clean thoroughly and therefore can remain conductive after cleaning.
A second effect of stray current on external nozzle surfaces is to reduce the intensity of spray charging because of electrical contact with the liquid supply through seams in the liquid input connection on the nozzle body. When electrical contact with the normally earthed liquid is made, the liquid's potential is elevated toward that of the induction electrode. The potential difference between the induction electrode and the liquid stream is reduced, resulting in a proportional spray-charging level reduction.
Physical damage can occur from electrical arcing at contaminated insulation surfaces of wire, air tubes and liquid tubes near where these nozzle component surfaces contact grounded sprayer parts. Current from the electrode or contaminated high-voltage electrical connectors travels along the fouled surfaces and electrical arcing occurs on the surfaces near grounded sprayer parts, eventually eroding holes into the tubing and the wire insulation causing liquid leaks and exposed conductors which are subject to direct shorting.
Eventually the etching along current paths and pitting from electrical discharges permanently disfigure surfaces which are important to the basic function of the nozzle, such as the walls of the atomization channel, the liquid-orifice tip, and surfaces of the electrode. Erosion from electrical activity in these areas causes a disruption of the spray pattern, greatly affecting the spray charging level and atomization quality.
Stray Currents on Internal Surfaces
While charge flow across contaminated external nozzle surfaces does the most visible physical damage to conventional air-atomizing induction nozzles and accounts for much of the current drawn from the power supply, internal surfaces are also subjected to contamination. This contamination results in spray charge reduction when the potential of the liquid upstream from the electrode is influenced.
Some types of conventional induction charging nozzles use seals within the nozzle to insulate the liquid from the electrode positioned in the nozzle. The dielectric surfaces of these seals can become sufficiently conductive by contamination during disassembly to provide current paths to the liquid. The level of currents across the dielectric seals may not be sufficient to cause electrical arcing or surface etching. However the electrical contact can be sufficient to elevate the voltage of the liquid stream toward that of the electrode resulting in a significant reduction of the induction spray charging electric field. Some previous nozzles are designed so that they can be disassembled into all base component parts. While this allows convenient access to each part for inspection or replacement, it aggravates the problem of possible interior surface contamination because it has been found that some conductive residues can remain after normal cleaning and reassembly.
An example of how an interior surface can become inadvertently contaminated during disassembly is in the Law nozzle modified with a dielectric twin-fluid tip. The base of this twin-fluid tip is threaded into the nozzle body and the seam is subject to contamination during disassembly which results in an electrical tracking path between the liquid channel and stray surface currents originating at the electrode. It has been observed that this path can cause the liquid upstream from the electrode to reach a voltage of 40-70% of that of the electrode, resulting in a proportional reduction in spray charge.
Internal contamination also occurs in prior art nozzles when a small amount of spray material flows back into the air channels when air flow is stopped. This contamination creates gross electrical current paths on surfaces between the electrode and the preferably low-voltage liquid-orifice tip and liquid channel insulation. These surfaces can become pitted by electrical discharges. Holes eventually develop in the dielectric material surrounding the liquid-orifice tip or liquid channel, thus exposing the liquid channel directly to the voltage of the electrode and also to the pressurized gas cavity.
In one previous commercial version of the Law nozzle, the twin-fluid tip and its mating threaded base are conductive and grounded. A cover is installed over the electrode cap portion and the exposed metal of the twin-fluid tip. This strategy is aimed at holding the liquid at earth potential even in the presence of stray currents. Over normal usage periods and during cleaning of the nozzle, however, the surfaces on the inside of this cover become contaminated. Therefore, current travels outward from the electrode, across the contaminated cover seals, and along the contaminated inner cover surfaces toward the exposed metal at the base of the earthed twin-fluid tip. The liquid remains earthed, but the current path is direct through the conductive twin-fluid tip and the power supply output is severely reduced and is subject to failure from the excessive current demand. In an effort to eliminate this problem, the metal twin-fluid tip was replaced with a similar design tip made from Delrin plastic. This increases the life of the nozzle somewhat, but current paths to the liquid stream eventually penetrate the seam between the Delrin twin-fluid tip and the nozzle body with electrical arcing sufficient to eventually create grooves between the sealing surfaces and open continuous electrical pathways to the liquid stream.
Use of Resistors on the Power Supply Output
In some conventional electrostatic nozzles, such as that by Sickles, a resistor in the gigohm range is placed between the power supply output and the nozzle's electrode to limit current to the electrode for the purpose of operator safety and for preventing gross electrical arcing on the interior of the nozzle. This resistor can also have the beneficial effect of limiting leakage currents originating at the electrode, but spray-charging levels are reduced because very small leakage currents over contaminated surfaces cause a substantial voltage drop over the high-value limiting resistor connected to the electrode. When spray materials or airborne dusts eventually coat a dielectric nozzle, the effective resistance from the electrode to earth is reduced to a value much less than that of a power supply series resistor of a size that would adequately limit current to a safe value. In practice when prior art nozzles are operated in agricultural settings, the nozzle electrode resistance to earth is often reduced to much less than 1 megohm. The schematic shown in FIG. 13 illustrates the effect on the electrode voltage, V e , for the case of a current limiting resistor, R, placed between a nozzle electrode and the power supply when a resistive leakage path, R n , exists across nozzle surfaces to earth.
Consider the example of a 5 megohm current limiting resistor, R, connected between a 1 kV unregulated power supply and a contaminated nozzle having a 1 megohm resistive leakage path, R n , from the electrode to earth along contaminated nozzle surfaces. As in a classical voltage-divider circuit, the voltage from the power supply is divided at the electrode, reducing the electrode voltage (V e ) and the internal induction charging field to only 1/6 of that of a nozzle with perfectly clean surfaces and no leakage currents. By further example, for R=R n the effective charging voltage is halved. These simple examples illustrate that nozzle charging components must maintain a significantly higher value of leakage resistance to ground than the proper size current limiting resistors from the power source if such resistors are to be used effectively. The primary benefits of such a high leakage-impedance system are safety, longer nozzle life, improved operational reliability with poorly maintained nozzles, consistent spray charging over a wide range of liquid conductivities, the ability to use very small power supplies with relatively low voltages, and the ability to power many charging nozzles from a single power source.
Sickles attempts to maintain a highly resistive pathway between the nozzle's electrode and ground by keeping nozzle surfaces clean using a secondary air stream designed to prevent charged spray from returning to the nozzle body. The volume of compressed air used for this secondary air stream, however, makes it impractical for large multi-nozzle systems such as 30 to 80 nozzle agricultural boom sprayers used for treating field crops. Air compressors or blowers must be as compact as possible in these mobile applications. Excessive pneumatic energy at the target is often undesirable as the electrostatic force field may be overcome by the aerodynamic forces resulting in poor electro-deposition and overspray. In addition, nozzles operating in this type of harsh environment tend to collect conductive airborne dusts and overspray on surfaces even when secondary air is used to move contaminants away from the nozzle.
Neutralization of the Charged Spray Cloud due to Ionization from Liquid Accumulating on the Nozzle Face
The charged spray cloud emitted from an induction nozzle's orifice creates an intense electric field terminating on the intended target as well as on the nozzle face and other sprayer components. The space-charge imposed field at the nozzle causes a strong attraction force between the nozzle surface and the charged droplets. Conventional induction nozzles, such as by Law which utilize pneumatic atomization, have the benefit of a gas carrier to effectively propel most of the spray away from the nozzle face. Within the spray cloud itself, droplets are mutually repelled and some droplets on the outer periphery escape entrainment by the gas jet. Charged droplets that become free of the gas carrier jet and have not traveled a sufficient distance to escape the field at the nozzle face, however, return to the nozzle surface along the electric field lines imposed by the space charge field. This relatively small portion of charged spray returning to the nozzle causes much of the detrimental surface contamination and resulting electrical current problems. A further detrimental consequence is that the spray liquid which is attracted back to the nozzle tends to accumulate on the planar face of the conventional charging nozzle. This accumulation can cause partial neutralization of the charged spray. As the deposited liquid begins to drip away from the outer nozzle surfaces, it is pulled toward the spray cloud by the force of the spray cloud's electric field. The accumulated liquid is formed into sharp peaks aligned with the field. The intensity of the electric field at the peaks is sufficient to cause dielectric breakdown of the surrounding air. The resultant gaseous electric discharges send ionic charges of opposite polarity into the spray cloud, subsequently electrically neutralizing a substantial portion of the spray. In addition, the surface-accumulated liquid electrically drawn from the nozzle or dripping by gravity is wasteful and causes poor deposition from improperly atomized spray. The droplets dripping from a nozzle face are usually quite large and are charged opposite to the spray. In paint spraying applications, these large droplets mar an otherwise uniform surface coat. In the practice of pesticide spraying of plants, deposition of these large drops can cause severe plant tissue damage at sites where the overdose occurs.
The shape of the conventional Parmentar nozzle reduces ionization points forming from surface films at the nozzle orifice area by recessing the outlet in a cup-shaped cavity with the outer rim facing the spray cloud. However, ionization and dripping occur at other surfaces of the nozzle as they become sufficiently wetted. Charged droplets returning to the nozzle are attracted to the cavity's rim edge since the electric field lines are concentrated there. This helps limit the amount of spray that coats the body rearward of the rim edge, but the collecting droplets accumulate and coalesce on the edge itself. Just prior to dripping, the liquid is pulled toward the spray cloud into sharp peaks from which charge opposite of the spray cloud is emitted and tends to neutralize a significant portion of the charged spray cloud. Parmentar also incorporates a large radial flange around the nozzle. This flange serves to lengthen the insulating surface and block returning charged spray from coating the upstream portion of the nozzle body. However, the front and edge surfaces toward the spray cloud eventually become coated and multiple ionization-prone drip points form. In addition, the cup shaped cavity on the front of the nozzle prevents the nozzle from being used in an upward orientation since the cavity tends to fill with liquid which accumulates on the rim edge and drips into the cavity, eventually partially blocking the orifice and/or being ejected as large liquid slugs which dramatically degrade the spray deposition quality.
All versions of the conventional Law nozzle also exhibit the dripping and spray cloud neutralization problem, especially recent commercial versions where a planar-surfaced cover is installed for protection over the smaller planar face of the electrode cap. Compared to the Parmentar nozzle, the Law nozzle tends to collect less liquid since the face of the cover is less than half as large. However, the accumulation is sufficient to cause the formation of prominent, ionization-prone peaks dripping from the lowest edge of the face.
Mechanical Wear of the Atomization Channel
Another limitation in conventional induction charging nozzles is the tendency of the atomization channel and jet outlet to wear quickly under normal usage with sprays containing abrasive substances. The narrow spray pattern and air sheath created between the spray and channel wails by the Law nozzle limits the abrasion wear somewhat, but over time the atomization channel walls become slightly deformed with spray deposits left from improper cleaning or disfigured from electrical activity, such as induced ionization from the liquid orifice tip or current tracking along the inner walls of the atomization zone. The deformation disrupts the narrow pattern, and a portion of the air-driven spray impacts onto the plastic wall near the outlet and mechanically erodes it. In practice the outlet of the nozzle can erode to double the initial diameter in a period of only a half-day while spraying certain abrasive materials such as diatomaceous earth or sodium aluminofluoride. Left unattended, the electrode will also begin to wear, beginning at the outlet end and continuing rearward. Air consumption, spray charge, and atomization quality can all be adversely affected by the abrasive wear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides improved electrostatic spray charging nozzle systems for reliable spray charging with a wide variety of spray liquids, especially those containing relatively high mass concentrations of abrasive powders, metal elements, corrosive materials, and/or highly conductive materials. Such systems are also safer and more reliable in environments where nozzle surfaces are likely to become contaminated with spray and other material, nozzles are subject to operation by untrained operators and nozzle maintenance may be neglected. The systems also provide nozzles with low electrical power requirement to enable the operation of many electrostatic spray nozzles from a single miniature power supply or to allow operation of a single nozzle from a subminiature power supply which may be embedded, if desired, within the nozzle.
Pneumatic-atomizing induction-charging nozzle systems according to the present invention advance the art, among other ways, by (a) maintaining stability of the internal electrostatic charging field between liquid jet and induction electrode through electrical insulation of the liquid stream from internal and external current leakage, and through establishment of an electrical barrier between the internal charging field and spray cloud fields originating external to the nozzle; (b) maintaining nozzle surface potentials to preclude leakage of charge on interior and exterior nozzle surfaces; (c) creating high electrical resistance between earthed sprayer parts, the high voltage power source, and the electrode of the spray nozzle; (d) utilizing abrasion resistant materials at the nozzle outlet; and (e) shaping the external surfaces of the nozzle to minimize nozzle coating and neutralization of spray by space-charge induced ionization.
Nozzle assemblies according to the present invention include a body that terminates in a twin-fluid tip which is nested into a cover that contains a pneumatic atomization chamber and charging electrode. The induction electrode is properly positioned in the assembly in relation to the atomization zone so as to concentrate and maintain a suitably intense electric field at the surface of the liquid jet at the droplet-formation zone. The liquid jet is maintained at or near ground potential and connected to ground at an appropriate upstream location. Charge is induced to flow through the liquid and concentrate on the surface of the liquid jet entering the atomization zone in response to the electric field at the jet surface. Droplets are formed with pneumatic energy which also propels the charged spray away from the electrode area, through the nozzle jet outlet and toward the intended target.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the nozzle assembly consists of a body that terminates in a twin-fluid tip which is removably connected to a cover. The cover features a conically or other aerodynamically shaped outer surface that terminates in a spray jet outlet. It contains an interior surface that forms an atomization channel and includes an induction electrode. The body and cover can be easily separated to provide access to all the areas that periodically need to be cleaned; including the air channels, liquid channel, liquid-orifice tip, atomization channel, charging electrode surface, and air plenum area. The liquid-orifice tip, electrode and other internal nozzle components are integral to the body or cover and do not need to be removed. They are, therefore, not subject to misalignment or contamination during reassembly, disassembly or operation.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the electrode's electrical contact with the power supply is interrupted when the cover is loosened or removed. This reduces the chance that an operator will inadvertently contact the power supply when inspecting or cleaning the electrode or other portions of the atomization zone. This feature also eliminates handling and straining any fragile wires while cleaning the atomization channel or other areas.
Several aspects of the nozzle according to the present invention eliminate stray currents across contaminant surface films which readily form on interior dielectric surfaces of induction charging nozzles, such as surfaces in the areas around the liquid-orifice tip and the atomization chamber. On the interior surfaces of the nozzle according to the present invention, equipotential surfaces are intentionally maintained in the areas of the cover portion adjacent to and upstream of the electrode. The surfaces of the gas plenums, seals, and the atomization channel, which are internal portions of the cover assembly, are positioned between the electrode and a conductive or semiconductive annulus which is at a potential similar to the electrode. This equalizes the voltage on these dielectric surfaces, in the very likely event a conductive, contaminant film forms on them, and prevents current from traveling rearward from the electrode toward the lower-potential body portion of the assembly and forming damaging electrical tracking paths on these key internal nozzle areas. The internal conductive annulus also conveniently serves to make alignment-independent electrical contact from the power supply conduit in the body to the electrode in the cover. A further benefit of the interior charged annular surface is that it inherently imposes an electrical barrier between the internal induction charging electric field and any externally originating fields existing around the nozzle, such as that imposed by the spray cloud space charge, which is opposing and will suppress the nozzle's spray charging field.
The liquid channel, liquid inlet connections, and liquid tip are contained within the low-voltage body portion. The liquid is grounded at some point upstream of the liquid orifice and the parallel resistance of the stream segment and its seamless conduit between the ground point and the electrode causes the potential of the liquid jet at the orifice to float between ground voltage during normal operation and the electrode voltage during a gross short circuit situation. In the event of a direct short circuit between the liquid-orifice tip and the electrode caused by a bridge of conductive contaminant, the current is caused to move through the bridge of material causing the short, and through resistive liquid stream and its conduit. The liquid between the tip and its upstream ground point forms a resistor, which self-limits current and subsequently limits damage to nozzle components. Damage is further prevented as the nozzle liquid flow is stopped because current ceases when liquid contact discontinues as the liquid is evacuated from the channel at the liquid orifice tip.
Chances of a short circuit at the liquid-orifice tip are further limited by the atomizing gas moving in the plenum surrounding the base of the tip and by the very high velocity gas which is forced into the atomization zone surrounding the liquid-orifice tip. For additional safety and to prevent an electrical short between the electrode and liquid orifice tip, which is likely to occur in the absence of atomizing gas flow through the atomization channel, the electrode voltage is preferably disconnected by way of a pressure switch controlling the power supply.
Several aspects of the present invention greatly reduce stray currents on nozzle exterior surfaces compared to prior art nozzles operating in conditions where nozzle surfaces may become contaminated. It has been discovered that when contaminant films form readily on the external dielectric surfaces of electrostatic spray nozzles, the surfaces adjacent to and downstream of the electrode are then sufficiently conductive to electrically couple the electrode to earthed components of the sprayer. The resulting stray surface currents cause disfigurement and eventual destruction of dielectric surfaces, electrode surfaces, fluid connections and wires of prior art spray-charging nozzles. A primary aspect of the present invention is the maintenance of a highly resistive path from the electrode to earth, thereby preventing significant charge flow from the electrode along the interior walls of the atomization channel rearward toward the twin-fluid tip and forward toward the exterior face of the nozzle and along contaminated exterior dielectric surfaces attached to ground points on the sprayer. The highly resistive path is created by protecting selected portions of nozzle surfaces from contamination. A method to maintain a high impedance path is to properly form cavities into selected nozzle surfaces, and/or on electrical standoffs which are used to connect the nozzle to grounded sprayer parts, and protect the interior of these cavities from contaminant entry. Protection from intrusion of contaminants into the cavities can be provided by applications of aerodynamic, sonic, thermal, electrical, mechanical, or other forms of energy input or passively by properly shaping the cavities to inherently prevent contaminant entry by interaction with the existing electrical fields, imposed electrical fields, and aerodynamic flow fields nearby. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the aerodynamic shape of the nozzle aims to create a generally laminar flow on the nozzle surfaces in order to reduce proclivity of entrained particles to adhere to the nozzle surfaces, while certain carefully placed electrical field concentrators, such as rims or edges, create areas of field intensity which tend to repel or deflect such particles.
In one embodiment according to the present invention, the dielectric nozzle body, on which the gas, liquid and electrical terminals are located and mounting connections are made, is electrically insulated from the cover portion by protected cavities formed into the body. The exterior body surface is thus maintained at near ground by the conductivity of the contaminated body surface and appreciable electrical current flow across the body surfaces from nozzle high voltage components is prevented by the resistivity of the protected cavity interior. A preferred embodiment also includes a protected surface on the cover portion of the nozzle assembly containing the internal electrode. This protected cavity further isolates the electrode from earth in the likely event of surface fouling, and thus causes the atomization channel and other external cover surfaces to elevate to a potential similar to the electrode and be held at that potential, thereby preventing charge flow from the electrode across all surfaces adjacent to the electrode.
The potential imposed on the exterior surface of the cover is opposite in sign of that of the spray droplets, but this does not significantly increase the attraction of charged droplets towards the nozzle surface over that of a grounded nozzle surface, nor does charged spray impacting the cover cause significant power supply current. Once the initially clean dielectric surfaces of the charging nozzle body and cover become soiled with conductive contaminant films, they respectively take on the electric potentials approximating those of the grounded mounting attachment and of the induction electrode. The less current drained from these contaminated surfaces, the closer they will approximate respective equipotential surfaces.
The magnitude of the space-charge electric field created by a negatively charged spray cloud has been measured to be over -3 kV/cm at a distance of 10 to 15 cm below the spray-jet centerline at the nozzle outlet. Therefore, the space charge potential is near -35 kV relative to a grounded nozzle surface and -36 kV relative to a cover surface elevated to the +1 kV electrode voltage. A charged cover at +1 kV may preferentially attract negatively charged spray, but the force is only 3% greater compared to a ground surface of similar geometry and proximity to the spray cloud. As negatively charged spray deposits on the charged cover a neutralization current is caused to flow from the induction electrode in order for the cover to maintain its potential, but the required current is very small. Assuming a 1% spray "rollback" to the nozzle, with 2/3 going to the cover surface, a typical 10 μA spray cloud current would require only 66 nA from the electrode's power supply for neutralizing rollback. In practice, much less than 1% rollback of the charged spray is likely.
Nozzles according to the present invention greatly reduce charged spray rollback and particulate deposition on selected nozzle surfaces by proper shaping of the nozzle exterior. The nozzle shape creates ambient air flow fields, creates beneficial electric field patterns from the nearby potential of the charged spray cloud, and creates strategic curvilinear electric field shapes between fouled dielectric surfaces on which electrical potentials are intentionally maintained.
Charged droplets returning to the face of the spray nozzle and causing induced-electrical-discharge neutralization of the spray cloud and electrical tracking is a problem encountered with all prior commercial versions of the Law device and other induction charging nozzles. That is because they have generally planer face surfaces perpendicular to the axis of the droplet-laden gas jet. Liquid deposit may be especially heavy in situations where the nozzle is spraying upward, or is spraying horizontally, or in situations where oppositely charged nozzles are spraying toward each other, such as with vineyard sprayers.
To reduce spray deposition onto the nozzle of the present invention, the surface finish is made smooth and is generally preferably conical or otherwise aerodynamically shaped, forwardly tapering so as to be as narrow as possible at the jet outlet. This conical forward taper terminating at the high velocity jet causes entrainment of a significant volume of ambient air. The entrained ambient air flows across the smooth nozzle exterior toward the main spray jet and creates an air "curtain" across the openings of the cavities, helping to prevent particulate entry. In addition, the air flow across nozzle surfaces helps prevent contaminant deposition and redirects particulates and stray spray droplets toward the intended target. The entrained gas volume adds to the outer layer of the main gas jet exiting the nozzle. This added mass flow tends to propel slower droplets on the outer periphery of the spray cloud in the intended direction away from the nozzle, overpowering electrical forces causing droplet rollback. With planar-faced nozzles the peripheral droplets tend to readily return and deposit on the nozzle surface.
To further reduce spray deposition and liquid accumulation on the nozzle according to the present invention, the electric field lines originating from the electrical potential of the spray cloud are caused to concentrate at the forward end of the nozzle, nearest to the main gas/spray jet. The forwardly tapered shape of the cover reduces the deposition surface area immediately adjacent to the charged spray cloud and the increased curvature at the outlet causes the greatest portion of the electric field lines to terminate on the conductive-film surface just around the spray jet. Charged droplets returning to the nozzle are thus preferentially attracted toward this area of sharp curvature and, since the air flow field is also most concentrated in this region, nearly all droplets approaching this region are re-entrained into the main gas/spray jet prior to deposition and discharge on the nozzle face. The small amount of liquid which does deposit on the surface near the jet outlet is immediately pulled by strong venturi action into the main gas/spray jet and re-atomized before dripping and consequential induced ionization can occur. Some liquid spray material may deposit on the upstream surfaces of the conical cover, although the influence of the spray cloud's field is made much weaker there by the distance from the main cloud and by the continuous smooth shape. In this case the liquid does not readily accumulate sufficiently to drip or initiate induced ionization, because the liquid is steadily drawn into the main jet by the sheath ambient air which is entrained towards the flow of the nozzle's main gas jet.
Beyond the mechanical exclusion methods for protecting the interiors of cavities, and the protection afforded by the previously discussed air curtain caused across nozzle surfaces and the cavity openings by ambient air entrained by the compressed gas jet exiting at the forward end of the nozzle; further protection from entry by charged spray is achieved by properly shaping electric field lines at cavity entrances to cause charged spray to be repelled away from the openings. As discussed previously, the nearby charged spray cloud imposes a "space-charge" force field on the order of 2 to 3 kV/cm which drives charged droplets from the region of the charged spray cloud toward the intended earthed target. This space-charge field also results in electric field lines which terminate on the nozzle itself. The energy of the gas carrier is sufficient to propel nearly all the spray away from the nozzle, but a portion moves toward the nozzle surfaces along these field lines. These space-charge field lines terminate perpendicularly on conductive contaminated nozzle surfaces. In addition to the field imposed by the presence of the charged spray cloud, strong electric fields are also present between the high voltage cover and the low voltage body surfaces of the nozzle according the present invention. These two fields are complementary in flow direction. On planar surfaces the field lines are spaced evenly, but at surface discontinuities the electric field lines are much more concentrated. One aspect of the present invention is to place discontinuities or field concentrators on the nozzle surface to concentrate field intensity and cause electric field lines of a curvilinear shape which result from both the potential of the spray cloud and the potential intentionally maintained on nozzle surfaces. Charged spray droplets approaching the curved field lines experience strong centrifugal forces and are thrown outward away from the cavity openings, into the ambient air-flow field and re-entrained into the main spray cloud directed toward the intended target.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the exterior surface of the cover is generally a forwardly converging cone shape and surrounds the atomization and charging zone. The cover surface is preferably a dielectric material and becomes sufficiently contaminated when exposed in a spraying environment to become somewhat conductive. Therefore, a beneficial electric field boundary is maintained which surrounds the internal charging induction field to effectively decouple it from the opposing space charge field created by the presence of the highly charged spray emitting from the nozzle outlet.
The previously discussed protected cavity interior surfaces of the nozzle according to the present invention results in a high impedance between the nozzle's electrode power supply and ground and significantly reduces the current from the power supply compared to previous nozzles. This high impedance now allows the successful implementation of a protective resistive element in series with the nozzle, between the power supply and the induction charging electrode without suffering significant voltage drop at the electrode. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention this resistive element should be contained within the nozzle itself. A configuration where the power supply is mounted within the nozzle would simply have a resistor at the power supply output. In the event of multiple nozzles connected to a remote power supply, a resistor could be placed in the power supply in addition to the individual resistive elements within the nozzles. Or multiple output resistors could be placed within the power supply itself with direct connections to the nozzle. Resistive wire may also be employed to achieve this objective. If multiple nozzles are to be powered from a single source it is preferred to use an output resistor for each nozzle to prevent a shorted nozzle from affecting the others. One of the benefits of a resistive conduit between the power supply output and the high impedance nozzle's electrode is safety. The system can be designed so there is no noticeable shock when handling an energized nozzle. Other benefits observed due to a series resistor used in concert with a high impedance nozzle are the significant reduction in power supply current drawn due to induced electrical ionization of the liquid jet and consequential ion current from the induction electrode. Such ion currents have been noted in prior art nozzles once the electrode becomes wetted or has exposed edges or other discontinuities.
The high impedance nature of the nozzle according to the present invention lends itself to successful positioning of the power supply on or within the nozzle. Not only does the reduced power supply current and voltage allow the use of very miniature DC-to-DC converters which can be conveniently fitted to the nozzle or enclosed within it, but the low voltage leads or battery providing input to the power transformer can be protected from damage due to electrical tracking originating at the electrode. In previous designs, such as that by Law, where the power supply was attached to the nozzle or contained within it, the low voltage leads emanated from a surface of the nozzle which was susceptible to contamination and to voltage and current from the electrode. If the power supply is to be mounted onto the nozzle or embedded in a portion of it, the preferred embodiment would have the low voltage input wires or connectors emanating from the low voltage section of a high impedance nozzle, such as that disclosed here. This would prevent coatings of contaminant material on the outside surfaces of the wire insulation or insulation surrounding connectors from reaching an electrical potential near that of the electrode, resulting in electrical breakdown of the insulation. The power supply itself could be mounted to the high voltage section with the low voltage input conductors protected from contamination by positioning them within the low voltage nozzle portion.
An additional primary feature of the nozzle according to the present invention is the use of a hard, abrasion resistant material which is incorporated into the atomization channel to prevent premature electrical or mechanical etching of this channel. In the preferred embodiment, ceramic is chosen for its abrasion resistance and electrical insulation characteristics. Certain types of ceramics which are made electrically conductive can be used as an electrode material. The abrasion resistant electrode may form a portion of the walls of the atomization channel or make up the entire channel surface.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the atomization-zone channel is a straight bore, diverging at the jet outlet, as opposed to a converging channel which has been used in previous designs and can cause build up of material in the channel or at the jet outlet.
In addition to these objects, features, and advantages of the present invention, other such objects, features, advantages and benefits of the invention will be apparent with reference to the remainder of this document.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an assembled first embodiment of the induction spray charging nozzle according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a disassembled first embodiment of the induction spray nozzle according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the induction spray charging nozzle according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 shows a detailed perspective view of the twin-fluid tip section of an embodiment of the induction spray charging nozzle according to the present invention where air channels are used to direct air into the atomization zone.
FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional elevational view of a second embodiment of the induction spray charging nozzle according to the present invention, which includes a hood.
FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of the nozzle system according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 shows the entrained air flow field and the electric field imposed on a nozzle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 shows the entrained air flow field and electric field imposed on a nozzle according to the present invention having a hood installed over the cavities for mechanical protection of the surfaces as well as for creating an enhanced curvilinear electric field for the exclusion of charged particles.
FIG. 9 shows a fourth embodiment of the induction charging nozzle according to the present invention in which resistive elements are installed within the nozzle between the power supply outlet and the nozzle's electrode.
FIG. 10 shows a semilogarithmic graph of the electrode resistance to ground measured over a time span while spraying a common highly conductive agricultural mixture comparing a prior art nozzle to a nozzle according the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a graph showing the charging level achieved over time for a nozzle according to the invention compared with that of a prior art nozzle.
FIG. 12 is a semilogarithmic graph of the typical power supply current required over a day-long time span to operate a nozzle according to the invention compared with that for a prior art nozzle.
FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of a spray-charging nozzle system in which a resistor is interposed between the power supply and a nozzle having a contaminated resistive surface.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a form of preferred embodiment of induction charging nozzles according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the nozzle is broadly comprised of a body 1 and a cover 2. The liquid inlet 8, gas inlet 7 and electrical input 9 are located on the rear face of the body portion 1. Charged spray in a gas carrier 15 is emitted from the forward end of the nozzle through the outlet 33. The nozzle's conically shaped cover 2 tapers toward the outlet face 24. A hood 30 is shown positioned onto the body portion 1 of the nozzle. Referring to FIG. 2 which shows a disassembled embodiment, cover 2 can preferably be readily detached from the body 1 exposing the inner regions for servicing. The cover 2 preferably fastens onto the body 1 and is made easily separable using threads 3, or by screws, latches or other attachment means which allow disassembly for inspection, cleaning and reassembly without misalignment or damage by untrained persons and preferably without tools or with the use of common tools. The downstream end of the body is shaped into a twin-fluid tip 12 containing gas outlet 21 and plenum 13, and liquid orifice tip 16. Electrical contact with the power supply can be made through a contact terminal 23 which mates to the annular conductive surface 19 shown in FIG. 3.
Referring again to FIG. 3, in which a cross sectional view of a nozzle according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, the nozzle body 1 is preferably formed of a dielectric material, preferably having low-surface wettability, low surface and volume conductivity values, and low surface adhesion properties. The body 1 contains conduits for gas 4, liquid 5, and electrical power (not shown in this view, refer to FIG. 9, numeral 6). The inputs of gas 7, liquid 8, and electrical power (See FIG. 1, numeral 9) are preferably located on the rear face 10 of the body 1 at the farthest distance from the face 24 of the nozzle. The gas input 7 can be made to accommodate a filter screen 11 if desired.
The fluid conduits 4 and 5, as well as the electrical conduit, are usually formed continuously through the nozzle body 1 without seams or separations in the body. In some cases however it may be desirable to make a liquid orifice tip 16 which is pressed or threaded into the body 1 in cases where it is desired to make the tip 16 itself from a dissimilar material, such as ceramic, or to make it periodically replaceable. It is not desirable to permit a seam which can be contaminated and therefore expose the liquid to the induction electrode voltage through stray currents on the nozzle surfaces. In some cases it may be desirable for the power supply to be encapsulated within or attach onto the nozzle body 1, thus eliminating a high voltage wire from the outside of the body portion 1.
The body terminates in a twin-fluid tip 12, as shown in FIG. 2 and a slightly modified version in FIG. 4. As seen in FIG. 3, the gas conduit 4 through the body 1 terminates at an outlet 21 into a plenum 13 which surrounds the base of the twin-fluid tip 12. The outer rim 22 of the plenum 13 may serve to seal against the base of the plenum 26 in the cover portion 2. Additional sealing may be provided by a flexible seal 17 against the rim 25 formed on the interior of the cover 2. These seals prevent gas leakage and also serve to limit the interior surface current paths. Pressurized gas from the plenum 13 can be channeled through multiple ports 14 surrounding the base 34 of the twin-fluid tip as shown in FIG. 4, or, as in FIGS. 2 and 3, the base 34 of the twin-fluid tip 12 can be made more narrow and smooth to allow gas to completely flow around the circumference of the base 34. The latter is preferred for maximum electrical isolation of the fluid tip 12. However, if a gas channel is needed in this area to direct the air flow, then slotted channels 14 are preferred to holes since the sidewall surfaces of the slots are exposed when the cover 2 is removed and they can be cleaned more easily than the insides of holes. These slots can be made in the axial direction of the spray stream 15 or the slots 14 can be formed at an angle (as shown in FIG. 4) if a radial motion of the exiting gas is desired to create a wider spray angle.
The liquid conduit 5 terminates in the outlet of the liquid-orifice tip 16. In general it is preferred that the orifice tip 16 be placed upstream from the electrode 18 as shown in FIG. 3. But, it has been found that the location of this tip 16 can be varied to achieve desired atomization and charging qualities and to vary the liquid flowrate.
Referring again to FIG. 3, formed within the interior of the forward end of the cover 2 of the nozzle is a gas plenum 26 which surrounds the base 34 of the twin-fluid tip 12. The gas plenum 26 serves to equalize, accelerate, and direct the flow of pressurized gas into the atomization zone and can form part of the wall of the atomization channel 35. The shape of the plenum 26 is shown generally as a frustrum transitioning to a cylinder, which works well for a narrow directed spray, but other configurations may be used which can result in a modified spray pattern. The gas plenum 26 positioned around the base of the tip 12 helps to keep the area free of gross contamination while it is pressurized. When gas pressure is removed, spray liquid may drip into the atomization zone 35 the plenum area 26, and for this reason it is preferred to utilize a simple pressure switch to control the electrode power supply. Otherwise, arcing between the electrode 18 to the tip 16 could occur in the absence of gas flow. It is also preferred that the gas pressure remain for a short time after liquid flow is stopped to purge the tip 16 of remaining liquid by the venturi action.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a conductive induction electrode 18 is properly positioned so that its inner surface forms part of the wall of the atomization channel 8, preferably downstream from the liquid-orifice tip 16. Forward or downstream, preferably, of the electrode 18 is the atomization channel jet outlet 33 which serves to direct the spray jet and cover the forward edge of the electrode 35. The jet outlet 33 is preferably, but need not be, formed from abrasion resistant materials such as ceramic. It is not necessary that the outlet 33 be non-conductive, and hard conductive materials, such as stainless steel, may be selected, although insulating materials would be preferred for personnel safety. Prior art induction charging nozzles tend to wear or degrade in the jet outlet area when atomizing liquids containing abrasive powders or harsh chemicals. Nozzles according to the present invention incorporate a jet outlet preferably formed of ceramic. Typically an alumina industrial ceramic is chosen for this purpose because of extremely high resistance to wear and degradation by acid solutions, alkaline solutions, salts, and solvents. Alumina ceramics exhibit a hardness level that exceeds nearly all other materials. In addition, these types of ceramic exhibit high dielectric strength, high surface resistivity, low surface wettability and low porosity. The ceramic shape can be molded using standard ceramic part forming techniques. Certain alumina ceramics of a type having glass bonded mica, such as the Corning product "MACOR" are particularly suitable for forming the jet outlet 33 by standard machining methods.
Principal concepts of this electrostatic spraying system include the maintenance of surface potentials on selected nozzle components and the maintenance of a highly resistive path from the electrode 18 to ground. Chief benefits include the prevention of surface current tracking, reduction of induced ionization at the nozzle face, a reduction in the size and output of the power supply, and increased safety. To eliminate surface charge flow, the exterior and interior nozzle surfaces contacting the electrode 18 through surface contamination are maintained at a voltage similar to the electrode 18. The body of the nozzle 1 is sufficiently insulated from the cover 2 so that in the event the rear base surfaces 10 become contaminated they will be at near ground potential with minimal current to fluid connections 7 and 8 and grounded sprayer parts to which the body 1 may be eventually connected.
A method of achieving a high electrical resistance between the nozzle's electrode 18 and grounded portions is by physically protecting selected portions of the nozzle surfaces from contamination by spray or other materials which may deposit on the nozzle and cause the formation of stray current paths. The embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3 show an example of a current-limiting cavity 28 which is formed on the body portion 1 and an additional current-limiting cavity 29 which is formed into the cover portion 2. These cavities 28, 29, which may be annular or any other desired shape, create regions which are partially sheltered from spray or other contaminants and a highly resistive surface is preserved. Charged spray returning to the nozzle as driven on electric field lines lacks sufficient kinetic energy to readily penetrate into the cavity depth and most deposits on the cavity edge where the field lines are concentrated. If spray material or other liquids eventually deposit inside the cavity 28 or 29, the quantity is usually small and liquid does not accumulate to form a continuous path, liquid films being much more conductive than discrete small droplet deposits. The cavities 28, 29 can be cleaned periodically and are easily accessed when the body 1 and cover 2 portions are separated.
In cases of nozzles operating in certain harsh conditions, gas jets 40 (shown in FIG. 3) may be directed into the cavity 28, 29 to continuously or periodically purge the cavity interior. For example, when atomizing gas supply is not a concern, some of the gas could be directed through several small diameter holes 40 drilled radially or somewhat tangentially outward from the gas conduit 4 creating a pressure gradient and an active gas sweeping of the body cavity 28 to exclude particulate deposition on the interior.
Further protection from surface contamination within cavity interiors is afforded by adding shields for mechanical shelter and to create beneficially shaped electric field lines to prevent charged droplet entry. An example of such a shield is shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 (although other structures or forms may be employed). This outer shield in the form of a hood 30 serves to further protect nozzle outer surfaces and the surfaces of nozzle body cavity 28 and the cavity of the cover 29. The hood 30 may be placed as shown for downward nozzle orientations, or inverted and fitted to the cover on the seat 31 for upward nozzle orientations. In addition, further protection can be added by the placement of a dielectric annular disk-shaped barrier 32 placed between the body and cover. This barrier 32 further covers the cavities 28, 29 and creates a maze of surfaces to deflect or otherwise limit entry and surface deposition of charged spray or other contaminants which may be traveling in air currents around the nozzle. The outer hood 30 and inner barrier 32 can be made as an integral part of the nozzle body or made separately, preferably formed from a dielectric material with low surface wettability, low volume and surface conductivity, and low surface adhesion characteristics, such as UHMW or PTFE.
Another shield configuration to preserve high resistance pathways from the nozzle's electrode 18 to ground is shown in FIG. 6. In this example embodiment of the present invention, a basically hood-shaped shield 36 is placed between a charging nozzle 38 and a grounded sprayer part 39. In this example, the dielectric standoff structure 37 is the gas and/or liquid lines entering the rear face 10 of the nozzle. The shield 36 mechanically protects the dielectric standoff support 37 from contamination. It also beneficially modifies the electric field to prevent charge droplet deposition on the shield interior.
Additional hoods, cavities or other shielding methods can be added to the nozzle body, cover, nozzle mountings, tubing or wires, placed one on top of the other so as to form a labyrinth, or otherwise added and/or configured if greater degrees of insulation are necessary. Often perforated outer shields offer protection from electro-deposition on inner surfaces while allowing accumulated liquid (or rain) to escape.
According to the present invention, the nozzle surfaces are configured to influence the shape and concentration of the space-charge electric field lines imposed on the various body 1 and cover 2 surfaces for the purpose of beneficially influencing the trajectory of charged spray droplets returning to the nozzle. A properly charged spray cloud emitted from an induction charging nozzle typically imposes a passive space-charge field of 2 to 4 kV/cm magnitude at planar nozzle surfaces. Onto planar, smoothly continuous contaminant-conductive surfaces of the nozzle, the space-charge field lines terminate uniformly spaced and perpendicularly. As angular surface discontinuities are encountered, the field lines still terminate perpendicularly, but are more concentrated at convex shapes, and less concentrated within the interior of concave shapes. For the nozzle according to the present invention, potentials are maintained on nozzle surface films, and cavity edges and other nozzle surfaces are intentionally shaped so that an active curvilinear electric field is imposed to protect nozzle surfaces from charged spray deposition. Charged droplets moving along such curved field lines experience strong centrifugal forces which effectively repel them from the cavity opening area, and away from the nozzle, into an air flow field, thus protecting these zones from deposition.
For the example shown in FIG. 7, surface contaminant fields forming on the body portion 1 attached to earthed sprayer parts result in a grounded surface of the body portion 1. Surfaces 50 of the cover portion 2 each carry a potential near that of the electrode 18. This results in electric field formation in the space separating the two portions. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the field lines concentrate at the rims 54, 55 of the opposing cavities 28, 29, respectively, to create strong curvilinear electric field lines 60 as shown. Charged droplets returning to the nozzle along space-charge electric field lines originating at the spray cloud are prevented from entering the cavities, because as they become entrained in the increasingly intense curvilinear field, they accelerate and centrifugal force causes the droplets to be cast away from the sharply curved path of the field lines and into the entraining air flow field 61 surrounding the spray nozzle.
The air flow field 61 and this active electric field 60 work in concert, each moving stray charged droplets in the direction of the intended spray target. While negatively charged droplets resulting from a positive induction electrode are used for the purpose of the example, this resulting target-bound direction of the droplets moving in the curved field is the same regardless of the polarity of the induction electrode.
Referring to FIG. 8, the addition of a properly formed hood 30 over the cavity openings is used to create a very intense curvilinear field 62 across the entryway, between the hood rim 56 and an edge 57 formed on the nozzle cover 2. A typically 800 V positive potential on the surface film of the dielectric cover 2 positioned 1/2 cm from a ground plane will create a linear electric field of 1.6 kV/cm. In the ease of a sharp contour strategically formed on the body, opposite of a sharp lip on an earthed hood, the field shape is curvilinear and can be made to approach the dielectric breakdown strength of air if so desired, although such a field strength is undesirable because the resultant ion current adds to the power supply demand. A field strength of much less is required to cause the centrifugal force repulsion of 30 μm droplets charged at a level of -5 mC/kg. In severe conditions, where liquid accumulates on the hood 30 or rear of the body 1, the liquid moves to the hood rim 56 and is pulled into the curved field 62 prior to formation of ionization-prone drip points. This liquid tends to attract to the cover 2, avoiding the cavities 28, 29 along curvilinear lines, and is pulled by venturi action into the jet and re-atomized.
The cavity edges 54, 55 make use of the electric field actively maintained between nozzle and cavity edges, shaping the field to promote droplet repulsion from protected surface sites. Conversely, the forward end of the nozzle 58 is shaped to attract droplets toward the face surface 24 at the outlet 33, utilizing the passive electric field 63 created by the nearby charged spray cloud. The sharp convex shapes at the forward nozzle end 58 and the close proximity of this surface to the charged spray cloud, create an intense concentration of field lines around the face of the outlet 24. Charged droplets move toward the nozzle forward end 58 and most are re-entrained into the spray jet and driven towards the target before impinging on the nozzle. Spray liquid that does deposit is pulled along the surface 50 and re-atomized into the jet by the strong venturi action.
The high-velocity gas spray jet is used to repel and/or eject any charged or uncharged spray tending to collect onto nozzle surfaces. The localized high kinetic energy and velocity of the atomizing-gas jet as it and the accompanying charged droplets exit the jet outlet 33 produce a reduced pressure zone which pulls into the jet any spray tending to deposit and/or accumulate onto the small area faces of the abrasion resistant outlet 33, the face of the outlet 24, or other surfaces 50 of the cover 2. Obeying the conservation of momentum law, molecular impacts of the high velocity central gas jet exiting the nozzle at the forward jet outlet 33 impart a velocity and entrain a significant volume of surrounding ambient air. This entrainment accelerates additional volumes of air to sweep along external surfaces of the nozzle's body 1 and cover 2 into the central high-velocity gas/spray main jet exiting the nozzle. Such controlled air movements along properly contoured nozzle surfaces are beneficial to shear away deposited liquid before it can accumulate sufficiently to initiate induced electrical discharge peaks. In addition, small airborne spray droplets and other contaminant particulates which inadvertently diffuse into the protective cavities will be drawn out by a vacuum or venturi action similar to cigarette smoke drawn from the interior of a traveling vehicle through a slightly opened window.
The present invention may include contouring of the external shape of the nozzle body and the accompanying cover pieces so that the beneficial effects of centrifugal force exerted on charged particles moving in curvilinear electric fields work in concert with aerodynamic flow fields to preclude excessive liquid accumulation, droplet discharge by deposition, and induced corona and liquid slugging problems observed with conventional charging nozzles.
FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional elevational view taken through the axis of the electrical conduit 6 which terminates at the downstream end of the nozzle body 1 in a contact post 23. The electrical conduit 6 through the body 1 can contain a power supply wire, the power supply itself, or be formed of conductive or semiconductive material to connect to a power supply. If an electrode power source 43 is to be incorporated in the nozzle or attached to it, the preferred embodiment should include the low voltage input connections 64 on the low voltage body 1 section of the nozzle. In this case, the power supply 43 may be located on or within either the body 1 or the cover 2. If the power supply 43 is mounted at the cover portion 2, the low voltage input leads should be within the low voltage nozzle body 1. If it is desired to have low voltage input leads on the outside of a high voltage section of the nozzle, then proper high voltage insulation of the leads must be used and a protective hood or other structure should be used to protect a portion of the leads to minimize electrical tracking along wire insulation surfaces toward connectors or earthed sprayer parts.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 in which the high voltage conductor is in a conduit 6 in the nozzle body 1, the conduit 6 has a terminal end 23 which contacts with a conductive surface 19 which is electrically connected to the electrode in the cover portion 2. The conductive surface 19 can be a metal or conductive plastic annulus inserted in the cover cavity or it can be a conductive plastic which is poured or injected. It is preferable that the surface be continuous and surround the inside of the cover portion in order to set up an equipotential on the surface film on the internal surfaces 59 of the cover upstream of the electrode 18 to the conductive surface 19. This equipotential surface 59 prevents current paths from forming from the electrode 18 rearward to the any of the critical surfaces of the nozzle atomization zone and also prevents damage to the twin-fluid tip 12 region. In the event of a direct short circuit between the liquid-orifice tip 12 and the electrode 18 the current is directed towards the liquid stream itself, instead of along paths on the dielectric surfaces, and the liquid stream's resistive path and the resistive element on the electrode input limits gross arcing at the tip.
An electrical passageway 20 is formed in the cover 2 between the conductive surface 19 and the electrode 18. A wire or other highly conductive material, or a fixed resistor 41, can be inserted in the passageway 20, or electrical contact can be through a conductive or semiconductive material which may be injected or poured, such as carbon-loaded plastics. When it is desirable to use a resistive element to contact the electrode, a resistive element may be installed in the passageway 20 or in the electrical channel in the body 6. The latter is preferable for safety and to ensure equal potentials exist on interior surfaces of the cover components to prevent surface currents there. When a single power supply is used with a single nozzle, a lower-power unregulated supply can be used if the output loading characteristics are desirable, or a limiting resistor can be placed on a power supply circuit.
When several nozzles are to be operated from a single power supply it may be desirable to use a resistive element to each nozzle, whether these resistors are contained within the power supply or the nozzle. This prevents one shorted nozzle in the set from reducing the charging voltage at other nozzles operating from the same power source.
The methods described in this invention to establish and maintain low surface leakage and a high resistance between the nozzle power supply output and earth allow the use of a proper current limiting resistor without sacrificing a significant voltage to the electrode. A resistor placed in the body or anywhere before the electrode 18 has the benefit of limiting current to a non-hazardous level in case contact with the electrode 18, or the contaminated nozzle surfaces is made. But, because of series connection with contaminated surface resistance, proper use has eluded those who designed conventional nozzles. Safety is a key motivation to reduce power supply requirements for induction nozzle. Often 9 mA at 800 volts can be drawn from contaminated outer surfaces of some conventional commercial nozzles of this general induction charging type which have oversized power supplies to compensate for problematic high leakage currents. The greatest hazard created is generally not from the electrical shock itself, but from the action of the person quickly pulling away from the source and falling or hitting something. However, previous attempts at using limiting resistors or lower-power unregulated supplies, while successful for safety, reduce the electrode voltage and charging.
The graph shown in FIG. 10 illustrates the results of a test where the electrical resistance values from the induction electrodes to ground of a conventional nozzle and a nozzle according to the present invention were monitored during a period of time while spraying water containing common agricultural chemicals. The spray mixture resistivities were near 28 ohm-cm for each of the solutions (in comparison with a typical 5,000-10,000 ohm cm value for tap water). However the foliar fertilizer mixture also containing copper fungicide characteristically forms a thick coating on the nozzles and could not be tested with success in the conventional nozzle. During this test a fan was set to blow a portion of spray back into the face of the nozzles to simulate the situation often encountered when charging nozzles are positioned for spraying in opposing directions, as in vineyard spraying, for example. At the beginning of the test of the conventional nozzle, the nozzle surfaces were cleaned and the electrode-to-ground resistance was 11 megohms, which was near the 15 megohm value of the power supply output shunt resistor. Within one hour the electrode resistance to ground was reduced to less than 1 kilohm and varied substantially with the observed level of resistive coating present on the nozzle. In this case a power supply limiting resistor was not used in the prior art nozzle and could not be used without significantly reducing the electrode voltage. The upper curve of FIG. 10 shows the results of the test using a nozzle according to the present invention spraying a much heavier mixture of the very conductive foliar fertilizer with a substantial amount of copper fungicide added. In this case the initially high system resistance to ground was maintained throughout the entire testing time span and a 1.2 megohm series resistor was successfully utilized. No electrical shock could be felt when touching the charging nozzle cover, even when it was substantially coated by the spray.
Also during this test, the spray charge level was monitored for each nozzle and these results are shown in FIG. 11. The spray charge was determined by measuring the spray cloud current which was converted to charge per unit spray volume based on the liquid flow rate. For example, each nozzle had a liquid flowrate of 120 ml/min so a spray cloud current level of 10 μA converts to a charge level of 5 mC/l. It has been determined previously that a desirable level of charging for a two-fold deposition benefit versus uncharged spray is in the range of 3 mC/l or greater. The prior art nozzle charged water spray, having an electrical resistivity value of 6500 ohm cm, to a level of 5.5 mC/l. However, with the 10% of chemical added to the spray liquid the charging was reduced to only 3.8 mC/l initially and was quickly further reduced to less than 2 mC/l as nozzle surfaces became contaminated. The presently invented nozzle charged water spray at a level of 7.5 mC/l, and when the 20% level of the two chemicals were added the charging level was maintained at 7 mC/l over the entire 5-6 hour time span of the test.
FIG. 12 shows a separate test where nozzle power supply current was monitored for the two nozzles as previously. In this case however, copper fungicide as well as foliar fertilizer was added to the mixture sprayed through the conventional nozzle. The nature of the copper causes more of a nozzle coating than the foliar fertilizer alone. The final result was that the nozzle was irreversibly damaged: first the atomization channel became deformed (altering the atomization and internal charging field geometry), and in under two hours the dielectric liquid-orifice tip was pitted to a severe degree and the nozzle would no longer charge the spray over 0.8 mC/l. Before the gross failure of the tip, usually the current requirement for the prior art nozzle was over 40-fold greater than the current required to operate the nozzle according to the present invention, while the charging level achieved with the present invention was over 3-fold higher than the conventional nozzle. Thus, the present invention provides a 120-fold greater spray current output per unit of nozzle current input the does the conventional nozzle.
Another benefit confirmed during these spray trials was that with the new high impedance nozzle, liquid did not form into electric discharge peaks and ionize at the face of the nozzle even when liquid was intentionally poured onto the face. Induced ionization did, however, occur readily and continuously with the prior art device. In addition, the conventional nozzle exhibited a visible corona glow at the rim of the liquid-orifice tip, indicating ionization and electric discharge from the liquid as it emerged from the tip. While this can enhance charging by ion attachment, it will eventually cause failure of the liquid tip due to physical pitting and deformation of the tip rim.
The foregoing disclosure has addressed preferred embodiments of the invention. Other structures, designs, dimensions, components, modifications, deletions and/or additions, which may be aimed at creating nozzles or portions of nozzles which produce effects similar to nozzles and portions of nozzles as disclosed above may be employed without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
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Air atomizing induction charging spray nozzles suited for use with conductive liquids, solutions, suspensions or emulsions. These systems feature a high level of the spray charging at low induction--electrode voltage and current. Primary benefits include consistent, reliable operation in harsh agricultural and industrial environments with a wide range of spray formulations, especially those having relatively high concentrations of abrasive and conductive materials. Internal and external surfaces are configured to minimize potential differences between electrode and ground. Such nozzles may employ external cavities, field concentrators, hoods and other structures and arrangements to affect aerodynamic flow of gases within the vicinity of the nozzles and electrostatic and electrodynamics effects such as those caused by electrical fields within the vicinity of the nozzles.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention:
The invention relates in general to protective relay apparatus, and more specifically to protective relay apparatus for protecting a polyphase power line section.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Certain phase comparison arrangements of the prior art develop local and remote square wave pulse trains from a three-phase network of sequence filters and a mixing transformer. Thus, a single square wave train is produced at each line end, and these pulse trains are phase compared to detect a fault in the protected power line section. Variations of this technique use two separate comparisons, one for the positive sequence, and one for the negative sequence. However, both approaches incorporate sequence networks, and thus both are vulnerable to abnormal frequencies and phase impedance imbalances, which may arise in series compensated transmission lines.
In order to overcome the complexities involved in protecting series compensated transmission lines, a new and improved phase isolated relaying system was developed, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,008, which is assigned to the same assignee as the present application. In this system, four separate phase comparison sub-systems are utilized, i.e., three phases and ground, and is thus referred to as segregated phase comparison relaying. This approach overcomes the three major problem area of series compensated lines, i.e., the hereinbefore mentioned abnormal frequencies and phase impedance imbalance, and also the problem of voltage reversal due to the negative reactance of the series capacitor. It is a high-speed system because of angle diversity between the phases, and also due to the elimination of sequence filters. It is inherently redundant because the four sub-systems back up each other. It has the usual advantages of current-only relaying, i.e., it is not responsive to system swings, it is not subject to mutual induction problems, it is unaffected by loss of potential, it relays correctly for zero-voltage, three-phase faults, and it is not affected by potential transients. The phase isolation makes it possible to provide both relay and circuit breaker independent pole protection. Any desired degree of pole tripping selectivity may be provided due to the inherent phase selectivity for all fault types.
The main disadvantage of the isolated phase approach is the requirement for four separate pilot signals and thus four comparison relay units at each end of the protected line. An alternate approach, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,964, which is also assigned to the same assignee as the present application, reduces the number of comparison units by phase comparing phasor differences in the current in any two phases, and phase comparing the phasor sum of the current in all three phases. It would also be possible to phase compare the phasor difference in any two phases, and the ground current. However, with either of these approaches, the ability to single pole trip is lost, as it is not possible to determine which pole, or poles, to trip.
It would be desirable to reduce the number of comparison units required, if this reduction can be made without losing the ability to determine which phase (or phases) is faulted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, the present invention is a new and improved protective relay system of the segregated phase type, wherein only one relay unit is required at each end of a protected line section. The arrangement is such that phase identification is not lost, permitting selective pole tripping, if desired.
More specifically, a bridge rectifier at each end of the protected polyphase line section is responsive to the phase currents of the line. The rectifier provides one of three possible signals, assuming a three-phase system, according to which of the three-phase currents is larger at that instant. The specific signal being provided at any instant identifies the phase with the largest instantaneous current, and the width or duration of the signal indicates the length of time, or the electrical degrees, that this phase current was larger than the other two phase currents. Thus, with substantially balanced current flow with no fault in the protective section, the three signals will be developed in the phase sequence A, B and C, with each being 120 electrical degrees in duration (5.55 milliseconds for 60 Hz).
Each relay unit includes means for detecting a fault. In the absence of a fault detection, each relay sends a guard signal to the other relay, preventing a trip from being generated by the phase comparison function of the relay. If a fault is detected by the fault detecting means, the guard signal is terminated, and the phase current signals are each sent to the other relay, as each is developed. Phase comparators compare the three different signals from the remote relay with the three local signals, comparing the signals from like phases. Coincidence in any phase comparator for a predetermined period of time indicates a fault in the protected section, and trip signals are issued to trip the circuit breakers to isolate the protected line section.
Phases with excessive currents, or higher than other phases, will automatically have wider signals than normal, and the signals associated with the phase, or phases with less current, will automatically have narrower signals than normal. This is a desirable feature, as it automatically increases the sensitivity of the comparison function, and it does so in the "suspect" phase or phases.
This variable width signal may also be used advantageously in the fault detecting function. Each signal may be connected to a delay timer, such as a 6/25 timer, for example. If the signal persists for 6 milliseconds, the timer provides a "fault detection", which terminates the guard signal and initiates the phase comparison function.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention may be better understood, and further advantages and uses thereof more readily apparent, when considered in view of the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, taken with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram which illustrates protective relay apparatus constructed according to the teachings of the invention, including a three-phase rectifier which may be used to continuously provide one of three possible signals, according to which phase current is the largest in a three-phase system at any instance; and
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram which illustrates a detailed embodiment of a relay unit shown in block form in FIG. 1, which utilizes the signals provided by the rectifier to develop phase current and guard signals.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,008, which is assigned to the same assignee as the present application, is hereby incorporated into this application by reference. This patent discloses certain supervisory control which may be used in the present application for disabling and "arming" the circuit breaker trip function. Thus, these supervisory functions are not described in detail in the present application. Also, the incorporated patent illustrates detailed circuitry which may be used for certain of the functions shown in block form in this application, making it unnecessary to repeat the circuitry in this application.
Referring now to the drawings, and to FIG. 1 in particular, there is shown protective relay apparatus 10L for protecting a polyphase electrical transmission line or power line 12. It will be assumed that the protected power line section 12 is a three-phase, 60 Hz system having phase conductors 14, 16 and 18. Power line section 12 extends between local and remote terminals which include local circuit breakers 20, 22 and 24, and remote circuit breakers (not shown), respectively. Protective relay apparatus 10L controls the tripping of the local circuit breakers, and similar protective relay apparatus 10R (not shown) controls the tripping of the remote circuit breakers. The remote terminal may be similar to the local terminal and thus only the local terminal is illustrated in FIG. 1. The local protective relay apparatus 10L and the remote protective relay apparatus 10R monitor the protected power line 12 for a fault. Upon detecting a fault, each relay compares the local phase current related signals with similar remote phase current signals to determine if the detected fault is in the protected power line section 12. If the fault is in the protected section 12, trip signals are generated for the associated circuit breaker trip circuit, such as tripping network 26 for the local breakers 20, 22 and 24, for tripping the local and remote circuit breakers to isolate the fault. Selective pole tripping may be used, if desired, as the present invention identifies the faulted phase, or phases, notwithstanding the use of a single protective relay at each end of the protected section, such as relay 30.
Communication between the local and remote terminals, and thus between protective relay apparatus 10L and 10R, may utilize any convenient form, such as power line carrier, microwave, and leased telephone circuits. The communication apparatus includes a suitable transmitter and receiver at each relay location, such as transmitter 32 and receiver 34 associated with relay 30 at the local terminal. For example, a Westinghouse Type TDS-2400 data transmission system, which multiplexes the phase current signals, and guard state when needed, into a single channel, may be used. The TDS-2400 is described in detail in a paper entitled "Recent Developments in Relaying Communications Equipment", by R. E. Ray, which was presented to the Fourth Annual Western Protective Relay Conference, held Oct. 18-20, 1977.
Circuit breakers 20, 22 and 24 connect the phase conductors 14, 16 and 18 to the phase busses A, B and C associated with a three-phase supply 36 via conductors 14', 16' and 18', respectively.
Intelligence for relay 30 is obtained from current transformers 38, 40 and 42 associated with phase conductors 14', 16' and 18', respectively, and a three-phase rectifier arrangement 44. Rectifier arrangement 44 includes branches 46, 48 and 50 for current transformers 38, 40 and 42, respectively, with branch 46 including solid state diode rectifiers 52 and 54, and resistors 56 and 58. Current transformers 38, 40 and 42 each have one end connected to common conductor 60, and branch 46 extends from conductor 60, back to conductor 60, via serially connected diode 52, resistor 56, resistor 58, and diode 54. Diode 52 has its anode connected to conductor 60, and diode 54 has its cathode connected to conductor 60. Junction 62 between resistors 56 and 58 is connected to the remaining end of current transformer 38. Resistor 58 is tapped at 64. Tap 64 provides a signal I a for relay 30 via conductor 66. Branches 48 and 50 are similar to branch 46, providing signals I b and I c for relay 30 via conductors 68 and 70, respectively.
The rectifier arrangement 44, connected as shown in FIG. 1 to current transformers 38, 40 and 42, provides a current auctioneering circuit in which current will flow in only one branch at any one time, according to which phase has the greatest current at that instant. The tapped resistors provide voltage signals responsive to the current flowing through the diode of its associated sub-branch, providing a signal only when the positive half-cycle of its associated phase current is greater than the positive half-cycles of the other two phase currents. With a balanced three-phase load, each tapped resistor will provide a signal for one-third of a complete electrical cycle, i.e., 120 electrical degrees. Unbalanced loads and fault conditions will lengthen the signals associated with the phases of the greater current, and shorten the signals associated with the phases of the lesser current. This characteristic is used to advantage in the present invention, as will hereinafter be described, along with the fact that only one phase current signal is provided at any instant.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a protective relay constructed according to the teachings of the invention, which may be used for relay 30 shown in block form in FIG. 1. Each phase current signal I a , I b and I c from rectifier 44 is monitored for an overcurrent condition by a comparator, such as comparator 72 for the phase current in phase conductor 14'. Comparator 72 may be an OP AMP comparator, which changes its output from a logic zero to a logic one when the phase current exceeds a predetermined reference magnitude. Phase current comparators for the other phase currents would be of like construction. The outputs of the comparators used for detecting an overcurrent condition may be connected for selective pole tripping, or, as illustrated, they may be applied to an OR gate 74. The output of OR gate 74 is connected to a trip board 76 which provides a signal for the tripping network 26.
Waveforms of the phase current signals I a , I b , and I c from rectifier 44 are squared in waveform squaring circuits 78, 80 and 82, respectively, and the squared phase current signals are delayed in a local delay timer 84 in order to compensate for the communications delay in the remote signals which they are to be compared with. The delay provided by the local delay timer 84 is adjustable according to the type of communication used and the distance between the local and remote terminals. A timer having a selectable, adjustable delay between 2 and 12 milliseconds has been found to be suitable.
The squared and delayed local phase current signals I a , I b and I c are applied to AND gates 86, 88 and 90 for comparison with the remote phase current signals I ar , I br and I cr , respectively, which are sent by the remote terminal when the remote terminal detects a fault condition. In like manner, local relay 30 sends the phase current signals I a , I b , and I c to the remote terminal when relay 30 detects a fault condition. Coincidence between any pair of compared phase current signals indicates that the detected fault condition is in the protected power line section 12.
Coincidence between a pair of compared phase current signals causes the associated AND gate to output a logic one signal to an OR gate 92, and the output of OR gate 92 is applied to a multiple input AND gate 94. AND gate 94 includes the normal supervisory signal inputs described in the incorporated patent. These signals must be in their permissive state in order to "arm" AND gate 94. In addition to these supervisory signals, both the local and remote terminals must detect a fault condition, in order for AND gate 94 to be armed. If AND gate 94 is completely armed, it will output a logic one during the coincidence of a compared pair of phase current signals. A delay timer 96 is connected between the output of AND gate 94 and the trip board 76. Timer 96 has a delay in timing out, such as 4 milliseconds, and an instantaneous reset in the event the output of AND gate 94 is not 4 milliseconds long. Thus, coincidence detected by one of the AND gates 86, 88 and 90 must exist for 4 milliseconds, before such coincidence results in tripping of the associated circuit breakers. Since the AND gates identify the phase, or phases, associated with a fault, selective pole tripping may also be used.
A fault is detected by relay 30 via fault detector function 98. A suitable fault detector of the change type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,654,516, but a magnitude or overcurrent type may also be used. In addition to fault detector 98, fault detection may also be made by monitoring the widths of the phase current signals I a , I b and I c via delay timers 100, 102 and 104, respectively. The normal width of each phase current signal is 120 electrical degrees, which is 5.55 milliseconds at 60 Hz. The delay timers are set such that normally expected current unbalances will not cause a delay timer 100, 102 or 104 to be timed out, while current unbalances of fault magnitude will cause such timing out. For example, if a current waveform of 130 electrical degrees, or 6 milliseconds, indicates a fault condition for the specific power line to be protected, delay timers may be set at 6/25. The 25 millisecond drop-out delay will hold the signal until the same phase comes around again. The outputs of delay timers 100, 102 and 104 are OR'ed with the output of fault detector 98 in an OR gate 106, and the output of OR gate 106 is applied to an input of AND gate 94. Thus, if no fault is detected, the output of OR gate 106 will be a logic zero, blocking AND gate 94 from providing the logic one output signal to delay timer 96.
Transmitter 32 conveys the information generated at local relay 30 to the remote relay. The logic for transmitter 32 includes dual input AND gates 108, 110 and 112, a NOT gate 114, a keyer 116, and transmitter frequency selector or control 118. The squared signals I a , I b and I c are applied to inputs of AND gates 108, 110 and 112, respectively, and the output of OR gate 106 provides the remaining inputs to AND gates 108, 110 and 112. If no fault condition is detected, AND gates 108, 110 and 112 are disabled by the logic zero output of OR gate 106. NOT gate 114 is connected to the output of OR gate 106, and the output of NOT gate 114 is applied to the transmitter frequency control 118. If OR gate 106 outputs a logic zero, NOT gate 114 applies a logic one signal to the transmitter frequency control 118, causing transmitter 32 to transmit a continuous guard signal to the remote terminal. The guard signal may be a tone of a predetermined frequency.
If a fault condition is detected by relay 30, the transmitter frequency control 118 is released to respond to the keyer 116 and AND gates 108, 110 and 112 are enabled to pass its associated phase current signal I a , I b and I c , respectively. Only one of the AND gates 108, 110 and 112 will output a logic one signal at any instant, and the specific AND gate providing a signal selects the tone frequency to be transmitted by a transmitter 32 via keyer 116 and transmitter frequency selector 118.
The receiver 34 receives a signal from the remote transmitter. A bandpass filter 120 tuned to the center frequency of the remote guard signal detects the presence of the guard signal from the remote terminal. The presence of a guard signal results in a buffer and interface function 122 providing a logic one signal for an inverting input to AND gate 94. Thus, a true guard signal from the remote terminal blocks AND gate 94.
The signal received from the remote terminal is also applied to an analog switch. The control input of the analog switch 124 is responsive to the output of buffer 122 via a NOT gate 126. Thus, if a true guard signal is provided by buffer 122, NOT gate 126 outputs a logic zero to disable analog switch 124.
If the remote terminal detects a fault condition, it terminates its guard signal, AND gate 96 receives an arming signal at its inverting input, and analog switch 124 is rendered conductive, to conduct the signal from the remote transmitter to a de-multiplexing function 128. The de-multiplexing function 128 separates the different tones into three different signals representing the phase currents at the remote terminal. The output of the de-multiplexer 128 is interfaced and buffered in buffers 130, 132 and 134, to provide square wave logic signals I ar , I br and I cr , respectively, for AND gates 86, 88 and 90, respectively. Thus, AND gates 86, 88 and 90 provide a phase current comparison function. If coincidence is detected between any compared pair of local and remote phase current signals, and AND gate 94 is completely armed by the supervisory signals, and by the detection of a fault condition at the local and remote terminals, a trip signal is provided for the trip board 76 and the tripping network 26, if the coincidence exists for 4 milliseconds, as detected by delay timer 96.
Thus, there has been disclosed new and improved current-only protective relaying apparatus which retains faulted phase identification while utilizing a single relay at each end of a protected line section. Also, each transmitter requires only a single communication channel to transmit phase current information, as only one phase current signal is transmitted at any instant, and when a guard signal is transmitted, no phase current signals are transmitted. In addition to the above advantages, the width of the phase current signals automatically changes with unbalanced currents and/or internal faults, lengthening signals associated with faulted or heavily loaded phases, while shortening those signals associated with unfaulted phases. This provides greater security for unfaulted phases, while increasing the sensitivity for detecting faults in overloaded phases. The signal width may also be monitored as an aid in fault detection.
In addition to the disclosed functions, the protective relay apparatus of the present invention may utilize any appropriate additional functions from the incorporated patent. For example, an additional channel may be provided which is responsive to the ground currents flowing at the local and remote terminals.
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Protective relay apparatus which performs a segregated phase current comparison of a three-phase protected line section, with a single relay at each end thereof for making the phase current comparison. The single relay includes a rectifier arrangement which provides a signal responsive to the largest phase current of a predetermined polarity, at any instant. In response to a fault detection, it successively phase compares the signals from its rectifier with the signals of the corresponding phases from the rectifier in the relay at the other line end.
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CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0010896, filed Feb. 4, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] The present invention relates to an aluminum alloy, and more particularly, to a sintered aluminum base alloy.
[0004] 2. Discussion of Related Technology
[0005] Recently, Al-base alloys have been actively replacing various ferrous components in automobiles to reduce the weight and improve the performance. (See The International Journal of Powder Metallurgy, 36, 2002, p 41 by F. V. Beaumont, and p 45 by C. Lall et al.) Most of aluminum alloys can be easily processed to final shapes via casting, forging, forming or machining, and also heat-treated to improve desired final properties. Many automotive components, such as space frames, an engine blocks, wheel frames, housings, etc, are currently utilizing aluminum castings or forgings. For ferrous or copper-base components in automobiles, powder metallurgy products are widely used because of their easy net-shaping capability, cost competitiveness and acceptable properties. Aluminum base powder products, however, have found very limited applications in automobiles despite many potential merits. (See The International Journal of Powder Metallurgy, 36, p 51, 2002 by W. H. Hunt) One of the main obstacles limiting the use of aluminum sintered products is the poor sintering behavior of aluminum-base powders which cause relatively low sintered properties. (See Nature, 181, p 833, 1958 by R. F. Smart et al., and Journal of Metals, 37, p 27, 1985 by Y. Kim et al.)
[0006] In general, aluminum-base powder mixtures for sintered products are prepared by mixing air atomized aluminum powder with secondary alloying powders such as copper, magnesium, silicon, zinc or others. The air atomized aluminum powder, though least expensive, contains a relatively thick aluminum oxide layer around each particle surface due to the oxidation during the atomization. Since the aluminum oxide is very stable and the sintering temperature for aluminum is relatively low, it is very difficult to reduce the oxide layer during sintering at around 600° C. The oxide layers between particles in a compact block the inter-diffusion between aluminum particles, thus severely limiting the sintering process. Compaction of a powder mixture at a relatively high pressure in order to break the surface oxide layers is known to improve the sintering to some extent.
[0007] However, forming a liquid phase during the sintering is considered as the most effective way of improving the sintering of elementally mixed aluminum powder compacts. (See “Properties and design guidelines for aluminum parts” in Proceeding 2000 International Conference on P/M Aluminum & Light Alloys for Automotive Applications, pp 51-58 by Antonio Romero, Acta Materialia, 35, p 589, 1996 by R. N. Lumley et al., and Material Chemistry and Physics, 67, p 85, 2001 by G. B. Schaffer et al.) Such liquid phases can be formed easily during the heating period of sintering by eutectic reaction between the aluminum powder and additive elemental powders such as copper, zinc, magnesium, silicon, etc. When a powder compact is heated to sintering temperature, localized alloying occurs at the contacts between aluminum and the additive powders to form a liquid phase during the heating cycle or sintering. The liquid phase, if persistently present during the sintering, can spread through particle boundaries, pulling particles and filling pores, so that higher sintered density and better bonding between particles can be obtained. On the other hand, if the liquid phase is transient, that is, formed at a relatively low temperature but disappeared by solutionizing in the matrix during heating or in the early stage of sintering, the dissolved liquid phase leaves pores behind and little persistent liquid phase in the matrix to assist particle bonding during the sintering. Therefore, controlling the characteristics and the amount of the liquid phase are most critical to improve the sintering of mixed elemental aluminum powders.
[0008] Most of commercially available mixed elemental aluminum powder blends, however, have the compositions based on those of wrought aluminum-base alloy systems, i.e., 201AB of Alcoa Inc. and AMB2712 of Ampal Inc. from AA2014, 601AB of Alcoa Inc. and AMB6712 of Ampal Inc. from AA6061, and AMB 7775 of Ampal Inc. from AA7075, rather than being optimized for sintering. The sintered properties obtainable from these powder mixtures are relatively low when compared to those of the wrought counterparts. For example, sintered Alcoa 201AB at 95% theoretical density was reported to have the tensile strength of ˜330 MPa after T6 condition, which is about only 70% of that of AA2014, despite the only 5% of porosity level. (See above “Properties and design guidelines for aluminum parts” in Proceeding 2000 International Conference on P/M Aluminum & Light Alloys for Automotive Applications, pp 51-58 by Antonio Romero) AMB7775 was reported to have the highest tensile strength over 400 MPa, but exhibits a relatively poor wear resistance. AMB7775 contains 6-8 wt % Zn, 3-5 wt % Mg and 1-3 wt % Cu with a small amount of Si and Pb, and also forms a liquid phase during the sintering. The liquid phase, however, is mainly transient, that is, disappeared by dissolving in the aluminum matrix during the sintering because of relatively large solubility of these elements in aluminum at or below the sintering temperature. The blend thus can be well strengthened by solid solution hardening and also by precipitation hardening, but dimensional control could be rather difficult because of the pores left by the solutionized liquid phase.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No.5,902,943 describes about Al—Zn-Mg—Cu base mixed elemental aluminum alloy powder blends and sintered aluminum alloys. The blends described in the patent are basically 7xxx type alloys and contain a relatively large amount of Zn as the principal alloying addition and other elements to enhance the sintering. Depending on the relative quantities of the alloying additions and heat treatment conditions, the blends can exhibit tensile strengths over 400 MPa but require a precise control of processing variables. The patent does not describe any results on the wear properties of the blends. Wear is also a big concern for most of potential aluminum powder metallurgy (PM) parts which will replace steel parts. Aluminum alloys generally have a relatively poor wear resistance than steels and thus require methods to improve the wear resistance. Hypereutectic Al—Si alloys which contain over 20% Si possess excellent wear resistance when they are produced in a pre-alloyed powder form and consolidated to full density at elevated temperatures. The pre-alloyed powders, however, are not well suited for the press and sinter processing, and thus are not very economical. (See above Material Chemistry and Physics, 67, p 85, 2001 by G. B. Schaffer et al.) Aluminum alloy composites reinforced with hard ceramic particles are alternatives but they are generally not well sinter-able and thus possess very poor strength and ductility in as-sintered condition.
[0010] Therefore, new mixed elemental aluminum base powder blends which can provide a better combination of strength and wear resistance are needed for wider range of applications than has been possible with existing blends.
[0011] The discussion in this section is to provide general background information, and does not constitute an admission of prior art.
SUMMARY
[0012] One aspect of the invention provides an aluminum alloy comprising Al, Cu and Zn, wherein a portion of the alloy comprises: Cu in an amount over 5.6 wt % and less than about 9 wt % with reference to the weight of the portion; and Zn in an amount from about 1 wt % to about 5 wt % with reference to the weight of the portion.
[0013] In the foregoing alloy, the portion may comprise Al-containing grains and an intergrain material disposed between and interconnecting neighboring grains, wherein a substantial amount of Cu may be present in the intergrain material, and wherein a substantial amount of Zn is present in central areas of the Al-containing grains. In one embodiment, the substantial amount of Cu present in the intergrain material is about 2.5% to about 95% of the total amount of Cu. In certain embodiments, Cu present in the intergrain material may be about 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 65, 80 or 95% of its total amount in the alloy portion. In some embodiments, Cu present in the intergrain material may be within a range defined by two of the foregoing amounts. In one embodiment, the substantial amount of Zn present in the Al-containing grain is about 5% to 100% of the total amount of Zn. In certain embodiments, Zn present in the Al-containing grain may be about 5, 20, 35, 50, 60, 70, 80, 85, 90, 95, 97, 98, 99, 99.5 or 100% of its total amount in the alloy portion. In some embodiments, Zn present in the Al-containing grain may be within a range defined by two of the foregoing amounts. Substantially the entire amount of Zn may be present in the Al-containing grains.
[0014] Still in the foregoing alloy, a substantial amount of Cu present in the intergrain material is in the form of CuAl 2 . Substantially the entire amount of Cu present in the intergrain material may be in the form of CuAl 2 . In one embodiment, the substantial amount of Cu which is present in the intergrain material in the form of CuAl 2 is about 5% to 100% of the total amount of Cu present in the intergrain material. In certain embodiments, Cu present in the intergrain material in the form of CuAl 2 may be about 5, 20, 35, 50, 60, 70, 80, 85, 90, 95, 97, 98, 99, 99.5 or 100% of its total amount in the intergrain material. In some embodiments, Cu present in the intergrain material in the form of CuAl 2 may be within a range defined by two of the foregoing amounts. The intergrain material may comprise a portion which comprises Cu in an amount from about 20 wt % to about 60 wt % with reference to the weight of the portion of the intergrain material.
[0015] Further in the foregoing alloy, the portion of the alloy may comprise Cu in an amount from about 6 wt % to about 8 wt % with reference to the weight of the portion. The portion of the alloy may contain Sn in an amount from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.05 wt % with reference to the weight of the portion. The portion of the alloy may contain Mg in an amount less than about 0.03 wt % with reference to the weight of the portion. The alloy may be produced by a method, which comprises: providing a powder mixture comprising Al, Cu and Zn; and heating the powder mixture to a temperature sufficient to melt at least part of the powder mixture.
[0016] Another aspect of the invention provides a method of making an aluminum alloy, comprising: providing a powder mixture comprising Al, Cu and Zn, wherein Cu is in an amount over 5.6 wt % and less than about 9 wt % with reference to the weight of the powder mixture, and wherein Zn is in an amount from about 1 wt % to about 5 wt % with reference to the weight of the powder mixture; and heating the powder mixture to a temperature sufficient to melt at least part of the powder mixture.
[0017] In the foregoing method, the powder mixture may comprise Al-containing particles, and wherein a substantial amount of Zn may be dissolved into at least part of the Al-containing particles. Upon heating at least part of the powder mixture is melt to form a liquefied state, and wherein a substantial amount of Cu may be present in the liquefied state. The method may further comprise cooling the heated powder mixture thereby forming an alloy comprising a portion which comprises Al-containing grains and an intergrain material disposed between and interconnecting neighboring grains, wherein a substantial amount of Cu is present in the intergrain material.
[0018] Yet another aspect of the invention provides an aluminum alloy produced by the foregoing method, wherein a portion of the alloy comprises Al-containing grains and an intergrain material disposed between and interconnecting neighboring grains, wherein a substantial amount of Cu is present in the intergrain material, and wherein a substantial amount of Zn is present in central areas of the Al-containing grains.
[0019] A further aspect of the invention provides a powder blend for use in making an aluminum alloy, the powder blend comprising Al, Cu and Zn, wherein the powder blend comprises: Cu in an amount over 5.6 wt % and less than about 9 wt % with reference to the weight of the powder blend; and Zn in an amount from about 1 wt % to about 5 wt % with reference to the weight of the powder blend.
[0020] In the foregoing powder blend, wherein the powder blend may comprise Cu in an amount from about 6 wt % to about 8 wt % with reference to the weight of the powder blend. The powder blend may comprise Sn in an amount from about 0.01 wt % to about 0.05 wt % with reference to the weight of the powder blend. The powder blend may comprises Mg in an amount less than about 0.03 wt % with reference to the weight of the powder blend.
[0021] One or more embodiments of the present invention provide an elementally mixed Al—Cu—Zn base powder blend, a method of fabricating an article of a sintered alloy using the powder blend, and an article fabricated using the powder blend.
[0022] An aspect of the present invention provides a powder blend comprising more than 5.6 wt % Cu added to a balance Al to form a mixed powder blend. Thus, considerable amount of a liquid phase, which is formed over the eutectic temperature of Al—Cu, i.e. 548° C., persistently presents at a sintering temperature (about 600° C.), though a portion of the liquid phase is solutionized into a matrix. The persistent liquid phase fills boundaries and pores between powders as well as accelerates the sintering of the solid powders. Thus densification of the sintered alloy is improved.
[0023] Maximal solid solubility of Cu in an Al matrix is about 5.5˜5.6 wt % at the eutectic temperature 548° C. Thus, when more than 5.6 wt % Cu powder is added to Al powder, the persistent liquid phase always presents during the sintering, without relation to a temperature elevation rate, etc. The liquid phase which persistently presents during the sintering is solidified into a mixed phase of α-Al and CuAl 2 (θ) phase, as the liquid phase is cooled to the room temperature, and the solidified liquid phase incorporates Al and 35 wt % Cu. (See Journal of Materials Science, 40, p 441, 2005 by Sang Chul et al.) The CuAl 2 phase has vickers hardness (HV) of 980 higher than that of α-Al. (See Intermetallics, 7 p 1001, 1999 by D. Moreno et al.) The CuAl 2 phase contributes to improve both of the strength and the wear resistance of the sintered alloy. However, increment of the amount of the CuAl 2 phase may result in decrease of ductility of the sintered alloy. Thus, the amount of Cu may be decided by way of considering the strength, ductility, productivity of a sintered article, required shape of the article, required dimensions and tolerance of the article and deformation of a product shape during sintering. It is preferable to limit the amount of Cu to less than 9 wt %.
[0024] Meanwhile, since the solid solubility of Cu at a temperature of about 600° C. for sintering Al base powder blends is less than 3 wt %, the effect of solid solution strengthening is limited. Thus, Zn powder which has a higher solid solubility is added to improve the solid solution strengthening effect. Zn reacts with Al during a heating period of sintering, and forms a eutectic liquid phase over 382° C., and then is all solutionized into the Al matrix to enhance the strength of the matrix. In addition, Zn together with Cu can improve a hardening effect resulting from an age-hardening treatment after a solution-treatment, thus enhancing the strength of a sintered alloy. Increment of addition of Zn increases the strength of a sintered alloy and a thermal treated sintered alloy. However, an excessive transient liquid phase formed due to the surplus increment of Zn makes it difficult to maintain the shape of a compact. Therefore, it is preferable to limit the addition of Zn to not more than 5 wt %.
[0025] An aspect of the present invention provides a method of fabricating an article of a sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloy. The method comprises mixing more than 5.6 wt % and less than 9 wt % Cu, 1˜5 wt % Zn, and a balance Al to form a mixed powder blend. The mixed powder blend is compacted, and then the compacted powder is sintered to form a sintered alloy. As a result, an article of a sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloy can be fabricated.
[0026] The sintered alloy may be easily re-pressed because it has low yield strength (YS). With the re-pressing, a sintered alloy having a theoretical density of over 95% can be obtained, and the increase of the density improves the strength of the article of the sintered alloy. Also, deformation occurred during the sintering can be corrected using the re-pressing. Thus, the article having precise dimensions can be fabricated. In addition, the re-pressed alloy can be heat-treated to fabricate an article of a sintered alloy having a better combination of strength and wear resistance. The heat treatment may comprise solution-treating the re-pressed alloy, and heat-treating the solution-treated alloy for an age-hardening. Usually, the solution-treated alloy is water-quenched before the heat treating for an age-hardening. With the solution treatment, Cu in the liquid phase is solutionized into an Al matrix, and then CuAl 2-x (θ″, θ′, or θ) phases are precipitated by the age-hardening treatment. As a result, the strength and hardness of the sintered alloy are improved.
[0027] An aspect of the present invention provides an article of a sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloy. The article includes more than 5.6 wt % and less than 9 wt % Cu, 1˜5 wt % Zn, and a balance Al. The article of the sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloy may be fabricated using the fabricating method described above. Meanwhile, the article of the sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloy comprises an Al matrix (α-Al) and a CuAl 2 phase. The CuAl 2 phase may present at boundaries of α-Al and/or in the Al matrix. The CuAl 2 phase serves as a reinforcing phase and improves both of the strength and the wear resistance of the article of the sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloy. In several embodiments of the present invention, additive powders may be incorporated in the Al—Cu—Zn base powder blends. Mg added to the Al—Cu—Zn powder blends decreases the strength and ductility of its sintered alloy, whereas a small amount of Sn added to the Al—Cu—Zn powder blends increases the ductility of its sintered alloy. Preferably, 0.010.05 wt % Sn may be added to the powder blends, and less than 0.01 wt % Mg may be incorporated in the powder blends.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] The above features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting a method of measuring transverse rupture strength (TRS) and an amount of deflection at rupture of a sintered sample.
[0030] FIG. 2 is a graph for describing TRSs and amounts of deflection of sintered samples of Al base alloys incorporating different Cu contents.
[0031] FIG. 3 shows SEM images of sintered Al—Cu base alloys incorporating different Cu contents according to certain embodiments and a sintered Alcoa 201AB.
[0032] FIG. 4 is a graph depicting TRSs and amounts of deflection of sintered samples of Al-6 wt % Cu powder mixtures with sintering temperatures.
[0033] FIG. 5 is a graph depicting TRSs and amounts of deflection of sintered samples with different Zn contents in Al—Cu—Zn powder blends.
[0034] FIG. 6 shows optical images of sintered samples with different Zn contents in Al—Cu—Zn powder blends.
[0035] FIG. 7 shows a SEM image for describing a solidified liquid phase (A) and a matrix (B) of a sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloy.
[0036] FIG. 8 is a graph depicting TRSs and amounts of deflection of sintered samples with different Mg contents in Al—Cu powder blends.
[0037] FIG. 9 shows optical images of sintered samples with different Mg contents in Al—Cu powder blends.
[0038] FIG. 10 is a graph depicting TRSs and amounts of deflection of sintered samples with different Mg contents in Al—Cu—Zn powder blends.
[0039] FIG. 11 is a graph depicting TRSs and amounts of deflection of sintered samples with different Sn contents in Al—Cu—Zn powder blends.
[0040] FIG. 12 is a graph depicting age-hardening behaviors of sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloys with aging temperature and time.
[0041] FIG. 13 shows a SEM image of a heat-treated sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloy
[0042] FIG. 14 shows XRD results of sintered alloys of an Al—Cu—Zn base powder blend and a commercially available powder blend.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0043] Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0044] Table 1 lists typical compositions and tensile properties of commercially available aluminum base mixed elemental powder blends. 2xxx blends contain Cu as a main additive element, however, Cu is less than 5 wt %, and 7xxx blends contain Zn as a main additive element. All of the commercially available aluminum base powder blends show a transient liquid phase sintering behavior, that is, the liquid phase formed during the sintering is almost solutionized or absorbed into a matrix. Among these powder blends, 7xxx series possess the highest tensile strength at both as-sintered and heat-treated conditions. Wherein, T1 indicates the as-sintered condition, and T6 indicates the heat-treated condition, that is, aged to peak hardness condition.
TABLE 1 Tensile properties Composition(wt %) Elongation wrought Cu Mg Si Zn Al YS(MPa) TS(MPa) (%) equivalent 6xxx: 0.2 1.0 0.5 — Bal. 135(T1) 5 6061 Al—Mg—Si 240(T6) 3 2xxx: 4.4 0.5 0.7 — Bal. 180(T1) 205(T1) 5 2014 Al—Cu—Mg 327(T6) 330(T6) 1 7xxx: 1.5 2.5 — 5.5 Bal. 230(T1) 270(T1) 4 7075 Al—Zn—Mg—Cu 370(T6) 413(T6) 2
[0045] FIG. 1 shows how to measure transverse rupture strength (TRS) and an amount of deflection at rupture of a sintered sample in accordance with ASTM B312. The TRS and the amount of deflection are utilized as the measure of mechanical strength and ductility of the sintered sample, respectively. Thickness, length and width of sample for this test was 6.35 mm, 31.8 mm and 12.7 mm, respectively.
[0046] FIG. 2 is a graph for describing TRSs and amounts of deflection of sintered samples of Al base alloys incorporating different Cu contents. Each sample is provided by sintering a mixed powder blend of Al and Cu powders at 600° C. for 1 hour in a dry nitrogen atmosphere, and then slowly cooling the sintered alloy to room temperature. For comparison, two commercial powder blends, 201AB and 601AB of Alcoa Inc., were processed via same procedure and their TRSs and deflections were also measured. Referring to FIG. 2 , it is noticeable that with increasing the Cu content, TRS increases but ductility decreases. In addition, all the samples incorporating 6, 8 and 10 wt % Cu showed much higher strength than the samples of the commercial powder blends, and showed ductility almost similar to the samples of the commercial powder blends.
[0047] FIG. 3 shows SEM images of sintered alloys incorporating different Cu amount and a sintered Alcoa 201AB, where (a) is for Al-6 wt % Cu, (b) is for Al-8 wt % Cu, (c) is for Al-10 wt % Cu, and (d) is for Alcoa 201AB. Referring to FIG. 3 , a liquid phase is observed in the samples of (a), (b) and (c). The solidified liquid phase fills boundaries and pores between powders, and increases with increasing the Cu content. The solidified liquid phase can be an evidence of a persistent liquid phase during the sintering. However, (d) for the sintered Aloca 201AB shows some coarse pores with no evidence of the persistent liquid phase despite of about 4.5 wt % of Cu content. In certain embodiments, the amount of Cu may be about 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 6, 6.2, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9 or 9.5 wt % of the sintered alloy. In some embodiments, the amount of Cu may be within a range defined by two of the foregoing amounts.
[0048] FIG. 4 is a graph depicting TRSs and amounts of deflection of sintered samples of Al-6 wt %Cu (Al-6Cu) powder mixtures with sintering temperatures. Each power blend is sintered for 1 hour in a dry nitrogen atmosphere, and then slowly cooled to room temperature. Referring to FIG. 4 , the strength and the amount of deflection at rupture increased with the increase of the sintering temperature. And, for both of the strength and deflection, marked differences were observed between 590° C. and 600° C. This is attributed to the significant improvement of sintering due to an extensive liquid phase formation at temperatures of or above 600° C.
[0049] FIG. 5 is a graph depicting TRSs and amounts of deflection of sintered samples with different Zn contents in Al—Cu—Zn powder blends. All samples contained 6 wt % Cu, and were sintered at 625° C. for 1 hour in a dry nitrogen atmosphere. Referring to FIG. 5 , even 1 wt % of Zn addition showed a quite significant effect for increasing the strength. The strength also increased with the increase of Zn, while the ductility decreased slightly. This is a result of solid solution strengthening effect due to the solid solution of Zn in Al matrix or grains.
[0050] FIG. 6 shows optical images of sintered samples with different Zn contents in Al—Cu—Zn powder blends. Where, (a) is for Al-6Cu-1Zn, (b) is for Al-6Cu-3Zn, and (c) is for Al-6Cu-5Zn. All samples were sintered at 625° C. for 1 hour in a dry nitrogen atmosphere. Referring to FIG. 6 , with increasing the Zn content, the amount of pore decreased and grains became larger. In certain embodiments, the amount of Zn may be about 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4.5, 5 or 5.5 wt % of the sintered alloy. In some embodiments, the amount of Zn may be within a range defined by two of the foregoing amounts.
[0051] FIG. 7 shows a SEM image for describing an intergrain material or solidified liquid phase (A) and a Al matrix or grains (B) of a sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloy. Compositional variations of liquid phase (A) and the Al matrix (B) were analyzed using an EDAX, and the results are listed in Table 2. The sintered alloy was provided by sintering an Al-6Cu-3Zn powder blend at 625° C. for 1 hour in a dry nitrogen atmosphere.
TABLE 2 A B Element wt % at % wt % at % O 1.05 2.36 1.3 2.28 Al 54 72.14 90.46 94.12 Cu 44.95 25.5 4.49 1.98 Zn 0 0 3.75 1.61 Totals 100 100 100 100
[0052] Referring to Table 2, the solidified liquid phase (A) includes Al and Cu and does not incorporate Zn. The solidified liquid phase was identified to consist of α-Al and CuAl 2 (θ) phase by XRD analysis of FIG. 14 , and their relative fractions were calculated with lever rule as about 15 wt % and about 85 wt %, respectively. All of the Zn along with considerable amounts of Cu was solutionized in the matrix, thus improving a solid solution strengthening effect. Therefore, the observed microstructure of FIG. 7 can be regarded as a composite material where Al—Cu—Zn solid solutionized matrix is strengthened by the reinforcing CuAl 2 phase which contributes to increased strength and wear resistance of the alloy. (B) shows a contents of Al matrix or grains.
[0053] FIG. 8 is a graph depicting TRSs and amounts of deflection of sintered samples with different Mg contents in Al-6Cu powder blends. And, FIG. 9 shows optical images of sintered samples with different Mg contents in Al-6Cu powder blends. Where, (a) is for Al-6Cu-0.1Mg, (b) is for Al-6Cu-0.3Mg, and (c) is for Al-6Cu-0.5Mg. Referring to FIG. 8 , even 0.1 wt % Mg in Al—Cu powder blends lowered the TRS and ductility. The TRSs and ductility decreased with increase of the Mg contents in Al-6Cu. Referring to FIG. 9 , it is noticeable that the addition of Mg to the Al—Cu powder blends altered the sintered microstructures significantly to have many isolated pores. Increase of Mg in the powder blend resulted in more porosity and coarse pores.
[0054] FIG. 10 is a graph depicting TRSs and amounts of deflection of sintered samples with different Mg contents in Al-6Cu-3Zn powder blends. In Al—Cu—Zn systems, even 0.03 wt % Mg lowered the TRS and ductility of a sintered alloy. Thus, addition of Mg in Al—Cu—Zn powder blends is preferable to be limited below 0.03 wt %.
[0055] FIG. 11 is a graph depicting TRSs and amounts of deflection of sintered samples with different Sn contents in Al-6Cu-3Zn powder blends. In Al—Cu—Zn systems, 0.01 wt % Sn increased ductility of a sintered alloy, however, 0.05 wt % Sn decreased the TRS and ductility. Thus, 0.01˜0.05 wt % Sn may be utilized as a minor addition in the Al—Cu—Zn powder blends to control ductility of sintered alloys.
[0056] FIG. 12 is a graph depicting age-hardening behaviors of sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloys with aging temperature and time. Sintered samples of Al-6Cu-3Zn were used, and the sintered samples were re-pressed and solution-treated at 540° C. and water-quenched, and then aging-treated at various temperatures and times. Vickers hardness (HV) and Rockwell hardness (HRB) were together shown.
[0057] Referring to FIG. 12 , with increase of the aging time after the solution treatment, the hardness of the samples increased. Also, with increase of the aging temperature, the hardness of the samples increased much more. This implies that the sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloy according to embodiments of the present invention can be effectively strengthened by heat treatments such as the solution treatment and age-hardening treatment.
[0058] FIG. 13 shows a SEM image of a heat-treated sintered Al—Cu—Zn base alloy. A sintered sample of Al-6Cu-3Zn was used, and the sintered sample was re-pressed and heat-treated. Compositional variations of liquid phase (A) and the Al matrix (B) were analyzed using an EDAX, as described above referring to FIG. 7 , and the results are listed in Table 3.
TABLE 3 A B Element wt % at % wt % at % Al 65.97 82.03 89.99 95.53 Cu 34.03 17.97 7.01 3.16 Zn 0 0 3 1.31 Totals 100 100 100 100
[0059] In certain embodiments, the Cu content of the Al matrix can be slightly increased after the heat treatment, but Zn content was almost unchanged. Referring to Table 3, the solidified liquid phase was found to contain about 34 wt % Cu. Therefore, the Al matrix is strengthened by fine precipitates after aging and also by the presence of a Cu-rich hard phase in. The Cu-rich hard phase consists of about 40 wt % of a-Al and 60 wt % of CuAl 2 (θ) phase. The CuAl 2 phase functions as a reinforcing phase, thus improving the strength and wear resistance of the sintered alloy.
[0060] FIG. 14 shows XRD graphs of a sintered alloys after sintering, solution-treatment and water-quenching, and then artificial aging. Where, (a) shows the XRD graphs of commercial 7xxx and (b) shows the XRD graphs of Al-6Cu-3Zn according to one embodiment of the present invention. XRD datum were obtained after sintering, after solution treatment, and after aging treatment, respectively. The XRD data after solution treatment was obtained from a sample which was solution-treated at 540° C. for 1 hour and then water-quenched. The XRD data after aging treatment was obtained from a sample which was aging-treated after the solution treatment and water-quenching.
[0061] Referring to FIG. 14 , for the Al-6Cu-3Zn, main constituents of the as-sintered sample are α-Al and CuAl 2 (θ) phase. The CuAl 2 (θ) phase disappeared after the solution treatment. This is attributed to super-saturation of Cu atoms in the Al matrix after the solution-treatment at 540° C. and subsequent water-quenching. During natural or artificial aging, CuAl 2-x (θ′, or θ″) and CuAl 2 (θ) phases precipitate in the Al matrix (B) and the solidified liquid phase (A), respectively, effectively improving the strength and wear resistance. In the meantime, for the commercial 7xxx, the CuAl 2 (θ) phase did not appear after the aging treatment.
[0062] Table 4 lists hardness, transverse rupture and tensile properties of Al-6Cu-3Zn and Al-6Cu-5Zn mixed elemental powder alloys compacted to 90% theoretical density (T.D.) at room temperature using double action die, sintered at 610° C. for 1 hour under flowing N2 atmosphere to about 96% T.D., further re-pressed to 98% T.D., and finally heat-treated for age-hardening. All samples were maintained at 540° C. for 1 hour and then water-quenched before aging.
TABLE 4 Transverse Rupture Properties Tensile Properties Deflection Yield Tensile Alloy Heat Hardness Strength at Rupture Strength Strength Elongation System Treatment (HV) (MPa) (mm) (MPa) (MPa) (%) Al—6Cu—3Zn As-sintered 64 371 1.9 60 197 10.9 150° C./19 hrs 152 673 0.69 287 410 6.9 170° C./13 hrs 152 667 0.54 317 419 5.1 Al—6Cu—5Zn As-sintered 65 374 1.7 75 204 10.2 150° C./22 hrs 152 636 0.64 314 396 4.0 170° C./10 hrs 154 642 0.55 320 399 4.1
[0063] Referring to Table 4, as-sintered samples usually show very low hardness and yield strength (YS) values and significant ductility, facilitating further plastic working process such as re-pressing and other cold working processes. Heat-treated samples usually show significant increases in hardness and strength with accompanying decrease in ductility. This is caused by precipitation of fine θ′ phase in the α-Al matrix. Strength and ductility slightly decreased by increasing Zn contents from 3 to 5 wt %. Thus, it is preferable to limit the Zn contents within 5 wt %.
[0064] Table 5 details wear resistance characteristics of various Al-base alloy systems, commercial and developed ones alike, compacted to 90% T.D., sintered for 1 hour at 610° C. under flowing N 2 atmosphere to about 96% T.D., further re-pressed to 98% T.D., and finally heat-treated for age-hardening. For age-hardening, sintered samples were solution-treated for 1 hour at 540° C. and water-quenched immediately afterward, followed by artificial ageing for 22 hours at 150° C. Wear resistance was characterized by weight loss of pins after sliding 2000 m against rotating disk at 100° C. in a commercial engine oil. The pins were pressed against the rotating disk with the force of 500 N. Both the pin and disk were made with same blend.
TABLE 5 Weight Coefficient Loss of Weight Loss of Total Weight of Alloy Systems Disk Pin Loss Friction AMB7775 0.0220 0.1595 0.1815 0.6601 AMB7777- 0.0580 0.2590 0.3170 1.2515 10v/oSiC Al—4Cu—5Zn 0.1145 0.1685 0.2830 0.1289 Al—4Cu—7Zn 0.0420 0.1013 0.1433 0.1442 Al—6Cu—5Zn 0.0254 0.0325 0.0579 0.1425 Al—8Cu—5Zn 0.0365 0.0205 0.0570 0.0994
[0065] Referring to Table 5, Very high coefficients of friction were observed for commercially available 7xxx series alloys and the 7xxx alloys with reinforcing SiC particles, resulting in significant amounts of wear. Al-4Cu alloy system shows still significant amount of wear, although somewhat reduced compared to commercially available 7xxx series alloys. Al-6Cu alloy system, on the other hand, caused marked reduction in both coefficient of friction and amount of wear. This is attributed to the solidified liquid phase which acted as reinforcing phase upon solidification as illustrated in FIG. 9 . Although Al-4Cu alloys show somewhat reduced coefficient of friction by the liquid phase, the contribution is regarded as minimal at best due to small amount of liquid formation in the Al-4Cu alloy. However, significant increase in wear resistance observed for Al-6Cu alloy is attributed to the ample amount of liquid phase formed during sintering.
[0066] It will be appreciated that many changes and modifications can be made to the discussed embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is defined in the following claims.
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Disclosed is an elementally mixed Al—Cu—Zn base powder blend for a sintered Al base alloy. The powder blend includes more than 5.6 wt % and less than 9 wt % Cu, 1˜5 wt % Zn, and a balance Al. With the powder blend, an article of a sintered Al base alloy having higher wear resistance as well as higher tensile strength can be fabricated.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of copending International Application No. PCT/DE99/02069, filed Jul. 5, 1999, which designated the United States.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to an integrated circuit having a self-test device for carrying out a self-test of the integrated circuit.
[0004] Such an integrated circuit is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,906. The self-test device (built-in self-test) subjects certain circuit components of the integrated circuit to a test and after that test has been completed a result signal is transmitted outside the integrated circuit.
[0005] Self-test devices can be implemented either as wired logic or through the use of a controller or processor which processes an appropriate test program. In the latter case it is possible to feed various test programs into the self-test device in succession from the outside. The test programs each permit different tests to be executed. That procedure may be problematic, in particular if a large number of integrated circuits are to be subjected to a self-test simultaneously. Even with integrated circuits of the same type, different program running times for the test programs which are to be carried out in succession may in fact occur depending on the way in which the test runs. If the individual test programs are supplied by a central external control unit and the loading of the respective successive test programs into the individual integrated circuits is intended to be carried out simultaneously in each case by the control unit, it is necessary to initially wait for the preceding test program in all of the relevant integrated circuits to be completed. That means that the execution of the next respective test program cannot be started until all of the integrated circuits have previously completed the preceding test program. That procedure, which is respectively tailored to the longest possible program execution time, leads to a long period of time being required for the execution of all of the test programs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an integrated circuit having a self-test device for carrying out a self-test of the integrated circuit, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and in which it is possible for the self-test to be performed on a large number of such circuits in less time.
[0007] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an integrated circuit, comprising a self-test device for carrying out a self-test of the integrated circuit. The self-test device has a control output. A program memory is connected to the self-test device for storing at least one test program supplied from outside the integrated circuit and executed while the self-test device carries out a self-test. The self-test device uses the control output to control loading of a respective test program to be executed, from outside the integrated circuit into the program memory.
[0008] Therefore, in the invention, the loading of the test program into the program memory of the integrated circuit does not take place under the control of an external control unit but rather automatically through the use of the self-test device located on the chip. This has the advantage that there is no need for an external control unit to control the supplying of the test programs. All that is necessary is one external program memory from which the self-test device can call the respectively required test program through its control output. The execution of a plurality of test programs which are to be successively executed and loaded into the program memory in succession is carried out in the integrated circuit according to the invention in a time-optimized manner. That is because the control is carried out by the self-test device which actually carries out the self-test.
[0009] The integrated circuit may be any desired integrated circuit such as, for example, a memory circuit or a logic circuit. The self-tests do not differ in this case in type from known self-tests. The invention differs from them in terms of the control of the loading of the test programs into the program memory of the integrated circuit.
[0010] In accordance with another feature of the invention, the self-test device executes a plurality of test programs in succession and, after completion of the preceding test program, automatically loads the respectively next test program into the program memory from outside the integrated circuit, by control through its control output.
[0011] This has the advantage of causing the self-test device to supply the test programs to the program memory according to requirements, specifically directly after completion of the previously executed test program. As a result there is no time loss between the execution of the different test programs, irrespective of how long the self-test device is required to carry out the respective test. This time period is dependent on the way in which the respective test runs, so that the integrated circuit according to the invention can react flexibly to different program running times and no delay times are produced between the execution of successive test programs.
[0012] The invention is advantageous in particular if, as described at the outset, a large number of identical integrated circuits carry out a self-test simultaneously. Since each integrated circuit automatically controls the supplying of the next respective test program, the integrated circuits are independent of one another in terms of the starting of the processing of the respectively following test program. Even if all of the integrated circuits process the same test programs in succession, it is possible, as already mentioned, for different program running times to occur in the different circuits. This is due to the way in which the test runs and is dependent, for example, on whether or not an error is detected at an early point during the processing of a test program. In the aforesaid case, a test program can possibly be completed early. In the case of a large number of test programs which are to be carried out in succession, under certain circumstances on each occasion it will be a different circuit of the integrated circuits which are to be tested simultaneously that will require the most time to execute the respective program. This results in an overall harmonization of the test duration as a whole for all of the integrated circuits which are to be tested simultaneously. Thus, the invention is capable of minimizing the overall test duration for all of the integrated circuits.
[0013] In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the self-test device has a result signal output through which a common result signal for tests having been carried out in accordance with the executed test programs is supplied outside the integrated circuit after execution of a plurality of test programs having been loaded in succession into the program memory from outside the integrated circuit.
[0014] Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
[0015] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an integrated circuit having a self-test device for carrying out a self-test of the integrated circuit, 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.
[0016] The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] [0017]FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of the invention; and
[0018] [0018]FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram of a portion of a second exemplary embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen an integrated circuit I c with a self-test device B, an internal program memory MI and a circuit unit C which is to be tested. The self-test device B is a controller or processor for carrying out a self-test of the circuit unit C (built-in self-test). The self-test device B tests the circuit unit C according to a test program P which is stored in the internal program memory MI. In order to do this, program instructions D of the test program P are transmitted from the internal program memory MI to the self-test device B. The self-test device B then transmits appropriate test signals E to the circuit unit C and in response receives appropriate response signals F from the circuit unit C. These response signals F are compared with expected reference values in the self-test device B. After the self-test has been terminated, the self-test device B transfers a result signal S to outside the integrated circuit IC. The result signal S provides information on the results of all of the tests which have been carried out previously.
[0020] [0020]FIG. 1 also shows an external program memory ME which is used to store a plurality of test programs P. The self-test device B of the integrated circuit IC has a control output CTR which is connected to a control input of the external program memory ME. Furthermore, a data output of the external program memory ME is connected to a data input of the internal program memory MI of the integrated circuit IC. The control output CTR of the self-test device B transfers control signals to the external program memory ME. The program memory ME transfers the respectively desired test program P to the internal program memory MI as a function of the control signals from the self-test device B. The self-test device B is thus capable of automatically determining the time at which a test program P that is to be respectively executed is to be loaded into the internal program memory MI. The self-test device B of the integrated circuit IC therefore has a master function with respect to the external program memory ME. The loading of a test program can take place, for example, during the activation of the integrated circuit IC whenever it is being initialized. Then, the self-test device B contains a circuit group for detecting an appropriate initialization signal.
[0021] In the present case, the self-test device B tests the circuit component C through the use of a large number of test programs P which are to be carried out in succession. For this purpose, the control output CTR of the self-test device B automatically controls the loading of the respectively following test program P into the internal program memory MI after completion of the respectively previous test program P to be executed. In the manner described, a plurality of test programs P are processed in a time-optimized manner without unnecessary waiting times arising between the execution of the different test programs.
[0022] The integrated circuit IC illustrated in FIG. 1 advantageously requires no additional external circuit unit for controlling the loading of the test programs P from the external program memory ME into the internal program memory MI. The self-test can thus be carried out by the self-test device B with little expenditure on hardware.
[0023] Particular advantages are gained if a large number of integrated circuits, which are structured as illustrated in FIG. 1, carry out a self-test simultaneously. For example, each of the integrated circuits may be assigned a separate external program memory ME in which the same test programs P are stored in each case and to which the respective self-test device B is connected through its control output CTR. Then, the successive test programs P are processed by the different integrated circuits C independently in terms of timing. This is a further advantage in comparison with the controlling of the supplying of the test programs P by an external control unit.
[0024] [0024]FIG. 2 shows a portion of an embodiment of the invention which is an alternative to FIG. 1 and which differs from it only in terms of the components illustrated in FIG. 2. The control output CTR of the self-test device B in FIG. 2 is connected to a control input of an address counter AC which transfers one or more addresses ADR to the external program memory ME as a function of the control signal. The data output of the external program memory ME transfers the test program P, respectively determined by the received addresses ADR, to the internal program memory MI.
[0025] The test programs P are processed by the self-test device B in accordance with a working clock which is either generated on the integrated circuit IC itself or is fed to it from the outside through a special clock input.
[0026] In the present exemplary embodiments, the result signal S of the self-test device B is transferred to outside the integrated circuit IC after the execution of each of all of the test programs P. In the simplest case, that signal is a result signal which only provides information as to whether or not the integrated circuit IC or the circuit component C tested therein has an error (fail/no-fail-signal).
[0027] It is possible to provide for the self-test to be carried out by the self-test device B only in a test operating mode of the integrated circuit IC, in which case the latter can be placed in the test operating mode in a known manner. Known so-called test-mode entries are described, for example, in various JEDEC Standards.
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An integrated circuit includes a self-test device which is provided for executing a self-test of the integrated circuit and which has a control output. A program memory is connected to the self-test device for storing at least one test program supplied from outside the integrated circuit. The test program is run by the self-test device during execution of a self-test. The self-test device controls loading of a respective test program to be run into the program memory from outside the integrated circuit through the control output thereof.
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The invention relates to a birdshield for an outdoor luminaire.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A small animal shield, commonly known as a birdshield, is usually provided with outdoor luminaires to close off the back. Birds and other small animals including snakes will attempt to enter luminaire housings, perhaps attracted by the warmth or simply seeking shelter or a nesting place. The mode of entry is usually via the opening in the back of the housing where the mounting pipe bracket enters the luminaire. Once inside, the animal will usually touch a live electrical part and be killed but in the process, the unit is often shorted out and a service call is required to replace electrical components or perhaps the entire luminaire. Such a service call usually entails the use of a bucket truck and often requires the detouring of traffic around the work crew and equipment.
The service call necessitated by the lack of a birdshield or the failure of a birdshield to perform its intended function may cost anywhere from a fraction of the cost to an amount in excess of the cost of a replacement luminaire. Birdshields may need to be replaced occasionally because they can be damaged by small animals pecking at them or clawing them to pieces. It is therefore highly desirable to have them easily replaced in the field.
One prior approach to the need for a birdshield has been to make the birdshield an integral part of the luminaire housing which is generally an aluminum casting. Unfortunately, this does not permit a tight fit around the pipe as clearance is required to allow the luminaire housing ±5 degrees of leveling adjustment with respect to the pipe. The integrally cast birdshield also has to be sized for the largest pipe size (23/8" O.D.) intended to be accommodated in the slipfitter. This means that an excessive gap remains when smaller pipe sizes are used.
Another approach has been to provide a separate birdshield as a loose piece of material, for instance of plastic, fiberboard or metal, having an aperture sized to fit arond the pipe bracket. The birdshield may be simply taped to the inside of the luminaire and the installer is expected to remove it and fit it around the pipe bracket at the time of installation of the luminaire. In practice many installers forget or will not bother to install the birdshield so that the luminaire is left without any barrier to small animals entering through the back of the unit.
A more successful approach to the birdshield problem has been one wherein a separate birdshield is held captive in he luminaire by passing the luminaire mounting bolts through holes in the unit. This eliminates the need to rely on the installer to fit the birdshield around the pipe bracket. But it increases the luminaire assembly labor since the assembler is now required to hold the birdshield in place with its two holes aligned with those in the luminaire housing and must then drive in the slipfitter bolts. Another problem created by this design is that when the birdshield requires replacement, the mounting bolts holding the luminaire to the pipe bracket have to be completely removed in order to install the new birdshield.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the invention is to provide a birdshield which is firmly captivated in the luminaire housing so that no action of removing from one place and fitting in another is required on the part of the installer when mounting the luminaire on a pipe bracket.
Another object is to provide a birdshield which is easily installed yet easily remoed in the field for replacement by another of identical design.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from this summary and the detailed description and appended claims following.
In accordance with the invention, the birdshield is a substantially flat piece of moderately stiff and resilient material cut to a shape fitting into the rear end of the luminaire. In the illustrated embodiment a hole is provided for the smallest size pipe accommodated in the slipfitter, and a notched knock-out area can be removed to accommodate larger sizes of pipe. There is also a smaller band-like knock-out area in the upper portion which is torn out when removing a birdshield from around the pipe, of which may be torn out in order to install a replacement with the pipe already in place. A pair of tabs are provided on each side of the piece which are bent back out, the material being resilient enough to restore the tabs to such attitude should they be pressed in. The birdshield is installed by a straight push into place behind the slipfitter, the tabs snapping out and engaging the slipfitter clamp bracket to captivate the birdshield.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a pictorial view, partly broken away, of a typical street lighting luminaire in which the invention may be used.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view in side elevation through the rear portion of the luminaire of FIG. 1 in which a birdshield embodying the invention is captivated.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view looking to the rear in the direction of the arrows 3--3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A birdshield 30 embodying the invention is seen in side view in FIG. 2, and in front elevation looking at the rear side of the luminaire in FIG. 3. In the preferred form illustrated, it is cut from a flat piece of plastic material to the pattern shown in FIG. 3 which fits transversely in the rear of the luminaire. A suitable material is polyethylene 0.062" thick, preferably black to reduce degradation from exposure to sunlight. Other materials such as sheet metal and fiberboard may be used. Metal is less desirable because a knock-out piece could accidentally be left in the luminaire housing by the installer and cause a short.
The birdshield is cut with a hole 31 accommodating a pipe of 11/4" nominal size as is shown in FIG. 3. The hole is somewhat oval e.g. 1.750" wide×2.063" high to allow leveling adjustment. A notched, that is a partially cut out, lune-shaped area 32 is provided, symmetrical about the center-line below the bottom of hole 31. Lune-shaped area 32 may be torn out to make a hole 2.437" wide× 2.812" high which will accommodate nominal pipe sizes up to 2". Although the fit around an intermediate size of pipe such as nominal pipe size 15/8" (O.D.=2) is not perfect, it is close enough to prevent entry of small animals.
The birdshield is provided with a smaller band-like knock-out area 33 above the top of hole 31. The band knock-out is torn out in the process of removing an originally captive birdshield from around the pipe support in an installed luminaire. To install a replacement birdshield, one tears out band knock-out 33 after which the birdshield can be thrust up into place around the pipe as seen in FIG. 2. Thus the band knock-out permits replacement of the birdshield without removal or dissassembly of any other luminaire parts.
The birdshield is provided with bent-out tabs 34, 34' on each side. Each tab is formed by full cuts though the plastic material along the inside edge and the base, and a partial cut or notch along the top edge which retains the tab to the piece but forces the tab to lean forward relative to the plane of the piece as clearly seen in FIG. 3. The plastic material has enough stiffness and resilience that the tabs revert to the bent-out position should they be momentarily forced in.
The preferred birdshield illustrated is intended to be used with the slip-fitter described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 446,807, filed of even date herewith, entitled Luminaire Mounting, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, and the disclosure thereof is incorporated herein by reference.
A suitable street lighting luminaire is illustrated in FIG. 1 and comprises an upper housing 1 whose underside is closed at the front by a refractor 2 supported in a frame member 3, and at the rear by a door 4. The housing may be an aluminum casting of conventional thickness, suitably 0.065" to 0.075". The frame member is hinged at 5 and may be swung down by releasing over-center latch 6 to give access to the high intensity discharge lamp 7 and to the reflector 8 above it. Door 4 is attached by captivating hinge 9 to the rear end of housing 1 (see FIG. 2) so as to be swingable downwardly to the position shown in dash lines in FIG. 1. With door 4 in its open position, access is readily had to the rear interior portion of housing 1, to the ballast components (not shown) for operating the lamp, and at the very back, to the slipfitter parts therein as shown in FIG. 2. The ballast components may be fastened to the inside of the door, an arrangement which facilitates changeouts by replacing the entire door. The front end of door 4 is releasably attached to housing 1 by a screw 11 to retain the door in closed position. The luminaire housing has an opening at its rear end for receiving an elongated support member such as a tubular bracket or pipe 12 extending generally horizontally from a pole or other vertical support. The luminaire is clamped to the support pipe by slipfitter 13 which provides for adjustment of the luminaire about its longitudinal axis and also about a horizontal axis normal thereto through a limited range for leveling purposes.
As shown in FIG. 2, slipfitter 13 comprises yoke means in the form of a single yoke member 14 which is U-shaped in longitudinal section and has end walls 15 which are concave upward. The yoke presses the pipe up against transverse rib 16 in the housing which serves as a pivot. The pipe shown in FIG. 2 corresponds to 15/8" nominal size. A leveling adjustment of ±5° is provided, auxiliary rib 18 serving as a limit stop to upward tipping and auxiliary rib 19 as the limit stop to downward tipping. Leveling is accomplished by tightening the rear set of bolts 21 until the desired inclination is attained and then tightening the front set 22 to lock in the adjustment.
Birdshield 30 is inserted into the luminaire by pushing it straight in between yoke member 14 and the back wall 35 of the housing. As the tabs 34 ride over the upturned rear end wall 15 of the yoke, they fold in then "snap" out and the birdshield is locked in. The interaction of the tabs and the end wall of the slipfitter yoke which serves as hook means not only holds the birdshield in place during assembly, but also keeps it captive during shipment, handling and installation. There is enough "give" to the tabs that they will accommodate by bending more with a smaller support pipe and less with a larger pipe. When removing a birdshield, a good tug will make the tabs fold back double and release the birdshield.
While the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. To mention but the most obvious, hook means other than yoke member 14 of the slipfitter may be provided which tabs 34, 34' of the birdshield may engage for captivation of the birdshield. The appended claims are intended to cover all such equivalent variations coming within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
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A birdshield for closing off the back end of a luminaire having a slipfitter accommodating a range of pipe sizes, is formed from a substantially flat piece of moderately stiff and resilient material cut to a pattern fitting into the rear of the luminaire. A hole through the piece accommodates the smallest size of pipe and a lune-shaped knock-out may be torn out for larger sizes. Bent-out tabs on each side engage the upturned end wall of the slipfitter yoke to hold the birdshield captive.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a nonprovisional patent application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/691,140, filed 20 Aug. 2012; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/765,484, filed 15 Feb. 2013; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/818,882, filed 2 May 2013, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/691,140, filed 20 Aug. 2012; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/765,484, filed 15 Feb. 2013; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/818,882, filed 2 May 2013, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, is hereby claimed.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0003] Not applicable
REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”
[0004] Not applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0005] 1. Field of the Invention
[0006] The present invention relates to continuous batch washers or tunnel washers. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method of washing textiles or fabric articles (e.g., clothing, linen) in a continuous batch multiple module tunnel washer wherein the textiles are moved sequentially from one module to the next module and wherein one or more modules have conductivity sensors that monitor water conductivity. Water is selectively transferred in order to maintain water conductivity to within a pre-selected acceptable range which aids in proper ironing of textile articles.
[0007] 2. General Background of the Invention
[0008] Currently, washing in a commercial environment is conducted with a continuous batch tunnel washer. Such continuous batch tunnel washers are known (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,237) and are commercially available (www.milnor.com). Continuous batch washers have multiple sectors, zones, stages, or modules including for example, pre-wash, wash, rinse and finishing zone.
[0009] Commercial continuous batch washing machines in some cases utilize a constant counterflow of liquor. Such machines are followed by a centrifugal extractor or mechanical press for removing most of the liquor from the goods before the goods are dried. Some machines carry the liquor with the goods throughout the particular zone or zones.
[0010] When a counterflow is used in the prior art, there is counterflow during the entire time that the fabric articles or textiles are in the main wash module zone. This practice dilutes the washing chemical and reduces its effectiveness.
[0011] A final rinse with a continuous batch washer has been performed using a centrifugal extractor or mechanical press. A problem occurs in prior art systems when the water that is used for the press has a conductivity that exceeds a preset limit (for example, about 1,000 microsiemens) above incoming fresh water. In such a case, the press water with excessive conductivity can cause the linen to stick to ironing implements such as an ironer roll that rests upon a chest. Without proper rinsing with water having proper conductivity, the linen can stick on the chest part of the ironer roll.
[0012] Patents have issued that are directed to batch washers or tunnel washers. The following table provides examples of such patented tunnel washers, each listed patent of the table being hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0000]
TABLE
ISSUE DATE
PAT. NO.
TITLE
MM-DD-YYYY
4,236,393
Continuous tunnel batch washer
12-02-1980
4,485,509
Continuous batch type washing machine
12-04-1984
and method for operating same
4,522,046
Continuous batch laundry system
06-11-1985
5,211,039
Continuous batch type washing machine
05-18-1993
5,454,237
Continuous batch type washing machine
10-03-1995
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention provides an improved method of washing fabric articles in a continuous batch tunnel washer. The method includes providing a continuous batch tunnel washer having an interior, an intake, a discharge, a plurality of modules, and a volume of liquid.
[0014] The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for washing or laundering items in a continuous batch or tunnel washer. The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for laundering articles in a continuous batch or tunnel washer that also employs an extractor such as a centrifuge or press, solving a problem that results in a sticking or adherence of the linen to the chest of an ironer roll because of improper conductivity of the water.
[0015] The present invention provides a tunnel washer or continuous batch washer that employs conductivity sensors located in one or more positions such as for example the press tank, incoming fresh water stream, and “pulse flow” tank.
[0016] In one embodiment, the maximum conductivity range of the press water is compared to incoming fresh water.
[0017] In one embodiment, the maximum conductivity range of the pulse flow tank water is compared to incoming fresh water.
[0018] In one embodiment, if the press water conductivity exceeds a preset limit (for example, 1,000 microsiemens above incoming fresh water), the fresh water then flows from one of the modules (for example, the last module) into the press tank such as for example during a “pulse flow” or higher velocity flow time of a transfer cycle.
[0019] In this manner, the conductivity of the press water will be adjusted (e.g., lowered) back to a pre-programmed, pre-selected acceptable range. The present invention thus corrects a problem before the pulse flow tank can reach a conductivity that is beyond a desired or selected range.
[0020] With the present invention, if an upset condition occurs in the pulse flow tank (i.e., exceeding its programmed range), a drain valve can be used to discharge water flow directly into the tank to correct the upset condition.
[0021] An alternate method provides an “empty pocket” that is inserted into a module such as module 1 (e.g., first module) with the drain open. The “empty pocket” is simply a module that is purposefully not filled with fabric articles (e.g. linen, clothing, or the like). Water from a pump counter flows from one of the later modules (e.g. module 8 ) to sewer through the first module drain. Upon the next transfer of fabric articles to the next downstream module, the “empty pocket” advances to second module, then to the third module and so forth. For an eight module washer, the empty pocket will initially be the first module or module 1 . The empty pocket then moves to the second module or module 2 . The empty pocket then moves in sequence to module three, then module 4 , then module 5 then module 6 then module 7 and finally module 8 is the empty pocket. In each module that is the empty pocket, the water from the pump is diverted to sewer. This method recovers the over conductivity measured in the press water faster because the free water that has too high a conductivity in the pulse flow zone is cleared faster by diverting the pulse flow water into the advancing “empty pocket” that has no clothing, linen, or fabric articles. This alternate method minimizes the time out of range conductivity by about 40 to 50% (one method requires 6 to 10 transfers to clear the conductivity error whereas the alternate method only requires 2 to 6 transfers).
[0022] The present invention includes a method of washing fabric articles in a continuous batch tunnel washer. The method can provide a continuous batch tunnel washer having an interior, an intake, a discharge, a plurality of modules, and a volume of liquid. The fabric articles can be moved from the intake to the modules and then to the discharge in sequence. A washing chemical can be added to the volume of liquid. The fabric articles can be discharged after to an extractor that removes excess water from the fabric articles, discharging said excess water to a press water tank. An ironer can be provided that receives fabric articles. Conductivity can be monitored of fluid in at least one of the modules. Conductivity can be monitored of fluid in the press water tank. Water can be added to one or more modules if the conductivity of water in the press water tank exceeds a threshold value so that the fabric articles to be ironed hold only water with a conductivity that is within an acceptable conductivity range.
[0023] In one embodiment, the extractor can be a press.
[0024] In one embodiment, the extractor can be a centrifuge.
[0025] In one embodiment, the threshold value can be about 1000 micro Siemens per centimeter.
[0026] In one embodiment, the threshold value can be between about 100 micro Siemens and 1000 micro Siemens above the conductivity value of the incoming or available water or source water.
[0027] In one embodiment, the invention further includes the step of after a selected time period, counter flowing a rinsing liquid along a flow path that can be generally opposite the direction of travel of the fabric articles.
[0028] In one embodiment, the water added can be a fresh influent water stream.
[0029] The present invention includes a method of washing and drying fabric articles in a continuous batch tunnel washer and ironer. The method can provide a continuous batch tunnel washer having an interior, an intake, a discharge, and a plurality of modules that segment the interior. The fabric articles can be moved from the intake to the discharge. A washing chemical can be added to one or more of the modules. The fabric articles can be discharged. A source of fresh, make-up water can be provided. Conductivity can be monitored of fluid in at least one of the modules. Conductivity can be monitored of fluid in the discharged fabric articles. Make-up water can be added to one or more modules if the conductivity of water in the discharged fabric articles exceeds a threshold value.
[0030] In one embodiment, the present invention further includes the step of extracting water from the fabric articles, the extracted water can be monitored for said conductivity to provide the value of conductivity for the discharged fabric articles.
[0031] In one embodiment, the threshold value is at least about 100 micro Siemens above the conductivity value of the incoming or available water or source water.
[0032] In one embodiment, the present invention further includes maintaining the conductivity of the water in the discharged fabric articles to a value of between about between about 100 micro Siemens and about 1000 micro Siemens above the conductivity value of the incoming or available water or source water.
[0033] The present invention includes a method of washing fabric articles in a continuous batch tunnel washer. The method provides a continuous batch tunnel washer having an interior, an intake, a discharge, and a plurality of modules that segment the interior and wherein one of the modules is an empty pocket that is drained of water. Fabric articles can be moved from the intake to the discharge and through the modules in sequence. A washing chemical can be added to one or more of the modules. The fabric articles can be rinsed by counter flowing liquid in the washer interior along a flow path that is generally opposite the direction of travel of the fabric articles, wherein one of the modules defines and empty pocket that is drained of water during this step, wherein one of the modules can be an empty pocket that is drained of fluid during such rinsing with counterflowing liquid. Wherein one of the modules can be an empty pocket that is drained of fluid.
[0034] In one embodiment, one of the modules can be an empty pocket that is drained of fluid and that does not have any fabric articles such as linens.
[0035] In one embodiment, the invention further comprises extracting excess fluid from the fabric articles.
[0036] In one embodiment, the empty pocket is moved from an upstream location to a downstream location. For example, for an eight module washer, the empty pocket moves from the first module at the intake end of the washer and then to modules 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 in sequence.
[0037] In one embodiment, the empty pocket separates white fabric articles from non-white fabric articles.
[0038] In one embodiment, the empty pocket separates white fabric articles from colored fabric articles.
[0039] In one embodiment, the empty pocket separates higher temperature modules from lower temperature modules.
[0040] The present invention includes a method of laundering fabric articles in a continuous batch tunnel washer. The method can provide a continuous batch tunnel washer having an interior, an intake, a discharge, and a plurality of modules that segment the interior. Fabric articles can be moved in a first direction of travel from the intake to the discharge. The fabric articles can be washed with a chemical bath in one or more of said modules. The fabric articles can then be rinsed. An empty pocket can be provided in one or more of said modules that is drained of fluid. Wherein the empty pocket is moved in a direction from the intake towards the discharge. Liquid can be counterflowed in the washer during the step of rinsing the fabric.
[0041] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a method of washing fabric articles in a continuous batch tunnel washer, comprising the steps of: a) providing a continuous batch tunnel washer having an interior, an intake, a discharge, and a plurality of modules that segment the interior and wherein one of the modules is an empty pocket that is drained of water, said modules including a first module next to the intake and a final module next to the discharge; b) moving the fabric articles from the intake to the discharge and through the modules in a sequence beginning with the first module and ending with the final module; c) adding a washing chemical to one or more of the modules; d) rinsing the fabric articles by counter flowing liquid in the washer interior along a flow path that is generally opposite the direction of travel of the fabric articles in steps “b” and “c”; e) wherein one of the modules defines an empty pocket module that is drained of fluid during step “d”; and f) wherein the modules that are not empty pocket modules contain both fabric articles and fluid.
[0042] In another embodiment, the method of the present invention further comprises extracting excess fluid from the fabric articles after step “e”. In one embodiment, the empty pocket is moved from an upstream location to a downstream location.
[0043] In another embodiment of the method of the present invention, the empty pocket separates white fabric articles from non-white fabric articles, and in another embodiment, the empty pocket separates white fabric articles from colored fabric articles. In another embodiment, the empty pocket separates higher temperature modules from lower temperature modules.
[0044] In another embodiment of the method of the present invention, there are multiple different counterflow streams in step “d”. In one embodiment, one counterflow stream in step “d” rinses white fabric articles and another counterflow stream rinses the non-white fabric articles. In one embodiment, one counterflow stream in step “d” rinses white fabric articles and another counterflow stream rinses colored articles. In another embodiment one counterflow stream rinses higher temperature modules and another counterflow stream rinses lower temperature modules.
[0045] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a method of laundering fabric articles in a continuous batch tunnel washer, comprising the steps of: a) providing a continuous batch tunnel washer having an interior, an intake, a discharge, and a plurality of modules that segment the interior; b) moving the fabric articles and fluid in a first direction of travel from the intake to the discharge; c) washing the fabric articles with a chemical bath in one or more of said modules; d) rinsing the fabric articles after step “c”; e) providing an empty pocket in one or more of said modules that is drained of fluid; f) wherein the empty pocket is moved from one module to the next module in sequence, and in a direction from the intake towards the discharge; and g) counterflowing liquid in the washer during step “d”.
[0046] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a method of washing fabric articles in a continuous batch tunnel washer, comprising the steps of: a) providing a continuous batch tunnel washer having an interior, an intake, a discharge, and a plurality of modules that segment the interior and wherein one of the modules is an empty pocket that is drained of water; b) moving the fabric articles and a volume of liquid from the intake to the discharge and through the modules in sequence; c) adding a washing chemical to one or more of the modules; d) rinsing the fabric articles by counter flowing liquid in the washer interior along a flow path that is generally opposite the direction of travel of the fabric articles in steps “b” and “c”; and e) wherein one of the modules defines an empty pocket module that is drained of liquid during step “d”.
[0047] In another embodiment of the method of the present invention, the method further comprises extracting excess fluid from the fabric articles after step “e”.
[0048] In another embodiment of the method of the present invention, the empty pocket is moved from an initial upstream location to downstream modules that are downstream of said initial upstream location.
[0049] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a method of laundering fabric articles in a continuous batch tunnel washer, comprising the steps of: a) providing a continuous batch tunnel washer having an interior, an intake, a discharge, and a plurality of modules that segment the interior and including at least one intake module and at least one final module; b) moving the fabric articles in a first direction of travel from the intake to the discharge; c) washing the fabric articles with a chemical bath in one or more of said modules; d) rinsing the fabric articles after step “c”; e) providing an empty pocket in one or more of said modules that is drained of fluid; f) wherein the empty pocket is moved one module at a time starting at the intake module and ending at the final module, and in a direction from the intake towards the discharge; and g) counterflowing liquid in the washer during step “d”.
[0050] In another embodiment of the method of the present invention, the empty pocket separates white fabric articles from non-white fabric articles, and in another embodiment the empty pocket separates white fabric articles from colored fabric articles. In one embodiment the empty pocket separates higher temperature modules from lower temperature modules.
[0051] In another embodiment of the method of the present invention, there are multiple different counterflow streams in step “g”. In one embodiment one counterflow stream in step “d” rinses white fabric articles and another counterflow stream rinses non-white fabric articles. In another embodiment, one counterflow stream in step “d” rinses white fabric articles and another counterflow stream rinses colored fabric articles. In another embodiment of the method of the present invention one counterflow stream rinses higher temperature modules and another counterflow stream rinses lower temperature modules.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0052] For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages of the present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, read in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:
[0053] FIG. 1 is comprised of half FIGS. 1A-1B that connect at match lines A-A, providing a schematic diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0054] FIG. 2 is comprised of half FIGS. 2A-2B that connect at match lines B-B providing a schematic diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0055] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating the ironer rolls for demonstrating that without proper rinsing the linen can stick to the chest portion of the ironer roll;
[0056] FIG. 4 is comprised of half FIGS. 4A-4B that connect at match lines C-C, providing a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0057] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention;
[0058] FIG. 6 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a five module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with chlorine bleach;
[0059] FIG. 7 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a five module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with hydrogen peroxide;
[0060] FIG. 8 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a five module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with sanitizing sour;
[0061] FIG. 9 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a seven module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with chlorine bleach;
[0062] FIG. 10 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a seven module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with hydrogen peroxide;
[0063] FIG. 11 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a seven module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with sanitizing sour;
[0064] FIG. 12 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing an eight module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with chlorine bleach;
[0065] FIG. 13 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing an eight module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with hydrogen peroxide;
[0066] FIG. 14 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing an eight module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with sanitizing sour;
[0067] FIG. 15 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a ten module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with chlorine bleach;
[0068] FIG. 16 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a ten module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with sanitizing sour;
[0069] FIG. 17 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a twelve module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with chlorine bleach;
[0070] FIG. 18 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a twelve module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with hydrogen peroxide;
[0071] FIG. 19 is a diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a twelve module tunnel washer for use in the hospitality industry and with sanitizing sour;
[0072] FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing a twelve module tunnel washer with alternate pulse flow and long distance incompatibility avoidance for incompatible batches;
[0073] FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention having alternate pulse flow and long distance incompatibility avoidance wherein white textile articles follow colored or non-white textile articles;
[0074] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing an eight module tunnel washer with alternate pulse flow and wherein low temperature white fabric articles follow high temperature white fabric articles;
[0075] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing an eight module tunnel washer with alternate pulse flow and wherein low temperature white fabric articles follow high temperature white fabric articles; and
[0076] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention showing an eight module tunnel washer with alternate pulse flow and wherein color fabric articles follow white fabric articles.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0077] FIGS. 1-2 show a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated generally by 10 A in FIGS. 1 and 2 . It should be understood that FIG. 1 includes half FIGS. 1A and 1B that assemble at match lines A-A. FIG. 2 includes half FIGS. 2A and 2B that assemble at match lines B-B. In FIG. 1 there can be seen a textile washing apparatus 10 A which employs a tunnel washer 11 having an inlet end portion 12 and an outlet end portion 13 . The inlet end portion 12 has a hopper 14 that enables the tunnel washer 11 to accept soiled linen or fabric articles 25 as indicated generally by arrow 16 in FIG. 2 . A discharge 15 from tunnel washer 11 enables laundered articles such as linen to be transferred from tunnel washer 11 to an extractor the removes water such as a press 19 . From the press or extractor 19 , the laundered articles can be moved using a shuttle 20 to a dryer 21 and then via transport 22 to a finishing station 23 (see FIG. 2 ). The tunnel washer 11 provides a plurality of modules or stations 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 . Fabric articles to be cleaned are moved generally in the direction of arrows 17 , 18 in FIG. 2 . Counterflow flow lines 193 are provided for counterflowing fluid from one module (e.g. module 4 ) to the previous module (module 3 ). Such counterflow flow lines 193 can be provided for each embodiment of FIGS. 1-24 to counterflow fluid from any downstream module to an upstream module or in a direction opposite to arrows 17 , 18 . In FIG. 1 , there is provided an extractor reuse tank 24 and a “pulse flow” tank 26 . “Pulse flow” tank 26 provides a supply of water to pumps 38 , 69 . These pumps then transmit water at a high flow rate (e.g., between 75 (283) and 250 (946.4) gallons (liter) per minute) to a selected module or modules.
[0078] A plurality of conductivity sensors are provided as part of the apparatus 10 A. In FIG. 1 , a conductivity sensor 27 is provided in the extractor reuse tank 24 . Another conductivity sensor 28 is provided in the pulse flow tank 26 . A third conductivity sensor 29 is provided in the influent flow line 30 to monitor the conductivity of fresh water that is flowing through the influent flow line 30 (from a selected source). The source of fresh water in flow line 30 can include a cold source 79 of fresh water as well as a hot or tempered source 80 of fresh water. The present invention monitors conductivity of water that is contained in the modules 1 - 10 and adjusts by adding fresh water or make up water in order to maintain the conductivity in modules 1 - 10 within a selected or desired range (i.e. between about 100 micro Siemens (minimum value) and a maximum value of about 1000 micro Siemens above the conductivity value of the incoming or available water or source water).
[0079] Because the fluid that is discharged from modules 9 and 10 through valves 63 and 64 enters extractor reuse tank 24 , the conductivity sensor 27 in tank 24 monitors the conductivity of the tunnel washer modules 9 and 10 . Valve 63 feeds flow line 65 . A tee fitting 67 joins valve 64 with lines 65 and 66 as shown in FIG. 1 . The line 66 feeds water to the extractor reuse tank 24 where conductivity is measured by sensor 27 .
[0080] Pump 58 discharges water from extractor reuse tank 24 and transmits that water via line 68 to the pulse flow tank 26 . Valves can be provided at 60 , 34 in flow line 68 . A drain can be provided in the form of valve 61 as shown in FIG. 1 for discharging directly to a sewer 62 or other suitable drain. A valve 59 is provided for discharging water directly from extractor reuse tank 24 if desired.
[0081] Water in pulse flow tank 26 is monitored for conductivity using conductivity sensor 28 . The conductivity of water in tank 26 can be monitored and adjusted by introducing water from an outside source 79 and/or 80 through flow line 30 and meter 31 . Conductivity sensor 29 monitors the conductivity of water in flow line 30 before it reaches pulse flow tank 26 . Additionally, the water in tank 26 is also monitored for conductivity by sensor 28 . Flow meter 31 and valve 32 can be provided in flow line 30 . Water can be discharged from tank 26 to sewer 43 by opening valve 33 . Water can also be discharged from tank 26 through flow line 37 using pump 38 . Water exiting tank 26 through flow line 37 can be injected into either module 8 or 9 as shown in FIG. 1 using valves 39 , 41 or 42 .
[0082] A plurality of flow meters can be provided in the various flow lines. The flow line 37 can be equipped with a flow meter 40 . A flow meter 31 is provided in the influent flow line 30 . A flow meter 47 is provided in the flow line 44 .
[0083] The influent flow line 30 provides a valve 32 . The influent flow line 30 provides make up water as needed for the pulse flow tank 26 . The module 10 can be a standing bath. The module 9 can be a standing bath or wash module.
[0084] Flow line 35 and pump 69 in FIG. 1 enable water to be transferred from pulse flow tank 26 to module 10 . Flow line 35 can be provided with valve 36 . Flow line 44 transfers water from module 5 to module 4 . Flow line 44 can be provided with pump 45 , valve 46 and flow meter 47 . Flow line 48 enables water to be transferred from module 1 through pump 49 into hopper 14 . In this fashion, soiled laundry or other textile articles added to hopper 14 are immediately wetted with a fast moving stream of water while entering module 1 . This function allows the washing process to start in module 1 whereas previous practice module 1 was used only to wet the linen. Flow line 50 enables fresh water to be added directly to module 10 . Influent flow line 50 can be provided with flow meter 51 and tee fitting 52 . Tee fitting 52 enables fresh water to be transferred to either flow line 53 or 54 , each equipped with a valve 55 or 56 as shown. In this fashion, fresh water can be added to either module 9 or 10 in order to adjust conductivity of the water in those modules 9 and 10 to a selected range. A tee fitting 71 can be provided in flow line 35 for adding water directly to hopper 14 . The tee fitting 71 enables water to enter hopper 14 through flow line 72 which is equipped with valve 57 and flow meter 70 .
[0085] FIG. 3 shows an ironer that is designated generally by the numeral 73 . Ironer 73 can include multiple rolls or rollers 75 , each supported upon a chest 74 . In the prior art, linen sheets or other fabric articles 25 could stick to the chest 74 without proper rinsing. Further, if the conductivity of the water in the linen sheets or fabric articles 25 was outside a selected range, the linen could stick to any one of the chests 74 .
[0086] With the present invention, the linen sheets or fabric articles 25 (which are indicated schematically by the dotted line 77 ) in FIG. 3 are less likely to stick to the chest 74 because conductivity of the water is monitored and held within a selected range of between about 100 micro Siemens (minimum value) and a maximum value of about 1000 micro Siemens above the conductivity value of the incoming or available water or source water. In FIG. 3 , the arrow 76 schematically illustrates the intake of linen sheets whereas the arrow 78 indicates schematically the discharge of linen sheets after ironing. The ironer 73 shown in FIG. 3 can be part of the finishing station 23 of FIG. 2 .
[0087] FIGS. 4-5 show an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention designated as 10 B. It should be understood that FIG. 4 includes half FIGS. 4A-4B that assemble at match lines C-C. As with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3 , textile washing apparatus 10 B provides a tunnel washer 11 having a plurality of modules or stations (e.g., between 1 and 32 stations or modules) 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , inlet end portion 12 , outlet end portion 13 and discharge 15 . The apparatus 10 B can employ the press/extractor 19 , shuttle 20 , dryer 21 , transport 22 and finishing station 23 of FIG. 2 and the ironer 73 arrangement of FIG. 3 .
[0088] Fabric or textile articles 25 to be cleaned are added to hopper 14 at inlet end portion 12 . Fabric or textile articles 25 to be cleaned are moved generally in the direction of arrows 17 , 18 in FIG. 4 . In FIGS. 4-5 , an “empty pocket” is provided in a selected module 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 or 10 . For example, the empty pocket can initially be module 1 , the first module that is next to the inlet end portion 12 . The empty pocket then moves in sequence to the second module 2 , then to the third module 3 , then to modules 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 and finally module 10 . This “empty pocket” module typically has no linen. Notice in FIG. 5 that the empty pocket with no linen is module 3 . The empty pocket module is created by allowing a transfer of linen from one module to the next for all modules other than the empty pocket module.
[0089] For the empty pocket module, no linen is put into the first empty pocket module 1 . On the next transfer of linen from each module to the next module, the empty pocket module is now module 2 . It is possible to have more than one empty pocket module by means of programming the controller. This “empty pocket” module arrangement minimizes the time out of range conductivity by about forty to fifty percent (40-50%). With the alternate method and apparatus of FIGS. 4-5 , as few as two to six transfers are needed to clear a conductivity error compared to between ten and twenty transfers required for a comparable tunnel washer that does not employ this “empty pocket” module arrangement of FIGS. 4-5 .
[0090] As with the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1-3 , textile washing apparatus 10 B can employ conductivity sensors 27 , 28 , 29 . Many of the flow lines, valves, fittings and components of FIG. 1 can be seen in FIG. 4 . In FIG. 5 , water header 121 is supplied with water from tank 26 with an alternate pump 122 . Module 2 receives water through fill valve 124 during a “pulse flow” portion of the cycle. The overall cycle sequence is comprised of three functions: (1) standing bath, which can be about 75% of the cycle; (2) “pulse flow” (high speed or high flow rate rinsing), which can be about 24% of the cycle; and (3) transfer (movement of the linen from one module to the next module, e.g., module 1 to module 2 ), which can be about 1% of the cycle.
[0091] “Pulse flow” is a high velocity rinsing step. Flow line 121 is a simplified representation of the headers shown in FIG. 4A . Pump 101 (the alternative pulse flow pump) supplies water to header 102 or header 104 . In FIG. 5 , flow line 121 represents either of these headers 102 , 104 . The empty pocket separates heavily lint fabric articles (e.g., bar towels) from different fabric articles (e.g., table linen). Although valve 124 remains open during the pulse flow portion of the cycle, no water flows because the alternate pulse flow pump 122 is turned off Fill valves 123 , 125 and 126 are closed. Water counterflows from module 4 to module 3 via a counterflow flow line 193 and through open valve 134 . However, this water goes immediately to sewer 128 via flow line 127 (see arrow 140 , FIG. 5 ) and open drain valve 130 . Module 3 (the empty pocket module) remains empty of water. The valve conditions shown in FIG. 5 accompany an empty pocket of module 3 . This valve condition moves with the “empty pocket” as it moves from one module to the next module through the tunnel washer 11 in the direction of arrows 17 , 18 . In the method and apparatus of FIGS. 4 and 5 , the “empty pocket” is first placed in module 1 , then moves to module 2 , then 3, then to each subsequent module in sequence: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 until the empty pocket reaches the last module 10 . In this case where module 10 is the empty pocket, the controller will signal the receiving apparatus, such as a press or an extractor, that there is no linen in the press or extractor so that it does not cycle.
[0092] Counterflow in washer 11 is controlled by the counterflow valves 132 , 133 , 134 , 135 . Counterflow is permitted when the valve 133 for flow from module 3 to the previous module 2 is open and the valve 136 for flow to the sewer 128 is closed. Counterflow is prevented when the valve states are opposite. Although counterflow would be possible between module 3 and module 2 in FIG. 5 , there is no water available for counterflow as long as drain valve 130 remains open. Any chemical inlets or dispensers 120 on module 3 remain closed during the empty pocket portion of the cycle.
[0093] In FIG. 4 , flow line 81 connects with Tee-fitting 82 to flow line 102 . Line 81 provides valve 83 and flow meter 84 . Line 102 provides valve 85 . As can be seen in FIG. 4 , line 102 discharges into module 9 . Tee-fittings are provided at 86 , 87 and flow line 102 . Line 88 connects with flow line 102 at Tee-fitting 86 . Line 88 provides valve 89 and discharges into module 7 . Line 90 joins line 102 at Tee-fitting 87 . Line 90 provides valve 91 and discharges into module 8 . Flow line 92 has flow meter 93 and valve 94 . Tee-fitting 95 joins flow line 92 with flow line 104 . Line 92 has valve 96 , Tee-fitting 97 and flow meter 99 . Line 103 joins line 92 at Tee-fitting 97 . Below Tee-fitting 97 , line 92 is designated as 100 and connects with pump 101 that communicates with tank 26 . Flow line 81 has valve 98 and is designated as line 103 below Tee-fitting 102 , joining with line 100 at fitting 97 . Flow line 104 joins to line 92 at Tee-fitting 95 . Tee-fittings 105 , 106 , 107 and 108 are provided in flow line 104 . Line 109 connects to Tee-fitting 105 . Line 110 connects to Tee-fitting 106 . Line 111 connects to line 104 at Tee-fitting 107 . Line 112 connects to line 102 at Tee-fitting 108 . Flow line 109 has valve 114 . Flow line 110 has valve 115 . Flow line 111 has valve 116 . Flow line 112 has valve 117 . Flow line 104 has valve 118 .
[0094] FIGS. 6-24 show variations of the washing apparatus 10 A, 10 B of FIGS. 1-5 . FIG. 6 shows a five module washing apparatus, designated generally by the numeral 10 C. Washing apparatus 10 C can be a tunnel washer having modules 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 wherein modules 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 can be dual use modules that perform both wash and rinse functions. Module 5 is a finish module. Washing apparatus 10 C has an inlet end portion with hopper 14 for intake of laundry or textile articles or linens and a discharge end portion that discharges fabric articles, linens, laundry to an extraction device 19 (e.g., press or centrifuge). As with the embodiments of FIGS. 1-5 , FIGS. 6-24 can provide counterflow flow lines for counterflowing fluid from a downstream module (e.g., module 4 ) to an upstream module (e.g., module 3 ).
[0095] FIG. 6 is an example of an apparatus having particular utility for the hospitality sector of business. Line 141 is a counterflow line from module 4 to module 3 . Line 142 is a counterflow line from module 3 to module 2 . Line 143 is a counterflow line from module 2 to module 1 . Lines 144 , 145 and valved drain lines to sewer 128 . Line 146 is a valved recirculation line to hopper 14 . As with FIGS. 1-5 , FIG. 6 employs tanks 24 , 26 . Flow line 161 drains module 5 to tank 24 . Line 147 transmits fluid from tank 24 to tank 26 . Flow line 148 has pump 149 and transmits fluid from tank 26 to module 5 and/or hopper 14 via branch line 150 . Line 151 and pump 152 transmit fluid from tank 26 to module 4 . Alkali detergent at 153 is shown for addition to module 1 . Chlorine bleach is shown at 154 for addition to module 2 . Antichlor sour solution is shown at 155 for addition to module 5 .
[0096] For exemplary parameters of FIG. 6 , total time is 17.5 minutes. Transfer time of fabric articles, linens, laundry from one module to the next module (e.g., module 1 to module 2 or module 2 to module 3 , etc.) is 180 minutes. Batches of laundry, linens, fabric articles per time is about 17 batches per hour. Water consumption is 0.3 to 0.4 gallons per pound of laundry (2.5 to 3.3 liters per kilogram of laundry). Average pulse flow water quantity is 105 gallons (or 398 liters) per batch of laundry. In FIG. 7 , washer 10 C replaces chlorine bleach at 154 with hydrogen peroxide at 156 . Water can be added to tank 26 via source 157 and valved flow line 158 . In FIG. 8 , sanitizing sour at 159 is added to module 4 . In FIG. 8 , chlorine bleach 154 and hydrogen peroxide 156 are not present.
[0097] FIGS. 9-11 show an arrangement similar to FIGS. 6-8 but for a seven module tunnel washer apparatus 10 D wherein alkali detergent 153 is added to modules 1 , 2 with chlorine bleach 154 is added to module 3 and antichlor sour 155 to module 7 . In FIG. 10 , hydrogen peroxide 156 replaces chlorine bleach 154 . In FIG. 11 , sanitizer sour 160 is added to module 4 and sour solution 161 to module 7 while chlorine bleach and hydrogen peroxide are not present. In FIGS. 9-11 , counterflow lines are provided as with FIGS. 1-8 . One of the counterflow flow lines can be provided with pump 162 . Pump 162 can be in the counterflow flow line that transmits fluid from module 5 to module 4 . In FIGS. 9-11 , exemplary parameters are 14.6 minutes total time. Transfer time is 129 seconds. Batches per time equals 29 per hour. Water consumption is 0.3 to 0.4 gallons per pound of fabric articles (e.g., linens) or between 2.5-3.3 liters per kilogram. Pulse flow water liquor ratio is about 0.7 gallons per pound or 5.8 liters per kilogram. Average pulse flow water per batch is 105 gallons (397.5 liters).
[0098] FIGS. 12-14 show a washing apparatus similar to FIGS. 6-8 , but for an eight module washer 10 E. In FIGS. 12-14 , alkali detergent 153 is added to modules 1 , 2 . Chlorine bleach 154 is added to modules 3 , 4 and antichlor sour solution 155 to module 8 . In FIG. 13 , hydrogen peroxide 156 replaces the chlorine bleach 154 of FIG. 12 . In FIG. 14 , neither chlorine bleach 154 nor hydrogen peroxide 156 are used. Instead, sanitizing sour 159 is added to module 5 and sour solution 160 is added to module 8 . In FIGS. 12-14 , the counterflow lines are provided as with FIGS. 1-11 . One of the counterflow lines can be provided with pump 163 . Pump 163 can be in the counterflow line that transmits fluid from module 5 to module 4 .
[0099] FIGS. 15-16 show a ten module washing apparatus 10 F wherein pump 164 is in a counterflow line that transmits fluid from module 6 to module 5 .
[0100] FIGS. 17-19 show a twelve module washing apparatus 10 G wherein pump 165 is in a counterflow line from module 8 to module 7 . Pump 166 is in a counterflow line from module 4 to module 3 .
[0101] FIG. 20 shows a twelve module washing apparatus 10 H with an alternate pulse flow that uses two or more pulse flow streams and having long distance incompatibility avoidance for incompatible batches, pH sensing and conductivity sensing. In cases of white vs. colored fabric articles separated by empty pocket, an alternate pulse flow can be provided which provides separate streams of counterflow water so that the counterflow for the colored downstream linen does not contact the white linen at the front of the machine.
[0102] In FIG. 20 , two finish modules 11 , 12 are provided for optional starching. In FIG. 20 , tank 26 has pumps 149 , 152 and a third pump 167 . Line 151 branches at tee fitting 168 to lines 169 (discharging to module 8 ) and line 170 (discharging to module 9 ). Third pump 167 discharges to line 169 which has tee fittings at 171 , 172 , 173 . Valves are provided on opposing sides of tee fittings 172 , 173 so that hot water at 174 or tempered water at 175 can be selectively added to an alternate pulse flow header 176 or 177 . Alternate pulse flow header 176 enables water to be added to any one of modules 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 5 , 6 , 7 or 8 via a valved branch line 178 . As with FIGS. 1-5 , each module has a valved drain line and counterflow lines that connect a module (e.g., module 9 ) to a previous module (e.g., module 8 ). Line 177 has valved branch lines 180 , 181 , 182 .
[0103] An incompatible batch normally refers to a classification of linen which can be a different color than linen in downstream modules. For example, if red table linen is in modules 1 to 10 and the next classification of linen to enter the tunnel is white, the counterflow water used for the red table linen cannot be used for the white linen. Different counterflow streams are thus provided, described herein as “alternate pulse flow”. Because the press water extracted from the red table linen normally flows to the PulseFlow tank, this water has to be diverted to sewer using the valves 60 (Closed) and 61 (Open), as seen in FIG. 4B . The programming feature in the controller to operate these valves is called “Long Distance Incompatibility”. FIGS. 20-24 all provide such “alternate pulse flow” with multiple sources of counterflow or multiple pulse flow headers.
[0104] In FIG. 21 , a twelve module washing apparatus 10 I provides an example of long distance incompatibility avoidance wherein white linen or textile articles follow colored linen or textile articles, an empty pocket provided at module 6 . Colored textile articles or colored linen are in modules 7 - 12 in FIG. 21 . White linen or textile articles are in modules 1 - 5 in FIG. 21 .
[0105] FIG. 21 is similar to FIG. 20 , but provides an “empty pocket” (at module 6 in FIG. 21 ) which separates colored fabric articles from white fabric articles.
[0106] In FIG. 22 , washing apparatus 10 J provides an eight module washing apparatus wherein low temperature washing follows high temperature washing of white linen or white textile articles. In FIG. 22 , modules 1 and 2 are low temperature (e.g., 50° C.). Modules 2 - 8 are high temperature (e.g. 75° C.).
[0107] In FIG. 23 , modules 1 - 3 are low temperature white linen or textile articles wherein modules 4 - 8 are high temperature white linen or textile articles. In FIG. 24 , colored linen articles in modules 1 - 2 follow white linen articles in modules 3 - 8 .
[0108] In FIGS. 22, 23, 24 an additional tank 185 is provided. Tank 26 is for white fabric articles while tank 185 is used for colored fabric articles. Each tank 26 , 185 has a water or fluid source 157 . Header 186 receives flow from tank 185 and pump 188 . Header 187 receives flow from tank 185 and pump 189 . Line 190 receives flow from tank 26 and pump 152 . Line 191 receives flow from tank 26 and pump 149 . Line 190 transmits fluid from tank 26 to hopper 14 . Header or line 191 connects with each of a plurality of branch flow lines 192 . Each branch flow line 192 discharges to a module 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 or 8 . The branch flow lines 192 can be valved flow lines.
[0109] Header or flow line 186 connects with each of a plurality of branch flow lines 193 . Each branch flow line 193 can be valved. Each branch flow line 193 discharges to a module 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 . In FIG. 22 , low temperature white linens follow high temperature white linens. In the example of FIG. 22 , only modules 1 , 2 are low temperature (e.g., 50° C.). Modules 3 - 8 are high temperature (e.g., 70° C.).
[0110] In FIG. 23 , the same arrangement of FIG. 22 is shown but after a transfer where the low temperature of module 2 has transferred to module 3 and the low temperature of module 1 has transferred to module 2 .
[0111] FIG. 24 is similar to FIG. 22 but colored fabric articles replace the low temperature white fabric articles of FIG. 22 . The high temperature white fabric articles of modules 2 - 8 of FIG. 22 are just white fabric articles in FIG. 24 .
[0112] The following is a list of parts and materials suitable for use in the present invention.
PARTS LIST
[0113]
[0000]
Part Number
Description
1
module
2
module
3
module
4
module
5
module
6
module
7
module
8
module
9
module
10
module
10A
textile washing apparatus
10B
textile washing apparatus
10C
textile washing apparatus
10D
textile washing apparatus
10E
textile washing apparatus
10F
textile washing apparatus
10G
textile washing apparatus
10H
textile washing apparatus
10I
textile washing apparatus
10J
textile washing apparatus
11
tunnel washer
12
inlet end portion
13
outlet end portion
14
hopper
15
discharge
16
soiled linen arrow
17
arrow
18
arrow
19
press/extractor
20
shuttle
21
dryer
22
transport
23
finishing station
24
extractor reuse tank
25
linen/fabric articles
26
pulse flow tank
27
conductivity sensor
28
conductivity sensor
29
conductivity sensor
30
influent flow line
31
flow meter
32
valve
33
valve
34
valve
35
flow line
36
valve
37
flow line
38
pump
39
valve
40
flow meter
41
valve
42
valve
43
sewer
44
flow line
45
pump
46
valve
47
flow meter
48
flow line
49
pump
50
influent flow line
51
flow meter
52
tee fitting
53
flow line
54
flow line
55
valve
56
valve
57
valve
58
pump
59
valve
60
valve
61
valve
62
sewer
63
valve
64
valve
65
flow line
66
flow line
67
tee fitting
68
flow line
69
pump
70
flow meter
71
tee fitting
72
flow line
73
ironer
74
chest
75
roller
76
arrow
77
dotted line
78
arrow
79
cold water source
80
hot water source
81
flow line
82
Tee-fitting
83
valve
84
flow meter
85
valve
86
Tee-fitting
87
Tee-fitting
88
flow line
89
valve
90
flow line
91
valve
92
flow line
93
flow meter
94
valve
95
Tee-fitting
96
valve
97
Tee-fitting
98
valve
99
flow meter
100
flow line
101
pump
102
flow line
103
flow line
104
flow line
105
Tee-fitting
106
Tee-fitting
107
Tee-fitting
108
Tee-fitting
109
flow line
110
flow line
111
flow line
112
flow line
114
valve
115
valve
116
valve
117
valve
118
valve
120
chemical dispenser
121
water header
122
pump
123
fill valve
124
fill valve
125
fill valve
126
fill valve
127
flow line
128
sewer
129
drain valve
130
drain valve
131
drain valve
132
counterflow valve
133
counterflow valve
134
counterflow valve
135
counterflow valve
136
valve
137
valve
138
valve
139
valve
140
arrow
141
counterflow line
142
counterflow line
143
counterflow line
144
valved drain lines
145
valved drain lines
146
valved recirculation line
147
transmitter
148
flow line
149
pump
150
branch line
151
line
152
pump
153
alkali detergent
154
chlorine bleach
155
antichlor solution
156
hydrogen peroxide
157
fluid source
158
valved flow line
159
sanitizing sour
160
sour solution
161
flow line
162
pump
163
pump
164
pump
165
pump
166
pump
167
pump
168
tee fitting
169
flow line
170
flow line
171
tee fitting
172
tee fitting
173
tee fitting
174
hot water source
175
tempered water source
176
alternate pulse flow header
177
alternate pulse flow header
178
valved branch line
179
ph sensor
180
valved branch line
181
valved branch line
182
valved branch line
185
tank
186
header
187
header
188
pump
189
pump
190
flow line
191
flow line
192
branch flow line
193
counterflow flow line
[0114] All measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure, at sea level on Earth, unless indicated otherwise.
[0115] The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
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A method of washing fabric articles in a tunnel washer that includes moving the fabric articles from the intake of the washer to the discharge of the washer and through multiple modules or sectors. Liquid can be counter flowed in the washer interior along a flow path that is generally opposite the direction of travel of the fabric articles in order to rinse the fabric articles. While counterflow rinsing, the flow rate can be maintained at a selected flow rate or flow pressure head. One or more booster pumps can optionally be employed to maintain constant counterflow rinsing flow rate or constant counterflow rinsing pressure head. A source of fresh, make-up water can be provided to adjust conductivity. Conductivity is monitored in at least one of the modules. Conductivity of fluid in the discharged fabric articles is monitored. Make up water is added to one or more modules before if the conductivity of water in the discharged fabric articles exceeds a threshold value. In one embodiment, one of the modules is an empty pocket that is drained of fluid when rinsing with counterflowing liquid.
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[0001] The present invention relates to a method for isolating nucleic acids from a nucleic acid containing sample, and a kit for carrying out said method. More specifically, it relates to a novel method for extracting nucleic acids from a nucleic acid containing sample, using an anion exchange solid support, and allowing this solid phase with the nucleic acid bound thereto to react with a compound which is also capable of binding to said anion exchange solid support and which optionally provides additional charges at the surface of the anion exchange solid material, thereby preferably changing the surface charge density of the solid support and then releasing the nucleic acid from the solid support, eliminating the need for high salt and/or high pH elution buffers.
[0002] Procedures involving nucleic acids (NA's) such as DNA and RNA continue to play a crucial role in biotechnology. Early methods of isolating nucleic acids involved a series of extractions with organic solvents, involving ethanol precipitation (Amersham, U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,946) and dialysis of the nucleic acids. These methods are relatively laborious and often result in low yield.
[0003] Later methods take advantage of the fact that nucleic acids are bound to acidic surfaces in the presence of chaotropic salt solutions. This was originally described for diatomaceous earth and for silicon dioxide particles (Boom et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,809). Alternatively, a combination of chaotropes and alcohols can be used (QIAGEN, WO 95/01359). When the chaotropes (and alcohols) are removed from the system, the negatively charged surfaces allow a very easy and efficient elution, that is dissociation of nucleic acids from the solid phase into the water suspension. However, both chaotropes and alcohols are potentially hazardous chemicals that can easily influence down stream analysis, and to some extent reduce the user acceptance of the method.
[0004] It is well known that a positively charged solid surface, known in the art as an anion exchange surface, will bind negatively charged species thereto, and the methodology has been used for different purposes. EP 1 404 442 discloses a method to adsorb negatively charged iron oxides (ferrofluids) to positively charged porous surfaces. EP 0 209 251 discloses an IE (“ion exchange”) method for protein adsorption to positive charged surfaces, whereas WO 03/074571, US 2002/0025529, and Schmidt et al, J Chromatogr. A. 1999, 865, 27-34 disclose a method for nucleic acid adsorption to a solid support, like plates, columns or beads, wherein said solid support was coated with a polycation.
[0005] In comparison to many of the methods using silica and chaotropes (“CS” methods) the use of anion exchange surfaces (abbreviated “IE method”) for nucleic acid purification, provides binding in the absence of chaotropes and the use of washing buffers in the absence of chaotropes and/or alcohols, attributing very attractive features to said method. The current limitation of the “IE method”, strongly reducing its applicability, relates to elution. The effective adsorption of the negatively charged nucleic acids to the positively charged surface of the ion exchange material hinders an effective elution. In order to overcome these strong interactions between solid support and nucleic acids and to induce the dissociation of nucleic acids from the solid support (=elution), such methods typically utilize elution buffers with high salt concentrations (several Mol) or high pH. For instance, Wahlund et al. disclose in Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Vol 87, No 5, 2004, a method to precipitate plasmid DNA with a solution of poly(dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride), wherein removal of the polycation from the plasmid was finally carried out using 25 mM Tris, pH 8 containing 2M NaCl.
[0006] Moret et al. describe in Journal of Controlled Release, 76, 169-181, 2001, the effect of nucleic acid adsorption to polycations (DOTAP), and how this adsorption protects against nucleases from serum. Release of nucleic acids was carried out using the combined effect of high pH and added heparin.
[0007] However, such high salt, high pH or additive conditions are very often in conflict with standard molecular biology down stream analysis (f.e., amplification via PCR), and the isolated nucleic acid therefore needs to be de-salted or the pH must be adjusted prior to further use.
[0008] WO 02/48164 discloses the use of “charge switch” material to overcome the necessity of high salt concentrations for efficient elution. The solid phase comprises a positively ionisable nitrogen atom, and at least one electronegative group which is sufficiently close to the nitrogen to lower its pKa value. This surface allows nucleic acid adsorption at a pH below or close to the pKa value. The elution therefore can be carried out at a higher pH. The pH of binding is always lower than the pH of elution. This method has, however, strong limitation in view of the ion exchange surface chemistries to be used, and is therefore by far not particularly useful for those IE solid supports having pka's in the high pH range, which are potentially the strongest (most effective) nucleic acid adsorbers, for instance those surfaces comprising quaternary ammonium ions like —NR 3 + . The necessity of a very careful pH control for binding and elution also reduces the general utilisation of said charge switch material.
[0009] EP0707077 discloses a synthetic water soluble polymer for precipitation of nucleic acids at acidic pH (pH<7) into a water-insoluble precipitate, and then release of the nucleic acids at alkaline pH (pH>7). Re-dissolving of the polymer-nucleic acid complex is initiated at alkaline pH, elevated temperature and/or high salt concentrations.
[0010] In spite of the advantages achieved by the isolation of nucleic acids by means of ion exchange materials, there is still a need for a general method allowing the use of (any) ion exchange material for nucleic acid extraction in combination with a low salt elution.
[0011] Thus, the problem of the present invention was to provide a preservative, quick and easy method for nucleic acid extraction providing nucleic acids which immediately can be used in “down stream” methods without the necessity of further treatment steps.
[0012] This problem is met by a process for isolating nucleic acid from a nucleic acid containing sample, comprising:
(i) providing a solid phase capable of binding nucleic acids, whereby the solid phase comprises a formally positive or potentially formally positive charge; and (ii) contacting the nucleic acid containing sample with said solid phase, allowing the nucleic acid(s) to bind to said solid phase; and (iii) contacting at least one further compound different from the nucleic acid(s), which compound is capable of binding to the remaining formally positive charge on the surface of the solid phase and which optionally changes the charge density on the surface of the solid phase, with said solid phase having the nucleic acid(s) bound thereto, said further compound being not solely H + or OH − .
[0016] One object of this novel method is the combination of the easy binding of nucleic acids with an “IE method” with the easy elution of the same nucleic acids from a formally negatively charged surface which is neutralized with cationic counter ions. Currently in the art, there is a need to choose between said two nucleic acid purification methods.
[0017] Surprisingly, it has now been found that such compounds like organic acids which change the surface properties by shielding former formally positive charges are very useful in a “IE method” even when nucleic acids are bound to and eluted from an anion exchange solid support.
[0018] By “anion exchange (IE) solid support” according to this invention, a solid support is meant, comprising on its surface either a formally positive charge at all pH-values (typically tertiary or quaternary ammonium salts (—NHR 2 +X − , —NR 3 + X − ), or comprising chemical groups which are formally positively charged at a low pH but which show no such formal charge at a high pH (typically primary, secondary and tertiary amines (—NH 2 , —NHR, —NR 2 ), or comprising a combination thereof. The latter mentioned nitrogen-functionalities therefore can be considered to provide potentially formally positive charges when being protonated. The formally positive charge of the solid support surface typically is neutralized by a counter anion which has a comparatively weak bond strength in comparison to the anions supposed to be bound to the formally positively charged solid support.
[0019] The base material of the anion exchange support preferably used for the present invention is of no particular importance as long as it can be provided, preferably on its surface, with a formally positive charge and as long as the base material does not negatively interact with the sample or the chemicals typically used for nucleic acid isolation processes. Common suitable base materials are silica, diatomaceous earth or similar silicon containing compounds or any other materials well known by the skilled person for isolating nucleic acids.
[0020] It is particularly preferred to use substances as base material which exhibit magnetic properties when exposed to a magnetic field. Those substances also are well known to the skilled persons.
[0021] The anionic exchange materials have the capacity to exchange their counter anion with for instance negatively charged nucleic acids. An example of a corresponding equilibrium using quaternary ammonium ions at the surface of the exchange material is as follows:
[0000] —NR 3 + X − +NA − Y + ═—NR 3 + NA − +X − Y +
[0022] The binding is predominantly reversible and its strength is i.a. determined by the pH and the ionic strength of the solution.
[0023] After binding of the nucleic acids to said positively charged surface, the IE material is treated in a way such that the remaining counter ions of the anion exchange material which have not yet been exchanged (at least partly) will be exchanged as well. This is supposed to be achieved by contacting the IE material having the nucleic acids bound thereto with one or more further compounds which should be capable of binding to the positive charge of the IE material with a higher bond strength than the original counter ions but a lower bond strength than the nucleic acids. Thereby, the formally positive charge at the surface of the IE material is supposed to be shielded by the additionally bound compound functioning as the new counter ion.
[0024] It is even preferred to use compounds for additionally binding to the exchange material which provide an even higher charge density at the surface of the IE material. “Charge density” generally means the amount of charges in a volume. This increase of the charge density may be achieved by using compounds which have more anionic sites than the ones binding to the exchange material. Thereby, the surface of the IE material originally having formally positive charges may be changed into a surface having a formally negative charge at the outer sphere and the neutralized positive charges below. The additional negative charges at the surface provided by the further compound(s) also are neutralized but by means of a corresponding cationic counter ion. The number of positive and negative charges at the surface of the IE material is thereby increased by the additional positive and negative charges besides the positive and negative charges originally being part of the anion exchange material surface, although the overall sum of the charges is supposed to be neutral.
[0025] By this treatment the originally formally positive charge at the surface of the IE material is supposed to be shielded to provide either a neutral outer surface or a neutralized formally negatively charged outer surface.
[0026] The “treatment” of the IE solid support after binding the nucleic acids is intended preferably to change the outer charge of the surface of the solid support by “converting” the remaining formally positive charge neutralized by a negative charged counter ion to an additional formally negative charge neutralized by a positive counter ion. This is obtainable by contacting the formally positively charged surface with at least one preferably “charge changing” compound binding or complexing with the positively charged surface and thereby replacing the original anionic counter ion of the IE material. Said compound either renders the surface neutral (the only charge contained in said compound is the one used for binding/complexing) or the compound provides a negative charge to the surface (the compound comprises one or more additional charges besides the charge used for binding/complexing).
[0027] “Binding” and “complexing” means here the (mainly ionic and/or H-binding) interaction between the nucleic acids and the solid support, or between the further compound(s) and the solid support, respectively.
[0028] A “charge changing” compound according to the present invention is any compound which is able to bind via ionic interaction to the solid support of the present invention and which provides an increased charge density, in particular in the form of a formally negatively charged neutralized surface, thereby changing the formal charge of the outer surface, wherein said charge changing compound is not solely H + or OH − . Preferably the further shielding and optionally charge changing compound(s) according to the invention is at least one acid, most preferred (an) organic acid(s).
[0029] Organic acids usable according to this invention are any organic compounds that contain at least one acid functionality, i.e. those which have the ability to undergo dissociation (RH═R − +H + ), typically RCOOH, ROH, RSH, RSO 3 H, and ROPO 3 H 2 or (ROPO 2 H) n . Preferred organic acids usable according to this invention contain more than one identical or different acid functionalities within one molecule, more preferred multiple acid functionalities (“polyacids”). Suitable acids may be comparatively short chain molecules, preferably comprising (denoted as R) from 1 to 26 carbon atoms which may form a straight or branched chain, optionally having each one or more saturated and/or unsaturated sections and which may comprise aliphatic and/or aromatic sections. Moreover, such acids may comprise one or more identical or different acid functionalities like di-, oligo- or polycarboxylic acids, hydroxy carboxylic acids or any other combination of the above defined functionalities. However, it is even more preferred to use organic acids in the form of polymers, for instance like poly(carboxylic acid) such as poly(acrylic acid) or poly(methacrylic acid), poly(sulphonic acid) or poly(alkylphosphoric acid). These organic acids are able to change the formal surface charge of the previous IE solid support from (potentially) positive (=amines, ammonium) into a formally more negative direction (=carboxy RCO 2 − , sulphoxy RSO x − , phosphoric RPO x − ) by providing additional formally negative charges besides neutralizing the former formally positive charges. The polyacids can be of any mass and preferably have a M w of from 500 to 500.000.
[0030] “Mild pH” according to this invention refers typically to a pH<9, preferably in the range of pH 5.5 to 8.5.
[0031] By “Low salt” according to this invention is typically meant a liquid/solution/buffer with a salt concentration of 100 mM or lower, preferably of 80 mM or lower, more preferred of 50 mM or lower, most preferred a salt concentration of 30 mM or lower.
[0032] Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for isolating nucleic acids from a nucleic acid-containing sample, which method comprises either:
(a) contacting a formally positively charged or potentially formally positively charged IE solid support with nucleic acids for a time sufficient for binding the nucleic acids to said IE solid support; (b) contacting the IE solid support, with the nucleic acid bound thereto, with at least one further compound different from the nucleic acid(s), dissolved in water at a pH≦6, which further compound is capable of binding to the remaining formally positive charge on the surface of the IE solid support and which optionally changes the charge density on the surface of the solid support, wherein the compound binds to the solid support; and (c) optionally washing the solid phase with the nucleic acid and the further compound(s) bound thereto; and (d) eluting the nucleic acids from the solid phase at mild pH and low salt conditions;
or:
(e) contacting a formally positively charged or potentially formally positively charged positively charged IE solid support with nucleic acids for a time sufficient for binding the nucleic acids to said IE solid support; (f) contacting the IE solid support, with the nucleic acid bound thereto, with at least one further compound different from the nucleic acid(s), dissolved in water at a pH>6, which further compound is capable of binding to the remaining formally positive charge on the surface of the IE solid support and which optionally changes the charge density on the surface of the solid support, wherein the compound binds to the solid support; and (g) contacting the IE solid support, with the nucleic acid and the further compound(s) bound thereto, with a liquid comprising an overall pH≦6; and (h) optionally washing the solid phase with the nucleic acid and the further compound(s) bound thereto; and (i) eluting the nucleic acids from the solid phase at mild pH and low salt conditions;
[0042] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a kit for isolating nucleic acids from a nucleic acid-containing sample, which kit comprises:
(a) an IE solid support, capable of binding nucleic acid; (b) optionally a buffer for lysis of a sample; (c) an aqueous solution of at least one compound capable of binding to the formally positive charge on the surface of the IE solid support and optionally changing the charge density of the surface of the solid support (either pH≦6 or pH>6); (d) optionally an aqueous solution of pH≦6 (if the aqueous solution of the compound in (c) has pH>6); (e) optionally a set of washing buffers; (f) optionally an elution buffer.
[0049] In a third aspect, the present invention discloses a method combining the easy binding of nucleic acids in an “IE method”, with the easy elution of the same nucleic acids from a formally negatively charged surface which is neutralized with cationic counter ions ( FIG. 1 ), simply by providing the possibility to change/convert the surface nature and charge density of the IE solid support between the binding and the elution of the nucleic acids.
[0050] In contrast to what has been possible in the prior art, binding and elution of nucleic acids according to the present invention can now be carried out without changing the pH, and for instance with the same buffers.
[0051] In one preferred embodiment of this invention the solid support having the nucleic acid bound thereto is contacted with at least one shielding and optionally charge changing compound as defined above, preferably an organic acid dissolved in water at a pH≦6, more preferably at a pH from 2-5. In order for the compound(s) to bind and interact with the solid support having the nucleic acid bound thereto, and to change the surface charge of the solid support (in a negative direction), it is preferred that the compound(s), preferably the acid(s) is at least in a partially dissociated form, that means partly in the form of R − /H + . For example an organic acid can be added as a free acid, the corresponding salt, or as a combination thereof.
[0052] In an alternative preferred embodiment of this invention the solid support having the nucleic acid bound thereto is contacted with at least one shielding and optionally charge changing compound as defined above, preferably an organic acid dissolved in water at a higher pH (pH>6). Then, the complex of solid support having the nucleic acids and the further compound(s) bound thereto is brought into contact with an acidic liquid at pH≦6 prior to elution. To formulate a liquid solution of pH≦6, as known to those in the art, numerous methods can be used, typically mineral acids, inorganic acids or organic acids (mono-, di or poly acids) or any combination thereof are dissolved, preferably in water, resulting preferably in a pH of from 2-5.
[0053] The possible applications for this invention are broad. In the following non limiting example experiments, purification and isolation of nucleic acids (ds DNA, total RNA, ss DNA) from natural samples (like blood, cells, bacteria), or of dissolved (prepurified) samples (like siRNA, tRNA, small fragmented dsDNA) from water are shown. Also included in the experiments are examples of nucleic acid enrichment (siRNA).
[0054] In addition, we show that the solid phase of this invention represents an experimental tool to enrich specific components in a biological sample. For example, blood was diluted 50× in an erythrocyte buffer (“red cells lysis only”). The white, non lysed blood cells were adsorbed and enriched (50×) on the IE solid phase of this invention. Thereafter, the gDNa from the cells was isolated by following one of the methods according to this invention with a surprisingly good yield (50% of theoretical amount, based on cell count for whole blood).
[0055] Those skilled in the art will therefore realize that the methods according the invention are also very attractive for the enrichment and/or purification of any charged biological species, like for instance viruses, bacteria, organisms, etc from any biological source.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0056] As one example of the present invention, IE solid supports comprising —NR 3 + and —NR 2 H + chemical groups were generated. For example, to negatively charged magnetic silica particles (QIAGEN GmbH MagAttract Suspension B, 300 mg/ml) 1% aq poly(ethylene imine) Mw 35.000 or poly(dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride) Mw 100.000 polymer were added, respectively in water. The former polymer gives a surface chemistry of positive charge at low pH (≦6) (—NR 2 H + ), and a modest positive charge at high pH (>6) (—NR 2 /—NR 2 H + ). The latter polymer, however, shows a permanent positive charge at all pH's (—NR 3 + ). These solid supports may serve as “typical” IE materials of the present invention, and are fully capable to adsorb nucleic acids under appropriate conditions.
[0057] Concerning the binding of the nucleic acids to the IE material, no particular limitations exist. Binding to the solid support can occur at any convenient pH, at any convenient temperature and with any convenient buffer, known by those skilled in the art.
[0058] After binding of nucleic acid to the solid support, the same solid support is contacted with at least one shielding and optionally charge changing compound, preferably at least one organic acid that is also capable to bind to the solid support. This will change the surface chemistry of the solid support from a formally cationic, with anionic ions neutralized (prior to nucleic acid binding) to a shielded formally cationic (i.e. having the original anionic ions exchanged without additional anionic functionalities) or preferably to additionally a formally anionic, with cationic ions neutralized (prior to nucleic acid elution) ion exchange solid support.
[0059] It is highly preferred to add the shielding and optionally charge changing compound, for example an organic acid, at a proper concentration at this stage. The added solution containing the compound preferably has a concentration of <60% (w/v), preferably from 0.001 to 10% (w/v), more preferred from 0.01 to 2.5% (w/v) of the compound. For example 0.1% of polyacids typically have been found to be sufficient for an efficient adsorption and change of solid support overall surface charge. If an organic acid is added at a high concentration, and even more in combination with a high pH, a not desired elution of the nucleic acids at this stage might occur.
[0060] The present invention discloses two alternatives for adding the charge changing compound. In the first embodiment (“one step method”, see example 2), said compound, for example an organic acid, is added in the form of a liquid (solution) comprising a pH≦6, either in the form of its acid or its corresponding salt or as a combination thereof, or in the form of a mixture of different organic acids and salts thereof. After one or more optional steps of washing the solid support having the nucleic acids and the shielding and optionally charge changing compound(s) bound thereto, the nucleic acids can be eluted directly by a low salt, mild pH elution solution.
[0061] In a second embodiment (“two step method”, see example 1), the shielding and optionally charge changing compound, for example at least one organic acid is added in the form of a liquid (solution) comprising a pH>6, in the form of its acid or its corresponding salt, or as a combination thereof, or in the form of a mixture of different organic acids and salts thereof. In order to allow a low salt, mild pH elution, the solid support with the organic acid bound thereto, additionally should be contacted with a liquid having a pH<6.
[0062] Several options exist for introducing acidity to the system before elution. A convenient embodiment arises when the acidity is introduced simultaneously with the shielding and optionally charge changing compound, f.e. an organic acid, typically in an aqueous solution comprising a pH≦6, preferably higher than 2, most preferably from 2.5-4.5 (one step method). Those skilled in the art will realize numerous ways to obtain an overall pH less than 6, in particular when an organic acid is present, and the organic acid itself might reduce the pH to pH≦6.
[0063] Alternatively, acidity may be introduced after addition of the shielding and optionally charge changing compound such as an organic acid (two step method). In this case the compound is added to the IE solid support having nucleic acid bound thereto, in the form of a solution exhibiting a pH>6. Thereafter, the solid support with the nucleic acid and the shielding and optionally charge changing compound bound thereto, is contacted with a liquid (solution), preferably aqueous, of pH≦6, preferably higher than 2, most preferably from pH 2.5-4.5. One of several possibilities is that the solution for acidification is made of organic acids in which pH is adjusted to <5, preferably higher than 2, most preferably from pH 2.5-4.5, and in which these organic acids preferably are comprised in the form of a polymer, having a buffer capacity. Acidification can be effected directly after adding the charge changing compound, or can be carried out after intermediate washing step(s). However, in order to obtain good results the acidification should occur prior to elution.
[0064] Generally in accordance with this invention, and in contrast to for instance the WO 02/48164 case, elution can be carried out at the same or a lower pH than said pH of binding.
[0065] Preferably, the elution is carried out with a liquid/solution having a pH in the range of pH 2 to 12, more preferably pH 4 to 10, most preferably pH 5.5 to 8.5.
[0066] Moreover, it is particularly preferred to elute the nucleic acid from the solid phase with water or a low salt solution, preferably at a salt concentration <100 mM, more preferably <50 mM, most preferably from >0 to 20 mM.
[0067] With respect to the temperature for release, depending on the nature of the nucleic acids elution temperatures from 5 to 95° C. can be employed, although preferably the temperature is in the range of from 20 to 75° C., most preferred at a temperature in which the nucleic acids are not denaturated in any way.
[0068] When elution is carried out with a solution of a low pH (pH<7), it can be preferred to additionally apply heat to assist elution. Typically the solution may be heated up to 65° C. In general, the larger the molecular mass of the NA's to be eluted, the higher is the elution efficiency obtained when the pH of the elution buffer is raised, such as to slightly above neutral, for example to pH 8, and when heat is employed. For small nucleic acids like for instance siRNA (21 bp), no effect of heat was observed on the release. Release of total RNA was for instance 2× more efficient at 65° C. compared to at 20° C. in 10 mM Tris pH 8. And release of large gDNA's from human culture cells or blood was even more efficient at elevated temperature.
[0069] This invention does not only disclose a method for easy release of nucleic acids from an anion exchange solid material, it also discloses the possibilities to adapt the conditions like salt concentration and/or elution temperature to differentiate between different types of nucleic acids to be eluted.
[0070] In addition, this invention discloses a possibility to discriminate the binding of some nucleic acids. For instance, the binding and subsequent isolation of small siRNA (21 bp) from water was strongly reduced in the presence of 20 mM EDTA. For tRNA (70-90 bp), the tolerance for EDTA was much higher. Those skilled in the art will therefore realize numerous ways to discriminate between binding of different length and different types of nucleic acid or other biological components, and to elute them according to this invention.
[0071] Skilled persons will also realize this invention to further disclose the possibility for selective isolation of nucleic acid. For instance, adding nucleases will specifically degrade DNA or RNA. Or a high pH in the binding buffer will typically degrade RNA prior to binding.
[0072] A preferred embodiment of this invention comprises binding and elution at the same pH, or elution at a lower pH than said pH of binding, however, elution at a pH higher than said pH of binding as well should be regarded as falling under the invention as long as the addition of any charge changing compound is comprised.
[0073] The present invention is based on the effect that elution can be well carried out in low salt to no salt buffers/liquids, in contrast to the high salt (typically >1M) buffers currently used in many “IE methods” in the art. Elution performing efficiently from pure water is also possible. It is more convenient for down stream analysis or genetic engineering methods to use a low salt, pH buffered solution. Those skilled in the art will be aware of numerous low salt buffers usable for elution and any following methods. One typical solution usable in molecular biology is 10 mM Tris HCl, pH 8, and this has thus has been used in many of the examples of this application.
[0074] The fact that this invention discloses elution at low salt, however, does not, exclude the use of high salts. Elution of nucleic acids from the solid phase of course can also be done at high salt conditions, typically >100 mM.
[0075] The nucleic acid-containing samples to be treated according to this invention typically comprise any biological sample such as a cellular sample, cell containing sample or cell fragments containing sample. The biological sample may or may not need to be pretreated, depending on its structure.
[0076] The nucleic acid to be isolated may be ss or ds RNA, ss or ds DNA or a modified form thereof. When the nucleic acid is RNA, this preferably may be siRNA, mRNA, total RNA, microRNA, rRNA or tRNA.
[0077] This invention is applicable to a wide range of molecular mass nucleic acids. Examples of this application are ranging from ds 21 bp SiRNA to high molecular mass ds gDNA from blood without limiting the invention to these examples.
[0078] The chemistry of the IE solid support of this invention has already been addressed. The embodiments of the solid phase include sheets, plates, sieves, sinters, webs and fibres. All these can be part of a handling device, for example a column. However, particles are particularly useful as these may be packed in a column or used in suspension. Magnetic particles are particular beneficial because of the ease with which they merely can be separated from an associated liquid phase in a magnetic field. One type of generally known particles are so called “beads”.
[0079] The steps of separating the solid phase with the nucleic acid bound thereto from any liquid phase are generally preferred to remove contaminants or undesired residuals in any liquid phase. Any further washing steps with any suitable composition(s) known to those skilled in the art (for instance water, chaotropic solutions, buffers, etc) may be applied to wash the solid phase with the nucleic acid bound thereto. And any convenient separation steps known to those skilled in the art can be utilised in accordance with the present invention.
[0080] When for example a magnetic solid phase is used, this facilitates separation, which can be carried out in the presence of a magnetic field. When a membrane or non magnetic particles are used separation may carried out for example by centrifugation.
[0081] Depending on the form in which the isolated nucleic acid is desired, any further elution step can be provided. Conditions for elution have already been addressed above.
[0082] Without being bound to this theory it is assumed that a main feature of the present invention, i.e. the possibility of low salt release of nucleic acids bound to an IE solid support, is obtained by the following 2 key factors: (1) contacting the IE solid support having the nucleic acid bound thereto with a liquid (solution) of a dissolved shielding and optionally charge changing compound like for example an organic acid, and (2) contacting the IE solid support having the nucleic acid and the shielding/charge changing compound bound thereto with a liquid (solution) having a pH≦6 before eluting the nucleic acid from the IE solid support.
[0083] The assumed effect of (1) is to bind and shield the positive surface charge of the solid support so that elution can occur more easily ( FIG. 1 ). Without wishing to be bound to the theory it is speculated that the effect of (2) is to alter and/or support the overall shielding effect. By introducing acidity, the pH of the solution comprising the solid support having the nucleic acid and the shielding and optionally charge changing compound, preferably an organic acid bound thereto, resembles more the pKa of the compound or organic acid added, respectively. That is, a less pronounced dissociation for that compound/organic acid is anticipated. A looser interaction to the IE solid support, or to the nucleic acid bound thereto, is expected, maybe allowing the nucleic acid bound between the solid support and the organic acid to reorganize and release at appropriate elution conditions.
[0084] To support the shielding, or in situ surface change idea, following example 1 was repeated in the absence of nucleic acids. After the final elution, the magnetic beads were removed from solution and nucleic acids from water were added. The solid supports had not completely lost their ability to adsorb any nucleic acids.
[0085] To verify the advantage of acidification, following example 1 was repeated without any acidification prior to low salt elution. This control experiment didn't allow any recovery of nucleic acids from the eluted buffer.
[0086] To verify the advantage of charge changing compounds like organic acids, the following example 1 was repeated without any addition of a charge changing compound. In this control experiment, no change in solid support surface charge occurred, and final elution of nucleic acids was not possible at low salt condition.
FIGURES
[0087] FIG. 1 shows a scheme of the assumed preferred process of the present invention.
[0088] FIG. 2 shows a 0.8% agarose gel comprising in four lanes 10 μl each of the eluate of isolated nucleic acids of whole blood prepared according to example 1. In a fifth lane a 1 kB ladder is shown.
[0089] FIG. 3 shows a real time PCR plot of PCR samples prepared with the isolated nucleic acids of example 1.
[0090] FIG. 4 shows a 0.8% agarose gel comprising in three lanes 10 μl each of the eluate of isolated nucleic acids from sausage prepared according to example 2. In a fourth lane a 1 kB ladder is shown.
[0091] FIG. 5 shows a 0.8% agarose gel comprising in two lanes 10 μl each of the final eluate of isolated nucleic acids from cultured HeLa cells prepared according to example 3.
[0092] FIG. 6 shows a 1.5% agarose gel comprising isolated nucleic acids from cultured human cells: in lane 1 10 μl isolated RNA, in lane 2 10 μl of the final eluate of nucleic acids eluted at 65° C. and in lane 3 10 μl isolated nucleic acids eluted at 70° C. according to example 9.
[0093] FIG. 7 shows a 1.5% agarose gel comprising 10 μl each of the obtained eluate comprising nucleic acids isolated from (1) 100, (2) 200, and (3) 300 μl E-coli cell suspension according to example 11.
[0094] FIG. 8 shows a 0.8% agarose gel comprising in two lanes 10 μl each of the eluate of isolated nucleic acids from tissue prepared according to example 12. In a third lane a 1 kB ladder is shown.
EXAMPLES
Preparation of Solid Phase
[0095] (A) 1% Poly(ethylene imine), high molecular weight (MW 35.000), water-free, Aldrich, or (B) 1% poly(dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride), high molecular weight (MW 100.000), Aldrich in water, respectively, were added to 1 ml QIAGEN MagAttract Suspension B magnetic particles (300 mg/ml) each. After incubation for 24 h, the beads were collected on a magnet and the supernatant was removed. Water (10 ml) was added and the beads were incubated for 15 min. The beads were again collected on a magnet and supernatant was removed. This washing procedure was repeated twice. The beads were then stored in different storage media (250 mM LiCl, 100 mM Tris, pH 8, water, 100 mM NaHCO 3 , pure water) in accordance with the original concentration (300 mg/ml). Any storage media can be used.
[0096] As positive control experiments, the beads covered with (A) imine or (B) ammonium (10 μl, 3 mg) were fully capable of adsorbing 5 μg salmon gDNA (Sigma) dissolved in water (100 μl), as it could be expected from positively charged polymer surfaces.
Example 1
Isolation of gDNA from Whole Blood. A Two Step Procedure
[0097] 200 μl blood (EDTA, cell count of 5.8 mill/ml) were lysed in 600 μl 0.5 M Tris, 1% Triton-100, 2,5% NH 3 . Lysis was complete within 1 min. 60 μl (18 mg) magnetic solid phase (B) were added to the lysate. After incubation for 10 sec, the magnetic solid phase with the nucleic acid bound thereto, was collected by means of a magnet, and the lysate supernatant was removed. 500 μl of a liquid comprising 0.1% poly(acrylic acid)), Mw 15.000 (Fluka) were then added to the beads in the form of its Na-salt, pH 9.3. After incubation for 10 sec the solid phase was again collected by a magnet, and the supernatant was removed. The procedure was repeated (optional). After removal of the second supernatant an acidified liquid comprising a 1% poly(acrylic acid), Mw 37.000, (Fluka), added to water as the Na-salt, pH adjusted to 3.5 with 37% HCl was added to the magnetic solid phase. The magnetic solid phase was incubated for 10 sec, and the beads were again collected by a magnet, the acidic supernatant was removed and the magnetic solid phase was washed twice with 500 μl water. A final elution in 200 μl 10 mM Tris, pH 8, at 65° C. for 2 min, yielded 6 μg DNA (78% of theoretical amount).
[0098] The isolated DNA (4 parallel lines) was put on an Agarose gel ( FIG. 2 ) (10 μl, 200 ng per line. The gel, 0.8% agarose, shows 4 parallels. On the right is a 1 Kb ladder.), and was amplified according to QIAGEN b-actin QuantiTect RT PCR kit ( FIG. 3 ; 5 μl in a 25 μl PCR mix, positive control also shown).
[0099] This example serves to show a two step procedure. The organic acid is added at a high pH (pH>6) to change the overall surface chemistry of the solid phase, with the nucleic acid bound thereto, into a negative direction. Thereafter, a liquid providing acidity (pH<6) is added to the solid phase with nucleic acids and organic acid bound thereto.
Example 2
Isolation of Dissolved (Prepurified) DNA from Sausage. One Step Procedure
[0100] 200 μl/22 μg fragmented DNA, originally isolated from sausage (with QIAGEN MagAttract Tissue Kit), were dissolved in 200 μl water and 60 μl of ammonium coated beads (B), stored in 100 mM Tris pH 8 were added. After incubation for 10 sec, the beads were collected by a magnet, and the lysate supernatant was removed. The beads were then washed once with 500 μl water. After removal of the supernatant, a 1:1 mixture of 0.1% poly(acrylic acid) Mw 15.000 (Fluka) and 1% poly(acrylic acid) Mw 37.000 (Fluka) was added to the magnetic solid phase with the nucleic acid bound thereto. The pH of the mixture was 4.2. The beads were again collected by means of a magnet, the acidic supernatant comprising the excess of organic acids was removed, and the magnetic solid phase was washed twice with 500 μl water. A final elution in 200 μl 10 mM Tris pH 8 at 65° C., 2 min, yielded 13.6 μg (62% of dissolved material).
[0101] Alternatively, after removal of supernatant a 0.1% poly(acrylic) acid Mw 15.000 (Fluka) aq. solution was added at pH 3.5 to the magnetic solid phase with the nucleic acid bound thereto. This gave 13.2 μg DNA.
[0102] The isolated DNA (3 parallels) was put on a 0.8% Agarose gel ( FIG. 4 ) (10 μl, 260 ng). The gel shows 3 parallels. On right is a 1 Kb ladder.
[0103] This example serves to show a one step procedure. The organic acid solution—either as a mixture of organic acids or as a single organic acid—is introduced in the form of a liquid comprising a low pH (pH<6), to change the overall chemistry of the solid phase with the nucleic acid bound thereto.
Example 3
Isolation of DNA and RNA from HeLa Culture Cells. Effect of a Combined Procedure
[0104] 1 Million HeLa culture cells were lysed in 400 μl 100 mM Tris, 2.5 mM EDTA, 2.5% Triton-100. To the lysate 60 μl (18 mg) magnetic solid phase (B) were added. After incubation for 10 sec the beads were collected by means of a magnet and the lysate supernatant was removed. The beads were washed once with water and the water phase was removed. To the solid phase, with the nucleic acid bound thereto, first 400 μl 0.1% poly(acrylic acid) Mw 15.000, pH 8.2 in water, and then (after 10 sec) 400 μl 1% poly(acrylic acid) Mw 37.000 (Fluka), pH 3.2 in water were added. The solid phase was incubated for another 10 sec, and the magnetic beads were collected by means of a magnet. The supernatant was removed and the magnetic solid phase was washed twice with 500 μl water. A final elution in 200 μl 10 mM Tris pH 8 at 65° C., 2 min, gave 13.5 μg nucleic acids, as a mixture of DNA and RNA. FIG. 5 shows a 0.8% agarose gel comprising 10 μl of the final eluate in each lane. The gel shows 2 parallels. Mostly DNA is visible.
[0105] This example serves to show a mixed procedure of step 1 and step 2. The organic acid (at a pH>6) and an acidic liquid (at a pH<6) can be added subsequently to the solid phase, without any intermediate separation of the solid phase.
Example 4
Isolation of DNA and RNA from HeLa Culture Cells. Effect of Temperature on Final Release
[0106] 1 Million HeLa culture cells were lysed in 400 μl 100 mM Tris, 5 mM EDTA, 2.5% Triton-100. To the lysate 60 μl (18 mg) of the magnetic solid phase (B) was added. After incubation for 10 sec the beads were collected by means of a magnet, and the lysate supernatant was removed. The beads were washed once with water and the water phase was then removed. To the solid phase, with the nucleic acid bound thereto, first 400 μl 0.1% poly(acrylic acid) Mw 15.000 in water, pH 8.2 (incubation 10 sec) and then 400 μl 1% poly(acrylic acid) Mw 37.000 in water, pH 3,2 (Fluka) were added according to example 2. A final elution in 200 μl 10 mM Tris, pH 8, at RT yielded 14 μg nucleic acids, whereas elution at 65° C., 2 min, yielded 20 μg nucleic acids, as a mixture of DNA and RNA.
[0107] This example serves to show the effect of temperature during elution. Although slightly lower efficiency, elution can easily be carried out at RT (15-25° C.).
Example 5
Isolation of Dissolved ds DNA from Salmon. Effect of pH in Final Release
[0108] 18 μg DNA from Salmon (Sigma) was dissolved in 200 μl 10 mM Tris, pH 8, and isolated according to example 2. In case of elution (65° C., 2 min) was performed in 10 mM Tris, pH 8, the yield was 10 μg. Elution with water (pH ca 4, no neutralization after acidification) gave 6.8 μg DNA.
[0109] This example serves to show the effect of pH of the elution buffer. Although slightly lower efficiency, elution can easily be carried out with a liquid having a low pH, for example at a pH much lower than said pH of binding.
Example 6
Isolation of Dissolved DNA. Effect of Length of Organic Acids
[0110] 28 μg ds DNA (from Salmon, Sigma) was dissolved in 200 μl water and isolated according to example 2. The liquid comprising an organic acid contained:
(a) 10% poly(methacrylic) acid, Mw 4.000, pH 2.5 (b) 10% poly(acrylic acid), Mw 37.000, pH 2.5 (c) 10% poly(acrylic acid), Mw 2.100, pH 2.5
[0114] Elution was carried out in 10 mM Tris, pH 8, 65° C., 2 min, and gave (a), 17 μg, (b), 18.4 μg, (c), 18.8 μg.
[0115] This example serves to show that a wide range of organic acids can be used in this invention.
Example 7
Isolation of Dissolved tRNA. Effect of pH in the Liquid Comprising the Organic Acid During a One Step Procedure
[0116] 14 μg tRNA (bovine serum, Sigma) was dissolved in 200 μl water according to example 2. A liquid comprising 0.5% poly(acrylic acid) Mw 100.000 was prepared with different pH values, ranging from 2 to 8. The solid phase, with the nucleic acid bound thereto was exposed to this liquid and the tRNa was eluted according to example 2.
[0117] The relative yields of nucleic acids were as follows:
[0000] pH 2 (100%), pH 3 (100%), pH 4 (96%), pH 5 (86%), pH 6 (58%), pH 7 (18%), pH 8 (1.5%).
[0118] This example serves to show the effect of acidification as a key embodiment. Elution can easily occur when the solid phase, with the nucleic acid bound thereto, is exposed to an acidified liquid, comprising an organic acid at a pH<6.
Example 8
Isolation of Dissolved tRNA. Effect of pH in the Liquid Comprising Acidity During a Two Step Procedure
[0119] 14 μg tRNA (bovine serum, Sigma) was dissolved in 200 μl water according to example 1. After first being exposed to 0.1% poly(acrylic acid) at pH 9.3, the solid phase with the nucleic acid and the organic acid bound thereto, was exposed to an aqueous solution comprising 0.5% poly(acrylic acid) Mw 100.000 at different pH values, and the tRNA was eluted by 10 mM Tris, pH 8 at RT accordingly.
[0120] The relative yields of nucleic acids were as follows:
[0000] pH 2 (100%), pH 3 (93%)*, pH 4 (86%), pH 5 (72%), pH 6 (38%), pH 7 (13%), pH 8 (1.3%). *The experiment for pH 3 was repeated with an aqueous solution acidified with HCl only (no organic acid present). A yield of (82%) was obtained.
[0121] This example serves to show the effect of acidification for a two step procedure. Elution can easily be obtained when the solid phase with the nucleic acid and the organic acid bound thereto, is exposed to an acidified liquid, having a pH<6.
Example 9
Isolation of Nucleic Acids from Human Cultured Cells. Effect of Elution Temperature on the Discrimination Between DNA and RNA
[0122] 250.000 HeLa cells were lysed in 400 μl 100 mM Tris, 10% Triton-100, 25 mM EDTA according to example 1. Nucleic acids were finally eluted by 200 μl 10 mM Tris pH 8 at RT, 65° C., or 70° C. On an Agarose gel shown as FIG. 6 it can be seen that heat elution (line 2, 65° C., 2 min, and in particular line 3, 70° C., 2 min) results in relatively more RNA over DNA in the final elute (line 1 shows RT elution).
[0123] This example shows how temperature can effect the release of and discriminate between different types of nucleic acids.
Example 10
Isolation of Nucleic Acids from Human Blood. Enrichment of White Blood Cells Prior to Nucleic Acid Purification
[0124] 200 μl human blood (cell count 3.8) was dissolved in 10 ml QIAGEN Buffer EL (red cell lysis only). To the 10.2 ml suspension comprising the non lysed white blood cells 200 μl of solid phase (B) were added. After incubation for 5 min, the beads were collected on a magnet, and the supernatant was discharged. The solid phase, with the white cells bound thereto, was lysed in 600 μl 0.5M Tris, 2.5% NH 3 , 1% Triton-100, pH 10. Following the procedure of example 1, except no addition of extra beads, yielded 2.5 μg DNA (51% based on theoretical amount, OD 260/280 1.74).
[0125] This example shows how the IE solid phase of this invention can be used to adsorb and enrich components of biological samples and optionally lyse these and bind nucleic acid thereof.
Example 11
Isolation of Nucleic Acids from E. coli
[0126] 100 to 300 μl of E-coli in growth media, density OD 0.7, were added to 600 μl 0.5 M Tris, 2.5% NH 3 , 1% Triton-100, pH 10, and lysed as described in example 1. The nucleic acid was isolated accordingly. The yield was 3.5 μg out of 100 μl E. coli, 6 μg out of 200 μl E. coli and 8 μg out of 300 μl E. coli , OD 260/280 ranging from 2.19 to 2.29
[0127] In FIG. 7 the gel shows 10 μl each of the obtained eluate comprising nucleic acids isolated from (1) 100, (2) 200, and (3) 300 μl E-coli on a 1.5% agarose gel.
[0128] This example shows the isolation of mainly bRNA from a bacteria sample. However, (some) bDNA+plasmids are also isolated from the E-coli, as seen on top of the gel, in particular on lane 3.
Example 12
Isolation of Nucleic Acids from Tissue
[0129] 20 mg spleen was dissolved in 600 μl 0.5 M Tris, 2.5% NH 3 , 1% Triton-100, pH 10. After 10 min at RT, the tissue was physically removed from the lysate, and solid phase as described in example 1 was added to the lysate. The nucleic acid was isolated according to example 1. The yield was 8 μg, OD 260/280 1.91. FIG. 8 shows 10 μl each of 2 parallels of the eluate on an agarose gel.
[0130] The gel shows 2 parallels on a 0.8% agarose gel. On right is a 1 Kb ladder. Clear and distinct bands of DNA are visible at the top of the gel. The RNA bands are more degraded (due to degraded RNA from sample, not due to the nucleic acid purification method)
[0131] This example shows the isolation of DNA and RNA from a tissue sample.
Example 13
Isolation of Dissolved siRNA
[0132] 5 μg siRNA (21 bp) was dissolved in 300 μl water, and was reisolated as described in example 2, utilizing a one step procedure with 0.5% poly(acrylic acid), pH 3.5. The recovery after elution in 10 mM Tris, pH 8 at RT, was 3.8 μg (76%), OD 260/280 2.1.
[0133] This example shows the isolation of very small ds RNA's.
Example 14
Isolation of Dissolved ds DNA from Salmon
[0134] 18 μg ds DNA from Sigma was dissolved in 300 μl water and was reisolated as described in examples 2 and 5, utilizing a one step procedure with 0.5% poly(4-styrene sulphonic acid), Mw 3.000 (Fluka), pH 3.2. The recovery after elution in 10 mM Tris, pH 8 at 65° C. was 12 μg (66%), OD 260/280 1.93.
[0135] This example shows the use of a sulphonic acid as the charge changing compound.
Example 15
Isolation of Dissolved ds DNA from Salmon using Solid Phase (A)
[0136] 28 μg ds DNA from Salmon (Sigma) was dissolved in 300 μl water and was reisolated as described in examples 2 or 5, utilizing a one step procedure with the following modifications: 60 μl of magnetic solid phase (A) were added to the dissolved salmon DNA. After binding for 10 sec, the beads were collected by means of a magnet and supernatant discharged. The beads were then washed with 1 M GuHCl (Fluka), followed by 600 μl 10% poly(acrylic acid) Mw 2.100, pH 2.5. After incubation, the solid phase with the nucleic acid and the organic acid bound thereto, was washed with 600 μl 1M GuHCl, and then 2× with 600 μl water. The recovery after elution in 10 mM Tris, pH 8 at 65° C., was 15 μg (53%), OD 260/280 1.93.
[0137] This example shows the use of an poly(ethylene imine) solid surface in combination with the use of high salt (chaotrope) washing solutions.
Example 16
Isolation of Dissolved ss DNA from Calf Thymus
[0138] 16 μg ds DNA, 50 Kb, (from Sigma), was dissolved in 300 μl water and was reisolated either via a two step procedure (as of example 1) or from a one step procedure (as of example 2). The recovery after elution in 10 mM Tris, pH 8,65° C. for 2 min, was 10.0 μg (63%), OD 260/280 1.97, and 10.8 μg (68%), OD 260/280 1.97, respectively.
[0139] This example shows equal efficiency of the one step or two step procedure.
Example 17
Control Experiments
[0140] 1 ml EDTA blood (by “EDTA blood” is meant blood added with EDTA directly after drawn from a human, to avoid coagulation. This is a standard clinical procedure) was lysed with 3 ml 0.5M Tris-HCl, 2.5% NH 3 , 1% Triton-100, pH 10.0. The 4 ml lysate was then split in 5 equal parts.
[0141] In part 1 the nucleic acids were isolated according to example 1, and gave 4.2 μg, OD 260/280 1.80.
[0142] In part 2 the nucleic acids were bound to the solid support of example 1, followed by 5 washes with water. Elution according to example 1 gave 0.12 μg, OD 260/280 0.88.
[0143] In part 3 the nucleic acids were bound to the solid support of example 1, followed by 5 washes with water. Elution according to example 1 but with 100 mM Tris, pH 12, gave 0.2 μg, OD 260/280 0.84.
[0144] In part 4 the nucleic acids were bound to the solid support of example 1 and were treated accordingly, except of acidification. The solid phase with the nucleic acid and the organic acid bound thereto, was washed 3× with 500 μl water. Elution according to example 1 gave 0.68 μg, OD 260/280 1.27.
[0145] These comparative examples show the effect of using the key embodiments of this invention, and what happens if any part of them is left out.
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The present invention relates to a method for isolating nucleic acids from a nucleic acid containing sample, and a kit for carrying out said method. More specifically, it relates to a novel method for extracting nucleic acids from a nucleic acid containing sample, using an anion exchange solid support, and allowing this solid phase with the nucleic acid bound thereto to react with a compound which is also capable of binding to said anion exchange solid support and which optionally provides additional charges at the surface of the anion exchange solid material, thereby preferably changing the surface charge density of the solid support and then releasing the nucleic acid from the solid support, eliminating the need for high salt and/or high pH elution buffers.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to mechanized sweepers. Particularly, sweepers used for sweeping paved areas, roads, paved motor vehicle parking lots, parking areas, parking structures and debris covered surfaces. More particularly, the invention relates to the brushes on the mechanized sweepers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Various types of sweepers are used in sweeping paved surfaces. For example, truck mounted sweepers sweep highway and roadway surfaces. In general, pavement sweepers include a standard truck or specially designed chassis upon which the sweeper unit is mounted. Three basic categories of sweeper units are: re-circulating air sweeper, mechanical sweeper, and vacuum air sweepers. Generally, re-circulating air sweeper units include a motor driven fan, sweeping hood, a curved brush, and a debris separation hopper. The curb brush brings the debris into the path of the sweeping hood. The fan re-circulates airflow from the hopper through the sweeping hood and back into the hopper where dust, particles, and other debris are removed from the airflow by known separation techniques.
[0003] Generally, mechanical sweeper units include a motor driven main pick-up brush, a curb brush, a conveyor/elevator and a containment hopper. The curb brush sweeps the debris into the path of a main pick-up brush which deposits the dust and debris onto the conveyor/elevator. The conveyor/elevator dumps the debris into the hopper.
[0004] Vacuum air sweeper units include a motor driven fan, suction head, transfer brush, curb brush, and a debris separation hopper. The curb brush and transfer brush push debris into the path of the suction head. The fan creates airflow from the hopper to create vacuum suction at the suction head so that dust, dirt and debris are pulled into the separation hopper.
[0005] Each general type of vehicle sweeper includes curb brushes located on one or both sides of the sweeping unit. These brushes sweep debris outside of the axel width of the sweeper into the path of the particular method which removes the debris from the surface. This allows an operator to drive close to a curb to remove debris near the curb without hitting the curb. Because the curb brushes also extend outside of the axel width of the vehicle, fewer passes may be completed to clear same sized areas. Moreover, by extending brushes outside of the vehicle additional hard to reach places, such as around light posts, may be more accessible. In most cases, these brushes rotate against the vehicle travel direction and are propelled by a motor drive. The brushes include some form of replaceable bristle or broom material such as a variety of plastic types, different grades of steel, or any combination of the two. The brushes are designed to wear as they are used and are one of the most common replaceable wear items on sweeper units.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An aspect of the invention provides a brush for a mechanized sweeper of a paved surface. The brush includes a first portion of a tire. The first portion of the tire has a sidewall and tread generally perpendicular to the sidewall. An edge between the sidewall and the tread. The edge forms a circle around the outermost portion of the sidewall. The tread further has a plurality of first slits extending from the edge across the tread such that flaps are formed in the tread. When the portion of the tire is rotated, the portion of the tire is configured to brush the paved surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a re-circulating air sweeper;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a view of a curb brush assembly of the sweeper of FIG. 1 ;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a view of the tire brush of the curb brush assembly of FIG. 2 ;
[0010] FIG. 4 is an expanded view of the curb brush assembly of FIG. 2 ;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a view of another embodiment of the tire brush of FIG. 3 ;
[0012] FIG. 6 is a view of the tire brush of FIG. 5 mounted on the curb brush assembly; and
[0013] FIG. 7 is another embodiment of the curb brush assembly of FIG. 2 .
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] Turning now to the drawing figures, FIG. 1 is a diagram of a re-circulating air sweeper 10 . The sweeper 10 includes a cab 12 , a sweeper fan 14 , an auxiliary motor 16 that drives a fan 14 , a sweeping hood 18 , a curb brush 20 and a hopper 22 . The sweeper 10 is generally a specialized vehicle supported on four tires 26 and mounted on a standard utility truck chassis 11 . As the sweeper 10 moves down a road, debris and trash under the hood 18 passed through a conduit 28 to the hopper 22 for collection. The brushes 20 in front of the hood 18 rotate and push debris into the path of the hood 18 . The fan 14 blows air through one side of the hood 18 via a pressure hose or conduit (not shown), air is then returned to the hopper 22 through the conduit 28 . In this embodiment, the fan high pressure hose or conduit to the hood 18 is located on the passengers side and the return hose or conduit 28 is located on the driver's side of the vehicle 10 . Having the return 28 on the driver's side allows for a driver to better align the portion of the hood 18 under the return 28 with trash and debris that is moving under the driver and along the curbs. However, reversing the position of the fan 14 high pressure hose and the return conduit 28 such that the fan 14 high pressure hose is on the driver's side and the return 28 is on the passenger's side may also effectively remove debris and trash from the surface.
[0015] The fan 14 is powered by the motor 16 . An intake 30 of the fan 14 pulls air from the hopper 22 , pushes the air through the high pressure hose and into a hood entry and passes the air through the hood 18 back through the return 28 into the hopper 22 . Within the hopper 22 , a filter filters the air prior to passing the air through the intake. In this manner, the air that enters the fan 14 is filtered from small debris which may have been picked up through the air if the intake was vented to atmosphere. The motor 16 is configured to power the re-circulating air sweeper system, but is not responsible for propulsion of the sweeper 10 . However, fluid reservoirs meant to supply both the motor 16 and the engine of the sweeper 10 may be shared between these two components.
[0016] Turning now to FIG. 2 , FIG. 2 is a view of the curb brush assembly 20 of the sweeper of FIG. 1 . The curb brush assembly 20 includes a mounting bracket 32 , an arm 34 , a motor 36 and a tire brush 38 . The mounting bracket 32 is configured to attach the tire brush 38 to the sweeper 10 . The mounting bracket 32 is attached to the arm 34 . The arm 34 supports the motor 36 and the tire brush 38 .
[0017] The mounting bracket 32 is configured to attach the tire brush 38 to the sweeper. The tire brush 38 is further supported by the arm 34 , which positions the tire brush 38 away from the sweeper. The purpose of the tire brush 38 is to push debris into the path of the hood. By extending the tire brush 38 out on the arm 34 , the effective lateral range of the sweeper for picking up debris is increased. The arm 34 and the angle of the arm 34 relative to the sweeper controls the distance from the sweeper the tire brush 38 extends.
[0018] The angle of the arm 34 relative to the sweeper is controlled by the mounting bracket 32 . In addition to the lateral distance from the sweeper, the angle also controls the forward distance from the hood of the sweeper. The forward distance from the hood of the sweeper may be important based upon the size and weight of the debris swept under the hood. As the debris is caught by the tire brush 38 , the tire brush rotates the debris toward the sweeper hood.
[0019] As well as sweeping the debris toward the hood, the tire brush 38 also dislodges any debris that might otherwise be attached to the paved area. For example, dried drinks may provide a sticky surface upon which a cup may rest. The tire brush 38 may free the cup from the surface so that the cup may be picked up by the hood. In addition, the brush 38 may free debris from places such as grates and drains which would not be properly sucked up because the air in the hood would flow through the grate and drain instead of the hood and hopper. Thus, as well as pushing debris toward the hood, the tire brush 38 also frees debris for the hood to properly clear the debris from the paved surface.
[0020] The motor 36 rotates the tire brush 38 around the central axis of the motor 36 . The motor 36 provides the torque required for rotating the tire brush 38 . The speed of rotation is controlled so that the tire brush 38 does not propel debris outward past the reach of the hood. However, the speed needs to be high enough so that there is adequate relative motion between the forward motion of the sweeper and the rotation of the tire brush 38 .
[0021] Turning now to FIG. 3 , FIG. 3 is a view of the tire brush 38 of the curb brush assembly of FIG. 2 . The tire brush 38 is made of a used tire. The tire brush 38 is shaped by removing a sidewall of the used tire and cutting slits from the side of the tire where the sidewall was removed to an inside sidewall 46 . That is, the slits run from one open tire edge 40 to a closed tire edge 42 across the tread region 44 of the used tire. The inside sidewall 46 has a circular opening defined by the inside lip 48 of the tire. The used tire is configured to attach to a curb brush assembly through the circular opening. The inside lip 48 and the sidewall 46 provide structural support for the tread, which form brush thistles 50 between adjacent slits in the tread. The tire may be cut by a sharpened edge, a form of laser energy, chemical, high pressure fluid, or other means able to perforate and separate a portion of tire from another portion of the tire.
[0022] The brush thistles 50 are formed so that as the tire brush 38 rotates, the thistles are allowed to move individually. Thus, as the thistles spin, adjacent thistles may both brush similar areas but separately impact the debris. This increases the effectiveness of the brush 38 .
[0023] The use of old tires is advantageous for multiple reasons. Old tires are difficult to dispose, so finding an additional use for the tires is environmentally friendly. Moreover, using tires may also allow tires that are worn while serving as tires on the sweeper to be reused as tire brushes later. This may minimize costs associated with replacing a part that must be replaced regularly. More over, the tires are stiff enough to effectively sweep the surface, but are also flexible enough to contour to surfaces without stressing the brush thistles out of the preferred shape.
[0024] Turning now to FIG. 4 , FIG. 4 is an expanded view of the curb brush assembly 20 of FIG. 2 . The curb brush assembly 20 includes a top plate 52 and a lower plate 54 which together attach the tire brush 38 to the arm 34 . The top plate 52 and the bottom plate 54 are connected by connectors extended through holes 56 . The two plates 52 and 54 are pressed against each other. The holes 56 on the upper and lower plate 52 and 54 are aligned and connectors, such as bolts, cotter pins, etc. may be used to keep the tire brush 38 attached to the arm 34 .
[0025] Turning now to FIG. 5 , FIG. 5 is a view of another embodiment of the tire brush of FIG. 3 . A tire brush 60 is made from an old tire. The tire is cut such that a single tire may produce a pair of tire brushes 60 . The tire is cut from one edge 62 between the tread 66 and a removed sidewall to the other edge 64 between the tread 66 and an upper sidewall 67 . However, instead of simply forming slits in the tread 66 , a second cut along the edges 62 and 64 separates the opposing sidewalls from each other. Flaps 68 are formed on each sidewall alternating between the removed sidewall and the upper sidewall 67 . The pattern in FIG. 5 allows for two tire brushes 60 from each tire. Other patterns, such as ones where the slits are not perpendicular to the edges 62 and 64 , or patterns where the slits are not parallel to each other, may also be used to vary the wear on the tire brush 60 .
[0026] Turning now to FIG. 6 , FIG. 6 is a view of the tire brush 60 of FIG. 5 mounted on the curb brush assembly 20 . Each of the different patterns for tire brushes 60 may be mounted to the curb brush assembly similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 . The operation of the differing patterns on the tire brushes 60 are similar to the operation described above with reference to FIG. 2 .
[0027] Turning now to FIG. 7 , FIG. 7 is another embodiment of the curb brush assembly 20 of FIG. 2 . The assembly 20 includes an outer tire brush 60 which is the same as the tire brush of FIG. 5 . The curb brush assembly 20 further includes an inner tire brush 70 concentrically mounted inside the outer tire brush 60 . The inner tire brush 70 may be made from a smaller tire, or may be made from a tire the same size as the outer tire. If the tire is the same size, then the sidewall 67 of the inner tire brush 60 is cut radially in two places. The piece of the sidewall 67 and any flaps attached to that portion of the sidewall 67 may be discarded. The remaining portion of the sidewall 67 may be coiled together and attached such that the radius of the inner tire brush 70 is smaller.
[0028] As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, various modifications can be made within the scope of the aforesaid description. Such modifications being within the ability of one skilled in the art form a part of the present invention and are embraced by the claims below.
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A brush for a mechanized sweeper of a paved surface includes a first portion of a tire. The first portion of the tire has a sidewall and tread generally perpendicular to the sidewall. An edge between the sidewall and the tread. The edge forms a circle around the outermost portion of the sidewall. The tread further has a plurality of first slits extending from the edge across the tread such that flaps are formed in the tread. When the portion of the tire is rotated, the portion of the tire is configured to brush the paved surface.
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This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/623,511, filed Mar. 28, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,748, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/266,987, filed Jun. 28, 1994, now abandoned.
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to a coated tool.
Tools for the cutting and forming operations of metals as well as of plastics, are often coated to increase their service life and to improve the operational conditions. Known procedures such as CVD or PVD are used for coating the tools. The layers used are hard layers which usually are formed by nitrides, carbides or carbonitrides of titanium or hafnium or zirconium or their alloys. The variety of use of such coated tools, for example, are mentioned in the following publications: "Proceedings of the 13th Plansee-Seminar", Plansee, May 1993; and "Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings", San Diego, April 1993.
With the work of some materials, these layers do not always lead to a desired result, especially if the materials tend to form built-up cutting edges. This, on the one hand, refers to materials with strong galling tendency such as aluminium and titanium alloys, or materials which tend to undergo a strong strain hardening, such as austenitic stainless steels or brass. The damage depends on the tool type. With cutting tools, one observes built-up cutting edges which, on the one hand, lead to an increased adhesive wear when being torn, and which on the other hand, have a negative influence on the tool's quality.
For forming tools, the hard coatings also achieve a reduction in friction. Even with such coatings, however, a loss of this friction reduction is possible, if any cold welds or smears arise on the tool surface. With tools which would not be suited for such operations, if they were not coated, this, for instance, leads to failure, mostly by breaking or with others it leads to lower service life, to increased cleaning or maintenance requirements or to a reduced work piece quality. To reduce or avoid these problems the solution often referred to and known with uncoated tools, is to improve the lubrication used. Oils or emulsions for instance, are improved by the development of titanium nitrideophile cutting liquids. Apparative modifications on the machine or new tool designs are used to improve the lubricator supply. Especially with punching and deep drawing, a pretreatment of the work piece material is considered. These possibilities, however, have been heavily exhausted and other possibilities are more and more restricted due to efforts related to environmentally adapted manufacturing techniques. The possibilities to develop further improvements with hard materials are also restricted. Since the improved titanium carbonitride coating was introduced on the market, no further huge progressive steps were made in this field.
The commonly used lubricants in the field of machine engineering, such as molybdenum disulfide and diamond-like carbon, does not prove to be good with cutting tools. It showed repeatedly that coatings of this kind have no sufficient abrasion resistance and in addition have no sufficient resistance against shearing. The coated tool is too quickly worn, and no meaningful increase to service life occurs.
Another solution suggested to solve the problem was to use multilayers, e.g. see EP Patent 0 170 359 and French Patent 2 596 775. In French Patent 2 596 775 it is suggested to coat a tool with a titanium nitride layer superposed by a final layer consisting of I-carbons. For cutting tool coatings, the suggested solution is not usable, because layer deposition is only possible at lower temperatures, typically 200° C. In addition, the adhesion of layers for cutting tools deposited at such low temperatures is not sufficient. In EP 0 170 359 it is suggested to coat the tool with very thin multilayer systems. Once these layers are worn partially, however, this leads to a tool surface where different zones are covered with different layers. During practical applications, this causes various problems. This solution thus, can only be used on surfaces where a planar smoothing by wear takes place. With tools, this is normally not the case. The wear mainly occurs at an inclination, away from the cutting edge. The layers thus are not worn in a planar manner, but are ground to a wedge by the cutting operation. Under these conditions multilayers tend to exfoliate, i.e. the result either is an interlammelar breakdown or a cohesive breakdown within the layers, which should have functioned as lubricants. The reason for this is that the materials have not enough tensile strength. The result is a surface or a staircase effect, which is almost exclusively formed by hard materials. The suggested solutions thus do not effect the desired success.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,153 (EP 0 394 661), the use of carbonic friction reducing layers is described. Layer systems with especially good characteristics for special tool applications are not disclosed in this reference, however.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the task of the present invention to avoid or prevent the disadvantages in the prior art. The main intention is to suggest a layer system for cutting tools which would normally tend to form built-up edges, but which lead to an increased service life, with a high operational quality and with a high economy of the coating procedure.
An object of the present invention is to solve the prior art problems by providing a tool which, at least at surfaces to be exposed to wear, is coated by vacuum procedure where the coating consists of at least one hard layer, lying directly on the tool, and at least one superimposed exterior friction reducing layer, where the grain sizes of the individual layers have a linear average width of less than 1 μm.
In accordance with the present invention, a tool is coated with a hard layer and then with a friction reducing layer. The coating is made by known vacuum deposition procedures like PVD procedures such as evaporation, ion plating and sputtering. The desired layer composition is adjusted as is known, by supplying reactive gases into the process. Mixed forms of the described process are of course also possible. Especially relevant are hard coatings consisting of a metal carbide, a metal nitride or a carbon nitride or its combinations. Suited metals for example are titanium, hafnium or zirconium or alloys consisting mainly of these elements together with other metals as well as their combinations. The process conditions are selected in a way that the hard coating preferably is under a compressive internal stress higher than 0.2 Gigapascal. The layer deposited by a PVD procedure has grain sizes with an average linear width smaller than 1μm. The exact adjustment of the layer parameter depends on the individual case. Good results, for instance, are reached with a hard layer thickness of about 4 μm for spiral drills, 3 μm for shank-type cutters and 6 μm for punches. In certain cases it is, however, possible due to economic or procedural reasons to choose lower layer thicknesses; they should, however, not go below 1.1μm. The hard layer thickness may be about 1.1 to 8 μm. The choice of the compounds and the alloy for the hard coating can be based on the known considerations, e.g. the alloying of aluminium, silicom or zirconium, to enhance the temperature resistance or e.g. the use of carbon nitrides to increase the hardness.
For the friction reducing layer an importantly lower layer thickness is needed. Usually approximately a third of the hard coating thickness is suitable. The practical range then is between about 0.12 to 1.6 μm. Especially suited material for the friction reducing layer are layers based on carbon. Compounds of carbides with carbon such as wolfram carbide with carbon (WC/C) with a total carbon share higher than 61 at % are especially suited. But also other carbides, e.g. the ones from chromium, silicom and titanium are suited, as well as combinations thereof are possible.
The procedures to produce such layers are separately known, e.g. from U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,153 of which the content is herein declared to be an integral part of this description.
This kind of friction reducing material produced together with the corresponding PVD procedures, result in typical grain sizes with an average linear width of less than 0.1 μm. Since not only the hard layer but also the friction reducing layer are produced by a PVD procedure, they can both be deposited easily and economically, one after the other, in one and the same machine. It is also possible to foresee multilayers or changing layers according to the present invention, depending on the application for the tool.
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 obtained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The invention will now be explained by means of examples.
EXAMPLE 1
The comparison was made between high-speed steel S6-5-2 finishing cutters, each with a diameter of 16 mm and an ISO 1641/1 type N.0110 geometry. The treatment consisted of facing an aluminium alloy Avional 100 (AlCuMg1) fully aged. The following cutting conditions were chosen: Cutting speed 240 m/min; Feed 0.3 mm/tooth; Slit depth 16 mm. Three samples were tested:
______________________________________a) not coated RA = 4.1 μmb) coated with 3 μm TiN RA = 9.1 μmc) coated with 2.3 μm WC/C RA = 2.1 μmd) coated with 3 μm RA = 2.1 μm TiN + 1.0 μm WC/C (72 at % C)______________________________________ (RA stands for the average roughness value)
The c) sample which was coated with WC/C, lost its advantages compared to uncoated milling cutters by wear of the coating on the open space after 10 minutes, i.e. the coating was gone and led to an average roughness value of 4.1 μm. The b) sample which was only coated with titanium nitride even shows higher roughness values than the uncoated a) sample. The comparison related to the surface quality of the workpiece which was expressed by the average roughness.
In a fourth test d), the same milling cutter first was coated with 3 μm TiN, afterwards with a top layer of 1.0 μm WC/C. The top layer had a total carbon share of 72 at %. The milling cutter coated in this way also reached a surface quality of 2.1 μm like the once coated sample c) with the WC/C layer. The service life which could be reached with this improved surface quality, however, was now 100 minutes, which means a drastic increase over the c) sample cutter.
EXAMPLE 2
In another test, drilling in stainless steel was tested. The drills used were high-speed steel 42 helicoidal drills with a diameter of 6 mm. The treatment chosen was the drilling of 30 mm deep blind holes in stainless steel AISI 316. The cutting speed was 6 m/min., the feed was 0.05 mm per turn. The results:
______________________________________ layer service coating thickness life no.lot materials method μm! of holes!______________________________________A none 50B Ti(C, N) H-ion- 5 90 platingC TiN + WC/C H-ion- 3 80 (55 at % C) plating, 2 sputter CVDD (Ti, Al)N cathode 5 70 sputteringE (TiAlV6)N cathode 3.5 140 + CrC/C sputt. 1.5 (70 at % C) sputter CVDF TiN + H-ion- 5 100 WC/C (65 plating 0.1 at % C) sputter CVD______________________________________ (H-ion plating High current plasma beam ion plating)
The A lot was not coated and reached a service life of 50 holes. The B lot was coated by high current plasma beam ion plating either with TiC or TiN, with a layer thickness of 5 μm. The service life reached was 90 holes. The C lot was coated by high current plasma beam ion plating with a hard titanium nitride layer, on top of it was laid a WC/C with 55 at % carbide by means of sputter CVD. The hard layer was 3 μm thick, the WC/C layer was 2 μm thick. The service life reached was 80 holes. The D lot was coated with (Ti, Al)N by means of cathode sputtering. The service life reached was 70 holes. Only the layer systems E and F according to the invention, showed an important service life increase with a good cutting quality. With lot E a 3.5 μm thick hard layer of (TiAlV6)N was deposited by means of cathode sputtering, superposed was a 1.5 μm thick friction reducing layer of CrC/C with 70 at % carbon deposited by means of sputter CVD; reaching a service life of 140 holes. The second layer system F according to the invention consists of a 5μm thick hard layer of TiN deposited by high current plasma beam ion plating and a super-imposed 0.1 μm thick WC/C layer deposited by sputter CVD with 65 at % carbon share. This lead to a service life of 100 holes.
EXAMPLE 3
In a third test series the machining of brass was tested. The drills used were hard metal K40 cooling channel drills with a diameter of 3 mm. The holes drilled were continuous holes in brass CuZn37. The cutting conditions were: Cutting speed 140 m/min.; Feed 0.1 mm per turn. The following results were reached:
______________________________________ layer service coating thickness life no.lot materials method μm! of holes!______________________________________A TiN H-ion- 2 360 000 platingB TiN + WC/C H-ion- 2 520 000 (63 at % C) plating 0.1 sputter CVDC TiN + WC/C H-ion- 4 510 000 (72 at % C) plating, 1 sputter CVD______________________________________ (H-ion-plating = High current plasma beam ion plating)
The drill according to lot A, coated with a 2 μm thick TiN hard layer reached a service life of 360 000 holes. The lot B drills with the 2 μm thick TiN and 0.1 μm WC/C with 63 at % C coating according to the invention reached a service life of 520 000 holes. The lot C drills with the other 4 μm thick TiN and 1 m WC/C with 72 at % C coating according to the invention reached a service life of 510 000 holes.
The afore-mentioned examples show that the layer system according to the invention lead to an improvement increase of the service life of the tool.
While specific embodiments of the invention have 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.
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A tool with at least one area which is to be exposed to wear, is coated in a vacuum process with a first hard coating lying directly on the tool material and a superimposed exterior friction reducing layer over the hard coating. The grain size of the hard and friction reducing layers has a linear average width of less than 1 μm.
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This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 932,365, filed Nov. 19, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,983, for Photography Booth and Method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Individuals frequently wish to have a photograph taken of themselves which they have posed. In the past, an individual was forced to resort to a camera having a time delayed shutter or a booth equipped with a camera and a mirror. In both instances, however, the individual could not completely perceive the image prior to the film being exposed.
The prior art discloses a number of photography booths and the like having various systems to permit the user to somewhat observe an image to be photographed. Many such booths utilize a system of mirrors. The mirrors may be vertically adjustable to accommodate persons of varying height. These mirror systems do not generally result in acceptable photograph quality because the user cannot be sure that the image perceived is the image to which the film is exposed.
In view of the above, it can be seen that there is a need for an improved self-photography device. Such a device should permit the user to be assured of the image to which the film is exposed. Such a device should permit the user to be assured that the image is centered, is the image which is desired and is of the desired pose.
The disclosed invention is a novel apparatus and method permitting self-photography. The invention utilizes a conventional single lens reflex film camera which has an externally mounted right angle prism directing the viewed or perceived image to a video camera. The video camera is connected to a monitor positioned closely proximate the lens of the film camera so that the user can observe the actual image which the film camera lens is receiving.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the disclosed invention is a self-photography method and apparatus permitting the user to observe the actual image which is being received by the lens of the film camera and to which the film is exposed when the shutter is operated.
An additional object is to provide a self-photography booth which has the capability for multiple exposures for each frame of film.
A self-photography booth comprises a booth having a first end portion for a person to be photographed and a spaced and aligned opposite second end portion. Camera means are operably associated with the second end portion and include a selectively operable film advance system for advancing a length of film having a plurality of frames through the camera means in a sequential manner, and means for selectively exposing a frame of the film with an image of the person. A video camera means is operably associated with the second end portion and with the camera means for receiving the image of the person perceived by the camera means. A video display means is operably associated with the video camera means and with the second end portion for displaying the perceived image. Means are operably associated with the camera means for causing exposure of a frame of the film with the perceived image. Means are operably associated with the camera means for selectively causing or preventing operation of the film advance system after operation of the exposure means so that prevention of operation of the film advance system prevents the film from advancing to the next frame so that the exposed frame may receive multiple exposures, and operation of the film advance system causes the film to advance to the next frame.
A self-photography booth comprises a booth having a first end portion for posing of a person to be photographed and an opposite second end portion for positioning a camera system. The camera system comprises a single lens reflex camera having a motorized film advance system and remotely operable means for causing selective exposure of the film. A video camera means is coupled with the camera for receiving the image of the person perceived by the camera and a video display means is operably associated with the video camera means for displaying the received perceived image so that the person to be photographed may view the image being perceived by the camera. Means are operably associated with the camera system for permitting or preventing operation of the film advance system after the remotely operable means has caused exposure of the film so that prevention of operation of the film advance system prevents the film from advancing to the next frame and thereby permits multiple exposures to be made, and permitting operation of the film advance system causes the film to advance to the next frame. Display means are operable associated with the camera system for indicating to the person to be photographed the frame number of the frame to be exposed, and the number of exposures made to the frame now available for exposure.
A method of taking self portraits comprises the steps of providing a photography booth comprising a first end portion for a person to be photographed and a spaced and aligned opposite second end portion for positioning a camera system. The camera system comprises a camera having a motorized film advance system and remotely operable means for causing selective exposure of the film, a video camera is coupled with the camera for receiving the image of the person perceived by the camera and a video display means is operably associated with the video camera for displaying to the person the image being perceived by the camera, means are operably associated with the camera system for permitting or preventing operation of the film advance system so that after operation of the remotely operable means the film advances to the next frame when the permitting or preventing means are set to permit advancement and the film is prevented from advancing so that multiple exposures may be taken when the permitting or preventing means are set to prevent advancement, and display means are operably associated with the camera system for indicating to the person to be photographed the number of the frame to be exposed and the number of exposures already made to the frame to be exposed. A person to be photographed is posed in the booth, and the permitting or preventing means is set in order to cause the film to advance or to be prevented from advancing after the film has been exposed. The remotely operable means are operated and thereby the film is caused to be exposed.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent in view of the following description and drawings of the above described invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other objects and advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the booth of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an elevational view of an interior end wall of the booth of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an elevational view with portions broken away of the exterior of the endwall of FIG. 1;
FIGURE 4 is a schematic view illustrating the principle of the invention;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the platform and pivoting assembly of the invention;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view with portions broken away and partially in section further illustrating the pivoting mechanism of the invention;
FIG. 7 is an elevational view of an interior end wall of a second embodiment of the booth of the invention;
FIG. 8 is an elevational view with portions broken away of the booth of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of the camera system of the booth of FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the camera system of FIG. 9; and,
FIGS. 11 and 12 are rear elevational views of grids used with the booth of FIG. 7.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Booth B, as best shown in FIG. 1, includes a top 10, rear end wall 12 and first side wall 14. It can be noted in FIG. 1 that side wall 14 has an opening 16 therein which may be selectively blocked by movable curtain 18. Preferably, the curtain 18 is of a heavy weight material which is substantially opaque to light to prevent entrance thereof into the booth B, as will be further explained. Booth B furthermore includes a front end wall 20 and a second side wall 22, which has an opening 24 therein which is also selectively blocked by movable curtain 26.
FIG. 1 furthermore discloses front wall 28 disposed forwardly of front end wall 20 within the interior of booth B. Cushion 30 is illustrated in phantom in FIG. 1 and is spaced from but in alignment with front wall 28.
FIG. 2 illustrates front wall 28. Front wall 28 has a first opening 32 therein to which cover plate 34 is affixed. Second opening 36 is disposed below opening 32 and video monitor 38, which is substantially the same as a conventional television set, is positioned in opening 36. It can be noted in FIG. 2 that the openings 32 and 36 are closely disposed relative to each other, for reasons to be explained.
Panes 40 and 42 are mounted to front wall 28 adjacent each other and slightly above opening 32. The panes 40 and 42 are, preferably, manufactured of glass or suitable material which is substantially transparent to light. Likewise, cover pane 44 is also mounted to front wall 28 above panes 40 and 42 and substantially spans the distance between side walls 14 and 22. As with panes 40 and 42, cover pane 44 is manufactured from glass or other similar optically transparent material.
Horizontal support 46 extends between the side walls 14 and 22 and end wall 20 and front wall 28, as best shown in FIG. 3. Spaced parallel vertical supports 48 and 50 extend from horizontal support 46 on either side of opening 36 and terminate short of opening 32. Horizontal support 52 extends from vertical support 48 to side wall 14 and support 54 extends from vertical support 50 to side wall 22.
Strobes 56 and 58 are mounted to the supports 52 and 54, respectively, and are aligned with the panes 40 and 42, respectively. The strobes 56 and 58 are of a type conventionally used by photographers and provide a sudden intense burst of illumination. The strobes 56 and 58 are sized and selected to provide sufficient illumination for a user of the booth B, when seated on the seat 30, to have a properly illuminated photograph taken thereof.
Fixture 60 is secured to side wall 14 and a corresponding fixture 60 is secured to side wall 22. A color balanced bulb 62 extends between the aligned fixtures 60 and provides illumination corresponding substantially to daylight. The light of the bulb 62 shines through the cover pane 44, preferably at all times. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that more than one bulb 62 is normally used, there being a sufficient number of bulbs to provide adequate illumination for the interior of the booth B.
Rod 64 extends between the vertical supports 48 and 50 and defines a pivot axis for platform 66 which is disposed rearwardly of the front wall 28 and proximate end wall 20. As best shown in FIG. 5, brackets 68 and 78 are secured to rod 64 and horizontal members 72 and 74 extend therefrom, respectively. Platform member 66 is secured to the members 72 and 74, preferably by screws 76. A brace 78 extends between the members 72 and 74 at the ends thereof opposite the rod 64. Vertical supports B0 and 82 extend from the members 72 and 74, respectively, and are maintained in spaced apart parallel relation by member 84 extending therebetween. Horizontal members 86 and 88 extend therefrom, an opposite sides thereof, and are likewise maintained in spaced apart parallel relation by member 90.
Film camera 92 is secured to platform 66 and includes a lens 94 extending forwardly therefrom. The lens 94 is aligned with the opening 32. The camera 92 furthermore includes a conventional shutter assembly 96, as best shown in FIG. 6, which is connected with zoom lens 98.
Preferably, film camera 92 is of the single lens reflex type wherein the user looks through the lens 94 by means of an eyepiece. The conventional optical glass eyepiece is removed and is replaced with a housing 100 at the rear of camera 92. Right angle prism 102 is mounted in housing 100 so that the image perceived by the lens 94 is directed vertically upon exiting the camera 92, rather than horizontally parallel to the lens 94, as would normally be the case. In this way, the prism 102 couples the camera outlet with the video camera lens 106 and assures that the perceived image is diverted to the video camera 104. The optical glass of the view piece is removed because I have found that too much light loss occurs when this eyepiece is in place.
Video camera 104 is secured to the members 84 and 90 and has a lens assembly 106 with an image opening which is in alignment with the right angle prism 102. In this way, the image received by the lens 94 is transmitted by the prism 102 to the lens 106 of the video camera 104. Because the members 90 and 84 are secured to the members 80 and 82, the alignment of the lens 106 with the prism 102 is always maintained in proper orientation. Therefore, the platform 66 may pivot on the axis defined by the rod 64.
As best shown in FIG. 6, support 108 is secured to the rear surface 110 of front wall 28. Motor drive 112 is mounted to support 108 and has a rotatable shaft 114 to which reel 116 is secured.
Sheave 118 is rotatably mounted to member 74 by rod 120, as best shown in FIG. 5. Cord 122 has several wraps thereof wound about reel 116 and extends therefrom about sheave 118. The remote end 124 of the cord 122 is secured to the support 108. In this way, rotation of the shaft 114 causes the cord to be wrapped upon or from, depending upon the rotation of the shaft 114, the reel 116 so that the changes in length thereof causes the rod 64 to pivot about its axis, and thereby angularly displace the platform 66, and hence the vertical positioning of the lens 94. Naturally, various other means, such as a rack and pinion system may be used to cause pivoting of frame 66.
FIG. 4 illustrates the path which the image perceived by the lens 94 takes prior to being displayed on the video monitor 38. Because the camera 92 is of the type wherein the user sights through the lens 94, then the image received by the video camera 104 is the same as that to which the frame of the film in the camera 92 would be exposed upon the shutter assembly 96 being operated. The video monitor 38 therefore displays the actual image which is sighted in the lens 94. The user can therefore be assured that the image being displayed on the monitor 38 is the actual image which will be exposed to the film contained in the camera 92.
Control cable 126, as best shown in FIG. 2, extends from front wall 28 and is connected to control module 128. Module 128 includes pivot up button 130, pivot down button 132, zoom in button 134 and zoom out button 136. Control module 128 furthermore includes horn button 138 and shutter operator button 140.
The up and down buttons 130 and 132, respectively, are each in electrical connection with motor drive 112 and cause the shaft 114 to rotate in order to take up or let out the cord 122, and thereby cause pivoting of the platform 66. The zoom in and zoom out buttons 134 and 136, respectively, are connected through control cable 142 to the zoom lens 98. The shutter operator button 140 is connected by the control cable 142 to the shutter assembly 96, as best shown in FIG. 6. In this way, the operator can pivot the platform up and down in order to vertically adjust the image which is perceived by the lens 94. Likewise, operation of the buttons 136 and 138 causes the lens 98 to be appropriately adjusted.
As best shown in FIG. 2, LED's 144 extend annularly about the cover plate 34 with respect to the lens 94. Preferably, the LED's 144 pulsate in a rhythmic pattern in order to draw the attention of the person to be photographed to the lens 94. This assures that the person to be photographed is looking into the lens 94, a feature particularly important when the control module 128 is being operated by a person other than the one whose picture is being taken.
Horn 146 is connected to the horn button 138 and is activated thereby in order to draw the attention of the person seated on the seat 30 toward the front wall 28. Such a feature is particularly desirable with children who might otherwise not be looking forwardly, let alone toward the lens 94.
Preferably, the video monitor 38 is disposed closely proximate the lens 94. This is advantageous because it is important that the person who is being photographed not have the eyes looking downwardly, such as could occur if the video monitor 38 was spaced a large distance from the lens 94. Having the lens 94 closely disposed relative to the monitor 38 assures that an individual can be photographed properly and yet be able to look into the lens 94 and at the monitor 38.
OPERATION
Operation of the booth B for self-photography is relatively simple and straightforward. The person to be photographed need merely enter through the opening 16 and be seated on the cushion 30. The curtains 18 and 26 are then closed in order to substantially eliminate external illumination which could otherwise detract from the quality of the photograph. The bulbs 62 are color balanced to simulate daylight in order to provide a natural appearing photograph, particularly when the strobes 56 and 58 are activated.
The person to be photographed aligns or poses before the lens 94 and views the image perceived by the lens 94 in the monitor 38. Because of the close positioning of the monitor 38 to the lens 94, then the image displayed corresponds with the image perceived by the lens 94. As previously explained, the optical system provided by the right angle prism 102 is such that the image perceived by the lens 94 is transmitted to the video camera 104, and hence to the monitor 38.
The user can pivot the platform upwardly or downwardly, as well as zoom in or zoom out as may be required until a preferred pose is achieved. The user can continuously watch the monitor 38 until the proper pose is achieved. Once the proper pose is achieved, then the shutter operating button 140 is depressed. Operation of this button 140 causes the strobes 56 and 58 to illuminate the interior of the booth B at essentially the same time that the shutter assembly 96 causes the film in the camera 92 to be exposed. Because of the optical system provided by the camera 92, which is of the looking through the lens type, then the image exposed on the film corresponds with the image displayed on the monitor.
MULTIPLE EXPOSURE EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 7-10 disclose a second embodiment of the invention which is uniquely adapted for permitting the person being photographed to make multiple exposures on each frame, if desired. The booth B1 of FIG. 7 corresponds substantially to the booth B of FIG. 1, and like numerals have been used to indicate like components. Therefore, the additional disclosure herein shall be directed to those further features permitting multiple exposures to be selectively taken, or single exposures made.
Camera C, as best shown in FIG. 10, has a body 200 to which shutter assembly 96 and zoom lens 98 are mounted. Similarly, housing 100, containing the right angle prism 102, is mounted to body 200 for coupling the camera C with the video camera lens 106 of the video camera 104. Control cable 142, as best shown in FIG. 9, likewise leads to body 200 in order to cause operation of the zoom lens 98.
The camera C, as best shown in FIGS. 8-10, has a frame advance adapter 202 which communicates with body 200 and has a spool (not shown) about which the film is wound as the photography session progresses. Motor 204 is mounted to adapter 200 and control cable 206 leads to motor 204. Operation of the motor 204 causes the spool of adapter 202 to rotate, and thereby the film to advance. The camera C is, preferably, a single lens reflex camera and motorized film advancement systems are well known for such cameras, and it is believed that no further disclosure thereof need be provided.
Selector assembly 208 is mounted to front wall 28 and communicates through appropriate wires and the like with control cable 206. Selector assembly 208 includes pushbutton switches 210 and 212 which cause or prevent operation of motor 204 after exposure of the film by shutter assembly 96 through use of shutter operator button 140. In this way, should multiple exposures be desired, then it is merely necessary for the person being photographed to depress the pushbutton 210 in order to prevent the motor 204 from operating. In that event, the film will not advance within the body 200 after the shutter assembly 96 has made an exposure and multiple exposures can therefore be taken. Should multiple exposures not be desired, or should a sufficient number of exposures have already been made to a particular frame, then pushbutton 212 merely need be depressed in order to permit the film to advance after the next exposure has been made.
Naturally, it is necessary for the user to be aware of the frame number of the frame which is ready to be exposed, as well as the number of exposures already made to that frame. For this reason, I provide displays 214 and 216 mounted to front wall 28 adjacent video display 38. The displays 214 and 216 are, preferably, illuminated displays, such as provided by LED's, or analog counters or the like. The displays assure that the user is knowledgeable of the condition of the film within the body 200. The display 214, preferably, displays the frame number of the frame ready to be exposed, while the display 216 indicates the number of exposures already made to that frame. FIG. 7, as illustrated, indicates that frame 12 is the frame which is ready to be exposed, and that three exposures have already been made to that frame.
FIGS. 11 and 12 disclose templates or grids 218 and 220, respectively, which are utilized for defining exposure areas on video monitor 38. Each of the grids 218 and 220 is comprised of a transparent, preferably, flexible sheet of material, such as acetate or the like. One half of a Velcro® attachment is provided on each of the grids 218 and 220, such as at 222, 224 226, and 228, respectively. The corresponding half 229 of the Velcro attachments 222, 224, 226, 228 are mounted on the video display 38, as best shown in FIG. 7, in order to permit the grids 218 and 220 to be removable secured in overlying relation to the display 38.
The grid 218 has non-transparent lines 230, 232 and 234 dividing the grid 218 into three exposure areas. The grid 220, on the other hand, has lines 236 and 238 defining four exposure areas. The lines 230, 232, 234, 236 and 238 are non-transparent in order to be visible to the user, and may be provided by suitable inks and the like. It should be clear that the exposure areas of grids 218 and 220 can be of any conceivable number and of any shape. Likewise, although I have disclosed the grids 218 and 220 as being removable secured to the display 38, it should be clear that similar grids could be incorporated into the video display system through appropriate computer software.
MULTIPLE EXPOSURE OPERATION
Use of the booth B1 to obtain multiple exposure photographs can proceed fairly swiftly in view of selector assembly 208. The person to be photographed first enters the booth B1 and draws the curtain 18 closed, in order to control the illumination within the booth B1. Should single exposures only be desired, then the button 212 is depressed, thereby causing the motor 204 to be operated each time the shutter button 140 is depressed and caused a frame to be exposed. The person to be photographed poses on cushion 30, and pivots the frame 66 upwardly and downwardly, through the use of control module 128. When the desired pose has been struck, then the button 140 is depressed, causing the frame to be exposed and subsequently advanced. The display 214 also increments by one, in order to indicate the appropriate frame number.
Should multiple exposures be desired, either for all frames or for some of the frames of a particular roll, then the push button 210 is pressed at the appropriate time. This has the effect of preventing operation of the motor 204 after the shutter button 140 has been pressed.
I prefer that the grids 218 or 220 be used when multiple exposures are to be taken, in order to assure proper positioning of one exposure relative to another. In this regard, the appropriate grid 218 or 220 is secured to the display 38. The person then pivots the frame 66, or appropriately positions them self on the cushion 30, so that the image viewed by the lens 98 and displayed by the monitor 38 is positioned within one of the exposure areas defined by the lines of the selected grid. Once the pose has been properly positioned within the appropriate exposure area, and the pose has been struck, then the shutter button 140 can again be depressed, thereby incrementing the display 216 by one, but otherwise preventing operation of the motor 204. The person then once again poses so that the image perceived by the camera and displayed on the monitor 38 is positioned within a desired one of the exposure areas. Once again, the exposure may then be made. While it is not necessary to use the grids 218 and 220 in order to obtain multiple exposures, I have found them desirable as a means for preventing blurred, compounded or otherwise unrecognizable photographs.
When the last multiple exposure is about to be made, then the user need merely depress the push button 212 in order to permit the motor 204 to be energized upon the next exposure being made. Once the exposure has been made, then the display 214 increments by one additional frame number, while the display 216 clears and indicates that no exposures have been made on the particular frame. In this way, the user is always aware of how many frames have been exposed, and how many exposures have been made to the frame now available for exposure.
While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modifications, uses and/or adaptations of the invention following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary actice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the central features hereinbefore set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention of the limits of the appended claims.
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A self-photography booth comprises a booth having a first end portion for a person to be photographed and a spaced and aligned opposite second end portion. A camera is operably associated with the second end portion and includes a selectively operable film advance system for advancing a length of film having a plurality of frames through the camera in a sequential manner and a shutter button for selectively exposing a frame of the film with an image of the person. A video camera is operatively associated with the second end portion and with the camera for receiving the image of the person perceived by the camera. A video display is operably associated with the video camera and with the second end portion for displaying the perceived image. A push button selector assembly is operably associated with the camera for selectively causing or preventing operation of the film advance system after operation of the shutter assembly so that prevention of operation of the film advance system prevents the film from advancing to the next frame so that the exposed frame may be receive multiple exposures and operation of the film advance system causes the film to advance to the next frame.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of beach and shoreline renourishment. More specifically, the invention comprises a method for accumulating sand on a beach by forming artificial barrier islands.
2. Description of the Related Art
Beach and shoreline erosion is a recognized problem in many areas. Erosion and accretion are natural processes whereby shorelines advance and retreat over time. Where structures are erected on the shoreline, however, the natural erosion jeopardizes property having substantial economic worth.
Various methods have been used to impede or prevent beach erosion. It has long been known that suspending a mesh or net in the water near the beach tends to cause an accumulation of sand in the region of the net. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,564,853 to Csiszar (1969). Another approach based on the same concept is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,179 to Trautman (1978). Both these inventions require the deployment of supporting pilings or anchors a considerable distance offshore.
In recent years, efforts have focused on the use of fence structures arrayed in a direction perpendicular to the beach One such fence structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,056 to Parker (1987). The Parker device uses a line of flexible mesh suspended from evenly spaced supports. The supports are actually three-legged structures, with each leg being driven or buried in the sand at an angle for added stability.
All these prior art devices extend from the existing beach into the surf. They operate by depositing sand in the immediate vicinity of the beach. The structures are ideally then moved to seaward. Those skilled in the art will know that barrier devices are effective in trapping and depositing sand throughout the region of wave action, including regions far from the beach. The present invention seeks to take advantage of this fact.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a new method for more rapidly renourishing a beach. A mobile accretion unit is set on the bottom a considerable distance out from the beach, yet still within the region where sand is deposited by wave action. This accretion unit collects sand over time. It is gradually raised to keep it from burying itself. The unit eventually creates a small sand “island,” which is typically located one hundred feet or more from the beach.
A chain of such small sand islands are preferably created along the shore. Radiating sets of linear fences are then placed on each island. These fences radiate out into the surrounding water. The linear fences trap additional sand and serve to increase the size of the islands. Linear fences extending from the islands to the beach may be used, as well as linear fences extending between adjacent islands. Eventually the islands grow together and merge with the prior beach, thereby creating a new beach along the position of the islands.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view, showing an accretion unit.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view, showing the placement of the accretion unit on the sea floor.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view, showing the accretion of sand around the accretion unit.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view, showing the raising of the accretion unit.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view, showing the operation of the accretion unit.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view, showing the use of a barge to place an accretion unit.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view, showing the creation of accreted islands.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view, showing the placement of linear fences radiating outward from an accreted island.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view, showing the extension of the linear fences.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view, showing how a chain of accreted islands can be linked together.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view, showing how a chain of islands can be joined with an existing beach.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view, showing how an accreted island can be used to extend the tip of an existing barrier island.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view, showing an alternate embodiment for the accretion unit.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view, showing an alternate embodiment for the accretion unit.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view, showing an alternate embodiment for the accretion unit.
REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS
10
accretion unit
12
mesh panel
14
frame
16
lifting beam
18
lifting cable
20
hoist cable
22
rigging
24
sea floor
26
accreted sand
28
ballast
30
beach
32
barge
34
crane
36
accreted island
38
surf region
40
post
42
mesh panel
44
fence assembly
46
barrier island
48
alternate accretion unit
50
alternate accretion unit
52
alternate accretion unit
54
internal mesh panel
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows accretion unit 10 . This is essentially a rectangular box of four mesh panels 12 mounted in a frame 14 . Each mesh panel 12 contains a mesh of wires fixed in place to form a sand-Such trapping grid. Such mesh used for sand-trapping purposes is well known in the art and is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,474(2002). The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,474(2002) is hereby incorporated by reference.
Plastic-coated wire mesh is one effective choice for mesh panel 12 . Taut netting can be used as well. In some applications it is desirable to leave the mesh in place (Only pulling out the supporting materials out). For these applications, biodegradable mesh materials are preferable. Examples include natural fiber netting such as hemp netting.
For purposes of visual clarity in all the drawing views, only a portion of the mesh is illustrated for each mesh panel 12 . In reality, the mesh covers the entire panel, or a substantial portion thereof.
Several ballasts 28 , which may be formed of sand-filled or cement filled drums, are preferably added to make accretion unit 10 more stable. Lifting cables 18 are attached to each corner of the frame and joined together via lifting beam 16 . Rigging 22 is provided so that a hoist cable 20 can be attached to lifting beam 16 . With these features, hoist cable 20 can be used to raise and lower accretion unit 10 .
Accretion unit 10 is designed to be placed on the sea floor a considerable distance from the beach. It should be placed within the zone where sand is suspended in the water via wave action. However, it will generally be completely submerged when initially placed. Thus, a typical placement would be between about 50 feet and about 250 feet from the beach at low tide.
FIG. 2 shows accretion unit 10 being lowered to sea floor 24 . Once in the position shown, hoist cable 12 is removed and the accretion unit is allowed to rest on the bottom. The weight of the unit generally provides enough stability to keep it in position. However, if heavy surf or currents are encountered, it may be necessary to periodically reposition the accretion unit.
Those skilled in the art will know that the mesh panels will tend to entrap and accumulate sand suspended in the water. This sand will tend to accumulate around the mesh panels, as shown in FIG. 3 . Accreted sand 26 will build up gradually. It is therefore necessary to lift accretion unit 10 in order to prevent its entrapment. In FIG. 4 , the hoisting cable is used to lift the accretion unit a short distance upward. Sand will tend to flow under the evacuated volume, so that when the hoisting cable is removed the accretion unit will settle back to the sea floor, but at a higher elevation.
As this process continues, a submerged mound of sand is created. The mound itself tends to accumulate more sand, creating an artificial sand bar stabilized by the accretion unit. FIG. 5 shows the expanded region of accreted sand deposited around the accretion unit.
Accretion unit 10 can be made in many different sizes. However, reasonably large sizes are practical for beach renourishment over a large area. As an example, the accretion unit might measure 40 feet long by 20 feet wide by 10 feet high. It is impractical to place and raise units of this size using hand labor. Barges must often be used.
FIG. 6 shows a barge 32 mounting a crane 34 . Crane 34 is used to raise and lower hoist cable 20 , thereby raising and lowering accretion unit 10 . In this view, the reader will appreciate how accreted island 36 can be formed a considerable distance from the beach. It can be formed well beyond the range of the breaking surf.
It can also be formed between two surf regions 38 . Many beaches have an inner surf region breaking on the beach itself and an outer surf region of waves breaking over a sand bar. FIG. 6 actually shows such a situation. In order to avoid overly disruptive wave action, it is often advisable to form the accreted island between the two surf regions. However, the reader should be aware that the accretion unit can be placed on the sand bar or seaward of the sand bar as well.
The previous descriptions have discussed the formation of a single accreted island. Those skilled in the art will know that the production of a single sand island is of limited value in renourishing an eroded beach. A more effective approach is to create a chain of such islands running parallel to the beach, thereby forming a set of “barrier islands.” In order to accomplish this goal, a plurality of accretion units are set along the beach a short distance apart.
Multiple accretion units can be adjusted periodically by a single barge moving up and down the chain. The result is a string of accreted islands 36 as shown in FIG. 7 . These islands lie out in the water a considerable distance from beach 30 . They may be formed at various distance with respect to surf regions 38 . The only limit is the fact that the accretion units must be placed within the region of the water containing a concentration of suspended sand particles. In most applications, this limitation means that the accreted islands will not be formed more than 300 feet from the existing beach.
Once an accreted island is in position, the next step in the inventive process is to expand its size using additional sand-trapping mesh panels. FIG. 8 shows a detail view of one accreted island 36 . A series of posts 40 are placed to support linear arrays (the term “linear” is intended to mean only a line of panels, not necessarily a straight line) of mesh panels 42 to form fence assemblies 44 (Again, the reader should realize that each mesh panel includes a mesh of wires fixed in place to form a sand-trapping grid). Only the outline of each panel is shown in the views, as the grid itself is too dense to properly display.
The fence assemblies are placed out into the water surrounding the accreted island. Wave action then deposits sand around the mesh panels in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. The results is the expansion of the accreted island as shown. The reader should bear in mind that the fence assemblies can be placed before the accreted island actually rises above the water's surface (even though the islands are shown as having emerged in the views). The fence assemblies can work well in depths of three feet or more.
Conventional linear sand fences can be used. Alternatively, the walking sand snare disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,491,474 (2002) can be employed to “walk” a series of mesh panels outward from the island as the size of the island increases. FIG. 9 actually shows the use of a walking sand snare, with a mesh panel being removed from the landward side to the seaward side as sand accumulates. A walking sand snare is extended in four directions in the view.
In FIG. 10 , the reader will observe how the fence assemblies can be extended outward from a series of accreted islands. These fence assemblies can be extended to the point where they actually overlap. A this point, the accreted islands begin to merge into a single unbroken mass.
Linear fence assemblies can also be used to join the accreted islands to the existing beach. FIG. 11 shows a fence assembly 44 placed between an accreted island 36 and beach 30 . Such connecting fence assemblies can be placed between the beach and some or all of the accreted islands.
The fence assemblies have been shown in straight lines. However, the reader should appreciate that they can be formed in curving lines or any other shape which is particularly suited to the application. The goal is to ultimately merge the accreted islands with one another and with the original beach. A new beach is thereby formed at the position of the accreted islands.
The island-creating technique is also helpful for renourishing eroded areas other than beaches. As an example, the technique is helpful in restoring sand to an eroded point, such as on a barrier island.
FIG. 12 shows barrier island 46 , which typically has surf regions 38 near a point such as the one shown. An accretion unit can be placed underwater in the vicinity of the point. The accretion unit is raised periodically, as explained previously, to accumulate an accreted island in the position shown. Fence assemblies can then be extended outward from the accreted island in an array. One or more of these fence assemblies may connect the accreted island to the barrier island. The accreted island may thereby be merged with the barrier island via the accretion of sand.
The reader will observe-that six-fence assemblies are used in FIG. 12 , whereas only four assemblies were used in the prior examples. The optimum number of fence assemblies, as well as their shape, mesh size, and other characteristics, will vary depending upon the conditions prevailing at the site. Thus, the reader should not think of the invention as being constrained to the specific embodiments illustrated.
Likewise, the reader should not think of the accretion unit as being constrained to the four-sided embodiment shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 13 shows a three-side embodiment, designated as alternate accretion unit 48 . It includes a triangular frame and three mesh panels 12 . The reader will also observe the use of a different type of sand-trapping mesh, in which the grid is composed ofthin strips instead of simple round wires (Again, only a portion of the grid is shown). Lifting attachments are provided as well.
FIG. 14 shows a round accretion unit designated as alternate accretion unit 50 . This embodiment includes curved mesh panels. A second type of round accretion unit is shown in FIG. 15 , designated as alternate accretion unit 52 . This embodiment features four internal mesh panels 54 extending from the center of the circular mesh panels to the perimeter. Although only a portion of the actual mesh is shown, the reader will understand that the mesh actually extends across all of or substantially all of the panels. The use of internal mesh panels may also be advantageous for the other shapes shown, such as the accretion unit shown in FIG. 1 (where the internal mesh panels could connect from the center of the rectangle to each of the four corners).
Although the preceding description contains significant detail, it should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but rather as providing illustrations of the preferred embodiment of the invention. Thus, the scope of the invention should be fixed by the following claims, rather than by the examples given.
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A new method for more rapidly renourishing a beach. A mobile accretion unit is set on the bottom a considerable distance out from the beach, yet still within the region where sand is deposited by wave action. This accretion unit collects sand over time. It is gradually raised to keep it from burying itself. The unit eventually creates a small sand “island,” which is typically located one hundred feet or more from the beach. A chain of such small sand islands are preferably created along the shore. Radiating sets of linear fences are then placed on each island. These fences radiate out into the surrounding water. The linear fences trap additional sand and serve to increase the size of the islands. Linear fences extending from the islands to the beach may be used, as well as linear fences extending between adjacent islands. Eventually the islands grow together and merge with the prior beach, thereby creating a new beach along the position of the islands.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/878,802 entitled AQUEOUS SUSPENSIONS OF PENTABROMOBENZYL ACRYLATE, filed Jun. 11, 2001, which claims foreign priority on Israeli Application No. 136725, filed on Jun. 12, 2000, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to novel compositions of matter that are aqueous suspensions of pentabromobenzyl acrylate (PBBMA) and to a process for making them.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Pentabromobenzyl acrylate (PBBMA) is an acrylic monomer, which is useful in many applications, especially but not exclusively, in the field of fire retardants for plastic compositions. It can be polymerized easily by known techniques such as bulk polymerization, solution polymerization etc., or by mechanical compounding or extrusion. In mechanical compounding or extrusion, it may be grafted onto existing polymer backbones, or added to unsaturated loci on polymers.
[0004] All these properties render PBBMA a particularly useful tool in the hands of experienced compounders. However, it has been impossible, so far, to carry out aqueous manipulations with PBBMA, in spite of their desirability, because, on the one hand, PBBMA is insoluble in water, and on the other hand, because of its high bromine content, it has a high specific gravity, about 2.7,—and therefore does not lend itself to the preparation and use of aqueous suspensions.
[0005] It is a purpose of this invention to provide stable dispersions or suspensions of PBBMA, which are new compositions of matter. Dispersions and suspensions are to be considered synonyms, as used herein.
[0006] It is another purpose of this invention to provide such dispersions or suspensions that are aqueous dispersions or suspensions.
[0007] It is a further purpose of this invention to provide a process for preparing such suspensions.
[0008] It is a further purpose of this invention to provide suspensions of PBBMA for particular applications in industry.
[0009] It is a still further purpose of this invention to provide suspensions of PBBMA together with additional compounds, such as synergists for increasing the fire-retarding efficiency of compositions obtained from PBBMA.
[0010] It is a still further purpose of this invention to provide processes comprising the polymerization and/or copolymerization of PBBMA for the production of particular products.
[0011] Other purposes and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The suspension of PBBMA, according to the invention, is characterized in that it comprises PBBMA in the form of finely ground particles, having a size smaller than 50 μm and preferably smaller than 10 μm and more preferably from 0.3 μm to 10 μm, and contains suspending agents chosen from among xanthene gums, anionic or nonionic purified, sodium modified montmorilonite, naphthalene sulfonic acid-formaldehyde condensate sodium salt, sodium or calcium or ammonium salts of sulfonated lignin, acrylic acids/acrylic acids ester copolymer neutralized—sodium polycarboxyl, and wetting agents chosen from among alkyl ether, alkylaryl ether, fatty acid diester and sorbitan monoester types, polyoxyethylene (POE) compounds. The POE compounds are preferably chosen from among:
POE allyl ethers N—5; 10; 20; POE lauryl ethers N—5; 10; 20; POE acetylphenyl ethers N—3; 5; 10; 20; POE nonylphenyl ethers N—3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 10; 12; 15; 20; POE dinonylphenyl ethers N—5; 10; 20; POE oleate—N—9, 18, 36; Sorbitan monooleate N—3; 5; 10; 20.
[0020] Alkyl naphthalene sulfonates or their sodium salts.
[0021] N is the number of ethylene oxide units.
[0022] Said suspension is typically, though not necessarily, an aqueous one.
[0023] The suspension according to the invention may also include nonionic or anionic surface active agents or wetting agents, which can be chosen by persons skilled in the art. For example, nonionic agents may be polyoxyethylene (POE) alkyl ether type, preferably NP-6 (Nonylphenol ethoxylate, 6 ethyleneoxide units). Anionic agents may be free acids or organic phosphate esters or the dioctyl ester of sodium sulfosuccinic acid. It may, also, include other additives which function both as dispersing agents and suspending agents commonly used by skilled persons like sodium or calcium or ammonium salts of sulfonated lignin, acrylic acids/acrylic acids ester copolymer neutralized—sodium polycarboxyl, preferably naphthalene sulfonic acid—formaldehyde condensate sodium salt. The suspension according to the invention may also include defoaming or antifoaming agents, which can be chosen by persons skilled in the art. For example, emulsion of mineral oils or emulsion of natural oils or preferably emulsion of silicon oils like AF-52™.
[0024] The invention further comprises a method of preparing a suspension of PBBMA, which comprises grinding the PBBMA together with wetting agent and preferably also dispersing agent to the desired particle size adding it to the suspending medium, consisting of water containing suspension stabilizing agents, with slow stirring, preferably at 40 to 400 rpm. Grinding is preferably carried out with simultaneous cooling. The order of the addition of the wetting agents, the dispersing agents and the suspending agents is important.
[0025] Preserving or stabilizing agents such as Formaldehyde, and preferably a mixture of methyl and propyl hydroxy benzoates, can also be added to the suspension.
[0026] Typical size distributions of PBBMA both before grinding and as they are when present in suspensions according to the invention, are listed hereinafter. “D” indicates the diameter of the particles in μm and S.A. indicates the surface area in square meters per gram. “v” designates volume and 0.25 means 25% by volume.
D(v, 0.1) D(v, 0.5) D(v, 0.9) Specific S.A. PBBMA before 2.40 19.34 58.20 0.3623 grinding PBBMA in 0.36 1.54 6.62 2.2554 Suspension
[0027] In an embodiment of the process of the invention, wherein suspensions of PBBMA and additional compounds—such as fire-retardant synergists, e.g. fire-retardant antimony oxide (AO), the process comprises preparing a suspension of the additional compound in a way similar to the preparation of the PBBMA suspension, and then mixing the two suspensions, preferably by adding the suspension of the additional compound to a slowly stirred suspension of PBBMA, and continuing stirring until a homogeneous, mixed suspension is obtained.
[0028] The suspensions, in particular the aqueous suspensions, of the invention are stable. When stored at room temperature, they are stable for at least two weeks and preferably at least one month. Their stability may be higher, e.g. three months or more. If they have to be stored at high temperature, they should pass the “Tropical Storage Test”, at 54° C., viz. be stable under such Test for at least one week.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0029] The following examples are intended to illustrate the invention, but are not binding or limitative.
EXAMPLE 1
Preparation of a Suspension of PBBMA
[0030] A glass bead wet mill equipped with cooling jacket and continuous feed by a peristaltic pump, was utilized for grinding. PBBMA (750 gr) was mixed with water (240 ml), NP-6 (Nonylphenol ethoxylate) (1 ml) and Darvan#1 (Naphtalenesulfonic acid formaldehyde condensate, sodium salt) (30 gr). The mixture was fed into the grinding beads mill over a period of 25 min. The resulting slurry was stirred gently, mechanical blade stirrer, 40-60 rpm, and 10 ml of 1.5% Rhodopol 23, Xanthan Gum (CAS N o 11138-66-2) in water with preserving agents, 1% Methyl Paraben,methyl-4-hydroxybenzoate, CAS N o 99-76-3 and 0.5% Propyl Paraben, propyl-4-hydroxybenzoate, CAS N o 94-13-3, were added.
EXAMPLE 2
Preparation of a PBBMA-AO Suspension
[0031] A suspension of Antimony Oxide was prepared as follows. To a 3-liter round bottom flask, fitted with a mechanical stirrer, were added water (240 ml), NP-6 (1 ml) (Nonylphenol ethoxylate), and Darvan #1 (Naphtalenesulfonic acid formaldehyde condensate, sodium salt) (30 g) . Finely ground antimony oxide, Ultrafine grade with typical average particle size of 0.2 μm-0.4 μm. (AO, 750 g) was slowly added under fast stirring, 400-600 rpm. The stirrer was slowed, 50-150 rpm and a 1.5% solution of Rhodopol 23 Xanthan Gum (CAS N o 11138-66-2) with preserving agents—1% Methyl Paraben,methyl-4-hydroxybenzoate, (CAS N o 99-76-3) and 0.5% Propyl Paraben, propyl-4-hydroxybenzoate, (CAS N o 94-13-3) were added (115 ml).
[0032] The mixed PBBMA-AO suspension was prepared as follows. To a slowly stirred, 40 rpm, suspension of PBBMA (750 ml) at 25° C.-30° C., obtained as described in Example 1, was added the AO suspension (250 ml) as described above. After five minutes, stirring was stopped, yielding a homogeneous mixture.
EXAMPLE 3
Preparation of a PBBMA-Styrene-Butylacrylate Terpolymer Latex
[0033] In a 0.5 L 4 necked round bottom flask fitted with mechanical stirrer, reflux condenser, thermometer, dropping funnel and Nitrogen inlet were charged 1.4 gr SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate) and 100 mL of water. The flask was immersed in an oil bath and heated to 70° C. with continuous stirring, 250 rpm, Nitrogen was introduced under the surface of the liquid. After 1 hr. the nitrogen inlet was raised above the surface of the liquid and 0.15 gr of K 2 S 2 O 8 were added. 5 min. later a solution of 15 gr Styrene and 15 gr Butylacrylate was added dropwise over 30 min. The emulsion pre-polymerization was continued for another 90 min. after which 6 gr of a PBBMA suspension (˜60% solids) were added dropwise over 70 min. The polymerization was continued overnight.
[0034] A stable latex (stable for more than two month) was obtained.
[0035] The terpolymer isolated from this emulsion was characterized. The bromine content was 7% and the glass transition temperature was 18.8° C.
EXAMPLE 4
Preparation of a PBBMA-Styrene-Acrylonitrile Terpolymer
[0036] In a 0.5 L 4 necked round bottom flask fitted with mechanical stirrer, reflux condenser, thermometer, dropping funnel and Nitrogen inlet were charged 1.4 gr SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate) and 100 mL of water. The flask was immersed in an oil bath and heated to 70° C. with continuous stirring, 250 rpm, Nitrogen was introduced under the surface of the liquid. After 1 hr. the nitrogen inlet was raised above the surface of the liquid and 0.15 gr of K 2 S 2 O 8 were added. 5 min. later a solution of 18.2 gr Styrene and 5.8 gr Acylonitrile was added dropwise over 30 min. The emulsion pre-polymerization was continued for another 20 min. after which 8.5 gr of a PBBMA suspension (˜60% solids) were added dropwise over 40 min. A second portion of 0.15 gr of K 2 S 2 O 8 was added 3 hr. after the addition of the suspension was finished. The polymerization was continued overnight.
[0037] A stable latex (stable for at least one month) was obtained.
[0038] The terpolymer isolated from this emulsion was characterized. The bromine content was 12.5%, the nitrogen content was 5% and the glass transition temperature was 107° C. The molecular weight depends on the polymerization conditions. In this particular case a Weight Average Molecular Weight, Mw, of 1.2*10 6 and Number Average Molecular Weight, Mn, of 422,000, was determined (in Dimethylformamide solution, calibrated with Polystyrene standards).
[0039] The suspensions of the invention are useful for a number of applications, and the way in which they are used and the resulting products, are also part of the invention.
[0040] Fire Retardants are commonly used in carpet-backings However, the fire retardants of the prior art are not bound to the carpet, and are susceptible to removal by dry cleaning. According to the invention, the aqueous suspension of PBBMA is applied to the reverse side of the carpets and is polymerized by heating at temperatures above 130° C. This results in a coating of PBBMA polymer which is bound to the carpet.
[0041] In the prior art, fire retardants are used in the textile industry. However, they generally produce light scattering, because they are used in powder form. According to the invention, the aqueous solution of PBBMA, optionally with complementary components, is applied to textile materials and penetrates into the fibers, and then polymerization is effected by heating at temperatures above 130° C., thus polymerizing PBBMA and binding the resulting polymers to the fibers. Addition of free radical initiating catalysts, the conventional polymerization catalysts such as organic peroxides, e.g., benzoylperoxide, or other free radical producing catalysts, e.g., azobisisobutyronitrile, will shorten polymerization time.
[0042] The PBBMA suspensions of the invention can be used to copolymerize PBBMA with other monomers or grafted to polymers, in order to produce adhesives which are also fire-retardants or other types of surface modifiers and binding promoters.
[0043] Likewise, the suspensions of the invention can be used to copolymerize PBBMA with other (meth)acrylate derivatives, such as butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate or other monomers, to produce transparent plastics of predetermined refraction indices.
[0044] Double layered particles can also be produced, according to the invention, by adding another monomer, e.g. another (meth)acrylic derivative, to the PBBMA suspensions under polymerization conditions, to produce very stable latexes. An example of such other monomers can be, for instance, aliphatic (meth)acrylates or hydroxyethyl acrylate.
[0045] The novel products obtained according to the invention, and the processes for their production, are also part of the invention.
[0046] While examples of the invention have been described for purposes of illustration, it will be apparent that many modifications, variations and adaptations can be carried out by persons skilled in the art, without exceeding the scope of the claims.
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Suspensions of PBBMA, characterized in that they comprise PBBMA in the form of finely ground particles and contain suspending agents chosen from among xanthene gums, anionic or nonionic purified, sodium modified montmorilonite, naphthalene sulfonic acid-formaldehyde condensate sodium salt, sodium or calcium or ammonium salts of sulfonated lignin, acrylic acids/acrylic acids ester copolymer neutralized—sodium polycarboxyl, and wetting agents chosen from among alkyl ether, alkylaryl ether, fatty acid diester and sorbitan monoester types, polyoxyethylene (POE) compounds.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to remote surveillance systems and more particularly to a video imaging system that can transmit images over two-way radio voice line channel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is often desirable to provide a system that photographs subjects at remote locations and transmits data representative of the photograph to a base location. As concerns over security increase, more locations, such as automatic tellers (ATMs), have incorporated a photographic identification system in order deter thefts and unlawful acts. Such systems make routine surveillance images of subjects as they present themselves at the location to be protected. By storing images of persons as they present themselves at a location, they are less likely to commit a crime since the image has "pre-witnessed" them.
Images accumulated by a surveillance system are stored on video tape or by other means for later processing. In the event that a wrongful act occurs at a remote location in which images are collected, the images can be cross matched to the approximate time of the act and the identity of the subject, based upon reviewed images can be ascertained. Since the images are stored off-site, the subject cannot access it, thus preventing tampering with the storage device.
While the above-described surveillance systems have become increasingly common at permanent fixed locations, the use of such surveillance in mobile applications has been more problematic. It can prove difficult and unreliable to store the images on board a vehicle since they are prone to tampering. Conversely, storing images at a remote location requires a form of two-way communication with the vehicle in order to transfer the images to the remote base station.
In transferring images, at least two problems arise. First, a reliable transmission medium (radio, for example) and band must be utilized which usually entails the dedication of a specific frequency or frequencies for image transfer. Second, the transmission band must be adaptable to transmit reliable image data over a sufficient distance to insure high reliability within a designated operating range.
The problem of establishing a dedicated transmission band can, itself, dissuade the use of image surveillance in many applications where it may prove economically unfeasible to provide dedicated one or two-way telecommunication links. A typical environment in which surveillance of subjects may be particularly desirable is in the taxicab industry. Taxis are often operated at late hours of night in remote parts of a town or city, Taxi drivers tend to work alone and carry large sums of cash on board. All of these factors have made taxicabs and their drivers an ever increasing target of theft and armed robbery. The ability to remotely store images of passengers, before or as they enter the taxi, would invariably serve to deter would-be thieves from carrying out their plans.
However, as noted above, taxicabs, like other mobile based industries, are often operated at a narrow cost margin and the addition of dedicated transmission lines can prove an unacceptable cost. Additionally, any transmission band chosen, must be adapted to provide reliable communication throughout a wide area of operation, around large buildings and over background interference. These problems can limit the number of bands available for use with an image transmission system.
The ability to transmit scanned images would also be desirable for police wishing to identify suspects or victims and medical and fire personnel wishing to identify a subject.
In view of above-described disadvantages, it is one object of this invention to provide a low cost and versatile image transfer system for use in vehicles such as taxicabs.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an image transmission system that is relatively easy to operate and that utilizes low cost hardware.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an image transmission system that does not require dedicated transmission lines or bands.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an image transmission surveillance system that uses a two-way radio, typically used for voice line communication, having a remote transmitter and a base station receiver. A camera utilizing, for example, a CCD solid state element creates an electrical video signal from an observed image. The electrical video signal is processed by an on-board microprocessor, having a frame grabber routine, into a digital signal that is converted, by a waveform generator, into an audio signal. The audio signal is acoustically coupled to a standard radio microphone.
The audio signal picked up by the microphone (or directly routed electronically to the radio) is then transmitted, via the radio, to a remote base station. The base station receives the signal and typically produces a square wave so that the time between zero crossings can be accurately measured. The measured signal represents image pixel values that are then stored in the base station computer. The image is identified, for example, by a discrete identification signal unique to the camera unit and is stored with this identifier in a computer data storage medium for subsequent review, should it be necessary to do so.
In a preferred embodiment, the signal generated by the camera can include an initiation signal that notifies the base station computer that an image signal is being received. The camera can include a variety of options such as an automatic illumination source for illuminating the subject to enhance image quality. Image file storage can include routines that automatically erase the stored image after a given period of time.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more clear with reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment as illustrated by the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image transmission surveillance system according to this invention;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic cross sectional view of a vehicle having an image transmission camera unit in an alternative location according to this invention;
FIG. 3 is a somewhat schematic perspective view of a camera unit according to this invention;
FIG. 3A is a side view of the camera unit of FIG. 3;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the camera unit and transmission circuitry according to this invention;
FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of a direct audio-to-radio connection according to an alternative embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a base station circuitry for the image transmission surveillance system according to this invention; and
FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic representations of base station sine wave and square wave audio signals, respectively, according to this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
An implementation for a vehicle borne image transmission surveillance system is shown schematically in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, a camera unit 10 is positioned on a window 12 of a vehicle 14, which is in this example a taxi, to capture the image of a potential passenger 16 standing in proximity to the vehicle 14. As will be described further below, the implementation according to this embodiment utilizes a standard two-way radio transceiver commonly employed in trucks, taxis and police/fire vehicles. Such a radio is well suited for urban use and operates in various frequency bands throughout the radio spectrum. The transceiver in the vehicle transmits a radio signal 20 via an antenna 18 that is received by a base station antenna 22 that routes incoming signals to a two-way base station radio 24 having a loudspeaker 25. The signal 20 is processed through signal processing circuitry 26 and delivered as a digital signal to a computer 28 that processes the digital signal into a scanned image 30 of the potential passenger 16. This image 30 is displayed, for example, on a monitor 31. For identification purposes, the camera 10 focuses upon the passenger's face, which is of the most value in positively identifying the passenger in the event that identification is necessary at a later time. Information scanned by the computer 28 need not be displayed immediately but, rather, can be stored in a storage medium such as a computer hard disk 32 for future review.
As shown in FIG. 2, the camera 10 according to this embodiment comprises a relatively small self-contained unit that, in this example, is mounted on a plastic security shield 34 facing the passenger seat 36 of the vehicle 14. In such an embodiment, the passenger's image would be taken soon after he entered the vehicle 14. The image field 15 should be sufficient to adequately view the passenger's face. The camera 10 can be powered by standard 12 volt DC current available, for example, from the cigar lighter socket 38 via a cord 40 as shown in FIG. 2. A pilot light 42 indicates that the power is on.
As noted above, one object of the present invention is to provide a surveillance system that is readily adaptable with existing vehicle equipment. Accordingly, the vehicle's standard two-way radio 43 transceiver having a keyed handheld microphone 45 need not be altered to utilize the camera 10 according to this invention. As further detailed in FIGS. 3 and 3A, the camera unit 10 includes a housing 41 having a rubber cup 44 that serves as an audio coupler. A loudspeaker (not shown) is located within the cup 44. In order to transmit a video image, the user need only announce to the base station that an image is forthcoming and then key the radio microphone 45 while applying it to the audio coupler cup 44.
The viewed image is transmitted by pressing the camera start button 46 while holding and keying the microphone. The start button 46 causes the built-in high intensity lamp 48 to illuminate the passenger so that the camera imaging element 50 can receive a bright and clear reflected image. The image is processed by the camera's microprocessor 52 into an audio signal that is output from the loudspeaker to the microphone 45.
The block diagram of FIG. 4 depicts the specific implementation of the camera 10 according to this embodiment. The imaging element 50 of the camera 10 is a solid state CCD camera that transmits a video signal 51 to a microprocessor 52 having a frame grabber function 54 programmed thereinto. The frame grabber 54 locates the starting and ending points of an image field of the video signal 51. It converts the amplitude of the video signal 51 into a digital signal 56 and stores the digital values of the signal in a random access memory (RAM) 58. In a typical embodiment, an image comprising 64×88 pixels can be generated (a total of 5632 pixels). Each pixel comprises a single digital number. The numbers can be single bytes of 8 bits per number or 256 values of gray. For a typical image, 24 levels of gray is generally adequate.
The microprocessor 52 also includes a waveform generator 60 that sequentially calls each value from the RAM 58 and converts the value into a waveform signal 62 that can be coded and then later decoded with the stored digital value of the pixel. The waveform 62 is transmitted to an audio module 64 that generates a series of audible tones at the loudspeaker 66.
While an audio coupler is utilized according to this invention to ensure greatest adaptability to existing radio equipment, it is contemplated that certain radios can be adapted without undue modification to provide a direct audio link from the camera 10 to the radio without requiring an audible sound wave link. In one such implementation as illustrated in FIG. 4A, the radio 43 can include a splitter module 47 that routes the sine wave signal generated by the camera 10 through a microphone connection port 49 on the radio 43 at chosen times. The microphone can still be utilized when desired. As used herein, "audio signal" shall refer to the underlying speaker-driving electrical signal while "audible audio signal" shall refer to sound wave tones generated by the speaker.
In one embodiment, the image is transmitted as a series of pixel values only, without any horizontal or vertical synchronizing signals. The width of a single sine wave cycle is made to vary with the digital value of the pixel. As such, the picture signal consists of a stream of 5632 width-modulated sine wave cycles. As will be described further below, the computer at the base station measures the width or duration of each sine wave cycle and assigns a digital value (generally a single byte) to the measured width. The 5632 values received become a picture file which is then stored in the disk 32. The values in this file corresponds to the pixel locations of the monitor screen 31 so the picture can be quickly and easily displayed if necessary.
Part of the signal transmitted by the microprocessor 52 comprises special tones at the initiation of transmission that are sufficiently distinct from random noise or voices so that the base station computer 28 can automatically recognize and respond to the image signals as they are received. In one embodiment, the initiation signal can comprise a repeating sequence of four sine waves. Two sine waves can be narrow while two are wide. For example, 128 repeating patterns can be sent, and if 32 patterns are detected, then the computer 28 proceeds to process an incoming image.
Since a primary purpose of the system according to this embodiment is to identify a passenger and place that passenger in a certain time and scene (i.e. in connection with a certain vehicle), the transmitted signal also includes a sequence of width modulated sine waves that include a vehicle or camera identification number. This number is decoded by the base station computer 28 and is used to form, for example, a name under which the image file is stored. This allows for a convenient retrieval of images received from specific vehicles. The file can also include a time signal that can be provided by the base station computer 28 at the time the file is formed.
While width modulation of sine waves is a preferred method according to this embodiment, a variety of other methods of transmitting image data are contemplated according to this invention including frequency modulation, phase modulation, and amplitude modulation among others.
Similarly, analog coding methods such as width modulation are preferred according to this embodiment, but other coding methods can be used including two-level binary coding in which each of four waves are then grouped to produce sixteen level values.
Processing of the received radio signal 20 from the vehicle camera 10 is performed by the circuit shown in FIG. 5.
The loudspeaker circuit 68 of the base station radio receiver 24 according to this embodiment includes a tap 70 that routes the audio output signal 72 to a waveform squaring circuit 74. As shown, the sine wave audio signal 72 (see FIG. 5A) that drives the loudspeaker 25 is squared for digital processing. The waveform squaring circuit routes the squared signal 78 to the office's computer 28 (a standard microcomputer, for example) which, in this embodiment, includes software for recognizing the initiation signal tones described above. A generation and image storage program is activated by the initiation signal. The signal recognition block 79 can instruct the computer 28 to transmit a signal to a relay 80 interconnected with the radio loudspeaker 25. The relay 80, upon receipt of a signal from the computer 28, disconnects the loudspeaker 25 from the receiver radio base station 24. This feature is desirable where continuous transmission of audio image signals proves annoying to the dispatcher.
The squared signal 78 (see FIG. 5B), following recognition, is processed by the waveform measurement block 81 of the computer routine. Measurement of the signal 78 is made for each complete cycle from one positive edge (edge 82, for example) to the next (edge 84, for example). Different radio systems often have different polarities, so that it is necessary to establish which edges of the signal are to be used for measurement. The establishment of the edges for measurement can be accomplished by computing the RMS (Root Mean Square) of a small increment of transmitted values taken, for example, from the initiation signal. The signal is then inverted by the waveform measurement block 81 and the measurement of edges is repeated. Of the two inversions of the signal, the one which produces the largest RMS value indicates the appropriate edge for conducting pixel waveform measurements.
The waveform measurement block 81 measures the time between positive (or negative) edges of the signal. The edge time values translate into pixel brightness values. The sequential set of values comprise the image file for storage on the disk. As noted above, the image file, at the time of storage, can be tagged with a time so that the approximate time in which the passenger entered the vehicle can be determined. The image can be simultaneously displayed on a monitor 31 or can be simply stored by a file storage routine block 84 on the disk 32 for later review if required.
The typical transmission time for a signal according to this embodiment is approximately four seconds. Hence, a minimum of two-way radio operating time is occupied.
The preferred embodiment of this invention can utilize a signal having the following characteristics:
______________________________________ ApproximateNo. Cycles DurationTransmitted Per Cycle (sec) Description______________________________________256 .001 Prepares receiver for signal to follow. Allows receivers auto- matic gain adjust to stabilize.1 .001 Repeat this pattern of four1 .001 waves 128 times to provide an1 .0005 unmistakable recognizable signal.1 .000548 .001 The transition going from the48 .0005 wide to the narrow wave pro- vides a reference point in the waveform stream to allow locat- ing the start of the identification number and the start of the pixel values later on.48 variable .001 This is a code sequence which or .0005 carries the vehicle identification code.5632 variable range These are the width modulated .001 to .0005 pixel sinewaves.______________________________________
The file of images for the vehicle or vehicles in the system can be limited to store only a given maximum number of images. As new images, beyond a maximum number, are entered into the file, older stored images are erased to make room for the new images. The images are continually entered and deleted from the file in a first-in-first-out order. The disk storage should be large enough to insure storage of images for a sufficient length of time to permit contemporaneous retrieval of images if desired. In the case of a system for identifying taxicab passengers, between two and three days worth of storage is probably sufficient. Any wrongful act committed in a taxi is almost certain to be discovered within that period of time. Data storage limitations can make it undesirable to retain images substantially beyond a few days.
While not shown, the base station computer 28 can also include a hard copy printing device having sufficient resolution to insure positive identification of the passenger.
The foregoing has been a detailed description of a preferred embodiment. Various modifications and equivalents can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. This description is, therefore, meant to be taken only by way of example and not to otherwise limit the scope of the invention.
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An image transmission surveillance system using a radio having a remote transmitter and a base receiver provides a camera for converting visual images into an electrical signal. The electrical signal is converted by an audio module into an audio signal for transmission by the radio. A computer connected with the base receiver converts audio signals received from the audio module into image data. This data is stored in a data storage device of the computer for later review on a monitor or similar image viewing device. The audio signal can be converted into audible sound for receipt by the radio microphone.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/778,410, filed Feb. 7, 2001, issue fee paid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to plumbing fixtures. More particularly it relates to combined faucet and drain control assemblies that can, to a large extent, be mounted on a counter top, sink or the like from above the wash basin.
[0003] Conventional faucets and drain assemblies often require the installer to connect most of the components of the assembly from beneath the sink in typically cramped, dark spaces. While professional plumbers may be used to working in this type of environment, many such plumbing fittings are now being designed for installation by consumers who have little experience in, and less tolerance for, working in such an environment for a prolonged period. Thus, faucets and drain assemblies that can, to a greater extent, be assembled from above the basin are desirable.
[0004] For example, the drain assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,287,742 used a separate threaded fastener aligned axially at the center of the drain opening and connected at its ends to cross members of the drain flange and the waste housing positioned beneath the basin. The fastener could be assembled and tightened from above the basin. This assembly, however, did not provide for use with a movable drain stop operated by a lever mechanism.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,288 disclosed a faucet fixture that could be mounted from above the basin using a toggle bolt. The arms of the toggle bolt were limited in rotation by contacting with nearby water supply conduit, which allowed the toggle to travel upward and clamp against an underside of the basin (or the deck to which the basin is mounted). Drawbacks of this assembly were that separate toggle fasteners were required (thus adding parts) and that the water conduit needed to be placed next to the fastening location (thus limiting design flexibility).
[0006] There have been other attempts as well to clamp a faucet to a counter top or the like by using rotation of a faucet assembly feature above the counter top to drive up a clamping mechanism located below the counter top. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,465,749 and 6,085,784. However, these designs had deficiencies. It was particularly desirable to reduce the number of holes needed in the faucet to achieve this clamping function, to simplify the assembly, and to improve the reliability and ease of manufacture of the clamping mechanism.
[0007] Thus, a need still exists to provide an improved assembly for installing a faucet and its associated drain primarily from above the basin.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In one aspect the invention provides a faucet mountable through a hole in a mounting wall. The faucet has a faucet body having an upper opening, and a fastener assembly for connecting the faucet body to the mounting wall.
[0009] The fastener assembly in turn has a sleeve bolt mounted on the faucet body so as to be able to rotate on a longitudinal axis of the bolt, the bolt having a threaded outer section and an axial bore alignable with the upper opening of the faucet body. There is also a fastener having a nut that is threadable on the threaded outer section of the bolt so as to ride along it in response to rotation of the bolt, the fastener also having a wing structure that is pivotable from a collapsed configuration to an extended configuration. The fastener also has a guide passage between the nut and wing structure in which a guide fixed with respect to the faucet body is placed.
[0010] The guide opening limits rotation of the nut around the longitudinal axis of the bolt. A lift rod is positioned through the upper opening of the faucet body and extendable through the axial bore of the bolt.
[0011] In preferred forms an upper end of the sleeve bolt has a tool attachment recess suitable to receive all of a flat screwdriver, a Philips screwdriver and a hex-driver, one at a time. Further, there is a spring to bias the wing structure to the extended configuration, and there are two such guides positioned on opposite sides of the nut.
[0012] In another aspect the invention provides a combined faucet and drain assembly for installation with a plumbing fixture. One main part of the assembly is a faucet. It has a faucet body with an upper opening, and a fastener assembly for fixing the faucet body in position relative to the fixture. The fastener assembly includes a sleeve bolt mounted on the faucet body so as to be able to rotate on a longitudinal axis of the bolt. The bolt also has a threaded outer section and an axial bore alignable with the upper opening of the faucet body.
[0013] A fastener rides along the bolt in response to rotation of the bolt, the fastener also having a clamp structure that is movable from a collapsed configuration to an extended configuration. There is also a lift rod positionable through the upper opening of the faucet body and extendable through the axial bore of the bolt.
[0014] A second main portion of the assembly is a pop-up drain valve assembly. It has a drain body having a cross-member extending laterally at an axial opening and having a radial opening. There is also a drain flange having a cross-member extending laterally at an axial opening, a stopper guide having downwardly extending legs defining an axial slot there between for accommodating the drain body and flange cross members, a stopper connectable to an upper portion of the stopper guide and sized to seal against the drain flange, and a control stem connectable to the stopper guide at one end, extendable through the radial opening of the drain body, and connectable at the other end to a lower end of the lift rod.
[0015] In another aspect the invention provides a method of installing a faucet and a drain assembly on a fixture having an essentially horizontal support wall and a basin. One temporarily mounts, from beneath the support wall, a drain body to a drain opening in the basin, then inserts a drain flange into the drain opening from above the basin, rotationally aligns the drain flange to the drain body from above the basin, fastens the drain flange and the drain body to the basin, positions a stopper in the drain body from above the basin, links a drain valve stem to a lower end of the stopper, and inserts, from above the support wall, a faucet fastening assembly into an installation opening through the support wall so that a clamp portion of the fastening assembly is beneath the support wall and an adjustment sleeve bolt rotatably mounted to the clamp extends above the installation opening.
[0016] Rotating the sleeve bolt brings the clamp into a clamping position relative to the support wall. One then inserts a lift rod through the sleeve bolt from above the support wall, and connects the lift rod to the drain valve stem.
[0017] The present invention thus provides a system for mounting a faucet and drain assembly to a wash basin or the like quickly, easily and primarily from above the basin. The clamping assembly includes a collapsible toggle fastener that can be inserted down through an installation opening in the basin or nearby deck and then springs out so that it can be immediately tightened against an underside of the basin or deck by simply rotating the sleeve bolt. Removal of the clamp merely requires rotation of the bolt in the opposite direction until the toggle falls off.
[0018] Further, the unique stopper guide can be used during installation to align the drain flange and drain body and hold them in the proper alignment while being secured together. The stopper guide can then be removed so that a stopper can be quickly snapped or threaded onto its upper end and then dropped back into the drain opening for attachment to a valve stem which is in turn linked to the pull-up of the faucet.
[0019] The foregoing and still other advantages of the invention will appear from the following description. In that description reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which there is shown by way of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention. That embodiment does not represent the full scope of the invention. Rather, the claims should be looked to in order to judge the full scope of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] [0020]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a drain assembly of the present invention;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view generally along line 2 - 2 of FIG. 1 (albeit in assembled form), with the drain stopper closing off the opening in a drain flange;
[0022] [0022]FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, albeit with the stopper raised to allow the basin to be drained;
[0023] [0023]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of a combined faucet and drain assembly system of the present invention;
[0024] [0024]FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view of a clamping assembly for the faucet of FIG. 4;
[0025] [0025]FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view, taken along line 6 - 6 of FIG. 4, showing the fastening assembly before being mounted to a basin, hidden lines representing arms of a toggle fastener when collapsed;
[0026] [0026]FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 6, although with the fastening assembly passed through an installation opening and prior to being tightened;
[0027] [0027]FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7 showing the fastening assembly clamped against the basin;
[0028] [0028]FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 9 - 9 of FIG. 8 detailing the location of the toggle fastener spring;
[0029] [0029]FIG. 10 is top view of the fastening assembly taken from line 10 - 10 of FIG. 8 showing the upper end of a sleeve bolt having a more “universal” tool accepting recess; and
[0030] [0030]FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view, partially broken away, of a preferred clamping structure of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0031] Referring to FIG. 1, drain assembly 10 includes a main drain body 12 , flange 14 , a stopper 16 , a stopper guide 18 and a threaded fastener 20 . The drain body 12 is a tubular brass body having a radially extending nipple 22 . An integral gasket support ring 24 extends around an upper end of the drain body 12 for supporting a rubber gasket 26 . Also at the upper end of the drain body 12 is a cross-bar 28 extending laterally into the passageway of the drain body 12 having a threaded opening 30 at the axial centerline of the drain body 12 .
[0032] An upper rim 32 of the drain body 12 is sized to fit inside of a conventional drain opening 34 of a sink or bathtub wash basin 36 . Preferably, the rim 32 is fit into the drain opening 34 from beneath the basin 36 with the gasket 26 fit snugly around the drain body 12 and between the underside of the basin 36 and the gasket support ring 24 . Friction will hold the drain body 12 in place temporarily until the rest of the assembly can be assembled from above the basin 36 .
[0033] The drain flange 14 is preferably also brass and has a lower rim 38 sized to fit inside the upper rim 32 of the drain body 12 when it is inserted into the drain opening 34 from above the basin 36 . The drain flange 14 has a frusto-conical surface 39 extending outwardly to a lip 40 with a diameter larger than the drain opening 34 to prevent it from falling through the drain opening 34 . The drain flange 14 also has a cross-bar 42 extending between the lower rim 38 and having an opening 44 at the axial centerline of the drain flange 14 . As described below, the drain flange cross-bar 42 is preferably aligned so that it rests along the length of the top of the drain body cross-bar 28 . Such alignment minimizes the obstruction of the drain passageway. The lip 40 of the drain flange rests 14 on the upper side of the basin wall 36 and the openings 30 and 44 are aligned so that the threaded fastener 20 can be inserted therein and tightened to fasten the drain body 12 and drain flange 14 securely to the basin 36 .
[0034] Rather than trying to fit one's fingers down into the relatively small drain opening 34 , the drain flange 14 is preferably aligned using the stopper guide 18 before the stopper guide 18 is finally assembled. The stopper guide 18 is a suitable re-enforced plastic, such as 25% glass-filled acetyl. The stopper guide 18 has an annular upper end 50 with an axial opening 52 from which depend downwardly two generally planar axial legs 52 and 54 that are strengthened by four perpendicular gussets 56 (two at each leg 52 and 54 ). The legs 52 and 54 are spaced apart to define a slot 58 there between in communication with the axial opening 52 . The legs 52 and 54 have corresponding sets of radial openings 60 and 62 , respectively, through which a drain valve stem 64 of a conventional ball-type valve assembly 65 (see FIG. 1) is inserted at a selected point depending on the size of the fixture.
[0035] The stopper guide 18 can be used to align the drain flange 14 to the drain body 12 by inserting it into the drain opening 34 so that the legs 52 and 54 fit around the cross-bar 42 . The stopper guide 18 can then be rotated until the drain flange cross-bar 44 aligns with the over drain body cross-bar 28 . The stopper guide 18 can then be dropped down through the drain flange 14 opening so that it rests on the aligned cross-bars 28 and 42 and the threaded fastener 20 can be inserted through the axial opening 52 in the stopper guide 18 and into the openings 30 and 44 in the respective cross-bars 28 and 42 . The fastener 20 can then be tightened to bring the drain body 12 and the drain flange 14 toward each other and against opposite sides the basin 36 to secure the assembly 10 to the basin 36 .
[0036] The stopper guide 18 can then be removed from the assembly for connecting the stopper 16 . In particular, three deflectable fingers 66 extend upwardly from the upper end 50 of the stopper guide 18 . The fingers 66 have upper latch ends 68 that engage with a circular catch surface 70 at the underside of the drain stopper 16 (see FIG. 2), thereby allowing the stopper 16 to be quickly snapped onto the upper end of the stopper guide 18 . It should be noted that other suitable attachment techniques could be employed here, such as a threaded or a pin and slot connection.
[0037] The drain stopper is preferably disk-shaped and has a tapered circumference with a circumferential groove 72 for accommodating an o-ring 74 . The o-ring 74 and circumferential wall of the stopper 16 are sized to fit tightly against the inner surface of the frusto-conical surface 39 of the drain flange 14 so that the o-ring 74 can make a water-tight seal to restrict flow through the drain flange 14 when in the position shown in FIG. 2.
[0038] The stopper guide 18 (with the stopper 16 connected thereto) can then be reinserted into the drain opening for connection of the stopper guide 18 to the valve stem 64 of the valve assembly 65 by inserting the valve stem 64 into one or both openings 60 and 62 at the appropriate height of the stopper guide legs 52 and 54 . If desired, prior to final assembly, the stopper guide 18 can be removed so that the legs 52 and 54 can be trimmed to remove any excess length. In any event, a suitable drain pull (not shown) linked to the valve assembly 65 can then be used to position the stopper guide 18 (and thus the stopper 16 ). In particular, the stopper 16 guide 18 can be lowered (as in FIG. 2) to close off the drain and raised (as in FIG. 3) to open the drain.
[0039] Referring now to FIG. 4, the above described drain assembly 10 is particularly suitable to be used with faucet 100 to provide a plumbing system for the sink or bathtub basin 36 that can be mounted primarily from above the basin. In particular, the faucet 100 includes a faucet body 102 with a spout 104 and mounts for rotatable handles 106 operating valves controlling flow of the hot and cold water supplies. The faucet body 102 also includes a single central upper opening 108 between the handles 106 and behind the spout through which extends a lift rod 110 having a pull knob 112 at its upper end and being coupled to the valve stem 64 of the drain assembly 10 via a bracket assembly 114 .
[0040] As is conventional, the bracket assembly 114 has a connector bar 116 with a plurality of holes spaced apart along a portion of its length through one of which an end of the valve stem 64 is inserted and retained thereto by a bent clip 118 . FIG. 4 shows the stem 64 in the lowest hole in the bar 116 in which case the clip 118 can be in the orientation shown, otherwise the clip 118 would be oriented 90 degrees from that shown. The other end of the bar 116 is bent in a backward “C” shape and has openings through which the lift rod 110 is disposed and held at a desired relative position by a set screw 120 .
[0041] Referring now to FIG. 5, the faucet 100 includes a clamping assembly 122 partially disposed within the faucet body 102 and partially extending beneath the basin (or deck supporting the basin). The fastening assembly 122 includes a cylindrical sleeve bolt 124 having an axial opening 125 there through in which the lift rod 110 is disposed for the usual axial movement when it is desired to modify the drain position in the basin. The sleeve bolt 124 also has external threads 126 along a portion thereof below an enlarge intermediate area 128 (engaging a portion of the faucet body or mounting elements thereof—see FIG. 6) to which a pivotal toggle fastener, generally 130 , is rotatably mounted.
[0042] The toggle fastener 130 includes a spring 132 disposed between a nut 134 and two pivotal arms 136 mounted on posts 138 extending from opposite sides of the nut 134 . The arms 136 can be pivoted from an extended position (as shown in FIG. 7) to a collapsed position (shown in phantom in FIG. 6) in which the overall lateral dimension of the toggle fastener 130 is less than the installation opening 135 in the basin (or deck) so that it can be inserted down through the opening 135 from above the basin. The middle of the spring 132 is wrapped around one of the posts 138 with its ends positioned to bias the arms 136 apart (see FIGS. 6 and 9), that is extending generally radially outward from the sleeve bolt 124 . The nut 134 (and thus the toggle fastener) threads onto the threaded end of the sleeve bolt 124 by relative rotation of the sleeve bolt 124 .
[0043] The arms 136 define inner guide openings 140 between the nut 134 and the arms 136 through which a pair of guide posts 142 extend. The guide posts 142 are rod-like structures spaced apart from opposite sides of the sleeve bolt 124 . The guide posts 142 are preferably integral with and depend downwardly from a mounting plate 144 having a middle opening for the sleeve bolt 124 and two openings for the faucet water valves.
[0044] [0044]FIG. 6 shows that the fastening assembly 122 is inserted through the installation opening 135 in the basin (or deck) from above the basin by folding in the arms 136 of the toggle fastener 130 (as shown in phantom). This is done by pushing the assembly through the opening and causing the arms 136 to fold by contact with the basin (or deck) surrounding the opening 135 . The assembly looks as shown in FIG. 7 after its lower part is inserted through the opening 135 with the toggle fastener in the extended or unfolded position such that it cannot be pulled back through the opening 135 without manually collapsing the arms 136 .
[0045] The assembly (and thus the faucet) can then be clamped to the basin (or deck) by rotating the sleeve bolt 124 from above the basin. Rotating the sleeve bolt 124 will initially cause the toggle fastener 130 to rotate until its rotation is limited by interference with the guide posts 142 . At that point, the toggle fastener 130 will travel upwardly (or downwardly depending on the direction of rotation) until it contacts an undersurface 152 of the basin (or deck). Further rotation of the sleeve bolt 124 will tighten the assembly to the basin.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 10, the upper end of the sleeve bolt 124 preferably has a “universal” tool attachment feature 146 . Specifically, this feature 146 is a recess generally centered on the axial opening 125 and has four squared flutes 148 in a cross-pattern and a hexagonal recess 150 . This configuration will accept a flat bladed screwdriver (in opposite squared flutes), a Philips screwdriver (in all four flutes) and a hex-headed driver (in the hexagonal recess). Thus, any of these common tools may be used to turn the sleeve bolt 124 with sufficient torque to clamp the faucet 100 in place securely.
[0047] The present invention thus provides a system for mounting a combined faucet and drain assembly to a wash basin quickly, easily and primarily from above the basin. The faucet clamp assembly includes a collapsible toggle fastener that can be inserted down through an installation opening in the basin or nearby deck and then springs out so that it can be immediately tightened against an underside of the basin or deck by simply rotating the sleeve bolt. The unique stopper guide can be used during installation to align the drain flange and drain body from above, and hold them in the proper alignment while being secured together and to the basin. The stopper guide can then be removed so that the stopper can be quickly snapped or threaded onto its upper end and then dropped back into the drain opening for attachment to a valve stem of a conventional ball-type control mechanism.
[0048] While a specific embodiment has been shown, various modifications falling within the breadth and scope of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art. Thus, the following claims should be looked to in order to understand the full scope of the invention.
Industrial Applicability
[0049] Disclosed is a combined plumbing fixture and drain assembly system that can be mounted to a sink or bathtub basin in large part from above the basin.
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A combined faucet and drain system can be installed primarily from above the basin. The faucet includes a quick-connect fastening assembly with a threaded sleeve bolt that also doubles as a life rod guide. A spring-biased toggle fastener threads onto the sleeve bolt and collapses when inserted through an installation opening from above the basin. It then automatically unfolds and engages an undersurface when the sleeve bolt is turned. The drain assembly is mounted in a drain opening of the basin and includes a movable stopper guide that can be used during installation to align the drain flange to the drain body from above the sink. A method of installing a combined faucet and drain assembly to a plumbing fixture is also disclosed.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to variable resistors, and more particularly to a variable resistor which attenuates an input voltage by an arbitrary amount.
In various electronic circuits, the signal voltage is often attenuated to a desired value. An example of such a process is an attenuation of a signal having a voltage of A V by X dB. In such a process, the accuracy of the amount of the attenuation greatly affects the circuit operation, and an extremely accurate control of the attenuation is required.
FIG. 1 shows a first example of a conventional variable resistor. In FIG. 1, a plurality of resistors (nine in this case) 10 through 18 are connected in series, and a plurality of switches (fourteen in this case) 20 through 33 are coupled between nodes connecting the adjacent resistors and a non-inverting input terminal (+) of an operational amplifier 19 in a tournament connection. The switches 20 through 33 are divided into a switch group A which is made up of the switches 20 through 27, a switch group B which is made up of the switches 28 through 31, and a switch group C which is made up of the switches 32 and 33. The switch groups A, B and C are respectively controlled by control signals S A , S B and S C . Within each switch group, every other switches are turned ON/OFF while the remaining switches are turned OFF/ON, in response to the control signal supplied thereto. For example, the switch 21 is OFF when the switch 20 is ON, the switch 29 is OFF when the switch 28 is ON, and the switch 33 is OFF when the switch 32 is ON.
If the switches 20, 28 and 32 are ON, for example, a divided voltage V 10-11 which is obtained by a series resistor network made up of the resistors 10 through 18 is applied to the operational amplifier through these switches 20, 28 and 32. The divided voltage V 10-11 appears at the node which connects the resistors 10 and 11, and may be described by the following formula (1), where ΣR 10 ,,18 denotes a series resistance formed by all of the resistors 10 through 18, ΣR 11 ,,18 denotes a series resistance formed by the resistors 11 through 18, and V IN denotes an input voltage.
V.sub.10-11 =(ΣR.sub.11,,18 /ΣR.sub.10,,18)V.sub.IN---( 1)
On the other hand, if the switches 27, 31 and 33 are ON, a divided voltage V 17-18 which is obtained by a series resistor network made up of the resistors 10 through 18 is applied to the operational amplifier through these switches 27, 31 and 33. The divided voltage V 17-18 appears at the node which connects the resistors 17 and 18, and may be described by the following formula (2).
V.sub.17-18 =(R.sub.18 /ΣR.sub.10,,18)V.sub.IN ---( 2)
When it is assumed for the sake of convenience that all of the resistors 10 through 18 have the same resistance R, the formulas (1) and (2) can be rewritten as the following formulas (1a) and (2a). ##EQU1##
Other divided voltages V 114 12 through V 16-17 between the divided voltages V 10-11 and V 17-18 can be obtained in a similar manner, and the following relationship can be obtained.
V.sub.11-12 =(7/9)V.sub.IN ≈0.77V.sub.IN
V.sub.12-13 =(6/9)V.sub.IN ≈0.66V.sub.IN
V.sub.13-14 =(5/9)V.sub.IN ≈0.55V.sub.IN
V.sub.14-15 =(4/9)V.sub.IN ≈0.44V.sub.IN
V.sub.15-16 =(3/9)V.sub.IN ≈0.33V.sub.IN
V.sub.16-17 =(2/9)V.sub.IN ≈0.22V.sub.IN
Accordingly, the variable resistor shown in FIG. 1 can vary the attenuation from 0.11 times to 0.88 times depending on the combination of the control signals S A , S B and S C , and an output voltage V OUT of the operational amplifier 19 can be varied in steps.
However, according to the first example of the conventional variable resistor, the voltage varying width is determined by the voltage dividing width of the series resistor network. For this reason, if an attempt is made to improve the resolution by making the voltage varying width small, the number of required resistors and switches becomes extremely large, and there is a problem in that the circuit scale becomes extremely large.
FIG. 2 shows a second example of a conventional variable resistor. In FIG. 2, a first series resistor group 44 is made up of a plurality of resistors (four in this case) 40 through 43 and functions as an input resistance Rs of an operational amplifier 45. Similarly, a second series resistor group 50 is made up of a plurality of resistors (four in this case) 46 through 49 and functions as a feedback resistance Rf of the operational amplifier 45. The operational amplifier 45 operates as an inverting amplifier and an amplification A NF thereof is determined by a ratio of the resistances Rs and Rf, that is, A NF =-Rf/Rs. Switches 51 through 56 are provided with respect to the first and second series resistor groups 44 and 50. Control signals S s1 through S s3 and S fl through S f3 are supplied to these switches 51 through 56, and all of the switches 51 through 56 are turned OFF or only one switch with respect to each of the first and second series resistor groups 44 and 50 is selectively turned ON in response to the control signals S s1 through S s3 and S f1 .
When all of the switches 51 through 56 are OFF, the input resistance Rs has a maximum resistance ΣR 40 ,,43 of the first series resistor group 44 and the feedback resistance Rf has a maximum resistance ΣR 46 ,,49 of the second series resistor group 50.
If it is assumed for the sake of convenience that all of the resistors 40 through 43 and 46 through 49 have the same resistance R, the maximum resistances ΣR 40 ,,43 and ΣR 46 ,,49 can both be described by 4R. Hence, the amplification A NF is -4R/4R=-1. On the other hand, if only the switch 53 provided with respect to the first series resistor group is turned ON, the amplification A NF is -4R/R=-4.
Accordingly, by appropriately setting the resistances R 40 through R 43 and R 46 through R 49 of the resistors 40 through 43 and 46 through 49, it is possible to switch the amplification A NF of the operational amplifier 45 in multi-steps depending on the control signals S s1 through S s3 and S f1 through S f3 . In other words, the output voltage V OUT of the operational amplifier 45 can be varied in steps.
However, according to the second example of the variable resistor, metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors are used for the switches 51 through 56 which are provided with respect to the first and second series resistor groups 44 and 50 in order to obtain a sufficiently high switching speed. As a result, the ONON-resistances of the MOS transistors affect the input resistance Rs and the feedback resistance Rf, and there is a problem in that the amplification A NF of the operational amplifier 45 becomes inaccurate.
FIG. 3 shows a third example of the conventional variable resistor. In FIG. 3, a first voltage dividing circuit 60 is made up of a plurality of resistors 61 through 65 and switches 66 through 71. This first voltage dividing circuit 60 is used to obtain a volta V 60 by dividing the input voltage V IN by an ON/OFF combination of the switches 66 through 71. For example, if the switches 66 and 70 are ON and the other switches are OFF, the voltage V 60 becomes a maximum. On the other hand, the voltage V 60 becomes a minimum if the switches 69 and 71 are ON and the other switches are OFF.
A second voltage dividing circuit 80 is made up of a plurality of resistors 81 through 85 and switches 86 through 91. This second voltage dividing circuit 80 varies the ratio of the input resistance Rs and the feedback resistance Rf of an operational amplifier 92 so as to vary the amplification A NF . For example, if the switches 86 and 90 are ON and the other switches are OFF, the input resistance Rs becomes the series resistance of the resistors 82 through 85, the feedback resistance Rf becomes the resistance of the resistor 81, and the amplification A NF becomes a minimum because the ratio Rf/Rs becomes a minimum. On the other hand, if the switches 89 and 91 are ON and the other switches are OFF, the input resistance Rs becomes the resistance of the resistor 85, the feedback resistance Rf becomes the series resistance of the resistors 81 through 84, and the amplification A NF becomes a maximum because the ratio Rf/Rs becomes a maximum.
According to this third example of the variable resistor, the input voltage V IN can be varied in four steps by the first voltage dividing circuit 60, and the amplification A NF of the operational amplifier 92 can be varied in four steps by the second voltage dividing circuit 80. For this reason, it is possible to obtain the output voltage V OUT by adjusting the input voltage V IN in sixteen (=4×4) steps by appropriately switching the ON/OFF combination of the switches provided with respect to the first and second voltage dividing circuits 60 and 80. Compared to the first example of the variable resistor, it is possible to make the circuit scale smaller.
In addition, the current flowing to the second voltage dividing circuit 80 mainly flows through the resistors 81 through 85 and only an extremely small current flows through the switches 86 through 91. Hence, even if MOS transistors are used for the switches 86 through 91, it is possible to suppress the voltage drop generated by the ON-resistances of the MOS transistors. Accordingly, it is possible to accurately adjust the amplification A NF of the operational amplifier 92, and the problems of the second example of the variable resistor can be suppressed.
However, according to the third example of the variable resistor, the voltage V 60 obtained from the first voltage dividing circuit 60 is variably amplified in the operational amplifier 92 with the amplification A NF which is set by the second voltage dividing circuit 80. As a result, an offset voltage of the operational amplifier 92 which is added to the voltage V 60 is also subjected to the variable amplification, and there is a problem in that the offset voltage varies depending on a code which is set to control the ON/OFF states of the switches which are provided with respect to the first and second voltage dividing circuits 60 and 80. The code sets the ratio V IN /V OUT .
A more detailed description will be given of the offset voltage. Generally, the operational amplifier which is used as a comparator is made up of a differential amplifier circuit formed by a transistor pair having the same characteristic. However, because it is extremely difficult to make a transistor pair having perfectly identical characteristics, an offset voltage is inevitably generated by the difference in the characteristics of the transistor pair. The offset voltage is the voltage which appears at the output when the input of the operational amplifier is zero, and is normally described by a value V OS which is converted to the input. In other words, it is regarded that a voltage corresponding to the value V OS is input to the input terminal of the operational amplifier. Therefore, since the regular input voltage in (V 60 in FIG. 3) is inevitably amplified by this value V OS , there is a problem in that the accuracy of the variable resistor which attenuates the input voltage V IN to an arbitrary output voltage V OUT cannot be improved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful variable resistor in which the above described problem of the offset voltage is eliminated.
Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a variable resistor comprising a series resistor network including first, second and third resistor parts which are connected in series, where the second resistor part is connected to the first and third resistor parts via first and second nodes, respectively, and a fourth resistor part, coupled in parallel to the second resistor part via the first and second nodes, where the fourth resistor part includes a plurality of resistors which are connected in series via a plurality of third nodes, the first resistor part has a terminal opposite the first node for receiving an input signal, and an output signal of the variable resistor is obtained via an arbitrary one of the third nodes of the fourth resistor part. According to the variable resistor of the present invention, it is possible to accurately control the amount of attenuation of the input signal using a relatively small circuit scale. Furthermore, the conventional problem of the offset voltage of the operational amplifier is eliminated because the present invention does not use an operational amplifier for adjusting the amplification.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a first example of a conventional variable resistor;
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a second example of the conventional variable resistor;
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a third example of the conventional variable resistor;
FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams for explaining the operating principle of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of a variable resistor according to the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining an attenuation (gain) of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram showing the embodiment together with peripheral circuits thereof; and
FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining desirable resistances of a fourth resistor part of the embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
First, a description will be given of the operating principle of the present invention, by referring to FIG. 4.
In FIG. 4 (a), a first resistor part Ra, a second resistor part Rb and a third resistor part Rc are connected in series. In addition, a fourth resistor part Rd is connected in parallel to the second resistor part Rb. An input voltage V IN is applied to the series resistor network which is made up of the first, second and third resistor parts Ra, Rb and Rc. The fourth resistor part Rd is made up of a plurality of resistors Rd1, . . . , Rdi which are connected in series as shown in FIG. 4 (b), and an output voltage V OUT is obtained from a node which connects two adjacent resistors within the fourth resistor part Rd.
The output voltage V OUT undergoes a first change by changing the value of the first resistor part Ra. In addition, the output voltage V OUT undergoes a second change which is finer that the first change, by changing the node via which the output volta V OUT is obtained from the fourth resistor part Rd.
A combined resistance of the first, second, third and fourth resistor parts Ra, Rb, Rc and Rd can be obtained from the following formula (3).
Ra+[Rb×Rd/(Rb+Rd)]+Rc ---(3)
If it is assumed for the sake of convenience that Ra=Rb=Rc=Rd=1 Ω, the formula (3) can be rewritten as the following formula (4), and the combined resistance becomes 2.5 Ω.
1+[1×1/(1+1)]+1=1+0.5+1 ---(4)
A voltage V A which appears at a node A can be described by the following formula (5), while a voltage V B which appears at a node B can be described by the following formula (6).
V.sub.A =[0.5+1)/2.5]V.sub.IN =0.6V.sub.IN ---(5)
V.sub.B =(1/2.5)V.sub.IN =0.4V.sub.IN ---(6)
The potential difference 0.6V IN -0.4V IN between the voltages V A and V B is divided into a plurality of voltages a 1 , . . . , a n , and a voltage V B +a m is obtained as the output voltage V OUT , where m=1, . . . , m. In other words, the potential difference between the voltages V A and V B is adjusted by the first change, and the value of m of the voltage a m is adjusted by the second change.
Accordingly, it is possible to roughly adjust the output volta V OUT by the first change, and finely adjust the output voltage V OUT by the second change. For this reason, it is possible to minimize the circuit scale and realize an accurate voltage attenuation. The above described problem caused by the offset voltage of the operational amplifier will not occur in the present invention because the present invention does not require an operational amplifier.
Next, a description will be given of an embodiment of the variable resistor according to the present invention, by referring to FIGS. 5 through 8.
FIG. 5 shows this embodiment. In FIG. 5, a first resistor part 100, a second resistor part 200, a third resistor part 300 and a fourth resistor part 40 respectively correspond to the first, second, third and fourth resistor parts Ra, Rb, Rc and Rd shown in FIG. 4. The first, second and third resistor parts 100, 200 and 300 are connected in series. In addition, the fourth resistor part 400 is connected in parallel to the second resistor part 200 at the nodes A and B.
The first resistor part 100 includes three resistors 101, 102 and 103 which are connected in series and respectively have resistances 2R, 4R and 8R Ω, and four switches 104 through 107 which are connected as shown. By selectively turning ON one of the switches 104 through 107, a basic resistance RA is switched to 0, 1, 3 and 7 times, where RA is 2R Ω, for example. In other words, the resistance is 0×Ra=0 Ω is the switch 104 is turned ON, the resistance is 1×RA=2R Ωif the switch 105 is turned ON, the resistance is 3×RA=6R Ω if the switch 106 is turned ON, and the resistance is 7×RA=14R Ω if the switch 107 is turned ON. When a coefficient of the basic resistance RA is denoted by b x , the above four resistances can be described by b O RA, b 1 RA, b 2 RA and b 3 RA Ω. The general expression describing the resistance of the first resistor part 100 is thus b x RA Ω.
For example, the resistance of the third resistor part 300 and the combined resistance of the second and fourth resistor parts 200 and 400 respectively are R Ω. In addition, the fourth resistor part 400 is made up of twelve resistors 401 through 412 respectively having resistances in a range of 0.6 to 0.3 Ω, for example, and switches 413 through 424. These resistors 401 through 412 correspond to the resistors Rd1 through Rdi shown in FIG. 4 for the case where i=12. In this embodiment, the potential difference between the nodes A and B is divided in fine steps by the resistors 401 through 412 to voltages a 0 through a 11 . By selectively turning ON one of the switches 413 through 424, it is possible to obtain one of the divided voltages a 0 through a 11 when outputting the output voltage V OUT .
A voltage V AOUT which appears at the node A can be described by the following formula (7), where b x RA is the general expression of the resistance of the first resistor part 100, RB denotes the resistance of the second resistor part 200, RC denotes the resistance of the third resistor part 300, and RD denotes the resistance of the fourth resistor part 400.
V.sub.AOUT =[RB×RD/(RB+RD)+RC]V.sub.IN /]b.sub.x RA+[RB×RD/ (RB+RD)]+RC] ---(7)
If it is assumed for the sake of convenience that RA=RB×RD/(RB+RD)=RC=O Ω, the formula (7) above can be rewritten as the following formula (8). ##EQU2##
A voltage gain G A at the node A can be described by the following formula (9). ##EQU3##
On the other hand, a voltage V BOUT which appears at the node B can be described by the following formula (10). ##EQU4##
Thus, a voltage gain G B at the node B can be described by the following formula (11).
G.sub.B =201log[1/(b.sub.x +s)][dB] ---(11)
If the divided voltage at the fourth resistor part 400 is equally divided by the decibel [dB] value, the difference in the decibel values among the divided voltages a 0 through a 11 can be obtained from the following formula (12), where i denotes the maximum number of divisions made in the fourth resistor part 400 and i=11 in this embodiment.
[G.sub.A -G.sub.B)×1/i ---(12)
A voltage gain GAIN of the output voltage V OUT can thus be described by the following formula (13), where a n =a 0 , a 1 , . . . , a 11 .
GAIN=G.sub.A -(G.sub.A -(G.sub.A -G.sub.B)×a.sub.n /i[dB]---(13)
The above formula (13) can be transformed into the following formula (14), where b x =2 n+1 -2 (n≧0), a n =n, a n (n=0, . . . , i-1), and n and i are integers.
GAIN=201log[2/b.sub.x +s)]+(20a.sub.n /i)log2 ---(14)
therefore, by changing the resistance of the first resistor part 100 from b O RA to b 3 RA, it is possible to make a rough adjustment of the gain GAIN, that is, adjust the gain GAIN in large steps. In addition, by switching the divided voltages a 0 through a 11 of the fourth resistor part 400, it is possible to make a fine adjustment of the gain GAIN, that is, adjust the gain GAIN in fine steps.
FIG. 6 shows the gain GAIN which can be obtained when the first resistor part 100 is made up of the resistors 101 through 103 respectively having the resistances of 2R, 4R and 8R Ω, the resistance of the third resistor part 300 and the combined resistance of the second and fourth resistor parts 200 and 400 respectively are R Ω, and the divided voltages obtainable from the fourth resistor part 400 is equally divided by the decibel value. In FIG. 6, the column direction corresponds to b 0 RA through b 3 RA, and the row direction corresponds to a 0 through a 1 .
As may be seen from FIG. 6, the gain GAIN can be change in steps of 6 dB by changing b 0 RA through b 3 RA. In addition, it is possible to change the gain GAIN in steps of 0.5 dB by changing a 0 through a 11 . In other words, it is possible to make a rough adjustment in steps of 6 dB from 0 dB to -18 dB, and to make a fine adjustment in steps of 0.5 dB from 0 dB to -5.5 dB. Hence, this embodiment may be applied to a digitally controlled variable gain circuit (so-called electronic volume unit) to realize the accurate attenuation by the rough and fine adjustments (first and second changes).
FIG. 7 shows this embodiment together with peripheral circuits thereof. In FIG. 7, the resistors 101, 102 and 103 of the first resistor part 100 respectively have the resistances of 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 Ω. The second resistor part 200 is made up of a resistor having the resistance of 1.2 Ω, and the third resistor part 300 is made up of a resistor having the resistance of 1.0 Ω. Furthermore, the resistors 401 through 412 of the fourth resistor part 400 respectively have the resistances R 1 and R 12 shown in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, the right-hand side of each resistance indicates the attenuation obtained thereby.
A control circuit 500 sets a first code which appropriately controls the ON/OFF states of the switches 104 through 107 and determines the resistance of the first resistor part 100. In addition, the control circuit 500 sets a second code which appropriately controls the ON/OFF states of the switches 413 through 424 and determines the divided voltage (that is, the resistance) of the fourth resistor part 400. The input voltage V IN is attenuated by an amount which is roughly determined by the first resistor part 100 and finely determined by the fourth resistor part 400, and the output volta V OUT having the gain GAIN is output to a comparator 600.
The comparator 600 compares the output voltage V OUT with a reference volta V REF , and a result of this comparison is output as a judgement result from the comparator 600. For example, if V IN =10 V and V REF =1.5 V, the gain GAIN obtained from FIG. 6 is -13.546 dB for b 2 and a 3 and V OUT =2.1 V. In this case, the judgement result of the comparator 600 indicates that V OUT <V REF . Therefore, the circuit shown in FIG. 7 functions as a digitally controlled variable gain circuit (electronic volume).
In this embodiment, the attenuation (or gain) of the input voltage V IN is roughly adjusted in steps of 6 dB by changing the resistance of the first resistor part 100, and the attenuation (or gain) of the input voltage V IN is finely adjusted in steps of 0.5 dB by changing the node via which the divided voltage is obtained from the fourth resistor part 400. Hence, the varying range of the attenuation (or gain) can be set large by combining the rough and fine adjustments, and the adjustments can be made accurately.
In addition, the amount of attenuation is actually given by the product of the number of rough adjusting steps (four steps in the case of b 0 through b 3 ) and the number of fine adjusting steps (twelve in the case of a 0 through a 11 ). Therefore, the amount of attenuation in this embodiment can be selected arbitrarily from forty-eight values. Compared to the number of resistors used (seventeen resistors in the case of this embodiment), it is possible to obtain a very large number of values for the amount of attenuation and the circuit scale can be suppressed.
Moreover, because no operational amplifier is used to vary the amplification, the above described problem of the offset voltage of the operational amplifier is completely eliminated according to the present invention. Thus, the present invention can realize an extremely accurate electronic volume unit.
Further, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but various variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
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A variable resistor is provided with a series resistor network including first, second and third resistor parts which are connected in series, where the second resistor part is connected to the first and third resistor parts via first and second nodes, respectively, and a fourth resistor part, coupled in parallel to the second resistor part via the first and second nodes. The fourth resistor part includes a plurality of resistors which are connected in series via a plurality of third nodes. The first resistor part has a terminal opposite the first node for receiving an input signal, and an output signal of the variable resistor is obtained via an arbitrary one of the third nodes of the fourth resistor part.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from copending provisional patent application entitled “Combination Therapy for Anticoagulation”, serial No. 60/439,090 filed Jan. 8, 2003, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to warfarin anticoagulation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The medical use of warfarin as an oral anticoagulant is well known in the medical community. See, e.g. T HE M ERCK I NDEX , A N E NCYCLOPEDIA OF C HEMICALS , D RUGS, AND B IOLOGICALS , (S. Budavari, Ed.), Twelfth Edition (1996). Warfarin is an effective therapy for many medical conditions, such as atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, artificial heart valves, venous thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. Warfarin is also indicated for use as a medical anticoagulant in blood clotting disorders such as antiphospholipid syndrome. In these medical conditions, anticoagulation with warfarin reduces the risk of blood clot formation within the vasculature, which is termed thrombosis; and movement of such a blood clot through the vasculature, which is termed embolization.
[0004] The use of warfarin is limited by well-known side effects that can be disastrous for the patient. The most serious risks are hemorrhage in tissue or in an organ which may result in permanent disability or death. These risks are related to the level of intensity and the duration of warfarin treatment such as during anticoagulation therapy. The risk of serious hemorrhage may also be related to several patient specific conditions, including diet, age, history of gastrointestinal bleeding, history of stroke, anemia, hypertension, poor control of anticoagulation, excursions of anticoagulation level outside of the therapeutic range, usage of other drugs that impair other steps in the coagulation system, and thrombocytopenia. A patient's sensitivity to warfarin is also important, as the more sensitive a patient is to warfarin, the greater the risk for hemorrhagic complication.
[0005] Crystalline warfarin sodium is an anticoagulant which acts by inhibiting vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors. Chemically, crystalline warfarin sodium is 3-(_-acetonylbenzyl)-4-hydroxycoumarin and is a racemic mixture of the R and S enantiomers. Crystalline warfarin sodium is an isopropanol clathrate. The crystallization of warfarin sodium virtually eliminates trace impurities present in amorphous warfarin sodium. Crystalline warfarin sodium's empirical formula is C 19 H 15 NaO 4 .
[0006] The formation of a clot is as a result of two hemostatic pathways: the primary and the secondary pathways. The primary pathway involves the formation of a platelet plug via platelet adhesion to the damaged subendothelium, granule release, and then platelet activation. The end result of this biochemical pathway is platelet aggregation (activated platelets sticking to each other) and the growth of the platelet plug. The secondary pathway involves the formation of fibrin. Clotting factors produced in the liver interact with each other to activate fibrinogen to an end product—fibrin monomer—which then polymerizes into an insoluble gel. Individual polymers/chains of fibrin are then cross-linked, which then stabilizes the platelet plug.
[0007] In order for clotting factors II, VII, IX and X to be active, they need to be carboxylated. This carboxylation is dependent on vitamin KH 2 , which is the reduced form of vitamin K. Vitamin KH 2 is generated when vitamin K is reduced by vitamin K reductase. During carboxylation of the clotting factors, vitamin KH 2 is simultaneously oxidized to vitamin K epoxide (vitamin KO). Vitamin KO is in turn recycled to vitamin K by vitamin KO reductase. Warfarin mainly inhibits vitamin KO reductase; but warfarin also weakly inhibits vitamin K reductase. Although these two pathways are separate events, they are closely linked to each other. For example, during the formation of a clot, thrombin (factor IIa), induces platelet activation and conversely platelet activation accelerates the plasma coagulation via clotting factors.
[0008] Vitamin K is an essential cofactor for the synthesis of the clotting factors II, VII, IX, and X. Warfarin is an inhibitor of the inter-conversion of vitamin K and vitamin K epoxide, which causes the liver to produce coagulation factors with reduced effectiveness. Vitamin K and warfarin are competitive antagonists at the enzymatic level for synthesis of these clotting factors, with vitamin K promoting formation of active clotting factors and warfarin inhibiting formation.
[0009] Warfarin's anticoagulation effectiveness is influenced by anything affecting these biological pathways and chemical reactions, such as but not limited to other drugs, dietary vitamin K intake, changes in physical condition, and concurrent or acute medical illnesses. The anticoagulant response to warfarin is also influenced by drug interactions that affect its absorption and its clearance. For instance, many medications will reduce or increase the gastrointestinal absorption of warfarin. Other medications alter the plasma protein binding of warfarin and its serum concentration. Still other medications affect the metabolism of warfarin and reduce warfarin's clearance from the body. Many of these medically important interactions are listed in the Physician's Desk Reference. See, e.g., P HYSICIAN'S D ESK R EFERENCE , pg. 949 (49 th Ed., 1995).
[0010] The anticoagulant response to warfarin is also altered by variations in vitamin K intake, because vitamin K inhibits the anticoagulant action of warfarin. Because it is very difficult for an individual to maintain a consistent daily intake of vitamin K, variation in dietary vitamin K intake occurs daily. Eating a diet rich in vitamin K will ultimately require larger doses of warfarin for effective anticoagulation as the overabundance of vitamin K will shift the kinetics of the competing reactions to favor vitamin K over warfarin. However, in this situation, if the patient then varies from a diet containing vitamin K rich foods to a diet low in vitamin K, over-anticoagulation will occur as the previously required higher dosage of warfarin now produces a far higher percentage of defective anticoagulation factors than those effective anticoagulation factors produced by the reduced vitamin K. This situation risks the bleeding complications listed above as the person's blood may become dangerously overanticoagulated. The opposite situation occurs when a person who previously ate a low vitamin K diet and required a low dose of warfarin begins to consume a diet rich in vitamin K. Here, the low dosage of warfarin becomes outcompeted at the enzyme level by the higher intake of vitamin K. The coagulation factors are correctly produced in a far higher amount and this person's blood becomes underanticoagulated, with the corresponding risks of stroke or clot. These illustrations demonstrate the critical nature of diet in the anticoagulation patient, and the difficult but mandatory regulation of vitamin K intake. Therefore, current standard dietetic advice is to limit the intake of foods containing naturally high concentrations of vitamin K during treatment. In this fashion, the risk of variation of diet is reduced when vitamin K-containing foods are avoided entirely. And ultimately, the patient requires less warfarin for maintenance of anticoagulation. Yet, this dietary program, being the most common in use by warfarin anticoagulation patients, has a notable flaw that increases the risk of complications or adverse events. The reduced intake of vitamin K, combined with the reduced intake of warfarin, creates a more unstable situation and makes achieving appropriate anticoagulation more difficult, as discussed below.
[0011] Warfarin has a narrow therapeutic range, that is, the optimal dosing amount for medical patients is in a very small range. Since the development of the International Normalized Ratio, which is a method of reporting levels of anticoagulation consistently between different laboratories and testing techniques, physicians have been able to better focus warfarin anticoagulation therapy. Anticoagulation is monitored and the dosage of warfarin adjusted to maintain an International Normalized Ratio within a range specified by the condition which is being treated. For instance, atrial fibrillation is treated with warfarin to maintain an International Normalized Ratio between 2.0 and 3.0. Under a ratio of 2.0, the patient is insufficiently anticoagulated and at risk for thrombotic or embolic events. Over a ratio of 3.0, the patient is excessively anticoagulated. Increasing the level of anticoagulation does not further reduce the risk of thrombotic or embolic events, but it does increase the risk of hemorrhagic complications. Typical dosages can vary between about 2 and about 10 milligrams per day depending on the individual patient's physical condition and needs. Often, smaller than one milligram changes in the amount of warfarin taken daily will alter a patient's International Normalized Ratio beyond the range acceptable for the treated condition. Below the acceptable range for the International Normalized Ratio, patients do not derive the maximal benefit of anticoagulation from the warfarin medication. Above the acceptable International Normalized Ratio range, patients are at higher risk for developing hemorrhagic complications.
[0012] The amount of warfarin required to achieve effective anticoagulation also varies from patient to patient. For instance a large, youthful man may take ten milligrams of warfarin daily to maintain a clinically appropriate International Normalized Ratio, while a small, elderly man may require only two milligrams of warfarin daily to maintain the same clinically appropriate International Normalized Ratio. Further, due to many situations, some of which are described above, the range of medication will change in a particular patient over time. This means that a previously consistently appropriately anticoagulated patient may lose the effectiveness of their anticoagulation as their dosage requirement for warfarin changes in an unanticipated manner.
[0013] The amount of warfarin required to maintain an appropriate level of anticoagulation is also an important factor. In what would appear to be contrary to logic, patients who require a very small amount of warfarin to maintain an appropriate level of anticoagulation are at a higher risk for hemorrhagic complications. These patients are more likely to be elderly, chronically ill or taking additional medications that may alter their response to warfarin. In addition, any small change in the reaction dynamics, as previously discussed, will result in a much higher percent change in patients who have a low dosage of warfarin than those with a larger amount of warfarin in their systems. Any alteration in their fragile condition will adversely affect their anticoagulation level. In the example of the large, youthful man described above, his taking of ten milligrams of warfarin daily to maintain effective anticoagulation will likely result in a safer, more stable medical therapy than that of the small elderly man taking two milligrams of warfarin daily to maintain the same level of anticoagulation. While statistical analysis demonstrates the increased risk of complications with reduced doses of warfarin for effective anticoagulation, the pharmacological research has been unable to identify the cause of this phenomenon.
[0014] Even though physicians have an extensive amount of data concerning the effects of medical conditions, drugs, and diet on warfarin anticoagulation, the sensitivity of the situation is very difficult to maintain in a medically safe manner. And even with a vigilant patient's assistance, the anticoagulation effectiveness of a specific amount of warfarin may change, creating further difficulty in managing warfarin anticoagulation. It is to reduce these difficulties, and further assist the medical care of warfarin anticoagulation patients, that this invention is directed.
[0015] Therefore, there exists a need to provide an improved anticoagulation therapy and associated medication which reduces the variability of International Normalized Ratio levels in patients taking warfarin. In addition, there exists a need to reduce the impact of a patient's dietary intake of vitamin K-rich foods and of other medications, as well as variations in the state of health of the patient, on the effectiveness of the warfarin anticoagulation therapy. Still further, there exists a need to provide an improved medication for anticoagulation which facilitates maintenance of a medically appropriate International Normalized Ratio for a patient in need of warfarin anticoagulation. A need exists to provide a combination medication which reduces the risk of excessive anticoagulation or ineffective anticoagulation therapy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] A medicament in accordance with the principles of the present invention provides an improved anticoagulation therapy and associated medication which reduces the variability of International Normalized Ratio levels in patients taking warfarin. A medicament in accordance with the principles of the present invention reduces the impact of a patient's dietary intake of vitamin K-rich foods and of other medications, as well as variations in the state of health of the patient, on the effectiveness of the warfarin anticoagulation therapy. A medicament in accordance with the principles of the present invention provides an improved medication for anticoagulation which facilitates maintenance of a medically appropriate International Normalized Ratio for a patient in need of warfarin anticoagulation. A medicament in accordance with the principles of the present invention provides a combination medication which reduces the risk of excessive anticoagulation or ineffective anticoagulation therapy.
[0017] A medicament in accordance with the principles of the present invention provides a combination medication for anticoagulation which includes therapeutic quantities of warfarin combined with substantial dosages of vitamin K. A fixed amount of vitamin K, for example between about 50 and about 250 micrograms (μg), is combined with warfarin, for example about 0.5 milligrams to about 15 mg, in for example an oral dosage form, namely a capsule or tablet. The combination oral medication is administered to a patient requiring anticoagulation therapy.
[0018] A method for treating patients who would benefit from anticoagulation includes administering vitamin K contemporaneously with warfarin to provide a predictable vitamin K serum level which is little impacted by varying quantities of dietary vitamin K, by the intake of other medications or by the medical condition of the patient. The maintenance of a predictable vitamin K serum level provides a predictable antagonist for warfarin causing reduction in the variability of International Normalized Ratio for the patient.
[0019] These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from examination of the description and claims which follow.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0020] [0020]FIG. 1 depicts the chemical structure of an example warfarin in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] A medicament in accordance with the principles of the present invention provides an improved therapeutic anticoagulant medication by combining warfarin and vitamin K in an orally dosed form. Throughout this disclosure, the term “warfarin” shall include all medically active forms of warfarin including but not limited to warfarin sodium and all medically active salts of warfarin such as for example the compound illustrated in FIG. 1. Reference to vitamin K includes vitamin K1 and phytonadione.
[0022] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, combination of warfarin and vitamin K is accomplished by adding fixed amounts of each medication into an orally dosed form. The standard oral dosages of warfarin are (in milligrams): 0.5, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2.0, 2.25, 2.5, 2.75, 3.0, 3.25, 3.5, 3.75, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 15. The desired dosage of warfarin may be mixed with between about 50 and about 5000 micrograms of vitamin K, but preferably the vitamin K is provided in a range of about 100 to about 1000 micrograms; more preferably, the vitamin K is provided in a range of from about 100 micrograms to about 250 micrograms per day.
[0023] An orally dosed form in accordance with the present invention may take the form of a tablet or a capsule and may include pharmaceutically appropriate inert ingredients, excipients, and carrier materials appropriate to mass production of a medically useful orally dosed medication. Such inert ingredients may include but are not limited to lactose, starch, sucrose, glucose, modified sugars, modified starches, methyl cellulose, methyl cellulose derivatives, dicalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, mannitol, sorbitol, magnesium stearate, stearic acid, sodium stearyl fumarate, glycerol behenate, gelatin, calcium stearate, waxes, synthetic gums and other necessary or suitable binders, coloring agents, and stabilizing agents.
[0024] As previously described, vitamin K is an essential cofactor for the synthesis of the clotting factors II, VII, IX, and X. Warfarin is an inhibitor of the interconversion of vitamin K and vitamin K epoxide, which causes the liver to produce coagulation factors with reduced effectiveness. Vitamin K and warfarin are competitive antagonists at the enzymatic level for synthesis of these clotting factors with vitamin K promoting formation of active clotting factors and warfarin inhibiting formation. The admixture of both entities into a single orally dosed form at specific ratios, reduces the variations in level of anticoagulation that can occur secondary to dietary variation, drug changes in the patient's medical care, changes in the patient's physical condition, acute medical illnesses, and potentially other factors. This reduction in variation of the level of anticoagulation makes the combination of warfarin and vitamin K a safer and more effective product for medical use in patients for whom warfarin anticoagulation is indicated. By adding vitamin K to warfarin, dietary variations are mitigated by the amount of vitamin K within the combination dosing.
[0025] The average individual consumes between about 80 and about 250 micrograms of vitamin K in their daily diet. This translates to a variance in excess of 300 percent in the amount of daily vitamin K intake. Since the warfarin dose needs to be adjusted to the dietary vitamin K intake, it has been established practice to recommend reducing the overall dietary vitamin K intake: but this method then reduces the amount of warfarin required for effective anticoagulation. Reduced doses of warfarin are more difficult to maintain and lead to further risk of inadequate anticoagulation or over anticoagulation.
[0026] By adding a fixed amount of vitamin K to the warfarin in a single daily dose, the dietary variation is significantly reduced. For instance, adding 500 micrograms of vitamin K to the daily dose, combined with the usual 80 to 250 micrograms of vitamin K in the diet, will result in a consumption of 580 to 750 micrograms per day of vitamin K intake (a variation of thirty percent (30%)). This reduction in variation makes the combination of vitamin K and warfarin in a daily dosed form a much safer and more effective product for medical use in patients for whom warfarin anticoagulation is indicated.
[0027] By adding vitamin K to warfarin, drug induced variations of warfarin effectiveness are mitigated in the following manner: The vitamin K contained within the combined dose requires a larger amount of warfarin for effective anticoagulation. A higher amount of warfarin within the dose results in a higher concentration of warfarin in the body. The higher concentration of warfarin in the body is more resistant to variations in level due to the influence of other drugs, in a similar manner as variance in the concentration of vitamin K is reduced when dosed vitamin K and dietary vitamin K are combined. The higher concentration of warfarin reduces the variations of warfarin concentration and achieves a more consistent effect. A higher level of warfarin alone, though more consistent, would dangerously anticoagulate the patient, creating its own dangerous hemorrhagic complications.
[0028] The addition of vitamin K to warfarin in accordance with the principles of the present invention makes possible the use of larger doses of each, thereby enhancing safety from the reduction in dietary vitamin K variation and also from the reduction in drug induced variations in warfarin concentration. Standard medical therapy to this point has been to minimize the amounts of each, creating inherent instability due to the very small levels of each in the serum. The present invention counter-intuitively uses larger doses of each, and by combining vitamin K and warfarin in a single form, creates greater stability against these variations in the serum, and greater safety. This is a more effective product for medical use in patients for whom warfarin anticoagulation is indicated.
[0029] The invention may also be practiced by prescribing the concurrent intake of about 50 to about 5000 micrograms, preferably about 100 to about 1000 micrograms, and more preferably from about 100 to about 250 micrograms per day, of vitamin K, along with an oral dosage of warfarin, while monitoring the International Normalized Ratio level of the patient to lead to adjustment of the warfarin intake to achieve therapeutic and safe anticoagulation. Therefore the patient may be directed to ingest daily this combination of vitamin K tablet in the range of about 100 to about 1000 micrograms and warfarin in the range of about 0.5 to about 15 micrograms per day in order to maintain a medically safe and more consistent level of anticoagulation than can be achieved by warfarin alone.
EXAMPLE
[0030] The following is a non-limiting example of the administration of a medicament in accordance with the present invention:
[0031] In a study conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present invention, 24 patients consented to participate and were randomized into three study groups: a control group receiving warfarin alone; a study group receiving combination warfarin and vitamin K in a single oral preparation; and a second experimental group receiving warfarin dosing via a standardized algorithm depicted in Tables 1 and 2.
TABLE 1 INR Therapy for Established Patents Who are Indicated for INR of 2.0-3.0 Last Check was done . . . INR 3 days ago* 4 days ago* 1 week ago Under 1.50 Increase dose 2 levels. Increase dose 2 levels. Confirm patient is taking Coumadin dose Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 3 days. daily. If yes increase the does 2 levels and recheck in 3 days. If no, confirm daily dose and recheck in 3 days. 1.50-1.74 Increase does 1 level. Increase dose 1 level. Increase dose 1 level. Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 4 days. 1.75-1.99 Increase dose 1 level. Increase dose 1 level. Increase dose 1 level. Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 4 days. Recheck in 3 days. 2.00-3.00 No dose change. No dose change. No dose change. Recheck in 4 days. Recheck in 1 week. Recheck in 1 week. 3.01-3.25 Decrease dose 1 level. Decrease dose 1 level. Decrease dose 1 level. Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 4 days. Recheck in 4 days. 3.26-3.50 Decrease dose 1 level. Decrease dose 1 level. Decrease dose 1 level. Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 3 days. 3.51-4.00 Decrease dose 2 levels. Decrease dose 2 levels. Decrease dose 2 levels. Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 3 days. 4.01-4.50 Decrease dose 2 levels. Decrease dose 2 levels. Decrease dose 2 levels. Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 3 days. Over 4.50 Add vitamin K 5 mg. Add vitamin K 5 mg. Add vitamin K 5 mg. po. po. po. Decrease dose 2 levels. Decrease dose 2 levels. Decrease dose 2 levels. Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 3 days. Recheck in 3 days.
[0032] [0032] TABLE 2 Dosage configurations. Total mg Dose 0.5 ½ of 1 mg 1.0 1 mg 1.25 ½ of 2.5 mg 1.5 ½ of 3 mg 1.75 ½ of 2.5 mg + ½ of 1 mg 2.0 2 mg 2.25 ½ of 2.5 mg + 1 mg 2.5 2.5 mg 2.75 ½ of 2.5 mg + ½ of 3 mg 3.0 3 mg 3.25 ½ of 2.5 mg + 2 mg 3.5 2.5 mg + 1 mg 3.75 ½ of 7.5 mg 4.0 4.0 mg 4.5 2 mg + 2.5 mg 5.0 5 mg 5.5 5 mg + ½ of 1 mg 6.0 5 mg + 1 mg 6.5 4 mg + 2 — mg 7.0 5 mg + 2 mg 7.5 7.5 mg 8 5 mg + 3 mg 8.5 7.5 mg + 1 mg 9 5 mg + 4 mg 9.5 7.5 mg + 2 mg 10 10 mg 11 10 mg + 1 mg 12 10 mg + 2 mg 13 10 mg + 3 mg
[0033] The algorithm group was found to not be statistically significant from the control group. But the combination warfarin—vitamin K of the present invention was shown to be a statistically significant improvement over standard medical therapy with warfarin alone. Over six months of study, in which these 24 patients had their anticoagulation level checked by International Normalized Ratios (INRs) on at least a weekly basis, the following important facts were established.
[0034] The number of clinically safe anticoagulation levels (defined as INR level between 2.0 and 3.0) was higher in the combination warfarin—vitamin K group when compared to the control group [19.83 versus 14.83, t(22)=−2.283, p=0.032]. The data thus supports the fact that the combination provided more appropriate and clinically accurate anticoagulation.
[0035] The number of medically safe anticoagulation levels (defined as INR level between 1.8 and 3.5) was higher in the combination warfarin—vitamin K group [23.92 versus 18.42, t(22)=−2.09, p=0.048].
[0036] The number of medically unsafe INRs (defined as INR less than 1.5 or greater than 4.9) was numerically lower in the warfarin—vitamin K group, but did not meet statistical significance due to the low number of study participants [27.83 versus 22.00, t(22)=−2.032, p=0.054].
[0037] The number of anticoagulation dose changes in response to changes in concomitant medication regimens was lower in the warfarin—vitamin K group than in the control group. Four instances required anticoagulation adjustment after other drug therapy changes in the warfarin—vitamin K group, while 10 instances occurred in the control group. This indicates that the combination did in fact help patients resist changes in anticoagulation due to adjustments in concomitant drug therapy.
Evaluation Study
[0038] Adult anticoagulation patients presenting to the practice site were informed of the study, and the opportunity to be a test subject. Subjects were required to complete a study entry data interview, provide informed consent, and present to the clinic once to twice weekly for INR evaluation. The control group and a second group (the algorithm group) of patients were provided warfarin alone as an anticoagulation agent, while the study group patients received warfarin and 100 μg of vitamin K in a single gelatin capsule from a single pharmacy. This pharmacy also tracked refill data and provided statements confirming patient compliance throughout the study. The study received clearance from the St. Mary's Medical Center Institutional Review Board, Galesburg, Ill.
[0039] An initial study interview was conducted and identified a patient's sex, age, indication for anticoagulation, and prescription and nonprescription medication usage. Those who were appropriate for study and provided consent were required to present to the clinic for once or twice weekly INR testing.
[0040] The control group (N=6) received their warfarin dosed by conventional tablet forms and presented to the office at least weekly for INR labs (more often if dosage changes were required).
[0041] The algorithm group (N=6) received their warfarin based upon an algorithm devised by the investigators to standardize the adjustments and the dosing of warfarin in smaller increments than those available in conventional dosages of oral medication (tablets). The algorithm specified dosages of warfarin other than those used by the manufacturer, in order for the prescribing physician to specify smaller incremental dosage changes than those permitted with the standard dosages available.
[0042] The purpose of having the algorithm group as a part of the study was to determine if the algorithm played a significant role in reducing nontherapeutic anticoagulation intervals. The first theory behind the algorithm is that as patients remain stably anticoagulated, their INR frequency would be gradually reduced to weekly visits. If a dosing adjustment was required due to a nontherapeutic INR, the dose of warfarin would be adjusted in a fixed increment and the time of the next INR set by reducing the interval.
[0043] The second theory behind the algorithm is that at the lower warfarin doses, the interval between easily taken amounts is a significant dose change. For example, the increase in dosage between 1 mg and 2 mg daily is a 100 percent dose increase. In comparison, the increase between the 4 mg tab and the 5 mg tab is a 25 percent dose increase. In order to create smaller dosage steps between doses of warfarin, the various available tablets were halved along their scoring lines and the appropriate amount was placed into a gelatin capsule for easy daily dosing. For instance, a dose of 1.75 mg warfarin required one-half of a 2.5 mg tablet and one-half of a 1 mg tab to be placed into a gelatin capsule. A cooperating compounding pharmacist placed the daily doses of warfarin into gelatin capsules for the use of the patients in the algorithm group.
[0044] The study group (N=12) received warfarin combined with 100 μg of vitamin K compounded into a gelatin capsule by the compounding pharmacist. The warfarin was dosed by the study algorithm, described above. Patients who randomized to this group received their current dose of warfarin along with the dose of vitamin K in the daily gelatin capsule. And as the INR fluctuated, the dose of warfarin was adjusted by the algorithm.
[0045] The combination of warfarin and vitamin K was accomplished by adding fixed amounts of each into an orally dosed form. The doses of warfarin used within the study protocol were (in milligrams): 0.5, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2.0, 2.25, 2.5, 2.75, 3.0, 3.25, 3.5, 3.75, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5, 7.0, 7.5, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15. The selected dose of warfarin was combined in the gelatin capsule with 100 micrograms of vitamin K.
Results of the Study
[0046] The theory behind this study is the probability that adding vitamin K in a standardized daily dose would reduce the variations in anticoagulation effectiveness of warfarin due to external factors. The admixture of both entities into a single orally dosed form at specific ratios, reduces the variations in level of anticoagulation that can occur secondary to dietary variation, drug changes in the patient's medical care, changes in the patient's physical condition, acute medical illnesses, and potentially other factors. This reduction in variation of level of anticoagulation makes the combination of warfarin and vitamin K a safer, more effective product for medical use in patients for whom warfarin anticoagulation is indicated.
[0047] Twenty-four subjects completed the study (14 females and 10 males, mean age 68.9 years, age range from 43 to 88 years). Three subjects underwent surgery during the study, and as a result were medically required to discontinue their anticoagulation. After these patients recuperated sufficiently to resume anticoagulation, their data collection was resumed. Up to 35 INR measurements were taken by these patients over the six months.
[0048] The control group and the algorithm group did not have a statistically meaningful difference in their warfarin doses or INR results. Therefore, the algorithm patients were not at any risk when their warfarin dose was adjusted based on the algorithm as opposed to physician dose adjustment. Also, in order to create a base of data for the control versus the addition of vitamin K, these two groups were combined. This made analysis more statistically important, as with this study, small numbers make for more difficult interpretation.
[0049] Outcome measures included the number of clinically safe INRs (INR range=2.0 to 3.0); number of medically safe INRs (INR range 1.8 to 3.5; and INR range 1.5 to 4.9); number of INR levels suggesting under-anticoagulation (INR less than 1.5); INR level suggesting over-anticoagulation (INR greater than 5.0); and anticoagulation dose changes after a change in concomitant medication. The data was entered into a computerized database with Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 11.5 statistical analysis software, which is available from SPSS Inc. 233 S. Wacker Drive 11th Floor Chicago, Ill. 60606.
[0050] The use of the combination preparation containing warfarin and vitamin K resulted in more consistent warfarin dosing in the experimental group receiving the combination capsule. Across the first 24 measures of this study, there was only a 15% variation from low to high doses (4.25-5.00 mgs) in this group. By contrast, the average dose for the algorithm only arm demonstrated a 25.3% variation (4.71-6.30 mgs). Further, the patients in the standard care group demonstrated a 36.9% variation in dosing from low to high dose (3.50-5.55 mgs) This indicates that the addition of vitamin K improved the stability of anticoagulation in these patients. It also reduced the variation in amount of warfarin required to maintain appropriate anticoagulation.
[0051] The use of the vitamin K—warfarin combination resulted in patients having a larger number of clinically therapeutic INR's (2.0-3.0). The data showed more INR values in the therapeutic range in patients receiving the combination therapy [19.83 versus 14.83, t(22)=−2.283, p=0.032].
[0052] The use of vitamin K—warfarin combination resulted in a larger number of medically safe INRs (INR range 1.8-3.5) [23.92 versus 18.42, t(22) =-2.09, p=0.048].
[0053] The use of vitamin K—warfarin combination led to numerically fewer INR levels outside of the medically safe range (1.5-4.9); however this did not achieve a criterion level of significance [27.83 versus 22.00, t(22)=-2.032, p=0.054].
[0054] The use of the combination vitamin K—warfarin capsule reduced the number of anticoagulation dosage adjustments required after a change in concomitant medical therapy. Four patients in the combination group required an adjustment in their anticoagulant dose after a change in medication; however, ten instances were found in the control and the algorithm arms of the trial. Eight persons (including the two subjects who had this occur twice) in these groups had a dosage change in their anticoagulation after a change in concomitant medical therapy.
[0055] The foregoing description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations of the embodiments are possible in light of the above disclosure or such may be acquired through practice of the invention. The embodiments illustrated were chosen in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, and by their equivalents.
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A combination anticoagulation medicament including vitamin K with warfarin in an oral form is described. Between 50 and 5000 micrograms of vitamin K are combined in a single oral medication with 0.5 to 15 milligrams of warfarin for administration. The combination of vitamin K with warfarin in a single orally dosed form is a novel approach to improving the effectiveness of anticoagulation. The combination allows for broader application of warfarin in medical anticoagulation and reduces the variability of anticoagulation due to the influences of diet, additional medications, nutritional status, changes in physical condition, and potentially other factors. Use of the combination therapy improves the safety of warfarin as an appropriate anticoagulant for many medical conditions.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automobile anti-theft device, and, more particularly, to an automobile anti-theft device incorporated in a seat belt design for preventing operation of the car when the seat belt buckle is disengaged.
In recent years, automobiles have frequently been equipped with various alarms, cutoff switches and tracking devices in an attempt to deter car theft. With the ever increasing cost of new automobiles, the purchase of a car may represent a sizable expenditure. Combined with increasing crime rate in many major cities, the need for such deterrent devices is more important than ever.
Many of the anti-theft devices suggested by the prior art require that the alarm or cutoff system be selectively activated and deactivated by the user, by entering codes and the like, making their use, at times difficult. Accidental triggering of a sound alarm or initiation of engine cutoff by an anti-theft system thought to be correctly disabled by the user is commonplace.
A reliable, yet convenient and simple to operate, automobile anti-theft device would therefore be highly desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an automobile anti-theft device which overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an anti-theft device which provides convenient, reliable and practical means for selectively disabling an engine, or, alternatively activating an alarm system.
In accordance with these and other objects of the invention, there is provided a vehicle anti-theft device, adapted to use in various vehicles, such as for example automobiles, trucks, and the like, in which a modified seat belt buckle includes means for selectively enabling and disabling a theft deterrent system, for example affecting an operative parameter of the automobile, such as for example engine operation, in response to buckling and unbuckling of the seat belt by the driver. For purposes herein, the term "theft deterrent system" includes anything initiating a theft deterrent parameter which varies normal operation of the vehicle, and includes activation of an audible alarm, silent alarm, or diminishing of drivability in any way, including for example, locking of the steering wheel, disabling the ignition or fuel supply, etc. The modified seat belt buckle in accordance with embodiment of the invention includes features common to conventionally employed seat belt buckle mechanisms, including for example cooperative seat belt buckle members comprised of a buckle receiving mechanism mounted to a structurally secure portion of the car interior, and a buckle plate member, carried on a seat belt, and lockingly engagable with the buckle receiving mechanism for securing the vehicle occupant in a seat. In addition thereto, however, the seat belt buckle mechanism as disclosed herein also includes means for removal of the buckle plate member from the seat belt, such that it may be hidden in the automobile or a remote location, or carried by the driver on his person when leaving the vehicle, thereby preventing effective vehicle operation by other than one in possession of the buckle plate member, or activating an alarm when the car is started and the buckle plate member is not engaged with the buckle receiving mechanism.
In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a vehicle anti-theft device which includes the modified seat belt mechanism as outlined broadly above, and in which the buckle plate member is directly receivable on the seat belt, the belt itself passing through a receiving slot formed in the buckle plate member, and slidably receivable therein through a slot opening at a peripheral edge of the buckle plate member. Since the buckle plate member may be subject to excessive forces during a collision, a reinforcing structure for preventing deformation of structure defining the slot as a consequence of the cantilever configuration thereof is advantageously provided for structurally bridging and supporting the slot opening.
In an alternative embodiment in accordance with the invention, the buckle plate member of the seat belt buckle actuated vehicle anti-theft device is receivable on compatible receiving structure captively engaged with the seat belt. This feature permits the proper mounting position of the buckle plate member along the seat belt to be readily ascertained simply by locating the receiving structure which remains on the belt when the buckle plate member is removed to impede theft of the vehicle within which it is installed.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the detachable buckle plate member is keyed to the buckle receiving mechanism such that only a particular buckle plate member will operate a correspondingly keyed receiving mechanism with which it is brought into engagement. Such feature provides further protection against theft by preventing engagement of a buckle plate member of uniform construction with the buckle receiving mechanism of a vehicle utilizing the same buckle system, and deters activation of the means for selectively enabling and disabling the operative parameter of the vehicle by other than engagement of the particular buckle plate member unique to the individual vehicle. To provide such keying, the buckle plate member may include structure presenting a unique shape, such as the many configurations employed in the construction of standard keys. For example, a series of teeth or notches may be provided, disposed to run along an edge of the plate member in accordance with a specified, discrete pattern. In the alternative, the system may employ other recognizable identifying factors, such as digitized, audio, optical or other discernable discrete data communicated between the plate member and receiving mechanism. Corresponding means are provided in the buckle receiving mechanism for deactivating the theft deterrent system, thereby enabling correct operation of the vehicle or disablement of an alarm system in response to recognition of the proper keyed buckle plate member when lockingly engaged therewith.
The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a simplified front view in partial cross-section of a buckle plate member and buckle receiving mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the invention illustrating a mechanism for selectively enabling and disabling effective vehicle operation and/or triggering an alarm;
FIG. 2 is a front view of a buckle plate member in accordance with an embodiment of the invention in which the buckle plate member is directly receivable on a seat belt and which includes a reinforcing bridge structure;
FIG. 3a is a simplified front view in partial cross-section of a seat belt buckle plate member and receiving mechanism combination comprising a vehicle anti-theft device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention utilizing optical keying, shown with the buckle plate member disengaged;
FIG. 3b is a simplified front view in partial cross-section of the device depicted in FIG. 3a, shown with buckle plate engaged with the buckle receiving mechanism for operational enablement of the vehicle within which it is installed;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a buckle plate member removably engagable with a securement member captively mounted to the seat belt in accordance with an further embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken of line V--V of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the seat belt implemented vehicle anti-theft device in accordance with the invention is shown, generally designated 10. Anti-theft device 10 includes a buckle plate member 1 suitably configured to permit locking engagement with a buckle receiving mechanism 2. Buckle receiving mechanism 2 includes an outer housing 2a in which operational components thereof are conveniently housed. Buckle receiving mechanism 2 is securely anchored to a support structure in a vehicle, in accordance with accepted practices and safety guidelines. For purposes herein, reference to the precise nature of the operational portion of buckle receiving mechanism 2 which provides the primary function of locking engagement for purposes of passenger restraint in the event of a collision, and its depiction, has been omitted, inasmuch as the invention is directed to ancillary means for deterring theft of the vehicle in which it is installed. It will be understood that any of the conventional means currently employed in standard car seat belt mechanisms may be utilized in any of the embodiments contemplated herein for providing adequate means for locking engagement and disengagement between buckle plate member 1 and buckle receiving mechanism 2. For example, buckle plate member 1 may include a hole 1a formed therein for purposes of engaging a cooperating manually disengagable locking member (not shown) in buckle receiving mechanism 2 when slidably inserted therein in the direction of the arrows, as shown in FIG. 1. In accordance with embodiment of the invention, circuit activation means responsive to engagement of buckle plate member 1 with buckle receiving mechanism 2 are provided in buckle receiving mechanism 2, conveniently for example in the form of a normally open-biased switch mechanism comprised of a slidable switch member 3 on which is carried a conductive contact 3a, and a pair of contacts 5a and 5b. Means for biasing slidable switch member 3 in an open position is provided, conveniently in the form of laterally disposed springs 4 each mounted at one end to housing 2a of buckle receiving member 2. Contacts 5a and 5b are positioned to contact, and be conductively bridged by, contact 3a when slidable switch member 3 is urged downward against the biasing of springs 4 initiated by insertion of buckle plate member 1 into buckle receiving mechanism 2. A pair of leads 6a and 6b provide means for electrically connecting contacts 5a and 5b, respectively, to a suitable circuit (not shown) for execution of a desired theft deterrent system, such as for example disablement of an automobile ignition or activation of an alarm. Therefore, proper and effective, unimpeded operation of a vehicle equipped with such anti-theft feature is predicated upon engaged coupling of buckle plate member 1 with buckle receiving mechanism 2. Buckle plate member 1 is carried on a driver/passenger restraint security belt 7, slidably received in a slot 1b through a side opening 1c in buckle plate member 1. Side opening 1c is offset from slot 1b, creating a blocking structure 1d at an end of a belt support portion 1e of buckle plate member 1, thereby permitting intentional user-initiated detachment of buckle plate member 1 from security belt 7, yet inhibiting its accidental separation from same during normal operation of the vehicle. The desired anti-theft objectives of the invention are achieved by removal of buckle plate member 1 by the operator of the vehicle when same is left unattended.
In accordance with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the structural integrity of belt support portion 1e relative a remainder of buckle plate member 1 is limited to cantilever support thereof. Therefore, in consideration of the forces generated during a collision, the various dimensional and material characteristics of buckle plate member 1, and particularly belt support portion 1e, including for example overall thickness of buckle plate member 1 and width of belt support portion 1e in light of material strength, will be of desirable design parameters to provide adequate protection against deformation of buckle plate member 1 during vehicle impact.
When so desired, secondary reinforcement of such cantilever structure against deformation may be optionally provided, as shown for example in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, and in which a modified buckle plate member is designated generally as 20. Buckle plate member 20 includes a plate body 21 configured analogously to buckle plate member 1 in the preceding embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 to include a locking engagement hole 21a, a belt reception slot 21b, a offset side opening 21c, a blocking structure 21d and a belt support portion 21e, each which serve an equivalent functional purpose. Buckle plate member 20, for convenience of illustration, is configured for reception in buckle receiving mechanism 2 of the previously described embodiment, the redundant depiction of which has therefore been omitted from FIG. 2. Means for secondary reinforcement against stress-induced deformation of belt support portion 21e accomplished by a structural bridging of side opening 21c is conveniently provided in the form of a reinforcement member 22 mounted to plate body 21 in a manner permitting pivotable movement between a closed position as shown, and an open position shown by phantom line representation. Biasing of reinforcement member 22 in a normally closed position is advantageously provided, conveniently in the form of a spring 23. Other means for maintaining a position of reinforcing member 22 in which it structurally bridges side opening 21c may be provided, such as for example a suitable latching mechanism (not shown).
Although absent from the previously described embodiments, and not essential to practice of the invention, advantageous embodiment of the vehicle anti-theft device in accordance with the invention includes means for keyed recognition of a particular buckle member when engaged with a matched receiving mechanism, thereby deterring unauthorized circumventing of the protective features of the invention by insertion of objects other than the dedicated buckle member into the receiving member. Turning now to FIGS. 3a and 3b, an embodiment of the vehicle anti-theft device in accordance with the invention is shown, generally designated 30, which provides an example of such key initiated operation. Vehicle anti-theft device 30 includes a buckle plate member 31 and a buckle receiving mechanism 32, both configured in general accordance with either of the preceding embodiments, and each additionally structured to provide mutually cooperative keying elements. The keying means in the illustrated embodiment is conveniently provided, for example, in the form of an optically activated switch mechanism. Buckle receiving mechanism 32 includes a series of partition members 33 captively slidable within buckle receiving mechanism 32 and biased in direction opposing a buckle insertion direction, conveniently by means of springs 34. Each partition member 33 includes an aperture 33a formed therein in the direction of the cross-sectional axis of buckle receiving member 32, and at a longitudinal position therealong unique to the particular member 33. Light emitting means are provided on one side of the interior of buckle receiving mechanism 32, and light receiving means at the other side thereof, conveniently in the form of an LED 35 and a phototransistor 36, respectively. In the normally biased state prior to insertion into, and subsequent received engagement of buckle plate member 31 with, buckle receiving mechanism 32, as shown in FIG. 3a, at least one, and advantageously most or all, of partition members 33 block the passage of light emitted by LED 35 across buckle receiving mechanism 32, thereby preventing reception of same by phototransistor 36. It will be understood that phototransistor 36 is an active circuit element of a suitable circuit, for example of conventional design (not shown), which operates to selectively enable proper vehicle operation (or deactivate an alarm) when light is received thereby from LED 35.
Buckle plate member 31 includes a series of teeth 31a correspondingly configured and positioned to engage partition members 33 when inserted into buckle receiving mechanism 32. When buckle plate member 31 is engaged with buckle receiving mechanism 32, as shown in FIG. 3b, teeth 31a of buckle plate member 31 urge partition members 33 against springs 34 an amount determined by the relative extension of each of teeth 31a from a remainder of buckle plate member 31, resulting in alignment of apertures 33a which collectively form a light passage from LED 35 to phototransistor 36. Reception of light emitted by LED 35 by phototransistor 36 in turn enables proper vehicle operation.
In each of the preceding embodiments, the buckle plate member is directly carried on the restraint belt. Alternatively, however, structure may be provided which remains on the restraint belt and to which the buckle plate member is securely engagable, thereby facilitating location by the user of the proper mounting position of the buckle plate member along the seat belt simply by locating the receiving structure which remains on the belt when the buckle plate member is removed by the user. Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a vehicle anti-theft device embodiment utilizing such an approach is depicted, generally designated 40. It is noted vehicle anti-theft device 40 includes a buckle receiving mechanism in accordance with that described with reference to FIG. 1, but which has been omitted from FIGS. 4 and 5 to avoid unnecessary redundancy. Vehicle anti-theft device 40 includes a buckle plate member 41, which for purposes of simplifying disclosure does not have keying, but which can be optionally so equipped if desired, for example, in a manner analogous to any of the approaches suggested with regard to the preceding embodiment. A securement member 46 is provided, and which is captively carried on a restraint security belt 47 which slidably passes through an accommodation slot 49 formed in securement member 46. Means for secured reception of buckle plate member 41 to securement member 46 is provided, conveniently for example as cooperating structure carried on each of the elements. In the illustrated example, such cooperating structure advantageously takes the form of a receiving slot 48 formed in securement member 46 in which a peripheral portion of buckle plate member 41 is slidably receivable. Receiving slot 48 includes a widened region 48a correspondingly configured to receive a widened portion 41a formed peripherally of buckle plate member 41, such that attachment and separation of buckle plate member 41 and securement member 46 requires lateral sliding relative one another. To prevent unwanted separation of buckle plate member 41 from securement member 46, means are provided for selectively blocking lateral sliding of buckle plate member 41, conveniently for example in the form of a pivotable blocking member 51, biased to normally block the side entrance of receiving slot 48 (depicted as urged against such biasing and in an unblocked state, thereby permitting slidable removal of buckle plate member 41 from securement member 46).
It is noted that continuous engagement of the buckle member with the buckle receiving member may not be desirable in all applications, since any disengagement during driving may create a potential safety hazard by unexpected impediment of drivability. Therefore, advantageously, the anti-theft device in accordance with the invention provides for disengagement of the theft deterrent system when the buckle plate member and buckle receiving mechanism are mutually engaged prior to starting the engine, but is effectively disabled as long as the key remains in the ignition after starting.
It is further noted that although referred to as a buckle plate member, such term is intended to apply to other structures not necessarily of flattened configuration, as illustrated for convenience and in accordance with current convention.
Having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
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A seat belt arrangement selectively enables vehicle drivability when a buckle member carried on a restraint belt is engaged with a mounted buckle receiving mechanism. The buckle member is removable from the restraint belt, and may be hidden or carried on the person of the user when leaving the vehicle unattended, thereby providing a vehicle anti-theft feature. The detachable buckle plate member is advantageously keyed to the buckle receiving mechanism such that only a particular buckle plate member will operate a correspondingly keyed receiving mechanism with which it is brought into engagement. Such keying may be provided mechanically in the form of a special shape such as employed in the construction of standard keys, or may employ other recognizable identifying factors, such as digitized, audio, optical or other discernable discrete data communicated between the plate and locking members. The buckle receiving mechanism correspondingly enables correct operation of the vehicle in response to recognition of the proper keyed buckle plate member when lockingly engaged therewith.
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CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application claims priority to an application entitled “L-Band Light Source with Improved Amplifying Efficiency and Stabilized Output Power,” filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Dec. 19, 2003 and assigned Ser. No. 2003-93866, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical module, in particular to an L-band light source.
2. Description of the Related Art
A light source with a wide wavelength band is needed to measure the optical characteristics employed in optical communication. Moreover, the wavelength band of the optical signals used in optical communication is 1520 nm˜1620 nm when at least one erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) is employed. Thus, a light source capable of measuring optical characteristics of various optical components within such a wavelength band is needed.
A wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network (WDM-PON) has recently been highlighted as a technology for a high-speed fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network. In a WDM-PON attention is paid to the broadband light source that is used along with a wavelength locked Fabry Perot laser diode (FP-LD) in order to accommodate a plurality of subscribers. Existing available broadband light sources mainly employ a white light source or an EDFA outputting amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). However, because white light sources have low output power, they are limited in measuring the optical characteristics of a light source or an optical component for a WDM-PON which requires high output power. In addition, EDFAs are not economical in price.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,507,429 issued to Gaelle Ales et al. and entitled “Article Comprising a High Power/Broad Spectrum Superfluorescent Fiber Radiation Source” discloses a broadband source for outputting C-band (1520 nm˜1570 nm) ASE and L-band (1570 nm˜1620 nm) ASE. The broadband light source includes first and second rare earth element doped optical fibers, and an isolator located between the optical fibers. First pumping light from a first pump light source is supplied to the first rare earth element doped optical fiber and second pumping light from second pump light source is supplied to the second rare earth element doped optical fiber. The first rare earth element doped optical fiber has a length longer than that of the second rare earth element doped optical fiber about five times. A reflector reflects ASE inputted from the first rare earth element doped optical fiber, thus assisting generation of L-band ASE in the first rare earth element doped optical fiber. The second rare earth element doped optical fiber conducts functions of amplifying the L-band ASE and generating C-band ASE. As a result, the broadband light source is able to output C-band and L-band ASEs through an output end thereof.
However, the typical broadband optical source has poor output efficiency. This is due to the isolator being between the first and second rare earth element doped optical fibers; thus, the C-band ASE outputted to the rear side of the second rare earth element doped optical fiber cannot be used. In addition, if the output power of the first pump light source is changed so as to tune the output power of the L-band ASE (obtained from the first rare earth element doped optical fiber), not only the output power of the L-band ASE but also the output power of the C-band ASE is changed. In contrast, if the output power of the second pump light source is changed so as to tune the C-band ASE (obtained from the second rare earth element doped optical fiber), not only the output power of the C-band ASE, but also the output power of the L-band ASE is changed. Accordingly, since the output powers of the C-band ASE and L-band ASE are affected by one another, it is more difficult to control the output power of the broadband light source.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made to reduce or overcome the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art. One object of the present invention is to provide an L-band light source having improved amplifying efficiency and stabilized output power. Thus, the L-band light source is suitable for measuring the characteristics of an optical component or use as a broadband light source for a WDM-PON.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, an L-band light source is provided and includes: a gain medium having first and second sides, and configured to generate an L-band amplified spontaneous emission (ASE); a first pump light source to generate first pumping light; a first wavelength selective coupler to supply the first pumping light to the gain medium; and a first reflector to reflect a part of ASE outputted to the fist side of the gain medium, the first reflector having a predetermined reflection wavelength included in C-band.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a construction of an L-band light source according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a construction of an L-band light source according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 shows a construction of an L-band light source according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 4 is a view for illustrating characteristics of output power of the broadband light source shown in FIG. 1 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the purposes of clarity and simplicity, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted as it may make the subject matter of the present invention unclear.
FIG. 1 shows a construction of an L-band light source according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The L-band light source 100 comprises a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) 120 , first and second pump light sources 130 , 135 , first and second wavelength selective couplers (WSCs) 140 , 145 , a gain medium 150 , and an isolator (ISO) 160 . The fiber Bragg grating 120 , the gain medium 150 , the first and second wavelength selective couplers 140 , 145 and the isolator 160 are connected in series using a first optical waveguide 110 . The first pump light source 130 is connected in parallel to the gain medium 150 using a second optical waveguide 112 and the second pump light source 135 is connected in parallel to the gain medium 150 using a third optical waveguide 114 .
The first pump light source 130 outputs first pumping light, and the first and second pump light sources 130 , 145 may each incorporate a laser diode outputting light having a wavelength of 980 nm or 1480 nm.
The first wavelength selective coupler 140 is located between the fiber Bragg grating 120 and the gain medium 150 . The first wavelength selective coupler 140 supplies pumping light to the gain medium 150 .
The second pump light source 125 outputs second pumping light. The second wavelength selective coupler 145 is located between the gain medium 150 and the isolator 160 . The second wavelength selective coupler 145 supplies the second pumping light to the gain medium 150 .
The gain medium 150 is located between the first and second wavelength selective couplers 140 , 145 and has a length suitable for generating L-band ASE. The gain medium 150 is controlled to have a relatively long length. Thus, it generates ASE in a wavelength band of 1520 nm˜1620 nm. In addition, the C-band (1520 nm˜1570 nm) ASE in the generated ASE is absorbed while progressing within the gain medium 150 . As a result, the gain medium 150 serves to amplify the L-band (1570 nm˜ASE 1620 nm) with a lower output power generated at the end of the gain medium 150 . For example, the gain medium 150 may incorporate an EDF having a length of about 50 m. The gain medium 150 outputs ASE to a first and second side, hereinafter, front and rear sides, thereof as it is pumped by the first and second pumping light. The ASE outputted to the front side of the gain medium 150 passes the second wavelength selective coupler 145 and the isolator 160 . Then the ASE is outputted to the outside through the output end 104 of the L-band light source 100 . The ASE outputted to the rear side of the gain medium 150 passes the first wavelength selective coupler 140 . Then, the ASE is inputted into the fiber Bragg grating 120 .
The fiber Bragg grating 120 is located between a terminal end 102 of the L-band light source 100 and the first wavelength selective coupler 140 . The fiber Bragg grating 120 has a predetermined reflection wavelength and reflects a part of the inputted rear side ASE to the gain medium 150 . The rear side ASE reflected from the fiber Bragg grating 120 passes the first wavelength selective coupler 140 . Then, the rear side ASE is inputted into the gain medium 150 , thus pumping the gain medium 150 . The ASE having passed the fiber Bragg grating 120 is inputted into the terminal end of the L-band light source 100 and disappears. The fiber Bragg grating 120 may have a reflection wavelength of 1560 nm.
In order to prevent the rear side ASE reflected from the terminal end 102 of the broadband light source 100 from being inputted into the first wavelength selective coupler 140 , an angled connector may be provided at the terminal end 102 of the broadband light source 100 . Alternatively, an additional isolator may be installed between the terminal end 102 and the fiber Bragg grating 120 . It is also possible to form a reflecting body which reflects about 4% of the rear side ASE. This can be accomplished by cutting an end surface of the first optical waveguide 110 vertically to the progressing direction of the rear side ASE, whereby the reflected C-band ASE can improve the output power of the L-band ASE.
The isolator 160 is located between the gain medium 150 and the output end 104 of the broadband light source 100 . The isolator 160 passes the front side ASE inputted from the gain medium 150 and blocks light progressing in the opposite direction.
FIG. 4 is a view for illustrating output characteristics of the broadband light source shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 shows output spectrum 430 of the broadband light source 100 and output spectrum 430 obtained after removing the fiber Bragg grating 120 from the broadband light source 100 . The fiber Bragg grating 120 has a wavelength of 1560 nm, and the reflected spectrum 410 of the fiber Bragg grating 120 is shown in the drawing. It can be seen that the L-band ASE is efficiently amplified after the gain medium 150 is pumped with reflected light having a wavelength of 1560 nm. At this time, the amplified intensity of L-band ASE may be varied depending on the power of the reflected light. If the power of the reflected light is too high, the reflected light takes the energy of the L-band ASE and the reflected light may be amplified whereas the power of the L-band ASE may decrease. As a result, the gain medium 150 may be placed in a saturated condition in a predetermined power range.
FIG. 2 shows a construction of an L-band light source according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The L-band light source 200 comprises first and second fiber Bragg gratings 220 , 225 , first and second pump light sources 230 , 235 , first and second wavelength selective couplers 240 , 245 , a gain medium 250 , and an isolator 260 .
The first pump light source 230 outputs first pumping light. The first wavelength selective coupler 240 is located between the first fiber Bragg grating 220 and the gain medium 250 . The first wavelength selective coupler 240 supplies the first pumping light to the gain medium 250 .
The second pump light source 235 outputs second pumping light. The second wavelength selective coupler 245 is located between the gain medium 250 and the second fiber Bragg grating 225 . The second wavelength selective coupler 245 supplies the second pumping light to the gain medium 250 .
The gain medium 250 is located between the first and second wavelength selective couplers 240 , 245 and has a length suitable for generating L-band ASE. The gain medium 250 outputs ASE to the front and rear sides thereof as it is pumped by the first and second pumping light. The ASE outputted to the front side of the gain medium 250 passes the second wavelength selective coupler 245 . Then, the ASE is inputted into the second fiber Bragg grating 225 . The ASE outputted to the rear side of the gain medium 250 passes the first wavelength selective coupler 240 . Then, the ASE is inputted into the first fiber Bragg grating 220 .
The first fiber Bragg grating 220 is located between a terminal end 202 of the L-band light source 200 and the first wavelength selective coupler 140 . The first fiber Bragg grating 220 has a predetermined reflection wavelength and reflects a part of the inputted rear side ASE toward the gain medium 250 . The rear side ASE reflected from the first fiber Bragg grating 220 passes the first wavelength selective coupler 240 . Then, the rear side ASE is inputted into the gain medium 250 , thus pumping the gain medium 250 . The rear side ASE having passed the first fiber Bragg grating 220 is inputted into the terminal end 202 of the L-band light source 200 and disappears. The first fiber Bragg grating 220 may have a reflection wavelength of 1560 nm.
The second fiber Bragg grating 225 is located between the second wavelength selective coupler 245 and the isolator 160 and has a predetermined reflection wavelength included in the C-band. The second fiber Bragg grating 225 reflects a part of the inputted front side ASE toward the gain medium 250 . The front side ASE reflected from the second fiber Bragg grating 225 passes the second wavelength selective coupler 245 . Then the front side ASE is inputted into the gain medium 250 , thus pumping the gain medium 250 . The ASE having passed the second fiber Bragg grating 225 passes the isolator 260 and then the ASE is outputted to the outside through the output end 204 of the L-band light source 200 . The second fiber Bragg grating 225 may have a wavelength of 1550 nm. If the reflection wavelengths of the first and second fiber Bragg gratings 220 , 225 are the same as one another and the reflected ASEs are not sufficiently absorbed within the gain medium 250 , they may form a resonance structure and cause oscillation. Therefore, it is possible to make the first and second fiber Bragg gratings 220 , 225 have different wavelengths.
The isolator 260 is located between the second fiber Bragg grating 225 and the output end 204 of the broadband light source 200 . The isolator 260 passes the front side ASE having passed the second fiber Bragg grating 225 and blocks light progressing in the opposite direction.
FIG. 3 shows a construction of an L-band light source according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The L-band light source 300 comprises a reflector 320 , a fiber Bragg grating 360 , first and second pump light sources 330 , 335 , first and second wavelength selective couplers 340 , 345 , a gain medium 350 , and an isolator 370 .
The first pump light source 330 outputs first pumping light. The first wavelength selective coupler 340 is located between the reflector 320 and the gain medium 350 . The first wavelength selective coupler 340 supplies the first pumping light to the gain medium 350 .
The second pump light source 335 outputs second pumping light. The second wavelength selective coupler 345 is located between the gain medium 350 and the fiber Bragg grating 360 . The second wavelength selective coupler 345 supplies the second pumping light to the gain medium 350 .
The gain medium 350 is located between the first and second wavelength selective couplers 340 , 345 and has a length suitable for generating L-band ASE. The gain medium 350 outputs the ASE to the front and rear sides thereof as it is pumped by the first and second pumping light. The ASE outputted to the front side of the gain medium 350 passes the second wavelength selective coupler 345 . Then, the ASE is inputted into the fiber Bragg grating 360 . The ASE outputted to the rear side of the gain medium 350 passes the first wavelength selective coupler 340 . Then, the ASE is inputted into the fiber Bragg grating 360 .
The reflector 320 is provided at a terminal end of the L-band light source 300 . The reflector 320 reflects the inputted rear side ASE toward the gain medium 350 . The ASE reflected from the reflector 320 passes the first wavelength selective coupler 340 . Then the ASE is inputted into the gain medium 350 , thus pumping the gain medium 350 .
The fiber Bragg grating 360 is located between the second wavelength selective coupler 345 and the isolator 370 and has a predetermined reflection wavelength included in C-band. The fiber Bragg grating 360 reflects a part of the inputted front side ASE toward the gain medium 350 . The ASE reflected from the second fiber Bragg grating 360 passes the second wavelength selective coupler 345 . Then, the front side ASE is inputted into the gain medium 350 , thus pumping the gain medium 350 . The ASE having passed the fiber Bragg grating 360 passes the isolator 370 . Then, the ASE is outputted to the outside through the output end 304 of the L-band light source 300 .
The isolator 370 located between the fiber Bragg grating 360 and the output end 304 of the broadband light source 300 . The isolator 370 passes the front side ASE having passed the fiber Bragg grating 360 and blocks light progressing in the opposite direction.
Advantageously, an L-band light source according to the present invention reuses a part of ASE generated in a gain medium as pumping light by employing a fiber Bragg grating.
Accordingly, amplifying efficiency is increased and output power is stabilized. The present invention also enables fabrication of (1) an expanded broadband light source and (2) a light source for measuring an optical characteristic of an optical component, needed in a wavelength division multiplexing passive optical network to be developed in earnest in the future.
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.
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An L-band light source is provided that has improved amplifying efficiency and stabilized output power. The L-band light source comprises: a gain medium having first and second sides, and configured to generate an L-band amplified spontaneous emission (ASE); a first pump light source to generate first pumping light; a first wavelength selective coupler to supply the first pumping light to the gain medium; and a first reflector to reflect a part of ASE outputted to the fist side of the gain medium, the first reflector having a predetermined reflection.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/023,997, filed Jul. 14, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A lattice is defined as a framework or structure of wood, metal, plastic or other material made by crossing laths or other thin strips of material so as to form a network. Lattices are commonly used as a decorative skirting to cover the underside of structures including decks, ramps, porches, balconies and stairs as well as in fencing systems as structural or decorative components.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0003] According to one embodiment of the invention, a lattice movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration includes a plurality of laths including a first lath crossing a second lath at an intersection, and a pivoting connector located at the intersection between the first lath and the second lath. The pivoting connector includes a male retainer comprising a body having at least one exterior perimetrical lip and a plurality of recesses in a spaced relationship, and a female retainer comprising an opening and a plurality of detents extending into the opening in a common alignment with the plurality of recesses on the male retainer, wherein, when the opening in the female retainer is positioned within the perimetrical lip on the male retainer, the female retainer is thereby pivotally mounted to the male retainer, and the positioning of the detents on the female retainer within the corresponding recesses on the male retainer corresponds to the expanded configuration of the lattice.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] In the drawings:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a front view of the lattice having an expanded framework according to a first embodiment of the invention;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a front view of the lattice of FIG. 1 having a collapsed framework;
[0007] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a lath from the lattice of FIG. 1 having a male connector;
[0008] FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 3 ;
[0009] FIG. 5 is a rear view of FIG. 3 ;
[0010] FIG. 6 is a perspective of a lath from the lattice of FIG. 1 having a female connector;
[0011] FIG. 7 is a rear view of FIG. 6 ;
[0012] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of interlocking connectors of the lattice of FIG. 1 , with portions removed for clarity; and
[0013] FIG. 9 is a front view of a lattice having an expanded framework according to a second embodiment of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 10 is a front view of a lattice having an expanded framework according to a third embodiment of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 11 is an exploded view of a portion of the lattice of FIG. 10 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] FIG. 1 is a front view of a lattice 10 having an expanded framework according to a first embodiment of the invention. The lattice comprises a framework 12 including a plurality of first laths 14 and a plurality of second laths 16 connected or mounted together by a plurality of interlocking connectors 18 . A series of the first laths 14 cross a series of the second laths 16 at intersections 20 , and the interlocking connectors 18 connect the laths 14 , 16 at the intersections 20 to form intersecting joints. The lattice 10 can be moved between the expanded configuration shown, and a collapsed configuration shown in FIG. 2 . The connectors 18 allow the lath 14 , 16 to pivot relative to each other when moving the framework between the collapsed and expanded configurations.
[0017] The first and second laths 14 , 16 are formed from strips of material including, but not limited to, plastic, wood, metal, fiberglass, or composites or combinations thereof, and may have any desired width, thickness and length. The first and second laths 14 , 16 may also have one or more slots 24 formed between the intersecting joints having the interlocking connectors 18 . A singe, elongated slot 24 may be provided between the intersections 20 , as shown herein. Alternatively, various other slot designs can be employed on the laths 14 , 16 to impart various aesthetic appearances to the lattice 10 .
[0018] When in the expanded configuration as illustrated in FIG. 1 the first and second laths 14 , 16 are perpendicular to each other, with spaces or voids 22 formed therebetween so as to create an open framework. The voids 22 may generally be defined by four of the connectors 18 or intersections 20 . Further in the expanded configuration, the first laths 14 lie parallel to each other, and the second laths 16 lie parallel to each other. Any number of interlocking connectors 18 and first and second laths 14 , 16 can be used and depends on the desired height, width and size of the lattice 10 , and the desired size of the voids 22 when the lattice is expanded. For example, depending on the spacing and configuration of the connectors 18 , the voids 22 may be square or diamond shaped.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a view of the lattice 10 from FIG. 1 having the framework 12 in a collapsed configuration. When in the collapsed configuration, the first and second laths 14 , 16 can substantially abut each other such that no voids between the first and second laths 14 , 16 are present, although small gaps between the laths 14 , 16 may still be present in the collapsed configuration.
[0020] To change the configuration of the lattice 10 from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration, the first and second laths 14 , 16 are pivoted towards each other about the interlocking connectors 18 .
[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the first and second laths 14 , 16 are made of plastic and are injection molded. The plastic may be any suitable plastic such as high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene or polystyrene. Preferably, the connectors 18 are also made from plastic. Using plastic for the laths 14 , 16 , the interlocking connectors 18 can be molded directly with the laths 14 , 16 in the required shaped and configuration. Using plastic can also permit the laths 14 , 16 to be collapsed and expanded many times without wear. A plastic lattice 10 also requires less maintenance than wood.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first lath 14 having a plurality of male retainers or connectors 26 . The male connectors 26 are spaced along the first lath 14 . The lath 14 can comprise an elongated strip having opposing flat surfaces 28 . The male connectors 26 can all be provided on one of the flat surfaces 28 ; alternatively male connectors 26 can be provided on both flat surfaces 28 .
[0023] The male retainers or connectors 26 can include a body 30 having at least one exterior perimetrical lip 32 and a plurality of recesses 34 in a spaced relationship. As seen in FIG. 4 , the male connectors 26 comprise bodies 30 in the form of a series of cantilever projections 36 extending away from the flat surface 28 of the first lath 14 . The cantilever projections 36 each comprise a leg 38 extending perpendicular to the flat surface 28 and a flange 40 having a inclined surface 42 extending perpendicular to the legs 38 . The inclined surface 42 can taper in a direction away from the leg 38 , thereby forming a tapered outer surface. The height of the legs 38 is configured to correspond to the thickness of the second lath 16 ( FIG. 1 ).
[0024] The flanges 40 collectively form the perimetrical lip 32 , with the gaps or recesses 34 disposed between the legs 38 and/or flanges 40 of the cantilevered projections 36 . The cantilevered projection 36 may be arranged in a ring, such that the male connector 26 is generally circular in shape. The flanges 40 making up the perimetrical lip 32 may be made of compliant material such that is deflects when the interlocking connection is made. The legs 38 may also be made of compliant material.
[0025] As seen in FIG. 5 , the cantilever projections 36 are spaced apart from one another to form gaps to provide the recesses 34 . The cantilever projections 36 may be arced or semi-circular, and together the body 30 defined by the cantilever projections 36 and recesses 34 forms a circular-shaped plug defining an annular inner aperture 44 . The lip 32 extends laterally outwardly from the aperture 44 in the lath 14 . The annular inner aperture 44 may be closed or covered by a portion the first lath 14 so as to not extend all the way through the lath 14 or may be hollow as illustrated.
[0026] FIG. 6 is a perspective of the second lath 16 having a plurality of female retainers or connectors 46 . The female connectors 46 are spaced along the second lath 16 at distances corresponding to the spacing of the male connectors 26 along the first lath 14 shown in FIG. 3 . The lath 16 can comprise an elongated strip having opposing flat surfaces 48 . The female connectors 46 can all be provided on one of the flat surfaces 48 ; alternatively female connectors 46 can be provided on both flat surfaces 48 , or, as shown herein, can extend through both flat surfaces 48 of the lath 16 .
[0027] The female retainers or connectors 46 can include an opening 50 and a plurality of detents 52 extending into the opening 50 . As seen in FIG. 7 , the female connectors 46 can comprise an opening in the form of an annular aperture 50 having detents 52 in the form of rounded protrusions 54 formed along a perimeter 56 of the annular aperture 50 and extending inwardly from the perimeter 56 into the aperture 50 . The rounded protrusions 54 have a width dimension to correspond to the width of the gaps or recesses 34 of the male connectors 26 , as seen in FIG. 5 and are spaced about the perimeter of the annular aperture 50 in common alignment with the recesses 34 , such that the spacing corresponds to the spacing of the recesses 34 about the annular inner aperture 50 of the male connectors 26 as seen in FIG. 5 . With the protrusions 54 in common alignment with the recesses 34 , the protrusions 54 can collectively be moved into and out of the recesses 34 as the laths 14 , 16 are rotated relative to each other. The diameter of the annular aperture 50 is dimensioned such that the male connectors 26 may be received therein.
[0028] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the interlocking connector 18 . The flanges 40 (shown in FIG. 4 ) have been removed from the body 30 of the male connector 26 for clarity so as to show the legs 38 and the recesses 34 . The interlocking connector 18 comprises the male and female connectors 26 , 46 on the laths 14 , 16 . The body 30 of the male connector 26 of the first lath 14 is inserted into the annular aperture 50 of the female connector 46 of the second lath 16 . The aperture 50 is positioned within the perimetrical lip 32 , thereby pivotally mounting the connectors 26 , 46 together. The flanges 40 making up the perimetrical lip 32 , not shown, may be made of compliant material such that is deflects inwardly when the inclined surface 42 contacts the outer perimeter of the annular aperture 50 until the male connector 26 is fully inserted, such the lip 32 contacts the flat surface of the second lath 16 and holds the first and second laths 14 , 16 together. The taper of the inclined surface 42 facilities insertion of the male connector 26 into the female connector 46 . When in the expanded configuration as shown, the recesses 34 and the rounded protrusions 54 align such that the rounded protrusions 54 extend into the recesses 34 , holding the first and second laths 14 , 16 in a perpendicular relationship and forming an interlocking connection. The interlocking connection can be configured to be removable, or such that the female connector 46 cannot be removed from the male connector 26 without damage.
[0029] When moved to the collapsed configuration as shown in FIG. 2 , the male connectors 26 and female connectors 46 rotate in opposite directions, causing the rounded protrusions 54 and recesses 34 to be misaligned, with the protrusions 54 positioned outside the recesses 34 . When the sheet of lattice 10 is folded, the protrusions 54 in the female connector 46 overlap the male connector 26 , creating interference. The rounded protrusions 54 exert a slight force on the legs 38 of the male connector 26 causing the legs 38 to slightly deflect inwards and allow for rotation of the first and second laths 14 , 16 . This provides a small amount of resistance as a user expands the sheet of lattice 10 in an accordion manner. The protrusions 54 and recesses 34 can line up when the laths 14 , 16 are perpendicular to one another, indicating to the user that the lattice 10 is ready for use.
[0030] When moving the lattice 10 back to the expanded configuration, the rounded protrusions 54 snap back into the recesses 34 , indicating that the first and second laths 14 , 16 are perpendicular to each other and that the lattice 10 is in the expanded configuration. A user is thereby provided with tactile feedback when the lattice 10 is in the proper expanded configuration. It will be understood that the male and female connectors 26 , 46 may configured such that the first and second laths 14 , 16 are not perpendicular in the expanded configuration of the lattice, such that the lattice voids 22 may have a plurality of shapes.
[0031] Further, which all of the male connectors 26 are shown on one lath 14 and all of the female connectors 46 are shown on the other lath 16 , in other embodiments one lath 14 , 16 can comprise a mixture of male and female connectors 26 , 46 , with the other lath 14 , 16 being provided with a corresponding mixture of female and male connectors 26 , 46 .
[0032] Still further, while the male and female connectors 26 , 46 are shown as being spaced at regular intervals along the laths 14 , 16 , other embodiments of the lattice 10 can include connectors having irregular spacing for a staggered look.
[0033] In the embodiment of the connector 18 illustrated in FIGS. 1-8 , both the male and female connectors 26 , 46 are circular. Other shapes for the connectors are also possible. One example is shown in FIG. 9 , which is a front view of a lattice 10 having an expanded framework according to a second embodiment of the invention. The lattice may be substantially identical to the lattice 10 of FIGS. 1-8 , and like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. In FIG. 9 , the inner aperture 44 of the male connector 26 of the interlocking connector 18 forms a square shape for aesthetics and/or functionality. The female connector 46 may be circular as shown in FIGS. 1-8 , or may be square as well.
[0034] FIGS. 10-11 show a lattice 10 according to a third embodiment of the invention. The lattice 10 may be substantially identical to the lattice 10 of FIGS. 1-8 , and like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. The lattice of FIG. 10 includes female connectors 46 in each of the laths 14 , 16 that are in register with each other at the intersections 20 between the laths 14 , 16 . The male connector 26 is formed as a separate plug member 58 . The pivotal connection 18 at the intersections 20 is formed by inserting the plug member 58 into the apertures 50 of the female connectors 46 of both laths 14 , 16 . The plurality of detents 52 on the female connectors 46 on each of the first and second laths 14 , 16 can be aligned in one of the collapsible or extended configurations of the lattice 10 .
[0035] The plug member 58 can have a dual-sided configuration similar to the single-sided configuration of the male retainer 26 shown in FIGS. 3-5 . The plug member 58 includes a pair of juxtaposed exterior perimetrical lips 32 , and, when the apertures 50 in the female connectors 46 are positioned within one of the perimetrical lips 32 on the plug member 58 , the laths 14 , 16 are thereby pivotally mounted to each other. Each lip 32 can include a plurality of recesses 34 in a spaced relationship. The recesses 34 may extend along an interior surface 60 of the plug member 58 between opposite sides of the male connector 26 , such that one recess 34 can accommodate a protrusion 54 from each lath 14 , 16 . Alternatively, an individual recess 34 can be provided for each protrusion 54 . Each lip 32 can further include be provided with the inclined surface 42 on the flange 40 that can taper in a direction away from the center of the plug member 58 , thereby forming a tapered outer surface.
[0036] As noted above, the materials and dimensions for the laths 14 , 16 making up the lattice may vary. In one example that is applicable to any of the embodiments shown herein, the first and second laths 14 , 16 may be in the range of 0.125″ thick and 1.25″ wide with the male connectors 26 having a diameter of around 0.50″ and the female connectors 46 having a diameter of slightly larger than 0.50″ and both spaced at regular intervals of 4.16″ along the first and second laths 14 , 16 . Laths 14 , 16 with such dimensions can be injection-molded plastic, including, but not limited to, high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene or polystyrene.
[0037] The embodiments of the invention provide for a number of benefits including that it allows the lattice to be stored, shipped, displayed and/or transported in the collapsed configuration, reducing the space required for storage, shipping and displaying and thereby saving on warehousing, shipping costs, and merchandizing costs while also allowing for easy transportation by the user. Traditional lattices are assembled in large sheets by the manufacturer. The lattice is sold in sheet form, which is difficult to transport and handle, especially for the end consumer. The lattice of the embodiments of the invention shown herein can be collapsed after initial assembly so that that lattice can be stored, shipped, or transported in a compact configuration, and expanded on-site.
[0038] While the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variation and modification are possible with the scope of the foregoing disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the invention which, is defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.
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A lattice comprising two intersecting laths and a pivoting connector locating at the intersection between the laths that includes a male retainer and a female retainer that interlock so as to connect the laths together. The male and female retainers interlock such that the laths may pivot about the connector from an expanded framework configuration to a collapsed framework configuration of the lattice.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201010618165.7, filed Dec. 31, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a process for the synthesis of melamine cyanurate
BACKGROUND OF TECHNOLOGY
[0003] Melamine cyanurate(MCA) is a multifunctional fine chemical developed by Japan in the early 1980's. Its molecular structure is thiotrzinone molecular complex comprised by melamine and cyanuric acid through secondary bonds. The appearance of melamine cyanurate is white crystallized powder with soapy feeling. It is non-toxic, tasteless and insoluble both in water and common organic solvents. It is stable below 300° C., which begins to lyophilize and decompose to melamine and cyanuric acid at 400° C. MCA is excellent nitrogen flame retardant which is one of the perfect flame retardants for PA. Furthermore, MCA can be used as flame retardant for polyester, polyolefin, epoxy resin and polyacrylic resin. In addition, it can also be used as lubricating oil additives, coating flatting agent, electropainting plastic additives, polymer concrete additives and cosmetic raw material, etc.
[0004] With the global developing trend of halogen free flame retardant, melamine cyanurate, as an N-series flame retardant with high content of nitrogen, excellent flame retardancy, low toxicity and smoke, has created a lot of interest recently,
[0005] Now, there are three main processing routes to prepare melamine cyanurate:
Wet Processing
[0006] This processing route to prepare melamine cyanurate is characterized in that melamine and cyanuric acid as raw materials reacted in aqueous medium. The product is obtained by adding acidic and basic reagent to adjust the pH value of the reaction mixture or adding surfactant, followed by washing, filtering, drying and grinding.
[0007] Patent DE4208027A1 discloses a process for the synthesis of melamine cyanurate. Cream suspension was formed by the reaction in the presence of water at 80° C.-100° C., under atmospheric pressure, and with high water/reactant proportion. Then the product was obtained after filtering, washing, and drying the cream suspension. The proportion water/reactant is about 9:1.
[0008] Based on the acidity, patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,438 develops a patent technology of melamine cyanurate compounded in strong acid water at a pH value less than 1. The advantages of this process are small amount of reaction medium (the amount of 120 parts of water can meet the total weight of 100 parts of melamine and cyanuric acid), low reaction temperature (between 80° C. and 95° C.) and short reaction time (10-30 min).
[0009] Patent CN506356A discloses the process that melamine and cyanuric acid are raw materials. The reaction is carried out in the presence of aqueous ammonia with the concentration of 2-14%, at 100-200° C., and under pressure 0.05 MPa-1.5 MPa. The melamine cyanurate, with average particle size of 5-55 μm and purity of no more than 99.9%, can be obtained.
[0010] Chinese patent CN1364858A discloses the process that equimolar mixtures of melamine and cyanuric acid, while in excess water and in the presence of some PVA, react at 90-100° C. for 1-2 h. After cooling, filtering, and drying the reactants, MCA is obtained.
Semi-Dry Processing
[0011] Patent JP08027124 discloses a process for preparing the product that to mix the crushed melamine powder and the solid cyanuric acid powder at 120° C. Adding a little amount of water, further reacting melamine and cyanuric acid at the temperature of 350° C., finished product will be obtained after mill.
Dry Processing
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,023 discloses a process that melamine having an average particle size of 20 μm and cyanuric acid having an average particle size of 80 μm are mixed at room temperature. Using a jet mill, the mixture is crushed to an average particle size of about 3.94 μm. The reactant mixture is heated to 350° C. and reacts for 1 h in the electric heater. The MCA product is obtained with purity of 99.2%, recovery of 95.8% and average particle size of 4.83 μm.
[0013] Patent EP601542 discloses a process that melamine powder and cyanuric acid powder are heated at 200° C.-500° C. in the absence of any liquid medium. After heating the granulation of the mixture power, granular melamine cyanurate can be obtained.
[0014] The processing routes above for preparing melamine cyanurate have disadvantages in some degree, which results in shortcomings during production and insufficient properties of products.
[0015] Using wet processing, melamine and cyanuric acid reacted in water, the viscosity of the product is large and the solid content is only about 10%, which makes it hard to filter, Furthermore, a lot of water is consumed during processing. Using acidic and basic reagent to adjust the pH value of reactants can decrease the water/reactant proportion. However, acidic and basic material generated during processing will accelerate the corrosiveness of the equipments. Besides, using a lot of water during post processing of products will enlarge the quantity of wastewater and pollute the environment. Adding surfactant of PVA or the like can also decrease the water/reactant proportion, but thermal stability of some melamine cyanurate with surfactant decreases, because of the low thermal stability of the surfactant, which makes it hard to meet the processing condition of the engineering plastics.
[0016] The reaction rate is slow because the solubility of melamine and cyanuric acid in water are too low. Cyanuric acid includes both enol form and keto form tautomers, so that different tautomers are formed in water. The purity, morphology and crystalline structure of the product are not perfect, so the product is in the presence of a lot of irregular non-flake structure which causes sharp decrease of the mechanical properties, flame retardancy and electrical properties of flame retardant used in engineering plastics. And the application field of the plastics is greatly confined, either.
[0017] The key points of semi-dry processing are water quantity and high flowing capability of powder particles. If the water quantity is too small, the reaction rate is slow, and it's difficult to react completely, so that the purity of the products is affected. If the water quantity is too large, the fluidity of reactant powder is so poor that the reactants are agglomerated and can not react continually. Furthermore, Due to the high content of solid content of the reactants, melamine cyanurate encapsulated the surface of unreacted melamine or cyanuric acid. The purity of the products decreases, and the crystalline structure is incomplete. All the shortcomings above cause it difficult to obtain stable products by using semi-dry processing.
[0018] Dry processing has some advantages, such as simple technology and easy operation. Because the impurities in raw materials can not be discharged by other methods during dry processing, the purity of raw materials must be very high. Furthermore, the reaction temperature maintains above 350° C., so gases generated during reaction have large impact to equipments and relevant accessories. The high requirement of equipments leads to high initial investment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] An object of the present invention is to provide a process for the synthesis of melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline shape with high purity and flowability.
[0020] The process for the synthesis of melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline shape with high purity and flowability is in the following procedures:
1) Dispersing melamine and cyanuric acid into purified water, refluxing and stirring it at the reaction temperature at 40° C.-90° C. for 1 h to 6 h to form mixture solution. 2) Filtering the mixture solution, which will creates filter cake containing 50% to 80% of solid content. 3) Feeding the filter cake into the high-speed kneader, adding silicon oil, the semi-finished product will be obtained after 1 h to 3 h of continuous stirring. 4) Putting the semi-finished product into rake dryer, increasing the temperature and the internal pressure of the rake dryer to 100° C.-150° C. and 0.1 MPa˜0.5 MPa respectively, keeping the condition for about 2 h to 4 h. 5) Controlling the water content of the semi-finished product is no more than 1.0% through setting the temperature of rake dryer at 150° C.-200° C. and the vacuum degree at 0.01 MPa˜0.1 MPa. 6) Keeping the product curing and crystallizing at 250-300° C., vacuum degree 0.01˜0.1MPa for about 2h to 4h. 7) Melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline shape with high purity and flowability is obtained.
[0028] Preferably, the molar ratio of melamine to cyanuric acid is 0.95-1.05:1.
[0029] Preferably, the mass ratio of sum of melamine and cyanuric acid to water is 1:2-5.
[0030] Preferably, the dosage of the silicon oil is 0.1%-1% of the dry weight of filter cake.
[0031] The silicon oil is at least one of dimethyl silicone, diethyl silicone oil, phenyl silicone oil, methylphenyl silicone oil, hydrogenous silicone oil, hydroxyl silicone oil, alkoxy silicone, acyloxy silicone oil, vinyl silicone oil, amino silicone oil and amido silicone oil.
[0032] According to the present invention, melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline shape with high purity and flowability can be prepared. The processing steps of present invention are easy to operate, the processing parameters are easy to control, the synthesis rate of melamine cyanurate is fast, the quantity of purified water is low, and utilization of equipments is high. Removing the incompletely reacted raw materials and impurities by filter-pressing, greatly increases the purity of semi-products. And the filtrate can be recycling used again after treatment, so that industrial wastewater is basically not generated. It effectively avoids polluting the environment, and benefits the sustainable development.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0033] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 shows scanning electron microscope photos of melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline shape with high purity and flowability obtained in Example 3.
[0034] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 shows scanning electron microscope photos of melamine cyanurate compared to products obtained in Comparative Example 1.
[0035] FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 shows scanning electron microscope photos of melamine cyanurate compared to products obtained in Comparative Example 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] The process for the synthesis of melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline shape with high purity and flowability is characterized in the following procedures:
1) Dispersing melamine and cyanuric acid into purified water, refluxing and stirring it at the reaction temperature at 40° C.-90° C. for 1 h to 6h to form mixture solution. 2) Filtering the mixture solution, which will creates filter cake containing 50% to 80% of solid content. 3) Feeding the filter cake into the high-speed kneader, adding silicon oil, the semi-finished product will be obtained after 1 h to 3 h of continuous stirring. 4) Putting the semi-finished product into rake dryer, increasing the temperature and the internal pressure of the rake dryer to 100° C.-150° C. and 0.1 MPa˜0.5 MPa respectively, keeping the condition for about 2 h to 4 h. 5) Controlling the water content of the semi-finished product is no more than 1.0% through setting the temperature of rake dryer at 150° C.-200° C. and the vacuum degree at 0.01 MPa˜0.1 MPa. 6) Keeping the product curing and crystallizing at 250-300° C., vacuum degree at 0.01 MPa˜0.1 MPa for about 2 h to 4 h. 7) Melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline shape with high purity and flowability is obtained.
[0044] Preferably, the molar ratio of melamine to cyanuric acid is 0.95-1.05:1. Certainly, technicians in this field can select other proportions according to requirements.
[0045] Preferably, the mass ratio of the sum of melamine and cyanuric acid to water is 1:2-5. Certainly, technicians in this field can select other proportions according to requirements.
[0046] Preferably, the dosage of the silicon oil is 0.1%-1% of the dry weight of filter cake.
[0047] The silicon oil is at least one of dimethyl silicone, diethyl silicone oil, phenyl silicone oil, methylphenyl silicone oil, hydrogenous silicone oil, hydroxyl silicone oil, alkoxy silicone, acyloxy silicone oil, vinyl silicone oil, amino silicone oil, amido silicone oil.
[0048] Silicon oil may have the following functions:
(1) The sufficient contact of silicon oil and melamine cyanurate semi-finished product in high speed kneader decreases the viscosity degree of melamine cyanurate semi-finished product. Under certain pressure and in the presence of water at high temperature, silicon oil greatly decreases the viscosity of melamine cyanurate system, increases the flowability of the system. Furthermore, silicon oil can help those unreacted melamine and cyanuric acid in sufficient contact in water, so that the residual melamine and cyanuric acid react completely. So the purity of products is greatly increased. (2) During the process of high temperature dehydration, because of the high temperature resistance and stability in dehydration of silicon oil, surface polarity of melamine cyanurate is decreased and the dispersion is improved. So melamine cyanurate is avoided agglomerating during the processing of high temperature dehydration. (3) During the process of curing at high temperature, the presence of silicon oil overcomes the anisotropism of melamine cyanurate reaction, makes melamine cyanurate isotropic grow in the plane, and accelerates the transformation from acicular crystallization process to lamellar crystallization process. (4) When the reaction finishes, silicon oil is still in melamine cyanurate. Because of the properties of silicon, melamine cyanurate prepared by the process in the present invention has high dispersity and flowability. Melamine cyanurate used in polymer materials has excellent compatibility; it can improve processing properties of polymer materials significantly, and makes the materials possess higher flame retardancy and physical properties. (5) Because silicon oil has great dispersity to powder, the particle size of melamine cyanurate is well controlled during processing. The lamellar melamine cyanurate obtained by the process of the present invention needn't to be grinded, which avoids destroying the particle regularity of product powder by grinding, and the product can be discharged directly. The final product particles have high regularity and flowability, its particle distribution parameter is D 50 ≦3 μm and D 98 ≦25 μm. (6) Silicon oil used in the present invention, especially amino silicone oil, has some other functions except the above excellent ones. Amino silicone oil can graft react to melamine cyanurate, so the product obtained is melamine cyanurate flame retardant which has siloxane function.
[0055] In the technology schemes of the present invention, reacting at high temperature and high pressure in rake dryer has the following functions:
(1) The semi-finished product is fed in rake dryer. Compared with other conditions, unreacted melamine and cyanuric acid can react completely at high temperature and high pressure. (2) The solid content of semi-finished product is high, so reacting at high temperature and high pressure in rake dryer greatly decreases the energy consumption. And the high concentration of semi-finished product greatly increased the reaction speed of melamine cyanurate.
[0058] The present invention will hereinafter be described more specifically by the following examples.
EXAMPLE 1
[0000]
1) In a reaction kettle with stirring apparatus and condensing unit having an internal capacity of 500 liters, 30.87 kg of melamine and 31.61 kg of cyanuric acid (the molar ratio of melamine and cyanuric acid is 1:1) are substantially dispersed in 250 liters of purified water, followed by mixing at 60° C. for 3 h to form mixture solution.
2) Filter-pressing the mixture solution for getting the filter cake by solid content of 60%.
3) Feeding the filter cake in high speed kneader. During the stirring process, dimethyl silicone is added in an amount of 0.3% based on the dry weight of filter cake. The semi-finished product is obtained after stirring for 1 h.
4) Putting the semi-finished product into rake dryer. Heating the temperature of rake dryer to 120° C., and controlling internal pressure at 0.2 MPa for 3 h.
5) Setting the temperature of the rake dryer at 190° C. and vacuum degree at 0.08 MPa for 6 h, the water content of the product dried in this way is 0.9%.
6) Keeping the product curing and crystallizing at 260° C., vacuum degree at 0.08 MPa for 3 h.
7) 62 kgs melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline shape with high purity and flowability are obtained.
[0066] After tested, we found that the purity of the final product is 99.85%, residual melamine is 0.04%, residual cyanuric acid is 0.04%, water content is 0.07%, the particle size is D 50 =2.3 μm, D 98 20.1 μm, initial decomposition temperature is 301.5° C., 1% decomposition temperature and 5% decomposition temperature are 308.1° C. and 339.3° C. respectively.
EXAMPLE 2
[0000]
1) In a reaction kettle with stirring apparatus and condensing unit having an internal capacity of 1000 liters, 74.12 kg of melamine and 75.88 kg of cyanuric acid (the molar ratio of melamine and cyanuric acid is 1:1) are substantially dispersed in 500 liters of pure water, followed by mixing at 80° C. for 3.5 h to form mixture solution.
2) Filter-pressing the mixture solution for getting the filter cake by solid content of 65%.
3) Feeding the filter cake in high speed kneader. During the stirring process, dimethyl silicone is added in an amount of 0.8% based on the dry weight of filter cake. The semi-manufactured product is obtained after stirring for 1.5 h.
4) Putting the semi-finished product into rake dryer. Heating the temperature of rake dryer to 150° C., and controlling internal pressure at 0.4 MPa for 2 h.
5) Setting the temperature of the rake dryer at 160° C. and vacuum degree at 0.06 MPa for 5 h, the water content of the product dried in this way is 0.7%.
6) Keeping the product curing and crystallizing at 270° C., vacuum degree at 0.06 MPa for 2 h.
7) 142.50 kgs melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline shape with high purity and flowability are obtained.
[0074] After tested, we found that the purity of the final product is 99.9%, residual melamine is 0.02%, residual cyanuric acid is 0.02%, water content is 0.06%, the particle size is D 50 =2.5 μm, D 98 =21.3 μm, initial decomposition temperature is 301.3° C., 1% decomposition temperature and 5% decomposition temperature are 308.1° C. and 339.2° C. respectively.
EXAMPLE 3
[0000]
1) In a reaction kettle with stirring apparatus and condensing unit having an internal capacity of 3000 liters, 290.50 kg of melamine and 303.50 kg of cyanuric acid (the molar ratio of melamine and cyanuric acid is 0.98:1) are substantially dispersed in 1800 liters of pure water, followed by mixing at 50° C. for 2 h to form mixture solution.
2) Filter-pressing the mixture solution for getting the filter cake by solid content of 70%.
3) Feeding the filter cake in high speed kneader. During the stirring process, dimethyl silicone is added in an amount of 0.6% based on the dry weight of filter cake. The semi-manufactured product is obtained after stirring for 2 h.
4) Putting the semi-finished product into rake dryer. Heating the temperature of rake dryer to 130° C., and controlling internal pressure at 0.3 MPa for 3 h.
5) Setting the temperature of the rake dryer at 180° C. and vacuum degree at 0.04 MPa for 7 h, the water content of the product dried in this way is 0.1%.
6) Keeping the product curing and crystallizing at 280° C., vacuum degree at 0.04 MPa for 4 h.
7) 576.18 kgs melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline shape with high purity and flowability are obtained.
[0082] After tested, we found that the purity of the final product is 99.9%, residual melamine is 0.03%, residual cyanuric acid is 0.02%, water content is 0.05%, the particle size is D 50 =1.9 μm, D 98 =20.0 μm, initial decomposition temperature is 301.3° C., 1% decomposition temperature and 5% decomposition temperature are 308.2° C. and 341.9° C. respectively. The scanning electron microscope photos of melamine cyanurate product will be shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 .
EXAMPLE 4
[0000]
1) In a reaction kettle with stirring apparatus and condensing unit having an internal capacity of 5000 liters, 400.00 kg of melamine and 404.70 kg of cyanuric acid (the molar ratio of melamine and cyanuric acid is 1.01:1) are substantially dispersed in 2800 liters of pure water, followed by mixing at 70° C. for 4 h to form mixture solution.
2) Filter-pressing the mixture solution for getting the filter cake by solid content of 65%.
3) Feeding the filter cake in high speed kneader. During the stirring process, dimethyl silicone is added in an amount of 0.9% based on the dry weight of filter cake. The semi-manufactured product is obtained after stirring for 2.5 h.
4) Putting the semi-finished product into rake dryer. Heating the temperature of rake dryer to 110° C., and controlling internal pressure at 0.15 MPa for 4 h.
5) Setting the temperature of the rake dryer at 175° C. and vacuum degree at 0.05 MPa for 6 h, the water content of the product dried in this way is 0.6%.
6) Keeping the product curing and crystallizing at 290° C., vacuum degree at 0.05 MPa for 2 h.
7) 772.51 kgs melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline type with high purity and flowability are obtained.
[0090] After tested, we found that the purity of the final product is 99.81%, residual melamine is 0.06%, residual cyanuric acid is 0.05%, water content is 0.08%, the particle size is D 50 =2.5 μm, D 98 =22.3 μm, initial decomposition temperature is 300.5° C., 1% decomposition temperature and 5% decomposition temperature are 308.4° C. and 340.2° C. respectively.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1
[0000]
1) In a reaction kettle with stirring apparatus and condensing unit having an internal capacity of 500 liters, 30.87 kg of melamine and 31.61 kg of cyanuric acid (the molar ratio of melamine and cyanuric acid is 1:1) are substantially dispersed in 250 liters of pure water, followed by mixing at 60° C. for 3 h to form mixture solution.
2) The mixture solution is filter-pressed to prepare filter cake. The filter cake is dried in oven at 120° C., then 59.36 kg melamine cyanurate is obtained.
[0093] After tested, we found that the purity of the final product is 98.1%, residual melamine is 1%, residual cyanuric acid is 0.78%, water content is 0.12%, the particle size is D 50 =3.9 μm, D 98 =28.3 μm, initial decomposition temperature is 300.1° C., 1% decomposition temperature and 5% decomposition temperature are 307.1° C. and 339.7° C. respectively. The granule morphology is acicular, and the scanning electron microscope photos of melamine cyanurate will be shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2
[0000]
1) In a reaction kettle with stirring apparatus and condensing unit having an internal capacity of 500 liters, 30.87 kg of melamine and 31.61 kg of cyanuric acid (the molar ratio of melamine and cyanuric acid is 1:1) are substantially dispersed in 250 liters of pure water, followed by mixing at 60° C. for 3 h to form mixture solution.
2) The mixture solution is filter-pressed to prepare semi-manufactured product by solid content of 60%.
3) Putting the semi-finished product into rake dryer. Jacket is used for the rake dryer to heat the heat-conducting oil. Maintaining the temperature of heat-conducting oil in rake dryer at 190° C. and internal pressure at 0.08MPa for 5 h.
4) Heating the temperature of heat-conducting oil to 260° C. and controlling the vacuum degree of the rake dryer at 0.08 MPa, wherein the product is curing and crystallizing for 3 h.
5) 62 kgs melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline type with high purity and flowability are obtained.
[0099] After tested, we found that the purity of the final product is 99.1%, residual melamine is 0.45%, residual cyanuric acid is 0.35%, water content is 0.1%, the particle size is D 50 =3.5 μm, D 98 =26.8 μm, initial decomposition temperature is 301.2° C., 1% decomposition temperature and 5% decomposition temperature are 308.1° C. and 340.9° C. respectively. The granule morphology is acicular, and the scanning electron microscope photos of melamine cyanurate will be shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6
[0100] Only limited types of silicon oil are used in the examples above, but if technicians in this field know the generality of silicon oils, they can select other silicon oils in the technical scheme of the present patent without doing any creative work. Certainly, all these replacements are in the scope of the present patent.
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The present invention relates to a process for the synthesis of melamine cyanurate in lamellar crystalline shape with high purity and flowability. The procedures include that 1) melamine and cyanuric acid react to form mixture solution, 2) the mixture solution is filter-pressed to prepare filter cake, 3) filter cake and silicon oil are mixed to obtain semi-finished product, 4) dried the semi-finished product until the water content is less than 1.0%, 5) heat the temperature and control certain vacuum degree for curing and crystallizing, 6) the product is obtained. The processing steps of present invention are easy to operate, the processing parameters are easy to control, the production time of melamine cyanurate is short, the quantity of pure water is low, and utilization of equipments is high. Removing the incompletely reacted raw materials and impurities by filter-pressing, greatly increases the purity of semi-products.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines and, more particularly, to circuitry to control operation of HCCI engines.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In a HCCI engine, the fuel and oxidizer are mixed together similarly as they would be in a spark ignition engine (gasoline engine). In contrast to the homogeneous charge spark ignition engine, which uses an electric discharge to ignite a portion of the fuel/oxidizer mixture, a HCCI engine depends upon spontaneous reaction when the density and temperature of the mixture are raised by compression. until the entire mixture reacts spontaneously. This is similar to a stratified charge compression ignition engine (diesel engine) which also relies on temperature and density increase resulting from compression. However, rather than being spontaneous as in the HCCI engine, combustion occurs in a diesel engine at the boundary of fuel-air mixing, caused by an injection event; introduction of fuel into the already compressed oxidizer is what initiates combustion.
In both the homogeneous charge spark ignition and the stratified charge compression ignition (HCSI) engines, the burn starts at one (or possibly a few) place and propagates through the fuel/air mixture. In the gasoline (an engine, the flame initiates at an electrical discharge point and propagates through a premixed homogeneous charge of air and fuel. In the diesel (SCCI) engine the flame starts near the one or more injection points via auto-ignition and propagates through a heterogeneous mixture at the moving boundary of fuel air mixing. Under HCCI conditions, a homogeneous mixture of fuel, air, and residual gasses from previous cycles are compressed until auto-ignition occurs. Combustion initiates substantially simultaneously at multiple sites throughout the combustion chamber and there is no discernable flame propagation.
HCCI engines have a number of advantages: hydrocarbon and CO emissions on par with gasoline engines, efficiency on par with diesel engines, and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions that are substantially better than either gasoline or diesel engines. HCCI engines produce no soot and can operate using gasoline, diesel fuel, and many alternative fuels.
A salient aspect of HCCI engines is that the fuel/air mixture burn virtually simultaneously because ignition starts at several places across the cylinder at once. With no direct initiator of combustion, the HCCI process is inherently challenging to control. To enable dynamic operation in an HCCI engine, the control system changes the conditions that induce combustion. Thus, relevant parameters for the engine to control include: the compression ratio, inducted gas temperature, inducted gas pressure, fuel-air ratio, quantity of retained or reinducted exhaust, and blend of fuel types.
Another salient aspect of HCCI engines is that they have a narrow power range because spontaneous ignition occurs around a single designed operating point. An engine having a single operating point is certainly useful in a hybrid vehicle. On the other hand, most applications require an engine to be able to modulate its output to meet fluctuations of demand by an operator. For high load operation, the engine may switched over to operate in a spark ignition (SI) mode, leaving HCCI operation for more moderate load operation.
Due to different characteristics of the HCCI and SI combustions, the in-cylinder ionization signals are quite different, both in magnitude and shape. The ionization signal magnitudes during HCCI combustion is typically more than a factor of ten lower than during SI combustion due to different combustion characteristics (summarized above). As a result, it is very difficult (nearing impossible) to detect ionization current during HCCI combustion mode using an ionization detection circuit that was originally designed for an SI combustion only context.
What is needed is an apparatus for effective detection of ionization signals in an engine that operates in a HCCI mode as well as a SI mode.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general terms, this invention provides a dual gain circuit and a dual bias voltage circuit for detecting ionization signal using nominal gain and bias voltage when the engine is operated at SI combustion mode and using high gain and bias voltage for MCCI combustion mode.
According to one aspect of the invention, a detected ionization signal is amplified with a selectable gain controlled by a control input.
According to another aspect of the invention, an ionization detection bias voltage is selectable based upon a control input to improve detectability of ionization during HCCI operation of an internal combustion engine.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, a single circuit for operating an ionization detector is responsive to a control input to alter its bias voltage and its gain to selectively enable effective detection of ionization for two different operational modes of an internal combustion engine.
According to embodiments of the present invention, a dual gain circuit detects ionization signal using a nominal gain when the engines is operated at SI combustion mode and using a high gain for HCCI combustion mode. An advantage of this signal ionization detection circuit is that it is useful for detecting ionization signal at both HCCI and SI operational modes without additional sensing elements.
These and other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description are described below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical ionization signal and its corresponding in-cylinder pressure signal in a SI combustion mode.
FIG. 2 illustrates a typical ionization signal, along with its corresponding in-cylinder pressure signal and heat release rate in a HCCI combustion mode.
FIG. 3 illustrates operational regions for SI and HCCI combustions in terms of cylinder pressure versus rotational frequency.
FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional ionization detection system architecture.
FIG. 5 illustrates three regions of a typical ionization signal waveform.
FIG. 6 illustrates a variable gain ionization detection system architecture according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 illustrates a dual bias voltage supply suitable for practice according to embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 8 illustrates circuit implementation of dual-gain amplifier for use in embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 9 illustrates a variable gain ionization detection system architecture according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
An ionization detection system uses a spark plug as a sensor to observe an in-cylinder combustion process. A bias voltage is applied between the spark plug's center and ground electrodes, and current conduction across the spark plug gap increases monotonically with the amount of ionization present in the cylinder. When the engine is operated at SI mode, the flame starts at the spark plug gap and gradually moves away, and the ionization signal may have more detailed information about in-cylinder combustion than an in-cylinder pressure signal. When the SI engine load is high enough the ionization signal is useful to locate the in-cylinder pressure peak.
Referring to FIG. 1 , a typical ionization signal 110 is shown for a two-liter four-cylinder SI engine operated at 1500 RPM with 2.62 Bar BMEP, along with the corresponding in-cylinder pressure signal 120 . A typical ionization signal for the engine running in SI combustion mode has two peaks. The first peak 112 is due to the initial flame kernel development right after the spark. When the flame front leaves the spark plug, the magnitude of the ionization signal reduces. As the pressure in the cylinder increases rapidly, the combusted mixture around the spark plug gap is ionized again due to the high temperature resulted from the combustion, that generates the second peak 114 .
Unlike a traditional SI or Diesel engine, HCCI combustion takes place spontaneously and homogeneously without flame propagation. When the engine is operated in a HCCI combustion mode, the detected ionization signal through the spark plug gap provides local combustion information around the spark plug gap.
Referring to FIG. 2 , a typical ionization signal 210 is shown, along with its corresponding in-cylinder pressure signal 220 and heat release rate 230 , in a HCCI combustion mode. The ionization signal 210 for the engine running in HCCI mode has only one peak 212 . This signal peak 212 is due to the spontaneously and homogeneously HCCI combustion. The characteristics of the ionization signal are very close to the heat release rate curve 230 , which is calculated from an in-cylinder pressure signal 220 . In fact, the peak locations 212 , 232 of both ionization and heat release rate are almost the same. Due to the lean operation of the HCCI combustion, the magnitude of the HCCI ionization signal (on the order of tens of microamps) is relatively small comparing with the SI signal (on the order of hundreds of microamps).
Due to low Compression Ratio (CR) gasoline burning HCCI engines obtain advantages by having the flexibility to switch to a SI mode at high load. This ability to revert to an SI mode overcomes the HCCI limitation of a narrow operation range. Thus, a dual mode HCCI/SI internal combustion engine is very practical.
Referring to FIG. 3 , a graph of cylinder pressure versus rotational frequency shows the typical operation regions of the different combustion modes in a combined HCCI/SI combustion gasoline engine. During the cold-start operation, a stratified local rich fuel/air mixture near the spark plug should be formed in the compression stroke and then ignited by the spark. After the warm-up running, the engine goes into the HCCI combustion region from low to mediate load to have a high thermal efficiency and very low engine-out NOx emission. From mediate high to high load, the engine runs on an SI combustion for high power output. An ionization detection system for this engine should have the ability to detect ionization signal for both SI and HCCI combustion modes. Considering the wide variance in ionization signal size between these two modes, the detection system adapts dynamically to detect ionization signal at different signal levels with consistent signal to noise level. This detection system uses variable bias voltage and gains to detects an ionization signal for an HCCI engine operated alternatively at SI and HCCI combustion modes.
Referring to FIG. 4 , a conventional ionization detection system is shown, having an is ignition coil L, an Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) Q that turns the ignition coil L on and off, a spark plug SP, a Zener diode D with its breakdown voltage being higher than the ionization bias voltage, and a dwell current feedback resistor R. The spark control circuit 410 controls the IGBT Q, based upon an ignition control input signal 412 , in a soft turn-on fashion. The voltage developed across the dwell current feedback resistor R is proportional to the actual dwell current.
Referring to FIG. 5 , a waveform plot shows three regions of a typical ionization signal 510 as output according to a detection system as shown in FIG. 4 . After the falling edge of the ignition control input 412 , the voltage across the spark plug gap SP increases sharply, breaks down the air-to-fuel mixture, and generates an ignition current I 2 flowing into the ground. Therefore, the voltage across the Zener diode D is negative during this period and the ionization current mirror 420 provides a saturated current due to the bias voltage applied to the Zener diode D. After the spark (or ignition) current is diminished, the current mirror circuit 420 provides the combustion ionization signal. The ionization signal 510 is divided into three regions, where the first region 512 is the dwell current signal provided by the current feedback resistor R, the second region 514 is the spark duration signal provided by current mirror circuit during the spark period, and the third region 516 is the combustion ionization signal provided by the current mirror circuit 420 . A signal mixing circuit 430 switches the ionization output to dwell current signal when ignition control is active and switches back to spark and ionization signal provided by the current mirror circuit 420 .
Referring to FIG. 6 , a variable gain ionization detection system architecture is shown according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In order to detect in-cylinder ionization signal during both SI and HCCI combustion operations, this invention proposed to use different ionization bias voltage and gain at different operational modes. In contrast to the conventional ionization detection circuit shown in FIG. 4 , which has a bias voltage supply 610 based upon flyback voltage, system architecture of FIG. 6 is capable of provide a dual bias voltage controlled by an external control input 620 . The system architecture of FIG. 6 also includes a dual gain amplifier circuit 630 that amplifies the third region 516 only of the ionization signal. Gain is controlled by the same external control input 620 as that controlling selection of bias voltage supply 610 . This control input 620 may be generated by and received from a Powertrain Control Module (PCM), or equivalent control circuitry. For example, the gain control input 620 is high during SI combustion and low during HCCI combustion.
Referring to FIG. 7 , a schematic of a dual bias voltage supply circuit 700 useful for practice of the present invention is shown. For the dual bias voltage supply circuit 700 , a DC to DC charge pump circuit 710 is used to provide a bias voltage using a battery supplied voltage Vbat that is greater that the sum of breakdown voltages of a pair of series Zener diodes D 1 , D 2 . The charge pump 710 output charges capacitor C 2 through resistor R 1 and the ionization bias voltage output is determined according to the breakdown voltage of the Zener diodes D 1 , D 2 . When the gain control input is low (i.e., during HCCI combustion), a switching transistor Q 1 is switched off and the bias voltage output equals to the sum of the breakdown voltages of the Zener diodes D 1 , D 2 . As an example, the sum of the breakdown voltages of the Zener diodes D 1 , D 2 is 150 volts. Alternatively, when the gain control input is high, the switching transistor Q 1 is switched on, and the bias voltage output equals to the breakdown voltage of only one of the Zener diodes D 1 , where the collect-to-emitter voltage drop across conducting transistor Q 1 is negligibly small compared to the breakdown voltage. As an example, the breakdown voltage of the Zener diode D 1 is 100 volts.
The ionization detection electronics is optionally integrated on to the ignition coil for both pencil and on-plug coils to maximize the signal to noise ratio. A good reason to do this is the fact that an ionization signal has an amplitude on the order of hundreds of microamps, and a long wiring harness between spark plug and detection circuit would introduce additional electrical noise to the detected ionization signal due to environmental electric and magnetic fields. When integrated thusly, a five pin (minimum) connector for the ionization detection coil is appropriate. The five lines are: battery voltage, ground, ignition control input, ionization signal output, and gain control input.
As described before, the magnitude of the ionization signal during SI and HCCI combustion modes is quite different. In many situations it is anticipated that the difference is as large as a factor of ten. This causes a scaling problem for the PCM (Power Control Module) to read the ionization signal into the microprocessor. Amplifying the ionization signal inside the PCM would also amplify the additional noise introduced by the engine harness between PCM and ignition coil. Therefore, amplifying the ionization signal with the ionization detection electronics, according to embodiments of the present invention, provides an improved signal to noise ratio.
A circuit schematic is shown in FIG. 8 for a dual gain amplifier that is configured to suit both voltage-in/voltage-out and voltage-in/current-out requirements.
The amplifier has an operational amplifier OP-AMP, a switch SW and a transistor Q 2 . The transistor Q 2 is optionally either a bipolar transistor or a MOSFET; for purpose of illustration a bipolar transistor is shown. The switch SW can be a mechanical device, a movable strap or a low impedance electronic switch, such as a MOSFET. The emitter resistors R 4 , R 5 are much larger than the ballast resistor R B .
Input voltage Vion is a voltage derived from the ionization signal Iion and a resistor Rion. When the switch SW is open the negative node of the OP-AMP is derived from the emitter of the transistor Q 2 , through the emitter resistor R 4 . thus Output voltage Vout matches Vion. This is the case of unity gain. If the output must be the current signal proportional to the input, then the ballast resistor R B is chosen to be equal to Rion.
When a higher gain is required, the switch SW is closed. The output voltage Vout is attenuated by the voltage divider formed by the emitter resistors R 4 , R 5 and the Vout/Vion ratio (or gain) is given by (R 4 +R 5 )/R 5 . The amplified current output Iout is equal to Vout/Rem, where Rem is the parallel combination of (R 4 +R 5 ) and the input resistor R B . Thus Iout can be written as
V out/ V ion=( R 4+ R 5)/ R 5
I out= V out/Rem
I out= V ion×[( R 4+ R 5)/ R 5]/[( R 4+ R 5)× R B /( R 4+ R 5+ R B )],
after simplification which yields
I out= V ion×( R 4+ R 5+ R B )/( R 5+ R B )
or
I out≈( V ion/ R 5)×[( R 4+ R 5)/ R B ], if R B <<R 4+ R 5.
The current gain (GI), therefore, is given by
GI=[V ion×( R 4+ R 5)/ R 5 /R B ]/[ V ion/ R B ]=( R 4+ R 5)/ R 5.
Note that by adding more switches and more voltage dividers to the emitter load of transistor Q 2 , amplification of the ionization sensor circuit can optionally have three or more selectable gain settings.
Referring to FIG. 9 , another implementation architecture of a variable bias voltage and gain ionization detection circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this case the bias voltage supply 910 remains unchanged, unlike in FIG. 6 , and the amplification of the ionization signal is moved from a separate circuit into the ionization detection current mirror circuit 920 .
The control inputs of the dual-gain amplifier are control input and gain control input. In order maintain unit gain during the dwell period, the switch SW is open whatever the gain control input is. The switch SW is closed only when the gain control input is high (active) and the control input is low (inactive).
The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with the relevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and do come within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of legal protection afforded this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims.
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Disclosed is a way to detect ionization within a cylinder of an internal combustion engine where the engine selectively operates in either a spark ignition mode or a HCCI mode. A single ionization detector circuit adapts in response to a control input to alter its bias voltage and its gain to selectively enable effective detection of ionization for each of two different operational modes of an internal combustion engine.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to apparatus for the extraction of solids from a liquid slurry or suspension useable, for example, for the production of asbestos fibre cement pipes and sheets or other fibre pipes or sheets.
Conventionally such apparatus comprises a cylindrical sieve which is rotated whilst partially submerged in a vat containing a slurry of fibres, cement and other additive materials.
The liquid component of the slurry drains through the mesh skin of the cylindrical sieve. The solids component of the slurry is retained on the surface of the sieve external of the cylinder. The liquid components, effluent water, is discharged from one end or both ends of the sieve. The layer of solids adhering to the mesh is typically removed, after it emerges from the slurry by rotation of the cylinder, by transference from the cylinder to a felt belt held in contact with the layer of solids at the top of the cylinder by a couch roll.
The production rate of such a machine depends on the rate of increase in thickness of the layer that can be produced upon the surface of the cylinder as this determines the sieve's speed of rotation; the mesh size of the sieve is dictated by the type of fibre and the fineness of the solids which is has to retain and thus very few modifications may be made to the mesh size to increase the rate of filtration in order to increase the rapidity of solids built up. Thus it has been recognised as desirable to increase the differential pressure of head between the inside and outside of the sieve so that the filtration rate may be increased.
Various expedients have been devised to increase the rate of filtration. The commonest one is to divide the interior of the cylindrical sieve into discrete zones by means of stationary, internal radially extending partitions and to reduce the internal pressure in the zone of layer formation. Hitherto the effect of that reduction has been reduced by the presence of substantial quantities of effluent water within that zone of the sieve; such effluent water being present in quantity because of the difficulty of draining it from one end or both ends of the zone whilst at the same time maintaining a reduced air pressure within the zone.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to ameliorate that difficulty by increasing the rate of removal of effluent water from the layer forming zone of the sieve.
According to preferred embodiments the invention achieves the object by providing a sieve provided on the inner surface of its cylindrical mesh wall with a plurality of vanes able to trap effluent water and carry it with the movement of the sieve beyond the layer forming zone of the sieve, for delivery to an outlet launder in a non-layer forming zone of the sieve.
According to a first aspect the invention consists of apparatus for separating solids from a suspension of said solids in a liquid, comprising,
a sieve permitting passage therethrough of said liquid whilst substantially retaining on a surface thereof said solids,
means for feeding said suspension to a zone on one side of said sieve,
at least one reduced pressure chamber for applying suction to a corresponding zone on the other side of said sieve whereby said solids are urged against said surface and said liquid is urged to flow therethrough,
conveyance means whereby liquid that has flowed through the said sieve to said other side is transported in discrete amounts from said chamber and sealing means whereby reduced pressure may be substantially maintained in said chamber notwithstanding said transportation therefrom of said liquid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
By way of example an embodiment of the above described invention is described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a vacuum sieve.
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a vacuum sieve.
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a vacuum sieve.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The same numerals are used in each drawing to identify parts in FIGS. 2 and 3 which correspond substantially to parts shown in FIG. 1.
The illustrated embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of the invention comprises a vat 1 adapted to hold a quantity of conventional asbestos cement slurry. The slurry is continuously fed into the vat 1, which is fitted with beaters 15 to agitate the slurry and maintain solids in suspension, and then overflows the lip 2 thereof. A cylindrical sieve 3 is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis 16 with the lower part of the sieve submerged in the slurry.
The external mesh sheath of the sieve 3 and its manner of support and the drive means for rotating it are all of a conventional nature. However, in accordance with the invention the inner surface of the mesh sheath of the sieve has a plurality of longitudinally extending vanes 4 projecting inwardly from it and defining spaces contained between adjacent vanes able to contain a quantity of slurry liquid. Preferably vanes 4 may be directed radially inward, or orientated so that as each rises, with rotation of the cylinder from below to above a horizontal plane through the axis of the cylinder, each is sloping downwardly and inwardly of the sieve 3.
It will be understood that the spaces defined by the vanes are not closed in that each has the sieve mesh at one end thereof and is open at the opposite end thereof.
Within the cylindrical sieve 3 there are four stationary, more-or-less radially extending partitions 5 to 8 respectively.
At their radially outer edges the partitions 5,6,7 and 8 are fitted with slipper pads 9 to 12 respectively. Pads 9,10 and 11 are sufficiently long in the circumferential direction of the sieve to span a little more than two of the open ends of the spaces between the vanes 4. Thus there are always at least two vanes 4 in contact with each of the pads 9,10 and 11 at the same time and thus the pads by contact with the vanes are effective to seal the chambers defined between neighbouring partitions 5,6,7 and 8.
When the apparatus is in operation a vacuum pump extracts air from chamber A between partitions 6 and 7, which also define a film forming zone at the sieve surface, thereby causing the liquid of the slurry to travel through the outer sheath into that chamber thereby forming a layer of solids material on the outside of the sieve. Typically, pressure in chamber A is from 5" to 20" W.G. below atmospheric pressure. The liquid which flows into chamber A is carried with the sieve in the inter-vane spaces until it travels beyond pad 11 into chamber B whereupon the liquid is discharged onto the upper surface of partition 7 which is troughed to provide a launder or gutter along which the liquid may flow to the outside of the sieve where it is discharged via a conventional barometric leg seal (not shown). Chamber B is preferably maintained at from 10" to 30" W.G. and defines a dewatering zone at the sieve surface by virtue of the pressure differential at the circumference of that zone. When the layer of solids material approaches the top of the sieve it is contacted by a felt belt 13 of conventional kind rotating over couch roll 14 to be picked up and carried away with the belt in the usual manner.
To that end zone C is not under reduced pressure and for preference may be to a degree pressurized.
Zone D is vented and at atmospheric pressure.
In a preferred embodiment vanes 4 do not provide an airtight seal with the circumference of the cylinder.
Although most water is removed from the spaces between vanes 4 under the influence of gravity and pressure differential while passing through chamber B, a small amount tends to remain due to centrifugal forces. Accordingly, in preferred embodiments slipper pad 12 is shorter than the others and is flush at its trailing end with partition 8.
Since vanes 4 do not provide an airtight seal with the circumference of the cylinder 3 and since there is a pressure differential between chambers C and B a stream of air flows from chamber C over the top of vanes 4 passing adjacent to slipper 12 and into chamber B, serving to blow any water remaining between vanes 4 at the top of zone B out of the pocket and into the gutter of partition 7.
The embodiment now described with reference to FIG. 2 is suitable for use in conjunction with pipe making machinery. For that use a sieve span of at least 5 meters is desirable.
The embodiment of FIG. 2 differs from that of FIG. 1 in that a central cylinder 20 of large diameter is employed as a main vacuum manifold. This enables an internal supporting structure to have sufficient rigidity for a 5 meter span and enables small tolerances between stationary seals and the rotating vanes to be maintained.
Central cylinder 20 incorporates valves 21 and 22 along lines on opposite sides of the circumference thereof; valve 22 being in the upper portion of zone A and valve 23 being in the lower portion of zone B.
A second manifold 23 defined by partitions 7A and 7B connects with the main manifold 20 so as to apply the main vacuum to the inter vane spaces in a zone between zone A and zone B.
Two short slipper pads, 24 and 25, are located against the vanes 4 at the extremities of partitions 7A and 7B in a manner such that a high speed air flow sweeps around individual slipper pads 24 and 25 and removes excess water which has collected on the underside of the gauze carrying a thin layer or film of solids and removes water collected on the wire frame of the sieve. The design and location of pads 24 and 25 is chosen such that a maximum purging effect is obtained.
Valve 22 is controlled to provide a differential pressure in zone A, with respect to atmospheric pressure preferably, of the order of 5" to 20" W.G.
Valve 21 in zone B is controlled to maintain a differential pressure preferably in the range of 10" to 30" W.G.
Water removed from zone A in the intervane spaces is therefore removed at the second manifold 23, flows into the main vacuum manifold, and is removed therefrom via a barometric leg, any remaining water removed at zone B being collected by a gutter formed by partition 7B and similarly removed therefrom. Zone C of FIG. 1 is not needed in the embodiment of FIG. 2.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 control valves 21 and 22 are relocated on main vacuum manifold 20 which in this case is not cylindrical but incorporates a gutter formation. For ease of assembly and maintenance valves 21 and 22 are preferably of a rotary type. The main vacuum manifold is designed to operate within the range 20" to 40" W.G., Zone A has an operational differential pressure with respect to atmospheric pressure of 5" to 20" W.G. controlled by valve 22 and zone B has a differential pressure maintained between 10" and 30" W.G. by valve 21. Zone C has a maximum differential pressure equal to the slurry depth at slipper pad 10.
Effluent collecting in the main vacuum manifold 20 and zone B flows gravimetrically to barometric legs connected to these zones.
Short slipper pad 12 allows for purging of intervane spaces as described in regard to the first embodiment.
The location of slipper pad 10 between zone C and zone A is selected to enable initial film building to take place under the natural head of slurry to form a precoat of film. It is significant that by varying the position of slipper pad 10, the proportion of precoat to total film may be altered thereby changing the physical properties of the film such as fibre orientation and subsequent direction of major strength.
In preferred embodiments of the apparatus, means are provided for adjusting the location of slipper pad 10 to provide adjustment and or control of film properties.
Slipper pad 11 between zones A and B is, for preference, located just below the slurry level.
This gives an adequate zone A area for film formation while enabling a gutter to be located to collect effluent lifted out of zone A by vanes 4. The length of slipper pad 11 in FIG. 3 is chosen to provide better sealing in order to restrict air flow between the two zones.
In the embodiments described the slipper pads are made of brass but other sealing means could be used, for instance, resilient pads.
Whilst described above in relation to the manufacture of asbestos cement articles it will be appreciated that the invention is applicable to any situation wherein it is required to extract solids or liquids from a liquid slurry or suspension.
In other embodiments the vanes need not be fixed to the sieve but may rotate independently, wiping the internal surface of the sieve at one extremity and adapted to seal with the walls of the vacuum chamber on passage therepast at an opposite extremity and in such circumstances the vanes may rotate at a different speed or in a different direction from the sieve surface.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art the vanes may be varied in design, for example, by the addition of a lip on the outer edge of the vane or by utilizing a shaped vane such as a dished or convex vane. These variations affect the efficiency of the transfer of effluent to the outlet launder.
It will also be apparent that the invention is applicable to vacuum sieve technology in a vat system which does not overflow.
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This invention relates to apparatus for the extraction of solids from a liquid slurry or suspension of a type in which a reduced pressure chamber applies suction to a zone on one side of a sieve surface whereby solids may be urged against a corresponding zone on the other side and the liquid is urged to flow through the sieve into the chamber. The invention provides means for transporting liquid from the chamber in discrete amounts while substantially maintaining reduced pressure in the chamber. In preferred embodiments the sieve is cylindrical and rotates, vanes are attached to the chamber side of the sieve carry the water out of the chamber in intervane spaces, while slipper pads provide a seal with vane tips to maintain reduced pressure in the chamber.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based upon Turkish Patent Application No. TR201003449, filed Apr. 30, 2010, under relevant sections of 35 USC §119, the entire contents of this application being incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to formulations of aliskiren or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of aliskiren. The present invention more particularly relates to stable multicoated formulations of aliskiren with desired levels of solubility and dissolution rate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Aliskiren, with the chemical name (2S,4S,5S,7S)-5-amino-N-(2-carbamoyl-2-methylpropyl)-4-hydroxy-2-isopropyl-7-[4-methoxy-3-(3-methoxypropoxy)benzyl]-8-methylnonamide, is the first orally-active renin inhibitor with a non-peptide structure. Its chemical structure is illustrated with Formula I given below.
[0000]
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,111 discloses the aliskiren molecule together with δ-amino-γ-hydroxy-ω-aryl-alkanoic acid amide derivatives.
[0005] EP1200390 discloses intermediates preparing the aliskiren molecule and processes for their preparation.
[0006] WO2009143423A1 discloses aliskiren monofumarate and a process for the preparation thereof.
[0007] WO2009149344 discloses a solid state of aliskiren free base.
[0008] WO2009040373 discloses a roller compacted solid oral dosage form comprising aliskiren in an amount of more than 38% by weight based on the total weight of the dosage form.
[0009] WO2005089729 discloses a solid oral dosage form comprising aliskiren in an amount of more than 46% by weight based on the total weight thereof.
[0010] Aliskiren hemifumarate is a white to bright yellowish crystalline powder. It is freely soluble in phosphate buffer, n-octanol, and water. Due to its physicochemical structure, however, obtaining a stable oral formulation of aliskiren is quite difficult. Water contact of aliskiren results in changes in the polymorphic structure, frequently leading to stability problems. Aliskiren is also quite hygroscopic. Its contact with water must not be avoided only efficiently during its production phase, but also when it is in its finished formulation form.
[0011] Whilst single-layer coatings are applied on already-finished formulations, this does not suffice in providing protection against humidity, and therefore blisters, containing aluminum to avoid humidity, are used as well. Blisters, however, are of high costs and thus not economic.
[0012] Carrying out the film coating operation at desired accuracy levels is very crucial with respect to ensuring the stability of aliskiren molecule. A preferred coating must both provide protection against environmental effects to ensure stability, and not lead to problems encountered in film-coating processes, such as wrinkling surfaces, blister and bubble formation, efflorescence, peeling, etc.
[0013] Considering such problems, it is obvious that a novelty is required in the relevant art of formulations comprising aliskiren.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention provides an aliskiren formulation, eliminating all aforesaid problems and bringing additional advantages to the relevant prior art.
[0015] Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to obtain a formulation of aliskiren, which is stable and has desired levels of solubility and dissolution rate.
[0016] Another object of the present invention is to develop a multi-coating, providing the stability of aliskiren-containing formulation and not affecting the solubility and dissolution rates thereof.
[0017] A further object of the present invention is to develop a process, enabling aliskiren production without influencing the solubility and dissolution rate thereof.
[0018] Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a coating operation, efficiently avoiding environmental effects and allowing coating the formulation in a faultless manner.
[0019] A pharmaceutical formulation comprising aliskiren or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or polymorph of aliskiren has been developed to carry out all objects, referred to above and to emerge from the following detailed description.
[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said novelty is developed with at least two outer coating layers. One of said coating layers contains hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, whereas the other contains polyvinyl alcohol. Said hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose is low-substituted hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose.
[0021] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the amount of aliskiren in said oral tablet formulation is not more than 44% by weight and is preferably 36% by weight.
[0022] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one or a properly-proportioned mixture of pullulan or trehalose is used as a binder.
[0023] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one or a properly-proportioned mixture of croscarmellose sodium, crospovidone, and sodium starch glycolate is used as a disintegrant.
[0024] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the weight ratio of pullulan to croscarmellose sodium is between 0.02 to 25, preferably 0.1 to 10, and more preferably 0.1 to 3.
[0025] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least one or a properly-proportioned mixture of colloidal silicone dioxide, talc, and aluminum silicate is used as a glidant.
[0026] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said glidant is preferably colloidal silicone dioxide.
[0027] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, magnesium stearate is used as a lubricant.
[0028] A further preferred embodiment according to the present invention provides a method for preparing a pharmaceutical formulation, this method comprising the steps of:
a) preparing an alcoholic or hydroalcoholic granulation solution of pullulan; b) adding aliskiren, half of croscarmellose sodium, and corn starch into this solution and mixing the latter; c) blending said granulation solution and powder mixture in a high-shear granulator in order to form granules; d) sieving such obtained wet granules, thereafter drying and then sieving the same; e) sieving and then adding half of croscarmellose sodium and colloidal silicone dioxide into this mixture and mixing the latter until a homogeneous mixture is formed; f) sieving and then adding magnesium stearate into the powder mixture obtained and mixing it for a short time; g) compacting the final powder mixture to provide tablets; h) preparing a coating suspension of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose-containing coating material in alcohol, and then subjecting the core tablets to preliminary coating process; and i) preparing a coating suspension of polyvinyl alcohol-containing coating material and carrying out the final coating process with this coating suspension.
[0038] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, said pharmaceutical formulation consisting of:
[0039] a. a core having:
a) aliskiren or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or polymorph thereof at 5 to 44% by weight; b) starch at 5 to 85% by weight; c) pullulan at 0.25 to 10% by weight; d) croscarmellose sodium at 0.2 to 10% by weight; e) colloidal silicone dioxide at 0.1 to 5% by weight; and f) magnesium stearate at 0.2 to 10% by weight.
[0046] b. a coating having:
a) hydroxymethyl propyl cellulose at 0.5 to 5% by weight (lower coating layer); and b) polyvinyl alcohol at 0.5 to 5% by weight (upper coating layer).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Example 1
[0049]
[0000]
Unit Formula
Amount in tablet (%)
Core tablet
100
Aliskiren hemifumarate
42
Cornstarch
49.5
Pullulan
3
Croscarmellose sodium
4
Silicone dioxide
0.5
Magnesium stearate
1
Film coating
5
HPMC (lower coating layer)
2
Opadry-AMB (upper coating layer)
3
[0050] First of all, an alcoholic or hydroalcoholic granulation solution of pullulan is prepared. Then aliskiren, half of croscarmellose sodium, and corn starch are added into this solution and the latter is mixed. The granulation solution prepared above and powder mixture are blended in a high-shear granulator in order to form granules. Such obtained wet granules are sieved, thereafter dried and then sieved again. Then the remaining half of croscarmellose sodium and colloidal silicone dioxide are sieved and then added into this mixture and the latter is mixed until a homogeneous mixture is formed. Magnesium stearate is sieved and then added into the powder mixture obtained and it is mixed for a short time. The powder mixture obtained is compacted to form tablets. Then, a coating suspension of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose-containing coating material in alcohol is prepared and the core tablets are accordingly subjected to a preliminary coating process. At the final step, a coating suspension of polyvinyl alcohol-containing coating material is prepared and the final coating process is performed accordingly. The coating material containing polyvinyl alcohol is Opadry-AMB and comprises talc and titanium dioxide, besides polyvinyl alcohol.
Example 2
[0051]
[0000]
Unit Formula
Amount in tablet (%)
Core tablet
100
Aliskiren hemifumarate
42
Cornstarch
29.5
Mannitol
20
Pullulan
3
Croscarmellose sodium
4
Silicone dioxide
0.5
Magnesium stearate
1
Film coating
5
HPMC (lower coating layer)
2
Opadry-AMB (upper coating layer)
3
[0052] With the invention realized, stable aliskiren formulations can be obtained which have surprisingly good solubility and dissolution rates, and thus high bioavailability. The formulation developed is made with at least two outer coating layers. The outermost upper coating layer contains polyvinyl alcohol. The lower coating layer contains low-substituted hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose. Pullulan or trehalose, used as binders, protect aliskiren against moist; thereby considerably facilitate the production of a stable formulation. The weight ratio of pullulan to croscarmellose sodium is between 0.02 to 25, preferably 0.1 to 10, and more preferably 0.1 to 3. Desired distribution profiles are obtained in this proportion range.
[0053] The formulation obtained is used in treating hypertension.
[0054] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the core tablet is coated with at least two coating layers.
[0055] It is further possible to use the following additional excipients in the formulation.
[0056] Suitable binders include, but are not restricted to, at least one or a mixture of polyvinylprolidone, gelatin, sugars, glucose, natural glue, gums, synthetic celluloses, polymethacrylate, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, and other cellulose derivatives.
[0057] Suitable glidants include, but are not restricted to, at least one or a mixture of colloidal silicone dioxide, talc, aluminum silicate.
[0058] Suitable lubricants include, but are not restricted to, at least one or a mixture of sodium stearil fumarat, magnesium stearate, polyethylene glycol, stearic acid, metal stearates, boric acid, sodium chloride benzoate and acetate, sodium or magnesium lauryl sulfate.
[0059] Suitable surface active agents include, but are not restricted to, at least one or a mixture of sodium lauryl sulfate, dioctyl sulfosuccinate, polysorbates and polyoxyethylene alkyl esters and ethers thereof, glyceryl monolaurate saponins, sorbitan laurate, sodium lauryl sulfate, magnesium lauryl sulfate.
[0060] Suitable coating agents include, but are not restricted to, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, polyethylene glycol, polyvinylprolidone, polyvinylprolidone-vinyl acetate copolymer(PVP-VA), pullulan like polymers, and all kinds of Opadry, as well as pigments, dyes, titanium dioxide and iron oxide, talc.
[0061] Suitable colorants include, but are not restricted to, a mixture of food, drug, and cosmetic (FD&C) dyes (FD&C blue, FD&C green, FD&C red, FD&C yellow, FD&C lake), ponceau, indigo drug & cosmetic (D&C) blue, indigotine FD&C blue, carmoisine indigotine (indigo Carmine); iron oxides (e.g. iron oxide red, yellow, black), quinoline yellow, flame red, brilliant red (carmine), carmoisine, sunset yellow.
[0062] Suitable preservatives include, but are not restricted to a mixture of methyl paraben and propyl paraben and salts thereof (e.g. sodium or potassium salts), sodium benzoate, citric acid, benzoic acid, butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole.
[0063] The protection scope of the present invention is set forth in the annexed Claims and cannot be restricted to the illustrative disclosures given above, under the detailed description. Any alternative embodiments to be produced by persons skilled in the art according to the basic principles, which are under the protection scope as set forth in the Claims, shall be an infringement of the present invention.
|
An oral pharmaceutical formulation of aliskiren, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or polymorph thereof, having at least two coating layers.
| 0
|
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/681,959, filed on Jul. 30, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,708.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for processing image data, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus capable of being connected to a computer.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, it has been known as an image processing apparatus of this type an apparatus such as a scanner, a printer or the like which is used as a peripheral apparatus of the computer by being connected to the computer. Further, it has recently been known that, by connecting a digital copy machine to the computer, the scanner and the printer of the digital copy machine are used as peripheral apparatuses of the computer. In this case, the digital copy machine can be used to copy an original image and further can act as the peripheral apparatus of the computer.
The peripheral apparatus functions to operate based on an instruction from the computer. That is, after placing an original on an original support plate, the scanner starts to read the original on the basis of the instruction from the computer, and then read image data is transferred to the computer. Further, when an operator selects a desired file and operates to instruct printing, the printer prints out the image data sent from the computer.
However, in such a system construction co-operated with the computer, the peripheral apparatus can merely act only as a slave apparatus which operates based on the instruction from the computer. Therefore, if there is no instruction from the computer, the peripheral apparatus cannot transfer the read image data to the computer or print the file stored in the computer.
For example, in case of utilizing the scanner, conventionally, an operator sets the original on the scanner, starts the scanner by operating the computer, and then removes the original from the scanner after reading terminates. At that time, there was a problem that, if the scanner is placed far from the computer, the operator must move many times between the scanner and the computer.
Further, for example, in case of utilizing the printer, conventionally, if the operator intends to print the file stored in the computer when he stands nearby the printer, he must go to the computer to operate the file selection, the print instruction or the like, and again returns to the printer to obtain an output document. That is, there was a problem that the operator cannot obtain a desired printed document although he stands nearby the printer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus which eliminates the above conventional problems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus which can print out image data sent from an external computer in accordance with a request from an image processing apparatus side.
Further another object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus which can operate in a slave mode for outputting image data in accordance with an output instruction from an external computer and in a master mode for outputting the image data sent from the external computer in accordance with a request from an image processing apparatus side.
The above and other objects will become apparent from the following detailed description which is based on the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a copy machine which is provided in an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a view showing an example in which the copy machine 1 in FIG. 1 is connected to other apparatus;
FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a process by the copy machine 1 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a view showing a display image plane which is used for selecting the process;
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a print process in a master mode of the copy machine 1 ;
FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the print process in the master mode of the copy machine 1 ;
FIG. 7 is a view showing a display image plane which is used for selecting a computer;
FIG. 8 is a view showing a display image plane which is used for selecting a file;
FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing a file transfer process at a computer side;
FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a scan process in the master mode of the copy machine 1 ;
FIG. 11 is a view showing a display image plane in case of the scan process;
FIG. 12 is a view showing a display image plane in case of a computer control by the copy machine 1 ;
FIG. 13 is a view showing a configuration of an interface program to the copy machine 1 at the computer side;
FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing a selection process of a host computer in the master mode of the copy machine 1 ; and
FIG. 15 is a view showing an outer configuration of a console unit of the copy machine 1 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic construction of a digital copy machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a copy machine (main body). The copy machine 1 consists of a central processing unit (CPU) 101 , a read-only memory (ROM) 102 , a random-access memory (RAM) 103 , a PC card interface 104 for connecting a PC card, a detachable PC card 105 , a floppy disk drive interface (FDD I/F) 106 , a floppy disk drive (FDD) 107 , a liquid crystal display (LCD) controller 108 , a liquid crystal display (LCD) 109 , a key input interface 110 , a touch panel 111 , an operation key 112 , an image memory 113 , a scanner interface 114 , a scanner 115 , a printer interface 116 , a printer 117 , an external interface 118 , a floppy disk (FD) 119 , and an infrared ray sensor 120 .
The CPU 101 controls the apparatus as a whole in accordance with programs stored in the ROM 102 , the RAM 103 , the PC card 105 and the like. The ROM 102 constantly stores an execution program used for the control by the CPU 101 and various parameters, and consists of, e.g., a flash ROM or the like. If it is necessary to update the program or the like stored in the ROM 102 , the ROM 102 can easily be updated at any time by writing thereinto updated data obtained from the mounted PC card 105 , the floppy disk 119 or an external host computer via the external interface 118 . The RAM 103 temporarily stores the program and data necessary for executing the program. The PC card interface 104 acts as an interface to be used for accessing the detachable PC card 105 from the CPU 101 . The floppy disk drive interface 106 can read data stored in the floppy disk 119 inserted into the floppy disk drive 107 and newly write data into the floppy disk 119 , by driving the floppy disk drive 107 . The LCD controller 108 displays a character, a drawing and the like on the LCD 109 , by receiving from the CPU 101 the data to be displayed. The touch panel 111 which is a pressure-sensitive transparent switch is mounted on the LCD 109 to detect a depression operation by a user. The key input interface 110 is used to read states of the touch panel 111 and the operation key 112 . By combining the LCD 109 and the touch panel 111 with each other, an operation image plane can appropriately be changed according to various situations, whereby an operation unit or a console unit which is easy to be used by the user can be provided. The image memory 113 stores image data to be input/output by the scanner 115 and the printer 117 . The scanner 115 and the printer 117 manage a command and the image data via the scanner interface 114 and the printer interface 116 , respectively. The scanner 115 reads an original image by scanning an original placed on an original support plate. The printer 117 prints out the image data which is received via the external interface 118 . Further, the printer 117 prints out the image read by the scanner 115 , thereby copying the original. The external interface 118 is an interface to be used for communicating to one or plural computers, e.g., a personal computer, a work station and/or the like, which are placed outside the copy machine 1 . The infrared ray sensor 120 is a sensor to be used for detecting whether or not an operator stands nearby the operation unit (the LCD 109 , the touch panel 111 and the operation key 112 ) of the copy machine 1 .
FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration in a case where the copy machine 1 in FIG. 1 is connected to a local area network (LAN). The copy machine 1 can act as a well-known digital copy machine such as a local copier and further send/receive the data to/from other devices in the LAN.
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 201 denotes a LAN 201 which forms a network to which a plurality of computers, copy machines, facsimile machines, scanners, printers and the like are connected and in which data sending and receiving are performed among these devices.
Reference numerals 202 , 203 and 204 denote personal computers which are connected to the LAN 201 . However, computers which can be connected to the LAN 201 are not limited to these three computers 202 , 203 and 204 , but various computers can also be connected to the LAN 201 .
A process in case of accessing the external computer from the copy machine 1 will then be explained on the basis of a flow chart shown in FIG. 3 . This flow chart is executed based on a program stored in the ROM 102 . However, this flow chart can also be executed based on a program which is read from the PC card 105 or the floppy disk 119 , or is sent via the external interface 118 . It should be noted that the copy machine 1 has a slave mode and a master mode. In the slave mode, the copy machine 1 operates based on an instruction from the external computer. In the master mode, the computer is accessed from the operation key 112 of the copy machine 1 , so that the copy machine 1 prints out a file stored in the computer by using the printer 117 , and transfers data read by the scanner 115 to the computer.
Further, in the slave mode, the printer 117 is operated in response to a print order from the external computer to print out image data sent from the external computer, and the scanner 115 is operated in response to a scan start order for reading operation sent from the computer to read an image of an original and then to transfer the read image data to the computer. On the other hand, in the master mode, the copy machine 1 specifies or accesses the computer by depressing a remote key of the operation key 112 and then starts a process. This process will be explained in detail, hereinafter.
In FIG. 3, when the remote key is depressed in a step S 301 , it is judged in a step S 302 whether or not another process is being performed. If the another process is being performed, the flow advances to a step S 303 . In the step S 303 , the LCD 109 displays that the another process is being performed, to notify the operator that, in such a state, a different process in the master mode cannot start. Then, in a step S 304 , it is displayed to inquire the operator whether or not the remote key depression should be cancelled. If a cancel is selected by the touch panel 111 , the display state of the LCD 109 returns to an initial state. If the cancel is not selected, in a step S 305 , a stand-by state starts and is maintained until the another process presently performed terminates. When it is judged that the presently-performed another process terminates (in this case an alarm sound is generated), or if it is judged in the step S 302 that the another process is not being performed, the displaying of the LCD 109 that the another process is being performed or the displaying of the LCD 109 indicating the initial state is switched to the displaying shown in FIG. 4, in order to set the master mode in a step S 306 .
In FIG. 4, a print button 401 is used for performing a print process in the master mode, a scan button 402 is used for performing a scan process in the master mode, a control button 403 is used for performing a remote control process of the computer, and a cancel button 404 is used for cancelling the process in the master mode. By depressing respective positions at which the buttons are displayed on the LCD 109 , coordinates of pixels on the touch panel 111 are detected, and then it is judged by the CPU 101 via the key interface 110 which position of the button is depressed.
If it is judged in a step S 307 that the print button is depressed, the flow advances to a step S 308 to perform the print process in the master mode. If it is judged in a step S 309 that the scan button 402 is depressed, the flow advances to a step S 310 to perform the scan process in the master mode. If it is judged in a step S 311 that the control button 403 is depressed, the flow advances to a step S 312 to perform the remote control process of the computer. If it is judged in a step S 313 that the cancel button 404 is depressed, the master mode is cancelled and the displaying of the LCD 109 returns-to the initial state.
Then, the process in a case where the print button 401 is depressed in the step S 307 of FIG. 3 will be explained hereinafter on the basis of the flow charts shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
When the print button 401 is depressed in the step S 307 of FIG. 3, the displaying of the LCD 109 is changed to that shown in FIG. 7 .
In FIG. 7, a list 701 shows a list of the computers connected to the LAN 201 , a connection button 702 is used to start an access to the computer, a cancel button 703 is used to cancel the print process, a password display column 704 shows an input password, a character palette 705 is used to input a character and the like, a tab 706 is used to display all of the accessible computers, a tab 707 is used to display the computer which has most-recently been accessed, a tab 708 is used to display the computers which had previously been accessed, in the order of name (i.e., in the order of smaller code number), and a tab 709 is used to display the computers which are frequently or often accessed.
When the print button 401 is depressed in the step S 307 of FIG. 3, the CPU 101 forms the list of registered names of the computers accessible by inquiring a predetermined computer (e.g., a server or the like) connected to the LAN 201 via the external interface 118 , and then displays as the list 701 of FIG. 7 in a step S 501 . This displaying corresponds to a state where the tab 707 for displaying all of accessible host computers is being selected. Then, in a step S 502 , the position at which the desired computer is displayed in the list 701 is depressed to select the desired computer. In this case, a name of the selected computer (“ABC” in FIG. 7) is inverse displayed. Then, in a step S 503 , a password corresponding to the computer selected in the step S 502 is input by means of a character list of the character palette 705 . The input password is displayed on the password display column 704 in a form of invisible character (or turned letter), so that an input operation can be confirmed. If an erroneous character is input when inputting the password, the input erroneous character can be deleted in unit of character by depressing a deletion key included in the character palette 705 . In the above operation, the order of computer selection and password input may arbitrarily set.
When both the computer selection and the password input terminate, in a step S 504 , the CPU 101 communicates with the selected computer on the basis of a network address in the LAN 201 by depressing the connection button 702 , to confirm the password. Then, it is judged in a step S 505 whether or not the input password coincides with a registered password, i.e., whether or not the input password is correct or not. If it is judged in the step S 505 that the input password is correct, the selected computer can be accessed and the connection is established. Thereafter, the flow advances to a step S 507 . On the other hand, if the input password does not coincide with the registered password whereby it is judged that the input password is not correct, an error display is performed in a step S 506 , and the flow returns to the step S 501 . If the connection is established, information relating to the computer to which the connection is established is stored in a certain area, in the step S 507 . That is, the information relating to a name of the connected computer, a time when the access is performed, the number of previously-accessed times and the like is stored. Preferably, a storage media to which the information is stored is the RAM 103 . However, a partial area of the RM 102 , the PC card 105 or the floppy disk 119 can also be used as the storage media.
As mentioned above, it has been explained the case where a destination to which the connection is performed is selected from among all of the connectable computers. However, it will be explained hereinafter a case where the destination to be connected is selected from among the computers to which the connection had previously been performed.
In the present embodiment, a display mode of the computer is changed by selecting the tabs 706 , 707 , 708 and 709 in accordance with a flow shown in FIG. 14 . That is, if the tab 706 showing all of the accessible computers is being selected in a step S 1401 , the computers connected via the external interface 118 are searched in a step S 1402 , and then the list of the accessible computers is formed and displayed in a step S 1408 . If the tab 707 showing the most recently-accessed computer is being selected in a step S 1403 , the information relating to the previously-accessed computers is searched so that the computers are sequentially listed in the most recently-accessed order in a step S 1404 . Then, the formed list is displayed in the step S 1408 . If the tab 708 showing the previously-accessed computers (or showing the computers which have previously-accessed experience) in the order of name is being selected in a step S 1405 , it is formed in a step S 1406 the list in which names of the previously-accessed computers are arranged in the order of name (i.e., the order of code), and then the formed list is displayed in the step S 1408 . If the tab 709 showing the frequently-accessed or often-accessed computers is being selected, it is formed in a step S 1407 the list in which the previously-accessed computers are listed in the order of higher frequency, and then the formed list is displayed in the step S 1408 . According to the above operation, from among all of the accessible computers or the previously-accessed computers, the computer lists can be shown under a desired condition on the basis of a user's instruction and then the user can select the desired computer.
When the selected computer is accessed according to the above procedure to establish the connection, the displaying of the LCD 109 is changed to that shown in FIG. 8 .
In FIG. 8, a list 801 shows files which are managed by the selected computer, a preview button 802 is used to display an image of the selected file, a print button 803 is used to print out the image of the selected file, and a cancel button 804 is used to return a present image plane to the image plane used for computer selection shown in FIG. 7 .
In a step S 508 of FIG. 5, the file list is displayed as shown in the list 801 of FIG. 8 . If the list does not exist in a directory including an objective file, the directory can be shifted by selecting a sub-directory (marked as “. . .” in FIG. 8) or an upper directory (marked as “↑” in FIG. 8 ).
When a position of the desired file in the file list is depressed in a step S 509 , a name of the depressed file is reverse displayed and the file is selected. When the file is selected, it is judged in a step S 510 whether or not the preview button 802 is depressed. When depressed, in a step S 511 , the accessed computer is instructed to discriminate an application software which is used to form that file, on the basis of the selected file name. Further, in a step S 512 , the discriminated application software starts, and the data in the selected file is read out as bit map data. Then, in a step S 513 , the image data in the bit-mapped desired file is transferred, and the transferred image data is displayed on the LCD 109 in a step S 514 . In this case, an upper portion of first page is initially displayed, then a following portions are sequentially displayed in response to operations of a scroll key, a next page key, an entire display key (i.e., used for displaying a compressed one page) and the like (not shown). When the displaying terminates in a step S 515 , the flow waits for a next key input. When a cancel key (not shown) is depressed in a step S 516 , the flow returns to the step S 508 to display the file list. If the cancel key is not depressed, the flow again waits for the depression of any one of the preview button 802 , the print button 803 and the cancel button 804 . Then, if it is judged in a step S 601 that the print button is depressed, high-resolution image data for printing the selected file is transferred in steps S 603 to S 605 according to the same procedure as that shown in the steps S 511 to S 513 . The transferred image data is printed out by the printer 117 in a step S 606 . It should be noted that the image data transferred in the step S 513 or S 605 is resolution converted if necessary.
On the other hand, if it is judged in the step S 602 that the cancel button 804 is depressed, the flow returns to the step S 501 to display the computer list.
FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an execution sequence at a computer side on the LAN 201 . This execution sequence relates to the file transferring based on the instructions from the copy machine 1 in the steps S 501 to S 513 and the steps S 603 to S 605 . If there are the instructions as in the steps S 511 and S 603 , it is checked in a step S 901 which application software is used to form the designated file, by referring the file held at the computer side and a data base corresponding to the application software used for forming the held file. Then, in a step S 902 , if the application software does not yet start the application software starts to read the designated file. Thereafter, in a step S 903 , the displayed image plane, e.g., window contents of a word processor, is obtained to generate data for the printing, and the generated data is transferred to the copy machine 1 .
According to the above operation, a copy machine 1 side can obtain data of the image plane relating to the file contents displayed on the computer. Thus, even if the computer side has the file of any form, the copy machine 1 side receives the bit-mapped data, whereby the displaying and the printing of the received data can be performed at the copy machine 1 side.
It will be explained hereinafter a case where the user explicitly releases the accessing.
As explained above, since the operation can be returned to the one-previous operation by depressing the cancel button in each operation image plane, it is possible as one method to release the accessing by repeating the same operation. On the other hand, in the present invention, there is provided as the other (more easy) method a key for releasing the accessing.
FIG. 15 is a view showing an outer configuration of a console unit (including the LCD 109 , the touch panel 111 and the operation key 112 ) of the copy machine 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 15, reference numeral 1501 denotes a display unit consisting of the LCD 109 and the touch panel 111 , reference numeral 1502 denotes a reset key, reference numeral 1503 denotes a remote key (previously explained), reference numeral 1504 denotes a preheat key, reference numeral 1505 denotes a start key, reference numeral 1506 denotes a ten key and reference numeral 1507 denotes a stop key. It should be noted that these keys are hard keys which together construct the operation key 112 . Each of the remote key 1503 and the preheat key 1504 has, at its upper portion, an LED display unit to show a presently-set operation mode.
The display unit 1501 displays an operation panel for the user in accordance with the above-mentioned various cases, to accept the user's key input. The reset key 1502 is a key which is used to return all of the presently-set various setting states to the initial setting state.
In the state where the computer is being accessed via the external interface 118 by depressing the remote key 1503 , the CPU 101 turns on an LED of the remote key 1503 . Therefore, the user can easily recognize that a computer access mode is being set. In the computer access mode, if the user wishes to release the accessing, he can obtain the same effect by using several keys in addition to the sequential depressing of the cancel key. That is, when the reset key 1502 is depressed, it is meant by this depressing that the user indicates to return the setting mode to the initial state. Therefore, the CPU 101 terminates the communication with the computer and returns the display unit 1501 to the initial image plane. When the preheat key 1504 is depressed, the copy machine 1 turns off a main power source to come to be in a preheat mode. In the preheat mode, to hold the computer accessing is meaningless, so that the accessing is similarly released and then the copy machine 1 comes to be in the preheat mode. When the remote key 1503 is again depressed in a state where the LED of the remote key 1503 is being turned on, it is meant by this depressing that the user indicates to access an other new computer. Therefore, the CPU 101 releases the accessing for the computer presently accessed.
As explained above, since the accessing can directly be released based on the instruction from the operation key 112 , the user can immediately release the accessing if necessary.
Then, in a case where a standby state of the copy machine 1 continues for a predetermined period of time because the user does not operate the copy machine 1 for a long period of time, i.e., in a case where a setting mode reset timer or a preheat timer operates, if it is maintained the state that the computer is being accessed, the CPU 101 releases the accessing without any instruction by the user and operates to come to be in a mode reset state or in the preheat mode.
Further, when the infrared ray sensor 120 detects that the user does not stand nearby the copy machine 1 and the copy machine 1 is in the standby state for the predetermined period of time after terminating the designated operation, the present accessing is released and the copy machine 1 comes to be in the standby state in order to prevent a situation that a next user directly accesses the computer.
The above-explained various methods for releasing the accessing are also effective in a case where an operation explained below is being performed.
It will be explained hereinafter a flow of processing in case of depressing the scan button 402 in the step S 309 of FIG. 3, on the basis of the flow chart shown in FIG. 10 .
When the scan button 402 is depressed in the step S 309 of FIG. 3, the displaying of the LCD 109 is changed or switched to that shown in FIG. 7 .
In the processing, a procedure for accessing the computer shown in steps S 1001 to S 1005 is the same as that shown in the previously-explained steps S 501 to S 505 , so that the detailed explanation thereof is omitted.
When the connection with the computer is established by selecting and accessing the computer, same as in the step S 507 , information concerning the computer to which the connection is established is stored in a step S 1007 . Then, the flow advances to a step S 1008 to switch the displaying of the LCD 109 to that shown in FIG. 11 .
In FIG. 11, reference numeral 1101 denotes a preview frame for displaying an image of a read original, reference numeral 1102 denotes a list of directories managed by the accessed computer, reference numeral 1103 denotes a scan button which is used for transferring read image data to the accessed computer, reference numeral 1104 denotes a preview button which is used for displaying the read image in the preview frame, reference numeral 1105 denotes a cancel button which is used for returning the image plane to that shown in FIG. 7 which is used to select the computer, reference numeral 1106 denotes a file name display frame for displaying an input file name, and reference numeral 1107 denotes a character palette which is used for inputting a character and the like.
When the original is placed on the original support plate and the preview button 1104 is depressed in the step S 1008 , the original placed on the original support plate is read by the scanner 115 in a step S 1009 . Then, read image data is stored in the image memory 113 in a step S 1010 and is displayed on the preview frame 1101 in a step S 1011 . In a step S 1012 , if necessary, two points on the preview frame 1101 are designated for trimming a rectangular area of which diagonal line is defined by the designated two points. In this case, address information of the designated or selected area is stored in the RAM 103 . In a step S 1013 , the directory in which the read image data is to be stored is selected by depressing its position in the directory list 1102 . Subsequently, the file name used for storing the read image data into the computer is selected from the character palette 1107 . The file name input from the character palette 1107 is displayed on the file name display frame 1106 to be able to be confirmed by the user. After these designations and selections terminate, when the scan button 1103 is depressed in a step S 1014 , the area of the read image data selected in the step S 1012 is read from the image memory 113 on the basis of the stored address information, and the read area as well as the input file name is transferred to the accessed computer and stored in the selected directory within a memory of the computer in steps S 1015 and S 1016 .
It will be explained hereinafter a case where the control button 403 is depressed in the step S 311 of FIG. 3 .
When the control button 403 is depressed in the step S 311 of FIG. 3, the operation image plane of the LCD 109 is changed or switched to the image plane which is used for selecting the computer shown in FIG. 7 . The method for selecting the computer is the same as that in the selection operation already explained in the steps S 501 to S 505 and the steps S 1001 to S 1005 , whereby the detailed explanation thereof is omitted. After the connection is established with the computer by the above method, the LCD 109 switches its displayed image plane to that shown in FIG. 12 . In FIG. 12, reference numeral 1201 denotes a computer image plane display frame, reference numeral 1202 denotes an image on the computer, reference numeral 1203 denotes an enlargement icon, reference numeral 1204 denotes a reduction icon, reference numeral 1205 denotes a mouse crick icon, reference numeral 1206 denotes an image plane scroll cursor icon, reference numeral 1207 denotes a character palette used for inputting a character, and reference numeral 1208 denotes a cancel button used for returning the image plane to that shown in FIG. 7 .
In FIG. 12, the contents same as those of the image displayed on the image plane of the connected computer are displayed on the computer image plane display frame 1202 . However, since a size of the display device of the computer is generally larger than a size of the display device of the copy machine 1 , the image to be displayed on the computer image plane display frame 1201 is limited to a part of the image originally displayed by the computer. In order to display other parts which are not essentially displayed on the computer image plane display frame 1201 , the user may shift such the not-displayed parts to be within the frame with scrolling the image by the depressing of the image scroll icon 1206 . If the user wishes to see the entire image, he may depress the reduction icon 1204 to perform the reduced displaying of the image. Further, if the user wishes to see the detailed portion of the image, he may depress the enlargement icon 1203 to perform the enlarged displaying of the image. In order to use from the copy machine 1 side a pointing device such as a mouse or the like at the computer side, a mouse cursor position can be indicated from the image input device by depressing the inside portion of the computer image plane display frame 1201 , and also a mouse crick can be input by using the mouse crick icon 1205 . If it is necessary to input the character on the computer, such the character can be input from the character palette 1207 . All of these operations which are to change the displaying of the images and perform the character inputs are performed by the CPU 108 . That is, the CPU 108 detects the user's operations for the touch panel 111 on the LCD 109 and judges the use's objective operation on the basis of the coordinate values on the touch panel 111 .
In a software construction at the computer side, as shown in FIG. 13, there is an interface program for the copy machine 1 between an operating system (OS) and an application program. In a case where the application program transfers the image data to be drawn on the image plane to the OS, the interface program has a function to transfer the same image data to the copy machine 1 , and also has a function to input the input operations such as the mouse input and the key input to the application program as well as an event input from the OS.
When the copy machine 1 side receives the image displayed on the computer, the copy machine 1 zooms the received image at a predetermined magnification such that the image can be displayed at a size suitable for the computer image plane display frame 1201 . When the enlargement process, the reduction process or the scroll process is instructed by the user, the copy machine 1 converts a base displaying form into a new displaying form and then performs the displaying on the image plane display frame 1201 . When the position within the computer image plane display frame 1201 is depressed by the user, the copy machine 1 calculates a relative position with respect to the image presently displayed on the computer and notifies the calculated position to the computer side. At the computer side, the interface program inputs the shift event of mouse cursor to the application program on the basis of the notified coordinate position, to inform the user's operation sent from the copy machine 1 . This operation is the same as that with respect to a mouse crick.
It will be explained hereinafter a case where the operation is controlled by using a detachable storage medium such as a PC card, a floppy disk or the like.
In this case, when the connection is to be established with the computer, the PC card or the floppy disk of which contents have previously been set is used. When the remote key is depressed from the operation key 112 in a state where the PC card or the floppy disk is not inserted, it is displayed on the LCD 109 a message for urging the user to insert the PC card or the floppy disk which acts as a key. Then, when the user inserts the PC card or the floppy disk, the CPU 101 confirms the insertion of the storage medium and then accesses the inserted medium to fetch the computer information to be accesses. The computer information includes an address of the computer, as well as an identification code, a password or the like of the user who owns the PC card or the floppy disk. The copy machine 1 comes to be able to establish the connection with the computer by using such the information. The information concerning the plurality of connection destinations can be stored in the same medium as the computer information. When the CPU 101 confirms the storing of the plurality of connection destination information, the CPU 101 provides to the user the list of the connectable computers and requests the user to select the connection destination from among the computers in the list.
On the other hand, the information concerning the computer may not previously be stored in the PC card or the floppy disk, but only the user's information such as the user's identification code, the password and the like may previously be stored in the PC card or the floppy disk. In this case, the PC card or the floppy disk is inserted into the copy machine 1 , and then the copy machine 1 specifies the user on the basis of the user's information. Thereafter, when the connection with the computer can be established in the step S 505 of FIG. 5 and the step S 1005 of FIG. 10, the computer information may be stored in the PC card or the floppy disk in correspondence with the user's information. Further, by referring the past access information of the user in the computer selecting procedure shown in FIG. 14, the list of the computers from among the computers to which the user had accessed can be formed in a designated form, to be presented.
When, the connection destination is designated by the user or there is essentially one connection destination, the CPU 101 intends to connect with the computer via the external interface 118 . When the connection is established, the following procedure is the same as that explained above, so that the detailed explanation thereof is omitted. After the connection with the computer is established in the above manner, as explained above, the file in the computer is printed or the computer is operated by the copy machine 1 .
Personal information of the computer and the user can be written into the PC card or the floppy disk used in the embodiment, in a manner explained as follows. That is, the user inserts the PC card or the floppy disk into the computer which is ordinarily used by him, and writes his own network connection password into the PC card or the floppy disk by using a data writing program, so that the PC card or the floppy disk to be used as the key in the copy machine 1 can be formed.
As the PC card or the floppy disk used in the embodiment, it can be utilized any medium which can store the computer connection information and is portable by the user. For example, a magnetic card, an IC card, an optical card can be utilized as the storage medium. Further, even a portable terminal can be utilized if an interface specifically used for the portable terminal is provided in the copy machine 1 .
In a case where the computer is being accessed in the above manner, in addition to the previously-explained access releasing method, if the PC card 105 or the floppy disk 119 is released from the copy machine 1 , the CPU 101 detects it and operates to release the access to the computer.
According to the above-mentioned copy machine 1 , the desired computer can be accessed from the copy machine 1 side, and the image data of the file managed by the accessed computer can be fetched to be printed out. Further, since the printing can be performed after the preview operation, it can effectively be prevented that erroneous image data is printed out. Furthermore, since the accessing to the computer is allowed by inputting the password or inserting the storage medium including the password, a user's secret can effectively be protected. Furthermore, the accessing to the computer can immediately be released by the user's instruction.
Further, even if the user forgets to instruct the releasing of the accessing, the accessing can automatically be released by means of a predetermined timer. Therefore, since it can effectively be prevented that the computer accessing state is undesirably maintained due to the user's error, the user's secret can effectively be protected.
Furthermore, since the infrared ray sensor detects that there is no user nearby the copy machine, the accessing can automatically be released.
Furthermore, in the case where the accessing to the computer is performed by using the storage medium which stores the connection information, since the storage medium can be considered as the key, the accessing can be released by removing the storage medium (i.e., the key), so that the user's secret can effectively be protected.
Furthermore, the operation can be performed by selecting either one of the slave mode and the master mode, if necessary.
Furthermore, since the original can be read in response to the instruction from the copy machine 1 and then transferred, the read image data can effectively be stored in the desired computer. In this case, the file name can be input in the desired computer in response to the instruction from the copy machine 1 .
Furthermore, the desired computer operation can be performed from the copy machine 1 .
Furthermore, in the case where the desired computer is accessed from the copy machine 1 side, the user can easily select the computer which is often utilized by him, by providing to the user the list of the limited computers which has been past accessed by the user.
Furthermore, in the case where the computer is accessed by using the storage medium which stores the user's information, the user can easily select the computer by providing based on the user's information in the storage medium to the user the list of the computers which are to be exclusively accessed by such the user.
Furthermore, the data representing the program for controlling the above-mentioned operations can be stored in the detachable storage medium such as a magneto-optical disk or the like, and then the stored data can be read to be applied to other controllable devices.
As explained above, according to the present invention, the digital copy machine can effectively be utilized by connecting it to the network such as the LAN.
It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment as set forth above and may be variously changed and modified within the scope of the invention defined in the attached claims.
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The present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus which comprises connection means for connecting to a computer network to which a plurality of computers are connected and record means for recording and outputting image data sent from the computer through the connection means, the apparatus comprises access means for accessing one of the plurality of computers, selection means for selecting a file to be recorded and output by the record means, from among the files managed by the computer accessed by the access means, and request means for requesting, to the computer accessed by the access means, a sending of the image data in the file selected by the selection means, wherein the record means records and output the image data sent from the computer in accordance with the request means, whereby the image processing apparatus can access the computer which is placed far from that apparatus and output the contents of the computer.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to manual resuscitator systems. More specifically, this invention relates to resuscitation bags having directional control valves and means for controling the "PEEP" or Positive End Expiratory Pressure.
2. Description of Related Art including Information Disclosed under §§1.97 to 1.99
Manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation devices, utilizing self-inflating squeeze bags are well known in the prior art. An example, for instance, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,941 which issued Oct. 4, 1988, to Wallace F. Cook. Also, there are earlier patents. Representative examples are:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,009,459 issued Nov. 21, 1961 to Henning Ruben
U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,446 issued Jul. 26, 1966 to George H. Stoner
U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,595 issued Jul. 26, 1977 to James O. Elam
U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,404 issued Mar. 7, 1978 to James O. Elam
U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,131 issued May 9, 1978 to James O. Elam et al
U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,580 issued Oct. 24, 1978 to Donald C. Fabish
U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,038 issued Dec. 16, 1980 to Ronald W. Holmes
U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,521 issued Feb. 22, 1983 to Thomas W. Nelson et al
During resuscitation with such devices, air or air enriched with oxygen is forced into the patient by squeezing the bag. The patient exhales through the valving system of the device. On release of the squeeze bag, the bag reinflates through a check valve. In addition to possessing the potential to force the desired flow and quantity of gases to the patient, such devices must take into account the fact that the patient may inhale or exhale spontaneously during treatment. These devices are therefore usually comprised of three basic elements: a mask, a specific directional control valve arrangement, and a squeezable bag.
These three elements have been well documented in the prior art. The mask must have sufficient flexibility to adjust to the contours of the face, while maintaining sufficient rigidity to allow for the application of enough force to create a seal during the direction of gas flow under pressure. The directional control valve must allow air to be forced under pressure to the patient, while still, as stated, allowing the patient to spontaneously inhale and exhale. An example of such a directional control valve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,122 which issued Apr. 1971 to Asmund S. Laerdal.
Finally, the squeeze bag typically incorporates a check valve allowing air to fill the bag and must be of such construction as to be sufficiently compliant to allow 40 cycles per minute of operation while delivering a minimum of 500 cc. of air per cycle at 100 cm. of water pressure.
In addition to these three basic elements necessary to achieve the essential functions of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, there is frequently added a fourth element which is an external valve to provide measured and controllable resistance to the exhaled airflow, whether part of a forced cycle or spontaneous respiration. This element is known as a PEEP valve. The acronym PEEP as used in this case represents the term Positive End Expiratory Pressure, which is the aforementioned resistance to exhaled airflow at the preset pressure. The application of PEEP has long been recognized as a benefit to patients of cardiopulmonary resuscitation by maintaining a degree of inflation in the lungs, thus enabling a prolonged contact between the inhaled gases and the subject's pulmonary capillary bed, and preventing collapse of the lung.
In the past PEEP control valves have usually been separate from the air supply valve. The early U.S. Pat. No. 1,244,661 to Teter issued Oct. 30, 1917 discloses a mask provided with a valve for controlling the pressure during exhalation. The patent teaches that the device provides a "positive, adjustable pressure-valve" in order "to increase the absorption by the blood of the anesthetizing gas or vapors, and the lungs will not suffer collapse but may be distended thereby."
Another U.S. Pat. No. 1,896,716 to Elmer I. McKesson issued Feb. 7, 1933 discloses a mask having an exhaling valve with spring force adjustable by set screw to control exhalation pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,780 issued Jan. 16, 1973 to Robert A. Milch has the patient exhale through a tube, the far end of which is dipped into water to an adjustable extent to control the exhalation pressure required.
The phrase "Positive End Expiratory Pressure" is used in the British patent 1,447,091 (1976) wherein a diaphram normally blocks the exhaust seat. A threaded nut with graduations adjusts the pressure on a spring to push the diaphragm against the seat to thereby adjust the amount of pressure required to exhaust the valve.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,366 issued Jan. 8, 1980 to John R. Boehringer a spring urges a diaphram to close an exhaust port. This patent uses the acronym "PEEP". A thumb screw can be adjusted to control the pressure on the spring.
The PEEP valve shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,884 to Max Isaacson issued Jun. 17, 1980 comprises an annular seat and a disk-shaped valve. A spring urges the valve against its seat in accordance with the setting on a graduated plunger.
Two U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 32,553 issued Dec. 30, 1980 to Clifford D. Bennett et al and 4,712,580 issued Dec. 15, 1987 to Keith Gilmanm et al are both directed to PEEP valves in which the opening of the exhaust valve is effected when the exhaling pressure raises the diaphram central of the valve to permit escape of air into the valve exhaust. The diaphragm is urged against the valve seat in each case by air pressure communicated through a tubular opening in the valve housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,593 issued Aug. 24, 1982 to John L. Sullivan and U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,685 issued Feb. 24, 1984 to Eugene A. Giorgini et al both include as a part of a mask an adjustible exit valve which would control PEEP (see FIG. 3 of both patents).
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,963 issued Oct. 3, 1989 to William Carter discloses a PEEP valve in which a valve element is pivotally mounted on a hub so that if one side of the valve is blocked, the valve can pivot open. Spring pressure is adjustable by turning a plunger.
While each of the four elements discussed above are recognized by the prior art, the prior art has perceived the resuscitation bag system with its valving as necessarily separate from the PEEP valve. The use of an external PEEP valve presents an inconvenience in emergency situations in which the resuscitation device is typically required. Its use also increases the cost of therapy and may be found to provide less effective therapy because there are two valves in the path of exhaled gases. First, the gases must pass through the aforementioned directional control valve integral to the resuscitation bag system known from the prior art. Then the exhaled gases must pass through the PEEP valve. This dual valving can potentially increase the resistance to exhaled gases in an unpredictable manner in the normal course of therapy and is therefore potentially detrimental.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses this problem by introduction of a PEEP valve which is integral with the resuscitation bag directional control valve system. It is therefore more convenient, less costly and potentially more therapeutically effective than devices described in prior art.
In the resuscitation device of the present invention, a squeeze bag is provided which includes a check valve to ensure one-way flow into the bag from outside room air or through an oxygen feed/reservoir system as known in the prior art. Also provided is a directional control valve assembly communicating with the bag and comprising a housing including a first cylindrical part secured to the bag and having a partial floor thereacross, the floor being formed with a perpendicular threaded sleeve concentric with the first cylindrical part. A second domed part is provided having an exit passage and an outlet port telescopingly related to the first part, the second domed part having associated therewith a second threaded sleeve disposed axially thereof, the first and second threaded sleeves being threadedly engaged.
A tubular patient port is joined to the domed part of the valve housing and adapted to be coupled in gas flow communication to the patient, said patient port extending into said valve housing and including a tubular extension formed concentric with the valve housing and having a circular end seat. A unitary flexible duck-billed diaphragm valve is provided including a flexible outer normally flat peripheral portion and an inner duck-bill portion. The peripheral portion is secured to the second domed part and is adjacent to and engageable with said circular end seat of said tubular extension, to close off the exit port. The duck-bill portion extends into the tubular extension. Spring means are disposed compressively between a annular portion of the duck-billed valve opposite the seat and the floor of the cylindrical first cylindrical part of the housing. The spring urges the valve to seat against the circular end seat.
By turning the first and second parts relatively, the PEEP setting may be accurately adjusted.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the drawings, all of which show a non-limiting embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a broken, centerline sectional view of a resuscitator embodying the invention shown during a patient's forced inhalation;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded view of the combined directional control valve and PEEP valve;
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the lower part of the directional control valve housing on the scale of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a further enlarged centerline sectional view of the directional control valve housing during a patient's spontaneous exhalation, of the combined directional control valve and PEEP valve with the PEEP valve set at a relatively high PEEP; and
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the PEEP valve at a relatively low setting.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A resuscitator embodying the invention is generally designated 10 in FIG. 1. It comprises a plastic squeeze bag 12 having two connections. A first connection generally designated 14 is linked to the patient by way of a mask (not shown) and controls the outlet of the bag and the exit port, and a second connection generally designated 16 connects the inlet of the bag to a gas source.
The inlet connection 16 is in the form of a two-part housing which includes a threaded fitting 18 having a pair of parallel annular flanges as shown between which the lower opening in the bag 12 is sandwiched as is conventional. Housing 18 is formed in its upper end with a plurality of openings 20 over which is attached an annular flapper valve 22. The flapper valve 22 defines a one-way check valve by which air and/or oxygen may be introduced into the bag 12 but not pass out.
Further, as is conventional, the fitting 18 has threaded over it a second part of the housing 23 which reduces to a sleeve 24 in which is supported a tubular spud 25 for receiving an oxygen connection. In use, an air supply hose 26 is connected to the sleeve 22 and an internal oxygen tube 28 disposed inside the air hose is connected to the tubular spud 25.
The first connection 14 is in the form of a two part housing which encloses a directional control valve assembly. The housing has a first cylindrical part 30 at the bottom of which are a pair of spaced annular flanges similar to those on connection 16. Between the flanges is sandwiched the upper opening of the bag 12.
The first housing part 30 has extended from the upper flange a cylindrical wall 32. The bottom wall, or floor, 34 of the first housing part is formed with a central opening 36 (FIG. 3) about which are located a plurality of satellite holes 38 which may be countersunk as shown if desired or necessary. Around the opening 36 the floor is formed with an upward central hub 40. Further, inward from the cylindrical wall 32 and outward of the satellite holes 38 the floor is formed with a perpendicular internally threaded upward sleeve 42 concentric with the wall 32.
The housing 14 also comprises a second domed part 44. This part includes a downward cylindrical wall 46 which telescopes inside the wall 32 of the cylindrical first part 30. Molded integrally with the domed second part 44 is an axial tubular port 46 which is adapted to be connected to the patient through an elbow 48 and a mask, not shown. The tubular patient port 46 extends into the housing and includes a tubular extension 50 formed concentric with the housing and having a circular seat 52.
A unitary rubber flexible duck-billed diaphragm valve 54 is provided. It includes a bill portion 56 and a peripheral annular flat flange 58 (FIG. 4). As shown, the duck-billed portion 56 extends up into the extension 50. The flange 54 normally engages the seat 52 and the extreme periphery of the flange 58 is sandwiched between a shoulder o the domed second part 44 of the housing and a clamping surface 60 on the upper end of a second threaded sleeve 62. Sleeve 62 is exteriorly threaded and formed with an outward annular flange 64 on the upper outer portion of which the clamping surface 60 finds itself.
The outer surface of the flange 64 (FIG. 2) is formed with a series of longitudinal ribs and grooves as is the interior of the second housing part 44 in this vicinity (not shown). The interfitting of the ribs and grooves on these two parts plus a staking in or sealing of the flange 64 in its place assure the unitary structure of the upper second housing part 44.
As shown (FIG. 4), the threaded lower portion of the sleeve 62 threads into the threaded portion of the upstanding sleeve on the second part 30 so that as the two parts are turned relatively the distance between the bottom of the extension 50 and the floor 34 changes.
Spring means are provided as shown. They comprise a spiral spring 66 and a spool-like element 68 which has a central opening 70 and an annular upward well 72 which receives the upper end of the spiral spring. An open cross-shaped centering element 74 has a central upward hump which prevents possible downward inversion of the duck-bill under extreme high PEEP. The upper end of the spool-like element engages the underside of the flange of the duck-bill valve and, because the spring is under compression, urges it upward toward its seat on seat 52. The lower end of the spiral spring hugs the tubular upstanding hub 40.
From the side of the domed second part a lateral tubular exit port 76 is provided which vents the annular space 78 inside the housing and around the tubular extension 50.
On the outside of the second domed part 44 (FIG. 2) indicia 80 appear. Further, an outward lip 82 is provided at the lower end of this resilient part. The lower end of the lip 82 is beveled as shown for lead-in purposes.
It will be seen that the upper annular rim 84 of the sleeve 30 is slightly thickened inward to engage the side wall of the second part 44 in the area of indicia 80. It is the indicia 80 on the domed second part which is at the level of the rim 84 of the cylindrical wall 30 which indicates the PEEP setting.
FIG. 4 shows a relatively high PEEP setting with the domed second part 44 screwed well into the cylindrical wall 30. Hence, a reading of "20" as a PEEP reading might he obtained by this relationship. On the other hand, with the domed second part 44 unscrewed to some extent, as shown in FIG. 5, the rim 84 is more apt to be at a setting of "10"--a lower PEEP setting.
It can be imagined that the pressure exerted on the flange of the duck-bill by the spool 70 and generated by the spring 66 will be greater for the FIG. 4 setting than FIG. 5 setting because the floor 34 is closer to the duck-bill in FIG. 4 than in FIG. 5. Hence, a patient would find it would take more effort to exhale through the valve with the FIG. 4 setting than it would with the FIG. 5 setting.
The parts of the embodiment have now been disclosed and focus is invited to the operation of the invention.
The desired PEEP valve setting is first chosen and set by turning the first and second parts of the housing 15 relatively until the setting appears on part 44 above the rim 84. The air hose 26 and oxygen tube 28 are connected to the housing 16. The customary mask is attached to fitting 48 and installed onto the patient.
The attendant may force inhalation by squeezing the bag. Because gas in the bag cannot escape through the check valve 20, 22, gas opens the duck-bill 56 and flows into the mask. When this cycle is complete, the exhaled gas pushes down the periphery of the duck-bill 54 away from the seat 52 with whatever force the PEEP setting requires to overcome the force of spring 66. From this unseating, the exhaled gas goes out exit port 76.
Should the patient spontaneously breath in, he will suck gas from the bag 12 through the duck-bill 54 and exhale as described above.
The structure hereby disclosed is beneficial as described above in that without the provision of a second valve, a PEEP function is provided internally in a more or less conventional squeeze bag type resuscitator without extra external parts. The setting on the PEEP valve may be readily adjusted by screwing the second domed part 44 into or out of the second perpenducular cylindrical first part 30. The PEEP valve function is achieved in this relatively simple structure by reliable means.
While the invention has been disclosed in only one embodiment, it is susceptible to many changes and variations. The invention should be thought of, therefore, as having the scope of the following claim language or extensions of the patent exclusion based on reasonable equivalents.
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The directional control valve housing in a squeeze bag resuscitator includes a duck-bill element which permits inhaling from the bag as the duck-bill opens, and spontaneous exhaling as the periphery of duck-bill is pushed away from its seat. An adjustable spring urges the periphery against its seat with force established by the PEEP setting. The housing is in two screwed-together parts and the PEEP setting is effected by screwing the parts inward or outward.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for forming a color filter for use in a liquid crystal display and the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for forming patterned picture elements having a light-shielding property.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A color filter used in a full color liquid crystal display comprises R, G and B picture elements and patterned light-shielding picture elements provided between the colored picture elements, to thereby prevent leakage of light and improve contrast.
The light-shielding picture elements are formed of a dispersion material of a black dye in a metal film such as chromium or in a photosensitive resin. In the case of a metal film such as chromium, the metal film is deposited over the entire surface of a glass board by means of vapor evaporation and a resist is then coated thereon, followed by patterning and etching to pattern the metal film. The above described process is very complicated, the yield is low, and the process is disadvantage in terms of its production cost. Another known method for forming patterned picture elements having a light-shielding property uses a photosensitive black resin which is a combination of a photosensitive resin and carbon. In this case, the film must have a thickness of several μm so as to achieve a certain degree of light-shielding property. Furthermore, because the patterned picture elements having a light-shielding property are somewhat superposed on R, G and B picture elements due to alignment error, the color filter thus formed usually has an uneven surface. In order to obtain good flatness, a flattening layer may be further provided on the color filter, or the color filter may be subjected to surface polishing.
To solve these problems, JP-A-3-209203 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") and JP-A-4-69602 disclose a method where a black photosensitive layer is coated over the entire filter surface after forming R, G and B picture elements thereon and the substrate is exposed through the back surface thereof to form patterned picture elements having a light-shielding property in the gaps between the R, G and B picture elements. However, according to this method, it is very difficult to coat a black photosensitive layer between the respective R, G and B picture elements and over the entire surface of the support so that the photosensitive layer has the same thickness as that of the R, G or B elements. Furthermore, when a liquid crystal panel is produced using a color filter prepared according to the above-described method, problems arise in that the cell gap is not uniform and the display is uneven.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention is to provide a method for forming a color filter having good flatness over its entire surface and light-shielding pattern picture elements.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a simple method for forming patterned picture elements having a high light-shielding property and also good accuracy.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by a method for forming a color filter comprising:
providing a transparent substrate having a frontside and a backside, the frontside having thereon a multicolored pattern comprising areas having colored picture elements and areas that are free of the colored picture elements;
forming a light-shielding photosensitive resin layer on the transparent substrate to thereby cover the multicolor pattern;
exposing the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer to actinic rays through the backside of the transparent substrate, to thereby harden those portions of the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer which do not overlay the colored picture elements; and
developing the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer to form light-shielding picture elements on those areas of the substrate which do not have the colored elements, wherein the colored picture elements of the multicolored pattern contain a compound represented by formula (I): ##STR2## wherein R 1 represents an amino group substituted by at least one hydroxyalkyl group or R 1 represents a group represented by the following formula (II); the hydroxyalkyl group preferably has from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and may be substituted by an alkyl, aryl, alkoxy or aryloxy group preferably having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; ##STR3## (wherein R 3 represents an alkylene group which may be substituted and preferably has from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R 4 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl, aralkyl, aryl, alkoxyalkyl, aralkyloxyalkyl or aryloxyalkyl preferably having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms or a group represented by the formula HO--R 3 --, and R 3 and R 4 may form a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring including the nitrogen atom shown in formula (II)); and
R 2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl, aralkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aralkyloxy or aryloxy group preferably having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, an amino group or a group represented by R 1 , and when R 2 is an amino group substituted by at least one hydroxyalkyl group represented by R 1 , R 1 and R 2 may be the same or different.
Examples of the substituted alkylene group represented by R 3 include the following groups. ##STR4##
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is described below in detail below.
A multicolor pattern comprising the three primary colors of light, namely, R, G and B picture elements, formed on a transparent substrate, may be prepared by known methods such as a dyeing method, a printing method, a pigment dispersion method, an electrodeposition process or a transfer method. Examples of the transparent substrate for use in the present invention include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,360.
When the light transmittance of R, G and B picture elements in the wavelength region to which the light-shielding photosensitive resin is sensitive exceeds 2%, a light absorbent is preferably added beforehand to the R, G and B picture element coating solutions so as to reduce the light transmittance of the resulting colored picture elements to 2% or less. In the present invention, the light absorbent that is used for this purpose is the coumarin-based compound represented by formula (I) above. This compound has good light absorption, exhibits a light absorption capability of 25% or more even after heat treatment at 200° C. or higher and, in case of forming a multicolor pattern using a photopolymerizable composition, this compound does not inhibit photopolymerization.
The above-described heat treatment at 200° C. or higher is carried out, as desired, to further harden the patterned picture elements in forming a color filter.
Specific examples of the coumarin compound represented by formula (I) are set forth below, but the compound represented by formula (I) for use in the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these compounds. ##STR5##
Among these compounds, Compounds 1 to 5 are preferred because they have a light-absorption capability exceeding 70% even after heat treatment at 200° C. or higher.
The transfer material, the transfer method and the image-forming method (such as a development process) for use in the present invention in forming a light-shielding photosensitive resin layer which covers the color filter, include various materials and techniques known in the art. Namely, a transfer material comprising a separation layer which weakly adheres to a temporary support, and a photosensitive resin layer and an image-formation method using this material are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,360; a photosensitive transfer material comprising a temporary support having thereon a thermoplastic resin layer, an interlayer and a photosensitive resin layer where the adhesion between the temporary support and the thermoplastic resin layer is lowest among these layers, and an image forming method using this material are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,397,678 and 5,409,800; a transfer material comprising a thermoplastic resin layer, a separation layer and a photosensitive resin layer where the adhesion between the thermoplastic resin layer and the separation layer is lowest among these layers, and an image forming method using this material are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,613; a photosensitive transfer material comprising a temporary support having thereon a thermoplastic resin layer, an interlayer and a photosensitive resin layer where the adhesion between the temporary support and the thermoplastic resin layer is lowest among these layers, and an image forming method using this material are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,516; and a light-shielding photosensitive resin composition containing two or more coloring agents and a method for forming a light-shielding image is described in JP-A-7-28236 (U.S. patent application No. 08/241,571).
In carrying out exposure through a transparent substrate (called back exposure), the light source is selected to match the photosensitive property of the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer. Known light sources such as an extra-high pressure mercury lamp, a xenon lamp, a carbon arc lamp or an argon laser lamp may be used.
However, if the light transmittance of the R, G and B picture elements in the wavelength region to which the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer is sensitive exceeds 2%, and when patterned picture elements having a light shielding property are formed such that the optical density (OD) thereof is 1.5 or higher, the photocured shielding film may remain on the R, G and B picture elements to render practical use thereof as a color filter difficult.
Accordingly, the compound represented by formula (I) is preferably added in an amount so as to reduce the light transmittance of the R picture element to 2% or less. The addition amount of the compound represented by formula (I) is generally from 0.1 to 30% by weight based on a colored photosensitive layer for R picture element.
Also, a desired wavelength region may be selected using an optical filter. In this case, the optical filter preferably only passes light in the wavelength region where the light transmittance of the R, G and B picture elements in the wavelength region to which the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer is sensitive is 2% or less.
The above-described two techniques may be used in combination.
According to the above described method, the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer transferred onto each of the R, G and B picture elements is not substantially hardened upon exposure through the substrate, and the resin layer is easily removed from these areas in the subsequent development process.
The present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the following Examples, however, the present invention should not be construed as being limited thereto.
EXAMPLES 1 TO 43
A coating solution comprising the following Formulation H1 was coated on a 100 μm-thick polyethylene terephthalate film as a temporary support, and dried to form a thermoplastic resin layer having a dry thickness of 20 μm. Formulation H1 for Thermoplastic Resin Layer:
______________________________________Methyl methacrylate/2-ethyl- 15.0 parts by weighthexyl acrylate/benzylmethacrylate/methacrylic acidcopolymer (copolymercomposition ratio (by mol) =55/30/10/5; weight averagemolecular weight = 50,000)Polypropylene glycol diacrylate 6.5 parts by weight(average molecular weight =822)Tetraethylene glycol 1.5 parts by weightdimethacrylatep-Toluenesulfonamide 0.5 part by weightBenzophenone 1.0 part by weightMethyl ethyl ketone 30.0 parts by weight______________________________________
Thereafter, a coating solution comprising the following Formulation B1 was coated on the above described thermoplastic resin layer and dried to form an interlayer having a release property and a dry thickness of 1.6 μm. Formulation B1 for Interlayer:
______________________________________Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA205, 130 parts by weightproduced by Kuraray Co., Ltd.;saponification rate = 80%)Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP, K- 60 parts by weight90, produced by GAF Corporation)Fluorine-based surface active 10 parts by weightagent (Surflon S-131, producedby Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.)Distilled water 3,350 parts by weight______________________________________
On the temporary support having thereon the thermoplastic resin layer and the interlayer prepared as described above, a coating solution comprising the following Formulation C1 was coated and dried to form a light-shielding photosensitive resin layer having a dry thickness of 2 μm. Formulation C1:
______________________________________Benzyl methacrylate/ 30.00 parts by weightmethacrylic acid copolymer(molar ratio = 70/30; limitingviscosity number η! = 0.12)Pentaerythritol tetraacrylate 7.40 parts by weightMichler's ketone 0.04 part by weight2-(o-Chlorophenyl)-4,5- 0.40 part by weightdiphenylimidazole dimerCarbon black 3.80 parts by weightHydroquinone monomethyl ether 0.01 part by weightMethyl cellosolve acetate 280.00 parts by weightMethyl ethyl ketone 140.00 parts by weight______________________________________
Furthermore, a polypropylene covering sheet (thickness: 12 μm) was attached under pressure onto the above described light-shielding photosensitive resin layer to prepare a light-shielding photosensitive transfer material. The resulting light-shielding photosensitive layer was sensitive to a wavelength range of from 350 to 420 nm. When an extra-high pressure mercury lamp was used as a light source, its main sensitive wavelength was 365 nm (i-ray) and 405 nm (h-ray), and the OD of the light-shielding photosensitive layer was 2.0 (as determined by a Macbeth densitometer).
Also, coating solutions for colored photosensitive red (R), blue (B) and green (G) layers each having the composition shown in Table 1 below were prepared.
TABLE 1______________________________________Formulation of Coating Solutionfor Colored Photosensitive Layer R G B Layer Layer Layer______________________________________Benzyl methacrylate/ 60.0 60.0 60.0methacrylic acid copolymer(molar ratio = 73/27; limitingviscosity number η! = 0.12)Pentaerythritol tetraacrylate 43.2 43.2 43.2Michler's ketone 2.4 2.4 2.42-(o-Chlorophenyl)diphenyl- 2.5 2.5 2.5imidazole dimerIrgazin Red BPT (red) 5.4 -- --Sudan Blue (blue) -- 5.2 --Copper phthalocyanine (green) -- -- 5.6Carbon black (black) -- -- --Methyl cellosolve acetate 560 560 560Methyl ethyl ketone 280 280 280______________________________________
Compounds 1 to 43 represented by formula (I) were separately added to the above-described coating solution for R layer in an amount such that the i-ray transmittance of the R Layer became 0.5%, to thereby prepare the coating solutions for R layer of Examples 1 to 43, respectively.
First, using the coating solution for R layer containing Compound 1, a color filter comprising a glass substrate (thickness: 1.1 mm) having thereon R, G and B picture elements was prepared as follows.
Transfer materials for R, G, B layers were prepared with the above described coating solution in the same manner as for the light-shielding photosensitive transfer material described above.
The covering sheet of the transfer material for R layer was peeled off, and the photosensitive resin layer surface was laminated to a glass substrate using a laminator (VP-II, manufactured by Taisoi Laminator Co., Ltd.) under pressure (0.8 kg/cm 2 ) and heating (130° C.). Then, the temporary support and the thermoplastic resin layer were peeled apart at the interface therebetween to remove the temporary support.
Thereafter, the laminate was exposed through a photo mask using an extra-high pressure mercury lamp, and developed with an aqueous solution of 1% sodium carbonate to remove the unhardened parts, to thereby form R picture element on the glass substrate.
Successively, G and B picture elements were, respectively, formed on the glass substrate in the same manner as described above to form a color filter of Example 1.
The transmittances at the i-ray and the h-ray are shown in Table 2 below.
TABLE 2______________________________________ Transmittance (%) i-ray h-ray______________________________________R Layer 0.5 1G Layer 0.5 0.8B Layer 0.2 30______________________________________
The covering sheet of the light-shielding photo-sensitive transfer material was peeled off, and the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer surface was laminated to the multicolor pattern surface of the multicolor pattern comprising R, G and B picture elements using a laminator (VP-II, manufactured by Taisei Laminator Co., Ltd.) under pressure (0.8 kg/cm 2 ) and heating (130° C.). Then, the temporary support and the thermoplastic resin layer were peeled apart at the interface therebetween to remove the temporary support.
Thereafter, the entire surface of the laminate was exposed through the glass substrate using an extra-high pressure mercury lamp. In this case, because the h-ray transmittance of the B picture element exceeded 2% as shown in Table 2, a Toshiba Glass Filter (UVD36c) was placed between the light source and the glass substrate. The exposure intensity was 100 mj/cm 2 .
Then, the laminate was developed with an aqueous solution of 1% sodium carbonate to remove the unhardened parts and to form patterned picture elements having a light-shielding property between the respective R, G and B picture elements. The finished color filter of Example 1 had good flatness and was free of superposition of patterned picture elements having a light-shielding property on the R, G and B picture elements. Furthermore, the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer was substantially completely removed from over the R, G and B picture elements in the development step.
The same steps were repeated using coating solutions containing Compounds 2 to 43 to prepare the color filters of Examples 2 to 43, respectively. About the same good results as in Example 1 were also obtained for the color filter of Examples 2 to 43.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1
A color filter was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the Toshiba Glass Filter (UVD36c) was not placed in the exposure path. In this case, the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer remained on the B picture element, and the resulting color filter was not practically useful.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2
A multicolor R, G and B pattern was formed on a glass substrate (thickness: 1.1 mm) using coating solutions for colored photosensitive layers of red (R), blue (B) and green (G) each having the composition shown in Table 1 of Example 1. These solutions did not contain a compound of formula (I) of the invention. The resulting transmittances at the i-ray and the h-ray are shown in Table 3 below.
TABLE 3______________________________________ Transmittance (%) i-ray h-ray______________________________________R Layer 4 1G Layer 0.5 0.8B Layer 0.2 30______________________________________
A light-shielding photosensitive resin layer was provided on the multicolor pattern prepared as described above using the same light-shielding transfer material as in Example 1, exposed at an intensity of 100 mj/cm 2 through a Toshiba Glass Filter (UVD36c) and then developed with an aqueous solution of 1% sodium carbonate to remove the unhardened parts and thereby form patterned picture elements having a light-shielding property between respective R, G and B picture elements. In this case, because the i-ray transmittance of the R picture element exceeded 2%, the light-shielding layer remained on the R picture element, to thereby result in a color filter failure.
EXAMPLE 44
A coating solution comprising the following Formulation H1 was coated on a 100 μm-thick polyethylene terephthalate film as a temporary support and dried to form a thermoplastic resin layer having a dry thickness of 20 μm. Formulation H1 for Thermoplastic Resin Layer:
______________________________________Methyl methacrylate/2-ethyl- 15.0 parts by weighthexyl acrylate/benzylmethacrylate/methacrylic acidcopolymer (copolymercomposition ratio (by mol) =55/30/10/5; weight averagemolecular weight = 50,000)Polypropylene glycol diacrylate 6.5 parts by weight(average molecular weight =822)Tetraethylene glycol 1.5 parts by weightdimethacrylatep-Toluenesulfonamide 0.5 part by weightBenzophenone 1.0 part by weightMethyl ethyl ketone 30.0 parts by weight______________________________________
Thereafter, a coating solution comprising the following Formulation B1 was coated on the above described thermoplastic resin layer, and dried to form an interlayer having a dry thickness of 1.6 μm. Formulation B1 for Interlayer:
______________________________________Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA205, 130 parts by weightproduced by Kuraray Co., Ltd.;saponification rate = 80%)polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP, K- 60 parts by weight90, produced by GAF Corporation)Fluorine-based surface active 10 parts by weightagent (Surflon S-131, producedby Asahi Glass Company, Ltd.)Distilled water 3,350 parts by weight______________________________________
On the temporary support having thereon the thermoplastic resin layer and the interlayer provided as described above, a coating solution comprising the following Formulation C2 was coated and dried to form a light-shielding photosensitive resin layer having a dry thickness of 2 μm. Formulation C2:
______________________________________Benzyl methacrylate/ 30.00 parts by weightmethacrylic acid copolymer(molar ratio = 70/30; limitingviscosity number η! = 0.12)Pentaerythritol tetraacrylate 7.40 parts by weightMichler's ketone 0.04 part by weight2-(o-Chlorophenyl)-4,5- 0.40 part by weightdiphenylimidazole dimerCarbon black 2.80 parts by weightHydroquinone monomethyl ether 0.01 part by weightMethyl cellosolve acetate 280.00 parts by weightMethyl ethyl ketone 140.00 parts by weight______________________________________
Furthermore, a polypropylene covering sheet (thickness: 12 μm) was attached under pressure onto the above described light-shielding photosensitive resin layer to prepare a light-shielding photosensitive transfer material. The resulting light-shielding photosensitive layer was sensitive to a wavelength range of from 350 to 420 nm. Furthermore, when an extra-high pressure mercury lamp was used as a light source, its main sensitive wavelength was 365 nm (i-ray) and 405 nm (h-ray) and the OD of the light-shielding photosensitive layer was 1.5 (as determined by a Macbeth densitometer).
Also, coating solutions for colored red, green and blue photosensitive layers each having the composition shown in Table 1 of Example 1 were prepared.
Using these materials, a R, G and B color filter was formed on a glass substrate (thickness: 1.1 mm). In this example, the heat treatment was conducted for each color layer at 220° C. for 20 minutes to completely harden each picture element. The i-ray and h-ray transmittances of the resulting picture elements for the respective colors are shown in Table 4.
TABLE 4______________________________________ Transmittance (%) i-ray h-ray______________________________________R Layer 1 1G Layer 0.5 0.8B Layer 0.2 30______________________________________
The covering sheet of the light-shielding photo-sensitive transfer material was peeled off and the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer surface was laminated to the multicolor pattern surface comprising R, G and B picture elements using a laminator (VP-II, manufactured by Taisei Laminator Co., Ltd.) under pressure (0.8 kg/cm 2 ) and heating (130° C.). Then, the temporary support and the thermoplastic resin layer were peeled apart at the interface therebetween to remove the temporary support.
Thereafter, the laminate was subjected to back exposure from the side opposite the color filter surface using an extra-high pressure mercury lamp. In this case, because the h-ray transmittance of the B picture element exceeded 2% as shown in Table 4, the exposure was carried out through a Toshiba Glass Filter (UVD36c) placed between the light source and the sample at an exposure intensity of 100 mj/cm 2 . Then, the laminate was developed with an aqueous solution of 1% sodium carbonate to remove the unexposed portions and to form light-shielding elements between the respective R, G and B picture elements. The finished color filter had good flatness and was free of superposition of the light-shielding layer on the R, G or B picture elements.
EXAMPLE 45
A coating solution comprising the following Formulation H2 was coated on a 100 μm-thick polyethylene terephthalate film as a temporary support and dried to form a thermoplastic resin layer having a dry thickness of 20 μm: Formulation H2 for Thermoplastic Resin Layer:
______________________________________Methyl methacrylate/2-ethyl- 15.0 parts by weighthexyl acrylate/benzylmethacrylate/methacrylic acidcopolymer (copolymercomposition ratio (by mol) =55/28.8/11.7/4.5; weightaverage molecular weight =80,000)BPE-500 (polyfunctional 7.0 parts by weightacrylate, produced by ShinNakamura Chemical Co., Ltd.)F177P (fluorine-based surface 0.3 part by weightactive agent, produced by Dai-nippon Ink & Chemicals, Inc.)Methanol 30.0 parts by weightMethyl ethyl ketone 19.0 parts by weight1-Methoxy-2-propanol 10.0 parts by weight______________________________________
Thereafter, a coating solution comprising the following Formulation B2 was coated on the above described thermoplastic resin layer, and dried to form an interlayer having a dry thickness of 1.6 μm. Formulation B2 for Interlayer:
______________________________________Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA205, 130 parts by weightproduced by Kuraray Co., Ltd.;saponification rate = 80%)Polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP, K- 60 parts by weight90, produced by GAF Corporation)Distilled water 2,110 parts by weightMethanol 1,750 parts by weight______________________________________
On the temporary support having thereon the thermoplastic resin layer and the interlayer provided as described above, a coating solution comprising the following Formulation C3 was coated and dried to form a light-shielding photosensitive resin layer having a dry thickness of 2 μm. Furthermore, a polypropylene covering sheet (thickness: 12 μm) was attached under pressure onto the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer to prepare a light-shielding photosensitive transfer material of Example 45. Formulation C3:
______________________________________Benzyl methacrylate/ 10.06 parts by weightmethacrylic acid copolymer(molar ratio = 70/30; limitingviscosity number η! = 0.12)Pentaerythritol hexaacrylate 10.60 parts by weight2,4-Bis(trichloromethyl)-6- 4- 0.52 part by weight(N,N-diethoxycarbomethyl)-3-bromophenyl!-S-triazinePigment Red 177 4.00 parts by weightPigment Blue 15:6 2.86 parts by weightPigment Yellow 139 2.27 parts by weightPigment Violet 23 0.39 part by weightCarbon black 1.70 parts by weightHydroquinone monomethyl ether 0.01 part by weightF177P (surface active agent, 0.07 part by weightproduced by Dai-nippon Ink &Chemicals, Inc.)Methyl cellosolve acetate 40.00 parts by weightMethyl ethyl ketone 125.0 parts by weight______________________________________
The same steps as in Example 1 were repeated except for transferring the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer obtained above onto the color filter formed in Example 1. As a result, a color filter having the same superior properties as in Example 1 was obtained.
Synthetic examples of the compound represented by formula (I) are given below.
SYNTHETIC EXAMPLE 1 (Synthesis of Compound 1)
21.1 Parts of 3-phenyl-7- (6-chloro-4-diethylamino-s-triazine-2-yl)amino!coumarin and 14.2 parts of N-butylamino-4-butanol were added to 20 parts of tetrahydrofuran and reacted for 6 hours under reflux. The reaction product was poured into water, and the crystals thus precipitated were collected by filtration. The product was recrystallized from a mixed solvent of chloroform:ethyl acetate (1:1 by volume) to obtain 20 parts of 3-phenyl-7- 6-(4-hydroxybutylbutylamino)-4-diethylamino-s-triazine-2-yl!amino!coumarin. The resulting compound had a melting point of from 124° to 126° C.
SYNTHESIS EXAMPLE 2 (Synthesis of Compound 5)
21.1 Parts of 3-phenyl-7- (6-chloro-4-diethylamino-s-triazine-2-yl)amino!coumarin and 2.7 parts of 3-hydroxy-methylpiperidine were added to 20 parts of tetrahydrofuran and reacted for 3 hours under reflux. The reaction product was poured into water, and the crystals thus precipitated were collected by filtration. The product was recrystallized from ethyl acetate to obtain 22.2 parts of 3-phenyl-7- (6-(3-hydroxymethylpiperidino)-4-diethylamino-s-triazine-2-yl!amino!coumarin. The resulting compound had a melting point of from 182° to 183° C.
According to the present invention, a photosensitive resin layer having a light-shielding property is transferred onto a multicolor pattern. The photosensitive layer is subjected to back exposure so that the light-shielding resin layer present on the picture element is not substantially hardened. As a result, a color filter having excellent flatness is easily obtained.
While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.
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A method for forming a color filter comprising the steps of providing a transparent substrate having a frontside and a backside, the frontside having thereon a multicolored pattern comprising areas having colored picture elements and areas that are free of the colored picture elements; forming a light-shielding photosensitive resin layer on the transparent substrate to thereby cover the multicolor pattern; exposing the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer to actinic rays through the backside of the transparent substrate, to thereby harden those portions of the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer which do not overlay the colored picture elements; and developing the light-shielding photosensitive resin layer to form light-shielding picture elements on those areas of the substrate which do not have the colored picture elements, wherein the colored picture elements of the multicolored pattern contain a compound represented by formula (I): ##STR1## and R l and R 2 are as defined herein.
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BACKGROUND
[0001] I. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field feminine products, and more particularly to a container for the disposal of used feminine products.
[0003] II. Description of the Related Art.
[0004] Currently, women experiencing their menstrual cycle often have difficulty in deciding how to dispose of the spent feminine product. In particular, those women who use tampons have to typically wrap the product in toilet tissue and place the wrapped item in the garbage. Flushing the product is typically not an option as the product has expanded from moisture and can clog and damage plumbing. In addition, tampons are sold with an applicator that is also typically disposed. Currently there exists no pre-existing disposal container for tampons.
SUMMARY
[0005] In general, the present invention features a feminine disposal container. In a typical embodiment, the container is a small box with a snap down lid made with a biodegradable cardboard or another material. Used tampons can be placed inside the container, the lid snapped down, and the container disposed in the trash without mess or odor. In one embodiment, the container can be preformed and fresh tampons can be included in the container. In another embodiment, a conventional tampon applicator tube can be precut with perforations. Once the applicator is used, the applicator can be torn along the perforations and formed into the container. In several embodiments, different container types can be preformed or formed from conventional tampon containers.
[0006] In general, in one aspect, the invention features a feminine product disposal apparatus, including a generally flat and planar main body having sides and an upper and lower end and a flap located on the upper end of the body.
[0007] In one implementation, the apparatus further includes an adhesive strip having a removable protective covering, the adhesive strip located on the flap.
[0008] In another implementation, the apparatus further includes comprising a series of fold points located on the main body and on the flap.
[0009] In another implementation, the sides can be compressed thereby deforming the body generally along the fold points, forming an opening on the upper end of the container and a hollow interior cavity into which a used tampon can be placed.
[0010] In another implementation, the body is a reconfigured tampon applicator.
[0011] In another implementation, the container is single use only.
[0012] In another implementation, the body includes a protective lining on an inner hollow cavity formed when the sides are compressed.
[0013] In another implementation, the apparatus further includes a disinfectant disposed on the body
[0014] In another implementation, the apparatus further includes a fragrance disposed on the body.
[0015] In another aspect, the invention features a tampon system, including a tampon located within a tampon applicator, wherein the tampon applicator includes a series of perforations such that the perforations can be at least one of cut and torn such that the applicator can be reformed into a tampon disposal container to receive the tampon has been used, the tampon applicator further including one or more adhesive strips such that the portions of the applicator once at least one of cut and torn can be connected together to form the disposal container.
[0016] In another aspect, the invention features a tampon system, including a tampon applicator, a tampon located within the tampon applicator and a tampon disposal container for receiving the tampon after it has been used.
[0017] In one implementation, the container is single use only.
[0018] In another implementation, the container includes a generally flat and planar main body having sides and an upper and lower end and a flap located on the upper end of the body.
[0019] In another implementation, the container includes a generally rectangular body having four sides and a closed bottom, a lid hingeably attached to the body, the lid having one or more hinge points and a lip connected to one end of the lid for snapping down onto one of the walls of the body thereby closing the container.
[0020] In another implementation, the container includes an inner protective coating to prevent leakage of fluids when the tampon is placed into the container after use.
[0021] In another implementation, the system includes a fragrance disposed on the container.
[0022] In another implementation, the system further includes disinfectant disposed on the container.
[0023] One advantage of the invention is that used or spent tampons can be disposed of in a clean and sanitary manner.
[0024] Another advantage of the invention is that women who use tampons can have a pre-existing apparatus and method of disposing the tampon after it has been used.
[0025] Another advantage of the invention is that women who use tampons have security that they can efficiently dispose of a tampon when it is used.
[0026] Another advantage of the invention is that a woman using the container can place the used tampon in a container without having to touch the tampon any more than in normal use.
[0027] Another advantage of the invention is that the container in which the tampon is packaged can be used to dispose of the tampon.
[0028] Another advantage of the invention is that the container in which the tampon is package can be preformed to be converted into a disposal container.
[0029] Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a feminine product disposal container in a closed position;
[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a feminine product disposal container in an open position;
[0032] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a feminine product disposal container in an open position;
[0033] FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of the embodiment of the feminine disposal container of FIG. 3 in a closed position; and
[0034] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the embodiment of the feminine disposal container of FIGS. 3 and 4 in a closed position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] In general, the embodiments described herein are formed of suitable materials. In a typical embodiment, the containers described herein are formed of biodegradable material such as the cardboard applicators in which tampons are typically placed in for sale and use. The embodiments herein can also be preformed containers in which new tampons are placed for sale. In other embodiments as described below, typical tampon applicators can be modified to be formed into a container after it has been used as an applicator. In such embodiments, guide lines such as perforations can be provided on the applicator along which the user can cut and reattach in order to form a container for the spent tampon disposal. It is understood that in other embodiments, other materials such as plastic can also be implemented.
[0036] Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, reference is made first to FIG. 1 that illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a feminine product disposal container 100 in a closed position. In general, the container 100 includes a main hollow body 105 generally defined by four walls 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 . In general, in a typical embodiment, the corners where adjacent walls connect can be rounded giving the container 100 an overall smooth contour and profile. When the container is formed, it is often advantageous for the corners to have a smooth rounded contour. It is understood that in other embodiments, the corners can have other shapes and contours such as typical edges. The container 100 also typically includes a lid 110 hingeably attached to the main body 105 . The lid 110 can include a lip 115 located on the end of the lid 110 adjacent wall 107 . In general, the lip 115 is available so that the lid 110 can be snapped closed onto the body 105 . In another embodiment, the lid 110 can have a main forward lid portion as indicated by lid 110 and a rear lid portion 111 . In general, the forward and rear portions 110 , 111 allow the container 100 to have an overall increased structural strength.
[0037] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a feminine product disposal container 100 in an open position. As described above, the container 100 generally includes a main hollow body 105 generally defined by four walls 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 . The corners can have an overall rounded contour, although other shapes and contours are contemplated. The container 100 also typically includes the lid 110 hingeably attached to the main body 105 . The lid 110 can include the lip 115 located on the end of the lid 110 adjacent wall 107 . In general, the lip 115 is available so that the lid 110 can be snapped closed onto the body 105 . In another embodiment, the lid 110 can have a main forward lid portion as indicated by lid 110 and a rear lid portion 111 . In general, the forward and rear portions 110 , 111 allow the container 100 to have an overall increased structural strength.
[0038] As is further illustrated in the figure, when the lid 110 is opened, the rear portion 111 can further be divided into a third portion 112 . It is therefore understood that the lid 110 can have more than one hinge point. In general, since the container 100 can be formed from the actual tampon applicator, those skilled in the art understand that most applicators are thin cardboard. Therefore, when the lid 110 is opened, it is possible that there is more than one hinge point. Since the container is disposable once used, it is appreciated that the structural integrity and repeatability of the opening of the lid 110 is not crucial. Therefore, in the most typical embodiment, the container 100 is for single use only. A tampon 150 is shown placed within the container 100 .
[0039] Although, in a typical implementation, the container 100 can be formed from a tampon applicator, the container 100 can also be preformed and distributed with tampons as they are normally sold in applicators. Therefore, in another implementation, the container 100 is distributed with tampons as part of a tampon system.
[0040] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a feminine product disposal container 200 in an open position. A tampon 250 is shown as being inserted into the container 200 in the general direction as indicated by arrow A. In general, the container 200 includes an elongated generally planer flat body 205 having sides 206 , 207 . The body 205 further includes and upper end 208 and a lower end 209 . The upper end 208 includes a flap 210 generally including an adhesive strip 215 that can be covered by a protective cover 216 until the adhesive strip 215 is ready for use as discussed further in the description below. It is appreciated that although the body 204 is planar, the body 205 has a finite thickness. It is further appreciated that the body generally include a front piece and a back piece. The back piece being generally longer than the front piece to include the integral flap 210 . In general, when the body 205 is in its starting position, it is generally flat. The user can then press the sides 206 , 207 generally in the direction as indicated by arrows B. This pressing action generally causes a compression in the body 205 that in turn causes an opening 220 on the upper end of the body 205 , and a hollow interior cavity within the body 205 . The tampon 250 can then be inserted through the opening 220 into the hollow interior cavity of the body 205 .
[0041] Since the body 205 is generally used to be compressed for insertion of the tampon 250 , the body 205 can typically include a series of fold points 225 . In general, it is contemplated that there are a variety of ways that the fold points 225 can be configured. In another embodiment, if the container 200 is configured from a tampon applicator, there may be no need for fold points 225 since the cardboard applicators are made from thin enough cardboard such that compressing the sides 206 , 207 to create the opening 220 and a hollow interior cavity can be easily achieved. In general, the fold points 225 as shown in the figure are only for illustrative exemplary purposes. In an embodiment in which the container 200 is manufactured as an additional part of a tampon system in addition to the tampon and its applicator, the cardboard or other material used to make the container 200 can be stiffer. Therefore, the fold points 225 are preformed such that when the container 200 is compressed as described above, the fold points 225 provide creases through which the body 205 can compress. It is appreciated that since the opening 220 can take a variety of shapes such as a diamond shape as shown in the figure for illustrative purposes, the flap 210 can also include one or more fold points 225 so that the container 200 can open generally unimpeded.
[0042] It is appreciated that once the tampon 250 is inserted within the hollow interior cavity of the body 205 , the protective cover 216 that covers the adhesive strip 215 can be removed, the flap 210 closed over the upper end 208 of the body 205 and sealed. The entire container 200 including the used tampon 250 can then be discarded, typically into a trash receptacle or any other suitable receptacle such as a bio-hazard container, if available.
[0043] FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of the embodiment of the feminine disposal container 200 of FIG. 3 in a closed position. The tampon 250 has been inserted into the container 200 , the protective cover 216 removed from the adhesive strip, and the flap 210 has been closed and secured to the upper end 208 by using the adhesive strip 215 . It is appreciated that since the container 200 includes the used tampon 250 , its generally planar and flat profile now includes a bulge. In this configuration, the container 200 is now ready for disposal.
[0044] FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the embodiment of the feminine disposal container 200 of FIGS. 3 and 4 in a closed position. The container 200 includes the used tampon 250 as described above, and therefore has a general bulge as described above.
[0045] It is generally appreciated that the container 200 can be formed from a tampon applicator as described above and further below. In another embodiment, the container can be sold and distributed in multiple packs in the flattened state such that multiple containers 200 can be stacked easily on top of one another. In a typical implementation, the containers 200 can be distributed with the tampon and tampon applicators as a self-contained system or kit. The containers can also be packaged and distributed by themselves, without tampons. The embodiments described above can be made commercially available in a variety of ways, including retail and by vending machines.
[0046] It is appreciated that in the embodiments described above, the containers can be made from any suitable material. However, it is contemplated that whether or not a cardboard applicator configured to be converted to the container, the container can be a biodegradable material such as cardboard that is generally landfill friendly. In addition, the containers can be coated with any sort of scent and/or disinfectant to help in both odor and disease control. Furthermore, the interior portions of the container can be coated with some sort of leak proof material such as a thin layer of plastic or wax to prevent leakage from the container, typically in case the user must carry the container with used tampon for a period of time. In another embodiment, the containers can optionally include yet another inner bag to receive the used tampon.
[0047] It is further appreciated that the embodiments described herein can be formed from pre-existing tampon applicators. Therefore, manufacturers typically do not have to change packaging for multiple tampons. In these embodiments, the applicators include a series of perforations that can be cut or torn such that the applicator can be reformed into one or more of the containers described above. In such embodiments, the applicators generally include adhesive strips with protective covering such that when the applicator is reformed, the protective covers can be removed such that the container can retain its reformed shape. It is understood that it is preferable to keep the adhesive strips away from the user's body. As such, since tampon applicators are generally cylindrical and in two parts in a telescopic arrangement in which one part partially covers the other part, the adhesive strips can be formed inside the interior of the cylinders or on portions of one cylinder that is covered by the other cylinder. Therefore, the adhesive remains isolated from the user in case the adhesive is exposed. When the applicator is reconfigured, the adhesive strips are also exposed therefore allowing the user to efficiently and advantageously reconfigure the applicator in to one or more of the containers described above.
[0048] The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, various modifications may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art and which are set forth in the appended claims.
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A feminine disposal container. The container is a small box with a snap down lid made with a biodegradable cardboard or another material. Used tampons can be placed inside the container, the lid snapped down, and the container disposed in the trash without mess or odor. In one embodiment, the container can be preformed and fresh tampons can be included in the container. In another embodiment, a conventional tampon applicator tube can be precut with perforations. Once the applicator is used, the applicator can be torn along the perforations and formed into the container. In several embodiments, different container types can be preformed or formed from conventional tampon containers.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of recovering gold from waste sources thereof, in particular waste electrical goods. Also disclosed herein is an apparatus for recovering gold from said waste sources.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
The cost of precious metals, such as gold, makes recovery or recycling of these materials economically viable and desirable. Gold is typically recovered from ores and other impure sources using cyanide, aqua regia or smelting. Such methods suffer from inter alia, toxicity issues, disposal costs and high energy input.
Prior art patents addressing the problem of improving efficiency in gold extraction and recovery are numerous. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,896 describes a process for recovering gold involving injecting chlorine into an aqueous slurry of carbonaceous ore at high temperature in the presence of iron, aluminium or gallium promoters.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,998 discloses a two-step process for extracting gold from carbonaceous or metal oxide based ores. The process comprises using chlorine to dissolve the gold from the ores and subsequently absorbing the gold on to ion exchange resins.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,976 communicates a method of recovering gold that has been plated or coated on to non-ferrous metals such as tungsten, molybdenum, or copper. The gold plated material is treated with an aqueous solution of potassium iodide and dissolved iodine. The gold is recovered by adding conc. sulphuric acid and distilling of the iodine. When all the iodine has been removed, the gold is separated from the remaining solution as a powder.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,505 discloses a process for extracting gold from gold bearing material comprising: treating the gold bearing material in an aqueous solution consisting essentially of iodine and a water soluble iodide salt to dissolve gold from said gold bearing material; mixing a reducing agent with said aqueous solution to reduce dissolved gold iodide salts to gold metal and precipitate said gold metal in substantially pure form from said aqueous solution. The precipitated gold metal is removed from the aqueous solution. An oxidizing agent is subsequently added to the aqueous solution to restore the solution to substantially its original condition for dissolving gold from further gold bearing material.
G.B. Patent No. 20471 discloses a method of extracting gold from ores thereof. The method discloses utilising an undivided electrolytic cell to generate a leaching material. Once the gold has been leached from the ore it is subsequently electrodeposited on the cathode. This method suffers in that the cathode has to be removed from the electrochemical cell to recover the gold and the cell will have to be cleaned out regularly to remove unwanted sludge, salts and other contaminants.
Hoffmann, J O M, Springer New York, vol 44, no. 7 p 43-48 describes methods for recovering precious metals from electronic scrap involving slurrying the scrap in water and sparging chlorine gas into the slurry. WO 01/83835 A2 describes a gold recovery process in which gold scrap is mixed with water and hydrocloric acid and chlorine gas is blown into the reactor, to dissolve the gold. Both methods use large amounts of water.
In gold leaching, using for example cyanide, it is essential to carry out the reaction in an aqueous system to facilitate ionisation of the sodium cyanide used to cyanide ions. Waste electronic scrap contains irregularly shaped pieces and will take up more volume than it would if compacted. But if compacted the leachant solution could not act on all the surfaces.
As an example, 382 grams of computer connector slots occupied a volume of 1000 cm 3 in a beaker. To fill the same beaker to the 1000 cm 3 mark required an additional volume of 770 cm 3 of water. Based on these figures, 1 tonne of waste electronic scrap would occupy a volume of approximately 2.6 m 3 and would require a volume of 2 m 3 leachant to fill the container. In practical terms a larger tank with a larger volume of leachant would be needed to allow for agitation.
In contrast, gaseous chlorine as used in the present invention can circulate freely and penetrate into small nooks and crannies of the electronic scrap to leach and dissolve the surface gold. Much smaller volumes of water can be used to merely moisten the surfaces to facilitate reaction.
Notwithstanding the state of the art there remains a need for alternative methods for recovering gold that mitigate some or all of the above mentioned problems.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide for a method and apparatus for recovering gold from waste sources thereof, in particular, waste electronic materials.
It is further object of the present invention to allow for the recovery of gold in solutions of small volume. Consequently, consumption of resources, such as water is minimal.
A further object of the present invention is to provide for a gold recovery process that affords an aqueous solution of gold without environmentally unfriendly process or treatment chemicals, used to produce the leaching material.
Another object of the present invention further is to provide for a method and apparatus in which the chlorine gas is generated externally to a reactor vessel and subsequently pumped into the reactor vessel comprising the waste gold materials.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a first aspect the present invention provides for a method of extracting gold from waste substrates or sources comprising gold, the method comprising the step of:
delivering chlorine gas to a vessel containing the substrate comprising gold, the vessel comprising a vessel inlet through which the chlorine gas is delivered and a vessel outlet,
delivering water vapour to the vessel, such that
the chlorine gas, substrate comprising gold and moisture present in the vessel interact to provide a gold solution which may be recovered from the vessel via the vessel outlet.
The gold solution may flow directly into the vessel outlet. Alternatively, the gold solution may be actively forced into the vessel outlet.
The substrate comprising gold is a waste source. In particular the waste source is decommissioned or scrap electrical goods or electrical goods which are being recycled.
The substrate comprising gold may be a substrate on to which the gold is plated or coated. For example, the substrate may be a metal, plastic or ceramic material on which gold has been plated or coated. For example, the substrate comprising gold may be a metal or metal alloy substrate on to which gold is plated or coated. Suitable metals include ferrous and non-ferrous metals. For example, the metal substrate on to which gold is plated or coated may be selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, and alloys thereof.
In one particular embodiment, the substrate comprising gold comprises waste electronic materials, for example printed circuit boards. From an environmental perspective it is highly advantageous to efficiently recycle gold from waste electronic materials.
With reference to the method of the present invention, water vapour or moisture may be charged into the vessel by any means known to a person skilled in the art. For example, the substrate comprising gold may be sprayed with water prior to being placed in the vessel. In a preferred embodiment, moisture is pumped into the vessel as a fine water mist, spray or steam to create a moist atmosphere. Advantageously, the presence of steam may also speed up the gold extraction process. In order to pump moisture into the vessel it may further comprise a water inlet for pumping said spray, steam, or mist into the vessel.
Advantageously, by providing a source of chlorine that is external to the vessel and delivering the chlorine into the vessel, small volumes of water can be utilised to recover the gold. Where chlorine generation and gold recovery occur in the same vessel large volumes of water and additives are required.
Accordingly, using the method of the present invention gold can be recovered in a low volume solution free of any additives. Furthermore, once the gold has been recovered from the solution the resultant waste liquid that must be treated before final discharge is low in volume. Consequently, costs are reduced.
The absence of dissolved chemicals and additives in the water fed into the vessel also greatly reduces the costs associated with treating the water prior to discharge.
For example, approximately 2000 L of prior art cyanide leaching solution would be required to recover gold from a cubic meter of scrap printed circuit boards (PCBs). Using the method of the present invention, gold could be recovered from the same quantity of PCBs with 200 L of water.
Naturally, the costs associated with treating and handling 2000 L of cyanide solution prior to discharge are considerable. Such large volumes of a potentially toxic material are undesirable in any industrial process. Advantageously, the method of the present invention avoids toxic materials such as cyanide solutions.
Prior art processes for gold recovery are based on leaching and have utilised aqueous environments in which gold containing substrates are submerged in an aqueous solution in an aqueous leaching bath. Advantageously, the lower water volumes associated with the method of the present invention allow for vessels of smaller volume to be used than prior art gold recovery methods. The method of the present invention can be industrially scaled up without having to provide excessively large vessels to hold the waste gold materials, and water. The vessel must simply be large enough to hold the waste gold material. Thus, costs involved in setting up and maintaining the process are lower.
Since the process of the present invention uses much lower water volumes than prior art processes, effluent treatment costs are minimised. The lower water volumes also enables better control of the gold leaching process. Initially the gold concentration in the outlet stream would be high but would decrease towards zero when all the gold is leached. When it is apparent that all the gold has been leached off, either by visual inspection or by measurement of the gold content in the reactor outlet stream, it is easy to quench the reaction by purging the reactor vessel of chlorine gas by passing air or another gas through the vessel. This minimises leaching of other substrate metals such as copper, nickel etc. Such almost instant quenching is not possible with an aqueous leaching bath.
The method of the present invention also provides for gaseous inter-halogen compounds being delivered in to the vessel along with the chlorine gas through the vessel inlet. As used herein, the term inter-halogen compounds is used to refer to gaseous materials comprising two distinct halogen atoms. For example, compounds such as iodine chloride (ICl) and bromide chloride (BrCl). Advantageously, the presence of inter-halogen compounds has been shown to increase the efficiency of the leaching/recovery process relative to chlorine on its own. The inter-halogen compounds may be introduced by doping the chlorine gas with amounts of elemental iodine or bromine, or they may be produced electrolytically, vide infra.
With reference to the method of the present invention, the chlorine gas may be prepared in an electrolytic cell external to the vessel. For example, the chlorine can be prepared in the electrolytic cell and delivered into the vessel, upon preparation, to provide a constant stream of chlorine into the vessel. The electrolytic cell may be a divided electrolytic cell, i.e. the anode electrolyte and cathode electrolyte are separated from one another.
Advantageously, by separating the chlorine preparation step from the gold leaching step in the vessel, the electrolyte used for chlorine preparation can be of optimum purity and concentration. Moreover, the gold leaching step can be performed without the build-up of salts and contaminants from the electrolytic process.
The chlorine gas prepared by the electrolytic cell may be delivered along a conduit to the vessel inlet. Furthermore, the gaseous inter-halogen compounds may be prepared in the electrolytic cell and may be deliverable along the conduit to the vessel. Inter-halogen compounds may be generated by adding amounts of bromide salts, for example NaBr, and iodide salts, for example, NaI, to the electrolyte.
Suitably, the conduit is manufactured from a material that is incapable of being corroded by chlorine gas.
The method of the present invention may further comprise a quenching process such that when water exiting the vessel via the vessel outlet no longer comprises gold the process can be shut down quickly.
A sensor may be utilised to detect the presence of gold in water exiting the vessel via the vessel outlet.
The quenching process may comprise cutting off the supply of chlorine gas to the vessel and flushing the vessel with inert gas prior to discharge of the vessel. As used herein, the term inert gas is used to represent a non-toxic, non-reactive gas. For example, the inert gas may be selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen, argon and combinations thereof.
For example, the current to the electrolytic cell can be switched off to halt the production of chlorine. The vessel can be flushed with air, or another non-reactive, inert gas such as nitrogen or argon to purge it of any residual chlorine gas. The scrap materials can be unloaded from the vessel, and the vessel can be charged with new waste materials to recommence the process again.
The gold solution which exits the vessel via the vessel outlet may be further treated to recover solid gold metal from the gold solution.
The skilled person will be familiar with a number of different methods of reducing the gold solution to gold metal. For example, the gold solution may be treated with reducing agents such as sulphur dioxide gas, hydroxylamine, hydrazine, hydrogen peroxide. Alternatively, the gold solution may be refined electrochemically, for example by electrowinning or electroplating. A number of different methods of reducing a gold solution to provide gold metal are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,505. Advantageously, the process of the invention operates at ambient or slightly above ambient temperatures whereas some prior art processes for gold recovery require temperatures of between 200 and 800° C. to volatilise gold chloride, thus requiring a high and therefore expensive energy input. The reaction of the invention will proceed more rapidly at higher temperatures. Temperatures from ambient to 70° C. give good results but the use of higher temperatures are not excluded, subject to practical problems involved with higher pressures at higher temperatures.
In a further aspect, the present invention provides for an apparatus for extracting gold from a substrate comprising gold, the apparatus comprising:
a reaction vessel configured to receive the substrate comprising gold, the reaction vessel comprising a vessel inlet, through which chlorine gas is delivered into the reaction vessel and a vessel outlet,
a water inlet adapted to deliver water spray, steam, or mist into the vessel; and
a source of chlorine gas in fluid communication with the vessel; such that
the substrate comprising gold, chlorine gas and moisture present in the vessel interact to provide a gold solution which may be recovered from the vessel via the vessel outlet.
In one embodiment a conduit may extend from the vessel inlet to the source of chlorine gas to establish fluid communication therebetween.
Suitably, the conduit is manufactured from a material that is incapable of being corroded by chlorine gas.
With reference to the apparatus of the present invention the substrate comprising gold may be a substrate on to which the gold is plated or coated. For example, the substrate may be a metal, plastic or ceramic material on which gold has been plated or coated. For example, the substrate comprising gold may be a metal or metal alloy substrate on to which gold is plated or coated. Suitable metals include ferrous and non-ferrous metals. For example, the metal substrate on to which gold is plated or coated may be selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, and alloys thereof.
In one particular embodiment, the substrate comprising gold comprises waste electronic materials, for example printed circuit boards. From an environmental perspective it is highly advantageous to efficiently recycle gold from waste electronic materials.
With reference to the apparatus of the present invention, moisture may be charged into the vessel by any means known to a person skilled in the art. For example, the substrate comprising gold may be sprayed with water prior to being placed in the vessel. In a preferred embodiment, moisture is pumped into the vessel as a fine water mist, spray, or steam. The vessel may further comprise a water inlet for pumping said spray, steam, or mist into the vessel. Advantageously, the presence of steam may also speed up the gold extraction process
With reference to the apparatus of the present invention, the source of chlorine gas may be an electrolytic cell disposed external to the vessel. For example, the chlorine can be prepared in the electrolytic cell and delivered into the vessel, upon preparation, to provide a constant stream of chlorine into the vessel. The electrolytic cell may be a divided electrolytic cell, i.e. the anode electrolyte and cathode electrolyte are separated from one another.
The build-up of chlorine gas in the electrolytic cell may generate sufficient pressure to urge the chlorine gas from the electrolytic cell along the conduit and into the vessel.
The apparatus of the present invention may further comprise an urging means for urging chlorine gas from the source of chlorine gas along the conduit and in to the reaction vessel. The urging means may be a pump.
The source of chlorine in the apparatus of the present invention may further comprise a source of inter-halogen compounds. For example, compounds such as iodine chloride (ICl) and bromide chloride, BrCl. Advantageously, the presence of inter-halogen compounds has been shown to increase the efficiency of the process relative to chlorine on its own.
The gaseous inter-halogen compounds may be prepared in the electrolytic cell. Inter-halogen compounds may be generated by adding amounts of bromide salts, for example NaBr, and iodide salts, for example, NaI, to the electrolyte.
The vessel of the apparatus of the present invention may further comprise an inlet for flushing the vessel with an inert gas prior to discharge of the vessel. The inert gas may be selected from the group consisting of air, nitrogen, argon and combinations thereof.
The apparatus of the present invention may further comprise a collector for the gold solution.
Where suitable, it will be appreciated that all optional and/or preferred features of one embodiment of the invention may be combined with optional and/or preferred features of another/other embodiment(s) of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the invention and from the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates an apparatus for carrying out the gold recovery method of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It should be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the examples disclosed herein below represent generalised examples only, and that other arrangements and methods capable of reproducing the invention are possible and are embraced by the present invention.
FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention. An electrolytic cell 101 is disposed external to a (reactor) vessel 102 , the latter being charged with substrates comprising gold 103 . By way of example, the substrates comprising gold 103 may be waste electrical goods, for example printed circuit boards, in which gold is plated or coated onto another material such as copper or nickel. A conduit 104 allows for fluid communication between the vessel 102 and the electrolytic cell 101 . Naturally, the conduit 104 will be manufactured from a material that is incapable of being corroded by chlorine gas.
The electrolytic cell 101 is a divided cell having an anode chamber 105 and cathode chamber 106 . A membrane 107 divides the anode 108 and cathode 109 . A pump 110 feeds the anode electrolyte or anolyte 111 to the anode 108 . The anode electrolyte 111 primarily consists of chloride salts, such as NaCl or KCl. However, the anode electrolyte 109 may also comprise small amounts of bromide and iodide salts, e.g. NaBr, NaI, KBr or KI to provide a source of inter-halogen compounds. A flow meter 112 regulates the flow of chlorine gas produced at the anode away from the anode 108 .
A second pump 113 feeds the cathode electrolyte or catholyte 114 to the cathode 109 . Typically, the cathode electrolyte 114 is a NaOH or KOH solution. A flow meter 115 regulates the flow of hydrogen gas produced at the cathode away from the cathode 109 . An outlet 116 provides an exhaust for hydrogen gas generated during the electrolytic process.
In the embodiment shown, the vessel 102 has a chlorine gas inlet 117 and a water inlet 118 . Water is fed to the water inlet 118 through conduit 119 . An outlet 120 provides an exit for an aqueous solution of recovered gold. The gold solution travels along conduit 121 to a collection flask or container (not shown).
Conduit 122 provides an outlet for any excess chlorine gas.
In use, the NaCl electrolyte 111 delivered to the anode 108 is oxidised to yield chlorine gas:
2NaCl→Cl 2 +2Na + +2 e −
As indicated supra, the presence of chloride and bromide salts, such as NaBr and NaI can result in the formation of gaseous inter-halogen compounds BrCl and ICl. The presence of these compounds improves the efficiency of the chlorine leaching process. The inter-halogen compounds may be formed by reaction of halogens in elemental form as follows:
2NaBr→Br 2 +2Na + +2 e −
2NaI→I 2 +2Na + +2 e −
I 2 +Cl 2 →2ICl
Br 2 +Cl 2 →2BrCl
At the cathode 109 , hydrogen gas is generated from the electrolyte 114 according to the following equation:
2H 2 O+2 e − →H 2 +2OH −
The membrane 107 prevents the anolyte and the catholyte mixing, and it stops the chlorine forming at the anode 108 from mixing with the sodium hydroxide and the hydrogen formed at the cathode. The hydrogen gas generated as a by-product of the electrolytic process exits the cell via outlet 116 .
Chlorine gas generated at the anode 108 flows into the conduit 104 and into the vessel 102 via vessel inlet 117 . Water is introduced into the vessel 102 through water inlet 118 from water conduit 119 . Water inlet 118 may comprise a nozzle to pump the water in as a fine mist, spray, or steam. By using a fine water mist, spray or steam the final volume of the gold solution is vastly reduced compared to prior art methods of gold recovery. Advantageously, a low volume solution is cheaper to treat prior to discharging it as effluent.
Upon contact with the waste electrical materials comprising gold, the chlorine gas (and any inter-halogen compounds present), gold and water react to afford an aqueous solution of gold recovered from the waste materials. The aqueous gold solution exits the vessel through outlet 120 and passes along conduit 121 to a collection flask/container.
The gold solution which exits the vessel via the vessel outlet 120 may be further treated to recover solid gold metal from the gold solution. The skilled person will be familiar with a number of different methods of reducing the gold solution to gold metal. For example, the gold solution may be treated with reducing agents such as sulphur dioxide gas, hydroxylamine, hydrazine, hydrogen peroxide. Alternatively, the gold solution may be refined electrochemically, for example by electrowinning or electroplating. A number of different methods of reducing a gold solution to provide gold metal are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,505.
Conduit 121 may internally house a gold sensor or detector. When solution exiting the vessel 102 through outlet 120 no longer contains any gold, current to the electrolytic cell 101 can be stopped to halt chlorine production. The vessel 102 can be flushed with a non-reactive gas such as air, nitrogen or argon to expel any residual chlorine gas and the now gold depleted waste electronic materials 103 can be discharged from the vessel 102 to be replaced by new materials.
A reiteration of the process can be easily commenced by recharging the vessel 102 with new waste electronic materials 103 .
The words “comprises/comprising” and the words “having/including” when used herein with reference to the present invention are used to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.
It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.
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The cost of precious metals, such as gold, makes recovery or recycling of these materials economically viable and desirable. Disclosed herein is a method of recovering gold from waste sources thereof, in particular waste electrical goods. Also disclosed herein is an apparatus for recovering gold from said waste sources. In particular, disclosed herein is a method and apparatus in which gold leaching chlorine gas is generated externally to a reactor vessel and subsequently pumped into the reactor vessel comprising the waste gold materials.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based on, and claims priority to, Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-048738, filed on Mar. 12, 2013. The disclosure of the priority application, in its entirety, including the drawings, claims, and the specification thereof, is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] Embodiments of the invention relate to DC voltage conversion circuits that switch semiconductor switching devices to convert a DC voltage into a DC voltage having a predetermined magnitude.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] FIG. 7 shows a first background-art technique of this kind of DC voltage conversion circuit.
[0006] In FIG. 7 , one end of an inductor 2 is connected to a positive electrode of a DC power supply 1 , and a semiconductor switching device 3 such as an MOSFET is connected between the other end of the inductor 2 and a negative electrode of the DC power supply 1 . A diode 4 and a capacitor 5 are connected in series to two ends (between a drain electrode d and a source electrode s) of the switching device 3 . A load 6 is connected to two ends of the capacitor 5 . Incidentally, in FIG. 7 , the reference sign P designates a positive terminal of the DC voltage conversion circuit; N, a negative terminal thereof; and A, a parasitic inductance caused by a wiring of the circuit as will be described later.
[0007] The DC voltage conversion circuit shown in FIG. 7 is a so-called step-up chopper which converts a DC input voltage into a DC voltage higher than the DC input voltage. Operation of the circuit will be described below. Incidentally, in the following description, assume that a forward voltage drop in a PN junction of the diode etc. is neglected.
[0008] When the switching device 3 turns ON, a current flows from the DC power supply 1 back to the DC power supply 1 through the inductor 2 and the switching device 3 . An input current I in increases due to a voltage (input voltage) V i of the DC power supply 1 added to the inductor 2 . When the switching device 3 turns OFF, the current flows from the DC power supply 1 back to the DC power supply 1 through the inductor 2 , the diode 4 and the capacitor 5 . On this occasion, a differential voltage between a voltage (output voltage) V o of the capacitor 5 and the input voltage V i is applied to the inductor 2 . Accordingly, as will be described later, I in decreases due to V o which is kept higher than V i .
[0009] When a ratio of ON time to OFF time in the switching device 3 is controlled, the magnitude of the input current I in can be controlled desirably. When the input current I in is controlled in accordance with the power consumption of the load 6 , the output voltage V o can be kept at a desired value.
[0010] In addition, when the ratio of the ON time in the switching device 3 is increased, the input current I in and further input electric power (V i ×I in ) can be theoretically increased unlimitedly. Therefore, the output voltage V o can be controlled to have any value in a range higher than the input voltage V i . When the ratio of the ON time in the switching device 3 is 0, i.e. when the switching device 3 does not turn ON at all, the output voltage V o is substantially equal to the input voltage V i .
[0011] Generally, an unintended parasitic inductance A is present on a wiring in an electric circuit. A parasitic inductance A existing in a loop circuit from the switching device 3 back to the switching device 3 via the diode 4 and the capacitor 5 is shown in FIG. 7 .
[0012] FIG. 8 shows voltage and current waveforms when a current flowing into the switching device 3 is commutated to the capacitor 5 through the diode 4 .
[0013] In FIG. 8 , when the switching device 3 starts to turn OFF at a time instant t 0 , the impedance of the switching device 3 increases and a drain-to-source voltage V ds increases accordingly. When the voltage V ds exceeds the output voltage V o at a time instant t 1 , the diode 4 in FIG. 7 conducts electricity so that a current i starts to flow from the switching device 3 back to the switching device 3 through the diode 4 , the parasitic inductance A and the capacitor 5 .
[0014] On this occasion, a voltage (so-called surge voltage) in Mathematical Expression 1 proportional to a change rate of the current j occurs in the parasitic inductance A.
[0000] Δ V=L ·( di/dt ) {Math. 1}
[0015] wherein the reference sign L designates an inductance value of the parasitic inductance A.
[0016] When I d designates a drain current of the switching device 3 , i=I in −I d is established. I in may be regarded as constant in a short period of time when the surge voltage ΔV occurs. Accordingly, (di/dt) is substantially equal to a rate of decrease in I d , i.e. (−dl d /dt). The surge voltage ΔV which is added to V o is applied between the drain and the source of the switching device 3 . Accordingly, the drain-to-source voltage V ds is higher than the output voltage V o in a brief period of time after the time instant t 1 , as shown in FIG. 8 .
[0017] When the surge voltage ΔV is large to exceed the withstanding voltage of the switching device 3 , there is a risk that the switching device 3 may be broken down. Therefore, there has been heretofore taken a countermeasure, for example, to contrive a circuit configuration such as a wiring length to make the inductance value L of the parasitic inductance A as small as possible.
[0018] On the other hand, higher speed switching can be performed with recent improvement in performance of semiconductor devices. In order to reduce a switching loss, it is desirable that switching is performed in a time as short as possible. However, so-called high speed switching leads to the increase of (di/dt). In such a high speed switching condition, the contrivance on the circuit configuration may have a limit on the reduction of the inductance value L.
[0019] Next, FIG. 9 shows a second background-art technique of the DC voltage conversion circuit. In FIG. 9 , a different point from the circuit shown in FIG. 7 is that a snubber capacitor 7 is connected in parallel with the diode 4 . Thus, the drain-to-source voltage V ds of the switching device 3 can be reduced.
[0020] In FIG. 9 , in a period of time when the switching device 3 is ON, the snubber capacitor 7 is charged so that a voltage V c of the snubber capacitor 7 is substantially equal to the output voltage V o .
[0021] FIG. 10 shows voltage and current waveforms when a current flowing into the switching device 3 is commutated to the capacitor 5 through the diode 4 .
[0022] When the switching device 3 starts to turn OFF at a time instant t 0 and the drain-to-source voltage V ds becomes slightly larger than 0 [V], a P-to-N voltage V PN (=V ds +V c ) exceeds V o so that a current starts to flow from the inductor 2 to the capacitor 5 through the capacitor 7 and the parasitic inductance A. That is, commutation starts before V ds exceeds V o .
[0023] A surge voltage ΔV occurring in the circuit shown in FIG. 9 is equivalent to that in FIG. 7 . However, since V ds =V o +ΔV−V c is established in FIG. 9 , the peak value of V ds in FIG. 10 is smaller than that in FIG. 8 , as apparent from comparison between FIG. 10 and FIG. 8 .
[0024] A technique in which V ds is suppressed based on the same principle as that in FIGS. 9 and 10 so as to protect a switching device has been described, for example, in JP-A-10-136637 (Paragraphs [0014] to [0016], FIG. 1, etc.).
[0025] According to the circuit in FIG. 9 , the surge voltage ΔV can be suppressed to be lower than that in the circuit in FIG. 7 . However, when the switching device 3 turns ON and the snubber capacitor 7 is charged up to a value equal to the output voltage V o , a loss (charging loss) is generated in the switching device 3 because a charging current flows from the capacitor 5 back to the capacitor 5 through the snubber capacitor 7 and the switching device 3 . This power loss reaches (½)CV o 2 (the references sign C designates the capacitance value of the capacitor 7 ) regardless of the resistance value of the charging circuit. Even when a charging resistor is placed in the charging circuit of the snubber capacitor 7 , the same loss is generated due to that resistor.
[0026] In addition, when the switching device 3 is operated at a frequency f, a power loss P s expressed by Mathematical Expression 2 occurs.
[0000] P s =(½) CV o 2 ·f {Math. 2}
[0027] Accordingly, when the switching frequency f is increased, that is, when the DC voltage conversion circuit is operated at a higher frequency, there is a problem that the aforementioned power loss P s increases to thereby decrease the overall efficiency of the apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0028] Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems in the related art. Embodiments of the invention is to provide a DC voltage conversion circuit which is designed to suppress a surge voltage caused by a parasitic inductance to thereby protect a semiconductor switching device while minimizing a power loss caused by charging of a snubber capacitor to thereby prevent the lowering of the efficiency.
[0029] In some embodiments, a DC voltage conversion circuit according to Claim 1 is arranged as a DC voltage conversion circuit including: a first DC power supply: a first semiconductor switching device which is connected to two ends of the first DC power supply through an inductor; and a series circuit which is connected in parallel with the switching device and which includes a rectifier device and a load, so that an input voltage supplied from the first DC power supply can be converted into an output voltage with a predetermined magnitude by a switching operation of the switching device and supplied to the load.
[0030] In addition, according to some embodiments of the invention, the DC voltage conversion circuit further includes: a series circuit which is connected to two ends of the rectifier device and which includes a first snubber capacitor and a first snubber diode; and a charging circuit which charges the snubber capacitor to a voltage lower than the input voltage or the output voltage in a period of time when the switching device is ON.
[0031] Here, the charging circuit for charging the first snubber capacitor may be either constituted by a series circuit of a second DC power supply and a diode, or constituted by a series circuit of a second DC power supply, an inductor and a diode.
[0032] In addition, in some embodiments, a series circuit of a plurality of inductors may be provided so that the charging circuit for charging the first snubber capacitor can be configured in such a manner that one of connection points among these inductors and a connection point between the first snubber capacitor and the first snubber diode are connected through a diode.
[0033] Further, in some embodiments, an auxiliary winding may be provided in the inductor so that the charging circuit for charging the first snubber capacitor can be constituted in such a manner that one end of the auxiliary winding and a connection point between the first snubber capacitor and the first snubber diode are connected through a diode.
[0034] Moreover, in some embodiments, a second semiconductor switching device which is connected in series with the first semiconductor switching device may be provided in place of the rectifier device so that the rectifier device can be replaced by a rectification function of the semiconductor switching device.
[0035] Incidentally, in some embodiments, the charging circuit for charging the first snubber capacitor may be constituted by a series circuit of a second DC power supply and a diode.
[0036] Further, in some embodiments, in the DC voltage conversion circuit, a series circuit of a second snubber capacitor and a second snubber diode may be connected in parallel with the first semiconductor switching device, and a series circuit of a third DC power supply and a diode may be connected between a connection point between the second snubber capacitor and the second snubber diode and one end of the load so as to serve as a charging circuit for charging the second snubber capacitor.
[0037] According to some embodiments, a power loss caused by charging of a snubber capacitor can be minimized so that the lowering of the efficiency can be prevented. In addition, a surge voltage occurring when a semiconductor switching device is turned OFF can be suppressed so that the semiconductor switching device can be prevented from an overvoltage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0038] FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a first embodiment of the invention;
[0039] FIG. 2 is a graph of current and voltage waveforms when a current flowing into a semiconductor switching device is commutated to a capacitor in FIG. 1 ;
[0040] FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a second embodiment of the invention;
[0041] FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a third embodiment of the invention;
[0042] FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the invention;
[0043] FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the invention;
[0044] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a first background-art technique of a DC voltage conversion circuit;
[0045] FIG. 8 is a graph of current and voltage waveforms when a current flowing into a semiconductor switching device is commutated to a capacitor in FIG. 7 ;
[0046] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a second background-art technique of a DC voltage conversion circuit; and
[0047] FIG. 10 is a graph of current and voltage waveforms when a current flowing into a semiconductor switching device is commutated to a capacitor in FIG. 9 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0048] Embodiments of the invention will be described below in accordance with the drawings.
[0049] FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a first embodiment of the invention. The same devices as those devices in FIGS. 7 and 9 are referred to by the same numerals correspondingly. In the first embodiment, a step-up chopper is also configured in the same manner so that an output voltage V o which is obtained by increasing an input voltage V i due to a switching operation of a semiconductor switching device 3 is supplied to a load 6 .
[0050] In FIG. 1 , a connection state of a first DC power supply 1 , an inductor 2 , the semiconductor switching device 3 such as an MOSFET, a diode 4 , a capacitor 5 and the load 6 is the same as that in FIG. 7 or 9 . The embodiment is characterized in the point that a series circuit of a snubber diode 101 and a snubber capacitor 103 is connected in parallel with the diode 4 so as to form a snubber circuit, and a diode 102 and a second DC power supply 104 are connected in series between a connection point between the snubber diode 101 and the snubber capacitor 103 and a negative terminal N so as to serve as a charging circuit for charging the snubber capacitor 103 . Operation of the embodiment will be described below.
[0051] When the switching device 3 is ON, a current flows from the DC power supply 104 back to the DC power supply 104 through the diode 102 , the snubber capacitor 103 and the switching device 3 . Accordingly, the snubber capacitor 103 is charged so that a voltage V c of the snubber capacitor 103 is equal to a voltage of the DC power supply 104 . Here, for example, assume that an input voltage V i supplied from the first DC power supply 1 is set at 200 [V], an output voltage V o is set at 400 [V], and the voltage of the second DC power supply 104 is set at 100 [V].
[0052] FIG. 2 is a graph of current and voltage waveforms when a current flowing into the switching device 3 is commutated to the capacitor 5 in FIG. 1 .
[0053] When the switching device 3 starts to turn OFF at a time instant to so that the impedance of the switching device 3 increases, a drain-to-source voltage V ds of the switching device 3 starts to increase. However, differently from in FIG. 9 , in the embodiment, the current does not flow into the snubber diode 101 and the snubber capacitor 103 unless a value (V ds +V c ) exceeds V o (=400 [V]), that is, unless V ds exceeds (V o −V c )=300 [V]. Incidentally, since V c is equal to the voltage of the DC power supply 104 as described above, V c is 100 [V].
[0054] When the value (V ds +V c ) exceeds V o , a discharging current of the snubber capacitor 103 flows from the inductor 2 to the capacitor 5 through the snubber capacitor 103 , the snubber diode 101 and a parasitic inductance A. On this occasion, a surge voltage ΔV occurs in the parasitic inductance A. However, as apparent from FIG. 1 , since V ds =ΔV+V o −V c is established, V ds is kept lower than ΔV+V o unless the snubber capacitor 103 ceases to discharge electricity.
[0055] That is, the snubber circuit including the snubber diode 101 and the snubber capacitor 103 operates only around a timing when the surge voltage ΔV occurs. In a period of time before that, the snubber circuit does not discharge electricity unnecessarily. Therefore, even when the charging voltage V c of the snubber capacitor 103 is low, the surge voltage ΔV can be suppressed effectively.
[0056] In the aforementioned circuit in FIG. 9 , the snubber capacitor 7 is charged so that the voltage V c of the snubber capacitor 7 is substantially equal to the output voltage V o . Accordingly, V c =400 [V]. On the other hand, according to the circuit in FIG. 1 , the voltage V c of the snubber capacitor 103 is equal to the voltage of the second DC power supply 104 , i.e. 100 [V]. That is, the voltage V c in FIG. 1 is ¼ as high as that in FIG. 9 . Accordingly, when a capacitance value C of the snubber capacitor 103 is equal to that of the snubber capacitor 7 in FIG. 9 , (½)CV c 2 as a charging loss is the square of ¼, i.e. 1/16. Even when the capacitance value of the snubber capacitor 103 is made several times as large as that of the snubber capacitor 7 in FIG. 9 , the charging loss is smaller than that of the circuit in FIG. 9 . Accordingly, a surge suppression effect can be improved in comparison with the background art.
[0057] Next, FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a second embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment, an inductor 105 is inserted between the diode 102 and the second DC power supply 104 in FIG. 1 . The embodiment is aimed at further reducing the charging loss of the snubber capacitor 103 .
[0058] In the circuit in FIG. 1 , the voltage V c per se of the snubber capacitor 103 is reduced but (½)CV c 2 as the charging loss still occurs in principle.
[0059] On the other hand, according to the circuit in FIG. 3 , some loss occurs in the diode 102 , the inductor 105 and the switching device 3 but the value of the loss is smaller than (½) CV c 2 and can be reduced close to 0 ideally. Incidentally, the snubber capacitor 103 and the inductor 105 incurs LC resonance when the switching device 3 turns ON in the circuit in FIG. 3 . As a result, the voltage V c of the snubber capacitor 103 is charged to be about twice as high as the voltage of the DC power supply 104 . Therefore, it is desirable that the voltage of the DC power supply 104 is set at ½ of that in FIG. 1 (the voltage of the DC power supply 104 is set at 50 [V] when the capacitor 103 is intended to be charged to 100 [V]).
[0060] Incidentally, in the aforementioned first or second embodiment, an exclusive power supply may be provided as the second DC power supply 104 forming the charging circuit for charging the snubber capacitor 103 . Another method may be also conceived. For example, a part of a control power supply may be used, or a part of a serial capacitor may be used when the load 6 is a multilevel converter. However, when an appropriate power supply cannot be prepared, a method shown in a third embodiment in FIG. 4 may be used.
[0061] That is, as shown in FIG. 4 , a second inductor 106 is connected between one end of a first inductor 2 on the opposite side to the first DC power supply 1 and an anode of the diode 4 , and the diode 102 is connected between a connection point between the inductors 2 and 106 and an anode of the snubber diode 101 by an illustrated polarity.
[0062] In the embodiment, when the switching device 3 turns ON, the voltage of the DC power supply 1 is divided by a series circuit of the inductors 2 and 106 . The divided voltage is applied to the snubber capacitor 103 through the diode 102 so as to charge the snubber capacitor 103 . The snubber capacitor 103 is charged to be twice as large as an electromotive force due to LC resonance incurred by the inductor 106 and the snubber capacitor 103 in the same manner as in the circuit in FIG. 3 . Accordingly, it is necessary to take this point into consideration in advance so as to set a voltage division ratio by the inductors 2 and 106 .
[0063] Next, FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the invention.
[0064] In the embodiment, an auxiliary winding 2 a is provided in the inductor 2 so that a voltage lower than the input voltage V i is generated from the auxiliary winding 2 a by a transformer operation of the inductor 2 to thereby charge the snubber capacitor 103 through the diode 102 . In this case, a series circuit consisting of a leakage inductance between the inductor 2 and the auxiliary winding 2 a and the snubber capacitor 103 incurs LC resonance. Thus, the voltage of the snubber capacitor 103 is higher than an electromotive force generated based on a ratio between the number of turns of the inductor 2 and the number of turns of the auxiliary winding 2 a . Accordingly, it is necessary to take this point into consideration to set the ratio between the number of turns of the inductor 2 and the number of turns of the auxiliary winding 2 a.
[0065] Incidentally, when the voltage V i of the DC power supply 1 is always sufficiently lower than the output voltage V o (when a step-up ratio as the step-up chopper is higher), it is a matter of course that the first DC power supply 1 per se can be used as the second DC power supply 104 in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3 .
[0066] Next, FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the invention.
[0067] In the embodiment, the diode 4 in FIG. 1 is replaced by a rectification function of a second semiconductor switching device 4 a such as an MOSFET. Further, a second snubber capacitor 203 and a second snubber diode 201 are connected in series between a drain electrode d and a source electrode s of a first semiconductor switching device 3 . A diode 202 and a third DC power supply 204 are connected in series between a connection point between the snubber capacitor 203 and the snubber diode 201 and a positive terminal P.
[0068] Normally, an MOSFET has a property in which the MOSFET conducts electricity in a direction (a direction from the source electrode s toward the drain electrode d) reverse to a flowing direction of an output current. The second semiconductor switching element 4 a in FIG. 6 has the same rectification function as that of the diode 4 in FIG. 1 . In addition, an electricity regeneration operation from the load 6 to the DC power supply 1 may be performed by switching the second semiconductor switching device 4 a.
[0069] In FIG. 6 , when the second switching device 4 a is turned ON, a current flows from the load 6 back to the load 6 through the switching device 4 a , the inductor 2 and the DC power supply 1 so that the current of the inductor 2 increases. When the switching device 4 a is turned OFF, the current flows from the inductor 2 to the first switching device 3 through the DC power supply 1 so that the current of the inductor 2 decreases. Therefore, when a ratio of ON time in the second switching device 4 a is controlled, the current of the inductor 2 can be controlled desirably. This circuit operation has been well known as a step-down chopper.
[0070] In the operation, the current flowing into a parasitic inductance A decreases due to the OFF of the switching device 4 a so that a surge voltage ΔV occurs.
[0071] In FIG. 6 , the series circuit of the snubber diode 201 and the snubber capacitor 203 is provided as a snubber circuit for controlling the surge voltage ΔV, and the series circuit of the diode 202 and the third DC power supply 204 is provided as a charging circuit for charging the snubber capacitor 203 .
[0072] In a period of time when the switching device 4 a is ON, the current flows from the DC power supply 204 back to the DC power supply 204 through the switching device 4 a , the snubber capacitor 203 and the diode 202 so that the voltage V c of the snubber capacitor 203 is charged up to the voltage of the DC power supply 204 . When the switching device 4 a turns OFF so that a drain-to-source voltage V ds of the switching device 4 a reaches (V o −V c ), the snubber diode 201 turns ON. Accordingly, the drain-to-source voltage V ds of the switching device 4 a takes a value in which V c has been subtracted from a P-to-N voltage, i.e. (V o +ΔV), so as to be kept lower than the P-to-N voltage. Thus, an overvoltage can be prevented from being applied between the drain and the source of the switching device 4 a.
[0073] Incidentally, the configuration and operation principle of the series circuit of the first and second switching devices 3 and 4 a in the circuit shown in FIG. 6 are the same as those in a one-phase part of a bridge inverter. Accordingly, a snubber circuit including a snubber diode 101 or 201 , a snubber capacitor 103 or 203 , etc. can be applied also to a single-phase inverter or a three-phase inverter.
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Aspects of the invention relates to a DC voltage conversion circuit including: a DC power supply; a switching device which is connected to two ends of the DC power supply through an inductor, and a series circuit which is connected in parallel with the switching device and which includes a diode and a load, so that an input voltage supplied from the DC power supply can be converted into an output voltage with a predetermined magnitude by an operation of the switching device and supplied to the load. The DC voltage conversion circuit can further include: a series circuit which is connected to two ends of the diode and which includes a snubber capacitor and a snubber diode.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for splitting a concrete-block to form unartificial looking or natural looking stone surfaces for walls, gateposts, etc., and more particularly to a feeder for the concrete block splitting apparatus.
Conventionally, a fedder which is disposed adjacent to a splitting apparatus has a conveyor and a table which is lifted up and down in the vertical direction. A concrete block is fed by the conveyor toward the splitting apparatus until the concrete block contacts a stopper which is disposed at one end of the table. When the concrete block is contacted to the stopper of the table, a limit switch is actuated simultaneously to stop the movement of the conveyor and then to drive a cylinder to lift the table to the predetermined position until another limit switch is actuated to stop the upward movement of the table. A pusher device, which is disposed above the aforementioned conveyor, is driven to push the concrete block on the table toward the splitting device. After the concrete block is positioned at the predetermined position of the splitting device, the latter is driven to split the delivered concrete block to form natural looking surfaces. After the concrete block is pushed away from the table by the pusher device, the cylinder is driven again to lower the table to the original position for successive operation. Thus, the table should be maintained at the predetermined upper level until the concrete block on the table is completely fed out of the table to the desired position of the splitting apparatus, and therefore, the successive operation for lifting concrete blocks to the predetermined position for the purpose of delivering the lifted concrete block toward the splitting apparatus should be waited or suspended until the concrete block which is lifted by table is pushed out of the table.
According to the aforementioned conventional prior art, the applicant has found it to be time-consuming since, as described above, successive operation for feeding additional concrete blocks to be treated by the splitting apparatus is not carried out until the table is retracted to the original lower position after the preceding concrete block, which is positioned on the table, is fully pushed toward the splitting apparatus. This is a particularly remarkable disadvantage in such a case that plural concrete blocks are positioned on the table and lifted to the predetermined position simultaneously, because the table should be stood still until all of the concrete blocks on the table are fed out of the table by the pusher device.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved feeder which permits a continuous and efficient operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved feeder, in which a concrete block can be fed to a splitting apparatus whereas a table can be lowered simultaneously to the original position for successive operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved feeder which is simple in construction and presents a reliable operation.
Further object of the present invention is to provide an improved feeder which can be facilitated at a relatively small floor space.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiment thereof, which will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly sectioned, of a concrete block splitting apparatus which includes a feeder embodying the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the feeder illustrated in FIG. 1, showing members for receiving a concrete block;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectioned view of the feeder, taken along III--III of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the feeder shown in FIG. 1;
FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary side views of the feeder, showing an operation of concrete block lifting table and a leg which has the concrete block receiving member;
FIG. 5 shows the feeder in the course of raising a concrete block;
FIG. 6 shows the feeder at its uppermost limit of movement;
FIG. 7 shows the feeder in the course of lowering to its position for receiving a subsequent concrete block; and
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side view of the feeder in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Like reference numerals represent like parts in the different views of the drawing. In FIGS. 1 through 4, a feeder 1 of the present invention is installed adjacent to the conventional concrete block splitting apparatus 3 and pusher device 5. These conventional apparatus 3 and 5 are well known in the art, and no detailed description will be made. The feeder 1 comprises a table 7 which is lifted up and down by a fluid hydraulic cylinder 9. The table 7 is of rectangular shape and has a groove 11 along the lengthwise direction thereof. Within the groove is slidably disposed a leg of a stopper 13 which is fixed at a desired position of the table 7. A rectangular plate 15 is connected to the bottom of the table through suitable members with an air space between the plate 15 and the table 7. The plate 15 has two hands, which is generally designated at 17 and 18, extending in the opposite directions, as well as shown in FIG. 2. One of the hands 17, 18, namely the hand 17 of FIG. 2, has a member 19 which extends downwardly and then outwardly.
The hands 17, 18 are quite similar with each other in structure and symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal central line of the table 7, and therefore a description will be made with respect to the hand 17 in connection with the drawings, particularly FIGS. 2 and 5. The hand 17 has a block 21 having an inclined recess 23, and an arm 25. The arm 25 is pivotably connected to the block by a pin 27 such that the arm can be pivoted upwardly about the pin 27. The block 21 prevents the arm from pivoting in the downward direction since the end of the arm abuts an extension of the recessed block 21. The arm 25 has at its outer end a roller 29 which rotate along a guide surface 31 which will be described.
Legs 33 and 34 are pivotally connected to frames 35 and 36. The legs as well as the frames are of similar structure, and discription will be made with reference to the leg 33 and the frame 35. The leg 33 has a guide surface 31 which has a lower portion 31a, a middle inwardly inclined portion 31b and upper recessed portion constituting a part, 31c. The leg 33 is pivotally connected to the frame 35 by a pin 39. The frame 35 has a window 37 and is U-shaped as illustrated in FIG. 2. The leg 33 has a lower portion 33a which is slightly inclined inwardly, and a recess 33b at its lower extremity. A threaded rod 41 is inserted through the recess 33b, as well shown in FIG. 5, and the rod 41 is connected its both ends to the frame 35 through members 43, 44. The rod 41 has a spiral spring 45 between nuts 47 and 49. The nut 49 is positioned such that the leg 33 is vertical as illustrated in FIG. 3.
On top of the legs 33, 34 are provided an elongated receiving member 51, 52 which are "L" shaped in cross section. The receiving members 51 and 52 are supported at their one end by supporting members 53 and 54. The supporting members 53 and 54 are connected at their upper end to the opposite portion of the receiving members 51, 52 and to the frames 35, 36 pivotally at the lower end 55, 56 thereof. Thus, the receiving members 51, 52 as well as the legs 33, 34 and the supporting members 53, 54 are outwardly pivotable against the force of the spiral springs 45, such that the members 33, 34, 53, 54 are inclined out of the windows 37 of the frames 35, 36.
The fluid hydraulic cylinder 5 is suspended by a supporting frame 57 which is installed below the table 7. The piston rod of the cylinder 5 is connected to the base plate 15 of the table such that the table 7 is moved in the vertical direction. The supporting frame 57 has through-holes 59, 60 through which guide rods 62, 64, top end of which is connected to the table 7, are inserted so that the table 7 is moved in the correct vertical direction.
Conveyor chains 61 are disposed which are driven by a driving device 63 and sprockets. The driving device 63 is conventional and no detailed explanation will be made. The conveyor chains 61 are supported, or guided, by guide plates 65, 66 which are connected by a desired means to the supporting frame 57, the guide plates 65, 66 prevent the conveyor chains from being curved downwardly, particularly at the chain portion between the sprockets 67 and 68.
At the side of the guide plate 65, a limit switch device, which is generally illustrated at 69, is provided. The limit switch device 69 has a plate 71 pivotably connected to the guide plate 65 at one end 72. The plate 71 has at its other end a pin which will be contacted to a limit switch 73 when the plate is pivoted about the end 72.
The member 19, which extends downwardly and outwardly from the block 21 as well shown in FIG. 2, has a protrusion 75 which will contact limit switches 77, 79 in operation. The limit switches 77 and 79 are connected to the frame 35 and aligned vertically. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, an elongated plate 81 is connected to the frame side of the window 37, and the limit switch 77 is fixed to the lower portion of the elongated plate 81 whereas the limit switch 79 is fixed to the upper portion. Though not illustrated, the limit switches 77, 79 are electrically connected to the cylinder 5.
It is preferred that a safety stopper 83 be provided such that it extends downward from the bottom of the table 7 so as to prevent an accidental feeding of additional concrete block toward the table 7.
Further, it is preferred a block-like members 85 (FIG. 5) be connected to the bottom of the receiving members 51 and 52 such that the block-like members 85 may slightly touch a side of a cross beam 87 which is connected to the frames 35 and 36. The block-like members 85 will prevent an objectionable lateral movement of the legs 33, 34. Namely, when a concrete block on the table 7 is fed by the conventional pusher device 5 to the conventional splitting apparatus 3, the block-like members 85 prevent the legs 33, 34 from being swayed by the pushing force of the pusher device 5.
In FIG. 8 which shows another embodiment of the invention, the leg 33 has a guide surface 31 which has a curved protrusion 32 rather than the recessed portion 31c of FIG. 5. That portion of the guide surface 31 above the protrusion 32 constitutes a port.
An operation of the feeding device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7. A concrete block B is fed by the conveyor chains 61 which are driven by the driving device 63 toward the table 7 as illustrated by an arrow (FIG. 1). When the concrete block is fed onto the suitable position of the table 7 until the concrete block B contacts the stopper 13, the pivotable plate 71 is pivoted about the pin by the bottom of the concrete block B to thereby contact the limit switch 73. Thus the driving device 63 is stopped to cease a further movement of the concrete block B. Then the fluid hydraulic cylinder 9 is actuated to lift the table 7 in the upward direction while the concrete block is positioned on the table 7. In case of the upward movement of the table 7, the rollers 29 of the hands 17 and 18 rotate along the guide surface 31 of the legs 33, 34. As the rollers 29 as well as the table 7 move upward, the legs 33, 34 are pivoted outwardly about the pins 39 since the guide surface 31 is inwardly inclined, as illustrated at 31b. When the rollers 29 of the hands 17, 18 are lifted upward, the legs 33, 34 are pivoted outwardly, out of the windows 37 of the frames 35, 36, against the force of the springs 45. After a further upward movement of the table 7, the rollers 29 come into the recesses 31c of the guide surface 31 as shown in FIG. 6, and immediately the legs 33, 34, which have been pivoted outwardly, retract to the original position by the force of the springs 45. At this moment, the concrete block is lifted slightly higher than the receiving members 51, 52. Immediately after the rollers 29 are secured within the recessed portion 31c of the legs 33, 34, the member 19, which moves in the vertical direction together with the table 7 and the rollers 29, contacts the limit switch 79 which defines the upper extremity of the vertical movement of the table. When the limit switch is actuated by the member 19, the operation of the fluid hydraulic cylinder 9 is stopped, and then the cylinder is driven again to lower the table 7 while the concrete block B is being held by the receiving members 51, 52. In the lowering operation of the table 7, the arms 25 will be pivoted upwardly about the pin 27 as illustrated in FIG. 7. As aforementioned, the arms 25 are pivotable upwardly about the pin 27, but not pivotable downwardly by the structure of the block 27. Therefore, the table 7 is readily retracted to the lower original position while the receiving members 51, 52 maintain holding the concrete block B. When the table is lowered to the lower extremity of its vertical movement for the successive operation, the member 19 contacts the limit switch 77 to stop the operation of the cylinder 9.
The concrete block B secured by the receiving members 51, 52 is then pushed toward the known splitting apparatus 3 (FIG. 1) by means of the known pusher device 5. In this case, the concrete block is slided on the receiving members 51, 52 by the pusher device 5, and therefore the legs 33, 34 as well as the receiving members 51, 52 are likely to be swayed toward the splitting apparatus 3. However, the objectional sway is prevented by the block-like members 85 which will contact the cross beam 87 of the frames 35, 36.
The construction of the guide surface 31 of the legs 33, 34 according to a second embodiment shown in FIG. 8 will quite similar in operational mode. In this embodiment, the legs 33, 34 will be retracted to the vertical posture to hold the concrete block immediately after the rollers 29 comes to the portion right above the protruded portion 32 of the guide surface 31. The protruded portion 32 is disposed at a portion of the guide surface lower than the recess 31c of the first embodiment of FIG. 5.
According to the present invention, the upward movement of the table and the concrete block forces the legs 33, 34 to pivot outwardly as well as the receiving members 51, 52, and the legs retract to the original position by the force of the springs 45 when the table is lifted to the predetermined position. Thus, the retracted receiving members 51, 52 hold the concrete block. Immediately after the concrete block is held by the receiving members, the table can be lowered to the original position to wait for a successive operation of the upward lifting of concrete blocks.
Though the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, many modifications and alterations may be made within the spirit of the present invention.
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An improved feeder of a concrete block splitting apparatus which splits a concrete block to form natural looking stone surfaces for gateposts, walls, etc. The feeder has a table which moves in the vertical direction with the concrete block thereon, and receiving members which receive the concrete block when the concrete block is lifted to the predetermined position. The table can be lowered to the original position for successive operations of concrete block lifting while the concrete block is held by the receiving member for the purpose of being fed toward a splitting apparatus.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This subject invention relates to pressure transducers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Microelectromechanical pressure sensors typically include a diaphragm or membrane supported by a frame. It is known to fabricate the diaphragm to include thinner and thicker areas called bosses. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,140,143 incorporated herein by this reference. The thicker boss areas concentrate the stress created by deflection of the diaphragm. The bosses may be used to concentrate bending stresses in stress sensing piezoresistors or capacitive elements. The bosses can also be used to produce a sensing capacitance or an electrostatic drive gap by fabricating close adjacent structure.
[0003] Typically, the bosses are solid structures created by diffusion of material into a substrate at different depths and then etching the substrate. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,140,143 referenced above.
[0004] Prior bosses have a significant mass which, in the case of low pressure sensors, can result in orientation sensitivity. The thickness of the boss is also limited to the depth at which material can be infused into the substrate. In general, deeper infusions involve an added expense and increased time. Also, the width of the resulting boss structure increases because diffusion occurs both vertically and laterally in the substrate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The subject invention provides a new method of making a pressure transducer diaphragm. The method can result in bosses with less mass. The resulting bosses are preferably hollow. The method results in higher stiffness bosses. The resulting bosses can be created using lower cost processing techniques. The bosses are lighter than solid structures of equal stiffness. Provided is a pressure transducer with less g-sensitivity. Bosses of arbitrary width and stiffness can be produced. Provided is the ability to vary the configuration of the bosses as desired.
[0006] The subject invention results from the realization that a better method of producing a pressure transducer diaphragm without the limitations associated with diffusion and bulk etching includes etching a trench in a substrate to define a hollow boss lower in mass but also relatively stiff.
[0007] The subject invention, however, in other embodiments, need not achieve all these objectives and the claims hereof should not be limited to structures or methods capable of achieving these objectives.
[0008] This subject invention features a method of making a pressure transducer diaphragm. One or more trenches are formed (e.g., etched) in a first surface of a first substrate. The trench is then rendered etch resistant. A cavity is formed (e.g., etched) in a second opposite surface of the first substrate defining a diaphragm supported by a frame with one or more hollow bosses stiffening the membrane.
[0009] Dry etching or wet etching techniques can be used to form the trenches. In one example, the one or more trenches have angled side walls. In another example, the one or more trenches have a flat bottom.
[0010] The trench can be rendered etch resistant by doping the trench, diffusing the trench, or adding an etch resistant material to the trench. Also, material can be added to the trench. For example, polysilicon or epitaxial silicon layers can be grown in the trench.
[0011] In one example, a second substrate is bonded to the first surface of the first substrate. The second substrate can fusion bonded to the first surface of the first substrate. The cavity can be formed using dry or wet etching techniques.
[0012] In one embodiment, a pressure transducer diaphragm is made by etching one or more trenches in a first surface of a first substrate, rendering the trench and the first surface etch resistant, and etching a cavity in a second opposite surface of the first substrate defining a diaphragm supported by a frame with one or more hollow bosses stiffening the membrane.
[0013] In another embodiment, a pressure transducer diaphragm is made by etching one or more trenches in a first surface of a first substrate, rendering the trench etch resistant, bonding a second substrate to the first surface, and etching a cavity in a second opposite surface of the first substrate defining a diaphragm supported by a frame with one or more hollow bosses stiffening the membrane.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view showing an example of a pressure transducer diaphragm in accordance with the subject invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional isometric view of the pressure transducer diaphragm shown in FIG. 1 ;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the pressure transducer diaphragm shown in FIG. 2 taken a long line 3 - 3 of FIG. 2 ;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing a portion of another example of a pressure transducer diaphragm in accordance with the subject invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional partial view of still another example of a pressure transducer diaphragm in accordance with the subject invention;
[0020] FIGS. 6A-6G are highly schematic cross-sectional views depicting the primary steps associated with making a pressure transducer diaphragm in accordance with one embodiment of the subject invention;
[0021] FIGS. 7A-7F are highly schematic cross-sectional views showing a primary steps associated with another method of making a pressure transducer diaphragm in accordance with the subject invention; and
[0022] FIG. 8 is a schematic three-dimensional cross-sectional view showing an example of a complete MEMS pressure transducer in accordance with the subject invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Aside from the preferred embodiment or embodiments disclosed below, this invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. If only one embodiment is described herein, the claims hereof are not to be limited to that embodiment. Moreover, the claims hereof are not to be read restrictively unless there is clear and convincing evidence manifesting a certain exclusion, restriction, or disclaimer.
[0024] FIGS. 1-2 depict an example of a pressure transducer diaphragm or membrane 10 in accordance with this invention. Diaphragm 10 is supported by frame 12 and includes hollow boss or mesa 14 . Additional bosses may traverse diaphragm 10 . Typically, there are a number of bosses but only one is shown in the figures here for clarity. Diaphragm 10 in one particular example is 2.4 mm square, and 5 microns thick. Boss 14 , FIG. 3 has angled side walls 16 a and 16 b with a wall thickness of 5 microns. Boss 14 can be formed in different configurations, however, as shown in FIG. 4 where boss 14 ′ is smaller and in FIG. 5 where boss 14 ″ has a flat surface 20 and two angled side walls 22 a and 22 b.
[0025] In any configuration, the hollow boss or bosses have less mass than solid bosses and yet provide high stiffness. The result is, in one example, a pressure transducer with less g-sensitivity.
[0026] As shown in FIGS. 6A-6G , substrate 50 , FIG. 6A (typically a silicon wafer) is masked as shown at 52 , FIG. 6B and trench 54 is etched, FIG. 6C . Dry or wet etching techniques can be used. Trench 54 and surface 63 of substrate 50 are then rendered etch resistant typically by implanting phosphorous as shown at 56 in FIG. 6D . The junction formed by the implanted phosphorous in conjunction with an electrochemical etch stop prevents etching of the implanted regions. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,140,143 incorporated herein by this reference. The wafer is then turned over, FIG. 6E and masked as shown at 58 . Then, this surface of the wafer is etched to produce cavity 60 , membrane 10 supported by frame 12 , and hollow boss 14 .
[0027] In another example, wafer 70 , FIG. 7A is masked as shown at 72 in FIG. 7B and trench 74 is etched using dry or wet etching techniques. Trench 74 has angled side walls as shown. Trench 74 is then rendered etch resistant by doping the trench (with Boron, for example), or diffusing the trench using n-type diffusion and using an electrochemical etch stop as discussed above, or adding the etch resistant material to the trench such as etch resistant dielectrics or metals to create etch resistant side walls. Polysilicon or epitaxial silicon layers can be grown above the etch resistant layer if required to increase the thickness of the side walls of the resulting boss. Wafer 72 , (also typically a silicon wafer) FIG. 7D is then bonded to substrate 70 over trench 74 by fusion bonding techniques or by using intermediate layers as is known in the art. This structure is then turned over and masking 76 , FIG. 7E applied so cavity 78 can be wet or dry etched resulting in membrane 10 with boss 14 and frame 12 .
[0028] In one example, the diaphragm is a component of MEMS pressure transducer 80 , FIG. 8 . Two bosses 14 are shown here on diaphragm 10 (n-type) which also includes diffused piezoresistor 82 . Frame 12 is P-type and resides on pyrex support 84 with port 86 . The method of the subject invention, however, is not limited to any specific pressure sensor design.
[0029] The hollow boss technology of the subject invention allows hollow shell-type features to be fabricated on thin diaphragms typically used in pressure sensors to provide areas of localized stiffness on an otherwise flexible membrane. The walls of the hollow boss structure are typically of a similar dimension to the membrane itself, however, there are hollow corrugated shape means renders them significantly stiffer. By forming (e.g., etching) the front side of a silicon wafer and producing an etch stop in the base of the etched trench, the boss will not be etched when the back side of the wafer is etched when the membrane structure is produced. The etch stop for the trench can be a high doped P+ diffusion, a low doped n-type diffusion (for an electrochemical etch stop), or an etch resistant layer such as silicon dioxide. In some examples, it may be advantageous to bond a further silicon layer as shown in FIG. 7D over the trench to further stiffen the structure. This technique also has the advantage of recreating a planar wafer surface for further wafer processing. The additional silicon layer can be bonded by either intermediate layers such as glass for electrostatic bonding or by silicon fusion bonding (also known as silicon direct bonding). Wet etching advantageously is able to produce a side wall at approximately 54.7° to the wafer surface. In this way, a minimum boss width of approximately 1.4 times the wafer thickness can be produced. As a typical sensor wafer is 380 μm thick, this produces a 532 μm wide boss. Dry etching has the advantage of a vertical side wall etch. Narrow or arbitrary boss shapes are also possible. The resulting boss can be shallower than a solid boss, or have less mass, and yet be as stiff as the solid boss.
[0030] The result is a low pressure sensor which does not suffer from orientation sensitivity due to the mass of the boss. Boss stiffness is not limited by diffusion depth of approximately 30 μm associated with prior art techniques. Hollow bosses of the subject invention have a stiffness significantly higher than an equivalent amount of material creating a solid boss of equal surface shape and area. A narrow stiff boss can be created with conventional low cost processing techniques avoiding more expansive DRIE techniques if desired. The backside etch which forms the cavity in the final membrane structure could be any technique capable of creating the frame structure and etching down to the final membrane such as wet etching but DRIE etching might also be used with an oxide coated side wall. Typically, the technique of the subject invention produces stiff boss structures smaller and less costly than other methods resulting in lighter and less g-sensitive boss structures. In one example, the boss structure had a wall thickness of 15 μm and a base 20 μm wide to 130 μm wide.
[0031] Although specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not in others, however, this is for convenience only as each feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention. The words “including”, “comprising”, “having”, and “with” as used herein are to be interpreted broadly and comprehensively and are not limited to any physical interconnection. Moreover, any embodiments disclosed in the subject application are not to be taken as the only possible embodiments. Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims. For example, the method of this invention may prove useful for creating diaphragms for devices other than pressure transducers.
[0032] In addition, any amendment presented during the prosecution of the patent application for this patent is not a disclaimer of any claim element presented in the application as filed: those skilled in the art cannot reasonably be expected to draft a claim that would literally encompass all possible equivalents, many equivalents will be unforeseeable at the time of the amendment and are beyond a fair interpretation of what is to be surrendered (if anything), the rationale underlying the amendment may bear no more than a tangential relation to many equivalents, and/or there are many other reasons the applicant can not be expected to describe certain insubstantial substitutes for any claim element amended.
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A method of making a pressure transducer diaphragm. One or more trenches are etched in a first surface of a first substrate. The trench is rendered etch resistant. A cavity is then formed in a second opposite surface of the first substrate defining a diaphragm supported by a frame with one or more hollow bosses stiffening the membrane.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pressure sensor for sensing the presence of one or more packages on a belt-driven roller conveyor, and in particular to such a sensor which can be adjusted to detect extremely light weight packages such as empty paperboard boxes. A plurality of such pressure sensors control a like plurality of pneumatic cylinders, causing them to disengage the conveyor drive in individual respective conveyor zones in response to detection of such packages in one or more succeeding zones to place the associated zone in an accumulation mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
In power driven conveyors, it is frequently necessary to temporarily disconnect the driving mechanism from the conveyor to allow accumulation of conveyed packages. For example, in a belt-driven roller conveyor, such as is used for conveying paperboard boxes in an assembly or loading station, for example, it is often necessary to raise or lower a case stop to halt the motion of a box on the conveyor while it is being loaded. In such an instance, it is desirable to allow a number of boxes to accumulate behind the box being loaded. It is common to use some type of pressure sensor which detects the presence of one or more of the boxes, and which disengages a drive mechanism from the conveyor rollers in response to such a detection.
Prior art conveyor pressure sensors have tended to be spring loaded and, consequently, to have very restrictive threshold weight limitations. For example, it is common in the prior art for such pressure sensors to require a package to weigh 2 or more pounds before the sensor will reliably respond. Such sensors are not suitable for a conveyor where empty paperboard boxes or other very light weight packages, such as envelopes or trays, must be accumulated.
It is clear then, that an improved apparatus and method for sensing and accumulating light weight packages on a beltdriven roller conveyor is needed. Such an apparatus should be compact and inexpensive, extremely rugged, should reliably sense light weight packages on the conveyor but should not be subject to inadvertent tripping. For versatility, such a sensor should preferably have a sensitivity adjustment to allow the sensor to respond to a range of threshold package weights.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the practice of the present invention, a conveyor includes a plurality of free wheeling carrying rollers which are selectively driven by an endless belt which extends beneath the rollers. The conveyor is divided into a plurality of zones, each of which has a plurality of such carrying rollers. Beneath the carrying rollers in each zone, and beneath the endless belt as well, are a plurality of corresponding separate friction drives, each of which includes a plurality of friction or "skate" rollers. Each friction drive is selectively pivotable, via a connected telescoping rod of a pneumatic cylinder, between a lowered, non-engaged position, and a raised, engaged position. The friction drive is placed in the raised position when the pneumatic cylinder is pressurized and the telescoping rod extended. In this position, the friction drive pushes the belt into contact with the carrying rollers in that zone, thus driving them via the belt. The friction drive is placed in the lowered position when air pressure to the pneumatic cylinder is removed, and the belt is thus retracted, disengaging the carrying rollers in that zone and placing the zone in an accumulation mode.
The conveyor zones include an infeed or charge zone, one or more intermediate zones, and a discharge zone. Each zone except the charge zone includes a counter-balanced pressure sensor which has a sensing roller which is biased to extend just above the top level of the carrying rollers. Each sensing roller is attached to a pivot support which is pivotable about a short carrying roller. The short carrying roller, with the pressure sensor attached, is interchangeable with any of the carrying rollers on the conveyor, thus allowing it to be positioned at any desired point along the conveyor. Any package traversing the conveyor contacts the pressure sensing roller which then causes the pivot support to pivot downward about the short carrying roller. In turn, a feeler arm mounted on the pivot support contacts a spring actuator in a pneumatic whisker valve, opening the valve. The whisker valve, in turn, is connected to a normally open limit valve, which closes in response to sensing the drop in pressure of the opened whisker valve.
Each pneumatic cylinder is connected to an air source via one or more of the limit valves. When each of the connected limit valves is closed due to the respective pressure sensors detecting a package in their conveyor zones, air pressure within the cylinder is released and the connected friction drive is lowered, thus disengaging the drive belt from the carrying rollers in the associated conveyor zone, and allowing packages to accumulate on the conveyor.
The counter balance on each pressure roller is threadably adjustable to provide a threshold weight sensitivity adjustment for the pressure sensors. The threshold weight can be as small as 2 ounces.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
The principle objects and advantages of the present invention include: providing a counter-balanced pressure sensor apparatus and method for sensing packages in a belt-driven roller conveyor zone; providing such an apparatus in which a sensing roller attached to a pivot support is biased to lie just above the plane of the conveyor carrying rollers; to provide such an apparatus in which the pivot support pivots about a short carrying roller which lies in the same plane as the carrying rollers; to provide such an apparatus in which the pivot support includes an adjustable counter balance opposite the sensing roller; to provide such an apparatus in which a package traversing the conveyor will encounter the sensing roller and force it to pivot about the short carrying roller, causing a feeler arm on the pivot support to contact a spring actuator on a normally closed whisker valve; to provide such an apparatus in which the whisker valve opens in response to the spring actuator, thus closing a connected, normally open limit valve, causing a connected pneumatic cylinder to retract a belt friction drive, placing a plurality of carrying rollers into an accumulation mode; to provide such an apparatus in which the conveyor includes a plurality of zones, each of which can be placed into an accumulation mode by one or more pressure sensors; to provide such an apparatus in which each zone includes a pneumatic sensor which is connected to a compressed air source via one or more of the limit valves so that, when the connected limit valve(s) are closed, the cylinder is discharged, retracting a telescoping rod and withdrawing the friction drive from contact with the 14 belt in the associated zone; providing such an apparatus and method in which the presence of virtually any package, regardless of weight, including an empty box or envelope, can be sensed by the sensing rollers; and providing such an apparatus and method which is particularly well adapted for its intended use.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational schematic view of a zoned accumulating conveyor incorporating a plurality of counter-balanced pressure sensors in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1, and illustrating a counter-balanced pressure sensing roller and pivot support.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2, and illustrating the belt drive for the conveyor.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged and fragmentary top plan view with portions of the carrying rollers broken away to illustrate the interior of the conveyor.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a sensing roller and pivot support, taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4, and illustrating the sensing roller in a normal or upright position.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a sensing roller and pivot support, also taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4, and illustrating the sensing roller being pivoted downward by contact with a package on the conveyor.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a sensing roller and pivot support, taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 5, and illustrating skate rollers urging the drive belt into contact with the carrying rollers.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a friction drive assembly with an attached pneumatic cylinder and pivot arm, taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a friction drive assembly with the skate wheels contacting the drive belt and urging it into contact with the carrying rollers, taken along line 9--9 of FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a friction drive assembly with the skate wheels retracted away from the drive belt, taken along line 10--10 of FIG. 8.
FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a friction drive assembly with the skate wheels contacting the drive belt and urging it into contact with the carrying rollers, also taken along line 10--10 of FIG. 8.
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the pneumatic supply lines and valves for controlling the pneumatic cylinders in the conveyor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
I. Introduction and Environment
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, which may be embodied in various forms. 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 in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting For example, the words "upwardly" "downwardly" "rightwardly" and "leftwardly" will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words "inwardly" and "outwardly" will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the embodiment being described and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of a similar import.
Referring to the drawings in more detail the reference numeral 1 generally designates a belt driven conveyor which includes a plurality of carrying rollers 2 along the top thereof, each of which is freely rotatable about a hexagonal shaft 7 which extends between a pair of side rails 8 and 9. The conveyor 1 is divided into a plurality of zones, of which four are illustrated in FIG. 1. Packages to be conveyed, such as the package 3, partially shown in FIG. 6, are loaded onto the conveyor 1 via an infeed or charge zone 4, which is the leftmost zone in FIG. 1. Zone 5 is a drive zone and zone 6 is an intermediate zone, of which there can be any number depending upon the length of the conveyor 1. Finally, a discharge zone 11, the rightmost zone in FIG. 1, is where the conveyed packages 3 are discharged. A retractable case stop 12 is located near the end of the discharge zone 11. The case stop 12 is lowered to stop the packages 3 from exiting the conveyor 1. In such an instance, the conveyor 1 must be placed into an accumulation mode, i.e. the carrying rollers 2 must be idled.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a drive assembly 13 for the carrying rollers 2 is illustrated. The drive assembly 13 comprises a motor 14 with an attached motor sprocket 15. A chain 21 is connected from the sprocket 15 to drive a drive sprocket 22. The drive sprocket 22, in turn drives a drive roller 23. An endless belt 24 encircles the roller 23, is fed through a spring loaded and adjustable idler roller 25, and a series of guide rollers, of which rollers 26 and 27 are illustrated in FIG. 3, thence to each end of the conveyor 1. The belt 24 then loops through each of the four conveyor zones 4-6 and 11, running between friction drive assemblies 30, of which there is one in each of the conveyor zones 4-6 and 11, and the carrying rollers 2. Each friction drive assembly 30 includes a plurality of skate rollers 32, which are free wheeling about shafts 33. Each friction drive assembly 30 comprises a "U" shaped channel which includes a pair of side plates 34 and 35 connected by a bottom plate 30 with the tops of the skate rollers 32 extending above the side plates 34 and 35. The side plates 34 and 35 are attached to two pair of pivot arms, 36 and 37 via a plurality of bolts 38. The pivot arm pairs 36 and 37 extend between the plates 34 and 35 and a belt return pan 61, described below, to which they are also attached by bolts 38. The friction drive assembly 30 can thus be pivoted between a raised, belt engaging position, as shown in FIG. 11, and a lowered, belt releasing position, as shown in FIG. 10. In the raised position for the friction drive 14 assembly 30, the skate rollers 32 urge the belt 24 into contact with the carrying rollers 2, causing the moving belt 24, which is moving leftwardly in FIGS. 10 and 11, to drive the carrying rollers 2 in a clockwise rotation. The driven carrying rollers 2 thus impart a rightward motion to any packages 3 placed on top of the conveyor 1. When the friction drive assembly 30 is in the lowered position, the skate rollers 32 are withdrawn from contact with the belt 24, as shown in FIG. 10, and the associated conveyor zone is placed into an accumulating mode, as described below. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the skate rollers 32 are arrayed in rows of two, with each successive row staggered to either side of the plates 34 and 35, and the belt 24 has a centrally located "V" protrusion 39 which extends between the inside skate rollers 32, and which acts to guide the belt 24, preventing it from slipping side-to-side.
Referring to FIG. 2, the drive roller 23 and the idler roller 25 are mounted between a pair of drive support plates 40 and 41. The drive roller 23 actually comprises a pair of roller wheels 42 and 43 which are attached to a shaft 44. The roller wheels 42 and 43 are spaced apart, leaving a gap 45 therebetween. The V protrusion 39 on the belt 24 fits within the gap 45. The shaft 44 is attached to the support plate 40 via a bearing assembly 46, which allows the shaft 44 to freely rotate. The shaft 44 is attached to the drive sprocket 22 at the other end thereof, and is attached to the support plate 42 via a bearing assembly 51. The idler roller 25 is attached to a shaft 52, which is, in turn, attached to the support plates 40 and 41 by a pair of bearing assemblies 53 and 54, respectively. The shaft 52 and the bearing assemblies 53 and 54 are adjustable along slots 55, 56 and 57, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, formed in the support plates 40 and 41. This provides a belt tension adjustment, which can be gauged via a scale 58. The belt 24 extends from the idler roller 25 over the guide roller 27, and to the right in FIG. 3. The belt 24 returns via the belt return pan 61, thence over the guide roller 26 and to the drive roller 23. Other than the V protrusion 39 in the belt 24 and the return pan 61, no other belt guiding mechanism is needed.
II. Pressure Sensor Assembly
A pressure sensor assembly 62 is positioned within each of the conveyor zones 5, 6, and 11, with only the charge zone 4 excepted. Each of the pressure sensor assemblies 62 are identical and only one is illustrated in FIGS. 4-7.
Referring to FIGS. 4-7, each sensor assembly 62 comprises a sensing roller 63 which is freely rotatable about a shaft 64. The shaft 64 extends between opposite end plates 65 and 66, each of which includes a circular bore 71 therethrough for accommodating a cylindrical sleeve 72 which extends around a hexagonal shaft 73 of a short carrying roller 74. The short carrying roller 74 is identical to the carrying rollers 2, except for the shortened length. The relative lengths of the short carrying roller 74 and the carrying rollers 2 are illustrated in FIG. 4. The end plates 65 and 66 are pivotable about the sleeves 72. A feeler arm 75 is rigidly attached to the end plate 66 via a bore 81 and a set screw 82. A counter balance 83 is threadably attached to a threaded shaft 84, which is, in turn, inserted into a bore 85 in the end plate 66. The counter balance 83 can be adjusted toward or away from the end plate 66 by turning it relative to the shaft 84. This adjusts the moment arm of the counter balance 83 and, therefore the threshold weight which is required to pivot the sensing roller 63 downward. The sensor assembly 62 can be adjusted to respond to a package weighing as little as 2 ounces. It should be noted that the hexagonal shaft 73 is interchangeable with any of the shafts 7 of the carrying rollers 2, and thus each pressure sensor assembly 62 can be positioned at any desired point along the top of the conveyor 1.
III. Pneumatic Accumulation Actuator
Referring to FIGS. 5-12, each feeler arm 75 in a pressure sensor assembly 62 is positioned closely adjacent to a spring actuator 91 for a whisker valve 92. The spring actuators 91 are extremely sensitive, with a small displacement of the spring 91 opening the whisker valve 92.
Referring to FIG. 12, a pneumatic schematic is illustrated. Each whisker valve 92a-c is connected via a low pressure air hose 93a-c to a limit valve 94a-c. Each limit valve 94a-c, which is normally open, connects high pressure air from a supply hose 95 to an outlet hose 101a-c. When a limit valve 94a-c senses a pressure drop in the corresponding air hose 93a-c due to the opening of a connected whisker valve 92a-c, it automatically closes, thus disconnecting the corresponding outlet hose 101a-c from the air supply hose 95. Each outlet hose 101a-c is connected to a spring-loaded air cylinder 102a-c, each of which has a telescoping rod 103a-c and a clevis 104a-c attached thereto. When one of the cylinders 102a-c is charged with air via the corresponding outlet hose 101a-c, the associated rod 103a-c is extended against the action of an internal spring (not shown). When the source of air is removed, as by shutting off one or more of the connected limit valves 94a-c, the associated rod 103a-c is retracted by the internal spring.
Referring to FIGS. 8-11, each cylinder 102 is connected to a block 105 via the clevis 104 and a pin 106. The block 105 is connected to an "L" shaped rod 111, which is, in turn, connected to the bottom plate 31 of the friction drive assembly 30 via a pair of bolts 112 and 113. As the rod 103 is extended, the friction drive assembly 30 is pushed to the right, and rotated upward via the pivot arms 36 and 37, as shown in FIG. 11. This urges the skate rollers 32 into contact with the belt 24 and thence into contact with the carrying rollers 2, thus imparting the motions indicated by the arrows in FIG. 5. When the rod 103 is retracted, the friction drive assembly 30 is pulled to the left, and rotated downward via the pivot arms 36 and 37, as shown in FIG. 10. This removes the skate rollers 32 from contact with the belt 24, causing the carrying rollers 2 to return to an idle condition, whereby the associated zone of the conveyor 1 is placed into an accumulation mode.
IV. Operation
The accumulating operation of the conveyor 1 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1-12. The motor 14 is started, which drives the belt 24 in a counterclockwise direction. High pressure air is supplied to the supply hoses 95 and thence to the cylinders 102a-d via the limit valves 95a-c or a solenoid valve 114, and the outlet hoses 101a-c. The telescoping arms 103 thus urge the friction assemblies 30 rightwardly, forcing the belt 24 into contact with the carrying rollers 2 and causing them to spin clockwise. The packages 3 to be transported along the conveyor 1 from right to left are loaded in the charge zone 4. The packages can be empty boxes, crates, etc.
If it is desired to keep a package 3 in place for loading etc. when it reaches the discharge zone 11, a case stop 12 is either manually or automatically dropped into place above the discharge zone 1, simultaneously activating a solenoid switch 114 (FIG. 12), thus stopping the package 3.
Referring to FIG. 12, this causes the solenoid switch 114 to block air flow from the supply hose 95 to the air cylinder 102a, retracting the rod 103a. Thus, the friction assembly 30 in the discharge zone 11 is retracted, allowing the carrying rollers to idle. Once a second package 3 is backed up by the first blocked package 3, the second package 3 will force the sensing assembly 62 in the discharge zone 11 to rotate downward, causing the feeler arm 75 to contact the spring actuator 91a, thus closing the limit valve 95a and causing the cylinder 102b to retract the rod 103b, and causing the intermediate zone 6 to enter an accumulation mode. Next a third package 3 is backed up within the intermediate zone 6 and forces the sensing assembly 62 in the intermediate zone 6 to rotate downward, causing the feeler arm 75 to contact the spring actuator 91b, thus closing the limit valve 95b and causing the cylinder 102c to retract the rod 103c, and causing the drive zone 5 to enter an accumulation mode. This process is repeated with each succeeding zone from right to left as the packages 3 continue to accumulate. The cylinder 102c is connected to both the air supply hoses 101b and 101c via a shuttle valve 115. With this arrangement, air can be supplied from either hose 101b or 101c, thus providing a fail-safe accumulation, i.e. both the whisker valves 91a and 91b must be opened for the drive zone 5 to enter an accumulation mode. The same fail-safe arrangement is provided for the cylinder 102d, with limit valves 94b and 94c connected thereto. Note that the fact that the sensing assemblies 62 can be freely moved along the conveyor 1 allows the conveyor 1 to be configured for packages of different lengths.
While only 4 zones have been depicted herein for simplicity, it should be understood that any number of intermediate zones 6 can be chained together with a charge zone, a drive zone and a discharge zone to form a conveyor 1 of any desired length. Furthermore, while only one pressure sensor and one friction drive assembly has been illustrated in each zone, each zone can be of any desired length and can include a number of pressure sensor assemblies and corresponding friction drive assemblies.
It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.
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A counter-balanced pressure sensor for sensing a package carried by a belt-driven carrying roller conveyor includes a pivot support with a sensing roller attached. The sensing roller is deflected downward by the passage of the package on the conveyor, causing the pivot support to pivot downward, causing a feeler arm attached to the pivot support to contact a sensitive whisker valve mounted beneath the conveyor top surface. The conveyor includes a plurality of zones, all but one of which has one of the pressure sensors. When the pressure sensors in one or more succeeding zones detect the presence of a package in each of their associated zones, the belt drive in a preceding zone is disconnected from the rollers in that zone, putting the preceding zone into an accumulation mode. Each pressure sensor is sensitivity adjustable by adjusting a threaded connector for a counter balance positioned opposite the sensing roller on the pivot support. The pressure sensors are interchangeable with any of the conveyor carrying rollers so they can be positioned at any desired point along the conveyor.
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[0001] The present invention relates generally to coatings such as for roofs and for structural supports and additives for various building materials and other applications in the building industry.
[0002] On Sep. 11, 2001, the twin towers of the World Trade Center were felled by large fuel-laden commercial aircraft guided into the upper portions thereof. The towers were sufficiently well constructed that the force of impact did not cause the buildings to immediately fall, and they stood for on the order of an hour. However, the tremendous heat from the burning of the jet fuel caused steel supports within the towers to reach temperatures in the range of 800 degrees C. thereby weakening the supports with the result that the towers ultimately collapsed. A structural engineer, Chris Wise, is quoted in “How the World Trade Center Fell,” BBC News, Sep. 13, 2001, as follows:
It was the fire that killed the buildings—nothing on earth could survive those temperatures with that amount of fuel burning.
[0004] Each tower had a central core comprising concrete-clad steel beams running vertically there through, and each floor had horizontal steel supports tied to the vertical beams. The concrete cladding on the vertical beams would have provided protection for only a limited time. The horizontal steel supports or beams were covered with fireproofing material, and the fireproofing may or may not have been of sufficient quality to protect the horizontal beams from the heat of the burning jet fuel. However, it is Applicant's understanding that, in the floors near the points of impact, the fireproofing was “blown off” by the forces of impact of the planes thereby exposing the horizontal steel beams to the extreme heat. Thus, as the temperature of the insufficiently protected steel beams approached 800 degrees C., the upper portions of the vertical beams and the horizontal beams in the upper floors began losing structural integrity (weakening) so that upper floors began collapsing onto floors below. Increasingly massive forces were exerted on weakening floors below by the weight of the collapsing floors above, with the result that each of the towers collapsed entirely.
[0005] Ceramic or refractory materials are commonly used, among other applications, in the form of blocks as linings of furnaces. When it is necessary to re-line a furnace, the ceramic blocks are removed and typically discarded to a landfill and replaced with new ceramic blocks made from a ceramic material such as alumina oxide, zircon, silica, or magnesia oxide. Sometimes, the ceramic blocks may be recycled by crushing them to form gravel which is then pulverized, and new ceramic blocks made therefrom.
[0006] Gunite materials, in the form of high pressure concrete mixes of cement, sand or crushed slag, and water, and the like have been sprayed over reinforcements. Ceramic materials have been used with an adhesive material as coatings and have been used as additives in the building industry. For example, roof cap sheets have been coated with 6 to 20 mesh quartz, and roof composite sheets have been coated with acrylic or alumina oxide in gravel form to protect against the effects of ultraviolet light. Not only are the use of ceramic materials prohibitively expensive but these applications do not adequately protect the roofs from the damaging effects of ultraviolet light since the coatings leave spaces between the ceramic particles through which ultraviolet rays can penetrate to the substrate.
[0007] It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide adequate insulation for steel beams in buildings to withstand the heat encountered by the twin towers and which remains in tact during the type of impact encountered by the twin towers.
[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a coating for roofs and the like which is effective to protect the substrate from the damaging effects of ultraviolet light so that the roof life may be increased from perhaps 10 years to perhaps 20 to 30 years.
[0009] It is another object of the present invention to provide such coatings at a favorable price.
[0010] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coating for wood substrates which provides flame resistance.
[0011] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a coating for steel substrates which provides chemical resistance.
[0012] It is still another object of the present invention to provide a ceramic material as an additive to sealants, caulking, and the like to provide improved fire resistance and insulation and other desirable properties but at a favorable price.
[0013] In order to provide adequate insulation for steel beams in buildings to withstand the heat encountered by the twin towers and which remains in tact during the type of impact encountered by the twin towers, a coating of ceramic material and an adhesive is applied to the beams.
[0014] In order to provide an inexpensive ceramic coating, in accordance with the present invention, the coating is composed of an adhesive and a recycled ceramic material.
[0015] In order to provide an inexpensive ceramic additive, in accordance with the present invention, the additive is composed of recycled ceramic material.
[0016] In order to provide a ceramic coating which provides effective protection against the effects of ultraviolet light, the coating is composed of an adhesive material and ceramic material comprising ceramic gravel and ceramic powder.
[0017] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein the same reference numerals denote the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a combination block and schematic view illustrating a portion of a roof cap and a method of making thereof which embody the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 is schematic perspective view of a building which embodies the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 3 is a horizontal section view, taken along lines 3 - 3 of FIG. 2 , of a vertical support column, having vertical support members, for the building.
[0021] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the vertical support column.
[0022] FIG. 5 is a plan view of a floor of the building, illustrating horizontal support members as well as the vertical support members therefor.
[0023] FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one of the vertical or horizontal support members.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0024] Referring to FIG. 1 , there is shown at 12 a portion of a roof cap sheet (composed conventionally of fiberglass, asphalt, or other suitable material) to the upper surface of which a coating, illustrated at 10 , has been applied. The coating 10 comprises a ceramic material 14 mixed into a suitable adhesive, illustrated at 16 , such as, for example, a sodium silicate or mastics or any other suitable adhesive. After the adhesive has hardened, the ceramic material 14 is retained in place on the surface of the substrate 18 . Although the substrate 18 is described as a roof cap sheet, it should be understood that it may be any other suitable substrate, such as wood or steel or other metals or concrete, suitable for application of the coating.
[0025] For the purposes of this specification and the claims, the term “ceramic” is defined as a refractory material such as used in lining furnaces and for other heat resistance purposes and is meant to include, but is not limited to, alumina oxide (including alumina silica and alloys of alumina such as mullite and alumina containing clays), zircon (including zirconia), silica (both crystalline and amorphous, for example, fume silica, and including alloys of oxides such as alumina and titania with the major phase being silica), and magnesia or periclase (both fused and dead burned and including alloys of magnesia such as dolomite and chrome). Alumina oxide, also known as corundum, is meant to include all naturally occurring and processed alumina, fused, calcined, and tabular and alumina contained in by-products including dust collector fines and sweepings.
[0026] Conventional coatings of quartz or other ceramic material of a size on the order of 6 to 20 mesh in an adhesive do not adequately protect the substrate against the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation due to the large spaces between the portions of ceramic material allowing penetration of ultraviolet rays to the substrate. In order to provide an effective barrier to ultraviolet radiation penetration to the substrate, in accordance with the present invention, the ceramic material is composed of a fine powder ceramic material, illustrated at 22 , so as to completely cover the substrate. Preferably, the ceramic material is composed of a coarse granular ceramic material, illustrated at 20 , in addition to the powder material 22 in order to provide greater density, increased strength, fire resistance, and insulation as well as a grit appearance. By “powder” is meant, for the purposes of this specification and the claims, a material comprising particles having a size of about 45 mesh or finer or otherwise being of such a small size as to be capable of being suspended in air. The granular material may include particles, illustrated at 24 , having a size of around 6 to 30 mesh, or larger pieces of gravel, illustrated at 26 , which may have a size of about ⅜ to ½ inch tumbled (to remove rough edges) or discrete pieces of material having any other suitable size suitable for the application. By “granular” is meant, for the purposes of this specification and the claims, particles which have a size greater than about 30 mesh.
[0027] In order to apply the coating 10 , a layer of adhesive 16 may optionally first be applied to the substrate 18 , then the granular particles, which may be either particles 24 or gravel 26 or both, are placed uniformly onto the adhesive, and finally the powder material 22 is uniformly sprayed onto the substrate 18 along with more of the adhesive 16 to thereby fully blanket the substrate with ceramic material, i.e., the ceramic powder is dispersed in the adhesive in a sufficient quantity to provide complete coverage of the portion of the substrate 18 to which the coating 10 is applied, to thereby fully protect against the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation. Alternatively, both the granular particles 24 and powder material 22 may be sprayed onto the substrate with an adhesive-together (and, if desired, gravel 26 laid loosely onto the substrate before spraying), or other suitable means may be used to apply the coating 10 . Such a coating may be applied to roofing shingles, roof cap sheets, or composite roofing sheets at the factory or in the field. As a result, such a solid ceramic roof may have a much longer life, perhaps 20 to 30 years instead of 10 years, be uniform for improved appearance and with no exposed joints, and, also advantageously, it is unnecessary to use hot asphalt. Further, the coating 10 may be sprayed on quickly to save labor costs.
[0028] Other construction materials may be similarly coated in order to provide ultraviolet radiation protection, heat insulation (resistance to heat), as described hereinafter in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6 , or other forms of protection. Thus, wood structures may be coated with a suitable number of coats of the coating 10 to add insulation value and to prevent flame from breaking down the wood and thus provide a better fire rating to a structure. Steel or other metallic structures such as steel piping and metal roof decks may be coated with the coating 10 to provide chemical resistance (as well as corrosion and ultraviolet radiation). The coating 10 may be applied to the top of decks for insulation value and to the bottom thereof for fire resistance. The coating may be applied to flashings (to stabilize corners) to provide an improved appearance and better fire ratings as well as to save the time and labor required in otherwise preparing the flashings conventionally, i.e., one need only spray on the coating 10 and “walk away” to do other work. Various other uses for the coating 10 may be found in the construction trades, and such other uses are meant to come within the scope of the present invention.
[0029] More and more, it is being demanded that insulation R values be raised from 15 up to 30. However, it has been difficult to do so due to the undesirably increased thickness of conventional insulation. The coating of the present invention advantageously allows the insulation thickness to remain relatively thin (on the order of 60 mils).
[0030] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6 , there is shown generally at 50 a building which, like the twin towers of the World Trade Center, has a plurality of floors, illustrated at 52 . A central support core 54 runs vertically through the building 50 . The core 54 includes a plurality of vertical steel supports or beams 56 encased in concrete cladding or covering 58 . Each of the floors 52 has a plurality of horizontal steel supports or beams 60 each suitably tied to one of the vertical beams 56 such as, for example, by welding or bolting to brackets (not shown) attached to the vertical beams. The floors 52 are finished therefrom in accordance with principles commonly known to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.
[0031] FIG. 6 shows a fragment of one of the horizontal supports 60 . In order to provide adequate insulation to protect the support 60 from weakening at the extreme heat encountered in the twin towers collapse and to prevent the insulation from becoming blown off or otherwise removed during a high impact such as experienced by the twin towers, in accordance with the present invention, the support 60 is provided with the coating 10 of ceramic material 14 (which may provide fireproofing up to about 4,000 degrees F.) and the adhesive 16 so as to provide a hard coat which does not easily come off. The ceramic material 14 preferably includes the granular particles 20 overcoated with the powder material 20 so as to provide uniformity at less cost. The vertical beams 56 and/or the concrete cladding 58 as well as other structural supports in the building 50 may be similarly coated.
[0032] The ceramic material 14 may also be provided as an additive to various construction materials to enhance the properties thereof. Thus, the ceramic material 14 may be added to, for example, sealants (for example, for sealing of concrete floors, walls, and ceilings), stucco, and caulking to provide fire resistance, insulation value, and increased strength. The ceramic material additive 14 may comprise the powder 22 or, if desired to provide a grit look as well as increased strength, fire resistance, and insulation, granular particles 20 in addition to or instead of the powder.
[0033] New ceramic materials are too expensive for practical and competitive application in the construction industry as described above. However, ceramic materials are commonly discarded to landfills. Thus, by recycling the used ceramic materials for use in the coatings and additives of the present invention, the cost may be substantially reduced so that it is practical and competitive while providing an improved product. Therefore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ceramic material 14 is recycled, i.e., formed or collected from ceramic material which has been previously used for any purpose such as the lining of furnaces. Thus, illustrated at 30 is a portion of a wall of a furnace which contains blocks 32 of ceramic material. From time to time, the furnace must be re-lined with the result that the blocks 32 are removed. The removed used blocks 32 are typically obtainable at no cost except transportation costs. In order to recycle the blocks 32 , they may first be placed in a conventional jaw crusher, as illustrated at 34 , to compress and shatter them to thereby form the gravel 26 . The gravel 26 is then placed in a conventional pulverizer, as illustrated at 38 , to form a mixture of the granular particles 24 and the powder 22 . The granular particles 24 and the powder 22 are then separated by use of a screen 40 , as illustrated at 42 , of a size wherein the powder 22 falls through the screen 40 and the granular particles 24 do not fall through the screen 40 . This inexpensive process for recycling the ceramic material is conventional in the art for the purpose of providing ceramic blocks for lining of furnaces and allows the ceramic material to be provided inexpensively. However, any other suitable process for recycling the ceramic material may be used.
[0034] The use of the inexpensive recycled ceramic material in the coatings and additives of the present invention allows its use to be sufficiently inexpensive as to be practical and competitive in the building industry (while providing superior building structures) while also helping to preserve the environment.
[0035] It should be understood that, while the present invention has been described in detail herein, the invention can be embodied otherwise without departing from the principles thereof, and such other embodiments are meant to come within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
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A coating for support beams in buildings to protect their structural integrity in case of high heat events, for roofs and the like to inexpensively provide protection from ultraviolet light, for wood or steel substrates to inexpensively provide flame or chemical resistance respectively, and for protection of various other building substrates. The coating comprises an adhesive and a recycled ceramic powder and may also comprise a recycled granular ceramic material. An additive to sealants, caulking, and other construction materials to inexpensively provide improved fire resistance and insulation and other enhanced properties. The additive comprises a recycled ceramic powder and may also comprise a recycled granular ceramic material.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to ink cartridges. More particularly the present invention relates to an automated refilling station for adding ink to printing device ink cartridges.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Printers and printing devices are used to print one or more hard copies of electronic data. Printing devices typically rely on replaceable printing cartridges to supply the required ink or printing fluid for such print jobs. Examples of printing devices that use printing cartridges include laser printers, inkjet printers, fax machines, copiers, and multifunction peripherals.
[0003] As used herein and in the attached claims, the expendable material used by a printing device to render a print job on a print medium, whether that material is, for example, ink, toner, or printing fluid, will be referred to collectively as “ink.” Similarly, an ink cartridge is defined as a storage device that holds and dispenses ink when engaged in a printing device. As used herein, the term “printer” or “printing device” refers broadly to any device that makes use of a printing cartridge for a supply of ink.
[0004] Printing devices can print monochrome or color documents. In some cases, an ink cartridge may contain only black ink (K) for a monochrome printer. The ink cartridge for a color printer will typically hold four or more differently colored inks. Typical color printers use one cartridge that holds only black ink (K) and a second cartridge that contains three different colors of ink that can be blended to produce any color in the spectrum. The three colors most often used are cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). Individual colors may also be provided via individual cartridges.
[0005] As the printing process consumes the ink in a printing cartridge, the cartridge must be replaced or refilled. Presently, the use of computers and printing devices is constantly increasing. Thus, there is a proportional increase in the demand for ink and printing cartridges.
[0006] Most users simply buy an entirely new print cartridge when the ink cartridge in use is emptied. Ordering a new cartridge may be an expensive and time-consuming process for the user. Additionally, the hardware of a cartridge may still be completely serviceable even after the supply of ink in the cartridge has been expended. Many cartridges are unnecessarily thrown away because the user is unable to reuse the ink cartridge.
[0007] Consequently, some users attempt to refill the cartridge with a new supply of ink. While there are presently do-it-yourself cartridge refilling systems available, these systems present some problems. Cartridge refilling kits are often very messy and provide ink that is not specifically designed for a given cartridge and printer. The use of Inferior ink may shorten the useful life of the cartridge, cause smearing, or poor print quality. Inferior ink may also damage the cartridge and/or the printing device in which it is used.
[0008] Some cartridges are designed to be refillable, while many are not. Refillable cartridges have a manufacturer specified useful life and designated methods of refilling the cartridge. However, the user may often be unaware of the manufacturer's recommendations. In such a case, the user may incorrectly fill the cartridge or attempt to use the cartridge beyond its useful life. Incorrect filling and using a cartridge beyond the useful life may cause some of the same problems noted above, e.g., degraded print quality and damage to the printing device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In one of many possible embodiments, the present invention provides an ink cartridge refilling station that incorporates a receptacle for receiving an ink cartridge, a supply of ink and a refilling mechanism for automatically adding ink to the ink cartridge from the supply of ink. An ink cartridge, for use with the cartridge refilling station, includes a reservoir for holding a supply of ink and an input port communicating with the reservoir, the port being configured to receive ink from the automated ink refilling station.
[0010] Additional advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows or may be learned by those skilled in the art through reading these materials or practicing the invention. The advantages of the invention may be achieved through the means recited in the attached claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and are a part of the specification. Together with the following description, the drawings demonstrate and explain the principles of the present invention. The illustrated embodiments are examples of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the invention.
[0012] [0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printing device and the corresponding ink cartridge used by the printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] [0013]FIG. 2 is an illustration of a first embodiment of an ink cartridge refilling station according to the present invention.
[0014] [0014]FIG. 3 is an illustration of a second embodiment of an ink cartridge refilling station according to the present invention.
[0015] [0015]FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating the system illustrated in FIG. 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating the system illustrated in FIG. 2 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating the system illustrated in FIG. 3 in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] In one of many possible embodiments, the present invention provides an ink cartridge refilling station ( 103 ; FIG. 2). The refilling station implements a method and provides a system that allows a user to add ink to a printing cartridge. The system may also use cartridge diagnostics and user input to decide the type and quantity of ink to add to the cartridge. Moreover, the system may ensure that the cartridge is operating properly within its useful life and does not pose a hazard to the printing device in which it will be used. In the figures shown open arrows labeled ‘ink’ indicate the flow of ink within the refilling station; the electronic signals internal to the refilling station ( 103 ) are represented by the thin solid arrows. The refilling station ( 103 ) may be incorporated in a kiosk that is publicly available, such as in a retail store for computer equipment.
[0020] Using the drawings, the present invention will now be explained. FIG. 1 illustrates a printing device ( 101 ) and a corresponding ink cartridge ( 102 ). As shown in FIG. 1, the ink cartridge ( 102 ) is installed in the printing device ( 101 ) and is easily removed for refilling purposes. The ink cartridge ( 102 ) supplies the ink necessary for print jobs processed by the printing device ( 101 ).
[0021] The ink cartridge contains an ink reservoir ( 102 a ) that stores the ink within the cartridge ( 102 ). The ink cartridge reservoir ( 102 a ) may be a single reservoir or series of reservoirs. In the case of a color-printing device, the ink cartridge reservoir ( 102 a ) may include four or more different reservoirs ( 102 a ) for different colored inks that can be combined to produce a full spectrum of colors.
[0022] During the refilling process ink may be added to the cartridge ( 102 ) through a port ( 102 b ). The cartridge port ( 102 b ) communicates between the refilling apparatus and the ink cartridge reservoir ( 102 a ). The cartridge port ( 102 b ) may be any orifice that allows the addition of ink to the cartridge reservoir ( 102 a ). In some embodiments, the port ( 102 b ) may also be used to remove ink from the cartridge reservoir ( 102 a ).
[0023] The cartridge ( 102 ) is preferably identified by a label ( 102 c ). The identification label ( 102 c ) or “e-label” may include any of a number of devices for recording an identification of, and/or information about, the cartridge ( 102 ) or the specific printing device from which the cartridge ( 102 ) was removed. For example, the identification label ( 102 c ) may include a barcode, serial number, magnetic strip, memory chip, identification sticker, or other design or symbol that allows the cartridge ( 102 ) to be identified. Identification may also involve noting the make, model, and compatible ink types of a given cartridge ( 102 ).
[0024] [0024]FIG. 2 is an illustration of the ink cartridge refilling station ( 103 ) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The user inserts an ink cartridge, to which ink is to be added, into a cartridge receptacle ( 111 ). The cartridge receptacle ( 111 ) preferably holds the cartridge securely to facilitate the process of adding ink to the cartridge. This may simply be an interference fit between the receptacle ( 111 ) and the cartridge. Additionally, the receptacle ( 111 ) may include a locking mechanism for locking the cartridge in place. It may be desirable to lock the cartridge into the receptacle ( 111 ) to prevent a user from removing the cartridge while the refilling process is in progress or before payment for the added ink is received.
[0025] The user interfaces with the refilling station ( 103 ) through an electronic user interface, which preferably includes a touch screen display panel ( 104 ). A touch screen display panel ( 104 ) is represented because it is compact, easily customized/localized for specific users and relatively easy to use for most users. Alternatively, the user interface could include a keyboard, keypad, monitor, display, mouse, trackball or any other mechanism that allows the user to send and receive information so as to control the process of adding ink to a cartridge with the refilling station ( 103 ).
[0026] The touch screen display panel ( 104 ) may allow the user to enter information about the cartridge, user, or the printing device in which the cartridge will be used, etc. Such information may be stored in a user profile for future reference. Such user profiles would be stored in a memory unit (not shown) within the refilling station ( 103 ). Alternatively this information could be provided via the cartridge's e-label. Through the touch screen display panel ( 104 ), the user may select a quality and quantity of ink to be added to the cartridge. The ink is preferably offered at a predetermined price, and the user can complete a monetary transaction for the services rendered by the refilling station ( 103 ) using the user interface.
[0027] If the cartridge has an identification label or e-label, information relevant to the refilling process may be obtained from the identification label. The cartridge receptacle ( 111 ) preferably includes a label reading mechanism ( 105 ). The label reading mechanism ( 105 ) may be a scanner, magnetic strip reader, or other label sensor that identifies the cartridge. The type of label reading mechanism will correspond to the type or types of labels expected to be used on cartridges serviced by the station ( 103 ).
[0028] The label reading mechanism ( 105 ) notes the cartridge identification and may send relevant information to the touch screen display panel ( 104 ). When the cartridge is in the cartridge receptacle ( 111 ), the label on the cartridge, if present, is preferably detected automatically and read by the label reading mechanism ( 105 ) where possible.
[0029] The label reading mechanism ( 105 ) in some cases may be unable to determine the identification of the cartridge. This could result because the label is missing, scratched, broken, or of a make incompatible with the filling station ( 103 ). In such a case, the ink selection logic unit ( 106 ) will preferably interface with the user through the touch screen display panel ( 104 ) to determine the cartridge make and ink type to be used, if a variety of inks are available. The ink selection logic unit ( 106 ) is further described below. A displayed message on the touch screen ( 104 ) may prompt the user to enter the make of the cartridge or select the ink to be used. This message may include a menu from which the user can select among the types of cartridges and ink types supported by the station ( 103 ). In some embodiments the touch screen display could provide links to the internet or a database to display images of the various cartridges and/or printers in which they are used to help eliminate problems with the user selecting the wrong ink type when the e-label is missing, damaged or nonexistent.
[0030] Additionally, the filing station ( 103 ) could be connected to the Internet or other computer network and include an embedded web client/server. The refilling station could then do an online search of the scanned or user-entered cartridge information to determine compatibility and ink and/or cartridge information. The embedded web server/client can also be used to store, in an online database, such information as user preferences, the number of times a particular cartridge has been refilled, quantity per refill, etc. This information would then be available to a number of refilling stations connected to the network containing the on-line database, e.g., the Internet.
[0031] As noted above, problems can occur when a user continues to refill and use a cartridge after components of the cartridge have worn out, i.e., beyond the useful life of the cartridge. To avoid these problems, the refilling station ( 103 ) of the present invention preferably includes a cartridge diagnostic unit ( 107 ). The cartridge diagnostic unit ( 107 ) may identify the condition of the cartridge, measure the refillable volume within the cartridge reservoir and calculate the projected useful life of the cartridge. This information may be provided to the user through the touch screen display unit ( 104 ). The diagnosis of the cartridge may also include reference to records kept within the refilling station that document how many times that particular cartridge has been serviced by the refilling station ( 103 ). Records on specific cartridges could be stored on the Internet, allowing a given refilling station ( 103 ) to determine how many times a cartridge has been refilled at 2 or more different refilling stations ( 103 ).
[0032] The refilling station ( 103 ) preferably uses all available information to make decisions about filling the cartridge. The available information is processed by an ink selection logic unit ( 106 ). The ink selection logic unit ( 106 ) may receive information from the label reading mechanism ( 105 ), the diagnostic unit ( 107 ) and from the user via the touch screen display unit ( 104 ) or other user interface device. Using information from these sources, the logic unit ( 106 ) controls such determinations as the ink type to use in filling the cartridge, the ink quality to use if various options are available, when to begin the refilling process, recognition of an unidentified cartridge or unusable cartridge, and when to dispense a receipt to the user, etc.
[0033] The refilling mechanism ( 108 ) is controlled by the ink selection logic unit ( 106 ) and adds ink to the cartridge in the receptacle ( 111 ). The cartridge receptacle ( 111 ) may secure the ink cartridge so that ink flows smoothly from the ink reservoirs ( 109 ) into the refilling mechanism and then into the cartridge receptacle through the cartridge port. The refilling mechanism ( 108 ) may or may not completely refill the cartridge in this process. The refilling station ( 103 ) may also suggest other ink dispensers (kiosks) and ink types if the cartridge is not compatible (Needs Legalization) with the specific refilling station ( 103 ) or if that particular station does not have enough ink to fill the cartridge.
[0034] Ink reservoirs ( 109 a , 109 b , 109 c , 109 d ) are shown to represent the different types of ink that may be available to the refilling mechanism ( 108 ). For example, the first ink reservoir ( 109 a ) may contain black ink used strictly for monochrome print cartridges. The second, third, and fourth ink reservoirs ( 109 b,c,d ) may contain differently colored inks for refilling the multiple reservoirs in a color ink cartridge respectively. A refilling station ( 103 ) may contain many more ink reservoirs ( 109 a - d ) than are shown in the present embodiment to provide the user with a choice among different brands or qualities of ink. Ink may flow directly from the reservoirs ( 109 ) to the refilling mechanism ( 108 ). The refilling mechanism ( 108 ) then injects the ink into the cartridge in the receptacle ( 111 ).
[0035] The refilling station ( 103 ) may allow the user to differentially fill a cartridge according to specific needs. For example, the station ( 103 ) may allow the user to specify a number of pages to be printed and add ink to the cartridge sufficient to print such a volume. In many cases the user may have a budgeted amount of funds to spend in refilling the cartridge. In such a case, the refilling station ( 103 ) may add ink corresponding to a specific monetary amount specified or offered by a user.
[0036] A record of money spent during the transaction may be kept or shared online, and the station ( 103 ) preferably includes means for producing a hard-copy record of the transaction. This printed record is preferably produced, for example, by a receipt and diagnostic printer ( 110 ) in the station ( 103 ). The printed record may typically include the fees charged for refilling the cartridge, but may also include, for example, additionally or alternatively, diagnostic information on the cartridge, ink selection information, etc. Any information provided through the touch screen display panel ( 104 ) may be included on a printed record of the transaction.
[0037] [0037]FIG. 3 illustrates an additional embodiment according to the present invention of a print cartridge refilling station ( 103 ). The embodiment of FIG. 3 is similar to that of FIG. 2. Therefore, a redundant explanation of elements of the cartridge refilling station ( 103 ) described in FIG. 2 will be omitted in describing FIG. 3.
[0038] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, a memory unit ( 112 ) is included. The memory unit ( 112 ) may be any memory type or system that allows for the storage of information, for example, information about a user or cartridge. The memory unit ( 112 ) may include a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, a read/write compact disk drive, random access memory (RAM), semiconductor memory or other memory systems that allows information to be easily stored and retrieved for use in the ink cartridge refilling station ( 103 ).
[0039] The memory unit ( 112 ) may be used to store a user or cartridge profile and other important information. This information may include the type of cartridges filled by a particular user, the refill history of a particular cartridge, ink preferences of the user, payment preferences of the user, funds a user has deposited with the refilling station or system, credit information for the user, and identification of the user such as a personal identification number for purposes of accessing credit or deposited funds available through the station ( 103 ). The memory unit ( 112 ) may allow the user to store desired information for ease of use during the refilling process or additional transactions carried out on an ink cartridge refilling station ( 103 ).
[0040] [0040]FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a preferred method of operating the system illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 in accordance with principles of the present invention. As shown in the example of FIG. 4, the process may begin when the user inserts the ink cartridge into the refilling station ( 140 ).
[0041] The refilling station or kiosk, upon detection of a cartridge inserted in the station, may automatically direct the label reading mechanism to look for and read the identification label expected on the cartridge ( 141 ). The identification process may involve identifying the label with a scanner, magnetic strip reader, or any other device that can successfully read the identification label. If the label is absent or unreadable, the process continues to gather relevant information in other ways.
[0042] Next, the cartridge diagnostic unit may perform diagnostics ( 142 ) that determine the condition of the cartridge. Additionally, the cartridge diagnostic may determine present ink level, expected useful life, and any other data that will be useful to the user or the refilling station in determining the refill parameters of the cartridge. The cartridge may then be filled ( 143 ) by the refilling mechanism.
[0043] When the refilling mechanism has filled the cartridge ( 143 ) according to specification, the refilling station may then request appropriate payment ( 144 ) for the transaction. Payment may be made, for example, by depositing the funds for the refill, debiting previously deposited funds or charging a credit account for the refill. As will be appreciated, this step of obtaining payment may be performed before any ink is added to the cartridge. Once the transaction is completed the cartridge may be released ( 145 ) to the user by the cartridge receptacle.
[0044] A user may desire to see the results of the cartridge diagnostic and keep a receipt of the transaction. After the removal of the cartridge, the user may receive a hardcopy print out from the receipt and diagnostic printer ( 146 ). This hard copy may show such things as price, payment method, prior ink volume, ink type, and predicted useful life of the cartridge.
[0045] Additional preferred methods of operating embodiments of the present invention are described in FIGS. 5 and 6. A redundant explanation of method steps already described above will be omitted in describing FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.
[0046] The method steps of FIG. 5 begin as the user initiates the process by inserting the cartridge into the refilling station ( 140 ). The station may then automatically look for an identification label ( 150 ). If a label is present, the station may read the label ( 141 ) to identify the cartridge, afterwards it may run a cartridge diagnostic ( 142 ). The cartridge diagnostic unit may perform diagnostic tests that evaluate the condition of the cartridge.
[0047] The user may then be asked to provide a preferred payment type and enter information for a cartridge profile ( 151 ). This process may include asking whether the user will be paying for the transaction with a credit card or other account, or asking the user to deposit funds to pay for the refill. The user may also be prompted to enter information about the cartridge, such as, how many times the cartridge has been refilled previously, and any other cartridge specific information that was not retrievable from the e-label. As described above, the station could also do an online search to obtain information about the cartridge based on a stored user or cartridge profile generated at another refilling station or stations.
[0048] The identification label, diagnostic information, and cartridge profile may be processed by the ink selection logic unit and sent to the touch screen display unit. The refilling station may then offer refilling options to the user ( 152 ). These options may include such things as available volume for consumables, price per ink unit, ink type, and ink quality. The user may then use this information in conjunction with personal needs to make a selection. The refilling station reads the user's input ( 153 ) and makes appropriate determinations before continuing with the refilling process ( 143 ).
[0049] If a label is not automatically found ( 150 ) by the label reading mechanism, the user may be prompted to input the information about the cartridge ( 154 ). If the user knows the information about the cartridge needed by the system ( 155 ), the system reads the input and resumes by offering refilling options to the user ( 152 ) and then continues with the refill as described above.
[0050] However, if the user is unaware of the needed information ( 155 ) the refilling station invokes ink and cartridge matching diagnostics ( 156 ). These diagnostics may involve studying the cartridge with diagnostic equipment to determine its type, if possible. If a suitable match is found ( 157 ), the touch screen display panel offers the refilling options to the user ( 152 ) and continues the refilling process as described above.
[0051] If a suitable match is not found ( 157 ) for the ink and cartridge type the ink refill process may be terminated ( 158 ). The cartridge is then released ( 145 ) and any useful information may be printed in the form of a receipt ( 146 ).
[0052] [0052]FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a second preferred method of operating embodiments of the present invention. Immediately after the cartridge is inserted into the refilling station ( 140 ), the refilling station may identify a user profile or allow the user to setup a new profile ( 160 ), if desired. Identification of the appropriate user profile may be accomplished, for example, by swiping or inserting an identification card into the refilling station, entering a personal identification number (PIN), scanning a biometric characteristic of the user, or any other means of identifying a user. In some embodiments, the refilling station may be one of a system of stations distributed throughout a geographic area. In such a case, the stations would preferably have some means of sharing user profiles so that a user profile created at any one refilling station in the system could be accessed from any other station in the system.
[0053] After the user profile is identified, as in the previous embodiment, the refilling station then prompts the user to pre-select a payment type or make payment and, perhaps, select a cartridge profile ( 151 ). Next, the refilling station performs a cartridge diagnostic ( 142 ). If the cartridge needs to be refilled and is in good condition, the user may then be shown the information on the touch screen display and asked if they want to proceed with the refilling process ( 160 ). If the user inputs “yes”, the process continues by reading the identification label ( 141 ) and offering refilling options to the user ( 152 ) as previously described.
[0054] After the cartridge has been filled ( 143 ), the refilling station may store updated cartridge and user information ( 161 ) in the memory unit. This information may be used to determine users needs, and record a transactions for subsequent visits.
[0055] However, if the user chooses “no” when asked if they want to continue with the refill ( 160 ), the ink refilling process may be terminated ( 158 ) and the corresponding user receipt printed ( 146 ). Additionally, the station may suggest an alternative ink type, perhaps available at another refilling station, as appropriate.
[0056] The preceding description has been presented only to illustrate and describe the invention. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to any precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.
[0057] The embodiments shown were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application. The preceding description is intended to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims.
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An ink cartridge refilling station incorporates a receptacle for receiving an ink cartridge, a supply of ink and a refilling mechanism for automatically adding ink to the ink cartridge from the supply of ink. An ink cartridge, for use with the cartridge refilling station, includes a reservoir for holding a supply of ink and an input port communicating with the reservoir, the port being configured to receive ink from the automated ink refilling station.
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RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/704,222 filed Sep. 21, 2012.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to organic-inorganic nanoflowers, methods of synthesis, and use thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Nanostructures having a variety of structures have been known for some time. In particular, nanoflowers were first described by Ho et al. in 2004 [1]. Nanoflowers of various materials have since been described in the patent literature. See, for example, United States Patent Publication No. 2008/0081016 [2]. Apparently, all known nanoflowers were of an inorganic composition until Ge described hybrid organic-inorganic nanoflowers in 2012 [3]. Ge describes various nanoflowers, all of which are described as being composed of Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 .3H 2 O, the organic portion varying from type to type, but being an enzyme e.g., BSA (bovine serum albumin), α-lactalbumin, laccase, or carbonic anhydrase, in each case. Ge formed nanoflowers in a liquid medium containing phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and CuSO 4 in the presence of an enzyme. Ge stated that the chloride ion of the PBS was important in nanoflower formation by preventing precipitation of copper as copper phosphate i.e., to maintain the availability of copper in its ionic form for formation of the nanoflowers, postulating that the chloride component of PBS plays the role of forming soluble Cu 2+ chloride complexes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The inventors have found that organic-inorganic nanoflowers can be grown in the presence of a solid substrate containing copper without the requirement for added copper ion.
An aspect of the invention is a method for the production of nanoflowers. The method comprises exposing bacteria to a solid substrate comprising copper in the presence of an aqueous solution comprising phosphate ions.
Preferably, the aqueous solution additionally contains chloride, similar to that of the phosphate-buffered saline composition of the examples, described below.
In an exemplary embodiment, the solid substrate is an alloy of copper and tin.
A copper-tin alloy can include up to about 40% by weight of tin, or up to about 35%, or up to about 30%, or up to about 25%, or up to about 20%, or up to about 15%, or up to about 10%, or up to about 5% by weight of tin. A copper-tin alloy can include at least about 5% by weight tin, or at least about 10%, or at least about 15%, or at least about 20%, or at least about 25%, or at least about 30% by weight tin.
In embodiment, the copper-tin alloy can include between about 5% and 30% tin by weight, or between about 5% and 25%, or between about 5% and 20%, or between about 5% and 15%, or between about 5% and 10% by weight tin, or about 5%, or about 6%, or about 7%, or about 8%, or about 9% or about 10% by weight tin.
The solid substrate may include phosphorus with the copper, and may included in a copper-tin alloy. Phosphorus content of the solid substrate can be up to about 2% by weight of the substrate, or up to about 1% by weight of the substrate, and/or at least 0.5% by weight of the substrate.
The copper content of the solid substrate can be at least about 60% by weight, or at least about 65%, or at least about 70%, or at least about 75%, or at least about 80%, or at least about 85%, or at least about 90%, or at least about 95%. The copper content of the solid substrate can be up to about 95% by weight, or up to about 90%, or up to about 85%, or up to about 80%, or up to about 75% by weight of the solid substrate.
In embodiments, the copper content of the solid substrate is between 60% and 95% by weight, or between about 65% and 95% by weight, or between about 70% and 95% by weight, or between about 75% and 95% by weight, or between about 80% and 95% by weight, or between about 85% and 95% by weight, or between about 90% and 95% by weight.
The surface of the substrate to which the bacteria is exposed is preferred to have a surface roughness, R a , of at least about 8 μm, or at least about 10 μm, or at least about 12 μm, or about 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 or 13 μm.
The surface also preferably has a R v of no greater than about 30 μm, or no greater than about 29 μm, 28 μm, 27 μm, 26 μm, 25 μm, 24 μm, 23 μm or 22 μm, or wherein said surface has a R v of about 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 31 μm.
In an exemplary embodiment, the bacteria is a gram negative bacterium, and can be E. coli.
The solution in which the nanoflowers are grown typically has a pH of between 7.0 and 7.4.
Chloride ions, when present, are typically present in the solution in a concentration of about 1.5 mM, and nanoflowers are formed within about 2 hours of the bacteria initially being exposed to the substrate.
The invention also includes a method for the production of nanoflowers that are functionalized with a protein or polypeptide, which may have enzymatic activity. Usually, the active substance e.g., enzyme is an isolated enzyme and is present in the aqueous growth solution at a concentration sufficient for the enzyme to be incorporated into the nanoflowers. An “isolated” substance such as a protein, polypeptide, enzyme, etc. is one that can be obtained from its natural source, can be produced using recombinant DNA technology, or can be produced by chemical synthesis. The term does not necessarily reflect the extent to which a substance has been purified, but indicates that the substance has been separated from components that naturally accompany it. In this way, the functional activity of the substance is conferred on the nanoflower material into which it is incorporated.
Enzymes that can be include as part of the composite material of the nanoflower include, but are not limited to, laccase, α-lactalbumin, carbonic anydrase, and lipase.
Another aspect of the invention is a method of detecting the presence of gram-negative bacteria in a sample. The method includes:
exposing the sample to a solid substrate comprising copper in the presence of aqueous solution comprising phosphate and chloride ions for a predetermined amount of time; and
subsequently visually determining the presence or absence of nanoflowers on the surface, wherein the presence of nanoflowers indicates the presence of the bacteria in the sample.
The invention can include fixing the bacteria.
The method can include visually determining the presence or absence of nanoflowers by examining the substrate surface microscopically.
A composite material of the invention includes a nanoflower and bacterium where at least a portion of the bacterium is embedded in the nanoflower.
The nanoflower portion of the material is Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 in a preferred embodiment.
In an exemplary embodiment, composite material is anchored to a substrate wherein the substrate comprises a copper alloy.
A composite material can include an enzyme anchored to the nanoflower.
Where such an enzyme is laccase, the invention includes use of the material for the detection of a phenol in a sample.
The invention is also a method of screening a bacterium for potential to nucleate nanoflowers, the method comprising:
exposing the bacterium to growth conditions in the presence of a solid substrate as described here;
plating the face of the substrate on a transfer medium; and
testing the medium for the presence of the bacterium.
A suitable medium is agar.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows an SEM analysis of surface topographies. (A and D) Brass sheet metal, (B and E) unsanded phosphorous bronze-MDF, (C and F) sanded phosphor bronze-MDF.
FIG. 2 shows an SEM analysis of bacterial morphology following exposure to copper alloys. (A-C) E. coli and (D-F) S. epidermidis inoculated on (A and D) steel sheet metal, (B and E) brass sheet metal, and (C and F) phosphor bronze-MDF. In panel C: black arrow, nanoflower; white arrow, nucleation site. Scale bar=2 μm; all figures are at the same scale.
FIG. 3 shows a chronological progression of nanoflower formation. (a) 0.5 hours, (b) 1 hour, and (c) 2 hours. Effect of media and buffer on nanoflower formation. (d) PBS without bacteria, (e) PBS and LB broth without bacteria, (f) bacteria in 0.9% NaCl solution, and (g) bacteria in PBS with 10 mM EDTA.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As required, embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. However, the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary, and it should be understood that the invention may be embodied in many various and alternative forms.
The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular elements while related elements may have been eliminated to prevent obscuring novel aspects. 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.
As used herein, the term “about”, when used in conjunction with ranges of dimensions, velocities, temperatures or other physical properties or characteristics is meant to cover slight variations that may exist in the upper and lower limits of the ranges of dimensions as to not exclude embodiments where on average most of the dimensions are satisfied but where statistically dimensions may exist outside this region.
In experiments directed to studying antimicrobial effects of various copper alloy substrates on bacteria, the inventors found bacteria resistant to transfer to agar plates during viability studies. Upon further examination, nanoflowers in which bacteria were embedded were discovered to be found anchored to substrate materials.
Nanoflowers are identifiable by microscopy, for example, scanning electron microscopy (SEM). “Nanoflowers” have typical petal-like structures, or sheets, as shown in the prior art, a nanoflower having several such sheets arranged in a generally compact structure in which they are connected together and generally arranged, in cross-section, around a central axis [1-3]. Although referred to as nanoflowers, the petals together form structures that extend into the “micro” range i.e., greater than 1000 nm, but the petal of a nanoflower has a thickness in the nano-range. Nanoflower sheets of the invention generally comprise crystalline material e.g., Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 . Nanoflowers obtained herein had a typical overall spherical shape with diameters in the range of about 3.5 to 5 μm.
A solid substrate of the invention has a metal alloy surface that includes a significant copper component, being at least 60% by weight of the alloy. The particular alloy of a substrate used in the examples is known as phosphor bronze, and contained about 91.7% copper, 7.5% tin and 0.8% phosphorus, all percentages being by weight (wt/wt %).
In embodiments, a particular “roughness” of a substrate surface is designated. Roughness is defined by the parameter “R a ”, the absolute average deviation from the mean line of surface height (or depth) on the sampling length. The roughness of a surface can be further delimited by the parameter R v , the maximum profile valley depth of a surface.
Initially, a plate count method was used to evaluate biocidal efficacy of the surfaces. Quantitative evaluation of the biocidal efficacy revealed that greater than 80% of the E. coli and S. epidermis were killed by exposure to brass sheet metal, and less than 20% with stainless steel. However, no live cells were observed on LB agar plates for either of the phosphor bronze coatings.
Surface biocidal activity was thus assessed by epifluorescence microscopy to differentiate between living and dead bacteria. After two hours exposure at room temperature in phosphate buffer (PBS), contact killing of gram-negative Escherichia coli and gram-positive Staphylococcus epidermidis by brass sheet metal and phosphor bronze was 3 to 4 times higher than a stainless steel control. Scanning electron microscope observations revealed that the surface membranes of both bacterial strains were slightly more irregular when exposed to brass sheet metal than stainless steel. However, when exposed to phosphor bronze coating, E. coli were 3 to 4 times larger with irregular membrane morphology. In addition, the majority of the cells were associated with spherical carbon-copper-phosphate crystalline nanostructures characteristic of nanoflowers. The membranes of many of the S. epidermidis exhibited blebbing and a small subset were also associated with nanoflowers. The results indicated that increasing the surface roughness of copper alloys had a pronounced impact on the membrane integrity of gram-positive and, to a lesser degree, gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, in the presence of phosphate-buffered saline, carbon-copper-phosphate-containing nanoflowers were formed on the phosphor bronze alloy having a roughened surface, likely nucleated by components derived from killed bacteria. The intimate association of the bacteria with the nanoflowers and phosphor bronze coating likely contributed to their non-reversible adhesion.
Materials and Methods
Copper Alloys
Thermally sprayed coatings have a rough surface topography with a high surface area due to coating formation by solidified multiple splats. Peaks and valleys of the coatings are random, and the surface features are most often characterized by the parameter R a , the arithmetic average of the absolute values of peaks and valleys along the sampling length. Phosphor bronze was used. The coating was deposited onto medium density fiberboard (MDF), a common material for manufacturing furniture for diverse use. This process is described, for example, in United States Patent Publication No. 2011/0171396 [4]. The coating surface was sanded to reduce R a up to 3 times. The maximum profile valley depth (R v ) also was reduced from R v =47 μm for as deposited coating to R v =22 μm after sanding. Brass sheet metal with a regular striated pattern from machining has a lower surface roughness the thermal sprayed alloys. The molecular composition of the copper alloys was performed by EDS (Quantax 70 from Bruker Nano GmbH). Surface topography measurements were performed with a diamond stylus profilometer (Surfometer 400, Precision Devices, Milan, Mich.). All 3D surface images were obtained by merging four ESM images taken at different angles using 3D-Image Viewer (Denshi Kougaky Kenkyusyo Co.)
Bacterial Strains Growth Conditions and Live/Dead Staining
Inoculations were prepared by suspending a bacterial colony in 10 ml of sterile LB broth that was kept on a rotary shaker for 24 hours at 37° C. Bacteria were then regrown for 3 hours on fresh sterile LB broth until log phase. The bacteria were added on to the substrates in order to allow for culture for 2 hours.
E. coli or S. Epidermidis were incubated for 2 hours at room temperature; substrates were stained with LIVE/DEAD Baclight viability kit (Invitrogen). SYTO 9, a green fluorescent nucleic acid stain and propidium iodide (PI), a red fluorescent nucleic acid stains were used for determination of viable bacteria. When SYTO 9 was used independently it was able to label all the bacteria due to cell permeability properties shared by these two dyes. Propidium iodide is not cell permeable and hence is only able to stain cells where the membrane has been disrupted, indicating nonviable cells. The co-stain was prepared by mixing 30 μl of SYTO 9 and 30 μl of propidium iodide, diluting this solution to 1/200 in distilled water. 6 μl of the dye was poured on each substrate where the bacteria were inoculated. The staining was kept in the dark for 15 minutes. After that, the substrates were rinsed with distilled water. The fluorescent bacteria were visualized using fluorescence with Zeiss SteREO Discovery V20.
Bacterial counts were performed by counting individual fluorescent spots within three random fields of view per sample at 120× magnification. SEM analysis revealed that a fluorescence spot 9.5 μm 2 was representative of one bacterium, making it feasible to count individual cells. Large, irregular shape fluorescence stains were not counted. Dividing propidium iodide red fluorescence by SYTO9 green fluorescence staining of individual bacteria quantitated lethality.
Analysis of Bacterial Morphology
After inoculation for 2 hours on a copper alloy surface bacterial cells were fixed using 4% of formaldehyde in PBS buffer. Fixation was kept overnight at 4° C. under rotating motion. Samples were then washed with PBS three times. The samples were then post fixed using 1% osmium tetroxide for 1 hour at room temperature. The osmium tetroxide was then washed off with 0.1 M PBS three times for five minutes. The samples were then dehydrated in 50%, 70%, 80%, 90% and 100% ethanol for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, and 2×10 minutes respectively. Chemical critical point drying was achieved using hexamethyldisilizane series (HMDS) at 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3 parts ethanol to HMDS. Each treatment was kept for 30 minutes and two changes of 100 HMDS were used for 15 minutes. The last change of HMDS was left to volatilize overnight in sterile petri dish.
For SEM observations (Hitachi 52500) samples were then sputter coated with gold-palladium.
The statistical program Graphpad® Prism was used to calculate significant difference among results. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used with a Dunn modification testing for multiple sample comparisons.
Results
Quantitative evaluation of biocidal activity performed by the direct observation of bacteria on the metal surfaces by epifluorescence microscopy using SYTO 9 and propidium iodide stains indicated a lethality ratio of 0.19 for E. coli and S. epidermidis after a two-hour exposure to control stainless steel. By comparison, E. coli lethality ratios of 0.66, 0.75 and 0.81 were observed for brass sheet metal and unsanded and sanded coating surfaces, respectively. Lethality ratios of 0.68, 0.85 and 0.74 for S. epidermidis were observed on brass sheet metal and on unsanded and sanded coatings, indicating comparable biocidal efficacies by the different copper alloy surfaces for gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Statistically significant differences in lethality were only observed between stainless steel and the copper containing alloys.
Surface topography is known to have a role in the adherence of microbes to their substrates. To determine differences between the bacterial adhesions to the brass and stainless steel sheet metals compared with the coated materials, surface topography was analyzed. R a measurement revealed that surface roughness of 0.18 μm for stainless steel, 0.54 μm for brass sheet metal, 12.85 μm for unsanded phosphor bronze, and 4.3 μm for sanded phosphor bronze. Consistent with the large variation in R a values, scanning electron microscopy revealed a relatively smooth, striated surface for brass sheet metal ( FIG. 1 a ) compared to the highly variable topographical appearance of unsanded ( FIG. 1 b ) and sanded ( FIG. 1 c ) coatings. Three-dimensional analysis of the SEM images highlighted the different degrees of surface roughness between brass sheet metal ( FIG. 1 d ) and the unsanded coating ( FIG. 1 e ). Sanding of the coating reduced roughness by removing the peaks, leaving valleys intact ( FIG. 1 f ).
To further investigate why the bacteria were not released from the phosphor bronze coating, SEM was used to observe the morphology of the cells after a two-hour incubation. The majority of E. coli on the control stainless steel was typically rod-shaped with smooth surfaces ( FIG. 2 a ). Similarly, the surfaces of the spherical S. epidermidis appeared smooth ( FIG. 2 d ), indicating that control stainless steel had no significant impact on the morphology of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. In contrast, the surface morphology of E. coli and S. epidermidis was slightly more irregular when exposed to the brass sheet metal ( FIGS. 2 b and 2 e ). There was a dramatic increase of the surface roughness and a 3 to 4 fold increase in the size of E. coli ( FIG. 2 c ) exposed to the phosphor bronze coatings with a minor subset lysed. The majority of E. coli appeared to be in intimate contact or enclosed by porous spheres after two hours with an average size of 3.5-5 μm ( FIG. 2 c ), similar in size and appearance to hybrid organic-inorganic structures that were described by Ge et al. [3]. EDS analysis of these structures revealed that they are composed of 47.0% carbon, 30.5% copper, 14.4% phosphorus, and 8.0% oxygen. Sphere-free regions of the phosphor bronze coating were composed of 95.6% copper and 4.8% phosphorus, indicating that the carbon atoms associated with the spheres were likely derived from components of killed E. coli . The porous spheres thus appeared similar in structure and composition to the protein-Cu 3 (PO 4 ).H 2 O nanoflowers reported by Ge et al. [3].
A time course analysis revealed that petal-like structures are associated with the E. coli as early as 30 minutes of exposure ( FIG. 3 a ), growing in size until reaching maximum size after two hours of incubation ( FIGS. 3 b and 3 c ). Rod-like extensions extending from the swollen E. coli cells likely represent sites of crystal nucleation ( FIG. 2 c ) as they do not have the long, threadlike appearance of fimbriae/pili. In contrast to E. coli , no significant difference in size was noted in S. epidermidis exposed to the phosphor bronze coating, although cells with extensive membrane blebs were often noted ( FIG. 2 f ). A minor subset of the cells with membrane blebs was associated with nanoflowers.
In order to determine whether nanoflower nucleation was mediated by organic components derived from killed bacteria, crystal formation was analyzed in the absence of bacteria. In the presence of PBS and the absence of bacteria, non-spherical, fibrous-like microcrystals were seen ( FIG. 3 d ). In the presence of PBS and LB, without bacteria, non-porous formations with a mulberry-like surface topography were observed ( FIGS. 2 and 3 e ). When saline was substituted for PBS, swollen bacteria were observed. However, nanoflowers, crystals, or evidence of biofilm formation was not observed ( FIG. 3 f ). Likewise, nanoflowers and crystals were not observed following the chelation of copper ions with EDTA in the presence of PBS and bacteria ( FIG. 3 g ). Thus nanoflowers formed only in the presence of PBS and bacteria, and were composed of protein-copper-phosphate crystals.
Discussion
Several studies have demonstrated that exposure of bacteria to copper alloys (>60% copper) for two hours at 37° C. results in the killing of approximately 90% of the bacteria [5]. Consistent with the inverse relationship between biocidal activity and copper content, the data obtained here indicate that 80% of the gram-negative E. coli and gram-positive S. epidermidis were killed when exposed for two hours at room temperature to brass sheet metal with 87% copper and 13% zinc content. The biocidal efficacy was increased by 10 to 15% when cells were exposed to phosphor bronze coatings with slightly higher copper content (91.7% copper). Unexpectedly, in contrast to control stainless steel and brass sheet metals, neither viable E. coli nor S. epidermidis were released from sanded and unsanded coatings despite rigorous washing in the presence of glass beads, which could have been attributed to different surface roughness. Analysis by epifluorescence microscopy revealed that the biocidal activity of brass sheet metal and the phosphor bronze coating had comparable biocidal activities despite the differences in surface roughness. Hence, the differential cell adhesion between brass sheet metal and phosphor bronze coatings was apparently due to a number of variables.
Adhesion of bacteria to abiotic surfaces involves a stereotypic series of steps. The first step involves a gravity-mediated association with abiotic surfaces, a process that is accelerated by flagellar movement [6]. The second step, adhesion, is promoted by several factors, such as the membrane composition of the bacteria, the presence of fimbriae/pili, the formation biofilm by bacterial aggregates, as well as the surface topography of the substrate. The transition during this second step from “reversible” to “non-reversible” adhesion can be triggered by the formation of biofilm by bacteria that have made contact with a solid substrate [6]. Furthermore, analysis of biofilm production by aggregates of the genetically tractable E. coli over abiotic surfaces is partly promoted by flagellated strains [7]. However, E. coli DH5α and S. epidermidis , which have no flagella, were found here to tightly adhere to phosphor bronze coating. Additionally, in contrast to the mainly amorphous appearance of extracellular polymeric biofilms observed under SEM that are formed by bacterial colonies [8], petal-like structures were in intimate contact with the swollen E. coli and a subset of S. epidermidis . Increase in biofilm mass is dependent on bacterial proliferation and the continuous recruitment of free-floating bacteria. Hence, the presence of biocidal levels of copper is likely to be refractory to the growth of biofilms. Although it cannot be discounted that biofilm may have formed that was undetectable by SEM, the combined data indicate that biofilm-mediated adhesion is unlikely to have made a significant contribution to the irreversible adhesion of E. coli and S. epidermidis to the phosphor bronze coating.
Although poorly understood, there is a growing body of evidence that sessile bacteria sense and respond to the topography of their microenvironments, promoting or decreasing their surface adhesion depending on the size, morphology and physiochemical properties of the bacteria. However, with respect to nanostructure surfaces, contradictory results have been reported on the impact of surface roughness and the number of bound bacteria. As reviewed by Anselme et al., the contradictory results in bacterial adhesion are due to a combination of differences in the chemistry, wettability and nanotopography of surfaces. To circumvent issues associated with the impact of variances in substrate chemistry, they investigated the adhesion of different bacteria on glass slides with distinctive degrees of surface roughness, but with no measurable differences in surface chemistry [9]. Their study demonstrated that E. coli attached readily to the smooth rather than rough glass surfaces. However, binding of the spherical S. aureus was not as affected by changes in surface roughness in the nano-scale range. Here, no significant difference in the number of E. coli and S. epidermidis bound to stainless steel with a R a value of 180 nm was observed. Approximately 50% more bacteria were associated with the brass sheet metal with a R a value of 540 nm than with stainless steel. SEM images revealed that the surface of both bacterial species appeared rougher when exposed to brass sheet metal. The change in membrane morphology, combined with the rougher surface of brass sheet metal, may have resulted in a higher number of bacteria being retained on brass sheet metal compared to stainless steel.
A striking difference in bacterial morphology was observed between the solid metals and the phosphor bronze coating. This was particularly evident for E. coli cells that were approximately 3 to 4 fold larger with compromised membranes when plated on the sanded and unsanded phosphor bronze coating. The increased swelling in the presence of a hypotonic PBS solution may reflect that the cell walls of the bacteria were compromised by the copper ions. Swelling was observed after only 30 minutes of exposure to the biocidal surface, indicating that aberrant membrane permeability occurred rapidly, leading to osmotic stress due to the influx of water. Whether the cell walls were damaged by the generation of hydroxyl free radicals by Haber-Weiss and Fenton reactions of reduced copper ions remains to be determined. It is also likely that E. coli genomic material was also rapidly degraded by the resultant free radicals as demonstrated for E. coli by Espirito Santo et al [10]. As noted by Warnes et al [11], propidium iodide does not effectively bind to degraded DNA. It is, therefore possible that a subset of the E. coli on brass sheet metal and the phosphor bronze coating may not have been stained with propidium iodide, leading to an underestimate of biocidal efficacy. Moreover, intact bacteria with degraded DNA would have been non-viable, which may have affected the viable cell count for E. coli incubated on brass sheet metal.
No significant difference in the size of gram-positive S. epidermidis was observed by exposure to all substrates used here. Warnes et al. did not observe a change in the size and membrane morphology of gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium when exposed to copper alloys with a copper content ranging from 60-95%. Bacterial killing was attributed to an inhibition of cellular respiration and DNA degradation by reactive oxygen species (ROS). In contrast to the observations made here, with S. epidermidis where viable cells were detectable after two hours of exposure to brass sheet metal, no viable E. faecalis and E. faecium cells were observed after one hour exposure to the copper alloys. As the authors hypothesized, it is conceivable that for gram-positive cells the absence of an outer cell wall and periplasmic space facilitates the intracellular penetration of toxic ROS, leading to cell death with minimum impact on cell membrane. The results here indicate that a subset of the S. epidermidis had compromised cell membranes when exposed to phosphor bronze coating, possibly reflecting species-specific differences in the response of gram-positive cells to toxic levels of copper, or that macro scale differences between peaks and valleys enhances bacterial killing by increasing the concentration of copper within the valleys where the majority of cells were observed. It was also observed here that a subset of the S. epidermidis with membrane blebs were also associated with nanoflowers in the presence of PBS, indicating the organic material released from the damaged cells promoted the nucleation of organic-copper-phosphate crystals.
The formation of nanoflowers following the exposure of bacteria to the phosphor bronze coating was not expected. The observed spheres were remarkably similar in appearance and size to nanoflowers that were self-assembled in the presence of polypeptides, CuSO 4 and PBS pH 7.4 after 3 days of incubation [3]. In this case, however, primary crystals were visible as early as 30 minutes, reaching, within two hours, a size comparable to those formed with purified proteins after three days. It is possible that a complex mixture of organic compounds derived from bacteria and a high accumulation of copper ions within the valleys where cells were concentrated greatly augmented the rate of crystal nucleation. Consistent with a nucleation role by bacteria-derived components, membrane disruption was also evident after only 30 minutes of incubation. The combined data indicate that a change from nanoscale to macroscale topography has pronounced impact on the biocidal efficacy of copper alloys.
The gram-negative bacteria used the examples is E. coli , but other gram-negative bacteria are known, and would be expected to be useful in the production of nanoflowers.
As mentioned above, nanoflowers obtained herein had a typical overall spherical shape with diameters in the range of about 3.5 to 5 μm. As indicated in the results obtained, the size of nanoflower obtainable is time dependent, so other sizes can be obtained.
Applications
Nanoflowers can be synthesized for various uses.
In one approach, a biosensor is created by producing a nanoflower under conditions such as those described herein and in which the growth milieu contains an enzyme or other protein to be incorporated as part of the nanoflower. Examples of suitable enzymes are described by Ge [3]: laccase, for the detection of a phenolic compound such as epinephrine, norepinephrine or dopamine; α-lactalbumin; carbonic anhydrase; or lipase. In this way, functionalized nanoflowers are created at a relatively rapid rate.
The disclosures of all references mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference as though those disclosures were reproduced in this specification in their entirety.
REFERENCES
1. Ho W. H., et al. Three-dimensional crystalline SiC nanowire flowers. Nanotechnology 2004; 15:996.
2. Peng et al., United States Patent Publication No. 2008/0081016, published Apr. 3, 2008.
3. Ge J., Lei J., and Zare R. 2012. Protein-inorganic hybrid nanoflowers. Nature Nanotechnology. 7:428-432.
4. Pershin et al., United States Patent Publication No. 2011/0171396 published Jul. 14, 2011.
5. Grass, G., Rensing C., and Solioz M. Metallic copper as an antimicrobial surface. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2011; 77: 1541-1547.
6. Anselme K., Davidson P., Popa A M., Giazzon M., Liley M., and Ploux L. 2010. The interaction of cells and bacteria with surfaces structured at the nanometer scale. Acta Biomater. 10; 3824-3846.
7. Pratt L. A. and Kolter R. 1998. Genetic analysis of Escherichia coli biofilm formation: roles of flagella, motility, chemotaxis and type I pili. Molecular Microbiology. 30:285-93.
8. Flemming H. C and Wingender J. 2010. The biofilm matrix. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 8(9):623-633.
9. Mitik-Dineva N., Wang J., Truong V K., Stoddart P., Malherbe F., Crawford R J., and Ivanova E P. 2009. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Attachment Patterns on Glass Surfaces with Nanoscale Roughness. Current Microbiology. 58: 268-273.
10. Espirito Santo, C. et al. Contribution of copper ion resistance to survival of Escherichia coli on metallic copper surfaces. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 2008; 74:977-986.
11. Warnes, S. L. Biocidal efficacy of copper alloys against pathogenic enterococci involves degradation of genomic and plasmid DNAs. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2010; 5390-5401.
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Organic-inorganic nanoflowers, methods of synthesis, and uses of the nanoflowers are described. It has been found that organic-inorganic nanoflowers can be grown in the presence of a solid substrate containing copper without the requirement for added copper ion. The method includes exposing bacteria to a solid substrate containing copper in the presence of an aqueous solution that contains phosphate ions. The aqueous solution can additionally contain chloride ions, similar to that of a phosphate-buffered saline composition. The solid substrate can be an alloy of copper and tin, and the substrate can have phosphorus incorporated into it.
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BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to an automotive vehicle, and, more particularly, to apparatus for selectively cooling or heating the steering wheel of such an automotive vehicle to increase comfort and safety of the driver.
2. Description of Related Art
It is a common experience on initiating use of an automobile during cold weather to find the steering wheel cold to the touch making the initial 5 to 10 minutes of driving uncomfortable and possibly even dangerous.
Also, in the summertime especially in the tropics, for example, where the temperature can become quite high, it is a common undesirable experience on first entering a parked automobile to find the steering wheel to be at such an elevated temperature that it cannot be comfortably or possibly even safely handled.
In both cases, it would be desirable to be able to quickly change the extreme temperature of an automotive vehicle steering wheel to a more moderate temperature. Not only would this be more comfortable for the driver, but it could actually improve safety of vehicle operation during that period normally required to have the steering wheel temperature become modified to comfortable levels as a result of mere handling of the wheel or by the internal ambient temperature becoming more moderate through operation of the vehicle air conditioning system or heater. Of course, many automotive vehicles include a heater for use in cold weather as well as an air conditioning unit for cooling the vehicle interior during hot weather. However, in both cases it takes a relatively lengthy time, e.g., as long as 10 minutes, for the vehicle interior to have its temperature changed to a more comfortable range during which time the steering wheel remains at an extreme temperature uncomfortable to the touch.
It is, therefore, a desideratum and primary object of the present invention to provide selective and relatively rapid temperature modification of a vehicle steering wheel to a predetermined acceptable range.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the practice of the present invention there is provided a selectively actuatable heat pump preferably of the thermoelectric variety which is mounted to the far side of the steering wheel adjacent the steering column. The heat pump is energizable electrically to provide either a warm or cold surface, as desired. First and second heat pipes each have one end connected to the heat pump modified temperature surface and extend along the back side of radial supports for the steering wheel to terminate, respectively, at approximately eight o'clock and four o'clock positions on the normal wheel gripping portion as viewed from the driver's side. First and second heat exchangers are located on the steering wheel rim at these eight o'clock and four o'clock locations in good heat conducting relationship to outer ends of the heat pipes.
In use, the heat pump is selectively actuated to provide either a heated surface for cold weather conditions or a cooled surface for hot weather situations. The modified temperature surface applied to the heat pipes results in efficient heat transfer along the heat pipes to heat or cool the main heat exchangers, as the case may be, and in that way the steering wheel where it is gripped by a driver while driving. This moderation of the steering wheel temperature is accomplished relatively instantaneously allowing the user of the vehicle to operate it immediately without discomfort to the hands.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the attached drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the invention shown mounted onto a vehicle steering wheel;
FIG. 2 is a rear, partially sectional view of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a view of the invention shown removed from the steering wheel;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of a hand-gripping part of a steering wheel provided with the invention;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view along line 5--5 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a heat pump;
FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are elevational views of further alternative embodiments.; and
FIG. 10 is an electrical schematic of apparatus for automatically controlling the invention operation.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference now to the drawings, and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention of the present invention enumerated generally as 10 is seen to be mounted onto an automotive vehicle steering wheel 12 affixed in conventional manner to a steering column 14. Specifically, the steering wheel 12 is affixed to the upper end of the column 14 and includes first and second typical hand gripping regions 16 and 18 located at the eight to nine o'clock and three to four o'clock positions, respectively, of the wheel as viewed from the driver's side of the steering assembly. It is these gripping regions that are temperature conditioned or moderated by the invention.
In its major elements, the apparatus 10 is seen to include a heat pump 20 mounted to the rear or far side of the steering wheel adjacent the steering column and is interconnected with first and second heat pipe sections 22 and 24 extending toward and having respective end portions terminating within the gripping regions 16 and 18. First and second primary heat exchangers 26 and 28 in good heat conducting relation with the outer end portions of the heat pipe sections serve to transfer heat to or from, as the case may be, the hands of an individual gripping the steering wheel in the regions 16 and 18 for moderating the temperature felt from that which would be normally sensed when the steering wheel is at vehicle unconditioned ambient temperature (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4).
Turning now to FIG. 6, the heat pump 20 is seen to include a thermoelectric device 30 which is preferably soldered at 31 to an auxiliary heat exchanger 32 located in the vehicle interior ambient air. A temperature modifiable surface 33 of the device 30 is secured in a good heat conducting relationship such as by a solder body 34, for example, to a slightly flattened cross-bar portion 35 of a generally U-shaped heat pipe 36, the two arms of which are the first and second heat pipe sections 22 and 24. In a way well known in the art, the heat pump 20 of the thermoelectric variety (e.g., Peltier) adds heat to or removes heat via the solder body 34 dependent upon the polarity of energizing voltage applied to the heat pump via lead wires 38 under the control of a mode switch 39.
A suitable thermoelectric heat pump for use in the present invention has the trade designation Model No. DT1049-04, manufactured by Marlow Industries, Inc., Callas Tex., which provides a 30 watt output in cooling mode with a 60 watt input. Another heat pump is available from this same company identified as Model DT1069 which provides 50 watts in cooling mode output when driven by an 80 watt input.
It has been found where an automotive vehicle has been seated in the sun with its windows rolled up, the interior including the steering wheel outer surface may rise to 140° F. or even higher which is clearly above outside ambient air temperature and cannot comfortably (or even perhaps safely) be negotiated with bare hands. It has also been found that the higher the absolute temperature the more efficient a thermoelectric device is in operation. Comparing these possible actual circumstances, the task at hand can be considered that of reducing the steering wheel grip temperature from as high as 140° F. to a safer and more comfortable range (e.g., 95°-100° F.). Accordingly, with this high absolute external ambient temperature, the thermo-electric device will operate at much better efficiency than could be expected at, say, room temperature operation (e.g., 72° F.).
The heat pipe 36 is generally dimensioned and of such a geometry that its outer two pipe sections 22 and 24 are bent downwardly at the circumferential portion of the steering wheel while the central cross-bar portion 35 extends from the steering column in opposite directions along the far side of a steering wheel radial arm 42. It is also preferable that the heat pipe be located within a matching slot 44 that extends along the radial arm 42 and circumferential wheel portion 46 as best shown in FIG. 5.
The heat pipe 36 is a well known device and should preferably be of the copper/water category in order to eliminate any possibility of a fire hazard such as might otherwise happen, for example, in case of a vehicle accident. An optional heat pipe which can be satisfactorily employed here is of the copper/methanol category. As to general heat pipe construction and operation, it includes a sealed metal tube (e.g., copper) that has had its internal cavity pumped down to a vacuum, which cavity is then charged with a working fluid, such as water or methanol. In heat mode operation, the fluid inside the heat pipe during heating mode tends to vaporize first and then condense on the inside walls releasing heat of condensation which warms the hand grip heat exchangers 26 and 28. The inside wall of the heat pipe is covered with a wicking material (not shown) which can be a finely woven mesh or sintered metal layer with fine pores which operates to wick the condensed fluid back to the evaporator section to repeat the cycle. Operation is reversed for cooling mode transfer of heat along the heat pipe.
Each of the primary heat exchangers 26 and 28 includes a slotted generally cylindrical metal body 47 (e.g., copper) which is fitted over the circumferential portion 46 of the steering wheel and contacting the outer end portion of the heat pipe (FIG. 5). As already noted, the two primary heat exchangers are located in the eight to nine o'clock region 16 and three to four o'clock region 18, respectively (FIGS. 2 and 3). These heat exchangers are so formed as to be in good contact with the internally located heat pipe section end portion such that heat can be transferred to or away from the heat exchangers and thus to or from the hands which are gripping the heat exchangers.
In the cooling mode, the thermoelectric heat pump device 30 operational efficiency can be enhanced by cooling that part 50 of the pump device where heat is removed to the ambient atmosphere via the auxiliary heat exchanger 32. More particularly, in the first described embodiment an electric fan 52 is mounted to an outer surface of the auxiliary heat exchanger with fan operating to draw cooling air from the heat exchanger and exhausting it remotely as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6.
For the ensuing description of a further embodiment of the invention having increased operational efficiency, reference is made to FIG. 7. A flexible hollow tube 54 has one end interconnected with the vehicle air conditioning fan blower (not shown, and typically located behind the dashboard). The tube other end is secured to the heat pump housing wall 56 with the such that the tube terminus is closely adjacent to and pointed to direct pressurized air from the air conditioning fan blower across the auxiliary exchanger 32 to cool the same and thereafter being entrained within the air removed by fan 52 already described. This additional cooling effect on the "hot" side of the heat pump device increases operational efficiency and thus speeds up cooling of the steering wheel.
In FIGS. 8 and 9 there is depicted a still further version of the invention, also differing from the first embodiment primarily in offering additional cooling of the heat pump auxiliary heat exchanger to enhance operational efficiency when used in the cooling mode. As in the second described embodiment a further flexible tube 58 brings air from the vehicle air conditioning blower (not shown) along the steering column exterior to empty immediately adjacent the heat pump auxiliary heat exchanger 32. More particularly, a generally circular slip-ring housing 60 is affixed to the far side of the steering wheel 12 substantially encompassing the heat pump sides and serves to confine and direct the pressurized air stream exiting from tube 58 through opening 62 in a manifold 64 directly onto the exchanger 32. After cooling the heat exchanger, the air stream passes outwardly (arrows 66) of the heat exchanger 32 to the interior of the vehicle. In this version, the fan 52 may be eliminated which not only reduces cost, but also reduces noise level within the vehicle.
Since it is common knowledge that climatic temperature varies considerably and often on short notice, it is preferable that the subject invention be automatically controlled to respond satisfactorily to vehicle ambient temperature producing vehicle steering wheel temperature extremes. FIG. 10 depicts a circuit schematic of apparatus 67 for accomplishing this. In particular, a temperature sensing device 68, optionally located in the vehicle environment generally or adjacent the heat pump 20, provides a change in an electrical characteristic functionally related to temperature. The device 68 is interconnected with a control circuit 70 for driving a relay coil 72 to energize the thermoelectric device 30 responsive to the ambient temperature reaching an extreme value. The relay points 74 are arranged in a double-pole, double-throw configuration so as to be able to place the device 30 in either heating or cooling mode, as needed.
Although the invention is described in connection with preferred embodiments, those skilled in the appertaining arts may contemplate changes that come within the spirit of the invention disclosed and the ambit of the appended claims. For example, the invention can be utilized for a steering wheel which has a geometry other than the conventional circular form, such as in the shape of a so-called "joystick" control. Also, instead of a thermoelectric heat pump, a Stirling cycle heat pump can be advantageously employed especially for "cooling" mode use.
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A vehicle steering wheel (12) has the temperature of its normally gripped regions (16, 18) modified from extremes to acceptable values by a heat pump (20) with heat transfer occurring along heat pipe sections (22, 24) between primary heat exchangers (26, 28) at the gripped regions (16,18) and a temperature modifiable surface (33). Circuit apparatus (67) automatically energizes the heat pump (20) to provide heating or cooling, as needed.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to spider assemblies for drum brakes and in particular to an improved spider assembly for a light weight drum brake comprising a stamped spider body and a removable, replaceable anchor pin member mountable thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Drum brakes having a pair of generally arcuate brake shoes pivotally mounted at one end to an anchor structure and selectively actuatable at the other end thereof to pivot radially outwardly relative to the anchor structure to frictionally engage a brake drum are well known in the prior art. Usually, the brake shoes comprise an accurate table carrying the friction material and at least one radially inwardly extending rib or web. Typically, the pivotally mounted ends of the brake shoe webs are formed with either generally concave surfaces or generally annular aperatures which are pivotably supported by an anchor structure comprising a single anchor pin, or a pair of anchor pins, fixed to the brake spider assembly. A resilient retaining member, such as a coil tension spring, may be utilized to retain the brake shoes against the anchor number. Examples of such prior art drum brakes may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,710,076; 3,398,814; 3,507,369; 4,157,747 and 3,467,229, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
While these prior art devices are generally satisfactory and enjoy great commercial success, a problem has occasionally existed with the anchor pin, or pins, thereof. The anchor pins of the prior art devices, especially brakes having stamped spider bodies, were usually fixedly mounted to the brake support structure, usually referred to as the brake spider, as by a staked press fit. When the anchor pins occasionally became loose, dislodged and/or otherwise damaged, it was difficult to replace same, especially if a press and/or specialized fixtures were not readily available, and often a new spider assembly was required. In certain types of brakes, such as trailer axle brakes, wherein the spider is typically welded or otherwise none removably attached to an axle housing, this situation was particularly unsatisfactory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, the drawbacks of the prior art have been reduced or eliminated by the provision of a spider assembly for drum brakes which will permit relatively quick removal and assembly of an anchor member to a drum brake spider body without the requirement of special fixtures and/or a press and/or removal of the spider assembly from the vehicle axle. The present invention also eliminates the requirement of providing an elongated anchor pin receiving bore in the brake spider body. The spider assembly of the present invention comprises a stamped spider body suitable for attachment to a vehicle axle and a removable, replaceable anchor pin member attachable to the spider body by selectively removable attachment means such as bolts and nuts or the like. In the preferred embodiment, the anchor pin member is a one piece forging comprising a flange section provided with bolt apertures therethrough designed to mate with corresponding bolt apertures or studs provided in the spider body for mounting of the anchor pin member to the spider body and anchor pin portions extending axially outwardly from both sides of the flange portion for pivotal receipt of the ends of the brake shoes. The spider body is provided with an aperture for receipt of one of the anchor pin portions allowing the anchor pin member to be reversable thereby minimizing potential assembly errors.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved spider assembly for a drum brake.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved spider assembly for a drum brake comprising a stamped spider body and a removably attached one piece anchor pin member.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the detailed description of the invention taken in connection with the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an illustration of an expanding shoe drum brake utilizing the improved spider assembly of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the spider assembly of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side view, taken along line 3--3 in FIG. 2, of the spider assembly present invention.
FIG. 4 is a front view of the anchor pin piece of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a side view, partially in section, of the anchor pin piece of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a front view of the spider body.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. The words "upwardly," "downwardly", "rightwardly" and "leftwardly" will designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words "inwardly" and "outwardly" will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the designated parts. Said terminology will include the words above specifically mentioned, derivitives thereof, and words of similar import.
Drum brakes, such as vehicle drum brake assembly 10, are well known and an example thereof may be seen by reference to FIG. 1.
Drum brake assembly 10 comprises an annular rotatable brake drum 12, a brake support member or spider 14 nonrotably secured to the vehicle or vehicle axle by welding or by fasteners (not shown) as is well known, a brake shoe pivot or anchor pin 16 secured to the spider 14, a pair of opposed arcuate brake shoes 20 including generally parallel webs 22 and a brake lining 24 of suitable friction material carried by the tables 25, brake shoe return spring 26, brake shoe retaining spring 28 for retaining the shoes 20 on the anchor pin 16, and a cam element 30 for causing radially outward pivotal movement of the brake shoes 20 about anchor pin 16 for retarding the movement of the vehicle.
Brake actuator support or air motor bracket 34 is fixed to the spider 14 and a brake actuator, such as an air motor 36, is affixed to the actuator support. Oscillatory movement of the actuator 36 is converted into rotational movement of the cam 30 by means of a link 38, a lever or slack adjustor body 37 and a cam shaft 39 as is well known in the prior art. Although a rotatable cam 30 is illustrated, other actuation means, such as wedges or the like, may be utilized as is well known in the art.
The opposite axially outer ends of the anchor pins 16 will extend axially beyond the surfaces of the spider 14 for pivotal receipt of the concave cavities, 40, formed in the webs 22. It is understood that, in drum brakes of the type utilizing two anchor pins, the webs may be provided with annular apertures or the like instead of the concave cavities.
The spider assembly 14 of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Spider assembly 14 includes stamped spider body 42, a removable cam shaft support flange 44 and a removable anchor pin piece 46. Spider body 42, which is preferably stamped from suitable steel or the like, is provided with a generally central aperture 48 for receipt of the spindle end of an axle housing or the like as it is well known in the prior art. Although spider body 42 is preferably a stamping, the present invention is equally applicable to those spider assemblies utilizing spider body comprising a casting or the like. An annular rib 50 surrounds aperture 48 and ribs 52 and 54 are formed on the rightward and leftward periphery of the spider body for strengthening and rigidity purposes as well known in the prior art. Spider body 14 may be rigidly attached to a vehicle axle by means of welding or by means of threaded fasteners such as bolts or studs and nuts as is well known in the prior art.
The cam shaft support flange 44 comprises a flanged portion 56 having a pattern of apertures 58 corresponding to apertures 60 provided in the upper portion of the spider body 42 for removably attaching the cam shaft support flange 48 to the spider body 42 by means of bolts 62 and nuts 64. The cam shaft support flange also includes a generally hollow tubular portion 68 defining an axially extending bore 70 in which a bushing 72 is received. The cam shaft 39 is rotationally supported within the inner diameter bore 74 of bushing 72.
Anchor pin piece 46, which may be seen in greater detail by reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, comprises a flanged portion 76 which is provided with a plurality of apertures 78 which will align with apertures 80 provided in the lower end of the spider body 42. The anchor pin piece 46 is removably mounted to the spider body 42 by means of bolts 82 which pass through apertures 78 and 80 and nuts 84 threadably received on bolts 82. Of course, studs may replace the bolts 82. Extending axially outwardly from each side of flange portion 76 are generally cylindrical enlarged diameter portions 86 and 88. The axially outer surfaces 90 and 92, respectively, of enlarged diameter portions 86 and 88, respectively, are separated by a distance generally equal to the separation of the webs 22 of the brake shoes 20. The axially outer ends of enlarged diameter portions 86 and 88, which are of a greater outer diameter than the inner diameter of concave cavities 40, will limit axially inward deflection of the webs 22. Extending axially outwardly from surfaces 90 and 92 are reduced diameter generally cylindrical anchor pin portions 94 and 96. Generally concave cavities 40 on the ends of the brake shoe webs 22 are pivotally supported on anchor pin portions 94 and 96 as is well known in the prior art.
Spider body 42, as may be seen by reference to FIG. 6, is provided with an aperture 98 generally centrally located within the array of apertures 80 allowing passage of enlarged diameter portion 88 of anchor pin portion 46. It is noted that the spider body 42 is bent as at portion 100 thereof to properly locate the anchor pin portions 94 and 96 for pivotal support of the brake shoes 20. As may be seen as reference to FIG. 5, anchor pin portion 46 is substantially identical on both sides a plane P bisecting the flange portion 76 and thus may be assemblied to spider body 32 without concern as to which end is inserted through the aperature 98 provided for receipt of the enlarged diameter generally cylindrical portion 86 or 88.
Preferrably, anchor pin portion 46 is a solid one-piece forging which will provide the proper rigidity and wear characteristics for an anchor pin member. Of course, for twin anchor pin drum brakes two enlarged diameter portions and anchor pin portions could extend from each side of the flange portion 76.
By utilizing the spider assembly 14 of the present invention comprising a preferrably light weight stamped spider body and an a relatively tough, wear resistant anchor pin flange portion 46 which is easily assemblable to and removable from the spider body 42, an improved spider assembly 14 is provided which is relatively light in weight, which provides an anchor pin portion which is relatively tough and wear resistant and which provides an anchor pin portion which is easily removed from the spider body without requiring removal of the spider body from the axle housing.
To replace a worn or a damaged anchor pin portion 46, nuts 84 are simply removed from bolts 82 and the worn or damaged anchor pin portion 46 is removed and replaced by a new anchor pin portion 46 which is reattached by means of the bolts 82 and nuts 84. Such a replacement may be accomplished without requiring removal of the spider body from the axle housing and utilizing commonly available hand tools or the like.
Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present description is by way of example only and that certain rearrangement and/or substitution of the parts is possible without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as herein after claimed.
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An improved spider-anchor pin assembly (14) for a drum brake (10) is provided. The improved assembly includes a stamped sheet metal spider body (42) and a one-piece forged anchor pin piece (46) removably attached to the spider body by a plurality of threaded fasteners (82, 84). Preferably, the anchor pin piece is symetrical about a plane (P) extending normal to the axis of the anchor pin sections (94 and 96) and bisecting of the flange section (76) thereof.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electromagnetic (EM) flow couplers and, in particular, to such couplers as adapted for regulating the flow rate or the pressure of the driven flow of a metal fluid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known in the art, EM pumps produce a pressure differential or a pressure head between the inlet and the outlet through the interaction of an electrical current and a crossed magnetic field. This interaction produces an electromagnetic body force throughout the volume of the fluid within the pump region wherever both the current density and the magnetic field are non-zero. At each such point, this body force is dependent on not only to the magnitude of the current density and magnetic flux density vectors, but also to their relative orientation. The maximum force density and resulting pressure differential occurs when the current and the magnetic field are mutually perpendicular to each other and to the direction of fluid flow.
There are two basic types of EM pumps. A first type known as an AC (alternating current) pump includes means for applying an alternating magnetic field to the liquid metal. In an AC EM pump, the alternating magnetic field induces a corresponding AC current through the liquid metal, whereby a force is exerted thereon. In a DC EM pump, a steady state electromagnetic field and a steady state or DC current are applied to the liquid metal, whereby a corresponding force is exerted thereon.
Typically, DC EM pumps are constructed in a rectangular duct by mounting two electrodes flush with the opposite side walls of the duct and placing the other two walls between magnetic pole faces. When the two electrodes are connected to an external power supply, current flows across the duct and interacts with the magnetic field to produce the axially directed body force and pressure difference along the duct. The pump's inlet and exit regions are defined roughly by the electrode edges. These regions may vary somewhat depending upon the relative location of the magnetic pole face edges. In an ideal pump, all the current would be confined to the duct volume enclosed by the electrodes and the pole faces, where the force density is the greatest. In an actual pump, however, some current leaks into the magnetic fringe region both upstream and downstream from the electrode edges. This tends to lower pump efficiency.
DC EM pumps, in small sizes up to several horsepower, have been used for many years in liquid metal cooled reactors where extremely high reliability of the pump has been required. Large, several thousand horsepower, DC EM pumps, have not been used in reactor systems in two main reasons: (1) obtaining suitable high current/low voltage power supplies, and (2) transmitting the high current from the power supply to the pump without high resistance loses. Suitable high current/low voltage power supplies may take the form of a Faraday disc generator, which generates high current at relatively low voltages as would be suitable to drive DC EM pumps. However, current transmission problems associated with such current generators require the use of large current buses. To overcome both of these problems, two ducts may be arranged side-by-side in a common magnetic field with one such duct acting as an EM generator and the other acting as an EM pump. This arrangement of EM pumps is commonly referred to as a "flow coupler" and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,715,190 of Brill and U.K. patent No. 745,460 of Pulley.
In a typical flow coupler, a liquid metal is caused to flow through a generator duct. Passage of the fluid through the common magnetic field generates a large current in the generator duct which is transferred to a pump duct by short, low resistance electrodes. Interaction of the current in the pump duct with the common magnetic field produces a driven flow in the pump duct. In this manner, the flow of a first liquid metal in the generator duct is "coupled" to the flow of a second liquid metal in the pump duct. The local generation of the current enables lower voltages and higher currents to be used than would be possible with an external power supply. The lower voltages, in turn, reduce end current losses and permit higher overall efficiencies, on the order of 60%, to be attained.
Early in the development of the liquid-metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR), it was recognized that liquid metals could be pumped by the EM pumps as described above. Such EM pumps and flow couplers offer significant advantages in the reactor environment due to their inherent simplicity and lack of moving parts. In "Sodium Electrotechnology at the Risley Nuclear Power Development Laboratories," by D. F. Davidson et al., NUCLEAR ENERGY, 1981, Vol. 20, February, No. 1, pp. 79-90, there is discussed the use of EM pumps and flow couplers in LMFBR systems. EM flow couplers serve to transfer hydraulic power from one liquid metal flow circuit to another. Each circuit is isolated from the other so that there is no mixing of the two liquid metals.
The flow coupler illustratively includes the pump duct and the generator duct of equal sizes, one duct coupled in each circuit and disposed side-by-side with each other between the poles of a permanent magnet. The pump and generator ducts are electrically connected together by the low resistance electrodes so that a current induced by flow in one duct passes through the other duct to produce a driving pressure. The side-by-side arrangement of the two ducts are disposed between two magnetic poles, whereby an equal magnetic flux emanates through each duct. For equally sized ducts in equal magnetic fields, it has been found to be impossible to make the flow rate of the flow directed through the pump duct greater than that of the flow through the generator duct. Such a limitation is seen as a disadvantage for those reactor designs that require higher flow rates in the pump duct than in the generator duct.
The Pulley patent, noted above, discloses a flow coupler, wherein a pressure transformation between two ducts, in inverse ratio to the duct depths may be achieved. In this arrangement, the flux density in each of these ducts is maintained equal. Further, Pulley discloses that the flow velocity may be transformed in direct proportion to the duct widths. A low flow rate may be established through a secondary or pump duct of large cross-section to provide, a high flow rate in the pump duct of small cross-section, the pressure drops in the two ducts remaining equal. An examination of the Pulley patent indicates that the magnetic flux in each of the ducts of his coupler remains equal and that flow pressure or flow rate may be changed as a function of the dimensions of the ducts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the teaching of this invention, there is provided a regulating electromagnetic flow coupler comprising a pump duct and a generator duct for connection in separate flow circuits containing electrically conductive fluid. Circuit means electrically connect the separate fluid in each of the pump and generator ducts for conducting electric current through the fluid in each of the pump and generator ducts transversely of the fluid flow therethrough. Means are provided for applying a magnetic field through the fluid of the pump and generator ducts transversely of the current and fluid flow therethrough, whereby the fluid driven by external means through the generator duct forces the fluid to flow through the pump duct. Means are provided for setting the magnetic flux density in the pump and generator ducts at different levels, B1 and B2 respectively, and the flow characteristics, i.e., flow rate and pressure, of the forced fluid in the pump duct are selectively different than that flow characteristic of the driven fluid in the pump duct.
In one aspect of this invention, the regulating electromagnetic flow coupler is adapted to operate as a pressure amplifier, wherein the ratio (B 2 /B 1 )/(t 2 /t 1 ) is set sufficiently greater than 1 such that the pressure of the fluid in the pump duct is greater than the pressure of the fluid in the generator duct, where t1 and t2 are the duct heights of the pump and generator ducts.
In a further aspect of this invention, the regulating electromagnetic flow coupler is adapted to operate as a flow rate amplifier, wherein the ratio (t 2 /t 1 )/(B 2 /B 1 ) is set sufficiently greater than 1 such that the flow rate of the fluid in the pump duct is greater than the flow rate of the fluid in the generator duct.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter of the invention, it is believed the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a broken away, perspective view of a regulating EM flow coupler in accordance with the teachings of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a broken away, perspective view of a further embodiment of this invention in which a second pump duct is associated with the generator duct;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the equivalent, electrical circuit of the regulating flow coupler of this invention acting as a flow/pressure amplifier;
FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating the efficiency versus the ratio of flow rates or flow ratio through the ducts of an EM flow coupler for the case of equal flux densities in each duct;
FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the efficiency as a function of the ratios of flow rates in each of the ducts of a flow coupler where each duct is of the same height;
FIG. 6 is a curve indicating the efficiency as a function of the ratios of pressures where equal flux densities are established in the ducts of a flow coupler;
FIG. 7 is a curve of the efficiency as a function of the ratio of the pressures where the ducts of a flow coupler have equal duct heights; and
FIG. 8 is a side, sectioned view of a parallel flow coupler wherein the fluid flows in the pump and generator ducts are in the same direction.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a regulating electromagnetic (EM) flow coupler, which is referred to generally by the number 10 and comprises a pump duct 36 and a generator duct 38 disposed in a side-by-side relationship. The regulating EM flow coupler 10 includes a side wall 14, a top wall 16, and a bottom wall 18 forming in conjunction with an electrically conductive divider plate 26, the pump duct 36. In a similar fashion, the regulating EM flow coupler 10 includes a top wall 20, a bottom wall 22, and a side wall 24 defining in conjunction with the electrically conductive divider plate 26, the generator duct 38. The walls 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 are made of a highly electrically conductive material such as copper. The electrically conductive divider plate 26 may be made of a copper alloy. The divider plate 26 functions as a circuit means for electrically connecting the pump duct 36 and the generator duct 38, whereby a current is permitted to flow in both ducts transversely of the fluid flow therethrough. Further, layers or sheets 28 and 30 of insulating material are respectively disposed on the top-most and lower-most surfaces of the ducts 36 and 38. Such sheets 28 and 30 may be made of a suitable insulating material such as alumina, where relatively high temperatures are contemplated, or a glass epoxy, where relatively low temperatures are expected. As explained above, a current is generated within the generator duct 38 as directed along a current path 48a as seen in FIG. 1. The side wall 24 acts as an electrode, while the top walls 16 and 20 act as a return conductor to permit current flow along a return current path 50a. In a similar fashion, the bottom walls 18 and 22 act as a return conductor to establish a second return current path 50b. The return current paths 50a and 50b are coupled to the side wall 14, which acts as an electrode to direct the current along the current path 48a through the liquid flowing in the pump duct 36, the divider plate 26 and the liquid flowing in the generator duct 38.
As indicated above, the EM flow coupler 10 may be particularly adapted for use in a liquid-metal fast breeder reactor, wherein reactive liquid metals such as sodium are circulated. In such applications, an inner, protective duct 52 may be disposed within the pump duct 36. Illustratively, the inner, protective duct 52 may be formed of a relatively thin layer in the range of 40 to 60 mil in thickness of a relatively high resistance conductive material such as stainless steel as manufactured under the designations 304 and 316 or Inconel number 718. The inner protective duct 52 is formed on the inner surfaces of the side wall 14, the insulater sheets 28 and 30, and the divider plate 26. A similar inner, protective duct 54 may be disposed within the generator duct 38, as shown in FIG. 1.
A first set of magnetic poles 32a and 32b is aligned such that their axes are disposed vertically, as shown in FIG. 1, so that the magnetic field generated thereby, as indicated by arrows 40, is likewise disposed in a vertical orientation to pass through the pump duct 36. In a similar fashion, there is provided a second set of magnetic poles 34, whose axes are aligned vertically, as shown in FIG. 1, so that their magnetic field is directed vertically, as shown by arrows 42, to pass through the generator duct 38. As is well known in the art, the first and second sets of magnetic poles 32 and 34 may be either permanent magnets or electromagnets. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the air gap formed between the first set of magnetic poles 32a and 32b is indicated by the letter A and is made greater than the air gap between the second set of poles 34a and 34b, whose length is indicated by the letter B. As a result, the strength of the magnetic field B1 established between the second set of poles 34a and 34b is greater than the magnetic field B2 established between the first set of poles 32a and 32b.
This invention is not directed to the details of the construction of the generator duct 38 and the pump duct 36; for a detailed showing of the construction of such an EM flow coupler reference is made to the co-pending application entitled ELECTROMAGNETIC FLOW COUPLER, Ser. No. 39l,030, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,471 filed in the name of Keeton & Ciarelli on June 22, 1982.
The regulating EM flow coupler 10 of this invention is capable of operating as a flow characteristic amplifier, wherein the flow characteristic may be either the flow rate or the pressure rise of the metal fluid along the duct. In the flow rate amplifier mode of operation, the duct height t2 of the pump duct 36, i.e., that dimension along the direction of the magnetic field as indicated by the arrows 40 in FIG. 1, is made greater in the pump duct 36 than the corresponding dimension t1 in the generator duct 38. Further, the magnetic flux density B1 is made greater in the generator duct 38 than the flux density B2 in the pump duct 36. As shown in FIG. 1, the air gap established between the magnetic poles 32a and 32b is greater than the air gap established between the magnetic poles 34a and 34b, whereby the magnetic field B1 established within the generator duct 38 is greater than the magnetic field B2 established within the pump duct 36.
Other mechanisms could be used to vary the magnetic fields in each of the generator duct 38 and the pump duct 36. For example, it is contemplated that if the first set of magnetic poles 32a and 32b were embodied as electromagnets, that the current therethrough could be regulated such that the magnetic field B1 within the generator duct 38 could be made greater than that field B2 directed through the pump duct 36. Depending on other system parameters, it is possible that by varying one or both of the duct heights t1 and t2 and the magnetic flux densities B1 and B2 will cause high-efficiency operation with the flow rate within the pump duct 36 greater than the flow rate through the generator duct 38.
In a second mode of operation, the regulating EM flow coupler 10 may be operated as a pressure amplifier, whereby the pressure rise of the fluid within the pump duct 14 is made greater than the pressure drop of the fluid within the generator duct 38. In particular, the duct height t1 of the generator duct 38 is made greater than the duct height t2 of the pump duct 36, or the flux density B2 within the pump duct 36 is made greater than the flux density B1 within the generator duct 38.
These operating conditions as required for operating the regulating EM flow coupler 10 as a pressure amplifier are exactly opposite to design considerations for operation as a flow rate amplifier. It is impossible to have both flow and pressure amplification in the same design. This is because the efficiency of one mode is defined as the product of flow amplification and pressure amplification factors, as will be discussed below. As will be demonstrated later, that the ratio (B 2 /B 1 )/(t 2 /t 1 ) must be made sufficiently greater than unity in order that the pressure ratio is greater than unity, i.e., pressure amplification is achieved. In a similar fashion, if the ratio (t 2 /t 1 )/(B 2 /B 1 ) is made sufficiently great, the flow rate ratio is made greater than 1, i.e., flow rate amplification is achieved.
A simple analysis of the flow coupler was presented in the above referenced Pulley patent assuming one-dimensional magnetic field, current and flow and no fringing of current or field outside of the center region of the EM flow coupler. The equations for flow rate and pressure drop through the generator duct can be written in matrix form as follows: ##EQU1## where B1 is the magnetic flux density in generator, t1 is the duct height, I1 is the duct current, E1 is the voltage developed across the generator duct, ΔP1 is the pressure drop along the generator duct 38, and Q1 is the flow rate of the metal circulated through the generator duct 38. Similarly, the equations for flow rate and pressure rise through the pump duct 36 can be written: ##EQU2## Here, the subscript 2 refers to the parameters relating to the pump duct 36.
FIG. 3 is an electrical, equivalent circuit of the distributed system as comprising the generator duct 38, the pump duct 36, and the bus bar or electrically conductive divider plate 26 disposed therebetween. The electrical elements as indicated in FIG. 3 are defined as follows. R1 is the ohmic resistance of the fluid directed through the generator duct 38 within the magnetic field B1. R2 is the ohmic resistance of the fluid directed through the pump duct 36 within the magnetic field B2. Rc is the total resistance in the paths 48 and 50 from the generator duct 38 to the pump duct 36, which includes the ohmic resistances of the divider plate 26 and the walls 14, 16 18, 20, 22, and 24, and the interfacial resistance presented between the liquid metal and the exposed surfaces of those inner ducts 52 and 54 overlying the side walls 14 and 24 and the divider plate 26. The relationship between the currents and voltages presented in the generator duct 38 and the pump duct 36 is expressed follows: ##EQU3##
The relationship between the flow rate Q1 and the pressure ΔP1 of the liquid metal circulated through the generator duct 38 and the flow rate Q2 and pressure rise ΔP2 of the liquid metal pumped through the pump duct 36 is derived by rearranging equations (1) and (2) to obtain expressions for I1 and E1 and I2 and E2, which are substituted into equation (3). Subsequent matrix conversion and multiplication of equation (3) provides: ##EQU4## Such an EM flow coupler 10, wherein the liquid metals flow in opposite directions as indicated by arrows 46 and 47, is known as an anti-parallel flow coupler.
The second equation of the matrix expression (4) can be divided by Q1 and the following expression of the ratio of the flow rates obtained: ##EQU5## The opposite signs are provided on Q1 and Q2 as a matter of mathematical notation to indicate power flow out of a duct as positive and power flow into a duct as negative. It is clear, then, that (t 2 /t 1 )/(B 2 /B 1 ) must be made sufficiently greater than the reciprocal of the bracketed term of expression (5) in order to ensure that the flow ratio is greater than one to achieve flow amplification. Qualitatively speaking, the pump duct height t2, as shown in FIG. 1, must be sufficiently greater than the generator duct height t1 and/or the pump flux density B2 must be sufficiently less than the generator flux density B1, as stated earlier.
The expression for pressure ratio can also be ##EQU6## It is now the case that (B 2 /B 1 )/(t 2 /t 1 ) must be made sufficiently greater than unity in order to make the ratio of the pressures differentials greater than unity to achieve pressure amplification. This is evidence that the flow ratio and pressure ratio are inversely proportional to one another.
The expression for hydraulic efficiency η of the flow coupler 10 is defined as the flow power output of the pump duct 36 over the flow power input to the generator duct 38: ##EQU7## with the minus sign included to make η positive. Substituting the relationship (6) between ΔP1 and ΔP2 into equation (7), provides: ##EQU8##
Thus, it appears that the efficiency η increases indefinitely as the flow ratio increases. However, this simple theory neglects end effects which, upon increase pump flow rate, would cause generator action to start in the pump duct 36. This would lower the net pressure rise in the pump duct 36 and, thus, the efficiency η. Thus, the efficiency η must reach a maximum for some value of the flow ratio.
Numerical and analytical studies as reported in "A Quasi-One-Dimensional Analysis of an Electromagnetic Pump Including End Effects", in Liquid Metal Flows and Magnetohydrodynamics, Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, Vol. 84, AIAA, New York, 1983, by W. F. Hughes and I. R. McNab, have led to the development of a quasi-one-dimensional analysis of the DC EM pump that includes end effects. This theory was extended to the DC EM generator and, eventually, to the EM flow coupler in a report, "High Efficiency DC Electromagnetic Pumps and Flow Couplers for Pool-Type LMFBRs", in Liquid Metal Flows and Magnetohydrodynamics, Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics, Vol. 84, AIAA, New York, 1983, by I. R. McNab and C. C. Alexion. Later, in experimental studies described in "Demonstration of Flow Couplers for the LMFBR", December 1983 by EPRI, R. D. Nathenson, et al., it was shown that the flow coupler theory accurately described the operation of a prototype flow coupler of the type shown in FIG. 1.
The quasi-one-dimensional analysis of the flow coupler will now be described for the case of a flow or pressure amplifier. Sample curves of efficiency η as a function of flow rate Q have been generated for the sake of comparison. FIG. 4 shows how the height ratio (the generator duct t1 height over the pump duct height t2) affects the efficiency η for the case of equal flux densities in the two ducts. It can be seen that increasing the height ratio increases the optimum flow ratio value, that is, the point where maximum efficiency is reached. It also has an overall effect of slightly decreasing the maximum efficiency η. FIG. 5 shows how the flux density ratio (B2/B1) affects the flow amplifier efficiency η for the case of equal duct heights, t1=t2. It can be seen that decreasing the flux density ratio increases the optimum flow ratio value, and it also increases the maximum efficiency η as well.
The case of the pressure amplifier is presented graphically in FIGS. 6 and 7. The effect of height ratio t2/t1 is shown in FIG. 6, where the flux densities B1 and B2 have been equalized for clarity. It clearly shows that pressure amplification is only accomplished for (t2/t1)<1. The effect of flux density ratio is shown in FIG. 7. Here, the height ratio was fixed at unity for simplicity. Overall, the efficiency η increases slightly as the flux density ratio is increased, as shown in FIG. 7.
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a further embodiment of this invention, where elements similar to those in FIG. 1 are identified by similar numbers except numbered in the hundred series. FIG. 2 illustrates a regulating EM coupler 110 having more than one pump duct. In particular, the flow coupler 110 has a second flow duct 137 that is separated from a generator duct 138 by an electrically conductive divider plate 127. In addition, a magnetic field 133 is established by a third set of magnetic poles 135a and l35b that direct a magnetic flux in a vertical direction as indicated by arrows 143. In a further embodiment this invention, it is contemplated that there would be two generator ducts and a single pump duct. In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, it is contemplated that the metal fluids as driven through the pump ducts 136 and 137 are isolated from each other and may be different metals as driven along the paths indicated by the arrows 147 and 144, respectfully. Though not shown in FIG. 2, inner ducts may be disposed within each of the generator ducts 138 and the pump ducts 136 and 137 to protect against the corrosive attack of such metal liquids as sodium.
Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown a further embodiment of this invention, where elements similar to those in FIG. 1 are identified by similar numbers except numbered in the 200 series. In particular, FIG. 8 shows a parallel flow coupler 210 wherein the liquid metals in the pump duct 236 and the generator duct 238 flow in the same direction as indicated by the x's 246 and 244, i.e., into the page as seen in FIG. 8. The construction of the parallel flow coupler 210 differs from those of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the parallel flow coupler 210 is comprised of a first U-shaped electrode 219 and a second U-shaped electrode 217. The generator duct 238 is formed by portions of the first and second electrodes 219 and 217 and, in particular, by the side wall 224 and the bottom wall 222 of the first electrode 219 and a side wall 215 of the second electrode 217. Insulating members 228 and 230 are disposed parallel to each other and extend from the side member 224 to the side member 215. In a similar fashion, the pump duct 236 is formed by the side wall 214 and the top wall 216 of the second electrode 217 and the side wall 223 of the first electrode 219. Insulating members 231 and 227 extend parallel to each other from the side wall 223 to the side wall 214. A first magnetic field B1 as indicated by arrows 240 is directed through the pump duct 236. A second magnetic field B2 as indicated by the arrows 242 is directed through the generator duct 238, whereby a current is directed through the liquid flowing therethrough along a path indicated by the arrow 248a. The first U-shaped electrode 219 provides a return path as indicated by the arrow 250a to the pump duct 236, wherein the current flows across a path indicated by the numeral 248b. Similarly, the second U-shaped electrode 217 provides a return path 250b for the current to flow from the pump duct 236 to the generator duct 238. As seen in FIG. 8, the current flows in opposite directions along the paths 248a and 248b, whereas the liquid flows within the generator duct 238 and the pump duct 236 in the same direction. The flux densities B1 and B2, as well as the heights of the generator duct 238 and the pump duct 236, may be varied as explained above whereby the flow characteristics such as flow rate or pressure within the pump duct 236 may be controlled.
In considering this invention, it should be remembered that the provided disclosure is illustrative only and the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims.
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A flow characteristic regulating electromagnetic flow coupler is disclosed as comprising a pump duct and a generator duct for connection in separate flow circuits containing electrically conductive fluid. Circuit means electrically connect the separate fluid in each of the pump and generator ducts for conducting electric current through the fluid in each of the pump and generator ducts transversely of the fluid flow therethrough. Means are provided for applying respectively first and second magnetic fields through the fluids of the generator and pump ducts transversely of the current and fluid flow therethrough, whereby the fluid driven through the generator duct forces the fluid to flow through the pump duct. Means are provided for setting the magnetic flux density of the first and second magnetic fields in the generator and pump ducts at different levels B1 and B2 respectively, whereby the flow characteristic of the forced fluid in the pump duct is greater than that flow characteristic of the drive fluid in the generator duct.
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CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/134,746, filed May 18, 1999, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/147,703, filed Aug. 6, 1999.
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to enhanced implantable biomedical devices and instruments, and more particularly to implantable biomedical devices and instruments having sonomicrometer functions incorporated therein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Using the time-of-flight principle of high frequency sound waves, it is possible to accurately measure distances within an aqueous medium, such as inside the body of a living being. High frequency sound, or ultrasound, is defined as vibrational energy that ranges in frequency from 100 KHz to 10 MHz. The device used to obtain dimensional measurements using sound waves is known as a “sonomicrometer”. A typical sonomicrometer uses two or more piezoelectric transducers that act as transmitters and receivers of ultrasound energy when situated in a sound-conducting medium and connected to electronic circuitry. The distance between transducers is measured by first electrically energizing the transmitting transducer, causing it to produce ultrasound energy. The resulting sound wave then propagates through the medium until it is detected by the receiving transducer. The propagation time of the ultrasound signal, when multiplied by the velocity of sound in the medium, yields the distance between transducers.
The transducers typically take the form of a piezoelectric ceramic (e.g., PZT or PVDF material) that are energized by a voltage spike, or impulse function of a designated duration. This causes the transducer to oscillate at a characteristic resonant frequency that results in a transmitted signal which propagates away from the transmitter through the medium.
The receiver detects the sound energy produced by the transmitter and begins to vibrate in response thereto. This vibration produces an electronic signal on the order of millivolts that can be amplified by appropriate receiver circuitry.
The propagation velocity of ultrasound in many materials is well documented. The distance traveled by a pulse of ultrasound can therefore be measured simply by recording the time delay between the instant the sound is transmitted and when it is received. This process of transmission and reception can be repeated many times per second. Depending on the embodiment, a large matrix of distances between many transducers can be obtained. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,515,853; 5,795,298; and 5,797,849 (fully incorporated herein by reference), a procedure is explained for determining the spatial {x,y,z} coordinates for each transducer from the distance matrix.
Presently, there are several classes of biomedical devices that perform electrical or mechanical activity within the body that do not incorporate dimension-measurement technology as part of their operation. It is believed that the absence of this technology is due to the lack of awareness of sonomicrometry by biomedical engineers, leading to a low appreciation of the utility and benefits of sonomicrometry.
The present invention addresses the foregoing problem, as well as others, to provide implantable biomedical devices which collect dimension-measurement data using sonomicrometer technology.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided an implantable biomedical device which uses sonomicrometry to provide dimension-measurement data that enhances the functionality of the biomedical device.
An advantage of the present invention is the provision of a cardiac pacemaker which is capable of acquiring cardiac dimensional data and calculating from that data parameters such as heart rate, contractile amplitude, contractility, cardiac size, stroke volume and ventricular ejection fraction.
Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a cardiac defibrillator which is capable of acquiring cardiac dimensional data and calculating from that data parameters such as heart rate, contractile amplitude, contractility, cardiac size, stroke volume and ejection fraction, wherein the cardiac dimensional data and/or computed parameters may be used to determine the need to apply a defibrillation shock, and/or optionally to evaluate post-shock cardiac contractility.
Still another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a ventricular assist device which is capable of acquiring cardiac dimensional data and computed parameters that provide feedback and control information, wherein the information is suitable for determining the appropriate or optimal interaction between the heart and assist device. The nature of this interaction could, for example, pertain to ventricular size, filling or ejection rate, or cardiac output.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a post-operative cardiac monitoring device which is capable of acquiring cardiac dimensional data, wall thickness data, and computed parameters such as heart rate, contractile amplitude, contractility, cardiac size, stroke volume and ejection fraction, wherein the cardiac dimensional data and computed parameters can be used to adjust drug doses and treatment protocols during recovery, and to evaluate cardiac function.
These advantages and others are provided by the biomedical apparatus of the present invention in which an implantable biomedical device is provided for providing biomedical assistance to a body structure, and including a device controller for regulating the operating of the biomedical device.
A sonomicrometer arrangement is provided, in contact with the body structure and in communication with the device controller. This sonomicrometer arrangement ultrasonically measures at least one physical parameter of the body structure and provides feedback information to the device controller. The device controller regulates the operation of the biomedical device in response to the feedback information.
Still other advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the following detailed description, accompanying drawings and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A, 1 B, 1 C and 1 D depict typical ventricular assist devices (VADS).
FIG. 2 shows the typical connections made to the heart in a VAD to provide bi-ventricular support.
FIG. 3 is a diagram of a VAD incorporating the sonomicrometer arrangement of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a detailed view showing a transducer of the sonomicrometer arrangement according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In accordance with the present invention, sonomicrometer technology (e.g., dimension-measurement transducers and circuitry) is incorporated into implantable biomedical devices. By using dimension-measurement data (e.g., cardiac dimensions, rate of contraction, etc.), the operations of the device are improved (e.g., device control). For instance, defibrillation, rather than pacing, may be implemented based on the presence or absence of contraction in a cardiac muscle. Currently, these conditions are detected electrically, but a mechanical input provides additional information that would be incorporated into a decision tree for the implanted device.
It should be appreciated that while the present invention will be described with particular reference to pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, ventricular assist devices, and post-operative cardiac monitoring methods, the present invention is also applicable to other implantable biomedical devices to provide a sonomicrometer-based dimension-measurement data collection and evaluation system.
A. Inclusion of Dimension Measurement Capability in Ventricular Assist Devices
Ventricular Assist Devices or VADs (most commonly Left Ventricular Assist Devices or LVADs) perform auxiliary pumping support for the heart by filling the ventricles more completely prior to ventricular systole or by replacing partially or completely the pumping effort of the ventricles. The cardiac dimensional data and computed parameters noted above may be used to provide feedback and control information. This information is suitable for determining, among other items, the appropriate time to stop pumping blood into the ventricles because they have reached a predetermined size. As shown in FIGS. 1A-1D, ventricular assist pumps are typically impellers (FIGS. 1A and 1B) or diaphragms (FIGS. 1 C and 1 D). They can also be in the form of bladders or bands that inflate under pressure and squeeze the blood chamber that they surround (not shown). In any case, a typical VAD includes a blood pump 10 that includes an inflow 12 that draws blood from the left ventricle 14 of the heart, and pumps the blood through an outflow 16 into the aorta 18 and out into the body.
Previous-type VADs produce problems known in the literature as pump-induced “ventricular collapse” and also “hyperdilation.” The VAD must withdraw blood from one vessel or chamber in or near the heart and eject this blood into a different chamber or vessel in or near the heart, thereby completing the circulation of blood by bypassing a diseased or non-functional portion of the natural heart. The flow of blood through the body and it's return to the inflow region of the VAD is variable and during periods of insufficient return the VAD's pumping action can collapse the chamber or even the vessel of the inflow region. Another aspect of operation of the VAD is that again due to changes in the blood flow in the body the vessel or chamber that is receiving blood from the outflow of the VAD may expand beyond desired limits, resulting in hyperdilation of the heart chamber or vasculature.
The problem of vascular or chamber collapse or hyperdilation is the result of the VAD being instructed to pump more blood than the current conditions of the vasculature can support or tolerate. When this occurs the controlling mechanism of the VAD must reduce the pumping activity of the VAD. The variability of the patient's vasculature or the patient's activity level is the root cause of the need to vary the pumping function of the VAD so as not to cause a condition of collapse or hyperdilation.
Some previous-type devices use ultrasonic or electromagnetic flow sensors that provide some VAD's with the feed-back necessary to maintain the desired blood flow to support life and even ambulatory activity, but these sensors do not measure the extent of vascular collapse or hyperdilation. The use of pressure transducers to measure the pressure in the inflow and outflow region of the VAD are extrapolated to give indications of collapse or hyperdilation because it is intuitive that a high pressure will lead to expansion or dilation. However, in reality the muscle walls of the ventricles and vasculature do not have constant material properties so a direct pressure-volume relationship can not be assumed.
Pressure transducers have commonly been used to solve this problem because of their ubiquitous nature in the biomedical engineering field. However, pressure transducers have a history of drift and attenuated readings when exposed to the natural fiberotic processes of the body over time. The method of direct measurement using sonomicrometers would be preferred since their sensitivity and accuracy does not diminish over time.
An extremely precise measure of the inflow and outflow quantities can theoretically lead to the determination that a flow imbalance is occurring or is about to occur, but even the smallest error in such flow measurements are integrated over time resulting in a feedback mechanism governed by faulty information. Pressure transducers are vulnerable to fibrotic processes that reduce their ability to directly sense the chamber or vascular pressure in question, and their use necessitates that they be placed in the blood stream, which is a surgical complication as well as a thrombolytic risk to the patient. Strain gauges are an alternative way to measure the degree of stretch of a vascular or ventricular structure, but they have a limited range of function and only give measures of relative changes in size. They can also suffer from long-term drift.
Also, the sensation of pressure in the inflow and outflow vessel or ventricle does not give an accurate indication of the degree of collapse or dilation of the vessel or ventricle. Because of this, optimal matching of the inflow and outflow conditions can not be obtained over the wide range of pumping functions required, for example, during outpatient ambulatory activity. The conditions of collapse and hyperdilation can stress or damage the heart muscle, creating a situation that is counter-productive to the overall goal of VAD therapy, which in some cases is to allow a failing heart to regenerate.
The VAD also has inflow and outflow orifices or ports 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 which are directly sewn into specific sites on the heart or the great vessels which come directly off the heart as shown in FIG. 2 for bi-ventricular support. These sites are typically the right atrium 22 , the left ventricle 24 (usually the apex), the proximal aorta 24 (usually not above the ascending arch), and the proximal pulmonary artery 26 . FIG. 2 shows these sites and the conduits which lead from them to the pumping device. All of these sites and vascular structures are compliant and are also susceptible to damage should they be distended or dilated due to over-filling by the artificial pump. Also, they are as susceptible to collapse leading to the cessation of blood flow if blood is withdrawn from them too quickly. Thus, increased VAD operation can also damage these components.
As is accomplished by the present invention, the addition of sonomicrometer technology allows for the direct measurement of the size of the inflow and outflow regions (be they vessels or chambers) and this information would be used as part of a feedback or control process to regulate the pumping action of the VAD. The present invention is applicable to all types of such devices by providing size, shape, area or volume information on the chamber or vessel they are withdrawing blood from or ejecting blood into. Specifically as used with a bladder type VAD, an important aspect of its operation is that it squeezes it's respective blood chamber when that chamber is sufficiently filled with blood, rather than simply relying on a sensation of pressure within the chamber, which is not a reliable guarantee of sufficient filling. The present invention can monitor the size of the chamber with the appropriate algebraic combination of sonomicrometer length measurements resulting in an aggregate signal indicative of chamber volume. This signal would then be monitored by the VAD controller which would make a decision to activate the bladder when the volume has reached a pre-determined value.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, sonomicrometer functions are incorporated into a VAD. The sonomicrometer arrangement measures the distance between piezoelectric transducers by causing the transducers to send and receive pulses of ultrasound energy between each other. By measuring the transit-time of these pulses through an interposing sound conducting material the distance between these transducers is determined. These transducers would be applied to the vascular or ventricular'structures that comprise the inflow and outflow regions connected to the VAD. This enables the continuous determination of size, area, and volume of these structures. These measurements are then incorporated into the control process of the VAD as.it operates so as to prevent the occurrence of collapse or hyperdilation of the vascular or ventricular structure in question.
The exemplary embodiment of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 3, in which three separate functional modules are shown which may remain physically separate or be combined as desired to meet ergonomic or reliability or manufacturing criteria. The sonomicrometer 50 includes an associated sonomicrometer control and data processor 52 that performs dimensional measurements of the heart via ultrasonic transducers 54 which have been attached to relevant sites. (For clarity, the inflow and outflow conduits leading to the VAD pumps are not shown, but it should be appreciated that these conduits can be connected in any manner known to those skilled in the art.) FIG. 3 shows an approximate configuration for monitoring four inflow and outflow sites which are typical of bi-ventricular support. The number of ultrasound transducers can optionally be reduced if data from some sites is not required. Also, more than two transducers 60 can optionally be added to a given site in order to provide a more precise measure of area or volume of the relevant structure.
As also shown in FIG. 3, the sonomicrometer control 52 provides a control signal to a VAD controller 54 based on the sonomicrometer data. The VAD controller 54 regulates the operation of the pumping device 10 in such a way as to prevent relevant structures of the heart to not exceed pre-set (or adaptable) size or volume thresholds as reported by the sonomicrometer module, and in a likewise manner to prevent relevant structures to be reduced in size or volume to the point indicative of collapse. The VAD controller can be adapted to also take in data from other sensor types (not shown) such as pressure transducers or flow sensors, and the VAD controller can then be adapted to combine data from all sources to arrive at an integrated decision making process to control the pumping device.
The sonomicrometer control and data processor 52 , along with VAD controller 54 and a power supply 56 (preferably a battery) are housed in an electronic module 58 suitable for implantation in the body or outside the body, as determined by necessity, ergonomics or practicality considerations. This housing can be made from metal alloys or plastic polyrners. Electrical connections to the housing are to be durable and fully sealed against the intrusion of body fluids and other contaminants. Provisions can be made for auxiliary data connections to allow changes to be made to the programming or functioning of this module by an external computer.
The electronics module 58 is provided for the sequential transmission and reception of ultrasound signals between the attached piezoelectric transducers 60 . In the preferred embodiment, the micro-processor 52 runs an embedded program that controls the operation of the transducers 60 . Additionally, in a preferred embodiment, this module is housed within the same enclosure as the VAD controller 60 . The piezoelectric transducers 60 are connected via wires to the electronics module 58 . The module 58 generates distance data in the form of digital or analog signals by causing the transducers to emit pulses of ultrasound while processing the received signals from non-transmitting transducers. Ultrasound signals in a range of between approximately 1-10 MHz with an amplitude in a range of between approximately 1-50 mV are communicated by receiving transducers to the module. Step-impulse signals on the order of several volts are sent to the transmitting transducers from the module.
During operation, the electronics module 58 causes the transducers 60 to sequentially emit pulses of ultrasound at a repetition rate from approximately 50 Hz to 500 Hz. Transducers 60 that are not emitting are instead receiving these acoustic pulses and the received signals are processed and converted to distance signals that are proportional to the distance between the given receiving transducer and the transmitting transducer.
The ultrasonic transducers 60 are configured to measure the physical dimensions of the heart or other body structure during operation of the device. In some of the contemplated embodiments of this invention, several such measurements are combined algebraically to derive a 2-dimensional area or 3-dimensional volume of the body structure. Any of these measurements, or their derivatives, can be further processed to yield the variation (maxima and minima) and rate of change of the heart or other body structure. For example, in one specific arrangement, three transducers 60 can be placed on the body structure to form a triangle, to measure the area enclosed by this triangle. In another specific arrangement, four transducers 60 can be used to model a cylindrical volume corresponding to the heart or other body structure, where the cylindrical volume has a cylindrical cross-section and a length. One pair of transducers 60 is taken to measure the circular cross-sectional diameter and the other pair is taken to measure the length of the cylinder. Of course, it will be appreciated that the transducers 60 can be varied in placement and in number to model any other desired geometrical shapes, such as would occur to those skilled in the art, without departing from the invention.
The distance signal derived from the transducers 60 may be conveyed as a digital unsigned quantity ranging from 8 to 16 bits wide, or it may be conveyed as a uni-polar analog voltage ranging from 0 (zero) to several volts in amplitude. The information provided above is used to determine if the size of measured structures are outside the desired range and, if so, to modify the pump action of the VAD so as to bring the size of these structures back to within the desired range.
The piezoelectric ultrasound transducers 60 can be constructed in a variety of ways, of cylindrical shape in the preferred embodiment. FIG. 4 shows the preferred embodiment of such a transducer 60 . Signal wires 62 are bonded to-the inner and outer surface of the transducer 60 . For durability purposes, these would be teflon-insulated multi-stranded stainless steel wires arranged as a twisted pair and covered in a silicone jacket. Also shown is a pair of attachment rings 64 for affixing to the surface of the heart, which would also be incorporated into an encapsulation material 66 surrounding the transducer. Other arrangements of attachment mechanisms are possible. The encapsulation material 66 is, biocompatible and may consist of injection-formed plastic or epoxy.
The piezoelectric transducers 60 can alternatively be flat or disk-shaped, fabricated from planar stock material, and can be approximately 1 to 2 mm, encapsulated in a material with long-term durability and biocompatiblity, such as Teflon ™ . Two signal wires and possibly a third shield wire will extend from these transducers in a flexible, durable, biocompatible cable and connect to an electronic sonomicrometer module. In this alternative embodiment, the two signal wires are made from 32 gauge stainless steel with a Teflon ™ insulation arranged as a twisted pair. This pair is coated with a layer of silastic (silicone) with an over-all diameter of approximately 2 mm. A third wire (un-shielded) coil-wraps the twisted pair along it's entire length within the silastic coating. This cable terminates within an electronics control module. This module may be implanted inside the body, or alternatively may be positioned outside the body, in which case these cables will pass through a skin incision or through a connector device affixed to the skin surface.
The distance signals generated by the electronics module 58 are conveyed to the VAD controller 54 . This conveyance can preferably be in the form of digital data transference on the data bus of the existing control assembly or in the form of an analog voltage signal that is sampled periodically by an Analog-to-Digital converter which is part of the control assembly or control computer.
The microprocessor operation code of the present invention is indicated as follows:
Code Inputs (Sonomicrometer Control Module):
Number of crystals attached to the module;
Desired data sampling frequency;
List of dimensions to be output from the module;
Miscellaneous parameters related to sonomicrometer function;
Signals to reset the module or suspend it's operation.
Code Outputs (Sonomicrometer Module):
distance data (in analog signal form via DAC or as numeric data);
computed data (such as algebraic combinations of the distance data).
Sonomicrometer Module Microprocessor Code:
This code takes input parameters and generates distance data or computed data by controlling the sequence of operation of ultrasonic transmission and reception hardware.
Code Inputs (VAD Controller):
dimension or computed data from sonomicrometer module;
physiological operating range of structures being measured.
Code Outputs (VAD Controller):
A control signal (on/off, true/false, or variable control signal) used as a signal to regulate the pump operation of the VAD. If there are existing regulation signals then this control signal would be added in an appropriately weighed manner to these existing signals.
VAD Controller Code:
The VAD controller 54 is an existing computational or control module designed specifically for it's intended type of VAD pump. Presumably it will always have a feedback process for the regulation of the pumping activity of the VAD, but it is beyond this invention to know how these feedback processes have been implemented.
Other benefits of this invention include the ability to monitor/measure the pumping activity of the natural heart if the VAD fails or if the VAD is turned off to test the capability or degree of recovery of the natural heart. It should be understood and appreciated that the elements and structure of the present sonomicrometric apparatus can be adapted and applied to other implantable biomedical devices to provide a sonomicrometer-based dimension-measurement data collection and evaluation system, as indicated in the following exemplary embodiments, as given below.
B. Inclusion of Dimension Measurement Capability in Pacemakers
Piezoelectric crystals (e.g., PZT or PVDF) are attached to pre-existing pacemaker pacing leads (so that the complexity of the implantation procedure is not increased), or the crystals are attached to separate leads so that they can be more appropriately positioned to measure specific cardiac dimension(s).
Previous patents issued to the assignee of the present application, Sonometrics Corporation, include the ability to sense bio-potentials through the existing metal plating on the crystal, so that the same wires can be used for ECG sensing and sonomicrometer operation with the appropriate multiplexing circuits. These patents include U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,298, issued Aug. 18, 1998, which is fully incorporated herein by reference.
A modification of the sonomicrometer measurement is the echo-reflection or single-element range-finder, where dimensions arc measured from a single transducer to a selected reflection boundary. For example, this may result in the measurement of cardiac wall thickness at the site of transducer contact.
Pre-existing microcomputers inside the pacemaker may activate sonomicrometer (or range-finder) circuits continuously, or only during diagnostically relevant times to conserve battery power.
Multiple cardiac dimensions may be measured by increasing the number of transducers providing position data. During operation, the pacemaker may acquire cardiac dimensional data and compute items such as, but not limited to, actual heart beat rate, contractile amplitude, contractility, cardiac size, stroke volume and ejection fraction. This computed data is referred to as “computed parameters.” The pacemaker uses the computed parameters to alter its functionality by, for example, deciding when pacing is, or is not, appropriate or indicated. Depending on the capabilities of the pacemaker and the clinical relevancy of the computed parameters, the computed parameters may be stored internally by the pacemaker so that a history or trend of these computed parameters can be clinically assessed. Computed parameters identifying a trend can again be used by the pacemaker to make decisions on when pacing is or is not, appropriate or indicated.
In cases where the ECG signal becomes compromised, the pacemaker may be switched into a mode where its' functionality is determined by the characteristics of the cardiac dimension signal(s) and/or the computed parameters.
C. Inclusion of Dimension Measurement Capability in Implantable Defibrillators
The comments set forth above in section B also apply to an implantable defibrillator. Moreover, a defibrillator can use the cardiac dimensional data and/or the computed parameters to determine if there is a genuine need to apply a defibrillation shock. Once the shock is given, the subsequent cardiac dimensional data can provide invaluable information on post-shock cardiac contractility.
D. Use of Dimensional Measurements during Post-Operative Cardiac Monitoring
Two or more sonomicrometer transducers and/or one or more wall thickness transducers can be attached to the myocardium during an invasive heart procedure so that the resulting cardiac dimensional data and/or wall thickness data can be measured and parameters such as, but not limited to, heart rate contractile amplitude, contractility, cardiac size, stroke volume and ejection fraction can be computed. This information, and their trends, is displayed to clinicians during the procedure and also post-operatively by way of a bedside monitoring unit. These transducers are later detached from the myocardium and withdrawn though chest tubes that are normally in place post-operatively.
The state of the heart can be assessed by knowing the values of the various computed parameters and their trends. This information can be used to adjust drug doses and treatment protocols during recovery without employing more sophisticated diagnostic instruments such as echo-cardiography or Swan-Ganz catheterization. The continuous measurement of cardiac dimensional data during recovery can be tracked and alarms can be set to indicate poor cardiac function that can be acted upon immediately by medical staff.
E. Inclusion of Dimension Measurement Capability in Prosthetic Devices
Prosthetic devices that undergo shape changes in response to natural forces within the body are carefully designed to be durable for the life of the device. It is stated here that such devices would benefit from the inclusion of dimension-measurement transducers which would provide information on the degree of motion or flexing the :device is experiencing. Such information can be transmitted to a monitor outside the body during clinical evaluation of the device. Pending failure of the device, or indications that the device is functioning outside it's design limits, can be indicated by the data from the dimension measurement transducers, enabling medical personnel to take corrective action on the device. Examples of prosthetic devices that would benefit from the inclusion of dimension-measurement transducers are heart valves, vascular stents, and artificial joints.
F. Inclusion of Dimension Measurement Capability in Diagnostic, Therapeutic, and Surgical Instruments
During certain medical procedures it is necessary to position or guide two or more instruments into a region of the body from different entry points or through different pathways. The addition of dimension measurement transducers to these instruments would provide a simple indication of their separation during insertion, manipulation, and positioning, allowing the clinician to position the devices appropriately.
An example would be the placement of a transjugular intra-hepatic portosystemic shunt. Additionally, a previously implanted dimension measurement transducer can act as a locator reference for diagnostic, therapeutic, or surgical instruments, enabling medical personnel to quickly and directly guide the instrument to the vicinity of the transducer.
The present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. It is intended that all such modifications and alterations be included insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.
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A biomedical apparatus is disclosed including an implantable biomedical device for providing biomedical assistance to the body structure and a device controller for regulating the operation of the biomedical device. A sonomicrometer arrangement is provided, in contact with the body structure and in communication with the device controller. The sonomicrometer arrangement ultrasonically measures at least one physical parameter of the body structure and provides feedback information to the device controller. The device controller then regulates the operation of the biomedical device in response to the feedback information.
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FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to compounds that are useful as metal ligands and which can be bound to a biological entity such as a molecular recognition moiety and methods of making these compounds. Once the compounds that are bound to a biological entity are coordinated with a suitable metallic radionuclide, the coordinated compounds are useful as radiopharmaceuticals in the areas of radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging. The invention therefore also relates to methods of diagnosis and therapy utilising the radiolabelled compounds of the invention.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Radiolabelled compounds may be used as radiopharmaceuticals in a number of applications such as in radiotherapy or diagnostic imaging. In order for a radiolabelled compound to be employed as a radiopharmaceutical there are a number of desirable properties that the compound should ideally possess such as acceptable stability and, where possible, a degree of selectivity or targeting ability.
[0003] Initial work in the areas of radiopharmaceuticals focussed on simple metal ligands which were generally readily accessible and hence easy to produce. A difficulty with many of these radiolabelled compounds is that the complex formed between the ligand and the metal ion was not sufficiently strong and so dissociation of the metal ion from the ligand occurred in the physiological environment. This was undesirable as with the use of ligands of this type there was no ability to deliver the radiopharmaceutical to the desired target area in the body as metal exchange with metal ions in the physiological environment meant that when the radiopharmaceutical compound arrived at the desired site of action the level of radiolabelled metal ion coordinated to the compound had become significantly reduced. In addition where this type of exchange is observed the side effects experienced by the subject of the radiotherapy or radio-imaging are increased as radioactive material is delivered to otherwise healthy tissue in the body rather than predominantly to its place of action.
[0004] In order to overcome the problem of metal dissociation in the physiological environment a number of more complicated ligands have been developed and studied over time. Thus, for example a wide range of tetra-azamacrocycles based on the cyclam and cyclen framework have been investigated. Examples of ligands of this type include DOTA and TETA.
[0000]
[0005] Unfortunately, even with these ligands there is still dissociation of the metal with certain derivatives. For example, some derivatives suffer from dissociation of Cu from the chelate as a consequence of transchelation to biological ligands such as copper transport proteins either as Cu 2+ or following in vivo reduction to Cu + .
[0006] In order to increase the stability of radiolabelled compounds therefore hexaminemacrobicyclic cage amine ligands, known by their trivial name sarcophagines have been developed. These cage ligands form remarkably stable complexes with metals such as Cu 2+ and have fast complexation kinetics even at low concentrations of metal at ambient temperatures. These features therefore make ligands of this type particularly well suited in radiopharmaceutical applications, especially those applications involving copper.
[0007] Once the problem of stability of the complex between the ligand and the metal had been overcome attention turned to developing ways in which the ligand could be functionalised to incorporate targeting molecules within the ligand without compromising the stability of the metal ligand complex or the ultimate biological activity of the targeting molecule. A number of different targeting molecules are known in the art and the issue became how best to attach these to the ligand molecules.
[0008] In general the targeting molecule (or molecular recognition moiety as it is sometimes known) is attached to the ligand to provide a final compound containing both a ligand and a molecular recognition moiety. Whilst these compounds may contain a single molecular recognition moiety they may also be multimeric constructs where the ligand is attached to two (or more) molecular recognition moieties. This is typically desirable as a multimeric construct can possess higher affinity for a target receptor than its monomeric equivalent. This is in part due to an increase in the local concentration of the targeting group, allowing it to compete more effectively with endogenous ligands. In addition in circumstances where there is sufficient length between two or more targeting groups within a multimeric construct, then cooperative binding is possible, and two or more targeting groups will bind to two or more receptor sites at the same time. Indeed it has been observed that in vivo, a multimeric construct often demonstrates higher target tissue accumulation than its monomeric equivalent. Without wishing to be bound by theory it is thought that this is due to the higher affinity of the multimeric construct for the target receptor than that of the monomeric construct. Furthermore, the multimeric construct has a higher molecular weight than the monomeric construct and therefore prolonged bioavailability (as it is more resistant to degradation in the physiological environment). This can result in increased accumulation and retention in target tissue.
[0009] Initial work in the caged ligand area looked at direct coupling reactions of the primary amines of the cage amine ‘diaminosarcophagine’, 1,8-diamino-3,6,10,13,16,19-hexaaza bicyclo[6.6.6]icosane ((NH 2 ) 2 sar), with peptides using standard coupling procedures. Unfortunately for a variety of reasons this has proven to be relatively inefficient and work in this area ceased. Workers then focussed on the incorporation of an aromatic amine to produce SarAr. The pendent aromatic amine can be used in conjugation reactions with the carboxylate residues of peptides or antibodies and it has been shown that SarAr could be conjugated to anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody (14.G2a) and its chimeric derivative (ch14.8) and the conjugate has been radiolabelled with 64 Cu.
[0000]
[0010] A difficulty with this approach is that in reaction of the aromatic amine in the conjugation step there are 8 other nitrogen atoms in the SarAr molecule that are available for competing reactions leading to the potential for the creation of a large number of impurities that is undesirable from a pharmaceutical sense. Whilst these could potentially be overcome by the use of substantial protective group chemistry this is clearly undesirable from a synthetic standpoint and scale up on a commercial scale.
[0011] An alternative approach has been to elaborate the ligand to incorporate carboxylate functional groups and incorporate peptides or antibodies via their N-terminal amine residues and this approach is of particular importance when the C-terminus is crucial to biological activity. Studies have shown that (NH 2 ) 2 sar, can be functionalised with up to four carboxymethyl substituents via alkylation reactions with chloroacetic acid and the introduced carboxymethyl arms can be used as a point of further functionalisation and EDC-coupling reactions can then be used to introduce amino acids.
[0012] Unfortunately a potential disadvantage of these systems is that intramolecular cyclisation reactions can still occur in which the carboxymethyl arm reacts with a secondary amine of the cage framework to form lactam rings resulting in quadridentate rather than sexidentate ligands. Accordingly whilst this approach can be followed the potential for unwanted side reactions is clearly undesirable from a commercial perspective.
[0013] Further studies directed towards the functionalisation of ((NH 2 ) 2 sar) was based around its reaction with activated di-carbonyl compounds such as acid anhydrides leading to the formation of an amide bond to the amine nitrogen and a free carboxylic acid moiety which was available for further elaboration to the desired binding onto a molecular recognition moiety. This lead to the formation of a carbonyl moiety as the “stick” end on the cage ligand and this was not always easy to elaborate by attachment to the molecular recognition moiety as was optimal. Accordingly there was a desire to probe ways in which the cage ligand with a pendant carboxylic acid moiety could be attached to a biological entity to make this step in the overall process more efficient.
SUMMARY
[0014] In one aspect there is provided a method of functionalising a compound of the formula (1) or a metal complex thereof:
[0000]
[0015] wherein Lig is a nitrogen containing macrocyclic metal ligand;
[0016] L is a bond or a linking moiety;
[0017] to modify its ability to bind to a biological entity the method comprising;
[0000] (a) converting the compound of formula (1) or a metal complex thereof to a compound of formula (2) or a metal complex thereof
[0000]
[0018] wherein L 1 is a spacer group;
[0000] (b) converting the compound of formula (2) or a metal complex thereof to a compound of formula (3) or a metal complex thereof
[0000]
[0019] wherein R is a moiety capable of binding to a biological entity or a protected form thereof or a synthon thereof.
[0020] In the steps of the present method the conversions or reactions may be carried out on the compounds per se or their metal complexes. Whilst the reactions can be carried out on the uncomplexed compounds in many instances this is undesirable as nitrogen atoms in the nitrogen containing macrocyclic metal ligand may interfere with the desired reaction. As such by first forming the metal complex the metal acts to de-activate these nitrogens in the nitrogen containing macrocyclic metal ligand and so acts as a pseudo protecting group for the ligand nitrogen atoms. As such in one embodiment it is desirable to carry out the conversions and reactions on the metal complex of the compound in question. A number of metals may be used for this purpose with magnesium being found to be particularly suitable.
[0021] By elaborating the compound of formula (1) above using the method outlined a large number of functionalised metal chelating ligands can be produced. Accordingly in an even further aspect the present invention provides a compound of the formula (3):
[0000]
[0022] wherein Lig is a nitrogen containing macrocyclic metal ligand;
[0023] L is a bond or a linking moiety;
[0024] L 1 is a spacer group;
[0025] R is a moiety capable of binding to a biological entity or a protected form thereof or a synthon thereof;
[0026] As with any group of structurally related compounds which possess a particular utility, and methods for their production, certain embodiments of variables of the compounds of the formula (3) which are particularly useful in their end use application.
[0027] In the compounds of formula (3) the L moiety serves as a linking moiety that serves to act as a spacer between the two carbonyl moieties which separate the ligand which can be bound to the radionuclide and the point of further elaboration. As such whilst it is desirable that there be a certain degree of separation between the two in order to ensure that the two entities do not interfere with each other's activity it is also important that the two are not so far removed such that the radionuclide is not effectively delivered to its site of operation.
[0028] In some embodiments L is a linking moiety having from 1 to 20 atoms in the normal chain. In some embodiments L is a linking moiety having from 1 to 15 atoms in the normal chain. In some embodiments L is a linking moiety having from 1 to 12 atoms in the normal chain. In some embodiments L is a linking moiety having from 1 to 10 atoms in the normal chain. In some embodiments L is a linking moiety having from 1 to 8 atoms in the normal chain. In some embodiments L has 8 atoms in the normal chain. In some embodiments L has 7 atoms in the normal chain. In some embodiments L has 6 atoms in the normal chain. In some embodiments L has 5 atoms in the normal chain. In some embodiments L has 4 atoms in the normal chain. In some embodiments L has 3 atoms in the normal chain. In some embodiments L has 2 atoms in the normal chain. In some embodiments L has 1 atom in the normal chain.
[0029] A wide range of possible moieties may be use to create a linking moiety of this type. Examples of suitable moieties that may be used in the creation of L include optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, substituted C 2 -C 12 heteroalkyl, optionally substituted C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 6 -C 18 aryl, and optionally substituted C 1 -C 18 heteroaryl.
[0030] In some embodiments L is a group of the formula:
[0000] —(CH 2 ) q CO(AA) r NH(CH 2 ) s —
[0031] wherein each AA is independently an amino acid group;
[0032] q is an integer selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8;
[0033] r is an integer selected from the group consisting of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8;
[0034] s is an integer selected from the group consisting of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
[0035] In some embodiments q is 1. In some embodiments q is 2. In some embodiments q is 3. In some embodiments q is 4. In some embodiments q is 5. In some embodiments q is 6. In some embodiments q is 7. In some embodiments q is 8.
[0036] In some embodiments r is 0. In some embodiments r is 1. In some embodiments r is 2. In some embodiments r is 3. In some embodiments r is 4. In some embodiments r is 5. In some embodiments r is 6. In some embodiments r is 7. In some embodiments r is 8.
[0037] In some embodiments s is 0. In some embodiments s is 1. In some embodiments s is 2. In some embodiments s is 3. In some embodiments s is 4. In some embodiments s is 5. In some embodiments s is 6. In some embodiments s is 7. In some embodiments s is 8.
[0038] In some embodiments the amino acid is a naturally occurring amino acid. In some embodiments the amino acid is a non-naturally occurring amino acid. In some embodiments the amino acid is selected from the group consisting of phenyl alanine, tyrosine, amino hexanoic acid and cysteine.
[0039] In some embodiments q is 3, r is o and s is 5. In these embodiments X is a group of the formula:
[0000] —(CH 2 ) 3 CONH(CH 2 ) 5 —
[0040] In some embodiments L is a group of the formula:
[0000] —(CH 2 ) a —,
[0041] wherein optionally one or more of the CH 2 groups may be independently replaced by a heteroatomic group selected from S, O, P and NR 4 where R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, optionally substituted C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 6 -C 18 aryl, and optionally substituted C 1 -C 18 heteroaryl;
[0042] a is an integer selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.
[0043] In some forms of these embodiments the L group may contain a poly ethoxy group (PEG). In some embodiments L is a group of the formula:
[0044] —(CH 2 ) l —(CH 2 CH 2 O) m (CH 2 ) n —
[0045] wherein l is an integer selected from the group consisting of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10;
[0046] wherein m is an integer selected from the group consisting of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10; and
[0047] wherein n is an integer selected from the group consisting of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
[0048] In some embodiments l is selected from the group consisting of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. In some embodiments l is 5. In some embodiments l is 4. In some embodiments l is 3. In some embodiments l is 2. In some embodiments l is 1. In some embodiments l is 0.
[0049] In some embodiments m is selected from the group consisting of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. In some embodiments m is 5. In some embodiments m is 4. In some embodiments m is 3. In some embodiments m is 2. In some embodiments m is 1. In some embodiments m is 0.
[0050] In some embodiments n is selected from the group consisting of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. In some embodiments n is 5. In some embodiments n is 4. In some embodiments n is 3. In some embodiments m is 2. In some embodiments n is 1. In some embodiments n is 0.
[0051] Specific examples of L groups of this type include —CH 2 —(CH 2 CH 2 O) 3 (CH 2 ) 3 —; and —(CH 2 CH 2 O) 3 (CH 2 ) 2 —. As will be appreciated by a skilled worker in the field the values of l, m and n can be varied widely to arrive at a large number of possible L groups of this type.
[0052] In some embodiments L is a group of the formula:
[0000] —(CH 2 ) a —,
[0053] wherein optionally one or more of the CH 2 groups may be independently replaced by a heteroatomic group selected from S, O, P and NR 4 where R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, optionally substituted C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 6 -C 18 aryl, and optionally substituted C 1 -C 18 heteroaryl; and
[0054] a is an integer selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
[0055] In some embodiments a is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. In some embodiments a is 4. In some embodiments a is 3. In some embodiments a is 2. In some embodiments a is 1.
[0056] In some embodiments L is selected from the group consisting of —CH 2 —, —CH 2 CH 2 —, —CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 —, —CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 — and —CH 2 OCH 2 —.
[0057] In some embodiments L is —(CH 2 )—. In some embodiments L is —(CH 2 ) 2 —. In some embodiments L is —(CH 2 ) 3 —. In some embodiments L is —(CH 2 ) 4 —. In some embodiments L is —(CH 2 ) 5 —. In some embodiments L is —(CH 2 ) 6 —. In some embodiments L is —(CH 2 ) 7 —. In some embodiments L is —(CH 2 ) 8 —. In some embodiments L is —(CH 2 ) 9 —. In some embodiments L is —(CH 2 ) 10 —.
[0058] In some embodiments the ligand (Lig) may be a tetra-azamacrocycle based on the cyclam and cyclen framework. In some embodiments Lig is a nitrogen containing cage metal ligand. Cage ligands of this type are typically useful as they bind strongly to metal ions leading to a stable complex being formed.
[0059] In some embodiments Lig is a nitrogen containing cage metal ligand of the formula:
[0000]
[0060] V is selected from the group consisting of N and CR 1 ;
[0061] each R x and R y are independently selected from the group consisting of H, CH 3 , CO 2 H, NO 2 , CH 2 OH, H 2 PO 4 , HSO 3 , CN, CONH 2 and CHO;
[0062] each p is independently an integer selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, and 4;
[0063] R 1 is selected from the group consisting of H, OH, halogen, NO 2 , NH 2 , optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, optionally substituted C 6 -C 18 aryl, cyano, CO 2 R 2 , NHR 3 , N(R 3 ) 2 and a group of the formula:
[0000]
[0064] L is as defined above;
[0065] R 6 is selected from the group consisting of H, OH, NH 2 , NHR 3 , N(R 3 ) 2 and NH-L 1 -R,
[0066] L 1 is as defined above;
[0067] R is a moiety capable of binding to a biological entity or a protected form thereof or a synthon thereof;
[0068] R 2 is selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, an oxygen protecting group, optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 alkynyl and optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 heteroalkyl;
[0069] each R 3 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, L-R′, a nitrogen protecting group, optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, —(C═O)-substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 alkynyl and optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 heteroalkyl.
[0070] wherein L is as defined above;
[0071] R′ is H, optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, or a moiety capable of binding to a biological entity.
[0072] In some embodiments Lig is a nitrogen containing cage metal ligand of the formula:
[0000]
[0000] V is selected from the group consisting of N and CR 1 ;
[0073] each R x and R y are independently selected from the group consisting of H, CH 3 , CO 2 H, NO 2 , CH 2 OH, H 2 PO 4 , HSO 3 , CN, CONH 2 and CHO;
[0074] each p is independently an integer selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, and 4;
[0075] R 1 is selected from the group consisting of H, OH, halogen, NO 2 , NH 2 , optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, optionally substituted C 6 -C 18 aryl, cyano, CO 2 R 2 , NHR 3 , N(R 3 ) 2 ,
[0076] R 2 is selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, an oxygen protecting group, optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 alkynyl and optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 heteroalkyl;
[0077] each R 3 is independently selected from the group consisting of H, L-R′, a nitrogen protecting group, optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, —(C═O)-substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 alkynyl and optionally substituted C 2 -C 12 heteroalkyl;
[0078] wherein L is as defined above and R′ is H, optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, or a moiety capable of binding to a biological entity.
[0079] In some embodiments Lig is a macrocyclic metal ligand of the formula:
[0000]
[0000] wherein R x , R y and p are as defined above.
[0080] In some embodiments Lig is a macrocyclic ligand of the formula:
[0000]
[0081] wherein R x , R y , R 1 and p are as defined above.
[0082] In some embodiments Lig is selected from the group consisting of:
[0000]
[0000] wherein R 1 is as defined above.
[0083] In some embodiments Lig is a group of the formula:
[0000]
[0084] In some embodiments L 1 is a linking moiety having from 1 to 20 atoms in the normal chain.
[0085] In some embodiments L 1 is a group of the formula
[0000] —(CH 2 ) a —,
[0086] wherein optionally one or more of the CH 2 groups may be independently replaced by a heteroatomic group selected from S, O, P and NR 4 where R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, optionally substituted C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 6 -C 18 aryl, and optionally substituted C 1 -C 18 heteroaryl;
[0087] a is an integer selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
[0088] In some embodiments a is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. In some embodiments a is 4. In some embodiments a is 3. In some embodiments a is 2. In some embodiments a is 1.
[0089] In some embodiments L 1 is selected from the group consisting of —CH 2 —, —CH 2 CH 2-3 —CH 2 CH 2 CH 2-3 and —CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 . In some embodiments L 1 is —CH 2 CH 2 CH 2— .
[0090] R is a moiety capable of binding to a biological entity, or a protected form thereof or a synthon thereof. The moiety may have the ability to bind to a biological moiety such as an antibody, a protein, a peptide, a carbohydrate, a nucleic acid, an oligonucleotide, an oligosaccharide and a liposome or a fragment or derivative thereof.
[0091] As such the R group reacts or binds to a complementary moiety on the biological entity of interest. For example in one embodiment the R moiety is a moiety capable of taking part in a click chemistry reaction with a complementary moiety on a biological entity. Examples of complementary paired functional groups that are well known to undergo “click” chemistry reactions are alkyne-azide, alkyne-nitrile oxide, nitrile-azide and maleimide-anthracene. Each of the paired complementary functional groups gives rise to cyclic moieties when they directly react with one another in a covalent cycloaddition reaction. The person skilled in the art would be able to select other functional group pairings capable of participating in cycloaddition reactions of this type that satisfy the requirements of click chemistry. In general thereof the identity of the R group will be chosen based on the relevant complementary R group on the biological entity of interest.
[0092] The R group may also react or bind to the biological entity by reaction with a pendant moiety on the biological entity (either naturally present or by modification of the biological entity). Once again a skilled worked in the field will be able to review the biological entity of interest in any specific circumstance and determine a suitable R group to bind to the pendant moieties on the R group.
[0093] In some embodiments R is selected from the group consisting of —NCS, CO 2 H, NH 2 , an azide, an alkyne, an isonitrile, a tetrazine, maleimide, or a protected form thereof or a synthon thereof.
[0094] In some embodiments of the compounds of the invention the nitrogen containing macrocyclic metal ligand is complexed with a metal ion. The ligand may be complexed with any suitable metal ion and may be used to deliver a range of metal ions. In some embodiments the metal in the metal ion is selected from the group consisting of Cu, Tc, Gd, Ga, In, Co, Re, Fe, Mg, Ca, Au, Ag, Rh, Pt, Bi, Cr, W, Ni, V, Ir, Pt, Zn, Cd, Mn, Ru, Pd, Hg, and Ti.
[0095] In some embodiments the metal in the metal ion is a radionuclide selected from the group consisting of Cu, Tc, Ga, Co, In, Fe, and Ti. The present compounds have been found to be particularly applicable useful in binding copper ions. In some embodiments the metal in the metal ion is a radionuclide selected from the group consisting of 60 Cu, 62 Cu, 64 Cu and 67 Cu. In some embodiments the metal in the metal ion is 60 Cu. In some embodiments the metal in the metal ion is 62 Cu. In some embodiments the metal in the metal ion is 64 Cu. In some embodiments the metal in the metal ion is 67 Cu.
[0096] The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions including a compound of the invention as described above and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent or excipient.
[0097] In one embodiment of the methods of the invention step (a) comprises the steps of:
[0000] (a1)) converting the compound of formula (1) or a metal complex thereof into a compound of formula (Ia) or a metal complex thereof:
[0000]
[0000] wherein Lv is a group that can be displaced by a nitrogen moiety in a nucleophillic substitution reaction;
(a2) reacting the compound of formula (1a) or a metal complex thereof with a nitrogen nucleophile of the formula:
[0000]
[0000] to form a compound of formula (2) or a metal complex thereof.
[0098] In some embodiments of the method the group Lv is a leaving group. In some embodiments steps (1a) and (1b) are carried out on the metal complexes of the respective compounds being reacted as the metal acts as a protecting group for the nitrogen atoms in the cage ligand.
[0099] In some embodiments the compound of formula (2) is converted to a compound of formula (3) by reacting the amine with a reagent selected from the group consisting of an azide, thiosphosgene, carbon disulphide and an acid anhydride. In some embodiments this reaction is carried out on the metal complex of the compound of formula (2). In some embodiments this reaction is carried out on the non-complexed or free compound of formula (2). In embodiments where this occurs in which the compound of formula (2) is produced as a metal complex the method includes an additional step of removing the metal complex prior to further reaction.
[0100] In some embodiments the reagent is an azide. In some embodiments the reagent is thiosphosgene. In some embodiments the reagent is carbon disulphide. In some embodiments the reagent is maleic anhydride.
[0101] These and other features of the present teachings are set forth herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0102] In this specification a number of terms are used which are well known to a skilled addressee. Nevertheless for the purposes of clarity a number of terms will be defined.
[0103] As used herein, the term “unsubstituted” means that there is no substituent or that the only substituents are hydrogen.
[0104] The term “optionally substituted” as used throughout the specification denotes that the group may or may not be further substituted or fused (so as to form a condensed polycyclic system), with one or more non-hydrogen substituent groups. In certain embodiments the substituent groups are one or more groups independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, ═O, ═S, —CN, —NO 2 , —CF 3 , —OCF 3 , alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, haloalkyl, haloalkenyl, haloalkynyl, heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heterocycloalkyl, heterocycloalkenyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkylalkyl, heterocycloalkylalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, arylalkyl, cycloalkylalkenyl, heterocycloalkylalkenyl, arylalkenyl, heteroarylalkenyl, cycloalkylheteroalkyl, heterocycloalkylheteroalkyl, arylheteroalkyl, heteroarylheteroalkyl, hydroxy, hydroxyalkyl, alkyloxy, alkyloxyalkyl, alkyloxycycloalkyl, alkyloxyheterocycloalkyl, alkyloxyaryl, alkyloxyheteroaryl, alkyloxycarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, cycloalkyloxy, cycloalkenyloxy, heterocycloalkyloxy, heterocycloalkenyloxy, aryloxy, phenoxy, benzyloxy, heteroaryloxy, arylalkyloxy, amino, alkylamino, acylamino, aminoalkyl, arylamino, sulfonylamino, sulfinylamino, sulfonyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, aminosulfonyl, sulfinyl, alkylsulfinyl, arylsulfinyl, aminosulfinylaminoalkyl, —C(═O)OH, —C(═O)R a , —C(═O)OR a , C(═O)NR a R b , C(═NOH)R a , C(═NR a )NR b R c , NR a R b , NR a C(═O)R b , NR a C(═O)OR b , NR a C(═O)NR b R c , NR a C(═NR b )NR c R d , NR a SO 2 R b , —SR a , SO 2 NR a R b , —OR a , OC(═O)NR a R b , OC(═O)R a and acyl,
[0105] wherein R a , R b , R c and R d are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, C 1 -C 12 alkyl, C 1 -C 12 haloalkyl, C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, C 2 -C 12 alkynyl, C 2 -C 12 heteroalkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, C 3 -C 12 cycloalkenyl, C 2 -C 12 heterocycloalkyl, C 2 -C 12 heterocycloalkenyl, C 6 -C 18 aryl, C 1 -C 18 heteroaryl, and acyl, or any two or more of R a , R b , R c and R d , when taken together with the atoms to which they are attached form a heterocyclic ring system with 3 to 12 ring atoms.
[0106] In some embodiments each optional substituent is independently selected from the group consisting of: halogen, ═O, ═S, —CN, —NO 2 , —CF 3 , —OCF 3 , alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, haloalkyl, haloalkenyl, haloalkynyl, heteroalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heterocycloalkyl, heterocycloalkenyl, aryl, heteroaryl, hydroxy, hydroxyalkyl, alkyloxy, alkyloxyalkyl, alkyloxyaryl, alkyloxyheteroaryl, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, cycloalkyloxy, cycloalkenyloxy, heterocycloalkyloxy, heterocycloalkenyloxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, arylalkyl, heteroarylalkyl, arylalkyloxy, amino, alkylamino, acylamino, aminoalkyl, arylamino, sulfonyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, aminosulfonyl, aminoalkyl, —COOH, —SH, and acyl.
[0107] Examples of particularly suitable optional substituents include F, Cl, Br, I, CH 3 , CH 2 CH 3 , OH, OCH 3 , CF 3 , OCF 3 , NO 2 , NH 2 , and CN.
[0108] As used herein the term “amino acid” refers to a molecule which contains both an amine and a carboxyl function. The amino acid may be a natural or an unnatural amino acid.
[0109] “Alkenyl” as a group or part of a group denotes an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing at least one carbon-carbon double bond and which may be straight or branched preferably having 2-12 carbon atoms, more preferably 2-10 carbon atoms, most preferably 2-6 carbon atoms, in the normal chain. The group may contain a plurality of double bonds in the normal chain and the orientation about each is independently E or Z. Exemplary alkenyl groups include, but are not limited to, ethenyl, propenyl, butenyl, pentenyl, hexenyl, heptenyl, octenyl and nonenyl. The group may be a terminal group or a bridging group.
[0110] “Alkyl” as a group or part of a group refers to a straight or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group, preferably a C 1 -C 12 alkyl, more preferably a C 1 -C 10 alkyl, most preferably C 1 -C 6 unless otherwise noted. Examples of suitable straight and branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl substituents include methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, 2-propyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, t-butyl, hexyl, and the like. The group may be a terminal group or a bridging group.
[0111] “Alkynyl” as a group or part of a group means an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing a carbon-carbon triple bond and which may be straight or branched preferably having from 2-12 carbon atoms, more preferably 2-10 carbon atoms, more preferably 2-6 carbon atoms in the normal chain. Exemplary structures include, but are not limited to, ethynyl and propynyl. The group may be a terminal group or a bridging group.
[0112] “Aryl” as a group or part of a group denotes (i) an optionally substituted monocyclic, or fused polycyclic, aromatic carbocycle (ring structure having ring atoms that are all carbon) preferably having from 5 to 12 atoms per ring. Examples of aryl groups include phenyl, naphthyl, and the like; (ii) an optionally substituted partially saturated bicyclic aromatic carbocyclic moiety in which a phenyl and a C 5-7 cycloalkyl or C 5-7 cycloalkenyl group are fused together to form a cyclic structure, such as tetrahydronaphthyl, indenyl or indanyl. The group may be a terminal group or a bridging group. Typically an aryl group is a C 6 -C 18 aryl group.
[0113] “Cycloalkyl” refers to a saturated monocyclic or fused or spiro polycyclic, carbocycle preferably containing from 3 to 9 carbons per ring, such as cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl and the like, unless otherwise specified. It includes monocyclic systems such as cyclopropyl and cyclohexyl, bicyclic systems such as decalin, and polycyclic systems such as adamantane. A cycloalkyl group typically is a C 3 -C 9 cycloalkyl group. The group may be a terminal group or a bridging group.
[0114] “Halogen” represents chlorine, fluorine, bromine or iodine.
[0115] “Heteroalkyl” refers to a straight- or branched-chain alkyl group preferably having from 2 to 12 carbons, more preferably 2 to 6 carbons in the chain, in which one or more of the carbon atoms (and any associated hydrogen atoms) are each independently replaced by a heteroatomic group selected from S, O, P and NR′ where R′ is selected from the group consisting of H, optionally substituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl, optionally substituted C 3 -C 12 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 6 -C 18 aryl, and optionally substituted C 1 -C 18 heteroaryl. Exemplary heteroalkyls include alkyl ethers, secondary and tertiary alkyl amines, amides, alkyl sulfides, and the like. Examples of heteroalkyl also include hydroxyC 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkyloxyC 1 -C 6 alkyl, aminoC 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 alkylaminoC 1 -C 6 alkyl, and di(C 1 -C 6 alkyl)aminoC 1 -C 6 alkyl. The group may be a terminal group or a bridging group.
[0116] “Heteroaryl” either alone or part of a group refers to groups containing an aromatic ring (preferably a 5 or 6 membered aromatic ring) having one or more heteroatoms as ring atoms in the aromatic ring with the remainder of the ring atoms being carbon atoms. Suitable heteroatoms include nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur. Examples of heteroaryl include thiophene, benzothiophene, benzofuran, benzimidazole, benzoxazole, benzothiazole, benzisothiazole, naphtho[2,3-b]thiophene, furan, isoindolizine, xantholene, phenoxatine, pyrrole, imidazole, pyrazole, pyridine, pyrazine, pyrimidine, pyridazine, tetrazole, indole, isoindole, 1H-indazole, purine, quinoline, isoquinoline, phthalazine, naphthyridine, quinoxaline, cinnoline, carbazole, phenanthridine, acridine, phenazine, thiazole, isothiazole, phenothiazine, oxazole, isooxazole, furazane, phenoxazine, 2-, 3- or 4-pyridyl, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, or 8-quinolyl, 1-, 3-, 4-, or 5-isoquinolinyl 1-, 2-, or 3-indolyl, and 2-, or 3-thienyl. A heteroaryl group is typically a C 1 -C 18 heteroaryl group. The group may be a terminal group or a bridging group.
[0117] A “leaving group” is a chemical group that is readily displaced by a desired incoming chemical moiety. Accordingly in any situation the choice of leaving group will depend upon the ability of the particular group to be displaced by the incoming chemical moiety. Suitable leaving groups are well known in the art, see for example “Advanced Organic Chemistry” Jerry March 4 th Edn. pp 351-357, Oak Wick and Sons NY (1997). Examples of suitable leaving groups include, but are not limited to, halogen, alkoxy (such as ethoxy, methoxy), sulphonyloxy, optionally substituted arylsulfonyl. Specific examples include chloro, iodo, bromo, fluoro, ethoxy, methoxy, methansulphonyl, triflate and the like.
[0118] The term “normal chain” refers to the direct chain joining the two ends of a linking moiety.
[0119] The term “pharmaceutically acceptable salts” refers to salts that retain the desired biological activity of the above-identified compounds, and include pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts and base addition salts. Suitable pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts of compounds of Formula (I) may be prepared from an inorganic acid or from an organic acid. Examples of such inorganic acids are hydrochloric, sulfuric, and phosphoric acid. Appropriate organic acids may be selected from aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic, heterocyclic carboxylic and sulfonic classes of organic acids, examples of which are formic, acetic, propionic, succinic, glycolic, gluconic, lactic, malic, tartaric, citric, fumaric, maleic, alkyl sulfonic, arylsulfonic. Additional information on pharmaceutically acceptable salts can be found in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 19th Edition, Mack Publishing Co., Easton, Pa. 1995. In the case of agents that are solids, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the inventive compounds, agents and salts may exist in different crystalline or polymorphic forms, all of which are intended to be within the scope of the present invention and specified formulae.
[0120] The term “therapeutically effective amount” or “effective amount” is an amount sufficient to effect beneficial or desired clinical results. An effective amount can be administered in one or more administrations. An effective amount is typically sufficient to palliate, ameliorate, stabilize, reverse, slow or delay the progression of the disease state. An effective amount for radioimaging is typically sufficient to identify the radionuclide in the subject.
[0121] The term “molecular recognition moiety” refers to an entity capable of binding to a particular molecular entity, typically a receptor location in the physiological environment. The term includes antibodies, proteins, peptides, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, oligonucleotides, oligosaccharides and liposomes.
[0122] The term “oxygen protecting group” means a group that can prevent the oxygen moiety reacting during further derivatisation of the protected compound and which can be readily removed when desired. In one embodiment the protecting group is removable in the physiological state by natural metabolic processes. Examples of oxygen protecting groups include acyl groups (such as acetyl), ethers (such as methoxy methyl ether (MOM), β-methoxy ethoxy methyl ether (MEM), p-methoxy benzyl ether (PMB), methylthio methyl ether, Pivaloyl (Piv), Tetrahydropyran (THP)), and silyl ethers (such as Trimethylsilyl (TMS) tert-butyl dimethyl silyl (TBDMS) and triisopropylsilyl (TIPS).
[0123] The term “nitrogen protecting group” means a group that can prevent the nitrogen moiety reacting during further derivatisation of the protected compound and which can be readily removed when desired. In one embodiment the protecting group is removable in the physiological state by natural metabolic processes and in essence the protected compound is acting as a prodrug for the active unprotected species. Examples of suitable nitrogen protecting groups that may be used include formyl, trityl, phthalimido, acetyl, trichloroacetyl, chloroacetyl, bromoacetyl, iodoacetyl; urethane-type blocking groups such as benzyloxycarbonyl (‘CBz’), 4-phenylbenzyloxycarbonyl, 2-methyl benzyloxycarbonyl, 4-methoxybenzyloxycarbonyl, 4-fluorobenzyloxycarbonyl, 4-chlorobenzyloxycarbonyl, 3-chlorobenzyloxycarbonyl, 2-chlorobenzyloxycarbonyl, 2,4-dichlorobenzyloxycarbonyl, 4-bromobenzyloxycarbonyl, 3-bromobenzyloxycarbonyl, 4-nitrobenzyloxycarbonyl, 4-cyanobenzyloxycarbonyl, t-butoxycarbonyl (‘tBoc’), 2-(4-xenyl)-isopropoxycarbonyl, 1,1-diphenyleth-1-yloxycarbonyl, 1,1-diphenylprop-1-yloxycarbonyl, 2-phenylprop-2-yloxycarbonyl, 2-(p-toluoyl)-prop-2-yloxy-carbonyl, cyclo-pentanyloxy-carbonyl, 1-methylcyclopentanyloxycarbonyl, cyclohexanyloxycarbonyl, 1-methylcyclohexanyloxycarbonyl, 2-methylcyclohexanyloxycarbonyl, 2-(4-toluoylsulfono)-ethoxycarbonyl, 2-(methylsulfono)ethoxycarbonyl, 2-(triphenylphosphino)-ethoxycarbonyl, fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (“FMOC”), 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethoxycarbonyl, allyloxycarbonyl, 1-(trimethylsilylmethyl)prop-1-enyloxycarbonyl, 5-benzisoxalymethoxy carbonyl, 4-acetoxybenzyloxycarbonyl, 2,2,2-trichloroethoxycarbonyl, 2-ethynyl-2-propoxycarbonyl, cyclopropylmethoxycarbonyl, 4-(decycloxy)benzyloxycarbonyl, isobornyloxycarbonyl, 1-piperidyloxycarbonlyl and the like; benzoylmethylsulfono group, 2-nitrophenylsulfenyl, diphenylphosphine oxide, and the like. The actual nitrogen protecting group employed is not critical so long as the derivatised nitrogen group is stable to the condition of subsequent reaction(s) and can be selectively removed as required without substantially disrupting the remainder of the molecule including any other nitrogen protecting group(s). Further examples of these groups are found in: Greene, T. W. and Wuts, P. G. M., Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis, Second edition; Wiley-Interscience: 1991; Chapter 7; McOmie, J. F. W. (ed.), Protective Groups in Organic Chemistry, Plenum Press, 1973; and Kocienski, P. J., Protecting Groups, Second Edition, Theime Medical Pub., 2000.
[0124] The term ‘click chemistry’ is used to describe covalent reactions with high reaction yields that can be performed under extremely mild conditions. A number of ‘click’ reactions involve a cycloaddition reaction between appropriate functional groups to generate a stable cyclic structure. The most well documented click reaction is the Cu(I) catalyzed variant of the Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azides and alkynes to form 1,2,3-triazoles. Many click reactions are thermodynamically driven, leading to fast reaction times, high product yields and high selectivity in the reaction.
[0125] The compounds of the invention as discussed above may include a wide variety of nitrogen containing macrocyclic metal ligands.
[0126] The ligand may be a monocyclic nitrogen containing metal ligand based on the cyclam or cyclen frameworks. Ligand of this type and derivatives thereof may be synthesised using methodology available in the art such as in Bernhardt (J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Transactions, 1996, pages 4319-4324), Bernhardt et al (J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Transactions, 1996, pages 4325-4330), and Bernhardt and Sharpe (Inorg Chem, 2000, 39, pages 2020-2025). Various other ligands of this general type may be made by variation of the procedures described in these articles.
[0127] The ligand may also be a cage like cryptand ligand as described for example in Geue (Chemical communications, 1994, page 667). Cryptand ligands of this type are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,737 in the name of Sargeson et al, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0128] The synthesis involves a metal ion template reaction and involves condensation of a tris-(diamine) metal ion complex (see column 3 lines 30 to 35) with formaldehyde and an appropriate nucleophile in the presence of base. The identity of the nucleophile will determine the identity of the substituents on the cage ligand and a skilled addressee can access a wide variety of substitution patterns around the cage ligand by judicious choice of the appropriate amine used in the condensation as well as the identity of the nucleophile.
[0129] In order to produce the compounds of formula (1) which are the staring material for the present invention the amino substituted ligand or a metal complexed form thereof is reacted with an appropriate dicarbonyl compound under suitable reaction conditions to arrive at the final product.
[0130] Whilst the reaction may be performed on the free ligand there is still a possibility of the reaction being compromised by the presence of the ring nitrogen(s). As such it is desirable to perform the reaction using a metal complex thereof as the metal serves to act as a protecting group for the secondary nitrogen atoms in the ring. Whilst this can be conducted using a number of different metals it is found that magnesium is particularly suitable.
[0131] The reaction may be carried out in any suitable solvent which is inert to the two reactants with the identity of the solvent being determined by the relative solubilities of the anhydride and the amine substituted metal ligand. Examples of solvents that may be used include aliphatic, aromatic, or halogenated hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, xylenes; chlorobenzene, chloroform, methylene chloride, ethylene chloride; ethers and ethereal compounds such as dialkyl ether, ethylene glycol mono or -dialkyl ether, THF, dioxane; nitriles such as acetonitrile or 2-methoxypropionitrile; N,N-dialkylated amides such as dimethylformamide; and dimethyl acetamide, dimethylsulphoxide, tetramethylurea; as well as mixtures of these solvents with each other.
[0132] The reaction may be carried out at any of a number of suitable temperatures with the reaction temperature being able to be readily determined on a case by case basis. Nevertheless the reaction temperature is typically carried out at from 0 to 100° C., more typically 50 to 80° C.
[0133] The reaction may be carried out using a wide variety of activated dicarbonyl compounds. In some embodiments the activated dicarbonyl compound is an anhydride of the formula:
[0000]
[0134] wherein L is as defined above and Z is O, S or NR 2 .
[0135] Anhydride compounds of this type are generally readily available for certain values of L and thus these compounds may be readily used for values of L for which they are obtainable. It is desirable that they be utilised where possible as the potential for side reactions is reduced somewhat with these compounds.
[0136] In some embodiments the activated dicarbonyl compound is a compound of the formula:
[0000]
[0137] wherein L is as defined above. Y is OH or a protected from thereof and L v is a leaving group. The L v group on the compounds of this type may be any suitable leaving group but is typically selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, CH 3 SO 3 , CH 3 C 6 H 4 SO 3 , and a group of the formula:
[0000]
[0138] In choosing a suitable leaving group for reactions of this type the skilled worker in the art will have regard for the functionality of the remainder of the molecule and the ease of production of the activated dicarbonyl compound in each instance.
[0139] The reaction is also typically carried out in the presence of a base as this is found to facilitate the reaction. Examples of suitable bases include hindered tertiary amines with trialkyl amines such as trimethylamine, triethyleneamine, diisopropylethyl amine being suitable examples of bases for use in the reaction. The amount of base used is such that it is in a significant molar excess so as to ensure that the reaction does not become affected by acidification as it progresses.
[0140] The exact compound produced will depend upon the reaction stoichiometry and the starting materials with a skilled addressee being able to adjust either of these variables to produce the desired final product.
[0141] In addition it is desired that the linker L be extended to be significantly longer than the compounds readily accessible by the route detailed above it is possible to elaborate the carboxy group (such as by standard peptide chemistry techniques) to introduce further amino acid groups to the chain. The methods of achieving reactions of this type are well within the skill of a skilled addressee in the area.
[0142] In the method of the invention the compounds of formula (1) are converted to compounds of formula (2). This conversion may be carried out in any way known in the art and may be carried out as a single step process or as a multi-step process.
[0143] In addition depending upon the substituents on the Lig group of the compounds of formula (1) it may be necessary to protect the substituents from interfering with the reaction. For example the applicants have found that where the Lig group contains a free amino group (such as will be the case if the original ligand was 1,8-diamino-Sar) and then it is desirable to first protect the amino group prior to reaction with a suitable nitrogen protecting group. An example of a suitable protecting group of this type is the acetyl group.
[0144] As stated previously the conversion may be a one step or a multi-step process. Thus for example an amide formation reaction could be carried out (typically in the presence of a coupling reagent) to form an amide bond by reaction of compound of formula (1) with a compound of the formula NH 2 L 1 NH 2 . It has been found, however, that in many instances it is desirable to carry out the conversion as a multi-step process by first converting the carboxylic acid moiety to an activated form thereof.
[0145] Accordingly in some embodiments step (a) comprises the steps of:
[0000] (a1) converting the compound of formula (1) into a compound of formula (Ia)
[0000]
[0000] wherein Lv is a group that can be displaced by a nitrogen moiety in a nucleophillic substitution reaction;
(a2) reacting the compound of formula (1a) with a nitrogen nucleophile of the formula:
[0000]
[0000] to form a compound of formula (2).
[0146] There are a number of ways in which the compound of formula (1) may be converted into a compound of formula (1a) to form a compound where the carboxylic acid moiety has been activated for further reaction with a nucleophillic species. Thus for example one well known way of activating carboxylic acids is to convert them to the corresponding acid chloride by reaction with thionyl chloride for example. In effect this transformation replaces the OH group (which is a relatively poor leaving group) with the Cl group which is a relatively good leaving group. A number of transformations of this type are known where the ability of the OH portion of the carboxylic acid group to be displaced in a nucleophillic substitution reaction is increased by reacting it with another species. In one embodiment of the invention the carboxylic acid moiety is reacted with an alcohol to form the corresponding ester which is more readily substituted by a nitrogen moiety.
[0147] Once the group of formula (1a) has been formed it is reacted with a nitrogen moiety typically a nitrogen of the formula:
[0000]
[0148] These reactions may be carried out in a number of ways although it is preferred if the amine can be used in excess to facilitate significant conversion of the starting material to the desired final product. The choice of nitrogen moiety to use will depend upon the desired L 1 group in the final product and the moiety will be chosen on this basis. An example of a particularly useful nitrogen moiety is 1,3-diamino propane.
[0149] The compound of formula (2) is then converted to a compound of formula (3) by reaction with a suitable reagent to introduce a moiety that is capable of binding with a biological entity. A wide number of reagents that are suitable for this purpose are known and the choice of reagent will depend upon the nature of the group you wish to introduce. Once the reagent is chosen this will determine the suitable reaction solvent and conditions in each individual case.
[0150] In some embodiments the compound of formula (2) is converted to a compound of formula (3) by reacting the amine with a reagent selected from the group consisting of an azide, thiosphosgene, carbon disulphide and an acid anhydride. In some embodiments the reagent is an azide. In some embodiments the reagent is thiosphosgene. In some embodiments the reagent is carbon disulphide. In some embodiments the reagent is maleic anhydride.
[0151] Examples of compounds of formula (3) that may be produced using the methodology described above include:
[0000]
[0000] a metal complex thereof.
[0152] The formation of the metal complexes of the compounds synthesised in this way is carried out using techniques well known in the art.
[0153] These compounds may then be further elaborated to produce compounds of by reacting the reactive moiety with a suitable reactive element on a biological element. Thus for example where the R is a moiety capable of taking part in a click chemistry reaction with a complementary moiety on a biological entity the R group will be chosen depending upon the moieties on the biological entity of interest.
[0154] The formation of the metal complexes of the compounds synthesised in this way is carried out using techniques well known in the art.
[0155] As discussed above the compounds of the invention are useful as they can bind to a biological entity which can help them to be used in treatment of the human body. The compounds of formula (3) which have been attached to a biological entity and containing a radionuclide complexed with the ligand may be used in either radiotherapy or in diagnostic imaging applications. In each instance both therapy and diagnostic imaging will rely on the binding to the biological entity being involved in facilitating the localisation of the complex containing the radionuclide in the desired tissues or organs of the subject being treated/imaged.
[0156] Thus for example in relation to the use of the radiolabelled compounds of formula (3) it is anticipated that these will be used by first binding them to a biological entity of interest followed by administration of an effective amount of the radiolabelled compound to a subject followed by monitoring of the subject after a suitable time period to determine if the radiolabelled compound has localised at a particular location in the body or whether the compound is broadly speaking evenly distributed through the body. As a general rule where the radio labelled compound is localised in tissue or an organ of the body this is indicative of the presence in that tissue or organ of something that is recognised by the particular molecular recognition moiety used.
[0157] Accordingly judicious selection of a biological entity to connect the compound of formula (3) to is important in determining the efficacy of any of the radiolabelled compounds of the invention in diagnostic imaging applications. In this regard a wide range of biological entities that can act as molecular recognition moieties are known in the art which are well characterised and which are known to selectively target certain receptors in the body. In particular a number of biological entities that can act as molecular recognition moieties or molecular recognition portions are known that target tissue or organs when the patient is suffering from certain medical conditions. Examples of biological entities that can act as molecular recognition moieties or molecular recognition portions that are known and may be used in this invention include Octreotate, octreotide, [Tyr 3 ]-octreotate, [Tyr 1 ]-octreotate, bombesin, bombesin(7-14), gastrin releasing peptide, single amino acids, penetratin, annexin V, TAT, cyclic RGD, glucose, glucosamine (and extended carbohydrates), folic acid, neurotensin, neuropeptide Y, cholecystokinin (CCK) analogues, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), substance P, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH). For example, certain cancers are known to over express somatostatin receptors and so the molecular recognition moiety may be one which targets these receptors. An example of a molecular recognition moieties or molecular recognition portions of this type is [Tyr 3 ]-octreotate. Another example of a molecular recognition moieties or molecular recognition portions is cyclic RGD which is an integrin targeting cyclic peptide. In other examples a suitable molecular recognition moieties or molecular recognition portions is bombesin which is known to target breast and pancreatic cancers.
[0158] The monitoring of the subject for the location of the radiolabelled material will typically provide the analyst with information regarding the location of the radiolabelled material and hence the location of any material that is targeted by the molecular recognition moiety (such as cancerous tissue). An effective amount of the compounds of the invention will depend upon a number of factors and will of necessity involve a balance between the amount of radioactivity required to achieve the desired radio imaging effect and the general interest in not exposing the subject (or their tissues or organs) to any unnecessary levels of radiation which may be harmful.
[0159] The methods of treatment of the present invention involve administration of a compound of formula (3) which has been bound to a suitable biological entity and complexed to a radionuclide. The compounds of formula (3) after being bound to a biological entity are able to deliver the radionuclide to the desired location in the body where its mode of action is desired. As discussed above examples of suitable biological entities to act as molecular recognition moieties are known in the art and a skilled artisan can select the appropriate molecular recognition moiety to target the desired tissue in the body to be treated.
[0160] A therapeutically effective amount can be readily determined by an attending clinician by the use of conventional techniques and by observing results obtained under analogous circumstances. In determining the therapeutically effective amount a number of factors are to be considered including but not limited to, the species of animal, its size, age and general health, the specific condition involved, the severity of the condition, the response of the patient to treatment, the particular radio labelled compound administered, the mode of administration, the bioavailability of the preparation administered, the dose regime selected, the use of other medications and other relevant circumstances.
[0161] In addition the treatment regime will typically involve a number of cycles of radiation treatment with the cycles being continued until such time as the condition has been ameliorated. Once again the optimal number of cycles and the spacing between each treatment cycle will depend upon a number of factors such as the severity of the condition being treated, the health (or lack thereof) of the subject being treated and their reaction to radiotherapy. In general the optimal dosage amount and the optimal treatment regime can be readily determined by a skilled addressee in the art using well known techniques.
[0162] In using the compounds of the invention they can be administered in any form or mode which makes the compound available for the desired application (imaging or radio therapy). One skilled in the art of preparing formulations of this type can readily select the proper form and mode of administration depending upon the particular characteristics of the compound selected, the condition to be treated, the stage of the condition to be treated and other relevant circumstances. We refer the reader to Remingtons Pharmaceutical Sciences, 19 th edition, Mack Publishing Co. (1995) for further information.
[0163] The compounds of the present invention can be administered alone or in the form of a pharmaceutical composition in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent or excipient. The compounds of the invention, while effective themselves, are typically formulated and administered in the form of their pharmaceutically acceptable salts as these forms are typically more stable, more easily crystallised and have increased solubility.
[0164] The compounds are, however, typically used in the form of pharmaceutical compositions which are formulated depending on the desired mode of administration. The compositions are prepared in manners well known in the art.
[0165] The invention in other embodiments provides a pharmaceutical pack or kit comprising one or more containers filled with one or more of the ingredients of the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention. In such a pack or kit can be found at least one container having a unit dosage of the agent(s). Conveniently, in the kits, single dosages can be provided in sterile vials so that the clinician can employ the vials directly, where the vials will have the desired amount and concentration of compound and radio nucleotide which may be admixed prior to use. Associated with such container(s) can be various written materials such as instructions for use, or a notice in the form prescribed by a governmental agency regulating the manufacture, use or sale of pharmaceuticals, imaging agents or biological products, which notice reflects approval by the agency of manufacture, use or sale for human administration.
[0166] The compounds of the invention may be used or administered in combination with one or more additional drug(s) that are anti-cancer drugs and/or procedures (e.g. surgery, radiotherapy) for the treatment of the disorder/diseases mentioned. The components can be administered in the same formulation or in separate formulations. If administered in separate formulations the compounds of the invention may be administered sequentially or simultaneously with the other drug(s).
[0167] In addition to being able to be administered in combination with one or more additional drugs that include anti-cancer drugs, the compounds of the invention may be used in a combination therapy. When this is done the compounds are typically administered in combination with each other. Thus one or more of the compounds of the invention may be administered either simultaneously (as a combined preparation) or sequentially in order to achieve a desired effect. This is especially desirable where the therapeutic profile of each compound is different such that the combined effect of the two drugs provides an improved therapeutic result.
[0168] Pharmaceutical compositions of this invention for parenteral injection comprise pharmaceutically acceptable sterile aqueous or nonaqueous solutions, dispersions, suspensions or emulsions as well as sterile powders for reconstitution into sterile injectable solutions or dispersions just prior to use. Examples of suitable aqueous and nonaqueous carriers, diluents, solvents or vehicles include water, ethanol, polyols (such as glycerol, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, and the like), and suitable mixtures thereof, vegetable oils (such as olive oil), and injectable organic esters such as ethyl oleate. Proper fluidity can be maintained, for example, by the use of coating materials such as lecithin, by the maintenance of the required particle size in the case of dispersions, and by the use of surfactants.
[0169] These compositions may also contain adjuvants such as preservative, wetting agents, emulsifying agents, and dispersing agents. Prevention of the action of micro-organisms may be ensured by the inclusion of various antibacterial and antifungal agents, for example, paraben, chlorobutanol, phenol sorbic acid, and the like. It may also be desirable to include isotonic agents such as sugars, sodium chloride, and the like. Prolonged absorption of the injectable pharmaceutical form may be brought about by the inclusion of agents that delay absorption such as aluminium monostearate and gelatin.
[0170] If desired, and for more effective distribution, the compounds can be incorporated into slow release or targeted delivery systems such as polymer matrices, liposomes, and microspheres.
[0171] The injectable formulations can be sterilized, for example, by filtration through a bacterial-retaining filter, or by incorporating sterilizing agents in the form of sterile solid compositions that can be dissolved or dispersed in sterile water or other sterile injectable medium just prior to use.
[0172] Solid dosage forms for oral administration include capsules, tablets, pills, powders, and granules. In such solid dosage forms, the active compound is mixed with at least one inert, pharmaceutically acceptable excipient or carrier such as sodium citrate or dicalcium phosphate and/or a) fillers or extenders such as starches, lactose, sucrose, glucose, mannitol, and silicic acid, b) binders such as, for example, carboxymethylcellulose, alginates, gelatin, polyvinylpyrrolidone, sucrose, and acacia, c) humectants such as glycerol, d) disintegrating agents such as agar-agar, calcium carbonate, potato or tapioca starch, alginic acid, certain silicates, and sodium carbonate, e) solution retarding agents such as paraffin, f) absorption accelerators such as quaternary ammonium compounds, g) wetting agents such as, for example, cetyl alcohol and glycerol monostearate, h) absorbents such as kaolin and bentonite clay, and i) lubricants such as talc, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, solid polyethylene glycols, sodium lauryl sulfate, and mixtures thereof. In the case of capsules, tablets and pills, the dosage form may also comprise buffering agents.
[0173] Solid compositions of a similar type may also be employed as fillers in soft and hard-filled gelatin capsules using such excipients as lactose or milk sugar as well as high molecular weight polyethylene glycols and the like.
[0174] The solid dosage forms of tablets, dragees, capsules, pills, and granules can be prepared with coatings and shells such as enteric coatings and other coatings well known in the pharmaceutical formulating art. They may optionally contain opacifying agents and can also be of a composition that they release the active ingredient(s) only, or preferentially, in a certain part of the intestinal tract, optionally, in a delayed manner. Examples of embedding compositions which can be used include polymeric substances and waxes.
[0175] If desired, and for more effective distribution, the compounds can be incorporated into slow release or targeted delivery systems such as polymer matrices, liposomes, and microspheres.
[0176] The active compounds can also be in microencapsulated form, if appropriate, with one or more of the above-mentioned excipients.
[0177] Liquid dosage forms for oral administration include pharmaceutically acceptable emulsions, solutions, suspensions, syrups and elixirs. In addition to the active compounds, the liquid dosage forms may contain inert diluents commonly used in the art such as, for example, water or other solvents, solubilizing agents and emulsifiers such as ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, ethyl carbonate, ethyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, propylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, dimethyl formamide, oils (in particular, cottonseed, groundnut, corn, germ, olive, castor, and sesame oils), glycerol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, polyethylene glycols and fatty acid esters of sorbitan, and mixtures thereof.
[0178] Besides inert diluents, the oral compositions can also include adjuvants such as wetting agents, emulsifying and suspending agents, sweetening, flavoring, and perfuming agents.
[0179] Suspensions, in addition to the active compounds, may contain suspending agents as, for example, ethoxylated isostearyl alcohols, polyoxyethylene sorbitol and sorbitan esters, microcrystalline cellulose, aluminium metahydroxide, bentonite, agar-agar, and tragacanth, and mixtures thereof.
[0180] As discussed above, the compounds of the embodiments may be useful for treating and/or detecting proliferative diseases. Examples of such cell proliferative diseases or conditions include cancer (include any metastases), psoriasis, and smooth muscle cell proliferative disorders such as restenosis. The compounds of the present invention may be particularly useful for treating and/or detecting tumours such as breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, head and/or neck cancer, or renal, gastric, pancreatic cancer and brain cancer as well as hematologic malignancies such as lymphoma and leukaemia. In addition, the compounds of the present invention may be useful for treating and/or detecting a proliferative disease that is refractory to the treatment and/or detecting with other anti-cancer drugs; and for treating and/or detecting hyperproliferative conditions such as leukaemia's, psoriasis and restenosis. In other embodiments, compounds of this invention can be used to treat and/or detect pre-cancer conditions or hyperplasia including familial adenomatous polyposis, colonic adenomatous polyps, myeloid dysplasia, endometrial dysplasia, endometrial hyperplasia with atypia, cervical dysplasia, vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia, benign prostatic hyperplasia, papillomas of the larynx, actinic and solar keratosis, seborrheic keratosis and keratoacanthoma.
Synthesis of Compounds of the Invention
[0181] The agents of the various embodiments may be prepared using the reaction routes and synthesis schemes as described below, employing the techniques available in the art using starting materials that are readily available. The preparation of particular compounds of the embodiments is described in detail in the following examples, but the artisan will recognize that the chemical reactions described may be readily adapted to prepare a number of other agents of the various embodiments. For example, the synthesis of non-exemplified compounds may be successfully performed by modifications apparent to those skilled in the art, e.g. by appropriately protecting interfering groups, by changing to other suitable reagents known in the art, or by making routine modifications of reaction conditions. A list of suitable protecting groups in organic synthesis can be found in T. W. Greene's Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis, 3 rd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 1991. Alternatively, other reactions disclosed herein or known in the art will be recognized as having applicability for preparing other compounds of the various embodiments.
[0182] Reagents useful for synthesizing compounds may be obtained or prepared according to techniques known in the art.
[0183] Synthetic procedures for the synthesis of selected compounds of formula (1) are detailed below.
Examples
[0184] In the examples described below, unless otherwise indicated, all temperatures in the following description are in degrees Celsius and all parts and percentages are by weight, unless indicated otherwise.
[0185] Various starting materials and other reagents were purchased from commercial suppliers, such as Aldrich Chemical Company or Lancaster Synthesis Ltd., and used without further purification, unless otherwise indicated. Tetrahydrofuran (THF) and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) were purchased from Aldrich in SureSeal bottles and used as received. All solvents were purified by using standard methods in the art, unless otherwise indicated. SP Sephadex C25 and DOWEX 50w×2 200-400 mesh cation exchange resin was purchased from Aldrich. Fmoc-L-amino acids, HATU, HCTU and 2-chlorotrityl resin were purchased from GL Biochem Ltd (Shanghai, China). Fmoc-Lys(iv-Dde)-OH and Fmoc-D-amino acids were purchased from Bachem AG (Switzerland). Fmoc-Pal-PEG-PS resin was purchased from Applied Biosystems (Foster City, Calif.). Nova PEG Rink Amide resin was purchased from NovaBiochem, Darmstadt, Germany. [Co((NO 2 ) 2 sar)]Cl 3 , [Co((NH 2 ) 2 sar)]Cl 3 , (NH 2 ) 2 sar, [Cu(NH 3 ) 2 sar](CF 3 SO 3 ) 4 were prepared according to established procedures. (1) Geue, R. J.; Hambley, T. W.; Harrowfield, J. M.; Sargeson, A. M.; Snow, M. R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1984, 106, 5478-5488. (2) Bottomley, G. A.; Clark, I. J.; Creaser, I. I.; Engelhardt, L. M.; Geue, R. J.; Hagen, K. S.; Harrowfield, J. M.; Lawrance, G. A.; Lay, P. A.; Sargeson, A. M.; See, A. J.; Skelton, B. W.; White, A. H.; Wilner, F. R. Aust. J. Chem. 1994, 47, 143-179 and (3) Bernhardt, P. V.; Bramley, R.; Engelhardt, L. M.; Harrowfield, J. M.; Hockless, D.C. R.; Korybut-Daszkiewicz, B. R.; Krausz, E. R.; Morgan, T.; Sargeson, A. M.; Skelton, B. W.; White, A. H. Inorg. Chem. 1995, 34, 3589-3599.
[0186] The reactions set forth below were performed under a positive pressure of nitrogen, argon or with a drying tube, at ambient temperature (unless otherwise stated), in anhydrous solvents, and the reaction flasks are fitted with rubber septa for the introduction of substrates and reagents via syringe. Glassware was oven-dried and/or heat-dried.
[0187] Work-ups were typically done by doubling the reaction volume with the reaction solvent or extraction solvent and then washing with the indicated aqueous solutions using 25% by volume of the extraction volume (unless otherwise indicated). Product solutions were dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate prior to filtration, and evaporation of the solvents was under reduced pressure on a rotary evaporator and noted as solvents removed in vacuo. Flash column chromatography [Still et al, J. Org. Chem., 43, 2923 (1978)] was conducted using E Merck-grade flash silica gel (47-61 mm) and a silica gel:crude material ratio of about 20:1 to 50:1, unless otherwise stated. Hydrogenolysis was done at the pressure indicated or at ambient pressure.
[0188] Mass spectra were recorded in the positive ion mode on an Agilent 6510 Q-TOF LC/MS Mass Spectrometer coupled to an Agilent 1100 LC system (Agilent, Palo Alto, Calif.). Data were acquired and reference mass corrected via a dual-spray electrospray ionisation source, using the factory-defined calibration procedure. Each scan or data point on the Total Ion Chromatogram is an average of 9652 transients, producing 1.02 scans s −1 . Spectra were created by averaging the scans across each peak. Mass spectrometer conditions: fragmentor: 200-300 V; drying gas flow: 7 L/min; nebuliser: 30 psi; drying gas temp: 325° C.; V cap : 4000 V; skimmer: 65 V; OCT R f V: 750 V; scan range acquired: 150-3000 m/z.
[0189] HPLC-MS traces were recorded using an Agilent Eclipse Plus C18 column (5 μm, 2.1×150 mm) coupled to the Agilent 6510 Q-TOF LC/MS Mass Spectrometer described above. 1 μL aliquots of each sample were injected onto the column using the Agilent 1100 LC system, with a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. Data acquisition parameters are the same as those described above for mass spectra, with the exception of the fragmentor (fragmentor voltage: 100 V).
[0190] NMR spectra were recorded on a Varian FT-NMR 500 spectrometer operating at 500 MHz for 1 H NMR and 125.7 MHz for 13 C-NMR. NMR spectra are obtained as D 2 O solutions (reported in ppm), using acetone as the reference standard (2.22 ppm and 30.89 ppm respectively). Other NMR solvents were used as needed. When peak multiplicities are reported, the following abbreviations are used: s=singlet, d=doublet, t=triplet, m=multiplet, br=broadened, dd=doublet of doublets, dt=doublet of triplets. Coupling constants, when given, are reported in Hertz.
[0191] Semi-preparative HPLC purifications were performed using an Agilent 1200 Series HPLC system with a 5 mL/min flow rate. Solvent gradients and column specifications are described in the examples. An automated Agilent 1200 fraction collector collected 1-3 mL fractions and fraction collection was based on UV-Vis detection at 214 or 220 nm, with a lower threshold limit between 100-400 mAU. Each fraction was analysed using MS and analytical HPLC.
[0192] Analytical HPLC traces were acquired using an Agilent 1200 Series HPLC system and an Agilent Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18 column (4.6×150 mm, 5 μm) with a 1 mL/min flow rate and UV spectroscopic detection at 214 nm, 220 nm and 270 nm.
[0193] UV-Vis spectra were acquired on a Cary 300 Bio UV-Vis spectrophotometer, from 800-200 nm at 0.500 nm data intervals with a 300.00 nm/min scan rate.
[0194] Voltametric experiments were performed with an Autolab (Eco Chemie, Utrecht, Netherlands) computer-controlled electrochemical workstation. A standard three-electrode arrangement was used with a glassy carbon disk (d, 3 mm) as working electrode, a Pt wire as auxiliary electrode and a Ag/AgCl reference electrode (silver wire in H 2 O (KCl (0.1 M) AgNO 3 (0.01 M)). Scan rate: 100 mV/s, sample interval: 1.06 mV, sensitivity: 1×10 −4 A.
[0195] HPLC traces of radiolabelled peptides were acquired using a Waters Comosil C18 column (4.6×150 mm) coupled to a Shimadzu LC-20AT with a sodium iodide scintillation detector and a UV-Vis detector. 100 μL aliquots of each radiolabelled sample were injected onto the column, using a flow rate of 1 mL/min.
[0196] The following examples are intended to illustrate the embodiments disclosed and are not to be construed as being limitations thereto. Additional compounds, other than those described below, may be prepared using the following described reaction scheme or appropriate variations or modifications thereof.
Example 1
CuL 2 Cl 2 .xHCl
[0197]
[0000] CuL 1 (CH 3 CO 2 ) 3 .xH 2 O (644 mg) was dissolved in acetic anhydride (10 mL) and the resulting blue solution taken to dryness by rotary evaporation (60° C.). The residue was redissolved in H 2 O and applied to a column of Dowex 50W×2 (10 cm height, 3 cm diameter). After washing with water (100 mL) and 1M HCl (100 mL) the complexes were eluted with 3M HCl. The first major band was collected and the solvent removed by rotary evaporation to yield the chloride salt as a purple solid (798 mg). MS: [CuC 21 H 42 N 8 O 4 ] 2+ m/z=266.63 (experimental), 266.63 (calculated).
Example 2
L 2 .xHCl
[0198]
[0000] A solution of CuL 2 Cl 2 .xHCl in water in a two-neck flask was deoxygenated by purging with N 2 gas for 20 mins. Under an atmosphere of N 2 gas, sodium sulfide was added and the solution turned dark green with a black precipitate. The reaction was stirred overnight at room temperature. After ˜20 hours, suspension was filtered (Whatman Filter Paper 1) and the filtrate diluted with 1 M HCl (200 mL) resulting in the formation of a cloudy, white precipitate. This precipitate was allowed to settle for 2 h before it was filtered through a Millipore Steritop™ (0.22 μm, 500 mL) filter and applied to a DOWEX 50W×2 cation exchange column (H + form, 10×3 cm). The column was washed with 1 M HCl solution (500 mL) (to remove Na 2 S) and then slowly eluted with 4 M HCl solution (200 mL). The eluent was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure to give a white solid.
Example 3
CuL 3 (CH 3 CO 2 ) 2
[0199]
[0000] CuL 2 Cl 2 .xH 2 O (434 mg) was dissolved in methanol (20 mL) and the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation (50° C.). The residue was converted to the acetate salt by anion exchange chromatography on the acetate form of Dowex 1×8. The slurry was filtered and the solvent removed by rotary evaporation and taken to dryness. The blue residue was dissolved in methanol before the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation and taken to dryness to give a blue residue (366 mg). MS: [CuC 22 H 44 N 8 O 4 ] 2+ m/z=273.66 (experimental), 273.64 (calculated).
[0000]
Example 4
CuL 4 Cl 3
[0200] CuL 3 (CH 3 CO 2 ) 2 (360 mg) was dissolved in 1,3-diaminopropane (5 mL) and the solution was stirred at room temperature for 40 h. The solution was diluted with water and applied to a column of SP-Sephadex C-25 (30 cm height, 3 cm diameter). After washing with water (100 mL), the complexes were eluted with 0.3 M NaCl to yield a minor leading band of hydrolysed ester and a major band of the amine product. The blue solution was applied to a column of Dowex 50W×2 (10 cm height, 3 cm diameter). After washing with water (100 mL) and 1M HCl (100 mL) the complex was eluted with 3M HCl. The solvent was removed by rotary evaporation and taken to dryness (422 mg). MS: [CuC 24 H SO N 10 O 3 ] 2+ m/z=294.67 (experimental), 294.67 (calculated).
Example 5
L 4 .xCH 3 CO 2 H
[0201]
[0000] A solution of CuL 4 Cl 3 .xHCl (511 mg) in water (4 mL) in a two-neck flask was deoxygenated by purging with N 2 gas for 20 mins. Under an atmosphere of N 2 gas, sodium sulfide (766 mg) was added and the solution turned dark green with a black precipitate. The reaction was stirred overnight at room temperature. After ˜20 hours, suspension was filtered (Whatman Filter Paper 1) and the filtrate diluted with 1 M HCl (200 mL) resulting in the formation of a cloudy, white precipitate. This precipitate was allowed to settle for 2 h before it was filtered through a Millipore Steritop™ (0.22 μm, 500 mL) filter and applied to a DOWEX 50W×2 cation exchange column (H + form, 10×3 cm). The column was washed with 1 M HCl solution (500 mL) (to remove Na 2 S) and then slowly eluted with 4 M HCl solution (200 mL). The eluent was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure to give a white solid (413 mg). The residue was converted to the acetate salt by anion exchange chromatography on the acetate form of Dowex 1×8. The slurry was filtered and the solvent removed by rotary evaporation and taken to dryness. The colourless residue was dissolved in methanol before the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation and taken to dryness to give a colourless residue (396 mg). MS: [C 24 H 51 N 10 O 3 ] + m/z=527.42 (experimental), 527.41 (calculated).
Example 6
L 5 .xHCl
[0202]
[0000] To a mixture of sodium azide in water and dichloromethane was added triflic anhydride at 0° C. The mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature and was stirred vigorously for 2.5 h. The aqueous layer was removed and washed with dichloromethane. The organic layers were combined and added dropwise to a solution of L 4 .xCH 3 CO 2 H, K 2 CO 3 and Zn(CH 3 CO 2 ) 2 .2H 2 O in methanol and water. The mixture was stirred vigorously for 3 h. The organic layer was removed and the aqueous layer applied to a column of Dowex 50W×2 (10 cm height, 3 cm diameter). After washing with water (100 mL) and 1M HCl (100 mL) to remove Zn 2+ , the protonated ligand was eluted with 3M HCl. The solvent was removed by rotary evaporation to yield the chloride salt.
Example 7
L 6 .xCH 3 CO 2 H
[0203]
[0000] To a solution of L 4 .xCH 3 CO 2 H in acetic acid was added maleic anhydride and the reaction was heated at 60° C. in a water bath for 30 min before the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation (60° C.). Residual acetic acid was removed by azeotroping with toluene and then taken to dryness.
Example 8
L 7 .xCH 3 CO 2 H
[0204]
[0000] To a solution of thiophosgene in chloroform was added a solution of L 4 .xCH 3 CO 2 H in water and the mixture was stirred vigorously for 12 h. The aqueous layer removed, washed with chloroform and taken to dryness.
Example 9
CuL 8 Cl 2 .xHCl
[0205]
[0000] To a solution of [Cu(CH 3 )(NH 3 )sar](CF 3 SO 3 ) 3 (0.3 g, 0.1 mmol) in anhydrous N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) (5 mL) was added glutaric anhydride (0.08 g, 1. mmol) and diisopropylethylamine (132 μL) were added and the solution was heated at 70° C. for 5 h. The reaction was monitored using a microcolumn of SP Sephadex C-25 cation exchange (Na + form) eluting with 0.05 M sodium citrate solution. The solution was cooled and water (20 mL) was added. The solution was applied to a column of SP Sephadex C-25 cation exchange (Na + form, 6×3 cm). After washing with water, the complexes were eluted with 0.05 M sodium citrate solution to yield the major leading band as the carboxylate product and a minor band of unreacted copper complex. The major band was applied to a Dowex 50W×2 cation exchange column (H + form, 10×5 cm). After the column was washed with water (500 mL) and 1 M HCl solution (500 mL) and the complex was eluted with 3 M HCl and the eluent was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure at 40° C. giving a purple residue (0.23 g).
Example 10
L 8 .xHCl
[0206]
[0000] A solution of CuL 8 Cl 2 .xHCl (0.1 g) in water (5 mL) in a two-neck flask was deoxygenated by purging with N 2 gas for 20 mins. Under an atmosphere of N 2 gas, sodium sulfide (0.14 g) was added and the solution turned dark green with a black precipitate. The reaction was stirred overnight at room temperature. After ˜20 hours, suspension was filtered (Whatman Filter Paper 1) and the filtrate diluted with 1 M HCl (150 mL) resulting in the formation of a cloudy, white precipitate. This precipitate was allowed to settle for 2 h before it was filtered through a Millipore Steritop™ (0.22 μm, 500 mL) filter and applied to a Dowex 50W×2 cation exchange column (H + form, 10×3 cm). The column was washed with 1 M HCl solution (150 mL) (to remove Na 2 S) and then slowly eluted with 4 M HCl solution (300 mL). The eluent was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure to give a white solid (0.09 g). MS: [C 20 H 42 N 7 O 3 ] + m/z=428.34 (experimental), 428.33 (calculated). 1 H NMR (D 2 O): δ=1.03, s, CH 3 ; 1.91, m, 2H, 2.35, t, 3 J=7.5, 2H, CH 2 ; 2.45, t, 3 J=7, 2H, CH 2 ; 3.1-3.5, broad, 24H, cage CH 2 . 13 C NMR (D 2 O, residual acetone 30.9, 215.9): δ=19.4, CH 3 ; 21.0, 33.4, 35.4, glutarate CH 2 ; 37.1 46.3, 48.4, 51.8, 54.2, 57.4, cage CH 2 ); 177.8, 178.5, CO.
Example 11
CuL 9 (CH 3 CO 2 ) 2
[0207]
[0000] CuL 8 Cl 2 .xH 2 O (0.2 g) was dissolved in methanol (3 mL) and the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation (40° C.). The residue was converted to the acetate salt by anion exchange chromatography on the acetate form of Dowex 1×8. The slurry was filtered and the solvent removed by rotary evaporation and taken to dryness. The blue residue was dissolved in methanol before the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation and taken to dryness to give a blue residue (0.2 g). MS: [CuC 21 H 43 N 7 O 3 ] 2+ m/z=(experimental), 252.14 (calculated).
Example 12
CuL 10 Cl 3
[0208]
[0000] CuL 9 (CH 3 CO 2 ) 2 was dissolved in 1,3-diaminopropane and the solution was stirred at room temperature for 40 h. The solution was diluted with water and applied to a column of SP-Sephadex C-25 (30 cm height, 3 cm diameter). After washing with water (100 mL), the complexes were eluted with 0.3 M NaCl to yield a minor leading band of hydrolysed ester and a major band of the amine product. The blue solution was applied to a column of Dowex 50W×2 (10 cm height, 3 cm diameter). After washing with water (100 mL) and 1M HCl (100 mL) the complex was eluted with 3M HCl. The solvent was removed by rotary evaporation and taken to dryness.
Example 13
L 10 .xCH 3 CO 2 H
[0209]
[0000] A solution of CuL 10 Cl 3 .xHCl in water in a two-neck flask was deoxygenated by purging with N 2 gas for 20 mins. Under an atmosphere of N 2 gas, sodium sulfide was added and the solution turned dark green with a black precipitate. The reaction was stirred overnight at room temperature. After ˜20 hours, suspension was filtered (Whatman Filter Paper 1) and the filtrate diluted with 1 M HCl (200 mL) resulting in the formation of a cloudy, white precipitate. This precipitate was allowed to settle for 2 h before it was filtered through a Millipore Steritop™ (0.22 μm, 500 mL) filter and applied to a DOWEX 50W×2 cation exchange column (H + form, 10×3 cm). The column was washed with 1 M HCl solution (500 mL) (to remove Na 2 S) and then slowly eluted with 4 M HCl solution (200 mL). The eluent was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure to give a white solid. The residue was converted to the acetate salt by anion exchange chromatography on the acetate form of Dowex 1×8. The slurry was filtered and the solvent removed by rotary evaporation and taken to dryness. The colourless residue was dissolved in methanol before the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation and taken to dryness to give a colourless residue.
Example 14
L 11 .xHCl
[0210]
[0211] To a mixture of sodium azide in water and dichloromethane was added triflic anhydride at 0° C. The mixture was allowed to warm to room temperature and was stirred vigorously for 2.5 h. The aqueous layer was removed and washed with dichloromethane. The organic layers were combined and added dropwise to a solution of L 10 .xCH 3 CO 2 H, K 2 CO 3 and Zn(CH 3 CO 2 ) 2 .2H 2 O in methanol and water. The mixture was stirred vigorously for 3 h. The organic layer was removed and the aqueous layer applied to a column of Dowex 50W×2 (10 cm height, 3 cm diameter). After washing with water (100 mL) and 1M HCl (100 mL) to remove Zn 2+ , the protonated ligand was eluted with 3M HCl. The solvent was removed by rotary evaporation to yield the chloride salt.
Example 15
L 12 .xCH 3 CO 2 H
[0212]
[0000] To a solution of L 10 .xCH 3 CO 2 H in acetic acid was added maleic anhydride and the reaction was heated at 60° C. in a water bath for 30 min before the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation (60° C.). Residual acetic acid was removed by azeotroping with toluene and then taken to dryness.
Example 16
L 13 .xCH 3 CO 2 H
[0213]
[0000] To a solution of thiophosgene in chloroform was added a solution of L 4 .xCH 3 CO 2 H in water and the mixture was stirred vigorously for 12 h. The aqueous layer removed, washed with chloroform and taken to dryness.
[0214] Finally, it will be appreciated that various modifications and variations of the methods and compositions of the invention described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention that are apparent to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.
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The present invention relates to compounds that are useful as metal ligands and which can be bound to a biological entity such as a molecular recognition moiety and methods of making these compounds. Once the compounds that are bound to a biological entity are coordinated with a suitable metallic radionuclide, the coordinated compounds are useful as radiopharmaceuticals in the areas of radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging. The invention therefore also relates to methods of diagnosis and therapy utilising the radiolabelled compounds of the invention.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the care and maintenance of brushes, and more particularly to devices and systems for promoting a more rapid drying of the bundled bristles of a brush while preserving a desired shape of the bundled bristles.
Since the early part of the nineteenth century, bristle brushes have been used to apply paint and other relatively viscous liquids to the surfaces of a wide variety of substrates. The basic brush includes a handle, a plurality of natural or synthetic bristles, and a ferrule, typically metal, for mounting the bristles to one end of the handle. The bristles are mounted as a bundle, tightly packed at the ferrule and extending away from the ferrule in the handle length direction. Depending on the brush style, the bristles are either substantially parallel, or flared in the sense of including centrally located bristles extending lengthwise and peripheral bristles slightly inclined outwardly as they extend away from the ferrule.
In either event, the bundle is composed of multiple bristles, and multiple interstitial regions or open spaces between and among the bristles. The interstitial regions tend to be elongate in the direction of the bristles, and tend to enlarge as they approach the free ends of the bristles, due either to a flaring of the bundle or to a natural taper of the bristles to pointed free ends. The interstitial regions cooperate to provide a reservoir that receives and holds the paint or other viscous substance, then releases the substance as the bundle of bristles is drawn across the surface of a substrate.
Cosmetic brushes generally are formed with considerably finer bristles than paint brushes, and are used to apply a variety of cosmetics including eyeliner, eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, and concealer, in liquid and powdered form. As with other brushes, the interstitial regions in the bristle bundle of a cosmetic brush provide a reservoir for the cosmetic, releasing the cosmetic as the brush is drawn across the user's skin.
Brushes used for artistic painting are quite similar to cosmetic brushes, and typically employ similar bristles.
Proper maintenance of brushes requires thorough cleaning of the bristles. In the case of paint brushes, the most obvious requirement is to avoid an accumulation and drying of paint in the interstitial regions, which hardens the bristles and ruins the brush. Cosmetic brushes are also subject to this requirement. Further, because they are used to apply substances to the skin, cosmetic brushes are subject to the risk of skin irritation due to a buildup of previously applied cosmetics and foreign matter. Accumulated makeup products can harbor bacterial growth which can be harmful to the skin.
Accordingly, careful users endeavor to clean brushes thoroughly, directly after use. Paint brushes typically are cleaned with low viscosity liquids such as water or paint thinner. Cosmetic brushes frequently are cleaned with water mixed with soap, shampoo, or vinegar, followed by a water rinse. Wetting the bristles leaves them highly compliant, and care must be taken to preserve the desired shape of the bundle of bristles as drying proceeds. To this end, U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,939 (Derencsenyi et al.) discloses a resilient sleeve, preferably formed of PVC, polyethylene or polypropylene. The sleeve covers the bristles, the stock and part of the handle and is formed with slots or other openings that allow passage of air or moisture to aid the drying. U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,694 (Van Diest et al.) discloses a plastic sheath with halves that resiliently flex to allow insertion and removal of the brush. The sheath is provided with vent holes to hasten drying. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,359,650 (Amis), a shaving brush holder is formed as a rubber tube that supports the shaving brush vertically. Perforations through the tube allow passage of air and moisture, although the primary purpose of the holder is said to be protecting items near the shaving brush and holder to exposure to moisture from the wet brush.
According to another approach intended to protect submerged bristles, U.S. Pat. No. 2,263,119 (Cornell) provides a perforated casing to surround a brush when submerged in a brush preservative fluid. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 816,793 (Harris) discloses a cup shaped holder containing a brush cleaning liquid. A ring at the top of the holder is designed to suspend the bristles in the liquid, maintaining the bush in a vertical orientation while keeping the weight of the handle off of the bristles.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,061 (Baker et al.) discloses a bristle preservation system directed to fine-bristled brushes, more particularly artists' brushes. The system includes an elastically deformable braided tube formed of helically wound filaments. The tube undergoes axial elongation and radial contraction (or vice versa) simultaneously in the manner of a stent or Chinese handcuff. The tube is sufficiently long to extend beyond the tips of the bristles while also surrounding and bearing against at least part of the ferrule. The tube is said to be stable enough to hold the handle and bristles in a vertical orientation with the bristles pointing down. On a website (www.thebrushguad.com) describing the patented tube, it is stated that “brushes can dry bristles down so gravity pulls moisture away from the ferrule.”
The forgoing devices, although useful in certain applications, rely on convective and gravitational transfer of moisture. Thus, while tending to protect the bristles during drying to preserve the desired shape, they are unlikely to increase the rate of drying, and in some cases may even increase the drying time. Accordingly, they do not effectively address circumstances that limit the time available for drying—for example, a travel schedule with brief stays at different locations, where leaving brushes out to dry for an extended time may be difficult or impossible.
Accordingly, the present invention involves several aspects, each directed to one or more of the following objects:
to provide a device capable of applying substantial radially inward pressure when surrounding the bristles of a brush, to promote a more rapid drying of the bristles while more effectively preserving or restoring the desired bristle shape; to provide a bristle drying system that relies on a moisture transfer mechanism other than convection or gravity, to substantially increase the rate of drying; to provide a moisture permeable cover for a bundle of bristles, capable of rapidly drying and effectively shaping the bristles without requiring a vertical orientation or suspension of the brush; and to provide a system for storing multiple brushes, capable of promoting rapid drying and proper shaping of the brushes when stored.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve and other objects, there is provided a bristle drying and shaping assembly. The assembly includes a brush comprising a handle elongate in a longitudinal direction, and a plurality of bristles. A ferrule at a distal end of the handle supports the bristles with respect to the handle in a generally longitudinal extension away from the distal end to form a bundle composed of the bristles and interstitial regions between and among the bristles. The assembly further includes a tubular band disposed on a band axis. The tubular band has a nominal band diameter less than a diameter of the bundle when in a contracted state, and is extensible elastically along a circumference thereof to an a radially expanded state to accommodate the bundle. The tubular band surrounds the bundle with the band axis oriented substantially in the longitudinal direction and in the radially expanded state, to produce an elastic restoring force acting radially inwardly to compress adjacent ones of the bristles against one another to substantially close the interstitial regions.
Although the precise mechanisms operative under the radially inward pressure are not fully understood, compressing the bristles into contact with one another substantially reduces the volume of the interstitial regions, individually and collectively. As these regions diminish in volume, the water or other liquid they contain is forced to percolate through the bundle, migrating radially outward and axially or longitudinally toward the free ends of the bristles. The inward pressure or squeezing of the bristles together, plus a diffusion mechanism as the moisture seeks the drier ambient environment, are believed to cause what constitutes a surprisingly large reduction in the time required to fully dry the bundle of bristles.
In preferred versions of the assembly, the tubular band when surrounding the bristles is disposed distally of the ferrule, and has an axial dimension sufficiently short to leave distal end portions of the bristles exposed when the band surrounds the bundle. The spacing from the ferrule enables the band to more effectively apply pressure to, and conform to, the bundle of bristles. The exposure of distal regions of the bristles promotes moisture loss through evaporation.
In particularly preferred versions of the assembly, the tubular band is composed of intercalated fibers including circumferential fibers and axial fibers. Fibers extending circumferentially along the tubular band are resilient, while the axially extending fibers are substantially inextensible. As a result, the tubular band is expanded circumferentially (or radially) to accommodate the bundle of bristles, and then contracts circumferentially as it compresses the bundle. Meanwhile, the axial dimension of the band remains substantially constant. As compared to braided tube designs in which a radial contraction is accompanied by axial elongation, a tubular band formed according to this aspect of the invention more readily conforms to the bristles without unwanted axial movement relative to the bristles. The preferred tubular band also can expand and contract radially when surrounding the bundle of bristles, without exerting unwanted axial forces against the bristles.
Another aspect of the present invention is a brush support and drying system. The system includes a first panel. A handle retainer is attached to the first panel. The retainer is adapted for a contiguous engagement with a handle of a brush to contain the handle with respect to the first panel. A tubular band is attached to the first panel, aligned with and axially spaced apart from the retainer. The tubular band has a nominal band diameter in a contracted state, and is elastically extensible in a circumferential direction to accommodate a bundle of bristles of the brush by surrounding the bristles, thereby cooperating with the retainer to secure the brush with respect to the first panel. The tubular band is adapted to generate an elastic restoring force when surrounding the bundle of bristles. The restoring force acts radially inwardly against the bundle and is of sufficient magnitude to compress the bristles against one another to substantially close interstitial regions between and among the bristles.
The panel affords convenient storage for the brush, or several of the brushes when provided with additional pairs of the tubular bands and retainers. In one preferred version of the system, a strip of pliable and inextensible material, for example leather, is sewn or otherwise attached to the panel to form a row of side-by-side retainers. In turn, several of the tubular bands are arranged in a row spaced apart in the axial direction from the retainers. The tubular bands and retainers can be provided in different sizes to accommodate differently sized brushes.
In a further preferred version of the system, a second panel can be attached to the first panel, or a single panel structure can be formed with a pliant medial region between opposite panel sections to allow a folding of the panel sections together to form an enclosure.
In a highly preferred approach, an elongate panel structure is formed of a compliant, inextensible material such as leather. Lateral bends at two medial locations form the panel structure into three panel sections of approximately equal size. Pairs of tubular members and retainers are formed along the three sections, on one side of the panel structure. When folded along the medial regions, the panel structure encloses the brushes secured by the retainers and tubular members. When closed, the panel structure provides a convenient storage and travel case. When open, the panel structure can secure several brushes for rapid drying.
A further aspect of the present invention is a device for drying and shaping bristles of a brush. The device includes a resilient, moisture permeable tubular member disposed about a tube axis and having a nominal tube diameter in a contracted state. The tubular member is elastically extensible in the circumferential direction to allow placement of the tubular member in surrounding contiguous relation to a bundle of a brush. The bundle is composed of a plurality of bristles extending generally in a longitudinal direction and interstitial regions between and among the bristles, with the tube axis extending substantially in the longitudinal direction. The tubular member when in the surrounding contiguous relation produces an elastic restoring force acting radially inwardly against the bundle and being of sufficient magnitude to radially compress the bristles against one another to substantially close the interstitial regions.
Thus in accordance with the present invention, a bundle formed of bristles extending at least generally distally from the brush handle and ferrule is surrounded by a resilient, moisture permeable tubular member having an axis substantially aligned with the bristles. While conforming to the shape of the bundle, the tubular member compresses the bundle radially inwardly due to its elastic restoring force, substantially closing interstitial regions between and among the bristles. This results in a highly favorable combination of reduced bristle drying times, and restoration or preservation of the desired bundle shape. The shorter drying times enable users to clean their brushes under circumstances that would not allow sufficient time under conventional approaches. In addition, several of the tubular members can be paired with brush handle retainers mounted to a suitable backing or panel structure for a more convenient drying and storage and several brushes.
IN THE DRAWINGS
For a further understanding of the above and other aspects and advantages of the invention, reference is made to the following detailed description and to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bristle shaping and drying device formed in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device;
FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the device in a radially expanded state;
FIG. 4 is a top view of the device, showing the radially expanded state and a non-circular relaxed state in broken lines;
FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a cosmetic brush;
FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the brush in combination with the device;
FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the brush following removal of the device;
FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a storage and carrying case for cosmetic brushes;
FIG. 9 is a side elevation showing a panel of the case;
FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the case when closed; and
FIGS. 11 and 12 schematically represent a comparative test of circumferential elongation under an applied force.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Turning now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a bristle drying and shaping device in the form of a tubular member or sleeve 16 . The sleeve has a wall 18 substantially uniform in size and thickness along its axial length running from a proximal end 20 to a distal end 22 , vertically as viewed in the figure. The sleeve is disposed about a vertical sleeve axis 24 .
As seen in FIG. 2 , sleeve 16 is formed of two sets of intercalated fibers: circumferentially extending fibers 26 which appear horizontal in the figure, and axially extending fibers 28 that appear vertical. Fibers 26 and 28 can be natural, e.g. cotton, or synthetic, e.g. polyester. In either event, the fibers are of two different types. The circumferential fibers are elastic, and accordingly allow elongation or expansion of wall 18 along its circumference. The axial fibers are substantially inextensible, and provide structural support for the circumferential fibers.
The combination of elastic circumferential fibers and substantially inextensible axial fibers governs the elastic expansion of sleeve 16 when subject to external forces. In particular, sleeve expansion occurs almost exclusively in the circumferential direction. This is apparent from a comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3 , showing wall 18 in a relaxed state and an elastically enlarged state, respectively. In the contracted or relaxed state, assumed by the sleeve when subject to no external forces, adjacent fibers are close together and spaces between them are not visible to the naked eye. In the expanded sleeve such spaces are visible, primarily due to a substantial increase in circumferential spacing between adjacent axial fibers. The axial distance between adjacent circumferential fibers also may increase, but only slightly, due to a slight decrease in the diameter of fibers 26 as they are elongated in the circumferential direction. Thus, the elastic expansion of sleeve 16 is asymmetrical, in the sense that the axial dimension remains substantially stable as the diameter and circumference are enlarged.
As seen in FIG. 4 , sleeve 16 has a nominal diameter D 1 in the relaxed state. When surrounding the bristles of a brush and accordingly subject to a radially outward force exerted by the bristles, wall 18 is expanded to a radially enlarged state and has a diameter D 2 . The larger diameter D 2 , shown at 30 , of course will vary with the compacted diameter of the bundle of bristles surrounded by the sleeve.
Fibers 26 and 28 are compliant, which results in a compliant sleeve. While sleeve 16 tends to assume the circular profile shown in FIG. 1 when the sleeve axis is vertically disposed, it can tend toward an elliptical profile, in some cases representing an extreme ellipse or a flattened “doubled over” appearance when placed on a surface with axis 24 substantially horizontal. Such a profile is shown in FIG. 4 at 32 . The capability to assume a substantially flat configuration contributes to the ease of storing the sleeve, and does not interfere with its performance.
Sleeve 16 is water permeable when surrounding the bristles of a brush, to avoid interfering with evaporative removal of moisture from the bristles. Accordingly, it is advantageous to select circumferential and axial fibers that are water permeable. Alternatively, sleeve 16 can be formed with water impermeable versions of fibers 26 and 28 , with reliance placed on the porosity created by the separation of adjacent fibers, especially the axial fibers, in the expanded sleeve. In a highly preferred version of sleeve 16 , the circumferential fibers and the axial fibers are formed of mercerized cotton.
Sleeve 16 is particularly well suited for protecting the fine bristles used in cosmetic brushes and artists' brushes while promoting a more rapid drying of the bristles after cleaning. An exemplary brush 33 , shown in FIG. 5 , includes an elongate handle 34 having a proximal end region 36 and a distal end region 38 , multiple natural or synthetic bristles arranged in a bundle 40 , and a ferrule 42 surrounding the handle and the proximal ends of the bristles. The ferrule compacts the bristles, and supports bundle 40 with respect to handle 34 by virtue of its connection to the handle. Bundle 40 is flared, in the sense that only the more centrally located bristles extend in the longitudinal direction parallel to the handle, while the more peripheral bristles are slightly inclined outwardly in the distal direction. Nonetheless, all of the bristles extend at least generally in the longitudinal direction. After brush 33 is cleaned, the amount of flair may exceed a desired or designed level, due to an increase in fairing during usage or due to the wetting and handling of the bristles during cleaning. In FIG. 5 , brush 33 is shown after use and shortly after cleaning, with the bristles still wet.
To promote rapid drying and preserve or restore the intended shape of bundle 40 , sleeve 16 is installed onto bundle 40 , surrounding the bundle as shown in FIG. 6 . Due to the direction of the bristles, sleeve 16 is installed by placing it over proximal end region 36 , then sliding the sleeve distally over handle 34 and ferrule 42 until the sleeve is proximate but spaced apart distally from the ferrule. The initial placement and sliding along handle 34 typically are accomplished with sleeve 16 in the relaxed state, although a larger diameter handle might require slight radial enlargement. In either event, the sleeve is radially enlarged as it is moved distally along ferrule 42 . This is because nominal diameter D 1 is less than the diameter of bundle 40 , even at the proximal portion of the bundle compressed by the ferrule.
As sleeve 16 continues to move distally onto and along bundle 40 , the sleeve and bundle act upon one another and conform to one another in profile. The bundle elastically expands sleeve 16 along its circumference, at a level that initially increases due to the flair of the bundle. This tendency, however, is counteracted by the sleeve, which exerts a radially inward force against bundle 40 that tends to reduce the size of the bundle. The forces of the bundle and sleeve counterbalance one another. A larger flair causes a larger circumferential or radial expansion of the sleeve, increasing the elastic restoring force, which in turn increases the tendency to compact the bundle and thereby reduce its radius.
One possible result, shown in FIG. 6 , is a compaction of bundle 40 to form straight sides, with substantially all of the bristles extending in the longitudinal direction. The actual shape caused by the sleeve can vary, from a slight retention of the outward flare, to a convergence of bundle 40 in the distal direction. In all cases, the circumferential elastic restoring force in sleeve 16 , and therefore the radially inward force exerted by the sleeve, is sufficient to compact the bristles, i.e. to bring adjacent bristles firmly against each other to substantially close the interstitial open regions between and among the bristles present when the bundle is not subject to the radially compressive force of the sleeve.
FIG. 7 illustrates brush 33 after drying, and after removal of sleeve 16 . Again due to the bristle direction, the sleeve is removed by sliding it distally relative to bundle 40 . The brush shaping impact of the sleeve is illustrated by the longitudinal sides of the bundle, although actual results will vary.
As seen in FIGS. 8-10 , a set of sleeves 44 similar to sleeve 16 can be mounted to a panel or backing to support and dry several brushes simultaneously. In FIG. 8 , a platform or panel 46 is shown with a row of sleeves 44 running along one side of the panel. Each of the sleeves is sewn or otherwise attached to the panel. Near the opposite side of panel 46 , a strip 48 of leather or another compliant and inextensible material is joined to the panel by stitching 49 at intervals spaced apart along the strip length and perpendicular to the length. As best seen in FIG. 9 , this forms a row of handle retainers or receptacles 50 , each aligned with one of sleeves 44 in the sense of being coaxial with the associated sleeve while spaced apart from the sleeve in the axial direction.
The spacing between adjacent lines of stitching 49 varies, diminishing from left to right as shown in FIG. 8 . In similar fashion, sleeves 44 on the left have larger relaxed-state diameters than the sleeves on the right. Centrally located sleeves have intermediate relaxed-state diameters. As a result, the system of the panel, sleeves, and receptacles can accommodate a variety of brush sizes.
Panel 46 , like strip 48 , is formed of leather or another material that is compliant and inextensible. This allows the panel to be selectively bent or folded along medial panel regions indicated by broken lines at 52 and 54 . Functionally, this divides panel 46 into panel sections 56 , 58 , and 60 . When folded together, the panel sections cooperate to form an enclosure for storing or carrying multiple brushes, as shown in FIG. 10 .
A salient feature of the present invention is the capacity of the sleeve, when surrounding the bundle of bristles, to compact the bristles against one another and thereby substantially close the interstitial regions between and among the bristles. In conventional open air drying, and in drying with the aid of devices that cover or surround the bristles yet purport to rely on gravity to remove moisture, convection is the mechanism primarily relied upon to remove moisture from the bristles. The radial compaction of the bristles in accordance with the present invention is counterintuitive in the context of conventional approaches, because bristle compaction removes or diminishes pathways otherwise available for convection. This notwithstanding, the use of sleeves similar to sleeves 16 and 44 has been found to considerably reduce drying times while restoring or preserving the shape of the bristles.
The substantial closure of interstitial regions between and among bristles requires a high level of radially inward force to compact the bristles, well beyond levels found in previous approaches. FIGS. 11 and 12 schematically illustrate a comparative test conducted on a sleeve 62 constructed in accordance with the present invention, and a sleeve 64 sold under the brand name “Brush Guard” and consistent with the subject matter of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,061. Each of the tubular devices was subjected to a radially outward force of the same magnitude, in this case 20 oz. The force was applied along the length of each device, at a location centered between the opposite ends. The results are indicated in Table 1 below:
TABLE 1
Device 62
Device 64
Relaxed State Diameter
2.6 cm
2.0 cm
Diameter-Force Applied
2.7 cm
4.8 cm
Profile Expansion
0.1 cm
2.8 cm
As seen from FIGS. 11 and 12 , the radially outward force was exerted against two sections of the tube wall simultaneously, indicating that a similar circumferential expansion (single wall) would require significantly less force, likely about one-half. However, the comparative difference would be the same. The force applied to sleeve 62 caused an elongation of 0.1 cm, about 3.8 percent of the unstressed diameter. The same force, applied to sleeve 64 , caused an enlargement of 2.8 cm, or 140 percent of the original size.
Sleeve 64 exerts a finite radially inward force against the bristles, sufficient to frictionally engage the bristles so that a portion of the tube that extends distally beyond the bristles can support the weight of the entire brush in a vertical orientation. Generally, the radially inward force sufficient to compress the bristles for substantial closure of interstitial regions, exceeds the force necessary for frictional engagement by more than an order of magnitude.
In another comparative test, brushes with natural bristles and synthetic bristles were dried using sleeve 62 and sleeve 64 , both in comparison with open air drying. Brushes were tested in six groups: (1) goat hair bristles, dried using tube 62 ; (2) goat hair bristles dried using tube 64 ; (3) goat hair bristles, open air drying; (4) synthetic bristles, dried using tube 62 ; (5) synthetic bristles, dried using tube 64 ; and (6) synthetic bristles, open air drying.
The brushes were immersed in water for ten minutes. Each brush, immediately after removal from the water, was placed in contact with a highly absorbent paper for five minutes. The resulting “halo” formed by outward migration of water from the area of brush contact, was measured at its maximum diameter to obtain a halo width measurement. At that point, drying was initiated.
At four stages of drying (2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, and 24 hours), the halo forming and measuring step was repeated. The results are shown in Table 2:
TABLE 2
Halo Width (cm) at Time (hours)
Group 1-6
Bristle Type
Method
0
2 h
4 h
6 h
24 h
1
Goat Hair
Sleeve 62
10
3.5
0
0
0
2
Goat Hair
Sleeve 64
10.5
9.5
9
9
8.5
3
Goat Hair
Open Air
10
6.5
4.5
0
0
4
Synthetic
Sleeve 62
12
5.5
3
0
0
5
Synthetic
Sleeve 64
12
11
10
9
9
6
Synthetic
Open Air
12.5
8.5
7.2
7
0
As Table 2 indicates, in connection with the natural bristle brush dried using sleeve 62 , no transfer of water to the absorbent paper was observed in the test conducted four hours after the initial wetting of the bristles. As to the synthetic bristle brush dried using sleeve 62 no such transfer was observed in the test conducted six hours after initial wetting.
In both cases, the brush was found to be completely dry and ready to use.
In contrast, the natural and synthetic brushes dried using sleeve 64 remained wet 24 hours after initial wetting, although a reduction in halo diameters over time did suggest loss of moisture. The air dried natural brush left no observable water halo when tested six hours after initial wetting. However, the brush at this point still felt humid to the touch, and for that reason was considered not yet ready for use. The air dried synthetic bristle brush left no visible water halo in the test conducted 24 hours after initial wetting.
Overall, the results indicate a substantial reduction in drying time, for natural bristles and synthetic bristles alike, when the bundle of bristles is surrounded by a water permeable tubular member in an elastically enlarged state under an elastic restoring force sufficient to compress the bristles and thereby substantially close the interstitial regions ordinarily present between and among the bristles.
Thus in accordance with the present invention, systems and devices are provided to preserve and restore the shape of a bundle of bristles, after cleaning the brush. These systems and devices substantially reduce the time required for drying, so that cleaning and drying the brushes becomes more convenient in any event. Finally, the devices and systems allow the cleaning and drying of brushes in circumstances where these activities were either difficult or impossible due to previous drying time requirements.
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Devices and systems are disclosed for rapidly drying and shaping fine-bristled brushes. The typical device is a resilient, water permeable tubular band or sleeve, designed to surround a bundle of bristles when in a radially expanded state. An elastic restoring force exerted by the sleeve acts radially inwardly against the bundle, compacting the bristles against one another. The compaction tends to preserve or restore a desired shape of the bundle, and substantially closes interstitial regions or open spaces ordinarily present between and among the bristles. Substantial closure of the interstitial regions, along with the use of a breathable material in the fibers used to construct the sleeve, contribute to a surprising and considerable reduction in bristle drying time. A system suitable for simultaneously drying several brushes includes a flat panel supporting a plurality of the sleeves, each sleeve aligned with a receptacle for the brush handle. The panel can be formed of a compliant material that permits a selective folding of the panel to form an enclosure for the brushes.
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CROSS-REFERENCES
[0001] This is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 12/564,167, filed Sep. 22, 2009, which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 11/069, 236, filed Mar. 2, 2005 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,606,984), which is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 10/790,112, filed Mar. 2, 2004 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,877,073), which is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 09/804,245, filed Mar. 13, 2001 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,728,844), which is a continuation application of U.S. Ser. No. 09/085,864, filed May 28, 1998 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,245). The entire disclosures of all of the above-identified applications are hereby incorporated by reference.
[0002] This application claims priority to JP 09-140029, filed May 29, 1997.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates to storage control apparatus with ANSIX3T11-standardized fiber channels as an interface with its upper-level or “host” computers, and more particularly to a storage controller device which is employable in a computer system including a host computer and a storage control device plus a storage unit operable under control of the storage controller and which is for elimination of unauthorized access attempts upon issuance of a request to access the storage unit as sent from the host computer to the storage controller.
[0004] Conventionally, with regard to elimination or determent of unauthorized or illicit access attempts over networks, a variety of approaches are known and proposed until today.
[0005] One typical prior known approach to deterring unauthorized access has been disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application (“PUJPA”) No. 3-152652, wherein a network security system between computer systems supporting the TCP/IP protocol includes a memory device for storage of predefined identification (ID) information of those users who are authorized to log-in the network. The security system has a function of interrupting or disenabling any connection to the network whenever an unauthorized person attempts to log-in the network for invasion or “hacking” purposes.
[0006] Another approach has been disclosed in PUJPA No. 63-253450, wherein the central processing device disclosed comes with an operating system that is designed to monitor or “pilot” entry of user ID, password and online address data thereby deterring any unauthorized access to resource files on disk drive units.
[0007] Still another approach is based on the “ESCON” interface architecture available from IBM corp., which is designed so that by utilizing the fact that a host computer stores therein a logical address thereof as the source address of the host computer in the form of a frame and transmits the same to a storage controller device, the storage controller has a function of checking whether an incoming logical address in such frame matches a logical address that has been preset in the storage controller.
[0008] Any one of the prescribed prior art approaches are not more than a mere unauthorized access elimination means that is inherently directed to those interfaces with a single type of layer mounted on a host logical layer.
[0009] However, the ANSIX3T11-standardized fiber channel is the “network type” architecture, which is capable of providing the host logical layer with various built-in layers mountable thereon, such as for example TCP/IP, SCSI, ESCON, IPI and the like. More specifically, since the buffer contents are to be moved from one device to another in a way independent of the data format and contents, it may offer logical compatibility with other interface configurations and therefore remain physically accessible without suffering from any particular limitations. Especially, in a storage system including this fiber channel and a storage device with a plurality of storage regions such as a disk array device or “subsystem,” the storage regions are usable in common by an increased number of host computers. Accordingly, the prior art unauthorized access determent schemes remain insufficient in performance and reliability. A need thus exists for achievement of secrecy protection based on users' intentional security setup.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a fiber channel connection storage control device adapted for use in a computer system which employs an ANSIX3T11-standardized fiber channel as an interface between one or more host computers and a storage control device and which includes host computers and a storage control device plus more than one storage device operable under control of the storage control device, wherein the fiber channel connection storage control device has a security function of, in the environment capable of physically receiving any access from the host computers, eliminating or deterring unauthorized access attempts from the host computers to the storage control device, which did not have any means for rejecting unauthorized access from host computers.
[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a fiber channel connection storage control device having a scheme capable of readily managing an accessible host computer or computers for elimination or determent of any unauthorized access from such host computers.
[0012] According to the present invention, the foregoing objects may be attainable in a way such that N_Port_Name information of an accessible, host computer or computers which information distinctly identifies each host computer in a one-by-one basis is set in the storage control device for comparison with N_Port_Name information as stored in a frame to be sent from a host computer to thereby determine whether a presently desired access attempt is permissible or not.
[0013] One practical feature of the present invention in order to attain the prescribed objects is to have a means for inputting by use of a panel or the like the N_Port_Name information that is the information being issued from a host computer for distinct identification of the host computer, and then for storing such input information in a control memory of the storage control device as a control table. In this case, it will be desirable that the storage control device has a means for permanently storing therein the information until it is reset or updated.
[0014] And, by arranging the control table to be stored in a non-volatile control memory, it becomes possible to protect the management information even upon occurrence of any possible power supply failure or interruption.
[0015] In accordance with another practical feature of the present invention, after start-up of the host computer, the host computer generates and issues a frame that stores therein N_Port_Name information to the storage control device; the storage control device has means for comparing, when the storage control device receives this information, the maintained N_Port_Name information for distinct identification of the host computer to the N_Port_Name information as stored is the received frame: If the comparison results in a match between the two, then continue to execute the processing based on an instruction of the frame received; alternatively, if the comparison tells failure in match then return to the host computer an LS_RJT frame which rejects the presently received frame. It is thus possible for the storage control device to inhibit or deter any unauthorized access from the host computer.
[0016] A further practical feature of the present invention lies in presence of a means for setting N_Port_Name information items which are greater in number than or equal to a physical number of host interface units (ports) as owned by the storage control device. More specifically, a means is specifically provided for setting a plurality of N_Port_Name information items per port. This makes it possible to accommodate a multi-logical path configuration upon either a fiber channel fabric or a multi-logical path configuration upon switch connections.
[0017] Further, in a system having many magnetic disk volume parts such as a disk array device and also having a plurality of channel path routes, the system has manager means for performing management—within the storage control device in a one-to-one correspondence relation per channel path route—of storage regions under control of the storage control device, including a logical unit number (LUN)-based logical disk extent, a physical volume extent, a RAID group-based logical disk extent and the like, versus ports of the storage control device and N_Port_Name information of a host computer(s). This may enable users to deter an unauthorized access attempt per storage region, which in turn leads to achievement of more precise access management.
[0018] Furthermore in the present invention, even where the storage device under control of the storage control device is any one of an optical disk drive, magneto-optical (MO) disk drive and magnetic tape device as well as a variety of types of library devices of them, the storage control device has means for performing table based management and the storage information of a control table-based manager/holder means for dealing with the correspondence among the N_Port_Name information of an accessible host computer, ports of the storage control device, and the storage device, and further handling the correspondence management of media in the case of library apparatus, while simultaneously having a means for comparing, upon receipt of a frame as sent thereto, the information within the frame to the information in the control table, thereby eliminating unauthorized access attempts from host computers.
[0019] Moreover, the present invention comprises means for protecting the management information through inputting of a password upon setup of the information under management of the storage control device using a panel or the like. With such an arrangement, it is possible for users to eliminate any fraudulent registration of the information and also unauthorized resetting of the same. In addition, the users are capable of readily deter any unauthorized access by merely setting such management information thus reducing workloads on the users.
[0020] It should be noted that in the present invention, the means for setting the information as managed by the storage control device may be designed so that the use of the panel or the like is replaced with use of a utility program or programs of host computers to attain the intended setup operation.
[0021] In accordance with the present invention, in a computer system employing the ANSIX3T11-standardized fiber channel as the interface between host computers and a storage control device and also including the host computers, the storage control device and more than one storage device under control of the storage control device, it is possible to deter unauthorized access from any one of the host computers, which in turn makes it possible to attain the intended data secrecy protection within the storage device.
[0022] In addition, it becomes possible to precisely manage those access attempts from any one of the host computers in a one-to-one correspondence manner among the host computers and storage controller ports as well as storage regions; accordingly, the storage device may be efficiently utilized to meet the needs upon alteration of the usage per storage region.
[0023] These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of a first practicing form of the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a format of a frame in the first practicing form.
[0026] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a format of a frame header which constitutes the frame shown in FIG. 2 .
[0027] FIG. 4(A) is a format diagram of a payload of FCP_CMND which is one of frames shown in FIG. 2 ; and, FIG. 4(B) is a format diagram of FCP_CDB constituting the payload.
[0028] FIG. 5 shows one example of a sequence performing delivery of a data frame between a host computer and a device in the first practicing form, wherein FIG. 5(A) shows a sequence upon attempting of log-in, FIG. 5(B) is a sequence diagram when execution of a read command, and FIG. 5(C) is a sequence diagram upon receipt of a write command.
[0029] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a control table used by a storage controller in controlling a host computer or computers in the first practicing form.
[0030] FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of frame processing as executed by the storage controller upon issuance of a log-in request from an upper-level computer (host) in the first practicing form.
[0031] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a control table used by the storage controller for management of storage regions in the first practicing form.
[0032] FIG. 9 shows a flow chart of frame processing as executed by the storage controller upon issuance of an I/O request from the host in the first practicing form.
[0033] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration in the case where the storage device under control of the storage controller is an optical disk library as a second practicing form of the present invention.
[0034] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a control table as managed by the storage controller in the second practicing form shown in FIG. 10 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0035] An explanation will first be given of a fiber channel and a storage system structured using the channel in accordance with the present invention with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 .
[0036] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of the storage system in the case where a storage device operable under control of a storage controller unit are a disk array module or “subsystem.” In FIG. 1 , reference numerals 10 , 20 , 30 designate host computers each of which may be a central processing unit for executing data processing required.
[0037] Numeral 40 designates a storage controller unit of the disk array subsystem in which the principles of the present invention are implemented. As shown in FIG. 1 , the storage controller 40 is constituted from a fiber channel control unit 41 which may be a protocol processor including a direct memory access (DMA) for controlling data transmission between it and the host computers 10 , 20 , 30 , a microprocessor 42 for controlling all possible operations of the storage controller, a control memory 43 for storing therein microprograms for control of the operation of the controller along with control data associated therewith, a cache control unit 44 for controlling writing and reading data to and from the cache, a disk cache 45 for temporarily buffering write data and read data to/from a disk drive(s), a device interface control unit 46 which may be a protocol processor including DMA for controlling data transfer between it and its associative disk drives, and a panel 47 for use in inputting device configuration information to the storage controller.
[0038] Numeral 50 is the disk array subsystem operable under control of the storage controller 40 . The disk array subsystem 50 is a device that stores therein data of host computers, which may be arranged to include therein a plurality of individual separate disks as disposed to have certain redundancy.
[0039] The disks constituting the disk array subsystem 50 are logically divided into portions or “partitions” which may be set at specified RAID levels different from one another. The partitions are called the RAID group. This RAID group is further logically subdivided into regions that may be SCSI access units called the logical units (LUs), each of which has its unique logical unit number (LUN) adhered thereto. In this embodiment, the disk array subsystem 50 illustrated herein comes with two LUs: an LU 0 ( 51 ) that is the LU indicating the number LUN 0 , and LU 1 ( 52 ) with the number LUN 1 .
[0040] It is noted that the number of LUs should not be exclusively limited to the two (2) as shown in FIG. 1 and may be increased more; in the case of single target functions, the LU may be maximally increased up to eight (8) per target.
[0041] It is also noted that while in this embodiment the storage regions called the LUs are used as the access units, such storage regions each acting as the access unit may alternatively be those storage regions with a physical volume being as the unit or with a RAID group as unit.
[0042] The host computers 10 , 20 , 30 and storage controller 40 employ a fiber channel 60 as the interface, and are connected together via a device known as the “fabric.”
[0043] An operation of the system shown in FIG. 1 will be explained under the assumption that the operation is performed in one exemplary case where the host computer 10 performs data transfer toward the disk array subsystem 50 by way of the storage controller 40 . The following description will mainly deal with the flow of control and the data flow.
[0044] When the host computer 10 generates and issues an access request, the fiber channel control unit 41 recognizes such request then issuing a task interruption request to the microprocessor 42 . In turn, the microprocessor 42 causes the control memory 43 to store therein both command information from the host computer and necessary control information required in this invention.
[0045] If the command information is a write command, then the microprocessor 42 instructs the fiber channel control unit 41 to execute data transfer and then stores the transferred data in the cache 45 via the cache controller 44 . With respect to the host computer 10 , the fiber channel control unit 41 issues a write completion report thereto. After completion of such write completion reporting, the microprocessor 42 controls the device interface controller 46 thus permitting data and redundancy data to be written into the disk array subsystem 50 . In this case, during ordinary or standard RAID5 operations, a new parity is created based on the old data and old parity as well as new data; on the contrary, according to the control scheme of this invention, the microprocessor 42 does the same using the device interface controller 46 and the cache control unit 44 as well as the control memory 43 plus the cache 45 .
[0046] On the other hand, upon receipt of read command information as the command information from the host computer 10 , the microprocessor 42 sends an instruction to the device interface control unit 46 for providing access to the disk array subsystem 50 which stores therein the data block of this access request to read data therefrom, which data will then be stored into the cache 45 through the cache control unit 44 . The microprocessor 42 issues an instruction to the fiber channel control unit 41 ; the fiber channel control unit 41 in turn transfers the data stored in the cache 45 toward the host computer 10 and then sends a read completion report to the host computer after completion of the data transfer required.
[0047] Next, a technical advantage of the fiber channel 60 will be explained as follows. The fiber channel may be a high-speed interface capable of transferring data at 100 MB/s at a distance of 10 km in maximum. The fiber channel's architecture is designed to send data from a “source” buffer to its “destination” buffer while moving the buffer contents from one device to another in a way independent of the format and contents of data per se; accordingly, any overhead which processes different network communications protocols will no longer take place thus enabling achievement of high-speed data transmission. A variety of kinds of layers may be built in the upper-level logical layer, such as for example TCP/IP, SCSI, ESCON, IPI and the like. In other words, it does have the logical compatibility with other interfaces. The device called the fabric is expected to execute the complicated device-to-device connection/exchange function, which leads to the capability of organization of a multi-layered logical bus configuration.
[0048] The basic unit based on which the fiber channel exchanges or distributes data is called the “frame.” Next, this frame will be explained with reference to FIG. 2 .
[0049] As shown in FIG. 2 , a frame 70 is configured from a start-of-frame (SOF) section 71 , frame header 72 , data field 73 , cyclic redundancy check (CRC) 74 , and end-of-frame (EOF) 75 .
[0050] The SOF 71 is an identifier of 4 bytes which is put at the top of the frame.
[0051] The EOF 75 is a 4-byte identifier at the last location of the frame; a combination of SOF 71 and EOF 75 indicates the boundary of frame. In the fiber channel, an “idle” signal or signals flow therein in cases where any frames are absent.
[0052] The frame header 72 contains therein a frame type, host protocol type, source and destination's N_Port_ID information, N_Port_Name information and the like. The N_Port_ID is information indicative of an address, whereas N_Port_Name represents a port identifier.
[0053] The header of upper-level layer may be put at the top part of the data field 73 . This is followed by a payload section which carries data per se. CRC 74 is a 4 byte check code for use in checking or verifying the frame header and data in the data field.
[0054] The frame header 72 has a format 80 as shown in FIG. 3 . In the frame header format 80 , a destination identifier (D_ID) 81 is an address identifier on the frame reception side, and a source identifier (S_ID) 82 is an identifier indicative of the N_Port address on the frame transfer side, each of which may involve N_Port_ID, N_Port_Name information, etc.
[0055] An explanation will next be given of a payload 90 of fiber channel protocol command FCP_CMND, which stands for fiber channel protocol for SCSI command and which is one of payloads of the data field 73 constituting the frame, in conjunction with FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B) .
[0056] A logical unit number LUN for issuance of a command is assigned to an FCP logical unit number (FCP_LUN) field 91 . A command control parameter is assigned to an FCP control (FCP_CNTL) field 92 . And, an SCSI command descriptor block is stored in an FCP command descriptor block (FCP_CDB) field 93 for indication of a command type such as a read command “Read” or the like, an address such as LUN, and a block number. The amount of data to be transferred in response to the command is designated by byte number in an FCP data length (FCP_DL) field 94 .
[0057] Data exchange/distribution operations are executed by use of the frame thus arranged as described above.
[0058] Frames employed herein may be generally classified based on function into a data frame and link control frame. The data frame is for use in transferring information, and thus has data and command as used by the host protocol, which are built in the payload section of the data field thereof.
[0059] On the other hand, the link control frame is typically used for indication of a success or failure of frame distribution. There may be a frame or the like for use in indicating actual receipt of a single frame or in notifying a parameter concerning transmission in log-in events.
[0060] Next, the “sequence” will be explained with reference to FIG. 5 . The sequence in the fiber channel may refer to a collection of data frames concerned which will be unidirectionally transferred from one N_Port to another N_Port, the sequence corresponding to the phase in SCSI. A collection of such sequences is called the “exchange.” One example is that a collection or group of certain sequences will be called the exchange, which sequences undergo exchange/distribution processing for execution of a command within a time period spanning from the issuance of such command to the completion of command execution (including command issuance, data transmission, and completion reporting). As apparent from the foregoing description, the “exchange” may be equivalent to I/O of SCSI.
[0061] FIGS. 5(A) , 5 (B) and 5 (C) show a log-in sequence ( 100 ), read command sequence ( 110 ), and write command sequence ( 120 ), respectively.
[0062] In the fiber channel interface, the intended communication becomes available in a particular event in which the host computer sends the device a port log-in (N_Port Login) frame containing a communication parameter, and then the device actually receives this frame. This will be called the “log-in.” FIG. 5(A) shows such log-in sequence ( 100 ).
[0063] In the log-in sequence ( 100 ) shown in FIG. 5(A) , the host computer first sends a PLOGI frame to the device at a sequence 101 thereby to require a log-in attempt. The device in turn sends an acknowledge (ACK) frame to the host computer thereby informing it of actual receipt of the PLOGI frame.
[0064] Then, at a sequence 102 , the device operates to send the host computer either an accept (ACC) frame if the log-in request is accepted or a link service reject (LS-RJT) frame if the request is to be rejected.
[0065] Next, the read command sequence ( 110 ) of FIG. 5(B) will be explained.
[0066] In a sequence 111 , the host computer sends the FCP_CMND frame to the device for requiring execution of a read operation. The device then sends back the ACK frame to the host computer.
[0067] At sequence 112 , the device sends the host computer an FCP transfer ready (FCP_XFER_RDY) frame thereby notifying it of completion of preparation for data transmission. The host computer then sends the ACK frame to the device.
[0068] The routine goes next to sequence 113 which permits the device to send the host computer an FC data (FC_DATA) frame and then transfer data thereto. The host computer sends back ACK frame to the device.
[0069] At the next sequence 114 , the device sends the FCP_RSP frame to the host computer to thereby inform it of successful completion of data transmission required. The host computer then sends back ACK frame to the device.
[0070] An explanation will next be given of the write command sequence ( 120 ) of FIG. 5(C) .
[0071] At sequence 121 , the host computer sends the device an FCP_CMND frame to perform issuance of a write request. In turn, the device sends ACK frame to the host computer.
[0072] Then at sequence 122 , the device sends FCP_XFER_RDY frame to the host computer in order to inform it of the fact that data writing is available. The host computer sends ACK frame to the device.
[0073] Further, in sequence 123 , the host computer sends FCP_DATA frame to the device for execution of data transfer. The device then sends ACK frame to the host computer.
[0074] Lastly at sequence 124 , the device sends the host computer an FCP response (FCP_RSP) frame thereby notifying it of successful completion of data reception concerned. The host computer then sends ACK frame to the device.
[0075] While the general system configuration and format plus sequences have been explained in conjunction with FIGS. 1 to 5(C) , a security check scheme incorporating the principles of the present invention will be explained below.
[0076] A security check scheme will first be explained which employs the N_Port_Name information during PLOGI processing.
[0077] In accordance with the invention, a first operation to be done in FIG. 1 is that the user sets or establishes a list of one or several host computers that may provide access to the microprocessor 42 of the storage controller 40 prior to start-up of the host computers 10 , 20 , 30 . More specifically, the N_Port_Name and N_Port_ID information capable of identifying such host computer(s) may be input using the panel 47 . When this is done, in order to attain the secrecy protection function upon inputting to the panel, entry of a password should be required upon inputting of the information to thereby enhance the security.
[0078] After input of the password, if such input password matches a preset password, then input the N_Port_Name information of more than one accessible host computer with respect to each port of the storage controller to thereby store the input information in the control table.
[0079] Now, assume for example that the host computers 10 , are capable of getting access to the disk array subsystem 50 whereas the host computer 30 is incapable of accessing disk array subsystem 50 . Assume also that the N_Port_Name is such that the host computer 10 is HOSTA, host computer 20 is HOSTB, and host computer 30 is HOSTC. Suppose that the port of the fiber channel control unit 41 of the storage controller 40 is CTL 0 P 0 . If this is the case, the resulting log-in request control table 130 is as shown in FIG. 6 .
[0080] By establishing this log-in request control table 130 shown in FIG. 6 in a nonvolatile memory, it becomes possible to protect the management information against any possible power interruption or failure.
[0081] In addition, the information stored in the log-in request control table 130 is saved in the hard disk region 50 upon occurrence of power off. Or alternatively, upon updating of information, reflection is performed to the memory 43 and the disk 50 . This may enable the storage controller 40 to permanently hold or store therein the information until it is subject to resetting or re-establishment.
[0082] It should be noted that while the “self” node information for use in identifying nodes and/or ports in the fiber channel may also involve N_Port_ID other than the N_Port_Name, it is desirable that the N_Port_Name information be used as an object to be checked for security. This is because of the fact that the N_Port_ID will possibly be altered or modified and is not the numeral value under management by the users.
[0083] Next, an explanation will be given of a frame processing procedure of the storage controller in reply to issuance of a log-in request from a host computer with reference to FIGS. 1 and 7 .
[0084] (Step S 71 )
[0085] The host computers 10 , 20 , 30 start up each issuing a PLOGI frame, which is the log-in request frame storing therein the N_Port_Name information. Upon receipt of such frame, the microprocessor 42 of the storage controller 40 sends back each host computer an ACK frame representative of actual receipt of the frame.
[0086] (Step S 72 )
[0087] And, the microprocessor 42 attempts to extract N_port_Name information as stored in the frame, and then performs comparison for determining whether such N_Port_Name information has already been registered in the N_Port_Name list within the presently available preset control table.
[0088] (Step S 73 ), (Step S 74 ), (Step S 75 )
[0089] The N_Port_Name information that is presently stored in the frames issued from the host computers 10 , may match the N_Port_Name information which has been registered within the control table so that the microprocessor 42 of the storage controller 40 returns the ACC frame to the host computers 10 , 20 as a mark of actual receipt of the individual log-in request while simultaneously continuing to execute the log-in processing.
[0090] (Step S 73 ), (Step S 76 )
[0091] On the other hand, the N_Port_Name information stored in the frame as issued from the remaining host computer 30 fails to match the N_Port_Name information registered in the control table so that the microprocessor 42 of storage controller 40 returns to the host computer 30 an LS_RJT frame which contains therein a reject parameter for rejection of its connection attempt.
[0092] In the way as described above, by causing the storage controller 40 to manage the one-to-one correspondence of those ports of the host computers and the storage controller using the log-in request control table 130 , it is possible for users to prevent any unauthorized access attempts from host computers on a port-by-port basis thereby maintaining enhanced security.
[0093] Next, one preferred methodology will be described which is for practicing the security check scheme using the N_Port_Name information per LUN that is the storage region of the disk array subsystem in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
[0094] In accordance with the invention, first establish a list of those accessible host computers per LUN to the microprocessor 42 of storage controller 40 before startup of the host computers 10 , 20 , 30 . Then, input using the panel 47 certain information such as the N_Port_Name or N_Port_ID information or the like capable of identifying the host computers. When this is done, request entry of a password upon inputting of such information in order to achieve the secrecy protection function through input to the panel 47 , thereby enhancing the security.
[0095] After inputting such password, if this matches the preset password, then input the port of storage controller along with the N_Port_Name information of one or several accessible host computers, thereby storing the input information in the control table.
[0096] Assume here that the LU 0 ( 51 ) is accessible from the host computer 10 via a port of the fiber channel control unit 41 of the storage controller 40 whereas the LU 1 ( 52 ) is accessible from the host computer 20 via a port of fiber channel control unit 41 of storage controller 40 . Suppose that regarding the N_Port_Name, the host computer 10 is HOSTA while host computer 20 is HOSTS. Imagine that a port of fiber channel control unit 41 of storage controller 40 is CTL 0 P 0 . If this is the case, an I/O request control table 140 is as shown in FIG. 8 .
[0097] This I/O request control table 140 shown in FIG. 8 is established in the storage space of a nonvolatile memory thereby making it possible to protect the management information against loss or destruction due to any accidental power interruption or failure.
[0098] In addition, upon occurrence of power off, the information stored in the I/O request control table 140 shown in FIG. 8 is to be stored in the hard disk region 50 . Or alternatively, reflection is carried out to the memory 43 and disk 50 upon updating of information. This makes it possible to permanently hold or maintain the information until it is reestablished at later stages.
[0099] Although in this embodiment the channel path route is single, the same goes with other systems having a plurality of channel path routes.
[0100] A frame processing procedure of the storage controller in response to issuance of the I/O request from more than one host computer will now be explained in conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 9 . While in the prior example stated supra the security check was done in the course of PLOI, the check is performed per SCSI command in this embodiment.
[0101] (Step S 91 )
[0102] Where the host computer 10 desires to issue the I/O request to LU 0 ( 51 ), the host computer 10 generates and issues a specific frame storing therein SCSI CDB toward the storage controller 40 . Upon receiving of this frame, the storage controller 40 first sends back the ACK frame representative of actual receipt of this frame.
[0103] (Step S 92 )
[0104] And, the microprocessor 42 extracts the N_Port_Name information stored in the frame along with the LUN number within the CDB, and then performs comparison to determine whether such N_Port_Name information and LUN number are registered to the list within the control table which has been preset and maintained presently.
[0105] (Step S 93 ), (Step S 94 ), (Step S 95 )
[0106] Since the content “the host computer 10 can access LU 0 ( 51 )” has been registered in the management table, the microprocessor 42 of the storage controller 40 receives the command and continues execution of I/O processing.
[0107] (Step S 91 )
[0108] On the other hand, where the host computer 20 issues an I/O request frame of LU 0 ( 51 ), when the storage controller 40 does receive this frame storing therein the SCSI CDB, the microprocessor 42 first returns to the host computer 20 the ACK frame indicative of actual receipt of this frame.
[0109] (Step S 92 )
[0110] And, the microprocessor 42 operates to extract both the N_Port_Name information stored in the frame and the LUN number within CDB, and then executes search processing to thereby determine whether such N_Port_Name information and LUN number are present in the management table.
[0111] (Step S 93 ), (Step S 96 )
[0112] Suppose that the search reveals the absence of any combination of its corresponding LUN and N_Port_Name in the management table. If this is the case, the microprocessor 42 of storage controller 40 sends an LS_RJT frame to the host computer 20 for rejection of the I/O request thereof.
[0113] In this way, the storage controller may prevent any unauthorized access attempts.
[0114] Although the explanation herein was devoted to the log-in and I/O request frames, any other information may be employed for comparison, including but not limited to the N_Port_Name information as stored in any one of the other host computer frames.
[0115] It must be noted that the storage device under control of the fiber channel connection storage controller should not exclusively be limited to the disk array subsystem stated supra, and the principles of the present invention may alternatively be applicable to any systems employing an optical disk drive, magneto-optical disk drive and magnetic tape storage as well as library apparatus including one or several of them in combination.
[0116] A summary of the case where the present invention is applied to a system including its storage device under control of the storage controller which is configured from an optical disk device or “subsystem” will be explained with reference to FIG. 10 . Reference numeral 150 designates such optical disk library subsystem under control of the storage controller 40 ; numeral 151 indicates an optical disk drive; 152 to 156 , optical disk media.
[0117] The user is expected before startup of the host computers 10 , 20 , 30 to make use of the panel to establish a correspondence relation among the individual medium and drive as well as port relative to the N_Port_Name information while maintaining in a micro-program the right or authorization of accessibility of host computers.
[0118] Assume that those media 152 , 153 , 154 are accessible from the host computer 10 whereas media 155 , 156 are accessible from host computer 20 . Suppose that the N_Port_Name information of host computer 10 is HOSTA, that of host computer 20 is HOSTB. Suppose also that the port of storage controller 40 is CTL 0 P 0 , that of optical disk drive 151 is DRIVE 0 , and those of respective media 152 , 153 , 154 , 155 and 156 are MEDA, MEDB, MEDC, MEDD and MEDE. In this case, a request control table 160 is as shown in FIG. 11 .
[0119] When respective host computers generate and issue I/O request frames, volume information must be stored in CDB in the payload constituting each frame; accordingly, the storage controller 40 is responsive to receipt of the frame for comparing both the N_Port_Name information within the frame and a medium identifier within the payload to corresponding items as presently stored in the control table which has been preset and held in the storage controller 40 . In this way, applying the principles of the invention may enable the storage controller to eliminate any possible unauthorized access attempts from the host computers.
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A storage system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of host devices via a fibre channel. The storage system including a plurality of storage devices, at least a portion of the plurality of storage devices corresponding to a logical unit of a plurality of logical units, the logical unit having a logical unit number (LUN). The storage system also including a storage control device having a cache memory and controlling to store data, addressed to the LUN, into the portion of the plurality of storage devices. The storages system also including an input device being adapted to be used to set information, which is used to prevent an unauthorized access to the logical unit and which corresponds to a relationship between a host device of the plurality of host devices and the logical unit.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/155,184, titled Hydrogen Valve with Pressure Equalization, filed Jun. 17, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates generally to a valve including pressure equalization and, more particularly, to a shut-off valve for a compressed hydrogen tank, where the valve includes one valve seat and two inlet ports that provide pressure equalization so that the valve can be opened with reduced force at high inlet pressures.
[0004] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0005] Hydrogen is a very attractive fuel because it is clean and can be used to efficiently produce electricity in a fuel cell. The automotive industry expends significant resources in the development of hydrogen fuel cell systems as a source of power for vehicles. Such vehicles would be more efficient and generate fewer emissions than today's vehicles employing internal combustion engines.
[0006] A hydrogen fuel cell is an electro-chemical device that includes an anode and a cathode with an electrolyte therebetween. The anode receives hydrogen gas and the cathode receives oxygen or air. The hydrogen gas is dissociated in the anode to generate free hydrogen protons and electrons. The hydrogen protons pass through the electrolyte to the cathode. The hydrogen protons react with the oxygen and the electrons in the cathode to generate water. The electrons from the anode cannot pass through the electrolyte, and thus are directed through a load to perform work before being sent to the cathode. The work acts to operate the vehicle.
[0007] Many fuel cells are typically combined in a fuel cell stack to generate the desired power. For example, a typical fuel cell stack for a vehicle may have two hundred or more stacked fuel cells. The fuel cell stack receives a cathode input gas, typically a flow of air forced through the stack by a compressor. Not all of the oxygen in the air is consumed by the stack and some of the air is output as a cathode exhaust gas that may include water as a stack by-product. The fuel cell stack also receives an anode hydrogen input gas that flows into the anode side of the stack.
[0008] In some vehicle fuel cell systems, hydrogen is stored in one or more compressed gas tanks under high pressure on the vehicle to provide the hydrogen necessary for the fuel cell system. The pressure in the tank can be upwards of 700 bar. In one known design, the, compressed gas tank may include an inner plastic liner that provides a gas tight seal for the hydrogen, and an outer carbon fiber composite layer that provides the structural integrity of the tank. Because hydrogen is a very light and diffusive gas, the inner liner must be carefully engineered in order to act as a permeation barrier. The hydrogen is removed from the tank through a pipe. At least one pressure regulator is provided that reduces the pressure of the hydrogen within the tank to a pressure suitable for the fuel cell system.
[0009] Further, a shut-off valve is required either in the tank or just outside of the tank that closes the tank when the fuel cell system is off. A stiff spring is typically used to maintain the valve in the closed position and prevent hydrogen leaks. Because the pressure in the compressed hydrogen tank may be very high, the pressure difference between the inlet side and the outlet side of the shut-off valve may be very large. Therefore, the force required to open the valve against the pressure difference and the spring bias is significant. Electromagnets are sometimes used in these types of shut-off valves to open the valve. However, electromagnets are generally not the most desirable valve choice because of the amount of energy required to open the valve, and the size and weight of the electromagnet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a shut-off valve is disclosed that has particular application for opening and closing a high pressure compressed gas storage tank. In one embodiment, the valve includes a single sealing member and a bellows. High pressure is provided at an inlet port to one side of the sealing member and a bellows chambers so that both sides of the sealing member are at high pressure to provide equalization. A spring biases is the sealing member against a valve seat in one direction. An electromagnetic coil is energized to draw the sealing member away from the valve seat against the bias of the spring.
[0011] Additional features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a shut-off valve including two valve sealing members that provide pressure equalization, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a shut-off valve including two valve sealing members for providing pressure equalization that has particular application for the inside of a high pressure gas storage tank, according to another embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the shut-off valve shown in FIG. 2 within the high pressure gas storage tank; and
[0015] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a shut-off valve including a valve sealing member and a bellows for providing pressure equalization that has particular application for the inside of a high pressure gas storage tank, according to another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0016] The following discussion of the embodiments of the invention directed to a shut-off valve that provides pressure equalization is merely exemplary in nature, and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its applications or uses. For example, the shut-off valve of the invention has particular application for a compressed hydrogen storage tank in a fuel cell system. However, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the shut-off valve of the invention may have other applications.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a shut-off valve 10 that has application for opening and closing a compressed hydrogen storage tank in a fuel cell system, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The shut-off valve 10 includes a valve body 12 mounted to a flange 20 of a cylindrical support member 14 by bolts 16 . An electromagnetic coil 18 is wound around the member 14 , as shown. The member 14 includes an internal bore 22 in which is positioned a cylindrical pole piece member 24 also having an internal bore 26 . A spring 28 is positioned within the bore 26 against an inside surface of the cylindrical member 14 , as shown. A shaft 32 is mounted to the pole piece member 24 opposite to the spring 28 , and extends into a valve chamber 34 within the body 12 .
[0018] The body 12 includes a first valve seat 42 and a second valve seat 44 . A first annular sealing member 46 is mounted to the shaft 32 proximate the valve seat 42 and a second annular sealing member 48 is mounted to the shaft 32 proximate the valve seat 44 . The body 12 also includes two inlet ports 36 and 38 and one outlet port 40 . The inlet ports 36 and 38 are at tank pressure, which may be upwards of 700 bar for a compressed hydrogen tank associated with a fuel cell system. This pressure from the inlet ports 36 and 38 is introduced into the chamber 34 so that it forces the sealing member 46 against the valve seat 42 and the sealing member 48 away from the valve seat 44 . This configuration provides the pressure equalization of the valve 10 . The bias of the spring 28 in combination with the pressure equalization from the inlet ports 36 and 38 forces the sealing member 46 to seat against the valve seat 42 and the sealing member 48 to seat against the valve seat 44 when the coil 18 is not energized. This is the default closed position of the valve 10 when hydrogen flow is not desired.
[0019] The electromagnetic coil 18 is energized to open the shut-off valve 10 . The magnetic field generated by the coil 18 moves the pole piece member 24 and the shaft 32 against the bias of the spring 28 so that the sealing member 46 moves away from the valve seat 42 and the sealing member 48 moves away from the valve seat 44 . Therefore, hydrogen entering the inlet ports 36 and 38 is allowed to flow through the chamber 34 and out of the outlet port 40 . Because of the pressure equalization, the electromagnetic force provided by the coil 18 does not need to overcome the pressure within the tank, and therefore the amount of energy required to open the valve 10 against the bias of the spring 28 does not need to be significant.
[0020] The shut-off valve 10 has particular application for a compressed hydrogen tank where the valve 10 would be positioned outside of the tank. However, in other designs, it may be desirable to provide the shut-off valve within the tank. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a shut-off valve 60 similar to the valve 10 that provides pressure equalization, and is designed for the inside of a pressure tank, according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the valve 60 positioned within a pressure tank 62 , where the shut-off valve 60 is mounted within a bore 64 of an adapter 66 . The adapter 66 connects the pressure tank 62 to the outside environment. The adapter 66 may contain several components, such as sensors, valves, filters, etc., depending on the particular design. In this embodiment, a valve body 68 of the valve 60 is positioned within the bore 64 . The valve body 68 includes a valve chamber 70 , a first valve seat 72 and a second valve seat 74 . An outlet port 86 extends through the adapter 64 to the outside environment to remove hydrogen from the tank 62 .
[0021] The valve body 68 is mounted to a flange 76 of a cylindrical member 78 . An internal bore 80 extends completely through the member 78 . A cylindrical pole piece member 82 is positioned within an expanded portion 88 of the bore 80 proximate the valve body 68 , as shown. The pole member 82 includes orifices 84 that allow the bore 80 to be in fluid communication with the chamber 70 . A shaft 90 is mounted to the pole member 82 , where the shaft 90 includes an internal bore 92 also in fluid communication with the bore 80 through a central bore 94 of the member 82 . A filter 96 is mounted over the bore 80 at an open end of the member 78 to prevent particles and the like from entering the bore 80 .
[0022] A first annular sealing member 100 is mounted to the shaft 90 proximate the valve seat 72 and a second annular sealing member 102 is mounted to the shaft 90 proximate the valve seat 74 . A spring 104 is positioned in the chamber 70 between and in contact with the sealing member 100 and the pole member 82 , as shown. An electromagnetic coil 106 is wrapped around the cylindrical member 78 and is used to open the valve 60 .
[0023] The valve 60 is shown in its closed position where the coil 106 is not energized so that the spring 104 forces the first sealing member 100 against the first valve seat 72 and the second sealing member 102 against the second valve seat 74 . Hydrogen pressure within the tank 62 enters the bore 80 through the filter 96 , then through the bore 94 , and through the orifices 84 to apply pressure in combination with the spring bias 104 against the sealing member 100 to force it against the valve seat 72 . The hydrogen pressure within the tank 62 also enters a sub-chamber 110 in the valve chamber 70 through the bore 92 to force the sealing member 102 away from the valve seat 74 . Therefore, the high pressure within the tank 62 is equalized by this configuration. When the valve 60 is to be opened, the coil 106 is energized which magnetically draws the pole member 82 towards the left against the bias of the spring 104 to lift the sealing member 100 off the valve seat 72 and the sealing member 102 off the valve seat 74 to allow the hydrogen to flow from the chamber 70 into the outlet port 74 .
[0024] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a shut-off valve 120 similar to the shut-off valve 60 , where like elements are identified by the same reference numeral, according to another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the second sealing member 102 and the second valve seat 74 are eliminated, and are replaced with a bellows 122 . The bellows 122 is mounted to the valve body 68 and an end of the valve shaft 90 to create a bellows chamber 124 . When the valve 120 is closed, high pressure from the tank 62 pushes the sealing member 100 against the valve seat 72 , and provides pressure to the bellows chamber 124 . The pressure in the bellows chamber 124 pushes against an opposite side of the sealing member 100 away from the valve seat 72 to provide the pressure equalization, as discussed above. When the coil 106 is energized, the pole member 82 and the shaft 90 move to the left causing the bellows 122 to contract. Because the valve 120 only has one valve seat, high precision production processes are not required.
[0025] The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
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In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a shut-off valve is disclosed that has particular application for opening and closing a high pressure compressed gas storage tank. In one embodiment, the valve includes a single sealing member and a bellows. High pressure is provided at inlet port to one side of the sealing member and a bellows chambers so that both sides of the sealing member are at high pressure to provide equalization. A spring bias is the sealing member against a valve seat in one direction. An electromagnetic coil is energized to draw the sealing member away from the valve seat against the bias of the spring.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of organic monomer preparation. More particularly, it relates to a method for isolating acetamidoethylene from crude acetamidoethylene-containing products.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,826 of Gless, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,136 of Brenzel each disclose that ethylidene-bis-acetamide can be thermally decomposed to give a reaction product containing residual ethylidene-bis-acetamide, acetamide, water, and acetamidoethylene. These patents further disclose the desirability of isolating acetamidoethylene from this reaction product for use as a monomer. These patents use vacuum distillation to isolate the acetamidoethylene.
STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION
It has now been found that acetamidoethylene may be more effectively isolated from acetamidoethylene-containing reaction products by distillation in the presence of an added high-boiling liquid. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the high-boiling liquid is a polyol. In this case it is often desirable to add an acid scavenger to the distillation zone to prevent acid-catalyzed reaction between the polyol and the acetamidoethylene.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The accompanying drawing shows:
in FIG. 1 a schematic flow diagram of the acetamidoethylene isolation process of this invention and
in FIG. 2 a graphic representation of a series of binary and ternary liquid/vapor equilibrium compositions relating to the invention.
THE FEED MIXTURES
The feed mixtures resolved in the process of this invention are the products of the cracking of ethylidene-bis-acetamide or a crude ethylidene-bis-acetamide-containing mixture. Ethylidene-bis-acetamide is formed by condensing acetamide and acetaldehyde as follows: ##STR1## This product (either purified or partially purified or essentially as produced) is then cracked to give acetamide and acetamidoethylene by the reaction ##STR2## Thus the feed mixture can contain the materials shown in Table I. It may as well contain minor amounts of other fed or generated impurities, such as water, catalyst, or the like, also as shown in Table I.
TABLE I______________________________________Composition of a Crude Acetamidoethylene Reaction MixtureCompound Amount______________________________________acetamidoethylene 42% wacetamide 40% wethylidene-bis-acetamide 8% wCis and Trans butadieneamide 0.11% wN, Cis and Trans dimers of acetamidoethylene 0.6% wacetamidoethylene polymers >1.0% wwater <5.0% wcatalyst <5.0% wacetaldehyde <5.0% w______________________________________
Generally, the feedstock has been fractionated to remove and recycle acetaldehyde and to remove most of the water. Thus a more typical feedstock would have the composition shown in Table II.
TABLE II______________________________________Range of Compositions of Partially PurifiedAcetamidoethylene Reaction MixturesCompound Amount______________________________________acetamidoethylene 42-50% wacetamide 38-48% wethylidene-bis-acetamide 6-12% wCis and Trans butadieneamide 0.03-0.3% wN, Cis and Trans dimers of acetamidoethylene 0.05-1.5% wacetamidoethylene polymers 0.2-3% w______________________________________
In accord with this invention acetamidoethylene is fractionated overhead from this mixture with the acid of an added high-boiling liquid.
THE ADDED LIQUID
The liquid added to the distillation zone is a high-boiling liquid that enhances the volatility of acetamidoethylene relative to acetamide and is selected from hydrogen bonding organic liquids having an atmospheric boiling point above about 200° C. and a 20 torr boiling point above 100° C., especially polyols including glycols and glycol ethers. Representative useful added liquids include glycerol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, triethylene glycol, and tetraethylene glycol. Glycerol is the preferred added liquid.
The amount of high boiling liquid added is generally from about 10% to 300% (molar) based on the moles of acetamidoethylene present in the feedstock. The exact amount employed should be determined by balancing two factors. The larger the amount of added liquid used the greater the enhancement of acetamidoethylene volatility compared to acetamide. On the other hand, large excesses of added liquid will result in substantial dilution of the distillation feed with substantial increases in consumption of utilities, distillation column size and the like. Preferably, when the added liquid is glycerol, it is added in amounts of between 25 and 200% (molar) basis moles of acetamidoethylene fed. Most preferably, glycerol is added in amounts of between 50 and 150% (molar) basis acetamidoethylene.
THE ACID SCAVENGER
When a polyol such as glycerol is used as added liquid, as is preferred, it is of advantage to have an acid scavenger present in the distillation column to minimize the acid-catalyzed reaction between acetamidoethylene and the polyol such as ##STR3## A suitable acid scavenger is a material that consumes the acid present but that does not itself react with the relatively highly reactive acetamidoethylene. For example, primary alkyl amines such as tetraethylene pentaamine or monododecylamine appear to readily react with acetamidoethylene. Secondary and tertiary amines also appear to react with acetamidoethylene. Strong bases can lead to hydrolysis of acetamidoethylene's acetamide units. The preferred acid scavengers are alkali metal and alkaline earth metal carbonates and bicarbonates, especially carbonates such as sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, barium carbonate and calcium carbonate. The most preferred acid scavenger is a calcium carbonate. It is added to the column contents as an insoluble solid in an amount from 0.1% to 10%, based on the weight of feed mixture charged to the column. Preferred additions are from 0.3% to 5% by weight. Alternatively, the acid catalyst can be removed by passing the feedstock or the reboiler contents over a bed of such an acid scavenger or over a suitable acid-removing resin bed such as an ion exchange resin bed. Herein, the method wherein the scavenger is added to the column will be exemplified but it is to be understood that one skilled in the art would be able to adapt these teachings to the alternate fixed-bed modes of operation, if desired.
It has also been found to be of advantage to add a hindered phenolic antioxidant to the feed material. For example, addition of from 0.05% to about 2% by weight of a hindered phenolic antioxidant to the feed material helps minimize acetamidoethylene loss through degradation, polymerization and the like. BHA, BHT and the like may be used. A preferred antioxidant is the proprietary material sold by American Cyanamide under the tradename CYANOX 1735 and composed of a hindered phenolic in a phosphite solvent.
THE PROCESS CONDITIONS
The process of the invention can be embodied as a batch distillation process if desired, but more commonly and more preferably it is employed as a continuous process wherein the crude reaction product feed mixture and the added liquid are continuously fed to a distillation column and an acetamidoethylene-rich overhead is continuously removed as is an acetamide and added-liquid-rich bottoms. Such a continuous process is shown in the drawing. In FIG. 1 the acetamidoethylene-forming reaction sequence is shown followed by the recovery processes of this invention. In the acetamidoethylene-forming sequence a reactor 11 is continuously charged with acetamide and acetaldehyde in molar ratio of about 2:1 via lines 12 and 14, respectively. An acid catalyst is present either as a bed of acidic resin as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,136 of Brenzel or as a strong mineral acid as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,826 of Gless, et al., or as an organic protic acid added via line 15. As disclosed in these patents, which are incorporated herein by reference, these reactants are heated to 75° to 100° C. and the reaction to yield ethylidene-bis-acetamide and water takes place. The reaction product is continuously withdrawn via line 16 to separation stage 17 wherein water and acetaldehyde are removed overhead via line 19 preferably for recycle and any catalyst present is removed via line 20 also, preferably for recycle. The catalyst and water and acetaldehyde-free reaction product is removed to pyrolysis zone 22 where a cracking catalyst is added via line 24. The catalyst employed is an inorganic surface catalyst and may be either present as a bed of catalyst through which the ethylidene-bis-acetamide passes or may be present as a particulate solid suspended in the ethylidene-bis-acetamide. The temperature in this zone is from about 100° C. to about 275° C. The product of this pyrolysis step containing acetamide, acetamidoethylene, ethylidene-bis-acetamide, and minor amounts of byproducts as well is withdrawn via line 25 to optional catalyst removal zone 26 where any particulate solid catalyst present in the pyrolysis product is removed via line 27, optionally for recycle to line 24. The catalyst-free product is passed through line 29 to the acetamidoethylene recovery process of the present invention. In the process the catalyst-free feed is fed through line 29 to vacuum distillation column 30 operating at about 20 torr absolute (i.e. 5 to 50 torr) equipped with reboiler 31 fed via line 32 and refeeding vapor via line 34. Reboiler 31 is at a temperature of about 120° C. An acid scavenger (CaCO 3 ) is added to column 30 via line 35. Glycerol is added to column 30 via line 36 at a point above feed port 29. Column 30 has at least three theoretical trays, preferably at least five theoretical trays. A vapor phase rich in pure acetamidoethylene is boiled up and taken off via line 37 to condenser 39 where it is liquified. A portion is returned as reflux via line 40 and a portion is removed via line 41. The reflux/product ratio is between 0.25:1 and 10:1 depending inversely upon the number of trays in column 30. A distilland composed primarily of acid scavenger, glycerol, and acetamide and some byproducts is removed via line 42 to scavenger removal stage 44 wherein the scavenger is taken off via line 45. The remaining material is passed via line 46 to acetamide/glycerol fractionation column 47. Column 47 is connected to reboiler 49 via liquid line 50 and vapor line 52, and to condenser 54 via vapor line 55. Acetamide is distilled overhead at a bottoms temperature of about 114° C. and condensed in condenser 54, for return to column 47 as reflux via line 56 and/or removal via line 57 to waste bleed 59 and/or to recycle line 60 through which it is returned to feed line 12. A bottoms product composed primarily of glycerol is withdrawn from reboiler 49 via line 61. A portion of this material is generally bled to waste via line 62 while the remainder is recycled via line 64 to glycerol feed line 30.
The process of this invention is further described by reference to the following Illustrative Experiments.
EXPERIMENT 1
An equilibrium still was set up. This still is capable of having its liquid and vapor phases sampled simultaneously so that the equilibrium concentration in each phase can be determined. A group of mixtures of 10-90 mole % acetamidoethylene and 90-10 % acetamide were sequentially placed in the still and the vapor concentrations resulting were determined. This results in the data plotted as Curve A in FIG. 2. Additional data points were generated using 20 mole % and 40 mole % added glycerol. These gave Curves B and C, respectively. A theoretical curve, which represents the situation where glycerol approaches 100% of the mixture, was determined based on gas chromatography studies and is presented as Curve D. As can be seen, the addition of glycerol substantially enhanced the relative volatility of acetamidoethylene compared to acetamide. Cyanox 1735 was present during the runs.
EXPERIMENT 2
A 6 foot by 1/4 inch glass column for gas chromatography was packed with CWHP support and fitted into a high performance computerized gas chromatograph. Various liquids were placed on the support to determine their effect on the relative retention of acetamide and acetamidoethylene. The results given in Table III were observed.
TABLE III______________________________________ System ##STR4##______________________________________no added material n = 1.5glycerol theoreticalmaximum n = 4.0hexadecene n = 0.3triglyme n = 0.7docanol n = 0.8triethylene glycol n = 1.8tetraethylene pentamine n = 1.0______________________________________
It is recognized that liquids which increase n will increase the relative volatility of acetamidoethylene compared to acetamide.
This shows the superiority of polyols in general and glycerol in particular.
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Acetamidoethylene is isolated from acetamidoethylene-containing mixtures by distillation with enhanced efficiency when a high-boiling liquid, especially glycerol, is added to the mixtures prior to or during said distillation. This invention is particularly effective at separating acetamidoethylene from mixtures additionally containing acetamide, especially preparation products.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/325,464 filed Dec. 1, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/991,301, filed Nov. 30, 2007, and Ser. No. 60/992,347, filed Dec. 5, 2007, which applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates, in one embodiment, to a method for selectively growing nTreg cells preferentially over T effectors cells in the presence of a p70 S6 kinase inhibitor. The resulting nTreg cells are particularly useful for treating immune diseases, such as graft versus host disease.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] T regulatory (Treg) cells are important in maintaining the homeostatic balance of the human immune system and immune tolerance. One of the most well studied types of Treg cells is the natural Treg (nTreg) cell CD4+ CD25+Foxp3+ cell. Defects in either the nTreg cells or in Foxp3 have been linked to unfavorable immune responses such as autoimmunity, allergic response, and organ rejection. Conversely, administration of healthy CD4+ CD25+Foxp3+ nTreg cells have demonstrated therapeutic effects in the treatment of a variety of animal disease models. Although the nTreg cells are a small fraction of the circulating lymphocyte pool it has been found that nTreg cells can be expanded ex vivo to provide clinically useful quantities of nTreg cells. The possibility therefore exists for using ex vivo expanded nTreg cells to regulate the immune response of a human being.
[0004] During the process, nTreg cells are withdrawn from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using magnetic bead-based methods. The enriched nTreg cells are activated with anti-CD3/CD28 coated beads in the presence of high concentrations (ca. 1000 U/ml) of human recombinant IL-2. Although the purified cells are enriched for nTreg using the bead-base methods, the resulting sample is not pure. Due to the lack of nTreg-specific surface markers, the sample almost always contains non-Treg cells that expressed similar cell surface markers (e.g. CD4 and CD25). After about three weeks of culture time, the nTreg cell populations underwent multiple folds of expansion. Typically under careful culture conditions, the expansion process involves a period of a few days in the first week where Foxp3 expression is close to, or even higher than that of the newly purified cells. This is followed by a period in which the percentage of cells expressing Foxp3 becomes smaller with continued cell expansion. The most likely explanation for the observed reduction of Foxp3 expressing cells is the outgrowth of cells which were Foxp3 negative at the cultures start. However, conversion of Foxp3 expressing cells to non-expressing cells in these cultures has not been ruled out. Careful culturing conditions are needed to prevent the non-nTreg cells from expanding faster than the nTreg cells and disturbing the overall composition of the sample. The overgrowth of non-Treg cells during Treg expansion not only potentially reduces the potency and effectiveness of the Treg cell therapy, but also provides a potential source of pro-inflammatory T effector cells and cytokines. Thus there is a need to find strategies and compounds to suppress the activation and growth of non-Treg cells in the cultured population.
[0005] It has been reported that rapamycin preferentially inhibits effector T cells over Treg cells, mostly likely through its activity on the mTOR complex. As such, rapamycin may be used to enhance the purity of nTreg cells that are cultured ex vivo. It would be advantageous to provide additional methods to inhibit T effectors cell expansion while permitting nTreg cell expansion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Applicants have discovered that p70 S6 kinase can be selectively inhibited to permit the growth of nTreg cells preferentially over T effector cells.
[0007] Disclosed in this specification is a method to selectively inhibit the growth of T effectors cells over nTreg cells using an antagonist of p70 S6 kinase. When cellular expansion is allowed to proceed in the presence of such an antagonist, an enriched population of nTreg cells is produced.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0008] P70 S6 kinase is part of a signaling pathway that includes mTOR. Without wishing to be bound to any particular theory, applicants believe that the effects of rapamycin on nTreg cells may be, at least in part, through the inhibition of p70 S6 kinase and that other p70 S6 kinase inhibitors may have beneficial effects similar to rapamycin. Since rapamycin lacks specificity it suffers from a certain degree of toxicity. If other inhibitors were available, a more specific (and therefore less toxic) alternative could be selected.
[0009] Using convention techniques CD4+ CD25+ T cells were purified from normal donor PBMC using standard Treg kits (Miltenyi) with AutoMacs. The purified cells were stained for Foxp3 and the percentage of Foxp3+ cells was determined using FACS. Approximately 50% of the purified CD4+ CD25+ cells were also Foxp3+ prior to expansion.
[0010] Purified CD4+ CD25+ cells were stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 beads in the presence of IL-2 with various p70 S6 kinase inhibitors for two weeks as their population was allowed to undergo expansion. The expansion was allowed to continue for a sufficient period of time to permit a sizeable portion of cells to be obtained, but not for so long that unacceptable drift in the composition of the sample was realized. The expression of Foxp3 was determined using FACS.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Additive
% Foxp3+
None
21%
Rapamycin (100 nM)
62%
5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-
50%
ribofuranosylbenzimidazole (DRB) (12.5 mM)
[0011] As shown in Table 1, when no additive is used, the composition of the culture drifts to lower percentages of Foxp3+ cells. The most likely explanation of this observation is that the expansion of the Foxp3− cells begins to out-pace the expansion of the desired Foxp3+ cells. In the example given after two weeks, the composition of Foxp3+ cells had fallen to only 21%. The addition of 100 nM rapamycin caused the cellular composition to be increased in the percentage of Foxp3 expressing cells relative to its absence during the expansion process, presumably due to inhibition of mTOR. Applicants have discovered that p70 S6 kinase inhibits provide a benefit that is comparable with rapamycin. Inclusion of DRB in the culture medium consistently increased in the percentage of Foxp3 expressing cells relative to its absence. Other compounds with described P70 S6 inhibitory action were also tested to verify the relationship between Foxp3 expression and p70 S6 kinase inhibition.
[0012] While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof to adapt to particular situations without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
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Disclosed in this specification is a method to promote the growth of CD4+CD25Foxp3+ nTreg cells in a culture while treating the culture with a p70 S6 kinase inhibitor. The resulting cells are useful in the treatment of immune-related diseases.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is based on a method for controlling a three-phase inverter in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.
2. Discussion of Background
The preamble of the invention relates to a prior art which is known from CH-A-420.365. In this document, several inverter groups are connected in parallel on the alternating-current side via one or more reactor coils for reducing the harmonic content in each phase in a three-phase inverter circuit for feeding a converter-fed motor, in which sinusoidal alternating voltages corresponding to the required frequency and having a high harmonic content are generated from direct-voltage components of different polarity. One motor winding each is connected to the center of one reactor coil. For controlling the inverter, a sinusoidal voltage of the required motor frequency is superimposed on a triangular voltage of higher frequency than the maximum motor frequency, the triangular voltage having different phase angles of 0° and 180°, possibly also of 90° and 270°, for the inverter groups connected in parallel on the alternating-current side. The inverter groups of each phase can be connected in series, reactor coils having one winding each for two inverter groups being provided with common iron core. Inverters of different phases can be coupled to one another via reactor coils. Two inverter groups each can be connected to one primary winding each of transformers, the secondary windings of which are connected in series and are connected to an inverter busbar.
With respect to the relevant prior art, reference is furthermore made to CH-A-489,945 in which a similar inverter control method for feeding a variable-speed asynchronous machine is specified.
With each switch-over of the inverter, turn-on and turn-off losses are produced in the converter valves and their damping elements, which must be removed as heat from the semiconductor valves by means of cooling devices. The efficiency of the inverter decreases with increasing inverter switching frequency and the thermal loading of the semiconductor element rises. For these reasons, it is desirable to be able to manage with as low a relative switching frequency as possible. A three-point circuit is known from DE-Al 29 37 995.
From the German journal etz Archiv. Vol. 10 (1988), No. 7, pages 215-220, it is known that the thyristors of a 3-point inverter are 2 converter sections in concept which are in each case operated as 2-point inverters.
From: Control in Power Electronics and Drives, IFAC SYMPOSIUM, Dusseldorf, Oct. 7-9, 1974, Preprints Volume 1, pages 457-472, it is known that in the 2-pulse control method, the unilaterally sinusoidal pulse width modulation has the most advantageous ratio between harmonics in the current and pulse frequency of the inverter in the lower speed range.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a novel method for reducing the turn-on and turn-off losses of an inverter.
One advantage of the invention consists in the fact that the energy consumption during the operation of inverters can be reduced. The power of given semiconductor valves can be better utilized. The expenditure for cooling the semiconductor valves is lower. With the same conventional cooling device, the inverter can be operated at higher-frequency output voltages. A reduction of the transitions of the inverter to 2/3 can be achieved, particularly in the lower frequency or speed range (0%-50%).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a control circuit for a two-pulse inverter for feeding a three-phase asynchronous machine, which inverter is composed of 2 2-point inverters,
FIG. 2 shows a logic circuit of the control circuit according to FIG. 1,
FIGS. 3.1-3.14 show signal diagrams for explaining the effect of the control circuit according to FIG. 1,
FIG. 4 shows a two-pulse 2×2-point inverter with reactor of the same phase and
FIG. 5 shows a two-pulse three-point inverter for feeding an asynchronous machine.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, in the control circuit shown in FIG. 1, two inverter groups 5.1 and 5.2, which are arranged in parallel and are of identical construction, of an inverter section, belonging to phase R, of a three-phase inverter arrangement are connected at the direct-voltage side to a positive pole P and to a negative pole N of a direct-current source with neutral conductor 0 and are connected together on the alternating-voltage side via a reactor coil 7 which acts similar to a balance coil in rectifier arrangement. The direct-current source 4 with a direct voltage of 2·U G can be a direct-current power system or a direct-current link circuit of a direct-current converter.
The center of the reactor coil 7 is connected to a stator winding W R of a three-phase asynchronous machine 6 across which a stator winding voltage U R -U M is dropped when current is flowing. R, S and T designate the three phases of the asynchronous machine 6, all three stator windings W R , W S , W T of which are drawn. U R designates a resultant inverter voltage with respect to the neutral conductor 0 with reference to phase R and U M of a neutral voltage of a neutral point M of the stator windings W R , W S and W T . Only the inverter section belonging to phase R of the inverter arrangement is shown in greater detail. The remaining stator windings W S and W T must be connected to the direct-voltage source 4 in accordance with the stator winding W R . The inverter groups 5.1 and 5.2 exhibit thyristors T1 and T2, the anodes of which are connected to the positive pole P, and thyristors T1' and T2', the cathodes of which are connected to the negative pole N, in each case with diodes which are connected in antiparallel with the thyristors. On the alternating-voltage side, the thyristors T1 and T1' and T2 and T2' are electrically connected and are connected to opposite ends of the reactor coil 7. U 5 .1R and U 5 .2R designate the output voltages of the inverter groups 5.1 and 5.2 of the inverter section with respect to the neutral conductor 0 with reference to phase R.
The inverter groups 5.1 and 5.2 are controlled via logic circuits 3.1 and 3.2 of identical construction, one of which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. In the logic circuits, a sinusoidal control voltage U StR , which is supplied by a control signal transmitter 2, is compared with a triangular auxiliary alternating voltage U H1 and U H2 which are supplied by sawtooth generators 1.1 and 1.2. The control signal transmitter 2 can be, for example, a speed controller, known per se, with secondary current controller which sets the speed for the asynchronous machine 6. U StS and U StT designate control voltages with reference to phases S and T which exhibit the same amplitude as the control voltage U StR for phase R but a phase shift by 120° electrical and 240° electrical, respectively, with respect to this phase. The frequency of these control voltages corresponds to the required frequency of the asynchronous machine 6. The auxiliary alternating voltages U H1 and U H2 are equal in their predeterminable amplitude and frequency but mutually phase-shifted by 180° electrical; their frequency is higher than the maximum frequency of the asynchronous machine 6.
The inputs of the sawtooth generators 1.1 and 1.2 are supplied with possibly different sawtooth-shaped signals A1 and A2 which determine the shape of the auxiliary alternating voltages U H1 and U H2 in dependence on the mean value of the current in the neutral conductor 0 and/or in dependence on the mean value of the neutralpoint voltage U M . The sawtooth-shaped signals A1 and/or A2 can be altered during operation in order to balance out any displacements in potential of the neutral-point voltage U M with respect to the neutral conductor 0. If the sawtooth-shaped signals Al and A2 exhibit a predeterminable first potential, the auxiliary alternating voltages U H1 and U H2 have the shape shown in FIG. 3.1. If A1 and A2 exhibit a predeterminable second potential, U H1 and U H2 are inverted with steep rising and flat falling edges (not shown).
The harmonic content of the rectangular alternating voltage applied to the stator windings W R , W S , W T of the asynchronous machine 6 can be considerably reduced in familiar manner (FIG. 3 of CH-A-420,365) by means of the 180° phase shift.
In the logic circuit 3.1 according to FIG. 1, shown in FIG. 2, 8 and 9 designate comparators, the inputs of which are supplied, however with opposite polarity, with the sinusoidal control voltage and the first superimposition voltage U StR and the auxiliary alternating voltage or second superimposition voltage U H1 . The output of the comparator 8 is connected to the set input SE of an SR flip flop 10 which can be reset to a logical 0 at the output by a predeterminable preset signal S1 applied to the reset input RE. At the output, the SR flip flop 10 is connected via a non-retriggerable flip flop 11 to a trigger input of a counter 13 which exhibits counting outputs Zl and Z2 and can also be reset to 0 by the reset signal Sl applied to the reset input RE. The counting outputs Zl and Z2 alternately exhibit the 1 state when a 0-1 transition occurs at the counting input. A 1 state at the counting output Z2 resets the counter 13 to 0 via the reset input RE.
The counting outputs Zl and Z2 are connected via trigger pulse generators 14 and 15 to trigger pulse amplifiers 16 and 17 at the outputs of which the trigger signals ST1 and ST1' for thyristors T1 and T' are present. Approximately 100 μs before the trigger signal for the thyristor T1, the trigger pulse generator 14 generates a turn-off signal for the thyristor T1' if the latter is conducting. Correspondingly, approximately 100 μs before the trigger signal for the thyristor T1', the trigger generator 15 generates a turn-off signal for the thyristor T1 if the latter is conducting. The turnoff signals and turn-off signal circuits are not shown for reasons of better clarity.
The output of the comparator 9, at the negating input of which the control voltage U StR is present and at the non-negating input of which the auxiliary alternating voltage U H1 is present, is connected via a monostable flip flop 9.1, at the output of which a switch-over signal SR with reference to phase R is present, and via an AND gate 12 to the counting input of the counter 13. The switchover signal SR=1 for a predeterminable operating time for U H1 ≧U StR and otherwise it is =0. The switch-over signal SR and similar switch-over signals SS and ST which are supplied by logic circuits which belong to phases S and T are supplied to counting inputs of a counter 18 having three counting outputs Z1-Z3 and a reset input RE. The counting outputs Z1, Z2, Z3 successively exhibit the 1 state when 0-1 transitions occur at the counting inputs. A reset signal S1 and/or a 1 state at the counting output Z3 resets the counter 18 to 0 via the reset input RE.
Counting outputs Zl and Z2 are connected via nonretriggerable monostable flip flops 19 and 20 and a subsequent OR gate 22 to one input of the AND gate 12. A further input of the AND gate 12 is connected to the output of the SR flip flop 10. The counting output Z3 is connected via an AND gate 21 to the counting input of the counter 13. A negated input of the AND gate 21 is connected to the output of the flip flop 9.1. The operating time of the flip flops 9.1, 11, 19 and 20 is set to be of such a short time that their output signal is 0 before an intersection of the auxiliary alternating voltage U H1 with a control voltage U StS or U StT of an adjacent phase S and T, respectively, can be reached.
The effect of the circuits shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 3.1-3.14. FIG. 3.1 shows sinusoidal control voltages U StR , U StS and U StT , which are phase-shifted by 180° electrical, for controlling the phases R, S, T and alternating voltages U H1 and U H2 , which are phase-shifted by 180° electrical relative to one another, as a function of time t. The voltage U is plotted along the ordinate. The amplitudes of the alternating voltages U H1 and U H2 are greater than the amplitudes of the control voltages U StR , U StS , U StT , which are mutually identical.
In FIGS. 3.2-3.7, the rectangular output voltages U 5 .1R, U T .2R ; U 5 .1SA, U 5 .2S ; U 5 .1T, U 5 .2T of inverter groups 5.1 and 5.2 with respect to the zero conductor 0 with reference to phases R, S, T are shown as a function of time t. Transitions which would occur with conventional control without the measure according to the invention are shown dashed.
At the beginning of the control process, the SR flip flop 10 and the counters 13 and 18 are reset by the reset signal Sl so that their output signals are a logical 0. At a time t0, the vertically falling auxiliary voltage U H1 intersects the control voltages U StR . U StS and U StT so that the output signal of the comparators 8 of the three phases R, S, T changes from the 0 to the 1 state. This value is stored in the respective SR flip flop 10, the output signal of which also changes from 0 to the 1 state. This state change results, via flip flop 11, in a counting pulse in the counter 13, the signal output Z1 of which changes from 0 to 1; . As a result, a trigger pulse is generated in the trigger pulse generator 14 which is amplified in the trigger pulse amplifier 16 and triggers the thyristor T1. As a result, positive potential U G is present across the reactor coil 7 and across the stator winding W R . The same applies to phases S and T, cf. output voltages U 5 .1S and U 5 .1T.
At time t1, the rising auxiliary alternating voltage U H1 intersects the control voltage U StR , with the effect that the associated inverter 5.1 switches from +to -at the output. This occurs due to the fact that the output signal of the comparator 9 changes from 0 to 1. Due to this 0-1 change, the switch-over signal SR, and thus also the counting output Zl of the counter 18, becomes a logical 1 during the operating time of flip flop 9.1. Via the flip flop 19 and the OR gate 22, the associated input of the AND gate 12, which is enabled with the stored value 1 via the SR flip flop 10 also becomes a logical 1. This provides the counter 13 with a counting signal so that, instead of Zl, Z2 now assumes the logical value 1. As a result, the trigger pulse generator 15 generates a trigger pulse for the thyristor T1', the thyristor T1 being turned off at the same time (turn-off device not shown). The potential U 5 .1R =-U G is now present across the reactor coil 7.
At time t3, the rising auxiliary alternating voltage U H1 intersects the control voltage U StS , with the effect that the associated inverter 5.1 switches from +to -. This occurs as a result of the fact that the switch-over signal SS becomes 1, and the output voltage U 5 .1S becomes -U G in the logic circuit 3.1 belonging to phase S. In the logic circuit 3.1 belonging to phase R, the counter 18 also receives a counting pulse so that, instead of Zl, Z2 now becomes 1. However, this 1 signal cannot pass through the AND gate 12 since SR =0.
At time t5, the rising auxiliary alternating voltage U H1 intersects the control voltage U StT , with the effect that the inverter 5.1 of phase T does not now switch from + to - (as would be the case in the known arrangement), but its two adjacent inverters 5.1 and 5.2 of phases R and S each switch from - to +. This occurs due to the fact that in all three logic circuits 3.1 belonging to phases R, S, T, the counter 18 receives a counting pulse so that, instead of Z1 and Z2, Z3 now becomes 1. The output signal of the OR gate 22 is thus =0 and the AND gate 12 disabled. In the logic circuit 3.1 belonging to phase T, the AND gate 21 is disabled because of ST =1 whereas it is enabled because of SR =0 and SS =0 in the other two phases R and S. In these two phases, a counting pulse passes via the AND gate 21 to the counter 13 so that the latter switches to Z1=1 after previous resetting. Thus, U 5 .1R becomes U G and U 5 .1S becomes U G .
At time t6, the voltage of U H1 drops again as at time t0. However, the intersections with the control voltages U StR , U StS , U StT do not have any effect whatever, that is to say none of the three inverters 5.1 of phases R, S, T switches, since the output state of the SR flip flop 10 remains unchanged once it has been set.
The switching sequence specified is now repeated. At times t7, t9 and tl0, the rising auxiliary alternating voltage U H1 successively intersects control voltages U StS ,, U StR , U StT , a valve switching occuring at phases S and R but not at T. Instead of a transition at T, the transitions at phases S and R are effected as explained above in conjunction with the switch-over times t1, t3 and t5.
With respect to inverter groups 5.2 of the three phases R, S, T, the same applies as for inverter groups 5.1, except that the second superimposition or auxiliary alternating voltage U H2 is superimposed on the first superimposition voltages U StR , U StS , U StT . At time t0, only U StS >U H2 so that the counter 13 of the logic circuit 3.2 of phase S receives a counting pulse via components 8, 10, 11. As a result, Z1 becomes 1 at counter 13 and the associated thyristor T1 receives a trigger pulse via components 14 and 16, with the effect that U 5 .2S exhibits positive potential, compare FIG. 3.5. At phases R and S, the 1st thyristor triggering occurs at time t2 when U StR and U StT become >U H2 . Before that, the 0 output of the respective SR flip flop 10 blocks the AND gate 12. In this connection, the output voltages U 5 .2R and U 5 .2T of the inverter groups 5.2 are also set to the same positive potential U G at time t2, cf. FIG. 3.3 and FIG. 3.7.
In FIGS. 3.8-3.10, the resultant inverter output voltages with respect to the zero conductor 0, namely U R , U S and U T , are shown as a function of time t, where: U R =U 5 .1R +U 5 .2R, U S =U 5 .1S +U 5 .2S and U T =U 5 .1T +U 5 .2T.
FIG. 3.11 shows the neutral-point voltage U M =U R +U S +U T of the common neutral point M of the stator windings W R , W S , W T with respect to the neutral conductor 0 of the direct-current source 4 as a function of time t.
In FIGS. 3.12 - 3.14, winding voltages U R -U M and U S -U M and U T -U M are shown as a function of time t. The same voltage conditions effected with 10 transitions according to the invention would have required 16 transitions in the conventional control method.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show two different inverter circuits in which the 2-pulse control system can be implemented. In the 2×2-point circuit shown in FIG. 4, with reactor coil 23 of the same phase, there are no problems with the switching sequence dead time of the inverter. The 3-point circuit according to FIG. 5 has the advantage that it manages without reactor coil. In FIGS. 4 and 5, the inverters are shown simplified as switches.
The method according to the invention can also be used in a single-pulse 2-point inverter which would result from the circuit according to FIG. 1 without signal generator 1.2, logic circuit 3.2, inverter group 5.2 and reactor coil 7, in which arrangement the stator winding W R would be connected directly to the output of the inverter group 5.1.
The invention is based on the finding that 3 synchronous transitions from + to - or from - to + do not have any effect on the winding voltage and that switching in an adjacent phase, for example S or T, has half the negative effect on the winding voltage as in a phase considered, for example R. Instead of switching the phase R from positive potential to negative potential, the two adjacent phases S and T can be switched from negative potential to positive potential. Applying these principles, unnecessary transitions can be avoided. This applies, at least, when the load impedances are identical in the three phases. The load can also be a transformer or a three-phase power system.
The switch-over times and the sequence of phases are selected in such a manner that a three-phase, possibly sinusoidal motor winding voltage or load phase voltage is produced. In this arrangement, the switch-over times of one pulse are offset with respect to those of the other one in such a manner that when the voltages of the two pulses are added, as many harmonics as possible are again cancelled out against one another. A further reduction in harmonics can be achieved, for example, if four differently controlled inverter groups per phase are connected together, the phase shift of the auxiliary alternating voltage being 90° in each case. Reference is made to the CH-A-420,365 initially mentioned with respect to circuits for reducing harmonics.
With a relatively high pulse frequency of the auxiliary alternating voltages U H1 and U H2 , the method according to the invention can be used within the entire speed range of the asynchronous machine 6. Preferably, however, this method is only used within a speed range from 0% to 30% or up to 70% whilst phase-shifted two-pulse fundamental frequency pulsing is used at higher speeds in order to keep harmonics and transitions as low as possible at the same time.
Naturally, gate-turn-off GTO thyristors or transistors can also be used as valves instead of the thyristors T1, T1', T2, T2' with ring-around circuits, not shown. Instead of the logic circuits 3.1 and 3.2 a computer can be provided which calculates the required switch-over points for the valves and outputs corresponding control signals. The auxiliary alternating voltages can be synchronous or asynchronous to the control voltages and exhibit sawtooth-shaped or trapezoidal or sinusoidal or sine-wave-like shape. If the shape of the auxiliary alternating voltages U H1 , U H2 is changed, the characteristic of intersections is also changed, that is to say the valves are switched, for example, in dependence on the falling edge of U H1 and U H2 , respectively.
Instead of initially switching all valve outputs to a positive potential, the outputs can also be switched to negative potential. It is of importance that the switching-over of the valves always occurs with the same dependency (except with a change in the sawtooth-shaped signals A1 and A2), that is to say always in dependence on a rising-voltage or a falling-voltage part of the auxiliary voltage. If it has been decided, for example, to use the rising-voltage edge of a sawtooth-shaped auxiliary voltage, there is no further switch-over at the falling edge. This overall reduces the number of inverter circuits by 1/3--and this without effects on the variation of the motor winding voltages with time. Instead of 6 transitions per period of the auxiliary control voltage, there are now only 4.
Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.
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Inverters (5.1, 5.2) for feeding a three-phase load such as, for example, an asynchronous machine (6), are controlled by pulse width modulation, in such a manner that they supply output voltages (U 5 .1R, U 5 .2R) which are as closely sinusoidal as possible, having few harmonics per alternating-current phase (R, S, T). To achieve the pulse width modulation, a first auxiliary alternating voltage (U H1 ) of a sawtooth generator (1.1), on the one hand, and a second auxiliary alternating voltage (U H2 ) of a sawtooth generator (1.2), which is phase-shifted by 180° with respect to the first one, on the other hand, is superimposed by a control signal transmitter (2) on a sinusoidal first superimposition alternating voltage (U StR , U StS , U StT ) with the required frequency and phase angle in logic circuits (3.1, 3.2). Separate inverter groups (5.1, 5.2), the outputs of which are connected via a reactor coil (7), the center tab of which is connected to a stator winding (W R ) of the asynchronous machine (6), are controlled in dependence on intersectons of the two superimposition voltages in each case. To reduce the turn-on and turn-off losses, the thyristors (T1, T1'; T2, T2') of the inverter are only switched over at intersections of the rising portion of the auxiliary alternating voltage (U H1 , U H2 ). During this process, the inverter sections of the two phases (R, S, T), the firsat superimposition alternating voltage of which has been intersected are in each case switched at two successive intersectons while the inverter sections of the adjacent phases are switched over at the subsequent third intersecton. This allows the switching actions to be reduced by 1/3.
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CROSS-REFERENCE
[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/536,331 filed Sep. 19, 2011.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to an energy transfer unit and a method of constructing such an energy transfer unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Energy transfer units are well known and commonly used to transfer energy in the form of heat from one medium to another. As such they are generally referred to as heat exchangers. Such units are used in many industrial and commercial processes and are designed to meet the particular operating conditions of those processes.
[0004] Energy transfer units are used extensively in HVAC (heating, ventilating and it conditioning) applications where they must operate at high efficiencies and at the same time be relatively economical to produce. One particular HVAC application arises in geothermal heating and cooling systems in which a heat exchanger is an integral part of exchanging energy between a ground source and a fluid circulating between the ground source and a heat pump. The ground source is a thermal reservoir that may be a body of water, such as at lake, river or stream, or may be the ground itself at a depth that provides a substantially uniform temperature.
[0005] The heat exchangers presently used in geothermal applications may be as simple as a pipe buried within the ground or submerged in a lake, or may be a mesh of smaller pipes interconnected to a manifold. The effectiveness of the heat exchanger determines to a lame extent to the overall efficiency of the heating and cooling system, but the form of the heat exchanger has been maintained as inexpensive as possible despite e inefficiencies that such an arrangement introduces.
[0006] In the Applicant's co pending application, International Application No. PCT/CA2011/000846, published as WO 2012/009802, there is disclosed an arrangement of energy transfer unit in which heat exchange cores formed from spirally wound small bore tubing, referred to as capillaries, are located within an external housing and a flow of water induced through the housing to increase the efficiency of the heat transfer. This arrangement has proven highly effective and has introduced significant efficiencies to the overall system. The efficiencies within the energy transfer unit have made increased thermal capacities possible within a compact overall envelope. However, such increased capacity has in turn made the control of flow within the housing more complex over a range of operating conditions. The manufacturer of the heat exchange core itself is however labour intensive and therefore relatively expensive.
[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide an energy transfer unit in which the above disadvantages are obviated or mitigated.
[0008] In general terms, one aspect of the present invention provides an energy transfer nun having one or more modules. Each of the modules has a support structure to support a capillary spirally wound between an inlet header and an outlet header. The modules may be stacked one above the other, with the headers interconnected to provide a common inlet and a common outlet for the modules. The capillaries are arranged in parallel between the inlet and outlet. The heat exchanger may be sized to the particular requirements by selecting the appropriate number of modules.
[0009] Preferably, each module has a frusto conical shell with a support structure integrated with the shell to support spirally wound capillaries. The frusto conical shells may be stacked one above the other in spaced relationship to provide a passage between adjacent shells and to promote flow between the shells and over the capillaries retained between the shells.
[0010] In another aspect there is provide an energy transfer unit having a heat exchange core and a baffle juxtaposed over the core to direct fluid from a heat source radially relative to the core.
[0011] Preferably, the baffle in inclined to the direction of flow of fluid, and as a further preference, the baffle directs the fluid to a chimney.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is front elevation of an energy transfer unit;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a section on the line II-II of FIG. 1 ;
[0015] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the energy transfer unit shown in FIG. 2 ;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a further enlarged view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 3 ;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a view on the line V-V of FIG. 3 ;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the energy transfer unit shown in FIG. 1 according to an example embodiment;
[0019] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the energy transfer unit shown in FIG. 1 according to another example embodiment;
[0020] FIG. 8 is a schematic representation showing the assembly of energy transfer unit of FIG. 1 .
[0021] FIG. 9 is a section of an alternative embodiment of the energy transfer unit of FIG. 2 , and
[0022] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the embodiment of FIG. 9 .
[0023] FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a further embodiment of energy transfer unit.
[0024] FIG. 12 is a view from below of one of the modules shown in FIG. 11 .
[0025] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of an energy transfer unit.
[0026] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an energy transfer unit used within the unit of FIG. 13 .
[0027] FIG. 15 is a view on the line XV-XV of FIG. 14 .
[0028] FIG. 16 is a side elevation in the direction of the arrow A of FIG. 14 .
[0029] FIG. 17 is a plan view of the unit shown in FIG. 14 .
[0030] FIG. 18 is an under view of the unit shown in FIG. 14 .
[0031] FIG. 19 is the enlarged view of a component utilized in the energy transfer unit of FIG. 15 .
[0032] FIG. 20 is the section on an enlarged scale on the line XX-XX of FIG. 14 , and
[0033] FIG. 21 is a schematic illustration of the installation of the heat exchange unit shown in FIG. 13 within a body of water.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0034] Referring therefore to FIG. 1 , an energy transfer unit, generally indicated at 10 , has a fluid inlet 12 and a fluid outlet 14 . The inlet 12 and outlet 14 are connected to respective pipes 16 , 18 that in turn are connected to a heat pump in a known manner. One example of such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 1 and the accompanying description of PCT publication WO 2012/009802, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. A particularly beneficial way of connecting the energy transfer unit 10 to a heat pump is shown in co pending application, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/523,698, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0035] The energy transfer unit 10 is formed from a number of modules 20 , indicated individually as 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, 20 d, that are stacked one above the other to provide a multi layered body to the energy transfer unit 10 . A base 22 extends across the lower most of the modules 20 d and a tether assembly 24 is secured to the base 22 . The tether assembly 24 includes a ballast 26 and a pair of the lines 28 that allow the energy transfer unit 10 to be secured in location in a heat source, for example in a body of water. A flared collar 29 , is secured to the upper module 20 a to promote flow through the heat exchanger 10 .
[0036] Each of the modules 20 is of similar design and therefore only one will be described in detail. Each of the modules 20 has a frusto conical shell 30 formed from plastics, such as polyethylene or similar material. Headers 32 are integrally formed at spaced intervals about the outer periphery 31 of the shell 30 and the shell 30 terminates at its upper edge at a central aperture 34 . The shell has a half angle α in the order of 45° with the lower most portion adjacent the radially outer periphery flared to provide a shallow skirt 36 . The half angle β of the flared skirt is in the order of 25° and smoothly blends with the balance of the shell 30 .
[0037] The shell 30 is integrally moulded with spars 40 that extend from the header 32 to the aperture 34 . Each of the spars 40 depends downwardly from the shell 30 and has a lower edge that is formed with v shaped notches 42 . Flanks 44 , 46 of the notches 42 are formed with part circular recesses 48 to receive tubing 50 . A heat exchange core is provided by an array of tubing 50 that extends from an inlet header to an outlet header. Preferably, the tubing 50 , as can best be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 , is spirally wound from a radially outer location to a radially inner location and back to a radially outer location. Each run of tubing 50 is connected to a respective nipple 52 formed on the header 32 so that each run extends from an inlet header 32 to a diametrically opposed outlet header 32 . As shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8 , four headers 32 are uniformly spaced about the periphery 31 of the shell 30 , allowing two runs of tubing 50 , indicated by solid and dashed lines in FIG. 6 , to be interlaced and extend spirally inwardly and subsequently spirally outwardly between the respective headers 32 .
[0038] The diameter of the recesses 48 is selected such that the tubing 50 is a press fit within the recess 48 and thereby retained on the spar 40 . The press fit is such that the interior diameter of the tubing 50 is not reduced to avoid restrictions along the length of the tubing 50 .
[0039] Each of the headers 32 is formed with an internal shoulder 60 at its upper end and an external shoulder 62 at its lower end. The shoulders 60 , 62 facilitate the stacking of the headers 32 one above the other so that the shells 30 overlie one another in spaced relationship. The conical void between the adjacent shells accommodates the spirally wound tubing 50 .
[0040] A pair or the headers 32 of the lower most module 20 is connected to the inlet 12 by conduits 70 , 72 and the diametrically opposite headers 32 interconnected to the outlet 14 by conduits 74 , 76 ( FIG. 1 ). The upper end the headers 32 of upper most module 20 is sealed by a cap 78 so that fluid entering the inlet 12 passes through the header 32 , along the tubing 50 to the outlet header 32 and back to the outlet 14 . The cap 78 occludes the volume between the upper most nipple 52 and the upper shoulder 60 , as shown in ghosted outline in FIG. 5 , to inhibit accumulation of air within the headers 32 .
[0041] The base 22 has a central aperture 23 , aligned with the aperture 34 but of smaller diameter, to create a central chimney through the energy transfer unit 10 .
[0042] Each of the modules 20 may be assembled by feeding the tubing 50 in its spiral pattern on the underside of the shell 30 . The notches 42 present an open access to the recesses 48 thereby avoiding the need to thread the pipes 50 through the spars 40 . Once the tubing 50 is installed on the spars 40 , it may be connected to the nipples 52 to provide a self contained module 20 that provides a heat exchange core.
[0043] The modules 20 may then be assembled by stacking one on the other until the requisite number of modules 20 has been assembled. The shoulders 60 , 62 locate the headers 32 on one another and allow the modules to be secured by fusion welding or adhesive. The conduits 70 - 76 are then secured between the headers 32 and respective ones of the inlets and outlets 12 , 14 and the base 22 secured to the lowermost module 20 . The tether 24 may then be connected. The headers 32 maintain the peripheral edges 31 of the shells 30 in spaced relationship to allow fluid to pass between the shells and around the tubing 50 arranged on the spars 40 .
[0044] In use, the pipes 16 , 18 are connected to the inlet 12 and outlet 14 respectively and the assembled heat exchanger 10 submersed within a body of water or other ground source that serves as a thermal reservoir. Heat exchange fluid is circulated through the pipes 16 , 18 where it flows through the headers 32 and in to the tubing 50 to move between the inlet 16 and the outlet 18 . As the fluid flows, heat is transferred between the water surrounding the tubing 50 and the heat exchange fluid in the tubing 50 . The change in temperature of the fluid between the shells 30 , creates a density imbalance which imparts a flow of fluid between the shells 30 from the radially outer edge 31 to the aperture 34 in the case where heat is rejected to the body of water. The inclined surface of the shell 30 promotes the radial flow to the aperture 34 . The flow is enhanced by the skin 36 , which accelerates the flow radially inwardly between the shells 30 to enhance the circulation. The flow induced between the shells 30 enhances the heat transfer with the tubing 50 . The flared collar 29 promotes the flow of fluid out of the energy transfer unit 10 , and the aperture 23 in the base 22 promotes a chimney effect from the lower base 22 to the aperture 34 to further reinforce the flow through the shells.
[0045] It will be noted that the runs of tubing 50 provide parallel paths between the inlet headers 32 and outlet headers 32 so that the pressure drop is maintained relatively small.
[0046] The capacity of the energy transfer unit 10 may readily be adjusted by adding or subtracting the modules 20 and it will be noted that assembly of the modules may be performed prior to their assembly in to the energy transfer unit 10 . Of course, the energy transfer unit may consist of a single module, or may have multiple modules where an increased capacity is required.
[0047] A further embodiment of modular heat exchanger is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , in which like components will be identified by like reference numbers with a suffix “a” added for clarity.
[0048] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10 , the shells 30 a are paired to form a unit with tubes 50 a spiraling from outside to inside on one of the pairs, and from inside to outside on the other of the pairs. Each shell 30 a has a set of radial spars 40 a with parallel sided notches 42 a to receive the tubing 50 a. The notches are sized to retain the tubing 50 a without occluding the internal passage.
[0049] Four runs of tubing 50 a extends from each of a pair of diametrically opposed headers 32 a and are received in alternate notches 42 a along the spars 40 a of the uppermost shell 30 a. The runs of tubing 50 a are spaced apart vertically in each of the notches 42 a and spiral inwardly to the central aperture 34 a. At the radially inner extent of the spars 40 a, the sets of tubing 50 a are directed in to the lowermost shell 30 a of the nun where they are received in the notches 42 a as they spiral radially outwardly. The tubing 50 a spirals in the same hand in the upper and lower shells 30 a to minimise flow restriction in the tubes 50 a. The tubing 50 a of the lower shell 30 a is connected to headers 32 a located between the headers 32 a of the upper shell to provide a circulation between inlet and outlet.
[0050] The modules may be stacked one above the other as illustrated above to vary the capacity of the energy transfer unit 10 a with the headers 32 a nesting to provide a common inlet and outlet for each of the shells 30 a. Again, only a single module may be required, although typically more than one module is provided. With the arrangement of FIGS. 9 and 10 , the density of tubes in each shell is reduced, which promotes circulation across the tubing 50 a from the periphery 31 a to the central aperture 34 a, whilst maintaining the modularity of the energy transfer unit. Assembly of the tubing 50 a is facilitated by avoiding cross over between the ingoing and outgoing tubes and permits an ordered assembly of the shells 30 a.
[0051] An alternate configuration of modular energy transfer unit is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 . Like components will be noted with like reference numerals with prefix “1” for clarity.
[0052] Referring therefore to FIG. 11 , the energy transfer unit 110 is formed from at least one shell 130 , each of which has a frusto conical central annular disk 131 with a peripheral downturned flange 136 . The disk 131 has a central aperture 134 that receives a central tube 80 . The tube 80 has ports 82 distributed about its circumference adjacent to the intersection with the intersection with the inner edge of shell 130 .
[0053] The tube 80 locates a radially inner edge of a spar 140 that extends radially outwardly towards the flange 136 . The radially inner edge of each of the spars 140 is received within a groove 84 ( FIG. 12 ) formed on the outer surface of the tube 80 .
[0054] Each of the spars 140 is formed from a sot of comb like strips indicated at 88 . Each of the edges of the strip 88 has a series of part circular recesses 148 to receive the capillary tubing 150 . When arranged edge to edge, the strips 88 locate the capillary tubing 150 between opposite edges of the strips to maintain a uniform spaced relationship.
[0055] Headers 132 are provided at diametrically opposite locations on the shell 130 . Each of the headers 132 comprises a pair of tubes 90 . A row of spaced outlets 92 is provided along each of the tubes 90 facing in opposite directions for connection to the tubes 150 . The connection between the tubes 90 and the tubing 50 is typically performed by welding.
[0056] The arrangement of the array of tubing 150 within the spars 140 is similar to that described above in that each is spirally wound and of opposite hand. A run of tubing 150 therefore proceeds from one of the tubes 90 through the spars 140 toward the central tube 80 and thereafter radially outwardly to terminate at the diametrically opposite tube 90 .
[0057] To assemble the heat energy transfer unit 130 , the first strip 88 of the spar 140 is secured in each of the grooves 84 on the central tube 80 . The tubing 150 is then spirally wound and placed into the part circular grooves and is secured in situ by placement of the next of the strips 88 . The strips are preferably are the snap fit within the grooves 84 so as to securely hold these strips 88 in alignment. The strips 88 may extend radially outwardly to the flange 136 to provide extra rigidity or ma be joined to one another at the radially outer edge by a common channel or similar mechanical fastening device.
[0058] The next spiral array of tubing 150 is located in the open set of recesses 148 and the next to the strips 88 then added. This continues until all of the strips 88 have been inserted to locate the tubing 150 .
[0059] It will be appreciated that the arrangement of the spars 140 made from the individual strips could be replaced with a single rectangular spar with holes formed therein and the tuning threaded through those holes. Such an arrangement would require less individual components but would increase the complexity of threading of the tubing.
[0060] Each of the central tubes 80 and the tubes 90 forming the headers 132 is formed with shoulders, as shown above with respect to FIG. 5 , so that the tubes 80 , 90 can be stacked one above the other into a unitary construction. Each module 120 may therefore be formed and then multiple modules assembled to provide an energy transfer united with the requisite capacity.
[0061] In operation, the heat transfer fluid is circulated through the inlet header 132 where it is discharged into the tubing 150 to flow in opposite directions to the outlet header 132 . The inlet 116 is provided from the lower point of the header 132 and the outlet 118 is taken from the highest point of the opposite header 132 . The transfer of heat to the surrounding water causes a radial flow of the water either from the flange 136 to the central tube 80 through the ports 82 where heat is being rejected to the cooling water or in the opposite direction when heat is being absorbed from the water. The inclination of the central disk 131 promotes the radial flow between the apertures 134 and the flange 136 . The inclination of the central disk 131 has a half angle between 65 and 75 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the tube 80 and the flange is radially outwardly inclined at a half angle of 10 degrees to the longitudinal axis.
[0062] The stacking of the tubes 80 and the positioning of the ports 82 to control flow between the tube 80 and the space between adjacent shells 130 that accommodates the heat exchange tubing 150 provides a pronounced chimney effect along the longitudinal axis of the energy transfer unit. The chimney promotes the radial flow of fluid around the tubing and therefore increases the efficiency of the unit.
[0063] The provision of the shell 130 and the chimney effect from the central tube 80 may also be utilized in an energy transfer unit located within a housing in a manner shown in PCT Publication WO 2012/009802. Such an arrangement is shown in FIGS. 13 through 21 .
[0064] Referring therefore to FIG. 13 , an energy transfer unit 210 has a fluid inlet 212 and an outlet 214 . The inlet 212 and outlet 214 are connected to a heat exchange loop circulating through a heat pump in a conventional manner as referenced above.
[0065] The energy transfer unit 210 has a housing 216 made from upper and lower shells 218 to 220 respectively. The shells 218 and 220 are connected to one another at an equator 222 . A number of inlet apertures 224 are provided on the equator around the periphery of the housing 216 . The upper shell 218 has a circular outlet 226 to receive a chimney described in greater detail below and the lower shell has a number of spaced apertures 223 ( FIG. 15 ) distributed about the lower surface of the shell 220 to permit the flow of water in to the housing 216 .
[0066] The housing 216 contains a heat exchange unit 230 as best seen in FIGS. 14 through 16 . The heat exchange unit 230 includes a pair of heat exchange cores 232 to 234 , each of which is formed from a pair of arrays of spirally wound tubing 236 that extends in opposite hands as described above. The tubing 236 is located on planar vanes 240 that are uniform ally distributed about the longitudinal axis of the energy transfer unit 210 . Each of the vanes contains a matrix of holes to receive the tubing 236 . As shown in FIG. 15 , the runs of tubing 6 are arranged in a staggered fashion relative to one another although in certain circumstances, a rectilinear grid, as shown in FIG. 19 is preferred.
[0067] A central tube 244 extends through the housing 216 and projects though the aperture 226 . The lower end of the central tube 244 is sealed by a plate 246 . The inlet 212 and outlet 214 extends along the housing 210 at diametrically opposite sides of the tube 244 . The inlet 212 and outlet 214 respectively extend radially between the coils 232 to 234 to the radially outer periphery of the coils to a distribution conduit 248 . The distribution conduit 248 in turn is connected through a T-piece to a manifold 250 ( FIG. 14 ) winch supplies each of the coils 232 to 234 . Connection to the tubing 236 is provided through an elbow 252 that carries an apertured disk 254 ( FIG. 20 ). The disk 254 has apertures 256 to receive the end of each run of tubing 236 which are received in an aperture and welded to it to provide a secure fluid type connection. Each run of tubing flares outwardly from the disk 254 and through its spiral path to an opposite manifold connected to the outlet 214 . The supply of heat exchange fluid through the apertured disk 254 has been found to provide a more uniform distribution than is obtained through a vertical manifold.
[0068] A conical baffle 260 is interposed between the coils 232 and 234 . The baffle 260 extends radially from the outer periphery of the coil 234 to the tube 244 . Ports 262 are provided in the tube 244 adjacent to the intersection of the baffle 260 with the tube. The ports 262 permit flow of fluid between the interior of the tube 244 and the underside of the baffle 260 with the inclination of the baffle promoting radially inward and upward flow of fluid.
[0069] A similar baffle 264 is provided above the coil 236 which terminates at to collar which is concentric to the tube 244 to define an annulus.
[0070] In use, the heat exchanger is located between the shells 218 and 220 of the housing 210 with the collar 268 projecting through the aperture 226 . The shells 218 to 220 are dimensioned to secure the heat exchangers within the housing 216 through engagement of abutments in the housing with the spars 240 . Such an arrangement is described in more detail in the PCT Publication noted above and need be described in greater detail at this time.
[0071] Heat exchange fluid is provided trough the inlet 212 to the coils 232 to 234 and returned through the outlet 214 . The housing 216 is immersed within a body of water that provides a uniform temperature heat reservoir. If heat is being rejected to the water, i.e. as in the case where cooling is being affected b the associated heat pump, the temperature of the heat exchange fluids circulated through the inlet 212 and outlet 214 is higher than that of the surrounding water and heat is transferred to the water. The heating of the water causes a density imbalance that induces flow across the coils 234 to 232 so that fluid abuts against the underside of the baffles 260 and 264 . The inclination of the baffles 260 , 264 causes a flow to move radially inwardly and, in the case of fluid passing over the lower through the ports 262 . The fluid then flows along the tube 244 and upwardly to the exterior of the housing 210 .
[0072] Similarly fluid passing over the coil 236 is directed by the inclined baffle 264 to the annular between the collar 268 and tube 244 to emerge through the upper surface of the housing.
[0073] The fluid lost through the tube 244 and collar 268 is replenished through ports 223 on the underside of the shell 220 and through the ports 224 provided around the equator of the housing 216 . The ports 224 are positioned above the baffle 260 so that a separate fluid inlet is provided for each of the coils. In this manner, a steady state of heat transfer between the heat exchange fluid provided through the inlet 212 and the surrounding water is accomplished. It will be appreciated that where more than two coils are provided within the housing 216 , a baffle is provided between each of the coils and set of ports provided in the housing to supply each of the coils, with a corresponding set of ports 262 in the tube 244 . In this manner, a modular arrangement is provided that can be adjusted to suit the particular installations. Where only a single core is required, flow may be provided from the ports 223 and the baffle is spaced from the top of the housing 216 to promote the radial flow.
[0074] It will be appreciated that in a heat absorbing mode, that is when heat is being supplied through the heat pump, the temperature in the inlet 212 will be lower than that in the surrounding water and heat will be absorbed from the water. In this case the flow is in an opposite direction that is through the tube 244 and radially outwardly over the coils.
[0075] The inclination of the baffles 260 , 264 is typically in the range of 5° or 30° and preferably at 20°.
[0076] As noted above, the tubing 236 is shown in FIG. 15 in a staggered arrangement to increase the contact of the water with the tubes. It has however been found that in certain conditions, such as when the water is at its maximum density around 4 degrees Celsius, that the staggered arrangement of the tubing impedes the flow through the coils 234 and 236 . When operation in those circumstances is contemplated, the rectilinear array shown in FIG. 19 is preferred so that the tubes 236 are aligned along the axis of the tube 244 and the flow of fluid enhanced.
[0077] The flow of water across the coils is induced by the density imbalance caused by the heating of water. The chimney effect provided by the tube 244 acts to increase the flow through the lower heat exchange coil 234 . Moreover, the positioning of the collar 268 concentric to the tube 244 also increases the fluid flow across the coil 236 by inducing the flow under the baffle 264 where the tube and collar emerge.
[0078] The provision of flow through the tube 244 and collar 268 also facilitates the installation of the heat exchange unit in a manner that avoids degradation of the heat source. As shown schematically in FIG. 21 , a body of water such as a lake establish at a particular depth a thermocline beneath which the waters is at a relatively constant temperature. Above that layer, the water temperature may vary under different climatic conditions. The placement of a conventional heat exchanger within the thermocline layer increases the temperature in that zone thereby disturbing the cooler body of water.
[0079] As shown in FIG. 21 , the to 244 and collar 268 may be extended above the housing 216 . The housing 216 may then be located within the cooler body of water with the outlet at an elevated temperature in the surface or upper regions of the body of water. The elevated temperature water discharged from the chimney provided by the tube 244 and collar 268 does not return to the cool water below the thermacline, which is naturally replenished by the source of water, such as a stream or sprang that creates a lake or pond. A localised heating of the water at the surface can be observed that promotes heat loss due to evaporation and the maintenance of a steady state condition.
[0080] This also permits the energy transfer unit to be utilized in an environment where the ground water provides the heat transfer medium to the surrounding earth. Conventional systems cause a thermal saturation of the ground water due to its limited flow and the lower thermal conductivity of the earth, but with the chimney provided by the tube 244 and collar 268 , the elevated temperature water is delivered to the surface where evaporation promotes the dispersion of the heat at a reduced flow rate.
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An energy transfer wilt suitable for a geothermal heating system is formed from a plurality of modules. Each module has a frusto conical baffle overlying a heat exchange core to direct fluid radial across the core. A chimney is provided centrally in the baffle to promote radial flow. The modules may be located within a housing and ports are provide to allow flow in to the housing adjacent each of the cores.
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REFERENCE TO A PRIOR APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/069,738 filed Mar. 18, 2008 with the title Improved Key Ring Tool.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention pertains to split key rings and more particularly to a device for spreading apart the adjacent segments of a split key ring that are spring-urged together. This is to facilitate moving a key or accessory onto or off of the split key ring.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The split key ring is commonly used by many and is a great device because of its reliability for storing keys or small accessories in a convenient manner. The typical key ring is of a conventional construction and comprises a single length of spring wire of steel or the like which may be of a somewhat concave-convex cross section. The wire is shaped on known machinery to form a pair of substantially congruent circles or coils that are abutting throughout and are coaxial. The circles or coils are joined by a crossover section of the spring material, this crossover section being offset from each circle. The crossover section defines in cooperation with the opposite ends of the wire, a pair of access openings at which a key may be inserted or removed from the key ring. But it can be difficult to add or remove keys or accessories or even find specific keys or accessories quickly when one has many keys or accessories on their key ring(s). The most common method of adding or removing keys or accessories is using your fingernail or thumbnail to lift one of the ends of the wire, which can be painful at times. Others resort to using a knife or other sharp objects to lift an end, which can be dangerous.
[0004] Numerous key ring devices have been described, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,681,608; 5,722,277; 4,719,778; 4,790,161; 4,706,477; 4,543,860; and 4,325,273. These patents describe devices to add or remove keys from a key ring. A need still exists for a device which may be easily inserted or removed from a key ring without separating the coils in the manner of adding or removing a key. It is also desired to have a device that does not utilize a chain or other means to attach to the key ring, but is securely stored on the same key ring ready for use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] This invention described in the following text and illustrations is multi-functional and easier to use than previous devices. In one aspect of the invention, a key ring tool is described for spreading apart the collapsed helical coils of a key ring, said key ring tool comprising: a) a pointed spreader tip for insertion between two adjacent coils of the key ring, b) a holding pad attached to and in the same plane as the spreader tip, and c) an edge strip in the same plane as the holding pad, said edge strip enclosing the spreader tip by extending from one side of the holding pad around the spreader tip to a second point on the holding pad defining a containment area, the width of said containment area is larger than a sectional dimension of the key ring, whereas the edge strip further comprises a gap defined by two opposing segments of the edge strip. The dimension of the gap in the edge strip is preferably less than the sectional dimension of the key ring particularly in crossover area.
[0006] In a second aspect of the invention, the gap in the edge strip is closer to one side of the holding pad forming a longer edge strip segment and a shorter edge strip segment. Preferably, this longer length edge strip allows a key ring to be inserted into the containment area by temporarily deflecting when a key ring is pushed through the gap.
[0007] In a further aspect of the invention, a key ring tool is-described for spreading apart a key ring comprising a plurality of collapsed coils, said key ring tool comprising: a) a holding pad, b) a pointed spreader comprising a tip and a base with a first side and a second side, wherein the pointed spreader base is attached to and in substantially the same plane as the holding pad, c) a deflection arm in substantially the same plane as the holding pad and attached to the holding pad adjacent the first side of the base of the pointed spreader, said deflection arm extending around the tip of the spreader to attach to the holding pad adjacent the second side of the base of the pointed spreader, said deflection arm defining a containment area in the space between the pointed spreader and the deflection arm, and d) the deflection arm further comprising a gap adjacent one of the first or second sides of the base of pointed spreader.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a front view of the key ring tool T showing the features of the device.
[0009] FIG. 2 is an isometric view showing positioning of the key ring tool T for installing it on a split key ring R.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a side or edge view of a key ring R with the key ring tool T in the proper position prior to spreading the key ring R.
[0011] FIG. 4 shows the key ring tool T pushed into position, spreading the key ring R and in preparation for a key K or accessory to be slid on the key ring R.
[0012] FIG. 5 shows the key ring tool T in position with a key K partially slid onto the spread key ring R.
[0013] FIG. 6 shows the key ring tool T and a key K on a key ring R in the normal storage position.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a front view of the key ring tool T showing optional features of the device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] This invention is multifaceted as it addresses: insertion and removal of the tool, storage, positioning, ease of use, low cost manufacturability and can serve as reference to quickly find specific keys or devices. In addition, other features may be added by modifying the holding pad design. An LED light with a small coin cell battery could be incorporated into an expanded holding area, which would make it easy to position a key into a lock in the dark. Also by modifying the holding area to receive printing or mold impressions, the key ring tool could be imprinted or molded with advertising or company logos the way key fobs are used as promotional or advertising articles. This type of advertising article is commonly utilized by car dealerships, real estate people, and other companies as give away devices away to advertise their organization.
[0016] This new key ring tool has numerous features. In addition to the basic function of spreading the helical coils on a conventional circular key ring, it can easily be moved between keys without spreading the key ring thus marking the location of certain keys on the ring. It is substantially self-centering as it hangs on the key ring prior to spreading the helical rings. Thus, it is very easy to align the spreader tip with the mating surface of the helical rings of a key ring. When the tool is inserted and the helical rings are spread, the key ring tool virtually snaps into place as the coils of the rings move into the recessed areas of the spreader 5 . This allows the user to use one hand for holding the key ring and the other hand for holding the key or accessory when adding or removing keys or accessories. To accommodate insertion or removal of large keys or accessories, a second recessed area may be provided on the spreader allowing a larger separation of the coils of the ring by engaging the spreader tip deeper into the opening between the coils of the ring.
[0017] Preferably, the device is a plastic molded part that is very cost effective to manufacture. It can easily be molded of different colors. This allows it to be used as a key or device locator when placed on the key ring next to a key or accessory that has frequent or special use. Furthermore it is self-storing on the key ring, ready to use on an adjacent key or accessory.
[0018] FIG. 1 shows the front view of the key ring tool T depicting each of the specific areas of functionality: the access portal or gap 1 , the quick locator area 2 , the pointed spreader tip 3 , the spreader wedge (can be straight or stepped) 4 , the recessed area of the spreader 5 , the holding pad 6 , the deflection arm 7 , the containment area 8 . The recessed area of the spreader is actually a pair of recesses, one on each side of the spreader.
[0019] FIG. 2 shows the key ring tool T, partially installed on a typical expandable key ring R. Conventional key rings are generally comprised of two collapsed coils that can be drawn apart along a direction parallel to the axis of the collapsed coils as shown in FIG. 4 . A crossover area is usually present on a conventional key ring where the two ends of the collapsed coils nearly meet to complete a second complete turn. The crossover area is a section of a single coil thickness offset to accommodate the transition from the first coil to the second coil. The installation of the key ring tool is achieved by pushing down on the tool T, while holding the key ring tool T with the thumb and forefinger on the holding pad 6 with the access portal or gap 1 positioned such that only the longer end of the deflection arm 7 is in contact with the key ring R, preferably in the cross over section 9 of the key ring R. Once sufficient pressure is applied, the deflection arm 7 will deflect enough to enlarge the gap in the access portal 1 , such that the section of the key ring R can slide through the access portal 1 . Prior to deflection, the gap in the arm should be smaller than a section of a single coil. This deflection arm gap dimension is preferably in the range of 0.025 to 0.2 cm (0.01 to 0.08 inches). With the gap smaller than a section of the key ring, inadvertent removal is substantially eliminated.
[0020] Once a section of the key ring R has completely passed through the access portal 1 of the key ring tool T, the key ring tool T will be installed on the key ring R. Retention of the tool on the ring is substantially secure as a positive effort is required for removal. The key ring tool, when released, will now hang from the key ring as shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 6 contacting the key ring at the quick locator area 2 in the containment area 8 of the key ring tool T. Removal is easily accomplished by reversing the procedure. This feature of easy insertion and removal combined with secure retention on the ring is an improvement over earlier described devices.
[0021] The location of the access portal 1 is preferably close to the holding pad 6 on one side of the containment area. This creates a long deflection arm 7 in the edge strip around the pointed spreader tip. A longer deflection arm is desirable to minimize the force needed to enlarge the gap sufficiently to install or remove the tool from a key ring. A gap or access portal in the quick locator area 2 is to be avoided to minimize the chance for inadvertent removal of the key ring tool from the key ring as it hangs on the ring. A longer deflection arm also creates the hook shape of the quick locator area 2 . The tool hangs from this hook when stored on a ring.
[0022] The shape of the deflection arm generally follows that of the pointed spreader around its tip as shown in FIG. 1 . The separation between the deflection arm and the pointed spreader forms the containment area 8 . The distance from the deflection arm to the spreader should be sufficient to accommodate the sectional area of both coils of a key ring as shown in FIG. 3 . This dimension may be as small as 0.2 cm (0.08 inches) and as large as 0.32 cm (0.125 inches).
[0023] FIG. 3 shows the key ring tool T, installed on the key ring R, positioned with the quick locator area 2 (see FIG. 1 ) against key ring R with the pointed spreader tip 3 of the key ring tool T directly below the mating surfaces of the two helical rings 10 of the key ring R. The dimension of the quick locator area of the key ring tool is preferably sufficient to accommodate the two coils of the key ring as shown in FIG. 3 . This also is the correct position of the key ring R and key ring tool T prior to spreading the coil for installing or removing keys K or accessories from the key ring R.
[0024] FIG. 4 shows the key ring R after the pointed spreader tip 3 and spreader wedge 4 of the key ring tool T has been pushed through the mating surfaces of the two coils 10 forcing them apart such that a separation between the coils 11 is created. The spread helical coils then rest in the recessed area of the spreader 5 holding the key ring tool T in place. The user can then hold the key K in one hand and the key ring R in the other hand, while placing the key K on the expanded key ring end 13 by aligning the hole in the key 12 with the expanded key ring end 13 .
[0025] FIG. 5 shows the key ring R expanded with a key K started onto the expanded key ring end 13 . Once the key K is on the expanded key ring end 13 it is easily slid around the Key ring R until it is fully positioned onto the key ring R where it cannot come off without once again spreading the coils of the key ring R.
[0026] FIG. 6 shows a key K and a key ring tool T on a typical key ring R in the normal position, as it would be when fully installed. In addition to being used for adding or removing keys or accessories to or from the key ring R, the key ring tool T, which may be molded of plastic, can easily be made of different colors by adding a colorant to in the injection molding process. Thus, several of the key ring tools T made of different colors can be positioned on the same key ring next to different keys or accessories for quick identification.
[0027] FIG. 7 shows the front view of a variation of the key ring tool depicting optional features of the key ring tool. The pointed spreader tip has two recesses 14 on each side of the spreader. Key ring tools containing more than one pair of recessed areas 14 may be inserted further into the helical coils resulting in greater separation between the coils. This is useful when installing or removing a larger key or accessory from the key ring. A beveled pry 15 is present on the bottom edge of the holding pad. This beveled pry is useful for lifting tabs on soda, beer, food, and similar cans. The larger size of the body of the tool, the holding area, provides a larger space for printing or molding a company's logo or other advertising information.
[0028] The shape and size of the holding pad area may vary as shown in FIGS. I and 7 . This is normally done to accommodate printing or molding impressions related to indicia or advertising of a commercial nature. This holding pad portion of the tool may also be shaped to represent a particular industry or occupation desiring a marketing device. Examples include, but are not limited to, a holding pad in the shape of a house for the real estate or construction industry or a holding pad in the shape of a truck or car for the transportation or vehicle sales industry.
[0029] The key ring tools may be made using conventional molding processes and dies and techniques as are well know in the industry. Suitable materials for molding the key ring tool may be selected from any of a number of thermoplastic materials, such nylons or polyamides, polycarbonates, ABS, polypropylene and HDPE. Moldability is a manufacturing requirement, but materials should also be selected to provide durability and flexibility in the finished article. Additives for color and other physical properties may be used as is common in the molding industry. Suitable nylons for use in molding the key ring tool include glass-filled nylons, such as RTP 207 available from RTP Company in Winona, Minn.
[0030] The thickness of the key ring tool should be sufficient to resist deformation, but be thin enough to allow deflection of the deflection arm. This thickness may vary based on the materials selected. Useful thicknesses when using Nylon RTP 207 will be in the range of 0.13 to 0.38 cm (0.05 to 0.15 inches). A preferred thickness is about 0.23 cm (0.09 inches). The useful width of the deflection arm will be in the range of 0.13 to 0.5 cm (0.05 to 0.2 inches). A preferred width is 0.25 cm (0.1 inches).
[0031] Key ring tools described above may also be stamped from light sheet metal stock. Due to the flexing inherent during the use of the device, shorter useful life is to be expected of devices made from metal.
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An improved key ring tool for adding or removing keys or accessories. The new design will attach and detach from the key ring without spreading the key ring, remain attached to the ring and help to locate specific keys via the visual location of the device.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/207,448, filed on Feb. 12, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to rheology modification of surfactant-based formulations for personal care, oral care, household and institutional applications such as hair care, skin care, household cleaners, wipes, and detergents.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Viscosity control of formulations relating to various personal care, oral care, household and institutional applications in an important attribute for consumer use of such products.
Several approaches to control viscosity of such formulations are known to the art. Typically, a certain amount of a high molecular weight synthetic or natural polymers, such as, for example, linear or cross-linked acrylic acid based polymers, xanthan gum, various cellulose derivatives or other polysaccharide derivatives is incorporated into the formulation to impart a desired rheology.
Rheology delivered by these high molecular weight synthetic or natural polymers is usually strongly shear-thinning exhibiting high viscosity at low sheer rates, but relatively low viscosity at high shear. Such formulations usually do not exhibit a Newtonian or shear independent viscosity plateau, or if these formulation do exhibit Newtonian plateau, it is at shear rates below 1 s −1 .
A common and inexpensive method of delivering viscosity to formulations is through the addition of salts such as, for example, sodium chloride, sodium sulfate or ammonium chloride to the formulations. Addition of such salts in amounts ranging from between 0.1 to 5 wt % in cleansing formulations containing surfactants such as for example, sodium lauryl or ammonium lauryl sulfate, result in cleansing formulations with increased viscosity. One advantage of the use of salt to thicken formulations is that the resultant thickened cleansing formulation may be relatively clear.
Salt thickened formulations are commonly used and exhibit characteristic rheological properties. The characteristic rheological properties of these salt thickened formulations can be described as exhibiting shear independent (or Newtonian) viscosities up to a shear rate of the order of about 10 to 100 s −1 followed by a decrease in its viscosity as the shear rate is increased above 100 s −1 . This phenomenon is known as “sheer-thinning”. The salt thickening of formulations, however, has an important drawback in that the efficiency of salt to thicken a formulation decreases rapidly as the amount of surfactant contained in the formulation decreases.
A need exists for surfactant-based aqueous formulations exhibiting Newtonian viscosity at lower sheer rates and sheer thinning at higher sheer rates while permitting the use of various amounts of surfactants, including lower surfactant amounts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE
FIG. 1 is a graph of viscosity versus shear rate of a formulation of the present invention as well as, for comparison purposes, a conventional commercial bodywash formulation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Applicant specifically incorporates the entire contents of all cited references in this disclosure. Further, when an amount, concentration, or other value or parameter is given as either a range, preferred range, or a list of upper preferable values and lower preferable values, this is to be understood as specifically disclosing all ranges formed from any pair of any upper range limit or preferred value and any lower range limit or preferred value, regardless of whether ranges are separately disclosed. Where a range of numerical values is recited herein, unless otherwise stated, the range is intended to include the endpoints thereof, and all integers and fractions within the range. It is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the specific values recited when defining a range.
It has been discovered that an aqueous formulation useful in personal care, oral care, household and institutional applications comprising: an amount of an associative thickener comprising a polymer composition having a water soluble or water-swellable synthetic polymer backbone that has covalently connected ends and/or intermediate blocks of oligomeric hydrophobes that are selected from the group consisting of i) alkyl and aryl moieties containing a polymerizable cyclic monomer, ii) a polymerizable double bond, and iii) derivatives of i) and ii), wherein the blocks are two or more units of the same or different hydrophobes. The aqueous formulation also comprises an amount of a surfactant and water. The amount of the associative thickener contained in the aqueous formulation is from about 0.1 to about 5 wt %, and the amount of surfactant contained in the aqueous formulation is from about 5 to about 50 wt %.
The thickening takes place within a continuum of an aqueous phase containing surfactant at a concentration in the range of from about 5 to about 50 wt % and does not require presence of any dispersed phases or interfaces.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A rheology modifier, found to be effective in surfactant-based formulations, is an associative thickener based on hydrophilic core and associative hydrophobic ends. Rheology modifiers of this type have been used in thickening water-based coating formulations.
The rheology modifiers are known to lose their thickening efficiency in the presence of surfactants due to solubilization of their hydrophobic ends. While not wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that solubilization of hydrophobic ends precludes these rheology modifiers from associating which in turn results in a decrease of their efficiency as rheology modifiers.
A negative impact of surfactants on the efficiency of associative thickeners is known in the field of water-based coatings. This negative impact manifests itself in the decrease of viscosity of paints upon addition of colorants, which often contain large concentrations of surfactants, to paint formulations.
There are, however, associative polymers with hydrophobes that are resistant to solubilization by commonly used surfactants. Such associative thickeners are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,550,542, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. A preferred associative polymer being an ethylhexyl glycidyl ether (EHGE) modified polyacetalpolyether (PAPE).
In accordance with the present invention, the associative polymer composition has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) with the upper limit of the polymer being about 10,000,000, preferably about 1,000,000, and more preferably about 100,000. The lower limit of the weight average molecular weight of the polymer is about 400, preferably about 1,000, and more preferably about 4,000.
It has been found that associative thickeners described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,550,542 can be used as an effective rheology modifiers in surfactant-based formulations. The efficiency of these associative thickeners may be enhanced when used in conjunction with an amount of salt. The amount of salt contained in the formulations of the present invention is in the range of from about 0.1 to about 5 wt %. The salt can be any physiologically tolerated salt, e.g. sodium sulfate, potassium chloride or sodium chloride, preferably sodium chloride, in order to adjust the viscosity of the surfactant-based formulation.
Desired rheology modification is achieved at polymer concentrations at in the range of about 0.1 to about 5 wt % of the total formulation, preferably in the range of about 0.1 to about 3 wt %, still more preferably from about 0.2 to about 2 wt %. The obtained formulations exhibit broad Newtonian (i.e. shear independent) plateau followed by shear thinning at higher sheer rates.
The amount of surfactant contained in the formulations of the present invention is in the range of from about 5 to about 50 wt % of the total formulation, preferably from about 7 to about 48 wt %. The surfactant of use in the present formulation may be any surfactant commonly used in personal care, oral care, household and institutional applications. The surfactant may be selected from the group consisting of ammonium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate and cocamidopropyl betaine.
In accordance with the present invention, the surfactant-based formulations may also include other active ingredients which typically are incorporated to provide some benefit to the user. Examples of substances that may suitably be included, but not limited to, according to the present invention are as follows:
1) Perfumes, which give rise to an olfactory response in the form of a fragrance and deodorant perfumes which in addition to providing a fragrance response can also reduce odor;
2) Insect repellent agent whose function is to keep insects from a particular area or attacking skin;
3) Bubble generating agent, such as surfactants which generates foam or lather;
4) Pet deodorizer such as pyrethrins which reduces pet odor;
5) Pet shampoo agents and actives, whose function is to remove dirt, foreign material and germs from the skin and hair surfaces and conditions the skin and hair;
6) Industrial grade bar, shower gel, and liquid soap actives that remove germs, dirt, grease and oil from skin, sanitizes skin, and conditions the skin;
7) All purpose cleaning agents, that remove dirt, oil, grease, germs from the surface in areas such as kitchens, bathroom, public facilities;
8) Disinfecting ingredients that kill or prevent growth of germs in a house or public facility;
9) Rug and Upholstery cleaning actives which lift and remove dirt and foreign particles from the surfaces and also deliver softening and perfumes;
10) Laundry softener actives which reduces static and makes fabric feel softer;
11) Laundry detergent ingredients which remove dirt, oil, grease, stains and kills germs;
12) Dishwashing detergents which remove stains, food, germs;
13) Toilet bowl cleaning agents which removes stains, kills germs, and deodorizes;
14) Laundry prespotter actives which helps in removing stains from clothes;
15) Fabric sizing agent which enhances appearance of the fabric;
17) Vehicle cleaning actives which removes dirt, grease, etc. from vehicles and equipment;
19) Textile products, such as dusting or disinfecting wipes.
Of particular interest are emollients selected from the group consisting of silicone oils, silicone derivatives, essential oils, oils, fats, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, fatty alcohols, waxes, polyols, hydrocarbons, and mixtures thereof. The emollients are stabilized by the use of associative polymers described hereinabove.
The above list of personal care and household active ingredients are only examples and are not a complete list of active ingredients that can be used. Other ingredients that are used in these types of products are well known in the industry.
The invention is further demonstrated by the following examples. The examples are presented to illustrate the invention. All percentages, parts and ratios are based upon the total weight of the compositions of the present invention, unless otherwise specified.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
Low Surfactant Formulation
A shampoo formulation was produced in which an associative thickener comprising a polymer composition having a water soluble or water swellable synthetic polymer backbone, ethylhexyl glycidyl ether modified polyacetalpolyether, Mw˜10000 Dalton (Aquaflow® XLS 500 nonionic synthetic associative rheology modifier, available from Hercules Incorporated) was used as a rheology modifier for these shampoo formulations. This rheology modifier is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,550,542.
The efficiency of this associative thickener as a rheology modifier in shampoo formulations was demonstrated using the following shampoo formulation: Sodium Laureth Sulfate SLES-7.7%, Cocamidopropyl betaine CAPB-1.3%, ethylhexyl glycidyl ether (EHGE) modified PAPE (Aquaflow® XLS 500 XLS 500 nonionic synthetic associative rheology modifier, available from Hercules Incorporated)-1%, NaCl-0.6%. The balance of the shampoo formulation being water. The above materials were combined using careful mixing. The rheology of the final shampoo formulation was determined using a Brookfield LVT viscometer, using a 4 spindle at 20° C.) temperature at various RPM to demonstrate the effect of sheer rate upon the shampoo formulation. No attempt was made to optimize the amount of rheology modifier or the amount of salt used in the shampoo formulation.
As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the flow profile of the formulation of the present invention shows Newtonian plateau extending to the rate of 10 s −1 followed by shear thinning. For comparison purposes, FIG. 1 also contains the flow profile of a commercial body wash formulation (High Endurance Body Wash by Old Spice, available from Proctor and Gamble) which exhibits profile similar to the formulation of the present invention but with slightly more sheer thinning at higher sheer rates.
The associative thickener as a rheology modifier in the shampoo formulation of the present invention demonstrated its effectiveness rheology modifier in the body wash/shampoo formulations having lower surfactant levels. Example 1 demonstrates rheological behavior of current cleansing systems at lower surfactant amounts.
Example 2
High Surfactant Formulation, without Silicone
A silicone-free cleansing formulation, which can be used for shampoo as well as body wash, comprising the nonionic synthetic associative thickener of Example 1 (Aquaflow® XLS 500 nonionic synthetic associative rheology modifier, available from Hercules Incorporated) was produced as described below. In each of the below listed Examples, a total of 0.20% w/w of the rheology modifier was used. This was an example of a silicone-free formulation.
In Example 2a, a solution comprising 25% of the nonionic synthetic associative rheology modifier of Example 1, 15% Iso-C10-Oxo-alcohol polyglycol ether (6 EO) and 60% water was produced.
In Example 2b, the associative thickener of Example 2a was used without the additional surfactant was produced.
In Comparative Example 2, a C12/C16 hydrophobically modified poly(acetal-polyether) Mw˜24000 Dalton as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,127, was used. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,127 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Shampoo/Body Wash
% W/W
Deionized water
50.39
PAPE polymer
0.20
Cocamidopropyl Betain
7.41
(Tego ® betain L7, available from
Evonik-Goldschmidt)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
40.00
(Texapon NSO, available from Cognis)
Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
0.50
(Euxyl ® PE 9010 preservative, available from
Schülke & Mayr)
Sodium Chloride
1.50
100
Citric acid to pH 5.5-6.5
q.s
Reference shampoo contains no polymer.
The various shampoos are listed in Table 1.
TABLE 1
Viscosity
(Brookfield
Stability
LVT, spindle
Appearance
(Room
Example
Info
# 4, speed 12 rpm)
pH
(after preparation)
Temp.)
Example 2 a1
Ethylhexyl Glycidyl
38000 mPas
5.9
Homogeneous,
OK
Ether (EHGE)
(~20x
clear
modified PAPE +
thickening
water/surfactant
vs.
indication)
Example 2b
Ethylhexyl Glycidyl
32500 mPas
5.7
Homogeneous,
OK
Ether (EHGE)
(~18x)
slightly hazy
modified PAPE
Comp. Example 2
C12/C16-PAPE
5500 mPas
5.9
Homogeneous,
OK
(~3x)
clear
Shampoo
Blank
1800 mPas
6.3
Homogeneous,
OK
clear
The above samples all exhibited stability with a homogeneous appearance. Examples 2a and 2b both exhibited viscosities of 38,000 mPas and 32,500 mPas respectively which was approximately a six (6×) increase over Comparative Example 2, the shampoo composition containing the C12/C16 hydrophobically modified PAPE rheological modifier. Example 2 demonstrates the strong thickening efficiency of the EHGE modified PAPE in surfactant systems, with higher levels of surfactant than was used in Example 1.
Example 3
High Surfactant Formulation, with Silicone
In the same formulation of Example 2 with the addition of a silicone emulsion of dimethiconol (DC 1785 emulsion, available from Dow Corning Corporation) the associative thickeners of Example 3a and Example 3b provided improved stability (avoid destabilization of the silicone) over Comparative Example 3.
Shampoo/Body Wash
% W/W
Deionized water
50.39
PAPE polymer
0.20
Cocamidopropyl Betain
7.41
(Tego ® betain L7, available from
Evonik-Goldschmidt)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
40.00
(Texapon NSO, available from Cognis)
Dimethiconol, TEA-dodecylbenzenesulfonate
2.00
(DC 1785 emulsion, available from Dow
Corning Corporation)
Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
0.50
(Euxyl ® PE 9010 preservative, available from
Schülke & Mayr)
Sodium Chloride
1.50
100
Citric acid to pH 5.5-6.5
q.s
Reference shampoo contains no polymer
The various shampoos are listed in Table 2.
TABLE 2
Viscosity
Stability
(Brookfield LVT,
(Room
spindle # 4,
Appearance
Temp., 1
Example
Info
speed 12 rpm)
pH
(after preparation)
month)
Example 3a
Ethylhexyl Glycidyl
30750 mPas
6.0
Homogeneous,
OK
Ether (EHGE)
opaque
modified PAPE +
water/surfactant
Example 3b
Ethylhexyl Glycidyl
30500 mPas
5.9
Homogeneous,
OK
Ether (EHGE)
opaque
modified PAPE
Comp. Example 3
C12/C16-PAPE
5750 mPas
5.9
Homogeneous,
After ~3
opaque
weeks
separation,
thin layer at
the bottom
The above Examples exhibited stability with a homogeneous appearance. Examples 3a and 3b both exhibited viscosities of 30,750 mPas and 30,500 mPas respectively which was approximately a six (6×) increase over Comparative Example 3, the shampoo composition containing the C12/C16 hydrophobically modified PAPE rheological modifier.
Example 4
High Surfactant Formulation, with Silicone
Using the same formulation as Example 3b with increased concentration of ethylhexyl glycidyl ether (EHGE) modified PAPE associative thickener, a sample formulation, as well as a comparative formulation, was prepared. The results of these formulations are found in Table 3
TABLE 3
Viscosity
(Brookfield
LVT,
Appearance
Stability (RT
Percentage
spindle # 4,
(after
and 45° C.) 4
Example
Info
% wt
speed 12 rpm)
pH
preparation)
weeks
Example 4
Ethylhexyl
3.0
16800 mPas
5.6
Homogeneous,
RT: OK
Glycidyl
(no salt)
opaque,
45° C.: OK
Ether
viscous liquid
(EHGE)
modified
PAPE
Comp
C12/C16-
3.0
5,200 mPas
6.0
Homogeneous,
RT: after ~3 w
Example 4
PAPE
(1.5% salt)
opaque.
slightly
separation, thin
layer at the
bottom 45° C.:
separation during
the first week
The formulation of Example 4 remained stable at 45° C. This demonstrates that the modified PAPE chemistry comprising the formulation of the present invention was able to deliver stabilization of silicone in a surfactant system whereas traditional alkyl end capped polyethylene glycols such as C12/C16 hydrophobically modified PAPE of Comparative Example 4 was not able to do this at even room temperature (25° C.). The stabilizing ability of oil emulsions in surfactant based formulations of the present invention was clearly demonstrated in Examples 3 and 4.
Example 5
Formulation at Low and High pH
In order to demonstrate the broad pH utility of an associative thickener comprising ethylhexyl glycidyl ether (EHGE) modified PAPE of Example 2b was tested in a shampoo body wash formulation with SLES/CAPB where the pH was adjusted to 3.7 with lactic acid and secondly to pH of 10 through sodium hydroxide.
Shampoo/Body Wash
Shampoo formula adjusted to pH 3.7
% W/W
Deionized water
50.39
PAPE polymer
0.20
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
7.41
(Tego ® betain L7, available from
Evonik-Goldschmidt)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
40.00
(Texapon NSO, available from Cognis)
Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
0.50
(Euxyl ® PE 9010 preservative, available from
Schülke & Mayr)
Sodium Chloride
1.50
100
Lactic acid to pH 3.7
q.s
Shampoo/Body Wash
Shampoo formula adjusted to pH 10
% W/W
Deionized water
50.39
PAPE polymer
0.20
Cocamidopropyl Betain
7.41
Tego ® betain L7, available from
Evonik-Goldschmidt)
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
40.00
(Texapon NSO, available from Cognis)
Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
0.50
(Euxyl ® PE 9010 preservative, available from
Schülke & Mayr)
Sodium Chloride
1.50
100
NaOH to pH 10
q.s
TABLE 4
Viscosity
(Brookfield
LVT
Sample
Associative
Percentage
spindle # 4,
Stability
code
Thickener
(% wt)
speed 12 rpm)
pH
(RT)
Example
Ethylhexyl
1.50
4250 mPas
3.7
RT: OK
5a
Glycidyl
Viscosity
Ether
change
(EHGE)
<13.5% in 1
modified
week
PAPE
TABLE 5
Viscosity
(Brookfield
LVT spindle
Sample
Associative
Percentage
# 4, speed
code
Thickener
(%)
12 rpm)
pH
Stability (RT)
Example
Ethylhexyl
1.50
250 mPas
10
RT: OK
5b)
Glycidyl
Viscosity 39
Ether
mPas after 1
(EHGE)
week, no phase
modified
separation
PAPE
The stability of the shampoo's at more extreme pH was observed to be OK. This can be observed above in Table 4 and Table 5. The viscosities were measured after one week at room temperature (25° C.). It was observed that the viscosity change was less than 10% at both the 3.7 pH formulation as well as the 10 pH formulation. This demonstrates that the formulations of the present invention are relatively stable over a wide range of pH values.
Example 6
Household Cleansing Formulation
Another example of a cleansing formulation is a household detergent with formulation given below:
% W/W
Phase A - Floor cleaner concentrate
Water
89.6
EDTA, disodium salt
0.17
Alcohol Ethoxylate (9EO)
10.26
Phase B
Thickener 25% solution of ethylhexyl glycidyl ether
1.0
modified polyacetalpolyether, Mw ~10000 Dalton
(Aquaflow ® XLS 500 nonionic synthetic
associative rheology modifier, available from
Hercules Incorporated); 15% Iso-C10-Oxo-alcohol
polyglycol ether (6 EO)
Water
99.0
Combine ⅓ of Phase A to ⅔ of Phase B and mix well Viscosity can be adjusted by varying the amount of (EHGE) modified PAPE in phase B.
In the absence of additional salt (NaCl), the viscosity remained below 20 mPas at 1 wt % of polymer 1. With the addition of 4-8% sodium chloride, the viscosity of the cleaner could be increased to a range of 50 mPas (4% NaCl) and 450 mPas (8% NaCl). The cleaner without polymer and 8% NaCl had a viscosity of only 30 mPas. The viscosity was measured by Brookfield LVT 30 rpm, spindle #2.
Example 7
Conditioner Rinse Formula
A surfactant formulation of use in a conditioner rinse containing the (EHGE) modified PAPE of Example 2b is given below:
% W/W
Deionized water
q.s. to 100
(EHGE) modified PAPE
1.00
Centrimonium chloride
1.00
Ceteareth-20
0.50
Ceateryl Alcohol
4.00
Amodimethicone
1.00
Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
0.50
(Euxyl ® PE 9010 preservative, available from
Schülke & Mayr)
Sodium Lactate/Lactic Acid
q.s.
The end pH: 5.5-6.5
Examples 6 and 7 demonstrate the utility of (EHGE) modified PAPE I various aqueous formulations such as household cleaning formulations and conditioner rinse formulations.
Although the invention has been illustrated by the above examples, this is not to be construed as being limited thereby; but rather, the invention encompasses the generic area as hereinbefore disclosed. Various modifications and embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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The present invention relates to aqueous formulations useful in useful in personal care, oral care, household and institutional applications which contain polymers comprised of water soluble synthetic backbone with covalently connected hydrophobic ends can deliver ‘salt-like’ rheology to surfactant formulations containing surfactant concentrations at which thickening by salt is not effective.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally directed to thermal ink jet printing. More particularly, the invention is directed to a method and apparatus for maintaining desired levels of heat energy transferred into ink to form ink droplets as characteristics of an ink jet print head change over its operational lifetime.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally, thermal ink jet print head chips consist of several thin film layers, including a resistor layer, conductor layer, dielectric layer, and protection layer. When electrical current is passed through a resistive heating element formed in the resistor layer, ink adjacent to the heating element is superheated and forms a bubble that causes an ink droplet to be expelled from an adjacent nozzle.
Many thermal ink jet print heads incorporate a tantalum aluminum (TaAl) thin film as the resistor layer in which the resistive heating elements are formed. Over time, a TaAl thin film experiences material degradation due to current and temperature stressing as electrical current pulses are applied to the heating elements. The material degradation mechanisms include aluminum segregation from the TaAl film, recrystallization of the TaAl under high temperatures, and electromigration of aluminum from the TaAl film. This degradation causes a gradual decrease in the electrical resistance of the heating elements over time.
Many current ink jet printers apply one voltage level (rail voltage) to the resistive heating elements to pass electrical current through the elements, and this voltage level is not changed over the lifetime of a print head. With a constant rail voltage, any decrease in heating element resistance, such as by material degradation, causes a corresponding increase in the current flowing through the heating elements. An increase in current causes a corresponding increase in the heat energy generated by the heating elements, and an increase in the temperature at the surface of the heating elements. If surface temperatures rise too high, extensive ink kogation may occur at the surface of the heating elements. Also, increased current levels cause even greater electromigration or segregation of the aluminum in the TaAl film, which is further detrimental to heater reliability.
Therefore, a system is needed for maintaining stable heat energy levels at the surfaces of the resistive heating elements over the operational lifetime of an ink jet print head.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing and other needs are met by a method of operating a thermal ink jet print head having nozzles through which ink is ejected when energy pulses having a desired pulse energy are applied to resistive heating elements associated with the nozzles. Each of the resistive heating elements has a heater resistance which tends to change over the operational lifetime of the print head. The method provides stable ink ejecting characteristics over the lifetime of the print head by compensating for the change in heater resistance. The method includes applying energy pulses having a first pulse width to the resistive heating elements, and counting the energy pulses to determine a pulse count. When the pulse count exceeds a threshold value, pulses having an adjusted pulse width are applied to the resistive heating elements, where the adjusted pulse width accounts for the changes in the heater resistance during the operational lifetime of the print head.
Preferred embodiments of the method include accessing a total print head resistance value which is based at least in part upon the heater resistance and resistances of circuit components in series with the resistive heating elements, accessing a heater resistance value related to the heater resistance, accessing a print head voltage value, accessing a first pulse energy value related to the desired pulse energy, and determining the first pulse width based upon the heater resistance value, the total print head resistance value, the print head voltage value, and the first pulse energy value. Preferred embodiments further include accessing a second pulse energy value related to the desired pulse energy and determining the adjusted pulse width based upon the heater resistance value, the total print head resistance value, the print head voltage value, and the second pulse energy value.
In another aspect, the invention provides a thermal ink jet printing apparatus for maintaining stable printing characteristics. The apparatus includes an ink jet print head having resistive heating elements for receiving electrical energy pulses having a voltage level and for transferring heat energy pulses having a desired energy level into adjacent ink based on the electrical energy pulses. The print head includes nozzles associated with the resistive heating elements through which droplets of the ink are ejected when the heat energy pulses are transferred into the ink. The apparatus further includes a printer controller in electrical communication with the print head. The printer controller determines a pulse count indicative of a number of electrical energy pulses, applies the electrical energy pulses having a first pulse width to the resistive heating elements when the pulse count is less than a threshold value, and applies the electrical energy pulses having an adjusted pulse width to the resistive heating elements when the pulse count exceeds the threshold value. The differences in the first and the adjusted pulse widths compensate for changes in the electrical resistance of the resistive heating elements over the operational lifetime of the print head.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the detailed description of preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the drawings, which are not to scale, wherein like reference characters designate like or similar elements throughout the several drawings as follows:
FIG. 1 depicts a thermal ink jet print head according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a thermal ink jet print head connected to a printer controller according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 depicts the application of a rail voltage to print head resistances according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIGS. 4A and 4B depict a functional flow diagram of a preferred method for adjusting the pulse width of ink-firing pulses in an ink jet print head; and
FIG. 5 depicts a functional flow diagram of an alternative method for adjusting the pulse width of ink-firing pulses in an ink jet print head.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 depicts an ink jet print head 10 , such as may be used in a thermal ink jet printer. The print head 10 includes an integrated circuit chip, also referred to herein as an ink jet heater chip 12 which, as described in more detail below, contains resistive heating elements, driver circuits, logic devices, and memory devices. An array of nozzles 14 are provided on the print head 10 through which droplets of ink are selectively ejected when corresponding heating elements in the heater chip 12 are activated. On the print head 10 are a set of electrical contacts 18 which make connection with a corresponding set of contacts in the printer when the print head 10 is installed in the printer. Electrical traces provided in the dashed-outline region 16 connect the contacts 18 to the heater chip 12 .
Shown in FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the print head 10 connected to a printer 20 . Within the printer 20 is a microprocessor controller 22 that provides print control signals to the print head 10 based on print data from a host computer. The print control signals include a print head voltage signal, also referred to herein as a rail voltage, on the line 24 , and an encoded nozzle selection or address signal on the line 26 . Preferably, the rail voltage on the line 24 is provided as a pulsed signal, having a voltage amplitude in the 7-11 volt range, and having a pulse width in the 0.5 to 3.0 μs range. As described in more detail hereinafter, the invention sets the pulse width of the rail voltage pulses to provide an optimum energy density on the surface of the heating elements of the print head 10 .
As depicted in FIG. 2, the line 24 provides the rail voltage to a driver 28 , such as a MOSFET device, which acts as a switch. The on/off state of the driver 28 is determined, at least in part, upon a selection signal from a selection logic circuit 29 . If the driver 28 is “on”, a current I i flows through a heating element 30 and through the driver 28 which is in series with the heating element 30 . The heating element 30 of the preferred embodiment is constructed from a tantalum aluminum (TaAl) thin film, and has an electrical resistance referred to herein as R H . Due to the resistance R H , the current I i flowing through the heating element 30 generates heat energy on the surface of the heating element 30 . This heat energy is transferred into ink adjacent the heating element 30 , thereby causing the ink to nucleate and force a droplet of ink outward through an associated one of the nozzles in the nozzle array 14 .
The number of drivers and heating elements on a heater chip of a print head is typically in the hundreds. However, to avoid unduly complicating FIG. 2, only one driver 28 and one heating element 30 are depicted. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is applicable to a print head having any number of heating elements.
The driver 28 , the line 24 , and the contacts 18 introduce resistance in series with the heating element 30 . This series resistance, as depicted in FIG. 3, is referred to herein as R s . The sum of R s and R H is referred to herein as the total resistance R T . The current I i flowing through the heating element 30 is expressed as: I i = V R T , where V is the rail voltage . ( 1 )
The heat energy at the surface of the heating element 30 produced by a pulse of the current I i may be expressed as:
E p =T p ×I i 2 ×R H , (2)
where E p is the heat energy produced by the current pulse and T p is the pulse width.
This relationship may also be expressed as: E p = T p × ( V R T ) 2 × R H = T p × ( V R H + R S ) 2 × R H . ( 3 )
As equation (3) indicates, if the resistance R H were to decrease over time, such as due to material degradation of the TaAl thin film, the pulse heat energy E p would increase. During design of the print head 10 , the resistance R H , the voltage V, and the pulse width T p are set to provide an optimum energy density on the surface of the heating element 30 . This optimum energy density is preferably high enough to cause nucleation of the ink to form an ink droplet moving at a desired velocity, but not so high as to cause kogation, or scalding, of the ink at the surface of the heating element 30 . Significant kogation impedes heat transfer and causes degradation in print quality. Thus, a significant decrease in the resistance R H leads to degradation in print quality if no compensation is provided to reduce the energy density at the surface of the heating element 30 . As discussed in more detail hereinafter, the present invention provides this needed compensation by adjusting the pulse width T p to account for changes in the resistance R H over time.
As shown in FIG. 2, the print head 10 includes a nonvolatile memory device 32 , such as an EEPROM device, for storing values related to the pulse width T p . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the memory device 32 stores a value for the rail voltage V, a value for the initial heater resistance R H , a value for the total resistance R T , a value for a pulse count, a value for a pulse count threshold, and values related to an initial pulse energy E 1 and an adjusted pulse energy E 2 . As described below, the controller 22 accesses the memory device 32 to retrieve one or more of these values, and calculates an optimum pulse width based thereon.
Depicted in FIGS. 4A and 4B is a process for implementing a one-time adjustment in the pulse width T p to compensate for changes in the resistance R H over the operational lifetime of the ink jet print head 10 . The process is preferably begun during the manufacture of the ink jet print head 10 by recording in the memory device 32 the values related to print head characteristics which will be used in determining an optimum pulse width for the ink-firing pulses (step 100 ). In the preferred embodiment, these values include the rail voltage V, the initial heater resistance R H , and the total resistance R T , each of which is preferably measured during testing stages of the print head assembly process. Predetermined values related to the initial pulse energy E 1 and the adjusted pulse energy E 2 are also stored in the memory device 32 . The initial pulse energy value E, represents the desired value of heat energy generated by the heating element 30 . The adjusted pulse energy value E 2 represents a change in energy to account for the expected change in heating element resistance R H after a predetermined number of firing pulses.
In the preferred embodiment, the process for adjusting the pulse width is carried out when the printer 20 is powered on, when a print head maintenance routine is performed, or when a new print head 10 is installed in the printer 20 . If any one of these events occurs (step 102 ), the printer controller 22 accesses the rail voltage value V and the total resistance value R T from the print head memory device 32 (step 104 ), and calculates the initial current value I i , preferably based on equation (1) (step 106 ).
During the operational lifetime of the print head 10 , a running count is kept of the number of ink-firing pulses generated by the print head 10 . Preferably, since this pulse count value is associated with a particular print head 10 , it is stored in the print head memory device 32 . Alternatively, the pulse count value may be stored in memory in the printer 20 . The controller 22 accesses the pulse count value and determines based thereon how many ink-firing pulses have been generated by the installed print head 10 (step 108 ). The subsequent steps in the process are determined by whether the pulse count exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
Experiments conducted on a particular print head manufactured by the assignee of this invention have indicated that about 50% of the reduction in the heating element resistance R H due to thin film material degradation occurs prior to the pulse count reaching about 7.5 million. Thus, in the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the threshold value is about 7.5 million. However, it should be appreciated that the rate of change in heating element resistance R H may vary from one print head design to the next, such that different threshold values may be selected based upon characteristics that vary from one print head design to the next. Thus, it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to any particular threshold value.
As depicted in FIGS. 4A and 4B, if the controller 22 determines that the pulse count value is less than the threshold value (step 110 ), the controller 22 accesses the heating element resistance value R H and the initial pulse energy value E 1 from the print head memory device 32 (step 112 ). In the preferred embodiment, the controller 22 then calculates an initial or first pulse width value T 1 according to: T 1 = E 1 I i 2 × R H ( step 114 ) . ( 4 )
The controller 22 then sets the pulse width of the ink-firing pulses on the line 26 according to the value T 1 (step 116 ). The pulse width T 1 is preferably maintained in generating ink-firing pulses (step 118 ) for all subsequent printing operations which take place prior to the next occurrence of any one of the conditions of step 102 .
If the controller 22 determines at step 110 that the pulse count value is greater than the threshold value, the controller 22 accesses the heating element resistance value R H and the adjusted pulse energy value E 2 from the print head memory device 32 (step 120 ). In the preferred embodiment, the controller 22 then calculates an adjusted or second pulse width value T 2 according to: T 2 = E 2 I i 2 × R H ( step 122 ) . ( 5 )
The controller 22 then sets the pulse width of the ink-firing pulses on the line 26 according to the value T 2 (step 124 ). In this embodiment of the invention, the adjusted pulse width T 2 is preferably maintained in generating ink-firing pulses (step 118 ) for all subsequent printing operations during the lifetime of the print head 10 .
As described above, the preferred embodiment of the invention stores several values in the memory 32 related to the initial measured resistances and rail voltage, the calculated initial current, the pulse count, the pulse count threshold value, and the initial and adjusted energy levels, and uses these stored values to calculate initial and adjusted pulse widths. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, only pulse width values are stored, such as an initial pulse width value to be used when the pulse count is less than a threshold value, and an adjusted pulse width value to be used when the pulse count is greater than a threshold value. For example, the initial pulse width value T 1 may be determined during the manufacture of the print head according to: T 1 = E 1 × ( R S + R H ) 2 V 2 × R H , ( 6 )
where V, R s , and R H are measured values as described above, and E 1 is the desired pulse energy to be maintained throughout the lifetime of the print head 10 . Similarly, the adjusted pulse width T 2 is determined and stored during the manufacture of the print head according to: T 2 = E 1 × ( R S + R 2 ) 2 V 2 × R 2 , ( 7 )
where R 2 is the predicted heating element resistance value after the pulse count exceeds the threshold value.
In one embodiment of the invention, multiple pulse width adjustments are made during the lifetime of the print head 10 to compensate for changes in the heating element resistance R H . In this embodiment, N number of count threshold values are stored in memory, either in the print head memory 32 or in memory associated with the printer controller 22 . As described in more detail below, the pulse width of the ink firing pulses is adjusted in a number of steps as the pulse count exceeds a corresponding number of count threshold values.
As with the previously-described embodiments, the process of this embodiment is preferably begun during the manufacture of the ink jet print head 10 by recording in the memory device 32 values related to print head characteristics that are used in determining an optimum pulse width for the ink-firing pulses (step 200 ). These values preferably include the rail voltage V, the initial heater resistance R H(1) , the series resistance R s , and the desired pulse energy value E 1 . The printer controller 22 accesses these stored values (step 202 ) and calculates an initial pulse width T N (for adjustment step N=1) based on the following expression: T N = E 1 × ( R S + R H ( N ) ) 2 V 2 × R H ( N ) ( step 204 ) . ( 8 )
The controller 22 accesses the pulse count value from the print head memory device 32 or from memory associated with the controller 22 , and determines based thereon how many ink-firing pulses have been generated by the print head 10 up to that point in the print head lifetime (step 206 ). The controller 22 accesses the pulse count threshold, also referred to as THRSHLD N , (where N =1) and determines whether the count value exceeds THRSHLD N . If not, the initial pulse width is maintained in generating the ink-firing pulses (step 210 ).
If the pulse count exceeds THRSHLD N , then N is incremented by one (step 212 ), and a new heating element resistance value R H(N) is calculated. Preferably, the new resistance value is calculated (step 214 ) according to:
R H(N) =R H(1) −ΔR H , (9)
where ΔR H is a resistance change value calculated according to:
ΔR H =R H(1) ×[A+B ×log( PC )]. (10)
In equation (10), A and B are experimentally-determined constants, and PC is the current pulse count.
Based on the new resistance value R H(N) , the controller 22 calculates an adjusted pulse width value T N* according to: T N * = T N - 1 2 + E 1 × ( R S + R H ( N ) ) 2 2 × V 2 × R H ( N ) ( step 216 ) , ( 11 )
and sets the pulse width accordingly (step 218 ). The newly-adjusted pulse width value T N* is used in generating the ink-firing pulses while the pulse count value is between the pulse count thresholds THRSHLD N and THRSHLD N−1 . For this embodiment, the number of adjustment steps and the pulse count threshold values THRSHLD N are determined based on characteristics of the particular print head 10 to provide the optimum print quality over the lifetime of the print head 10 .
It is contemplated, and will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the preceding description and the accompanying drawings that modifications and/or changes may be made in the embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are illustrative of preferred embodiments only, not limiting thereto, and that the true spirit and scope of the present invention be determined by reference to the appended claims.
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A thermal ink jet printing apparatus maintains stable printing output as certain characteristics of the apparatus change over its operational lifetime. The apparatus includes an ink jet print head with resistive heating elements for receiving electrical energy pulses having a voltage level and for transferring heat energy pulses having a desired energy level into adjacent ink based on the electrical energy pulses. The print head includes nozzles associated with the resistive heating elements through which droplets of the ink are ejected when the heat energy pulses are transferred into the ink. The apparatus further includes a printer controller in electrical communication with the print head. The printer controller determines a pulse count indicative of a number of electrical energy pulses, applies the electrical energy pulses having a first pulse width to the resistive heating elements when the pulse count is less than a threshold value, and applies the electrical energy pulses having an adjusted pulse width to the resistive heating elements when the pulse count exceeds the threshold value. The difference in the first and the adjusted pulse widths compensates for changes in the electrical resistance of the resistive heating elements over time.
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CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of German patent application 10354608.1, filed Nov. 21, 2003, herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an effect yarn which is formed from an alternating line-up of webs and effects consisting of predetermined thickenings and to a method for producing such an effect yarn on an open-end rotor spinning machine, wherein the effect yarn is reconnected by means of a piecer after yarn interruptions.
During the production of yarn, as high a uniformity of the yarn as possible is generally aimed for within narrow tolerances. In contrast, for effect yarns, the non-uniformity of the yarn is characteristic. A yarn in which thick locations with predetermined larger diameters and with predetermined lengths, the so-called effects, are present is designated an effect yarn. The yarn sections located in between with a smaller diameter are designated webs. A specific, constantly recurring, intrinsically closed sequence of effects and webs in an alternating series of effect and web is called a yarn repeat. The repeat length is the sum of all effect lengths and web lengths. Effect yarns are becoming increasingly important. Areas of application are, for example, denim materials, materials for casual clothing and home textiles.
Effect yarns can also be produced on rotor spinning machines. In order to produce effects in the yarn on rotor spinning machines, the fiber feed to the opening roller of the rotor spinning device can be changed, for example, in that the speed of the draw-in rollers is varied.
When the thread run at open-end rotor spinning machines has been interrupted by a thread break or as a result of a cross-wound bobbin change or as a result of the cutting process after a detected, intolerable yarn defect, the thread has to be rejoined. A piecer of this type differs with regard to its diameter, in particular in the case of yarn with a diameter that remains the same, from the remaining spun yarn. The formation of piecers in rotor spinning is described, for example in DE 40 30 100 A1 or the publication, Raasch et. al. “Automatisches Anspinnen beim OE-Rotorspinnen”, MELLIAND Textilberichte April 1989, pages 251 to 256.
In order to carry out the piecing process, a piecing unit which can be moved along the rotor spinning machine is generally delivered to the respective spinning station. In this case, the normal thread run is changed at the spinning station for piecing and control of the yarn formation is taken over by the piecing unit. During piecing and the subsequent run-up of the rotor, the thread can be drawn off, for example, from the spinning rotor by draw-off rollers, which are controlled by the piecing unit. Until the operating rotor speed has been reached, the take-off speed follows the increase in the rotor speed. Once the spinning rotor has reached its operating speed, the thread is returned to the normal thread run at the spinning station. With the transfer of the thread, the piecing process is ended. Control of the yarn formation is taken over again by the control device of the spinning station or the associated group control. In the known production of effect yarn on open-end rotor spinning machines, the program for forming effects also starts up again from this time. Yarn with effect formation adjoins the piecing region. The piecing region downstream from the piecer, depending on the drawing, can be several meters, with high drawings up to five meters.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to improve the quality of an effect yarn, which comprises piecers.
This object is achieved by a method for producing an effect yarn on an open-end rotor spinning machine, wherein the effect yarn is formed from an alternating line-up of webs and of effects consisting of predetermined thickenings, and in which the effect yarn is reconnected by means of a piecer after yarn interruptions. According to the present invention, an effect formation is carried out in the yarn in the piecing region following the piecer, which comprises the run-up phase of the spinning rotor. The object of the invention is further achieved by an effect yarn which is formed from an alternating line-up of webs and effects consisting of predetermined thickenings, wherein the effect yarn also has effects in the piecing region of the yarn directly following a piecer.
The invention proceeds from the recognition that a yarn section with a diameter that remains the same in the finished product, for example in a woven textile, into which the effect yarn is processed, can be visually detectable and can be perceived as an imperfection, which signifies a quality defect.
Deviations from predetermined effect parameters of an effect yarn caused by piecing regions are reduced or eliminated by means of an embodiment according to the invention. The effect should be configured for this purpose at least so true to the original that disruptions owing to deviating yarn parameters can no longer be directly detected in the finished product.
According to one feature of the invention, the effect formation in the piecing region is expediently additionally controlled by the control of a piecing unit, which controls the yarn formation during the piecing process. For this purpose, only a corresponding configuration of the programming is needed. Structural changes are not necessary for this.
In a common drive of the draw-in rollers of the spinning stations, the drive coupling is separated and the drive is carried out mechanically via a drive cone directly by the piecing unit in such a way that the corresponding effects are formed.
If individual drives for the draw-in rollers are present at the spinning stations, the control thereof also directed to the effect formation can also take place from the piecing unit or also from a workstation control. The effect formation in the piecing region can thus be carried out particularly quickly and effectively.
If the effect is formed as a continuation of a yarn repeat which is discontinued owing to the yarn interruption, a good connection to the originally predetermined configuration of the effect yarn is possible.
If the effect formation begins after the piecer with the formation of a web, the checking of the piecer can take place unimpaired.
Owing to the formation of effects beginning downstream from the piecer, an effect yarn of high quality is produced with a visually advantageous, always uniformly continued alternation of effects and webs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be described in more detail with the aid of an embodiment. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic view of a workstation of an open-end rotor spinning machine,
FIG. 2 shows an idealized schematic view, not to scale, of a part of an effect yarn with piecer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The embodiment of FIG. 1 shows a spinning station 1 of an open-end rotor spinning machine. The spinning station 1 has an opening device 2 into which a fiber band 5 is introduced by means of the draw-in roller 4 . The draw-in roller 4 is driven by the continuously adjustable draw-in motor 3 . The fiber band 5 is presented to an opening roller 7 which is rotating in the housing 6 and opens the supplied fiber band 5 into individual fibers 8 . The separated fibers 8 arrive through the fiber guide channel 9 onto the conical slip face 10 of a spinning rotor 11 and from there into the fiber collecting groove 12 . From the fiber collecting groove 12 , the yarn is drawn off through the thread draw-off tube 17 in the direction of the arrow 18 with the aid of a draw-off mechanism 19 . The effects of the effect yarn 16 can be determined by corresponding activation of the draw-in motor 3 . Owing to different fiber doubling in the fiber collecting groove 12 , the effect yarn 16 drawn off from the fiber collecting groove 12 has the effects. The spinning rotor 11 is fastened on a shaft 13 , which is mounted on a washer disc mounting 14 and is driven by means of a tangential belt 15 .
The draw-off mechanism 19 for the spun yarn has a pair of rollers. During normal spinning operation, the effect yarn 16 , after the draw-off mechanism 19 , follows the dashed line 16 A and is then wound continuously onto a cross-wound bobbin, not shown here. For piecing, a piecing unit which can be moved in each case along the rotor spinning machine is delivered to the spinning stations and carries out the piecing process. The piecing unit is not shown in more detail here for reasons of simplification.
After completion of the piecing process, a check can be made as to whether piecing has taken place properly. For this purpose, the effect yarn 16 is guided section-wise in the piecing unit, which is indicated schematically by the yarn displacement between the draw-off mechanism 19 and a thread guide 20 . The effect yarn 16 runs in the piecing unit, not shown in more detail here, between two further thread guides 21 and 22 through a sensor device 23 , with which the yarn diameter is continually measured during the piecing process. The checking signals for the yarn diameter measured values per unit length are supplied to a control device 24 of the piecing unit. A clearer 25 is connected in the thread run downstream from the thread guide 20 . The clearer 25 comprises a sensor device and a cutting device.
If a cutting signal is triggered, the cutting device of the clearer 25 is activated and cuts the effect yarn 16 .
The yarn diameter is checked during the run-up of the spinning rotor 11 at the accelerated effect yarn 16 . After piecing, the effect yarn 16 , corresponding to the increasing spinning rotor speed, is drawn off at an increasing speed from the thread draw-off tube 17 by means of the draw-off mechanism 19 . So the measuring frequency of the sensor device 23 can be adjusted to the changing speed of the accelerated effect yarn 16 , pulses are picked up by means of a sensor 27 from the thread draw-off roller of the draw-off mechanism 19 driven by a drive 26 . These pulses provide information about the draw-off speed of the effect yarn 16 . The sensor signals are fed to the control device 24 , which controls the measuring frequency of the sensor 27 and adapts it to the yarn draw-off speed. As an alternative, the yarn speed can be determined by contactless measuring, for example, directly on the yarn. The control device 24 is connected to a control mechanism 28 of the spinning station 1 . The control mechanism 28 is connected to further modules of the spinning machine via the line 29 .
Further details of spinning stations of this type and the piecing process can be inferred, for example, from DE 40 30 100 A1 or the parallel U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,622 and the publication Raasch et. al. “Automatisches Anspinnen beim OE-Rotorspinnen”, MELLIAND Textilberichte April 1989, pages 251 to 256.
FIG. 2 shows the effect yarn 16 in the form of a curve 30 , which has been formed from a line-up of the continuously detected yarn diameter measured values of the effect yarn 16 . In order to make the web thickness and the different effect thicknesses more recognizable, these are exaggerated in comparison to the yarn length. The diameter D of the effect yarn 16 is shown as a percentage on the ordinate of the coordinate system of FIG. 2 . The value 100% corresponds to the web thickness, which is always the same in the embodiment. The yarn length L of the effect yarn 16 is given in mm on the abscissa of the coordinate system. The section represented by the course of the curve 30 , of the effect yarn 16 , which comprises the piecer 31 , has a length of about one meter.
In FIG. 2 , beginning on the left in the course of the curve 30 , the last effect 32 before the end of the effect yarn 16 , which has been returned for piecing, is shown. The part of the web 33 following the effect 32 has been introduced as a yarn end into the spinning rotor 11 for piecing. The effect 32 has an effect thickness of 150% of the web thickness. The line 34 indicates the location, at which the formation of the effect yarn 16 according to the specifications of the yarn repeat was interrupted. The piecer 31 then follows and subsequently the web 35 . The line 36 indicates the location at which the formation of the effect yarn 16 according to the specifications of the yarn repeat was continued. Following on from the web 35 is the first effect 37 in the effect yarn 16 , which has been formed as a continuation of the yarn repeat. The effect 37 has an effect thickness of 130% of the web thickness. Following on from this in the course of the effect yarn 16 shown, are the web 38 and the second effect 39 . The effect 39 has an effect thickness of 125% of the web thickness. The web 40 and the third effect 41 then follow. The third effect 41 has an effect thickness of 150% of the web thickness. The web lengths of the webs 33 , 35 , 38 , 40 and the effects 32 , 37 , 39 , 41 are configured, like the effect thicknesses, in each case, according to the specification of the yarn repeat.
In the case of a yarn interruption, the formation of the effect yarn 16 in the spinning rotor 11 is also stopped. The yarn repeat may be stored in the control mechanism 28 , for example. The location of the yarn repeat, at which the formation of the effect yarn 16 according to the specifications of the yarn repeat was interrupted, is also stored by the control mechanism 28 .
After a yarn interruption, the piecing process is initiated and, during the piecing process, the fiber feed into the spinning rotor 11 is controlled via the draw-in motor 3 in such a way that the piecer 31 can be formed. The formation of the effect yarn 16 according to the specifications of the yarn repeat immediately follows the formation of the piecer 31 . The effect formation can also be acted upon via the changing of further parameters, such as, for example the yarn rotation, in addition to the control of the draw-in motor 3 . The formation of the effect yarn 16 according to the specifications of the yarn repeat is continued with the formation of the web, at which or before which the yarn interruption was executed.
The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown. Further embodiments are possible in the scope of the invention.
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A method for producing an effect yarn on an open-end rotor spinning machine, formed from an alternating line-up of yarn sections and effects consisting of pre-determined thickenings, wherein an effect is produced where the yarn is joined by means of a piecing end, in the piecing region of the yarn located downstream of the piecing end, following a break in the thread. The quality of the yarn produced in this way is improved such that unwanted deviations from the pre-determined repeat of pattern of the effect yarn, caused by piecing regions, are eliminated.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a composition and method for prolonging the shelf life of banana by using interfering RNA, and in particular, to a composition and method useful for inhibiting/knocking-down mRNA expression of Musa spp. ACC oxidase gene and further inhibiting/knocking-down the biosynthesis of ethylene by transferring interfering RNA into banana through gene transfer technique.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] “Ripening” refers to the self-ripening process that occurs in climacteric fruit and vegetables after picking. For transportation and storage, some climacteric fruit and vegetables need to be picked before they are completely ripened. The reason for early picking is to prolong the transportation and storage period by taking advantage of the after-ripening of climacteric fruit and vegetables themselves. Another method such as low temperatures, air conditioning, ethylene absorption, ethylene inhibitors and the like, can be adopted as required to inhibit/delay the ripening of climacteric fruit and vegetables to achieve the goal of long term storage. If needed to speed up the ripen process in time for bringing the fruit to market, ethylene can be used to promote the ripening of the fruit and vegetables. However, some fruits such as Musa spp. must go through the after-ripening stage in order to be more favorable and edible.
[0005] Banana ( Musa spp.) is a monocotyledon plant belonging to the Musa genius of Musaceae. Its fruit is fragrant and delicious as well as has high in nutritional value, which makes it economically one of the important crops in the world. Banana is a type of climacteric fruit. This means, that after harvesting, green banana has to undergo climacteric change through its ripening process, including production of internal ethylene, hydrolysis of starch and protopectin, and the like, in order for the fruit flesh to softened, the sweetness to increase, and the fragrance to be produced, and thereby increase its dietary value.
[0006] Conventionally, bananas are harvested un-ripened, and are transported and stored in a manner to prolong the banana's ripening process. However, banana fruit may often undergo ripening due to the production of ethylene during the transportation process. Furthermore, the fruit may become over-ripened and spoil, and consequently, the market value of the banana is lowered and the popularization of banana is affected. Accordingly, control on the biosynthesis of ethylene can be used to provide a method to resolve problems such as untimely ripening of banana and the like.
[0007] Ethylene is a plant hormone present in gaseous form, which can affect a number of physiological and biochemical reactions in plant (Burg and Burg, 1962). Ethylene plays a important role in the growth, development, and stress-response of plant, for example, when a plant is subjected to a flood, mechanical injury, bacterial infection, aging of leaf and flower, fruit ripening, and the like, it will produce ethylene. The biosynthesis pathway of ethylene comprises the conversion of methionine into S-Adenosyl-methionine (AdoMet) with the aid of AdoMet synthase, synthesis of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) from AdoMet with the aid of ACC synthase (ACS), and then oxidation of ACC into ethylene with the aid of ACC oxidase (ACO) (Yang and Hoffman, 1984). It is known that ACO is the last enzyme used in the biosynthesis pathway of ethylene, and as a result, inhibition on ACO gene or protein expression thereof can inhibit/knock-down the biosynthesis of ethylene, and achieve the object of retarding the after-ripening of a fruit. The invention uses ACC oxidase genes of banana ( Musa spp.): Mh-ACO1A (MAO1A, GenBank accession no.: AF030411, SEQ ID No:14), Mh-ACO1B (MAO1B, GenBank accession no.: AF030410, SEQ ID No:15) and Mh-ACO2 (MAO2, GenBank accession no.: U86045, SEQ ID No:16) as target genes, to inhibit/knock-down the biosynthesis of ethylene through inhibiting expression of said genes, thereby achieving the object of retarding the ripening of fruit.
[0008] In the past, methods for knocking-down the expression of a target gene consisted mainly of transferring the antisense strand of the target gene into plant, such that the mRNA produced thereof is complementary to the mRNA sequence of an endogenous sense gene, the duplex structure thus formed could then degrade or interfere with the progress of protein translation, and achieve the object of inhibiting the expression of an endogenous gene. Alternatively, construction of a sense strand of a target gene associated with an over-expressing promoter, so that the over-expression of said gene can cause a co-suppression phenomenon and inhibit the expression of said gene. Unfortunately, the effect of silencing genes by the two above-described methods is not good enough. As the gene silencing mechanism has been gradually understood in greater detail, a double-stranded RNA has been considered as the main factor causing the gene silence. As a result, it has been found that constructing a DNA structure capable of forming double-stranded RNA, and transferring it into an organism could enhance the ability of gene silencing, and wherein, if a functionally intact intron was used as a spacer of a loop, the gene expression could be inhibited almost completely (Smith et al., 2000).
[0009] RNA interference (RNAi) is a method for knocking-down the expression of target gene. Said method uses small single-stranded or double-stranded RNA (ssRNA or dsRNA) to silence the expression of a gene. Interfering RNA includes small interfering RNA (siRNA), double-stranded or single-stranded RNA (ds siRNA or ss siRNA), microRNA (miRNA), short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and the like. RNA interference will occur within living cells, dsRNA will be recognized by a RNaseIII-like enzymes called dicer, which cuts dsRNA into small RNA molecules with 3′ end having 2-nucleotide overhang, that is siRNA, with a size of about 21 to 23 nucleotides (Elbashir et al., 2001; Zamore et al., 2000).
[0010] siRNA can bind with a protein complex. This protein complex is called RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). RISC has a helicase that can unzip a double-stranded siRNA to form a single-stranded structure, wherein the antisense strand (or guide strand) of siRNA will bind with RISC so as to guide RISC onto the target mRNA, and initiate the degradation of the target mRNA, thereby silencing further expression of the target gene (Matzke et al., 2001; Waterhouse et al., 2001); and wherein said target mRNA is a sequence complementary to the antisense strand of said siRNA.
[0011] Smith et al. (2000) had transferred antisense or sense Nia-protease (Pro) gene of potato virus Y (PVY) into potato so as to render potato resistant to PVY The ratio of generating gene-silenced transgenic plant from these two strategies are 7% and 4%, respectively. Nevertheless, if a inverted-repeat DNA capable of forming a double-stranded RNA is used and a functionally intact intron is constructed as a spacer of a loop, the transformation efficiency can be increased up to 96% (22/23). It is suggested that the presence of the intron can facilitate the stability of RNA, adjust the direction of RNA, and a duplex may be formed transiently from a preRNA during the splicing process in eukaryote. This character can be used to facilitate the formation of a double-stranded RNA, thereby increasing the inhibition effect (Smith et al., 2000).
[0012] In general, the gene transfer method can be carried out by transforming embryogenic materials such as embryogenic callus, embryogenic suspension, or somatic cell, with Agrobacterium containing an exogenous gene to obtain said transgenic plant. Gene transfer method for banana had been disclosed generally in relative literature or patent for example, S. S. Ma (1988) “Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from cell suspension culture of banana;” or Dean Engler et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,035 titled “Method of genetically transforming banana plants.” Nevertheless, one skilled in the art of this field knows that gene transfer techniques for different species or different genes, may affect the success rate of delivering gene into an organism due to genomes of different species, different gene structure and the like. Furthermore, it is necessary to improve the gene to be transferred or the manner used for delivering the gene in accordance with the specific requirement of different genes or different species. In consideration of this, this application intends to transform RNAi into banana to inhibit/knock-down the genes involved in biosynthesis of ethylene, and achieve the object to prolonging the shelf life of banana fruit.
[0013] In view of the importance in the banana industry of keeping fruit fresh and delaying ripening of fruit, the inventor had thought to improve, and finally has successfully developed the composition and method for prolonging the shelf life of banana by using interfering RNA (RNAi) according to the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] One object of the invention is to provide a composition for prolonging the shelf life of banana by using an interfering RNA, characterized in that said composition comprises an interfering RNA, wherein said interfering RNA is to be transferred into banana by means of gene transfer technique, so as to inhibit/knock-down the biosynthesis of ethylene.
[0015] Another object of the invention is to provide a method for prolonging the shelf life of banana by using interfering RNA, characterized in that said method transferes an interfering RNA into banana to inhibit/knock-down the expression of banana ACC oxidase gene, thereby inhibit/knock-down the biosynthesis of ethylene, for prolonging the shelf life of banana.
[0016] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a control cassette for controlling banana ACC oxidase, characterized in that said control cassette comprises an interfering RNA to inhibit/knock-down the expression of banana ACC oxidase gene.
[0017] Still yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel gene transfer method for banana, characterized in that said gene transfer method comprises of carrying out gene transfer by using callus cell induced from male inflorescence of banana, or somatic embryo cell induced from fruit finger primodia of banana, or somatic embryo cell induced from apical meristem of banana, as the transforming material to obtain transgenic banana.
[0018] Yet still another object of the invention is to provide a process for inhibiting/knocking-down the biosynthesis of ethylene in banana, characterized in that the inventive composition for controlling ACC oxidase of banana is transformed into banana by means of the inventive gene transfer method so as to inhibit the mRNA expression of ACC oxidase and hence inhibit/knock-down the biosynthesis of ethylene in banana.
[0019] The composition and method for prolonging the shelf life of banana by using interfering RNA that can achieve the above-described objects of the invention comprises:
[0020] At least one interfering RNA, a gene transfer expression vector and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier; wherein said interfering RNA is linked to the 3′ end of the promoter of said gene transfer expression vector, and is constructed in said gene transfer expression vector in accordance with a order as antisense strand—intron—sense strand of banana gene sequence, and wherein said interfering RNA is used to inhibit the gene expression associated with the enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of ethylene in banana;
[0021] Wherein said interfering RNA has a sequence as shown in SEQ ID No: 1, can inhibit simultaneously the mRNA expression of ACC oxidase-1A (MAO1A) and ACC oxidase-1B (MAO1B) in banana, and hence knock-down further the quantity of the biosynthesis of ethylene;
[0022] Wherein said interfering RNA has a sequence as shown in SEQ ID No: 2 can inhibit the mRNA expression of Musa spp. ACC oxidase-2 (MAO2) in banana, and hence knock-down further the quantity of the biosynthesis of ethylene;
[0023] Wherein the sequence of said interfering RNA is constructed in a manner of antisense strand—intron—sense strand; wherein said antisense strand, intron or sense strand compare with the mRNA sequence of banana target gene, with at least 80% sequence complementary, or at least 90% sequence identity;
[0024] Wherein said carrier may be water, or various suitable buffer solution, that facilitate said interfering RNA or expression vector thereof easy operation, storage or more stable and not susceptible to degradation.
[0025] A banana ACC oxidase control cassette is provided by the invention and comprises:
[0026] A above-described interfering RNA; and
[0027] A gene transfer expression vector;
[0028] Wherein said interfering RNA is linked to the 3′ end of a gene transfer expression vector promoter, said promoter can activate the transcription of said interfering RNA in banana containing said banana ACC oxidase control cassette.
[0029] The above-described gene transfer expression vector includes, but not limited to: pBI101, pBI121, pBIN19(ClonTech), pCAMBIA1301, pCAMBIA1305, pGREEN (GenBank Accession No: AJ007829), pGREEN II (GenBank Accession No: EF590266) (www.pGreen.ac.uk), and pGreen0029 (John Innes Centre).
[0030] In the process using callus cell induced from male inflorescence of banana as the transforming material according to the invention, the male inflorescence of banana is placed in a suitable medium to induce the formation of callus; after forming the callus, callus cell is taken to form a homogeneously suspension cell in a suitable medium; a transformed Agrobacterium (containing a gene transfer expression plasmid, wherein said plasmid can express the above-described interfering RNA in a plant) is transformed in said callus cell ( Agrobacterium mediation method); after a suitable period of culturing, these strains are screened with medium containing suitable antibiotics to select successfully transformed strains; the survived strains are placed in a suitable medium to carry out the differentiation of somatic embryo, and the induction of multiple shoot and root.
[0031] The invention further provides the inventive process using fruit finger primodia or apical meristem of banana as the gene transfer materials and comprising:
[0032] Placing the fruit finger primodia or apical meristem in a suitable medium to induce the formation of somatic embryo cell; transferring a transformed Agrobacterium (containing a gene transfer expression plasmid, wherein said plasmid can express the above-described interfering RNA in a plant) in said somatic embryo cell ( Agrobacterium mediation method); after culturing for a suitable period, screening said strains in a medium containing suitable antibiotics to selected successfully transformed strains; the survived strains are placed in a suitable medium to carry out the induction of multiple shoot and root.
[0033] The above-described transfer approaches include, but not limited to: Agrobacterium mediation, genetic recombination virus infection, transposon vector transfer, gene gun transfer, electroporation, microinjection, pollen tube pathway, liposome-mediated transfer, ultrasonic mediation transfer, silicon carbide fiber-mediated transformation, electrophoresis, laser microbeam, polyethylene glycol (PEG), calcium phosphate co-precipitation, DEAE-dextran transformation and the like.
[0034] The term “transgenic strain or transformed strain” as used herein refers to a plant strain obtained through transformation such that an exogenous gene is transformed into a target plant, thereby change the genomic constitution of said plant and that the exogenous gene can exist in said target plant and progeny thereof.
[0035] The term “gene expression” used herein refers to the expression of mRNA or protein.
[0036] These features and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of the accompanying Drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee. These color drawings are necessary to fully show the color turning in the fruit ripening of Musa spp.
[0038] FIG. 1A-C is the flow chart for constructing universal vector pRNAi used in silencing a gene.
[0039] FIG. 2A-F shows the construction strategy for inhibiting gene vectors pBI121-2AnS and pBI121-1AnS associated with the ripening of banana.
[0040] FIG. 3 shows the Agrobacterium -mediated gene transfer carried out on banana and the regeneration of the transgenic strain. FIG. 3A : Cell obtained after Agrobacterium -mediated gene transfer is placed on screening medium. FIG. 3B : Cell mass on the medium. FIG. 3C : The growth of somatic embryo. FIG. 3D : The amplified image of the somatic embryo. FIG. 3E : The cultivation on the medium for inducing the formation of plantlet. FIG. 3F : Regenerated plantlet. Bars (A) (D)=1 mm. Bars (B)(C)(E)=5 mm.
[0041] FIG. 4 shows the growth of banana strain which has been transformed with vector pBI121-2AnS. FIG. 4A , 4 C, 4 E, 4 G, and 4 I show the un-transformed banana strain as control groups. FIG. 4B , 4 D, 4 F, 4 H, and 4 J show the transformed banana strain. FIG. 4K shows the fruit of un-transformed banana strain. FIG. 4L shows the fruit of transformed banana strain; no considerable difference in the appearance existed between both strains.
[0042] FIG. 5 shows the result of Southern Blot on the genomic DNA of the gene-silenced strain. FIG. 5A : Probes used for the construction and hybridization of T-DNA domain in pBI121-2AnS. FIG. 5B : Result of the Southern Blot obtained by using Mh-ACO2 gene fragment as the probe.
[0043] FIG. 6 shows the expression of Mh-ACO2 gene in the Musa spp. cv. Pei Chiao, AAA group transgenic strain that had been transformed with a vector containing silenced banana ripening-associated gene. FIG. 6A shows the result of RT-PCR on leaves of various transgenic strains. FIG. 6B shows the quantitative linear bar chart of RT-PCR expression on various transgenic strains, where the calculation standard was based on the expression quantity of un-transformed control group as 100%, and the result indicated that gene expression of various transgenic strains were inhibited to various level.
[0044] FIG. 7 shows the Mh-ACO2 gene expression in various organs of the Musa spp. cv. Pei Chiao, AAA group transgenic strain 2AS-79 that had been transformed with a vector containing silenced banana ripening-associated gene. FIG. 7A shows the RT-PCR analytical result on organs of un-transformed control plant and 2AS-79 transgenic strains. FIG. 7B shows the quantitative linear bar chart of RT-PCR expression on various transgenic strains, where the calculation standard was based on the expression quantity of un-transformed control plant as 100%, and the result indicated that gene expression of various parts on transgenic strains were inhibited to various level.
[0045] FIG. 8 shows the siRNA expression in various parts of the Musa spp. cv. Pei Chiao, AAA group transgenic strain 2AS-79 that had been transformed with a vector containing silenced banana ripening-associated gene. The probe used in the hybridization was Mh-ACO2 gene fragment, and synthetic specific Mh-ACO2 gene fragments of 25 nucleotides (nt) and 17 nt in length were used as control groups. WT-O: ovary of un-transformed banana; 79-Pi: pistil of 2AS-79 transgenic strain; 79-S: stamen of 2AS-79; 79-Pe: petal of 2AS-79; 79-O: ovary of 2AS-79; 79-B: bract of 2AS-79.
[0046] FIG. 9 shows the color turning in the fruit ripening of Musa spp. cv. Pei Chiao, AAA group that had been transformed with a vector containing silenced banana after-ripening-associated gene. FIG. 9A : the process of pericarp color turning. FIG. 9B : pericarp color index chart. Bars=5 cm.
[0047] FIG. 10 shows the change of respiration rate and producing quantity of ethylene in the fruit ripening of Musa spp. cv. Pei Chiao, AAA group that had been transformed with a vector containing silenced banana ripening-associated gene. FIG. 10A : Change of respiration rate in the course of fruit ripening. FIG. 10B : Change of producing quantity of ethylene in the course of fruit ripening.
[0048] FIG. 11 shows the color turning of pericarp after ripening treatment on fruit of Musa spp. cv. Pei Chiao, AAA group that had been transformed with a vector containing silenced banana ripening-associated gene. FIG. 11A : Color turning course of pericarp. FIG. 11B : color index chart of pericarp. Bars=5 cm.
[0049] FIG. 12 shows the change of respiration rate and producing quantity of ethylene after ripening treatment on the fruit of Musa spp. cv. Pei Chiao, AAA group that had been transformed with a vector containing silenced banana ripening-associated gene. FIG. 12A : Change of respiration rate after ripening treatment on fruit. FIG. 12B : Change of producing quantity of ethylene after ripening treatment on fruit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0050] The invention will be illustrated more detailed with the following examples, but the invention is not limited thereto.
EXAMPLE 1
The Construction of Vector Containing Inhibited Banana Ripening-Associated Gene
[0051] 1. Construction of Universal Vector pRNAi Containing Silenced Gene
(1) Plasmid Material
[0000]
a. pUC19 plasmid: with a total length of 2,682 kb, containing Escherichia coli screening gene AmpR (GenBank accession no. L09137).
b. pU35STgfp plasmid: containing 2× En CaMV 35S promoter, green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene, and nopaline synthase (NOS) gene terminator. The source of said primary plasmid was referenced to PNAS (1996) 93:5888-5893, from which 1,854 bp was cleaved by single digestion with restriction enzyme HindIII, and ligated into vector pUC19 that had been single digested with HindIII to form pU35STgfp.
(2) Gene Sources
[0054] The source of intron used in the construction of vector pRNAi was the first intron of banana ( Musa spp.) ACC oxidase gene MAO1A (GenBank accession no. AF030411) and of gene MAO1B (GenBank accession no. AF030410) (with a sequence as shown in SEQ ID No:17). The first intron of both two genes has an identical sequence.
(3) The Extraction of Banana ( Musa spp.) Genomic DNA
[0055] 1 g samples was cut off, ground in liquid nitrogen, and was added 15 ml extraction buffer (100 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0; 50 mM EDTA; 500 mM NaCl), and 1 ml 20% SDS thereto. After standing at 65° C. for 10 minutes, 5 ml 5 M KOAc was added and the resulted mixture was stood on ice for 20 minutes. The mixture was centrifuged at 25,000 xg and 4° C. for 20 minutes. The supernatant was filtered through nylon mesh. 10 ml isopropanol was added to the filtrate to allow precipitating for 30 minutes. The mixture was centrifuged at 4° C. and 20,000 xg for 15 minutes. The supernatant was discarded, and the pellet was air dried. 0.7 ml High TE (50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0; 10 mM EDTA) was added to dissolve the pellet, 75 μl 3M NaOAc and 500 μl isopropanol was added and mixed well. The mixture was centrifuged at 4° C. with microcentrifuge for 10 minutes. The pellet was washed to remove salt with 70% and 100% ethanol, respectively, and then air dried, dissolved in 100 μl TE (pH 8.0) and stored for later use.
(4) Construction Scheme
[0056] As shown in FIG. 1A , at first, pUC19 was digested with EcoR I and Sal I to remove most of Multiple cloning site (MCS) on pUC19, and then was subjected to blunt end treatment with Klenow enzyme. Then, the product was separated by electrophoresis, and a fragment of 2.6 kb was recovered. Thereafter, this fragment was subjected to self-ligation to obtaine an intermediate vector pUC19m. This intermediate vector pUC19m was digested with restriction enzyme HindIII, and a fragment of about 2.6 kb in length was recovered. Separately, pU35STLgfp was digested with restriction enzyme HindIII, and a fragment of 1.8 kb was recovered. The two fragments were ligated. The resulted plasmid was screened further by restriction enzyme and electrophoresis to obtain an intermediate vector pUC19m-35S. Referring to FIG. 1B , banana ( Musa spp.) genomic DNA was used as a template to synthesize the first intron of banana ( Musa spp.) ACC oxidase gene MAO1 through PCR. The oligonucleotide primers used in the synthesis of said first intron were described as followed:
[0000]
Forward primer MAO2 5L: (containing the BamHI
restriction site)
(SEQ ID No: 5)
5′-tat gagttcgccaacaaag-3′
BamHI
Reverse primer MAO2 3L: (containing the EcoRI
restriction site)
(SEQ ID No: 6)
5′-cca gccttcctatactg-3′
EcoRI
[0057] The DNA fragment synthesized by IMAO-1 and IMAO-2 primers through PCR was digested with restriction enzymes KpnI and BamHI, and recovered a fragment about 0.12 kb (MAO1 intron1). This fragment was ligated with the digested pUC19 (digested with restriction enzymes KpnI and BamHI) to obtain an intermediate plasmid pUIN of 2.8 kb. As shown in FIG. 1C , said intermediate plasmid pUC19m-35S was digested with restriction enzymes EcoRI and XbaI, and a fragment of 3.6 kb was recovered. Separately, the intermediate plasmid pUIN was digested with restriction enzymes EcoRI and XbaI to cleave the first intron of MAO1 gene, and a fragment of 0.13 kb was recovered. The two fragments obtained above (the first intron fragment of MAO1 gene, and the digested pUC19m-35S) were ligated to obtain RNA-silenced universal vector pRNAi ( FIG. 1C ).
2. The Construction of RNA Silencing Structure for Silencing the Expression of Banana ( Musa spp.) MAO2
[0058] At first, all RNA of banana ( Musa spp.) was extracted by the following process: plant materials were cut and ground in liquid nitrogen into powder. 20 mL 65° C. extraction buffer (2 M NaCl, 25 mM EDTA, pH 8.0, 100 mM Tris-HCl, spermidine 0.5 g/L, 3% Hexadecyl trimethyl-ammonium bromide, 3% polyvinyl-pyrrolidone-40, 0.4% 2-mercaptoethanol) was added, stirred homogeneously with a homogenizer and treated at 65° C. for 10 minutes. Equal amount of CI (chloroform: isoamyl alcohol=49:1) was added, mixed homogeneously and then centrifuged. The supernatant was extracted once again. 1/3-fold volume of 8 M LiCl was added, and stood at 4° C. for precipitating overnight. Then, centrifuged at 4° C. and discarded the supernatant. 0.5% SDS was used to suspend RNA. Equal volume of CI was added and mixed by shaking for several seconds. After centrifuged at 4° C., 2-fold volume of 100% ethanol was to the supernatant, and the mixture was placed at −20° C. for precipitating. Thereafter, the mixture was centrifuged at 4° C. and the supernatant was discarded. 500 μL of 70% ethanol was added to the residue, the resulted mixture was centrifuged at 4° C. and the supernatant was discarded. 500 μL of 100% ethanol was added, centrifuged at 4° C. and the supernatant was discarded. The RNA precipitate was air dried. The RNA was dissolved in a suitable amount of DEPC-treated water, the concentration of the solution was determined and the solution was stored for later use.
[0059] The construction scheme of pRNAi-2AnS plasmid (antisense-sense) was carried out with reference to FIG. 2 :
Step 1:
[0060] Referring to FIG. 2A , at first, the total RNA of banana ( Musa spp.) was used as the template, a reaction was carried out by using One-Step RT-PCR Kit (GeneMark). The reaction solution comprised 0.1 g/L of template RNA, 50 ng/L of primers, 1× Reaction Mix, 1× Enhancer, 2% Enzyme Mix. The reaction was carried out at a temperature of 50° C. for 30 minutes, 94° C. for 2 minutes, and then 35 cycles of at 94° C. for 30 seconds, 59° C. for 30 seconds, and 72° C. for 1 minute. Finally, reacted at 72° C. for 10 minutes, and then stored at 4° C. for later use. Primers used therein were as followed:
[0000]
Forward primer MAO1 5L: (containing the BamHI
restriction site)
(SEQ ID No: 7)
5′-ata aaacccgttcag-3′
Bam HI
Reverse primer MAO1 3L: (containing the EcoRI
restriction site)
(SEQ ID No: 8)
5′-cat gtctcctcgaagtccg-3′
[0061] A nucleotide fragment (MAO2 fragment) of about 0.14 bp in length was synthesized by PCR. Said MAO2 fragment was digested with BamHI and EcoRI and product was recovered. Said MAO2 fragment was ligated with the digested pUC18 (digested with BamHI and EcoRI) to obtained a plasmid pUC18-m2p containing MAO2 cDNA of 139 bp ( FIG. 2A ).
Step 2:
[0062] The plasmid pRNAi was digested with XbaI, then was blunt end treated with Klenow enzyme, digested with BamHI, and a fragment of 3.8 kb was recovered. pUC18-m2p obtained in step 1 was digested with EcoRI, subjected to blunt end treatment with Klenow enzyme, digested with BamHI, and a fragment of 0.14 kb was recovered. After recovering the two above-described digested DNA fragment (pUC18-m2p and pRNAi), they were subjected to ligation, and recovered a plasmid pRNAi-2xnS containing a cDNA fragment of part sense MAO2 ( FIG. 2B ).
Step 3:
[0063] The plasmid pRNAi was digested with KpnI, blunt end treated with Klenow enzyme, digested with EcoRI, and recovered a fragment of 3.8 kb. Separately, pUC18-m2p obtained in step 1 was digested with BamHI, blunt end treated with Klenow enzyme, digested with EcoRI, and recovered a fragment of 0.14 kb. The two above-described digested and recovered DNA fragment (pUC18-m2p and pRNAi) were subjected to ligation to obtain an intermediate plasmid pRNAi-2Asn containing a cDNA fragment of antisense MAO2 ( FIG. 2C ).
Step 4:
[0064] Both the pRNAi-2Asn obtained in step 3 and the pRNAi-2xnS obtained in step 2 were digested with XhoI and SacII, and recovered fragments of 150 bp and 3.8 kb, respectively. After these two fragments were subjected to ligation, a plasmid pRNAi-2AnS containing cDNA sequence of part MAO2: antisense MAO2 (antisense strand MAO2 fragment sequence as shown in SEQ ID No:18), and sense MAO2 (sense MAO2 fragment sequence as shown in SEQ ID No:19) (pRNAi-2AnS possessed a constructed sequences in following order (5′ end to 3′ end): antisense MAO2-first intron-sense MAO2, as shown in SEQ ID No:2) ( FIG. 2D ).
Step 5:
[0065] The plasmid pRNAi-2AnS was digested with HindIII, and recovered a fragment of 1.4 kb. This fragment was ligated with HindIII-digested pBI121 (GenBank accession no. AF485783) and obtained a plasmid pBI121-2AnS to be used in Agrobacterium -mediated transfer ( FIG. 2E ).
[0000] 3. The Construction of RNA Silencing Structure for Silencing the Expression of Musa spp. MAO1
[0066] The construction scheme of pRNAi-1AnS plasmid (antisense-sense) was carried out similar to the construction strategy of MAO2, except that the primers used in the PCR screening of MAO1 fragment were different as followed:
[0000]
Mh-ACO2 gene:
Forward primer MAO2-5RT:
5′-atggattcctttccggttatcgaca-3′
(SEQ ID No: 10)
Reverse primer MAO2-3RT:
5′-attccttcatcgccttccta-3′
(SEQ ID No: 11)
Banana ( Musa spp.) actin gene:
Forward primer BACT5:
5′-tagcggacgtaccacaggtat-3′
(SEQ ID No: 12)
Reverse primer BACT3:
5′-gtaagcaagcttctccttgat-3′
(SEQ ID No: 13)
[0067] Referring to the construction strategy of MAO2, a plasmid pBI121-1AnS containing a cDNA sequence of part MAO1: antisense MAO1 (antisense strand MAO1 fragment sequence as shown in SEQ ID No:20), and sense MAO1 (sense strand MAO1 fragment sequence as shown in SEQ ID No:21) (the plasmid pBI121-1AnS possessed a constructed sequences in following order (5′ end to 3′ end): antisense MAO1-first intron-sense MAO1, as shown in SEQ ID No:1; since MAO1A and MAO1B of banana ( Musa spp.) possessed highly conserved sequences, the inventive MAO1 interfering RNA contained the above-constructed sequence as shown in SEQ ID No:1 and could inhibit simultaneously gene expression of both MAO1A and MAO1B) ( FIG. 2F ).
[0068] The above-described example illustrates only a preferred embodiment of the invention, is not intended to limit the construction manner of the invention, and other suitable construction strategy is also included within the scope of the invention.
EXAMPLE 2
Gene Transfer Technique and Scheme for Banana ( Musa spp.)
1. Agrobacterium -Mediated Gene Transfer
[0069] Both of A and B gene transfer processes for banana ( Musa spp.) were those modified from Ma (1988), and comprised the following processes using the below materials and steps:
Process A
(1) Plant Materials and Other Materials
[0070] Banana strain was Musa spp. cv. Pei Chiao, AAA group strain. Cell suspension was obtained through the induction of male inflorescence, and callus thereof. Following materials were commercially available.
(2) The Mediator Used for Transfer
[0071] The strain of Agrobacterium used in this example was LBA4404 (Hoekema et al., 1983), which was used for the transformation (see Molecular Cloning) of pBI121-2AnS or pBI121-1AnS plasmid constructed in example 1.
(3) Gene Transfer Method for Banana ( Musa spp.)
Step 1: The Induction of Callus
[0072] Male inflorescence of Musa spp. cv. Pei Chiao, AAA group strain was placed on an induction medium (callus-inducing medium, as shown in Table 1) to induce the formation of callus.
[0000]
TABLE 1
The composition of callus-inducing medium
Ingredients
Concentration
MS salt
1X
Thiamine-HCl
0.1~1
mg/L
nicotinic acid
0.5
mg/L
pyridoxine-HCl
0.5
mg/L
glycine
2
mg/L
myo-inositol
100
mg/L
Biotin
1
mg/L
IAA
1
mg/L
NAA
1
mg/L
2.4-D
4
mg/L
Sucrose
3~4.5%
Agar
0.7%
Note 1:
Wherein 0.7% Agar might be 0.2%~0.3% Gelrite.
Note 2:
The final pH value of the medium was pH 5.3~5.7.
Step 2: Preparation of Cell Suspension
[0073] After the callus was formed, a suitable quantity of callus cell was placed in a suspension medium (Table 2) and the callus cell was suspended to form homogeneous cell suspension.
[0000] TABLE 2 Composition of suspension medium Ingredients Concentration MS salt 1X Thiamine-HCl, 0.1~1 mg/L nicotinic acid, 0.5 mg/L pyridoxine-HCl, 0.5~5 mg/L glycine, 2~5 mg/L myo-inositol 100 mg/L Biotin 1 mg/L glutamine 0~100 mg/L malt extract 0~500 mg/L proline 0~230 mg/L Picloram 0~1 mg/L 2.4-D 1 mg/L Sucrose 3~4.5% Note 1: Wherein 1 mg/L 2.4-D might be a hormone mix containing 1 mg/L IAA, 1 mg/L NAA and 4 mg/L 2.4-D. Note 2: The final pH value of the medium was pH 5.3~5.7.
Step 3: The Incubation (or Cocultivation) with Agrobacterium
[0074] Before gene transferring, a monocolony of transformed Agrobacterium was inoculated in 20 ml YEB liquid medium (5 g/l beef extract, 1 g/l yeast extract, 5 g/l pepton, 5 g/l manitol, 0.5 g/l MgSO 4 , pH 7.5, 12.5 g/l agar) supplemented with proper quantity of antibiotics (50 μg/ml kanamycin, 20 μg/ml stryptomycin and 100 μg/ml Rifamycin) and cultured by shaking at 28° C. and 240 rpm for 2 days. As OD 600 was 1.0˜1.5, the bacteria liquor was centrifuged at 4,000 rpm(HERMLE Z363 K) for 20 minutes. The supernatant was discarded, and pellet was suspended in a co-culture transferring medium (Table 3) to obtain a bacteria liquor of the transformed Agrobacterium for later use. Said transformed Agrobacterium contained the above-constructed pBI121-2AnS plasmid or pBI121-1AnS plasmid.
[0075] A proper quantity of callus cell or its cell suspension was mixed with the bacterial suspension and was co-cultured by shaking, and then by stood at 25° C. for 2-4 days.
[0000] TABLE 3 The composition of co-culture transferring medium Ingredients Concentration MS salt 1X Thiamine-HCl, 0.1~1 mg/L nicotinic acid, 0.5 mg/L pyridoxine-HCl, 0.5 mg/L glycine, 2 mg/L myo-inositol 100 mg/L Biotin 1 mg/L glutamine 100 mg/L malt extract 500 mg/L proline 230 mg/L 2,4-D 1 mg/L betaine 1 mM acetosyringone 0.1~0.3 mM Sucrose 3~4.5% Note 1: Wherein MS salt might be SH salt. Note 2: The final pH of the medium was pH 5.3~5.7.
Step 4: Screening after Transferring
[0076] After co-culturing for 2-4 days, the thus co-cultured post-transfer cells were placed in a solid post-transfer screening medium (Table 4) to carry out screening operation on transgenic strains.
[0000]
TABLE 4
The composition of post-transfer screening medium
Ingredients
Concentration
MS salt
1X
Thiamine-HCl,
0.1~1
mg/L
nicotinic acid,
0.5
mg/L
pyridoxine-HCl,
0.5
mg/L
glycine,
2
mg/L
myo-inositol
100
mg/L
Biotin
1
mg/L
glutamine
100
mg/L
malt extract
100~500
mg/L
proline
230
mg/L
2.4-D
1
mg/L
Sucrose
3~4.5%
Lactose
0~0.1%
Agar
0.7%
Cefotaxime
200
mg/L
G418
Suitable
concentration
Note 1:
Wherein 1 mg/L 2.4-D might be a hormone mixture containing 0.05 mg/L Zeatin, 0.2 mg/L 2-ip, 0.1 mg/L kinetin and 0.2 mg/L NAA.
Note 2:
Wherein 0.7% Agar might be 0.2%~0.3% Gelrite.
Note 3:
Wherein the suitable concentration of G418 might be suitable concentration of hygromycin; wherein said suitable concentration is referred to the concentration used in the screening operation at from low to high stringency, and one preferred example was 50 mg/L G418.
Note 4:
The final pH value of the medium was pH 5.3~5.7.
Step 5: The Differentiation of Embryo
[0077] After culturing in the solid post-transfer screening medium for two months, cells were cultured continuously by changing into regeneration medium (Table 5) till the formation of embryo.
[0000]
TABLE 5
The composition of regeneration medium
Ingredients
Concentration
MS salt
1X
Thiamine-HCl,
0.1~1
mg/L
nicotinic acid,
0.5
mg/L
pyridoxine-HCl,
0.5
mg/L
glycine,
2
mg/L
myo-inositol
100
mg/L
Biotin
1
mg/L
glutamine
0~100
mg/L
malt extract
0~100
mg/L
Hormone mixture
Sucrose
3~4.5%
Lactose
0~0.1%
Agar
0.7%
G418
Suitable
concentration
Note 1:
Wherein MS salt might be SH salt, or B5 salt.
Note 2:
Wherein said hormone mixture might be: (1) 0.05 mg/L Zeatin, 0.2 mg/L 2-ip, 0.1 mg/L kinetin and 0.2 mg/L NAA; or (2) 1 mg/L BA and 0.1 mg/L GA.
Note 3:
Wherein 0.7% Agar might be 0.2%~0.3% Gelrite.
Note 4:
Wherein suitable concentration of G418 might be suitable concentration of hygromycin; wherein said suitable concentration is referred to the concentration used in the screening operation at from low to high stringency, and one preferred example was 100 mg/L G418.
Note 5:
The final pH value of the medium was pH 5.3~5.7.
Step 6: The Induction of Multiple Shoot
[0078] After an embryo was formed from cells, the somatic embryo cell was shifted into multiple shoot inducing medium (Table 6) to induce the germinating of multiple shoot from the embryo and then the growth of seedling.
[0000]
TABLE 6
The composition of multiple shoot-inducing medium
Ingredients
Concentration
MS salt
Thiamine-HCl,
0.1~1
mg/L
nicotinic acid,
0.5
mg/L
pyridoxine-HCl,
0.5
mg/L
glycine,
2
mg/L
myo-inositol
100
mg/L
Biotin
1
mg/L
Glutamine
0~100
mg/L
Hormone mixture
Sucrose
3%
Agar
0.7%
G418
Suitable
concentration
Note 1:
Wherein MS salt might be ½ MS salt, or B5 salt.
Note 2:
Wherein said hormone mixture might be: (1) 1 mg/L BA, 0.1 mg/L GA; or (2) 1 mg/L 2iP, 0.1 mg/L GA.
Note 3:
Wherein 0.7% Agar might be 0.2%~0.3% Gelrite.
Note 4:
Wherein suitable concentration of G418 might be suitable concentration of hygromycin; wherein said suitable concentration is referred to the concentration used in screening operation at from low to high stringency, and one preferred example was 100 mg/L G418.
Note 5:
The final pH value of the medium was pH 5.3~6.0.
Step 7: The Induction of Root
[0079] As the seedling had grown to a suitable size, it was shifted to a root-inducing medium (Table 7) to induce rooting, and promote the growth of the plant. ( FIG. 3A-F )
[0000]
TABLE 7
The composition of root-inducing medium
Ingredients
Concentration
MS salt
1X
Thiamine-HCl,
0.1~1
mg/L
nicotinic acid,
0.5
mg/L
pyridoxine-HCl,
0.5
mg/L
glycine,
2
mg/L
myo-inositol
100
mg/L
IBA
2.5
mg/L
BA
2.5
mg/L
Sucrose
3%
Agar
0.7%
G418
Suitable
concentration
Note 1:
Wherein 0.7% Agar might be 0.2%~0.3% Gelrite.
Note 2:
Wherein suitable concentration of G418 might be suitable concentration of hygromycin; wherein said suitable concentration is referred to the concentration used in the screening operation at form low to high stringency, and one preferred example was 100 mg/L G418.
Note 3:
The final pH value of the medium was pH 5.3~6.0.
Process B
(1) Plant Materials and Other Materials
[0080] Banana strain was Musa spp. cv. Pei Chiao, AAA group strain. Following materials were commercially available.
(2) Mediator for Transfer
[0081] Agrobacterium strain, LBA4404 (Hoekema et al., 1983) was used to transformed the above-constructed pBI121-2AnS plasmid.
(3) Gene Transfer Method for Banana ( Musa spp.)
Step 1: Induction of Embryo
[0082] Fruit finger primodia or apical meristem of banana ( Musa spp.) was used as the transfer material. The fruit finger primodia or apical meristem was placed in an induction medium (Table 8) to induce the formation of somatic embryo cell.
[0000] Step 2: Cocultivation with Agrobacterium
[0083] Somatic embryo cell was cocultivation with the above-described transformed Agrobacterium liquor (said transformed Agrobacterium contained the above-constructed pBI121-2AnS plasmid or pBI121-1AnS plasmid) in an induction medium (Table 8).
Step 3: Post-Transfer Screening
[0084] After cocultivation, the transgenic plant was shifted in an induction medium (Table 8) supplemented with 50 mg/L G418 to carry out post-transfer screening.
Step 4: Culturing Adult-Plant
[0085] The thus-screened transgenic plant was shifted in an induction medium (Table 8) containing antibiotics. A transgenic plant could leave the bottle eight months after transfer treatment.
[0000]
TABLE 8
The composition of induction medium
Ingredients
Concentration
MS salt
1X
Thiamine-HCl,
0.1~1
mg/L
nicotinic acid,
0.5
mg/L
pyridoxine-HCl,
0.5
mg/L
glycine,
2
mg/L
myo-inositol
100
mg/L
IBA
2.5
mg/L
BA
2.5
mg/L
Sucrose
3%
Agar
0.7%
G418
Suitable
concentration
Note 1:
Wherein 0.7% Agar might be 0.2%~0.3% Gelrite.
Note 2:
Wherein suitable concentration of G418 might be suitable concentration of hygromycin; and wherein said suitable concentration was referred to the concentration used in the screening operation at from low to high stringency, and one preferred example was 100 mg/L G418.
Note 3:
The final pH value of the medium was pH 5.3~6.0.
2. Screening and Growth of Transgenic Musa spp.
[0086] The growth of Mh-ACO2-silenced Musa spp. cv. Pei Chiao, AAA group transgenic plant during the tissue culturing period of the transgenic plant, between field planting and growing to a height of about 1.5 meter, indicated no considerable difference compared with un-transformed Musa spp. cv. Pei Chiao, AAA group control plant ( FIG. 4A-H ). After cultivating continuously for 5 months, the un-transformed control plant had grown to a height of more than 3 meters, with about 10 health leaves, while the transgenic plant had grown to a height of about 2.5 meters, while number of health leaves was similar to that of control plant, i.e. about 10 leaves ( FIG. 4I-L ).
EXAMPLE 3
Obtaining Molecular Evidence of Transgenic Musa spp. by Southern Blot Analysis
[0087] The transgenic Musa spp. cell was screened with antibiotics to regenerate a plantlet, which was subjected to histochemical staining of GUS to identify the reporter gene, and was then subjected to molecular level analysis. In this example, the Southern hybridization analysis was used to confirm that the DNA fragment to be transformed was integrated in the Musa spp. genome.
[0088] 20 μg plant genomic DNA was digested with suitable restriction enzyme, and was separated then by electrophoresis on 0.7% agarose gel. The electrophoresis gel was treated twice with 0.25 N HCl for 15 minutes, treated twice in a denaturing buffer (1.5 M NaCl, 0.5 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.2, 1 mM Na 2 EDTA) for 15 minutes, and then twice in neutralization buffer (1.5 M NaCl, 0.5 M Tris-HCl, pH 7.2, 1 mM Na 2 EDTA) for 15 minutes. The DNA in the gel was transferred on Hybond N blotting membrane (Amersham), and then the DNA was immobilized on the blotting membrane with cross-linker (Spectrolinker XL-1500) under condition of UV 120 mJ/cm 2 , and in a vacuum oven at 80° C. for 1 hour to thereby immobilize the DNA.
[0089] The blotting membrane was allowed to react on a pre-hybridization solution [6×SSPE (20×SSPE: 175.3 g/L NaCl, 31.2 g/L NaH 2 PO 4 .2H 2 O, 7.4 g/L Na 2 EDTA, pH 7.4), 0.5% SDS, 5× BFP (100× BFP: 2% BSA, 2% Ficoll-40,000, 2% PVP-360,000), 50 μg/mL denatured salmon sperm DNA, 10% dextrin sulfate] at 65° C. for at least 2 hours. To the reaction mixture, hybridization solution [6×SSPE, 0.5% SDS, 5× BFP, 250 μg/mL denatured salmon sperm DNA, 10% dextran sulfate] containing radioactive-labeled probe was added, and reacted at 65° C. for more than 16 hours. Thereafter, the reaction mixture was washed twice with Wash I solution (2×SSPE, 0.1% SDS) at room temperature for 15 minutes, and then twice with Wash II solution (1×SSPE, 0.1% SDS) at 65° C. for 15 minutes, to wash off non-specific hybridized probe. Finally, it was exposed on X-ray film (Kodak XAR film).
[0090] The test result indicated that as banana ( Musa spp.) genome was digested at specific cleave site with EcoRI and HindIII, it was expected to obtain two DNA fragments of a size of 1,267 bp and 3,040 bp, respectively. Accordingly, different probes could be used to label exogenous gene. The result obtained from hybridization analysis by using Mh-ACO2 gene fragment as the probe (i.e. a plasmid pRNAi2ANS was double digested with restriction enzyme Xho I and SacII, the 160 bp Mh-ACO2 gene fragment thus-obtain was used as the probe, whose sequence was shown in SEQ ID No: 9) demonstrated that, a Mh-ACO2 gene fragment was present actually in the genome of transgenic plant. Though other than the expected fragment size, a signal of 3,040 bp fragment was also detected, there was no 3,040 bp size in the transformed DNA fragments. It was then suggested that this DNA fragment was an endogenous Mh-ACO2 gene fragment in the banana ( Musa spp.) genome ( FIG. 5A-B ).
EXAMPLE 4
Observation of the Inhibition on the Transcription of Target Gene from RNA Level
[0091] 1. The Observation of the Inhibition on the Transcription of the Transformed Gene with Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)
[0092] The total RNA extracted was used as a template, a reaction was carried out with One-Step RT-PCR Kit (GeneMark). The reaction mixture contained 0.1 μg/μL of template RNA, 50 ng/μL of primers, 1× Reaction Mix, 1× Enhancer, 2% Enzyme Mix. The reaction condition was at a temperature of 50° C. for 30 minutes, 94° C. 2 minutes, and then 35 cycles of 94° C. 30 seconds, 59° C. 30 seconds, and 72° C. 1 minute. Finally, it was reacted at 72° C. for 10 minutes, and then stored at 4° C. for later use. The primers used were shown as followed:
[0000]
Forward primer IMAO-1: (containing the KpnI
restriction site)
(SEQ ID No: 3)
5′-ata ccgcggaggtttgccatacttc-3′
KpnI
Reverse primer IMAO-2: (containing the BamHI
restriction site)
(SEQ ID No: 4)
5′-ata gtcgacagctgcgagcagac-3′
[0093] RT-PCR was used to detect the Mh-ACO2 expression among various transgenic plants, wherein the total RNA of new leaf tissue material was used. The result was shown in FIG. 6 . Compared with the total RNA of new leaf tissue of an un-transformed Musa spp., Mh-ACO2 expression quantity in transformed plants was reduced. However, there was variation in the degree of the silencing effect among different transgenic plants. When the Mh-ACO2 expression quantity of the un-transformed control group was taken as 100%, Mh-ACO2 gene expression in the transgenic plants of the transgenic strain No. 2AS-1 was knocked-down 79.3%, that of the transgenic strain No. 2AS-6 was knocked-down 96.0%, that of the transgenic strain No. 2AS-78 was knocked-down 86.3%, that of the transgenic strain No. 2AS-79 was knocked-down 54.4%, that of the transgenic strain No. 2AS-80 was knocked-down 89.2%, that of the transgenic strain No. 2AS-82 was knocked-down 96.0%, and that of the transgenic strain No. 2AS-87 was knocked-down 37.8% ( FIG. 6A-B ).
[0094] The Mh-ACO2 expression in tissues of leaf, stamen, pistil, petal, ovary and bract were observed between un-transformed control plant and Mh-ACO2-silenced transgenic plant. The result as shown in FIG. 7A-B indicated that, in un-transformed control group, except the less expression of Mh-ACO2 gene in leaf, it was found that Mh-ACO2 was mass expressed in reproductive organs of stamen, pistil, petal, ovary and bract. As compared with un-transformed control plant, the quantities of Mh-ACO2 gene expression in petal, stamen and pistil of transgenic plant indicated a significant silencing effect, i.e., 71.0% of Mh-ACO2 expression was inhibited in petal, the silencing effect in stamen was up to 61.5%, 60.5% of Mh-ACO2 expression quantity was knocked-down in pistil. Regarding the expression in leaf of transgenic plant, all transgenic plants had similarly low expression quantity. In addition, as compared with un-transformed control plant, expression of Mh-ACO2 had not been knocked-down in ovary and bract, with their expression quantities similar as those in plants of the control group ( FIG. 7A-B ).
2. The Observation on Transcription Inhibition of Transformed Gene by Small Fragment RNA Northern Hybridization Analysis
[0095] To the total RNA, 10 μL Urea loading dye (8 M urea, 20 mM EDTA-Na2, 5 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.5, 0.5% bromphenol blue) was added, the mixture was heated at 100° C. for 10 minutes, and then was stored on ice till used. Electrophoresis was carried out using 15% polyacryamide gel containing 8 M urea, and pre-heated 65° C. 1× TBE (10× TBE consisting of 0.9 M Tris, 0.9 M boric acid, 20 mM EDTA) as the electrophoresis solution, at voltage of 250 V. thereafter, RNA in the gel was blotted onto Hybond N nylon membrane (Amersham) with blotting electrophoresis chamber (Tanan VE-186) under conditions of using 0.5× TBE as the blotting electrophoresis buffer, voltage of 50 V, and blotting for one hour. The blotting membrane was then removed and air dried, cross-linked with UV 120 mJ/cm 2 as the cross-linker (Spectrolinker XL-1500), and then dried in vacuum at 80° C. for 1 hour to immobilize RNA. The preparation of nucleotide probe and the method for radioactive isotope labeling were carried out according to the Southern hybridization analysis described in Example 3.
[0096] The blotting membrane was allowed to react in a pre-hybridization solution (5×SSPE, 50% formamide, 0.5% SDS, 5× BFP) at 42° C. for at least 2 hours. Then, hybridization solution (5×SSPE, 0.5% SDS, 5× BFP, 200 μg/mL denatured salmon sperm DNA, 10% dextran sulfate) containing radioactive labeled probe was added and the mixture was allowed to react at room temperature for more than 16 hours. The reaction mixture was washed twice with Wash I solution (2×SSPE, 0.1% SDS) at room temperature for 15 minutes, then twice with Wash II solution (1×SSPE, 0.1% SDS) at 42° C. for 15 minutes, and finally, was exposed on X-ray film (Kodak XAR film) at −80° C.
[0097] RNA interfering technique was used to silence target gene, thereby produced RNA fragments of 21 to 27 nt in size. Northern hybridization analysis was used to detect these small RNA fragments to confirm the interfering on expression by these RNA. Total RNA was extracted from the stamen, pistil, petal, ovary and bract tissues of transgenic plant No. 2AS-79. Thereafter, electrophoresis separation was carried out on RNA denatured polyacrylamide gel to separate RNA of a size less than 100 nt, and cDNA of Mh-ACO2 was used as probe to perform detection. The result as shown in FIG. 8 revealed that, in petal part of 2AS-79 transgenic plant, expression of siRNA could be detected, with fragment size of about 25-27 nt. This result indicated that, RNA interfering action was executed actually in the transgenic plant. Unfortunately, no significant siRNA expression was detected in stamen, pistil, ovary and bract tissues. This result indicated that the action of RNAi and the producing quantity of siRNA were varied among tissue organs ( FIG. 8 ).
EXAMPLE 5
The Inhibition on the After-Ripening of Banana ( Musa spp.) by Using Gene Transfer Technique
1. The Ripening Test on the Fruit of Banana ( Musa spp.)
[0098] The fruit of banana ( Musa spp.) was used in this test. The fingers in a green stage were rinsed separately. Notches were coated with vaseline, air dried and stored for later use. The natural ripening test consisted of placing various fingers at 25° C. to allow them ripening naturally. The general manner for estimating the ripening degree of the banana ( Musa spp.) fruit comprised observation on the extent of color turning of pericarp, and then rating according to the fruit color index. Eight grades in total were classified between green pericarp color to the appearance of physiological flecks: the first grade was all green, the second grade was green—trace of yellow, the third grade was more green than yellow, the fourth grade was more yellow than green, the fifth grade was green tip, the sixth grade was all yellow, the seventh grade was yellow—flecked with brown, and the eighth grade was yellow with large brown areas.
[0099] As shown in FIG. 9A-B , it could be found in natural ripening treatment that fruits of un-transformed control plants started slowly turning color after about Day 5, reached the third grade by about Day 15, the fourth grade after Day 20, the fifth grade at Day 28, the sixth grade at day 32, the seventh grade at Day 35, and the eighth grade at Day 37. Compared with the fruit of un-transformed control Musa spp., the fruit color turning of Mh-ACO2-silenced transgenic Musa spp. plant indicated significant delayed ripening, transgenic plant pericarp started to turn slowly its color after Day 6, reached third grade on about Day 20, and the time interval between the third grade and the fourth grade was maintained for approximately 20 days, reached the fourth grade on day 40, and reached the fifth grade on Day 43 ( FIG. 9A-B ).
2. The Determination of Respiration Rate in the Fruit of Banana ( Musa spp.)
[0100] A single finger of the fruit of banana ( Musa spp.) was weighed separately, and was placed in a tight-sealed 1-L respiration chamber, and was stood at 25° C. for 1 hour. 1 mL of gas in the respiration chamber was drawn and was subjected to a gas chromatograph [Shimadzu GC-8AIT, in combination with a thermal conductivity detector (TCD)] with separation column of ⅛″×6 ft stainless steel column packed with Porpark Q (80-100 mesh) to determine the amount of carbon dioxide, under conditions that the temperature in the oven containing the column was set at 40° C., the temperature on the injection port was set at 80° C.; and hydrogen gas was used as the carrier gas under a pressure set at 1 kg/cm 2 . The height of the carbon dioxide peak obtained in the gas chromatography (GC) was used to calculate the respiration rate of the Musa spp. fruit: Respiration rate (ml
[0000] CO 2 /g/hr)=[(Peak height of sample/Peak height blank)/Peak height of standard gas×concentration of standard gas (%)×1/100×total volume (ml)]/[Sample weight (g)×time (hr)]
[0101] The producing quantity of naturally ripened fruit determined by means of GC was used to calculate the respiration rate of the ripened fruit. The result shown in FIG. 10A revealed that, before Day 17, respiration rates of both the fruit of un-transformed control Musa spp. and transgenic Musa spp. were performed at low stationary quantity, and no significant difference was existed between these two groups, while after Day 18, the respiration rate of un-transformed control fruit started to increase at about 0.03 ml CO 2 /g/hr, till it reached a respiration peak of 0.05 ml CO 2 /g/hr on Day 27, and then began to decrease. In contrast, the fruit of transgenic plant maintained a low quantity and stable performance till the last test date of Day 32 ( FIG. 10A ).
3. The Determination of Producing Quantity of Ethylene in the Fruit of Banana ( Musa spp.)
[0102] A single finger of banana ( Musa spp.) fruit was weighed separately, was placed in tight-sealed 1-L respiration chamber, and stood at 25° C. for 1 hour. Then, 1 mL of the gas in the respiration chamber was drawn, and was analyzed on a gas chromatograph [CHROMPACK CP9001, in combination with a flame ionization detector (FID)], on a separation column of ⅛″×6 ft stainless steel column packed with active alumina (80-100 mesh) under conditions that the temperature in the oven containing the column was set at 90° C., the temperature at injection port was set at 150° C., the temperature of the detector was set at 130° C., hydrogen was used as the carrier gas under a pressure set at 20 kPa, and the burning gases was hydrogen and air. The height of ethylene peak obtained in the gas chromatography was used to calculate the producing quantity of ethylene of the Musa spp. fruit:
[0000] Producing quantity of ethylene (μl C 2 H 4 /g/hr)=[(Peak height of sample−Peak height of blank)/Peak height of standard gas×concentration of standard gas (ppm)×total volume (ml)]/[weight of sample (g)×time (hr)]
[0103] The quantity of ethylene produced by the naturally ripened fruit was determined by GC. The result shown in FIG. 10B indicated that, before Day 20, the producing quantities of ethylene by both the fruit of un-transformed Musa spp. fruit and the fruit of transgenic Musa spp. were performed at low stationary quantity, and no significant difference was existed between these two groups. After Day 20, the un-transformed control plant began mass production of ethylene, and a peak producing quantity of ethylene, about 1.7 μl C 2 H 4 /g/hr, occurred on about Day 27. Then, the production of ethylene was dropped abruptly. In contrast, the transgenic plant performed at an extremely low quantity, with only a small quantity of ethylene, about 0.2 μl C 2 H 4 g/hr, being detected on approximately Day 30 ( FIG. 10B ).
EXAMPLE 6
The Ripening Treated Transgenic Banana ( Musa spp.)
1. The Ripening Test on the Fruit of Banana ( Musa spp.)
[0104] Each finger of test banana ( Musa spp.) fruit at the green ripe stage was rinsed separately. The notch thereof was coated with Vaseline. Then, they were dried naturally and stored for later use. The ripening test in this example adopted natural ripening and ripening by external application of ethylene, respectively. The natural ripening test comprised of placing each finger at 25° C. to allow them to ripen naturally. On the other hand, the ripening test by external application of ethylene comprised placing fruits in a respiration chamber containing ethylene at a concentration of 500 ppm and treated at 25° C. for 24 hours. Thereafter, the fruits of Musa spp. were removed from the respiration chamber, and the residual ethylene was removed in a hood, and then stored at 25° C. for allowing them to ripen.
[0105] The day before ripening at Day 0, and the first day after ripening at Day 1 were taken as the basis. It was pointed out that, after ripening treatment, the grade of fruits of control group Musa spp. plant began to increase at a rate of one grade/day since Day 1 after ripening, and reached the eighth grade on Day 8. In contrast, fruits of transgenic plant began to turning color on Day 2, reached the second grade on Day 3, the third grade on the Day 4, and since then, color turning was slightly delayed that it reached just the fourth grade till Day 6. Thereafter, their grades were increased at a rate of one grade/day till reached the eighth grade on Day 10 ( FIG. 11A-B ).
[0000] 2. The Determination Respiration Rate in the Fruit of Musa spp. after Ripening
[0106] The quantity of carbon dioxide produced by the fruit after ripening was determined by GC so as to calculate the respiration rate of ripening fruits. The result indicated that, on Day 1 after ripening treatment, the respiration rate of fruits from un-transformed control plant increased immediately and reached their performance peak on Day 2, and maintained a stationary high respiration rate, about 0.13 ml CO 2 /g/hr. The respiration rate began to decrease on Day 5, but increased again after Day 6. The respiration rate of transgenic plant performed similarly an abrupt increase on Day 1 of ripening treatment up to 0.075 ml CO 2 /g/hr, while decreased subsequently on Day 2. Thereafter, a low respiration rate was maintained at about 0.04 ml CO 2 /g/hr, and increased dramatically by Day 6. The respiration rate reached a peak value of 0.11 ml CO 2 /g/hr on Day 8, after which, it began to decrease, and increased again after Day 10 ( FIG. 12A ).
3. The Determination of Producing Quantity of Ethylene in the Fruit of Banana ( Musa spp.) After Ripening
[0107] The quantity of ethylene produced by the ripened fruit was determined by GC. The result indicated that, after Day 1 of ripening treatment, the quantities of ethylene produced by the fruit of un-transformed control group Musa spp. began to increase rapidly, and after reached a value of about 3 μl C 2 H 4 /g/hr on Day 2, maintained a stationary performance till Day 6. Then, the value began to increase again. After reaching a peak value of 5.2 μl C 2 H 4 g/hr on about Day 7, the producing quantity of ethylene decreased dramatically. On the other hand, the transgenic Musa spp. plant maintained a performance less than 0.1 μl C 2 H 4 /g/hr after ripening treatment, and increased only on Day 3. A peak value of 3.1 μl C 2 H 4 g/hr was reached on Day 5, and the producing quantity of ethylene decreased gradually and slowly but maintained at a value of between 2-3 μl C 2 H 4 g/hr ( FIG. 12B ). Therefore, it was possible to control the ripening time of said transgenic Musa spp. by artificial ripening treatment.
[0108] The composition and method for prolonging the shelf life of Musa spp. by using RNA interference provided according to the invention has following advantages over other conventional techniques:
[0109] 1. The composition and method for prolonging the shelf life of banana ( Musa spp.) by using interfering RNA provided according to the invention can control effectively the biosynthesis of ethylene in banana ( Musa spp.), and can delay the ripening more effectively than ordinary banana ( Musa spp.).
[0110] 2. The composition and method for prolonging the shelf life of banana ( Musa spp.) by using interfering RNA provided according to the invention, other than control effectively the biosynthesis of ethylene in banana ( Musa spp.), can control the ripening time of banana ( Musa spp.) by artificial ripening treatment, and thereby can greatly increase the economic value as well as the time frame of storage and transportation of banana ( Musa spp.).
[0111] 3. The gene transfer method for prolonging the shelf life of banana ( Musa spp.) provided according to the invention can be applied for the gene transfer of banana ( Musa spp.) more suitably and transfer efficiency than conventional gene transfer techniques.
[0112] Many changes and modifications in the above described embodiment of the invention can, of course, be carried out without departing from the scope thereof. Accordingly, to promote the progress in science and the useful arts, the invention is disclosed and is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.
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The invention relates to a composition and method for prolonging the shelf life of banana by using interfering RNA. Said method transfers a control cassette for Musa spp. ACC oxidase into banana by a novel gene transfer method, wherein said composition comprises an interfering RNA, a gene transfer expression vector and pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Said interfering RNA can inhibit/knock-down the mRNA expression of Musa spp. ACC oxidase and inhibit the biosynthesis of ethylene in banana, thereby delaying the ripening of banana, and consequently, prolonging the shelf life of banana.
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REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Reference is made to the following U.S. applications which are assigned to an assignee common to the present application:
Ser. No. 102,113 - filed Sept. 29, 1987
Ser. No. 102,134 - filed Sept. 29, 1987
Ser. No. 102,354 - filed Sept. 29, 1987
Ser. No. 102,383 - filed Sept. 29, 1987
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for inhibiting overrunning of an internal combustion engine utilizing engine vibrations.
OBJECTS AND FEATURES OF THE INVENTION
Portable working machines generally use a two-stroke engine as a power source. Particularly, a diaphragm type carburetor is employed to thereby make it possible to operate a machine in all attitudes. Accordingly, the two-stroke engine is often used for a chain saw, a brush cutter, etc. Generally such a portable working machine is operated with a light-weight, small-size and high-output internal combustion engine in order to enhance the working properties. However, in the chain saw or the brush cutter, when a throttle valve of a carburetor is totally opened under circumstances of a light or no torque load, the engine starts overrunning wherein the R.P.M. becomes excessive and may cause damage to the engine before a load is applied. The overrunning operation can likewise occur after the cutting work has been completed and the torque load is removed.
The overrunning may be avoided if the throttle valve is restored to a low setting every time there is an interruption of the work. However, because the intermittent work is repeatedly carried out, the operator often fails to cut back the throttle, thus resulting in damage to and shortening of the life of the engine.
In the past, this overrunning has been controlled by supplying an overrich fuel mixture to the engine when a throttle valve is fully opened or nearly fully opened under conditions of no or low torque load. However, this system increases the fuel consumption. Also, the ignition plug can become easily fogged, and exhaust fumes increase. Tar or the like tends to accumulate in the muffler.
The present inventors have proposed an anti-overrunning device as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1835/1986. In this device, a vibrating pump is normally driven to directly supply pressure air to an actuator, but the diaphragm of the vibrating pump is always unsteady due to the vibrations of the engine and, as a result, the operating stability is poor. Also, it is difficult to set an atuating point at which a throttle valve is closed by an actuator during overrunning of the engine. Furthermore, the vibrating pump is provided with a spring to force back the diaphragm, and therefore the amplitude of the diaphragm is restricted. A vibrating pump would have to be increased in size in order to obtain a sufficient pump capacity.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new anti-overrunning device for an internal combustion engine in which the engine may be run at a reasonable consumption amount of fuel in all running conditions, and, in an overrunning condition (running in excess of a set number of revolutions), a throttle valve is automatically actuated in a closing direction to reduce the amount of fuel-air mixture to the engine, in order to overcome the aforementioned problems.
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides an arrangement which comprises a vibrating pump for generating pneumatic pressure by vibrations of the engine; an actuator having a rod for urging a throttle valve lever in a direction to close a throttle valve by virtue of the pneumatic pressure of said vibrating pump; and a vibration sensor positioned in a passage for connecting a pressure chamber of the actuator to atmosphere to open the passage by virtue of the vibrations of the engine during overrunning thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view showing the structure of an anti-overrunning device for an internal combustion engine according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of a carburetor provided on the anti-overrunning device;
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the internal combustion engine provided with the anti-overrunning device;
FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the manner in which the anti-overrunning device according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the carburetor; and
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing the manner in which the anti-overrunning device according to the second embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the carburetor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE OPERATION
When the vibrating pump 41 mounted on an engine 10 is subjected to vibrations of the engine, the weight 44 as well as a diaphragm 58 supporting the weight 44 vibrate and positive or negative pressure air in the pressure chamber is fed to a pressure chamber 85 of the actuator 81. Accordingly, rod 92 is retracted against the force of a spring 89.
In the overrunning condition, the virbration of the engine becomes violent, the ball 107 of the vibration sensor 101 moves against the force of the spring 104, and a passage 39 is opened. Accordingly, a pressure chamber 85 is opened to atmosphere and the rod 92 is projected downward by the force of a spring 89. A throttle valve lever 29 as well as a valve shaft 28 are rotated by the rod 92 to reduce the opening of a fuel-air passage controlled by a throttle valve 27. In this manner, the quantity of the fuel-air mixture supplied to the engine is reduced, as a consequence of which the number of revolutions of the engine is lowered and the overrunning is automatically prevented.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the internal combustion engine 10, as shown in FIG. 3, a cylinder 16 having cooling fins 15 is closed at its upper end by a cylinder head 13 having cooling fins 12, and a crank case 21 is connected to the lower end thereof. A piston 14 fitted in the cylinder 16 and a crank shaft 19 supported on the crank case 21 are connected by a connecting rod 20. When the piston 14 is up, a mixture (a mixture of fuel and air) is taken into the crank case 21 from an intake port 17. The mixture is supplied to a chamber between the cylinder head 13 and the piston 14 when the piston 14 is down. As the piston 14 moves up, the mixture is compressed, and fuel is fired near the top dead center. The piston 14 is moved downward by the explosive force, and simultaneously the combustion gas is exhausted outside via the muffler 11 from an exhaust port 18. A carburetor 24 is connected to the intake port 17 through a heat insulating pipe 22. An air cleaner, not shown, is connected to an end wall 26 of a body 35 of the carburetor 24.
As shown in FIG. 2, a throttle valve 27 is supported by the valve shaft 28 on a venturi 34 formed on the body 35, and fuel is supplied to the venturi 34 by negative pressure of air passing through the venturi 34. Such a fuel supplying mechanism is known, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,623 and directly has nothing to do with the gist of the present invention, and will not be further described.
An upper end of the valve shaft 28 is rotatably supported on the body 35 by means of a bearing sleeve 38, and an inverted L-shaped throttle valve lever 29 is secured to the upper end. One end of a spring 36 wound around the valve shaft 28 is placed in engagement with the throttle valve lever 29 and the other end thereof placed in engagement with the bearing sleeve 38. Also, a boss portion of the lever 25 is slipped over the bearing sleeve 38, and one end of a spring 32 wound around the boss portion is placed in engagement with the lever 25 whereas the other end is placed in engagement with a pin 31 of the body 35. An engaging portion 37 of the throttle valve lever 29 is projected downwardly so that it may engage with the edge of the lever 25.
In FIG. 1, the throttle valve lever 29 is pivotally urged counterclockwise by the force of the spring 36 to cause the engaging portion 37 to abut against the lever 25. The lever 25 is pivotally urged clockwise by the strong force of the spring 32 to close the throttle valve 27. When the lever 25 is rotated counterclockwise against the force of the spring 32 by a trigger wire 30, the throttle valve lever 29 also follows the lever 25 to increase a throttle controlled opening degree by movement of the throttle valve 27.
The anti-overrunning device of the internal combustion engine according to the present invention is composed of a vibrating pump 41, an actuator 81 for reducing the throttle opening by movement of the throttle valve 27 through the throttle valve lever 29 and a vibration sensor 101.
The vibrating pump 41 has a diaphragm 58 sandwiched between cup-like housings 57 and 55 to form an atmospheric chamber 45 and a pressure chamber 46. Pad plates 42 and 51 are placed on both surfaces of a diaphragm 58, and a weight 44 is connected by means of a rivet 43. The pressure chamber 46 is provided with passages 56 and 47, to which port members 53 and 50, respectively, are connected. The port member 53 is provided with a check valve 54 to allow a flow of air from the passage 56 to a passage 52. The port member 50 is provided with a check valve 48 to allow a flow of air from an atmospheric opening 49 to the passage 47 through a strainer 60 (refer to FIG. 4). The passage 52 is connected to an inlet 90 of the actuator 81 by a pipe 23.
The actuator 81 has a diaphragm 84 sandwiched between cup-like housings 82 and 83 to form a pressure chamber 85 and an atmospheric chamber 86. Pad plates 87 and 88 are placed on both surfaces of the diaphragm 84, the plates being connected by the base end of a rod 92. The rod 92 slidably inserted into a hole 91 of the housing 83 is projected outward by means of a spring 89 interposed between the pad plate 87 and the housing 82. The fore end of the rod 92 is placed into abutment with the aforementioned throttle valve lever 29. The pressure chamber 85 and the atmospheric chamber 86 are provided with orifices 93 and 94 in communication with atmosphere respectively, whereby the extreme operation of the actuator 81 may be restricted.
The vibration sensor 101 is so designed that a closure 105 having a passage 106 is connected to the end of a cup-like housing 102, and a ball 107 is urged against a seat at the end of a passage 103 by means of a spring 104 accommodated in the housing 102.
The above-described vibrating pump 41 is preferably integrally connected to the lower end wall of the body 35 of the carburetor 24, and the actuator 81 and the vibration sensor 101 are connected to the upper end wall of the body 35, as shown in FIG. 3. The vibrating pump 41 and the actuator 81 are connected by the pipe 23. However, the vibrating pump 41 and the vibration sensor 101 may be mounted suitably on the engine 10. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing an embodiment wherein a vibrating pump, a vibration sensor and an actuator are mounted on the body of a carburetor.
It is to be noted that the diaphragm 58 of the vibrating pump 41 can be formed from a rubber impregnated fabric, a thin resin plate, or a thin metal plate other than a rubber plate. The shape of the diaphragm can be of a convolution type or a bellows-phragm type other than the flat plate. The weight 44 may be mounted interiorly of the pressure chamber 46 or mounted interiorly of both atmospheric chamber 45 and pressure chamber 46.
The actuating point of the vibration sensor 101 may be suitably set by varying the diameter and weight of the ball 107, the set load of the spring 104, the inside diameter of the seat portion of the passage 103 and the like. A configuration may be made so that the ball 107 is urged against the passage 106 by means of a spring.
In the following, the operation of the anti-overrunning device for the internal combustion engine according to the present invention will be described. Under conditions where the engine is operating at less than a predetermined number of revolutions, the intensity of the vibrations of the engine is weak, the vibration sensor 101 is in its closed state, that is, the passage 39 is closed by the ball 107. Upon receipt of the vibration of the engine, the diaphragm of the vibrating pump 41 vibrates up and down by reason of the weight 44 supported on the diaphragm 58. When the diaphragm 58 is inflated upwardly, pressure of the pressure chamber 46 lowers, and therefore the check valve 48 opens to take air into the pressure chamber 46 from the atmosphere opening 49 having strainer 60. Subsequently, when the diaphragm 58 is inflated downwardly, the positive pressure air in the pressure chamber 46 causes the check valve 54 to open and air under pressure is discharged toward the pipe 23. Accordingly, the air is supplied to the pressure chamber 85 of the actuator 81 via the pipe 23 from the pressure chamber 46. The rod 92 is forced upward against the force of the spring 89 and is moved away from the lever 29. Thus, the opening position of the throttle valve 27 is determined by the operating position of the lever 25 actuated by the trigger wire 30.
When the engine is operating a level above a predetermined number of revolutions, that is, in an overrunning state, the ball 107 of the vibration sensor 101 vibrates against the force of the spring 104 to open the passage 39 (FIG. 1). The pressure in the pressure chamber 85 is released to atmosphere and the rod 92 is forced down by the force of the spring 89. Thus, the throttle valve lever 29 is rotated clockwise along with the valve shaft 28, as shown by the chain lines in FIG. 4, and the opening controlled by the throttle valve 27 is reduced. As a result, the flow rate of the fuel mixture taken into the engine is reduced, and the number of revolutions of the engine decreases.
When the number of revolutions of the engine decreases, the intensity of the vibrations transmitted from the engine to the vibration sensor 101 is weakened (the amplitude is small), and therefore again the passasge 39 is closed by the ball 107. Then, the positive pressure air is supplied to the pressure chamber 85 of the actuator 81 from the vibrating pump 41, and the rod 92 is raised upward by the positive pressure against the force of the spring 89. The throttle valve lever 29 is rotated counterclockwise by the force of the spring 36, and the engaging portion 37 impinges upon the edge of the lever 25. In this manner the fuel opening controlled by the throttle valve 27 increases, and again the number of revolutions of the engine increases.
The position of the throttle valve 27 is determined by the rotated position of the lever 25 operated by the trigger wire 30. When the number of revolutions of the engine again increases and exceeds a predetermined number of revolutions, the vibration sensor 101 again opens, and the opening degree of the throttle valve 27 is decreased by the spring 89 of the actuator 81. The operation as described above is repeated whereby the operation of the engine is maintained at less than a predetermined number of revolutions, and the overrunning of the engine is automatically prevented without the need for the operator's operation of the trigger wire 30 according to the variation of load.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, an actuator 181 connected to the upper end wall of the body 35 of the carburetor 24 is actuated by negative pressure supplied from a vibrating pump 141. Members corresponding to those shown in FIG. 4 are indicated by reference numerals to which 100 is added. Provided in an atmospheric opening 149 of the vibrating pump 141 is a check valve 154 to allow a flow of air from a pressure chamber 146 to the outside. On the other hand, provided on a passage 152 is a check valve 148 to allow a flow of air from the actuator 181 to the pressure chamber 146.
The vibration sensor 201 is designed so that a ball 207 is urged against the end of a passage 139 by means of a spring 204 accommodated in a housing integral with the actuator 181.
The actuator 181 has a diaphragm 184 sandwiched between housings 182 and 183 to form a pressure chamber 185 and an atmospheric chamber 186, the atmospheric chamber 186 (and pressure chamber 185) being connected to atmosphere by orifice 194. Passage 123 connects orifice 193 with passage 152 and check valve 148. A rod 192 connected to the diaphragm 184 is urged upward by negative pressure supplied from the vibrating pump 141 to the pressure chamber 185 against the force of a spring 189.
When the engine exceeds a predetermined number of revolutions to increase vibrations, a ball 207 of the vibration sensor 201 moves against the force of the spring 204 to open the passage 139. Accordingly, the negative pressure in chamber 185 of the actuator 181 is reduced by being opened to atmosphere through the vibration sensor 201 and thence the rod 192 is urged down by the force of the spring 189, the throttle valve lever 29 is rotated clockwise, the opening controlled by the throttle valve 27 is reduced, and the number of revolutions of the engine decreases. Thereafter, the overrunning of the engine is prevented in a manner similar to that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.
As described above, the present invention comprises a vibrating pump for generating pneumatic pressure by vibrations of the engine; an actuator having a rod for urging a throttle valve lever in a direction to close a throttle valve by virtue of the pneumatic pressure of said vibrating pump; and a vibration sensor positioned in a passage for communicating a pressure chamber of said actuator to atmosphere to open said passage by virtue of the vibrations of the engine during overrunning thereof. Only a weight is mounted on the diaphragm of the vibrating pump and a return spring is not present. Therefore, a device which is small but has a sufficient pump capacity may be obtained. Moreover, it is possible to suitably set the maximum number of revolutions of the engine according to the formulation of the vibration sensor.
According to the present invention, during the overrunning of the engine, the opening degree of the throttle valve of the carburetor is automatically reduced to reduce the flow rate of the mixture taken into the engine. Therefore, there is provided a new anti-overrunning device which is positive in operation, may be run at a substantially reasonable fuel cost (rate of fuel consumption) in all running levels of the engine, is free of spark plug fouling, produces less exhaust fume, and results in less tar accumulation in the muffler.
Furthermore, since the operator can perform his work while a throttle handle is left fully opened because of actuation of the anti-overrunning device, the working efficiency may be enhanced, and the damage to, and the shortening of life of, the engine may be avoided.
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An anti-overrunning device for an internal combustion engine which includes a carburetor with a controlled throttle valve. An actuator for the throttle valve includes a spring-biased rod mounted on a diaphragm. The rod normally urges the throttle valve to a closing position. The actuator includes a pressure actuated diaphgram responsive to pressure from a vibrating pump. This pressure tends to open the throttle valve. A vibration sensor is positioned to relieve pressure on the diaphgram of the actuator and, in response to overrunning of the engine, causes the throttle valve to close in under the influence of the spring bias.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the dance arts and more particularly to improvements in the appearance of a dancer's foot.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In the dance arts such as ballet, modem dance, jazz and the like, the physical attributes of the dancer are of utmost importance. Desirable physical attributes of a dancer include a small to medium sized head, a long neck, proportionate torso, long legs which “turn out,” and most importantly, beautiful feet. The single most defining characteristic of a beautiful foot for dance purposes is the shape and extent of the arch. A well defined arch is known in the art as a “banana foot,” referring to a foot with a marked arch on the bottom of the foot and a complementary smooth radius shape to the top or instep of the foot. Such a foot thus resembles the shape of a banana.
[0003] Sadly, the opportunities for a dancer are often limited by the dancer's lack of the physical attributes just noted, especially in the area of the feet. For example, a dancer with exceptional dance abilities but who has relatively flat feet may be denied entrance to summer programs as a child, later be denied entrance into dance programs at universities, and ultimately be denied the opportunity to dance professionally. These opportunities are lost not because of the lack of dance ability, but rather because of a lack of an aesthetically pleasing foot.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 326,728 (J. J. Georges) discloses a pad attached to the top of the foot by straps for the purpose of giving a foot covered by a shoe a comely shape and preventing it from moving or sliding in a shoe or boot. The patent teaches that the shoe covers the pad. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 147,698 (J. B. Smith) and U.S. Pat. No. 374,106 (C. H. Winter) disclose pads to improve the form of the foot and to protect the foot from the laces of the shoe. In these patents, the shoe covers the pad and assists in holding same in place.
[0005] Other patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,901,658 (F. A. Larack) and U.S. Pat. No. 2,090,573 (F. D. 'Alessandro) address the discomfort a woman suffers in traditional high heeled shoes by providing cushioning pads or instep protectors that fit under the vamp portion of the high heeled shoe.
[0006] The prior art just noted teaches covering the foot with a traditional shoe or teaches relieving rubbing and irritation of the foot caused by the vamp of a high heeled shoe. However, the prior art above does not address improving the look of a substantially uncovered foot such as that of a dancer wearing a ballet slipper or pointe shoe. Further, quite unlike the shoes disclosed by the prior art just noted, a dance or “pointe shoe” conforms to the arch of the foot, thereby providing little no support to the dancer's arch and thus revealing the true shape of the bottom of the dancer's foot. If the dancer's foot be flat, a pointe shoe will reveal it. More specifically, every time a dancer's foot is off the floor, it is pointed, thereby revealing the arch, or lack thereof.
[0007] What is needed is a way to improve the look of a dancer's foot that is undetectable and that does not impede the dancer's ability to perform intricate dance movements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention is an apparatus and method for improving the appearance of a dancer's feet. By attaching a pad that has a curved top surface to the top of a dancer's foot, the shape of the top of the dancer's foot is improved. Additionally, the arch on the bottom of the foot appears more marked. The present invention can be employed with a wide variety of dance shoes and outfits to improve the appearance of a dancer's feet.
[0009] In one form thereof, the invention resides in the combination of a dance shoe and a pad that is attached to the dancer's foot. The dance shoe comprises a fabric material adapted to partially cover the foot of its wearer. A flexible sole is disposed on the bottom of the fabric and is adapted to conform to the shape of the arch of the foot. The fabric material terminates in a border which further defines an open top of the shoe and which is adapted to substantially expose the top or instep of the foot. The border also defines a vamp adapted to cover the toes. The pad is formed from a resilient and deformable material and is sized to substantially cover the top of the foot. The pad has an edge portion sized to be concealed under the border, whereby, when worn, the pad is substantially uncovered by the shoe and the shape and thickness of the pad augments the appearance of the top and bottom of the foot.
[0010] In a preferred form, the dance shoe further comprises a ribbon which is adapted to further conceal the edge of the pad. Ideally, the edge of the pad is either covered by the ribbon from the dance shoe or the border of the dance shoe, thereby being very difficult to detect and thus giving the foot a natural looking and aesthetically pleasing appearance. The curved appearance to the top of the foot is achieved by a pad whose top surface is curved, the pad tapering in thickness from its center to the edge.
[0011] More preferably, the pad can be made of foam or other suitable soft, resilient and lightweight material. This material is encased in cloth or fabric having a skin color. The pad includes a stretchable band attached thereto that is adapted to be placed around the foot and hold the pad in place.
[0012] In another form thereof, the present invention provides a method of wearing a dance outfit to augment the appearance of a dancer's foot. According to this method, a pad is attached to the top of the foot and thereby covers a portion of the top of the foot. A tight is donned over the pad, whereby the pad is concealed by the tight. Finally, a dance shoe having a substantially open top is worn over the tight, the pad being substantially or totally uncovered by the dance shoe. In this method, the top surface of the pad defines what appears to be the top profile of the dancer's foot and the pad thus enhances the appearance of the top and bottom of the dancer's foot.
[0013] More preferably, the method includes covering the side edges of the pad with the border of the shoe, the front edge of the pad with the vamp of the shoe, and the back edge of the pad with a ribbon of the shoe. In this manner, the edges of the pad are totally concealed from view and the pad is thus difficult to detect. Instead, the top of the dancer's foot appears as though it were more curved than it actually is.
[0014] One advantage of the present invention is that it improves the appearance of a dancer's foot yet does not interfere with intricate dance maneuvers such as brisé, entrechat quatre and the like that a dancer must perform. The dancer simply puts the inventive augmentation pad on before his or her tights and then performs as usual. The pad is so comfortable and subtle that dancers forget they are wearing it.
[0015] Another advantage of the present invention is that it can be used with a wide variety of commercially available dance shoes. The inventive pad of the present invention conveniently tucks under the border of many available dance shoes and in some shoes is in part concealed by the dance shoe's ribbon. The effect is that the dancer's foot appears more like a desirable “banana foot.”
[0016] Yet another advantage of the present invention is its cost. The pad of the present invention can be simply and cost-effectively manufactured from a variety of suitable materials.
[0017] Still another advantage of the present invention is that it may afford career opportunities to a dancer with outstanding dance abilities but uncomely feet. By improving the aesthetic appearance of a dancer's feet, the present invention can remove a significant obstacle to gaining entrance into a dance school or gaining a part in a performance. A dancer using the present invention can compete with dancers who were naturally endowed with more aesthetically pleasing feet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0018] The above-mentioned and other advantages of the present invention, and the manner of obtaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of the embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0019] [0019]FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a classically shaped dancer's foot wearing a traditional pointe shoe;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a dancer's foot that lacks some of the aesthetically pleasing qualities of the foot depicted in FIG. 1A, but is shown wearing the same pointe shoe as depicted in FIG. 1A;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the dancer's foot of FIG. 1A with the foot in a different position and illustrating the sole of the foot and shoe;
[0022] [0022]FIG. 1D is a perspective view of a dancer's foot shown wearing a ballet slipper;
[0023] [0023]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a dancer's foot shown wearing a pointe shoe and illustrating in phantom lines the pad in accordance with the present invention;
[0024] [0024]FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the dancer's foot of FIG. 2 illustrating in phantom the actual profile of the dancer's foot;
[0025] [0025]FIG. 3 is a perspective of a dancer's foot wearing a pointe shoe taken from above and illustrating the pad in accordance with the present invention in phantom;
[0026] [0026]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a pad in accordance with the present invention removed from a dancer's foot;
[0027] [0027]FIG. 5 is a plan view in partial cross section showing a pad in accordance with the present invention;
[0028] [0028]FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a dancer wearing tights having a pocket for receipt of a pad in accordance with the present invention;
[0029] [0029]FIG. 6B is a perspective view in partial cross section illustrating an alternate embodiment of a pad in accordance with the present invention;
[0030] [0030]FIG. 6C is a perspective view in partial cross section illustrating an alternate embodiment of a pad in accordance with the present invention;
[0031] [0031]FIG. 6D is a perspective view of a dancer wearing a pad which adheres directly to the skin in accordance with the present invention;
[0032] FIGS. 7 - 9 are perspective views illustrating a method of assembling a dance outfit in accordance with the present invention; and
[0033] FIGS. 10 - 13 are perspective views illustrating an alternate method of assembling a dance outfit in accordance with the present invention with a convertible tight.
[0034] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0035] The embodiments of the present invention described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the present invention.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 1A, a dancer's foot 20 is depicted wearing a pointe shoe 22 . As can be seen, the dancer's arch 24 is pronounced and aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, the dancer's instep 26 or top of the foot is also well-rounded and is therefore aesthetically pleasing. In stark contrast to the foot 20 depicted in FIG. 1A, foot 28 shown in FIG. 1B would not be generally regarded as aesthetically pleasing, even though foot 28 is shown wearing the same pointe shoe 22 as in FIG. 1A. Foot 28 has a poor or flat arch 30 and a substantially flat instep 32 . The opportunities for the dancer possessing foot 28 would probably be much more limited than the opportunities presented to the dancer possessing foot 20 , even assuming their respective dance abilities were equivalent.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 1C, pointe shoe 22 has sole 33 that substantially conforms to the bottom of the dancer's foot. In FIG. 1D dance shoe 34 has bifurcated soles 36 and 38 such that the fabric of shoe 34 substantially conforms to arch 24 . With any of these prior art dance shoes, the shape of the bottom of the foot will be seen by the audience watching the dancer because the bottom of the dance shoe substantially conforms to the bottom of the dancer's foot. If the foot be aesthetically pleasing, this is desirable. On the other hand, if the dancer's foot is flat or otherwise unattractive, the dance shoe will reveal it.
[0038] It is to be understood that the term “dance shoe” is to be construed broadly to cover pointe shoes, soft shoes and other shoes worn in dance wherein the top or instep of the foot is substantially uncovered. It is also to be understood that the term “dance routine” as used herein is to be construed broadly, ranging from an entire performance to single dance maneuvers, such as brisé, entrechat quatre and the like.
[0039] Turning now to FIG. 2 and FIG. 2A, it has been found that the appearance of a dancer's foot 28 wearing pointe shoe 22 may be enhanced by attaching a pad 40 of the present invention to the top or instep of the foot. For purposes of this specification, the term “attached” and derivatives thereof when used in connection with pad 40 is to be construed broadly to cover any means or method of substantially fixing in place or adhering pad 40 against the foot. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A, instep 32 has been actually physically augmented by pad 40 . Surprisingly, however, it has been found in practice that the appearance of arch 30 has also been enhanced, even though no augmentation had been performed directly upon arch 30 . It is believed that the enhanced appearance of arch 30 is achieved by the “mind's eye” viewing the entire foot as a composite and thus incorporating the augmentation of instep 32 into arch 30 .
[0040] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A and more particularly in FIG. 3, pointe shoe 22 includes a fabric material 42 , preferably satin, which is adapted to partially cover foot 28 . A flexible sole 44 made preferably from leather is typically sewn or glued on the bottom of fabric material 42 , as is known in the art. As mentioned above, sole 44 conforms to the shape of the arch 30 of the foot and provides little or no support therefor, such that the true shape of the arch is revealed. A shank is provided in the inside of shoe 22 (not shown), but such shank provides little support. Fabric material 42 terminates in a border 46 which further defines an open top 48 adapted to substantially expose the top or instep 32 of foot 28 , as is seen in FIG. 3. Border 46 can be formed of a piece of fabric sewn around the periphery of opening 48 . As shown in FIG. 3, border 46 defines a vamp 50 that covers the toes of the foot.
[0041] Pad 40 is formed of a resilient and deformable material that is sized to cover the top or instep 32 of foot 28 . Pad 40 has an outer periphery or edge portion 52 that is concealed under border 46 , which makes the existence of pad 40 difficult to detect. Preferably, edge portion 52 is covered at least in part by ribbons 54 , thereby further concealing the existence of pad 40 . Optionally, edge portion 52 of pad 40 can be sewn into border 46 of pointe shoe 22 (not shown). Typically, however, pad 40 is formed separate from shoe 22 such that pad 40 can be used with a variety of commercially available shoes.
[0042] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, pad 40 includes a foam or other material 56 encased or sewn into a fabric 58 , which is preferably of skin color to conceal the existence of pad 40 . The material 56 must be flexible and resilient, conforming to the dancer's foot, maintaining its shape, but not interfering with the dancer's intricate movements, such as brisé, entrechat quatre and the like. Material 56 should be of light weight. Many suitable materials can be used for insert 56 , such as foam having a wide variety of density, resilient polymers, open celled polymers, gel-pads, visco-elastic materials, conventional stuffings such as hair or feathers, and many other suitable materials. Optionally, pad 40 can be formed of a unitary material, thereby obviating fabric 58 . Pad 40 should be soft, lightweight, resilient, flexible and preferably washable. As shown in FIG. 5, material 56 and thus pad 40 gradually taper in a direction outwardly from the center. The taper occurs both front and back as well as side to side. The tapering thickness provides the appearance of curvature to the top of the foot that is otherwise lacking, and also makes the bottom or arch of the foot appear more pronounced.
[0043] Surprisingly, a “bubble effect” has been observed by virtue of the border 52 pressing down on pad 40 around its edges. That is to say, the curvature or roundness of the exposed part of pad 40 becomes more pronounced when the edges of pad 40 are pressed by border 52 . This enhances the aesthetically pleasing look of the dancer's foot.
[0044] Pad 40 also preferably includes an elastic band 60 which is placed around the foot and holds pad 40 in place as shown in FIG. 7. Band 60 can be made of elastic or other suitable stretchable material. It has been found that band 60 should be of substantially the same width as the pad, itself. A wide band 60 helps keep pad 40 in place while the dancer is performing.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 6A, tight 62 can be formed with a pocket 64 into which pad 40 ′ can be inserted. In this embodiment, the necessity for an elastic band 60 is obviated. Also, as mentioned above, the pad may be attached to the dance shoe by sewing it to the border thereof (not shown), although this method would have the disadvantage of not allowing the tight to cover the pad and conceal it and is therefore not preferred. FIG. 6B illustrates yet another embodiment of the present invention wherein pad 40 ″ includes a second soft material 72 underneath elastic band 60 . Material 72 can be comprised of the same composition as material 56 or may be an alternate material. Material 72 can be useful in cases where extra padding is necessary for the augmentation.
[0046] [0046]FIG. 6C illustrates a pad 140 wherein insert material 156 is separate from fabric 158 such that material 156 can be easily removed and replaced with a different size material or material of a different composition. FIG. 6D illustrates a pad 240 that adheres directly to the skin in the area of dashed line 242 such that a band such as band 60 is not necessary. It is envisioned that certain polymers have inherently adhesive qualities such that further adhesives are not necessary to maintain pad 240 against the foot while dancing. Alternatively, pad 240 can be adhered with any of a variety of adhesives that are well known in the art. Pad 240 can be formed of a clear or translucent material.
[0047] FIGS. 7 - 9 illustrate one method in accordance with the present invention of assembling or wearing a dance outfit to augment the appearance of the dancer's foot. In FIG. 7, pad 40 is attached to foot 28 by stretching elastic band 60 and pulling pad 40 into the desired location on foot 28 . Thus, a substantial portion of the instep 32 of foot 28 is covered with pad 40 . Next, with reference to FIG. 8, a dancer's tight 62 is pulled over over the dancer's leg and thus pad 40 , whereby pad 40 is concealed by tight 62 . Finally, with reference to FIG. 9, a dance shoe 22 having a substantially open top is placed on foot 28 over tight 62 such that pad 40 is substantially or totally uncovered by dance shoe 22 . Thus, the thickness of pad 40 enhances the appearance of the top and bottom of the dancer's foot, but pad 40 is invisible to the observer who is unaware of its presence. As noted with reference to FIG. 3, the edge of pad 40 is preferably covered with border 46 of the shoe and with the ribbons 54 , further concealing the pad. To help conceal the pad, its color can be a skin color such as beige, tan, brown, bronze, etc.
[0048] FIGS. 10 - 12 illustrate a method of assembling a dance uniform with a convertible tight 66 having openings 68 on the bottom thereof such that tight 66 can be donned prior to placing pad 40 on foot 28 . As shown in FIG. 11, tight 66 is rolled up around the ankle 70 such that pad 40 can then be placed on foot 28 as shown in FIG. 12. After, pad 40 is in place on foot 28 , tight 66 is pulled back over foot 28 and shoe 22 is then put on foot 28 as shown in FIG. 13.
[0049] Once the inventive dance outfit including a pad in accordance with the present invention is assembled, the dancer may perform her dance routine in confidence that her feet appear aesthetically pleasing, yet the enhancement is concealed from the audience.
[0050] While a preferred embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention has been disclosed hereinabove, the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
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An apparatus and method for improving the appearance of a dancer's feet. By attaching a pad that has a curved top surface to the top of a dancer's foot, the shape of the top of the dancer's foot is more aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, the arch on the bottom of the foot appears more marked. The present invention can be employed with a wide variety of dance shoes and outfits to improve the appearance of a dancer's feet. The pad is formed from a resilient and deformable material and is sized to substantially cover the top of the foot. The pad has an edge portion sized to be concealed under the border and ribbons of a dance shoe so that the existence of the pad cannot easily be detected. When worn, the shape and thickness of the pad augments the appearance of the top and bottom of the foot.
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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0001] Not applicable
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0002] Not applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and in particular to an interface for connecting local coils used in MRI imaging to an MRI machine.
[0004] Magnetic resonance imaging can provide sophisticated images of the human body by detecting faint nuclear magnetic resonance (“NMR”) signals, primarily from concentrations of hydrogen protons in the tissues of the body. In MRI, a patient is located in a strong, polarizing, magnetic field and hydrogen protons of the patient's tissues are excited into precession with a radio frequency (“RF”) pulse. A series of applied gradient magnetic fields are switched on and off to spatially encode the precessing protons by phase and frequency. A sensitive antenna is then used to detect the NMR signals which are reconstructed into images.
[0005] MRI machines normally provide an integral antenna as part of the magnet assembly that may be used both for the RF excitation pulse and for detecting the NMR signal. Preferably, however, the NMR signals will be detected using one or more “local coils” being one or more small antennas that may be positioned near the patient to provide for improved signal-to-noise ratio in the detection of the NMR signals.
[0006] Typically, a shielded cable is attached to the local coil to receive a signal from preamplifiers built into the local coil that amplify the signal before transmitting it to the MRI machine. The shielded cable may connect to a termination box on the MRI machine (a “dog house”) often at the end of the patient table, where signals from the shielded conductor are routed to the MRI processing electronics. The termination box may also provide a source of electrical power, transmitted through the shielded cable to the local coil, to power the preamplifiers. In addition, the shielded cable may conduct other electrical signals to the local coil including active decoupling signals communicating with decoupling circuits in the local coil to detune the local coil during the RF excitation pulse to prevent excessive current conduction in the local coil during that time period. The termination box may also provide a separate electrical connector for a second shielded cable passing to the local coil and conducting an RF excitation pulse to the local coil when the local coil operates both in a receive and transmit mode.
[0007] The area around the operating MRI machine represents a difficult electrical environment for connecting a local coil to the MRI acquisition circuitry, principally with respect to establishing a good radio frequency ground. The switched fields used during the imaging process can promote high shield currents on the shield that may cause heating and possible risk to the patient. Baluns, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,605,775 entitled: “Floating Radio Frequency Trap For Shield Currents” and hereby incorporated by reference and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, provide one method of reducing these shield currents.
[0008] The shielded cables passing from the local coils to the termination box are relatively bulky and inflexible, in part, as a result of the necessary physical separation required between the patient and currents in the shield (normally enforced by a thick insulator), and the inherent stiffness of the cable conductors. This later problem is exacerbated for multi-channel coils which employ separate conductors for each channel. The inflexibility and bulk of these shielded cables can cause storage problems when multiple coils must be stored on-site, for example, in the limited space of the MRI room.
[0009] One promising solution to the problems of shield currents and electrical interference is that of transmitting the NMR signals optically, for example, over optical fibers. However, this approach faces a number of practical problems. The first is the high cost of optical modulation circuitry suitable to provide high signal-to-noise transmission of the NMR signal, a cost that is multiplied by the number of channels of the local coil.
[0010] Optical connectors allowing connecting and disconnecting of the optical fiber system from the MRI machine are currently inadequate for use in the MRI environment and introduce unacceptable signal noise resulting from the extreme sensitivity of fiber connections to vibration induced changes in alignment.
[0011] Electrical power is still required by the optical modulator and/or preamplifier in the local coil, and cabling for this purpose offsets some of the benefit of increased flexibility of the fiber, as well as making any connector more complex, now having to handle optical and electrical signals.
[0012] One final problem with optical transmission of NMR signals from local coils is the large installed base of conventional local coils and MRI machines that are not “optically enabled”, accepting only electrical rather than optical signals. Such systems present an obstacle to large-scale adoption of an optical transmission system which initially would be suitable for only a small market of machines.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present inventors have recognized that the above obstacles to optical transmission of NMR signals can be moderated by a detachable optical cable system integrated with an optical modulator (and possibly a demodulator) so that connections between the optical cable and local coil may be made using a conventional electrical connector. In this way, the cost of the modulation circuitry can be shared among a number of coils, optical connectors are eliminated, and if the electrical connector is correctly chosen, the optical cable can be used for both new and legacy coils.
[0014] Specifically then, the present invention provides a local coil system having a support structure that may be positioned on or near the patient and at least one resonant electrical antenna attached to that support structure for receiving NMR electrical signals from the patient. A first electrical connector is attached to the support structure and receives the NMR signals to connect to a second electrical connector. The second electrical connector includes a photomodulator converting the NMR electrical signals to optical signals which are provided to an optical cable. A photodemodulator attaches to a second end of the optical cable to receive the optical signals and convert them back into NMR electrical signals for communication to an MRI machine.
[0015] It is thus one object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a practical method of implementing optical transmission of NMR signals from local coils by placing the photomodulator on the cable to be shared among multiple coils as connected with a standard electrical connector.
[0016] The optical cable may be unbroken by connectors between the first and second end.
[0017] It is yet another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to overcome the problem of decreased signal-to-noise ratio caused by current optical connectors. By integrating the modulator with the cable, electrical connectors can be used to disconnect the cable from the local coil and MRI machine, reducing or avoiding the need for optical connectors.
[0018] A third electrical connector may be used to allow the photo demodulator to communicate the NMR electrical signals to the MRI machine and the first and third connectors may have substantially identical electrical and mechanical configurations.
[0019] It is thus another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a migration path to optically enabled local coils by providing a cable system that may work with conventional MRI machines and with legacy local coils.
[0020] The photomodulator may be an electrically driven light source or an electrically driven light gate.
[0021] Thus it is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide a system that may flexibly work with different modulation types, for example, a laser diode or a Mach-Zehnder modulator.
[0022] The optical cable may be free from metallic electrical conductors. To this end, the system may include a light source attached to the second end of the optical cable providing an optical power signal, and the second electrical connector may further include a photocell receiving the optical power signal from the optical cable. The photocell may provide power to the photomodulator or preamplifiers associated with the coil or may provide a signal to electrically decouple the coil.
[0023] Thus it is another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to wholly eliminate electrical shields that reduce flexibility of the cable, and to thereby wholly eliminate shield currents such as increase electrical interference and produce undesirable heating of the patient.
[0024] In one embodiment, the optical cable may include metallic electrical conductors for passing power along the cable.
[0025] It is thus another object of at least one embodiment of the invention to provide for a low cost version of the optical transmission cable that does not require optical transmission of substantial power but which may use standard techniques to block shield currents on DC conductors.
[0026] These particular objects and advantages may apply to only some embodiments falling within the claims and thus do not define the scope of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] FIG. 1 is a simplified perspective diagram of an MRI machine having a magnet assembly and providing a patient table working with the magnet assembly and having contained optical cables that may connect a local coil either directly to the processing electronics of the MRI machine in a shield room or through the conventional electrical cabling of the table's termination box;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the optical cable of FIG. 1 showing use of an electrical connector to provide an electrical connection between the local coil and the optical cable through a photomodulator and photocells integrated into the optical cable;
[0029] FIG. 3 is a detailed fragmentary view of a photomodulator operating to gate or intensity modulate a light signal received from the second end of the cable;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a mechanical diagram of a optical cable of FIG. 2 as may work with both optically enabled local coils or legacy local coils and which may be used to retrofit existing MRI machines to optically enabled local coils; and
[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective view in phantom of an adapter module that may attach to the termination box of an MRI machine to convert a standard MRI machine into use with optically enabled local coils.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0032] Referring now to FIG. 1 , an MRI machine 10 may include a magnet assembly 12 providing a homogenous polarizing magnetic field within a bore 14 of the magnet assembly 12 .
[0033] The bore 14 may receive a patient table 16 for supporting a patient thereupon, the patient table 16 movable through the bore 14 during the examination process. The table 16 may include a termination box 18 at one end to which signals from local coils may be connected by means of connectors on the termination box 18 (not shown).
[0034] The termination box 18 communicates by means of shielded electrical cable 20 through a penetrator 22 in a shielded wall of the MRI room to an MRI processing unit 23 , the latter which receives the NMR signals and reconstructs them into an image. Shielded electrical cable 20 may also carry transmit signals in the opposite direction, the transmit signals being an RF pulse transmitted to some local coils that provide transmitting as well as receiving capabilities as will be described below.
[0035] In the present invention, the table 16 may include a number of pockets 24 along its edges, the pockets 24 holding electrical connectors 26 communicating with optical cables 28 (as will be described further below) that may pass to the termination box 18 after conversion into electrical signals or that may pass through opening 22 ′ in the shielded wall of the MRI room to a conversion unit 30 outside the MRI room that may convert the optical signals to electrical signals for use by the MRI processing unit 23 . In both cases, the optical cables 28 pass through guideways within the table 16 to provide them with mechanical protection and to prevent them from tangling or interfering with access to a patient. The optical cables 28 may also be used outside of the table 16 for legacy MRI machines or the like.
[0036] An optically enabled local coil 34 will typically provide a form 36 that may be rigid or flexible, as is understood in the art, to fit about a portion of the patient. An electrical connector 32 is supported on the form 36 , or attached to the local coil 34 by means of a short connecting lead (not shown), to receive signals from one or more loop antennas 38 .
[0037] The electrical connectors 26 of the optical cables 28 may be attached to corresponding electrical connectors 32 to receive electrical NMR signals therefrom. Multiple local coils 34 may connect to different electrical connectors 26 or a single local coil 34 may have up to 128 multiple channels connecting to multiple electrical connectors 26 . Generally the optical cables 28 have a smaller diameter and are more flexible and lower in weight than electrical counterparts.
[0038] Referring now to FIG. 3 , an example loop antenna 38 representing one channel on a local coil 34 may provide signals to a low noise preamplifier 40 contained within the local coil 34 . The preamplifier receives electrical power through a power lead 43 and provides an output signal on output lead 41 .
[0039] The local coil may further include active decoupling circuitry 42 that may receive an electrical signal on decoupling lead 44 to decouple the loop antenna 38 during a period when an RF excitation pulse will be received.
[0040] Each of leads 41 , 43 and 44 join to electrical connector 32 which may be connected to electrical connectors 26 joined to a first end 45 of the optical cable 28 .
[0041] Within a housing of the electrical connectors 26 , or closely attached thereto, each of leads 41 , 43 and 44 may connect to optical interface circuitry 55 providing a conversion between electrical signals and optical signals or vice versa.
[0042] Specifically, output lead 41 from the preamplifier 40 is received by a photomodulator 46 which, in a first embodiment, includes an impedance matching circuit 47 matching the output of the preamplifier 40 to the impedance of laser diode 49 . The laser diode 49 converts the electrical signals from the preamplifier 40 into a modulated light signal 50 coupled to a standard optical fiber 48 contained within the optical cable 28 . The laser diode 49 may be, for example, a constant light power in the absence of an NMR signal of approximately 10 milliwatts at a 1,550-nanometer wavelength that is linearly modulated in power to provide the required signal-to-noise ratio light signal 50 . It will be understood to those of ordinary skill in the art that other frequencies and powers may be used as dictated by the transmission window of the optical fiber 48 and dynamic range and noise floor requirements.
[0043] The light signal 50 is propagated along the optical fiber 48 to a second end 51 of the optical cable 28 to be received by electrical interface circuitry 95 including a demodulator 52 which may be, for example, a photodiode 53 together with the necessary biasing and impedance matching circuitry 54 providing an output signal 56 . The demodulator 52 may include filter elements, bias adjustments, and other well-known circuit features, and may be in the conversion unit 30 outside the MRI room, as described above, or may be in a housing of electrical connector 58 , or closely attached thereto, at the second end of the optical cable 28 . In the former case, the output signal 56 may proceed directly to the MRI processing unit 23 shown in FIG. 1 . In the latter case, the output signals 56 may pass through the electrical connector 58 to be received by corresponding electrical connector 60 attached to the termination box 18 described above.
[0044] The electrical interface circuitry 95 at the second end 51 of the optical cable 28 may also include one or more laser diode light sources 62 and 64 coupled to optical fibers 66 and 68 , respectively. Laser diode light sources 62 and 64 may deliver approximately one watt at 620 nanometers of wavelength. The low efficiency of current laser diode light sources cause them to dissipate as much as 10 watts per diode which may be removed from the circuitry (as is displaced from the patient) by heat sinks and/or air blowers. Piezoelectric nonmagnetic blowers may be used when the second end 51 of the cable 28 is in the magnetic field of the magnet assembly 12 .
[0045] The optical fibers 66 and 68 carry optical power signals 70 that are received by photocells 72 and 74 at the first end 45 of the optical cable 28 . The photocells 72 and 74 may be followed by power conditioning circuitry including DC-to-DC converter modules, filters and the like to provide a source of DC power to the local coil 34 .
[0046] In one embodiment, DC power from photocell 72 may be received by the photomodulator 46 along lead 73 to provide for biasing current and the like, and by the low noise preamplifier 40 along lead 43 passing through electrical connectors 26 to electrical connector 32 .
[0047] The electrical signal from photocell 74 may provide a decoupling signal on decoupling lead 44 to decoupling circuitry 42 . Laser diode light source 64 thus will be activated to produce signal 78 when loop antenna 38 must be decoupled. Alternatively, laser light source 64 may be of lower power and may activate a photodiode (used directly as a decoupling circuit element) or to switch power from photocell 72 to the decoupling lead 44 .
[0048] In the embodiment of FIG. 2 , the cable 28 is composed exclusively of optical fibers with no metallic conductors, and thus no electrical shielding is required. As a result, no shield currents are generated and no protection against heating of the patient is required.
[0049] Referring now to FIG. 3 in an alternative embodiment, the photomodulator 46 ′ may be a Mach-Zehnder type photomodulator that does not require a source of electrical power, but receives light 80 along an additional optical fiber 82 and the NMR electrical signal on output lead 41 to modulate the intensity of the light 80 to produce modulated light signal 50 that is returned to the demodulator 52 . The light 80 may be supplied by a laser diode light source (not shown) similar to laser diode light sources 62 and 64 .
[0050] The embodiment of FIG. 3 may also eliminate metallic conductors in the cable 28 using the light power signals 70 as described above. Alternatively, it will be understood that some metallic conductors 86 may be employed together with optical fiber 48 (and possibly optical fiber 82 ) in lieu of optical fibers 66 and 68 in a embodiment where low frequency signals and power are conducted on copper conductors while the NMR signals is transmitted optically. In this embodiment, a shield may be required and shield currents must be suppressed by conventional methods such as baluns, chokes or high resistance cable. The benefit of low electrical interference with the NMR signal on optical fiber 48 and improved flexibility to the cable by eliminating some shielding and metallic conductors is still obtained.
[0051] Referring again to FIG. 2 , while only a single loop antenna 38 (and hence single channel) is shown, the invention contemplates that multiple channels may be accommodated by a given cable 28 by adding additional optical fibers while still increasing the flexibility of the cable over an electrically conductive version.
[0052] Referring now to FIG. 4 , the electrical connectors 26 may be compatible with electrical connectors 90 standardly used on local coils that are not optically enabled as well as with electrical connectors 32 of the optically enabled local coil 34 . In this way, the cables 28 may be used for both types of coils facilitating the migration of hospitals from one system to the other.
[0053] The optical interface circuitry 55 such as the photomodulator 46 and photocells 72 and 74 may be connected with fibers 48 , 82 , 66 and 68 of the cable 28 by factory-made permanent connections without the need for releasable connectors because the optical cable 28 can be disconnected from the local coil 34 at the interface between electrical connectors 26 and 90 or 26 and 32 . Likewise at the second end 51 of the cable 26 , the electrical interface circuitry 95 may be connected with fibers 48 , 82 , 66 and 68 of the cable 28 by factory made permanent connections without the need for releasable connectors either by permanent connection to the conversion unit 30 holding the electrical interface circuitry 95 , or by the interface between electrical connectors 58 and 60 . The use of the factory controlled termination without the need for releasable optical connectors provides substantial gains in signal-to-noise ratio.
[0054] While the electrical interface circuitry 95 may be connected directly to the MRI machine 10 , when connectors 58 and 60 are used, they may be made mechanically identical to electrical connectors 32 and 26 , respectively, to allow the system to work with existing MRI machines 10 .
[0055] Referring now to FIG. 5 in MRI machines 10 with a termination box 18 , an adapter module 100 may be developed to facilitate transition of an MRI machine 10 to optical signal communication. The termination box 18 typically provides connector 60 for handling signals received for receive local coils 34 and a connector 102 providing signals output to transmit-type local coils 34 . The adapter module 100 may therefore include a connector 104 connecting to connector 102 and providing a pass through to a connector 106 that may be received by connector 108 of the transmit coil.
[0056] Similarly, connector 60 may join to connector 58 , as has been described, which may provide signals to the electrical interface circuitry 95 and then to cable 28 . In parallel, connector 58 may connect to a pass-through connector 110 that may connect to connectors 90 of legacy coils or the like.
[0057] Importantly then, the present invention provides a migration path overcoming the compatibility problems that would otherwise occur in the transition from electrical to optical communication of the NMR signals.
[0058] It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein, but include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims.
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An implementation of an optical transmission path for NMR signals from local coils in magnetic resonance imaging employs a photomodulator that may be incorporated into a connecting optical cable to be shared among multiple local coils and to provide for connection and disconnection at an electrical interface eliminating the need for optical connectors.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the art of temperature sensing in turbines, and in particular to temperature sensing in an interstage cavity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Temperature sensing at various locations in gas turbines is disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,741,919; 3,167,960; 3,348,414; and 3,788,143. Of the various locations at which temperatures are sensed in the turbine, only the last noted patent is concerned with temperature sensing of the interstage cavity of a turbine. As that patent correctly states, one of the most critical components of the gas turbine is the rotor disc which is exposed to high centrifugal stresses and high temperatures and, accordingly, it is advantageous to have a continuous indication of the temperature of the metal forming the rotor disc. That patent is thus concerned with the provision of apparatus for sensing the interstage cavity fluid temperature which reflects the disc metal temperature. In that patent the temperature probe assembly includes a flexible end portion which steers the temperature sensing element into one of the so-called seal regions defined between the downstream side of a seal housing structure and the facing rotor disc.
An arrangement according to our invention serves a different requirement in that whereas the reference patent is concerned with measuring the temperature in that part of the cavity through which the gaseous coolant passes to cool the downstream disc, with the present invention the temperature measured is indicative of the environment surrounding elements which will have temperatures more closely reflecting the rotor disc metal temperatures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with our invention, a temperature probe assembly having a straight line configuration is provided with a temperature sensing element at its inner end which is disposed in a radially directed bore in the seal housing structure and through which fluid is bypassed from an intermediate location along a leakage path formed between the seal housing structure and the facing rotor, the leakage path being provided with seal means which limits the leakage therethrough and with a small proportion of the leakage being bypassed past the sensing element and to the downstream region of the interstage cavity.
DRAWING DESCRIPTION
The single FIGURE is a partly-broken, partly-sectioned view of a part of a gas turbine having a single interstage cavity, and provided with a temperature sensing arrangement according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
While the invention will be described in connection with a typical gas turbine, it will be appreciated that it may be used in steam turbines or other similar structures which have environmental conditions which would make the invention useful therein.
Since the major parts illustrated are typical of gas turbines for purposes of this invention, these major parts will only be generally described since their relation to other parts and operation are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
A turbine outer cylinder or casing 10 encompasses a blade ring 12 and associated structure (not shown) and from which, in a radially inner direction, is situated the rotor blades 14 in an annular array at the peripheries of the rotor discs 16 which are fastened together at an intermediate point to form a part of the rotor 18. The stator vanes 20 are also disposed in an annular array radially inwardly of the blade ring 12, with the inner ring of the stator vanes being in generally sealing relation with what is herein called the seal housing structure 22, which is disposed in the interstage cavity defined between the two rotor discs 16. The direction of flow through the turbine is as indicated by the directional arrow to the left of the Figure so that the region 24a is the upstream region of the cavity and that of 24b is the downstream region of the cavity.
As is typical with gas turbines of the type to which the invention is applicable, the radially inner face 26 of the seal housing structure 22 is provided with seal means such as the labyrinth seal 28 projecting toward the facing radially outer face 30 of the rotor 18. Thus the seal in the leakage path 32, defined between the facing parts, limits the degree that fluid flows from the higher pressure upstream region 24a in the interstage cavity to the lower pressure downstream region 24b of the interstage cavity.
Now, in accordance with the concept underlying our invention, while measuring the fluid temperature in the upstream or downstream regions 24a or 24b will reflect the metal rotor disc temperature reasonably, these regions are also subject to stratification of the fluid caused by localized hot and cool flows in the complex flow arrangement. It is our view that a considerably more accurate sensing of temperature reflecting the metal rotor temperature is obtainable from the flow in the leakage path 32 because of the mixing of the flow by rotation of the rotor and the further mixing of the flow by a throttling effect as the fluid passes through the leakage path and by the labyrinth seal. The temperature of the flow in this circuit including the leakage path 32 will be affected in its flow by the disc seal land 18b and the disc seal arms 18a so that the temperature of the gaseous coolant measured will be indicative of the environment surrounding these parts.
Thus, in accordance with our invention, the housing seal structure is provided with a venting passage generally designated 34 which has an upstream end 36 at an intermediate location along the leakage path and a downstream end 38 open to the downstream region 34b of the interstage cavity. The venting passage comprises a number of interconnecting bores in the seal housing structure and includes one of which is a radially directed bore 40 and which, near its radially outer end, is in communication through a reduced diameter aspirating orifice 42 with the downstream end of the passage. It is into this radially directed bore 40 that the one end 46 of the probe assembly 44 provided with the temperature sensing element is disposed. In the case of commercial structures in which this invention is to be embodied, the temperature sensing elment comprises a thermocouple enclosed within the relatively small diameter tube, also designated 46.
The probe assembly generally designated 44 comprises a series of concentric tubular elements which function as shields for the thermocouple wire, and provide a straight line configuration to facilitate accurate placement of the inner end 46 with the probe extending from exteriorly of the turbine and radially inwardly into the turbine with the end 46 in the radially directed bore 40. The reduced diameter end tube 46 of the assembly is preferably connected in a conical junction to an outer tube 48 of larger diameter which extends out through the hollow stator vane 20, through the blade ring 12 and through the outer casing 10 to a location exterior of the turbine casing, and with a compression spring 50 encompassing the tube 48 and serving as a biasing means forcing the conical junction into tightly seated relation at 52 to the radially outer end portion of the bore 40. The seal so formed at 52 prevents contamination of the bypass flow in the bore 40 by extraneous cooling flow so as to minimize conduction, convection, and radiation errors in the temperature sampling. The reduced diameter end portion 46 containing the thermocouple provides a relatively high heat transfer coefficient and is of sufficient length so as to minimize conduction error in the temperature readings by the interior thermocouple.
The diameter of the aspirating orifice 42 is selected to give the least flow rate which will be adequate to provide the required heat transfer to the thermocouple tip thus assuring temperature measuring accuracy.
From the foregoing it will be apparent that the arrangement according to the invention provides a thermocouple probe temperature measuring system which samples the proper environmental disc cavity region by virtue of the self-aspirating sampling feature provided within the seal housing geometry shown. At the same time, the thermocouple probe system can readily be replaced or checked without disassembly of any of the basic turbine components.
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An arrangement for sensing temperature in an interstage cavity 24 comprises an extractable temperature probe 44 having a radially inner end sensing portion 46 disposed in a bore 40 in a seal housing 22, the bore 40 receiving bypassing fluid flow which enters the bypassing passage 34 from a location intermediate the axial extent of a sealed leakage path 32 between the upstream and downstream regions 24a and 24b, respectively, of the interstage cavity. These components collectively form the self-aspirating disc cavity seal temperature measuring system.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to structures for use in swabbing fluid from an oil-well bore and more particularly involves a reinforcing structure for a swab cup and the method of manufacturing it.
Swabbing generally is the removal of liquid from a well by means of a sealing element mounted on a tool and lowered into a well by means of a wireline. The tool is lowered through a suitable amount of tubing and then lifted within the well effecting a seal with the pipe and lifting fluid above the tool to the surface. Packer cups are generally used to seal well pressure in one direction and are mounted on a well tool and positioned in a sealing engagement with well pipe. Packer cup application normally is a static or limited movement application.
There are a multitude of prior well swab bodies using a plurality of shaped wires held in base structures of various types as the reinforcing structure. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,347 issued to T. B. Losey. Also, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,724,337, 3,724,338 and 2,581,981 in which vertical reinforcing wires are clamped between two concentric base rings and an elastomeric material is bonded therearound.
There are also prior well swabs employing metallic cones or corrugated cylinders as the reinforcing structure. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,898,292 issued to C. S. Crickmer and U.S. Pat. No. 2,013,903 issued to F. A. Thaheld. There are also prior well swabs employing slotted metallic cylinders as wear protective structures. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,619,393 issued to R. E. Wilson and J. A. Wilson and U.S. Pat. No. 2,456,551 issued to R. A. Wilson.
The disadvantages of the aforementioned swabs which utilize upstanding tines or wires clamped between two concentric base rings are serious and include the particularly bothersome problem of "drift" during molding.
The normal procedure for manufacturing swab cups is to locate a complete set of reinforcing wires between two concentric base rings and then swage one or both of the rings into tight clamping arrangement with the wires. For example, the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,724,337 and 3,724,338 generally located the vertical wires between a hardened metal outer ring and a softer metal inner ring and then "expand" the inner ring outward to clamp the wires in place.
After the reinforcing structure is formed, it is usually then placed inside a swab cup mold and viscous elastomeric material is pressure injected into the mold to encapsulate the metal structure and fill in and around all the open spaces in the wires and base rings. The elastomer is then cured, and the cup is trimmed and is ready for use.
The difficulty encountered with this process is that the pressure injection step, involving radical thermal changes and high flow rates, tends to separate the two base rings and float them apart some distance. This results in misalignment of the upward extending wires as well as a weakening of the entire swab structure. Oftentimes, the wires will protrude through the side of the elastomeric wall and resulting in rapid wear and breakage.
In addition to this disadvantage, the hardening of the base ring is an additional step that results in greater expense and time of manufacture. This hardening is done in the prior art methods (which swage outward) in order to maintain the reinforcing cage OD within acceptable dimensional tolerances.
Disadvantages with unitary cup reinforcing structures made from tubular material are due to the time consuming machining operations and resultant high cost.
These disadvantages are overcome by the present invention which utilizes a single U-shaped annular base cup to receive the upward tines therein and which can be swaged inward to clamp the tines tightly. Because the base is a single element, it eliminates any "drift" encountered during injection molding of the elastomer. The present invention also eliminates the need for providing a hardened metal base ring.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of the reinforcement structure.
FIG. 2 is an end view of the structure of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a finished swab cup.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention discloses a metal reinforcing structure 10 for use in an elastomeric well swab element. Although the reinforcement structure is depicted as metal, it could be of any suitable strong material such as fiberglass or plastic.
Structure 10 consists of a plurality of upwardly extending wires 12 rigidly secured inside a U-shaped circular base cup 11. Wires 12 may have a circular cross-sectional shape or be of any other convenient configuration. They have an elongated upper portion 12a, an S-curved intermediate portion 12b, and a short lower end 12c. The combination of this plurality of wires forms a generally cylindrical cage assembly having a narrowed lowered end.
The base cup 11 is preferably formed from a single annular piece of metal pressed or forged into the U-shaped configuration illustrated. The wires 12 are placed in the slot formed in the base cup 11, and the outer wall 11a may be swaged downward to hold the wires tightly therein. Alternatively, the inner wall 11b may be swaged outward to clamp the wires tightly.
After the wires have been clamped tightly in the base cup in a relatively equispaced relationship, the structure is then placed in a swab cup injection mold and positioned therein by means well-known in the art.
A viscous elastomeric material is then injected into the mold under sufficient heat and pressure to fill in all the spaces around the wires and base cup. After the elastomer sets up, it may be cured by well-known means and then finished to size.
FIG. 3 illustrates the finished swab cup 13 having an elastomeric material 14 bonded therearound. A central bore passage 15 is provided through the swab cup to allow its placement on the swab mandrel.
An inward crimp 16 of the wires 12 at their upper ends may be provided to prevent the swab cup from hanging in the collars when moving up the conduit string with a load of fluid.
Thus, by providing a base comprising a single element, this invention has solved the problem of drift occurring in multi-element base sections. Also, by providing a single base element, this invention allows an inward swaging step to clamp the wires in place, thus eliminating the required hardening step of the prior art structures. The outer wall of the base cup is of the same generally soft metal as the inner wall and can be swaged down to the required size. A swaging mandrel is normally used inside the base cup inner 11b to prevent deformation of the inner wall.
Although a specific preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in the detailed description above, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms of embodiments disclosed therein since they are to be recognized as illustrative rather than restrictive and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited. For instance, whereas the use of individual wires are illustrated, it is clear that a single cylindrical tube could be used by cutting vertical slots through the wall to form upward extending tines. Also, other means than swaging can be used to clamp the wires in place in the base cup such as resins or so-called super glues like cyanomethacrylate. Other materials than metal can be used to form the wires and/or the base cup. Thus, the invention is declared to cover all changes and modifications of the specific example of the invention herein disclosed for purposes of illustration which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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An oilwell swab cup is formed by clamping a plurality of vertical wire members in a circular U-shaped cup and molding an elastomeric material around the wires and cup.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Publishing or printing houses typically utilize presses and the like which are capable of producing and processing signatures at high input rates. For example, the printing of newspapers which consists of printing various pages, interleaving the pages and folding the newspaper are all operations capable of being performed at high rates of speed. Once the individual pages or sheets forming the signature are interleaved and folded, the completed signatures are typically moved in a continuous stream at speed as high as 80,000 per hour whereupon the signatures, arranged in overlapping fashion with their folded edges forward and moving in the downstream direction, are typically delivered to a "mailroom" facility having a capability of stacking the signatures into bundles of a predetermined count (such as 50, 75, or 100 per bundle, for example), and then wrapping or tying each completed bundle, whereupon the bundles are delivered to trucks and the like for distribution thereof.
There exists a number of situations in which it is desirable to be able to remove one, a few, or a small or even large predetermined number of signatures from the delivery stream.
For example, it is typically desirable to be able to periodically remove one or two signatures from the delivery stream for examination as to print quality, neatness of folding and the like.
As another example, it may be desired to divert one, several, or even a large number of signatures away from the normal delivery stream for a variety of reasons such as, for example, that the first stacking location may have experienced a malfunction or in the event that the signatures are to be handled in alternating fashion by the first and second stacking assemblies in alternating fashion.
In addition to the above, it is frequently desired to remove paster copies interspersed with otherwise acceptable signatures so as to prevent the paster copies from being erroneously delivered to the stacking and bundling apparatus. Paster copies are the result of the pasting of the end of an exhausted paper roll to the beginning of a fresh paper roll during the printing operation, whereby the pasted ends form a poor quality signature.
The type of apparatus which is necessary to perform the above-defined objectives, i.e. that of extracting one, several or a large number of signatures from a delivery stream without otherwise affecting the normal delivery of the nonextracted signatures, must be capable of intercepting the delivery stream and diverting the signatures desired to be extracted from the stream to be removed from the delivery stream at an extremely high rate of speed so as not to divert any signatures which are to undergo normal delivery along the main or nondiverted delivery path.
One conventional apparatus for achieving this is described in copending application Ser. No. 398,072 filed Sept. 17, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,019.
In this apparatus, the signature stream is moved along a delivery path having a slight bend so that the spine of each signature is caused to be lifted a small predetermined distance away from the engaging top surface of the preceeding adjacent downstream signature to form a gap between the lifted spine and the top surface of the preceeding adjacent downstream signature. During normal operation, the signatures normally move over the bend in the delivery path and pass along delivery belts to the desired location which may, for example, be stacking and wrapping or tying apparatus, there being no interference with the delivery of signatures thereto. In order to extract one, several or a large number of signatures, a reciprocally movable shunting device comprised of a carriage supporting a pair of cooperating closed loop belt assemblies is moved substantially diagonally downward toward the region of the aforesaid bend in the normal delivery path so that the forward end, or nose, of one of said closed loop conveyor belt assemblies enters into the region of the gap formed between the folded edge, or spine, of a signature approaching the bend and the next adjacent downstream signature which has passed the bend in the normal delivery path by an amount sufficient to cause its spine and an intermediate portion of the downstream signature to assume a curvature following the delivery path. Thus the signature whose spine is just beginning to pass over the bend is diverted and is caused to move upwardly between the pair of cooperating conveyer belt assemblies until it is at least partially captured therebetween. As soon as the signature (or signatures) has (have) been captured between the cooperating conveyor belts, the reciprocating assembly moves upwardly at a rapid rate so that the movement of signatures between the cooperating conveyor belt assemblies, together with the diagonally upward movement of the conveyor belt assembly carriage causes the extracted signatures to rapidly move diagonally upward and away from the normal delivery path, allowing upstream signatures in the main path to continue their normal delivery path without any interruption whatsoever.
The major drawback in the above-mentioned structure resides in the fact that the assembly which reciprocally moves the pair of closed loop conveyor belt assemblies respectively into and out of the intercept position has a substantially large mass which, in the embodiment taught in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,019, is in excess of 100 pounds. Since the assembly is accelerated from a standstill position into the intercept position and is then abruptly moved from the intercept position to the withdrawn position, the large amount of mass which must be moved in order to accomplish the extraction operation for as few as one signature results in a necessarily sluggish apparatus which is incapable of performing extraction of as few as one signature from a stream of delivery signatures operating at very high rates of speed, or alternatively, one which requires extremely large driving forces.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is characterized by providing the desired extraction and/or stream diverting capability at extremely high rates of speed so as to be capable of extracting as few as one signature from a main delivery stream of signatures even in applications where the delivery rate in the normal delivery stream is as high as 80,000 signatures per hour or greater.
The extractor arrangement of the present invention is comprised of a first stationary closed loop conveyor belt assembly which is continuously operated and which has its lower end positioned a spaced distance above the normal delivery stream so as not to in any way interfere with the delivery of signatures along the normal or main path. Piston means are provided for reciprocally moving the upper and lower ends of a second closed loop conveyor belt assembly cooperating with the first closed loop conveyor belt assembly so as to have an upper run substantially in engagement with a lower run of the first stationary closed loop conveyor assembly. In normal operation, i.e. when no extraction operation is desired, the upper and lower ends of the second (movable) closed loop conveyor assembly are moved to a position so that the lower end thereof is positioned well above the normal or main delivery path so as not to interfere with the delivery of signatures therealong. A plurality of roller assemblies are provided at the upper and lower ends, which assemblies are mounted to carriage means movable by a reciprocating piston assembly designed to simultaneously move the upper and lower roller assemblies either downwardly toward an intercept position or upwardly and away from an intercept position. Intermediate roller means are provided between the upper and lower roller assemblies to maintain proper tension in the conveyor belts of the second (movable) conveyor assembly entrained about the aforementioned rollers.
When an extraction operation is desired, the piston assembly is activated to drive the carriage, and hence the upper and lower roller assemblies downward so that the lower roller assembly moves toward a bend arranged in the normal conveyor path so as to ultimately move the lower roller assemblies into the gap region between an adjacent pair of signatures (hereinafter referred to as the "intercept" position). The movable conveyor assembly remains in the intercept position for a period of time sufficient to extract one, two, several, or a small or large predetermined number of signatures. When the desired number of signatures to be extracted has been reached, the piston assembly drives the movable conveyor assembly diagonally upwards and away from the intercept position at a speed sufficient to remove the lower end of the movable conveyor assembly out of the intercept location, so as not to interfere with the normal delivery of those upstream signatures which are desired to be moved along the main delivery path. Due to the significantly reduced mass of the movable conveyor assembly, and further due to the fact that the movable conveyor assembly belts and the belts of the stationary first conveyor assembly cooperating therewith move at a linear speed which is of the order of three times the speed of movement of signatures passing along the normal delivery path, the extracted signatures are thereby rapidly removed from the normal delivery path so as to have substantially no effect whatsoever upon those upstream signatures which are to be moved along the main delivery path.
The significantly reduced mass of the second (movable) conveyor assembly enables this conveyor assembly to be moved in either direction through a distance of the order of one foot in less than 75 milliseconds or, in other words, being capable of driving the movable conveyor assembly at a velocity of the order of 160 inches per second, or 13 feet per second, enabling the rapid extraction of as few as one signature without interfering with the normal flow of unextracted signatures along the main delivery path.
Highly accurate timing of the extraction operation is obtained by activating first and second counter means under control of signature sensor means to precisely track the signature to be extracted. When the first counter reached a predetermined count, the piston is activated to move the movable conveyor assembly into the intercept position. When the second counter achieves the predetermined count plus a count of pulses equal to a predetermined additional travel distance (typically of the order of three inches), the piston assembly is again activated to withdraw the movable conveyor assembly from the intercept position whereby the single signature to be extracted is moved between the first and second conveyor assembly at a velocity of the order of three times the velocity of signatures moving along the main path so as to rapidly remove the extracted signature from the main delivery path without interfering with the delivery of the signatures along said main path.
The extractor assembly utilizes a novel piston assembly comprising an elongated substantially cyclindrical housing having a reciprocating piston mounted therein so as to define first and second chambers on opposite sides of the piston. An elongated axially aligned opening extends along the length of the cylindrical housing and the reciprocating piston is provided with a radially aligned projection extending through said opening. Novel sealing means cooperates with the piston and its projection to provide a "sliding seal" which maintains the piston chamber airtight throughout its reciprocating operation.
A carriage is secured to the piston projection and is provided with roller assemblies at its upper and lower ends which constitute the upper and lower ends of the second (movable) conveyor assembly. Resilient O-ring belts are entrained about the upper and lower roller assemblies, and a plurality of stationary mounted freewheeling roller assemblies are also rollingly engaged by the resilient O-ring belts to maintain the O-ring belts under proper tension during their reciprocating action.
The first (stationary) and second (movable) conveyor belt assemblies are both positively driven so that their adjacent engaging belt runs cooperate to receive a signature therebetween and urge the signature substantially upward between the adjacent runs at a velocity of the order of three times that of the velocity of signatures moving along the main delivery path so as to perform rapid extraction of one or more signatures.
As was described hereinabove, the elements moved by the reciprocating piston assembly are of significantly reduced weight to enable the elements to be rapidly accelerated into and away from the intercept position in order to extract as few as one signature from a continuous stream of signatures arranged in overlapping fashion without in any way interfering with the normal flow of signatures along the main delivery path.
A light sensor mounted a predetermined distance upstream from the "bend" in the main delivery path, is adapted to sense the presence of reflective tape placed upon signatures (typically "paster" copies) to be extracted in order to activate the aforesaid counter for performing an extraction operation.
The extractor apparatus employs a speed sensor to generate pulses representative of the delivery speed of signatures in the main path to increment the aforesaid counters and thereby provide an extractor apparatus which serves to directly relate the time required to extract signatures with the velocity of the main delivery path.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES AND OBJECTS
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide novel high speed means for extracting one or more signatures from a stream of signatures arranged in overlapping fashion and moving along a main delivery path without in any way interfering with the normal flow of signatures along said main delivery path.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide novel movable means comprised of a conveyor belt assembly which may rapidly be moved into an intercept position so as to extract one or more signatures from a continuous stream of signatures arranged in overlapping fashion and moving along the main delivery path wherein the movable conveyor belt assembly is of significantly reduced mass so as to enable rapid acceleration of the movable conveyor assembly into and away from the intercept position.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide electronic control means for the aforesaid movable conveyor assembly which is adapted to precisely activate the movable conveyor belt assembly to relate the extraction time to stream velocity and thereby assure proper extraction of as few as a single signature from the main delivery path without interfering with the otherwise normal flow of signatures along the main delivery path.
The above as well as other objects of the present invention will become apparent when reading the accompanying description and drawings in which:
FIG. 1a shows an elevational view of a novel extractor embodying the principles of the present invention;
FIG. 1b is a top plan view of the extractor of FIG. 1a;
FIG. 1c shows a view of the lower end pulley and belt arrangement of the extractor looking in the direction of arrows 1c--1c of FIG. 1a;
FIG. 1d shows a view of the upper portion of the movable pulley assembly carriage and upper rollers looking in the direction of arrows 1d--1d of FIG. 1a;
FIG. 1e shows a detailed view of the portion of the main delivery path looking in the direction of arrows 1e--1e in FIG. 1;
FIG. 2a shows another simplified elevational view of the assembly of FIG. 1a;
FIG. 2b shows a sectional view of one of the roller assemblies in the extractor in FIG. 2a looking in the direction of arrows 2b--2b;
FIG. 2c shows a sectional view of the upper roller assembly for the stationary conveyor employed in the extractor looking in the direction of arrows 2c--2c of FIG. 2a;
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the carriage assembly for the movable conveyor employed in the extractor of FIG. 1a;
FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the pneumatic circuit employed in the extractor of FIG 1a;
FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of the electronic control circuitry employed in the extractor of FIG. 1a; and
FIG. 6 shows a plot of curves useful in explaining the operation of the extractor of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Making initial reference to FIGS. 1a-1e there is shown therein an extractor assembly 10 designed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and which cooperates with the main delivery apparatus 11.
The main delivery apparatus comprises a conveyor assembly which receives signatures preferably fed in a continuous stream in overlapping fashion with the folded edges, or spines, of the signatures being oriented in the forward feed direction. For example, note the signatures S moving along the first belt portion 12 wherein the folded edges, or spines F of the signatures are arranged so as to move in the feed direction represented by arrow 13. The signatures are moved between the upper run of conveyor belts 12 entrained at their right hand ends about pulleys 13 and the lower run of belts 39 entrained about pulleys 38. Only a few signatures have been shown at the right-hand end of FIG. 1a for purposes of simplicity, it being understood that a continuous stream of signatures arranged in the overlapping manner are normally fed along these conveyor belts. The rollers 13, 38, etc. are in actuality a plurality of rollers, alternating ones of which receive a first plurality of O-ring type belts (belts 12, for example) entrained therearound. The remaining interspersed rollers are adapted to receive conveyor belts (14, for example) entrained therearound and further entrained about rollers 15, 16 and 17, which rollers are mounted freewheelingly rotate about suitable shafts provided therefore.
Rollers 15 and 16 are arranged in such a fashion as to form a "bend" in the delivery path which occurs just downstream of the roller 16. The signatures follow this bend so as to move downwardly off roller 16 and onto the upper run of conveyor belts 14, which run extends between rollers 15 and rollers 17. It can be seen that, as the signatures move downwardly off roller 16, a slight gap G is formed between the upper surface S 1 of the downstream signature S' and the leading edge F' of the next adjacent upstream signature S". The purpose of gap G will be described in detail hereinbelow.
It should be understood that the rollers 17 are in actuality a plurality of rollers mounted upon a common shaft 17a wherein alternating rollers are adapted to receive belts 14 in grooves provided therefor and while the remaining interspersed rollers 17 and a cooperating group of rollers 19 rotatable about a common shaft 19a receive belts 18.
Thus the main delivery path can be seen to be comprised of the upper runs of belts 12, 14 and 18, and the lower runs of belts 39, 37 and 20 which are adapted to move a continuous stream of signatures arranged in overlapping fashion with the folded edges F oriented in the feed direction. During movement along the main delivery path, the signatures move about a bend in the main delivery path defined by rollers 16, causing the signatures to move downwardly as they pass over the upper run of belts 14 and between rollers 13 and 16 and onto the upper run of belt 14 extending between rollers 15 and 17. Under normal circumstances, i.e., when no signatures are to be extracted, the signatures continue to move along the run of belts 14 extending between rollers 15 and 17 and then onto the upper run of belts 18 extending between rollers 17 and 19. The closed loop O-ring belts 20 entrained about small diameter rollers 21 and large diameter rollers 22 are adapted to define a tapered throat portion between the lower run of belts 20 and the upper run of belts 18, causing signatures entering between these runs to experience compression which is provided for the purpose of squeezing out air captured within the pages of the signatures and between adjacent signatures, which air may have been introduced therein as a result of the signatures moving about the bend in the main delivery path formed by rollers 16. The squeezing of the air from between and among the signatures serves to facilitate subsequent handling thereof.
As was previously described, rollers 19, which are mounted upon common shaft 19a are locked to shaft 19a so as to rotate therewith. A gear 23 is mounted to one end of shaft 19a and hence the rollers 19. A magnetic sensor 24 is positioned immediately adjacent the periphery of gear 23 and serves to generate a pulse as each tooth of the gear passes a magnetic sensor for performing a counting function as will be more fully described hereinbelow. The movement of each tooth in gear 23 represents a movement of the belts and hence the signatures, over a linear distance of 0.20 inches.
The conveyors in the main delivery path are adapted to move the signatures at a rate which is compatible with the delivery of signatures thereto, typically from the press room, which delivery rate may be of the order of 80,000 per hour, or greater. Obviously, the delivery path shown along the lower portion of FIG. 1a is designed to have its feed rate adjusted in accordance with the delivery rate from the press room.
The extractor assembly 10 of FIG. 1a is comprised of a pair of side plates 25 and 26 suitably secured to supporting frames (not shown for purposes of simplicity) for the conveyor belts and rollers of the main conveyor section 11 which constitute the main delivery path.
The rollers 17 about which the delivery belts 14 are entrained are mounted on common shaft 17a so as to drive shaft 17a by the rotation of those rollers 17 which are adapted to receive the conveyor belts 14. The interspersed rollers of the roller group 17 which are adapted to receive belts 18 are freewheeling mounted on shaft 17a. Hence shaft 17a rotates with the rotation of those rollers which receive and support the belts 14. Attached to shaft 17a is a sprocket 26 which meshes with a chain 27 which, as can best be seen from FIG. 1a, further meshes with the teeth of sprockets 28, 29 and 30. Sprocket 28 is mounted to rotate about stationary shaft 28a. Sprocket 30 is mounted to rotate with stationary shaft 30a. Sprocket 29 is rotatably mounted upon shaft 29a which is adjustable in order to maintain appropriate tension in chain 27.
Sprocket 30 is also shown in FIG. 1b and is rigidly secured to one end of shaft 31 which is mounted to freewheelingly rotate within supports 25 and 26 by means of bearings 32a and 32b.
A plurality of pulleys 33-36 and 33'-36' are mounted on shaft 31. Pulleys 33, 35 and 33', 35' are locked to rotate with shaft 31 so as to receive and support the O-ring belts 37 which are entrained about the aforementioned rollers and interspersed ones of the rollers 38 arranged above the rollers 13 and aligned with rollers 33, 35, 33', 35' whereby the lower run of belts 37 and the confronting upper run of belts 14 define a delivery path for the signatures moving therebetween. As was described hereinabove, alternating ones of the rollers 38 have entrained therearound O-ring belts 39 to define a second delivery path portion extending between the upper run of belts 12 and the lower run of belts 39.
The pulleys 34, 36, and 34', 36' are freewheelingly mounted upon shaft 31 so as to rotate under control of drive sprocket 46, to be more fully described. The lower ends of O-ring belts 40 are entrained about these rollers and are further entrained about the rollers 41, 42 and 41', 42' mounted to rotate with common shaft 43 and which shaft is freewheelingly mounted relative to the end support plates 25 and 26 as provided for by bearings 44 and 45.
The pulleys 34, 36 and 34', 36' and 41, 42 and 41', 42' and the associated closed loop O-ring belts 40 define the stationary conveyor assembly of the extractor which functions in a manner to be more fully described. The drive imparted to pulleys 41, 42 and 41', 42' (by sprocket 46) causes the lower run of belts 40 extending between the aforementioned pulleys and the lower pulleys 34, 36 and 34', 36' to move at a rate which is of the order of three times the linear rate of the conveyor belts in the main delivery path to facilitate rapid extraction of signatures as will be more fully described hereinbelow.
The pulleys 41, 42 and 41',42' are all locked to common shaft 43 whose left end, as shown in FIG. 1b, is provided with a sprocket 46 for meshing with chain 47. Chain 47 meshes with sprocket 46 as well as tension maintaining sprocket 48, motor drive sprocket S M and movable conveyor drive sprocket 49.
The movable and stationary conveyor assemblies of the extractor 10 are operated by motor M whose output shaft has drive sprocket S M secured thereto. Drive is imparted from motor M to the movable and stationary conveyor assemblies through the chain 47 which meshes with sprockets S M , 49, 46 and 48. Sprocket 48 is adjustably mounted about shaft 48a so as to maintain appropriate tension in the drive chain 47.
Sprocket S M rotates in the counterclockwise direction as shown by arrow 52 of FIG. 1a in order to move the lower run of the stationary conveyor assembly defined by belts 40 in the direction shown by arrow 53 of FIG. 1a. The cooperating run of the belts in the movable conveyor assembly also moves in the same direction as shown by arrow 53, which movable conveyor assembly will be more fully described hereinbelow.
The movable conveyor assembly is comprised of a piston drive assembly 50 whose upper end 50a is secured to one surface of an elongated and substantially T-shaped mounting bracket 51 and intermediate the ends thereof which ends, in turn, are secured to the side frames 25 and 26 by mounting plates 51a and 51b. Although not shown for purposes of simplicity, the opposite end 50b of the piston assembly 50 is suitably secured to the machine framework.
The intermediate hollow cylindrical portion 50c comprises a hollow air cylinder provided with an internally mounted piston P (see FIG. 4) having a projection 50d extending radially outward and through an elongated slot (not shown) in cylinder 50c for securement to a movable carriage assembly as will be more fully described. The aforementioned axially aligned elongated slot is provided with a sliding, air-tight seal movable over substantially the entire length of the cylinder 50c which sliding seal is adapted to prevent the escape of air under pressure, introduced into the assembly to move the piston in a reciprocating fashion between its extreme upper and lower limits of travel. Piston assembly 50 is mounted in a stationary fashion while the piston mounted therein and its projection 50d, move between the aforementioned end points. The air cylinder employed herein is preferably an Origa cylinder manufactured by Origa Cylinder AB of Sweden. The upper and lower ends 50a and 50b are each provided with ports (to be more fully described) wherein ports at each end are provided for admitting air under pressure into the cylinder driving the piston between its extreme end points. An additional port (to be more fully described) is preferably provided at the lower end 50b for permitting rapid egress of air from the hollow interior of the piston assembly to permit more rapid movement of the piston, as will be more fully described.
The piston is utilized to drive a carriage assembly 52 also shown in FIG. 3. Carriage assembly 53 is comprised of an upper, substantially U-shaped portion 53 having downwardly depending arms 53a and 53b (not also FIG. 1d). The bottom ends of these arms are each provided with openings for receiving shafts 54 and 55 which are adapted to freewheelingly support pulleys 56a, 56b and 57a, 57b, which pulleys are provided with grooved peripheries for receiving and supporting O-ring type belts to be more fully described.
The carriage assembly is further comprised of a pair of plates 58a and 58b arranged in spaced parallel fashion, which plates are secured to U-shaped member 53 and to piston projection 50d at their intermediate portions projection 50d being arranged between these plates, and are secured to an elongated substantially rectangular shaped bar 59, such as, for example, by welding.
The lower end of bar 59 is provided with a pair of support brackets 60a and 60b preferably welded to bar 59 and whose outer free ends are provided with openings for receiving and securing shaft 61. Two pairs of pulleys 62a, 62b and 63a, 63b are freewheelingly mounted to shaft 61. Each of the pulleys 62a, 62b and 63a, 63b are provided with grooved peripheries and are respectively aligned with the pulleys 56a, 56b and 57a, 57b to receive and support O-ring belts 82a-82d to be more fully described, which constitute the conveyor belts of the movable conveyor assembly.
The drive means for the movable conveyor assembly is comprised of the above-mentioned sprocket 49 (see FIG. 1b) which is locked to shaft 49a, which shaft is freewheelingly mounted within an opening in plate 25 by bearing 60a. The opposite end of shaft 49a is freewheelingly mounted within bearing 60b secured within hollow cylinder 62 whose first end is secured to end plate 25 and whose opposite end is secured to a support plate 63.
The free end of shaft 49a extends beyond bearing 60b and has a pair of pulleys 64a, 64b locked thereto. The pulleys have grooved peripheries and are aligned with pulleys 56a, 56b and pulleys 62a, 62b for receiving and supporting the O-ring belts 82a, 82b constituting the movable conveyor assembly.
A similar pulley structure is mounted to side plate 26 and is comprised of a shaft 65 also freewheelingly mounted between hollow cylinder 66 and end plate 26 by suitable bearings (not shown for purposes of simplicity) so as to freewheelingly mount shaft 65. The free inner end of shaft 65 has locked thereto a pair of pulleys 67a, 67b having grooved peripheries and being respectively aligned with pulleys 57a, 57b and 63a, 63b for receiving and supporting the aforementioned O-ring belts constituting the movable conveyor assembly.
Cylinder 66 further supports a mounting plate 68 similar to the mounting plate 63. Plates 63 and 68 cooperate with side plates 25 and 26 to support first, second and third pairs of shafts 69-70, 71-72 and 78-79 respectively (see also FIG. 1c). Shafts 69 and 71 are each rigidly secured between plates 25, 63 and 26, 68 respectively, and are each provided with a pair of pulleys 73a, 73b and 74a, 74b having grooved peripheries and aligned with pulleys 64a, 64b and 67a, 67b for receiving and supporting the O-ring belts of the movable conveyor assembly as will be more fully described.
Plates 25, 63 and 26, 68 further support shafts 70 and 72 which are locked to these plates and which have their free inner ends adapted to freewheelingly support the roller pairs 76a, 76b and 77a, 77b, which pulleys are grooved around their peripheries and aligned, for example, with the pulleys 73a, 73b, 74a and 74b to receive the O-ring belts of the movable conveyor assembly to be more fully described.
As shown best in FIG. 1c, still another pair of shafts 78 and 79 are secured between brackets 25, 63 and 26, 68 and are also respectively provided at their inner ends with a pair of rollers 80a, 80b and 81a, 81b which are freewheelingly mounted upon shafts 78 and 79 and which are aligned, for example, with rollers 76a, 76b and 77a, 77b to receive the O-ring conveyor belts of the movable conveyor assembly.
The movable conveyor assembly is provided with four resilient O-ring conveyor belts 82a, 82b, 82c and 82d. As shown best in FIG. 1a and, considering belt 82a; a first run 82a-1 extends between pulleys 56a and 80a; run 82a-2 extends between pulleys 80a and 76a; run 82a-3 extends between pulleys 76a and 62a; run 82a-4 extends between pulleys 62a and 64a; run 82a-5 between pulleys 64a and 73a; and run 82a-6 between pulleys 73a and 56a. The carriage assembly and movable conveyor belts as described hereinabove are shown with the carriage assembly in the uppermost position. As will be noted, the pulleys 64a, 80a and 76a, while being freewheelingly mounted, experience no linear reciprocating movement. However, pulleys 56a and 62a, which are freewheelingly mounted to carriage assembly 52 by shafts 54 and 61, do experience linear reciprocating movement under the control of piston assembly 50. Downward movement from the uppermost position shown in FIG. 1a is accomplished by inserting air under pressure into one of the inlet ports in the upper end 50a of the air cylinder to drive the piston and hence the carriage diagonally downward. Thus, as the pulleys 56a, 56b and 57a, 57b move downwardly to slacken the O-ring belts, the pulleys 62a, 62b and 63a, 63b simultaneously move downwardly a corresponding amount so as to maintain the O-ring belts 82a-82d substantially taut. The intervening non-reciprocating pulleys (for example, pulleys 64a, 73a, 80a and 76a) aid in maintaining appropriate tension in the O-ring belts and also assure smooth transitional movement of the O-rings as the carriage 52 is moved. The carriage assembly moves to its downward most position, shown in dotted line fashion, wherein the carriage roller 62a, for example, moves to the position 62a'(see FIG. 1a) so as to extend at least partially into the gap formed as a result of the movement of signatures S' and S" about the pulley 16. In this position, the folded edge F' of Signature S" is diverted upwardly along the O-ring belts 82a-82d so as to move between the upper run 82a-4 of the movable conveyor belt and the lower run of stationary conveyor belts 40 entrained about rollers 41, 42 and 41', 42' and lower pulleys 34, 36 and 34', 36". The signature is moved upwardly therealong and is hence diverted from the main delivery path. The linear rate of travel of the aforementioned confronting runs of the movable and stationary conveyor belt assemblies, as determined by motor M, is preferably of the order of three times the linear rate of movement of conveyor belts in the main delivery path so as to rapidly move a signature between these confronting runs and hence rapidly extract the signature from the main delivery path. The time period during which the carriage assembly remains in the lower-most (intercept) position is determined by the number of signatures to be extracted from the main delivery path and can be as brief a time interval as is required to extract as few as just one signature from the main delivery path. In order to rapidly remove the carriage assembly from the intercept position, air under pressure is admitted into one of the ports provided at the lower end 50b of air cylinder 50 to permit very rapid movement of the carriage assembly away from the intercept position.
The U-shaped portion 53 of carriage assembly 52 is provided with a permanent magnet member 90 secured along the outer side of arm 53b (see FIG. 1d and 3). This magnet member cooperates with a magnetic sensor 91 (FIG. 1b) mounted at the inner end of tubular member 92 having a support bracket 93 for mounting magnetic sensor 91 and provided with a support plate 94 at its opposite end for securing member 92 to plate 25. This magnetic sensor is utilized to develop a pulse for rapidly resetting the piston and hence the carriage assembly preparatory to the next extraction operation in a manner to be more fully described.
FIG. 2a shows some additional conveyor belt assemblies which cooperate with both the main delivery path and the extractor delivery path. Noting FIGS. 1a and 1b in conjunction with FIG. 2a, it can be seen that the support plates 63 and 68 support a shaft 95 upon which rollers 21a-21d are freewheelingly mounted. Each of these rollers has entrained therearound a resilient O-ring belt 20 which is further entrained about associated rollers 22, 98 and 99. The lower run of O-ring belts 20 extending between rollers 21 and 22 cooperate with belts 18 to form a tapered infeed path for again placing the signatures which are passed over the "bend" formed about rollers 16 under compression for the reasons set forth hereinabove.
The shaft 43 is further provided with rollers 101 and 102 along the right-hand side (see FIG. 2c) which are freewheelingly mounted upon shaft 43 and which are grooved about their peripheries so as to receive the O-ring belts 104 and 105 entrained about pulleys 101, 102 and associated pulleys 106 mounted upon shaft 107.
A similar pulley arrangement is provided on shafts 49a and 65 (see FIG. 1b) and is adapted to cooperate with associated pulleys 108, 109 and 110 for receiving and supporting resilent O-ring belts 111 entrained thereabout and defining a substantially rectangular closed loop path having one run extending between pulleys 110 and the pulleys on shaft 43 and cooperating with the O-ring belts 40 of the stationary conveyor assembly to guide extracted signatures in the upward direction. Still another O-ring belt arrangement comprised of O-ring belts 112 entrained about alternating ones of the pulleys 110 and pulleys 113 and 114, defines a substantially L-shaped belt arrangement which cooperates with the O-ring belts 116 to further move the extracted signatures substantially diagonally upward to the left and then about rollers 106 so as to sharply move the extracted signatures diagonally upward and to the right as they move about pulleys 106, whereupon extracted signatures are removed from the extractor assembly.
The main delivery path has a signature counter 120 positioned a predetermined distance upstream from the pulley 16 as shown in FIG. 1a and is utilized to sense the leading edges of signatures and generate a pulse for each signature as they pass between the lower run of belts 37 and the upper run of belts 14 and beneath sensor 120. This sensor may be of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,925.
FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of the pneumatic circuit for the extractor assembly. The piston assembly 50 shown therein in simplified fashion, is provided at its upper end 50a with an inlet port 50e and is provided at its lower end with inlet port 50f and an exhaust port 50g. Piston P divides the cylinder into "Side 1" and "Side 2" air chambers. A compressed air source 130 is shown as being coupled through a conduit 131 to a regulating valve 132, which regulates the pressure in conduit 131. A meter 133 is provided in the pneumatic circuit for visually monitoring the pressure therein. Conduit 134 is coupled to common conduit 135 having conduit branches 136 through 139 coupled thereto. Conduit 136 is selectively coupled to inlet port 50e through solenoid operated valve 140. Conduit 137 is selectively coupled through solenoid operated valve 141 to inlet port 50f. Conduit 138 is selectively coupled through relief valve 142 and solenoid operated valve 143 to inlet port 150. A meter 144 provides for visual observance of the pressure of conduit 138. Conduit 139 is selectively coupled through solenoid control valve 143 to inlet 50f. The outlet port 50g is selectively coupled to an exhaust conduit 145 through solenoid controlled valve 146. Each valve is biased by an associated spring Sp to the valve position shown in the "box" aligned with its associated conduits when the solenoid is deenergized. When the solenoids are energized, their associated valves assume the position shown in the remaining box shown displaced from its associated conduits. For example, considering solenoid controlled valve 141, when the solenoid is deenergized the spring Sp causes the valve to be closed, i.e. prevents air under pressure from passing through conduit 137 and valve 141 to enter piston assembly inlet 50f. When the solenoid is energized, the valve is opened to permit air under pressure to pass through conduit 137 and open valve 141 into inlet 50f. Each solenoid is activated by a bistable circuit, such as a flip-flop, which maintains the proper operating state until set (or reset).
The manner of operation of the extractor assembly will now be considered in conjunction with FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, FIG. 6 showing graphically the manner of operation of the valves and the movement of the carriage 50.
Let it be assumed that the movable conveyor assembly is at its upper-most position. At this time, the lower end of the movable conveyor assembly, as represented by pulleys 62a, 62b and 63a, 63b occupies the location represented by point 151 along curve 152. At this time, t s solenoid controlled valves 140 and 143 have their flip-flops 140a and 143a set so that their solenoids are energized. Solenoid controlled valves 141 and 146 are deenergized. These states are represented by waveforms 153, 156 and 154, 155 respectively.
The energization of solenoid controlled valve 140 couples the air pressure source 130 through conduits 131, 134, 135, 136, open valve 140 and conduit 136a to inlet port 50e. Energized solenoid controlled valve 143 couples port 50f to conduit 138a and regulator 142, allowing air from Side 2 to be slowly exhausted through regulator 142 due to the air pressure applied thereto by conduits 134 and 138. Since solenoid controlled valves 141 and 146 are closed, air under pressure in conduit 137 is prevented from entering into inlet port 50f through 141 and the air in "Side 2" chamber is prevented from exiting through outlet ports 50f (through valve 141) and 50g (through valve 146). Thus, the carriage slowly extends towards the "balanced" position.
Since the pressure in Side 1 is higher than in Side 2, the piston is forced down and the air in Side 2 escapes under pressure through port 50f and through valve 143, through conduit 138a and through regulator 142 which is calibrated to have a slightly lower pressure than regulator 132 to atmosphere. The carriage assembly 52 is thus permitted to experience a "slow" extend operation moving along the dotted line portion 157a of curve 157. As the magnet member 90 moves into alignment with magnetic sensor 91 (see FIGS. 4 and 1b), which is caused to develop an output signal which serves to reset FF 143a in order to deenergize solenoid controlled valve 143. This occurs at time t 1 . The carriage thus moves to point 158 along curve 157 and the equalized pressure as between "Side 1" and "Side 2" of piston P prevents any further movement of the carriage assembly 52 from the "balanced" position.
Let it be assumed that at time t 2 it is desired to perform an extraction operation. At this time solenoid controlled valves 140, 146 and 143 are energized and 141 is deenergized. The energization of solenoid controlled valve 143 continues to permit air under pressure to leave Side 2 of the piston assembly through regulator 142 and at the same time air is permitted to be rapidly exhausted through port 50g and open valve 146 to pass through the exhaust conduit 145. The air pressure passing through valve 140 into port 50e, coupled with the air exiting from ports 50f and 50g, rapidly drives the piston P, and hence the carriage 52, towards the intercept position. The inertia of the movable components and the operating time of the solenoids is such as to cause the extractor assembly to experience a delay between the time the signals controlling the valve solenoids are generated and the time that the carriage actually starts to move and finally arrives at the intercept position. As shown in FIG. 6, the delay is of the order of 24 milliseconds between the time t 2 when the strike signal is generated and time t 3 when carriage 52 begins moving downwardly toward the intercept position thereby moving from point 159 along curve 157 to point 160 along curve 157 and arriving at the intercept position at time t 5 . The elapsed time between the energization of solenoid controlled valves 146 and 143 (t 2 ) and the time at which the carriage arrives at the intercept position (t 5 ) is of the order of 60 milliseconds. The distance moved in this time interval is of the order of 2.5 inches. Thus the movable conveyor assembly has moved from the "balanced" position to the intercept position at an average velocity of the order of 3.5 feet per second.
In the example of FIG. 6, it can be seen that the retraction of the movable conveyor assembly is initiated at time t 4 which occurs of the order of 16 milliseconds prior to the time (t 5 ) at which the carriage assembly reaches the intercept position. A delay of the order of 48 milliseconds occurs before the carriage assembly arrives at the intercept position and then begins to retract from the intercept position (t 5 ). It can be seen that the time interval between the generation of the retraction signals (t 4 ) until the time (t 6 ) that the carriage assembly 52 begins to move, is of the order of 48 milliseconds, which delay period is due to inertia of the extractor assembly movable elements and the operating time for the solenoid controlled valves which are activated at this time as well as the time between opening or closing of the valves and the build up (and/or decay) of air pressure.
Returning to the time (t 4 ) at which the retract operation is initiated, solenoid controlled valves 140 and 146 are deenergized while solenoid controlled valves 141 and 143 are energized. The deenergization of solenoid controlled valve 140 couples port 50e on Side 1 of piston P to the outlet port 140b allowing air from Side 1 to be exhausted therethrough. The energization of valve 141 couples air under pressure from source 130, conduits 131, 134, 135 and 137 and open valve 141 to inlet port 50f. The closure of valve 146 prevents the exiting of any air through exhaust port 145 while the continued energization of valve 143 couples air under pressure from regulator 142 through open valve 143 and into port 50f. As a result, the piston P, and hence the carriage 52, are rapidly moved toward the retract position.
As was described hereinabove, when the lower end of the movable conveyor assembly is in the intercept position, as represented by pulley 62a' of FIG. 1a, the signature S" is diverted from the main delivery path upwardly along the run 82a-4' between pulley 62a' and pulley 64a until it is caught between O-ring belts 82a-82d and O-ring belts 40 at which time the signature is rapidly moved upwardly and away from the main delivery path. The retracting movement of the carriage assembly 52 and hence the movable conveyor assembly is sufficiently rapid so as not to interfere with the normal movement of the next upstream signature adjacent to the signature S" permitting this signature to continue unimpeded movement along the main delivery path.
As the carriage assembly moves upwardly towards its upper-most position, the permanent magnet member 90 passes a second magnetic sensor 89 mounted upon the free end of a support 89a whose opposite end is secured to side plate 25 (see FIG. 1b). As the permanent magnet member 90 passes sensor 89, the sensor develops a pulse which causes solenoid controlled valves 140 and 141 to be respectively energized and deenergized through FF 140a and 141a, respectively, causing air under pressure to pass through open valve 140 into port 50e and to close valve 141 to prevent air from entering into port 50e thereby rapidly decelerating and hence resetting the carriage assembly and hence the movable conveyor assembly to the balanced condition in readiness for the next extraction operation.
In order to extract one, two, several or many signatures from the main delivery path, sensor 120 shown in FIG. 1a is utilized to detect the next leading edge of a signature when a start signal is given or start button is depressed and, at this time sensor 120 generates a pulse which unlatches counters 170 and 171 shown in FIG. 5a. The counters are thus enabled to accumulate pulses derived from magnetic sensor 24 which generates a pulse as each tooth of the gear 23 shown in FIG. 1a passes the magnetic sensor, which pulses are simultaneously accumulated by now unlatched counters 170 and 171. Counters 170 and 171 are adapted to generate signals at their outputs 170a and 171a upon reaching predetermined counts. Each pulse represents linear movement of a signature over a distance of 0.20 inches. Counter 171 is adapted to accumulate a larger predetermined count than counter 170. The rate of accumulation of pulses is determined by the velocity of the signature stream in the main delivery path and hence the velocity of the belts delivering signatures therealong.
In order for the extractor to effectively remove one or a predetermined number of signatures from the conveyor stream, it is necessary to carefully time the action of the extractor carriage with the position of the signatures moving along the conveyor belts. In order to implement the logic necessary to control this operation it is necessary to have a newspaper sensor mounted on the stream and also a speed/distance sensor. With this in mind the operation of the logic is as follows.
Assume that the conveyor is running and newspapers are lying on the conveyor belts. These newspapers are being conveyed to the mailroom. As the newspapers pass under the sensor each paper produces an output pulse which is sensed by the extractor control, and in addition the speed/distance sensor is applying pulses to the extractor control logic. At a given time the extract pushbutton is depressed and immediately thereafter the extractor assembly moves down into the conveyor stream to intercept the signature. The process which actually occurs during this interval of time is explained as follows. Once the extract pushbutton has been depressed the logic is primed to wait for the next paper to pass underneath the sensor. When this occurs a pulse is picked up by the extractor control and sets up circuitry for the strike delay. This logic will cause a counter to commence counting (i.e. tracking) the newspaper that has just passed beneath the sensor to the point where the strike extractor arm will meet the paper and remove it from the stream. In order to effectively remove this newspaper from the stream, two considerations must be given. (1) The distance from the sensor to the point in which the extractor arm meets the paper and (2) the mechanical delay of the extractor carriage itself in responding to the signal to strike. The first of these considerations, that is the distance from the sensor to the strike point, is controlled by counting the number of gear teeth of gear 23 passing the speed/distance magnetic sensor 24 as the paper passes from the sensor point towards the strike point. A strike delay counter set to a number equal to this number of gear teeth would then provide an output to the strike mechanism when the paper has traveled the distance from the sensor to the strike zone. If there were no mechanical delay of the strike assembly this logic would provide the necessary function to cause the paper to be extracted from the stream. However, in actual practice the mechanical delay of the extractor mechanism would cause the extractor to miss the paper intended to be extracted unless the conveyor were moving at extremely slow speeds making the mechanical delay of the extractor an insignificant portion of the total time allotted for the extraction procedure. In actual operation the mechanical delay of the extractor is significant and must be compensated for in order to successfully remove newspaper from the stream. A very slow speeds very little compensation is needed since the mechanical delay is a small portion of the total operating time. However, as the speed of the press increases the time becomes effectively a greater portion of the entire cycle and must be compensated for linearly as the press increases. This is accomplished by adding a circuit in the control that causes the output from the strike delay counter to progressively occur sooner as the press speed increases and in doing so causes the output to the extractor arm to be generated prematurely with sufficient time allotted for the mechanical delay so that the extractor mechanism still strikes in the proper zone when the paper has reached that area. A similar compensation must be allowed when retracting the extractor mechanism.
In order to remove only the proper number of news copies from the stream it is necessary to remove the extracting mechanism from the stream at the proper time so as not to catch an unwanted paper while it is in the strike zone. To do this a process very similar to the strike delay is employed where at a given time a newspaper passing under the newspaper sensor is decided that it will be the last paper to be removed from the stream. Once this decision has been made, logic counter 171 will start counting the speed distance pulses and at a given time produce an output pulse which causes the extractor to remove itself from the strike zone. This motion must also be compensated for the mechanical delay and in a similar fashion to that described hereinabove for the strike delay circuitry. In summary, then it can be said that the control performs the following function. (1) At a given time, begin tracking a selected paper from the newspaper sensor location to the strike zone causing the extractor mechanism to meet the paper at this point and remove it from the stream. One method for accomplishing this is to track the newspaper from the point of counting (i.e. sensor 120) to the point of interception and to compensate for the mechanical delay inherent in the extractor mechanism. Similarly, at a given time later when the last paper to be extracted is removed from the stream this selected paper will have to be tracked from the point of counting to the point of interception again and at that time with compensation allowed for mechanical delay the extractor mechanism removed from the stream.
The number of pulses accumulated by counter 170 upon reaching the predetermined count represents the linear distance between the location of sensor 120 and the intercept position. Thus if the distance of sensor 120 and the intercept position is 10 inches, counter 170 should accumulate 50 pulses (50 pulses × 0.20"). Since the predetermined count of counter 170 must be reached before the signature to be extracted reaches the intercept position, due to the mechanical delays inherent in the operation of the solenoids 140, 141, 143 and 146, the piston assembly 50 and the movable carriage 52, the predetermined count must be reached early enough to cause the carriage 52 to move into the intercept position as the signature to be extracted reaches the "gap". If desired, the output pulses from sensor 24 may alternatively be adapted to be doubled in order to generate two pulses per tooth to double the rate of accumulation of pulses by the counter for a time interval exactly equal to the time between the initiation of the strike signal and the time the carriage assembly is in the extract position. For example, it takes 60 milliseconds between t2-t5 which is the mechanical delay. The apparatus electronically doubling up the pulses from 24 before they are fed into counter 170 for exactly 60 milliseconds. That will exactly compensate for the mechanical delay and move the strike signal ahead the number of pulses occurring in 60 milliseconds × 0.20" so that the predetermined count is reached before the signature to be extracted reaches the "gap" and so that the carriage will be in the intercept position at the required moment. As another approach, the predetermined count may be selected to be reached when the signature to be extracted has moved downstream relative to sensor 120 (FIG. 1a) but before it reaches the intercept position.
Since gear 23 is rotated by belts 18, the angular speed of gear 23 determines the rate of generation pulses of sensor 24. The time interval required for counter 170 to reach its predetermined count is determined by time required for the forward folded edge of a signature to move from beneath sensor 120 to the intercept position. Counter 170 accumulates an additional number of pulses sufficient to enable the signature to be extracted to move over an additional linear distance of the order of 3 inches. As soon as counter 170 reaches its predetermined count, its output signal is utilized to energize the flip-flops 143a-146a of solenoid controlled valves 143 and 146 (for example, at time t 2 as shown in FIG. 6) to rapidly move the carriage assembly from the "balanced" position to the intercept position. As soon as counter 171 reaches its predetermined count which, as described hereinabove, is greater than the predetermined count of counter 170, its output is coupled to solenoid controlled valves 140, 141 and 146 to rapidly extract the carriage assembly from the intercept position.
As the carriage assembly is being extracted and its magnetic member 90 moves past sensor 89, the sensor is utilized to generate a pulse which resets and clears counters 170 and 171 in addition to returning the extractor assembly to the "balanced" position.
The double counter arrangement may be utilized with an additional counter 190 to extract any number of signatures and by providing suitable manually operable control means 191, the predetermined count in counter 190 may be suitably adjusted to extract 1, 2, or some small or large predetermined count of signatures. The extractor is thus synchronized with the velocity of the signature stream in order to precisely extract the desired signature or signatures from the main delivery path.
The number of signatures to be extracted are counted by counter 190 which is stepped by sensor 120. On the first count, counter 170 is enabled to receive pulses from sensor 24. When the predetermined count is reached, the extractor is activated to intercept the stream. When the count of the number of signatures to be extracted is reached, counter 171 is activated by counter 190 and counts out when the extractor should be activated to be withdrawn from the stream. When extracting more than one signature, the output of sensor 120 is disconnected from counter 171.
In order to extract "paster" copies, a paster copy is identified by placing a strip of reflected tape on the upper surface of the signature. Sensor 300 (see FIG. 1a) is provided to detect the presence of a "paster" copy and is provided with a light source 301 and a photodetector 302. When a piece of reflective tape is present the light from source 301 is reflected therefrom and is sensed by photodector 302. The threshold level of the photodetector is selected to enable the photodetector to respond to the presence of the reflective tape but is set to a high enough threshold level to prevent the photodetector from being activated by light reflected from the signature. Although FIG. 1a shows the sensor 300 as being located downstream relative to sensor 120, it should be understood that sensor 300 should normally be positioned approximately 5-20" ahead of the sensor 120 so that the counters 170 and 171 will operate in the indentical manner to that described hereinabove when activated (i.e., unlatched) by sensor 120.
When the reflective tape is detected the counters 170 and 171 are unlatched and begin to accumulate pulses derived from sensor 24. The operation is otherwise identical to that described hereinabove when under control of sensor 120.
It can therefore be seen from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a novel extractor assembly of extremely low mass and hence low inertia as compared with conventional extractor devices and which is capable of extracting one, several or any number of signatures from a main delivery path wherein the extremely low mass of the movable conveyor assembly in the extractor permits removal of as few as one signature from the main delivery path without interfering with the normal flow of signatures along the main delivery path and wherein the time required for extracting a paper from the signature stream is a function of the feed velocity of the signature stream as monitored by the sensor device 24.
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Signatures arranged in overlapping fashion are typically delivered from a press at high speeds (at the order of 80,000 per hour) to be stacked in bundles of a predetermined precise quantity, bundled and shipped to desired locations. During the delivery of signatures to the counting and bundling facility, typically referred to as the "mailroom," an extraction capability is provided wherein one or two signatures may be removed from the continuous stream without otherwise affecting the delivery of signatures to the stacking and bundling equipment. Alternatively, a number of copies greater than 2 may be extracted or paster copies inserted within the stream may be removed at high speed without interrupting the normal delivery of signatures to the stacking and bundling equipment. The movable elements performing the extraction operation have extremely low mass and further have a capability of moving a distance of the order of 12 inches within 75 milliseconds in order to rapidly and effectively extract the desired copies without in any way affecting the delivery of the nonextracted signatures to the stacking and bundling equipment.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of animal training devices, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for negative reinforcement of undesired animal behavior activated by the undesired activities of pets.
Implements used to train domestic animals against activities which are disruptive to property within the home are in particular demand when there are frequent periods of absence or inattention by their owners. Negative reinforcement is especially difficult because of the need for reliable performance of devices used to obtain the desired results as a consequence of training.
Training tools designed to keep pets off or away form articles or furniture or specific areas of a house have included chemical sprays, barriers, batter-powered alarms, electric wires and "electric blankets" which deliver an electric shock to the pet. Chemical sprays have been hampered by problems of diminishing effectiveness over time caused by chemical breakdown, dissipation, limited effectiveness and damage to delicate furniture and fabrics. Chemicals are also often noxious and possibly harmful to young children. Physical barriers designed to prevent access to rooms by animals are difficult to install and are obtrusive to members of the household. Battery-powered devices are unreliable because of limited battery life and quite often are startling to inhabitants of the house and are visually unappealing.
A reliable deterrent to specific activities of animals is needed which is safe, predictable, unobtrusive and innocuous.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus and method for providing a sharp snapping noise triggered by external motion, in which a flap moves from a set position to a released position to deter household pets from returning to the object or location where the device has been placed. A preferred embodiment of the device comprises a base with a top surface to which a pair of retainers are fastened or integrally formed. The flap has a pair of feet, each being dimensioned configured for rotation within one of the retainers. The flap is conducted through a pivotal rotation relative to the stationary retainers by an elastic member such as an elastic band to impact the base and create noise and movement that is startling to the animal.
In the set position the flap is held substantially parallel to the base. An elastic member extends from a slot and over an edge of the base to the flap. The elastic is seated within at least on notch in the edge. The retainers are laterally opposed, providing an axis about which the flap rotates. The elastic forms a span under tension extending from the edge across the surface of the base and the flap to suspend the flap relative to the retainers in the set position. The flap has an arch extending between the feet including a recessed portion that provides a construction utilizing a minimal amount of material.
In this embodiment, the flap is provided with a protruding tab extending radially from the flap for maintaining the elastic in an extended postion between the flap and the edge of the base. The slot within the base has a base tab for maintaining the elastic in an extended position between the slot and the edge of the base. A retension mechanism is positioned on the top of the base adjacent to the tab on the flap. The retension mechanism can include a rigid support secured to the base and a retaining arm or member that is pivotably mounted on the support and has a notch that is positioned to engage the tab of the flap and hold the flap against the force exerted thereon by the elastic. The notch has a geometry such that a slight movement of a surface upon which the base is placed will cause the retaining arm to move relative to the tab resulting in the release of the flap. The upper edge of the tab on the flap is bevelled to engage the notch.
In another preferred embodiment, the flap within the set position, the extension of the elastic through the axis of the retainers to suspend the flap substantially parallel to the base causes the flap to be highly sensitive to disturbances such as slight changes of position. Relative movement between the base and the flap resulting from any disturbance of the base actuates the flap by destabilizing the force of the elastic on the flap. The flap is thus movable to a released position whereby the elastic span is directed away from the pivot axis and accelerates the flap which then impacts against the base to make a loud noise and causes the entire device to move.
A method for deterring a household pet from jumping onto furniture or from entering a forbidden area involves impacting a flap against a base. Actuation of the flap is accomplished by placement of the base on an article subject to movement by the undesired presence of a pet. In one embodiment the article and the device can be covered with a material familiar to the pet or substantially similar to the texture and appearance of the surface supporting the device. Disturbing the base by movement of the supporting article releases a retaining mechanism holding the flap against the tension of an elastic. The elastic then contracts by continuously rotating the flap about the axis that extends through the retainers. The flap thereby accelerates and impacts the top side of the base which terminates the rotation. Energy absorbed by the flap and the base during impact creates a loud noise and movement of the entire device thereby averting the pet from further disturbance of the supporting article upon which the base has been placed.
The above features and other aspects of the invention, either as combinations and parts of the invention or as steps of the method will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the embodiments of the invention are shown by way of illustration only and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention may be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the device using a retension mechanism.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the repelling device of the present invention in the set postion.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the repelling device in the released position.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the device for repelling pets in the set position taken along Line A--A of FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the repelling device in a released position during rotation of the flap about the retainers.
FIG. 6 is a side view of the repelling device in a released position at impact of the flap against the base.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The device for deterring pets of the present invention provides a movement-sensitive releasable impact device for creating a sharp sound and movement as an averting mechanism and deterrent to disturbance by pets of articles on which the invention is placed. An elastic is drawn across a base to a flap where the elastic extends perpendicular to an axis about which the flap moves. Disturbance of the base causes relative motion of the flap and movement of the elastic away from the axis, actuating contraction of the elastic and acceleration of the flap to impact the flap against the base thereby creating a loud sound. Activation caused by the household pet jumping onto furniture, onto stairs or onto a floor covering on which the invention has been placed will startle the animal and provide negative reinforcement for the deterrence of further such activity.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 where a retension mechanism 2 is positioned on the top of the base 12 adjacent to the tab 34 on the flap 22. This mechanism 2 includes a rigid support 4 mounted on or integrally formed with the base 12 and a retaining arm or member 3 that is pivotably mounted on the support 4. The member 3 has a notch or groove 5 extending across a surface 6 such that the groove 5 can engage an edge portion 35 of the tab 34 and prevent the rotation of the flap 22 under tension by the elastic 20. The edge portion 35 of tab 34 can be bevelled to engage the retaining member 3 with the proper force. The groove 5 is dimensioned such that a slight movement of the member 3 will cause the flap 22 to be released by the retension mechanism 2 and undergo rotation to the released position.
The embodiment of FIG. 1 can further include an opening 7 in the base 12 which receives a lower portion of member 3 that can extend through the plane of the base 12 to a point 8 below the base when the member 3 retains the tab 34. Note that the point 8 of the member 3 operates to raise one side of the base 12 above the support surface and is free to rotate relative to the base 12 such that a movement of the support surface will result in relative movement of the base 12 and member 3 thereby causing release of the flap 22.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of another preferred embodiment of a device for deterring pets 10. Base 12 has retainers 16 laterally opposed to each other and fixed to top face 14. Flap 22 has feet 24 dimensioned and configured to fit within apertures 18 of retainers 16. Apertures 18 are elevated from top face 14. The flap 22 and base 12 can be constructed of lexane, styrene, lucite or any other lightweight rigid material. Base 12 is approximately 4 inches in diameter. The flap 22 rotates about an axis, defined by retainers 16, which bisects top face 14 of base 12.
In the "set" position, shown in FIG. 2 and in FIG. 4, the flap 22 lies substantially parallel to base 12 and opposite notches 32. As seen in FIG. 2, arch 38 extends between feet 24 to create a recessed portion 46 between flap 22 and feet 24. A first end 40 (See FIG. 3) of elastic 20 extends about base tab 28 for securing the elastic to base 12. Elastic 20 extends across bottom face 36, around edge 30, and across top surface 14 to the flap 22. Edge 30 of the base 12 has notches 32 for receiving elastic 20. A second end 42 of elastic 20 is secured to flap 22 about protruding tab 34, forming a span 44 of elastic 20 between protruding tab 34 and notches 32. Span 44 crosses the axis about which the flap rotates, and extends across the recessed portion 46. Tension within elastic 20 along span 44 is opposed by the force exerted by the retainers 16 against feet 24. Span 44 is substantially parallel to the flap 22 and maintains the flap 22 in the set position. The flap 22 is thus held in position by retainers 16 and elastic 20. Freedom of rotation of the flap 22 about feet 24 causes the position of flap 22 to be sensitive to changes in relative position between base 12 and flap 22.
The flap 22 is actuated by some displacement or vibrational disturbance of base 12. Sudden changes of position in the base 12 are transferred to flap 22 through retainers 16, generating changes in the tension applied to the flap 22 by the elastic 20. As a consequence, the flap 22 and protruding tab 34 are rotated about retainers 16, directing span 44 away from base 12. A torque is thus generated by tension within span 44 between protruding tab 34 and notches 32 by the elastic 20, thereby actuating the flap 22 from the set position to a partially released position as shown in FIG. 5. The stretched elastic 20 then fully contracts, reducing the distance between the flap and the edge 30 of the base from where the elastic extends. Contraction of span 44 applies continued force to flap 22 so that the flap accelerates during rotation about retainers 16. Contraction of elastic 20 is rapid and provides sufficient momentum in the flap to produce the desired noise and movement of the device.
As shown in FIG. 3, elastic 20 slips from tab 34 when momentum generated in the elastic rotates span 44 away from one side of flap 22. The flap 22 rotates freely about retainers 16 and impacts the top surface 14 of base 12, thereby stopping rotation. Momentum generated in flap 22 by elastic 20 is dissipated by base 12 and flap 22 in part by vibration which generates a sharp sound that is loud enough to startle and deter domestic pets from repeating the undesired behavior. The movement of the flap and the entire unit also serves to startle pets and deter repetition of this behavior.
FIG. 6 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the device in the released position in which the flap 21 is mounted on retainers 17 a distance 23 above the base 12. The flap 21 in this embodiment is angled along an axis that is parallel to the axis 25 about which the flap 21 rotates. This flap 21 is thus molded into two planar regions 27, 29. Region 27 is parallel to the base when the flap 21 is in the released position. By elevating the axis 25 of rotation of the flap above the plane of the base the amount of vibration or displacement of the base that is necessary to cause release of the device increases.
The flap 21 may be reset from the released position by drawing elastic 20 to a more extended position across bottom 36 of base 12, around edge 30 through notches 32, and about protruding tab 34. The flap 21 is subsequently rotated by hand about retainers 16 to top face 14. Elastic 20 will then be fully extended between base tab 24 notches 32 and protruding tab 34. The flap 21 will be suspended by span 44, and the set position of the invention re-established. Base 12 can then be replaced on the supporting article to continue acting as a deterrent to repeated behavior.
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The present invention relates to a device for deterring animals from engaging in prohibited behavior. A flap pivots about retainers mounted on a base. An elastic member extends from under the base to a protruding tab on the flap. Disturbance of the base, such as by the undesired activity of a pet, causes movement of the flap relative to the base and contraction of the elastic. The flap accelerates about the retainers and impacts against the base. This generates a sharp startling sound and movement of the device which acts to discontinue the activity and deter the animal from the repeated occurrence of such behavior.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/526,458 filed on Aug. 23, 2011, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention pertains to patient interface assemblies and, in particular, to an improved support for use in securing a patient interface device, such as a mask, to a patient.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] There are numerous situations where it is necessary or desirable to deliver a flow of breathing gas non-invasively to the airway of a patient, i.e., without intubating the patient or surgically inserting a tracheal tube in their esophagus. For example, it is known to ventilate a patient using a technique known as non-invasive ventilation. It is also known to deliver continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or variable airway pressure, which varies with the patient's respiratory cycle, to treat a medical disorder such as sleep apnea syndrome in particular, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), or congestive heart failure.
[0006] Non-invasive ventilation and pressure support therapies involve the placement of a patient interface device including, such as a mask, on the face of a patient. The patient interface device may be, without limitation, a nasal mask that covers the patient's nose, a nasal cushion having nasal prongs that are received within the patient's nares, a nasal/oral mask that covers the nose and mouth, or full face mask that covers the patient's face. The patient interface assembly interfaces the ventilator or pressure support device with the airway of the patient, so that a flow of breathing gas can be delivered from the pressure/flow generating device to the airway of the patient. It is known to maintain such devices on the face of a wearer by a headgear having one or more straps adapted to fit over/around the patient's head. Because such patient interface devices are typically worn for an extended period of time, it is important for the headgear to maintain the mask component of the device in a tight enough seal against the patient's face without discomfort.
[0007] For patient interface devices, a key engineering challenge is to balance patient comfort against stability of the device. As a patient changes sleeping positions through the course of the night, the mask portions of respiratory patient interface devices may become dislodged, and the seal against the patient may be broken. A dislodged mask portion can be stabilized by the increasing strapping force provided by the headgear, but increased strapping force tends to reduce patient comfort. This design conflict is further complicated by the widely varying facial geometries that a given respiratory patient interface device design needs to accommodate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a patient interface assembly having an improved support for use in securing a patient interface device to the head of a patient that overcomes the shortcomings of conventional headgear. The improved support provides a self-adjusting anchor point situated anterior to the ear of the patient that provides enhanced stability in mounting the patient interface to the patient.
[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved support that can be used in supporting a patient interface device on a patient. Such an improved support likewise provides a self-adjusting anchor point anterior to the ear of the patient.
[0010] An optional feature provided in the improved support is that in addition to a strap that supports the patient interface device being movable with respect to a plurality of connectors that connect the strap with the headgear, the connectors may optionally be themselves movably disposed on the headgear.
[0011] In certain embodiments, the general nature of the invention can be stated as including a patient interface assembly structured to provide a flow of breathing gases to a patient. The patient interface assembly can be generally stated as including a headgear, a patient interface device, and a support. The headgear is structured to extend across at least one of an occipital region and a parietal region of the patient's head. The patient interface assembly is structured to supply a flow of breathing gases to the mouth or the nose or both of a patient. The support extends between the headgear and the patient interface and can be said to include a strap apparatus and a pair of connectors. The strap apparatus can be said to include a pair of flexible strap segments that extend from opposite sides of the patient interface, with each strap segment extending from two location on the patient interface. The pair of connectors are disposed on opposite sides of the headgear. Each strap segment is movably connected with a connector of the pair of connectors.
[0012] In certain embodiments, the general nature of the invention can be stated as including a support that is structured to extend between a headgear and a patient interface of a patient interface assembly. The headgear is structured to extend across at least one of an occipital region and a parietal region of a patient's head. The patient interface assembly is structured to supply a flow of breathing gases to the mouth or the nose or both of the patient. The support can be generally stated as including a strap apparatus and a pair of connectors. The strap apparatus can be generally stated as including a pair of flexible strap segments that extend from opposite sides of the patient interface, with each strap segment extending from two location on the patient interface. The pair of connectors are disposed on opposite sides of the headgear. Each strap segment is movably connected with a connector of the pair of connectors.
[0013] These and other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a patient interface assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, it being understood that the other side of the patient interface assembly is a mirror image of what is depicted in FIG. 1 ;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a patient interface assembly in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 is side elevational view of a headgear of the patient interface assembly of FIG. 2 and depicting a connector of a support of the patient interface assembly of FIG. 2 being movably situated on the headgear;
[0017] FIG. 4 is side elevational view of a patient interface assembly in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; and
[0018] FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a patient interface assembly in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0019] As used herein, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the statement that two or more parts or components are “coupled” shall mean that the parts are joined or operate together either directly or indirectly, i.e., through one or more intermediate parts or components, so long as a link occurs. As used herein, “directly coupled” means that two elements are directly in contact with each other. As used herein, “fixedly coupled” or “fixed” means that two components are coupled so as to move as one while maintaining a constant orientation relative to each other.
[0020] As used herein, the word “unitary” means a component is created as a single piece or unit. That is, a component that includes pieces that are created separately and then coupled together as a unit is not a “unitary” component or body. As employed herein, the statement that two or more parts or components “engage” one another shall mean that the parts exert a force against one another either directly or through one or more intermediate parts or components.
[0021] Directional phrases used herein, such as, for example and without limitation, top, bottom, left, right, upper, lower, front, back, and derivatives thereof, relate to the orientation of the elements shown in the drawings and are not limiting upon the claims unless expressly recited therein.
[0022] A patient interface assembly 4 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 1 as being situated on a patient. As suggested above, the other side of patient interface assembly 4 is a mirror image of what is depicted in FIG. 1 and, thus, is not expressly shown herein for purposes of simplicity of disclosure. The alternative embodiments of patient interface assembly 4 are likewise shown in side elevational views, it being understood that the non-depicted sides are mirror images thereof.
[0023] As can be seen in FIG. 1 , patient interface assembly 4 can be said to include a headgear 8 , a patient interface device 12 , and a support 16 that extends between headgear 8 and patient interface device 12 . As is understood in the relevant art, patient interface assembly 4 is configured to provide a flow of breathing gases to a patient.
[0024] More particularly, patient interface device 12 is in fluid communication with the patient's mouth or nose or both in order to provide the flow of breathing gases to the patient. Patient interface device 12 is connectable with a supply line 20 that provides the flow of breathing gases. It is noted that patient interface device 12 shown in FIG. 1 and the other patient interfaces devices shown in FIGS. 2 , 4 , and 5 that are described below are depicted in a schematic and exemplary fashion since virtually any type of patient interface device can be employed in conjunction with the improved breathing apparatus 4 and the improved support 16 . The present invention contemplates that patient interface device can be any devices that communicates a flow of gas with an airway of a user, such as a nasal mask, nasal oral mask, nasal pillows, nasal cannular, or a full or total mask that covers the face.
[0025] Exemplary headgear 8 includes an occipital element 24 that extends across the occipital region of the patient, a parietal element 28 that extends across the parietal region of the patient, and a pair of temporal elements 32 that each extend generally between occipital element 24 and parietal element 28 . Headgear 8 further includes a pair of anterior struts 36 that extend in an anterior direction from temporal elements 32 and which, when situated on a patient, extend across a region anterior to the ears. It is noted, however, that many features of headgear 8 of FIG. 1 and the headgear depicted in FIGS. 2-5 are largely of an exemplary nature except as expressly pointed out herein. In this regard, it is noted that headgear 8 can be of other configurations without departing from the present concept.
[0026] Patient interface device 12 can be said to include a mask 40 having a fluid connection 44 for connection with supply line 20 . Patient interface device 12 includes a pair of upper braces 48 situated on mask 40 and a pair of lower braces 52 likewise situated on mask 40 . Upper and lower braces 48 and 52 are in the exemplary form of tunnels and are situated generally in the upper and lower regions of mask 40 , respectively, when mask 40 is situated on the patient. Upper braces 48 are spaced from lower braces 52 in order to cooperate in a self-adjusting manner with support 16 , as will be set forth in greater detail below. Patient interface device 12 further includes an adjustment element 56 that is situated generally between upper braces 48 and which will be described in greater detail below.
[0027] The improved support 16 can be said to include a strap apparatus 60 and a pair of connectors 64 . Each connector 64 is affixed to one of the pair of anterior struts 36 and enables connection of strap apparatus 60 with headgear 8 . Strap apparatus 60 includes an individual, i.e., unitary and single, strap member 68 and a pair of tabs 72 that are connected with strap member 68 . While strap member 68 is, in the depicted exemplary embodiment, an individual, i.e., continuous strap, it is noted that for purposes of the disclosure herein strap member 68 can be said to include a pair of strap segments 76 that extend from the opposite sides of mask 40 and are connect with connectors 64 .
[0028] More particularly, it can be seen from FIG. 1 that each of the pair of strap segments 76 can be said to extend from the lower midpoint of mask 40 , through one of the pair of lower braces 52 , and extend in an posterior direction therefrom, extending about connector 64 , and then extend in an anterior direction, extend through one of the pair of upper braces 48 , and connects with a portion of a tension loop 80 of the strap member 68 that is formed via cooperation with adjustment element 56 . That is, the user can apply a force to tension loop 80 , which serves as an adjustment element, to increase the tension within strap member 68 , and adjustment element 56 retains tension loop 80 in the desired position to retain the resultant tension within strap member 68 . Adjustment element 56 can be in any of a wide variety of forms that may include engagement structures which pinch strap member 68 to retain it in position, or can employ other structures that are well known in the relevant art.
[0029] Tabs 72 are each situated on strap segments 76 and can be grasped by the patient and pulled rearward, i.e., in a posterior direction, during initial installation of mask 40 on the face of the patient in order to cause strap members 68 to be pulled, perhaps at least partially elastically, and to extend behind and movably engage connectors 64 . While tabs 72 are depicted in FIG. 1 as physically contacting connectors 64 , such depiction is intended merely for purposes of illustration, it being understood that tabs 72 might not necessarily be disposed so closely to connectors 64 once the tension in strap member 68 reaches a state of equilibrium
[0030] In this regard, it is expressly noted that strap segments 76 extend about a posterior surface of connectors 64 and are movable with respect thereto in order to enable the tension within the upper and lower portions of strap segments 76 to reach an equilibrium. That is, when the tension in strap member 68 is adjusted by the patient by either pulling or releasing tension loop 80 , or by adjusting patient interface device 12 , the tension in the upper and lower portions of strap segments 76 may at least initially be unequal. However, since each strap segment 76 is movably disposed on its corresponding connector 64 , i.e., is movable with respect thereto, the various tensions within the upper and lower portions of each strap segment 76 will eventually equalize by movement of strap segments 76 along connectors 64 . This is desirable since it equalizes the compression forces of mask 40 at its upper and lower ends where it connects with the patient's face, which desirably enhances comfort and fit.
[0031] Also notably, the connection of each strap segment 76 with the corresponding connector 64 provides an anchor point 78 that is situated anterior to the ear of the patient and that advantageously is self-adjusting. Such self-adjustment exists not only in terms of tension within strap segments 76 , but it also exists in respect of the positioning of mask 40 on any of a variety of patient having different facial structures. That is, if the patient's nose and mouth were positioned relatively higher on the face than is depicted in FIG. 1 , strap segments 76 would still movably extend about connectors 64 to provide self-adjusting anchor points 78 that are situated anterior to the ears. Thus, regardless of the specific position and orientation of mask 40 , the tension within the upper and lower portions of each strap segment 76 will eventually become equalized due to the movable connection between strap segments 76 and connectors 64 .
[0032] Advantageously, therefore, it can be seen that the self-adjusting anchor points 78 that are provided by support 16 to breathing apparatus 4 enable improved comfort for the patient due to the ability of mask 40 to be mounted to the patient irrespective of the specific facial configuration of the patient since the self-adjusting anchor points 78 facilitate the achievement of equilibrium of tension in the upper and lower portions of each strap segment 76 . This advantageously promotes the secure connection between mask 40 and the patient and further promotes comfort for the patient.
[0033] Moreover, it can be seen that since strap member 68 is an individual strap element or cord element that is flexible and that may be at least partially elastic, tension between strap segments 76 situated at opposite sides of mask 40 likewise reaches an equilibrium, which avoids pulling of mask 40 to one side or the other of the patient's face. In this regard, it can be seen that strap member 68 is not only movably disposed on connectors 64 but also is movably situated within upper braces 48 and lower braces 52 . Despite headgear 8 being relatively rigid, patient interface device 12 can be comfortably and reliably retained on the patient through the use of support 16 with its self-adjusting anchor points 78 situated anterior to the ears of the patient.
[0034] An improved patient interface assembly 104 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is depicted generally in FIG. 2 . While patient interface assembly 104 is similar to patient interface assembly 4 in many respects, the two nevertheless have some meaningful differences. For example, headgear 108 includes an occipital element 124 and a parietal element 128 , but additionally includes an intermediate element 130 situated between occipital and parietal elements 124 and 128 . This is a further demonstration that virtually any type of headgear can be advantageously employed in breathing apparatus 4 , 104 , etc.
[0035] It is also noted that a pair of anterior struts 136 that extend in an anterior direction from a pair of temporal elements 132 have a pair of connectors 164 that are movably mounted thereon. That is, while the pair of connectors 64 of breathing apparatus 4 were affixed to the pair of anterior struts 36 , it is noted that connectors 164 are advantageously movably disposed on anterior struts 136 , as is illustrated in FIG. 3 . The movability of connectors 164 on anterior struts 136 provides a pair of anchor points 178 that are situated anterior of the ears of the patient and that are self-adjusting to an even greater extent than in patient interface assembly 4 since the positions of anchor points 178 are themselves movable. That is, anchor points 78 of patient interface assembly 4 were generally dictated by the position at which connectors 64 were affixed to anterior struts 36 of headgear 8 . However, because connectors 164 of patient interface assembly 104 are actually movably situated on anterior struts 136 , anchor points 178 can themselves move along anterior struts 136 , which provides even greater variability of the fit of patient interface assembly 104 to the patient, which improves comfort.
[0036] Optionally, connectors 164 can additionally be lockable or affixable in particular positions on anterior struts 136 . That is, in scenario discussed above, connectors 164 can be freely floating on anterior struts 136 in order to help achieve equilibrium. This could be referred to as “passive” positioning of connectors 164 . Optionally, however, connectors 164 can be configured to stay or to be retained in particular positions on anterior struts 136 as may be desired by the patient. This could be referred to as “active” positioning of connectors 164 .
[0037] For example, connectors 164 may be configured to have friction between them and anterior struts 136 , and such friction can be configured to be relatively high, or at least higher than the friction between connectors 164 and anterior struts 136 that could typically be overcome in the normal course during use of patient interface assembly 104 and the achievement of equilibrium of tension in strap member 168 . However, connectors 164 could be manually moved by the patient along anterior struts 136 until desired positions are reached, after which connectors 164 would remain in the desired positions. That is, the friction between connectors 164 and anterior struts 136 may be sufficiently great that connectors could not be considered “freely floating” on anterior struts 136 , but the patient could easily overcome such friction to manually move connectors 164 to the desired positions. Thus, while connectors 164 would be movably disposed on anterior struts 136 , they would optionally not be freely floating thereon, and rather would be lockable in desired positions, whether being automatically lockable due to friction, or being manually lockable through the use of a locking mechanism that is released to allow movement but that is refastened to retain connectors 164 in the desired positions.
[0038] It is also noted that a support 116 of patient interface assembly 104 includes both an upper tension loop 180 and a lower tension loop 182 . While a strap member 168 of support 116 is an individual, i.e., single cord member that is flexible and may be at least partially elastic, as is strap member 68 of breathing apparatus 4 , upper and lower tension loops 180 and 182 provide enhanced adjustment of the tension in strap member 168 since it provides for separate fine tuning of the tension in the upper and lower portions of strap member 168 . That is, while a strap apparatus 160 that includes connectors 164 and strap member 168 will ultimately reach a point of equilibrium of the tension within strap member 168 because each strap segment 176 is movably situated on its corresponding connector 164 , and also because connectors 164 are movably situated are situated on anterior struts 136 , it is noted that such equilibrium can be more quickly achieved since upper and lower tension loops 180 and 182 permit separate adjustment of tension in the upper and lower portions of strap segments 176 . By permitting such fine tuning of the tensions in the upper and lower portions of the pair of strap segments 176 , equilibrium of the tensions in the upper and lower portions of each strap segment 176 can be accomplished with relatively less movement of strap segments 176 with respect to connectors 164 , which speeds the reaching of equilibrium and promotes comfort to the patient.
[0039] It is also noted that a pair of upper braces 148 and a pair of lower braces 152 of patient interface device 112 are in the form of channels rather than being in the form of tunnels as were upper and lower braces 48 and 52 of patient interface assembly 4 . Again, the different configuration of upper and lower braces 148 and 152 tends to demonstrate that virtually any type of patient interface device 112 can be employed in conjunction with support 116 to achieve the advantageous breathing apparatus described herein.
[0040] As can be understood from FIG. 3 , connectors 164 are movably situated on anterior struts 136 . More particularly, each connector 164 can be seen as including a base 184 that is slidably disposed on an edge 186 of anterior struts 136 . Each connector 164 further includes a pair of plates 188 that are slidably disposed on the opposite faces of anterior struts 136 adjacent edge 186 . While strap apparatus 160 includes a pair of tabs 172 that are depicted in FIG. 2 as being situated adjacent connectors 164 , tabs 172 are not depicted in FIG. 3 for purposes of simplicity of disclosure.
[0041] The movability of connectors 164 on anterior struts 136 is illustrated through the depiction of a connector 164 A in dashed lines at an alternate position on anterior strut 136 of FIG. 3 . While the position of connector 164 A is likely exaggerated in view of the position of the nose and mouth of the patient, it is intended merely to demonstrate the movability of connectors 164 on anterior struts 136 and the corresponding movability of anchor points 178 of patient interface assembly 104 . By enabling such variable positioning of anchor points 178 , comfort is increased as is the reliability of the positioning of patient interface device 112 on the patient.
[0042] An improved patient interface assembly 204 in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention is depicted generally in FIG. 4 . Patient interface assembly 204 includes certain elements of patient interface assembly 4 and patient interface assembly 104 , but provides a different exemplary combination of desirable elements. Patient interface assembly 204 includes a headgear 208 , a patient interface device 212 , and a support 216 that extends between headgear 208 and patient interface device 212 . Support 216 includes a strap apparatus that is similar to the strap apparatus 160 . It is particularly noted that headgear 208 includes a pair of flexible anterior strap elements 236 in place of the anterior struts 36 and 136 . Anterior strap elements 236 extend generally in an anterior direction from a pair of temporal elements 232 of headgear 208 .
[0043] While a pair of connectors 264 of support 216 are movably disposed on anterior strap elements 236 , it can be seen that anterior strap elements 236 being of a flexible nature result in an even greater degree of variability of the resultant movability of anchor points 278 . A strap member 268 having a pair of strap segments 276 is movably disposed on the pair of connectors 264 , and connectors 264 are themselves movably disposed on anterior strap elements 236 , which are themselves flexible. Such enhanced variability of positioning of anchor points 278 promotes patient comfort and enhances the ability of patient interface device 212 to be reliably maintained on the patient.
[0044] An improved patient interface assembly 304 in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention is depicted generally in FIG. 5 . Patient interface assembly 304 includes a headgear 308 , a patient interface device 312 , and a support 316 that extends between headgear 308 and patient interface device 312 . Support 316 includes a strap apparatus that is similar to the strap apparatus 160 . The exemplary patient interface device 312 is depicted in FIG. 5 as being one that provides a flow of breathing gases to the nose only and that further includes a point of connection with the patient's forehead, which further illustrates that virtually any type of patient interface can be employed with the support variously described herein to provide the resultant advantageous breathing apparatus variously described herein.
[0045] Headgear 308 includes an upper element 326 and a lower element 330 , both of which extend across the occipital region of the patient's head. A pair of junction elements 334 of headgear 308 each extend between upper and lower elements 326 and 330 on opposite sides of headgear 308 . Headgear 308 further includes a pair of anterior strap elements 336 that extend in an anterior direction on opposite sides of headgear 308 from upper and lower elements 326 and 330 . Again, the different configuration of headgear 308 tends to illustrate how virtually any type of headgear can be employed in conjunction with the improved support variously described herein to form the resultant improved breathing apparatus variously described herein.
[0046] Support 316 includes a unitary strap member 368 that can be said to include a pair of strap segments 376 that extend from opposite sides of patient interface device 312 . Support 316 can also be said to include a pair of flexible connectors 364 that each flexibly and length-adjustably extend between one of the pair of anterior strap elements 336 and one of the pair of strap segments 376 . Connectors 364 can be advantageously situated virtually anywhere along the length of anterior strap elements 336 and strap segments 376 , which provides a high degree of variability of the resultant anchor points 378 that are situated anterior to the ears of the patient.
[0047] Moreover, because the pair of connectors 364 in the exemplary embodiment are formed of a flexible fabric and thus are also length adjustable, the distance between anterior strap elements 336 and strap segments 376 can further be varied to provide even greater variability of the positioning of anchor points 378 . Connectors 364 can be of any of a variety of configurations but, in the present exemplary embodiment, are formed to include hook and loop fasteners or other such fasteners that permit connectors 364 to be length-adjustable. Such enhanced variability of anchor points 378 permits even greater levels of comfort for the patient and reliability of connection of patient interface device 312 with the patient.
[0048] Advantageously, therefore, the various patient interface assemblies 4 , 104 , 204 , and 304 each provide anchor points 78 , 178 , 278 , and 378 that are situated anterior to the ears of the patient, and each anchor point 78 , 178 , 278 , and 378 has two connections with the corresponding patient interface device 12 , 112 , 212 , and 312 as is indicated in FIGS. 1-2 and 4 - 5 . Such a configuration enables comfortable yet reliable retention of patient interface device 12 , 112 , 212 , and 312 on the patient regardless of the particular facial structures of the patient, which is advantageous. An equilibrium in the tension of strap members 68 , 168 , 268 , and 368 is reachable by providing a movable connection between such strap members and the corresponding connectors 64 , 164 , 264 , and 364 . Additionally, connectors 164 , 264 , and 364 are movably disposed on headgear 108 , 208 , and 308 , which provides even greater degrees of comfort to the patient and reliability of the connection between patient interface device 112 , 212 , and 312 and the patient. Further advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0049] In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word “comprising” or “including” does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim. In a device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The word “a” or “an” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. In any device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain elements are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that these elements cannot be used in combination.
[0050] Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.
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A patient interface assembly having an improved support for use in securing a patient interface device to the head of a patient overcomes the shortcomings of conventional headgear. The improved support provides a self-adjusting anchor point situated anterior to the ear of the patient that provides enhanced stability in mounting the patient interface device to the patient.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a mobile phone and a television (TV in short hereinafter) hybrid system and particularly to a system to enable a mobile phone to provide synchronous broadcasting of TV video signals and remote control of TV.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A modern TV generally is equipped with a dedicated TV remote controller. The TV also has a built-in infrared module to receive remote control signals emitted by the remote controller. On mobile phones these days, the main stream is smart phone which not merely provides communication function also can broadcast video signals.
[0003] At present a technique combining the functions of mobile phone and remote control has been developed and is available. It adopts a principle of adding an infrared remote control module in a mobile phone. The remote control module merely links to the buttons on the mobile phone. Its main feature is placing the remote controller into the casing of the mobile phone with the buttons of the mobile phone to replace the original buttons of the remote controller. Hence the remote controller is not integrated with the operating system and the main control circuit of the mobile phone. As a result, its application scope is limited.
[0004] These days TV size becomes bigger, and most users have a coaxial cable connected to a TV input end to receive programs provided by cable TV operators. As the TV is not a mobile device, users watching TV programs often are confined in a small area in front of the TV. In the event that other matters occur while the users are watching favorable TV programs and have to go away temporarily outside the TV watching area, such as go to the lavatory, they could miss part of the on going broadcasting TV programs.
[0005] The conventional TV does not further provide solutions to solve the aforementioned problem. To provide a system that enables a mobile phone to equip functions of synchronous broadcasting TV video signals and remote control of TV is a need yet to be fulfilled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Therefore the primary object of the present invention is to provide a system to enable a mobile phone to provide synchronous broadcasting of TV video signals and remote control of TV. Through the system a link can be established between the mobile phone and TV so that the mobile phone can control the TV in a remote fashion, and also can broadcast TV video signals synchronously, thereby allow users to see TV programs without interruption.
[0007] To achieve the foregoing object the present invention provides a system for a mobile phone to provide synchronous broadcasting of TV video signals and remote control of TV. The system includes a TV and a mobile phone equipped with TV video signals broadcasting function. The TV has a built-in TV signal transmission module which adopts a wireless transmission technique well developed at present and a frequency band ranged from 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) to 10 GHz to maintain synchronous signal transmission between the mobile phone and TV without distortion. The transmission technique employed includes Radio Frequency, Ultra Wide Band, Bluetooth or Wireless Fidelity.
[0008] The mobile phone includes an embedded mobile phone signal transmission module which adopts a transmission technique same as the TV signal transmission module so that both can mate each other and form a wireless link between them to send and receive signals synchronously between the mobile phone and TV. The TV also has an embedded TV infrared module, and the mobile phone has a built-in remote control circuit. The remote control circuit has a mobile phone infrared module embedded inside corresponding to the TV infrared module. Hence in addition to the remote controller originally shipped with the TV, the mobile phone also can function as another TV remote controller. And the remote control circuit embedded in the mobile phone can receive the remote control commands issued by the remote controller of any TV via infrared ray.
[0009] The mobile phone of the invention also includes a mode switch circuit which is electrically connected to the remote control circuit, mobile phone signal transmission module and mobile phone main control circuit. The mode switch circuit aims to integrate synchronous broadcasting of TV video signals and remote TV control function of the mobile phone, and maintain the original communication function of the mobile phone. When a user activates the communication function operations of the remote control circuit and mobile phone signal transmission module are deactivated immediately to avoid interfering communication or operation. The TV signal transmission module of the invention can also include a tuner to provide the mobile phone with channel control and video signals broadcasting functions independent of the TV.
[0010] The system for a mobile phone to provide synchronous broadcasting of TV video signals and remote control of TV provided by the invention further enables the mobile phone to function as a universal TV remote controller and can broadcast TV video signals at the same time so that during users have to go away from the TV during watching a favorable TV program due to unpredictable events they still can continuously watch the TV program on the mobile phone without interruption. Thus the invention provides more flexibility and versatility than the conventional techniques.
[0011] The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following embodiment and detailed description, which proceed with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a system block diagram of an embodiment of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the mobile phone of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an embodiment of the mobile phone of the invention in operating conditions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0015] Please refer to FIG. 1 for the block diagram of an embodiment of the invention. It includes a mobile phone 1 and a TV 2 . The TV 2 includes a TV main control circuit 201 , a TV infrared module 203 , a signal input end 204 and a TV signal transmission module 202 . The TV signal transmission module 202 receives control signals sent from the mobile phone 1 and also transmits video signals to the mobile phone 1 simultaneously. The TV signal transmission module 202 can adopt a modular design and includes a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal to form electrical connection with the TV main control circuit 201 . Such a modular design makes the TV signal transmission module 202 adaptable to various types and models of TVs. Moreover, the TV signal transmission module 202 also can include a tuner so that the mobile phone 1 can also control channels and broadcast video signals independent of the TV 2 . The TV main control circuit 201 aims to process and control signals, and execute video signals broadcasting function. The TV infrared module 203 aims to receive remote control commands transmitted via infrared ray. The signal input end 204 aims to receive the video signals which include cable TV programs transmitted via a coaxial cable, radio TV programs transmitted via antennas or video signals stored in storage media such as optical disks, hard disks and the like and transmitted via TV transmission terminals.
[0016] The mobile phone 1 includes a mode switch circuit 101 , a mode switch button 102 , a mobile phone main control circuit 103 , a mobile phone signal transmission module 104 and a remote control circuit 105 . The mode switch button 102 aims to trigger and generate a mode switch signal. The mode switch circuit 101 aims to receive the mode switch signal and switch different mobile phone operation modes, and also activate or stop operation of related modules at the same time. The mobile phone operation modes include telephone mode, TV broadcasting mode and TV remote control mode. The mobile phone main control circuit 103 aims to process and control signals, and execute communication or other functions. The remote control circuit 105 has a built-in mobile phone infrared module to send remote control commands. The mobile phone transmission module 104 aims to send control signals to the TV 2 and receive at the same time the video signals sent by the TV signal transmission module 202 .
[0017] The aforesaid TV signal transmission module 202 and mobile signal transmission module 104 can be linked via a wireless transmission technique, and employ bandwidth from 2.4 GHz to 10 GHz to maintain synchronous signal transmission between the mobile phone 1 and TV 2 without distortion. The wireless transmission technique can adopt Radio Frequency, Ultra Wide Band, Bluetooth or Wireless Fidelity or the like.
[0018] The mobile phone infrared module embedded in the remote control circuit 105 sends the remote control commands to the TV 2 . The TV infrared module 203 receives the remote control commands. The operation principle between them is same as the TV remote controller sending the remote control commands to operate the TV 2 . Moreover, the mobile phone infrared module embedded in the remote control circuit 105 is responsive to any TV set as long as the TV receives the remote control commands from external sources via infrared ray. The remote control commands sent by the remote control circuit 105 can also be processed by the mode switch circuit 101 and mobile phone main control circuit 103 , then are sent by the mobile phone signal transmission module 104 and received and processed by the TV signal transmission module 202 .
[0019] Please refer to FIG. 2 for a perspective view of an embodiment of the mobile phone of the invention. The mobile phone 1 is a smart phone and includes a mobile phone screen 31 and a key pad 36 . The key pad 36 includes the mode switch button 102 , a confirmation button 32 , a return or cancel button 33 , a direction button set 34 and a dial button set 35 . The direction button set 34 includes direction button up 341 , direction button down 342 , direction button left 343 and direction button right 344 . The mobile phone screen 31 aims to display images of the TV video signals and display requirements for users during operating the mobile phone 1 . The key pad 36 aims to meet users' input requirements when the mobile phone 1 is in use by the users. The dial button set 35 also can be used to select TV channels. The direction button up 341 and direction button down 342 can also be used to switch TV channels sequentially. The direction button left 343 and direction button right 344 can also be used to adjust TV sound volume. When the TV remote control mode is activated the mode switch button 102 can also be used to activate a menu of the TV. The return or cancel button 33 can be used as a signal source button to switch various video signals received from the signal input end 204 . Users also can make selection and setting via the direction button set 34 and confirmation button 32 .
[0020] When the mode switch button 102 is depressed, the mobile phone screen 31 immediately displays the menu which includes a telephone mode option 311 to execute telephone modes, a TV broadcasting option 312 to execute TV broadcasting mode, a TV remote control mode option 313 to execute TV remote control mode and an advance setting option 314 to activate a sub-menu to make advanced setting. The direction button set 34 , confirmation button 32 and return or cancel button 33 may also be used for selection and setting. The telephone mode is a preset mode of the mobile phone 1 to provide communication function and other functions equipped by a general smart phone. The TV broadcasting mode aims to receive the video signals sent by the TV 2 and broadcast synchronously on the mobile phone 1 . The TV remote control mode aims to provide the mobile phone 1 remote control function same as a TV remote controller to control the TV 2 . The advanced setting sub-menu allows the users to make advanced setting.
[0021] Please refer to FIG. 3 for the operation process of an embodiment of the mobile phone of the invention. When the mobile phone 1 is started, enter step S 401 to execute the preset telephone mode; if user pushes the mode switch button 102 , execute step S 402 in which a mode switch signal is generated due to the mode switch button 102 is triggered; the mode switch circuit 101 receives the mode switch signal, through the mobile phone main control circuit 103 the mobile phone screen 31 displays the aforesaid menu; next, proceed step S 403 in which the mobile phone main control circuit 103 judges user's selection; if the user selects telephone mode option 311 , proceed step S 411 and the operation mode of the mobile phone is switched to the telephone mode; if the user selects TV broadcasting mode option 312 , proceed step S 413 in which the operation mode of the mobile phone is switched to the TV broadcasting mode; if the user selects the TV remote control mode option 313 , proceed step S 415 in which the operation mode of the mobile phone is switched to the TV remote control mode.
[0022] In the event that the user wants to make advanced setting, then the advanced setting option 314 is selected to proceed step S 404 in which the mobile phone screen 31 displays the sub-menu which includes a first sub-option to set whether the TV remote control mode is activated simultaneously when the TV broadcasting mode is activated, and a second sub-option to set whether the TV screen is turned off when the TV broadcasting mode is activated. Then proceed step 405 in which the mobile phone main control circuit 103 judges user's selection; if the user selects a first sub-option, proceed step S 406 in which the mobile phone screen 31 displays a message to allow the user to select whether to activate the TV remote control mode when the TV broadcasting mode is activated; next, proceed step S 417 in which the mobile phone screen 31 displays a message to ask the user whether setting is finished; if positive, the mobile phone 1 saves the setting values; if negative, return to step S 404 . If the user selects the second sub-option, proceed step S 407 in which the mobile phone screen 31 displays a message to allow the user to determine whether to turn off the TV screen when the TV broadcasting mode is activated.
[0023] At step S 407 , if user's selection is positive, proceed step S 408 in which the mobile phone screen 31 displays a message to allow the user to determine whether to activate the TV screen when the TV broadcasting mode is turned off. At step S 408 , if user's selection is positive, proceed step S 417 in which the mobile phone screen 31 displays a message to ask the user whether the setting is finished; if positive, the mobile phone 1 saves the setting values; if negative, return to step S 404 . At step S 408 , if the outcome is negative, proceed step S 409 in which the mobile phone turns off the TV 2 immediately when turn-off of the TV broadcasting mode is set, then proceed step S 417 in which the mobile phone screen 31 displays a message to ask the user whether setting is finished, if positive, the mobile phone saves the setting values; if negative, return to step S 404 .
[0024] At step S 407 , if the outcome is negative, proceed step S 410 in which the mobile phone screen 31 displays a message to allow the user to select whether to turn off TV when the TV broadcasting mode is turned off, then proceed step S 417 in which the mobile phone screen 31 displays a message to ask the user whether setting is finished; if positive, the mobile phone saves the setting values; if negative, return to step S 404 .
[0025] When the mobile phone operation mode is the telephone mode, the mode switch circuit 101 deactivates the remote control circuit 105 and mobile phone signal transmission module 104 to protect communication of the mobile phone 1 from interference. Moreover, when the operation mode of the mobile phone 1 is TV broadcasting mode or TV remote control mode, its function of receiving in-coming phone call is not affected. When an-incoming phone call signal is received and taken by the user, the mobile phone main control circuit 103 notifies the mode switch circuit 101 to switch to the telephone mode immediately, meanwhile the remote control circuit 105 and mobile phone signal transmission module 104 are deactivated. When the user has finished the phone call, automatic switching to the previous mode takes places and the modules deactivated previously are activated again.
[0026] As previously discussed, the remote control circuit 105 can send the remote control commands to the TV infrared module 203 via infrared transmission; the remote control commands also can be sent via the mobile phone signal transmission module 104 to the TV signal transmission module 202 . This mainly takes into account of the limitation of infrared transmission technique. For instance, in the event that the sending end and receiving end are blocked by an obstacle between them the infrared ray might not pass through to transmit the signal. As an example, when the user goes to the lavatory and activates the TV broadcasting mode, the mobile phone 1 can be used onsite to see the TV program at the same time. But if the lavatory and the TV 2 are blocked by walls or partitions between them, the infrared ray could be blocked and remote control of the TV 2 could be impossible, and the user cannot switch channel of the TV 2 through the mobile phone 1 . In such a situation the wireless transmission techniques previously discussed can be employed to send the remote control commands via the mobile phone signal transmission module 104 to the TV signal transmission module 202 so that the user still can control the TV 2 at the remote site even being blocked by the walls or other obstacles.
[0027] As previously discussed, the TV signal transmission module 202 can also include a tuner. For instance, when the TV 2 is watched by more than one person, the person in front of the TV 2 could be seeing channel A, the user of mobile phone 1 can see channel B as desired through the tuner installed in the TV signal transmission module 202 to switch the channel without affecting the person who is watching channel A.
[0028] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the claims.
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A system for mobile phones to provide synchronous broadcasting of television video signals and remote control of television adds a TV signal transmission module to a television and a remote control circuit, a mobile phone signal transmission module, a mode switch button and a mode switch circuit to a mobile phone. Therefore the mobile phone can function as a TV remote controller and also can synchronously broadcast TV video signals. Thus the system provides more flexibility and versatility than the conventional techniques.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the providing of an indication of the position of a movable member. More particularly, the present invention is directed to apparatus for sensing and transmitting a signal indicative of the position of a ferromagnetic movable member relative to a fixed structure within which the member moves.
2. Description of Prior Art
While not limited thereto in its utility, the present invention is particularly well suited to the monitoring of the position of control rods in a nuclear reactor. Vertically movable control rods are typically used in nuclear reactors to maintain positive core reactivity control by controlling the overall reactor power level and providing the principal means of quickly and safely shutting down the reactor.
As is well known, in the case of a nuclear reactor, portions of the structure are normally isolated and sealed off to prevent exposure of operating personnel to dangerous amounts of radiation. Accordingly, the positioning of elements such as control rods for a reactor must be performed from a remotely located, central control station. Complicating matters is the fact that the control rods themselves must be positioned within sealed housings which extend from the main body of the reactor structure. Obviously, the less communication from the exterior to the interior of the control rod housing the better, and thus, conventional position indicating apparatus are not suitable for control rod position monitoring.
Theoretically, a hermetically sealed control rod drive, including a drive motor, is to be preferred, and the industry has widely adopted such drives. However, with the hermetically sealed drive, there is nothing extending out of the control rod housing to provide an indication of where the rod is positioned. The drive motor coils are positioned externally of the control rod housing and communicate with the control rod drive through magnetic coupling.
The monitoring of control rod position in a nuclear reactor is further complicated by the fact that the control rods are typically submerged in a fluid, and during operation of the reactor, the temperature of this fluid and of the rod itself becomes quite high (e.g., in excess of 500° F.). The design of position monitoring means is thus complicated by the facts that, if portions thereof are to be physically affixed or connected to the control rod as has been past practice, such portions of the position indicating apparatus must be capable of withstanding high temperatures and must be able to operate while submerged in a fluid such as water.
These restrictions initially confined control rod position monitoring equipment designers to working with mechanical or electromechanical components which were suitable for use within the control rod housing. This limiting of flexibility of design required undesirable communication between the interior and exterior of the control rod housing, as mentioned above. In addition, in the case of a failure in the monitoring apparatus, repair thereof required a lengthy shut down of the reactor.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,074, which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, there is described a position indicating apparatus which enables the position of a movable member, such as a nuclear reactor control rod, to be monitored without the necessity of providing communication between the interior and the exterior of the housing in which the movable member is situated. The system described therein includes a magnet located inside the control rod housing on the top of the control rod extension shaft, and a series of magnetically sensitive reed switches on the outside of the control rod housing. By sensing which switches are open or closed, the position of the control rod extension shaft, and therefore, the control rod can be determined.
This use of a magnet and reed switches has proved to be a more accurate and repeatable method of measurement than other methods used by nuclear reactor vendors. However, the magnetic position transmitter as it presently exists is not readily adaptable to all nuclear plants because not all plants were built with a magnet installed on top of the control rod extension shaft. The installation of a magnet within the control rod housing of existing, operating nuclear plants is prohibited by cost and radiation considerations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a position indicating apparatus which senses and indicates the position of a moveable member relative to a fixed structure within which the member moves without providing communication between the interior and exterior of the fixed structure.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a position indicating apparatus which uses an arrangement of external magnets and reed switches to sense and indicate the position of a moveable member relative to a fixed structure within which the member moves.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a control rod position transmitter which does not require a magnet to be installed on the extension shaft of the control rod within the control rod housing.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a control rod position transmitter which will permit upgrading the control rod position measurement system on any nuclear plant.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a control rod position transmitter that is inexpensive and safe to install on existing nuclear plants.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this description or practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, this invention may comprise an apparatus for transmitting the position of a ferromagnetic movable member to an indicating means, the ferromagnetic movable member being disposed within and movable with respect to an elongated housing. The transmitting apparatus includes a plurality of magnetic circuits arranged at predetermined positions externally along the elongated housing, each circuit comprising at least one magnet and at least one arcuate-shaped magnetic path element generally surrounding the elongated housing. At least one position transmitter assembly is positioned adjacent the magnetic circuits, the position transmitter assembly including a plurality of magnetic field responsive switches for sensing the presence of the ferromagnetic movable member at each of the predetermined positions.
In a further aspect of the present invention, in accordance with its objects and purposes, the invention may comprise a control rod monitoring assembly for a nuclear reactor, comprising an elongated housing, a control rod extension shaft formed of a ferromagnetic material disposed within the elongated housing and movable with respect thereto, and a transmitting apparatus for transmitting a signal representative of a position of the extension shaft. The transmitting apparatus includes a plurality of magnetic circuit arrangements disposed at predetermined positions externally along the elongated housing, each circuit arrangement comprising at least one magnet and at least one arcuate-shaped magnetic path element extending circumferentially about the elongated housing. At least one position transmitter assembly positioned adjacent the magnetic circuits includes a plurality of magnetic field responsive switches for sensing the presence of the ferromagnetic extension shaft at each of the predetermined positions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention may be better understood and the foregoing and other numerous advantages resulting therefrom will be obvious to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements in the various figures. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows the present invention installed on a control rod housing of a nuclear reactor;
FIG. 2 is a cut-away front view of a portion of the control rod position transmitter of the present invention showing the top end of a movable extension shaft within the control rod housing;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the present invention taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the control rod transmitter of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5a is a plan view of the transmitter housing and included circuitry wherein a portion of the housing is cut away;
FIG. 5b is a side view of the transmitter housing and included circuitry with a portion of the housing cut away; and
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to FIG. 1 a portion of a nuclear reactor is indicated generally at 10. Extending upwardly from the top of the reactor 10 are a plurality of control rod assemblies (e.g., up to 90 or more), only one of which is shown generally at 11. Control rod assembly 11 typically includes a nonmagnetic stainless steel tubular housing 12 which is about 5 inches in diameter and has a 1 inch thick wall. A movable control rod (not shown) is disposed within the tube and extends down into the main portion of the reactor 10. In the case where the reactor 10 is employed for the heating of water in an electrical power generating application, the control rod assembly 11 will typically be filled with water reaching temperatures up to 550° F. and pressures up to 2200 psi.
A control rod drive coil stack 14 is mounted on the control rod assembly 11. Magnetic flux from the coil stack 14, acting through the stainless steel housing 12, causes the control rod inside the housing to move axially, thus adjusting the position of the control rod relative to the reactor core 10. As the control rod is withdrawn from the reactor, a control rod extension shaft 15 (see FIGS. 2-4) moves up into an extension shaft housing 19 above the control rod assembly 11. The extension shaft 15 is present in virtually all conventional nuclear reactor plants and is formed of a ferromagnetic material.
The above described components of a nuclear power plant are conventional and merely provide an exemplary environment in which the present invention is particularly well adapted. The position transmitter according to the present invention will be described in detail herebelow.
In the above described nuclear power plant, the vertical position of the control rods may be detected by detecting the position of the extension shaft 15 inside the extension shaft housing 19. The control rod position transmitter of the present invention includes a number of magnetic circuits located on the outside of the extension shaft housing 19 at a predetermined number of elevations. For example, the magnetic circuits may be spaced one inch apart over an eleven foot length of the extension shaft pressure housing 19. Each magnetic circuit has at least one magnet 17, a carbon steel magnetic path 16 surrounding the extension shaft housing 19, and at least one longitudinally extending reed switch position transmitter 18. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, there are provided a pair of magnets 17 and a pair of reed switch position transmitters 18 to provide redundant monitoring for increased reliability. The reed switch position transmitters 18 may take the form of the reed switch transmitters disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,074, the explanation of which is incorporated herein by reference.
At each elevation, a measurement is made by providing a magnetic circuit around the extension shaft housing 19 which senses the presence of the ferromagnetic extension shaft 15 depending on how far the control rod is withdrawn. The strength of the magnetic field in the area of the reed switches of the position transmitters 18 will be dependent on the reluctance of the magnetic circuit, which in turn depends on how much ferromagnetic material is in the magnetic circuit. Since the ferromagnetic extension shaft 15 moves in the path of the magnetic field, the magnetic field strength at a particular elevation in the area of a particular reed switch will be greater if the extension shaft 15 is at or above that elevation, and less if the extension shaft 15 is below that elevation. The sensitivity of the reed switches is chosen so that they will close in the stronger magnetic field and open in the lesser field. By providing a means of monitoring which switches are closed and which are open, the location of the extension shaft 15, and thus, the control rod can be determined with a relatively high degree of accuracy.
FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), respectively, show top and side views of a transmitter circuitry located within the housing of the position transmitters 18 through cut away portions of the housing. Shown within the housing is a terminal strip 32 to which are mounted flux responsive reed switches 40 and 40' and other components of an incremental potentiometer of the position transmitter. The reed switches 40 and 40' are spaced along the terminal strip 32 at uniform incremental distances corresponding with each predetermined elevation of the magnetic circuitry.
The other components of the incremental potentiometer, shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) as resistors 42, are mounted to the terminal strip 32 and are electrically interconnected by means of stand off and feed through connectors 44. It will be realized that a terminal strip containing a printed circuit, rather than stand off connectors 44, may be used for component connection. When the terminal strip 32 is inserted fully within the housing of the position transmitters 18, the lower end of the housing is capped by an end cap 46 which both seals the housing end and provides a mounting support for the terminal strip within.
Referring to FIG. 6, the electrical portions of a preferred reed switch position transmitter arrangement are shown schematically. A plurality of resistors 42 of the same size and type are connected at end points 48 and 50 across the power supply 36 (FIG. 1) to form an incremental potentiometer or voltage divider. Reed switches 40' are electrically connected in series with each of switches 40 and are positioned in substantially the same locations as switches 40. Each of reed switches 40 is connected to a different point or tab on the voltage divider comprising resistors 42. All of the circuits comprising the series connected switches 40 and 40' are connected to a signal bus bar having a terminal point 52. Thus, upon the closing of one of the switches 40 and its serially connected back up switch 40', a signal from the incremental potentiometer comprising resistors 42 will be applied to bus bar terminal 52. The amplitude of this signal indicates the uppermost one of the switch pairs 40 and 40' which is at that instant subject to the altered magnetic field caused by the presence of the control rod extension shaft 15.
Thus, a continuous, incrementally varying signal is provided which is indicative of control rod position. This signal may then be provided to any indicating means 38 which is responsive to the signal provided. Indicator means as simple as a voltmeter calibrated to represent control rod position may be used with the circuit described. One skilled in the art will recognize various systems which are capable of responding to the signal provided by the described position transmitter to provide continuous indication of control rod position, as by digital read out, etc. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, third reed switches 54 and 56 may be mounted adjacent each of the upper and lower extreme positions of the reed switches 40 and 40'. The third switches 54 and 56 function as upper and lower limit switches for the control rod drive. Thus, when the control rod reaches either of its limits of longitudinal motion, one of the switches 54 and 56 will be closed by the change in magnetic field and will permit current flow to appropriate circuitry (not shown) for disabling or reversing the drive motor coils 14 and energizing a visual or audible alarm.
The arrangement of external magnets and reed switches of the present invention provides a more accurate and stable method for determining the position of control rods in a nuclear reactor. Further, this arrangement can be readily incorporated into existing nuclear power plants that do not contain magnets installed on their extension shaft without risking radiation contamination.
The illustrated embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Other arrangements which could optimize the magnetic circuitry or minimize the number of required components are within the scope of the invention. It is intended that the scope of the invention only be limited by the claims appended hereto.
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Apparatus for sensing and transmitting a signal indicative of the position of a movable ferromagnetic member relative to a fixed structure within which the member moves. The apparatus includes a plurality of magnetic circuit arrangements arranged uniformly along the outside of the fixed structure. Each magnetic circuit arrangement includes a pair of magnets and a pair of arcuate-shaped magnetic path elements extending circumferentially about the fixed structure. A plurality of magnetic field responsive position transmitters are positioned adjacent the magnetic circuit arrangements for sensing the presence of the movable ferromagnetic member at predetermined positions within the fixed structure. The apparatus is particularly useful for monitoring the position of control rods in a nuclear reactor because the monitoring is done from outside the sealed structure.
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This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 846,211 filed on Mar. 4, 1992, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to novel transit peptide DNA sequences, to novel chimeric genes and to their use in plants for conferring to them an increased tolerance to herbicides in general especially to those of the phosphonomethylglycine family. It also relates to the plant cells transformed by these genes, to the transformed plants regenerated from these cells as well as to the plants derived from crossbreedings using these transformed plants.
Glyphosate, sulfosate or fosametine are broad-spectrum systemic herbicides of the phosphonomethyl-glycine family. They act essentially as competitive inhibitors of 5-(enolpyruvyl)shikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EC 2.5.1.19) or EPSPS in relation to PEP (phosphoenolpyruvate). After their application to the plant, they are translocated inside the plant where they accumulate in the rapidly growing parts, in particular the caulinary and root apexes, causing the deterioration and even the destruction of sensitive plants.
Plastidial EPSPS, the main target of these products, is an enzyme of the aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathway which is encoded by one or more nuclear genes and synthesised in the form of a cytoplasmic precursor and then imported into the plastids where it accumulates in its natural form.
The tolerance of plants to glyphosate and to products of the family is obtained by the stable introduction inside their genome of an EPSPS gene of plant or bacterial origin mutant or nonmutant with respect to the characteristics of the inhibition of the product of this gene by glyphosate. Given the mode of action of glyphosate and the degree of tolerance to glyphosate of the product of the genes used, it is useful to be able to express the product of translation of this gene so as to permit its substantial accumulation in plastids.
It is known, for example from U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,060, to confer to a plant a tolerance to a herbicide of the abovementioned type, in particular N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine or glyphosate, by introducing into the plant genome a gene encoding an EPSPS carrying at least one mutation making this enzyme more resistant to its competitive inhibitor (glyphosate), after localisation of the enzyme in the plastidial compartment. However, these techniques need to be improved in order to achieve greater reliability in the use of these plants under agronomic conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the present description, "plant" is understood as meaning any differentiated multicellular organism capable of photosynthesis and "plant cell" any cell derived from a plant and capable of forming undifferentiated tissues such as calluses or differentiated tissues such as embryos or plant sections, plants or seeds.
The subject of the present invention is the production of transformed plants having an increased tolerance to herbicides in general and especially to those of the phosphonomethylglycine family by regenerating cells transformed by means of novel chimeric genes comprising a gene for tolerance to these herbicides. The invention also relates to these novel chimeric genes, to the novel transit peptides which they contain as well as to the plants containing them which are made more tolerant by an accumulation of the mutant enzyme, in its mature form, in the plants.
More particularly, the subject of the invention is a chimeric gene for conferring to plants an increased tolerance to a herbicide whose target is EPSPS, comprising, in the direction of transcription, a promoter region, a transit peptide region, a sequence of a gene encoding a glyphosate tolerance enzyme and an untranslated polyadenylation signal region at the 3' terminus, wherein the transit peptide region comprises, in the direction of transcription, a transit peptide of a plant gene encoding a plastid-localised enzyme, a partial sequence of the N-terminal mature part of a plant gene encoding a plastid-localised enzyme and then a second transit peptide of a plant gene encoding a plastid-localised enzyme.
The invention also relates to any DNA sequence of the transit peptide region defined above.
The transit peptides which can be used in the transit peptide region may be known per se and may be of plant origin, for example, derived from maize, sunflower, peas, tobacco or the like. The first and the second transit peptides may be identical, analogous or different. They may in addition each comprise one or more transit peptide units. A sequence derived from the SSU of the ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase oxygenase CRuBisCO) gene is preferably used.
The partial sequence of the N-terminal mature part is derived from a plant gene encoding a plastid-localised enzyme, such as for example a maize, sunflower or pea gene or the like, it being possible for the original plant species to be identical, analogous or different from that from which the first and second transit peptides are derived respectively. Furthermore, the partial sequence of the mature pan may comprise a varying number of amino acids, generally from 10 to 40, preferably from 18 to 33. A sequence derived from the SSU of the ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase oxygenase (RuBisCO) gene is preferably used.
Construction of the entire transit region may be carried out in a manner known per se, in particular by fusion or any other suitable means. The role of this characteristic region is to enable the release of a mature, native protein with a maximum efficiency.
The coding sequence for herbicide tolerance which may be used in the chimeric gene according to the invention encodes a mutant EPSPS having a degree of glyphosate tolerance. This sequence, obtained in particular by mutation of the EPSPS gene, may be of bacterial origin, for example derived from Salmonella typhymurium (and called in the text which follows "AroA gene"), or of plant origin, for example from petunia or from tomatoes. This sequence may comprise one or more mutations, for example the Pro 101 to Ser mutation or alternatively the Gly 96 to Ala mutations.
The promoter region of the chimeric gene according to the invention may consist advantageously of at least one promoter on a fragment thereof of a gene which is expressed naturally in plants, that is to say promoters of viral origin such as that of 35S RNA of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV35S) or of plant origin such as the small subunit of the ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase (RuBisCO) gene of a crop such as maize or sunflower.
The untranslated polyadenylation signal region at the 3' terminus of the chimeric gene according to the invention may be of any origin, for example bacterial, such as the nopaline synthase gene, or of plant origin, such as the small subunit of the maize or sunflower RuBisCO.
The chimeric gene according to the invention may comprise, in addition to the above essential parts, an untranslated intermediate region (linker) between the promoter region and the coding sequence which may be of any origin, bacterial, viral or plant.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
EXAMPLE 1
Construction of a Chemeric Gene
The construction of the chimeric gene according to the invention is carried out using the following elements:
1) "Double CaMV" promoter (that is to say part of which has been duplicated): The CaMV35S promoter was isolated by Odell et al (1985). A clone, pJO 5-2, containing about 850 bp upstream of the site of initiation of transcription was cut with EcoRI-HindIII, the ends of this isolated fragment were made blunt using Klenow polymerase and the fragment inserted at the HinclI site of the vector pUC19 (Yannish-Perron et al., 1985). This promoter was digested with ClaI, the ends filled using Klenow polymerase and then redigested with HindIII. A HindIII-EcoRV fragment, isolated from the same initial promoter, was introduced between these two sites. The promoter thus obtained possesses a double amplification region upstream of the regulatory elements of the CaMV35S promoter. It was introduced in the form of a HindIII-EcoRI fragment into the vector pRPA-BL 150 A alpha 2, described in French Patent Application 88/04130, cut with HindIII and EcoRI.
2) Transfer region: the two transit peptides as well as the mature protein elements used are derived from the cloned cDNA of the small subunit of the gene of maize RuBisCO whose gene has been described by Lebrun et at. (1987), and from the cloned cDNA of the small subunit of the gene of sunflower RuBisCO, isolated by Waksman et al. (1987). More specifically, the transit region, called optimised transit peptide, comprises, in the direction of translation:
a transit peptide of the small subunit of sunflower RuBisCO,
an N-terminal sequence of 22 amino acids of the mature part of the small subunit of maize RuBisCO,
a transit peptide of the small subunit of maize RuBisCO.
The construct using this optimised transfer peptide is called pRPA-BL 410.
Other similar sequences may be used which contain sequences of 10 to 40 and preferably 18 and 33 amino acids respectively.
In order to provide a comparative element, another construction was carded out using a first transit peptide and the same mature sequence part but without a second transit peptide, according to the prior art (pRPA-BL 294).
3) Structural gene: it is derived from the mutant gene at the position (Pro 101 to Ser) of EPSPS of Salmonella typhymurium isolated by Stalker et al. (1985). The pMG34-2 clone (provided by Calgene) was linearised with XbaI and then treated with Vigna radiata nuclease. After recutting with SmaI, the two blunt ends were ligated. The clone obtained possesses an NcoI site in the initiator ATG as well as a 17-bp SalI site downstream of the stop codon. This clone was called pRPA-BL 104.
4) Polyadenylation signal region: the fragment is derived from the nopaline synthase gene of pTi37 (Bevan et al., 1983). This site is contained in a 260-bp MboI fragment (Fraley et al., 1983; Patent Application PCT 84/02913) which was treated with Klenow polymerase and cloned in the SmaI site of M13 mp 18 in order to introduce the BamHI and EcoRI sites at the 5' and 3' ends respectively.
After cutting with BamHI and treating with Vigna radiata nuclease followed by cutting with EcoRI and treating with Klenow polymerase, the resulting fragment was introduced in the vector p-BL 20 (cf. French Patent Application 88/04130), cut by XbaI and BamHI and treated with Klenow polymerase. After recutting with SalI and SstI, a fragment of about 0.4 kbp containing the 3' nos sequence on the side of the SalI site and the right end on the T-DNA side of the SstI site is obtained.
The assembly of the various elements was carried out in the following manner:
"Transit peptide of the SSU of the maize RuBisCO/AroA gene" fusion:
The transit peptide of the SSU of the maize RuBisCO gene is derived from a 192-bp EcoRI-SphI fragment obtained from the cDNA corresponding to the SSU gene of the maize RuBisCO gene, described by Lebrun et al. (1987), possessing an NcoI site spanning the initiation codon for translation and an SphI site corresponding to the cleavage site of the transit peptide.
Translational fusion is obtained between the maize transit peptide and the bacterial EPSPS gene by treating the SphI end with bacteriophage T4 polymerase and by ligating it with the Klenow polymerase-treated NcoI end of the AroA gene from pRPA-BL 104, recut with EcoRI.
Transit peptide of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/sequence of 22 amino acids of the mature part of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/AroA gene fusion:
Similarly, a 228-bp EcoRI-HindII fragment of the cDNA of the SSU of the maize RuBisCO gene is ligated with the Klenow polymerase-treated NcoI end of the AroA gene from pRPA-BL 104 and recut with EcoRI. A translational fusion is obtained between the transit peptide of the SSU of maize RuBisCO, the 22 amino acids of the mature part of the SSU of maize RuBisCO and the bacterial EPSPS gene.
Transit peptide of the SSU of sunflower RuBisCO:
The fragment is derived from the cDNA isolated by Waksman and Freyssinet (1987). An SphI site was created at the cleavage site of the transit peptide according to the method of Zoller and Smith (1984). The transit peptide of the SSU of sunflower RuBisCO thus obtained is a 171-bp EcoRI-SphI fragment.
Transit peptide of the SSU of sunflower RuBisCO/sequence of 22 amino acids of the mature part of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/AroA gene fusion:
The construct containing the transit peptide of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/sequence of 22 amino acids of the SSU of maize RuBisCO of the mature pan of the maize gene fusion was cut with 171-bp EcoRI-SphI corresponding to the transit peptide of the SSU of sunflower RuBisCO. A resulting construct exhibits a substitution of the EcoRI-SphI fragments and is a translational fusion "transit peptide of the SSU of sunflower RuBisCO/sequence of 22 amine acids of the mature part of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/AroA gene".
The EcoRI-SalI fragment was ligated with the SalI-SstI fragment containing the 3' nos sequence and the right end of the T-DNA. The resulting EcoRI-SstI fragment, comprising "transit peptide of the SSU of sunflower RuBisCO/sequence of 22 amine acids of the mature part of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/AroA gene/3' nos/T-DNA right end", is substituted for the EcoRI-SstI fragment containing the right end of the T-DNA of the plasmid 150 A alpha 2 containing the double CaMV promoter. The transcriptional fusion "double CaMV/transit peptide of the SSU of sunflower RuBisCO/sequence of 22 amine acids of the mature part of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/AroA gene/3' nos" in the vector 150 A alpha 2 was called pRPA-BL 294. "Transit peptide of the SSU of Sunflower RuBisCO/sequence of 22 amine acids of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/transit peptide of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/AroA gene" fusion:
The above construct is cut with NcoI-HindIII, releasing the Area gene. Next it is ligated with a 1.5 kbp NcoI-HindIII fragment containing the "transit peptide of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/AroA gene" fusion. A resulting construct exhibits a substitution of the NcoI-HindIII fragments and is a translational fusion "transit peptide of the SSU of sunflower RuBisCO/sequence of 22 amine acids of the SSU of the RuBisCO of the mature part of the maize gene/transit peptide of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/AroA gene".
The EcoRI-SalI fragment was ligated with the SalI-SstI fragment containing the 3' nos sequence and the right end of the T-DNA. The resulting EcoRI-SstI fragment comprising "transit peptide of the SSU of sunflower RuBisCO/sequence of 22 amino acids of the SSU of the RuBisCO of the mature part of the maize gene/transit peptide of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/AroA gene/3' nos/TDNA fight end" is substituted for the EcoRI-SstI fragment containing the right end of the T-DNA of the plasmid 150 A alpha 2 containing the double CaMV promoter. The transcriptional fusion "double CaMV/transit peptide of the SSU of sunflower RuBisCO/sequence of 22 amino acids of the SSU of the RuBisCO of the mature part of the maize gene/transit peptide of the SSU of maize RuBisCO/AroA gene/3' nos" in the vector 150 A alpha 2 was called pRPA-BL 410.
EXAMPLE 2
Resistance of the Transformed Plants
1. Transformation:
The vector is introduced into the nononcogenic agrobacterium strain EHA 101 (Hood et al., 1987) carrying the cosmid pTVK 291 (Komari et al., 1986). The transformation method is based on the procedure of Horsh et al. (1985).
2. Regeneration:
The regeneration of the tobacco PBD6 (source SEITA France) using foliar explants is carried out on a Murashige and Skoog (MS) basic medium containing 30 g/l of sucrose and 200 g/ml of kanamycin. The foliar explants are removed from greenhouse- or in vitro-grown plants and transformed according to the foliar disc method (Science 1985, Vol. 227, p. 1229-1231) in three successive stages: the first comprises the induction of shoots on an MS medium supplemented with 30 g/l of sucrose containing 0.05 mg/l of naphthylacetic acid (ANA) and 2 mg/l of benzylaminopurine (BAP), for 15 days. The shoots formed during this stage are then developed by culturing on an MS medium supplemented with 30 g/l of sucrose, but not containing; hormone, for 10 days. The developed shoots are then removed and they are cultured on an MS planting medium containing half the content of salts, vitamins and sugars and not containing hormone. After about 15 days, the deeply-rooted shoots are placed in soil.
3. Measurement of the glyphosate tolerance:
a) In vitro: the tolerance is measured by weighing the mass of calluses extrapolated to 100 foliar discs of 0.5 cm in diameter, after 30 days of growth on an MS medium supplemented with 30 g/l of sucrose, 0.05 mg/l of naphthaleneacetic acid and 2 mg/l of BAP containing 35 ppm of glyphosate and 200 micrograms/ml of kanamycin. Under these conditions, it is observed that for the tobacco plants modified by the chimeric gene of pRPA BL 410 according to the invention, the mass of calluses is 34 g whereas for the plants modified by the chimeric gene without a second transit peptide, the mass is only 12 g.
b) In vivo: 30 plants derived from the regeneration of the tobaccos transformed using pRPA-BL 294 and pRPA-BL 410 respectively are transferred to a greenhouse and treated at the 5-leaf stage by spraying with an aqueous suspension at a dose corresponding to 0.6 kg/ha of glyphosate (Round up). After 21 days, a phenotypic examination is carried out of the plants relative to untransformed control plants. Under these conditions, it is observed that the plants transformed using pRPA-BL 410 possess a negligible phytotoxicity whereas the control plants are completely destroyed; moreover, the plants transformed using a chimeric gene, which differs from the preceding one by the absence of a second transit peptide, possess a phytotoxicity of not less than 30% destruction.
These results clearly show the improvement brought by the use of a chimeric gene according to the invention for the same gene encoding the glyphosate tolerance.
The transformed plants according to the invention may be used as parents for producing lines and hybrids having an increased tolerance to glyphosate.
EXAMPLE 3
Spring colzas, Westar cultivar, resistant to glyphosate, were obtained using the method of BOULTER et al., 1990 (Plant Science, 70: 91-99), with pRPA-BL 410. These plants were resistant to a greenhouse treatment with glyphosate at 400.
g a.s/ha, a treatment which destroys nontransgenic plants.
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Chimeric gene for conferring to plants an increased tolerance to a herbicide having as its target EPSPS comprises, in the direction of transcription, a promoter region, a transit peptide region, a coding sequence for glyphosate tolerance and a polyadenylation signal region, wherein the transit peptide region comprises, in the direction of translation, at least one transit peptide of a plant gene encoding a plastid-localised enzyme, a partial sequence of the N-terminal mature part of a plant gene encoding a plastid-localised enzyme and then a second transit peptide of a plant gene encoding a plastid- localised enzyme. Production of glyphosate-tolerant plants is disclosed.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to gaming machine software and in particular to a method and apparatus for gaming device software configuration and gaming device software distribution.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Gaming devices, such as those found in a casino, often utilize software code to control operation of the gaming devices. In systems of the prior art, the software resided in an erasable programable read only memory (EPROM). The game control system interacts with the software stored on the EPROM to control game play. In general, games of the prior art are less complex than modern games. For example, prior art games did not include detailed and high resolution video based graphics, captivating sounds, or complex and lengthy software routines. Moreover, these software files that embodied the game were often small in size, often less than twenty megabytes. As a result, the devices such as EPROMs, which traditionally have limited storage capacity, were acceptable for use as a storage medium for the game software.
The gaming device was sold to a customer, such as a casino, with a game stored on the EPROM. The software files that enabled game play was first tranformed to binary data and loaded (burned) onto the EPROM, a complex task by itself, and then prior to shipment, the EPROM installed into a socket on an electronic circuit board in the gaming machine. The entire game software and data was contained on the EPROM. In some instances, numerous EPROMs were installed due to the storage limitations of an EPROM device.
Recently, casinos, game designers and programers have made strides to increase the appeal of electronic based casino games and to provide a more captivating experience for the gambler. These improvements include the addition of numerous sounds and images and more complex and enjoyable games. Some games even include multifaceted games that allow a successful player to advance to bonus rounds for an opportunity to win additional money or points.
Due to the advances in game technology and in particular the advances in gaming software, the prior art methods of assembling, distributing, and updating gaming software suffer from numerous disadvantages. Modern games and their associated software may consist of several thousands of files with each file being configured to interact to provide an advanced gaming experience to a gambler. Moreover, modern games and the associated presentation are significantly larger in size than prior art games and hence require more memory for storage.
In the prior art method, the binary game data was loaded onto one or more EPROMs. However, for modern games, the number of files has increased and the size of each file has increased and hence the prior art method has become overly burdensome. By way of example, when a game is initially installed on a gaming device, the prior art method of software storage and installation requires that each and every necessary game file be transformed into binary data and then copied to the EPROM. This is an undesirably complex and time consuming task. In addition, the limited storage capacity of each EPROM requires that an undesirably large number of EPROMs be used. Hence, the prior art method of configuring software on a gaming device is undesirable.
Another drawback to the prior art method of game storage concerns storage of the game software as binary data on the EPROM. The desired information in the binary data must be accessed using an offset from the beginning of the binary data. This adds complexity to the process of accessing game data. Moreover, tools must be developed or purchased to transform the game files into the binary data format for storage on the EPROM. This undesirable adds another layer of complexity and processing to game development and implementation.
At times electronic gaming devices may require a software update. The prior art method of updating software requires replacing the EPROMs that store the software code. This is undesirable for numerous reasons. To update a large game requires replacement of numerous EPROMs. Replacing numerous EPROMs is expensive in that the individual cost of EPROMs is not nominal and EPROM replacement requires skilled technicians. Another undesirable aspect to the prior art method is the time requirements and complexity of replacing such as large number of EPROM. EPROM removal and replacement is subject to pin bending, pin and socket breakage, or EPROM damage from electrical discharge. It should be noted that a single casino may have hundreds of gaming devices, each of which may require that numerous EPROM replacements.
One proposed solution has been to permanently install Flash memory instead of EPROMS as more data may be stored on a Flash memory. While this proposed solution provides the advantage of more storage capacity, it suffers from the added expense associated with Flash memory. Flash memory is prohibitively expensive and continues to suffer from size limitations. Moreover, use of flash memory is still plagued by the disadvantage of requiring software technicians to individually create and load the binary software data onto the Flash memory media and subsequently install a Flash memory card in each gaming device.
The drawbacks of the prior art are more pronounced when a gaming device is configured to store multiple games thereby allowing a game player or a gaming machine owner, such as a casino, to select between multiple games for play. The software files for each game may number into the hundreds thereby exacerbating the above-described prior art problems.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus to accurately and efficiently install, track, and update game software.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention overcomes the problems associated with the prior art by providing a method and apparatus for gaming software assembly, configuration, distribution and installation. In one embodiment of the invention a plurality of software files are grouped together on a single media in one or more files. It is contemplated that the one or more files are fewer in number than the plurality of software files. Hence, the grouping of the plurality of software files into a reduced number of one or more files provides advantages for grouping of software or data files, distribution, installation, deletion, or updating. Other advantages may be realized by those of ordinary skill in the art.
In one embodiment a plurality of software files, such as game files, may exist on a fixed media, such as a hard disk drive. It is desired to distribute or group these files. Various reasons may exist for distributing or grouping these files. For example, it may be desired to group these files into a reduced number of files, or a single file, to more accurately and more easily send the group of files to other individuals or for purposes of installation at a remote site. By manipulating the group of files into a reduced number of files, the files may be more easily tracked, monitored, or installed.
Similarly, if it is desired to delete a plurality of files from a machine or device, the plurality of files to be deleted may be grouped into a reduced number of files and the reduced number of files may be deleted or manipulated as desired. In one embodiment the plurality of files is reduced to a single file.
These advantages are particularly desirable when the number of files increases. In some situations it is necessary to manipulate, distribute, install or delete hundreds of files and establish numerous different directories or subdirectories for the files. By grouping the files into a reduced number of files, the processes are more easily, more rapidly and more accurately achieved. Another desirable aspect of the invention is that the process of performing the distribution, installation, deletion or the like may occur by a more diverse group of individuals. For example, the invention allows less skilled or less highly trained individuals to carry out the game install or update process.
In one method of operation a plurality of software files and any designated directory structure are grouped or combined into a single file configured under the ISO9660 file standard. The created ISO9660/Joliet file contains the files and directory structure in a single file. The single ISO9660/Joliet file may then be distributed, installed, deleted, or otherwise manipulated as desired. The term software or files as used herein is defined broadly to mean any type of data or information stored in electronic format including but not limited to data files, image files, video files, sound files, computer readable software code and signatures files such as those used for authentication. The ISO9660/Joliet type file is but one possible format or standard to utilize when creating the reduced number of files from the plurality of files. It is contemplated that any other type of operation having similar results that is currently known or developed in the future may be adopted for use.
It is contemplated the invention be executed by computer hardware including a processor, a storage media, and user interface. It is contemplated that the created ISO9660/Joliet file be stored on a fixed media, such as a hard drive, or output to a removable media, such as CD-ROM, or to a network interface for transmission over a network. Compression or encryption may be implemented as desired.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention over the prior art will become apparent from the detailed description of the drawings which follows, when considered with the attached figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example process of one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of another example process of one embodiment of the invention exemplary software on one or more media.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 illustrates an operational flow diagram of an exemplary method of creating an image file for use in a gaming environment.
FIG. 5 illustrates an operational flow diagram of an exemplary method of installing and mounting an image file for use in a gaming environment.
FIG. 6 illustrates an operational flow diagram of an exemplary method of updating game files in a gaming environment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a method and apparatus for game software configuration, installation, tracking, or updating. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough description of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known features have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention.
The invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a method and apparatus for accurately and efficiently tracking, storing, and updating gaming files. In general and in accordance with the invention, the plurality of software files that comprise a game are assembled into one or more combined files or images. The term image is used broadly herein to mean a compilation or assembly of two or more files into a single file. In alternative embodiments, the assembly of two or more files or directories may be combined into a container or folder. The container is thus structured to include a plurality of files. The single image file, which is comprised of the plurality of files that comprise the game or facilitate operation of a gaming device, is more easily tracked, stored, updated, distributed, identified, deleted and accounted for as compared to attempting to perform these functions on the plurality of the individual files.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of software on one or more storage media. As shown, a first storage media 100 A includes a first image file 110 , a second image file 112 , and a third image file 114 . The storage media may comprise any type of media capable of storing digital data. In various different embodiments, the storage media may comprise, but is not limited to, hard disk drive, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, tape memory, EPROM, flash memory, RAM, ROM, zip disk, or floppy drive.
The image files 110 , 112 , 114 comprise a compilation of a plurality of other files. For example, the software portion of a modern game may comprise hundreds of different files. The image files 110 , 112 , 114 thus comprise a single file containing each of the files that comprise the game software. As can be readily understood, a single file is easier to work with, track, distribute, and delete than each individual game file, that may number into the hundreds.
The image file may comprise any type of file capable of uniting a plurality of the files and/or directory structures and which may optionally be extracted to generate the plurality of files at a later time. In various embodiments, the image file comprises a file created in accordance with the ISO 9660 or Joliet file standard, the LZH (Lempel-Ziv and Haruyasu) file standard, TAR format, or the ZIP file standard. It is contemplated that other file standards or methods may be adopted for use to link or otherwise associate a plurality of files into fewer files to create a more manageable number of files.
After the image files 110 , 112 , and 114 are created, one or more of the images may be copied or mounted onto a second media 100 B or a file system may be made available to other media. The second media 100 B may comprise the same media at the storage media 100 A, a different section of the media 100 A, or an entirely different media than media 100 A. The second media 100 B may be located in the same gaming device as the first storage media 100 A or located remote from the first storage media and accessed via a remote communication link, such as a computer network. If a file system is established, then it may be established on any media and made available, such as by mapping, to be accessed from other locations. Hence the exact storage media is not critical, but it is understood that access is provided to a file system and the image is stored or associated with an accessible file system.
As is shown the one or more image files 110 , 112 , 114 undergo a copy or mount operation 120 once on a file system, which may be located on any storage media. This operation processes the image file and extracts, expands, or otherwise creates a plurality of files and directories based on the information contained in the image file. Thus, with regard to Image A 110 , the mount operation create a plurality of files, FileA 1 through FileAN, where N comprises any positive integer. Various directories may also be created, such as directory D 1 and files D 1 A 5 in directory D 1 .
This process may be repeated with different image files to create additional collections of files on any storage media. For example, Image B 112 may be processed or mounted to create FileB 1 through FileBN, and Image C 114 may be processed or mounted to create FileC 1 through FileCN. N comprises any positive integer. Various directories may also be created. It is contemplated that a mount point or other location be provided to specify where and in what manner the image files 110 , 112 , 114 are processed and finally located.
It is contemplated that compression, authentication, or verification, (for example CRC, checksum) may occur on each of the files that comprises the image file prior to creation of the image file. Alternatively, compression, authentication, or verification may be performed on an image file after the image file is created. In alternative embodiments, compression, authentication, or verification is performed on each file before creation of the image file and on the image file after creation of the image file. Of course, the invention does not require compression.
In accordance with the often stringent and necessary security requirements associated with casino gaming, it is contemplated that each file that comprises the image file may be encrypted prior to creation of the image file. Alternatively, encryption may be performed on an image file after the image file is created. In alternative embodiment, encryption is performed on each file before creation of the image file and on the image file after creation of the image file. Of course, the invention does not require encryption.
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of exemplary software on one or more media. Although this exemplary embodiment is described in terms of three types of files and a particular method of operation, the invention should not be considered to be limited to the example embodiment of FIG. 2 . A first storage media 200 stores files of various types including, in this example embodiment, operating system files O.S. File A 1 through O.S. File AN, where N comprises any positive integer. The O.S. files comprise operating system files as those of ordinary skill in the art understand to oversee and enable operation of hardware and software of a computer system.
The first storage media 200 also stores Sys. File B 1 through Sys. File BN, where N comprises any positive integer. Sys. File type files comprise system files that control gaming machine specific hardware and resource management, such as, but not limited to memory control, data collection, and data storage. Examples of system files include but are not limited to various system drivers such as for a hopper driver or a coin acceptor driver.
The first storage media 200 also stores Game File C 1 through Game File CN, where N comprises any positive integer. Game File type files comprise software files that enable and control game play on a gaming machine.
In one example embodiment the first storage media comprises storage media of a game development or game distribution entity. In this environment the operating system files, the system files, and the game files are viewed, edited, and tested by numerous personnel including software programmers, artists, regulatory personnel, and others. In addition, there may exist hundreds of each type of file and various files may be passed around the network to various personnel, during the creation of these files. Numerous different versions of each file may exist.
As a result, it is difficult to track the various files and determine which is the final version. This problem plagues each file type throughout the distribution and installation process. As a solution to this problem, the invention creates an image file at a step 210 for each type of file. Hence, all the operating system files (O.S. Files) are processed into an O.S. image 220 and stored on a second storage media 202 or access to a file system having the O.S. image stored thereon is created. In one embodiment the second storage media comprises a CD-ROM type memory or other removable media. Access to a file system may be made over a computer network.
Similarly, the system files are processed into a system image 222 and the games files are processed into a game image 224 . In this manner the plurality of files may more easily be tracked, installed, distributed, and updated. The term image is used herein as meaning any file that contains information capable of being processed into two or more other files or directories. One example method of creating an image type file is provided in the Neutrino operating system available from QNX Software Systems, Ltd. In another embodiment image files may be created using software operating on a Microsoft windows platform, such as for example Easy CD Creator available from Adaptec. One type of image type files is created in accordance with the ISO9660/Joliet file standard for CD-ROM media. Other types of image type files may be created in accordance with the ZIP standard, the TAR format or the LZH standard.
After creation and storage of the one or more image files 220 , 222 , 224 , on the second storage media 202 , the second storage media may be easily distributed or the files more easily tracked. In one embodiment the second storage media 202 comprises a removable media and hence the system image, the operating system image and the game image may be easily distributed for install or update. Use of the image files within a company or other entity, is also aided by the use of a single image file. Alternatively or in addition, access to the image files may occur by granting access to a file system, such as over a network link, that contains the image files. The image files may subsequently be processed to provide access to the files that comprise the image file.
After distribution the one or more image files 220 , 222 , 224 may selectively be processed to recreate the plurality of files and directories as was complied into the image file. This occurs at a step 236 . In one embodiment this comprises a mount operation such as available in the Nutrinio operating system and Unix operating system. In the example environment the mount operation occurs to recreate the plurality of each type of file on to a third storage media 204 . In one embodiment the third storage media comprises a hard disk drive or flash memory. The third storage media may be installed in a gaming device and capable of receiving information from the second storage device 202 . The recreate or mount operation, when provided a mount point for an image file 220 , 222 , 224 , processes the image file to create on the third media 204 the files and directory structure that were on the selected portions of the first storage media ad selected for creation into the image file. In one embodiment the single files are copied from media 202 to media 204 and then mounted. In this manner the desired file structure is created on the third storage media 204 while gaining the advantages of distribution and install of a single file. In an alternative embodiment, the files may not be mounted or copied to a third media, but instead a file system is made accessible to another media and the file or image is remotely mounted through the network to provide access from a local file system.
Of course this is but one exemplary configurations and associated method of operation of the present invention. Other configuration and methods of operation are anticipated by the inventors and should be considered to be covered by the scope of the claims below.
The various embodiments, aspects and features of the invention described above may be implemented using hardware, software or a combination thereof and may be implemented using a computing system having one or more processors. In fact, in one embodiment, these elements are implemented using a processor-based system capable of carrying out the functionality described with respect thereto. An example processor-based system 302 is shown in FIG. 3 according to one embodiment of the invention. The computer system 302 includes one or more processors, such as processor 304 . The processor 304 is connected to a communication bus 306 . Various software embodiments are described in terms of this example computer system. The embodiments, features and functionality of the invention as described above are not dependent on a particular computer system or processor architecture or on a particular operating system. In fact, after reading this document, it will become apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the relevant art how to implement the invention using other computer or processor systems and/or architectures.
Processor-based system 302 can include a main memory 308 , preferably random access memory (RAM), and can also include a secondary memory 310 . The secondary memory 310 can include, for example, a hard disk drive 312 and/or a removable storage drive 314 , representing a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, etc. The removable storage drive 314 reads from and/or writes to a removable storage medium 318 in a well known manner. Removable storage media 318 , represents a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, etc. which is read by and written to by removable storage drive 314 . As will be appreciated, the removable storage media 318 includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer software and/or data.
In alternative embodiments, secondary memory 310 may include other similar means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into computer system 302 . Such means can include, for example, a removable storage unit 322 and an interface 320 . Examples of such can include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROM, or PROM) and associated socket, and other removable storage units 322 and interfaces 320 which allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage unit 318 to computer system 302 .
Computer system 302 can also include a communications interface 324 . Communications interface 324 allows software and data to be transferred between computer system 302 and external devices. Examples of communications interface 324 can include a modem, a network interface (such as, for example, an Ethernet card), a communications port, a PCMCIA slot and card, etc. Software and data transferred via communications interface 324 are in the form of signals which can be electronic, electromagnetic, optical or other signals capable of being received by communications interface. These signals are provided to communications interface via a channel 328 . This channel 328 carries signals and can be implemented using a wireless medium, wire or cable, fiber optics, or other communications medium. Some examples of a channel can include a phone line, a cellular phone link, an RF link, a network interface, and other communications channels.
In this document, the terms “computer program medium” and “computer usable medium” are used to generally refer to media such as removable storage device 318 , a disk capable of installation in disk drive 312 , and signals on channel 328 . These computer program products are means for providing software or program instructions to computer system 302 .
Computer programs (also called computer control logic) are stored in main memory 308 and/or secondary memory 310 . Computer programs can also be received via communications interface 324 . Such computer programs, when executed, enable the computer system 302 to perform the features of the present invention as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, when executed, enable the processor 304 to perform the features of the present invention. Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of the computer system 302 .
In an embodiment where the elements are implemented using software, the software may be stored in, or transmitted via, a computer program product and loaded into computer system 302 using removable storage drive 314 , hard drive 312 or communications interface 324 . The control logic (software), when executed by the processor 304 , causes the processor 304 to perform the functions of the invention as described herein.
In another embodiment, the elements are implemented primarily in hardware using, for example, hardware components such as PALs, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or other hardware components. Implementation of a hardware state machine so as to perform the functions described herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s). In yet another embodiment, elements are implemented using a combination of both hardware and software.
In an embodiment where the elements are implemented using software, the software may be stored in, or transmitted via, a computer program product and loaded into computer system 302 using removable storage drive 314 , hard drive 312 or communications interface 324 . The control logic (software), when executed by the processor 304 , causes the processor 304 to perform the functions of the invention as described herein.
In operation, the invention can be configured for various methods of use. FIG. 4 illustrates an example method of operation for creation of an image file. At a step 400 the operation determines which individual files to include in the image. In one method, a computer programer or computer technician, such as someone knowledgeable regarding the content and assembly of the files that are required or desired to be distributed and installed as the image. Next, at a step 402 , the operation may optionally create authentication data regarding each of the individual files that are to be formed into the single image file. Hence, the authentication data is created and may be stored into an authentication file or files. The authentication file may then be included as one of the files that will comprise the image file. The authentication data may be created in accordance with the processes described in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/643,388.
Thereafter, at a step 404 , the operation designates a name for the image file. In one embodiment an individual executing software commands selects a name for the image based on the content of the image file. At a step 406 , the operation performs processing to create the image file. In one embodiment the image file is created by Easy CD Creator or Direct CD Creator by Adaptec. In another embodiment the image file is created by any software capable of producing an ISO 9600 or Joliet type image.
At a step 408 , authentication data may optionally be created for the image file. A method of creating authentication data for one or more files is provided above. Hence, to provide additional levels of security, the individuals files may undergo an authentication process and the image file may undergo an authentication process.
At a step 410 , the image may be copied to another media and any created authentication data being stored with the image file on the other media. In one embodiment the image file is created on the same media, such as a hard disk drive, as the individual files and thereafter the image file is copied to a removable media, such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.
At a step 412 , the image file, stored on a media, may be installed or distributed. Distribution may occur via a network, Internet, or through a removable media such as a ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or any other removable storage.
In another or associated method of operation, the one or more image files may be utilized to distribute and/or install software onto media, such as a media that is found in a gaming machine. Use of a single image file insures that each and every file that is desired or required for operation is loaded onto the machine. It is far easier and more accurate to install a single file than to attempt to install hundreds of different files in a variety of directories. In addition, a single image file may be more easily distributed to individuals within a company or to customers than attempting to distribute hundreds or different files. In addition it is easier and less complex to download from a remote location or server a single file rather than hundreds or thousands of files.
In reference to FIG. 5 , at a step 500 the media is loaded or connected to the machine onto which the image file is to be copied, loaded, or mounted. In one embodiment this comprises loading a removable media, such as a ROM or RAM disk into the removable media reader. In another embodiment this step comprises connecting the gaming machine to or in communication with a computer network or a central computer to thereby facilitate copying of the image file over a network link.
At a step 502 , the operation detects the installation characteristics of the media. This step comprises determining that the media is intended to install software onto the gaming machine media. At a step 504 , having determined that the media contains software or data to be installed, the operation optionally authenticates the image file on the media before, after or in conjunction with the installation of the image file on the media. At this step the entire image file may undergo an authentication process in the manner described above in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/643,388.
After authentication, the operation advances to a step 506 wherein the operation may display an option menu or automatically initiate installation of the image file. The option menu provides means for a computer technician or other individual to select from a plurality of image files to install on a machine or other device. After an option menu or install option is presented, at a step 508 , the operation installs the desired image onto the fixed media of the machine, such as a gaming machine. In alternative embodiments the install or update files may remain on the removable media and the mount operation be executed on the file in the removable media.
After or during the image file install process, the operation, at a step 510 , may request or be provided with a mount point on the fixed media at which to mount the image. The term mount should be understood to mean the process of extracting or obtaining the information from the image file to provide the files that were formed into the image file. In one embodiment the image file comprises a file created according to the ISO standard or the ISO9660/Joliet standard. These files are thus mounted at a mount point on the fixed media to reveal each file and directory contained in the image file and make the files accessible and readable to the operating system of the gaming device. After a mount point is designated, the image files is mounted at the designated mount point.
At step 514 , and as a general result of the mount operation, the files structure is provided and is thus usable by the operating system or other files, programs, or software. After the image file is expanded so that the individual files of the image file are accessible, the operation may, at a step 516 , perform authentication on each of the files of the image file. In one embodiment an authentication file containing authentication data is created based on each of the files that comprised the image file. This authentication file may be incorporated into the image file, with the other files in image, and thus conveniently be available when the image is expanded, extracted, or mounted. The authentication file does not have to be made a part of the image file. The information in the authentication file may be used to verify that the image file or the files of the image file have not been tampered with or that security has been breached. The authentication that occurs after the mount process of step 512 may occur instead of or in addition to the authentication of step 504 . At a step 518 , the software is available for use. In one embodiment the software comprises game software. In other embodiment the software comprises operating system software. In yet another embodiment the software comprises system software.
In another exemplary method of operation, the image file may be used to update existing software on a gaming machine or other computerized device. Updating software in accordance with the invention provides the advantages of having to only distribute a single file and/or having to only install a single file. In alternative methods of operation the invention may be configured to distribute multiple files and combine the files into one file once the multiple files are installed. For example, if the image file did not fit or was divided between multiple CD's then a numerous files may be installed and a single file created. As an advantage over the prior art, the invention is able to delete, replace, or update files by using a single image file instead of individually deleting, replacing, or updating one or more of hundreds of files.
FIG. 6 illustrates an operational flow diagram of an example method of updating software in accordance with the principles of the invention. At a step 600 a removable media is loaded into a removable media reader of the gaming device or the gaming device connects to a media over a network link. Thereafter, at a step 602 , the system detects the characteristic of the media and the software to be installed. In this example method of operation, the media is for updating existing software or code on the gaming device or other media.
At a step 604 , the operation may optionally perform authentication of the image file stored on the removable media or at a remote location over a network link. Authentication performed on the image file guarantees that the image file has not been tampered with or altered. It is contemplated that an authentication file containing authentication or verification information may be associated with the image file. This authentication file contains information regarding the contents of the image file and can be processed to determine if the image file has been altered. An exemplary method of authentication is referenced above.
At a step 606 , the system may display an options menu or automatically initiate the update procedure described below. It is contemplated that option menu may require password entry to continue operation. It is also contemplated that the option menu allows the system to provide the option for a computer technician to select which software is updated or which update software to install on the gaming machine. For example, the update may be directed to game software, system software or operating software. Similarly, the menu may provide the computer technician the option to update one or more of several different games, system files, or operating system files. If presented with an option menu, it is assumed that the computer technician will select an option. In one embodiment the install process may be controlled by one or more keys or apparatus. One example comprises a USB (universal serial bus) key obtained by license procedures.
Next, at step 608 , the operation un-mounts the files structure of the software that is to be updated. In one embodiment this comprises compiling, collecting, or forming the files of a game into an image file, such as a recreation of the file image that was initially mounted onto the media when the game was installed and mounted. This provides the advantage of collecting all the game files into a single file. Next, at a step 610 the newly created image file, composed of the software to be updated, is deleted. Thus, all the software that is to be updated or replaced is easily deleted as it is all contained in the newly created image file.
At a step 612 , the operation copies the update image to the media of the gaming machine. In one embodiment the gaming machine media is a hard disk drive. The update image contains the updated software packaged into a single file, such as an image file. After the image file is copied, a mount point for the image is designated at a step 614 . Designating a mount point provide the location on the media where the files structure specified by the image file is to be located and mounted. The image file may be copied from a removable media or a network or other communication link.
At a step 616 , the image file is mounted at the designated mount spot. At a step 618 , the file structure and files are provided for use by various other systems or software on the gaming machine. Thereafter, at a step 620 , the operation may optionally authenticate the files and file structure made available by the mount operation of step 616 and 618 on the image file. Authentication after mounting the file provides another level of security and verification that the files expanded from the image file have not been tampered with or altered. This step of authentication is in addition to the authentication that may optionally occur at step 604 .
At a step 622 the game may be provided for play. In other embodiments the software being updated through the use of an image file is other than game software, such as operating system software or system software. In yet another embodiment the operation returns to the menu screen of step 606 to present a computer technician or installer to the option menu.
It will be understood that the above described arrangements of apparatus and the method therefrom are merely illustrative of applications of the principles of this invention and many other embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
It will be understood that the above described arrangements of apparatus and the method therefrom are merely illustrative of applications of the principles of this invention and many other embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
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A method and apparatus for packaging, distributing, installing, deleting, or updating gaming software is disclosed. In one embodiment the method and apparatus of the invention identifies a plurality of files, which may exceed hundreds of files, to be distributed, installed, or provided as updates. The plurality of files are selected and processed into a reduced number of files, often a single file. The single file contains all of the plurality of files and is capable of being further processed to restore the plurality of files and the directory structure of the plurality of files.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to liquid pumps, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for detecting and recovering from gas bubbles in a liquid stream being pumped by the liquid pump.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
High-pressure pumping systems are known for delivering liquid at high pressure. Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,409 (“the '409 patent”). The '409 patent describes a pumping apparatus for delivering liquid at a high pressure, such as for high performance liquid chromatography (“HPLC”) applications. The pumping apparatus comprises two pistons which reciprocate in respective pump chambers. The pistons and pump chambers are connected “serially” in that the output of the first pump chamber is connected via a valve to the input of the second pump chamber. The pistons are driven by linear drives, e.g., ball-screw spindles, and are synchronized so that a first or primary pump head receives its fluid intake at atmospheric or ambient pressure and compresses the intake, or puts it under pressure to a point, just prior to delivering the fluid to the second or accumulator pump head which has a high pressure interconnection with the primary pump head and virtually always receives pressurized fluid.
In the apparatus of the '490 patent, the stroke volume displaced by the respective piston is freely adjustable during a controlled stroke cycle. Control circuitry is operative to reduce stroke volume at reduced flow rates, leading to reduced pulsations in the outflow of the pumping apparatus. According to the '409 patent, the pumping system includes a control means and mechanisms to vary stroke length or volume, and stroke frequency. The control means is operative to adjust the stroke lengths of the pistons between their top dead center and their bottom dead center, respectively, permitting an adjustment of the amounts of liquid displaced by the first and second piston, respectively, during a pump cycle such that pulsations in the flow of the liquid delivered to the output of the pumping apparatus are reduced.
While pulsations at the output are reduced according to the '409 patent, no consideration is given to the presence of gas in the liquid stream. It is acknowledged in the '409 patent that the compressibility of solvents used in HPLC can be problematic, presenting a source of output flow pulsations. However, there is no consideration of the affects of gas in the solvent(s), and the negative implications that gas, i.e. in the form of bubbles, will on the output of the pumping system and ultimately on the reliability of the chromatograph.
At least one system known in the art identifies problems and includes mechanisms that attempt to address the problems associated with gas in the liquid stream. U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,343 (“the '434 patent”) discloses that gas liberated due to reduced pressures during the inlet phase of operation of a pressurized pumping system can accumulate in the pumping chamber and will not be expelled through the outlet because of the back pressure present. Consequently, the pump will stop pumping liquid when the trapped gas remains in the system. Other problems are produced by typical hard seat check valves which can be propped open by particulate matter causing leaks. Also, ordinary inlet valves in known systems are opened on an inlet stroke by suction, which contributes to undesirable as generation from the liquid being pumped.
According to the '434 patent, a liquid chromatography system is disclosed including a liquid pump having a pumping chamber, an inlet port, an outlet port, and a purge port, all communicating with the pumping chamber. A purge valve is connected to the purge port and is used to purge gas from the system. A disclosed method of operation of the system includes monitoring the pumping performance of the liquid pump to detect the presence of air in the pumping chamber; opening the purge valve; and producing a forward stroke of the piston to discharge the detected air through the purge valve. It is asserted in the '434 patent that of the pumping chamber will quickly correct faulty pump performance resulting from air trapped in the liquid phase. The pumping performance is monitored by monitoring the pressure in the pumping chamber, as it is asserted that pumping chamber pressure can indicate the presence of trapped air.
In the parallel, dual pumping implementation of the '434 patent, each liquid pump has a pumping chamber, an inlet valve for receiving liquid, an outlet valve for discharging liquid to a separation column, a piston for drawing liquid through the inlet valve during a backstroke and for discharging liquid through the outlet valve during a forward stroke, and a pressure sensor for sensing the pressure in the pumping chamber. The method of operating such an apparatus involves monitoring the pressure in the pumping chamber with the pressure sensor during the forward stroke of the piston to detect the presence of air in the pumping chamber; determining the deficiency in liquid flow produced by the pump because of the detected air in the pumping chamber; and
adjusting the operation of the pump to compensate for the deficiency.
Adjusting pump operation effects desired pump performance by compensating the length of the pump's forward stroke. The adjusting step may include adjusting the speed of the forward stroke of the piston, or adjusting the speed of the backstroke of the piston. In order to effect such a method, the monitoring is performed during an early portion of the forward stroke. Early monitoring facilitates the desired adjustment of pump operation.
In the dual, parallel pump configuration of the '434 patent, monitoring is effected with a first pressure sensor which monitors the pressure in the first pumping chamber to detect an end of the forward stroke by the first piston. Forward stroke of the second piston is initiated in response to the monitoring of the pressure in the first pumping chamber. A second pressure sensor senses the pressure in the second pumping chamber to detect an end of the forward stroke by the second piston. The forward stroke of the first piston follows in response to the sensing of the pressure in the second pumping chamber. Accordingly, controlled parallel pump operation is effected.
Uniform system pressure in the parallel implementation is effected by determining system pressure in the separation system and accordingly initiating the forward stroke of the first piston to provide the system pressure in the first pumping chamber at the end of the forward stroke by the second piston. The forward stroke of the second piston is initiated, at the end of the forward stroke of the first piston, to provide the system pressure in the second pumping chamber. The forward stroke of the second piston is initiated at the end of the forward stroke of the first piston, and the forward stroke of the first piston is initiated at the end of the forward stroke of the second piston. This synchronizes operation of the parallel pump.
Parallel pumps, such as disclosed in the '434 patent have inherent disadvantages. Parallel pump configurations, which by definition alternate delivery between pump heads, tend to have higher levels of unswept volumes. Dead or unswept volumes remain undelivered, and during gradient operation the unswept volume is delivered out of order, i.e. after delivery of the alternate pump head volume, resulting in compositional ripple and/or inaccurate chromatographic peaks.
Furthermore, the mechanism effected in the '343 patent disadvantageously includes a spring loaded outlet check valve which requires additional mechanical parts to address problems associated with gas in the liquid stream. The outlet check valve prevents fluid passage from the pump outlet to a pulse dampener when gas is trapped in the pump chamber (s). To prevent fluid flow from stopping altogether, a separate purge valve is activated to facilitate escape of the gas. When a large drop is pressure is sensed by the pressure transducers, it is assumed that there is gas in the pump chamber. At the onset of the pressure drop, the purge valve is opened, i.e. turned on, and the gas bubble is expelled. No record is maintained of the expulsion of the gas and there is no mechanism to cross-check gas expulsion against particular chromatographic runs to flag potentially erroneous runs. A fairly high degree of solvent conditioning at the input is required to avoid excessive opening of the check valves which can have a detrimental impact on efficacy of the system. Moreover, the '434 patent parallel design requires two additional check valves and two additional purge valves, with each being comprised of six or more additional moving parts. These parts represent additional cost. Long term performance and reliability of all of these additional parts is difficult to maintain.
In addition to the fact that the added mechanisms, in the form of the check valves and purge valves, represent unnecessary mechanical complexity and cost in the system according to the '434 patent, the check valves, as discussed in the '434 patent, present an opportunity for gas to enter the system and/or for leaks to develop. Failure of the mechanical check valves to expel gas from the system can result in the loss of prime of the pumps which will shut the system down. The purge valve and inlet check valve have unswept volumes or flow areas which will disadvantageously contribute to band spreading or broadening of chromatographic peaks. The increased volume in the pump heads due to check valves and purge valves leads to lower compression ratios for pumps according to the '434 patent design, which increases the difficulty in expelling bubbles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a serial, dual piston high pressure fluid pumping system that overcomes the difficulties of gas in the fluid stream without the need for added mechanical valves or fluid paths.
According to the invention, a bubble detection and recovery mechanism monitors compression and decompression volumes, and overall system delivery pressure of a serially configured dual pump head pump. Bubble detection is effected by sensing a ratio of compression to decompression volume and determining if the ratio exceeds an empirical threshold that suggests the ratio of gas-to-liquid content of eluent or fluid in the system is beyond the pump's ability to accurately meter a solvent mixture. The magnitude of the ratio of compression to decompression volume indicates that either the intake stroke has a bubble or that the eluent has a higher-than-normal gas content. Once a bubble has been detected, recovery is effected by forcing the pump into a very high stroke volume with the compression and decompression stroke limits constrained to obtain the largest delivery stroke compression ratio that will expel a bubble or solvent that has detrimental quantities of gas.
Features of the invention include provision of a solvent delivery system for HPLC which can automatically recover from a potential loss of prime during many hours of unattended chromatography runs of hundreds of injections. The detection of a bubble can be logged and recorded during each HPLC injection run, to provide a cross-check mechanism to notify the user that chromatography in a given run may be impaired. If the magnitude of a bubble or the degree of gas absorption by the solvent is not too severe, then automatic recovery can maintain acceptable chromatographic results under most typical and adverse external influences of solvent conditioning. Thus solvent conditioning at the input may be minimized. Initial detection of bubbles or gas is qualified using system delivery pressure to substantially prevent false triggering of the recovery sequence whenever the pump is delivering flow in a non-chromatographic context, e.g. during purging of the system. User defined flow rates and solvent composition settings are not affected by the recovery sequence. The design according to the invention avoids the use of spring-loaded check or other mechanical valves, and as such, does not additionally require a purge valve to pass bubbles. Reliability and maintainability of the system is enhanced accordingly. Bubble detection according to the invention permits operation at short piston stroke lengths which minimizes delay volume and compositional ripple with low gas compression ratios. The bubble detection desensitizes operational sensitivity to low gas compression ratios.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a serial dual pump system according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a bubble detection and recovery mechanism as it relates to a pump controller in the context of the serial dual pump system of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a state transition diagram of the bubble detection and recovery mechanism of FIGS. 1 and 2 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A bubble detection and recovery mechanism according to the invention detects the pressure of a bubble or significant amounts of gas in a fluid stream and performs a recovery sequence to enhance the pump's ability to expel a bubble or solvent/fluid stream having a significant gas content. The bubble detection and recovery mechanism is implemented in a solvent delivery pump system, such as is typical in High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) applications. Upon detection of a bubble or significant amounts of gas in the fluid stream, a recovery sequence is performed without disturbing user-set flow rates and solvent composition settings.
The apparatus in which the bubble detection and recovery mechanism is implemented, is a solvent delivery pump system, such as illustrated in FIG. 1, designed to meter multiple solvents and deliver a desired mixture at a desired flow rate for the purpose of performing chromatography separations of sample compounds.
As illustrated, solvent mixing is performed on a low-pressure inlet side of the pump. Up to four different eluents (i.e. solvents) A, B, C, D, are available for mixing in selected compositions, as known in the art, using a known solvent selector valve 10 . The solvent selector valve 10 performs low pressure mixing of the solvents A, B, C, D, in any combination of the four eluents at atmospheric pressure. The outlet of the solvent selector valve 10 is connected to a pump head assembly 12 of a primary pump, which as receives the mixed composition of solvents at ambient pressure and effects initial pressurization of the fluids input to the system.
The primary pump head 12 in this illustrative embodiment (and likewise an accumulator pump head as discussed hereinafter) is a pump head that has features as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/606,149 filed Feb. 23, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference. The pump head 12 is generally comprised of a piston configured to reciprocate in a piston chamber, an inlet check valve, and a motor and drive mechanism (none of which are shown in FIG. 1 ). The pump heads are also configured with a motor shaft encoder that ultimately provides measurement of the position of the reciprocating plunger with respect to a reference and outputs a signal indicative of the same. The primary pump head 12 is the low pressure side of the pump, because its intake is at atmospheric pressure during the pump cycle. The primary pump head 12 is used to pressurize the solvent input and bring it up to the desired system pressure. A pressure transducer 14 is used at the output of the primary pump head 12 to determine the pressure of fluid output.
The primary pump head 12 works in conjuction with an accumulator pump head 16 to effect a serial, dual piston pump implementation. During primary intake, the accumulator pump head is maintaining system delivery, delivering solvent at system pressure. The primary pump head 12 is also brought up to system pressure just prior to it delivering fluid to the system via the accumulator pump head 16 , by driving towards top dead center up to a maximum percentage of the working stroke, referred to as a precompression limit or constraint. During primary delivery the accumulator is receiving and storing fluid for the next delivery cycle. As described hereinbefore, the outlet of the primary pump head 12 is connected to the pressure transducer 14 , and the outlet of the pressure transducer 14 is connected to the accumulator pump head 16 , which is the high pressure side of the pump. During normal operation the high pressure side of the pump should never drop below system pressure. The outlet of the accumulator pump head 16 is connected to a second pressure transducer 18 which registers system delivery pressure. The outlet of the transducer is connected to the sampler/injector 20 which is in turn connected to a separation column 22 and detector 24 , as would be understood by those skilled in the art.
A pump control system 26 receives encoder signals E 1 , E 2 and pressure signals P 1 , P 2 and converts them into meaningful information used for control and bubble detection. The pump control system comprises a microprocessor based system and a digital signal processor, which collaboratively perform the functions of flow and composition control, and motion control respectively, detailed description of which is beyond the scope of the present disclosure.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the pump control system 26 uses the encoder signals E 1 , E 2 and the pressure signal P 1 , P 2 , to generate a compression volume signal 32 and decompression volume signal 34 and a system delivery pressure signal 36 . Each pump cycle, the pump control system 26 makes available to the bubble detection and recovery mechanism, compression volume 32 , decompression volume 34 and system delivery pressure 36 obtained via the pressure transducer 18 . The pump control system determines the amount of decompression volume 32 34 by monitoring the pressure transducer 14 and the encoder signal E 1 during the intake stroke. The decompression volume is obtained by noting the plunger position at which the signal from the pressure transducer 14 reaches a value that represents atmospheric pressure. The pump control system determines the amount of compression volume 32 by monitoring the signal from the pressure transducer 14 and encoder signal E 1 during the precompression stroke, prior to delivering to the accumulator pump head 16 . The compression volume is obtained by noting the amount of plunger travel, from the encoder signal E 1 , that it takes for the signal from the pressure transducer 14 to reach the equivalent value of the signal from the second pressure transducer 18 , which is the system delivery pressure 36 . The compression and decompression volume signals 32 , 34 and system delivery pressure signal 36 are issued to the bubble detection and recovery mechanism 30 according to the invention.
The bubble detection and recovery mechanism is generally a state machine that operates in tandem with the pump control system which, as generally understood in the art, controls both the pump's flow delivery and fluid composition. The bubble detection and recovery mechanism 30 provides its state value 38 to the pump controller 26 . The system controller 26 monitors the state value and only initiates a bubble recovery stroke when it sees the state in Recovery mode. Although working in tandem in certain instances described hereinafter, the pump control system 26 and the bubble detection and recovery mechanism 30 operate independently of one another.
A state transition diagram of the bubble detection and recovery mechanism is illustrated in FIG. 3 . The state transition diagram represents the internal behavior of the bubble detection and recovery mechanism 30 . Generally, a compression to decompression volume ratio parameter trips or enables bubble detection when the ratio exceeds an empirically derived threshold. The ratio of compression to decompression volume exceeding an empirical threshold indicates that the ratio of gas-to-liquid content of the eluent is beyond the pump's ability to accurately meter a solvent mixture. The extent to which the ratio exceeds a predetermined ratio suggests that either the intake stroke has a bubble or that the eluent has a higher-than-normal gas content.
Once the bubble has been detected, i.e. the threshold exceeded, the mechanism 30 , generally, causes the pump control system to control the pump heads to deliver maximum stroke at the onset of detecting a bubble, thereby effecting sufficient stroke to generate high gas compression ratios. The high compression ratios generated cause the bubble to go into the solution as the fluid is passed from the low pressure to the high pressure side of the pump. The bubble detection mechanism 30 will cause the larger stroke to be effected until such time as a selected or proper compression to decompression volume ratio is once again achieved, i.e. once the gas bubble or high gas content solvent is passed through the system. The very high stroke volume is implemented with compression and decompression stroke limits constrained to obtain the largest delivery stroke compression ratio required to expel a bubble or solvent that has absorbed a lot of gas.
Referring now to FIG. 3, the state machine implementing the bubble detection and recovery mechanism 30 according to the invention includes the following states:
Disabled-the mechanism can be deactivated at any time, on command, by asserting the Disabled. The default is to have the mechanism enabled in which case it can be in any of the following six states.
Off-the mechanism is automatically defeated during certain restrictive modes of the pump in which the compression and decompression volume information is not available; e.g., while flow rate is being changed and whenever the pump is operating in a flow regime not used for chromatography, such as during purging of the system or the like.
Armed-this is the typical state in which the mechanism remains idle while it waits to detect a bubble.
Detect-is the state used to qualify the presence of a bubble before performing the automatic recovery sequence. Its purpose is to minimize the sensitivity of the mechanism from momentary upsets of either compression or decompression volumes and/or system pressure transients that would otherwise lead to a false bubble detection.
Recovery-is the state in which the pump control system alters the pump stroke and compression/decompression constraints to achieve the desired high compression ratio.
Restoring Stroke-is a wait state in which the bubble mechanism delays until the pump control system restores the pump back to its original stroke volume.
Rearming Delay-is a wait state in which the bubble mechanism delays before re-arming for another bubble detect event. It allows the pump sufficient time to stabilize before accepting new compression/decompression ratio values for the next bubble detect event.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the pump control system monitors the state of the bubble mechanism while maintaining the desired flow rate and solvent composition settings and only modifies its behavior whenever it sees the bubble mechanism in the state Recovery. If the magnitude of a bubble or the degree of gas adsorption by the solvent is not too severe, then automatic recovery, as described, can maintain acceptable chromatographic results under the most typical and adverse external influences of solvent conditioning. In all other states, the pump control system maintains the preset working stroke parameters.
As illustrated in the state transition diagram of FIG. 3, the bubble mechanism, once enabled, remains idle in its Armed state while it monitors for the presence of a bubble. While in the Armed state, the bubble mechanism monitors the compression and decompression volumes obtained each pump cycle from the pump control system. If the ratio of compression-to-decompression volumes exceeds an empirically-derived threshold limit R 1 (in this illustrative embodiment the limit is approximately 1.0-2.0), and the system delivery pressure exceeds a preset minimum threshold P 1 (in this embodiment approximately 650 psi), then the mechanism transitions to the Detect state. The system delivery pressure is used as a qualifier to prevent false triggering of the recovery sequence whenever the pump is delivering flow in a non-chromatographic context; e.g., purging the system.
Once triggered into the Detect state, the mechanism blindly delays for a preset number of N 1 pump cycles (approximately equal to 6) to ensure that the bubble is sufficiently large to warrant a recovery sequence. At the end of N 1 pump cycles, the ratio of compression-to-decompression volumes is checked a second time. If the threshold R 1 is found to be violated or exceeded, then the mechanism considers a bubble as being detected, otherwise the bubble is considered too small in magnitude and the mechanism transitions back to the Armed state. It should be noted that the pressure threshold of P 1 is not used to qualify the second violation of R 1 , in case the magnitude of the bubble is sufficiently large to have collapsed system delivery pressure. This ensures that bubble recovery will be performed to avoid a loss of prime condition. Thus, the solvent delivery system can automatically recover from a potential loss of prime during many hours of unattended chromatography runs of hundreds of injections.
The action taken on egress from the Detect state when the mechanism has declared a detected bubble is contingent on a user-configurable system-level option for bubble detect. The user may elect to either ignore, log only, or log and recover. If the option is configured to ignore, then the mechanism returns back to the Armed state. If the option is configured to log only, then a bubble detect message is logged to alert the user that the chromatogram may have been affected, before returning to the Armed state. If the option is configured to log and recover, then the mechanism logs the bubble detect message and transitions to the Recovery state, which initiates the recovery sequence. Accordingly, the detection of a bubble can be logged and recorded during each HPLC injection run, to notify the user that chromatography may be impaired
The bubble mechanism remains in the Recovery state for a fixed duration of a preset number of pump cycles N 2 (in this embodiment set to 10) to allow the pump controller a sufficient number of strokes to clear the bubble using the larger bubble recovery stroke. Meanwhile, as soon as the pump controller recognizes that the bubble mechanism has entered the Recovery state, it changes its cycle scheduling at the next intake stroke to use the larger bubble recovery stroke and constrains the amount of stroke travel normally allocated for decompression and pre-compression. These two actions allow the pump to attain a sufficient compression ratio necessary to expel solvent that has absorbed a considerable amount of gas. The pump controller to operate under the bubble recovery stroke parameters until the bubble mechanism transitions out of its Recovery state.
When the preset number of N2 pump cycles expire, the bubble mechanism transitions into the state Restoring Stroke. This state is necessary, because the pump controller can not instantaneously transition between the normal operating stroke and the bubble recovery stroke. Depending on the operational stroke, it can take up to 4 pump cycles (N) while in the Recovery state to shift into the bubble recovery stroke. On entry into the Recovery state, the bubble mechanism keeps track of how many pump cycles it took for the pump controller to shift up to the bubble recovery stroke. It uses this count later to count down in the Restoring Stroke state before it begins its stabilization delay in the Rearming Delay state. The state transition from Restoring Stroke to Rearming Delay is detected by the pump controller as a signal to return back to the normal operating stroke parameters.
The bubble mechanism remains in the Rearming Delay state for a fixed duration of a preset number of pump cycles to allow the pump sufficient time to restabilize. When the number of pump cycles reaches a preset limit N 3 (in this embodiment set to 6), the bubble mechanism completes its recovery sequence by returning back to the Armed state. On transition back to the Armed state the compression ratio is checked again as described hereinbefore.
The Off and Disabled states are not part of the detection and recovery sequence. They serve as exception states in which bubble detection and recovery can not be performed.
While the bubble detection and recovery mechanism described herein uses a ratio between the compression volume and decompression volume to detect bubbles, it should be appreciated that the compression volume and decompression volume information can be used as well for other purposes, such as to estimate the volume of gas in a solvent, or the like.
While the use of compression volume and decompression volume information is described herein in the context of a dual pump head serial pump, it should be appreciated that similar use of a compression/decompression volume ratio can be effected in a parallel pump configuration if the pumps are under independent control so that one of the measurements can be obtained from one pump while the other pump is delivering fluid.
Although the bubble detection and recovery mechanism is described generally herein as a state machine, it will be appreciated that the state machine described in detail hereinbefore can be implemented as software running on the pump control system microprocessor, or the state machine cam be implemented in hardware as an application specific integrated circuit, or as a combination of hardware and software elements effecting the states and functionality as described.
While the invention is described herein in an implementation to detect bubbles in the volume domain, i.e. by monitoring trends in compression and decompression volumes during each pump cycle (as opposed to the pressure domain as in prior art implementations), it should be appreciated that measured cycle-to-cycle changes of compression volume could be used for other purposes in a fluid transport system such as disclosed herein, such as for selectively activating the recovery sequence in cases where the magnitude of a bubble or the degree of gas absorption is sufficiently large. Similarly, cycle variations of decompression volumes could be used to track and normalize changes found in compression volumes while compression is under gradient control.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to an illustrative embodiment thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and various other changes, additions and omissions in the form and detail thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as delineated in the claims.
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A serial, dual piston high pressure fluid pumping system that overcomes the difficulties of gas in the fluid stream without the need for added mechanical valves or fluid paths. A bubble detection and recovery mechanism monitors compression and decompression volumes of the serially configured dual pump head pump, and the overall system delivery pressure. Bubble detection is effected by sensing a ratio of compression to decompression volume and determining if the ratio exceeds an empirical threshold that suggests the ratio of gas-to-liquid content of eluent or fluid in the system is beyond the pump's ability to accurately meter a solvent mixture. The magnitude of the ratio of compression to decompression volume indicates that either the intake stroke has a bubble or that the eluent has a higher-than-normal gas content. Once a bubble has been detected, recovery is effected by forcing the pump into a very high stroke volume with the compression and decompression stroke limits constrained to obtain the largest delivery stroke compression ratio that will expel a bubble or solvent that has detrimental quantities of gas.
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This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/418,410, filed Apr. 7, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,652.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members and to a method of manufacturing a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members. More particularly, the invention relates to a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members and method of manufacturing a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members, in which the assembling accuracy of the synthetic resin part to metal members is enhanced, there is no danger of unnecessary contact between metal members, and the time for assembling metal members is saved to contribute to cost reduction.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional lamp body for lamps, which is mounted in a room lamp or vanity mirror provided in the interior of an automobile, is shown in FIGS. 61 and 62, for example. The lamp body shown in FIGS. 62 and 63 is that used for vanity mirrors.
In the figures, reference character "a" denotes a lamp body in the form of a frame with a high height, which is mounted in an opening portion formed near a mirror mounting portion of a mirror body (not shown).
Metal fittings "b" and "c" for holding a bulb are fixed on the rear surface of the lamp body "a", and a bulb "f" is held in the holding pieces "d" and "e" of the metal fittings "b" and "c".
Reference character "g" denotes a switch, from which a terminal piece "h" projects. A contact portion "i" provided in the metal fitting "b" is in contact with a terminal (not shown) exposed to the lower surface of a box body "j" of the switch "g". If an operating rod "k" of the switch "g" is pushed, within the box body "j" of the switch "g" the terminal piece "h" will come into contact with the terminal (not shown) that the contact portion "i" is in contact with.
A terminal piece "l" of the metal fitting "c" and the terminal piece "h" of the switch "g" project into a bore "m" formed in the lamp body "a". This bore "m" and two terminal pieces "h" and "l" forms a connector "n".
When the vanity mirror (not shown) is attached to the sun visor (not shown), a connector provided on the distal end of a wire harness extending from the sun visor side is connected to the above-described connector "n", and the bulb "f" is connected through the switch "g" with a power supply on the frame side of the automobile.
In the above-described conventional lamp body "a", the metal fittings "b", "c" and switch "g" formed individually must be assembled into the lamp body "a" separately, so that the time for assembling becomes longer and cumbersome, and costs are increased.
In addition, since the metal fittings "b", "c" and the switch "g" are assembled into the lamp body "a" one by one, accuracy in assembling between the metal fittings "b", "c" and the switch "g" is difficult to obtain and, in some cases, there is an danger of short-circuit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members and a method of manufacturing a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members have been provided according to the present invention to solve the above-described problems.
More specifically, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members in which a plurality of synthetic resin parts integrally formed by forming by insert molding each of a plurality of metal member sets each comprising a plurality of kinds of metal members integrally formed through coupling portions, are formed by cutting off said coupling portions.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members which comprises the steps of: integrally forming a plurality of metal member sets through coupling portions, each of the metal member sets comprising a plurality of kinds of metal members; inserting the metal member sets into the molding dies of a forming machine; injecting synthetic resin for molding into the molding die, and forming a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members in sequence to form synthetic resin part continuum where a plurality of synthetic resin parts are connected; and cutting off the coupling portions to manufacture the plurality of synthetic resin parts.
In the synthetic resin part according to the present invention, since a plurality kinds of metal members to be assembled are formed as a synthetic resin part by insert molding, the time and cumbersome work required for individually assembling a plurality kinds of metal members into a synthetic resin part can be saved and cost reduction can be realized. Also, since each metal material are assembled by insert molding, the assembling accuracy between metal members is improved. Further, since unnecessary portions of each metal are covered with resin, there is no possibility that unnecessary contact occurs between metal members.
In the method according to the present invention, a plurality of metal member sets are integrally formed through coupling portions. The metal member sets are inserted into the molding dies of a forming machine, synthetic resin for molding is injected into the molding die, and a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members is formed in sequence to form a synthetic resin part continuum where a plurality of synthetic resin parts are connected. The coupling portions are then cut off to manufacture the plurality of synthetic resin parts. Accordingly, a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members can be manufactured with a high degree of efficiency, costs can be reduced, and the assembling accuracy between metal members can be improved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIGS. 1 to 15 show a first embodiment of the invention in which a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members is applied to a lamp body for vanity mirrors and manufacturing method thereof;
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, partly cut away, showing the synthetic resin part assembled into a vanity mirror attached to a sun visor;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 3--3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lamp body of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the lamp body of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a side view of the lamp body of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 8--8 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 9--9 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the essential components in the first embodiment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 11 shows, together with FIGS. 12 through 15, the essential steps in a method of manufacturing a synthetic resin part integrally formed with met 1 members, and is a perspective view showing a material for manufacturing a metal member set continuum;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a prototype metal member set continuum formed by cutting unnecessary portions out of the material of FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 is an enlarged front elevational view, partly cut away, showing the prototype metal member set continuum;
FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a metal member set continuum formed by bending the prototype metal member set continuum;
FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a lamp body continuum formed by inserting the metal member set continuum into a forming machine;
FIG. 16 shows, together with FIGS. 17 through 40, a second embodiment of the invention in which the synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members and the manufacturing method thereof are applied to a lamp body for vanity mirrors and a manufacturing method thereof, and is an enlarged perspective view of the lamp body for vanity mirrors;
FIG. 17 is a front elevational view showing the vanity mirror, the cover of the vanity mirror being opened and the lamp lens being removed;
FIG. 18 is a rear view of the vanity mirror;
FIG. 19 is a rear view of the cover;
FIG. 20 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 20--20 of FIG. 17, the cover being in its closed state;
FIG. 21 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 21--21 of FIG. 17, the cover being in its closed state;
FIG. 22 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 22--22 of FIG. 17, the cover being in its closed state;
FIG. 23 is a front elevational view of the body of the vanity mirror;
FIG. 24 is an enlarged perspective view showing the essential part of a male terminal;
FIG. 25 is a view similar to FIG. 24 showing a modification of the male terminal;
FIG. 26 is a view similar to FIG. 24 showing another modification of the male terminal;
FIG. 27 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 27--27 of FIG. 17, the cover being in its closed state;
FIG. 28 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 28--28 of FIG. 17, the cover being in its closed state;
FIG. 29 is an enlarged perspective view, partly cut away, showing a mirror engagement portion;
FIG. 30 is an enlarged perspective view, partly cut away, showing the mirror engagement portion engaged by the margin of the mirror;
FIG. 31 is an enlarged perspective view showing a female terminal;
FIG. 32 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 32--32 of FIG. 31;
FIG. 33 is an enlarged front view of the female terminal;
FIG. 34 is an enlarged view of the female terminal, the female terminal being developed;
FIG. 35 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, showing the male terminal connected to the female terminal;
FIG. 36 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, showing the state of a switch unit in the open state of the cover;
FIG. 37 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, showing the state of the switch unit in the closed state of the cover;
FIG. 38 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, showing means for holding the cover in its closed state to that closed state;
FIG. 39 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, showing means for holding the cover in its open state to that open state;
FIG. 40 is an enlarged perspective view showing a contact set continuum;
FIG. 41 is an enlarged perspective view showing a modification of the lamp body for vanity mirrors according to the second embodiment;
FIG. 42 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 42--42 of FIG. 41;
FIG. 43 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 43--43 of FIG. 41;
FIG. 44 shows, together with FIGS. 45 through 61, a third embodiment of the invention in which the synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members and the manufacturing method thereof are applied to a lamp body of a room lamp and a manufacturing method thereof, and is an enlarged front elevational view showing the room lamp, part of the lens of the room lamp being removed;
FIG. 46 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 46--46 of FIG. 45;
FIG. 47 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 47--47 of FIG. 45;
FIG. 48 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 48--48 of FIG. 45;
FIG. 49 is an enlarged sectional view showing a bulb holding unit;
FIG. 50 is an enlarged sectional view showing an engagement portion between the lower end portion of the lens and the main body;
FIG. 51 is an enlarged sectional view showing an engagement portion between the upper end portion of the lens and the main body;
FIG. 52 is an enlarged perspective view showing a switch knob;
FIG. 53 is an enlarged front elevational view showing the contact of the switch;
FIG. 54 is an enlarged perspective view showing a connector formed on the rear surface of the lamp body;
FIG. 55 is an enlarged perspective view showing a contact set continuum;
FIG. 56 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, showing a modification of the switch knob and the mounting of the knob;
FIG. 57 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, showing another modification of the switch knob and the mounting of the knob;
FIG. 58 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, showing still another modification of the switch knob and the mounting of the knob;
FIG. 59 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, showing a further modification of the switch knob and the mounting of the knob;
FIG. 60 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, showing a further modification of the switch knob and the mounting of the knob;
FIG. 61 is an enlarged sectional view, partly cut away, showing a further modification of the switch knob and the mounting of the knob;
FIG. 62 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional lamp body; and
FIG. 63 is an exploded perspective view of the conventional lamp body.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will hereinafter be described based on preferred embodiments in which the details of a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members and of a method of manufacturing a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members are shown.
FIGS. 1 through 15 show a first embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is applied to a lamp body for vanity mirrors and a manufacturing method thereof.
First, a description will be given of a lamp body for vanity mirrors and then a manufacturing method thereof will follow.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a lamp body for vanity mirrors. The lamp body 1 comprises a main body 2 made of a synthetic resin, and contacts 3, 4, and 5 assembled into the main body 2 by so-called insert molding.
The main body 2 is made of a synthetic resin, such as ABS resin, and formed into a shallow and flat box shape which is opened at its front surface and which, when looking at the front, is a vertically elongated rectangle.
At the upper and lower end portions of the inner bottom surface of the main body 2, there are formed rest portions 6 and 6' which project slightly forward. At the substantially central portions of the rest portions 6 and 6', there are formed through openings 7 and 7'. At a position closer to the left end of the upper rest portion 6, there is a cut-out bore 8.
As shown in FIG. 4, a left projection 9 extends upwardly from the upper left end of the main body 2, and a right projection 10 extends upwardly from a position which is to the right of the central portion of the main body 2. The upper end of the right surface of the left projection 9 is formed with an L-shaped notch portion 11, while the upper end portion of the right projection 10 is bent into an L shape to form a lower engagement surface 12.
The left side wall 13 of the main body 2 is formed at upper and lower end portions with groove portions 14 and 14 extending therethrough in the fore-and-aft direction of the main body 2. Likewise, the right side wall 13 of the main body 2 is formed at upper and lower end portions with groove portions 14 and 14 extending therethrough in the fore-and-aft direction of the main body 2.
The contacts 3, 4, and 5 are formed of a metal material having electrical conductivity and elasticity, such as stainless steel (SUS 304, for example), but they may be formed of brass or phosphor bronze to increase conductivity or durability.
The contact 3 is integrally formed with a mouthpiece holder 15, an upper terminal piece 16, and a connection portion 17 (FIG. 10) connecting the holder 15 and the upper terminal piece 16. The mouthpiece holder 15 consists of a base portion 18 and snap pieces 19 and 19 rising from the upper and lower ends of the base portion 18. The snap pieces 19 and 19 are formed at the upper ends with fastening portions 20 and 20 which are so curved as to become close to each other.
The space between the distal ends of the snap pieces 19 and 19 is less than the vertical width of the base portion 18. The proximal ends 19' and 19' of the snap pieces 19 and 19 rising from the base portion 18 are formed into a so-called R-surface shape with a curve, not right angles.
The connection portion 17 of the contact 3 is buried in the bottom portion of the left side wall 13 of the main body 2, and the mouthpiece holder 15 is disposed in a shallow recess portion 21 formed in the right end portion of the vertically central portion of the inner bottom surface of the main body 2. The upper terminal piece 16 extends from the right surface of the notch 11 of the left projection 9 toward the right direction with the surface of the piece 16 held in the up-and-down direction of the main body 2. The right end of the upper terminal piece 16 is located near the left surface of the upper portion of the right projection 10.
It should be noted that the intermediate portion 16c of the upper terminal piece 16 is reduced in width, as compared with the proximal end portion 16a and the distal end portion 16b. Also, the distal end portion 16b is formed at its lower surface with a downward projection 16d.
The upper end portion of the connection portion 17 adjacent to the upper terminal piece 16 is formed with bent portions 22 and 22 (FIG. 10). With this arrangement, the upper terminal piece 16 can be displaced slightly downward.
The contact 4 is integrally formed with a main portion 24 formed with a connection bore 23, a lower terminal piece 25, and a connection portion 26. Two opposed engagement projections 23a and 23a are formed on the margin of the connection bore 23 of the main portion 24. The connection portion 26 is formed into a low L-shape (FIG. 10) when viewed from the front side, and extends between the upper margin of the central portion of the main portion 24 and the left end of the lower terminal piece 25. Also, the lower terminal piece 25 is upwardly bent at the proximal portion thereof with respect to the connection portion 26 so that the surface of the piece 25 is directed in the up-and- down direction of the main body 2.
For the above-described contact 4, the main portion 24 except the peripheral portion of the connection bore 23 is buried in the upper rest portion 6 of the main body 2, and the connection bore 23 is aligned with the through bore 7 (FIG. 2). Note that the bore diameter of the connection bore 23 is slightly smaller than that of the through bore 7, and the bore margin of the connection bore 23 is located inside the bore margin of the through bore 7, when it is viewed in the fore-and-aft direction of the main body 2.
The connection portion 26 is buried in the upper rest portion 6, and the lower terminal piece 25 extends from a position just under the notch 11 of the left projection 9 toward the right direction. The lower terminal piece 25 is opposed in parallel with the lower surface of the upper terminal piece 16 of the above-described contact 3 to constitute the opening and closing contact portion of a switch.
Thus, by constituting the opening and closing contact portion of a switch by the respective terminal pieces 16 and 25 of the contacts 3 and 4, the separate switch part g found in the prior art can be omitted, thereby the time needed for assembling a switch part such as this can be saved and the production cost reduced.
In addition, the distal end 25a of the lower terminal piece 25 is located below the engagement surface 12 of the right projection 10 and limited to move upward by the engagement surface 12. With this arrangement, a predetermined clearance can be provided between the terminal pieces 16 and 25 so that they can be prevented from short-circuiting.
The contact 5 is integrally formed with a main portion 27 in the form of a substantially rectangular shape extending in the up-and-down direction of the main body 2, a mouthpiece holder 28 extending from the nearly central portion of the right edge of the main portion 27, and a connection piece portion 30 continuous to the lower end of the main portion 27 and having a connection bore 29 at its central portion.
The connection piece portion 30 and the main portion 27 are connected by a connection portion 31 (FIG. 3). The connection portion 31 obliquely extends so that the connection piece portion 30 is located at a position slightly higher than the main portion 27, i.e., to the front side.
The mouthpiece holder 28 consists of a base portion 32 and snap pieces 33 and 33 rising from the upper and lower ends of the base portion 32. The snap pieces 33 and 33 are formed at the upper ends with fastening portions 34 and 34 which are so curved to become close to each other.
The space between the distal ends of the snap pieces 33 and 33 is less than the vertical width of the base portion 32. The proximal ends 33' and 33' of the snap pieces 33 and 33 rising from the base portion 32 are formed into a so-called R-surface shape with a curve, not right angles.
Two opposed engagement projections 29a and 29a are formed on the margin of the connection bore 29 of the connection piece portion 30.
For the above-described contact 5, the main portion 27 and the mouthpiece 28 are located in a shallow recess portion 35 formed in the inner bottom surface of the main body 2. The connection piece portion 30 except the peripheral portion of the connection bore 29 is buried in the lower rest portion 6' of the main body 2, and the connection bore 29 is aligned with the through bore 7' (FIG. 3) at the front side thereof. Note that the bore diameter of the connection bore 29 is slightly smaller than that of the through bore 7', and the bore margin of the connection bore 29 is located inside the bore margin of the through bore 7', when it is viewed in the fore-and-aft direction of the main body 2.
Reference numeral 36 (FIG. 6) denotes a small bore formed in the substantially central portion of the bottom wall of the main body 2. The small bore 36 is formed correspondingly to the substantially central portion of the main portion 27 of the contact 5.
Reference numeral 37 denotes a vanity mirror, 38 a body of the mirror, 39 a mirror attached to the body 38, and 40 a recess portion formed at the side of the mirror 39.
The above-described lamp body 1 for vanity mirrors is fixedly fitted in the recess portion 40. A tubular bulb 42 is firmly held at the mouthpieces 41 and 41 thereof by the snap pieces 19 and 19 of the mouthpiece holder 15 and the snap pieces 39 and 39 of the mouthpiece holder 28 and disposed in the lamp body 1. The front opening of the lamp body 1 is covered by a lens body (not shown), thereby constituting a lamp 43.
Reference numerals 44 and 44 (FIG. 5) denote bulb stoppers projecting from a position of the left side wall 13 of the main body 2 corresponding to the center between the snap pieces 19 and 19 of the mouthpiece holder 15 and from a position of the right side wall 13 of the main body 2 corresponding to the center between the snap pieces 33 and 33 of the mouthpiece holder 28, respectively. The bulb stoppers 44 and 44 are brought into contact with the end faces of the mouthpieces 41 and 41 of the tubular bulb 42 or located near the end faces so that unnecessary movement of the tubular bulb 42 can be limited to prevent failure such as a short circuit.
Reference numeral 45 denotes a cover, which is rotatably supported on the body 38 to open and close the front surface of the mirror 39 and lamp 43. If that cover 45 is opened, an actuating projection 46 (FIG. 2) will push the distal end 16a of the upper terminal 16 of the contact 3 from upward and the distal end 16a will be bent downward, so that the upper terminal piece 16 is brought into contact with the lower terminal piece 25 and power is supplied to the tubular bulb 41.
Since the intermediate portion 16c of the upper terminal piece 16 is reduced in width as compared with the proximal and distal end portions 16a and 16b, as described above, local stress concentration can be avoided when the upper terminal piece 16 is bent by the actuating projection 46 and the durability of the terminal piece 16 can be increased.
In addition, since the distal end portion 16b of the upper terminal piece 16 is formed with the projection 16d downwardly projecting toward the lower terminal piece 25, the upper and lower terminal pieces 16 and 25 can reliably contact with each other when the upper terminal piece 16 is bent toward the lower terminal piece 25, and defective contact by fluctuations in molding can be prevented.
Reference numeral 47 denotes a sun visor provided in the interior of an automobile. The sun visor 47 is formed with a recess 48 (FIG. 2) in which the vanity mirror 37 is mounted in the buried state.
In the recess 48 of the sun visor 47 there are disposed upper and lower structural members 49 and 50 having conductivity, which are respectively connected to the terminals of a power supply of an automobile. A screw 51 inserted into the connection bore 23 and the through bore 7 is screwed into the upper structural member 49 from the front side. Likewise, a screw 51' inserted into the connection bore 29 and the through bore 7' is screwed into the lower structural member 50 from the front side. The screws 51 and 51' are made of a material having conductivity, so that the contact 4 is electrically connected through the screw 51 to the upper structural member 49 and also the contact 5 is electrically connected through the screw 51' to the lower structural member 50. Therefore, if the above-described upper and lower terminal pieces 16 and 25 are in contact with each other, a closed path of power supply--structural member 49--contact 4--contact 3--one mouthpiece of tubular tube 42--another mouthpiece of tubular tube 42--contact 5--structural member 50--power supply will be formed and the tubular bulb 42 will light.
It should be noted that since the engagement projections 23a, 23a, 29a, and 29a of the connection bores 23 and 29 bite into the grooves of the screws 51 and 51' and reliably contact the contacts 4 and 5 with the screws 51 and 51' and also the bore diameters of the through bores 7 and 7' of the main body 2 are greater than those of the connection bores 23 and 29, the screws 51 and 51 would reliably be brought into contact with the opening margins of the connection bores 23 and 29 even if burr occurred on the opening margins of the through bores 7 and 7' when molding the main body 2.
Next, a description will be given of a method of manufacturing the above-described lamp body 1 for vanity mirrors.
First, a contact set continuum comprising a plurality of contact sets each including a plurality of kinds of contacts is formed.
Reference numeral 52 denotes a sheet material from which the contact set continuum is formed, such as a thin plate of SUS, brass, or phosphorus bronze, and the thickness thereof is about 0.25 mm.
The material 52 is cut by blanking to form a prototype contact set continuum 54 which comprises a plurality of prototype contact sets 53 each including prototype bodies 3', 4', and 5' which become the contacts 3, 4, and 5 of each contact set. The contact set continuum 54 has frame portions 55 for partitioning the contact sets 53. A connection portion-equivalent 17' of the prototype body 3' is connected at its substantially central portion to a left longitudinal frame 57 through a joint portion of the prototype body 3' and the left end of the main portion equivalent 24' of the prototype body 4' are connected by a joint portion 62. The contacts 3 and 4 have to be separated from each other, but if there are a few number of connection points to the frame portion 55, there will be the possibility that when blanking and bending, the contacts 3 and 4 are moved or detached from the frame portion 55. However, since the contacts 3 and 4 are connected by the joint portion 62, such possibility can be reduced.
Next, the prototype bodies 3', 4', and 5' of each prototype contact set 53 of the prototype contact set continuum 54 are bent and worked to form a contact set continuum 64 in which a plurality of contact sets 63 are continuously formed.
More particularly, for the prototype contact body 3, the mouthpiece holder equivalent 15' is bent to form the mouthpiece holder 15, the proximal portion of the terminal piece equivalent 16' is upwardly bent to form the terminal piece 16, and the connection portion equivalent 17' adjacent to the terminal piece equivalent 16' is bent to form the bent portions 22 and 22, thereby forming the connection portion 17.
For the prototype contact body 4, the proximal portion of the terminal piece equivalent 25' is upwardly bent to form the terminal piece 25.
Note that it is necessary that when the terminal pieces 16 and 25 are assembled into the main body 2, the respective surfaces of the terminal pieces be opposed and become close to each other. However, since the terminal piece equivalent 25' has a certain width in the direction away from the terminal piece equivalent 16' at the stage that the prototype contact set continuum 54 has been formed, both cannot be made close to each other. Therefore, when these equivalents are bent at the respective proximal portions thereof, there is often a great clearance between the terminal pieces 16 and 25. In such case, the bent portions 22 and 22 are formed in the connection portion 17 to regulate the clearance between the terminal pieces 16 and 17 to an appropriate range.
For the prototype contact body 5', the mouthpiece holder equivalent 28' is bent to form the mouthpiece holder 28, and the connection portion equivalent 31' is bent at the end on the side of the mouthpiece holder equivalent 28' and also at the end on the side of the connection piece equivalent 30' to provide a step portion between the mouthpiece holder equivalent 28' and the connection piece equivalent 30'.
The above-described contact set continuum 64 is inserted so that one of the contact sets 63 is positioned in the molding die for the main body of a forming machine, and a resin for the main body is injected into the molding die for the main body, so that there is formed a lamp body 1 in which the main body 2 made of the resin and the contact set 63 are integrally formed. The formation of the lamp body 1 is made in sequence for each contact set 63 of the contact set continuum 64, thereby forming a lamp body continuum 65 (FIG. 15) in which a plurality of lamp bodies 1 are continuously connected.
Note that reference numeral 66 (FIG. 6) denotes a press pin. The press pin 66 is inserted into a through bore 68 formed in one molding die 67, projects into the cavity, and pushes the rear surface of main portion 27 of the contact 5 so that the front surface of the main portion 27 is pressed against another molding die 69. Thus, the front surface of the main portion 27 of the contact 5 is pressed against another molding die 69, so that the resin for the main body 2 can reliably be prevented from flowing to the front side of the main portion 27, and the main portion 27 is exposed to the inner bottom surface of the body 1 and can function as a reflecting surface. Since the main portion 27 in the form of a large rectangle is exposed to the inner bottom surface of the body 1 in this way, the radiation of the heat of the tubular bulb 42 to the main body 2 during the time the bulb 42 lights can be prevented and therefore heat resistance of the lamp body 1 is enhanced.
The terminal piece 25 of the contact 4 is formed with the distal end portion 25a thereof contacted with the engagement surface 12 of the main body 2. Therefore, when the injection molding has been finished, the distal end portion 25a has been attached to the engagement surface 12. However, if the lamp body 1 is assembled into the vanity mirror 37 and the terminal piece 25 is bent (pushed down) once by the actuation projection 46 (FIG. 2) of the cover 45 through the terminal piece 16, then the distal end portion 25a of the terminal piece 25 will be separated from the engagement surface 12.
When the injection of the resin into the cavity is completed and the molding dies 69 and 67 are released, they can smoothly be released without using a slide core, since the space between the snap pieces 19 and 19 of the mouthpiece holder 15 is less than the vertical width of the base portion 18 and also the space between the snap pieces 33 and 33 of the mouthpiece holder 28 is less than the vertical width of the base portion 32. That is, if recess portions 70 and 70 (only one is shown in FIG. 6) at which the mouthpiece holders 15 and 28 are located are formed in the other molding die 69, the snap pieces 19, 19 and 33, 33 of the mouthpiece holders 15 and 28 can be removed from the recess portions 70 without getting caught on the inner surfaces of the recess portions 70 and 70.
In addition, in the mouthpiece holders 15 and 28, since the proximal portions 19', 19', 33', and 33' of the snap pieces 19, 19, 33, and 33 rising from the base portions 18 and 32 are not right angles but they are formed into a R-surface shape with a curve, formability is enhanced. That is, if these portions 19', 19', 33', and 33' are right angles, cracks will easily tend to occur in these portions by operations such as injection molding, or the attaching and detaching of a bulb, but if these portions are formed into a R-surface shape, cracks can be prevented and therefore formability can be enhanced.
And, each of the lamp bodies 1 is cut off from the lamp body continuum 65 to form a plurality of lamp bodies 1. The cutting of the lamp bodies 1 is performed at 71, 71, 71, and 71 of the joint portions 56 and 58 and the opposite ends 61 and 61 of the lower lateral frame. The cutting points 71, 71, 71, and 71 are located in the groove portions 14, 14, 14, and 14 of the side walls 13 of the main body 2 and along the inner surfaces of the groove portions. With this arrangement, the cutting becomes easy and no cut ends project from the side wall of the main body 2.
At the same time as the above-described cutting, the joint portion 62, which is exposed to the cutout bore 8 disposed at a position closer to the left end of the upper rest portion 6 of the main body 6, is cut at a position shown by 72 (FIG. 13). With this, the connection portion 17 of the contact 3 is cut and separated from the main portion 24 of the contact 4.
In the above-described lamp body and the manufacturing method thereof, since the contacts 3, 4, and 5 to be assembled into the main body 2 are integrally formed and also integrally assembled into the main body 2, the assembling accuracy of the contacts 3, 4, and 5 to the main body 2 is enhanced. Also, since the unnecessary portions of the contacts 3, 4, and 5 are covered with the resin of the main body 2, a danger of short-circuit is reduced. Moreover, the time for assembling is saved, thereby the assembling cost is reduced.
FIGS. 16 through 40 illustrate a second embodiment of the synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members and of the method of manufacturing a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members. This second embodiment also applies the present invention to a lamp body for vanity mirrors and a manufacturing method thereof. Reference numeral 73 denotes a lamp body for vanity mirrors, which comprises a synthetic resin main body 74, three contacts 75, 76, 77, and two reinforcement pieces 78, 79. The main body 74 is integrally formed with the three contacts 75, 76, 77 and the two reinforcement pieces 78, 79 by insert molding.
The main body 74 is made of a synthetic resin, such as ABS resin, and formed into a shallow and flat box shape which is opened at its front surface and which, when looking at the front, is a vertically elongated rectangle.
At the upper and lower end portions of the inner bottom surface of the main body 74, there are formed rest portions 80 and 80' which project slightly forward. At the substantially central portions of the rest portions 80 and 80', there are formed through openings 81 and 81'. Between the through opening 81 and right and left ends of the upper rest portion 81 and between the through opening 81' and right end of the lower rest portion 80', there are formed cut-out bores 82, 82, and 82.
Between the rest portions 80 and 80' there is formed a recess portion 83, which consists of three equal portions 83a, 83b, and 83b'. The vertically central portion 83a has a lowest flat surface, the upper portion 83b has an oblique surface extending obliquely from the flat surface portion 83a to the upper rest portion 80, and the lower portion 83b' has an oblique surface extending obliquely from the flat surface portion 83a to the lower rest portion 80'.
At four positions close to the upper and lower ends of the side surfaces of the main body 74, i.e., the positions corresponding to the opposite side portions of the rest portions 80 and 80', there are formed four opening portions 84. The front end of the side portion of each opening portion 84 terminates short of the front end of the side wall 85, and the rear end reaches the rear surface of the main body 74. At the rest portion 80 or 80', the front end of each opening portion 84 reaches the front surface of the rest portion, and the rear end reaches the rear surface of the main body 74.
At the positions close to the upper and lower ends of the right and left side walls 85 of the main body 74, there are formed groove portions 86, 86, 86, and 86 each reaching the front and rear ends of the side wall 85.
The contact 75 (FIGS. 16 and 40) is integrally formed with a reflector portion 87, a mouthpiece holder 88 projecting leftward from the vertically central portion of the left side edge of the reflector portion 87, male terminal 90 and 90' projecting leftward and rightward from the lower ends of connection pieces 89 and 89' extending downward from the left and right side edges of the reflector portion 87.
The reflector portion 87 (FIG. 40) is integrally formed with a central portion 93 faced to the front and having a laterally elongated rectangular shape, and inclined portions 94 and 94' extending from the upper and lower ends of the central portion 93 and inclined so that they extend forward as they move away from the central portion 93. The above-described connection pieces 89 and 89' extend from the left and right ends of the central portion 93 of the reflector portion 87.
The mouthpiece holder 88 (FIG. 40) consists of a base portion 95 and snap pieces 96 and 96 rising from the upper and lower ends of the base portion 95. The snap pieces 96 and 96 are formed at the upper end portions with fastening portions 97 and 97 which are so curved as to become closer to each other. A burying piece 98 projects from the left end of the base portion 95.
Since the male terminals 90 and 90' are identical in construction except that they are symmetrical, a description of one terminal will be given, and the same reference numerals as one terminal will be applied to the other and a description of the other will not be given.
The male terminal 90 consists of a conductive portion 99 and a mold portion 100 integrally formed to the conductive portion 99, as shown in FIG. 24. The conductive portion 99 is integrally formed with a plate portion 99a with a laterally elongated rectangular shape connected to the above-described connection piece 89, and side piece portions 99b and 99b projecting forward from the upper and lower ends of the plate portion 99a. In the substantially central portion of the distal end of the plate portion 99a there is formed a small bore 99c.
The mold portion 100 is formed of the same synthetic resin as the material resin of the above-described main body 74 and integrally formed on the side of the side piece portions 99b and 99b of the plate portion 99a of the conductive portion 99. The thickness of the mold portion 100 is the same as the width of the side piece portions 99b and 99b. The mold portion 100 has a distal end portion 100a projecting from the distal end of the plate portion 99a, and the distal end portion 100a is tapered so that the four surfaces (FIG. 24) thereof are gradually reduced toward the distal end in width and thickness. At the position corresponding to the above-described small bore 99c of the mold portion 100, there is formed a small bore 100b which is larger in diameter than the small bore 99c. The mold portion 100 is formed concurrently when the contact 75 is formed in the main body 74 by insert molding.
Therefore, the contact 75 is integrally formed in the main body 74 by so-called insert molding, and the reflector portion 87 is exposed to the front surface of the substantially central portion of the main body 74. That is, the central portion 93 is positioned at the front surface of the laterally central portion of the flat surface 83a of the recess portion 83 of the main body 74, the inclined portions 94 and 94' are positioned at the front surfaces of the laterally central portions of the inclined portions 83b and 83b' of the recess portion 83, the mouthpiece holder 83 is positioned at the left end portion of the flat surface 83a of the recess portion 83, and the distal end of the burying piece 98 is buried in the left side wall 85 of the main body 74. And, the male terminals 90 and 90' are so positioned as to project into the lower opening portions 84 and 84 of the main body 74 from the inner ends of the lower opening portions 84 and 84. Note that the connection pieces 89 and 89' are buried within the main body 74. Also, in the front surface of the main body, there is formed a shallow recess portion 101, within which the reflector portion 87 of the contact 75 and the base portion 95 of the mouthpiece holder 88 are disposed.
The contact 76 is integrally formed with a mouthpiece holder 102, a terminal piece 103, and a connection piece 104 extending between the mouthpiece holder 102 and the terminal piece 103.
The mouthpiece holder 102 consists of a base portion 105 and snap pieces 106 and 106 rising from the upper and lower ends of the base portion 105. The snap pieces 106 and 106 are formed at the upper end portions with fastening portions 107 and 107 which are so curved as to become closer to each other. A burying piece 108 projects from the left end of the base portion 105.
The connection piece 104 is formed as a band piece with a narrow width extending in the up-and-down direction of the main body 74, and the lower end of the connection piece 104 is integrally connected to the right end of the base portion 105 of the mouthpiece holder 102. The lower one-third portion 104a of the connection piece 104 is inclined rearward as it goes downward.
The terminal piece 103 (FIG. 40) is formed as a laterally extending band piece, the width thereof extends along the fore- and-aft direction of the main body, and the rear end of the right end of the piece 103 is integrally connected to the upper end of the above-described connection piece 104.
The above-described contact 76 is disposed so that the mouthpiece holder 102 is positioned at the right end portion of the front surface of the flat surface 83a of the main body 74 and the base portion 105 is positioned within a shallow recess portion 109 formed in the right end portion of the flat surface 83a. The burying piece 108 is buried within the flat portion 83a, and the connection piece 104 is buried within the right wall 85. Them terminal piece 103 projects leftward from a projection 110 projecting from the right end of the upper surface of the main body 74. A projection 111 projects upward from a position which is to the left of the laterally central portion of the upper end of the main body 74. The upper end portion of the projection 111 is cranked so that there are formed downwardly directed step surfaces 112a and 112b. The left end portion of the above-described terminal piece 103 elastically engages with the upper step surface 112a.
The contact 77 is integrally formed with a central piece 113 (FIG. 40) having a generally U-letter shape when looking at the front, connection pieces 114 and 114 projecting rearward from the lower right and left ends of the central piece 113, male terminals 115 and 115' respectively projecting leftward and rightward from the read ends of the connection pieces 114 and 114', and a terminal piece 117 which is connected through a reverse L-shaped connection piece 116 when viewed from the front side which is continuous to the upper end of the right end of the central portion 13.
The male terminals 115 and 115', similarly to the case of the male terminals 90 and 90', consists of a conductive portion 99 and a mold portion 100.
The terminal piece 117 is formed as a laterally extending band piece, the width thereof extends along the fore-and-aft direction of the main body, and the rear end of the right end of the piece 107 is integrally connected to the upper end of the above-described connection piece 116.
For the above-described contact 77, the male terminals 115 and 115' are so positioned as to project into the upper opening portions 84 and 84 of the main body 74 from the inner ends of the upper opening portions 84 and 84. The terminal piece 117 projects leftward beyond the distal end of the above-described terminal piece 103 of the projection 110, and the distal end of the terminal piece 117 elastically engages with the lower step surface 112b of the left projection 111. And, the remaining portion of the contact 77 is buried within the main body 74.
Each of the reinforcement pieces 78 and 79 is formed into a disk shape, and there is formed a through bore 118 in the central portion thereof. The reinforcement piece 78 is buried in the substantially central portion of the upper rest portion 80 of the main body 74, and the portion around the center of the piece 78 is exposed through the through bore 81 formed in the upper rest portion 80, as shown in FIG. 16. Likewise, reinforcement piece 79 is buried in the substantially central portion of the lower rest portion 80' of the main body 74, and the portion around the center of the piece 79 is exposed through the through bore 81' formed in the lower rest portion 80'.
In FIG. 17, reference numeral 119 denotes a vanity mirror, and 120 denotes a body of the mirror. The body 120 is made of a synthetic resin and, when looking at the front, has a laterally elongated rectangular shape.
The body 120 is formed at the left end portion thereof with a vertically elongated rectangular recess portion 121 for disposing a lamp. In the portion of the body 120 to the right of the recess portion 121, there is formed a laterally elongated rectangular opening portion 122 for disposing a mirror.
At the front end of the opening portion 122 for disposing a mirror there is provided an inwardly projecting stop margin 123 (FIGS. 17 and 21), and at the left and right end portions of the lower inner side of the opening portion 122 there are provided stop projections 124 and 124 (FIGS. 18 and 21). Between the front surface of the stop projection 124 and the rear surface of the stop margin 123 there is a space (FIG. 21) corresponding to the thickness of a mirror to be described later.
At the left and right end portions of the upper inner side of the opening portion 122 there are formed mirror engagement portions 125 and 125 (FIGS. 18 and 21). The mirror engagement portion 125 is integrally formed with a recess-shaped thin spring portion 126 connected at the opposite ends thereof to the upper inner side of the opening portion 122, and an engagement projection 127 projecting downward from the laterally central portion of the lower surface of the thin spring portion 126. The engagement projection 127 has an inclined surface 127a (FIG. 21) which is so inclined as to increase as it goes forward end.
Reference numeral 128 denotes a mirror. The mirror 128 has a laterally elongated rectangular shape which is a size smaller than the opening portion 122. The thickness of the mirror 128 is greater than the space between the front end of the thin spring portion 126 of the mirror engagement portion 125 and the rear surface of the stop margin 123. Then, the mirror 128 is inserted from the rear side of the body 120 into the portion between the stop projections 124, 124 and the stop margin 123 with the lower end of the mirror inclined forward, and with the central portions of the thin spring portion bent upward, the upper end of the mirror 128 is moved forward to abut against the rear surface of the stop margin 123. Then, if the force of bending the thin spring portions 126 and 126 is released, the thin spring portions 126 and 126 will try to return to their original state and therefore the lower surfaces 127a and 127a of the engagement projections 127 and 127 will elastically engage with the upper end of the mirror 128. Since the lower surfaces 127a and 127a of the engagement projections 127 and 127 are so inclined as to increase as they go forward, a force of forward movement is exerted on the upper end of the mirror 128 by the above-described elastic engagement, so that the mirror 128 is mounted in the body 120 with the front surface of the circumferential margin of the mirror 128 engaged elastically by the rear surface of the stop margin 123.
The recess portion 121 for disposing a lamp is surrounded by a rear surface and four side walls and opened toward forward.
The lamp body 73 for vanity mirrors is mounted within the recess portion 121 for disposing a lamp. In the upper surface wall of the recess portion 121 except the left end portion, there is formed a laterally elongated through bore 129 (FIG. 23). The projections 110 and 111 provided on the upper end of the lamp body 73 are inserted through the through bore 129 and project above the recess portion 121. On the lower wall of the lamp recess portion 121 there is formed engagement pawl portions 130 and 130. The engagement pawl portions 130 and 130 engage with engagement openings 131 and 131 formed in the lower wall of the main body 74 of the lamp body 73, thereby holding the lamp body 73 within the lamp recess portion 121.
In FIG. 21, reference numerals 132 and 132 denote facing bores formed on the right wall of the lamp recess portion 121 at positions corresponding to the right opening portions 84 and 84 of the right wall of the lamp body 73. The male terminal 90' and 115' of the lamp body 73 are faced to the outside through the facing bores 132 and 132. Note that when the lamp recess portion 121 is formed to the right of the body 120, the facing bores 132 are formed on the left wall of the lamp recess portion 121 and the left male terminals 90 and 115 are faced to the outside through the facing bores 132 and 132. The reason that two sets of left and right male terminals 90, 115 and 90', 115' are provided in the lamp body 73 is that even if the lamp portion is formed to the left or right of the vanity mirror, both cases can be handled by one kind of lamp body 73.
Thus, in this lamp body 73, since a left pair of male terminals 90 and 115 and a right pair of male terminals 90' and 115' are located within the through bores 81 and 81' for mounting the main body 74 and within the openings 84, 84, 84, and 84 formed in the positions which do not interfere the mounting of a bulb, space can be used effectively. Also, since these male terminals 90, 90', 115, and 115' do not project from the sides of the main body 74, the assembling of the main body 74 into the lamp recess portion 121 is facilitated. Further, since a pair of male terminals 90 and 115 and a pair of male terminals 90' and 115' are disposed across the portion of disposing the bulb 42, they can be disposed within the range of the bulb thickness and contribute to making a device thinner.
Also, as described above, the lamp body 73 and the body 120 for the vanity mirror 119 are formed separately and the lamp 73 is fixed within the recess portion 121 for disposing a lamp. Therefore, illumination by the lamp portion can be made lighter if the color of the material resin of the main body 74 of the lamp body 73 is made white, for example, and a material having higher heat resistance can be used as the material resin.
In FIG. 31, reference numerals 133 and 133' denote female terminals provided in a sun visor (not shown) which is mounted in the vanity mirror 119. The female terminals 133 and 133' are connected to a power supply through cords 134 and 134', respectively.
Since the female terminals 133 and 133' are identical in construction, a description of one terminal 133 will be given, and the same reference numerals will be applied to the other and a description of the other will be omitted.
The female terminal 133 consists of a receiving portion 135 and a cord connection portion 136. The receiving portion 135 and the cord connection portion 136 are integrally formed of a conductive metal plate. The receiving portion 135 is formed into a box shape, and the front plate of the receiving portion 135 is connected to the cord connection portion 136.
From the front edge of the front plate of the receiving portion 135, an elastic contact piece 137 is turned back toward the cord connection portion 136. The elastic contact piece 137 is bifurcated when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction of the main body, the free ends of two finger-shaped pieces 137a and 137a vertically spaced are connected by a connection piece 137, and when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction of the main body, the vertex portion is formed into a flat mountain shape. On the rear plate of the receiving portion 135, there are formed projection portions 138 and 138 which project at positions corresponding to the finger-shaped pieces 137a and 137a of the elastic contact piece 137 toward the finger-shaped pieces 137a and 137a.
Reference numeral 139 denotes an engagement piece which is turned back from the central portion of the front edge of the receiving portion 135 toward rearward so that it is disposed between the finger-shaped pieces 137a and 137a. The engagement piece 139 is inclined so that it becomes closer to the rear plate as it goes away from the front edge of the front plate, and on the free end portion located near the vertex portion of the above-described elastic contact piece 137, there is formed an engagement pawl 140 projecting toward the rear plate. At a position corresponding to the above-described engagement pawl 140, a through bore 141 is formed in the rear plate of the receiving portion 135.
Then, the female terminals 133 and 133' are inserted from the above-described facing bores 132 and 132 into the opening portions 84 and 84 of the lamp body 73 and therefore the male terminals 90' and 115' are received in the receiving portions 135 and 135. Each of the male terminals 90' and 115' received in the receiving portions 135 and 135 is inserted into between the projections 138 and 138 formed on the rear plate and the finger-shaped pieces 137a and 137a formed on the front plate, until the engagement pawl 140 of the engagement piece 139 engages with the small bore 100b of the mold portion 100 of the male terminal. By the engagement between the engagement pawl 140 (140) and the small bore 100b (100b), the female terminal 133 (133') can be prevented from being disconnected from the male terminal 90' (115'). The projection portions 138 and 138 of the female terminals 133 and 133' elastically contact with the plate portions 99a and 99a of the conductive portions 99 and 99 of the male terminals 90' and 115'. Note that when inserting the receiving portions 135 and 135 into the male terminals 90' and 115', the inserting is easily performed because the distal end portions 100a and 100a of the male terminals 90' and 115' have been tapered so that the four surfaces (FIG. 24) thereof are gradually reduced toward the distal end in width and thickness.
Thus, if the male terminals 90', 115' and the female terminals 133, 133' are coupled, these cannot be separated easily due to the engagement between the engagement pawl 140 and the small bore 100b. However, the rear plates of the above-described recess portions 121 for disposing a lamp have been formed with the through bores 142 and 142 at the positions corresponding to the small bores 99c and 99c of the conductive portions 99 and 99 of the male terminals 90' and 115', and if, as shown in FIG. 35, a tool 143 having a narrow distal end is inserted from the through bore 142, the tool 143 is inserted through the through bore 141 formed in the rear plate of the female terminal 133 (or 133') and through the small bores 99c and 100b of the male terminal 90' (or 115'), the tool 143 is brought into contact with the engagement pawl 140 and further moved forward to take the engagement pawl 140 out of the small bore 100b, and in this condition the female terminal 133 (or 133') is pulled out, then the female terminal 133 (or 133') can easily be detached from the male terminal 90' (or 115').
The reason why, as described above, the male terminals 90, 90', 115, and 115' have been formed by the conductive portion 99 and the mold portion 100 is because a certain degree of thickness is required for performing the connection with the female terminal 133 (or 133). That is, since the plate thickness of a metal material for forming the contact 75 and the like is thin, a sufficient contact pressure could not be obtained even if the male terminals were connected to the female terminals 133 and 133'. Then, the mold portion 100 is formed on the conductive portion to obtain a necessary plate thickness. Moreover, since the mold portion 100 can be formed concurrently when performing insert molding, it has no influence on costs. In the above embodiment, the distal end portion 100a does not have a metal portion, but it is a matter of course that the plate portion 99a of the conductive portion 99 may be extended to the distal end portion 100a to increase the strength of the distal end portion 100a and prevent it from being broken.
In addition to the two-layer structure of a conductive portion and a mold portion, a plate-shaped main portion 145 and auxiliary portions 146 and 146 extending from the side edges of the main portion 145 and having a substantially half width of the main portion 145 may be formed integrally of a conductive material, and the auxiliary portions 146 may be turned back toward the main portion 145, like a male terminal 144 shown in FIG. 25. Reference numeral 147 denotes an engagement bore for preventing separation. Further, like a male terminal 148 shown in FIG. 26, laterally elongated projections 150 and 150 may be formed at positions which correspond to the finger-shaped pieces 137a and 137a and the projection portions 138 and 138 when a plate-shaped main portion 149 made of a conductive material is inserted into the female terminals 133 or 133'. Reference numeral 151 denotes an engagement bore for preventing separation.
At the positions of the rear wall of the lamp recess portion 121 corresponding to the through bores 81 and 81' of the lamp body 73, there are formed through bores 152 and 152'. Mounting screws (not shown) is inserted through the through bores 81, 81', 118, 118' and 152, 152' and screwed into the structure (not shown) of a sun visor. These screws constitute means for mounting the vanity mirror 119 to the sun visor. Thus, since the bores for mounting the vanity mirror 119 to the sun visor are formed of a metal plate independently of the contacts 75, 76, and 77, deformation and damages as mounting screws are fastened can be prevented. Also, since the rear wall of the main body 74 is increased in strength as compared with a case where through bores are formed in the resin part of the main body 74, this portion can be made thinner.
In the above-described structure, the tubular bulb 42 is firmly held at the mouthpieces 41 and 41 thereof by the snap pieces 96 and 96 of the mouthpiece holder 88 and the snap pieces 106 and 106 of the mouthpiece holder 102 and disposed in the lamp body 73. The front opening of the lamp body 73 is covered by a lens body (not show), thereby constituting a lamp 153.
Reference numerals 154 and 154 (FIG. 17) denote bulb stoppers, which project from a position of the left side wall 85 of the main body 74 corresponding to the center between the snap pieces 96 and 96 of the mouthpiece holder 88 and from a position of the right side wall 85 of the main body 74 corresponding to the center between the snap pieces 106 and 106 of the mouthpiece holder 102. The bulb stoppers 154 and 154 are brought into contact with the end faces of the mouthpieces 41 and 41 of the above-described tubular bulb 42 or located near the end faces so that unnecessary movement of the tubular bulb 42 can be limited to prevent failure such as a short circuit.
Reference numeral 155 denotes a cover for covering the front surface of the above-described body 120. The cover 155 is formed of a synthetic resin into a plate shape, and the upper end is rotatably supported on the upper end of the body 120.
The cover 155 is formed at the opposite ends of the upper portion thereof with support portions 156 and 156. The support portions 156 and 156 are formed with through bores 157 and 157 passing therethrough. As shown in FIG. 22, driven projections 158 and 158 project rearward from the upper ends of the rear surfaces of the support portions 156 and 156, respectively. Recess portions 159 and 159 are formed in the inner sides of the support portions 156 and 156, i.e., at the positions adjacent to the right side of the left support portion 156 and the left side of the right support portion 156. Further, at a position to the right of the left recess portion 159, there is formed a press projection 160 projecting rearward.
In the right and left ends of the upper portion of the above described body 120 there are formed recess portions 161 and 161 which are open to the front. Mounting bores 162 and 162 laterally extending are formed across the left recess portion 161. Likewise, mounting bores 162 and 162 are formed across the right recess portion 161.
The rear end walls of the above-described recess portions 161 and 161 are removed except the lower end portions 163 and 163, and the rear end portion of the upper surface wall is also removed. At the positions continuous to the lower surfaces of the rear end portions of the recess portions 161 and 161 of the rear surface of the body 120, there are formed shallow recess portions 164 and 164 (FIG. 18) extending in the up-and-down direction of the main body. Engagement pawls 165 and 165 project into the upper central portions of the shallow recess portions 164 and 164, respectively.
The support portions 156 and 156 of the cover 155 are disposed in the recess portions 161 and 161 of the body 120, and the opposite ends of each of the support pins 166 and 166 passed through the through bores 157 and 157 are supported in the mounting bores 162 and 162. With this arrangement, the right and left end portions of the upper end portion of the cover 155 are rotatably supported on the upper end portion of the body 120.
Reference numerals 167 and 167 (FIGS. 18 and 38) denote state hold springs made of a plate spring material. Each of the state hold springs 167 and 167 consists of a vertically extending band-shaped main portion 168 and an operation portion 169 extending from the main portion 168 and turning back downward. The main portion 168 is formed at the vertically central portion thereof with an engagement bore 170.
Before mounting the cover 155, the main portions 168 and 168 of the state hold springs 167 and 167 are located within the shallow recess portions 164 and 164 through the front sides of the lower end portions 163 and 163 of the rear walls of the recess portions 161 and 161, and the engagement bores 170 and 170 of the state hold springs 167 and 167 are engaged by the engagement pawls 165 and 165 within the shallow recess portions 164 and 164. In this state, if the cover 155 is supported on the body 120, as described above, the front sides of the driven projections 158 and 158 of the cover 155 will elastically be engaged by the operation portions 169 and 169 of the state hold springs 167 and 167. Therefore, the upper portions of the main portions 168 and 168 are pushed against the front surface of the lower end portions 164 and 164 of the rear walls of the recess portions 161 and 161, the lower portions of the main portions 168 and 168 are pushed against the shallow recess portions 164 and 164, and the engagement bores 170 and 170 of the main portions 168 and 168 are engaged by the engagement pawls 165 and 165, so that the state hold springs 167 and 167 are prevented from being detached from the body 120. Therefore, the holding structure of the state hold springs 167 and 167 to the body 120 becomes simpler.
FIG. 38 shows the closed state in which the cover 155 covers the front surface of the body 120. In this closed state, the driven projections 158 and 158 of the cover 155 is elastically in contact with the operation portions 169 and 169 of the state hold springs 167 and 167 at positions higher than the rear ends of the through bores 156 and 156 which are supports of rotation. Therefore, a rotational force in a direction of holding the above-described closed state, i.e., the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 38 is applied to the cover 155, and the closed state is held. FIG. 39 shows the open state in which the cover 155 opens the front surface of the body 120. In this open state, the driven projections 158 and 158 of the cover 155 elastically contact with the operation portions 169 and 169 of the state hold springs 167 and 167 at positions lower than the lower ends of the through bores 156 and 156 which are supports of rotation. Therefore, a rotational force in a direction of holding the above-described open state, i.e., the clockwise direction in FIG. 39 is applied to the cover 155, and the open state is held.
In the closed state of the cover 155, the press projection 160 is positioned above the terminal piece 103 of the lamp body 73, and if the cover 155 is rotated into the open state, as shown in FIG. 36, the press projection 160 will push the terminal piece 103 downward. As a result, the terminal piece 103 is bent downward and the distal end of the terminal piece 103 is brought into contact with the distal end of the terminal piece 117. With this, a closed path of power supply--one female terminal 133--male terminal 115'--contact piece 114--central piece 113--connection piece 116--terminal piece 117--terminal piece 103--connection piece 104--mouthpiece holder 102--tubular bulb 42--mouthpiece holder 88--reflector portion 87--connection piece 89'--male terminal 90'--another female terminal 133'--power supply is formed and the tubular bulb 42 is lit.
If the tubular bulb 42 is lit, the light will be emitted forward, but since a relatively large reflector portion 87 is to the rear side of the tubular bulb 42, the light of the tubular bulb 42 is effectively emitted forward by the reflector portion 87. Particularly, since the inclined portions 94 and 94' have been formed in the reflector portion 87, the light to be emitted upward or downward is effectively emitted forward. In addition, the reflector portion 87 functions as a heat intercepting plate for protecting the main body 74 from the heat generated as the tubular bulb 42 is lit and also functions as a light shielding plate for preventing the light of the bulb 42 from transmitting through the main body 74.
Reference numerals 171 and 171 (FIGS. 17 and 28) denote buffer stoppers made of rubber. Each buffer stopper 171 is integrally formed with a round engagement head portion 172 and a mounting leg portion 173 extending rearward from the rear surface of the head portion 172. The mounting leg portion 173 is so formed as to be reduced in diameter as it extends toward the lower end thereof. Between the head portion 172 and the mounting leg portion 173 there is formed an annular groove 174.
Reference numerals 175 and 175 denote mounting bores, which are formed in the right and left end portions of the lower end portion of the body 120. The mounting leg portion 173 of the above-described buffer stopper 171 is inserted from the front side into the mounting bore 175. Since the front end portion of the mounting leg portion 173 is larger than the bore diameter of the mounting bore 175, the mounting leg portion 173 is inserted into the mounting bore 175 by pulling the rear end portion of the mounting leg portion 173 rearward and deforming the front end portion. As a result, the annular groove 174 of the mounting leg portion 173 is engaged with the opening end of the mounting bore 175. The buffer stopper 171 and 171 are mounted in the body 120 in this way, and the mounting leg portions 173 and 173 are cut except the front end portions. As a result, an amount of rearward projection can be reduced.
If the rotation of the cover 155 passes a certain position when the cover 155 is closed, a rotational force toward the closed position will be applied to the cover 155 by the state hold springs 167 and 167, so that there is the possibility that the cover 155 runs into the body 120 and causes an occurrence of noise. However, in the above-described vanity mirror 119, since the lower end portion of the cover 155 is brought into contact with the head portions 172 and 172 of the buffer stoppers 171 and 171 and buffered, an occurrence of noise can be prevented.
Next, a method of manufacturing the above-described lamp body 73 for vanity mirrors will be described.
First, a contact set continuum comprising a plurality of contact sets each including three contacts 75, 76, and 77 and two reinforcement pieces 78 and 79 is formed.
FIG. 40 shows one contact set 176.
Reference numerals 177 and 177' denote base bands which are spaced and extends in parallel to each other, and reference numerals 178 and 178 (only two are shown) denote narrow partition frame bands which are laterally spaced and extend between the base bands 177 and 177'. One contact set 176 is formed within a space defined by the two partition frame bands 178, 178 and the base bands 177, 177'.
Reference numeral 179 denotes a connecting band portion extending from the position toward the base band 177 at the right edge of the upper portion of the partition frame band 178. The right end of the connecting band portion 179 is connected to the left end of the reinforcement piece 78. The intermediate portion of the connecting band portion 179 is connected to the left end portion of the central portion 113 of the contact 77.
Reference numeral 180 denotes a connecting band portion extending from the position toward the base band 177 at the left edge of the upper portion of the partition frame band 178. The left end of the connecting band portion 180 is connected to the right end of the central portion 113 of the contact 77. The intermediate portion of the connecting band portion 179 is connected to the upper end portion of the connect piece 104 of the contact 76.
Reference numeral 181 denotes a connecting band portion extending from the position toward the base band 177' at the right edge of the lower portion of the partition frame band 178. The right end of the connecting band portion 181 is connected to the left end of the reinforcement portion 92 of the contact 75.
Reference numeral 182 denotes a connecting band portion extending from the position toward the base band 177' at the left edge of the lower portion of the partition frame band 178. The left end of the connecting band portion 182 is connected to the right end of the reinforcement piece 79. The intermediate portion of the connecting band portion 182 is connected to the right end of the reinforcement portion 92 of the contact 75.
A plurality of contact sets 176 (only one is shown) are laterally formed and constitute a contact set continuum 183.
Although in FIG. 40 the contacts 75, 76, and 77 and the reinforcement pieces 78 and 79 have already been shaped by press molding, a prototype contact set continuum comprising a plurality of prototype contact sets is first formed by blanking unnecessary portions out of a sheet material, as in the case of the first embodiment. Thereafter, a contact set continuum 183 such as that shown in FIG. 40 is formed by press molding. Reference numerals 184, 184, 184 and 184 are guide bores formed in the base bands 177 and 177' which are used for alignment in press molding.
The above-described contact set continuum 183 is inserted so that one of the contact sets 176 is positioned in the molding die for the main body of a forming machine, and a resin for the main body is injected into the molding die for the main body, so that there is formed a lamp body 73 in which the main body 74 made of a resin and the contact set 176 are integrally formed. The formation of the lamp body 73 is made in sequence for each contact set 176 of the contact set continuum 183, thereby forming a lamp body continuum 65 (not shown) in which a plurality of lamp bodies 73 are continuously connected.
And, each of the lamp bodies 73 is cut off from the above-described lamp body continuum to form a plurality of lamp bodies. The cutting of the lamp bodies 73 is performed at 185, 185, 185, and 185 of the connecting band portions 179, 180, 181, and 182. The cutting points 185, 185, 185, and 185 are located in the groove portions 86, 86, 86, and 86 of the side walls 85 and 85 of the main body 74 and along the inner surfaces of the groove portions. With this arrangement, the cutting becomes easy and no cut ends project from the side walls of the main body 74.
At the same time as the above-described cutting, the connecting band portions 179, 180 and 182 are cut at the positions shown by 186a, 186a, and 186b. As a result, the contact 75 and the reinforcement piece 79 are separated, the contacts 76 and 77 are separated, and the contact 77 and the reinforcement piece 78 are separated. At the time of the above-described cutting, the cut-out bores 82, 82, and 82 are also formed.
The above-described constitution has adopted a power feeding method by terminals and cords, but if cutting is not performed at the positions 186a and 186a, this structure can also feed power via the reinforcement pieces 78 and 79 by screw connection using screws having conductivity, as in the above-described first embodiment.
FIGS. 41 through 43 show a modification of the lamp body 73A in the above-described embodiment.
In the lamp body 73, while the male terminals 90, 90', 115, and 115' have projected from the inner ends of the opening portions 84, 84, 84, and 84 open to the side surfaces, front surface, and rear surface of the main body, in this lamp body 73A the male terminals project from the inner ends of recess portions 187, 187, 187, and 187 open to the side surfaces and rear surface of the main body. With this arrangement, the male terminals are not exposed when looking at the front and the lamp body 73A is made more attractive in appearance.
For the male terminals, there have been adopted the male terminals 144, 144, 144, and 144 shown in FIG. 25 of the type in which a required plate thickness is obtained by folding back. It is a matter of course that the male terminal of the type shown in the first embodiment may be used or the male terminal 148 of the type shown in FIG. 26 may be used.
Part of a connection piece 104A of a contact 76A is formed into a U-letter shape so that it can be buried along the recess portion 187 of the side wall 85A.
A contact 75A consists of a reflector portion 87A formed into a large flat rectangular shape, a connection piece 189 projecting downward from the lower end of the reflector portion 87A, and rising pieces 190 and 190 projecting forward from the opposite ends of the connection piece 189. The male terminals 144 and 144 extend leftward and rightward from the front ends of the rising pieces 190 and 190.
A contact 77A consists of a vertically elongated central piece 113A and rising pieces 191 and 191 projecting forward from the lower opposite ends of the central piece 113A. The male terminals 144 and 144 extend leftward and rightward from the front ends of the rising pieces 191 and 191.
FIGS. 44 through 61 illustrate a third embodiment of the synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members and of the method of manufacturing a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members. This third embodiment applies the present invention to a lamp body for room lamps and a manufacturing method thereof.
Reference numeral 192 denotes a room lamp and 193 a main body thereof.
The main body 193 is made of a synthetic resin and provided with a shallow dish-shaped main portion 195 having a forwardly open recess portion 194.
In the laterally central portion of the main portion 195 except the upper end portion thereof, there is further formed a shallow recess portion 196 formed with a vertically elongated opening 197.
The upper end portion 194a of the recess portion 194 is slightly deeper than the remaining portion of the recess portion 194. In the central portion of the boundary portion between the upper end portion 194a and the remaining portion, there are mounted a pair of laterally spaced partition walls 198 and 198.
Engagement pawls 199 and 199 project from the upper surfaces of the above-described partition walls 198 and 198, respectively. In the inner surface of the lower portion of a circumferential wall 200 surrounding the recess portion, there are formed engagement bores 201 and 201 (FIG. 50) laterally spaced.
Between the partition walls 198 and 198 there is formed a mounting bore 202 (FIGS. 46 and 53) passing through the recess portion 196 in the fore-and-aft direction of the main body.
At positions of the recess portion 196 slightly lower than the partition walls 198 and 918, there are formed recess portions 203a, 203b, and 203c (FIG. 53) which are arcuately arranged with respect to the above-described mounting bore 202. The lower opening end of each recess portions 203a, 203b, and 203c is formed into a convex surface.
Through bores 204, 204, 204, and 204 are formed in the vertically intermediate portions and lower end portions of the recess portion 196. Each through bore 204 consists of a front side large bore portion 204a and a rear side small bore portion 204b. The diameter of the large bore portion 204a is substantially two times larger than that of the small bore portion 204b.
A rib 205 projects from the central portion of the lower end portion of the recess portion 196.
A wall 206a (FIGS. 45 and 49) projects rearward from the upper end and side portions of the recess portion 197, and a wall 206b (FIGS. 45 and 49) projects rearward from the lower end and side portions of the recess portion 197.
A support wall 207 (FIG. 46) projects rearward from the rear surface of the main portion 195 corresponding to the central portion of the upper end of the above-described recess portion 196. Partition walls 208 and 208 (FIGS. 46 and 54) project upward from the opposite ends of the upper surface of the support member 207. Reinforcement walls 209 and 209 (FIGS. 46 and 54) project downward from the central portion of the lower surface of the support member 207.
Reference numeral 210 (FIG. 55) denotes a first contact, which is integrally formed with a connection piece 211 formed into a reverse C-letter shape when viewed from the front, a bulb hold piece 212 connected to the lower end portion of the connection piece 211, and contact portions 214b and 214c connected to the upper end of the connection piece 211 through parallel spaced connection pieces 213 and 213.
The bulb hold piece 212 is integrally formed with a V-shaped bulb hold portion 215 when viewed from the side direction and a plate-shaped base piece 216 connected to the lower end of the bulb hold portion 215. The base piece 216 is located at a position slightly away from the rear surface of the lower end of the above-described connection piece 211, and the lower end portion of the left edge is connected to the left end of the lower end portion of the connection piece 211. The bulb hold portion 215 has a bulb contact piece 215a at the side remote from the base piece 216. The bulb contact piece 215a is formed at the central portion thereof with a tapered slot 215b.
Each of the contact portions 214b and 214c is curved into a convex shape so that the lateral central portion thereof is disposed forward.
The connection piece 211 is formed with a plurality of small bores 217.
The first contact 210 constructed as described above is integrally coupled to the above-described main body 193 by so-called insert molding. The base piece 216 of the bulb hold piece 212 is buried in the central portion of the lower end portion of the main portion 195 of the main body 193 so that the bulb hold portion 215 projects from the upper surface of the wall 206b, as shown in FIG. 49. The connection piece 211 is exposed to the front surface of the recess portion 196. The contact portion 214b is so positioned as to cover the front surface of a portion between the recess portions 203a and 203b, and the contact portion 214c is so positioned as to cover the front surface of a portion between the recess portions 203b and 203c. The small bores 217 of the connection piece 211 are filled up with the material resin for the main body 193, thereby rectangular base piece 222 and a bulb contact piece 223 connected to the lower end of the base piece 222. The front end 223a of the bulb contact piece 223 is curved into a convex shape in the forward direction. A main piece 223b projects rearward from the lower end of the front end portion 223a and is formed at its central portion with a tapered slot 223c.
The terminal piece 221 is integrally formed with an L-shaped connection piece 224 when viewed from the side direction and an insertion piece 225 projecting upward from the rear end of the connection piece 224. The front end of the connection piece 224 is connected to the upper end of the connection piece 219.
The connection piece 219 is formed with two small bores 217.
In the second contact 218 thus constructed, the base piece 222 of the bulb hold piece 220 is buried in the main portion 195 of the main body 193 adjacent to the upper end of the opening 197, the lower portion of the base portion 222 projects downward from the upper end of the opening 197, and from that lower portion the bulb hold contact piece 223 projects rearward (FIG. 49). Therefore, within the opening 197 the two bulb contact pieces 223 and 215a are vertically spaced and opposed.
For the above-described terminal piece 221, the connection piece 224 is buried within the support wall 207 of the main body 193 so that the insertion piece 225 projects upward from the upper surface of the support wall 207 (FIG. 54).
The connection piece 219 is exposed to the left end portion of the upper end portion of the recess portion 196, and the small bores 217 are filled up with the material resin for the main body 193, thereby preventing the connection piece 211 from easily being separated from the main body 193.
A third contact 226 is integrally formed with a connection piece 227, a contact portion 214d, and a terminal piece 228.
The connection piece 227 comprises a laterally extending narrow band plate and is formed at its central portion with a small bore 217.
The contact portion 214d is curved at its right end into a convex shape, as shown in FIG. 55, and the upper end of the left end portion of the contact portion 214d is connected through the joint piece 229 to the lower end of the left end of the connection piece 227, as shown in FIGS. 53 and 55.
The terminal piece 228 is integrally formed with a generally L-shaped joint piece 230 when viewed from the side direction and an insertion piece 231 extending upward from the upper end of the joint piece 230. The front end of the lower end portion of the joint piece 230 is continuous to the right end of the above-described connection piece 227.
Thus, for the terminal piece 228 of the third contact 226, the joint piece 230 is buried within the reinforcement wall 209 of the main body 193 so that the insertion piece 231 projects upward from the upper surface of the support wall 207 (FIG. 54). Therefore, the two insertion pieces 225 and 231 are laterally spaced and opposed. The contact portion 214d is so positioned as to cover the left edge portion of the recess portion 203c of the main body 193, and the joint piece 229 and the connection piece 227 are exposed to the front surface of the main body 193. Then, the small bore 217 of the connection piece 227 is filled up with the material resin for the main body 193, thereby preventing the connection piece 211 from easily being separated from the main body 193.
A fourth contact 232 (FIG. 55) is integrally formed with a generally U-shaped connection piece 233 in the form of a narrow band, a contact portion 124a connected to the upper right end portion of the connection piece 233, and earth pieces 235, 235, 235, and 235 connected to the connection piece 233 through joint pieces 234, 234, 234, and 234 projecting from the upper left end portion, upper right end portion, lower left end portion, and lower right end portion of the connection piece 233. Each of the joint pieces 234, 234, and 234 is formed with a rising portion 234a to provide a step portion between the connection piece 233 and the earth piece 235.
Each earth piece 235 is formed into an annular shape having a through bore 235a. The contact portion 214a is curved into a convex shape so that the left end thereof extends rearward. The upper right end portion of the connection piece 233 is formed with small bores 217 and 217, and the upper left end portion is formed with burying pieces 236, 236, and 236.
The connection piece 233 of the fourth contact 232 is buried within the right wall of the shallow recess portion 196 of the main body 193, the earth pieces 235, 235, 235, and 235 are positioned along the peripheral portion of the recess portion 196, and the burying pieces 236, 236, and 236 are buried in the left wall of the recess portion 196. The small bores 217 and 217 of the connection piece 233 is filled up with the material resin for the main body 193, thereby preventing the connection piece 211 from easily being separated from the main body 193.
The contact portion 214a is so positioned as to cover the right edge portion of the recess portion 203a of the main body 193. Each earth piece 235 is positioned to the front surface of the large diameter portion 204a of the through bore 204 of the main body 193, and the peripheral portion of the earth piece 235 is buried within the main body 193 so that the through bore 235a of the earth piece 235 is aligned with the small diameter portion 204b of the through bore 204.
Reference numeral 237 denotes a switch knob.
The switch knob 237 consists of a mold portion 238 made of synthetic resin, and a connecting piece portion 239 integrally formed to the mold portion 238 by insert molding. The mold portion 238 consists of a thick plate-shaped main portion 240 and a grip portion 241 projecting from the upper end of the main portion 240. The main portion 240 is formed at its lower portion with a mounting bore 242 passing therethrough.
The connecting piece portion 239 is formed into a vertically elongated band plate shape with a material having conductivity and spring action. The connecting piece portion 239 is formed at its lower end portion with a contacting portion 243 projecting rearward in an arcuate shape when viewed from the upper and lower direction and at its upper end portion with a through bore 244.
And, the upper half portion of the connecting piece portion 239 is inserted from the lower end of the main portion 240 of the mold portion 238 into the grip portion 241, and the lower half portion projects downward from the lower end of the mold portion 238. And, the through bore 244 of the connecting piece portion 239 is aligned with the mounting bore 242 of the mold portion 238.
Reference numeral 245 (FIG. 46) denotes a mounting rivet, which has a head portion 245a and a leg portion 245b . The leg portion 245b is inserted into the mounting bore 242 of the switch knob 237 and further inserted into the mounting bore 202 of the above-described main body 193. The distal end portion of the rivet 245 projecting from the rear surface of the main body 193 is caulked, and the switch knob 237 is rotatably mounted on the main body 193. In this state, the contacting portion 243 of the connecting piece portion 239 is movable on and along a portion where the contact portions 214a, 214b, 214c, and 214d of the main body 193 are arcuately arranged.
As described above, in the switch knob 237, since the connecting piece portion 239 formed with a metal plate extends over the mounting bore 242, which is a support of rotation, and to the grip portion 241, there is the advantage that the entire switch knob 237 is increased in strength.
Reference numeral 246 denotes a lens, which is formed to have a size so that it can cover the recess portion 194 of the main body 193 from just above the partition walls 198 and 198 to the lower portion. The lens 246 is formed at the inner left and right ends of the upper portion of the peripheral wall portion 247 with engagement projections 248 and 248 (FIG. 51) and at the outer left and right ends of the upper portion of the peripheral wall portion 247 with engagement projections 249 and 249 (FIG. 50). The lower engagement projections 249 and 249 engage with the engagement bores 201 and 201 formed in the lower inner surface of the peripheral wall 200 of the main body 193. Also, the inner edge of the lower end portion of the peripheral wall portion 247 is in contact with the lower surface of the rib 205 formed in the main body 193, as shown in FIG. 46. Further, the upper engagement projections 248 and 248 formed in the upper end portion of the peripheral wall portion 247 engage with the engagement pawls 199 and 199 formed on the upper surface of the partition wall 198 and 198 of the main body 193, as shown in FIG. 51. In this way, the lens 246 is attached to the main body 193.
The above-described switch knob 237 passes through an opening portion 250 formed in the central portion of the upper end portion of the peripheral wall portion 247 of the lens 246, and the grip portion 241 projects from the lens 246.
Reference numerals 251, 251, 251, and 251 denote groove portions formed in the right and left side walls of the main body 193.
Before attaching the lens 246 to the main body 193, a bulb 252 is supported with the mouthpiece portions 253 and 253 thereof engaged with the tapered slots 215b and 223c of the bulb contact pieces 215a and 233.
Further, before attaching the lens 246 to the main body 193, mounting screws 254, 254, 254, and 254 formed with a material having conductivity are inserted from the front side into the through bores 204, 204, 204, and 204 and screwed into the structure members (not shown) of an automobile. Then, the head portion 254a of each mounting screw 254 comes in contact with the earth piece 235 of the fourth contact 232, and at least one of the structure members into which the mounting screw 245 is screwed has conductivity. Therefore, the fourth contact 232, i.e., the contact portion 214a becomes to have a ground level. Note that since the number of earth pieces 235 is four, any one of them can be connected to ground, so that this embodiment gives high flexibility with respect to a place of installation.
And, a connector (not shown) provided on the vehicle side is connected to the above-described insertion pieces 225 and 231. Therefore, the insertion piece 225 is connected to a power supply and the insertion piece 231 is connected through a door switch (not shown) to ground. That is, the bulb contact piece 223 is connected to the power supply and the contact portion 214d is connected through the door switch to ground.
Therefore, when the switch knob 237 is in its neutral position where the contacting portion 243 of the knob 237 is in contact with the contact portions 214b and 214c, the bulb 252 will not light because one mouthpiece portion 253 of the bulb 252 has been connected to the power supply but the other mouthpiece portion 253 has not been connected to ground. If the switch knob 237 is inclined from the above-described neutral position to one side and the contacting portion 243 of the knob 237 is in contact with the contact portions 214a and 214b, the other mouthpiece portion 253 will be connected to ground and the bulb 252 will light. If, on the other hand, the switch knob 237 is inclined from the neutral position in the opposite direction position and the contacting portion 243 of the knob 237 contacts with the contact portions 214c and 214d, the bulb 252 will not light when the door is in the closed state (because the other mouthpiece portion 253 is not connected to ground), whereas if the door is opened and the door switch is closed, the other mouthpiece portion 253 will be connected to ground and the bulb 252 will light.
At this time, since the contacting surface of the contacting portion 243 of the switch knob 237 is formed into a convex surface and the contact portions 214a, 214b, 214c, and 214d are also curved, an operator will be able to know that the switch knob 237 has reached a predetermined position (there is a feeling of click) . In addition, the switch knob 237 can reliably be held in a predetermined position. Further, the switch knob 237 can be inclined smoothly.
Next, a method of manufacturing the above-described room lamp 192 will be described.
First, there is formed a contact set continuum comprising a plurality of contact sets each including four contacts 210, 218, 226, and 232.
FIG. 55 shows one contact set 255.
From a metal plate with conductivity, the contacts 210, 218, 226, and 232 are integrally formed by the connecting band portions 256, 256, 256, and 256 of narrow width.
In FIG. 55, the contacts 210, 218, 226, and 232 are shown in the state that they have already been shaped by press molding, a prototype contact set continuum comprising a plurality of prototype contact sets is first formed by blanking unnecessary portions out of a sheet material, as in the case of the first embodiment. Thereafter, a contact set 255 such as that shown in FIG. 55 is formed by press molding.
Then, in the state in which the contacts have been formed as the contact set 255, the bulb hold piece 212 of the first contact 210 has been folded rearward with respect to the connection piece 211 so that the bulb contact piece 215a of the bulb hold piece 212 is vertically opposed to the other bulb contact piece 223. If such structure is not adopted and a prototype bulb hold piece and, at the time of blank-molding, a prototype bulb contact piece are arranged in the fore-and-aft direction, the vertical lengths of them will become longer and they will overlap. Therefore, at the time of blank-molding they are laterally shifted with each other, and at the time of press molding, in the above example the bulb hold piece 212 is folded with respect to the connection piece 211 so that the bulb contact piece 215a of the bulb hold piece 212 is vertically opposed to the bulb contact piece 223.
When attaching or detaching the bulb 252, the bulb hold pieces 212 and 220 will not be separated from the main body 193 because the base pieces 216 and 222 of the bulb hold pieces 212 and 220 have been buried in the main body 193.
In addition, since four earth pieces 235 are disposed at four positions and connected by the connection piece 233 to form a frame structure, the strength of the contact set 255 is increased and it is not deformed easily during handling. Further, since each joint piece 234, which connects the earth piece 235 and the connection piece 233, is formed with the rising portion 234a, the position of the earth piece 235 can easily be adjusted by adjusting the bending angle of the rising portion. In addition, the rising portion 234a absorbs the contraction after the injection of the resin for molding the main body 193 and fulfills a function of preventing the fatal deformation of the contact 232.
And, a plurality of such contact sets 255 (not shown) are formed to form the contact set continuum 257. The contact set continuum 257 is made by connecting the earth pieces 255 of adjacent contact sets 255 by coupling bands 258.
The above-described contact set continuum 257 is inserted so that one of the contact sets 255 is positioned in the molding die for the main body of a forming machine, and a resin for the main body is injected into the molding die for the main body, so that there is formed a lamp body 259 in which the main body 193 made of the resin and the contact set 255 are integrally formed. The formation of the lam body 259 is made in sequence for each contact set 255 of the contact set continuum 257, thereby forming a lamp body continuum (not shown) in which a plurality of lamp bodies 259 are continuously connected.
And, in the lamp body 259, since most of the base piece 216 of the bulb hold piece 212 and most of the base piece 222 of the bulb hold piece 220 are buried in the material resin of the main body 193, the bulb hold pieces 212 and 220 are increased in strength and can stand a large force which is produced when attaching or detaching the bulb 252.
And, each of the lamp bodies 259 is cut off from the above described lamp body continuum to form a plurality of lamp bodies 259. The cutting of the lamp bodies 259 is performed at 260, 260, 260, and 260 of the coupling bands 258, 258, 258, and 258. The cutting points 260, 260, 260, and 260 are located in the groove portions 251, 251, 251, and 251 of the outer side walls of the main body 193 and along the inner surfaces of the groove portions. With this arrangement, the cutting becomes easy and no cut ends project from the side walls of the main body 193.
At the same time as the above-described cutting, cut-out bores 261 of the main portion 195 of the main body 193 are formed, and by formation of the cut-out bores, the connecting band portions 256 by which the contacts 210, 218, 226, and 232 are connected is cut. With this, the contacts 210, 218, 226, and 232 are electrically isolated from one another.
FIGS. 56 through 61 show modifications of the switch knob in the above-described room lamp 192 and of the mounting thereof.
In the modification shown in FIG. 56, a mounting pin 263 with a slit 262 projects from the main body 193 and reaches the front end of the main body 193. The mounting pin 262 is inserted into a mounting bore 242 of a switch knob 237, and the engagement projections 264 and 264 of the mounting pin 263 are engaged with the front open edge of the mounting bore 242 so that the switch knob 237 can be rotatably supported on the main body 193.
In the modification shown in FIG. 57, the surface of the mounting pin 263 shown in FIG. 56 is covered with metal plates 265 and 265 integrally formed in the main body 193 by insert molding.
In the modification shown in FIG. 58, generally L-shaped metal plates 266 and 266 are integrally formed in the main body 193 by insert molding. The projected portions 266a and 266a of the metal plates 266 and 266 are inserted into a mounting bore 242 of a switch knob 237, and the bulged portions 266b and 266b of the metal plates 266 and 266 are engaged with the front open edge of the mounting bore 242 so that the switch knob 237 can be rotatably supported on the main body 193.
In the modification shown in FIG. 59, a mounting pin 268 with a slit 267 extending from the rear surface of a switch knob 237 to the rear end is integrally formed in a mold portion 238. The mounting pin 268 is inserted into a mounting bore 269 formed in the main portion 195 of the main body 193, and the engagement projections 270 and 270 of the mounting pin 269 are engaged with the rear open edge of the mounting bore 269 of the main body 193 so that the switch knob 237 can be rotatably supported on the main body 193.
In the modification shown in FIG. 60, the surface of the mounting pin 268 shown in FIG. 59 is covered with covering portions 271 and 271 projecting from the margin of the through bore 244 of the connecting piece portion 239.
In the modification shown in FIG. 61, mounting leg pieces 272 and 272 projecting from the rear surface of the mold portion 238 project from the margin of the through bore 244 of the connecting piece portion 239. The mounting leg pieces 272 and 272 are inserted into a mounting bore 269 formed in the main portion 195 of the main body 193, and the bulged portions 272a and 272a of the mounting leg pieces 272 and 272 are engaged with the rear open edge of the mounting bore 269 so that the switch knob 237 can be rotatably supported on the main body 193.
Therefore, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive and the invention is not to be limited to the details giving herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.
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A synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members manufactured by the steps of integrally forming a plurality of metal member sets through coupling portions, each of the metal member sets comprising a plurality of kinds of metal members, inserting the metal member sets into the molding dyes of a forming machine, injecting synthetic resin for molding into the molding dye, forming a synthetic resin part integrally formed with metal members in sequence to form a synthetic resin part continuum where a plurality of synthetic resin parts are connected, and cutting off the coupling portions to complete the manufacture of the plurality of synthetic resin parts.
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The present application is a Continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 10/758,000 filed on Jan. 16, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,930,421, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/440,622 filed on Jan. 17, 2003, all which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a torque converter and a system using a torque converter. More specifically, the present invention relates to a torque converter that is capable of multiplying a given torque input based upon compression and decompression of permanent magnetic fields. In addition, the present invention relates to a system that uses a torque converter.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, torque converters make use of mechanical coupling between a generator disk and a flywheel to transmit torque from the flywheel to the generator disk. However, due to frictional forces between the generator disk and the flywheel, some energy provided to the generator disk is converted into frictional energy, i.e., heat, thereby reducing the efficiency of the torque converter. In addition, the frictional forces cause significant mechanical wear on all moving parts of the torque converter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a torque converter that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a torque converter having an increased output.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system using a torque converter that reduces frictional wear.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system using a torque converter that does not generate heat.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system using a torque converter than does not have physical contact between a flywheel and a generator disk.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system using a torque converter that allows an object to be inserted or reside between a flywheel and a generator disk.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, a torque converter includes a flywheel rotating about a first axis, the flywheel including a first body portion, a first plurality of permanent magnets mounted in the first body portion, each of the first plurality of permanent magnets extending along a corresponding radial axis direction with respect to the first axis, and a second plurality of permanent magnets mounted in the first body portion, each of the second plurality of permanent magnets being located between a corresponding adjacent pair of the first plurality of permanent magnets, and a generator disk rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, the generator disk including a second body portion, and a third plurality of permanent magnets within the second body portion magnetically coupled to the first and second pluralities of permanent magnets.
In another aspect, a system for generating electrical power includes a motor, a flywheel coupled to the motor, the flywheel rotating about a first axis and including a first body portion, a first plurality of permanent magnets mounted in the first body portion, each of the first plurality of permanent magnets extending along a corresponding radial axis direction with respect to the first axis, and a second plurality of permanent magnets mounted in the first body portion, each of the second plurality of permanent magnets being located between a corresponding adjacent pair of the first plurality of permanent magnets, at least one generator disk rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and magnetically coupled to the flywheel, the generator disk including a second body portion, and a third plurality of permanent magnets within the second body portion magnetically coupled to the first and second pluralities of permanent magnets, and an electrical generator coupled to the generator disk.
In another aspect, a system for converting torque to power includes a motor, a flywheel coupled to the motor, the flywheel rotating about a first axis and including a first body portion, a first plurality of permanent magnets mounted in the first body portion, each of the first plurality of permanent magnets extending along a corresponding radial axis direction with respect to the first axis, and a second plurality of permanent magnets mounted in the first body portion; each of the second plurality of permanent magnets being located between a corresponding adjacent pair of the first plurality of permanent magnets, at least one generator disk rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and magnetically coupled to the flywheel, each generator disk including a second body portion and a third plurality of permanent magnets within the second body portion magnetically coupled to the first and second pluralities of permanent magnets, and a second drive shaft coupled to the second body portion rotating about the second axis.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a layout diagram of an exemplary flywheel according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a layout diagram of an exemplary generator disk according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of exemplary magnetic fields of the flywheel of FIG. 1 according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary initial magnetic compression process of the torque converter according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary magnetic compression process of the torque converter according to the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary magnetic decompression process of the torque converter according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary magnetic force pattern of the flywheel of FIG. 1 during a magnetic compression process of FIG. 5 according to the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary system using the torque converter according to the present invention; and
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of another exemplary system using the torque converter according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference will now be made in detail to the illustrated embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a layout diagram of an exemplary flywheel according to the present invention. In FIG. 1 , a flywheel 109 may be formed from a cylindrical core of composite material(s), such as nylon, and may be banded along a circumferential edge of the flywheel by a non-magnetic ring 116 , such as non-magnetic stainless steel or phenolic materials. The flywheel 109 may include a plurality of magnets disposed within a plurality of equally spaced first radial grooves 101 of the flywheel 109 , wherein each of the magnets may generate relatively strong magnetic fields, such as 48 mgo e (magnetic gauss orsted) or larger magnets. In addition, each of the magnets may have cylindrical shapes and may be backed by a cylindrically shaped backing plate 203 (in FIG. 3 ), such as soft iron or steel, disposed within each of the plurality of first radial grooves 101 .
The magnets may be charged prior to installation within the plurality of first radial grooves 101 of the flywheel 109 by applying approximately ±485,500 watts of electricity (475 volts×1022 amps) to uncharged material for approximately 0.01 seconds. Alternatively, the magnets may be charged by application of specific amounts of power and/or specific periods of time depending on the desire magnetic strength of the magnets.
In FIG. 1 , the flywheel 109 may also include a plurality of suppressor magnets disposed within a plurality of second radial grooves 107 along a circumferential face of the flywheel 109 , wherein surfaces of the suppressor magnets may be recessed from the non-magnetic ring 116 . In addition, each of the plurality of second radial grooves 107 may be disposed between each of the plurality of first grooves 101 . For example, each one of eight suppressor magnets may be disposed within each of eight grooves 107 and each one of eight magnets may be disposed within each of eight grooves 101 . Of course, the total number of magnets within the first and second grooves 101 and 107 may be changed. Accordingly, the suppressor magnets in the eight grooves 107 and the magnets in the eight grooves 101 of the flywheel 109 have their north magnetic fields facing toward the circumference of the flywheel 109 and their south magnetic fields facing radial inward toward a center portion of the flywheel 109 .
The backing plates 203 (in FIG. 3 ) disposed at end portions of the magnets disposed within the plurality of first grooves 101 at the south poles of the magnets force a magnetic field strength along a radial direction toward the circumference of the flywheel 109 . Accordingly, interactions of the magnetic fields of the magnets within the plurality of first grooves 101 and the suppressor magnets disposed within the plurality of second grooves 107 create a magnetic field pattern (MFP), as shown in FIG. 3 , of repeating arcuate shapes, i.e. sinusoidal curve, around circumferential edge portions of the flywheel 109 .
FIG. 2 is a layout diagram of an exemplary generator disk according to the present invention. In FIG. 2 , a generator disk 111 , preferably made from a nylon or composite nylon disk, may be banded by a stainless steel ring 112 . The generator disk 111 may include two rectangular magnets 301 opposing each other along a common center line CL through a center portion C of the generator disk 111 , wherein each of the rectangular magnets 301 may be disposed along a circumferential portion of the generator disk 111 . Each of the rectangular magnets 301 may have a first length L extending along a direction perpendicular to the common center line, wherein a thickness of the rectangular magnets 301 may be less than the first length. In addition, each of the rectangular magnets 301 may have a relatively large magnetic strength, such as about 48 mgoe or more, wherein surfaces of the rectangular magnets 301 parallel to a major surface of the generator disk may be one of south and north poles. Although the total number of magnets 301 is shown to be two, a plurality of magnets 301 may be used. Moreover, either an even-number or odd-number of magnets 301 may be used, and interval spacings between the magnets 301 may be adjusted to attain a desired magnetic configuration.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary initial magnetic compression process of the torque converter according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary magnetic compression process of the torque converter according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary magnetic decompression process of the torque converter according to the present invention. In each of FIGS. 4 , 5 , and 6 , the schematic view is seen from a rear of the generator disk, i.e., the surface opposite to the surface of the generator wheel 111 having the rectangular magnets 301 , and the flywheel 109 is located behind the generator wheel 111 . In addition, the flywheel 109 is rotating in a downward clockwise direction and the generator wheel 111 is rotating along an upward counterclockwise direction, wherein the generator disk 111 may be spaced from the flywheel 109 by a small air gap, such as within a range of about three-eighths of an inch to about 0.050 inches. Alternatively, the small air gap may be determined by specific application. For example, systems requiring a larger configuration of the flywheel and generator disk may require larger or smaller air gaps. Similarly, systems requiring more powerful or less powerful magnets may require air gaps having a specific range of air gaps. Moreover, for purposes of explanation the plurality of first grooves 101 will now simply be referred to as driver magnets 101 , and the plurality of second grooves 107 will now simply be referred to as suppressor magnets 107 .
In FIG. 4 , the two rectangular magnets 301 disposed on the generator disk 111 begin to enter one of the spaces within a magnetic field pattern (MFP) of the flywheel 109 between two north poles generated by the driver magnets 101 . The driver magnets 101 may be disposed along a circumferential center line of the flywheel 109 , or may be disposed along the circumference of the flywheel in an offset configuration. The gap between the driver magnets 101 in the flywheel 109 is a position in which the MFP where the south pole field is the closest to the outer perimeter of the flywheel 109 . As the flywheel rotates along the downward direction, the north poles of the rectangular magnets 301 on the generator disk 111 facing the circumferential edge portion of the flywheel 109 are repelled by the north poles of the driver magnets 101 of the flywheel 109 .
In FIG. 5 , once one of the rectangular magnets 301 on the generator disk 111 fully occupies the gap directly between the north poles of two adjacent driver magnets 101 of the flywheel 109 , the weaker north pole of the suppressor magnet 107 on the flywheel 109 is repelled by the presence of the north pole of the rectangular magnet 301 on the generator wheel 111 . Thus, both the north and south magnetic fields of the MFP below the outer circumference of the flywheel 109 are compressed, as shown at point A (in FIG. 7 ).
In FIG. 6 , as the rectangular magnet 301 on the generator disk 111 begins to rotate out of this position and away from the flywheel 109 , the north pole of the rectangular magnet 301 is strongly pushed away by the repulsion force of the north pole of the trailing driver magnet 101 on the flywheel 109 and by the magnetic decompression (i.e., spring back) of the previously compressed north and south fields in the MFP along the circumferential portion of the flywheel 109 . The spring back force (i.e., magnetic decompression force) of the north pole in the MFP provides added repulsion to the rectangular magnet 301 of the generator disk 111 as the rectangular magnet 301 moves away from the flywheel 109 .
Next, another initial magnetic compression process is started, as shown in FIG. 4 , and the cycle of magnetic compression and decompression repeats. Thus, rotational movement of the flywheel 109 and the generator disk 111 continues.
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary system using the torque converter according to the present invention. In FIG. 8 , a system for generating power using the torque converted configuration of FIGS. 4–7 may include a motor 105 powered by a power source 101 using a variable frequency motor control drive 103 to rotatably drive a shaft 407 coupled to the flywheel 109 (also shown in FIGS. 4–7 ). In addition, the generator disk 111 may be coupled to a drive shaft 113 , wherein rotation of the generator disk 111 will cause rotation of the drive shaft 113 . For example, a longitudinal axis of the drive shaft 113 may be disposed perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the drive shaft 107 .
In FIG. 8 , the drive shaft 113 may be coupled to an electrical generator comprising a rotor 119 and a plurality of stators 117 . Accordingly, rotation of the rotor 119 may cause the electrical generator to produce an alternating current output to a variable transformer 121 . Thus, the output of the variable transformer 121 may be provided to a load 123 .
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of another exemplary system using the torque converter according to the present invention. In FIG. 9 , a plurality of the generator disks 111 may be clustered around and driven by a single flywheel 109 , wherein the generator disks 111 may each be coupled to AC generators similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 8 .
The present invention may be modified for application to mobile power generation source systems, as drive systems for application in stealth technologies, as an alternative for variable speed direct drive systems, as drive systems for pumps, fans, and HVAC systems. Moreover, the present invention may be modified for application to industrial, commercial, and residential vehicles requiring frictionless, gearless, and/or fluidless transmissions. Furthermore, the present invention may be modified for application in frictionless fluid transmission systems through pipes that require driving of internal impeller systems. Furthermore, the present invention may be modified for application in onboard vehicle battery charging systems, as well as power systems for aircraft, including force transmission systems for aircraft fans and propellers.
In addition, the present invention may be modified for application in zero or low gravity environments. For example, the present invention may be applied for use as electrical power generations systems for space stations and interplanetary vehicles.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the torque converter and system using the same of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
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A torque converter includes a flywheel rotating about a first axis, the flywheel including a first body portion, a first plurality of permanent magnets mounted in the first body portion, each of the first plurality of permanent magnets extending along a corresponding radial axis direction with respect to the first axis, and a second plurality of permanent magnets mounted in the first body portion, each of the second plurality of permanent magnets being located between a corresponding adjacent pair of the first plurality of permanent magnets, and a generator disk rotatable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, the generator disk including a second body portion, and a third plurality of permanent magnets within the second body portion magnetically coupled to the first and second pluralities of permanent magnets.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to interventional medicine and surgery. Specifically, the invention provides a method and an illumination device to illuminate areas of interest during surgery, minimally invasive surgery or medical interventions. The device is battery powered and comprises at least one flexible goose neck arm and at least one laser diode light source.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] For diagnostic examination, interventional and surgical procedures physicians and nurses need light. Various light sources have been introduced, which can be permanently fixed to walls, ceilings or floors or are movable with and without wheels. Those lamps generally use light bulbs or arc discharge light sources.
[0003] The disadvantage of a lot of light systems is, that they shine from far away onto the medical site of interest. When the physician is working under those light conditions shadow of the physician might darken the site. Because conventional lamps are rather large in size and bulky, the light has to be illuminated from far away or guided by glass fiber. Jesurun has disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,985 a medical light system, which guides light from a metal halide lamp to the surgical sight. However, the glass fiber construction is rather costly.
[0004] The aim of this invention is to disclose an inexpensive to produce medical light system, which illuminates the medical site shadow less and can be used for all medical modalities.
[0005] Krenzel RE36,883 has disclosed a holder for a flash light. This invention provides an elongated flexible gooseneck design that is capable of being formed into a plurality of differing shapes so that it can be supported at a variety of locations and has retaining means for retaining it in a desired shape so that a holder connected to one end thereof can hold a flashlight at any desired position relative thereto. In one embodiment of the invention Krenzel uses a flexible gooseneck of company Lockwood. Also Cedarberg III has disclosed a design D392,758, which is mend to be a flash light holder. In combination with a light emitting diode (LED) flashlight of for instance of Parker U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,912 a new flexible LED based gooseneck lamp could be designed. However, such a lamp design would be desolate and does not comprise a stable device stand and robust device design to sustain the often harsh and rough clinical routines. Such a device would be vulnerable to being damaged upon flexing of the gooseneck.
[0006] Altman U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,004 disclosed a dual flashlight assembly, which could be combined with LED light sources to give better illumination of the areas of interest during medical procedure. However, because a design such as this would have to be temporarily mounted on any type of stand it would also be desolate and not procedure dedicated. There is a need for a multiple medical light assembly, which is either mounted directly to the room (ceiling, wall, floor) or has it's own stable stand.
[0007] At present the problem with existing surgical flood lights is, that they are mounted behind the physician or behind the head of the physician and the shadow of the physician can hinder the work.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention provides an illumination device to closely generate light out of small light emitting diodes (LED's) next to the patients area of interest. The light source (LED's) are mounted on totally flexible and hand movable arms, also known as goose necks. In opposite to surgical flood lights, the invented illumination device brings the light source with the help of at least one gooseneck to the front side of the physician close to the to be illuminated medical site. Hence, no shadow will hinder the work of the physician. In order to avoid trapping over cables, the illumination device is battery powered.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates various LED arrangements. ° 0101 FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a gooseneck.
[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates various illumination device arrangements.
[0011] FIG. 4 illustrates a battery powered stand alone illumination device.
[0012] FIG. 5 illustrates the stand of the illumination device of FIG. 4 .
[0013] FIG. 6 illustrates the battery pack detail of the illumination device of FIG. 4 .
[0014] FIG. 7 illustrates an electrical circuit board of the illumination device of FIG. 4 .
[0015] FIG. 8 illustrates the current regulator circuit for the LED's of illumination device of FIG. 4 .
[0016] FIG. 9 illustrates a power load circuit for batteries of illumination device of FIG. 4 .
[0017] FIG. 10 illustrates one position of the illumination device relative to the patient.
[0018] FIG. 11 illustrates an illumination device, which can be attached to a some other device.
NUMBERS
[0000]
1 Light Emitting Diode (LED)
2 LED
3 LED
4 diode array plate with one LED
5 diode array plate with symmetrical arranged LEDs
6 diode array plate with arbitrary arranged LEDs
7 gooseneck element or gooseneck segment
8 distal gooseneck element onto or in which the diode array plate is mounted.
9 proximal gooseneck element or goose neck socket
10 gooseneck
11 ball end of the gooseneck element
12 socket end of the gooseneck element
13 room
14 ceiling
15 wall
16 floor
17 gooseneck
18 ceiling mounting socket for a single gooseneck
19 LED array
20 ceiling socket for multiple goosenecks
21 first gooseneck
22 second gooseneck
23 third gooseneck
24 first LED array
25 second LED array
26 third LED array
27 wall mounting socket for gooseneck
28 main gooseneck
29 T type or Y type branch fitting
30 gooseneck branch
31 LED array of gooseneck branch
32 LED array of main gooseneck
33 floor mounting socket
34 post
35 gooseneck
36 LED array
37 movable battery powered medical gooseneck lamp
38 wheels of 37
39 post 37
40 gooseneck
41 LED array
42 battery pack
100 illumination device
101 stand
102 five-foot-stand (tripod) with wheels
103 wheels
104 base of stand 101 with battery box or also called base tube
105 tube bend at the top
106 y connector to gooseneck elements 107
107 gooseneck
108 LED array
109 connector between base of stand 104 and tube of stand 105
110 electrical switch
111 closure of base 104
112 floor
113 upper height
114 bending angle of tube 105
115 bended section of tube 105
116 distal end of tube 105
117 battery pack
118 Screw
119 circuit board for power source
120 electrical jack for charging transformer
121 electrical plug
122 chargeable batteries
123 current regulator for LED array 129
124 current regulator for LED array 128
125 power load circuit or recharge circuit
126 transformer or switching power supply
127 plug for AC
128 LED array
129 LED array
130 switch
131 LED array or single LED
132 voltage measurement point
133 transistor
134 Zener diode
135 resistor
136 resistor
137 battery pack
138 measurement point
139 input measurement point
140 to be recharged batteries
141 transistor
142 output measurement point
143 diode
144 diode
145 resistor
146 Zener diode
147 resistor
148 input measurement point
149 diode
150 resistor
152 output measurement point
153 illumination device
154 gooseneck
155 light source
156 electric box
157 adapter
158 physician
159 patient
160 illumination device
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0121] 1. General Description
[0122] In FIG. 1 a is shown a light emitting diode (LED) 1 in form of the electric symbol. The diode is mounted on the diode array 4 . Other configurations of such LED arrays are shown in FIG. 1 b , where the diodes 2 are mounted in a symmetrical way on the array plate 5 , and FIG. 1 c , where the diodes 3 are mounted in an arbitrary arrangement on the array plate 6 . Sometimes such LED arrays are also called LED cluster, LED assemblies or LED panels.
[0123] Goosenecks are flexible arms which can be bend in various directions and shapes. Due to the relative tight friction between the gooseneck elements the shape or bending of the gooseneck will not change. FIG. 2 a shows a gooseneck element 7 with ball 11 and socket 12 .
[0124] A gooseneck as described and used here is an assembly of a plurality of similar elements, whereas each one element fits relatively tight with it's front part into the back part of a second element, to give an overall elongated arm design. Although the elements fit relatively tight into each other, they can still be moved or bend against each other by hand operation to give a rigid but flexible structure to be shaped in different direction. A gooseneck comprises more than one and less than 100, more typically between 10 and 30 elements.
[0125] In FIG. 2 b is shown an example of a gooseneck 10 . The elements 7 (or segments 7 ) of the gooseneck 10 are made out of plastic or metal. Plastic as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyvinylechloride (PVC), Teflon, PEEK or others can be used. Metals like stainless steel, titanium, aluminium, brass or any metal-alloys can be used. Good plastic goosenecks out of PVC are available from company Lockwood Products, Inc., 5615 SW Willow Lane, Lake Oswego, Oreg. 97035, USA. See also the corresponding patents of Mark B. Lockwood U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,206 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,155, or see the patent of Gregory G. Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,204. The advantage of plastic elements 7 are that they are washable and acid or base resistant. One could also use the above mentioned design of Cedarberg III D392,758 as one part of the illumination device here.
[0126] On or in the distal gooseneck element 8 is mounted the LED array. The gooseneck comprises a socket 9 on the proximal end, with which it is mounted somewhere.
[0127] FIG. 3 shows various types of illumination devices as they might be used for medical applications. A, B, C and D are illumination devices which are fixed in the room. A is a ceiling 14 mounted device with an LED array 19 , gooseneck 17 and ceiling mounting socket 18 . This device A will be like all others moved by hand to bring it in the right position.
[0128] Device B is an illumination device which is also mounted to the ceiling 14 of the room 13 with a ceiling mounting socket 20 . In this device B three different goosenecks 21 , 22 and 23 are holding three different LED arrays 24 , 25 and 26 . The difference in the goosenecks are length, diameter, material or colour. The difference in LED arrays are number of LEDs per array, diode light output of the LEDs, emitting angle, colour of the LED light and arrangement of the LEDs on the array plate.
[0129] Illumination device C is a wall 15 mounted device with wall mounting socket 27 , main gooseneck 28 with main LED array 32 and an additional gooseneck branch 30 with LED array 31 . The branch 30 branches off the main gooseneck with a T- or Y-type branch fitting.
[0130] Illumination device D is a floor 16 mounted device, at which two identical goosenecks 35 with identical LED arrays 36 are mounted on a post 34 .
[0131] Example 37 shows a movable type of illumination device on wheels 38 . The gooseneck 40 with LED array 41 is mounted on a post 39 . The whole device is powered from a battery in a battery box 42 .
[0132] It would be obvious for someone skilled in the art to find any other combination of goosenecks and LED arrays. Those devices could also be mounted on medical equipment such as radiological X-ray, ultrasound or MRI machines, surgical tables, chairs etc. Company Lookwood provides various parts to find different arrangements. The various parts in the Lookwood Products Inc. catalogue of September 200 (form no. 99083) are herewith incorporated by reference.
[0133] 2. Stand Alone Battery Powered Illumination Device
[0134] FIG. 4 shows an stand alone illumination device 100 comprising a stand 101 , which is mounted on a base 104 having a five-leg-base (tripod) 102 with wheels 103 . In the base 104 are the batteries and some electrical circuits. The stand 101 is made in it's upper part from a tube 105 which bends at its top. A y connector 106 at the top end of the tube 105 connects to two identical gooseneck arms 107 , those carrying the LED arrays 108 at their end.
[0135] The height for the illumination device from the floor 112 to the upper height 113 varies from 500 to 2,500 millimetres, typically the height is 1,700 millimetres. In one embodiment of the invention this height is adjustable. The bending angle 114 of the tube 105 varies from 0° to 180° and is typically 90°. The thickness of the tube 105 varies between 10 and 50 millimetres and is typically about 30 millimetres. The wall thickness of tube 105 varies between 0.5 and 5.0 millimetres and is typically 2 millimetres. The base 104 is a tube, with diameter varying between 20 and 60 millimetres, typically 50 millimetres. The wall thickness of base tube 104 varies between 0.5 and 5.0 millimetres and is typically 2 millimetres. The arm length of the bended section of tube 105 varies in length between 100 and 1,000 millimetres and is typically 400 millimetres long. The distal end 116 can be cut straight or cut in an angle as shown in FIG. 5 . The tubes 104 and 105 as well as the connector 109 are made from aluminium. These could also be made from stainless steel, steel, brace, wood, or any type of plastic. These parts can be specially surface treated by oxidation or painting.
[0136] In FIG. 5 a tripod is used. It would be obvious for someone skilled in the art to use any other number of legs for the foot of the device. There could be 4, 5 or more wheel-legs. The foot does not even have to have wheels. The wheels comprise breaks to prevent the device from freely rolling. There might be more or less than 2 goose arms 107 . The goose arms 107 might be different in length and diameter. The material for the tripod 102 or wheels 103 is aluminium, steel, stainless steel, brace, plastic or wood.
[0137] In this device of FIG. 5 a switch 110 is mounted at the distal part 116 of the tube 105 , switching the device on and off. There could also be a dimmer, not shown here.
[0138] In FIG. 6 it is shows that is the base tube 104 is the located the battery pack 117 . The battery pack 117 consists of four D sized batteries, connected in series and connected to the power circuit board 119 by an electrical plug 121 . It would be obvious for someone skilled in the art to use different size type batteries here. The battery pack 117 can be removed by opening the shutter 111 . In this case the shutter 111 is a round metallic plate with a thread to be screwed into the base tube 104 . Tube 105 and 104 are connected with the connector 109 by screws 118 . Electrical jack 120 connects the device to a charging transformer if needed. In usual operation the device is left alone and powers the LED's from the batteries 117 .
[0139] FIG. 7 is the basic electrical block circuit diagram of the circuitry of the device. Current regulators 123 and 124 supply the LED arrays 128 and 129 with constant DC current from batteries 122 . Batteries 122 in this case are rechargeable by power load circuit 125 , which gets its power from switching power transformer 125 of external power supply 127 . Typically the input voltage for the transformer 126 is from 90 to 230 volts and 50 to 60 hertz (Hz) frequency. The typical output voltage of the transformer is 9 volts. The LED 128 and 129 are switched on or off with switch 130 ( 110 in FIG. 5 ). Batteries 122 are typically NiMH (Nickel-metal-hydrate) rechargeable batteries of 4.8 to 5.6 volts and 7 ampere-hours. It would be obvious for someone skilled in the art to use different types of batteries. NiMH batteries show no memory effect.
[0140] Current regulators 123 and 124 are shown in detail in FIG. 8 . Light emitting diodes 131 would be typically a white NSPW500BS of company NICHIA, see www.eska-technik.com with luminous intensity of 11 candela and emitting angle of ±10°, or a LUXEON Star/0 LXHL-NW98, see for instance www.globalspec.com. The NiMH battery pack 137 gives typically 4.8 to 5.6 volts at 7 ampere-hours at measurement point 138 . Typically transistor 133 is a BD132 type, Zener diode 134 is a 1.5 volt type, resistor 135 is a 3.6 ohms at 0.5 watt type, and resistor 136 is a 390 ohms at 0.1 watts type. At measurement point 132 a constant current of 230 milliamps with 3.5 volts can be measured. It would be easy for someone skilled in the art to use different types of LED'S and design appropriate current regulating circuits for these.
[0141] FIG. 9 illustrates two possible power load circuits to recharge the batteries. In FIG. 9 a is shown a current regulator circuit charging batteries 140 of 4.8 to 5.6 volts. At input measurement point 139 9 volts and at output measurement point 142 a constant current of 350 milliamps are measured. Typically transistor 141 is a BD 132, resistor 145 is a 2.4 ohms at 0.5 watt and resistor 147 is a 390 ohm at 0.1 watt, diode 143 and 144 are 1N4001 and Zener diode 146 is a 1.5 volts type. Circuit as shown in FIG. 9 b is easier and only recharges the batteries in the amount as they unload over time and will transform the 9 volts at input 148 to a constant current of 350 milliamps at output 151 for batteries 140 . Typically diode 149 is of 1N4001 and resistor 150 of 9.1 ohms at 2 watts type. The circuit in FIG. 9 b does not use an “intelligent” design because for this circuit the defined current is not critical.
[0142] FIG. 10 shows how the patient 159 would be positioned between the physician 158 or nurse and the illumination device 160 . The tube 105 would reach over the patient and the physician could bend the goosenecks by hand to such a shape that the LED arrays would illume the site of interest optimal.
[0143] It would be obvious for someone skilled in the art to build such a stand alone battery powered illumination device with any other number of goose arms, such as one, three, four, five, etc.
[0144] 3. Adaptable Battery Powered Illumination Device
[0145] FIG. 11 shows an illumination device 153 comprising a goose neck 154 , a LED light source 155 of the kind described elsewhere in here, an electric box 156 , in which the electric circuitry and battery pack in located, and an adapter 157 to adapt the illumination device 153 to any other device. With this adapter 157 the illumination device 153 can be adapted to a patient bed, a patient table, a patient chair, an operational table, an interventional table, a dentist patient chair, a gynaecological patient chair, a neurological stereotactic frame or the like.
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A method and device to illuminate medical sites using light emitting diodes (LED) and bendable mechanical arms (goosenecks) to carry the arrays of LED's. The device is battery powered.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to selected 2-trichloromethyl-4-pyrimidinyl carboxylic esters and their use as fungicides.
2. Description of the Prior Art
British Pat. No. 1,181,657 discloses the use of 5,6-dimethyl-2-dimethylamino-4-pyrimidinyl dimethylcarbamate as an insecticide.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to, as compositions of matter, selected 2-trichloromethyl-4-pyrimidinyl carboxylic esters having the formula: ##STR2## wherein R is a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a lower alkenyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a lower halo alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl group; R 1 is hydrogen or halo; and R 2 is a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. It is to be understood that the term "halo" as used in the specification and claims herein is intended to include fluoro, chloro, bromo and iodo. The present invention is also directed to the use of these compounds as fungicides.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The carboxylic ester compounds of the present invention may be prepared by reacting trichloroacetamidine with a selected acetoacetate to form the corresponding 4-hydroxy-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine, which is then reacted with a selected carboxylic acid chloride. These general reactions are illustrated below in equations (A) and (B). In equation (A), trichloroacetamidine is reacted with ethyl 2-chloroacetoacetate to form 5-chloro-4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-trichloromethyl-pyrimidine. In equation (B), the 5-chloro-4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine is reacted with trichloroacetyl chloride to form 5-chloro-6-methyl-4-trichloroacetoxy-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine. ##STR3##
The trichloroacetamidine reactant is made by reacting trichloroacetonitrile with ammonia. Trichloroacetonitrile is a commercially available material. See German Pat. No. 671,785.
The acetoacetate reactants may be made by reacting the corresponding acetate with a suitable condensing agent such as sodium ethoxide. See Hickenbottom, W. J., Reactions of Organic Compounds (3rd Edition), pages 359 and 360 (1957). For example, ethyl acetate may be treated with sodium ethoxide, and the resulting mixture acidified to form ethyl acetoacetate. Various acetoacetates such as methyl acetoacetate and ethyl acetoacetate are commercially available.
Illustrative acetoacetate reactants for the compounds of the present invention include the following:
ethyl acetoacetate;
methyl acetoacetate;
ethyl 2-chloroacetoacetate;
ethyl buryrylacetate.
The carboxylic acid chloride reactants may be made by reacting the corresponding acid with thionyl chloride. See Patai, S., The Chemistry of Acyl Halides, pages 35-40 (1972). For example, trichloroacetic acid may be reacted with thionyl chloride to produce trichloroacetyl chloride. Various carboxylic acid chlorides such as trichloroacetyl chloride and 2-fluorobenzoyl chloride are commercially available.
Illustrative carboxylic acid chloride reactants for the compounds of the present invention include the following:
acetyl chloride;
crotonyl chloride;
trichloroacetyl chloride;
benzoyl chloride;
2-fluorobenzoyl chloride.
Any suitable conventional reaction conditions may be employed in the synthesis of the 4-hydroxy-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine compounds. See Henze et al., J. Org. Chem., 17, 1320 (1952); Falch et al., J. Med. Chem., 11, 608 (1968); and U.S. Pat. No. 3,118,889 as examples of such a synthesis.
A wide variety of conventional reaction conditions may be employed in the synthesis of the present compounds according to equation (B) and the present invention is not intended to be limited to any particular reaction conditions. For example, acylation of the hydroxyl group of the 4-hydroxy-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine compound can be carried out by reacting the 4-hydroxy-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine compound with a selected carboxylic acid chloride in the presence of a base such as triethylamine, pyridine, sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate. Advantageously and preferably, the reactions are performed with at least a molar amount of carboxylic acid chloride to the 4-hydroxy-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine compound (e.g., from about 0.0 to about 1.0 mole excess). It is also preferred to use an equimolar amount of the base to the carboxylic acid chloride, although lesser or greater amounts can be employed. A solvent is not necessary, but any suitable inert solvent such as acetonitrile or diethyl ether may be employed.
Furthermore, the reaction temperature and time will both depend upon many factors including the exact reactants being employed. In most situations, reaction temperatures from about 30° C. to about 100° C. and reaction times from about 2 hours to about 72 hours are preferred.
The desired product may be recovered from the reaction mixture by any conventional means, for example, extraction, recrystallization, or the like. Finally, it should be noted that while the reactions illustrated by equations (A) and (B) are preferred, other synthesis methods for preparing compounds of the present invention may also be employed.
Representative compounds of the present invention include the following:
4-acetoxy-6-methyl-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine;
4-crotonoxy-6-methyl-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine;
5-chloro-6-methyl-4-trichloroacetoxy-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine;
4-benzoxy-6-methyl-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine;
5-chloro-4-(2-fluorobenzoxl)-6-methyl-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine.
Also, in accordance with the present invention, it has been found that the compounds of Formula (I) above may be utilized as effective foliar fungicides. In practicing the process of the present invention, fungi are contacted with a fungicidally effective amount of one or more of these compounds. It is to be understood that the term "fungicidally effective amount" as used in the specification and claims herein is intended to include any amount that will kill or control said foliar fungi when either employing by itself (i.e., in full concentration) or in sufficient concentrations within a carrier or other substance. Of course, this amount may be constantly changing because of the possible variations in many parameters. Some of these may include: the number and type of fungi to be controlled or killed; the type of media to which the present compound can be applied (e.g., seedlings or fully grown plants); degree of effectiveness required; and type of carrier, if any. Generally speaking, applications of an aqueous spray containing at least about 5, more preferably in the range of about 30 to 300, parts per million of the chemical of the present invention may give satisfactory fungi control.
This step of contacting may be accomplished by applying this compound to the fungi themselves, their habitat, dietary media such as vegetation, crops and the like, including many which these pests may attack.
The above-mentioned compounds of the present invention may be formulated and applied by any conventional methods that include using the compound alone or with a carrier or other substances which may enhance the effectiveness of the chemical or facilitate handling. Moreover, the activity of the present compounds may be broadened by the addition thereto of other known pesticides such as other fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and the like.
Specific methods of formulating and applying these active compounds include applying them in the form of dusts, dust or emulsion concentrates, wettable powders and concentrates, granulates, dispersions, sprays, solutions and the like.
The dusts are usually prepared by simply grinding together from about 1% to about 15% by weight of the active compound with a finely divided inert diluent such as walnut flour, diatomaceous earth, fullers earth, attaclay, talc or kaolin. Dust concentrates are made in similar fashion except that about 16% to about 75% by weight of active compound is ground usually together with the diluent. In practice, dust concentrates are then generally admixed at the site of use with more inert diluent before it is applied to the plant foliage, soil or animals which are to be protected from fungi attack.
Wettable powders are generally prepared in the same manner as dust concentrates, but usually about 1% to about 10% by weight of a dispersing agent, for example, an alkali metal lignosulfonate and about 1% to about 10% of a surfactant, such as a non-ionic surfactant, are incorporated in the formulation. For application to agronomic crops, shrubs, ornamentals and the like, the wettable powder is usually dispersed in water and applied as a spray.
Emulsifiable liquids may be prepared by dissolving the active compound in an organic solvent, such as xylene or acetone, and admixing the thus formed solution with a surfactant or an emulsifier. The emulsified liquid is then generally dispersed in water for spray or dip application.
It is possible to formulate granulates whereby the active compound is dissolved in an organic solvent and the resulting solution is then applied to a granulated mineral or the like (e.g., bentonite, SiO 2 , or the like) followed by evaporating off the organic solvent. Granulates can also be obtained by the compacting of the carrier material with the active substance and then reducing this compacted material in size.
Furthermore, the applied formulations of the present invention include other liquid preparations such as dispersions, sprays or solutions. For these purposes, the above-mentioned active compound is normally dissolved in a suitable organic solvent, solvent mixtures or water. As organic solvents, it is possible to use any suitable aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon or their derivatives. It is preferred that the solvent be odorless and, moreover, be inert to the active compound.
It should be clearly understood that the fungicide formulations, the ingredients which may make up such formulations other than the active compound, the dosages of these ingredients, and means of applying these formulations may include all known and conventional substances, amounts and means, respectively, that are suitable for obtaining the desired fungicidal result. And, therefore, such process parameters are not critical to the present invention.
Fungicides of the present invention may be effective for the control of broad classes of foliar fungi. Specific illustrations of foliar fungi wherein fungicidal activity has been shown include cucumber anthracnose and downey mildew.
The following examples further illustrate the present invention. All parts and percentages employed therein are by weight unless otherwise indicated. Yields given are percent molar yields.
EXAMPLE 1
Preparation of 5-Chloro-4-Hydroxy-6-Methyl-2-Trichloromethylpyrimidine
A mixture of 30.0 g (0.18 mole) trichloroacetamidine, 25.2 g (0.18 mole) potassium carbonate, 30.3 g (0.18 mole) ethyl 2-chloroacetoacetate, and 300 ml water was stirred 18 hours. The aqueous solution was decanted from heavier tars and acidified with hydrochloric acid. The precipitate that was formed was filtered, washed, and dried to give 14.7 g (31% yield; mp 130°-145° C.) of crude product. An analytical sample was prepared by recrystallization from cyclohexane (mp 156°-157° C.). The structure was confirmed via infrared and elemental analysis.
______________________________________Analysis for C.sub.6 H.sub.4 N.sub.2 Cl.sub.4 O: C H N Cl______________________________________Calculated: 27.51 1.54 10.74 54.15Found: 28.20 1.88 11.00 52.54______________________________________
EXAMPLE 2
Preparation of 5-Chloro-4-(2-Fluorobenzoxy)-6-Methyl-2-Trichloromethylpyrimidine
A solution of 5.8 g (0.02 mole) 5-chloro-4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine, 3.2 g (0.02 mole) 2-fluorobenzoyl chloride, and 2.0 g (0.02 mole) triethylamine in 100 ml diethyl ether was refluxed for 17 hours. After removal of triethylamine hydrochloride by filtration, the filtrate was concentrated in-vacuo to leave 8.4 g of residue, which, after recrystallization from ligroin, gave 4.6 g (59% yield) of pure product; m.p. 101° C.
______________________________________Analysis for C.sub.13 H.sub.7 Cl.sub.4 FN.sub.2 O.sub.2 : C H N Cl______________________________________Calculated: 40.66 1.84 7.30 36.93Found: 40.52 1.78 7.28 37.08______________________________________
EXAMPLE 3
Preparation of 5-Chloro-6-Methyl-4-Trichloroacetoxy-2-Trichloromethylpyrimidine
To a solution of 5.8 g (0.02 mole) 5-chloro-4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine and 2.0 g (0.02 mole) triethylamine in 100 ml diethyl ether was added 3.6 g (0.02 mole) trichloroacetyl chloride. After the exothermic reaction subsided, the reaction mixture was stirred an additional 10 minutes and filtered. The filtrate was concentrated in-vacuo and the residue recrystallized from ligroin to give 1.6 g starting material and 2.3 g product; m.p. 92° C. The corrected yield was 35%.
______________________________________Analysis for C.sub.8 H.sub.3 Cl.sub.7 N.sub.2 O.sub.2 : C H N______________________________________Calculated: 23.59 0.74 6.88Found: 22.39 1.05 7.02______________________________________
EXAMPLE 4
Preparation of 4-Hydroxy-6-Methyl-2-Trichloromethylpyrimidine
A mixture of 44.4 g (0.28 mole) trichloroacetamidine, 32.0 g (0.28 mole) methyl acetoacetate, 37.5 g (0.28 mole) potassium carbonate, and 450 ml water was stirred for 3 days. A trace of solid was removed by filtration and the filtrate was made acidic with hydrochloric acid. The product precipitated out to give 28.9 g (46% yield; mp 173°-174° C.). The structure was confirmed via mp*, infrared, and elemental analysis.
______________________________________Analysis for C.sub.6 H.sub.5 N.sub.2 Cl.sub.3 O: C H N Cl______________________________________Calculated: 31.68 2.22 12.32 46.76Found: 31.37 2.26 12.31 46.86______________________________________
EXAMPLE 5
Preparation of 4-Crotonoxy-6-Methyl-2-Trichloromethylpyrimidine
To a solution of 3.0 g (0.02 mole) 4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-trichloromethylpyrimidine and 1.3 g (0.02 mole) triethylamine in 75 ml diethyl ether was added 1.4 g (0.02 mole) crotonyl chloride. The reaction mixture was refluxed for 15 hours and filtered, and the filtrate was concentrated in-vacuo to give a viscous oil as residue. Trituration with petroleum ether caused the oil to solidify. Recrystallization from isopropyl alcohol gave 1.8 g (45% yield) of pure product; m.p. 55° C.
______________________________________Analysis for C.sub.10 H.sub.9 Cl.sub.3 N.sub.2 O.sub.2 : C H N Cl______________________________________Calculated: 40.64 3.07 9.48 36.27Found: 40.36 3.22 9.64 35.99______________________________________
Foliar Fungicide Screen
The active materials formed in Examples 2, 3, and 5 were tested for activity as effective fungicides.
A uniform aqueous dispersion of each chemical made in the above examples was first prepared. These dispersions were made by dissolving each chemical in a solution of acetone containing the surfactant TRITON X-155 1 (concentration 500 parts per million). Next, this solution was diluted with water (1:9) to obtain a stock solution of 10% by volume acetone and 90% by volume water with 50 ppm TRITON X-155 and the best chemical contained therein. This stock solution was diluted further with water/acetone mix to provide the desired concentration of the test material, if required.
The aqueous solutions containing each chemical were applied to various plants according to the methods stated below. These tests were designed to evaluate the ability of the chemical to protect non-infected foliage and eradicate recently established infection against major types of fungi such as anthracnose and mildew that attack above-ground parts of plants.
Cucumber Anthracnose
Two week old cucumber plants were sprayed while rotating the plants on a turntable with an aqueous solution that contained 260 parts per million by weight of the active chemicals of Examples 2, 3, and 5. Simultaneously, the soil in each pot was drenched with an aqueous dispersion of each chemical in the amount of 25 lb/acre. After the spray deposit had dried, the plants were atomized with a suspension of cucumber anthracnose spores (Collectotrichum lagenarium) and placed in a moist chamber at 70° F. for 24 hours. After 5 days in a greenhouse, the severity of pustule formation was rated on a scale of 0 (no inhibition) to 10 (complete inhibition). Subsequent tests were conducted as described, except that the materials were tested for control at lower dosages and the drench and spray applications were done separately. See Table I for the results of these tests.
TABLE I__________________________________________________________________________FUNGICIDAL ACTIVITY AGAINST CUCUMBER ANTHRACNOSE 25 lb/acre drench & 260 ppm 12.5 lb/acre 6.3 lb/acre 130 ppm 65 ppm 33 ppm 16 ppm 8 ppmCompound spray drench drench spray spray spray spray spray__________________________________________________________________________Example 2 -- 5 0 10 8 4 -- --Example 3 -- -- 2 8 9 8 2 2Example 5 10 -- -- -- -- -- -- --__________________________________________________________________________
Downey Mildew
Soybean plants were sprayed with solutions of the active chemicals of Examples 2, 3, and 5 at 260 ppm by weight and simultaneously the soil drenched with the chemical at 25 lb/acre. Lower concentrations, if examined, were tested separately as a spray at 130 and 65 ppm, and as a drench at 12.5 lb/acre. After the spray deposit had dried, the plants were atomized with a suspension of Peronospora manshurica and placed in a moist chamber at 65° F. for 1 day. After 5 days in a greenhouse, the severity of infection was rated on a scale of 0 (no inhibition) to 10 (complete inhibition). See Table II for the results of these tests.
TABLE II______________________________________FUNGICIDAL ACTIVITY AGAINST DOWNEY MILDEW 25 lb/acre drench 12.5 lb/acre 130 ppm 65 ppmCompound & 260 ppm spray drench spray spray______________________________________Example 2 5 -- -- --Example 3 10 8 5 2Example 5 10 -- -- --______________________________________
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Disclosed are selected 2-trichloromethyl-4-pyrimidinyl carboxylic esters having the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a lower alkenyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms a lower halo alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl group; R 1 is hydrogen or halo; and R 2 is a lower alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. These compounds are disclosed to be agricultural fungicides.
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RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/284,027, filed Apr. 16, 2001.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to sleeving for covering and protecting elongated substrates, the sleeving having different surfaces with different properties compatible with the substrate and the environment of the sleeve.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Protective sleeving for covering elongated substrates must often perform several functions and have multiple different properties and characteristics which allow such functions to be performed effectively and efficiently. For example, it may be desired to provide a durable, protective sleeve for covering a glass substrate such as an automobile windshield, allowing it to be safely transported and handled prior to installation. The inner surface of such a sleeve should be compatible with the substrate in some meaningful way. For example, the inner surface should not scratch or adhere to the glass and should allow the substrate to be removed easily. Such properties are not necessary for the outer surface of the sleeve however, but other properties, such as durability, tensile strength, resistance to moisture or abrasion resistance may be desired for the outer surface.
[0004] In another example, protective sleeve may be needed to perform an insulating function for an elongated substrate such as conduit used in automobile exhaust gas recirculation systems. Pollution emitted from internal combustion engines may be reduced by exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), wherein a small amount of exhaust gas is mixed with the air-fuel charge entering the cylinder. The presence of exhaust gas mixed with the fuel-air charge tends to retard the combustion of the fuel during the power stroke, absorbs heat and thereby reduces the amount of oxides of nitrogen formed during the combustion process.
[0005] EGR systems require that conduit be routed through the engine compartment in order to conduct the exhaust gas from the exhaust manifold back to the intake manifold. The exhaust gases from the exhaust manifold are very hot, typically on the order of 1000° F. Thus, the conduit carrying these gases will tend to be hot also, and this can cause problems within the engine compartment. Unless somehow insulated, the hot conduit radiates heat which tends to blister adjacent painted surfaces, melt nearby plastic and rubber components and also presents a serious burn hazard to technicians working on the engine.
[0006] Insulative coverings for EGR conduit often require sophisticated coatings on their inner surfaces to protect them against the high operating temperatures of the EGR systems. In addition to high temperatures, the coverings are also subjected to a harsh vibrational environment and must endure hundreds of thousands of vibrational cycles without cracking, splitting or coming loose from the conduit. Furthermore, the conduit conventionally has flanged ends for connecting to the various manifolds and the EGR valve, the flanged ends also being hot but being difficult to accommodate by a wrapped insulating sleeve for example. EGR conduit tends to be any shape but straight and may be bifurcated as well, thus, presenting further challenges to the application of insulation in a convenient, cost-effective manner.
[0007] There is clearly a need for an insulative sleeve which is readily adaptable to various complicated shapes and which can provide desirable properties compatible with the substrate as well as with other requirements needed to withstand the expected environment for the sleeve.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The invention concerns a sleeve for covering an elongated substrate. The sleeve comprises an inner surface positionable to face and surround the substrate and an outer surface positionable to face away from the substrate. The sleeve is formed from a plurality of first filamentary members interlaced with a plurality of second filamentary members. The first filamentary members have properties compatible with the substrate and are positioned predominantly on the inner surface of the sleeve for engaging the substrate. The second filamentary member have properties different from the first filamentary members and are positioned substantially on the outer surface of the sleeve.
[0009] For example, if the substrate comprises an elongated heat source such as an EGR conduit which is to be insulated, the sleeve is formed from a plurality of heat-resistant first filamentary members interlaced with a plurality of second filamentary members. The heat-resistant first filamentary members are positioned predominantly on the inner surface for engaging the heat source, and the second filamentary members are positioned substantially on the outer surface remote from the heat source. The second filamentary members are chosen to have properties different from the first filamentary members, such as abrasion resistance, or vibration damping.
[0010] Preferably, the first and second filamentary members are interlaced by knitting. This gives the sleeve the ability to stretch and conform to any shape of substrate or conduit, as well as any connecting flange or fitting. Knitting also allows the first filamentary members to be plated with the second filamentary members to conveniently position the first filamentary members predominantly on the inner surface during the manufacture of the sleeve.
[0011] The sleeve may be formed as a single or a double knit. For the double knit sleeve, the first and second filamentary members are knitted on separate needles to form a first knitted layer and a second knitted layer surrounded by the first knitted layer. The first knitted layer forms the inner surface and is predominantly formed of the heat-resistant first filamentary members. The layers may be knitted in the manner of a rib knit and the ends of the sleeve are finished off in knitted welts to prevent unraveling without the need for separate finishing steps such as sewing.
[0012] Sleeves according to the invention may be single tubes or may be bifurcated with multiple branch sections interknitted to accommodate bifurcated substrates.
[0013] The invention also includes a method of manufacturing a sleeve for covering an elongated substrate. The method comprises the steps of:
[0014] (A) interlacing a plurality of first filamentary members, having properties compatible with the substrate, with a plurality of second filamentary members, having properties different from the first filamentary members, to form an inner surface of the sleeve positionable to face and surround the elongated substrate, and an outer surface positionable to face away therefrom; and
[0015] (B) positioning the first filamentary members predominantly on the inner surface.
[0016] Preferably, the interlacing step comprises knitting the first and second filamentary members, and the positioning step comprises plating the first filamentary members with the second filamentary members to achieve the desired location of the first filamentary members on the inside surface of the sleeve.
[0017] It is an object of the invention to provide a sleeve for covering a substrate, the sleeve having an inside surface predominantly formed of filamentary members which have properties compatible with the substrate.
[0018] It is a further object of the invention to provide a sleeve for covering a substrate, the sleeve having an outside surface predominantly formed of filamentary members which have properties different from the properties of the filamentary members forming the inside surface of the sleeve.
[0019] It is also an object of the invention to provide a heat-resistant sleeve for insulating substrates such as EGR conduits, which form elongated heat sources.
[0020] It is another object of the invention to provide a heat-resistant sleeve comprised of interlaced filamentary members.
[0021] It is again another object of the invention to provide a heat-resistant sleeve which can withstand sustained vibration environments.
[0022] It is yet another object of the invention to provide a heat-resistant sleeve which is flexible and stretchable and able to conform closely to the shape of the heat source.
[0023] It is still another object of the invention to provide a heat-resistant sleeve which can be manufactured to have more or less bulk as required for a particular application.
[0024] These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] [0025]FIG. 1 is a side view, partially cut away, of a heat-resistant sleeve according to the invention;
[0026] [0026]FIG. 2 is a side view, also partially cut away, of a bifurcated heat-resistant sleeve according to the invention;
[0027] [0027]FIG. 3 is a detailed view of a single knit plated stitch used to form sleeves according to the invention;
[0028] [0028]FIG. 4 is a detailed view of a double knit plated stitch used to form sleeves according to the invention; and
[0029] [0029]FIG. 5 is a partially cut-away perspective view of another embodiment of a protective sleeve according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] [0030]FIG. 1 shows a sleeve 10 according to the invention suitable for insulating elongated heat sources, such as an EGR conduit 12 on an internal combustion engine. Sleeve 10 has an inner surface 14 positioned to face the conduit 12 and an outer surface 16 which faces away from the conduit or other heat source. Sleeve 10 is preferably knitted from at least two different types of filamentary members 18 and 20 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and described in detail below.
[0031] A plurality of ribs 22 and 24 may be knitted on the outer surface 16 and/or on the inner surface 14 of the sleeve 10 . When knitted on the outer surface, the ribs 22 act as bumpers to protect the EGR conduit and cushion it from impact damage. Ribs 24 , placed on the inner surface 14 , provide added insulation by forming a series of longitudinal air pockets 26 between the sleeve 10 and the EGR conduit 12 . The ribs 24 also reduce the contact area between the conduit and the sleeve, thus providing additional insulation against conductive heat transfer. The ribs 22 and 24 are integrally formed in the sleeve by a rib knit stitch as is well known in the art. The ends of sleeve 10 are finished by integrally knitting welts 28 to prevent unraveling of the sleeve.
[0032] [0032]FIG. 2 shows an example of a bifurcated sleeve 30 according to the invention. Bifurcated sleeve 30 is similar to the single sleeve 10 in that it is knitted from at least two different types of filamentary members, has an inner surface 14 and an outer surface 16 , may have integrally knitted internal and/or external ribs 24 and 22 and ends finished with welts 28 . Sleeve 30 is bifurcated into two separate sleeve portions 32 and 34 which separate at a bifurcation point 36 . Sleeve segments 32 and 34 are preferably integrally knitted as part of sleeve 30 by varying the size and density of the stitches in the region of the bifurcation to effect the separation of the sleeve segments as is known in the art.
[0033] Sleeves such as 10 and 30 according to the invention are preferably knitted because knitting provides several distinct advantages over other forms of interlacing filamentary members such as weaving and braiding, as well as over non-woven coverings such as felts or homogeneous coverings of extruded or molded plastics. Knitted structures have great flexibility and can expand or contract as needed to readily conform to complex curves without kinking as may be required to follow a tortuous EGR conduit snaking through an engine compartment from exhaust to intake manifold. Knitted structures have great elasticity and resilience which allows them to be stretched over tubing of various diameters and hug the outer surface of the conduit in a form fitting manner, automatically adjusting to changes in shape at any section along the conduit. This allows the sleeve to accommodate flanges, valves or other irregular features of the EGR system without the need to customize the sleeve for a particular shape. Knitted structures are also able to withstand harsh vibration without fear of fatigue failure. Furthermore, knitted items may be produced rapidly and relatively inexpensively on modern, programable high-speed knitting machines.
[0034] Sleeves such as 10 and 30 are preferably knitted using at least two different filamentary members 18 and 20 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 shows a single knit configuration and FIG. 4 illustrates a double knit. There are various advantages to both single and double knits as described below. Regardless of the knit used, filamentary member 18 is plated with filamentary member 20 in the knit structure. Plating in the single knit design of FIG. 3 is achieved by knitting both filamentary members on the same needle and forcing one filamentary member 18 to the tip of the needle and the other filamentary member 20 to the back of the needle by means of a feed mechanism mounted on the knitting machine. This results in loops 38 of filamentary members 18 being positioned predominantly on one face 40 of the knit structure while the other filamentary member 20 forms loops 42 and is positioned predominantly on the opposite face 44 of the knit structure. Thus, with the single knit, a single fabric layer may be formed having opposite faces 40 and 44 with different physical characteristics depending upon the characteristics of the filamentary members 18 and 20 chosen for the knit.
[0035] In the example of a sleeve for the EGR conduit, filamentary member 18 is made of materials such as silica, glass, ceramic, stainless steel or bi-component DREF yarns where both components of the yarn are resistant to high temperatures. An example of a suitable DREF yarn would have a glass fiber core with a silica fiber covering. Prototype sleeves according to the invention have been fabricated using commercially available DREF yarns having a glass fiber core with a para-aramid fiber covering that has a relatively high elastic modulus and tensile strength with excellent heat and chemical resistance. Thermal decomposition of this yarn begins at about 932° F. The yarn maintains more than half of its room temperature strength at temperatures as high as 482° F. Ignition temperature of the yarn is about 1202° F. which can withstand relatively high temperatures.
[0036] During knitting, loops 38 of the filamentary members 18 are arranged predominantly on the inner surface 14 of sleeve 10 or 30 . Thus, the filamentary member better able to withstand high temperature is arranged adjacent to the heat source surrounded by the sleeve. The filamentary members 20 which form loops 42 are arranged predominantly on the outer surface 16 . The outer surface filamentary members 20 may be chosen from among materials such as aramids, various nylon formulations, polyester, polypropylene, as well as other materials such as stainless steel, nitinol, elgiloy or other materials having high tensile strength, fatigue strength, relatively great resistance to abrasion or impact damage or noise damping qualities in order to provide protection to the sleeve and conduit against a harsh environment such as the engine compartment of an automobile. Bi-component yarns, especially DREF yarns, are also feasible. For the example sleeve for EGR conduit, a preferred material for the filamentary members 20 is oxidized pan fiber (OPF). OPF is a modified acrylic fiber heated at low temperature (less than 300° C.) in an oxygen atmosphere to produce a highly thermally resistant, infusable fiber with a well oriented polymer structure having a carbon content of about 60%. OPF combines high strength characteristics with excellent heat resistance and insulating properties appropriate for a high temperature application such as sleeving for an EGR conduit.
[0037] The single knit design allows multiple characteristics to be present in a single layer sleeve, thus, reducing bulk and weight of the sleeve and allowing it to be used on conduits of relatively small diameter or over curves having relatively small bend radii.
[0038] In the double knit design illustrated in FIG. 4, the filamentary members 18 and 20 are plated by knitting the different filamentary members on separate needles. This yields two separate interknitted layers of material, 46 and 48 . On layer 46 , loops 38 of filamentary member 18 predominate, whereas on layer 48 , loops 42 of filamentary member 20 predominate. Thus, each layer has distinct properties associated with the characteristics of the particular filamentary member forming the predominating loops.
[0039] For the double knit EGR sleeve, layer 46 may be arranged as an inner layer comprising inner surface 14 , and layer 48 is then arranged as an outer layer comprising outer surface 16 . Inner layer 46 is preferably formed of loops 38 of filamentary member 18 , made from heat-resistant materials such as silica, glass, ceramic, stainless steel or bi-component DREF yarns where both components of the yarn are resistant to high temperatures. Outer layer 48 may be formed of loops 42 of filamentary member 20 formed of material having high tensile strength such as aramid fiber. The two layer design of the double knit, although heavier and bulkier than the single knit, can provide better isolation between the interior and exterior of the sleeve since there are two distinct layers which cover the entire surface of the heat source.
[0040] The operational temperature of the EGR conduit will often determine the choice of material for filamentary member 18 . Silica yarn or filament provides protection against temperatures as high as 1832° F. Glass fibers also provide significant thermal protection on the order of 1022° F. Specially fabricated nylon fibers, sold under the commercial brand name “Nomex”, are useful for temperatures of 572° F. or lower.
[0041] [0041]FIG. 5 shows another example of a knitted sleeve 50 according to the invention. Sleeve 50 is a cover for automotive glass products such as a windshield 52 and is used to protect the windshield during transport and handling prior to installation. The inner surface 54 of sleeve 50 should be compatible with the glass windshield 52 in that the sleeve should not scratch or adhere to the glass. The outer surface 56 need not have these properties, but it may be advantageous to impart other properties to the sleeve such as durability, tensile strength and resistance to abrasion so that the windshield will be effectively protected and the sleeve 50 will be reusable.
[0042] A sleeve such as 50 can be knitted according to the invention using low-friction, non-stick filamentary members 58 made, for example, from polytetrafluoroethylene, the filamentary members 58 being positioned predominantly on the inner surface 54 of the sleeve 50 . Such filamentary members are compatible with the glass substrate in that they will not scratch the glass or adhere to it. To provide durability to the sleeve 50 , the filamentary members 58 are knitted with durable, high-strength filaments 60 made from multifilament aramid fibers, for example. This imparts durability and abrasion resistance to the sleeve 50 . Knitting the sleeve allows the filamentary members 58 and 60 to be plated so that filamentary members 58 are predominantly positioned on the inner surface 54 of the sleeve and the filamentary members 60 are predominantly on the outer surface 56 of the sleeve.
[0043] The knit design, whether single or double knit, allows the sleeve to have greater bulk where necessary, to compensate for higher temperatures or higher mechanical or thermally induced stresses. The bulk of the knit design is increased by overfeeding one or the other of filamentary members 18 or 20 as necessary to form extended loops analogous to the knap found in terry cloth.
[0044] Production of the sleeve according to the invention is preferably by means of a double cylinder knitting machine with multiple feeds and having electronic control for forming ribs and end welts. A non-reciprocating machine could be used since, unlike hosiery, no heel or toe need be formed.
[0045] Knitted protective sleeving formed of filamentary members having different properties according to the invention provides a covering which is readily adaptable to almost any shape or configuration and places the filamentary member chosen for its specific properties where it will be most effective, thus, affording the most economical and efficient use of material.
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A protective sleeve for covering elongated substrates is disclosed. The sleeve is knitted from a combination of first and second filamentary members having different properties from one another. The filamentary members are plated so that the filamentary members having properties compatible with the substrate are positioned predominantly on the inner surface of the sleeve facing and engaging the substrate. Filament properties include heat resistance, high-tensile strength, resistance to abrasion, chemical attack and damping capability. Ribs are integrally knitted lengthwise along the sleeve to form insulating air pockets. The ends of the sleeve are finished with welts to prevent unraveling.
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BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a knitting-transfer cam unit for V-bed flat knitting machines, wherein needle butts of the needle bodies of slider needles are selectively lowerable in the needle channels of the needle beds by means of a needle selection device, wherein the slider needles have sliders provided with slider butts and arranged for the transfer of stitches, wherein stationary and movable cam elements are provided for engagement with the needle butts and the slider butts and are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central transverse axis of the cam unit, and wherein pressure cam elements are provided co-operating with the needle selection device.
One such knitting-transfer cam unit is known for example from DE-OS No. 22 28 547. This known knitting-transfer cam unit comprises movable cam elements both for the needle butts and also for the slider butts, and makes possible, in one carriage traverse, the formation of stitches, the formation of tuck loops, the transfer of stitches from the front needle bed to the rear needle bed or the transfer of stitches from the rear needle bed to the front needle bed.
Other cam units for knitting machines with latch needles are known, with the cam units arranged next to each other, but only capable of knitting or of stitch transfer. Furthermore, such cam units are known which are arranged below one another and operate with double-butt needles. A combined knitting-transfer-double cam unit for latch needles is also known, by means of which one can only transfer stitches in one direction with the particular leading cam unit, for example stitches advancing from right to left forwards and stitches advancing from left to right rearwards.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a knitting-transfer cam unit of the type first referred to above in which for each carriage traverse one can perform any combination of stitch formation and tuck loop formation, or can transfer any stitches without additional transfer cam units, i.e. independently of the direction of carriage traverse and independently of the direction of transfer, whether this is from the front rearwards, from the rear forwards or simultaneously in both directions.
This is achieved in accordance with the present invention by the following combination of features:
(a) at least one cam element movable in a pivoted manner at the positions of carriage reversal is provided for engagement with the needle butts for the formation of stitches,
(b) symmetrical movable cam elements are provided for engagement with the needle butts and slider butts for the transfer of stitches,
(c) the cam elements for engagement with the slider butts except those for the transfer of stitches are stationary and are arranged so that they define slider butt channels delimited on both sides for a relative movement between needle body and slider in the longitudinal direction of the slider, and
(d) a selection position for the needle butts is provided on the central transverse axis of the cam unit and a selection position for the needle butts is provided towards each end of the cam unit.
With this combined knitting-transfer cam unit one can produce all stitches, tuck loops and no-knit combinations independently of the direction of carriage travel, both forwards and backwards, or one can transfer chosen stitches independently of the direction of carriage traverse and independently of the direction of transfer from the front rearwards, from the rear forwards or simultaneously in both directions. Since the cam unit is a fully symmetrical cam unit, any number of the cam units can be arranged next to one another, for example as double cam units, triple cam units, quadruple cam units, etc.
In one preferred embodiment of the cam unit, all the cam elements provided for engagement with the slider butts are stationary, two movable cam elements moveable forwards into operation at the positions of carriage reversal are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central transverse axis of the cam unit for engagement with the needle butts for the formation of stitches, and the movable cam elements for engagement with the needle butts for the donation of stitches comprise an advancing cam element arranged symmetrically with respect to the central transverse axis of the cam unit and two lowering cam elements arranged symmetrically with respect to the advancing cam element.
The movable cam elements arranged to engage the needle butts for the transfer of stitches are preferably mounted on a common plate and are movable jointly into and out of operation. By this means, with just a single displacement movement at the positions of carriage reversal, one can achieve a switching of the cam unit to the transfer of stitches.
Preferably, the stationary cam elements which are arranged to engage the slider butts define slider butt channels for the formation of tuck loops and acceptance of stitches, for the formation of stitches and for the transfer of stitches. By this means one achieves a trouble-free separation of the different movements of the slider relative to the needle body in the different operational processes.
The stationary cam elements for engaging the slider butts in the transfer of stitches preferably include two protuberances. By means of these two protuberances the stitch which is to be transferred is advancingly drawn on to the stitch support on the slider in a safe manner and, coupled with this, the stitch is somewhat tensioned, so that the accepting needle can pass into the stitch between the two webs of the slider from which the slider is constructed. By the trailing protuberance, the stitch on the slider is brought to the donor position and in a synchronised movement the accepting needle passes through the spread stitch.
In a further preferred embodiment of the cam unit of the present invention all the cam elements for engagement with the slider butts are stationary, a cam element for engaging the needle butts in the formation of stitches is provided so as to be movable in a pivoted manner into operation in a leading sense at the positions of carriage reversal in the plane of the cam unit about the central transverse axis of the cam unit, and the movable cam elements for engaging the needle butts in the transfer of stitches comprise a leading advancing cam element and trailing lowering cam element on each side of the central transverse axis of the cam unit.
Preferably, each one leading advancing cam element and one trailing lowering cam element of the movable cam elements for engaging the needle butts in the donation of stitches are mounted on a common plate and are movable jointly into and out of operation. Also by this means, one achieves a simplification of the changeover of the cam unit for the transfer of stitches at the positions of carriage reversal.
Preferably, the stationary cam elements for engaging the slider butts define slider butt channels for the formation of tuck loops and acceptance of stitches, for the formation of stitches and for the transfer of stitches. In this way one achieves a trouble-free separation of the different movements of the slider relative to the needle body in the different operational processes.
The stationary cam elements between the slider butt channel for the formation of tuck loops and acceptance of stitches and the slider butt channel for the formation of stitches are preferably formed from one central component separated by gaps from two outer parts. In this way one ensures that the slider butts can enter into the corresponding slider butt channels in an ordered manner for the formation of stitches in each direction of travel of the cam unit.
Here also, the stationary cam elements for engaging the slider butts for the transfer of stitches preferably comprise two protuberances having the purpose and function already referred to above.
A third advantageous embodiment of cam unit in accordance with the present invention is constructed in such a way that two movable cam elements are provided symmetrical with respect to the central transverse axis of the cam unit and for engagement with the needle butts for the formation of stitches, said cam elements being movable into operation in a leading sense at the positions of carriage reversal, the movable cam elements for engaging the needle butts in the donation of stitches comprise a lowering cam element symmetrical with respect to the central transverse axis of the cam unit, and the movable cam elements for engaging the slider butts in the donation of stitches comprise two advancing cam elements arranged symmetrically with respect to the withdrawal element.
Preferably, the stationary and movable cam elements for engaging the slider butts define slider butt channels for the formation of tuck loops and acceptance of stitches, for the formation of stitches and for the transfer of stitches.
Preferably, the movable cam elements for engaging the slider butts for the donation of stitches comprise extension elements arranged above a fixed cam element which is symmetrical with respect to the central transverse axis.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be more fully described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a first preferred embodiment of knitting-transfer cam unit in accordance with the invention for a needle bed of a flat knitting machine, the cam unit being set for the formation of stitches;
FIG. 2 shows the knitting-transfer cam unit of FIG. 1, set for the formation of tuck loops and the acceptance of stitches;
FIG. 3 shows the knitting-transfer cam unit of FIG. 1, set for knitting in the three-way technique (stitch, tuck, no-knit);
FIG. 4 shows a knitting-transfer cam unit according to FIG. 1, for both needle beds, in which the cam unit for the front needle bed is set for the donation of stitches and the cam unit for the rear needle bed is set for the acceptance of stitches;
FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of knitting-transfer cam unit in accordance with the invention for a needle bed of a flat knitting machine, the cam unit being set for the formation of stitches;
FIG. 6 shows the knitting-transfer cam unit of FIG. 5 set for the formation of tuck loops and the acceptance of stitches;
FIG. 7 shows the knitting-transfer cam unit of FIG. 5 set for knitting in the three-way technique (stitch, tuck, no-knit);
FIG. 8 shows a knitting-transfer cam unit according to FIG. 5, for both needle beds, in which the cam unit for the front needle bed is set for the transfer of stitches and the cam unit for the rear needle bed is set for the acceptance of stitches;
FIG. 9 shows a slider needle in its position for the donation of a stitch;
FIG. 10 shows a third embodiment of knitting-transfer cam unit in accordance with the invention for a needle bed of a flat knitting machine, the cam unit being set for the formation of stitches;
FIG. 11 shows the knitting-transfer cam unit of FIG. 10, set for the formation of tuck loops and for the acceptance of stitches;
FIG. 12 shows the knitting-transfer cam unit of FIG. 10, set for the three-way technique (stitch, tuck, no-knit);
FIG. 13 shows a knitting-transfer cam unit according to FIG. 10, for both needle beds, in which the cam unit for the front needle bed is set for the donation of stitches and the cam unit for the rear needle bed is set for the acceptance of stitches; and,
FIGS. 14 to 16 show different positions in the transfer of a stitch from a donor slider to an accepting needle with a cam unit as shown in FIG. 10.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The embodiment of a combined knitting-transfer cam unit for slider needles shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is able to control the needle bodies and to control the sliders of the slider needles in the knitting of stitches and the formation of tuck loops, as well as in the conmbination of both types of knitting in the three-way technique (stitch, tuck, no-knit) and in the donation and acceptance of stitches, as well as both simultaneously, during a course of knitting, i.e. with a traverse of the carriage from left to right or from right to left. The cam unit is constructed so as to be fully symmetrical with respect to the central transverse axis M. Any number of the cam units can therefore be arranged next to one another, for example as a double cam unit, triple cam unit, quadruple cam unit, etc. Each cam unit has a cam zone A for the control of the needle bodies, as well as a cam zone B for the control of the sliders of the slider needles. All stationary cam elements which do not move are indicated by vertical cross-hatching in the drawings. All the displaceable cam elements are either shown without cross-hatching (when displaced out of operation) or with oblique cross-hatching (when displaced into operation). All the cam elements in cam zone B for the control of the sliders are stationary cam elements.
In the embodiment of the knitting-transfer cam unit shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the cam elements 1 and 2 which are arranged to engage the needle butts 10 in the formation of stitches are cam elements which are movable into operation in a leading sense at the positions of carriage reversal, these cam elements being moved automatically with the reversal of the carriage either by lifting into operation or by dropping out of operation. The cam elements 3, 4 and 5 are used for the transfer of stitches. These latter cam elements are mounted on a common plate and are moved jointly into or out of operation. The cam elements 6, with each of which a double-headed arrow is shown, are triangular retractors which are displaceable in the direction of the double-headed arrow in the plane of the cam unit. Each cam unit has a selection position 8 for the needle butts on the central transverse axis M of the cam unit, as well as respective selection positions 7, 9 for the needle butts towards each end of the cam unit. The corresponding cam elements of the cam unit for the rear needle bed are shown in FIG. 4 with primed reference numbers. Of the selection positions 7, 8 and 9 the two leading selection positions are used in the respective directions of traverse of the carriage, i.e. with traverse of the carriage from left to right one uses selection positions 9 and 8, while with a traverse of the carriage from right to left one uses selection positions 7 and 8.
FIG. 1 shows the displaced position of the cam elements for the formation of stitches with a carriage traverse from left to right in the direction of the arrow S. Cam elements 3, 4 and 5 are moved out of operation, while at the left-hand position of carriage reversal cam element 1 has been moved out of operation and cam element 2 has been moved into operation.
Before being engaged by the cam elements the slider needles occupy their basic positions (level cam), with the needle butts 10 and the slider butts 11 in the positions indicated at the right-hand side of FIG. 1. In this position the hooks of the slider needles are closed. At selection position 9, which, as indicated, is in operation, the needle butts 10 are lifted up out of the needle bed into cam zone A. The slider butts 11 do not need to be selected, since they are always in cam zone B.
During upward sliding of the needle butts 10 on cam element 12, the slider butts 11 abut against cam element 13. The needle body and slider undergo a relative movement with respect to each other, until the needle hook has opened and the end of the slider is in contact with the needle body. Both then slide, pushed out by cam element 2, to the stitch trapping level at which the old stitch slides on to the slider. The slider needle lingers in this position until, without relative movement between needle body and slider, it is withdrawn to the thread-laying position by cam elements 14 and 15. Cam element 16 then extends the slider to a certain degree, while the triangular retractor 6 withdraws the needle body. At the end of this relative movement, i.e. when the needle hook has closed again, the needle body and slider slide downwards corresponding to the set withdrawal depth of the triangular retractor 6, and the newly laid thread is formed into the new stitch.
FIG. 2 shows the displaced position of the cam elements for the formation of tuck loops and acceptance of stitches with a traverse of the carriage from left to right in the direction of the arrow S. Cam elements 3, 4 and 5 are out of operation, while cam element 2 has been moved into operation in a leading sense and cam element 1 has been moved a out of operation in a trailing sense. Selection position 8 is in operation. Here, the needle butts 10 of the slider needles which are to form tuck loops are brought into cam zone A and are extended by cam element 17 to the tuck depth. During this upward movement the slider butts 11 are in contact with cam element 18. By means of this there is a relative movement between the needle body and the slider, by which the needle hooks are opened. All further movements follow as for the formation of stitches, but with the difference that the newly laid thread and the old stitch lie jointly on the needle hook and the newly laid thread is formed into the new tuck loop upon withdrawal of the needle to the basic, level cam position.
FIG. 3 shows the displaced position of the cam elements for knitting in the three-way technique with a carriage traverse from left to right in the direction of the arrow S. Here, the needle butts of the slider needles which are to form the stitches are selected at selection position 9, and the needle butts of the slider needles which are to form tuck loops are selected at selection position 8. Those slider needles which are not to knit remain in their basic position in which the needle butts 10 remain lowered in the needle bed and cannot be engaged by the cam unit.
FIG. 4 shows the displaced position of the cam elements of the cam units for both the front and rear needle beds for the donation of stitches from the front bed rearwards with a traverse of the carriage from left to right in the direction of the arrow S.
Cam elements 2,2' are moved into operation and cam elements 1,1' are moved out of operation. Cam elements 3,4 and 5 are moved into operation.
The needle butts 10 of the slider needles which are to donate stitches are brought into operation at selection position 9, and the needle butts 10' of the slider needles which are to accept stitches are brought into operation at selection position 8'. They are then in the respective cam zones A. The slider butts 11 and 11' require no selection since they always remain in the respective cam zones B.
When now the carriage is moved to the right, the needle butts 10 of the front slider needles are extended by cam elements 12, 2 and 5 until the slider butts 11 are struck by cam element 19 and are held by this, after which the needle hooks are opened in the region of cam element 13 by a relative movement between needle body and slider. The sliders have reached the level at which their stitch supports already hold the stitches spread open for the insertion of the counterpart needles.
Cam element 4 brings the needle body back, by means of its needle butt 10, to the basic, level cam position, and shortly before selection position 8 moves out of operation, i.e. the needle butt 10 disappears into the needle bed, whereby the needle body has its trailing stem resting on a pivot jack. The slider butts 11 remain in their occupied positions until the needle butts 10' of the rear, accepting needles are selected at selection position 8' and are extended by cam element 17'. Cam element 18' holds the slider butts 11' during the needle movement until the needle hooks have opened and the slider needle having the needle butt 10' has entered into the spread front stitch. The trailing withdrawal movements of the donating sliders with their slider butts 11, as well as the accepting needle bodies with their needle butts 10' ensure a trouble-free donation and acceptance of the stitches from the front slider needles to the rear slider needles.
Cam element 19 is provided with two protuberances 19a and 19b which have the purpose, during the advancing of the stitches to be transferred, of holding them securely on the stitch supports on the sliders and subsequently slightly tensioning the stitches, so that the accepting slider needles in front of the stitches can thread in between the two webs of the slider. Thereafter, the stitch is brought to the donating position by the trailing protuberance 19b and by a synchronised movement the accepting slider needle passes through the spread stitch.
FIGS. 5 to 8 show a further embodiment of combined knitting-transfer cam unit for slider needles. The parts of the cam unit which correspond to those of FIGS. 1 to 4 are indicated by the same reference numbers. Instead of the cam elements 3, 4 and 5 of the cam unit in FIGS. 1 to 4, the cam unit shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 has movable cam elements 21 and 22 as well as 23 and 24. The advancing cam element 21 and the withdrawal cam element 22, as well as the advancing cam element 24 and the covering cam element 23, are respectively mounted jointly on a plate and are separately movable accordingly. Instead of the cam elements 1 and 2 of the cam unit of FIGS. 1 to 4, in the cam unit of FIGS. 5 to 8 there is provided a cam element 25 for engaging the needle butts 10 in the formation of stitches, this cam element 25 being automatically swung into operation in a pivoted manner in a leading sense at the positions of carriage reversal in the plane of the cam unit about the central transverse axis M of the cam unit. FIGS. 5 to 8 show the titlted position of the cam element 25 for the direction of traverse of the carriage from left to right in the direction of the arrow S.
FIG. 5 shows the displaced position of the cam elements for the formation of stitches. Cam elements 21, 22 and 23, 24 are moved out of operation, and the automatically swinging cam element 25 is in the correct position for the carriage traverse from left to right. The needle butts 10 whose slider needles are to form stitches are selected at selection position 9, i.e. the needle butts 10 are lifted up from the needle bed and brought into cam zone A. Cam element 12 moves the slider needles with the needle butts 10 upwards. During this upward movement cam element 18 holds the slider by the slider butt 11 in its position so that during this time the closed needle hook is opened and the end of the slider comes into contact with the needle body.
After the opening of the needle hook cam element 25 takes over the further extension movement. The stationary composite cam element between the slider butt channel for the formation of tuck loops and acceptance of stitches and the slider butt channel for the formation of stitches is here formed from one central element 20 having a gap between it and each of two outer element 18, 18. During the further extension of the needle bodies by cam element 25, the slider butts 11 slide over element 20. This is the position in which the old stitch comes to lie on the slider. The withdrawal movement of the needle body (needle butt 10) and of the slider (slider butt 11) which follows thereafter by cam elements 14 and 15 brings the slider needle into the thread-laying position. Cam element 16 moves the slider in the direction of the needle hook, while cam element 6 retracts the needle body downwards. The relative movement which thereby arises between needle body and slider ends when the needle hook is closed, the newly laid thread lies in the needle hook and the old stitch is on the slider. Upon the further joint withdrawal movement of needle body and slider the old stitch is then thrown off over the closed needle hook and the newly laid thread is formed into the stitch.
FIG. 6 shows the displaced position of the cam elements for the formation of tuck loops and acceptance of stitches for a carriage traverse in the direction of the arrow S from left to right. Cam elements 21, 22, 23 and 24 are out of operation. The needle butts 10 of the slider needles which are to form tuck loops are selected at selection position 8, and, with traverse of the carriage to the right, are extended to the tuck depth by cam element 17. During this time the slider butts 11 are held by cam element 20 so that the needle hooks are open and are ready for the laying of the thread. Upon trailing withdrawal, the old stitch and the newly laid thread lie jointly in the needle hook, with the result that the newly laid thread is formed into the tuck loop upon further withdrawal to the basic, level cam position.
FIG. 7 shows the displaced position of the cam elements for knitting in the three-way technique with a carriage traverse from left to right in the direction of the arrow S. Cam elements 21, 22, 23 and 24 are out of operation. Here, the needle butts 10 of the slider needles which are to form stitches are selected at selection position 9 and the needle butts 10 of the slider needles which are to form tuck loops are selected at selection position 8. Those slider needles which are not to knit remain in their basic positions in which the needle butts 10 remain lowered in the needle bed and cannot be engaged by the cam unit.
FIG. 8 shows the displaced position of the cam elements of the cam units for both the front needle bed and the rear needle bed for the donation of stitches from the front bed rearwards with traverse of the carriage from left to right in the direction of the arrow S. Cam elements 23 and 24 are moved into operation.
The needle butts 10 of the slider needles which are to donate stitches are brought into operation at selection position 9. Upon the extension of the slider needles with their needle butts 10 by cam element 24, the slider butts 11 are held by cam element 13 until the needle hooks are open and the sliders have been automatically entrained after this by the needle bodies. At the highest extended position the slider has its butt 11 in the region of cam element 19. In this position the stitches are spread open and are brought to the position in which the slider needles from the rear needle bed can enter the stitches. Before this can take place however the needle bodies in the front needle bed must be returned to the basic, level cam position. Cam element 23 retracts the slider needle with the needle butt 10, while the slider with its slider butt 11, held by cam element 19, retains the position it occupies.
Cam elements 21 and 22 are moved out of operation.
When the slider needle with the needle butt 10 in the front needle bed has achieved its level cam position, then, in the rear cam unit, the slider needles with the needle butts 10' are moved into operation at selection position 8' in order to accept the stitches. Cam elements 21', 22' and 23', 24' are out of operation. The chosen slider needles with the needle butts 10' are brought by cam element 17' into the tuck or acceptance position. Upon extension the slider butts 11' are held by cam element 20' so that the needle hooks are opened and can enter into the already held stitches. The transfer of stitches in one direction of traverse of the carriage can be effected at the same time from the front needle bed to the rear needle bed and from the rear needle bed to the front needle bed.
Here again, cam element 19 is provided with two protuberances 19a and 19b which have the same purpose as already described above in relation to FIGS. 1 to 4.
FIG. 9 shows a stitch-donating slider needle with needle body 26 and slider 27 in a needle bed 28 in the position in which the stitch to be donated lies on and is spread apart by the stitch supports of the slider 27. The needle body comprises a needle butt 10 and the slider comprises a slider butt 11. A stitch-accepting slider needle stands ready in the opposing needle bed to receive the stitch.
FIGS. 10 to 13 show a further embodiment of a combined knitting-transfer cam unit for slider needles by means of which an even more reliable motion can be achieved in the transfer of stitches. The cam unit construction corresponds generally to that already described in connection with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4; movable cam elements 3 and 5, which are used for the donation of the stitches, instead of being arranged in cam zone A for the control of the needle bodies, are here arranged instead in cam zone B for the control of the sliders of the slider needles, and are indicated at 30 and 31. All other cam elements in cam zone B for the control of the sliders are stationary cam elements. The movable cam elements 30 and 31 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central transverse axis M of the cam unit and are positioned above the fixed cam element 19 which at the same time takes over the function of cam element 18.
FIG. 10 shows the displaced position of the cam elements for the formation of stitches with a carriage traverse from left to right in the direction of the arrow S. Cam elements 1 and 2 are again movable automatically into operation in a leading sense and out of operation in a trailing sense. Upon carriage traverse from left to right, cam element 2 is moved into operation. Cam element 4 in cam zone A, as well as cam elements 30 and 31 in cam zone B, are moved out of operation.
Selection position 9 is in operation as indicated. At this position those needles are chosen which are to knit stitches. For this purpose the needle butts 10 arise from the needle bed so that they can be engaged by cam element 12. The slider butts 11 are engaged by cam element 16 and undergo an upward and downward movement. During this time the needle butts 10 move upwards.
In the region of cam element 13 relative movement between the needle butts and slider butts ends, i.e. the needle hooks are open. The slider then lies on the needle body and is moved upwards by it upon further extension movement by cam element 2, until the slider butt 11 has reached the position above cam element 19. In this position the needle itself has reached its maximum extension, so that during the trailing withdrawal the thread can be laid. The further process is the same as for the cam unit described above in connection with FIG. 1.
FIG. 11 shows the displacement of the cam elements for the formation of tuck loops and acceptance of stitches with a carriage traverse from left to right in the direction of the arrow S. The displacement of the cam elements is substantially the same as described above in connection with FIG. 10, although here selection position 8 is in operation and selects the needles which are to knit tuck loops. The needle butts 10 are present in cam zone A and are extended by the driving edge of cam element 17. During this time the slider butts 11 are held by cam element 19, and in consequence the needle hooks are open. Since cam element 1 has been moved out of operation in a trailing pendular sense, the needles remain at the tuck height and are withdrawn in trailing operation for the laying of thread and formation of tuck loops, as described above in connection with FIG. 2.
FIG. 12 shows the displaced position of the cam elements for knitting in the three path technique with a carriage traverse from left to right in the direction of the arrow S. Here, cam element 2, again leading, has been displaced in pendular manner into operation and cam element 1, again trailing, has been displaced in pendular manner out of operation, with cam elements 4, 30 and 31 out of operation. With traverse of the carriage to the right, the needle butts 10 of the slider needles which are to form stitches are selected at selection position 9, and the needle butts 10 of the slider needles which are to form tuck loops are selected at selection position 8. All needles which are not selected are out of operation. The needle motion is the same as already described above.
FIG. 13 shows the displaced position of the cam elements of the cam units for both the front and rear needle beds for the donation of stitches from the front bed rearwards with traverse of the carriage from left to right in the direction of the arrow S. With corresponding movement of the cam elements the cam unit can transfer either from the rear bed forwards or in both directions simultaneously and also in both directions of traverse of the carriage. Cam elements 2, 2' are moved into operation in pendular manner in a leading sense and cam elements 1, 1' are moved out of operation in pendular manner in a trailing sense. Cam elements 30 and 4 are moved into operation and cam element 31 is moved out of operation.
The needle butts 10 of the slider needles which are to donate stitches are chosen at selection position 9 and are pushed out by cam elements 12 and 2. The slider butts 11 are held by cam element 13 until the needle hooks are open and the sliders are automatically entrained by the needle bodies. At the position of maximum extension the slider butts 11 are taken over by cam element 19, while the needle bodies are retracted again to the basic, level cam position by cam element 4 which engages against the needle butts 10. The front slider needles linger in this position until the rear, accepting slider needles have been chosen at selection position 8' and have been extended by cam element 17'.
When the rear slider needles have reached the first step of cam element 17', the needle hook is opened and is threaded between the readied slider webs of the corresponding front slider, as is shown in FIG. 14. Then, the front slider is extended by cam element 3 engaging its slider butt 11. Thus, the stitch is lifted from the stitch support over the hook of the rear, accepting needle, as is shown in FIG. 15. When this position has been achieved, the rear, accepting slider needle is lifted by cam element 17' into receiving position (tuck height). Thus, the needle hook of the accepting needle passes through the stitch, as is shown in FIG. 16. With subsequent withdrawal of the donating slider the stitch drops on to the needle hook of the accepting needle, so that this can then be taken back to the basic, level cam position.
In FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 the needle body is indicated at 26, the slider at 27 and the stitch to be transferred at 29. It will be seen from this that during the donation of the stitch 29 the slider webs of the donating slider 27 are held spread apart without difficulty by the needle hook and the needle body 26 of the accepting slider needle.
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A knitting-transfer cam unit for V-bed flat knitting machines wherein needle butts of the needle bodies of slider needles are selectively lowerable in the needle channels of the needle beds by means of a needle selection device, and wherein the slider needles have sliders provided with slider butts and arranged for the transfer of stitches, comprises stationary and movable cam elements for engagement with the needle butts and the slider butts, and also comprises pressure cam elements. In order to be able to perform any combination of stitch formation and tuck loop formation with each traverse of the carriage, or in order to be able to transfer any stitches without additional transfer cam units, at least one movable cam element for engagement with the needle butts for the formation of stitches is provided and is movable at the positions of carriage reversal, symmetrical movable cam elements are provided for engagement with the needle butts and slider butts for the transfer of stitches, the cam elements for engagement with the slider butts are stationary or movable and are formed such that they define slider butt channels delimited on both sides for a relative movement between needle body and slider in the slider longitudinal direction, a selection position for the needle butts is provided at the central transverse axis of the cam unit and respective selection positions for the needle butts are provided towards each end of the cam unit.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority from European patent application serial number 05254303.0, filed on Jul. 8, 2005 and entitled CENTRE-PIN PLUG, the content of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a plug for use with control units, specifically control units for window blind systems. In addition, the invention relates to the combination of the plug with a centre-pin and to a control unit incorporating the plug.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Due to the general inaccessibility of window blind head rails, and the complexity of modern blinds, it is necessary for window blinds to comprise a control unit, and many types are known in the art. The nature of the control unit will vary according to the type of blind with which it is being used, and the plug of the present invention is intended in particular but not exclusively to be used with a control unit which may be used to operate a manually operated roller blind type head rail.
[0004] A control unit for use with a roller blind type head rail will typically include a sprocket wheel in connection with a chain, a chain guard housing, and a sprocket support which facilitates controlled rotation of a splined bush. The sprocket wheel rotates in response to movement of the chain by the user, with the sprocket support providing a controlled and limited resistance to rotation. This in turn causes the splined bush to rotate. The control unit engages the roller blind tube, causing an attached blind to raise or lower as a result of the operation of the chain. In this way, movement of the blind from an open to a closed position is achieved without excessive stretching or discomfort to the individual.
[0005] This mechanism is exemplified by the roller blind control units sold by the applicant, Louver-Lite Limited, in a variety of units designed to operate with blinds of various sizes.
[0006] These units comprise a sprocket wheel and housing. The sprocket wheel interacts with a wrap spring having outwardly projecting end juts. The wrap spring is in turn connected to a sprocket support by a sprocket spring friction surface. The sprocket support includes two engaging pins projecting from one face of the control unit. These are designed to engage with a metal or plastic wall or ceiling-mounted bracket, thereby providing a means for hanging the blind in front of a window or other aperture. The unit is held together by a centre-pin which extends substantially through the centre of the control unit and snap-fits into position relative to the external surface of the splined bush, thereby retaining each component in its optimum operating position.
[0007] UK Patent number GB 2392703 illustrates modifications that may be made to these control units. For instance, the centre-pin may comprise one or more fins projecting axially from a head of the centre-pin which engage with co-operating recesses in the sprocket support. This reduces the rotational degree of freedom available to the centre-pin head reducing the wear of this component which could otherwise arise due to the rotational stress applied by the blind. Further, the sprocket wheels of the embodiment of these patents may be rotated relative to the chain guard housing, allowing the chain to be fed into the control unit without the need to dismantle the unit. In addition, the chain guard housing described in the above patent may include a lug extending perpendicular to the face of the control unit which incorporates the sprocket support to aid positioning of the control unit relative to its mounting brackets. Also described is a wrap spring with circular cross-section but flattened juts. This wrap spring improves the contact of the spring with the sprocket wheel relative to springs of purely circular cross-section, without compromising on the grip of the spring on the sprocket support.
[0008] In all of the above referred to embodiments, movement of a roller blind chain causes rotation of the sprocket wheel and releases the wrap spring clutch. The sprocket wheel component of this control unit also interacts with a splined bush which, as a result, rotates upon movement of the sprocket wheel. The external surface of the splined bush is connected with the roller blind tubing, facilitating rotation and therefore raising or lowering of the blind as a result of movement of the chain.
[0009] However, the above designs could be improved. Specifically, it has been found that where a control unit is operating at its maximum capacity in terms of the width or weight of the blind being carried and moved by the unit with which it is used, it becomes particularly important that the centre-pin and splined bush are fully engaged. Where the blind assembler has not ensured that the splined bush is appropriately positioned by snap fitting over the tip of the centre-pin, the splined bush may slowly work loose causing the blind to cease rotating or fall away from its mountings. This potential danger to the user, especially in situations where the control unit is being used with blinds of a width and/or weight at the upper end of the load bearing capacity of the unit needs to be overcome.
[0010] Therefore, according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a plug for releasable engagement with the centre-pin of a roller blind control unit wherein engagement of the plug with the pin ensures that a tip of the centre-pin engages an external surface of the control unit.
[0011] Engagement of the plug with the centre-pin ensures that the centre-pin has been fully inserted into the control unit and that the splined bush is correctly positioned over the centre-pin tip. The plug is designed so that it may only engage with the centre-pin when the splined bush has been fully snap-fitted into position over the centre-pin tip. Accordingly, the presence of the plug ensures proper assembly of the control unit thereby preventing loosening of the splined bush and consequent failure of the blind.
[0012] According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a releasably inter-engaging combination of a plug and centre-pin for use, for example, with a roller blind control unit wherein insertion of the centre-pin through a roller blind control unit and engagement with the plug, ensures that a tip of the centre-pin engages an external surface of the control unit.
[0013] According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a control unit for use in a window blind head rail assembly comprising; a sprocket wheel, a sprocket support and wrap spring, a splined bush for engagement with the roller blind tube, a centre-pin, and a plug for releasable engagement with the centre-pin.
[0014] In an embodiment, the units are held together by a centre-pin which extends substantially through the centre of the control unit. The centre-pin extends from the face of the control unit incorporating the sprocket support, through the control unit to the rear of the unit. Preferably, the head of the pin comprises a stop element which is typically but not necessarily in the form of co-operating flattened surfaces in what is otherwise a generally tubular interface between the centre-pin and the sprocket support. The stop element engages the sprocket support and may include locking means which provide a point of connection with the mounting bracket. Where present, there is preferably a hooked tip on the locking means of the centre-pin stop element which prevents the blind from being pulled out of the bracket if the chain is pulled at a non-orthogonal angle from the aperture of the chain guard housing.
[0015] At the tip of the centre-pin is at least one locking lug, the splined bush snap fits over the centre-pin tip whereby the locking lug of the centre-pin engages a centre-pin engagement surface of the splined bush. This surface is typically an external surface of the splined bush. Further, it is preferred that this surface is the rear most surface of the splined bush (i.e. the surface closest to the centre of the blind when the blind is in use). The use of an integral locking lug provides a cheap and reliable means of securing the centre-pin.
[0016] Typically there will be more than one locking lug and preferably there will be two locking lugs separated by a single elongate recess in the centre-pin. It is however possible that more than two lugs may be present in the centre-pin of the invention; that locking lugs may be present on some or all of the arms produced by one or more elongate recesses cut into the body of the centre-pin; or that there may be more than one distinct locking lug on any one arm of the centre-pin.
[0017] The body of the centre-pin may be hollow or solid; preferably the body will be hollow, most preferably a generally hollow tube.
[0018] The arms of the centre-pin are typically biased towards an open position which is substantially parallel with the body of the centre-pin. However, during fitting of the splined bush over the locking lugs these may be deformed towards each other and into the space provided by the one or more elongate recesses. This allows the splined bush to be pushed over the locking lug and for the lugs to snap fit into engagement with the engagement surface of the splined bush.
[0019] To facilitate the snap-fit interaction, it is preferred that the locking lug of the centre-pin tip is substantially wedge shaped, more preferably the maximum annular height of the wedge will be at a point towards the head of the centre-pin. Where this is the case the annular height will preferably reduce along the length of the centre-pin towards the tip.
[0020] Once the splined bush is snapped into position, the plug of the invention may be interlocked with the centre-pin. The plug comprises at least one engaging member for releasable engagement with the centre-pin. Typically, the plug will comprise a shaft with an end and an engaging member extending from the shaft. The shaft may be of any cross-section but typically will be of substantially circular cross-section so that the shaft forms a cylinder; this cylinder may be solid or hollow. In a preferred embodiment, the engaging member extends from the shaft for releasable engagement with the centre-pin. Engagement may be by any means known in the art including bayonet fitting, snap fit interaction or friction fit.
[0021] Typically engagement will be via releasable retention of the engaging member with indents in the edges of one or more elongate recesses in the centre-pin. It is preferred that there are two engaging members, although three or more may be present. In an even more preferred embodiment the engaging members are positioned on directly opposite sides of the shaft of the plug and releasably interlock with two co-operating indents in a single elongate recess of the centre-pin. As with the shaft above, the engaging members may be of any cross-section but in preferred embodiments will be of substantially circular cross-section.
[0022] It is preferred, although not essential, that the shaft of the plug is of greater length than the engaging members. In addition, in a preferred embodiment the plug will include at its end a cap. The cap, where present, improves the visual appearance of the plug and of the combination of the plug with the control unit. The cap may be of any shape suitable for covering the end of the centre-pin, it is preferred, however, that the cap be a disc of greater diameter than the shaft of the plug. It is also preferred that the cap is of one-piece construction with the plug; typically the plug and cap will be produced by injection moulding techniques.
[0023] It is also preferred that the plug include recessed regions to reduce the amounts of material used in the construction of the plug. Typically these recessed regions will be in the shaft of the plug.
[0024] The centre-pin head may comprise one or more fins extending radially from the stop element and engaging with cooperating recesses in the annular internal face of the sprocket support. It is particularly advantageous for the fins to be present in control units for use with larger blinds, as the fins reduce the rotational movement available to the centre-pin head and stop element and accordingly, the wear on the centre-pin. When present, there will typically be between at least one and seven fins, which preferably will be equally spaced around the circular portion of the peripheral surface of the centre-pin. Conveniently, there will be three.
[0025] In use, the sprocket wheel interacts with the chain and the wrap spring causing controlled rotation of the wrap spring when the user moves the chain. Additionally, a moulded indent of the splined bush interacts with a cutaway portion on the sprocket wheel, causing transfer of the rotational force generated by pulling the chain to the splined bush. This, in turn, causes the splined bush, itself engaged with the roller blind tubing, to rotate causing the blind to move up or down in line with the direction in which the user pulls the chain.
[0026] Where present the chain guard housing of the invention covers the sprocket wheel and is substantially flush with the external face of the sprocket support when the unit is assembled. Covering the sprocket wheel in this way prevents the chain from becoming dislodged during use and provides a more aesthetically pleasing unit to the user.
[0027] The control unit also includes a sprocket support. The sprocket support comprises a roughly cylindrical portion and connected to one end, a collar, which forms the external face of the sprocket support, and which is substantially annular. The cylindrical element of this component extends directly from the inner edge of the sprocket support face engaging the sprocket wheel and providing a friction surface for interaction with the wrap spring. It is the interaction of this surface with the wrap spring which controls the speed of rotation of the elements of the control unit in use.
[0028] Preferably, the external face of the sprocket support comprises one or more engaging pins for engagement with the window blind mounting bracket. Typically, there will be two engaging pins. The sprocket support face may in some embodiments rotate within the chain guard housing.
[0029] Further, the external face of the sprocket support may include one or more recesses around the inner edge of the annular collar which forms this face of the sprocket support. These are adapted to engage with one or more of the fins which may optionally be present on the centre-pin stop element. If fins are utilized on the centre-pin, in all instances the recesses on the annular internal face of the sprocket support are dimensioned and positioned so as to cooperate with the fins.
[0030] A splined bush snap fits over the centre-pin whereby the locking lug of the centre-pin engages the centre-pin engagement surface. The splined bush has a moulded indent portion which, in the assembled unit, sits within the cutaway portion of the sprocket wheel and upon relative rotation the indent portion contacts the cutaway portion of the sprocket wheel component and as the sprocket wheel rotates, an edge of the cutaway portion rotates to contact an edge of the moulded indent on the splined bush, causing the splined bush to rotate. It is the rotation of splined bush which causes the tube to rotate, in turn causing the blind to be raised or lowered as required.
[0031] The chains suitable for use with this control unit would be well known to a person skilled in the art, and will typically be of either metal or plastic construction. Integral to the chain are a series of regularly spaced balls which when fed through the control unit interact with the sprocket wheel causing it to rotate.
[0032] With the exception of the wrap spring, the components of the control unit will typically be made from polymer plastics materials. The different components may be made from any thermoplastics materials, such as e.g. nylon, which are compatible with modern injection moulding techniques and known to those skilled in the art. Alternatively, where appropriate components may be made out of metals. The wrap spring is formed from metal, or a plastics material, preferably from metal and more preferably from steel.
[0033] Preferably, each individual component of the invention is formed separately from the other components and when made from plastics from one-piece of moulded plastics material.
[0034] An embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0035] FIGS. 1 a - 1 d are perspective views of the plug of the invention;
[0036] FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the rear of a control unit in which the centre-pin is engaged with the plug;
[0037] FIG. 3 is a perspective view from the front of the control unit of FIG. 2 ;
[0038] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the control unit of FIG. 2 illustrating the interaction of the plug and centre-pin (region ‘A’) in greater detail;
[0039] FIGS. 5 a and 5 b are exploded views of the control unit of FIG. 2 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0040] For the avoidance of doubt it should be noted that in this specification reference to ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘upper’, ‘lower’, ‘vertical’, ‘horizontal’, ‘front’, ‘rear’, ‘back’, ‘bottom’, ‘top’ and related terms refers to the orientation that the components of the blind adopt when installed for normal use, as they are shown in the figures.
[0041] Unless otherwise stated all sizes described herein are to be taken as modified by the word ‘about’.
[0042] The objects and advantages enumerated above together with other objects, features, and advances represented by the present invention will now be presented in terms of detailed embodiments described with reference to the attached drawing figures which are intended to be representative of various possible configurations of the invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are recognized as being within the grasp of those having ordinary skill in the art.
[0043] With reference now to the drawing figures, and first to FIGS. 1 a - 1 d illustrate the plug 10 of the invention. The plug 10 comprises two cylindrical engaging members 15 extending from opposite sides of a shaft 20 to releasably interlock with two co-operating indents 25 in a single elongate recess 30 of centre-pin 35 . Engagement is via releasable retention of the engaging members 15 with the indents in the edges of the elongate recess 30 in the centre-pin 35 . Shaft 20 is of substantially circular cross-section and includes recessed regions 40 . The shaft 20 is roughly five times the length of the engaging members 15 and of twice the diameter. At one end of the plug 10 is a cap 45 , the cap 45 is a flat disc of a larger diameter than the shaft 20 . The diameter of the cap 45 is such that when the plug 10 is interlocked with the centre-pin 35 the blunt tip 50 of the centre-pin 35 is hidden. The plug 10 is of one-piece plastics construction.
[0044] FIGS. 2 to 4 show the plug 10 engaged with the centre-pin 35 of an assembled control unit 5 . In use the unit 5 is assembled by aligning the elements of unit 5 as shown in FIGS. 5 a and 5 b , inserting the centre-pin 35 through all elements and allowing it to lock. The control unit 5 generally comprises a sprocket support 55 , a sprocket wheel 60 , a wrap spring 65 , a chain guard housing 70 and a splined bush 75 .
[0045] There is a central bore through each component of the control unit. This bore is designed to receive centre-pin 35 . Accordingly, the centre-pin 35 holds the components together by extending substantially through the centre of control unit 5 from the face of the control unit 5 incorporating the sprocket support 55 to the rear of the unit 5 . In this embodiment, the body 80 of the centre-pin is generally tubular and has a tip 50 distal to the head 85 of the centre-pin. The tip 50 includes two locking lugs 90 over which splined bush 75 snaps into position. The centre-pin 35 is of plastics construction.
[0046] The head 85 of the pin 35 forms a stop element in the form of co-operating flattened surfaces in what is otherwise a tubular interface between the centre-pin 35 and the sprocket support 55 . The head 85 engages the sprocket support 55 and includes locking means 95 which connects with the mounting bracket (not shown). There is a hooked tip 100 on the locking means 95 of the centre-pin 35 head 85 which prevents the blind from being pulled out of the bracket if the chain (not shown) is pulled at a non-orthogonal angle from the aperture of the chain guard housing 70 .
[0047] At the tip 50 of the centre-pin 35 are two locking lugs 90 , separated by an elongate recess 30 . The splined bush 75 snap fits over the centre-pin tip 50 whereby the locking lugs 90 engage a centre-pin engagement surface 105 of the splined bush 75 . In this example, the locking lugs 90 are wedge shaped and the maximum annular height of the wedge is at a point towards the head 85 of the centre-pin 35 reducing along the length of the centre-pin 35 towards almost nothing the tip 50 .
[0048] The arms 110 of the centre-pin 35 are biased towards an open position which is substantially parallel with the body 80 of the centre-pin 35 . However, during fitting of the splined bush 75 over the locking lugs 90 these may be deformed resiliently towards each other and into the space provided by the elongate recess 30 . This allows the splined bush 75 to be pushed over the locking lugs 90 , and for the lugs 90 to snap fit into engagement with the engagement surface 105 of the splined bush.
[0049] Once the splined bush 75 is snapped into position plug 10 may be interlocked with the centre-pin 35 . The two opposing indents 25 of the elongate recess 30 can releasably engage the engaging members 15 of the plug 10 . The indents 30 are positioned so that the cap 45 of the plug 10 rests against the tip 50 of the centre-pin 35 when the engaging members 15 of the plug 10 and the indent 30 are interlocked.
[0050] Sprocket support 55 comprises a roughly cylindrical portion 115 which forms a sprocket spring friction surface. The external face of the sprocket support, is formed by collar 120 . Sprocket wheel 60 has a tubular portion 125 , in which is located a cutaway portion 130 . Splined bush 75 has a moulded indent portion which projects generally radially inwards from the general cylindrical body 140 of the splined bush 75 . When assembled, pulling on the chain (not shown) causes rotation of the sprocket wheel 60 .
[0051] A steel wrap spring 65 which engages in turn both the sprocket support 55 and sprocket wheel 60 controls the speed of rotation. Wrap spring 65 terminates in juts 145 , which project radially outwards. In the assembled unit, juts 145 are located in the axial gap between sprocket support friction surface 115 and the inner surface of tubular portion of sprocket wheel 60 ; more specifically, they sit in the gaps between edges 150 of cutaway portion 130 of the sprocket wheel 60 , and moulded indent of splined bush 75 .
[0052] Wrap spring 65 rests on sprocket spring friction surface 115 , and tightly grips it when the chain wheel 60 is static. When the chain is pulled and sprocket wheel 60 is caused to rotate, this eventually causes an edge 150 of cutaway portion 130 to abut against a side of moulded indent. Rotation of sprocket wheel 60 does not instantaneously cause rotation of splined bush 75 , since cutaway portion 130 always represents a greater portion of arc in size than does moulded indent, so there is always some play between then until rotation of the sprocket wheel 60 eventually causes rotation of splined bush 75 .
[0053] In addition, as has been indicated earlier, in the assembled unit juts 145 of the wrap spring 65 are located between the edges 150 of cutaway portion 130 and the sides of moulded indent. Rotation of sprocket wheel 60 which causes abutment of an edge 150 of cutaway portion 130 against a side of moulded indent also causes at the same time a jut 145 to be pushed in a direction which effectively opens wrap spring 65 to temporarily release its relatively tight grip on sprocket spring friction surface 115 . When the rotation force on sprocket wheel 60 is ceased, so is the rotational force on jut 145 , which allows wrap spring 65 to return to its normal relatively tight grip on sprocket spring friction surface 115 .
[0054] Sprocket support 60 includes two engaging pins 155 projecting from the external face of sprocket support 120 and aligned at the outside edge of the external face of sprocket support 120 with long axes parallel to one another and parallel to the locking means 95 of the centre-pin head 85 . Engaging pins 155 and the locking means 95 are received by cooperating recesses in a mounting bracket when the blind is installed.
[0055] The splined bush 75 snap fits over the centre-pin 35 whereby the locking lugs 90 of the centre-pin 35 engage the centre-pin engagement surface 105 . The splined bush 75 is of one-piece plastics construction. Splined bush 75 comprises a cap front 160 which lies adjacent to the rear face of chain guard housing 70 in use. Extending through the control units, away from chain guard housing 70 , the cap front 160 is connected to a roughly cylindrical portion 140 the external surface of which incorporates a series of splines 165 . It is this surface which provides purchase on, and causes rotation of, the roller blind tubing. This cylindrical portion 140 of the splined bush 75 also comprises a moulded indent of width about ⅛ th the circumference of the cylindrical portion 140 . The most rearward portion of splined bush 75 is the centre-pin locking lug engagement surface 105 and it is this interaction with centre-pin locking lugs 90 that holds the control units together during operation.
[0056] The invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes, and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use embodiments of the invention as required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different devices and that various modifications can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.
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The invention relates to a plug for releasable engagement with the centre-pin of a roller blind control unit wherein engagement of the plug with the pin ensures that a tip of the centre-pin engages an external surface of the control unit. In addition, a releasably inter-engaging combination of this plug and centre-pin wherein insertion of the centre-pin through a roller blind control unit and engagement with the plug, ensures that a tip of the centre-pin engages an external surface of the control unit is described. The invention also relates to a control unit for use in a window blind head rail assembly comprising: a sprocket wheel, a sprocket support and wrap spring, a splined bush for engagement with a roller blind tube, a centre-pin, and a plug for releasable engagement with the centre-pin.
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RELATED APPLICATION
This patent application is related to and incorporates herein by reference my prior filed U.S. patent application entitled "A TELESCOPIC SURGICAL DEVICE AND METHOD THEREFOR," filed on Jul. 10, 1995 under Ser. No. 08/500,045, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,044, and is a Divisional patent application thereof, which is a continuation-in-part of my U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/196,802 under the same title filed on Feb. 15, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,650, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/989,238, filed Dec. 11, 1992, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electro-surgical unit (ESU) pencil apparatus and, more specifically, to electro-surgical pencil apparatus with a variable length electrode and smoke evacuation means, and methods therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, when it was desired to change the length of the electrode of an ESU pencil, the electrode would be taken out, and replaced with another of different length. This created a number of problems. First, the electrodes are available only in two or three standard sizes. Thus, if the length desired by the surgeon was different from what was commercially available, then the surgeon would have to compromise and make do with the closest available size. Second, changing electrodes during an operation wastes time. Also, changing electrodes has an economic cost. And third, when an extended length electrode is used, the opening to the smoke evacuation conduit is often situated too far from the operation site to be effective. This meant that a special smoke evacuation shroud had to be used with the extended electrode, thereby further increasing the cost of the operation.
Also, in the past, it had not been possible to use an ESU pencil while operating both an argon beam coagulator and a smoke evacuation system simultaneously. This was true because the operation of the smoke evacuation system would interrupt the flow of the argon beam before it reached the site of the operation and deflect it directly into the smoke evacuation conduit.
Further, in order to evacuate the smoke from the surgical field in laparatomy when an ESU pencil handpiece without a smoke collector is used for cutting and coagulation, several methods have been used but their performances have not been satisfactory. In order to be efficient, the shroud which performs the smoke collection function must be as close as possible to the operating tip of the ESU pencil where the smoke is generated. But, this solution as embodied in prior art tended to obstruct the surgeon's view of the operation site. Accordingly, there was a need for an improved handpiece and shroud arrangement which provided for efficient smoke collection without obstructing the surgeon's view of the surgical site.
Therefore, there existed a need for an improved, reusable ESU pencil that allowed telescoping the electrode assembly containing a standard size electrode, and provided efficient smoke evacuation at all positions of the telescopic electrode assembly. Further, these improvements needed to be incorporated into an ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide an ESU pencil apparatus in which the distance between the operating tip of the electrode and the handpiece is adjustable to the surgeon's desired length, and methods therefor.
Another object of this invention is to provide a smoke evacuator that functions effectively irrespective of the distance between the operating tip of the electrode and the handpiece of the ESU pencil, and method therefor.
Another object of this invention is to provide an ESU pencil apparatus that is substantially reusable, and methods therefor.
Another object of this invention is to provide an ESU pencil apparatus that uses a vortex to increase the efficiency of smoke evacuation, and methods therefor.
Another object of this invention is to provide an ESU pencil apparatus where the distance between the operating tip of the electrode and the intake to the smoke evacuation conduit is adjustable, thereby enabling the surgeon to optimize the exhaust suction and visibility of the operating site, and methods therefor.
Another object of this invention is to provide an ESU pencil apparatus that combines an argon gas coagulator with a smoke evacuation system, and methods therefor.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved smoke evacuation shroud apparatus for use with, but not limited to, an electro-surgical, an ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil, or a laser surgical unit, and methods therefor.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved smoke evacuation shroud apparatus for use with, but not limited to, a laser surgical, an electro-surgical, or an ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil unit in which the smoke evacuation shroud provides efficient smoke collection without obstructing the surgeon's view of the surgical site, and methods therefor.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved smoke evacuation shroud apparatus for use with, but not limited to a laser surgical, an electro-surgical, or an ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil unit in which the smoke evacuation shroud provides efficient smoke removal by creating a vortex in the vicinity of the surgical site, and methods therefor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, an electro-surgical unit (ESU) pencil apparatus is disclosed comprising, in combination, cutting means for cutting and coagulating in a medical procedure, smoke evacuation means coupled to the cutting means for removing smoke and debris produced during the medical procedure, and telescopic member means coupled to the cutting means and to the smoke evacuation means for adjusting position of the cutting means and the smoke evacuation means along a lengthwise axis of the ESU pencil. It is well known in the art to provide cutting means that both cut and coagulate. The smoke evacuation means comprises a vacuum source, tubular member means coupled to the vacuum source for conveying the smoke and debris to the vacuum source, locking means coupled to the tubular member means and to the telescopic member means for holding a selected portion of the telescopic member means, and nozzle means coupled to the telescopic member means for evacuating the smoke and debris in proximity to a working site for the medical procedure. Additionally, the nozzle means has connection means for removably connecting the nozzle means to the telescopic member means. The telescopic member means comprises a tubular member slidably retained within conductive element means, conductive cap means coupled to a portion of the tubular member for conducting energy, conductive tang means, extending from a portion of the conductive cap means and contacting an inner surface portion of the conductive element means, for conducting the energy from the conductive element means to the conductive cap means, conducting member means supported within the tubular member for conducting the energy from the conductive cap means, conductive support means coupled between the conductive cap means and the conducting member means for conducting the energy from the conductive cap means to the conducting member means, electrode retainer means coupled to the conducting member means for retaining the cutting means and for transferring the energy to the cutting means, and vortex support means coupled to the conducting member means for supporting the conducting member means and for assisting formation of vortex flow of the smoke and debris. The ESU pencil apparatus further includes switch means for selectively applying the energy from an energy source via a connector to the conductive element means.
In accordance with another embodiment of this invention, an ESU-Argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus is disclosed comprising, in combination, cutting means for cutting in a medical procedure, coagulation means coupled to the cutting means for coagulating a patient's blood, smoke evacuation means coupled to the coagulation means for removing smoke and debris produced during the medical procedure, and telescopic member means coupled to the cutting means, the coagulation means, and the smoke evacuation means for adjusting position of the cutting means, the coagulation means, and the smoke evacuation means along a lengthwise axis of the pencil apparatus. The smoke evacuation means comprises a vacuum source, tubular member means coupled to the vacuum source for transferring the smoke and debris to the vacuum source, locking means coupled to the tubular member means and to the telescopic member means for holding a selected portion of the telescopic member means, and nozzle means coupled to the telescopic member means for evacuating the smoke and debris in proximity to a working site for the medical procedure. The nozzle means has connection means for slidably connecting the nozzle means to a portion of the telescopic member means and for forming a substantially air-tight connection between the nozzle means and the telescopic member means. The connection means includes notch means in a surface portion of the nozzle means for receiving a protrusion extending from a surface portion of the telescopic member means. The pencil apparatus further includes conductive element means coupled to an interior surface of the tubular member means for conducting energy supplied from an energy source. The telescopic member means comprises a tubular member slidably retained within the conductive element means, conductive cap means coupled to a portion of the tubular member for conducting the energy, conductive tang means, extending from a portion of the conductive cap means and contacting an inner surface portion of the conductive element means, for conducting the energy from the conductive element means to the conductive cap means, conducting member means supported within the tubular member for conducting the energy from the conductive cap means, conductive support means coupled between the conductive cap means and the conducting member means for conducting the energy from the conductive cap means to the conducting member means, electrode retainer means coupled to the conducting member means for retaining the cutting means and for transferring the energy to the cutting means, and vortex support means coupled to the conducting member means for supporting the conducting member means and for assisting formation of a vortex flow of the smoke and debris. The coagulation means comprises coagulating material supply, conduit means coupled to the coagulating material supply and to the hollow tube for conveying coagulating material from the coagulating material supply to the hollow tube, and delivery means coupled to the hollow tube for delivering the coagulating material to coagulate the blood. The coagulating material could be argon gas or other fluid. The delivery means comprises a tubular conduit extending through the nozzle means and beyond an end portion of the nozzle means, and the tubular conduit includes means for preventing suction of the coagulating material directly into the smoke evacuation means.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of this invention, an ESU pencil apparatus is disclosed comprising, in combination, a removable elongated shroud, adaptably fitted over the external surface of an ESU pencil apparatus, electro-surgical means located within a portion of the shroud and having electro-surgical tip means that extend below an opening located at a distal portion of the shroud for use in surgery, conduit means located within the elongated shroud having a tapered portion surrounding a portion of the electro-surgical means and in communication with the opening at the distal portion of the elongated shroud and an enlarged portion extending outwardly from the portion of the electro-surgical means and the tapered portion to a proximal opening in the elongated shroud for both increasing suction of smoke from the opening located at the distal portion of the shroud upwardly to the proximal opening in the elongated shroud and increasing visibility of the tip means below the opening in the distal portion of the shroud to permit better visualization of the surgery, external conduit means coupled to the proximal opening in the elongated shroud for exhausting smoke located within the shroud, and smoke evacuation means coupled to the external conduit means for exhausting smoke passing from the conduit means into the external conduit means.
In accordance with still another embodiment of this invention, a shroud for use with an ESU pencil apparatus is disclosed comprising, in combination, a removable elongated shroud, adaptably fitted over an external surface of the ESU pencil, electro-surgical means located within a portion of the shroud and having coagulation beam means coaxial with and surrounding retractable electro-surgical tip means that, when extended, reach below an opening located at a distal portion of the shroud for use in surgery, conduit means located within the elongated shroud having a tapered portion surrounding a portion of the electro-surgical means and in communication with the opening at the distal portion of the elongated shroud and an enlarged portion extending outwardly from the portion of the electro-surgical means and the tapered portion to a proximal opening in the elongated shroud for both increasing suction of smoke from the opening located at the distal portion of the shroud upwardly to the proximal opening in the elongated shroud and increasing visibility of the tip means below the opening in the distal portion of the shroud to permit better visualization of the surgery, external conduit means coupled to the proximal opening in the elongated shroud for exhausting smoke located within the shroud, and smoke evacuation means coupled to the external conduit means for exhausting smoke passing from the conduit means into the external conduit means.
In accordance with still another embodiment of this invention, a shroud apparatus for use with a surgical laser unit is disclosed comprising, in combination, a removable elongated shroud adaptably fitted over an external surface portion of the surgical laser unit, and having an opening in proximity to a tip portion of the removable elongated shroud, surgical laser means located within a portion of the elongated shroud for use in surgery, conduit means constrained by a tapered interior surface of the elongated shroud and in communication with the opening for both increasing suction of smoke from the opening to a proximal opening in the elongated shroud and for increasing visibility of the surgery, external conduit means coupled to the proximal opening in the elongated shroud for exhausting smoke located within the shroud, and smoke evacuation means coupled to the external conduit means for exhausting smoke passing from the conduit means into the external conduit means. The pencil apparatus further includes clamping means coupled to the elongated shroud for holding the surgical laser means. The tip portion of the elongated shroud extends beyond a portion of the clamping means for providing measuring means for establishing a minimum safe distance at which the surgical laser means can be operated in the surgery.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular, description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ESU pencil apparatus according to the present invention, with the telescopic electrode assembly extended.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus in FIG. 1 with the telescopic surgical electrode assembly retracted.
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the apparatus in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 6A is a side view of the electrode of the ESU pencil apparatus in FIG. 5.
FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle of the ESU pencil apparatus in FIG. 5.
FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view of the telescopic assembly of the ESU pencil apparatus in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle in FIG. 6B, taken along line 7A--7A.
FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle in FIG. 6B, taken along line 7B--7B.
FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view of the telescopic assembly in FIG. 6B, taken along line 7C--7C.
FIG. 7D is an enhanced view of the nozzle and distal end of the telescopic assembly, showing the locking mechanism for the nozzle of the ESU pencil apparatus in FIG. 5.
FIG. 8A is a perspective view of an ESU pencil apparatus and shroud in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 8B is a perspective view of an extended nozzle for the ESU pencil apparatus in FIG. 8A.
FIG. 8C is a side view of an extended electrode with a blade tip for the ESU pencil apparatus in FIG. 8A.
FIG. 8D is a side view of a ball electrode tip for the ESU pencil apparatus in FIG. 8A.
FIG. 8E is a side view of a needle electrode tip for the ESU pencil apparatus in FIG. 8A.
FIG. 8F is an end view of the apparatus in FIG. 8A, taken from near the electrode tip.
FIG. 8G is an end view of another embodiment of the apparatus in FIG. 8A, taken from near the electrode tip.
FIG. 9A is a perspective view of an ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus and shroud, with the nozzle and electrode retracted, in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 9B is a perspective view of the apparatus in FIG. 9A, with the nozzle and electrode extended.
FIG. 10A is a perspective view of another embodiment of the shroud for use with ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus, in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 10B is a perspective view of another embodiment of an ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus with the shroud in FIG. 10A.
FIG. 11A is a perspective view of a laser surgical unit apparatus and shroud in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 11B is a perspective view of the laser surgical unit apparatus in FIG. 11A.
FIG. 11C is a perspective view of a laser tip for use with the apparatus in FIG. 11B.
FIG. 11D is a perspective view of the shroud in FIG. 11A.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 depict an electro-surgical unit (ESU)pencil apparatus 21 with a telescopic assembly 24. The tip of the electrode 12 is defined as the distal end of the ESU pencil apparatus 21 and the opposite end, the exhaust port 15, is defined as the proximal end. Hereafter in the specification, this definition is the reference for the use of the terms "distal end" and "proximal end" with respect to each element of the ESU pencil apparatus 21. The handpiece 22 has a locking cap 1 coupled to the distal end 25 of the handpiece 22 and an exhaust connector 13 attached to the proximal end 26 of the handpiece 22. The tubular inner surface of the handpiece 22 is lined with a cylindrical conducting element 3.
RF energy flows to the ESU pencil apparatus 21 from an RF source (not shown) via cord 14. Note that those skilled in the art refer to such an RF source as an ESU, and the working tool 21 is typically called an ESU pencil. On the outside of the handpiece 22 is a hand switch 4, which controls the supply of RF energy from the cord 14 to the conducting element 3. Note that it is well known in the art to supply RF energy of a first specification for cutting and RF energy of a different specification for coagulation. The switch 4 alternatively activates both type of RF energy.
The telescopic assembly 24 is contained within the conducting element 3. The outer diameter of the tubing 9, which forms the body of the telescopic assembly 24, is marginally smaller than the inner diameter of the conducting element 3, permitting the telescopic assembly 24 to slide along the longitudinal axis of the conducting element 3. A rod 5 is suspended inside the tubing 9 by means of two spacers 34 and 35. The plurality of fins 7 on the spacer 34 are slanted relative to the general direction of the flow of smoke and other fluids through the tubing 9, such that a vortex is created when the fluids flow past these fins 7. The rod 5, and the spacers 34 and 35, are made of conducting material. The socket 8 is located at the distal end of the spacer 34. The electrode 12 is removably coupled with the socket 8. Alternatively, the electrode 12 could be integral with the socket 8.
At the proximal end of the tubing 9 is the conductor cap 6. The conductor cap 6 is a thin tubular strip of metal that circles the outside of the proximal end 33 of the tubing 9, and allows fluid access to the inside of the tubing 9 from the proximal end 33. The outer surface of the tubing 9 at the proximal end 33 is slightly depressed so that the outer surface of the conductor cap 6 is flush with the outer surface of the tubing 9. The conductor cap 6 has electrical contact with the spacer 35. The spacer 35 is located at the proximal end 33 on the inside of the tubing 9. The conductor cap 6 has a plurality of tangs 23 that provide an electrical link between the conductor cap 6 and the conducting element 3.
At the distal end 32 of the tubing 9 is the nozzle 11. The nozzle 11 is hollow and tapered on its interior and exterior surfaces as viewed from near its proximal end 36 to its distal end 17. This tapering not only helps to increase the visibility of the tip of the electrode 12 and the site of the operation, but also increases the efficiency of the fluid removal from the operation site by creating an exhaust vortex near the operation site. Formation of the vortex is explained in detail later. Making the nozzle 11 from a transparent material further aids the visibility.
A portion near the proximal end 36 of the nozzle 11 is cylindrical and the outer diameter of the nozzle 11 is nearly equal to the inner diameter of the tubing 9 so that a substantially air-tight connection is formed when the proximal end 36 of the nozzle 11 is inserted into the distal end 32 of the tubing 9. A locking mechanism is also provided to secure the connection between the nozzle 11 and the tubing 9. The pin 16 on the nozzle 11 is designed to fit into the L-shaped slot 37 at the distal end 32 of the tubing 9. A secure connection is made by sliding the pin 16 into the slot 37 and twisting the nozzle 11. An alternative embodiment of the telescopic assembly 24 would have the nozzle 11 as an integral part of the tubing 9.
The telescopic assembly 24 is held in position within the handpiece 22 by the locking cap 1. The exterior of the locking cap 1 is conical at the distal end and substantially tubular at the proximal end. However, the inside of the locking cap 1 is hollow and cylindrical. The inner diameter of the locking cap 1 is only marginally greater than the outer diameter of the tubing 9.
The tubing 9 passes through the locking cap 1. The locking cap 1 is designed to connect to the distal end 25 of the handpiece 22, with the locking cap threads 27 engaging the handpiece threads 28. The locking cone 30 on the inner surface of the handpiece 22 is conical with the diameter at the proximal end 31 of the locking cone 30 being less than that at the distal end of the locking cone. As the locking cap 1 is screwed into the distal end 25 of the handpiece 22, the slotted flanges 29 at the proximal end of the locking cap 1 press into the decreasing diameter of the locking cone 30. Thus, the flanges 29 are pressed inward by the decreasing inner diameter of the locking cone 30, securing the telescopic assembly 24 to the handpiece 22.
The distal end of the exhaust connector 13 fits into the proximal end 26 of the handpiece 22. The sleeve 38, at the distal end of the connector 13, is of marginally lesser outer diameter than the inner diameter of the proximal end 26 of the handpiece 22, so that a substantially air-tight connection between the sleeve 38 and the handpiece 22 is formed. Note, threaded engagement or other means of connecting well known in the art are acceptable to connect the exhaust connector 13 to the handpiece 22. Alternatively, the exhaust connector 13 could be integral with the proximal end 26 of the handpiece 22. At the proximal end of the connector 13 is the exhaust port 15 that is connected to suction tubing (not shown).
FIGS. 5, 6A-C, and 7A-C depict an ESU-Argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus 121 with telescopic assembly 124, in accordance with the present invention. The tip of the electrode 112 is defined as the distal end of the ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus 121 and the opposite end, the exhaust port 164, is defined as the proximal end. As previously explained, the ends of all other elements of the ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus 121 are referenced with respect to this definition of the distal and proximal ends.
The handpiece 122 has a locking cap 101 coupled to the distal end of the handpiece 122. An exhaust connector 113 is coupled to the proximal end of the handpiece 122. The handpiece 122 is similar to the earlier mentioned handpiece 22, except that the handpiece 122 has an additional hand switch 150 for regulating the supply of coagulating material to the inlet port 162. While the invention has been particularly described with argon gas as the inert material supplied, other inert fluids too could be supplied as the inert material. The inside of the handpiece 122 is lined with a cylindrical conducting element 103. On the outside of the handpiece 122 are two hand switches 104 and 150. Handswitch 104 regulates the supply of RF energy from an RF source (not shown) via a cord 114 to the conducting element 103. Hand switch 150 regulates the flow of argon to the inlet port 162.
The telescopic assembly 124 (shown in greater detail in FIG. 6C) is contained within the conducting element 103. The telescopic assembly 124 is similar to the previously described telescopic assembly 24. The outer diameter of the cylindrical tubing 109, which forms the body of the telescopic assembly 124, is marginally smaller than the diameter of the conducting element 103, permitting the telescopic assembly 124 to slide along the longitudinal axis of the conducting element 103. A thin hollow rod 105 is suspended inside the tubing 109 by means of two spacers 134 and 135. The plurality of fins 107 on the spacer 134 are slanted relative to the longitudinal axis of the tubing such that a vortex is created when smoke and other fluids flow past the fins 107. The socket 108 is located inside the distal end of the rod 105. The spacers 136 and 137 suspend the socket 108 inside the rod 105. The electrode 112 is removably coupled with this socket 108. Alternatively, the electrode 112 could be integral with this socket 108. The rod 105, and the spacers 135, 136, and 137 are made of conducting material.
At the proximal end of the tubing 109 is the conductor cap 106. It is a thin tubular strip of metal that circles the outside of the proximal end of the tubing 109, and allows fluid access to the inside of the tubing 109 from the proximal end of the tubing 109. The outer surface of the tubing 109 at the proximal end is slightly depressed so that the outer surface of the conductor cap 106 is flush with the outer surface of the tubing 109. The conductor cap 106 has an electrical contact with the spacer 135. The spacer 135 is located at the proximal end on the inside of the tubing 109. The conductor cap 106 has a plurality of tangs 123 that provide an electrical link between the conductor cap 106 and the conducting element 103.
Coupled to the distal end of the tubing 109 is the nozzle assembly 111. The nozzle 151 forms the exterior of the nozzle assembly 111. The distal section of the nozzle 151 is conical, whereas the proximal section of the nozzle 151 is cylindrical At the distal end of the nozzle 151 is an aperture, and the diameter of the aperture increases towards the middle of the nozzle 151. From about the middle of the nozzle 151 to its proximal end, the nozzle is cylindrical. The inner diameter of the proximal end of the nozzle 151 is marginally larger than the outer diameter of the tubing 109 such that there is a substantially air-tight connection between the two, and yet the nozzle 151 can slide freely over the tubing 109.
The tapering of the distal section of the nozzle 151 not only helps to increase the visibility of the tip of the electrode 112 and the site of the operation, but also increases the efficiency of the fluid removal from the operation site by creating an exhaust vortex near the operation site. Formation of the vortex is explained in detail later. Making the nozzle 151 from a transparent material further aids the visibility.
A locking mechanism (shown more clearly in FIG. 7D) prevents the nozzle from accidentally slipping out from over the telescopic assembly 124. The locking mechanism is comprised of a U-shaped channel 120, and a locking tab 102. The channel 120 is cut on the inner surface of the nozzle 151. The locking tab 102 is a protrusion located near the distal end of the tubing 109 and runs in the channel 120 when the nozzle 151 is coupled to the tubing 109. The channel 120 has two legs 161 and 165, running circumferentially around the longitudinal axis of the nozzle 151. A bridge 163, running longitudinally, connects the two legs. The leg 165 traverses a substantial distance along the inner circumference of the nozzle and has access from the proximal edge of the nozzle 151. The termination of the leg 165 at the proximal end of the nozzle 151 forms a loop to prevent the locking tab from accidentally slipping out of the channel 120.
When the nozzle assembly 111 is inserted over the telescopic assembly 124 the locking tab 102 is maneuvered into the leg 165. When the nozzle assembly 111 is to be slid to and fro relative to the telescopic assembly 124, the locking tab 102 moves in the bridge 163 of the channel 120. When the locking tab 102 is in leg 161, the mouth 154 will cover the tip of the electrode 112. To remove the nozzle assembly 111, the locking tab 102 is maneuvered past the loop of the leg 165. Note, other forms of locking mechanisms known in the art are also acceptable for locking the nozzle assembly 111 over the telescopic assembly 124.
Another component of the nozzle assembly 111 is a tubular argon conduit 152 located inside the nozzle 151. The conduit 152 is substantially cylindrical. The diameter of the conduit 152 is marginally larger than that of the rod 105 such that a substantially air-tight, yet slidable, connection is formed when the distal end of the rod 105 is inserted into the proximal end of the conduit 152. A plurality of spacing vanes 153 are attached to the outer surface of the conduit 152 so as to suspend the conduit 152 inside the nozzle 151. Further, these spacing vanes 153 are slanted relative to the axial flow of smoke and other fluids through the nozzle assembly 111 so as to create a vortex flow. The mouth 154 of the conduit 152 extends beyond the distal end of the nozzle 151. The mouth 154 flares out to prevent the argon gas coming out of the conduit 152 from being immediately drawn into the smoke duct 155.
The locking cap 101 is similar to the previously discussed locking cap 1. As the locking cap 101 is screwed into the distal end of the handpiece 122, the cap 101 will circumscribe a portion of the telescopic assembly 124 and lock the telescopic assembly 124 into place.
The distal end of the connector 113 is designed to fit into the proximal end of the handpiece 122. A sleeve 138, at the distal end of the connector 113 is of narrower outer diameter than the inner diameter of the proximal end of the handpiece 122, such that the sleeve 138 forms a tight seal when inserted into the proximal end of the handpiece 122. Note, threaded engagement or other means of connecting well known in the art may be implemented to connect the exhaust connector 113 to the handpiece 122. Alternatively, the connector 113 could be integral with the handpiece 122.
At the proximal end of the connector 113 are two ports--the exhaust port 164 and the inlet port 162. The exhaust port 164 is connected to a suction source (not shown) via tubing (not shown), and the inlet port 162 is connected to an argon supply (not shown). Inside the inlet port 162 is a long, narrow, tubular member 160, whose distal end is inserted into the proximal end of the rod 105. The outer diameter of the tubular member 160 is marginally less than the inner diameter of the rod 105 such that a substantially air-tight, yet slidable connection is made between the tubular member 160 and the rod 105 when the tubular member 160 is partially inserted into the rod 105. The length of the tubular member 160 is sufficient as to ensure uninterrupted flow of argon gas even when the telescopic assembly 124 is fully extended from the handpiece 122.
FIGS. 6A-C and 7A-C depict some of the elements of the ESU pencil apparatus shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 6A depicts a side view of the electrode 112. FIG. 6B depicts a cross-sectional view of the nozzle assembly 111. FIG. 6C depicts a cross-sectional view of the telescopic assembly 124. FIG. 7A depicts the cross-sectional view of the nozzle assembly 111 taken through the spacing vanes 153. FIG. 7B is an cross-sectional view near the proximal end of the nozzle assembly 111. FIG. 7C is an cross-sectional view from near the distal end of the telescopic assembly 124.
FIGS. 8A-G show another embodiment of an ESU pencil apparatus 402 and smoke evacuation assembly or shroud 410 according to the present invention. This embodiment adopts the smoke evacuation assembly (hereinafter shroud) 410 for use with electrodes 406 of various lengths. The handpiece holder 421 is shaped to hold the handpiece 405 of an ESU pencil apparatus 402. The tip of the electrode 406 passes through electrode opening 422, the nozzle 412, and the exhaust opening 424. The electrode opening 422 is shaped to substantially conform to the distal end of the handpiece 405. The electrode opening 422 not only helps to support the ESU pencil apparatus 402, but also forms a substantially airtight seal around the contacting surface portion of the handpiece 405. Handswitch 404 regulates the RF supply to the electrode 406.
The nozzle 412 is detachably coupled to the connecting neck 426 of the shroud 410. Alternatively, the nozzle 412 could be integral to the shroud 410. The passageway 428 inside the nozzle 412, while quite narrow at the exhaust opening 424, widens sharply towards the connecting neck 426. The chute 420 is located alongside the handpiece holder 405, and forms a path between the exhaust port 416 and the passageway 428. The exhaust port 416 connects the chute 420 to a suction source (not shown).
The tapering of the passageway 428 not only helps to increase the visibility of the tip of the electrode 406 and the site of the operation, but also increases the efficiency of the fluid removal from the operation site by creating an exhaust vortex near the operation site. Formation of the vortex is explained in detail later. Making the nozzle 412 from a transparent material further aids the visibility.
When an extended electrode 430 (FIG. 8C), needs to be used with the ESU pencil apparatus 402, the exhaust opening 424 will be too far from the blade tip 436 to establish an effective exhaust flow in proximity of the blade tip 436. In such circumstances, the nozzle 412 is detached from the shroud 410, and is replaced with elongated nozzle 425 (FIG. 8B). The extended electrode 430 has a spacer 432 with a plurality of fins 434 that help stabilize the extended electrode 430 within the elongated nozzle 425. If slanted to the general direction of the fluid flow through the elongated nozzle 425, the fins 434 could be used to increase the efficiency of the vortex created by the venturi effect of the elongated nozzle 425. Note that there are many different angles at which the fins 434, or any other fins herein may be situated to assist vortex flow. The tip of the extended electrode 430 could be of different types--for example, a blade electrode (436--FIG. 8C), ball electrode (440--FIG. 8D), or a needle electrode (450--FIG. 8E).
FIGS. 8F and 8G depict the end views of two embodiments of the present invention. These end views are taken from near the tip of the electrode 406. FIG. 8F is the end view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 8A. Here, the side of the chute 420 adjacent to the handpiece holder 421 is shaped to conform substantially to the shape of the handpiece holder 421. FIG. 8G is the end view of a apparatus according to the present invention in which the chute 423 is substantially cylindrical.
Whereas FIGS. 8A-G show adaptation of the invention for use with a ESU pencil apparatus 402, FIGS. 9A-B, and 10A-B show two more embodiments of the present invention for use with two types of ESU-argon beam coagulator pencils 502 and 602. FIGS. 9A-B show the adaptation of the shroud 510 for use with an ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus 502. In ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus 502 the argon beam (for coagulation) surrounds the electrode 506. The electrode 506 is activated by handswitch 503, and the argon beam by handswitch 504. The bolt 501 allows the electrode 506 to be extended (see FIG. 9B) and retracted (see FIG. 9A). The exhaust port 516 connects the shroud 510 to a suction source (not shown) via a smoke evacuation channel (not shown).
The nozzle 512 is tapered and preferably made of transparent material. This helps to increase the visibility of the operation site and of the tip of the electrode 506. The smoke and other fluids from the operation site enter the nozzle through a narrow opening at the tip 524 and proceed into a wider passageway inside the nozzle 512. The resultant venturi effect increases the efficiency of fluid removal from the operation site by creating an exhaust vortex near the operation site. Formation of the vortex is explained in detail later.
A novel feature of shroud 510 is the adjustable nozzle 512. A portion of the nozzle 512 is designed to slide within a neck piece 513 and lock in two extreme positions--one retracted (see FIG. 9A) and the other extended (see FIG. 9B). When the nozzle 512 is retracted, it exposes the argon conduit tip 532. When the nozzle 512 is extended, the tip of the nozzle 524 covers the argon conduit tip 532, and is designed to be near the blade tip 507 of the extended electrode 506, thus ensuring an efficient smoke removal near the blade tip 507.
FIGS. 10A-B illustrate the adaptation of the shroud 610 for use over an ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus 602 in which the argon conduit 630 is set apart from electrode 606. FIGS. 10A shows just the shroud 610, and 10B shows the shroud 610 fitted over the ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus 602. Handswitch 604 controls the RF energy supply to the electrode 606, and handswitch 603 controls the argon supply. The bolt 601 allows the electrode 606 to be extended and retracted. A suction source, for removing the smoke from the site of the operation, is applied to the shroud 610 through the exhaust port 616. The electrode passes through the nozzle 612. The tapered nozzle 612 once again produces a vortex around the tip of the electrode 606. A conduit access 628 fits around the conduit 630.
FIGS. 11A-D show the adaptation of the shroud 710 for use with a laser surgery pencil apparatus 702. The laser surgery pencil apparatus 702 is depicted in FIG. 11B, and the shroud 710 is depicted in FIG. 11D. The handpiece 704 of the laser surgical pencil apparatus 702 is generally of conical shape, but the shape of the handpiece is not a constraint for adaptation of the present invention. Near the handpiece tip 705 of the laser surgery pencil apparatus 702 is a cylindrical neck 706. When the handpiece 704 is used without the shroud 710, the clip 709 of focusing cap 707 (see FIG. 11C) fits over the neck 706 and tip 708 of the focusing cap 707 marks the minimum safe operating point of the laser surgical pencil apparatus 702
When laser surgical pencil apparatus 702 is used with the shroud 710, the focusing cap 707 is removed from the neck 706 and the neck 706 is inserted into the passage 728 inside the holder 726 (see FIG. 11D). The shroud 710 fits around the laser surgical pencil apparatus 702 with the clamp 721 securing the head 730 of the laser surgical pencil apparatus 702. A groove 722 in the clamp 721 locks around the cleaning gas inlet 732 so as to provide more stability to the fitting of the shroud 710 around the laser surgical pencil apparatus 702. The shroud tip 725 provides measurement of the minimum safe operation point for the laser surgical pencil apparatus 702.
The smoke inlet 724 is located near the shroud tip 725. An alternate embodiment would be to have more than one shroud tip 725, each with its own smoke inlet 724. The smoke inlet 724 is narrow and opens into a relatively wider exhaust chute 720, which steadily widens as it moves away from the smoke inlet 724. At the other end of the passageway is the exhaust port 716, which is connected to a suction apparatus (not shown).
A venturi effect on the fluid passing through the smoke inlet 724 increases the efficiency of the fluid removal from the operation site by creating an exhaust vortex near the operation site. Formation of the vortex is explained in detail later. Making the shroud tip 725 from a transparent material further aids the visibility.
OPERATION
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the RF supply (not shown) to the ESU pencil apparatus 21 is controlled by means of the hand switch 4. The RF energy flows from cord 14 to the conducting element 3. From the conducting element 3, the RF energy reaches the conductor cap 6 through the tangs 23. The tangs 23 press against the conducting element 3. Because the conducting element 3 extends over the range of motion for the tangs 23 along the longitudinal axis of the telescopic assembly 24, the electrical contact between the tangs 23 and the conducting element 3 is continuous. From the conductor cap 6, the RF energy passes on to the spacer 35, the rod 5, spacer 34, and the electrode 12.
The smoke and other debris created during the surgical procedure is removed through the exhaust connector 13, located at the proximal end 26 of the handpiece 22. The smoke is sucked out from the exhaust connector 13 by suction means (not shown) such as a vacuum pump, via suction tubing (not shown)that is connected to exhaust port 15. The passageway for the smoke and other fluids from the site of the operation to the exhaust port 15 is as follows: the fluids enter the ESU pencil apparatus 21 through the distal end 17 of the nozzle 11. The fluids then flow past the spacer 34, the rod 5, the spacer 35, the handpiece 22, and enter the exhaust connector 13. The locking cap 1, which is coupled with the handpiece 22, forms an airtight-seal with the handpiece 22, and the slotted flanges 29 fit tightly over the tubing 9 forming another airtight connection with the outer surface of the tubing 9. These airtight connections prevent air flow through the annular space between the conducting element 3 and the outer surface of the tubing 9.
The tapered shape of the nozzle 11 not only increases the visibility of the area being operated upon but also increases the efficiency of the smoke removal from the operation site. Since the distal end 17 of the nozzle 11 leads into a wider passageway inside the nozzle 11, a venturi effect causes an acceleration of these fluids as they pass through the distal end 17. The pressure drop in the passageway immediately beyond the distal end 17 is large enough to produce a spiraling or "vortex" fluid flow through the nozzle 11. This vortex soon extends to surround the tip of the electrode 12. The vortex increases the efficiency of the smoke removal. The vortex is enhanced by the spacer 34 since the plurality of fins 7 is angled to the general direction of the flow of the fluids. Note, while providing structures(such as fins 7) inside the passageway of the fluids can enhance the efficiency of the vortex, such structures are not a requirement for the creation of a vortex.
When the surgeon desires to change the distance of the tip of the electrode 12 from the handpiece 22, the locking cap 1 is loosened. This releases the grip of the locking cap 1 on the telescopic assembly 24, and it may now be extended or retracted as desired. When the desired length is reached, the locking cap 1 is tightened again, and the telescopic assembly 24 is locked into position. Since the distal end 17 is always near the tip of the electrode 12 irrespective of the position of the telescopic assembly 24 within the hand piece 22, the efficiency of smoke removal is not effected by the sliding of the telescopic assembly 24. Depending on how much of the tip of the electrode 12 the surgeon desires to have exposed, a nozzle 11 of appropriate size and shape may be used. After the operation, the electrode 12, the telescopic assembly 24, the nozzle 11, and locking cap 1 are disposed of, but the handpiece 22 and exhaust connector 13 may be reused.
Referring to FIGS. 5, 6A-C, and 7A-C, a major additional feature introduced in this embodiment is the argon beam, whose activation is controlled through the hand switch 150. The argon beam is conveyed to the site of the surgical procedure through the inlet port 162, the tubular member 160, the rod 105, conduit 152 and finally the mouth 154. The unique shape of the mouth 154 of the conduit 152 shields the argon beam from the exhaust suction, as will be explained below.
Smoke and other fluids from the operation site are removed through the smoke duct 155 by coupling a suction source (not shown) to the exhaust port 164. Smoke and other fluids from the operation site are sucked into the smoke duct 155 through the annular space between the mouth 154 of the conduit 152 and the tip 117 of the nozzle 151. As previously explained, since the distal end of the smoke duct 155 tapers, and since the entrance to the smoke duct 155 is narrow, the venturi effect produced creates a vortex around the site of the operation. The plurality of spacing vanes 153 near the tip 117 are angled to the direction of the flow of the smoke and thus aid in the creation of the vortex.
In the absence of the mouth 154, the suction from the smoke duct 155 would tend to draw the argon beam directly into the smoke duct 155 prior to reaching the operation site, because the inlet of the smoke duct 155 surrounds the conduit 152 (i.e. argon beam outlet). This is a problem that prior technology has been unable to solve. Now, this problem has been solved by having the outlet of the argon beam passageway (i.e. the mouth 154 of the conduit 152) extend a little beyond the inlet of the smoke duct 155 (i.e. the tip 117 of the nozzle 151),and having the mouth 154 flare out. The mouth 154 deflects the exhaust vortex made by the smoke duct 155, and forms an eye of relative calm in the middle of the vortex. Since the tip of the electrode 112 is located in the middle of this calm, the argon beam proceeds unhindered to the site of the operation. As smoke is created as a result of the operation, it will be pushed outward by the argon beam, where it will be captured by the exhaust vortex.
Sliding the nozzle assembly 111 over the tubing 109 enables the surgeon to vary the length of the tip of the electrode 112 that the surgeon desires to expose. The range of movement for the nozzle assembly 111 is determined by the locking mechanism. The locking tab 102 of the locking mechanism moves along the bridge 163 of the channel 120, and the loop on the leg 165 prevents the nozzle 151 from accidentally slipping out from over the tubing 109.
The working of the telescopic assembly 124 is similar to that explained earlier for the telescopic assembly 24. The smoke is conveyed from the operation site through the smoke duct 155, the tubing 109, the handpiece 122, the exhaust connector 113, and through the exhaust port 164.
The ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus 121 may be used in three possible modes--as an ESU pencil for cutting and coagulation (without argon beam), as an argon-beam enhanced ESU pencil for cutting and coagulation, and as a pure argon beam coagulator. When the ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus 121 is to be used for cutting and coagulation without the argon beam, the RF hand switch 104 is alternatively placed in the cutting and coagulation positions, while the argon hand switch 150 remains in the off position. The nozzle assembly 111 is adjusted (by moving the nozzle assembly 111 to and fro) over the telescopic assembly 124 to expose the desired length of the electrode 112. The nozzle assembly 111 is positioned over the telescopic assembly 124 so as to maximize the suction on the operation site without hampering visibility of the tip of the electrode 112 or of the operation site. The optimal position of the nozzle 111 is a matter of personal preference of the surgeon.
When the ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus 121 needs to be used as an argon-beam coagulation enhanced ESU pencil for cutting and coagulation, then the RF hand switch 104 is alternatively placed in the cutting or coagulation position, and the argon hand switch 150 is switch on. The nozzle assembly 111 is adjusted to maximize the efficiency of the argon beam, the efficiency of the removal of the smoke and other fluids from the site of the operation, and the visibility of both the tip of the electrode and the site of the operation. The optimal position of the nozzle ill, once again, is dictated by the personal preference of the surgeon.
In the final mode, when the ESU-argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus 121 needs to be used purely as an argon-beam coagulator, the RF hand switch 104 is switched to the coagulation position, and the argon hand switch 150 is switch on. Because the electrode 112 is not required for this procedure, the nozzle assembly 111 is moved out to cover the tip of the electrode. To lock the nozzle assembly 111 in this position, the locking tab 102 is maneuvered into the leg 161 of channel 120. Now the mouth 154 of the conduit 152 becomes the distal tip of the whole ESU-argon beam coagulator 121. This allows the argon beam to be released very close to the site of the procedure, thereby maximizing the efficiency of the argon beam. Suction is used to remove smoke and other fluids created during the coagulation.
Referring to FIGS. 8A-G, the ESU pencil apparatus 402 is mounted in the handpiece holder 421 of the shroud 410. A suction source (not shown)is coupled to the shroud 410 through the exhaust port 416. The smoke and other fluids from the operation site are sucked into the passageway 428 inside the nozzle 412 through the exhaust opening 424. The chute 420 conveys smoke and other debris from the passageway 428 to a debris collector (not shown) via the exhaust port 416 and the smoke evacuation channel (not shown).
Since the narrow exhaust opening 424 leads into a wider passageway 428 inside the nozzle 412, the nozzle 412 produces a venturi effect on the fluids flowing into the nozzle 412, causing an acceleration of these fluids as they pass through the exhaust opening 424. Further, the pressure drop in the passageway 428 immediately beyond the exhaust opening 424 is large enough to produce a spiraling or "vortex" fluid flow through the nozzle 412. This vortex soon extends to surround the tip of the electrode 406. Note, while providing structures (such as vanes) inside the passageway 428 can enhance the efficiency of the vortex, such structures are not a requirement for the creation of a vortex. Since the passageway 428 widens sharply from the exhaust opening 424 towards the connecting neck 428, the pressure lost in the passageway 428 is minimal.
Nozzle 412 is replaced with the elongated nozzle 425 when the extended electrode 430 is to be used with the ESU pencil apparatus 402. This permits efficient collection of the fluids from near the blade tip 436. As explained previously, a vortex is created by the venturi effect at the entrance of the nozzle 425. Further, the slanted fins 434 augment the vortex created by the venturi effect.
FIGS. 9A-B, and 10A-B show two more embodiments of the present invention for use with two types of ESU-argon beam coagulator pencils. FIGS. 9A-B show the adoption of the shroud 510 for use with an ESU pencil apparatus 502 which has an argon beam (for coagulation) surrounding the electrode 507. A suction source (not shown) is coupled to the shroud 510 through the exhaust port 516. Since the smoke inlet 524 is narrow and opens into a relatively wider passageway inside the nozzle 512, a venturi effect causes the fluids passing through the smoke inlet 524 to accelerate. As explained earlier, when the smoke and other fluids accelerate through the smoke inlet 524, the rushing fluids spirals and form a vortex. This vortex increases the efficiency of the evacuation of the fluids generated at the site of the operation
In FIG. 9A, when the electrode 506 is retracted, the ESU pencil apparatus 502 is to be used purely as an argon beam coagulator. The RF hand switch 503 is set to the coagulation position and the argon hand switch 504 is turned on. The suction source (not shown) is also turned on to remove smoke and other fluids produced during the coagulation process. The nozzle 512 is retracted, so that the conduit tip 532 extends beyond the nozzle tip 524 thereby permitting uninterrupted passage of the argon beam from the argon conduit 530 to the operation site. Now, if the electrode 506 is extended, and the the RF switch 503 is alternatively placed in cutting and coagulation positions, the cutting and coagulation functions of the ESU pencil apparatus is enhanced by the argon beam.
In FIG. 9B, the ESU pencil apparatus 502 is to be used as a normal ESU pencil (i.e. without an argon beam). The electrode 506 and the nozzle 512 are extended. The RF hand switch 503 is alternatively placed in the cutting and coagulation positions, and the argon hand switch 504 is switch off.
The operation of the apparatus in FIGS. 10A-B is similar to that explained above for the apparatus in FIGS. 9A-B. The shroud 610 has been adapted for use with an ESU pencil apparatus 602 which has an argon beam (for coagulation) set apart from the electrode 606.
A suction source (not shown) is coupled to the shroud 610 through the exhaust port 616. As explained earlier, the venturi effect accelerates the smoke and other fluids through the smoke inlet 624 and forms a vortex around the electrode 606. This vortex increases the efficiency of the evacuation of the fluids generated at the site of the operation
When the electrode 606 is retracted, the ESU pencil apparatus 602 is to be used purely as a coagulator. When the ESU pencil apparatus 602 is used for cutting, the electrode 606 is extended. The suction source (not shown) is switched on, and the argon supply switch 504 is turned off. When the ESU pencil apparatus 602 is to be used simultaneously as both an ESU pencil for cutting and an argon beam coagulator (as an "argon beam coagulator enhanced ESU cutting pencil"), the electrode 606 is extended. The RF hand switch 603 is set to cut, and the argon hand 604 is turned on. The nozzle 612 shield the argon beam from the suction.
Referring to FIG. 11A-D, the present invention has been adapted to work with a laser surgical pencil apparatus 702. A suction source (not shown) is applied to the exhaust port 716 which sucks in smoke and other fluids into the smoke inlet 724 from site of the operation. Since the smoke inlet 724 is narrow and opens into a relatively wider exhaust chute 720, a venturi effect causes the fluids passing through the smoke inlet 724 to accelerate. As explained earlier, when the smoke and other fluids accelerate through the smoke inlet 724, the rushing fluids spirals and form a vortex. This vortex increases the efficiency of the evacuation of the fluids generated at the site of the operation.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, any of the previous embodiments of the invention may be modified to include a means for regulating the suction applied to remove the smoke and other fluids from the site of the operation. Also, if desired, a telescopic member could be achieved by using a screw type arrangement, a rack and pinion arrangement, or a series of notches and corresponding protrusion, as suggested by the nozzle arrangement in FIG. 7D.
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An electro-surgical unit (ESU)-Argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus and method for operating the same is disclosed where the ESU-Argon beam coagulator pencil apparatus includes a telescoping device which is coupled to a cutting means, a coagulation means, and a smoke evacuation means. This apparatus enables a surgeon to vary the length of the cutting or coagulation means without interrupting the smoke evacuation means of the device. A locking means may also be included to lock the cutting and/or coagulation means at a desired length.
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DATA RE RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 681,089 filed Apr. 19, 1976, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,486 granted Apr. 25, 1978, which is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 386,552, filed Aug. 8, 1973 entitled "Felted Web and Method of Making Same", now U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,121, which is a division of my application Ser. No. 116,030, filed Feb. 17, 1971, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,926, which is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 882,391 filed Dec. 1, 1969, now abandoned, which in turn is a division of parent application Ser. No. 741,492 filed July 1, 1968 and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,530,557, dated Sept. 29, 1970.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the production of needled, non-woven tubings and is concerned, more particularly, with the continuous production of such tubings with lowered weight per unit wall area and, with the capability of producing such tubings of minimal diameter and reduced weight per unit of wall area of the tubing.
BRIEF DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
A variety of attempts have been made in the production of tubular textiles having structural properties suitable for industrial and surgical services such as industrial filtering or de-watering and as vascular prostheses.
Earlier attempts involved the use of woven or knitted media, either installed as a sleeve about heterogeneous structure or as a tubular extension between terminal portions of ducts or fittings. However, the permeability of the textile tube is an important, sometimes critical, factor in the success of the tubes in these services. Furthermore, the uniformity of the desired permeability, throughout the length and full surface area of the tube, is especially important in many such services.
Where variations in permeability are encountered there occurs a corresponding variation in fluid flow and a consequent disruption of the uniformity of the operation.
Where the structural properties of the tube are relied upon during its service and such variations in permeability are present, there occurs a corresponding structural weakness in the areas of excess permeability. Such weakness subsequently may cause distension or even rupture of the tube wall.
Prior attempts in improving the permeability of such tubes and control of the uniformity of the tube during its production have involved inclusions in the fabric, such as stray fibers, veloured webs, or flocking of the web and, tufting or looping of the exterior portion or faces of the web.
However, the more recent and more sucessful approaches have been predicated upon the use of non-woven, non-knitted webs of material strands, usually referred to as felted webs. These "felted" material tubes have afforded many advantages over the woven- or knitted-material sleeves.
An especially effective and advantageous tubing of needled, non-woven fabric is disclosed in my aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 386,552, filed Aug. 8, 1973, the disclosure of which is to be considered incorporated herein.
While these tubes of non-woven fabric are in demand and of distinct advantage in industrial applications as filter media, roller sleeves, and the like, the most exacting requirements to be met thereby are in the field of surgery, in which human life is directly dependent upon the several qualities of the tubing.
Therefore, it is appropriate in detail to these requirements and the reasons therefor, it being apparent to those skilled in the art that the tubings exhibiting successful accomodation of these surgical requirements will provide comparable advantages in the other, industrial services.
In service as a vascular prosthesis, the precise premeability and a uniformity thereof are an absolute necessity.
The permeability requirements appear to be self-contradictory in this service, since the function of the tubular prosthesis is that of replacing diseased or damaged vascular sections and, accordingly, serving as a conduit for blood between healthy or undamaged vascular sections. In service, therefore, the tubing necessarily is to be substantially impervious to blood and its constituents.
However, in order to achieve adequate healing at the suture points and tissue generation along the prosthesis, it is necessary that the wall structure of the tubing be permeable to permit radial migration of cellular matter to enable tissue migration radially into the tubing to form a "live" vascular member encasing, and structurally supported by, the tubular prosthesis.
The preferred solution to these apparently contradictory requirements has been that of providing permeable tubing which is made initially impermeable, before installation, by a pre-clotting step which closes the interstices of the tubular wall sufficiently to make the tubing impermeable when installed. Eventually, the clotted matter is to be replaced by cellular intrusion through the tube-wall interstices, and absorption of the clotted material.
However, the presence of the pre-clotted matter makes such prosthesis potentially highly-thrombogenic. Accordingly, it is imperative that the structure of the tubing provide for secure adhesion and retention of all such clotted matter, in order to avoid release and a consequent thrombus downstream of the prosthesis.
This requirement of providing optimal surfaces for adherence of clotted matter also serves to the advantage of the subsequent progression of new tissue into and through the wall of the tubing. Accordingly, the interstitial and surface characteristics are important to the succesful service of the tubing, along with the close control of the permeability.
The desired permeabillity, however, necessarily is to be uniform both along the length of the tubing and about its circumference. Significant variations from such uniformity can prevent passage of desired constituents, if the permeability is below the preselected level. Where areas of excessive permeability are present, excessive rates of constituent transfer may occur and the concomitant structural differences or weakness make the tube wall prone to distension, ballooning, aneurysmal dilation or even rupture at that zone.
The non-woven tubing of my aforementioned application Ser. No. 386,552 has proven to be quite advantageous over prior tubings, and especially so in service as a vascular prosthesis, and meets the several requirements set forth hereinbefore.
However, the production of the tubing required close synchronization of the layer-winding speed and the tube take-up rate, especially since the tube take-up apparatus exerts a tension upon the tubing.
The problems encountered in the production of such tubings become even more acute when it is desired to produce relatively small tubes such as are often desired as vascular prostheses.
Prior systems have included units for winding and needling a non-woven web on a mandrel which is longitudinally grooved to provide a trough for picks which continuously move the formed tubing parallel to the axis of the mandrel. These machines, therefore, are limited to relatively large diameter mandrels, to accomodate the withdrawing equipment, in the order of about 40 millimeters, the actual size depending upon the size of the slide rollers and the length of their pins.
A further limitation of such units involves the wall-strength of the finished tube, the minimum strength of which has required about 4 millimeters. This corresponds to a weight of from 350 to 400 grams per square meter of wall area.
A reduction of these dimensions and weights has not been possible with the use of the prior discharge mechanisms. Consequently, the prior means of withdrawal and discharge of the tubing of such installations have been costly and imposed problems in the operation and versatility of the installation.
Therefore, prior methods and installations for forming non-woven tubings have not been found to be entirely satisfactory in all respects.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for producing needled tubing of non-woven fabric.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved system for producing tubing of non-woven fabric which is wound in overlapping layers and needled at multiple angles.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide tubing of non-woven fabric which is wound in overlapping layers on a mandrel, needled at multiple angles, and pressed against the mandrel by an external pressing roll.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide needled, non-woven tubing formed on a mandrel, the tubing being rotated on the mandrel by external driving rolls.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a needled, non-woven tubing formed on a mandrel, the tubing being discharged from the mandrel by a helical surface and relative rotation between the tubing and the helical surface.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a needled, non-woven tubing formed on a mandrel and needled at multiple angles, while being pressed against the mandrel and rotated by rotating pressure rolls, and discharged from the mandrel by its rotation against a helical surface on the mandrel.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a needled, non-woven tubing which is formed on a mandrel, radially compressed and then discharged from the mandrel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general, the preferred form of the present invention comprises a tube-winding and needling station including a tapered mandrel having needle apertures in its region of larger diameter, a reciprocating bar having a plurality of needles aligned with the needle apertures, and at least one driving roll in pressing relationship with the tubing being formed. Preferably, the mandrel includes a helical surface downstream of the needle apertures and within the zone of pressure of the driving roll.
The present invention is capable of continuously producing high quality non-woven tubing in diameters down to 4 or 5 millimeters and with reduced weight per unit of wall area. This can be accomplished without the requirement of special preparation equipment, such as carding installations, with only a narrow band of thin, non-woven material being supplied directly to the winding unit. Therefore, the distortion and longitudinal orientation of the fibers which are typical of the prior art can be avoided and the desired, multiple inter-engagement of the fibers can be obtained, while the cost of tube-withdrawing equipment is avoided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A better understanding of the invention and its objects may be derived from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a partly schematic side elevation of a tube-forming installation embodying the invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the installation of FIG. 1, and
FIG. 3 is a view of a portion of FIG. 2, on an enlarged scale, with portions removed for clarity and showing details of the tube-forming unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in the drawings, the preferred form of tube-forming apparatus according to the invention comprises an installation including a conveyor 1, a nip-roller 2, an orienting and transfer station including first and second rolls 3 and 4, respectively, and a conveyor 5 for delivering the pressed web to a needling and tube-forming machine 6.
The web received on the conveyor 1 may be a commercial web, as received, or may be subjected to a pre-carding step if desired. The web typically comprises fibers which are felted with their lengths oriented generally longitudinally of the web and in generally parallel relationship.
The material of the web may be a textile, metal or mineral fibers or filaments, or a mixture thereof. The fibers or filaments are to be very thin and flexible.
The tube-forming unit 6 includes a stationary mandrel 7 having a plurality of needle aperture 8 for receiving reciprocating needles 9 of a needling head 10. The mandrel 7 tapers toward a discharge end remote from the needling zone and includes a helical section 11.
The helical section preferably is formed with saw-toothed flights 12 which individually taper outwardly to an apex 13 at their trailing or downstream edge. The flights progressively enlarge in diameter toward the center or an intermediate zone of the helix and again reduce in diameter toward the discharge end. The axis of the helical section is coaxial with the axis of the mandrel and the tubing.
Flanking the stationary mandrel, a pair of drive rolls 14 and 14' are mounted substantially diametrically opposite each other on hinged yokes 15, 15' which are adjustably biased by means of compression springs 16, 16' and lever arms to rock inwardly to press the rollers 14, 14' inwardly toward the mandrel.
The rollers 14, 14' preferably are parallel to the tapered mandrel surface and are covered with rubber or another material suitable for providing a driving friction against a tube in position on the mandrel. The amount of pressure with which the rollers bear against the tube may be adjusted by means of threaded hand wheels 17, 17'. The rollers are driven by suitable variable-speed drive means, not shown, via universal joints 18 and 18'.
The needling head 10 is driven by conventional means and has associated therewith a stripper or foot member 19 which is curved to conform to the material contour in the needling zone to prevent lifting of the needled material by retraction of the needles. The needles are barbed, with the wide portion of the barbs facing the penetrating point to catch fibers and to draw the fibers inwardly through underlying layers of the windings.
The needling procedure is as disclosed in my aforementioned application Ser. No. 386,552 and the tube product is therefore needled by a plurality of needles at differing angles with respect to the radius of the tubing.
The several conveyors 1 and 5 and rolls 2, 3 and 4 preferably are all driven by variable-speed drives to provide a precise rate of feed of the sliver or web to the tube forming unit. In order to stabilize this critical supply factor and to initiate a desirable transverse re-orientation of the fibers, it is preferable to draw the web through the nip rolls 2 at a linear speed slightly in excess of the speed of the belt conveyor 1; deposit the web in thinned form on the surface of the roll 3 by rotating the roll at a peripheral speed considerably higher than the linear speed through the nip rolls, and collect the web in a partially-jumbled condition, with its fibers partially transversely-reoriented, on the roll 4, which is rotated at a much lower peripheral speed than the roll 3. This initial fiber reorientation is enhanced if the rolls 3 and 4 are provided with tractive surfaces, such as metallic card cloth, and a stripping comb 21 is positioned adjacent the conveyor 5 to strip the sliver or web from the roll 4.
The speed of the conveyor 5 is then matched to supply the web to the drive roll 14 at the desired rate.
OPERATION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In operation, a suitably-prepared, extremely thin sliver or web of material is supplied to the roll 14 and passes therearound to wind on the mandrel and subsequently is needled at multiple angles to form the non-woven tubing. Each needle penetration drives fibers from the outer layers angularly into the subjacent layers, thereby firmly securing and interlocking the windings into a continuous tubing.
The continuous tubing thus produced is driven around the stationary mandrel by the drive rolls 14 and 14' and, as a result of the presence of the helix 11 against which it is pressed, continuously ejects itself or literally screws itself off the stationary mandrel.
This self-ejecting effect is actually enhanced by the shrinkage tendency of the tubing, when it is so needled. The shrinkage, the taper of the mandrel and the enlargement of the helix thus cooperate in the ejection of the tubing, instead of the shrinkage being effective to oppose removal of the tubing, thereby requiring tensioning stresses to be imposed for withdrawal.
In direct contrast to longitudinal-stretching for withdrawal of the tubing, the tubing formed in accordance with the present invention is actually compressed radially on the helix and is, therefore, pressed off the mandrel without longitudinal distortions.
The actual taper of the mandrel will depend upon the type of fiber and its shrinkage tendency upon needling, and may be in the order of 1.5° to 2° taper.
Preferably, the helix is formed as a threadably-interchangeable component of the mandrel, so that helices of differing pitches may be employed.
Variation of the ejection rate of the tubing may be accomplished by the use of different helices and by adjustment of the speed of the drive rollers, thereby modifying the wall thickness of the tubing, for a given rate of web intake.
It should be noted that the supply of the incoming web over the surface of the drive roller 14 is especially advantageous. The resultant flattening or pressing of the web between the drive roller 14 and the mandrel 7 thus orients and de-lofts the web prior to the needling step. This preferably is augmented by positioning the final conveyor 5 in almost tangent relationship to the roller 14.
Therefore, it is apparent that the present invention provides a unique method and apparatus for producing non-woven tubings and a new form of tubing which is subjected to radial compression immediately after its formation.
The radial compression of the tube wall not only forms a relatively thin wall, but also has a densifying effect which tends to reduce the initial permeability of the structure without permanently altering the permeability or weakening the wall structure, as may occur when such tubing is subjected to substantial longitudinal tensions.
The continuous, uniform ejection of the tubing as it is formed provides for a uniform overlapping and stitch-locking of the turns, which is of extreme importance in very thin-walled, small-diameter tubing and of great advantage in tubing of larger dimensions.
Although different shapes or flight-profiles may be employed, it has been found that the sawtooth profile disclosed provides a particularly accurate and uniform ejection of the tubing.
Tubing produced in accordance with the present invention has been particularly effective in surgical service as vascular prostheses, not only by reason of the advantages attributable to non-woven tubing, but also as a consequence of the reliability which is achieved in small-diameter tubing of very small wall-thickness. Tubings have been produced in the range of from 4 to 30 millimeters and with wall thicknesses as low as 0.5 millimeters. It is to be understood, however, that the advantages derivable from the present invention are also appropriate to tubings of diameters larger than 30 millimeters.
Furthermore, although the present invention has been disclosed and discussed with particular regard to its exceptional advantages in terms of vascular prostheses, it is to be understood that the tubing of the present invention may be employed in several industrial services including tanneries, paper mills and as filtering or dewatering surfaces.
Various changes may be made in the details of the invention, as disclosed, without sacrificing the advantages thereof or departing from the scope of the appended claims.
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An apparatus for continuously producing needled, non-woven tubing by winding a web on a stationary mandrel, multi-needling overlying turns and frictionally driving the formed tube about the periphery of the mandrel. The mandrel is tapered to accomodate shrinkage of the tube and to assist ejection of the formed tube without application of longitudinal tension on the formed tube. The mandrel preferably includes a helical surface for progressively ejecting the rotating tubing from the static mandrel. The tube product may be formed with diameters as low as 4 millimeters and walls as thin as 0.5 millimeters and is radially compressed immediately after needling.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This Non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 103112171 filed in Taiwan, Republic of China on Apr. 1, 2014, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of Invention
The invention relates to a display panel and a display device and, in particular, to a display panel and a display device which can reduce the color shift effect caused by the light leakage of pixel.
Related Art
With the progress of technologies, display devices have been widely applied to various kinds of fields. Especially, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, having advantages such as compact structure, low power consumption and less radiation, gradually take the place of cathode ray tube (CRT) display devices, and are widely applied to various electronic products, such as mobile phones, portable multimedia devices, notebooks, LCD TVs and LCD screens.
A conventional LCD device mainly includes an LCD panel and a backlight module which are disposed opposite to each other. The LCD panel mainly includes a color filter (CF) substrate, a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the two substrates. The CF substrate, the TFT substrate and the LC layer can form a plurality of pixel disposed in an array, and each of the pixels includes a plurality of LC molecules. The backlight module emits the light passing through the LCD panel, and the pixel of the LCD panel can display colors to form images accordingly.
Moreover, in a conventional LCD panel, the rotation of the LC molecules of the pixel is controlled to show the bright and dark gray-level variation by the electric field formed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode. However, when a pixel is at the bright state and another pixel is at the dark state, the LC molecules of the dark-state pixel will be influenced by the electric field distribution of the bright-state pixel, and therefore the LC molecules of the dark-state pixel closer to the edge of the bright-state pixel will rotate accordingly. Hence, the dark-state pixel will undergo the light leakage effect, leading to the problems of color shift and less contrast of the LCD panel.
Therefore, it is an important subject to provide a display panel and a display device which can reduce the color shift problem caused by the light leakage of pixel to enhance the display quality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing subject, an objective of the invention is to provide a display panel and a display device which can reduce the color shift problem caused by the light leakage of pixel to enhance the display quality.
To achieve the above objective, a display panel according to the invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate, a pixel array and a light-blocking layer. The pixel array is disposed on the first substrate and between the first and second substrates, the pixel array at least includes a pixel having a first electrode layer including a plurality of electrode portions, and the electrode portions are spaced from each other and disposed along a first direction. The light-blocking layer is disposed on the second substrate along the first direction in a spacing manner and includes a first light-blocking portion and a second light-blocking portion. The first electrode layer is between the first light-blocking portion and the second light-blocking portion correspondingly. The first light-blocking portion has a first edge away from the first electrode layer along the first direction, and the electrode portions include a first electrode portion adjacent to the first light-blocking portion. When a light passes through the pixel, the pixel has a brightness distribution along the first direction, the brightness distribution, correspondingly between the first electrode portion and the first light-blocking portion, has a first brightness maximum that is corresponding to a first location on the second substrate, the minimum width from the first location to the first edge along the first direction is denoted by PTB, the width of the pixel along the first direction is denoted by Px, and PTB and Px conform to the following equation:
3.9 + 77.1 ⅇ - Px 2.7 + 4.5 ⅇ - Px 34.3 + 0.5 ⅇ - Px 0.1 ≤ PTB ≤ 8.9 + 77.1 ⅇ - Px 2.7 + 4.5 ⅇ - Px 34.3 + 0.5 ⅇ - Px 0.1 ,
and the units of PTB and Px are μm.
To achieve the above objective, a display device according to the invention includes a display panel, and the display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate, a pixel array and a light-blocking layer. The pixel array is disposed on the first substrate and between the first and second substrates, the pixel array at least includes a pixel having a first electrode layer including a plurality of electrode portions, and the electrode portions are spaced from each other and disposed along a first direction. The light-blocking layer is disposed on the second substrate along the first direction in a spacing manner and includes a first light-blocking portion and a second light-blocking portion. The first electrode layer is between the first light-blocking portion and the second light-blocking portion correspondingly. The first light-blocking portion has a first edge away from the first electrode layer along the first direction, and the electrode portions include a first electrode portion adjacent to the first light-blocking portion. When a light passes through the pixel, the pixel has a brightness distribution along the first direction, the brightness distribution, correspondingly between the first electrode portion and the first light-blocking portion, has a first brightness maximum that is corresponding to a first location on the second substrate, the minimum width from the first location to the first edge along the first direction is denoted by PTB, the width of the pixel along the first direction is denoted by Px, and PTB and Px conform to the following equation:
3.9 + 77.1 ⅇ - Px 2.7 + 4.5 ⅇ - Px 34.3 + 0.5 ⅇ - Px 0.1 ≤ PTB ≤ 8.9 + 77.1 ⅇ - Px 2.7 + 4.5 ⅇ - Px 34.3 + 0.5 ⅇ - Px 0.1 ,
and the units of PTB and Px are μm.
In one embodiment, PTB and Px further conform to the following equation:
3.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
ⅇ
-
Px
0.1
≤
PTB
≤
7.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
ⅇ
-
Px
0.1
In one embodiment, the electrode portions further include a second electrode portion adjacent to the second light-blocking portion, the brightness distribution, correspondingly between the second electrode portion and the second light-blocking portion, further has a second maximum brightness that is corresponding to a second location on the second substrate, the maximum width from the second location to the first location along the first direction is denoted by m, and the width of the first light-blocking portion along the first direction is denoted by B, and PTB is equal to (Px+B−m)/2, and the units of B and m are μm.
In one embodiment, the first electrode layer further includes a first connection portion, which is disposed on the opposite sides of the electrode portions and electrically connected to the electrode portions.
In one embodiment, the first electrode layer further includes a second connection portion, which is disposed around the electrode portions and electrically connected with the electrode portions.
As mentioned above, in the display panel and display device of the invention, the first electrode layer of the pixel of the display panel includes a plurality of electrode portions and is between the first light-blocking portion and the second light-blocking portion of the light-blocking layer correspondingly. The first light-blocking portion has a first edge away from the first electrode layer along the first direction, and the electrode portions include the first electrode portion adjacent to the first light-blocking portion. When the light passes through the pixel, the brightness distribution of the pixel along the first direction, correspondingly between the first electrode portion and the first light-blocking portion, has a first brightness maximum that is corresponding to the first location on the second substrate. The minimum width from the first location to the first edge along the first direction is denoted by PTB, and the width of the pixel along the first direction is denoted by Px, and PTB and Px conform to the following equation:
3.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
ⅇ
-
Px
0.1
≤
PTB
≤
8.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
ⅇ
-
Px
0.1
Thereby, when the minimum width PTB from the first location on the second substrate to the first edge of the first light-blocking portion along the first direction and the width Px of the pixel along the first direction conform to the above equation, the color shift caused by the light leakage of the pixel can be reduced. Therefore, the display panel and device of the invention can reduce color shift caused by the light leakage of the pixel and thus enhance the display quality.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, which are given for illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of two adjacent pixels P 1 , P 2 of a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 1B is a schematic sectional diagram of the display panel taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1A ;
FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of a first electrode layer of the display panel;
FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the pixels P 1 , P 2 of the display panel in FIG. 1B and the corresponding brightness distribution curve along the first direction when the pixel P 1 is at the bright state and the pixel P 2 is at the dark state;
FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram showing the middle portion of each of the pixels P 1 and P 2 in FIG. 2A and the corresponding brightness distribution curve;
FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of a display panel according to another embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3B is a schematic sectional diagram of the display panel taken along the line B-B in FIG. 3A ;
FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram of the first electrode layer in FIG. 3B ;
FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams showing pixels of the display panels according to other embodiments of the invention, respectively;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a display device according to an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same references relate to the same elements.
FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of two adjacent pixels P 1 , P 2 of a display panel 1 according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1B is a schematic sectional diagram of the display panel 1 taken along the line A-A in FIG. 1A , and FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of a first electrode layer 141 of the display panel 1 .
The display panel 1 is, for example but not limited to, a fringe field switching (FFS) LCD panel or another LCD panel of horizontal driving type. For the easier understanding, FIG. 1A just shows two scan lines S, three data lines D, two pixels P 1 , P 2 , two first electrode layers 141 and a light-blocking layer BM of the display panel 1 , and other elements of the display panel 1 are not shown. Moreover, a first direction X (horizontal direction), a second direction Y (vertical direction) and a third direction Z are shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C , and any two of them are perpendicular to each other. The first direction X is substantially parallel to the extending direction of the scan line S, the second direction Y is substantially parallel to the extending direction of the data line D, and the third direction Z is perpendicular to the first direction X and the second direction Y.
The display panel 1 includes a first substrate 11 , a second substrate 12 and a liquid crystal layer 13 . The first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12 are disposed oppositely, and the liquid crystal layer 13 is disposed between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12 . Each of the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12 is made by a transparent material, and can be a glass substrate, a quartz substrate or a plastic substrate for example.
The display panel 1 further includes a pixel array, which is disposed on the first substrate 11 and between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 12 . The pixel array includes at least a pixel. Here for example, the pixel array includes a plurality of pixels, which are disposed between the first and second substrates 11 and 12 and in an array along the first and second directions X and Y. Besides, the display panel 1 can further include a plurality of scan lines S and a plurality of data lines D, and the scan lines S and the data lines D cross each other and are perpendicular to each other to define each pixel area of the pixel array.
By taking the pixel P 1 as an example, the pixel P 1 includes a first electrode layer 141 , a first insulation layer 142 , a second electrode layer 143 and a second insulation layer 144 . In this embodiment, the second insulation layer 144 , the second electrode layer 143 , the first insulation layer 142 and the first electrode layer 141 are sequentially disposed on the side of the first substrate 11 facing the second substrate 12 from bottom to top.
The data line D is disposed on the first substrate 11 and the second insulation layer 144 covers the data line D. The second electrode layer 143 is disposed on the second insulation layer 144 , and the first insulation layer 142 is disposed between the first electrode layer 141 and the second electrode layer 143 to separate the first electrode layer 141 from the second electrode layer 143 to avoid their short circuit. The material of the first and second insulation layers 142 and 144 may include SiOx, SiNx or other material for example, but the invention is not limited thereto. Each of the first and second electrode layers 141 and 143 is a transparent conductive layer, and the material thereof may include indium tin oxide (ITO) for example. In this embodiment, the first electrode layer 141 is a pixel electrode and electrically connected to the data line D, and the second elector delayer 143 is a common electrode. In other embodiments, however, the first electrode layer 141 can be a common electrode while the second electrode layer 143 is a pixel electrode.
The first electrode layer 141 includes a plurality of electrode portions 1411 and a first connection portion 1412 . Herein for example, the first electrode layer 141 includes three electrode portions 1411 and two first connection portions 1412 . The two first connection portions 1412 are disposed on the opposite sides of the electrode portions 1411 and electrically connected to the electrode portions 1411 . The electrode portions 1411 are spaced from each other and disposed along the first direction X. Herein, the electrode portions 1411 are spaced from each other and disposed parallelly along the first direction X.
As shown in FIG. 1B , the display panel 1 can further include a light-blocking layer BM and a filter layer (not shown). The light-blocking layer BM is a black matrix. The light-blocking layer BM is disposed on the second substrate 12 along the first direction X in a spacing manner and disposed opposite to the data lines D. Herein, the light-blocking layer BM includes a first light-blocking portion BM 1 and a second light-blocking portion BM 2 . The light-blocking layer BM is made by opaque material, such as resin or metal (e.g. Cr, chromium oxide, or Cr—O—N compound) for example. In this embodiment, the light-blocking layer BM is disposed on the side of the second substrate 12 facing the first substrate 11 and over the data lines D along the third direction Z. Accordingly, the light-blocking layer BM covers the data lines D in a top view of the display panel 1 .
The filter layer is disposed on the side of the second substrate 12 and light-blocking layer BM facing the first substrate 11 , and at least a light-blocking portion exists between two adjacent filter portions. Since the light-blocking layer BM is opaque, an opaque area can be formed on the second substrate 12 so as to define a transparent area. Therefore, when the light passes through the pixels P 1 , P 2 , the pixels P 1 , P 2 will have a light-emitting area (the area of the pixels P 1 , P 2 permeable to light). Moreover, the display panel 1 can further include a protection layer (e.g. over-coating, not shown), which can cover the light-blocking layer BM and the filter layer. The protection layer can include photoresist material, resin material or inorganic material (e.g. SiOx/SiOx), protecting the light-blocking layer BM and the filter layer from being damaged during the subsequent processes.
When the scan lines S of the display panel 1 receive a scan signal sequentially, the TFT (not shown) corresponding to each of the scan lines S can be enabled. Then, the data signals can be transmitted to the corresponding pixel electrodes through the data lines D and the display panel 1 can display images accordingly. In this embodiment, the gray-level voltage can be transmitted to the first electrode layer 141 (pixel electrode) of each of the pixels through each of the data lines D, and an electric filed can be thus formed between the first electrode layer 141 and the second electrode layer 143 (common electrode) to drive the LC molecules of the LC layer 13 to rotate on the plane that is in the first and second directions X and Y. Therefore, the light can be modulated and the display panel 1 can display images accordingly.
However, when the electric field is formed between the first electrode layer 141 and the second electrode layer 143 to drive the LC molecules to rotate, in the two adjacent pixels P 1 , P 2 (the pixel P 1 is at the bright state while the pixel P 2 is at the dark state for example), the LC molecules of the dark-state pixel P 2 will be influenced by the electric field distribution of the bright-state pixel P 1 , so that the LC molecules of the dark-state pixel P 2 closer to the edge of the bright-state pixel P 1 will rotate accordingly, and therefore the dark-state pixel P 2 will undergo the light leakage effect, leading to the problems of color shift and less contrast of the LCD panel. Hence, the light-blocking range of the light-blocking layer BM needs to be defined to solve the said problems.
FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the pixels P 1 , P 2 of the display panel 1 in FIG. 1B and the corresponding brightness distribution curve L along the first direction X when the pixel P 1 is at the bright state and the pixel P 2 is at the dark state, and FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram showing the middle portion of each of the pixels P 1 and P 2 in FIG. 2A and the corresponding brightness distribution curve L. Herein, FIG. 2B shows the half structure of each of the pixels P 1 and P 2 and the corresponding brightness distribution curve L. Moreover, the brightness shown by the ordinate in FIG. 2B has been normalized (i.e. the maximum brightness is represented by the “unit 1 ”). Besides, the pixel P 1 being at the bright state indicates the pixel P 1 has the brightness of the brightest state, and that is to say the pixel P 1 is on the state of 100% gray-level brightness (i.e. the fully bright state).
As shown in FIG. 2A , the first electrode layer 141 is between the first light-blocking portion BM 1 and the second light-blocking portion BM 2 correspondingly. The electrode portions 1411 include a first electrode portion 1411 a adjacent to the first light-blocking portion BM 1 and a second electrode portion 1411 b adjacent to the second light-blocking portion BM 2 . The first light-blocking portion BM 1 has a first edge E 1 , along the first direction X, away from the first electrode layer 141 (the first electrode portion 1411 a ), and the second light-blocking portion BM 2 has a second edge E 2 , along the first direction X, adjacent to the first electrode layer 141 (the second electrode portion 1411 b ). A pixel width Px is a width of the pixel P 1 along the first direction X. In other words, the width Px is the width from the first edge E 1 to the second edge E 2 , and can have a range as follows: 5 μm≦Px≦500 μm, for example. Otherwise, the width Px also can be the width between the middle of the first light-blocking portion BM 1 and the middle of the second light-blocking portion BM 2 along the first direction X.
When the light passes through the pixel P 1 to make the pixel P 1 the bright state and doesn't pass through the pixel P 2 to make the pixel P 2 the dark state, the pixel P 1 has a brightness distribution (i.e. the brightness distribution curve L) along the first direction X as shown in FIG. 2A . Herein, the brightness distribution formed by the light passing through the pixel P 1 means the brightness distribution of the approximately middle portion of the pixel P 1 when the light passes through along the third direction Z. The brightness distribution curve L has a first maximum brightness between the first electrode portion 1411 a and the first light-blocking portion BM 1 , and the first maximum brightness is corresponding to a first location X 1 on the second substrate 12 . Besides, the brightness distribution curve L has a second maximum brightness between the second electrode portion 1411 b and the second light-blocking portion BM 2 , and the second maximum brightness is corresponding to a second location X 2 on the second substrate 12 . In this embodiment, the first location X 1 is located on the right side of the pixel P 1 of FIG. 2A and the second location X 2 is located on the left side of the pixel P 1 of FIG. 2A . However, in other embodiments, the first location X 1 corresponding to the first maximum brightness and the second location X 2 corresponding to the second maximum brightness can interchange with each other. To be noted, the first location X 1 being between the first electrode portion 1411 a and the first light-blocking portion BM 1 correspondingly indicates that the first location X 1 on the second substrate 12 can be within the left edge of the first electrode portion 1411 a and the right edge (i.e. the first edge E 1 ) of the first light-blocking portion BM 1 , and that is the first location X 1 can be within the range of the first electrode portion 1411 a or the range of the first light-blocking portion BM 1 along the first direction X. The second location X 2 being between the second electrode portion 1411 b and the second light-blocking portion BM 2 correspondingly indicates that the second location X 2 on the second substrate 12 can be within the right edge of the second electrode portion 1411 b and the left edge of the second light-blocking portion BM 2 , and that is the second location X 2 can be within the range of the second electrode portion 1411 b or the range of the second light-blocking portion BM 2 along the first direction X.
The maximum width from the second location X 2 to the first location X 1 along the first direction X is denoted by “m”, and the width of the first light-blocking portion BM 1 (or the second light-blocking portion BM 2 ) along the first direction X is denoted by “B”. So, the minimum width PTB from the first location X 1 to the first edge E 1 along the first direction X is equal to (Px+B−m)/2, and the units of PTB, Px, B and m are all “μm”.
As shown in FIG. 2B , when the pixel P 1 is at the bright state and the pixel P 2 is at the dark state, a part of the light will occur in the region of the pixel P 2 (the region C in FIG. 2B ). So, as long as the area of the brightness distribution curve L corresponding to the pixel P 1 (P 1 W 1 +P 2 W 2 , the integral of the brightness distribution curve L represents the energy) is far greater than the area corresponding to the pixel P 2 (i.e. the area of the region C, P 2 D 1 ), the light leakage effect of the pixel P 2 can be lowered down to the least and the color shift caused by the light leakage of the pixel P 2 can be thus reduced. Specifically, it can be achieved if the ratio of the twice P 1 W 1 plus twice P 1 W 2 to the twice P 2 D 1 is great sufficiently. Herein, the level of the color shift is quantified by a defined parameter CR: CR=2(P 1 W 1 +P 1 W 2 )/2P 2 D 1 =(P 1 W 1 +P 1 W 2 )/P 2 D 1 .
The area of the P 1 W 1 in FIG. 2B is about a rectangle and denoted by “A” approximately equal to 1*(Px/2−t−B/2). The brightness distribution curve L from the location “zero” (i.e. the first location X 1 ) rightward to the infinity is equivalent to an exponential function: e −kx (k is, for example but not limited to, 0.8). So,
P
1
W
2
=
∫
0
t
ⅇ
-
kx
,
P
2
D
1
=
∫
t
+
B
+
∞
ⅇ
-
kx
,
and
CR
=
P
1
W
1
+
P
1
W
2
P
2
D
1
=
A
+
∫
0
t
ⅇ
-
kx
ⅆ
x
∫
t
+
B
∞
ⅇ
-
kx
ⅆ
x
By substituting A=Px/2−t−B/2 and k=0.8 into the above equations, the result can be derived from the calculation as follows:
CR
=
0.8
ⅇ
0.8
(
t
+
B
)
×
(
Px
-
(
t
+
B
)
-
t
2
-
ⅇ
-
0.8
t
-
1
0.8
)
Generally, if the CR value is greater than or equal to 1000 (CR≧1000), the color shift caused by the light leakage is acceptable for the human eyes. Accordingly, the values of PTB (PTB=t+B, PTB is the minimum width from the first location X 1 to the first edge E 1 along the first direction X) and Px will conform to the following equation (showing the lower limit of PTB):
PTB
≥
3.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
ⅇ
-
Px
0.1
As shown in FIG. 2A , in the pixel P 1 , Px+B=PTB (left one)+m+PTB (right one). Theoretically the value of the left PTB is equal to the value of the right PTB, but they will be slightly different from each other due to the process factor in the practical process, so that the light leakage region uncovered by the light-blocking portion becomes larger, and therefore the CR value is decreased and thus influences the color shift. Hence, in consideration with the situation of the process factor (less than or equal to 5 μm in general), the upper limit of PTB is given to make the color shift acceptable, so that PTB and Px conform to the following equation:
3.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
ⅇ
-
Px
0.1
≤
PTB
≤
8.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
ⅇ
-
Px
0.1
When PTB and Px conform to the above equation, the color shift caused by the light leakage of the pixel P 2 can be reduced. Favorably, in order to give the display panel 1 a better display quality, PTB and Px can conform to the following equation:
3.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
ⅇ
-
Px
0.1
≤
PTB
≤
7.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
ⅇ
-
Px
0.1
FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram of a display panel 1 a according to another embodiment of the invention, FIG. 3B is a schematic sectional diagram of the display panel 1 a taken along the line B-B in FIG. 3A , and FIG. 3C is a schematic diagram of the first electrode layer 141 a in FIG. 3B . Herein, FIGS. 3A and 3B just show a single pixel P 1 a.
As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C , the main difference between the display panels 1 a and 1 is that the first electrode layer 141 a of the display panel 1 a is a common electrode while the second electrode layer 143 is a pixel electrode. As shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C , the first electrode layer 141 a includes three electrode portions 1411 and a second connection portion 1413 , and the second connection portion 1413 is disposed around the electrode portions 1411 and electrically connected with the electrode portions 1411 . The first insulation layer 142 covers the second electrode layer 143 and the data line D, and the first electrode layer 141 a is disposed on the first insulation layer 142 . Herein, the first insulation layer 142 is disposed between the first electrode layer 141 a and the second electrode layer 143 to separate the first electrode layer 141 a from the second electrode layer 143 (and the data line D) to avoid the short circuit.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams showing pixels P 1 b , P 1 c of the display panels 1 b , 1 c according to other embodiments of the invention, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 4A , the main difference between the display panels 1 b and 1 is that in the display panel 1 b the second direction Y is still substantially parallel to the extending direction of the data line D but the first direction X and the second direction Y have an obtuse angle instead of being perpendicular to each other, so that the pixel P 1 b is about a parallelogram. In other words, the scan lines S and the data lines D of the display panel 1 b of this embodiment still cross each other but have an obtuse angle instead of being perpendicular to each other, so that the pixel P 1 b and the first electrode layer 141 b are substantially parallelograms.
As shown in FIG. 4B , the main difference between the display panels 1 c and 1 is that the data line D has a bending portion in the pixel P 1 c of the display panel 1 c , so that the pixel P 1 c is not a parallelogram but has a bending portion corresponding to the bending portion of the data line D. Moreover, the electrode portion 1411 of the first electrode layer 141 c also has a bending portion corresponding to the pixel P 1 c.
Other technical features of the display panels 1 a , 1 b , 1 c can be comprehended by referring to the display panel 1 and are omitted here therefore.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a display device 2 according to an embodiment of the invention.
As shown in FIG. 5 , the display device 2 includes a display panel 3 and a backlight module 4 disposed opposite to the display panel 3 . The display panel 3 can be any of the above-mentioned display panels 1 , 1 a , 1 b , 1 c so the description thereof is omitted here. When the backlight module 4 emits the light passing through the display panel 3 , the pixels of the display panel 3 can display colors to form images accordingly.
Summarily, in the display panel and display device of the invention, the first electrode layer of the pixel of the display panel includes a plurality of electrode portions and is between the first light-blocking portion and the second light-blocking portion of the light-blocking layer correspondingly. The first light-blocking portion has a first edge away from the first electrode layer along the first direction, and the electrode portions include the first electrode portion adjacent to the first light-blocking portion. When the light passes through the pixel, the brightness distribution of the pixel along the first direction, correspondingly between the first electrode portion and the first light-blocking portion, has a first brightness maximum that is corresponding to the first location on the second substrate. The minimum width from the first location to the first edge along the first direction is denoted by PTB, and the width of the pixel along the first direction is denoted by Px, and PTB and Px conform to the following equation:
3.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
ⅇ
-
Px
0.1
≤
PTB
≤
8.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
ⅇ
-
Px
0.1
Thereby, when the minimum width PTB from the first location on the second substrate to the first edge of the first light-blocking portion along the first direction and the width Px of the pixel along the first direction conform to the above equation, the color shift caused by the light leakage of the pixel can be reduced. Therefore, the display panel and device of the invention can reduce color shift caused by the light leakage of the pixel and thus enhance the display quality.
Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover all modifications that fall within the true scope of the invention.
|
A pixel array is disposed on a first substrate and comprises a pixel having a first electrode layer including a plurality of electrode portions. A light-blocking layer is disposed on a second substrate along a first direction and includes a first and second light-blocking portions. The first electrode layer is between the first and second light-blocking portions. The first light-blocking portion has a first edge away from the first electrode layer, and the electrode portions include a first electrode portion adjacent to the first light-blocking portion. A brightness distribution of the pixel along the first direction has a first maximum brightness corresponding to a first position on the second substrate. PTB denotes the minimum width from the first position to the first edge, Px denotes the width of the pixel along the first direction, conforming to the following equation:
3.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
-
Px
0.1
≤
P
T
B
≤
8.9
+
77.1
ⅇ
-
Px
2.7
+
4.5
ⅇ
-
Px
34.3
+
0.5
ⅇ
-
Px
0.1
.
| 6
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many modern refrigerators include an evaporator which normally operates at below freezing temperatures, at which a layer of frost builds up on the surface of the evaporator. In order to quickly defrost the evaporator, a radiant heater is positioned below the evaporator so that the evaporator is warmed by both radiant and convection heating. One suitable type of radiant heater comprises a coil of heater wire encased in a heat resistant and electrically insulated tube of quartz or similar material. Such heaters operate at temperatures above the boiling point of water and quickly warm the surface of the evaporator to defrost temperatures. When the frost melts, the defrost water drops down. If it is allowed to impinge on the heater structure it will produce undesirable noises during defrost operations. It is well known to provide some type of shield to prevent the water from impinging directly upon the heater. One such shield structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,436,931--Robert B. Gelbard, assigned to General Electric Company, assignee of the present invention; which patent is incorporated herein by reference. It is normal to provide a single evaporator for both the freezer and the fresh food compartment and to place the evaporator in an evaporator compartment positioned behind the freezer compartment. Such arrangements are crowded and it is difficult to both shield the heater from direct impingement by defrost water and to effectively and uniformly defrost the evaporator.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved evaporator and defrost heater combination which shields the heater from direct impingement by defrost water while providing enhanced evaporator defrosting action.
Another object of the invention is to provide a heater and housing arrangement which provides uniform transfer of heat from the heater to the evaporator while shielding the heater from direct impingement by defrost water.
Yet another object is to provide such an arrangement in which the housing compensates for the uneven heat distribution from the heater.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out in the claims attached to and forming part of this specification.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one general form of the present invention there is provided, in combination, a refrigerant evaporator normally operable at frost collecting temperatures and a radiant heater operable at surface temperatures above the boiling point of water for warming the evaporator to defrost temperatures. A housing mounts the heater in substantially spaced, radiant heating relationship with the evaporator and below at least one frost collecting portion of the evaporator. The housing includes a shield structure and spaced apart mounting means supporting the heater in a position with a portion of the shield structure positioned between the heater and the at least one frost collecting portion of the evaporator . The shield structure is formed with a plurality of openings, so sized that the surface tension of defrost water impinging upon the shield will prevent the water from passing through the shield structure and of a sufficient number that significant heat passes through the shield structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional side elevation view of a refrigerator, illustrating an evaporator and heater combination in accord with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a simplified enlarged end view of the heater and heater housing of FIG 1, showing the heater mounted in the housing;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged exploded view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the heater separated from the housing;
FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the heater and housing assembly shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the heater housing shown in FIG. 4; and
FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the heater housing shown in FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The refrigerator 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes an outer cabinet 12 containing a freezer compartment 14 and a fresh food compartment 16. The freezer compartment is maintained at sub-freezing temperatures and the fresh food compartment at above-freezing food preserving temperatures by circulating air through these compartments and over an evaporator 18 positioned in a vertically disposed evaporator chamber 20 positioned behind the freezer compartment 14 and separated from it by a wall structure 22. More specifically, a fan 24 positioned in the upper portion of the evaporator chamber or compartment 20 discharges air through openings 26 in the wall 22 into the freezer compartment 14 and through a passage partially shown at 28 to the fresh food compartment. The fan also draws the air within the freezer compartment 14 and fresh food compartment 16 back into the evaporator compartment 20 and over the evaporator. The return air from the freezer compartment flows through a passage partially shown at 30 while the return air from the fresh food compartment flows through passage 32. The freezer compartment is maintained below freezing while the fresh food compartment is maintained above freezing by an appropriate division of the air being discharged from the evaporator compartment with the majority of the air going to the freezer compartment and a smaller portion of the air going to the fresh food compartment. The evaporator 18 is of a type designed to normally operate at below freezing temperatures with the result that moisture contained in the air blowing through the evaporator chamber 20 collects on the evaporator surfaces in the form of frost. Periodically this accumulated frost is removed from the evaporator surfaces by energizing a radiant heater 34 positioned in radiant and convection heating relationship with the evaporator surfaces.
While the evaporator may be of any of a number of well-known types, the illustrative evaporator comprises a tube 36 provided with fins 38. The fins 38 are integral with the tube 36 and extend radially outwardly therefrom with their end portions twisted through an angle of about 90°. Either two sets of fins 38 may be provided on opposite sides of the tube 36 or four such sets may be used as is shown in FIG. 1. The evaporator tube 36 is bent in the form of a serpentine to provide a plurality of horizontal conduit passes in a vertically spaced arrangement connected by return bends, as is well-known in the art. The overall configuration of the evaporator is of a generally rectangular construction and the various passes of the tube 36 are supported in spaced relationship on opposed frame members 39 at opposite sides of the evaporator. The frame members 40 mount the evaporator in a generally vertical position within the evaporator chamber or compartment 20 but slightly angled with respect to the vertical so as to more fully expose the various horizontal passes of tube 36 to the return air flowing upwardly through the compartment 20.
In order to periodically warm the evaporator surfaces to defrosting temperatures, a radiant heater 34 is provided. The heater conveniently may be of the type generally described in Turner U.S. Pat. No. 3,280,581 issued on Oct. 25, 1966, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. Such heaters, as described in the Turner patent, comprise a tube or envelope of insulating, heat transmitting materials such as a quartz-like material with a radiant heater coil positioned within the tube. Energization of the heater coil provides a substantial amount of heat with the result that, during defrosting of the evaporator, the tube or envelope attains a surface temperature above the boiling point of water. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, the exemplification of heater 34 includes an elongated tube 40 provided at each end with an end cap 42, by which the tube is mounted to an appropriate housing, and contacts 44 for connecting the heater coil to a source of electrical energy.
In refrigerators, as illustrated in FIG. 1, in which the evaporator for the entire refrigerator, the evaporator fan and the evaporator defrost heater are all mounted in a small compartment positioned behind the freezer, space is at a premium. In order to conserve space and also to provide for convection and radiant heating of the evaporator during the energization of the radiant heater, the heater is positioned below the evaporator 18 so that the elongated heater tube 40 runs generally parallel with the horizontal passes of the evaporator tube 36. In the refrigerator of FIG. 1 the heater 34 is positioned below the evaporator in the lower, generally V-shaped, bottom portion 46 of the evaporator chamber 20, which portion forms a drain trough that is also warmed to defrosting temperatures during the defrost cycle. Water accumulating in the lower portion or drain trough 46 is drained from the evaporator chamber through a drain tube 48.
The heater structure 34 occupies a fairly large part of the bottom portion of the evaporator chamber and is positioned immediately below the evaporator. If the heater is left exposed, water dropping from the evaporator as the frost melts will impinge upon the hot tube 40 and will cause undesirable and annoying "sizzling" sounds. In addition, it is quite common for partially melted frost, often referred to as slush, to fall from the evaporator. If such slush were to hit the heater, it would lay there for a longer period of time, causing even more undesirable noise, reducing the heating effectiveness and perhaps adversely affecting the life of the heater. In accordance with the present invention, the heater is provided with an improved combined housing, mount and shield. The housing provides a means for mounting the heater within the evaporator chamber and shields the hot heater surfaces during defrost of the evaporator to prevent water droplets and slush falling from overlying portions of the evaporator from dripping onto the hot surfaces during defrosting of the evaporator.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, there is shown a heater housing 50 which conveniently may be constructed from sheet metal. The housing includes an elongated shield portion having a generally vertically disposed front wall 52 and generally vertically disposed rear wall 54. The front and rear walls are joined by three top walls, including a first top wall 56 which joins the front wall 52 and is angled slightly inwardly from the vertical, a second top wall 58 which angles more steeply inwardly from the first top wall 56, and a third top wall 60 which angles inwardly from the top of the rear wall 54 and joins the second top wall 58. The walls 56, 58 and 60 provide an elongated shielding portion of the housing 50 having a peaked or gabled top. An elongated reinforcing rib 62, extending along the length of the front wall 52, provides greater stiffness to the housing. At each end of the wall 52 there is formed a mounting tab 64 by which the housing 50 is mounted to the evaporator brackets 39. Also each distal end of the wall 52 is bent at 90. and is formed as a mounting bracket 66 having a slot 68 defined by a lower arm 70 and an upper arm 72, respectively.
Viewing now FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the end caps 42 of the heater 34 are received in the slots 68 formed by the arms 70 and 72 and then the upper arms are bent from their extended position shown in FIG. 3 to a position closely overlying the corresponding end cap 42, as shown in FIG. 2. In this way, the heater is mounted with the elongated heater tube extending along and within the shield formed by the walls 52-60. Also, when the combined heater and housing are mounted within the evaporator compartment, the shield portion of the housing 50 is positioned between the heater and the evaporator and the walls facing the evaporator, that is principally walls 58 and 60, are inclined relative to the horizontal so that slush or water impinging on the housing from the evaporator will tend to run off. The walls 54 and 56 are perforated so as to be substantially completely covered by a plurality of spaced apart openings or holes 76. Similar holes 76 are spaced along the lower portion of wall 60. These openings or holes are sized such that the surface tension of water impinging on the shield from the evaporator during defrost operation or resulting from melting slush is great enough that the water will not pass through the holes and thus is prevented from impinging on the heater tube 40. On the other hand, there are enough holes that there is significant radiation and convection of heat from the heater tube 40 to the outside of the housing 50 so that it will effectively heat the evaporator 18 to quickly defrost it. Preferably, the openings 76 are between 0.060 inch and 0.188 inch in diameter and the openings are spaced so that there are between 16 and 32 openings per square inch of wall surface.
The vertical wall 52 is provided with a plurality of vertically extending slots 78. The spacing between the slots 78 varies along the longitudinal dimension of the wall 52, with the slots being more closely spaced toward the ends of the wall 52 and spaced farther apart toward the middle of the wall 52. While the heat density of the heater tube 40 is essentially uniform throughout its length, there still is more heat at any given point toward the middle of the tube since the middle portion of the tube is receiving heat from both axial directions while the portion toward each end is receiving heat essentially from only one longitudinal or axial direction. The arrangement of slots counteracts this phenomenon and permits a longitudinally more uniform heat transfer through the wall 52.
Drops of water falling on the housing 50 from the evaporator tend to form into small sheets and run down the sides of the housing and drip off the bottom, thus at any one time some portion of the openings 76 and perhaps even slots 78 are covered by water. The size of the openings 76 and slots 78 are such that surface tension of the water will not permit the water to flow through them; rather it runs over the outer surface of the housing 50. However, the housing is large enough and there are enough, holes 76 and slots 78 that there always is good radiant and convection heat transfer from the heater tube 40 to the outside of the housing 50. Slush dropping onto the housing from the evaporator also will slide over the walls 52-60 and drop into the trough or bottom portion of the evaporator housing 46. If any slush or unmelted frost accumulates in the trough 46, heat from the heater 34 will melt it so that it will not stop up the drain tube 48 and essentially all of the water resulting from defrosting the evaporator will drain out of the evaporator housing through the tube 48.
While there has been shown and described what is presently considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
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A combination evaporator and radiant heater defrost means including a heater housing which prevents defrost water from impinging directly on the heater while enhancing defrosting of the evaporator.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, of copending international application No. PCT/EP02/12586, filed Nov. 11, 2002, which designated the United States; this application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of German patent application No. 101 56 857.6, filed Nov. 20, 2001; the prior applications are herewith incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an inflatable body for pressing items of clothing and an apparatus with such an inflatable body. More specifically, the invention pertains to an inflatable body formed with an opening and, in the vicinity of the edge of the opening, first fastening devices for releasable connection to second fastening devices of a bottom part. The apparatus for pressing items of clothing with a non-rigid inflatable body has a bottom part with second fastening devices and an inflation system for inflating the inflatable body. The apparatus is constructed such that the first fastening devices and the second fastening devices are releasably connected to one another.
For the purpose of pressing items of clothing, it has become known for the latter to be tensioned from the inside using an inflatable body in order to remove creases in the item of clothing. For this purpose, the inflatable body is connected to a bottom part, which can generate a positive pressure in the inflatable body. It is necessary here for an opening of the inflatable body to be connected to an opening of the bottom part so as to fluidically communicate. The connection is advantageously air-tight. In order for it to be possible for the inflatable body to be exchanged or cleaned, the inflatable body, furthermore, is advantageously connected to the bottom part in a releasable manner.
An apparatus for pressing shirts which has a bottom part with an inflatable body fastened thereon is known in the art. The inflatable body consists of a non-rigid material and has an opening at the bottom, through which air can be blown into the inflatable body and which can be connected to an opening of the bottom part. For this purpose, the inflatable body has a pulling cord at the bottom, along the edge of the opening, and the bottom part has an outwardly open groove along the periphery of the opening. In order to connect the inflatable body to the bottom part, the edge of the inflatable body with the cord is positioned in the groove and the cord is pulled tight. However, it has to be ensured that the cord is arranged right in the groove before it can be pulled tight. This takes up more time and requires particular care to be taken since, for the correct connection between the inflatable body and bottom part, the cord has to be positioned in the groove over the entire periphery. Furthermore, there is a risk of a user not positioning the cord in the groove over the entire periphery and being unaware of this. Although it is possible, in such a case, to connect the inflatable body to the bottom part, such a connection gives rise to an increased risk of leakage between the bottom part and the inflatable body, this resulting in air escaping and thus in a lower inflating pressure or in increased energy consumption.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an inflatable body for pressing items of clothing and an apparatus with such an inflatable body, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and which allows the inflatable body to be connected easily, reliably, and securely to the bottom part.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an inflatable body for pressing items of clothing, comprising:
an inflatable body formed with an opening and an edge adjoining the opening;
first fastening devices disposed in a vicinity of the edge adjoining the opening, for releasably connecting the inflatable body to second fastening devices on a bottom part; and
a shaped part in a vicinity of the first fastening devices.
With the above and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with the invention, an apparatus for pressing items of clothing, comprising:
a non-rigid inflatable body formed with an opening defining an edge;
first fastening devices in a vicinity of the edge of the opening;
a rigid shaped part of the inflatable body in a vicinity of the first fastening devices;
a bottom part having second fastening devices for enabling a releasable attachment of the inflatable body to the bottom part; and
means for inflating the inflatable body.
By virtue of using a shaped part, there is only a very low risk of the inflatable body being connected inadequately to the bottom part and of this not being noticed by a user. The reason for this is that, for the rigid shaped part, there is only a very small range of intermediate positions, if any at all, in which the shaped part and the first fastening devices can be connected to the fastening devices of the bottom part such that the inflatable body can indeed be fastened on the bottom part, but not in the correct manner. Furthermore, using the shaped part makes it easier and quicker for the user to connect the inflatable body to the bottom part since, by virtue of this rigid shaped part, a relatively large section of the flexible inflatable body can be moved all at once into the position which is necessary for connection.
The first fastening devices may be a plurality of individual fastening means which are distributed over the periphery of the opening of the inflatable body and, in this case, may also be rigid. It is advantageous, however, for the first fastening devices to be flexible or non-rigid, with the result that they can better follow the periphery of the opening of the inflatable body. In the case of flexible or non-rigid first fastening devices, it is also possible for a single fastening means to be used and for this to be guided with not more than one interruption over the periphery of the opening of the inflatable body, with the result that a gap-free connection between the bottom part and inflatable body is achieved. Flexible fastening devices may be constituted, for example, by pulling elements such as a simple cord. A cord may be guided, for example, in a channel in the vicinity of the opening, with the result that the inflatable body can be fastened around a suitable counterpart on the bottom part by virtue of the cord simply being pulled tight.
If use is made anyway of first fastening devices made of an essentially rigid material, they may be configured integrally with the shaped part. In this embodiment, a single part forms both the shaped part and the first fastening devices. For example, in this case, the first fastening devices may be constituted by a bracket which extends around the periphery of the opening of the inflatable body and can interact with second fastening devices of suitable configuration. It is also possible here for the first fastening devices made of a rigid material to comprise a plurality of separate parts which are arranged one behind the other along the periphery of the opening of the inflatable body, in which case the parts can also overlap. In an advantageous development, rigid or solid first fastening devices and the second fastening devices interacting therewith are designed such that the connection between the two fastening devices is produced and/or assisted by a positive pressure prevailing in the inflatable body. For this purpose, the first fastening devices are set up such that an outwardly directed force, as is generated by the inflating pressure within the inflatable body, forces them into a position in which they are connected securely to the second fastening devices. For example, the first fastening devices may have an outwardly directed protrusion which engages beneath an inwardly directed undercut of the second fastening devices and is retained there by the inflating pressure in the inflatable body.
In an advantageous development, the shaped part is of resilient configuration. In such a case, it is possible for the shaped part to be fastened on a suitably configured counterpart on the bottom part. The counterpart on the bottom part is advantageously configured such that the spring force of the shaped part assists and/or secures the connection. For example, it is possible to provide a form-fitting connection between the shaped part and the counterpart, in which case, for connection purposes, the shaped part has to be deformed under the action of force and inserted into the counterpart. The spring force of the shaped part then forces the shaped part into a position in which the form-fitting connection in relation to the counterpart is produced.
If the inflatable body is fastened on the bottom part by a pulling element such as a pulling cord, which is pulled into a groove by being pulled tight, and the edge of the opening is curved inward in one region, the shaped part makes it considerably easier for the pulling element to be fed in since, otherwise, the pulling cord would have to be positioned in an S-shaped curve.
Use is made, particularly advantageously, of a shaped part in the inflatable body of an apparatus for pressing shirts which has a button-strip clamp or an arrangement for fixing a button strip and/or a buttonhole strip of a shirt. Such a button-strip clamp has the advantage that, rather than needing to be buttoned up, a shirt can be retained by the button-strip clamp at the open edges of the button strip. Such a button-strip clamp is usually arranged directly in front of the inflatable body, with the result that it can fix the button strip and/or the buttonhole strip at the location at which the button strip and/or buttonhole strip would be located if the shirt were buttoned up. This means, for the most part, that the button-strip clamp presses partially into the inflatable body, and thus that the periphery of the inflatable body is curved inwards in the region behind the button-strip clamp. The operation of fastening the inflatable body on the bottom part is more complicated in this region as a result of the inward curvature, fastening being rendered more difficult for the user, in addition, as a result of the button-strip clamp arranged in front.
Providing the shaped part on the inflatable body in the region behind the button-strip clamp vastly simplifies connection for the user since, rather than having to reach behind the button-strip clamp, he/she can arrange the inflatable body in this region by means of the shaped part.
The shaped part is advantageously arranged in a mount of the inflatable body together with the first fastening devices. If the first fastening devices do not require any direct contact with the second fastening devices, as is the case, for example, in the case of a pulling cord which is positioned in a groove and pulled tight, it is also possible for the mount to be a closed cavity. This makes it possible, with low outlay, for the shaped part and the first fastening devices to be arranged in the immediate vicinity of one another and connected to the inflatable body. In the case of an inflatable body made of a textile material or sheet-like structure, it is possible for the shaped part and a pulling cord, as first fastening devices, to be sewn in a pocket of the inflatable body, which can be formed along the opening of the inflatable body, for example, by virtue of the hem of the latter being stitched up.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an inflatable body for pressing items of clothing, and apparatus for pressing items of clothing which is equipped therewith, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevational view of an apparatus according to the invention for pressing items of clothing with an inflatable body;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bottom part of the apparatus according to FIG. 1 with the inflatable body removed;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail of the top side of the bottom part with the shaped part inserted, without the inflatable body;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the shaped part according to FIG. 3 ;
FIG. 5 is a cross section through part of a bottom region of the inflatable body with the shaped part inserted;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view, taken along the line VI—VI, of the top side of the bottom part shown in FIG. 3 ; and
FIG. 7 is a section through part of the hem of the inflatable body with a pull cord inserted.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a shirt pressing apparatus according to the invention which serves for pressing shirts or shirt-like items of clothing. The apparatus has a bottom part 2 with an inflatable body 1 fastened thereon. The inflatable body 1 , also referred to as a pressing dummy, is shirt-like and is formed of a non-rigid and selectively air-permeable material.
The bottom part 2 contains a fan 6 which is driven by a motor for blowing air into the inflatable body 1 through an air channel 4 . Furthermore, the air channel 4 contains an electric heater 7 for heating the air that is pumped into the pressing dummy, or inflatable body 1 . Furthermore, a button-strip clamp 3 is disposed on the bottom part 2 . The clamp 3 extends at a small distance in front of the inflatable body 1 , longitudinally in relation to the latter. The button-strip clamp 3 is used, in the operation of pressing shirts which are generally open at the front, for fixing the button strip and the buttonhole strip of a shirt which is to be pressed, in order that the shirt remains closed at the front when the inflatable body 1 is inflated.
FIG. 2 illustrates the bottom part 2 from above with the inflatable body 1 removed. The top side of the illustration has the mouth opening of the air channel 4 substantially in the center. Arranged around the mouth opening of the air channel 4 is a fastening device 8 which, on the front side of the bottom part 2 , has an interruption in which the button-strip clamp 3 is arranged. The fastening device 8 is illustrated in a horizontal section in FIG. 6 . It is in the form of an angle, or inverted L-bracket, which has its vertical leg fastened on the top side of the bottom part 2 and its horizontal leg directed outward. The fastening device 8 thus forms, together with the top side of the bottom part 2 , a groove with an outwardly directed opening. The inflatable body 1 has, at the bottom, an opening of which the edge can be fastened on the bottom part 2 and, for this purpose, has a pulling element (cf. FIG. 7 ) which, in the exemplary embodiment, is a cord 14 . It will be understood that it is also possible, for example, for the pulling element to be a strap, a chain, or a rubber band. For the purpose of fastening the inflatable body 1 , the cord can be positioned in the groove formed by the fastening device 8 and pulled tight. The fastening device 8 need not necessarily be in the form of an angle. It is sufficient if the fastening device 8 has an undercut of any desired shape beneath which the cord can be positioned.
With the inflatable body 1 closed in position, it is intended to be arranged in relation to the button-strip clamp 3 advantageously such that the trunk region of a shirt can be tensioned uniformly, and without creasing, in the peripheral direction. For this purpose, the button-strip clamp 3 is arranged such that, with the inflatable body 1 inflated, it presses some way into the inflatable body 1 , and surfaces of the button-strip clamp 3 against which the button strip and/or the buttonhole strip are tensioned are located in extension of the surface sections of the inflatable body 1 on both sides of the button-strip claim 3 .
Such a configuration of the inflatable body 1 and of the button-strip clamp 3 , however, means that, in the region in which the inflatable body 1 is located behind the button-strip clamp 3 , the cross section of the inflatable body 1 has an indent, which is also formed at the connecting location between the inflatable body 1 and the bottom part 2 . In order for it to be possible for the cord at the bottom of the inflatable body 1 also to be guided around the button-strip clamp 3 along the indentation, two further, rear fastening devices 9 are disposed behind the rear corners of the substantially rectangular cross section of the button-strip clamp 3 . The fastening devices 9 are likewise illustrated in section in FIG. 6 and, as shown, they have the same cross section as the fastening devices 8 . The horizontal legs of the rear fastening devices 9 , however, are directed inward (into the interior of the pressing dummy, pointing towards the rectangular opening 4 ).
It is disadvantageous, however, that, for the purpose of fitting the inflatable body 1 , the cord has to be positioned behind the button-strip clamp 3 , in the rear fastening devices 9 , from the rear. This is made difficult for a user by the button-strip clamp 3 , which is in the way and, in addition, blocks the view. In order to remedy this disadvantage, a shaped part 13 is fitted at the edge of the opening of the inflatable body 1 .
FIG. 3 illustrates on an enlarged scale that region of the bottom part 2 around the button-strip clamp 3 in which the front edges of the fastening device 8 and the two rear fastening devices 9 are also located. To give a better view, the shaped part 13 has been illustrated without the inflatable body 1 , in a position which it assumes when the inflatable body 1 is fastened on the bottom part 2 . The shaped part 13 , in addition, is illustrated on its own in FIG. 4 .
The button-strip clamp 3 , which is illustrated on an enlarged scale in FIG. 3 , has a rear part 12 , of which the front side forms tensioning surfaces along the edges and on the front of which two tensioning flaps 10 are fastened in a pivotable manner in the center, these flaps, in turn, having a non-slip coating 11 on their side which is directed toward the rear part 12 . The tensioning flaps 10 can be prestressed in relation to the rear part 12 by spring force in order for the button strip and/or the buttonhole strip of a shirt which has been placed in position to be forced against the tensioning surfaces for fixing purposes.
The shaped part 13 is resilient and is in the form of a bracket with its ends bent outward at right angles. On account of this shape, the shaped part 13 can be positioned around the two fastening devices 8 , 9 such that it is retained securely by them. For this purpose, it is forced forward at the ends by the fastening device 8 and forced rearward, on either side of the center, by the two rear fastening devices 9 . The height of the shaped part 13 is low enough to allow it to be positioned in the grooves of the two fastening devices 8 , 9 , with the result that it is retained in the vertical direction by the horizontal legs of the fastening devices 8 , 9 .
It is also possible, however, for the shaped part 13 to be connected to the bottom part 2 in other ways. For example, it is possible to form integrally on the shaped part 13 fastening devices which can interact with correspondingly configured fastening devices on the bottom part 2 . The shaped part 13 may thus have downwardly projecting hooks or protrusions which can be inserted into openings of the bottom part 2 and locked there.
FIG. 6 illustrates on an enlarged scale, the placement of the shaped part 13 within the grooves of the two fastening devices 8 and 9 . The section is taken along the interrupted section line VI—VI in FIG. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.
For the purpose of fastening the inflatable body 1 , first of all the shaped part 13 is fastened on the bottom part 2 . For this purpose, it is possible for the shaped part 13 to be positioned in the rear fastening device 9 , by way of its central section, from the rear, to be bent forward at the ends by virtue of being pulled, and to be positioned in the fastening device 8 from the front by way of the ends. By virtue of the restoring force of the shaped part 13 , which forces the ends of the shaped part 13 against the vertical legs of the fastening device 8 , the shaped part 13 is retained securely in the two fastening devices 8 , 9 . Since the shaped part 13 is sewn in the hem of the opening of the inflatable body 1 together with the cord, the insertion of the shaped part 13 also results in the peripheral section of the inflatable body 1 and the cord in the region of the shaped part 13 being positioned in the fastening devices 8 , 9 at the same time. Advantageously, the shaped part 13 can only be connected securely to the bottom part 2 in the correct manner here, with the result that a less than adequate connection which goes unnoticed by the operator is ruled out. The rest of the hem of the inflatable body 1 together with the cord is then positioned beneath the undercut of the fastening device 8 and the cord is pulled tight.
The shaped part 13 , on the one hand, facilitates the fastening of the inflatable body 1 on the bottom part 2 and, on the other hand, ensures that the inflatable body 1 is fastened correctly on the bottom part 2 . This avoids the situation where the functioning of the apparatus for pressing items of clothing is adversely affected on account of a leaky connection between the bottom part 2 and the inflatable body 1 . Furthermore, in one embodiment, it may be provided that the shaped part 13 cannot be displaced along the hem of the opening of the inflatable body 1 and the shaped part 13 can only be inserted at a defined location of the bottom part 2 , with the result that the act of placing the shaped part 13 in position predetermines the fastening of the rest of the inflatable-body hem. This avoids the situation where the inflatable body 1 is fastened in a skewed alignment on the bottom part 2 .
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Items of clothing are smoothed by pulling them taut from within by way of an inflatable body that is detachably linked with a base that has a fan for inflating the inflatable body. In order to releasably fasten the inflatable body, the base has second fastening devices that are detachably linked with the first fastening devices of the inflatable body. In order to render it easier for an operator to fasten the inflatable body on the base and to reduce the risk of insufficiently fastening it, the inflatable body is provided with a rigid shaped element that is disposed next to the first fastening device.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to mechanical punching apparatuses for copper smelting converters. More particularly the invention relates to a mechanical punching apparatus which can accurately and effectively punch the tuyere of a converter whose position changes with the rotating motion of the converter.
A matte containing 50 to 60% copper which has been smelting in a copper smelting process is converted into blister copper containing about 98% copper in a converting process. The converter used in the converting process is called a Pierce-Smith Type converter which is substantially cylindrical and is disposed so that its longitudinal axis is horizontal. The converter has tuyeres on the lower part of its side wall. More specifically, a plurality of tuyeres are arranged in a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the converter. Usually, the diameter of each tuyere is about 4 to 5 cm, and about fifty tuyeres are provided at interval of about 15 cm. Compressed air under a pressure of about 1.3 kg/cm 2 is supplied through the tuyeres directly to the molten matte in the converter for causing an oxidation reaction of the matte. Accordingly, in the converting process the molten matte is adiabatically cooled by the blowing air at the ends of the tuyeres, as a result of which the matte is liable to solidify and become encrusted at the ends of the tuyeres. Alternatively, slag formed in the process, which may be a composite oxide containing FeO, SiO 2 , Fe 3 O 4 , etc., is liable to solidify and become encrusted at the ends of the tuyeres. If such solidified encrustations form, which tend to clog the tuyeres, the compressed air cannot be supplied in sufficient quantities to the converter. In such an event, it is necessary to insert punching rods into the encrusted tuyeres to clear the tuyeres.
On the other hand, as the oxidation reaction advances in the converter and accordingly the level of the molten matte is decreased in the converter, it is necessary to rotate the converter to change the position of the tuyeres so that the compressed air is supplied into the deeper portion of the molten matte in the converter so that the oxidation reaction can be completely carried out in the converter.
As the converter is rotated, the horizontal direction, the vertical direction and the inclination angle of each tuyere are changed. Accordingly, it is necessary to move the mechanical punching apparatus as the position of the tuyere is changed. A conventional mechanical punching apparatus, for instance, as disclosed in Japanese Published Patent Application No. 6684/1971, has three separate mechanisms for regulating the horizontal direction, the vertical direction and the inclination angle, respectively. The conventional mechanical punching apparatus is positioned by operating each of the three mechanisms whenever the converter is rotated. This operation is troublesome and requires particular skill. Moreover, a mechanical punching apparatus exerts great impact when punch the tuyeres. Therefore, the apparatus itself and the punching rod have a tendency to wear. Accordingly, it is necessary to inspect and repair them. However, since the conventional mechanical punching apparatus has an intricate construction, its overhaul and maintenance are considerably difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the invention is to provide a mechanical punching apparatus for a converter tuyere which can set the position of the punching rod in one action in correspondence to variations in the horizontal direction, vertical direction and inclination angle of a converter tuyere and which thereof attains operability.
Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical punching apparatus for a converter tuyere which is composed of segregated structures, namely, a mechanical puncher, a carriage and puncher tilting means, so that these structural units are readily accessible and the overhaul and maintenance thereof can be readily achieved.
The invention provides a mechanical punching apparatus overcoming these drawbacks, which includes a mechanical puncher with a punching rod for punching the tuyeres of a converter, a carriage supporting the puncher and adapted to transport the puncher in the longitudinal direction of the converter, and puncher tilting means disposed between the mechanical puncher and the carriage for tilting the mechanical puncher. This arrangement eliminates all of the above-described difficulties accompanying a conventional mechanical punching apparatus.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view, partly as a sectional view, showing a mechanical punching apparatus according to the invention, the sectional view being taken along a line II--II in FIG. 2;
FIG. 2 is a right side view of the mechanical punching apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mechanical punching apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along a line IV--IV in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an elevation view, with right and left halves taken respectively along lines V(a)--V(a) and V(b)--V(b) in FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view taken along a line VI--VI in FIG. 3;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the relation between the guide members and the follower of the mechanical punching apparatus; and
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for a description of the link mechanism of the mechanical punching apparatus.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A mechanical punching apparatus according to the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in the accompanying drawings, first with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of a mechanical punching apparatus according to the invention includes a mechanical puncher 2, a carriage 4 for supporting the puncher 2 and transporting it in the longitudinal direction of a cylindrically shaped converter 100 (FIG. 8), and a tilting device 6 disposed between the puncher 2 and the carriage 4 for tilting the puncher 2.
The mechanical puncher 2 may be a known type. Therefore, it will be only briefly described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 4. The puncher 2 includes a base stand 10, a punching rod assembly 12 slidably supported on the base stand 10, and air cylinders 14 mounted on the base stand for driving the punching rod assembly 12. The base stand 10 is rigidly formed with a bottom plate 16, two side plates 18 being integral with the bottom plate 16, and partition plates 20, 21 and 22 extending between the side plates 18. In this embodiment of the invention, a pair of punching rod assemblies 12 are provided with each punching rod assembly 12 having two punching rods 24. The punching rod assembly 12 is provided with a U-shaped guide 26 mounted on the side plate, a U-shaped guide 28 extending over the partition plates 20, 21 and 22 and secured to the partition plates 20 and 21, and a punching rod holding block 30 which is slidably engaged with the U-shaped guide grooves of the guides 26 and 28.
Each punching rod 24 is mounted by inserting its head 24' in a T-shaped groove 30' which is formed in one end portion of the punching rod holding block 30. The other end portion of the punching rod 24, opposite to the head 24', and which is to be pushed into a conveter tuyere, is fitted in an elongated groove 20' which is formed in the partition plate 20. Thus, the partition plate 20 serves as a guide for the punching rod 24.
As is apparent from the above description, each punching rod 24 can be secured to the respective punching rod assembly 12 merely by inserting the head 24' and the rod body respectively into the T-shaped groove 30' and the elongated groove 20'. Moreover, the punching rod 24 cab be removed from the punching rod assembly 12 merely by lifting it.
Each air cylinder 14 extends through the rear partition plate 22 and the middle partition plate 21. The piston 14' of the air cylinder 14 is connected through a coupling 32 to the other end portion of the punching rod holding block 30. The air cylinders 14 are held by mounting members 34 at the rear end of the base stand 10.
The mechanical puncher 2 is constructed as described above. With this construction, the punching rods 24 are moved to and from the converter tuyere as the pistons of the air cylinders 14 reciprocate. In the preferred embodiment described, a pair of punching rod assemblies 12 are provided, and each punching rod assembly 12 is driven by its own air cylinder 14. That is, the puncher 2 can simultaneously operate four punching rods 24.
The carriage 4 bearing the mechanical puncher is provided with a rigid chassis 40 and wheels 44 which are mounted on the chassis 40 through axle mounts 42 so that an electric motor 46 and a reduction gear 48 (FIG. 3) mounted on the chassis 40 can run the carriage 4 on rails 50 which are laid in the longitudinal direction of the converter 100. As is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, supporting posts 5 and 7 are provided at suitable positions on the chassis 40 so as to hold the puncher 2 when the puncher 2 is lowered to its lower level limit or when the puncher tilting device 6 (described below) is removed or repaired.
The puncher tilting device 6 is provided between the machanical puncher 2 and the carriage 4 to freely tilt the puncher 2 with respect to the carriage 4. As is best illustrated in FIG. 4, the puncher tilting device 6 has a link mechanism composed of levers 62, 64, 66 and 68 and a coupling rod 70.
The link mechanism will be described in more detail. First ends of the levers 62 and 64 are pivotally secured to the pivotal points A and C of pivotal mounting members 52 and 54, respectively, which are positioned apart from each other on the chassis 40. First ends of the levers 66 and 68 are pivotally secured to the pivotal points G and H of pivotal mounting members 56 and 58, respectively, which are positioned apart from each other on the bottom plate 16 of the mechanical puncher 2. The other ends of the levers 66 and 68 are pivotally secured to the other ends of the lever 62 and 64 at the pivotal points E and F, respectively. The levers 62 and 64 are coupled to each other through the coupling rod 70 at the pivotal points B and D which are located respectively between the pivotal points A and E and between the pivotal points C and F.
The geometrical dimensions of the link mechanism are: AB=CD, AC=BD, AE>CF, and EG>FH. Accordingly, a parallel motion mechanism is formed by the lever 62, the coupling rod 70, the lever 64 and the chassis 40, i.e., by the links AB, BD, DC and CA. Thus, the pivotal points E and F can synchronously swing around the pivotal points A and C, respectively.
The levers 62 and 64 are swung by a driving means comprising a drive source 74, a mounting member 76, a power cylinder 72 and a piston 72'. The drive source 74 is mounted on a mounting member 76 on the chassis 40 and the power cylinder 72 is mounted pivotally on the mounting member. The power cylinder is connected to the drive source and the piston 72' is coupled to the pivotal point E of the lever 62. The inner surface of the power cylinder 72 is threaded. The threaded inner surface is engaged with a male thread in the outer surface of the piston 72' so that the piston 72' moves in and out of the power cylinder 72 through the threads. This provides a braking effect to prevent vibration which may occur in a punching operation.
As is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the mechanical puncher 2 is provided with followers 80 and 82 which extend outwardly of the sides thereof. The follower 80 is disposed adjacent to the pivotal mounting member 58 in the front part of the puncher 2 while the follower 82 is disposed adjacent to the pivotal mounting member 56 in the rear part of the puncher 2. The follower 80 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 86 of follower mounting member 84 which is fixedly secured to the lower side part of the bottom plate 16 of the puncher 2. Axial play of the follower 80 is prevented by a retaining ring 88. Similarly, the follower 80 is rotatably coupled to the bottom plate 16 of the puncher 2. Guide members 94 and 96 are mounted on the chassis of the carriage 4. The guide members 94 and 96 have curved grooves 90 and 92 for receiving and guiding the followers 80 and 82, respectively. As shown in FIG. 8, the curved grooves 90 and 92 are formed along arcs having as centers the center of rotation of the conveter 100. For the curved grooves, the same effect can also be obtained by providing the guide members on the mechanical puncher side and providing the followers on the chassis of the carriage.
It should be noted that, as shown in FIG. 5, one pair of puncher tilting devices 6 described above are provided symmetrically on both sides of the mechanical punching apparatus.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 8, as the piston 72' is operated by the drive mechanism turning the lever 62 counterclockwise around the pivotal point A, the lever 64 is then turned around the pivotal point C through the coupling rod 70. At the same time, the levers 62 and 64 push up the levers 66 and 68, respectively, as a result of which the levers 66 and 68 move the mechanical puncher 2 upwardly. In this operation, the motion of the mechanical puncher is limited by the followers and the curved grooves because the followers 80 and 82 are engaged with the curved grooves 90 and 92 of the guide members 94 and 96, respectively. Accordingly, the mechanical puncher 2 is tilted around the center 0 of rotation of the converter 100, and therefore the relative position of the punching rod 24 of the puncher 2 and the converter tuyere 102 is unchanged.
As is apparent from the above description, the puncher tilting devices 6 can displace the puncher 2 merely by operating the pistons of the drive mechanism so that the puncher 2 is directed to the converter tuyere 102 at all times.
In the mechanical punching apparatus according to the invention constructed as described above, the punching rods are maintained in the direction of the converter tuyere merely by operating the power cylinder. Therefore, the apparatus is considerably high in operability and in advantageous in that the operating units are individually mounted and readily accessible and hence their maintenance and repair can be achieved considerably efficiently.
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A mechanical punching apparatus for punching tuyeres in which the position of punching rods is varied in a one action in correspondence to movement of the tuyere and in which the mechanical puncher, a carriage and a puncher tilting device are readily accessible for overhaul and maintenance. A mechanical puncher including punching rods assemblies is mounted on a carriage which moves on rails along the longitudinal direction of a converter. A link structure is arranged between the puncher and the carriage for tilting and moving the puncher with the movement being restricted along a predetermined locus having a center at the center of rotation of the converter. The link includes first and second sets of levers disposed between the carriage and puncher with a coupling rod pivotally coupled between levers.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to apparatus for controlling movement of flowable granular material in such a manner as to provide efficient valves therefor, along with specific end uses such as retaining walls and for beach renourishment.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] It has been known for various purposes to control the movement of flowable granular materials through various mechanical devices, under the influence of gravity or other forces and through various forms of pumping systems.
[0005] It has also been known to attempt to resist loss of sand in beaches under the influence of open water waves which tend to apply a force causing particles of sand to become entrained in water and carried away from the beach. For example, various types of physical barriers such as walls, as well as the use of stabilizing plant life and physical objects positioned on beaches, have been employed in an effort to resist undesired erosion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention contains several embodiments of flowable granular material control systems. In one embodiment, a valve which can permit free flow and movement of the material in a first direction, but resists such flow in a second direction is provided. In another embodiment, a retaining wall which under normal circumstances serves to retain a formation of flowable granular material is provided. The retaining wall may be provided with a plurality of elongated passageways such that as the angle of repose under normal circumstances will resist undesired flow of the material through the passageways. These passageways may be so provided in number and size as to permit flow therethrough under modified conditions to thereby minimize the likelihood of the wall being toppled by a force imposed by the retained flowable granular material. They also facilitate passage of some of the material through said passageways to thereby resist major landslides.
[0007] In a further embodiment of the invention, a beach retention system having a. plurality of individual units provided with wave deflection ramps with generally horizontal openings which receive the water containing sand thereover and a plurality of spaced interior barrier plates which receive deposited sand therebetween and have interior horizontal slots for the vertical transfer of sand downwardly and an anchor portion securing the units within sand. The anchors may have valve openings for discharge of drained water after sand is separated therefrom.
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide improved valves which do not require moving parts and serve to control flow of flowable granular material.
[0009] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide applications for such valves which permit flow of the granular material in a first direction while resisting such flow in the opposite direction.
[0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide for enhanced stability of structures containing or composed of flowable granular material and for the use in retaining walls having a plurality of passageways which are so positioned and sized as to resist passage of flowable granular material therethrough under normal circumstances and facilitate such passage under unusual circumstances.
[0011] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an effective means for retaining sand on beaches through appropriate control of the flow of incoming water which contains suspended sand.
[0012] These and other objects of the invention will be fully understood from the following description of the invention with reference to the drawings appended hereto.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a valve of an embodiment of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a series of pairs of schematic illustrations of one-directional flow valves of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a retaining wall of the present invention disposed adjacent to a pile of flowable granular material.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional illustration of the retaining wall and adjacent flowable granular material taken through 4 - 4 of FIG. 3 .
[0017] FIG. 5 is a schematic elevational view of a form of beach erosion control system of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 6 is an illustration of a wave deflection ramp which forms a portion of a unit of the beach erosion control system.
[0019] FIG. 7 is an elevational view showing portions of two vertically spaced units of the beach erosion control system.
[0020] FIG. 8 is a fragmentary illustration showing valve action on portions of the beach erosion control system.
[0021] FIG. 9 is a partially schematic view of a portion of the beach erosion control system showing a plurality of units which are vertically spaced from each other.
[0022] FIG. 10 is an elevational view showing an anchor portion of two units.
[0023] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken through 11 - 11 of FIG. 5 .
[0024] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken through 12 - 12 of FIG. 5 .
[0025] FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 through 12 generally, but showing four additional elements.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0026] The present inventor's U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,827 contains disclosures of methods and apparatus for movement of an article employing flowable particulate matter and also contains disclosure of valves suitable for discharging such flowable granular material. The disclosure of this patent is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
[0027] As employed herein, the term “earth” is employed in generally conventional sense to mean the fragmental material comprising part of the land portion of the globe. It is sometimes referred to in general usage as “soil” or “dirt”.
[0028] As employed herein, the term “flowable granular material” means a plurality of solid particles which, under the influence of gravity and other forces, will be subject to relative movement with respect to other such particles and shall expressly include, but not be limited to, sand, earth, soil, bulk grains, rock particles, synthetic particles and combinations thereof. The particles or granules may be considered to have “semi-hydraulic” properties.
[0029] As employed herein, the terms “angle of repose” shall refer to the angle that the upper surface of a pile of flowable granular material, such as sand, forms with respect to the horizontal naturally when piled on a flat surface. The angle defines the magnitude of the horizontal force that the sand, for example, exerts when piled against a generally vertical surface. Such angles of repose are frequently about 20 to 46°.
[0030] Rankine in Rankine, J. B. (1857), “On the Stability of Loose Earth”, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Volume 147, Part 1, Pages 9-27, provided guidance regarding the determination of a stable angle of repose for loose earth under the influence of a uniform force such as gravity. The horizontal force perpendicular to a vertical plane with flowable “earth” is calculated by Rankine to be inversely related to the angle of repose. It increases as the angle of repose decreases. As the angle of repose decreases, the bottom edge of the “earth” moves “outward”.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 1 , there is shown a valve opening 2 which is defined by an upper passageway-defining surface 4 , a lower passageway-defining surface 6 and a pair of lateral passageway surfaces 8 , 10 extending therebetween. The valve opening 2 is defined within a structure 12 which may be composed of any suitable material such as stone, concrete, metal, organic materials, such as wood, plastic and combinations thereof.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 2 , there are shown three pairs of views of three valves such as a 1 -a 2 , b 1 -b 2 and c 1 -c 2 . These involve an extension of a principle shown within FIGS. 3 and 4 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,827. In this embodiment, movement of the flowable granular material through the valve passageway in a first direction is readily permitted, while it is resisted in the opposite second direction. The flow of the granular material as shown in Figures a 1 and a 2 , which represent sand valves without movable parts is freely permitted in the direction of arrow A as shown in Figure a 2 , but is resisted in a second direction as shown by arrow B. The particulate material 14 in the valve shown in Figure a 2 readily flows in the first direction A under the influence of a force vector such as, for example, gravity or centrifugal (downward as drawn rotational) force between upper passageway-defining surface 4 and lower passageway-defining surface 6 . By contrast, the flowable material 16 as shown in Figure a 1 is resisted in second direction B. In the form shown, both the upper passageway-defining surface 4 and the lower passageway-defining surface 6 , as well as lateral connecting passageway surface 8 and 10 are generally planar. The included angle X between the generally planar passageway-defining surfaces 4 , 6 is maybe about 10 to 55° and preferably about 20 to 45°. It will be appreciated that the planar surfaces 4 , 6 , 8 and 10 may be provided with irregular shapes or curved shapes, if desired, so long as the angle of repose X facilitates the one-way flow concepts of this embodiment of the invention. Similarly, with respect to the valve shown in b 1 , b 2 , the position of the upper and lower passageway-defining surfaces which have been labeled 24 and 26 in these figures is inverted with respect to Figures a 1 and a 2 . With this reversal, it will be seen that the flowable material 30 in Figure b 1 moves readily under the influence of gravity or centrifugal force, as desired, through the valve in the first direction C, while the flow of the granular material 32 in a second direction D is resisted. It will be appreciated that the repose angle Y may be about 10 to 90° and preferably about 20 to 45° depending on the granular material involved. 100321 The embodiment shown in Figures c 1 , c 2 shows an upper valve element 40 having a generally planar passageway-defining surface 42 and a lower valve element 44 having a generally flat passageway-defining surface 46 . It will be appreciated that in this embodiment the width W of upper valve element 40 is greater than the width w of lower valve element 44 . Flow of the flowable granular material 56 in a first direction E is resisted because the granular angle of repose is greater than the design value. Flow of flowable granular materials 54 in the direction F is achieved as a result of the angle of repose Z 1 being less than the design value thereby permitting flow in such direction of selected flowable granular materials. This shows an angle of repose Z which is about 10 to 50° and preferably about 20 to 45°. In this embodiment, granular material flow in the directions opposite arrows E and F is resisted.
[0033] It will be noted in connection with Figure c 1 and c 2 that an angle of repose greater than the repose angle Z is subjected to blocking of the material 50 by valve element 40 . The portion of flowable granular material with an angle less than the angle of repose Z 1 will pass through the valve as shown in Figure c 2 . In this embodiment, the upper and lower surfaces may be generally horizontal with the difference in widths W, w providing the desired valve action.
[0034] Another embodiment of the invention which centers around providing an improved safer retaining wall for flowable granular material. As stated hereinbefore, as the angle of repose of a flowable granular material decreases, the horizontal force within the material increases. The flowable granular material, such as earth, for example, under the influence of such changes can change from a cohesive fragmental material capable of stability, when formed, for example, as an exposed vertical surface, to an unstable “flowable” material by imposition of a mechanical or acoustic shock, or pressure, or by the addition of, or subtraction of, aqueous moisture or that of other fluids within the material or a segment or layer of the material. This can lead to landslides or the collapse of the “earth” wall of an excavation. Solid retaining walls are often employed to resist such failures. When such a landslide or collapse occurs, the earth (or a strata thereof) reconfigures itself in a suitable angle of repose which resists further movement of the “earth”. With present retaining wall design, the increased horizontal Rankine force on the retaining wall structure, as the internal Rankine angle changes, can destroy the structure and endanger the objects or personnel protected by the wall.
[0035] In the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the change that makes the “wall” or a segment or strata of the “wall” unstable causes the now flowable granular material to pass into or further through one or a series of “valves” as described hereinbefore in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 . The contained sloped flowable granular material segments in the vertical series of such valves restrains the further flow of the collapsing “wall” without adding large further destructive horizontal force to the improved retaining wall structure. This enhances the safety of protected objects or personnel beyond the retaining wall. If the change in earth structure is such that it results in a final angle of repose less than that contained by the design of the retaining wall valve segments, the flow of “earth” passes through the valves. This warns observers of the change in earth dynamics while allowing the basic retaining wall to remain in place. There is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 a retaining wall 70 , which may be composed of any suitable material such as stone, concrete, metal, organic materials, such as wood, plastic and combinations thereof. The wall 70 is generally vertically oriented and has a front face 72 and a rear face 74 . It is supported adjacent to a surface 76 being protected by the retaining wall 70 . Adjacent the rear face 74 is disposed a mound 80 which is or may become a flowable granular material which slopes toward the wall 70 . A prime purpose of the wall 70 is to resist undesired flow of the material 80 onto the surface 76 . The wall 70 must also resist forces applied to the rear surface 74 by the material 80 . The angle of repose of the material being retained is of importance in this context. For example, when the moisture content of the retained flowable granular material 80 increases, it can become flowable granular material. When this occurs, the angle of repose generally decreases and the force attempted to urge the wall in the direction of surface 76 increases. A prior approach to handling such a problem is to make the retaining wall 70 overly strong and, therefore, increase the expenses of the same substantially. In spite of this, failures do occur, particularly with certain types of soils whose flow properties and compaction may change abruptly with moisture content or mechanical vibration such as occurs during an earthquake.
[0036] The present design resists such undesired failure of a wall by providing a plurality of elongated horizontal passageways such as 88 , 90 and 92 which are provided with a horizontal extent having a ratio to the vertical extent of about 3 to 1 and preferably greater than about 1 to 1 of each said opening 88 , 90 , 92 dependent on the nature of the flowable granular material. While the range may vary depending upon design preferences, it is preferred that about 70 to 90% of the exposed wall rear surface be occupied by the elongated horizontal passageways. In the form shown, a top row of passageways 88 , 90 , 92 overlies an intermediate row 94 , 96 , 98 , which, in turn, overlies a row 100 , 102 , 104 . It is preferred that the angle of repose of the flowable granular material within the passageways 88 - 104 (even numbers only) be such that the material extends only to adjacent the front surface 72 of the wall 70 without spilling over. It is preferred that the base surface of each horizontal passageway such as surface 110 of passageway 92 or surface 112 of passageway 90 be substantially planar and be horizontally oriented.
[0037] The retaining wall 70 will withstand the full horizontal stress of the flowable granular being retained. If, for example, increased moisture content or an earthquake causes the flowable granular material to change so that increased horizontal force would be exerted against the retaining wall 70 , then the angle of repose becomes less. The greater force is relieved by the flowable granular material sliding further through or out of the passageways 88 - 104 (even numbers only). This serves to provide a safety valve-type effect by automatically lessening the force applied to the rear surface 74 of the retaining wall, the wall continuing to remain in place and provide the desired protection.
[0038] It would be appreciated that the retaining wall 70 uses less material to achieve the desired retention capability than that of the prior art. This is due to the fact that there is automatic “over-pressure” or safety relief
[0039] Referring now to FIGS. 5 through 13 , an embodiment of the invention which is designed to employ certain sand valve concepts of the present invention along with horizontal slots for delivering flowable granular material, such as sand, and anchoring elements. The system is structured to be secured within a body of water which has fluid in motion, such as open water, which has waves moving toward a sloping shore surface. One of the problems encountered with such beach areas and the like is that the force of the waves tends to entrain the flowable granular material, such as sand, and transport it away from the beach or land area, thereby creating undesired erosion problems. The system of this embodiment is designed to recapture the flowable granular material and restore it in the beach or shore area, thereby resisting undesired beach erosion.
[0040] A second aspect of this embodiment is the ability to use the system to protect a “submerged beach” such as the edge of a channel leading into a fresh or salt water port.
[0041] In general, the apparatus is structured to avoid substantial impeding of the force of a water wave approaching the beach, while extracting a portion of the flowable granular particles such as sand contained within a wave and then to inhibit the return of the extracted sand to open water as the water wave recedes from the beach.
[0042] It will be appreciated that the structure to be described herein may be of any desired length or width depending upon the physical environment and objectives of the user. Also, the structure is preferably applied in a plurality of vertically spaced units and a greater or lesser number of units may be provided dependent upon the physical environment in which they are placed and the objectives of the user. It is also desired to trap the sand or other flowable granular materials in such a manner as to maintain the normal angle of repose of the sand on that beach. Further, as will be described herein, the individual units are anchored to the beach and have structures to permit return of excess fluids such as water to the main body.
[0043] The flowable granular particles removed from a wave are either stored within the unit in which they are trapped or moved downwardly to a lower level within the structure and deposited on the beach. In FIG. 5 , there is shown a plurality of beach stabilizing units 120 , 124 , 126 , 128 , 131 which have the right ends, respectively 130 , 132 , 134 , 136 , 138 , positioned closest to an approaching wave which arrives moving in the direction shown by arrow G and the opposing ends closer to the beach or shore. It will be noted that in the preferred embodiment a step-like arrangement of the units is provided. As shown in FIG. 5 , units 128 and 130 have their outer ends farther from the beach than units 124 , which, in turn, has its outermost end closer to the beach than unit 126 , but farther from the beach than unit 120 . Referring to the uppermost unit 120 , it has a ballast portion 140 which has an inwardly and upwardly sloped ramp 142 over which the waves will flow. It is preferred that the upwardly sloped ramps be substantially continuous to facilitate efficient flow thereover. It also has a generally vertical rear wall 144 within which sand passing over surface 142 may be deposited such as 148 on generally horizontal surface 150 . A plurality of elongated horizontally oriented slots 160 , 162 , 164 serves to permit sand to pass therethrough and under the influence of gravity and external wave action. The sand drops to the region 166 underlying unit 120 and overlying unit 124 to be captured on the horizontal surface 172 of unit 124 with a portion of the flowable material passing through elongated horizontal slots 174 , 176 , 178 to drop onto portions of unit 126 . Unit 124 has a plurality of vertically projecting barrier plates such as 180 , 182 , 184 which serve to provide distinct compartments for receipt of the flowable granular material. Finally, an anchor spade 190 projects generally angularly downwardly into the underlying sand 192 to secure the structure in the desired orientation. Similar elements are provided in units 126 , 128 and 130 . It will be noted that unit 130 does not have a ballast section, but rather has a vertically projecting barrier plate 192 . It also provides a downwardly projecting anchor 194 which has openings 196 , 198 , 200 , as well as similar downwardly projecting anchors 202 , 204 with openings, respectively 206 , 210 , 212 , which permit drainage of water outwardly toward the open body as indicated by arrow H.
[0044] In a preferred embodiment, the upwardly sloped ramps, except for the elongated sand-delivering slots such as 174 , 176 , 178 will be substantially continuous and preferably be made from a material selected from the group consisting of plastics, organic materials and protected metallic materials, such as metals covered or enclosed within a barrier material, such as a resinous plastic, for example.
[0045] It will be appreciated that the height of the opening between the undersurface of the next adjacent vertically spaced unit and the uppermost portion of the inclined upwardly sloping ramp will be about 1 to 3 inches and preferably about ¼ to ½ inch in order to facilitate efficient receipt of the waves.
[0046] FIG. 6 shows a more detailed view of an elongated ballast element 220 which has a barrier plate 222 . The ballast, which is preferably sealed within the structure, can be any suitable material adequate to maintaining the erosion control unit in place on the beach surface.
[0047] Referring to FIG. 7 , the interaction of adjacent units and valve effect will be considered. In this embodiment, a first wave deflection ramp 230 is oriented inwardly and upwardly toward the shore in a unit (only a portion which is shown) having a generally horizontal surface 232 to receive a portion of the sand with an appropriate ballast material 234 contained within the ballast element. Similarly, a wave deflection ramp 240 has ballast 242 and a generally horizontal surface 244 provided with an elongated slot 246 and a generally vertical barrier plate 248 with a quantity of flowable granular material such as sand 250 supported on horizontal surface 244 . It will be appreciated that as the waves move in the direction shown by arrow I, there is a change in velocity of the wave resulting in a portion of the flowable granular material, such as sand, being deposited on the surface of portion 244 with elongated slot 246 serving to permit the sand to drop into the underlying structure when the quantity of sand 250 reaches a predetermined level. It will be appreciated that the elements described in FIGS. 5 through 7 and in portions of the remaining figures have their elongated direction into the page of the drawing and may be whatever desired length will best accomplish the beach erosion resisting objective.
[0048] It is preferred that the wave deflection ramp such as 240 and 230 have an included lesser angle with respect to the horizontal base portion of the unit 244 , 232 , respectively, of about 10 to 40°. The ballast material should have a specific gravity greater than one. The ballast may be metal pellets enclosed in plastic, for example.
[0049] It will be appreciated that the size of the fluid openings which may have a height H from the undersurface such as surface 260 of ballast 262 shown in FIG. 8 to the uppermost surface of ballast 263 or the surface gap H 1 between the lower surface 264 of ballast 262 and the uppermost surface of ballast 268 which provides a fluid opening for flow of waves in the directions of arrows J and K, respectively. This thereby allows a portion of the wave optimum in size to enter the structure so that the suspended flowable granular material such as sand can be trapped and deposited on the beach surface. In the form shown in FIG. 5 , for example, the lowermost ballast 128 is closest to the approaching wave and, in stepwise manner, the uppermost ballast 120 is farthest therefrom to provide the desired input flow of the wave.
[0050] In FIG. 9 , there is shown an end view of the elongated horizontal slots such as 280 , 282 , 284 , 286 , 288 , 290 to permit progressive downward flow of the material from the uppermost spaced vertical unit 294 through the intermediate unit 296 to the lower unit 298 to thereby facilitate gravitational redeposit of this sand on the beach.
[0051] FIG. 10 shows an end view of a portion of a unit 300 which has upstanding barrier walls 302 , 304 and an anchor portion 306 which extends into the sand 308 to anchor the structure in the desired generally horizontal position within the water which overlies the sand 308 . In the portion of unit 310 shown, the anchor 312 , as well as the horizontal portion 314 , are submerged below sand level. If desired, the units may be placed other than perpendicular to the beach or shoreline to accommodate the anticipated angle of arrival of waves.
[0052] It will be appreciated that as sand is deposited as shown in FIG. 10 , the deposited sand can lift the structural units above the initial position so as to provide for ongoing efficient removal of sand from the incoming waves.
[0053] It will be appreciated that another function of the anchors such as 308 , 312 is to resist undesired horizontal rotation of the structure. Further, additional ballast may be added at the outermost portions of the unit, if desired, to resist undesired movement.
[0054] In this embodiment the combination of the flow control valves, the horizontal slots, the vertically spaced relationship between units and the anchors are such that the force of the incoming wave is not opposed, but rather utilized to transport and deposit the flowable granular material such as sand in a useful manner to reestablish the beach. The capture and retention of the sand is facilitated by the upwardly projecting elongated vertical barrier plates and the elongated horizontal slots for vertically downward gravitational transfer of the sand. It will be appreciated that the structure both restores the beach and resists further erosion of the sand.
[0055] Referring to FIG. 11 , there is shown a cross-section taken through 11 - 11 of FIG. 5 which shows a form of structure as viewed from the direction of which the wave is approaching. The structure has a plurality of elongated units which, in the form shown, extend generally parallel to the beach with the entry spaces for the waves being shown as gaps 350 , 352 , 354 , 356 . Water drainage slots such as shown in element 138 in FIG. 5 facilitate discharge of water in the direction coming out of the page to facilitate removal from the stored sand.
[0056] Referring to FIG. 12 , which is in a view taken similar to that through Section 12 - 12 of FIG. 5 , wherein the plurality of vertically projecting barrier walls 410 , 412 , 414 , 416 have adjacent horizontal slots 420 , 422 , 424 , 426 , respectively, to facilitate sand moving downwardly from adjacent the positions where the vertically upwardly projecting walls appear.
[0057] Referring to FIG. 13 , there is shown a top plan view through 13 - 13 of FIG. 1 employing different reference numerals for clarity of presentation. FIG. 13 illustrates in top plan view modular aspects of the beach retention and replenishment embodiment. The wavy line to the left of section 442 is toward the beach and the wavy line on the top of FIG. 13 is oriented generally angularly with respect to the beach. The solid line to the right of section 430 is adjacent the direction from which the waves will arrive. The units 430 , 432 , 434 , 436 , 438 , 440 , and 442 may contain the elements described in connection with FIGS. 5-12 and may be upwardly stepped from unit 430 to unit 442 . The number of units 430 - 442 (even numbers only) and the length of the units 430 - 442 (even numbers only) may vary according to the specific design.
[0058] It will be appreciated that the present invention has provided means for establishing a first embodiment wherein a flowable granular material valve without requiring movable parts facilitates flow in one direction through the valve passageway and resists flow in the opposite direction. In addition, in another embodiment, an efficient economical retaining wall having passageways so configurated with respect to the normal angle of repose of an adjacent of pile of flowable granular material as to resist undesired excessive forces against the wall. Finally, in another embodiment, the beach renourishment construction is provided which facilitates allowing wave flow, removing flowable granular material, such as sand, therefrom and retaining such sand while returning the water to the open body of water.
[0059] Whereas particular embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details may be made without departing from the invention, as defined in the appended claims.
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The present invention is directed toward various valving arrangements to control the flow of granular material. In one embodiment, a valve is provided which facilitates flow of the material in one direction, but resists flow in another direction. In another embodiment, a retaining wall is provided with a plurality of generally horizontal passageways, which, under normal circumstances, resist passage of the flowable granular material positioned therebehind and, under modified circumstances, can serve as relief valves to avoid pressure on the wall which might cause the wall to move in an undesirable manner. In a third embodiment, a plurality of valving units is provided for beach retention of sand through efficient separation of sand from incoming waves.
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